SUSPECTED BOKO HARAM TERRORISTS STORM YOBE STATE, BURN DOWN SCHOOLS, WREAK DEVASTATING HAVOC

Reports reaching our news desk reveal that gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists, have on Saturday, stormed Gujba town, in Yobe State, firing gunshots sporadically.

The heavy gunshots have forced residents to scamper for safety.

“The attackers who invaded the town this evening, have burnt a Primary School, and construction work equipment”, a source  disclosed.

The identity of the assailants was not yet ascertained at the time of filing in this report, but the attack is reportedly similar to that of the Boko Haram/ISWAP Militants.

Gujba town is a few kilometers away from Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, and the attack is coming three days after Boko Haram insurgents invaded Geidam town, where they burnt down public and private property, in addition to looting of shops.

Details later…

NOLLYWOOD ACTOR AND JOURNALIST JIM LAWSON MADUIKE IS DEAD

   Late Jim Lawson Maduike

Veteran Nollywood actor, Jim Lawson Maduike, has passed on.

The veteran actor reportedly died after complaining of body pains around 12pm on Saturday, January 9, 2021.

A former broadcast journalist, Lawson began his radio career with Radio Nigeria in 1980 before retiring to join the movie industry in 2004.

Lawson’s death is just one in a series of deaths that has hit the acting industry.

In the past one month, the industry has been in a mournful mood over the passing of Nollywood veterans.

SEVERAL PERSONS FEARED DEAD AS AMOTEKUN , HERDSMEN CLASH IN OYO STATE

Over seven people have reportedly lost their lives as men of the Oyo State Security Network, Amotekun clashed with some Fulani Herdsmen in Aiyete area, Ibarapa North LGA of the state.

POLITICS NIGERIA learned that the clash occurred in Okebi village on Saturday morning. Eyewitness reports indicate that several houses were also burned down.

“Alhaji Usman Okebi and his two sons were killed. We don’t know what caused the fight. Some persons were shot and injured.”

“The number of people killed has increased to seven. Those who were shot and ran away later died in the bush.” an eyewitness disclosed.

Details shortly…

RIVERS APC: ABOUT 300 APC SUPPORTERS DUMP SEN. ABE FOR RT. HON. AMAECHI

   Amaechi            Abe

A former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chris Mba and former chairman, Andoni local government area of the state, Hon.

Emmanuel Eneyo, yesterday led about 300 of their supporters to dump a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to Senator Magnus Abe, to the faction loyal to the minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

The Amaechi’s camp, popularly referred to as the mainstream, led by Barrister Isaac Abbot Ogbobula, is recognised by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led national caretaker committee of the APC.

Speaking at a reception organised for the returnees at the APC secretariat in Port Harcourt, Mba, expressed sadness that some members of the party were out to weaken the party and thereafter defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Describing his return to the main fold as homecoming, the former lawmaker who was the leader of Senator Abe’s faction in Andoni local government area, said those who are decamping were heavyweights and grassroots politicians.

He said: “This is homecoming for me. When I spoke with our leader, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, I told him that I am a political prodigal son and that I am coming back to my political family. I told him that he should have a place in his heart to forgive me and he said he has nothing against me as we have come a long way.

“Gathered here today are not paperweight politicians, but heavyweights and grassroots politicians. I took a deep thought about the progress of our party. I feel pained that some people are trying to drag the party backward. They are planning to do all they can to weaken the party and thereafter empty themselves into the opposition party.

“APC is the party and we will continue to rule Nigeria. We will certainly rule Rivers State in 2023. It appears to me that certain elements there are not interested in the peace and unity of the party.

Senator Magnus Abe is aware that I have left and he knows my reasons.

Let us join hands with Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to make this party stronger.”

Receiving the returnees, Caretaker Committee chairman of APC in the state, Barrister Isaac Abbot Ogbobula, assured them that they won’t be kept at the back bench as they would participate in all activities of the party like every other member.

Ogbobula, who was represented by the party secretary, Hon. Baridom Badom, expressed hope that with the returnees, the APC will be stronger in Andoni local government area.

SAUDI ARABIA BANS UNDERAGE MARRIAGE

The Saudi Ministry of Justice has banned the marriage of persons under 18 years. It also set 18 years as the minimum age for marriage. 

The Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, Sheikh Walid Al-Samaani, issued the new directive in a circular sent to all the courts in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

According to PremiumTimes, child marriages are commonplace in Saudi Arabia with one in seven girls marrying before the age of 18. But, Saudi Arabia’s justice minister is changing things up.

FG SET TO PAY 5 MONTHS BACKLOG OF 14200 NPOWER VOLUNTEERS OWED BETWEEN MARCH - JULY, 2020

Over 14,200 Npower beneficiaries are being owed atleast five (5) months unpaid backlogs due to some technical and bank details not corresponding GIFMIS hinted to the public that the long awaited backlog payments will soon be paid to the Volunteers, the payment will be made this Dec before Christmas those unpaid stipends will be completely cleared off.

About 14,200 npower Volunteers from Batch A and B are about to get the much awaited outstanding stipends completely settled, this stipends is since March 2020 till July of the same year, Npower will soon trigger alerts to those affected according to GIFMIS they will be duly paid all their outstanding backlog payment will be paid.

It’s necessary all stipends is cleared because there is no way npower will onboard the Npower Batch C applicants without having to first of all clear every outstanding payment with Batch A and B, Batch A and B will have to be settled before the Federal Government can fully be ready to face the Incoming Batch C.

Thousands of Npower Volunteers that are being owed Backlog payment have been asking series questions many wanting to know, when Npower in Conjunction GIFMIS will pay what they are having been owing them since 5 months ago, with this new update, it shows that the Government listens and they are willing to thread the path of peace and cooperation with the Npower Batch A and B Beneficiaries.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, disaster management and social development Sadiya Umar Farouq also hinted that, all the Financial Obligations or entitlement owed by the Government will settled before the end of the year, Below is what the Minister posted on her Social media account.

“I consider it necessary to give status update regarding the outstanding arrears of stipend to the 14,200 N-power cohorts from Batch A and B,” –Humanitarian Minister, Madam Sadiya Umar Farouq (2020)

“From the outset, the N-Power programme was designed to run for 24 months

“Out of the 500,000 combined beneficiaries from Batch A and B only 14,200 have 5 months outstanding stipend arrears”

“The delay in the payment of the arrears arose due to platform migration from NIBSS to GIFMIS by the Office of Accountant General of the Federation in March 2020.

“From the consolidated list of beneficiaries we received from the OAGF in September, the 14,200 beneficiaries with arrears of stipend were flagged for receiving monthly payment from other MDAs, particularly from the NYSC.

“It is possible that the 14,200 beneficiaries used their NYSC allowance bank accounts for N-Power and GIFMIS payment platform picked them for double payment.

“We have initiated State verification process with State N-Power Focal Officers.

“The 14,200 affected beneficiaries will present their NYSC certificates for final verification after which we will present an updated list to OAGF to pay off their 5 months arrears.

“All legitimate claims and those on verified list will be paid before the end of the year”.

Because of the change in payment Platform, it was discovered that some names also appear in other government payment vouchers.

Hopefully, before month ends all beneficiaries should have their payment but no longer at her office.

STOP BLAMING SECURITY AGENCIES FOR INSECURITY -DSS TELLS NIGERIANS

   Yusuf Magagi Bichi, DSS DG 

The Department of State Services (DSS) has stated that government and security agencies cannot tackle insecurity in the country without the support of the citizens especially on intelligence gathering.

The director general, DSS, Yusuf Bichi urged Nigerians to rather than point accusing fingers at the security forces, support them to rid the country of all forms of criminality.

The DG who was represented by Peter Afunanya, the Service spokesperson, made this call on Saturday at the Security and Emergency Awards (SEMA 2020) at the Nicon Luxury hotel Abuja, where the service was conferred with an award by Emergency Digest, a subsidiary of Image Merchants “We call on Nigerians to support security agencies and the government.

“All those bad people are part of our communities, they live in our neighbourhood, if you know one, tell the security agencies about them.

Security is no longer for the government alone; there is a need for collaborative efforts and partnership. You continue to stay in your comfort zone and continue to blame security agencies for all, but the information that the security agencies need, have you brought it?

If you have not done all these, it’s time for us to have a rethink, it’s time for us to have a change of mind to re-dedicate ourselves to the ideals of building a country that is devoid of any kind of insecurity,” he said.

BANDITS KILL 12, ABDUCTS 10 IN FRESH ATTACK ON KATSINA COMMUNITIES.

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have attacked Yar Kuka village in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing 12 people and abducting many others.

According to Daily Trust, a resident of the village whose daughter was kidnapped said the bandits invaded the town on Thursday around 9:30 pm and started shooting indiscriminately

He said 12 people were killed while six women were abducted.

“Three of the abducted women are married, and my daughter is one, while the remaining three are young girls.”

The gunmen also attacked Dan Ali village in Danmusa Local Government Area where they abducted a retired Education Officer identified as Sani Skido.

A resident of the village said the attackers, who came at around midnight, shot at the door of the room where the victim was hiding in his house.

Traces of blood were seen in his room after he was taken away.

Similarly, three travellers were reported abducted on Friday by unidentified gunmen on their way from Danmusa to Maidabino village in Danmuasa.

A resident of Danmusa said the travellers, who were on their way back from Benin in Edo State, were intercepted and their vehicle abandoned at the scene of the abduction.

BREAKING: APC EXPELS HILLIARD ETA, DISSOLVES STATE EXECUTIVES, EXTENDS BUNI-LED CARETAKER COMMITEE BY 6MONTHS

National Executive Council, NEC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has expelled former National Vice Chairman, South-South, Hilliard Eta, for challenging the dissolution of the immediate past National Working Committee, NWC, by the National Executive Council, NEC, in the courts against party directives.

The NEC at its emergency meeting held at the presidential villa, Abuja also approved a 6-month tenure extension for the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee to stair the affairs of the party.

The NEC further slammed the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its call on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign from office.

Recall that Nigerian Pilot had earlier reported that controversies and uncertainties surrounded the planned National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, scheduled for Tuesday December 8, 2020 as pockets of court suits have been filed by aggrieved stakeholders of the party seeking to stop or declare illegal and inconsequential the outcome of the meeting.

While chief Kalu Agu Kalu, a chieftain of APC, had last Thursday, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, praying it to stop the planned NEC meeting, a former National Vice Chairman, South-South, and former acting national chairman, Chief Hillard Etta, and some other members of the dissolved National Working Committee, NWC, of the party, approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, penultimate Friday, to ask for the nullification of the June 25, 2020 APC NEC meeting which dissolved the NWC.

FG AGREES TO CUT FUEL PRICE BY ₦5

Following the resumption of talks between the Federal Government (FG) and the leadership of the Organised Labour over the recent hike in the price of fuel and electricity tariff, the FG has agreed to slash fuel price by N5.

It will be recalled that the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, in November, increased the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, to N155.17 per litre from N147.67 per litre.

The implication of which, allows Marketers sell between N168 - N170 per litre.

Following heavy backlash, the FG slashed N2 from the depot price of N155.17 per litre, a move that still didn't sit well with the leadership of the Organised Labour who threatened mass action, if the price was not reverted.

The meeting between the Federal Government and Organised Labour have ended in Abuja.

The five-hour long meeting agreed that the price of petrol be reduced by N5 while labour also got a commitment from the government that the distribution of free prepaid metre will begin soon across the country.

Organised labour had two weeks walked out of the meeting with the Federal Government on the ground of a new increment in the price of fuel when negotiations were still on course.

The Festus Keyamo-led Committee is to continue its assignment and ensure conclusion in record time.

However, projections by marketers have it that the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, may hit N180 per litre this month as oil prices extended their rally on Monday, with Brent crude trading near $50 per barrel.

Brent, the international oil benchmark, has risen by more than 15 per cent since November 13 when the pump price of petrol was adjusted in the country. It stood at $49.39 per barrel as of 7:29pm Nigerian time on Monday.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, had said in September that the Federal Government had stepped back in fixing the price of petrol, adding that market forces and crude oil price would determine the cost of the product.

The National Operation Controller, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr Mike Osatuyi, said fuel prices might increase before the end of December, considering the current realities in the market.

“Once we have deregulated, petrol price is a function of crude oil price. If in the past few months, oil price has hovered around $40 to $44 per barrel, when it moves to $49-$50, we have to be expecting nothing less than N180 per litre of petrol,” he said.

Osatuyi, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Monday, said petrol price could reach N200 per litre if oil price crossed the $50 per barrel mark.

“The devaluation of naira by N6 will actually have effect on the pump prices of fuel maybe by the end of this month or early next year,” he added.

He faulted the current situation in which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation remained the sole importer of petrol into the country despite the deregulation of petrol price.

“As at today, NNPC is still practicing monopolistic deregulation because it is the only one importing petrol for Nigeria. If you deregulate, you are supposed to make forex available for other players,” he said.

The Chairman, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr Adetunji Oyebanji, also told our correspondent that private marketers were still unable to import petrol because of lack of access to forex.

He said marketers were also concerned about the discussion between the Federal Government and labour regarding deregulation, adding that discordant tunes would leave investors worried.

“The impression has been that deregulation has been agreed with labour already. It would always help when you know clearly the direction of government,” he added.

The Federal Government removed petrol subsidy in March this year after reducing the pump price of petrol to N125 per litre from N145 on the back of the sharp drop in crude oil prices. The price reduction lasted till June.

Nigerians have seen increases in the pump prices of petrol four times in the past five months, rising from N121.50–N123.50 per litre in June to N140.80-N143.80 in July, N148-N150 in August, N158-N162 in September and N163-N170 in November.