YellowStone Media International

MMA2 is Ready for Regional Operations, Says Bi-Courtney Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2), has faulted the claims in some quarters that insufficient space for parking aircraft was delaying the commencement of international operations at its terminal. BASL had recently obtained authorisation from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to commence regional operations at MMA2 as set out in the concession agreement between the two, but this still requires regulatory approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) before commencing operations. BASL in a statement said the delay in obtaining NCAA’s approval has nothing to do with the size of its apron or any other operational issue, explaining that various teams of inspectors from NCAA and other statutory agencies, including the Department of State Security (DSS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), N

Saraki Trial: Kwara APC Challenges Oyegun to Speak out   Leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Kwara Central senatorial zone which produced the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, have challenged the National Chairman of APC,  Chief John Oyegun, to state  his position on the ongoing Saraki’s trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). They made the call in Ilorin, the state capital, today during a peaceful protest to the state secretariat of the party. The party stalwarts were led on the visit by the APC Kwara Central Chairman, Alhaji  Jimoh Adesina, who was flanked by the state women leader, Hajia Sarah Adebayo, and the youth leader in the zone, Hon. Tunde Aalagbo. Speaking with journalists during the protest, Adesina, said Oyegun should protect one of his members who is being "victimised," being the national chairman of the APC. Adesina, who said the people were displeased with the ongoing trial of Saraki at the CCT, desc

Buhari's Government Lacks Economic Direction, Activists Lament *Say Nigerians are frustrated A group of civil liberty activists today examined the administration of President Muhamnadu Buhari in the last 10 months, describing it as a government that lacks economic direction. The group made this declaration at a one-day workshop organised for National Assembly Press Corps in Abuja by Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) in collaboration with Department for International Department (DFID). According to them, Buhari's lack of economic direction has resulted in frustration and desperation of Nigerians for survival at all cost adding that "Buhari's economic policy for now is warehousing naira and nothing more." Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwakwo, in his remark, said Buhari's repeated stance against devaluation of naira despite lingering economic recession, is more injurious to the naira. According to him, by his insistence that he

All Abia State Commissioners to Become Farmers, Ordered by the Governor   Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, today ordered all members of the state executive council (Commissioners inclusive) to start farming, therefore, any commissioner in the state who dislikes farm work would henceforth have a change of heart. He made this known at the quarterly press conference on the activities of his administration, saying that the agricultural revolution initiative of his administration entails that farming must be embraced by those in government.   “All members of the executive council will engage in farming,” he emphasized. However Ikpeazu did not specify if any sanction awaits any commissioner that failed to heed the directive to own a farm. The governor explained that it was necessary for government to live by example and practice what it preaches thereby encouraging youths to go into farming. He said that he was determined to diversify the economy of Abia and make it

Recruitment of 10,000 Policemen Begins Tomorrow   The recruitment of 10, 000 willing Nigerians into the Nigerian Police Force by the Police Service Commission (PSC) will begin nationwide on Friday (tomorrow).   President Muhammadu Buhari had last year at the National Security Summit in Abuja directed the recruitment of 10,000 Nigerians into the Force to address the obvious shortfall in the manpower needs of the police.   Speaking on the recruitment exercise today in Abuja, the PSC Chairman, Mike  Okiro, warned the commission workers who would be involved in the screening of candidates to avoid any act that may compromise the integrity of the exercise.    Okiro said any worker involved in any misconduct during the exercise will be sanctioned in line with the Public Service Rules and may be prosecuted for sabotage.   He admonished the workers to live above board "as the Commission is ready to make a huge success of this presidential assignment in line with

Delta Govt Slashes Certificate of Occupancy Cost by over 100% Delta State Government has slashed the cost of procuring the Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) from N425,000 to N200,000 per plot of land. The new scheme enables acquisition of the certificate to be completed in 90 days while those in possession of the old ones are required to pay the sum of N50,000 per lot of land. The state Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, at the commencement of "Fast-track 90" project in Asaba on Thursday, said the initiative was designed to eliminate the bureaucratic bottlenecks that had long militated against the acquisition of Co f O in the state. He unveiled the electronically generated C of O project during the ceremony with an appeal to stakeholders to cooperate with the government to ensure the success of the initiative.   Okowa noted that statistics showed that though there were the over 400,000 land/property owners in the state, the government has issued out only about

Lai Muhammed: N o Rift Between Executive and Legislature over 2016 Budget  The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said there is no disagreement whatsoever between the Executive and the Legislature on the 2016 Budget, which has been passed by the National Assembly. Muhammad said the delay in the transmission of the budget from the National Assembly to the President for ascent was a normal process of scrutiny. The minister stated this during his visit to the management of Leadership Newspaper Group today in Abuja. ''There is absolutely no rift, no issue of budget being sent back. Things are just taking their due course,'' ‎ he said. He noted that it was not true that the President has refused to sign the Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly, adding that:  ''It takes a few days after the passage for the National Assembly to clean up the document in readiness for the President's assent.'' Moham

Group Raises Issues over Sack of PTAD DG The suspension of the Director General of the Pension Transition and Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs. Nellie Mayshak, has continued to generate controversies largely on account of the intrigues that threw up her suspension and new revelations provided by insiders in the pension administration sector. The director-general, who is reputed for setting up the agency in 2013, was asked to proceed on an indefinite suspension on the order of the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, under whose ministry the agency is domiciled, citing the need to carry out some investigations into its operations. However, a Pension Advocacy group, Pensioners Rights and Protection Alliance (PPRA), has faulted the suspension, warning that the same cabal that has always worked against the interest of pensioners is at work again. The pension advocacy group said the alleged reasons given for the DG’s suspension was nothing but ‘giving a dog a bad name

CCT Trial: Saraki Flies in Experts from US, Israeli  Senate President Bukola Saraki has flown in experts from the United States and Israel to team up with his counsel led by Chief Kanu Agabi SAN i n his determination to overcome his current trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for alleged false declaration of assets,    It was also gathered that the experts are not lawyers but crack investigators, forensic and handwriting specialists with the mandate to provide information on witnesses and documents presented at the tribunal by the prosecution.   The experts who were said to have arrived in Nigeria (Lagos) last Monday, would leave Lagos for Abuja to commence operations soon.  A source who disclosed this today explained that the information to be provided by the experts would assist Saraki's legal team.  "The investigators will ferret out and scrutinise thoroughly  all available information on the eight prosecution witnesses, including their school records, service

Nigerian Security Operatives Halt Shiites Procession in Katsina Combined team of Security operatives today blocked members of the Muslim Shiite sect from their annual procession of Maulud in Katsina State. The Shiite members who were about converging at the Katsina Central mosque to commence the procession when the joint security operatives hurriedly halted the procession. It was observed that stern looking security operatives barricaded entrance to the mosque and reportedly dismantled podium said to have been mounted inside the mosque by the Shiite members. A source revealed that the procession is an annual event to mark the Maulud celebration in commemoration of the birth of Fatima, the Prophet's daughter. A member of the sect spoke under anonymity that "the procession is an annual event that starts from the central mosque and move around town before converging at the mosques for sermon." Reacting to the scenario, the state Governor, Aminu Be

Finally, Police Seal off Kogi Assembly Complex Fully armed policemen today sealed off the Kogi State House of Assembly complex on the order of the National Assembly following unresolved leadership crisis rocking the state assembly as the main entrance to the complex was blocked by heavily armed policemen. The policemen also barred the factional members of the of assembly who were billed to conduct ministerial budget defence from entering the complex, as the road leading to the complex was also barricaded by the security agents who subjected staff of the assembly to scrutiny and only allowed them in upon confirmation of their employment status through their identity cards. One of the senior police officers who led the team of armed policemen to the state assembly complex, ASP A. Adeniran, told journalists that the directive came from the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Solomon Arase. Adeniran said: “We were directed not to allow any assembly member into this co

Nigerian Air Force, Innoson sign MOU for Fighter Jets' Spare Parts To prosecute the war against Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east geo-political zone with great effectiveness, the Nigerian Air Force today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, an indigenous car manufacturing company, for research and production of spare parts for its fighter jets. The efforts are to ensure that aerial battle against the Islamic extremists are not encumbered as a result of lack of spare parts to fix broken down fighter jets and also use the opportunity to encourage local manufacturers. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, told journalists at the company's headquarters at Nnewi, Anambra State, that the collaboration between the company and the Air Force had kept its Jet fleet running for months now. Abubakar, who was represented by the Chief Of Policy and Plans, Air Vice-Marshal James Gbum, said that the M

China to Assist Nigerian Economic Diversification  with Science Technology The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Xiaojie Gu, today in Abuja pledged his country’s assistance to help diversify Nigeria’s economy, using science and technology. Gu who spoke at the sideline after a courtesy call to the Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said the minister’s recent visit to China would help pave the way for China's involvement in science, technology and innovation to drive Nigeria's economy. He said the collaboration has become more expedient against the background that Nigeria is diversifying its economy, adding that China is looking at investment in agriculture, mining and infrastructure. He admitted that there are promising prospects for both countries to diversify its cooperation and collaboration in many fields. He said: "Today, I have had a very good discussion with Onu, and we have discussed more on bilateral relationship on

Troops Recover 1,304 Livestock, Arrest 15 Suspected Cattle Rustlers The troops of 1st Division of the Nigerian Army in conjunction with other security agencies within the last one week have recorded tremendous success in the fight against cattle rustling, banditry and criminality particularly in the North-west region under the auspices of Operation Sharan Daji. To this end, the military has recovered 1,304 livestock and arrested 15 suspected cattle rustlers in different parts of the region. The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, who confirmed the report in a statement today, said in Kaduna State, the Division’s Internal Security Force (DISFORCE) recovered 108 livestock and killed one armed robber and recovered one AK-47 rifle and 30 rounds of 7.62mm (special) ammunition. Usman disclosed that in Zamfara State, which is 1st Brigade’s area of operation, the troops recovered 419 livestock, arrested another bandit and recovered a locally made pist

’Dangote Refinery will End Persistent Fuel Crisis in Nigeria’ As fuel crisis lingers unabated in Nigeria, the Dangote Group, which is currently building the world’s largest refinery, has assured Nigerians that when its refinery commences operation, it would put an end to the recurring fuel crisis in the country. While speaking to journalists in his office in Abuja today, Executive Director, Stakeholder Management and Corporate Communications, Mansur Ahmed, said by the time the refinery is ready, Nigeria will be transformed from fuel importing country to an exporting one. “That plant (refinery) is the largest single refinery plant anywhere in the world. In addition to the plant, we are also going to produce other petrochemical products from the same complex. These are polyethylene and polypropylene,” he said. Ahmed said the petrochemical plant which covers 250,000 hectares and located in Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos is expected to gulp a whopping $14billion, an

State Petroleum Minister Summoned by Nigerian Senate over Continued Fuel Scarcity Worried by the persistent fuel scarcity across the nation, the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) has summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachickwu, to appear before it tomorrow and explain why fuel scarcity has continued unabated.   Kachikwu summon was as a result of the committee's oversight visit to major petrol stations in the country's capital, Abuja metropolis today.  The committee  had expressed concern over non-availability of petrol in many stations following lack of supply to Abuja from the Suleja depot of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) while touring the capital city. According to the committee's acting Chairman, Jibrin Barau, summoning Kachikwu had become imminent in view of the grave effects of the scarcity on the masses. Barau disclosed that on-the-spot-assessment exercise carried out by the committee was spurred by the

‎Scientist Discovers Fungi Enhance Drought Tolerance in Yam A female Soil Scientist, Nkiruka Odoh, has discovered  the use of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), a natural occurring soil organism to enhance drought tolerance of yams in the face of climate change. Odoh, in her research findings, noted that  Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi helps yam to absorb more water and nutrients from the soil.  The University of Abuja teacher  noted that her research work assessed the contribution of moisture stress and AMF inoculation and their effects on drought tolerance of yam (D. rotundata).  She revealed that moisture stress imposed at tuber initiation stage significantly resulted in the reduction of the growth factors particularly fresh and dry tuber weight. Losses due to moisture stress at tuber initiation stage could be as high as 76.6% in dry tuber weight of D. rotundata. Mycorrhizae inoculation treatment significantly increased fresh tuber weight of D. rotundata by 33.3 p

NNPC Unveils Strategies to End Current Fuel Scarcity in Next Few Days T he controversy generated by the declaration of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu that the current petrol shortages could last up to two months, has compelled the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) unveil strategies to end the scarcity within the next few days. NNPC today also reassured Nigerians that it was on top of the petroleum products supply and distribution situation, and remained committed to eliminating this endemic issue once and for all within the next few days. The Group General Manager in charge of Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation, Mr. Garba Deen Muhammed,   said   in a statement last night that in the medium term, the corporation was working on sustainable strategies to permanently address the issues and challenges facing the midstream and downstream sectors. According to him, the overarching objective is to make Nigeria a net exporter of Pe

Declare State of Emergency in Osun, SDP Tells Buhari   Osun State Chapter of Social Democratic Party (SDP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the state following the present high level of untimely deaths, hungers and poverty ravaging the people of the state.   In a statement by the Chairman of the party, Chief Ademola Ishola, which was made available to media today, the party disclosed that information at its disposal showed that over 510 retirees in the state died in the last 18 months waiting for their entitlements.   He noted uncountable numbers of the state workers lost their lives to avoidable deaths in the last one year due financial difficulties while many of them who have been confined to half salaries by the state Governor, Rauf Aregbesola in the last eight months are dying in silence.   According to him, many of the ill people in the state who cannot afford private hospitals since the public own have been ineffec

The Role of Oba Sijuwade in my Ascension to the Throne, by Ooni Ogunwusi Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, today stated that the role played by his immediate predecessor,   late Oba Okunade Sijuwade, in his ascension to the throne of Oduduwa was remarkable. Oba Ogunwusi, who became the 51st Ooni in September last year after the death of Oba Sijuwade in a London hospital same year, spoke at the renaming of Ife City Hall after the late   Sijuwade in Ile Ife.   The event which saw the three wives of Sijuwade making a public appearance within Ile Ife for the first time since the completion of his funeral rites in September last year, was also witnessed by the eldest son of the monarch, Prince Adetokunbo and some of his siblings. Oba Ogunwusi in his remarks said his predecessor played a major role in his becoming a monarch through prayers, saying on few occasions, he had opportunity of close interaction with Oba Sijuwade, prayers which showed his clairvo

Calabar to Host World Mayors' Conference Nigeria is set to play host to the 2016 edition of world Mayors' conference on May 23 and May 27 in Calabar, the capital city of Cross River State.  Chairman, World Mayors’ Conference, African Region, Eyo Asuquo, made this known this weekend in Abuja during a courtesy visit to the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Nigeria, Mr. Qin Jian. “We are at the embassy to officially inform it of the forthcoming World Mayors’ Conference and to solicit the Embassy’s support to mobilse mayors from China to attend the conference,” he said. Asuquo noted that the objectives of the conference were in line with the agenda of President Buhari to diversify the country’s economy from oil to agriculture and solid minerals. Adding that the conference would be attended by the 774 local government chairmen from the country as well as mayors from Africa, Asia, America and Europe. Qin Jian, the Deputy He

‎Call el-Rufai to Order, HURIWA Warns Buhari, APC The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) has alleged that the Kadua state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai is anti-democratic with his policies, therefore called on the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  to call the governor to order  to maintain the current atmosphere of peace and tranquility in state.  The group also urged  members of the state House of Assembly to reject anti-labour and anti-religious legislation before them. HURIWA in a statement  identified the governor has a major threat to democratic norms, peace and the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. National coordinator of the group, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, urged the governor  to fundamentally amend his leadership style, so as to avoid precipitation of civil unrest in the state.  "HURIWA believes that any social cum religious warfare that is ignited in Kaduna would spread like wild fire across Nigeria.

READ ALL THE EASTER MESSAGES FROM PROMINENT NIGERIAN POLITICIANS Atiku Preaches Sacrifice, Says Nigeria will Rise again Former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, has enjoined Nigerians to be strong amid current harsh challenges, as better days would soon come. He added that there is “hardly a testimony without a test and a crown without a cross.” In an Easter message issed in Abuja by his Media Office, the Turaki Adamawa stated that the message of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection is a perfect analogy for the current situation in Nigeria today. According to Atiku, "The significance of the celebration of Easter demonstrates that there is never an indomitable situation that hope, good team-spirit and hard work cannot overcome." The former vice president therefore encouraged Nigerians not to lose hope, particularly as the ruling APC government would continue to work assiduously to find long term