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  Federal government is set to export 72 metric tonnes of yam to Europe and the United States today as part of efforts to diversify the economy. In a major diversification breakthrough, the minister Of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, announced yesterday that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the exportation of yams to the United States and United Kingdom. Ogbeh disclosed this to State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential villa, Abuja. Agric Minister noted that his ministry informed council that last week, they completed arrangements for the first formal export of Nigerian yams to the United Kingdom. He said, “Some people have asked whether by exporting yams we are not going to subject Nigeria to hunger and I had to inform council today that that will not certainly not rise. You will remember that about February or March this year some of you asked the same question: ‘is Nigeria going to face...

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu on Wednesday said that Nigeria's oil reserves will will dry up in 30years.    Kachikwu made the remark while representing President Muihammadu Buhari at the 5th triennial delegates conference of the Petroleum & Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in Abuja; Nigerian Tribune reports.  “As it concerns Nigeria, we must work inclusively hard to deal with some of the difficulties that we will continue to see in our production platforms. Whether it is the militants which is a key component or the slow speed of approvals or whether the fact that our policies are not even as fast as they should to catch up with changing Times. “Those of us who have the opportunity to seat in ministerial zones where we have to influence policies have got to work extremely hard to help drive the sea of change that is imperative if the sector is to survive. “Infrastructural deficit is a key component. We lack infr...

Nigeria's Acting President Yemi Osingajo has approved the appointment of 14 New Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) / Medical Directors (MDs) of Federal Medical Centers, Teaching Hospitals and Specialty Centers in the nation.  They are: 1. Prof. Bisala Ekele (University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada)  2. Dr V.A. Osiatuma (Federal Medical Centre, Asaba) 3. Prof Idris Suleiman (Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kudu)  4. Prof Abdus Musa (Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta)  5. Dr O.O. Alabi (Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja)  6. Dr Adejuwon Dada (Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, Lagos) 7. Ibrahim Wakawa (Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri)  8. Dr O.C. Ogun (Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Lagos) 9. Dr Shehu Sale (Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Sokoto) 10. Prof A.Z. Mohammed (Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital) *11. Prof. Anthony Igwegbe (Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi)  *12. Dr Wiza Inusa (Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo) ...

  Alleged Billionaire Kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans has sued the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos state Commissioner of Police, and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command for alleged abuse of his human rights.  In the said suit marked FHC/L/CS/1012/2017 filed on his behalf by a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, Evans is seeking a court order directing the respondents to immediately charge him to court if they had any case against him in accordance with sections 35 (1) (c) (3) (4) (5) (a) (b) and 36 of the Constitution; PUNCH reports. If they do not have a case, he wants them to release him. The case has not been assigned to any judge and no date has been fixed for the hearing.

The National Assembly has commenced moves to ensure the devolution of powers of the federating to state governments. In the ongoing constitution amendment, federal lawmakers plan to decongest the exclusive legislative list by transferring certain items contained therein to the concurrent list, thereby enabling the states to make laws in respect of those items. Leadership says this is according to a document titled, ‘A Bill For An Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to move certain items to the Concurrent Legislative List to give more legislative powers to States; and for related matters’. The Bill, which seeks to alter second schedule of the 1999 constitution (as amended), is expected to enhance the principle of federalism and good governance. If eventually passed into law, the Bill shall empower states Houses of Assembly to make laws for their respective states, with respect to electricity and the establishment of electric power sta...

  Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike said his state would not be part of any agitation for the break-up of the country. Speaking during a visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Wike said, “Rivers state and its people believe in the oneness and unity of Nigeria and that is our stand. In Sokoto, we have a father in the sultan. In fact, he is a father to all Nigerians and he is a peace builder in this country and beyond.'' “I have also been friends with governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal since before his emergence as a speaker of the house of representatives and this will be sustained despite the fact that we belong to different political parties.”

Crisis is brewing in the APC over the replacement of suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.  Lawal was a member of the National Working Committee, NWC as the APC National Vice-Chairman in the North-East. Most stakeholders from the zone, according to Punch, were favourably disposed to having a congress to elect a replacement for the suspended SGF. However, it was heard that some party leaders were working behind the scene to impose a replacement on them. This made some aggrieved aspirants to submit a petition to the party's chairman John Odigie-Oyegun to stop the move.  The petition was entitled ‘Complaint on the brazen abuse of due process and injustice in the nomination for the replacement of the National Vice-Chairman, North East’.  “We write to express our sadness and total dissatisfaction with the way the National Secretary of our great party (Mai Mala Buni) handled the process for the replacement of the vacant position of the Nationa...

  Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Oyegun has said that Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state lacks credibility and people should disregard his statement on President Muhammadu Buhari's health. Chief Oyegun stated this on Channels Television Sunrise Daily on Thursday morning. Fayose had on Wednesday in a press statement released in Ado Ekiti that President Muhammadu Buhari is on life support and challenged any one with contrary opinion to produce the president in 48 hours. But Oyegun, while reacting to the statement said Nigerians should discount Fayose's statement. He said: “That's governor of Ekiti state, when he talks, you just discount it. On Buhari's health, the APC leader said: “We are not his doctor but report coming in are good. “He has strongly recovered and it is good news. “reports are good”.

  The Kaduna home of former Vice President, Namadi Samso was yesterday raided by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). They had a search warrant and a bullion van, The Nation reports. It was learnt that the operatives of the anti-graft agency stormed Sambo’s home on Alimi Road, Kaduna about 3pm. Eyewitness accounts also said the ICPC operatives, who rode in a bus, two Hilux vans and a bullion van, searched the house for two hours. According to the residents, “They (ICPC operatives) came with heavily armed security personnel and raided the house for two hours between3pm and 5pm”. When journslists visited the house, fierce-looking security men threatened to shoot at anyone who came close to the house. They did not listen to reporters. “We are not sure whether this time they found something in the house. But we are suspecting something, because this time, they came with a bullion van,” a resident of the area said. A source clo...

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has kicked against the agitation for restructuring of Nigeria.    THIS DAY reports that on Wednesday, the governor said he was neither in support of the agitation for Biafra nor the call for restructuring because the two proposals were not going to benefit the state as a people. “When the issue of Biafra or restructuring is discussed, my heart jumps because Ebonyi State is not ripe for any. Ask yourself, what is it that we are producing? We totally depend on the federal government for allocation. Investors are not coming into the state and our IGR is nothing to write home about, because the idea of an investor is, supposing the allocation that comes from the centre stops, how do I get back my money?, '' Umahi said.

Nnamdi Dimgba, a judge at a federal high court in Abuja, on Wednesday, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was sloppy in its prosecution of Abba Moro, former minister of interior. Elizabeth Alabi, the prosecution counsel, who held brief for Aliu Yusuf, had told the court that the witness, a bank official based in Lagos, could not be reached during the Sallah break. THE CABLE reports that Dimgba, the judge, criticised the anti-graft agency for its failure to produce the fourth prosecution witness for the continuation of case. “This is your case and you have to arrange it in such a way as to avoid such occurrences. Your reasons sound a little sloppy with due respect,” he said. “If I strike out this case for want of diligent prosecution, a lot of noise would be made by people who were not in court. We have to stop this nonsense and let it not repeat itself, you have to be ready for trial at the next adjourned date or else I will take the necessary action.” The EFCC ...

Reigning two-time Copa America champions Chile, beat European champions Portugal 3-0 on penalties after regulation time ended goalless to book their place in the final of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup – Russia 2017, at the Kazan Arena in their debut appearance in the tournament. Portugal's Ricardo Quaresma, Joa Moutinho and Nani all saw their spot-kicks saved by Claudio Bravo while Arturo Vidal, Charles Aranguiz and Alexis Sanchez all converted their kicks for Chile to become the third South American team to reach the final after Brazil and Argentina. Chile will face the winner of the game involving Germany and Mexico on Thursday come on Sunday.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State has nominated Mustapha Salihu as Babachir David Lawal’s replacement in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. Babachir’s position as the Party’s National Vice Chairman (North-East) has remained vacant since August 2015 following his appointment as Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) by President Muhammadu Buhari. In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the Adamawa chapter of the APC forwarded Salihu’s name for the position of National Vice Chairman (North East) of the Party pending ratification by a convention. According to Daily Post, the letter was co-signed by the governor of Adamawa state, Bindow Jibrilla, the state chairman of the party, Ibrahim Bilal, and the APC secretary in the state, Sa’idu Naira. The letter partly reads: “Your Excellency, the party Exco, the working committee has met with His Excellency Executive Governor of our State (Adamawa), in lin...

US President, Donald Trump on Wednesday met with Joy Bishara , 20, and Lydia Pogu , 19, two of the Chibok schoolgirls who escaped from Boko Haram in 2014. The girls who just finished High School will be attending Southeastern University in Florida in the fall.  See photo from White House visit:

According to the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) 23 states are currently owing local government workers salaries of up to 16 months. Bayelsa state- owes 10 to 16 months Kogi - 7 to 15 months Delta - 8 to 14 months Kaduna - 12 months Oyo - 3 to 11 months Edo - 10 months Abia - 5 to 9 months Kwara - 2 to 9 months Benue - 9 months Nasarawa - 7 months Ondo - 6 months Ekiti - 6 months Imo - 6 months Adamawa - 4 months Rivers - 4 months Akwa Ibom - 4 months Ebonyi - 4 months Plateau - 4 months Taraba - 3 months FCT- 3 months Enugu- 1 to 3 months Osun - been paying half salaries for 24 months Cross River- about 700 workers are owed for between 1 to 3 months Zamfara - hasn't implemented minimum wage

Dr. Doyin Okupe, former aide to ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan, has given some reasons why the North is angry with the Igbos of the Southeast. Doyin said: “majority are angry with the Igbos,” because according to them, “they perceive as the blackmail of the Igbos to readily throw in the secession card every time they feel marginalized within the system.”   Part of the message he shared on Facebook, said, “Many are still hurting and unforgiving that Major Nzegwu an Igbo man, killed perhaps one of the greatest Northern stars of all times, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. “Hordes of Northerners also feel extremely insulted by the rhetoric that the North is the problems of Nigeria and that the North remains essentially an economic parasite on the Nation’s wealth. “This feeling is pervasive and cuts across all ages and classes in the North.”

Northern leaders on Tuesday attacked and disagreed with former Military Head of States, Ibrahim Babangida and Atiku Abubakar on the call for the restructuring of Nigeria and creation of state police. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) stated that the call for restructuring was misplaced while former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa described the agitation as nebulous. A former Presidential Adviser, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, urged Nigerians to be wary of apostles of restructuring as they have hidden agenda. Recall that ex-military President Ibrahim Babangida and former vice President, Atiku Abubakar had joined others by supporting the call for restructuring of the country. Babangida stated that restructuring has become a national appeal, whose time has come.    But, the Chairman of the ACF and former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, dismissed the call for restructuring in an interview with New Telegraph. He rather believed that the problem with Ni...

Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has reacted to the quit notice issued to Igbos by a coalition of northern youths.   The Arewa groups had asked South-easterners living in the north to vacate before October 1. Giving his position on the issue which has drawn condemnation from many groups and individuals, the billionaire said joblessness was the reason for the ultimatum. Dangote said this when a team of business executives from Lagos Business School (LBS), visited his multi-billion dollars refinery and petrochemical projects in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. “Some guys who have no relevance and values came out to issue a warning that Igbo should leave the North. ‘I am surprised everybody started talking about this nonsense. Why are we talking about it? “Obviously, in a place where there is a lot of joblessness, it is expected that this kind of jobless people would come out with all sorts of anger. “We understand the reasons why they are angry, but they cannot justify their action when...

Barely few days after husband of Nollywood Actress, Funke Akindele-Bello, Abdulrasheed Bello also known as JJC Skillz, shared the joy of her wife expecting a set of twins, 'Jenifa' himself may have confirmed so, as she showed off the baby bump in new photos grabbed from a video.