Author: darelasisi@gmail.com

Nigeria’s Supreme Court Wednesday, dismissed the appeal filed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential election of February 23, 2019. A 7-man panel led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, dismissed Atiku’s appeal for lacking in merit, CHANNELS TV reports. Justice Muhammad, who spoke on behalf of other Justices stated that members of the panel had read all the documents and exhibits filed in the case for about a fortnight, within which the panel discovered that the appeal was lacking in merit.…

National Economic Council (NEC) says Nigeria is making conscious efforts toward achieving polio certification by the year 2020. The information was conveyed by Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra, while briefing State House correspondents after the NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said that the major highlights were updates on disease control efforts by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire. He added that “Nigeria is steadily progressing toward polio certification by June 2020; despite the progress, there is still work to be done to sustain the current polio gains and stop the…

Since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999, Deputy Governors have always tended to have issues with their bosses, that is the Governors, and the Governors in turn have often had problems with their Godfathers. Whatever shape the conflict takes, it has been more of a blight on our democratic process and the health of the polity.  Mini-dictators converting a democratic dispensation into an opportunity for self-aggrandizement and childish power games end up hurting us all. As Governor of Anambra state in 2003, Chris Ngige, now Minister of Labour and Productivity, had problems with a certain Godfather known as Chris Uba.…

On Monday October 21, I attended the 7th Convocation Ceremonies and 10th Founder’s Day Celebrations of the Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti and the conferment of honorary degrees on four prominent Nigerians. Those honoured were, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammsd Sa’ad Abubakar III,CFR, the Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbogidi), Prof. Anthony O. Adegbulugbe, Chairman/CEO, Green Energy International Limited—a serial Entrepreneur and an Energy expert and Asiwaju Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State. It was a great occasion. Expectedly the orator had nice things to say about the honourary…

Justice Tanko Mohammed, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on Wednesday led five other Justices of the Supreme Court to hear about six appeals in the case filed by the PDP and  its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Feb. 23 poll. The other Justices are Bode Viviour, Olukayode Ariowola, Amiru Sanusi, Ejembi Eko and Uwani Aba-Aji.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that 28 million bank customers have never received loans from their banks. Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability Directorate, CBN, Aisha Ahmad, said this while speaking at the 4th National Fintech Conference, in Lagos. Lamenting the huge financial access gap in the country especially in terms of access to credit, she said: “Out of 40 million Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) and about 12 million have credit history and that gap is to be looked at. “Yes, 63.2 per cent of Nigerians are financially included but financial inclusion is not inclusion itself it is…

ABUJA – The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, is leading a seven-man panel to hear the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar challenging the election of President Muhammadu Buhari. Recall that Mr Buhari won the 2019 presidential election but Mr Abubakar is challenging the victory handed to the former by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. To join the CJN on the panel are Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Olukayode Ariwoola, John Okoro, Aminu Sanusi, Ejembi Eko and Uwani Abba-ji. At the opening of proceedings, the apex court stood down Atiku’s appeal…

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja The Federal Government has appointed a three-man Interim Management Committee(IMC) to oversee the operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). According to a statement by Head, Press & Public Relations, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Patricia Deworiitshe in Abuja on Tuesday, the IMC would be in place to create the enabling environment for the upcoming forensic audit. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio while performing the inauguration said President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the appointment of Dr. Gbene Joi Nunieh as the new Acting Managing Director, while Dr. Cairo Ojougboh is the…

ABUJA – Less than 24 hours after the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan read at the Senate plenary session a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari requesting for the Senate to screen and confirm the 16-member NDDC Board, the Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio has also set-up an Interim Management Committee to take-over from Mrs. Akwagaga’s interim Management of NDDC, which was constituted in August. After reading the letter from President Buhari, the Senate President referred the names of the 16-member NDDC Board to the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs to carry out the screening and…

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele on Tuesday disclosed that smuggling of textiles goods alone costs the nation an import bill of over $4.0billion annually. According to the Governor, this has led to a situation where most of the textile factories, stopped operations thus reducing their workforce from about two million to less than 20,000 people. Emefiele made the assertions in his welcome address at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding Between:National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) and Ginning Companies; Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association and Armed Forces of Nigeria, Nigeria…