Author: Alade Adisa

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has sealed eight petroleum retail outlets in Warri and environs.The Coordinator in Delta State, Mr Victor Ohwodiasa disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Warri.Ohwodiasa said that retail outlets were shut down on Sunday over offences bordering on under-dispensing, operating without valid licences, poor safety culture and poor housekeeping.He said that the erring petrol stations were located at Ifiekporo, Ughoton, Ubeji, Effurun/Sapele Road and Ovwian community in Udu Local Government Area of the state.The coordinator said that the routine surveillance exercise was part of the regulatory authority’s core mandates of ensuring…

To ensure seamless operation and quality service, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has urged its members across the 774 local governments in the country to initiate ways towards prudent and effective management of their resources.The association made the call in a statement signed by Hon. Hamisu Mohammed, ALGON National Publicity Secretary and members, communique committee, at the end of its 51st National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Katsina.”The statement urged members to activate strategies for effective resources management and to remain inspired by the judgment and performance appraisals of their constituents.“The NEC promised to continue strengthening its…

Despite achievements made by South Africa in the past 30 years, it continues to face significant challenges on its journey toward reconciliation, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.“Our country is still divided by poverty and unemployment,” Ramaphosa said at an event marking National Reconciliation Day.The day is celebrated to foster reconciliation and national unity following the end of apartheid in 1994.“Reconciliation is not a symbolic act,” Ramaphosa said, adding it requires a fundamental transformation of society to create a fair and just nation. ‘DEEP SCARS’“The past may be behind us but we are left with its wounds. We have deep…

Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed this morning after a device hidden in a scooter was detonated, according to the Russian TASS news agency, citing Moscow’s investigative committee.The e-scooter, which Data and Forensics team has geolocated to the scene outside a residential building in Moscow, is from KugooKirin.The brand was founded in China but has multiple overseas warehouses across Europe including in Russia. Russia is also one of its main exporting countries, according to the company’s website. UKRAINE CLAIMS IT KILLED KIRILLOV – REPORTSUkraine’s security services (SBU) were responsible for the killing of Igor Kirillov, a source at the…

China said Tuesday that claims that a businessman had used his links with Britain’s Prince Andrew to spy for Beijing were “preposterous”, after the UK government voiced mounting concerns over the allegations.Details emerged last week about Andrew’s relationship with Yang Tengbo, a businessman and alleged spy, who had been banned from Britain.Asked about the case while on a visit to Norway, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain was “concerned about the challenge that China poses” but defended his approach of “engagement” with Beijing.A spokesman for Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the “accusations of so-called Chinese espionage are preposterous”.”The…

A former president of Nigerian Bar Association, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba has said that the Tax Reform Bill strikes at the heart of devolution of powers in Nigeria.In a tweet on his verified X handle, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN said, “The implications of the Bill are evident from the revenue side, but it has wider significance.”According to the human rights lawyer, “The resistance to the Bill is not just about the distribution of tax revenue. The underlying issues are more sensitive and political. These issues challenge the very nature of federalism in Nigeria.He declared, “This is a most opportune…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Port Harcourt Region, has announced the restoration of electricity to most parts of Bayelsa State afterv four-month blackout.The region covers Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Imo, and Rivers States.The General Manager of TCN’s Port Harcourt Region, Emmanuel Anyaegbulem,disclosed this yesterday at a press conference in Port Harcourt, just as he listed the company’s achievements in 2024.He explained that the blackout was caused by criminals who vandalised about 20 transmission towers along the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132 Kilovolt (KV) electricity lines on July 29.“The 132KV line is the only transmission line that supply electricity to Bayelsa…

Recently, the singer David Adeleke was given a global stage to do whatever he wanted and deliver any message. Sadly, Mr. Adeleke used the opportunity to speak in an American accent. Not only that, he used that American accent to talk down on Nigeria and tell the world not to invest in Nigeria because, as he put it, Nigeria’s “economy is in shambles”. Coincidentally, a month after his faux pas, Kemi Badenoch, probably inspired by Davido, used her British accent to talk down Nigeria, calling us “a very poor country” where the police rob citizens. But the interesting thing about…

The Managing Director, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Mr Takashi Oku, has commended the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals complex for showcasing Nigeria’s technological advancements on the global stage.Oku was quoted in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos by Dangote Group.He made the commendation on when a delegation from the Japanese Business Community in Nigeria, led by Japan’s Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, Suzuki Hideo visited the facility on Friday.The Japanese delegation toured the facilities housing both the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals as well as Dangote Fertilisers.They commended the state-of-the-art technology on display, noting that it reinforced Nigeria’s role as the…

In a matter of two weeks, Syrian rebel forces took Damascus and displaced President Bashar al-Assad in what came as a surprise to many watchers of political developments in the region.The rebels swept through Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, then Hama and Homs. In a sleek and seamless move, they entered Syria’s capital, Damascus, days later, taking the city without a fight as government forces fled.The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, was triumphantly welcomed by Syrians, who have endured a civil war since 2011 when the ‘Arab Spring’ blew across North Africa and the Middle East.Syria’s…