Author: Hamza Rufai

THE Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, has said that the Kano-Maradi Railway project is key to improving food security in Nigeria. Opeifa, who stated this on Saturday on Channels Television’s Sunrise, said the rail connection between Niger and the Niger Republic was important because mobility could not be removed from the food supply chain as it was at the centre of food security. “According to AU 2063, African countries are encouraged to link with landlocked countries because there is potential in those countries. By the way, from the literature I’ve read, the food security for Nigeria…

FORMER President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the death of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais, who passed away at the age of 89. In a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the former president extended his condolences to the family of the late jurist and to Nigerians at large, describing Uwais as a man of “distinguished career as a lawyer and a judge.” Buhari said he was pained by the loss, recalling Uwais’ service as the head of the nation’s judiciary and his unwavering commitment to justice and democracy. “He made notable contributions in…

THE Senate Committee on Public Procurement has ordered the immediate suspension of procurement processes for government agencies that have failed to honour its invitations, directing the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to enforce the directive without delay. Olajide Ipinshagba, Chairman of the Committee, who issued the order during a press briefing at the National Assembly on Thursday, expressed deep concern over what he described as a “blatant disregard for legislative authority and due process” by some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). He said, “It has come to our attention that several agencies and institutions have repeatedly and unapologetically flouted our…

THE Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has expressed the need for Nigerians to stop medical tourism and for the country to also start producing drugs locally. He said this at the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers event held in Lagos on Wednesday. Stressing the need for every Nigerian including the rich to be able to treat themselves in Nigeria when they fall sick, Dangote hinted that it is important to partner with Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation to achieve this. “What we need to do is to make sure we stop this health tourism and we should now get in…

THE Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives has raised concerns over the disappearance of over ₦250 billion in public funds, as uncovered by reports from the Auditor-General of the Federation. The Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam, made this known while briefing journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday. Salam said the audit reports revealed that the staggering sum remains unaccounted for across several government agencies. He also highlighted a disturbing trend of increasing financial irregularities in public institutions. According to him, the Auditor-General’s reports point to a high incidence of unauthorised virements and a growing…

THE All Progressives Congress has denied widespread reports suggesting it has granted automatic tickets to all current members of the National Assembly, labeling the information as “fake news.” In a statement released Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC urged party members and the public to disregard what it described as a “purported Breaking News Report” falsely attributed to the party. “The report is FAKE NEWS and should be disregarded in its entirety as it did not emanate from our great Party,” Morka stated. He further warned that the viral claim is of “mischievous origin” and…

THE House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, on Monday, chided the management of the West African Examinations Council over widespread irregularities and operational failures that characterised the 2025 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination. At an investigative hearing at the National Assembly, lawmakers grilled the Head of WAEC, Nigeria, Dr Amos Dangut, over what they described as systemic lapses that had eroded public trust in Nigeria’s examination process. The body faces sharp criticism following widespread reports of irregularities and operational failures during the ongoing examination nationwide. Stakeholders, including parents, students, and education experts, have expressed deep concerns…

THE Minister of State for Works, Mohammed Goroyo, on Monday, declared that the Nigerian government must spend approximately N880 billion for the maintenance of the federal road network across the country. This is just as the Managing Director of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Chukwuemeka Abbasi, said that the template for deducting the road user charge from the prices of petrol and diesel has never been implemented by the defunct Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Authority, now the Nigeria Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The two government officials spoke in Abuja at an investigative hearing of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee…

AHEAD of the 2027 general elections, former Minister of Environment, Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi, has made a surprise move by resigning from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The 57-year-old politician from Nasarawa State was appointed Minister of Environment by former President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2022, following his redeployment from the Ministry of Science and Technology, where he had served as Minister of State. A seasoned public servant, Abdullahi had previously served as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Nasarawa State, as well as Secretary to the State Government (SSG). He held his ministerial position until May 2023. In…

THE House of Representatives is considering a bill that seeks to impose a seven-year jail term or a N5m fine on anyone found guilty of giving or receiving bribes in workplaces across the country. The bill, sponsored by Paul Nnamchi (Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency) and three others, aims to curb bribery in both public and private workplaces. It is slated for further debate when the House resumes on June 17. Titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Provide Effective Deterrence and Consequences for Bribery in Workplaces,’ the proposed legislation prescribes tough penalties for bribery offences in government agencies, corporations, nongovernmental…

STAFF members of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and other adhoc officials appointed for the 2025 Hajj are grumbling over unpaid allowances in Saudi Arabia. The officials are worried that almost four weeks after their arrival in the holy land, the commission has not paid them— plunging them into financial uncertainties. The first batch of NAHCON workers left Abuja to Saudi Arabia on May 5, 2025 — four days to the official flag off of 2025 Hajj airlift. Most of the officials who spoke to our reporters complained that some of them cannot feed or cater for other…

THE House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies rejected a team from the West African Examinations Council on Friday. The lawmakers said only the Head of WAEC’s National Office can answer questions about problems in the ongoing exams. The committee gave WAEC 24 hours to comply with their order and appear before them. The WAEC team, led by Senior Assistant Registrar, Ambrose Okelezo, said the Head of National Office was busy supervising exam printing and could only come on Monday. Committee Chairman, Oforji Oboku, apologised to parents for the “unpalatable and embarrassing incidents” during the exams. He…

THE House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies has given the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) a 24-hour ultimatum to appear before it on Friday (Today), May 30, 2025, to address concerns surrounding the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). Oboku Oforji, chairman of the Committee, issued the ultimatum on Thursday following WAEC’s failure to honour an earlier invitation to appear before the panel. According to Oforji, the Committee had invited WAEC to provide explanations over widespread complaints and irregularities observed during the ongoing examinations. Oforji recalled that the Committee extended an invitation to WAEC on Tuesday,…

THE troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested 18 serving soldiers, 15 Policemen for allegedly selling arms to non-state actors. The Staff Officer Grade two OPHK, Major Ademola Owolana, stated this while briefing Defence Correspondents on the activities of the Joint Tax Force North-East operation from 2024 to 2025 in Maiduguri. He said the successes were recorded under Operation Snowball which was launched in August 2024 to counter-ammunition racketeering in the theatre. He said the operation was being conducted across 11 states with suspects arrested in Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Enugu, Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Rivers, Taraba and the Federal Capital…

OVER 24 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to unseal properties confiscated due to non-payment of ground rent, the national headquarters of the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is still under lock and key. On Monday, officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) embarked on mass sealing of properties, triggering outcry. President Bola Tinubu had intervened and ordered unsealing of the defaulting properties. The President had given defaulters 14-day grace to pay the ground rent with a penalty of N2m. He also advised them to regularise all their land titles before the deadline. But when our…

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors have accused the Federal Government of employing intimidation and exclusion tactics, vowing to resist such measures and remain steadfast in their commitment to good governance. The accusation was made during the 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP, held on Tuesday in Abuja. Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, who is also the Governor of Bauchi State, addressed the gathering, highlighting the challenges faced by the party and its members. Governor Mohammed stated that the current administration has created a unique set of circumstances marked by obstacles, subtle provocations, and…

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has held its caucus meeting at the Bauchi governor’s lodge in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Tuesday’s meeting came after the party adjourned on Monday following its failure to exhaust all the items on its agenda, including issues around the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. After this, the party will hold its NEC meeting. Although the PDP fixed it for noon, it was later moved to 2 pm at the party’s secretariat annex – the Legacy House. May 27, 2025@OfficialPDPNig 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting Holds Today at Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja. The 99th National…

THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has announced the withdrawal of the bill aimed at amending the Electoral Act 2022 to make voting mandatory for all eligible Nigerians. Tajudeen disclosed this in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, and made available to Channels Television on Monday. He said the decision followed extensive consultations with stakeholders, adding, however, that the bill, which he co-sponsored with the member representing Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, Daniel Ago, was introduced with the “best of intentions”. “From the outset, the bill was introduced with the best…

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has postponed its 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting amid growing concerns over whether the party’s top decision-making body can take decisive action against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike. The meeting had been scheduled for tomorrow at the PDP’s National Secretariat in Abuja. However, it was postponed to allow the reconciliation committee led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki to carry out its assignment. A notice tagged “Postponement of the 99th NEC Meeting,” signed by PDP’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, stated that a new date would…

PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has declared that Northern Nigeria holds the key to solving the nation’s deepest challenges, calling on leaders from the region to take bold steps toward driving national transformation. Speaking at a strategic meeting with Northern political stakeholders under the National Political Consultative Group, Obi described the North not as a problem, but as “Nigeria’s greatest untapped asset.” These were contained in a statement that was signed by the spokesperson of Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), Ibrahim Umar, and made available to The Guardian on Sunday evening. Addressing a…