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Friday, 28 April 2017 03:40

Governors to FG: Paris Club refund not favour

Governors of the 36 States of the federation have told the Federal Government to desist from presenting the refunds being made to them from the Paris Club as a favour. The governors, who rose from the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja expressed concern over the continued delay in the release of the second tranche of Paris Club refund. Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, who briefed State House Correspondents after the meeting, alongside governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, said the refunds belonged to the states. “Let it not be seen as if…

Friday, 28 April 2017 03:38

Police bow to pressure, return all items seized from Senator Goje’s home

Nigeria Police have succumbed to pressure by the National Assembly and returned all items, including budget documents taken from the residence of the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Danjuma Goje a raid last week. A statement signed by Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang, reads, “Further to the visit of the Nigerian Police Force to the residence of His Excellency, Senator Danjuma Goje, CON in the course of routine duties wherefrom certain items were taken by the police, and issues subsequently arising. “I am to inform all that all the items…

Friday, 28 April 2017 03:37

Grass-cutting: Suspended SGF Babachir shuns Senate panel again

Suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir David Lawal yesterday shunned Senate ad-hoc Committee probing alleged contract scandal at the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE). Lawal was billed to appear before the panel chaired by Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna) by 10.am yesterday but he was absent during the sitting that lasted about two hours. Yesterday’s invitation was the third the panel extended to the suspended SGF. He was to respond to queries on the involvement of a company in grass cutting contract scandal worth N200 million involving PINE. Senator Sani said, “We thought that now…

Friday, 28 April 2017 03:35

Why Oba of Lagos 'snubbing' Ooni of Ife shocked Nigeria

Video footage showing a traditional leader, the Oba of Lagos, seemingly snubbing the Yoruba "king of kings", the Ooni of Ife, at a public event has shocked many Nigerians. Journalist Ugochukwu Ikeakor explains why it is such a big deal. Deep respect for leaders is a pillar of the culture of the Yoruba people, one of Nigeria's biggest ethnic groups. But at a recent public event a Yoruba leader, known as the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu ,74, refused to properly greet the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi 42. As the Ooni leaned over to greet the Oba by shaking…

Thursday, 27 April 2017 16:28

Buhari re-nominates ‘frail, tired’ Octogenarian as ambassador

President Muhammadu Buhari has re-nominated an 82-year old retired justice, Sylvanus Nsofor, over a month after his nomination as a non-career ambassador was rejected by the Senate. Mr. Nsofor, from Imo State, was one of the 46 non-career ambassadorial nominees named by Buhari in January; but his nomination alongside that of Jacob Daodu, Ondo State, was rejected by the Senate in March following adoption of the report of its committee on foreign affairs which had screened the nominees. “Although he was calm at the screening, he looked frail and tired. His responses to the issues raised were either not answered…

Thursday, 27 April 2017 16:26

Reps give police 24 hours to return budget documents allegedly carted from Goje’s residence

House of Representatives has given the police 24 hours to return all documents relating to the 2017 appropriation bill allegedly carted away from the residence of a senator, Danjuma Goje, who heads the Senate committee on appropriations. The House also condemned in strong terms, the invasion of Senator Goje’s residence by security operatives on April 20. This was due to a motion raised at the plenary by Abubakar Ahmad (Gombe-APC). A special team of officers from the Force Headquarters, Abuja had on April 20 carried out a raid on the Asokoro residence of Goje, a former governor of Gombe State.…

Thursday, 27 April 2017 16:25

Goje lied, no budget document was recovered from his house – Police

Nigeria Police have debunked claims by Chairman of Senate committee on appropriations, Senator Danjuma Goje, that files containing work on 2017 budget were carted away during a raid on his Abuja residence last week. Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, had told the Senate on Wednesday that police officers carted away cash, a laptop and 18 documents on the budget proposal, being worked on by his committee, during the raid on his residence at Asokoro, Abuja. Based on Goje’s claim, House of Representatives gave the Inspector General of Police 24 hours to return the budget documents purportedly taken away…

Thursday, 27 April 2017 03:03

Again, Buhari, over 20 ministers absent at FEC meeting

Again, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday stayed away from the meeting of Federal Executive Council, FEC, held at Presidential Villa, Abuja. Similarly, the Council Chamber, venue of the meeting was also scanty with about 20 out of 36 Ministers absent. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chaired the meeting. Reasons for the President’s absence has not been officially ascertained as at press time. Reason for the absence of the Ministers is yet to ascertained. Meanwhile, preliminaries of Wednesday’s meeting were not short of what played out penultimate Wednesday when the already seated Osinbajo and the Ministers who were expectant of the President,…

Thursday, 27 April 2017 03:02

Lai Mohammed explains why Buhari was absent at FEC meeting

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari was absent at Wednesday’s meeting of Federal Executive Council, FEC, because he was still resting. The president failed to preside over the weekly cabinet meeting for the second time in a row. The Last FEC meeting was held on April 13 and Mr. Mohammed had said that Buhari asked his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, to preside over the meeting because he was attending to other issues. The meeting was cancelled last week with presidential spokespersons saying the cancellation was as a result of the Easter holidays which did…

Thursday, 27 April 2017 03:00

Buhari writes N’Assembly, seeks $6.9bn loan

President Muhammadu Buhari wrote to the National Assembly on Wednesday, seeking approval to borrow $6.9bn. The loan, captured under the Federal Government’s 2016-2018 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan, is for execution of key rail projects, rehabilitation of the North-East and projects in education, agriculture and health sectors. The Chinese, through the China Eximbank, will provide over $5.8bn of the loan, while the World Bank will make provisions for the balance. Senate President Bukola Saraki read the letter to senators at the resumed plenary on Wednesday. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, also read Buhari’s letter to members at…

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Thursday, 27 April 2017 02:58

My case against Punch reporter - Buhari’s CSO

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief Security Officer, Bashir Abubakar has defended his decision to expel a reporter for The Punch from the State House, saying journalists have a responsibility to be patriotic in reporting matters of national importance. In an internal memo he distributed Tuesday to several presidency officials, including Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, Mr. Abubakar detailed alleged transgressions and ethical concerns observed in Lekan Adetayo’s reporting of activities of the State House, and pronounced him unfit to continue on the beat. “You may wish to advise the Punch Newspaper that it reserves the…

Thursday, 27 April 2017 02:54

Govs storm Aso Rock for crucial meeting

Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) last night met at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. The closed-door meeting, held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, was presided over by chairman of the forum, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State. The governors met ahead of today’s meeting of National Economic Council (NEC), to be presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Among the governors in attendance were those of Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Kwara, Kogi, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Ondo, Bauchi, Sokoto, Plateau, Niger, Edo, Kebbi. Governors of Rivers, Ogun and Lagos States were among those…

Thursday, 27 April 2017 02:43

Ex-minister Borishade is dead

Professor Babalola Borishade, 71, former minister of education is dead. He died in London on Wednesday after a brief illness. He was initially rushed to Reddington Hospital in Lagos, last week from where he was taken to London. The cause of death was lung and heart –related. Borishade was born in Usi- Ekiti on March 7, 1946 into the Ebi Ilotin family. He served as a minister four times, between 1999-2011. The electrical engineer was also a teacher and a political strategist. Between February 2001 and May 2003, he served as the Minister of Education. In recognition of his contributions…

Wednesday, 26 April 2017 03:10

Buhari’s health: Fayose, SANs, PDP, groups condemn PUNCH reporter’s expulsion

Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of Peoples Democratic Party and Committee for the Defence of Human Rights have condemned the expulsion of the PUNCH correspondent, Olalekan Adetayo, from the Presidential Villa for his stories. Other groups, which equally condemned Adetayo’s expulsion by Bashir Abubakar, Chief Security Officer to President Muhammadu Buhari, are the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project; Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders and International Press Centre. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana; Mr. Yusuf Ali (SAN), and Publicity Secretary for the Yoruba umbrella body, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, also condemned the expulsion in interviews…

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