Author: Opalim Lifted

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says state revenues have doubled following the removal of the petrol subsidy. He made the remark during the National Health Financing Dialogue in Abuja. “And over the past two years, the bold reforms have come at some cost as you repair and you fix some of the things that were broken in the economy,” he said. “So, the removal of subsidy was a tough decision but it has restored fiscal balance, not just at the federal level. “The states have much more money, they have double the kind of…

The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed multiple terrorism charges against two commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, an Al-Qaeda-linked group. Mahmud Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of Ansaru; and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Malam Mamuda), Bara’s deputy and chief of staff, who were recently arrested during operations by security forces, are facing charges bordering on leading the terror organisation, financing its activities, recruiting fighters, and coordinating violent attacks across Nigeria, NTA reported. The DSS is said to have expedited its investigation to ensure a speedy prosecution, in line with the directive of the agency’s director-general, who emphasised…

Chelsea’s title defence got off to the perfect start as they beat rivals Manchester City in their Women’s Super League opener at Stamford Bridge. Summer signing Ellie Carpenter was impressive on her debut, providing a lovely assist for Aggie Beever-Jones’ 31st-minute opener and tormenting City’s defence throughout. Chelsea added a second when Maika Hamano slotted the ball past goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita in the 64th minute, before a Niamh Charles own goal gave City hope with 20 minutes left. Former Lyon full-back Carpenter has reunited with manager Sonia Bompastor and showed why the Frenchwoman was keen to bring her to London…

Morocco became the first African country to book a place at next year’s World Cup finals on Friday with a 5-0 victory at home to Niger ensuring they top their group. Morocco won a sixth successive game in the qualifiers with two goals from Ismael Saibari and one each from Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi in Rabat. Morocco are the only side across the nine African qualifying groups with a 100% record. Tanzania were the sole side still with a chance of catching them in Group E but their 1-1 draw earlier on Friday against Congo in…

Angela Rayner, UK deputy prime minister, has resigned following an investigation into her failure to pay the correct amount of stamp duty on a property purchase. Rayner, who also served as housing secretary and deputy leader of the Labour Party, confirmed her resignation in a letter on Friday, saying she takes “full responsibility for this error”. The Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne was found to have underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty on an £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex. She had declared the property as her main home rather than a second home, which reduced the tax due. Earlier this week,…

Olasijibomi Ogundele, a Lagos-based businessman, has reacted to the decision of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to declare him wanted over alleged “diversion of funds and money laundering”. Earlier on Friday, the anti-graft agency declared Ogundele, chief executive officer (CEO) of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, wanted in a notice signed by Dele Oyewale, spokesperson of EFCC. In a video posted on social media, Ogundele, popularly known as Sujimoto, said he is neither a thief nor fugitive. The CEO attributed his case with the anti-graft agency to a project involving his company and the Enugu state government. “I’m not…

Kenneth Okonkwo, a former chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), says Peter Obi’s promise to serve only one term if elected president in 2027 is a political strategy aimed at appealing to northern voters. Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the LP, made the pledge in June. Speaking on Channels TVs ‘Sunrise Daily’ on Friday, Okonkwo, who served as spokesperson for Obi during the 2023 elections, said the one-term proposal was originally his idea. He explained that the model was designed to allay fears of dominance from either side of the political divide. “Ironically, this issue of one-term presidency, I…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Olasijibomi Ogundele, a Lagos-based businessman, wanted over alleged “diversion of funds and money laundering”. Ogundele is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited. The company deals in real estate. The anti-graft agency declared CEO Sujimoto wanted in a notice published on Friday and signed by Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson. “Ogundele is a 44-year-old indigene of Ori-Ade Local Government of Osun State and his last known address is: G 29, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos State,” the statement reads. “Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact…

President Donald Trump is changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, the White House announced Thursday, insisting the rebrand will project a more powerful image. While the department’s official name is set in law, Trump, in an executive order, is authorizing the use of the new label as a “secondary title” by his administration, a White House document said. Defense officials are permitted to use “secondary titles such as ‘Secretary of War,’…in official correspondence, public communications, ceremonial contexts, and non-statutory documents within the executive branch,” according to the document. It was not immediately clear…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will soon station its officials at continuous voter registration (CVR) centres to support database harmonisation. INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this during a visit by the NIMC management team to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Yakubu said with INEC holding the database of citizens for elections and NIMC in custody of the records of citizens generally, both agencies have the largest biometric database of citizens in Nigeria. “Since the ultimate goal is to enrol every citizen with NIMC, we look forward to the day when…