THE newly redeployed Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. Adebiyi Olusesan Olufunso, has assured the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), of his support in delivering her mandate of effectively and efficiently monitoring and maintaining all Federal roads across the country. He made this disclosure today Thursday 16th January, 2025 during the Agency’s briefing and interactive session with the Permanent Secretary, by the Managing Director/CEO of FERMA, Engr. Emeka Agbasi, FNSE, in the company of his Directors and Heads of Units, at the Federal Ministry of Works’ Headquarters, Mabushi, Abuja. He assured them that he will work closely with the…
Author: Hamza Rufai
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THE National Assembly Joint Committee on Basic Education Bodies has queried the National Examinations Council (NECO) for spending the revenue it generated from selling Senior School Certificate Examination registration forms without permission in 2024. This occured when Registrar, Prof Ibrahim Wushishi appeared before the panel to defend the 2024 budget performance and 2025 proposal at the National Assembly Complex. The Committee stepped down the budget defence session by the examination body due to discrepancies in their presentation. Wushishi told the Committee that it realised over N22 billion from the sales of the registration forms at the rate of N22, 250…
THE House of Representatives has announced the death of its Deputy Whip, Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga representing the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State. According to the House Spokesperson, Rep. Akin Rotimi, Jr, she died after a brief illness on Wednesday. “It is with profound sorrow that the House of Representatives announces the passing of Rt. Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, who, until her demise, served as the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, representing the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State. She passed away earlier today, January 15, 2025, after a brief illness. “Representative Onanuga, born on December 2,…
THE mood at the iconic Eagle Square in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, was sombre and reflective on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, as the nation stood still to honour the unmatched patriotism and sacrifices of fallen heroes on the occasion of the 2025 Armed Forces’ Remembrance Day on Wednesday. Nigeria is 64 years old — after independence — but behind the continued existence of the nation are the sacrifices of hundreds, even thousands of gallant troops who paid the supreme price in defence of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu who…
THE Senator representing Borno South senatorial district, Ali Ndume, has stated that he has too much respect for President Bola Tinubu to be a critic of him. Sen Ndume has been vocal over the economic situation under Tinubu stressing that the President is being misled by his advisers. The senator, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, refuted claims that he is antagonistic towards President Tinubu but rather his condemnation is aimed at the policies. ”I am not criticising the President but his policies. I am not a critic of this…
STRONG indications emerged on Monday that the Senate is on the verge of holding a public hearing on the Tax Reform Bills, with the aim of presenting them for a third reading and eventual passage. This development was confirmed following a closed-door session of the Senate Ad-hoc committee and key government officials, including the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji; Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele; and Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, The…
THE cashless tolling system is to commence on the Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Markurdi Expressway on Thursday, January 16, 2025. The system, which follows Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) guidelines for Public-Private Partnerships in the country, signifies the beginning of the operations and maintenance of the road for sustainable networks. This was contained in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the construction firm – China Harbour Engineering Company Nigeria Limited. The statement reads: “The cashless tolling system is a strategic programme under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), aimed at promoting a strong and sustainable transportation ecosystem. “Tolls collected will go towards…
THE Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has approved the posting/appointment of some senior officers to various command, staff and instructional positions. Army spokesman, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, who announced this in a statement on Saturday, January 11, explained the posting/appointment was part of the COAS strategic moves to enhance operational effectiveness and administrative efficiency of the Nigerian Army. Maj.-Gen. Nwachukwu said the redeployment also underscores Nigerian Army’s commitment to ensuring robust and dynamic leadership structure capable of addressing emerging security challenges. He said the redeployment cuts across Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at the Army Headquarters (AHQ), General Officers…
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…
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…