Author: Vardiafrica

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…

Emirates Airlines resumed its operations in Nigeria on Tuesday, marking the first time the UAE flag carrier has landed in Lagos in two years. Flight EK 783 touched down at Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) at exactly 3:32 pm, following a prolonged suspension due to unresolved issues, including the airline’s trapped funds in the country. The Boeing 777-300ER, which has a seating capacity of 392 passengers, arrived with many empty seats. Though the exact number of passengers onboard was not immediately available, several passengers confirmed that the flight was far from full. One passenger shared, “The flight was not full…

The Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) on Friday launched the third phase of their Vocational Skills Programme at the Raw Materials and Research Development Centre Auditorium in Maitama, Abuja. Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbeunderscored the Board’s commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic restoration agenda, particularly in human capital development and youth empowerment. He acknowledged ITF’s efforts in vocational, technical, and entrepreneurship skills development, which are crucial for Nigeria’s economic growth. The Executive Secretary was represented by the Director of Capacity Building, Dr. Ama Ikuru. He emphasized that the vocational training for 100 Nigerian youths aligns with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development…

The Nigerian Leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has conferred the National Honours Awards of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger GCON, on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. The President made this known on Tuesday, October 1st, during his live nationwide broadcast to commemorate Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary celebration. President Tinubu also announced the conferment of the honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Deputy Senate President, Suleiman Barau and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas. He also made known that…

Protests against the prevailing economic hardship in the country have kicked off in Lagos and the federal capital territory (FCT). On Tuesday morning, protesters converged on the Ikeja under bridge area of Lagos for the ‘National Day of Survival’ protest. Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, led the protest in the nation’s commercial capital. The protest is organised by some civil society organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of the #EndBadGovernance movement. The organisers said the march aims to address grievances stemming from the hike in fuel price, rising food costs, and the impact of…

President Bola Tinubu has ordered that integrity tests be carried out on all dams in the country to ‘avert future disasters’. The president’s order comes after the Alau dam in Maiduguri ruptured on September 10, resulting in the worst flooding the state has experienced in 30 years. Tinubu, during his 64th Independence anniversary, said his administration has been responding to natural disasters, particularly the aforementioned flood. He said: “Our government has been responding to the recent natural disasters, particularly the flooding in parts of the country. Our government has also ordered integrity tests of all our dams in the country…