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Wednesday, 17 July 2024 04:54

Ruto, ‘puppet to the IMF’, must go, Kenya protesters insist as deaths rise to 50

At least one person was killed in renewed anti-government protests across Kenya on Tuesday, a Reuters reporter said, as police clashed with demonstrators demanding that President William Ruto step down. Youth-led protests that broke out a month ago against proposed tax hikeshave continued even after Ruto withdrew the legislation and fired almost all of his cabinet. Activists say they want Ruto to resign and are calling for systemic changes to clean up corruption and address poor governance. At least 50 people have been killed in the protests to date, the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said on…

Wednesday, 17 July 2024 04:49

IMF downgrades Nigeria’s economic growth forecast for 2024

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reduced its forecast for Nigeria’s economic growth to 3.1 percent in 2024 — down from a 3.3 percent projected in April. The downgrade is 0.2 percentage points below the prior forecast. In its July 2024 World Economic Outlook released on Tuesday, IMF said a lower-than-expected activity in the first quarter (Q1) of the year impacted decisions for the downgrade. The IMF, however, retained a 3.0 percent forecast for Nigeria’s economic growth in 2025. NIGERIA AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Revealing further, IMF downgraded its forecast for sub-Saharan Africa economic growth in 2024 to 3.7 percent —…

Wednesday, 17 July 2024 04:48

FAAC: FG, states, and LGAs share N1.35trn for June 2024

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) announced that the federal, state, and local governments shared N1.35 trillion in June, marking an increase of N210 billion from the N1.14 trillion distributed in May. The details were disclosed in a communiqué issued after the July meeting, chaired by Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. According to the communiqué, the N1.35 trillion shared among the three tiers of government in June came from a gross total of N2.48 trillion. The breakdown included N142 billion in statutory revenue and N523 billion from value-added tax (VAT) revenue. Additionally, the revenue…

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 04:42

Nigeria’s inflation rate increases to 34.19% amid rising food prices

Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 34.19 percent in June 2024 — up from 33.95 percent in May. The data is captured in the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its consumer price index (CPI) report for June, released on Monday. The CPI measures the rate of change in prices of goods and services. According to the bureau, food inflation also surged to 40.87 percent in the month under review as prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages continued to surge. NBS said the headline inflation rate in June showed an increase of “0.24% points when compared to the May 2024 headline…

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 04:39

Nigeria, UAE to resume flights between both countries, FG says

Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates reached an agreement allowing for the resumption of travel between the two countries, Nigeria's information minister said on Monday. The UAE stopped issuing visas to Nigerians in 2022 after Dubai's Emirates Airline suspended flights between the countries due to an inability to repatriate funds from Nigeria. Nigeria's central bank has since cleared a backlog of around $137 million in foreign exchange owed to international airlines. Information Minister Mohammed Idris said the deal includes the resumption of visa issuance to Nigerian passport holders for travel to the UAE, effective from Monday. "This agreement includes updated…

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 04:38

Gumi calls for protests against worsening hardship, says ‘that’s the only language govt understands’

Controversial Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi has urged Nigerians to engage in peaceful protests as a means of conveying their grievances to the government, emphasising that protests are a crucial tool for driving change. "Politicians are very stubborn, it is mass protests that only disturb them," he said. Addressing concerns over comparisons with past protests in countries like Sudan, Lebanon, and Liberia, Gumi highlighted Nigeria's unique diversity. "In Sudan and Liberia, the conflicts were like family feuds, which are very dangerous. But Nigeria is different, with diverse ethnicities, religions, cultures, tribes, and sects," he explained, noting internal tensions even within religious…

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 04:37

Kenya braces for more protests despite Ruto’s cabinet sack

Kenya braced for more anti-government protests as talks proposed by President William Ruto to help end the nation’s political crisis appeared to stall. Activists have called for demonstrations across the East African nation on Tuesday over the government’s failure to prosecute security forces suspected of killing at least 41 people protesting against plans to raise taxes over the past month. Ruto announced last week that a so-called national dialogue would begin on Monday to defuse tensions in the country. Kenya’s main opposition Orange Democratic Movement said it’s unclear about when the talks — which seek to bring together political parties,…

Monday, 15 July 2024 05:11

UK court upholds £43m award in favour of Nigeria, dismisses P&ID appeal

A court of appeal in the United Kingdom (UK) has dismissed the appeal of Process & Industrial Development (P&ID) on a previous judgment halting the enforcement of its $11 billion award against Nigeria. In a unanimous decision, Lord Justice Snowden, the lead judge, permitted P&ID to appeal the judgment but dismissed the appeal. The two other judges are Lord Justice Fraser and Julian Flaux. BACKGROUND P&ID had entered into a deal in 2010 to build a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River state, but the company said the agreement collapsed because the Nigerian government did not fulfil its end…

Sunday, 14 July 2024 04:07

Donald Trump shot at campaign rally. Here’s what we know so far

Donald Trump was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally on Saturday, sparking panic and streaking the Republican presidential candidate's blood across his face, before he emerged and pumped his fist in the air appearing to mouth the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!" The shooter was dead, one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators were injured, the Secret Service said in a statement. The incident was being investigated as an assassination attempt, a source told Reuters. "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump said on his Truth Social…

Sunday, 14 July 2024 04:06

Police announce date for commencement of enforcement of e-CMR vehicle registration

The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) says it will commence the enforcement of the digitalised central motor registry (e-CMR) by July 29. In a statement on Saturday, Muyiwa Adejobi, the force spokesperson, said the move is part of efforts to curb vehicle theft and crime in the country. Adejobi said the e-CMR is a real-time online archive of vehicle data designed to support police investigations and combat vehicle-related crimes. “As part of the efforts of the inspector-general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, to enhance the security of lives and property, the Nigeria Police Force is set to commence the enforcement of the…

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Sunday, 14 July 2024 04:04

NBA issues 7 days ultimatum IGP to stop e-CMR certificate issuance

The Nigeria Bar Association Section on Public Interest has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to stop the directive requiring vehicle owners to register and obtain a Central Motor Information System Certificate for a fee of not less than N6,000. NBA-SPIDEL questioned the legal basis for the Nigeria Police Force’s issuance of the CMRIS Certificates, stating that no law had granted the police the authority to issue such licences or certificates to vehicle owners following vehicle registration at the appropriate offices. It demanded an immediate halt to the issuance and enforcement of the CMRIS…

Saturday, 13 July 2024 04:49

60 percent of public sector employees hired through bribery, nepotism - NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that approximately 60% of public sector workers were hired through nepotism, bribery, or both between 2020 and 2023. The findings are part of the "Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends" report, based on a survey conducted with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The survey showed that 27% of respondents used bribery, 13% relied on nepotism, and 19% used both methods to secure employment. Additionally, 46% of those hired admitted to paying a bribe, a significant increase from the 31% reported in 2019.

Saturday, 13 July 2024 04:46

Death toll in Plateau school building collapse rises to 22

The Plateau government says 22 people died and 132 were injured in the collapsed building of Saints Academy in Jos, the state capital. On Friday, the two-storey school building, which is located in the Busa Buji community of Jos north LGA, collapsed while students and teachers were in classes for the third term examination. Speaking at the scene of the incident, Musa Ashoms, Plateau commissioner for information and communication, said the school had a population of about 400, adding that the section that collapsed was accommodating 200 students. The commissioner said the collapsed school building was built on a waterlogged…

Friday, 12 July 2024 05:05

LGs to get allocations directly from FAAC, can’t be dissolved by govs, Supreme Court rules

The supreme court has ruled that the federal government should henceforth pay allocations directly to local government councils from the federation account. Delivering judgment in the suit on Thursday, a seven-member panel of justices held that state governments have continued to abuse their powers by retaining and using the funds meant for LGAs. The apex court also ordered the federal government to withhold allocations of LGs governed by unelected officials appointed by the governor. Emmanuel Agim, who read the lead judgment, said states are mandated to ensure that their local government councils are democratically elected, ⁠and that governors cannot use…

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