The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, has said President Bola Tinubu defeated Boko Haram terrorists within his first year in office.
Akume disclosed this during a book launch to celebrate Tinubu’s achievements since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
A statement by John Ameh, media aide to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Nicholas Ella, on Thursday, said Akume lauded Tinubu for defeating Boko Haram.
The SGF also disclosed that security agencies have successfully tackled the activities of kidnappers.
According to Akume: “There is no one that is in doubt of President Bola Tinubu’s giant strides in the last year. The federal government under President Tinubu’s leadership has defeated Boko Haram terrorists.
“President Tinubu, in just one year, has built many roads across Nigeria and other critical infrastructures like the Abuja Metro Rail.”
Secondary school students in Ebonyi State, Thursday defied the directive of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to write their West African Examinations Council, WAEC.
IPOB had through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, declared May 30th as sit-at-home to honour those who died during the civil war.
Disclosing how sacrosanct the day is IPOB noted that “Annually, we celebrate 30th of May as our heroes and heroine’s day when we remember the men and women who died that we may live, before, during, and after the Nigeria genocidal war against Biafrans between 1967 and 1970 and beyond and even until now.
“30th of May is solemn memorial day for Biafrans. To honor our heroes and heroines. Biafrans are asked to observe this one (1) day sit-at-home in reverence to the spirits of our departed heroes who fought for us to be alive today.
“Every Biafran in Biafra territory is expected to sit-at-home on this day and reflect on the danger of the force unity called Nigeria that have taken millions of lives of Biafrans. Other Biafrans outside Biafra territory are also encouraged to honor our heroes by observing the sit-at-home if possible or by limiting their activities on this day.
“To that effect, IPOB directs all schools, government offices, Private offices, Banks, transport unions, market unions and private individuals to shut down all operations in honor of our heroes and heroines on Thursday, May 30, 2024”.
However, Vanguard observed that the students in the three zones in Ebonyi State are currently writing their examinations under the supervision of the Commissioner of Education, Prof. Nwobasi.
The commissioner while speaking on the Examination, lauded the governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Ogbonna Erishi Nwifuru, for providing adequate security to schools.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane said Ghana is now richer than Nigeria.
Rewane disclosed this in an interview with Channels Television.
The renowned economist said Nigeria has fallen from the 32nd largest economy in the world to 42nd.
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He added that in Africa, the nation has also descended from its 1st ranking to 4th in terms of wealth management and accumulation.
Rewane, who noted that Ghana has also overtaken Nigeria, said, “In the past, we were always richer than Ghana, now we are here. External reserves and GDP figures speak for themselves.”
In March this year, Rewane, the CEO of FDC, was among the appointed members of President Bola Tinubu’s Economic Management Team Emergency Taskforce (EET) with a mandate to formulate and implement a consolidated emergency economic plan.
Speaking on the first anniversary of Tinubu’s term in office, Rewane categorized Nigeria’s economic performance into the good, bad, and ugly based on his available metrics.
He added that the economic metrics and rankings look tough but there is room for improvement in the Nigerian economy.
He said, “Our ranking among African countries has declined. Last year, our GDP growth was 2.98 per cent; South Africa was 1.93 per cent, Kenya four per cent, and Ghana 3.8 per cent. Inflation was 33 per cent for us, five per cent for South Africa, five per cent for Kenya, and 25 per cent for Ghana.
“Our GDP per capita is $1,111, while South Africa’s is $6,700, Kenya’s is $2,000, and Ghana’s is $2,200. External reserves as a percentage of GDP illustrate a tough picture.
“In the past, we were always richer than Ghana, but now we are here. External reserves and GDP figures speak for themselves.”
He added that major policy changes were announced in 2023, including the $1 trillion GDP goal, that the time lag between policy announcements and their effects was a drag on outcomes, and unintended consequences led to social unrest.
“There’s a cost of living crisis in Nigeria, and minimum wage negotiations are a source of widespread conflict. The wrong sequencing of reforms is taking its toll on output. Nigerians and Nigeria need new borrowing to refinance existing obligations, and policy changes, institutional reforms, and new borrowings are expected to lead to positive and faster growth from 2025 to 2026.
“The economic weakness is partly structural and mostly exogenous. Exogenous means from outside, while structural means fundamental. The structural challenges include rent-seeking, market structure issues, energy crunch (4,000 MW), regulatory bottlenecks, declining labour productivity, and demographic pressures including urbanization.
“Exogenous shocks include COVID-19 disruptions, post-COVID global supply chain disruptions, political tensions, high global interest rates, transit developments, the cost of living crisis, wage agitation, and social unrest,” Rewane said.
The economist also reviewed President Bola Tinubu’s promises, policies, and announcements a year after his assumption in office.
“The first promise President Tinubu made was to increase GDP to $1 trillion in eight years. Before then, our GDP was almost $400 billion, so he aimed to double it in eight years.
“He removed petroleum subsidies, unified exchange rates, promised to overhaul the security infrastructure, and also promised to double power generation from 5,000 MW to 10,000 MW in 5 years, which means an increase of 1,250 MW every year.
“Additionally, he promised to bring inflation under control. These were the promises, policies, and announcements.”
The Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC) comprises distinguished leaders and key government officials, with President Tinubu serving as Chairman of the PECC.
The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi has called out Southeast governors.
Speaking on Thursday, he said Southeast governors should declare May 30 a public holiday to mark the Biafra War.
Amadi said there should be a Biafra Memorial Day in Nigeria.
This is coming amid the shutting down of the Southeast in compliance with the sit-at-home ordered by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
IPOB and other pro-Biafra groups had set aside May 30 each year to remember those who paid the supreme price during the Biafra civil war.
Posting on X, Amadi wrote: “By the way, why can’t Southeast Governors declare May 30 a public holiday to mark the civil war and honor the heroes who died? Nations remember such events. There should be Biafra memorial
“As Governor, I will declare the 30th of May a holiday with public lectures and commemorative events.
“If I am a Governor no group will ever stop students from writing exams because of any ideology or political activity.
“We must protect the freedom of our people and the process of economic and social development. We cannot be playing with law and order.”
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has revealed that university is not a necessity to succeed in life.
He stated this on his X account (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
The Conservative Party leader stated, “You don’t have to go to university to succeed in life.”
The controversial statement has since sparked a heated debate on social media.
The 44-year-old’s position stunned many, given his own impressive academic background.
Sunak graduated with a first-class bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Lincoln College, Oxford, and later earned a master’s degree from Stanford University in California as a Fulbright Scholar.
The Prime Minister’s comments come amid reports that British ministers plan to urge the Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator, to limit enrollment in courses that do not lead to “good outcomes.”
Rishi Sunak stressed that while the current system fails many individuals, university remains “the right answer” for others.
Two Nigerian soldiers have been reportedly killed in Abia state.
According to DailyPost, the soldiers were killed by unknown gunmen enforcing the sit-at-home order on Thursday.
The military men were attacked at Obikabia junction in Aba, Abia State, by over 15 masked gunmen who also set their patrol van on fire.
A trending video shows the assailants shooting sporadically before setting the military van ablaze.
DAILY POST reports that a soldier later emerged, with a voice accompanying the video lamenting that “it’s like he is the only one that survived; others have been killed.”
The gunmen operated with an SUV jeep and a Sienna.
The Abia State Police Command and the Military have not spoken on the reported incident as of the time of filing this report.
The 36 state governors have been ordered to file their respective defense to a suit instituted against them by the Federal Government seeking for full autonomy for the 774 local government in the country.
The order was given by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
The apex court also ordered the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice to, upon receipt of the governors defense, file his reply within two days.
Justice Garba Lawal issued the order on Thursday while ruling in an application for abridgement of time argued by the AGF, Prince Lateef Fagebemi, SAN.
The AGF had prayed the court to compel the governors to file their responses within five days in view of the urgency and importance of the suit to local government autonomy.
Although the governors did not object to time abridgement, they however requested for 15 days to file defense.
Justice Lawal who led a seven-man panel of justices of the apex court, said that the decision of the court to reduce time was predicated on the national importance and urgency of the suit and the non-objection from the states of the federation.
The Supreme Court held that filing of all processes and exchanging of same must be completed withing the time and subsequently fixed June 13 for hearing of the suit.
Justice Lawal ordered that the eight states that were not in attendance at Thursday’s proceedings must be served with fresh hearing notice.
The eight state are Borno, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Sokoto, whose Attorneys General were absent in court despite being served with hearing notice.
Nollywood actor Segun Arinze has disclosed the reasons behind his twelve-year hiatus from marriage following the end of his first marriage.
The 58-year-old first tied the knot with Anne Njemanze, the actress, in 1996. Their marriage, however, hit the rocks in 1997.
The film star then married Julie in 2008 and they have three children.
Speaking on the WithChude podcast, Arinze said “I was confused about getting the right person” after he and Njemanze divorced.
The filmmaker said he was involved in many relationships until “I cried to God” in 2007 to give me a wife.
Arinze said he initially refused to speak about his failed marriage “because people do not share everything”.
“I stayed out of marriage after the first one crashed. I stayed out of marriage for like 12 years before I remarried. I remarried in 2008. Not that I gave up on marriage, I was just really confused about getting the right person,” he said.
“I got into so many crazy relationships. Both the ones were good, crazy, and bad I have seen all. That year, 2007. I cried to God and said ‘Father Lord I have had enough can you just give me a wife’. I said just find me a wife. I remember I cried.
“And then I went to a wedding and I saw this beautiful woman. I asked my PA to get her number but he came back because he was scared. Julius Agwu and I were the MCs at the event. It was Don Chi’s wedding. And Julius Agwu said ‘My brother dey look for wife o’. When I sat I went to meet her, collected her contact and then invited her to a dinner. That is how it started. The rest is history.
“We are sixteen years in marriage now with three lovely kids. She is a lawyer. She is also my legal adviser.
“When that happened to me in 1997 I kept quiet. I did not say anything. I just let it go. Till date I said nothing and I do not want to say anything. I do not want to discuss anything about it. It happened. The shit will always happen. Everybody has a closet.”
Guinness World Records recognises Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as most followed actor on TikTok
AFOLABI
American actor and professional wrestler, Dwayne Johnson popularly known as The Rock has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the most followed actor on TikTok with 74.4 million followers.
The Rock knocked off fellow actor Will Smith, who has held the record since 2022, in the battle of A-listers of the American celebrity stars.
GWR said Johnson will have to “work hard to hold on to the title though, as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star isn’t too far behind him.”
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The Rock, who recently revived his wrestling career with a return to WWE, regularly takes his fans behind the scenes of his fame on his TikTok channel.
As well as documenting his WWE return of late, The Rock also posts videos of himself working out in the gym, surprising shoppers by hand-delivering his Papatui skincare products, and his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Will, who describes himself as the “Same kid from West Philly”, also shares a glimpse into his fun showbiz life.
“Lately, he’s been posting videos of himself and Bad Boys co-star Martin Lawrence as they return for a fourth installment in the franchise, Ride or Die,” GWR said.
Nigerian striker, Ademola Lookman's goal has won the 2023/24 Europa League goal of the season.
This is according to UEFA's Technical Observer Panel.
The panel named Ademola Lookman's second strike of the final for Atalanta against Leverkusen Goal of the Season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's acrobatic finish against Ajax for Marseille earned runner-up spot, while Mohammed Kudus claimed third for his solo effort in West Ham's 5-0 victory at home to Freiburg.
2023/24 Europa League Goal of the Season:
1 Ademola Lookman (Atalanta 3-0 Leverkusen) – final, 22/05/24
2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille 4-3 Ajax) – Matchday 5, 30/11/23
3 Mohammed Kudus (West Ham 5-0 Freiburg) – round of 16 second leg, 14/03/24
4 Rafael Leão (Slavia Praha 1-3 Milan) – round of 16 second leg, 14/03/24
5 João Pedro (Brighton 1-0 Marseille) – Matchday 6, 14/12/23
6 Darwin Núñez (Sparta Praha 1-5 Liverpool) – round of 16 first leg, 07/03/24
7 Robert Andrich (Roma 0-2 Leverkusen) – semi-final first leg, 02/05/24
8 Victor Boniface (Leverkusen 5-1 Qarabağ) – Matchday 3, 26/10/23
9 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille 4-0 Villarreal) – round of 16 first leg, 07/03/24
10 David Douděra (Milan 4-2 Slavia Praha) – round of 16 first leg, 07/03/24
More...
Ahmed Musa has called on his Super Eagles teammates to give their all in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin.
Musa reckoned it is important for the team to win the two games after a slow start in the qualifiers.
”Everyone knows the importance of both games, the players understand what’s at stake and I will want them to go all out and win both games,” the former Leicester told SCORENigeria
“I am upbeat they will do this.”
The Super Eagles will welcome Bafana Bafana of South Africa to Uyo on Friday June 7, before they fly out three days later for another World Cup qualifier against Benin in Abidjan.
The Super Eagles are third in Group C with two points from as many matches.
Like old anthem, please bring back our old dollar price and fuel price - comedian I Go Save asks FG
AFOLABI
Comedian, Otaghware Otas Onodjayeke, says as the Federal government has reverted to the old National Anthem, it should also help revert to the old petrol price, old dollar price, old taxation as well as old security standards. The comedian stated this on his Instastories.
Recall that President Tinubu on Wednesday, May 29, signed into law a bill reverting to the old National anthem.
Read his post below
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CJN summons FHC CJ, Kano CJ over conflicting court orders
NBA seeks disciplinary measures against culprits
Groups say their resistance not political
Alex Enumah in Abuja and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has proposed an emergency meeting for next week, where the the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho and his counterpart in Kano State, Justice Dije Aboki, would be invited and subjected to serious investigations.
This came as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has summoned both judges over the recent conflicting orders emanating from the courts under them.
At the same time, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for disciplinary actions against lawyers and judges involved in the issuance of conflicting court orders in the Kano Emirate legal tussle.
Also, prominent groups in two of the four dissolved Emirates Councils, have again kicked against abolition of the emirates, saying their resistance had no political bias as being peddled in some quarters.
According to a statement by the Director of Information, National Judicial Council (NJC), Mr Soji Oye, the two head of courts, were to meet with the CJN today, May 30, 2024.
The statement read: “Sequel to the conflicting judgements emanating from the Federal High Court, and Kano State High Court of Justice on the chieftaincy matter in Kano State, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, National Judicial Council, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, has summoned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, and Chief Judge of Kano State High Court, Justice Dije Aboki for an emergency meeting in his chambers tomorrow Thursday May 30, 2024.
“The meeting which is a prelude to whole scale investigation by the National Judicial Council is to enable the CJN have a proper briefing on this very disturbing development by the two respective Chief Judges.”
The statement added that there was a strong indication that the “NJC will conduct an emergency meeting next week, where the subject judges are likely to be invited and subjected to serious investigations.”
Since last week that the Kano State Government repealed the law creating four additional emirates for Kano metropolis, both the federal and Kano State high courts had been issuing orders that were at variance to the government as well as security agencies.
Justice A. M. Liman had in an exparte ordered the security agencies not to implement the new law passed by the state assembly dissolving the emirates, with the intention of halting the reinstatement of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II.
However, the government had already gone ahead with the installment, claiming that the restraining order came after the installment of Sanusi, adding also that the judge who issued the order was not physically present in Kano.
They argued further that as at 5pm Friday, when the governor signed the bill dissolving the former emirates, it was not possible for the applicant to have filed the suit, made payment and also obtained an enrolled order.
But following application from the government, the Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, issued an injunction restraining the five deposed emirs from parading themselves as emirs and also asked that they vacate their respective palaces.
This order, however, ran contrary to the earlier one issued to the security agencies by Justice Liman.
Shortly after, another Federal High Court in Kano, presided over by Justice S. A. Amobeda, issued an order for the eviction of Sanusi from the Kofar Kudu Palace, reinforcing the authority of the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero.
Immediately, too, Justice Amina issued a counter order to even up with the other camp, a development which raised concerns about the state of the Kano Emirate and the escalation of its rulership tussle.
But the NBA, which called for disciplinary actions against erring members, said the actions of the ministers in the Temple of Justice, had brought disgrace and shame to the profession and exposed the entire legal profession to public ridicule and opprobrium.
The NBA President, Mr Yakubu Maikyau, in a statement, yesterday, vowed to drag any lawyer found culpable in the matter before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for necessary sanctions.
He called on the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and his counterpart in the High Court of Kano State to identify the judicial officers involved and drag them before the NJC for disciplinary action.
“I have keenly followed the developments on the recent events concerning the stool of the Emir of Kano.
“I must say, without any equivocation, that the conducts of counsel and the courts in the handling of the proceedings which culminated in the orders issued by the Federal High Court, the Kano State High Court and again the Federal High Court, in circus, have brought utter disgrace and shame to the profession – have exposed the entire legal profession in Nigeria to public ridicule and opprobrium.
“The damage is one that would take the legal profession a long time to recover from. It is unfortunate and was totally uncalled for.
“For a country, whose legal resources and expertise have for several decades been exported and positively impacted not only the African continent but the world at large, it is completely unacceptable that the processes of our courts would be deployed in the manner we have witnessed in the last couple of days, on a subject matter that is as clear as chieftaincy dispute.
“This is a subject that has been sufficiently dealt with by legislations and case law, leaving no one confused about the jurisprudence on the subject – both procedural and substantive.
“Without prejudice to the subsisting actions before both the Federal High Court and the Kano State High Court, it is my considered view that there is urgent need to scrutinise the professional conducts of both counsel and the judges involved in these matters.
“This is to enable the relevant bodies or institutions determine their culpability or otherwise, from an ethical and professional standpoint.
“I therefore call on the respective heads of the courts of the judges concerned, to take immediate steps to look into their conducts with the view to finding any possible abuse of their judicial offices and file a report with the National Judicial Council for necessary action.
“The NBA on the other hand will investigate the conducts of the counsel involved in these cases and shall not hesitate to commence disciplinary action against them before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, should there be any finding of alleged professional misconduct against them,” The NBA boss said.
On their part, one of the two stakeholder groups, Inuwar Jama’ar Masarautar Bichi (Bichi Emirate Development Association), warned that, they would not accept any arrangement other than the reversal of the law to restore their emirate.
Leader of the group, Bello Gambo Bichi, said the formation of the five emirates by the former administration of Abdullahi Ganduje had brought numerous development to their respective areas.
According to him, the Bichi Emirate had witnessed development in the areas of healthcare, education, economy, agriculture and road infrastructure.
The second group of prominent elders of Rano Emirate Council, in the Kano south, under the leadership of Alhaji Musa Salihu Doguwa, told journalists during a press conference at the press center, that the way and manner the amendments law was done remained controversial.
He added that the members of the state assembly hastily amended the law on how the governor assented to it was also a significant setback to the progress and development of the emirates.
His listed some of the development projects brought as a result of the upgrade of the new emirates in southern Kano brought about under the leadership of the former Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje.
THE pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, urged President Bola Tinubu to review his economic policies, noting that they have pauperised Nigerians.
Afenifere, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, urged President Tinubu to alleviate the plight of Nigerians.
Reviewing Tinubu’s first year in office, the Yoruba body said: “The economy has experienced severe turbulence in the one-year administration of President Bola Tinubu, worsening the previous administration’s economic legacy.
“Afenifere, hereby, calls for a better understanding of the economy to stop the al
arming rate of inflation, devaluation, increasing unemployment, homelessness and poverty.
“Firstly, it is an illogical economic belief that the subsidy removals and tax increases that remove money from the economy will stimulate economic growth.
“Therefore, the adoption of flawed neo-liberal theories of subsidy removal and unbridled tax increases must be stopped since they always contract the economy and ours is no exception as companies are folding up and leaving due to fuel and electricity costs skyrocketing, fuelling galloping inflation and fall of real incomes.
“These policies are crowding out the productive sectors of the economy from much-needed loans. The hikes in interest rates are not effective in curbing inflation for the twin reasons that whatever loans are withheld from the private sector by the restrictive policies are flowing to the government which is spending recklessly and pumping the same funds right back into the markets.
“The policy of floating the Naira without moderating the excesses of the free market speculators and hoarders, and a nation addicted to capital flight, is questionable economic logic. With 90 percent of our foreign exchange derived from oil and Gas, stopping government funding of the forex market was bound to lead to massive devaluation as witnessed. Our collective patrimony is not only meant to fund the political class but to stimulate the economy and abundance of life to the greatest number of citizens. This is the Afenifere standard of governance.
“The problems inherited from the Buhari administration have been compounded by the inept management of the economy by the Tinubu administration, following the example of their predecessor by spending recklessly while looking for loans and additional taxes to fund the profligacy.
“Tinubu’s administration in Lagos State is credited for a hyped increasing Internally Generated Revenue that never translated into the development of the kind of infrastructure built by the Jakande administration.
“Unfortunately it appears that President Tinubu is still possessed by this mindset of taxing the poor to transfer to the privileged especially cronies. We are being inundated with all sorts of hare-brained tax schemes like communication, cyber security taxes etc and even once toyed with mandating grossly underfunded universities to remit to the Government purse a percent of their earnings.
“At the end of the first year of Tinubu’s administration, the question is whether our continued arrested economic development is due to corruption or incompetence.
“From failure to mine and refine crude oil to unjustified loans, and excessive cost of governance, it is the people that are made to suffer the tragic consequences.”
This economic dispensation of Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop must be halted before the sociopolitical fabric of Nigeria is destroyed beyond repair.”