News & Announcements

In a surprise enforcement operation across Kano, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, has threatened a complete crackdown on retail shops selling tobacco goods without graphic health warnings.

The National Tobacco Control Act’s graphic health warning policy, which was adopted in 2015, stipulates that tobacco products must include graphic or pictorial health warnings on at least 50% of their primary display area.

The policy is crucial because it was created to both dissuade potential users from starting and to urge tobacco users to give up harmful behaviors.

Speaking to reporters in Kano, National Tobacco Control Alliance program officer Chibuike Nwokorie, who oversaw the FCCPC’s exercise, claimed that many tobacco companies had not yet complied with the state’s regulations.

Nwokorie claims that this is why the FCCPC seized some of the samples and issued a warning to defaulters in case they continued to market their goods without the graphic warnings.

Nwokorie criticized the lack of compliance with the policy in the state, stating that despite the ban, the tobacco businesses continued to do unlawful business.

Nwokorie stated, “In 2015, the National Tobacco Control Act (NTC Act, 2015) was signed into law, and between December 2021 and February 2022, the FCCPC  commenced enforcement in Abuja and Lagos, and now it has arrived in Kano for enforcement.

“While on the field for enforcement in Kano, a lot of cigarettes, and especially Shisha products are being sold without the graphics health warnings, this shows that the Tobacco Industry is deceiving Nigerians by making sure they comply with the law only in Abuja while in other states they are still conducting business as usual. 

“Unfortunately, most of the products we saw in the field in kano do not comply with the policy, they are still selling products that are illegal based on Nigerian law.

“Let us obey the law in Nigeria as we do in other countries, the policy is effective in many countries, there is no reason it should not work in Nigeria. The country gazetted the NTC Act in December 2019, to give bite the NTC Act, 2015” Nwokorie added.

In a news conference held recently in Asaba,the commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, claimed that the APC candidate has consistently criticized the state government despite having nothing to give.

Aniagwu, who claimed that he chose the briefing’s topic, “The Emptiness of a Gubernatorial Candidate,” claimed that Senator Omo-Agege lost himself in baseless accusations rather than address the issues by outlining what he would do differently to win votes.

The commissioner questioned why Omo-Agege, Nigeria’s deputy senate president, would attribute responsibility for failing sections of roads like the Agbor-Eku-Sapele Road, Ughelli-Asaba Road, and Warri Benin Highways on the Delta State Government when all of the roads were federally owned.

Furthermore, according to Aniagwu, the Okowa-led Peoples Democratic Government had successfully completed projects in the riverine areas of Delta, much to the surprise of the benefited communities, in spite of Senator Omo-false Agege’s claim that there was widespread underdevelopment in those regions of the state.

He listed some riverine projects to include, Yokri I and Yokri II tarred road in Ogulagha in Burutu Local Government Area and the tarring of roads Burutu Town.

Aniagwu pointed out that the state government had made significant advancements over time in the fields of education, where he claimed that educational facilities had not only been increased but also upgraded, sports, where he claimed that the Stephen Keshi Stadium had undergone developmental transformation, and the upgraded Asaba Airport.

The commissioner believed that the senator’s lack of familiarity with the deputy senate president said a lot about the caliber of his representation in the senate, and he questioned whether this was the reason why the senator had not been successful in sponsoring any bills in the senate up to this point.

The All Progressives Congress APC,in Abia State has said that they do not support Dr. Uche Ogah, a former minister of mines and steel development who won against the party’s governorship ticket in court.

The party leaders, who ignored Ogah’s celebration of his courts triumph upon their arrival from Abuja,
explained that thier absence from the event was a direct message to the former minister that his court victory meant nothing to the party.

Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, the chairman of the Abia APC, claimed that Ogah was celebrating a fake ticket that would do him no good and questioned the reasoning behind such behavior.

Kingsley Ononogbu said; “It is an irony that Uche Ogah, who transferred his case to Abuja citing security challenges in Abia as pretext, has now returned to the same Abia to celebrate what he considers as court victory.  

“The celebrant, Uche Ogah has demonstrated that he has no love for Abia people and is insensitive to their sufferings in the hands of the ruling PDP. Uche Ogah’s activities are geared towards assisting those holding the state down to maintain their grip.

“That is the glaring reason every person of note in our party has isolated Ogah because they all know his game plan and they detest his antics and shenanigan coming at a time our party is formidably prepared to rescue and develop Abia State. 

“We know the source of the inglorious music that Ogah and his misguided followers are dancing to but I can assure them that our party is stronger than these agents of distraction and destabilization.”

Speaking at the same time sir Friday Nwosu, the party’s national welfare secretary, emphasized that Ogah is not the party’s candidate for the election and emphasized that the law’s position on the issue of political parties nominating their candidates for elections does not favor Ogah.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told G20 leaders Wednesday there was a “terrorist state” among them, accusing Russia of a missile strike on Poland that killed two people.

Speaking by video link, Zelensky called the strike “a true statement brought by Russia for the G20 summit”, according to a copy of his speech seen by AFP.

Poland has said there is no clear evidence on who launched the missile, and US President Joe Biden said it was “unlikely” it had been fired from Russia, which has denied involvement.

Zelensky however has been quick to point the finger at Russia, which launched a wave of attacks across Ukraine on Tuesday, leaving millions of households without power.

He addressed the G20 summit for the second time on Wednesday, but several leaders had already departed the Indonesian island of Bali, which is hosting the gathering.

Among them was Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who flew out on Tuesday evening.

Those who remained heard Zelensky tell the summit: “There is a terrorist state among you, and we are defending ourselves against it. That is the reality.”

Zelensky, who spoke by video link to leaders on Tuesday to urge an end to the war, called for a “quick reaction” to the strike in Poland.

But his allies have moved cautiously, with Biden saying any response would come only after an investigation.

“We’re going to make sure we figure out exactly what happened… and then we’re going to collectively determine our next step,” he said after meeting with G7 and other allies on the sidelines of the summit.

He also said, “preliminary information” suggested the missile had not been launched from Russia.
“It’s unlikely… that it was fired from Russia,” he said. “But we’ll see.”

The former president of Nigeria argued that it is incorrect to believe that the only place for a female child is in the kitchen and denounced those who limit opportunities for girls to pursue higher education.

According to him, such idea of giving more importance to male child education over the female child is a wrong culture that should not be encouraged.

Woe befalls those who oppose the education of girls,remarked Obasanjo while speaking at an event commemorating this year’s world diabetes day in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

He went on to say that his daughter Iyabo°agrees that no child should be denied an,education because of her gender and thatanyone who does this and is discovered by his daughter will face the consequences.

Obasanjo described a personal incident inwhich his father forcibly removed hisyounger sister from school and theconsequences for her future.

The former president of Nigeria emphasize that it is because of such experiences that his foundation, the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation place a major emphasis on girl-child education.

Obasanjo said, “When I started school in the village, I had a junior sister, who was enrolled in school two years after I had joined the school… and suddenly, our father decided that – because a girl-child education ends in the kitchen, pulled her out of school – I remained in school.

“And that singular action made the difference between her development into adulthood and my development into adulthood. I had a plan that whenever I return from the UK, I will re-enrol her back to school. But by the time I came back from the UK, my wife had given my sister out in marriage and that ended my sister’s education.

“Then, I vowed that whatever I can do for girl-child education, I will always do. And this unfortunate idea of girl-child education ending in the kitchen is unimportant. The culture of giving preference to a male child over a female child is an idea and culture that must be killed.

“Woe betide anyone who attempts to relegate my eldest child, Iyabo. Iyabo will crush such a person, be he or she.”

Former two-time heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua could be in line to face Filip Hrgovic for a world title next, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Joshua will get this chance if IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk decides to vacate his belt to pursue a fight with Tyson Fury for the WBC title.

Joshua lost his IBF, WBA, WBO, and IBO titles to Usyk and then failed in his bid to reclaim them in their rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia back in August.

The British-Nigerian is now weighing up his options following his third defeat in his last four bouts after a proposed bout with Fury broke down after talks were in advanced stages.

The Ukrainian would then have to give up his IBF crown, meaning IBF chiefs would order Hrgovic and Andy Ruiz to meet for the vacant strap.

However, Ruiz is seeking a fight with Deontay Wilder and if that happens, Joshua would be the man to take his place.

Marry Mubaiwa, a former beauty queen and ex-wife of Zimbabwe Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has threatened suicide weeks after her arm was amputated.

Marry Mubaiwa has been critically ill for several months after she was diagnosed with acute lymphedema. Her arm was amputated in September after several applications to seek treatment outside the country were rejected by the courts.

Marry who has been embroiled in a custody battle following a bitter divorce from her husband, told a South African newspaper that asides from her physical health deteriorating, she is suffering from depression and has also not seen her kids since 2019.

She said; “I am not well at all, and I feel that if I had gone out of the country to seek better treatment, I would be better, but the court refused to give me my passport as part of bail conditions.

“Especially not seeing my children is very painful to me. Sometimes I start having thoughts of committing suicide — and don’t be surprised [if I do]. I have not spoken to my kids, and I have not seen them since 2019.

“Our children have nothing to do with what is happening between us … These are young children. I always ask myself what he says to them about me. These are kids who need their mother.”

Marry who is facing a litany of criminal charges including the attempted murder of her former husband Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, said;

“I spent nights and days crying, asking God: ‘Why did you let this happen to me?’ Everything I am accused of, I didn’t do it.”
“Right now, I am so sick. I am having challenges with my legs that are swollen and so painful, and the doctors told me after the amputation of my right arm that my body has too much fluid.”

She also wished her ex-husband, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, well following his new marriage to Colonel Miniyothabo Baloyi. Marry added; “I wish them all the happiness in the world.”

Former US President, Donald Trump says he plans to run for the US presidency in 2024, vowing “America’s comeback starts right now”.

He addressed supporters in an hour-long speech at his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night. The former president has a massive campaign war chest and remains popular with the Republican base, reports the BBC.

But he has been blamed for the Republicans’ disappointing performance in the midterm elections, with a predicted “red wave” failing to materialize.

To run for president, Trump would have to win the Republican Party’s nomination – but others are expected to compete for it. Republicans are also on the cusp of taking a majority in the House of Representatives, though it will be a narrow one.

Midterm voters by and largely rejected candidates who backed Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud in 2020, and many of his high-profile picks for office struggled or lost outright.

Last week Trump lashed out at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – a rising Republican star who is also expected to run for the party’s 2024 nomination.

Phyna, the winner of Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) season seven, has bought a car for her father.

The reality star took to social media on Tuesday to share a video of herself presenting the keys of the red-colored Lexus car to her dad. She also accompanied the post with a caption saying everyone in her family will use a red-colored car.

“I’m sorry but everyone in my family will use red. I learned how to get a car for my dad with his love. God bless him for me,” she wrote. In October, Phyna won the 2022 edition of the BBNaija, defeating her rivals to snag the N100 million grand prize.

Born Josephine Otabor, the reality star was recently appointed as a youth ambassador in Edo state. “Through the commissioner of youth and sport, the governor of Edo state announced me as the incoming mid-east (Edo/Delta) youth ambassador,” she had said.

Phyna also spoke about her plan to own a fabricating company, farmland, and a strip club. “I’m going to have a farm, so people can come and buy raw food from me,” she had said.

“With time I’m having, opening a club, and then you can come and party in my strip club and lots more.”

Lagos Lawmaker, AbdulSobur Olawale popularly called Omititi by colleagues and associates, is dead.

Details of his death are still sketchy as at press time but this medium learnt that the second term lawmaker allegedly slumped at the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos, venue of the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign. 

He was reportedly rushed to the nearest hospital to the stadium where he was pronounced dead.

Omititi was a second term Lawmaker representing Mushin State Constituency II. 

He was part of the 8th Assembly between 2015-2019 and the current 9th Assembly which tenure will end in 2023. 

Until his death, he was the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government Affairs having previously served as Chairman of the Committee on Home Affairs.