Author: Hamza Rufai

SAUDI Arabian club, Al Hilal SFC, have reportedly made a world-record bid of 300 million euros for PSG forward, Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe has been at loggerheads with the executive of the French club after the 24-year-old informed them he wouldn’t extend his contract which expires in 2024. The 11-time Ligue 1 champions have also left Mbappe out of their travelling squad for a four-match pre-season tour in the Far East and put him up for sale, with speculations indicating the Frenchman intends to see out his contract and then join Real Madrid next summer on a free transfer. But the…

THE Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume is assuring Nigerians of the government’s plans to ease the pains of the hike in the price of petrol. Since the removal of the petrol subsidy, there has been a hike in the price of the commodity. Earlier sold for about N190 per litre, the price has gone up to between N600 and N700 since President Bola Tinubu pronounced that “subsidy is gone”. The development has triggered a backlash but Akume says the government is not oblivious of these concerns. “As our team takes shape, I want to remind…

GUNMEN suspected to be bandits attacked the residence of the former minister of information, Mr Labaran Maku in Ola community, Akwanga local government area of Nasarawa State. Three security guards attached to the residence, sustained serious injuries during the attack on Saturday. According to one of the security guards, the attackers tried to force their way into the residence but were resisted by the guards. “When they couldn’t get access, they started shooting sporadically and scaled the fence into the residence,” he explained. The suspected bandits fled on sighting security agents who rushed in from Akwanga to deal with the…

THE FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has urged Abuja residents to prepare for a downpour on Sunday but placed its staff on alert. FEMA spokesperson Nkechi Isa gave the advisory in a statement Saturday, saying the warning followed the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET)’s earlier projection of heavy rain in Abuja and neigbouring states. “The Federal Capital Territory,(FCT) and States contiguous with it are expected to experience heavy to moderate rainfall tomorrow,” the FEMA image maker said. It added that “NiMET impact-based weather forecast also anticipates low to moderate rainfall on Sunday 23rd, 2023 in parts of the FCT and its…

GOVERNORS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are meeting behind closed doors Wednesday evening to discuss the state of affairs of the party, following the resignation of its National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; and National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore. The pair stepped down on Monday, paving the way for the emergence of the Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Abubakar Kyari, as the party’s National Chairman. A reliable source told News Point Nigeria that, the meeting may also set the emergence of former Kano state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the new party chairman. The source added that, President Bola Tinubu…

THE Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has directed union members to go to work twice a week in view of the current hike in petrol prices occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy. The President of the Union, Smart Olugbeko, in a statement on Wednesday, said the union members could no longer survive on the current minimum wage. He said the directive followed the union’s extraordinary meeting held on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Olugbeko said members of the union would not return to full work till the Federal Government agreed to COEASU’s demand of 200 percent increase in…

THE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) says its members immediately increased the pump price per litre of petrol from N500 to over N617 on Tuesday morning to stay afloat. IPMAN President, Chinedu Okoronkwo, spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria. According to him, many IPMAN members have gone out of business due to the removal of subsidy on petrol as they were unable to raise money to load from depots and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited. Okoronkwo said with the price adjustment by the NNPCL on Tuesday morning, independent…

THE price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol have gone up across Nigeria and residents of Kano and Kaduna are not finding it funny, saying that the situation “is becoming unbearable”. The increase in petrol price took Nigerians by surprise on Tuesday with many petrol stations including those of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) adjusting their pump to a new price higher than what was being sold. Some major and independent marketers have adjusted their petrol pump price to N620 per litre, while some are still selling at N540 and N550 per litre within the…

JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja has fixed July 21 for the arraignment of a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah. Stella Oduah is to stand trial alongside eight others on a 25-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, money laundering, and maintaining anonymous bank accounts. At the last hearing, Justice Ekwo had ordered the EFCC to arrest some persons over a threat to his life. He said the individuals had sent text messages to his phone advising him against the trial of the defendants. At the resumed hearing, Counsel to EFCC, Hassan Liman, told the court that…

THE appointment of Alhaji Abubakar Usman Faruk as Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) has been terminated by all the Shareholders of the company. The letter was served on him in the morning of Monday, 17th July, 2023. The letter which was signed by the Chairman, Abuja Markets Management Limited, Abubakar Maina Sadiq, which was made available to the News Point Nigeria in Abuja on Monday, titled: Notice of termination of Employment, reads in parts: “We write to inform you that your services as Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) are no…

A NIGERIAN Air Force FT-7NI trainer aircraft has crashed in Makurdi, the Benue State capital. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident happened on Friday evening, while on a routine training exercise. The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, confirmed this in a statement on Friday. He said two pilots onboard the aircraft survived and were being observed in a military facility. “Luckily, the two pilots on board survived the crash after successfully ejecting from the aircraft. Additionally, there was no loss of lives or damage to any property around the area of impact. “Both…

THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft of domestic carrier, Max Air. The suspension is with immediate effect, according to a letter by the regulator to the domestic airline. The letter was dated July 12, 2023 and marked NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363. It was titled, ‘Suspension of Parts A3 and D43 of the Operations Specifications Issued to Max Air with Immediate Effect’. The letter was signed by NCAA Director of Operations, Training and Licensing, Capt. Ibrahim Bello Dambazau, on behalf of NCAA Director General, Capt. Musa Nuhu. By implication, all domestic flights of the airline…

THE Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has described the amnesty programme for bandits and terrorists in Zamfara and other states as a failed programme. Lagbaja said this when he hosted Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara during a courtesy call on Wednesday in Abuja. He said the amnesty programme had failed to achieve its purpose in the past, as it only gave criminals the opportunity to regroup, reorganise and attack defenceless citizens. The COAS also noted that the amnesty programme in the state and other parts of the Northwest was a failure. “We also have the issue of…

FORMER Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola has encouraged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to integrate voters’ registers with the National Identification Number (NIN) database in order to maintain the integrity and transparency of the country’s elections. He went on to elaborate that by doing so, the era of underage voting and numerous registrations will come to an end. Aregbesola made the remarks on Tuesday while presenting the lead paper, “Towards Free, Fair, and Credible Elections,” at the 7th International Conference of the Professional Statisticians Society of Nigeria (PSSN) at Nasarawa State University, Keffi. “I am suggesting a more seamless registration…

NIGERIAN billionaire, Femi Otedola says he nearly committed suicide following the loss of $480 million in the diesel market when he failed in business around 2008. He disclosed that his failure was so abysmal to the extent that his colleagues mocked him when Akin Akinfemiwa, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Geregu Power Plc, wanted to work with him at that time. Otedola said this at Akinfemiwa’s 50th birthday celebration in London on Tuesday. The oil magnate said it was the thought of his wife, Nana and their children that halted the suicide thought. He said, “My relationship with Akin…

DRAMA as Justice James Omotoso of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered an investigation of the Prosecution Counsel, Ibrahim Mohammed, who filed an eight-count charge against Senator Stella Oduah. The court is inquiring how the charge sheet which was filed in June by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is being prosecuted by the police. The controversy began when the matter was called and the counsel, Mohammed, announced his appearance for the Nigeria Police Force. He told the court that the defendant, Stella Oduah, was not in court because the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) said she could not…

THE Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Revenue, Zach Adedeji says the government will double the country’s total annual revenue which is currently below N15trn by deepening the nation’s revenue collection system and not by imposing extra taxes. Adedeji, who made this known on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday monitored by News Point Nigeria, also said the Federal Government will harmonise all revenue-collecting agencies. “Today, we collect under N15trn as the total annual revenue but our plan between now and the next three years is to double that revenue without increasing taxes and without bringing additional taxes,”…

THE National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, on Monday, met with state chairmen of the party at the APC secretariat in Abuja. Adamu said the meeting was summoned by the National Working Committee (NWC) to discuss developments in the party. He added that the meeting was essentially to brief the state chairmen on the forthcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party which will be attended by President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. The national chairman informed the state chairmen that the NEC meeting was postponed due to the absence of President Tinubu…

NIGER State Governor, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago, has directed the dissolution of all statutory Commissions, Boards, and Parastatals and the termination of all Political Appointees appointed before May 29, 2023. A statement issued by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Usman, disclosed that Governor Umar Bago ordered the dissolution and termination of appointments with immediate effect. Alhaji Usman further explained that Commissions, Boards, and Parastatals that are tenured or not tenured are also affected by the dissolution and urged concerned officials to comply immediately with the directive. While recognizing their positive contributions to the development of the…

THE Police Service Commission has approved the dismissal of three senior Police officers over cases of misconduct and abuse of office. The PSC also spproved the reduction in rank of a Commissioner of Police ,(CP) to Deputy Commissioner of Police and eight other officers . A statement by Ikechukeu Ani, spokesman of the commission said the Commission took these decisions at the continuation of its 21st Plenary Meeting which began at its Corporate Headquarters in Jabi, Abuja on Thursday July 6th 2023. It was presided over by Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Hon Commissioner…