Author: Sani Nura

GOVERNOR Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has flagged off yet another phase of empowerment programme as part of his administration’s broader goal of addressing the human capital deficit in Gombe State. Speaking during the inauguration, the Governor said, his administration attaches much priority to human capital development owing to the central role it plays in the overall development of the society, maintaining that his government is determined to continue taking holistic developmental steps in order to improve the lives of the people by creating employment and income generating opportunities. He said the second phase of the empowerment programme will cover over 2000…

THE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has described as “fake” news doing the rounds that its over 30, 000 members would be shutting down their filling stations. The National Controller Operations, IPMAN, Mike Osatuyi, who spoke with journalists on Tuesday, said the memo to members which emanated from the Chairman, IPMAN Borno chapter, Mohammed Kuluwa, earlier on Tuesday, asking all its members in the state to suspend services was a wrong move. “Fake news. Bad eggs and sabotage,” Osatuyi told PUNCH. Also, the IPMAN National President, Elder Chinedu Okonkwo,said when contacted by our correspondent via the telephone that Kuluwa…

THE Borno chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has directed members to suspend all operations. In a statement signed on Tuesday by Mohammed Kuluwu, IPMAN chairman in the state, the marketers were also ordered to suspend the payment of ordering products from source until further notice. The association said the decision followed, “the critical situation as it affect our sourcing and selling of product at lost (sic) and the action of the authority to impose the selling of product at a lost price (sic) on our side”. More to follow…

HE presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has promised to defeat and eliminate terrorists if elected in the forthcoming general elections. He also assured the Katsina electorate of his readiness to cater for the children and widows of victims of the terrorist attacks in all parts of the country. Tinubu stated this on Monday during a campaign rally in Katsina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, where he met residents mourning the death of over 100 civilians killed by terrorists in the last four days. He also empathised with the victims and their families, promising…

THE police in Rivers State have said that the arrest of over 30 persons in Port Harcourt on Sunday was purely a criminal matter with no political undertone. There were reports have about 30 members of the Atiku Support Organization were arrested by armed policemen during a meeting in the state capital. According to the spokesman of the Organization, Victor Moses, some of those arrested were state and local government leaders of the group. He alleged that the police operatives may have acted on the instructions of Governor Nyesom Wike. In a statement on Monday, the police spokesperson in the…

THE Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has committed the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, to prison for disobeying a court order. The court also directed the Inspector General of Police to effect Bawa’s arrest and remand him in Kuje prison for the next 14 days until he purges himself of the contempt. Justice Rukayat Ayoola of the Kogi State High Court, in his judgement on Monday, granted the application for committal to prison of the EFCC chairman for disobeying a court ruling delivered on November 30, 2022, wherein the EFCC chairman was…

FOR the fourth time in less than 4 years,  Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has yet again put smiles on the faces of senior citizens in Gombe State with the commencement of payment of another tranche of over 3 billion naira as backlog of gratuity to more than 5000 State and local government retirees. With dance steps, broad smiles and songs of appreciation, the retirees received their Cheques during the flag off ceremony of the payment held at the Banquet Hall,  Government House,  Gombe. The payments covers retirees from both the employment of the State and the Local Governments. In his…

A COALITION of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria has called out the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for failing to include CSOs in the  campaign against persistent attacks on their personnel and facilities. The Coalition, in a statement jointly signed and issued by the Coordinator of the Coalition, Dr Abdullahi Usman and its Secretary, Amb Nwokoma Messiah, called on the umpire body to immediately mobilise groups with proven capacity to engage Nigerians on the dangers such attacks will have on the smooth conduct of the 2023 general elections. The statement further described the non-mobilisation of members of the Civil Society…

THE members of the Taraba State Executive Committee (SEC) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Saturday passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman Barrister Ibrahim Tukur El-Suldi and removed him from office as the Chairman of APC in the State. In a release jointly signed by the APC Taraba State Executive Committee members, the committee members said the powers conferred on them by Article 21(d)(vi) of the APC Constitution gave them the power to remove the Chairman. The statement read, “our grounds and justification for passing a vote of no confidence on El-Suldi, and to consequently remove…

THE Niger State Police Command says its operatives attached to Gawu-Babangida Division have arrested one Ibrahim Ali aka Bajala for being an informant and food supplier to suspected kidnappers. His arrest, according to the police followed, the arrest of the two suspected kidnappers at Lambata, Gurara Local Government Area on January 27, 2023. In a statement, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP WA Abiodun, said the 25-year-old Ali of Gwalo village in Paikoro Local Government Area was arrested on February 1. He said Ali confessed to the crime during interrogation and said that he usually monitors targets for…

GOVERNOR Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has appealed to the the military to remain focused and determined to continue in confronting emerging challenges ahead of next month’s elections. He also commended the resilience and doggedness of the armed forces in their efforts to secure the state and create an environment for peaceful elections. The governor made the remarks during the 2022 West African Social Activities organised by the 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Yola, the Adamawa state capital. The activities, which took place at Gibson Jalo Cantonment, are an annual event held by the Army to mark the…

GOMBE State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has commiserated with the family of elder statesman, Dr Joshua Maina over the death of Architect Leslie Phanuel Maina, a director in the state civil service. In a condolence message, signed and issued by the Director-General of Press Affairs to the governor, Ismaila Uba Misilli, Saturday, Governor Inuwa described the deceased as a seasoned technocrat, hard working administrator and fine gentleman who devoted his time, energy and resourcefulness to the service of his State, community and humanity in general. He noted that the late Lesile Maina had demonstrated competence and exhibited wonderful character throughout…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun a mock accreditation exercise across the country ahead of the 2023 general elections. The Commission, last week, noted the exercise would hold on February 4 to test the efficacy of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in preparation for the Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 25. The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, added that the machines used for the mock exercise would be reconfigured in preparation for the main elections. News Point Nigeria on Saturday observed the mock accreditation exercise as it began at Majidadi ‘A’ Registration Area in…

A MEMBER of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Ahmad Lawan has urged Nigerians to vote for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the fourth-coming  general elections. Lawan, who made the call during an interview with Nas FM Radio in Adamawa, stated that, Asiwaju is the best man for the job, and his vision for the country, as encapsulated in the “Renewed Hope” manifesto, is clearly defined and well thought out. According to him, Tinubu positive antecedents as governor of Lagos state is a clear testimony of his vision and leadership qualities, adding…

THE Police Command in Nasarawa State has confirmed the rescue of the remaining four abducted pupils of Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) Primary School Alwaza, Doma Local Government Area. DSP Ramhan Nansel, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state made the confirmation to newsmen on Friday in Lafia. Six pupils of LGEA Primary School Alwaza, Doma LGA were kidnapped by gunmen on motorcycles on Friday, Jan. 20, around 7:00 a.m. Two out of the pupils were rescued by the police in collaboration with other security agencies and hunters on Jan. 21, a day after they were kidnapped. The PPRO…

GOVERNOR Babagana Zulum of Borno State has described the Central Bank of Nigeria as inconsiderate for making it difficult for the poor and the vulnerable to obtain the new naira notes at Automated Teller Machines. He was speaking while going round some of the commercial banks ATMs in Maiduguri on Friday following reports that the machines was not dispensing cash. “The CBN is wicked enough that it is punishing the poor and most vulnerable of the people by subjecting them to long hours of queuing at ATM machines which do not have the cash to dispense,” he said. Zulum, who…

THE immediate past chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Maikano Abdullahi Umar has stated that he decided to leave the NNPP because there is no political focus from the state guber candidate, Hon Khamisu Mailantarki. Maikano made the remark in a signed press statement issued and made available to News Point Nigeria Friday, evening. According to him, “my decision to join the APC is due to lack of political focus, leadership direction and clear blueprint by the Governorship Candidate, Hon Khamisu Mailantarki as to how he will move Gombe State forward and address its challenges if elected.” The…

OPEC’s crude oil production fell in January by around 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) due to cuts by top producer Saudi Arabia which may have been steeper than the Kingdom’s quota, a survey carried out by Bloomberg showed on Thursday. The entire OPEC-13 organization saw crude oil production drop to 29.12 million bpd due to lower output from Saudi Arabia and Libya, partly offset by slight gains among some other members. Saudi Arabia’s crude oil production is estimated to have dropped by 100,000 bpd to 10.38 million bpd, per Bloomberg’s survey. That’s around 100,000 bpd lower than the Kingdom’s quota of 10.478 million…

The presidential aspiration of former Kano state governor, Engineer Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso suffered a big setback tonight as the Gombe state chairman of his party, the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Abdullahi Maikano Umar defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Maikano announced his defection after meeting Gombe state governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, at his residence today. Details Later…

AN Ad hoc Committee of the House of Representatives has accused the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami as well as Interpol, on what it described as interference in the committee’s investigation. The Committee which is investigating the nation’s stolen crude from 2014 till date, questioned why a whistleblower would be invited by Interpol on the request of the Ministry of Justice just after the commencement of the investigation of the House. Th Committee is investigating a whistleblower’s allegation of illegal sale of 48 million barrels of Nigeria’s bonny light crude in China in 2015, valued at 2.4…