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Thursday, 24 October 2019 05:44

FG renames communications ministry

President Muhammadu Buhari has renamed the nation’s communication ministry to the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy. In a statement on Wednesday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Philomena Oshodin, it said the president renamed the ministry based on the request of the minister, Isa Pantami. Minister of Communications, Mr Isa Pantami, will now ”properly position and empower the ministry to fulfil his digital economy objectives,” the statement added. “The Ministry which supervises the ICT Sector has been renamed Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to further expand its mandate to capture the goals of digitalisation of the Nigerian economy…

Thursday, 24 October 2019 05:43

2020 Budget: Ministries, agencies over-pricing projects, goods - Lawan

Senate President, Mr Ahmed Lawan, has called for streamlining of the process of allocation and releases of funds to ministries. He said this has become important against the backdrop of overpricing of projects proposed in the budget by ministries, and the paucity of revenue. Lawan, who spoke during the national hearing of the 2020 budget organised by the senate committee on appropriation Wednesday, said uniformity will be ensured in the prices that will be passed for similar projects of ministries. “Our projects are overpriced. What maybe procured in $10,000 in one country maybe you use a hundred thousand (dollars) in…

Thursday, 24 October 2019 05:41

Security alert prompts evacuation at US embassy in Lagos

Visitors at United States Consulate, Victoria Island, Lagos, were compelled to vacate the main building yesterday following a security threat. The evacuation, which happened at about 12.20 p.m., was the climax of repeated radio warnings that began a few minutes earlier. Armed and unarmed security operatives immediately took strategic positions within the premises. Visa applicants and a group of teenagers who had come for an education programme, were among persons ushered out of the building on account of the development. After about a 40-minute wait at an open space in the premises, Mr. Russell Brooks, the consulate’s public affairs officer,…

Thursday, 24 October 2019 05:40

Imported personal item above N50,000 attracts duty - Customs

Nigerian travellers who takes pleasure in buying personal items should be wary of the price henceforth, as Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), confirmed that any imported item valued above N50,000 attracts duty payment. Customs, Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah, who made this known in a clarification following an encounter with an aggrieved traveller, said such items are considered as “Merchandise in baggage” in the law, and Customs would not hesitate to enforce it. “For the avoidance of doubt, we are aware that many Nigerians complain about the allowable amount of N50,000.00, but until the law is changed, Nigeria Customs Service…

Wednesday, 23 October 2019 05:30

Three Nigerians injured in fresh xenophobic attacks in South Africa

Three Nigerians are among other foreign nationals who on Tuesday suffered from fresh xenophobic attacks on foreigners in different locations of Witbank, Mpumanlaga Province, South Africa, the Nigerian community, has said. National spokesperson for the Nigeria Union, South Africa, Mr Odefa Ikele, said on telephone that the attacks started in the early hours of Tuesday. Tuesday’s attacks are coming on the heels of efforts by Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Cyril Ramaphosa to ensure they found amicable and lasting solution to xenophobia in South Africa. “Groups made up of community members and taxi drivers went to different areas in Witbank attacking…

Wednesday, 23 October 2019 05:28

Bayelsa redeploys 2,000 civil servants to schools

Bayelsa State government has deployed over 2000 civil servants from the state ministries to schools as teachers. Chairman of the Bayelsa State Teachers Training Registration Certification Board, Mrs Stella Ugolo, disclosed this yesterday during the opening ceremony of the 3rd batch of the state’s teacher training programme and award presentation in Toru-Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area of the state. She enjoined the people of Bayelsa to support the on-going reformative programmes of the administration of Governor Seriake Dickson in the education sector. According to her, the idea of redeploying 2000 civil servants from their respective MDAs is for them to…

Wednesday, 23 October 2019 05:27

Boris Johnson inches toward securing Brexit but delay likely

For a brief moment Tuesday, Brexit was within a British prime minister’s grasp. Boris Johnson won Parliament’s backing for the substance of his exit deal but lost a key vote on its timing, a result that inches him closer to his goal of leading his country out of the European Union — but effectively guarantees it won’t happen on the scheduled date of Oct. 31. European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that because of the vote he would recommend that the other 27 EU nations grant Britain a delay in its departure to avoid a chaotic no-deal exit in just…

Tuesday, 22 October 2019 06:05

Ortom to FG: Use border closure to keep out violent foreign herdsmen

Benue State Governor, Mr Samuel Ortom, has appealed to Federal Government to extend its border closure to include foreign herdsmen who allegedly have unfettered access into Nigerian territories with arms to attack communities including those in Benue. The governor made the appeal on Monday when he visited a female victim of herdsmen attacks whose limb was amputated over the weekend while working on her farm in Guma Local Council of Benue State. He lamented that Nigerians continued to live in fear in their own country. Ortom also reiterated the need to ban all forms of open grazing in the country…

Tuesday, 22 October 2019 06:04

Police appoint six new DIGs, 14 commissioners, others

Police Service Commission on Monday promoted six officers to the rank of deputy inspector-general, with two of them asked to proceed on pre-retirement leave immediately. Four of the six newly-promoted DIGs will replace the four DIGs that were recently retired. They will also join the police management team led by the inspector-general, according to a statement by PSC spokesperson, Mr Ikechukwu Ani. The announcement followed retirement of DIGs Taiwo Lakanu, Godwin Nwobodo and Yakubu Jubrin, Usman Tili Abubakar from service earlier this month. The six new DIGs include: Abdul Dahiru Danwawu, Lawal Shehu, Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, Peter Ogunyanwo, who were assistant…

Tuesday, 22 October 2019 06:01

Angry youth block Suleja-Minna-Bida highway over deplorable roads

Youth under the auspices of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) on Monday blocked Suleja-Minna highway to protest the deplorable state of roads in Niger state. The angry youth also blocked Bida-Minna road as motorists were forced to look for alternative routes into and out of the state. The youth, who carried placards with various inscriptions, vowed to continue their protest until their demands are met. One of the coordinators of the protest, Mr Mohammad Etsu, said: “we will not stop this protest for good roads until Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola address them.” Police and other security…

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Tuesday, 22 October 2019 05:52

Why protesters are on the streets worldwide

In recent weeks, mass protests have broken out in countries from Lebanon to Spain to Chile. All are different - with distinct causes, methods and goals - but there are some common themes that connect them. While thousands of miles apart, protests have begun for similar reasons in several countries, and some have taken inspiration from each other on how to organise and advance their goals. Here's a look at the issues at stake - and what binds many of those taking to the streets. Inequality Many of those protesting are people who have long felt shut out of the…

Monday, 21 October 2019 04:50

Buhari departs Abuja for Russia-Africa Summit

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday (today) depart Abuja to attend a three-day Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, Russia. The event will be held from October 23 to 25 with a focus on exploring and expanding opportunities in security, trade and investment, science and technology, and gas production. According to a statement made available by the presidency, during the summit, Mr Buhari will meet with President Vladimir Putin to further strengthen relations in security, trade and investment, and building partnerships that will enhance Nigeria’s huge gas potential, following Russia’s success in gas exportation. The summit will bring fresh perspectives on global…

Monday, 21 October 2019 04:46

Only half of candidates offered admission into tertiary institutions last year took up offer - JAMB

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said over 500,000 spaces were not utilised in the 2018 admissions in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The board disclosed this in its weekly bulletin on Sunday in Abuja. Statistics by the board for its 2018 admissions in the country’s tertiary institutions showed a total of 1,126,025 quota for universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and innovation enterprise institutes (IEIs). According to the bulletin, a total of 585,498 out of the total sum were utilised, while a total of 527,815 slots were not utilised in the 2018 admission process. The board’s Head of Media, Mr…

Sunday, 20 October 2019 06:23

Buhari orders crackdown on illegal rehabilitation centres nationwide

President Muhammadu Buhari has told Nigeria Police Force not to relent in its efforts to bust all illegal correctional centres in the country. The President said his administration had zero tolerance for criminality and human rights abuse such as the enslavement of children in fake rehabilitation centres. Mr Buhari gave the order on Saturday just as Kaduna State Governor, Mr Nasir el-Rufai, led operatives of Kaduna State Police Command to raid a torture home, known as the Mallam Niga Rehabilitation Centre, at Rigasa, Igabi Local Government Area of the state. At the centre, 147 captives – men, women and children…

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