The Benue government on Monday dragged Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, former Lagos State Police Commissioner, before a Makurdi Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly writing an inciting letter against Gov. Samuel Ortom. Tsav is currently a member of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) representing Benue. Mr Michael Gusa, Benue Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, in an application for criminal prosecution, alleged that Tsav wrote “an injurious and false letter against the governor and government of Benue”. Gusa, who was represented in court by Mr Andrew Wombo, a state counsel, said that the letter contravened section 143 (d), (c) and (e) of the…
Author: David Folami
The Ondo State House of Assembly on Monday passed the N170.8 billion 2017 appropriation bill. The Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Sunday Olajide, had presented the report of the committee to the House at plenary. Olajide said that the bill had undergone proper scrutiny by members while public sittings were held for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies. He also said the assembly refrained from granting indiscriminate requests by MDAs because of paucity of funds. He noted that the committee only redistributed funds to some critical areas, with a marginal increase of N1.12 billion recorded. “Hence, the…
The Federal High Court in Abuja Monday granted bail to the former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam and two others who were arraigned on a fresh charge of money laundering. Suswam was arraigned alongside his Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Omadachi Oklobia, and the then Accountant of the Government House, Mrs. Janet Aluga. The defendants were accused of diverting the sum of N9.79billion, part of which was meant for Police Reform Programme and Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the 32-count charges of fraud, money laundering and financial misappropriation levelled against them. After the charges…
Manchester City are preparing a bid to lure one of Europe’s top strikers, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, to the Etihad Stadium, according to Sky sources. The 28-year old Borussia Dortmund striker was set to join Paris Saint-Germain next month in a move thought to be around £60m. However the deal hit the buffers last week alerting Pep Guardiola to his availability. City believe there are very few high-quality strikers on the market at present and Aubameyang, who scored 42 goals for club and country last season, could be a huge boost to their ranks. His former manager, Jurgen Klopp has also been…
Portuguese star shocked Real Madrid after he said he wanted to leave on Friday after being accused of tax fraud. Ronaldo has told his agent to seal a dream return to Manchester United. The Portuguese superstar wants Jorge Mendes to “do everything possible” to make the move happen. Ronaldo, who left Old Trafford for Real Madrid eight years ago, stunned the Spanish giants when his desire to leave emerged on Friday. The forward faces allegations of a £13million tax fraud and now doubts over his Real future have sparked a megabucks scramble for his services. United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and…
Manchester United want Alvaro Morata – but not at Real Madrid’s asking price of £79m. A differential of around £20m in the two clubs’ valuation has proved the biggest stumbling block in Jose Mourinho’s bid to install the striker as Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s replacement at the point of United’s attack. Old Trafford’s hierarchy remain hopeful a deal can be struck – even if any potential fee is certain to look outlandish for a player, who spent the majority of last season on the bench. That is not to dismiss Morata’s status as one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe this…
The Mandate Health Empowerment Initiative (MHEI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has urged the Federal Government to ensure strict monitoring of the ban on the sale of cigarettes to persons under 18 years. Mr Ameh Zion, the President of MHEI, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday. Zion said that only strict monitoring would ensure total compliance with the stipulations of the ban by marketers, distributors and sellers of cigarettes. He said major sellers and distributors of the substance should be given the mandate to collect and confirm personal information of…
Nigeria’s economy contracted for a fifth straight quarter, official figures showed Tuesday, as low oil production dented overall output. Gross domestic product shrank by 0.5 percent in the first three months of 2017, an improvement from a 1.7 percent fall in the last quarter of 2016, said Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics. Despite an encouraging pick-up of momentum in the non-oil sector, the latest reading disappointed expectations of a modest recovery and an exit out of a debilitating recession. “It’s worse than what we’d expected,” said John Ashbourne, Africa economist at London-based Capital Economics. “But if you remove oil, non-oil…
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has waived 50 per cent on registration fee for locally manufactured products to promote Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). The NAFDAC spokesperson, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday that the measure would go a long way to promote economic development. Jimoh explained that it was a new policy of the agency under the leadership of its acting Director-General, Mrs Yetunde Oni. He said that the measure was in response to Federal Government’s policy to…
LL Cool J and Mary J. Blige were spotted on the North Fork Saturday, social media posts show. The rapper and Bay Shore native was in Southold to see his daughter, Italia Smith, tie the knot. The reception was held at Sparkling Pointe vineyard and winery, and guests included Grammy Award-winning artist Blige and actress Niecy Nash, posts to Instagram show. LL Cool J lives in Manhasset when not filming “NCIS: Los Angeles” or “Lip Sync Battle.”
Earlier this year, Rick Ross claimed that Birdman caused DJ Khaled “pain” and put him “in a hole” on his scathing diss track, “Idols Become Rivals.” During his visit to “The Breakfast Club,” the We the Best mogul opened up about the matter. While Khaled refused to discuss the alleged business issues that Ross referenced, he did celebrate Rozay’s efforts. “Ross is my brother,” he said. “That’s Day 1. That’s family. Me and him come from the bottom, the mud, to marble floors. When he’s shouting me out on that record, that’s what you call a real friend, family. [He]…
They have been dating since fall last year. And ahead of their one year anniversary, Khloe Kardashian enjoyed a romantic vacation with boyfriend Tristan Thompson. And on Saturday, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star took to Snapchat to share photos from their tropical getaway. In one snap, the reality beauty showed just how much she was in love with her Cleveland Cavaliers beau. In the photo, Tristan, 26, relaxed in a floatie as his ladylove took pictures poolside. ‘He’s yummy!’ gushed Khloe in her social media snap. The vacation comes after a stressful time for her basketball beau. On…
Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is on the sure path to recovery. The General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly made this known during a press conference after his Sunday morning sermon titled, “The birth pangs of a new Nigeria.” “If you want to know whether the President (Muhammadu Buhari) is getting better (and) recovering, I said in the course of that message – he’s on the sure path to recovery. Give him time. The Niger Republic has not seen their president for a while. “Nigeria needs an energetic leader but the circumstances of our polity…
Just when Lil Wayne fans were confident that Birdman would work with him to finally release Tha Carter V, everything seems to be turned upside down. Worse, having intense drama with Birdman means Lil Wayne’s Weezyana Fest 3 in New Orleans on August 25 could be affected. For example, fans of Lil Wayne that anticipated Weezyana Fest 3 would be like previous years might be expecting performances with Lil Wayne by Cash Money Records artists like the Hot Boys. Furthermore, drama between Birdman and Lil Wayne may jeopardize Lil Wayne’s chance to drop Tha Carter V at Weezyana Fest 3.…
Chelsea’s attempts to appease their manager, Antonio Conte, will see them step up efforts to strengthen the first‑team squad this week with an improved bid anticipated for Alex Sandro at Juventus and progress in the protracted pursuit of Monaco’s Tiemoué Bakayoko. Conte, who is on holiday back in Italy, had anticipated the Premier League winners making early moves in the transfer market as they prepare to return to the Champions League after a season-long absence. The lack of progress is understood to have deeply frustrated the 47-year-old, who has yet to commit to the contract extension that has been on…
La Liga president Javier Tebas has defended Cristiano Ronaldo amid accusations of tax evasion and said the forward’s potential departure from Real Madrid would be an “irreparable loss” for the league. A source said that Ronaldo wants to leave Madrid and La Liga because he feels upset at the treatment he has received from authorities in Spain and believes he is being made an example of due to his status as a star player. When asked for his opinion on the situation of the four-time Ballon d’Or winner, Tebas told La Sexta: “Knowing the people that surround Cristiano Ronaldo, how…
David Silva has told the Daily Mail he would like to end his career at Manchester City if he is able to keep on playing at a high level in the Premier League. Silva, 31, joined City from Valencia in 2010 and has gone on to win two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and two League Cups since then. The Spain international is currently contracted to City until 2019 but is hoping to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium and ideally retire at the club. “I’m very happy to be at City and I would like to continue…
Chelsea have had an offer for Juventus left-back Alex Sandro knocked back, the Italian club’s general manager Beppe Marotta has said. The Premier League champions have been linked with a move for 26-year-old Brazil international and Marotta confirmed there has been a bid rejected, but added that if the player requested a move the situation could develop. He told reporters: “We’ve rejected an offer from Chelsea [for Alex Sandro] but I don’t know what he thinks about it. Players are masters of their own destinies.” Marotta also said Juventus have an interest in Sevilla midfielder Steven N’Zonzi but said they…
Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce has said the National Assembly will soon work on a bill that will punish people engaging in hate speeches in the country. The Senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District said the National Assembly will soon work on a bill that stipulates great consequences for people engaging in hate speeches in the country. Speaking at a meeting convened by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Student Affairs, Alhaji Nasiru Adhama for regional youth leaders in Abuja, Murray-Bruce said Nigerian youths must not create unnecessary tension. The senator stated that the proposed bill when passed…
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced the crash of diesel by 42%. The NNPC said the huge price crash followed its key strategic interventions. This was disclosed in a statement released on the NNPC website on Sunday, June 18, 2017. The price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) also known as diesel had shot to an all-time high of N300/litre in major demand centres across the country in the first quarter 2017. But the product’s retail prices as at the end of May 2017 ranged from N175 to N200 across the country (a significant price drop of about 42%),…