Author: Hamza Rufai

Full Text Of Buhari Farewell Speech My fellow Nigerian brothers, sisters and friends of Nigeria. 2. I address you today, in my last assignment as a democratically elected President of our great and well-endowed nation, with a deep sense of gratitude to God, a great deal of appreciation to the Nigerian people and a modest sense of fulfilment. 3. Today we mark and celebrate another peaceful transition of power from one elected government to another in our steady march to improve and sustain Nigeria’s democracy. 4. This year we witnessed the most keenly contested Presidential Elections since the first Republic…

DESPITE the inclusion of access to potable water on Sustainable Development Goals and efforts of the Nigerian government, several Nigerian communities still rely on unsafe sources of water. But a non-governmental organisation, Halima Shitu Charitable Foundation is working on changing the narratives as it continue to provide potable water to communities in northern Nigeria that are adversely affected by lack of potable water. In a memo made available to News Point Nigeria, the convener of the foundation, Sheikh Abdallah AbdulWahab calls for provision of potable water project for communities in Kano and Bauchi states. The communities include: Kunkurawa, Kekasa, Gidan…

THE Senate has amended the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to extend the implementation year from the 30th of June to the 31st of December, 2023. The National Assembly extended the implementation of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act from 31st December 2022 to 31st March 2023. This was to allow full implementation of the budget, especially in light of the 2022 supplementary budget approved in December 2022. News Point Nigeria reports that the extension had allowed the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government to utilise a large proportion of funds released to them. However, according to Senate Leader, Abdullahi Gobir,…

TWO days to the end of the eight-year regime of President Muhammadu Buhari, and handover of power to the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on May 29, the Presidency has said ministers will not be allowed to leave office with their official vehicles. It said they would only get what the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission prescribes as their severance benefits. It noted further that Buhari and the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), would also leave behind their armoured, luxury vehicles, which would be taken over by their successors, Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima, respectively. The Senior Special Assistant…

SENATOR Smart Adeyemi has urged President-elect Bola Tinubu to question the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele and those involved in the naira redesigning. The lawmaker representing Kogi West based his argument on the agony the heavily-criticised process caused Nigerians. “I will call on Emefiele and others to come and explain what happened and what was the reason behind the redesigning of the naira notes,” he said on Friday when asked what he would do about the naira redesign policy if he were in Tinubu’s shoes. The senator who was a guest on Friday’s edition of Channels Television…

THE inaugural airlift of Nigerian pilgrims has unprecedentedly began with a rescue operation as Aero Contractors failed to produce an aircraft for the transportation of the first batch of Nigerian pilgrims to 2023 hajj in Saudi Arabia. Aero Contractors is one of the five air carriers selected by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to airlift the 75,000 state pilgrims and officials to Saudi Arabia this year. The other four are Flynas, Max Air, Azman Air, and Air Peace. Findings from NAHCON revealed that Aero Contractors, which was also allocated 7,833 pilgrims, was to perform the inaugural flight with…

IN an apparent bid to temper expectations, the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, says the administration of his principal, Bola Tinubu, may not be off to a rosy start. Both Tinubu and Shettima are expected to be sworn in on Monday, signalling the end of the administration of outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari after the completion of two four-year terms. Shettima, in an address delivered on Friday at the 2023 Presidential Inauguration Public Lecture at the National Mosque, Abuja, assured Nigerians that Tinubu would hit the ground running. “The starting point might not be rosy, let me be very honest with you.…

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by three individuals seeking to stop the inauguration of President-elect, Bola Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima over age falsification and citizenship status in the document Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission. Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling on Friday, held that the suit by the trio of Praise Ilemona Isaiah, Pastor Paul Isaac Audu and Anongu Moses was frivolous and an abuse of the court process. Justice Omotosho held that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to file the suit, adding that the court could…

THE former governor of Kano State Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has advised Niger State Governor-elect, Umar Bago to hit the ground running immediately after his swearing in for the socio economic development if he must be a performing governor Kwankwaso stated this at the inauguration lecture of the Niger State Governor-elect with theme, ‘Addressing the challenges of socio economic development at sub national level in Nigeria held in Minna’. He revealed that lack of competence and knowledge has made some elected governors who claimed to know all to failure and have nothing to show in their states after four or eight…

AHEAD of the May 29 inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, the police have deployed special personnel to protect the Presidential Villa, provide security at and around the Eagle Square in Abuja, and man all Nigerian borders, seaports, and airports. Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed this on Thursday in a statement, saying operatives would equally be deployed to man the entry and exit points of the capital city and other critical government installations. Personnel for the inauguration were drawn from Special Forces namely, the Police Mobile Force, Counter-Terrorism Unit, Special Protection Unit, Anti-Bomb Squad, FIB-Intelligence Response Team and…

SOME hajj administrators and intending pilgrims have rejected the decision of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to arbitrarily deduct $100 from the Basic Traveling Allowance (BTA) of 75,000 Nigerian pilgrims. This newspaper gathered that some of the officials from the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards have vowed to go any length to stop the commission from deducting the BTA, saying it is “arbitrarily and illegal.”      On Monday, NAHCON officially announced that it will deduct $100 from the BTA of the 75,000 pilgrims and pay to the four local airlines – Max Air, Air Peace, Azman Air…

A NORTHERN political pressure group, the North West Arewa Youths has called on the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu not to betray the North West in it’s quest to produce the next Senate President of the 10th Senate. This was as the group rejected the endorsement of the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio by the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and urged the president-elect not to allow politicians from other geopolitical zones of the country to ambush him over the Senate Presidency seat. The youths under the aegis of Arewa Youths of Nigeria…

THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has deducted 810 hajj seats allocated to Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states, thereby triggering another fresh controversy few days to the commencement of airlift of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. This is coming at a time the hajj commission is still embroiled in another controversy over its arbitrary deduction of $100 from the BTA of each of the 75,000 pilgrims going through the state pilgrim boards to shore up hajj fares of some of the pilgrims. The hajj commission announced this cuts in a letter dated May 22, 2023, and signed by NAHCON’s…

THE Presidency, late Wednesday, explained that President Muhammadu Buhari gave the nod for last-minute funds a few days away to handover to the administration of Bola Tinubu because the government needs funds to clear debts. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria, while assessing the performance of Buhari’s eight-year tenure in office. “A wicked man owes and pay not, that is what the good book says. When you owe and you refuse to pay, the Bible says you are a wicked man. If…

GOMBE Athletics Association (GAA) On Wednesday unveiled an 11-man  Organising Committee for the maiden edition of the Inter-Primary Schools Athletics Championship. The committee members, which comprises of sportsmen and women, technocrats, coaches and members of the media had Malam Musa Garba as Chairman and Malam Babawuro Muhammad as Vice-Chairman. Other members are: Mallam Mohammed Dawaki,  Mallam Ibrahim Abubakar, Malam Sadiq Abubakar Ali,  Mallam Ishaku Zanna, Mallam Kawu Mohammed,  Mallam Sani Nuhu Abdullahi, Mallam Inuwa Mohammed who will serve as the Media Officer,  Prince Simon Ayuba as Technical Director, and Mallam Haryana Isah as Secretary.        The committee is…

THE Independent Hajj Reporters has urged governors-elect to sustain the ongoing hajj operation in their various states by avoiding unnecessary political changes that may disrupt the successful completion of the 2023 hajj exercise. The airlift of Nigerian pilgrims will begin on Thursday, 25 May, about four days to the inauguration of the new president and state governors across the country. IHR, a not-for-profit civil society organization that monitors and reports hajj activities in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, disclosed this in a statement signed by its national Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed on Tuesday. The statement said,” While we congratulate and welcome the…

GOVERNOR Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has approved the appointment of Dr Ibrahim Malami Tambuwal as the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SPHCDA). A statement issued by the Sokoto State Head of Civil Service, Abubakar Muhammad (mni), indicates that the appointment takes effect from May 19, 2023. “The appointment is made in consideration of the track record, experience and dedication of the medical doctor on the service of the State. “The Governor admonishes the appointee to see his appointment as a call for a greater service to the good people of Sokoto State and wish…

DESPITE repeated assurances to the contrary, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has resorted to charging additional $100 each from the 75,000 states pilgrims because of the Sudan’s civil war. The local air carriers had earlier demanded an increase per pilgrim as additional cost occasioned by additional flight time to Saudi Arabia because of the closure of the Sudan air space. Consequently, $250 was agreed between the carriers and commission after the negotiations. The commission said the federal government has waived the remaining 35 percent aviation charges (having waived 65 percent earlier), which translates to $55. “The liability of…

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and other related matters Commission (ICPC) has been urged to prosecute, recover salaries and allowances from a staff of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Tawfiq Tayo Akinwale, who contested the 2023 governorship election in Oyo State. Mr Akinwale, a NAHCON staff working in its Ilorin Zonal Office, was the Labour Party governorship candidate in Oyo State during the March 2023 elections. This call was made by a coalition of anti-corruption civil society organisations (CSOs), the Movement for Greater Nigeria and Good Governance (MGNGG), in a statement signed by its Advocacy Director Tokunbo Lasisi and…

THE Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government in an effort to end the ongoing strike. NARD commenced a five-day warning strike on May 17 to press home its demands after a 14-day ultimatum to the government lapsed. The doctors are demanding an immediate increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the tune of 200 per cent of their current gross salaries. They also want massive recruitment of clinical staff in hospitals and an immediate withdrawal of the bill seeking to compel medical and dental graduates to render five-year compulsory services…