Author: Chinedu Ibeakanma

Chinedu Ibeakanma is a trained journalist. He holds a masters degree in Mass Communication and you’ll often find him writing breaking news stories on politics, sports, business, lifestyle, and other interesting beats. Chinedu is also a broadcaster and when he is not in the studio, you will find him analysing critical issues that affect humanity
#EndSARS: Police Didn’t Abdicate Duties in Ekiti – Commissioner of Police
Law Enforcement, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Violence, Youths

#EndSARS: Police Didn’t Abdicate Duties in Ekiti – Commissioner of Police

Ekiti State Police Command has stated that the protests that rocked the state during the agitation against the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) did not in any way force its operatives to abandon their duty posts in the state. This was disclosed by the State Police Commissioner, Mobayo Babatunde on Saturday. Speaking via telephone conversation with newsmen in Ado Ekiti, on Saturday, the CP, who spoke through the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Abutu, assured the people of the state that police will protect them while urging them not to entertain any fear. “We are fully on ground, we have not abandoned our duties in spite of the tensed atmosphere and killings of our police officers in some other states and burning of police stations here in Ekiti...
WTO Postpones Meeting to Pick New DG
Breaking News, Communication, Economy, Finance, Nigeria, Trade, United States of America

WTO Postpones Meeting to Pick New DG

The World Trade Organisation on Friday postponed a meeting where members are expected to pick a new Director-General. The postponement is coming days after the United States declined to support the favored candidate, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The organization earlier announced that the meeting would hold next week but a communication sited by AFP showed that the meeting has been postponed indefinitely. “It has come to my attention that for reasons including the health situation and current events, delegations will not be in a position to take a formal decision on 9 November,” the head of the selection committee told member states. “I am therefore postponing this meeting until further notice during which period I will continue to undertake consultations with delegations,” he added....
Again, WAEC Extends Registration for WASSCE Private Candidates
Education, Nigeria, Youths

Again, WAEC Extends Registration for WASSCE Private Candidates

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has further extended registration for its 2020 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination for private candidates. The council disclosed the extension via its official Twitter handle, @waecnigeria on Friday. WAEC explained that the new registration deadline is Friday, November 13, 2020. The tweet reads: "WASSCE FOR PRIVATE CANDIDATES, 2020 - SECOND SERIES: FURTHER EXTENSION OF REGISTRATION PERIOD Intending candidates should note that there has been a further extension of the registration period to Friday, November 13, 2020." WAEC had earlier extended the deadline for registration to October 23 before the latest extension.  
#EndSARS: Social Media Responsible for Escalation of Protests – IGP
Law Enforcement, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Violence, Youths

#EndSARS: Social Media Responsible for Escalation of Protests – IGP

The Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Muhammad Abubakar Adamu on Thursday said social media was the a vital weapon used in escalating the #EndSars protests that rocked the states of the federation. The IGP made the statement when he paid a courtesy visit to the state Governor Hope Uzodimma to check the level of damage done to both Government and private facilities in the course of the protest. “I came specifically to visit vandalized properties and to see the level of damage done to police facilities in Imo”, he said. He stated that the protests were not targeted at the SARS or Police, but an avenue for hoodlums to cause civil unrest and loot properties. He called on Nigerians not to experience what the country passed through during the protest again. The IGP commended Poli...
No Plan to Increase VAT – FG
Economy, Finance, Interview, Nigeria

No Plan to Increase VAT – FG

The Federal Government has debunked claims on social media that it plans to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) and other taxes in its proposed Finance Bill. Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, who issued the disclaimer while defending the Ministry’s budget before the Senate Committee on Finance in Abuja, said the report of an imminent increase in VAT and other taxes in the proposed Finance Bill to be presented to the National Assembly was false. Ahmed said: “There will be no increase in VAT or any form of taxes because we see 2021 as a year of recovery – not only for government but businesses as well.” Earlier, the Account General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, who was present at the session, complained about poor budgetary allocation to his office. Idris said: “We have 37 offi...
Court Requests Kogi Govt.To Pay Impeached N180m Owed Allowances Deputy Governor
Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Court Requests Kogi Govt.To Pay Impeached N180m Owed Allowances Deputy Governor

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has asked the Kogi State Government to pay former deputy governor of the state, Simon Achuba, who was impeached in October 2016, N180m in unpaid security votes for 16 months. Channels TV reports that he had approached the court seeking for N921,572,758 for security vote, monthly imprest, traveling allowances, outstanding memos and statutory allocations due to his office as then deputy governor. The judgment, which was read on Wednesday by Justice Oyebiola Oyewunmi, said the sum of N180m will be paid to Achuba as outstanding security votes due to him from April 2018 to August 2019. The court ordered that if the Yahaya Bello administration does not pay Achuba within the period of 30 days, 30% interest will be paid monthly. Part of the more tha...
COVID-19: No Fans for Eagles Vs Sierra Leone Clash – FG
AFCON, Africa, Covid-19, Nigeria, Safety, Sierra Leone, Sports

COVID-19: No Fans for Eagles Vs Sierra Leone Clash – FG

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 have advised the Edo State Government and the Nigeria Football Federation against allowing fans into the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, during the 2021 AFCON qualifier between the Super Eagles and Sierra Leone on November 13. Edo State Government had earlier announced that the gates would be thrown open for fans to watch the game at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium. The ministry said admitting fans into the match venue would amount to a breach of the COVID-19 protocols. In a letter addressed to the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, the ministry stated that the game “will not have any audience and no gathering.” The letter read in part, “The ministry wishes to bring to your urg...
#EndSARS: IGP Visits Sanwo-Olu
Lagos News, Law Enforcement, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Violence

#EndSARS: IGP Visits Sanwo-Olu

The Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, on Tuesday, visited Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the State House in Marina. Adamu during the visit lamented the degree of the damage caused by hoodlums who hijacked the #EndSARS protests against police brutality last month. Briefing reporters, the IGP said he was in the state for an assessment of the police assets vandalised after the protest and to commiserate with residents. According to the government, six police officers were lynched in Lagos, 36 critically injured, while 46 police stations were torched. In a statement titled, ‘Sanwo-Olu Receives Police IG Over Coordinated Arson In Lagos’, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, said his principal commiserated with the police chief over the mob ...
Fayemi Begs ASUU to Shelve Strike for Student’s Sake
Education, Labour, Nigeria, Youths

Fayemi Begs ASUU to Shelve Strike for Student’s Sake

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to shelve the ongoing industrial action in the best interest of the students. Fayemi stressed the need for urgent and holistic engagement between Federal Government and the leadership of ASUU in order to bring an end to the current impasse. The governor made this appeal in Ado-Ekiti while playing host to members of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, led by its Chairman and former Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, in his office. “We need to get to a point of convergence with ASUU, but I also think ASUU should begin to look at this from the position of their importance. It is the students of the ordinary Nigerians who attend the...
NCC Approves e-SIM Trial for MTN, 9mobile
Communication, Information Technology, Nigeria

NCC Approves e-SIM Trial for MTN, 9mobile

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has granted approval for two mobile network operators (MNOs), MTN Nigeria and 9Mobile, to carry out trial on the workability of embedded Subscriber Identification Modules (e-SIM) Service in Nigeria. The regulatory body added that the trial would run for a period of one year, noting that it would involve testing 5,000 e-SIMs by the two networks. A statement by the Public Affairs Director of NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde said the trial is subject to compliance with a number of regulatory conditions. Dr Adinde announced that the conditions include full compliance by the MNOs with the Registration of Telecoms Subscribers Regulations 2011; the Mobile Number Portability Regulations and Business Rules 2015. He added that guidelines on SI...