Author: Akintayo Adams

The Sèyí Mákindé-led Oyo State Government has paid the 13th month salary to workers. According to Prince Dotun Oyelade, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, the payment was made on December 30. Despite the government spending N77 billion annually on salaries and wages for Oyo workers, this generous payment was still made. Two weeks ago, Governor Makinde had approved an N80,000 minimum wage for government workers after resolving the issue of consequential adjustments with the negotiating council. Starting January 1, 2025, Oyo State will pay a total of N143 billion annually on salaries and wages, reflecting the new minimum wage…

The Bayelsa State Executive Council and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Elizabeth Bidei, has passed away. Mrs. Bidei died on Monday, December 30, 2024, after a battle with breast cancer. A family source revealed that her health deteriorated further after she suffered a stroke and a heart attack. A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Orientation, and Strategy, Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, confirmed the news and extended heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Bidei’s family. Governor Douye Diri and the state executive council were also shocked by the news. Mrs. Koku-Obiyai expressed the council’s sympathy to Mrs. Bidei’s widower, Chief Jackson Bidei, and their…

Liverpool have rejected an approach from Real Madrid to sign right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in the January transfer window. The bid was made following the season-ending ACL knee injury to Real Madrid’s star right-back Dani Carvajal in October. Despite the interest from Real Madrid, Liverpool have no intention of parting ways with Alexander-Arnold, whose contract expires this summer. The club remains in talks with Alexander-Arnold about a new contract, and there is optimism that he will extend his stay at Anfield. Liverpool manager Arne Slot has praised Alexander-Arnold, along with Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, for their focus amidst ongoing…

Nigerian social media commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has confessed that his recent claim of a ₦180 million theft from his NGO account was fabricated to “teach people a lesson.” In a video posted on his Instagram page, VDM admitted that the story was a deliberate attempt to highlight the dangers of spreading unverified information. According to VDM, the entire incident was staged to demonstrate the widespread lack of scrutiny over media reports. He said, “This whole thing that happened with the ₦180 million, I deliberately did it to show that you people are stup*d. We are…

The Nigerian stock market recorded a significant gain of ₦987 billion, or 0.99 percent, in a single day on Monday. This impressive performance was driven by investors’ interest in MTN Nigeria, BUA Foods, FBN Holdings, and other advanced equities. The market capitalization increased from ₦61.912 trillion to ₦62.899 trillion, while the All-Share Index rose from 102,133.30 to 103,149.35. Market breadth closed positive with 38 gainers and 22 losers. Leading the gainers were Neimeth International Pharmaceutical, Prestige Assurance Company, and Mecure Industries Plc, each rising by 10 percent. On the other hand, PZ led the losers by 10 percent, followed by…

The naira depreciated against the dollar at both the official and parallel foreign exchange markets just 24 hours before the start of 2025. According to FMDQ data, the naira closed at ₦1,538.55 per dollar on Monday, down from ₦1,534 traded on Friday, losing ₦4.55. Similarly, at the black market, the naira dipped marginally to ₦1,662 per dollar on Monday from ₦1,660 traded the previous day. As the year winds down, a recent report by Afrinvest projected that the naira may depreciate further to ₦1,804 per dollar in 2025. Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community, X/Twitter or Google News online channel.

Wayne Rooney has been relieved of his duties as manager of Plymouth Argyle after just over seven months in charge. The former Manchester United and England captain took over the Championship club in May 2024, but the team’s poor performance led to his dismissal. Plymouth Argyle is currently at the bottom of the EFL Championship table, having won only four of their 23 games under Rooney’s leadership. The club’s recent defeats, including a 4-0 loss to Coventry City and a 2-0 defeat to Oxford United, contributed to the decision to part ways with Rooney. The club and Rooney mutually agreed…

Nigerian actor and singer, Adams Kehinde, popularly known as Lege Miami, organized a ‘Singles Hookup Matchmaking End-of-the-year Party’ at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the GRA Ikeja area of Lagos State on Sunday. The free-entry event saw a significant turnout of singles eager to mingle and make connections as the year drew to a close. The event quickly became a trending topic on social media, with attendees and followers expressing their surprise at the large turnout. Lege Miami expressed his gratitude for the support he received and promised improvements for future events, acknowledging that the venue could not accommodate everyone…

Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) plan to spend N14.3bn on Computers. This is according to an analysis by Daily Trust. 20 of these agencies will collectively spend N14,261,940,152 on new computers. President Bola Tinubu presented the N49.7 trillion budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 18. Related || Works Ministry allocates N2 Billion for SSA Vehicles in 2025 Budget The budget includes the line item “Purchase of Computers,” which appears a total of 212 times, with over 100 MDAs proposing to buy new computers. This has sparked criticism from analysts and civil society groups, who…

South Korean authorities have started releasing the bodies of victims from the recent Jeju Air plane crash to their families. The crash, which occurred on December 29, 2024, resulted in the deaths of 179 people. The Boeing 737-800 was carrying 181 passengers from Thailand to South Korea when it made a mayday call and crash-landed, bursting into flames. Investigators, including U.S. experts from Boeing, are working to determine the cause of the crash. The two black boxes retrieved from the wreckage are being assessed to provide more insights into the incident. South Korea is observing seven days of mourning, with…