SUSPENDED Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Minister Dr. Betta Edu has arrived at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Headquarters for grilling over alleged N585 million fraud in her ministry. Recall that Edu was suspended on Monday by President Bola Tinubu. The minister was accused of paying the humanitarian fund into a private account. The N585 million was meant for payment of grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Cross River and Ogun states. Edu is the first minister to be suspended from office since members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were sworn in August last year.…
Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani
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PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to launch a full-blown investigation into the finances of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Tinubu handed down the directive in a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who also announced the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, over the N585m scandal in the ministry. The statement was titled ‘President Tinubu suspends Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation from office.’ Edu’s suspension was happening as her predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, was grilled for about…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has ordered the sack of Babatunde Irukera, EVC/CEO, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and Mr. Alexander Ayoola Okoh— Director-General/CEO, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Monday. According to the statement, “In conformity with plans to restructure and reposition critical agencies of the Federal Government towards protecting the rights of Nigerian consumers and providing a strong basis for enhanced contributions to the nation’s economy by key growth-enabling institutions, President Bola Tinubu has dismissed the following Chief Executive Officers: (1)…
GLOBACOM subscribers may be unable to make calls to MTN lines soon, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said. This, the NCC said, is due to the non-settlement of interconnect charges. The commission disclosed this on Monday in a notice to the public signed by its Director, Public Affairs Department, Reuben Muoka. The NCC, according to the notice, said it granted partial approval for the disconnection of Globacom from MTN Nigeria Communications Plc. “Globacom was notified of the application made by MTN and was given the opportunity to comment and state its case. “The Commission, having examined the application and…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has ordered the suspension of the minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu. This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Monday. According to the statement, “In line with his avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu suspends the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect. The President further directs the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission…
FORMER Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has arrived at the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to offer clarifications concerning her stewardship. Mrs Umar-Farouq arrived at the head quarters of the EFCC to honour the invitation by the anti-graft agency to offer clarifications in respect of some issues that the Commission is investigating. The former minister had earlier indicated her readiness to honour the Commission’s invitation. “I remain proud to have served my country as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with every sense of responsibility and will…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the payment of N585m palliative sum into a private account by the minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu. This was disclosed in a statement by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, Sunday. According to İdris, “the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is transparent and accountable to the people, and committed to ensuring that public funds are allocated and utilized effectively and efficiently to address the needs of Nigerians. “In light of recent events, the President has directed…
THE Association of African Private Universities (AAPU) has commended the Nigerian Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman for resolving to investigate certificate racketeering in some universities. The Deputy Secretary of the Association, (West Africa), Salissou Mamoudou, made the commendation in a statement issued in Nouakchott, Mauritania on Saturday. He said the bold steps taken by the Nigerian Minister of Education to investigate the issue, would go a long way in facilitating and promoting International Certification standards as well as restore the confidence of students and parents. He said AAPU as an international forum for African Private Universities is ready to…
THERE is palpable anxiety among party stakeholders and supporters ahead of the Supreme Court judgment expected to be delivered this January on the various petitions challenging the rulings of the Court of Appeal on the governorship elections. While the electoral processes in many states concluded without significant controversy, others remain embroiled in legal battles that have reached the apex court. Governorship polls across 28 states in March 2023 sparked disputes in some, with aggrieved candidates challenging the results in tribunals and the Court of Appeal. Now, all eyes turn towards the Supreme Court, where the fate of contested elections in…
THE Chairman of the Dangote Group Aliko Dangote has finally clarified the recent visit of officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to its office but assured of its commitment to helping the agency with its investigations. EFCC officials visited the Dangote Group headquarters in Lagos over details of foreign exchange allocated to it by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 2014 to the present. Days after the visit, Dangote in a statement explained that: “On 6 December 2023, we received a letter requesting details of all the foreign exchange allocated to our company by the Central…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has asked the nation’s security chiefs to ensure that there is conclusive victory against the myriad of security threats assailing the country. Addressing security chiefs and heads of intelligence agencies at a Presidential Security Briefing at the State House, in Abuja, on Friday, President Tinubu said while good progress is being made with the elimination of some security threats across multiple theatres, success will ultimately be defined by a final conclusion to the multi-dimensional menace. “We have too many investments that we need to make now in soft and physical infrastructure, in social security, in MSME empowerment,…
THE Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has stated that Julius Berger Construction Company is requesting for N1.35trn to complete works on the Abuja-Kaduna section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway. Speaking during a meeting with directors of the ministry on Thursday in Abuja, the minister said the road, which was initially contracted for N165bn was reviewed to N654bn. He said the government is not willing to pay the new price as it does not have the money. This newspaper reports that the highway was contracted in 2017 but not until 2018 before work commenced on the road. The road, which was…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the extension of the yuletide free train service till Sunday January 7, 2024 to allow more Nigerians who are yet to return to their stations enjoy the benefit. The Federal Government announced a free train service on all serviced routes and 50% rebate on road transportation from December 21, 2023 to January 4th, 2024 on specific routes to reduce the burden of high cost of public transportation during the just concluded Christmas and new year holidays. According to a statement, by minister of transportation, Senator Said Ahmed Alkali, Thursday, while over 163,000 Nigerians benefited from…
A FORMER Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, on Wednesday, failed to appear at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Jabi, Abuja, to answer questions over an alleged N37.1 billion fraud. A top EFCC source told this newspaper that the ex-minister shunned the invite by the anti-graft commission. The source said Umar-Farouk did not appear in person and wasn’t represented by her counsel. Umar-Farouk served as minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari from August 2019 to May 2023. Last week, the former minister was invited by the anti-graft agency following…
THE National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Halima Shehu was allegedly suspended over the ongoing probe into the N37,170,855,753.44 laundered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, under former Minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouk. Impeccable senior officers of the EFCC, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, revealed that Shehu was indicted in connection with the alleged 37.1bn fraud as the former National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the Ministry. “Halima was the National Coordinator in charge of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the…
THE Federal Government has banned and suspended more universities from Ghana, UK and US operating campuses in Nigeria. This move followed the Federal Government’s suspension of accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo after an investigative report by Daily Nigerian Newspaper titled “How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks”. According to the investigation, the investigative reporter bagged a degree from Cotonou University within six weeks and also participated in the mandatory one-year scheme organised by the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. Below is the list of foreign universities banned by the National…
THE Federal Government has suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo. This move followed an investigative report by Daily Nigerian Newspaper titled “How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks”. According to a statement on Tuesday signed by Augustina Obilor-Duru on behalf of the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, the government lamented that “some Nigerians deploy nefarious means and unconscionable methods to get a Degree with the end objective of getting graduate job opportunities for which they are not qualified”. “This report lends credence to suspicions…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Monday disclosed that the 2024 budget includes N100 billion allocation for the school feeding programmes. He made this statement during the signing of the 2024 appropriation bill into law in the State House in Abuja. Tinubu stated that the provision will serve as a stimulant to encourage attendance in schools and reduce the problem of out-of-school children. “One of the priority areas of the bill we just passed is the N100 billion provision for the feeding of school children. I believe that is a stimulant that will encourage school enrolment and also address malnutrition among school…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has signed the N28.7 trillion 2024 Budget into law. He assented to the 2024 Appropriation Bill at a brief ceremony at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday. Among those with the President while he signed were the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Abubakar; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, were on hand as well. Also on the ground were the Chief of Staff…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu will address Nigerians on New Year’s Day, according to presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale. The nationwide broadcast will be on Monday, January 1, 2024, at 7 am. “Television, radio stations, and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigeria Television Authority and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria for the broadcast,” Ajuri said in a Sunday statement. READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW: STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE JANUARY 1ST 2024: PRESIDENT TINUBU ADDRESSES THE NATION President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will make a New Year’s Day broadcast to the nation on Monday,…