The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has confirmed Augustine Eguavoen will continue his role as Super Eagles interim head coach.

The executive committee of the NFF approved the recommendation of its

Technical and Development Sub-Committee to retain the services of the former international. 

Eguavoen will now take charge of the team in next month’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Libya.

The 58-year-old steered the three-time African champions to a 3-0 defeat of Benin Republic and scoreless draw with Rwanda in Matchdays 1 and 2 earlier this month.

The former defender will also continue working with Fidelis Ilechukwu, Daniel Ogunmodede, Olatunji Baruwa and Tomaz Zorec.

Eguavoen will also take charge of the Super Eagles B team for the qualifying campaign for next year’s African Nations Championship, otherwise known as CHAN.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has called for immediate action to prevent further loss of skilled professionals.

NCC made this call worried by the alarming rate of talent migration from Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

It disclosed that over 500 software engineers and more than 2,000 trained telecom professionals fled the country in 2022 alone, posing a significant threat to the industry’s future.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida, while speaking at the fifth edition of the Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum, TSSF 5.0, themed “Mitigating the Effects of Talent Exodus and its Impact on the Growth of Nigeria’s Telecommunications Industry,” urged telecom companies to adopt flexible work policies, improve remuneration packages, and foster a culture of innovation.

Maida stressed the importance of creating an environment that values and nurtures talent, saying it is crucial to retaining skilled professionals and ensuring the sector’s continued growth.

Represented by NCC Lagos Zonal Controller Tunji Jimoh, the NCC boss warned that the global demand for tech talent has driven many of Nigeria’s brightest minds to seek more lucrative opportunities abroad.

This trend, if left unchecked, could create a skills gap that threatens the sustainability of the nation’s telecom sector.

Citing a report by the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Dr. Maida highlighted the exodus of telecom professionals as a major setback, adding that the loss of such talent directly impacts innovation and development in the industry.

To address this challenge, he called on telecom companies to offer more attractive working conditions.

“Remote work options, continuous learning opportunities, and collaborative spaces that encourage creativity will make the local telecom sector more appealing to professionals who might otherwise seek opportunities abroad,” he said.

He further urged telecom companies to partner with educational institutions to create programs tailored to industry needs, stressing that the partnership would help address the talent gap and build a pipeline of young professionals eager to contribute to the telecom sector.

He also underscored NCC’s role in mitigating talent migration through initiatives aimed at promoting indigenous content and improving the infrastructure necessary for digital growth.

“The Commission is actively participating in the 3 Million Technical Talent, 3MTT, a programme initiated by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, which aims to train three million Nigerians in digital and technical skills by 2027,” he said.

Edo State Governor-Elect Monday Okpebholo has said he is expecting a congratulatory message from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate in the just concluded gubernatorial election, Asue Ighodalo.

Okpebholo, who received his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday before visiting the Presidential Villa to meet with the President, Bola Tinubu, said he will govern as a servant-leader.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate also revealed that he is ready to work with the opposition if they have useful ideas to add to the value of the state.

Okpebholo said, “For me, I’m coming as a servant to serve the Edo people. That is what is required of me, and that is what exactly I’m going to do. So very soon, you will see a lot of development coming up in Edo.

“We are going to employ teachers. We are going to renovate our schools…a lot will be happening over time. So with time, you recognise that a new dawn has happened. ⁣
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“If they have an idea that is beautiful, that is acceptable by the people, then why not? My door is open to everybody.⁣
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⁣”They have to bear it. They have to wait. It has happened. If I had lost I would have borne it, and I would have, by now, congratulated the winner. So I’m expecting them to congratulate me.”

⁣Former Governor of the State, Adams Oshiomhole, who was part of the delegation to the Presidential Villa, said the state is now blessed with a governor the people can relate to easily.

Oshiomhole said governance is not necessarily building roads and schools but about a leadership that is compassionate and listens to the feelings of the people.
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He said, “Only God can confer power. Man can make all the effort. If God chooses not to crown it, it will be in vain. So politicians campaign in vain, unless God campaign for you. And I think that is our case, and I am excited not only for the fact that we have reclaimed Edo state, almost in the same manner that we reclaimed it from PDP in 2007, before Obaseki took it away back from us. ⁣
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“My joy is the fact that Edo people will now have a governor that they can hug, they can touch, they can feel, and the governor that will open the doors. Edo State people now have a governor that will not send pregnant women to jail on account of N20,000 fine by a mobile court and who might end up delivering inside prison. ⁣
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“We have a man with compassion, with human feeling; because governance is not just about building roads and schools. It is that human touch; a governor with empathy, humble enough to recognise that public trust is not like a corporate Chief Executive.

“Corporate chief executive can behave the way he wants because he heads the business because it is his father’s money.⁣
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“But with public trust, the vote of the labourer and the vote of the professor, the vote of the pauper, the beggar and the vote of the wealthiest person, one man, one vote is equal. And so we have a governor who understands this, and who went through this process just about a year ago, and his people entrusted him with the senatorial representation in Edo Central. And what is going for him is precisely what the other guys fail to understand. ⁣
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“The fact that he’s at home with the ordinary man, is at home with the ordinary woman. He understand the challenges of the rural poor. So they are all excited now that they are back again with a governor that they can say, ‘this is my governor”.

The Federal Government, on Thursday, suspended the officers in charge of the Maximum and Minimum Custodial Centres, Kirikiri, Lagos State.

The decision was taken after an audio leak indicating that cross dresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky who was convicted of a crime and sentenced to six months in jail was given an apartment outside the custodial centre.

Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, CDCFIB, Ja’afaru Ahmed disclosed this in a statement released in Abuja.1

Ahmed in the statement said the suspension of the officers is to allow for further investigation on the various allegations, assuring that the outcome would be made public when concluded.

He said, “Following the viral video trending on social media on alleged infractions by Officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service relating to Mr. Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has suspended forthwith the following Senior Officers of the Service.

“Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos State; and Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Maximum-Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos State.

“Also, the Board has suspended ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Afikpo, Ebonyi State, for allegedly accompanying a convicted inmate out of the Custodial Centre to a location outside the facility.

“In another related development, the Board has equally suspended another Senior Officer of the Service, Iloafonsi Kevin Ikechukwu, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kuje- Abuja, for allegedly receiving monies on behalf of an inmate.”

Federal government employees will begin receiving the new minimum wage payment starting Thursday, September 26th.

Confirming the development, the Spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, told journalists on Thursday that employees under the federal government payroll can expect to receive notifications regarding their updated minimum wage salary payments from today.

However, Mokwa did not clarify whether the minimum wage would be disbursed along with any outstanding arrears.

 “Federal Government civil servants will start getting the new minimum wage from today(Thursday) this September 2024. What I can tell you is that the minimum wage salary payment is today I am not sure of the arrears,” he told Daily Post.

Naija News reports that Mokwa’s update comes shortly after the confirmation by Ekpo Nta, the Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, on Tuesday regarding the government’s endorsement of an increase in the consolidated public service salary structure, known as CONPSS, in accordance with the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act of 2024.

This development came after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sanctioned a new minimum wage of N70,000 on July 18, 2024.

Following this, the Senate enacted the new minimum wage bill into law.

Ealier, the Federal Government, through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), announced that the payment of the revised minimum wage officially begin from July 2024.

This was disclosed by the NSIWC Chairman, Ekpo Nta, during a press briefing held on Tuesday in Abuja.

Nta explained that the July start date aligns with when President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law after its passage by the National Assembly.

This announcement contradicts an earlier statement made by the Minister of State forLabour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who had claimed that the new wage would take effect from May 1, 2024.

The new decision means that only two months of arrears will be paid if the government begins disbursement by the end of October.

The announcement also confirmed the approval of the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure along with other salary frameworks for federal workers.

Last week, the Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for civil servants met to discuss the new minimum wage structure and agreed to backdate the implementation to July 29, 2024.

Additionally, the committee, led by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, recommended that the previously discontinued wage award should be paid up until July 28, 2024.

The government reportedly considered the current economic situation in the country before reaching its conclusions.

However, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the July backdate decision, with NLC’s Head of Information, Benson Upah, expressing discontent, calling it “unfair and unacceptable.”

Similarly, the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Timmy Etim, criticized the move, referencing Onyejeocha’s previous promise on May Day that the wage would take effect in May.

At the press briefing, Nta addressed these concerns, clarifying that the minimum wage will take effect from July 29, 2024, as this was the date when the President officially approved the bill.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, at the Aso Rock Villa, played host to a delegation led by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje.

The purpose of the visit was to formally present Monday Okpebholo, the Governor-elect of Edo State, to the President.

The delegation also included the Deputy Governor-elect, Dennis Idahosa, the incumbent Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole and a host of other APC Governors and party stalwarts.

A mild drama, however, played out during the visit as some members of the delegation, including Okpebholo, Idahosa and Shaibu, were seen kneeling down as they greeted President Tinubu.

This also attracted reactions on social media.

See the video.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday, denied sacking the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for alleging that $49.8 billion went missing from the country’s coffers.

Jonathan said Sanusi was suspended because the Financial Reporting Council queried CBN’s expenditure and his tenure elapsed.

He said an international audit firm was employed to scrutinize the CBN and it was discovered that no amount went missing, contrary to Sanusi’s claim.

Jonathan spoke at the launch of the book, ‘Public Policy and Agents Interests: Perspectives from the Emerging World’, co-authored by former Minister of Finance, Shamshudeen Usman, who served as Minister of Planning under his government.

According to Jonathan: “Let me mention that I did not agree with some issues raised by one of the contributors. But I don’t intend to join issues because he is our royal father. And he is here.

“The one he raised that he was sacked because he blew a whistle that the Federal Government lost $49.8 billion is not quite correct. He was not sacked, he was suspended because the Financial Reporting Council queried the expenditure of CBN. And there were serious infractions that needed to be looked at. That was the reason.

“But somehow, the time was short. So before we finished, his tenure elapsed. Probably, he would have been called back.

“On the issue of $ 49.8 billion, till today, I am not convinced that the Federal Government lost $49.8 billion.

“And that year, our budget was $31.6 billion. So for a country that had a budget of $31.6 billion to lose about $50 billion and salaries were paid, nobody felt anything. The researchers that wrote this book need to do further research.

“And more so, when our revered royal father came up with the figures. First $49.8 billion, later $20 billion and later $12 billion. I don’t even know the correct one.”

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the just concluded election in Edo State, Olumide Akpata has claimed that members of his party sold out their votes to other political parties.

DAILY POST recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Sunday announced Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the election conducted on Saturday.

The APC candidate polled 291, 667 votes to defeat his closest challenger and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Asue Ighodalo, who also garnered 247,274 votes. 

Olumude Akpata, however, came a distant third with 22,763 votes.

Speaking on the election, Akpata who was featured in an interview on Channels TV blamed his failure on poverty, stating that his supporters and even LP members sold their votes.

Akpata, who described the situation as a tragedy, said the decision of the electorates to go for cash was a big lesson he learned.

He said, “Some of my supporters stayed at home but a large number of them sold their votes.

“What happened was a tragedy. Let us remove focus from Akpata and the Labour Party and interrogate our electoral process.

“Members of my party sold their votes. It is something that we must look into closely. They decided to go for cash. That was a big lesson to learn. I meant that if you think you know the people, you have to think again and look inward”.

The House of Representatives has told Aliko Dangote, the owner Dangote Refinery, to disclose the cost he is selling petroleum from his refinery to NNPC Limited and other major marketers.

The lawmakers also asked NNPC to disclose the amounts the refinery is paying for crude oil.

This resolution followed a motion moved by Oboku Oforji on Thursday during plenary.

There has been dispute between NNPC Limited and Dangote Refinery over the cost per litre of petrol from the refinery.

NNPC Limited has claimed to be buying petrol at N898/litre from Dangote, however, the refiner disputed the figure, stating that it is selling less than the amount.

To address challenges surrounding the distribution of its products, the lawmakers urged the management of Dangote Refinery to build, acquire or partner to get Tank Farms or depot across the geo-political zones in the country.

In the motion, Oforji commended the refinery for its impact on energy sovereignty of the country.

“Nigeria is driving towards energy self-sufficiency, cost and foreign exchange savings, meeting the increasing demand for fuels, attraction of foreign capital investment, generation of Forex through export of finished product,” he said.

To achieve sustainability, Oforji said Dangote Refinery should sell products directly to the independent marketers.

The motion was adopted unanimously by the lawmakers

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed that former Kogi State governor Yahaya Adoza Bello allegedly used state funds to purchase prime properties in both the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and Abuja, Nigeria.

In a fresh 16-count charge filed against him, Yahaya Bello was said to have used over five million Dirhams to acquire a property in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai.

In count two, Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu were alleged to have sometime in 2023, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) for the acquisition of a property known as No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.

The EFCC slammed fresh 16-count charge against the former Kogi state governor at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja along with two others.

In the charge marked: CR/7781/2024, Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are accused of spending over N110 billion of public funds to acquire several properties in Abuja and in Dubai.

The charge dated September 24 but filed on September 25, by the anti-graft agency’s lawyer, Mr kemi Pinheiro, SAN, accused Bello and co- defendants of criminal breach of trust, an offence punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

Count one of the charge reads: That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu sometimes in 2016 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourble Court agreed amongst yourselves to cause to be done an illegal act to wit: criminal breach of trust in respect of the total sum of N110, 446, 470, 089.00 (One Hundred and Ten Billion, Four Hundred and Forty six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty Nine Naira) entrusted to you”.

In count two they were alleged to have sometime in 2023, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) for the acquisition of a property known as No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.

In count 11, the defendants were alleged to have used over Five million Dirhams to acquire a property in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai.

Count 14 reads: “That you Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu sometime in 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly sent the total sum of $570,330.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty United State Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 Domiciled with TD Bank, United State of America.”

Count 15 claimed that the defendants sometime in 2021, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly sent the total sum of $556,265.00 (Five Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty Five United State Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 Domiciled with TD Bank, United State of America.

Meanwhile, the former governor in count 16 was alleged to have sometime between 2017 and 2018, in Abuja, had under his control the total sum of N677, 848,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand Naira) unlawfully obtained from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.

However, no date has been fixed for arraignment of the former governor in the fresh charges.

It will be recalled that the EFCC had in the last five months, attempted four times to put Bello in the dock to answer the N80.2bn alleged fraud charges against him but to no avail following his persistent refusal to appear before the federal high court in Abuja.