Author: NPO Admin I
Agency Report Nigeria’s public debt stock increased from N87.91 trillion (114.35 billion dollars ) in the third quarter of 2023 to N97.34 trillion (108.23 billion dollars ) in the fourth quarter of 2023. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said this on Tuesday in its Nigerian Domestic and Foreign Debt Report for Q4 2023 released in Abuja. The report said Nigeria’s public debt stock, which included external and domestic debt, grew by 10.73 per cent on a quarter on quarter basis. It said that External debt stood at N38.22 trillion (42.50 billion dollars) in Q4 2023, while domestic debt…
By Kamil Opeyemi The All Progressive Congress has named its committee to oversee the conduct of the governorship primaries in Ondo State. The committee, which has nine members, is to be chaired by Hon. Emma Eneuku. Other members of the committee include Barr Festus Fuanter, Hon. Victor Giadom, Prof Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana, HE Suleiman Argungu, Dr. Mary Alile Idele, Aare Durotolu Oyebode Bankole, Nze Chidi Duru and Mr. Felix Morka. The party charged the committee with the smooth running of the primary election in Ondo state. Voters in the state are expected to go to the polls later this year.
By Kamil Opeyemi The Presidency has made fresh appointments as part of the moves to beef up the Office of the National Security Adviser. The new appointees will head the National Counterterrorism Agency while the other will head the agency for small arms. According to a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media, President Bola Tinubu approved the appointment of new Coordinators for the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). Ngelale said that new Coordinator for the NCTC is Maj.-Gen. Adamu Garba Laka while that…
By Halimah Olamide The Naira experienced a further appreciation at the official market, trading at N1,382.95 to a dollar on Tuesday. Data from the official trading platform of the FMDQ revealed that the Naira strengthened by N25.09 or 1.78 per cent, compared to the previous day’s rate of N1,408 against the dollar. However, the total turnover increased to $245.58 million on Tuesday, up from $222.15 million recorded on Monday. At the Investor’s and Exporters’ (I&E) window, the Naira traded between N1,486 and N1,300 against the dollar. The Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) had, earlier on Tuesday at its 294th Monetary Policy…
Agency Report The Super Eagles were given a reality check by Mali’s Les Aigles as they succumbed to a 0-2 defeat in a friendly game in Marrakech, Morocco on Tuesday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rare win by the Malians against Nigeria was their first in 49 years. Goals by El Bilal Toure and Kamory Doumbia sealed the win for Mali. The last time Mali defeated the Super Eagles was on Sept. 5, 1975, also in a friendly which ended 4-1. Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Eagles were unbeaten in eight straight fixtures against the…
By Halimah Olamide A critical staff audit is imminent in Cross River state as Government said it will probe the sudden bloat in in the state’s workforce. Government said it is worried that within a spate of 8 years, the state workforce increased from about 18,000 to the present 56,358. The state Head of Service (HoS), Dr Innocent Eteng, made the clarification at a news conference in Calabar on Tuesday. Eteng said that Gov. Bassey Otu was worried and had expressed concern with the high cost of paying government employees’ salaries. He said that the huge number of government…
By Halimah Olamide President Bola Tinubu has assured the Judiciary arm of government of a review of the conditions of service. He said it remains unacceptable to him that the Judiciary has one of the most unrewarding compensation for its assignments. He spoke on Tuesday when hosting stakeholders in the judiciary led by the Chief Justice of the Federation Olukayode Ariwoola. The President pledged that his administration would continue to implement necessary reforms to improve the welfare and working conditions of judicial officers. ”I recognize that the judiciary has one of the most unrewarded responsibilities. They are yet to modernize…
By Halimah Olamide President Bola Tinubu has said kidnappers and terrorists must be given the same treatments if the country is to end what he called a vicious cycle. The president condemned what he called “the reprehensible acts perpetrated by kidnappers across the country” declaring that individuals involved in such despicable crimes must be treated as terrorists. Speaking at a Ramadan dinner with members of the Federal judiciary led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Tinubu restated the government’s resolve to defeat banditry. He said those who resort to kidnapping children are cowards, incapable of confronting…
By Yetunde Yekini-Oropo Social media influencer Martins Otse popularly called Very Dark Man has been released from police custody. His lawyer had two days ago said that Otse had met all his bail conditions and his release was matter of time. VDM, as he is called, was picked up by the police on the strength of a petition allegedly written against him by the duo of Tonto Dikeh and Iyabo Ojo. The social media activist was also accused of insinuating that the Inspector General of Police was having affairs with cross gender influencer Bobrisky. Other social media influencers had mounded…
By Kamil Opeyemi The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said it has presented another prosecution witness, Popoola Olayiwola, a staff of the Debt Management Office, DMO, against Mamman Nasir Ali and Christian Taylor, under prosecution for an alleged N2.2bn oil subsidy fraud. They were arraigned alongside Nasaman Oil Services Limited on amended 49-count charges bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos. The court said this is contrary to Section 8 and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act…