Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

The Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, has been granted bail by the police following questioning over a viral video showing him holding a gun-like object. The Lagos State Police Command disclosed this in a statement after questioning the cleric who turned himself in on Tuesday. According to the police, Adefarasin was interrogated and he volunteered a cautionary statement to the police investigators. It added that a stun gun was recovered from the cleric. “What was recovered from him, the gun-like object seen in the viral video, is not a lethal weapon or firearm but…

The 17 candidates nominated by President Bola Tinubu to oversee the affairs of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Rivers State Civil Service Commission and Rivers State Local Government Service Commission have officially declared their assets before the Code of Conduct Bureau. The assets declaration came on the heel of security clearance by the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Police. The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this during the screening exercise by the Senate ad hoc committee to oversee the activities of the Rivers Sole Administrator, Vice Adm Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd). The development comes barely one…

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday, commended President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the bills for the establishment of three important tertiary institutions in the South-east geopolitical zone. The new institutions are the Federal University, Okigwe in Imo State, Federal College of Education and Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, both resident in Bende, Abia State. In a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, Akpabio praised stakeholders in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for their steadfastness and support for the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration. The Senate…

The Benue Government has declared Wednesday, June 18, a work-free day. The declaration was announced in a statement by Mrs Deborah Aber, Secretary to the State Government on Tuesday in Makurdi. “This is in honour of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is scheduled for a one-day visit to the state. “The visit is to commiserate with the government and people of the state over incessant security challenges. “Note, however, that those engaged in essential services like health workers, security agencies and banks are exempted from this holiday,”…

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the construction of the annex office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, commended Tinubu for attending the ceremony. Yakubu said the commission has long struggled with congestion at its current headquarters, which was commissioned in December 1997. He said the building, originally designed for a smaller structure, has become overstretched due to the expansion of INEC’s operations over the years. “Our present national headquarters is severely congested. Today, there are 13 full-time Commission members, 22 Departments/Directorates and 1,048 staff. Every facility…

Victor Ukaogo, PhD The socio-political landscape of Nigeria is characterized by a complex interplay of ethnic identities, historical grievances, and aspirations for development. Among the various ethnic groups, the Ndigbo have experienced significant challenges, particularly in the post-civil war era. The need for reintegration and development has become a focal point for leaders and policymakers. In this context, the establishment of a federal university in Item and a federal college of education in Bende, both located in Abia State, represents a significant step towards addressing the educational and developmental needs of the Ndigbo. My intervention at the moment explores the…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that medical personnel, including doctors and nurses trained in Nigeria, must be motivated with the right work conditions to remain in the country and not migrate overseas. Obasanjo stated this when he commissioned the renovated and rehabilitated Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Zamfara State on Tuesday. The former president, who Governor Dauda Lawal hosted, lamented the migration phenomenon known as ‘Japa’, which has been popularised by Nigerian youths leaving the country in their droves for economic prosperity and job security in faraway Europe, the Americas, Asia and other parts of the world. The octogenarian…

The United States President Donald Trump has urged Iran to resume diplomatic talks, warning that the Islamic Republic is not gaining the upper hand in its ongoing conflict with Israel. Trump also stated that the Iranian officials have indicated they want to talk about de-escalating hostilities with Israel as the two sides trade attacks and international leaders look for a way to end the conflict, according to USA News Today. Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in Canada on Monday, Trump said it was in Iran’s best interest to return to the negotiating table without delay. He also believed…

Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s delayed visit to crisis-hit regions of the country. Obi warned that selective empathy and “leadership by remote control” send a dangerous message to grieving Nigerians In a post on X handle on Tuesday, Obi hailed Tinubu’s planned visit to Benue massacre communities but noted that similar compassion should be shown to communities in Niger State, particularly Mokwa, where floods reportedly claimed over 200 lives and left more than 1,000 people missing. “It was refreshing news on Monday to a bewildered nation learning that…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed into law two bills sponsored by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, establishing Federal College of Education, Bende, Abia State and the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende, Abia State into law.  The President equally signed into law a bill for the act to establish a Federal University Okigwe, Imo State. Whereas Kalu sponsored the two bills for the establishment of Federal College of Education, Bende, Abia State and the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende, Abia State, he lobbied for the…