THE National Assembly, through its joint committee on Industry, Trade, and Investment, has criticized Nigeria’s border closure policy, labeling it ineffective in curbing cross-border crimes such as banditry and smuggling. During the 2025 budget defence session with the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, lawmakers expressed frustration over the ongoing security and economic challenges linked to the porous nature of the country’s borders with Niger and Chad, as it says Nigeria might be fooling herself. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Industry, Senator Francis Fadaunsi argued that the current border closure policy is counterproductive. He suggested that it might be…
Author: Hamza Rufai
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THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the country is not under “serious threat for now” for the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV). While there have been concerns over the outbreak of the virus in certain parts of the world, the NCDC has assured Nigerians that the country is safe and there is no cause for alarm. “Let me say, there’s no serious threat for now. That’s one. Two, this HMPV virus, it’s not a new virus. It’s just that it’s not well-known. “But it’s been implicated in many respiratory infections over the years, over the countries, especially in children, and…
GOVERNOR Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has dismissed insinuations suggesting that Northern governors are fighting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because of the tax reforms he is initiating. Governor Sule stated this when he hosted a coalition of denominations under the umbrella of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on a thank-you visit at the Government House on Wednesday. The Governor dismissed claims suggesting that Northern governors are fighting the President over his tax reforms. According to him, it is only in a country like Nigeria where you see people who fought against the coming of President Tinubu are now claiming…
SEVERAL prominent opposition figures held a closed-door meeting with officials of the Social Democratic Party in Abuja on Tuesday. The agenda of the meeting has not been disclosed at the time of writing this report. The meeting took place early on Tuesday at the national secretariat of the SDP and included former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (former Chief Security Officer to General Sani Abacha), and Otunba Segun Showunmi, a former spokesman for Atiku Abubakar, among others. Confirming the meeting, Showunmi shared the news on his Facebook page. He wrote: “You must set forth at dawn! A…
AN eyewitness account of the explosion that rocked the Islamiyyah school in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday, has said the bomb was brought to school by one of the students. The blast at the Sani Uthman Islamiyya School, Kuchibuyi Village, Bwari area council had claimed two lives and injured two persons. Our correspondent who visited the school on Tuesday said the school is a three-classroom block, built for nomadic education (Almajiri school) Findings revealed that the student who brought the explosive to school came in from Katsina State a day before the tragic incident. “The explosive detonated at…
THE apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has shown excitement about the planned visit of President Bola Tinubu to Enugu State today. Ohanaeze expressed optimism for the release of the leader of the proscribed Independent People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. According to a statement issued by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, on Friday, the President will commission some of the projects executed by Governor Peter Mbah’s administration during the one-day visit. Commenting on the planned visitation, Ohanaeze, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia, expressed delight over the gradual attitudinal change…
THE Central Bank of Nigeria has again clarified that the 1,000 staff members who were disengaged in December 2024 were not forced to quit the apex bank that it was just an early exit programm to digitise its operations. The CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso stated this on Friday in Abuja at an investigative hearing of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee probing the circumstances leading to the exit of the staff members and how the sum of N50bn severance package for the affected persons arrived at. This is as the CBN boss added that the affected persons opted to disengage…
THE Federal Government’s deficit spending surged by 28 per cent, Year-On-Year to N12.1 trillion in the first ten months of 2024. An analysis of data in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Monthly Economic Reports, showed that the increase was from N9.8 trillion recorded in the same period of 2023. This further revealed that the Federal Government, in the first ten months, surpassed its Budget 2024 deficit target of N9.8 trillion by 31 per cent. The increase in deficit spending was in spite of a 36 per cent YoY increase in FG’s revenue during the period. An analysis of the…
THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has extended an invitation to former President Olusegun Obasanjo for a tour of the Port Harcourt Refinery to verify its operational status. This development follows Obasanjo’s recent interview with Channels Television, where he cited advice from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) suggesting the refinery would not function effectively. According to the former president, SPDC, which was approached to acquire equity in the refinery, expressed concerns about corruption impeding its operations. Obasanjo further alleged that NNPCL has been misleading Nigerians about the refinery’s functionality. Responding to the claims, NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr.…
BABAFEMI Ojudu, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed how he and other allies convinced President Bola Tinubu to reject an offer to serve as Minister of Finance under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Ojudu disclosed this during an appearance on State Affairs, a podcast hosted by Edmund Obilo, on Monday. He noted that accepting the role would have posed significant political risks for Tinubu, who was then the leader of the Action Congress. “Tinubu called me one day and said, ‘Congratulations to me.’ I asked, ‘Congratulations for what?’ He then told me that former…
A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has granted an application filed by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) to detain Alhaji Bello Bodejo, President, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, and six others for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigation. Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order following an ex-parte motion moved by counsel to the DIA, I.O. Odom, seeking the order to detain the seven respondents for the period in the first instance. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the DIA, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1875/V/2024 had sued Bodejo, Suleiman Abba, Umar Jibrin, Umar Bello, Muhammed Ayuba, Jibrin Baba…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo alongside other world leaders, on Monday, paid glowing tributes to former US President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100. Tinubu described Carter as a beacon of humanity whose post-presidential life exemplified leadership and service to global causes. In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu extended heartfelt condolences to the United States, praising Carter’s legacy in peacebuilding, disease eradication, and the promotion of democracy. “President Carter showed us all how to remain relevant and impactful after leaving office. He tackled…
DETAILS about how the National Assembly plans to pass the proposed N49.7 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill have emerged. According to the legislative timeline, the joint National Assembly Committee on Appropriations will lay its report on the budget on Friday, 31 January 2025, setting the stage for its anticipated passage in early February. The National Assembly’s timetable noted that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are expected to defend their allocations before the relevant committees starting Monday, 7 January 2025. A memo obtained by our correspondent in Abuja revealed that the Senate Committees on Appropriations and Finance will meet with key government…
KWANKWASO former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has refuted rumours circulating recently that he reached an agreement with opposition presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), to share power by alternating terms. In an interview with the BBC, Kwankwaso, who was the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), said he was unaware of such claim but had heard reports that Atiku’s camp had been meeting with regional leaders, including clerics, to propagate the narrative. He stated, “This issue deeply angers me—to hear that…
THE House of Representatives is considering a bill to separate the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation from that of the Minister of Justice. Offices of the Attorney General of a state will also be separated from the Commissioner of Justice if the bill sales through. The bill, co-sponsored by two Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers, Mansur Soro (Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, Bauchi State) and Oluwole Oke (Osun) is receiving legislative input from the House Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu. The bill is seeking alteration to Section 150 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)…
THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has said that President Bola Tinubu does not interfere in the operations of the national oil company neither does he influence movements within it. NNPCL equally said “employment, promotions, appointments, and movements of business leaders at the NNPC are not influenced by ethnicity, tribe, religion, or political affiliation.” Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, stated these in a statement on Saturday in response to the article, “Tinubu’s Buharisation of the NNPC” authored by Prof. Farooq Kperogi. According to him, decisions within the NNPCL “are guided strictly by merit, business requirements,…
NIGER Republic’s President Abdourahmane Tchiani is facing a backlash of criticism from his fellow countrymen following his recent allegation of a conspiracy by Nigeria against his country. Tchiani in a Christmas Day interview claimed, among other things, that Nigeria had provided a base for French soldiers near Lake Chad had established training camps for terrorists in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states, all aimed at destabilising Niger. The Federal Government has dismissed the allegations as baseless, with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, being the latest government official to debunk the…
BAUCHI State Governor, Bala Mohammed has approved the appointment of Aminu Hammayo as the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG). Hammayo’s appointment followed the sudden resignation of the former SSG, Ibrahim Kashim, who is a close political associate of Governor Mohammed. The new SSG served at different positions under previous Bauchi governors and contested for the office of the governor in 2011. He once served as Commissioner for Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination for the past four years under Governor Mohammed. Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado disclosed this in a statement made…
THE Federal Government has strongly rejected allegations made in a viral video by the military leader of Niger Republic, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, claiming non-existent collusion between Nigeria and France to destabilise his country. The Federal Government also said Nigeria remained committed to fostering regional stability and will continue to lead efforts to address terrorism and other transnational challenges. A statement issued on Thursday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged Niger to focus on constructive dialogue and collaboration rather than peddling baseless accusations. The statement read in full: “These claims exist solely in the realm of…
PRESIDENT of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has clarified that the recent reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, to N899.50 per litre at its loading gantry was primarily driven by the complex dynamics of market forces. He also said it is his responsibility to safeguard both the interests and the investments of the multibillion dollar company. The business tycoon made these statements during an interview in an Arise TV documentary posted on YouTube and obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday. He said, “The price reduction is a response to the market, let me just…