Author: Opalim Lifted

Mrs Pauline Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs, has advised the ministry’s incoming minister not to send pregnant girls out of school. Education, she believes, is critical to empowering girls. Tallen gave the advice during a panel discussion on the sidelines of a Federal Ministry of Women Affairs event in New York on Friday. The event was held on the sidelines of the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in collaboration with the World Bank (CSW67). The two-week CSW67 session, which began on Monday, focuses on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls through…

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has threatened to sue officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if they continue to defame his character in the media. The INEC chief’s warning comes after the PDP demanded his resignation yesterday. The INEC chairman was accused by the party of violating the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as the Commission’s regulations, guidelines, and manual issued for the presidential and parliamentary elections on February 25. The PDP also demanded that Prof Yakubu be investigated by the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the…

Following the Federal Government’s and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) failure to comply with the Supreme Court’s March 3rd judgment on the extension of the validity of the old naira notes, ten states are preparing for a new legal battle. The failure to implement the court order has heightened anger and frustration across the country, as Nigerians wait in vain for the government to give the go-ahead for the reintroduction of the old N500 and N1000 notes. At the time of publication, merchants, gas stations, and transportation companies continued to refuse to accept the notes, despite the fact that…

Victoria Enwerem (Anosike), 42, was sentenced to multiple prison terms by a Magistrate Court in charge of Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Awka, Anambra State. Enwerem was charged with three counts of conspiracy to steal children, fraudulently enticing away and harboring children, and forcibly isolating children from their parents, all of which are punishable under the Criminal Code, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition and Protection) Laws of Anambra State, 2017. The five stolen children ranged in age from three to ten years old. The presiding Chief Magistrate, Genevieve Osakwe, stated in…

Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) is exploring plans to launch a new social media app in its bid to displace Twitter as the world’s “digital town square”. “We’re looking into creating a standalone decentralized social network for text update sharing. We believe there is a need for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely information about their interests “In an emailed statement, Zuckerberg spokesperson told reporters. Meta’s app will be built on the same framework as Mastodon, a Twitter-like service that debuted in 2016. A Twitter-like app would allow  Zuckerberg to capitalize on the current state of chaos…

The Labour Party slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday, claiming that the electoral body came up with the idea of reconfiguring the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines on purpose after its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, sought to examine the election materials. This came after the party questioned the commission’s claim that the data retrieved from the BVAS was supported by independent witnesses and political party representatives. The protest comes just 24 hours after INEC rescheduled the March 11 governorship and state House of Assembly elections in order to reconfigure the BVAS machines. The move was made possible…

Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide, has praised the Yorubas, calling them the most accommodating people in Nigeria. Omokri referred to Lagos as the most welcoming city in the country. He argued that the Yorubas deserved to be praised, pointing out that most of what Lagosians tolerate would not be tolerated elsewhere. He tweeted: “The most accommodating people in Nigeria are the Yoruba. The most accommodating place in Nigeria is Lagos. What Lagosians accept will not be accepted anywhere else. And for this the Yoruba deserve kudos not knocks! We all should be like them. #NigerianElections2023 #TableShaker.” The debate on…

The Borno State Police Command has confirmed the assassination of 29 fishermen in the state by Boko Haram terrorists. The attack, which occurred in Mukdolo village in the Gamborun Ngala area of the state, also critically injured nine other fishermen. The incident occurred on March 8, 2023, according to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Sani Kamilu, who confirmed the report to our correspondent on Friday. Earlier, it was reported that dozens of terrorists on motorcycles stormed the field, shooting sporadically while surrounding the remaining 29 victims at gunpoint after the nine had escaped with injuries. A source told an…

The Ivory Coast has signed an agreement with the UAE renewable energy company Masdar to investigate the development of a 50-70 megawatt (MW) solar power plant, Masdar announced on Friday, the latest in a series of African agreements. The West African cocoa-producing country has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32% and increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix to more than 40% by 2030. The agreement is part of a larger plan to build manufacturing facilities that use sun power, hydroelectricity, and biomass. “Masdar and the Ivorian Ministry of Mining, Petroleum, and Energy will investigate…

Nasir Kwarra, Chairman of the National Population Commission, has stated that the start of the 2023 national housing and population census, which was previously scheduled for March 29, is likely to be impacted by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s postponement of the governorship and state assembly elections. The chairman stated this during a meeting with the United Nations Population Fund’s Resident Representative, Ms Ulla Mueller, in Abuja. The governorship and state assembly elections, which were originally scheduled for March 11, were postponed by one week, to March 18. As a result, the chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC) stated…