Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

THE Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of the 11 Justices of the Supreme Court. The upper chamber confirmed them during plenary after a debate by the lawmakers who advocated for augmentation of the judiciary budget and also stated the impropriety of leaving a vacuum in the Supreme Court for an extended period before making the appointments. The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters chaired by Senator Tahir Munguno, screened all 11 nominees on Wednesday and brought the report of the exercise before the lawmakers. Thereafter, approval was given after the Senate dissolved into the committee of…

THE Supreme Court has reserved judgement in the appeal filed by the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, challenging the verdict of the Court of Appeal and the State Election Petitions Tribunal, which removed him from office. The five-member panel, led by Justice John Okoro, reserved the judgement after parties adopted their brief of arguments. On November 13, the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict of the tribunal. In its ruling, the Appeal Court agreed with the judgement of the tribunal, ruling that the fielding of Abba Yusuf was in breach of the Electoral Law as he was not qualified to…

THE Senate has mandated the Inspector General of Police to compel appearance of the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, before the Senate Committee on Finance within 24 hours. Invoking section 89, sub section 2, the Chairman Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, during the budget Defence session on Wednesday, ordered the RG’s appearance over discrepancies detected in the revenue generation and expenditure by the Corporate Affairs Commission. The committee had earlier found the commission wanting during the MTEF/FP defence, but according to Senator Musa, the RG has shunned the committee’s summon for the third time,…

SENATE President Godswill Akpabio has declared vacant, the seats of Senator Dave Umahi of Ebonyi South Senatorial District and Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe East Senatorial District following their assumption of office as ministers. The Senate, therefore, asked the Independent National electoral commission (INEC) to conduct by-elections to fill the vacant seats immediately. Both Umahi and Geidam were both inaugurated as members of the 10th National Assembly in June but they resigned in August after President Bola Tinubu appointed them as members of his cabinet. While Umahi is the Minister of Works, Geidam is the Minister of Police Affairs. Conversely, ex-governor…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Wednesday approved a 50 per cent slash in price of interstate transport fare for Nigerians traveling during the yuletide from Thursday, December 21, 2023 to January 4, 2024. This is as the President approved free rides for commuters on all train services within the period. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, announced this to State House Correspondents at the Aso Rock Villa on Wednesday. Alake said, “It is in this wise that the President is announcing through us that beginning from tomorrow, December 21, Nigerians willing to travel can board public transport via…

A TOTAL of 113 Nigerian Army Generals on Tuesday bowed out of the service. The breakdown includes one General, one Lieutenant General, 67 Major Generals, and 44 Brigadier Generals. At the Regimental Dinner Night organised in honour of newly retired and retiring Nigerian Army senior officers in Abuja, the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, hailed the support of the Nigerian Army towards the growth of democracy in the country. Badaru said this has made the Army a shining example in the West African region and beyond, urging other services in the region to take a cue from the Army. According…

FORMER Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong has been sworn in to the 10th Assembly as the Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District. He was sworn in during plenary on Wednesday at the upper chamber of the National Assembly. Lalong had resigned from his appointment as Minister of Labour and Employment last week in preparation for his swearing-in. In a letter submitted to the President on Tuesday, the Minister reminded the President that after exhaustive legal processes, the Court of Appeal declared him as the duly elected Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission…

THE Federal Government in collaboration with the Bank Of Industry (BOI) will begin the disbursement of loans worth N75billion to micro, small and medium enterprises across the country. This notice was contained in a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the President on MSMEs and Job Creation, Office of the Vice President, Temitola Adekunle Johnson, who said the beneficiaries will enjoy an interest rate of 9% on the loans. Johnson also explained that the loan initiative was targeted mostly at women and youths. He added that the Tinubu-led government has collaborated with stakeholders across the public and private sectors…

JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted the request of the alleged terrorist negotiator, Tukur Mamu, to have access to his personal doctor over alleged deteriorating health condition. In a ruling, Justice Ekwo ordered that Mamu’s medical doctor should be allowed to treat him, subject to the supervision of the department of state service’s team of physicians. Justice Ekwo, who agreed with the argument of Mamu’s counsel, Johnson Usman, asked the Federal Government’s lawyer, David Kaswe, if the defendant was entitled to his own personal physician, and he responded in the affirmative. He subsequently adjourned the…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the detention of a former Minister of State for Power Olu Agunloye days after he was declared wanted. A source in the anti-graft agency told this newspaper on Tuesday that Agunloye has been detained since 13 December 2023. “He has been with the EFCC since December 13th,” the source said. “But it was not made public.” The EFCC had about a week ago declared Agulonye wanted over an alleged $6 billion fraud related to the controversial Mambilla hydropower project. “The public is hereby notified that Olu Agunloye, whose photograph appears above,…

THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said the 2024 budget proposal would be passed on December 30, 2023. The lawmaker representing Zaria Federal Constituency stated this on the floor of the Green Chamber at the resumption of plenary on Tuesday. This is just as he notified Committee Chairmen that the Appropriation Committee has directed them to prepare reports of the budget defence by the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies for submission latest by 8 pm on Tuesday, the 19th day of December 2023. The 2024 Appropriation Bill was presented to the National Assembly by President Bola…

AFTER weeks of dramatic twists in Rivers State, the political gladiators in the oil-rich South-South state reached a truce on Monday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Villa in Abuja. The meeting had in attendance Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Also at the meeting were ex-Rivers governor, Peter Odili; and some traditional rulers from the state. Vice President Kashim Shettima; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila were also part of the meeting. Rivers State has been a theatre…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is meeting with stakeholders from Rivers State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Governor Siminalayi Fubara led the team from Rivers State. The stakeholders include a former governor of the oil-rich state, Peter Odili; and some traditional rulers from the state. It was learnt that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor Of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, is also expected to be present for the meeting. The meeting may not be unconnected with the political crisis that has rocked the state over the past few days. Vice President Kashim Shettima; and the Chief of Staff…

THE Supreme Court has fixed Thursday 21st of December for hearing over Kano Governorship Election Petition. Governor Kabir Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) is challenging the verdict of the Appeal Court that upheld the tribunal’s verdict which sacked him and declared Dr Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 11 governorship poll. Counsel for Governor Yusuf, Barrister Bashir Tudun Waziri confirmed that the hearing notice was given to the legal team representing the governor and his party. The three-member panel of the Appeal Court had  dismissed the appeal, noting…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed Ahmadu Fintiri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as Governor of Adamawa State after dismissing the appeal of Aishatu Binani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for lacking merit. In the judgment prepared by Justice Tunde Awotoye and read by Justice Ebiowei Tobi on Monday, the Appellate Court also awarded the cost of N500,000 in favour of Fintiri and the PDP against Binani. The Appellate Court frowned at the premature announcement of the election outcome by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Hudu Ari, adding that Binani’s appeal was plagued by several demons.…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has congratulated Nigerian-born Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience and top-flight researcher, Ijeoma Uchegbu, on her election as President of Wolfson College, one of the 31 colleges of the University of Cambridge. Professor Uchegbu, renowned for her innovative work in nanoparticle drug delivery, is currently a Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at University College London (UCL). The President, according to a statement on Sunday by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, celebrated “the outstanding accomplishment and commends Professor Uchegbu for being an excellent ambassador for the country and for her relentless efforts to advance the frontiers of pharmaceutical science.” He applauded Professor…

TO effectively secure the country this yuletide season, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, will meet with Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs), Assistant Inspectors General of Police, Commissioners of Police (CPs), and other top commanders in the Force. The meeting which will be held at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Monday was announced in a statement on Sunday by the Force spokesman, Ademuyiwa Adejobi. Egbetokun is expected to roll out the achievements of the police within the last 10 weeks. “The meeting, which is at the instance of the IGP, would address many security issues and review…

THE Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) disclosed in a preliminary report on Friday that a private jet carrying the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, that crash-landed at the Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, in November 2023 breached the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regulations. The report noted that the operator of the jet, Flints Aero Services Limited, acted beyond its approved permissions by carrying passengers despite a Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) from the NCAA that explicitly restricted such operations. Furthermore, the NSIB stressed the need for Flints Aero Services Limited to adhere strictly to its given permit in accordance with…

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has debunked reports making the rounds that it has called for an indefinite nationwide strike starting Monday night. According to an official of the union, who spoke to News Point Nigeria Saturday night, the NLC email was hacked and the letter was forged. News Point Nigeria had reported that, the NLC has called for a nationwide strike starting from midnight on Monday, according to an email received from the NLC But shortly after the publication of the story, the NLC reached out to this newspaper to debunk the story. “Some mischief makers are circulating a…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has felicitated his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, on his 81st birthday, hailing him as an “icon of truth, justice, and patriotism.” Tinubu also described the former President as “the finest paradigm of sacrifice, devotion, patriotism, and fidelity to the national cause.” The congratulatory message was contained in a statement released on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale. The statement reads, “President Bola Tinubu celebrates his friend and ally, former President Muhammadu Buhari, an icon of truth, justice, and patriotism on his 81st birthday. “President Tinubu extols the peerless leadership credentials…