Author: Opalim Lifted

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has scored the Nigerian economy low, following the latest Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Household Expectations Survey. Speaking on Saturday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said an economy in which citizens are abandoning plans to buy homes, cars and basic household assets cannot credibly be advertised as one on the path to prosperity. Atiku described the survey as a damning verdict on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies, saying the CBN’s own numbers have stripped the government’s economic propaganda of whatever credibility…

The Federal Government has announced plans to begin the local production of family planning commodities as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s health system, create jobs and harness its youthful population for economic growth. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in Abuja while inaugurating the Nigeria FP2030 High-Level Inter-Ministerial Platform on Family Planning, Health, Human Capital and National Development. According to a statement signed by Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations to the minister, the platform will strengthen coordination among government institutions and drive the local production of family planning materials.…

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested three more persons suspected to be members of the kidnapping gang that abducted Samuel Okunsebor, dean of agriculture at Nasarawa State University. The latest arrests were made on Friday night at a local brothel in Mararaban Akunza, along the Lafia-Makurdi highway, according to a security source. Okunsebor was rescued by DSS operatives two days after he was abducted by gunmen on Wednesday, July 15, at Mile Uku, a border community between Lafia and Nasarawa Eggon LGAs. Two suspects, including a woman, were arrested during the operation that led to the…

The Lagos State Government has arrested 27 suspected hoodlums over the alleged vandalism of the newly constructed bridge linking Festac Town to Alakija. Tokunbo Wahab, commissioner for environment and water resources, disclosed this in a post on X on Friday. Wahab said the arrests followed a joint midnight enforcement operation by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) task force. The operation was part of ongoing efforts to enforce Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive to clear the Lagos-Badagry Transnational Highway of environmental and other infractions. According to the commissioner, officials uncovered extensive vandalism beneath the…

Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says 34 and a half governors are backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. Galadima made the claim while speaking at the inauguration of the NDC’s national reconciliation committee. According to him, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has yet to decide whether to work with the ruling party or the opposition coalition. Galadima said Mohammed met with NDC stakeholders but was later advised against joining a party with a strong presidential candidate. He also claimed that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has distanced himself from both Tinubu’s camp and the opposition…

Arsenal have signed Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United for £75 million. The former Newcastle captain made it clear he wanted to join the Premier League champions earlier this summer. The 28-year-old Brazil midfielder, who has signed a four-year deal with the option of a further 12 months, called the move one of the “toughest decisions” of his life. “This move is very tough because Newcastle means so much to me,” he added. “But I wanted to experience something new in my life. I feel ready for a new challenge for myself and my family.” Newcastle said they wished Guimaraes and…

Ola Balogun, the ace Nigerian filmmaker, has directed that his organs be donated and his body be given to medical institutions after his death. The 81-year-old recently issued the directive in his will. In the document titled ‘Public Rendition of My Last Will and Testament’, Balogun said he was motivated by a recent health scare after being diagnosed with a fresh illness just days after his 81st birthday on August 1. The filmmaker, who is currently seeking treatment at the Josek Medical Centre in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State, said he was unable to prepare a formal will with a lawyer,…

Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu has assured Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force will remain neutral and professional during the Osun State governorship election, insisting the force has no political interest in the outcome of the poll. Speaking in Abuja on Friday during a meeting with civil society organisations (CSOs) led by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Disu said the police had put in place extensive security measures to guarantee a peaceful, free and credible election. The IGP acknowledged concerns over election violence, voter intimidation, political thuggery and the neutrality of security agencies, describing them as legitimate issues…

US President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders in a second attempt to scale back birthright citizenship in the United States. The move comes weeks after the Supreme Court struck down his previous attempt to eliminate the right. The executive orders, signed on Thursday, include one that expands the existing definition of non-citizens whose children are not eligible for birthright citizenship, while the second bans what the Trump administration calls “birth tourism” — the practice of pregnant women travelling to the US on non-immigrant visas to give birth so their babies can obtain US citizenship. The first order restricts…

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called for a live public hearing into the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal, insisting that the Presidency must identify officials allegedly linked to the controversy. Atiku’s reaction follows the release of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)’s interim report, which he argued raises critical questions about the role of public officials in the alleged operation of the fictitious agency. In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the Presidency…