Author: Chief Editor

*Promise independent monitoring A group, under the aegis of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), and all its partners on the Monitoring Transparency and Accountability in the Management of Returned Assets (MANTRA) have welcomed the successful repatriation of $311,797,866 of the Abacha Loot to Nigeria. ANEEJ, being supported by DFID Nigeria under its Anti-Corruption in Nigeria (ACORN) programme made this known on Tuesday through a statement made available to journalists in Abuja. Executive Director of ANEEJ, Mr. David Ugolor, in a swift reaction to the return of the Abacha III Loot from the US as announced by…

The United States Government has said that the $311 million Abacha loot repatriated to the federal government last week was distinct and separate from an additional $167 million in stolen assets also forfeited in the United Kingdom (UK) and France, as well as $152 million still in active litigation in the UK. The US government, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its US Mission in Abuja, said that the transfer of funds was an important first step in the disciplined implementation of the agreement. It said that Nigeria’s continued vigilance, transparency and accountability would ensure the continued progress in…

The transfer value of players in 10 of Europe’s top leagues could plummet by up to 10 billion euros due to the economic crash caused by a coronavirus, a study from accounting firm KPMG said on Wednesday. Transfer spending is expected to fall dramatically, with clubs across the continent facing huge losses as a result of football’s shutdown. The top divisions in England, Germany, Italy and Spain remain committed to trying to finish the 2019/20 seasons so they can honour huge TV contracts and minimise the financial hit. KPMG estimates that Europe’s top five leagues, including France, where the season…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday he could begin to ease a nationwide coronavirus lockdown next week, but warned he would do nothing that would risk a new surge of cases. He was speaking the day after Britain overtook Italy to become the worst-hit country in Europe, with more than 32,000 deaths related to COVID-19 — behind only the United States in the global rankings. Johnson said that “every death is a tragedy”, calling the statistics “appalling”, but said there was not yet enough data to make international comparisons. In particular, he said he “bitterly regrets” the deaths in…

China hit back Wednesday at US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his claims that the coronavirus originated in a lab in Wuhan, saying he “doesn’t have any” evidence. Washington and Beijing have clashed repeatedly over the virus, which emerged in China late last year but have since spiralled into a global pandemic. Conspiracy theories that the virus came from a maximum-security virology lab in Wuhan have swirled since earlier this year but were brought into the mainstream last month by US government officials. Pompeo said on Sunday that there was “enormous evidence” to show that the new coronavirus originated…

Odion Ighalo has opened up on how the advice he has received from Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made him a better player, reports mirror.co.uk. Ighalo moved to Old Trafford in the January window on loan from Shanghai Shenhua to provide cover for injured striker Marcus Rashford. And the 30-year-old has settled quickly with his boyhood club, scoring four goals and providing one assist in his first eight games for the Red Devils. The former Nigeria forward credits his improving performances to the advice he has received from Solskjaer – who knows a thing or two about finding…

The proposed Control of Infectious Diseases Bill 2020 is a violation of Article 6 of the 2005 UNESCO Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, The PUNCH can report. At its 32nd session in October 2003, the General Conference considered that it was “opportune and desirable to set universal standards in the field of bioethics with due regard for human dignity and human rights and freedoms, in the spirit of cultural pluralism inherent in bioethics.” Subsequently, the Declaration was adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference on October 19, 2005, and it supports the doctrine of informed consent, being an element of global medical ethics and bioethics.…

Jide Ojo The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board was established in 1978 by the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo. According to the information gleaned from its website, the Board among other things was empowered to: conduct matriculation examination for entry into all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education (by whatever name called) in Nigeria. It also has the power to appoint examiners, moderators, invigilators, members of the subject panels and committees and other persons with respect to matriculation examinations and any other matters incidental. JAMB also has the mandate to place suitably qualified candidates in the tertiary institutions after…

Three weeks after the announcement of ongoing discussions to use a part of the Landmark Village as the site for the isolation and treatment centre for Coronavirus patients in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has recently unveiled the completed 80-bed Centre. The facility, which is a standard isolation and treatment centre constructed and fitted to specification was delivered through a tripartite public-private partnership (PPP) consisting of Landmark Africa, the state government and the Young Presidents’ Association (YPO), representing various private individuals and corporate donors. Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, Sanwo-Olu lauded the parties on the level…

Tayo Oke The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Emeka Nwajiuba, made it emphatically clear on April 28, in Abuja, that: “There is no date yet for schools to resume”. He stuck to that unambiguous line despite repeated effort to coax him to elaborate, and despite the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)’s stated relaxation of the lockdown earlier imposed on Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states. Closing of schools was a decision arrived at centrally, with no variation or exemption for private schools. It follows, therefore, that any decision to re-open will also be taken from the centre. There are…