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Room 028 of the House of Representatives in the National Assembly Complex, venue of the public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, has been thrown into pandemonium following a fight by some attendants, Vanguard reports. The individuals were said to be members of the oil producing communities who had come to make presentations on the bill. The fight broke out exactly 12:10 pm when the Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee on PIB, Hon. Mohammed Monguno, who had been moderating the proceedings, called the host communities to make their presentations. As the fight broke out, lawmakers and other participants started scampering for safety with proceedings put on hold. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, had expressed disappointment with the inability of successive administrations in the country to ensure the passage of the PIB into law. According to him, it was difficult to explain why the bill did not pass despite collective interest by all for th...

President Muhammadu Buhari during a meeting with the service chiefs on Tuesday said his regime had not found it easy keeping the promises it made in 2015. According to a statement by Adesina, the President urged the service chiefs to be patriotic, saying the country was in an emergency. The statement quoted the President as telling the service chiefs, "We're in a state of emergency. Be patriotic, serve the country well, as your loyalty is to the country. "You know the stage we were in 2015, you know the stage we are now, and the undertakings we made. "We promised to secure the country, revive the economy, and fight corruption. None has been easy, but we have certainly made progress." At the end of the meeting, Irabor, in an interview with State House correspondents, said Buhari told them that Nigerians' expectations were high and they must do everything to meet them. Punch reports that the North Central Governors Forum enjoined the new service ch...

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has signed the Coronavirus Disease Health Protection 2021 which made the use of face masks in public places mandatory among other measures to curtail further spread of COVID-19. The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, told journalists in Abuja on Wednesday that the President signed the document on Tuesday. He said the President signed the document in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by Section 4 of the Quarantine Act, Cap. Q2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2010. Part 2 of the regulation stipulates that no person shall be allowed within the premises of a market, mall, supermarket, shop, restaurants, hotels, event centres, gardens, leisure parks, recreation centres, motor parks, fitness centre or any other similar establishment “except he is wearing a face covering that covers the nose and mouth, he washes his hands or cleaned the hands using hand sanitiser approved by the Nat...

BREAKING: Ortom Of Benue Tests Positive To Corona Virus Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has tested positive for the dreaded COVID-19. The announcement was made on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase. Recall that many of the governor’s aides which included his personal physician, aide de camp, orderly, permanent secretaries among others have tested positive for the virus. Akase in a statement made available to journalists in Makurdi said that “the latest result of his (governor Ortom) COVID-19 test has returned positive. “This follows the test results of most of the Governor’s close aides who also returned positive in the last few weeks. “Though the Governor has not shown any symptoms of the disease, he has already commenced treatment as prescribed by medical personnel. The statement added that the governor advised those who have come in contact with him in the last couple of days to go for test. “The Governor says it is equally important that tho...

The Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has debunked claims that the death of a baby belonging to the Imbuls, at the Randle General Hospital, Mother and Child Care Unit was as a result of negligence on the part of nurses. Kelvin Dooyum Imbul, and his wife, Mimi Rufina Imbul, had taken to social media last week to decry the alleged negligence on the part of nurses at Randle General Hospital, Mother and Child Care Unit, Gbaja Surulere, Lagos, which led to the death of their two-month-old twin daughter, Zoe. But speaking with SaharaReporters on Monday, the Lagos State secretary of the association, Toba Odumosu, said the baby was sick and died as a result of complications. According to him, the baby had been admitted at the hospital for two days and was well catered for by nurses before the unfortunate incident.  He said, "As a council of nurses, we sympathise and empathise with the family for the loss of their baby, but w...

An irate President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed the use of lethal force against Sunday Igboho and his supporters if they continue to “disturb public peace” in Oyo State, two police sources familiar with the matter told Peoples Gazette on Saturday. Sunday Igboho, whose real name is Sunday Adeyemo, has been at the forefront of a controversial and illegal attempt to drive Nigerians of Fulani origin from Oyo State. The Nigerian Constitution accords all citizens the fundamental rights to live in any parts of the country, but Sunday Igboho and others have been riding on the anger of Yoruba political leadership against rising herdsmen violence to issue confrontational directives of their own. Sunday Igboho led an army of his followers to Oke-Ogun parts of Oyo State on Friday, leading to a bloodshed that involved the razing of the home and other assets of a famous Fulani chief. “The president was briefed on the matter and he said Sunday’s action can disturb public peace and it sho...

Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has given reasons why pigeons released by the president initially refused to fly during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day.r There were reports earlier that the doves, otherwise known as white pigeons, released by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the  Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony last Friday , refused to fly despite multiple attempts by the President. This elicited reactions from  Nigerians, some of whom described the incident as a “bad sign” . In an article on his Facebook Wall titled, ‘ Reflection from a wreath-laying ceremony,’ Adesina described the pigeons’ refused to fly as “a natural phenomenon”. “At every Armed Forces Remembrance Day, after the laying of the wreaths, the sitting President releases some pigeons, to symbolise peace in the land. Emblems of National harmony. It was not different last Friday. “The pigeons had been kept in a cage. Fo...

Nasarawa State governor Abdulahi Sule, Friday, visited President Muhummadu Buhari and raised alarm over the havoc perpetrated by Boko Haram insurgents in the state. The governor also sought the intervention of the Federal Government particularly for them to take over the Jitata road in Nasarawa, which serves as an alternative route from the state to the FCT. The governor after the meeting with President Buhari told journalists that he came to meet with the president to discuss the security issues in Nasarawa State. According to him, many of the Boko Haram insurgents are active in Nasarawa State and they belong to the Darussalam group that had been dislodged from Niger State. He said further that upon a joint security operation, a lot of them were killed while 900 were arrested. Governor Sule maintained that those arrested confirmed their membership of the Boko Haram insurgency group and have been handed over to the authorities. The Nasarawa State Government had earlier ...

At least five soldiers of the Nigerian Army recently resigned to join Nnamdi Kanu’s Eastern Security Network, military sources have informed SaharaReporters, adding that the ESN is silently building a regional military force. One of the military sources noted that more soldiers from the South-East, particularly those in the Operation Lafiya Dole Theatre Command, are currently being wooed to resign and join the ESN. “The Kanu ESN boys are not a bunch of rookies and untrained fellows brandishing guns. I personally know five guys from my hometown in Anambra State who left the Nigerian Army to join the ESN. Two of them were formerly serving in Operation Lafiya Dole, Borno State, before they quit. “We are being reliably informed that there are other soldiers, particularly of the South-East extraction, who will soon leave for other various reasons and they are likely to be recruited into the fold,” one of the sources said. Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of B...

According to former presidential aide, Reno Omokri an American woman, Shameeka Rosario has revealed she is in a relationship with Kaduna State Governor, Nasir ElRufai.  Below is screenshot of chats confirming Rosario's allegations. Recall, that some weeks back The Kaduna state Government demolished a building which was alleged to be proposed venue for a sex party in Kaduna state. The act by the government has sparked reactions from all quatres ever since the CEO Aisha Yakubu has come out to say the building was never a venue for sex party but a restaurant.  Shortly after the CEO spoke out, the Kaduna state government made a u-turn by saying the was operating without legal permit.  An American Woman who Alleged She Is In a Relationship With ElRufai, Claims Kaduna Sex Party Flyer was used As pretext to demolish People's Democratic Party Spokesman’s Wife’s Hotel.

Thousands of applicants have been locked outside of the offices of the National Identity Management Commission following a strike embarked on by NIMC staff, The PUNCH has learnt. The notice of strike was signed by the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NIMC branch, Lucky Michael, and its Secretary, Odia Victor. It read in part, “Consequent upon the just concluded congress of the above mentioned association that took place on January 6, 2020, the unit executive directs all members of grade level 12 and below in the head office and state offices to report to their respective duty posts tomorrow January 7, 2020 and do nothing. “All members at the local government offices and special centres are advised to stay away from their various centres as task force and implementation committees would be on parade to ensure total compliance to the directive.” The Nigerian Communications Commission had last month asked all telecoms firms to disconnect the SI...

The office of the president will spend a total of N2.42 billion on travels and transport (local and international) in 2021, while the state house in Abuja will spend N135.6 million on refreshments according to a budget document seen by TheCable. President Muhammadu Buhari had on December 31, 2020, signed the N13.58 trillion 2021 budget into law. In the budget, total expenditure budgeted for the office of the president stands at N3.82 billion, while recurrent and overhead cost is N2.76 billion. Other key highlights of the 2021 budgetary provision for the office of the president show that supply of catering materials and foodstuffs will gulp N98.3 million; a total of N164.17 million will be spent on honorarium and sitting allowance, while N41.21 million is budgeted for publicity and advertisement. For the office of the vice-president, N801.03 million will be spent on travels (both local and international), refreshment and meals will cost N18.26 million, honorarium and sitting...

Apex Muslim organization in Nigeria, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), has taken a swipe at Bishop Kukah’s Christmas homily, describing it as a poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria. The JNI, in a statement signed by Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, Secretary-General, and issued to journalists in Kaduna on Wednesday, said its attention was drawn to ” an irresponsible and seditious Christmas message issued by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah. Though the message is disguised as political hogwash to deceive the innocent, there is no doubt that it was a poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria, hence the need for this intervention.” The Muslim organization said the Bishop’s statement was a prepared address considering the occasion and the audience, “one cannot but agree that it was a calculated attempt to insult Islam which is typical of him. His veiled insinuation that Muslims have a pool of violence to d...

Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, says it is best for his sanity to forget about the existence of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. In an interview with Kaftan TV aboard the Lagos-Ibadan train service, Soyinka said one must forget about the government to have a sense of balance. “I don’t want to talk about Muhammadu Buhari’s administration,” he said when asked if the train service is a plus to the Buhari administration. “I think it is best for my sanity just to avoid that overall question. I can take bits and pieces of Nigeria’s present predicament but I think for one’s sense of balance, one must forget the existence of the Buhari administration.” The professor said the train service would boost commerce in the region, narrating how he spent hours in traffic on a trip from Lagos to Abeokuta, Ogun state capital. “It is a work in progress but it is a very impressive work in progress considering the difficulty of really executing anything in this country,” he said....

The Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC, Segun Runsewe, on behalf of the Nigerian government has thrown his weight behind the demolition of a house allegedly billed to host a sex party in Kaduna State. The house located in Sabon Tasha, on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis, was demolished by Kaduna State Urban Planning Development Agency, KADUSPA, following the directive of Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who was displeased at the public show of disrespect for Nigerian culture. Runsewe, whose agency last year had constant conflicts with crossdressers and socially deviant people, particularly Bobrisky, said Governor El-Rufai deserves praises for his swift reaction to the planned sex party in the state by promptly destroying the structure to serve as a deterrent to others. He said, “But for this intervention by the governor, Kaduna State possibly would have become the new capital and destination for sex tourism in Nigeria, leading to social disconnect and d...

Some gunmen in separate attacks have killed two persons, including an Islamic cleric, in two local government areas of Kaduna State. The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, explained that security agencies had raised the alarm that armed bandits had invaded Kawaran Rafi village in Igabi LGA and killed one Danleeman Isah, who was the chief imam of the village. Aruwan said, “The bandits moved straight to Isah’s residence and, in what appears to be a pre-meditated murder, shot him dead and left the location without taking any items or hostages. The murder of the cleric has been linked to his vocal stance against the killings and kidnappings by bandits. It is similar to the killing of Ardo Musa Layi of Kajuru LGA,  kidnapped and killed by bandits in October 2020 for his advocacy against killings, kidnappings and cattle rustling. “Also similar was the shooting of Ardo Ahmadu Suleiman by bandits at Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru LGA, leaving h...

The Chief of Protocol to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Tosin Ogunbodede has lost his life in a fatal road accident. Ogunbodede, a close aide of the governor was said to have died in an accident that occurred on Saturday night along Ilesha highway. The accident also claimed the life of his driver. The duo were rushed to the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa where they were said to have been confirmed died. Another occupant of the car whose identity is not available to the media is said to be in a critical condition. Ogunbodede, a lawyer and former staff of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, was appointed as Chief of Protocol, COP, by Ondo Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on assumption of office in 2017. Recall that two weeks ago, the governor  had lost his Commissioner for Regional Integration  and Special Duties, Professor Bayonile Ademodi, who died at the OAU Teaching Hospital, Ile Ife as a result of complications from a surgical operation.

Veteran actor, Segun Arinze has urged billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, to invest in a Nigerian club before buying Arsenal,  Saturday PUNCH  reports. Arinze said this while speaking on  PUNCH’s  Online interview programme,  Stars Talk Football,  on his love for Chelsea and acting. “If he (Dangote) wants to buy Arsenal, he can, but I think he should invest in a Nigerian club and make it world-class before buying Arsenal. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had a club in Russia, his home country, before he bought Chelsea.” Dangote had in 2020, on the David Rubenstein Show, stated that he would consider buying Arsenal in 2021 after the completion of his projects, which are reportedly worth $20bn. “It is a team that, yes, I would like to buy someday, but what I keep saying is we have $20bn worth of projects and that’s what I really want to concentrate on,” Dangote said. “I’m trying to finish building the company and then, after we finish, maybe som...