Nigerian journalist, Reuben Abati, has lambasted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over his performance since he resumed office on May 29.

Reuben, during the Arise TV morning show, said things have gone worse under the Tinubu-led administration.

There is no doubt that the removal of fuel subsidy and unification of the exchange rate made the most impact in the history of the Nigerian economy.

The impact was severe due to the inflation that engulfed the system as prices of almost everything in the economy tripled, with many Nigerians battling hardship.

Reacting to the country’s situation, Abati stated that the country’s condition had gotten worse, stressing that Buhari, whom many had criticized his administration, would be making a mockery of Nigerians.

He noted that the governance of Nigeria should be improved by successive governments and not by engaging in backwardness.

The Senate has disclosed that it would name one of its committee rooms after Oba Lekan Balogun, the late Olubadan of Ibadanland.

Oba Balogun died on March 15, at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, at the age of 81, after a brief illness two years after ascending the throne on March 11, 2022.

Senate’s resolution on the immortalisation of the late Oba was a sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Sen. Sharafadeen Ali ( APC- Oyo).

Ali, in his motion, said the late Olubadan was a leader par excellence, a community developer and a service driven politician.

This, he said, resulted in his election as a senator between 1999 and 2003.

“The late Olubadan was a man of peace and custodian of culture and values of the Yoruba people,” he said.

One of the senators from Oyo State, Addulfai Buhari, also contributed to the debate on the motion, saying that the late traditional ruler impacted positively on the lives of those whom he came across.

Buhari said the book written by the late Oba, titled: “Arrogance of Power”, presented to him in 2003 when he won election into the House of Representatives, has helped in the discharge of his legislative duties over the years.

NAN

The trial of the suspects accused of the murder of a popular Ilorin hotelier, Adeniyi Ojo, resumed today, at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

The suspects were charged before Justice Haleema Saleeman for the murder of the Managing Director of Water View Hotel .

The case initially began at the magistrate court before the new development.

The suspects, Joy Adama Joseph, 22, and her friend, Favour David, 23, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them in court.

At a point, the trial judge told the suspects who wept profusely while in the dock, “to stop crying and speak up for me to be able to take proper record of your plea.”

The charge sheet slammed the suspects with culpable homicide, punishable by death under sections 97 and 221 of the Penal Code.

The sheet also accused them of conspiring to rob the deceased of his Infinix handset among other valuables while armed with knives.

The Attorney General of Kwara State, Ibrahim Sulyman and Issa Zakari, a Chief state counsel, represent the state in the matter.

The suspects were represented by Barrister John Mayokun Dada.

The trial judge, Justice Saleeman, however adjourned the case until April 17, 2024.

The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, was on Wednesday, spotted at the National Secretariat of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Abuja.

According to reports from Tribune Online, El-Rufai, a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC), engaged in what was described as a consultation visit with the National Chairman of the SDP, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam.

This visit comes as a significant development, given El-Rufai’s political stature and his association with the ruling APC.

During the meeting, Gabam hailed El-Rufai as a friend and a leader with a noteworthy political track record, emphasizing the need for transformative leaders like him in Nigeria’s political landscape.

This commendation has fueled speculation about potential political realignments and El-Rufai’s aspirations for the 2027 general elections.

A source that spoke with the platform stated that Gabam appreciated him and his entourage for the visit, saying that “it’s time for all stakeholders in the country to put aside ethnic, regional and political differences to move the country forward more especially at this period when the country is facing serious challenges ranging from hunger, insecurity, joblessness, kidnapping, inflation among others.”

The source hinted that Mallam El-Rufai was received by the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

El-Rufai has been paying consultation visits to some notable politicians across political parties in recent times.

Some secondary schools in Abia state have been delisted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

WAEC also barred the schools from participating in the regional body’s exams for involving in examination malpractice.

Commissioner for Education, Professor Uche Eme Uche, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Umuahia, the state capital, said that the state had just been informed by the exam body about the ugly development.

Although she failed to disclose the affected schools, the commissioner stated that most of the schools affected were private schools.

The commissioner, who frowned at any act capable of tarnishing the image of the state, said the operational licences of the affected schools would be withdrawn as a deterrent to others.

She explained that the state supported the action by WAEC as it would help halt the bastardization and lowering of academic standards in schools by some dubious operators.

Professor Uche said that the state had previously shut down some of the affected schools due to their unwholesome practices, regretting that instead of heeding the warnings, they continued to cut corners.

Speaking earlier, the commissioner for information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed that the governor of the state, Dr. Alex had approved the immediate renovation of 170 primary and 51 public secondary schools across the state.

He said ten primary and three secondary schools would be selected from each of the 17 Local Government Areas in the state.

The renovation, according to him, is to give a facelift to public schools in the state and make them conducive and attractive for learning.

He explained that this was in addition to the six model schools currently being established in the three senatorial districts.

The government spokesman further disclosed that the governor had also approved the disbursement of N62 million in bursaries to Abia law undergraduates in different tertiary institutions across the country.

This, he said, was to assist them following the increase in their fees and cost of training amid the biting economic hardship.

On the schools’ renovation, the commissioner for education said each of the benefiting schools would have staff quarters, a Head teacher’ house, and a caretaker’s house to ensure water-tight security of the school property.

The gesture, according to her, is a demonstration of the high premium that the Otti-led administration attaches to education as the cornerstone of any society.

She said that the state government had resolved to revive and promote education in the state, adding that the renovation will be done in phases until all public schools in the state have received a facelift.

A dismissed soldier, Gabriel David Elihu, of Apo Mechanic Village, alongside one Alex Iorjaa of Gboko L.G.A of Benue State, have been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), for armed robbery and kidnapping in Abuja.

FCT Police Commissioner, CP Ben Igweh, made this known during a media briefing on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

According to the CP, the suspects were arrested on March 17, after receiving a distress call at about 02:30pm, through the Mabushi Division from two victims; Blessing Mafulul Damia and Haliru Zakari, that some men in an unregistered Toyota Hilux trailed them while on their way home from a medical store in Gwarimpa to Gishiri village, robbed them of their valuables and attempted to kidnap them.

“Upon receipt of the information, Police operatives of the Division swung into action, trailed the vehicle and arrested the two suspects Elihu and Iorjaa. A black coloured Toyota Hilux with Reg No. NBB 03 AH (Nasarawa), a jackknife, and some military accoutrements were recovered from them. Suspects will be charged to court soon,” the CP stated.

Popular clergyman, Apostle Johnson Suleman has revealed what killed late actor John Okafor aka Mr Ibu and billionaire, Herbert Wigwe.

According to him, the two popular people died as a result of generational curse.

The senior pastor and general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International stated this during a church service.

He noted some curious patterns that have followed the death of Mr Ibu and that of Herbert Wigwe.

Apostle Johnson Suleman spoke on how Mr Ibu’s grand father and father died from poisoning and similar fate had occurred to Mr Ibu.

Also, he pointed out that Herbert Wigwe’s elder brother died of accident, the sister died of same while returning from honeymoon and he, Herbert, met similar fate.

The pastor maintained that foundational curses exist.

Watch him speak below:

Renowned lslamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, says if found guilty of terrorism, Mallam Tukur Mamu, a Kaduna-based publisher, should be punished.

Mamu, the lead negotiator between bandits and families of passengers kidnapped from a Kaduna-bound train in March 2022, was picked up on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj with his family members.

Since he was arrested in Cairo, capital of Egypt, in September 2022, he has been in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS.

Mamu, alongside 14 others, were listed as terrorist financiers on Wednesday.

Featuring on Twitter spaces organised by Daily Trust on Wednesday, Gumi said the security agencies had no right to label anyone a terrorist financier since the case was before the court.

He said such pronouncement ought to be made by the court, not security agencies.

According to him, what happened between Mamu and the security agency was a clear case of misunderstanding, stressing that he did not want to comment on it at the moment since the case was before the court.

He reiterated, “Who declares someone a terrorist financer? Is it the court of law or a security agency? Security agency has no right to declare anyone a terrorist financer. The case is already in court, so why are they judging him on the pages of the newspaper? Once a case is in court, you allow the court to decide.”

The cleric said God has a way of testing a believer, pointing out that his arrest was God’s way of testing his faith and prayed that he would overcome it.

He suggested that Mamu should be taken to court to face trial, keeping him in custody despite being a family man was just to intimidate him, saying that the intimidation is also terrorism.

“Arresting people unjustly is also terrorism; just like the terrorists do by going to somebody’s house to kidnap him,” he stressed.

DSS had arraigned Mamu before a Federal High Court in Abuja on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism financing, among others, but he pleaded not guilty.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said posterity will remember President Bola Tinubu for being a decisive leader.

He said Tinubu has played an important role in guiding the country towards economic prosperity and stability.

The Vice President’s remark was disclosed on the X handle of the Presidency.

According to Shettima, Tinubu does not apportion blame over the current economic situation in the country.

He said: “We have crossed the Rubicon, and the nation is on the path to sustained growth. Some nations have gone through worse cases in the annals of their history than us.

“The President means well for the nation. He has a good heart for the nation and we have the moral imperative to support him in whatever way we can to salvage the ship of the state.

“The President doesn’t subscribe to the idea of apportioning of blame, the buck stops on his desk and he has not shied away from taking those decisive actions.

“Be rest assured that in the fullness of time, posterity will be very kind to him.”

A report by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that out of the total loans of N10.3 trillion disbursed as intervention, N193 billion has been declared lost and another N418.9 billion remains doubtful.

According to the report, which was last updated in September 2023, detailed the breakdown of the bank’s intervention funds over the years.

A doubtful loan is one for which full repayment is questionable and uncertain. The degree of repayment of loans in question ranges from a complete loss to an uncertain loss unless corrective actions are taken.

According to the report, out of the N10.3 trillion in intervention funds, N4.4 trillion has been repaid, while approximately N5.8 trillion remains outstanding. Some of the loans are tenured, meaning they only fall due when the principal repayments mature.

However, only N969.8 billion of the outstanding amount was past due, as some loans had repayment tenures extending years beyond 2023. Based on this, the report claimed the percentage of repayments to amounts due was 75.8%.

The apex bank report also indicates that N289 billion of the loans are performing, N67.9 billion is substandard and N418.9 billion is doubtful and N193.9 billion of the loans are lost.

The apex bank governor, Yemi Cardoso, has repeatedly criticised the intervention funds carried out under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele, claiming that the bank could not implement the interventions appropriately.