Abuja
Ondo election: IGP promises hitch-free guber poll
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has assured Nigerians especially the people of Ondo State, of the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to build upon the gains recorded during the Edo governorship election. He said the force was preparing hard for the October 10 election in the state. The force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, said this in a statement titled, ‘Ahead of Ondo Gov election: IGP meets with the Nigeria Civil Society Room,’ in Abuja, on Monday. He quoted the IG as giving this assurance when the Convener and Co-convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo and Esther Uzoma, led other representatives of civil society organisations on a courtesy call to the IGP at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. The delegation was at the Force Headquarters to congratulat...
Subsidy removal: Nigerian government sets up modalities to disburse 2,000 buses
The Federal Government on Monday in Abuja has set up modalities for the disbursement of 2, 000 buses to cushion effects of subsidy removal. Dr George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs in his speech at Inter-Ministerial Stakeholders meeting on Poverty Alleviation, said the initiative was also part of programme to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. Akume said the initiative was in collaboration between his ministry, Agriculture and other government agencies saying the disbursement of the buses would be through cooperative societies of Nigeria. He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari in his 2019 democracy speech, promised to lift 100 Nigerians out of poverty through numerous governments` initiatives. “The alleviation of poverty in Nigeria has been and...
VP Osinbajo: Nigeria has cracks that could lead to break up
Nigeria needs focus and consistent prayers to avoid breaking up from the current cracks in the nation’s walls, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said. This is even as he made reference to the biblical story of how Nehemiah rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem. The vice president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, made the call at a church service held to commemorate Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary at the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja on Sunday, according to a report. “Fortunately for us, our walls are not yet broken but there are obvious cracks that could lead to a break if not properly addressed. “Nehemiah started with fervent prayers, seeking the face of God and pleaded with his king to allow him return to Jerusal...
President Buhari condemns attack on Governor Zulum’s convoy
President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the ambush on entourage of Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, which led to the death of security men and some operatives of Civilian-JTF. The President made the condemnation in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday. He described the attack, on Maiduguri-Baga route, as an orchestrated sabotage against long planned return of displaced persons to their local communities. Buhari noted, with deep sympathy, the loss of lives of security men on the convoy, ahead of the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), commiserating with their families and loved ones. The president advised the government of Borno, working with security and intelligence agencies, to remain firm in their determinat...
Fire razes electrical complex in Lokoja
About three days after a tanker accident sparked an explosion that claimed 30 lives in Lokoja, a fresh tragedy has struck the city. The biggest electrical trading complex in the city Peelinks went up in flames over night. The fire disaster which an eye witness blamed on suspected electrical malfunction started around 11 pm Friday night and continued till the early hours of Saturday. From a little spark in a section of the two story building the fire quickly spread to other parts of the complex and became uncontrollable. Goods worth millions of naira were lost in the unfortunate incident. The building is located on the popular Murtala Mohammed Way in the city and the State fire service office is less than two kilometres away. No help came from the service as it is said to lack equipment. Th...
Nigeria@60: Aisha Buhari calls for prayers
The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has called on Nigerians to continue praying to witness the end of COVID-19 Pandemic as Nigeria prepares to mark her 60th independence anniversary. The First Lady during a Public Lecture to mark Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary at the National Mosque, Abuja, urged Nigerians to offer special prayers for peace, progress and sustainable development of the country. “We need to pray for forgiveness and a special prayer for forgiveness. The world is no longer the same as a result of the pandemic, and the pandemic is a sign that almighty God is not happy with us. I think we have no choice than to continue asking for forgiveness from Almighty Allah”, she said. Aisha urged leaders to always do the needful by ensuring justice for all. She, later joined other Musli...
Nigerian government inaugurates infectious disease centre in Abuja
The Federal Government on Friday inaugurated the first Infectious Disease Centre (IDC), in the Federal Capital Territory, and handed it over to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH). Speaking at the inauguration of the 40-bed centre in Gwagwalada, Abuja, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said that the centre would improve Nigeria’s capacity to respond to all infectious diseases. “With laboratory testing and case management in one location, there is a much shorter time between sample collection and infection confirmation. ”This will ensures early initiation of treatment and thus mitigate mortality during infectious disease outbreaks. “I am very proud that today, we now have an international standard centre where we can manage highly pathogenic infectious disease cases, i...
APC nullifies Governor Fayemi’s ‘suspension’
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has nullified the purported suspension of Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State by the party’s state chapter. Mr Yekini Nabena, APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja, while reacting to the development. “The attention of the APC national secretariat has been drawn to a purported and widely reported suspension of Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, as well as an earlier reported indefinite suspension of some other party members in the state. “The actions are a nullity as the party’s national secretariat is yet to receive communication from the state chapter on the purported suspensions,” he said. Nabena, therefore, advised all members of the party to adhere to its Constitution, adding that Fayemi remains the ...
Bayo Adelabu: No governor should flaunt payment of salary as achievements
Oyo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 elections, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has said no governor should flaunt payment of salary of workers as achievements. He said this while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan as part of activities marking his 50th birthday. To him, payment of salaries of workers is done through statutory allocations that states across the country receive on monthly basis. He said, “No state needs a governor before salary is paid. When salary is paid through statutory allocations and it goes straight to the Accountant General, they take it to the bank and they pay. Why must that be the major achievement of any governor? Adelabu who is a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria also said embarking on populist is not susta...
Minister, others shun senate over 2020 budget performance
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Thursday shunned the Senate when summoned to brief lawmakers of 2020 Budget Performance. The Minister’s refusal to appear before the Senator Barau Jibrin, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kano North led Senate Committee on Appropriations was the second time in two weeks. Also invited but shunned the meeting with the Senate were the Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed, and the Director-General of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze. Briefing Journalists in Abuja Thursday, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Jibrin expressed disappointment at the absence of Nigeria’s key economic and budget planners at the crucial meeting. The Senator who noted that the meeting was originally scheduled to ho...
EFCC recovers N4.16 billion debt owed Nigerian government by lottery companies
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered at least N4.16 billion out of the debt owed the federal government by lottery companies. The Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Mohammed Umar Abba, gave the figure on Thursday when a delegation from the Ministerial Task Force for recovery of unpaid revenues from lottery businesses, led by its chairman, Willaims Alo, visited the commission in Abuja. Mohammed noted that lottery companies operating in the country were not forthcoming in remitting revenues that were due to the government hence the need for the EFCC to intervene. While appraising the efforts of the Commission in this direction, he said, “We mapped out strategies which resulted in the recovery of over N1.16 billion from lottery companies, operating in Abuja with over N3 bi...
Associate disputes ‘marriage’ between NAF chief, minister
As news continued to spread on the purported marriage between the Nigerian Chief of the Air Staff, Sadique Baba Abubakar, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, a VOA Hausa report has quoted a close friend of the Air boss describing the report as false. It was reported that Sadique and Sadiya got married in a mosque located in the Maitama high brow area of Abuja on the 18th of September, 2020. However, the VOA Hausa reported that when contacted on the matter, senior Air Force officers in Abuja said they were not aware of the marriage. “Even an intimate friend of the Air boss, who was in charge of his affairs, said he had inquired from his friend the Chief of Air Staff, and he told him the story was a fallacy.” A public commentator, Mohammed Usman, told the VOA that i...