Nigeria
Nigerian government tenders foreign currency in ‘money laundering’ trial of ex-NAF chief
The Federal Government, on Thursday, tendered before the Federal High Court, Abuja, different currencies of dollars stashed in three bags as evidence in the money laundering charge against Air Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd.) Counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Magaji Labaran, tendered the bags of money before Justice Inyang Ekwo while leading the only witness in the case, Stephen Olatubosun, in evidence. Newsmen report that Mohammed (1st defendant) and his company, Easy Jet Integrated Service Ltd (2nd defendant), are being charged with three counts bordering on money laundering, illegal possession of firearms and possession of classified documents without lawful authority. The retired air officer and his company are alleged to have received the sum of one million, thirt...
Rivers: We need more flyovers, interchanges in Port Harcourt – SSG
Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, has declared the Port Harcourt, the state capital, needs more flyovers and interchanges, so that the city can compete with other cities in the world. Danagogo, who addressed journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, said the dream of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike-led administration was to turn the state capital to Houston, the capital of the State of Texas in the United States of America. He said: “What is the vision of the average Rivers man for the state capital? What Wike is looking at is what Port Harcourt should be tomorrow. The governor’s dream is to make Rivers State, the Texas of America. “Port Harcourt should be like Houston because Port Harcourt is the oil capital of Nigeria. We need more flyovers and interchanges. The fly...
AFCON: Aston Villa congratulate Bertrand Traore, Burkina Faso on qualification
Premier League side Aston Villa have congratulated Bertrand Traore and Burkina Faso after qualifying for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite playing a 0-0 draw against Uganda on Wednesday evening at St. Mary’s Stadium-Kitende, Entebbe, Kamou Malo’s men booked a place in Cameroon with a game to spare. That will be the 13th time the West African country would reach the finals since their maiden appearance at Ghana 1978 – where they finished in eight position. The Villa Park giants have taken to social media to celebrate their winger and his country on their recent success. “Congratulations to Bertrand Traore and Burkina Faso, who qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 with a goalless draw against Uganda on Wednesday!” a tweet from the club read. Burkina Faso – who currently lead Gr...
Akwa Ibom NASU demands inclusion in federal government’s incentives for teachers
File Photo The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, Akwa Ibom State has demanded inclusion in the incentives approved by the Federal government for teachers in primary and secondary Schools in the country. They made the demand on Wednesday when they marched from the entrance of the Indongesit Nkanga Secretariat to the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) Secretariat to end their 3-day nationwide protest. Speaking at the SUBEB Secretariat, State Chairman of NASU, Comrade Aniefiok Simons, stressed that the exclusion of non teaching staff from the Federal government recent reforms in public primary and secondary Schools in the country was discriminatory and wrong. Simons called on all stakeholders in the Education sector to look into their plight, and ...
AMAC chief signs over N10 billion appropriation bill into law
AMAC Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Chairman, Abdullahi Candido, has signed the Council’s 2021 appropriation bill of over N10 billion to law. He said the legislators have in consideration of some important issues and reviewed the budget upward. Candido made this known at the AMAC Secretariat in Abuja while signing the bill into law. He, however, assured residents within the council area that the budget will give priority attention to existing projects, while also taking care of other things. Candido also appealed to Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to release shares of the internally generated revenue due to the Area Councils. He hinted that, the councils were democratically elected by the people, therefore it must be accorded all constitutional rights. According to him...
Group urges service chiefs to fish out criminal elements
Following the activities of armed bandits in the country, group has charged the new service chiefs to address the current Insecurity situation in the North East, particularly Maiduguri, which they noted,was the epicenter of insecurity in the country. By way of appeal the group urge the new security heads adopt a new strategy, hit the ground running by relocating to the theatre of the war against terrorists for at least six months in the first instance and not national tour. In a statement, Wednesday, the experts operating under the aegis of Coalition of Concerned Nigeria Security Experts noted that two months after the current security chiefs assumed office, insecurity was assuming a new dimension. In the statement by its National Coordinator, Prof. Otedola Adekunle and National Secretary,...
NSCDC arrests 16 for ‘illegal’ oil bunkering
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has reported the arrest of 16 persons including a 45-year old mother of four in Abia State for allegedly engaging in illegal oil bunkering. The state commandant of the corps, Mr Vincent Ogu, stated this while briefing newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Umuahia, the capital on some of its recent achievements. He explained that, “The suspects were arrested at different locations across the state for offences bordering on oil bunkering and illegal dealings in petroleum products.” He said Babangida Saleh, Abubakar Ibrahim, Bukar Ali, and Mohammed Mohammed were arrested, while conveying about 30,000 litres of suspected petroleum products in a truck with Reg. No. GYA611XA. “Lawrence Ahmed, Johnson Akinrinola and Ofo-Obong Francis were ar...
Minister: Nigerian government to establish micro enterprises in 774 local council areas
Dr George Akume, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter Governmental Affairs, on Wednesday said that micro enterprises will be established in the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the country. The Minister disclosed this in Abuja at the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) General Assembly with the Theme: Strategic Positioning for the Future: A New Era. “As a ministry, we have proposed the establishment of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises in the 774 local governments in Nigeria based on economic corridors. “We believe that this will create jobs and ensure improvement in the well-being of the local populace,’’Akume said. The minister, who was represented by Mr Simon Tyungu, Deputy Director, Office of the Minister, said that the establishment of the micro enterprise wa...
Oyo rolls out coronavirus vaccination programme
The Oyo State Government on Wednesday joined other states across Nigeria to rollout the COVID-19 vaccination exercise. The state flagged off the exercise in Ibadan with the first consignment of 127,740 doses it received from the Federal Government. Gov. Seyi Makinde was inoculated with Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine at exactly 12.20 p.m. During the flag-off, Makinde said that the state had made decision on a sterility test of the vaccine as precautionary measure to ascertain its safety and efficacy. “I have very low tolerance for physical pain, but when duty calls you have to do what you have to do. “I am getting vaccinated today as a show of leadership and to let the people know that they have to be protected. “I ordered for sterility tests because when I asked questions about the origin of t...
AFCONQ: Super Eagles boss wary of Benin ahead of crucial game
Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr believes the Republic of Benin will be a hard nut to crack, given their recent performances. The three-time African champions will square off against the Squirrels at Porto-Novo’s Stade Charles de Gaulle on Saturday. Michel Dussuyer’s men are on a five-game unbeaten run, having last tasted defeat against the Super Eagles in their first Afcon qualifying game in November 2019 Their home form has also been spectacular, given they have not lost for eight years, having last tasted defeat against Algeria in 2013 and Rohr has warned his side to be battle-ready for the encounter. “Benin have not lost a match for eight years at home, the last time they lost was in 2013 so you can imagine that we want to be the first team to win there in eight years,” Rohr tol...
Nigerian senate wants travel passport documents renewable abroad via post
The Senate is making moves to make it easier for Nigerians in diaspora to renew their passport documents. It specifically wants to make it possible for Nigerians to be able to renew the documents abroad via post. The lawmakers also want more centres where passports can be renewed abroad as well as the removal of ‘middlemen’ in the process. These are some of the resolutions the lawmakers took on Wednesday after they deliberated a motion on the “urgent need to remove the difficulty faced by Nigerians outside of the shores of Nigeria in renewing their Passport” sponsored by Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South). The move by the Senate comes at a time when Nigerians both within and outside Nigeria have decried difficulty in the process of obtaining a new travel passport as well as renewing one. A...
Senator Tinubu donates N50 million to victims of Katsina market inferno
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has donated N50 million to victims of Katsina Central Market fire incident and called for the reopening of the market to enable traders resume commercial activities. The former Lagos State governor, who announced the donation while addressing the affected traders at the ravaged market Wednesday, said he would continue to support the state government and the traders to rebuild the affected shops. Tinubu, who was accompanied to the scene by Governor Aminu Bello Masari; his Deputy, Mannir Yakubu and the Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, expressed shock over the fire disaster. He said the immediate reopening of the market would enable the victims to ascertain the number of properties lost and kickst...
