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By Rosemary Ameh, Sokoto Sokoto State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive governance after hosting a one-day town hall meeting to gather citizens’ contributions to the its proposed 2026 budget. The forum, held at the Sultan Maccido Institute for Qur’anic and General Studies, brought together community leaders, civil society organisations, private-sector representatives, and women and youth groups. The event marked the conclusion of a statewide consultation process aimed at giving residents a stronger voice in identifying development priorities. Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Abubakar Mohammad Zayyanna, said the consultations align with global…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has tasked Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSMs) on sound mentorship and regimentation of soldiers for operational readiness. Shaibu gave the charge at the weekend while declaring the Second RSMs’ Convention 2025 closed in Enugu. He urged them to uphold the cherished culture and heritage of the Nigerian Army that rests on discipline, regimentation and professionalism. The Army chief said that their positive influence must bear on soldiers under their units as well as the entire barrack community. According to him, "I want you to go to your various units…

By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Saturday, at its National Convention holding in Ibadan, Oyo State, announced the suspension of some of its chieftains believed to be working against its progress. The party voted to expel prominent figures including former Rivers State governor and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike; former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; and the party's factional National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, among others. In all, the party officially expelled 11 members. Reacting, Wike said those who expelled him are intoxicated. The national convention, holding at Lekan Salami Sports Complex,…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has inaugurated a committee to carry out comprehensive review of tax policies, rates, levies, and fees under the control of the state. According to government, the committee, which has two weeks to carry out its assignment, would benchmark the state’s revenue practices against Lagos, Abuja, and other South-East states as they relate to Land Use Charge, Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) fees, market levies and stall rents, business premises registration, signage and advertisement fees, among others, and recommend reforms to improve compliance, fairness, transparency, and revenue efficiency. The nine-man committee, which…

*No Such Thing Here, Govt Insists Respected US Senator Ted Cruz (Republican -Texas) yesterday claimed that Nigeria's Federal Government (FG) is aware and tolerant of official policies aggravating what he described as Christian persecution,but allegedly failed to do anything to stop same. He listed the policies to include enforcement of Sharia law and extremist Islamic violence which,he said,led to persecution and slaughter of Christians. Strongly advising government to immediately terminate such policies, Sen. Cruz said rather what government is doing is to engage in media manipulation "to escape exposure and accountability." In a statement he posted on his X account…

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, of acting in a manner that suggests he is playing a role scripted by external forces, and not justice, in the terrorism trial of detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The judge has fixed 20 November for judgment in the matter amid loud protests by Kanu that the law under which he is being tried no longer exists and has been repealed. HURIWA further alleged that Justice Omotosho appears to be on a predetermined conclusion in the…

By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan Oyo State Police Command has declared its readiness to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention scheduled to hold tomorrow (Saturday, November 15) and Sunday, November 16, at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan. This was contained in a statement issued today by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Adewale Osifeso, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), who noted that the Command had put in place a comprehensive security arrangement ahead of the two-day event. According to the statement, the convention was expected to attract high-profile political…

Does retired Naval chief Zubair Gambo possess a valid land title to the disputed Abuja land? Do military rules operate separately or have superiority over civilian laws in a constitutional democracy? These are some of the burning questions that legal luminary and former president, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Olisa Agbakoba, said were thrown up by last Tuesday's confrontation between Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and a Naval Lieutenant, A. Yerima, who led a military team that bluntly refused the Minister access to a piece of land in Abuja. The land is linked to former Chief of Naval…

Another perspective has emerged from the confrontation between Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, and a military team led by Navy Lieutenant A. Yerima on Tuesday over access to a piece of land in Abuja,the nation's capital. Recall that the armed soldiers flatly denied the Minister access to the land, now known to be owned by a retired Naval chief, Vice Admiral Auwal Zubair Gambo. Yerima insisted that, in not letting the Minister access, he, a serving officer, was acting on "orders from above." However, at a media briefing on Thursday, Wike disclosed that the Yerima-led military guards…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has commenced the second phase of its free-of-cost prepaid meter distribution under “tranche B” of the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) metering programme. It would be recalled that the MAF metering initiative, instituted by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), was meant to close the existing metering gap in the sector and put an end to estimated billing. The Group Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, made these known in a statement. Ezeh said that the metering programme, funded through the MAF “tranche B”, is targeted at unmetered customers on service…