Author: Chief Editor

…Firm commits to purchase of 5 million AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines BUA, one of Africa’s largest conglomerates, yesterday, said it has paid for one million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines for Nigeria through the AFREXIM Vaccine programme in partnership with CACOVID. These doses of the vaccine, which should be delivered by next week, according to the firm, will be the first delivery of Vaccines to Nigeria since the COVID-19 vaccines became available. This development effectively pushes Africa’s most populous nation to the front of the queue in vaccine procurement. The Guardian had on Monday, reported that immunising more than 200 million…

Some youths have threatened to hold a fresh protest at the Lekki tollgate over plans to reopen it for operations. The PUNCH gathered that they have begun to mobilise on social media with #RevolutionNow and #OccupyLekkiTollGate, with the matter trending as number one and three on Twitter. As of 11 am, some of the youths shared Display Pictures and banners to create awareness about the protest. Information on the posters showed that the protest is planned to start at 7 am on Saturday, February 13, 2020. Some of the posters have inscriptions such as “No justice, no reopening”, and “Occupy Lekki tollgate”…

Nigeria’s fastest woman, Blessing Okagbare, has every reason to be excited after racing to, not one, but two personal bests on the same day in Sunday’s third leg of the American Track League event in Fayetteville, Arkansas. After running an impressive 7.17 seconds in the 60 meters heat to equal her personal best at the US-based professional track meet, Okagbare obliterated the field in the final with a new lifetime best of 7.10s to clinch top spot ahead of Jamaica’s Christiana Williams (7.14s) and Teahna Daniels of the United States (7.17s). The 32-year-old Okagabre wasn’t done though as she carried…

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court briefly Monday, reaffirming his innocence, as his corruption trial enters an intensified phase weeks before a fourth national election inside two years. Netanyahu, the first Israeli premier to be indicted in office, was formally charged last year over allegations that he accepted improper gifts and sought to trade regulatory favour with media moguls in exchange for positive coverage. The combative 71-year-old prime minister, who has blasted the charges as “fabricated and ludicrous”, spent just 20 minutes inside the courtroom at Monday’s hearing. He had been compelled to appear to deliver a formal…

Former presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, says security forces in the country are not honest in their efforts to crush bandits terrorising the North-West part of the country. He said renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi was able to locate and hold a peace talk with bandits in Zamfara State because he employed a non-combative approach. Garba, who spoke on a PUNCH Live programme over the weekend, said combative approach has not yielded any result since the country started its counter-insurgency and anti-banditry war over 10 years ago. The PUNCH had reported that photos of Sheikh Gumi with some bandits in Shinkafi and Gummi Local…

Former presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, has said the Almajiri system ubiquitous in northern Nigeria produced some of the richest men in the country including Africa’s pride, Aliko Dangote; as well as the founder of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu; amongst others. Garba, who spoke on a PUNCH Live programme over the weekend, also said he was once an Almajiri before he acquired Western education. The Almajiri system involves parents sending their wards to live with clerics in order to study the Qu’ran and Islamic tenets. The system has been hugely criticised as the Almajirai often garbed in dirty clothes take to the…

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and representative of civil society on the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has revealed that the camera found by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has not been handed over to the panel. Fashola, had on Sunday, October 25, 2020, while conducting a tour of the toll plaza alongside governors and ministers from the South-West, discovered a camera at the toll plaza five days after the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers. The…

The resolution by governors to stop the practice of contracting tax collection to private firms is a positive development amid the current economic crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. If sincerely implemented, the resolution can help to boost the states’ revenue and make governance more transparent, given the suspicions and alleged underhand dealings associated with the contractual arrangement. In particular, the states will face the challenge of upping the quantum of revenue accruable, while ensuring that the gains are not lost to compromised internal mechanism. The developments potentially portend well in relation to the structure of tax collection in the…

The Ekiti State Government has sued the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, seeking an order of the court to declare Section 127 of the Police Act and Regulations, which provides for the discharge from the Police Force female officers who become pregnant while married unofficially. Joined as co-defendants in the suit are the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police and the Police Service Commission (PSC). A Police Constable, Miss Olajide Omolola, who got pregnant in alleged flagrant violation of the police rules was recently dismissed. Omolola, who was attached to Iye-Ekiti Police Station in Ilejemeje area of Ekiti State, was…

Manchester City tightened their grip on the Premier League title race with an emphatic 4-1 win at Liverpool, while Manchester United and Leicester failed to keep pace with the leaders with disappointing draws. Victory at Anfield was one of the few remaining feats left for City to achieve since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover 13 years ago and Pep Guardiola’s men earned a first win away to Liverpool since 2003 in style. City is now five points clear at the top, with a game in hand on the other challengers, as they were the only team in the top four to win…