Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

A London court has refused to grant an application by Process & Industrial Development (P&ID) seeking to appeal the judgement halting the enforcement of its $11 billion award against Nigeria. In a judgment on Thursday, the presiding judge, Robin Knowles, ruled that the award against Nigeria should be thrown out immediately. On October 23, Knowles halted the enforcement of the award by upholding Nigeria’s prayer that it was obtained by fraud and in violation of section 68 of the English Arbitration Act 1996. The judge found that P&ID had paid bribes to Nigerian officials involved in drafting the gas supply…

The Federal Government has reopened the Third Mainland Bridge, one month after its closure for maintenance work. “We are pleased to announce that parts of the Third Mainland Bridge which were closed last month will reopen today 21st December, 2023 by 6 pm,” the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi said in a statement today. “Following essential maintenance, the entire bridge is now fully accessible to the public, ensuring smoother connectivity and safe commuting,” the commissioner added. He commended Nigerians for their “patience during the temporary closure,” adding that the government understood the inconvenience the closure may have caused.…

The Port Harcourt Refinery, with a combined capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, is set to come on board as it begins operations today. “Yes, the refinery is set, we will visit the the refinery site today to kickstart it’s operation,” an official of the ministry of petroleum told Businessday. The $1.5 billion rehabilitation project was launched by the Buhari administration in 2019, to restore the aging refinery to its nameplate capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpd). The project seen as a critical step towards boosting Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity and reducing its dependence on imported petroleum products. Mele…

The Senate, yesterday, screened the 11 newly appointed justices of the Supreme Court behind closed doors. The lucky justices included Haruna Tsammani (Northeast), who chaired the Presidential Election Petition Court; Moore Adumein (South-South), Jummai Sankey (North-central), Chidiebere Uwa (South-east) and Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (South-east). Others were Justice Obande Ogbuinya (South-east); Justice Stephen Adah(North-central); Justice Habeeb Abiru (South-west); Justice Jamilu Tukur (Northwest); Justice Abubakar Umar (Northwest), and Justice Mohammed Idris (North-central). Currently, the Supreme Court operates with only 10 justices, falling short of the statutory requirement of 21 judges. But, if confirmed, it would mark the first time in history that the…

President Bola Tinubu has written the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, to submit a progress report on the agreements related to the electricity sector, signed during the recently concluded United Nations Climate Conference (COP 28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a letter seen by thisday yesterday, the president gave the power minister a two-week period within which to prepare and submit the document. The deadline expires today (Thursday), counting from the December 7 date when the minister acknowledged receipt of the official communication. Aside other deals, President Bola Tinubu and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz had presided…

The General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, on Wednesday, said same-sex marriage is at variance with the command of Jesus Christ to Christians. He spoke at the Deeper Life International Conference Centre, KM 48 Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, during the opening ceremony of a joint event of the Global Crusade with Kumuyi and the 2023 National December Retreat  tagged: “Emmanuel.” On Tuesday Pope Francis granted permission for priests to bestow blessings upon same-sex marriage couples. But Kumuyi in his address, asserted that the command of Christ Jesus was for a man to get married to a woman. He…

Following the suspension of the Holy Pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan by both the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) and the Lagos State Government in October this year, the State Government has commenced the sales of forms for the 2023/2024 Pilgrimage Exercise to the Holy Land of Rome and Greece. The suspension of the Holy Pilgrimage exercise was a result of the security situation in Israel that had claimed several lives. According to the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board (LSCPWB), Mrs.  Yetunde Florence Gbafe the suspension of the pilgrimage exercise then was in line with the…

Mrs Uju Ohanenye, the Minister of Women Affairs, has denied an advocacy attributed to her on “Morning Show” segment of a national television exempting women from paying tax. This is contained in a statement signed by Ohaeri Joseph, her Special Assistant on Media in Abuja on Wednesday. “The attention of the Ministry has been drawn to some false reports on ‘Morning Show’ segment of the Arise TV insinuating that the Minister advocated for women not to pay tax in the Nigeria. “We wish to state categorically clear that the Minister did not canvass for women not to pay tax. “Because…

The House of Representatives has asked the federal government to implement the policy adopted in 2018 that recognises the Chinese Yuan as an official foreign currency for conducting business transactions in Nigeria to curb the continuous depreciation of the naira. The House asked its committees on Banking Regulations, Banking, and Other Ancillary Institutions to liaise with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to explore the appropriate mechanisms, policies, and partnerships required for giving effect to the policy. Adopting a motion sponsored by Hon. Jafaru Gambo Leko, the House said considering the volume of trade between Nigeria and China, the Chinese currency should…

Barbadian-American superstar Rihanna has named ‘Unavailable’ by Nigerian musician, Davido featuring South African singer, Musa Keys, as her ‘Song of the Year.’ She disclosed this in a side interview with Complex at a recent event of her fashion brand, Fenty, The Creeper.p Rihanna was asked to name her album of the year, but the billionaire pop mogul said she wasn’t an “album girl” and went on to mention ‘Unavailable’ and ‘Mnike’ by Tyler ICU and Tumelo as her joint song of the year. She said, “Album of the year? Am I an album girl? Or am I a streaming single…

Nuno Espirito Santo says he is facing a “huge challenge” at Nottingham Forest and wants to build on Steve Cooper’s legacy at the City Ground. Forest have appointed Nuno on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Cooper was sacked on Tuesday after two years and three months, with Forest having lost five of their past six league games to sit 17th in the table. “We have a good group of players, a squad that needs to become better,” said ex-Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno. Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the Portuguese head coach added: “What Steve [Cooper] did here is amazing. “Putting Forest…

Luton Town’s Premier League match at Bournemouth, abandoned after their captain Tom Lockyer collapsed on the pitch, will be replayed in full. Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest during Saturday’s game, with both teams taken off as he received treatment on the field. He was responsive as he was carried off on a stretcher. The game stood at 1-1 when it was abandoned in the 59th minute. A Premier League statement said it will be rescheduled for later in the season. Following his collapse, Lockyer was taken to hospital, where he has had tests and scans. The Premier League statement added: “The decision…