News

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Youths Society for the Prevention of Infectious Deseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS) has urged the relevant stakeholders in Kano state to declare a state of emergency over a lingering issue of phone-snatching that has been taking the lives of people in Kano on a daily basis.

Zainab Nasir Ahamd, The YOSPIS Executive Director, stated this passionate plea on behalf of the Kano state people in a press conference by the organization on Tuesday.

Phone snatching has become a major security threat in the state. The armed thugs involved in the practice have murdered several innocent people and left hundred others with minor or major injuries.

An increase in the number of the cases recorded has continued to strike terror in the mind of the residents as the intoxicated thugs spare no one during their “phone or soul” operation.

Ahmad lamented that, “Phone snatching has become a major security concern among Kano residents of the state as nobody escapes it, over the past few months, the issue has become increasingly prevalent, causing a serious insecurity situation in the state.

“The problem has reached an alarming stage, with reports of armed thugs mostly on Keke Napep especially attacking innocent individuals and snatching their phones daily.

“The phone snatchers are now alleging turning to armed robbers and vampires using dangerous weapons to attack innocent souls inform of robbing and stealing their phones and other valuable items.

“However, countless people were stabbed to death by the phone snatchers. The situation has recently grown to the level that the snatchers operate in the daytime invading houses in various communities. This is said to be alarming and pathetic to the history of the Kano state.

“The youth of Kano State recognizes the critical roles security plays in ensuring peace and stability within our communities. We acknowledge the importance of youth engagement in security matters and commit ourselves to promote security and peaceful coexistence within communities,” she stated.

According to her, an effective communication and coordination between the police, traffic police, and other security agencies are crucial in combating phone snatching in Kano State.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

As the presidency of Nigeria outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari is gradually coming to an end, the president is seemingly busy with constitutional functions he would be performing for the last time.

The President, who was elected for the first time in 2015 was re-elected for a second term in 2019. Due to the two terms limit set by the Nigerian constitution, the president will hand over to his successor on May 29, 2023.

On Wednesday, he presided over the Valedictory Federal Executive Council Meeting. It is the last one he would be presiding over as president of the world’s most populous black nation.

His media aide, Buhari Sallau, made this known on his Facebook page as he shared photos from the meeting.

During the FEC meeting, Buhari also swore in the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission Board and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presented the Health Care Reform Committee Report to Buhari and the FEC at the Statehouse, Abuja.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

The United Kingdom is planning to ban foreign postgraduate students from coming to the country with their relatives except under certain circumstances. 

This is part of the government’s effort to reduce the number of immigrants entering the country. Last year, 135,788 visas were issued under the sponsorship of foreign students, almost nine times the number issued in 2019. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told UK ministers that the move would help reduce the number of migrants trooping into the country. He told the ministers that the policy, which will come into effect in January 2024, will help reduce the number of people entering the country.

In the past, the Conservative Party promised to reduce the number of people migrating to the UK to less than 100,000 in total. However, this plan was abandoned before the 2019 election.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Barely seven days before the expiration of his final tenure, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the long-awaited Dangote Refinery in Lagos. The newly commissioned refinery is the first private-owned oil refinery in Nigeria. 

The President was flanked by many dignitaries from within and outside Nigeria during the unveiling. He described the refinery as a ‘game changer’ for the country’s economy. 

“This clearly makes this event a notable milestone for our economy and a game changer for the downstream petroleum product market not only in Nigeria but the entire African continent,” He said.

The accomplished businessman and owner of the refinery, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, gave the welcome remark at the unveiling ceremony.

He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his support and said he was his source of inspiration at times he felt like giving up. 

He also appreciated the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, for ‘moving mountains’ in the course of the project. 

The billionaire also revealed that the first product of the $12 billion facility “will be in the market before the end of July, beginning of August this year”.

“Beyond today’s ceremony, our first goal is to ramp up production of the various products to ensure that within this year, we’re able to fully satisfy our nation’s demand for higher quality products,” he said.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical is the largest single-train refinery in the world and has a capacity of 650,0000 capacity a day.

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq 

With just about one week left to the end of his second and final term in office, Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has approved the deposition of His Highness Jonathan Paragua Zamuna, the Chief of Piriga, and His Highness General Aliyu Iliyah Yammah, the Chief of Arak, with effect from Monday, 22nd May 2023. 

The Kaduna State Ministry of Local Government Affairs made the announcement. 

Details later…..

By Muhammadu Sabiu
 
The Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party, and their presidential candidates’ requests for a live broadcast of the election petition proceedings in court have been declined by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.
 
On Monday, Justice Haruna Tsammani, the Tribunal’s head, denied the request for live coverage of the court proceedings, adding that the request lacked merit.
 
The All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Tinubu, won the presidential election on February 25.
 
Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s candidate for president, submitted a request on May 8 for live coverage of the court proceedings in his case.
 
Peter Obi, who was also running for president in the election, had also submitted a request for a live broadcast of the court hearings related to the election petition.
 

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdurrashid Bawa, and Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state continue to trade words over corruption allegations.

The anti-graft agency chairman challenged Matawalle to expose him if he has any fraud record against him.

Bawa has thrown this challenge against Matawalle in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Thursday.

He added that even though no human being was 100 percent clean, he would love it if Matawalle could expose him.

The Daily Reality reported that Matawalle was currently under investigation over alleged N70 billion fraud.

The EFCC chairman stated that it was intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State is currently under investigation over alleged N70 billion fraud, says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Abdurrashid Bawa, the EFCC Chairman, disclosed about the development on Thursaday during a press briefing.

Our reporters gathered Matawalle and Bawa have recently engaged in a battle of words and Matawalle had leveled allegations against Bawa and dared the commission to go after members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

However, the anti-graft agency chairman urged Nigerians not to be swayed by the Matawalle’s recent outburst.

In his response through the Director of Public Affairs of the commission, Osita Nwajah, Bawa added that “It is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate.

“Is this a case of a “’thief’’ saying he must not be touched until other ‘’thieves’’ are caught?

“Unfortunately, it is not within Matawalle’s remit to dictate to the EFCC whom to arrest, when and where. Suspects in the custody of the Commission cut across all sectors and social class.

“The qualification to get a space in the Commission’s detention facility, is to commit a crime. It does not matter whether you are a priest , Imam, Governor or minister.

“Currently, a former minister of power is in the custody of the EFCC over a N22billion corruption allegation. That conveniently did not attract Matawalle’s attention,” Nwajah said.
 

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chirist Ngige, has thrown a threat to the striking resident doctors saying that the Federal Government will hire ad-hoc doctors to replace their positions.

The minister stated that the ad-hoc doctors would be paid with the salaries of the striking doctors.

The Daily Reality gathered that the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began a five-day warning strike Wednesday.

However, Ngige, who in an interview with journalists yesterday said there was nothing like warning strike, disclosed this during Channels Television programme.

It was also learned that the association is demanding increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the tune of 200 per cent of the current gross salary of doctors; new allowances included in its letter to the Minister of Health on July 7, 2022, on the review of CONMESS; payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund; payment of salary arrears and consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.

Ngige added that the NARD was disrespectful to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which was already negotiating with the government on its behalf.

“The resident doctors are part of NMA. They are young doctors in training. So if the NMA is negotiating on their behalf as the parent body, what these young people (resident doctors) are doing is disrespecting the NMA. They are crying wolf when there is none,” he said.

• NewsDesk

As Nigeria approaches May 29, the inauguration date of a new administration, newly elected lawmakers and politicians have intensified the lobby game. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic human rights group, has also joined the debate. Though a Muslim group, MURIC wants the Senate presidency to go to a Christian from the South. The group has therefore called on all Muslims vying for the post to withdraw.

This was made known in a statement issued on Thursday, May 18, 2023, by the Executive Director of the group, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads:

“As the clock ticks away for the 29^th May inauguration date of the Bola Tinubu administration, elected lawmakers and politicians have intensified the lobby game. We have seen how the different geo-political zones, as well as individual politicians and stakeholders, have demanded key positions in the National Assembly.

“Chief among those positions is the Senate presidency as it is the Number 3 position in the country after the president and vice president. As a major stakeholder in the affairs of Nigeria, we have followed with keen interest the imbroglio, which greeted the Muslim-Muslim ticket and how it ended in Nigeria having a Muslim President-Elect and a Muslim Vice President-Elect.

“In view of this outcome and considering the multi-religious character of our dear country, Nigeria, it is our considered opinion that the post of senate president should go to a Southern Christian. Nigeria needs the cooperation of both Muslims and Christians because only such collaboration can engender peace and development.

“Although we are a Muslim group, we believe very strongly that Muslims should not take all the top posts despite being the undisputed majority group in the country. Muslims must be ready to share power with their Christian compatriots. Politics is a game of give and take, and Nigerian Muslims must play it right.

“We must all be ready to demonstrate a willingness to work together as a people in spite of our religious differences. Afterall, there is no Muslim electricity supply, no Christian roads, no Muslim public transport system and no Christian naira. Our problems are identical, and whatever affects our country affects both Muslims and Christians together.

“A good example is COVID-19. Hunger knows no Muslim, and malaria knows no Christian. Poverty is common among the adherents of both faiths. Let us, therefore, share what belongs to all with love and find solutions to our common problems together.

“MURIC, therefore, calls on all Muslim candidates vying for the position of the senate president to withdraw in order to allow Christian candidates from the South to have a free hand in the competition (preferably the South-South because the South East has occupied the post on several occasions).

“In addition, MURIC tips any suitable candidate from the North West for the post of deputy senate president in view of the fact that the zone gave the largest number of votes to the party and the candidate that won the election.”