Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the conditional cash transfer programme of the Federal Government. Honourable Abass Adigun who moved the motion reminded the House that in order to ensure effective and efficient delivery of the programme in August 2024, nominees for the programme were informed that they will be paid the sum of N50,000 each for three months. However, some nominees received payment months after information was completed and submitted to the portal, while other nominees have not, and the National Cash Transfer Office has not responded to the payment of other nominees to date. President Bola…

The newly appointed Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd.) has arrived at the State House Abuja. President Bola Tinubu announced the appointment of the retired naval chief at a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, when he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu; and the Rivers State House of Assembly members.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, on Wednesday alleged that the now-suspended Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, tele-guided militants to blow up pipelines in the state. Fagbemi was accused while defending President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency hours earlier. He said although the governor was not directly culpable, he failed to dissuade the militants from vandalising the pipeline. He said, “We are in a democracy. There were what I will call telegraphing of the militants, I will say, by the governor. And the reason I say so is, when…

The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has vacated the Government House in Port Harcourt along with his family and security details. Fubara reportedly left the seat of power on Wednesday morning, according to a close source who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak on the issue. Meanwhile, security at the Government House remains sparse, although the two Armoured Personnel Carriers seen on Tuesday night in front of the premises are still stationed there with a handful of security operatives. READ ALSO: Rivers Assembly Blames Fubara, Backs State Of Emergency As of the time of filing this report,…

Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party during the 2023 presidential election Peter Obi has faulted President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. Obi in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle described the president’s decision as ‘unconstitutional and reckless’. He said: “The unilateral decision of President Bola Tinubu to remove Governor Similaya Fubara of Rivers State from office is not only unconstitutional but also reckless. “It has plunged us back into a state of lawlessness, hugely undoing the progress we have made in these 26 years of democratic journey. “By disregarding the rule of law, the…

The National Industrial Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has reiterated its order for parties to maintain peace in the case of the suspended Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly,  Olalekan Onafeko. Justice Maureen Esowe restated the order upon an application made by counsel to the acting clerk, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olumide Oniyire, who asked the court to clarify the order of February 20, 2025, for the maintenance of the status quo ante bellum. The judge also reiterated that the court did not reinstate the suspended clerk, Mr. Onafeko, as it did not have jurisdiction to undo what…

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed May 7 to hear an alleged certificate forgery case against a Director of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Mrs. Odom Anita. In a ruling, Justice Nyako equally gave the University of Port Harcourt the go-ahead to file processes in the matter. At the day’s proceedings, counsel to the University, Mr. Jude Ezenwata, told the court that he had filed a motion to regularize and deem as properly filed a counter-affidavit the University had lodged out of time in opposition to the suit. The plaintiff, Mr. Njoku Ifeanyichukwu, approached…

Wall Street heavyweight Morgan Stanley is planning to lay off about 2,000 employees later this month, according to a report by Reuters. The reduction of 2% to 3% of the company’s workforce, excluding financial advisers, was aimed at improving operational efficiency, the person said, requesting anonymity. Morgan Stanley had more than 80,000 employees worldwide at the end of 2024. The layoffs were not related to current market conditions, the source said. The bank’s move follows a string of job cuts by Wall Street lenders in recent weeks as they prepare for an uncertain economic environment, especially after President Donald Trump’s…

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has expressed his strong support for President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. In a statement issued by his Office on Wednesday, Matawalle stated that this decisive action is vital for restoring stability to the state’s turbulent political landscape. He asserted that the emergency rule is a necessary measure to address the ongoing political crisis, which has hindered the delivery of democratic governance and the welfare of the people of Rivers State. Reflecting on the President’s address regarding the state of emergency, the minister acknowledged the gravity…

The Nigerian Bar Association has faulted the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, describing the move as “unconstitutional” and a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s democracy. In a statement issued on Tuesday, and signed by its President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, the association insisted that the President has no constitutional power to remove an elected governor, deputy governor, or state lawmakers under emergency rule. “The 1999 Constitution does not grant the President the power to remove an elected governor, deputy governor, or members of a state’s legislature under the guise of a state of emergency,”…