Author: Chima Onyido

According to the 2023 Brand Finance City Index report, Lagos has secured the fifth spot among the most attractive African cities for living, working, and investment. In the survey, Nigeria’s commercial hub received a desirability rating of 56.7%, placing it just behind Cape Town (South Africa), Cairo (Egypt), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Casablanca (Morocco) as the top four African cities with ratings of 62.9%, 60.7%, 59.7%, and 59.3% respectively. Notably, the global city ranking list includes only six African cities: Cape Town, Cairo, Johannesburg, Casablanca, Lagos, and Nairobi. They secured positions 60, 67, 72, 76, 90, and 94 respectively in…

Not less than 67 suspected gay persons have been arrested, while holding a gay party in Ekpan region of Delta State, the state Police Command annonced. Bright Edafe, the command’s Public Relations Officer, took to X to announce the arrest, sharing images of the individuals involved. According to Edafe, the police arested the suspects on August 28, 2023, during what was believed to be a gay wedding event held at Teebulus Hotel along Refinery Road, Ekpan. READ ALSO: ‘Wahala’ Musician Portable Set for USA Musical Tour Sharing photos of the suspects on his X page, Edafe wrote, “Delta State Police…

Team Nigeria has won seven medals, comprising two gold, two silver and three bronze at the just concluded World Para Powerlifting Championships in Dubia, United Arab Emirates (UAE). GOOD EVENING NIGERIA reports that the championship will enable Nigeria to participate in the 2024 Paralympic in France. Charles Ezenwanne, President of Para Power Lifting, commended the athletes’ impressive display. He noted that the athletes must keep improving and never stop developing new strategies that will keep us at this level of dominance. He added that as the sports evolved, new rules and techniques must also be developed by the athletes. READ…

 The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received a batch of 298 Nigerians who were stranded in Libyan prisons. The agency said this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos. The statement said the returnees spent varying periods at various detention camps in the northern African country. They were repatriated back to the country in two separate chartered flights, the first with 161 returnees on Aug. 21 while the second flight came on Monday with 137 returnees. NEMA said that the second batch of returnees arrived on board an Al Buraq Air Boeing 737-800 with registration number 5A-DMG, at the…

The Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), on Tuesday arrested an oil vessel MV Ofuoma and 10 crew members conveying alleged illegally refined petroleum products in Rivers. The Component Commander OPDS, Commodore John Siyanbade, who represented the OPDS Commander, Rear Adm. Olusegun Ferreira said MV Ofuoma was arrested on Aug. 15, at Abuloma jetty in Port-Harcourt by the Nigerian Navy Ship, Pathfinder. According to him, the vessel is being used as a storage facility for illegally refined oil products. He said: “The vessel was receiving product suspected to be illegally refined AGO from a dug out wooden boat alongside…

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) says the new online top-up programme for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree for one year, with foreign accredited universities, is meant for the HND holders who want to pursue an academic career. The NBTE Head of Media Unit, Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, offered the clarification in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday. Abubakar quoted the board’s Chief Executive, Prof. Idris Bugaje, saying the programme is not for all the HND holders but rather for those who have the ambition to further their career in an…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu, are creating disconnection between the Federal Government and the citizens. The PDP said this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba in Abuja on Monday. Ologunagba questioned the sensitivity of the government toward the wellbeing of Nigerians, especially on the removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the naira. He said that the policies had resulted in unbearable high cost of living, crippled the national productivity, crashed millions of businesses and sparked massive job loss with attendant escalated poverty, hunger, insecurity and hopelessness…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to focus on achieving specific targets aimed at revitalizing the economy and improving the quality of life for the citizens. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, presented a “Roadmap for the economy,” which was discussed during the inaugural federal cabinet meeting chaired by the president at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Addressing the matter during the post-FEC press briefing, Minister Edun said that the council collectively acknowledged that the economy had not yet reached its desired level of performance.…

The National Security Adviser, retired AIG Nuhu Ribadu, says it is the collective responsibility of every individual to rescue the nation from the security challenges bedeviling it. Ribadu said this on Monday in Abuja at the opening of at a two – day symposium on “Challenges and Innovations in Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Strategic Approaches.” The symposium was organised by the African Centre For Strategic Studies (ACSS) Alumni, Nigeria chapter. Ribadu represented by the National Coordinator National Terrorism Centre Rear Admiral Yamisu Musa, noted with concern that the current security threats bedeviling the nation had caused untold hardships to…

The Federal Government says it has no intention to borrow from any local or foreign organisation with its removal of subsidy on petrol and exchange rate harmonisation. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Chief Wale Edun, revealed this at the end of the inaugural Federal Executive Council meeting on Monday in Abuja. He said that the benefit of the subsidy removal would be ploughed back into various sectors aimed at boosting government revenue and improving business environment for local and foreign investment. Edun said that with the increased revenue from subsidy removal, various palliatives have been…

The Federal government with the support of the International Organization for Migration on Monday evacuated 139 Nigerian irregular migrants freed from detention centers across Libya. Amb. Kabiru Musa, Charge D’Affaires En Titre in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja said that the exercise seeks to ensure that no Nigerian is abandoned abroad for migration offences. According to Musa, the evacuees comprising of 85 males, 51 females, two children and one infant are expected to arrive the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Monday evening. “The Nigerian Mission in Libya with support…

The House of Representatives has vowed to abolish waivers in recruitment exercises in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government. The lawmakers described the waiver as an abuse of recruitment processes with alleged nepotism and favouritism taking the centre stage. Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, Chairman, Ad hoc Committee on Job Racketeering and Mismanagement of IPPIS, said this when the Provost, National Post-Graduate Medical College (NPGMC) appeared before the committee in Abuja on Monday. He said that MDAs had abused the waiver policy, adding that any MDA that grants waivers in its recruitment exercise is not doing the country any good. He…

British airspace has been hit by a technical fault, the country’s leading provider of air traffic control services said. The PA news agency understands passengers boarding flights back to Britain have been told of the fault. National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said it was experiencing a “technical issue” and had applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety. It said in a statement: “We are currently experiencing a technical issue and have applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety. “Engineers are working to find and fix the fault. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.” READ ALSO: We will not…

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has issued an order for the compulsory retirement of four Deputy Inspector-Generals of Police (DIGs). The senior police officers affected by the order are Dan-Mallam Mohammed, Moses Ambakina Jitiboh, Hafiz Mohammed Inuwa, and Adeleke Adeyinka Bode. The spokesperson for the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, revealed this development to journalists in Abuja on Monday. Ani explained that the commission exercised its statutory powers in line with the Third Schedule, Part 1 M, para A&B of the 1999 Constitution, reinforced by Section 6 of the Commissions (Establishment) Act 2001, para a, c, d, e, & f. He said…

Residents of Bayelsa have broken into a warehouse in Yenagoa, the state’s capital, and looted decaying food items said to be stored since 2022. The warehouse located along Isaac Boro Expressway in Yenagoa, was looted by people said to be frustrated due to the country’s hardships, resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, which led to a significant increase in petrol prices, impacting the cost of goods, services, and transportation. The Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA) revealed that the food items taken from the warehouse were no longer suitable for human consumption, as they were…

President Bola Tinubu is prepared to dismiss any member of his cabinet who fails to deliver results, according to Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale. Former President Muhammadu Buhari, during his tenure, faced criticism for retaining several ministers despite protest about their competence, with some serving up to 8 years in his administration. In contrast to the practice of dissolving cabinets, Buhari allowed his ministers to remain until the end of his tenure. However, Ngelale, while speaking on Monday’s episode of Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, emphasized that failure of a minister to meet set targets could result in dismissal. “President Bola…

Rep. Amobi Ogah (LP-Abia) has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu as a gift to the people of South Eastern Nigeria. Ogah, member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia in the House of Representatives, made the appeal in a statement in Abuja on Monday. According to him, the insecurity in the South East region is due to the prolonged detention of the proscribed IPOB leader; the president should release him as a show of love to N’digbo. Ogah said Kanu’s release would expose criminal gangs using the detention to cover their act of terrorism in the South…

The National Commission for the Coordination and Control of Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons said it will recruit and train approximately 300,000 individuals across the nation to address the issue of illegal arms proliferation. The commission said it intends to engage around 7,000 personnel in each state of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In a statement on Sunday, the Acting Director-General of NATCOM, Otunba Adejare Adegbenro, said the idea was to tackle arm proliferation thereby making the country safe. The statement read, “We are going to employ about 300,000 personnel across the country to make…

The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) has said that the culprits behind significant instances of corruption in the region are primarily public officials and public office holders who divert funds intended for the well-being of citizens. The group stated this in a communique issued at the end of a five-day workshop on the ‘Typologies Study of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Linked to Corruption in West Africa,’ held in Abuja. GIABA said that such culprits engage in money laundering through financial or stock market products offered by financial institutions, as well as via the acquisition…

The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) Mr Osita Okechukwu, says President Bola Tinubu deserves commendation for not applying to join the BRICS economic group. At the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, the bloc admitted 6 nation including Argentina, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and UAE into its folds, a development that fueled specultions that Nigeria’s application was rejected for not meeting some crucial membership criteria. But, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Okechukwu, also a founding member of All Progressives Congress (APC), said that Nigeria was better off maintaining its decades-old diplomatic standpoint as a non-aligned. GOOD…