News

Monday, 10 April 2017 02:43

Benin president abandons plan to reduce number of presidential terms

Benin President Patrice Talon said he has abandoned plans to reduce the presidential mandate from two terms to one, after parliament rejected a draft bill to change the constitution. Talon, who came to power in a peaceful election one year ago, promised to reduce presidential terms from two five-year terms to one six-year term, in a bid to reduce what he called presidential "complacency" in the tiny West African country. But parliament on Tuesday voted down a bill for a referendum to reform the constitution, which included the provision to reduce presidential terms. "The revision of the constitution is finished,"…

Sunday, 09 April 2017 17:00

2018 census to cost N272billion

Proposed 2018 national population census will cost an estimated N272 billion, Director-General of National Population Commission (NPC), Dr Ghaji Bello, has said. Bello said in New York that the Federal Government was expected to fund the exercise by only 51 per cent while international donor community would fund the remaining 49 per cent. “The submission we have made to the Federal Government is in the region of N272 billion. But the good thing is that that the N272 billion is not for one single year. “It is spread along a four-year tenure. There are pre-census activities, that is the preparation;…

Sunday, 09 April 2017 16:56

FG working on closing some foreign missions – Minister

The federal government is currently working on closing some of Nigeria’s 119 foreign missions, an official has said. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said though it is expensive to close a country’s embassy,it will be beneficial in the long run. Onyeama said at the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja on Sunday that the reduction of Nigeria’s foreign missions was on the agenda of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. He, however, did not mention the number of missions to be closed. “The government is following up on that (closing some missons) and we have sort of prepared the roadmap;…

Sunday, 09 April 2017 16:47

Stockholm suspect was failed asylum-seeker; 2nd man arrested

The Stockholm truck attack suspect from Uzbekistan was a rejected asylum-seeker who eluded authorities' attempts to deport him by giving police a wrong address, Swedish police said Sunday while announcing the arrest of a second suspect. Jan Evensson of the Stockholm police told a televised news conference that the 39-year-old suspect's request for a residence permit was rejected in June 2016 but police could not find him to send him back to his native country because he was not at the address he had given. On Feb. 24, he was formally sought after by Swedish police. "We know he has…

Sunday, 09 April 2017 03:41

IGP has given Rivers CP a mandate to kill me – Gov Wike

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, speaks with OLUSOLA FABIYI on various national issues, his grouse with the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government and the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, among others In specific terms, what have you achieved in the last two years? One area is security. When we came into power, people were saying that Rivers State was not safe. Despite Federal Government’s lack of support, today, Rivers State is one of the most peaceful states in the country. In fact, the Federal Government made sure that the state was unsafe so that they could declare a…

Sunday, 09 April 2017 03:38

Wizkid’s ‘come closer’ video hits over a million views in 24 hours

Barely 24 hours after releasing the official music video for his international collaboration dubbed 'Come closer' featuring Canadian rapper, Drake, the clip has amassed over 1 million YouTube views. The tropical/dancehall inspired single which leaked a while ago as “Hush Up The Silence” premiered on OVO Sound Radio on Apple Music. Though Drake’s absence in the video on Friday created mixed reactions shortly after it was released, the video still managed to garner a record breaking number of views. Reacting to the banters on Twitter over Drake’s absence, the “Daddy Yo” crooner took to his Twitter account to clear the…

Sunday, 09 April 2017 03:36

My ordeal in SSS detention - Nigerian US-based author, Okey Ndibe

Popular Nigerian author and columnist has lashed out at the State Security Service after being briefly detained at the international airport in Lagos. In a message on his Facebook wall late Saturday, Professor Okey Ndibe said he was taking in for questioning by the secret police. He was believed to be coming in from the United States where he has lived since 1998. The author and lecturer said the action of the SSS was due to his name being on a security watchlist. He said his name was first added to the list in 2010 by the Umaru Yar’Adua administration,…

Sunday, 09 April 2017 03:35

JAMB extends UTME registration

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Saturday announced extension of registration for 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). It earlier postponed the mock examination it scheduled for Saturday, blaming the failure of its technical partners . JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, told newsmen in Abuja that sale of forms and registration would now close on May 5 instead of April 19. Oloyede said that consequently, the 2017 UTME had also been postponed to start on Saturday May 13, and end on May 20 as against May 6 to May 20. He added that the mock examination earlier slated for…

Sunday, 09 April 2017 03:33

7 power plants idle; Grid collapsed 10 times in first quarter

Increasing gas constraints and other factors have left seven of the nation’s 26 power plants including Olorunsogo idle, with significant reduction in the generation from several others including Egbin in Lagos, a report from Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has indicated. The total national power generation, which stood at 4,176.3 megawatts on March 31, fell to 3,366MW on Thursday, April 6, exacerbating the outage being experienced by households and businesses. Electricity generation from Egbin, the nation’s biggest power station, stood at 178MW on Thursday, down from 1,085MW on March 15, 2016. The plant has an installed capacity of…

Sunday, 09 April 2017 03:30

U.S. Navy strike group to move toward Korean peninsula - U.S. official

A U.S. Navy strike group will be moving toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula, a U.S. official told Reuters on Saturday, as concerns grow about North Korea's advancing weapons program. Earlier this month North Korea tested a liquid-fueled Scud missile which only traveled a fraction of its range. The strike group, called Carl Vinson, includes an aircraft carrier and will make its way from Singapore toward the Korean peninsula, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak to the media and requested anonymity. "We feel the increased presence is necessary," the official said, citing North…

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Sunday, 09 April 2017 03:29

Yet another suicide as man jumps into Festac river

An unidentified man yesterday jumped into a river at the Festac Link Bridge. The man who was said to be unstable allegedly jumped into the river at noon. The incident was reported to the police by the family and the police called in rescuers. The victim was later brought out dead by a combined team of police and local divers. The Nation

Saturday, 08 April 2017 16:38

Obasanjo calls for spiritual approach to anti-corruption campaign

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday advocated a spiritual approach to the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria, calling on the church to wield its influence against the menace. Obasanjo made the call in Abeokuta at the 2017 Convention Lecture of the Victory Life Bible Church International. He spoke on the theme: “The Role of the Church in the Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria.” The former president described the church as an important and influential institution with a pivotal role in curbing and eradicating corruption in Nigeria. He described the anti-corruption war in Nigeria as “a fight for the soul of the…

Saturday, 08 April 2017 16:35

German national dies after slumping at Lagos airport

A German national, Mr Brenard Christo, who slumped on Friday at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, has died at an undisclosed hospital. Spokesman for Lagos Airport police command, Mr Joseph Alabi, confirmed the death of the German. Alabi said the deceased was waiting to board a local Arik Air flight on Friday morning when he suddenly collapsed. He said medical personnel attached to Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) rushed to the scene to assist the German citizen and was eventually taken to a hospital where he later passed on. Simon Tumba, media consultant to…

Saturday, 08 April 2017 16:33

Two female suicide bombers killed in mosque in Maiduguri

Two female suicide bombers were killed as worshippers at a mosque in Juddumuri village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, North-east Nigeria, prevented the bombers from infiltrating the mosque, police have said. According to a statement by Public Relations Officer of Borno State Police Command, Victor Isuku, “At about 0520hrs, today (Saturday), two female suicide bombers with IED strapped to their bodies attempted to enter a mosque at juddumuri village, after federal high court. “They were intercepted and prevented by the moslem worshippers. In the process, one of them detonated her vest, killing both of them and…

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