THE Chairman of Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, has met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. During the meeting, Governor Inuwa Yahaya briefed the Nigerian leader on the developments in Gombe State under his stewardship over the past five years, the positive impacts of his leadership and the ongoing efforts to improve governance and development at the state level. Speaking to State House Correspondents after the meeting, the Governor highlighted his administration’s strategic planning and deliberate approach to governance since his assumption of office in 2019.…
Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani
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PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu received business mogul, the Chairman of Dantata Group of Companies, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday. The last time both men were seen together in public was in the buildup to the 2023 elections. Tinubu had visited the influential businessman in Kano. Details of Tuesday’s discussion have not been made public as of the time of filing this report. See photos from the visit below:
FOLLOWING the walkout by the Organised Labour comprising of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress during the last meeting with the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage after the proposed N48,000 as minimum wage by the Federal Government, our correspondent learned that the government has now upped it to N54,000. A highly reliable source within the meeting, which is currently ongoing, disclosed this to our correspondent in Abuja. “The Federal Government has now proposed the sum of N54,000,” the reliable source said. Though it is not clear whether Labour would accept this offer, this newspaper reports that the…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has joined other world leaders to pay tributes following the fatal helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. A total of nine people were on board the aircraft that crashed in a mountainous region of the country on Sunday. Since the confirmation of their deaths, leaders across the globe have sent their condolence messages to the Iranian people. In a statement on Monday, presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said his principal extends his condolence to the people of Iran over the accident. “President Bola Tinubu extends his condolences to the…
EIGHT manufacturers, including BUA, Lafarge and Nestle saw their foreign exchange-related losses rise to N627.7bn in the first quarter of the year. This is according to an analysis of the financial statements of the firms, published on the Nigerian Exchange Limited. The listed firms include Lafarge Africa Plc, BUA Foods, Nestle Nig, BUA Cement, Dangote Sugar, International Breweries, Nigerian Breweries and Dangote Cement. Since the turn of the new year, the naira, which was floated almost a year ago has witnessed a dramatic depreciation, leaving a devastating mark on organised businesses across the board. The height of the depreciation came…
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed former Secretary To The Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed (ABU Zaria), former Bauchi Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda (NOUN), son of late head of state Sani Abacha, Alhaji Muhammad Abacha (UNIMAID), former INEC boss, Prof Attahiru Jega (Sokoto) and others to serve in the Federal Universities’ Governing Councils. The list of 555 persons are serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairmen and members of Governing Boards of 111 federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education. This followed Tinubu’s assent to a list of nominees selected by the Ministry of Education. An advertorial by the Education Ministry sighted…
PRESIDENT of the Pan-African Conglomerate, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote has called for increased investments in the African continent to foster its rapid growth and development. Speaking at the largest gathering of private sector leaders in Africa, the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, Dangote emphasized that recent trends underscore Africa’s pivotal role as the future epicenter of global progress. The business mogul cautioned against the continent’s overreliance on raw material exports, but advocating instead for strategic investments that will propel indigenous industries. He urged African nations to resist the urge to export raw materials but to nurture domestic…
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said West African countries must unite to crush banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities plaguing the region. Tinubu stated this at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while receiving President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal where he called for an alignment of purpose and structure in West Africa to effectively address the challenges confronting the region. “We must defeat human trafficking; we must defeat terrorism, banditry, and poverty in our society. That must be our focus and commitment,” a statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, quoted Tinubu as saying. The President described Nigeria and Senegal as…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has urged the Senate to review and approve a bill aimed at prohibiting athletes from using substances that enhanced their performances. Tinubu’s request was conveyed in a letter read on Thursday on the floor of the upper legislative chamber by the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau. The President stated that the bill would establish a legal framework for the formation of the National Anti-Doping Organization. He further emphasized that the establishment of the agency is essential for Nigeria to meet the standards set forth in the World Anti-Doping Code. “In accordance with the provisions of section 58…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has welcomed President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal to the State House, Abuja. The President was flanked by senior members of his cabinet who were on hand to receive the Senegalese leader to the nation’s capital. Faye, who was just sworn in as the President of the West African country in April, is in Abuja on an official visit. Tinubu was in attendance when Faye was sworn in April as Senegal’s youngest president after sweeping to a first-round victory on a pledge of radical reform 10 days after he was released from prison. The 44-year-old has never…
THE Senate on Thursday passed the North West Development Commission bill to address the challenges facing the seven states in the geopolitical zone. This followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Committee on Special Duties on the NWDC (Establishment). The bill which scaled the third reading was sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate Barau Jibrin, and 20 other lawmakers from the seven states in the North West geopolitical zone. The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Shehu Kaka (representing Borno Central) who moved the motion for the presentation and consideration of the report, said the intent…
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has written to the House of Representatives seeking the preparations and approval of a N24.6 billion Promissory Notes to reimburse Nasarawa and Kebbi States on the costs of their Airports taken over by the Federal Government. Nasarawa is to be reimbursed N9.5 billion while Kebbi is to be reimbursed to the tune of N15.1 billion. In the letter read by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the Plenary on Thursday, the President said, the takeover of the qirports was in line with Item 3 of the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)…
THE House of Representatives has raised concerns over the status of the Presidential Air Fleet after President Bola Tinubu had to charter a private aircraft during his recent official trips to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. After a motion of urgent importance by a lawmaker, Ahmad Satomi, the House feared that this puts the security of the President at risk and doesn’t speak well of the country to the international community. This followed reports that a presidential jet developed some faults while the President was in the Netherlands in April. The Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, in his contribution, said there…
THE Federal Government says payment for access into airports across the country is now compulsory for all. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, stated while briefing State House Correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Tuesday. The FEC meeting was adjourned on Monday May 13, 2024 to Tuesday. According to the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, the Council could not take all the memos that were to be presented by members. Keyamo said no one would be exempted paying for access into the airports including foreign guests. According to him, the situation where some persons…
THE scheduled arraignment of Former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika; and his brother, Ahmad Sirika, for yet another case of contract fraud in the sum of ₦19.4 billion didn’t go ahead as the defendants were absent from court on Tuesday, and out of Abuja. Counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Oluwaleke Atolagbe, informed the presiding judge, Justice Suleiman Belgore, that the ex-minister and his brother have also not been served with the charge in the case. He, therefore, prayed for an adjournment, which was granted by the judge. Justice Belgore subsequently fixed Thursday May 23, 2024 for arraignment.…
THE Federal Government may need to raise a supplementary budget to accommodate the proposed minimum wage increase for workers. This is because the negotiated amount may surpass the budgeted amount in the original 2024 budget. The International Monetary Fund gave this recommendation in its latest staff country report for Nigeria. “The authorities noted that a supplementary budget may be needed to accommodate the outcome of the ongoing wage structure negotiations which may exceed what they had included in the 2024 budget,” the report stated. It also noted that the government might need to raise the domestic and external borrowing ceilings…
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is to arraign former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and his brother, before Justice Belgore of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Garki, on Tuesday. The duo were slammed with 8-count charge different from the previous charge against the former Aviation minister. It could be recalled that the anti-graft commission had arraigned Sirika alongside his daughter, Fatima, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the High Court of the FCT, Maitama, last Thursday. Also arraigned was Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, for alleged abuse of office to the tune of N2.7 billion. According to the charge…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the purchase of compressed-natural-gas-powered vehicles by all government ministries, departments, and agencies. Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale said this in a Monday statement. “In line with his commitment to ensure energy security, drive utility, and cut high fuel costs, President Bola Tinubu has directed the mandatory procurement of compressed-natural-gas-powered vehicles by all government ministries, departments, and agencies,” Ngelale said. According to him, the move is part of the country’s efforts to transition to cleaner energy as CNG-enabled vehicles have been adjudged to produce lower emissions, even as they present a more affordable alternative for Nigerian energy…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Monday, launched a campaign to promote inclusive education, skill development, and gender equity.’ The campaign tagged, #WeAreEqual, is an initiative of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD). A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), Ajuri Ngelale, and made available to Channels Television said the campaign focusing on health, education, economic empowerment, and gender-based violence, has been launched in 15 African countries in different iterations. The Nigerian component of the programme is tagged, ‘Education as a Powerful Tool for Change’, championed by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu,…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has sworn in two commissioners from Ogun and Osun States as members of the National Population Commission. The two commissioners, Hon. Fasuwa Johnson from Ogun State and Hon. Amidu Raheem from Osun State, were sworn in just before the Federal Executive Council meeting commenced in the Council Chamber on Monday. The short ceremony, which entailed their citations being read and oath of allegiance being administered, was witnessed by the Vice President, Kassim Shettima, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, cabinet ministers and other government…