The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, on Wednesday inaugurated an ad hoc committee to oversight the implementation of the Federal Government’s Naira-for-Crude Oil policy. Abbas said the step was crucial to ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in one of the country’s most critical policy initiatives in the energy sector. He explained that the committee had been mandated to investigate the policy’s implementation, effectiveness, and inter-agency coordination, stressing that the House expected a thorough, impartial, and well-documented process that would strengthen the economy. “The task before this ad hoc committee requires diligence, courage, and a clear sense…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to begin immediate engagements with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Ogoni people, and other stakeholders to finalise modalities for the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland. The directive followed the presentation of a report by the Presidential Committee on Ogoni Consultations, chaired by Professor Don Baridam, at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday. Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, led the Ogoni delegation to the ceremony. Tinubu also conferred posthumous national honours on four fallen Ogoni leaders, Edward Kobani, Albert Bade, Samuel Orage, and…
Saudi Arabia has appointed Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid as the new Grand Mufti and Head of the Senior Council of Scholars, following the death of the former Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh. Born in 1950 in Buraidah, in the Qassim region, Sheikh bin Humaid later moved to Mecca to complete his secondary education. He went on to study Islamic law at Umm Al-Qura University, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in 1975, his master’s in 1976, and a doctorate in Islamic jurisprudence in 1981, graduating with honors. His academic career has been closely tied to…
The Alliance for Sahel States (AES) – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have announced they will immediately withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), labelling it an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression”. The three military-led countries issued a joint statement, saying they would not recognise the authority of the UN-backed court, based in The Hague. What does this withdrawal mean for the Sahel states? Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, all governed by military-led administrations, have jointly declared their immediate withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), describing the court as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.” In a coordinated statement, the three…
The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) has announced that its flagship OFAB Media Awards (OMAs) are now open to journalists across all African countries. Launched in 2017, the OMAs celebrate accurate, ethical, and impactful journalism that enhances public understanding of agricultural biotechnology — a vital tool in tackling challenges such as climate change, pests, and crop diseases. Recognising shifts in the media landscape, OFAB has also introduced a new category for digital and online media, allowing digital journalists to compete alongside their peers in print, radio, and television. Until now, the OMAs were limited to journalists from OFAB member…
TUC President Festus Osifo has dismissed claims that Nigeria’s state-owned refineries never worked, insisting they were functional but grossly inefficient. Speaking on Politics Today on Tuesday, Osifo said the plants operated, but at a loss. “I’m an engineer of over 20 years. I know a system that works and one that doesn’t. The refineries worked — but not efficiently,” he stated. He explained that the facilities were shut because they were unprofitable.“When you feed crude worth $10 million into a refinery and get products of $9.5 million, you are running at a loss. That was the issue, not inactivity,” Osifo…
Billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, has waded into the dispute between the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Dangote Refinery, urging marketers to restructure and consider acquiring the Port Harcourt Refinery rather than “resisting progress.” In a statement on Monday, Otedola threw his weight behind the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, warning that the old business model of fuel importation and depot operations was obsolete. “What is DAPPMAN fighting for today? To preserve a model built on fuel imports, subsidy exploitation, and outdated infrastructure? That era is fast disappearing,” he said. Otedola said depot operations were originally structured…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has pushed back against remarks made on Monday by U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, where he suggested that paracetamol use in pregnancy and vaccines could cause autism. WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said while a few observational studies had raised concerns, many others found no such link, and overall, the evidence remains inconsistent. “If there were a strong connection, it would have been seen consistently across multiple studies,” Jasarevic explained in a statement on Tuesday. He stressed that medicines in pregnancy should always be used with caution and under medical supervision, especially in the first…
The Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has confirmed the drowning of more than 80 buffaloes in the Chobe River after a stampede triggered by lions. According to ministry spokesperson Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, the incident occurred in the Serondela area when lions chased a herd of buffalo from Botswana into Namibia. The animals fell from a steep cliff into the river, with many tumbling over one another. “The ministry and other law enforcement officials are on site to maintain law and order. The meat will be distributed to nearby communities with the involvement of relevant stakeholders,” Hamunyela said. A similar…
African Heads of State and Government have renewed their call for stronger, sustainable health financing to strengthen Africa’s health sovereignty. The leaders, who met virtually on Tuesday during an Extraordinary Session of the Committee of Heads of State and Government (CHSG) of the Africa CDC, commended the agency’s reforms and progress in tackling health threats across the continent. The session held on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In a communiqué, the leaders reaffirmed Africa CDC’s mandate to provide strategic direction, scale up local manufacturing, pooled procurement, and regulatory harmonisation through the African Medicines Agency (AMA).…