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President-elect Joe Biden is poised to nominate Antony Blinken to serve as secretary of state. Incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain said earlier Sunday that Biden intended to begin revealing members of his Cabinet Tuesday.  Blinken is expected to be among the first nominations, people familiar with the matter said, with Biden intent on sending a signal that rebuilding America's alliances is one of his top priorities. Bloomberg was first to report that Biden intends to name Blinken. The president-elect is also expected to name Jake Sullivan, another close aide of his, as national security adviser, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a 35-year Foreign Service veteran, as his ambassador to the U.N. Antony J. Blinken began his career at the State Department during the Clinton administration. Antony J. Blinken began his career at the State Department during the Clinton administration.

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has imposed a 24 hour total curfew for two weeks on the entire area around the Okoro-Nu-Odu flyover in Rumuokoro, due to upsurge of cult activities and related violence. The governor has also warned that government will spare no efforts to deal appropriately with anyone who decides to disturb peace and security in the State with cult activities and associated violence and killings. Governor Wike, in a state wide broadcast explained that decision to impose the curfew was taken after the State Security Council meeting on Sunday in Port Harcourt. He explained that the Rivers State Government was seriously disturbed by the recent upsurge of cult activities and related violence and killings around the adjoining areas of the Okoro-Nu-Odu flyover in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. The governor stated that government has repeatedly warned misguided youths that engaging in cultism because of its abhorrent anti-social effect on society. “As part of mea

The Emir of Bichi, Dr. Nasiru Ado Bayero, has expressed gratitude to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for the peace the Northern community has been enjoying in the state, under his administration. The Emir of Bichi told Gov. Ugwuanyi that his administration’s commitment to national integration and peaceful co-existence of all Nigerians in Enugu State, irrespective of tribe, religion and political differences is “well acknowledged”, adding that “we will not forget that; we will be grateful to you forever”. Dr. Ado Bayero also appreciated the traditional rulers in Enugu State, stressing that based on “your relationship with the Northern community in your own local communities, our reports from them have been positive; so we are very grateful”. Speaking when Gov. Ugwuanyi played host to him at the Government House, Enugu, the Emir, who is the younger brother to the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, used the opportunity to assure the governor that “back in Kano State, we will protect

The Chief Executive Officer of Whitefield Foundation, Funmi Johnson, has disclosed that 185 patients have benefitted from the Coca-Cola/Whitefield N20 million medical intervention fund. The patients are being treated in 23 hospitals across nine states: Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Lagos, Edo, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Plateau as well as the FCT, Abuja. They are beneficiaries of the intervention fund. Coca-Cola Nigeria and its bottling partners NBC had provided a N20 million donation to an NGO, Whitefield Foundation, to help defray the medical bills of some of the hospitalized victims of the violence that trailed the #EndSARS protests across the country. The patients, according to Johnson are being treated for various degrees of injuries, including gunshot wounds. Amounts ranging from N10,000 to N300,000 were disbursed directly to their respective hospitals on their behalf. “Unfortunately, some of the patients have had to undergo amputation and will be provided with prosthetic limbs, t

The Federal Government’s N25b refund to Anambra State for its rehabilitation and reconstruction of federal roads has pitted Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South) against Governor Willie Obiano. Senator Ubah, at a news conference yesterday, gave Obiano 72 hours to address the people on why he discounted the promissory notes with about N8 billion ahead of their maturity dates. Ubah threatened to sue the government if Obiano fails to heed his request. The promissory notes were issued to Anambra State by the Debt Management Office (DMO) in December 2018 and April 2019 to the tune of N10.097 billion and N15.146 billion. They had maturity dates of December 28, 2020 and April 1, 2022. Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment C-Don Adinuba, in a statement, denied that the state raised money from ‘the DMO or the Federal Ministry of Finance under a bond, or any financial instrument from any institution or organisation’. But Ubah, who had documents to support his claims, insisted that

  Laolu Akande, a media aide to the Vice President has said Nigeria’s economy is rebounding due to the preemptive actions taken by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. “So, very clearly, we can see that the economy is rebounding and this is mainly because of the preemptive actions the Buhari administration had taken even before now to ensure the situation does not get worse,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.  While explaining that the present administration had launched various schemes to help Nigerians mitigate the effect of the pandemic, Akande said the impact of such schemes is being felt across the country. “There are all kinds of testimonies, I can share with you. We receive reports every day from beneficiaries of the Survival Funds,” he explained. Whether they are artisans. We are talking about tailors, barbers, plumbers, hairdressers, technicians all over the place or even people who work in private schools or private transport companies who have b

  A total of N81.41bn was expended on Nigeria’s refineries between January and August this year but the facilities refined no drop of crude oil all through this period, latest data obtained from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation showed. Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Port Harcourt Refining Company and Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company posted a cumulative revenue of N6.54bn during the eight-month period. With a revenue of N6.54bn and a total expense of N81.41bn, the facilities ended up with a deficit of N78.87bn, according to figures contained in the just-released August 2020 report of the NNPC. Further analysis of figures from the latest report, as well as those earlier released by the corporation, showed that the revenue, expense and deficit of KRPC during the period under review were N6.22bn, N33.61bn and N27.39bn respectively. PHRC posted a revenue, expense and deficit of N61m, N25.57bn and N25.51bn respectively from January to August 2020. Similarl

The leadership of the Ohaneze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari on the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as a Commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). President General of the group, Barr Basil Onuorah in a statement made available to newsmen, described those against the nomination as insincere and ignorant of the history and the provisions of the law. He attributed Onochie’s nomination as a result of dedicated hard work and sincerity in everything she found herself doing. Part of the statement read: “OHANAEZE NDIGBO GENERAL ASSEMBLY WORLDWIDE is pleased with the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as an INEC Commissioner. “We commend President Muhammadu Buhari for considering one of our illustrious Igbo daughters of Anioma extraction of Delta State for the noble job. “Those criticising Onochie’s nomination are not sincere to themselves and also lack good knowledge of history and the provisions of the law. “Those criticising th

The Federal Government has agreed to release N30 billion as part payment of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Sen. Chris Ngige. Minister of Labour and Employment said this at the end of a meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU on Friday in Abuja. “The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) was committed to release N30 billion on or before Nov. 6. “The remaining N10 billion would be spread equally over the two tranches to be paid in May 2021 and February 2022 respectively. The OAGF should quickly conclude the verification of figures of EAA claims so as to clean up the figures from 2014 to 2020. “To this end, a committee would be constituted by NUC to develop a template that would capture all the agreed allowances in the 2009 Agreement for all the Unions in the Universities. “Thereafter, the OAGF and the National University Commission (NUC) are to quickly conclude the verification of the EAA figures, so as to defray the

  The popular Nollywood actress took to her IG page to share pictures of herself and her family partaking in the ongoing #EndSARS prostest. She wrote: I and my clan went out! What a privilege to be a youth and in same generation as them. Been a long time coming...✊� #endpolicebrutalityinnigeria  

  The Twitter account of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has been hacked. The hackers put up a message threatening to reveal secrets of Nigerian authorities. “We #Anonymous are out to expose government’s secret and dirty files”, it read. “Put an #ENDTOPOLICEBRUTALITY #Twitterdown #NBChacked”, the message added. The website was also not opening as at 9:25 am. NBC regulates the Nigerian broadcast industry. The commission says it adopts scientific research methods to gather data, analyze trends in line with the dynamism of the industry and advise government. NBC receives, processes and considers applications for the establishment, ownership or operation of radio and television stations including cable television service, direct satellite broadcast and others.

Today at Kurfi Town in Katsina State, local vigilante got Intel that bandits were meeting in one of the houses outskirt of town, they mobilized, raided and killed all of them and deposited the corpses at Divisional Police Station Kurfi LGA.

  The mother of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Mrs. Abigail Makinde, is dead. According to a statement by the elder brother of the governor on behalf of the family, Chief Muyiwa Makinde, Madam Makinde departed in the early hours of yesterday in Ibadan at the age of 81. The elder Makinde, who is the Jagun Olubadan said: “With total submission to the will of the Almighty God, we announce the passing to the great beyond of our mother, Mrs. Abigail Makinde, in the early hours of today, Thursday, October 15, 2020.” Meanwhile, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, has described the passing of Madam Abigail Makinde as a rude shock. The monarch, who stated this at his Popoyemoja, Ibadan palace, recalled that the late Madam Makinde was in the palace on September 11, 2020 to witness the elevation of some chiefs in Ibadan, including her son, Muyiwa Makinde, as Jagun Olubadan of Ibadanland. Also, the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland and former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Lado

  The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) yesterday took to the streets in Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger and Kano States to protest the escalating security challenges facing the North. In Kaduna, the protesters who marched from Waff Road to the Kaduna State House of Assembly Complex demanded an “immediate end to banditry, terrorism, and Kidnappings in Northern Nigeria.” They carried placards and banners with various inscriptions such as: “Stop the killings in the North,” “Empower SWAT to end insecurity,” “End Boko Haram now,” End Banditry Now,” “The North is Bleeding,” and “Stop Rape Now.” The protesters were received by the Chief Whip of the Assembly, Hon. Shehu Yunusa. Addressing the Chief Whip, the coordinator of the protest, Mr. Sa’ad Bako, said the CNG was compelled to protest the unending insecurity in the North. The group lamented the recent violent attacks on innocent people in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Borno, Adamawa and other northern communities and other disturbances ac

The All Progressive Party, APC has warned mischief makers to be wary of hijackers, to avoid diversionary interest in the ongoing #EndSARS protest. The youths took to the street on Thursday, 8 October 2020 to protest across the states of the country, against intimidation and harassment from the Special Anti-robbery Squad, SARS, and arm of the Nigerian Police Force. In a statement released by the party public secretary, Hon. Seye Oladejo, the party warned the opposition party, People’s Democratic Party, PDP to steer clear of the protest and not disguise to cause mayhem because of the October by-elections in the Lagos East Senatorial district. The statement reads; Our attention has been drawn to the needless and irresponsible politicizing of the #ENDSARS nationwide protest by the opposition PDP. It will be recalled that the Lagos state government since the commencement of the protest march around different parts of the state has been supportive. Mr Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu and his d

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved release of N10 billion to the National Population Commission (NPC) for continuation of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) in the remaining 546 Local Government Area of the country. Buhari also approved an additional N4.5 billon to be included in the 2021 Budget for completion of the exercise as part of the preparations for the next census. Acting Chairman of NPC, Dr. Eyitayo Oyetunji,disclosed these in Abuja while briefing reporters on the release of the funds and the update on the EAD at the NPC headquarters

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has said that Eyitayo Jegede will emerge winner of Saturday’s Ondo governorship election. Jegede is up against Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Chairman of the Forum and Sokoto Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, spoke on Sunday through the body’s Director-General, C.I.D. Maduabum. Maduabum quoted Tambuwal as saying PDP governors were united in ensuring that Jegede becomes the next Ondo helmsman. He also mention that that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria’s experience, dynamism and programmes will return the State to glory days. Tambuwal criticize those suggesting that PDP governors were not supporting Jegede. He called them fifth columnists afraid of the popularity of the party’s candidate and triumph. “Nothing can stop the march of progress in Ondo. Jegede’s victory is one whose time has come. The Forum speaks with one voice and this naked attempt to sow division and discord within its ranks has failed miserably.

Against the mounting agitation for the restructuring of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he is not moved and vowed not to succumb to pressure.  A statement emanating from the office of presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, on Sunday night, which made this position known, noted what it said were the recurring threats to the corporate existence of the country with different people pressing Buhari to do certain things at specific times.  The statement said: “The presidency responds to the recurring threats to the corporate existence of the country with factions giving specific timelines for the president to do one thing or another or else, in their language, ‘the nation will break up. The Presidency warned that Buhari will not take any action out of pressure, noting that all attention is needed to tackle the coronavirus at this time.  It added: “This is to warn that such unpatriotic outbursts are both unhelpful and unwarranted as this government will not succumb to thr

In a major political development fuelled by    power intrigues and permutations, Buhari supporters are considering backing former President Goodluck Jonathan for 2023 presidential run. The thinking is that it will satisfy the increasing clamour for power shift to the South. Buhari’s close loyalists believed that Jonathan would be harmless to their group interest and as such the right person to take over if power were to shift to the South, “he handed over power peacefully and nursed no bitterness against anyone and therefore will not be a threat to the interest of the north,” according to a top source in Buhari’s camp who didn’t want to be identified. The attraction to Jonathan’s possible candidacy is that he will serve just one term of four years. In a related development yesterday, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disclosed that it would not discriminate against any person in the build-up to the next presidential election on its platform, including a former Vice Pr

The police command in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja has arrested a policeman for allegedly killing a 19-year-old barber, Jonah Samson, in Dutse-Apo area on Saturday, October 3. According to reports, the trigger-happy police officer allegedly stormed the community with threats of killing one or two people, and fired a gunshot into the air. When residents of the area appealed to him to stop, he allegedly fired another one which sadly hit the barber who was pronounced dead at the hospital where he was rushed to. Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the FCT police command, ASP Yusuf Mariam said the Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Ciroma, has ordered an investigation into the incident and that the accused police officer has been arrested and will be charged accordingly. “The Police Officer identified to have shot the deceased has been arrested, detained and will be charged accordingly. “While commiserating with the family and friends of the deceased, the Commissioner of Police

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has described trust as critical to the nation’s economic growth. He said the nation’s entire credit system was based on trust. According to a statement on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, the Vice President made the remarks in a keynote address he delivered at the Nigeria Leadership Initiative webinar series with the theme “A national conversation on rebuilding our national values system.” The statement was titled “Why merit is crucial to economic growth, by VP Osinbajo.” Osinbajo was quoted as saying that before credit facility can be extended to a customer, there must be trust that he or she will repay. He added that citizens will not pay taxes if they do not have the trust that government will not embezzle it. Osinbajo said, “Economic growth rests upon the substructure of values. The basis of the entire credit system as we know it, is trust. Indeed, the word credit is derived from the Latin word ‘credere’ —to b

The police in Kano at the weekend launched a massive manhunt on one Hauwa, a middle aged housewife suspected to have slaughtered two of her biological children at Diso quarters, Gwale Local government area of Kano metropolis. The incident which occurred on Saturday afternoon was a climax of a broken relationship between Hauwa and her heartthrob, Ibrahim Haruna Aminu who took a second wife recently. The two children at the centre of tragic incident were identified as Yusuf Ibrahim, and his younger sister Zahra’u, aged 5, and 3 respectively. A brother in law to the suspect, Sadiq Haruna Aminu told newsmen that relationship between his brother and his wife “snowball to deep seated jealousy, and envy shortly after the latter swelled the family with a new wife” culminating on the horrendous act on Saturday. Aminu revealed that ‘’the children were stabbed severally by Hauwa and this was confirmed by Zainab, the eldest of the children that is 10-years old.” He explained that before now, Hauwa

The South East Zonal Working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have affirmed the Ndubuisi Nwobu led Exco in Anambra State as the only one known and recognized by the party both at the zonal and National level. This was contained in a communique issued at the end of an emergency meeting held at the Zonal secretariat of the party at 16 Iyienu Street, Independence Layout, Enugu. Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting, the National Vice chairman (SouthEast), Deacon Austin Umahi said the PDP remains one united family in Anambra despite attempts by people he described as fifth columnists to commercialize and polarize the party. According to him: "The PDP in Anambra remains one united family under the Leadership of Hon. Sir Ndubuisi Nwobu and the secretariat at No.1 Dr. Ezidiegwu Road, Udoka Housing Estate is the only Secretariat known to the party as well as the Zonal Working Committee. We call on one Mr. Chukwudi Umeaba and all his co travellers

Rep. Adedeji Stanley Olajide representing Ibadan Southwest and Northwest Constituency of Oyo State, on Friday, pounced on and chased out journalists from a public hearing on COVID-19, held at the National Assembly. The Oyo lawmaker went berserk at the public hearing, organised by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on COVID-19 on the need to investigate medical research in the fight against COVID-19 and other diseases in Nigeria. The event was attended by the minister of health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, minister of state for health, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, the director-general of NCDC, Dr. Chike Ihekweazu and other heads of agencies in the ministry of health. The fracas began when the event was ongoing. A member of the ad hoc committee had observed that the meeting room was crowded and sought the permission of the Chairman of the committee, Rep. Haruna Mshelia (APC-Borno) to cut the number of attendants. Consequently, Rep. Mshelia said that no more persons should be

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide had supported the idea of Using Jungle Justice to discipline Some Erring Igbo Elders, whose Adult delinquencies had instituted Untold hardship and insecurity Challenges against Igbo Nation. OYC wishes to State Categorically, that Nnia Nwodo as Former Minister of Information during the Military regime of Former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1998, Presented and Marketed the 1999 Constitution to Nigerians without proper protection of igbos interests and without Apologies to Nigerians, in 2019, He called the 1999 Constitution he helped the Military Junta to imposed on Nigerians as a trained lawyer, a Fraudulent Document that should be discarded and Usher in restructuring. Igbos had been victimised by Actions and decisions, erroneously took in the past on behalf of Igbo Nation,by few circle of Igbo Elders who placed their Pecuniary Interests above the Collective interests of igbos and never weighed the future consequences and negative

Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Kalu; President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Friday met privately in Abuja. 24/7 news gathered that Senator Orji Kalu, a former governor of Abia, also met separately behind closed doors with Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to Government of the Federation. Although the reasons for their meeting could not be immediately ascertained, Igbere TV however learned both meetings lasted a couple of hours from 1pm Friday.

The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) has presented items to 20 states in its ongoing distribution of palliatives since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic says Ms Gloria Dede, Head of the Bayelsa Office of the foundation. According to her efforts are on the way to ensure that items get to other states of the country in the bid to ameliorate the hardship Nigerians are facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. States listed to have benefitted include Anambra, Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Bayelsa, Cross River and Delta States. Others are Edo, Ekiti, Kebbi, Taraba, Zamfara, Sokoto, Oyo, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Rivers and Akwa Ibom. Dede who stated this on Friday while presenting some items to the Bayelsa State Government disclosed that the recent exercise is the second phase of distribution, as the organisation had earlier made an outreach to some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the Federal Capital Terretory (FCT) in April this year. She explained that the ges

Wife of the Benue State Governor, Mrs Eunice Ortom, her son and some of her staff have tested positive for COVID-19. Mrs Ortom who made this known in a statement she personally signed and issued late Friday night in Makurdi said she had gone on self-isolation with her son and all her affected staff. She encouraged people of the state to take preventive measures to be protected and be safe by observing all the primary protocols including wearing of face masks, constant washing of hands, maintaining of social distancing and staying indoors when not necessary to go out. Part of the statement read, “a few moments ago this (Friday) evening, I received my result from the tests earlier carried out on me and others by NCDC personnel on routine screening at House, Makurdi which returned that I and my son, and some staff are COVID-19 positive. “We have from this moment, gone into total isolation as required by the protocols and would immediately begin the management treatment as advis

The apex bank, which has refused to disclose the exact foreign remittances it has received from 2016 to 2018, deliberately stocks the US dollars it receives on behalf of Nigerians to trade them off through crooked means. One of the major reasons why the Central Bank of Nigeria has prevented financial institutions in the country from paying United States dollars to persons receiving money from friends and family members based overseas has been uncovered. According to documents seen, the apex bank, which has refused to disclose the exact foreign remittances it has received from 2016 to 2018, deliberately stocks the US dollars it receives on behalf of Nigerians to trade them off through crooked means. The CBN, it was gathered, was warehousing the dollar component of remittances in foreign banks, thereby making it impossible for the naira to appreciate against the dollar in the foreign exchange market. Blowing the lid off this seeming goldmine for the CBN leadership, the Femi Fa

The Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State has expelled its State secretary Mr. Emeka Obi from the party. Confirming this to newsmen in Awka, the State Chairman, Ndubuisi Nwogbu said the erstwhile secretary was found wanting for anti-party activities and actions inimical to the progress of the party. According to him: " The former secretary was found wanting for anti-party activities and actions inimical to the progress and betterment of the PDP. That being the case, he was suspended initially and given time to come and exonerate himself from the charges against him. Rather than doing that, he had continued in the court process against the party. So the party now, after a painful stocktaking, had to expel him from the party" Meanwhile, Barrister Okoli C.J Akirka has been inaugurated as the New State Secretary of the party.

The President, Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has been able to get the 9th Senate to confirm at least 207 appointees for him in the last one year of the existence of the current Senate. The 207 already confirmed include judges, ministers, ambassadors, commissioners and heads of agencies. However, Buhari has not considered the re-appointment of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu. Magu was appointed by the President on November 9, 2015 subject to confirmation by the Senate. But he has remained in acting capacity since then. He was rejected twice by the 8th Senate, under the leadership of Dr Bukola Saraki, based on a security report by the Department of State Services. He, however, remained in office. Saraki’s tenure as Senate President was characterised by a frosty relationship between the Presidency and the National Assembly. However, since the inauguration of the 9th Senate led by Ahmad Lawan on June 11, 2019, Buhari has sent the