Thursday
#EndSARS: Enugu government exempts essential, emergency workers from curfew
The Enugu State Government has exempted health, essential, and emergency workers from the curfew imposed on the three Local Government Areas (LGAs) that make up Enugu metropolis. The state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Chidi Aroh, gave the clarification in a statement on Thursday. Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on Wednesday, imposed a 24-hour curfew on the three LGAs – Enugu East, Enugu North, and Enugu South, after the EndSARS protest turned violent. “Sequel to the earlier announcement on the imposition of a 24-hour curfew on Enugu metropolis, the government has approved that persons on essential services in the affected areas such as health care workers, the staff of water corporation, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), fire service, and State Emergency Management Agency had bee...
Governor Sanwo-Olu: I have been unable to speak with President Buhari
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, said he was yet to speak directly with President Muhammadu Buhari concerning the shooting of #EndSARS protesters in the State. Sanwo-Olu in an interview on Thursday said he called Buhari twice but he was at the Federal Executive Meeting, FEC, on Wednesday. The Governor stated that the Chief of Defense Staff called him on behalf of the President but did not disclose details of the phone call. He said, ”I have not spoken to president Muhammadu Buhari directly. I called the President twice but the first time he was not at the office. The second time he was at the FEC meeting. ”Although the Chief of Defense staff called me and acknowledge that the President received my message.” As of the time of filing this report, there have been calls for President ...
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...
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...
Trading remains upbeat on NSE, index up 1.28%
Activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange on Friday remained upbeat for the fifth consecutive day, with the All-Share Index growing by 1.28 per cent to cross 26,000 mark. The index rose by 332.20 points or 1.28 per cent to close at 26,319.34, compared with 25,987.14 recorded on Thursday. In the same vein, the market capitalisation grew by N173 billion to close at N13.754 trillion, from N13.581 trillion on Thursday. Nigerian Breweries led the gainers’ table, appreciating by N4.70 to close at N52.55 per share. Presco followed with N3.50 to close at N53, while Dangote Cement appreciated by N3.10 to close at N139 per share. Stanbic IBTC garnered N1.40 to close at N40.50, while Flour Mills gained N1.35 to close at N21.50 per share. On the other hand, Northern Nigeria Flour Mills topped the lagg...
AGF: Why I’ll not testify before Justice Salami panel
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Thursday, gave reasons why he would not appear as a witness in the ongoing probe of the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, by the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel of inquiry. In a statement that was signed by his media aide, Dr. Jibrilu Gwandu, the AGF, maintained that his refusal to testify before the panel was “purely constitutional and not based on any ulterior motive”. Malami contended that as an AGF, his appearance or otherwise as a witness in any investigation should be a constitutional matter. “In establishing propriety or otherwise of the presence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice whose responsibility is...
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...
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 ...
China running hundreds of detention centres in Xinjiang – researchers
China is running hundreds of detention centres in northwest Xinjiang across a network that is much bigger than previously thought, according to research presented Thursday by an Australian think tank. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said it had identified more than 380 “suspected detention facilities” in the region, where China is believed to have held more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking residents. The number of facilities is around 40 per cent greater than previous estimates, the research said, and has been growing despite China’s claims that many Uighurs have been released. Using satellite imagery, eyewitness accounts, media reports and official construction tender documents, the institute said “at least 61 detention sites have seen new ...
Akwa Ibom enacts law to establish own official symbols
Akwa Ibom governent has enacted a law to establish the state’s official symbols and other other related matters just it’s celebrates the 33rd anniversary of its creation. The “Bill for a Law to Establish the State Official Symbols and other matters connected therewith” was passed into law on Tuesday by the state house of assembly. It had at Plenary on Thursday, September 17, 2020, scaled its first and second readings and was committed to the Committee on Information for scrutiny. Presenting the report at Plenary on Tuesday, Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Aniefiok Dennis, noted that the general principle of the Bill was sufficiently indicative that the Bill when passed into law, will entrench pride, hope and dignity in the state and also foster unity among the people. Subsequently, the Hous...
NCC: Telcos to roll over subscriber’s unused data
Fix Africa News Magazine The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has instructed telecommunication companies to henceforth roll over subscriber’s unused data to subsequent data subscription. In a statement on Thursday by the NCC spokesperson, Ikechukwu Adinde, said the agency reached the conclusion during its bi-annual meeting with Senior Executives of telecommunication companies on complaints management. The meeting which held virtually focused on consumer relations and complaint management processes. Adinde disclosed that the NCC and the telecom service providers agreed that the compensation policy should be revisited and complied with always to ensure full compliance with the new Complaint Categories and Service Level Agreement (CC/SLA) consented to by the NCC and the service provide...
