Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

INEC has rejected the budget of N40 billion allocated to it, describing the sum as grossly inadequate to fund the affairs of the electoral body. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu presented its own draft proposal of N89 billion to the Senate Committee on INEC during the budget defence meeting chaired by Alli Sharafadeen Abiodun, yesterday. At the meeting held at the new senate building, Yakubu explained that N40 billion would not be enough to cater for the financial needs of the commission in 2024. He said N40 billion could only cover the personal cost of the commission, which has a workforce of…

Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen, disclosed that investment worth $13.5 billion was expected in the country’s energy sector within the next 12 months. She said her engagements with the stakeholders had shown that there were massive investment opportunities for the sector estimated at $55.2 billion opportunities by 2030. Verheijen said the administration of Tinubu, in line with its “Renewed Hope Agenda”, remained committed to improving the business and investment climate in the country, including the energy sector. As she had expressed at other stakeholder engagements in the sector, Verheijen said the president was fully committed…

As part of efforts to further cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on the citizenry, the Lagos State Government has set aside the sum of N50 billion for social protection. Commissioner for Economy, Budget and Planning, Mr. Ope George revealed this today during an interview on TVC’s ‘Business Nigeria’. While speaking on the State’s 2024 Budget proposal, christened: “Budget of Renewal”, the Commissioner stated that the sum of N50 billion was proposed for social protection to ensure that the citizens are protected from surging inflationary trends. According to him, the Budget also has provisions for human capital development and…

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says France striker Christopher Nkunku will be involved in the squad to face Sheffield United on Saturday. Nkunku joined the Blues for £52m from RB Leipzig in the summer but suffered a left knee injury during a pre-season friendly in Chicago. The 26-year-old had surgery in August and has yet to make a Premier League appearance for his new club. Pochettino said Nkunku can now begin to get a “feel” for the English game. He added: “It’s a big motivation for us, for his team-mates, and the fans to see a player that should be important for us being…

Brentford and Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo will miss the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after undergoing surgery on his injured ankle. The 24-year-old will be out for around 12 weeks, said Bees boss Thomas Frank. Mbeumo, Brentford’s top Premier League scorer with seven goals this season, suffered the injury in their 2-1 defeat at Brighton on 6 December. Afcon begins on 13 January in Ivory Coast with Cameroon starting their campaign against Guinea two days later. “Bryan is a positive guy, he will come back stronger,” added Frank. “He has a very good mindset.” Mbeumo has scored three times in 14 caps for Cameroon and started all…

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, has appealed to medical doctors and other health workers to stay back and join in salvaging the country. Kana’s appeal is contained in a statement issued by Mr Henshaw Ogubike, the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, in Abuja on Friday. Ogubike stated that the permanent secretary made the appeal during the opening ceremony of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) National Executive Council Meeting in Abuja. He quoted Kana as saying that the call was necessary as the Federal Government was also doing its best to reposition the…

The Federal Government has said it plans to establish a National Museum and a National Theatre in a creative city to be located in Abuja. The Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, disclosed this when she presented the 2024 Appropriation Budget draft to the Senate Committee on Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. She stated that the establishment of the two edifices were top on the list of projects of the ministry, which is intended to create employment, not only for creatives but also for Nigerians in general. The attainment of this objective, she noted,…

The Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, James Iorpuu, has said that there are 14 Internally Displaced Persons camps in the state. Iorpuu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Friday that the number would increase to 17 when three new camps are inaugurated in January 2024. He said that the IDPs camps are located in Makurdi, Guma, Gwer West, Logo and Agatu Local Government Areas. He stated, “Before we came into office, we had six IDPs camps in Benue but, as we speak, we have 14 camps. These are not new camps; they were existing,…

The media team of Senate President Godswill Akpabio has debunked reports that he collapsed on Thursday at the colloquium to mark his 61st birthday in Abuja. Reports had claimed that the former Akwa Ibom governor collapsed during the event and had to be rushed to the National Hospital. But the media team, in a statement signed by Eseme Eyiboh, debunked the reports, describing the claims as “fictionalised extensions of the Senate President’s assertion of being tired at the end of the programme”. “The rumours have been fanned by some social media news channels with notoriety for the dissemination of phony…

Nigeria’s headline inflation has risen to a 20-year high of 28.2 percent in November, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed. The NBS in a report released on Friday said the headline inflation rate increased to 28.20 percent relative to October 2023 headline inflation rate which was 27.33 percent. The figure is the highest record from data obtained on the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The bank’s data started from 2023. The NBS said Food inflation rate also increased to 32.84 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.72 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded…

The Supreme Court has refused to order the release of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from detention. The panel of justices of the court on Friday nullified the earlier order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered Kanu’s release on bail. In the judgment written by Justice Garba Lawal and read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court voided and set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal which in October last year ordered the release of Kanu and also quashed the terrorism charges against him. Supreme Court held that…

Governors of the nineteen Northern States are meeting in Kaduna today to discuss crucial issues relating to the region. There is currently a heavy presence of security operatives as the governors arrive one after the other at the venue of the meeting. It is worth noting that the meeting is the first of its kind since the present crop of governors were sworn into office on May 29th, 2023. According to Channels Television, the governors would take advantage of the meeting to commiserate with the Kaduna State Government over the unfortunate military airstrike at the Tudun Biri community in the Igabi Local…