LESS than 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu has ruled out the payment of ransom to the abductors of over 287 schoolchildren in Kuriga village of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the bandits have reportedly demanded a ransom of N1 billion from the victims’ families. On Wednesday, President Tinubu through the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, ruled out the possibility of paying a ransom to rescue victims of kidnappings in the country. He directed the security agencies to do the needful to rescue the children including the Tsangaya students of Sokoto and the IDPs in Borno State. This…
Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani
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PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Temitope Ilori as the new Director General of the National Agency For The Control of AIDS. Dr. Ilori, who is the first female to be appointed the Director-General of the agency began her initial term of four years on February 22, 2024. The Head of Public Relations and Protocol of NACA, Toyin Aderibigbe made this known in a press statement made available to this newspaper on Thursday. Dr. Ilori took over from her predecessor, Dr Gambo Aliyu, who was the DG of the agency from June 2019 till February 2024. Up until her appointment,…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has said that no ransom will be paid for the rescue of the children abducted from Kuriga in Kaduna State. The President stated this today at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which held at the Presidential Villa Abuja. Briefing State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris said President Tinubu also reiterated his directive to the defence to ensure that the children are rescued and brought back safely to their homes. He also said the President made his stance against payment of ransom to kidnappers and that the…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the opening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger and the lifting of other sanctions against the country with immediate effect. This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Wednesday. According to the statement, the directive is in compliance with the decisions of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja. “ECOWAS leaders had agreed to lift economic sanctions against the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. “The…
THE Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) said Nigeria’s crude oil production month-on-month dropped by 7.94% to 1.322 million barrels per day, bpd in February 2024, from 1.427 million bpd in January 2024. Nigeria was among several countries, given a lower target after years of failing to meet the previous ones. Its 2024 target was reduced to 1.38 million from the previous 1.74 million. President Bola Tinubu in November said his administration had “adopted a conservative oil price benchmark of 77.96 US dollars per barrel and daily oil production estimate of 1.78 million barrels per day” after reviewing developments in the…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Dayo Mobereola to serve as the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for a renewable term of four years. The appointment follows the exit of Mr. Bashir Jamoh, whose tenure recently expired. Mobereola’s appointment was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), Ajuri Ngelale in a statement on Tuesday Dr. Mobereola holds a Ph.D., and an M.Sc in Transport Economics from the University of Wales, United Kingdom. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport, in England, and a fellow of…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is in closed-door talks with Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and other lawmakers at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Tuesday’s talks followed the recent suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central (PDP), who accused the executive of implementing a budget other than the one approved on January 1, 2024. Ningi, who chairs the Northern Senators’ Forum and Senate Committee on Population, had contended in a BBC Hausa Service interview that the Federal Government, led by Tinubu, was executing a budget significantly higher than what was passed by the NASS. According to the…
THE Senate under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday suspended Senator Abdul Ningi over allegations of N3.7trn padding of the 2024 Budget. Ningi, from Bauchi Central Senatorial District, was suspended for three months after a long stormy session in the red chamber. A member of the Appropriation Committee in the Senate, Jimoh Ibrahim, first moved the motion for Ningi’s suspension for 12 months over allegations of criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly and the country by extension. However, other lawmakers like Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong moved for the amendment of the motion by Ibrahim.…
POWER distributors that reject electricity allocated to them by the Transmission Company of Nigeria shall be dealt with severely going forward, the Federal Government declared on Monday. It also revealed that in the next three to six months, it would ramp up power generation and supply to between 6,000 and 6,500 megawatts. The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who disclosed this in Abuja before commencing a meeting with heads of agencies under his ministry, also disclosed that the Federal Government was subsidising the electricity bills of consumers nationwide by about 65 per cent. “I am holding this meeting with…
SENATOR Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has made a U-turn on some claims he made regarding the 2024 Appropriation Act. In a chat with Senate correspondents on Monday, the Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum said he is ready to carry his cross, even if it means suspension from the Red Chamber. Ningi clarified that he never suggested that President Bola Tinubu is implementing two budgets or that he was biased against the North. He clarified that he stands by his utterance as a Senator and not the Chairman of the Northern Senators’…
FORMER President Muhammad Buhari was not aware of the depletion of Nigeria’s foreign reserves under the watch of former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, according to Ajuri Ngelale, spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu. Emefiele, who is currently battling multiple lawsuits, was in charge of the CBN throughout Buhari’s 8 year tenure. Although former President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Emefiele after suspending Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Tinubu suspended Emefiele weeks after assuming power and ordered his probe. In a recent interview, Ngelale said Buhari did not authorize the bulk of the expenditures from the foreign reserves, amounting to billions of dollars, under Emefiele.…
THE holy fasting month of Ramadan will begin in Nigeria on Monday, March 11th 2024, the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, has announced. Sultan Abubakar, who doubles as the president of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), said this in a broadcast Sunday night. The announcement followed the sighting of the crescent moon in a single location in Nigeria, according to the National Moonsighting Committee. “The Sultan felicitates with the entire Muslim community on the auspicious occasion of the forthcoming 1445AH Ramadan Fast,” a statement by the Sultan said. He prayed that Allah spares the lives of every…
THE Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen yesterday said the administration of President Bola Tinubu opted for fiscal incentives in the Oil and Gas Sector to attract investments. She also said the government was seeking ways to grow revenue and foreign exchange to stabilize our economy and currency. She said enhanced security measures in the Niger Delta has led to increase in liquids of over 200,000 Barrels/day over the last six months. She added that the stability in the oil producing areas has increased the availability of NLNG Trains 1-6 from 57% in 2023 to 70%…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has promised that his administration will prioritise the welfare of women, protect their rights, and advance their causes. Tinubu described women as the nation’s pivot in a statement signed by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, to commemorate International Women’s Day. The President recognised the role of women in nation-building, emphasising that, without a scintilla of doubt, Nigerian women are elemental to the nation’s development, growth, and greatness. “The President affirms that in every discipline and field of human endeavour, the standout achievements of Nigerian women have become a testament to the resilience, strength, courage, and ingenuity of…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has suspended the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad. Confirming the suspension in a statement on Thursday, presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said the President also suspended three executive directors of the agency. “In the light of new findings unearthed during a comprehensive investigation into the financial activities of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), President Bola Tinubu has approved the indefinite suspension of the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, alongside three Executive Directors of the Agency, from office,” the statement read. “Olaniyi Alaba Netufo — Executive Director,…
THE trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, continued on Thursday before Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja as a forensic analyst confirmed that the documents used to request the payment of $6.2million for foreign election observers were forged. The witness, Bamaiyi Meriga, called by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), informed the court that following forensic analysis of the disputed documents, he discovered that there was clear evidence of forgery of signature, and the seal of execution were different from the original. Continuing the trial of former CBN…
THE United Nations (UN) yesterday confirmed report of the abduction of female Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State. It puts the figure of those abducted at over 200. Mr Mohamed Malick Fall, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN in Nigeria, in a statement lWednesday night said they were disturbed. He said, “The United Nations strongly condemns the reported abduction of internally displaced persons (IDPs), many of them women, boys and girls, in the Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State. “The exact number of people abducted remains unknown but is estimated at over 200 people. “On 29…
THERE was mild drama as Senators, on Tuesday, awaited the Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC to restore electricity supply shortly before the commencement of sitting. The development threw the Red Chamber into partial blackout as the lawmakers awaited the restoration of power supply. President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio would later commenced plenary after power was restored moment later. Akpabio apologised for the outage and the heat in the Chamber, disclosing that about nine offices still experienced outage as work was ongoing to rectify the situation. Recall that the Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC in February threatened to disconnect the electricity supply…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has arrived in Abuja after a two-day official visit to the State of Qatar. The presidential jet, NAF 001, that conveyed the President landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport around 7pm, concluding his 12th foreign trip since assuming the Presidency nine months ago, and logging 75 days abroad. Tinubu was received by top government officials including Vice President Kashim Shettima; his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje; and…
THE Federal Government will begin the distribution of grains nationwide to cushion the impacts of the hardship in Nigeria. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Senator Abubakar Kyari disclosed this on Monday. “Dear Fellow Nigerians,” he wrote on his official X handle. “In these trying times, I extend my sincere compassion to those affected by the hardships in the country. I understand the gravity of the situation, especially with the unfortunate event of foodstuff warehouse looting. “Amidst these challenges, I want to assure you that our commitment to your well-being remains resolute. We shall commence the distribution of 42,000 metric…