Author: Amina Ibrahim

NO fewer than 18 nurses of Nigerian descent are currently facing charges in Texas, United States following allegations of fake educational qualifications, News Point Nigeria learnt. This is according to a statement published on the website of the Texas board of nursing which was obtained by our correspondent on Sunday. In the statement, a total of 23 practising nurses were caught in a grand fraudulent diploma/transcript scheme as revealed by an ongoing investigations. The investigations tagged ‘Operation Nightingale,’ was described as a multi-state coordinated law enforcement action involving the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General…

AHEAD of the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Nigeria Immigration Service has redeployed 30 state comptrollers and 11 Assistant Comptrollers Generals across the country. Affected by the fresh posting are 11 Assistant Comptrollers General in charge of the various zones as well as 30 Comptrollers posted to new states. This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Immigration Public Relations officer, Tony Akuneme and made available to News Point Nigeria, Sunday. According to the NIS spokesman, the states affected were mainly those that bordered Nigeria with neighbouring countries – Yobe, Adamawa, Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Oyo, Lagos…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly polls will hold nationwide despite the cash crunch and protests in some parts of the country. Following the re-design of the N200, N500 and N1,000 by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerians have been experiencing difficulty having access to the new notes. With this development, there have been fears that the general elections might be postponed or suffer glitches. But INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has allayed those fears, saying the commission is working closely with the CBN and security agencies. “The Central Bank…

A 44-YEAR-OLD Nigerian medical doctor with extensive experience supporting developing countries in tackling infectious diseases, Obinna Onyekwena, has been appointed as a deputy director in disease advocacy at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington. Established in 2000 by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife, the foundation works to help improve people’s health in developing countries with the ultimate aim of giving them a chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In his new role, Obinna will be responsible for leading the foundation’s strategies and portfolio of investments for increasing political commitment, resourcing, and…

TEN states have asked the Supreme Court to set aside the pronouncement of President Muhammadu Buhari banning old N500 and N1,000 notes. The governors, in Suit No SC/CV/162/2023, filed on Friday by their counsel, A.J. Owonikoko (SAN), want the apex court to declare the President’s directives in his Thursday’s broadcast as unconstitutional. The plaintiffs in the suit are the Attorneys General (AGs) of Kaduna, Kogi, Zamfara, Ondo, Ekiti, Katsina, Ogun, Cross River, Sokoto, and Lagos states while the defendants are the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), as well as the AGs of Bayelsa and Edo states. The…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has denied reports making the rounds that it has authorized deposit money banks to collect the old N500 and N1,000 banknotes. In a statement by Osita Nwanisobi, CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications on Friday, the apex bank said for the avoidance of doubt the CBN is only reissuing and recirculating the old N200 banknotes and which is expected to circulate as legal tender for 60 days up to April 10, 2023, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s national broadcast on Thursday. The CBN advised members of the public to disregard any message and/or information…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has denied claims by some individuals and governors that his administration is working towards an interim govt or even worse, working to truncate Nigeria’s democracy. In a signed statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, made available to News Point Nigeria, Friday, President Buhari said, “The talk of interim government and truncation of democracy is way off the mark. Those who peddle it stand to gain nothing- nothing at all -but the creation of panic and the incitement of the public against the federal government.” The statement reads in full:…

THE Nigeria Police Force has warned against attacks on banks and described such action as armed robbery. This warning came on the heels of attacks on bank facilities in several parts of the country following the naira crunch. But the Force spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi has cautioned against such, saying it will be resisted. “We complain banks don’t attend to us yet we go to their facilities and set them ablaze, destroy ATMs. How do you want them to serve you better if you have destroyed their facilities?” he said in a recorded video posted on the NPF’s Facebook page Friday.…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari insists that the cashless policy and Naira swap by the Central Bank have short and long term benefits for the country in dealing with insecurity and corruption, but agrees that the apex bank should take the recommendation of a parliamentary Committee to rectify identified problems. His comments came as the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, gave him an assurance that N200 currency notes taken out of circulation will be moved back from today. News Point Nigeria reports that, the President who spoke at the State House when he received briefing from members of the House of Representatives…

THE Federal Government has published the names of 8,611 Nigerians who are yet to collect their issued passports from the Nigeria Immigrations offices across Nigeria. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior, revealed the names on its website with the link shared on its official Twitter handle. This was also retweeted by the minister, Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday afternoon. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that the Nigeria Immigration Service said over 148,000 passports were awaiting collection nationwide since 2020. The NIS Public Relations Officer, Anthony Akuneme, also noted that the NIS could not reach the owners, some of…

PRESIDENT General Muhammadu Buhari, has disclosed that out of the banknotes held outside the banking sector, N2.1 trillion had been successfully retrieved since the beginning of the naira redesign policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Buhari disclosed this on Thursday during a national broadcast to Nigerians. “I have been reliably informed that since the commencement of this program, about N2.1 trillion out of the banknotes previously held outside the banking system had been successfully retrieved. “This represents about 80% of such funds. In short to medium and long terms, therefore, it’s expected that there would be lowering of…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release old N200 notes into circulation to co-exist with new N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes for 60 days – to April 10. The President, who made this known in a nationwide broadcast on Thursday, directed the CBN to allow the new notes available to all citizens. The President apologised to Nigerians over the difficulty experienced in the implementation of the naira redesign policy. “To further ease the supply pressure, particularly on our citizens, I have given approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will address Nigerians on Thursday by 7am, presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina has said. The President’s nationwide broadcast is coming amid strong reactions and protests to the lingering cash crunch experienced by millions of Nigerians across the country in the last few weeks. Adesina, however, did not state the subject the President will be addressing during the broadcast. “President Muhammadu Buhari will make a national broadcast on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 7 am. “Television, radio stations, and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and Radio…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has created a portal for the deposit of old naira notes. The bank published a notification titled ‘redemption of currency’ during a Wednesday check on the apex bank’s website. According to the CBN, Nigerians can redeem their old N1,000, N500, and N200 notes by completing an online form. The notification also provided a link to the portal to enable the masses deposit old notes in their possession. “Please click here to create your profile, generate reference and print out receipt for you to proceed to nearest CBN branch to deposit your old N1000, N500…

THE Supreme Court on Wednesday said its February 8 order barring the Federal Government and its agencies from enforcing the February 10 deadline for the use of old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes still stands. This clarification became necessary following a complaint by the Counsel to Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states, Mr Abdulhakeem Mustapha, that the Federal Government and its agencies have failed to comply with the order and have allegedly directed the rejection of the old notes. Mustapha said the plaintiff filed a notice of non-compliance with the order of the court made on February 8 and demanded that…

THE Supreme Court of Nigeria has adjourned the case on the naira swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) till Wednesday, February 22 for hearing of the consolidated suits by 10 states. News Point Nigeria reports that, the apex court, which heard the case on Wednesday, was filled to capacity with a retinue of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, other lawyers and the governors of Kaduna and Kogi states, Nasir El-Rufai and Yahaya Bello, respectively. At the last hearing, the Court had temporarily banned the implementation of the February 10 deadline of the CBN from making the old N200,…

GLOBAL watchdog, Amnesty International, has again warned the federal government to ensure that the presidential and National Assembly elections fixed for February 25 are free from violence and intimidation. It also urged the government to ensure that effective measures are put in place to protect all participants and prevent human rights violations. In a statement issued late Tuesday and signed by its Media Manager, Isa Sanusi and made available to News Point Nigeria, the global rights group called on political parties, politicians, security forces and interest groups to refrain from condoning, or engaging in, violence or incitement that could deprive…

THE Northern Elders Forum (NEF) says there is no reason to doubt the credibility and capacity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair, and credible elections on February 25 and March 11. “At this stage, we believe in INEC, we believe in what they have done,” NEF Spokesman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said Tuesday on The 2023 Verdict, a Channels Television’s special election programme monitored by News Point Nigeria. He also said those against the planned deployment of the Bimodal Voter Registration Systems (BVAS) for the elections should make their reservations known with sufficient proof if they have…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says there is no going back on the February 10, 2023 deadline for the swapping of the old N1,000, N500, and N200 notes. While there has been controversy over the deadline with some governors dragging the apex bank to the Supreme Court and the court restraining the bank from implementing the deadline, the CBN maintained that the date remains sacrosanct. The CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele said this on Tuesday during a meeting with members of the diplomatic corps in Abuja. He acknowledged the inconveniences caused by the naira redesign policy including hoarding and an…

THE African Union Commission announced Tuesday that it will be sending a 90-strong observer mission to Nigeria for this month’s elections. Africa’s most populous country goes to the polls on February 25, but has been plunged into crisis in the runup to the vote with dire shortages of cash and fuel. The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) is being headed by former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta, who helped broker a deal to end two years of war in northern Ethiopia and is mediating in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The AU said the objectives of the…