Author: Amina Ibrahim

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu was not handed Nigeria at its best socio-economic state, and he knows this fact; perhaps, this has informed some of the steps he has taken within the last 13 days since he officially took the reins. Uneasy they say lies the head that wears the crown, and indeed the first few days have not been easy, especially because the new president had to delve headlong into the subsidy quagmire even as his lawyers continue to battle election petitions at the tribunal. There are many who have said that Tinubu has shown some applaudable character within these very…

HON NNOLIM Nnaji, immediate past Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, has accused Senator Hadi Sirika, former Minister of Aviation, of lying against him. He said this while responding to the allegation which the former minister of aviation levelled against him. When he appeared on an ARISE TV programme on Sunday, Sirika had said the lawmaker asked for 5 percent share of Nigeria Air. “Hon Nnaji asked me that I should give him 5% of Nigeria to carry him along with his people, and I said to him at that time, Honourable, a bidding process that has taken…

ASPIRANTS for the House of Representatives speaker, Hon Aliyu Betara and Hon Yusuf Gagdi have both agreed to stepdown for Hon Tajuddeen Abbas after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, News Point Nigeria gathered. Recall that this newspaper had exclusively reported that Betara was billed to announce his withdrawal from the speakership race anytime soon before the Tuesday, June 13 inauguration of the 10th National Assembly. Confirming the development in a statement on Sunday, Tajudeen Abbas/Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu Joint Task Campaign Office stated that the aspirant alongside others have formally stepped down for…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address the nation on Monday, June 12, 2023, at 7am to commemorate this year’s Democracy Day. News Point Nigeria reports that the broadcast will be relayed simultaneously by all radio and TV stations. In a press statement on Sunday, the Director Information, State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye urged all electronic stations to link up with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) for the broadcast. The statement read: DEMOCRACY DAY 2023: PRESIDENT TINUBU BROADCASTS TO THE NATION President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will broadcast to the nation on Monday, June 12, 2023,…

POLICE authorities have arrested a wanted logistic supplier and informant to a kidnapping and banditry group terrorizing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs. News Point Nigeria reports that the suspect, Mohammed Hamza a.k.a Auta, was arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the FCT Police Command at the Mongoro Forest. The Police Public Relations Officer in FCT, SP Josephine Adeh disclosed this in a statement on Saturday night. “The suspect, who has been on the wanted list of the Command, is being held for his involvement in supplying firearms, ammunition and other weapons; food items and illicit drugs to…

IT was an emotional moment for lawmakers as the Senate held its valedictory session on Saturday. At the event well attended by lawmakers, the Senators took turns to recount their experiences in the 9th National Assembly. Vice President Kashim Shettima of Borno Central and Nigeria’s First Lady Remi Tinubu, and outgone Senate President Ahmad Lawan were some of the lawmakers present. In his valedictory speech, Shettima urged incoming senators to work for the betterment of Nigeria as the lawmakers elect their leaders. “To my incoming colleagues, I will leave you with a parable, ‘the stability of this nation is superior…

THE suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, is in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) custody, the secret police has confirmed. This is according to a statement by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Peter Afunanya, on Saturday. “The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is now in its custody for some investigative reasons,” it said. “The public, particularly the Media, is enjoined to apply utmost caution in the reportage and narratives concerning this.” The revelation comes hours…

VICE-PRESIDENT Kashim Shettima and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, attended the valedictory session of ninth Senate held at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Saturday. Shettima is the outgoing senator for Borno Central, while President Bola Tinubu’s wife represents Lagos Central until the inauguration of the 10th Senate on Tuesday. The Senate President Ahmad Lawan suspended Order 12 to allow visitors to come into the chamber for the ceremony. The Clerk presented the certificates of legislative service to Lawan, followed by Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege. Lawan presented the certificates of legislative service to the senators.

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has denied widespread claims that it has the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, in its custody. Reports of Emefiele’s arrest were widely shared online, moments after his suspension was made public on Friday evening. However, in response to the reports, DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya on Saturday said in a terse statement, “Currently, Emefiele is not with the DSS.” The Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Willie Bassey in a statement on Friday, announced Emefiele’s suspension. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended…

FORMER governor of Kano State Rabiu Kwankwaso has accused his successor Abdullahi Ganduje of appropriating government properties to himself and members of his family. He made the accusation on Friday while addressing State House correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House. The duo, who were political allies but have since fallen out with each other, visited the Nigerian leader individually on Friday. Ganduje came out first from his meeting with the President and slammed Kwankwaso over the demolition of property by Governor Abba Yusuf’s government, saying that he could have slapped his predecessor if they…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, over terrorism charges less than an hour after his suspension. News Point Nigeria reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended Emefiele, from office with immediate effect,” the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Willie Bassey said in a Friday statement. A source in the Presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity told this newspaper that Emefiele has been arrested by the DSS barely an hour after his suspension was announced. More details shortly…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has suspended Godwin Emefiele as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor.  “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended the Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, CFR, from office with immediate effect,” the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Willie Bassey said in a Friday statement. “This is sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy. “Mr Emefiele has been directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), who will act as…

THE National University Commission (NUC) has presented licences to 37 new private universities, bringing the total numbers of private universities in the country to 147. With these additions, the university regulator placed the overall number of universities, both privately owned and publicly owned at 267. The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr Abubakar Rasheed made the declaration in the commission’s headquarter in Abuja. He, however, noted that the National University Commission is taking the universities to task, as the NUC has asked owners of the various citadels to compete with global best practices. The universities are – Rayhaan University, Kebbi;…

A FORMER Minister of Aviation, Isa Yuguda, has shed light on the events that led to the early demise of Virgin Nigeria. Founded in 2004 as a replacement for the then-defunct Nigeria Airways, Virgin Nigeria operated as a joint venture between Nigerian investors and British billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. However, a feud with the Federal Government led to the Virgin Group pulling out in 2009. This prompted the airline to be renamed Nigerian Eagle Airlines and later Air Nigeria. The business ultimately ceased operations in 2012. Yuguda, who was the aviation minister under former President Olusegun Obasanjo when Virgin…

THE Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) says the fuel subsidy removal by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will relieve the country of huge resources. The chairman of RMAFC, Mr Mohammed Bello Shehueho, in a statement on Thursday, said the removal became necessary following the Nigeria National Petroleum Company limited (NNPCL)’s withdrawal from contributing to the Federation Account due to the fuel subsidy regime which is characterised by opaqueness and other ambiguities. “As one of the fourteen (14) Federal Executive Bodies established by section 153 (1) (n) and empowered by paragraph 32 (a) and (c) of part 1 of the…

GOVERNOR Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has disclosed that the G5 otherwise known as the Integrity Group visited the President Bola Tinubu to brief him of the latest happenings and the group’s stance for fairness, equity and justice in the country. Makinde, who was flanked by the four other members of the group who are now immediate past governors, further acknowledged that nation building is a difficult task and demand constant evaluation. The G5, according to him, will keep meeting with the President on the way forward for the country. Addressing State House correspondents, the Oyo governor said, “Nation building…

TWO ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission acting as subpoenaed witnesses of the Peoples Democratic Party have admitted that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System failed to transmit the results of the election after the collation. The witnesses, Friday Egwuma and Grace Timothy told the Presidential Election Petition Court on Thursday that the BVAS machine allocated to them developed a system error immediately after the results of the Senate and House of Representatives aspects of the poll were freely transmitted. In their subpoena evidence, the two workers of the electoral body explained that they had to resort to other…

THE Federal Government has declared Monday June 12, a public holiday. This was confirmed in a statement on Thursday, from the office of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior. According to the release by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, the holiday is in commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day celebration. Dr Akinlade while making the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated all Nigerians on this occasion. “Nigeria’s democratic journey has, like in many other climes, encountered both stormy and smooth sails, but the ship of State, its institutions and most importantly, the Nigerian people have…

SENATOR Ali Ndume has said that President Bola Tinubu told him that Senator Godswill Akpabio is his preferred candidate for the President of the 10th Senate. “The President told me that his preferred candidate is Akpabio and I should lead the campaign,” Ndume said on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria on Wednesday. The lawmaker representing Borno South at the Senate added that Tinubu also told him to personally lead the campaign for Akpabio’s Senate President ambition. He expressed confidence that the President won’t change his stance on the leadership of the 10th Senate. The All Progressives…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the National Economic Council (NEC) led by Vice President Kashim Shettima to device an approach and begin the process of working on interventions to mitigate the impact of subsidy removal on the Nigerians. Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, stated this after leading some major oil marketers on a courtesy visit to the president at the State house. Addressing correspondents after the meeting, Governor Abiodun who was a former chairman of the Oil marketers association, stated that the marketers expressed solidarity with the President for removing the 4 trillion naira subsidy burden, a move that…