These are the stories that drove the conversation today:

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Sunday, embark a two-day working visit to the Kingdom of Morocco. 

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said the visit was at the invitation of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, adding that the President would be accompanied on the trip by Governors of Ebonyi and Jigawa, Dave Umahi and Alhaji Abubakar Badaru respectively; and other senior government officials.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the nomination of Mr. Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi as Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Nigeria, subject to Senate confirmation.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, it reads that Adebisi­ Shonubi is currently the Managing Director of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).

The Lagos State Government  has declared June 12, 2018 as public holiday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the annulled 1993 Presidential elections  won by the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO)Abiola.

A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello made available on Saturday, commended President Buhari’s recent declaration of June 12 as the new Democracy Day, adding that the Governor said the singular act would forever ensure that Chief MKO Abiola and other martyrs of democracy who laid down their lives in the struggle to entrench good governance did not do so vain.

The Ogun State government has declared Tuesday, 12th June 2018 work free to enable residents and other stakeholders to mark the Democracy Day.

According to the statement,by the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa the day would also be used to celebrate the recent conferment of a posthumous national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic on the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election, Chief Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola.

In same vein, the Osun Government has declared June 12 as public holiday to mark democracy day in the state.

Dr Obawale Adebisi, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, in a statement on Saturday in Osogbo, said the public holiday was in line with a policy of the state to observe June 12 as Democracy Day every year.

And stories from around the world:

The Taliban have announced a three-day ceasefire with Afghan government forces coinciding with Eid later this month, days after a unilateral ceasefire was ordered by the government.

The Taliban said it would stop all offensive operations during the holiday,but warned that it would “strongly defend” itself if it came under attack.

Afghan officials hailed the Taliban’s move to join the ceasefire. The UN special representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, said he hoped it would “serve as as stepping stone” towards peace talks. (BBC)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that G7 leaders had agreed on the wording of a common statement at their ongoing summit which would include a commitment to a “rules-based” trade framework.

“By any reckoning we will have a final communique,” Merkel  said while speaking to journalists on the final day of the summit in Canada but  acknowledged that major differences remained between the US and its partners in the group which includes the world’s seven most industrialized economies.

“This is not a detailed solution to our problems. The differences in opinion have not been taken off the table.”

American President Donald Trump has said the WTO has been a “disaster” and “very unfair” towards the United States.

Four American service members who were wounded in an extremist attack in Somalia that killed one special operations soldier have been treated and discharged, the US military said Saturday. 

A US Africa Command statement said the four were in the care of the US embassy in Kenya, awaiting transport “for additional medical evaluation”. Names of the soldiers were not immediately released, while next of kin were notified. (The Guardian, UK)

Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq

Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq is a Journalist, Political Analyst and Satirist with major interest in Nigerian Politics, Governance and Sports.