Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal admitted it would be very hard to finish in the top four after his team’s insipid 2-1 loss at Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday. The experienced Dutchman, who is under great pressure to retain his position in the Old Trafford hot seat, cut a disconsolate figure after the game at the Stadium of Light. “It will be very difficult to make the top four,” Van Gaal told BT Sport. “It is too much at this time.” United are six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City with 12 games left and speculation is mounting…
Author: David Folami
The outbreak of Lassa Fever in the country is taking its toll on garri business in Kaduna metropolis as sellers groan over low sales, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Some of the garri sellers in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kaduna said the patronage of garri has drastically reduced since the outbreak. According to them, lassa fever has become a serious threat to their business. One of the sellers, Mrs Chinwe Ugwu, told NAN that she makes four to five thousand naira sales of garri daily. “Since the outbreak of lassa…
The Permanent Secretary, State House, Alhaji Jalal Arabi, on Tuesday successfully defended the 2016 State House budget proposal of N18.1 billion before the National Assembly. Addressing members of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs, and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties in Abuja on Tuesday, Arabi disclosed that N3.2 billion of the budget was earmarked for the upgrade of State House Clinic to Centre of Excellence. “The budget for the State House Medical Centre included N3.219billion proposed for the completion of on-going work as well as procurement of drugs and other mediacal equipment.…
Daughter of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has commenced distribution of CD4 machines, drugs and other facilities to HIV/AIDs treatment centres in Adamawa State. Dr Fatima Atiku Abubakar, who is the Commissioner for Health in Adamawa while flagging off the programme, said the equipments and the drugs are crucial in the monitoring and management of the scourge. “We purchase these drugs with the supports of the World Bank. The Distribution is part of efforts towards achieving the universal HIV/AIDS coverage,” Dr Fatima said. She said her Ministry in collaboration with the State Primary Health Care Development Agency have already identified…
A woman who was rescued from Boko Haram after being held captive for several years has said that the terrorists drink the blood of their victims. The former captive, identified only as Amira for her safety, also said that the terrorists have an evil look in their eyes that makes them seem possessed, according to MSN. “They have a look in their eyes—they look like they are possessed. They would even drink the blood of the people they killed,” she said. She described how the young fighters of Boko Haram, some of whom aren’t teenagers yet, rape women and kill…
The Nigerian Army has released 275 persons previously suspected to be members of Boko Haram after clearing them of all suspicion. The former suspects were handed over to Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima today, February 12, 2016. Shettima reportedly promised to provide vocational training for the released men and women and free education for their children.
The European Union (EU) will donate $50million to Nigeria to aid its fight against terrorist sect, Boko Haram. This was disclosed by German President, Joachim Gauck on Thursday, February 11, 2016. “We as Europe will support that initiative with $50 million. We commend your good governance,” Gauck said while addressing a joint press conference with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa. “Good governance is not possible without peace, Germany will support Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram and we would continue to provide support for the displaced people on a humanitarian basis,” he added. Australia had also earlier…
A group under the auspices of Muslim Media Publishers Association of Nigeria (MMPAN) has urged the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello not to discriminate among the citizens of the state. The group also urged him to ensure there is unity and brotherhood as it has always being among the people of the state irrespective of tribal affiliation. National President of the group, Malam Jafaru Mailama Yakubu made the plea in a statement signed in Kaduna. “The People are eager to see real change happening across nooks and crannies of the state in terms of provision of infrastructure and good…
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, on Friday, February 12, said he is not to be probed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC). He said he ensures his administration follows due process, knowing well that there are many ‘enemies’ waiting for a chance to get at him. Fayose said this at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the modern Erekesan Market in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state capital. Also reacting to the plot of some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in state to dump the party, Fayose said those involved…
Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Friday disclosed that the state government had recovered N2.7 billion through the implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA) in the state. Lalong made this known at the ruling party’s media roundtable in Abuja. According to him, the money, which had hitherto been missing, was traced to some accounts in the state and have been recovered. He said that the recovery had enabled him to pay workers in the state, who had been on strike for months, at a time. “Recently, we recovered about N2.7 billion in the state,…
The Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has said Mr Government ‘Tompolo’ Ekpemupolo, the Niger Delta Militant leader who was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, is being trailed by policemen. The anti-graft agency declared Tompolo wanted over alleged diversion a sum of N45.9 billion in the execution of contracts. He had shunned several court orders to appear and face the charges brought against. A federal High Court in Lagos last week issued a warrant of arrest against him, being an order sought by EFCC to get the accused person to face justice. Tompolo…
President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly ordered the immediate probe of the 2016 budget, which has been trailed by allegations fraudulent alteration of allocations. According to Premium Times, which cited a senior government official, the President strictly ordered that the cases of discrepancies in numbers and ambiguities be resolved without further delay.. Due to the errors, the National Assembly had on Tuesday, February 9, suspended the passage of the budget indefinitely. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, (APC-Gombe State), and Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC-Kano) of the House of Representatives, said the suspension was necessary to enable the National…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expressed hope that Col. Ojogbane Adegbe, former Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to former president Goodluck Jonathan, would give shocking details of transactions carried out in the last administration. The Commission arrested Adegbe on Wednesday, February 10, in Lagos, over the ongoing investigation into the $2.1bn arms fraud, which was allegedly engineered by the embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki. According to recent reports, preliminary findings by the EFCC, including recovered documents, suggested a large-scale of questionable expenditure with funds sourced from and outside the arms purchase deals. “Most of the funds were…
The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is set to resume the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki over the allegation of false declaration of assets brought against him. According to the The Cable, the tribunal spokesman, Ibrahim Alhassan, confirmed today, February 12, that the trial will continue on March 10, 2016. Last Friday, February 5, the Supeme Court had upheld an appeal court’s judgement which dismissed Saraki’s appeal to stop the CCT trial. After the supreme court ruling, Alhassan had said would continue, but that the chairman of the tribunal and a member would study the judgment and fix a…
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Friday suspended the Commissioner for Finance and Accountant General of the State. This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Governor (Electronic Media), in Port Harcourt. It said that Dr Fred Kpakol, the commissioner and Sir Abere Dagogo, the accountant general, had been suspended by the governor. It said the suspension took immediate effect, but did not give any reason for the suspension of the two senior government officials.
The Subsidy Re-Investment Programme (SURE-P) office in Area 11 Emeka Anyaouku road, Abuja, was today February 12, gutted by fire. The cause of the fire and the extent of damage was not ascertained as at press time, but it was reported that fire service men arrived at the scene on time to put out the fire. It was not also clear if casualties were recorded. The federal government, under the immediate past administration-led by Goodluck Jonathan designed the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) in January 2012, to invest the ‘savings’ accrued from the fuel subsidy reduction on vulnerable populations…
The Nigerian Air Force has said the location of the abducted Chibok girls may have been identified. Speaking to Channels TV, the Director of Public Relations at the Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, said the Air Force has been deliberately avoiding that location in the ongoing aerial bombardment of Sambisa forest, so keep the girls safe. He said the recent bombardment had been aimed at the logistics base of the Boko Haram sect and not where the girls are. “We have no fears that the girls are not there because hat particular location has been under surveillance for…
Udom Emmanuel has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for respecting the rule of Separation of Powers and allowing the judiciary to function without interference. Emmanuel also attributed his recent electoral victory at the Supreme Court to Buhari’s non-interference in the judicial process of the country, Punch reports. The governor made the comments on Wednesday, February 10, 2016, during a thanksgiving service organized to celebrate the verdict. “Let me thank the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, for respecting the principle of separation of power, because that is what brought us to where we are today,” he said. “If he did not respect…
Prominent lawyer, Femi Falana has said that the hands of Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose are stained with blood. Falana made the comment via a statement released after Fayose attacked him for calling for his prosecution over the alleged rigging of the June 2014 elections in the state. The statement, obtained by The Cable, reads in part: “Having consistently demanded the prosecution of all the wicked criminals who shared in the looting of the fund for procurement of arms Mr. Falana has called for the arrest and trial of Mr. Fayose and his cohorts over the N4.8 billion deployed to…
The Supreme Court has declared that Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the rightful governor of Taraba state. The apex court reached the decision today, February 11, 2016, after dismissing the appeal of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aisha Jumai Alhassan, popularly known as Mama Taraba. The judgment was given by a panel of seven judges led by Justice Ibrahim Galadima. “I am of the firm view that there is no merit in this appeal and it is hereby dismissed,” Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour said delivering the unanimous decision. “The Judgment of the Court of Appeal is affirmed…