Author: Amina Mohammed

President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, held a closed-door meeting with a delegation of Ogoni leaders led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State. Also present at the meeting was the Chief of staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari; the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and other ministers and aides. The meeting came after a coalition of civil society organisations demanded an allocation of $1 trillion…

The Rivers State Government said it has confirmed the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza commonly known as ‘Bird Flu’. The Government said the outbreak was confirmed in a 3,000-capacity poultry farm in Iriebe in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state. The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Victor Kii disclosed this in a statement he signed, issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday and sent to newsmen. Kii said the ministry has quarantined the affected farm, depopulated the infected birds and decontaminated the premises. He further said a veterinary team is conducting effective surveillance in surrounding areas to prevent further spread…

The Lagos State House of Assembly has called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and relevant agencies to address the illegal activities of scavengers and the growing menace of manhole theft across the state. This was highlighted during a plenary session on Tuesday, following a motion moved by Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa 2). Yishawu commended the government’s efforts in providing critical infrastructure, such as roads with underground ducts, manhole covers, bridges with safety rails, and functional drainage systems. He said, “These projects aim to improve residents’ quality of life by enhancing road safety, reducing traffic congestion, and mitigating flooding.” These projects, he noted,…

The Federal Government has said all visa applications will go online before March 1. Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Monday when he was hosted on ‘X Spaces’ by an influencer, Dr Segun Awosanya. According to him, there is also now a centralised visa approval centre that has merged the visa regime to ensure uniformity, enhance national security, and reduce corruption. “The visa approval centre is also an achievement for this administration because we also now have a centralised visa approval centre. “This will stem corruption, ensure national security, and merge the visa regime to ensure uniformity.…

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, received the newly appointed Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, and pledged to work harmoniously with her to deliver policies that will benefit Lagosians. The speaker and other principal officers of the House were received by the governor and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, shortly before the commencement of the weekly State Executive Council meeting. Meranda became Speaker last Monday when her predecessor, Mudashiru Obasa, was removed by members of the House over allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriations. Meranda presided over her first sitting on Friday, setting up new…

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO), a body he has repeatedly criticized over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at the White House hours after his inauguration, Trump said the United States was paying far more to the UN body compared to China, adding: “World Health ripped us off.” The United States, the largest donor to the Geneva-based organization, provides substantial financial support that is vital to the WHO’s operations. Its withdrawal is expected to trigger a significant restructuring of the institution and could…

The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that will ban TikTok in the United States, potentially denying the video-sharing app to 170 million users in two days. In a major defeat for TikTok, the court ruled that the law does not violate free speech rights and that the US government had demonstrated legitimate national security concerns about a Chinese company owning the app. The Supreme Court last week heard arguments from the company, ByteDance, that the law should be stopped because it was a violation of free speech. “There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million…

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has reserved till a later date its ruling on a move by General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL) seeking to vacate the order freezing its assets, accounts and related entities. Through its counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Victor Ogude, First Bank of Nigeria Limited opposed the move and asked Justice Deinde Dipeolu to uphold his order freezing the assets, pending the outcome of a substantive suit aimed at recovering a loan of $225.8 million extended to the oil company. The bank made the application today while responding to an application filed by GHL seeking to…

Power supply has been disrupted to some parts of the Presidential Villa, Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Lifecamp, Asokoro, Utako, and Mabushi, following vandalism of the 132kV transmission line and carting away of underground cable supplying bulk electricity to the Central Area transmission substation in Katampe. The vandals also carted away a 40-meter 1x500mm XLPE conductor. Ndidi Mbah, Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, revealed in a statement on Friday. According to her, the incident impacted eight distribution feeders supplying the Central Area, leading to the disruption of over 60 per cent of Abuja’s power supply. Mbah expressed…

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has ruled that Julius Abure remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party. A three-member panel of the appellate court, in a judgment delivered on Friday by Justice Hamma Barka, upheld its earlier judgment of November 13, 2024, which recognises Abure as National Chairman. The court confirmed that this decision has not been overturned by any other court. Justice Barka made this declaration in the ruling on two separate appeals filed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, the caretaker committee, and the Independent National Electoral Commission. The Court of Appeal stated that it did not…