Author: Vardiafrica

Care workers will no longer be recruited from abroad as part of a crackdown on visas to “significantly” bring down net migration, the UK home secretary, Yvette Cooper has said.  Yvette Cooper told Sky News’ Sunday Morning, May 11, with Trevor Phillips programme the government will close the care worker visa route as part of new restrictions which aim to cut the number of low-skilled foreign workers by about 50,000 this year.  She said: “We’re going to introduce new restrictions on lower-skilled workers, so new visa controls, because we think actually what we should be doing is concentrating on the higher-skilled migration…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has established a reconciliation committee led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki as part of efforts to unite aggrieved members ahead of the party’s crucial National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for the end of May. This decision was made during a high-level gathering at the Abuja residence of the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, on Sunday night. The meeting brought together key figures in the party, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who was present but did not address the media. Also…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “personally” in Istanbul on Thursday for talks over ending the war. His post on X came shortly after Donald Trump demanded Ukraine agree to Putin’s offer of direct talks between the two countries in Turkey. “There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally,” Zelensky wrote. He had earlier said his country was open to talks with Russia but only after a ceasefire was in place. Western powers called for a 30-day pause in fighting to…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has confirmed that the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, approached him for reconciliation. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, Wike disclosed that Fubara visited him with two governors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek a peaceful resolution to their ongoing political dispute. Wike and Fubara have been embroiled in a political conflict since Fubara assumed office as governor in 2023. The rift escalated to the point where President Bola Tinubu intervened, declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspending Fubara for six…

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are holding a meeting with leaders of the party at the Bauchi governor’s lodge in Abuja. The meeting, which was convened by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, also has the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in attendance. Some of the governors currently present for the meeting include Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Peter Mbah (Enugu). Others who are in attendance include former governors of Cross River, Liyel Imoke, Achike Udenwa…

The suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has said he is not desperate to return to office. Fubara stated this at the service of songs held in honour of the late elder statesman, Edwin Clark, in Port Harcourt, the state capital, organised by the Rivers Elders Forum on Sunday,May 11. The embattled governor responded to several speakers at the event who referred to him as “Governor” and strongly criticised his suspension, calling for immediate reversal. However, Fubara distanced himself from their remarks, describing them as personal opinions. According to him, such comments were not likely to promote peace. “Not…

About 1,000 delegates are expected at the 5th Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) 2025 to be hosted by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), at the Nigerian Content Tower (NCT) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, between May 20 and 22, 2025. The biennial event which offers a unique platform to present upcoming project opportunities in the oil and gas industry – upstream, midstream, and downstream – fostering investments, and advancing local content, will have federal ministers, industry regulators and chief executive officers of international and indigenous operating and oil and gas service companies in attendance. Over 50…

The Federal Government has presented its reasons to the Supreme Court for declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, emphasizing the collapse of governance and attacks on critical national infrastructure as key factors. The government argued that it had no option but to intervene. This submission was made in response to a lawsuit filed by 11 states, mostly governed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). These states include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, and Zamfara. The plaintiffs argue that the federal government’s decision to impose emergency rule on Rivers State was unlawful, but the Federal Government has rejected these claims. In…

The leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Poland have issued a unified demand to Russian President Vladimir Putin: agree to a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday or face sweeping sanctions.  The message was delivered during a symbolic visit to Kyiv, backed by a joint call with US President Donald Trump. Standing beside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the leaders — French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk — insisted the ceasefire be observed on land, at sea, and in the air. If successful, it would lay the groundwork for…

The Lagos State Government has called on residents to report any landlords or agents who demand more than one year’s rent, as part of its broader effort to rein in real estate excesses in the state. Barakat Bakare, Special Adviser on Housing to the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), made the appeal on Thursday during an appearance on the TVC programme Your View, where she reiterated the government’s commitment to regulating the property market and making housing more accessible. Bakare said the Sanwo-Olu administration is actively reviewing the state’s tenancy law to close regulatory loopholes, particularly around caution fees,…