Author: Vardiafrica

President Trump has signed an executive order on Thursday aiming to provide resources that would push cities and states to remove homeless people from sleeping on streets and to crack down on drug use. The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to reverse precedents that limit state and local governments’ ability to commit people on streets who are at risk to themselves or others, according to a White House fact sheet obtained by The Hill. It also requires interagency work on grants for states to enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping, loitering and squatting, and to track…

Humanitarian Minister Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda is the new chairman of the All Progressives Congress. He was elected unanimously by the National Executive Committee of the party on Thursday, July 24. Yilwatda replaces Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who resigned for crucial private matters. Yilwatda was born on 8 August 1968 in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State. The professor of Electrical Engineering was the flagrunner for the APC in the 2023 gubernatorial elections in Plateau State. Between July 2017 – December 2021, he held the position of resident electoral commissioner in Benue State. He was appointed by the late…

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to pay ₦10 million in damages to some #EndSARS protesters for the violation of their fundamental rights. Justice Musa Kakaki, in his decision, held that the applicant/protesters were unjustly harassed and their constitutional rights were infringed upon while participating in the fourth memorial rally held on October 20, 2024. Justice Kakaki also held that while law enforcement agencies hold constitutional powers to maintain order, such authority must be exercised within the confines of democracy and the rule of law. The…

House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) has launched a probe into the issues affecting the nation’s downstream oil sector. Among other things, the committee is expected to probe the controversial turnaround maintenance of the country’s refineries, the acquisition of OVH Energy, and the mounting concerns over market dominance by the Dangote Refinery. Chairman of the Committee, Ikenga Ugochinyere, disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday. He said it was disturbing that after the hype that greeted the return of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries to production status, they had to shut down again. “We…

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has donated supportive aids and mobility devices to persons living with disabilities in Bayelsa State. Speaking at an awareness programme organised for people with disabilities at the NDDC Bayelsa State office in Yenagoa, the Commission’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, urged persons with disabilities to maintain a positive outlook and not feel inferior due to their disabilities. Ogbuku, who was represented by the Director of the Bayelsa State Office, Engr. Godknows Alamiesiegha, acknowledged the importance of encouraging people living with different challenges. He advised: “Life is a privilege, and you should be proud of…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Friday participated in the commissioning of the Pipe Bend Multi-Layer Coating Plant by Solewant Group, held at the Solewant Industrial Area, Alode Eleme, Rivers State. This milestone event underscores the remarkable progress of Nigerian indigenous companies in the oil and gas sector and reaffirms NCDMB’s commitment to fostering local content development and capacity building. Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, was the General Manager, Human Capacity Development, Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq, who delivered the keynote address highlighting the vital role indigenous firms play in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry transformation. “Fifteen…

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday night met with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 24. Hope Uzodimma, chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum and governor of Imo state, led his colleagues to the meeting with the president at the State House, Abuja. NAN reports that Uzodimma told State House correspondents shortly after the meeting that the sit-down with the president was aimed at strengthening the party and enhancing its capacity to deliver good governance to Nigerians. “We are here to discuss the upcoming…

The House of Representatives has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to the National Assembly, seeking approval to borrow $347 million under the 2025–2026 borrowing plan. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, read the President’s correspondence on the floor of the Green Chamber during Wednesday’s plenary. According to the President, the loan is necessary due to a rise in the funding needs for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, whose cost increased by $47 million, from $700 million to $747 million. Justifying the loan request, the president said that when the borrowing plan was transmitted to the parliament, the lead…

The Federal Government has elevated flood prevention to the level of a national security priority with the unveiling of a new Anticipatory Action Framework on Floods (AAFF), to shift the country’s disaster management approach from reactive to proactive, coordinated early response. This was as the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) warned that over 100 major roads, including the Okene/Lokoja/Abuja and Birnin Kebbi/Bunza corridors, may face severe flood disruption across 28 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before August 5. The AAFF, developed by the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF), features a blend of scientific and traditional data-gathering methods, early…

Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, has asked Nigerians not to re-elect President Bola Tinubu in 2027. The former Rivers governor spoke while addressing members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition in the state. The former minister also said the country risks collapse if Tinubu secures a second term in office. “We are new members of the ADC, it’s the adopted party of the coalition,” he said. “Most importantly, have your eyes on 2027 and to have your eyes on 2027, please go home and start registration. “We will form a committee that will go from local government to local government,…