The Editorials

United Kingdom's new Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has appointed a Nigerian lady, Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch, as Children and Families Minister, as part of his government reshuffle. Badenoch, 39, is a British Conservative politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Saffron Walden. She was born in Wimbledon, London to Nigerian parents. Her childhood was spent in Lagos and the United States. She moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 16. She has been the MP for Saffron Walden since 2017 after replacing Nadhim Zawahi. She once told MPs in Parliament about her own experiences of poverty and how she used to do her homework by candlelight. A software and IT engineer, Badenoch studied systems engineering at Sussex University and also has a law degree. She has worked in the banking sector for Coutts and RBS and is a mother of two. Tweeting about her appointment, Badenoch @KemiBadenoch posted on 29 July: “Thank you for all good wishes and kind messages of support received.

Oredola Adeola | The Lagos State Governor , Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered for the speedy completion of the abandoned Pen-Cinema bridge for ease plight of motorists and commuters in the area.  The Governor in the company of his Deputy , Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, gave the assurance on Sunday, while inspecting the ongoing rehabilitation work on major roads in Iju area of the state by Lagos State Public Works Corporation. Sanwo-Olu, in company of his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said the contractor handling the bridge construction was being prepared for re-mobilisation back on the site. In a statement released to the media by Mr. Gboyega Akosile, Deputy Chief Press Secretary, the Governor expressed concern over the pains residents go through due to regular gridlock on the alternative routes occasioned by abandoned project, Sanwo-Olu said his government would compensate for the discomfort by ensuring timely completion of the bridge. Sanwo-Olu said, “I can assure you that we are cu

A United States multinational company Stericycle Inc. has honoured a Nigerian, Mrs. Omolanke Shelle, for her dedication to work and ability to adjust to work within a short period of joining the establishment. The Nigerian, was a 2012 graduate of Economics from Lagos State University (LASU), who started working with Stericycle through a temporary employment agency when she moved to the U.S. with her family in 2015. Her employer raised the flag of Nigeria for the day at Aurora, Illinois, to celebrate the distribution center worker whose dedication and work ethic (in just about six months of work). The American multinational company Stericycle Inc. said in a glowing tribute, “We were impressed by her attitude, work ethic, ability to learn and team spirit." Stericycle is an environmental and regulated waste management company, with specialty in the collection and disposal of medical, pharmaceutical and hazardous wastes. Shelle said that she started working with Stericyc

The police in Ogun state have arrested three herdsmen for allegedly killing a farmer Rafiu Sowemimo, 40. The suspects, Muhammed Adamu, Saliu Ismail and Saliu Adamu allegedly killed Sowemimo on Sunday at Adao village in Alabata, Odeda Local Government Area of the state. The suspects were said to have allowed their cattle stray into the farm of the deceased thereby destroying his crops, an action Sowemimo protested. He was said to have accosted the herders, querying their destructive attitude which led to an altercation. Angered by the confrontation, the herders were said to have stabbed Sowemimo dead. Confirming the incident, police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) said the command received a distress call to the effect from villagers and deployed officers to the scene led by the Deputy Commissioners in charge of Operations and State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID). “With information from the natives, they were able

Oredola Adeola |  Pharm( Mrs) Uzamat Akinbile Yusuf, Former Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Tunji Bello, former Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello are set to return, as the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has on  Sunday, transmitted a list of Commissioner-designates to the House of Assembly for ratification. This was contained in a statement released by the Governor’s Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile. According to the statement Governor Sanwo-Olu carefully picked the nominees based on their cognate experience in their respective professions. The list contained twenty five names, who are to assume duty as Commissioners and Special Advisers upon ratification by the legislature. The list, Akosile said, comprised names of technocrats and politicians, who understand the challenges of the state, noting that the painstaking and laborious selection process was aimed at constituting the best team that will serve Lagos in line with the

The National leader of the All Progressive Congress, Asiwaju Bola has absolved the Fulani Herdsmen from being the culprits of the assasination of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, the second daughter of Afenifere leader, Reuben Fasoranti, who was killed by unknown gunmen on Friday, July 12. Tinubu made this statement on Sunday, while reacting to the concern on whether the attackers of Olakunrin were herdsmen or not, he said, "Excuse me, I am extremely concerned about security and I don’t want a stigma. "How many years ago have we faced insecurity in this country and cases of kidnapping, is Evans who was arrested and his disclosure then a herdsman? I don’t want to be political. The question is where are the cows? ” I am extremely concerned about security but i don’t want a stigma,i can go through history of kidnapping in Nigeria and we know how and where it all started, there are a lot of copycats. ” There are cases of kidnapping and killings in the country. Is Evans too who

Armed men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have killed Mrs Funke Olakunrin, daughter of the leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Ondo State.This was confirmed through a press statement by Yinka Odumakin, Spokesman of Afenifere, on Friday. According to the Afenifere spokesman, Funke (58) was said to have been killed on Friday by suspected herdsmen as he was heading to Ore Junction from Akure, Ondo State, when she was attacked and shot dead. Odumakin said,  “We have confirmed the death of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin (58), daughter of our leader, Chief Fasoranti. “Eyewitness accounts say she died of gunshots from Fulani herdsmen who shot her at Ore junction in Ondo State earlier today. “She was coming from Akure when the armed Fulani herdsmen came from the bush to attack her and other vehicles. Her domestic staff in the car with her also sustained gunshots. “This is one death too many and a clear we-can-take-it-no-more death.” Olufunk

Allen Atwine, Uganda An Ugandan Controversial academic, Stella Nyanzi, who advised women to fight  men who are standing in the way of gender equality by grabbing them by their genitalia, has again been jailed. The jailed Ugandan feminist in one of her radical suggestions says,  “Unless you grab and squeeze hard, they’re not listening,” she said, wearing traditional African kitenge, red lipstick and a wry smile before a recent court hearing. Recall that Ms Stella has been in the Luzira Women’s Prison for eight months,was put on trial when the Ugandan Government accused her of “cyber harassment and offensive communication” for penning and posting a poem on Facebook. The poem, published last September, uses a graphic description of the birth of the Ugandan President and his mother’s vagina to criticize his “oppression, suppression and repression” of the country, which he has ruled for over 30 years. In early June, Nyanzi’s legal team put it to Buganda Road Chief Magistrate

Following the public outburst that greeted the planned establishment of the Fulani Ruga Settlement, President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the project across the country, thereby  returns to the drawing board to reintroduce the project in a more acceptable way. A Presidency Source who informed  media about the withdrawal of the project revealed that the Presidency could not bear the public and anticipated outcome of proposed mass action by some civil society groups in Abuja against the scheme, on Friday, 5th July, 2019. The source disclosed that President Buhari suspended the idea pending further notice and after consultations with stakeholders. Further revelations showed that the Federal Government has gone back to the drawing board for thorough review and well-accepted approach to resolve constant clashes between herdsmen and farmers. While the FG is still considering the next line of action of the FUGA settlement Nigerian government, it has gone ahead to adopt the Nation

Oredola Adeola| The Lagos State Government has flagged off the continuation of the Reconstruction of Lagos-Badagry Expressway at the International Trade Fair Complex in Lagos awarded to the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC) on March 2009. Dr. Onafemi Hamzat,  Lagos State Deputy Governor, at the flag-off ceremony charged residents of the axis to cooperate and help monitor the contractor. Recall that the road project commenced  in March 2009  and the Eric-Moore to Mile-2 and Mile-2 to Agboju has been completed, while Agboju to Trade Fair which has been abandoned for the past 10 years has now been flagged off for completion. The Deputy Governor further noted that the new Lagos State Governmen has recognised the strategic importance of the project to the state and promised to ease the inconvenience being faced by citizens on the road. He said, “You will recall that on June 2, just three days after the inauguration of the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-

 One of Nigeria’s most brilliant Police officers, Abba Kyari and his team have facilitated the release of  District Head of Buhari’s village, Daura, Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, after two months in captivity. Recall that Alhaji Uba, was abducted in his Daura residence on May 1st, 2019 by gunmen, whike prepairing for morning prayer . He was freed on Tuesday morning through the combined efforts of the IGP Intelligence Response Team. The spokesman for Katsina police command, SP Gambo Isah and some of his relatives , confirmed the development to the media. SP Gambo Isah, confirmed his release in a brief post to newsmen. “Magajin Garin Daura has been rescued. Congratulations to the entire people of Daura and Katsina state in general. Details follows,” he stated. Magajin Gari, who is a senior traditional title holder in the emirate, is a younger brother to the Emir of Daura, Faruk Umar Faruk. He is a retired Customs officer, who is married to Hajiya Biliki, a n

By Idris Oukoya The Commuters plying through Ajah-Badore expressway, Lagos State, have expressed displeasure over incessant gridlocks and uncontrolled flood affecting traffic flow by Jubilee Flyover bridge in Ajah area. Some of the commuters expressed their displeasures in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos, on Tuesday. Registering his displeasure with the nature of the road, Mr Rasheed Adisa, a motorist, revealed that  incessant gridlock on the Jubilee bridge, is as a result of indiscriminate packing by BRT buses as well as other commercial buses plying that routes. “Business activities have been paralysed in the area due to heavy vehicular traffic.  Patronages for motorists and investors in that areas have drastically dropped, since last year when the BRT Terminal was abandoned. “The heavy rain pour and flooding  through the abandoned BRT lane, have been causing lots of havoc in the environment," he said. Mr Isaac Amadi, a