Author: Hamza Rufai

THE Senate has announced its decision to issue a warrant of arrest for some agencies for their incessant refusal to honour lawmakers’ summonses. This newspaper exclusively gathered that the agencies penned down for invitation by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Priviledges and Public Petitions, led by Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South), are the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, the Nigerian Diaspora Commissions, and the Union Homes Savings And Loans Plc. Others are the Federal Ministry Of Works, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Sally Best Properties Limited, and the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation. Senator Imasuen had…

THE Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, says the Federal Government is considering options to address the 18-year age limit for university admissions. Speaking at the Ministerial Session of the 68th National Council on Education meeting in Abuja, Prof. Mamman explained that the Federal Government acknowledges that there are students who may be exceptionally talented and would make exclusive provisions for such talents. He also explained that the age limit policy only applies to admission into tertiary institutions and not O’level examinations. “There is a need to clarify yet again the misrepresentation on the issue of the 18 years age…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is working to reverse Nigeria’s growing unemployment rate, Vice-President Kashim Shettima said on Saturday. Shettima said this at the launch of the Nasarawa state human capital development strategy document and gender transformative human capital development policy framework in Lafia. He stated that the current administration is committed to empowering Nigerians with globally competitive skills which would enable them excel anywhere in the world. “The unemployment rates, the growing informal sector, and low labour force participation must be reversed. This is the dystopia our Human Capital Development Programme is designed to avert, under the mandate of His Excellency,…

THE President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated that the Senate will intervene in the current hike in the pump prices of petrol set by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) if the need arises. Responding to a question after plenary, Senator Akpabio told Senate correspondents that he is yet to make a holistic assessment of the situation but believes that what has happened is owing to deregulation. “It simply means that you are going to stop the idea of subsidy to make sure that the monies are used for other things. So I don’t expect any increase…

THE House of Representatives has Mandated its constitution review Committees, to organise public hearings with a view to addressing permanently the delay in justice delivery in the country and restoring the confidence in the judiciary. This is sequeal to a motion on the need to address delays in the judicial system amid concerns of undermining the public’s trust in the judiciary. The motion which was raised by Honourable Ganiyu Ayuba, drew attention to some states of the federation where cases in trial courts that should be resolved within months, last four to five years before judgement is delivered, especially long-term…

THE Federal Ministry of Education has set up a 31-man panel to renegotiate the agreement entered into between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities. The committee, according to findings by our correspondent, will be inaugurated next Wednesday. This move by the government is part of plans to avert a potential disruption in the academic calendar of universities, following a fresh strike threat issued by ASUU. Speaking to our correspondent in Abuja, the Director of Press, FME, Folasade Boriowo, said, “The government has started working, and I am sure that ASUU won’t be embarking on a strike…

THE demolition of Crystal Place Mall, Ilorin, owned by former House of Representatives member, Moshood Mustapha, has raised dust in Kwara State. The development has further widened the rift between Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Mustapha who are of same party. The property was allegedly pulled down on Sunday night with the police providing security. Occupiers of the complex claimed the the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS) served them a 3-hour vacation notice on Friday, citing violations. But the chairman of KW-GIS, Suleiman Abdulkareem, explained that the land was originally allocated to Mustapha for a commercial car park. “But he…

A SUIT filed by the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to challenge the order obtained by the EFCC for final forfeiture of her seized assets, was on Monday stalled at a Federal High Court, Abuja. The matter, which was before Justice Inyang Ekwo, was fixed for further mention in the day’s cause list. However, the case could not proceed because the court did not sit. Justuce Ekwo was said to be attending a seminar at the National Judicial Institute, NJI, in Abuja. The matter was subsequently fixed for Nov. 21. The ex-minister had, through her counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome,…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited may begin the supply of crude oil in naira to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery this week following the announcement by the Federal Government that the naira-for-crude deal has commenced. Also, following the promise by the government, three more refineries are getting set to start the production of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, it was gathered on Sunday. The three refineries include the 11,000 barrels per day capacity Aradel refinery in Rivers State; 20,000-capacity Clairgold refinery in Delta State; and 12,000-capacity Azikel in Bayelsa. This came as officials at the $20bn Dangote refinery…

THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a warning to 3,273 allottees to settle their outstanding payments for Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) within two weeks or risk revocation. The allottees include prominent Nigerians and corporate organisations. According to online newspaper, Premium Times, a two-week notice was issued by the administration to the affected plots located in the Maitama District of Abuja. It cited infrastructural development within the district as the reason for the notice. The notice read: “The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), is carrying out infrastructural development in Maitama II (A10)…

JUSTICE Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order barring the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, also called the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), from further stopping vehicles on the road, impounding or confiscating vehicles, and imposing fines on motorists. News Point Nigeria reports that in a judgement on Thursday, Justice Maha issued the order on a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by a human rights activist and public interest attorney, Abubakar Marshal. Also affected by the order are the Director of Road Transport; the Area Commander, Jabi, and the team leader, Jabi, and the Minister…

A FORMER Senate Majority Leader, Jonathan Zwingina, has reportedly passed on. Zwingina was also the former Director-General of the MKO Abiola campaign Organisation in the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Although his family has yet to formally confirm his death, this newspaper reports that the Adamawa State-born politician died on Wednesday, October 2, at the age of 70 in the nation’s capital, Abuja. He was reported to have died after a protracted illness. The former lawmaker represented Adamawa South Senatorial District in the Senate. He was a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party but later defected to the All…

THE Defence Headquarters has announced the dismissal of a naval rating, Seaman Haruna Abbas, from service for disobeying lawful military orders. Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, said Abbas Haruna was dismissed after the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, ratified the judgement of the court martial instituted by the Defence Headquarters on September 19, 2024. General Gusau explained that the dismissed seaman was arraigned before a court-martial on a three-count charge bordering on disobedience to orders, resisting arrest and destruction of service property in contravention of Sections 56 (1), 86…

THE Senate has summoned the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, to appear before it to explain the abandonment of a portion of the Ogbomoso-Oyo Road by the contractor assigned to handle it. The upper chamber asked Senator Barinada Mpigi, (PDP, Rivers South-East) led Committee on Works to immediately summon the Minister to unravel the circumstances that led to the abandonment of the said project. Lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, direct the relevant authorities to complete the rehabilitation of the old Ogbomoso-Oyo Road to forestall further negative occurrences on the road. These resolutions…

IMPORTATION of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol dropped by 3.5 billion litres in the last year, data gathered from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown. In the latest petroleum products distribution statistics released by the agency on Tuesday, total petrol imports reduced to 20.30 billion litres in 2023 from the 23.54 billion litres recorded in 2022, showing a decrease of 13.77 per cent year-on-year. NBS also noted that petrol imports dropped by 3.58 billion litres in the second half of 2023 compared to the year’s first half. It said the country imported 8.36 billion litres…

THE landing cost of petrol has dropped from the N981/litre recorded on September 25, 2024, to N945.63/litre as of September 27. This is according to data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria on Monday. The drop in the landing cost of petrol happened following the appreciation of the naira against the United States dollar. In the MEMAN report, a dollar was said to have been exchanged for N1,586.26 on September 27 while it was N1,667.22 on September 25. Also, Brent, the global benchmark for crude, dropped from the $73.67/barrel recorded in the last report released by MEMAN…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, and a former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja for fraud. Both are being prosecuted on a 15-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27bn. One of the charges reads: “That you Darius Dickson Sshaku whilst being the governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the permanent secretary,…

INSPECTOR General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered water-tight security across the country to create a safe and conducive environment for citizens to celebrate the country’s 64th independence. In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, on Monday, the IGP ordered the deployment of adequate human and tactical resources to enable a maximum level of security for the independence celebration on Wednesday. “The Police, in synergy with other security agencies, will fortify various designated event venues and the major highways across the country, to forestall any threats to lives and property and the celebration. “Additionally, the IGP…

SEVENTEEN state governors have raised committees to implement the N70,000 new minimum wage for workers across the country. The 17 states which set up the implementation committees are Ogun, Ekiti, Sokoto, Kebbi, Osun, Enugu, Borno, Zamfara, Kogi, Kwara, Gombe, Kano, Taraba, Delta, Rivers, Jigawa and Abia. The development is happening as the Federal Government commenced payment of the new minimum wage to its 1.2 million workers last Thursday. The Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, in a memo to the Budget Office of the Federation, noted that the civil servants would be paid the minimum wage with effect from…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday appointed seven executive directors for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). This is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. The appointees are: Ayo Adewuyi — Reappointed Executive Director, News; Barrister Ibrahim Aliyu — Executive Director, Special Duties; Malam Muhammed Fatuhu Mustapha — Executive Director, Administration and Training. Others include Mrs Apinke Effiong — Executive Director, Finance; Mrs Tari Taylaur– Executive Director, Programme; Mr Sadique Musa Omeiza – Executive Director, Engineering; and Mrs Oluwakemi Fashina – Executive Director, Marketing.