ALL THE RELEVANT NEWS: SATURDAY

21 May ALL THE RELEVANT NEWS: SATURDAY

🌎President Buhari in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), joined the Muslim faithful to observe Jummah prayers on Friday, where prayers were said for the repose of the soul of the late President of UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He return to Nigeria today.

🌎Oil prices ended the week slightly higher on Friday as a planned European Union ban on Russian oil and easing of COVID-19 lockdowns in China countered concerns that slowing economic growth will hurt demand. Brent futures for July delivery rose 51 cents, or 0.5%, to $112.55 a barrel.

🌎VP Osinbajo, on Friday in Osogbo, said to effectively secure the country, more people should be recruited into the police and the military.

🌎Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it has suspended the resumption of train services on the Abuja-Kaduna route. While apologising for the delay in the resumption of train services, it assured the distraught families that it was working hard to secure the victims’ release.
*The presidency says negotiations are ongoing to rescue those abducted on the Kaduna-Abuja rail line earlier in the year.

🌎President Buhari has approved the appointment of Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, as the substantive Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), with immediate effect. He also approved the appointment of Professor Antonia Taiye Simbine, as the new Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), with effect from 1st June, 2022.

🌎The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) says the next president should come from the south-east region of the country in the interest of promoting national reconciliation.

🌎Russia-Ukraine War: The war in Ukraine can only be resolved through “diplomacy”, President Zelensky says despite a deadlock in negotiations. He says “we want everything to return (to as it was before)” but “Russia does not want that”
*Russia’s military says Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks has been “completely liberated”, with the last Ukrainian defenders surrendering. The Russian defence ministry said 531 Ukrainian troops left the site last night, but their fates remain unclear
* Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has said he will speak with Finland and Sweden later about their bids to join NATO.
* Finland’s state-owned gas operator has confirmed that Russia has switched off the supply to the country because of its refusal to pay in ruble
* Heavy fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, with a child among seven people injured in the city of Lozova after Russian missiles hit a cultural center on Friday.