Day: August 7, 2023

Niger’s war of blood and water By Lasisi Olagunju

Emporium Reporters

One of the bitter lessons Bola Tinubu may have learnt in his abortive war against Niger Republic’s military junta is that with northern Nigeria, blood will always be thicker than water. In this matter, Niger Republic is blood; Nigeria, especially the part of it outside the Muslim north, is water. Northern Nigerians will not sacrifice their brothers and sisters in Niger for anything, not for a nebulous concept called ‘democracy’ and definitely not in defence of Western interests. Last week, I looked at the geography of West Africa, its map…

Three myths about subsidy removal, by Chidi Odinkalu

Emporium Reporters

In October 2019, the Buhari administration closed Nigeria’s land borders claiming that it did so to address smuggling in various essential goods, including petrol. Two months thereafter, by December 2019, President Buhari claimed that the border closure had reduced the consumption of petrol in Nigeria by about 30%. Somehow, this was not reflected in subsidy payments, which kept rising. ON January 1, 2012, the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan announced a decision to remove the petroleum subsidy. The current rulers of Nigeria were then the main opposition. They did oppose…

JUST IN: Senate withholds confirmation of Okotete, El-Rufai, Danladi ….. Confirms 45 nominees as Ministers

Emporium Reporters

The Nigerian Senate today, put the ministerial confirmation of the former governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete and Abubakar Danladi on hold as they were still undergoing security clearance. This was coming after the Senate on Monday concluded the screening of 45 of the 48 ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu, confirming them as cabinet members after a week of long interrogation. The confirmation came over a week after Tinubu’s transmitted a 28-member list to the red chamber for confirmation on July 27. The Senate has already screened…

WAEC releases 2023 results, withholds 200,000 over exam malpractice

Emporium Reporters

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has announced the release of the results for the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates. The Head of Nigeria’s Office (HNO) of WAEC, Patrick Areghan, the announcement in Lagos on Monday, August 7, 2023. The examination body said out of a total of 1,613,733 candidates that sat the examination, the results of 262,803 candidates are being withheld “due to reports of cases of examination malpractice.” Mr. Areghan announced an improvement in pass rate by candidates as a total of…

FRSC wins NUJ FCT Correspondents Chapel Football Tournament,beat FHC 6-5 on penalty

Emporium Reporters

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Saturday emerged the winner of a maiden edition of the Nigerian Union of Journalists( NUJ) FCT Correspondents Chapel’s three-day football tournament. Safety Shooters defeated Federal High Court (FHC) 6-5 on penalty to emerge the winner after the game ended 1-1 in regulation time. Meanwhile, NUJ President Christopher Isiguzo led FCT Correspondents Chapel’s team defeated Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 3-2 in a keenly contested novelty match played shortly after the final. The Special Guest of Honour and Corps Marshal Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC),…

Drama as Senate suspends Festus Keyamo’s ministerial screening

Emporium Reporters

The Senate has been hit by controversy over the screening of Festus Keyamo, a ministerial nominee. The controversy has led the Chamber to dissolve into executive session after the Senate leader, Senator Bamidele Opeyemi moved the motion Before the pandemonium, the nominee was asked to address the Chamber to explain his profile and give reasons why he should be a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. After his address, Senator Darlington Nwokocha (Labour Party) representing Abia Central Senatorial District raised a point of Order. He drew the attention of…

DSS AND ACCUSATIONS OF DISOBEDIENCE TO COURT ORDERS – SETTING THE RECORDS RIGHT By Peter N. Afunanya Ph.D, fsi

Emporium Reporters

Recently, the media is awash with various commentaries about DSS disobedience to Court Orders. These accusations, as wrong as they are, have peaked in the Emefiele saga. It may interest the public and indeed the avowed critics of the Service to note the following incidents and timelines to show that it has religiously obeyed Court orders in respect of the case and even others. In 2022, the Service commenced the investigation of Mr Godwin Emefiele on suspicion of Terrorism Financing, Money Laundering among others and subsequently applied to the Federal…

Crisis and Prospects of African Economy By Adefolarin A Olamilekan

Emporium Reporters

The “New World Order,” was an initiative that gain currency in the late 1970s and early 80s before the decimation of the USSR now Russia, and the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany. The significance of the foregoing led to two separate Neoliberal agenda in the form of a Wave of Capitalist Democracy in Third World Countries and the shrinking of the earth under the weight of Global Capitalism. History will remember and continue to put us on the focal point of what followed thereafter, with Uruguay’s round discussion…

Audi and His Trajectory Achievements in NSCDC, By ABUBAKAR YUSUF.

Emporium Reporters

Since it’s establishment about two decades ago with an enabling act to secure and also play a complimentary roles in Nigeria’s security architecture, The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC had stood out on its activities in recent times. With four leadership and two years down the line, after the assumption of duty by the current Commander -General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, aside the statutory functions and mandates of the paramilitary sector, the welfare of officers and men had been prioritized and at the front burner, a situation that had…

SDGs and it’s Sustainability in Nigeria, By ABUBAKAR YUSUF.

Emporium Reporters

For Sustainable Development Goals SDGs in the last seven years of it’s inception had gone beyond domestication, but pursuing vigorously the decade of action agenda, 2020-2030. This is obvious from the pioneer leadership under Princess Adejoke Orelope Adefulire who had developed the innate passion to drive the UN program based on her experience, resume and wealth of experience garnered over the decades from her roles in the government of Lagos state. With the wealth of experience, Adefulire had deployed and leveraged on the demands of the international body to key…