Author: Akintayo Adams

The House of Representatives, earlier today, engaged in a heated debate over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to extend the implementation period for the capital component of the ₦21.83 trillion 2023 budget and the ₦2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budgets to December 2024. Reports indicate that the letter detailing this request was read by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, after which the executive bills seeking the extension were introduced. House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, however, moved for the second reading of the bills to extend the 2023 budget and supplementary budgets to December 2024, House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda opposed the request, arguing…

Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, 41, has been appointed as the acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UNI ABUJA). Her appointment was announced at the valedictory Senate meeting on the university campus in Abuja on Wednesday. The 41-year-old Professor of International Law was the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, before her appointment. However, Outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, who is rounding off his tenure in three days, said Maikudi’s appointment was in a temporary capacity, subjected to the ratification by the Governing Council. In her acceptance speech, Maikudi expressed gratitude to members of the Senate for the confidence reposed in her.…

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, 36 State Governors and some members of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu economic team are currently meeting in Abuja. The meeting under the auspices of the National Economic Council (NEC) is holding at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja. It comes days after the Federal Executive Council, (FEC) stepped down the memo about the planned New Minimum Wage for workers in the country. At the NEC meeting, the minimum wage is also expected to be discussed with a view to finding a common ground on the way forward. Among those present at the ongoing…

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was sentenced to 45 years in prison by a U.S. judge on Wednesday. This was for his conviction on drug and firearm offenses. However, there is hope that an anticipated appeal will be successful. If it fails, the 55-year-old is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Hernandez was found guilty by a Manhattan jury, in March, of accepting millions of dollars in bribes to protect U.S.-bound cocaine shipments from traffickers he had publicly claimed to combat. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, while Hernandez’s defense argued for the mandatory minimum…

Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja for his arraignment in the N82bn fraud case brought against him by the federal government. This marks fifth consecutive no-show in the Court of Law. Instead of showing up, the former governor applied to the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Tsoho, to transfer his trial to Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State. During Thursday’s proceedings, Bello’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, informed Justice Emeka Nwite that his client had written to the Chief Judge requesting that the trial be moved…

Nigerian Music Export, Olamide Adedeji, popularly known as Olamide has dropped a new musical project titled IKIGAI. The multiple award winning rapper announced the release of the project at 12:00am WAT on Thursday. The choice of title might surprise music lovers. However, Olamide is not a stranger to álbum titles that are different from the norms. His previous projects: Carpe Diem and UY Scuti. UY Scuti is a red supergiant star situated 5,900 light-years away in the constellation Scutum while Carpe Diem literally means “Seize the day,” a saying used to urge someone to make the most of the present…

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has approved the disbursement of student loan to successful applicants. This was made known in a late Wednesday statement titled: “NELFUND Holds Inaugural Board Meeting as Student Loan Disbursement Tops Agenda” on the agency’s X account. The statement read, “The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 held the inaugural meeting of its board in Abuja. “The meeting marked a significant milestone in the organisation’s commitment to empowering students through financial support. “Under the leadership of of the Board Chairman, Mr. Jim Ovia, top in agenda was the approval for disbursement…

Nick Imudia, former CEO of Nigerian e-commerce giant Konga and CEO of D.light, tragically took his own life on the night of Tuesday, June 25, by jumping from the balcony of his Lekki, Lagos apartment. Prior to this, he called his US-based brother with instructions on distributing his wealth if anything happened to him. Nick Imudia also contacted his young daughter from a previous relationship, telling her he would always be there for her and that she only needed to look to the sky to see him. His friends, family, and associates are shocked by his suicide. Imudia, originally from…

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had and ended their closed-door meeting on Wednesday. A common ground was found on an agreement that all contentious issues would be amicably resolved to avert a strike. The closed-door meeting, which began around 4:30 pm and lasted over two hours at the Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja, included Education Ministers Prof. Tahir Mamman and Dr. Yusuf Sununu, along with other top officials. ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, leading the union’s team, informed newsmen afterward that negotiations had started, expressing hope that the federal government would adhere to…

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has commenced the trial of three soldiers and ten others for alleged armed robbery, burglary, and receiving stolen property. The suspects were charged by the Nigeria Police Force with armed robbery, burglary, and receiving stolen goods. On May 27, 2024, Rivers State Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko stated that the 13 suspects, including the soldiers, were arrested for alleged armed robbery, hijacking food trucks, and diverting them to other locations. The police reported that a member of the syndicate, also an operative of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, was among those…