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2023: Northwest speakers declare support for Asiwaju Tinubu
Serving Speakers and their predecessors from the Northwest zone of Nigeria have declared their support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. Their declarations and promises are coming some weeks after a similar endorsement of Tinubu was carried out by their colleagues in the southwestern zone of Nigeria. At a meeting held in Kano for the states in the northwestern zone on Friday, the senior lawmakers declared that Tinubu remains the right person for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at this time. Some of them argued that with the challenges currently being faced by the country, Nigeria deserves a leader who is detribalised and has shown over time that he has the capacity to lead the country. Praising Asiwaju Tinub...
Ibrahim Gambari: We must not assume President Buhari alone can solve our problems
Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to the president, says Nigerians should not assume that the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration can solely solve the problems affecting the country. Gambari stated this on Saturday when he represented the president at the 2021 annual lecture of Arewa House, in Kaduna. Delivering the president’s message, Gambari called on Nigerians to put the nation first in all their dealings, as was done by the country’s founding fathers. He said good leadership will provide a platform for the nation to overcome its challenges and unlock the huge potentials of the country. Gambari also noted that there is a need to improve coordination and collaboration among leaders at all levels of government, adding that all hands must be on deck to steer the country towards the path of ...
Nigerian government alerts health institutions of fake coronavirus vaccine in circulation
The Ministry of Health has alerted all tertiary health institutions in Nigeria of the circulation of fake COVID-19 vaccine in Africa and the need to be on the lookout. The ministry also dispelled any possibility of COVID-19 vaccines being available for sale or being administered by any unauthorised institution in the country. This was contained in a circular issued by the ministry’s Director, Department of Hospital Services, Dr. Adebimpe Adeblyi, on behalf of the minister, Osagie Ehanire. The circular dated March 26, 2021, a copy of which our correspondent sighted on Saturday was addressed to Chief Medical Directors/Medical Directors of federal tertiary health institutions. Titled “Report of fake COVID-19 vaccine destined for Africa arrested in China,” the circular has C.1693/P&P/T/22 ...
EFCC chairman: I will resign If asked to do anything contrary to my conscience
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said that he will resign if he’s asked to compromise. This is as he vowed to ensure that corruption in Nigeria is gotten rid of, saying the “rule of law and fear of God shall be his guiding principles.” The EFCC boss said this on Friday, March 26, 2021, when he featured in a Nigerian Television Authority interview programme One-on-One. His words were disclosed in a statement titled ‘We’ll rid Nigeria of corruption – Bawa Vows,’ which was issued on the official Twitter handle of the EFCC. “We need to change our attitudes in Nigeria,” Bawa was quoted to have said. “We are in the habit of worshipping people that have money in the society, but never bother to ask questions about their source of income. In winn...
Court declares SEC sanctions against Oando management null, void
Wikipedia Oando shareholders in the persons of Alhaji Yakubu Gumel; Alhaji Kabiru Tambari, suing for himself and on behalf of the Sokoto Zone Shareholders Association; Tunde Badmus, suing for himself and for the benefits of Pacesetters Shareholders Association, bagged yet another win at the Federal High Court (FHC) Kano, in a suit filed against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for overreaching its powers. Justice A. Lewis Allagoa presiding over the ruling dismissed the regulators preliminary objection and granted all the reliefs sought by the Oando Shareholders. The FHC Kano dismissed SEC’s objection on the basis that the shareholders’ claims fall under their rights as shareholders according to the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and is therefore not a capital markets i...
US workers enticed with bonuses, time off to get coronavirus vaccine
As Covid-19 vaccination drives get into gear across the United States, some businesses are offering transportation, paid time off and bonuses of up to $500 to encourage workers to get the jab. Labor-intensive industries like slaughterhouses, supermarkets, and farms, whose workers are at higher risk of contracting the virus, have taken the lead, with several large grocery chains offering two to four hours of paid leave time for employees to get vaccinated. “Providing accommodations so employees can receive this critical vaccine is one more way we can support them and eliminate the need to choose between earning their wages and protecting their well-being,” Jason Hart, CEO of supermarket chain Aldi, said in January. Others have taken advantage of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention re...
Abia: Senator Kalu scores successors very low, wants Aba declared a disaster area
Sen. Orji Kalu, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has advocated for declaration of Aba, the economic hub of Abia State, a disaster area so that the Federal Government can take extra-ordinary measures to fix the town. Kalu, who was governor of Abia state from 1999 to 2007 said this on Thursday when he hosted some clergymen in the state to a breakfast meeting in Aba, according to a statement from his office. The meeting was in furtherance of the campaign for his younger brother, Mascot, who is All Progressive Congress, APC’s candidate for Saturday’s bye-election for Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency. Kalu scored successive administrations after his very low in terms of infrastructure development in Aba. He said, “I am disappointed that since I left office in 2007, nothing tangible has bee...
Nigerian government mulls TCN’s unbundling, partial concession to boost power supply
The federal government is considering the unbundling and partial concession of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to boost its efficiency in the government’s bid to improve power supply. Director, Energy, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Yunana Malo, said during the March edition of “the Electricity Hub” conversation series on power that the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) had directed that a proper strategy should be mapped out for the unbundling of TCN. He stated that the government believed that all the players in the energy value chain should be able to align with the needs of the power sector seamlessly, adding that the right environment is being created for the transmission component to match generation and distribution. Malo said data was key to making decision...
UAE waives extra coronavirus test for Nigerians
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has removed the rapid antigen test requirement for Nigerians travellers. This is according to a March 24 letter from the protocol department of the UAE ministry of foreign affairs seen by newsmen. The federal government had suspended Emirates Airlines after it announced an additional test requirement for Nigerian travellers in addition to the PCR test mandated by the presidential task force on COVID-19 (PTF). Agreeing to remove the test requirement, the UAE government demanded that the number of passengers on inbound flights to the UAE must not exceed 200 for two weeks. It also said only direct flights between the UAE and Nigeria are allowed. “Passengers need to present a valid negative PCR test conducted within 48 hours before boarding,”. “Provide the Embass...
Nigerian government tenders foreign currency in ‘money laundering’ trial of ex-NAF chief
The Federal Government, on Thursday, tendered before the Federal High Court, Abuja, different currencies of dollars stashed in three bags as evidence in the money laundering charge against Air Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd.) Counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Magaji Labaran, tendered the bags of money before Justice Inyang Ekwo while leading the only witness in the case, Stephen Olatubosun, in evidence. Newsmen report that Mohammed (1st defendant) and his company, Easy Jet Integrated Service Ltd (2nd defendant), are being charged with three counts bordering on money laundering, illegal possession of firearms and possession of classified documents without lawful authority. The retired air officer and his company are alleged to have received the sum of one million, thirt...
Rivers: We need more flyovers, interchanges in Port Harcourt – SSG
Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, has declared the Port Harcourt, the state capital, needs more flyovers and interchanges, so that the city can compete with other cities in the world. Danagogo, who addressed journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, said the dream of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike-led administration was to turn the state capital to Houston, the capital of the State of Texas in the United States of America. He said: “What is the vision of the average Rivers man for the state capital? What Wike is looking at is what Port Harcourt should be tomorrow. The governor’s dream is to make Rivers State, the Texas of America. “Port Harcourt should be like Houston because Port Harcourt is the oil capital of Nigeria. We need more flyovers and interchanges. The fly...
Nigerian senate wants travel passport documents renewable abroad via post
The Senate is making moves to make it easier for Nigerians in diaspora to renew their passport documents. It specifically wants to make it possible for Nigerians to be able to renew the documents abroad via post. The lawmakers also want more centres where passports can be renewed abroad as well as the removal of ‘middlemen’ in the process. These are some of the resolutions the lawmakers took on Wednesday after they deliberated a motion on the “urgent need to remove the difficulty faced by Nigerians outside of the shores of Nigeria in renewing their Passport” sponsored by Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South). The move by the Senate comes at a time when Nigerians both within and outside Nigeria have decried difficulty in the process of obtaining a new travel passport as well as renewing one. A...
