Author: Hamza Rufai

THE Ministry of Defence has handed over three Agusta Westland 109 Trekker Helicopters to the Nigerian Navy. A statement by the Director Naval Information Commodore A Adams-Aliu on Wednesday, said the brief handover ceremony was done at the Caverton Helicopters Limited (CHL) hangar facilities in Ikeja Lagos. The AW 109 Helicopter has a purpose-built VIP configuration with a full leather and noise attenuation system, according to the statement. “Furthermore, the helicopter is designed with a landing skid which gives it a better loading capacity compared to wheeled helicopters. “Additionally, the helicopters are designed with auxiliary tanks which give them extended…

THE Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh,was chief host for the National Conference  on  Building/Construction  for key stakeholders in the sector ,which held at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, on the 12th of Nov. According to a statement by the Special Adviser, Media to the minister, Diana-Mary Nsan, Wednesday, the forum, which brought together key players in the building and construction sectors, was centered around the theme “Adherence to Standard Practices: The Bedrock of Sustainable Development in the Building Sector.” In his address, Senator John Owan Enoh  acknowledged the…

THE Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said on Tuesday that the federal government is making frantic efforts to tackle the nation’s security challenges. Tunji-Ojo who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, are losing sleep over the issue. “Nobody is resting. Not the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, not the Minister of Defence, not the Chief of Defence Staff, not the DSS,” the minister said. “Nobody is sleeping, we are working. This security issue is a major issue of…

THE Inspector-General of Police, Dr Olukayode Egbetokun, has said that the Nigeria Police secured 35,604 convictions out of a total of 128,988 criminal cases prosecuted in 10 months. Mr Egbetokun disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the opening of a workshop on enhancing professionalism and standardisation in criminal investigation, organised for heads of police investigating/intelligence units. “Available records in our Force Legal Office shows that your investigative prowess, commitment to duty and resilience have resulted in 35,604 convictions from 128,988 criminal cases charged to court across the country. “The record shows that 1,782 of the cases were on appeal…

THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said his administration will not be deterred by blackmail from civil society organisations and activists, calling for a cessation of demolition exercises in the city. The minister made the statement following a visit to the demolished Ruga settlement alongside heads of security agencies in the FCT, following a security council meeting on Sunday evening. This newspaper reports that some of the settlers, joined by human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, and controversial social media critic, Vincent Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, on Friday, protested the demolition carried out by the…

NO fewer than seven states and the Federal Capital Territory have failed to approve the minimum wage expected to commence in October this year. This is as 25 states have commenced payment or made a pronouncement on the amount to pay as the minimum wage. The states that have yet to approve a particular minimum wage amount are Zamfara, Sokoto, Osun, Cross River, Imo, Plateau, Taraba, and the FCT. This newspaper gathered that paying the N70,000 minimum wage may take a long time in Zamfara, as the state just began paying the old N30,000 minimum wage. Recall that the N30,000…

THE Minister for Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has ordered the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and all other relevant agencies of the ministry to begin the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the inter-agency committee, set up to address the incessant grid collapses in the power sector. This is as the TCN appealed for understanding among Nigerians on the possibilities of intermittent disruptions as repair work begins on the grid. The Minister’s matching order came as the transmission company reported that the national grid experienced a disturbance at approximately 11:29 am, on Thursday, November 7, 2024, which was caused by…

THE Minister for Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has ordered the immediate replacement of aged equipment as part of the recommendations to stop the incessant collapse of the national grid. Adelabu assured that the replacement would be achieved in six months. Adelabu also directed the Transmission Company of Nigeria and all other relevant agencies of the ministry to begin the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the inter-agency committee, set up to address the incessant grid collapses in the power sector. The Minister’s marching order came as the TCN reported that the national grid experienced a disturbance at approximately 11:29 am, on…

AFTER being granted reprieve by President Bola Tinubu on Monday, several minors, aged between 14 and 17, who were arrested during August’s #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests against hardship in the country, have shared their harrowing experiences while in custody. On Friday, 76 suspects, including 32 minors – who were arrested during the protest – were arraigned by the Inspector-General of Police on 10 counts bordering on treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria and inciting to mutiny by calling on the military to take over the government from President Tinubu, among others. Four of the minors, who looked visibly malnourished, collapsed during court…

THE Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria says the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is inconsiderate for selling petrol at N990/litre, stressing that the company enjoyed massive concessions while accessing foreign exchange during its construction. PETROAN also insisted that imported petrol was cheaper than the N990/litre price of Dangote petrol. Major marketers recently revealed that the landing cost of imported petrol as of October 31, 2024, was N978/litre. On Sunday, the Dangote refinery alleged that PETROAN and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria were planning to import substandard petroleum products into the country. Reacting to this in a statement…

THE Federal Government has terminated the contract for the Rehabilitation of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, Section I (Abuja-Kaduna) from Julius Berger Construction company. A statement by the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Works, Mohammed Ahmed made available to News Point Nigeria, Monday, said the decision was made following the failure of the management of Berger to show up for a compliance meeting to fine-tune the contract sum which the government had pegged at N740bn which the company rejected. “It is a sad commentary on the Company that rather than accepting the offer, they tinkered with the Bills of Quantities,…

THERE are palpable fears that the individual ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed and his counterpart in Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, may further snowball the Peoples Democratic Party crisis and scuttle the ongoing reconciliation by the Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led committee. In the past few months, the camp of the party has been divided into factions loyal to Atiku and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, until Mohammed, who is also the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, indicated an interest in running for the Presidency in 2027. Both men are seen as…

THE House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has invited the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), NASENI Solar Energy Ltd, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Country Representative European Union and other stakeholders to appear over the $2 billion renewable energy grants and investments meant for the development of the renewable energy sector in Nigeria. The panel is conducting an investigative hearing over the investment which it said had not made a commensurate impact on the energy security challenges in the nation. The investigation followed a resolution of the House after the adoption of…

THE Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has commenced moves to drop the charges brought against the 32 minors arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Hours after the arraignment, the AGF disclosed in a statement late Friday night his interest in taking over the matter from the Inspector General of Police. He noted that there were issues his office would like to review. “There are some issues my office will need to look into regarding the matter to enable me to make an informed decision,” the AGF said.…

OIL marketers, on Friday, revealed that the price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, produced by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery was between N1,015 and N1,028/litre depending on the quantity being purchased. Based on this, the dealers vowed to import the commodity and sell it below the Dangote refinery price as well as the price being sold by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. Data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria on Thursday showed that the landing cost of petrol was N978.01/litre as of October 31, 2024. It stated that the landing cost of diesel was N1,069.97/litre,…

THE Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has taken over the case of the #EndBadGovernance protesters arraigned in the Federal High Court Abuja on Friday. The protesters, 75 in number between the ages of 12 and 15, were charged with 10 counts of terrorism, an attempt to overthrow the government, and alleged mutiny over their participation in the nationwide protest. Their arraignment has since generated backlash at the Federal Government from civil society organisations and oppositions leaders, who condemned the detention and prosecution of minors. They asked the government to quickly look into the matter…

THE National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday said the floods that ravaged different parts of the country recently affected 34 states and 217 local government areas, resulting in the death of 321 persons. NEC also said 1,374,557 individuals were impacted, with 740,743 people displaced nationwide. Governor of Anambra State Professor Chukwuma Soludo disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after the NEC meeting presided by Vice President Kashim Shettima. He said the floods also left 2,854 injured and destroyed 281,000 homes and 258,000 acres of farmland. He also said the council directed the Ministry of…

THE Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities said the ongoing strike is a long-term battle involving even vice-chancellors, bursars and registrars. On Monday, the JAC of SSANU and NASU embarked on an indefinite strike over its four-month withheld salary. Since then, activities have been grounded in universities across the country. In an interview with journalist on Wednesday, the National President of SSANU, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, said university executives, including vice-chancellors, bursars, and registrars, did not receive salaries for four months. He said as a result,…

NORTHERN governors have raised concern over the blackout in the region and want the Federal Government and related authorities to fastrack the restoration of power. The Northern Governors’ Forum said this on Monday after a meeting of the union alongside traditional rulers and other stakeholders held in Kaduna. “Forum resolves to call on the Federal Government and relevant Agencies to urgently address the current electricity power blackout affecting most of the Northern States due to vandalization of electricity transmission infrastructure,” the governors said in a communique issued after the meeting. “This matter not only underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure…

NO fewer than 40 persons are currently trapped in a building collapse that occurred in the Sabon Lugbe area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This newspaper gathered that the incident happened on Saturday ant annout 6:20pm and sympathisers and emergency workers are currently at the scene trying to get under the rubble.  In multiple videos circulated on social media, particularly X, residents are seen attempting to rescue the trapped victims. At the time of filing this report, it was unclear whether emergency services were present at the scene to assist in the rescue efforts. Our correspondent was also unable…