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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has commended the peaceful resolution of the House of Representatives leadership crisis, which until now, had bogged down the activities of the House. In a statement released by his Media Office in Abuja on Wednesday, 29 July, the former Vice President recalled that the amicable outcome of the tension was in line with his earlier position that compromise and accommodation were necessary in ending the deadlock. According to the former Vice President, the opposing sides have demonstrated maturity, wisdom and sense of patriotism by finally arriving at a workable compromise. He said that in any compromise, you win some and lose some of your demands. He explained that he was constantly disturbed by how the crisis was adversely affecting the change agenda of the APC administration. He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the fatherly role he played in the resolution of the National Assembly crisis. Atiku said it was this concern that led to his p...

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule (3rd right) receiving some life Jackets from the Deputy Managing Director, Total Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited, Mr. Charles Ngoka (2nd left) during the Official handing over of 2,400 Life Jackets donated by Total Nigeria PLC. to the Lagos State Government at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. With them are: Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Authority ( LASWA ), Mr. Olayinka Marinho (right), Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mrs. Adebisi Ariyo (2nd right), Supervisory Community Development National Petroleum Investment Management Services, Mrs. Helen Nkwo (3rd left) and Business Development Manager, Emo Exploration & Production Limited, Mr. Dennis Otsemobior (left) Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has received 2,400 life jackets donation from Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited to be distributed to riverine areas in order to curb ince...

The newly appointed Senate minority leader and former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, Tuesday suffered a setback in his bid to retain his seat after the Akwa Ibom State National Assembly election tribunal ruled in favour of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Inibehe Okori, on two preliminary objections brought by Mr. Akpabio, reports Premium Times. The three-person panel of judges, led by Goddy Anunihi, sitting at the Customary Court of Appeal at Dutsen Alhaji, Abuja, ruled against Mr. Akpabio on his submission that there was no need entertaining the petition from Mr. Okori because he was not even the candidate of the APC in the March 28 National Assembly election. Mr. Anunihi said it was premature to decide at this stage of the trial the preliminary objection raised by Mr. Akpabio. “The issue of the petitioner not having the locus standi would be considered as the trial progresses,” he said. The panel also maintained that Mr. Akpabio’s ...

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), says Port Harcourt and Warri refineries have commenced preliminary production of petroleum products after successful test-runs. In a statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr Ohi Alegbe, in Abuja on Wednesday the refineries will produce 335, 000 barrels daily. The statement explained that this followed successful re-streaming after a nine-month phased rehabilitation by in-house engineers and technicians. It stated that PHRC was ramping up its operation to about 60 per cent of its 210,000 barrels per day name plate capacity. According to the statement, WRPC production is projected to hit 80 per cent of its installed 125,000 bpd capacity. It stated that the PHRC was projected to boost the nation’s local refining capacity with a product yield of five million litres of petrol per day. It added that Warri Refinery would contribute 3.5 million litres of petrol to local refining capacity. T...

A visually-impaired man, Sule Akinyemi and a woman, Olajumoke Awosika, were on Wednesday charged with defrauding an accommodation seeker of N550, 000 at a Surulere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. The accused are Akinyemi, 62, and Awosika, 51 and are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, use of residence for obtaining by false pretence and obtaining money under false pretences. The duo pleaded not guilty. But the prosecutor, Sgt. Jimah Iseghede told the court that the accused with others still at large committed the offences at No.1, Dipo Olubi St., Surulere -Aguda in Lagos. He said the accused collected N550, 000 on the pretext of letting a mini-flat to the complainant as the owner of the property. “Akinyemi pretended to be the owner of a mini-flat and collected the sum of N550, 000 from the complainant, Mr Ayodele Ayedun, with a promise to rent out the mini-flat to him. “Awosika brought Ayedun to the blind man to make payment, and he was caught while ma...

The Lagos State Government has vowed to prosecute a 70-year old woman for applying pepper in a 12-year old boy’s penis for alleged stealing of money. The government also vowed to prosecute another woman who engaged in begging for alms the two children she brought from the village to assist her in trading. The children were brought to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, after they have been rescued in Badagry, Ajamgbadi and Maza-Maza areas of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria by government officials and the police on Tuesday. Permanent Secretary, WAPA, Omobolanle Ogunmola said the ministry got a text message that a 12-year old child (name withheld) was being abused by a woman, who is around 70 years of age for alleged stealing by applying pepper in his private part and beating him severely with marks on his body. “Our team went to Badagry to rescue the boy who attends Ansarudeen Secondary School. From the information gotten from the school, the accused are old. The w...

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has promised to pay the backlog of salaries owed civil servants. This promise was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s media aide, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, in Osogbo on Wednesday. The statement said Aregbesola made the promise when Ijesa Society, a social group, visited him. Aregbesola, according to the statement, expresses his displeasure over the delay in payment of workers’ salaries. The statement said every government initiative in the state represented the fulfillment of campaign promises made to the people. “The visit of the group comes at a time when some people are being sponsored to rubbish my achievements,” Aregbesola is quoted as saying in the statement. President of the group, Chief Tunde Aluko, commended Aregbesola for rapid development of the state. Aluko expressed belief that the financial challenge confronting the state will soon be over.

A resident of Gadun Albasa quarters in Kano, Musa Lalaji, 39, has been electrocuted by high tension wire at Kano Zoological Garden Shopping Complex. Alhaji Balarabe Kabara the state Director of Fire Service, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Kano in an interview with NAN. He said the incident happened on Monday after the deceased climbed the roof of one of the shops at the complex to carry out some functions and accidentally touched the wire. He said that the remains of the victim had been deposited at the mortuary of Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Kano. Kabara advised the management of Kano Electricity Distribution Company to either relocate the high tension wire or increase its height to prevent such accidental contact.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday interrogated Mrs Toyin Saraki, wife of the Senate President for about six hours over alleged corruption. Saraki was invited by the Commission for questioning over alleged shady contracts during her husband’s tenure as governor of Kwara state between 2003 and 2011. The invitation was in relation to alleged contracts executed by companies said to be linked to her while her husband was governor. Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesman of the EFCC confirmed the interrogation of the former Kwara first lady at the Headquarters of the Commission in Abuja. “Mrs Saraki was in our office for questioning following an earlier invitation sent to her over allegation of corruption. I cannot speak further on the issue because I am currently not in the office and don’t have further details on the questioning.’' The former first lady in a statement issued by her NGO, Well Being Foundation, after her interrogation, pledged to support and c...

The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele on Tuesday said the Federal Government spent 2.41 billion dollars on rice importation between January 2012 and May 2015. Emefiele made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting with officials of Paddy Rice Producing states and Rice Value chain investors in Abuja. He said the bank’s decision to ban foreign exchange for importation of rice; fish and other items would not be reversed. According to him, the apex bank has no plans to reverse the ban, adding that the reason for inclusion of rice in the exclusion list was not far-fetched. He said, “ Figures available with the CBN show that from the period January 2012 to May 2015, the country had spent over 2.41bn dollars on importation of this commodity. “Unfortunately, this trend has resulted in huge unsold stock of paddy rice cultivated by our farmers and low operating capacities of many integrated rice mills in Nigeria.” Emefiele said the CBN in collaboration with the Min...