Author: Tahir Ahmed

FG justifies petrol price hike, blames market volatility for action By Ahmed Tahir Ajobe The Federal Government has defended the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for the recent hike in the pump price of petrol. It blamed the prevailing circumstances in the energy industry for the NNPCL’s action. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the clarification in an interview with Daily Trust in Abuja. The minister, however, said the federal government has no hand in the NNPCL’s action, explaining that government can no longer fix prices of petroleum products in line with the provisions of the…

Fixing pump prices by NNPCL an aberration –NLC By NEXTER The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said it is an aberration for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), to fix the pump price of petroleum products in the country. The congress in a statement on Wednesday, contended that the NNPCL as a private company cannot determine how much the product should be sold in the open market. It, therefore, called on the federal government to immediately reverse the latest hike, which pegged the petrol price at N1030 from N898. The NLC’s position was contained in the statement which was…

5 die of cholera outbreak in Niger By Aideloje Ojo, Minna The outbreak of cholera has claimed five lives in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State. NEXTER gathered from a health personnel that the disease has also spread to Paiko town in neighbouring Paikoro Local Government Area of the state. The health worker who spoke to our reporter in confidence said four new cases were reported in a hospital in Paiko. He attribute the outbreak of the disease to lack of potable drinking water, adding that, ” there no water in our facility for the use of the patients.…

NNPCL adjusts fuel price to N1,030 per litre in Abuja, N998 in Lagos Filling stations operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited have increased the pump price of fuel again. According to a survey by Nairametrics, the product, which previously sold for N897 per liter in Abuja, now sells for N1,030. At NNPC stations in Gwagwalada, Wuse, and Lugbe, in Abuja, motorists queued as they waited for attendants to commence fuel sales. In Lagos, the fuel price has increased from N885 per liter to N998, with long queues observed at the stations. This adjustment follows reports of a…

Secure Rivers, Tinubu Tells Police as violence erupts By NEXTER President Bola Tinubu has directed the Police to secure lives and properties in Rivers state amid violence over the outcome of the Saturday local government election in the state. The president gave the directive through a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga on Monday, in Abuja. NEXTER reports that violent clashes broke out in some local government areas hours after the police withdrew its men deployed to secure the 23 local government areas of the state. The withdrawal came after the conclusion of the local government election in the state…

IGP orders withdrawal of Police personnel from 23 Rivers LG secretariats By NEXTER The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police personnel stationed at the secretariats of the 23 local government areas in Rivers State. The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Bala Mustapha also directed the immediate unsealing of the 23 local government secretariats across the state. A statement on Monday by the Police Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the move is in strict compliance with the IGP’s orders. The unsealing comes just 24 hours after Governor Siminalayi Fubara swore in the newly…

FG Tells Julius Berger to fast-track completion of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road By NEXTER The Federal Government has called on construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc to fast-track the completion of the rehabilitation of the 82-kilometre Section II of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway. A statement by Uchenna Orji, spokesman to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the federal government approved over N820 billion for the rehabilitation of the expressway as well as the completion of the Bodo-Bonny road in Opobo, Rivers State. The statement quoted the works minister as saying that the government could not continually negotiate with the contractor over…

Fubara wins as APP captures 22 out of 23 chairmanship seats in Rivers By NEXTER Rivers state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara’s loyalists have emerged winners in 22 out of the 23 local government areas announced in the Saturday poll in the state. The governor’s loyalists had earlier defected to Action Peoples Party (APP) ahead of the local government election in the state. In the poll outcomes declared by tne Chief Election Officer of the state Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli in Port Harcourt, APP cleared all the 22 local government areas which results were ready. Chief Enebli said the result…

FCTA threatens Buhari, Gbajabiamila, Akume’s children, others with revocation The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to revoke the certificates of occupancy (C of O) of the plots of land owned by prominent individuals and corporate organisations in Abuja over unpaid dues.. They affected persons were given two weeks to settle outstanding payments for their C of O or risk losing their property rights located in the Maitama district of Abuja. Some of the landowners affected include Yusuf Buhari and Zahra Buhari, children of former President Muhammadu Buhari; Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president; Abbas Tajudeen, speaker…

LG Polls: Hoodlums set Akwa Ibom electoral commission office ablaze Some hoodlums on Saturday set the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission office in Ibiono Ibom local government area of the state on fire. The attack was confirmed by state police command through its public relations officer, ASP Timfon John. ASP John however, said that the electoral materials were intact and not destroyed during the mayhem. “Some hoodlums partly touched the AKISIEC office in Ibiono Ibom, but election materials remained intact, election is also ongoing,” he said.