The Minister of State for Petroleum and Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, sunday clarified that the price of petrol has not been fixed yet but the official price of petrol would be announced next month. This is to clear the air over the perception created on Christmas day that the price of petrol would be reduced to N85/ litre effective January 1. According to him, at the current price of crude oil, the subsidy element had been eliminated, but the price of petrol had not been deregulated nor would it be deregulated come…
Author: Wale Adebayo
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed it had no powers to reverse the restriction placed by the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) on the use of the ATMs abroad. Although, it was in support of the decision as it would assist in reducing the pressure on the naira. The apex bank has explained that the decision of DMBs to place a restriction on the use of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards abroad by bank customers, is as a result of scarcity of foreign exchange. Mr. Moses Tule, who is the Director of Monetary Policy Department at CBN, stated these…
The former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 11 governorship election in Adamawa State, Nuhu Ribadu, on Sunday held a private meeting with a former Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande. Ex-EFCC Boss, who vied for the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which was also chaired by Mr. Akande at the time, visited the APC chieftain at his Ila-Orangun country home on Sunday and discussed with him behind closed doors for a few hours.…
Dr. Abubakar Suleiman, who was the former Minister of National Planning in the immediate past administration, has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan did not plan to lose the Boko Haram war as is being suggested by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Minister disclosed this in response to an interview President Buhari granted the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) last week. In the interview, President Buhari insinuated that his predecessor deliberately provoked Nigerian soldiers into mutiny by its actions, yet, turned around to arrest and prosecute the soldiers. He also said the past administration, while fighting terrorists, sent soldiers…
The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Yushau Abubakar, yesterday, revealed that troops under his command were able to neutralise 14 female suicide bombers during the Sunday’s attack on Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Abubakar said Maiduguri would have witnessed another major catastrophe had the the 14 suicide bombers successfully infiltrated the heart of the city. Addressing journalists at the Operation Lafiya Dole media centre in Maiduguri, the theatre commander, Major General Abubakar, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Major General Lamidi Adeosun, said: “The female suicide bombers of ages…
The spokesman for All Progressives Congress (APC) in South-East, Mr Osita Okechukwu, has dismissed the criticism that President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 budget deficit of N2.2 trillion is unrealistic. He disclosed this in a statement yesterday in Abuja and said the “fears over the N2.2 trillion 2016 budget deficit is misplaced”. According to the APC chieftain, the fears are misplaced because Nigerians are about to witness the harvest of the president’s high profile ratings by the international community. “This is the political capital which will earn Nigerians the premium of borrowing for critical infrastructure. Both local and international investors have implicit confidence…
Nigeria’s Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has described his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, as a perfect gentleman man and good example for Nigerian politicians. Dr. Saraki, who stated this at a civic reception in Mpu, the country home of Ekweremadu, shortly after a special thanksgiving service where the deputy Senate president rededicated himself to the service of Nigeria and mankind, also expressed gratitude at having the opportunity to work at close quarters with Ekweremadu. Speaking on behalf of the Senate, Saraki said although he had known Ekweremadu in the 7th Senate, he was not too close to him as to…
Dr Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Solid Minerals, has said the 2016 budget proposal of N6.08 trillion presented before the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday was not too much, considering the level of infrastructural decay and other sundry problems confronting the nation. He explained that the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, which was appropriated a staggering sum of N433 billion, the largest share in the 2016 budget, could still not boast that the amount would be more than enough to turn around the infrastructural rot across the nation. The former Governor of Ekiti State, who made…
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has described verbal onslaught on his person by two of his predecessors, Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi as meaningless, saying; the two former governors are free to continually express their anger over five electoral defeats they suffered in his hands between 2014 and 2015. Governor Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said he will not dignify the former governors with any response. Olayinka, in a statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said “as someone who worked diligently with Engineer Segun Oni when he was governor and out of office, I know that…
Scores were reportedly killed and many injured yesterday as two female suicide bombers attacked a busy motor park in Madagali area of Adamawa State. The female suicide bombers detonated their Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at a mini market close to the bus station at around 9:00am, killing several people and injured many. The Brigade Commander of 28 Task Force Brigade, Mubi, Victor Ezugwu, confirmed the incident and said the number of victims has not been ascertained. The injured victims had been taken to hospital, while security agents had cordoned off the area, said Brigadier-General Ezugwu.
Mallam Abdulkarim Muhammad Abdullahi, the Executive Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), has described the call by a former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, on Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State to stop work on the ongoing Lafia cargo airport project, as the height of ignorance and malice. Mallam Abdullahi said this on Monday while berating the former Minister and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate during the 2015 general elections, for elevating sentiments above common sense. He pointed out that Maku should have consulted wisely before shooting off his mouth needlessly on a matter that should be a pride…
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has promised that his administration will not sack any teacher from the state civil service. But he said that his administration will not fail to reassign any teacher that does not have the requisite qualifications to be in the classroom. Tambuwal made the disclosure on Monday in Dogon-Daji, Tambuwal Local Government Area, at the annual national congress of the old Boys’ association of his Alma-mater, Government Secondary School, Dogon Daji. “Beginning from the next budget, government will ensure continuous training and retraining of teachers to update their knowledge and make them conform to modern teaching…
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has commiserated with to the family of Hon. Makinde Oladejo Samson who died on Sunday. Hon. Samson, member representing Ife Central and Minority leader at the Osun State House of Assembly died at the early hours of Sunday after a brief illness. In a condolence message by the Director of the Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola described the death of the House of Assembly member as sudden and shocking. He prayed for the repose of Hon. Makinde Oladejo Samson’s soul and extended his “profound condolence to the immediate…
Blessing Agbomhere, an aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2016 governorship election in Edo State, disclosed it would be a mistake for Governor Adams Oshiomhole to support the Chairman of the State Economic Team, Dr. Godwin Obaseki, to pick the party ticket. Agbomhere, who described himself as the youngest aspirant in the race, said Oshiomhole was “only testing the waters” with the alleged support for Obaseki. Speaking at a maiden town hall meeting with youths in Edo where he unveiled his blueprint for developing the state, Agbomhere noted that the people of Edo and not an individual would decide…
Nigerians and some analysts are concerned about the ability of the present President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to fund the 2016 budget presented by the president. Several questions have been raised on how the federal government intends to fund the 2016 budget which is less reliant on oil than the previous budgets and also, with oil prices forecast to be going as low as $20 per barrel, significantly below the $38 benchmark price in the proposed budget. The federal government has now shed light on how it plans to fund the budget. “As a government, we inherited N1.5 trillion domestic debt and…
A 24-hour special task force has been setup by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to supervise and monitor petrol sales at depots and stations. It said the task force would sanction depots and stations selling above the recommended price. Assistant Director, Public Affairs in DPR, Mrs Dorothy Bassey, disclosed this in telephone interview with our reporter in Lagos, yesterday. Bassey said the special team was set up purposely for the Yuletide with powers to take over the sale of the product from those selling above the approved price. She said the agency had met with stakeholders to convey government’s displeasure…
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ogun State has impounded a truck load of cannabis sativa packaged as biscuits and cheese balls. The 3,542.25kg bags of banned narcotics were intercepted by officials of the NDLEA at the Odeda axis of Ijebu-Igbo in Ijebu North Local Government in Ogun State. The two suspects are Ihenacho Chinweuba (27) and Uche Enuosa (33). They were arrested in connection with the seizure. The Ogun NDLEA Commander, Bala Fagge, said the shipment was meant for consumption in Ogun and Lagos States. “A white Mercedes Benz Truck with registration No: Lagos KJA132XN was intercepted at Odeda…
Former Lagos State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) National leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has urged Christians to learn the lessons from the birth of Jesus Christ. In his Christmas message to the nation on Friday, Tinubu said: “The lessons of humility, selflessness, humanity and meekness that we glean from the evergreen Christmas story must not depart from our relationships here on earth”. According to Tinubu, this is the only way the blessings of Christmas will abide always beyond the celebration. “Nigeria is at the cusp of a new moral threshold and the role of religion in making a success of…
It is likely that th former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki may be returned to the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for “security reasons”. Justice Peter Affen of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court, on Wednesday granted bail to Dasuki, former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; former Director of Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Shuaibu Salisu, former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa and his son, Sagir Attahiru in the sum of N250 million each. Justice Affen also banned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from re-arresting the aforementioned…
Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), who was the immediate past Senate Leader has said that since he left Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under whose platform he was elected to the Senate for three consecutive terms, he now has peace of mind. Ndoma-Egba, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) noted that the issues he aggregated that caused him agitation while in the PDP, have ceased since he dumped the party. He made this known in a chat with Vanguard in Calabar, Cross River State on Wednesday, claimed that he was sidelined in the PDP for three years but had to stay…