NEWS
Elon Musk Strips Off New York Times Twitter Verification Badge
The New York Times’ Twitter account had its “verified” badge removed by Twitter, allegedly on the orders of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX on Sunday.
According to reports, Musk directed Twitter to remove the badge after learning that the New York Times would not pay for Twitter Blue, a paid subscription service.
This move is believed to stem from Musk’s longstanding animosity towards US journalists who have reported negatively about him.
The removal of the badge raises concerns about impersonation, as it was part of an internal plan to keep badges on for the 10,000 most-followed organisations, regardless of whether they paid for it or not.
Twitter announced that it would begin phasing out its traditional verification package, starting Saturday. The company would be removing the blue checkmark icons that it had applied for years to the accounts of verified companies, journalists, and public figures.
Instead, Twitter would be implementing a pay-for-play system that would give the badge to anyone who pays for it. The move was a bid to make up for the company’s plunging advertising revenue and billions of dollars in debt.
Users would be charged $8 a month for Twitter Blue, while businesses wanting verification would be charged $1,000 a month. By Sunday morning, the New York Times was one of only a few dozen accounts to have had its badge removed, making it the 24th-most-followed account without the badge.
The move appears to have been personally directed or encouraged by Musk, who had responded late Saturday night to a meme outlining the Times’ decision to not pay for Twitter verification by saying, “Oh ok, we’ll take it off then.”
Asked about the move Sunday, an NYT spokesperson reiterated that the news organisation is still not “planning to pay the monthly fee for checkmark status for our institutional Twitter accounts.”
NEWS
Osun Govt Approves Six New Kings, Elevates Seven To Part Two Chiefs
The Osun State Executive Council has approved the appointment of Prince Timileyin Oluyemi Ajayi, a United Kingdom based IT Engineer as the Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle in Obokun Local Government.
The Council also approved five other new kings and elevation of two others to part two chiefs.
This was detailed in a government house statement in Osogbo, on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi.
The new king who studied Office and Information Management at Lead City University Ibadan, Nigeria before his sojourn abroad, is an entrepreneur and business owner who invested in the hospitality and the agricultural industry.
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Other approved new kings are Prince Emmanuel Adesokan Ayoola as the Oluwaro of Iwaro in Ife North Local Government Area and Prince Kazeem Deji Ogungbe as Oniwata of Iwata in Irewole Local Government.
In the same vein, the Council approved the elevation of Baale Owajigbo of Ejigbo-Orangun; Baale Owamagbon of Ila, Baale Owafaye of Obalogbo-Ila (Ila Traditional Council); Baale Osi Okero-Ife, Baale Mayowa Ifegunle-Ife; Olu of Apatalami-Ife; Baale Ayede Temidire Town; Baale Akingbade of Ayetutu Ipoye-Ife (Ife Traditional Council).
Other elevations include the Looyin of Olodo Okebode-Ijesa; Ologbese of Ogbese (Atakunmosa West); Alaye Daramola-Ijesa (Atakunmosa East); Baale of Ajitena (Ejigbo Traditional Council) and Olaota of Osunwoyin (Ayedire Local Government) to Part II (Recognized) Status of The Chief’s Law, Cap.25, Laws of The Osun State, 2002.
The Council, presided over by Governor Ademola Adeleke also approved the White Paper on the Report of a Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration.
NEWS
JAMB Suspends Law Programme Admissions At Eight Universities
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will not approve admissions for the Law programme at several Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.
This follows a suspension order from the Council of Legal Education (CLE) regarding the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) programme at the affected institutions.
In a statement released on Wednesday, JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that no admissions would be granted to candidates seeking to enroll in Law programmes at the universities listed below.
READ MORE: NLC Declares Nationwide Protest Over Telecom Tariff Hike
The suspension is part of ongoing measures to regulate and standardize legal education in the country.
Benjamin stated, “JAMB will not approve any admissions for candidates seeking to enroll in the Law programme at the affected universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.”
The institutions impacted by the suspension include:
Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin, Kwara State
- Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State
- Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State
- Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State
- Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State
- Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River State
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State
- Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State
Furthermore, the Nigerian Police Academy in Wudil, Kano State, will see its Law programme suspended for an extended period.
Benjamin further elaborated, “Please note that the suspension of the Law programme at the Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State, will last for two academic sessions: specifically, the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 sessions.”
JAMB has urged prospective students to take note of these changes when making their application decisions for the upcoming academic year.
NEWS
NLC Declares Nationwide Protest Over Telecom Tariff Hike
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans for a nationwide protest on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, in response to a recent telecommunications tariff hike.
The protest comes after the Federal Government approved a 50% increase, following telecom operators’ initial request for a 100% hike.
The announcement was made following an emergency National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting on Wednesday, where NLC President Joe Ajaero strongly criticized the hike.
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He called it “insensitive, unjustifiable, and a direct assault on Nigerian workers and the general populace, who are already burdened by worsening economic hardship.”
In a statement, Ajaero condemned the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) decision to approve the increase, calling it a harsh blow to citizens already grappling with the effects of rising costs across multiple sectors.
He emphasized that the 50% tariff hike was too much for the Nigerian people, particularly those earning the minimum wage of N70,000 per month.
Ajaero explained that the protest rally on February 4 would serve as a warning to the government, highlighting the growing dissatisfaction among Nigerians who have already faced high petrol prices, soaring food costs, electricity tariff hikes, and rising inflation.
“All NLC affiliates and state councils are directed to begin full mobilisation in preparation for the nationwide protest rally,” Ajaero said. He urged civil society groups to join the movement, calling on workers, the informal sector, and the general public to stand in solidarity against the tariff hike.
The NLC also issued a demand for the immediate suspension of the tariff hike and called for meaningful dialogue with the Federal Government, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the National Assembly.
Ajaero warned that if the hike is not reversed, the NLC would consider escalating its actions, including a possible nationwide boycott of telecommunication services.
“The NLC remains committed to safeguarding the interests of Nigerian workers and citizens,” Ajaero asserted. “We will not relent in our struggle against policies that undermine the welfare and dignity of our people.”