Author: Amina Ibrahim

NO fewer than 25,000 persons are said to be missing according to stakeholders as they meet to ensure that their families are not forgotten. According to a statement made available to News Point Nigeria on Monday by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the  conflict in North-East resulted in the missing persons. The statement was signed by Aliyu Dawobe and Pat Griffiths, issued ahead of its Tuesday meeting with stakeholders co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as well as the National Human Rights Commission. The stakeholders said the “essence of the meeting…

DIRECTOR-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, says 2,430, 445 people were displaced by the 2022 flood disaster that ravaged different parts of the country. He said this at the opening of a one-week strategic executive course for Nigeria Emergency Management Stakeholders on Monday in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the course had as participants, heads of state emergency management agencies and heads of NEMA’s zonal, territorial and operational offices, among other partner agencies. Ahmed said that the capacity-building training was expedient at a time when the country was recovering from the impacts of the…

THE  Police Service Commission, PSC, has asked the Accountant-General of the Federation to stop the capture of 10,000 constables who recently graduated from police training colleges on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel System. The commission stated that the decision was made because the new police officers had not been issued their letters of appointment and should not be enrolled on the payment portal. According to the Public Service Rules, public officers not captured on the IPPIS cannot be paid salaries and other emoluments. The development followed the alleged refusal of the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to submit their names…

THIRTY six years since the national Qur’anic recitation competition (dawrah) began in the country, the first Sokoto indigene to clinch a first place was on Sunday co-opted into the Sultanate scheme of things by Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar. The competition started in 1986. The Sultan, who was visibly elated by the accomplishment of Nura Bello Abdullahi, an undergraduate of Computer Studies, pronounced the conferment of the title of Modibbon Sokoto (Preceptor of Sokoto), the first of its kind in the history of the Caliphate, on him “as a gesture of the Caliphate demonstrating our willingness to work with you.” In…

A FIRST-class traditional ruler in Plateau State, Isaac Wakili, who was kidnapped by gunmen in the early hours of Friday has regained his freedom. Some residents of the Shere community in the Jos East Local Government Area of the state where the monarch was abducted said he was rescued on Friday a few hours after his abduction. One of the residents, Philip Izam, who confirmed the release of the traditional ruler to News Point Nigeria in Jos on Friday added that he had been taken to the hospital for treatment. Izam said, “You know our traditional ruler was kidnapped by…

THE Federal Government on Thursday lifted the ban on wood and charcoal exportation. Minister of Environment, Mohammed H. Abdullahi, said this in Abuja during a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on the review of ban on charcoal and suspension of the export of processed wood and other allied products. Abdullahi said many businesses had been affected by the ban. He said the decision was taken by the government to enable the private sector and individuals to massively invest in plantations. “The ministry has observed that many businesses have been unintentionally affected, especially those converting waste to wealth for export by the ban.…

THE Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has advised the Central Bank of Nigeria to reconsider the January 31 deadline for the old notes to remain in circulation in the country. Speaking while receiving the CBN Comptroller in charge of Sokoto State, Dahiru Usman, and some officials of the Apex bank on Thursday at his palace, the monarch observed that many people were still unaware of the redesigned naira notes, especially in the rural areas. He said, “We still have people who didn’t know that our naira was redesigned. They could reject the new naira notes when given. If they…

Calls for the sack of the embattled Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, may have hit the brick wall as the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), welcomed back the CBN chief who recently returned to the country from his annual leave. “You are welcome back. I am grateful that you are well received,” Buhari told Emefiele during a meeting at the State House on Thursday. This is Emefiele’s first meeting with the President since he resumed duty on January 16. Later on Thursday evening, the CBN chief returned for another meeting with the President but declined to comment on the…

THE Federal Government has announced automatic employment for a family member of each of the seven slain personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). This gesture was announced by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday, during a condolence visit to the families of the late personnel. Personnel of the Corps were ambushed by bandits in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, earlier in January during which seven of them lost their lives. They have since been given a state burial in a ceremony in Kaduna. A statement by the spokesman of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, said…

GOMBE State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has approved the appointment of 2 new Permanent Secretaries. They are Salisu Adamu Sambo from Akko and Jidaya Abba from Billiri local government areas. According to a statement signed and issued by the Director-General of Press Affairs to the governor, Ismaila Uba Misilli, the state’s Head of Civil Service,  Alhaji Bappayo Yahaya conveyed the Governor’s approval and said, the development followed the retirement from service, of Adamu Musa Kumo and Benjamin Wabida from Akko and Billiri LGAs respectively. According to the Head of Service,  “this development is in line with the resolve of Governor…

THE Summon of the Governor of the Central Bank, Mister Godwin Emefiele, by the Federal High Court Abuja over a $53 million judgement debt arising from the Pars Club refund, have been adjourned to March 20. No reason was given for the adjournment by the Court. Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal high court Abuja had Summoned him on October 20, last year following an application for garnishee made by a senior advocate of Nigeria, Joe Agi who is the judgment creditor. The court granted the application and ordered Emefiele to appear in court on Wednesday, January 18. The dispute…

NIGERIA’s current realities are the culmination of over two decades of leadership mistakes and wrong choices, according to the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso. The former Minister of Defence shared his stance while addressing the London-based Chatham House, where he spoke on the topic ‘Nigeria’s 2023 elections: Service delivery and policy alternatives’. “We can point fingers at all sorts of factors allegedly responsible for our situation, from coronavirus to global economic recession, from Western powers to international capital, etc.,” Kwankwaso said. “But for me, we are where we are because of the mistakes and…

RELATIVES of two farmers allegedly kidnapped by gunmen at Ileogbo town in Ayedire local government of Osun State, on Tuesday, said two other persons who went to drop N6 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers have also been abducted. Samuel Oladotun and Fashola Tobiloba were reportedly abducted last Wednesday by suspected kidnappers, at Ileogbo town while returning from their farm, but two others who went to deliver a ransom to the kidnappers to secure their release were also abducted in Kogi State. Samuel Eyitayo, a reverend and Oladotun Abiola, father-in-law and brother to one of the victims, stated this on…

A BILL seeking to amend the National Youth Service Corps Act to, among other proposals, make the compulsory one-year national youth service for under-30 graduates optional suffered a setback at the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The bill, which also seeks to create more allowances for NYSC members and make it optional for someone who graduates at 30 and above to obtain a Certificate of Exemption, failed to pass second reading as it faced stiff opposition, especially from members of the House from the North. Those who criticised the bill include the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase (Plateau); Majority Whip, Mohammed…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said some people hide under the canopy of religion to advance their economic and political agenda. The President stated this at Nouakchott, Mauritania, Tuesday, while meeting with Rashad Hussain, United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. He, however, stressed that continuous education was needed so that the larger populace would not be hoodwinked. Buhari, who narrated his private meeting at the White House with former President Donald Trump, recalled Trump asking him: “why are you killing Christians in Nigeria,” and how he proceeded to tell him that the issue in the country was not religious, but…

THE National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has notified the public of two “substandard (contaminated)” cough syrups named AMBRONOL and DOK-1 Max containing “toxic” ingredients. In a statement published Sunday on its website, the agency noted that the products were identified in Uzbekistan, a Central Asian nation and reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). It defined substandard medical products as ones that fail to meet quality standards or specifications and are therefore “out of specification”. According to NAFDAC, laboratory analysis of samples of both products, undertaken by national quality control laboratories of the Ministry of…

THE Nasarawa State Government has issued a query to Alhaji Mohammed Wada-Yahaya, the Managing Director of Nasarawa Urban Development Board (NUDB) over destruction of campaign billboards. The query is contained in a letter signed by Malam Muhammed Ubandoma-Aliyu, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) on Tuesday in Lafia. “The attention of the government has been drawn to the fact that, you are destroying billboards of some political parties and other politicians who are vying for offices in the forthcoming election. “As an appointee of government, this is least expected of you because your action at this time is inappropriate, knowing…

IN a bid to restructure the state ministries for effective and better service delivery in the public service of Sokoto state, the state Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has approved the creation of six new ministries, and; accordingly reassigns some of the Commissioners in his cabinet. The new ministries are those of: Technology and Digital Economy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Welfare, Internal Security, Transport, and; Industry, Trade and Investment. In a statement signed and issued by the Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Governor, Muhammad Bello, Tambuwal said, to man these ministries are Dr Kulu Haruna…

THE National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) says it has initiated process for the review of the National Minimum Wage. NSIWC’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Njoku, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Njoku said as part of the process to review the minimum wage, which would be due in 2024, the commission had held series of meetings and trainings towards a nationwide monitoring of the Minimum Wage Act 2019. He said the monitoring billed to begin on Jan. 23, would help ascertain the compliance level of public and private employers and organisations. According to…

KOGI State Government has on Monday replied the answered query by the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr Ado Ibrahim, stating that the monarch’s reply to the previous query is unacceptable for using the wrong title of Atta Ebira not the Ohinoyi of Ebira land. In a letter dated 16th January, issued by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abdulsalam Deedat obtained by News Point Nigeria, the government stated that, the monarch’s communication is at variance with sections 19a, 27(2b), 33 and schedules II and V of Kogi State Chiefs (Appointment, Deposition and Establishment of Traditional Councils in Kogi State)…