Author: Vardiafrica

The Transmission Company of Nigeria on Sunday said it was unfair for Nigerians to vent their anger on its officials every time the national grid experiences failure in power supply, saying it is not their fault. The Managing Director of TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, raised the concerns when he featured as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Abdulaziz was reacting to calls from electricity consumers across the country for the dismissal of officers responsible for managing the national grid, following its collapse on Saturday morning. Saturday’s collapse marks the second in the week and the seventh in 2024 But the…

The Nigerian Army has dismissed the rumoured death of Taoreed Lagbaja, the chief of army staff (COAS), as fake news. There have been public concerns about the whereabouts of the army chief. On Sunday, Jackson Ude, an X user, made a post claiming that COAS had died of cancer in a hospital abroad. “CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF DIES OF CANCER The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has died,” the post reads. “Lagbaja died in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48hrs ago from a stage three Cancer, according to a senior Government official. The death of the Chief of Army…

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the appointment of Ben Iloanusi as its acting Managing Director. This follows the completion of Fidet Okhiria’s tenure as MD. Yakub Mahmood, deputy director of public relations at NRC made this known in a statement on Sunday. He noted that Okhiria, who completed his second four-year tenure on October 18, has handed over to Iloanusi. Mahmood said Iloanusi, who joined the NRC in 2011, is the most senior executive director in the corporation and has served as deputy director of procurement since 2019. Iloanusi, according to Mahmood, holds a degree in political science…

The Federal Government has introduced a new bill proposing a 5% excise duty on telecommunications, gaming, and betting services as part of a broader effort to overhaul the nation’s tax framework. This proposal, which is contained in the “Nigeria Tax Act,” aims to impose excise duties on various services across the country. The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Repeal Certain Acts on Taxation and Consolidate the Legal Frameworks relating to Taxation and Enact the Nigeria Tax Act to Provide for Taxation of Income, Transactions, and Instruments, and Related Matters,” was obtained from the National Assembly and is dated October…

The Lagos State Police Command says it has released all demonstrators who were arrested in the early hours of Sunday, during #EndSars commemoration at the Lekki Toll Gate. The Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this via a post on his X handle, stating that Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olanrewaju Ishola, personally oversaw the process. “All protesters in our custody have been released. CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on the ground at the SCID to personally ensure this,” Hundeyin wrote. A human right lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, also confirmed the release of all those arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate by the…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the implementation of the NCDMB-UBEC Smart Schools Development Initiative (NUSSDI). The MoU will enable the provision of educational infrastructure, particularly in areas with high rates of out-of-school children as well as underserved rural communities, integration of technology in learning, building the capacity of teachers and educational administrators and improving overall learning outcomes. At the signing ceremony on Thursday in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, explained that the NUSSDI would leverage the combined…

The Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has said TotalEnergies, an international oil major, is prepared to complete an investment deal in the North Offshore project as well as other joint ventures with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. Lokpobiri made this disclosure following a meeting with the President of EP Total Energies, Mr Nicolas Terraz, in Abuja. He revealed that these projects have recently received board approval of the international oil company, and will be completed by the end of the year. “Our energy sector holds tremendous potential, and we will continue…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as malaria-free, marking a significant public health milestone for a country with more than 100 million inhabitants. The achievement follows a nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people to end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times. “Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This certification of Egypt as malaria-free is truly historic, and a testament to the commitment of the people…

Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface survived a ghastly car crash on Sunday after scoring a decisive goal for his German club, Bayer Leverkusen in their 2-1 win over Frankfurt on Saturday. The Nigerian international shared video footage and photos of his smashed car after the accident on Sunday. The forward can be seen looking into the camera and then showing what appears to be his arm dripping with blood in the post. Other images showed a black sports car which was destroyed in an accident before the post was later deleted. Citing a source close to the striker, German tabloid…

Officers of the Lagos police command have arrested protesters marking the fourth anniversary of #EndSARS. On Sunday, the protesters gathered at the Lekki tollgate area for a memorial rally to commemorate the nationwide #EndSARS protests of 2020. TheCable understands that when the activists approached the tollgate, they were resisted by armed police officers, who warned against rallying at the location. The armed police officers subsequently shot teargas canisters to disperse the protesters. Some moments later, another group of activists arrived at the tollgate for their #EndSARS memorial walk. The police officers, stationed at the tollgate, arrested about 20 of them,…