The qualifying draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 4, according to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The 48 competing teams will be split into 12 groups of four, with the top two in each group reaching the finals in Morocco. The tournament hosts will be included in the draw, but, given that the Atlas Lions are already assured of qualification, only one team in their group will book a ticket to Morocco. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that date for the 2025 AFCON have not…
Author: Daily News Hub
The Police Command in Kano State has banned Durbar activities during the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebrations in the state. In a statement issued on Thursday by Mr Usaini Gumel, the state commissioner of police, the police command stated that the ban became necessary to sustain peace in conjunction with all the relevant security stakeholders. “In furtherance, a ban on all contending parties has been placed, restraining both from conducting Durbar activities for the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebrations,” Gumel said. He, however, advised worshippers to conduct their normal Eid prayers at the various designated praying grounds, as was traditionally done in the past.…
No fewer than 1.5 million pilgrims across the world presently in Saudi Arabia are now set for this year’s Hajj rites which would begin on Friday with movement from Makkah to Muna ahead of the Arafat Day on Saturday. Specifically, a total of 1,547,295 pilgrims, according to a report by the General Directorate of Passports as quoted by the Saudi Press Agency, came into the country through its air, land and sea ports, as at the end of Monday, June 10 deadline for closure of entry to perform this year’s holy pilgrimage. Meanwhile, the official spokesman for Saudi’s Ministry of…
As part of the preparations for this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has deployed 5,112 personnel to beef up security in the Federal Capital Territory. NSCDC Public Relations Officer in the FCT, Mr Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. Afolabi said the NSCDC Commandant in FCT, Dr Olusola Odumosu, has directed officers and men of the corps to ensure the six area councils in the territory are adequately protected. The FCT NSCDC spokesman said to ensure a hitch-free celebration, emphasis was placed on the protection of sensitive locations, soft targets,…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dropped a hint that the Federal Government will only pay the minimum wage it can afford, saying government will cut its coat according to its cloth. The President had in his Democracy Day broadcast alerted the National Assembly to expect his bill on a new National Minimum Wage. He spoke Wednesday night at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, during the 25th Democracy Day Anniversary Dinner. Addressing the leadership of the National Assembly, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on the minimum wage, Tinubu said the government would do the needful, but would only pay…
Benue State Government says it has secured €25millin from the European Investment Bank to construct 500-kilometre roads across the state. State Coordinator, Benue Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, Stephen Numbeve, disclosed this in Makurdi on Thursday. Numbeve said all the administrative procedures have been completed and the agency would commence work once the fund is disbursed. The RAAMP coordinator said the road designs for 300 kilometres of roads have been completed, while works for the remaining 200 kilometres are ongoing. Numbeve added that the roads are expected to cut across 53 road networks in the state. According to him,…
Federal High Court sitting in Kano, on Thursday, ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear the human rights violation suit filed by the dethroned Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and senior councillor, Aminu Dan’agundi, following the reinstatement of Emir Muhammad Sanusi II. The court had issued an ex-parte order stopping Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf from reinstating Sanusi until a substantive suit against the reinstatement is resolved. The order also opposed the abolishment of four emirates—Bichi, Gaya, Karaye, and Rano—under a bill previously passed by the state House of Assembly. The court also instructed all parties to maintain the…
President Bola Tinubu will, on Friday, receive a draft bill seeking a return to a regional system of government for Nigeria. The proposed legislation authored by a chieftain of the Yoruba socio-cultural association, Afenifere, Akin Fapohunda, and titled, “A Bill for an Act to substitute the annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, seeks among others, new extant laws to be cited as “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.” The PUNCH reported last week that the said bill was disowned by the…
Supreme Court on Thursday, reserved judgment in the suit filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on behalf of the Federal Government, against the 36 State Governors of the federation over Local Government councils’ autonomy. The suit is seeking full autonomy for all the 774 local government areas councils in the country. In the suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, Federal Government wants the Supreme Court to enforce the autonomy of the local government by, among other things, stopping state governors from appointing caretaker committees to administer local governments in their states. FG wants the Supreme…
By Kayode Odunaro Having won an unprecedented number of votes that almost doubled that of his closest rivals, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC Ogun West) was not in doubt as to the massive support he got in a highly transparent election. It was a victory foretold based on his antecedents as a legislator elsewhere and the ‘representation’ in form of projects and empowerment accomplished in the senatorial district, even before he became the senator representing the district. Not surprisingly, the majority of constituents that voted for him have been gloating over the places based on the senator’s dedicated fulfilment of his…