YellowStone Media International

The House of Representatives has vowed to recover billions of naira paid to different Insurance companies by the federal government as premium on non-existent Head of Service (HoS) Group Life Insurance scheme between 2014 and 2019. The HoS scheme, which was described as the biggest scheme in the Nigeria insurance industry cuts across over 100 government Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs). The Chairman of the House Committee on Insurance and Actuarial Matters, Hon. Darlington Nwokeocha, disclosed this while briefing journalists on Thursday in Abuja after a two-week investigative hearing, saing despite the huge amount of public fund sunk into the project, there was nothing to show for it. Some of the affected MDAs included the Nigerian Military, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), Federal Fire Service, Ministri

The Cross River State Police Command has announced that its operatives have arrested an alleged serial kidnapper and eight others for their alleged involvement in committing various crimes in the state. Parading the nine suspects before journalists in Calabar, the state capital, on Thursday, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Nekereuwem Akpan, said the alleged serial kidnapper, “one Raphael Nwanakwo Sam, had escaped from the DSS custody sometime in 2018 while he was under investigation.” The commissioner said the criminal was rearrested on February 20 by men of the state police command based on intelligence report. He revealed that the suspect is helping with information in the ongoing investigation, adding that the public should be conscious of the new trend use as tactics by kidnappers. The commissioner said: "What they are doing now is that they would hit your car from behind and you would think it’s just an ordinary accident. But the intention is t

Barely ten days after a man alighted from an Uber cab and committed suicide by jumping into the Lagos Lagoon, another person also sought to end his life through such means, as he leapt from an Uber cab into the Lagoon last night. According to the call cab driver, “I picked the passenger from Igando and he insisted I pass through the Third Mainland, he kept asking if this was the ‘bridge’ and when I affirmed, he asked to alight to ‘ease’ himself.   “He kept persuading me to stop so he could relieve himself and that made me curious, sensing an ulterior motive, I drove him to the point where Rapid Response Squad (RRS) were stationed on the bridge. “I then told the passenger that I was no longer interested in the trip, at this point he was alone in the cab as I was making my way to where the Police Officers were packed." According to eyewitness report, as soon as the Uber driver approached the RRS, the passenger got down from the car and stood by the bridge

  The World Economic Forum (WEF) has unveiled a new paper that seeks globally-coordinated approaches to diagnose and treat rare diseases with a view to creating new knowledge and informed solutions to improve the lives of people living with such ailments. A Rare Disease Day was celebrated for the first time in Nigeria in 2017, a day which involved talks to increase the understanding of rare diseases, the problems facing Nigerian patients, and how society could change its attitude towards such patients as well as the need for funding the research. Most rare diseases are genetic and are present throughout a person's entire life, even if symptoms do not immediately appear. Among numerous possibilities, rare diseases may result from bacterial or viral infections, allergies, chromosome disorders, degenerative and proliferative causes affecting body organs. Such diseases may be chronic or incurable, although many short-term medical conditions are also classified

The Nigerian Senate, worried by the rapid rate at which the Coronavirus epidemic is spreading across the globe, has asked the federal government to henceforth quarantine any international traveller coming into the country from China. The upper chamber stressed the need for government to ensure that all travellers into the country are properly screened at all international airports with a view to preventing the virus from being transmitted and spread among Nigerians. The Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, gave the charge following a matter of urgent national importance raised via Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rules by the Senate Deputy Leader, Senator Ajayi Boroffice. He said that rather than isolating the travellers from China, the Nigerian government should be pro-active in handling the scourge by quarantining the travellers from the Asian nation. He said: “We must be prepared. We must take all the necessary measures at our ports – airports, seaports. If someone is

The Senate on Thursday put the country's annual revenue loss to uncontrolled gas flaring at N217 billion. To stem the tide, the upper chamber is considering the passage of a bill which provides strict penalties for gas flaring offenders from 2021. Leading the debate on the Gas Flaring (Prohibition and Punishment) Bill, 2020, which passed the second reading during plenary, the sponsor, Senator Albert   Akpan (Akwa-Ibom North East), stated that available data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) showed that in 2018 alone, Nigeria lost over N217 billion in revenue. He added that oil and gas companies flared a total of 244.84 billion standard cubic feet (scf) of natural gas within the same period. According   to him, with the average price of natural gas put at $2.90 per 1,000 scf as of February 16, 2017, the 244.84 billion scf flared translated to a loss of $710million or N217 billion-using the official exchange rate of N305.25 per dol

Human rights activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, on Thursday berated the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government for failing to fulfill its campaign manifesto of returning Nigeria to true federalism. Falana stated this in Akure, Ondo State capital, while delivering a lecture organised by the Ondo State Government as part of activities to celebrate the third year of Oluwaroyimi Akeredolu as the governor of the state. The lecture entitled: ‘The Nigerian Federalism Imbroglio: A Paradigm Approach’, was held at the Ondo State International Event Centre, and was graced by dignitaries from all walks of lives, including traditional rulers, political leaders and people from the corporate world. Specifically, Falana said: "APC declared in its manifesto that it would return Nigeria to true federalism if elected, but five years later, we are still waiting for that to happen.” The human rights activist, who highlig

  The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, has reiterated its plans to auction the fifth generation network, otherwise known as 5G, currently being deployed by developed countries, however, raised serious concern about the poor state of power infrastructure in the country, which it said could mar the deployment of 5G rollout in the country. MTN had in December last year did a trial launch of 5G in Nigeria in preparation for the rollout of 5G across its network. NCC, however, raised fears of a successful deployment of 5G without adequate power infrastructure. The industry regulator, which raised the concern on Thursday at the ongoing Social Media Week 2020 event in Lagos, identified inadequate fibre coverage and poor state of power infrastructure as factors that could slow down the 5G deployment across the country. NCC, therefore, called on the federal government to prioritise adequate power generation and distribution

    The House of Representatives has commenced investigations into the activities going on at the Apapa Ports in Lagos on alleged unlawful and unwarranted extortions of port users by law enforcement agents. The House directed its Committee on Works and Housing to investigate the matter with a view to finding a lasting solution to the suffering of the truck operators at the port and report back within four weeks for further legislative action. This resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion titled: ‘Urgent Need to Investigate the Unwarranted Extortion of Truck Operators and other Port Users by Law Enforcement Agents at Apapa Ports’, which was moved by Hon. Olusola Steve Fatoba at the plenary on Thursday. Fatoba, while presenting his motion, said the House is aware that the federal government has been making frantic efforts to facilitate ease of doing business at the port, “but that it appears there is a deliberate effort by some people to frustrat

Deputy Senate Leader,  Ajayi Boroffice, has stated that  there are no measures to check the spread of coronavirus into the country. Speaking on the floor of the sena te on Thursday, Boroffice said upon his arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja from South Africa on Wednesday, passengers were only given a sheet of paper to indicate whether they were sick. The deputy leader said that was not the case in South Africa as they were screened before he disembarked from the aircraft when he arrived in the country on Friday. “I was in South Africa on Friday, I came back yesterday. Because of the issue of coronavirus, every country in the world is taking preventive measures because the wisdom is that prevention is better than cure. In South Africa, we were not allowed to leave the aircraft for good 30 minutes,” he said. “Officers of the medical corps came into the aircraft and screened everybody before we were allowed out but I arrived yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airpor

The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu, has said soon boats and water vessels that do not have permits issued by the Authority will not be allowed in Nigeria’s inland waterways. Moghalu, who stated this during his visit to NIWA’s operational base in Yenagoa, the Bayesla State capital, yesterday, said all boats using the waterways would have to meet safety standards. “We are going to play clearly and strictly our regulatory roles. We are going to enforce the use of permits before boats can enter the waterways because we cannot allow rickety vessels to waste the lives of Nigerians,” he said. NIWA boss disclosed that the Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a firm to provide lifejackets across all water formations in Nigeria. “We have started clearing water debris and water hyacinth on some of our channels. We have also started training processes in some of our locations,” Moghal

With the exit of Alhaji Buruji Kashimu from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), two factions of the Ogun State chapter of the party have agreed to put their differences behind and work together in the interest of the party. Former gubernatorial candidate, Ladi Adebutu, and Semiu Sodipo led a delegation that met with the national leadership of the party in Abuja on Wednesday to apprise it of their decision to reunite. The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who received united members of PDP from Ogun State, expressed delight that they had resolved to reconcile their differences, assuring them of the national leadership’s support. Secondus reminded Ogun PDP delegates that it was only the National Working Committee (NWC) that could call congresses and forward names of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as any other thing would be contrary to electoral laws.   He further affirmed that PDP was the po

  Mixed reactions have continued to trail the alleged raped of a schoolgirl by a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member with Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) in Katsina. The JSS1 student, whose identity is yet to be unraveled, was said to have been forcefully dragged into an apartment provided by the school management for its serving corps members by the accused person where he allegedly had carnal knowledge of her. Investigation by media  revealed that the corps member (name withheld), who has since been arrested by the police, hails from Niger State, and will be completing his service by March this year. Some family members who pleaded anonymity confirmed the scenario to the media on Wednesday, saying the accused person, after committing the ‘ungodly act’, allegedly locked the victim in the room for three days.   They also accused the NYSC authorities in the state of trying to persuade the management of the school and the gir

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State last Tuesday deepened as the state Chairman of the party, Hon. Bashr Bolarinwa, and other members of the state working committee of the party were attacked by some suspected thugs at Shao town in Moro Local Government Area of the state. During the attack, the party bus that convened the party state working committee were smashed by the suspected party thugs   and consequently, people at the venue ran for their lives. The incident, according to media checks, happened during the ‘Thank you tour’ by the state party executives committee to the members of the party for their support during the last general elections and to seek more support for the administration as well as to sustain the support. This new development in the party, accordingly, might not be unconnected with the internal crisis that had rocking the party shortly after the party electoral victory during the last year gener

  Building on its successful sensitisation campaigns in primary and secondary schools in Benin-city, the Edo State capital, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has further demonstrated its commitment to reducing electrical accidents and tampering with electricity equipment among school children as it recently embarked on safety sensitisation campaigns in primary and secondary schools in Ondo State. The sensitisation campaign on electrical safety and energy management is aimed at educating school children on the danger of unsafe acts like tampering with electrical installations, living and trading under high tension over-head power lines, overcrowded electrical sockets, stepping/touching electrical wires among others. The campaign, which took place in some selected primary and secondary schools in Ondo and Owo, will be replicated in all the local government areas in the state. Some of the pilot schools where the campaign took place were St Pa

  A few days after some Chinese nationals tested negative to coronavirus in Nigeria, another national of China has undergone a test for the disease. According to Olutunde Lalude, group medical director of Reddington Hospital Group, a Chinese national who arrived in Nigeria seven weeks ago underwent test for coronavirus in Lagos on Wednesday. Lalude said the man presented himself at the hospital while complaining of fever, one of the symptoms of coronavirus. He said as a precautionary measure, the man was isolated while health authorities in the state were alerted. The doctor said the patient was subsequently transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in the state ahead of the results of the tests, which he said would be available on Friday. He also dismissed the rumour that a coronavirus victim was admitted in the hospital, saying “the risk is thought to be low and so far patient has not been diagnosed with the disease”. “It has come to the attention of the

To curb the alarming rise of sex slavery Nigerian women are subjected to, the House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the personnel of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) at the ports and borders of Nigeria to make it mandatory for all border officials of all security agencies to be trained by National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). Also, the House has reported that several Nigerian women are regrettably into sex slavery across the world. It therefore directed NIS to permit trained NAPTIP officials to operate, spot, identify and prevent the illicit emigration of potential victims. The House also urged NAPTIP to begin to shame the traffickers in their homes, including the widespread publication of the names and pictures of convicted traffickers. The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion titled: 'Need to Investigate the Degrading Sex Slavery Nigerian Women are Subjected to’, which was jointly sponso

The World Health Organisation (WHO), African region, has called on Nigeria and other African countries to ramp up their preparation activities for the deadly coronavirus, as the window of opportunity available to African countries for preparation was closing. In a statement made available to the media on Wednesday, the Regional Director of WHO Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said Algeria’s Ministry of Health had alerted the global health body of a 61-year-old Italian who arrived in the country on February 17 from Italy tested positive to the virus. Moeti said: “The window of opportunity the continent has to prepare for the coronavirus disease is closing. All countries must ramp up their preparedness. “WHO is preparing to deploy a team of experts to Algeria to support its health authorities.” Algeria is one of 13 countries which WHO has identified as a top priority for preparedness measures due to their direct links or high volume of travel to China

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Olisa Metuh, to seven years in prison. Justice Okon Abang handed down the sentence on Tuesday in his judgment on seven counts of money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of N400 million where Metuh was found guilty. The charges were filed against Metuh and his company, Destra investment, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The trial judge sentenced Metuh after convicting him and found him guilty of all the charges brought against him by the anti-graft agency.

The Hausa community in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Monday evening embarked in a protest in the state capital against the alleged killing of their colleague by person's believed to be agents if the state Task Force on Illegal Trading. The angry protesters blocked the Presidential hotel axis of the Port Harcourt-Aba Express Road to express their displeasure following the death of their friend whose identity was yet to be ascertained. The Founding Father, Association of Northern Traders, Port Harcourt branch, Lawal Daura, alleged that operatives of the Rivers Task Force against Street Trading and Illegal Motor Parks arrested the deceased and returned his lifeless body minutes later. Daura stated that the deceased was gold and another valuable article collector who only visited his friends near the Presidential Hotel and was standing along the road before he was picked up by the task force. He said, "Sincerely I was not around when the incident h