IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

New Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has announced a 35-man provisional squad for Nigeria’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda (March 21) and Zimbabwe (March 25).

Key Highlights:

Ahmed Musa returns to the squad alongside vice-captain William Troost-Ekong and Joe Aribo.

Six new players have been included, including home-based talents Papa Mustapha, Kayode Bankole, and Ifeanyi Onyebuchi.

The squad blends experienced internationals with emerging stars across European and domestic leagues.

The squad features players across all positions, with Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, and Kelechi Iheanacho leading the attack. 

The Bayelsa State Government has lifted the ban on employment in the state’s civil service, according to a special announcement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Dr. Stanley Sokari.

Sokari stated that applications must be submitted by March 21, 2025, addressed to the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, indicating the desired position, age, sex, hometown, local government area, qualifications, professional certifications, and work experience.

The ban was initially imposed following the employment of 1,000 graduates under the previous administration of Henry Seriake Dickson, amid concerns over the state’s wage bill and reports of secret recruitments.

The government, under Governor Douye Diri, has now approved the hiring of qualified Bayelsa indigenes into the state’s civil service. 

The re-elected Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, is currently holding a closed-door reconciliatory meeting with 39 lawmakers, including Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda.

The meeting, which began at 2:10 PM at the Assembly Complex in Alausa, Ikeja, aims to ease tensions and unite aggrieved lawmakers while setting a new direction for the House.

Following this development, speculation about Obasa’s possible resignation appears to be unfounded.

Sources indicate that Obasa is likely to withdraw his lawsuit against the Assembly and 33 lawmakers at the Ikeja Court, which he had filed after his removal as Speaker.

On January 13, 2025, 33 out of 39 lawmakers voted to remove Obasa, replacing him with his deputy, Mojisola Meranda. However, following interventions from the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership at both state and national levels—including efforts led by Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Segun Osoba—Obasa was re-elected as Speaker after Meranda stepped down.

The crisis had caused serious division within the Assembly and the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), prompting President Bola Tinubu to step in and facilitate a resolution. 

The House of Representatives has instructed Multichoice, the operator of DStv and GOtv, to suspend its planned subscription increase due to the country’s ongoing economic challenges.

Multichoice had recently announced a price adjustment, effective March 1, raising DStv Premium from ₦37,000 to ₦44,500, Compact+ from ₦25,000 to ₦30,000, and Compact bouquet from ₦17,000 to ₦19,000.

The directive came after a motion by Esosa Iyawe, an APC lawmaker from Edo State, during Tuesday’s plenary.

Iyawe pointed out that this marks Multichoice’s second price hike in less than a year, with the last increase occurring in May 2024. He emphasized that the previous adjustment sparked public outrage, with many Nigerians struggling to keep up with rising costs and abandoning their decoders due to lack of competition in the pay-TV industry.

"Given Multichoice's dominance in the market, any price hike directly affects consumers, imposing further financial strain," he added.

Following deliberations, the House resolved that Multichoice must suspend the price hike until a thorough investigation is conducted.

Additionally, the Committee on Commerce has been directed to examine the recurring price increases and propose measures to ensure fair and affordable pricing for Nigerian consumers.

The committee is expected to submit its report within four weeks. 

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has urged the National Assembly to pass the Reserved Seats Bill, which aims to boost women's participation in governance by reserving at least 35% of legislative and executive positions for women.

Speaking at the Art for Governance Exhibition in Abuja, organized by ElectHER and the Office of the Deputy Speaker, Tinubu, represented by Hajiya Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, emphasized the necessity of gender inclusion in decision-making.

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who sponsored the Constitution (Alteration) Bill, 2024 (also known as the Additional Seats Bill), described the underrepresentation of women as a major challenge to democracy.

Ibijoke Faborode, CEO of ElectHER, noted that while women make up nearly 50% of Nigeria’s population, they hold less than 4% of National Assembly seats, highlighting the need for bold legislative reforms.

The event also featured an art competition, where winners—Segun Owolabi (₦2M), Chidinma Mordi (₦1.5M), and Precious Samuel (₦1M)—had their prizes doubled by Kalu. Their works will be exhibited at the National Assembly Library.

Other dignitaries, including the Minister of Women Affairs, reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the bill's passage to advance women's leadership in Nigeria. 

A bill seeking to amend the Federal Polytechnics Act (2004) and expand the functions of polytechnics, including granting them the authority to award Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) Honours degrees, has passed its second reading in the House of Representatives.

Hon. Faud Laguda, the bill’s sponsor, stated during Tuesday’s plenary that the amendment aims to broaden the membership of polytechnic councils by including representatives from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

The proposed amendments also seek to:

Enhance polytechnics' administrative structures for better efficiency.

Raise the qualifications required for the position of Rector.

Expand the powers of the Academic Board to award B.Tech degrees.

Laguda emphasized that the bill is designed to modernize polytechnic education in Nigeria, ensuring it aligns with global best practices while enhancing technical education for students.