Author: Khadija Abubakar

THE Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) and Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) have demanded punitive actions, including the banning of an upcoming film in Nigeria showing women in niqab brandishing weapons, robbing banks and committing other crimes. This is contained in separate statements issued on Thursday signed by the Executive Director of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola and the Executive Chairman of MPAC, Disu Kamor, respectively. Nollywood actress Nancy Isime recently shared behind-the-scene photos from an upcoming, yet-to-be-announced film on her social media handles. The images, posted earlier this week, show her in a sleeveless top and trousers, holding a gun, with…

NIGERIANS will now be paying N7,000 per month, as video streaming platform, Netflix, has once again increased its subscription prices with its Premium Plan going up by 40 per cent to N7,000 from N5,000 per month. Recall that Netflix has been raising the rates of its Basic and Premium plans starting in October 2023 in several major areas across the world, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The streaming platform stated earlier in April that the price of its Premium Plan in Nigeria would increase to N5,000 from N4,400. Simultaneously, the Basic Plan stayed at N2,900,…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has again raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), which measures interest rates by 50 basis points, from 26.25% to 26.75% amid soaring inflation and skyrocketing food prices. CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, announced this after the apex bank’s 296th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday. The MPC adjusted the asymmetric corridor around the MPR from +100 to -300 to +500 to -100 basis points. The MPC also retained the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of deposit money banks at 45% and merchant banks at 14% and retained the Liquidity Ratio at 30%. Cardoso…

JOURNALIST, author, and columnist Azu Ishiekwene will read his latest book, Writing for Media and Monetising It in the nation‘s capital city, Abuja, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. According to a statement personally signed by Ishiekwene, the senior vice chairman and editor-in-chief of LEADERSHIP Group Limited, on Monday, he will give the reading at Rovingheights Bookstore, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, at 5pm, at an event that Channels TV’s top anchor, Maupe Ogun-Yusuf, will moderate. He said the reading session will allow him to deepen his engagement with readers, autograph copies, and reflect on how content creators, especially journalists, can get…

THE University of Abuja (UniAbuja) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced the suspension of its 82-day-old strike action with immediate effect. Chairperson of the union, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh announced the suspension of the strike while briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday at the end of its congress. He said the strike was suspended following the union’s engagement with the new Governing Council of the University, which promised to review all their demands with the hope of proffering solution to them. It would be recalled that the Union, on May 2, 2024, had embarked on an…

THE Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has dismissed an action filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) challenging the legality of the presidential directive for the barring of SIM cards not linked with the National Identification Number (NIN). Justice Yelim Bogoro held that the policy of the Federal Government requiring the linkage of SIMs with NIN is reasonably justifiable and that the interest of the country as one indivisible and indissoluble country is greater than the right of any individual in the country. In the action filed against the President of the Federal…

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has pegged 140 as a cut-off mark for admission into the university. The board also fixed 100 as the minimum cut-off point mark for admission into polytechnics and colleges of education. JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede announced this on Thursday in Abuja at the 2024 Policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The meeting had in attendance the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, vice-chancellors, rectors and registrars of higher institutions and other stakeholders. At the meeting, the minister directed that admission to tertiary institutions should not be given to candidates…

THERE was a mild drama at popular Unity Fountain in Abuja on Thursday as police operatives prevented non-teaching workers from universities across the country to embark on a protest. This newspaper reports that the university workers under the aegis of Joint Action Committee (JAC) had earlier scheduled to hold a peaceful protest to press home their demands over non-payment of their four months’ salaries. The workers are members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). But police operatives drawn from the Federal Capital Territory Command prevented the…

THE Federal Government has admitted there is food insecurity in the country but assured Nigerians that the situation is being addressed and the prices of commodities will soon come down.  Food inflation has reached over 40 per cent in recent months according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), pushing the prices of essential commodities beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians. But the Minister of State for Agriculture Aliyu Abdullahi said with several programmes by the Federal Government, the prices of commodities will reduce. “You will see a lot of programmes trying to dampen [reduce prices] the…

THE Chief Justice Of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, says the National Judicial Council (NJC) has already activated the process of making errant judges who give misleading and conflicting judgements be made to face the consequence of their “despicable and odious conduct”. He described their conduct as an embarrassment to the judiciary and would not be handled likely. The CJN spoke at the inauguration of 22 justices for the Court of Appeal on Wednesday at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Abuja. He urged the new justices to be upright, not to falter and toe the…

THE Organised Labour still insists that the N250,000 benchmark remains the ideal minimum wage for workers in Nigeria, the President, Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, declared on Tuesday. Osifo also stated that TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress were meeting with officials of the Federal Government to reach an agreement on the minimum wage. He disclosed this at the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Women Commission maiden Annual Convention in Abuja, with the theme, ‘The Dynamic Woman: Navigating Challenges in a Constantly Evolving World.’ Discussions on a new national minimum wage has paused following the decision…

THE Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his significant efforts in addressing the plight of pensioners in the state and paying attention to girl child education. Emir Sanusi highlighted that the present administration paid attention to pensioners who had previously been thrown into unnecessary hardship and poverty due to unpaid pensions and gratuities. He emphasized that, “The difference between paying attention and not paying attention is sometimes the difference between life and death for the pensioner or his family. Some of them have died. We must always remember that we are all accountable…

THE European Union (EU) has awarded postgraduate scholarships to 142 young Nigerians for the 2024-25 academic session under its prestigious Erasmus+ program. This marks the sixth consecutive year that Nigeria has led in Africa as the top recipient of these scholarships, also ranking among the top five globally. Announced by the program organizers in Brussels, the initial batch of Nigerian awardees is set to begin their studies in September 2024, with the possibility of more beneficiaries being added. These scholarships provide an opportunity for recipients to study in at least three different universities across multiple countries within and outside the…

THE Federal Government has warned that the increasing level of flooding and continuous rainfall may worsen the spread of cholera in the country. The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Joseph Terlumum raised the concern while addressing a press conference on Thursday. According to him, a total of 63 deaths and 2,102 suspected cases have already been recorded as of Wednesday, July 3, 2024, since the outbreak of the epidemic. Recent incessant rains have resulted in floods in some states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a situation that prompted the minister to call on state governments across the country…

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano has proposed a mandatory drug test for prospective couples as part of measures to reduce drug abuse in the state. The NDLEA Commander in Kano, Mr Abubakar Idris-Ahmad, made this known to the newsmen on Thursday. “The agency has introduced the Drug Intergrity Test Initiative anticipated to metamorphose into an anti-drug culture for every Nigerian” he said. Idris-Ahmad said the drug test will serve as a tool for the prevention of drug abuse and early detection of individuals and couples status of drug use for appropriate treatment and rehabilitation. He said…

THE Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has disconnected the power supply to Aliko Dangote University, Wudil, over an outstanding debt of N248 million. The Managing Director of KEDCO, Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf, told this newspaer in a telephone interview on Monday that the company had no choice but to take action. He said that the institution only made payment of N20 million out of the outstanding N248 million. Yusuf vowed that the power supply would only be restored if the management made “appreciable payment’. He further explained that KEDCO was spending heavily to purchase power from the Transmission Company of Nigeria…

THE Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), National Pension Commission (PenCom), the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundry (SCUML) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have scored low in the federal government’s Regulatory Reform Action Plan targeted at promoting ease of doing business. The plan, championed by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), is targeted at equipping regulatory agencies that facilitate business environment to aid their efficiency. Speaking at the release of the plan’s results in Abuja on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole said “The 90 days period for the…

THE Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC, Federal Capital Territory Administration, says it will begin the relocation of mechanics and traders operating on road corridors and buffer zones to Wassa. The AMMC Coordinator, Felix Obuah, disclosed this to newsmen after a meeting with representatives of the affected traders and mechanics in Abuja on Tuesday. Mr Obuah explained that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approved the exercise designated for such businesses, adding that the evacuation would begin in a month’s time. He identified those to be relocated as all traders, artisans, mechanics, spare parts dealers, furniture makers, roadside cooking gas dealers…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the National Construction and Household Support Programme during the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday in Abuja. According to a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, the programme is aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening the economy, and providing immediate economic relief for Nigerian households. Ngelale added that the programme, which was supported by the NEC, includes financial allocations and infrastructure projects across all geo-political zones in the country. He added that a key component of the programme is the approval of the N50,000 uplift grant to be distributed to 100,000 families per…

THE University of Abuja has appointed Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi as the acting Vice-Chancellor of by the institution’. Her appointment was announced at the valedictory Senate meeting on the university campus in Abuja on Wednesday. The 41-year-old Professor of International Law was the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, before her appointment. Outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, who is rounding off his tenure in three days, said Maikudi’s appointment was in a temporary capacity, pending the ratification by the Governing Council. In her acceptance speech, Maikudi expressed gratitude to members of the Senate for the confidence reposed in her. “I want to…