Reps support ban on under-18 SSCE, UTME candidates

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The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education has supported the recent decision by the Federal Government to peg the minimum age for candidates sitting for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination to 18 years. The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, had in July stated that with effect from 2025, any candidate below the age of 18 will not be allowed to sit the SSSCE and without which such students cannot secure admission to higher institutions of learning. The announcement has generated heated debate among parents and education stakeholders.…

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2024: Jehovah’s Witnesses Conventions at Ota begin from September 6 to Dec.15

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Thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses and interested members of the public will from today, Friday, September 6, start gathering at the Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses located along Idiroko Road, Ota, Ogun State. It’s for the Witnesses’ 2024 Regional Convention, which has a theme, “Declare the Good News !” The convention, focusing on hope inspiring good news amidst contemporary challenges face by humans today, holds every weekend until Sunday, December 15. A statement signed by Odeyemi Afolabi , a Regional Spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnessess shows that 2024 Ota Convention Series, will…

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TUC condemns fuel price hike, demands reversal

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The hike in the pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, commonly known as Petrol on Tuesday, has been met with shock and dismay by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, demanding its immediate reversal by the Federal Government. TUC in a statement by its President, Festus Osifo, contended that the sudden hike in fuel and electricity costs will exacerbate the poverty level, worsen the suffering and hardships across the country and may trigger social unrest. According to the statement, “TUC received the news of PMS Price hike…

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Tax collection in Nigeria low – Bill Gates

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Bill Gates, American billionaire philanthropist has described Nigeria’s tax collection as ‘pretty low’. The co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation addressed attendees at Nutrivision 2024, a pan-African youth dialogue on nutrition held in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria on Tuesday. During the event, Gates responded to a question regarding potential financing mechanisms that the Federal Government of Nigeria could utilize to support large-scale public health initiatives. He also highlighted Nigeria’s potential to become a net exporter of food, citing the country’s extensive land resources and favorable soil types.…

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Sperm ‘superdonor’ sues Netflix over ‘1,000 kids’ show

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Jonathan Meijer, a Dutchman who claims to have fathered 550 children via sperm donations said he was suing Netflix over its hit documentary “The Man With 1,000 Kids”, which he described as “sensationalist”. 43-year-old Meijer announced on a late-night chat show Tuesday that he was taking legal action against the documentary that he said slandered him and the families he helped to create. He said the number of children the documentary said he could have fathered — up to 3,000 — was incorrect. “Five hundred and fifty, that’s the number…

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Nigeria is 3rd largest World Bank’s debtor -Financial report

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According to a financial statement published by the World Bank, Nigeria is the third largest debtor to the Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) as of June 30, 2024. According to the financial statement, Nigeria’s exposure to IDA rose to $16.5 billion as at June 30, which is an increase of $2.2 billion, or 14.4% over $14.3 billion recorded at the end of 2023. IDA is a key arm of the World Bank which provides concessional loans and grants to the world’s poorest countries. The loans are designed to promote economic…

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Cheptegei, Ugandan Olympian set on fire by boyfriend is dead

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Rebecca Cheptegei, Ugandan Olympian has died in Kenya four days after being set on fire by her boyfriend, Ugandan athletics officials said Thursday. “We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei… following a vicious attack by her boyfriend,” the president of the Uganda Olympic Committee Donald Rukare said in a post on X. “This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure,” he added. According to police, a man identified…

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FG declares emergency in Onne port over arms importation

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Following the repeated incidents of importation of dangerous cargo, including arms and ammunition through Onne port, the Federal Government has declared a state of emergency at the Port in Rivers State.p To this effect, the government said it is immediately implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port for the next three months by conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers in the premises. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, stated this during a press conference to unveil the seizures of illicit goods by Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 command, Onne, in…

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Largest intervention fund spent in Africa goes to Nigeria — Bill Gates

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The co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, has said that Nigeria gets the largest intervention fund spent by the foundation in Africa. Gates said this during an interview session with selected journalists on the sidelines of the 2024 NutriVision Dialogue on Tuesday in Abuja. According to him, helping reduce health inequality globally is the top priority of the foundation, including getting rid of diseases like measles, malaria, and polio. “We spend a lot in Asia, but we spend even more in Africa. The country we spend…

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19-yr-old native doctor arrested over client’s death after testing Bulletproof charm

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Timothy Dauda, a 19-year-old native doctor, has been arrested by police in Edo state for allegedly shooting his client, Alex Ezekiel, to death during an “anti-bullet” charm trial. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident on Monday. Yamu said that the incident happened on August 20 in Onumu Community, near Igara, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state. He said that the suspect was arrested by operatives from Igarra Divisional Police Station in Akoko-Edo. It was learnt that the suspect allegedly claimed to specialise in…

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