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President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday ordered State Governors to pay workers before Christmas. The President gave the order while meeting with the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Basir Ahmad, made the disclosure in a tweet via his twitter handle while the meeting was ongoing. According to Ahmad, “President Muhammadu Buhari during the meeting with state governors, charged them to ensure that they pay all the salaries owed workers before Christmas.” Details shortly

The ex-VP also said that the ruling party has failed the youths of Nigeria. He said “How can we have a federal cabinet without even one single youth? “A party that does not take the youth into account is a dying party. The future belongs to young people.” The former VP said this in a statement which he released to newsmen on Friday, November 24, 2017. Atiku, in his letter, also declared that he is leaving the ruling APC. The ex-VP also accused the APC of clamping down on all forms of democracy within the party and the government. Atiku also said that the APC has failed Nigerians, adding that the party is making the same mistake PDP made. He said “While other parties have purged themselves of the arbitrariness and unconstitutionality that led to fractionalization, the All Progressives Congress has adopted those same practices and even gone beyond them to institute a regime of a draconian clampdown on all forms of democracy within the party and the government it ...

   By Morenike Taire In the heady days    of the dawn of the 4th   republic when governor elect of Adamawa state, Atiku Abubakar, was forced to consign that office to the dustbin of strategy in order to take up the PDP’s vice presidential ticket that would catapult him to Aso Rock; things appeared to be rather straightforward. Musa Yaradua, great friend and ally of General Olusegun Obasanjo, was also the political godfather of Atiku. Political analysts had considered it only fair that Yaradua’s godson would govern in his stead, in the country for whom he died. Obasanjo’s clout was global and far reaching, and few men boasted the unique ability as he did at the time to stabilize a hurting nation, smarting still from the    wounds inflicted on it from the wrestle to take power back from the military. And having governed as head of state before, it was permutated that Obasanjo would relinquish power after a term and it would be a seamless...

The Niger Delta Renaissance Organisation Akwa Ibom Chapter has called on the people of Ikot Abasi Local government to elect Mr. Victor Benjamin Udokpo as the next Council Chairman. The group through a press statement signed by its Akwa Ibom Chairman said Mr. Udokpo is the best candidate for the local government ahead of the council polls. While urging the people of the local government to be peaceful during the course of the election, Comrade Benjamin Etuk said the was satisfied with the preparations towards the elections. He also advised officials of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission to be up and doing during the elections. “I want to send an advice to the Akwa Ibom Independent Electoral Commission to be of good conduct during the course of the elections. The people of the state want to see a free and fair election   they should not be deprived of such opportunity” the statement said. On the choice of Victor Udokpo the statement said he is a...

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Wednesday, effected a minor change in the State Executive Council. Mr. Emmanuel sacked his Commissioner for Education, Paul Udofia, whom he replaced with Victor Inoka, a professor. The governor announced the creation of a new ministry, the Ministry of Labour, Productivity and Manpower Planning. Ibanga Akpabio, a lawyer, has been assigned to the new ministry. The new commissioners were sworn-in yesterday at the Government House, Uyo. The Commissioner, Ministry of Labour, Productivity and Manpower Planning, Mr. Akpabio, a relative of the former governor of the state, Godswill Akpabio, was the vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state before his latest appointment. Mr. Akpabio, who is the Senate Minority Leader, was present during the swearing-in of the new commissioners. Although Governor Emmanuel did not give reason why he sacked the education commissioner, people who are closed to the governm...

These are photos from the Book presentation of the Mid -term score card on the President Muhamadu Buhari Administration; ''Making Steady,Sustainable Progress for Nigeria's Peace and Prosperity''at the Presidential Villa,Abuja On November 16,2017 (L-R) Fmr. Min. of Information and Culture, Tony Momoh; Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdurazak Namsa; APC National Leader, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Northern Chairman APC, John Oyegun; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; and SGF, Boss Mustapha during the book presentation at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. 16th November, 2017. Photos: NOVO ISIORO. PHOTOS: NOVO ISIORO.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been placed in Pot 4 ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup draw billed for Friday, December 1 in Russia. The pots were announced by FIFA on their official website on Thursday. It was confirmed in September, by the Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions, that all teams will be allocated to (eight-team) pots 1 to 4 based on sporting principles. Following Peru’s qualification, all 32 teams are now officially qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and as such, the pots that will determine the groups can now be presented in full. Australia will go directly into pot four because they occupy a position in the FIFA rankings that is lower than every single member of pot three. Serbia, Nigeria, Japan, Morocco, Panama, South Korea and Saudi Arabia make up the rest of pot four. The final draws for the group stages will take place on Friday, December 1st at Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace.

Four people, suspected to be involved in the August killings at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, were, yesterday, arraigned before an Anambra State Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Ozubulu.  During the church shooting in August, 13 persons were killed, while about 22 were injured.  The suspects— Great Chinedu Akpunonu, 44; Vincent Ike, 57; Chukwudi Ugwu, 30, and Onyebuchi Mbanefo, 46— were arraigned on a 37-count charge bordering on conspiracy and murder, while three others are still at large.  Among the persons invited as witnesses were Aloysius Ikegwuonu, a South African-based businessman, whose father was killed in the attack; the Parish Priest of St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, and six others.  Mr. Okechukwu Ikenna, counsel for the first defendant, Akpunonu, sought the leave of the court for medical treatment of his client, who he said was “s...

Umar Ardo, former Special Assistant to ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Local Government and State Affairs, has said ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo will fight Abubakar should the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, field him during the 2019 Presidential election. The former Presidential aide maintained that Abubakar’s return to the PDP will lead to the eruption of enemies. Speaking with journalists in Abuja, on Tuesday, the PDP Chieftain stressed that the PDP was better off without the former Vice President. According to Ardo, “Along with the friends that Atiku will be coming with to the party is also those that will bring up enemies. “For instance, it is an open secret and everybody knows it that Obasanjo will fight him. “I think I will conclude that PDP will be better off without Atiku coming back.” Ardo was earlier reported to have said the return of Waziri of Adamawa would lead to conflict within the party and turn party members against themselves. ...

Budget size: N8.612 trillion (16 % higher than 2017 estimates) Assumptions, projections • Benchmark crude oil price-US$45 per barrel • Oil production estimate – 2.3 million barrels per day • Exchange rate – N305/US$ for 2018 • Real GDP growth of 3.5 per cent • Inflation Rate of 12.4 per cent Expenditure Estimates The proposed aggregate expenditure of N 8.612 trillion (16 per cent above 2017 budget estimate) will comprise • Recurrent Costs of N3.494 trillion • Debt Service of N2.014 trillion • Statutory Transfers of about N456 billion • Sinking Fund of N220 billion (to retire maturing bond to local contractors) • Capital Expenditure of N2.428 trillion (excluding the capital component of statutory transfers). Recurrent Expenditure A substantial part of the recurrent cost proposal for 2018 is for the payment of salaries and overheads in key ministries providing critical public services such as: • N510.87 billion fo...