Abuja
Journalists’ forum tasks Nigerian government on fight against human trafficking
Mr Ajibola Abayomi, President, Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM), has urged the Federal Government to evolve stricter measures in the fight against human trafficking. Abayomi who made the call in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, also urged the government to continue the ongoing evacuation mission beyond the Aug. 25 deadline. According to him, such extension will enable the evacuation of more Nigerians, especially women who are currently stranded in foreign countries. He said that the group had already written the Foreign Affairs Ministry and other relevant agencies, alerting them of the need to continue the rescue exercise. Abayomi said that the letter also contained detailed information about stranded Nigerian migrants to ensure easy identification and evacuation. “T...
Edo poll: Court approves substituted service on Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Comrade Oshiomhole, others
The Federal High Court in Abuja has approved service through substituted means in the suit seeking an order disqualifying Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming September 19, 2020, Edo State. The order for substituted means was issued by Justice Taiwo on August 18, 2020, but newsmen saw the certified true copy of the enrolled order on Thursday. In the order issued at the instance of the plaintiff, Charles Ude, who is a member of the APC, Justice Taiwo directed that a former Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, a former acting Chairman of the party, Victor Giadom, Hilliard Eta, and Ize-Iyamu, be served the suit through the pasting of the court documents at the entrance gate of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. While Os...
UK offers free visa replacement for Nigerians
Y-Axis The British High Commission in Nigeria has said it will replace, for free, the 30-day visa of individuals that were supposed to travel to the UK before the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 global pandemic. It said the free visa replacement, which will be open till December 2020, covers those who will be travelling to the UK for work, study or to join their families. This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the commission titled, ‘Update on VAC Services From The BHC Nigeria’ posted on its verified Twitter handle, @UKinNigeria. The statement read in part, “as a result of the disruptions to travel caused by COVID-19, we are experiencing high demand for replacement vignettes for 30-day visas to travel to the UK for work, study or to join family. “If an individual’s 30-da...
Nigerian government approves N13.3 billion take off for community policing
The Federal Government has approved the sum of N13.3 billion for the take-off of Community Policing initiative across the country. This is as the World Bank has cleared 35 states for the US$1.5billion stimulus package for Nigeria’s states to cushion the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Economic Council (NEC) at its virtual meeting on Thursday, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, resolved that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, with two other governors, meet with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Finance Minister and the Inspector General of Police to coordinate the proper utilization of the funding of the initiative Attendance at the NEC virtual meeting with state governors, included the Min...
Senator Akpabio: NDDC received N15 trillion in 19 years
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has faulted the National Assembly inquest into the financial activties of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between February and July 2020 rather than embark on a comprehensive probe of the interventionist agency’s 19 years of existence. The NDDC, he stated, received over N15 trillion in the last 19 years, with nothing on the ground to justify the huge funds, wondering why the lawmakers decided to probe five months’ activities in the commission. Speaking when members of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) visited him in Abuja, Thursday, he noted that discretionary probe would not address the problem of the commission, which he described as cesspit of corruption. He, however, assured Niger Delta ...
PTF: Nigerians poor attitude towards virus testing is worrisome
The Presidential Taskforce, PTF, on COVID-19, on Thursday, decried the poor attitude of Nigerians towards COVID-19 testing and safety protocols, saying, despite the increased capacity, sample collection remains very low. Expressing displeasure during the weekly COVID-19 briefing in Abuja, the Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce, Boss Mustapha, further lamented that the numbers of local governments, LGAs, that are hot spots have increased from 16 to 20 and regrettably happened to be a hard-to-reach area. “Initially, we have 10 local government areas that are hot spots which eventually increased to 16 but now we have 20 LGAs that are hot spots. Regrettably, this recent local government is more remote. “Presently, Nigeria now has the capacity to test 15,000 people daily but sadly, what we ...
IPOB warns Nigerian government to stop harassment of members
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Thursday, told the Federal Government to halt “the incessant harassment and arrest of its members and their families in South-East.” It also called on South-East and South-South governors, particularly Ebonyi State government, to prevail on the security agents in their states to release IPOB and their family members, particularly its Ebonyi State Coordinator, Mazi Igwe Ogbonnaya, without further delay. The pro-Biafra group said it is particularly upset by the alleged recent arrest of its Coordinator in Ebonyi State; and the intimidation of an innocent woman who recently put to bed in Oji River Council Area of Enugu State by security operatives in the guise of searching for Radio Biafra Station. In a statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary...
Mali: ECOWAS to hold emergency meeting
The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) will on Thursday hold an Extraordinary Summit on the socio-political situation in Mali. The Directorate of Communications of the ECOWAS Commission made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. The summit would be held virtually through video conference. The summit became necessary following the military coup d’etat that took place in the Republic of Mali on Tuesday. Newsmen recall that President Ibrahim Keita and his government resigned after soldiers arrested him. The soldiers have set up a body to work out modalities for elections. ECOWAS has strongly condemned the undemocratic change of government, adding that it is against its protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. The Au...
NFF management, staff to undergo coronavirus tests
Management and other officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will undergo coronavirus tests at the federation’s secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, an official said on Wednesday. Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, disclosed in a statement that the federation’s General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, announced this on Wednesday. According to Olajire, Sanusi said the test would take place at the federation’s Sunday Dankaro House secretariat, located within the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Complex in Abuja. “Sanusi, while addressing management officials and other staff on Wednesday informed them that the test had become necessary after a positive test by a member of the NFF management. “Apart from this person testing positive, Sanusi said he also had issues and has had to ...
NAN board chairman Wada Maida laid to rest
The remains of the News Agency of Nigeria Board Chairman, Alhaji Wada Maida, was buried at Gudu Cemetery, Apo District, Abuja, on Tuesday in accordance with Muslim rites. Newsmen report that the funeral prayer was led by Imam Rabiu Suleiman amidst tears by his family members, friends, associates and Muslim Ummah. The funeral prayer for the deceased was held at the Shagari Jumma’at Mosque in Area I Garki in Abuja. Speaking shortly after the burial, Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State described the death of Alhaji Wada Maida as a personal loss to him and the great people of Katsina state. Masari said that the deceased was a patriotic citizen who dedicated the whole of his life in the service of the country. “Whenever we lose somebody in Islam, we say to Allah we all come from Him and unto Him...
Aisha Buhari urges urgent action to end malnutrition in children
The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, on Tuesday called for concerted efforts through positive action to end the scourge of severe malnutrition in children in Nigeria. Buhari made the call during a virtual Conference on Malnutrition with the theme: ”Harnessing Innovative Options for Nutrition-Unravelling the Bottlenecks” in Abuja. The first Lady who was represented by the wife of Vice President Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, expressed concern over the rising cases of malnourished children in spite of efforts by relevant stakeholders. ”We have the Federal and State Councils on Nutrition chaired by key government officials who ensure that decisions on nutrition related issues are not delayed. ”We have Policies at federal and state levels addressing various aspects of Nutrition as well” she said. Buhari said g...
Auditor-General denies illegal withdrawal of N10 billion from NHIS account
The Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Anthony Ayine, Monday, described as false and mischievous, allegations that he connived with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to illegally withdraw N10 billion from the account of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS. In a statement from the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, OAUGF, in Abuja, Ayine said in the allegation, it was stated that the first withdrawal of N5 billion from the NHIS account was made by Osinbajo and himself, in December 2016, noting that he actually resumed office in January 2017. According to him, the whole allegation, therefore, is not only illogical, highly embarrassing, scandalous, frivolous and unreasonable, but it is also calculated to smear the OAuGF and the person of the Auditor-General for the Federat...
