Author: Hamza Rufai

THE management of Dangote Cement Plc has denied reports, in some online platforms, that it has embarked on sales promotion and has further adjusted its prices. There have been reports in some online platforms and social media, that the company has reduced the price of a bag of cement to between N2,400 and N2,700 as part of a sales promo. “As per the commitment made to reduce prices and following a periodic review of our operations for efficiency, the management of Dangote Cement PLC wishes to inform our esteemed customers, stakeholders and the public that effective October 9 2023. This…

UNKNOWN gunmen have kidnapped popular Islamic cleric, Alfa Fasasi Ola Mejabi, and his younger brother in Kogi State. The cleric and others were conveying the corpse of the Chief Imam of Ayegunle Gbede, Sheikh Musa Olorunkemi, from Lokoja to Ayegunle Gbede in Ijumu local government of Kogi state for burial on Sunday when they ran into the kidnappers. One of the occupants of the car who escaped abduction told our reporter that the incident occurred at Oshokoshoko, along Lokoja-Obajana-Kabba road. He explained that their car was moving ahead the vehicle carrying the corpse of the late Sheikh Musa, who died…

THE Nigerian Meteorological Agency has issued a weather forecast indicating the likelihood of dust haze and thunderstorms from Monday to Wednesday across the nation. In its Weather Outlook report obtained on Monday, the agency predicted dust haze with a visibility range of 1km to 3km and localised visibility of less than or equal to 1,000m was anticipated over the northern region on Monday. Similarly, localised visibility of less than or equal to 1,000m is anticipated in some areas. Thunderstorms are also expected later in the day, particularly in parts of Taraba State. In the North Central states, visibility values are…

GROUP Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, on Monday, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has not reinstated fuel subsidy. This is despite the confirmation of oil marketers that the federal government has restored subsidy for premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol. Tinubu had announced the removal of fuel subsidy on his first day in office, leading to increase in fuel price from N197 to between N480 and N570, the pump price was subsequently reviewed upward to N620. However, there were reports that the price would go up as…

THE Gombe State Government House Permanent Secretary, Balarabe Poloma, on Sunday, was confirmed dead. Poloma died one week to his retirement from service. The PS had served three different governments as the Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Government House. He was aged 60 years. Condoling with the family members, the deceased’s associates and residents of the state, Governor Muhammadu Yahaya mourned the PS’ demise. Yahaya described the deceased as an experienced lawyer and seasoned administrator, whose long service was characterised by dedication, hard work, diligence and meticulous attention to detail. He made this disclosure in a press statement signed by the…

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and nine other former governors in the 10th Senate over their collection of both salaries and pensions as senators. This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. Joined as respondents in the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja were Abdulaziz Yari; Aminu Tambuwal; Adamu Aliero; Adams Oshiomole; Ibrahim Gaidam; Seriake Dickson; Ibrahim Dankwambo; Aliyu Wammako; Gbenga Daniel, and Dave Umahi. It seeks “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, nine other…

THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has raised the alarm over the threat of rapid flooding along the River Niger and River Benue Basin, owing to the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon. The states to be affected are Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa, with Adamawa already affected. The Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, issued the warning at a media briefing in Abuja. “Situation reports from Adamawa State confirms the upsurge of floodwaters along the flood plains of River Benue. The situation is expected to be replicated in downstream…

THE Federal Government has called for the  de-escalation of hostilities between Israel and HAMAS. Palestinian group Hamas launched a large-scale surprise attack against Israel on Saturday, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza and sending fighters to kill or abduct people as Israel retaliated with devastating air strikes. According to a statement issued and signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Saturday, the Federal Government of Nigeria is deeply concerned about the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in the early hours of Saturday, 7th October, 2023 and calls for de-escalation and ceasefire. The statement read…

THE Federal Government earlier this week announced that it had issued licences to 17 Independent Electricity Distribution Network operators, among which 11 are currently operational. This newspaper reported that this was disclosed by the FG in the 2022 Market Competition Report released on Thursday by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, an agency of the Federal Government. The report, made available to this newspaper, reads in part, “The commission has also licensed 17 Independent Electricity Distribution Network operators of which 11 are operational.” The 11 operators include: 1. Gateway Electricity Limited 2. Energy Company of Nigeria Plc 3. PIPP LVI Disco…

THE Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin has approved the appointment of Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji as his Senior Special Assistant on Skills Acquisition. According to a letter signed by the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Kamoru Ogunlana, the appointment took effect from June 13, 2023. The letter added  that the appointment of Professor Ma’aji was based on merit and experience. Professor Ma’aji was a  member of the academic staff of Federal University of Technology, Minna and he has managed several national and international projects aimed at introducing sustainable educational and training innovations. With over 25 years experience…

THE National President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) Festus Osifo says the Federal Government is still paying subsidy on petroleum. President Bola Tinubu had in his inauguration declared that the subsidy era is gone, triggering a hike in the cost of the commodity across the nation. But months after the move, Osifo, who is also the president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said due to the cost of crude oil in the international market and the dollar to naira rate, the government still pays subsidy for the product. “They [government] are paying…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) claims the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has thrown decorum out of the window over his push for the nullification of President Bola Tinubu’s win. Atiku, who ran on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), came second in the election. He had challenged the victory of the president in court, but lost as the Presidential Tribunal, struck out his petition. The allegation of forgery was one of those dismissed by the presidential election court. Despite the court’s ruling, Atiku continued his case at the US court, which eventually ordered…

A FORMER Deputy Minority Whip and member representing Kaltungo/Shongom Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Fatima Binta-Bello, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party. In a letter dated October 5, 2023, and addressed to the Chairman of the party in Shongom ward, Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe State, Binta-Bello conveyed her decision to quit the party, effective Thursday. Binta-Bello, who has been a member of the party for over 20 years, did not disclose any specific reason for her departure. She was defeated in 2019 by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bulus Amos when…

A SPECIAL Court Martial set up by the Nigerian Army has found the former Group Managing Director and Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Army Properties Limited, Major General Umar Mohammed, guilty of 14 of 18 count charges, including stealing and other sundry offences, which are all contrary to service laws. The charges brought against the General bother on stealing, forgery, conspiracy, theft, unauthorised diversion of Army property, among others. In one of the charges on which he was found guilty, General Mohammed was alleged to have collected the sum of $1.045,400 paid by shipping companies for the use of Nigerian…

IN light of the controversies surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic records from the Chicago State University (CSU), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, says the administration cannot waste time on such “trivial matters”. Tuggar, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, said that the controversy does not cast a shadow on some of the president’s recent international engagements. “There is a tendency to always try to distract people on such frivolous issues as opposed to facing the major issues of development. We don’t have time to waste on that,” he said. He argued…

THE Senate has amended its standing orders to stop first-term Senators from vying for the position of Senate President and Deputy Senate President. The Senate amended its order during Tuesday’s legislative proceedings. The amendment of Rule 3(2) (1-3) of the Senate Standing Orders follows a motion moved by the Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele. With the new amendment to the standing orders of the Senate, first-term senators are now excluded from those qualified or eligible to contest for the position of presiding officers of the upper chamber. Rule 3 of the Senate Standing Orders as amended now stipulates that any…

THE Chicago State University (CSU) has released the academic records of President Bola Tinubu, following requests by Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election. Over the weekend, the US district court for the northern district of Illinois ordered Chicago University to release the academic records of  Tinubu. In response to Abubakar’s third request — which was to release a copy of the diplomas issued in 1997 — the university said the certificates match the format of the Tinubu replacement dated June 27, 1997. “The documents responsive to this request which Chicago State University,…

THE Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State,  Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya,  CON has received with heavy hearts,  the passing of Professor Emeritus Umaru Shehu, a distinguished elder statesman, and Northern Nigeria’s first Professor of Community Health who died at the age of 93. Governor Inuwa described the late academic as a true luminary and erudite scholar whose demise leaves a huge void in the realms of knowledge and leadership in Nigeria. He said the loss of Professor Emeritus Umaru Shehu has created a profound void, not only for his family,  Borno State and the University of Maiduguri,…

A FORMER Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Professor Umaru Shehu, is dead. A statement by Borno Elders Forum, signed by its Secretary, Dr Bulama Gubio, on Monday, announced the death of Northern Nigeria’s first Professor of Community Health. Prof Shehu, who died at the age of 97, was the founder of the Kanem Borno Historical and Cultural Foundation and a co-founder of the Borno Elders Forum. He was Professor Emeritus, Community Health, University of Maiduguri and former President of the Nigerian Academy of Science. Prof. Shehu was born on December 8, 1930 in Maiduguri, Nigeria.…

BUA Group has announced a reduction of ex-factory cement price to N3,500 per bag. The current ex-factory price is N4,650, while it is being sold at N5,000 in the market. In a statement on Sunday, the company announced that the new price will take effect from Monday, October 2, 2023. The statement, titled ‘Reduce in Prices of BUA Cement’, reads: “We refer to our previous pronouncements regarding our intent to reduce cement prices upon the completion of our new lines at the end of the year, in order to spur development in the building materials and infrastructure sectors. “As per…