Author: Vardiafrica

Israel Katz, Israeli foreign minister, has announced a ban preventing Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations (UN), from entering the country. In an X post on Wednesday, Katz termed Guterres “undesirable”. “I decided today to declare U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres an undesirable personality in Israel and to ban his entry into Israel,” Katz said. Guterres failed to “unequivocally condemn Iran’s criminal attack on Israel” on Tuesday, Katz said, and as a result “does not deserve to set foot on Israel’s soil.” Iran said its missile attacks on Israel was retaliation for the deaths of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader; Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas political…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced that over ₦13 billion in diverted public funds was recovered in September 2024 alone. The Chairman of the ICPC, Musa Aliyu, disclosed this during the launch of the commission’s 2024-2028 strategic action plan in Abuja on Wednesday. Aliyu, who emphasised that the anti-corruption agency has been working relentlessly to fulfil its mandate, did not disclose where exactly these funds were recovered from. “Over the past year, the ICPC has made significant progress in discharging its mandate; for example, we recovered over ₦13 billion in diverted public funds in…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Petroleum Commission, Ghana (PCG) towards developing and deepening local content regulations in Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector. The signing ceremony took place at the sidelines of the 2024 Annual Local Content Conference and Exhibition held at Takoradi, Ghana.The MoU is valid for three years and it is centred on the desire to build synergies through information sharing and transfer of skills of mutual interest and benefits. Under the MoU, NCDMB will offer PCG strategic advice and guidance in the areas of laws, frameworks,…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today for the United Kingdom to begin a two-week vacation as part of his annual leave. A statement by the Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday said he would use the two weeks as a working vacation and a retreat to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms. He will return to the country after the leave expires Tinubu departed at exactly 2:35pm, after exchanging pleasantries with some top government officials in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The president celebrated Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day anniversary with a speech, in…

Following the conferment of national honours on the leadership of the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, the House of Representatives has expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as discrimination against the Green Chamber. A motion sponsored by all 360 lawmakers drew attention to the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Senate President Godswill Akpabio; and the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. The lawmakers rejected Tinubu’s conferment of the honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The lawmakers argued that both chambers…

Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State on Wednesday staged a protest at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benin City, the state capital. The party supporters, who wielded placards and PDP insignia, called on the electoral umpire to reverse the results of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state announced a day after the poll. The protesters insisted that PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, won the election; and not Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC). They accused INEC of manipulating the results of the election in favour of the…

Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms, says withholding tax exemptions have been gazetted. A gazette is a publication that announces new laws, decrees, regulations, treaties, and legal notices. Withholding tax (WHT) is an advance payment of income tax which may be used to offset or reduce tax liabilities, according to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). WHT is deducted at varying rates ranging from 5 percent to 10 percent depending on the transaction. Oyedele spoke on Tuesday during a forum themed ‘Nigeria’s Challenging Economy: Strategies For Recovery,’ organised by Channels Television to commemorate Nigeria’s…

The Israeli military says Iran has launched missiles towards the country. It added that sirens have sounded all across Israel and urged citizens to move to marked safe spaces. The attack comes a short while after the US announced that it had received intelligence that Iran was planning an attack against Israel. IRNA, Iran’s state-run news agency, confirmed that Tehran’s military has started launching ballistic missiles towards Israel. Footage shared by media houses showed dozens of missiles flying across the sky towards Tel Aviv. The missiles came as Israeli police said they received a report about a shooting attack in the Jaffa neighborhood of…

Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, says he is ready to swear by the Quran that he did not steal money from Kaduna coffers when he was governor of the state. In a programme on Freedom Radio, a Kaduna-based station, and monitored by Daily Trust on Tuesday, el-Rufai said he did not go into public service to steal money. In June, an ad hoc committee of the Kaduna house of assembly recommended the probe of the former governor. He is accused of diverting funds to the tune of N423 billion. El-Rufai said he was content with what he had before becoming governor.…

The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), has approved the investment of N122 billion in six indigenous companies, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s quest for energy security and gas infrastructure development. The Minister of State Petroleum Resources Gas and Chairman of the MDGIF Governing Council, Ekperikpe Ekpo in his opening address at the Promoters Agreement Signing Ceremony held in Abuja, said it was a historic day for the Nigerian gas industry as they announce and finalize a partnership between the public and private sectors with the goal of transforming the midstream gas…