Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of one Lukumanu Sani Waziri, an accountant at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, for corruption and abuse of office. Waziri was found guilty of diverting public funds amounting to over Sixty-million naira through unauthorized access to the Government Integrated Financial Information System (GIFMIS). ICPC had in 2021, in a charge number: FHC/ICPC/122021 arraigned Waziri and two others before Honourable Justice M. Abdulgafar of the Federal High Court, Sokoto Division in a nine-count charge of fraud and corruption. In the course of the trial, ICPC’s…
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has downplayed the possibility of resolving his conflict with Governor Fubara of Rivers State. Wike criticised Fubara and his camp for refusing to carry out the directive issued by President Bola Tinubu during the peace meeting he convened. He noted that Fubara and his supporters should have returned to Tinubu to explain their inability to implement all the directives issued by the president. Wike made this disclosure during a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday. Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads since Fubara became governor. The face-off between the two…
US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday announced he will sign an executive order to delay the ban on TikTok when he assume office on Monday, and will propose to acquire 50 per cent stake in the Chinese application. “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. So that we can make a deal,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, adding that his order will delay the ban on the video-sharing app. He said his order would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect” and “confirm that there…
The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party took a new twist on Saturday when the 29-man caretaker committee set up by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti and LP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, warned Julius Abure to stop parading himself as the party’s national chairman. In a statement issued in Abuja, the committee headed by Senator Nenadi Usman, announced that they were still in charge of LP affairs by virtue of the mandate given to them by stakeholders of the party at an emergency convention. The new development comes barely 24 hours after Abure’s chairmanship was affirmed…
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to stop conducting by-elections. According to Falana, by-elections lead to wasteful spending of unnecessary funds. In a statement, Falana said since the votes scored during elections belong to political parties, the replacement of elected candidates as a result of death or resignation should not call for a by-election. He said, “The political parties that sponsored the candidates that die or resign should be directed to fill the vacancy by nominating another candidate.
The Presidency has denied reports that it “forced” former President Muhammadu Buhari to testify in an arbitration proceeding in Paris. Although it did not deny the existence of such a proceeding, the Presidency insisted that all eminent persons testifying in Nigeria’s defence “are doing so willingly.” Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated this in a press statement signed and released late on Saturday, titled ‘President Tinubu Did Not Drag Any Eminent Nigerian to Paris.’ On Saturday evening, an online news platform reported that former President Buhari had been summoned before a court in Paris to testify in…
The Federal Government has ordered the removal of speed bumps on highways across Nigeria, citing the need to improve traffic flow and enhance road safety. Minister of Works, David Umahi, made the announcement during a two-day retreat in Abuja. According to Umahi, many speed bumps on federal highways are poorly designed, causing accidents, damaging vehicles, and unnecessarily prolonging travel times. He shared a personal experience of a frustrating trip along a federal route littered with speed bumps, which turned a one-hour journey into a three-hour ordeal. Umahi emphasised that while speed bumps are necessary in certain locations, many on Nigerian…
Senator representing Borno South, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has said recommendations of Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) on tax reform bills is a welcome development but not enough as there are still sections of the bills that require further clarification. The bills, currently before the National Assembly, have suffered heavy criticisms especially in northern Nigeria, with many describing the pieces of legislation as anti-north agenda of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration. Ndume, who has been critical of some of the policies of the present government, maintained that instead of bringing succour, the tax reform would further burden the poor, urging the president…
The Nigerian-born politician dominated the headlines towards the end of last year over controversial remarks about her birth country. While delivering her first speech of the year at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch said she did not want Britain to be like Nigeria. The Tory leader highlighted the importance of building trust, saying the Conservative Party is the right group to fix Britain. She said the UK could becoming like Nigeria if the system is not reformed. “And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because…
Senator Shehu Sani has expressed disappointment over the rising price of petrol despite expectations that the Dangote refinery would lower costs. In a post shared on X on Saturday, the former lawmaker stated, “The expectation was that Dangote Refinery will crash the price of petrol; the news that it’s increasing is baffling.” This follows an announcement by Dangote Petroleum Refinery confirming a price increase for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). The refinery now sells PMS at N955 per litre for customers purchasing 2 to 4.99 million litres and N950 per litre for purchases of 5 million litres or more. This price…