The Wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, on Tuesday paid the fines for the release of five inmates in the Garu Satellite Prison in Dutse Local Government of Jigawa. Aisha was represented by a Chieftain of All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Mustapha Fari. She said that the gesture was part of a nationwide visit by her foundation “Future Assured’’ to commemorate the holy month of Ramadan. According to her, the foundation will be paying fines to free inmates and offer donations to any prison it visited across the country. The wife of the president told the freed inmates that the…
Author: David Folami
The embattled Governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu has insisted that he is still in charge of the state. This is following reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued a certificate of return to Uche Ogah as the new Governor of the state. Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High court sitting in Abuja gave an order on June 27, 2016, sacking Ikpeazu as Governor. The Governor was alleged to have given false information to his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the governorship primaries in December 2014. Ikpeazu, in a swift reaction, told Abia residents that…
The spokesman for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nick Dazang revealed that the notice of appeal which Governor Okezie Ikpeazu sent to the electoral body, did not contain a stay of execution. A stay of execution would have stopped INEC from issuing a certificate of return to Uche Ogah as the new Abia Governor. INEC said as a matter of policy, they had to recognise Ogah, based on the Abuja High court ruling ordering Ikpeazu to vacate office. This is coming after the Attorney General of Abia State, Umeh Kalu slammed INEC for saying they did not receive the…
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said that the desperation of the All Progressives Congress in will throw Ekiti State into chaos just because it refused to accept defeat. He said the party should stop chasing shadows over the June 21, 2014 governorship election in the State, saying the party sould wait for 2018. The Ekiti APC had sent 102 petitions to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) against the election that produced Fayose. “Writing over 100 petitions to the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on an election conducted two years ago and was adjudged as free,…
The Enugu state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu for writing the United Nations, and other international organisations about his forgery case. The party also called on Ekweremadu not to politicise the allegations of forgery levelled against him and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki. The Deputy Senate President had alleged that there was an attempt to silence him as the leader and highest ranking member of the opposition in the country, all in the name of prosecuting an alleged forgery case. According to the Enugu APC Chairman, Ben Nwoye, “After all,…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia state has alleged that the Governor elect, Uche Ogah is planning to kidnap judicial officers to swear him in by force. The Abia PDP spokesman, Chief Don Ubani also told Ogah to stop nursing what he called an unbridled political ambition. Ubani said “The Peoples’ Democratic Party in Abia State has frowned on the reports making round in the state that a certain desperate politician in the state, whose illegal efforts to seize power from the back door which has been frustrated by decent application of the rule of law, is now directing…
The Edo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ignore Ali Modu Sheriff’s candidate for the upcoming governorship elections. The PDP also added that Osagie Ize-Iyamu remains the only recognised candidate who will stand in the elections. The National Publicity Secretary of the Ahmed Makarfi faction, Prince Dayo Adeyeye said “In Edo, the Sheriff faction is saying INEC must recognise the candidate submitted by it (Sheriff faction). How would INEC take something from a man that is only a busybody to the party? “If a court had ruled that Sheriff…
The disputed National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, said he remained in charge until Court of Appeal’s decision on the position. Sheriff made this known on Monday in Abuja while reacting to the judgment of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, that the party’s May 21 National Convention that removed him as chairman was legal. He told newsmen that he had instructed his lawyers to appeal the Port Harcourt judgement and to seek a stay-of- execution of the judgment. “The court where the judge gave judgement in Abuja last week and the Federal…
A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri on Monday fixed July 8 for judgment in a suit filed by Chief Friday Nwosu, seeking the removal of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu as Abia governor. Justice A. I Alagoa fixed the date after oral submissions and written addresses by counsel. Chief Friday Nwosu, a governorship aspirant under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the December 2014 PDP governorship primary in Abia, had approached the court seeking the removal of Ikpeazu as governor. Nwosu claimed, among others, that Ikpeazu submitted false tax receipts and other documents to his party. Mr Francis Unyimadu,…
The factional Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Soji Adagunodo, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of plotting to render the party politically irrelevant with his anti-corruption war. He said the anti-corruption crusade is characterized by gross impunity, selectivity and high-handedness, adding that the President uses it to boost the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2019 general election. The politician said this in a statement issued on Monday, July 4. “It is becoming evident daily that the Buhari administration is using its much-vaunted war against graft as a tool to decimate the…
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, said the introduction of single currency by West African states would promote economic integration and progress within the region. Obasanjo said this while playing host to the President, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Commission, Mr Marcel de Souza, at his hilltop estate, Abeokuta. The former president said it was high time the organisation started using single currency, adding that it would help boost the economy of all members of ECOWAS. “We have decided that our unit of currency will be ‘eco’, let us now start using eco, let eco become our unit…
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has on Monday, July 4, 2016 granted bail to Jide Omokore, an aide to the embattled former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke and five others. Omokore, a businessman Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, David Mbanefo, and Andrew Yakubu, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a nine-count charge bothering on money laundering. Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako who gave the ruling, ordered the defendants to provide bail bonds of N50 million each, with one surety in like sum. Also, surety should have properties in Abuja and should depose to affidavit of…
The Ebonyi government has allocated 140 hectares of land to members of the State Executive Council (Exco) for compulsory cultivation of rice. Mr Uchenna Orji, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, made the announcement on Monday when he led the exco members and top government officials to supervise rice cultivation demonstration exercise at Government Farms in Ezillo, Ishiellu LGA. He said that the exercise was conducted in conjunction with agricultural extension workers and officials of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). “The programme is the first phase of the governor’s policy to engage every sector of the state…
A mix up in adjourned date on Monday stalled the trial of PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh, in a Federal High Court in Abuja. At the resumed hearing, Counsel to the defendant, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), applied for an adjournment, contending that the matter was fixed hearing July 7 and not July 4. The judge , Justice Okon Abang, said that he recorded July 4 as the adjourned date, which he said, was the same with that of the registrars’. Abang adjourned the case till July 7 after the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacob (SAN), said that he had no objection to the…
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III on Monday directed Muslims to fast on Tuesday and declared that Eid el-fitr would be observed on Wednesday. This is contained in a statement signed by Prof. Sambo Wali, the Chairman,Religious Affairs Committee, Sultanate Council and made available to newsmen in Sokoto. ”Sequel to this development, the sultan has approved the reports of the non sighting of the moon and duly declared that the moon of Ramadan has completed its 30 -day circle. ” Consequently, Wednesday, July 6 is the first day of Shawwal,1437 AH, and Eid-el-Fitr day,” it read, The statement…
President Muhammadu appointed Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu as Minister of State for Petroleum on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 alongside 35 others. The President deliberately excluded the Minister of Petroleum as he personally wanted to oversea the affairs of the ministry. Within this period, Kachikwu reported directly to the president. This and the inability of President Buhari to set up a governing board was largely responsible for the slow decision making in oil and gas sector. Few weeks after Kachikwu’s appointment, Nigeria witnessed prolonged fuel scarcity across all states in the country. A situation which led to long queues at fuel stations…
President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration will continue to welcome support and investments from the international community in the agricultural and solid minerals sectors as Nigeria moves to reduce dependence on crude oil. The president stated this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu. The statement said President Buhari was speaking at a farewell audience with the outgoing Ambassador of the Republic of Sweden to Nigeria, Mr. Svante Kilander, in the State House. President Buhari said the Federal Government would create the enabling environment for local…
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to deal with anyone who opposes the ongoing war against corruption in the country. Speaking on Monday, July 4, during Iftar – breaking of Ramadan fast, which was organised for some categories of people inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President expressed disappointment at the elite, saying they are selfish. “Whoever deter us from fighting corruption will suffer the consequences. It is unfortunate that the elite are self-centred and they only think about themselves. “Be assured that we care about you at all times. This government is concerned about your welfare and we will work…
President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the Monday’s suicide bombings in three cities of Saudi Arabia, including the city of Madinah, Islam’s second holiest city. This is contained in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Tuesday. Buhari, who condoled with Saudi authorities over the reprehensible attack, said the development was a desecration of all that was sacred and holy as it took place near the Prophet’s Mosque, and on one of the holy days of Ramadan. “The merchants of evil have once again shown that there is nothing religious…
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) is to sign a pact with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a bid to enforce accountability in the extractive sector. The Director of Communications of NEITI, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Lagos. He was speaking at a capacity building training for 25 media practitioners, sponsored by the Natural Resource Governance Institute at the Pan-Atlantic University in Ibeju Lekki. Orji said that NEITI was currently interfacing with the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies with a view to prosecuting economic offenders in the extractive sector. “We have…