The National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resuscitated the online system for registration of party members across the country. The party said Edo State would be used as a pilot for the project, a development that has resulted in the postponement of earlier scheduled congresses in the state. National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Sunday, said the decision to revive the e-registration project is part of the re-engineering efforts to rebuild the party. “The National Working Committee (NWC), after very wide consultations with critical stakeholders, and in line with the…
Author: Wale Adebayo
President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) has accepted the voluntary offer of services to 2015 Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia by the leadership of the Muslim community under the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III. This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu. The president noted that the Muslim community would partner with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s Ad-hoc Committees to cater for the general welfare of pilgrims for the duration of the pilgrimage. The Sultan is represented by a committee of Emirs under the…
The International Criminal Court has reportedly commenced investigation of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, for statements made about the Igbos in the build-up to the Lagos governorship election. The foremost Lagos monarch had vowed that Igbos in Lagos, who voted against his preferred candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress, APC, would drown in the Lagoon. He, however, said his statement was misconstrued but insisted that his anointed candidate must emerge winner. Mr. Ambode eventually defeated Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party in a highly contested election. The son of a late former governor of old…
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai on Saturday inaugurated ‘Operation Keep Kaduna Clean’ campaign with a pledge that government will build landfills and suitable waste transfer stations in the three zones of the state. Speaking at the inauguration of the campaign at Badarawa Primary School, Kaduna, where heaps of waste were dumped beside the school, el-Rufai noted that the landfills and waste transfer stations would be constructed in Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan. The governor said his administration would not allow urban centres in the state to become sprawling slums that housed rubbish and effluence, stressing that towns and cities under the All…
Chelsea held on to their first win of the weeks-old Premier League season, with new signing Pedro scoring and providing an assist on his debut away to West Bromwich Albion. James Morisson’s brace could not stave off a 2-3 defeat for West Brom, despite the hosts’ numerical dominance in the closing 36 minutes of the Week 3 encounter. Pedro first carpeted a low strike into the Baggies’ goal to open his Premier League account, and then watched countryman Diego Costa neatly poke home his shot across the goal for Chelsea’s second inside the opening half-hour in the Midlands. Cesar Azpilicueta…
Former President Goodluck Jonathan is not a drunkard, neither does he drink alcohol except wine, during special occasions, his former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, has said. Abati said throughout his tenure as spokesman to the ex-president, he never saw him drink alcohol, how much more to get drunk. He made the clarification during a recent interview with Rockcity 101.9 FM, Abeokuta, Ogun State. “President Jonathan does not drink”, the former presidential spokesman said. “You see, that’s one of the myths about that administration and you must understand how this thing is; it’s all about perception, communication”.…
Mr Elijah Ateki, the Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa, has bemoaned the scarcity of potable water in the area. Ateki said in Otuoke on Sunday that lack of drinking water was the major problem in the community. According to him, the situation is due to the pollution of rivers in the area by oil spilage. He said the community had suffered inadequate potable water over the years, and urged the State and Federal Governments to provide the people with potable water. “Otuoke community depends on rivers and now that all the rivers are polluted…
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt run a season’s best 9.79secs time to beat Justin Gatlin to the 100m title at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China on Sunday. The USA’s Trayvon Bromell and Canada’s Andre de Grasse came joint-third (9.911secs) in a star-studded line-up which included sixth and seventh-placed Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell respectively. Bolt had difficulties reaching Sunday’s final following another trademark slow start and, even stumbling, in the semi-finals Heat One at the Bird Nest Stadium, but the 29-year-old proved he always delivers when it matters with another impressive sprint. He has now won the 100m…
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has bowed to pressure from the Senate by directing Distribution Companies (Discos) to review the issue of fixed charges. The Senate had weeks ago passed a resolution ordering the commission to abolish fixed charges of electricity and indiscriminate billing of electricity consumers. The commission in a seven-page response to a query by the Senate, said it had asked the distribution companies to find a way to restructure the fixed charges such that no one would be made to pay for electricity not consumed. In the response signed by its Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Sam Amadi,…
The dust is yet to settle over the amount left in the Rivers State’s treasury as Governor Nyesom Wike faulted his predecessor’s claim that he left 7.5bn naira cash in the state’s coffers. Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi had, in a statement, last week, said a total of N7.5bn cash was left behind as the balances for the state’s internally generated revenue account with Skye Bank; the Federal Account Allocation Committee accounts with Zenith Bank and Access Bank; and the state’s Reserve Funds in First Bank. But Wike, on Saturday, dismissed the ex-governor’s claim, wondering why students under the state’s scholarship…
National Coordinator of the Oo’dua Peoples Congress, Chief Gani Adams, on Saturday, lashed out at the national leader of All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for antagonising him politically, saying he would never support any candidate backed by the former Lagos State governor. Adams, who spoke with SUNDAY PUNCH, said his disagreement with Tinubu was beyond politics. According to the OPC leader, the former governor’s animosity towards him started in 2011. He said, “We had some people who left our group because he was financing them to break it (OPC); they couldn’t break it, so they left. We continued to…
While some of the world’s richest people saw their stock value take a hit of $182bn (N35.85tn) over the past week, Nigerian entrepreneur, Aliko Dangote, and 10 others made money amid deepening global market rout. Dangote, who is President of Dangote Group, posted a $79.2m (N15.6bn) gain from Thursday to Friday, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. He was one of six billionaires who saw their fortunes rise in 24 hours to Friday. The world’s 400 richest people lost $182bn last week from their collective fortunes as weak manufacturing data from China and a rout in commodities, sent global markets plummeting.…
Two persons, suspected to be members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) have been feared dead in Onitsha, Anambra State, while four others, including a policeman, were critically injured in a bloody clash between some members of the group and policemen. The incident occured along Oguta Road when a team of policemen allegedly tried to impound some commercial motorcyclists for plying the road, one of the routes prohibited for motorcyclists by the state government, reports Vanguard. An eyewitness told the national daily that the victims were shot dead by one of the policemen…
Governors of North Western States and Niger met again in Kaduna on Saturday to review the security approach towards ending cattle rustling and other security challenges in Kamuku and Kuyanbana Forests. Yesterday’s meeting came on the heels of a previous one in June by Governors Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Abubakar Bello Sani (Niger), Aminu Masari (Katsina), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Abdul’aziz Yari (Zamfara), where a joint security operation was formed against criminal elements hiding inside the Kamuku Forest. Meanwhile, at the Saturday’s review meeting held alongside security chiefs, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and his Sokoto counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, had…
The Labour Party in Anambra State has condemned the stoppage of sponsorship of pilgrims to Jerusalem by the Governor Willie Obiano-led administration. Obiano had, last week, announced that the state government would no longer sponsor pilgrims to the Holy Land as part of measures to cut down the cost of governance. However, the LP, in a press briefing Saturday in Awka, the state capital, by its chairman, Comrade Luke Ezeanokwasa, and other executive members of the party, described the announcement as hypocritical and misplaced. The opposition party pointed out that the Obiano administration was spending more on the things that…
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has denied dumping the former factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dele Olugbemi. This is just as he said he had embarked on capital projects in the state apart from paying workers’ salaries despite the shortfall in federal allocations. The governor said this in reaction to allegations that he was paying only salaries with allocations that accrued to the state while neglecting physical development of the state. Mr. Olugbemi had rejected the governor’s appointment as member of the state House of Assembly Commission based on “principle”. He also said he was not…
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has donated relief materials worth N9 million to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Adamawa State. The relief items were in fulfilment of Mr. Ekweremadu’s pledge to the IDPs during his visit to their camps over two weeks ago. Presenting the items to the Adamawa State governor, Mohammed Bindow, the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Usman, said that the items include 1000 pieces of women wrappers, 1000 bales of 10 yards for men and 1000 sets of new clothes for children. He expressed grief over the situation of the IDPs, and…
The South West region has no regret supporting the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has declared. The region’s support, he noted, was based on Buhari’s charismatic leadership and impeccable integrity. The governor spoke at a civic reception by the people of Ipetumodu in Ife North local government area of Osun State in honour of Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, as well as a serving Federal Commissioner in the National Pension Commission (NPC), Barrister Olaoba Efuntayo. According to Aregbesola, President Buhari enjoys the support of well- meaning…
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has warned civil servants against partisan politics ahead of the December 5 governorship election in the state. He gave the warning at the weekend in Government House, Yenagoa, while inaugurating a newly appointed Head of Service of the State, Dr. Peter Singabele, and member of the state Civil Service Commission, Dr. Boumkuma Kpokiri. Dickson said civil servants must uphold the principles of neutrality and loyalty to government in power. He charged the newly appointed head of service to further depoliticize and instill more discipline in the state civil service to achieve improved service delivery.…
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase declared yesterday that the force is poised for battle with kingpins of armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and other social vices in the Southeast and Delta state axis. He said the police will collaborate with governments at that level to deal with crime syndicates in the area. The IG made the pledge in Awka, the Anambra State capital at a South-East/Delta State Security Conference 2015 with the theme “Security, Bedrock of Governance.’’ The crime syndicates, according to him, are operating highly organized networks, which must be crushed. He was confident that the conference…