Author: Mayor

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for a ceasefire in Gaza, as he visited Brazil’s capital, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Xi expressed concerns about the spread of the conflict in Gaza, and “called for a ceasefire and an end to the war at an early date,” the agency said, as he met with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. President Xi Jinping’s appeal for a halt to fighting in Gaza — where Israel is pressing an offensive against Hamas — echoed one he and other G20 leaders made during a summit held Monday and Tuesday…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dissolved the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, and removed the institution’s newly-appointed Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike. This decision comes amidst allegations of irregularities in the Vice-Chancellor’s appointment process. The sacked Governing Council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, also included Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin. According to a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the council was dismissed following reports that it appointed an unqualified Vice-Chancellor without adhering…

The Senate has removed the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, over alleged gross misconduct. This decision was made pursuant to Section 157(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended), which empowers the Senate to remove key public officials following due process. The sacking followed a closed-door session lasting over one and a half hours. Upon resumption of plenary, the Senate announced that more than 84 lawmakers supported the decision. The motion leading to Danladi Umar’s removal was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who highlighted the pivotal role of the…

In a firm defense of the proposed tax reform bill, former lawmaker and human rights activist, Senator Shehu Sani has called on Northern governors to rally behind the legislation to address what he describes as “prevailing tax injustice” in Nigeria. Reacting to revelations made by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman before the House of Representatives, Sani highlighted the concentration of Value Added Tax (VAT) revenues in only four states as a significant inequity in the current tax system. According to the FIRS Chairman, Lagos, Rivers, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) collectively generate 70% of VAT revenue…

A monitoring team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was ambushed by Boko Haram insurgents while inspecting the National Grid installation in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. The attack occurred on Monday, in the Farin-Kasa area of Chukun Local Government Area, Kaduna State. The team consisting of nine officers and 71 other ranks from various NSCDC commands, had completed surveillance activities in Shiroro and was en route to their base when they were attacked, the corps spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday evening. The ambush came as the team escorted stranded expatriates…

Genoa have parted ways with coach Alberto Gilardino, appointing former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira as his replacement, it was widely reported on Tuesday. Gilardino, appointed Genoa coach in July 2022, led the team to direct promotion to Serie A in 2023 but departs following a lacklustre start to the current season. Genoa have 10 points from the first 12 games of the campaign and are hovering above the relegation zone in 17th place in the standings. Vieira parted ways with French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg in July, having previously managed Premier League club Crystal Palace and will now take charge…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has approved the immediate payment of N70,000, the new minimum wage for all administration staff. This was contained in a statement signed by the Press Secretary to the Head of the Civil Service of the FCT, Anthony Odeh, and made available to journalists on Tuesday. Recall that President Bola Tinubu, signed the new Minimum Wage Bill into law in May 2024, approving N70,000 as minimum wage for workers, following months of negotiation with organised labour. The FCT Chapters of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress had also threatened…

Two officers attached to the Abia State Police Command, Inspectors Dunna Jatau and Bala Mohammed, were ambushed by armed assailants while on official duty on Sunday night. According to a statement on Monday by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Maureen Chinaka, the officers were attacked by armed men dressed in black attire after dropping off a member of the House of Representatives, Ginger Onwusibe. The statement read, “On 17/11/2024, at about 20:30hrs, two police officers from the Special Protection Unit Base 4, Makurdi—Inspector Dunna Jatau and Inspector Bala Mohammed—assigned to Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, a member of the House of Representatives representing…

Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven matches after the Uruguayan made a racist remark about South Korean people when talking about teammate Son Heung-min during a television appearance, the Football Association said on Monday. Bentancur had denied the charge, but an independent regulatory commission found it to be proven and imposed the sanctions, which includes a fine of 100,000 pounds ($126,160). The FA said in a statement the midfielder “acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute”. “It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”… as it…

An Officer of Department of State Service, DSS, attached to Kebbi State Command (names witheld), has assaulted a Correspondent of Authority newspaper, Mallam Shuaibu Zubair, when the journalist asked him to pay up his electricity bill. The DSS officer, who got angry because his co-tenants reminded him that he only paid N4,000 out of N5,000 he ought to have paid, suddenly got angry, assaulted Mallam Zubair, who led other tenants to confront him six times and bragged that he could kill Zubair, and nothing would happen. Briefing newsmen about his ordeal, Mallam Zubair explained that the DSS officer, who…