Senator
Nigeria ratifies membership of AfCFTA
The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday ratified Nigeria’s membership of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, as the implementation of the agreement formally takes-off on January 1, 2021. This is as the Council has approved N62.7 billion for the construction of Kano-Dawakin-Tofa-Gwarzo-Dariyo road in Kano. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the 23rd virtual FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said whereas the implementation of the agreement was initially scheduled to commence in July, this year, the plan was stalled by the spread of COVID-19. Alhaji Mohammed, who briefed on behalf of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Inves...
Senator Mitt Romney congratulates Joe Biden, Kamala Harris
A Republican Senator and former presidential candidate in the United States, Mitt Romney, on Saturday night, congratulated president-elect, Joe Biden, and the vice president-elect, Kamala Harris. Romney has always been a critic of President Donald Trump and on Friday disagreed with him over Trump’s claim of election fraud, saying the president’s claim was reckless. Senator Romney, in a one-paragraph tweet congratulating Biden and Harris, described them as both of them as people of goodwill and admirable character. According to his Tweet: “Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both of them as people of goodwill and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead.” Get more stories li...
US election: Kamala Harris calls Joe Biden
California Senator Kamala Harris has congratulated Joe Biden. The running mate called Joe by phone after Biden’s projection as winner. Harris, in sporty wear, said: “We did it Joe, you gonna be the next President of the United States”. We did it, @JoeBiden. pic.twitter.com/oCgeylsjB4 — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 7, 2020 The lawmaker would become Vice President if Biden is officially declared winner. It would be a major win against racial and gender barriers in American politics. The 56-year-old is a daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica. Harris will be the first woman, the first Black person, the first Indian American and the first Asian American to hold the office. She will also be the first graduate of a historically Black College and first member of a black sorority ...
Nigeria to spend N75 billion on youth development in three years – minister
Minister for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Senator George Akume, said the Buhari-led Federal Government plans to spend N75 billion on youth development in form of support for communities, skill acquisition and realisation of their potentials within the next three years. Akume, who spoke during a youth rally in Makurdi, said for the year 2020, N12.5billion would be committed to the programme. He explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the funding and commended Benue youths for conducting themselves peacefully during the EndSARS protests. The former Benue State governor and senator said the Federal Government has approved the dualisation of Keffi-Lafia-Makurdi-Otukpo-9th Mile road; the rehabilitation of Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina Ala road, as well as...
Osun government says 14 local councils affected by looting
Osun State Government on Thursday said looting of government and private property in the state cut across 14 Local Government Areas, as it commenced return of the looted property items to owners who can identify their property Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had granted 72-hour amnesty period to the looters to return the stolen items which expired on Wednesday, during which some of the looted materials were returned. Supervising the return of the looted items at the Parking lot of the Government House in Osogbo, Secretary of the ad-hoc committee on recovery of stolen items, Mr Samson Owoyokun, said the looting affected fourteen local governments areas of the state. The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties added that most of the looters dropped the items at either roadside...
#EndSARS: Out-of-School children a future time bomb – Senator Okorocha
Rochas Foundation Former governor of Imo state and Senator representing Imo West in the National Assembly, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has described the violent twist to the #EndSARS protests as a wake up call to Nigerian leaders, expressing concern that Nigeria’s huge population of out-of-school children is another time-bomb waiting to explode in the future. At a news conference weekend in Abuja, Okorocha who was flanked by leaders of different socio-cultural and political groups from across the country said; “Today, we have millions of out of school children in the country, it is another time bomb for tomorrow. While the situation is getting under control, government and leaders must rise to their responsibilities to ensure that such occurrences do not happen again”. According to him, the os...
#EndSARS: Thugs who attacked protesters in Abuja were brought by Senator’s aides – Ex-DSS director
Former Assistant Director in the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, said the hoodlums that attacked ENDSARS in Abuja were brought to the protest ground by aides of an unnamed senator. During the week, a video that went viral showed some hoodlums were seen joining some men in black suits in a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and drove towards the protesters. The men, who many believed to be operatives of the DSS and the hoodlums were seen along Adetokunbo Ademola crescent in Wuse 2 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). But while speaking Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Amachree said the DSS headquarters confirmed to him that the men in the SUV were working for a senator. He said, “I don’t want to follow the style of the army where they said people can buy uni...
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 ...
774,000 jobs: Ministry raises federal lawmakers’ slots
There were strong indications on Sunday that the much awaited 774,000 unskilled jobs for Nigerians would take off in October. It was gathered that following a series of negotiations, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity had increased the slots allocated to each member of the National Assembly. It was learnt that each senator would present 1,000 beneficiaries, while a member of the House of Representatives would present 50 beneficiaries from each of the local government areas in their constituency. The lawmakers were said to have rejected the 30 and 25 slots per senator and Rep member respectively, which was initially allocated to them by the ministry in August. A senator confirmed to newsmen on condition of anonymity that he had directed his aides in his constituency office to liaise wi...
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...
Why APC ‘suspended’ Ekiti governor
The State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has suspended Governor Kayode Fayemi. Fayemi was accused of holding meetings and fraternising with PDP members like Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. According the statement, Fayemi was suspended due to “his numerous anti-party activities, especially his role in the recently concluded governorship election in Edo State which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC constitution.” The Ekiti chapter of the APC claims that five days before the Edo election, Fayemi hosted FFK in government house Ekiti. “For five days prior to the Edo election, Gov Fayemi hosted PDP big wig Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode in the government house in Ado Ekit...
Minister, others shun senate over 2020 budget performance
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Thursday shunned the Senate when summoned to brief lawmakers of 2020 Budget Performance. The Minister’s refusal to appear before the Senator Barau Jibrin, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kano North led Senate Committee on Appropriations was the second time in two weeks. Also invited but shunned the meeting with the Senate were the Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed, and the Director-General of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze. Briefing Journalists in Abuja Thursday, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Jibrin expressed disappointment at the absence of Nigeria’s key economic and budget planners at the crucial meeting. The Senator who noted that the meeting was originally scheduled to ho...
