Author: Vardiafrica

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has said he has never approached the Debt Management Office (DMO) for loan since the inception of his administration on May 29, 2023. “We want to make a clarification on the position of the Debt Management Office report that the Zamfara State government borrowed N14.26 billion,” Lawal said in a statement on Monday.According to the statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sulaiman Bala Idris, “no domestic or external loans have been borrowed since Governor Dauda Lawal took office. “It is important to note that the previous Zamfara State government floated a N20 billion bond…

The EFCC Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, has assured of leading a broad-based and holistic anti-graft war that would not spare anyone linked with any form of economic and financial crimes.Mr Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja quoted Olukoyese as having said this Olukoyede reaffirmed his commitment to an all-embracing, fully-integrated war against corrupt practices. “We will not spare anyone. We will not spare the mega thieves. As we are doing the mega, we will also do those at the lower end. “In the last two months, we have arraigned two former governors. So, it…

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, for Dakar, Senegal, to attend the inauguration of Senegal’s President-elect, Bassirou Faye. The Presidency disclosed this in a statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu to attend inauguration of Senegal’s President-elect Bassirou Faye.’ Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, is visiting the country for the first time since assuming office, at the invitation of the Senegal government. “He will join other regional leaders to witness the inauguration at Diamniadio Exhibition Centre on Tuesday,” said…

The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of N25bn to the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), to expand and enhance healthcare delivery to Nigerians. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, disclosed this while reaffirming the unrelenting commitment of the present administration to transforming the healthcare system to attain Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) for Nigerians. In a statement signed by a spokesperson for the ministry, Deworitshe Patricia, on Sunday in Abuja, the minister said health transformation, renewal and accessibility would be achieved with the approval of a Sector Wide…

About 107 companies are currently benefiting from the federal government’s tax exemption. This is contained in the fourth quarter (Q4) 2023 report on pioneer status incentive application published by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). The pioneer status incentive (PSI) is a tax holiday that grants qualifying industries and products relief from payment of corporate income tax for an initial period of three years, extendable for one or two additional years. The incentive, which is provided with three years of tax relief under the Industrial Development Income Tax Act, is widely recognised as an industrial measure meant to encourage economic…

The Minister of Works Dave Umahi believes President Bola Tinubu is divinely destined to rule the country for eight years Tinubu came to power last May and is in his first year of a four-year tenure. But Umahi, the immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, is optimistic about Tinubu’s re-election chances when Nigerians head to the polls in 2027 – over three years away from now. “You must know that the coming onboard of Mr President is divine. When God starts a thing, He completes it,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. “So, I strongly believe and I am persuaded…

The Federal Government is ramping up security at the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos with the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) and solar lights as parts of the repair works.  One of Africa’s longest bridges has been under repairs for weeks, causing gridlock to motorists and other road users. While it has been billed to reopen in the coming days, Works Minister David Umahi said part of the repair work includes the installation of CCTV to combat crime and illegal mining around the bridge. “When you talk about the total rehabilitation of the bridge, you talk about the deck,” he said on…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna has suspended Maryam Suleiman, its women leader, for criticising Uba Sani, govenor of the state. Suleiman’s suspension was contained in a letter dated March 31, and signed by Ali Maishago, and Zakkah Bassahuwa, APC chairman, and secretary of Badarawa/Malali ward, respectively. The ward executive committee said Suleiman was suspended over “gross misconduct” and for allegedly defaming the character of the state governor. BACKGROUND While speaking during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, on Saturday, Sani said he inherited a debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities from the administration of Nasir el-Rufai,…

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye Agbazue after she was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70 kilograms concealed in African salad popularly called Abacha and dried vegetables to Doha, Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos state NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport working in partnership with men of the Department of State Security had on Thursday 28th March intercepted Chidinma, an outbound passenger from Lagos to Doha, on Qatar Airways during clearance of passengers at the screening point of terminal 11 of…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a one week ultimatum to Nigeria’s 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike to account for loan agreements and spending details of some N5.9 trillion and $4.6 billion loans obtained by their states and the FCT. SERAP’s request also includes details and locations of projects executed with the loans. SERAP also urged them to “promptly invite the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the spending of the domestic and external loans…