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Thursday, 30 March 2017 14:20

FG summons Indian diplomat over attacks on students

Nigeria's official news agency says the foreign ministry has called in India's top diplomat to protest attacks on African students and demand arrests and prosecutions of perpetrators. Association of African Students in India says thousands of Africans are staying away from classes, fearing more attacks. Mobs have repeatedly attacked Africans in a New Delhi suburb in recent days after rumors that Nigerians had kidnapped a local boy who then died. The News Agency of Nigeria reports Thursday that India's High Commissioner Nagabushana Reddy told foreign ministry officials that five people have been arrested and police are searching for two more…

Thursday, 30 March 2017 02:45

Buhari sets up committee to reconcile with National Assembly

Federal Executive Council (FEC) has set up a committee to resolve outstanding issues between executive and legislative arms of the government, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said. Mr. Mohammed told reporters after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday in Abuja that the executive is concerned about its deteriorating relationship with the National Assembly. “The executive is also quite worried and quite concerned that the relationship between the two arms of government is not as smooth as it is supposed to be", he said. “In any democracy, it is a continuous struggle for balancing between the executive and the legislature…

Thursday, 30 March 2017 02:41

We won't disclose Buhari's London medical bill - FG

Minister of Information Lai Mohammed yesterday explained that releasing how much President Muhammadu Buhari spent on his medical vacation in the United Kingdom (UK) may jeopardise national security. The President, who returned to Nigeria on March 10, spent about 50 days in the UK, where he had treatment for undisclosed ailments. He had also last June embarked on medical trip abroad. The minister, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, was reacting to calls for the President to tell Nigerians amount spent on his medical treatment abroad.…

Thursday, 30 March 2017 02:35

'Sack Lai Mohammed now', Information Ministry workers tell Buhari

Workers of Ministry of Information have staged a protest against what they described as the ministry’s negligence of staff welfare and gross misappropriation of public funds. They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to probe activities of the ministry over non-payment of allowances, refusal to train staff, among others. The protesters, who chanted songs of displeasure and blocked the gate of the ministry, told reporters that they were subjected to work under poor conditions, delay of promotion arrears, non-payment of repatriation allowances and selective training of staff. Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants, Information Chapter, Adam Ogwola, recounted many challenges…

Thursday, 30 March 2017 02:33

I won’t honour Senate summons – Sagay

Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), says the Senate lacks the power to summon him. He, therefore, lambasted the lawmakers for attempting to flex constitutional muscles which he said they did not possess. The Senate had on Wednesday proposed to invite Sagay for saying that senators were irresponsible and childish in an interview with The PUNCH. However, the senior advocate maintained that he was not misquoted in The PUNCH report and therefore stood by his claim. He said he had not received any letter from the upper legislative chamber. The law professor said the…

Wednesday, 29 March 2017 17:21

Northern academics and intellectuals accuse Buhari of condoning corruption within his govt

HERE'S THE OPEN LETTER TO BUHARI: Mr. President, we are a group of Northern non-partisan academics and public intellectuals who wish to share our concerns on a number of issues facing the nation. In so doing, our only intention is to be helpful to your Administration, which we believe is sincerely committed towards taking Nigeria further along the path of positive change and the improvement of lives and livelihoods of Nigerians. First, our warm congratulations on your improved health, following your health vacation to London. We wish you rapid and complete recovery. Second, we wish to congratulate you on your…

Wednesday, 29 March 2017 17:12

Ocheni, Hassan, new Minister nominees

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, unveiled the names of Ministerial nominees sent to the senate for confirmation. The nominees whose names were announced on Wednesday by President of the Senate Dr. Bukola Saraki are Prof. Stephen Ocheni from Kogi State and Suleiman Hassan from Gombe State. Mr Hassan was one of the non career Ambassadors designates cleared by the Senate last week and now nominated minister. Suleiman Hassan was chairman of Congress for Political Change in Gombe for several years. He later became the registrar of Surveyors Council of Nigeria. The Constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria (1999) as amended…

Wednesday, 29 March 2017 17:09

Governor locks out SSG, workers for lateness

Cross River State Governor Senator Ben Ayade Wednesday locked out staff of Government House including Secretary to the State Government (SSG) for coming late to work. Ayade, who was said to have arrived earlier than 7:30 am, met his office door locked gave an instruction that the main gate should be locked. Deputy Governor, Professor Ivara Esu, however, arrived shortly after the governor and was allowed through the gate. Some staff, visitors, including the SSG, Tina Agbor, who came before 8:00 am were all made to stand by the gate for several hours while some workers grumbled. It was gathered…

Wednesday, 29 March 2017 17:06

It's over: Britain files for divorce from the European Union

United Kingdom filed for divorce from the European Union on Wednesday, overturning four decades of integration with its neighbors, demolishing the notion that EU expansion is inevitable and shaking the foundations of a bloc that is facing challenges to its identity and its place in the world. Britain's top envoy to the EU, Tim Barrow, hand-delivered a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk formally triggering a two-year countdown to the final split. "Today the government acts on the democratic will of the British people", Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers in the House of Commons, adding, "This is an…

Wednesday, 29 March 2017 02:24

Buhari sends new ministerial nominees to Senate

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent names of two new ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation. A source close to the Senate told our correspondent that the letter arrived the Senate late Tuesday. The source revealed that the two nominees are from Kogi and Gombe state. The Kogi nominee will be replacing the late Minister of State for Labour, Barr. James Ocholi, while the nominee from Gombe would be replacing former Minister for Environment Ms Amina Mohammed who is serving in the United Nations as a deputy Secretary General. The list of ministerial nominees is coming at a time when…

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Wednesday, 29 March 2017 02:19

Afenifere sets up panel to monitor herdsmen in S’West

Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, said it had set up a panel to monitor activities of Fulani herdsmen in the South-West geopolitical zone. This was contained in a communiqué issue at the end of the meeting of the association held at the residence of its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, Ondo State capital, on Tuesday. The communiqué was read to journalists by the Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin. The group, which condemned the menace of the herdsmen in the South-West and some other parts of the country, said the report of the panel would be shown to…

Wednesday, 29 March 2017 02:08

States' debt rises to N3.3trillion - NEITI

Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) yesterday disclosed that debt burden of the 36 states of the federation had risen to over N3.342 trillion as at 2016. NEITI stated this in a statement from its Director of Communications, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, in Abuja. It explained that Lagos, Delta, Osun and Akwa Ibom topped the debt chart with a total debt profile of N1.262 trillion which represents about 38 per cent of the debts owed by the 36 states of the federation. A further break down of the debt by NEITI showed that Lagos was indebted to the tune of…

Wednesday, 29 March 2017 02:07

Hajj 2017: NAHCON reduces cost of accommodation for pilgrims

National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, says it has negotiated downward the cost of accommodation to be used by Nigerian pilgrims in Makkah for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. This followed rigorous negotiations held recently between the Commission and landlords/reputable agents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A statement by the Commission’s spokesperson, Uba Mana, on Tuesday said some inspectors and negotiators from NAHCON were in Saudi Arabia recently and have ensured that there will be no price increase for pilgrims’ accommodation in Makkah. The statement said the same success was also recorded for Madinah accommodation. “By this success too, pilgrims…

Tuesday, 28 March 2017 14:17

In protest against Buhari's refusal to sack Magu, Senate suspends RECs confirmation

The Senate has stood down confirmation of nominees for positions of Resident Electoral Commissioners, after expressing misgivings about President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sack Ibrahim Magu as acting chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission despite his repeated rejection by the lawmakers. Senators also accused nominees of the president of disrespecting the National Assembly. The Senate therefore resolved to suspend the confirmation in protest. Buhari had last week nominated 27 persons for appointment as Resident Electoral Commissioners of INEC. PT

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