Author: Farouk Abbas

THE Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring a safe environment for journalists, highlighting that a free press is essential for a thriving democracy. Idris stated this during Wednesday’s book presentation of ‘Writing for Media and Monetising It’ authored by the Senior Vice Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Leadership Media Group, Azu Ishiekwene, in Abuja. In his keynote address, Idris stressed the importance of responsible journalism, urging media practitioners to balance their freedom with a sense of duty, ethics, and patriotism. “As we celebrate this milestone, it is also important to reaffirm the…

THE House of Representatives Commitee on Public Assets on Tuesday asked security agencies to immediately arrest an alleged unlicensed auctioneer and Director of Quality Control of the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) over the sale of two helicopters for $1.2 million. The committee called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to take over the investigation of the alleged indiscriminate sale of two of NCAT’s helicopters. The resolution of the Committee on Public Assets came after about five hours of interaction with the management of the College and other relevant bodies. The Chairman of the Commitee, Ademorin Kuye,…

THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has paraded a Point of Sale (PoS) operator, Sunday Musa, also known as Dan Gwari, who allegedly specialises in supplying sex workers to bandits in their camp, as well as distributing money to their families in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Benneth Igweh, the commissioner of police in the FCT, who disclosed this while parading the suspect at the command in Abuja on Tuesday, said he was arrested during a coordinated clearance operation by operatives of the anti-kidnap unit of the command at Kagarko. He said the suspect was also the…

GOVERNORS of the 36 states of the federation have resolved to meet on Wednesday to resolve issues regarding the proposed new minimum wage. Recall that the governors had rejected the N62,000 proposed by the federal government, explaining that some states would have to borrow to pay salaries if the amount is implemented. However, the organised labour is still insisting on N250,000 wage. This newspaper reports that the governors’ decision to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday followed the stepping down of the memo on minimum wage by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Tuesday. The Minister of Information and National…

MEMBERS of the organised labour comprising both the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, have convened an emergency meeting over the decision of the Federal Executive Council to step down the memo on the minimum wage. The meeting, according to a top official at the NLC headquarters, will be held at Labour House at 10:00am on Wednesday. Thung Khe Pass, White Stone Slope, Hoa Binh, Flycam – Nếm TV The official said it is meant for discussion on the decision of FEC to step down the memo on minimum wage. Daily Trust had earlier reported that the Minister…

THE Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture to the Federal Government, of the sum of $1.4 million, linked to a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele. Justice Ayokunle Faji gave the order after hearing an application filed and argued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This order is coming a few days after another judge of the same court, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, ordered the final forfeiture of over N12.18bn in money and properties linked to the same Emefiele. At Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel to the EFCC, Bilkisu Buhari-Bala, urged Justice Faji…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, opened its case at the Federal High Court Abuja in the money-laundering suit brought against the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano. The anti-graft agency presented a total of two witnesses in today’s trial. A bank manager, Mr Tochukwu Nnadi, who entered the witness box as the first prosecution witness, PW-1, told the court that sometime in April 2022, the EFCC invited him and told him it was in respect of an ongoing investigation. He was the manager of the branch and handled most of the financial activities of the…

BANDITS have killed the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Innovation, and Development at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto Prof. Yusuf Saidu. The school in a Monday statement said the late Saidu was killed on his way to Kaduna from his Sokoto base. “The death has occurred of Prof. Yusuf Saidu the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research Innovation and Development Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto,” the statement read in part. “He was attacked and killed by Bandits on his to Kaduna from Sokoto state. A man of integrity, religion, dedication, and courage.” The school described his demise as a “painful loss” to the…

THE Kano State Police Command has deployed more armed personnel to the two palaces housing the contending emirs in the metropolitan local government areas of Kano. It was gathered that the hunters guarding the two palaces withdrew with the arrival of more policemen at both palaces. The outgoing Commissioner of Police in the state, Usaini Gumel, confirmed the deployment during an interview with newsmen. He emphasised the necessity of the action, stating, “Equipped and armed personnel have been deployed to handle any unforeseen circumstances around the identified areas.” Gumel, who is also an Assistant Inspector General of Police, further explained…

VICE President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, has accused International Oil Companies in Nigeria of plans to frustrate the survival of the new Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals. Edwin said the IOCs were “deliberately and willfully frustrating” the refinery’s efforts to buy local crude by hiking the cost above the market price, thereby forcing the refinery to import crude from countries as far as the United States, with its attendant high costs. Speaking to journalists at a one-day training programme organised by the Dangote Group over the weekend, Edwin also accused the Nigerian Midstream and…

A RETIRED brigadier general of the Nigerian Army, Uwem Harold Udokwe, has been murdered by suspected armed robbers in Abuja. The late brigadier general was attacked at his Sunshine Homes Estate by armed robbers at about 3am, on Saturday. He was reportedly killed during the attack. Reacting to the untimely demise of the deceased, the commissioner of police in the FCT, CP Benneth Igweh, ordered a discrete investigation. He gave the order in a statement by the command spokeswoman SP Adeh Josephine, which was issued to newsmen on Saturday. According to her, the CP ordered a thorough and discreet investigation…

THE presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election Atiku Abubakar on Saturday visited immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Daura, Katsina State. Atiku who was accompanied by the immediate past Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal alongside other PDP stakeholders was seen in a viral having a closed-door meeting in the home of the former president. Atiku’s visit to Buhari was coming barely three days after he paid a similar visit to former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, at their respective residences in Niger State. A…

FOLLOWING Thursday’s Federal High Court’s ruling setting aside the steps taken in repealing the Kano Emirates Council Law, the state government has ordered deposed Emir Aminu Ado Bayero to vacate Nassarawa Mini Palace. At a press conference, the Kano State Attorney General (AG), Haruna Isah Dederi, emphasised the need for the renovation of the facility which is solely owned by the state government. Dederi stated that the govt has already concluded arrangements for the general reconstruction and renovation of the property including the demolishing and reconstruction of the dilapidated wall fence with immediate effect. Dedire affirmed that the ruling of…

THE Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, Thursday, signed many bills into Law at the Executive Chambers of the Kogi State Government House. In his remarks shortly after signing the bills into law, Governor Ododo commended the State House of Assembly for their patriotism and dedication, referring to the Bills as “People oriented bills”. According to the Governor, the newly signed Anti Corruption Agency Law will strengthen the capacity of the state to prevent corruption as well as investigate and prosecute corruption cases. “We have given legal teeth to the Agency to be able to bite corruption. This is…

A FEDERAL High Court in Kano has set aside all steps taken by Kano state government to repeal the Kano Emirates Council Law. The Kano House of Assembly had repealed the law after which Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf implemented it by dethroning Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero as Emir of Kano. The governor also reversed the creation of four emirates, Bichi, Rano Karaye and Gaya, by his predecessor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The law was relied upon to re-appoint the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, who was dethroned by Ganduje in 2020, as the 16th Emir of Kano. But…

A FEDERAL High Court in Kano has shifted its ruling on the Council Repeal Law 2024 to 2pm, on Thursday. The ruling was initially fixed for 12pm but the shift was announced before midday. The law was used by the state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to dethrone the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and also to reverse the creation of four emirates, Bichi, Rano Karaye and Gaya, by his predecessor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The law was also relied upon to re-appoint the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, who was dethroned by Ganduje in 2020, as…

HEIRS Holdings (HH), the leading pan-African investment company, convened over 100 board members from across all HH investee companies, at the HH Group Directors’ Annual Summit. The HH Group Summit, held at the iconic Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja from June 13 – 16, 2024, drew on the experience of board members of investee companies from sectors where HH invests: healthcare, power, energy, technology, financial services, hospitality, and real estate. Also present were trustees of the Group’s philanthropy, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which catalyses young entrepreneurs across Africa. The convening provided the opportunity to reinforce the Group’s strong governance practices…

THE Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission, has called on President Bola Tinubu, to relieve the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over his alleged meddlesomeness in the recent recruitment of police constables. During a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, the union also alleged that some top officers within the Nigerian Police Force, tried to smuggle names during the recruitment process. The aggrieved members of the union while singing protest songs, described the reactions of the NPF as diversionary tactics. According to them, NPF intends to prevent the president from noticing the unpreparedness of the police training schools,…

THE Federal Government could face a potential loss of N2.97tn and $36.33m if revenue-generating agencies in the country do not reconcile unremitted earnings collected, this newspaper has learnt. The figure owed by an unnamed number of agencies as of April 2024 was revealed during the Federal Account Allocation Committee. Our correspondent obtained the minutes of the meeting on Monday. The Vice President of the Post-Mortem Sub-committee representing the committee Chairman, Kabir Mashi, at the meeting, said the outstanding amounts were still being reconciled with the relevant agencies at the monthly reconciliation meeting The minute read in part, “Outstanding Federation Account…

WITH talks about a new minimum wage for workers being on the front burner of public discourse, former Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola says income earners in Nigeria deserve reasonable adjustments to cope with the rising cost of living in the country. “When cost of living rises as they have now, the lowest and the highest income earners are impacted to varying degrees and therefore deserving of reasonable adjustments whether they earn wages or salaries,” the former Lagos State governor said in a piece titled, ‘Minimum Wage Review – My Take Away’. Fashola also faulted Section 4(1)(b) of the National…