YellowStone Media International

  As Nigeria celebrates Nigerian Children’s Day, UNICEF Nigeria has revealed the appointment of internationally acclaimed, award-winning Nigerian musician, producer and songwriter, Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo, as its National Ambassador. The appointment makes this celebrated artist UNICEF Nigeria’s first National Ambassador in 15 years. According to a statement issued by the Communications Manager of UNICEF Nigeria, Nidhi Joshi, and made available to journalists on Tuesday, “It’s a huge honour to become a UNICEF Nigeria Ambassador,” Cobhams said. He added: “I am passionate about children’s rights, and I am passionate about Nigeria as well as securing it’s future. The only way we can truly do that is through ensuring that every child can fulfill their potential. “I am thrilled to join the very impressive list of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors around the world, who are supporting the protection and promotion of children’s rights globally, and I am looking f

The President of Senate, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, has been urged to declare the Abia North senatorial seat vacant following the long absence of the Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, who is currently serving a 12-year jail term for fraud. Youths under the aegis of Abia North Youths Vanguard (ANYN) made the call in a statement issued in Umuahia o Tuesday, saying that the Senate Chief Whip has been away for more than 1/3 legislative days since the inauguration of the ninth Senate. Kalu began his long absence from the Senate on December 5, 2019, after he was convicted and jailed by a federal high court in Lagos on fraud charges to the tune of N7.2 billion committed when he was the governor of Abia State. In the statement signed by the President and Secretary-General, Sunday Kalu and Uchechuku Orji respectively, the ANYV insisted that Kalu had already over shot the constitutional requirement of legislative absenteeism for his seat to be declared vacant. T

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has commiserated with victims of the fire incident that gutted a section of the popular Ogbeogonogo Modern Market in Asaba metropolis yesterday. Traders were still wailing about their huge losses when the governor visited the market to ascertain the extent of the damage caused by the morning fire, promising that the state government will look into ways of assisting the traders who were affected by the fire to get back to their businesses. The cause of the fire at the market located on the ever-busy Nnebisi Road, which is the biggest market in the state capital, could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, but no life was reportedly lost in the infeno. The fire, which reportedly started at about 7a.m., consumed a section of the market, including the livestock and tailoring materials sections. Chickens, goats and other livestock were roasted while sewing machines, tailoring items and other

The former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose, has stated that former Governor of the state, Mr. Segun Oni, is not welcome to the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), “because he is a paperweight.” Fayose stated this on Tuesday while reacting to a declaration letter dated May 24, 2020, which was addressed to the PDP Caretaker Committee by Oni, who is a former deputy national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), indicating his interest to return to the PDP. Extract from the nine-page letter Oni wrote said: "At our consultative meeting on March 15, 2020, we took a decision to leave the APC for PDP. Our purpose of writing this letter is to inform you formally that we have since directed our members to join the PDP at their respective wards, and that as soon as the COVID-19 restrictions permit, we would like to mark our declaration with a rally in Ado Ekiti. This will be in full consultation and agreement with you.&qu

The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Tuesday canceled this year's annual ‘sit-at-home’ event, which is usually held in remembrance of those who died during the Nigeria civil war. A statement issued by the Media and Publicity Secretary of the group, Emma Powerful, noted that because of the number of days that the people have stayed at home this year, it would not be wise to ask them to do same again. Powerful in the statement said instead of staying at home as a sign of protest, the group has decided to declare a three-day prayer against the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement read: "After much consideration and deliberations, IPOB high command, therefore, urges Biafrans both at home and in the diaspora to observe this year's remembrance day with fasting and prayers. "The programme for this year's event will last for three days from May 27 to 30, 2020. "This year's episode and event

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday congratulated elder statesman and former Federal Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, as he marks his 93rd birthday. In a felicitation message signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP commended him for his dedication, commitment and sacrifices towards the unity, stability and progress of the country, especially his unrelenting effort towards the engraining of democratic ethos in Nigeria. The party said Clark has continued to demonstrate an extra-ordinary zeal in championing for accountability, strict adherence to the demands of rule of law and the tenets of federalism, particularly the constitutional provisions for the rights, liberty and aspirations of Nigerians at every tier of his national life. The PDP further said it   is thankful to God for keeping Clark in good health so that Nigeria can continue to draw from his statesmanship, humility, honesty, courage a

The suspended kingmakers of Orin Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State have threatened to take legal action against the state Governor, Kayode Fayemi, if their suspension is not reversed. The embattled kingmakers perceived their suspension, which led to the appointment of warrant chiefs saddled with the task of selecting a new Olorin, as a desecration of the tradition of the town. The selection of a new Olorin has been dogged with crisis caused by insistence of a section of the town and chiefs that the town has only two ruling houses, Olubunmo and Famokiti, and rejected the third one called Ajibewa created by the government. The suspended chiefs passed a vote of no confidence in the appointed warrant chiefs, describing them as political tools to destabilise the town. The position became vacant following the demise of Oba Oluwole Olubunmo in 2015. Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti on Monday, the Onikare of Orin E

The Chairman of the House of Representative Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Hon. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo, has decried allegations that his committee vandalised and inflated the 2019 budget as submitted by the commission to the National Assembly. NDDC Executive Chairman, Dr. Cairo Ojuigoh, had at an interview on the Morning Show, a breakfast programme on Arise TV channel, a sister broadcast arm of THISDAY, alleged that both NDDC committees in the National Assembly vandalised and raised their budget as well as removed all the regional projects of President Muhammadu Buhari. But in a telephone conversation on Monday,, the lawmaker debunked the allegations, describing it as a sheer blackmail. He explained that in the 2019 budget that was submitted by the commission, they overstated their revenue profile and they had to trim it down to the available funds. According to Tunji-Ojo, “It’s just a sheer blackmail. In the 2019 bu

The South-west All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed its members having any court case against the party across the six states of the region to withdraw it with immediate effect. Also, the party South-west leaders lauded a factional party Chairman in Ondo State, Mr. Idowu Otetubi, for withdrawing a case he instituted against the Ade Adetimehin-led State Working Committee. This was contained in a statement signed by the South-west Publicity Secretary, Karounwi Oladapo, on Monday. According to the statement, "The attention of the APC South-west caucus and leaders has been drawn to the withdrawal of the case with suit no: FHC /AK/CS/10/2019 instituted by Hon Idowu Otetubi, who is the factional state Chairman of Ondo State, against the APC state executive committee led by Ade Adetimehin. "The South-west APC leaders commended Otetubi for his patriotic decision and steps taken to unify the party. "The party assures him

Ethiopian Airlines on Monday denied any deal with Canada High Commission to evacuate Nigerians from Canada. This is despite the earlier instruction by the Canada High Commission directing evacuees to buy Ethiopian Airlines ticket at the cost of $2,500 for economy class, but the East African carrier said it was not contacted to evacuate Nigerians from the North American country. A statement signed by the General Manager of Ethiopian Airlines in Nigeria, Firihewot Mekonnen, noted that the evacuation exercise is the responsibility of the Nigerian Government. The statement explained further that Ethiopian Airlines evacuated 187 Canadians and Resident Permit holders from Nigeria on May 21, 2020, from Lagos airport on Boeing B787 to Addis Ababa for onward transfer to Canada. “Ethiopian Airlines evacuated 187 Canadians and resident permit holders from Nigeria on May 21 from Lagos airport on B787 to Addis Ababa for onward transfer to Canada. Ethio

Two persons were killed in an inferno at an internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the Chairperson of the state Emergency Management Agency (BOSEMA), Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, has said. Kolo, made the revelation on Monday while receiving food and non-food items from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to relieve the victims of the fire incident. She also lamented that the fire incident which occurred last Saturday night equally destroyed 1,613 makeshift shelters at the Muna IDPs camp at the outskirts of Maiduguri. Kolo also decried that the fire incident which occurred at the eve of the Eid-el-Fitri also destroyed food and other means of livelihood at the camp. It was gathered that the inferno, which was traced to an accident at the cooking points, left 1,613 households and 9,678 people affected. The inferno could not be put out, as the makeshift shelters were clustered with a windstorm that fueled the s

In a bid to check the growing insecurity in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, the Chairman of the council area, Mr. Louis Ndukwe, on Monday issued an executive order authorising the eviction of herdsmen from the bushes within the council area. The executive order by Ndukwe has directed those residing in the bushes to vacate their camps within seven days or have their structures demolished. Growing criminal activities, including kidnappings, killings, armed robberies and rapes, in many parts of the state have been blamed on criminal elements that have infiltrated the ranks of nomadic herdsmen who often defy local laws by setting up illegal camps in the bushes and grazing on farmlands armed with automatic weapons. Oshimili North, Aniocha North and Aniocha South LGAs, all of which border Asaba, the state capital, Ika South, Ika North-East, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Ughelli North, Ethiope East and Ethiope West LGAs are among the local

Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has expressed deep pains following the death of his Commissioner for Environment and closest confidant, Dr. Solomon Ogunji, saying his death "is definitely very hard for me to swallow." "I didn't just lose a commissioner, I lost my best friend of over 40 years," he lamented, adding that Ogunji's demise was "a deeply profound personal loss." Ogunji passed away on May 23, 2020, at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba, after a brief illness linked to high blood pressure. The governor, who was emotionally distraught for losing a longstanding friend, said his friendship with late Ogunji started when the deceased was 13 and it had blossomed ever since. According to him, their friendship grew and solidified to the extent that no one else has come closer to him in terms of personal relationships other than the late environment commissioner.

As Nigeria grapples with the spiraling COVID-19 pandemic, the military high command said on Thursday the disease had changed battle plans and the entire military operations in the North-east region and other troubled spots in the country. This is coming as it recovered 18,000 barrels of stolen crude oil and 224,000 litres of diesel in the Niger Delta region, even as its naval component rescued a Chinese vessel, MV Hailufang II, earlier attacked and hijacked by pirates. The Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO) said the pandemic had affected battlefield operations as related to troops and the handling of captured and surrendered terrorists and bandits. Speaking at a briefing Abuja, the Coordinator of the Directorate of Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, said the military had ordered personnel protective equipment (PPE) for troops at the frontlines. He said captured or surrendered insurgents were quarantined and g