Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

The Nigerian Senate has called for a closed-door meeting with all heads of security agencies in the country, including the National Security Adviser, Service Chiefs, and the Inspector General of Police, to discuss the prevailing security challenges. Other heads of security agencies expected at the meeting include the director general of the Department of State Security Services, and the head of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, among other gun-wielding agencies. The Senate expressed concerns over the continued activities of criminal and violent groups such as Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, armed robbers, and kidnappers. The upper chamber also emphasized the…

The 10th Senate, led by Godswill Akpabio, has confirmed the nomination of Aminu Maida as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Maida was confirmed by the Senate following the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Communication, which screened the nominee. The committee chairman, Senator Aliyu Ikra Bilbis (Zamfara Central), while presenting the report during plenary Thursday, said Maida’s nomination was in accordance with section 8 (1) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Act, 2003. He said that during the screening, the committee found that Maida passed security clearance and possessed the requisite…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Guinea-Bissau, after attending the 50th independence day commemoration of the country. The President was earlier received at the Osvaldo Vieira International Airport in Bissau, the nation’s capital, on Thursday morning by Soarez Sambu, a senior Minister and Chief of Staff to President Umaro Sissoco Embalo. Guinea-Bissau marked its 50th Independence Anniversary on September 24, 2023, but the government had scheduled all celebrations for November 16, 2023. Before his trip to Guinea-Bissau, Tinubu was in Saudi Arabia where he perform pilgrimage. While in Saudi Arabia to attract foreign direct investment and mobilise capital to build needed…

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun have failed to honour the invitation to appear before the House of Representatives today. They were invited to appear today as part of the Sectorial Debates introduced by the House Pursuant to Order 17, Rules 1(3) of the Standing Orders of the House. The Service Chiefs were to meet the parliament on their constitutional responsibilities to…

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has received a list of 22 justices of the Court of Appeal nominated by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) for elevation to the Supreme Court. The names of the nominees, who hail from various regions in the country, were revealed in an FJSC document obtained by journalists on Thursday. The North-Central region has six nominees, while the South-West and South-South regions have two nominees each. The South-East region also has six nominees, and the North-East has two nominees. The development is coming after the retirement of Justice Amina Augie, which left the Supreme Court with only…

The Federal Government says in order to meet the needs of Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) must set up disability desks and assign officials to staff them. This was said during a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja by Mr. Mohammed Isa, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Disability Matters. In addition, he pledged to see to it that inclusive policies and a supportive environment for people with disabilities were developed. He added that his office would engage relevant stakeholders on the amendment of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities…

The Labour Party on Thursday said it has no plan to merge with the Peoples Democratic Party to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections. PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday, suggested that opposition parties need to merge to defeat the ruling APC in the next presidential poll. LP spokesman, Obiora Ifoh while reacting to Atiku’s suggestion in a statement on Thursday said the party has not discussed any merger Ifoh said Atiku’s call “was only a proposal and every Nigerian should be interested in making democracy work in Nigeria and that what we have…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has congratulated Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, over the Court of Appeal’s ruling affirming their victory in the March 18 governorship election. Cornelius Ojelabi, the Lagos State APC Chairman, also commended the judiciary for the verdict in a statement on Thursday. The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Wednesday dismissed issues raised by the PDP candidate, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran, and the Labour Party Candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhode-Viviour, against the judgement of the election tribunal. The tribunal had earlier, on Sept. 25, dismissed Adediran and Rhode-Vivour’s petition against Sanwo-Olu’s…

The Federal Government has announced plans to establish industrial hubs to accelerate job creation and address rising unemployment in the country. President Bola Tinubu disclosed this at the 55th International Conference of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management on Tuesday in Abuja, with the theme: “Sustainable Human Resources, Business, and National Development.” The President, represented by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiru Onyejeocha, outlined the administration’s commitment to steering Nigeria towards self-reliance and reducing dependency on others amid global challenges. “We envision an unprecedented level of industrial activity, marked by the establishment of unique industrial hubs tailored…

Air Peace has rejected the reason given by the Saudi Arabian authorities for the cancellation of visas of 264 passengers airlifted by the company from Nigeria to the middle-east kingdom. Recall that in a statement, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia defended the visa cancellation, saying the passengers did not meet the Arab nation’s rules and regulations. The Saudi Embassy said the Nigerians who were deported didn’t fulfill the entry conditions and requirements by the applicable rules and regulations of the Kingdom. The statement added the deportation of the passengers was not targeting Nigerians. The statement reads: “The passengers who were denied…

The Nigeria Customs Service has said that it lost N1.3tn in 2023 due to waivers and concessions that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration granted to investors. It also noted that it was not privy to details of the Customs $3.2bn modernisation project. The Comptroller General of the NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, made the disclosure at the National Assembly on Wednesday. Adeniyi was represented by the Deputy Comptroller General, Mba Musa, at a public hearing organised by the Senate Joint Committees scrutinising the 2024–2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy. During the hearing, the senators inquired from the Customs CG about the details…

Labour Party has described, Atiku Abubakar’s merger proposal as a good proposal that should be considered. The acting National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, said “Atiku’s call is a proposition, and every Nigeria will consider a good proposition that is meant to remove the Octopus in power because they are not democrats. “Every Nigerian is interested in having a true democracy. What we have now is far away from democracy. So, if there is a preposition by opposition elements to ensure that democracy is installed, why not? That preposition must be given a good thought. Anything that…