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CAF clears Ahmad Ahmad for presidential elections
The Confederation of African Football president Ahmad Ahmad has been cleared to contest the body’s elections, scheduled for March 12. The Malagasy official was handed a five-year ban and fined $200,000 by Fifa in November for breaching its code of conduct. Among the allegations levelled against the 61-year-old were offering and accepting gifts, abuse of office and misappropriation of funds, which he has denied. Ahmad subsequently appealed the decision of the world governing body at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and got a temporary respite last month. Cas restored the Malagasy to his post as president of Caf and explained a final decision will be taken before the Caf elections. Following the ruling, Caf’s Governance Committee met to deliberate on the matter and cleared Ahmad to contest...
PDP asks US, others to prevail on President Buhari to protect Nigerians
Ahead of its proposed conference on security, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the United States of America and other members of the international community to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to take decisive steps to protect Nigerians and curb escalated violence, terrorism and banditry ravaging many parts of the country. The party also tasked President Buhari to respond to a widespread cry for credible elections in the land by making a personal commitment towards an accelerated amendment to the Electoral Act, to among other things, “give statutory force to simultaneous electronic transmission of results and use of card readers in elections.” PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, presented made this known at a crucial meeting with the political officer with the...
Nigerian government meets labour over fuel price, electric tariff hike
The Federal Government on Monday resumed its meeting with the organised Labour over the issues of increases in the pump price of petrol and electricity tariff hike. The meeting had been adjourned in December last year, with hopes that it will be reconvened earlier in 2021. Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), are the two ministers representing the federal government at this meeting. At the opening of the meeting, Dr Ngige said the government’s side of the bargain has received reports from the committee set up to look into some of the demands of the labour movements. Similarly, Boss Mustapha also noted that the committees set up last year will be presenting their findings during the meeting. The SGF also assured t...
Court restrains Edo NUT from embarking on strike
Nigeria Union of Teachers The National Industrial Court in Benin, on Monday, restrained the Edo wing of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) from proceeding on any strike in primary schools across the state. Justice Abiola Adewemimo gave the order after listening to the arguments by the state Solicitor-General, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN). Newsmen report that the state government and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) are the applicants in the case, with suit number: NICN/BEN/04/2021. The defendants in the suit are the NUT Chairman in the state, Mr Pius Okhuleliegbe and the state Assistant Secretary- General, Moni Itua, for themselves and on behalf of the members of the union. Delivering her ruling, Adewemimo restrained the NUT chairman and the assistant secretary-general,either acting t...
PDP accuses President Buhari of violating coronavirus law
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed dismay over President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged violation of his executive regulation on COVID-19, which prescribes 6-month jail term for defaulters. The party said it’s a huge national embarrassment and gross failure of leadership that President Buhari, who ought to lead by example, is being reported to have publicly violated the COVID-19 regulation, which he signed just about a week ago. In a statement on Sunday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said it’s scandalous that while Nigerians are striving to obey the COVID-19 regulation, which stipulates the compulsory wearing of nose mask and physical distancing in the public, the President and some of his party men flouted the rule during his visit to his Daura countr...
Nigeria correctional chief orders tightening of security at custodial centres
Interim Controller-General, Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), John Mrabure, has charged officers of the service to strengthen security-watch over custodial centres across the country. Mr. Mrabure gave the directive when he paid an unscheduled working visit to Medium Security Custodial Centre Kuje, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The service spokesman, Francis Enobore, announced this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja. Mr. Mrabure noted that safe custody of inmates was a critical mandate of the service which must not be compromised under any circumstance. He, therefore, directed that all staff members must deploy their wealth of knowledge and experience to maintain the sanctity of all custodial centres. He cautioned against a nonchalant attitude to work and advised perso...
Group hails Enugu governor on rural roads
A social group, Ishi-Obere Brothers Club, IBC, in Amufie autonomous community, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu state has applauded Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s effort at ensuring rural access roads in every community in the state. This commendation was made in a statement signed and issued to pressmen in Enugu by the chairman of the group, Pharm. Ernest Odo and financial secretary, Mr Chinedu Adonu respectively. Odo while expressing satisfaction with the construction of Amufie-Ugbaike-Inyi rural road which links the aforementioned communities to Abuja through Obollo Afor-Makurdi expressway said it was a shortcut for those travelling to Abuja. He expressed the view that the road would boost economy of the state, adding that rural roads development is a sure way of attaining rap...
EFCC arrests 10 ‘internet fraudsters’ in Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested 10 suspects over computer-related fraud known as ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ They were arrested at their Academy in Bwari axis of Abuja where they were said to be learning the trade of cyber trickery. The suspects aged between 20 and 30 years, are Sixtus Jude, Moses Samuel, Isalan Johnny, Dapet Nimshak, Samuel Ogboche, Victor Samuel, Victor Asuquo, Ibrahim Yunusa, Yahaya Usman and Chijoke Ikwuoha. The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement to newsmen, said the suspects were arrested with different incriminating items such as mobile phones and computers. Uwujaren said how that the promoter of the ‘academy’ was at large. “Investigations showed that they sponsor recruits and train young indivi...
Nigerian government distributes N20,000 each to 8,000 women in Lagos
Mrs Rhoda Iliya, the Deputy Director of Information, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. Iliya explained that Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, at the ceremony on Friday in Lagos reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to alleviate poverty in the country. Farouq, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Bashir Alkali, said that Federal Government’s target in Lagos was over 8000 beneficiaries across all the local government councils of the state. “The grant is expected to increase income and productive assets of target beneficiaries. “It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme will make...
President Buhari travels to Daura for APC membership registration
President Muhammadu Buhari has travelled to Daura, Katsina State, his home town, to participate in the national membership registration and revalidation exercise of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The president left Abuja after performing the weekly Juma’at prayer at the Aso Rock Mosque, newsmen report. Before his departure, the president met with governor Simon Lalong of Plateau, who later informed State House correspondents that he was in villa to brief President Buhari on issues pertaining security, New Nigeria Newspapers and the Jos Main Market. While in Daura, Mr. Buhari would on Saturday at Sarkin Yara Ward, Daura, participate in the APC’s nationwide membership registration and revalidation exercise at about 12.00 noon. Prof. Ussifu Medaner, APC Director of Organisation had on T...
Police: No influx of herdsmen to Ekiti forests
The Police Command in Ekiti State on Wednesday said there was no influx of herdsmen forests in the state from Ondo State forest reserves as being reported in the media. The command disclosed this in a statement signed in Ado-Ekiti by Mr Sunday Abutu, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Tunde Mobayo. The statement said the command had neither sighted nor received any report of herders migrating or relocating into any part of the state or its forests. It, therefore, called on the residents to disregard the report as fake and fictitious. According to the statement, the story was just a mere imagination of the source. It cautioned newsmen against fake and unverified publications capable of causing apprehension in the state, saying ...
President Buhari appoints Adolphus Aghughu as the Auditor-General of the Federation
President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Adolphus Aghughu for appointment as the Auditor-General of the Federation pursuant to Section 86(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). In a statement by by the Senior Special Assistant to the President of National Assembly Affairs (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, said Aghughu has been acting as the Auditor-General since the voluntary retirement of Mr. Anthony Ayine from service upon attainment of the mandatory retirement age of 60 years on 25th October 2020. The Auditor-General designate hails from Edo State and, holds a master’s degree in economics; he is a Fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management and Associate member of Chartered Institute of...
