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Pope Francis has on Saturday appointed 21 new Cardinals at a ceremony known as a consistory. There are now 137 cardinal electors of which 73 percent were chosen by the Pope himself. From the list of 21, eighteen are under the age of 80 and therefore are qualified to participate in a secret conclave to choose Francis’ successor in the case of his demise or resignation. The remaining three being of the age of 80 and above were given the honor due to their extensive service in the church. The appointment is seen as a move to cement his legacy and reform the church. The new red-hatted princes of the Church as they call them, includes key figures and head from different countries; France, Italy, Argentina, Switzerland, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania, Portugal including US. In his comment to the new Cardinals, he stated that diversity is necessary, and it is indispensable. On its official X account,  Holy See Press Office  which pro...

  The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, September 29, 2023, arraigned one Olukeye Adedayo Olalekan on 18-count charges bordering on child pornography, money laundering and retention of proceeds of unlawful activities before Justice Tijani Ringim of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos. One of the counts reads: “That you, Olukeye Adedayo Olalekan (a.k.a hrm877, charlotte 708 and harlilott_716) on or about the 13th February, 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court intentionally used the Instagram virtual network to create a group " Expose Janjuarobin Nudes" to distribute child pornography and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 23(1) (c) and punishable under Section 23(1)(e) of the of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.” He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against him. In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo , SAN, prayed the ...

  The Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said Nigerian sports men and women in the diaspora must be treated with dignity.  The Minister made the assertion Friday morning through a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir. To the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs the background of viral video trolling Super Eagles star and forward Victor Osimhen over missing a penalty kick in a football match against Bologna.  The matter Ambassador Tuggar said falls under the 4Ds Strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also known as the Tinubu doctrine it mainstreams Democracy, Development, Diaspora and Demography as part of its outward looking objectives.  The Diaspora component which considers the life and dignity of every Nigerian in Diaspora sacrosanct and deserving of respect and dignity in accordance with the universal declaration of human rights.  “When we ...

Vice President Shettima As the date October 3 mapped out by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to commence a nationwide indefinite strike, the federal government appears to be ramping up efforts to appease the trade union centres and try to prevent them from embarking on the industrial action. National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, yesterday, appealed to NLC and TUC to shelve the planned strike, pleading for more time for government to address labour’s demands. Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, also yesterday, warned the organised labour against the planned nationwide industrial action, stating that going ahead with it would amount to  violation of a subsisting court order. However, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) directed its members to withdraw their services nationwide from Tuesday, in line with the indefinite strike called by N...

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (OON) has called for global peace and harmony on the occasion of Eid al Maulud.  In a statement signed  by the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy To The Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir, the Minister enjoined the Muslim Ummah to embrace the noble and exemplary life of Prophet Muhammad SAW (Peace Be Upon Him) in their daily lives.  He also prayed for peace and security in Nigeria, most especially in the ECOWAS subregion and other parts of the world going through conflicts and strife; while also calling on all to imbibe tolerance, love, and compassion. According to him “The lesson from the life of Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him is one of inspiration to be pious and humane. His dedication to love, compassion, humility, and teaching tolerance are needed in these times. May the occasion of Eid al Maulud bring our country and the entire wor...

  Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (OON) as part of Nigeria’s participation at the just concluded 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US, hosted the Nigeria State Luncheon on “Financing Nigeria’s Growth Agenda” with public officials and investors geared towards galvanizing investment opportunities for Nigeria’s socio-economic development. The event which was held at The Madison Main Ballroom, The Lotte New York Palace, on the 21st of September 2023 was coordinated by Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, His Excellency Wale Edun. It provided a quality opportunity for the interface between potential investors and Nigerian leaders to share ideas on the investment opportunities in Nigeria as well as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration’s resolve to create an enabling environment to attract foreign direct investments in Nigeria.  Amb. Tuggar also used the opp...

The war against insecurity in the country took a dramatic turn, yesterday, with Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State accused some agencies of the Federal Government of engaging in secret talks with bandits. Tasking the Federal Government on clarification of the issue, Lawal said reports indicated that a delegation allegedly sent by some agencies of the federal government had been holding talks with bandit groups in Zamfara without his knowledge. Efforts to get the federal government to speak on the matter, yesterday, did not yield dividends, as a presidency source said the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, was in a better position to speak on the issue. The minister was yet to respond as of the time of filing this report. But Governor Lawal called for an urgent and comprehensive investigation by the federal government into the ongoing secret negotiations with bandits in Zamfara State. In a statement, the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, Governor Lawal lamented the ...

The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, 27th September 2023 as a public holiday.  This is to commemorate the Eid-ul-Maulid celebration, the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), according to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. While making the declaration in Abuja on Monday, he congratulated all Muslim faithful both at home and in the diaspora for this year’s occasion. “His admonition to Nigerians is to imbibe the spirit of love, patience, tolerance and perseverance which are deep spiritual virtues that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) exemplified,” the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Oluwatoyin Akinlade said in a statement. “The Honorable Minister, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has urged Nigerians, especially our youths, to embrace the virtues of hard work and peaceful disposition to fellow humans, irrespective of faith, ideology, social class, and ethnicity, and join hands with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s led-Administration in its effort ...

Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (OON), has today held a constructive bilateral discussion with Hon. Molly Phee, the United States Assistant Secretary of State. This meeting is coming on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Majority of their discussion centered on the current political landscape in Niger Republic, opportunities for mutual cooperation in advancing regional security, fostering trade and investment, and improving critical infrastructure projects. This encounter underscored the enduring and robust diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the United States, emphasizing both nations' dedication to addressing shared challenges and seizing collaborative prospects for mutual progress and growth. The Honourable Minister expressed his hopeful outlook, anticipating that the dialogue would not only strengthen diplomatic ties but also contribute significantly to the stability and prosperity of the West Afric...

  India is one of the focal countries of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 4-D Diplomacy, or what we in Nigeria’s foreign affairs Ministry have started referring to as the Tinubu Doctrine. The 4-Ds are Democracy, Demography, Development, and Diaspora and I am certain you get the picture with the commonalities between Nigeria and India even before I start explaining each of the 4-Ds.   Both India and Nigeria are the largest constitutional democracies on their respective continents and the world as a whole. We are constantly seeking for ways to strengthen our democratic institutions in order to improve the quality of life for our citizenry by improving services rendered by our governments as well as providing the environment for private sector to thrive. Private sector thrives when governments ensure policy predictability, secure property rights and effectiveness of contracts. But the starting point is a democratic system where routine elections are held at different tiers o...