Author: Maryam Garba

NIGERIA will defend its human rights record before the United Nations Human Rights Council sitting in Geneva, Switzerland today (Tuesday). The UN Human Rights Council is the main intergovernmental body within the United Nations responsible for human rights. Established in 2006 by the General Assembly, the Council is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. The Council, composed of 47 Member States, provides a multilateral forum to address human rights violations and country situations. It responds to human rights emergencies and makes recommendations on how to better implement human rights on the ground. It…

NIGERIA’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has hosted the sixth Nigeria – India Joint Commission Meeting on the 22nd January 2024, the meeting was held during the official visit of the Minister of External Affairs of India, H.E S. Jaishankar to Nigeria from 21st – 23rd January 2024. The Commission reviewed the decisions of the 5th Joint Commission and also the entire scope of bilateral relations between India and Nigeria. They emphasized the significance of the Sixth Session as the continuation of the era of meaningful and expanding economic interaction between the two countries. The bilateral meeting…

THE Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has begun verification of political office holders and top government officials’ assets as part of a renewed anti-corruption crusade in the country. The acting Chairman of the Bureau, Mr Murtala Aliyu-Kankia, stated this while monitoring the ongoing verification exercise on Monday in Katsina. He said the exercise would cover senior public officers and civil servants including permanent secretaries, director-generals, directors and other top officials of government’s establishments. “I briefed the governor on why we are in Katsina. He is also keen on fighting corruption,” he said. According to him, the exercise is aimed at…

THE Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has commended the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) for their commitment to collaborate with the Federal Government in the second phase rollout of Human papillomavirus (HPV) in 21 states. During a meeting with Dr Esther Nwadiinibi, the International President of MWAN, and Nigerian chapter executives, Professor Pate emphasized the government’s objective of transitioning from a focus on medical treatment to prevention. He lauded the planned partnership with MWAN, stating that it would be instrumental in dispelling widespread misconceptions about HPV vaccines. The Minister further outlined the government’s…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of candidates for the February 3, 2024 by-election in Nigeria. In a statement on Wednesday, INEC National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, said the by-elections become necessary because of death or resignation of members of the National and State Houses of Assembly. “These elections will be held on Saturday 3rd February 2024 across nine States of the Federation covering two Senatorial Districts (Ebonyi South and Yobe East); four Federal Constituencies (Shanga/Ngaski/Yauri Federal Constituency of Kebbi State, Surulere I Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria is set to transfer some of its departments to Lagos State. This was stated in an Internal memo made available to this newspaper. The move, according to an official of the CBN who spoke on condition of anonymity, is to decongest the apex bank’s head office. Although some staff members of the bank have reportedly resisted the transfer and claimed that it is motivated by tribal sentiment, the source said it is for their safety and increased productivity. “What is happening now at the CBN is likened to a company with over 500 staff and…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has started the implementation of the report of the Special Investigator on Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Related entities, Jim Obazee with the dissolution of the board and management of Titan Trust Bank and three others. News Point Nigeria gathered that the others are Union Bank, Polaris Bank, and Keystone Bank. The boards of directors and chief executives of the banks were invited to a meeting on Wednesday, January 10 where they were addressed for 30 minutes each by the apex bank’s Deputy Governor in charge of Financial System Stability, Phillip Ikeazor. Three other governors formed…

THE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has ratified the agreement between the government of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia for the 2024 Hajj operations; the signing took place Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Tuggar, in a bilateral meeting with the Saudi Arabian Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr Taofiq bin Fawzan AlRabiah, also affirmed that the 2024 Hajj Operations will be guided by a new culture of precision that will ensure that pre-Hajj, Hajj and Umrah activities are carried out on time. The bilateral meeting also touched on the areas of airlifting pilgrims, Nigerian government-endorsed airlines, Hajj accommodations,…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has denied that it had a dispute with independent petrol marketers over an alleged subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). There were reports that fuel marketers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria clashed with the NNPC over whether the government was still paying subsidy. However, in a terse statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday, NNPC spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, said subsidy has been entirely removed on petrol. “NNPC Ltd emphasises it has not clashed with any party,” Soneye said, adding that the publication’s headline (not News Point…

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has intercepted a Qatar-based businessman, Agu Amobi, and one other, Uchegbu Obi, with consignments of psychoactive substances at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos. This was contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, December 31. Babafemi revealed that while Amobi was arrested on Saturday, December 39, at the departure point of terminal 2 of the MMIA on his way to Doha, Qatar, on a Qatar Airways flight, Obi was taken into custody the same day following the seizure of a consignment of 72,000…

THE Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has announced changes in the cover prices of newspapers of its members, with effect from January 2, 2024. In a statement issued at the weekend and signed by the Executive Secretary, Mr. Feyi Smith, the Association said members had retained current cover prices for over four years, while inflation had more than doubled within the same time. Smith, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said, “Our association took this difficult decision after a careful review of the current economic situation and our members’ production costs.” He further highlighted the adverse impacts of…

THE Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has announced the appointment of 46 new directors across the agencies. This was disclosed in a press release signed by the head of press, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Odutayo Oluseyi, on Thursday. Below are the appointed directors with their names and offices: NIGERIAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY (NIMET) 1 PROF VINCENT EZIKORNWOR WELI DIRECTOR, WEATHER SERVICES 2 PROF ODJUGO PETER AKPODIOGAGA OVUYOVWIROYE DIRECTOR, RESEARCH AND TRAINING 3 ONYEGBULE GLORY AMARACHI DIRECTOR, APPLIED METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES 4 ABDULKAREEM HAMID OLAYINKA DIRECTOR, ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES 5 FUNKE ADEBAYO AROWOJOBE DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION 6 SHOLA GABRIEL…

A HIGH court in the Federal Capital Territory, on Monday, ruled in favour of the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and against a former Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Tallen in Suit No: CV/816/2016. Consequently, the Court declared that the said statement of Tallen was unconstitutional, careless, reckless, disparaging, a call to disobey the judgment of the court and therefore contemptuous of the Federal High Court of Nigeria. The Court also granted among other reliefs an injunction restraining the ex-minister from holding any public office in Nigeria, unless she purges herself of the conduct by publishing a…

THE Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total sum of N1,088.783 trillion November 2023 Federation Account Revenue to the Federal, States and Local Governments. As contained in a communique issued by the FAAC at its December, 2023 meeting, the N1,088.783 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N376.306 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N335.656 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N11.952 billion and Exchange Difference revenue of N364.869 billion. According to the communique, total revenue of N1,620.335 trillion was available in the month of November 2023. Total deductions for cost of…

ENGR Abubakar Kailani, the son of Director General, Confederation of All Progressives Congress Support Groups (CASG), Prof. Kailani Muhammad, has hailed the virtues of his father over conferment of Professorship. Muhammad was conferred with Professor of Electrical/Electronics Engineering by the British American University. In a vote of thanks, Kailani said, “in conferring this professorship, we not only acknowledge past achievements but also express our anticipation for the continued impact my father will undoubtedly have in the years to come”. According to him, “As we celebrate today, let us recognize that the journey towards sustainable energy practices and climate resilience is…

THE Nigerian government has signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with Kuwait for the commencement of direct flights. This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on his X handle (formerly Twitter). BASA is an air transport agreement between two countries that allows designated airlines to operate commercial flights, covering the transportation of passengers and cargo. According to the Keyamo, the agreement was signed at the ongoing International Civil Aviation Negotiation (ICAN) event organised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The agreement, he stated, would facilitate the commencement of…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, returned to Abuja after attending the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, which took place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Apart from participating in the conference, the President had bilateral talks with King Charles of England, the President of UAE, and leaders of several countries and multilateral partners to concretize engagements. President Tinubu also witnessed the signing of an accelerated performance agreement between Nigeria and Germany to improve Nigeria’s electricity supply and hosted a high-level meeting with stakeholders and investors on the Nigeria Carbon Market and the Electric Buses Rollout Programme on the…

THE management of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi has shut down the school following students’ protest over the killing of a 500-level student by suspected armed robbers who robbed him of his mobile phone. This newspaper had earlier reported that the final year Geology student, Joseph Agabaidu, was stabbed by some assailants while trying to steal his mobile phone. Agabaidu was said to be returning to his lodge situated around the Yelwan Tudu market in the Yelwa area, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis around 7pm on Saturday when he was attacked and was rushed to the hospital for medical…

THE United States Embassy in Nigeria in Nigeria said it has interviewed over 150,000 Nigerians, including 30,000 students, who applied for visas to their country this year. The head, Mr. David Greene, made this disclosure on Sunday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja. He also assured visa applicants of the mission’s commitment to tackling all visa-related hitches. According to him, issues related to visas would fully become a thing of the past, saying the mission is doing everything within its power to tackle such challenges. “When it comes to visas specifically, well, of course, it…

THE National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has elected Comrade Pedro Obi from the Delta State University as its new President. Obi, a Phd student of Guidance and Counseling studies got 212 votes to defeat his closest rival, Lucky Emonefe who scored 83 votes. The election was held at the old parade ground, Abuja. This newspaper earlier reported that the outgoing president, Usman Barambu suspended the former electoral committee, saying it was compromised, an action which paved way for another set of executives to conduct the election. The students body had zoned the position of president of NANS to Zone…