The Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), Kwara State, Hajia Fatima Abiola-Popoola, has proposed that newly admitted university students should be made to undergo mandatory drug tests as part of their admission process. She explained that this would “Serve as a preventive measure while offering early intervention and counselling for those already using drugs to prevent them from becoming problematic users”. Hajia Abiola-Popoola made the suggestion during a radio programme in Ilorin. The NDLEA boss further expressed concern over the rising number of drug users in the country. She said: “A 2018 survey shows that 14.3 million people…
Author: Adetutu Audu
President Tinubu departed Abuja Monday, 19 August, 2024, for Paris, using the new Airbus A330, which replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought under the Presidency of President Olusegun Obasanjo. This was made known via a press statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy released in Abuja on Monday, 19 August, 2024. “The new plane, bought far below the market price, saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly,” the statement said. The statement explained further that, “the recommendation to replace the B737-700 (BBJ) followed an investigative hearing by Nigeria’s…
A chieftain of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Barrister Abayomi Tijani is dead, thegazellenews.com reports. This medium learnt that the late lawyer died late Friday, 16 August, 2024. Thegazellenews.com learnt further that the late politician was sick for a brief period but has regained full fitness. “He was sick but has gotten over it, so it was a shocking surprise for me when I learnt of his death yesterday (Friday). I’m still in shock,” a very close friend and associate of the late lawyer told thegazellenews.com on Saturday, 17 August, 2024. A lawyer, an avowed…
Today would have been Herbert’s 58th birthday, and we would have shared a laugh together. The pain of his loss is still so raw, but today, I choose to remember the man who was more than a brother and friend to me. Herbert’s wisdom, vision, and unwavering belief in Nigeria remain etched in our hearts. We miss you deeply, my brother. He was not just a leader; he was a beacon of hope and a visionary inspiring many. We honor his legacy of progress, integrity, and love for our country. As we remember Herbert today, let us celebrate the incredible…
A 22-year-old content creator, Munachimso Brian Nwana, has achieved the world record for the most fast food restaurants visited in 24 hours. Brian visited 150 different establishments, smashing the previous record of 100, which was set last year by American YouTuber Airrack. Before that, the record had belonged to TikTok stars: Nick DiGiovanni and the late Lynn “Lynja” Davis. No forms of private transport can be used while attempting this record, and due to the city’s limited public transportation infrastructure, Brian completed his entire route on foot. He walked over 25 km beginning in the residential district of Gwarinpa and finishing in the…
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, over 600 million people lack access to reliable electricity, with rural communities accounting for the bulk of this energy poverty (IEA Africa Energy Outlook, 2022).While solar energy offers a scalable and clean path forward, battery storage remains one of themost expensive components, constituting up to 60% of total solar system costs (IRENA, 2020).This barrier disproportionately affects low-income households and small businesses, who often cannot afford the upfront investment needed to transition from fossil fuel-based or inconsistent grid energy.At the same time, Africa is experiencing a surge in electronic waste, generating an estimated 2.9 million metric tonnes annually,…
Former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, has said that the House of Representatives should get ready to prosecute her whenever they pass their ‘obnoxious’ Counter Subversion Bill. There are reports that the Lower Chamber has introduced the Counter Subversion Bill 2024, which aims to impose stringent penalties on Nigerians who fail to recite the national anthem. According to the proposed legislation, anyone found guilty of refusing to recite the national anthem shall be fined N5 million, face a 10-year prison sentence, or both. The bill also proposes that anyone who destroys a national symbol or a place of worship shall be…
Pastor Kayode Pitan has been appointed as the new pastor of the City of David Parish, Lagos of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. He takes over from Pastor Charles Kpandei, who has been serving as the interim pastor since the suspension of Pastor Idowu Iluyomade. Pitan’s appointment followed the suspension of Iluyomade due to certain allegations. Kpandei has been leading the parish since June, following Iluyomade’s suspension, but Pitan has now been officially designated as the incumbent pastor of the City of David. The decision was said to have taken by the governing council of the church during the…
The United Kingdom has recorded a significant drop in visa applications following the introduction of stricter immigration policies in December 2023 to restrict international students from bringing their dependents. Official figures released by the Home Office at the weekend showed that the number of visa applications fell from 141,000 to 91,000, a stunning drop, translating to over 30 per cent. The new law restricts international students from bringing dependants unless they were enrolled in postgraduate research courses or government-funded scholarship programmes. The changes were part of the government’s efforts to curb immigration, which reached a record high of 1.22 million…
Susan Wojcicki, a Silicon Valley visionary who helped shape Google and YouTube, died Friday after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer, according to her husband. She was 56. “Susan was not just my best friend and partner in life, but a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a dear friend to many,” her husband, Dennis Troper, wrote in a Facebook post. “Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable.” Wojcicki, born in Santa Clara, Calif., grew up on Stanford University’s campus, where her father was a physicist. There, she developed a passion for innovation and making…