THE House of Representatives has resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the activities of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), the Federal Capital Territory Administration Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, their agents and sub agents over the lapses observed in the 2024 Hajj exercise. This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Rep. Mohammed Umar Bio and presented at the plenary on Thursday. The lawmaker while presenting the motion, condemned the performance of NAHCON and the FCTA Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board in the 2024 Hajj exercise. He reminded that, Hajj is important…
Author: Maryam Garba
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A BUSINESS relationship manager with Zenith Bank PLC, Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, has told a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja how funds were moved from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through Zenith Bank to some accounts linked to Mrs Margaret Emefiele, wife of a former Governor of the CBN Godwin Emefiele. Ogbonnaya who is the fifth prosecution witness testified in the trial of Godwin Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, on charges of alleged abuse of office to the tune of $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion Led in evidence by EFCC’s Prosecutor (SAN) Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness told trial Judge…
THE National Population Commission (NPC) has said it has proposed November, 2024, for the Nigerian Population and Housing Census. Speaking during a press conference to mark the 2024 World Population Day, the Chairman of NPC, Nasir Isa Kwarra, said the proposal was, however, subject to the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Kwarra, who stated that the commission was 70 per cent ready to conduct the census, said the delay in Nigeria having data of its population would not prevent the country from achieving the UN 2020 Round of Population & Housing Censuses. It would be recalled that Nigeria is…
THE United Nations has again predicted that 82 million Nigerians, about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030, calling on the government to tackle climate change, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity. The prediction comes in the wake of a persistent hike in food prices in the country. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s food inflation rate hit a record high of 40.66 per cent in May 2024, surpassing the previous month’s 40.53 increase. This surge represents the largest year-on-year increase in food prices since records began in 1996. Historically, food…
THE Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, is intervening in the ongoing face-off between the Police Service Commission, and the Nigeria Police Force. After concluding the recruitment exercise, the PSC on June 4 released the list of 10,000 successful applicants for constable and specialist cadre roles in the Nigeria Police Force. Eleven days later, the police rejected the list over the allegation that the recruitment exercise was marred by corruption and irregularities. The statement by the force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi said, “Several names of persons purported to be names of successful candidates are those who did not even apply…
ONE hundred and three Nigerians on Friday arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the nation’s capital. They were part of those deported from the Republic of Turkey. They arrived at the pilgrims’ wing of the airport at about 6:45 pm on the Southwind Airlines flight with registration number TC-GRB. Upon their arrival, they were received by multiple agencies of government like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) as well as those of the military. It is unclear whether they committed any…
AS the rainy season gathers momentum, residents of Jigawa State are bracing themselves for potential floods that may devastate their homes and livelihoods. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has sounded the alarm, warning that some local government areas in the state are at high and moderate risk of flooding. At a sensitization programme in Dutse, NEMA urged stakeholders to take proactive measures to mitigate the impact of floods. “We cannot afford to be complacent,” said Nura Abdullahi, Territorial Coordinator of NEMA’s Kano Territorial Office. “We must work together to protect lives and properties.” For Aisha Mohammed, a resident of…
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…