Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has commended President Paul Kagame of Rwanda on his re-election, describing it as a testament to the trust and confidence the Rwandan people have in his leadership. In a statement released on Friday by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo extended his congratulations to Kagame for securing another term in office. The letter, personally signed by Obasanjo, reads: “I have just received the happy news of Your Excellency’s resounding victory in the Presidential election that was held in your country on July 15, 2024. Permit me to congratulate and rejoice with you on…
Author: Editor Francis
Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has declined the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Tourism. The announcement was made by Ndume at his country home in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, just 48 hours after his removal as the Chief Whip of the Senate. Ndume’s removal followed his criticism of President Bola Tinubu, according to reports by the GOVIMA . Reacting to his ousting, Ndume expressed that, after reviewing his comments, which had angered his colleagues, he believed the punishment was unwarranted. Explaining his decision to decline the chairmanship of the Tourism Committee, Ndume cited his lack of…
Cement distributors in Lagos are predicting a rise in cement prices to levels seen earlier this year during the upcoming dry season, when demand typically increases. A review of prices across major cement distribution outlets shows that prices have remained stable over the past four months, following intervention by the federal government and the National Assembly. Currently, a 50kg bag of cement is priced between N7,500 and N8,200. Ms. Halimat, a major cement distributor in Ikorodu, stated, “We sell Elephant cement at N8,200 per bag, and that’s been the price for about two to three months now. There’s been no…
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the Nigeria Police Force for restricting a peaceful protest by the non-teaching staff unions in Nigerian universities. Benson Upah, head of information in NLC, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. The non-teaching staff unions in the universities comprised the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). The police had, on Thursday, restricted the unions from carrying out their planned street protest in Abuja over their four withheld salaries and other sundry issues. The protesters were restricted to the Unity…
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has invited the just removed majority chief whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, to join its fold. The SDP’s national chairman, Shehu Gabam, extended the invitation at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.Mr Gabam said the SDP condemned the removal of Mr Ndume as chief whip of the Senate for criticising the government, its programmes and policies. He said the SDP considered the advice by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership that Mr Ndume was free to join any opposition party as an act of intolerance.On Wednesday, Mr Ndume, representing Borno South, was removed…
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved a new national minimum wage of N70,000 for Nigerian workers. This decision, announced by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, was made during a meeting with the leadership of the Organized Labour in Abuja. The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, explained the reasons behind the Organized Labour’s acceptance of the proposal. Ajaero highlighted that the unions agreed to the offer due to the additional incentives attached and the president’s promise of a wage review every three years, a significant change from the previous arrangement. “The President promised…
Members of the House of Representatives have unanimously agreed to forfeit half of their salaries for the next six months. This decision was reached during a plenary session on Thursday, presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The initiative was proposed by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who made an impassioned plea to his colleagues during the session. “This government is doing its best, but one year is not enough to address the challenges of this country,” Kalu stated. He urged his fellow representatives to make a personal sacrifice for the greater good of the nation. Each member of the House currently…
On Thursday, Minister of Education Prof. Tahir Mamman announced a new policy banning the admission of candidates under the age of 18 into tertiary institutions across Nigeria. The announcement was made during the 2024 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Prof. Mamman stated, “JAMB is hereby notified that there is now a ban on underaged students, those under the age of 18, into our tertiary institutions from this 2024 admissions.” He further explained that the Federal Government is considering adopting 18 years as the minimum entry age for admission into universities and other tertiary institutions. More…
President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party candidate for the upcoming election, has accused Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, of trying to buy an electoral victory for Republican candidate Donald Trump. This accusation follows Musk’s pledge to donate substantial funds to a new initiative supporting Trump’s presidential campaign. According to the Wall Street Journal, Musk plans to contribute approximately $45 million each month to this fund. In response, Biden expressed his frustration, stating he was “sick” of Musk and other billionaires attempting to “buy” the election for Trump. The president called on Americans to donate to his campaign to counteract…
The Coalition of Concerned Northern Youth and Students has announced its withdrawal from the planned nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship in Nigeria. The decision was disclosed by Comrade Jibrin Sani Bello, Senate President of the National Association of Kano State Students (NAKS), during a press briefing in Kano. Bello stated that the coalition decided to step back due to concerns about the unknown identity of the protest organisers. He explained that while preparations for the protest were well underway, the lack of transparency regarding the organisers led to the decision to abstain. He emphasised that such protests often…
President Bola Tinubu has written to the Nigerian Senate seeking to increase the 2024 appropriation act by N6.2 trillion, raising it from N28.7 trillion to N34.9 trillion. The proposal, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, allocates N3.2 trillion for infrastructure projects and N3 trillion for recurrent expenditure. In his letter, Tinubu invoked section 58 (2) of the Nigerian Constitution, requesting the Senate’s approval for the amendment. The additional funds aim to support the “Renewed Hope Infrastructure Projects” and other critical infrastructure needs, as well as cover essential recurrent expenditure for the federal government’s operation. Additionally, Tinubu urged the National Assembly…
The Lagos State Government has clarified that it has not re-introduced the monthly environmental sanitation or imposed any movement restrictions starting at the end of July. Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, addressed these rumors, emphasizing that the state has no plans to reinstate monthly sanitation. In a statement by Kunle Adeshina, the ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Wahab urged residents to disregard the misinformation and continue their daily activities without concern for any movement restrictions on the last Saturday of July. Wahab clarified that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s recent announcement during a sanitation sensitisation exercise at Campos…