Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

As South East Development Commission sets to take off, Udora Orizu writes on what to know about some of the Board nominees after their confirmation by the Senate. The Senate on Monday, January 13, 2025 screened and confirmed the nominees for South East Development Commission and other regional development commissions. Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last month constituted the board of the Commission, appointing the chairman, executive directors, and the entire membership. The announcement made in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that it reflects the President’s commitment to ensuring effective…

There was a heated argument during a 2025 budget defence session on Thursday at the National Assembly as lawmakers sought to make sense of the details in last year’s budget of the Nigeria Police Force. Trouble began when the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, was providing a breakdown of funds allocated for the construction of five zonal police headquarters across the country. Egbetokun had barely started his presentation when a member of the House of Representatives, Mark Esset, from Akwa Ibom, interjected, questioning why the details being read by the IGP were not contained in the documents provided…

The Rivers State Government has said that nine people have died in a fresh cholera outbreak in the state. The government said the cases were recorded in two local government areas of the state, Andoni and Akuku-Toru LGAs. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh confirmed the development in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, during a media briefing. Oreh noted that while three people died in Andoni LGA, Akuku-Toru recorded six deaths. The health commissioner stated the deaths followed a total of 41 suspected cases in the two LGAs. She said that the state government through the Ministry of Health…

The Police Service Commission has approved the appointment of Miller Dantawaye as the substantive Commissioner of Police for the Kogi State Command and also approved the appointment of Betty Otimenyin as the substantive Commissioner of Police for Edo State. A statement on Thursday by the commission’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, noted that their appointments were prompted by the outgoing CPs approaching their retirement. He said, “The Commissioners of Police for the two states are due for retirement; CP Chukwuka Bertrand Onuoha, Commissioner of Police for Kogi, is expected to retire from service on January 22, 2025, while CP Peter Umoru will…

President Bola Tinubu has extended his congratulations to six outstanding Nigerians in the Diaspora who were honoured by U.S. President Joe Biden as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). This recognition, awarded to 400 exceptional scientists and engineers, is the highest honour the U.S. government bestows on early-career professionals in these fields. The PECASE, established in 1996 by then-President Bill Clinton, celebrates individuals making significant contributions to science, technology, and engineering while demonstrating leadership and community impact. This year’s recipients, announced by President Biden on January 14, 2025, are affiliated with or supported by…

First City Monument Bank has announced the appointment of Felicia Obozuwa as the Executive Director of Corporate Services and Service Management, following approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria. In a statement made available to Drum Africa, it was indicated that Obozuwa brings nearly three decades of experience to her new appointment. “Her expertise and leadership will be invaluable assets to FCMB as it continues to drive strategic growth and innovation. Obozuwa is a seasoned banking professional with deep consumer, corporate, and commercial banking expertise,” the statement said. In her current role, she oversees the bank’s operations, service management, human…

In a move to strengthen bilateral relations and economic cooperation, United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has accepted an invitation from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to visit Nigeria later this year. According to a statement on Thursday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the invitation was extended during bilateral talks on Wednesday night at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2025. Tinubu, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday as a guest of the UAE President, actively participated in the forum,…

Social media platform, TikTok plans to completely shut down its operations in the United States this Sunday if a ban ordered by legislators goes through as planned. The platform, which counts over 170 million American users, will implement an immediate blackout rather than allowing existing users continued access as had been expected, according to sources who spoke to The Information. The apparent shutdown comes as TikTok faces a January 19 legislative deadline to sever ties with its Chinese parent company ByteDance or cease US operations. While the law only requires app stores to remove TikTok and cloud providers to stop…

The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has directed the establishment of a Special Task Force to dislodge criminal elements hiding in uncompleted structures, abandoned plots of land, and buildings across the territory. The Director of the Department of Security Services, FCT Administration, Mr. Adamu Gwary, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday. Gwary explained that this measure is aimed at curbing the menace of miscreants vandalising government assets and infrastructure. He said that the FCT Security Committee had identified uncompleted structures, abandoned plots of land, and buildings as some of the hideouts for miscreants. “The Commissioner of Police in the…

Gunshots disrupted the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which began hearing on Wednesday in Benin City, the state capital.  Hoodlums were also reportedly seen outside the turbo-charged venue of the tribunal where gunshots rent the air, leaving people to scamper for safety. The tribunal had commenced hearing on the petitions challenging the September 21, 2024, Edo governorship election where Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared as the winner. The main challenger at the tribunal is Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The electoral umpire INEC had declared Okpebholo winner of the poll with…