The crisis rocking the governing All Progressives Congress might be far from over if a report by SUNDAY PUNCH that President Muhammadu Buhari has resisted fresh moves by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, to formally meet with him, is anything to go by. The newspaper said since emerging president of the senate on June 9 in controversial circumstances, Messrs Buhari and Saraki have met only once. Citing a Presidency source, SUNDAY PUNCH reported that all efforts by Saraki to have a private meeting with the president after the party’s National Executive Council meeting penultimate Friday, were rebuffed. The source…
Author: Wale Adebayo
The decision by a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State, Chief Alex Ekiotenne and his followers to dump the party for the All Progressives Congress, has been described as not only embarrassing, but disgraceful. The Bayelsa PDP, which made its position known on the matter on Saturday, said such defection was motivated by greed just as it pointed out that Ekiotenne and his supporters were people who had benefitted immensely from the Seriake Dickson administration in the state. Ekiotenne, who dumped the PDP some few days ago, accused the Dickson administration of derailing and not getting its…
A former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Femi Bamisile, has expressed confidence in the party’s ability to bounce back in the state come 2018. The APC was uprooted from Ekiti Government House in 2014 when then Governor Kayode Fayemi was defeated by Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party. Bamisile described the loss as a temporary setback. Speaking at the weekend during a meeting he convened and attended by stakeholders from all the 16 local government areas of the state, the ex-Speaker, who defected to the APC about a year…
Impeached Governor of Adamawa State, Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd.), has said he left Nigeria for London last year to avoid “extrajudicial action” by the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration. Nyako, who returned to Nigeria on May 30, 2014, almost a year after he disappeared and was subsequently declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is presently undergoing trial alongside his son Senator Abdul-Aziz and two others for N29bn fraud charges. The ex-governor, who spoke through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Ahmad Sajoh, told SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday that, “Justice must be done and must be seen…
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Oyo State chapter, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the bailout to state governments to enable them pay arrears of their workers’ salaries. The commendation is contained in a communiqué signed by Waheed Olojede and Kofo Ogundeji, the Chairman and Acting State Secretary of Congress respectively, after the State Executive Congress held on July 9 at Yidi Gate, Ibadan. The Congress stated that “the state NLC commends President Muhammadu Buhari for his concern to workers and for his approval for bailout fund for states owing workers arrears of salaries. “The NLC, however, condemned in its…
The police in Enugu have launched investigation into the murder of the traditional ruler of Nkerefi in Nkanu East local government, Igwe P.A. Onuoha. A statement from the spokesperson of the Enugu State Police Command,Ebere Amaraizu, said that the traditional ruler was killed with three others in the early hours of Saturday. Mr. Amaraizu said the deceased were attacked by gunmen at Mgbanaocha Nkerefi, and they were left with machete cuts. He described the killings as unfortunate and said the police would work hard to establish the motive and bring the perpetrators to book. The spokesperson said the police had…
NIGER STATE GOV, ABUBAKAR SANI BELLOThe Niger Government has declared curfew in Paiko Local Government Area of the state following a violent clash between Hausa and Gwari youth that left one person dead. This is contained in a statement signed on Saturday by Ibraheem Dooba, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abubakar Bello. “In view of the unfortunate violence in Paiko, the Niger State Government has declared curfew in Paiko town from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. until further notice. “To keep the peace, the people are advised not to violate the curfew, anybody who does would face appropriate consequences for…
Yobe Emergency Management Agency on Saturday disbursed N61.8 million to 87 traders who lost their properties to insurgency and fire outbreaks. Musa Isa, the Executive Secretary of the agency, while disbursing the money in Damaturu, said 87 persons affected by fire disasters and insurgency attacks in 2014 and early this year benefited from the assistance. He said the assistance was intended to provide succour to victims of the disaster to re-engage in their trades. “This is not a compensation but an assistance from the state government”, he said. Mr. Musa advised other victims and Internally Displaced Persons to be wary…
Governor Nasiru el-Rufai of Kaduna State has revealed that security forces in the state detected the presence of the suicide bombers, who killed about 40 people in Zaria last week, through their tracking system. Suspected female suicide bombers had attacked the Sabon Gari Local Government Area headquarters of Kaduna State on Tuesday killing 40 people, mostly teachers and civil servants undergoing the compulsory verification exercise ordered by the state government, and injuring many others. According to el-Rufai, the telephone lines of the bombers, believed to be Boko Haram members, which were used in tracking them, were switched off in Zaria,…
Nigeria’s ambassadors in some foreign countries have been recalled by President Muhammadu Buhari. It was learnt that the ambassadors were recalled from their positions as part of the current administration’s efforts to reposition the country’s foreign policies. Unverified reports claim some of the Nigerian ambassadors affected by the recall include Taofeek Arapaja (Jordan), Sen. Haruna Garba (Kuwait), Shehu Bunu (Saudi Arabia) and Bianca Ojukwu (Spain). Others are Elizabeth Ketebu (Ireland), Okwudili Okafor (Burundi), Dr. Francis Okeke (Vatican), Nonye Rajis-Okpara (Singapore) and Mathias Okafor (Vietnam). Confirming the development, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said…
President Muhammadu Buhari would be accompanied by five State Governors including those of Oyo State, Imo State, Edo State and two others when he travels to Washington, DC United States of America on July 19, 2015 to meet President Barack Obama. According to SaharaReporters, the five Governors are separate from an 18-man presidential entourage that includes top aides and political associates of the President, immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi; the former Vice Presidential candidate to Buhari in the 2011 presidential poll, Tunde Bakare, and former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Adamu. In addition to these…
The ghost of the March 28 presidential election has refused to go away with the revelation on Saturday that the Peoples Democratic Party lost the polls because former President Goodluck Jonathan refused to abide by his single term agreement with the North. The National Vice Chairman of the PDP (South-South), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, who stated this while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, heaped the blame for the party’s defeat on Jonathan. However, Ojougboh said the PDP had learnt from its mistakes and would not take the zoning arrangement as enshrined in its constitution for granted anymore. Despite denials…
Some respected Muslim leaders and the Christian Association of Nigeria have disagreed over plans by the security agencies to frisk women dressed in hijab and burka, in response to the growing threat of suicide bombers dressed in the Muslim outfit. While the Muslim leaders argued that such an action would amount to profiling Muslim women, the CAN said it was a necessary sacrifice to make in light of current security realities. The Muslim leaders who voiced these concerns in separate interviews with SUNDAY PUNCH are the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) Secretary-General, Dr. Abubakar Aliyu-Khalid, the Convener, Muslim Rights Concern and…
Hundreds of worshipers of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) today escaped death in Tudun Wada area of Jos North Local Government as two IEDs exploded, according to Leadership. Reports citing eyewitnesses said worshippers of the church scampered for safety following the explosion. Less than 10 days ago, a twin bomb blast rocked Jos, the Plateau State capital, claiming dozens of lives. Officials are yet to confirm or comment on today’s attack. The post Breaking News: Worshippers Escape Death As Blasts Hit Church In Plateau appeared first on INFORMATION NIGERIA.
A bomb has gone off at a crowded Church in Jos, Plateau State on Sunday morning, with many worshipers feared dead, according to reports. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the loud blast occurred at ECWA in Tudunwada, Angwan yashi, near the Federal Secretariat in Jos, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau. The online newspaper quoted a witness near the church as saying that the explosion was “massive” and casualty could be high as the attack happened while service was ongoing. Details later ****UPDATE**** What could have been a major disaster was averted on Sunday when a security guard spotted a bomb…
Mr Dele Momodu, the publisher of the Ovation magazine says the expectations of Nigerians from President Muhammadu Buhari is what one would expect from a magician but they believed he could deliver, and that was why they voted him. Momodu cautioned supporters of the president against berating Nigerians criticizing Buhari. “They are only asking for action. They have the right to that,” he said. “Their expectation was that of a magician. That was what I wrote in my article. What the Nigerians expect of you is like that of Jesus Christ turning water into wine, raising Lazarus from the dead.…
Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says exemplary character plays a major role in entrepreneurship, which has been identified as a platform for the growth of business and development of a nation’s economy. He said this at the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) Boot Camp 2015, held at the Covenant University, Ota, OgunState. “Enterprises and societies thrive, on the the values of moral integrity, self discipline, hard work and innovation, respect for rule of law, and the prompt payment of taxes. These are the critical components for successful economies and countries anywhere,” said Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the…
Nigeria’s housing deficit is estimated at 17 million units. In order to tackle this, the Federal Government has inaugurated a 12-man ministerial committee to develop a blue print for affordable housing in the country. According to a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Adedeji Ajibade, on behalf of Mr. George Ossi, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, weekend in Abuja, the committee was set up due to the concern of the government over the wide gap in the affordability of houses in the country. He noted that the delivery of adequate and affordable…
Veteran Nollywood star, Empress Njama, who’s on holiday with her mum, has decided she needs a new set of eyes. The outdated actress paid a visit to her optician to get her eyes tested. Empress optician reportedly recommended medicated glasses for her in order to regain proper vision. She shared the news on Instagram: – “Hey guys the results are out n here I am using glasses!wanna thank all those who dropped a prayer or two! Thanks a lot !never saw this coming though! Guess it’s for good!with these my big eyes I still take Am wear medicated bottles!i go…
Eleven people were killed as Boko Haram militants attack a remote village in northeast Nigeria, according to residents and civilian vigilante assisting the military in the fight against insurgency. “We had just finished our evening prayers when Boko Haram gunmen invaded our village,” Kyari Sanda from Ngamdu, 100 kilometres south of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri told AFP. “They opened fire instantly. We lost 11 people and now almost half our village was set ablaze. They took all of our supplies.” Danlami Ajaokuta, from the civilian militia force, confirmed the attack. The attack on Friday, together with a botched suicide bombing…