Cost of Nigeria’s disintegration too high, says Obasanjo
In spite of the current challenges Nigeria is faced with, the country will not disintegrate. This is the position of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo, both Nigeria’s military and civilian ruler, stated that the cost of disintegration is higher than the cost of being together. The former Head of State made the assertion in Lagos recently at a book launch in honour of His...
World Bank approves $400m for Nigeria to scale up COVID-19 vaccination
The World Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a $400 million credit to Nigeria in additional financing, from its International Development Association (IDA), for COVID-19 vaccine acquisition, the bank announced in a statement it issued on Friday, in Washington. The bank said that the fund is meant to provide upfront financing for safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine acquisition and deployment...
Biden mourns 700,000 Americans lost to COVID-19
U.S. President Joe Biden has mourned the about 700,000 Americans who lost their lives to COVID-19. Biden, in his twitter handle on Saturday night, said: “Today, we mark another grim and heartbreaking milestone in this pandemic: over 700,000 Americans lost. “As we acknowledge the tragic scale of this death toll, we must remember each person and the life they lived.’’ The White...
N30m fraud: Femi Adesina’s impostor to spend 28 years in prison
Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin on Thursday, September 30, 2021 imposed 28 years imprisonment on a self-styled Islamic cleric in Ilorin over offences bordering on fraud and obtaining by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. The prison time is to be observed...
Kaduna, Ekiti top in Transparency, Citizens’ Engagement indices
The 2021 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) survey has ranked Kaduna and Ekiti states as the top states in transparency and accountability in governance. Kaduna State came first with 76.67% rating while Ekiti State was ranked second with 73.33%. Kwara State with 65% was ranked third in the survey carried out by the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CeFTIW),...
Navy Captain jailed 13 years for N45m fraud
A retired Navy Captain, Jerry Ogbonna, has been convicted and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for stealing and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N45million. Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos gave the judgement on Wednesday, September 29. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had stated that Ogbonna, alongside his company, Obyke System...
GARBA SHEHU: My takeaways from 76th 2021 Un General Assembly Session
Throughout last week in New York, the United Nations General Assembly – the congress for the world – gathered for its annual re-affirmation of the principles upon which the organisation was founded. These are the principles of territorial integrity of nations, of sovereignty, and the rights of all people to be treated equally; and of the unacceptability of tribalism, ethnic...
Buhari, FFK, and the quality of mercy
Not a small ruckus has been caused by the defection of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week. An icing on the cake, or the salt added to injury (depending on which side you are), was his reception at the Presidential Villa by Muhammadu Buhari,...
Can Fani-Kayode bring secessionist agitators to peace table?
The title of this article was the exact question posed by a senior security official at an informal breakfast in August. It was at a time when speculations were rife that Chief Femi Fani-Kayode would defect to the All-Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I have always referred to Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK) as a "Fire-for-Fire" advocate, since February 2004...
Real Madrid held at home by Villarreal
Real Madrid missed the chance to go five points clear at the top of LaLiga as they were held 0-0 by Villarreal at the Bernabeu on Saturday. The result means Carlo Ancelotti’s side move onto 17 points, three above city rivals Atletico Madrid, who lost 1-0 away to Alaves earlier in the day. Villarreal, meanwhile, remain unbeaten but have won just...
