The official driver of President Muhammadu Buhari, Master Warrant Officer Saidu Afaka, has died. A statement by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said Mr Afaka died at the State House Clinic on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. The president extends heartfelt condolences to the family of Afaka on the passing of Mr Afaka. President Buhari, who also commiserates with the Government and people of Kaduna State, described the late Afaka as an honest, capable and reliable person who handled his job with utmost care and responsibility. The president recalls that in 2016 the soldier, while on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, picked…
Author: Editor
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the global economy is projected to grow at six per cent in 2021, moderating to 4.4 per cent in 2022. The April 2021 World Economic Outlook (WEO) was presented on Tuesday in Washington D.C. by Gita Gopinath, the fund’s Chief Economist at the ongoing IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings which began on Monday. The report said that the projection was coming after an estimated contraction of –3.3 per cent in 2020. The IMF said that the contraction for 2020 was 1.1 percentage points smaller than projected in the October 2020 WEO. This, it said reflected…
Worried by the prolonged inaction by Government, the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG on Monday reached out to the estranged peasant parents of the 32 students of Agric Mechanization Institute, Kaduna who have been abandoned in captivity for more than three weeks now. The meeting, attended by parents of the captives, fellow students and a delegation of the CNG Kaduna state chapter led by its National Director of Action and Mobilization, Aminu Adam, was held in the premises of the Institute at Mando. In a statement by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman on Tuesday, the group expressed sympathy with the parents…
The Kaduna state government, says suspected bandits have killed eight people and injured four in separate attacks in Kajuru and Kachia local government areas of the state. Mr Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner Security and Home Affairs, confirmed the killings in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna. Aruwan said in one incident, bandits barricaded the Kaduna-Kachia road around Kadanye village in Kajuru LGA, and opened fire on a bus, as well as a truck carrying firewood. “Five people were killed in the attack while three people were injured and are currently receiving treatment in hospital,” he said. He also said that…
Kenyan security personnel on Tuesday, launched a security operation against bandits in northwestern counties of Baringo, Laikipia and Turkana that were inhabited by pastoralists. George Natembeya, the Rift Valley regional commissioner, said multiple attacks in the troubled region forced the state to carry out an operation to weed out criminals and retrieve illegal firearms in the hands of the civilians. Natembeya said the government early this month suspended an operation to mop up guns from residents in the volatile northwest counties after local leaders called for a ceasefire. He said interventions by political leaders who had requested for a one…
Kano state government says has slashed March salaries of political office holders by 50 per cent due to dwindling resources. The state commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the action was due to shortfall in the revenue accruing to the state from the federation account. He said the decision affected the governor, deputy governor and all public office holders in the state that included all commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistant, among others. Garba said that at the local government level, the salary slash affected the chairmen, vice-chairmen, elected…
Extra-ordinary due diligence were followed in handling the payment of the $3.2 million Paris Club refund judgment. The Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, made this known while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja. Malami was responding to reports churned out especially by online media purportedly alleging “pushing for payment of”’ contradictory and incongruous figures regarding judgment debt and Paris Club refund. The judgment debt was based on the action instituted by some affected local governments and ALGON against Federal Government of Nigeria in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13 – LINAS International LTD & 235 ORS V. Federal government of Nigeria &…
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved the third tranche of grants for debt service relief for 28 member countries under the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT). This is according to a statement issued by the fund in Washington D.C. on Monday. It said that the approval followed two prior tranches approved on April 13 and October 2, 2020. The CCRT provides grants for debt service relief to countries hit by catastrophic events, including public health disasters such as COVID-19. According to the fund, the approval enables the disbursement of grants from the CCRT for…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, appointed the Deputy Inspector-General, DIG, Usman Alkali Baba as Acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP. The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, announced the appointment to State House correspondents in Abuja. Baba takes over from Muhammad Adamu, whose three months tenure extension by Buhari generated nationwide controversy, leading some disgruntled Nigerians to challenge the president’s action in courts.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug baron, Sami Ashoko with 100bags of drugs weighing 1,095.3 kilogrammes in Nasarawa State. State Commander, NDLEA, Mr Justice Arinze disclosed this in a statement by the spokesperson of agency, Mr Femi Babafemi made available to ASHENEWS on Tuesday. Arinze said it was, indeed, a bleak Easter for the most wanted drug baron in Nasarawa State, adding that he spent the festive season in custody. Arinze said Ashoko, 39, who hailed from Ibilo in Akoko Edo area of Edo state, was arrested in Shinge, Lafia, based on actionable intelligence.…