The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, address the hardship, especially hunger confronting Nigerians.....Read Full Article>>

The student association declared that economic deprivation is killing the people.

The NANS Clerk of the Senate, Abdulyekinn Odunayo, madd the call ib a statement released in Abeokuta on Saturday.

Odunayo lamented that the current administration has forced Nigerians to endure needless poverty and hunger.

According to the statement, the Tinubu-led government’s simultaneous elimination of fuel subsidies and floating of the national currency has further sunk Nigerians into economic despair, increased hunger and hiking the cost of living for millions of residents.

Odunayo acknowledged that some students have benefited from the student loan program implemented by Tinubu’s administration, but he called for a complete economic reform so that Nigerians can experience the good governance that the President has promised.

The statements reads, “There is an urgent need by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put measures in place to arrest hunger, poverty, impoverishment going on in the country.

“Nigerians are seriously groaning under the heavy burden of the present parlous economic situation. The nation has not had it this bad.

“The dual swords of Damocles of fuel subsidy removal and float of naira have stabbed Nigerians at their hearts.

“Many families can no longer feed even once in a day, let alone three times a day. Free falls of our currency against the dollars and other international currencies have capped the sufferings of Nigerians,

“As representatives of the Nigerian students, we are making a passionate call on the President to tailor and rev up his economic policies to provide short term, medium term and long term reliefs for Nigerians.

“Things need to improve as many Nigerians are finding it difficult to survive.”

United States President-elect, Donald Trump, is considering appointing his former intelligence chief, Richard Grenell, as special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Guardian UK reports.....Read Full Article>>

The newspaper quoted four sources familiar with the transition plans.

Grenell served as Trump’s ambassador to Germany and was acting director of national intelligence during his first four years in office between 2017-2021.

He would play a key role in the President-elect’s efforts to stop the war if he is ultimately selected for the post.

Trump is said to be considering dedicating a special envoy to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The US President-elect could ultimately decide not to create a special envoy for the conflict in Ukraine, although he is strongly considering doing so, the sources said.

If he does, he could ultimately select someone else for the role, and there is no guarantee Grenell would accept.

Trump vowed on the campaign trail to swiftly end the conflict, although he has not said how he will do it.

Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca has insisted Jamie Vardy is England’s best striker, ahead of Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney.....Read Full Article>>

Maresca spoke before Chelsea’s Premier League 2-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday.

Vardy played a key role in Leicester City’s promotion campaign last season under Maresca.

The 37-year-old is still banging in the goals for Leicester.

“People don’t realise how good he is,” Maresca was quoted by Metro UK as saying.

“I know England have been quite lucky because of Kane and Rooney, this type of striker, they are fantastic.

“But Jamie is, if you ask me, the best one.”

Kane currently plays for Bayern Munich, while Rooney has since retired from the game.

Governor of Yobe State, Hon. Mai Mala Buni has approved the payment of N70,000 minimum wage to state civil servants with effect from December 2024.....Read Full Article>>

According to Comrade Mohammed Mamman, Director General, Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, the approval was contained in a memo signed by Governor Buni CON, following recommendations by the committee on Minimum wage constituted by the state government.

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“The committee had recommended a reconciliation of local government finances to ensure a hitch free transition process of the local government councils from the existing salary structure to the new minimum wage.

“The reconciliation process which is nearing completion is expected to be concluded soon for approval, and quick enrolment of the local government employees into the new minimum wage salary structure.

“The Government expects civil servants in the state to reciprocate the gesture by putting in their best to ensure effective and efficient service delivery”. Mamman stated

‘Don’t hide it, seek help,’ Obasanjo cautions drug addicts....Read Full Article>>

Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Saturday, admonished African youths to stay away from drug, saying that it can destroy both their dreams and lives.

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Obasanjo gave the admonition while speaking at the 2nd edition of Fly Above The High sensitisation programme on drug abuse, organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network, in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

He described substance abuse as destructive.

The former President lamented the growing challenge of drug and substance abuse in sub-Sharan Africa, saying that “drugs consumption in Africa is an issue and it has grown worse in the last 10 years”.

He called on youths that have challenge with drug abuse not to hide it. Obasanjo asked them to seek help in order to get out of the catastrophic effects of addiction which include untimely death.

Obasanjo said, “While serving as the Chairman of West African Drug Commission under the auspices of Kofi Anan Foundation, we were nine on the commission;

“We went round the West Africa with the belief that we were free from drugs which come mainly from Latin America and goes to North America and Europe.

“But to our dismay, displeasure and pain, at the end of the exercise, we found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way.

“That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa, applies to all other parts of Africa.”

Obasanjo lamented the havoc drugs cause in the life of the youths, pleading with them never to succumb to the temptation of going near it for any reason.

He said he always talked about drugs with all soberness because there was a time one of his cousins, a carpenter who got involved in drugs, died a drug-related death despite doing everything possible to rehabilitate him and make him live a normal life.

Obasanjo counselled that “addiction is a form of disease. Some diseases cannot be cured but could be managed.

“I have been living with diabetes for over 40 years and I am still here by the grace of God.

“I know of about six or seven friends who were equally diabetic but they have died. I watch what I eat, I stick to my doctor’s advice.

“So, people with addiction should not hide it, they should seek for help before it is too late.”
Advocates support for addict

The former President called on the people to support those who have gone into drugs and are willing to come out of it. He added that saying a word of prayer for them as well could prove to be the turning point.

Also speaking, the President of Recovery Advocacy Network, Dr. Kunle Adesina, said there is need for the sensitisation to step up campaign against drug and substance abuse in the country.

Dr Adesina said, “The essence of the gathering is to talk to the young ones about the evils of drugs; that they should not get involved in taking any psychoactive substances no matter how harmless or friendly they appear to be because of their ruinous effects.”

He explained that the last report on drugs abuse in Nigeria revealed that about 14.3m people have used one substance or the other in the last six months.

It has also been discovered, he added, that one out of every five users of drug is a female, confirming that the girls are also getting entangled in the web of drug abuse.

Adesina called for a very strong legislation to curb the menace of drugs availability in the country while everyone must also take ownership of the fight against drug abuse.

Dr Sam Abah, a mental health expert who spoke on “Rewired for Dependency: How Drug Use Affect The Brain”, urged the young ones to stay away from drugs because drug addiction destroy the brains, leaving the life of its victims hanging in the balance.

Dr Abah cautioned the youth never to indulge in drugs so as not to destroy the beautiful future ahead of them while those already embracing drugs should stop it and seek for help to overcome the challenge.

Aisha Yesufu, a frontline rights activist, on Thursday said she would stop import duties on goods if she were Nigeria’s president. Yesufu said she would make goods cheap, tackle insecurity, and revamp tourism.....Read Full Article>>

In an X post, Yesufu said she would have worked extensively on infrastructure and cheap capital to attract industries to set up shops in Nigeria and produce there. She wrote: “If I was the President of Nigeria, I will propose that we do away with import duties on all goods.

Ensure that goods coming into Nigeria are extremely cheap, then focus on making the default place to come for cheap goods by all other African countries and also other continents.

“Tackle insecurity and revamp tourism. People coming to buy goods will use transportation and stay in hotels. Then extensively work on infrastructure and cheap capital to attract those industries to even come set up shops in Nigeria and produce here.

“Massive training of skilled workers for different jobs. I want Apple to have the skilled workers and infrastructure for them to come make their products here for the African market and the rest of the world.

“I will focus on primary and secondary school education and training for the 21st-century jobs instead of certificates. Yes, I am that crazy. #OneOfMyCrazyIdeasForNigeria.”

Choguel Kokalla Maïga, Prime Minister of Mali, has been dismissed following his criticism of the military rulers. The development was announced on Wednesday by the Secretary General of the presidential office, Alfousseyni Diawara.....Read Full Article>>

He declared that “the duties of the prime minister and the members of the government are terminated.” It was gathered that the move came a few days after Maïga’s remarks at a rally in Bamako, when he accused the junta of unilaterally and indefinitely postponing the transition process that was initially scheduled to begin on March 26.

Maïga also expressed frustration over the lack of debate on the issue, claiming he has been left to rely on media reports for updates.

While military leader Assimi Goïta had previously promised elections would be held in February, those plans have since been delayed “for technical reasons” with no new timeline provided.

Goïta was among the rebels to overthrow the government in 2020 and then became interim president after another coup in 2021.

He then announced a 24-month transition timetable starting in March 2022 to return Mali to civilian rule.

The government has yet to announce who will replace Maïga as prime minister.

Dangote Refinery has resumed the purchase of crude oil from the United States to ramp up refining capacity and production.....Read Full Article>>

According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, the cargo conveying two million barrels of WTI Midland crude from Chevron Corp. is due to be delivered to the refinery next month.

The new purchase comes after a three-month hiatus in purchasing crude from foreign countries, focusing instead on domestic supply. The latest development may be an indication that the naira-for-crude deal by the federal government may have stalled or that the refinery is not getting enough crude supply from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

Dangote refinery purchased its first shipment of US oil after a hiatus of three months as the site continues to ramp up production.

“The plant purchased about two million barrels of WTI Midland crude from Chevron Corp.,” the report said.

According to the publication, Chevron booked the supertanker Azure Nova to load crude from the US Gulf around December 5 to Dangote, according to tanker fixtures seen by Bloomberg.

Recall that on October 5, 2024, the Nigerian government hinted at the Naira-for-crude sale deal with Dangote Refinery.

However, an economist, Kelvin Emmanuel, recently said Dangote Refinery still buys crude oil from the Nigerian government in dollars.

The Defence Headquarters and a coalition of civil society organisations, CSOs, led by a Tinubu support group, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors of Nigeria, RHAN, and the Centre for Action Against Corruption, CAAC, on Thursday faulted claims made by ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, concerning oil theft in Nigeria.....Read Full Article>>

Tompolo, the Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, which is executing the pipeline protection contract awarded by the Nigerian government, had while receiving the national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, on Monday, accused the military, particularly the Nigerian Navy, of involvement in oil theft.

He accused the Navy of working at cross purposes with other state actors and private security outfits tasked with checking oil theft in the Niger Delta.

However, speaking at a biweekly update on military operations on Thursday in Abuja, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, dismissed Tompolo’s claims, describing it as ‘cheap blackmail’.

The Defence Headquarters spokesman said: “As to the question regarding the Nigerian Navy and the CEO of Tantita, you see, I’m almost laughing because it’s laughable. But what I want to say about this situation is this: We seek cooperation, not conflict.

“But all this cheap blackmail has to stop. Come on, we should move faster. We need to act in the best interest of our nation, particularly at this time when we need that revenue. We will work together with our partners.”

Also speaking on the issue on Thursday, the CSOs, led by RHAN and CAAC, condemned Tompolo’s allegations, which they described as unsubstantiated, baseless, frivolous and lacking in merit.

At a press conference in Abuja, the CSOs insisted that Tompolo lacks the moral justification to denigrate the Nigerian Navy, highlighting his antecedents, including his history as a wanted fugitive and member of a militant coalition that terrorised and kidnapped oil workers.

Abdullahi Bilal and Olayemi Isaacs, leaders of RHAN and CAAC, respectively, who addressed journalists, noted that under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Nigerian Navy has achieved significant milestones, including the destruction of illegal refining sites, arrest of sea pirates and reduction in maritime crimes while clocking over 21,630 hours of patrol, resulting in numerous arrests and seizures.

Warning that unsubstantiated allegations could lead to chaos and increased criminality, the CSOs urged the Nigerian Navy to remain focused and resilient in the fight against oil theft.

They added: “It is our collective responsibility to fight against those forces and interests which try to undermine our very collective existence and interests and ensure we annihilate them. This is why we are here today.

“This, to us, is an apt opportunity to take the bull by the horns and conscientise the public on the evil intentions of Tompolo and the sensitive nature of his allegation, as it tries to undermine the Nigerian Navy and also reduce the morale of the fighting gallant men in the field.

“We must also warn of the chaos, destruction and upsurge in criminalities if such misinformation and mischief continue unchecked and unmitigated. Our interest is the national interest.

“We believe that lifting this curtain of secrecy and mischief will move the nation forward, encourage the Armed Forces and indeed the security forces all over the nation, as the sacrifice to secure us.

“We, therefore, call on all lovers of peace and workers with God to join us to condemn this orchestrated onslaught against those men who have decided to haphazard their lives so that we can live in peace and quiet.”