Nigeria’s Flamingoes have arrived in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for their final preparation ahead of the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The contingent, consisting of 21 players, technical crew members and officials of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, arrived in Santo Domingo on Thursday afternoon. They jetted out of Nigeria aboard a Turkish airline from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday. Bankole Olowookere’s side are expected to train in Santo Domingo for two weeks before the start of the competition. The Flamingoes are drawn in Group A with hosts Dominican Republic, Ecuador and New Zealand. The West…
Author:
Read More
World football’s governing body, FIFA, has deferred making a decision on a Palestinian request to suspend Israel during its council meeting on Thursday. Instead of issuing an immediate verdict, FIFA announced the launch of a committee investigation to guide its final decision. “The FIFA Council has implemented due diligence on this very sensitive matter and, based on a thorough assessment, we have followed the advice of the independent experts,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino in a statement. The Palestinian Football Association had petitioned FIFA, requesting Israel’s suspension, citing violations related to the treatment of Palestinian athletes and restrictions imposed in…
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, approved the sum of three billion, three hundred million Naira (N3,300,000,000.00) for the payment of accrued rights (bond certificates) of workers who retired under the Contributory Pension Scheme across the state. The state government made this known through a statement by Ayanleye Aina, the State Head of Service, on Thursday in Osogbo. The statement revealed that of the stated amount, N1.5 billion is earmarked for retirees at the state level, comprising ministries, departments, agencies, secondary school teachers, and staff of tertiary institutions. The remaining N1.8 billion, the statement also revealed, is for workers who retired…
Oil and gas workers, under the aegis of the Petroleum Industry Christian Fellowship International, PICFI, have raised concerns over the escalating cost of living in Nigeria. The group pointed out that the prices of staple foods and other essential items have risen beyond the reach of the average and poorer segments of the population. Speaking at the group’s three-day 20th annual prayer conference in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Mr Sola Idowu, President of PICFI, told journalists that oil and gas workers were also affected by the rising costs. He dismissed the assumption that such workers were immune to economic challenges…
The Kaduna State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized 1,045.93 kilograms of illicit substances and arrested 420 suspects during the third quarter of 2024. This was disclosed by the state’s NDLEA commander, Samaila Danmalam, during a briefing on Thursday. Danmalam revealed that the suspects included 404 males and 16 females, comprising drug dealers, users, and traffickers. The confiscated substances included cocaine, cannabis sativa, Rohypnol, Tramadol, methamphetamine, and other psychotropic drugs. In addition to the drug seizures, the NDLEA also recovered 1,393 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and four locally-made firearms during its operations. Danmalam further noted…
At least 20 bodies have been recovered from Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after a ferry capsized just a few hundred meters from its destination. The tragic incident occurred on Thursday morning as the boat, which had departed from Minova in South Kivu, was nearing Goma’s shore. A video circulating online shows the ferry tilting to one side before sinking into the lake. While the exact number of passengers remains unknown, survivors told Reuters that the boat may have been carrying at least 200 people. Local migration authorities reported that 45 males and 35 females were registered…
The Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has urged political parties to actively participate in the forthcoming Local Government Election in Rivers State. IPAC also enjoined eligible voters in the state to turn out en masse and cast their votes for the candidates of their choice, while demanding for free, fair, credible, peaceful and inclusive election. The council further urged the judiciary to be guided by the constitutional rule of law and national interest while issuing orders relating to elections to avoid truncating the nation’s democracy. As the umbrella body of all the registered political parties in the country, it said IPAC…
The naira appreciated against the dollar at the official foreign exchange market on Thursday amid a rise in FX transactions. FMDQ data showed that the currency strengthened slightly to N1659.26 per dollar on Thursday compared to N1669.19 exchanged on Wednesday. This represents N9.93 appreciation against the dollar. Similarly, the naira gained at the parallel market to close at N1680 per dollar on Thursday from N1690 traded on Wednesday. At the parallel market, the naira strengthened by N10 on Thursday compared to the N1690 exchange rate recorded the previous day. This comes as the total daily foreign exchange transaction turnover increased…
Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday, declared that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to bridging the infrastructure gap in the South-East. Shettima, who made the announcement while launching the 5th edition of the Expanded National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Clinic in Enugu, also assured that the federal government would work towards ending the erosion menace in the zone. The Vice President also announced grants of N150,000 to outstanding Micro Small and Medium Enterprises in Enugu. He hailed Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his huge performance in lifting the people of Enugu and the…
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, has presented official cars to the newly appointed magistrates in the state. While handing over the cars, the Chief Judge urged the magistrates to ensure the proper maintenance and safety of the vehicles, which were provided to support the execution of their official duties. In a statement by the Chief Registrar of the Rivers State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi, the new magistrates expressed their gratitude to the Chief Judge and the Rivers State government, led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Present at the ceremony were Chief Registrar David Ihua-Maduenyi, Deputy Chief Registrars…