Author: Chief Editor

• Military delaying supplementary budget for weapons procurement, says minister • Osinbajo presides over FEC in Buhari’s absence As insecurity continues to ravage many parts of the country, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, has expressed worry at the deteriorating situation, stating that the UK government was keen on helping Nigeria win its fight against insurgency and banditry. “We are extremely concerned about the deteriorating security situation. I mean, Nigeria is facing a lot of problems everywhere – in the Northeast, terrorism; in the Northwest, banditry, kidnapping; in the Middle Belt, the farmers-herders conflict; in the South, the Niger…

In spite of the petitions filed by Deltans against their former Governor James Onanefe Ibori, the man walked free after half-hearted attempts that were made to prosecute him for corrupt enrichment during his tenure as state governor. Ibori relocated to Dubai- it was there he was picked up, and later extradited to the UK. Only in the UK was he made to face the full wrath of the law for money laundering, and for fraud. In what was hailed in Britain as a landmark case, Ibori was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2012. He was found…

My last article, “Further notes to the Nigerian Left” (late February 2021), was a deliberately condensed message. It was so because I feared that Nigeria was approaching another dangerous bend in its history. I, therefore, wanted to indicate, even for my own self-assurance, where the movement could stand and all that it could do and should do if it was forced to maturity. For, I have, for some time now, been convinced that the Nigerian Left will, one day, be pushed to maturity because Nigeria’s ruling class, as we see it today, cannot lead the country out of this national…

Since last week when the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the sum of $1.5bn for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, all hell has been practically let loose. Well-meaning Nigerians from all walks of life have been sharing their views on the issue and many of them have neither been complimentary nor supportive of the decision. A close analysis of the reactions so far shows that only the organized labour under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress and TUC) and a few others appear supportive of the move. The media has been…

Shortage of COVID-19 vaccines has raised the stakes for persons who desperately want it, particularly for travel purposes. This has raised fears of fakery by elements in China as well as hoarding and extortion by local officials. The latest reports from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) indicate that just over 718,412 Nigerians and foreigners alike have received the first dose of COVID-19-vaccine. This figure is largely insignificant, compared to the challenge of quickly vaccinating 70 per cent of the 200-million strong population to achieve herd immunity. The situation has raised questions regarding what is delaying the remainder…

The President’s wife, Aisha Buhari, on Wednesday, unveiled the Gender Policy for the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to promote gender mainstreaming in the nation’s armed forces. Mrs Buhari, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women Affairs and Administration, Dr Hajo Sani, commended the military for taking step towards actualising gender mainstreaming in the armed forces. She said that the policy had the propensity of opening up opportunities not only for the female personnel but also for the children aspiring to join the military. According to her, the policy has set the stage for…

Plans to radically reform the UEFA Champions League are set to be confirmed in April, despite a delay caused by certain leading European clubs looking for more say over commercial rights. An announcement had been expected at an executive committee meeting of European football’s governing body on Wednesday, but UEFA said no official decision would be taken before April 19. A statement late on Tuesday from the powerful European Club Association (ECA) revealed it had been behind the setback. The ECA, whose chairman is Andrea Agnelli, also the chairman of Juventus, said it “unanimously agreed that it was not yet…

The Presidency yesterday defended President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical trip to the United Kingdom, insisting that the President is not a medical tourist. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, made the Presidency’s position known while featuring on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme. Buhari left the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, for London yesterday afternoon and is expected back in the country by the second week of April after his medical check-up in Britain. The president had been accused by his critics of embarking on medical tourism. But Shehu said, “I think there is a…

The government of Rivers State has been dragged before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over an alleged debt of N25 billion owed to an accounting firm, regarding the Paris Club refund by the federal government. The claimants, J.O. Atunbi (trading under the name and style of J. O. Atunbi and Associates and Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited, in the suit said the debt arose from the failure of the Rivers State Government to pay the agreed 18% of the sum of N143 billion, as consultancy fees for its role in the federal government’s refund of excess deductions…

Sergio Aguero is “irreplaceable in the souls, in the hearts, in the minds of our fans,” Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said of the club’s record goalscorer who is to leave at the end of the season. Aguero joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2011, three years after the club was taken over by Abu Dhabi owners, and will leave after 10 trophy-laden years, with 257 goals in 384 games so far. Guardiola said 32-year-old Aguero’s goals tally could be surpassed one day, but what he means to the club was unique. “Sergio is irreplaceable,” said Guardiola. “I could…