Author: David Great

Karl Marx once told us that history repeats itself, first as a tragedy and second as a farce. George Santanya put it differently. ‘’Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it’’. Does history repeat itself in Nigeria? Let’s examine recent developments. General Ibrahim Babangida came to power in August 1985 and in 1986, he launched an ambitious economic policy known as Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). The core thrust of SAP was to diversify the economy away from hydrocarbon; create an industrial base that relies on domestic raw materials; deregulate the economy and liberalize the foreign exchange market.…

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has upheld the FCT Federal High Court ruling, which restrained the former governor of Kogi, Yahaya Bello, from moving any preliminary objection until he is arraigned. In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, a three-member justices of the court held that the trial court presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite was right when it ruled that it would no longer entertain any application, including the appellant’s preliminary objection challenging its jurisdiction. Justice Kenneth Amadi, who read the judgment on an appeal number CA/ABJ/CV/536 filed by Yahaya Bello against the Federal Republic of Nigeria,…

Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck after their relationship that spanned two decades, two engagements, two weddings and headlines too numerous to count. The filing Tuesday in Los Angeles brought to an apparent end a celebrity coupling — or at least the second installment of it — that dazzled from the very heights of the pop culture firmament and emblazoned countless tabloid covers. The pair became known, even before such power-couple portmanteaus were ubiquitous, as “Bennifer.” Court records showed Lopez filed the petition Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The news was first reported by the TMZ…

Chelsea may make a late approach to sign Manchester United and England forward Jadon Sancho, 24. (Athletic – subscription required) Chelsea are preparing for a clearout which could land them a £200m transfer windfall, with eight players set to leave Stamford Bridge. (Mirror) Liverpool have submitted an improved £34m offer for Valencia and Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, 23. (Relevo – in Spanish) Manchester United have agreed a deal worth about £5m for Uruguay winger Facundo Pellistri, 22, to join Greek club Panathinaikos. (Telegraph – subscription required) Burnley are interested in signing Manchester United and Tunisia midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, 21. (Athletic – subscription required) Wolves and Brentford are keen on Burnley’s Dara O’Shea, 25, but must pay £15m to sign the Republic of…

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, is in Chicago to grace the Democratic National Convention at the invitation of the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Osinbajo, a law professor, received an invitation along with other Nigerians, such as Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and Ken Nnamani, the former Senate President of Nigeria. Vice President Kamala Harris will accept her party’s nomination at the Democratic Convention in her bid to succeed President Joe Biden and become the first female president of the United States. Harris and Osinbajo held bilateral talks on energy and other issues in September…

At least 20 people, including a baby, died when an overcrowded boat sank on a river in the Western Democratic Republic of Congo at the weekend, local authorities said on Tuesday. The disaster struck a motorised wooden vessel overnight from Saturday to Sunday on the Lukenie River in the Kutu area of Mai-Ndombe province. The “overloaded” boat carrying about 300 people and goods sank after it hit some wood as it was heading for the town of Nioki, Kutu district administrator Jacques Nzenza told AFP. “Yesterday we found four bodies, and today 16 more were retrieved, including a nine-month-old baby,”…

The Oyo State Government has commenced the payment of compensation to property owners whose lands were acquired for the construction of developmental projects in Ajia Inukan Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ona Ara Local Government Area. This development was disclosed by the Commissioner for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo, during a meeting with the claimants on Monday. The Commissioner stated that the government has earmarked a sum of Five Hundred and Thirteen Million, Four Hundred and Sixty-Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty-Six Naira Fifty Kobo (N513,462,446.50) for the compensation of affected property owners. Akin-Funmilayo highlighted that…

Brighton & Hove Albion have signed forward Georginio Rutter from Championship side Leeds United on a five-year contract, both clubs said on Monday. While the financial details were not disclosed, English media reported the Premier League side had paid a club record transfer fee of £40 million for the 22-year-old Frenchman. Rutter joined Leeds from German side Hoffenheim in 2023 in a then-club record deal worth up to £36 million. He made 66 appearances and scored eight goals over an 18-month spell at the club. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said Rutter would excite the fans. “Georginio is a player who…

The Lagos State Taskforce said it undertook a cleanup exercise along the Mile 2 Oke on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. The exercise led to the removal of illegal shanties, roadside vendors, and the confiscation of 2000 litres of petroleum products. This was disclosed in a statement released on Tuesday by the Taskforce’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Abdulraheem Gbadeyan. Gbadeyan said the exercise was needed to curb the escalating challenges posed by roadside vendors and the proliferation of shanties in the area. He said, “In recent months, the stretch of road along Mile 2 Oke has been plagued by illegal…

Former US President Barack Obama will endorse the presidential bid of his longtime political ally Kamala Harris on Tuesday night in a high-profile speech aimed at boosting her new and untested presidential bid. At 63, Obama is keen to influence his party behind the scenes and maintains a legacy and a voice that loom large in moments of crisis, including during the messy deliberations that ultimately led President Joe Biden to step out of the race and endorse Harris, 59. Nearly eight years after the end of his presidency, Obama remains one of the most popular Democrats in the country,…