Author: Vardiafrica

The federal government has partnered with Mastercard to provide digital access to critical financial services for one million farmers in Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania. In a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, special assistant to the president on media and communications, on Friday, the partnership aims to improve agricultural productivity in the countries. The African Development Bank (AfDB) will also provide support. The partnership deal was signed during a meeting between Vice-President Kashim Shettima and executives of Mastercard on the sidelines of the ongoing 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu at the event, said the…

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says investigations into allegations of bandit sponsorship in the north-west of the country are ongoing. Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence; and Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara; have lobbed allegations of bandit sponsorship each other’s way.  Matawalle challenged Lawal to swear by the Holy Qur’an that he was not involved in sponsoring bandits. Responding, Lawal pledged to reveal evidence against the minister. He said he had reported the issue to Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA). Edward Buba, director of defence media operations, spoke on the military’s interest in the allegations during a press briefing on Thursday. Buba…

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja has granted bail to Nigerian whistleblower, Isaac Bristol, the man believed to be behind the prominent whistleblower account PIDOM Nigeria, ₦5m bail with one surety in like sum. Justice Nwite gave the order in a ruling on the motion on notice filed by his team of lawyers led by Deji Adeyanju. He further ruled that the defendant must deposit his International Passport with the court. Part of the bail conditions includes that the surety must be resident in Abuja and depose an affidavit of means. The surety must also provide evidence of…

The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), says water from the Lagdo Dam in neighbouring francophone country, Cameroon, has been released into River Niger and River Benue in Nigeria’s North Central. The Agency warned Nigerians resident in floodplains to relocate immediately to safe spaces in anticipation of attendant floods that annually come with the release of water from the Lagdo Dam. NIHSA Director General, Umar Mohammed, issued this warning on Thursday. Mohammed said his Agency met with the authorities in Cameroon and agreed that water from the Lagdo Dam be released “intermittently” for the River Benue and…

 As part of the Board’s effort to boost access to the in-country marine vessel capacities, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB has unveiled the Marine Vessel Information System Software (MAVIS) to industry stakeholders, in Lagos. The application was unveiled at an engagement organized by the Board in Lagos on Wednesday. Speaking at the programme, the General Manager, Upstream Monitoring, NCDMB, Engr. Jefferson Tuatongha noted that the Board had identified gap areas in its NOGICJQS Marine Categorisation. He pointed that the Board has been working to create a system that will close the gaps and strengthen the Boards ability…

The federal government has suspended two officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) over bribery allegations involving Idris Okuneye, a popular crossdresser known as Bobrisky. The suspension of the officials was disclosed in a statement signed by Ja’afaru Ahmed, the secretary to Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), on Thursday. On Tuesday, Martins Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan, shared an audio clip of Bobrisky wherein he claimed that he bribed some EFCC officials with N15 million to drop the money laundering charge against him. In the purported recording, the crossdresser also claimed that his “godfather”, alongside Haliru…

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, says the Federal Government will toll all major roads in the country upon completion of construction and renovation. “We have the Lagos-Ibadan (Expressway), we are completing it and we are tolling it,” Umahi said on Thursday in Abuja at an Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing, part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary. He listed some of the roads as Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kano Road, and Makurdi-9th Mile, among others. The former Ebonyi State governor said the tolling of federal roads “is going to bring a lot of money to the Federal Government”. Umahi…

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, passed a resolution to investigate the bribery allegations levelled against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) by social media influencer, Martins Otse also known as VeryDarkMan. The resolution of the House came after the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, Patrick Umoh. In his address to his fellow lawmakers, Umoh expressed concern over the widely circulated publication by VeryDarkMan against the EFCC and the NCS. He said, “The publication alleges that…

President Bola Tinubu has received Monday Okpebhole, governor-elect of Edo state, at the State House, Abuja. Okpebholo arrived the presidential villa on Thursday in company of Abdullahi Ganduje, chair of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and some of the governors elected on the platform of the party. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo winner of the September 21 election after he secured 291,667 votes. The APC candidate defeated his closest challenger, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), came a distant third with 22,763 votes.…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented certificate of return to the winner of the Edo State Governorship election, Monday Okpebholo, of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The ceremony took place at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday. INEC declared Okpebholo winner of the Saturday, September 21 election after polling 291,667 votes to beat his closest contender, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes. Fourteen other candidates contested the seat but got less than the three…