Author: Opalim Lifted

According to the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Africa needs appropriate resources to combat poverty and protect vulnerable groups while reaching long-term development goals. Antonio Pedro, the ECA’s Acting Secretary-General, stated this during his closing remarks at the 55th Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. Pedro stated that these were among the concerns prominently discussed at the meeting, which he asked organizations to follow up on. “ We saw from presented evidence that the effects of COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, the looming debt crisis, and climate change impacts characterize the deep…

The Independent National Electoral Commission has refuted a report accusing its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, of attempting to skew the results of the governorship election in Abia State. According to Strenuous Blog, the Returning Officer for Abia, Nnenna Oti, claimed that she was forced to do the wrong thing. “The INEC Presiding Officer Abia State, Nnenna Oti, had this to say…”, according to the portal. Professor Nnenna Oti from Afikpo here. I am the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and the people’s mandate will be respected. I’ve spent my entire adult life pursuing the ideals of…

Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has insisted that the 2023 general elections were the best set of elections ever held in Nigeria. The Speaker, while admitting that the polls were not perfect, noted that they were a step forward in the country’s efforts to ensure credible polls. This comes as the Speaker promised that the Electoral Offences Commission Bill would be passed into law before the House’s term expired in June. Gbajabiamila made these remarks on Tuesday in Abuja, while welcoming his colleagues back from the recently concluded Governorship and State Assembly elections. “Any objective assessment of…

According to the latest World Happiness Report, Nigeria is now the 95th happiest country in the world and the sixth in Africa, with 4.981 points. Mauritius ranks first among African countries, with 5.902 points, followed by Algeria (5.329), South Africa (5.275), Congo Brazzaville (5.267), Guinea (5.072), Cote d’Ivoire (5.053), and Gabon (5.035). According to the report, Finland is once again the world’s happiest country. The country, which has a population of 5.5 million people, has held the title for the past six years. Meanwhile, Afghanistan continues to be at the bottom of a league table of nearly 140 countries. The…

According to police, a university student was killed and six police officers were injured in protests against President William Ruto’s government over high living costs on Monday. Protesters took to the streets of Nairobi and other cities in response to opposition leader Raila Odinga’s call for demonstrations. Some people set fires in the streets and threw rocks at police officers. Police used tear gas and water cannons on Odinga’s convoy while he spoke to supporters from the sunroof of his car. The person killed, a student at Maseno University in western Kenya, was shot in the neck by the police…

Orji Kalu, Senate Chief Whip, has declared his intention to run for Senate President in the 10th National Assembly. Kalu, who was re-elected to represent Abia North in the Red Chamber, made the announcement Tuesday during a press conference at the National Assembly. The ruling All Progressives Congress retained its Senate majority, with 57 seats. Senators from the APC seeking the Senate presidency have been lobbying their colleagues for their support. Aside from Kalu, who has publicly declared his interest in the position, Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Sani Musa (Niger); Barau Jibrin (Kano); and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) are also said…

According to the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), it is collaborating with relevant agriculture agencies, the health sector, and traditional leaders to provide a safe working environment for elderly mothers. Dr. Emem Omokaro, Director-General of the NSCC, stated this in Bwari on Monday during a town hall meeting on the implementation of its program titled “Grandmothers Arise for Good,” an Economic Tree-Crops Planting Project in Bwari, FCT. Omokaro stated that the center was determined to assist senior citizens, particularly elderly mothers, in expanding their agricultural businesses and ensuring a decent standard of living. “ We took time to develop a…

The Federal Government will arraign Mr Tukur Mamu, an ex-terrorist negotiator, today on a 10-count charge relating to terrorism financing, among other things. Mr. Tukur, who will be arraigned on behalf of the FG by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), will appear before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja. On September 13, 2022, Justice Nkeonye Maha of a sister court granted the Department of State Services (DSS) permission to detain the former terrorists’ negotiator for 60 days in order to complete its investigation into Mamu, who led the negotiation with the terrorists…

Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) announced another 9,000 job cuts on Monday, adding to a wave of layoffs that has swept the technology sector as an uncertain economy forces companies to become leaner. Amazon will have cut 27,000 jobs in recent months, or 9% of its roughly 300,000-strong corporate workforce, in a remarkable turn for a company that has long touted its job creation. The most recent cuts target Amazon’s highly profitable cloud and advertising divisions, which were once thought to be untouchable until economic concerns caused business customers to scrutinize their spending. Amazon’s streaming unit Twitch will also be affected by…

Soldiers and police officers exchanged gunfire yesterday near the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) office, where votes in Saturday’s governorship election were being counted. A mufti-clad policewoman returning to duty at the INEC yesterday was asked to produce her identity card for recognition. The soldiers assaulted her after she refused to cooperate. This drew the attention of local police officers. A scuffle ensued, resulting in both parties exchanging gunfire. Teargas was also discharged. Businesses in the area were closed, and people fled for safety. The scuffle caught a journalist on his way to the collation center. He told newsmen that some…