Author: Agency Reporter

There’s a rumble in the jungle, ripe with consequences for humanity. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International’s 2024 Living Planet Report states that in 50 years until 2020, monitored wildlife populations worldwide shrunk on average by almost three quarters. The Living Planet Index, treated as a measure of the state of the world’s biological diversity based on population trends of vertebrate species from terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, puts the decline in Africa at 76%. The fastest drop was in Latin America and the Caribbean (95%), while North America registered an average decline of 39%. Europe and Central Asia clocked an…

A former presidential aide, Mr Reno Omokri on Wednesday said the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore lied in his alleged claim that President Bola Tinubu doesn’t shake others with his right hand because it’s bad. Omokri, in his Facebook page said he was reacting to Sowore’s claim on his Honest Bunch podcast interview that President Tinubu shook him with his left hand because the President’s right hand is bad and can’t be used to shake. Omokri, who shared three photographs and a video of President Tinubu, where he shook hands recently with him, King Charles…

The Lagos State Ministry of Environment (MOE) and Water Resources, on Wednesday, said an evacuation notice would be served to shanties around Kuramo waters to address flash flooding in the state. The Commissioner, Ministry of the Environment, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, made this known while speaking with journalists after an inspection tour of some drainage and projects around Eti Osa Local Government Area with his team. Wahab who led a team to visit the Kuramo waters, was displeased with the community due to shanties around the area, saying it was of great concern. Kuramo waters is very strategic for Victoria Island…

Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo State, has assured electorates and stakeholders of transparency in the Nov. 16 governorship election. Babalola gave the assurance during the inspection of sensitive materials by major stakeholders at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday in Akure. The REC, who said the sensitive materials would be distributed on Thursday, explained that the inspection of the sensitive materials was in a bid to show the transparency of the commission. According to her, showing the stakeholders the sensitive materials shows that the commission is committed to deliver…

Operatives of the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) have arrested 11 suspected currency racketeers and internet fraudsters. The EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. According to Oyewale, the suspects were arrested around Apara Street, New GRA, Port Harcourt, based on credible intelligence on their suspected involvement in Naira abuse and internet fraud. “The suspects are Rafael Obi, John Daniel, Dominion Sambo, Solomon Nwoke, Solomon Daniel, Stanley Uche, Micheal Markson, Chima Onwra, Arinze Damian, Vizor Richard and Chidera Orji. “Items recovered from them include, cash totaling N1.485…

Child labour has remained a challenge to Nigeria and many other countries. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), child labour has surged, with 160 million children now affected. This trend is most pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, with a rising number of children, as young as five, engaged in labour, the UN agency says. Vanessa Phala, the Director of ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, is much more worried that agricultural sector accounts for 70 percent of child labour cases worldwide. “In Nigeria, the recent survey by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics…

The head of Uganda’s Anglican Church on Wednesday said Justin Welby, who has resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury, had split the global Anglican communion.Stepping down as the spiritual leader of Anglicans worldwide on Tuesday, Welby said he had failed to ensure a proper investigation into allegations of abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps decades ago.The Church of Uganda has long been at loggerheads with the Church of England on its stance on homosexuality, and said last year it no longer had confidence in Welby.The Church of Uganda stopped recognising Welby’s authority over his “inability to uphold the historic…

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has warned the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals to avoid involvement in illegal mining activities.The minister gave the warning during the passing-out ceremony of the 3rd batch of newly trained mining marshals on Wednesday in Abuja.Tunji-Ojo, represented by Ahmed Ja’afaru, Secretary to the Civil Defence, Correctional Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), said that the board would not hesitate to sanction any erring personnel.He warned the mining marshals to abide strictly by the code of conduct and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) guiding the operations of the Corps.He said that the…

ABOUT 28 million Nigerians – mostly in the rural areas – have no access to banking, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said.The apex bank Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Philip Ikeazor, who stated this, added that the CBN and stakeholders have been working tirelessly to reduce the financial exclusion rate.The demographics mostly affected by this financial exclusion are: women, youths, rural communities and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).According to him, as a result of these efforts, the exclusion rate had dropped from 46.3 per cent in 2010 to 26 per cent as of last year.He said: “Despite…

A tax expert, Dr. Titilayo Fowokan, has expressed excitement on the recently gazetted withholding tax regulation titled, ‘The Deduction of Tax at Source (Withholding) Regulations, 2024’, maintaining it aligned with international best practices in taxation as it will enhance business operations and economic transparency.Fowokan, who said this in a statement, declared that the alignment will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of tax collection in the country, which becomes effective January 1, 2025.She said, “The revised legislation offers rate reductions and full withholding tax exemptions for businesses, including SMEs with annual turnovers up to N25m.”“The regulation clarifies the application of withholding…