State
Minister: Why Nigerian government insists on removing petrol subsidy
The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, on Tuesday, reiterated the need to deregulate the downstream petroleum through the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit. According to him, only the wealthy were currently benefiting from the subsidy. The minister spoke during the leadership and governors’ discourse on open government partnership held in Abuja, on Tuesday. He said, “Some will say if you take out fuel subsidies the ordinary man will suffer, how will the ordinary man suffer? Is it in terms of food? Vehicles that are used for moving food are heavy-duty vehicles. And they don’t use PMS, they use diesel and that has since been deregulated. Those that we are actually subsidising are the very rich. “Those who drive the Rolls Royce, the Lamborghinis and other ...
Yobe governor: No plan to retrench workers
Gov. Mai Mala-Buni of Yobe on Tuesday said his administration has no plan to retrench civil servants in spite of the state’s meagre resources. Mala-Buni gave the assurance in Damaturu on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed permanent secretaries and board members. He said he would continue to attract investments to Yobe from both state and non-state actors in order to meet the financial obligations of the state. “People accuse me of frequenting Abuja; the truth is, if I remain in Damaturu, we cannot pay even our salary bills. “And that means we will have to join the league of states that are retrenching workers; we don’t have such plan. “You are aware of the projects we started, including the four modern markets we are building, the ongoing 3,600 houses, the over 87...
SWAN wants sports ministry, NFF to immortalise Muda Lawal
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo State Chapter, has urged the Ministry of Sports and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to immortalise the late Green Eagles midfield player, Mudasiru Lawal. In a statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan and jointly signed by Niyi Alebiosu and Adewale Tijani, its Chairman and Secretary respectively, the association said that national team and IICC Shooting Stars player deserved to be immortalised. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Abeokuta-born football star died 30 years ago. It enjoined the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development as well as Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to name a competition or award category after the departed footballer. The association also recalled the exploits of Muda Lawal, reminding ...
Gunmen abduct passengers in Osun
Three days after rumours of an attack by criminal herdsmen forced parents to hastily withdraw their wards from schools in Osogbo, Osun State capital, gunmen have abducted yet to be specified number of persons in Obokun Local Government Area, LGA of the State. The sad event occurred on Monday afternoon when a commercial bus conveying the passengers was halted at close to Imesi Ile area of the state. The Nation reports that the commercial vehicle from Ekiti was going toward Ikirun through Ila road when the gunmen waylaid it at Odo-Osun and took passengers to a nearby bush. A security source said the gunmen shot severally to force the vehicle to stop before all the passengers were whisked away. Another source said volunteers of Kiriji Heritage Defenders, Hunter’s group and the police were com...
Nigerian government set to tackle oil, gas infrastructure vandalism with skills acquisition
The Federal Government has expressed plans to create a reorientation programme aimed at engaging the youth in skills acquisition to address oil and gas infrastructure vandalism. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, stated this at a Town Hall Meeting on “Protecting Oil and Gas Infrastructure” on Monday in Abuja. Newsmen report that the town hall meeting was organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. Akpabio said that the programme would be targeted at the pupils and students of primary and secondary school across the nine states in Niger Delta. He explained that the Federal Government was currently meeting with stakeholders, traditional rulers, youth groups and all others from one state to the other. “We are setting up skills acquisition centres, we...
Senator Lawan: Senate to pass electoral act amendment bill in two weeks
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, says the National Assembly is working towards passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill in the next two weeks. Lawan said this at the inauguration of Mr Abimbola Yusuf, as Chief Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) and 37 other Commissioners from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday in Abuja. He has urged Nigerians who were not comfortable with certain clauses in the ongoing amendment, to take their complaints to their representatives, for consideration before the passage of bill. “The national assembly is embarking on the amendment of the Electoral Act probably by next week or within the next two weeks. “It is very important that those who feel very strongly about any amendment that they think should be effe...
PIB: Ijaw leaders reject ‘disgusting, provocative’ bill
The leadership of the Ijaw nation has rejected the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) just passed into law by the National Assembly describing it as disgusting and provocative. The leaders also called on the Minister of State for Petroluem Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, to use this opportunity to write his name in gold, and on the side of prosperity by standing firm with the Ijaw people against their oppressors. President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the umbrella body of the Ijaw people, Prof Benjamin Okaba in a packed press conference, he addressed at the Ijaw House, headquarters of INC in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, declared that the Ijaw nation rejects in its entirety the 3% and 5% provisions as compensation, the redefinition of host communities and other provisions including the alloca...
Akwa Ibom: Police confirm attack on station
The police command in Akwa Ibom has confirmed Saturday’s attack on its Udung Uko Divisional Police Headquarters by gunmen. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Odiko MacDon, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Udung Uko in Akwa Ibom on Sunday. Mr Macdon, a superintendent of police, said the situation would have been worse but for the gallant policemen on duty who repelled the attack. He, however, said that the three officers who sustained gunshot wounds were receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in the state. “Gunmen on Saturday night attacked the Divisional Police Headquarters in Udung Uko Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom. “At least three officers sustained fatal injuries, resulting from heavy gunshots as policemen on duty tried to repel the attack,” he said. Acco...
Police arrest nine suspects for armed robbery in Jigawa
The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested nine armed robbery suspects believed to have been terrorising residents in Gumel Local Government Area of the state. ASP Shiisu Lawan, spokesperson for the command, revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse on Sunday. He said the suspects were arrested on June 30. Lawan said four of the suspects (names withheld) were arrested after attacking one Naja’atu, a housewife, with cutlass on June 15 about 2:40am. He said: “On June 15 at 8am, one Nazifi Abdulhamid of plantation Gagarawa Tasha, reported the incident to the police that on same date about 2:40am, the four suspects trespassed into his compound and attacked them with sticks and cutlass. “His wife, Naja,atu Lawan, aged 23, raised alarm and as a result they (suspects) used a cutlass ...
Comrade Oshiomhole welcomes Governor Matawalle to APC
The immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has welcomed the Zamfara State governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle to the ruling party. In a letter he personally signed and made available to journalists by his media aide, Victor Oshioke, the former Edo State governor said it was with great pleasure, relief and deep sense of personal satisfaction that he welcomes Matawalle to the APC . He said it takes a man of courage, conscience, principles and honour to make the long awaited move, which not mary politicians in our clime would have the audacity to undertake, adding that he has absolute confidence all APC stakeholders in Zamfara State will welcome the governor with open arms and accord him his well earned respect that he richly deserves...
PDP: Zamfara governor’s reason for defection confirms APC behind insecurity
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) noted that Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle’s statement that he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to get the Federal Government to end insecurity in his state is a confirmation that APC and its government are responsible for the banditry, terrorism and kidnapping ravaging that state. According to the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the confession by Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle, that he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to get the Federal Government to end insecurity in his state, reinforces public stance that the APC and its government are responsible for the banditry, terrorism and kidnapping ravaging that state.” The party believ...
APC states to implement Security Trust Fund to address insecurity
In a bid to fight the increasing wave of insecurity in the country, All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled states are to strengthen the legal framework for the implementation of the Security Trust Fund (STF) by member States. This decision was reached at the 12th Quarterly meeting of Secretaries to Government of APC states in conjunction with the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital. The communique, jointly signed by the Nasarawa State Secretary to Government, Barr. Muhammad Ubandoma Aliyu and the Director-General of PGF, Salihu Moh. Lukman, issued at the end of the meeting and released to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday stated that States Chief scribes will continue to mobilize resources for the management of security challenges in the APC-controlled states....
