Africa

Lagos, August 19, 2024 — The Chinese company Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited is making aggressive moves to seize the £20 million awarded to Nigeria by a United Kingdom appeal court in its long-running battle against Process & Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID). This development comes amid escalating efforts by the Chinese firm to confiscate Nigerian assets in various foreign jurisdictions. Zhongshan Fucheng has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with the Ogun State government in Nigeria since the termination of a joint venture agreement in 2013, which was originally signed in 2007. The partnership was intended to develop a free-trade zone in Ogun State. However, the agreement fell apart amid allegations of misrepresentation and concerns over the capability o...

Paris, August 16, 2024 — A French court has ordered the seizure of three jets owned by the Nigerian government, in an international dispute between the Chinese company Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment, and a state in Nigeria. The legal wrangling, which stems from a terminated contract dating back to 2007, is an embarrassment to the Nigerian government and does not help its attempts at attracting foreign direct investment. The controversy traces back to a 2007 agreement between Zhongshan Fucheng and Nigeria's Ogun State government in the southwest. The contract was aimed at developing a free-trade zone that would host a massive industrial park designed to attract international investors. However, the deal unraveled between 2015 and 2016 when the Ogun State government terminated t...

Catholic and Anglican Bishops have lent their voices to the current issues facing Nigerians. In separate meetings which held in Kaduna and Abuja respectively, the two bodies in separate statements, made their positions on current political and governance issues known. The Catholic clerics called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the issue of fuel subsidy removal and other pressing concerns facing the country. The clerics made this appeal after the second plenary session of the Catholic Bishops of Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province in Kaduna, urging him to prioritize the welfare of the Nigerian people. Meanwhile, the Anglican Bishops condemned the Nigerian government's handling of the recent protests against bad governance. In a statement, the bishops expressed their disappointme...

Ogun State, Nigeria — In the face of the swelling "End Bad Governance" protests sweeping across the nation, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has come forward to defend President Bola Tinubu's administration. Speaking on Channels Television’s "Politics Today" program, yesterday, Governor Abiodun addressed the criticism and unrest that have gripped the country. During the interview, Seun confronted Governor Abiodun with a pointed question about the legitimacy and performance of President Tinubu's government, especially given the widespread dissatisfaction manifesting in the protests. Seun said, “there are those who do not believe in the Bola Tinubu project. There are those who did not vote for Bola Tinubu and the APC, and whatever is going on today they will say it serves you right. W...

Kano, Nigeria – The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, along with his wife Hafsat Ganduje and six other individuals, is set to appear in court on Thursday to face charges of alleged bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds amounting to billions of naira. This development comes after a notice of trial was served to the respondents through substituted means, as per the order of the Kano State High Court. The court granted this order on June 5, 2024, enabling the state to serve the seven respondents via substituted service. The service was executed through advertisements in two national newspapers on June 6, 2024. See Also: EFCC Arrests Hafsat Ganduje, Wife Of The Governor Of Kano Respondents in the Case The individuals and entit...

ONNE PORT, Rivers State, July 1, 2024 — The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted nine containers loaded with contraband items, including arms, ammunition, illicit drugs, and second-hand clothes, with a total duty-paid value of N13.9 billion. Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made this announcement on Monday while addressing journalists at Onne Port. Adeniyi revealed that one of the intercepted containers originated from Turkey. Due to multiple risk factors associated with its importation, the container became a subject of intense scrutiny by the Customs Service. “We have followed its sail across continents and we’ve benefitted immensely from credible information through our collaboration with intelligence communities both at local, national and international ...

LAGOS, July 1, 2024 — The Lagos State Government has confirmed an outbreak of cholera-induced gastroenteritis in Kirikiri Medium Security Prison, making the state's battle against the infectious disease even more complicated. The state's health ministry announced on Sunday that 25 cases of severe gastroenteritis caused by cholera have been detected in the prison, signaling a potential spread into correctional facilities. This revelation directly contradicts recent assurances from the National Correctional Service (NCoS). Just four days prior, NCoS spokesperson Abubakar Umar declared that all correctional centers were free of cholera, crediting routine hygienic measures and health education for keeping the disease at bay. Umar emphasized the role of health professionals in educating sta...

In an appeal on Channels Television’s Politics Today, former Senator Shehu Sani called on President Bola Tinubu to learn from the errors of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, particularly regarding cabinet appointments. Sani, who represented Kaduna Central District in the 8th National Assembly and is known for his activism, critiqued Buhari's administration for nepotism and inefficiency. Sani's remarks was based on the many failings of Buhari's eight-year tenure, especially in governance, security, and economic policies. He noted that the administration was marked by a lack of dynamic leadership within the cabinet. “Under President Buhari, you have ministers who were appointed into office for the whole of eight years. They were with him for the first tenure and the second tenure, and t...

Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian government has taken a significant step towards sending the first Nigerian to space. The Nigerian government and the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) from Delaware, USA, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to send the first Nigerian to space. The MoU was signed in Abuja yesterday, with Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, emphasizing the importance of this collaboration. "Human spaceflight is not just a random aspiration of our country but a major objective of the Nigeria Space Policy and Programme which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in 2001," Nnaji stated. He highlighted that reviving and implementing abandoned national plans is a key element of the Renewed Hope Agenda under Presid...