Author: Alade Adisa

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has announced her intention to challenge the six-month suspension slammed on her after her spat with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio over seating arrangements in the senate in court. Victor Giwa, the legal counsel to the Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, dismissed the Senate resolution as a violation of a court order. Giwa spoke with journalists on Thursday after the Kogi lawmaker was suspended by the senate and walked out from the National Assembly complex. This comes as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi expressed displeasure over the handling…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the employment of 774 National Health Fellows, a pivotal initiative led by the Federal Ministry of Health to foster sustained improvements within Nigeria’s healthcare system. The president announced the fellows‘ employment on Thursday during the programme’s launch at the State House in Abuja. Nigeria’s development partners, senior government officials, and traditional leaders, including the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III attended the ceremony. The employment of these fellows, selected from each local council, stemmed from the recommendation of Professor Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. Professor Pate lauded their selection as the…

A prominent Nigerian physician, politician, and former director general of the Labour Party campaign organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has died. He passed away at the age of 72 on Thursday. According to sources close to the family, Dr. Okupe had been critically ill in the weeks leading up to his demise. His health had reportedly deteriorated significantly, prompting concern among his loved ones and supporters. According to reports, his death was linked to cancer, marking the end of a long struggle with the illness. In October 2023,Okupe was hospitalized with prostate cancer and was flown to Israel for treatment. However,…

President Donald Trump on Thursday issued exemptions on tariffs for a wide range of goods coming into the U.S. from Mexico and Canada, two days after putting in place sweeping 25% tariffs that rattled stock markets, as businesses warned the move would increase prices for consumers. The exemption would apply to goods compliant with the North American free trade agreement reached during Trump’s first term and will last until April 2, when Trump plans another round of retaliatory tariffs on goods from a range of countries. About half of goods coming into the U.S. from Mexico would fall under the…

Former president Barack Obama sat courtside at a Los Angeles Clippers game Wednesday — but notably without his wife, Michelle. Instead, Obama was spotted third-wheeling with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie Snyder, TMZ reported. The 44th president appeared to still have a blast watching the LA squad take down the Detroit Pistons 123-115. Former president Barack Obama sat courtside at a Los Angeles Clippers game Wednesday — but notably without his wife, Michelle. Getty Images When his attendance was announced on the big screen at the brand new Intuit Dome, Obama jumped to his feet and waved…

The state department has ordered an immediate pause on most US foreign assistance to South Africa, according to a cable seen by the Guardian, officially implementing a contentious executive order by Donald Trump. The directive, issued on Thursday, implements Executive Order 14204 targeting what the administration called “egregious actions” by South Africa. It orders all state department entities to immediately suspend aid disbursements, with minimal exceptions. “To effectively implement EO 14204, all bureaus, offices and missions shall pause all obligations and/or dispersion of aid or assistance to South Africa,” reads the cable, signed by the secretary of state, Marco Rubio.…

Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has reacted to the six months suspension slammed on her by the Senate after her sexual harassment allegation against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, had earlier recommended her suspension and also advocated that her salary and security details be withdrawn during the period of her suspension. The recommendations were subsequently put to voice votes and the lawmakers unanimously agreed that the Senator representing Kogi Central be suspended for six months. However, while the lawmakers were still voting on the recommendations, Senator Natasha told her…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited former Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye for questioning over allegations of N138 million fraud. The anti-graft agency alleges that the former minister was involved in the misappropriation, violation of the procurement process, and diversion of public funds to the tune of N138,413,253.89 in the course of disbursing the ministry’s 2023 budget. According to the TheCable, a source within the EFCC said the former minister arrived at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday at about 11 am and was still being interrogated at the time of this report. The source…

President Donald Trump has announced a major reversal on his tariffs on Mexico, saying he is enforcing a one-month pause out of ‘respect’ for President Sheinbaum. The U.S. imposed 25 percent tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada on Tuesday, rocketing the country into a trade war. But Trump announced Thursday that Mexico will get a one-month exemption because the country has agreed to his conditions to halt the flow of fentanyl through the southern border. ”After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay tariffs on anything…

Ailing Nigerians were on Thursday given a lifeline by the president, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as he approved a subsidy on kidney dialysis, cutting the cost from N50,000 to N12,000. The subsidy is being implemented across the six geopolitical zones at some federal medical institutions. Participating institutions include the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Ebute-Meta, Lagos; the Federal Medical Centre Jabi, Abuja; the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan; the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) Maiduguri. Others are the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta; Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Lagos; the Federal Medical Centre, Azare; University…