By Tosin Kolade The relevance of water to Nigeria’s national development is very pivotal to population growth, urbanization and increased efforts at agriculture and industrial development. This relevance has increasingly brought to the fore very key issues of the country’s existence, thus occasioning the need for increased access to water for Nigerians. The water sector is a pillar for food security, job creation, water supply, sanitation and hydropower generation. President Muhammadu Buhari has described the statistics on open defecation and access to pipe borne water service and sanitation as disturbing, and has declared commitment to implement the National Water Supply,…
Author: Editor
The Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 838 new cases of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the country. The centre announced this on its verified website on Sunday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 925,215 persons have been tested since the first confirmed case of the virus was announced on Feb, 27 2020. According to the centre, the country has recorded a total of 84,414 cases and 1,254 fatalities since the pandemic began. The health agency also confirmed the discharge of 539 patients from isolation centres across the country, bringing the total recoveries to 71,034. NCDC explained that the 838 new cases…
Alhaji Salihu Lukman, Director-General, Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), says a holistic approach is required to address recurring Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strikes in the country. Lukman said this in a statement in Abuja. ASUU had been on strike since March 23, paralysing academic activities in public universities before the recent agreement to end the strike. “Many who simply want to reduce these issues to opinions and commentary, may hardly recognise that this is not a matter that any government can resolve by fiat. “It is also not a matter that any group can sustainably achieve, no matter how…
A Chinese court on Monday sentenced citizen journalist, Zhang Zhan, to four years in prison for her live stream reporting of COVID-19 breakout from Wuhan. Zhan, who was detained in May, was convicted on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” in her coverage of the chaotic initial stages of the outbreak, the Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported. Dozens of her supporters and diplomats had gathered outside Shanghai Pudong New District People’s Court on Monday morning before the trial began, according to the report. The police were compelled to push journalists and observers away from the court’s entrance. The…
Senate President Ahmed Lawan has called on Nigerians to put their tribal, religious and political affiliations aside and unite to make the nation great. Lawan made the call on Sunday during a thanksgiving service and 10th anniversary celebration in honour of the late Chief Johnson Kalu, the father of the Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Orji Kalu, at Igbere in Bende Local Government Area of Abia. He said that the country had great potential to be great, if Nigerians would unite, irrespective of their tribal, political and religious backgrounds. He said: “Nigeria is designed by the grace of God…
Cristiano Ronaldo, knocked out three other top contenders, for the Player of the Century crown at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday. The Juventus forward attended the awards to receive the top prize for which Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah and Ronaldinho were also shortlisted. “Thank you, to everyone who voted for me, to my family, to my mother and sisters,” Ronaldo said. “It is an exceptional achievement. It gives me the motivation to move forward. “To be named the best is a great honour, I hope that this situation is over next year and that we can have…
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday night said he had signed the $900 billion (N349.2 trillion) coronavirus relief package. The action came just hours before a government shutdown, and days after the president opposed the bill over “wasteful and unnecessary items’’. In a statement, Trump called on Congress to make more amendments to reduce excess spending and expunge the “wasteful items”. “I will sign the Omnibus and COVID package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed. “I will send back to Congress a redlined version, item by item, accompanied by the…
The Nigeria’s Police Service Commission, PSC, has reacted to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which recently faulted the recent promotion of officers and asked a revision of the exercise. However, PSC in a statement by the Spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani issued on Sunday said against the thinking of Ohanaeze, promotions in the force were based on availability of vacancies, seniority, free of any pending disciplinary matter and merit except in few cases of special promotion. “Promotions of senior Police officers, including promotion into the office of Commissioner of Police are based on availability of vacancies, seniority, free of any pending disciplinary matter and merit…
The Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto Diocese on Saturday, write in his Christmas message to Nigerians to suggest that there would have been a coup were a Southerner currently the country’s president. In the same message, he also referred to Islam as a violent religion. However, MURIC in a press statement issued by Professor Ishaq Akintola, it’s director of the organization on Monday, alleged that the Bishop was rather filled with “tramadolised religiosity”. Read MURIC’s statement below: “We are shocked to our marrows by the vitriolic attack launched yesterday by Rev. Hasan Kukah against Islam as a religion. The Catholic…
Nigeria’s women affairs minister, Mrs Pauline Tallen has tested positive for COVID-19. A statement she personally signed on Sunday, said though she was asymptomatic, series of tests conducted on her and family members returned her positive while the family members tested negative. Tallen has since gone into isolation and receiving treatment.