Author: Maryam Garba

THE Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Wednesday alerted Nigerians of a phone number being used by a scammer, pretending to be the minister on the popular social media platform, WhatsApp. Disclosing this in a statement, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Segun Tomori, said his principal was not associated with such a phone number being used as his on WhatsApp. “The attention of the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake has been drawn to a phone number being used by a scammer, purporting to be the minister on the popular social…

MADAM Florence Morenike Saraki, mother of former Senate President Bukola Saraki, is dead. She was 88 years old, according to reports. Daily Trust learnt that the late Octogenarian went into a coma before she was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Lagos State over age related ailment. Several members of the Saraki dynasty who preferred not to be named confirmed the development to Daily Trust in Ilọrin last night. According to one of the sources, “The incident happened this evening when Mama went into a coma and was rushed to the hospital in Lagos state. She was later placed at…

NO fewer than 137 institutions across the country have now collaborated with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, data from the NELFUND website on Monday revealed. The data did not, however, disclose the names of the collaborating institutions nor did it specify whether the institutions are Federal Government or state-controlled. It simply stated, “137 collaborating with esteemed institutions” in its data insight section. But NELFUND’s Head of Media, Nasir Ayitogo, this newspaper in an interview that “The 137 institutions are the federal institutions.” NELFUND had in a press statement released last Thursday said it would publish the full list of institutions…

THE Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has called for collective responsibility from African Ministers of Housing to address the continent’s housing challenges. Dangiwa made the remark while delivering the opening remarks at the 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB), held at the Marriott Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. The event saw the gathering of esteemed guests, honored delegates, and colleagues from various member states. In his address, Arc Dangiwa expressed his pleasure in welcoming participants to the AGM, highlighting the importance of their presence and commitment to the bank’s growth. He…

THE Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa-Musawa, has revealed plans to transform Nigeria’s creative space with a goal of contributing $100 billion to Nigeria’s GDP by 2030. She also said the eight-point agenda she introduced in her ministry is already driving the pursuit of the projection. Musa-Musawa made the revelation during an interaction with journalists. “One of the things that we looked at in terms of the potential of the industry was its ability to create an economic expansion. We came up with a very ambitious goal of trying to contribute at least $100 billion to increase…

THE Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) says the payment of depositors in Heritage Bank will commence before the end of the week. The Managing Director of NDIC, Bello Hassan, disclosed this in a briefing on the liquidation of the bank in Abuja on Wednesday. The NDIC commenced the liquidation of Heritage Bank following the revocation of its banking licence by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday. Hassan said the total bank deposits at heritage bank stands at N650 billion while it’s loan portfolio stands at over N700 billion. He stated that the NDIC looks forward to ensuring the…

THE Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has appealed to the Organised Labour to shelve its ongoing industrial action which has crippled economic activities in the country. Onyejeocha said the Federal Government is not the sole decider of a new minimum wage as it must be determined by state governments and the Organised Private Sector. “The Federal Government takes into cognisance that it’s the tripartite committee that would also ensure that if Mr A agrees to pay, he has to pay,” the minister said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday monitored by News Point Nigeria, the day…

THE Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, says the government is working on the economic and investment climate to attract more multinationals into Nigeria. Edun, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme monitored by News Point Nigeria, said multinational companies exiting the country did not have liquid foreign exchange market. He said, “One of the major drawbacks one of the major impediments for them (exiting multinationals) was they did not have a liquid foreign exchange market. “Now, we have a willing buyer, willing seller foreign exchange market. It is elevated, may be…

THE Federal Government has announced a temporary suspension of the controversial $300 helicopter landing fee levied on helicopter operators. This newspaper reports that helicopter operators have protested against the levy outsourced to a consultant, Messers NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, had earlier defended the levy inherited from his predecessor, Senator Hadi Sirika. But he bowed to pressure on Friday while announcing the suspension in a statement signed by Odutayo Oluseyi, the Ministry’s Spokesman. He said further actions on the matter would be taken after a review committee submits its report for scrutiny.…

THE First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has promised to reintroduce young farmers club in schools across the country. She made the announcement at an event she organised to commemorate the 2024 Children’s Day celebration held at the banquet hall of the State House, Abuja on Monday. She said young farmers club will soon be launched in state-owned primary and secondary schools across the country. According to her, the initiative is part of efforts to encourage farming among the young population in the country. She said each child will have a garden in their school which they will nurture, adding that awards…

Seven days after a violent clash between traders and military personnel, soldiers have continued to lay siege to Banex Plaza in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja. This newspaper correspondent who visited the market on Saturday morning found soldiers across the plaza. Trouble started when thugs beat up some soldiers who had a disagreement with a trader in the plaza. The trader had reportedly sold a bad phone to someone who invited soldiers. Rather than resolve the issue amicably, the trader reportedly invited thugs who assaulted the uniform men. They descended on at least two soldiers and another man in…

THE Minister of foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (OON) has described the ongoing bilateral engagement to bolster trade between Nigeria and Benin Republic as a historical milestone and the making of a major hub for trade. He made the statement at a bilateral meeting at the Segbana customs border post in Benin Republic where he led a strong Nigerian delegation comprising of the Governor of Kebbi State, Dr Nasir Idris Kaura, the Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Dr. Dakorinama Alabo George the Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency, Alh. Aliyu Mohammed the Director Home Finance who represented…

THE fees and proposed upscale facilities of the newly established Wigwe University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, add to ongoing debates about expensive universities that are out of the reach of Nigerians in the middle and lower strata of society, see below list of most expensive universities in Nigeria: Wigwe University, Isiokpo, Rivers State, tops the list with a annual tuition fee of a course for N12m, including accommodation fees. Nile University, Abuja’s most expensive programme, Medicine and Surgery, costs N5.95m, according to the school’s website. Fees only cover tuition; accommodation is not included. Tuition for returning students is the same…

THE Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and sought a court injunction to stop the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, from marrying off 100 orphaned girls. The Speaker recently announced plans to marry off the orphaned girls, who lost their parents due to banditry attacks in the Mariga Local Government Area as part of his constituency projects on May 24. He announced that the gesture was “aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished”, pledging to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and procuring materials…

THE value of Nigeria’s currency in circulation has risen to N3.87tn at the end of March. According to the latest money and credit statistics on the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the currency in circulation was N3.87tn, higher than N3.69tn in February and N3.65tn in January. However, currency outside banks have also increased progressively during the first quarter, growing from N3.28tn in January to N3.41tn and N3.63tn in February and March, respectively. The data revealed that over 90 per cent of currency in circulation is held outside of the banking system, indicating Nigerians are holding more cash. In…

THE Plant Director of the Dangote Cement Plc Obajana, Mr. Azad Nawabuddin, has hosted members and students of the National Institute of Security Studies (NISS), Abuja. The Executive Intelligence Management Course (EMIC) 17 was on study tour of the Cement Plant as part of overall study tour of Kogi State. Welcoming the team, the Plant Director expressed appreciation to NISS and the study Anchor for deeming it fit to consider visiting the Plant in the spirit and letters of the theme of the study tour “Artificial Intelligence, Security and Emerging Economies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects.” The Plant Director congratulated…

JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the arrest of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, and two other officers over N1.5 billion money laundering charge. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) dragged the trio before the court over fraud N1.5bn allegations. The court issued the arrest warrant after hearing a motion exparte marked FHC/ABJ/CR/158/2023 and filed by ICPC counsel, Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha. In the motion, the lawyer submitted that Usman Jibrin Oyibe, Adam Imam Yusuf, Brigadier General Ishaya Gangum Bauka (first to third defendants), were investigated for…

MEMBERS of the organised labour, on Friday, protested and shut down the headquarters of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) over alleged cut of workers’ salaries in the agency by the management of the fund. The aggrieved protesters, led by the President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo and executive members of the Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFE), started their demonstrations at about 11:00am. Armed with placards with various inscriptions, the protesters alleged that the management led by Mrs Maureen Allagoa, the Managing Director of the Fund, had made deductions of consequential taxes from their salaries…

THE Federal Government has announced the recovery of N57 billion from the N5.2 trillion liaibilities owed the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and other bodies by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government The Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Finance Okokon Ekanem Udo made the disclosure on Tuesday in Enugu State during a Sensitisation Workshop on Federal Government Debt Recovery Drive through Project Lighthouse Programme for South-East geo-political zone. While declaring the event open, Ekanem stated that the debts came to the spotlight from data aggregated from over 5,000+ debtors across more than 93 MDAs. This was according…

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has directed all Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre owners to arrest any parent, who is found near any of their facilities during the 2024 UTME exercise. The directive was issued at the final briefing of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre owners, which was held virtually on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024. JAMB spokesman, Fabian Benjamin, said this directive became necessary following the intrusive disposition of some parents during the Board’s previous exercises. Benjamin, who quoted JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said any parent, who disobeys this order, would not only be arrested but his ward…