President
Governor Sanwo-Olu: I have been unable to speak with President Buhari
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, said he was yet to speak directly with President Muhammadu Buhari concerning the shooting of #EndSARS protesters in the State. Sanwo-Olu in an interview on Thursday said he called Buhari twice but he was at the Federal Executive Meeting, FEC, on Wednesday. The Governor stated that the Chief of Defense Staff called him on behalf of the President but did not disclose details of the phone call. He said, ”I have not spoken to president Muhammadu Buhari directly. I called the President twice but the first time he was not at the office. The second time he was at the FEC meeting. ”Although the Chief of Defense staff called me and acknowledge that the President received my message.” As of the time of filing this report, there have been calls for President ...
Gold rises on renewed US stimulus hope, dollar falls
Spot gold rose 0.3 percent to $1,910.56 an ounce at 3:37pm, New York time, after falling as much as 0.5 percent. Gold rose on renewed optimism for a preelection aid package in the U.S., while the dollar fell to a one-week low. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a bill for a compromise stimulus package is being written as she awaits a key phone call with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said his chamber would take up a comprehensive coronavirus package if an accord is struck. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index headed for the third straight decline. Pelosi said in a Bloomberg Television interview that while there are areas where more work is required to get a compromise, she was pleased with the Trump administration’s latest position on coronavirus testing ...
#EndSARS: Stop killing peaceful protesters – Hillary Clinton tells President Buhari
Newscom Former United States presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, has made a public appeal to Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari to end the killing of peaceful protesters. Her public appeal came in light of #EndSARS protesters who were attacked by security operatives during a violent crackdown in Lagos on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. As part of nationwide demonstrations over the past two weeks, hundreds of protesters have shut down the Lekki-Epe toll gate for over one week demanding comprehensive police reform. State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, imposed a 24-hour curfew on Tuesday afternoon after an uptick of violence from thugs who tried to hijack the peaceful protests. Scores of protesters refused to leave the toll gate despite the curfew which was originally set to commence at 4 pm...
Edo election: Impunity responsible for APC’s defeat – Odigie Oyegun
YouTube A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Monday attributed the loss by the party during the September 19 governorship election in Edo State to the dynamic nature of democracy. While noting that the electorate voted en masse in line with their conscience, he added that impunity and imposition of candidate at the party’s primaries also contributed to the loss. In an interview with journalist in Benin, Oyegun commended President Muhammadu Buhari for not interfering in the process but allowed the people’s will to prevail. He also lauded Oba Ewuare II for his timely intervention at brokering peace between the major actors and stakeholders of the APC and the PDP. He said, “It is democracy within the parties and impunity within the parties,...
President Buhari vows to check ‘greed of a callous few’
President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for all arms of government to deploy resources to address the common needs of all citizens rather than the greed of a callous few. The president made the call at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption and launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in Abuja on Monday. The summit has the theme: “Together Against Corruption”. According to him, the National Ethics and Integrity Policy project the government’s aspiration for the rediscovery of cherished traditional ethical values of honesty, integrity, hard work, truth, justice, unity, faith, and consideration for one another, irrespective of status or background. He reiterated his ear...
ICPC uncovers N5.17 billion fraud in education, agric ministries
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered diversion of part of the N2.67 billion payments made to some Federal Colleges for school feeding during lockdown. The Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, who stated this at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption with the theme: “Together Against Corruption and Launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy”, said preliminary investigation had indicated that part of the N2.67billion was diverted to private accounts. The event, presided over President Muhammadu Buhari, was held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday. The ICPC boss said: “We observed that transfer to sub-Treasury Single Account was to prevent disbursement from being monitored. ...
Lyon set deadline for Memphis Depay’s departure
Olympique Lyonnais have set Barcelona an ultimatum on signing their forward Memphis Depay this transfer window, as per Diario AS. The report cites how Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has told French media outlet Telefoot: “I think I will tell the players that all those who did not leave on Friday will remain at Lyon. As of Friday there will be no more departures.” It is reported how he is referencing both Memphis and midfielder Houssem Aouar – who has been linked with a switch to Arsenal. The Blaugrana are keen on a move for Memphis but it remains unlikely that they will be able to finance a deal, despite clearing Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez from their wage bill. Memphis, 26, netted 11 goals across his last 18 matches for the Dutch national side and has also developed into ...
No plans to Scrap NNPC in the PIB – minister
The Federal Government on Monday said that there are no plans to Scrap the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC in the Petroelum Industry Bill 2020 that has been transmitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari. Answering questions from Journalists in Abuja after an interactive meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly, Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, who allayed the fears of staff of the Corporation and Nigerians, said that the bill seeks for the commercialisation of NNPC and not outright scrapping. The meeting which was Presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, with the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other Leaders of the National Assembly in attendance is aimed at discussing the deta...
Nigerian traders in Ghana attempting suicide over maltreatment
Some Nigerian traders in Ghana are considering suicide as option, following rising cases of frustrations, biting hunger and sad feelings of grave abandonment occasioned by the recent actions taken by Ghanaian government against the traders, Progressives Ambassadors of Nigeria has said. Many shops belonging to Nigerian traders were shut in Ghana following a $1m levy imposed on them by the government of the West African country. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Nigeria’s Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, subsequently visited the country with a view to resolving all the issues. But Daily Trust gathered that the Ghanaian government has not heeded the pleas of the Vice President and the Speaker. Speaking on the latest development on Monday in a statement, the PAN Director of...
NIS deploys ‘special force’ to fight bandits in North-west
YouTube The Nigerian Immigration Service on Monday said it will deploy a 2,000-strong Special Force in the North-west to restore peace and security in the region. The Comptroller General, Muhammad Babandede, stated this during the passing out parade of 320 First Batch of pioneer Special Force of the Service, at the NIS Training School in Kano. Babandede said the deployment was imperative to address security challenges and enhance peacebuilding process in the region. He noted that special operation in the North-west “was a definitive military initiative”, to respond to criminal activities like arson; kidnapping, armed banditry and cattle rustling prevalent in the area. He said: “The level of insecurity in the North-west zone has constituted a threat to national security. “This training i...
Subsidy removal: Nigerian government sets up modalities to disburse 2,000 buses
The Federal Government on Monday in Abuja has set up modalities for the disbursement of 2, 000 buses to cushion effects of subsidy removal. Dr George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs in his speech at Inter-Ministerial Stakeholders meeting on Poverty Alleviation, said the initiative was also part of programme to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. Akume said the initiative was in collaboration between his ministry, Agriculture and other government agencies saying the disbursement of the buses would be through cooperative societies of Nigeria. He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari in his 2019 democracy speech, promised to lift 100 Nigerians out of poverty through numerous governments` initiatives. “The alleviation of poverty in Nigeria has been and...
PDP condemns attack on Borno governor
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the attack on the convoy of the Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, by insurgents during which at least 15 security operatives attached to the governor were killed. In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, Sunday, the party said the repeated attack on the governor and the rising wave of terrorist attacks reinforce the necessity of rejigging the nation’s security apparatchik. The party said the incident corroborated Mr Zulum’s insistence that the security architecture in the North-East axis is being compromised. Mr Zulum’s convoy was attacked by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in an evening ambush in the Monguno-Maiduguri axis. The attacks came barely 48 hours after the group ambushed the governor’s convoy along Cross K...
