Author: Opalim Lifted

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has debunked the report of planned impeachment against him, describing it as fake and a figment of the writer’s imagination. Akpabio spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, in a statement, on Wednesday following online publications tagged “DSS Takes Over National Assembly Amid Impeachment Speculations Against Senate President Akpabio.” He insisted that there was no crack in the Upper Chamber and no Senator or Caucus was plotting any impeachment against the President of the Senate, stressing that “every Senator is focused on raising the bar of Legislative Agenda and Nation building.…

Many areas of eastern Turkey were shaken by a 5.9-magnitude quake on Wednesday although there were no immediate reports of fatalities, officials said. The tremor happened at 10:46 am (0746 GMT) in Kale in Malatya, a province that was badly hit by a violent 7.8-magnitude earthquake in 2023 that killed more than 53,500 people in Turkey and almost 6,000 in neighbouring Syria. “For now, there has been no loss of life nor destruction of property following the magnitude 5.9 earthquake,” the state’s AFAD disaster management agency wrote on X. Shortly afterwards, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said three buildings had “partially…

Vice President Kashim Shettima has embarked on a two-day working visit to Sweden. Stanley Nkwocha, the presidency spokesman, announced on Wednesday that Shettima will represent President Bola Tinubu in bilateral discussions during the trip. Shettima is expected to engage in high-level bilateral talks with key government officials, including a meeting with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and the Swedish prime minister. The Vice President will also meet with key stakeholders in the private sector. “Senator Shettima will use the visit to explore opportunities for strengthened collaboration between Nigeria and Sweden in areas such as ICT, innovation, education, digitalisation, sustainable transport,…

Nigeria’s oil regulator has rejected Shell’s proposed $1.3 billion sale of its onshore oilfields to Renaissance group because the buyer is not qualified to manage the assets, ThisDay reported on Wednesday. Shell, which owns the assets via Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), said it was providing the regulator with all the required information without directly confirming the ThisDay report. Federico Tasca, a researcher and associate professor at the University of Santiago, explains: The regulator and Renaissance did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Shell on January 16 announced its exit from Nigeria’s onshore and shallow water operations after agreeing…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was set to at least partially unveil a plan to win the war against Russia to his country’s Parliament on Wednesday after weeks of dropping hints about the blueprint to lukewarm Western allies, including US President Joe Biden. The plan — comprising military, political, diplomatic and economic elements — is considered by many as Ukraine’s last resort to strengthen its hand in any future cease-fire negotiations with Russia. Thus far, however, no country has publicly endorsed it or commented on its feasibility. Zelenskyy is keen to get the “victory plan” in place before a new US…

Customers of GTBank, the flagship subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc, have voiced their frustration over the halt in digital transactions and poor in-bank processes, which have caused significant financial setbacks for both individuals and businesses. This disruption follows the bank’s recent announcement that it was transitioning to a new and advanced Finacle Core Banking Application System. Despite the upgrade, customers across Nigeria are facing challenges in accessing their funds due to poor network service and outright stoppage, with many unable to get through to customer service for assistance. A visit by Chronicle NG to its branches in…

Georgia, a battleground state in the Nov. 5 presidential election between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, saw record-breaking voter turnout Tuesday, according to state officials. According to Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s No. 2 election official, at least 252,000 voters have cast ballots at early-voting locations as of 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT), which is almost twice as many as the 136,000 who took part in the first day of early voting in the 2020 election. He said, “Spectacular turnout,” on social media. At a campaign rally in Atlanta, Trump said he was excited about Georgia’s early vote. “The votes…

An injury-time winner from Sadio Mane secured Senegal’s qualification for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) while Angola, DR Congo and Egypt have also reached the finals with two rounds of matches to spare. The Teranga Lions were heading for a goalless draw away against Malawi before former Liverpool forward Mane, who now plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, struck in the 96th minute in Lilongwe. Senegal move on to 10 points in Group L alongside Burkina Faso and have joined their fellow West Africans in booking a place at the 2025 Nations Cup in Morocco. The 2021…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained the circumstances that led to the arrest of one Favour Ekoh, host of Prime Time, a programme on Urban Radio Station, Enugu, on Tuesday. Ekoh was arrested alongside one of her colleagues and two security guards at the radio station. However, there were reports that the broadcaster was arrested while she was presenting her programme. But EFCC, in a statement by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, denied the claim. According to the anti-graft agency, EFCC operatives had gone to Urban Radio to arrest Ekoh over her alleged involvement in the N700 million…

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN has stated that consistent implementation of judicial reforms is necessary to influence positive changes in Nigeria. Osinbajo stated at the launch of “It Is Possible,” a book written by development expert Udo Jude Ilo. Drawing from his experiences with judicial reform in Lagos State during his tenure as Attorney General in 1999, to illustrate his speech, which was the keynote at the event, Osinbajo highlighted two key challenges he faced: building a Ministry of Justice focused on citizens’ rights and reforming an administration of justice system plagued by delays and corruption.…