THE federal government is working towards establishing six new cancer treatment centres in tertiary hospitals across the geopolitical zones of the country. The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, stated this yesterday in Abuja during a ministerial press briefing organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) to mark the 2024 World Cancer Day. He said the centre would be established in the following hospitals – University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State (UNTH), Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH)…
Author: Khadija Abubakar
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A MEETING of the Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention is taking place in the State House in Abuja. The meeting, which was convened by the Chief of staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has in attendance the Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari; Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri; the Minister of Budget and Planning, Atiku Bagudu; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Yemi Cardoso among others. Tuesday’s gathering is coming on the heels of protests in some parts of the country over the rising cost of food and…
JUSTICE Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court Abuja has denied bail to five Port Harcourt-based men allegedly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State. They were charged with terrorism offences by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. The suspect were accused of burning the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex, amongst other offences, last year. Their bail applications, filed and argued by Lukman Fagbemi, was rejected and dismissed for lacking in merit. Justice Olajuwon refused them bail on the ground that they did not provide special circumstances to warrant their respective release from remand at the Kuje…
AIRLINE passengers travelling from Kano to Abuja on Air Peace Airline (P47425) have been left stranded as the airline rescheduled its flight time from 4.50pm on Friday Feb. 2 to 1am Feb. 3. This newspaper reports that the airline first sent emails to travellers that its original flight time of (16.50) 4.50pm had been moved to 8.55pm After check-in and a long wait at the airport, the airline announced at 9.15pm that the aircraft meant to lift the passengers from Kano would arrive at 10.20pm The airline at 10.20pm announced that the aircraft would arrive instead at 1am Some passengers…
THE Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake has described the United States (US) as Nigeria’s longstanding ally and strategic partner for the nation’s mining sector development. Speaking while receiving Charge d’Affairs, US Embassy, David Greene in his office on Thursday, Alake lauded the United States’ commitment to fostering cooperation with Nigeria in diverse sectors of the economy, stating that it underscores the significance of the smooth bilateral relations between both countries. “I thank you for your visit. I met the US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Geoffrey Pyatt, on the sidelines of the Mines and Money…
THE Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the appointment and posting of Commissioners of Police for 10 State Commands. This is coming on the heels of the promotion of 14 Deputy Commissioners of Police to the substantive rank of Commissioners. In a statement from the PSC spokesperson, the newly appointed State Commissioners of Police are Peter Ukachi Opara, former Deputy Commissioner, Administration in Imo State, who has been posted to Osun State; Olughemiga Emmanuel Adesina posted to Benue State, Akinwale Kunle Adeniran, Ekiti State Command and Mohammed Umar Abba, Adamawa State Command. CP Beneth Igwe has returned to the Federal…
NIGERIA on Tuesday recorded an improved ranking in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), moving five places up to rank 145 out of 180 countries assessed. According to the latest corruption index released by Transparency International (TI), the country also gained one point added to its previous 24, ending up scoring 25 out of the 100 maximum points in the 2023 CPI results, apart from moving five places up from its 150th position. Arguably the most widely used global corruption ranking in the world, the CPI measures how corrupt each country’s public sector is perceived to be. It uses a scale…
THE Bakori Old Girls Association has reiterated its commitment towards empowering the girl child in Nigeria with quality education and skills that will make them employable. The association declared the commitment on Saturday in Abuja, during the unveiling of the 50th Anniversary Logo of the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Bakori, and Lightening of the Anniversary Torch. The theme of the event is,”Honouring our History, Celebrating our Present and Investing in our Future”. In her welcome remark, the National President, Bakori Old Girls Association, Hanatu Ismaila said the occasion was historic and of great significance to the association. Ismaila who…
NO fewer than 4,613,197 Permanent Voters’ Cards have been collected by voters for the February 3 rerun/by-elections. This was contained in a document posted by INEC on its X handle sighted by our correspondent. Findings by our correspondent showed that 2,189,171 PVCs were collected by voters for the by-elections while 2,424,026 PVCs were collected for the rerun elections. This newspaper also gathered that no fewer than 8,500 Bimodal Voters Authentication System and over 35,000 ad-hoc staff would be deployed for the elections. According to the commission, 74 domestic observers and one international observer will observe the February 3 elections. By-elections…
IN a move towards inclusive and faith-aligned investing, i-invest has launched “Mudarabah Term Deposit (MTD) on its app. Mudarabah, a revered Islamic financial concept, epitomises a partnership contract between an investor who provides capital and an investment manager. This distinctive arrangement involves the capital provider entrusting funds for investment to be skillfully managed by the investment manager. The resulting profits are then shared based on a pre-agreed Profit Sharing Ratio (PSR). In the banking sector, Mudarabah has evolved into an investment product, offering a Sharia-compliant alternative to conventional fixed deposit products, aptly named MTD. In this arrangement, customers act as…
SENATOR Ali Ndume has faulted the planned relocation of some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from Abuja to Lagos but is confident President Bola Tinubu’s will reverse the move. Some of the CBN departments targeted for relocation are the Banking Supervision (DBS), Other Financial Institutions Supervision (OFISD), Consumer Protection Department (CPD), Payment System Management Department (PSMD), and Financial Policy Regulations Department (FPRD). But Ndume, who represents Borno South, has kicked against the plan, citing several reasons. “The regulators of the financial institutions are in Abuja. This is one of the mistakes and I am sure Mr President…
THE Federation Account Allocation Committee says it shared a total sum of N1.13 trillion of earnings in December 2023 with the Federal Government, States, and Local Government Councils. This is N500bn more than the N1.08trn shared to each state in November. The FAAC in a communique after its January 2024 meeting, chaired by the Accountant General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, said the N1.13trn total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N363.188 billion, distributable Value Added Tax revenue of N458.622 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy revenue of N17.855 billion and Exchange Difference revenue of N287.743 billion. Madein, who…
THREE persons have been abducted from the Nigerian Army Post-Service Housing Scheme in Kurudu Estate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the latest in the kidnapping scourge that has hit the area. The Director of Army Public Relations Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu confirmed that the incident happened in the estate at about 9.00 p.m. on Thursday. According to residents of the estate, gunmen fired gunshots before escaping with their victims. However, Brigadier General Nwachukwu told Channels Television that troops have responded to a distress call from the estate and are currently on a search and rescue operation. Kurudu is one…
THE Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gudu, Abuja, on Thursday, ordered the Inspector-General of Police to pay N50m damages to the widow of the late Chief M. K. O. Abiola, Prof Zainab Abiola, for violating her fundamental rights by arresting and parading her while wearing only a nightgown. The court, in the judgment that was delivered by Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi, also ordered the police to apologise to her in two national newspapers. Abiola had filed a fundamental human rights enforcement suit marked FCT/HC/CV/2431/2023 against the IG, the Nigeria Police Force, Inspector Teju Moses and Engineer Ibrahim (son of former…
CONCERN Citizen for Good Governance has raised alarm that those behind the attack against Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila are orchestrating a deliberate attempt to pull down the President. The group said the attackers have commence the attempt by launching campaign of calumny against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila whom is a strong pillar in the presidency, so that the president can fail. The group made this known in a statement on Wednesday titled “Mischief Makers Blindfolded By Illiteracy Behind Campaign of Calumny Against Chief of Staff to President, Rt. Hon. Femi…
THE Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu, on Monday, said the Federal Government plans to start the production of military hardware in Ajaokuta Steel Mill. The minister said he has been working closely with his counterparts in the Ministries of Defence and Works to perfect plans for the steel plant which has been moribund for many years to start the production of iron rods and military hardware. “In addition to restarting light steel mill, we want to produce military hardware in Ajaokuta Steel,” Audu said on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria. “I have been working…
THE Federal Ministries of Solid Minerals Development and Environment are strengthening collaboration to ensure that mining operations in the country have minimal adverse impact on the environment, in line with international best practices. Speaking while receiving the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, in his office, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to securing mining areas whilst removing impediments to seamless operations and ensuring mining processes conform to global standards of negligible harmful impact on the environment. In his remarks, Mr. Lawal emphasized that issues around security in mining sites…
THE country’s inflation rate is now at 28.9 %, a new record, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This was disclosed in the NBS December 2023 Consumer Price Index (CPI) which was released on Monday afternoon. The CPI measures the rate of change in the prices of foods and services. Before Monday’s release, the country’s inflation rate was at 28.20 as of November 2023. “Looking at the movement, the December 2023 headline inflation rate showed an increase of 0.72% points when compared to the November 2023 headline inflation rate,” the NBS wrote. “Furthermore, on a month-on-month…
A YOUNG lady identified as Najeebah has been reportedly killed by gunmen who abducted her and five other sisters in Abuja. This newspaper learnt that Najeebah and her sisters were abducted on January 9, alongside their father. It was gathered that the gunmen later released their father, asking him to go get N60m as ransom for the release of her daughters before Friday, January 12. In a bid to raise money, Nigerians were urged to donate whatever they have into a bank account, but not enough money was gathered as of Friday. Consequently, the hoodlums reportedly killed the oldest of…
IN a commendable alignment with the Federal Government’s agenda for food security and economic stability, major sugar refineries across the nation have pledged to not increase sugar prices during the Ramadan. According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Tolu Moyan, Tuesday, this decision resonates strongly with the objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 8-Point Agenda and was highlighted during the recent tour by Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, MD, CFA, the Honorable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment. During her visits to leading sugar producers such as Dangote…