As part of the deliberate measures to curtail abuse and to prevent smuggling of tobacco products into the country, the Federal Government says it may increase taxes on Tobacco. This was made public in a statement made by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, when he addressed State House correspondents after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday. The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential, Villa, Abuja. According to Adewole, Nigeria is implementing the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Nigeria became a party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on Jan. 18, 2006. “Yes, we are part of the campaign against Tobacco. We are implementing the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control. As of Monday, we were part of the ECOWAS meeting to look at how do we raise taxes on tobacco, and that meeting would really work to prevent smuggling of tobacco products. We looked at h...

Despite the hostile responses by many Nigerians over the Jacob Zuma’s 250-metre multi-million statue erected in Owerri by the Governor, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, he (Governor) has publicly said that he owes no apology for erecting Jacob Zuma’s statue in Owerri, the State capital. Okorocha’s Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo has however said that they cannot be deterred by enemies of the people who are trying to discourage them from making the state open to foreign investors. The statement reads: “And in case these “Galatians” do not know all we need to do to attract good things or investments to Imo is erecting statues, then, we have no option than to erect as many of such structures as possible. “We owe no one apology. Rochas made a promise to open the doors of Imo to the rest of the world, for good and he is doing that and we cannot be deterred by these enemies of our people. “If it was in the days of PDP, schools and markets would have been shut down. And roads...

He is a believer Indeed a reader of the word Having heeded to the bible Then why do you want to crucify him? He chose a saint as his mentor What is wrong with that? A saint that sinners accuse While he is undisturbed as he enjoys his sainthood. A saint that has a stainless record But the heathen still accuse him of doing 738 miracles: Ranging from fraud, racketeering and money laundering That there amounts could be used to feed this hungry world. Since iron sharpens iron What concerns a monk with a Casanova? Or a nun with a seductive lap dancer? Or even an angel with a fallen angel? His name is Zuma and he made his monument to stand in Owerri And to live longer than the ancient Zuma Rock Why shouting for making him a Chieftain in Igbo land? Don’t you believe in ‘One Africa’? Why shouting for lavishing honours on him? He decorated him with the Imo Merit Award and you are talking But you still believe in Grace- an unmerited favour...

"For our good, God conceals from us the hour of our death, that we may always be prepared to die." St. Gregory.

The Bayelsa State government has on Monday announced that one of the victims of the dreaded viral disease, Monkey Pox has committed suicide. According to the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu, the victim allegedly took his own life on Monday at the quarantine centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, located in the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state. Addressing journalists on Monday evening in Yenagoa, the state capital, Mr. Etebu, said the deceased was among the 21 suspected cases of the virus that were being managed at the teaching hospital. Prof. Etebu was joined at the conference by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson , the Chief Medical Director of the NDUTH, Prof. Dimie Ogoina, and other senior health officials. Prof. Etebu expressed regret that the patient took his own life despite impressive progress to stem the outbreak by the government. He said the dece...

Loving a poet could be lonely sometimes because when you may need his attention, he is receiving instructions from inspiration; I bet you he won’t listen to you. Who is with me?

According to PUNCH, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, counsel to the alleged billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a. Evans, has petitioned the Police Service Commission, calling for the probe of the policemen who handled the case of his client. Ogungbeje, in a petition dated October 13, 2017, alleged that members of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, which handled the case, abused their position to extort his client. According to him, the team of police investigators led by Mr. Abba Kyari, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, “forcefully and corruptly extorted” from Evans cash in local and foreign currency as well as various items including phones, wrist watches, jewellery, television, cars and trucks. Ogungbeje claimed that the policemen forcefully took N50m from Evans, while his wife was also forced to part with another N5m. The lawyer claimed that a sum of $10,000 was also forcefully taken from the suspect by the police. Other items all...