TodayPrice

Author: Chisom OZ

  • ‘Best honeymoon ever’: Keys hails reluctant husband-coach after Australian Open win

    ‘Best honeymoon ever’: Keys hails reluctant husband-coach after Australian Open win

    Madison Keys paid tribute to her coach and new husband Bjorn Fratangelo saying it “was the best honeymoon ever” after winning her first Grand Slam title on Saturday aged 29 — and then revealed he did not even want the job.

    The American battled injury and self-doubts last year and curtailed her season early, in October, to get married.

    “I feel like this is the best honeymoon ever. This is perfect,” a beaming Keys said.

    The former teen prodigy, who first won a WTA match at 14, has now finally got her hands on a major after beating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final.

    “I have the most supportive, best husband in the entire world, who didn’t even want to coach me,” Keys said on Channel Nine TV straight after lifting the trophy.

    “And I was like, please, please come with me.

    “So it took some arm-twisting, and he has just been the most supportive, and he’s fully believed in me every step of the way.”

    Keys is the fourth-oldest first-time winner of a major since the Open Era began in 1968.

    She overcame fierce three-set challenges from both the two top seeds, Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, in the semi-final and final.

    “I have absolutely the greatest team,” Keys said.“They have really believed in me in the moments that I didn’t believe in myself.

    “They helped me completely rebuild after some pretty gnarly injuries last year.

    “And if it wasn’t for those three people who have been cheering me on all week through all of the three-set matches, I wouldn’t be here.”

    Keys is on a tour-leading 12-match unbeaten streak after lifting the Adelaide International trophy two weeks ago and will move up to world number seven, equalling her career-best ranking from 2016.

    “I think dealing with some of the injuries that I dealt with last year really kind of forced me into some changes.

    “It made me kind of have to stop being stubborn and listen to my husband.

    “It pushed me to get a little bit uncomfortable and be okay with that. And I feel like buying into that just set me up to start playing some really good tennis.”

  • Nigeria-China trade volume exceeds $20billion

    Nigeria-China trade volume exceeds $20billion

    The trade volume between Nigeria and China exceeded $20 billion in 2024.

    The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, disclosed this on Saturday during the celebration of the 2025 Chinese Lunar New Year at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Abuja.

    Speaking at the event, Ambassador Yu highlighted Nigeria’s significance in China’s trade partnerships across Africa.

    “Last year, the trade volume between China and Nigeria exceeded $20 billion. Nigeria is our largest engineering contract partner, the second-largest export market, and the third-largest trade partner in Africa,” he said.

    He expressed optimism about further collaboration between the two nations, adding, “We aim to increase our trade volume even higher because of the immense potential we see in Nigeria.”

    The ambassador also emphasized the broader relationship between the two nations, which was recently elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership following President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Nigeria.

    He noted the importance of cultural and people-to-people exchanges in strengthening bilateral ties.

    The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Oraeluno Obi Raphael, praised the growing economic and cultural partnership between the two countries, describing China’s contributions to Nigeria’s cultural and tourism sectors as impactful.

    “Collaborative efforts in trade, tourism, and the creative economy have not only enriched our societies but also opened avenues for economic growth and mutual prosperity,” Raphael said

  • Account for N183bn LG funds received in 2 years – Ex- LG chairs tell Adeleke

    Account for N183bn LG funds received in 2 years – Ex- LG chairs tell Adeleke

    Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has been challenged to explain how his administration expended the N183 billion accrued to the local government council within two years.

    The challenge was poised by former council chairmen under the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola-led administration, asking the governor to tell the state how the money was spent without elected council chairmen in office.

    Speaking with newsmen on behalf of other ex- chairmen, Mr Owoeye Abiodun disclosed that it is imperative to let the world know the huge amount of money allocated to local government within two years (November 2022-November 2024), but which was not spent judiciously by the Adeleke-led administration.

    “It is disheartening to note that between November 2022 and November,2024, a staggering sum of N183,196,629,321.19,( One Hundred and Eighty Three Billion, One Hundred and Ninety Six million, Three and Twenty One Thousand, Nineteen Kobo), being allocation to the 30 Local Government Council of the State, have been received and unfathomably spent by the Ademola Adeleke administration.

    “Despite the fact that the actions by the Adeleke administration is against the spirit and decision of the Supreme Court on the sovereignty of local governments in the country, especially as regards their funding, we are deeply concerned by the flagrant abuse and disregard to the judicial pronouncement of the highest court in the land.

    “Curiously, our concern stems from the fact that the Ademola Adeleke administration has embarked on this impunity without a democratically elected local government officials in place”, he said.

    Reacting, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi described the accusation of the sacked chairmen as mischievous and misleading, promising to react to their figure and other issues appropriately.

  • South-East students condemn killing of EFCC officer

    South-East students condemn killing of EFCC officer

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South-East Zone, has condemned the killing of Aminu Salisu, one of the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in Awka, Anambra.

    EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

    Salisu, an Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC, ASE11, was allegedly shot dead by a suspected internet fraudster, while on a legitimate duty on Jan. 17.

    According to Oyewale, the students expressed their grief and solidarity with the commission, when a delegation, led by Comrade Charles Ijeomah, paid a condolence visit to the EFCC’s Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, in Abuja on Friday.

    Ijeomah pledged the collaboration, cooperation and support of the entire Southeast students to the commission against financial crimes.

    “He said that the onus fell on the leadership to sanitise and give proper orientation to the students not to indulge in internet crime and we have been succeeding.

    “We are sorry for the incident that happened lately in Awka. Maybe you may have seen our comments, our stand, we condemned it.

    ”We are here to let the authority of EFCC understand that we commiserate with you and to tell you not to judge the Southeast with what happened.”

    The student leader said criminal acts were not in their blood and it was against their nature, stressing that the region comprised hardworking people.

    ”We don’t indulge in crime. Anybody that indulges in crime in the Southeast is not a true son of Igbo.
    ”We know how to make money but this idea of being in one room with a device to trick someone is not in our blood.

    ”Our aim of coming here is to let EFCC know that Southeast students are with you and that we are going to partner with you more to educate our students to end any kind of internet crime.

    ”We are 100 per cent open to any form of interaction, collaboration and cooperation between the students of South-east and the EFCC.”

    Speaking further, Ijeomah disclosed that the union had programmes and proposals that when implemented, would bring the EFCC closer to university campuses in the Southeast and help to further sensitize the students.

    The Commission Secretary, Mr Muhammad Hammajoda, who received the delegation on behalf of the Chairman appreciated the students on the condolence visit.

    He said that everyone was a stakeholder in the fight against corruption directly or indirectly.
    ”We don’t have any other country apart from Nigeria.

    ”You spent your personal money and time to be with us for you to understand what we are doing and to also be part of us.

    ”We appreciate you and we will continue to appreciate you. We will support you in trying to disseminate anti-corruption information,” he said.

    He, therefore, urged the students to take advantage of the existing Federal Government’s Student’s Loan Scheme for their benefit.

    He promised that the commission would identify with all the noble programmes of the students in the zone if invited.

    Hammajoda encouraged the students’ leaders on their crusade against students’ involvement in internet crime.

    “We are sinking day by day with corruption. So let’s educate ourselves that this cyber crime will not take you anywhere.

    ”All of us are victims. Nobody has protection against it.

    ”Anyone can be attacked. We have a very sound youth population with a very high IQ (intelligence quotient) and ingenuity to do many things,” he said.

    Also speaking, Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Michael Nzekwe, noted that “cybercrime has done too much damage to us as a country.

    ”If you check and find out how much it affected us, you’ll be shocked.

    ”Internationally, the image of the country has been battered. When you travel outside the country they look at you in a certain way with your green passport.

    ”So, cybercrime is just one thing that all of us have to put our hands together and be deliberate and intentional to see that we eliminate. EFCC has done so much in ensuring that.”

  • Why we relocated Edo governorship election tribunal to Abuja – Secretary

    Why we relocated Edo governorship election tribunal to Abuja – Secretary

    BENIN CITY – THE rising issue of insecurity and purported fears of plots to burn down the building housing the tribunal may have been responsible for the relocation of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal from Benin City to Abuja where it would resume sitting on Tuesday.

    Though this reason was not adduced in the terse statement by the Secretary of the Tribunal, Mu’azu Bagudu Esq., a member of the tribunal told Vanguard on Saturday that the reason was because of security issues “it is for security reasons, they have been having fights there and having clashes there and there are fears that they will want to burn the place so we have to do that for the safety of all.”

    The Tribunal was still sitting when Bagudu issued a notice which read that “I am directed to notify all parties that the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City, Edo State, has been relocated to Abuja at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Airport Road, Abuja, effective from Monday, 27th January, 2025.”

    Reacting to the development, the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of orchestrating the relocation and said his party’s counsel were ready to meet the PDP witnesses headlong at the tribunal.

    He said, “The relocation was due to pressure from the PDP camp. First, they claimed that their witnesses do not feel free to come and give evidence. That is a far cry from the truth because their witnesses have access to the court.

    “Principally, they have discovered to their serious surprise that the witnesses they so much relied on have been reduced to mere nothingness in court as they have not been able to add value to the PDP case with their evidence.

    “They also feel that the media attention their fumbling witnesses are getting is not doing their case any good and they have been insisting that they want to go to an environment where interest and publicity will be reduced. Not too many people will want to go to Abuja for the case.

    In response, the Publicity Secretary of the state PDP caretaker committee, Chris Nehikhare, said that the concrete evidence presented by his party, which has led to undue pressure from APC chieftains, must have led to the relocation of the tribunal.

    He said, “Given the nature of the case and the volume of concrete evidence presented by the witnesses, the Tribunal reckoned that it will be unsafe to continue the proceedings in Benin City following undue pressure and several threats by notable APC chieftains in Edo State to disrupt the Tribunal proceedings.

    “It is believed that a neutral and more secure location not under the control of state and non-state actors was necessary in the interests of justice.”

    Recall that during its pre-hearing session, leading counsel to the PDP, Ken Mozia said the party had advised its supporters to stay away from the tribunal while they prove their case of rigging against those declared winners of the election.

    But when it resumed, people suspected to be loyalists of the PDP as they wore white face caps and T-Shirts stormed the court premises but they were chased out of the premises and that resulted in gunshots around the area.

    There was also a sitting where suspected supporters of the APC tried to prevent a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who is one of the counsels to the PDP from entering their vehicle on the allegation that he went away with a government vehicle when he worked with the state government.

    In another development, a private bodyguard was beaten by suspected thugs out of the tribunal on the allegation that he is not a security agency and has no business in screening who should be inside the court or not.

    There was also another incident of gunshots in Ezoti Street near the tribunal by an individual on white to-shirt, cap and a face mask and just a few days after there was an altercation between a hooded DSS official and some journalists that resulted in him even corking his gun to shoot.

  • Group faults Governors’ VAT sharing formula for states in tax reform bill

    Group faults Governors’ VAT sharing formula for states in tax reform bill

    A group, the Citizens Network for Peace and Development in Nigeria (NPDN), has faulted the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF)’s VAT sharing formula for states in the proposed Tax Reform Bill.

    The group in its communique issued on the proposed bill at the end of its citizen’s engagement on Friday in Abuja, said that the NGF’s formula did not take into account the nation’s productivity and economic growth.

    The communique, signed by Chijoke Nwachukwu, Ben-Kalio Adokiye, Dangana Abubakar, Joachim Ikechukwu, Ali Paul and Isa Tiki, was presented by Mr Okorie Raphael, the group’s National Coordinator at a news conference.

    “We categorically reject the NGF proposed VAT sharing formula, which allocates 50 per cent based on equity, 30 per cent based on derivation, and 20 per cent based on population.

    “This formula does not take into account productivity and economic growth, which are critical factors in determining a state’s contribution to national economy.

    “By ignoring productivity, this formula may, inadvertently, penalise states that are making concerted efforts to diversify their economies and promote economic growth,” Raphael said.

    He urged the National Assembly to reconsider the proposed bill and adopt a more subtle approach that rewards productivity and economic growth.

    The NPDN coordinator said that the bill had the potential to ensure that revenues derived from taxes were channelled into critical sectors, such as education, healthcare, and rural development.

    He said that the group was driven by a collective aspiration for equity, justice, and economic progress.

    “We gather here today to express our unified position on the tax reform bill currently before the National Assembly.

    “We are guided by the principle that a hungry man cannot be patriotic, and therefore, assert that taxation must serve the common good and prioritise the most vulnerable in our society,” he said.

    Raphael said that when enacted into law, the legislation would provide opportunity for a fairer redistribution of wealth and allow government to prioritise the needs of the underprivileged.

    “The true measure of any society is how the society treats its most vulnerable members,
    “The beauty of the tax reform bill lies with its intent to make richer individuals and entities to contribute proportionally more.

    “This will definitely reduce the tax burden on the poor and ensure that funds are available for public services that benefit marginalised communities, ” he said.

    He further said that in addition to making the rich pay more taxes, the bill sought to promote equity and fairness.

    Raphael described the bill as a proposed game changer designed to ensure that high-income earners and large corporations contributed proportionally to national development.

    This, he added, corroborated the assertion that “from whom much is given, much is expected”.
    He commended President Bola Tinubu and his economic team for conceiving the idea of the bill, noting that it would reduce poverty and inequality.

    He expressed optimism that the bill, if passed into law and implemented with the right focus and fairness, had the potential to be a cornerstone for poverty alleviation and just economic redistribution.

    He called on the National Assembly to uphold the pro-poor agenda and urged all stakeholders to prioritise the interests of the common man over parochial interests.

    “As law abiding citizens, it is only right to allow the course of lawmaking prevail.

    “As such, the public hearing stage of this process is positioned to collate various inputs and enhance the people’s input into decision making that affects them.

    “Therefore, those calling for reviews must have a rethink and allow the lawmaking process to commence instead of appearing to scuttle a legitimate democratic process,” he said.

  • U.S suspends processing passport applications with ‘X’ gender marker

    U.S suspends processing passport applications with ‘X’ gender marker

    The State Department has suspended processing passport applications seeking the gender marker of “X” and will only process and issue passports for people identifying as male or female, according to a department spokesperson.

    The move aligns with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Monday that says it is US government policy “to recognize two sexes, male and female” and that “these sexes are not changeable.”

    “In line with that Order, the Department’s issuance of U.S. passports will reflect the individual’s biological sex as defined in the Executive Order,” the spokesperson said Friday.

    In addition to the suspension of processing the applications with the X marker, the State Department is no longer issuing US passports with this marker, the spokesperson said.

    They said that “guidance regarding previously issued X sex marker passports is forthcoming.”

    The Trump executive order reverses changes made under the Biden administration meant to accommodate non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming persons. Beginning in April 2022, Americans had been able to select X as their gender marker.

    The federal government will also shift from using the term “gender” to “sex,” and that sex is “an individual’s immutable biological classification,” a Trump administration official told reporters Monday.

    Trump’s executive order says that all government agencies will ensure that official documents, including passports, visas and Global Entry cards, “accurately reflect the holder’s sex.” Employee records will also adhere to the executive order, as will federal departments’ messaging.

    Trump promised on the campaign trail to ask Congress to stop the use of federal dollars to promote and pay for gender-affirming procedures. He has also said that his administration would not allow hospitals and health care providers to meet the federal health and safety standards for Medicaid and Medicare if they provide chemical or physical gender-affirming care to youth.

  • Israelis rejoice at emotional release of second group of hostages

    Israelis rejoice at emotional release of second group of hostages

    A loud cheer swept through the crowd gathered at a Tel Aviv plaza known as Hostage Square, as giant screens livestreamed the long-awaited release of four Israeli hostages, the latest to be freed under a Gaza ceasefire deal.

    Hundreds had arrived at the square early Saturday in anticipation of the four women soldiers’ release. Many wore yellow T-shirts with the words “You are not alone” printed on them in Hebrew.

    After 15 months in captivity, many Israelis could begin to breathe a sigh of relief as the ceasefire and hostage exchange deal, which also sees Palestinian prisoners released, got underway last Sunday.

    For hours, hundreds of pairs of eyes had been fixed anxiously at the screen on Saturday, awaiting the arrival of an International Committee of the Red Cross convoy at a square in the centre of Gaza City.

    As soon as the four young women’s silhouettes appeared on the screen, cries of joy erupted, with many embracing one another tearfully in celebration.

    Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, all aged 20, and Liri Albag, 19, waved, smiled, and gave thumbs up as they were paraded on a stage in Gaza City, flanked by masked and armed militants.

    – ‘Bring them home’ –

    One woman cried and laughed holding up a picture of Levy, under whose name appeared the number 19, struck through and corrected with the number 20, indicating the age she turned while in captivity.

    The crowds once again broke out into jubilation when Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced on live television that the four women had arrived in Israel, after 477 days in war-ravaged Gaza.

    Militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas’s October 7 attack which triggered the war, 87 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the military has confirmed are dead.

    The first, six-week phase of the ceasefire that came into effect on Sunday should see the staggered release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

    “Bring them home now!” a group of women shouted in the crowd in Tel Aviv, echoing the slogan of the Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group.

    Many fear for the fate of the remaining hostages as far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government opposed the ceasefire.

  • Okpebholo suspends FEWMA CEO over alleged insubordination

    Okpebholo suspends FEWMA CEO over alleged insubordination

    Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has suspended Ahmed Momoh, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the State Flood, Erosion and Watershed Management Agency (FEWMA), over his alleged involvement in a turbaning ceremony and the appointment of Chiefs and Village Heads in the South-Ibie Kingdom.

    The suspension, which takes immediate effect, was announced in a statement released on Saturday by Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor.

    The governor cited insubordination as the reason for the suspension and directed Momoh to hand over all government property in his possession to the most senior public servant at the agency.

    Momoh, who hails from the South-Ibie Kingdom in Etsako West Local Government Area, reportedly defied a directive from the Ministry of Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs to halt the turbaning ceremony scheduled for January 25, 2025.

    The ministry earlier suspended the event due to security concerns, warning that it could escalate tensions in the community.

    According to the statement, the planned installation of new Chiefs and Clan Heads was to be conducted by Umoru Inusa Umoru, the alleged Aidenogie of South-Ibie. However, the state government deemed the ceremony unauthorised and ordered it to be postponed.

    Despite this, Momoh allegedly proceeded with actions that threatened the peace in the area.

    ““The Executive Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the suspension of the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Edo State Flood, Erosion and Watershed Management Agency (FEWMA), Mr. Ahmed Musa Momoh, effective immediately,” the statement read.

    The government reiterated that any actions by Umoru in his capacity as the purported Aidenogie must cease until proper clearance is obtained from the relevant authorities.

  • I’m not expecting favourable judgment from any Abuja court – Nnamdi Kanu

    I’m not expecting favourable judgment from any Abuja court – Nnamdi Kanu

    Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has said that he is not expecting favourable judgment from any court in Abuja.

    This was conveyed by his Lead Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, after visiting him at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) where he has been in a solitary confinement since June 2021 when he was abducted and extraordinary renditioned from Kenya.

    According to Ejimakor, the IPOB leader expressed frustration over fragrant disregard for due process and the rule of law in the handling of his matter.

    Ejimakor, in a post, said: “He asked us to inform the general public that he’s not expecting any favourable judgment from any court in Abuja because his cases are not decided in accordance with the rules of law but the rules of politics – dirty and deadly politics.

    “The way and manner the laws are applied to him are not in conformity with the written laws of Nigeria or the pertinent international laws.

    “Those benefitting from insecurity are the ones deciding what negative decisions to deliver because if justice were to be done, the well-orchestrated and heavily funded attacks and demonisation of his person and his lofty mission would no longer resonate with the public.

    “Onyendu MNK urged the public to read all court decisions and judgements pertaining to him and IPOB to understand that what the law says is not what is being done. He insists that his trial is a sham designed to destroy truth and justice.”

    Last year, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja recused herself from the matter but the case was re-assigned to her amidst protests by Kanu and his legal team.