Author: Aminu Imam

Ghana announces visa-free entry for Africans

Aminu Imam
Ghanaian President, Akufo Addo

Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo yesterday announced that visa-free travel for all African passport holders will start at the start of this year, marking a step towards continental economic integration. The announcement came during his final ‘State of the Nation’ address, as he prepares to step down on January 6 after two-terms in office. In his speech to parliament, Akufo-Addo said: “I am proud to have approved visa-free travel to Ghana for all African passport holders, with effect from the beginning of this year. This is the logical next step to…

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U.S. Court orders release of seized $6m arms funds to Nigeria

Aminu Imam
U.S. Court orders

Nigeria has successfully reclaimed over $6 million from the United States  (US) government, following a prolonged legal battle spanning nearly a decade. The funds were originally seized in 2014 after an arms broker, Dolarian Capital Inc. (DCI), attempted to supply military equipment to Nigeria without the necessary U.S. government license. The U.S. authorities cited a violation of the Arms Export Control Act, leading to the seizure. On December 23, 2024, the U.S. District Court for Eastern California ruled in favour of Nigeria, issuing a permanent order of forfeiture and confirming…

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‘Abuja customers to experience 16-day power interruption’ – AEDC 

Aminu Imam
AEDC on power cut

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, (AEDC), yesterday notified its customers of an impending 16-day power outage. It attributed the outage to power interruption owing to FCDA relocating the 33KV DC Airport Feeder and 132KV Kukwaba-Apo Transmission Line Towers along the Outer Southern Expressway. According to the management in the ‘important announcement’: “Please be informed that there will be power interruptions from January 6-21, 2025, due to FCDA relocating the 33KV DC Airport Feeder and 132KV Kukwaba-Apo Transmission Line Towers along the Outer Southern Expressway”. The company further said the following…

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FG begins implementation of new withholding tax policy

Aminu Imam
Withholding tax written on a paper. Financial concept.

The Federal Government has commenced the implementation of the ‘2024 Withholding Tax Regulations’. The deduction of Tax at source implementation kicked-off on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. According to the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, who announced the kick-off in a statement through his official X account on Wednesday, Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and manufacturers are exempted from the new tax regulation. Oyedele described the regulation as a move expected to alleviate administrative challenges and financial constraints, thereby fostering growth and innovation in…

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‘Tinubu’s reforms benefit allies, officials over ordinary Nigerians’ – Rhodes-Vivour

Aminu Imam
Rhodes Vivour

Lagos Labour Party’s governorship candidate in 2023, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of utter extravagance amid unprecedented hardship in the country. According to Rhodes-Vivour, who appeared on a television programme on Thursday,  said: “So, we have a culture of wastefulness and extravagance that doesn’t reflect the dire economic situation, which the President is saying will be reformed”. “Reformation should be in the interest of the people. At the moment, the only people who seem to be benefiting from these reforms are the people in government and the…

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Rivers elders demand unreserved apology from Wike for insulting Odili

Aminu Imam
Rivers elders demand

Rivers State stakeholders, under the aegis of Concerned Elders of Rivers State, have demanded an unreserved apology from Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, over his recent derogatory remarks against Peter Odili, a respected elder statesman, former governor of the State. The demand was issued in a strongly worded statement signed by prominent leaders of the state, including former Governor Celestine Omehia, Prince Uche Secondus, former Deputy Governor of the State, Tele Ikuru, former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara, Senator Ngoji Denton West, former Minister…

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“No magic will make Tinubu lose in 2027” – APC Forum chairman, Zazzaga replies NNPP

Aminu Imam
Zazzaga replies NNPP

Chairman of the North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum, Saleh Zazzaga, has declared that there is no magic that can stop President Bola Tinubu from winning the 2027 presidential election. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Zazzaga said Nigerians will vote massively for Tinubu in 2027 as his policies would have turned the country around for good by the time the election comes around. Zazzaga, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 election, was responding to remarks made by Kano State New Nigeria Peoples Party…

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Amidst economic hardship, Wike allocates ₦10bn for rent, furniture to Akpabio, Abbas, 2 others – Report

Aminu Imam
Wike allocates

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has allocated a staggering ₦10 billion in its 2024 supplementary budget for rent and furniture for Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, and their deputies, Barau Jibrin and Ben Kalu, according to a published investigative report. The provision, classified as: “Renting and Furnishing of Presiding Officers of the National Assembly”, under code: 23010309, was part of ₦288 billion supplementary budget submitted by President Bola Tinubu in September. The 10th National Assembly passed the Budget within five days. This expense comes at…

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“Nigerians’ll smile in coming weeks” – VP Shettima

Aminu Imam
VP Shettima on economy

Vice-President, Kashim Shettima has said Nigerians would smile and prosper in 2025, as the economy has turned the corner. Shettima, who visited the President at his Lagos residence to mark the New Year, expressed optimism about the nation’s economic trajectory, assured Nigerians that the reforms being implemented by President Bola Tinubu will begin to show positive results in the coming weeks and months. “The economy has started picking up, and in the coming weeks and months, Nigerians will start smiling for the better”, Shettima said, noting that the country is…

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Kaduna: PDP Senator escapes assassination attempt 

Aminu Imam
Mr La

Senator representing the Kaduna-Central senatorial district,  Lawal Adamu Usman, has reportedly survived an assassination attempt in Kaduna-North. The opposition figure and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) confirmed the incident late on Wednesday via his verified Facebook account. While Senator Usman, popularly known as  Mr. La, elected to the Senate in 2023, did not provide further details about the attack, he expressed his gratitude for surviving the ordeal. In his post, he stated: “I just escaped an assassination attempt by some thugs in Kaduna North”. The incident has raised…

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