State
Plateau government denies taking $359 million loan from AfDB
Plateau State government has denied the allegation of taking $350m African Development Bank, AfDB loan saying such allegation is frivolous as the government only took $11.2 million of which, 70% of the amount is being committed to infrastructure, 20% to capacity building and 10% for project management. A former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, last Thursday at a webinar discussing why Plateau State lost its relevance at the national stage, accused the Governor, Simon Lalong of non-performance despite taking loans that have no impact on the lives of citizens. Dalung said, “$350 million (N140 billion) was approved for the Plateau State governemnt by the Federal Executive Council for the purpose of the potato value chain. I was a serving Minister at the time, so I was part of tha...
Rivers reopens schools October 5
The Rivers State Government has approved the reopening of universities, other tertiary institutions, as well as secondary and vocational schools in the state, with effect from Monday, October 5, 2020. The decision was reached at the end of an emergency State Executive Council meeting on Friday and presided over by Governor Nyesom Wike in Government House, Port Harcourt. Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kaniye Ebeku, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the end of the meeting. He said the council’s approval did not include primary schools. “The council approved that schools in the State reopen on the 5th of October, 2020, with only the following – all secondary schools in the state, vocational schools in the state, universities and other tertiary institutions. “For the avoidance of...
Police rescue man almost lynched by mob for ‘raping’ 13-yr-old boy in Bauchi
The police in Bauchi State have arrested a man who allegedly raped his 13 year old boy. The suspect was also lynched but for the arrival of the police, a witness said. Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Mohammed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists. Wakil, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said the suspect, Yusuf Yakubu, 28, of Bayan Ganuwa Yalkubu Wanka area of Bauchi Metropolis, was arrested on Thursday September 23, 2020. The police spokesman said Yakubu was arrested following a report by one Usman Ahmed, 46, of Unguwan Doya Gombe road Bauchi at ‘A’ Divisional Headquarters Bauchi. The suspected homosexual had allegdly lured his victim, Salisu, 13, to his house situated at Bayan Ganuwa area where he forcefully had anal-sexual intercourse with the teenager. “O...
Police lay siege on Delta hotel, denies NGO from holding meeting
Authorities of the Nigeria Police Force, on Friday, deprived an NGO, Brothers Across Nigeria, BAN, from holding her General Assembly at a popular Delta hotel in Ughelli, as armed police officers laid siege around the premises of Wetland Hotel. The group had insisted on holding its meeting, demanding from the police the reason why they should not hold their meeting. The president of the group, Dr. Lewis Aitufe reacting, described the action of the police as illegal and infringement on the fundamental human rights of the Nigeria citizens as enshrined in section 40 of the Nigeria constitution. He noted that prior to the group assembling in Delta State, the Commissioner of Police Delta State, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, the Director of SSS, where duly notified through a letter dated August 18th, and subm...
Lagos launches N5 billion support capital for low-cost schools
Lagos State Employment Trust Fund Lagos State Government in partnership with First Bank of Nigeria has launched N5 billion Post-Coronavirus (COVID-19) Recovery Support capital for the education sector to support low-cost private schools across the state in mitigating the negative impact of the pandemic. The intervention fund, which targets over 2,000 private schools, was formally launched by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday at a ceremony held at the Banquet Hall in the State House, Alausa, Ikeja. Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) collaborated with First Bank of Nigeria Limited to facilitate the matching fund, which will be given as a loan to schools and vocational education centres across the State. Sanwo-Olu said the intervention was part of the State Government’s sustainable...
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 ...
Ondo election: Governor Akeredolu warns Nyesom Wike to steer clear
The Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has warned his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, to steer clear of the October 10 governorship election in the state. Wike had on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Friday declared that Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party will win the Ondo Governorship election. The Rivers governor claimed that the All Progressives Congress was putting INEC under pressure to win the poll for Akeredolu, having lost in Edo State. However, Akeredolu, who spoke through the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Donald Ojogor, said there would not be any room for Wike to influence the process of the October 10 election. He said, “In all aspects, Governor Wike deserves respect not just as governor but as a critical stakeholder in the dem...
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...
Why APC ‘suspended’ Ekiti governor
The State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has suspended Governor Kayode Fayemi. Fayemi was accused of holding meetings and fraternising with PDP members like Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. According the statement, Fayemi was suspended due to “his numerous anti-party activities, especially his role in the recently concluded governorship election in Edo State which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC constitution.” The Ekiti chapter of the APC claims that five days before the Edo election, Fayemi hosted FFK in government house Ekiti. “For five days prior to the Edo election, Gov Fayemi hosted PDP big wig Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode in the government house in Ado Ekit...
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...
Lagos seeks monthly payment of house rent for residents
The Lagos State Government has called on stakeholders in real estate sector to work out modalities for residents to pay house rents on monthly basis instead of yearly. Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, made the call on Thursday in Lekki, during the Policy Roundtable Dialogue with key stakeholders in the Real Estate Sector. The roundtable, with the theme ”International Best Practices On Real Estate Regulations”, was organised by the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA). Sanwo-Olu said that a situation whereby residents faced pressure once their rents were due was not palatable, hence, should be looked into. He called for synergy between the state government and stakeholders in the real estate sector to address issue of housing deficit and reduce rents in the st...
Bayelsa election: Governor Diri, INEC ask appeal court to reverse tribunal’s judgment
Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State on Thursday in Abuja asked the Court of Appeal to reverse the decision of the Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which nullified the November 16, 2019 governorship poll in the state. Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have also approached the appellate court asking it to reverse the tribunal’s judgement. In their separate appeals, the appellants prayed the court to uphold that the conduct of the governorship election and its outcome which produced Mr Diri as governor complied with relevant laws. Arguing on behalf of Mr Diri, his counsel, Chris Uche, (SAN), told the court that the case of the first respondent (Advanced Nigerian Democratic Party (ANDP)) was statute barred as ...
