Author: Vardiafrica

The House of Representatives has initiated a series of investigative hearings aimed at addressing the significant outstanding debts owed by oil companies to the Federation Account. The hearings, spearheaded by the Committee on Public Accounts, will scrutinize unpaid royalties, concession rentals, and gas flare penalties, among other obligations, amounting to approximately ₦9.4 trillion, the spokesman for the House of Representatives, Rep. Akin Rotimi, Jr., said in a statement on Sunday. The investigation is being conducted in line with Sections 85, 88, and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Order XX – Rule 6 of the House of Representatives…

President Bola Tinubu on Monday received the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, at the State House in Abuja. Bio was received on arrival by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. The Sierra Leonean President who is in the country for a private engagement arrived at the State House around noon for a courtesy visit to the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). See photos from the visit below:

Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State Governor, has declared that he is not scared of anything, noting that the worst that could happen is leaving the office. This is coming on the heels of the Supreme Court ruling that reinstated 27 Rivers State Assembly members loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike. Fubara, who noted how the news of the judgment of the Supreme Court dampened the spirit of most Rivers people, charged them to brace up for what is ahead. Governor Fubara gave the assurance on Monday while inaugurating the Rivers State Government House Staff Quarters, reconstructed by his administration, along…

The Rivers State House of Assembly has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara 48 hours to present the 2025 budget to the lawmakers for consideration. They made this known during plenary in Port Harcourt on Monday with the motion moved by the deputy speaker Dumle Maol. “That pursuant to the order of the Supreme Court in Suit no.: SC/CV/1174/2024 for the stoppage of Statutory Federal allocations to the Rivers State Government and halting of spending from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State pending the passage of an Appropriation Bill, you are requested to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the House…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that Ukraine is prepared to sign a landmark minerals deal with the United States, a step that was initially intended to support the country’s post-war recovery and reinforce international cooperation. In an interview with UK media, Zelensky made it clear that the agreement is still on the table, pending readiness from both parties. “If the parties are ready, we are ready to sign the minerals deal,” Zelensky said during a late-night gathering with UK media following a key summit in London. This statement came after a significant clash earlier in the week between…

Speaking at the Niger Delta Arts and Culture Expo organised by the NDDC in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Commission’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, emphasised the importance of preserving and promoting the unique traditions of the Niger Delta people. Ogbuku who was represented by the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, highlighted the need to deepen the significance of Niger Delta’s cultural heritage beyond entertainment. He noted: “Africans are known and respected for their culture. Nigerians, and particularly Niger Deltans, are born into an enviable heritage that must not be allowed to die. The current leadership in the…

The UK and France will work with Ukraine on a plan to end the fighting with Russia, which will later be presented to the United States, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday. “The United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States,” Starmer told the BBC. Starmer is hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on Sunday for a summit on the conflict, which has taken on huge significance in the wake of the clash between the Ukrainian…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has assured the people of the oil-rich state that his administration will implement the Supreme Court’s verdict after carefully reviewing its Certified True Copy (CTC). This followed the Friday judgment of the apex court, which declared the LG election conducted in the state on October 5, 2024, as invalid. In a state broadcast on Sunday, Fubara revealed that he has met with his legal team, who expect to obtain the CTC by Friday, March 7, 2025. He emphasised that his government is committed to upholding constitutional principles and will act in accordance with the law. Meanwhile, the…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected plans by the Federal Government to regularise electricity tariffs for customers for Bands A, B and C. In a communique released on Sunday after the National Executive Council (NEC) in Yola, Adamawa State, the labour union vowed to lead mass nationwide protests across Nigeria should the government continue with its plan. Last Thursday, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said lower bands would be upgraded to Band A. In its communique sign by NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, the labour union rejected the “forcefully migration” of consumers from lower bands to Band A. “On…

The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh has inaugurated the 7.3-kilometre Oyigbo Road network, which traverses Obunku, Umuosi, Obeakpu, Mgboji, and Ndoki communities in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State. He also launched the reconstruction of the Mgboji-Umuagbu Akwete Road, linking Rivers, Abia, and Akwa Ibom states. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Engr. Momoh said that the road projects were testimonies to the fact that NDDC was living up to its mandate to facilitate the rapid development of the Niger Delta region. He noted that the NDDC last Saturday commissioned the reconstructed Abraka-Oben Road in Ethiope East…