People&Politics

It was a sombre occasion,but electrified the rather serene community of Ekpuk Nto Erin, Uruk Uso Utoro, Abak Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom State, when the remains of respected 85-year-old community leader, Deaconess Arit Ezekiel Udo, was committed to earth. Fondly called 'Mama' in and around the community, she was the mother of Tpl Akanimo Udoh, Acting Director, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)'s Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS), according to a press statement on Thursday, April 3, by Head of Information, DOAS, Ngozi Ufomba. It stated that tears flowed freely from residents of the community and…

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it has not issued any circular which claimed that it has introduced N5,000 and N10,000 notes to the existing denominations. The apex bank described reports to the effect as false. CBN put the records straight in a recent post it shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) page. There were reports that the bank is set to N5,000 and N10,000 bank notes for easier cash transactions. According to the reports, the financial regulator was moved to introduce the new notes to also reduce cash-handling costs and improve liquidity management. A couple of the reports…

By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan Wife of the Alaafin of Oyo, Ayaba Abiwumi Owoade, has said her husband will not only encourage, but support any activity that can improve women economic power, in order to enable them develop high esteem and more confidence in one another through exhibiting their God-given potentials for good. She stated that despite challenges, women had continued to display great dynamism. A release issued by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo, Bode Durojaiye, on Wednesday, April 2, quoted Ayaba Owoade as speaking on the imperative of women in nation building, to commemorate…

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna Middle Belt Forum (MBF) said it is aware of inflammatory threats and unguarded statements by certain disgruntled elements claiming to defend the interests of the Arewa North following what it described as the unacceptable extrajudicial killing of 16 citizens in Uromi, Edo State, last week. A statement signed by the forum's spokesman, Luka Binniyat, and issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Wednesday, April 2, which contained these, however, warned against any attempt to unleash violence on Southerners in the North. Tracing the trajectory to the Uromi incident, MBF stated: "These individuals, reportedly armed hunters, were traveling…

From Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has received the gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 governorship election, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, back into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fold. He commended the ex-opposition flagbearer for demonstrating that politics is not a do-or-die affair. Recall that Edeoga had,after the electoral umpire had declared Mbah winner of the governorship poll, challenged the verdict from the Election Petitions Tribunal right up to the Supreme Court, which upheld the lower courts' judgment saying that the PDP candidate won. Apparently enthused by Edeoga’s return to the PDP, the governor…

By John Bassey, Gusau Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has assured of increased revenue inflow following noticeable significant improvements in the state's security situation. On Wednesday, April 2, the governor toured sites and mining factories in Anka and Maru Local Government Areas (LGAs). A statement by the governor's spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, disclosed that the tour aimed to further assess the state's vast resources with the objective of creating additional revenue-generating opportunities. “Today, Governor Dauda Lawal has begun a tour of mining sites and factories, starting with a visit to Comet Star Industry, a private mining company located in the…

The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr Bashir Bayo Ojulari, is a seasoned Nigerian engineer with expertise in petroleum, process, and production engineering. Before his latest appointment, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. The firm recently led a consortium of indigenous energy firms in the landmark acquisition of the entire equity holding in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), worth $2.4 billion. Ojulari began his career as the first Nigerian process engineer at Elf Aquitaine before joining SPDC in 1991. A native of…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Enugu State Police Command has denied a report by a national online newspaper (not Peopleandpolitics.net) that killer herdsmen invaded, plundered, chased away residents and took over some communities in Eha Amufu axis of the state. The police slammed the report as baseless, mischievous and misleading. Further describing the said report as "spurious", the Command said it was a calculated attempt to mislead the public and instill fear. In a press statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the State Command, Daniel Ndukwe, the police said that "no community in Eha-Amufu or any part…

Finally, the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari,has lost his job. President Bola Tinubu sacked him, according to a statement issued today, Wednesday, April 2, by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga. Tinubu also dissolved the NNPCL Board, firing its Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure. Speculations on Kyari's possible removal from office had,from time to time, gripped the nation since 2023. Onanuga said Tinubu invoked his powers under section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to carry out the sweeping reconstitution, citing the need for “enhanced…