Author: Aminu Imam

FG announces free train rides for Nigerians from Dec. 20 to Jan. 5

Aminu Imam
FG on free train rides

The Federal Government has announced a free train ride for any Nigerian wishing to travel to celebrate the Christmas festivities. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the announcement yesterday, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting. He noted that the free train ride will commence from 20th December, 2024, and end on 5th January, 2025. According to Idris, Nigerians can access the train rides on all the routes where train services are currently being rendered.

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Food inflation jumps 39.93% in November – NBS

Aminu Imam
Food inflation jumps

…North records highest Nigeria’s food inflation rate surged to 39.93% in November 2024 on year-on-year, a 7.08 percentage point increase, from the 32.84% recorded in November 2023, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, (NBS). The spike in food inflation was driven by significant price increases across various food categories such as tubers (yam, water yam, and coco yam); bread and cereals (guinea corn, maize, and rice); oils and fats (palm oil and vegetable oil), and tobacco (beer and pinto). On a month-on-month basis, the national food inflation…

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10,000 intending Christian pilgrims pay N30bn, as airlift begins Dec 22

Aminu Imam
Christian pilgrims

The Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, (NCPC), will on December 22 airlift 10,000 Christians who registered for this year’s holy pilgrimage to Jordan. The NCPC’s Executive Secretary, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, who disclosed this at the weekend, said each of the intending pilgrims paid N3m, amounting to N30bn by the Nigerian contingent. Responding by text message to enquiries by newsmen, Adegbite wrote, “(There are) 10,000 (pilgrims) for now. Each pilgrim paid N3m. (The pilgrimage is for) 10 days”. He added that the pilgrims will visit Jordan and Turkey. The December Christian pilgrimage…

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Kaduna: Gov begins rebuild of 187-yr-old Zaria mosque

Aminu Imam
Uba Sani begins rebuild

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has flagged off the rebuilding of the 187-year-old Zaria Central Mosque, which collapsed in August 2023, resulting in the loss of no fewer than six lives and injuring 10 others. Recall that a section of the 187-year-old mosque collapsed around 4 pm on Friday, August 11, 2023, while worshippers were praying. The groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday marked the beginning of the reconstruction project. Speaking at the event, Sani expressed gratitude to those who donated generously, particularly Alhaji AbdulSamad Rabiu, who was the Chief Launcher.…

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S’Court throws out suit seeking to sack Tinubu

Aminu Imam
S'Court throws out suit

…Fines plaintiff ?5m  The Supreme Court has dismissed a suit seeking to sack President Bola Tinubu from office and awarded a fine of N5 million against the plaintiff, Chief Ambrose Owuru, who was the presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party, (HDP), in the 2019 general election. The apex court in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Uwani Musa Abba-Aji, warned the Registry of the Supreme Court not to accept any frivolous originating summons from the plaintiff again. In the legal action he filed…

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Fresh Disqualification Suit: S’Court decides Tinubu’s fate today

Aminu Imam
Supreme Court decides

The Supreme Court will today, Monday, December 16, determine the fate of President Bola Tinubu in a fresh suit seeking his removal from office as Nigeria’s leader. The new suit, marked: SC/CV/667/2023 is praying the apex court to sack Tinubu on two major grounds of alleged non-qualification to hold office as Nigeria’s President, and usurpation of the same office against the laws of the country. A candidate in the 2019 presidential election on the platform of Hope Democratic Party, (HDP), Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru, filed the fresh suit directly at…

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ECOWAS: Tinubu presides over Abuja summit, pays ?85bn levy owed Nigeria

Aminu Imam
Tinubu presides

President Bola Tinubu has paid ?85 billion, to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), representing 100% payment for levy owed by Nigeria. This translates into $54 million. President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, who disclosed this as part of his reports at its 66th Ordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads State and Government meeting in Abuja yesterday. said that the funds represents 100% of the 2023 and 2024 levy, up to July, this year, adding that this is the first time that such will be…

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2027: “Akume wrong; there is vacancy in Aso Villa” – Buba Galadima

Aminu Imam
Buba Galadima

A prominent leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has dismissed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume’s claim that there is “no vacancy in Aso Rock” in 2027.  Recall that Akume recently asserted that President Bola Tinubu is expected to complete two terms in office, calling on the North to wait until 2031. In an published interview at the weekend, Galadima described Akume’s remarks as self-serving, suggesting the SGF was merely “protecting his job.” According to him, such declarations hold no ground in…

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“UK enabling corruption in Nigeria; grow up, move on” – A’isha Yesufu tackles Badenoch 

Aminu Imam
A'isha Yesufu tackles

Renowned social critic, A’isha Yesufu, has told the leader of the United Kingdom Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, not to use her “Nigerian poverty mentality” to lower standards in the UK. Yesufu’s statement, shared in a post on her X handle, came in response to Badenoch allegedly describing her upbringing in Nigeria as being overshadowed by fear and insecurity in a country plagued by corruption. The Conservative leader, who identified as Yoruba, reportedly stated that she has nothing in common with the northern part of Nigeria. Apart from this, Badenoch recently…

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Rivers: NDLEA intercepts N4.4bn in codeine shipment from India

Aminu Imam
NDLEA intercepts

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA)  has recovered 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N4.4 billion in street value, at Port-Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State. According to a statement issued by agency spokesman Femi Babafemi yesterday in Abuja, the drugs were intercepted in shipments from India on December 9, 11 and 13. He said the seizures were made during a joint examination of four containers by NDLEA officers, men of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies at the port. This, Babafemi said, was made possible following…

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