Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria.
This was made known in a statement on Tuesday by His Grace Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri, who also serves as the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN.
The statement was posted on the Catholic Broadcast Commission, Nigeria website.
Ugorji stated that Crotty is the first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland to Nigeria.
He said, “With joy and gratitude to God, I extend a hearty welcome to Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), clergy, religious, and lay faithful in Nigeria. We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi’.
”His appointment is a testament to the strong spiritual bond between our countries, recalling that many Irish missionaries played a significant role in spreading the faith in Nigeria,” he said.
He appreciated Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assured him of the church’s full support and cooperation.
Pope Francis appoints Irish Archbishop Crotty as Apostolic Nuncio for Nigeria
Pope Francis appoints Irish Archbishop Crotty as Apostolic Nuncio for Nigeria
I’m going to give my life for Madrid
French superstar, Kylian Mbappe, was officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Tuesday, telling 80,000 fans “my dream has come true.”
The striker, who had completed his medical earlier on Tuesday morning, signed a five-year contract and was handed a No. 9 shirt by club president, Florentino Perez.
“Wow,” Mbappe said in Spanish to roars from a packed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
“For years, I’ve dreamed of playing for Real Madrid and today, my dream has come true,” said the 25-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain player.
“I’m a happy boy. I’m going to give my life for this club,” said Mbappe.
Accompanied by his parents watching from the crowd and with a former French hero of the club, Zinedine Zidane, in attendance, Mbappe was emotional as the crowd chanted his name, and at one point kissed the jersey of the reigning Spanish and European champions.
Mbappe is “an exceptional player who comes to help us continue winning, a player who today fulfils the dream of his life,” said Perez. “Welcome to your home.”
• Exciting offensive trio –
Although his new teammates began training on Monday, the forward, who captained France during their unsuccessful Euros campaign, will have a few more days off before kicking off his season in the Spanish capital.
The unveiling of Real’s latest Galactico allowed its fans to continue celebrating following Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph on Sunday.
The crowd was expected to be bigger than that 15 years ago when Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled.
The free tickets were snapped up rapidly with some fans reportedly trying to resell them to take advantage of the hype surrounding the arrival of arguably the world’s best striker.
At Real, Mbappe will form part of an offensive trio alongside England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Brazil attacker Vinicius Junior under the watch of veteran Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti.
That prospect is already exciting fans of the club who won their 15th Champions League title in June.
Los Blancos begin the defence of their La Liga crown with a match against Real Mallorca on the weekend of August 17-18.
Mbappe’s debut might have to wait until the following week when Real Madrid face Real Valladolid who were recently promoted from the second division.
Number 9 Mbappe shirts went on sale last Thursday in Real’s club shops which are covered with his image.
Mbappe arrives after a personally disappointing Euros campaign, where he was overshadowed by Spain’s new teenage sensation Lamine Yamal of Madrid’s rivals Barcelona and France lost to Spanish in the semi-finals.
That followed a difficult season with PSG following his decision not to renew his contract, with the striker — who was the Paris club’s all-time top scorer — admitting he felt “liberated, relieved” by his transfer to Real.
The club is hoping to offset the costs — a salary of at least 15 million euros ($16.3 million) per season and a signing bonus of more than 100 million euros — through sponsorship deals and ticket and merchandise sales.
Mbappe is hoping the move will finally see him win a Champions League and the Ballon d’Or, two of his lifelong objectives.
AFP
Binance executive, Gambaryan, appears in court on wheelchair
The detained Binance Holdings Limited’s executive, Tigran Gambaryan, was on Tuesday, whisked into Federal High Court in Abuja in a wheelchair.
Gambaryan, who was dressed in a black T-shirt with blue jeans trousers, is facing a money laundering charge alongside the cryptocurrency firm.
When the matter was called, Gambaryan stood up from the wheelchair and walked slowly into the dock.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s lawyer, Ogechi Ujam, told the court that though the matter was scheduled for the continuation of trial, the commission’s lead counsel, Ekele Iheanacho was not in court.
Ujam prayed the court to stand down the matter to enable Iheanacho to conduct the trial.
Babatunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, who appeared for Binance (1st defendant) and Mark Mordi, SAN, who represented Gambaryan, did not oppose the application.
Justice Emeka Nwite stepped down the matter until noon.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Justice Nwite had, on July 5, ordered the management of the Nigerian Correctional Service to release the medical certificate of Gambaryan on or before July 16.
The judge gave the order following an application by Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mordi.
Mordi had prayed the court to summon the medical doctor at the health facility of Kuje Correctional Centre, to explain why he had allegedly refused to make available his client’s medical report despite an earlier court order.
NAN reports that Gambaryan had, on May 23, collapsed in the open court over alleged ill-health.
The defence law firm, Aluko & Oyebode, had also, on May 27, raised alarms that the cryptocurrency firm’s executive might die in Kuje Correctional Centre over his alleged deteriorating health.
NAN
Multi-agency approach key to effective disaster management
The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department has emphasised the importance of capacity building, innovation, knowledge sharing, and technology-driven rescue operations in disaster management.
Speaking at the inaugural symposium of the International Association of Emergency Managers in Abuja on Tuesday, the acting Director General of FEMD, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, highlighted the need for emergency responders to adapt to emerging challenges.
“In the past, we prepared for river or flash flooding during the rainy season, but now we have to contend with building collapse, drought, and suicide attempts,” Wenegieme said.
“I hope this symposium will come up with a methodology to handle these emerging challenges in the country,” she added.
The pioneer Director-General of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Abbas Garba, while speaking at the event, stated that disaster response is a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary, and multi-agency issue.
“Multi-agency activities require networking to share information, expertise, and resources,” he said.
In his paper, “Communication, Coordination, Cooperation, and Collaboration: A Multi-Agency Approach for Effective/Efficient Disaster Management Across Africa,” Abbas argued that understanding these key elements would enable emergency managers to work more effectively and efficiently in responding to disasters and minimizing the impact on communities across Africa.
The symposium aimed to bring together emergency management professionals to share knowledge, expertise, and best practices in disaster management.
Another House of Reps member, Ekene Adams, dies at 39
Ekene Abubakar Adams, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 39. The cause of death is reported to be a brief illness, according to a statement from House spokesman Akin Rotimi Jr.
Adams, representing Chikun/Kajuru federal constituency of Kaduna State, served on the House Committee on Sports. Tributes have begun pouring in from colleagues, with many expressing shock and sadness at his sudden passing.
Read Also: A’Ibom gov, Eno, voices concerns over implementation of S’Court’s ruling on LG autonomy
Hon. Adams, a former general manager of Kada City FC and Remo Stars, was elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of Labour Party (LP) in 2023. With his sports background as a former athlete and administrator, he was appointed the Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Sports, the position he occupied until his death on Tuesday morning, July 16, 2024.
Adams’ death was the second to hit the House within a week following the death of Hon. Olaide Akinremi (Jagaban) from Oyo State, who passed away on Wednesday, July 10.
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We have no plans to hand over universities to private investors – Nigerian govt
The Federal Government says it has no plan to hand over public universities to private investors.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, said this at the Second Quarterly Engagement of the Ministry with Heads of Units and Chief Executive Officers of parastatals and agencies under the Ministry.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, had accused the federal government of plans to hand over federal universities to investors through public-private partnerships.
”There is no plan to sell off universities to investors,” he said, noting the policy of the government allowed for transnational education.
According to him, transnational education is a policy on what the current administration is doing to open up tertiary education by taking people from the rest of the world to invest in the tertiary system.
“Some people are carrying information that the federal government is selling off to private investors its universities. This is an absolute lie and completely false.
“This government believes in our public institutions. However, as we all know this government has reforms that this country needs.
“The private sector will play a major role in the provision of tertiary education as there are more private universities in Nigeria than public universities combined.
“What this government has done is to open up the tertiary education level in particular the universities for global competitiveness,” he said.
The minister stressed the need to allow those who operate universities at the international level to come into the country and set up institutions either for themselves or in collaboration with the nation’s local universities.
We have no plans to hand over universities to private investors – Nigerian govt
Tension as Police ban Abuja Shi’ite procession over security concerns
In a move likely to stoke tension, the Nigerian Police Force, on Tuesday, banned a planned procession by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), commonly known as the Shiites.
The procession was intended to commemorate Ashura, a holy day in the Shia Islamic calendar.
The FCT Police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, issued a statement citing intelligence reports that the procession “often result[s] in significant disturbances, leading to anarchy and chaos within the territory.” The statement further warned members of the IMN to “shelve their planned demonstrations” and threatened “every legal means necessary to halt or incapacitate anyone that dares violate the ban.”
Read Also: CJN Ariwoola vows to uphold judicial independence, impartiality
“According to the intelligence we have gathered, members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, also known as Shi’ite, are planning to hold a protest/procession to commemorate the 2024 Islamic calendar day of Ashura,” the statement reads.
“In the past, the group’s processions, protests, and other activities have ended violently.
“As a result, the Commissioner of Police has banned their activities and ordered the arrest of anyone who violates this order.”
The IMN has been a contentious group in Nigeria for years. The group’s leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky, has been detained by the government since 2015 following a deadly clash with security forces. The group maintains its innocence and has called for Zakzaky’s release.
This ban on the procession is likely to be met with disapproval by members of the IMN. It remains to be seen how the group will respond and whether the police will be able to maintain order if there are attempts to defy the ban.
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Oko-Jumbo Assembly counters Amaewhule, declares faction illegal
The Rivers State House of Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, has dismissed the resolution by the Martin Amaewhule-led House, suspending all expenditures of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo stated this in his opening remark during plenary on Tuesday.
He said what Amaewhule and 24 others whom he described as former members of the House did, was unfounded and illegal.
Oko-Jumbo argued that the group had no legal capacity or moral basis, to prevent the governor from spending public funds.
He insisted that Amaewhule and 24 others are not members of the Assembly, following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in December 2023.
The factional speaker stated that the Assembly led by him, is the legally recognised section, which of course manages the statutory allocation of the house.
Oko-Jumbo explained that Governor Fubara had duly presented the said appropriation bill to the house when Edison Ehie was the speaker and that same was passed and signed into law.
He said the house is awaiting the presentation of the medium-term expenditure framework ahead of the 2025 fiscal year.
He urged the public to ignore the Amaewhule pronouncement and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to without delay conduct the bye-election to fill the 25 vacant seats in the house.
TVN recalls that on Monday, the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, during plenary on Monday, announced the shutdown of all expenditures until Governor Siminalayi Fubara presents his budget before the House.
Oko-Jumbo Assembly counters Amaewhule, declares faction illegal
Expert forecasts $288.8m growth in Nigeria’s data centre market
The Nigerian data centre market is projected to grow from its current $131.6 million to $288.8 million by 2027, according to an expert.
The Enterprise Sales Director for Central Africa, Vertiv, Gbenga Adebowale, said the market is set for a dramatic expansion as the sector recovers and adapts to post-pandemic realities.
Adebowale emphasised the market value is expected to rise from $131.6 million in 2022 to $288.8 million by 2027.
This was contained in a statement made available to According Online on Tuesday.
He highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work environment, which accelerated the shift to remote and hybrid work models.
He said, “With the market value expected to soar from $131.6 million in 2022 to $288.8 million by 2027, the country’s data infrastructure is undergoing a significant transformation to meet rising demands.”
This transition, according to Adebowale, has increased the pressure on network infrastructures, necessitating robust and scalable data centre solutions.
“Constantly changing capacity demands, external market forces, and the ramping up of compute-intensive applications, such as AI and machine learning, have combined to exert unprecedented pressure on data centres and networks.
“To address these challenges, many Nigerian businesses are turning to prefabricated modular data centres. These solutions are gaining popularity for their rapid deployment, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. Unlike traditional data centre builds, PFMs are factory-built, ensuring high reliability and repeatability. They can be deployed quickly, meeting urgent capacity needs without the delays associated with conventional construction methods.
“The benefits of PFMs are evident in their ability to scale. Organizations can add capacity incrementally, reducing energy use, costs, and carbon footprint. Additionally, these modular solutions can be customized to specific needs and are adaptable to various architectures, including high-density computing and liquid cooling”, Adebowale said.
He added that colocation services, which account for more than half of Nigeria’s data centre market, are also a key driver of growth.
“These services provide businesses with enhanced security, convenience, and reduced power interruptions, making them an attractive option for companies looking to expand their digital footprint. The global colocation market mirrors this trend, with projections indicating growth at a 6.5% CAGR through 2027, reaching $136 billion by 2028.
“As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand, the demand for advanced data centre solutions is expected to rise. Prefabricated modular data centres offer a lifeline for businesses, enabling them to meet increasing capacity requirements efficiently and cost-effectively. This growth trajectory underscores the critical role of digital infrastructure in supporting the nation’s economic development and technological advancement.
“There is no question that for enterprise data centres looking to add compute, power, or cooling in smaller increments, modular solutions represent a lifeline that can mitigate urgent capacity demands and facilitate lasting growth. With the data centre market set to double, Nigeria is well-positioned to become a leading player in the African technology landscape”, he concluded.
A’Ibom gov, Eno, voices concerns over implementation of S’Court’s ruling on LG autonomy
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has welcomed the recent Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to local governments, emphasizing its significance while expressing reservations about its practical implementation.
Speaking to Government House correspondents at Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo upon his return from an official engagement on Monday, Governor Eno lauded the Supreme Court’s decision as a pivotal moment for local governance across the nation.
He described the ruling as a relief to state governments, underscoring its importance in ensuring that local authorities can independently manage their financial affairs.
“The Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy is a landmark decision, and it is binding. This is a positive development, especially considering the substantial support our state provides to local governments,” Governor Eno stated.
However, amidst his praise for the autonomy ruling, Governor Eno raised concerns about the challenges that could arise in its implementation. He highlighted the crucial issue of ensuring that local governments can effectively handle their financial responsibilities, particularly in promptly paying salaries and addressing arrears owed to teachers, health workers, and other local government employees.
Read also: CJN Ariwoola vows to uphold judicial independence, impartiality
“Our concern now is how local government workers, especially teachers and health workers, will receive timely payments without accumulating arrears that could burden future administrations,” Governor Eno remarked. “Since assuming office, we have ensured that local governments receive their allocations without interference, but now the focus shifts to their capability under this new autonomy.”
Governor Eno further expressed confidence in finding viable solutions to the challenges posed by the autonomy ruling, urging collaborative efforts to ensure its smooth implementation across Akwa Ibom State.
“The Supreme Court has spoken, and now we must strategize to uphold the integrity of this decision while ensuring our local governments thrive,” he added.
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