Author: Farouk Abbas

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has commenced the process of appointing substantive directors to replace those who were relieved of their appointments, including some who retired about 11 months ago. An internal advertisement published by the apex bank, a copy of which was sighted by this newspaper, gave this hint. In the advertisement, the bank is seeking to fill seven positions namely Director, Corporate Communications Department (CCD); Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department (FPRD); Director, Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department (OFISD); Director, Procurement & Support Services Department (PSSD); Director, Banking Services Department (BKSD); Director, Medical Services Department (MSD); and…

Invites Experts To Address Economy, Media Space’s Challenges NIGERIAN Guild of Editors (NGE) has said that its annual conference this year will be held from November 7 to 9, 2024 in Yeanagoa, the Bayelsa State. The professional body of the editors/media executives in Nigeria, in statement on Monday by its President, Mr. Eze Anaba and the General Sceretary, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, said that the All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC), which will be chaired by the Chairman/Editor-In-Chief of THISDAY/Arise Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, will be declared open by the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Kashim Shettima.…

Alleges Assassination Attempt On Governor Ododo, Ex-Gov Bello Insists Kogi Money Is Not Missing THE Kogi State House of Assembly has called for the immediate removal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, over his unprofessional handling of the case against the immediate past Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. The legislators, during plenary in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday, condemned what they described as the EFCC operatives’ unprovoked attack on the Kogi State Government Lodge, saying it was an attack on the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, and…

JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The suit instituted against Ganduje by the APC North Central Group was dismissed by the Judge on various grounds. Justice Ekwo held that the APC North Central Group is not a juristic person and not registered in law and therefore has no legal power and capacity to file the suit. The Judge also held that the plaintiff failed to explore the internal mechanism for peaceful resolution of issues before rushing to…

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has openly thrown his weight behind the plot to unseat the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum. This newspaper gathered that Atiku reached out to members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) advocating for Damagum’s ouster. This move to remove Damagum has divided the 13 state governors elected on the PDP platform. While seven governors, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, are pushing for Damagum’s removal, four others, led by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, support his retention. The pro-Damagum governors are allies of the Minister of the…

THE national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has congratulated Senator Monday Okpebholo on his well-deserved victory at the Edo State Governorship election. Ganduje in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary Edwin Olofu, said the triumph is a testament to the confidence the good people of Edo State have in the progressive vision and leadership of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led APC administration. The National Chairman Ganduje conveyed the party’s warmest felicitations to Okpebholo. He asserted that his victory reflects the trust and hope placed in his leadership, as well as the…

A HUGE crowd of women from Kogi State took to the streets on Saturday to protest what they described as the alleged persecution of the former governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. They called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the EFCC to order, insisting that the former governor had done more than any governor of the state for the people since its creation. The women, led by various community leaders and party faithfuls, converged on the state capital, Lokoja, to condemn what they also described as a “witch-hunt” by the…

THE Coalition of 17 Northern Youths groups in an Emergency meeting in Suleja Niger State on Thursday 19th September has reacted strongly to the ongoing saga between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. Following a series of protests and outreach efforts between April and July 2024, the coalition, which toured the 19 Northern states, expressed deep concerns over what it views as the EFCC’s blatant disregard for due process and the rule of law in its treatment of the former governor. The coalition, comprising prominent Northern youth groups such as the…

THE Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, on Friday approved the promotion of 49 senior officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, on Friday approved the promotion of 49 senior officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). According to a statement by Corps Commander, Corps Public Education Officer, Olusegun Ogungbemide, the SGF approved the appointment of 21 Corps Commanders (CC), to the rank of Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM), 11 Deputy Corps Commanders to the rank of Corps Commanders as 17 others got elevated from…

THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has raised the alarm over the circulation of substandard and falsified medicines in Nigeria, posing a significant threat to public health. “We are maximising efforts to curb the menace of substandard and falsified medicines in the state,” warned Bala Mshelia, Director of NAFDAC’s North West Zone, at a community sensitisation workshop in Kaduna on Friday. Mshelia identified specific targeted medicines, including Fansidar 25/500mg and Combiart 20/120mg (antimalarials), OHEAL Ampicillin, and Cloxacillin Capsules (antibiotics), as well as other medications for hypertension, diabetes, and lifestyle diseases. “The fight against substandard and falsified…

DR Musa Aliyu, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, says the commission will ensure strict enforcement of the Supreme Court judgment on Local Government Autonomy. Aliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said this on Thursday in Abuja, at a One-Day National Anti-Corruption Coalition, NACC, Members Hybrid Interactive Forum. The Supreme Court on July 11, granted financial autonomy to all the local governments councils across the country. The chairman, who warned those plotting against the law to check his records, said that the commission would ensure compliance with the Supreme Court verdict at all…

EFCC Has Ulterior Motive On Yahaya Bello, Not Fighting Corruption THE Campaign for Democracy has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately relieve the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, of his job, saying he has demonstrated lack of capacity to hold such office. CD, a frontline Civil Society Organization in Nigeria, said it was unimaginable that the former governor, who the same EFCC had placed on watchlist, who the Commission enlisted security agencies in Nigeria and Interpol to help fish out, walked into the EFCC premises, waited for about three hours and no arrest…

THE Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Pate, has stated that the Federal Government is working towards decriminalising attempted suicide in the country. He disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference to commemorate the 2024 World Suicide Prevention Day. Marked globally on September 10 every year, the commemoration has “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” as the theme for 2024. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that suicide is criminalised in the country, but there have been several calls from stakeholders to decriminalise it. Captured under Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act, it states,…

THE Federal Government, through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), on Thursday, said water from the Lagdo Dam in neighbouring francophone country, Cameroon, has been released into River Niger and River Benue in Nigeria’s North Central. The Agency warned Nigerians resident in floodplains to relocate immediately to safe spaces in anticipation of attendant floods that annually come with the release of water from the Lagdo Dam. NIHSA Director General, Umar Mohammed, issued this warning when he featured on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief breakfast programme on Thursday. Mohammed said his Agency met with the authorities in Cameroon and agreed that…

OFFICIALS of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday night made an attempt to arrest former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, at the Kogi State Governor’s lodge in the Asokoro District in the Federal Capital Territory. However, there was some resistance by security operatives at the governor’s lodge as gunshots rented the air during the altercation. The entire area has been cordoned off and movements around that area have also been restricted to only operatives of the EFCC and other security agencies stationed there. Unconfirmed reports say the former governor has now left the governor’s lodge in…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked the immediate past Kogi governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to leave its office without any interrogation. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that Bello submitted himself to the anti-graft office in Abuja, Wednesday morning after months of back-and-forth and an attempt by the agency to arrest him. But a statement by the Director, Yahaya Bello Media Office, Ohiare Michael later on Wednesday, said Bello was asked to leave without any interrogation as the ex-governor was accompanied by the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo. See full statement below: PRESS RELEASE…

A TOTAL of 271 persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in murder and homicide, while 111 stolen vehicles were recovered over the past one month. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) disclosed this in a statement, detailing the activities of the Force under the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun in efforts to combat violent crime. In addition to the murder suspects, the Force also arrested 295 individuals for armed robbery, 186 for kidnapping and 71 for illegal possession of firearms. Police operations also led to the recovery of 185 firearms and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition of…

IMMEDIATE past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has honoured the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after months of back-and-forth and an attempt by the agency to arrest him. A statement by the Director, Yahaya Bello Media Office, Ohiare Michael on Wednesday, said Bello has honoured the invitation of the EFCC “after due consultations with his family, legal team and political allies.” The statement said, “The former Governor, who has great respect for the rule of law and constituted authority, had, all the while, only sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights in order to ensure…

THE Federal Government on Tuesday alerted Nigerians to the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon. In a statement, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Umar Muhammed, said the dam’s regulated water releases will commence on September 17. According to the statement, the water discharge is anticipated to progressively escalate to 1000m³/s over the next seven days based on the inflow from the upstream Garoua River. “The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency wishes to notify the general public that the authorities of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon have communicated to the agency that they…

A TOTAL sum of ₦1.203 trillion June 2024 federation accounts revenue has been shared with the Federal Government, states, and local government councils in the country. The revenue was shared at the September 2024 meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) held in Abuja and chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun. This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by Bawa Mokwa, the FAAC spokesperson for the Accountant General of the Federation. He explained that the ₦1.203 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of ₦186.636 billion, distributable Value Added…