Author: Vardiafrica

The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senatorial district in the National Assembly, Ireti Kingibe, has denied leading or sponsoring the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests in Abuja. Senator Kingibe took to X (formerly Twitter) to describe a viral video alleging that she was leading the protest in Abuja on Thursday as “misinformation”. “I am shocked and outraged by the blatant lies and misinformation being spread by mischief-makers! The video being circulated is from over six weeks ago, during a Labour Party NWC meeting when the NLC was protesting outside the Labour Party office,” she said on X. “As stakeholders, including…

A bomb alert has reportedly halted the Paris Olympics after police discovered a suspicious object in an area near an Olympics venue. A specialist bomb squad is expected to arrive at the Stade de France stadium while police have cordoned off part of the surrounding area, Daily Mail reports. The nearby Porte de Paris train station has also been closed following the alert. According to the report, the stadium is thought to have been empty when the warning was issued this afternoon. The first Olympic session of the day had already concluded at 1pm. The second event is not due…

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), says the military will intervene if the ongoing nationwide #EndbadGovernance protests continue to be violent. While speaking at a press conference in Abuja today August 2, the Army chief appealed to protesters to recognise that destruction is counterproductive and would only set the nation aback. “We should realise that these destructions and monies have to be used—monies for development will have to be used to develop these things so we can move forward, and so instead of doing that, we should come together to make sure nothing is destroyed. The statement has already been…

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, has accused Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited (Coca-Cola) and Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) of Misleading trade descriptions and unfair marketing tactics. The Commission in a statement by the management said the brand had violated the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, FCCPA by commencing a migration of their Coke brand from a formulation that included regular sugar to non-nutritive sweeteners. The statement reads; “Pursuant to Sections 17, 116, 123, 124, 127, and 155 of the Federal Competitionand Consumer Protection Act, 2018,Thursday, August 1, 2024: In June 2019, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission…

President Bola Tinubu says his administration is currently making bold economic policies to propel Nigeria’s economy out of the downturns occasioned by multiple shocks in the global economy. He has therefore, called for global cooperation among African countries to tackle their shared economic challenges and take advantage of opportunities. The President who spoke on Friday when he declared open the 2024 African Caucus Meeting held in Abuja, noted that although Africa is grappling with numerous challenges, the continent must take necessary measures to translate opportunities in natural resources and human capital into growth, innovation and collaboration. President Tinubu, who was…

Telecommunications operator, 9mobile, on Thursday, issued an apology to its customers in what came as its first response to the service outage that has left millions of its customers in frustration since Saturday, July 27, 2024. The company in a statement said connectivity has now been restored “to most areas” suggesting that some of its customers are still experiencing the service outage. The company blamed the disruption on multiple fibre cuts and damages to its infrastructure in some parts of the country. It added that its technical teams are working around the clock to address outstanding issues and restore services…

Bosun Tijani, minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, says there were no instructions for telecommunication operators to disrupt network services because of the protest. Tijani spoke on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television. Nigerians reported experiencing bad internet connectivity across all service providers on Thursday, with many describing the development as part of the federal government’s tactic to stifle protesters. But the minister, speaking on the issue, denied the federal government’s involvement in the network disruption. “There’s no instruction to tamper with the network, absolutely no instruction from my office,” he said. “You also need to understand when…

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a loan of $500 million to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to finance the first phase of the Economic Governance and Energy Transition Support Program (EGET-SP), a new program aimed at accelerating transformation of the country’s electricity infrastructure and improving access to cleaner sources of energy. The loan will help close the financing gap of the Federal Budget in the 2024/25 fiscal year, specifically supporting the implementation of the country’s new Electricity Act and the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan(link is external). The Nigerian government launched the energy transition plan…

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, says a policeman was murdered while on duty during the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests on Thursday. At a briefing in Abuja, the police boss said some of his men were also injured by hoodlums who disguised as protesters. Egbetokun said some police stations in the country were razed by rampaging rioters. He lamented that events in major cities on Thursday were “mass uprising and looting, not protests”. “Police stations have been destroyed. There have been attempts to take over government houses,” Egbetokun said, adding that looting of public and private warehouses and facilities…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says security agencies have identified a senator who sponsored protests in the nation’s capital.On Thursday, a youth-led nationwide protest against the rising cost of living kicked off. Speaking after a security council meeting in Abuja, Wike said the unnamed senator provided food for the protesters.“We also have information that a senator had to invite some security agencies to lead some of them to go and provide food for the protesters,” the minister said.Advertisement“That is sponsorship. A senator providing food for protesters.“ At the appropriate time, security agencies will invite the senator…