Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State has declared a state of emergency on the General Hospital Minna, citing the urgent need for a total overhaul of the dilapidated facility. This is contained in a statement on Tuesday in Minna by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso. Wakaso stated that the governor made the declaration during the weekly State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, noting that the hospital, which was built over 50 years ago, had deteriorated significantly. Bago added that the facility was no longer fit to serve the medical needs of the state’s growing population.…

The lawmaker representing the Cross River North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Agom Jarigbe, has announced a temporary withdrawal from legislative and constituency engagements due to pressing health concerns. In a statement issued on Monday, the senator disclosed that he is currently receiving medical care and, on the advice of doctors, will be away from active duties for a short period. As a result, a widely anticipated endorsement rally scheduled to be held in the coming days has been postponed. The lawmaker emphasised that the decision is in the best interests of his health and the effective representation of…

Students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan in Oyo are protesting the decision to rename the institution after a former governor of old Oyo. On June 26, Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo, renamed The Polytechnic Ibadan in Oyo after Omololu Olunloyo, a late former governor of the state. At the commendation service for the late Olunloyo, held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Makinde said the renaming was to honour Olunloyo for his service to the institution as the pioneer rector. He added that Olunloyo contributed his quota to the development of the state during and after his short tenure as the…

By Sam Hart There is a man left scratching his head in quiet disbelief in Brussels, Belgium. For over several years, he has served as the official driver for the Nigerian Mission, assigned to visiting Nigerian dignitaries. Let’s call him John. He has seen it all—or so he thought—until the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, arrived on a working visit to Brussels. Kalu was in Brussels as head of a delegation from the Pan-African Parliament, where he chairs the Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs. The purpose: to participate in the European Union…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday granted the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Udauaghan bail on self-recognition. Akpoti-Udauaghan was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime. After the charges were read to her, she pleaded not guilty to all. The senator allegedly made false and damaging statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Kogi State’s former governor, Yahaya Bello. According to the charge, Akpoti-Udauaghan was alleged to have said, “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done in Kogi, so…

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has warned students to be cautious of a fake portal with fraudulent messages currently circulating online. This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Monday by the fund’s Director of Strategic Communications, Mrs Oseyemi Oluwatuyi. Oluwatuyi said the information contained in the online messages were misleading. “The attention of NELFUND has been drawn to a fraudulent message currently circulating online, falsely claiming that President Bola Tinubu has directed the reopening of the NELFUND Student Loan portal “The portal is with a link to a fake website: https://nelfund-student-loan-2025.po-rt-al.com/NELFUND/ “We wish to categorically state that…

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has confirmed plans to replace Abdullahi Ganduje who recently resigned as the party’s National Chairman. Felix Morka, the APC National Publicity Secretary, told Channels Television on Sunday that consultations are ongoing. Ganduje resigned from the party’s exalted position last week, citing urgent and personal matters. Morka said the ruling party was making a swift move to install another National Chairman as the position must not be left unoccupied. “We will take steps immediately to fill that vacancy,” he said during the interview. According to him, no date has been fixed for the party’s National Executive…

The All Progressives Congress governors, under the aegis of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, have acknowledged the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, describing it as a natural step in the party’s ongoing evolution. In a communiqué issued after their two-day strategic meeting in Benin City, Edo State, on Saturday, the governors indicated that this leadership change aligns with the party’s broader commitment to internal reforms and adaptation. The Chairman of the PGF and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, who read the communiqué at the close of the meeting, emphasised the forum’s dedication to strengthening party cohesion…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has destroyed 30 hectares of cannabis sativa, otherwise known as Indian hemp, plantation in a forest in Odukpani local government area of Cross River. The state commander of the NDLEA, Mrs Rachel Umebuali, said this during an interview on Saturday in Calabar. She said that some suspects were also arrested in connection with the destroyed plantation, expressing worries that the locals were protecting the drug marchants. Umebuali said that 163.9kg of cannabis sativa seed was recovered from the plantation. She added that a total of 6,716.8 kg of illicit drugs were…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the four tax reform bills into law. President Tinubu signed the law in his office at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, in the presence of relevant stakeholders from across the arms of government. The new laws include the Nigerian Tax Law, the Nigerian Tax Administration Law, the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Law and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Law. Earlier on Thursday, President Tinubu had explained that the laws would be unifying Nigeria’s fragmented tax system, removing redundant overlaps, boosting investor confidence, enhancing transparency, and promoting coordinated efforts across all levels. He also…