PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

Police constable who returned missing $800 BTA to pilgrim in Katsina gets hajj seat A police constable, Nura Mande, who found and returned a missing $800 USD Basic Traveling Allowance (BTA) to a Katsina pilgrim in 2022, got a hajj seat for the 2023 pilgrimage. CSP Gambo Isah, the Public Relations Officer, Zone 14, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday in Katsina. Isah said that the money belonged to Hajiya Hadiza Usman, an elderly person from Kusada local government area of the state. However, the statement did not mention the name of the person who gave the hajj seat to the policeman. Isah added that the person who promised to reward the officer with hajj seat in 2023 for his honesty, had fulfilled the promise. “As I am telling you this, Nura Mande is presently in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj. “We thank the Almighty Allah and the good people of the state for their prayers, gifts and support to the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force,” he said. It would be recalled

Shettima apologises for demanding Christian Senate President Vice-President Kashim Shettima has apologised for asking lawmakers to elect a Christian Senate President for the 10th National Assembly. Ahead of the election, Shettima said: “Under the current dispensation, the worst incompetent Southern Christian is better than the most puritanical Northern Muslim for the Presidency of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” His comments stirred up controversy and outrage, especially on social media and among the Muslim community. However, speaking with BBC Hausa, Shettima insisted his comments were misinterpreted and that he had no intention of defaming his religion. He said, “The comment I made is for the benefit of Nigeria but was misinterpreted. I received confidential intelligence reports that are not suitable for public disclosure. “I sincerely did not have any intention to cause harm to any individual or the Islamic religion. However, being an imperfect human being, I seek fo

Guinness World Record receives Chef Dammy’s cook-a-thon application, set to review evidence Guinness World Records has reportedly approved the 120-hour cook-a-thon of Ekiti-born chef, Miss Damilola Adeparusi, popularly known as Chef Dammy. Recall, Chef Dammy embarked on a courageous cooking journey which organisers said lasted for 120 hours between June 9 and 13. On Wednesday, June 14, Guinness World Records confirmed to Legit.ng that the chef did not apply before starting to cook in her 120-hour cookathon. “We have not received an application for this attempt. Applications can be made via the Guinness World Records website for our records management team to review. “Once an application is accepted, the record claimant receives a set of detailed guidelines specific to that record category that must be adhered to.” In the latest information made available to Legit.ng on Friday, June 16, the Guinness World Records said the body is now in possession of Dammy’s application. The GWR PR mana

‘BRACE FOR MORE GIANT STRIDES, SERVICE DELIVERY’ — SANWO-OLU TELLS LAGOSIANS, AS GOVERNOR SWEARS IN FIRST CABINET APPOINTEES   •SSG, Chief of Staff, Deputy COS take the oath    Barely three weeks after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy took the oath to kick off their second term, the wheel of governance in Lagos State is turning on a fresh momentum with the swearing-in of the first set of key members of the State cabinet, on Friday.   The Governor inaugurated the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, a former Federal Commissioner representing Lagos State in the National Population Commission (NPC).   The ceremony, held at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Alausa, also witnessed the swearing in of re-appointed Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Gboyega Soyannwo.   Salu-Hundeyin’s appointment as SSG followed her acting national leadership role at NPC, where she supervised the fu

Court Jails Kaduna ‘Yahoo Boy’ 6 Years for Money Laundering The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of one Okoye Bethel Makuochukwu before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on one count charge of money laundering.  Bethel, an undergraduate, was arrested in Zaria, Kaduna State by security personnel and handed over to the Commission for further investigation.  The investigation revealed that he assumed the identity of a foreigner, Violetqmartinez and, in such character, defrauded unsuspecting victims by luring them into fake social relationships using mostly the social media app, Telegraph. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, K.S Ogunlade urged the court to convict the defendant.  Justice Aikawa convicted and sentenced him to a fine of N 1,000,000 or serve 6 years imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine. He was also ordered to forfeit the Merc

Court Convicts 13 Internet Fraudsters in Oyo, Osun The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Command has secured the conviction and sentencing of thirteen (13) internet fraudsters to various jail terms before Justices Ladiran Akintola, Mojeed Oladimeji Ishola, Omolara Adeyemi of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan and Justice Patricia Iroawuchi Ajoku of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State and Justice Nathaniel Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State.   The convicts were arraigned on separate one count charges each except Olanrewaju Idris Arogundade who was docked on two counts. The other convicts are: Hassan Abass Adisa, Kazeem Waris Ayinde, Paul James Otegwu, John Ukoro Amuta, Lawal Ibrahim Ayomide, Olajide Femi Owo, Hammed Samad Abiola, Gbolahan Qudus Ajadi, Elijah Olalekan Oyedeji, Ajari Oghenekewe, Odunayo Oluwafunke Omotosho and Olanigbehin Gbenga Faith. Justice Ajoku, in her judgment found Arogundade guilty of the charges filed against

EFCC Arraigns Man For Alleged N60m Fraud In Lagos The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, June 15, 2023, arraigned one Godwin Chukwuzubelu Godwin before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos. The defendant was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. He pleaded “not guilty” to the offence. In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Ebuka S. Okongwu, prayed the court for a trial date and the remand of the defendant in the correctional facility. Justice Ijelu adjourned the matter till July 12, 2023 for commencement of trial and ordered the defendant to be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional facility.  

The King has been graciously pleased to appoint The Queen to the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. The Order represents the highest honour in Scotland. Revived by King James VII, the Order has a complement of 16 Knights.

I’ll Retun To Aso Rock With Bill Gates, Says Dangote After Meeting Tinubu President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday, hosted the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja. While speaking, Dangote said he would talk to journalists next week when he would return to the Villa with the Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Bill Gates.  

In Lagos, we value hardwork, dedication and excellence.  Congratulations to Aminat Yusuf, a law student at Lagos State University (LASU), for achieving a remarkable feat, being the first undergraduate in 40 years to obtain a CGPA of 5.0. This is truly commendable! Your dedication and hard work have paid off.  I am also thrilled to hear about the outstanding academic achievements of 282 students who achieved first-class honours in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 sessions. As a state, we will continue to reward and support academic excellence.  

Subsidy removal: Niger offers free transport services to public schools Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has ordered that there’ll be free transportation of government school pupils within the state. This measure, the governor said, is to help ensure that learners have easy access to education, amidst the removal of fuel subsidy by the President Tinubu administration. The governor said, “The free transportation for the children at the basic level of education will encourage pupils to go to school at the basic education level and again cushion the effect of subsidy removal.” Officials of the National Examination Council, led by its registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof Ibrahim Wushishi, paid a visit to the Government House, Minna, the state capital.  Examination body to assist the government in making schools attractive to learners and improve the quality of education in the North-Central state. “We have not felt NECO in terms of corporate social responsibilities. We have not

Certificate forgery:  Mbah, PDP Camp in panic as LP line up 36 witnesses against the newly sworn in Governor of  Enugu State. The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu State, Mr Chijioke Edeoga, told the election petition tribunal sitting in Enugu on Friday that he will call 36 witnesses to testify against Governor Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party to prove his certificate forgery. Mbah, who was declared the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Enugu State by the Independent National Electoral Commission, is facing a mounting challenge from the Labour Party candidate, Edeoga, over his alleged forgery of the National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate presented to the electoral umpire. Edoga is praying the tribunal disqualify Mbah over the alleged NYSC certificate forgery. During the resumed sitting of the tribunal on Friday, the petitioners, through their counsel, Mr M. J. Numa, told the panel that they intended to call 28 witnesses as a whole w

Ogun Partners French Development Agency On Improved Water Supply The problem of water scarcity in Abeokuta and its environs will soon be a thing of the past as the French Development Agency (AFD) is partnering the Ogun State Water Corporation, to rehabilitate water plants and improve distribution network to deliver portable water to the people. Speaking in an interview after leading a delegation to a meeting with Governor Dapo Abiodun in his office at Oke-Mosan Abeokuta on Friday, the Task Team Leader of the AFD, in charge of Water and Sanitation, Mr.Olivier Gilard, said they were in the State to make final evaluation of the State Urban Water Project. Mr. Gilard said: "I am here to make final evaluation of the Ogun State Urban Water Project that is being funded by AFD and implemented by the State Water Corporation. "The project is important for Abeokuta city because with the financing, the Corporation was able to rehabilitate its water plants and improve the distribution net

Don’t Release Nnamdi Kanu, Asari Dokubo Tells Tinubu June 16, 2023 Releasing Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), will be tantamount to rewarding criminality, Niger Delta leader, Asari Dokubo, has said. Kanu, who is standing trial for terrorism, has been in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in 2021. A Federal High Court in Abuja had granted him bail in 2017 but he flouted the bail conditions and subsequently fled the country. President Muhammadu Buhari had resisted the pressure to release Kanu, but with the entry of a new government, fresh calls are being made for the IPOB leader’s release. Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State had discussed the issue of Kanu when he met with President Bola Tinubu. Speaking with reporters after meeting President Bola Tinubu, Dokubo who has also fought the Federal Government in the past, said Kalu should be made to face the law. “His release would fuel impunity; during EndSars, Nnamdi K

No fight between us and Igbos in Anambra, Yoruba community debunks rumours 16th Jun 2023  The Yoruba community in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, has refuted rumours suggesting animosity between the Igbos and Yorubas, particularly concerning the outcome of the February 25th, 2023 Presidential election that resulted in Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu being elected as President of Nigeria. The community has urged other tribes and ethnic groups residing in Anambra to disregard these rumours, emphasizing that there is no such hostility between them and their host people, the Igbos, in the state. There were reports circulating in the state that Yorubas residing there were attacked during the presidential election or accused of not voting for Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election. However, Alhaji Ademola Okeleye, the President General of the Yoruba community in Awka, dismissed these rumours during a briefing with journalists in Awka. He labelled those sprea

PRESS RELEASE Nigeria, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Benin, Guinea Sign MoUs on Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Abuja, Nigeria - June 16, 2023 Today, another important milestone was achieved at the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as four significant Memoranda of Understanding related to the Nigeria Morocco Gas Pipeline Project were signed. Additionally, the project's Steering Committee convened to discuss the progress of the Project and its strategic direction. Four Memoranda of Understanding were signed on Friday, June 16, in Abuja as part of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project. These tripartite MOUs were respectively and successively signed between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) of Morocco on one hand, and the Société Nationale des Opérations Pétrolières of Cote d’Ivoire (PETROCI), the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), the Société Nationale de

BENUE PDP HAILS COURT JUDGEMENT BARRING GOVT FROM SACKING LG CHAIRMEN 16th June, 2023      The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State yesterday hailed the judgement of the National Industrial Court (NIC) sitting in Makurdi guaranteeing the full tenure of incumbent local government councils in the state. The party said the court’s verdict will further serve as a boost to Governor Hyacinth Alia’s earlier promise to give local government councils full autonomy.

ANAMBRA BAN MONIEPOINT SERVICES OVER FRAUD PRACTICES 16th June, 2023  Anambra State Government on Friday banned the services of Moniepoint across the State with immediate effect. The Executive Director in charge of operations and other revenue in Anambra State, Dr Christian Madubuko announced the directive while addressing journalists in his office, shortly after parading two suspected coordinators of the moniepoint arrested by security men in Awka, the State capital. The Executive Director told journalists that the suspect, Mr Ndubuisi Anadi was arrested over alleged financial rascality and removal of the state government payment system. Speaking to the press, Dr Madubuko said ” These are money point coordinators in Anambra State.”These issues are complex” You are in Anambra, and you must have heard a lot of stories about people paying their taxes, and the taxes not reflected in the government account.” “So we have been asking them what has been going wrong” “You can imagine that a Ke

*Stealing and Vandalization of Solar Street Lights* Paul Nwosu  Anambra State Government has discovered that the cables and accessories of the new cost-saving Solar Street Lights being installed to illuminate our roads and streets are being stolen and vandalized  by some enemies of the progress of the state  It has also become a regular thing for some reckless drivers to knock down these street light poles and take-off without any remorse as if the facility was not put there with tax payers money.  These can no longer be tolerated.  The Street Lights Monitoring Committees set up by the Ministry of Power and Water Resources are hereby directed by the Government to be more vigilant and firm in the exercise of their responsibilities which is to protect and  apprend these culprits.  Government is calling on the  local Street Light Monitoring Committees and the communities' leaders to take full ownership of these assets and guard them with eagle eyes.  Anybody caught pilfering or destro

Court Orders DSS to Grant Counsel to Emefiele Access to Him  The high court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Abuja, has ordered Department of State Service to allow Counsel to the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Godwin Emefiele access to him. The presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu granted the interim order in an ex -parte motion brought before the court by Godwin Emefiele as an applicant. The order of the court is based on the fundamental rights of the applicant presently in the custody of the DSS. The matter has been adjourned to 20th June, 2023 for commencement of the substantive suit.  

NEC ESTABLISHES COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS N702.9BN COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE FOR WORKERS NEC Establishes Ad Hoc Committee to Address Nigerian Workers' Hardship After Fuel Subsidy Removal In response to the challenges faced by Nigerian workers due to the removal of fuel subsidy, the National Economic Council (NEC) has taken action by setting up an ad hoc committee. The committee's primary objective is to find effective measures to alleviate the suffering experienced by workers across the country. According to a statement from the Office of the Vice President, the council has granted the committee a two-week timeframe to explore two proposed scenarios put forth by the National Salaries Wages and Income Commission (NSWIC). The statement highlights that this decision was made during the inaugural NEC meeting chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, following its establishment by President Bola Tinubu. Mr. Ekpo Nta, the Chairman of NSWIC, has recommended two key measures to address the

I’ll do everything to make him succeed – Asari Dokubo pledges after meeting President Tinubu A former leading agitator in the oil-rich South-South region, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, has vowed that he would not hesitate to render every support needed for President Bola Tinubu’s government to succeed. Dokubo made the vow on Friday while speaking with journalists shortly after his meeting with the president at the State House, Abuja. He said his major aim in visiting the president was to congratulate him for his achievements so far, stressing that with the president’s moves, “Nigeria has changed.” He said: “I was here just to say hello to my father. I had congratulated him before this time. I also came to give a word of support for what he has achieved and what he has done so far. I know that Nigeria has changed. Nigeria has turned 360 degrees in a positive direction. “When I’m speaking about the president, I speak from a personal point of view. I will do everything, stake everything, to make m