Author: Vardiafrica

Vice President Kashim Shettima has canceled his trip to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit (CHOGM) in Samoa due to an incident involving his plane at JFK Airport in New York. The presidency revealed in a statement on October 24, 2024, that a foreign object struck the vice president’s aircraft during a stopover, leading to the decision to abort the trip. President Bola Tinubu had initially delegated Shettima to represent Nigeria at the summit. The nature of the object or the extent of the impact on the aircraft remains unspecified, though the statement noted the cancellation was a precautionary…

The Central Bank of Nigeria has debunked reports claiming that the old series of N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes will cease to exist as legal tender by December 31, 2024. In a statement released on Thursday by the acting Director of Corporate Communications, Sidi Hakama, the CBN noted that the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, to extend the use of old naira banknotes still holds indefinitely. “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to discussions at different fora suggesting that the old series of the N200, N500, and…

As part of the cost-cutting measures of his administration, President Bola Tinubu has restricted ministers, and heads of departments and agencies to a maximum of three vehicles in their official convoys. “No additional vehicles will be assigned to them for movement,” presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said in a statement on Thursday. Tinubu also ordered all ministers, ministers of state, and heads of agencies to have at most five security personnel attached to them. “The security team will comprise four police officers and one Department of State Services (DSS) officer. “No additional security personnel will be assigned,” he said. The President instructed…

The Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru, has ordered troops of Operation Fansar Yamma to arrest the notorious bandits’ leader, Bello Turji. The Minister gave the order while addressing the troops at the One Brigade Headquarters in Gusau, Zamfara State. He added that President Bola Tinubu has the following the activities of the troops in the past few months and has seen some levels of improvement in the operation against terrorists in the region, but the challenges are still there. “He, therefore, urged me to thank you and to urge you to do more to end insecurity in these areas of…

Troops of Operation Udoka in the South-East have arrested a suspected “founding father” of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and others.  The arrests were made in Orsu, Imo State, Amaruku, and Arochukwu in Abia State, according to the Director of Defence Media Operations Major Gen Edward Buba. He said this on Thursday in Abuja during the bi-weekly briefing of the DHQ which gives an overview of successes recorded by the military. “In the South-East, the troops of Operation Udoka, Forward Operational Base (FOB), Orsu, in a sting operation, apprehended a terrorist leader belonging to the Indigenous People of Biafra…

The Senate has received a request from President Bola Tinubu for the confirmation of the appointments of seven ministerial nominees announced on Wednesday. President Tinubu’s request seeking expeditious consideration of the requests was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio who read it at the commencement of the plenary on Thursday. Tinubu urged the Senate to consider and confirm the seven nominees for appointment as ministers. The ministerial nominees for confirmation include Nentawe Yilwatda (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction), Muhammadu Dingyadi (Labour & Employment), Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (State Foreign Affairs), and Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade and Investment). Others…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sought for adjournment of hearing in its fresh charge against the immediate-past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and two others, to November 14, 2024. At the resumed hearing, Counsel to the Commission, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the court issued public summons against Bello, directing that same be published and that the charge be pasted. The trial Judge, Justice Maryann Anenih, however, interjected, stating that she did not ask that the charge be pasted, only the summons. Oyedepo said he expected Bello to be in court on November 14, making reference to the…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commenced work on the faulty Ugwuaji – Apir 330kV Double Circuit transmission line. According to the TCN, it discovered the fault around 5 pm in the Igumale area of Benue State. The TCN said the “fault area of the transmission line, which measures about one span, was found to be a snapped 330kV transmission line located in the swampy forest of Igumale.” “Having made the discovery earlier in the evening of today, arrangements arealready ongoing to mobilise equipment and materials that would be moved to the site of the incident to enable TCN…

Nigeria and twelve other countries have joined the BRICS intergovernmental organization as partner nations, not full members The announcement was made during the ongoing BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, as the bloc seeks to enhance cooperation with emerging economies worldwide. The other 12 countries are; Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam In January 2024, four countries namely, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates joined the organization BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of leading emerging market economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa which aims to promote trade,…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda as the new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and poverty Alleviation. His appointment lays to rest speculations about the return of Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs. Yilwatda was the All Progressives Congress (APC) Plateau governorship candidate in the 2023 election.  He was born on August 8, 1968 in Dungung, Kanke LG to the family of a clergy, Late Rev and Mrs Toma Yilwatda Yilwatda’s educational career started with him passing the First School Leaving Certificate at LGED Primary School, Dungung in 1981 and GCE (O/Level) in 1986 from the prestigious Boys’…