Dennis

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday, said no single government was capable of solving all the problems of the country.   He said the way out was for successive governments to be building on the foundations laid by previous administrations.   Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, spoke at the State of the Nation Dialogue organised by the Nigerian Bar Association in Abuja.   “I will say no one government in this country will be able to solve the problems of Nigeria but as we build on the processes laid by successive governments, not discarding completely what has been put in place; we will build our dreams, take one or two things to concentrate on and move on.   “We believe the outcome of this dialogue can be transmitted to us so that whatever resolutions are reached, whatever recommendations you make; that will become part of the document that we will prepare as we transit and handover to a new incom

The United Nations on Monday advised that Nigeria get it right with the 2023 general elections and must not fail.   The global organisation also stated that the only path for a nation to succeed was through sustainable development which it had been advocating.   The UN Deputy Secretary-General and chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group, Amina Mohammed, stated these in a keynote speech she presented at the Nigerian Bar Association state of the national dialogue, with the theme, ‘Security, economy and administration of justice.’   The PUNCH reported that only three, out of the 18 presidential candidates turned up for the event.   They are Peter Umeadi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance;  Major Hamza Al-Mustapha Hamza of the Action Alliance and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.   “As Africa’s leading economy, with the biggest port of views, and security anchor for our neighbours, Nigeria cannot simply afford to fail”, Mohammed said and reminded the judiciary that a

A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to vacate an order granted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for final forfeiture of her seized assets.   Alison-Madueke, in an originating motion obtained by journalists on Monday, sought an order extending the time within which to seek leave to apply to the court for an order to set aside the public notice issued by the EFCC to conduct a public sale on her property.   The EFCC had planned to conduct a public sale of all assets seized from Alison-Madueke beginning January 9, as contained in its public notice, following various court judgments/orders issued in favour of the commission as final forfeiture orders against the property and personal effects of the former minister.   The ex-minister, in the motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023, dated and filed on January 6, by her lawyer, Dr Mike Ozekhome (SAN), before Justice Inyang Ekwo, sought five orders from the court.  

The Federal Government has narrowed down the number of directors jostling to become the nation’s Accountant-General to seven.   The seven finalists were picked from the 20 shortlisted directors earlier cleared by anti-corruption agencies to contest for the vacant position.   In the first test organised by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation for the 20 shortlisted directors, 10 directors failed.   They scored below 50 per cent, therefore leaving the other 10 that passed in the race.   On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, the 10 qualified directors proceeded to the second stage of the examination which was a test on Information Communication Technology proficiency.   Three directors failed that test, leaving seven others in the race.   The seven left in the race took part in the last stage of the examination which was an oral interview last Thursday.   ''The under-listed candidates are invited to the oral interview stage of the process of appointing a substantive

The European Union Election Observation Mission has said that 100 observers would be deployed for the 2023 polls.   The Chief Observer, EU EOM, Barry Andrews, stated this during the inauguration of the EU EOM to Nigeria 2023 in Abuja on Monday.   Andrews said the EU EOM was deployed by the EU following an invitation from the Independent National Electoral Commission and it started its work on January 11, 2023 with the arrival of a core team of 11 experts with competencies in various aspects of elections.   He also stated that this is the seventh EU EOM to Nigeria since 1999, noting that for the first time in Nigeria, the mission has a dedicated Election Technology Analyst who would be assessing the use of technologies especially the verification of voters and the transmission of results.    Andrews explained “The structure of our team is that we have the Chief Observer, Deputy Chief Observer and we have 11 in our core team and they have been here since January 11. We have an election a

The Minister of Information and Communication, Lai Mohammed, has described the decision of the United States to place visa restrictions on those undermining Nigeria’s democracy, as “right and justified.”   The minister said this during the 20th session of the Presidential Scorecard series, held at the National Press Centre, Abuja on Monday.   Mohammed, who addressed guests before the presentation of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello, said no administration had shown fidelity to the democratic process like the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).   He reiterated that the regime will go ahead with the planned general elections, as opposed to reports of a possible postponement.    He said, “Let me be clear: whatever action is taken against anyone who undermines this democracy that has been watered by the blood of many of our patriots is right and justified.   “For us as a government, we are proud to say that no administration since N

A blast at a mosque inside a police headquarters in Pakistan on Monday killed and wounded worshippers, hospital officials said.   The incident happened during afternoon prayers in the northwestern city of Peshawar near the border with Afghanistan.   An AFP reporter at the scene saw rescue workers carry two dead bodies away in an ambulance. Part of the mosque roof and wall structure had collapsed, and bloodied survivors were limping away from the wreckage.   We have received dead bodies. It’s an emergency situation,” said Muhammad Asim Khan, a spokesman for the main hospital in Peshawar, adding that at least 39 wounded had so far arrived at the facility.   Last March, an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked a minority Shiite mosque in Peshawar killing 64 in Pakistan’s deadliest terror attack since 2018.    

A Federal High Court in Abuja has on Monday dismissed the suit by a former presidential candidate of Hope Democratic Party, Chief Ambrose Owuru, against the election of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), in the 2019 presidential election.   The suit seeking Buhari’s was dismissed by Justice Inyang Ekwo on three grounds.   One of the grounds was that the suit constituted a gross abuse of court process, statute barred and was an affront to the supremacy of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.   The judge also held that the suit was baseless and frivolous.   The PUNCH reports that Owuru had instituted the legal action against Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission.   Owuru, a British-trained constitutional lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984 asked the Federal High Court to declare him as the winner of the poll.   Among other reliefs, he had asked the court to determine the legality or otherwise of the decision by INEC in 2019 during which it postponed t

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has approved the appointment of Brig. General Y.D. Ahmed as the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps.   He would be officially taking over on Monday (today) from Christy Uba, who piloted the affairs of the NYSC for about three months.   Uba, the most senior director, was appointed by the Presidency in an acting capacity following the sacking of Brig. General Mohammed Fadah.   She was the corps’ Director, Information and Communications Technology as of the time she was named the acting DG on November 22, 2022.   The announcement of the new substantive DG was contained in an invite on Uba’s handing over sent to our correspondent on Sunday.   The invite tagged “New DG for NYSC,” read, “I am directed to invite you to the handing over ceremony from the acting DG to the 20th DG of NYSC, Brig Gen YD Ahmed, holding on Monday, January 30, 2023, by 11:30am at the Major Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim Conference Hall, NYSC Headquarters, M

The Department of State Services on Monday said its officers have arrested an undisclosed number of persons involved in the sale of the new naira notes.   The DSS, in a statement on Monday by its spokesman, Peter Afunanya, accused some commercial bank officials of aiding the crime.   The statement was titled, ‘DSS intercepted syndicates selling new currency notes, bank official implicated’.   It read, “The Department of State Services hereby informs the public that it has intercepted some members of organised syndicates involved in the sale of the new redesigned naira notes. In the course of its operations, in this regard in parts of the country, it was also established that some commercial bank officials are aiding the economic malfeasance.   “Consequently, the Service warns the currency racketeers to desist from this ignoble act. Appropriate regulatory authorities are, in this same vein, urged to step up monitoring and supervisory activities to expeditiously address the emerging tren

  Gunmen opened fire on a group of people celebrating a birthday at the weekend in a township in South Africa, killing eight and wounding three others, police said on Monday.   The birthday celebrant was among those gunned down in the mass shooting in the southern port city of Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth.   “The owner of the house was celebrating his birthday when two unknown gunmen entered the yard” on Sunday evening “and started shooting at the guests,” police said in a statement.   The gunmen “randomly shot at guests,” police said, adding “eight people died while three others are still fighting for their lives in hospital. The homeowner is among the deceased”.   The motive of the attack is yet unknown.   Nomthetheleli Mene, the provincial police chief for the Eastern Cape province, condemned the killings as “a blatant disregard for human life”.   An investigation has been launched into the attack and police said a manhunt for the perpetrators was underway.   Shootings are comm

On reaching 100 days in 10 Downing Street this week, Rishi Sunak will double the duration of Liz Truss’s brutally short term as British prime minister.   But, having stabilised panicky financial markets after the calamitous Truss tenure, the Conservative leader has little to celebrate. Double-digit inflation is fuelling a winter of misery for many in Sunak’s Britain.   On Wednesday, the day before his mini-anniversary, up to half a million workers will escalate a rolling series of strikes to shut down schools, railways and other public sectors.   Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer has been portraying the wealthy premier as “weak” and out of touch, as both parties gear up for an election likely next year.   “Is he starting to wonder if this job is just too big for him?” he told the diminutive Sunak in parliament last Wednesday.   The Labour leader was merciless as he ran the rule over Britain’s state of permacrisis since Brexit and the COVID pandemic, and “sleaze” among the Conservat

  The Federal Government says whatever action taken against anyone who undermines the nation’s democracy, watered by the blood of many patriots, is right and justified.   The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this on Monday in Abuja at the 20th edition of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023).   Mohammed was responding to the decision by the United States of America to slam a visa ban on some Nigerians believed to be responsible for, or complicit in undermining democracy in Nigeria.   The decision was announced in a statement recently issued by the The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.   The minister reiterated the position of the Buhari administration to ensure free, fair and credible elections as well as a smooth handover to a successor elected by Nigerians in May 29.   “As a government, we are proud to say that no administration, since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, has sho