Author: Chief Editor

•27 EU countries, US, six others ban flights from Southern African countries Following the outbreak of a new strain of COVID-19 in South Africa and the travel restrictions imposed on Southern African countries by several countries, concerns have been raised over the proposed visit of the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, to Nigeria. Barring any last-minute change, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to receive Ramaphosa and other top government functionaries of his administration, who are scheduled to undertake a three-day visit to Nigeria between November 29 and December 1. South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases had revealed that there…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has expressed concerns over the increasing rate of irrational use of antibiotics, which it said, has further accelerated the process of antimicrobial resistance leading to avoidable deaths. The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the advice at the virtual 2021 World Antimicrobial Resistance Week (WAAW) anniversary with the theme ‘Spread Awareness Stop Resistance’. A statement issued by NAFDAC’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, in Lagos, quoted Adeyeye as warning that if allowed to fester, antimicrobial resistance could lead to death, adding that the menace and war against…

HIGHLIFE American educational reformer, Horace Mann, said that “Education, then, beyond all other divides of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men—the balance wheel of the social machinery.” This is a fact that the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has taken to heart. As the man has always insisted since coming to office in 2019, that education is the best tool to close societal gaps, whether these gaps exist in personal growth, regional development, or wealth distribution. Lagos has seen quite a few governors, some of whom have expressed a desire to transform the state and…

Thomas Mueller says Bayern Munich team-mate Robert Lewandowski must be awarded the Ballon d’Or trophy when the winner is announced on Monday. Lewandowski is hoping to win his first Ballon d’Or after taking FIFA’s rival award for men’s player of the year in 2020. “‘Lewy’ has to win the thing on Monday when you see the way he is playing at the moment,” Mueller said Saturday after a 1-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld which kept Bayern top of the Bundesliga. “There is no one playing so consistently at the moment for club and country. “There is no need to even…

Spanish defender Sergio Ramos will make his long-awaited debut for Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s Ligue 1 game at Saint-Etienne. The 35-year-old joined the club back in July, but has suffered from a nagging calf injury since. Ramos arrived at PSG with a glittering CV, having won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, and four Champions League trophies with Real Madrid. “He’s been with the first team squad for two weeks now, he needs games and to adapt to a new league,” PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Saturday. Pochettino had been expected to name Ramos in…

Former Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited, and Vice President of Shell Global, Babs Omotowa bestrode the sector like a colossus, leaving behind him indelible marks and groundbreaking achievements. In this interview with AZEEZ OLORUNLOMERU, he speaks on climate, science and development issues; mass migration of Nigerians and how government can stem the tide; and the place of Nigerian youths in changing the ugly narratives about the country, among other issues. In recent times, there have been global concerns about environmental issues, how they affect populations and may affect our future. Are these concerns unfounded? Is there a possibility that…

Pursuant to the Tribunals of Inquiry Law, Laws of Lagos State 2015 the Justice Doris Okuwobi Commission of Enquiry was instituted by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu last year to probe sundry allegations of police brutality in the State. Upon the conclusion of the assignment last week the Commission submitted “a full report in writing of its proceedings, findings and recommendations and record an opinion and reasons leading to its conclusions” in line with Section 15 (1) of the Law. Thereafter, the Governor set up a 4-member Committee of cabinet members headed by the State Attorney-General and…

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, yesterday dismissed an appeal by the embattled former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, challenging the forfeiture of her $40 million worth of jewellery to the Federal Government. The appellate court held that there was no substance in Alison-Madueke’s bid to overturn the lower court’s order. It affirmed the 2019 judgment of Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court, which forfeited the jewellery, following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The appellate court gave its judgment in an appeal filed by Alison-Madueke marked as Appeal No CA/L/1263/19 between Diezani…

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his soldiers would “destroy” rebels from the northern Tigray region, in the latest instalment of state media footage purportedly showing him at the war front. Ethiopian former long distance runner Haile Gebrselassie (C) has said he is determined to “sacrifice and stand for Ethiopia” (AFP/EDUARDO SOTERAS) “You are comprehensively destroying the enemy, there is no going back without winning,” Abiy, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, said in the 34-minute clip posted Saturday to his office’s Twitter page. “We will win, the enemy is dispersing, there are areas we have to control,” he…

The Oyo State Government has suspended three staff members of the Oyo State Basic School, Ogbomoso, over alleged sexual harassment. This is contained in a statement, signed by the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Rahman Abdu-Raheem, and made available to newsmen on Friday in Ibadan. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Headteacher, Oyo State Basic School, Ogbomoso, and the Principal, Oyo State Training School for the Blind, have also been transferred. The commissioner, his counterpart at the Women Affairs, the Executive Adviser on Disability, Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Representatives of Oyo State Universal Basic Education…