YellowStone Media International

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its weekly virtual meeting on Wednesday approved N809.7 billion for some road projects across the country; procurement of fire fighting vehicles as well as the development of an application for design, development, deployment, and management of the National Social Investment Management System for the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP). The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, told journalists at the end of the 36th FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari that the council approved the change of scope for the construction of the 375 kilometre Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway, saying the road is still undergoing renovation, and would now be completely reconstructed, thus increasing the cost of the project from N155 billion to N797.2 billion. According to him, “I presented on behalf of the Ministry of Works and Housing, one memorandum and one report. The memo was with respect to the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway, wh

The Presiding Bishop of Sword of the Spirit Ministries and the Promoter of Precious Cornerstone University, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has emerged the new National President of the Pentecost Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). He emerged the new leader of PFN at the election held last Tuesday night at the Grace Cathedral in Enugu, Enugu State. The emergence of Oke, who will spend four years in office and renewable by another four years, was announced by the President of He’s Alive Chapel, Lagos, Pastor Austin Ukachi, who was the returning officer for the exercise. According to a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday by the Wale Oke Media Office, he is the seventh national president of PFN consequent upon unanimous decision of every member of the National Advisory Council (NAC) of the umbrella body of all Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. The statement read in part: "By a unanimous decision of every member of National Advisory Council (NAC) today (Tuesday) at Grace C

The Senate has commenced moves to establish the National University of Health and Medical Sciences in Suleja, Niger State, with the consideration of a bill which scaled through second reading on Wednesday. The sponsored of the bill, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), while leading the debate on the floor, told his colleagues that the establishment of the institution was informed by the imperative to create more access to higher health and medical studies in view of the large number of qualified candidates who are annually stranded in their failed attempt to gain admission into higher institutions in the state. According to the lawmaker, the establishment of the National University of Health and Medical Sciences would encourage the advancement of learning, as well as develop and offer academic and professional programmes leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate research and higher degrees with emphasis on planning, adaptive, technical, maintenance, de

Plateau State Government is set to domesticate the National Livestock Transformation Programme, as it approved a bill for the establishment of the Plateau State Livestock Transformation, which when passed into law, will promote livestock business anchored on ranching. This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Director of Press to the state Governor, Simon Lalong, Dr. Makut Macham. He said the State Executive Council (SEC) at its weekly meeting approved the transmission of the bill to the state House of Assembly for consideration by the legislature. Also speaking on the bill, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Dan Manjang, said it would facilitate the smooth transition from open grazing to ranching. Manjang said the state has been working assiduously to put in place all necessary requirements for the take-off of the model ranching programme at the Wase and Kanam Reserves which are wholly owned by the state government. He assured the state that onc

The International Non-governmental Organisations (INGOs) community in Nigeria on Wednesday said the full scale infiltration and destruction of Dikwa in Borno State by Boko Haram members were still being assessed. It was reported that many facilities belonging to humanitarian organisations, government and private individuals were destroyed with many persons abducted by the terrorist group in a siege of over 12 hours on the Borno town. The military, however, came out to state that the attempt to infiltrate the town was repelled by the Nigerian troops. A statement issued by the INGOs yesterday, which condemned the attack, lamented that: “In the more than a decade-long armed conflict in the North-east Nigeria, civilians have continued to suffer from its devastating consequences, paying the price for the blatant violations of international law that provides for their protection.” Last Tuesday’s attack, it said: “The Dikwa hospital was set on fire in violation of international humanita

A coalition of 15 northern-based civil society organisations (CSOs) on Wednesday in Kano, Kano State, accused some northern governors of allegedly turning the rising cases of kidnapping and banditry in the region to money spinning ventures. The groups under the umbrella of Non-State Actors Consultative Forum (NOSACOF) also kicked against Governors of Zamfara and Katsina States, and other elites in the North calling for negotiation with terrorists as an alternative to military intervention to end insecurity in the country. Addressing journalists in Kano yesterday on the state of insecurity in northern Nigeria, the Co-convener of coalition, Mr. Ibrahim Waiya, alleged that political actors in the North have devised a new strategy to swindling public resources through negotiation with bandits. Waiya stressed that the new trend being orchestrated to undermine the national security architecture and efforts of the military to stop the invasion of terrorists may spell dome for the country

The House of Representatives on Tuesday said there was urgent need to establish and devise workable means of ensuring that Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government (MDAs) pay their utility bills to the government through direct debit mechanism. This, it said, would ensure debiting the accounts of all MDAs at the end of each month in conjunction with the office of the Accountant General of the Federation. The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Kingsley Chima at the plenary. Presenting the motion, the lawmaker explained that the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is a major factor in the economic growth of every country and should at least represent 50 percent of the gross national income of an economy of a country to be stable. Chima said Nigeria relies on about 90 percent of Externally Generated Revenue (EGR) through crude oil as the source of the country’s gross national income, adding that that government also relies on p

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has declared that the 2.5 per cent revenue proposed for host communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was grossly inadequate and unacceptable to the people of the Niger Delta region. Diri stated this on Tuesday during a town hall meeting on the bill with members of the National Assembly and stakeholders in Yenagoa. The governor, who proposed that 10 per cent be provided for host communities, contended that if National Assembly members see first-hand the level of environmental degradation and its attendant effects on the people, they would not hesitate to increase it from 10 per cent. The governor in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, stressed that the PIB was critical in addressing issues such as unemployment, lack of transparency in the oil and gas sector, militarisation of oil production, skills acquisition and marginalisation of oil producing states. According to Diri, "I restate our ea

The Executive Secretary of Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof. Garba Sharubutu, on Tuesday called on the federal government to strengthen the Forest Guard architecture in order to find lasting solution to the rising security challenges in the country. He said the problem of insecurity has continued to constrain agricultural initiatives as well as prevented farmers from accessing their farms unaided. Speaking during a scorecard session with agriculture correspondents in Abuja, he said the forest remained the root cause of the lingering insecurity in the country, and called on the government to pay attention towards the direction. He stressed that other countries have been able address similar security issues by properly safeguarding their forests. Sharubutu said: "I think I have made presentation even at the highest level of the police formation in the country, and I have one word: ‘the underlining factor for insecurity is the forest’. "For those wh

The Ondo State Police Command on Tuesday paraded four men who allegedly stole phones at the inauguration ceremony of the state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, second term in office last week, held at the Dome in Akure. The men, according to the police, specialised in stealing phones at ceremonies. The paraded suspects are Ojo Femi, 30; Abiodun Adewale, 45; Kayode Olarewaju, 45, and Aiwole, 25. The suspects were reportedly nabbed by men of the Operation Scorpion Squad attached to the state government on the Ilesha-Akure road while returning to their base in Oyo, Osun and Kwara States. Seven phones stolen at the inauguration ceremony were recovered from them. Ojo, who admitted to stealing six phones at the Dome, said it was his friend that gave him the phones, adding that he lives in Oyo State. Adewale claimed that he picked the phone on the ground at the Dome before he was caught. He confessed that he used to go to parties to steal phones and usually sold them for N8,000 and

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Tuesday led a delegation of state officials, traditional rulers and security chiefs to Ibadan, Oyo State, for a joint security meeting with the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, and top officials of the South-western state. Kwara and Oyo States share common boundaries across many communities. The meeting, which was called at the instance of AbdulRazaq, focused on the recent security breaches involving herders and local communities in Oyo State; the influx of displaced herders into Kwara State and the attendant socioeconomic and security issues. In a statement issued in Ilorin, which was signed by the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, he stated that: "The meeting was also called on the need for political leaders to act fast to sink the voices of non-actors who are spreading hate messages, and a need for the two states and traditional rulers across border communities to share intelligence while security agen

Unidentified gunmen on Tuesday morning shot dead a young man at the village market section of the Makurdi modern market in Benue State. The incidence, according to an eye witness, happened around 10: 45a.m. while traders were setting down for business. A source, who did not want to be named, told journalists that the deceased young man rode his motorcycle to the market, and was trying to alight when the assailants, two in number, walked up to him and shot him twice. "He tried to stand up and run but the gunmen rushed after him with stones and tyre wheel, and hit him until he died. "We all ran for our lives while the whole drama lasted. From where I was, I saw how they hit him severally with stones and tyre wheel on his head. When they were sure that he had died, they left him on the ground and walked away through a section of the market unchallenged," the source said. The source said the development made the traders quickly close their stalls for about an hour unti

As part of his efforts to tackle insecurity in the state and rid Ondo State of criminal elements, the state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday charged the 18 elected local government area chairmen to set up a local vigilance group. The governor urged them to engage local hunters who can work effectively with the state security network codenamed ‘Amotekun Corps’. Akeredolu gave the charge on Tuesday when he met with the local government area chairmen at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s office at Alagbaka, Akure. He assured them that at least two vehicles would be provided for the Amotekun Corps in each of 18 local government areas across the state as operational vehicles to aid their fight against criminality. Akeredolu noted that the Amotekun Corps is key to the effective security of lives and property of the people of the state, urging the local government areas chairmen to work with the Amotekun Corps. He approved a regular monthly meeting with the c

As part of the preparations for the 2023 general election and the efforts to reposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki. Although the details of the meeting were not known as at press time, it is not unrelated on how to repackage the PDP for the 2023 general election by presenting it as the only alternative to “salvage the declining economy and the ugly state of insecurity in the country.” “Since the assumption of office of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government, Nigeria has witnessed the worse security crisis as well a divided country,” the party said. The Saraki-led PDP Reconciliation and Strategy Committee also had a meeting with the former Governor of Ekiti State, Peter Ayo Fayose, at his Ikeja home in Lagos. The agenda of the meeting was on how to unite the PDP in the South-west region as well as unit

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ari Muhammed Ali, has disclosed that a total of 8,384 police personnel would be deployed for various security duties for the March 6, 2021, local government elections in the state. Ali disclosed that the number to be assigned to election duties next weekend in the 25 local government areas of the state was made up of 8,292 policemen and 92 men drawn from the special constabulary in Delta State. Specifically, Ali said policemen would be adequately deployed in all the polling units and collation centres as well as some areas identified or suspected to be ‘hot spots’. The state police boss also announced on Tuesday that no policeman was permitted to escort any politician or candidate in the election throughout the duration of the exercise. In a statement issued by the state Police Command acting spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, the commissioner assured the citizens and voters adequate protection, but warned those who wished to foment trouble duri

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday stated that failure to create more polling units across the country before the 2023 general election may hamper the integrity of the election. This is as both chambers of the National Assembly assured Nigerians that they would do everything legislatively possible to provide better voting environment for the citizens. The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this during a meeting of the Joint Committee on INEC with him on the state of voters’ access to polling units in Nigeria. In his presentation, Yakubu lamented that the existing polling units, which were established in 1996 were no longer adequate for voters to freely vote. This crisis, he said, was disenfranchising millions of Nigerians and could damage the credibility of elections in Nigeria if not solved. Yakubu, while revealing that the commission received over 10,092 requests for additional polling units across the country, said the commiss

After taking delivery of 3.92 million doses of Covishield vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja yesterday, India has promised Nigeria yet another 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccines. A statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Nigeria on Tuesday said: “India will be gifting 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccines to Nigeria shortly, and 200,000 doses to the United Nations peacekeepers, which include many African military personnel.” The statement added: “A large consignment of 3.92 million doses of Covishield vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) arrived at the Abuja airport today (yesterday) under the Covax scheme of GAVI. “The Covishield vaccine is the first COVID-19 vaccine approved by NAFDAC, and it is the first vaccines to reach Nigeria. It is also among the single largest consignments of vaccines shipped out of India. “Nigeria is among the first few countries in Africa to receive the vaccine. In add

…Bans itinerant herders from passing through state …IG laments effect of drug, cultism in society Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has declared that any herdsman found carrying gun(s) in the state should be treated as a criminal. The governor said it was unwise to treat them with levity, adding that a fresh census for all herdsmen in the state has commenced, and that once the exercise was concluded, the state will no longer tolerate itinerant herders settling in the state, or even passing through the state with their herds. Obiano stated this on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ meeting on security with heads of various communities, security chiefs, traditional rulers and other groups, on the need to maintain security in the state. According to the governor, "We did census of herders in Anambra State last year, and they were 77. We are doing a new one now, and after the census, we will never allow itinerant herdsmen to come to our state again. "The ones causing t

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has stated that it is targeting N5.900 trillion revenue for the country in 2021. This is as the Senate vowed to probe revenue generating agencies to ascertain compliance with remittances into the consolidated revenue account. The FIRS Chairman, Muhammad Nami, stated this on Tuesday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance to defend the agency's 2021 budget proposal. Nami explained that for the 2021 budget, the agency is proposing a total revenue collection of N5.900 trillion, representing a 16.22 percent increase; above last year budget of N5.076 trillion. He stated that the cost of collection is projected at N289.25 billion to take care of the increasing cost of operation and planned expansion of operation for new sources of revenue. Nami, while reviewing the agency's performance of the 2020 budget which grossed in N4.950 trillion as against a budgeted N5.076 trillion, said the cost of collection of four percen

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Ita Enang, has lamented that stakeholders in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States have not done enough to draw the federal government attention to repair the Calabar-Itu federal road. Enang made the accusation when he appeared on the Correspondents' Arena in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, at the weekend. The presidential aide, who was the immediate-past Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, challenged all National Assembly members from Akwa Ibom and Cross River States to declare what effort they have made to draw federal government attention to the state of the road. According to him, "I challenge all members of the House of Representatives, all senators representing Akwa Ibom and Cross River States and the Governor of the states to mention their efforts towards the state of Calabar/Itu road." Speaking on the need to diversify the country's ec

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced People has stated that 2.6 million people are currently displaced in Nigeria. Besides, the commission disclosed a plan to build 600 housing schemes for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kano State. The Federal Commissioner of the commission, Bashir Mohammad Garba, disclosed this on Sunday while flagging off the distribution of food items and materials to 7,500 persons affected by natural disasters at the Kano State Government House. Garba submitted that those displaced from their ancestral home were victims of insurgency attacks from the North-east region and natural disasters in many states in the southern part of the country. He noted that the federal government had concluded on a place to resettle the displaced persons in line with the mandate of the commission. The commissioner further posited that the federal government has partnered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to build resettlement housin

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has shared N343 million as food aid to internally displaced persons (IDPs), and soft loans to petty traders in Gamboru, a Nigerian border town with Cameroon. Zulum, who was in Dikwa and Gamboru at the weekend, supervised the disbursement of N343million and varieties of food and humanitarian interventions to residents of the border community in Ngala Local Government Area of the state. The total sum of N343 million was shared-N150 million distributed as soft loan and grants to small and medium scale traders, while N193 million was disbursed to 48,700 vulnerable residents. The governor personally took time to verify the list of beneficiaries, explaining that his action was to ensure that only deserving persons were allotted the loans, aimed at stimulating the local economy. Nineteen traders received N1 million each; 25 traders received N500,000 each; other categories received cash ranging from N250,000, N100,000 to N30,000 each, depending

Goods worth millions of naira were last Saturday night destroyed by fire, which razed a section of the Ikpoba Hill market in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. It was learnt that the fire, which started at about 9p.m. last Saturday night, affected mainly makeshift shops made up of caravans. It was also gathered that the owner of one of the electronic shops affected by the fired simply identified as Tony, was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed on hearing the news. A witness identified as Peter said: "At about 9p.m., we saw smoke billowing from one of the shops, and before we knew what was happening, the whole place was engulfed in fire." He said the fire fighters, who came later, couldn't salvage the goods, as the fire had already engulfed the shops and razed goods worth millions of naira. The witness said the shop owners could not salvage their goods either, as the shops were already engulfed by fire before their arrival. When THISDAY inqui

The healthcare delivery services in Ondo state government-owned health facilities may be paralysed totally from tomorrow, as nurses under the auspices of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) will embark on a three-day warning strike starting from today. Already, medical officers under the umbrella of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) had been on strike for about three weeks due to issues relating to payment of monthly salaries. Similarly, the nurses said they are embarking on the warning strike to press home their demand on the half payment of salary by the state government. The decision of the nurses was contained in a letter dated February 26, 2021, and signed by the state Secretary of NANNM, Aina Emmanuel Oluwasegun. The secretary said the nurses’ decision was reached after the meeting of the leadership of the union and its members. He said the industrial action would commence from 12 noon tomorrow to March 3, 2021. The notice stated: “Sequel to

Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe, at the weekend recounted his experience as the Deputy Governor to Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, when the latter was the governor of Abia State in 1999, saying he fell out with Kalu for refusing to be one of his (Kalu) mother's ‘Egusi’ peelers. He also narrated how he survived three impeachment attempts as deputy governor of the state from 1999 to 2003. These revelations are excerpts from 10 chapter of Abaribe's 334 page autobiography titled: ‘Made in Aba’, which will be unveiled today in Abuja. The ranking senator in the book explained that his trouble as deputy to Governor Kalu started when he refused to join the league of ‘Egusi’ peelers who thronged his mother's abode for whatever reason. He stated on Page 155 of the book: "I was just not toadying to Orji Uzor Kalu enough that was my greatest undoing. I was not in the league of ‘Egusi’ peelers that thronged his mother's house for whatever reason. His minions

As distressing incidences of abduction of schoolchildren rage in the northern part of the country unabated, the National Association of Nigerian Student (NANS) has advised the federal government to list bandits perpetrating such ‘horrendous crime’ as terrorists. NANS averred that the abduction of over 300 schoolgirls from Government Girls Junior Secondary in Jangebe, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State in the early hours of last Friday, was an indictment and clear indication of the failure of the country’s security apparatuses. Also, the students’ group advised the government to convey a national security summit towards galvanising the best brains in providing ideas and innovation to combating the multi-faceted security challenges in Nigeria. In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, NANS National President, Sunday Asefon, expressed disgust at the rate of kidnapping of schoolchildren in quick succession in the country, saying the experiences from Chibok, Dapchi, Kagar

As preparation for the 2023 general election continues, the African Democratic Congress ( ADC) has rejected plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create additional polling units in the country. The issue of additional polling units, which was shelved ahead of the 2015 general election, seems to have taken the centre stage again. In August 2014, INEC, under the leadership of Prof. Attahiru Jega, sought to create 30,027 additional polling units ahead of the 2015 general election, with 21,615 in the north and 8,412 in the southern part of the country. Addressing a press conference on the state of the nation at the weekend, the ADC said creating more polling units in addition to the existing 120,000 would further increase the cost of electioneering in the country. The ADC National Chairman, Chief Okey Nwosu, who stated this at the party's national secretariat in Abuja at the weekend, urged public officials to exercise restraint while formulating poli