NIGERIAN NEWS BLOGGERS

The family of Tolulope Arotile, the late first Nigerian female combat pilot, and the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Thursday rejected the accident theory of the Nigerian Air Force as the cause of the death, calling for a probe. The late combat pilot died on Tuesday at the age of 24 after a car that was reversing hit her. Tolulope elder sister, Damilare told journalist on Thursday that the family was devastated by her untimely death and had been wondering how a car that was reversing could kill her. “We are not convinced that Tolu can die like that in a freak accident. I know that the military is well trained in the art of investigation; we want them to carry out a thorough investigation that can convince us beyond all doubts that the incident that led to her death was the truth,” she added. She said the day the late combat pilot died, she was in the room where she was sleeping. Adegboye said, “A call came into her mobile phone; from the way she spoke, I knew tha...

The Senate, yesterday, expressed shock over the stunning revelation that the Nigerian Police Force and the staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) shared N3.14 billion as palliatives for the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, NDDC officials shared N1.5 billion as COVID-19 palliates while the Police got N475 million to buy face masks and hand sanitisers. Chairman, Senate ad hoc Committee investigating the alleged N40 billion illegally expended by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC, Olubunmi Adetunbi (APC, Ekiti North), noted the expenditure at the commencement of the investigative hearing at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja. This was as the NDDC Director of Projects, Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh, accused Chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on NDDC of hijacking the 2020 budget of the agency. Adetunbi pointed out that the expended fund was contained in the document submitted to the committee by the Managing Director of the IMC, Kemebradiku...

The National Assembly will on Wednesday July 8, hold a special hearing on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Nigeria. The session which is expected to be co-chaired by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, will hold by 5pm in a joint session of the Senate and House Committees on Human Rights, Health, Women’s Affairs, Police Affairs, NGOs and the Judiciary.  According to the joint panels, the special session will hold in two parts: a virtual participation by the public, followed by a closed session to facilitate survivor testimonies. There have been rampant cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence across the country, with some advocating for stiffer penalties for offenders.   This special hearing will provide an opportunity for SGBV survivors to give first-hand account of their experiences, with a view to highlighting the current gaps in the provision of services and ...

AllAfrica My Account English (current) En França Consumers of petrol in the country would pay a 16.4 per cent increase in the price of petrol for the month of July, the   Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA)   announced on Wednesday. The agency said the approved new retail price for petrol for the month will vary between N140.80 and N143.80 per litre price band. The new price arrangement replaces the previous price band of N121.50 and N123.50 per litre announced by the agency for June 2020. "After a review of the prevailing market fundamentals in the month of June, and considering marketers' realistic operating costs as well as practicable, we (PPPRA) wish to advise a new PMS (premium motor spirit) pump price band of N140.80-N143.80 per litre for the month of July 2020 the new retail price band for premium motor spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, for June 2020. "Kindly note that the ex-depot price for collection includes the statutory charges of bridgi...

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...