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It has been 27 years since the first black man, an older student by the name of Barack Obama , was elected president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. It has been even longer — 41 years — since the first woman, Susan Estrich, was elected to the position. Since then, subsequent presidents have been female, Hispanic, Asian-American, openly gay and black. Only now, for the first time in the history of the venerable 130-year-old journal, is the president a black woman. ImeIme Umana, 24, the third-oldest of four daughters of Nigerian immigrants, was elected on Jan. 29 by the review’s 92 student editors as the president of its 131st volume. The Harvard Law Review — which, like other law reviews, allows students to hone their legal writing skills and gives scholars a forum in which to thrash out legal arguments — is often the most-cited journal of its kind and has the largest circulation of any such publication in the world. Its presidency is considered the highest

INAUGURAL SPEECH DELIVERED BY ARAKUNRIN OLUWAROTIMI ODUNAYO AKEREDOLU SAN ON 24TH OF FEBRUARY 2017 ON THE OCCASION OF HIS INAUGURATION AS THE 6TH CIVILIAN GOVERNOR OF ONDO STATE. JOURNEY TO REDEMPTION Humbled by the uncommon kindness of the Almighty God and an unequivocal expression of preference by the good people of Ondo State, exemplified by the victory of our great party at the last gubernatorial election, I am extremely delighted to share with you all the joy of this day of glory.We are grateful to Almighty God for granting this state such a beautiful day and a beautiful moment like this. I thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of our great party, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, for his leadership and unwavering stance to support what is just and noble. Today’s celebration would, perhaps, have been impossible without his steely disposition to always stand against all acts not in consonance with decency, probity and justice. I thank the Pres

Nigeria’s Franco-German coach, Gernot Rohr, has said he expects his team to go past South Africa at home in June on their way to qualifying for AFCON 2019 and also edge past Cameroon in World Cup qualifiers beginning in August. Rohr’s Eagles are drawn against South Africa, Libya and Seychelles for a place at the 2019 AFCON in Cameroon. Nigeria welcome Bafana Bafana in June to get the AFCON qualifiers going. “Nigeria cannot miss the AFCON again because it’s a big tournament to celebrate African football. I hope we will be there at the next tournament,” he said.  But to do that we have to eliminate South Africa, who are a good team. “We need a good preparation and organisation. We will have two friendly games next month and we have the possibility to test some new players and be together.” He also spoke on the World Cup double header against Cameroon billed for August 28 in Uyo and September 2 in Limbe.  “The AFCON was a good tournament in Gabon and there were some g

Russia's main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has been found guilty of embezzlement and handed a five-year suspended sentence. It bars him from running for president next year against Vladimir Putin. But Mr Navalny, who denies the charges, has vowed to take part in the race regardless. It was not immediately clear if this was legally possible. His conviction came in a retrial after the European Court of Human Rights ruled the first trial to be unfair. The court in the provincial city of Kirov found Mr Navalny guilty of embezzlement in relation to a timber company called Kirovles, for which he was also handed a 500,000-rouble ($8,500; £6,700) fine.

The destructive Boko Haram group is currently plagued by financial difficulties, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, has said.  Feltman stated this while briefing the Security Council on the UN Secretary-General’s Fourth Report on the threat the group poses to international peace and security efforts to “check and roll it back”.  The UN envoy also revealed that Boko Haram was under intense military pressure, but warned against undermining its capacity to launch fatal attacks. “ISIL-affiliate Boko Haram is attempting to spread its influence and commit terrorist acts beyond Nigeria. “And Boko Haram remains a serious threat, with several thousand fighters at its disposal.

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it has commenced talks with some politicians and the leadership of the Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and five other political parties in the country on modalities for aligning forces to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general election. The meeting with friendly political parties and associations, which was at the instance of the PDP, was billed to take place yesterday evening in Abuja. The Chairman of the PDP Strategy Review and Inter-party Affairs Committee and former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana who gave some insight on the merger talks yesterday, when he submitted the report of the committee, said it had nothing to do with the “rumoured mega party”. “We are pleased to report that our initial contacts have yielded positive responses from seven people-focused and social democratic parties. In fact, later this evening, key leaders and s

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has written to acting President Yemi Osinbajo asking him to re-appoint the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen in an acting capacity, pending his screening and confirmation by the Senate as the substantive CJN. The decision to resend Justice Onnoghen’s name confirmed THISDAY’s exclusive report yesterday that the NJC would at its emergency meeting recommend his re-appointment in an acting capacity, pending his confirmation by the Senate.  Acting President Osinbajo on Tuesday transmitted Justice Onnoghen’s name to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive CJN. The need for the council’s emergency meeting yesterday in Abuja at which Justice Onnoghen, who chairs the NJC presided, had arisen due to the lack of sufficient time for the Senate to screen and confirm him before his tenure as the acting CJN elapses on Friday.  An NJC source explained that the recommendation by the council for his reappointment

The federal government has again launched another spirited attempt to convince increasingly sceptical Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari, who is in the United Kingdom on an extended vacation, is “hale and hearty”, adding that there was no basis comparing the president’s health with what played out during the Umaru Yar’Adua presidency. Minister of information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the spirited defence yesterday when he briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He insisted that Buhari was neither ill, nor was he in any danger that calls for panic. The minister also reacted to the charge that he had failed to provide hourly briefings on the status of the president’s health, even though he had challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government in 2010 to do the same when the late Yar’Adua was sick and later die

Crude oil price yesterday rose to around $56 per barrel, supported by signs that Russia and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are delivering on promised supply reductions, although a report showing a large rise in United States crude inventories curbed the price gains. Russia has cut production in January by around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to data provided to Reuters yesterday. A day earlier, a Reuters survey found high compliance by OPEC with agreed cuts. International benchmark, Brent crude was up 50 cents at $56.08 a barrel, having risen as high as $56.24, while US crude rose 41 cents to $53.22. However, the producer efforts were countered by signs of a persistent supply glut in the United States. US crude inventories rose by 5.8 million barrels, industry group the American Petroleum Institute said on Tuesday, more than analysts forecast. Following from last Tuesday’s API report the US government’s official inventory figures

Senator Andy Uba, representing Anambra South senatorial zone under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Uba disclosed this at a news briefing yesterday in his home country, Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of the state. The lawmaker said he joined the APC at the ongoing registration of party members in the state. According to him, APC has ideology and focus which he needed to tap into to provide quality representation to his constituents. Uba further said he joined the APC because of other personalities in the party with sound ideas and whom he looked up to in politics. He listed some of the personalities to include the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and APC National Auditor, Chief George Muoghalu. Uba stressed that with such calibre of people, the party would take the state to enviable heights. The senator said he would be very effective in serving the yearnings of his peopl

The United Kingdom has deported about 41 Nigerians for committing various immigration offences. The deportees, who were brought into the country in the early hours of yesterday, comprised 33 men and eight women. They arrived the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at 7.55 a.m. onboard a chartered aircraft. Some of the offences of the deportees included holding and wielding expired and fake travel documents and illegal entry into the UK through different routes. the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) said some of them had sought for asylum in the UK, which was not granted by the immigration authorities, while some had spent 24 months or more in Britain before they were deported. The deportees, who wore sad and sullen faces, were eccentric, irascible and very hostile to journalists who wanted to speak with them as they clutched their luggage, largely jute bags, locally known as Ghana Must Go bags. However, one of the deportees who identified himself as C

Nigeria’s capital imports slumped to a nine-year low in 2016, as Africa’s biggest economy battled a weaker currency and its first recession in 25 years.  The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said yesterday that capital importation into Nigeria fell 47 per cent last year to $5.12 billion, largely because the weak currency meant fewer dollars were required for the same naira investment. It said $9.64 billion was imported in 2015, reported Reuters. “This was the lowest value since the (data) series started in 2007, which reflects the numerous economic challenges that afflicted Nigeria in 2016,” the statistics office said.

In an effort to shore up the federal government’s revenue base, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved a new tax regime, just as it announced its intention to raise taxes on luxury goods. Also the council constituted a task force to device measures to force down the prices of food in the country.  The council equally approved a memo for the procurement of more coaches for the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to improve rail transportation. Minister for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who announced the approval of the new tax policy, after the FEC meeting presided over by acting President Yemi Osinbajo, said council approved the revised National Tax Policy meant to review the tax rates in certain areas. She however pointed out that the government would work with the National Assembly for the amendment of certain tax laws before the commencement of the policy. Adeosun hinted that while taxes on some basic commodities might not be increased, taxes on l