Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal has raised serious concerns regarding a document that appears to link the SGF’s office to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). During an interview on Arise News, Lawal addressed reports that the SGF’s office authorized the council’s self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, to participate in the 2025 Canada-Africa Fintech Summit.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Lawal asserted that such authorization should have been impossible if the agency lacked legal standing, emphasizing that the Office of the SGF is responsible for conducting due diligence on an agency’s status before processing any official requests. He argued that the situation suggests “institutional compromise” rather than a simple administrative error, as the SGF’s office would typically be expected to verify the legitimacy of any entity it facilitates.

The former SGF specifically questioned how a potentially fictitious organization could successfully navigate the federal budgeting process. He highlighted several critical lapses:

• Budgeting Process: Lawal demanded to know how the agency obtained a budget code through the GIFMIS system and successfully navigated the budget call and defense process without being flagged as non-existent.

• Unauthorized Funds: Referencing allegations that a 27.5 billion Naira “take-off grant” had been disbursed to the organization, Lawal questioned the origin of those funds, noting that they were not appropriated in any budget.

• Systemic Failures: He characterized the current controversy as only the “tip of the iceberg,” arguing that the ability of an unverified organization to receive massive disbursements and official recognition points to a significant racket within government processes.

Ultimately, Lawal called for an investigation into how the PFIPC gained access to federal budgeting channels and requested the identity of the officials responsible for assigning the budget codes that allowed these funds to be processed.

Kylian Mbappé has delivered a forceful rebuke to Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla following her racist social media outburst after France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16. Amarilla, a member of Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, targeted the Real Madrid star with racist abuse, calling him a “colonised Cameroonian” and insulting his character.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In his response, Mbappé condemned Amarilla as “despicable” and “unworthy” of her political office, stating that her actions did not represent the spirit of the Paraguayan people. He further declared that he would not permit her to use her platform to disseminate hatred and racism.

Legal and official repercussions have followed:

• The French Football Federation (FFF) has labeled the comments “utterly abhorrent and unacceptable” and announced plans to file criminal charges.

• The FFF emphasized that such remarks are “criminal and reprehensible,” noting that insulting the players is an insult to France itself.

• The Paraguayan foreign ministry has officially distanced the government and the nation from Amarilla’s statements, affirming that her words contradict the country’s principles of human dignity and peaceful coexistence.

• French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his support for Mbappé, stating that the nation’s values of dignity, respect, and fraternity respond to such hate.

This controversy follows prior offensive remarks from former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert, who had referred to the French team as “a squad from Africa” before the match. FFF president Philippe Diallo condemned Chilavert’s comments, asserting that they undermined the values of diversity and respect. Mbappé, who is currently tied as the tournament’s leading scorer with seven goals, is set to lead France in the quarter-finals against Morocco on Thursday, July 9.

Works Minister David Umahi has rejected claims that the Lagos Coastal Highway is responsible for flooding in the state, asserting that such criticism stems from a lack of technical expertise. During an interview on Arise News, the Minister explained that the project is specifically engineered to improve flood management rather than exacerbate it.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to Umahi, the highway’s design includes significant infrastructure—such as multiple evacuation channels and culverts placed approximately every 50 meters—to manage ocean surges and protect northern residential areas from water overflow. He further emphasized that the road has been elevated to a mitigated level through an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to ensure long-term protection against rising water levels.

The Minister also criticized those he labeled “content creators” for posing as engineers, noting that Victoria Island experienced severe flooding long before the coastal highway was conceived, including during the period when Bola Ahmed Tinubu served as governor. He concluded that while Lagos faces various complex flooding factors, the highway is intended to fix the issue and will remain effective against ocean surges for at least the next 30 years.