NDLEA Wants Mandatory Drug Integrity Tests for Politicians, Others

By Adedapo Adesanya President Bola Tinubu has increased the initially proposed monthly allowance for federal civil servants from N25,000 to N35,000. The money is still to be paid monthly for six months. The increment was announced in a statement by the Minister of Information, Mr Mohammed Idris. This development came less than 24 hours after Mr Tinubu on his first Independence Day broadcast on Sunday morning announced the monthly payment of N25,000 allowance to junior civil servants to cushion the effect of the impact of petrol subsidy removal. He said the allowance would be paid for six months. However, after

By Aduragbemi Omiyale The proposed nationwide indefinite strike threatened by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) scheduled for Tuesday, October 3, 2023, has been suspended. The organised labour unions put industrial action on hold for 30 days to allow the federal government to implement some of the agreements reached at a last-minute meeting on Monday. While addressing newsmen in Abuja after the meeting on Monday night, the President of the NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, said the government has agreed to suspend the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel for six months from this

By Bliss Okperan President Bola Tinubu has joined other persons and organisations to rejoice with Muslims all over the globe, particularly in Nigeria, over the birthday celebration of Prophet Mohammed. The federal government declared Wednesday, September 27, 2023, a public holiday for Eid-El-Maulud, and the President, as well as his opponent in the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), has joined to celebrate the day. In a statement from the State House in Abuja, Mr Tinubu urged Muslims to use the day “for deep introspection and fervent prayers,” stressing they should “make deliberate efforts to

By Adedapo Adesanya The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Power and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to urgently provide funds for the completion of the Okpai–Kwale Transmission Line Project in Delta State. At the plenary on Tuesday, the lower chamber of the parliament mandated its Committee on Power to ensure that bottlenecks mitigating against the completion of the project are effectively addressed and the project is completed in due time. This followed a motion moved by Mr Nnamdi Ezechi, the lawmaker representing Ndokwa/UKwuani Federal Constituency in the National Assembly on the floor of the green

By Adedapo Adesanya Libyan oil production has now reached 1.215 million barrels per day, signalling more worries for the international oil market with more supply expected amid weakening demand. The North African country’s state oil company, National Oil Corporation (NOC), said last week that production had reached 1.04 million barrels per day. Business Post had reported that Libya’s oil output has been rising steadily since the gradual lifting of an eight-month blockade by eastern forces in September. It was reported on October 26 that NOC ended force majeure on the last facilities closed by the blockade and recently, the chairman

By Adedapo Adesanya The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has partnered with the Nigerian government on how to advance the country towards a self-reliant future. A press statement released by the spokesperson of USAID, Tom Babington confirmed this on Tuesday, August 27. This followed the recent two-day visit of USAID Administrator, Mark Green to Nigeria on August 24-25, 2019 where he emphasized the agency’s commitment to partnering with the country on how it can develop effectively. On the first day of the two-legged visit, Administrator Green met with the Vice of the President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo and

By Dipo Olowookere Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc has promised to unlock business opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement for its corporate and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) clients. The chief executive of the financial institution, Mr Wole Adeniyi, while speaking at a webinar recently, explained that this would be done by leveraging the trade opportunities in the deal. In 2018, countries on the continent came together to form a single market aimed to boost their respective economy, though it officially kicked off in January 2021 after a few postponements. Nigeria signed the AfCFTA in 2019, after

The removal of Prof. Dibu Ojerinde as the registrar of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been lauded by an educationist, Mr Samuel Amadi. Mr Amadi described Ojerinde’s removal by the Federal Government as a welcomed idea, saying the examination body was becoming a confused agency with its controversial initiatives. Speaking on Friday in Enugu, Mr Amadi, who is the proprietor of a private secondary, said the recent withdrawal of the 2016 JAMB admission list was very embarrassing. “Today you will hear that JAMB has sent 2016 admission lists to universities, polytechnic and colleges of education, the next day,

By Ahmed Rahma The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has maintained that the collection of stamp duty collection in Nigeria was still under its purview. The agency described as false publications in some newspapers and electronic/social media platforms that the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has been given the responsibility to carry out the function. NIPOST and FIRS have been at loggerheads over the right organisation to collect stamp duty in the country. A few days ago, NIPOST claimed the Minister for Communications and Digital Economy has mandated it to be in charge of the administration of stamp duties in the

By Adedapo Adesanya Nigeria’s leading indigenous energy trading company, Hyde Energy Limited, in its drive to expand its Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) operations, has commissioned a new facility in Makurdi, the Benue State capital. The NAFIL-Hyde Energy LPG Facility located at the Nigerian Air Force base of the state will provide the force and its environs with a reliable and sustainable source of energy and improve the adoption of LPG in homes as against the use of wood and kerosene. Hyde Energy, as part of its promise to expand its LPG plants across the country, has other outlets in the

By Adedapo Adesanya Nigerian writer, Ayobami Adebayo, has been announced as winner of the 2018 edition of the 9mobile Prize for Literature. Ms Adebayo’s novel ‘Stay with Me’, earned her the coveted prize at an event held at the 9mobile headquarters in Banana Island, Lagos on Thursday. She received a £15,000 prize money and a Montblanc Meisterstück pen among several other rewards which include a 9mobile-sponsored fellowship at the University of East Anglia where she will be mentored by Professor Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland. The award is one of the most prestigious literature prizes for

By Dipo Olowookere As children prepare and get excited to resume of the 2019/2020 academic session this month, some parents are running helter skelter looking for how they can pay school fees. But Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, a member of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, has come to the rescue with the introduction of a suite of educational payment products that will ease the burden of school fees which parents and guardians have to bear. Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, being a Nigerian bank, specifically developed the educational products, taking cognisance of the country’s cultural nuances. The first of the solutions is