NIGERIAN NOTCH

African leaders have been called upon to begin to respect the fundamental rights of their citizens to halt the increasing human rights abuses by leaders in the continent. In the same vein rights activists have been challenged to rise up to the ocassion of rights abuses in the continent so as to build a society where rule of law and constitutional democracy truely obtains. The Executive Director, Human Rights,  Liberty Access and Peace Defenders'Foundation ( HURIDE), Dede Uzor A. Uzor,  made the call Thursday while addressing the press to mark this year's Universal  Declaration ofHuman and People's Rights (UDHR). Dede Uzor lamented that activists have slacked back in pursuit of people's fundamental rights because there is no more funding from abroad. "But people should understand activism . Most times  money is involved in our activities. Infact,  everything in activism  lies on funding. Without funding it is difficult to carry out any serious programme. Her...

....Doles Alms To The Less Privileged In line with its yearly doctrine of organizing an end of year prayer meeting, for traders in Agboedo United market nnewi, a tradition that is over 20 years now.  The Hon. Joe Enuma's administration in keeping faith with the tradition of the market extended a hand of fellowship to the less privileged, especially the physically challenged who came from all walks of life to be part of the event. While interacting with newsmen, Hon. Joe Enuma stated that the prayer summit was organized to thank God for his love and compassion to them in the market. He restated the fact that the prayer summit is an annual event spanning over 20 years, and they instituted the aspect of giving alms to the less privileged as a way of also thanking God for making it possible for them to trade without hitches. He thanked the government of Chief Willie Obiano for creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state and called on well meaning individuals ...

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on Thursday assumed office for a second term as Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission INEC. Yakubu had arrived to a rousing reception by INEC headquarters staff and guests at about 11:20 am and went into a closed-door session with the national commissioners. Thereafter, at a brief ceremony to formally take over affairs of the commission, Yakubu pledged to discharge his mandate without bias. He said he had steadily strengthened the institutional capacity of INEC to carry on with its mandate even in the absence of a Chairman. Before handing over the reins of leadership, Muazu congratulated Prof. Yakubu on his reappointment. He explained how the commission had carried on for the past month and said invaluable lessons were learned from the conduct last weekend’s bye-elections. According to Muazu, INEC was confronted with several challenges, especially security during the bye-elections, lamenting the loss of six police personnel who drowned in Bayelsa Stat...

Israeli authorities are set to unveil previously off-limits structures within King Herod’s palace-fortress Herodium, which the tyrannical Roman-era leader interred as his enormous burial plot. Herodium, a hugely popular tourism destination, is near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank but falls in an area where Israel exercises full military and civilian control. Archaeologists say Herod decided towards the end of his life to bury his palace, using ground from below the hill it was perched upon, until the outline of the structure was no longer visible. Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority plans to open the revamped site on Sunday, allowing visitors to see for the first time Herodium’s arched stairway, foyer and private theatre. The Judean desert complex was built by the Roman-appointed king known both for his brutality and the magnificent structures built during his reign over Judea from 37 to 4 BC. The hilltop palace, its main entrance facing Jerusalem, was Herod’s favourite. It was...

The Federal High Court in Lagos has upheld a landmark $1.7billion arbitral award in favour of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Co. (NPDC) Ltd against the Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nig. Ltd and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd. Justice A. Faji dismissed Atlantic Energy’s application to set aside the Arbitral Award of March 5, 2020. Justice A. Faji dismissed Atlantic Energy’s application to set aside the Arbitral Award of March 5, 2020. He upheld the submissions of NPDC lead counsel Prof Fabian Ajogwu SAN and granted orders recognising the $1.7bn Arbitral Award as well as for leave to enforce same as a judgment of the Federal High Court. The landmark decision upholds one of the single largest Awards ever in a Nigerian Arbitration. Sometime in August 2015, Atlantic Energy, through its lawyer, T. Fagbohunlu SAN, took the NNPC to arbitration for alleged breach of contract. NPDC in response, filed a counter-claim for funds due to the Federal Government on account of crud...

The Minister of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, says the administration has reduced the current cost of data by 50%. The Minister who revealed this in a statement on Thursday explained that the reduction was made possible in line with his directives to the service providers through the industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC. According to a statement from the Minister, this followed measures put in place by the Ministry to significantly reduce the average cost of data at an incremental rate.   He explained the average cost of 1GB data was reduced from N1,000 cost of January 2020 to N487.18 in November 2021. This, the statement explained was based on a report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) submitted to the Minister following the implementation of the directives.   The Minister had inaugurated a committee that developed the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) on the ...

The former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, Abulrasheed Maina, who is facing money laundering charges, on Thursday, collapsed before trial Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Maina slumped shortly after the court resumed proceedings in the 12-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him and his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Limited. Maina had on Wednesday after the EFCC closed its case with nine witnesses, secured permission of the court to enter a no-case-submission to the charges against him. However, when the case was called on Thursday, Maina’s lawyer, Mr. Anayo Adibe, told the court that his client would not be able to proceed with his application. Abide said he was unable to prepare the no-case-submission owing to the fact that he was not availed with records of proceedings of the court in the matter. The defence lawyer was about to make further submission when his client, Maina, s...