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A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, has chided the presidency for seeking medical help for President Muhammadu Buhari in London. He observed that many prominent Nigerians who traveled abroad for medical treatment rarely survived their illnesses. He stated this while commenting on the President’s medical vacation abroad during a live political program on Channels TV. Ogunye said that Nigeria did not lack the necessary manpower to take care of the president’s health within the country since Nigeria-trained doctors were hired overseas to perform great medical feats which implied that medical knowledge was universal. According to him, what Nigeria lacked was the right medical infrastructure made available in adequate quantity to make the country a hot-bed for medical tourism in Africa Qgunye lamented that most prominent Nigerians go abroad for medical treatment instead of fixing the country’s health care delivery system that was in shambles. He pointed ...

The Senate Thursday said that it has mandated the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Commissioner and Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to flush out beggars, hoodlums and commercial sex workers, from the streets of the FCT. Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Dino Melaye, stated this at a media briefing in Abuja. According to Melaye, his committee had invited the police commissioner and NSCDC commandant to inform them about the worsening insecurity in the FCT and the need to take steps to curb the trend. He said, “Last week we summoned the commissioner of police FCT and the commandant of NSCDC because as a committee and the Senate we are appalled with the security situation in Abuja. “We are also very uncomfortable with the number of hoodlums on the streets of Abuja. We have beggars, destitute, commercial sex workers spread across every nook and cranny of the city and we have given a marching order to the commissioner of police a...

The outgoing governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Thursday evening officially presented his hand‎-over notes to the incoming Governo, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN. Akeredolu and is deputy, Hon. Ajayi Agboola will officially be sworn-in at the Akure township Stadium, Friday. The handling‎ ceremony held at the Cocoa Conference Hall and was attended by both outgoing aides of Mimiko and leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. In his speech, Akeredolu said “Today is not about speech making, speech will be made tomorrow. We are here for a short ceremony, the governor and other members of the team who are responsible for this seamless transition have done well. “I Remember on one occasion that the governor told me that the swearing-in ceremony is a state affair and that the state can not afford to fail. “I must admit your efforts in ensuring that we have a seamless transition. The team led by Jide Olujuyigbe has been very cooperative. ...

FCMB announces the reorganisation of our leadership at the Group level, as well as at our flagship company  First City Monument Bank Limited (FCMB Limited).   Effective  March 20th, 2017 ,  Ladi Balogun ,   having served as Group Managing Director of the commercial banking arm, FCMB Limited for 10 years, will be stepping down in this capacity. He will assume the role of  Group Chief Executive of the holding company, FCMB Group Plc.   The holding company comprises FCMB Limited, FCMB Capital Markets, CSL Stockbrokers and CSL Trustees. Under  Ladi  Balogun’s   leadership, FCMB Limited has undergone a successful transformation from a merchant bank to a top 10 commercial bank in Nigeria across key metrics. During this period the bank has emerged as a leader in consumer finance, agricultural banking and electronic banking. The bank’s franchise has grown to 4 million customers, 220 branches and a successful banking subsidiary in the ...

Nigeria Police have sealed off the International Conference Centre, ICC, Abuja, Venue of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Stakeholders meeting summoned by the sacked National Caretaker Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi. Makarfi and the governors of the party were to meet at the venue to decide their next line of action following their defeat by Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff at the Court of Appeal. The faction through the official Twitter handle of the PDP, @officialPDPNig, has, however, disclosed that the meeting will now hold at the Ekiti State Government Lodge, Abuja following the blockage.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of making the Naira the worst currency in Africa. Ekweremadu said the economy had suffered more crisis under the new government than any government. Ekweremadu stated this at the Peoples Democratic Party’s national stakeholders’ meeting held at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, on Monday. He was quoted by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, as saying, “They told us that one US dollar would be one naira when they take over. Has that happened? “Today, our currency is the worst currency in the whole of Africa. Is that the type of democracy we looked forward to? I can see a situation where the price of oil is going up and the value of naira is going down. What type of economics is that?” Ekweremadu, called on members of the PDP faithful to remain strong as the party would “work with Nigerians to restore true democracy a...

Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Matters, Rep Rita Orji, has warned South Africa to caution its citizens, stating that neither the country nor its people has monopoly of violence. The warning came hours after a   similar reaction by the presidency . She spoke yesterday while condeming the recent South African violence against Nigerians in which their businesses were burnt and their goods looted. She also decried the attitude of the Federal Government towards the protection of Nigerians outside the country, saying it was more interested in remittance from citizens abroad and not their welfare. Addressing journalists in Abuja Monday, Orji (Ajeromi Ifelodun Federal Constituency of Lagos State) accused the government of over-protecting the businesses and interests of South Africa despite unabated xenophobic attack in that country. “Are they only important to us just because they need to contribute to National Development?” She quipped. “Are we calling them our...

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has declared that successes achievied by Yemi Osinabjo while the President is away on medical vacation is a “milestone of the Buhari administration.” Shehu made the remark while dismissing insinuations in certain quarters that there was division in the Presidency. Speaking in Abuja over the weekend, the Presidential spokesman maintained that there was no cabal in the Presidency. According to Shehu, it was not true that some close appointees of President Buhari had constituted themselves into a cabal with the aim of whittling down the influence of Acting President Osinbajo. ‘’This country has one government. When Nigerians voted, they voted for Buhari/Osinbajo on one ticket. Nobody can divide that ticket, so if Prof. Osinbajo achieves a milestone, it is a milestone by the Buhari administration. It is one government, no division in this government”, he said. On the health ...

A former Senior Special Assistant to then President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, has attributed the current crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic party to “error” which started from the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. Okupe asserted that the error was further aggravated by the Jonathan’s administration. He said the inability of the former ruling party to address the problem may affect the party in the next general election. Speaking with Tribune, Okupe said, “Only God knows what will happen to the PDP. I am not in the habit of lying even when it comes to public discourse. “PDP is heavily burdened and much of the burden is self-inflicted. In the last administration, an error was committed. Before we disengaged after we lost the election, we should have straightened the leadership of the party. “We did not do that and that was a fundamental error. This gave room for all comers and pretenders to the throne; people who have not ev...

A former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Andrew Yakubu, has asked the court to return the $9.8million and £74,000‎ recovered from him by   the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC . Yakubu has, therefore, instituted a suit at the Federal High Court, Kano requesting it to set aside the order of forfeiture granted to the Federal Government last week by the court. He said the court had no jurisdiction to grant the order. The suit was filed by Yakubu’s counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN). Raji argued that the court lacks the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the matter. He said the crime was committed in Abuja, which is outside the territorial jurisdiction of the court in Kano. In the motion on notice with suit number FHC/ICN/CS/24/2017, Raji argued that by Section 45 of the Federal High Court Act, an offence shall be tried only by a court exercising jurisdiction in the area or place where the offence was committed. H...

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said “there is no cause for alarm”, after  visiting President Muhammadu Buhari in the Abuja House  in London on Wednesday night. Saraki was accompanied by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan on Wednesday night. The lawmakers arrived at the Abuja House in London a few minutes before 8pm Nigerian time. In a statement released by his media aide, Bamikole Omishore, Saraki said: “Delighted to see that President Buhari is doing well, was cheerful and in good spirits. “The President I saw today is healthy, witty and himself. “The President’s absence and imminent return shows that there is no vacuum in government and our system of democracy is working with all organs of government fulfilling their mandate. And let me use the time tested cliché, there is no cause for alarm!” watch ubo dance on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_124u56D2YA&t=22s Buhari also confirmed ...

A Lagos Federal High Court, on Thursday ordered the forfeiture of of about N34bn linked to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke. Justice Muslim Hassan, who had on January 6, 2017 issued an interim forfeiture order on the funds gave a “final forfeiture order” during today’s court proceedings. The ruling followed the satisfaction of Justice Hassan with the argument of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that the huge funds were proceeds of illegal activity. Breakdown of the illegal funds linked to the former Minister include, N23.4bn, N9.08bn and $5m. Read more later....

A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter conveying personnel on medical outreach programme at Gwoza came under attack early today by members of the Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) group. Air Force spokesman, Group Captain, Ayodele Famuyiwa, in a statement said the Mi-17 helicopter was shot at severally by the insurgents. However, there was no casualty except for an airman that sustained bullet wound. The helicopter had departed from Maiduguri enroute the venue of the 2-day medical outreach programme in Gwoza when it came under attack by Boko Haram. Continuing he said, “Nevertheless, the pilot was able to fly the helicopter safely to and from its destination to enable the outreach programme continue uninterrupted. “Following the attack, the NAF immediately scrambled a fighter aircraft and helicopter gunship to the location between Bama and Gwoza to neutralise the threat. “Intelligent report by ground troops confirmed scores of BHTs were killed, signifying that the air...

The White House has published details of the phone conversation that took place between US President Donald Trump and President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday. The White House Press Secretary and Communications Director, Sean Michael Spicer confirmed on Tuesday, ‎the  phone call between the two leaders. However, the readout was released on the official website of the US Government. One curious omission from America’s version of the conversation, is the invitation of Buhari to Washington DC at a “mutually convenient” day. Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, had released the Nigerian version immediately after the call. THE READOUT President Donald J. Trump spoke this week with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria to discuss the strong cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, including on shared security, economic, and governance priorities. President Trump underscored the importance the United States places on its relationship with Nigeria, and he expresse...