Author: Chief Editor

The President of the Senate, Alhaji Ahmed Lawan, on Sunday in Abuja called on Nigerians to give community policing adequate support. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lawan made the call at the finals of a Community Policing Awareness Polo Tournament. He expressed the hope that with community policing the security situation in the country would be further enhanced. The senate president urged communities to cooperate and partner with the police, adding, “the police is your friend.” He said that if a policeman contravened a law it was not enough for the entire Police Force to be condemned.…

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, ordered Sen. Ali Ndume to be remanded in Kuje Prison following Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman, defunct Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT)’s refusal to appear for his trial. Justice Okon Abang gave the order when Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, failed to file a formal application to show cause why he should not forfeit the bail bond of N500 million deposed to on May 5 to stand as surety for Maina. The EFCC’s Lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, had, on Nov. 18, asked the court to make an order for the lawmaker to forfeit…

• Experts blame infections, late marriage • Research projects drop in birth rates The increasing rate of infertility among young Nigerians is a major concern to health experts, who revealed that thousands of Nigerian couples are childless. Experts have predicted that psychological fallout of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) could cause birth rates to drop, people to stay single for longer and women to sexualise themselves more. U.S. researchers reviewed 90 studies to help them predict how the pandemic could shift social behaviours and gender norms — even among those not infected. They expect planned pregnancies to decrease in response to the…

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with the federal government has distributed cash and food items to over 50,000 vulnerable residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to help ameliorate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative which was earlier launched in Kano last month, aims to provide cash and food assistance valued at about $4 million in the three urban centers mostly affected by the pandemic in the country. With Kano and Abuja successfully covered, the initiative will now shift to Lagos for the final lap of the intervention. Speaking during the distribution of the…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described visit by governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to former President Goodluck Jonathan as a direct acceptance of the successes recorded by the PDP administration. The PDP said this in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Sunday. Ologbondiyan said that the visit further affirmed that Nigeria, as a nation, was better under the governance of the PDP. He added that the visit was a clear endorsement of the acceptability of the PDP administration. “It is evident that the Jonathan administration succeeded in office basically…

The declared intention by the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to present a bill before the State’s House of Assembly for a repeal of the State’s Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law of 2007 is a positive response to public yearnings for an abrogation of an insensitive law. There is no basis to justify payment of pension for governors and their deputies who were elected for four or eight years during which they were fairly taken care of by the states. Although the governor’s action is coming about 13 years after the law was promulgated, it is nevertheless expected…

The Nigerian Army has said that in hindsight, it will not have taken a different line of action if presented again with a scenario similar to the Oct. 20 shooting incident at the Lekki Tollgate. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Army made the assertion on Saturday at the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters. Representing the Army was Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island. He made the assertion while being cross-examined by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).…

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has said the federal government’s proposal to exempt some members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System was only a temporary measure pending the conclusion of the integrity test on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution. Ngige, who clarified the position of the government team during Friday’s negotiation with ASUU, said it was not true that government had abandoned IPPIS and that ASUU should not be on IPPIS. “I think it is better, because a lot of people are quoting us out…

• Laments rights violations during #EndSARS protest The United Kingdom Parliament has said it will deliberate on a petition by some groups and individuals, requesting the parliament to implement sanctions against the Nigerian Government and officials for alleged human rights violations during the #EndSARS protest and Lekki shootings. The parliament has, also, lamented violence that erupted as the aftermath of the Lekki incidents, noting that it is awaiting the outcome of investigations by the federal and state governments into reports of police brutality. It made this disclosure in a response to a petition signed by over 220,118 individuals in the…

In the aftermath of the two matches between the Leone Stars and the Super Eagles, I have refused to make any comments. I have been besieged with questions about why I have remained silent. I am surprised that people are surprised that I have been unusually quiet.What more is there for me to say? One year ago, or so, I was vehemently opposed to the renewal of the contract of Franco-German coach of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr. I screamed and shouted to the point where some people thought I had personal issues with the coach. My take was simple:…