Headlines

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Zaccheus Adedeji, as the new Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

A statement titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new acting executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Thursday, September 14 said “Hon. Zaccheus Adedeji is hereby appointed in acting capacity for 90 days before his subsequent confirmation as the substantive Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service for a term of four years in the first instance.”

The President also directed the erstwhile FIRS Chairman, Mr Muhammad Nami, who has served since December 2019, to immediately proceed on three months of pre-retirement leave, as provisioned by Public Service Rule (PSR) 120243, leading to his eventual retirement from service on December 8, 2023.

Adedeji is a first-class graduate in accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University.

He most recently served as the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, following his service terms as the Oyo State Commissioner of Finance and as the Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Sugar Development Council.

By these directives of the President, “the new appointment takes immediate effect,” the statement affirmed.

A human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has revealed that up-and-coming artistes may suffer irreparable loss without engaging the services of lawyers.

In a post made on X on Thursday , September 1, Inibehe said that for solid career progression, it is important for artistes and entertainers to engage the services of lawyers.

According to him, anyone in entertainment or any related business that does not have a lawyer is taking a huge risk.

“As an upcoming artist, you should have and retain a lawyer as an integral part of your career.

“If you’re into entertainment or any business for that matter, and you do not have a lawyer, you’re taking a huge risk that may cost you irreparable loss.

“This advice has saved lives.”

This is coming days after Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Olademeji Aloba, known better as Mohbad breathed his last.

The remains of the late singer were laid to rest in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State on Wednesday.

Followers popularly known as Obidients are currently tackling Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, on social media.

Soyinka, earlier had a faceoff with Obidients in the buildup to the general elections, fired fresh shots at Labour Party Presidential candidate on Wednesday.

Soyinka had said the Labour Party was aware that Obi did not win the February 25 election.

Speaking at the 2023 ‘Africa in the World’, which brought together the world’s most innovative thinkers and top leaders to platform invigorating ideas for fresh changes and sustainable solutions for African people which started on Tuesday, September 12 and scheduled to end on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at Stellenbosch, South Africa

Soyinka lamented that the LP leadership had been trying to mobilise young people in the country to protest against the outcome of the election on the “banner of lies and deceit.”

Although the playwright accused the party of taking over the organised labour movement before the election, however, he commended Obi for breaking the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said: “This recent election – two things happened first of all. One party took over the labour movement, which is not my favourite movement, and then it became a regional party.

“Whereas it was a marvellous breach into the established two camps, Peter Obi achieved something remarkable there, that he broke that mould. However, he did not win the election.

“I can say categorically that Peter Obi’s party came third not even second and the leadership knew it but they want to do what we call in Yoruba ‘gbajue’, that is a force of lies.

“They were going to send some of the hardliners, proud young people into the street to demonstrate. I’m also ready to be among such demonstrators but only on the banner of truth not on lies, and deceit.

“This party wanted a demonstration to happen on the basis of a lie and we find this vice-presidential candidate on television boasting, insisting, threatening and trying to intimidate both the judiciary and the rest.

“What kind of government will result from that kind of conduct? In addition, they did not know this but they were being used. Before the election, there were certain clandestine forces, including some ex-generals, who were already calling for an interim government before the elections began,” Soyinka stressed.

Tweeting with the handle @aai_austin, an Obi supporter wrote, “This insurrectionist This cultist Who invaded a radio station at gvn point, littered universities and the streets of Nigeria with cultism is out again making bogus claims.”

Malcolm Omirhobo, another Obi supporter, said, “While Soyinka tried hard to mislead and misinform the whole world by hammering that Peter Obi did not win the election but he mischievously deliberately refused to address the issues as to whether the election was free, fair , credible and transparent.”
Mikael Bernard, another social media user said, “Soyinka is a bigot He completely avoided the trending news about Tinubu and his Chicago University Certificate forgeries, DrugTrafficking, and others but decided to distract Nigerians with his false and fake news.”

Nigerians are experiencing a widespread of blackout across the country following the total collapse of electricity grid early Thursday morning.

It was gathered that the grid collapsed totally around 12:40 a.m. on September 14, 2023, leading to the massive loss of supply to power distributors nationwide.

Multiple sources in the power sector, as well as electricity distribution companies, confirmed the development to our correspondent on Thursday morning.

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc issued a notice titled, ‘Notice of Total System Collapse’ signed on Thursday, September 14 by the Head, of Corporate Communications, EEDC, Emeka Ezeh.

It said, “The EEDC wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a total system collapse which occurred at 12:40 am today, September 14, 2023.

“This has resulted in the loss of supply currently being experienced across the network. Due to this development, all our interface TCN (Transmission Company of Nigeria) stations are out of supply, and we are unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.

“We are on standby awaiting detailed information of the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre, Osogbo.”

The TCN, which manages Nigeria’s grid, has yet to make any statement about the development.

About a week ago, the transmission firm celebrated what it described as 400 days of power grid stability in Nigeria, as it claimed that the grid witnessed no collapse all through the 400 days

The House of Representatives has debunked the claims by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress that the Federal Government gave N100m to members of the National Assembly as palliatives.

A statement earlier issued by the National Assistant Secretary of the NLC, Christopher Onyeka, had alleged the the monies were distributed to lawmakers.

Reacting to the allegation, the House Committee Chairman on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, described the allegation as baseless and “devoid of factual accuracy.”

A statement reads, “The House of Representatives notes with concern news reports across multiple newspaper, electronic, and online media, of a statement credited to the National Assistant General Secretary of NLC, Mr Christopher Onyeka.

“In the said statement, Mr Onyeka claimed that the executive arm had given N100m to National Assembly members as palliatives. This claim is baseless and devoid of any factual accuracy. Transparency and truth in public discourse are necessary for a functioning democracy. While we doubt that Mr Onyeka was actually conveying the official position of the NLC on this claim, it is nonetheless important to correct such misinformation.

“First, we state categorically that Mr Onyeka lied in his claim that National Assembly members were given N100m as palliatives. For the avoidance of doubt, at no time did members of the House of Representatives receive any money from the executive arm as palliatives. We, therefore, consider this statement as malicious, irresponsible and in bad faith.

“We consider it irresponsible and most unfortunate that Mr Onyeka would misrepresent facts in a bid to lend credence to otherwise valid demands of the NLC, while seeking to denigrate the National Assembly, and inciting the public against the institution.

According to the statement, the House of Representatives is demanding an immediate retraction and public apology from the NLC for spreading such information.

Accordingly, the House of Representatives demands an immediate retraction of this lie and a public apology from the Nigeria Labour Congress. The NLC as a critical stakeholder in the development of Nigeria has a voice and it risks delegitimising that voice if it is found to include fables in its legitimate agitations.

The statement also noted that the 10th Assembly showed its dedication to the welfare of Nigerian workers and all citizens in less than 100 days.

“We wish to remind the NLC and indeed all Nigerians that in less than 100 days in the tenure of the 10th Assembly, we have demonstrated our commitment to the welfare of Nigerian workers and all Nigerians.

“In addition to other measures, the House of Representatives speedily carried out requisite legislative action on the executive arm of government’s request for approval of funds for palliatives for Nigerians.

“In addition to other measures, the House of Representatives speedily carried out requisite legislative action on the executive arm of government’s request for approval of funds for palliatives for Nigerians.

“We have also consistently advocated for the executive to expedite these palliative measures to reach vulnerable Nigerians effectively and efficiently, as well as added our voices to the call for an immediate review of the minimum wage,” the statement furthered.

“We wish to invite the NLC to see the National Assembly as partners rather than adversaries. The 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives wishes to reassure Nigerians that we remain committed to advancing the wellbeing of our constituents.

Pauline Tallen, former women affairs minister, says President Bola Tinubu was selected by God to lead Nigeria.

Tallen stated this on Wednesday while reacting to the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal’s verdict which affirmed Tinubu’s victory at the polls.

Tallen, also a former Plateau deputy governor and a one-time state minister for Science and Technology said:

‘’The emergence of Tinubu as Nigeria’s President is a God project for the nation’s unity and stability.

“Recall the issues that preceded his election, like the controversial naira redesign, the vicious campaign of calumny, among others which would have truncated his ambition, but somehow, in spite of all these odds against him during the campaign, he still emerged as the winner.

“This is a confirmation that leadership comes from God and when God designs it, nobody can stop it.”

Tallen called on the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of Labour Party to accept the court’s verdict and join hands with Tinubu to build Nigeria.

She said that Tinubu had in his reaction to the judgment, invited the opposition to join him which demonstrated his magnanimity and willingness to work for Nigeria’s development.

‘’Tinubu is imbued with a rare commitment to political inclusiveness, from his recent ministerial appointment it is obvious that they were not strictly for APC members,” she said.

“In any contest, there is bound to be a winner and a loser; it is okay that they challenged the election’s outcome in court, which is within their constitutional rights but Tinubu is now reconfirmed by the tribunal as president.

“In the interest of Nigeria, if we all love Nigeria and we all plan to serve and build this country to an enviable height, we should all join hands and build a nation of our collective dreams.

“They have their ideas but Tinubu also has his ideas. If we all put these ideas together on the table and work with him, I believe we will all be better off for it,” she said.

Tallen also urged those insinuating that the tribunal’s judgment was manipulated to jettison the idea and accept the court’s ruling as a victory for Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

“Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, the opposition, especially, has the right to think the way they do but as I said earlier, for national interest and Nigeria’s unity, we should accept the court’s verdict,” she said.

Tallen described Tinubu as a detribalised Nigerian and exemplary leader, who had followers all over the country, and had paid his dues to deserve becoming Nigeria’s president.

She expressed confidence that Tinubu’s presidency would make positive impact on Nigeria in terms of economic and infrastructure development, notwithstanding the temporary economic hardships caused by fuel subsidy removal on the people.

“The prevailing pains can be likened to the pains of a woman in labour, everything ends as soon as she puts to birth, and immense joy follows suit.

“Looking at the antecedents of Tinubu as Lagos State Governor, I strongly believe that he is an exemplary leader and achiever, a good economist, who always works to succeed against all odds in any situation in which he finds himself.

“We know very well that he is a man that is self-made, who did not clamour for this office to enrich himself. He is not a hungry man, who came to enrich himself. I strongly believe that God will use him to make Nigeria better,’’ she said.

Tallen also expressed confidence that Tinubu would not only carry every part of the country along in his administration, but would also ensure that the 35 per cent affirmative action for women was implemented to the letter.

She said that although women did not get up to 35 per cent in Tinubu’s ministerial appointments, there were still many appointive positions underway for them as it must not be ministerial appointments alone.

“There are other appointments like ambassadorial, boards of MDAs and many more that are underway. The President is a man who cherishes women empowerment and is also a man of his own word, so I pray that he does not fail us,” she added.

Thousands of Muslim faithful converged on an open space in Hong, administrative headquarters of Hong local government area of Adamawa state on Tuesday, to offer special prayers for rain.

This marked the third time this year that such a gathering would take place.

The special prayer, known as “Salatul Istisqa’a”, was held to seek divine intervention for rainfall so as not to affect bumper harvest.

The prayer session was led by the esteemed Imam Zubairu Mahmud Fari, with the District Head of Hong, Dan-Maliki Adamawa, Alhaji Umar Babangida Mahmoud (Khadimul-Qur’an) in attendance.

The Imam led the congregation in offering the prayers, calling on Allah SWT to accept their petition for rainfall and bring an end to the hardship being faced by people in the country.

In his supplication, Imam Fari also fervently prayed for bumper harvest and for Allah to forgive the people of their sins.

His words were met with a resounding “Amen” from the gathering, who shared his sentiments and hopes for a bountiful harvest and divine mercy.

Reports indicate that Christians in the area also held special prayers for rainfall and bumper harvest in their various churches, a testament to the spirit of unity and cooperation that exists between people of different faiths in the area.

The event was organized at the behest of Dan Malikin Adamawa and the District Head of Hong, Alhaji Umar Babangida Mahmoud, who had issued a directive calling on all Muslims and Christians in his domain to participate in the prayer session.

The response was overwhelming, with thousands of worshippers heeding the call to come together in a powerful display of unity and faith.

Some students of the University of Lagos, on Wednesday, has taken to the streets to express their dissatisfaction and grievance over the raised tuition fees announced by the school management.

This is the second protest in just one week, with the UNILAG students joined by their peers from other universities.

The protesters took to the streets, calling on the school authorities to lower the fees. They were accompanied by police and security personnel.

Some students expressed their determination to continue protesting until the school authorities reverted to their previous fees, stating that the fee increase lacked empathy, emphasising on the need for the Federal Government to allocate the funds from subsidy removal towards education instead of allowing an increase in school fees.

Speaking with newsmen, a female student of the institution who refused to be mentioned confirmed the protest but said it was marred by low turnout.

“There was a protest today… But the organisers complained that the turnout of students was low,” she said.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Abubakar Momoh has met with some leaders in the Niger Delta region, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, and a former Niger Delta agitator, Asari Dokubo.

In a statement personally signed by him on Wednesday, September 13; Momoh said the meeting was aimed at navigating his role as a minister “for the effective running of the ministry, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”

The statement noted that Momoh who met with Jonathan in his Abuja residence, shared valuable discussions as well as deliberated on strategies to combat “the issue of stolen crude, enhance infrastructure and generate employment opportunities for the teeming youths of Niger Delta.”

“The primary topics of discussion included regional peace and strategies to combat crude theft, which has been detrimental to Nigeria’s oil production. Asari Dokubo, who holds significant influence as a political figure, provided valuable advice and expressed his commitment to supporting the minister in his role as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.”

The statement also noted that Asari called on Tinubu to do everything possible to “bring the immediate past Attorney General of Nigeria Mallam Abubakar Malami SAN to return the N600bn belonging to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs which he wrongfully channelled to projects that were unrelated to the Niger Delta region.”