Author: John Ojoagbene

The FA Cup quarter-final draw will take place before Chelsea’s match with Leeds United. Seema Jaswal and David Seaman will conduct the draw. Coventry City, Manchester City, Leicester City, and Newcastle United have secured spots in the last eight. The remaining matches to determine the final four teams are Chelsea vs Leeds, Liverpool vs Southampton, Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United, and Wolves vs Brighton. The numbers for the draw are: 1- Newcastle United 2- Chelsea or Leeds United 3- Leicester City 4- Liverpool or Southampton 5- Nottingham Forest or Manchester United 6- Wolverhampton Wanderers or Brighton & Hove Albion 7-…

Abdullahi Muhammadu, an officer of the Department of State Services testified in a Federal High Court in Ibadan that local security personnel played a crucial role in aiding the arrest of suspected kidnappers in Oyo State. He mentioned that during an operation along Iganna Road, local vigilantes had engaged the kidnappers before the DSS team took over. The suspects confessed to being part of a kidnapping gang terrorizing Okeogun and travelers on Iganna routes. Moreover, two of the arrested kidnappers, Aliyu Muhammadu and Idris Umar, were among the 400 inmates who escaped during the 2021 jailbreak in Oyo Town. They…

The Central Bank of Nigeria held its 293rd Monetary Policy Committee meeting on February 26-27, addressing the Naira’s fluctuation against the USD and economic challenges in the country. The MPC is tasked with reviewing economic conditions, determining policy stances, and adjusting the monetary policy framework. Five critical decisions were made at the meeting: 1. Interest Rate Hike: The interest rate was increased by 400 basis points to 22.75% from 18.75%. This move makes borrowing more expensive for banks from the CBN, aiming to curb inflation in the short and long term. 2. Adjusting Asymmetric Corridor: The asymmetric corridor around the…

The National Deratization framework exercise is a crucial step in preventing and controlling the spread of Lassa fever in Nigeria. Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako emphasized that creating an environment hostile to disease vectors is essential. Dr. Yakubu Baba Muhammad highlighted the mandate for all public and private facilities to undergo deratization and receive a Derating Exemption Certificate. Capacity building for practitioners and community health education are crucial elements of the initiative. Preventive measures at the community level include proper waste management, rat-proofing food storage, and avoiding the exposure of remnant foods that attract rats. Dr. Yakubu stressed the need to…

Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike announced that Nigeria consumes an estimated 38.6 million litres of soft drinks daily, ranking the country as the 4th highest consumer of soft drinks globally. These drinks contain sugar sweeteners, including corn syrup, fructose, and sucrose, found in soft drinks, juices, energy drinks, and flavoured dairy products. At a presentation in Abuja, Anyaike expressed concern about the overconsumption of these beverages, especially among Nigerian adolescents, leading to childhood obesity and health issues in adulthood. Implementing a Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) tax is suggested as an effective way to reduce consumption, potentially lowering the occurrence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).…

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the external 2023 November/December Senior School Certificate Examination with a notable achievement of 67.35% of candidates scoring five credits and above in both English Language and Mathematics. The Registrar, Professor Dantani Wushishi, made the official announcement at the NECO headquarters in Minna, Niger State. The exam took place from November 20 to December 20, 2023, and the results were released just 67 days after the conclusion of the examination. Out of the 74,950 candidates who registered for the exam, 39,213 (52.31%) were males and 35,737 (47.68%) were females. Of these…

Shooting Stars technical adviser, Gbenga Ogunbote, emphasized the need for improving goal-scoring abilities after a goalless draw against Plateau United. Despite creating several opportunities, the team failed to capitalize on them, leading to Ogunbote acknowledging the wastefulness of his players during the match. He highlighted the importance of converting chances in order to secure victories, stressing that the team needs to work on being more clinical in front of goal. This match highlighted the importance of finishing chances effectively, as Ogunbote aims to enhance shooting efficiency to secure more wins for the team.

Samuel Ortom, the ex-governor of Benue State, denied rumors about defecting to APC, affirming his commitment to PDP, stating that he has not been invited to join APC. He emphasized his loyalty to PDP, rejecting claims of friction with former governor Suswam and Senator Moro. Ortom highlighted the need for strategic planning to regain power in upcoming elections, stressing PDP’s strength and responsiveness to public demands. He assured that the party would become more dynamic under their renewed dedication. Ortom’s remarks came during an expanded PDP executive meeting. His stance against defection strengthens PDP’s position in Benue State politics. Overall,…

In Oyo State, numerous workers have joined the ongoing nationwide protests against economic hardship. Led by the NLC and TUC, workers started from the NLC Secretariat in Agodi and marched through areas like Gate, Mokola, Total Garden, and Oyo State Secretariat in Ibadan. The workers are demanding that the Federal Government takes prompt action to ease the effects of fuel subsidy removal. At the time of reporting, the protests are still ongoing. The turnout and participation of workers reflect a strong unified message against the current economic challenges, with a clear call for government intervention to alleviate the situation.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun a nationwide protest in Abuja on February 27 and 28, to address the high cost of living in the country. The protest was prompted by the hardships faced by civil servants, leading NLC and Trade Union Congress to issue a 14-day strike notice to the government on February 8. Despite this, a two-day protest was chosen to pressure the government after the failure to implement agreements from October 2 due to the fuel subsidy removal. Despite security warnings from the Department of State Services (DSS), protests started in various cities, with workers and…