Author: Gbenga Oluranti Olaleye

The Department of State Services (DSS) interrogated several members of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday, January 30, in connection with a petition filed by the former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, regarding his removal from office earlier this month. According to sources close to the investigation, more than half of the Assembly’s lawmakers were questioned for several hours before being released in the evening. The DSS inquiry followed Obasa’s claims that his removal on January 13 over allegations of misconduct, abuse of office, and financial mismanagement, was unlawful. A source within the DSS, speaking on condition of anonymity, told…

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has announced a significant increase in the monthly allowance for corps members, confirming that starting in February 2025, they will receive N77,000 instead of the current N33,000. Ahmed made the announcement on Thursday, January 30, during an address to the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream II corps members in Katsina State. He explained that the allowance increment is part of the 2025 Federal Government budget and would take effect once the budget is passed. “Although this month (January) has already ended, once the budget is passed, by next…

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called on African leaders to implement innovative financing mechanisms and ramp up domestic investment in public health, warning that failure to act could undo years of progress and lead to catastrophic health and economic consequences for the continent. In a statement released on Friday, January 31, the Africa CDC highlighted an alarming increase in health emergencies across the continent. The number of outbreaks surged from 153 in 2022-2023 to 242 in 2024, raising concerns about the potential for another pandemic to emerge from Africa. These challenges are compounded by…

Twelve governors under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are currently in a closed-door meeting in Asaba, Delta State. Sources reveal the emergency meeting is not related to the party’s internal crisis, though details remain scarce. The governors, who arrived at the Government House in Asaba late last night, have been in discussions since then. Journalists are awaiting further updates on the outcome of the meeting. Details to emerge later……

Former presidential candidate and economist, Kingsley Moghalu, has called for African countries to focus on funding healthcare from their own resources instead of relying on foreign aid. In a statement shared on Friday via X, Moghalu criticised the continent’s dependence on external assistance for healthcare interventions, calling it an unsustainable strategy. His remarks follow the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organisation under former President Donald Trump, which Moghalu described as a “wake-up call” for African nations to take greater responsibility for their healthcare systems. “African countries must make funding for healthcare from their own resources a priority,” Moghalu said.…

The European Union (EU) has announced a €300,000 grant over three years to strengthen the European Chamber of Commerce (Eurocham) Nigeria’s secretariat, enhance its advocacy efforts, and boost engagement with key stakeholders. EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Gautier Mignot, unveiled the grant during Eurocham’s 25th Annual Stakeholders Conference in Lagos. He described the financial support as a significant step in fostering stronger EU-Nigeria trade relations. “This financial support will allow the Chamber to strengthen its Secretariat’s administrative capacity and expand its external activities and advocacy work on behalf of its members,” Mignot said.…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has confirmed the postponement of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration, which was originally set to begin on Friday, January 31. The registration will now commence on Monday, February 3. In a statement posted on the official X handle on Friday, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, explained that the delay was necessary to allow for important adjustments to the registration process. These adjustments include addressing issues surrounding the suspension of law programmes at certain Nigerian universities, as well as the discovery of fraudulent facilities posing as approved Computer-Based Test (CBT)…

The National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) has called on the Governing Council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the Federal Ministry of Education to address concerns over the institution’s accountability and ensure that students receive the high-quality education and welfare they deserve. In a statement issued on Thursday by NANS Senate President, Babatunde Akinteye, in Ibadan, the association expressed its support for the Governing Council’s decision to investigate allegations against the university’s Registrar. Akinteye highlighted that one of the key allegations involved a prolonged delay in fumigating the university’s 27 hostels, despite reports of severe pest infestations.…

Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser on Policy Communications to President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday responded to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, after he was labelled a “latter-day convert” by the APC chieftain. The exchange comes amid growing tensions regarding internal party structures and democracy within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). El-Rufai, a prominent figure in the APC, recently drew attention for publicly criticising the party’s lack of internal democracy and its fractured organisational structure. Speaking at a national conference in Abuja, the former governor stated, “I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ has met in two…

In a bold move to address Nigeria’s significant electricity shortfall, the Federal Government has launched a transformative energy access programme aimed at revolutionising the nation’s power sector. The ambitious initiative, which has a target funding of $23.2 billion, seeks to drastically improve electricity access across the country and boost the share of renewable energy in the national power mix. According to a statement from the spokesman for the Minister of Power, Bolaji Tunji, the programme, led by Minister Adebayo Adelabu, is designed to tackle Nigeria’s energy challenges and bring about sector-wide reforms. A significant portion of the funds—$15.5 billion—will be…