Author: David Great

Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has assented to six new laws, including the amended Sokoto Local Government and Chieftaincy Law, which generated controversy across the country. The new law stripped the Sultan of the power to appoint district and village heads in the state. Speaking during the ceremony held on Thursday, Aliyu noted that the new laws were not meant to witch hunt any individual or group but to strengthen good governance in the state The governor said, “We note with concern the unnecessary tension created by our proposal to amend some of these laws. “Some of the reactions were…

Manchester United have appointed their former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as an assistant to manager Erik ten Hag in another move they hope will restore the record 20-time English champions to former glories. Rene Hake was also hired in an assistant role to complete an all-Dutch managerial team. Ten Hag has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Premier League club until 2026 despite a poor season in which United finished eighth in the standings. “Now is a good time to refresh the coaching team as we look to build on the achievements of the past two…

Daniel Bwala, a former spokesman for Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization has identified governors as the primary obstacle to good governance in Nigeria. Commending the Supreme Court’s decision on local government autonomy, Bwala criticized governors for their lack of action. He accused them of failing to address hunger and unemployment despite receiving funds from President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “Thank God for the Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy, which ruled that it is unconstitutional for state governments to withhold LG funds. Henceforth, the Federal Government should pay directly to LGAs,” Bwala stated in a post on his X.…

Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Thursday the dismissal of almost his entire cabinet and consultations to form a “broad-based government” following widespread anti-government protests. He said the move affects all ministers including the attorney-general but excluded prime cabinet secretary and foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Ruto said he decided on the dismissals “upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of my cabinet and its achievements and challenges”. The action follows largely peaceful protests led by young Gen-Z Kenyans that have widened into…

Nigeria’s oil regulator Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has reached an agreement with producers to allow crude sales to domestic refiners at market prices, resolving a supply conflict that had strained relations with international oil companies. Nigeria imports the majority of its fuel due to insufficient refining capacity, although a 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery built by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and active since February should make it self-sufficient and export-ready. The deal was reached on Wednesday following accusations from the Dangote Refinery that oil majors were impeding local crude purchases by demanding exorbitant prices or claiming they had no…

Bayern Munich have signed Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha from English side Fulham on a four-year contract, the Bundesliga club said on Thursday. Palhinha, who moved to Fulham in 2022, made 79 appearances for the Premier League club in all competitions, while he has also featured 31 times for Portugal’s senior team. While financial details were not disclosed, The Athletic reported the deal was worth 51 million euros. “This is one of the happiest days of my life. I’m now playing for one of the top clubs in Europe,” Palhinha said in a statement. The Portuguese had been close to joining…

Bashir El-Rufai, the son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu that the support of international organizations such as the IMF or World Bank does not guarantee immunity from being voted out of office by the people. In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Bashir cautioned that a significant shift could occur in the 2027 general elections without repercussions. He urged people to disregard the ongoing intimidations and remain patient. Bashir emphasized that not even the IMF or the World Bank would be able to protect those in power when the time comes.…

The fifth EFCC prosecution witness Mrs Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, a graduate of Archeology and Tourism who is also a manager at Zenith Bank under cross by examination today by Godwin Emefiele’s lawyer Olalekan Ojo (SAN) told the court that neither Godwin Emefiele nor his wife Margret was beneficiary of the inflow of money into the accounts of three companies mention before the court. Mrs Ogbonna also informed the court that the bank did not, obtain the documents, board resolution or any document portraying the ex-CBN boss and his wife as beneficial owners of the accounts of the companies Limelight, Comec, and…

Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, ordered the final forfeiture of the sums of $16,500 and N127m, which were fraudulently diverted from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. The funds are forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. On May 23, 2024, the judge ordered the interim forfeiture of the funds, following a motion ex parte filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The EFCC, through its counsel, Suleiman I. Suleiman, had sought the interim forfeiture of the funds under Section 17 of the Advance…

A man has been caught trying to smuggle over 100 live snakes into mainland China by cramming them into his trousers, according to the country’s customs authority. The unnamed traveller was stopped by customs officers as he sought to slip out of semi-autonomous Hong Kong and into the border city of Shenzhen, China Customs said in a statement on Tuesday. “Upon inspection, customs officers discovered that the pockets of the trousers the passenger was wearing were packed with six canvas drawstring bags and sealed with tape,” the statement said. “Once opened, each bag was found to contain living snakes in…