Author: Vardiafrica

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has directed the continuation of the police barricade on local government secretariats in Rivers State to prevent a breakdown of law and order. IGP Egbetokun gave the directive while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on the sideline of a Conference with Commissioners of Police and other Senior Officers. He said the police will continue to occupy the secretariats until a court of competent jurisdiction delivers judgment on the local government crisis in Rivers State. The IGP who also spoke on the controversy over the recruitment of constables and the allegations by the…

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday received his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa as both leaders held a bilateral talks following the latter’s swearing-in ceremony. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu receives South African President@CyrilRamaphosa for Diplomatic, Economic, and Bilateral talks after a successful Presidential Inauguration Ceremony,” presidential aide Olusegun Dada said in a post on his X handle on Thursday. ‘We Have Lots in Common’ The meeting was hosted by the Nigerian president in Johannesburg, South Africa. In a statement after the meeting, Tinubu’s spokesman Ajuri Ngelale quoted his principal as saying, “I really enjoyed your speech at the ceremony. I was delighted…

The detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was at the Federal High Court Abuja for his trial on Wednesday. Kanu, who arrived in court in the presence of his lawyers, also spoke on the killings in the South-East.He insisted he was all for peace, and had no hand in the murder of the some soldiers in Abia State a few weeks ago. “I condemn in its entirety all of the killings, because IPOB was founded on a non-violent principle, and we maintain that stand. And some of these soldiers, we were told are also our…

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) from Delaware, USA, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on human space flight missions. In a landmark event which held today at the nation’s capital, Abuja, the MOU was signed between the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and SERA, highlighting a collaborative effort to advance human space flight capabilities. This partnership which amongst other things aims to foster the development of critical technologies and infrastructure required for human missions beyond Earth, will also see a Nigerian land in space. The signing ceremony…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has sworn in 23 new caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas of the state. The swearing-in was done on Wednesday at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital amid tight security. Channels Television reports that the exercise was carried out at the Council Chambers with the first batch of 11 CTC chairmen taking their oath of office. It comes a day after he forwarded the list to the state House of Assembly led by factional Speaker, Victor Jumbo The lawmakers had invited the nominees for screening as early as 8 am…

South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second full term as president in Pretoria on Wednesday, after his weakened African National Congress (ANC) struck a government coalition deal. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo led Ramaphosa’s oath of office ceremony before lawmakers, foreign dignitaries, religious and traditional leaders and cheering supporters at the Union Buildings, the seat of government. “In the presence of everyone assembled here, and in full realisation of the high calling I assume as President… I Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa swear that I will be faithful to the Republic of South Africa,” Ramaphosa said. Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to…

The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has mandated the auditor general of the state, to begin the audit of the accounts of the 23 Local Government Areas for the past three years The development comes in the wake of the ongoing political crisis bedevilling the state. While swearing in the Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the Local Government Areas, the governor said the measure is intended to serve as a check for the incoming officials. He urged the caretaker chairmen not to see themselves as superheroes, but to protect the interests of their people, and demonstrate that the government made the…

The bust statue of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has been destroyed by irate youths who stormed the Obio/Akpor council headquarters earlier Tuesday. Some of the visibly angry youths, who spoke in a mix of the Ikwerre dialect and English, pulled the statue down while the others cheered him on. The youths, who had invaded the council headquarters, claimed they were there to ensure the safety of council property following the expiration of the chairman’s tenure. Wike, a former Chairman of Obio/Akpor, and former Rivers State governor, has been involved in a political feud with…

The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has convened a security council meeting with heads of security agencies following recent political developments in the state The meeting was held behind closed doors at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. After the meeting, Governor Fubara told the press that discussions with the security heads centred on strategies to contain the invasion of local government secretariats. He cautioned the immediate past council chairmen against harbouring false hopes of returning to their positions. Governor Fubara, however, raised an alarm over an alleged plan by his opponents to arrest his supporters. He pledged…

There have been widespread protests across the 23 local government areas of the state following the expiration of the three-year tenure of the elected Chairmen of LGAs and ward councillors. There have been reports of shooting by alleged security personnel at the Port Harcourt City LGA Council Secretariat as well as in Obio/Akpor, Emohua, Eleme and Khana LGAs by unidentified persons. Vanguard reports that two persons were reportedly gunned down in Omuma LGA following shootings that erupted in the area. A source in the area said policemen attached to a politician in the area had first shot the vigilante members…