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The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a loan of approximately $618 million from a consortium of financiers to procure six M-346 attack jets manufactured in Italy and ammunition for the Nigerian Air Force.
Naija News reports that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this on Wednesday, October 23.
The Air Force has indicated that the initial three jets are anticipated to arrive by early 2025, with subsequent deliveries expected to continue until mid-2026.
In a recent development, Nigeria’s Air Force revealed the acquisition of 24 Italian-made M-346 attack jets and ten AW-109 Trekker helicopters as part of its fleet modernization initiative.
Air Force spokesperson, Olusola Akinboyewa, noted that a delegation led by Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, held discussions in Rome with executives from Leonardo S.P.A., the manufacturer.
Leonardo confirmed that the first three M-346 jets are projected to arrive by early 2025, with the remaining units scheduled for delivery through mid-2026.
This acquisition is expected to enhance the firepower and aerial capabilities of troops engaged in the ongoing battle against insurgents within the country.
Negotiations with the Italian firm commenced in early 2024, following a meeting between Claudio Sabatino, Vice President of Leonardo, and Nigeria’s air force chief, Hasan Abubakar, in Abuja.
In recent years, the Federal Government has significantly increased its defence and security budget to tackle various security challenges across the nation.
For the 2024 fiscal year, approximately ₦3.3 trillion has been allocated to the defence sector.
Despite some successes, recent events indicate that Boko Haram and other armed groups continue to pose a threat in the Northeast and other regions of the country.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says a bank verification number (BVN) platform will be launched by December for Nigerians in the diaspora.
Cardoso spoke on Wednesday during a parley with members of the Nigerian community on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting in Washington D.C, United States.
He said the BVN platform will be launched by the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), a subsidiary of the CBN.
The BVN is an 11-digit number that is unique to each individual, but the same across all bank institutions for the same individual.
BVN is required to own and operate a bank account in Nigeria.
According to Cardoso, the platform would enable Nigerians in the diaspora to operate their local bank accounts, run their businesses and sort out know-your-customer (KYC) issues with financial institutions from anywhere in the world.
The CBN governor added that the initiative is part of efforts to ensure that Nigerians irrespective of their location anywhere in the world can participate in the Nigerian economy.
“As far as we are concerned it is totally unacceptable that you should be out here and be having hassles in operating your accounts or doing your business in your original country,” he said.
“I want to tell you that starting in December 2024 Nigerians in the diaspora will no longer face the hurdle of travelling long distances for physical biometric verifications to access financial services.
“The launch of the non-resident BVN platform by NIBBS will enable enhanced KYC processes remotely making it more convenient and cost-effective for the diaspora to engage with the Nigerian banking system.
“This initiative in collaboration with our banks marks a significant step toward greater financial inclusion and accessibility as we continue to roll out innovative solutions.”
On February 14, 2014, BVN was introduced by the CBN to strengthen the banking system, safeguard bank customers, and mitigate fraud.
As of April 2, 2024, over 61.47 million have enrolled for BVN, according to NIBSS.
American billionaire, Bill Gates has made a donation of $50million to the Kamala Harris presidential campaign.
Information gathered revealed that the donation was made to a non-profit organisation that is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential run, according to three people briefed on the matter.
Until the donation came into public light, it was meant to stay under wraps.
Although Mr. Gates, who is one of the founders of Microsoft, has not publicly endorsed Ms. Harris, his donation would represent a significant change in the strategy that had previously kept him away from gifts like this.
It was reported that Gates, in private calls this year to friends and others, expressed concerns about what a second Donald Trump presidency would look like.
He however was quoted as saying he would not mind working with either candidate.
While Bill Gates does not have a deep relationship with Ms. Harris, he has celebrated the Biden-Harris administration’s work on climate change.
Mr. Gates’s philanthropic organisation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is significantly concerned about cuts to family planning and global health programmes if Mr. Trump is elected.
Gates has said he made his donation to Future Forward, the main outside fund-raising group supporting Ms. Harris, according to the people briefed on the matter.
Mr. Gates has talked about his pro-Harris donation with his peers, including Mike Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and a major supporter of Future Forward who has considered a similarly sized gift, two of the people briefed said.
Mr. Gates’ donation went specifically to Future Forward’s nonprofit arm, Future Forward USA Action, which as a 501(c)(4) “dark money” organisation does not disclose its donors, according to the people briefed.
Speaking on his preferences in terms of support, Gates had said, “I support candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to improving health care, reducing poverty and fighting climate change in the U.S. and around the world,” he told The New York Times.
“I have a long history of working with leaders across the political spectrum, but this election is different, with unprecedented significance for Americans and the most vulnerable people around the world," he stated.
![Cabinet Reshuffle: President Tinubu Appoints Seven New Ministers [Full List]](/media/k2/items/cache/327ba4ae95342cdd3029eeb100501ac1_M.jpg?t=20241023_154959)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejigged his cabinet with the appointment of seven new Ministers.
President sacked five Minister which include Uju-Ken Ohanenye as Minister of Women Affairs; Lola Ade-John as Minister of Tourism; Tahir Mamman as Minister of Education; Abdullahi Gwarzo as Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development; and Jamila Ibrahim as Minister of Youth Development.
Tinubu nominated Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu as the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, while Nentawe Yilwatda as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, officially bringing an end to the tenure of suspended Betta Edu.
The President also nominated Maigari Dingyadi as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole as the Minister of Industry, Idi Maiha as Minister for the newly created Livestock Development Ministry, Yusuf Ata as the Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, with Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State Education.
The President charged the newly appointed ministers to see their appointment as a call to serve the nation.
He added that all appointees must understand the administration’s eagerness and determination to set Nigeria on the path to irreversible growth and invest the best of their abilities into the actualisation of the government’s priorities.
![President Tinubu Reshuffles Cabinet, sacks five ministers - Reassign 10 [Full List]](/media/k2/items/cache/0b7e99498380cb19bdf39c0902aef34f_M.jpg)
President Bola Tinubu has carried out his much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle.
The cabinet reshuffle was announced on Wednesday after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which took place at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja.
Naija News reports President Tinubu scrapped the Niger Delta Ministry as well as the Ministry of Sports Development.
He also merged the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy.
The cabinet reshuffle is the first to be carried out by President Tinubu since he assumed power as Nigeria’s leader in May 2023.
The President also sacked some Ministers, redesignated some, and appointed some others into his cabinet.
According to a statement from the presidency on Wednesday, President Tinubu sacked five Ministers, thanking them for their contributions to his administration and the governance of the country.
The sacked Ministers are:
1. Barr. Uju-Ken Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs
2. Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism
3. Prof Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education
4. Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo, Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development
5. Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Minister of Youth Development.
The list of Ministers reassigned to new portfolios are:
1. Hon Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, formerly Minister of State, Education, but now Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty
Reduction
2. Dr. Morufu Olatunji Alausa, formerly Minister of State, Health but now Minister of Education
3. Barr. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, formerly Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, now Minister of State Works.
4. Hon. Abubakar Eshiokpekha Momoh, formerly Minister of Niger Delta Development, now Minister of Regional Development
5. Uba Maigari Ahmadu, formerly Minister of State Steel Development, now Minister of State, Regional Development
6. Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, formerly Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, now Minister of State Finance
7. Sen. John Owan Enoh, formerly Minister of Sports Development, now Minister of State, Trade and Investment [Industry]
8. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, formerly Minister of State, Police Affairs, now Minister of Women Affairs
9. Ayodele Olawande, formerly Minister of State for Youth Development, now Minister for Youth Development
10. Dr. Salako Iziaq Adekunle Adeboye, formerly Minister of State, Environment, now Minister of State, Health.
President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council have announced the scrapping of the Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of Sports Development.
According to a tweet by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday, the decision was reached during the FEC meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The statement read, “President Tinubu and Federal Executive Council scrap Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of sports development.
“There will now be a ministry of regional development to oversee all the regional development commissions, such as Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission , North East Development Commission.”
He also said the responsibilities previously held by the Ministry of Sports Development will now be transferred to the National Sports Commission, which will take charge of sports-related activities in Nigeria.
“The National Sports Commission will take over the role of the Ministry of Sports,” he stated.
Additionally, the FEC approved the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy, creating a single entity.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distributed 55,859 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the forthcoming governorship polls in Ondo State.
The development was confirmed in a statement released on Tuesday by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
Olumekun stated that the collection of the PVCs will be transferred to the commission’s local government offices.
The statement indicated that for a duration of five days, the commission facilitated the collection of PVCs from the recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in all 203 wards throughout Ondo State.
The Ondo Governorship election is scheduled for November 16, 2024.
In light of this, INEC has urged remaining voters to collect their PVCs from their respective local government offices, reiterating its stance that no cards will be collected on behalf of others.
“The commission is pleased to announce that at the end of the five days, 55,859 cards were personally collected by new registrants and applicants for transfer and replacement of lost or damaged cards as provided by law. This figure represents 62.2% of the 89,777 cards available for collection.
“This is the highest percentage of PVCs collected in five days in Ondo State since the commission introduced the CVR in 2015. A detailed breakdown of the collection by local government areas has been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information.
“Meanwhile, the collection will resume in our 18 local government offices in Ondo State from tomorrow (Wednesday, October 23) to Tuesday, October 29, 2024, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily (including the weekend). Detailed information on the locations of our local government offices in Ondo State is already available on our website,” the statement read.
The money laundering charges filed against an executive of Binance Holdings Limited, Tigran Gambaryan, have been withdrawn by the federal government.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had in April this year, arraigned Binance, a cryptocurrency firm, and Gambaryan over alleged money laundering.
Mr Gambaryan, a United States citizen, has been in detention since February following the clampdown on the cryptocurrency firm over alleged manipulation of naira.
A lawyer representing the EFCC announced the withdrawal of the charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday.
Announcing the development, the lawyer said Mr Gambaryan was merely an employee of Binance, whose activities he was being prosecuted for.
![[PRESS RELEASE] Obi begins Three Cities Appreciation Tour to US](/media/k2/items/cache/a019d607655fe61963eb8c2bdce75b0f_S.jpg)
In continuation of his interactions with Nigerians in the Diaspora and in keeping with his avowed determination to lead the search for a new Nigeria, the National leader of the Labour Party, who was the party's Presidential flag bearer in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, begins a three day, three Cities tour of the United States of America.
A statement from Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR, said that the tour will begin on Thursday the 24th, 25th, and 26th of October 2024 and will be undertaken in the three cities of Houston, TX, Los Angeles, CA, and Atlanta, GA.
The tour will be the last leg of his North America Appreciation visits that had earlier taken him to Toronto, Canada; Boston, MA; New York City, NY; West Orange, N; Cherry,y N; Dallas, TX; Charlotte, NC; and Detroit, MI.
The tour is also to underscore Mr Obi's commitment during the 2023 electioneering to consistently engage the Nigeria Diaspora and interact with them constructively in the nation-building debate for the creation of a new Nigeria.
He also uses the tour to sustain, by example,e a new narrative where, unlike before, politicians only visit the national population when seeking their votes and support but hardly returns after elections to show appreciation.
The tours will be mostly interactive to provide Obi the opportunity to once again, through questions and answers, unveil his mission for a new Nigeria that is Possible and to also react to the unpalatable state of the nation.
The former Anambra State Governor remains ever grateful to Nigerians at home and abroad who continue to show unwavering support and trust in him morally, materially, and financially during the 2023 presidential elections.
Signed
Ibrahim Umar
POMR SPOKESMAN
The Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government has announced a ban on the export of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, produced in Nigeria, following a sharp rise in its price.
This was made in a statement released on Tuesday by the media aide to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
The Minister voiced concerns about the surging LPG prices.
Despite previous efforts, including the formation of a high-level committee in November 2023 led by the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Farouk Ahmed, the price of LPG has skyrocketed from an average of N1,100–N1,250 per kg to N1,525 per kg.
The statement revealed that Ekpo held a meeting with key players in the LPG value chain to address the situation, which is placing a significant burden on Nigerians.
As part of the government’s intervention, the Minister announced several key measures:
Short-Term Solution: Starting November 1, 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and local LPG producers are to cease exporting LPG produced within the country. Should they continue to export, they will be required to import the equivalent volume at cost-reflective prices.
Pricing Framework: Over the next 90 days, the NMDPRA will work with stakeholders to develop a new domestic pricing framework for LPG. This framework will be based on the cost of in-country production, moving away from the current practice of using international market prices from regions like the Americas and Far East Asia.
Long-Term Solution: Over the next 12 months, the government plans to develop infrastructure for the blending, storage, and distribution of LPG. Exports will remain halted until domestic supply meets demand and prices stabilize.
These steps, the Minister emphasized, are intended to ensure that LPG is available at affordable prices, reducing the financial burden on Nigerians.
More...
Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are currently meeting in Abuja over the recent crisis rocking the opposition party.
The meeting which is ongoing in Abuja is being held at the lodge of the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.
Apart from Mohammed, governors present include Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau).
While others are being expected, members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), the Board of Trustees (BoT) as well as other prominent members of the party.
Although the agenda of the meeting is unavailable to journalists, issues about having a substantive chairman for the party, the convening of a national executive committee meeting, and preparations for the forthcoming Ondo state governorship election have dominated discussions in some of their recent meetings.
More to follow…
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed the tragic loss of five personnel in a road accident on Tuesday near Hawan Kibo along the Jos-Akwanga Expressway. The incident was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director of Public Relations and Information for NAF, Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa, in Abuja.
According to Akinboyewa, the personnel were en route to a sporting event in Abuja when their vehicle collided with an oncoming truck. In response, the NAF has activated necessary administrative protocols to provide support and comfort to the bereaved families.
Akinboyewa urged the public to respect the privacy of the victims’ families during this challenging time and to avoid spreading unverified information. “May their souls rest in perfect peace,” he said, adding that further updates will be provided as appropriate.
[Nigerian Tribune]
The government of Anambra State on Tuesday, October 22, announced plans to withdraw from the suit seeking to declare the operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, illegal.
The state, through its Attorney General, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje, told the Supreme Court that it was no longer willing to be a part of the legal action that was originally instituted by Kogi state.
The withdrawal notice was dated October 20.
Anambra took the position on a day that Osun state, through its Attorney-General, Mr. Oluwole Bada, applied to be allowed to consolidate its grievance against the operations of the EFCC, with that of Kogi state.
Osun state told a seven-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, that it is seeking the same reliefs that Kogi state listed against the EFCC.
Whereas Sokoto state, which was earlier joined as a co-plaintiff in the matter, did not send any legal representative at the resumed proceeding on Tuesday, other states that announced their appearances, were; Kogi, Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Oyo, Benue, Plateau, Cross River, Ondo, Niger, Edo and Bauchi.
Others were; Adamawa, Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo and Nasarawa.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, appeared as the sole defendant in the matter.
The AGF did not oppose Anambra state’s request to pull out of the case.
It will be recalled that 16 states of the federation had approached the Supreme Court to challenge the operations of the EFCC.
The states are contending that the anti-graft agency was not validly established by the then administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
It will be recalled that the EFCC was established by an Act of the National Assembly on December 12, 2002, by Obasanjo’s administration.
Following the appointment and confirmation of its pioneer Executive Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and other administrative officers, by the Senate, the Commission commenced its operational activities on April 13, 2003, though its Establishment Act was later amended in 2004.
However, in the suit before the apex court, the states, through their respective Attorneys General, argued that section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, was not complied with before the EFCC began its operations.
According to the plaintiffs, it was a mandatory provision of the Constitution that majority of the Houses of Assembly of States must vote and agree to the passage of the EFCC Act, insisting that it was not something that only the National Assembly was legally allowed to do.
The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on a significant legal challenge brought by 16 state governments against the constitutionality of the laws that establish the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The case, presided over by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji and a seven-member panel of justices, reached this phase on Tuesday after extensive arguments from the involved parties’ attorneys.
Originally initiated by the Kogi State Government through its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the suit has seen multiple states join as co-plaintiffs.
The states involved in the suit, marked SC/CV/178/2023, include Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross-River, and Niger.
In a turn of events, the Attorneys General of Anambra, Adamawa, and Ebonyi have withdrawn from the case, with the Supreme Court panel granting their request.
The suit addresses critical questions about the federal scope of anti-corruption enforcement, challenging the legal foundation of the EFCC’s establishment under current laws.
The decision of the Supreme Court will be keenly awaited, as it holds substantial implications for federal and state powers in the governance and administration of justice.