Author: Editor

THE National Assembly on Wednesday increased the 2023 budget proposal from N20.51tn to N21.82tn and passed it. The Appropriations Committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives said the  N1.3tn increase in the budget size was due to the additional funding earmarked for the National Population Commission ahead of the planned 2023 census as well as the N173bn appropriated for the Independent National Electoral Commission, ahead of the 2023 general elections. The Nigerian Army, Navy, Nigeria Police Force, and ministries of Agriculture, Health, Aviation, and Science & Technology also got reasonable increases. National Assembly also increased the oil price…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has concluded plans to conduct sale of properties which are subject of Final Forfeiture Orders. The Commission on Saturday December 24, 2022 publicly announced the commencement of the auction exercise with advertorial in major newspapers inviting bids for the properties. According to the Commission, interested persons or organizations have until 12:00 noon Monday, 9th January, 2023 to submit their bids. The properties consisting of 61 Units of Luxury Apartments, Plots of Lands and Apartments across the country are being offered for sale in accordance with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act,…

GOVERNOR Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state has donated the sum of N17 million for the drilling of hand pumps at the premises of the famous Birnin Kudu Government College in Jigawa state. The donation of the funds aimed at bringing to an end of the water scarcity facing the institution. The governor also donated a Toyota Hiace bus to the Old Boys Association in addition to the sum of N3 million for the Unity College for the running of its daily activities. He donated the keys of the bus to the grand royal father of the day, the Emir…

THE Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai says the 2023 elections present Nigerians with the opportunity to take religion out of politics and punish politicians who use it as a tool. The governor on Tuesday asked royal fathers and scholars to pray for credible elections and improved security. He spoke at the commissioning ceremony of the head office of the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development. “I want to use the opportunity to call on our leaders here, the royal fathers, our scholars to continue to pray for peaceful and credible elections, continue to pray for improved security in our…

PREMIER League giants Liverpool are preparing to make an official bid for Villarreal wing wizard Samuel Chukwueze a few hours after sealing a move for Dutch forward Cody Gakpo. A host of Premier League clubs are in the race to snap up the Nigeria international but the Anfield giants appear in pole position to win the race for his signature. Liverpool pulled off the first major deal of the winter transfer window with the signing of Cody Gakpo. And according to reports, Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze could be next on Liverpool’s shopping list as the Anfield club continues to…

PRESIDENT-GENERAL of apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof George Obiozor is dead. Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State announced Obiozor’s death in a statement on Wednesday night. “On behalf of the government and people of Imo state, I, Sen Hope Uzodimma, the Executive Governor of Imo state, sorrowfuly announce the passage of a great son of Imo state and Nigeria, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prof George Obiozor. “A renowned academic, an exceptional diplomat, statesman and a tenacious patriot, Prof George Obiozor passed on recently after a brief illness. “The death of this foremost Igbo leader and…

THE National Chairman of the rulling All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Adamu, has said it is a shame for President Muhammadu Buhari to hand over power to an opposition party in 2023. In an interview with BBC Hausa, the party chairman however said Buhari wants APC to win more than anyone else. Dismissing the criticism alleging that President Buhari is withdrawing from campaigning for the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Adamu said it is inappropriate for him to leave his job as president because of the electioneering. He said, “Things go the way we want, we are grateful to…

THE Nigeria international Victor Osimhen has enjoyed a successful 2022 banging in goals and creating assists for his teammates to make Napoli the darling of many on the continent. Serie A leaders Napoli have nominated the Super Eagles striker for two awards – best club goal and assist – as the year 2022 draws to an end. Osimhen is one of the five nominees for the best Napoli goal of 2022, alongside Giovanni Simeone, Piotr Zielinski, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Eljif Elmas. The 23-year-old, one of Nigeria’s most prolific forwards over the past 12 months, netted 19 goals for Napoli this…

THE hotel room Lionel Messi stayed in during the Qatar World Cup is set to be turned into a museum after Argentina’s success in the tournament. Messi was instrumental in his nation’s first World Cup triumph for 36 years, and was named player of the tournament after netting twice in the final. The 35-year-old picked up the silver boot after netting seven goals on his way to the one trophy that had always evaded him in an otherwise illustrious career. Argentina began the tournament with a disastrous 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia, but eventually made it out of their group…

THE US is considering imposing new Covid restrictions on Chinese arrivals, after Beijing announced it would reopen its borders next month. American officials say this is due to a lack of transparency surrounding the virus in China, as cases surge. On Wednesday, Italy announced plans to enforce mandatory testing, after tighter measures were outlined by Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and India. Beijing said coronavirus rules should be brought in on a “scientific” basis. Officials in the Italian city of Milan are already testing passengers on flights from China. On one flight, which landed at the city’s Malpensa Airport on Boxing Day,…

AT least one person has been killed after heavy fog caused a pile-up of over 200 vehicles near the city of Zhengzhou, in central China. State media reports the crash was caused by heavy fog in the area. Cars and trucks could be seen crumpled and piled on top of each other on the Zhengxin Huanghe bridge in videos widely shared on social media. Many people were injured and trapped at the scene of the accident and the fire department was on the bridge, reports said. Preliminary estimates said that the pileup involved more than 200 vehicles and the injured…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday urged the military and other security agencies to remain apolitical in their involvement in the provision security during the nation’s 2023 General Elections. Buhari made the call at the inauguration of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Estate at Idu-Karmo in Abuja. He said that security agencies would be engaged with various support and assistance in the elections, particularly with distribution and monitoring of classified materials and other logistics. These, he warned, must be done professionally and in accordance with Standing Operation Procedures. “I therefore urge you to remain apolitical and desist from behaviour that could…

THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has generated N438.78bn as revenue from 2017 to date, findings have shown. This came as the total sum of Internally Generated Revenue by the agency almost doubled from N38.53bn in 2017 to N74.69 (budgeted IGR) in 2022. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, the NIS raked in N38.5bn, N39bn and N61bn, respectively. However, the service’s IGR suffered a 19 per cent drop to N49.9bn in 2020 largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, the revenue rose by about 44 per cent amounting to N71.7bn. Its proposed revenue for the 2022 fiscal year stands at the…

NIGERIAN troops have arrested an Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) strongman accused of leading the murder of Ahmed Gulak. Nwagwu Chiwendu is a deputy commander of the IPOB Eastern Security Network (ESN). Gulak, a former political adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was shot dead in May 2021. His alleged killer, Chiwendu is described as IPOB’s main trainer in weapon handling and the second in command to Temple. Temple is currently the leader of the proscribed organisation in Imo State. Chiwendu reportedly deserted the Nigerian Army and joined the ESN on January 21. A military operative told PRNigeria that he served…

MANY old pupils of Local Education Authority Primary School, Makarfi Central, established in 1922 in Kaduna State, attended its centenary celebration to reunite and honoured some of the old students and teachers of the school. News Point Nigeria gathered that the school started with 14 pupils when it was established as the second primary school after the one in Zaria district of old Kaduna State. Speaking at the occasion held at the school premises in Makarfi LGA, the Chairman Organising Committee, Alhaji Suleiman Abdulkadir, said the school had produced many distinguished personalities. He said that the old boys had held…

THE Labour Party has announced former presidential aide Akin Osuntokun as the new Director-General (DG) of its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC). Osuntokun succeeds Doyin Okupe who resigned of late as the director-general of the campaign council for the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Until recently, Osuntokun was the Zonal Coordinator (South) of the campaign council. A former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Osuntokun served as Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and as Director of the Presidential campaign of the People’s Democratic Party in 2011 Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja…

ENGLISH Premier League football resumed with a feast of Boxing Day fixtures, 40 days after the top-flight broke up for the World Cup in Qatar. Monday’s seven fixtures produced a bumper 25 goals, with table-toppers Arsenal showing no signs of letting up by securing a 3-1 win over West Ham. Southampton now find themselves bottom of the league following a home defeat and Everton were left in despair after conceding late on at Goodison Park. News Point Nigeria looks at the main headlines from the Premier League’s dramatic return: No World Cup hangover for Gunners Any suggestions the World Cup…

FRANCE midfielder, N’Golo Kante is a potential transfer target for Saudi Arabian Professional Football League outfit, Al-Nassr. Kante will become a free agent next summer and there are rumours he will not be offered a new contract by Chelsea. The Frenchman has struggled with injuries this year and is not expected to return to action until February. A number of clubs have already made their interest in Kante known and it appears that the Saudi high-flyers have emerged as the frontrunners to sign him. According to Foot Mercato, Al-Nassr are keen on adding Kante to their squad when his deal…

POLISH referee, Szymon Marciniak, has confessed that he made some wrong calls during the 2022 World Cup final game between Argentina and France. “Of course, there were mistakes in this final,” he told Sport.PL. “I interrupted the French counter-attack after a bad tackle by Marcos Acuna. I was afraid that the fouled player wanted to unwind, and I read it wrong because nothing happened, and you could give an advantage and then come back with a card.” “It’s hard. In a game like this, I take such a mistake in the dark. The important thing is that there were no…

A GROUP of gunmen have abducted four students of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, and the driver of their vehicle, along Akunnu-Ajowa Road in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State on Friday. The students were said to be travelling home for the Yuletide before the hoodlums allegedly waylaid them on the road and dragged them into the bush. It was gathered that some hours after the abduction of the students, the bandits contacted the families of the victims, demanding a sum of N16m for their release A source in Ajowa Akoko Community said, “The kidnappers of the…