Author: Opalim Lifted

Wife of Edo State Governor, Betsy Obaseki, flagged off the sale of 500,000 pre-paid metres to residents across the state. She said that the initiative is geared towards making electricity metres affordable for residents, eliminating estimated billings and boosting Small and Medium Scale businesses. Mrs. Obaseki, who disclosed this during the flag-off ceremony held in Benin City, noted that the state government is passionate about ending the suffering of the people, hence the initiative. The Edo First Lady also lauded the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and other partners for their collaboration, noting that there should be adequate awareness of…

New Zealand (NZ) police are racing to trace sweets containing “potentially lethal levels of methamphetamine” after they were distributed by a charity in Auckland. Up to 400 people may have received the sweets from Auckland City Mission as part of a food parcel, said the anti-poverty charity. The sweets were donated anonymously by a member of the public in a sealed retail package, it added. At least three people, including a child, sought medical attention afterwards though none are currently in hospital. “We did not know that the lollies contained methamphetamine when they were distributed,” the charity’s spokesperson told the…

Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) has described as entirely false report of its website being seized by hackers. A top GTB executive, who is not authorized to speak, disclosed this to newsmen The clarification comes amid a report that its website has been compromised by hackers and customers’ data intercepted in a massive phishing operation. However, the source told reporter that the claim was entirely untrue. He clarified that the bank was having a connectivity issue but that it had nothing to do with hacking. N17bn Debt: GTBank drags 60 bank chiefs to court over Anchor Borrowers…

Kylian Mbappe marked his Real Madrid debut with a goal as Real Madrid made history, beating Atalanta 2-0 in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw to lift the trophy for a record-breaking sixth time in nine appearances. All eyes were on the European champions, who lined up with a menacing forward line containing Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Jr. Carlo Ancelotti’s men looked threatening in the early stages too, especially down the right-flank through Federico Valverde and Dani Carvajal, but the Atalanta defence coped reasonably well. Atalanta, making their first appearance in the Super Cup, didn’t look out of place…

The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas on Wednesday said the bill was chiefly sponsored to cater to the critical aspects of national security. Abbas said, the Counter Subversion Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 23, 2024 and not Tuesday. He said, “The Bill aims to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-terrorism framework by addressing subversive activities carried out by various groups, including associations, organisations, militias, cults, bandits, and other proscribed entities. “This is in line with similar legislation in countries like the United Kingdom, Spain, India, Turkey, Canada, and Australia.” Abbas, also reaffirmed the House of Representatives as…

The House of Representatives has introduced the Counter Subversion Bill 2024, which aims to impose stringent penalties on Nigerians who fail to recite the national anthem. The bill was sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and it scaled through the first reading and proceeded to the second reading. It aims to impose stringent penalties on Nigerians who fail to recite the newly approved national anthem or abuse politicians or community leaders. According to the bill, anyone found guilty shall be fined up to N5 million and would face five to 10 years prison sentence or both. The…

Nigerian lawmaker representing Kano South, Senator Sumaila Kawu, has revealed that he earns over N21m monthly as a total take-home package. This revelation is coming barely 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission said that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber receives a total of N1.06m in salary and allowances per month. The RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, said this as a form of clarification in response to recent controversies over the real amount each lawmaker earns per month. Based on Shehu’s disclosure, it would mean each lawmaker earns N12.72m in 12 months and the…

US Vice President Kamala Harris will make her first policy-centered speech as Democratic presidential candidate on Friday, taking aim at price gouging, in a sign her whirlwind campaign could rattle big companies and corporate executives. Harris will travel to Raleigh, in North Carolina, a state Democrats hope to flip this election, to outline her plan “to lower costs for middle-class families and take on corporate price-gouging,” her campaign said on Tuesday. Harris canceled an event in North Carolina last week because of Tropical Storm Debby. Focusing her first major policy speech on the economy, and locating it in North Carolina…

Former Nigeria president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, shunned the Council of State meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday at the Aso Villa in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Obasanjo who backed Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, at the 2023 general election has been critical of the Nigerian government and has warned that the people could revolt. However, the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan attended the meeting while Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar joined virtually. The Council members condemned the recent #EndBadGovernance protests, which Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, described as having a sinister…

Cole Palmer has signed a new Chelsea contract to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge until 2033. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is now on a nine-year deal with improved terms after a sensational breakthrough season in west London. Palmer scored 25 goals and contributed 15 assists in 45 appearances during his first season at Chelsea after a £42.5m move from Manchester City last summer. The Blues have been keen to reward the England international, who scored in the 2-1 Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain in July, with a deal which will be announced in the coming days. Palmer is…