Author: Binta Kabir

THE United Kingdom says it granted over 300,000 new visas to Nigerians in the “last couple of years”. While there are claims in some quarters that the UK’s immigration policies are harsh, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery said Nigeria is a major beneficiary of the UK’s visa policies. “I have to contest this picture because the UK in the last couple of years has granted over 300,000 new visas to Nigerians which far exceeds any other visa relationship which Nigeria has with any other country,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by…

Khalifah Isyaku Rabiu University (KHAIRUN), Kano has honoured the winner of the Qur’anic recitation competition held recently in Jordan, Malama Hajara Dan Azumi Gombe for her outstanding performance. The event which was organised by the International Institute of Qur’anic Sciences (IIQS, took place at the Alhaji Mai Deribe Theater in the university premises. According to the University’sVice Chancellor, Professor Abdulrashid Garba, Gombe’s brilliant performance at the international competition is commendable. Professor Garba said Hajara’s effort to clinch the laurel shows Nigeria’s abundance of talent in every aspect of human endevour. He added that Malama Gombe has done a lot not…

BARRING any last-minute development, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) will today lift the suspension of Mr Mamman Mike Osuman (SAN) as Chairman of its National Executive Committee (NEC). Reliable sources confirmed to this newspaper on Tuesday that plans were underway to announce the lifting of the suspension. It was gathered that the decision followed a successful reconciliation meeting on Saturday convened by the ACF Unity, Peace and Reconciliation Committee under the chairmanship of Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). This newspaper earlier reported that the Saturday meeting was a follow-up to last…

THE Department for Combating Illegal Migration in Libya has deported seven Nigerians, three Bangladeshis, and three Ghanaians detained at the Qanfoudah Immigration Detention Centre. The deportees were flown out of Libya via Benina International Airport in Benghazi. Migrant Rescue Watch, in a statement on their X handle on Tuesday, confirmed that these individuals were deported for violating Libyan law. The statement read, “DCIM deported 13 migrants (3 Bangladeshis, 3 Ghanaians, and 7 Nigerians) from the Qanfoudah Immigration Detention Centre via Benina International Airport in Benghazi. All individuals were deported for violating laws in force in the Libyan state.” This comes…

CHIEF Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, says some judges are giving the judiciary a bad name. Controversial ruling from courts of coordinate jurisdiction has sparked controversy at different times. Of recent, Kano, Rivers, where there are battles among key political actors have witnessed this development. Speaking at a public discourse on ‘Ethics, Morality And The Law’, Kekere-Ekun said despite this challenge, the country’s judiciary is blessed with upright and courageous judges. She maintained that Nigeria was endowed with very hardworking and knowledgeable judges, warning however, that judges should remember that as individuals, they are accountable to themselves and…

THE Honourable Minister of State for Trade and Investment (Industry), Senator John Owan Enoh, has reiterated the Federal Government’s dedication to helping Nigerian businesses tap into vast opportunities within the African market. According to a statement by the Special Adviser, Media to the minister, Diana-Mary Nsan, Thursday, Senator Enoh emphasized the Ministry’s mission to create favorable conditions for Nigerian industries to flourish and compete on both regional and continental scales. The Minister pointed to ongoing government initiatives aimed at enabling local businesses to utilize frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), positioning Nigeria as a key force in…

GLOBACOM, one of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications providers, has appointed telecom veteran Ahmad Farroukh as its new chief executive officer. According to the telecom provider, the leadership change aims to strengthen the company’s corporate governance and operational performance, aligning with the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) recent drive for improved governance standards within the telecom industry. Globacom, one of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications providers, has appointed telecom veteran Ahmad Farroukh as its new chief executive officer. According to the telecom provider, the leadership change aims to strengthen the company’s corporate governance and operational performance, aligning with the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) recent drive…

MORE than 20 beggars recently picked from the streets of Abuja city centre were said to have escaped from the FCT Rehabilitation Centre, where they are being kept at Kuchiko-Bwari on the outskirt of Bwari town. They were said to have escaped through a fence at the back of the Centre on Sunday night. One of the residents of the host community confided in this newspaper that some of the fleeing beggars pleaded for foods and shoes from the locals in the host community. He said the fleeing beggars claimed they left the Centre because they were not being fed…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Abdulrazak Yusuf Tukur as National Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission, representing the North West. Tinubu also nominated a lawyer, Saseyi Feyijimi Ibiyemi, to replace the late Resident Electoral Commissioner of Ogun State. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy in a statement said, Tukur, 59, has Bachelor of Arts from Bayero University, a postgraduate diploma in Economics from Bradford University, England and a Master of Arts from Leeds University, also in England. He began working for INEC in 1999 as assistant chief administrative officer and rose to become…

THE Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have announced suspension of the ongoing nationwide indefinite strike over withheld salaries for a month. The unions in a joint statement on Sunday said the suspension of the indefinite strike will take effect on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The statement was signed by Prince Peters Adeyemi, General Secretary of NASU and Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, National President of SSANU. The strike was commenced commenced on the Monday, 28th October, 2024 as a result of what the unions called “government’s insensitivity to the…

THE Federal Government has released funds for payment of withheld salaries of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Federal Universities (NASU). The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) made this known in a statement made available to News Point Nigeria in Abuja, Saturday. According to the OAGF, the FG has also released funds for the payment of benefits to retirees under the Nigerian Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector (NUPCPS) The OAGF said payments to the Non-Academic Staff of Federal Universities had commenced and many have confirmed receipt. The office reiterated its commitment to efficiently cater for…

SOME suspects brought by the Nigerian police for arraignment fainted before Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The suspects, 75 in number between the ages of 12 and 15, are being charged with 10 counts of terrorism, an attempt to overthrow the government, and alleged mutiny over their participation in the nationwide protest. They were allegedly arrested on August 3rd and had since been in detention before today. The case before the court was for arraignment and plea when some of the suspects fainted, which made Justice Egwuatu rise abruptly.

THE meeting between the Federal Government and the Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, held on Thursday, ended in a deadlock. The meeting, which was held at the Federal Ministry of Education, was led by former Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, and aimed at discussing issues around the ongoing strike of the unions. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Nasir Gwarzo, was also in attendance at a meeting held at 11 am. On Monday, the JAC of SSANU and NASU…

NINE billion naira was raised to cause chaos in the country during the #EndBadGovernance protests, according to Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi. Adejobi disclosed this on Wednesday at the Civil Space Guard conference in Abuja, organized by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).in collaboration with the Kingdom of Netherlands. The End Bad Governance protests, widely known by the hashtags #EndBadGovernance or #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, were a series of decentralized mass protests in Nigeria that mainly occurred from 1 August to 10 August 2024, triggered by the rising cost of living in the country. In the south, the protest was…

THE National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu has said the telecommunication system of the country is currently witnessing a lot of attacks. This, and other attacks on the military networks, national database, and digital system, among others, he said have had a ripple effect on the nation’s economy. He spoke at the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre’s workshop for policymakers and sector regulators on critical national information infrastructure protection and resilience in Abuja on Monday. Ribadu said, “We are now confronted with heightened threats of attacks on our telecommunications systems. Banking platforms, power and energy grids, military networks, transportation systems, national databases,…

NIGERIA loses an estimated $26 billion yearly to power failures. This is according to the latest Africa Trade Barometer report which said the cost excludes spending on off-grid generators. “Economic losses arising from Nigeria’s electricity shortages are estimated to be USD 26 billion annually, without accounting for spending on fuel for off-grid generators, which is estimated to be a further USD 22 billion,” the report by Standard Bank said. It said businesses spend about $22 billion annually on off-grid fuel to offset the impact of power shortages. This further pushes operational costs. “In Nigeria, surveyed businesses must contend with a…

DANGOTE Cement Plc, Obajana Plant, has carried out a series of community service and public awareness programmes as part of its activities for this year’s Sustainability Week in Kogi State. Speaking, Dr. Eseosa Ighile, Head of the Sustainability Department at Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana, highlighted that the company was using Sustainability Week to engage with and support local communities through donations and outreach. She said: “Obajana Sustainability Champions visited the Ministry of Mercy orphanage in Lokoja, providing essential supplies, food items, and spending quality time with the children and residents. The day was filled with fun activities, including games, and…

THE Federal Executive Council has approved the establishment of the Creative Economy Fund to ensure the deepening of the sector following the conclusion of the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu. Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, told State House correspondents that the council approved the establishment of the fund on Wednesday. “FEC gave approval for the creation of a Creative Economy Development Fund. “This is a special purpose vehicle that will allow members within the creative economy to have access to funding and use their IP as collateral in terms of monetisation. “We…

UJU Kennedy-Ohanenye, a Nigerian lawyer, entrepreneur, politician, and film producer on Wednesday topped the list of the major casualties of President Bola Tinubu’s first cabinet reshuffle. For keen watchers, it would be difficult if not impossible for her to survive the weeding exercise going by many and needless controversies the female politician stoke since her assumption of office. Perhaps, the most controversial Minister during her short stint in the nation’s Federal Executive Council. She contested for the first female candidate for the presidency under the All-Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 general elections but later stepped down for Tinubu. Her…

THE Federal Government through the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Julius Berger to accept the Federal Government’s offer of N740.79bn for the completion of the 82km section II of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road. The ultimatum was issued during a courtesy visit to the Minister by the new Managing Director of Julius Berger Plc, Dr Pier Lubasch, accompanied by the outgoing Managing Director, Dr Lars Richter, at the Ministry Headquarters in Abuja. A statement later signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Works, Orji Uchenna, on Wednesday, said the company risks termination of…