Author: News Point Nigeria

By Abba Dukawa WITHOUT a scintilla of doubt, the year 2022 will go down in the annal as one of the hardest years for Nigerians, after the excruciating pains of the civil war pogroms they underwent from 1967 to 1970. Nigerians had endured economic, food security, social, political, security and ethno-religious challenges in recent years. It is saddening that despite the president’s acclaimed good intentions towards the country, his indecisive actions on some really important issues of national importance are alarming, and these has cost the nation dire consequences. It is disappointing that despite the avowed puritanical integrity of the…

By Yakubu Bayambe PRECISELY from the 10th of December, 2022,  the wave of political activities in Gombe state took a lively turn when Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC launched his gubernatorial campaign at the Pantami Township Stadium Gombe. The official launch of Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s re-election campaign signalled the commencement of the ward-to-ward rally in which the Gombe State Governor has since and successfully peregrined the one hundred and fourteen political wards scattered across the 11 Local Government Areas of the State. As a journalist previledged to be on the campaign trail, …

By Adamu S. Ladan POLITICIANS worldwide love to equate their popularity with the size of the crowds they gather. Is that really a good barometer when that crowd is rented and has been promised incentives for showing up? Recently, there was a commotion in Funtua, Katsina state where a crowd protested that they had been paid less than what they’d been promised. This happened when one of the prominent political parties flag off its state wide campaign in the city. The party according to some of the hirelings had offered them  N2000 each, but they received either only  N500 or…

By Martins Oloja As in Alice in Wonderland, it is getting ‘curiouser and curiouser’ why a few weeks to a critical general election, the Chairman of the Independent National Election (INEC), the election management agency appears to be in the eye of some storm, is being distracted and can be removed from office the way members of a cabal removed the Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon Justice Walter Onnoghen a few days to election in 2019. And curiously, at the same time, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) appears to be in trouble and is running…

By Femi Adesina IT was raging debate at a time in the country, when the land was beleaguered and almost totally asphyxiated by insurgency. Should we procure the services of foreign mercenaries or not? There were strident arguments for and against. At the security council meeting, the issue came up, and there were points for and against. President Muhammadu Buhari, as Chairman of the meeting, finally waded in. What was his position? Nigerian Army had distinguished itself in Burma, Congo, Lebanon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and many other theatres of conflict round the world. Why should we then be hiring mercenaries…

THE 12-zone operational structure of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) is set to take off with the management’s unveiling of new Zonal Managers. NAN reports that the new zones will begin operation on Jan. 1, 2023. It would be recalled that the agency hitherto operated a six-zone structure until management’s decision to spill it into 12 zones for administrative convenience, effectiveness and increased coverage, especially at the grassroots level. The new Akure Zone, which has Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states, was carved out from the old Ibadan Zone while Owerri Zone, excised from the old Enugu Zone, now has…

By Professor Dul Johnson Even before the political party primaries produced their candidates there was a lot of anxiety as to what awaited the nation as regards the 2023 general elections. There were different reasons for the anxiety. Would the primaries produce credible and popularly accepted candidates? Were the elections going to hold or not? If they held, would they be free, fair and credible? Could we trust the old parties that have failed us so many times in the past? What prospects could there be in any of the new parties that did not seem to have formidable structures…

By Prof Tunji Olaopa THIS contribution is a mix of a development prospecting post-2023, experience sharing and policy advocacy. In recent times, I have been reflecting a lot about the àbíkú phenomenon in Yoruba thought. And specifically, about how that metaphysical phenomenon could help make sense of the protracted opportunity for greatness that the Nigerian state has been forfeiting since it came into existence. The àbíkú myth narrates the pain and trauma associated with a child who dies at birth, and persistently returns multiple times to the same mother to be born anew in a process of renewed agony. Since…

MARCUS Rashford scored one and created another as Manchester United overcame illness issues to beat Nottingham Forest and move to within a point of the top four. Rashford converted a superb opener after 19 minutes when he was picked out by Christian Eriksen in a pre-planned corner routine, allowing the striker to exploit Forest’s failure to track his run by sweeping a first-time shot past Wayne Hennessey. The England forward turned provider three minutes later, cutting in from the left wing and rolling a pass to Antony Martial, whose low finish from the edge of the area found the net…

By Dr Fajembola Azeezat Fire has been an important entity since time immemorial, although some individuals see it as spiritual, it has evolved with man from one stage of civilization to another and it sources keep increasing across decades as it can be converted from one form of energy to another. Talking about energy, who doesn’t use fire in today’s world? Its benefit to the human race is endless from our homes, to our communities and institutions. We only get worried when it is used for the wrong purpose or mismanaged, which can leave a lasting negative effect on lives…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has placed 6,047 Bank Verification Numbers of bank customers under watch list for fraudulent transactions. The revelation was made known in the CBN Financial Stability June 2022 report published in December 2022. The report also revealed that 11,871 BVNs have been watch-listed as deceased persons this year. The report disclosed that the apex bank conducted an assessment of 28 banks and the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System to ascertain compliance with the Regulatory Framework for BVN Operations and Watch-List for the Nigerian Banking Industry in the review period. It noted that the assessment revealed some infractions…

SUPPORTERS of former President Goodluck Jonathan have commenced grassroots mobilisation in the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones for the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The group, under the aegis of Citizens Network for Peace and Development in Nigeria, had earlier endorsed Tinubu in November. In a statement issued after the grassroots campaign commencement in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the national secretary of the coalition, Francis Wainwei, disclosed that they were against the idea of having another northerner to replace the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) after eight years. Wainwei, whose group made a…

LIVERPOOL have agreed to sign Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven, say the Dutch club. Gakpo, 23, had an impressive World Cup in Qatar, scoring three goals as he helped the Netherlands reach the quarter-finals. The fee for the winger is expected to be between 40m-50m euros (£35.4m-£44.3m). PSV say Gakpo will travel to England to complete the deal, adding that it would be a record transfer for them. Liverpool have made a move with forwards Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota facing lengthy spells on the sidelines. “The PSV management completed the negotiations on Boxing Day and gave Gakpo…

LIONEL Messi has been among the world’s best footballers for so long that players’ entire careers have came and went during his Barcelona stint. It must be weird to look up to a player when you’re still a kid dreaming of playing football, then turn pro and find out, several years into your career, that he’s still better than you. Here’s a selection of genuinely great footballers talking about how they idolised Messi. Maybe one day we’ll be treated to a player even better than him. Paul Pogba: “Messi and football are two things that go together,” Pogba…

TORINO defender Ola Aina is not expected to step on the pitch again until late January 2023. The Nigeria international has been missing in action since sustaining an injury in Torino’s away win against Udinese in October. According to Sosfanta, the left-back will be available for selection against Verona on January 28. Aina will miss the games against Verona, Salernitana, AC Milan, Spezia, and Fiorentina. His future at the club remain uncertain with his contract due to expire at the end of the season. He has made 10 league appearances for the Turin club this season.

BRAZIL football Confederation (CBF) is reportedly considering French football star Zinedine Zidane as their national team coach after coach Tite stepped down from his role following the FIFA World Cup 2022 debacle. Brazil are currently without a coach as Tite stepped down from the role following the national team’s quarterfinal exit to Croatia in the FIFA World Cup. French newspaper L’Equipe has reported that Brazil are interested in the former Real Madrid manager and 1998 World Cup winner for the manager’s role. Zidane is also in run for the France’s job with speculation over Didier Deschamps’s future. Zidane, who won…

By Hassan Gimba FOR the past two weeks, the gregarious Muhammed Gudaji Kazaure, a lawmaker representing Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa and Yankwashi Constituency of Jigawa State in the House of Representatives and one of the most vibrant members of the House, has been trending. He came out with some papers and a story that sounded like a tale by moonlight. In an interview with BBC Hausa two weeks ago, the lawmaker disclosed that he was the secretary of a Presidential Committee on the Reconciliation and Recovery of All Stamp Duties. He also alleged that critical institutions such as the Central Bank…

THE prolonged winter storm that brought heavy snow, high winds and brutal cold to most of the US this past week has killed 38 people and had hundreds of thousands without power on Christmas day. Officials say 34 people died across the US, with the worst-hit area being the city of Buffalo, in New York state. Four fatalities occurred in Canada, when a bus rolled over on an icy road near the town of Merritt, in the western province of British Columbia. The scope of the winter storm has been unprecedented, stretching from Canada as far south as the Rio…

By Dakuku Peterside THE year 2022 is winding up. High-level political activities characterised it – from the dramatic to the absurd . Highwire political manoeuvrings and abracadabra were prevalent. On the eve of a crucial general election in Nigeria, 2022 is ending with a cacophony noise of optimism, cynicism, and ambivalence. This year has put all our assumptions about democracy, nation building and good governance to the test. But we can reflect – that is, assuming we learn from our experiences and we use the lessons. Reflection helps us understand our country better and the emerging world around us. There are five major…

THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has asked pilots and airline operators to take caution during this season due to dangerous weather conditions. The NCAA gave the warning in an Advisory Circular with reference no AC: NCAA-AEROMET – 34 signed by its Director-General, Musa Nuhu, and addressed to all Pilots and Airline Operators on Sunday. The advisory which was initiated by the agency’s Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS) followed the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) recently. The NiMET had predicted cessation of rainfall and weather associated with the Dry Season in Nigeria…