DEBATES deepen democracy. The recent one between Donald Trump of the Republican party and Vice-President Kamala Harris of the Democratic party in the United States gave the electorate a ring-side view of contestants and a better chance to choose. Trump is a veteran of presidential debates. In the last two election cycles, he faced off against Hilary Clinton three times in 2016, and three times against President Joe Biden, twice in 2020 and once in June before Biden dropped out of the race. In this context, Harris is a neophyte on the presidential stage. But during the debate on September…
Author: UZDO Media
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has mandated electricity Distribution Companies to procure a minimum of 398MW of embedded generation to enhance the reliability of power supply across the country. Embedded generation (also known as distributed generation or distributed energy resources) refers to electricity generation or storage plants connected to a distribution network rather than the transmission network or the national electricity grid. The NERC’s directive is contained in the September 2024 Supplementary Order to the Multi-Year Tariff Order 2024, which applies to the 11 Discos in Nigeria. Under the order, each Disco is required to secure 10 per cent of…
Chelsea are reportedly considering a move to sign Victor Osimhen before the January transfer window, with the English Premier League club keen to secure the services of the Nigeria striker, The PUNCH reports. The Stamford Bridge giants, who missed out on the Nigeria striker during the summer transfer window, are said to be closely monitoring his situation at Galatasaray, where he is currently playing on loan from Napoli. A source close to Football Insider revealed that Chelsea are eyeing a potential deal, thanks to a break clause in Osimhen’s loan agreement with the Turkish giants. Their interest in the player…
The Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa, in this interview with SUNDAY NWAKANMA, insists that the Assembly is united, irrespective of party affiliations Was it an easy task to become the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly? I thank God for the opportunity, even though when I was running, or contesting, I focused on just winning my election. It never came to my mind that I could become the Speaker, but as God would want it, at the end of the day, I was elected the Speaker. First-time member of the House, first-time Speaker. So, it…
Paediatricians have warned that covering babies with blankets increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a tragic phenomenon, where a healthy infant dies unexpectedly. The specialists also warned that obstructing a baby’s airways with pillows, toys, shawls, or other materials could be fatal within four minutes. This, they said, contributed to the global burden of infant mortality, which saw 2.3 million children under the age of one die within the first 20 days of life in 2022, including those affected by SIDS, according to the World Health Organisation. The experts, who said that this practice threatens the lives of…
The Nigerian government says it will launch a comprehensive strategy on Wednesday to become a leading player in the $7tn Halal economy. It also announced plans to grow its Gross Domestic Product to $1.5bn by 2027 through strategic initiatives. The Special Assistant to the Vice President on Export Expansion, Aliyu Sheriff, revealed this on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s Halal Stakeholders Engagement Programme billed to be held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja. According to a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President of Media and Communications, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Sheriff said the initiative would…
The United States has confirmed that it has no plans to impose travel restrictions on individuals arriving from African countries due to the rising cases of Mpox. Ambassador John Nkengasong, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, addressed the issue during an online press briefing on Monday. “The U.S. currently does not plan to impose travel restrictions for people traveling from Africa,” Nkengasong stated, categorically dismissing the claims. “So, that is really a rumor. At this point, we do not think that is going to happen.” Nkengasong’s remarks were intended to quell…
The Lagos State Government on Monday reopened the Ojota and Maryland sections of the Odo Iya-Alaro Bridge and declared a zero-tolerance policy for vandalism and theft of public infrastructure in the state. The state’s Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, made this statement during the official reopening of the newly rehabilitated bridge, while lamenting the frequent theft of manhole covers in the state. To combat this issue, Hamzat announced that the state had switched to using fibre materials to fabricate manhole covers instead of steel, emphasising that anyone caught stealing them would be prosecuted. Hamzat said, “Everybody is saying that maintenance…
No fewer than 18 people were burnt beyond recognition when a vehicle conveying them caught fire along the Benin-Sagamu Expressway on Monday. The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, disclosed this in a telephone conversation with PUNCH Online on Monday. According to Akinbiyi, the driver of the vehicle had placed a keg filled with petrol at the back of the vehicle. The keg was said to have leaked its contents onto the vehicle’s exhaust, which was at a high temperature, leading to an explosion. The explosion, coupled with the vehicle being in motion, resulted…
Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, Dr Paul Enenche, and his wife, Becky, visited Maiduguri, Borno State capital, on Monday to support victims of the recent flood disaster. They were received by the State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, who praised their humanitarian efforts. This was made known in a statement shared on the pastor’s social media platforms on Monday. During their visit, Enenche and his wife toured the IDP camp to offer encouragement and hope to displaced persons, donated relief materials, and provided medical services, leveraging their expertise as medical doctors. He wrote, “Still in Maiduguri. We are…