The deputy governor-elect of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi and member of the House of Representatives representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, Mr. James Abiodun Faleke, has raised alarm over threat to his life. According to him, he called the attention of the public because the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase and the Director General, Department of State Security Service (DSS), Lawal Musa Daura failed to act on his petitions. “I want to bring to public notice, the continuous threat to my life because of my resolve not to compromise #Audu/Faleke mandate for anything,” he wrote on Twitter. I want to…
Author: Wale Adebayo
The Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) yesterday alleged that more than 300 of its female members were in Army detention in Kaduna. In a statement by IMN spokesman Ibrahim Musa in Kaduna, the sect lamented that some of its injured members are detained without medical attention. “It has come to the notice of the movement that severely injured persons in detention, including women and children, have been left without medical attention since last Saturday and this has aggravated their conditions,” Musa said. “Presently one of such detained members of the Movement has died as a result of being refused medical attention at…
Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice, who is representing Ondo North Senatorial District of Ondo State, has urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. In a statement containing his congratulatory message to the President during his 73rd birthday celebration yesterday. “I wish a foremost patriot and democrat, President Muhammadu Buhari many more fulfilling years in sound health as he continues to display exemplary leadership on National affairs,” the statement read. “At the international level, Nigeria has regained her respect because we have a leadership that has zero tolerance for corruption. “Having inherited an economy that was almost in coma, President Buhari…
All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday, explained the party’s reason for choosing Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the party governorship candidate in Kogi State. He said the party was still making moves to reconcile those aggrieved with the party’s choice. The party picked Bello to replace its governorship candidate in Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, who died last month. Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the APC from Kogi East Senatorial District, Oyegun said the party settled for Bello with the PDP in mind, adding that the APC was aware that whatever decision it came up, somebody…
Nigerian Government, yesterday, December 17, declared that the balance of the Abacha loot stands at $26m and £19 million. The announcement was made at the end of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, presided over by Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The late military dictator, General Sani Abacha, is believed to have looted over $5 billion from the nation’s treasury during his stint as head of state from 1993-1998. The issue of the Abacha loot came to the fore recently when it emerged that former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Ngozi…
Akwa Ibom State Elders have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a judicial panel of inquiry into what they called contradictory judgments in the election petitions. In a statement issued yesterday, the elders expressed concerns over “the clear cases of miscarriage of justice in nearly all of the decided cases so far”. The statement was signed by leader of the Uyo Elders Forum, Otuekong Jackson Udoh, Obong Rita Akpan, former minister; Dr Ime Okopido, former minister; and Professor Okon Eminue, former chairman, Governing council of Akwa Ibom State University. Part of the statement read: “Our concerns are based…
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thurday, December 17, interrogated the Managing Director of Stallion Group, Harprrie Singh, over alleged N1.275billion gift to former Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda. Singh told the EFCC that his firm had a $170million contract with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to supply some vehicles. It was learnt that the EFCC was exploring the angle that the N1.275billion payment was at the instance of the ONSA for political purposes. According to a top source in the anti-graft agency, Singh was invited as part of the ongoing probe of some companies…
The Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, yesterday advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, to bury his ambition of ruling the state again. Governor Dickson, who is leading in the inconclusive governorship election, described his challenger as a day dreamer, adding that the people of Bayelsa had said he would no longer be their governor. In a statement yesterday in Yenagoa, the state capital, by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the governor said everything he said about Sylva as a merchant of violence, manifested during the last election. He further said it was unfortunate that Sylva…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has given a directive to commercial banks to limit how much customers can spend abroad using their debits cards. This is not unconnected the falling value of Naira. The Naira weakened on Thursday to 280 to a dollar. The CBN has for months defended the naira employing varying measures to stabilize the falling currency, including shoring it up with forex reserves. But with reserves dwindling, the bank is not left with a better choice than curbing dollar demand. This, in turn, is hurting the naira. “The central bank is not providing us with dollars to settle…
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, disclosed on Thursday that the arrested Shi’ite sect leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zak-Zaky has been handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution. He said this when he met with a delegation from the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) at the Army Headquarters, Abuja. Responding to the request by NSCIA to meet with the sect leader, Buratai said that El-Zak-Zaky had been handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution, stressing that lawlessness must not be tolerated in the society especially when a part of the country is confronted with terrorism. “As…
MTN Group is ready to challenge Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) regulator’s powers to impose a $3.9billion fine on its Nigerian subsidiary by the regulator. The telecommunications company will file a case against the regulator before a Federal High Court in Lagos. As it disclosed this, the company also said it had paid 75 billion CFA francs ($124 million) to extend its operating license in Ivory Coast and would pay $67.5 million in Ghana to buy a 15-year radio frequency spectrum for high-speed networks. NCC had slammed an initial $5.2 billion fine on MTN for failing to meet a deadline to disconnect…
Mr. Israel Kanu who is the father of the pro-Biafra activist has extended the family appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari and concerned Nigerians over the release of his son, Nnamdi Kanu. The elder Kanu is the traditional ruler of Afara Ukwu Ibeku Autonomous Community, Umuahia. He told the newsmen on Thursday in Umuahia that he was grateful to “well-meaning Nigerians for their prayers and support” during Nnamdi’s incarceration. He added that he was amazed by the goodwill and show of solidarity by Nigerians, especially the pro-Biafra groups, which, he said, “stood by us for the period my son was detained”. He said that he was…
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, said that as from January, pupils in public primary schools in the state will be fed once a day free of charge. He also disclosed that as part of his administration’s plans to kick illiteracy out of the state, his administration will next year distribute what he called “Ibile” tablets to pupils in public schools in Lagos State. Ambode announced the “A-Meal-a-Day” programme in public primary schools, when he presented the 2016 “Peoples budget” plan to the House of Assembly yesterday. Presenting a budget proposal of N662.58 billion, the governor said funding of the programme will be…
A human rights group under aegis of “Coalition For Human Rights Advocacy And Social Action (COHRASA)” has given a former Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Mr. Tony Blair, seven-day ultimatum to leave Nigeria. Accusing the former British PM of planning to “steal” and “loot” from Nigeria, the group in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Jeremiah Olatinwo, on Thursday, said: “Nigerians were greeted with shock to read about Britain’s former Prime Minister’s visit to Nigeria to meet with the Nigerian Governor’s Forum. We see this development, camouflaged in the facade of advisory as an effort to loot and steal…
From all indications, it seems that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not happy with the High Court judgement orderingthe sack of its Acting National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus. In this line, the party has asked the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal to reverse the judgment. The opposition party, Thursday, prayed the appellate court to set aside the verdict which was delivered by Justice Hussein Baba of an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama, on December 15 which ordered Secondus to vacate Chairmanship seat of the PDP within 14 days. Baba’s verdict followed a suit filed by the erstwhile Special Adviser…
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, says the Federal Government of Nigeria no longer has the resources to fund the country’s oil and gas industry, and is therefore, considering and developing new models of financing for the industry in the days ahead. He made this known at a town hall meeting in Abuja on Thursday. “Financing is going to be a key component of our goal, because new models of financing would have to emerge. The country does not have the sort of resources to continue to fund the oil industry. As we go upstream, we are going…
Following the outcome of November 21 governorship election in Kogi State, the political crisis still continues. A group called “Kogi Patriots” has rejected a reconciliatory committee set up by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to resolve the crisis surrounding the November 21 governorship poll. In a statement by the group on Thursday, jointly signed by the national chairman, Dr Ben Agama, the national coordinator, Engr. Joseph Ahmed, as well as Mr. Tunde Badmus, the group described as laughable, the party’s national leadership purported setting up of a committee to reconcile the supposed aggrieved parties, knowing too well that the only acceptable condition…
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has described the nullification of his election as a temporary setback. He said God’s will and the mandate of the people will prevail at the end of the day. The appeal court in Abuja had, yesterday, nullified Wike’s election, upholding the verdict of the election petition tribunal which sacked him as governor of the state. Addressing thousands of people of Rivers State, who thronged the Port Harcourt International Airport to receive him on Thursday, Governor Wike urged them to remain peaceful as the state still belonged to the PDP despite the current situation of things. “I want to warn, let nobody attempt to do…
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has criticized the attempt by the current President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to subtly enlist Nigeria among Arab nations to fight ISIS. CAN cited reports from foreign media that Saudi Arabia was building a coalition of 34 Muslim/Arab countries to fight ISIS and Nigeria was named among the 34. “This singular gesture of the Buhari government betrays so much, and tends to confirm our fears that underneath everything this government is doing, there is an agenda with strong Islamic undertones, aimed at undermining Nigeria’s pluralistic character and neutrality regarding government’s affiliation to any one religion,” a statement by…
The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday undertook a tour of the facilities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. He was accompanied by the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika and chief executives of aviation agencies. The Minister, who expressed satisfaction with what he saw on ground, lauded the chief executives of the various aviation agencies for being prudent with the acquisition of safety equipment, which he noted, had improved safety and security at airports. “With what I have seen here today, it shows that the Nigerian aviation industry can be compared to any developed ones…