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Sunday, 18 April 2021 05:50

Pantami renounces terrorism views, says ‘I know better now’

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has renounced his past controversial comments on terrorist groups including Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The minister said he was young when he made the radical comments, adding that he is now mature and now knows better. He spoke while answering questions during his daily Ramadan lecture at Annor Mosque in Abuja on Saturday. “For 15 years, I have moved round the country while educating people about the dangers of terrorism. I have traveled to Katsina, Gombe, Borno, Kano states and Difa in Niger Republic to preach against terrorism. “I have engaged those with…

Saturday, 17 April 2021 05:39

Unmasking a Jihadi masquerade: The many faces of Isa Pantami

David Hundeyin Nigerian Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Ali Isa Ibrahim Pantami is a man of many descriptions. To some, he is a bright-eyed, relentlessly intelligent and academically competent Young Turk, who has found his way into the topmost level of Nigeria's government at the relatively young age of 48. To others, he is a symbol of how deeply held and unapologetically public religious faith can coexist and interoperates with modernity and cosmopolitanism without contradiction. His Twitter handle proudly displays his impressive academic credentials side-by-side with his proud elementary educational background at an Islamic Tsangaya (non-Hausa readers might be…

Saturday, 17 April 2021 05:38

Nigerians mount pressure on Buhari to sack communications minister over alleged terrorism links

Nigerians on the social media have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, over his alleged link with terrorist groups, Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The Nigerian Twitter community also said the minister could not be trusted with the data of Nigerians, especially with the ongoing National Identification Number and Subscriber Identity Module integration exercise under his watch. In a viral video recorded many years ago which was later confirmed by his lawyer, Michael Numa, the minister was seen engaging the late Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in a public debate. Pantami, an Islamic…

Saturday, 17 April 2021 05:37

Why I am being linked to extremism – Isa Pantami

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has denied links to extremist views, saying criminals and other entrenched interests are behind the attacks on him. Pantami, in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, said the allegations were untrue claims being peddled by forces that are against the federal government policy of compulsory national identity registration for all Nigerians and those residing in the country. “I have no doubt about this. It has to do with the National Identification Number. Do you know one thing? This policy was started in 2011, it was not successful. Why? It was fought,” he…

Saturday, 17 April 2021 05:33

Russia to expel 10 U.S. diplomats from embassy in Moscow

The move is a response to U.S. measures against Moscow over alleged election interference, cyberattacks and other damaging actions MOSCOW—Russia said it would expel 10 U.S. diplomats in response to measures against Moscow over alleged election interference, cyberattacks and other damaging activity, raising the stakes in relations between the two nations. “The latest attack on our country undertaken by the Biden administration, of course, cannot remain unanswered,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “Washington, it seems, doesn’t want to put up with the fact that in the new geopolitical realities there is no place for unilateral dictatorship.” Eight high-ranking…

Friday, 16 April 2021 05:50

We indeed ‘printed’ money to help the states, but not as portrayed by Obaseki - CBN

There seems to be no end in sight yet to the controversy between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and the Federal Government over the alleged printing of N60 billion by the government to augment its March monthly allocations to the states and local governments, as Obaseki yesterday dared the Federal Government to face Nigeria’s economic realities and stop its ongoing monetary rascality. The governor, in his letterheaded paper titled “Our advice is that we stop playing the Ostrich” and made available to newsmen in Benin, said the government should take urgent steps to prevent the economy from total collapse.…

Friday, 16 April 2021 05:49

Nigeria's annual inflation hits more than 4-year high

Nigeria’s annual inflation climbed to a more than four-year high in March, rising 82 basis points from a month earlier to 18.17%, the statistics office said on Thursday. Galloping food prices have heaped pressure on households in Africa’s largest economy, which is also facing a shrinking labour market and stagnant growth at a time of mounting insecurity. Food prices rose 1.16 percentage points from the previous month to 22.95% in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said. Inflation hit 18.72% in January 2017. “This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals,…

Friday, 16 April 2021 05:48

Buhari returns from London medical trip

President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria at the end of his medical check-up in London. The presidential jet, which conveyed the president from London, touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja Thursday evening. The president left the country on March 30, 2021, for his first medical trip in over a year. Protesters had stormed the Abuja House, Nigeria’s Diplomatic Mission in London, during the visit of the president to the UK. Buhari was received on arrival by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, and his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, among other presidential…

Friday, 16 April 2021 05:47

Nigerians have been suffering from frequent power outages in the last few weeks. This is why

Nigeria suffered an extensive power outage in recent weeks because 18 plants accounting for most of the electricity the country generates had faced operational problems, the government has said. Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, revealed the cause of the blackouts only on Thursday, weeks after many Nigerians had complained of persistent outages. Mamman said eight plants suffered a “breakdown” while one underwent an annual maintenance. Seven other integrated power plants were experiencing gas constraints while one hydroelectric power plant has water management issue, he said. “I sincerely regret the recent Power outages across the Nation and the difficulties it has…

Friday, 16 April 2021 05:45

FG blames media, #EndSARS for Twitter’s choice of Ghana over Nigeria for Africa office

Twitter Inc failed to choose Nigeria for its first African office because the media misrepresents the country, its information minister said on Thursday, citing coverage of police reform protests last year. The social media giant on Monday said it would set up its first office on the continent in neighbouring Ghana, as the company seeks to make inroads in some of the world’s fastest-growing markets. Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy, has a thriving technology sector that has attracted international investors but faces numerous security challenges including a decade-long Islamist insurgency in the northeast, mass abductions from schools in the northwest and…

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Friday, 16 April 2021 05:44

FG announces date for commencement of registration of new SIM cards

Federal government on Thursday announced that it has approved the activation of new SIM card registration with mandatory National Identification Number (NIN) linking, starting from April 19. This was disclosed in a statement signed by Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to Minister of Communications and Digital Economy. “The implementation of the policy will commence on Monday, 19th of April 2021. The issuance of new SIMs and other suspended activities will resume on the same date, as long as verification is done and the guidelines are fully adhered to,” the statement reads. Adeluyi stated that the minister has also directed…

Friday, 16 April 2021 05:43

NAFDAC workers commence strike over welfare issues

Health workers at National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Thursday, embarked on a seven-day warning strike. The workers are members of the Medical and Health Workers Union. Vice-chairman of the union, Idzi Isua, confirmed the development Thursday afternoon. Isua said the union is demanding payment of promotion arrears for 2018 and 2019 promotions owed its members; amongst other pending issues. “More worrisome is that 2020 promoted staff will soon (also) join the queue. This request has lingered for too long hence the strike action,” he said. In a statement obtained by this newspaper, the union…

Friday, 16 April 2021 05:38

US imposes fresh sanctions on Russia over hacking, election interference

The Biden administration imposed a range of retaliatory measures against Russia on Thursday, including financial penalties, sanctions and diplomatic expulsions, in response to Moscow’s alleged election interference, a widespread hacking campaign and other malign activity. The actions, previewed for months by President Biden and his senior national security team, are a reaction to “the full scope of Russia’s harmful foreign activities,” the White House said, and are the most significant punitive measures against Moscow in years. In a new executive order, the U.S. expanded existing prohibitions on U.S. financial firms trading in Russian government debt, according to the Treasury Department.…

Thursday, 15 April 2021 05:52

‘It’s a lie’, we didn’t print money, FG denies Obaseki’s claim

Federal government has denied a claim by Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State, that N60 billion was printed in March to support allocation to states. Minister of finance, budget and national planning, Zainab Ahmed, said this while speaking with state house correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday. The minister said Obaseki’s claim was very sad because it was “untrue”. “The issue that was raised by the Edo State Governor for me is very, very sad,” Ahmed said, “Because it is not a fact.” Obaseki had lamented the fiscal state of the nation, adding that Nigeria is in financial trouble. While speaking…

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