Author: Vardiafrica

lA Rivers State High Court has upheld Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s authority to conduct official business with the three lawmakers who have not vacated their seats in the state house of assembly. The ruling, delivered on December 20 by Presiding Judge Sika Aprioku, dismissed a suit seeking to compel Fubara to present the 2024 state budget to the Martin Amaewhule-led assembly. The case, marked PHC/3552/CS/2024, was filed by the Registered Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners. The plaintiffs sought to require the governor to submit the budget for passage to the 27-member assembly, led by Amaewhule. The…

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that students can retake papers they failed during the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from January 2025 in the following year. This initiative will allow candidates to quickly improve their grades and qualify for the next admissions cycle, avoiding a year-long delay in their academic progress. The Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, John Kapi, revealed the new initiative, dubbed “WASSCE PC1,” during an interview on JoyNews’ AM Show. The WASSCE PC1 exams will be held from January 24 to February 15, 2025, according to Kapi. Kapi also explained that…

President Bola Tinubu will depart Lagos on January 6, 2025, for Accra, the capital of Ghana, to attend the inauguration of President-elect John Mahama on January 7, 2025. This was contained in a statement on Sunday by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga. Mahama, who served as the 12th president of Ghana between 2011 and 2017, was reelected in December 2024. He will succeed President Nana Akuffo-Addo (2017-2025). Onanuga said, “Tinubu’s trip to Accra is at the invitation of the president-elect, who had visited the Nigerian leader earlier in December. “Mahama and Tinubu have a longstanding personal relationship, just like Nigeria and…

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors. President Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else. These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world. The awards will be presented at…

Renowned Nigerian gospel artist and pastor, Nathaniel Bassey, has been invited to minister at the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The Akwa Ibom-born cleric announced the invitation on his Instagram page, sharing a poster of the event and writing: “Let’s raise a sound in America. See you on January 20, 2025.” The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the U.S. Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast is a non-political, faith-based event held every four years before the swearing-in of a new administration. It focuses on prayer and worship as spiritual…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has commissioned solar-powered street lights in Bodo, Biera and Bera communities in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State as part of its ongoing Light Up the Niger Delta project. Inaugurating the project, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said that the street lights would enhance the economic value of the communities, reduce criminal activities in the area and promote a productive nightlife. Ogbuku, who was accompanied by the NDDC Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye and the South-South Vice Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Mr. Victor Giadom, assured that more…

President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced on Jan. 10 in the criminal case in which he was convicted on charges involving hush money paid to a porn star, but is unlikely to face jail time or other penalties, a judge said on Friday. Justice Juan Merchan’s ruling means Trump will be required to appear at a court hearing just 10 days before his Jan. 20 inauguration – an unprecedented scenario in U.S. history. Before Trump, no U.S. president – former or sitting – had been charged with or convicted of a crime. The judge said Trump, 78, may appear at his sentencing either…

Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to the mass street and road lighting across the Niger Delta. The initiative, known as ‘Light Up the Niger Delta,’ is being implemented in the nine Niger Delta states, comprising Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers. Ogbuku disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by the NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt. Ogbuku explained that the project aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the Niger Delta. The initiative, he said,…

Liverpool superstar, Mohamed Salah has confirmed that this will be his last season at the club. In an exclusive interview with Sky News, he was asked if he felt this was his final season with the Reds, and Salah responded: “So far? Yes. It’s the last six months.” “There is no progress there, we’re far away from any progress, so we just need to wait and see.” Salah said he aims to win another Premier League title for the English club. “I want to win the Premier League with Liverpool. It’s my last year in the club, so you want…

South Korea’s political leadership was in uncharted territory Saturday after the sitting president resisted arrest over a failed martial law decree days before the warrant expires. In scenes of high drama on Friday, Yoon Suk Yeol’s presidential guards and military troops shielded the former star prosecutor from investigators, who called off their arrest attempt citing safety concerns. The South Korean president was impeached and suspended last month after the bungled martial law declaration — a political move swiftly overturned by parliament — with a separate warrant later issued for his arrest. “There was a standoff. While we estimated the personnel…