Author: Vardiafrica

The military has advised against any kind of violence ahead of the anticipated statewide demonstration against the nation’s economic woes. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday warned that the military won’t allow anarchy to befall Nigeria. He made hints that the protest organizers want to replicate the previous rally in Kenya, an East African nation, that turned into anarchy. According to General Buba, while residents are free to air their complaints, the military will not support violent demonstrations or assemblies. He added that the military has uncovered plots…

Five workers died when a building under construction collapsed on Thursday at 13, Wilson Mba Street, Arowojobe Estate, Maryland, Lagos. The building under construction collapsed at 3:49am on Thursday in the Maryland area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) boss, Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the development in a statement. The emergency responder said five persons, all adult males, were rescued alive from the building collapse site. “The Agency responded to the above incident and discovered that a set of three terraces under construction had collapsed. “Search and rescue operations began immediately. Five adult males were recovered…

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has vowed to ensure the conviction and imprisonment of any serving local government chairmen or councillors tampering with the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations to the LGs. He disclosed this on Thursday at the 17th-anniversary annual lecture event of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in Abuja, attended by Nairametrics. His latest reaction comes a few days after he instituted an LG autonomy suit at the Supreme Court and defeated the state governors’ legal team who unanimously opposed it at the apex court. …

The Senate has revealed plans to summon the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Dangote Group, and Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri among others, for questioning over alleged economic sabotage in the country’s petroleum industry. This was made known by the Leader of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate ad-hoc committee on “Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry” at a media briefing on Thursday. The chairman disclosed that the 14-member committee constituted on July 23 would investigate billions of dollars spent on turnaround maintenance of the…

Two weeks after the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local governments (LGs) in Nigeria, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has declared that the electoral umpire is capable of successfully conducting LG elections if saddled with the responsibility by law. The INEC chief made this known when he appeared before a Joint National Assembly Committee on Electoral Matters to present the Ondo and Edo off-cycle elections budget on Thursday. He, however, raised the question of funding for their by-elections in the country. State governments currently organise LG elections in their respective domains with the ruling parties…

Governors from the 36 states of the federation are currently convening in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, they are meeting at the NGF secretariat in the FCT. Some of the governors have already started to arrive at the meeting venue. Those already present at the venue are Governors Lawal Dauda (Zamfara), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Alex Otti (Abia). This is as the governors of Enugu, Peter Mbah and Borno States, Babagana Zulum, sent their deputies to represent them The agenda of the meeting is currently not made…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) have agreed to collaborate towards upgrading basic education in the country and building capacities of young Nigerians towards meeting the needs of the ever-changing oil and gas industry and the linkages sectors. The partnership opportunities were explored on Tuesday when the Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe hosted his counterpart from UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi at the Board’s Abuja liaison office. The leaders agreed to set up a joint committee that would finalize details of their agencies’ collaboration, with the overall goal of contributing…

President Bola Tinubu has formally received Pius Anyim, a former president of the senate, into the fold of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Anyim defected to the ruling party in his ward in Ebonyi state last week. Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, and Francis Nwifuru, governor of Ebonyi, led the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) to the Aso Rock villa on Wednesday. Speaking with reporters after meeting with the president, the former senate president said the administration of Tinubu is doing well to cater to the needs of citizens. He said there is a need for…

Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday named four heavyweight opposition politicians to join a “broad-based” cabinet in the wake of more than a month of anti-government protests. Ruto announced the names of 10 ministers to be part of a reformed cabinet, including four who are close to veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, after a list of another 10 ministers was submitted to parliament on Tuesday. The embattled president had sacked almost his entire cabinet on July 11, announcing a new partial lineup on July 19, although this included some dismissed ministers. “I commend the leadership of diverse organisations, both in…

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume; and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; on Wednesday, met with ministers over a planned nationwide protest against economic hardship by youths. The meeting was convened behind closed doors and has all the over 40 ministers in the President’s cabinet in attendance. Some of the Minister spotted were Nyesom Wike (FCT), Yusuf Tuggar (Foreign Affairs), Zephaniah Jisalo (Special Duties), Tahir Mamman (Education), and Abubakar Bagudu (Budget and Planning). Others include Wale Edun (Finance), Mohammed Idris (Information), Bello Matawalle (Defence), and David Umahi (Works), amongst others The meeting between…