Author: Hamza Rufai

GOVERNORS under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have assured Nigerians that better wages will result from the ongoing negotiations between the government, private sector and organised labour. The governors gave the assurance after a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday. “The governors agreed to continue engaging with key stakeholders to reach a mutually agreeable solution,” a communique issued by the Governors Forum read in part. “We remain dedicated to the process and assure that better wages will result from the ongoing negotiations.” Chairman of the NGF and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, signed the communique. The governors also…

SENATE President Godswill Akpabio has denied claims that the 10th Senate was proposing the procurement of new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. Akpabio who addressed journalists in Maiduguri, described the claims as false. According to a Tuesday statement by his media aide, Jackson Udom, the Senate President was in Borno State to pay a condolence visit to Senator Tahir Monguno over the death of his father. “I want to dispel the rumour that you are hearing that the Senate President said he will buy a new plane for the President and his Vice, irrespective of…

VICE President Kashim Shettima has described the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, as an institution that must be jealously guarded and protected. Shettima stated this following an alarm raised by the Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Council (MURIC), Prof. Isiaq Akintola, that the Sokoto government is allegedly plotting to depose the Sultan. In a statement on Monday, Akintola said Nigerian Muslims would reject any thought of deposing the Sultan after the state Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, deposed 15 traditional rulers for various offences. Speaking at the ongoing North West Peace & Security Summit in Katsina State, Shettima told…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu says the efforts of security forces in the fight against insecurity in the North-West are yielding results, and have disrupted and dismantled criminal networks. The President said this at the North-West Peace and Security Summit organised by the North-West Governors’ Forum in Katsina, the capital of Katsina State on Monday. Represented by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, Tinubu assured Nigerians that the progress made so far is just the beginning as the government is making more effort to provide a better secure environment for all citizens. “Our military forces, through various operations such as Operation Hadin Kai…

GOVERNOR Umaru Bago of Niger State criticized the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for the alleged poor treatment of Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. Bago in a series of posts via X, accused the commission of failing to provide adequate food for the pilgrims, leading to illness among some of them. “NAHCON has no business in chartering flights; it is not their business to feed the pilgrims because of the food,” Bago stated. “For example, I am from Niger State. If you allow me to feed pilgrims, I will be able to trans-ship foods that people are locally used…

THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has announced the approval of N21 billion for 11 electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, to provide meters for customers. This announcement was made in NERC’s ORDER NO: NERC/2024/072 on The Operationalisation of “Tranche A” of the Presidential Metering Initiative Under the Framework of Meter Acquisition Fund. “The order signed by NERC Chairman, Mr Sanusi Garba and Commissioner Legal, Dafe Akpeneye, shall become effective From June 2024 and may be amended or revoked by subsequent orders issued by the commission. “The commission hereby approves the sum of N21 billion apportioned pro rata to contribution by the…

THE Kano State Police Commissioner, AIG Usaini Gumel, has given reasons why the police ignored Governor Abba Yusuf’s directive on the eviction of the deposed Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero. Recall that Yusuf had on Thursday night, through the State Attorney General And Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Dederi, directed the CP to remove the deposed 15 Emir of Kano from the Nasarawa mini palace where he is staying. Speaking in a telephone interview with this newspaper on Friday, the police commissioner said obeying the governor’s eviction order would be tantamount to “jumping the gun”. According to him, the…

THE Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has directed the continuation of the police barricade on local government secretariats in Rivers State to prevent a breakdown of law and order. IGP Egbetokun gave the directive while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on the sideline of a Conference with Commissioners of Police and other Senior Officers. He said the police will continue to occupy the secretariats until a court of competent jurisdiction delivers judgment on the local government crisis in Rivers State. The IGP who also spoke on the controversy over the recruitment of constables and the allegations by…

THE Federal Government has borrowed a total of $4.95bn in loans from the World Bank in the past 12 months, pushing the total public debt to N101tn amidst worries about the increasing costs of servicing external debt. The nation’s public debt was put at approximately N97tn as of December 2023, according to the Debt Management Office data. This came as the government still expects fresh loan approval worth $4.4bn from the international lender and the Africa Development Bank over the next one year. An analysis by our correspondent showed that the bank approved funding for six projects including $750m for power…

PRESIDENTIAL Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, has accused the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led Federal Government of heeding to ill advice from enemies of Kano State. He said this in reaction to the emirate tussle in which Federal security agencies with constitutionally assigned responsibility of ensuring peace, law and order, have been backing the deposed Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony for the construction of 82 kilometres rural road networks at his hometown, Madobi, Kwankwaso said people of Kano would resist any attempt to…

KANO State Government has expressed concern over how the Police command in the State has been disobeying the “legitimate instructions” of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Chief Security Officer of the State. Speaking at a press conference in Government House, Kano, on Saturday, the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Isah Dederi, said, “I am compelled to ask the question: who is usurping the authority of the Commander-in-Chief. Because some people are dishing out directives to security chiefs in the State so much so that the State Police Commissioner without any consultation with the Chief Security Officer of the State…

ALHAJI Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 16th Emir of Kano, says he is not worried about the possibility of another governor removing him. Former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had dethroned Sanusi in 2020, following a personal rift. While Sanusi was reinstated by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, the 15th Emir, is contesting his dethronement in the court. Speaking with Saturday Sun, Sanusi said only God knows how long he will stay on the throne. He said: “For me, even now that I am here, only God knows how long I will be here. I can die tomorrow. Another governor…

THE House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has asked the Federal Government to purchase new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima. The committee’s recommendation is contained in a report released after its investigation into the status of the aircraft in the presidential air fleet. “The committee is of the strong and informed opinion that, considering the fragile structure of the Nigerian federation and recognising the dire consequences of any foreseen or unforeseen mishap that may arise as a result of the technical or operational inadequacy of the presidential air fleet, it is in the…

A POLICE Inspector and two armed robbers were killed on Thursday during a bank robbery at Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. Consequently, some angry residents of Abaji set the corpse of one of armed robbers ablaze. Information gathered from a police officer revealed that a group of robbers invaded a bank in Abaji town around 5:30pm. He said that the robbers first attacked a police station along Toto Road where a Police Inspector simply identified as Abila was shot dead. According to the police officer, the robbers, who alighted from two unmarked vehicles, started firing…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has reacted to the trending video of him tripping at Eagle Square in Abuja on Wednesday, saying democracy is worth falling for. Tinubu missed a step while climbing the vehicle for a parade at Eagle Square in Abuja during an event for the 2024 Democracy Day. But he quickly regained his balance and continued with the activities for the day. Speaking about the incident during a day to mark the day, Tinubu joked about the incident and said that he had only “dobale” – paid homage to democracy in the Yoruba style. According to him, while celebrating…

THE Honorable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has stated that severe housing affordability crisis affecting over 80% of Africa’s population, driven by low incomes, challenging macroeconomic conditions, and rising living costs. The minister stated this during his opening remarks at the Ministerial Roundtable on “Innovative Financing for Housing Affordability,” held during the SHAFDB Annual General Meeting at the Marriott Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. According to Dangiwa, “With each passing year, the affordability bar keeps getting higher,” he noted, emphasizing the urgent need for affordable housing solutions. He further shared insights from his tenure as Managing…

THE 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, who was recently dethroned by the state government, has invited district heads to durbar, a traditional event held in commemoration of Sallah. The announcement was contained in a circular signed by a senior councilor of the emirate, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, Galadiman Kano, on Tuesday. The circular, dated June 10, 2024, directed all the district heads of the emirate to come along with their village head, their horse riders and praise singers. It reads, “We are directing all the district heads of the emirate to come along with their village head, their horse…

A FIRE outbreak has razed a departmental building at the School of Technology, Kano State Polytechnic. It was gathered that the fire engulfed the entire Arts and Industrial Department of the polytechnic early Tuesday morning. The Spokesperson of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif Abudullahi, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, but the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. He added that details of the loss recorded could also not  be immediately ascertained as investigation was ongoing. He, however, promised to provide more updates in due course.

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has denied reports, that it inflated the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit by N3.3tn during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. A statement by its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, on Monday, argued that its subsidy claims were verifiable, stressing that all relevant records on subsidy had been sent to the agencies in charge. The company also said it was not aware of any planned audit of its accounts, as alleged in an earlier report by a newspaper and online media. It said, “NNPC notes with dismay a report in a section of the media alleging…

A FORMER Director of Procurement at the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Azubuike Okorie, has told a Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, that a N1.4 billion Apron Extension Contract at Katsina Airport was not executed despite the payment of mobilisation fee to the contractor. He testified as a subpoenaed witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday in a case involving former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika, his daughter, son-in-law, and Al-Buraq Investment Ltd, regarding the alleged N1.4 billion Apron Extension Contract at Katsina Airport. Okorie added that the contract remained unexecuted when he left civil service…