LGs autonomy: Supreme Court gives governors seven days to file defence
The Supreme Court, on Thursday, ordered the 36 state governors of the federation seven days to file their respective defence in the suit seeking full autonomy for the 774 Local Governments in the country filed against them by the Federal Government. Fagbemi, while arguing the application requested the court to order the defendants to file their defense within five days in view of the urgency of the matter. The AGF, on behalf of the federal government, instituted the court action against the governors primarily seeking full autonomy for local governments as third tiers of government in the country. In the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, the AGF is praying to the Apex Court for an order prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary, and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government leaders. “That, by the provisions of the Constitution, there must be a democratically elected local government system and that the Constitution has not made provisions for any other systems of governance at the local government level other than democratically elected local government system.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
May 30, 2024 16:18 UTC
‘Hong Kong 47’ trial: 14 activists found guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion
All Hong Kong wanted was a chance to freely elect their government. The UK’s minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “Today’s verdict will only further tarnish Hong Kong’s international reputation. View image in fullscreen People stand in line outside the West Kowloon magistrates courts in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government crackdown has left the city with essentially no active political opposition. The Hong Kong government has issued large bounties for several “fugitives”, leading several countries hosting exiled Hongkongers to tear up their bilateral extradition agreements.
Source:The Guardian
May 30, 2024 15:41 UTC
Court orders forfeiture of Emefiele’s $1.4m bribery proceeds
The Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, ordered the interim forfeiture of $1,426,175.14 linked to former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele. Justice Ayokunle Faji directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper. The court order followed an ex parte application marked FHC/L/CS/232/2024, moved by EFCC counsel, Bilikisu Buhari-Bala. “It is in the interest of justice to grant this application.”Justice Faji after granting the interim forfeiture order adjourned till June 25 for the hearing on the final forfeiture. The Wednesday forfeiture comes days after Justice Yelim Bogoro of the same Federal High Court on May 23, 2024, ordered the interim forfeiture of $4.7 million, N830 million, and properties linked to Emefiele.
Source:Punch
May 30, 2024 15:39 UTC
Biafra Day should not be politicised, says Otti
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said that Biafran Day should not be politicised, describing the day as a period of emotional remembrance for the genocidal onslaught experienced during the Nigerian Civil War. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared a sit-at-home across the Southeast on May 30 to honour Biafran heroes who died during the civil war from 1967 to 1970. Otti disclosed that he is in touch with schools to ensure that exam students are not adversely affected, stressing the importance of ensuring that students can write their exams without disruption. “We are not interested in unnecessary confrontation with the people who are appealing for a sit-at-home in honour of their dead ones. It was an emotional period when we remember the genocidal onslaught.
Source:The Guardian
May 30, 2024 13:11 UTC
WTT Contender Lagos: Brazilian fires Aruna warning
Brazil table tennis star and world No.6, Hugo Calderano, has sent warning signals to Nigerian star Quadri Aruna and others listed for the WTT Contender Lagos after claiming the men’s singles title at the WTT Contender Rio de Janeiro 2024. The second edition of the first WTT Series in Sub-Saharan Africa will be held from June 19 to 23 at the Molade-Okoya Thomas Hall in Lagos with $80,000 up for grabs. In front of his home fans, Calderano successfully shielded himself by defeating sixth seed An Jaehyun of South Korea in straight sets (11-7, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6) for his sixth WTT Series title and his first this season. After his success on home soil, up next for Calderano is a trip to Lagos, where he will battle Aruna and other top stars for the title. The tournament will also give a boost of 400 ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking points for the champions.
Source:Punch
May 30, 2024 03:55 UTC
Prison reforms long overdue
The recently collapsed Suleja Custodial Centre was built in 1914 to house 250 inmates but has 449 inmates. There are 244 custodial centres with 80,507 inmates as of April 29, the Nigerian Correctional Centre says. Although the Muhammadu Buhari administration initiated the building of new custodial centres in the six geopolitical zones, this did not fully take off. There is an urgent need to construct new custodial centres and re-evaluate the policing and legal systems to reduce unwarranted arrests. This will allow states to build more correctional centres, a solution to the chaos.
Source:Punch
May 30, 2024 03:45 UTC
Eastwing Aviation gets FG’s approval to award certificates
THE aviation industry in Nigeria has received a boost with the approval of the listing of Eastwing Aviation Training Institute under the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) by the Federal Government. The institute obtained approval recently after meeting the technical evaluation by the Federal Government. With the approval, Eastwing Aviation Institute can now admit students through the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the students, upon completion of their studies, will be awarded a national diploma or high national diploma. “What this approval means for our youths is that every one of them now has the opportunity to explore this field, even if it means just coming to us for advice. The Eastwing Aviation Institute also recently established a non-governmental organisation to encourage less privileged youths who are talented and who meet the basic requirements to join the institute.
Source:The Guardian
May 29, 2024 22:37 UTC
Atiku offers six ways to remodel Tinubu’s policies
“First, President Tinubu’s policies do not create prosperity. Atiku asserted that President Tinubu’s policies had created a hostile environment for businesses of all sizes. He further noted that President Tinubu’s foreign exchange policies had failed to positively affect Nigeria’s foreign trade balance, contrary to expectations. “President Tinubu’s policies have failed to attract foreign investments into the country despite all the posturing and media hype by the president’s men. He noted that President Tinubu’s policies revealed an overestimation of their effectiveness and a lack of readiness for potential consequences.
Source:Punch
May 29, 2024 21:17 UTC
Are you safe? Top 8 professional jobs AI can’t replace
The notion that artificial intelligence will replace many jobs has continued to gain prominence. Despite AI’s innovations, it still cannot replace human intelligence. Truly, AI has come to stay to make work efficient but can’t replace the professional jobs discussed below:1. TeachersAnother professional job that AI can’t replace is teaching. Artificial intelligence can’t solve your life struggles.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
May 29, 2024 20:03 UTC
Cyber attacks relied on substance over size in 2023 — Research
This is as threat actors deviate from big-batch attacks to focus on a narrower range of more lucrative targets. Though thousands of ransomware attacks were blocked by Trend Micro in Nigeria in 2023, year-on-year research shows that ransomware groups are working smarter instead of harder, prioritising high-value targets over volume. There has been a general downward trend in ransomware detections, with worldwide detections from 2021 to 2023 averaging less than half of the recorded detections in 2020. Historically, ransomware attacks were launched in “bulk” such as spam campaigns with malicious links, but attacks that focus on quantity can more easily be blocked. A continued increase in Trojan FRS threat detections globally could suggest that attackers are using more effective ways to evade preliminary detection by focusing on arrival and defense evasion techniques.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
May 29, 2024 18:35 UTC
UK opinion polls tracker: Labour ahead as general election campaigning continues
After 14 years of Conservative rule, Keir Starmer’s Labour has been consistently ahead in the polls since the start of 2022. The Scottish National party (SNP) is not included in the data the Guardian is using in the chart above. In Great Britain-wide polls, the SNP vote sits between 2% and 4% of national vote share. But its geographical concentration in Scotland means it will win many more seats than other small parties with a similar national vote share, such as the Greens. Source: Electoral Calculus .
Source:The Guardian
May 29, 2024 16:34 UTC
Men’s transfer window summer 2024 – all deals from Europe’s top five leagues
VfB sign 'one of Germany's most exciting young attackers' on four-year deal after he impressed in regional leaguesNorth Macedonia No1 leaves Rayo after 191 games, and may replace Giorgi Mamardashvili who is on Newcastle radarMidfielder seals permanent move after 14 loan appearances since January, having been named in Euro 2024 preliminary squadKeeper leaves third-tier side to join VfB as backup and 'important part of goalkeeping group'Former Real Madrid academy player will stay in Lisbon after successful loan, with €6m initial fee agreedMidfielder joins promoted Saudi Pro League side after performances in Serie A this season drew interest from Roma21-year-old impressed on loan before ankle injury and will return to third-tier club on permanent basisClub confirm 'exceptional striker' is leaving after five seasons, having scored 118 goalsVfB continue busy start to summer with move for centre-back available on €4m relegation release clauseSaints' playoff triumph triggers permanent deal for centre-back who was a mainstay during promotion campaignForward confirms Old Trafford exit after 'nine incredible years' as contract comes to an endSpurs secure new season-long loan deal with £8.5m buy option for the former Chelsea attackerAfter two years on loan, Canary Islands club buy Real's 50% stake in versatile wide playerCentre-forward 'so happy to be heading back' on four-year deal after scoring twice during loan spellWhy not make a small transfer of your own? If you like this interactive, and would like to support our journalism, you can make a contribution from as little as £1. It only takes a minute.
Source:The Guardian
May 29, 2024 16:23 UTC
Ekpo flags off Decade of Gas initiative
MINISTER of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, yesterday, flagged off the Decade of Gas Grassroots LPG Penetration Programme, aimed towards the conversion of 250,000 households yearly to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 2030, providing a cleaner and more efficient cooking fuel. The minister, in Abuja, urged stakeholders in the gas sector to work towards achieving the Federal Government’s goal of having inexpensive, safe, and clean cooking energy available to every household in Nigeria. Ekpo, in a statement by his spokesman, Louis Ibah, said the free LPG cylinder distribution scheme would continue in different states in the six geopolitical zones of the country. “The goal of this effort is to improve women’s inclusion and provide employment opportunities for our youth. Transitioning to clean cooking will be especially beneficial for women, who are disproportionately affected by the health hazard of traditional cooking methods,” he said.
Source:The Guardian
May 29, 2024 15:03 UTC
Subsidy removal: Good intentions are not enough
However, on day one of his administration the first policy pronouncement was the removal of fuel subsidy. Of course, the goals of subsidy removal are to enhance fiscal savings, encourage investment in the energy sector and promote economic diversification. There are noticeable missteps in the implementation of subsidy removal. For several reasons, exploring the impact of fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria is essential. At the outset of fuel subsidy removal, the government should have developed a clear strategy for attaining its objectives.
Source:Punch
May 29, 2024 12:12 UTC
4,416 killed, 4,334 abducted in Tinubu’s first year – CSOs
Ahead of the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, a group of 84 local and international Civil Society Organisations says at least 4,416 persons were killed. In contrast, 4,334 others were abducted in incidents of mass atrocities across the country, in the last year, the CSOs said. “Since the commemoration of the last National Day of Mourning #NDOM2023 on May 28th, 2023, and President Tinubu’s first year in office, our records show that at least 4416 people were killed and at least 4334 were abducted in incidents of mass atrocities across the country. For example, at least 82 Boko Haram insurgents were killed in an inter-insurgent group clash in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State,” the CSOs asserted. The Southeast recorded the highest number of killings in the Southern part of the country with at least 344 killed, with most of the massacres occurring in Imo and Anambra states.
Source:Punch
May 29, 2024 07:38 UTC