Author: Hamza Rufai

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Friday, appointed Dr. Aba Ibrahim and Dr. Muda Yusuf to serve as members on the Board of the Nigeria Customs Service for a term of four years as representatives of the organised private sector. Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Friday titled ‘President Tinubu appoints two Nigeria Customs Service Board Members.’ According to Ngelale, the President wishes the new appointees well in their deliberations, and “expects that the views and perspectives of the private sector are fully articulated.” This, he said, will ensure that the objectives of…

THE Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has lamented the manpower challenge in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), saying an officer does the work of two persons. While there are about 370,000 officers in the Force, IGP Egbetokun told men and officers of the Kwara State Police Command that efforts are being made to rewrite the narrative. “We’re paying attention to manpower. I know that there’s a shortage of manpower in your command. I know the stress that I went through while I was the commissioner of police here in making sure that the job was done. I know…

THE National Economic Council on Thursday announced plans to channel at least $1.52bn donor funds into 36 special agro-industrial processing zones across the nation, aiming to create over 18.1 million jobs, including 100,000 farmers nationwide. The first phase, which now runs in Kano, Kaduna, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, Imo, Cross River states as well as the Federal Capital Territory, will gulp over $520m and is set to conclude by 2028. Twenty-six states have expressed interest in joining Phase II of the programme, where the $1bn funding from the AfDB and other partners will be channelled. The states will begin documentation for…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Ambassador Desmond Akawor to serve as a Federal Commissioner of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), pending the confirmation of the Nigerian Senate. This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Thursday. The statement reads in full: PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU APPROVES APPOINTMENT OF RMAFC FEDERAL COMMISSIONER President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Ambassador Desmond Akawor to serve as a Federal Commissioner of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), pending the confirmation of the Nigerian Senate.…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the judgement of the Gombe State Governorship Election Tribunal, which dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the re-election of Governor Inuwa Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress. News Point Nigeria reports that the delivering judgement on Thursday, the Court agreed with the Tribunal that the PDP’s case lacked merit. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on March 18 announced Governor Yahaya of the APC winner of the Governorship Election with 342,821 votes. Muhammad Jibrin Barde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was said to have scored…

THE Court of Appeal Abuja has eversed the sack of the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule by the State Election Petitions Tribunal in its judgment delivered on October 2. Delivering judgment, the three-member panel led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, held that the Tribunal was legally bound to act on witness statements filed along with the petition or front-loaded within 21 days stipulated by law. The Appellate Court held that the Tribunal, led by Ezekiel Ajayi, acted in grave error in using witness statements on oath not front-loaded as required by law to arrive at the unjust conclusion of nullifying the…

THE Board of Jaiz Bank Plc has approved the appointment of a seasoned banker, Haruna Musa, as the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Bank. Haruna’s appointment takes effect following the receipt of the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on November 21, 2023. Mohammed Baba Kandi, the head of Corporate Communications., in a statement said the new MD/CEO’s cognate experience in the banking industry spans over 27 years. He is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Bayero University, Kano, and Cranfield University, United Kingdom. He is currently in the final stage of a PhD programme…

THE  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has joined other members of the Ministerial Committee constituted by the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit to find a lasting solution to the war in Gaza, in London, today, Tuesday, November 21, 2023, where the Ministerial Committee held an official meeting with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, David Cameron. In his remarks at the meeting, Tuggar once again condemned the disproportionate use of force against civilians in Gaza, he stated, “At the centre of this crisis is the disproportionality of the use of force. It…

THE Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has fixed Thursday for judgment in the Nasarawa State governorship election dispute. Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed an appeal against the verdict of the tribunal which sacked him and declared David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Sule winner of the governorship election but Ombugadu headed for the court. According to INEC, Sule polled a total of 347,209 votes to defeat his closest opponent, who secured 283,016 votes. In a split decision on October…

THE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb Maitama Yusuf Tuggar, says with the Siemens gas deal between Nigeria and Germany, Nigerians will experience improved electricity supply by the first half of 2024. Tuggar spoke virtually from Berlin, Germany, on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday monitored by News Point Nigeria. Former President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2018 promised to expand Nigeria’s electricity capacity which is currently at 4,000 megawatts to 25,000mw by 2025 when he inked a deal with Siemens Energy in Germany under the Presidential Power Initiative but the project has not been actualised. However, the minister, who is…

THE Defence Headquarters has refuted the report that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has died. Earlier on Tuesday, there was a report by few newspapers claiming that Musa had died. However, a swift reaction by the DHQ in a post on X disclosed that the Defence Chief is well and alive. It described the report as false publication adding that the Chief of Defence Staff is hale and hearty. “Contrary to recent false publication, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, is alive and well,” DHQ wrote. “Please rely on credible sources for accurate information,”…

SEVERAL Boko Haram insurgents were killed during an air operation conducted by the air component of Operation Whirl Punch in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The operation was carried out following an intelligence report that a top Boko Haram commander, Madu Bodari and his members, were at the location. The Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said, in a statement on Sunday, that the air operations were successful, prompting the service to embark on another operation targeted at Bodari’s brother. He said the two brothers were responsible for several attacks…

THE operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested a suspected and notorious major distributor of illicit substances within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Ibrahim Momoh, popularly known as Ibrahim Bendel. The NDLEA said the arrest was coming seven years after his escape from prison custody following his conviction for drug dealing. He was arrested during a raid of his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of the FCT. NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said Momoh was first arrested on 27th November 2014 with cannabis sativa weighing 385.1kgs, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to seven and a half years…

FORMER Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau (Sardaunan Kano) has felicitated with former President, Goodluck Jonathan ahead of his 66th birthday. Jonathan, who will celebrate his birthday on Monday, November 20, 2023, was described by Senator Shekarau as one of the biggest blessing received from God. In a statement signed by Shekarau himself, on Sunday, the former Kano Central Senator joined family members and friends to celebrate Jonathan, while also underscoring his sacrifices for Nigeria. See full statement below: His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, Former President and C in C of FRN Your Excellency, Sir Congratulations at 66…

VICE President Kashim Shettima has called for an end to the use of strikes as a means of expressing grievances against the government. He was speaking when he represented the visitor, President Bola Tinubu, at the 24th combined convocation of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID, Borno State. “It is no longer fashionable to insist on confrontation as a tool for demanding improved welfare conditions for your members,” he said on Saturday. “Incessant strikes are very detrimental to the system and so the option for dialogue must remain paramount in resolving any issue or crisis.” According to him, the Federal Government…

THERE is tight security at the Court of Appeal complex in the Federal Capital Territory, as the appellate court is set to deliver judgment in Kano and Bauchi states governorship appeals. Our correspondent observed that some roads leading to the court were cordoned off by men of the Nigeria Police Force. Our correspondent also witnessed a large number of supporters trying to gain access to the premises. Police officers trying to contain the surge of supporters fired teargas canisters to disperse them. However, as of the time of filing this report, police officers are making a frantic effort to forestall…

THE Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has declared as inconclusive, the governorship election that was held in Zamfara State on March 18. In a unanimous decision, the three-member panel led by Justice Oyebisi Folayemi, on Thursday nullified the return of Governor Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the governorship poll. Justice Sybil Nwaka who read the lead judgement ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in three Local Government Areas of the state, where elections had not been held previously or where results from various polling units were…

A LIST of 22 Justices of the Court of Appeal nominated by the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, for elevation to the Supreme Court has been sent to the National Judicial Council, NJC. News Point Nigeria reports that the names of the nominees, who hail from various regions in the country, were revealed in an FJSC document on Thursday. The North-Central region has six nominees, while the South-West and South-South regions have two nominees each. The South-East region also has six nominees, and the North-East has two nominees. The development is coming after the retirement of Justices Amina Augie and…

FORMER Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, lost his cellphone inside the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday. The ex-Minister was among the politicians from Nasarawa state who stormed the court in solidarity with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate, David Ombugada. After fruitless attempts to recover the phone, Maku became so worried but he tried to maintain calmness. Some of his supporters and aides searched for the missing phone without any luck. Other persons rang the line severally in a bid to trace the phone but it was not found before Maku left the court. Some persons suggested…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment in an appeal brought by Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the majority decision by a tribunal nullifying his election, in favour of David Ombugadu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). A three-member panel of justices headed by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam told parties involved that the date for judgment will be communicated. In the day’s proceedings, counsel to Governor Sule, Wole Olanipekun, who filed five processes to challenge the appeal, urged the court to dismiss the judgment of the tribunal and allow the appeal…