News Rider

An early morning inferno on Saturday shattered the Mater Foam Industry, Obosi, near St. Albert Catholic Church, Obosi in Anambra State.  The Director/Fire Chief, Anambra Fire Service, Mr Martin Agbili, said in Onitsha that at about 6.15 a.m. on Saturday, the Anambra State Fire Service received a distress call that there was a fire outbreak at the Mater Foam Industry, Obosi Odume. He noted that he immediately deployed three fire trucks and the ever ready and fearless firefighters to the scene. Agbili said that his men controlled and fought the fire to a standstill. The cause of the inferno could not be ascertained as of the time of filling this report but the fire chief stated that their quick intervention prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. He confirmed that no life was lost during the fire incident, as they had a successful fire-fighting operation. Agbili reiterated the need for the residents to avoid anything that could result to fire outbreak espec...

The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Sadiq Abubakar has directed all Divisional Police Officers, DPOs, and Heads of Police Units to enforce the ban on the sales and use of all kinds of Fireworks, Fire-crackers, and Knockouts in the FCT. This is even as he mandated the DPOs to arrest the violators and charge them to court in order to serve as deterrence to others.  A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, DSP Josephine Adeh on Saturday revealed that the ban was part of proactive move by the police to sustain the relative peace in the FCT. Abubakar noted that the ban would assist the police in containing crimes and criminality, particularly the ones associated with end of the year and Yuletide. The commissioner also ordered the deployment of both covert and overt security apparatus ahead of the Yuletide.  He said that the deployment was to ensure a hitch free celebration in FCT. Abubakar called on the FC...

        President Muhammadu Buhari  I heartily rejoice with our Christian brothers and sisters on the occasion of this year’s Christmas. Many of us look forward to this festive season as a time to travel, share gifts, spend quality time with family and friends, attend special carols and events, and generally relive the good moments of the year.  In whatever circumstances we find ourselves, Christmas is a period when we come together to rejoice and set aside our differences. For me and my family, this year’s celebration is unique. It is my last as your elected President. Twenty-two weeks from now, this administration will hand over to another. In the last seven years, I have had the privilege of receiving members of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) community on Christmas homage, except the year the COVID-19 pandemic denied us that opportunity. I will fondly remember them as my benevolent landlords and friendly neighbours. It is crucial that I reme...

      President Muhammadu Buhari    President Muhammadu Buhari has promised that his administration would continously provide massive political and material support to sub-national governments, Armed Forces, institutions and individuals committed to the peace, unity, stability and progress of the country. To this end, he stated that the progress recorded by the Federal Government in providing the needed infrastructure, food security, anti-corruption, security and energy sufficiency would be sustained.  In his Christmas message to Nigerians on Saturday, Buhari noted that the festivities coincided with the period of campaigns that would usher in a new administration. He pleaded with Nigerians to be circumspect and vote for those that would maintain the momentum created by the ruling government for the greater good of the country. The President hinted that those seeking to violently disrupt the peace of Nigeria had lost the battle, assuring Nigeria...

The African Export–Import Bank, Afrixembank, has unveiled the African Quality Assurance Centre, AQAC, targeted at rescuing Nigeria from over $700 million losses recorded through the rejection of the country's agro-products in the European Union. At the inauguration of the centre in Sagamu, Ogun State on Wednesday, President and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Afrixembank, Prof. Benedict Oramah, stated that over $700 million worth of agro-produce are rejected from Europe alone. The AQAC laboratory is an initiative of the Afrixembank established to ensure that made in Africa products meet the required health and safety standards. Oramah said that about 76 per cent of exports from Africa are rejected annually, adding that they are working with some organisations to create the framework for harmonisation of standards across the continent. To this end, he hinted that Afrixembank budgeted about $100 million for the set-up of  AQAC across the country, noting that the impact would...

        President Muhammadu Buhari  Barely ten days to the end of 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari has proposed a supplementary budget of N819.5 billion to be used in replacing wrecked infrastructure.  The budget, which is meant for 2022 fiscal year would be spent on infrastructure that was destroyed by flood across the country. President Buhari’s budget proposal was read yesterday by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, who noted that the money is meant for the capital expenditure component of the 2022 budget, expected to raise the deficit to N8.17 trillion. Buhari hinted that the proposed N819.5 billion supplementary budget would be financed by additional domestic borrowings. In the letter, Buhari noted that the year 2022 witnessed the worse flood incident in recent time and caused massive destruction of farmlands close to the harvest season. He noted that the flooding might worsen food and nutrition security in the country, addin...

        Sen Ike Ekweremadu  Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, will spend both the Christmas and New Year Day celebrations in prison after the Central Criminal Court a.k.a. Old Bailey declined his application for bail yesterday.  His application for 'dismissal of charges' of conspiracy to facilitate organ harvesting of David Nwamini’s kidney was also thrown out alongside that of his wife, Beatrice and  daughter, Sonia. With this rejection, the Ekweremadus and co-defendant, Dr Obinna Obeta will now stand trial beginning on January 31.  By then, Ekweremadu would have spent a little over seven months in prison since his arrest at Heathrow Airport on June 23, 2022.  Ekweremadu and Obeta had on Monday attended their hearing via video links from the prisons, while Mrs. Ekweremadu was physically present.  Sonia was however absent in court, having been excused due to her medical condition and ongoing dialysis. In the bai...