TO reduce the cost of governance, President Bola Tinubu has issued a directive to reduce the size of Nigeria’s official delegation to the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings in New York, United States. Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale in a statement on Saturday said the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this in Abuja during a one-day retreat organised by the State House management for heads of government agencies under its supervision. Highlighting the need for the State House and agencies under its supervision to ensure that its functions are guided by statutes, regulations, policy decisions,…
Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani
THE National Peace Committee NPC on Friday revealed details of some behind-the-scenes maneuvers by partisans and other unnamed elements during the 2023 Presidential Election, disclosing how it came under immense pressure to get the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to either halt collation of the results or cancel the election. The committee led by a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar disclosed this on Friday in Abuja when it presented to the public its 106-page report of the 2023 General Elections titled, “Nigeria’s Pursuit of Electoral Compliance: National Peace Committee NPC 2023 General Elections Report”. Before presenting the report…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has congratulated Nigeria’s former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida ( Rtd) on his 83rd birthday. IBB who became a year older on Saturday, was Nigeria’s military president from 1985 to 1993. A statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser, Media & Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, says: “President Tinubu salutes the former head of state on this special occasion, noting his endeavours towards the development of the nation, especially in infrastructure and otherwise, notably the completion of the Third Mainland Bridge which at the time was the longest bridge in Africa. “The President acknowledges the role of General Babangida in…
THE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has slammed the Ogun state government, saying, sub-national actors such as states should not enter foreign or international negotiations without the input of the ministry of foreign affairs or the Federal Government. He was speaking on the efforts being made to resolve the dispute with a Chinese company which has led to the seizure of three jets of the Federal Government by a French court. The court ruled that Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment should use Nigeria’s jets at the Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse international airports as “security for its claim of EUR…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has departed Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, after a three-day official visit. During the visit, the President had some diplomatic and economic activities between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea rolling, including the signing of the Gulf of Guinea pipeline agreement. The resuscitation of the Nigeria-Equatorial Guinea Joint National Commission, under which many other bilateral activities have been set in motion and to be activated in November. President Tinubu, who was escorted by the Equatorial Guinean Prime Minister, Manuela Roka Botey, departed the Malabo International Airport at 4:03pm.
ZHONGSHAN Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, the Chinese firm that got a court injunction to ground three presidential jets belonging to the Federal Government in Europe, has initiated plans to seize other Nigerian assets in the United Kingdom, United States of America and in six other countries. This newspaper also learnt that the company had instituted legal proceedings in about eight jurisdictions globally, regarding the dispute. The other countries include Belgium, Canada, France, Singapore and the British Virgin Islands, documents relating to the case, which were obtained by our correspondent, were revealed on Thursday. This comes as the Federal Government…
THE Senate has refuted claims that lawmakers in the Red Chamber receive N21m in salaries and allowances. The Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South), made this clarification on Thursday in response to statements by Senator Sumaila Kawu. In an interview with British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa Service on Wednesday, Kawu claimed that he earns a cumulative N21m monthly in salary and allowances. He also stated that his “monthly salary is less than N1 million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000.” He further explained, “Given the increase effected in the Senate, each Senator gets N21 million monthly…
THE Presidency has broken its silence on a French Court for the seizure of three Nigerian Presidential jets. Citing Financial Times, this newspaper had reported how the court ordered seizure of the aircraft over a botched deal Ogun State government and a Chinese company. The jets listed for seizure are a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737-7N6/BBJ and an Airbus A330-243 stationed at Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse airports. Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited,, a Chinese company whose export processing zone management contract was revoked by the Ogun state government in 2016, had approached the court. Responding in a statement…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu and Equatorial Guinean, President Teodoro Mbasogo on Wednesday evening in Malabo signed an agreement on the Gulf of Guinea Pipeline Project, further affirming the partnership for mutual development. The agreement covered legislative and regulatory measures for the gas pipeline, establishment and operation, transit of natural gas, ownership of the gas pipeline, and general principles. In his remarks at the event, President Tinubu, who is on a three-day official visit to Equatorial Guinea, said the signing of the agreement will open up new opportunities for gas exploration and employment. The president stated that the two leaders had discussed…
SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen. has withdrawn the controversial Counter Subversion Bill which stipulates that any Nigerian who refuses to recite the national anthem shall be fined N5 million, face a 10-year prison sentence, or both. The withdrawal followed the outrage and opposition that trailed the provisions of the planned legislation which many have described as draconian and anti-democratic. The Bill, sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, is set for its second reading, where its general principles will be debated. According to the proposed legislation, anyone who destroys a national symbol or a place of worship shall be…
PROMINENT national personalities have continued with their criticisms against the House of Representatives bill prescribing a 10-year jail for those who refused to recite the national anthem. The Bill, sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, is set for its second reading, where its general principles will be debated. In May, President Bola Tinubu signed into law the bill to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem which was dropped by a military government in 1978. The newly re-adopted anthem, which begins “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda. The Bill “stipulates that…
THE Senate through its Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday slammed the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigeria Police Force and 12 others for their persistent refusal to respond to queries raised against them in the 2019 Audit report. Briefing journalists in Abuja, Chairman of the committee, Senator Ahmed Aliyu (SDP Nasarawa West), said since heads of the affected agencies refused to respond to queries raised against them in the 2019 audit report after several opportunities offered to do so He stated that going forward, any agency that refuses…
THE Federal Government has traced at least N83 billion in cryptocurrency and fiat money channelled towards the recent nationwide protests. They include $50m of cryptocurrency — $38m of which were blocked in four cryptocurrency wallets — and N4bn contributed by various political actors in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Katsina. This was part of a presentation by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, at the inaugural meeting of the Council of State convened by President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. According to multiple sources with knowledge of Tuesday’s meeting proceedings, Ribadu, who presented on the topic ‘The Nationwide…
THE National Council of State has insisted that any change in government in Nigeria must follow constitutional procedures. The council also passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu over his “achievements” in the last year since he assumed office. The National Council of State reacting to the recent #EndBadGovernance Protests frowned upon the call by some sections of the protesters for the resignation of President Bola Tinubu. Those who attended the meeting physically were former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, while former Heads of State, Generals Gowon Yakubu and Abdulsalami Abubakar joined the meeting virtually. State governors,…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is presiding over the meeting of the National Council of State. The meeting which is being held at the Council Chamber of the State House Abuja has in attendance former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari. Former Heads of State, Generals Gowon Yakubu and Abdulsalami Abubakar are joining virtually. Also present for the meeting are; the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akpabio and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. Governors Saminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Hope Uzodinma…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Wednesday for a three-day official visit to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, at the invitation of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, confirmed the details of the visit in a statement released on Tuesday. During his visit, Tinubu will meet with Mbasogo at the Presidential Villa in Malabo. The two leaders are expected to hold discussions on key bilateral issues, with a particular focus on oil and gas and security. Several agreements will be signed to strengthen cooperation between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea in…
THE monies unremitted by Revenue Generating Agencies to the coffers of the Federal Government increased to N4.1tn as of June 2024, the Federation Accounts Allocations Committee has said. FAAC stated that this was despite the agencies’ reconciliation and payment of outstanding debts of N94.96bn in May 2024. This newspaper reports that the unresolved amount is $165,067,714.53 (N178.52bn) and N3,917,340,180,696.84, compared to the initial amount of $36,329,376.24 (N51.88bn) and N2,977,561,881,021 recorded in May 2024. The latest development was disclosed in a report by the Federation Account Allocation Committee post-mortem sub-committee meeting and signed by the Chairman of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Adamu Adaji as the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission for the second term. A statement on Monday by the Head of Information and Public Relations Unit, Efe Ovuakporie, said Adaji’s reappointment was communicated in a letter signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. According to Ovuakporiethe, the appointment was effective from August 7 2024, for another four years. The letter read, “I am pleased to inform you that His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has approved the renewal of…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has sworn in the new Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack. Walson-Jack took the oath of office at about 1:00 pm at the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Monday, just before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting. She succeeds Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, who served as the substantive HoS from March 4, 2020, until August 12, 2024, a day before she attained the retirement age of 60. The swearing-in ceremony comes nearly a month after the President, on July 17, approved her appointment. While receiving the new Head…
STATE governors, Deputy Senate President, Barau I. Jibrin; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajuddeen Abbas and many other bigwigs of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will on Tuesday gather in Abuja to discuss prospects and challenges bedeviling the party. Serving and non-serving members of the National Assembly, former governors, state chairmen and other stakeholders of the party are billed for the occasion. The event is organised by some chieftains of the party under the umbrella of the National Progressives Hub (NPH) to mark one year in office of the APC National Chairman and Secretary, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje…