The Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has called on Nigerians agitating for state creation to reach out to elected representatives and groups from other geopolitical zones in the country. In a statement on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yomi Odunuga, the lawmaker urged his kinsmen to get the buy-in of other legislators and groups, especially as they are key in determining if such demands will see the light of the day in the ongoing constitution amendment exercise. Senator Omo-Agege said this on Wednesday in Abuja…
Author: Emmanuel Anthony
Days to the governorship election in Edo State, another Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Ikpea on Wednesday resigned his position from the cabinet of Governor Godwin Obaseki. Until his resignation, Ikpea was the Commissioner for Minerals, Oil and Gas in the state. In the letter dated September 9 and addressed to the Governor, Ikpea cited reasons of trust, respect and interest for his resignation. He also attributed his reason to his inability to abandon the party (All Progressives Congress) he has helped to nurture in his council area and the state in general. According to him, ‘Politics is all about interest, trust…
The Federal Government said despite the nation’s meagre resources caused by the emergence of COVID-19, N20 billion has been spent on Special Hazard and Inducement Allowances for Medical and Health Workers for April, May and June of 2020. The Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, said this in a statement on Tuesday while appealing to the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to suspend its ongoing strike. He said the Buhari administration already addressed six out of the eight demands listed by the body. Ngige noted that by Labour Laws and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions, all parties are not to…
The Federal Government has given an insight into the transfer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said with the development, the concept of Digital Number would be prioritized to replace the National Identity Card. He made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen. Pantami confirmed that the contribution of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased in the second quarter of 2020. The minister said broadband penetration rose significantly from a little above 30 percent to more than 42…
President Muhammadu Buhari-led government said the price of electricity and fuel in Nigeria are the lowest in West Africa. Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said this in a statement on Monday. He noted that with the price of crude inching up, the price of petrol locally was also bound to increase, hence the latest price of N162 per litre. “If, perchance, the price of crude drops again, the price of petrol will also drop, and the benefits will also be passed on to the consumers. The angry reactions that have greeted the latest prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is,…
Olusegun Bamgbose, National Coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance (CAGG), has claimed that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the 2019 election, may strike a deal with President Muhammadu Buhari to edge out Bola Tinubu in the 2023 race. He made the claim in a statement on Monday noting that political stakeholders in the country are not taking anything for granted. According to him, unknown to many, Atiku Abubakar is firmly in the race and has made up his mind to contest for the last time. Bamgbose, who is a senior legal practitioner,…
President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the death of his family doctor, Marliya Zayyana. Zayyana was the former Chairperson of the Governing Council, Federal University, Dutsinma, Katsina State. Reacting, Buhari described the deceased as an outstanding physician whose death was a “personal loss because of our close association with her.” The president’s remark was contained in a condolence message signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu. “Marliya was not only a distinguished medical doctor, but she was also a woman of integrity as her tenure at the Federal University Dutsinma had testified. ”Her demise…
Two warring communities in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Saturday signed a peace agreement as part of efforts to bring an end to the wanton destruction of lives and property in the area. The communities involved are Dangoma and Takau in Kannikon and Zipak chiefdoms, respectively. Speaking at the event held in Kafanchan, Mr Peter Averik, chairman of the local government, said that the peace deal was brokered following a series of dialogue between the two communities. “We met and deliberated successfully on the way forward and, thankfully, the two communities resolved to sheath their swords and…
Former Emir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi, has insisted he has no plans to run for any political office in the country. Ahead of the 2023 general elections, there have been speculations that Sanusi could emerge as one of the candidates. However, in an interview on television on Friday, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said he has no interest in politics. Instead, he will be running a fellowship programme at Oxford University in the United Kingdom in October. “People have been talking to me about politics when I was in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).…
The English Court on Friday granted permission to Nigeria to argue the $9.6 billion arbitral award made against the federal government. Umar Gwandu, spokesman to the attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, made this known in a statement. The court allowed Nigeria to bring the challenge outside the normal time limits, due to the evidence presented on fraud, Gwandu said. The government is seeking to upturn the judgment in favour of Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID) over a gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA). The statement said the Buhari administration, having inherited the dispute from…
President Buhari on Thursday said his administration is doing everything within its power to bring down the prices of food items across the country. The COVID-19 pandemic, flooding, among other issues have led to a recent spike in the prices of food items in the country. In a tweet on his Twitter handle on Thursday, September 3, President Buhari assured Nigerians that this period of increase in food prices will be a transient one. ”To ease the current high cost of poultry production, I have approved the release of 30,000 tons of maize from the national reserves, to animal feed…
Many Nigerians and groups have attacked President Muhammadu Buhari-led government over the Increase in fuel pump price. On his part, a former Kogi State lawmaker, Dino Melaye, condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s government for increasing the pump price of petrol to N151.56.The increment was approved by Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Wednesday.The new price has since stirred reactions from Nigerians and prominent individuals on social media. Reacting, Melaye described the increase in petrol price during a pandemic as ”grossly insensitive and wicked by the government” According to him, the development…
The chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu has deployed a new Resident Electoral Commissioner to Ekiti State. He is Dr Tella Adeniran Rahmon, an indigene of Osogbo in Osun State. Until his new appointment, Dr Rahmon was a Lecturer at the Faculty of Management, Osun State University. Speaking at the brief swearing-in ceremony in Abuja, INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu advised the new Ekiti REC to be firm and prudent in discharging his responsibilities and the management of resources under his watch. He charged Dr. Rahmon to work in line with the Electoral Act, guidelines and regulations as…
Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has appealed to politicians involved in the forthcoming elections in Edo State to sheath their swords and not turn the state to a laughingstock. The Monarch also appealed to the politicians to end the violence which has been recurrent in the state in the past few weeks. The Oba who made the appeal in a peace meeting held with top politicians lamented that Edo State politics has been in the news recently for the wrong reasons. The Monarch who expressed sadness over the recent happenings in the state, appealed to politicians to take a…
There was serious outrage in the Los Angeles area of US on Tuesday after police shot dead another black man. The man has been identified as 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee. He was riding his bicycle when Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies tried to stop him for an unspecified vehicle code violation on Monday. He fled on foot, and when officers caught up with him he punched one deputy in the face, dropping some items of clothing he was carrying, police said.“The deputies noticed that inside the clothing items that he dropped was a black semi-automatic handgun, at which time a deputy-involved shooting…
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has joined other African leaders and financial experts to congratulate the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina on his re-election. The ex-President, who was present virtually during Adesina’s swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, said he is confident that the AfDB President will not disappoint Africa and the shareholders in the bank. According to him, Adesina made a lot of achievements within the first five years of his first tenure as the AfDB boss. He also expressed confidence that Adesina will perform better when given the mandate to serve for another term in office. He said”…
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed the readiness of the Chinese government to build a $50 million University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina State free. Amaechi disclosed that the Chinese government would also build a primary and secondary school which will cater for the educational needs of children whose families work there. He spoke in Daura, Katsina State, during his maiden inspection tour of the ongoing project. Amaechi explained that the multi-billion dollars university became necessary, so Nigeria can acquire the technology needed to operate the railway system currently being built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company…
Bishop David Abioye of the Living Faith Church has warned the Federal government against enforcing the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020. Abioye, who is the second in command to Bishop David Oyedepo, said the CAMA would bring doom to Nigeria if the church and the fathers of faith are sidelined. Bishop Abioye charged the federal government to leave Oyedepo, Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), and other men of God alone rather than persecute them. Addressing his members, the clergyman said rather than persecute men of God, the government should ask what they…
Specialist doctors at the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, have separated two children who were born joined around the abdomen as Siamese twins. The twins who are both girls and now aged eight months, were born at the Nembe General Hospital in Bayelsa State on December 12, 2019, and were immediately referred to the FMC Yenagoa where they were, in turn, referred to the FMC Yola. The twins had been flown by the Nigeria Air Force to Yola in January this year but the surgery to remove them was not done till earlier this month. The FMC Yola Medical Director, Prof…
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, said the collation centre in Edo State will be ready soon. The governorship poll will be held on September 19. Yakubu spoke on Saturday after his visit to some INEC offices in the state. The state headquarters located at Adamawa State had been undergoing massive renovation. The INEC boss said he was satisfied with the level of work. “We have to do a lot of work by relocating to our other office on Sapele Road. We have confidence that the collation of results will be done in this building. “The…
India has seen a large spike in numbers of new Coronavirus cases after 77,226 infections were recorded in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day caseload in the world. As at Friday, India has a total of more than 3.38 million cases since the start of the pandemic with 46 percent of infections detected in August alone. The country also reported 1,057 new deaths, the Health Ministry said earlier on Friday, taking the total to 61,529. The figures show that India has been recording more than 60,000 new daily infections since August 7, the highest single-day caseload in the world…
Former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has congratulated Dr. Akinwumi Adesina on his re-election as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Okonjo-Iweala, who is also seeking appointment as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), sent her best wishes via her Twitter page. “Wonderful to get the news of the re-election of @akin_adesina as President of @AfDB_Group. “Hearty congratulations to you, my brother, and to Grace! Wishing you five more fruitful years!!” she tweeted. Adesina was re-elected to serve for another five years, after re-election during the closing ceremony of the virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) of…
Kano Unity Forum, headed by a former presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, and the Federal Ministry of Finance, against moves by Governor Umar Ganduje to take over N300 billion loan from China. The elders who are local based and specialized groups on Thursday expressed grave reservations against the insistence resolve of the Governor to obtain loan from China Development Bank to construct phase 1 component of Light Mono Rail project in the State metropolis. The petition signed personally by elder statesman, Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa on…
Aare Ona Kakanfo Council has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari against implementing the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). The council made the call at a meeting chaired by the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams. The law provides for religious bodies and charity organisations to be regulated by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given Buhari 14 days to withdraw assent or face a lawsuit by a legal luminary, Femi Falana. A communiqué signed by Babajide Tanimowo, Atoloye Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, said the “furore generated by the signing of the law…
Except Nigeria jettisons executive legislation through Executive Order, the country may be heading towards authoritarianism and possible dictatorship. This is according to Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu. Ekweremadu gave the caution while delivering a paper on “Executive Order and Democratic Governance” at the ongoing 60th Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in Abuja on Wednesday. “Democracy envisages the division of governmental powers into three different arms, each with distinct powers and responsibilities clearly provided for in a country’s grand norm. The philosophy behind this compartmentalisation of powers is the need to preserve the liberty of citizens and prevent…
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, has sworn in Matthew Mbu as the new acting Chairman in Cross River State. The inauguration was held on Tuesday at the APC national secretariat in Abuja. Buni was accompanied by Secretary of the Committee, James Akpanudoedehe, and Minister of State for Power, Goddy Agba. The Yobe Governor told Mbu to conduct his official affairs with fairness. Buni advised him to carry along all supporters, members and stakeholders. He said the immediate task was a unification of all members to strengthen the party ahead of the legislative by-elections. The…
The Nigerian Government has disclosed that it borrowed over 5,000 metric tonnes of grain from ECOWAS to feed citizens. This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mustapha Baba-Shehuri on Monday. He stated this while receiving the 3,999 tonnes of cereals donated to Nigeria by ECOWAS. According to Shehuri, “The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria loaned 5,000MT of assorted grains from ECOWAS Stock which was agreed to be paid back on grain for grain basis. “Modalities had been put in place to replace the ECOWAS Stock before the advent of COVID-19 Pandemic. That…
A statutory member of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Chidi Lloyd and an ally of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has announced his defection from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party. Lloyd announced his decision to dump the APC at a special reception held for him by Governor Nyesom Wike at the Government House Port Harcourt. The former leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Director-General of Tonye Cole 2020 Campaign organization, apologised to PDP leaders for abandoning the party hitherto. He also extended an apology to Michael Chinda, member representing Obio-Akpor Constituency…
The senior pastor of Awaiting the Second Coming of Jesus Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa said the dream of President Muhammadu Buhari to control the church through the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) cannot come true. The cleric in a statement on Saturday specifically urged President Buhari not to flex his muscles at the church because nobody owns it. Reacting on Saturday, Giwa wondered why President Buhari would not focus his energy on security, corruption and Nigeria’s bad economy. The pastor alleged that the President is doing everything possible to silence the church of God. The outspoken clergy, however, advised…
Ikere Local Government Chairman, Mr Femi Ayodele who printed and distributed 2023 presidential campaign posters of Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has been suspended. It was gathered that he distributed unauthorised presidential campaign posters for Governor Kayode Fayemi. Ayodele had sponsored campaign posters canvassing for Governor Fayemi to contest as a presidential candidate under the platform of the All Progressive Congress in 2023. The posters, which have become subject of political debates and innuendos on different platforms, shows Governor Fayemi clad in an adorable sky blue Agbada with a blue striped Awolowo cap. The message on the posters with APC…
