Author: Chief Editor

Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Wednesday said that his administration would strengthen civic space and public participation in governance. El-Rufai said this in Kaduna, at the opening of a three-day event to commemorate the 2021 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit holding in South Korea. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2021 summit has three thematic areas – strengthening civic space and public participation, tackling corruption; and promoting inclusive digital innovation. The governor said that Kaduna state would focus on strengthening civic space and broaden citizens’ participation in governance through the implementation of the 2021…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Tuesday, lamented that the Federal Government has turned its members to farmers and taxi drivers. The ASUU accused the Federal Government of a deliberate attempt at impoverishing university lecturers by its blunt refusal to implement the Memorandum of Action signed with the union in 2020. The coordinator of ASUU Lagos Zone, Comrade Adelaja Odukoya stated this while addressing journalists at the end of the zonal meeting of the Union, held at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Odukoya, flanked by the branch chairmen from the zone, said academic members “are…

South Africa’s High Court ordered former President Jacob Zuma to return to jail after setting aside the decision to release him on medical parole, a court judgement showed on Wednesday. The 79-year old began medical parole in September and is serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court after he ignored instructions to participate in a corruption inquiry. In the same month, South Africa’s top court dismissed a bid by him to overturn the sentence. The legal processes against Zuma for alleged corruption during his nine-year reign are widely viewed as a test of post-apartheid South Africa’s ability to enforce…

Lekan Sote Those who counsel Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, appear to have failed to appreciate the all-time wisdom of the first principle, whereby you deal with issues from the most foundational, to the next, and the next ad infinitum. Though the Yoruba approach it from the opposite end, by saying you should sort many trees that fall on each other from the one at the top of the heap, then the next, and then the next, ad infinitum, the idea is essentially the same. It’s still about the first principle. The peace walk proposed by Governor Sanwo-Olu reminds…

The Lagos State government has commenced prosecution of inbound international passengers who fail to submit themselves for Day Two and Day Seven PCR tests as mandated by the Federal COVID-19 protocols and guidelines. This is as the state government expressed concern over the dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases seen in the evolving fourth wave. Speaking on the development, the state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, noted that the prosecution of defaulting inbound passengers became necessary in order to mitigate the evolving fourth wave of COVID-19 infection in the state. He said, “Lagos State Government is concerned with the dramatic…

Rwanda has detected its first six cases of the fast-spreading Covid-19 Omicron variant, prompting the government to escalate pandemic measures, including shutting down nightclubs and extending quarantines for international travellers. Visitors will now be required to quarantine for three days instead of the current 24 hours, the government announced, after recording six cases of the Omicron variant in travellers and their contacts. “A Covid-19 PCR test will be taken upon arrival and an additional test, taken on day three and on day seven at own cost, from the arrival date,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement late Tuesday.…

Super Eagles’ former coach, Gernot Rohr, has admitted that losing the Nigerian job has cast a gloom over his future. The German, who was relieved of his job by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Sunday, told the media on Monday that he felt a ‘huge frustration’ over the turn of events. With less than three weeks to the kickoff of the African Cup of Nations in Cameroun, Rohr had already set his mind on how to test his wits against other teams from the continent. The African Cup of Nations will kickoff on January 9 and end on February…

• UAE backs down, grants Air Peace seven slots in Dubai Airport as parties meet in Abuja • Omicron now in 77 countries, spreading at rate never seen before, WHO boss warns • Lagos commences prosecution of defaulters of COVID-19 guidelines • Omicron, Delta cause 83% spike in Africa in one week with fewer deaths • Africa may not reach 70% vaccine coverage until August 2024 Effective this morning, the United Kingdom (UK) will remove Nigeria and 10 other African countries from its travel red list, allowing free entry of flights and travellers with minimal conditions into the UK. The…

Ahead of the 2023 poll, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally dropped the hint that he would aspire to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, who had a closed-door meeting with Northern elders under the aegis of Northern Alliance Committee, yesterday in Abuja, assured that he would make his intention to vie for the exalted seat of the presidency known soon. Tinubu fielded questions from newsmen at the end of the parley and acknowledged that he is already consulting widely with stakeholders in the party on…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cried out that a prolonged delay in assenting to the new Electoral Bill may hinder its preparations and smooth conduct of upcoming elections, including the governorship polls in Ondo and Ekiti States scheduled for June and July 2022. INEC’s worry came just as the Convener of the Civil Society Situation Room, Mrs. Ene Obi, and the Executive Director of the Policy and Legislative Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Mr. Clement Nwankwo, made a case for President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently sign the Electoral Bill into law. Speaking as one of the panelists at the Situation…