Author: Vincent Osuwo

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has named Kasimu Otono as his new Special Adviser on Oil and Gas. Otono succeeds Felix Isere, who was suspended on Tuesday for raising funds without authorisation in the name of the Edo State Government in preparation for a projected Oil and Gas Summit in Benin City on 7 August. The appointment was announced Friday in a statement signed by Umar Ikhilor, Secretary to the State Government. The statement read, “It is hereby announced for the information of the general public that the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the appointment of…

The Federal Government has approved the National Industrial Relations Policy, NIRP, 2025, in an effort to reduce the frequency of trade union strikes. This happened as the administration announced that the disputed circular that sparked the current health workers strike had been withdrawn. Meanwhile, the administration plans to meet with the striking nurses today. Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, briefed State House media at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu, on how the new policy will control trade union activities. He stated that the country’s National Industrial Relations…

The organised labour has committed to reject any attempt by foreign powers to create division between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in order to diminish movement for worker welfare. This comes as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly condemned the government’s and security agencies’ ongoing intervention in the activities of trade unions in the country, particularly their funding and internal disagreements. When he received the new leadership of the Radio, Television, and Arts Workers Union, RATTAWU, in his office, Comrade Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Nigeria, assured that…

The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives—Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI) has insisted that the federal government take the initiative and meet some of its core demands as the nationwide warning strike declared by the union enters day three. Comrade Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan, National Chairman of the NANNM-FHI, restated the Union’s position, saying that mere assurances will not stop the strike, warning that it will continue till the federal government meets some of its core demands. Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Rilwan, who detailed many outstanding concerns that prompted the strike, stated that the government’s appeals for discussion and reconciliation…

The House of Representatives Committee on Labour, Employment, and Productivity has urged Nigerian nurses and midwives to call off their ongoing statewide strike. It described the strike as a disruption to healthcare services throughout the country. The Committee Chairman, Asiwaju Adegboyega Adefarati, issued and signed a statement recognising nurses and midwives’ essential contributions to the country’s healthcare delivery system. Adefarati encouraged the nurses to consider the overall national interest of the public. At “this critical period of our nation’s economic transformation, it is imperative that we prioritise the collective interests of all Nigerians. “The House Committee deeply empathises with Nigerian…

The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the recent renaming of streets in certain of the state’s local government districts. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the recent renaming of streets and other sites in the state has resulted in angry reactions and protests. In a statement issued Thursday in Lagos, PDP Vice-Chairman (Lagos Central), Mr. Hakeem Olalemi, who encouraged the ruling party to tread carefully, said that the remaining targets are members of society. “The Lagos PDP is hereby rejecting in totality the renaming of streets by some council chairmen. We should erase history because…

Bashir El-Rufai, the son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, believes that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, is more likely to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections. El-Rufai claimed in a post on X on Thursday that Obi, not former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has a greater chance of defeating President Tinubu if he selects a formidable Northern vice-presidential candidate. He also highlighted that Obi poses a larger challenge for Atiku, owing to his large youth following and widespread grassroots support. “Atiku is a force to be reckoned with. He also feels the stars…

Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education and Chief Executive Officer of Human Capital Africa, slammed the National Assembly on Thursday for its efforts on the pending constitutional amendment, calling it a sham and a conduit pipe to waste public dollars. Ezekwesili also criticised the hijacking of the country’s political space, and by extension, that of the continent, by a group of criminal enterprise gangs who now sit at the table and slice governance in the way that best fits them, while the wider interests of the people suffer. Ezekwesili made this statement on Wednesday while delivering her keynote…

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor lost an appeal in Ireland on Thursday over a civil court verdict last year awarding damages to a woman who accused him of rape. Three judges at Dublin’s Court of Appeal struck out all of McGregor’s appeal grounds, 36. In November, jurors at Dublin’s High Court awarded Nikita Hand, 35, about 250,000 euros ($258,000) in damages after she claimed McGregor raped her in a hotel in the Irish capital in 2018. The court heard claims that McGregor “brutally raped and battered” Hand. The Irish sports star has stated that they had consensual sex. However,…

Afrobeat legend Innocent Idibia, popularly known as “2Baba,” has tied the knot traditionally with Edo lawmaker Natasha Osawaru in a private ceremony. In a video released on Thursday, 13 February 2025, 2Baba asked Natasha to marry him, putting an end to weeks of speculation about their relationship. The singer had publicly declared his love for Natasha, dismissing claims that she played a role in his separation from Annie Idibia. “Hon. Natasha has been dragged; she has been called all sorts of names; she has been labelled as a homebreaker,” he said. “She is a young, brilliant, amazing woman, and she…