Alhaji Sufianu Kazeem, an esteemed figure in Nigerian politics, has issued a stern rebuke to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Kazeem’s comments come in response to Atiku’s public condemnation of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project, a flagship initiative of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration. Atiku, in his critique, labelled the project as wasteful and a potential avenue for fraudulent activities. This statement was prompted by Works Minister David Umahi’s estimation that the ambitious 700km highway could require a staggering N15.6 trillion in funds. However, Kazeem, a renowned property merchant, has urged Atiku to refrain from undermining the Tinubu administration…
Author: Editor Francis
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery, with a daily output of 650,000 barrels, is capitalising on the availability of cost-effective oil imports from the United States. Recent reports from Bloomberg indicate that the refinery, poised to revolutionise the fuel market in Nigeria and the wider region, has commenced product shipments while finalising key units to facilitate gasoline production. Experts anticipate that Dangote’s entry into the market will wield considerable influence, particularly in the Atlantic Basin gasoline markets. Alan Gelder, Vice President of Refining, Chemicals, and Oil Markets at Wood Mackenzie, asserts that the refinery’s forthcoming Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit will…
Air defence systems over several Iranian cities were activated, state media reported, after the country’s official broadcaster said explosions were heard near the central city of Isfahan. Israel had previously warned it would hit back after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel over the weekend. Most of them were intercepted. Iran’s Fars news agency reported “three explosions” were heard near the Shekari army airbase in the northwest of Isfahan province, while Iran’s space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian said “several” drones had been “successfully shot down”. “There are no reports of a missile attack for now,” Dalirian said…
The Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has issued a directive to withdraw all police officers assigned to the embattled former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. This order, communicated via a police wireless message, underscores a pivotal move amid mounting legal challenges faced by Bello. The directive, bearing reference number “CB:4001/DOPS/PMF/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.48/34,” explicitly states the withdrawal of police personnel from Bello’s security detail. The message emphasises strict compliance, indicating a notable shift in Bello’s security arrangements. This development follows the Nigerian Immigration Service’s decision to place Bello on its watchlist, further complicating his legal predicament. The service, through a circular…
The Federal Government on Thursday put the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on its watchlist to prevent him from escaping from the country. The Nigerian Immigration Service, in a circular dated April 18, 2024 and signed by Assistant Comptroller of Immigration DS Umar, for the Comptroller-General, Kemi Nandap, alerted the police and the Department of State Services to effect the former governor’s arrest. This came hours after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared Bello wanted in connection to an alleged case of money laundering to the tune of N80.2bn.The EFCC declared Bello wanted on its official…
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has unveiled a significant surge in revenue inflow to the Federation Account, totaling N7.3 trillion between July and December 2023. This revelation, signifying a notable increase from the preceding half-year, underscores a positive trend in revenue generation. In a press statement released by Mr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, Chairman of RMAFC, the commission highlighted the meticulous disbursement process. From the total gross revenue inflows, N1.69 trillion was allocated to the Exchange Gain Differential Account, leaving a balance of N5.475 billion for distribution among the three tiers of government. However, statutory deductions, amounting to…
In a significant stride against cholera outbreaks, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced the prequalification of a groundbreaking oral vaccine, Euvichol-S. The WHO’s press statement, released on Thursday, revealed that the prequalification was granted on April 12, 2024, marking a pivotal moment in global healthcare. The prequalification process, a hallmark of WHO’s rigorous standards, ensures that vaccines meet international safety and efficacy benchmarks. Euvichol-S, developed through a collaborative effort between EuBiologics, the International Vaccine Institute, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, promises a simplified formulation without compromising efficacy. This breakthrough offers opportunities for rapid scalability in production to…
The Federal Government on Thursday inuagurated the committee expected to review, evaluate and compensate land owners affected by the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal expressway. The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, while inaugurating the committee in Abuja, said that the goal was to ensure transparency in all undertakings. “The gesture is in line with the renewed hope agenda of the administration of Presidents Bola Tinubu which is transparency. “The committee is tasked with interacting with the property owners to be affected, and to look at possible compensations to be paid. Where it is possible, the committee should visit the…
A Federal High Court in Kano, has halted the suspension of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Umar Ganduje by his ward. The order came on Wednesday after the APC chieftain filed an ex parte motion seeking to enforce his fundamental right to fair hearing. The Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and nine other individuals are the respondents in the application. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that on April 16, APC executives in Dawakin ward, Tofa Local Government Area (LGA) in Kano State, suspended Ganduje over alleged…
The Defence Headquarters says troops have in the last week neutralised 192 terrorists, apprehended 341 others and rescued 62 kidnapped hostages. It also said a total of 122 ISWAP/JAS terrorists surrendered with their families. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, said this at a news briefing on operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria across the country on Thursday in Abuja. Buba said the troops also recovered 211 assorted weapons and 6,288 assorted ammunition within the week. He said the recovered items comprised 128 AK47 rifles, 26 dane guns, 1,301 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 3,260 rounds of…
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination registration number, National Identification Number and Bank Verification Number are major requirements for accessing student loans. The Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, made this known during an interactive session with members of the Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN), in Lagos. “About 1.2 million Nigerian students in tertiary institutions and government-recognised skill acquisition centres will be among the first batch of beneficiaries,” he said. According to the managing director, the money to fund the loan scheme is one per cent of the revenue generated by the…
No fewer than 577 sight-impaired candidates are set to take the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) UTME in eleven centres nationwide. The Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), Emeritus Prof. Peter Okebukola, made this known at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday. The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, set up the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group in 2017 for the effective handling of sight-impaired candidates and others with special needs. Okebukola said for the first time, JAMB, through JEOG, would implement the bimodal system of UTME administration. “This involves Fully-Braille and…