Stanley Nwabali is glad to see Maduka Okoye return to the Super Eagles and claims there is no rivalry between them.

Nwabali established himself as the Super Eagles first choice goalkeeper at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Okoye has been recalled to the team by head coach Finidi George after an impressive debut season at Serie A club Udinese.

The former Watford shot-stopper’s return is set to add more competition to the goalkeeping department.

Nwabali, however, said there is no rivalry between him and Okoye.

“There’s no debate. If Maduka can give what he’s giving Udinese to the country, then he should play,” Nwabali told Lagos Talks.

“It’s not like a club side, where you see a new signing and you talk about fighting, No. This is the country we are playing for, we are representing this green white green, and we want to see everyone happy.”

President Bola Tinubu has decried the poor delivery of democracy dividends at the grassroots, calling on state governors to prioritize the needs of local communities.

Tinubu, who made the call when he received the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, also spoke on out-of-school children, security, and the economy.

While noting the lack of attention for the grassroots, where he said the highest number of votes come from during elections, the President said the ACF leadership should intervene by imploring governors to urgently pay attention to the needs of people in the councils. 

Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngalale, said: “We are running a constitutional democracy. I will appeal to you to summon the governors. I am doing my very best to enhance the revenue base of the country. They must equally be sympathetic and urgently consider the needs of the local people.

“People reside in the local communities. That is where they work, farm, and live. If the local governments are not effective in delivering services; as leaders, we must not hang on to the numbers. We have 774 local government areas, but are they truly effective? Do they solve problems for Nigerians? Do they coordinate development programming with the state and federal governments?

“Who is being held accountable for the performance of the 774 local governments? Maybe we should look at recalibrating. What was good four years ago may not be good today. When we want the votes, we go to the locals; when we get the votes, we move to and focus on Abuja.”

Highlighting the significance of education in nation-building, the President described the situation of out-of-school children in parts of Nigeria as unacceptable.

On security, President Tinubu commended the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his efforts, saying: “Everybody wants to be secure, and we need to invest more in technology. We will do it, I promise you. We will put our heart and soul into ensuring that Nigeria is secure and its citizens are protected.”

Tinubu also used the occasion to appeal for national unity and continued support for his government as it makes effort to address challenges confronting the populace.

He directed the establishment of a committee to follow up on the issues raised at the meeting and assigned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, to lead the follow-up efforts.

The sum of ₦3.8 billion has been allocated by the Tinubu-led Federal government to support stranded Nigerian scholars in foreign countries.

The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, shared this information on Thursday in Abuja during a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on TETFund.

He mentioned that the fund has provided support to 1,500 scholars, totalling ₦3.8 billion in funding.

In response to the reported delay in scholarship payments, Echono clarified that the recent spike in foreign exchange rates has raised concerns among scholars from various countries, including the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

Echono confirmed that these concerns had been communicated to the National Assembly, the Presidential Villa, the Ministry of Education, and even TETFund.

“We were happy that the response was very positive and that was why we were able to secure the President’s approval and do what we called the bail out or assistance.

“We did observe that part of the challenge.

“In the past, each time we send funding for the institutions, we send money directly to the schools and it is the responsibility of the institutions to now remit to the students.

“However, for illegitimate and legitimate reasons, many of the institutions came back to us and complained that it takes a whole lot of time to process the transfers to central bank.

“But we now pay directly to the institution as part of our intervention,” he said.

Echono disclosed that Nigeria’s performance in research grants has improved, moving from 9th to 7th place in Africa.

President Bola Tinubu has said the reintroduction of the old national anthem was always a priority for him.

Tinubu made this known on Thursday during a meeting with the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the State House in Abuja.

The Nigerian leader said the National Assembly made the law reverting to the old national anthem and he does not have a choice but to obey the legislation.

He said Nigeria’s diversity should be protected and celebrated, adding that the country’s population should not be seen as a burden.

He said: “Let me allude to something that happened yesterday. The change of national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.

“Some people say, okay… say what? Is that your priority? It’s my priority. I agree with the national assembly. If they make law, I’ve got to obey that law, or we disagree openly and close the chapter.”

“But the question of diversity. Who gave us the name Nigeria? Is it not Britain? Or somewhere? Have we changed our name? We are Nigerians. Our passport shows that.

“As long as we are Nigerians and one family, we remain and protect our diversity and love one another as brothers and sisters.

“It is God Almighty that puts you in that particular place and makes you a member of that family. You have no control over it.

“When I came begging for votes, I didn’t say vote for me as a Yoruba man, I said vote for me as Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Recall that in 2022, Tinubu had said in an interview that he would bring back the first national anthem if he had his way.

Two years later, Tinubu signed a bill into law that returned the old national anthem themed: ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.

The return of the old anthem had divided opinions, with some commentators criticising the move as yet another case of misplaced priority given the plethora of challenges confronting Nigerians.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced the temporary suspension of the controversial helicopter landing fee recently introduced by the federal government.

Keyamo, in a statement on Friday, issued by the spokesperson of his ministry, Odutayo, Oluseyi, said the suspension is to allow a review of the policy after stakeholders complained about its introduction.

Recalls the federal government had announced the introduction of a $300 helicopter landing levy.

According to a statement issued by the Press and Public Affairs Manager of the Ministry of Aviation, the government has granted the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) permission to begin charging the fees.

The statement added that NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Limited has been granted sole authorization to administer helicopter landing fees for federal entities on behalf of NAMA for the federal government.

However, following the vehement rejection of the levy by aviation stakeholders, Keyamo announced on Friday that the levy has been suspended with effect from May 30, 2024, to allow for its review.

He added that a committee has been set up to look into the issues raised by concerned stakeholders and submit a report on or before the end of June 2024.

“The statement read: “Following a meeting with the AON executive on the issue bordering on Helicopter landing levies collection at Aerodromes, Helipads, Air Strips, etc, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has temporarily suspended the enforcement granted Messers NAEBI Dynamic Concept Ltd, by the Federal Government, as consultants to collect such levies.

“The suspension is with effect from 30th May, 2024. This, the Minister said is as a result of clamor for review by some stakeholders in the industry.

“Accordingly, Keyamo has constituted a Committee with members drawn up from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and its relevant Agencies, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), International Oil Companies (IOCs) and Messers NAEBI Dynamic Concept Ltd who are charged to look into the issues raised by concerned Stakeholders and submit a Report on or before end of June, 2024.

“Messers NAEBI Dynamic Concept Ltd was granted the exclusive right by the Federal Government as consultants to collect such levies which stakeholders have expressed their reservation on the appropriateness of the levies.

“The recommendation(s) of the Committee would proffer a way forward”.

The governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma has condemned the killing of soldiers in Abia State, south-east Nigeria.

Naija News earlier reported that masked gunmen on Thursday morning, attacked and killed four soldiers in Obikabia Junction in Aba, the commercial hub of the Abia State.

The assailants who burnt the soldiers’ patrol truck were said to be enforcing the sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) across the South-east to mark the Biafra Day which is celebrated annually in the region.

Reacting to the development, Uzodinma who also doubles as the chairperson of the South-east Governors’ Forum, described the attack and killing as “unfortunate.”

He said the attack and killing of the soldiers would act as a setback to efforts being made to solve rising attacks in the South-east.

The governor stated this while briefing reporters in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

He subsequently called on security agencies to track down those who killed the soldiers in the state.

“On behalf of my brother governors in the South-east Governors’ Forum, I condemn that incident and loss of the lives of soldiers who were on their duty posts.

“Without any provocation, they were attacked by the men of the underworld. I want to condemn that and also to urge security agents to go all out and ensure that those behind that are caught and brought to book.

“The unfortunate thing is that it is going to act as a major setback to the peace process which the governors from the South-east have been pursuing in talking to the federal government, security agencies, and other critical stakeholders on how best to resolve the problem of insecurity in the South-east,” he said.

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has characterised President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office as “tumultuous.”

However, the group commended President Tinubu’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s infrastructure, agricultural development and enhanced security since his assumption of office.

MACBAN National President, Baba Othman-Ngelzarma gave the commendation in a congratulatory letter to President Tinubu on Friday.

Ngelzarma stated that Tinubu’s one year in office stands him as a man of courage, conviction and vision to make Nigeria great.

The letter reads, “Congratulations to Mr President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Bola Tinubu, on your one year in office. On behalf of the over six million pastoral communities in Nigeria, the chairman of the board of trustees, the national executive, management, and staff of MACBAN, I wish to congratulate you on your successful one-year anniversary in office.

“Your one year in office, though tumultuous, stands you as a man of courage, conviction and vision with ‘Renewed Hope’ to make Nigeria great. Your commitment to developing Nigeria’s infrastructure, agricultural development and enhanced security is a testimony that you are not only up to the task but to deliver dividends of democracy to the larger Nigerian populace.”

The group noted that Tinubu’s agenda on agriculture, which intends to make Nigeria self-sufficient in its food security, entails massive agronomy and livestock production investment.

In view of this, MACBAN said it looks forward to the president’s promise of creating a ministry for livestock to handle the N15 trillion industry and its value chain.

The group stressed that the industry stands to provide millions of quality jobs to Nigerian youth wallowing in unemployment and abject poverty, which is a threat to national cohesion and security in the country.

To achieve this objective, the group called for the immediate establishment and inauguration of the livestock implementation committee, which you promised during the report presentation.

It also appealed to Tinubu to allow the National Commission for Nomadic Education to exist independently for the continued well-being of Nigerian nomads.

The letter added, “We appreciate the efforts of security agencies in the country in combating crime, but we express concern with the way and manner in which innocent pastoralists are being profiled and extorted. Your Excellency, the hope you exude should be made a reality to strengthen the faith of ordinary Nigerians on your renewed hope agenda.

“We will continue to support you in your quest to strengthen institutional frameworks to make Nigeria and Nigerians the pride of Africa in innovation and productivity.”

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to a Facebook content creator , Chioma Okoli, in the sum of N5 million with two sureties.

Okoli was arraigned on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 before Justice Peter Lifu but was later remanded at Suleja Correctional Center in Abuja.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the two counts of conspiracy and cyberstalking levelled against her.

In his ruling on the bail application filed by her lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, on Friday, the judge granted her bail with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Lifu held that one of the sureties must be her spouse or blood relations and must be resident in Abuja with verified means of livelihood.

She must also deposit her passport with the court, if she has one.

The court held that the ruling was predicated on Section 365 (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended on the presumption of innocence. The court held that denying her bail would be a wrong application of discretion and tantamount to pre-trial judgment and judicial rascality.

Naija News reports that the case has been adjourned to June 13, 2024 for trial.

Recall that the CEO of Erisco Foods Limited, Eric Omeofia, alleged in 2023 that a negative product review made by Chioma Okoli adversely impacted his business after she said that the Nagiko Tomato Mix she bought had too much sugar.

Okoli was arrested by the police in September 2023 with her lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, raising the alarm that the fundamental rights of his client were being breached by the police and Omeofia.

A 40-year-old Nigerian s3x worker, Rose Ikem, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour by a Circuit Court at Asokwa, Kumasi, Ghana, for trafficking young girls from Nigeria to Konongo in the Ashanti region for pr*stitution.

Ikem, who was convicted of human trafficking and assault this week, will also compensate four of her victims, whom she lured from Nigeria, for GHȼ24,000 with each of them receiving GHȼ6,000.00. 

Her latest victims were aged between 17 and 24 years.

According to police prosecution, the convict has been trafficking young girls from Nigeria to Konongo, deploying them into pr*stitution, with some of them being subjected to abuse.

On April 23, 2024, police received a complaint from a resident of Konongo about the treatment being meted out to the victims by the convict.

Police proceeded to the Konongo SSNIT area residence of Ikem but met her absence.

According to ASP Stephen Ofori who led the police prosecution, the police detected that the victims were locked up in a room, and the whereabout of Ikem was unknown.

Police then laid an ambush until she resurfaced and was subsequently arrested.

When she was forced to open the room, police rescued two victims (name withheld) with the two others who ran away being rescued the following day, with the help of the complainant

The court, presided over by His Honour Fred Obikyere, was told how Ikem tasked her victims, who had worked between three months and two weeks, to make a daily remittance of GHȼ500 to her. This amounted to a total of GHȼ89,000.

According to ASP Ofori, any time the victims failed to meet their target, Ikem assaulted them physically, causing one of the victims to fracture her left hand.

The court sentenced her to 5 years with hard labour for trafficking and 12 months for causing harm. Both sentences will run concurrently.