Author: Chief Editor

We remain one indivisible bar, says Akpata Northern lawyers from about 40 branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), yesterday rejected the formation of the New Nigerian Bar Association (NNBA) and declared support for a one united NBA. Following the withdrawal of a letter of invitation to Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, as a guest speaker at the just-concluded Annual General Conference of the NBA, a group of aggrieved northern lawyers had last week announced the formation of NNBA as a splinter group. But lawyers from the northern zone yesterday dissociated themselves from NNBA, stating that NBA could not…

President Muhammadu Buhari wednesday expressed concern over the heavy floods, which destroyed lives, submerged thousands of hectares of farmlands and houses in Kebbi State. The flood, according to a statement by the presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, also destroyed farm produce and personal belongings in the affected communities. He quoted the president as saying, “I am particularly sad over this incident because it’s a setback to our efforts to boost local rice production as part of measures to stop food importation. “Kebbi State is the focal point of our policy to produce rice locally as part this administration’s commitment to…

• Asks CAN, others to sponsor amendment bill • CAN insists CAMA inimical to national interest Former Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly matters, and Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, has said the controversial Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 does not target churches and religious bodies as some Nigerians assume. He argued that sections of the Act being disputed by religious bodies, especially Christians, were not new and had been in the 1990 Act, which was recently amended. Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had recently called on President Muhammadu…

Sevilla have re-signed Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic from La Liga rivals Barcelona. Europa League champions Sevilla said Rakitic had signed a four-year deal.external-link The 32-year-old, who was at Sevilla between January 2011 and June 2014 before joining Barca, won 13 trophies at the Nou Camp, including four La Liga titles and one Champions League crown. A Barcelona statement read:external-link”The Andalusian team will pay FC Barcelona 1.5m euros plus 9m in variables.” [ThisDay]

Manchester City have accepted they may only be able to sign Barcelona forward Lionel Messi on a free transfer, leading to manager Pep Guardiola urging Messi to stay at Camp Nou. City have emerged as the leading candidate to sign Messi, who has asked to leave Barça and believes he has triggered a clause in his contract which now makes him a free agent – something Barcelona dispute. La Liga took the side of Barça in this debate, insisting Messi’s contract is still valid and the only way he can force his way out of the club is if his…

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State is obviously passionate about youth empowerment and job creation. Aside the various initiatives in the state to engender employment among the populace, Okowa is pushing his quest for empowerment into the entertainment industry. He is building a film village in Ugbolu, on the precinct of the capital city of Asaba. The Delta Film Village and Leisure Park is an ambitious N5 billion project expected to be delivered by the first quarter of 2021. When completed, it will add more fizz to the nation’s fast-growing movie industry, popularly called Nollywood. The film village will not…

By Matthew Hassan Kukah Empowered citizens voted for politicians they knew would make them poorer, for liars to clean up politics…Tom Fletcher, The Naked Diplomat. Dr Chidi Amuta takes the cake for both elegant turn of phrase and sheer depth of thoughtful analysis. I read his recent piece in THISDAY, ‘2023: Igbos and the Politics of Moral Consequence’ on a bumpy ride back to Sokoto. The essay is not exactly a foolproof DIY tool kit for the construction of the road to Aso Rock for his Igbo kinsmen. However, it manages to identify some harsh pebbles and nails whose litter…

Amid the din and dingdong of electioneering, the promises and propaganda of a starry-eyed era and the generous exchange of money for prospective votes as September 19 draws closer, the people of Edo State need some reality check – a deliberate and sustained reminder of the head-spinning and harrowing catalogue of cruelties, crises and crimes foisted on them by a self-serving governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. The time cannot be more auspicious for this reminder so that the people are not swayed by money and superfluous promises. They must muster all their votes to reverse the ills of the Obaseki administration…

•Writes Buhari to stop implementation •Law not to repress any religion, says presidential aide Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday persisted in its agitation against the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020, submitting a position paper to President Muhammadu Buhari, demanding the suspension of its implementation. This is in spite of several official explanations that the law does not target the church, forcing social critics to conclude that church leaders’ opposition might have been fueled by their reluctance to accountability, which the law demands of every non-governmental organisation registered under the Act. But the Senior Special Assistant to the…

Lionel Messi has not turned up for training in the last two days. The Argentine talisman is looking to leave the club this summer. Barcelona have warned Lionel Messi that he will be fined if he fails to turn up for training, according to MARCA. The Spanish report claims that the Argentine will be slapped with a ‘serious’ fine by the Catalan club if he does not report for training. The report adds that Lionel Messi failed to turn up on Sunday and Monday. These have already been counted as two offences, and a third one would result in the club taking severe…