Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE federal government has made provisions that will allow Nigerian people to have the right to assess the performances of ministries for effective deliveries. Hadiza Bala-Usman, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Coordination, made this known during an interview with TVC News Breakfast on Tuesday. Bala-Usman asserted that citizens would be involved in evaluating the ministries to speed up the process of addressing important issues affecting the country. She also revealed that the ministers will have a retreat in November to get familiarised with the key performance indicators as they engage in their official tasks as expected from…

NIGERIA’s inflation rate has climbed to 26.72 per cent, marking a 0.92 per cent increase from the previous month’s 25.80 per cent. The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed this on Monday via its latest Consumer Price Index report for September 2023. It was shared on the X handle of NBS. The upsurge in inflation is mainly linked to the removal of petrol subsidies and the devaluation of the official exchange rate, both exerting substantial impacts on consumer prices. It said, “September 2023, the headline inflation rate increased to 26.72 per cent relative to the August 2023 headline inflation rate which…

THE Trade Union Congress on Saturday said the suspension of its October 1 nationwide strike was a temporary move. It noted that it remained conditional upon the fulfillment of the promise by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to fulfill the conditions enlisted in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Federal Government and the Organised Labour. Labour also dismissed the claim by governors that they would not implement the demands in the MoU between the Federal Government and the organised labour on the grounds that governors had rolled out palliatives for state civil servants and residents before the MoU was…

THE Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will swear Funmi Falana and 68 other lawyers as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) on Monday, November 27. Funmi, a women’s and children’s rights activist, is the wife of popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN). In a statement Thursday, the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hajo Bello, said the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) under the Chairmanship of Justice Ariwoola approved the elevation of the 58 lawyers. He said the approval is sequel to the Committee’s 159th Plenary session which was held in Abuja on Thursday. “The rank of a…

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted allegations made by one Dr Paul Azike in a viral video over the plight of Nigerian inmates in Kaliyi Prison, Ethiopia. The ministry in a statement signed by it’s spokesperson, Francisca K. Omayuli (Mrs), Thursday, said, Dr Ezike’s narration was exaggerated and blown out of proportion, while his assertion of inaction by the Nigerian Mission in Addis Ababa to the alleged plight of Nigerian inmates, is unfair and misleading. The statement read in full: THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS REFUTES ALLEGATIONS MADE BY ONE    DR. PAUL EZIKE IN A VIRAL VIDEO ON…

THE Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib, on Wednesday, said 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory have recorded over 14,000 suspected cases of diphtheria so far. Shuaib, however, disclosed that over 10,000 of the cases occurred in Kano State, which is the epicentre of the outbreak. He noted that 97 per cent of the cases were recorded in Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna and Bauchi states with over 600 deaths. The NPHCDA boss disclosed this at the quarterly review meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee in Abuja.…

THE Federal Government says Nigerians will have their passports delivered to them at home, offices, and other places of choice beginning February, next year. Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said this on Monday in Lagos while speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2023 University of Lagos International Week. According to him, Nigerians will soon begin to experience the “sweetness” of the passport application as the ministry has started the automation of the process. “We have commenced the automation of our end-to-end passport application process, and we have given a timeline from which Nigerians will begin to experience the ‘sweet…

THE Federal Government has waived valued-added tax (VAT) on diesel for six months.  Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris said this in a statement on Sunday after a meeting between government officials and labour unions over the latter’s planned industrial action. “VAT on diesel will be waived for the next 6 months,” he said, noting that it was part of the resolutions reached during the meeting with organised labour in Abuja. While one of labour’s demands is the cushion the rising cost of transportation via the use of alternative energy sources, the minister the government is “committed to fast-tracking the…

THE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar felicitates with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and the citizens of Nigeria on the occasion of the 63rd Independence Anniversary Celebration. According to a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Sunday, the Minister called on Nigerians to keep faith with President Tinubu’s administration as he gears the country towards the entrenchment of democracy and sustainable development. He also called on Nigerians to use the occasion to reflect on the steady progress being made to see themselves as critical stakeholders of the…

THE Federal Government has declared Wednesday, September 27, 2023 as public holiday in commemoration of Eil-ul- Maulid celebration. The celebration signifies the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). In a statement which the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, issued on his behalf, Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, congratulated Muslims for witnessing this year’s occasion. He also admonished them to imbibe the spirit of love, patience, tolerance and perseverance which are deep spiritual virtues that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him ) exemplified. The Minister urged youths to embrace hard work and peaceful dispositions…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has confirmed the resignation of Mr Godwin Emefiele as its governor, three months after being suspended from office by President Bola Tinubu. Emefiele was thereafter quizzed by officials of the Department of State Service (DSS) who later charged him to court. Following his suspension, the Federal Government appointed Mr Folashodun Shonubi, the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), to oversee the affairs of the apex bank. In a statement by the Director of Information at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, the government said Emefiele’s suspension from office was…

THE Universal Basic Education Commission has revealed that Nigeria needs an additional 20,000 schools and 907,769 classrooms to be able to absorb the growing number of out-of-school children in the country. A statement by the Director, Press, of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, disclosed this on Tuesday. The statement noted that the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hammed Boboyi, gave the statistics while briefing the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on his agency’s activities. The PUNCH reports that there have been controversies over the true state of out-of-school children in Nigeria. Though the official number of out-of-school children…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday said victims injured in the September 7 shooting incident in Abuja deserve financial support and justice. DSS Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, stated this in a statement a week after officials of the service allegedly shot at a man in a market in the Garki 2 area of the nation’s capital. He said the “Service believes that the victims deserve empathy, financial support, and justice”. “While it is in regular contact with their families or guardians, it will continue to follow up on their recovery and progress. However, the DSS reassures the…

THE Department of State Services, DSS has arrested and detained the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in charge of Financial System Stability, Aisha Ahmad, over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of shares in Polaris Bank, Titan Bank/Union Bank. A source in the Secret Police told News Point Nigeria that, the CBN Deputy Governor is currently being interrogated on how $300 million to complete the acquisition of Union Bank was raised by Titan Bank. According to the source, the department has also confiscated Ahmad’s electronic gadgets and carted away some documents from her home and office. Ahmad is still…

THE Department of State Services has begun an investigation into what appears as a mob attack at the Garki Market in the Federal Capital Territory earlier today. The Service said in a statement by its Spokesman Dr. Peter Afunanya that the probe became necessary to determine whether its operatives or the mob at the market were at fault over the incident. In the statement made available to News Point Nigeria on Thursday night, Afunanya said: “The attention of the Department of State Services has been drawn to an incident that occurred a few hours ago (Thursday, 7/9/2023) between its staff…

THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has urged state pilgrim welfare boards to collect N4.5m as deposits from 2024 hajj pilgrims. Speaking after a meeting with chairmen and executive secretaries for the state’s pilgrim board Tuesday in Abuja, the Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Hassan, said the fare for the next hajj would be expensive due to the unification of foreign exchange by the federal government. Hassan noted that with the dollar currently at N750, the commission is not certain what the price for pilgrims would be owing to the fluctuation of forex. He said the deposit might change depending…

THE Senate has foreclosed the possibility of the National Assembly cutting down on expenses despite the economic hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidies. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, told journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Monday that the National Assembly is not responsible for any economic hardship experienced in Nigeria. He identified what he described as many cogent roles, including committee works and oversight roles, played by lawmakers without any allowances attached, insisting that calls for them to cut down on expenses cannot be valid. Adaramodu made the remarks…

THE Nigeria Immigration Service issued at least 66,929 official and diplomatic passports to public office holders since the dawn of the electronic passport issuance in January 2007 till August 2023, this newspaper gathered. This is as over 1,091 of the travel documents were issued to newly-elected and appointed public officials since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023. Acting Comptroller-General of the NIS, Caroline Adepoju, revealed this in an interview with our correspondent. Adepoju said over 16 million passports were issued to Nigerians, including foreign nationals who later became citizens. She disclosed that more passports are being processed…

THE Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has made a new demand for an upward review of allowances from the state and federal governments following the rising cost of living as a result of the removal of fuel subsidies by the Federal Government. This was part of the resolution reached by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NMA at its meeting held in Owerri, the Imo State capital, between August 27 and September 3. However, the National President of the NMA, Uche Ojinmah, who spoke to journalists on Monday, commended the Federal Government for the recent upward review of its members’…

CHICAGO State University, United States has put its X (formerly Twitter) page on private after some Nigerians allegedly stormed the page to inquire whether or not President Bola Tinubu truly graduated from the institution. This is in the wake of a petition filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, in a United States court to obtain information about Tinubu’s academic records at the Chicago State University. A check on the page which was earlier Public, on Tuesday, showed it has now been put on Private with a message – “These posts are protected. Only confirmed…