NIGERIAN NEWS BLOGGERS

The Confederation of African Football Executive Committee on Tuesday announced the postponement of the 2021 African Nations Championship by one year. The decision was reached after the committee met via video-conference to discuss the future of competitions and other related issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "After consultation with stakeholders and taking into consideration the current global situation, the tournament has been rescheduled for January 2022. The date for the final tournament and the remaining matches of the qualifiers will be communicated in due course," the football body said in a statement.

Former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has died following a battle with the deadly coronavirus.  As at the time of his death, the lawmaker was aged 70. Ajimobi had been hospitalised in Lagos earlier on in June and there were reports that he was recuperating. However, contrary reports which emerged afterwards suggested that the former governor’s health continued to deteriorate following COVID-19 complications. It was rumoured last week that the Senator had passed on, however, the special adviser to Ajimobi on communication and strategy, Bolaji Tunji, dismissed the rumours in a statement obtained by Channels Television. The news of his death on Thursday has been confirmed by aides and some family members, as well as other elder statemen and political bigwigs in the country.

  Eminent socio-cultural leaders from southern and middle-belt Nigeria have sued the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for N50 billion over marginalisation of the people of the region in the appointments to security, quasi-security agencies and “strategic agencies” of government.   The 16 plaintiffs filed the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/595/2020, at the Federal High Court in Abuja on June 8, 2020.   Among the plaintiffs are an Ijaw leader, Chief E. K Clarke, the Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr John Nwodo, a leader of the Middle Belt people, Dr. Pogu Bitrus.   They also include Dr Pogu Bitrus, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Alaowei Bozimo, Mrs Sarah Doketri, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Air Commodore Idongsit Nkanga, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, Prof Julie Umukoro, and Elder Stephen Bangoji.   The rest are Alhaji Tijani Babatunde, Mrs Rose Obuoforibo, Mr Adako...

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has finally admitted that although the nation’s service chiefs are trying to tackle the security challenges being experienced across the country, their best is not good enough.   He has therefore told them that he will no longer accept what he described as excuses.   The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.), disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of a meeting Buhari had with the security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday.   Monguno quoted Buhari as telling the service chiefs he appointed since 2015 that he expected them to henceforth live up to expectations.   With the rising cases of insecurity across the country, individuals and groups have been calling on the President to change the service chiefs, some of whom he has on different occasions extended their tenure.   Protests have been holding in some parts of the North, inc...

Cubana Chief Priest  The Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit in Lagos State has detained  Instagram  celebrity and Executive Director, Cubana Group, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest. Okechukwu, known for his lavish lifestyle, arrived at the Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos, around 10am and was detained afterwards. The  Instagram  celebrity, it was learnt, was invited for alleged misuse of police escorts and weapons as well as unexplained wealth. A top police source said the investigation was sequel to an order from the Office of the Inspector-General of Police who had expressed shock over the abuse of police personnel. He said, “We have detained Cubana Chief Priest and he is facing interrogation for misuse of police personnel as well as the illegal use of a weapon and his extravagant and unexplained lifestyle.” Cubana Chief Priest is known to post pictures of himself in private jets and exotic cars to impress his 1.6 mill...

The House of Representatives has faulted Federal Government’s claim of spending N186 billion on its School Feeding Programme by the National Conditional Cash Transfer Office. The House Committee on Public Accounts picked holes in the spending while grilling the National Coordinator of the School Feeding Programme, Mrs Temitope Sinkaye; Coordinating Officer, National Safety Net, Mr Apera Iorwa, on the disbursement of N64 billion out of N186 billion said to have been so far spent on feeding pupils public schools. Chairman of the committee, Mr Oluwole Oke, particularly described it as outrageous and unacceptable. Consequently, the committee demanded a complete audit of the programme with immediate effect. The lawmakers were especially enraged by a document submitted to the committee, which showed that NICTO received a credit of $400m from the World Bank, $321m from recovered ‘Abacha loot’ and another $400m said to be balance from Federal Government equity fund. Sikanye told the ...

Professor Biodun Ogunyemi The Academic Staff Union of Universities has expressed reservation on the online learning occasioned by the closure of schools over the coronavirus pandemic, saying, it cannot work in the Universities. Apart from the challenge of capacity requirement, the union premised its observation on the fact that “the quality in terms of content, in terms of presentation will be watered down.” According to ASUU, online teaching required some special pedagogical skills and training of lecturers who would be involved and giving them re-orientation which takes time for them to attune their minds. “I am even focusing on tertiary institutions now because I don’t want to go to the lower level. So if you talk of tertiary institutions, the first thing is when they don’t have the skills they will water down the quality in terms of content generation, what should go into content, it is different from loading students with materials. “What you are going to give to the stude...

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says over 100 Million Nigerians have no identity. The Director General of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, made the disclosure on Wednesday during a zoom meeting with editors.   The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Aziz spoke on the topic: “Strategic Roadmap for ID Development.’’ He said, “Over 100 million Nigerians have no identity (ID). “These include the poorest and the most vulnerable groups, such as the marginalised – women and girls, the less-educated people, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, people with disabilities and people living in rural and remote areas. “The estimated population of Nigeria stands at 200 million. Only about 38 percent of the population have any form of ID,’’ he said. According to the NIMC boss, the commission has enrolled and issued 41.5 million unique identifiers, known as National Identification Numbers (NIN), since the commencement of identity registration and enrolment...

Twenty four out of the 34 members of the Kaduna House of Assembly Thursday impeached the Deputy Speaker, Mukhtar Hazo. The development followed a vote of no confidence on him during a sitting of the House, presided over by the Speaker, Yusuf Zailani. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that details of the allegations against the impeached Deputy Speaker were not made known during the sitting. The members, however, elected Isaac  Zankai, member representing Kauru constituency as the new Deputy Speaker     Source: NAN

The Federal Government has declared Friday, June 12, as public holiday to mark this year’s celebration of Democracy Day. The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government congratulated all Nigerians at home and abroad for the entrenchment of democratic rule in the country. The Minister commended the heroes of democracy for their dogged determination and sacrifice which eventually birthed Democratic Governance in Nigeria. A statement signed by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Georgina Ehuriah quoted Aregbesola as calling on all Nigerians to continue to cherish the selfless efforts made to attain democracy. He urged Nigerians to collaborate with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration to ensure the realization of the democratic ideals which these Patriots fought for, even at the cost of their lives. The Minister who reassured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s commitment to battli...

Dr Muda Yusuf, Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday, welcomed the development.   Yusuf  commended the spirited efforts of the CBN in the promotion of development finance. He, however, stated that many businesses had reported cases of inability to access the loan facilities to the chamber. He implored CBN to undertake periodic impact assessment of the fund and publish the status of implementation, disbursements, number of beneficiaries and general impact of the funds. “Finance is critical to the strengthening of the real sector of the economy. “Funding is necessary but not sufficient condition to transform manufacturing, agriculture and mining sectors. “We need more active interventions from regulatory agencies, the Nigerian Customs Service, better power delivery from the electricity sector, better transport logistics, seamless cargo clearing processes and an investm...

Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, Director General of the Agency, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, following the rising cases of rape in the country. The DG said both old and present cases should be reported to the Agency. According to the her, reporting the case of rape is the only way the trend can be stopped in the society; the agency will not compromise its work for anything if such case is reported to it. “Rapists are now getting away with their illicit acts along with murder; these cases of domestic servitude are cases that take place behind closed doors.   “Our job in NAPTIP is to protect Nigerian men and women, we are not going to compromise our work if they report such case, we will ensure justice is done. “Rape cases are not reported because of stigmatisation of the victims and this makes the cases to rise. Very soon, the name of rapists will be published with their pictures in the media,”  she said. She said...