The Editorials

  No fewer than five  people, including Alh. Azeez Abiola, a.k.a Istijabah, the newly appointed Caretaker Chairman of Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN) of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW)  were reportedly  assaulted and  stabbed on T hursday on their way to attend an emergency meeting, summoned by Alh. Musiliu Akinsanya, (MC Oluomo), Lagos State Chairman, the Lagos State Council Secretariat Complex, in Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos, on Thursday, with all the NURTW branch Chairmen and Zonal Chairmen. They were allegedly assaulted by some NURTW officials claimed to be working for MC Oluomo upon their arrival to the state council.   This is coming a day after the appointment and confirmation of Alh. Azeez Abiola, a.k.a Istijabah as the Caretaker Chairman of Lagos State TOOAN of NURTW by the National President of the Association on Wednesday.   Earlier at the meeting confirming Istijabah as the Lagos State Caretaker Ch...

Alhaji Tajudeen ibikunle Baruwa, National President of the National Union Of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has appointed Alhaji Azeez Abiola, popularly known as Istijabah, as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Lagos State, Tricycle Owners And Operators Association Of Nigeria TOOAN of NURTW.   This was revealed in a letter of confirmation signed and approved by the National Secretariat of the Association in Abuja on Wednesday, February 9, 2022.   Istijabah in his new capacity as Caretaker Chairman of the Association in Lagos state is expected to manage the activities of the Tricycle (Keke Marwa) throughout Lagos State. He has therefore been given the nod to hit the ground running immediately to reposition the glory of the association in the state. The appointment and immediate confirmation was witnessed by the National Executive Council of NURTW as well as  Lagos state NURTW executive council. Alhaji Istijabah, until his new elevation as State Chairman, was the Zonal Cha...

The Federal Government has revealed plan to continue payment of subsidy on petrol till end of 2022, rescinding its earlier decision to suspend payment of subsidy on PMS by June 2022.   Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budgets and National Planning  made this known on Monday while briefing the leadership of the Senate at the conference room of the Senate President, on the circumstances that led to the suspension of the six months subsidy removal plan. According to her, “The F ederal Government made provisions for subsidy in the 2022 budget from January to June this year. She said all payments on fuel subsidy ordinarily would cease as from July, 2022. The Finance Minister further observed that in view of the timing which is “problematic”, the Federal decided to suspend its plan to go ahead with the removal of subsidy on petroleum products in July, particularly against the backdrop of outcomes from ongoing consultations. She revealed  that the Federal Government is present...

  The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu has approved the document for the collection of N800 as Informal Transport Sector harmonised levy to be collected by government tax officers from commercial motorists at parks and garages across the State. The Governor on Tuesday  signed the agreement with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, and other commercial transporters operators. The levy according to the Governor mandates commercial driver operating in the state to pay a consolidated levy of N800 which will be shared among government agencies and local governments. Based on the agreement the government agencies expected to share the N800 collected are LAWMA, LIRS, LASEPA, Ministry of Transportation, Local Governments, among others relevant agencies. Tax officers working for LGs  are therefore urged not collect levy from commercial drivers anymore as their share has been included in the N800 levy pe...

Oredola Adeola   The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has raised alarm over poor state of f ederal and state governments  roads spread across Ile-Ife, Osun State, demanding to know the offence of the people of the ancient city. Ooni Ogunwusi made this known in a statement released by Moses Olafare, Director, Media & Public Affairs, Ooni's Palace. Ooni Ogunwusi on Sunday during the commissioning of a 700 metres road at the popular Odo-Ogbe market (Oja Tuntun), Ile-Ife, facilitated by the Ife-born, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legislative matters, (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare. According to him, the bad roads are making transportation of persons and goods a herculean exercise within the Ile-Ife metropolis. He said, "I really do not know our offence in Ife to deserve the poor road network that surround us. It is not enough to call Ife the source, this city deserves to be treated as the true source of humanity that ...

Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia wins $100,000 NLNG Literature Prize for 2021. Her work "The Son of the House won the 2021 edition of the grand prize. While Nigerian writer and academic Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike , was selected as the winner of 2021 The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism category . He won in the category Self-Publishing in the era of military rule in Nigeria, 1985 – 1999”, “Postcolonial Ogres in Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s Wizard of the Crow”, and “Land of cemetery: funereal images in the poetry of Musa Idris Okpanachi”. The literary criticism prize carries a monetary value of N1 million. The judges stated that there has been a visible improvement in writing skills and commended Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, (founder and sponsors of the prize), for giving writers the platform to blossom and experiment.

Oredola Adeola   The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA has condemned the unlawful siege on the Abuja residence of  Justice Mary  Peter-Odili,  Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Friday night by officers of the Nigerian security agencies. This was contained in a statement by the NBA President, Olumide Akpata, in reaction to the raid.   According to the NBA President,  I received with grave concern the news of the raid which erode the independence of sacred democratic institutions like the Judiciary, undermine the rule of law in Nigeria.   Akpata said he would be convening an emergency meeting of the NBA National Executive Committee solely to discuss this issue and take a definitive stand on behalf of the NBA, vowing to  lead a delegation to the AGF, Mr. Abubakar Malami, and the relevant heads of security agencies to seek further clarification on the circumstances of this incident. He said, “Almost 24 hours later, information concerning th...