The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has issued a new order to agencies under his ministry.

He announced a temporary suspension of any public-funded foreign travels by agencies and officials affiliated with the Ministry.

This is in adherence to President Bola Tinubu’s instruction to halt publicly-funded overseas trips by ministers and government officials.

Keyamo instructed all agencies and personnel within the ministry to cease all authorized foreign travels starting from the 21st of March 2024.

This was contained in an official document dated March 21, 2024, and signed by Dr Emmanuel C. Meribole, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Aviation on behalf of the Honourable Minister.

The statement reads, “I am directed to inform you to suspend all foreign trips approved by the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development for all Officers in the Ministry and Agencies under Aviation with effect from 21st March 2024. This is in furtherance of a Presidential directive to suspend public-funded trips by government officials at all levels.

“Any Officer who intends to go on any public funded International trip must seek and obtain Presidential approval at least 2 weeks prior to embarking on such trips which must be deemed absolutely necessary.

“All previously given approvals by the Honourable Minister is hereby put on hold from today 21st March 2024. Please, direct all your DFAs not to process any flight tickets and estacodes for now. Please, this is for strict compliance.”

No fewer than two Nigerian students have been arrested for allegedly faking their own kidnap.

The Lagos State Police Command confirmed the arrest on Thursday.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, told NAN that the suspects also demanded $100,000 (about N150 million) ransom from their parents.

He gave the names of the suspects as Ayodele Balogun, 21, a 200-level student of Education at the Lagos State University, Ijanikin, and his friend, Dennis Okuomo, 21, a student of NIIT Lagos.

According to him, both faked their kidnap and demanded N150 million to assist Ayodele, who is from a poor family.

“It was Dennis’s idea because Ayodele is from a poor family and his best friend; he wanted to use it to raise money for him so that he can be able to take care of his family,” Hundeyin said.

The command’s spokesman said that on Feb. 2, Ayodele disappeared from home, while Dennis used his (Ayodele’s) phone to inform his father, Mr Balogun, of his son’s faked kidnap and demanded $20,000 (about N30 million) ransom.

Hundeyin said the suspects had directed Ayodele’s father to pay the ransom through Bitcoin, which wallet they had sent him while Ayodele was hiding in Dennis’s room in his (Dennis’s) father’s hotel.

“Ayodele’s father, a driver with a private company, received the message with many worries, wondering where to raise $20,000.”

Hundeyin said when Balogun could not raise the money, Dennis decided to also fake his own kidnap and demanded for 100,000 dollars (about N150 million) from his own father.

According to him, both suspects decided to leave the hotel to hide in a bush and remained there for five days while the negotiation and investigation were ongoing.

“On March 16, as no money was paid and the suspects were not comfortable with the condition of the bush, they decided to return to Dennis’ s room in his father’s hotel.

“They told everybody that they just escaped from kidnappers’ den, and quickly called Ayodele’s father to inform them about their purported escape from the kidnappers’ den.

”They took Ayodele to the hospital believing that he just came from the kidnappers’ den.

“Investigation so far revealed that the suspects faked their own kidnap.

“They are in our custody, two perpetrators of self-kidnap,” he noted.

The immediate-past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed rumours that he plans to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Recall that the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) made an unexpected appearance at the SDP National Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday. 

The National Chairman of the SDP, Shehu Musa Gabam, and other chieftains of the party received the former Kaduna governor.

Reacting in a statement on Thursday issued by his spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai said he only visited the SDP headquarters to return a visit to the party’s chairman.

The former Minister said Gabam was among his friends who took part in the break of the Ramadan fast (Iftar) at his house in Abuja on Tuesday.

El-Rufai said he is known for being open and forthright, adding that his political decisions would not be subjected to speculation.

The statement reads: “I consider the most recent speculations about Malam Nasir El-Rufai as reflecting an unhealthy obsession with politics.

“People have personal histories and relationships that predate political affiliations. It cannot be a hallmark of civilisation to have friends from within only your political party. When people visit each other or mingle across party lines, it is because human relationships exist, distinct from the political or the partisan.

“Malam Nasir El-Rufai is a senior member of the APC, one of the signatories to its merger documents, and a significant contributor to the party’s demonstrated viability. These contributions do not require that he treats friends as anathema on account of politics or maintains an antiseptic distance from them.

“Malam Nasir El-Rufai hosted some friends to Iftar on Tuesday, 19 March 2024. NSA Nuhu Ribadu was at the Iftar with a senior APC figure like Alh. Kashim Imam. SDP National Chairman Shehu Musa Gabam was among the friends who partook in the Iftar. Gabam was not accused of considering crossing over to the APC on account of that.

“When Malam Nasir El-Rufai visited Gabam the next day, he was merely returning a visit to a friend who happens to be the SDP chairman.

“Malam El-Rufai is known for being open and forthright. If he had any political decisions to make, it would not be in character to let them be subject to speculation.

“Unfounded speculations about Malam Nasir El-Rufai have become an industry that has delivered tons of lies and clickbait in the last 18 years. This is unlikely to abate anytime soon, given the persistent obsession of its purveyors who relish in negativity and their tireless indulgence in conflating assumption with fact.

“A recent instance was when he visited former presidents late in 2023 to explain his Nigerian governance study book project covering each of their tenures, the speculators said it was about politics! That is why it is sometimes necessary to clarify matters lest the unwary be taken in.”

Ferdinand Uzodinma, the brother of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has been appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of General Services.

This is as the governor also reappointed Cosmos Iwu as the Secretary to the State Government; Nnamdi Anyaehie as his Chief of Staff and Sydney Agbor as the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations.

The three officials served in the same capacities in Uzodimma’s first four years as governor.

Also appointed are Patrick Ekeji as the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Administration and Sam Nwaobasi named as the Special Adviser on Programme and Policy Implementation and Monitoring.

A statement issued on Thursday by the governor’s spokesman, Oguwike Nwachuku, disclosed that the appointments took immediate effect.

The statement read, “The Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, has reappointed Chief Cosmos Iwu as the Secretary to the Government of Imo State.

“In the same vein, Nnamdi Anyaehie, Chief Patrick Ekeji and Olisaemeka Sydney Agbor have been reappointed as Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration) and Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) respectively.

“Also, the governor has approved the appointment of Chief Ferdinand Uzodimma, a one time Councillor, Transition Committee Chairman and Sole Administrator of Oru East Local Government Area as his Deputy Chief of Staff (General Services) with Mr. Sam Anyalewechi Nwaobasi named as Special Adviser on Programme and Policy Implementation/ Monitoring.

“The appointments take immediate effect.

“Governor Uzodimma, who congratulated the new appointees, urged them to bring to bear their professional competence in the efforts to drive the vision of the Shared Prosperity 3R Government of Imo State.”

A bill for the amendment of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Act to increase its funding from the consolidated revenue from 2 per cent to 4 per cent has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

Chairman House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Honourable Bako Useni, made this known on Thursday, March 21 during the committee oversight function at the Digital Resource Center built by UBEC in Abuja.

UBEC’s Digital Resource Centre is to provide quality digital educational content for schools across the country as well as contemporary capacity building to relevant actors in the Nigerian education sector.

Useni said the 10th Assembly saw the need to increase financial resources to the Basic education sub-sector for set objectives to be further met, hence the amendment bill sponsored by Honourable Muktar Shagaya to increase revenue accruing to UBEC from 2% to 4%.

“The amendment bill which passed the second reading Yesterday (Wednesday) when concluded will make UBEC stronger.

“Since UBEC was established in 2004 to date, a lot has been achieved. However, the House felt that if UBEC is motivated with more funding, it will go a long way in achieving more of what it has achieved.

“It was on this basis that one of us, Honourable Mukhtar Shagaya proposed an amendment to the UBEC Act to increase funding to UBEC from 2% to 4%/from the consolidated revenue fund.

“It is going to bring a new approach to basic education in Nigeria. It is going to improve teachers’ training and content,” he said

“We have also assured the center of our collaboration and support through budget allocations and oversight functions to make sure that whatever funds that are provided are used for the betterment of Nigerians.

“We will continue to visit to monitor the kind of training that is being given to our teachers and other resource persons because it is a center for Nigeria to develop its education sector.

Executive Secretary of the UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi said it was gladdening to have taken the House Committee members on a tour of the facilities of the center, which includes: the digital Museum, Library, Artificial Intelligence Center, the Studio, Micro-labs, lecture halls, accommodation among others.

“It is fruitful to bring the Honourable members to come and see what UBEC is doing in the area of digital education in the Basic education sub-sector of the country.

“The facility will ensure that our teachers are trained on the new pedagogy. We have brought in many teachers, school administrators, and quality assurance officers.

“For them to understand what is digital. learning and also to prepare them to be real participants and not just copycats in the class, where they can develop their digital resources and also take advantage of digital resources already on the ground.

“This is an experiment that we have started and believe that it will be a game changer in our basic education sub-sector,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu says lawmakers who alleged that the 2024 budget had been embellished did not understand the arithmetic of the appropriation act.

Tinubu spoke on Thursday night, during an iftar gathering of members of the senate, at the presidential villa.

Iftar is a meal taken by Muslims at sundown to break the daily Ramadan fast.

On November 29, Tinubu presented the sum of N27 trillion as the proposed budget for the 2024 fiscal year, to the national assembly.

On December 30, the national assembly passed the appropriation bill, increasing its size from N27.5 trillion proposed by Tinubu to N28.7 trillion.

THE BUDGET PADDING ALLEGATION

Early this month, Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, stirred controversy when he alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion and that the country is operating two budgets concurrently.

Following the claims, the senate debated the matter at the “committee of the whole”.

Subsequently, the senator was suspended for three months for allegedly not providing evidence to back his allegations.

Godswill Akpabio, senate president, had said many Nigerians would no longer trust the upper legislative chamber because of the allegation.

“Nigerians are bashing the senate. Many Nigerians will never in future come back to respect this chamber. The integrity of this chamber has been totally damaged and we wanted you to repair it with your speech,” Akpabio told Ningi.

‘SENATORS’ INTEGRITY INTACT’

Addressing the legislators on the budget padding claims, Tinubu said the integrity of the senate is intact.

“I know the arithmetic of the numbers that I brought to the senate and I know what I got back,” the president said.

“And I appreciate all of you for the expeditious handling of the budget. Thank you very much.

“Those who are talking of malicious embellishment in the budget didn’t understand the arithmetic and they didn’t refer to the numbers… the baseline of what I brought.

“All of your integrity is intact. I am very grateful for what you have been doing.”

Tinubu assured Nigerians that the challenges and economic hardship in the country will soon be over.

“The natural challenge that we face will be over,” he added.

“On the economic challenge, we are about turning the corner.”

The Black Princess of Ghana have been crowned champions of the women’s football tournament at the 13th African Games holding in Accra.

At the end of 120 minutes of football, the Black Princesses edged the Falconets 2-1.

Loveth Edeh had put the Falconets in the lead in the 21st minute.

With 12 minutes left on the clock, Ghana got a leveler through Tracy Twum.

Mukarama Abdullai, in the 99th minute of extra-time, popped up to score the winner as her low shot on the edge of the box beat the Falconets keeper.

The loss means the Falconets relinquished their reign as African Games champions.

Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has damned the consequences of meeting with officials of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was seen in a viral video on social media paying a consultation visit to the national chairman of the SDP, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam.

The party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, had earlier visited El-Rufai at his Abuja residence.

Later, the SDP National Working Committee (NWC) officials received El-Rufai at the party’s secretariat.

During the visit, Gabam reportedly noted El-Rufai’s rich and remarkable political pedigree, saying he is a friend and respected national figure.

“This is a welcome development that concerned Nigerians are cross-fertilizing ideas on how to salvage the nation’s present unpleasant socio-economic challenges of the times. The prevailing circumstance calls for bi-partisan and robust collaborations that transcend ethnic and religious lines to address the nation’s woes and find sustainable ways to redeem the situation,” Gabam was quoted to have said at the meeting.

He also said to achieve the needed transformation in the country, Nigerians need a leader like El-Rufai whom he said has a high political pedigree.

However, in one of the videos of the visit, someone was heard at the background telling the photographer not to upload the photos and video on X, but El-Rufai responded, saying, “Let them upload it; I don’t care.”

The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was on his way to securing a ministerial appointment in the government of President Bola Tinubu but he was dropped in the dying minute.

Although Tinubu nominated him and he was screened by the senate, the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly failed to confirm him, citing a security report.

Subsequently, the former minister went abroad and literarily withdrew from politics.

However, he returned to the country and continued his life quietly.

Wednesday’s visit to SDP has sparked rumours on El-Rufai’s interest in contesting the 2027 presidency against Tinubu.

‘El-Rufai not running against Tinubu’

But Muyiwa Adekeye, the former governor’s media aide, has denied that his principal is gearing to square up with Tinubu.

In a statement posted on X, Adekeye said, “I consider the most recent speculations about Malam Nasir @elrufai as reflecting an unhealthy obsession with politics. People have personal histories and relationships that predate political affiliations. It cannot be a hallmark of civilisation to have friends from within only your political party. When people visit each other or mingle across party lines, it is because human relationships exist, distinct from the political or the partisan.”

“Malam Nasir @elrufai is a senior member of the APC, one of the signatories to its merger documents, and a significant contributor to the party’s demonstrated viability. These contributions do not require that he treats friends as anathema on account of politics or maintains an antiseptic distance from them.

“Malam Nasir @elrufai hosted some friends to Iftar on Tuesday, 19 March 2024. NSA Nuhu Ribadu was at the Iftar with a senior APC figure like Alh. Kashim Imam. SDP National Chairman Shehu Musa Gabam was among the friends who partook in the Iftar. Gabam was not accused of considering crossing over to the APC on account of that.

“When Malam Nasir @elrufai visited Gabam the next day, he was merely returning a visit to a friend who happens to be SDP chairman. Malam El-Rufai is known for being open and forthright. If he had any political decisions to make, it would not be in character to let them be subject to speculation.

“”Unfounded speculations about Malam Nasir @elrufai have become an industry that has delivered tons of lies and clickbaits in the last 18 years. This is unlikely to abate anytime soon, given the persistent obsession of its purveyors who relish in negativity and their tireless indulgence in conflating assumption with fact. A recent instance was when he visited former presidents late in 2023 to explain his Nigerian governance study book project covering each of their tenures, the speculators said it was about politics! That is why it is sometimes necessary to clarify matters lest the unwary be taken in.”

The National Peace Committee, led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, on Thursday, explained why it did not penalise candidates and political parties who flouted the peace accord entered into ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The NPC had come under criticism over its silence following reported skirmishes, intimidations, and alleged vote-buying activities, especially at the February 25 presidential election where the current President, Bola Tinubu, was declared the winner.

Reacting to the criticism, NPC’s Head of Secretariat and Executive Director of The Kukah Centre, Revd Fr Atta Barkindo explained that the national peace committee does not have the constitutional power to arrest or prosecute any politician.

Addressing newsmen at the public presentation of preliminary evaluation report on support to the NPC through The Kukah Centre on Wednesday, Barkindo said it was the responsibility of the police and other security agencies constituted by law to go after violators of the peace accord.

He said, “What people don’t understand is that the NPC as a peace committee doesn’t have a constitutional power to arrest or prosecute anybody.

“All the agencies constituted by law are available to do all that. What we are adding is a moral intervention where these institutions have failed. So what we do is once we sign an accord and it is violated, there are institutions we hand them (erring politicians) over to.

“Even without the NPC handing them over, people can clearly see what is happening. Let the police and those who are constituted by law get up and do their job.

“We are simply adding value, and I don’t want people to place too much expectation on the National Peace Committee to go beyond its mandate. But beyond the signing of the peace accord, when you assemble presidential candidates two days to an election and they are all over the media, they can actually publicly recommit themselves to the process.

“For me, that is adding value to the entire electoral costs and that is what we bring to the table because it helps to douse the tension, reduce the level of bitterness and helps citizens to hold these people to account especially, when they publicly declare that they will accept the outcome of the vote as long as it is free, fair and credible.

“And to be honest, people are abiding by the terms of the accord because at the end of the day, when the results were announced, there was no widespread violence. People went to court, and that was what the accord said.

“If you’re aggrieved, go to court. Some people were aggrieved, and they actually went to court. So as far as we are concerned, the terms of the accord have been really complied with. The rest of the issues of violence, there are agencies constituted by law to address that. I think they should just get up and do their job.”