Author: Chief Editor

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the release of $8.5 million to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to facilitate the immediate evacuation of Nigerians caught up in the Russia, Ukraine war. The directive came following the approval of a joint memo presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Wednesday, in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Briefing newsmen after Council, the Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk, joined by her counterpart Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, said the amount is to evacuate at least 500 nationals stranded as…

The Federal Government on Wednesday in Abuja expressed the hope that the one-month warning strike embarked upon by ASUU on Feb. 14, would soon be truncated. ASUU called its members out on the warning strike to compel the Federal Government to address their demands, some of which had been lingering since 2009. Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, expressed the hope of truncation of the warning strike when he spoke with newsmen at the end of a conciliation meeting between the government and the union. Ngige said the meeting agreed on many issues and a timeline was scheduled…

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, said he was not invited to the peace meeting between the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on Tuesday. The PUNCH gathered that the meeting took place at the private residence of Alaafin in a bid to reconcile Tinubu and Aregbesola over their political disagreement. Reacting to the meeting, Tunde Rahman, Media Adviser to Tinubu, told The PUNCH in a chat that his boss was unopposed to the reconciliatory effort. In the build-up to the All Progressives Congress governorship primary election…

The Coalition of United Political Parties on Tuesday protested against the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission to exclude parties reinstated by the Court of Appeal in the 2023 general elections, describing it as “an affront on the Judiciary.” The National Secretary of CUPP, High Chief Peter Ameh, in a statement said the action of INEC was a great danger to democracy. He said, “Continued disobedience to and disregard for the unanimous Judgement of the Court of Appeal by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu led-INEC is a danger for the nation’s democracy. “I view with serious concerns the publication by the…

Justice Obiorah Egwatu of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Tuesday formally withdrew from the trial of the Convener of the #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore. Sowore, who is also the Publisher of SaharaReporters Newspaper, and one Olawale Bakare are standing trial on alleged treasonable charges preferred against them by the federal government. They pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to bail by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the same Federal High Court in Abuja. Initially, the Department of State Services (DSS), which was then prosecuting Sowore and Bakare, had attempted to flout the bail order…

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday met with governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the State House, Abuja, to discuss the forthcoming national convention of the party scheduled for March 26, 2022. At the meeting attended by 11 out of the 22 APC governors at the President’s office, President Buhari was said to have turned down the governors request for him to have a rethink about his support for former governor of Nasarawa state and Senator representing Nasarawa West in the National Assembly, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, as national chairman of the party. The President, who met with the governors…

The Federal Government will from Wednesday begin the evacuation of about 2,000 Nigerians who have fled the war in Ukraine to neighbouring countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, who disclosed this in an interview on a Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, revealed the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had approved funds for the airlines to evacuate Nigerians. When asked if the number of evacuees was about 2,000, and when the evacuation would take place, he said, “Wednesday hopefully…Air Peace and Max Air.” He  said there were about 8,000 Nigerians in Ukraine, 5,000 of whom were students, adding…

The Ovation magazine publisher, Chief Dele Momodu, says his decision to come out to contest for the presidency is to change the narrative and work towards achieving growth, progress and the nation’s development. Momodu stated this on Monday, during a consultation visit to the residence of Olubadan designate, Oba Lekan Balogun, at Alarere area in Ibadan. The publisher, who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said he made similar attempts 11 years ago under the umbrella of the National Conscience Party (NCP), but “this time around, I will contest under PDP to actualise my dream.” According to…

The Kaduna State Government has advised residents to be vigilant over the fear of possible terrorist attacks, using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, gave the advice in a statement issued in Kaduna on Monday. The fear was heightened by Sunday night’s detonation of a suspected IED in Kabala West area of Kaduna. “The Kaduna State government wishes to issue a crucial advisory to citizens across the state for alertness to the threat of explosive devices planted in public places by terrorists. “This follows sustained assessments by security agencies and the…

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Tuesday to participate in the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Environmental Programme scheduled for 3rd – 4th March 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, in a statement on Tuesday explained that from Kenya, President Buhari will proceed to London for routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks. While in Kenya, Buhari is expected to deliver the national statement of the country and participate during high-level dialogue sessions on the environment at the event. According to the organisers of the…