Author: Vardiafrica

The Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged politicians in Nigeria to stop weaponising insecurity against their opposition in office. She spoke before a room filled with lawyers at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Sunday. The former Nigerian finance minister delivered a keynote address entitled, ‘A Social Contract For Nigeria’s Future’. “We cannot have socio-economic development without security. We certainly cannot have security without development,” the WTO chief said. “We all know that security has been…

The Federal Government has moved to reduce the scourge of malaria with the choice of Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote, astute businessman, Femi Otedola and renowned banker, Tony Elumelu to lead the fresh efforts to eliminate the menace. Speaking at the inauguration of the team in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated that the country currently contributes over a quarter of global malaria cases and about a third of the over 600,000 malaria deaths worldwide, mostly affecting children and pregnant women. Describing the situations as sad, the minister added that the ailment contributes…

Two police officers have been killed and three others are unconscious following a clash between police operatives and members of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as the Shiites in the Wuse area of Abuja. Spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the attack which happened on Sunday, describing the attack as unprovoked while accusing the group of destroying three police patrol vehicles. According to Adeh, the IMN members attacked some personnel of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the FCT command at Wuse Junction by a traffic light. “The FCT police…

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has urged Nigerian authorities to leverage technological advancements to combat and prosecute crude oil theft. Addressing attendees at the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos, she emphasized that the theft of national assets is a serious issue undermining Nigeria’s economic stability. “A second aspect of security is the protection of national assets,” Okonjo-Iweala stated. “Organized crude oil theft has long severely impacted our economic and financial health. All Nigerians must agree that such theft is intolerable and must be eradicated.” She noted that technological…

The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the re-election of Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma Last November, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Uzodimma, the then candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State. According to INEC, Uzodimma polled 540,308 votes to beat Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 71,503 votes; and Athan Achonu of Labour Party (LP) who secured 64,081 votes. But the LP and PDP candidates had alleged irregularities in the polls and went ahead to contest the result at the…

The Taliban government has banned women’s voices and faces in public under new laws to promote ‘virtue’ in Afghanistan, according to the Associated Press. The Islamist group had set up a ministry for the ‘prevention of vice’ after seizing power following the withdrawal of US and coalition forces in 2021. On Wednesday, Officials published its 114-page vice and virtue rulebook that covers aspects of everyday life such as public transport, music, shaving, and celebrations. The laws, which have been approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, say that it is compulsory for all women to cover their bodies in public and that face…

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) on Friday, August 23, 2024, issued an urgent warning to the public regarding the rising water levels of the River Niger system. Mr Umar Mohammed, the Director-General of NIHSA, in a statement, noted that floodwaters from these countries are gradually moving towards Nigeria, starting with Kebbi. According to agency, the development is attributed to upstream activities in Niger and Mali, with reports from the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) in Niamey, Niger Republic. “NIHSA has assured that dam operators at Kainji and Jebba, situated on the River Niger, have been informed and are on standby. “As…

A massive 2,492-carat diamond — the second largest in the world — has been discovered in Botswana, the Canadian mining company that found the stone announced Thursday. The diamond was discovered in the Karowe diamond mine in northeastern Botswana using X-ray detection technology, Lucara Diamond said in a statement. Lucara did not provide an estimation of the value of the find. In terms of carats, the stone is second only to the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905. “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” Lucara president William Lamb said in the statement.…

The supreme court has affirmed Usman Ododo as the duly elected governor of Kogi state. In a judgment delivered on Friday, a five-member panel dismissed the appeal filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Murtala Ajaka, its governorship candidate. The panel held that the appeal marked SC/CV/654/2024 was void of merit. Sadiq Umar, who authored and read the lead judgment, resolved all the three issues brought for determination in the appeal against the appellants. The supreme court also dismissed the appeal by the Action Alliance (AA) and its candidate, Olayinka Baimoh, against Ododo’s victory. The court held that the…

The supreme court has affirmed the election of Douye Diri, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as governor of Bayelsa state. The five-member panel of the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by Timipre Sylva, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for lacking in merit. While upholding the judgment of the lower court, Mohammed Garba, who read the lead judgment, held that Sylva was wrong to have filed multiple notices of appeal against a single judgment delivered by the election petition tribunal. The panel also dismissed the appeal filed by the National Rescue Movement (NRM) and its candidate…