Author: Richie

Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) criticized the National Assembly for hastily approving the N27.5 trillion Appropriation Bill presented by President Bola Tinubu without providing copies of the document. Ningi, a former Majority Leader in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007, expressed his concern about the unusual situation where lawmakers debated the general principles of the Appropriation Bill without having access to the budget itself. In an interview with Vanguard in Abuja, Ningi highlighted the absence of sectoral allocation or detailed information about the 2024 budget before the National Assembly. He described the current scenario as unprecedented, stating…

The Defence Headquarters has clarified that the drone attack on Ligarma community in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday was conducted based on intelligence regarding suspicious activities of terrorists in the region. The statement, released by Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, on Tuesday in Abuja, provided details on the Nigerian Army Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) detachment’s observations. According to Buba, the UAV detachment detected the movement of terrorists at Ligarma around 2200hrs on Sunday, a known terrorist-infested area in Kaduna State. Aerial surveillance revealed groups of individuals employing tactics and methods consistent…

Four members of the 10th Benue State House Assembly have been suspended for a period of three months due to their alleged interference, leading to disruptions in the smooth functioning of legislative affairs on Monday. The suspended members are Honourable Solomon Gyila, representing Gwer West State Constituency; Honorable Douglass Akya, member representing Makurdi South; Rt Honorable Dyako Ashwa, Member representing Konshisha State Constituency; and Honorable Anthony Agom of Okpokwu State Constituency. The motion for their suspension was initiated by the Majority Leader of the House, Honourable Saater Tiseer, and seconded by Honourable Peter Ipusu of Katsina-Alaa West State Constituency.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has indefinitely postponed the inauguration of its newly constituted standing committees, a decision reportedly influenced by rejections from certain committee members, most notably, Abdulsamad Rabiu, the chairman of BUA Group, who was appointed to the finance committee. Last Thursday, Party Spokesman Felix Morka announced the constitution of five standing committees by the National Working Committee (NWC), which included Establishment, Finance, Publicity, Intergovernmental, and Conflict Resolutions. Uguru Ofoke was named the Chairman of the Finance committee, with Bashir Gumel serving as secretary. Other members included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, Minister…

The Federal Government of Nigeria has successfully secured the conviction of four Boko Haram financiers, namely Zana Zarama, Modu Aisami, Umar Mohammed, and Bunu Kame. Following their guilty pleas during a special trial held at the Federal High Court in Dawaki, Abuja, they were sentenced to prison terms on Monday. The prosecution, led by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, presented charges against them, and the defendants, represented by the defense counsel led by F A Bakre, pleaded for leniency. Modu Aisami, one of the defendants, was specifically accused of providing funds to…

Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate for the Labour Party, has criticized the Federal Government for allocating N15 billion to construct a new residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima. Obi, who previously contested against President Bola Tinubu and consistently scrutinizes the actions of the new government, expressed his dismay on X handle (formerly Twitter) on Monday. Obi found the news of a N15 billion budget provision for the Vice President’s residence both shocking and disheartening, especially considering the significant challenges facing the nation. He pointed out that in the recent Supplementary Budget, N2.5 billion was earmarked for renovating the Vice…

The Ondo State government has dismissed allegations that the signature of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is being forged by certain individuals in an attempt to embezzle funds from the state treasury. The denial comes in response to the online circulation of two documents bearing purportedly different signatures of Governor Akeredolu, raising concerns about the authenticity of his signature. Ademola-Olateju, addressing journalists after the meeting chaired by Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, emphasized that there is no evidence of signature forgery. During the meeting, Governor Akeredolu’s son, Babajide, who serves as the Director General of the Performance and Project Implementation and Monitoring Unit…

Financial expert Mr. Okechukwu Unegbu has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to penalize banks that permit customers to operate accounts without providing their BVN and NIN. Unegbu, a former president of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), conveyed this sentiment in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday. His remarks were prompted by the recent directive from the CBN to freeze all bank accounts lacking a Bank Verification Number (BVN) and National Identification Number (NIN) starting from April 2024. The directive was reportedly communicated through a circular issued by…

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has mandated a prompt investigation into the circumstances surrounding an airstrike in Tudun Biri village, Igabi Local Government Area. The military airstrike, which occurred on Sunday during the celebration of the Maulud festival, resulted in the inadvertent killing of several individuals. In a statement released on Monday, the governor expressed his shock over the tragic incident, emphasizing that the Muslim faithful observing the Maulud celebration were mistakenly targeted during a military drone attack aimed at terrorists and bandits. Governor Sani highlighted that search and rescue operations were underway, with top government officials dispatched to…

President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz witnessed the signing of an accelerated performance agreement aimed at accelerating the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI). This initiative is designed to enhance electricity supply in Nigeria. The agreement, which took place on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit, involved Mr. Kenny Anuwe, the Managing Director and CEO of FGN Power Company, and Ms. Nadja Haakansson, Siemens Energy’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Africa. The PPI, previously known as the Nigeria Electrification Roadmap Initiative, originated from the visit of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Abuja in…