Author: Chief Editor

The United States and Nigeria have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that launches a Cultural Property Agreement between both nations. U.S. Ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard and Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed signed the agreement yesterda at a ceremony attended by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama and U.S. Embassy representatives. In Nigeria, cultural property continues to be subject to the threat of pillage, destruction, and loss due to excavation, criminal activity, natural disasters, and subsistence digging. The agreement will facilitate continued cooperation with Nigerian law enforcement agencies and support efforts to identify, intercept, repatriate, and…

Tottenham announced on Friday that France international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has signed a new contract at the Premier League club. The 35-year-old, who joined Spurs in 2012, was free to talk to foreign clubs from the start of this month but has committed his future to Tottenham in a deal that runs until 2024. It was widely reported on Thursday that the World Cup winner had agreed a new contract with the London club and they made an official announcement early on Friday. “We are delighted to announce that Hugo Lloris has signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with the club,…

Lekan Sote Finally, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Senator and former Governor of Lagos State, informed Nigerians that he has told the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), that he’ll run for President of Nigeria on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in 2023. This is Tinubu’s first step to cashing in his political IOUs from those he helped to achieve their political ambitions, President Buhari being the chief of them. And they have started paying back. By seizing the initiative to stalemate President Buhari from supporting another candidate, Tinubu played a sleight of hand. A move that…

Niran Adedokun   Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, was in the storm’s eye earlier this week. Perhaps some disclosure is expedient here before we proceed. Ojudu is someone with whom I am acquainted. He was, in fact, the first editor I worked with in my career as a journalist.

Abimbola Adelakun In place of awe at the spectacular sight of the rice pyramids stacked in the FCT in preparation for the president to officially unveil them on Tuesday, Nigerians have mostly expressed cynicism. Something about those thousands of bags of rice piled in the open feels both unrealistic and out of touch with reality. First, almost all the media accounts of the Tuesday ceremony laughingly repeated the claim that there were up to one million bags of rice in those pyramids. How could that be? In the days Nigeria had groundnut pyramids, each was estimated to have been…

The Inspector General of Police (IG), Usman Alkali Baba, yesterday commended the Akwa Ibom State Police Command for crime detection, prevention, and the general fight against criminalities in the state. The IG hailed the Command while addressing its officers and men during his familiarisation visit to state Police Command. Baba was also in the state to inaugurate a special protection base built by the state government for the Command, Base 27, in Onna Local Government Areas of the state. According to him, “Since I took over as the IG, Akwa Ibom State Police Command is one of the Commands I…

•Commend senate for okaying direct, indirect, consensus modes of primaries •To engage NLC, TUC over proposed increase in fuel price •Hold secret parley with EFCC boss over security votes The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), met late last night, over National Assembly’s recommitment to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, and challenged the House of Representatives, to concur with the specific amendments of the Senate, in order to make the job of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a lot easier ahead of the next set of elections. The governors, who commended the Senate for the quick passage of the bill and…

Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday, pleaded not guilty to all 15 count terrorism charges preferred against him by the federal government. Kanu had on Tuesday filed a preliminary objection challenging the competence of the new charge as well as the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter. According to the defendant, the fresh charge preferred against him were baseless, worthless, defective and could not stand the test of the law hence, should be dismissed. Kanu made the submission through his lead lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, shortly after his re-arraignment and his…

• I’ll declare intention after convention, says Yahaya Bello • Group warns against election of corrupt aspirants A group, Coalition of Women for Osinbajo, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to endorse Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Led by Hajia Rabi Dauda, the group also called on members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to rally behind Osinbajo as preferred successor of Buhari. Dauda, who addressed reporters at the office of a political group, The Progressive Project (TPP), affirmed women’s confidence in the candidacy of Osinbajo as a people-focused leader with…

Nigeria maintained its winning streak at the ongoing African Cup of Nations, beating Guinea Bissau 2-0 in their last Group D match of the competition. Goals from Sadiq Umar and Captain William Troost-Ekong gave the three-time champions the 100 per cent scorecard in the group stage. Super Eagles dominated most parts of the first half, but poor shooting and lack of composure in front of goal, Umar being the main culprit, denied them an early lead. Coach Augustine Eguavoen made eight changes to the side that defeated Sudan 3-1 on Saturday, with Kelechi Nwakali, Umar, Tyrone Ebuehi, Semi Ajayi, goalkeeper…