THE Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to lift economic sanctions imposed on neighbouring Niger Republic. Democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was deposed on July 26, leading to the imposition of sanctions including electricity cut and closure of borders by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) chaired by Tinubu. During ECOWAS extraordinary meeting on Thursday, the decision was made to deploy standby military troops to restore constitutional order in Niger Republic. The convener of NEF, Ango Abdullahi, expressed concern on the use of force to restore constitutional order in Niger Republic, suggesting that it…
Author: Bala Muhammad
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PARIS St-Germain have agreed a deal to sell Brazil forward Neymar to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal for about 90m euros (£77.6m) plus add-ons. The transfer is subject to the 31-year-old completing a medical and all necessary paperwork. Neymar, who joined PSG for a world record fee of 222m euros in 2017, was left out of the squad for their Ligue 1 draw against Lorient on Saturday. He was not part of coach Luis Enrique’s plans for the new season. His exit also fits PSG’s strategy of moving away from the ‘Galacticos’ era of signing high-profile players for big fees…
THE Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says it has cancelled its planned nationwide protest, billed to take place today, Wednesday, August 9, 2023, following the intervention of the Senate. The resident doctors also hinted that they may call off their ongoing strike soon. The National President of the association, Dr Emeka Innocent Orji, disclosed this Tuesday while briefing newsmen after meeting behind a closed door with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other Principal Officers of the Senate at the National Assembly, Abuja. NARD had on Saturday said it would embark on peaceful protests from Wednesday and picket the Federal…
NUHU Ribadu, the National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, met with Governors from the five South-East states in Abuja on Monday. Although the agenda of the closed-door session was not made known to journalists, it might not be unconnected to the worsening security challenges in Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi states. Last Wednesday, the Senate condemned the Monday sit-at-home in the South East geopolitical zone and asked the Federal Government to collaborate with the Finnish Government and extradite a pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, for prosecution. The upper chamber resolved to invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs (when appointed)…
FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Also said to be meeting with the President were the Governors Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara). While the purpose of the meetings remains unclear, Jonathan’s return to the Villa comes barely a month after his June 13 visit. Jonathan, who doubles as Head of the ECOWAS Mediation Team to Mali, noted that the visit was to discuss issues pertaining to Africa and the West Africa subregion. “I came to brief the president about some continental and subcontinental bodies,”…
RENOWNED businessman, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, las lost his wife. Hajiya Aisha Daihuru Mangal died at a hospital in Abuja Saturday evening after a brief illness. A family source said her funeral prayer will be held at the Mangal’s country home, Kifar Guga, Katsina metropolis, by 11 am on Sunday. Late Hajiya Aisha was survived by her husband, children, and grandchildren. The loss is the third straight one to have affected the businessman in recent times. His younger brother who was CEO died last year, while his son died before he lost his brother.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is currently meeting the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Adamu and the Party Secretary, Dr Iyiola Omisore, at the State House, Abuja. This newspaper observed that the duo arrived at the Aso Rock Villa a few minutes before 5 pm, and were ushered into the President’s office shortly afterwards. The meeting comes barely 24 hours after the party distanced itself from the principal officers of the 10th National Assembly announced on Tuesday by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas. At a meeting with the Progressives Governors’ Forum led by Governor…
THE Nigeria Immigration Service, on Wednesday, announced the promotion of no fewer than 7,000 officers nationwide. This was as it redeployed 12 new Comptrollers to their respective states of assignment. “The promotion was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary of the Immigration, Civil Defense, Correctional and Fire Service Board, Jafaru Ahmed,” a statement signed by the acting Service Spokesperson, Kenneth Kure, read on Wednesday. The statement is titled ‘NIS elevates 7,000 officers, redeploys 12 comptrollers.’ Kure, who was also elevated to the rank of Assistant Comptroller, revealed that the number of promoted officers and men included senior officers…
BILLIONAIRE businessman Aliko Dangote has encouraged African countries to be deliberate in liberalising integration and allow for easy entry and exit of Africans. The Dangote Group CEO, who spoke on Sunday at the 30th Afreximbank Annual Meetings held in Accra, Ghana, stated that if the continent was committed to boosting inter- and intra-African trade and investment opportunities, they should support visa on arrival. “I think what, maybe, African countries need to do is that, why don’t you give Africans visas on arrival that will facilitate trade?” he suggested, sharing a scenario where one has to get a visa to get…
THE Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr Ahmed Audi, has ordered the immediate removal of the Rivers Commandant of the corps, Mr Michael Ogar. This is contained in a statement by NSCDC Director of Public Relations, Mr Olusola Odumosu, on Thursday in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the removal of the commandant followed the blockade of the NSCDC Command Office in Rivers by members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Wednesday. The blockade followed the impoundment of three oil trucks belonging to members of the union by NSCDC personnel. Odumosu…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has congratulated the new Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on their election as presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly. This followed an election in the Senate that saw Akpabio beat former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator-elect Abdulaziz Yari, by 63 votes to 46 to emerge President. In the House of Representatives, Abbas, who was the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress, polled 353 votes, beating his rivals, former Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, and Aminu Jaji, who both secured three votes each. In a statement he personally signed…
A NATIONAL Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the arrest of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali, and the Force Secretary, AIG Hafeez Inuwa, for disobeying the court order, which was regarded as contempt. The court had earlier ordered the IG to reinstate some police officers, who are graduates of Courses 33, 34 and 35 of the police academy, who were said to have been forcefully retired by the force, but the court order was allegedly not obeyed by the IGP. The aggrieved officers approached the court and sought an order to nullify their compulsory retirement from…
BARELY 24 hours before the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma says the outgoing President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has agreed to work for the emergence of the Senator Godswill Akpabio as Senate President. Uzodimma stated this on Monday in a chat with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on the occasion of June 12 Democracy Day. He has expressed confidence that Akpabio, who is the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for choice for the Senate President…
A FORMER Minister of Health under President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Gabriel Aduku is now the new chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum. Aduku took over the mantle of leadership from a former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, whose tenure came to an end in March. Aduku, an architect by profession, is to serve for another three years. He hails from Kogi State and holds the traditional title of Amana Ogohi 1, Ata Igala of the Igala kingdom. The current Secretary-General of the ACF, Murtala Aliyu retains his position. He’s the Matallawen of Gombe. The Secretary of the ACF Leadership…
THE presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday expressed bewilderment, following US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu. In the call, Blinken is said to have emphasised his continued commitment to further strengthening the US-Nigeria relationship with the incoming administration. However, Atiku, who emerged as the runner-up in the February 25 presidential election, described Tinubu’s recognition by the American government official as a contradiction of the US’ assessment of the vote held three months ago. “I am in disbelief that @SecBlinken called Tinubu, a contradiction to the publicly stated position…
THE President-elect, Bola Tinubu, is opposing the application by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, for a live broadcast of the proceedings of the election petition. In response to the application on Wednesday, Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, through the team of their lawyers led by Wole Olanipekun said the application is an abuse of court process. They asked the presidential election petition court to dismiss the application, arguing that the relief demanded by the applicants is not such that the court could grant it. Besides describing the application as frivolous, they said…
THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) will charge intending pilgrims an additional $300 (N139,350), barring any last minute change. This is coming despite the outcry over despite the N3 million hajj fare fixed by the commission for 2023 hajj. The Saudi Arabian authorities have allocated 95,000 slots to Nigeria for 2023 hajj. A total of 75,000 pilgrims will go through the states, while the remaining 20,000 will go through private tour operators. Credible sources inside the commission said the $250 increment was part of the agreement reached between the hajj commission and the four Nigerian airlines that signed the…
IN what appeared a pledge to embark on wage increase in the middle of the year, President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has vowed to give more than a minimum wage to Nigerian workers, promising to give them a “living wage”. “In the Nigeria I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, workers will have more than a minimum wage. You will have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for your families,” Tinubu stated. The President-elect made the pledge in a statement issued Monday in Abuja on the occasion of this year’s Workers’ Day…
THE Commandant General (CG) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has summoned the Adamawa State Commandant of the Corps, Muhammad Bello, to the Corps’ National Headquarters to explain the role he played in the just concluded election in the state. A statement by the Corps spokesman, Commandant Olusola Odumosu, on Wednesday, said this is in connection to the controversy surrounding the just concluded Adamawa State governorship supplementary election where the Corps was alleged of complicity along with other security agencies. The Corps’ helmsman directed the State Commandant to immediately hand over affairs of the…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ikra Aliyu Bilbis winner of Zamfara Central Senatorial District in the last Saturday, Supplementary election. He polled 102, 866 votes to defeat his closest opponent Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa of the All Progressives, APC, who scored 91, 216 votes in the election. Professor Kabiru Abdullahi of the Federal University, Gusau while announcing the results, said Ikra Bilbis Aliyu having scored the highest numbers of votes and satisfied the requirement of the law and returned elected. Ikra Bilbis Aliyu a former minister of Information and…