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Thursday, 23 May 2019 05:45

Despite years of animosity with each other, Soyinka backs Obasanjo on insecurity

Nobel Laureate, Mr Wole Soyinka, Wednesday backed former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his worries about the insecurity in the country arising from banditry and the spate of kidnappings. Obasanjo had also called for all stakeholders to meet to find ways of tackling the problems confronting Nigeria. Soyinka who saw nothing wrong in Obasanjo’s statement, however, bemoaned the response of the federal government to the concerns raised by the former president. He warned that the government should be careful not to be too dismissive of such meaningful contributions. The playwright spoke in Lagos at a special panel session at UBA Africa…

Thursday, 23 May 2019 05:43

I must secure Kastina now, Buhari vows

Angered by killings in Kastina on Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari, Wednesday instructed Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and Chief of Defence Staff, Mr Abayomi Olonisakin to intervene immediately in the state, and bring a feedback, noting that the state must be secured at all cost. Buhari, who had just returned from Saudi Arabia, specifically, instructed the security chiefs to find out how the operation was carried out by the perpetrators, not minding the Holy month of Ramadhan, and put in place structures to prevent future occurrence. Disclosing this in a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President…

Thursday, 23 May 2019 05:43

CBN warns of risks of another recession in Nigeria

Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has raised the alarm that the country might slide back to recession except urgent measures are taken to address the high rate of unemployment. He said the country has made progress in the year under review but more efforts were needed to reduce the staggering unemployment rate. “From some of my concluding remarks, you may have observed whether you like it or not, there is global uncertainty that will unfortunately most certainly lead to another crisis. “The question could be, how are we, as Nigerians, particularly our leaders, I’m talking…

Thursday, 23 May 2019 05:41

Governors’ Forum elects new leader, deputy

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has emerged new Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF June 2019-2021. Mr Fayemi, elected through consensus last night, was nominated by Kaduna State Governor, Mr Nasir El-rufai and seconded by Delta State Governor, Mr Ifeanyi Okowa. Sokoto governor, Mr Aminu Tambuwal was also elected deputy chairman of the forum, just as he was nominated by Lagos state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and seconded by Ondo State governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu. Addressing Journalists after the meeting, NGF chairman, Abdulaziz Yari, said that the new NGF leaders emerged through consensus and were unanimously elected by the…

Thursday, 23 May 2019 05:40

FG gives 14-day ultimatum to clear Apapa gridlock

Presidency has given two weeks for the immediate clearing up of the intractable Apapa gridlock and the restoration of law and order to Apapa and its environs. It also gave operators of trucks and tankers 72 hours to vacate the access roads leading to the ports. Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, in a statement, said the directive mandated immediate removal of all trucks from the bridges and roads within Apapa and all adjoining streets leading into the Apapa axis. Akande said the directive followed an emergency meeting convened by President Muhammadu…

Thursday, 23 May 2019 05:39

Nigerian airport scanners can’t detect drugs – FAAN

Scanners installed at various Nigerian airports do not have the capacity to detect drugs, an official of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) told a Senate panel yesterday. The revelation was made against the backdrop of the arrest last December of a Nigerian student, Miss Zainab Aliyu, by Saudi Arabian authorities for alleged drug trafficking. Although she was released alongside another Nigerian, Mr Ibrahim Abubakar, the Senate had resolved to probe the matter on April 30, the same day they were released. The joint Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Drugs and Narcotics also heard that Executive Order 1 issued…

Wednesday, 22 May 2019 04:57

Visa: FG engages US over dropbox suspension

Federal Government has engaged United States Government over the recent indefinite suspension of interview waivers (dropbox) for Nigerians renewing their visas. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, disclosed the diplomatic interface, yesterday, when he briefed newsmen on the ministries’ activities during the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari. Last week, United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria suspended, indefinitely, interview waivers for visa renewal, also known as dropbox. Yesterday, Onyeama said unfavourable migrant decisions taken by some countries were as a result of negative perceptions about few Nigerians who do not obey laws of other countries. He said: “And, a…

Wednesday, 22 May 2019 04:56

FAAC: FG, States, LGs share N616.19 billion for April

Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, on Tuesday said federal government shared N616.19 billion as revenue generated in April to the three tiers of government. The amount showed a decrease of about N1.37 billion from what was shared in March. Mr Idris, represented by Director of Funds, Office of the AGF, Mr Mohammed Usman, said this at a news conference at the end of the monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja. Giving breakdown of the revenue accrued in April, Idris said the mineral revenue increased by N56.8 billion, moving from N308.44 billion in March to…

Tuesday, 21 May 2019 04:56

FG rolls out details of May 29, June 12 celebrations

Federal government has reeled out details of May 29 presidential inauguration and the first observance of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day. Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, said activities leading to the inauguration kicked off with the press conference held yesterday. “This will be followed on Tuesday, May 21st, by the commencement of a three-day National Youth Entrepreneurship Empowerment Summit at International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja. “Federal Executive Council Valedictory Session will be held at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja, on Wednesday, May 22nd. “A Special Jumat Lecture and prayer will be held on Friday, May…

Tuesday, 21 May 2019 04:55

Nigeria’s GDP growth reduced in Q1 - NBS

Nigeria’s economic growth slowed as it recorded a gross domestic product (GDP) of 2.01 per cent in the first quarter of 2019, compared to the 2.38 per cent recorded in the previous quarter (Q4 2018), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday. In a report published on its website, the bureau said when compared to the first quarter of 2018, which recorded a real GDP growth rate of 1.89 per cent, first quarter of 2019 growth rate represented an increase of 0.12 percentage points Real GDP growth in the oil sector shrank by -2.40 per cent (year-on-year) in Q1…

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Tuesday, 21 May 2019 04:54

States already paid last Paris Club refunds - FG

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, yesterday cleared the air on issue of the last tranche of Paris Club refunds, saying the sum of N691.560 billion had already been disbursed to states since March 2019 by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), after verification The clarification followed some media reports last weekend that the federal government was set to release N691.560 billion as outstanding and final payment of Paris Club refunds to states. Addressing a press conference in Abuja last Thursday, Ahmed had stated: “For the final phase of the Paris Club debt refunds, the total sum of N649.434 billion was…

Tuesday, 21 May 2019 04:52

NDLEA distances itself from Akeredolu on cannabis cultivation

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said it never advocated growing cannabis sativa for medicinal purpose or economic gain, adding that it had destroyed 3,900 hectares of cannabis sativa in Ondo State. NDLEA Chairman, Mr Muhammad Abdallah, stated this on Monday, noting that he and Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, did not go to Thailand to learn how to grow cannabis sativa for economic gain, as being reported in some quarters. The governor was reported on Saturday as saying the state government was planning to take advantage of the commercial value of the plant to create jobs for the…

Tuesday, 21 May 2019 04:51

Angry Lagos residents lock down Badagry expressway in protest

Thousands of Badagry residents and some tertiary institution students, yesterday, defied a heavy rainfall to protest the deplorable state of the Lagos/Badagry Expressway. They described the road as one of anguish and pain. Residents blocked the popular Badagry roundabout for hours earlier in the day. They stormed the roundabout with placards bearing various inscriptions such as: “Fix Lagos/Badagry Expressway. Our businesses are dying;” “Bad Road, Our pregnant women are having miscarriages;” “We are not at war, remove checkpoints on our road;” and “We are losing man hours.’’ President, Women Arise Initiative, Mrs Joe Okei-Odumakin, who led the protest, said the…

Monday, 20 May 2019 05:50

War looms as ethnic nationalities unite to defend territories against ‘Fulani expansionism’

A coalition of cultural groups in Nigeria under the aegis of Ethnic Nationalities Defence Organisation (ENDO) on Sunday birthed in Abuja with the resolve to protect, defend and retaliate any affront against ethnic nationalities or their territories. The organisation said it had since realised that Boko Haram and Fulani militia were “brothers in arms against ethnic nationalities of Nigeria in a brazen land-grabbing and expansionist Fulani jihad.” “We call on all ethnic nationalities to form their defence groups or militia or be ready to lose their ancestral lands after being killed as cowards and chickens in the hands of either…

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