The Editorials

Allen Atwiine, Uganda  The TVEL JSC, Managing Company of Rosatom's Fuel Division, and AllWeld Nuclear and Industrial, a South African firm, have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation which is focused on decommissioning and radioactive waste (RW) management at nuclear facilities in South Africa. The memorandum was signed by the party during the African Energy Week (AEW) 2024 in Cape Town on Tuesday.  The Editorials gathered that the Memoradium outlined a framework for cooperation and the implementation of joint initiatives.  Our correspondent gathered that the document was signed by Eduard Nikitin, Director for Decommissioning and RW Management at TVEL JSC, and Mervyn Fischer, CEO of AllWeld Nuclear and Industrial. Nikitin explained that the memorandum outlined plans for collaborative efforts in scientific, technical, and commercial activities related to the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and other facilities that pose nuclear and radiation hazards. He said, "The key...

..as Craneburg continues interim repairs on Ilepa , Bosun , Pakoto, Ifo, Ewekoro, Itori, and Obada area Oredola Adeola Relief is in sight for motorists on the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway, as Craneburg, the contracting firm, has commenced the much-anticipated reconstruction of the heavily trafficked route. The official groundbreaking ceremony for the project is scheduled for Friday, August 23, and will be led by Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. The Contractor , Craneburg Construction Company Ltd, began mobilizing its equipment to the site about 10 days ago, initiating palliative measures on one side of the road to ensure it remains passable while full-scale reconstruction commences on the opposite side. The interim repairs, which have already been carried out, span the Sango-Ota, Ilepa , Bosun , Pakoto, Ifo, Ewekoro, Itori, and Obada areas, with stone bases laid on the most deteriorated sections to ease the burden of travel during the construction period. The expressway...

  Oredola Adeola The new Presidential jet, an A330-200 registered as 5N-FGA, is about to land in Abuja. Editorials obtained this from data from RadarBox on Sunday evening. Recall that the acquisition of this aircraft has been a subject of intense debate, given Nigeria's ongoing economic challenges.  Critics argue that the $100 million spent on the jet is an inappropriate use of funds at a time when the government struggles to address basic needs, such as paying the minimum wage. However, supporters of the purchase, including members of the National Assembly, have defended the decision.  They contend that the current presidential fleet, which includes a 19-year-old Boeing aircraft, is outdated and poses safety risks.  They also argued that a reliable and modern presidential jet is crucial for national representation and security.  The House of Representatives had earlier endorsed the acquisition, emphasizing the importance of operational efficiency for the presid...

The United Arab (UAE) has approved $45 million in finance towards the reconstruction of 86 kilometres of Minna-Bida Road in Niger State.  This was confirmed by Dr. Fahad Al Taffaq, UAE Ambassador to Nigeria @altaffaq, and obtained by the Editorialsng on Thursday.  The Editorialsng gathered that the fund for the project was made possible through the collaboration with between UAE Government, Nigeria Government, and Abu Dhabi_Fund for Development (ADFD) According to Dr. Fahad Al Taffaq, this is a commendable stride in our bilateral relations with Nigeria.  He said, "The $45 million financing towards the development of Minna-Bida Road in Niger State sets a new path for a strategic partnership that embodies the beginning of a comprehensive development phase in Nigeria.  In a statement by Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the organisation disclosed that the agreement represents a significant milestone, as Nigeria becomes the latest African country to establish a dist...

  Oredola Adeola The historically significant 9th - 11th century Igbo-Ukwu collections of bronzes in National Museum Lagos, have been selected to receive Bank of America’s $40,000 grant for 2022 Art Conservation Project. This was released in a statement obtained by Surprise Africa on Thursday, by the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments.   According to the statement the National Museum Lagos was selected as a beneficiary of the Bank of America Arts Conservation Project 2022 out of about 19 major global art conservation projects to be selected.   Surprise Africa gathered that the funding from the grant will be used to restore 350 Igbo-Ukwu bronze objects, historically inimitable, they come from a culture that may be the earliest known example of bronze casting in the region.  Our correspondent gathered that the grant was the first ever funding received for the conservation of the Igbo-Ukwu bronzes. The National Museum Lagos is one of 19 significant a...

Oredola Adeola The 2022 edition of the just concluded Big Brother Naija “Level Up” failed to level up to expectation, this is because the number of voters fell below the votes that the ‘Shine ya Eye’ Season 6, 2021 edition recorded. John Ugbe, Chief Executive Officer,  MultiChoice Nigeria, disclosed this during the prize presentation to the winner of the “Level Up” edition, Josephine Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, on Tuesday in Lagos. The Editorials' analysis showed that Season 7 received over 1bn votes during the programme compared with a total of 1.3 billion votes garnered in the previous season. This represented a 23.08% decrease in the number of votes cast by fans for their favourite housemates.     The organisers however noted that hosting the show in 2022, cost a whooping N4.7billion compared with about N4.3 billion spent during the Season 6 edition.  The BBNaija season 4 “Pepper Dem” edition held in 2019, recorded 240 million votes, while the...

  By Chukwudi Iwuchukwu   To those who do not understand why I called the wife of the new king of England, King Charles, “Side Chick”, let me share their beautiful love story.   The course of true love never runs smooth, and that was certainly the case for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. It took years for the British public to accept Camilla as Charles’ new girlfriend and then wife in 2005, following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. But over the decades, fans have warmed to the Duchess and credit her with supporting the future king and becoming his rock.     As Charles and Camilla celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary last weekend, let’s take a look at their enduring love story, which started in the seventies…   A chance meeting at a polo match in 1970 marked the beginning of Camilla Shand’s relationship with Prince Charles. The two – both aged 23 – began dating, but their romance cooled when the future King was called away on nav...

     The Lagos State Chairman and Governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Professor Ifagbemi Awamaridi, has commenced the registration and integration of new members and support groups into the party’s database, which according to him is an attempt to solidify the party structure in the state, after a failed attempt by Kayode Salako-led faction of the party, to hijack the party structure from him.     The Lagos State Labour Party Chairman,  in a statement on Saturday at a town hall meeting with the state working committee of the party held at Avid Empire, Alagbado, Lagos, urged all party members and the support groups of Peter Obi, the party’s Presidential candidate, to validate their membership in their units, wards and local government across Lagos state.   He also charged prospective members and lovers of the party to take advantage of the membership registration window to join the party in rescuing the state and country from misrule o...

  Oredola Adeola The Nigerian Government and Lagos State Government have both agreed to finalise preparations to successfully host the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Conference on Tourism, Culture and the Creative Industries, scheduled to hold at the National Theatre, Lagos, between November 14 and 16, 2022. This was made known on Thursday, when the Conference’s Planning Committee and Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, paid a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The Committee used the occasion to congratulate the Lagos state government for being the host of the global conference. This according to the UNWTO team was because of the state’s premier role in tourism, culture and the creative. Surprise Africa gathered that the Thursday meeting was aimed at soliciting the support of the Lagos State Government towards the successful hosting of the conference, According to Alhaji Mohammed , while Nigeria is the hos...

 Saudi Arabia on Friday announced a decision to open its air space to all air carriers. The country’s General Authority of Civil Aviation tweeted that the decision meets Saudi Arabia’s dedication to fulfilling its obligations under the Chicago Convention of 1944. The Convention stipulates non-discrimination between civil aircrafts used in international air navigation. The decision consolidates the Kingdom’s position as a global hub connecting three continents and enhancing international air connectivity. Earlier, Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid applauded the Saudi Arabian decision on its decision to open the airspace. “This is the first step. We will continue to work with due caution, for the Israeli economy, its security and for the citizens of Israel,” Lapid said in a statement released by his office. Israeli airlines previously could not travel over Saudi airspace due to a ban, making flights to regions like Asia costlier and longer. The announcement comes on the sam...

 The Lagos State Government has concluded plan to host the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) scheduled in November, 2022.  This was confirmed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu  on Thursday when he received a delegation from the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) led by the Director-General, Chief Segun Runsewe, main organisers of the festival. The NAFEST is an annual cultural festival which brings together contingents from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT to a host state to showcase the nation’s diverse cultural heritage in arts, crafts and all. Sanwo-Olu said that a delegation from the state had visited NCAC for a  Pre-NAFEST maiden meeting to interact and obtain details of hosting the festival. He said based on the report, the state government had to improve on their facilities to meet all criteria set by the NCAC. He noted that this was done to enable the state not only to host the biggest and most colourful festival, but also emerge...

  LCC SHIFTS RESUMPTION DATE OF TOLL COLLECTION AT THE LEKKI-IKOYI LINK BRIDGE TOLL PLAZA ...as LCC shift date, to announce new date after consultation Lekki Concession Company Limited (LCC) has shifted the resumption date of toll collection at the Lekki- Ikoyi Link Bridge Toll Plaza indefinitely, thereby changed toll collection date from April 16th, 2022 till after consultation with residents. This was contained in a statement signed by Yomi Omomuwasan, Managing Director of LCC on Friday. According to the company, delay in the resumption of toll collection was due to the need for further consultations with key stakeholders in the Eti-Osa, Lekki area. The MD said the new development was in a bid to address their concerns and arrive at a mutually favourable resolution of all issues. Besides, the shift will give customers more time to register for the electronic devices. He said, “As a responsible organisation, we must take full cognisance of everyone within the axis. Therefore, we...

Femi Falana (SAN), Lawyer and activist  has alleged that officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) allow criminals to escape court verdicts by getting young men who will serve jail terms for criminals. Speaking on Thursday at a media session titled, “Forget the past, forfeit the future: A nation seceding from humanity”, Falana said the country is at war and the level of criminality is on the rise. He noted that solving the country’s security challenges goes beyond hiring mercenaries. Falana revealed that criminals that have been convicted of a crime are allowed to walk freely on the streets after warders connive with convicts to pay youths willing to serve jail terms on behalf of criminals. According to him, some of them who have been condemned to prison terms in Kirikiri hardly get there as the exchange is made at Mile 2, a few kilometres to the prison.   He also said that there were some convicts who don't seek a replacement or representation in prison but simply ...

Following Alh. Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo) refusal to show remorse after his suspension by the national leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURW), Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, NURTW national president and Alhaji Kabiru Ado Ya’u, general secretary, in letter jointly signed on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, have announced the dissolution of the Lagos council of the NURTW under his leadership. The duo of the National President and Secretary of NURTW, acting on behalf of the National Administrative Council (NAC) of NURTW in the letter seen by Editorials, titled:- Dissolution of Lagos State Administrative Council, revealed that the decision of the body to finally dissolve MC's led administration was based on the provisions of the union’s constitution. It would be recalled that the union under Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo) in Lagos state has been in a running battle with the national body of the union in Abuja. He was suspended for insubordination and in ret...

The leadership of the Tricycles Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN) and principal officers of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), in a  press conference,  Thursday,  said the Union and all its affiliates, under Lagos State chapter, are fiercely loyal to the  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidential bid and the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwoolu as Lagos State Governor. The leaders who gathered to offer their solidarity for Asiwaju for 2023 include, Alhaji Rafiu Akanni Olohunwa, former Chairman NURTW, Lagos Council, Comrd. Seyi Bankole, Secretary NURTW, Lagos State , Alh. Muritala Lawal(Epo) former Chairman TOOAN Lagos Council, BOT TOOAN other top NURTW leaders, all promising to mobilise their grassroot support base for the realisation of the presidential ambition of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023 General Election and  that of Governor Babajide Sanwoolu's second term  bid come  2023. They also restated their commitm...