Author: Vardiafrica

Flooding has cut off the Azare-Ja’amare road along the Kano-Maiduguri Highway in Bauchi State.  Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who inspected the affected area, said he has reported the situation to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, who had visited last week when the road was initially threatened. Mohammed also warned that communities are at risk of being submerged if the flow of water is not managed effectively. The incident occurred barely two weeks after downpour severely damaged a federal highway connecting Kano to Maiduguri, particularly between the Malori and Guskuri villages in the Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has hinted on plans to revive the State’s Neighbourhood Watch, a community-based security outfit set up by the immediate past administration. Governor Fubara spoke on the consideration of reviving the security outfit when he met with its leaders behind closed doors at Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday night. Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the Head of Command, Rivers State Neighbourhood Watch, Wogbo Lawrence, expressed satisfaction with the assurances given by the governor after six years of neglect. He explained that despite the lack of remuneration, the security outfit had struggled independently to sustain…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized three petrol tankers loaded with soy oil in Lagos State, raising alarms over potential public health risks. According to credible information received by NAFDAC, the same vehicles used to load vegetable oil were also being used to transport petroleum products. On getting to the location for surveillance operation, the organization discovered the tankers had conflicting labels indicating the transport of water and beverages at the same time marked as carrying petrol and diesel which has now drawn significant attention to the possible dangers of chemical contamination in…

The Federal Government has increased the fees for the procurement of Nigerian Passport with effect from the 1st of September 2024. A statement by the spokesman of the Nigeria Immigration Service, DCI Kenneth Udo, says the increment is a part of the government’s efforts to maintain the quality and integrity of the Nigerian Standard Passport. He said that based on the review, a 32-page Passport booklet with 5-year validity previously charged at Thirty-five Thousand Naira (N35,000.00) will now be Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000.00) only; while a 64-page Passport booklet with 10-year validity which was Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000.00) will be…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says he will not leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to the internal crisis in the party. Wike spoke on Wednesday during a media parley organised to commemorate his one year in office as FCT minister. Since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, there have been rumours that the former Rivers governor is no longer a member of the PDP. Recently, Edwin Clark, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), said Wike needs to leave PDP for the party to survive. In an open letter to Umar Damagum, the acting national…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the on-street parking scheme, popularly called park and pay, is illegal. In an interview on Wednesday to mark his one year in office, Wike said the agreement with contractors managing the scheme was marred by fraud. Wike said: “A friend of mine, a senior advocate, called me and said: ‘Sir, people came to our office now trying to hijack all our cars. They said they are from the transport secretariat’. I said, what is that? Give the person the phone. I said who are you and he said from park…

Ghana has officially commenced the construction of a state-of-the-art oil refinery with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day (bpd), aiming to establish itself as the petroleum hub of West Africa. The announcement was made by Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, August 19, 2024. Since becoming an oil producer in 2010, Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, has steadily increased its oil output, which currently stands at approximately 132,000 bpd of crude oil and 325 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas. “This project promises to be a cornerstone of our nation’s development,” President Akufo-Addo stated during…

Gabon’s Interim President, Gen Oligui Nguema, who came to power through a coup last year, has introduced new measures restricting government officials’ travel and vacation time. The regulations, announced on state television, prohibit members of the transitional government from taking holidays abroad and limit officials to a maximum of one week’s leave, BBC reports. This move follows Gen Nguema’s nationwide tour to engage with citizens and address their concerns. Observers speculate that these actions may be a precursor to his potential candidacy in next year’s presidential election, the first since he took power. Gen Nguema seized power from his cousin…

In a significant move to uphold local government autonomy, the Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member committee tasked with enforcing the recent Supreme Court ruling that grants financial independence to local governments across Nigeria. The Supreme Court’s decision, delivered on July 11, declared that it is unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds meant for local government administrations. This ruling aims to ensure that local governments can operate independently and fulfil their roles effectively without undue interference from state governments. Five weeks after the ruling, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has established an…

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has granted an operational licence to Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited, located in Ologbo within the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. The NMDPRA serves as the technical and commercial regulator overseeing midstream and downstream activities in the petroleum sector. The issuance of this operational licence represents the final approval stage from the regulatory body, signifying that the refinery is now authorized to commence full operations. During a ceremony held on Tuesday, the authority’s Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed Farouk, presented the certificate to AIPCC, the parent organization of Edo Refinery…