Author: Kwara Reporters

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani was among the dignitaries who graced the 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Conference in Lagos.This is as bandits reportedly invaded the LEA Primary School, Kuriga Chikun Local Government Area of the state and kidnapped 230 pupils along with the head teacher and other staff on Thursday morning.The governor, who is yet to make any official comment on the latest kidnap at the time of filing this report, posted pictures of himself at the Lagos event on his official X handle on Thursday.He wrote, “I joined the Vice President, His Excellency Senator Kashim Shettima, presidents…

Itsekiri leaders, under the aegis of Ugbarajo Iwere Leaders Foundation (UILF), have charged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to fish out suspects who attacked Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, at Okere community in Warri south local government area of Delta State last Saturday.While condemning the act, they said the attack by a group of youths on the monarch was uncalled for.At an emergency meeting of the UILF in Warri, Delta State on Wednesday, the foundation threw their weight behind the monarch.A member of the publicity committee of the foundation, Hon Emmanuel Orugbo, who made the position known while…

There are strong indications that organised Labour will push for N500,000 as the minimum wage as the zonal public hearing on the new wage structure begins on Thursday (today) in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, and Abuja.The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, in an interview on Arise TV on February 11, had stated that if the ongoing inflation continued, organised labour might push for a new minimum wage of up to N1m for Nigerian workers.However, a top official of the NLC, who confided in The PUNCH on Thursday said based on proposals submitted by state chapters…

At least 24 states of the federation will not be able to pay workers salaries this year without having to wait for federal allocations from the central government, findings by The PUNCH have revealed.Only 11 out of the 36 state governments of the federation can independently pay their workers’ salaries without depending on federal allocations, according to an analysis of the state governments’ approved budgets for the 2024 fiscal year.The states with robust internal revenue are Lagos, Kano, Anambra, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara, Osun, Ogun and Zamfara.The approved budgets are also contained in Open States, a BudgIT-backed website that…

The Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Justice Mary Peter Odili (retd), on Wednesday, cautioned lawyers against addressing the media after court proceedings, describing the action as unethical.She stated this on the second day of the Call to Bar Ceremony of 4,412 new lawyers in Abuja.The retired justice of the Supreme Court also disclosed that a committee has been set up to address the worrisome issue of conflicting judgments of courts in the country.She implored the newly sworn in lawyers to demonstrate the highest level of professional ethics and behave with honour at all times.Justice Odili also urged the new…

A Federal High Court in Ibadan on Wednesday ordered the remand of a woman and two men for their roles in the January 16 Bodija explosion in Ibadan.The police charged Ramatu Camara, 47, Ganiu Malik, 20, and Abubakar Samasa, 64, with conspiracy, use of weapons of mass destruction, stockpiling of radioactive materials, and dispersal of biological weapons, but they pleaded not guilty to the charge.Justice E.U. Akpan ordered that they be remanded in the Agodi correctional centre, and adjourned the suit until April 11 for a hearing on their bail applications.The police prosecutor, Michael Ojeah, had informed the court that…

The Edo house of assembly has asked Yahaya Omogbai, its clerk, to serve Philip Shaibu, deputy governor of the state, with an impeachment notice.During plenary on Wednesday, Charity Aiguobarueghian, the majority leader, announced the petition, dated March 5, against Shaibu.Aiguobarueghian said the petition was signed by 21 of 24 members of the state assembly.He added that the petition was anchored on two grounds of perjury and revealing of government secrets.Blessing Agbebaku, the speaker, acknowledged receipt of the petition and directed Omogbai to serve Shaibu with the impeachment notice.The speaker said Shaibu has seven days to respond to the impeachment notice.On…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) says it has developed new guidelines for licensing, registration and screening of digital and virtual assets service providers (VASPs).According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), VASPs are entities that conduct exchanges between virtual assets (cryptocurrencies) and fiat currencies, and transfers of virtual assets.In a notice seen by TheCable dated March 4, 2024, the SEC said the new measures would ensure that “criminals are not registered as operators” in the capital market.The CBN had lifted the ban on crypto transactions in the country on December 22, 2023, and issued operational guidelines on virtual assets…

In continuation of measures to address the food inflation and cost of living crisis, the Federal Government Tuesday said it had so far intercepted 141 trucks attempting to smuggle grains and other staples to Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, said that the service had within two weeks arrested about 120 trucks smuggling food items from Nigeria while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission stopped 21 food trucks from leaving the country on Tuesday.As the CG was disclosing the measures being enforced to ensure food security at the House…

Mental health experts have urged the House of Representatives to maintain the ban on sachet and small bottled alcoholic drinks, stressing that studies show that high intake is linked to mental health problems, particularly among young people.The psychiatrists stressed that the availability of sachets and small bottled alcoholic drinks has a more negative impact on mental health and said the ban is in the best interest of the Nigerians.PUNCH Healthwise reported that the House of Representatives mandated its committee on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to probe the circumstances surrounding the ban imposed on the…