Author: Hamza Rufai

THE National Assembly has formally adopted June 12 as the day for the President of Nigeria to address a joint session of the legislature. The decision was taken on Thursday during a special Democracy Day sitting at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, where President Bola Tinubu delivered a commemorative address to lawmakers. Presiding over the joint session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the formalisation of the date following a motion raised by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas. “Mr President, in the eloquent speech by the Honourable Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, he raised a motion that June 12…

THE Senate says it is considering a legislative move to institutionalise a presidential address every June 12, in recognition of the day’s historical significance. The Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Tuesday, stating that the Senate is hoping to prepare a bill to formalise the President’s speech to the nation on that date. “We are hoping to bring a bill soon to institutionalise the President’s address on June 12 because of its historical importance. There can’t be a better time to address the nation through the parliament than on June 12, especially…

GUNMEN have killed two drivers and burnt their truck at Ogi Junction in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State. Officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Imo State chapter, told this newspaper that the incident occurred around 10:30 am on Saturday. Dahiru Musa, NURTW’s chairman in Okigwe, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that they had informed security officials, including the DPO of Okigwe LGA about the incident. Narrating the incident, the chairman said, “Suspected Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) members blocked the road and opened fire on them on Saturday. They burnt the truck, which was…

THE Federal Government has stated that the removal of the petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu ended a historic financial drain that cost Nigeria over $84bn and has helped finance 40 critical road projects across the country in two years. This was disclosed in a policy explainer published by the National Orientation Agency and titled “Two Years Later: Key Benefits of Subsidy Removal”, obtained by our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja. The document, which assessed the gains of subsidy removal since May 29, 2023, stated that the policy saved the country from imminent economic collapse and enabled the Tinubu administration…

THE national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has received no fewer than 1,230 former supporters of Hon. Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila back into the NNPP. The defectors, who hail from Albasu and Sumaila Local Government Areas in the Kano South Senatorial District, were previously aligned with the Waraka political group. Their return was formally announced during a political gathering held on Sunday, attended by key party stakeholders, community leaders, and enthusiastic supporters at Kwankwaso’s residence in Miller Road. While addressing the gathering, Kwankwaso welcomed the returnees with open arms,…

FORMER Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), on Saturday in Abuja said the Nigerian Civil War was never driven by hatred, but by a difficult necessity to preserve national unity. Speaking at the 5th Convention of the Christian Men’s Fellowship (CMF) of the Diocese of Abuja, held at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, Abuja, Gowon emphasized the importance of forgiveness, reconciliation, and unity across faiths and ethnicities. “I remember the most difficult period of my life. It was not my choice, but I had to be there—and had to do what I had to—to keep this country together,” Gowon…

THERE has been an atmosphere of respite for over 60 private jet owners in the country, with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) suspending the clampdown on private jet owners over alleged non-payment of import duty for one month. The NCS had earlier announced the grounding of over 60 private jets flying in the country over alleged non-payment of import duty. It was gathered that the aircrafts were grounded at the international wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, over import duty evasion. According to sources, majority of the affected aircraft are foreign registered, but flying…

THE Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, has said that the Kano-Maradi Railway project is key to improving food security in Nigeria. Opeifa, who stated this on Saturday on Channels Television’s Sunrise, said the rail connection between Niger and the Niger Republic was important because mobility could not be removed from the food supply chain as it was at the centre of food security. “According to AU 2063, African countries are encouraged to link with landlocked countries because there is potential in those countries. By the way, from the literature I’ve read, the food security for Nigeria…

FORMER President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the death of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais, who passed away at the age of 89. In a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the former president extended his condolences to the family of the late jurist and to Nigerians at large, describing Uwais as a man of “distinguished career as a lawyer and a judge.” Buhari said he was pained by the loss, recalling Uwais’ service as the head of the nation’s judiciary and his unwavering commitment to justice and democracy. “He made notable contributions in…

THE Senate Committee on Public Procurement has ordered the immediate suspension of procurement processes for government agencies that have failed to honour its invitations, directing the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to enforce the directive without delay. Olajide Ipinshagba, Chairman of the Committee, who issued the order during a press briefing at the National Assembly on Thursday, expressed deep concern over what he described as a “blatant disregard for legislative authority and due process” by some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). He said, “It has come to our attention that several agencies and institutions have repeatedly and unapologetically flouted our…

THE Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has expressed the need for Nigerians to stop medical tourism and for the country to also start producing drugs locally. He said this at the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers event held in Lagos on Wednesday. Stressing the need for every Nigerian including the rich to be able to treat themselves in Nigeria when they fall sick, Dangote hinted that it is important to partner with Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation to achieve this. “What we need to do is to make sure we stop this health tourism and we should now get in…

THE Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives has raised concerns over the disappearance of over ₦250 billion in public funds, as uncovered by reports from the Auditor-General of the Federation. The Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam, made this known while briefing journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday. Salam said the audit reports revealed that the staggering sum remains unaccounted for across several government agencies. He also highlighted a disturbing trend of increasing financial irregularities in public institutions. According to him, the Auditor-General’s reports point to a high incidence of unauthorised virements and a growing…

THE All Progressives Congress has denied widespread reports suggesting it has granted automatic tickets to all current members of the National Assembly, labeling the information as “fake news.” In a statement released Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC urged party members and the public to disregard what it described as a “purported Breaking News Report” falsely attributed to the party. “The report is FAKE NEWS and should be disregarded in its entirety as it did not emanate from our great Party,” Morka stated. He further warned that the viral claim is of “mischievous origin” and…

THE House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, on Monday, chided the management of the West African Examinations Council over widespread irregularities and operational failures that characterised the 2025 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination. At an investigative hearing at the National Assembly, lawmakers grilled the Head of WAEC, Nigeria, Dr Amos Dangut, over what they described as systemic lapses that had eroded public trust in Nigeria’s examination process. The body faces sharp criticism following widespread reports of irregularities and operational failures during the ongoing examination nationwide. Stakeholders, including parents, students, and education experts, have expressed deep concerns…

THE Minister of State for Works, Mohammed Goroyo, on Monday, declared that the Nigerian government must spend approximately N880 billion for the maintenance of the federal road network across the country. This is just as the Managing Director of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Chukwuemeka Abbasi, said that the template for deducting the road user charge from the prices of petrol and diesel has never been implemented by the defunct Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Authority, now the Nigeria Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The two government officials spoke in Abuja at an investigative hearing of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee…

AHEAD of the 2027 general elections, former Minister of Environment, Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi, has made a surprise move by resigning from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The 57-year-old politician from Nasarawa State was appointed Minister of Environment by former President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2022, following his redeployment from the Ministry of Science and Technology, where he had served as Minister of State. A seasoned public servant, Abdullahi had previously served as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Nasarawa State, as well as Secretary to the State Government (SSG). He held his ministerial position until May 2023. In…

THE House of Representatives is considering a bill that seeks to impose a seven-year jail term or a N5m fine on anyone found guilty of giving or receiving bribes in workplaces across the country. The bill, sponsored by Paul Nnamchi (Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency) and three others, aims to curb bribery in both public and private workplaces. It is slated for further debate when the House resumes on June 17. Titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Provide Effective Deterrence and Consequences for Bribery in Workplaces,’ the proposed legislation prescribes tough penalties for bribery offences in government agencies, corporations, nongovernmental…

STAFF members of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and other adhoc officials appointed for the 2025 Hajj are grumbling over unpaid allowances in Saudi Arabia. The officials are worried that almost four weeks after their arrival in the holy land, the commission has not paid them— plunging them into financial uncertainties. The first batch of NAHCON workers left Abuja to Saudi Arabia on May 5, 2025 — four days to the official flag off of 2025 Hajj airlift. Most of the officials who spoke to our reporters complained that some of them cannot feed or cater for other…

THE House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies rejected a team from the West African Examinations Council on Friday. The lawmakers said only the Head of WAEC’s National Office can answer questions about problems in the ongoing exams. The committee gave WAEC 24 hours to comply with their order and appear before them. The WAEC team, led by Senior Assistant Registrar, Ambrose Okelezo, said the Head of National Office was busy supervising exam printing and could only come on Monday. Committee Chairman, Oforji Oboku, apologised to parents for the “unpalatable and embarrassing incidents” during the exams. He…

THE House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies has given the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) a 24-hour ultimatum to appear before it on Friday (Today), May 30, 2025, to address concerns surrounding the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). Oboku Oforji, chairman of the Committee, issued the ultimatum on Thursday following WAEC’s failure to honour an earlier invitation to appear before the panel. According to Oforji, the Committee had invited WAEC to provide explanations over widespread complaints and irregularities observed during the ongoing examinations. Oforji recalled that the Committee extended an invitation to WAEC on Tuesday,…