Author: Wale Adebayo

Seventeen suspects with fake certificates of exemption and exclusion have been discovered by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Three of the suspects using the certificates to work in one of the financial institutions, the NYSC management said, were on the run while four others have been handed over to security agents for prosecution. The suspects are Olatunbosun Abolarin, Yusuf Adekunle, Akan Macaulay and Abdullahi (other name withheld). The suspects confessed to reporters at the NYSC headquarters in Abuja at the weekend that they paid money ranging from N25,000; N40,000; N60,000 and N20,000 to get the fake certificates. Speaking at…

The suppliers of food items and cooking gas to prisons across the country have written to President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) intimating of the Federal Government’s indebtedness to the tune of over 6 billion naira. The suppliers, who came under the aegis of Nigeria Prison Service Ration and Gas Contractors, said they had not been paid for food items and gas supplied to prisons since January, 2015. In a letter of appeal addressed to Buhari, dated November 13, the association said its members had resorted to taking bank loans with all the accumulative interests and that some of them had disposed…

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose on Sunday stated that the proposed local government elections in the state would hold despite threats by members of the opposition to boycott the exercise. According to Fayose, for the country to have virile and functional local government system, the third tier of government would have to be strengthened for effective delivery of democratic dividends to the people. “Electoral Act is very clear, boycott of election doesn’t nullify the outcome of any election. Just like I have said, we will not compromise anything. We shall allow the people to choose who to govern them”,…

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reacted to Rev Father Ejike Mbaka’s counsel to Pro-Biafran youths agitating for the release of Radio Biafra Director and Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, to go back to their businesses as the protests could lead to their death. Speaking at his weekly Adoration Ministry, the Enugu-based Catholic priest had described the protests as “evil”, saying rather than add value to their businesses, the protests were crippling economic activities in the South-east and South-south states and had led to the deaths of some of the protesters. “Locking up your shops and disrupting economic activities…

The political animosity between Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, and his benefactor, ex-Governor Peter Obi, took a different dimension yesterday as the State Government publicly dismissed repeated claims by Obi that he left N75 billion in the state coffers as untrue. It said contrary to the impression created by Obi that he bequeathed a tidy purse for his successor, the Obiano administration inherited only “N9 billion cash and N26 billion near cash” as well as contract liabilities to the tune of N185.1 billion. But the former governor in a swift reaction yesterday, said the government’s action was a deliberate attempt…

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has said that he will not attend the meeting called by the Federal Government with State governors on the Treasury Single Account (TSA). His reason: the TSA policy is a fraud against Nigeria and its people. In a press statement issued on Sunday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said that “the Federal Government should rather remove the veil on the face of REMITA so that Nigerians can know the real owners, through whom the All Progressives Congress (APC) is siphoning Nigeria money to fund Kogi and Bayelsa States governorship election.” Fayose…

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, has ordered the immediate retirement of all permanent secretaries in the state’s civil service. This is contained in a statement signed by the governor’s Principal Secretary, Clement Nweke, and made available to the media on Sunday in Abakaliki. According to the statement, only the Clerk of the State House of Assembly, Rose Nwokporo, is exempted from the retirement exercise. “The affected officers are to complete all handover exercises in their respective ministries, boards and agencies before the close of work on Monday, November 16. “All commissioners, heads of parastatals and agencies in the state, are…

Nigeria’s name has again been put on the world map following the successful solution provided by a Nigerian don, Dr. Opeyemi Enoch, to the 156 years old Riemann Hypothesis, considered the most important problem in Mathematics. With this enviable achievement, Dr. Enoch, who is a lecturer at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), has become the fourth egghead to resolve one of the seven Millennium Problems in Mathematics. The Kogi State-born mathematician had, before now, worked on mathematical models and structures for generating electricity from sound, thunder and Oceanic bodies. A statement in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on…

Palpable apprehension has gripped the former ruling part, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over alleged plans by two of its governors to dump the party on whose platform they were elected for the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was learnt that despite the brave showing of the PDP during its one-day national conference at the Thisday Dome, Abuja, last week, many participants at the gathering were actually jittery on account of reports that some of the party’s governors might be on their way to the APC. “There is anxiety in the party over reports that two of our governors, not one, are…

Indications emerged on Saturday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is citing the Nigerian Army for two possible war crimes in the ongoing war against Boko Haram. Also cited for six war crimes is the terrorist sect, which has been responsible for over 10,000 deaths and displacement of million others from their homes since 2009. The ICC, in its Preliminary Examination Report on Nigeria, is accusing the military of indiscriminate arrest, detention, torture and extrajudicial killings of people suspected to be Boko Haram fighters. It also accused the army of launching attacks on civilian population as well as the recruitment…

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has vowed to resist any form of downsizing in the industry by the federal government and International Oil Companies (IOCs). While declaring it is not averse to removal of subsidy on petroleum products, PENGASAN said it will not back any policy that will have negative effects on ordinary Nigerians. The association also called for immediate passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), saying it will save the nation about $15 billion revenue annually as well as address other challenges facing the oil and gas industry. PENGASSAN national president, Olabode…

The parent company of Remita, the e-payment and e-collection software deployed by the federal government to drive implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), System Specs, has described recent allegations of wrongdoing against it as a ploy to frustrate the scheme. The Senate had on Tuesday mandated its Committees on Finance, Banking and Financial Institutions to “carry out holistic investigation” of the TSA over an allegation by Senator Dino Melaye (APC/Kogi West) that Remita got N25 billion, which translates to one per cent of the sum of N2.5 trillion mopped up from loose government accounts on September 15. But the…

Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, on Saturday inaugurated the 2015 dry run to signify the beginning of the 2015 annual Calabar Carnival. Speaking at the occasion in Calabar, Mr. Ayade said the celebration marked the 11th anniversary of the carnival. The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Ivara Isu, described the carnival as the largest street party in Africa. He said the carnival had promoted talent, creativity and united the people of Cross River and Nigeria in general. “Today, we are launching the 11th annual Calabar carnival, the greatest street party ever; the greatest show in Africa.…

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said even though there is persistent insecurity in some parts of Nigeria, the military has dealt a devastating blow to the once dreaded Boko Haram sect. Abubakar also said the economic crisis in the country was coming at the worst possible time, but that it “forces us to re-balance our economy and to put our public finances on a broader and more sustainable foundation”. A statement issued by the former vice president’s media office and signed by Paul Ibe, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain stated this on Saturday at the 10th…

Former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, has accused incumbent Governor Adams Oshiomhole of squandering trillions of Federal Allocations and Internally Generated Revenue the state has collected in the last seven years. Igbinedion also dismissed a statement credited to Oshiomhole that he kept quiet for seven years on the illegalities and fraud allegedly perpetrated by the former governor while in office because he could not “report a thief to an armed robber”. In a statement he personally signed in Abuja on Saturday, the ex-governor promised to expose his successor at the appropriate time. The back and forth between Oshiomhole and…

The newly-appointed Minister of Communication, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, has been advised to maintain his uprightness and honesty by imbibing the fear of God and refusing to accept gifts from contractors, individuals and corporate firms in the discharge of his duties. Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and the Chairman of Kakanfo Inn and Conference Centre, Dr. Lekan Are, gave the advice on Saturday during a reception organised for the minister by a committee of friends at KICC, Ibadan. Among the dignitaries that attended the event were a former governor in the state, Omololu Olunloyo, Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadan land, High…

Ahead of the 2019 presidential elections, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has initiated discussion with notable political figures mainly from the northern part of the country in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to woo them back to the former ruling party. The PDP is also using its presidential ticket, which has been zoned to the north as bait to lure back its former members. Among those said to have been contact by some members of the PDP National Working Committee are the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; a former Governor of Kano State, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso…

President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is set to beam its searchlight on five of the 17 recently retired permanent secretaries with indications emerging on Wednesday that the affected officials may soon be arraigned for alleged corruption. It was learnt that one of the ex-perm secs slated for trial has already been a guest of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Another, who is widely regarded in federal civil service circles as “brilliant”, allegedly indulged in using public funds to purchase exotic vehicles, embark on foreign trips and paying outrageous hotel bills. It was also learnt that two of…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Friday stated that it has enough stock of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, to serve the needs of Nigerians across the country for about 17 days. The corporation urged Nigerians to desist from panic buying of the product. Speaking in Abuja on the fuel supply situation across the country, Executive Director, Commercial, Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, Mr. Justin Ezeala, stated that the country currently has 656.376 million litres of PMS in its various storage platform, while it is expecting additional 756.99 million litres of the product before the…

The Kano State Police Command has made “the biggest seizure of hard drugs in recent times”, involving over 23,000 kilograms of Indian hemp valued at N60 million, the state police commissioner, Muhammad Musa Katsina has disclosed. The police boss said the consignment was stocked in two local shops at Ja’en quarters in the metropolis and that three suspects including the owner of the house, a 70-yr old woman (name withheld), were arrested in connection with the narcotics. Parading the suspects and the 48 sacks of wrapped cannabis substance at Ja’en quarters on Friday, the CP Katsina said the real baron…