April 2025 | Page 15 of 45

Six Months After Rivers Emergency Declaration: What Lies Ahead?

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago016 mins

Two boys were playing together in the garden. Soon, the play degenerated into an argument and they engaged in a shouting match. From afar, the father of the boys cautioned them to stop arguing and continue their play but they won’t budge. Shortly after, they lunged at each other and almost engaged in fisticuffs. The father at this point wades in. He ordered one of the boys, his step-son to go to the naughty corner and face the wall for six minutes while he told the other boy, his biological son to continue his play in the garden. The above scenario aptly captures the developments in Rivers State. President Bola Tinubu on March 18 2025, declared a six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, following the political crisis that pitched the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, against the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike on one hand and the State House of Assembly on the other. The disagreement was primarily between Wike, the immediate past Rivers state governor and Fubara, one of his long standing allies whom he installed as his successor. Wike’s angst was that he may lose his political status in Rivers as Fubara was allegedly trying to bring down the structures that helped him to become governor. After almost two years of unending strife without any headway, president Tinubu, as the father of the nation, decided to wield the big stick by suspending Fubara and his deputy for six months. He also suspended the members of the Rivers Assembly but every right discerning person knows they are not the major gladiator in the battle, just a pawn in the game. He left Wike to continue his job in his cabinet. Of course, the president’s action has elicited mixed reactions from Nigerians. While some have argued that based on the provisions of sections 1(2), 14(1)(c), 176(1) (2) and 305(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the suspension of democratically elected officials in Rivers state is unlawful and unconstitutional, others have justified the suspension, saying no responsible government will fold its hands and allow Rivers State, a major economic lifeline of the country to go up in flames. However, majority of Nigerians share the views that in order to be fair, the president should have also suspended Wike, who is a major player in the crisis rocking the state. This would have made him sober and take a deep introspection over the issues at a stake. But that is not to be as Fubara’s temporary displacement seems to have given Wike a kind of feeling that he has the upper hand. He has been granting interviews with his characteristic bumptiousness while Fubara is at home licking his wounds and brooding over the incident. In the latest media parley he had with some select journalists, Wike even expressed dissatisfaction with the presidential declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspension of the governor, saying what he wanted was outright removal. Hear him “As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers state. I wanted the outright removal of the governor. But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy in the state. The matter is in court but people must say the truth. The governor was gone. It is not on my place to make it good for the governor. As a politician, my business is not to make him comfortable and that is why there is power plane.” Wike’s remarks are grossly unacceptable, a direct affront to the president and one would have expected the presidency to call him to order, telling him to face the task assigned to him in the FCT. Whether his intervention is constitutional or not, the president has acted in what he considers the best interest of Rivers. Fubara who was at the receiving end has quietly accepted his fate but Wike continues to talk garrulously and pouring petrol on fire. His comments, if left unchecked can infuriate the supporters of Fubara, many of whom have been made redundant by the sole administrator, Ibok-Ette Ibas who appears to be pursuing an ‘obliterate anything Fubara’ agenda. Wike was even seen in a video last week in London where he hosted the suspended lawmakers. Of course, that is one of the consequences of his not being suspended. In the recent media parley, he even said he is ready to forgive Fubara if he apologises to him. Except if he truly knows from within his heart that he wronged Wike but if not, I think it will be very idiotic for Fubara to offer any apology at this point. If his fight with Wike is not because of any breach of agreement (Ngige-Chris Uba saga), if it is for the interest of the good people of Rivers state, then any apology from him will amount to utter wimpishness. I am not in support of Fubara. He keeps creating an impression of a flawless ‘Sim’ple man but that appears to be a mere facade. In fact, I was alarmed last week when I read reports that he donated the sum of N300 million to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to hold a conference in Rivers State. Only God knows how much of Rivers resources he has donated so far, yet he created the impression of a man who places preimum on frugality and is judiciously using tax payers money . Nobody would have known this if not for his suspension from office and the fact that the NBA moved the conference away from Rivers state, which prompted the sole administrator to ask for a refund. What however impresses me about Fubara is the maturity and dignified silence he has maintained since his suspension. One inciting word from him to his supporters could have set the state on fire. He has however remained silent, allowing Nigerians, especially Rivers women to fight the battle on his behalf. That is quite commendable and his silence shouldn’t be taken as a…

Pope Francis For Burial on Saturday

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago08 mins

Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday after lying in state for three days in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met Tuesday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. U.S. President Donald Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend, and Argentine President Javier Milei is also expected. The Argentine pope died Monday at age 88 after a stroke put him in a coma and led his heart to fail. He had been recovering in his apartment after being hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia. He made his last public appearance Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and greeting followers from his popemobile, looping around St. Peter’s Square. His Easter appearance from the same loggia where he was introduced to the world as the first pope from the Americas on March 13, 2013, was a fitting bookend to a 12-year papacy that sought to shake up the church and return it to its Gospel-mandated mission of caring for the poorest. While the ordinary faithful will have an opportunity to pay their respects beginning Wednesday, Vatican officials were allowed to say their goodbyes starting Monday evening. The first images of Francis’ body were released Tuesday, showing him in red vestments and his bishop’s miter in a wooden casket, with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived and died. In his final will, Francis said he wanted to be buried at St. Mary Major Basilica, which is home to the Salus Populi Romani icon of Mary. Before and after every foreign trip, Francis would go to the basilica to pray before the Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus, who in turn holds a jeweled golden book. Bells tolled in chapels, churches and cathedrals around the world and flags flew at half-staff in Italy, India, Taiwan and the U.S. after Francis’ death was announced by the camerlengo, who takes charge of the Vatican after a pope’s death. Soccer matches in Italy and Argentina were suspended in honor of the pope who was a lifelong fan of the San Lorenzo soccer club. World leaders praised Francis for his moral leadership and compassion, while ordinary faithful remembered his simplicity and humanity. “Like every Argentine, I think he was a rebel,” said 23-year-old Catalina Favaro, who had come to pay her respects in the Buenos Aires church where Francis discovered his priestly vocation. “He may have been contradictory, but that was nice, too.” In East Timor, where Francis’ final outdoor Mass drew nearly half of the population last September, President Jose Ramos-Horta praised Francis’ courage. “Pope Francis was a brave man who was not afraid to speak out against the rulers of the world who seek war, but do not want to seek peace,” Ramos-Horta said. “He challenged the powerful to act with justice, called nations to welcome the stranger, and reminded us that our common home – this Earth – is a gift we must protect for future generations,” said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is Muslim. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and has around 30 million Catholics, representing about 14% of the population. The pope’s formal apartments in the Apostolic Palace and in the Santa Marta hotel were sealed Monday evening, following a centuries-old ritual. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo had the task of announcing the death and confirming it once the cause was determined, presided over the rituals. Francis chose not to live in the palace, but in a two-room suite in Santa Marta on the other side of Vatican City. He died there and his body was transferred to the hotel chapel in the lobby, where the private viewing was underway Tuesday for Vatican officials and members of the pontifical household. In changes made by Francis last year, his body was not placed in three wooden coffins, as it had been for previous popes. Rather, Francis was placed in a simplified wooden coffin with a zinc coffin inside.

Vatican Reveals Cause of Pope Francis’ Death

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago01 mins

The Vatican has confirmed the Pope’s official cause of death, saying Monday afternoon that the late pontiff had suffered a cerebral stroke and subsequent irreversible heart failure. Francis had battled poor health for several months, and had recently endured a long battle with double pneumonia. He passed away early Monday morning, hours after he had made a surprise Easter Sunday showing at St. Peter’s Basilica to greet his eager followers.

Super Eagles, Chelsea Celebrate Mikel at 38

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago02 mins

Former African champions, Super Eagles and Premier League giants, Chelsea have congratulated erstwhile national team skipper John Obi Mikel on his 38th birthday. Both national team and the European club side took to Twitter handle now X on Tuesday to celebrate the retired midfielder. “Happy birthday to our former captain and legend Mikel John,” Super Eagles wrote. In a similar fashion, Chelsea also wrote; “Mikel Have a wonderful birthday, John Obi Mikel!” Mikel, born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna on 22 April 1987 stayed with Chelsea for 11 years where he won multiple titles, including two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and the 2011–12 Champions League. After leaving Chelsea, he had brief stints at Tianjin TEDA, Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, Stoke City and Kuwait SC. In a 14-year international career between 2005 and 2019, he played 91 times for Nigeria, scoring six goals. He went to five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments (winning in 2013), two World Cups, and won a bronze medal at the Olympics in 2016.

Suspected Fraudsters Arrested for Impersonating Police to Defraud Traders in Niger State

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago03 mins

The Niger State Police Command has arrested four suspected fraudsters who pose as police officers to swindle unsuspecting traders of their money and cattle at different markets. The suspects identified as Aliyu Abbas, 35, of Funtua, Katsina; Jibrin Idris, 35, of Gwiwa, Jigawa; Musa Ya’u of Daura, Katsina; and Abubakar Yahaya, 45, were arrested on April 16, 2025. Spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the arrest in a statement, said the suspects were found to be in possession of a handcuff, N1.2 million, cut-to-size papers, liquid chemicals for counterfeiting notes, and two mobile phones. “On 16th April, 2025 at about 3pm, acting on a credible intelligence that a syndicate of four men who specialized in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public in various markets around Niger State were sighted at Izom cattle market, planning to defraud a person after selling his cattle,” the statement read. “Based on this, Police operatives of Maje Div mobilised to the scene and intercepted one black Mercedes Benz vehicle with Reg. No. KTU 747 HF with the following suspects; Aliyu Abbas 35yrs of Funtua, Katsina, Jibrin Idris 35yrs of Gwiwa, Jigawa, Musa Ya’u of Daura, Katsina and Abubakar Yahaya 45yrs of Daura, Katsina. “On interrogation, the suspects confessed to being fraudsters and a sum of one million, two hundred thousand naira was recovered from them. Other exhibits include a bunch of cut to size papers, liquid chemicals claimed to be used for counterfeit notes, handcuff, and two phones. “Some victims identified the syndicate as fraudsters who had swindled them of their money and cattle at different markets. It was also said that at times, they do present themselves as policemen to their victims or counterfeit notes producer and other means of defrauding people. “The suspects are under further investigation and will be charged to court after investigations

Sanusi, Other WAFU B General Secretaries Begin Leadership Seminar in Abidjan

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago01 mins

The seminar for the General Secretaries of CAF West Zone B, as well as representatives from Cameroon and Liberia, opened on Monday morning at the Zone’s headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. After the welcome address delivered by the Executive Director, Mr. Philippe Tchere, the official opening of the proceedings took place online under the chairmanship of Mr. Kurt Edwin-Simeon Okraku, President of West Zone B. This two-day seminar is organized around the theme “𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏” and is being facilitated by Mr. Patrick D. Cowden. Its objective is to strengthen the managerial and strategic skills of the participants, in line with CAF’s commitment to professionalize and support the development of West African football. The scheduled discussions and workshops will allow the General Secretaries to deepen their reflection on governance, communication, and leadership, in service of the performance of their respective federations.

Peter Obi Was Packaged By The Elite, He Had 10 Suvs In His Convoy – Sowore

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago07 mins

During an interview on Noble Nigeria hosted by Noble Eyisi, Sowore explained his principled stance on not aligning with political godfathers in order to win power. Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore has said he refuses to compromise his values for political gain, warning that Nigeria has become “a burial ground for good- intentioned people” where evil is more likely to thrive than virtue. During an interview on Noble Nigeria hosted by Noble Eyisi, Sowore explained his principled stance on not aligning with political godfathers in order to win power. ‘Peter Obi Was Packaged by the Elite’. On the subject of Peter Obi, Sowore was unflinching. He described the former Anambra State governor as a “packaged” candidate promoted by the elite to hijack the energy of the #EndSARS movement. “After #EndSARS, the youth were ripe for power. But the elites knew they had to insert someone they could talk to,” Sowore claimed. “So they gave them Obi, and it was all packaging.” According to Sowore, Obi is not the revolutionary some people think he is. Sowore also accused Obi’s supporters of waging an aggressive information campaign and using social media to silence dissenting voices. “Obi was portrayed as the face of the youth struggle, but it was a tyranny of the minority,” he said. “Even Wole Soyinka told me he almost fell for it up to a point. He said I was almost endorsing this guy. And then he woke up one day and his name was all over, and he said he was asking, what did I do wrong? What did I do wrong? It turns out they just picked on him for no reason. And even though he didn’t participate in the election, he became the most ridiculed person after the election. That was what got him upset. And he said, ‘Oh, if this is my last assignment on earth, I’m going to let people know who you people are.” Recounting his own encounters with Obi, Sowore shared personal stories of what he described as hypocrisy and stagecraft. “When we were running for election, I noticed something about him. If Peter wants to take a private jet, he will go and enter through commercial place and greet everybody. You think?. And then they will bring a vehicle and put him to go to the private jet area,” he said. He narrated how Obi would then switch to the VIP lounge for a private jet. “I was actually expecting that he was driving Innoson motors,” he said. “Peter Obi had nothing less than 10 big Toyota SUVs waiting for him. And I was telling myself, why do you have to lie? So why do you have to cover up for this? Nobody’s going to be upset with you that you are a presidential candidate if you have a convoy. “But look at this trajectory, and that packaging is his style. And if you want to get away with finding out, then he’ll send his people after you.” “I knew him and he knew that I knew him. But there were guys who were against him in those days who didn’t have the courage to come out again, because they were afraid of the backlash, and they did a fantastic job of scaring everybody,” he said. Sowore narrated how Obi once publicly praised him for helping him become governor, but later allowed his associates to smear him and novelist Okey Ndibe with false accusations. “They printed posters in Anambra calling us gay partners,” he recalled. “That’s when I knew he endorses those rabid online attacks.” “Information Warfare Worse Than Military Rule” Sowore warned that the political atmosphere in Nigeria had become dangerously intolerant, comparing the media manipulation around Obi’s rise to tactics seen during the civil war and military rule. “But there were guys who were against him (Obi) in those days who didn’t have the courage to come out again, because they were afraid of the backlash, and they did a fantastic job of scaring everybody,” he said. He added that many of the youth leaders from EndSARS had been co-opted or silenced, naming popular activists and entertainers who allegedly supported the elite’s plan.

Amuwo Spikers Claims Victory at LVC Thunder Games 2025

Our Reporters4 weeks ago4 weeks ago03 mins

After five exhilarating days of elite-level volleyball, Amuwo Spikers emerged champions of the 2025 LVC Thunder Games Championship, outplaying a fiercely competitive field to clinch the coveted trophy on Saturday night. The annual competition, hosted by Lekki Volleyball Club, brought together top regional teams from across the country in a festival of athleticism, spirit, and community. The tournament, which took place from April 15th to 19th at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, saw Amuwo Spikers dominate the competition, winning first place in both the male and female categories. In the male category, Amuwo Spikers took the top spot, followed by Lekki Cruisers in second place and Legacy VB in third place. In the female category, Amuwo Spikers again took the top spot, with Lekki Cruisers in second place and Oluyole Spikers in third place. In the thrilling final match, Team Amuwo defeated the defending champions, Lekki Cruisers, with a score of 3-2, showcasing grit, precision, and resilience that cemented their position as a powerhouse in Nigerian volleyball. The tournament featured 25 teams, including 15 male and 8 female teams, making it the largest volleyball tournament ever held in Lagos. The Most Valuable Player awards went to Ebuka Anachuna in the male category and Albertina Francis in the female category, both recognized for their exceptional performances throughout the tournament. Commenting on the victory, the Amuwo Spikers coach, Aare Oluwaseun, said, “This is one of the best tournaments in Nigeria currently, with most of the national players represented. From the spikes to the sets and defense, it has been a thunderous affair.” The Head coach of Lekki Cruisers, Iwerima John, also praised the tournament, saying, “The competition has exposed a lot of talents in the country, playing good volleyball. It is important to continue to support tournaments like this, contributing to the development of this sport.” The LVC Thunder Games 2025 was a resounding success, showcasing the best of Nigerian volleyball talent and setting the stage for future competitions.