Author: Amina Ibrahim

FOLLOWING his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Hassan Abubakar has approved the redeployment of 98 officers of air rank. Prominent among the new appointees are Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOCs), Commandants of Tri-Service Establishments, and Nigerian Air Force (NAF) institutions, according to a statement by NAF spokesperson, AK Famuyiwa. The newly appointed senior officers are expected to assume office not later than Monday, July 3, 2023. The newly reappointed senior officers comprise 52 AVMs and 46 Air Commodores (Air Cdres), among whom are the former Commandant Air Force…

A RETIRED Assistant Inspector General of Police, Nuhu Ribadu, has officially taken over from Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (retd) as Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA). At a brief event in Abuja on Monday, Ribadu on assumption, promised to live up to the expectations of Nigerians and secure the country from all forms of insecurity such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, amongst others. “We will stabilise this country, we will secure our country and we will make Nigeria peaceful because we believe time has come for this country to enjoy peace, restore order and rule of law just like any other country in…

FORMER Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, on Monday said that up until the time of its removal, the fuel subsidy has mostly been a scam run by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) in conjunction with marketers and other stakeholders in the oil sector. Yuguda who also was former minister of state for transport, disclosed this when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria. According to him, he was privileged to serve as the chairman of a subcommittee between 2008 and 2009 under the economic meltdown period and he chaired the…

A FORMER Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka has asked President Bola Tinubu to take quick steps such as removal of bank charges and reduction in the monthly contributions to pension schemes by workers to ameliorate the biting effects of the removal of fuel subsidy on the masses. Chidoka, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, stated this on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics monitored by News Point Nigeria. “We need to think beyond politics. When he (Tinubu) took a decision to remove subsidy and he removed fuel subsidy and the fuel prices…

NIGERIA’s entertainment industry is set to receive tremendous boost with the recent appointment of Hannatu Musawa as the Special Adviser on Culture and Entertainment Economy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Musawa, who is a daughter of the late Katsina famous politician, Musa Musawa, is a lawyer, politician and author. She studied Law at the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom; and has Master’s degrees in the Legal Aspects of Marine Affairs from the University of Cardiff, Wales; and Oil and Gas Law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. She is also a qualified solicitor in England and Wales, UK; and a…

THE Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, has approved the posting and appointment of some senior officers of the Nigerian Army (NA) to command, instructional and staff appointments across NA formations and units. The Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Saturday, said this was in an effort to reposition the Nigerian Army for operational efficiency and functional administration. Those affected in the recent redeployment include some Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) of the Army Headquarters (AHQ) General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Corps Commanders, Commandants of training institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers, amongst others.…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has ordered that financial institutions obtain the social media handles, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, residential addresses, and more of their customers. This forms part of its new customer due diligence regulations and is a bid to further deepen the identification process in the banking system. The apex bank disclosed this in its newly released ‘Central Bank of Nigeria (Customer Due Diligence) Regulations, 2023’ document. The CBN stated that its new regulation was created to provide additional customer due diligence measures for financial institutions under its regulatory purview. It noted, “To provide additional customer due diligence…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Friday described fuel subsidy as a “scam” and disincentive to growth, saying it rewarded smugglers and reduced the burden of the “real cost” of the commodity for some countries. Tinubu made the assertion during a meeting with members of the Nigerian community in France, said a statement by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, later that day. Addressing Nigerians in France, Tinubu explained that the Special Adviser on Monetary Policy, Wale Edun and Alake had excluded fuel subsidy removal from his inaugural speech, “but he felt it was expedient to stop…

THE Court of Appeal Abuja division has reinstated the former Director General National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mohammed Dauda. Delivering judgement Justice Peter Ige said the evidence leading to the dismissal of Dauda was frivolous and lacking in merit. The Judge also resolved all the contentious issues against NIA in favour of Dauda who is a respondent in the suit. He further ordered that his salaries and entitlements since the day of dismissal from office be paid. The Appellate Court also gave an order that the sum of N1million be paid to Dauda. Justice Ige further held that Dauda should be…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has called for vigilance ahead of the Eid-El-Kabir celebrations, saying that reports indicated plans to attack worship and recreational centres before and during the festivities. This was contained in a statement by the spokesperson for the secret police, Peter Afunanya, which was made available to Channels Television on Thursday. The DSS also advised operators and patrons of public places including markets and malls to be watchful and report any suspicious movements and persons to the relevant security agencies. The Service said it will continue to partner with sister agencies for necessary proactive drills to…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has not approved salary review for elected politicians and judicial officers, his media aide, Dele Alake has said. In a statement on Thursday, Alake, the Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy to the President described as misinformation, reports (not by Channels Television) that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) approved 114% increase in the salary of the President, Vice President, elected Federal and state political office holders and judicial officers. “We state without any equivocation that President Bola Tinubu has not approved any salary increase, and no such proposal has been brought before…

OPERATIVES of the Department of State Services have conducted a search of the Abuja home and office of the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa. This newspaper learnt that the secret police, also during the week, invited Bawa’s close associates in the EFCC for questioning, over alleged mismanagement, misappropriation and diversion of proceeds of sold assets forfeited to the EFCC. However, when contacted on Wednesday to speak on the development, the spokesperson for the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, said, “No comments.” Bawa, who is currently being held in the custody of the DSS “Yellow House,”…

VICE President Kashim Shettima has met with British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery at the State House, Abuja. In a chat with State House correspondents, the British High Commissioner informed State House correspondents that the meeting with the Nigerian Vice President was fruitful, as it focused on how to ramp up bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in the area of boosting economic engagements. Montgomery said British ministers are “responding positively” to the policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration including removal of fuel subsidy and unification of foreign exchange rates. The British High Commissioner said he discussed…

AIG Hakeem Odumosu, former Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Wednesday, debunked news circulating online that he has been appointed as chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). Reports emerged on Tuesday night that President Bola Tinubu had approved the appointment of Odumosu as the substantive Chairman of EFCC. But in a statement, Odumosu, who retired as an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, said he was not aware of such an appointment. He described the circulation of the fake appointment as an unnecessary distraction by mischief makers. “Good Morning everyone, I have been inundated with so many calls and messages…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, approved the return of the National Emergency Management Agency and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria to the Office of the Vice President for supervision, in compliance with their various establishment Acts. This was revealed in a statement signed on Tuesday by the Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Olusola Abiola, titled ‘President Tinubu approves the return of NEMA, Hajj Commission to Vice President’s Office.’ Prior to Tuesday’s statement, NEMA had been under the purview of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development since it was created in August 2019.…

THE Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has decorated the newly-appointed Inspector General of police, Kayode Egbetokun with his new rank of inspector-general of police (IGP). The new acting IGP had also served as Commissioner of Police in Lagos State. Shettima performed the short ceremony in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday. The VP was assisted by Egbetokun’s spouse, Mrs Egbetokun, at the event witnessed by senior government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume. Other officials present were Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has departed for Paris to join world leaders in Paris, France, to review and sign a New Global Financial Pact that places vulnerable countries on a priority list for support and investment, following the devastating impact of climate change, the energy crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. He took a helicopter from the Presidential Villa to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport earlier today, where he was received by state governors, government officials, and military personnel. In a statement issued on Monday by Dele Alake, Special Adviser, Special Duties, Communication, and Strategy, the President will attend the two-day Summit…

New Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, removed all Service Chiefs and replaced them with new ones, with Major General Christopher Gwabin Musa replacing General Lucky Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff. See the profile of the new Chief of Defence Staff below: 1. Name: Christopher Gwabin Musa. 2. Date/Place of Birth: 25 Dec 1967 – Sokoto. 3. State of Origin/LGA: Kaduna State/Zangon Kataf. 4. Corps: Infantry. 5. Member of the 38th Infantry Course Nigerian Defence Army. 6. Commissioned on 21 September 1991. CIVIL EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND a. Marafa Danbaba Primary School Sokoto – 1974 –…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Monday removed all service chiefs in Nigeria. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the immediate retirement of all Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Advisers, Comptroller-General of Customs from Service as well as their replacements with immediate effect,” said Willie Bassey, the Director of Information on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. See statement below: OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERATION PRESS & PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT June 19, 2023 PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU RETIRES ALL SERVICE CHIEFS, ADVISERS, COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF CUSTOMS, APPOINTS NEW…

NIGERIAN business tycoon, Aliko Dangote and Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates have congratulated President Bola Tinubu on the removal of fuel subsidy and other recent strides achieved by the new administration. Dangote made this known in a chat with State House correspondents after the duo met with the President in his office on Monday. According to businessman, the expectation is that the removal of fuel subsidy will open up better financial capabilities for the country to invest in other areas such as education as well as advance development among the citizenry. The business tycoon further…