Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu says a comprehensive forensic audit of the Central Bank is underway, while a thorough overhaul of the Civil Service payroll is imminent. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu disclosed this during an audience with the President of the World Bank, Mr. Ajay Banga on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. ”A comprehensive forensic audit is on-going at the Central Bank. We are going to do very serious structural review of the Civil Service payroll. I can’t believe in the numbers I’m seeing and I’ve had…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has informed the National Assembly about ECOWAS proposed military action and other sanctions against coupists in Niger Republic. He stated this in an official communication addressed to the Senate and read at plenary by President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio. Part of the letter read, “Following the unfortunate political situation in Niger Republic culminating in the overthrow of its President, ECOWAS under my leadership condemned the coup in its entirety and resolved to seek the return of the democratically elected govt. In a bid to restore peace, ECOWAS convened a meeting and came out with a communique.…

THE military junta in Niger Republic has cut off ties with Nigeria after the efforts of Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) to resolve the ongoing impasse failed. ECOWAS had issued a seven-day ultimatum for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum to avoid possible clash with the junta. But President Bola Tinubu sent a high-powered delegation to the country to meet with the coup leaders, on Thursday. The delegation led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) only met with representatives of the junta. Subsequently, Niger severed ties with Nigeria,  Togo, France, its coloniser, and the United States. “The functions of…

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government to withdraw a lawsuit filed against the organised labour. It is threatening a nationwide strike on August 14, 2023, if the government fails to do so. The NLC reached the decision during its National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, according to a statement signed by the National President, Joe Ajaero and the National Secretary Emanuel Ugboaja. They accused the Ministry of Justice and the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) of allowing themselves to be used as “anti-democracy” agents. While confirming the union’s suspension…

THE new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, says he will hit the ground running to ensure the victory of the ruling party in the November 11, 2023 governorship polls in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa. Ganduje spoke on Thursday during his acceptance speech as the party’s chair after his emergence at the 12th APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. The party’s NEC also elected former Senate spokesman, Ajibola Basiru, from Osun State as its National Secretary. Addressing party leaders after his emergence, Ganduje thanked President Bola…

THE National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, elected former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, as the National Chairman of the party. News Point Nigeria reports that, the party’s NEC also elected former Senate spokesman, Ajibola Basiru, as National Secretary. The two party officials were elected today at the 12th NEC meeting of the party held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, chieftains of the party in the National Assembly, amongst others were present at the NEC meeting. Addressing…

NATIONAL Legal Adviser of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Ahmed El-Marzuk, has resigned from the party’s National Working Committee, NWC. This newspaper gathered that he resigned his appointment on Wednesday, following insistence by some of his colleagues that he could not longer be in office due to some allegations against him. The 12th National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the party, which is currently underway in Abuja, is expected to name a replacement. The erstwhile national legal adviser was in the news three months ago when he recommended the expulsion of former National Vice Chairman for Northwest, Mallam Salihu…

ONE week after the military coup in Niger, the new military government has reopened the country’s land borders and airspace with five neighbouring countries, a spokesman for the junta announced on television on Tuesday evening. The border crossings to Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Libya, and Chad were reopened, he said. The junta also appointed new governors for the country’s eight regions. Tensions with the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) remained. The junta said Niger’s borders with Benin and Nigeria, both ECOWAS members, remained closed for the time being. On Sunday ECOWAS issued an ultimatum to the coup…

MILITARY Chiefs from some West African countries have arrived the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, for a high-powered delegation meeting over current activities of military juntas in the Republic of Niger. Our correspondent, who is covering the meeting, reports that the seats allocated to Mali, Guinea Bissau, Niger and Burkina Faso military chiefs are currently vacant. The military chiefs who are currently on the ground include Togo, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea, Gambia, Cote’Divoire, Cabo Verde and Republic of Benin. The meeting is being chaired by the chairman of ECOWAS military chief, Gen. Christopher Musa. Economic Community of West…

AMID heavy security presence, the Organised Labour has kicked off its protest against the “anti-people” policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and other states of the Federation including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo. In Abuja, members of the Organised Labour with different paraphernalia of the unions, on Wednesday morning, gathered at the iconic Unity Fountain for the protest. Some officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) from the FCT were spotted at the Unity…

SENATE President, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, stopped former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, from addressing a “strong petition” cited against him over Southern Kaduna killings on the floor of the Senate during his ministerial screening exercise. The lawmaker representing Kogi West, Senator Sunday Karimi, during the screening moved against El-Rufai. Karimi, after el-Rufai’s presentations, stood up and told the chamber that he had a petition written against the former governor over the issue of killings in Southern Kaduna. Raising up a brown envelope, Karimi said, “Mr. President, I have a petition written against the nominee over the issue of…

THE Presidential Election Petition Court has reserved judgement in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against the February 25 election victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, reserved judgement to a date to be communicated to the parties. Atiku, Nigeria’s Vice-President between May 1999 and May 2007, was physically present in court today (Tuesday). The petitioners — PDP and Atiku as well as Labour Party (LP) and its flag bearer, Peter Obi — are praying for the nullification of Tinubu’s victory…

THE Presidential Election Petition Court has resumed sitting for the adoption of the written address of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against the February 25 election victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Atiku, Nigeria’s Vice-President between May 1999 and May 2007, was physically present in court today (Tuesday). Today’s hearing majorly is for the parties to adopt all their various arguments which are already before the court. After that is done, the court would either fix a date for judgement or reserve judgement. The petitioners — PDP and Atiku…

SENATOR Bello Muhammad’s credentials were scrutinised on Monday during his Senate screening as a ministerial nominee with questions raised about his university admission on secondary school results that included no more than two credits. Muhammad is one of President Bola Tinubu’s 28 initial appointees who had been scheduled for interrogations during a special plenary session in the Red Chamber. One of the questions was posed to the nominee by Senator Allwell Onyesoh of Rivers East, who sought to know how Muhammad was able to advance academically, given his school leaving certificate. “I’ve been looking for your school cert. I saw…

THERE was drama in the Senate on Monday when lawmakers grilled a ministerial nominee from Benue State, Joseph Utsev, citing “discrepancies” in his biodata. Utsev started his introductory comments at exactly 02:07pm immediately after the Senate screened ex-governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike. He told the lawmakers that he was born in Gboko, Benue State on December 2, 1980 and he attended the University of Agriculture, Makurdi where he studied Civil Engineering and graduated with a Second Class Upper in 2004. Utsev said he observed the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kaduna in 2006. The Professor of…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu will address Nigerians today (Monday) at 7pm, his spokesman, Dele Alake, has said. “Television, radio stations and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and Radio Nigeria for the broadcast,” Alake said. The agenda for the broadcast is not yet known as of press time but it might not be unconnected to the economic pain experienced by Nigerians amid the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as petrol. There seemed to be no respite for Nigerians after President Bola Tinubu, in his inaugural…

A WIDOW of the Late Emir of Dutse, Hajiya Asiya Nuhu Sanusi has dragged the Emir of Dutse, Ahaji Hamim Nuhu Sanusi to the Shari’a Court of Appeal over fundamental right to inheritance. In a suit filed by her solicitor, Barrister Abdulhali Ali Esq, the wife of the former Emir and seven others, dragged the Emir Hamim Nuhu Sanusi and six others as respondents and the State Upper Shari’a Court 1 as respondents challenging an earlier judgement by a Judge of the Upper Shari’a Court, led by Khadi Ado Birnin Kudu for allegedly erring in a case of inheritance brought…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has appointed a Special Investigator to probe the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Related Entities. In a letter sighted by this newspaper, the president named Jim Osayande Obazee, the Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), as the investigator. The President asked the Special Investigator to investigate CBN and key Government Business Entities (GBEs). He also said Obazee would report directly to his office. “In accordance with the fundamental objective set forth in Section 15(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), this administration is, today, continuing the fight…

GENERAL Abdourahamane Tchiani is the new leader of Niger following a military takeover, state television reported Friday. The chief of the Presidential Guard has been named “president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland,” a statement said, with elected President Mohamed Bazoum detained by army putschists since Wednesday morning. More details shortly…

FOLLOWING certificates withheld, 86 indigent students of Bauchi State, yesterday, cried to the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, over N139 million debts owed Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State. The students were offered undergraduate scholarships and sponsored by the administration of former Governor of the State, Isah Yuguda, in 2014, and were offered Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Engineering, and other professional courses. Their plea for intervention by was contained in an open letter addressed to the Governor and signed by President of the 86 sponsored Bauchi students of Igbinedion University, Muhammad Umar. The letter reads in part: “First, I would…