Aviation unions have commenced their two-day warning strike, disrupting activities in the sector today. Members of the unions have blocked entrance to the Murtala Muhammad Airport domestic terminal, leaving many passengers stranded. The strike is happening after the meeting called by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) ended in a stalemate with the unions insisting on going ahead with the strike. The Director-General, Civil Aviation, Capt. Musa Nuhu, called the meeting aimed at prevailing on the unions to shelve their planned two-day warning strike with representatives of the unions in attendance. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole…
Author: meridianspy
The federal government will pay N5,000 to 10 million households for six months as palliative for removing petrol subsidy after June. Reports that the amount is N50 billion per month and reaches N300bn with $800m (N371.6bn at CBN N464/$1 rate) World Bank loan to fund the project. The Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, explained this at the Nigerian briefing on the sideline of the World Bank/ International Monetary Fund spring meetings in Washington DC, yesterday. Zainab also said the $800m has been negotiated and approved by the Federal Executive Council, and is now before the parliament…
The crisis rocking the Labour Party in Imo State took another turn when two factions of the party produced different governorship flag bearers, Senator Athan Achonu and Ikechukwu Ukaegbu, in the parallel primary elections held over the weekend. Ukaegbu emerged winner in an affirmative election where one of the aspirants, Ihechi Ike, stepped down for him. The National Vice chairman of the party, North East, Mohammed Ibrahim Alkali, who represented the acting National Chairman of the party, Lamido Apapa, who announced him winner and handed the flag of the party to him noted that the election conducted had followed due…
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari to publish his assets declaration form before leaving office on May 29. SERAP also urged him to encourage Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and high-ranking officials of the incoming administration to also promptly publish their assets to date. In an open letter on Sunday signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged Buhari to emulate the good example of the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua, who consistently published his asset declaration forms as president and…
Housing industry experts are advocating for the establishment of an independent Ministry of Housing in order to guarantee the efficient development and execution of appropriate policies. They argued that the separation of housing from works ministry became necessary owing to the government’s failure to bridge the housing gap in the country in the past four years. According to the Executive Secretary of the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria, Toye Eniola, housing requires serious attention and reasonable concentration on its activities will bring about the desired change. He said, “At this point, separation seems to be the best option.…
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State paid a courtesy visit to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Saturday. The visit comes at a time the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers is having a running battle with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which Wike represents. Gbajabiamila was among the APC chieftains that Wike warmed up to after falling out with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the PDP in the February 25 presidential poll. The nation’s number four citizen had commissioned some projects executed by Wike’s administration. It’s unclear if their meeting was about the race to…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it arrested 12 persons for alleged vote buying in Saturday’s supplementary polls in Kano and Katsina States. The EFCC Kano Zonal Commander, Faruk Dogondaji, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview that the suspects were arrested with N1.5 million cash in Kano and Katsina States. According to him, 10 were arrested in Doguwa Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano State and two in Kankiya LGA of Katsina State. Dogondaji said that the suspects were arrested while attempting to induce eligible voters with cash in some polling units. He said…
Senator Dino Melaye has been announced winner of the gubernatorial primary election of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi state. Dino who represented Kogi West in the Senate won the primary election conducted on Sunday with a comfortable margin. Dino polled 317 votes to defeat Illona with 124 votes. Former Deputy Governorship candidate, Yomi Awoniyi, got 77 votes while the 2019 candidate, Musa Wada, polled 56 votes. Dino will come up against Ahmed Ododo who won the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket on Saturday in the November 11 election. Details later.
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State won the three remaining seats in the House of Assembly while All Progressives Congress claim the remaining ticket in the House of Representatives in the supplementary poll held on Saturday. In the Edo House of Assembly election, PDP’s Destiny Enabulele, Natasha Osawaru, and Uyi Omosigho were declared winners in Ovia Southwest, Egor and Oredo East constituencies respectively. In the supplementary election in the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde federal constituency of Edo State, APC’s Chief Billy Osawaru emerged victorious. INEC, on March 21, declared as inconclusive, the March 18 Edo House of Assembly election in Ovia…
In connection with the alleged attempt to kidnap Tiwa Savage, the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, Ikoyi in Lagos, announced Tuesday that it has detained a number of people. CSP Oluniyi Ogundeyi, the department’s spokeswoman, confirmed this to news reporters in Lagos. Reports claimed that the news of the attempt to kidnap the musician broke out on Friday through social media. The reports revealed that the musician’s private security vigilance and the Nigerian police saved her from the suspects. It gathered that the failed plot was allegedly planned by Savage’s new domestic staff, who had been entrusted…
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) resident electoral commissioner in Adamawa, Yunusa Ari, has sparked controversy in the state’s governorship race. On Sunday morning, the INEC REC announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election. His announcement has elicited protests from members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Before the collation of exercise was suspended on Saturday night, results from 10 LGAs had been announced — and Binani was trailing Ahmadu Fintiri, the incumbent governor and PDP candidate. The collation of results of the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence…
The Nigerian Air Force says the Federal Government is working towards taking delivery of the 12 AH-1Z cobra attack helicopters being procured from the United States. The Federal Government had paid about $1bn for the helicopters to combat insecurity. The spokesperson for NAF, Commodore Ayodele Famuyiwa, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Thursday that the equipment would assist the military in fighting insecurity. The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency had said in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria – AH-1Z Attack Helicopter Related FMS Acquisitions’, that the estimated cost was $997m and that the sale would better equip Nigeria to…