Author: Herald Newspaper

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said President Bola Tinubu never asked him to lie, arrest or harass any journalist because of unconstructive criticism and reportage. Idris stated this while receiving a delegation from the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) led by its General Secretary, Mr Onuoha Ukeh, and Deputy President, Mr Sebastian Abu, in Abuja on Wednesday. According to him, in spite of negative criticism and alleged defamation of character by some journalists and members of the public, the President had never given him a marching order to arrest or harass anyone. “There are times…

Hannatu Musawa, minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, has inaugurated the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2025 All-Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) scheduled to hold in Lagos. The AFRIMA 2025 is slated to hold from November 25 to 30, with the theme “Unstoppable Africa.” The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inter-agency LOC was inaugurated at the ministry’s headquarters on Wednesday in Abuja. Members of the committee were drawn from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Nigerian Film Corporation and the National Film and Video Censors Board. Others included the Federal Ministry of Interior.…

The Task Force of the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency (KWEPA) has sealed off a residential building in the Jooro area of Asadam, Ilorin, over an open soakaway system and persistent offensive odour, which has posed a significant threat to public health and environmental safety. The enforcement action was carried out on Tuesday during a routine inspection exercise. The affected property was found to be discharging toxic effluent openly, resulting in a pungent smell that endangered the well-being of residents and violated the State’s environmental protection laws. Representing the General Manager of KWEPA, Hon. Jide Aina, during the operation was…

From Gold Rahman, Lokoja Kogi State Pension Commission (PENCOM) says it is concluding plans to migrate from the Defined Benefits Scheme to the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) with full implementation expected to begin next year. The Director General of the Commission, Hajia Mariam Abedo disclosed this during an official engagement with the Special Adviser on Media to Kogi State Governor, Ismail Isah, in her office in Lokoja. She explained that the Commission had already commenced the preliminary phase, including data collection and registration with Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), in preparation for the transition. According to her, the Contributory Pension Scheme…

The UK Government has announced that it will unveil digital eVisas for most Nigerian nationals applying for study or work visas from July 15. This is contained in a statement by the British High Commission, Abuja, signed by Onyinye Madu, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday. It explained that under the new system, successful applicants will receive a secure online eVisa instead of a physical visa sticker in their passport. The statement said that applicants would still need to visit a Visa Application Centre to provide biometric information, adding that if a vignette is…

The Oyo State Executive Council has approved N7.7billion for procurement of two aircrafts to combat banditry, kidnapping and other forms of security threats in the state. This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade. Oyelade said the procurement of the aircrafts was approved during the weekly meeting of the council held on Tuesday. According to him, the approval was in accordance with the renewed determination of the government to secure the state from the influx of bandits and the perpetration of their enterprise. “The two light…

Mrs Helen Aisowieren, wife of Edo Representative in the NDDC Board, has urged the Federal Government to enact stiffer laws to address the increasing cases of domestic violence against women. She made the remark in a statement issued by NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. According to the statement, Aisowieren spoke at the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration jointly organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Jesse Halliday Global Initiative in Benin, Edo. She stated that women had, over the years, been relegated to the background, leading to their continued perception…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that 217, 980 voters in Ibadan North Federal Constituency in Oyo state would elect a new representative at the National Assembly, for the constituency. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo state, Dr Adeniran Tella, said this on Wednesday at the stakeholders meeting with political parties ahead of the by-election slated for Aug. 16. The member representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency at the House of Representative, Mr Olaide Akinremi, died on July 10, 2024, which necessitated the conduct of a by-election. Tella said that Ibadan Federal Constituency comprised of 12 wards with…

From Gold Rahman, Lokoja Ahead of the bye election to fill the vacate seat for Dekina Okura State Constituency in Kogi State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has warned against spreading fake news that would hamper the success of the exercise. The newly deployed INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kogi State Oliver Agundu gave the warning in Lokoja during an interactive session with party leaders in the State. Agundu argued that spreading fake news will further fuel the already fragile situation in the Country, adding that, the Commission remains committed in conducting a transparent, free, fair, credible and acceptable…

From Gold Rahman, Lokoja The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, on Monday undertook a working visit to Eika, Ihima, and several communities in Okehi Local Government Area to evaluate the extent of the devastation wrought by the June 16th rainstorm in the area with the intention of addressing its challenges. The Governor, represented by his Deputy, Comrade Joel Salifu, during the scene inspection, expressed heartfelt condolences to the victims of the rainstorm, describing it as a catastrophic event that resulted in the destruction of properties valued at hundreds of millions. He stated that having assessed the number of…