Author: Abimbola Ogunaike

The Edo State Assets Verification Committee, set up by the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, disclosed that it has uncovered how the contract sum for a road project in the state was inflated from N8 billion to N16 billion by the immediate past government of Godwin Obaseki. Recall that the contract sum for the 17.5-kilometer road project was inflated thrice within a year. The Sub-committee on Physical Assets and Infrastructure of the Verification Committee discovered the inflation during an inspection of the reconstruction of the Benin-Abraka Road Phase 1C. The contract was awarded to Nsik Engineering Company Limited on 16 May,…

The Nigerian Senate on Thursday, 12 December, 2024 issued a warrant of arrest against the management of construction company, Julius Berger, for snubbing its invitation on several occasions. The Senate’s resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West, expressing concern over Julius Berger’s repeated failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Works. The lawmaker noted that Julius Berger has many failed contracts littered all over the country, stressing that there was need to investigation the development. However, according to him, the company is taking the Senate for granted. Making reference to the power of Senate…

The Nigerian Senate on Thursday, 12 December, 2024 called for a thorough probe into the recent demolitions in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. This is as the red chamber set up an investigative committee to look into the matter and report back to it within a specified timeframe. The committee also invited the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to appear before it to explain the reasons behind the demolitions, which have left many residents without homes. The motion, moved by Ireti Kingibe, representing the FCT, expressed worry over the demolition of structures in the nation’s capital. Kingibe also called for an…

Vice President, Kasim Shettima, has mourned the death of two students of Borno State University, BOSU, killed in a fatal road accident involving the school’s bus and a Dangote Cement truck on Wednesday, 11 December, 2024. Stanley Nkwocha, the spokesman to the VP, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, 12 December, 2024. “The loss of these bright, young lives is not just a loss for their families but a loss for Borno State and our nation. “These graduates embodied hope, promise, and aspirations of a brighter future. Their untimely departure leaves an irreplaceable void,” the statement said.

Dangote truck on Wednesday, 11 December, 2024 crushed two students of Borno State University, BOSU, to death in a motor accident in the Jimtilo area along the Maiduguri-Damaturu road. The Information and Public Relations Officer of the university, Abba A. Massa, confirmed that the incident occurred on Wednesday, 11 December, 2024. According to Massa, several students sustained various degrees of injuries and were evacuated to Umaru Shehu Hospital, Maiduguri and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. “The students, a male final-year student and a female part-two student, lost their lives when a truck belonging to Dangote, traveling at high speed, lost…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Elder statesman and Chairman of the influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos State, Prince Tajudeeen Oluyole Olusi, CON, has called on Nigerians to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his efforts make the country better and turn the economy around, reports thegazellenews.com While admitting the current harsh economic situation in the country, Prince Olusi said the pain is temporary noting that without hardship, there would be no comfort. He urged Nigerians to be “patient and endure. Very soon things will turn around for good for all of us.” Prince Olusi stated this while speaking at…

The Police prosecuting counsel has opposed the appearance of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeyinka Olumide-Fasuka in the ongoing criminal defamation case against a human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi. Thegazellenews.com reports that Farotimi is currently facing charges before the Ekiti State Magistrate Court over alleged defamation of a legal luminary, Afe Babalola in his book, titled, ‘ Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. Afe Babalola The police counsel, Samson Osobu on Tuesday, 10 December, 2024 during the ongoing proceeding, informed the court that the SAN under the law could not take over a suit for Farotimi at the…

The House of Representatives has expressed concern over the ongoing cash scarcity in commercial banks across the country, just as it also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to address the situation which has imposed significant hardship on Nigerians. In a motion brought under Matters of Urgent Public Importance by Uguru Emmanuel, the House highlighted the severe economic and social implications of the cash scarcity, which has left many Nigerians unable to access funds even for basic needs. According to Emmanuel, while economic growth relies heavily on consumer spending and business investment, the persistent cash shortage has become…

Operatives of the Kano State Police Command have arrested three suspects with Counterfeit Foreign Currencies equivalent to N100.5 billion Naira. Parading the suspects, the Command Public Relations Officer, CPS, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the Money which was in Dollars and other Foreign Currencies, included $3,366,000, CFA51,970,000, N1,443,000 and three live ammunition. The suspects, Muhammad Abdullahi, Muhammad Muktahr, and Nura Ibrahim, confessed to the crime but refused to disclose the source or where the fake currencies were printed. One of the suspects, Nura Ibrahim claimed they got the fake currencies from Lagos, while Muhammad Muktahr insisted he was lured into the…

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has presented the 2025 Appropriation Bill of N750, 282, 200,000.00 to the Abia State House of Assembly for consideration and passage. The governor while presenting the budget before the Emmanuel Emeruwa-led House of Assembly, said his administration has been disciplined in the management of the 2024 budget which he said was utilized to transform the state in various sectors. In the proposed 2025 Abia State budget, N611.7 billion, representing 82 percent, will go to capital projects while N138.6 billion representing 18 percent, will be channelled to recurrent expenditure even as education and health got lion…