Author: David Great

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has cursed out his cabinet and aides, accusing them of working with the opposition party to stifle his handpicked successor, Usman Ododo. Bello bragged that he would punish all those who have erred him, describing them as “enemies within”. In a meeting with All Progressives Congress members in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, the outgoing governor went on a rant, accusing members of his party of working against him and Ododo. “All of those disgruntled elements” moved against him “after everything I did for them,” he claimed in his rant. “I was fighting known enemies…

The money laundering trial of a former speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, was stalled on Monday because Justice Mohammed Liman of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court did not sit. The case, first fixed for continuation of trial on November 15, could not proceed at the last adjourned date as the court did not sit and was consequently set for November 20. On Monday, the case also could not proceed as the court did not sit following a letter by defence counsel seeking an adjournment to a more convenient date. A new date is, however,…

Microsoft’s Chief Executive Officer, Satya Nadella, on Monday announced the hiring of OpenAI’s Sam Altman and other members of his team, days after the co-founder of the venture behind ChatGPT was fired. “The mission continues,” Sam Altman, who rose to fame with the launch of the artificial intelligence chatbot last year, posted on X, formerly Twitter. Microsoft-backed OpenAI starts release of GPT-4 Nadella wrote on X that Altman “will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team,” along with OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and their colleagues. OpenAI’s board sacked Altman on Friday, prompting other high-profile departures from the…

The number of people killed in a powerful quake off the southern Philippines has risen to nine, the national disaster agency said Monday, warning the toll could increase further. People fled into the streets or hid under tables when the 6.7-magnitude quake struck the Mindanao region on Friday, causing buildings to shake and part of a ceiling inside a shopping mall to collapse. At least 15 people were injured and more than 800 houses damaged or destroyed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in its latest update. The death toll steadily rose over the weekend as searchers…

Colombian superstar Shakira goes on trial in Barcelona on Monday in a tax fraud case, with Spanish prosecutors seeking a jail term of over eight years for the Grammy-winning singer. They accuse the 46-year-old of defrauding the Spanish state of 14.5 million euros ($15.7 million) on income earned between 2012 and 2014, charges denied by the singer who says she only moved to Spain full time in 2015. The case centres on how much time the singer, whose hit singles include “Hips Don’t Lie”, “Whenever, Wherever” and the 2010 World Cup song “Waka Waka”, spent in Spain between 2012 and…

Several members of the Boko Haram terrorist group were eliminated during an air operation conducted by the air component of Operation Whirl Punch in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. In a statement released on Sunday, Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, stated that the air operations were successful. The airstrikes were carried out following an intelligence report that a Boko Haram kingpin, identified as Boderi and his members were at the location. The intelligence report prompted the service to embark on another operation targeted at Boderi’s brother. The two brothers,…

Months after handing over power, former President Muhammadu Buhari has said he does not miss being president much. “Miss? I don’t think I miss much,” Buhari said while responding to a question on what he misses from his time in office in an exclusive interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) This was according to a snippet from the interview the NTA shared on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday. Tinubu has achieved in 100 days what Buhari could not – Fani-Kayode The former President had said months before leaving office that he would not miss his time as…

Petroleum tanker drivers have threatened to exit its umbrella body, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), if its president, Williams Akporeha and general secretary, Afolabi Olawale, did not resign. PTD Ibadan depot ex-officio Gbenga Olawale said in a statement on Sunday that the tanker drivers would begin a nationwide protest to press home their demand. The statement directed PTD members across the country to move with leaves in front of their trucks to warn NUPENG and police against interference and incessant harassment of their leaders. According to the statement, Mr Williams is not a member of…

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has ordered his lawyers to appeal the verdict of the appellate court sacking him on Sunday, noting that, it is a “temporary setback”. Mutfwang urged his supporters to remain calm because he is optimistic of the outcome from the Supreme Court. In a statement by Gyang Bere, the director press, Mutfwang said he would press ahead with his mandate to ensure peace and progress of the North Central State. “Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has described the verdict of the Appeal Court that nullified his election as a temporary setback that will…

Future Perspectives, an initiative of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in collaboration with UNESCO will train 50 young education stakeholders from across Nigeria as the first on-site cohort for its Innovation to Transform Education Training Programme, ITET. A statement on Sunday by Abby Asekun, director, of Future Perspectives stated that the four-day training which kicks off on November 20 will end on November 24. Prof. Osinbajo, the immediate past Vice President of Nigeria will interact with participants in a Fireside chat on Wednesday, the 22nd of November, 2023 at 2 pm. The training will take place at Africa Fintech Foundry Innovation Hub,…