Author: Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

Nigeria @62: Towards gender equality in politics

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

By; Dorcas Jonah, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Over the years, women have clamoured for political space because men dominate both elective and appointed positions in Nigeria. From the pre-independence era, Nigerian women have played active part in politics. The action of Aba women in resisting colonial taxation is a familiar story, so also the political activism of late Mrs. Margret Ekpo and Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti. Against this background, women influence in Nigeria’s political space was expected to grow with Independence from British colonial rulers in 1960. However, long years of…

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Nigeria@62: IBB tasks youths on Nigeria’s history knowledge

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir
Former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida

As Nigeria marks its 62nd independence anniversary, retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, former military president, has challenged youths to strive for more knowledge about its past. Babangida told newsmen on Friday in Minna that a good knowledge of the nation’s history would guide the youths in their search for a better Nigeria. According to him, it is necessary for the youths to know what Nigeria’s founding fathers went through to keep it strong and united. “Seven years after independence, we went through a civil war and came out of it. The…

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Nigeria @62: Aisha Buhari applauds courage, gallantry of armed forces

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir
Aisha Buhari

First Lady Aisha Buhari has commended the courage and gallantry of the Nigerian armed forces for keeping the country united in spite of the security challenges. Buhari made the commendation on Friday during a public lecture to mark Nigeria’s 62nd Independence anniversary at the National Mosque, Abuja. The theme of the event was, “SHURA: The Islamic Foundation of true Democracy’’. “The determination and zeal of Nigeria’s security forces to end insecurity is evident in the recent successes recorded in the fight against armed banditry and other violent crimes in the…

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Putin signs documents to annex 4 contested Ukrainian provinces

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed the document to formally annex four Ukrainian provinces occupied by Moscow’s troops. Putin said the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson are now part of Russia, during a televised ceremony in the Kremlin. Russian occupation authorities staged referendums in the four areas in the past week which they said showed an overwhelming majority in favour of leaving Ukraine and joining Russia. Ukraine and Western powers have dismissed the vote, saying the results were a foregone conclusion that would never be recognized internationally.

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Putin calls on Kiev to agree to ceasefire, negotiation

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Friday said Ukraine’s government needed to agree to a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table. “We are ready for this,” Putin said as he declared the parts of Ukraine occupied by Moscow’s forces to be part of Russia. Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions were to be incorporated through “treaties” signed with the states, which Moscow had recognised as independent. Putin stressed that the people in these regions had become “our citizens forever.” He stressed that there would be no negotiations with Ukraine concerning…

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Police Gets 2 new DIGs, promote 427 senior officers

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the appointment of two Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) and promotion of 427 senior police officers. Mr Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. He said the commission had also, approved promotion examinations for police officers in line with the Public Service Rules with effect from 2023. Ani said the decisions were highpoints of the 15th Plenary Meeting of the Commission presided over by its acting Chairman, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi,…

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Nigeria@62: Bishop calls for end to ASUU’s strike

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo has called on the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), describing it as “tragic”. Badejo stated this on Friday in a message he sent to Nigerians ahead of the 62nd anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence. He also said in the statement that the leaders holding public offices must not suspend governance because of the campaign season ahead of the 2023 general elections. Nigeria gained independence from her colonial ruler, the British Government, on…

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Buhari raises alarm on danger of escalation of war in Ukraine

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

President Muhammadu Buhari says the danger of escalation of the war in Ukraine further justifies Nigeria’s resolute calls for a nuclear-free world and a universal Arms Trade Treaty. The Nigerian leader, who stated this while addressing world leaders at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77), in New York, United States, said the call had become necessary to prevent global human disasters. He, therefore, demanded that world leaders must find quick means to reach consensus on the nuclear non-proliferation Treaty with related commitments by nuclear weapon states. In a speech…

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Fake news bigger threat to democracy than gun – Jonathan

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir
Former President Goodluck Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says the biggest threat to democracy is no longer the gun, but propaganda, fake news and disinformation. Jonathan stated this in Abuja at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation 2022 Peace Conference with the theme, “Nation Building: The Role of Peaceful Elections in a Multi-Ethnic Context’’. Jonathan urged young Nigerians to embrace good conduct rather than hate speech, saying those advocating for violence and orchestrating fake news were the big threats to democracy. “We must discourage this issue of hate speech and propaganda that are going on because…

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131-carat diamond unearthed in Angola

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

A 131-carat white Type IIa diamond was uncovered from the Lulo mine, a 3,000 square km concession in Angola’s Lunda Norte diamond heartland. The country’s state-owned diamond company Endiama announced this on Wednesday. The diamond was found by Australia-based Lucapa Diamond Company, and its partners in Lulo’s Block 19, 11 days after a 160-carat diamond was extracted from the same mine. According to the company, this makes it the fourth diamond of over 100 carats to be discovered from the mine this year and the 29th overall, the company said.…

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