Author: Amina Ibrahim

HE Federal Government has warned members of the National Association of Resident Doctors to shelve their planned five-day warning strike, describing it as illegal. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, issued the warning today shortly after receiving a letter from the NARD executive notifying him of the impending industrial action, billed to commence today, May 17, 2023. Reacting to the letter, dated May 16, 2023 and delivered to his office at about 5pm same day, Ngige said on receiving the letter, he contacted the Minister of Health, who informed him that a meeting has been scheduled by his…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, returned to Nigeria after an extended trip to London. The President arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja around 4:45pm. Buhari had left Nigeria on May 3 for the UK to participate in the coronation ceremony of King Charles III of the United Kingdom on May 6. He used the opportunity to attend Commonwealth meeting, May 5. The President, who was initially scheduled to return to Abuja last week, however rescheduled his return for another week as he was slated to meet with his dentist for dental procedure. Announcing President Buhari’s decision to stay…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has suspended two of its officers over alleged homicide. It was gathered that the suspended officers were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court in Sokoto on a two-count bordering on criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide. While addressing a news conference in Abuja, the Head of Media of the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, said the officers – Apata Odunayo and OgbujibTochukwu – were suspended for their role in the death of Inspector Abel Dickson due to injuries allegedly sustained from a scuffle the late Inspector had with the suspended officers. “The two officers with…

THE All Progressives Congress seems to be in the process of resolving the crisis that has erupted within the party as a result of the zoning arrangement recently announced for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly. News Point Nigeria reports that as part of moves to resolve the ongoing crisis, Senators Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin are currently in a meeting with the party’s National Working Committee. The meeting, which is taking place at President Muhammadu Buhari House and presided over by Senator Abdullahi Adamu, is attended by over 40 senators, including Senator Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin Recall…

THE Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has advised incoming governors to stop depending on crude oil and diversify the sources of revenue in their domains. She spoke on Monday during an induction organised for elected governors in Abuja, two weeks before the May 29 inauguration. According to her, states with over-dependence on the monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) would be badly hit. “We need to start preparing now for a time when our oil and gas will no longer serve us as the main sources of revenue. States with a heavy dependence on FAAC…

FORMER Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Attahiru Jega has called for the redesign of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as a voluntary programme for Nigerian graduates. He spoke at a commemoration of the NYSC’s 50th anniversary on Monday which had past and present director generals of the scheme in attendance. The golden jubilee, which had the theme ‘Five Decades of Fostering Unity and Development’, was also attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, represented by the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu; Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare; Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, Fatima Abubakar; service…

THE United States Government has said it had taken final step on its plans to impose visa restrictions on specific individuals in Nigeria for undermining the democratic process during Nigeria’s 2023 elections cycle. News Point Nigeria reports that this was made known in a statement by the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, on Monday, published on the website of the US government. “Today, I am announcing that we have taken final step to impose visa restrictions on specific individuals in Nigeria for undermining the democratic process during Nigeria’s 2023 elections cycle.” While noting that, “the United States is committed to…

VICE President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday, presided over a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House in Abuja two weeks to the end of the current administration. The Vice President chaired the meeting on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari who is still away in London on medical grounds. The special FEC meeting expected to deliberate on over 30 memos emanating from various ministries and agencies of government is apparently convened to treat a backlog of pending memos as the administration wraps up this week ahead of the May 29 handover date. In attendance are Secretary to the…

THE Federal Government says 160 women claiming to be Nigerians working in Sudan have no passports to fly back to the country. News Point Nigeria reports that, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed stated this in Abuja on Sunday while briefing the press on the progress made so far in the evacuation of Nigerians from war-torn Sudan. According to him, although the women claimed to be Nigerians, they do not possess Nigerian passports to verify their claims and most of them have been in Sudan for a while. He said the agency is being…

THE Presidency has said it was unaware of the purported decision of President Muhammadu Buhari granting study leave to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said this while reacting to inquiries from Daily Trust on Sunday. He said his position as reported by another national paper on Saturday morning had not changed. The presidential spokesman had earlier said: “If the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has been granted study leave supposedly by President Muhammadu Buhari, this…

A TOTAL of 125 Nigerians fleeing the war in Sudan have arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. News Point Nigeria reports that, the evacuees arrived on Saturday at 12.49 pm on a Tarco B737-300 aircraft from Port Sudan. The latest arrival brings the total number of evacuated Nigerians from Sudan to 2,371. Upon arrival, the returnees were processed by immigration officials alongside their colleagues from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons. On May 3, after nearly two weeks of assurances by the Federal Government, the first…

THE Chairman of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Zikrullah Hassan, has said the four local airlines to airlift Nigerian pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj exercise have requested that the hajj fare be increased by $250. According to him, the airlines – Air Peace, Azman, Max Air and Aero Contractors – based the request on the crisis in Sudan, which would require a longer travel time to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Recall that the airlines had refused to sign the airlift agreement with NAHCON due to the additional financial cost using another route. Speaking in Abuja during a training exercise…

DOZENS of passengers were left stranded and spent the night at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja after a late cancellation of their Kano-bound flight by Max Air at 2:30am after a seven-hour delay. According to some angry passengers who spoke to News Point Nigeria early Saturday, no reason was given for the cancellation of the flight, which was scheduled to depart the Abuja Airport at 7:30pm. “Few minutes before the schedule time for boarding at 7pm, the first announcement came that the flight would be delayed for about four hours, which meant the departure time was 11:30pm. “We waited…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and his family have moved into the Glass House at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, ahead of the inauguration of the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This was disclosed by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, via a video shared on her official Instagram page after taking the incoming First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu around the State House. During the tour of the Villa, Mrs Buhari introduced Senator Tinubu to the various areas of the house, providing detailed explanations regrading the history and importance of each edifice. According to the First Lady, the Glass House has served as a…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has appointed the retiring Assistant Inspector General of Police, Garba Baba Umar as a Senior Security Adviser on International Police Cooperation and Counter-terrorism in the office of the Minister of Police Affairs. According to the presidency, this is to enable Nigeria keep the important position and make way for him to complete his nationally beneficial tenure as an Executive Member of the International Police Organization (INTERPOL). Senior Special Media Aide to the President, Garba Shehu, noted in a statement that in approving his appointment, Buhari took note of a precedent in which a former Executive Member, AIG…

THE Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja has adjourned the petition filed by Mr Atiku Abubakar for the live coverage of proceedings. Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former vice president, on May 8 filed an application for an order to allow the live coverage of the daily court proceedings on the case they brought against the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, which started on Monday. Through his counsel, Chris Uche, the PDP candidate informed the court that all parties in the suit have met and constituted a team to harmonise and streamline vital areas and components…

IN a bid to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians who had sought greener pastures in other countries and became stranded, the Federal Government on Wednesday received another set of 147 returnees from Niamey, Niger Republic. The returnees, who arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano State, consisted of 77 male adults, 16 male children, 23 female adults and 21 female children from different states including Lagos, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Kaduna. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the returnees were brought back through a voluntary repatriation programme under the care of the International Organisation…

OPERATIVES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a former Minister of Power, Sale Mamman over alleged N22bn fraud. According to competent sources, the former minister was arrested early Wednesday and was subsequently detained at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency. The arrest is said to be in connection with the Commission’s ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in the execution of some power projects. Specifically, Mamman is alleged to have conspired with staff of the Ministry in charge of the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects and diverted N22billion, which they shared amongst…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has sent a letter to the Senate seeking approval to take a loan to the tune of $800 million from the World Bank to cushion the effects of subsidy removal. News Point Nigeria reports that, this follows the Federal Government’s April announcement of an $800 million World Bank grant targeting 50 million vulnerable Nigerians or 10 million households, as part of its subsidy palliatives measures. According to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, the disbursement of the grant is in light of the planned subsidy removal in June 2023. Ahmed underscored that engagements…

AN Abuja Federal High Court has barred the National Broadcasting Commission from imposing fines on Nigerian broadcast stations. Presiding Judge James Omotosho, in a Wednesday ruling, said the NBC lacked the judicial powers to impose penalties. Omotosho gave an order of perpetual injunction restraining the NBC from imposing fines, henceforth, on broadcast stations in the country. He also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed, on March 1, 2019, on each of the 45 broadcast stations. Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations. He further…