Author: Maimuna Bashir Isa

THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has given owners of the 762 plots of land in Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone, A10, Abuja, a fresh two-week ultimatum to pay for their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) or risk final revocation of their allocation. This was disclosed this in a statement on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka. He said Wike reiterated that the primary interest was not for people to lose their lands, but to get them to make necessary payments to the government. “It should be recalled that on…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has granted temporary permission to Bureau de Change operators, to purchase up to $25,000 in foreign exchange weekly from the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, which was launched earlier this month. The arrangement will be in effect from December 19, 2024, to January 30, 2025. A circular dated December 19, 2024, and signed by T.G. Allu, on behalf of the CBN’s acting Director, Trade and Exchange Department, explained that this move is designed to meet seasonal retail demand for forex during the holiday period. The circular noted that transactions will occur at the prevailing NFEM rate,…

THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday announced the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), also called the cooking gas, and the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). It also announced zero per cent import duty on the products. Its National Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abdullahi Maiwada, broke the news in a statement. The statement said: “In alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s investment climate and increasing domestic gas utilisation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announces the implementation of fiscal incentives under the Presidential Gas for Growth Initiative. “Pursuant to Part 1, Section 5…

THE Naira yesterday appreciated to N1,660 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,662 per dollar last weekend. However, the Naira depreciated to N1,550 per dollar in the official foreign exchange market. Data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, showed that the indicative exchange rate for the naira rose to N1,550 per dollar from N1,540 per dollar last weekend, indicating N10 depreciation for the naira. Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate depreciated to N1,545.1 per dollar from N1,533 per dollar last week, Friday. Consequently, the margin between the parallel market and NFEM rate narrowed to…

BAUCHI State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, has urged President Bola Tinubu to remove what he described as “excess baggage” within his administration. According to Governor Mohammed, while governors have confidence in the President’s leadership, the actions of certain cabinet members are undermining his efforts. He said the President must “throw away the excess baggage,” emphasizing the need for decisive action. Governor Mohammed remarked as the special guest during the commissioning of the 14.1km Umuakali-Eberi Road in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State. He noted that the focus across various states should be on…

KEMI Badenoch has insisted that she stands by her past comments about Nigeria, after Vice President Kashim Shettima had accused her of denigrating the country. The Conservative Party leader, who was born in the UK but mostly raised in Nigeria, has repeatedly described growing up in “fear and insecurity in a country plagued by corruption”. On Monday, Shettima suggested Badenoch could “remove the Kemi from her name” if she was not proud of her nation of origin. Asked about Shettima’s comments, Badenoch said she “stands by what she says” and “is not the PR for Nigeria”. “I am the leader…

THE national grid has collapsed for the 12th time in 2024. A tweet via the official handle of Nigeria’s National Grid confirmed that the grid collapsed at about 2:09 pm on Wednesday. “The major grid setback has occurred and the restoration is to commence,” the handler wrote. The development was also confirmed in a statement by Jos Disco to its customers. The utility company, however, said the grid collapsed around 1: 33 PM today, leading to the loss of power supply to its feeders. “We hope to restore normal power supply to our esteemed customers as soon as the grid…

THE National Information Technology Development Agency has alerted Nigerians about a banking malware, which targets users globally through sophisticated phishing campaigns. The advisory was released by NITDA’s Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team on Monday. According to the agency, the new version of the Grandoreiro is a significant threat, using “advanced techniques, including screen overlay attacks and remote device control, to steal sensitive information such as banking credentials and personal data.” The malware, NITDA explained is primarily distributed via phishing emails and fraudulent websites that deceive victims into downloading malicious software disguised as legitimate updates or documents. Once installed, the…

THE Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has commenced an investigation into what it has termed a serious incident involving a FlyBird HS 125 aircraft, with registration number 5NKAL. The Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the NSIB, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday. According to her, the aircraft, operating a flight from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to Kotoka International Airport, Accra, experienced technical difficulties during its flight on December 6, 2024. It was reported that the aircraft lost two engines during the flight and decided to return to Abuja. He said preliminary information…

THE Minister of State for Industry, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, proudly represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the prestigious Africa Investment Forum 2024 Market Days held under the High Patronage of Mohammed VI, King of Morocco. The event, which took place at the Sofitel Jardin des Roses in Rabat from December 4-6, convened global leaders, project sponsors, investors, and policymakers to advance Africa’s development agenda. This year’s forum, themed “Leveraging Innovative Partnerships for Scale,” served as a platform to showcase transformative projects aimed at accelerating socio-economic development across the continent. A major highlight…

THERE is nationwide panic in Nigeria as the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has urged health authorities to activate heightened alert systems in response to the newly detected XEC COVID-19 variant that is rapidly spreading across the globe. XEC is the latest in a long list of past and current COVID variants being monitored as the COVID-19 virus naturally evolves. This directive comes after the strain, first identified in Australia, has now been confirmed in 29 countries. This was contained in a letter dated December 5 but made available to this newspaper on Saturday,…

THE United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group says it has concluded plans to kickstart operations with a branch in Saudi Arabia and expand its presence across other African subsidiaries in 2025. This was disclosed by the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, during a send-forth dinner held in honour of the bank’s retired non-executive directors in Abuja Alawuba revealed that the bank has over 25,000 staff and serves more than 45 million customers across 24 countries. He said, “The UBA that has over 25,000 staff and serves more than 45 million customers across 24 countries is the…

ARTS, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy Minister Hanatu Musawa has said the film cinema remains a tool for promoting national unity. Musawa, who spoke at the ongoing 14th edition of the Zuma International Film Festival (ZUFF) in Abuja, said the film cinema is a special form of art that fosters unity among people from diverse backgrounds. This year’s five-day ZUFF with the theme: Digital Renaissance: Embracing the Future, started on December 1 and ends today. It highlights the transformative role of technology in the evolution of cinema. The minister, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the President on…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu extends heartfelt congratulations to the elder statesman and politician, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, as he marks the remarkable milestone of 99 years on December 5, 2024. In his tribute, President Tinubu acknowledges the significant contributions of Alhaji Yakasai to the development of Northern Nigeria and the nation as a whole. He commends Yakasai for his dedication to public service and advocacy for the rights of citizens. As a human rights activist and former Parliamentary Liaison Officer to President Shehu Shagari during the Second Republic, Alhaji Yakasai’s insightful critiques and advice have played a pivotal role in shaping…

THE Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has lifted the suspension of Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman (SAN) as Chairman of its National Executive Committee (NEC). The decision, which confirmed this newspaper’s report, was communicated on Wednesday by the Secretary-General of the forum, Malam Murtala Aliyu, in a press release he personally signed and shared with our reporter. This newspaper had reported that the suspension would be lifted on Wednesday (today). Aliyu said, “That the ACF Unity, Peace and Reconciliation Committee under the chairmanship of Dr Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, CFR, Ajiyan Katagum has intervened in the recent leadership crisis in ACF. “It had…

A FORMER Head of State Yakubu Gowon has recalled how he pleaded with the late Sani Abacha to spare the life of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. The Abacha regime arrested Obasanjo in 1995 owing to an alleged coup plot. However, the former president was released after Abacha’s demise in 1998. The following year, Obasanjo became Nigeria’s president, elected under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Speaking at the Plateau Unity Christmas Carols and Praise Festival in Jos, Gowon recalled how he wrote a letter to Abacha, pleading for Obasanjo’s life. “We thank God because a moment ago, I…

THE Nigerian Army has confirmed that investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, is in its custody. This newspaper had earlier reported how the Foundation For Investigative Journalism (FIJ) broke the news of Soyombo’s ordeal. “The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt has been detaining our founder, Fisayo Soyombo, for three days running. Journalism is not a crime,” FIJ said on X. Confirming this in a statement on Friday, the Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Danjuma, narrated what led to Soyombo’s detention. Danjuma said the incident followed intelligence regarding a notorious gang of…

THE Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Kwarra, has announced plans to conduct Nigeria’s population and housing census in 2025, nearly two decades after the last census in 2006. He made this known during the 2024 anniversary of the Nairobi Summit on the International Conference on Population and Development held in Abuja on Thursday. “A major setback that we face is the delay in conducting a Population and Housing Census. A reliable and accurate census is fundamental for a good decision making. “But the government, at the highest level, is committed to conducting a census, and we believe it…

THE Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) has sealed off a premise of Unity bank, Chicken Republic and the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) all located along Yakubu Gowon Way over N100 billion tax liabilities. The agency also sealed off the Hamdala hotel. Leading an enforcement team, Board Secretary and Executive Director Legal Services, Barrister Aisha Ahmad, said the agency embarked on the enforcement of non-payment of the Land Use Tax after exhausting all legal avenues of settlement. See below photos:

THE Federal Government has lifted the ban restricting the posting of members of the National Youth Service Corps to the public sector, allowing for corpers to now be posted to private sector organisations, including banks and oil and gas companies. According to a memo issued by the Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, dated November 18, 2024, the new policy directive will take effect with the commencement of the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Orientation exercise. The previous policy implemented during the tenure of former Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Bolaji Abdullahi, aimed at discouraging private companies from exploiting cheap labour…