Governors of the southern states of Nigeria, on Thursday met in Enugu, two months after they met in Lagos. Among other things, the governors expressed their support for the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) by state governments. Reading the communique issued after the meeting, Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu disclosed that the governors resolved and affirmed the position that the collection of VAT fell within the powers of state governments. “We resolved to support the position that the collection of VAT falls within the powers of the state. “The meeting reaffirmed its earlier commitments to fiscal federalism and emphasised…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, on Thursday slumped at a programme at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The chairman, who was speaking on the importance of digital identification in commemoration of the National Identity Day, remembered the death of a staff of the commission and suddenly became emotional. Unable to continue his speech, Bawa walked off and sat in his chair and slumped. Accompanied by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Pantami, the EFCC boss was immediately rushed out for medical attention. Shortly after, the Chairman returned to the hall and…
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Abuja Regional Office, in collaboration with the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), has approved 20 Biosphere Reserves across the globe. The biosphere reserves were approved on Wednesday at the on-going 33rd Session of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB-ICC) in Abuja. A Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an international designation by UNESCO in the MAB programme and a biosphere reserve includes one or several protected areas and their surrounding landscapes. BR combines both biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The 18 BR included…
Three Chinese astronauts have started their return journey to Earth from the Tiangong space station, which was under construction. The Shenzhou-12 spacecraft magic ship carrying taikonauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, undocked from the core module Tianhe of the station ahead of their return journey, Chinese state media reported. State broadcaster CCTV spoke of the last day before the official landing mission, which indicated that the astronauts are expected to return to Earth on Friday. The capsule was supposed to touch down in Inner Mongolia in northern China. A search and rescue team was ready on Thursday. However,…
Trinidad and Tobago’s health minister has dismissed Nicki Minaj’s claims that her cousin’s friend was left impotent after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Terrence Deyalsingh said the Caribbean country had found no evidence of a patient with such side effects and officials had wasted so much time yesterday running down this false claim. U.S. rapper Minaj, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago, sparked a global backlash after tweeting she knew of someone whose testicles became swollen after getting the vaccine. She said he became impotent. Mr Deyalsingh joined the long list of politicians and health experts dismissing the claims. He…
The Bauchi state government is to plant 550,000 seedlings of variety of trees in its efforts to address the problems of deforestation. Mr Ibrahim Kabir, the Director-General of the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), disclosed this in an interview in Bauchi on Thursday. He said the tree project will cover 53,000 hectares of land. “These trees will be planted in the 20 local government areas (LGAs) of the state under the government drive of establishing community nurseries where seedlings would be raised. “This initiative is to assist government to check desertification, promote afforestation as well as address the pressing…
Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo will on Thursday represent his country at the 2nd Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments on the political situation in the Republic of Guinea. Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President disclosed this in a statement in Abuja. Osinbajo, had on September 8, participated at a virtual ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit on the political situation in Guinea and Mali. The authority had decided that Guinea be immediately suspended from all ECOWAS governing bodies and statutory meetings. ECOWAS leaders had also…
Nigeria’s Super Falcons on Wednesday began their quest for gold in the maiden Aisha Buhari Cup on a bright note, beating the Mali female Eagles 2-0 in the opening match. The match, played at the remodelled Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly known as Onikan Stadium, was watched by personalities, including FIFA President, Gianni Infantino and Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Super sub, Gift Monday, of Lagos-based FC Robo, who was brought on by coach Randy Waldron for the injured Desire Oparanozie, scored the brace in the 83rd and 92nd minutes of the tension-soaked encounter. Nine-time African Champions, the Falcons gave a…
The Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N) has submitted the interim report on the crash involving a military aircraft that killed Lt-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, former Chief of Army Staff to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Oladayo Amao. The crash also killed other passengers in the flight. The announcement was made in a statement issued by the bureau’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Tunji Oketumbi in Lagos on Wednesday. The former CAS, Attahiru, 54, was killed along with 10 others including aides and crew when the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) King Air -350 aircraft they were traveling in crashed in the…
The Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor has said that 25 per cent of diseases in Nigeria are caused by mycotoxins. He made the disclosure at a two-day workshop on the prevention and control of mycotoxins in the food and the environment organised by the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) in Abuja on Wednesday. Mycotoxins are toxic compounds that are naturally produced by certain types of moulds (fungi). They can grow on foodstuffs such as cereals, nuts spices and more. Ikeazor noted that there were increased adverse health effects of mycotoxins on occupants of residential, office…