Author: darelasisi@gmail.com

Following her conviction by an FCT High Court over the alleged killing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, Maryam Sanda has approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, asking the court to set aside the verdict and acquit her. Sanda, who was sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Yusuf Halilu on Jan. 27, said the trial judge “was tainted by bias and prejudices.” According to her, this led to the denial of her right to fair hearing and her consequent conviction based on circumstantial evidence despite the reasonable doubt that was created by evidence of witnesses, lack of confessional statement,…

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja Taxpayers who have slipped into willful or inadvertent dormancy have been charged to resume their payment of relevant federal taxes to avoid paying the steep penalties for tax default contained in the 2019 Finance Act. Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami, gave this charge in Lagos on Thursday as he concluded his public enlightenment and sensitization tour of the South-West. According to him, “under the 2019 Finance Act, penalty for default in tax payment has been increased from N20,000 in some cases to as high as N50,000 in the first instance and N25,000…

By Harry Awurumibe, State House, Abuja Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma has disclosed that his state is currently in financial distress even as he said that Imo has become an educational backward state. Speaking to State House Correspondents today (Thursday) in Abuja after paying a courtesy visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at Presidential Villa, Uzodinma revealed that Imo State Government under his watch has no money to carry out its basic functions hence he has come to plead with President Buhari to see the wisdom to grant his request for the Federal Government to refund Imo state the sum of…

Internal wrangling has divided members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where a faction inaugurated its new executive leaders of the party in Adamawa. Inaugurating the new leaders on Thursday in Yola, the PDP factional leader in the state, Dr Umar Ardo, said the decision was taken to express their dissatisfaction over the leadership of the party in the state. Ardo alleged that the way and manner PDP affairs were been conducted in the state and maltreatment of members pushed them to inaugurate their own members after consultation with the national headquarters of the party. “We expressed with dismay…

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate in the 2019 General Elections, Mr Jimi Agbaje, has debunked allegations that he was a mole of the All Progressive Congress (APC) during the polls. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos that all the allegations against him during the last general election were political gimmicks employed to ridicule him. Agbaje spoke with NAN on the sidelines of the maiden Voice of Reason Goke Omisore Lecture, with the theme: “Restructuring; Building a Knowledge-Based Society,” held at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos. “There were many things said. I was accused…

The Federal Government says President Muhammadu Buhari will not resign because he has the overwhelming mandate of Nigerians to preside over the affairs of the country until the expiration of his tenure in May 2023. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated this at a media briefing in Abuja, Mohammed was reacting to “diversionary statements by some commentators , especially political and religious leaders” calling for Buhari’s resignation over purported spate of insecurity. The minister conceded that the country was facing security challenges but they were being tackled headlong. “There have been some red herrings in recent…

The FCT administration will not hesitate to revoke or sanction any property owner in the Federal Capital Territory that fails to pay his or her Ground Rents. The Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Jalo, disclosed this in an interaction with newsmen on Thursday in his office at No. 4, Peace Drive, Central Business District, Abuja. The Director said that the FCT Administration has arrived at this decision after several public enlightenments and warnings to property owners in the Territory to settle their outstanding Ground Rents failed to yield the desired results. Dr. Jalo…

The Senate on Thursday mandated its committees on National Planning, Finance and Appropriation to organise a roundtable with all agencies in budgeting process to come up with a robust national planning and budgeting process. The Senate notes that the roundtable will guide the future development of the country. The resolution was sequel to a motion sponsored by Sen. Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra) during plenary. The motion is entitled “The need to Establish a Visionary Budget-Driven National Planning Framework for Nigeria” and was co-sponsored by five senators. Moving the motion, Oduah explained that in the last years, Nigeria had developed several national…

The Federal Government on Thursday announced that the two runways at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos have now been calibrated for CAT III ILS and safe for international flights landing. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who made the announcement at a media briefing in Abuja said the Notice to Airmen (NOTAP) had been sent out to that effect. He recalled that in recent times, some international flights billed for the airport were being diverted to other airports within and outside the country due to adverse weather conditions at the airport. The minister apologised to Nigerians and other travelers who had…

Gov Darius Ishaku of Taraba on Thursday approved the appointment of Dr Danjuma Garba as the Director General of Taraba AIDS Control Agency (TACA). The appointment was announced in a press statement by Alhaji Hassan Mijinyawa, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor. According to the statement, Garba, who had worked with the World Bank Financial Projects for over 15 years, had garnered enough experience to take the agency to the greater heights. It said that Garba, a fellow of West College of African Physicians, holds MBBS from University of Maiduguri and Masters degree in Public Health from university of…