The Nigerian Army has appointed Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima as its Director of Public Relations. Yerima replaces Brig.-Gen. Sagir Musa, who has been redeployed to the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC), Kontagora in Niger State. According to the profile released by the Army Headquarters, Yerima is a graduate of Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University. He enrolled into the Nigerian Army in October 1989 and was commissioned into the Corps of Army Public Relations. He served in various military formations and units such as Aide De Camp to the Commander Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) between 1990 and 1993. Yerima was…
Author: Editor
A former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Babakusa, who is standing trial for $2.2 billion alleged fraud, has tested positive for COVID-19. The defence counsel, Mr Obinna Mbata, informed the court that Babakusa was unfortunately absent in court because he tested positive for COVID-19. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Babakusa, alongside a former National Security Adviser (NSA), rtd, Col. Sambo Dasuki, Acacia firms, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited with a 32 counts bordering on misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, dishonest release and receiving various sums of money. Mbata said …
African finance ministers have called for 500 billion U.S. dollars in Special Drawing Right (SDR) and an extension in the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The call was made during a virtual meeting convened by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Feb. 6, according to a statement from ECA on Tuesday. According to an IMF Factsheet, the SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement its member countries’ official reserves. So far, SDR 204.2 billion, equivalent to about 281 billion dollars, have…
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will on Tuesday in his hometown, Ikenne, Ogun State, participate in the membership revalidation exercise of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, disclosed this in media advisory issued in Abuja. The vice president will be received by Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and other party functionaries and members in the state. President Muhammadu Buhari also recently in Daura, Katsina State revalidated his APC membership status. NAN
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kano – Dutse – Jibia (Katsina State} – Maradi 284 Km rail project connecting Kano in Nigeria to Maradi in Niger Republic, virtually. The $1.96 billion project was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by the president last September. The project, believed to be crucial to rail development in Nigeria and in the West African sub-region, is being executed by Mota-Engil Group, a multinational engineering and construction company. The project, with 15 stations along the corridor, is expected to be completed in the next three years…
The police in Osun on Tuesday confirmed the release of three Chinese miners kidnapped at Akere Village near Ifewara in Atakumosa West Local Government Area of the state. The spokesperson for the state police command, SP Yemisi Opalola, said that the miners were released on Sunday. Opalola said that the abductors set them free when they realised that the police were closing in on them. She said that no arrest had been made in connection with the incident. The three miners were abducted on Feb. 1. NAN
The African Diaspora Congress (ADC) on Monday expressed mixed feelings on the re-election of Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat, as African Union Commission Chairperson. Prof. Apollos Nwauwa, Secretary-General of ADC and Chairman of Nigerian Diaspora Movement (NDM), made this known in a telephone interview in Abuja. ADC is a coalition of the various groups and concerned citizens from Africa and Africa Diaspora. Nwauwa said although Mahamat’s election was based on equitable regional representation, gender- parity, predictable rotation, attracting and retaining Africa’s top talent, accountable leadership and transparent and merit-based selection, ADC saw things differently. “The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC’s) President,…
A former Head of the Economics Department, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun, Prof. Evans Osabuhien, has appealed to the Federal Government to intensify effort at repairing the nation’s four refineries. Osabuhien made the appeal in an interview on Tuesday in Ota. He spoke while reacting to a statement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that the pump price of petrol was likely to get to N190 per little as the price of crude oil hit 60 dollars per barrel in the international market. Nigerian oil marketers on Monday said that petrol might sell for N200 per litre. Osabuhien noted that there…
Hong Kong’s top court on Tuesday ordered media and business mogul Jimmy Lai charged with fraud and colluding with foreign forces to stay behind bars, media reports said. The court’s decision was attributed to National Security Law, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Earlier, a judge had released him on an HK Dollar 10 million bond ($1.29 million) bail. As per the new rulings, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung said the earlier order was an erroneous interpretation of key provisions in the National Security Law. However, he said Lai might apply for bail once again at the High…
Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office has opened a probe into ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results, reports said. The probe is viewed as a step that could lead to a criminal investigation by state and local authorities. Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, had faced calls to open a probe after Trump was recorded in a Jan. 2 phone call pressuring Raffensperger to overturn the state’s election results. Trump’s calls were based on unfounded voter fraud claims, as events that followed later proved. “The Secretary of State’s office investigates complaints it receives,” said Walter Jones,…