President Muhammadu Buhari
President Buhari hails UFC champion Kamaru Usman
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday congratulated Kamarudeen Usman on the successful defence of his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title, saying his victory has lifted the spirits of Nigerians despite the gloom COVID-19 pandemic has brought. Buhari’s congratulatory message was contained in a statement made available to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. The statement was titled “President Buhari congratulates Kamaru Usman for retaining UFC title”. Usman had earlier in the day retained the title with an emphatic win over Jorge Masvidal. With the victory, Buharu said Usman had reminded the world that good things and great people still come out of Nigeria. He added that the victory further proved that things will get better at the fullness o...
Ibrahim Magu failed to account for interest on N550 billion recovered loot – panel
Voice of Nigeria A prior presidential panel, which investigated the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, indicted him, a report has alleged. The report noted that the embattled EFCC boss had been unable to account for the interest generated from N550bn cash recovered from 2015 to 2020. The panel is separate from the panel led by a former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, which is currently probing Magu and other top officials of the agency. The chairman of the previous committee was Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim and the members were DIG Anthony Ogbizi; a member from Federal Ministry of Justice; Mualledi Dogondaji from the EFCC; Hassan Abdullahi from the DSS; an unnamed member from the Office of the Accountant General of the...
COAS unveils Nigerian Army Compendium, presents awards to deserving officers
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Saturday, presented to the public, a compendium of the Nigerian Army, detailing operations of the Army under his watch from 2015 to 2020. The book, “The Compendium of Nigerian Army Transformation: The Buratai Years 2015 – 2020,” was unveiled at the Faskari Super Camp IV, in Katsina state. Buratai during the presentation, said that the document contained part of the remarkable successes recorded by the army under his leadership in the years under review, especially in the maintenance of peace and unity of the nation amidst insurgency and banditry. “During these past years, we have been able to significantly address manpower, training, logistics, infrastructure development and staff welfare which translated into improved security to l...
Aviation, education ministries, others make presentations at FEC meeting
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over the seventh virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Newsmen report that the Federal Ministries of Aviation; Niger Delta; Education as well as Works and Housing are expected to make presentations at the meeting. Those at the meeting include Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno. Newsmen observed that 11 cabinet ministers joined the president at the Council Chamber for the virtual meeting while other ministers are participating directly from their respective off...
Former Ekiti governor wants Ibrahim Magu placed on watch list so he won’t flee
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has asked security agencies in the country to place suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, on watch list. Fayose took to his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday to call on the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, amongst others. According to the former governor, Magu should be placed on the country’s watch list so that he won’t disappear into thin air. He wrote, “Just as Magu directed that I be placed on “watch-list” even when I had immunity as a sitting governor, Magu too must be placed on watch-list so that he won’t run away. EFCC, DSS, Customs, Police, Immigration, Army, Navy, Air Force, oth...
Governor Wike: Abdullahi Ganduje has exposed plot to rig Edo election
Rivers State Governor and Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council for Edo Governorship Election, Nyesom Wike, has said the statement credited to Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, that he (Wike) will be quarantined, was an admission of the plot by the party to use security forces to rig the Edo State election come September 19. Wike who addressed party leaders and members of the 93-member campaign council said the alleged confession of Ganduje was a challenge to the Edo people who have the responsibility to make their choice as electorate on election day. The chairman of the campaign council said while the council members may not have right to vote in Edo State, the security agencies should work by their mandate as provided for in the law and not go outside ...
No factions in Oyo APC – chairman
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State says there is no division within its fold. The party’s Chairman, Chief Akin Oke, said this in a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan. Recall that some members of the party had been parading themselves as a faction of the APC in the state. The APC in the state, which was recently thrown into mourning following the death of its leader, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, had in 2018 witnessed internal wrangling. This had resulted in the floating of a splinter group, ‘Unity Forum,’ through which virtually all the aggrieved members left the party to join opposition parties in the build up to the 2019 general elections. Oke, however, warned those peddling rumours indicating existence of factions or warring groups in the party to desist from such acts. “These gr...
PTF: Schools to reopen only for graduating pupils
The Federal Government on Thursday insisted that schools have not reopened in the country. The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, stated this in Abuja during a briefing. He maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari only approved the resumption of schools for graduating pupils to take revision classes and write their examinations. Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, explained, “The Presidential Task Force similarly announced some limited measures for the educational sector. Specifically, we pointed out that it was still not safe to reopen schools. “However, in order not to truncate the progression of pupils and students not in critical classes, the President approved that arrangement be made for those who need revision b...
National Assembly urges President Buhari to suspend plan to recruit 774,000 Nigerians
The Senate and the House of Representatives yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the implementation of the plan to recruit 774,000 Nigerians for Special Public Works across the country. The position of both chambers of the National Assembly followed a sharp disagreement between the National Assembly Joint Committee on Labour, Employee and Productivity and the Minister for State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, over the modalities for appointing the 20-member Selection Committee for the programme. Keyamo who had appeared at an interactive session organized by the joint committee opposed a resolution of the Joint Committee to resolve into a closed door session. The Minister said he rejected the lawmakers decision to quiz him behind closed doors because of the n...
Governor Buni-led APC caretaker committee promises true reconciliation
As part of measure to make progress on its mandate in reconciling all factions in the ruling All Progressives Congress, the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led committee has promised to embark on genuine reconciliation of all party leaders and members ahead of the planned convention. Chairman, Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Committee of the All Progressives Congress party and Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, said this during the formal inauguration of the committee at the party’s national Secretariat. The ruling APC had been enmeshed in protracted leadership crisis which lasted for months, culminating in the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole led National Working Committee (NWC). Buni, while swearing-in other members of the committee at the party Secretariat, said that the committee believ...
Nigerian government to engage 1,000 unskilled workers per local council between October, December
The Federal Government says it will recruit 1,000 itinerant, unskilled workers in each of the 774 Local Government Areas (LGA), in the country from October to December for roads rehabilitation, construction, sanitation, among others. Mr Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said this during the inauguration of the States’ Selection Committees for the Extended Special Public Works Programme on Monday in Abuja. Keyamo said that the programme was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and aimed principally at recruiting 774,000 itinerant and unskilled Nigerians. According to him, the 1,000 persons that the committee will recruit per LGA will be engaged by the Federal Government between October and December this year. “This is for the workers to carry out public works tha...
FAAN to deploy robots in airports
Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters As the country gears up to restart commercial flights, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is set to deploy robots in its airports all over the country. It was gathered that the robots would be used for passenger facilitation processes including profiling, check-ins, temperature checks as well as detection of security threats including dangerous goods and arms. Confirming the development, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Henrietta Yakubu told newsmen over the phone that the test run of the robots was done at the Lagos Airport on Saturday. “It’s a demo that is going on in Lagos. It’s been demonstrated. If it works fine, it will be adopted,” she said. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority today conducted a simulation flight ahead of the reopenin...
