Author: straightnewsng.com

President Muhammadu Buhari has charged Nigerians to complement the efforts of leaders in the country in their efforts to make it a better place. He spoke Thursday at the graduation ceremony of senior course 40 of Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State. “In Nigeria, there is the tendency to lay the blame of the state of affairs in the country on the doorsteps of the leaders alone. ”Yes, leaders have a major role to play in providing direction and the enabling environment. However, the citizens’ role also is vital in our attaining meaningful transformation of any society,” he said.…

The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and all members of the state House of Assembly, Thursday, left the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The APC is being hit by a gale of defections which started from the National Assembly (NASS). A total of 62 members of the APC in the National Assembly defected to the PDP and ADC on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. On Wednesday, July 25, 2018, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state dumped the APC for the PDP. Recall that in October 2014, Tambuwal who was then Speaker of the House of…

The House of Representatives Committee probing the status and management of the Treasury Single Account, TSA, Wedesday queried the lodgement of $4.9 million and N1.5 billion in an unnamed commercial bank without appropriate authorisation from the President. Consequently, the special committee summoned Ibrahim Usman Jibril, the Minister for Environment, to appear before it and explain why such an account should be maintained by his Ministry in the face of the government’s TSA policy. The committee members at the continued investigative hearing were appalled by the fact that the sum of N1.5bn was deposited in the bank since March 2017 and…

President Muhammadu Buhari is said to be incensed at the comment credited to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Nnational Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, that he was condoning his ministers as an act of indiscipline. Oshiomhole had threatened to expel Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, for failing to constitute Boards under his ministry, stressing that if minister took pleasure in disobeying presidential directives, the party under his watch would not tolerate it. A source in the Presidency told Vanguard Wedesday that Buhari was angry at Oshiomhole’s comments. “The President was not happy with the comment of the APC…

The federal government, Wednesday, vowed to continue to lead in Information and Communications Technology, ICT, developments in Africa, despite challenges in the economy. Mr Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communications Technology, made the vow at the opening ceremony of 2018 Information Communications Technology and Telecommunications (ICTEL), exhibition of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, in Lagos Shittu said the federal government has outlined different projects and ICT masterplans to ensure the country continued to dominate and lead other African countries in ICT growth. He said, “We have accepted that Nigeria must take leadership role in Africa’s ICT ecosystem.…

The House of Representatives Committee on Power, Wednesday, issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to reinstate the suspended the Board of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC. Chairman of the House Committee on Power, Daniel Asuquo, who issued the ultimatum during the investigative public hearing on the ‘Need to save Ibadan DISCO Plc’, harped on the need for the regulatory agency to desist from any act that could send wrong signals to investors. Asuquo, who cautioned against the utilization of public fund to prosecute cases, underscored the need for all parties involved to put public interest above…

Nigeria and Benin have agreed to set up a joint committee to combat smuggling, President Muhammadu Buhari announced Wednesday. Buhari stated this when he hosted President Patrice Talon of the Republic of Benin at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Also to be consulted in the workings of the committee is Niger Republic, which is believed to be a transit point in the concentric circle of smuggling of commodities, particularly rice, into Nigeria. A statement by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said, “We have succeeded in cutting the importation of rice into the country by…

Senate President, Mr. Bukola Saraki, Wednesday gave reasons why he did not honour the invitation by the Police. In a letter to the police on his invitation written on Tuesday, Saraki, through Yusuph Olaniyonu, his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, noted that all the issues and questions raised in the police invitation were answered, stressing that the letter was written and dispatched to the police on Tuesday. He said after answering all the questions raised by the police in his letter, he did not believe there was any further need for him to go to the police personally. The Senate leader…

The Debt Management Office (DMO), Wednesday, called for privatisation of some Federal Government’s viable enterprises and listing them as quoted companies on The Nigerian Stock Exchange to raise fresh funds to supplement its revenue for capital investments. The enterprises include Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST), Nigerian Commodities Exchange, Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, National Stadia and Nigerian Security and Minting Company (NSPMC). The DMO’s suggestion contained in its 2017 Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA), explained that “Hence, the need for Government to sustain the on-going efforts aimed at reforming, restructuring and repositioning some of these enterprises for privatization or commercialization. ‘’Aside saving…

At last, Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue state, Wednesday, defected from All Progressives Congress, APC to People’s Democratic Party, PDP. Ortom had since been expected to dump APC, following an ‘alleged red’ card given to him by an APC stakeholder in his state. He has presented a resignation letter letter to stakeholders in Makurdi and announced that he had presented letter to ward chairman earlier. The Governor defected with 13 local government chairmen. Terver Akase, Governor Ortom’s spokesperson confirmed the story. “Yes, he has defected’.’ Recall that 15 APC Senators and over 37 house of Representatives members, Tuesday defected…