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Wednesday, 19 April 2017 13:44

Buhari suspends, SGF Lawal, DG NIA Oke

PRESS RELEASE President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into allegations of violations of law and due process made against Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal, in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE). The President has also directed the suspension of the SGF from office pending outcome of the investigations. In a related development, the President has ordered a full scale investigation into the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers,…

Wednesday, 19 April 2017 03:22

I defied pressure to disqualify Buhari in 2015 – Ex-AGF, Adoke

Former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke has disclosed how he came under pressure to disqualify President Muhammadu Buhari from the 2015 election upon claims the then All Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate was guilty of certificate forgery. Adoke now on exile from the country in a lengthy interview also disclosed how former President Goodluck Jonathan was denied access into the Presidential Lounge at the Abuja airport within two hours of handing over power on May 29, 2015. He said the incident gave him apprehension of more humiliation for him. In an interview with online…

Wednesday, 19 April 2017 03:16

Bringing back Chibok girls may take years, Defence Minister says

It may take years to find all the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the Nigeria-based Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, the country's defense minister warned Tuesday. Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from a secondary school in the northeastern town of Chibok in April 2014. Some escaped and 21 were released last year after negotiations with Boko Haram, but 195 remain missing. Nigeria's military is searching Boko Haram's hideouts in the Sambisa Forest, a vast area covering parts of three states in the northeast, Gen. Manir Dan Ali told Voice of America's Hausa language service. He said even the United States needed…

Wednesday, 19 April 2017 03:14

Boko Haram leader’s ‘ex-wife’ nabbed in Maiduguri

An ex-wife of a factional leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group, Mamman Nur, was one of the two teenage suspected suicide bombers intercepted by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Borno State, Punch newspaper reported on Tuesday. According to the report, the 15-year-old Fatima Kabir was married to Mr. Nur as her first husband but divorced him and later married two other insurgents in a space of two years during her captivity. The teenager was four months pregnant and tested positive to HIV after she was caught loitering at a Maiduguri motor park. Speaking to journalists, Fatima…

Wednesday, 19 April 2017 03:13

Ebonyi bans consumption of coke, fanta, sprite from its events

Apparently worried by reports alleging that some soft drinks in the country could be dangerous to health, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Tuesday banned the serving and consumption of Coke, Sprite and Fanta at government functions in the state. The governor gave the directive during a meeting with traditional rulers and town union executives in the state. A Lagos State High Court in a suit between Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited and Emmanuel Fijabi Adebo against the Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, alleged that Fanta Orange and Sprite may…

Wednesday, 19 April 2017 03:11

Life expectancy in Nigeria now 53.1 years – Report

Life expectancy in Nigeria has increased from 46.1 years in 1990 to 53.1 years in 2015, according to 2016 UNDP Human Development Report. The report, which was launched in Abuja yesterday, however showed that Nigeria dropped to 152 in Human Development Indices (HDI) against her 151 ranking in 2014. “The report shows that between 2005 and 2015, Nigeria’s HDI increased from 0.466 to 0.527 - a 13.1 per cent increase”, said UNDP Resident Representative Edward Kallon. “This is encouraging, but given the humanitarian challenges already alluded to, and the economic recession witnessed in 2016, there is an urgent need to…

Wednesday, 19 April 2017 03:09

Trump orders review of visa programme

President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a review of the U.S. visa programme for bringing high-skilled foreign workers into the country, putting technology firms and the outsourcing companies that serve them on notice that possible changes may be ahead. Seeking to carry out a campaign pledge to put "America First," Trump signed an executive order on the H-1B visa programme. It was vague on many fronts, and did not change existing rules, but one objective, said Trump aides, is to modify or replace the current lottery for H-1B visas with a merit-based system that would restrict the visas to highly…

Wednesday, 19 April 2017 03:07

Burkina Faso police stage nationwide protest over corruption

Burkina Faso police have staged a nationwide protest, calling it the first in a series of peaceful demonstrations against corruption and a lack of transparency among their leaders. One protest leader, Patrice Sanou, on Tuesday said more protests will follow. Tensions have grown within Burkina Faso's police forces in recent months. The police union has warned authorities about unfair treatment and pay among those guarding private buildings including banks, mining companies and hotels. The union is asking for the written contracts with companies who hire the police. The recent rise in fears over extremist attacks in the region is another…

Tuesday, 18 April 2017 02:54

System collapse twice in two days, as power supply worsens

Electricity supply has continued to worsen with the system recording threats of collapse in two days as low water levels at the hydro stations and challenges of gas supply hamper improvement in power generation in recent weeks. Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola had told Arise Television that the frequent power outages were due to low water levels at the nation’s hydro power stations, with generation averaging 3,400 megawatts. THISDAY’s investigation revealed that the situation has worsened in the last one week with threats of system collapse occurring twice last week when daily generation went down to…

Monday, 17 April 2017 16:34

CBN speaks on N13 billion seized from Lagos apartment

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it was not sure, as at Saturday, that the recovered billions, in mint fresh notes, moved directly from the bank to Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), which claimed ownership of the cash haul made in an Ikoyi private residence. The security agency had claimed that it received the funds directly from the CBN. But when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES to clarify its role in the disbursement of the funds, CBN spokesperson, Isaac Okorafor, said, “It is true Central Bank of Nigeria issues mint fresh notes, but it is only to banks. “After that (issuance to…

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Monday, 17 April 2017 16:28

Fayose increases maternity leave period by 4 weeks

Ekiti State Government (EKSG) on Monday announced an increase in the maternity leave period for women in its public service from 12 weeks to 16 weeks. Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Information, Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Kola Ajumobi, said this at a public enlightenment forum in Ado Ekiti, the state capital. He said that the gesture was approved by the state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, as part of his display of love and special regard for the womenfolk in the state. He said it was also aimed at encouraging exclusive breast feeding for newly born children in…

Monday, 17 April 2017 02:46

Big room for fraud as govt agencies give different oil production figures

There are still conflicting figures on how much crude oil Nigeria produces daily despite commencement of a scheme to monitor real-time crude oil production. In response to persistent calls for a more accurate surveillance of the nation’s oil production and export, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) launched the National Production Monitoring System (NPMS), an online platform to accurately monitor national crude oil production and exports. The scheme provides a system for direct and independent acquisition of production data from oil and gas facilities in Nigeria to ensure timely and accurate reporting of production figures and export data. The portal, which…

Monday, 17 April 2017 02:44

IGP orders dismantling of illegal roadblocks across Nigeria

Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the removal of all illegal road blocks by unlawful revenue collectors across the country. A statement issued by Force spokesperson, Mr Jimoh Moshood, in Abuja on Sunday, said that Special X-Squad Teams of the Force had been deployed to begin the exercise on April 17. Moshood said the exercise would remove obstructions on public highways and roads mounted by unlawful revenue and tax collectors including the transport union, NURTW. Moshood said the X-Squad teams were under strict instructions to also arrest, investigate and prosecute any person or group of persons found committing…

Monday, 17 April 2017 02:41

James Bond actor Clifton James dies at 96

Actor Clifton James, who appeared as Sheriff JW Pepper in two James Bond films, has died at the age of 96. He died close to his childhood home in Gladstone, Oregon, on Saturday due to complications from diabetes. James was best known for appearing alongside Sir Roger Moore in the Bond films Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun during the 1970s. His daughter Lynn said: "He was the most outgoing person, beloved by everybody." She added: "I don't think the man had an enemy. We were incredibly blessed to have had him in our lives."…

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