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  The Osun Online Publishers Association, OOPA, has congratulated Bright Olorungbotem, Chief Executive Office of Voice Air Media, VAM, on the occasion of his birthday. Bright, who is the Publicity Secretary of the association according to OOPA in a statement, on Thursday signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Jare Tiamiyu and Hammed Tajudeen was described as dedicated media personalty. The statement reads in part " Osun Online Publishers Association, celebrate one of his dedicated officer , Bright Olorungbotemi on his birthday occasion. "It is our prayer that you continue to progress in your endeavors. "Your many years and unconditional service to OOPA is cherished, may God uplift you and bless you endlessly" the statement added. Bright was , however, charged not to relent in his efforts in contributing to the development of Nigeria through media and upholding the ethical practice of journalism.

  In a new interview with the popular music podcast "Drinking Champs", Akon shared stories about his early life in America, getting into and becoming a music star. During the interview, Akon talked about Africa, and during the conversation, he called Nigerians the smartest people on the continent. According to Akon, Nigeria is similar to New York City and Nigerians are the smartest people on the planet. "This may be debatable but Nigerians are the smartest people on the planet...There's nobody smarter than the Nigerian," Akon said.  Being a Nigerian makes  you intelligent and smart. 

  The Committee for the Defense Of Human Rights (CDHR), Osun State Chapter yesterday elected new executive members that will pilot the affairs of the organization for the next two years. The new executives emerged unopposed at the 2023 Osun State CDHR convention held at the Ola Oni House, Osogbo over the weekend. The former Secretary of the human right group, Comrade Olowu Emmanuel emerged as the State Chairman while Comr. Gbedebo became his  Vice. Other members of exco are  Comr. Bamitale Olufadeju, State Secretary, Comr. Bashit Uthman, Assitance Secretary, Comrade Isaac Olapetan Treasurer, Comrade Kolapo Azeez Public Relations Officer, and Comrade Emily Ajibade, Assistances Public Relation Officer. The elected officers were sworn in shortly after the election by the representative of the National Executive, Comrade Kolawole Sola, the current National treasurer. Administering oath of office to the newly elected executives,  Comrade Sola charged them on the need...

  Over 50 leaders from the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean will meet on Monday for the first time in eight years in Brussels for a two-day EU-CELAC meeting, In an effort to find new political and economic allies. At the summit, both sides are anticipated to be eager to create economic alliances, but sensitive topics like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Europe’s complicity in the slave trade could complicate the talks. Regardless of the outcome, officials say the meeting itself marks a step towards stronger ties. The EU has stated its desire for a joint declaration denouncing Russia, but recognises that this will be difficult to achieve. While the majority of CELAC countries supported a UN resolution in February urging an early evacuation of Russian troops, Nicaragua voted against it, while Bolivia, Cuba, and El Salvador abstained. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has positioned himself as a prospective peace mediator and neutral. The European Union ha...

  The United Nations top humanitarian official urged on Saturday, said that warring factions in Sudan must respect international law, protect civilians, and stop targeting relief and aid workers, as the conflict reached its three-month mark. “For three months now, the people of Sudan have endured unspeakable suffering amid violence that is tearing their country apart,” Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement. “As the conflict enters its fourth month, the battle lines are hardening, making it ever more difficult to reach the millions of people who need urgent humanitarian assistance,” he added. More than 3 million people have been displaced due to the conflict both within Sudan and across its borders; the fighting, which broke out in mid-April has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 1,100 people and injured over 12,000, according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)....

    United Nations said more than 3 million people have now abandoned their homes in Sudan due to the nearly three-month-old conflict between rival armed forces. Figures from the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicated that more than 2.4 million people were now displaced within Sudan, while nearly 724,000 have escaped across the country’s borders. The fighting in Sudan broke out on April 15. The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, after the two fell out in a power struggle. In a statement by the International Organization for Migration spokeswoman Safa Msehli told AFP, “We've surpassed the 3 million figure of people displaced due to the conflict in Sudan,”  “This is more than a figure, however: these are people who have been uprooted, fleeing for their lives; families that have been separated, and children that won’t be able to go to school. ...

United Nations Security Council has sent a delegation of its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (SCWG-CAAC) to interface with strategic government ministries and agencies. The move is will garner the team opportunity to witness, first hand, efforts by the Nigerian government towards combating the problem of children caught up in armed conflict, especially in the northeast. Receiving the delegation in Abuja, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr. Nasir Gwarzo, said while armed conflict has affected a good number of children, government has also stepped in to assist them. He said: “This is the time for us to unite. We need your support and shared experiences because more than 90 per cent of these children are parentless. We have done a lot. We have ratified a lot of globally accepted policies. We are implementing them but a lot needs to be done better. There are some of them (children) that are increa...

  The Osun Online Publishers Association (OOPAN), has felicitated with his Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr) Hammed Adekunle Makama Oyelude (Tegbosun III) on his birthday, July 14th.  OOPAN, in a statement issued in Osogbo by his Publicity Secretary, Bright Gbotemi, described the Olowu of Kuta as an embodiment of royalty, very objective, and astute, full of wisdom and a custodian of the traditional institution in the state.  According to OOPAN, “As you celebrate, we are very sure your heart is filled with joy for what God has helped you to achieve all this years and looking forward, we hope that all your dreams and wishes for the people of Kuta kingdom and Osun State, and Nigeria will come true. “Your Royal Majesty, it is our sincere prayer that your ancestors and God Almighty will continually protect and bless you in good health, sound mind and longevity”. “Our great Oba, congratulations on your historic celebration today”.

  The food security and nutrition situation remained grim in 2022. Report by the United Nations revealed that approximately 29.6 per cent of the global population, equivalent to 2.4 billion people, did not have constant access to food, as measured by the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity.   It was learnt that nearly 900 million individuals faced severe food insecurity. Meanwhile, the capacity of people to access healthy diets has deteriorated across the world: more than 3.1 billion people in the world – or 42 percent – were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021. This represents an overall increase of 134 million people compared to 2019.  Millions of children under five continue to suffer from malnutrition: in 2022, 148 million children under five years of age (22.3 percent) were stunted, 45 million (6.8 percent) were wasted, and 37 million (5.6 percent) were overweight.  Progress has been seen in exclusive breastfeeding with 48 percent of infants und...

  The African Union appealed for nearly $90 million Wednesday for its peacekeeping force in Somalia, which is providing support to its military forces battling al-Shabab extremists. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the AU commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, disclosed that nearly 19,600-strong AU force won’t be able to function properly and help the Somalis unless that funding gap is filled. A year agone, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a new African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, known as ATMIS, to support the Somalis until their forces take full responsibility for the country’s security at the end of 2024. If the AU force does n’t have the funds to operate effectively in 2years to come before the handover, Adeoye said, “it may mean that al-Shabab will eventually take over the responsibilities of a state in Somalia.” “The implications are huge,” he said. “And we do not want the international community to lose focus or have diverted attention away ...