A MORNING tour of Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, on Thursday revealed no signs of protests. This newspaper reported that the areas visited were clear of any gatherings. At the popular post office along the Lokoja-Kabba/Okene road, traders were seen cautiously opening their shops halfway, carefully assessing the safety situation before fully opening. Security personnel, including police, civil defence officers, and local vigilantes, were observed patrolling key locations throughout the town. At the Secretariat of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, police were stationed at the gate, monitoring the movement of individuals entering and exiting the venue of the…
Author: Hamza Rufai
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OPERATIVES of the Kano State Police Command have dispersed some youths who tried to break into a store along Zoo road in the state capital. The suspects had attempted to force their way into the two storey building housing Sadaraki Stores. But the police quickly moved in to stall their action. However, before the arrival of security operatives, the suspects had destroyed windows of the building. So far, there is low compliance with the protest against hunger in the ancient city as many residents are indoor. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had, on Wednesday, said he had intelligence that evil-minded persons…
IN a generous act of philanthropy, Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, the President of MAAUN Group of Universities, has donated N5 million to support the education of 30 orphans enrolled in the primary section of Intercontinental Schools Kano. Prof. Gwarzo announced the donation during the Speech and Prize Giving Day of the School for 2023/2024 academic session held at the Afficient Event Centre, Kano on Tuesday. According to him, the gesture would go a long way in supporting the pupils to pursue their secondary school education after completing their primary education in the school. This significant contribution aims to enhance the…
SENATE President Godswill Akpabio has taunted those calling for demonstration over the economic hardship in the country. According to him, those interested in the protest can go ahead “but let us be there eating”. Akpabio spoke at an event organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Tuesday in Rivers state. His comment comes on the heels of the planned which organisers said would take off on August 1 and end August 10. Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, met with some of the organisers on Tuesday in Abuja, appealing to them for virtual protest but they insisted on going…
THE Federal Government paid over ₦633.30bn on electricity subsidy in the first quarter of 2024, findings have shown. According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission quarterly report, the sum represented a 150.5 per cent increase from ₦252.76 billion in Q4, 2023. The sum paid in the first three months of the year is higher than ₦628.61bn paid from January to December 2023. A breakdown of the ₦633.30bn showed that subsidy gulped ₦36.02bn in the first quarter, ₦135.23bn in the second quarter, ₦204.6bn in the third quarter and ₦252.76bn in the fourth quarter of 2023. The electricity market regulator blamed the…
THE senator representing Borno South at the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has rejected a new office allocated to him by the Senate Services Committee. Ndume, in a letter addressed to the Chairman, Senate Services Committee on Tuesday, said the office given him does not reflect his seniority and high ranking posture at the Senate. The letter, signed by his Chief Confidential Secretary, Yati Shuaibu Gawu, reads: “I am directed to inform you that, Distinguished Senator Mohammed All Ndume, has rejected the allocation of office number 3.10 by the Committee. “This is because offices are traditionally allocated on seniority basis.…
THE Federal Government has called for calm on the proposed nationwide protest, saying it had created centres across the country where Nigerians can purchase a 50kg bag of rice for ₦40,000. This was revealed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris while briefing correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja on Monday. According to Idris, the initiative was part of initiatives by the Tinubu administration to ease living conditions for citizens. He argued that there was no longer a need for the nationwide…
THE military and the Police have commenced a massive nationwide deployment of soldiers and police personnel ahead of the August 1 #EndBadGovernance protest planned by some youths and civil society groups. Findings by this newspaper on Monday also indicate that the security agencies, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, have put their personnel on red alert in anticipation of the proposed nationwide rally organised to draw the government’s attention to the economic hardship faced by citizens. The organisers, who have refused appeals by the Presidency and police authorities to abandon the demonstrations, want an improvement in the soaring…
THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has confirmed fuel supply and distribution challenges in some parts of Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other states but promised to work on restoring normalcy. “The NNPC Ltd. wishes to state that the tightness in fuel supply and distribution witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT is as a result of a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels,” the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPCL Olufemi Soneye said in a Saturday statement. “The Company further states that it is working round the clock with…
A FORMER governor of Kano State governor and the National Leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, has called on Nigerians and the youths, to employ the power of the ballot box to resolve the current economic hardship in the country. The NNPP helmsman spoke on the background of a planned nationwide hunger and hardship protests by youths. In a statement published on his official X handle on Saturday, Kwankwaso said although the idea of a protest resonates with him, Nigerians should rather be patient with the Bola Tinubu government, and give it all necessary support…
THE Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Friday, asked all groups planning to carry out proposed nationwide hunger protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states commands. Egbetokun also disclosed that intelligence at the disposal of the Force has revealed that foreign mercenaries are involved in the proposed nationwide protest. The Police boss, who spoke to journalists, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja during a press briefing, said the demands were made to ensure a peaceful demonstration. He said, “we acknowledge the constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest. However, in…
THE Senate has revealed plans to summon the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Dangote Group, and Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri among others, for questioning over alleged economic sabotage in the country’s petroleum industry. This was made known by the Leader of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate ad-hoc committee on “Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry” at a media briefing on Thursday. The chairman disclosed that the 14-member committee constituted on July 23 would investigate billions of dollars spent on turnaround maintenance of the…
THE Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, on Wednesday urged the people of the South-East not to join the planned anti-government protests. This request comes after President Bola Tinubu signed the South East Development Commission bill into law.” Kalu said President Tinubu has shown his resolve to heal the wounds of the past, as the newly signed bill will tackle ecological problems and other related environmental or developmental challenges in the south-east states, and address infrastructural damages suffered by the zone as a result of the civil war. “To my fellow South-Easterners, I implore you not to…
GOVERNORS from the 36 states of the federation are currently convening in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, they are meeting at the NGF secretariat in the FCT. Some of the governors have already started to arrive at the meeting venue. Those already present at the venue are Governors Lawal Dauda (Zamfara), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Alex Otti (Abia). This is as the governors of Enugu, Peter Mbah and Borno States, Babagana Zulum, sent their deputies to represent them. The agenda of the meeting is currently not made…
THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it is not behind any planned nationwide protest over the current economic hardship in the country. According to reports, some youths are planning a nationwide protest between August 1 and 15 against the rising cost of living and economic hardship in the country. President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, in a statement personally signed by him on Wednesday, denied reports that it had withdrawn from the protest. According to Ajaero, the union “cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise”. He said: “A news report of the withdrawal of the Nigeria Labour…
FOUR officials of the West African Examination Council were on Tuesday arrested by men of the Nigeria Police Force on the orders of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies. The arrested officials were Amos Dangut, Head of National Office, WAEC Nigeria, who represented the Registrar; Senior Deputy Registrar, Angus Okeleze; acting Director of Finance, Victor Odu; and Deputy Director of Finance, Segun Jerumeh. Their arrest followed a motion moved by a member of the committee, Uchenna Okonkwo, after the officials failed to give satisfactory responses to enquiries posed by the panel. During the investigative hearing, the WAEC…
THE Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, stated on Tuesday that the proposed nationwide protest was ill-advised, urging the citizens to abandon the plan. His comment was in response to social media campaigns mobilising for a nationwide protest slated for August 1 due to the economic hardship in the country. Speaking during a meeting with commissioners of police in Abuja, Egbetokun noted that the country has its fair share of violent protests with dastardly consequences. The IG added that the last #EndSARS protest aggravated crime rates and insecurity in several parts. He said, “Before concluding this address, it is important…
THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to invite the leaders of a planned nationwide protest over hardship in the country, asking him to also address the challenges facing the citizens. “As the date for the widely reported national protest looms, the Nigeria Labour Congress urges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite the leadership of the protest movement for discussions on their grievances,” the NLC said in a Monday statement by its president Joe Ajaero. The NLC chief said with inflation hitting 34.19 per cent coupled with the hike in food and electricity tariffs among others,…
ALHAJI Abubakar Mustapha, former National Organizing Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Mustapha, who was also head of civil service in Kaduna, was received into his new party by the state APC Organizing Secretary, Alhaji Kawu Ibrahim Yakasai, and Secretary to Kaduna state government, Dr. Abdulkadir Mu’azu Meyere, at an event in his hometown Gubuchi, Makarfi local government area of Kaduna. He is a close associate and strong ally of former PDP National Chairman and former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi. Abubakar Mustapha who had earlier communicated his official…
THE marginal rise in crude oil production in June 2024 increased Nigeria’s earnings from crude oil sales by about N91bn in the same month. Latest oil production data obtained from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, an agency of the Federal Government, indicated that Nigeria’s oil production rose from 1,251,494 barrels per day in May to 1,276,159 barrels per day in June, representing an increase of 24,665 barrels daily. This implies that the country pumped an additional 739,950 barrels of crude oil in 30 days in June. The average price of Brent, the global benchmark for crude, was $82.25/barrel in…