President Bola Tinubu has mourned the death of Nigeria’s first Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun who died in Lagos on Saturday at the age of 96. A statement issued on Wednesday by Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the PresidentSpecial Duties, Communications and Strategy, recalled that Chief Ajose-Adeogun was appointed the Minister of Federal Capital in 1976 by the Murtala Mohammed military administration and served in the position till 1979. “Chief Ajose-Adeogun will be remembered for his contributions to the economic growth of our country as an industrialist and businessman of note. He served his country well and the people of Lagos State where he was a traditional chief even much more. He superintended over the planning and the design of the Master Plan of Abuja during his time as the FCT Minister.

The Agency for the Presidency of the Prophet’s Mosque announced on Tuesday that it had received more than 4,252,000 worshippers and visitors during the period from Dhul Hijjah 7 to 14, corresponding to June 25 to July 2. The Presidency of the mosque said, “The areas set aside for the elderly have helped more than 6,782 people, while 14,766 people attended the Prophet’s Mosque’s religious lectures. There are 3,001 beneficiaries of the language communication service and 10,158 beneficiaries of the library service, while 115,090 used various means of transportation, and 8,296 benefited from the guidance service. The report added that 4,279 visitors and worshippers used the unified number and contact channels, while 17,650 people viewed exhibitions. There were 3,001 language communication service users, 10,158 library users, 115,090 people who used various forms of transportation, and 8,296 people who benefited from the guiding service.

File photo: Muslim pilgrims circumnavigate the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca, prior to the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. / AFP PHOTO / Karim SAHIBA 58-year-old female pilgrim from Kano State, Hadiza Ismai’il has passed away while performing Hajj in Makka Saudi Arabia. The 58-year-old woman was down with a fever when she was rushed to NAHCON hospital for treatment and later transferred to King Abdulaziz Hospital, Makka, where she was certified dead. The Director-General, Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Laminu Rabiu Danbappa while confirming the sad story, condoled with the family of the deceased on behalf of the state governor, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf. He prayed that the Almighty Allah grant the deceased eternal rest, as well as to grant the family members the fortitude to bear the loss.

Mmesoma Ejikeme, the Anambra student who was accused of faking her 2023 UTME result by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Wednesday, revealed how she received an automated text message from JAMB indicating that her score was 249. Recall JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, had earlier revealed that the candidate sent a series of messages to the board’s automated telecoms system, including the results showing an aggregate of 362. She, however, admitted that the feedback from JAMB showed her score as 249. I sent them a text message there to know what really happened — the JAMB Support System. If they go to their system, they will see it there,” she further explained.

LAST week, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) presented its final report on the 2023 general election, highlighting six areas that require urgent attention. Regrettably, however, the Presidency reacted to the report with reckless rhetoric instead of sobriety, accusing the EU EOM of sabotage and undue influence in Nigeria’s elections though the international body only monitored the presidential/National Assembly and governorship/state assembly polls following its invitation by the authorities. Regardless of the partisan position of the Presidency on the 2023 polls, the EU EOM’s stance that the elections did not meet the expectations of Nigerians is unimpeachable. A plethora of observers, both local and international, provided documentary evidence of serial infractions during the polls. We believe that the EU EOM report, alongside similar ones by local and international observers, provide a meaningful commentary on the conduct, acceptance and legitimacy of the 2023 polls.

Ejiofor had in the suit marked: CV/535/2022, dragged Ugwuonye, an activist and lawyer to a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, demanding N5.1bn for allegedly defamatory publication. “An order of the Honourable Court directing the defendant to forthwith publish a written undertaking not to publish any similar or further libel of and concerning the claimant. The defendant was also ordered to forthwith publish a written undertaking not to publish any similar or further libel of and concerning the claimant. But I shall ensure that the long arm of the law catches up with you, and you shall definitely pay for the irreparable damages caused. “If you are courageous enough to commit a crime, you should also be courageous enough to face the inescapable consequences of your actions.

Real Madrid’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti will take over as head coach of Brazil’s national team for the 2024 Copa America, a source at the Brazilian Football Federation told AFP on Tuesday. Ancelotti has a season remaining on his contract with Real and will take over Brazil in time for the Copa America which will be held in the United States from June 2024. The former AC Milan and Chelsea coach will become the first foreigner to coach Brazil in almost sixty years. The last foreign coach of Brazil was Argentine Filpo Nunez who was in charge for one game in 1965. “It is a dream, an honor, and a huge pride to serve the national team,” Diniz said.

Anas-Ibrahim disclosed this on Tuesday at the Joint World Health Organisation stakeholders’ feedback workshop on the evaluation of the third WHO-Nigeria country cooperation strategy (2018-2022) and development of the fourth WHO-Nigeria cooperation strategy (2023-2027). Anas-Ibrahim also said that the government shall address the lingering nation’s health healthcare challenges including inadequate health infrastructure, fragmentation, an overburdened workforce, poor insurance coverage, high maternal mortality, inadequate preventative care, and dependence on imported medicines, commodities, equipment, and vaccines. “There will be a governance and leadership structure for the health sector which makes it more responsive and accountable with proper coordination and alignment mechanisms across the levels of care that has both political and institutional commitment. There will be health financing through increased budgetary allocations to high-impact health interventions and national health insurance cover for at least 40 percent of the population in the first two years of the administration that would be augmented with the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and Vulnerable Group Fund. According to her, President Tinubu’s health sector agenda, tagged “Healthcare: A matter of right and urgency” of the APC renewed hope mantra has an action plan for a better Nigeria.

Nigerian lady, Joyce Ijeoma who set out to achieve a 72-hour body massage on individuals has collapsed. Ijeoma collapsed while on the attempt at the venue in the Lekki area of Lagos State. The masseur who had done a total of 50 hours collapsed during the wee hours of TuesdayAs of the time of filing this report, Ijeoma was yet to return to the venue and had stopped the live coverage. The previous record was set in 2015 by Alastair Galpin in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Galpin currently holds the record for the longest full-body massage in 25 hours and 4 minutes.

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has said the double salary paid by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System to Federal Polytechnic lecturers in June justifies complaints about the inadequacies of the payment platform. This was in reaction to a social media post by ‘IPPIS Public Servants Group Discussion,’ which threatened ASUP members not to spend the double salary they received in June, saying they would be denied several months of salaries if they spend the second payment. IPPIS message read, “There was a system error from IPPIS in the payment of June salary, hence the payment of June salary twice. While reacting to the post in an interview with The PUNCH, the national president, ASUP, Mr Anderson Ezeibe, narrated that the double payment was a confirmation that IPPIS was a fraudulent and inefficient salary payment platform for its members. “The reason given by IPPIS for the double payment is rather unfortunate and goes to justify complaints about the inadequacies of the payment platform, its incompatibility with the tertiary education payment systems, and indeed its suitability for use.

The Enugu state government has threatened to shut down schools and markets that obeyed the illegal one-week sit-at-home order declared by a section of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to protest the illegal arrest and detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. “The Enugu State Government is alarmed and dismayed by this development and hereby warns that any school that fails to open and function normally from today will have its license revoked immediately. “The Enugu State Government also extends the same warning to market unions and shop owners in the state. All markets and shops in the various markets must be open to customers from today or be shut down indefinitely. This, however, is by no means, depriving citizens freedom of speech and information as enshrined in the constitution.”READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

The Bank of America has said the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank may need to increase interest rates by at least 700 basis points before the end of the year to curb inflation. In an interview with Bloomberg on Monday, the bank’s sub-Saharan Africa Economist, Tatonga Rusike, said the hike was necessary to tackle soaring inflation occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal and unification of foreign exchange. “Inflation may quicken to 30% by the end of the year from 22.4% in May and that will require a monetary policy response from the central bank – effectively, interest-rate hikes by at least 700 basis points. At its last Monetary Policy Committee meeting held in May 2023, the benchmark interest rate was further pushed forward by 0.5 per cent to 18.50 per cent from 18.00 per cent in March. The raise has however not slowed Nigeria’s soaring inflation which hit 22.41 per cent in May 2023 compared with 22.22 per cent in April 2023.

Osun State Police Command on Monday threatened to sanction any of its officers attached to public officeholders caught carrying out domestic duties for their principals. The Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, who disclosed this in a statement released in Osogbo, stated that whosoever found with the act would be punished accordingly, adding that the era of police orderlies carrying handbags, umbrellas and opening of gates, amongst other menial duties for their principals had gone. The statement reads: “The command is miffed with consternation the way and manner government officials and personalities use police orderlies attached to them for domestic duties, such as carrying handbags, umbrellas and opening of gates, amongst other menial duties.”“The command, therefore, warns police officers attached to these officials to stop carrying out or serving purposes other than protecting their principals from security threats. ”“Such behaviour is highly unethical, unprofessional and would attract appropriate sanctions against erring police personnel.”“Government officials are therefore enjoined to employ the services of domestic staff and personal assistants to carry out such services”“Police officers attached to government officials are to protect their lives and property and not to serve as their domestic workers,” she added. READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Dedicated to the evolving energy landscape in Mozambique, the country spotlight will showcase investment opportunities within the southern African country while addressing key challenges to development. “The Mozambique Energies country spotlight at AEW 2023 is integral for not only the development of the industry but for Mozambican policymakers to address underlying challenges to sectoral progress. With the Mozambique country spotlight during AEW 2023, Mozambican decision makers and energy companies will be connected with global investors to maximize opportunities within the southern African country’s rapidly expanding energy industry. AEW 2023 will take place under the theme “The African Energy Renaissance: Prioritizing Energy Poverty, People, the Planet, Industrialization and Free Markets,” to unite maximize Africa’s energy renaissance and make energy poverty history across the continent by 2030. For more information about AEW 2023, visit https://AECWeek.com/Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

The interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Major General Barry Ndiomu (retd. ), has said no fewer than 3000 former Niger Delta agitators are on scholarship in tertiary institutions in the country and abroad. He added that all their tuition and allowances for the 2022/2023 sessions had also been paid. The Special Adviser on Media to the PAP Administrator, Freston Akpor, disclosed this in a statement on Monday while dispelling allegations that the scheme had yet to deploy delegates under the scholarship programme. Insinuations that the current dispensation has yet to deploy delegates under the scholarship programme are ungodly.”While urging members of the public to ignore the claims of mischief makers, he warned those behind the act to refrain from such.