President Muhammadu Buhari has made over ten foreign trips in less than seven months and has become a subject of criticism because of this. But the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has stressed the importance of the trips. According to him, the trips are critical to the implementation of the key policies of Buhari’s administration which includes enhancing security, jump-starting the economy, creating jobs and fighting corruption. ”Nigerians, whether in the ruling or the opposition parties, have a right to ask questions about the activities of their President, but it is absolutely important that they do so from…
Author: Wale Adebayo
Traditional rulers under the aegis of the Osun State Council of Obas may boycott Monday’s coronation of the 51st Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. The decision to stay away from the highly publicized event was taken yesterday after a meeting of the Council of Obas at the Finance Building in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. The Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, who spoke with reporters, said that he and other monarchs, whose names he did not disclose, would not attend the event, unless they receive a formal invitation from the coronation’s central planning committee. He said: “If…
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said foreign trips embarked upon by President Muhammadu Buhari since he assumed office over six months ago are critical to the implementation of his administration’s key policies of enhancing security, jump-starting the economy, creating jobs and fighting corruption. In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, by his special assistant, Mr. Mohammed said all the trips have not been frivolous as speculated, adding that they have started yielding fruits in terms of turning the tide in the fight against the insurgents who have been most active in the North-east, attracting…
The Presidency is set to present a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and a Fiscal Strategy Papers (FSP) to the National Assembly any time next week. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, made this known in a chat with journalists on Friday. According to him, this would be followed by the presentation of the 2016 Appropriation Bill for the consideration of the lawmakers. Enang said: “I want to assure you that in the next few days, Mr. President will forward the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper to the…
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State and its candidate in the April 11 governorship election, Dakuku Peterside, are engaging in acts capable of swaying the decision of the Appeal Court in the state governorship election case in their favour. The federal lawmaker was reacting to the Monday march in Port Harcourt, the Rivers captal tagged “Rivers Black Day’, organized by Mr. Peterside and his supporters in the APC in remembrance of all those they alleged lost their lives as a result of electoral violence in…
The fine imposed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on MTN Nigeria for failing to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered subscribers from its network in the months of August and September, has again been increased by 10 per cent to N780 billion. The fine, which was originally N1.04 trillion, was reduced to N674 billion, representing a 35 per cent reduction, following high level discussions between the MTN Group and NCC officials. But a statement by the MTN Group Corporate Affairs on Friday said it received a formal letter dated 2 December 2015 from the NCC (the first letter) informing the company…
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) plans and those of its candidate in the November 21 inconclusive governorship election in Kogi State, Capt. Idris Wada (retd.) to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from going ahead with this Saturday’s supplementary election, have been struck out by the Federal High Court, Abuja. Justice Gabriel Kolawole while delivering judgment in the suits on Friday, held that the issues brought before the court for determination, did not arise from a post primary election of a political party but issues from voting by the public. He further held that by the provisions of Section 87…
Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) comprising governors of the 19 northern states, yesterday condemned Wednesday’s violence in Onitsha, Anambra State as a result of activities of members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), calling for calm as well as preventive measures against any reprisals in the North. Chairman of the forum and Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, said in a statement through his spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau in Maiduguri, the state capital on Thursday that the forum had taken some firm but undisclosed measures to check any…
The Nigerian army has announced the capture of another wanted Boko Haram kingpin along the Borno-Adamawa border on Friday. The suspect, Abdullahi Abubakar, who is number 58 on the list of 100 wanted Boko Haram terrorists released by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, was arrested by vigilant troops at the Uba Askira area along the border between the insurgency-devastated states. Abubakar is currently undergoing interrogation at a secure military facility. Confirming the development, the Brigade Commander of the 28 Task Force Brigade in Mubi, Adamawa State, Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, said indeed a Boko Haram kingpin was arrested by…
You probably don’t know Sugabelly. I don’t know her either. But it is the twitter handle of a Nigerian lady: @sugabelly, who in the wake of the death of former Governor Abubakar Audu of Kogi State felt the urge to go public with her story. My foregrounding her/story as opposed to his/story, is further affirmation of an earlier submission that Audu’s death is “inconclusive” (The Guardian, Nov 27). As the rest of Nigeria mourned the death of Abubakar Audu and pondered the implications of an inconclusive electoral process, Sugabelly showed up on social media and started celebrating his death. Her…
A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, yesterday said he never met the embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), let alone taking any money from him. There was speculation in the media that Mr. George was one of those who benefitted from the $2.1 billion arms deal scandal rocking the office of the former NSA. But in a statement issued on his behalf yesterday by Prof. Tejumade Akitoye-Rhodes of Lagos Collectives, the PDP chieftain said it was wrong to link him with collection of cash from the ex-NSA’s office.…
A former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has faulted the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, for announcing new dates for congresses and national convention of the party. The PDP spokesman had yesterday issued a statement announcing the timetable of schedule of congresses and national convention which, he said, was approved by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party. According to Metuh, the NWC had fixed March 19, 2016 for the party’s national convention, where new set of party leaders are expected to emerge from…
In spite of criticism trailing the ongoing bill by the Senate to censor social media in the country, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Thursday vowed that the Red Chamber would not back down from passing the proposed law. Saraki, who noted that social media was a major ingredient for the growth of democracy in the country, however, said the Senate could no longer ignore the fact that it was being abused by some elements. Speaking yesterday when Senator Dino Melaye (APC/Kogi West) raised the issue under matters of urgent importance, during the day’s plenary, the Senate president lamented activities of…
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) says 42 oil and gas companies operating in the country paid a total of $293 billion to the Federal Government between 2006 and 2012. According to the organisation’s Acting Executive Secretary, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, the money was paid by oil companies as taxes, royalty, dividends etc to the government during the period. Orji stated this while speaking at the inauguration of NEITI-Companies’ Forum in Lagos. According to him, the NEITI independent report for the period released recently, put the breakdown of the payment as $44.7 billion was paid in 2006, $43.7 billion…
Four persons have been confirmed dead by the police in Zamfara following attack by gunmen on Tangaran village in Anka local government area of the state on Tuesday night. The Zamfara State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Sanusi Amiru, confirmed the incident on Thursday in Gusau while briefing newsmen. The gunmen arrived the village in the night while the residents were getting ready to go to bed and opened fire on those still outside during which the four persons were killed. According to an eyewitness, Kabiru Umar, an 11-year-old girl who was selling bean cake was among those killed.…
The chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Zamfara state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, said on Thursday that irrespective of public condemnations, it would not be economically feasible to retain the same workforce and still pay the N18,000 minimum wage. According to him, funds allocated from the Federation Account could no longer sustain the expenses of the state as the internally generated revenue was still below par in some states. Emerging from a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House Abuja, on Thursday, Mr. Yari said the governors were considering the nation’s economic situation. “Let me make it very…
Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd). has denied media reports linking him with implicating People’s Democratic Party (PDP) top shots, who received heavy payments from security funds from his office. The former NSA said he neither mentioned nor implicated anyone as having collected arms funds from his office. Speaking through his lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji, Dasuki said he never made such statement or name anyone to EFCC. “I was with Dasuki yesterday and wish to make categorical statement that my client never made any statement of such nature or naming anybody or group in any statement,” Raji…
Former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa has denied collecting any money from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, as investigation into an alleged $2.1 billion arms deal continues. The ex-governor’s name has featured prominently as collecting about N4.6 billion for “spiritual purposes” in revelations following investigations. An aide of the former governor who served under him as a Special Adviser on Youth and Students Matters, Alhaji Akibu Dalhatu, however, told Vanguard yesterday that his boss has no such financial dealing with the former NSA nor did he collect any money from him for any purpose. “The former…
A former Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Issa Aremu, has declared that any of the 36 States’ Governors who cannot pay the minimum wage of N18,000 to workers, have no business remaining in office. Aremu, who is the General Secretary, National Union of Textile Garment Workers of Nigeria (NUTGWN), said such governors have no reason to be in the business of governance, hence, they should resign. The former NLC vice president stated this on Thursday as the Guest Speaker at the 18th Joint Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2015 edition of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). The topic…
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced March 19, 2016 as the date for the party’s national convention. The convention would be used to elect new members of the National Working Committee (NWC). According to a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh on Thursday, zonal congresses of the party are billed to hold on March 16, while state congresses will be conducted on March 12. The statement added that local government congresses will hold on March 5, while ward congresses are slated for February 27. The statement urged the…