Author: Newsdesk

Pupils of non-formal Qur’anic schools (Tsangaya) numbering 109 participated in the just concluded Qur’anic recitation competition in Ningi local government area of Bauchi state. The competition conducted on Tuesday was part of memorial for a famous Islamic scholar, late Jibrin Sankace. Hamza Abubakar, Secretary, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the competition, stated this in an interview on Wednesday in Bauchi. Abubakar said the participants drawn from 12 schools comprised 48 males and 61 females, adding that the competition initiated in 2020 was designed to promote teaching of the Holy Quran. “The competition is for children age between 12 and 25, it…

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U.S. HIV specialist pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare on Wednesday said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cabenuva  cabotegravir and rilpivirine for every two month dosing for the treatment of HIV-1. The treatment is for HIV in virologic ally suppressed adults on a stable regimen, with no history of treatment failure, and with no known or suspected resistance to either cabotegravir or rilpivirine. ViiV Healthcare is majority-owned by GlaxoSmithKline plc, with Pfizer and Shionogi Limited as shareholders. Cabenuva is the first and only complete long-acting HIV treatment regimen and was first approved by the U.S. FDA in January…

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President Muhammadu Buhari says the federal government remains committed to honouring promises made to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). This the President said was to prevent disruptive strikes, engender uninterrupted academic programmes and improve funding of education institutions. The President made the pledge when he received members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) led by the Co-Chairs, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, in Abuja on Tuesday. He commended the leadership of NIREC for intervening in the year-long strike by ASUU and holding consultations with the parties. According to…

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Former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has paid courtesy visit to Niger state governor, Abubakar Sani-Bello, saying insecurity in the state is pathetic. Sani-Bello told the former vice president the extent of the destruction and pains inflicted on innocent people of the state, adding that the attacks in the last few days were devastating as they have become more daring. He however expressed optimism that the security challenges will be a thing of the past in no distant time. Speaking with journalists after the visit, the former president said that the governor had shared with him the enormous security…

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A man, Mr Hassane Nouhou, has dragged the Nigerien government before the ECOWAS Court of Justice for allegedly tolerating serfdom in spite of signing international instruments against the practice. Nouhou filed the petition on behalf of 260 families living in the village of Danki. He alleged that they have been suffering from the inaction of the State of Niger to stop an ancient custom. The applicant is therefore asking the Court to order the Republic of Niger to pay each of the families living in Danki compensation of 10,000,000 FCFA, or 2,600,000,000 FCFA for the 260 families. “My grandfather was…

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Norwegian lawmakers who had a track record of picking winners of Nobel Peace Prize on Tuesday, announced names it nominated for 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. Among the nominees were British nature broadcaster, David Attenborough, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Belarusian dissident, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Also among the candidates for the accolade were Greta Thunberg, Pope Francis, the Myanmar National Unity Government formed by opponents of 2021 coup and Tuvalu’s Foreign Minister, Simon Kofe. Thousands of people, from members of parliament’s worldwide to former winners, are eligible to propose candidates. Norwegian lawmakers had nominated an eventual Peace laureate every year since 2014 – with…

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By Babagana Wakil, Maiduguri Borno state governor and chairman of Northeast Governors Forum, Professor Babagana Zulum on Monday, presented N20 million as donation from the governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states in solidarity over recent attacks on communities by terrorists. Presenting the donation to Zamfara state governor, Bello Muhammad before traditional rulers and top government officials, Professor Zulum said, “We are here on behalf of all governors of the six states in the northeast through our forum, to commiserate with the government and good people of Zamfara State over the recent killings that happened in some communities…

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MTN Nigeria Communications (MTNN) Plc has announced that its first public offer for sale of 575 million shares recorded an over subscription of 139.47 per cent. This is contained in a statement signed by the MTNN Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah posted on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) website. The statement said that the offer was 139.47 per cent oversubscribed, activating the allocation of an additional 86.25 million shares. It disclosed that 661.25 million MTNN shares were allowed adding that 126,720 retail investors submitted valid applications and received full allotment. The statement added that 114,938 new Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) accounts were…

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Bayelsa state government has signed an agreement with a consortium comprising Sterling Bank, Zipline, Health Spaces and DrugStoc for the Bayelsa Health Supply Chain Transformation Project (BHSCTP). The project, estimated at five million dollars to be provided by the firms, is expected to provide 21st century supply system and other supply chains using drone technology in the distribution of cost-effective pharmaceuticals in the state. During the MoU signing in Yenagoa, Gov. Douye Diri urged the stakeholders to ensure that the project promoted the distribution of pharmaceuticals, particularly in remote communities. He identified access to healthcare as a major challenge and urged…

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A Vatican envoy on Tuesday criticised Lebanon’s politicians and calling for an end to “the few profiting, and many suffering” in a financial crisis which has plunged the bulk of the country into poverty. Archbishop Paul Gallagher’s remarks came one week after the World Bank blasted Lebanon’s ruling class for “orchestrating” one of the world’s worst national economic depressions due to their exploitative grip on resources. “Let there be an end to the few profiting of the suffering of many. No more letting half-truth continue to frustrate people’s aspirations,” the archbishop said. Lebanon was suffering a financial crisis that began…

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