The United States’ government has aborted its immigration policy that required payment of reciprocity fees by Nigerian citizens seeking a visa to the United States.
The cancelled reciprocity fees for Nigerian citizens, which was made known in a statement by the Spokesperson in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwoye, will take effect from December 3, 2020.
Describing the move as a positive development, Nwonye disclosed that the Nigerian government has also reciprocated the gesture of the US.
He said the Nigerian Government has also removed the excess visa application, processing and biometric fees for United States citizens applying for Nigerian visas.
“Prospective Nigerian travellers to the United States are hereby advised to visit: www.travel.state.gov for details,” the statement read.
It would also be recalled that the Nigerian government increased its visa fees for Americans travelling to Nigeria a day after the United States announced increment in its visa fees for Nigerians as a way of retaliating Nigeria’s high fees.
Nigerians whose American visas have been approved had paid extra fees ranging from $80 to $110 (N28,800 to N39,600), depending on the type of visa being applied for, the State Department said.
Nigeria has now reduced the visa fees for Americans travelling to Nigeria from $180 to $150.
Accused of ₦2b money laundering, ex-Pension boss, Abdulrashid Maina is slammed in prison for jumping bail to Niger Republic.
Accused Ex-Pension Boss Re-arrested in Niger, Slammed in Abuja Prison
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Abuja has again ordered that the former Chairman of defunct Pension Reform Task Team PRTT Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, be remanded in Correctional Service for the continuation of his trial on the 8th of December.
This followed his appearance in court on Friday following his extradition from Niger Republic Thursday.
Justice Abang said the short adjournment was to enable Mr. Maina brief his new counsel and to allow his counsel respond to the application of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While tendering reasons for withdrawal from the case, the former Counsel to Abdulrasheed Maina, Mr. Francis Orosanya stated that he had considered professional ethics, continual absence of Maina in court, which he described as embarrassing basis for discontinuing appearance on behalf of the accused former pension boss.
Mr. Maina is facing trial on alleged 12 count money laundering charge amounting to N2bn.
Maina appeared in Court on Friday after he was re-arrested by the combination of operatives of intelligence service in Niger Republic and anti-corruption agents in Nigeria after he jumped bail granted himself.
Nigerian business mogul and billionaire, Harry Akande dies at 77.
A Nigerian billionaire, founder and Chairman of Akande International Corporation (AIC), Harry Akande is dead.
Akande, who was 77 and until his death a Chief conferred on the title of Agba Oye of Ibadanland passed away on Saturday.
According to the family of the business mogul, Akande died due to complications associated with an undisclosed illness.
Nigerian Billionaire, Founder and Chairman, Akande International Corporation (AIC) dies at 77.
The family stated that: “His greatest passion was for a better Nigeria that guaranteed equity and justice for all. It is our fervent hope that this will be a reality in the not too distant future”, it read.
The family said his passing was a huge shock to his immediate and extended family, friends and associates.
They urged everyone to keep them in prayers “as while we pass through this very turbulent period of our lives”.
Burial arrangement for the departed soul will be announced later.
Akande was reputed to be one of the richest men in Nigeria. He was the chairman of Akande International Corporation (AIC) — with interest in healthcare, engineering, building construction and power.
He was a one-time presidential aspirant on the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) platform.
A collage photo of the said Ogun State housing estate scheme frontage named in honour of President Muhammadu Buhari and photo of Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
The Nigerian Presidency has dismissed a document that purportedly reveals a sum of ₦12,500,000 was transferred to President Muhammadu Buhari from the coffers of the Ogun State Government.
In a statement on Thursday, hours after the said document emerged and circulated online, Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu lamented that “fake news industry at work”.
Describing it as a move to tarnish the image of President Buhari, the Presidency spokesman explained that: “A certain document showing the transfer of ₦12,500,000 from the Coffers of the Ogun State to a ‘PMB Estate’ is being circulated to tarnish the image of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) Estate is a large housing scheme in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. It was commissioned by President Buhari in the course of a State visit.
“PMB Estate is owned by the Ogun State government, which honoured the President by naming it after him, of course that does not confer the ownership of the Estate to President Buhari”, Shehu explained.
Shehu appealed that “the gossipy online newspaper, peddling the falsehood that the President Muhammadu Buhari, the tried and tested anti-corruption fighter is the beneficiary of this cash transfer should be ignored”.
To further dissociate the President from the report, which has not been supported with facts, Garba argued that: “Before his election as civilian President, Muhammadu Buhari was a military pensioner and had never registered a company in his name or that of a proxy.
“To set the record straight, we spoke with the official who posted the clarification of the payment voucher on Twitter. He worked with the Governor Amosun administration. He confirmed that the payment was made from the Ogun State Revenue Account to The PMB Estate Account for some work done on the Estate. Absolutely nothing to do with President Muhammadu Buhar”, he said.
File Photo: President Muhammadu Buhari receives long time associate, former Ogun State Governor,.Senator Ibikunle Amosun I’m State House, Abuja.
The President Muhammadu Buhari Estate is one of the projects initiated in the first term of fomer Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun, which he reportedly boasted would help etch his tenure in the sands of history.
Initially named Three Hills Estate, it was rechristened in honour of the president by the then Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led Ogun government.
The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has declared that selling of prepaid electricity metres by Distributing Companies (DisCos) is exploitation of customers.
At a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the FGN/Nigeria Labour Congress-Trade Union Congress Ad-hoc Committee on Wednesday December 2, Special Adviser to the president on infrastructure, Ahmed Zakari threatened to sanction officials of any DisCos who sell prepaid meters to customers.
According to Zakari, prepaid meters are meant to be provided to customers at no cost.
Zakari also revealed that there is an order that mandates DisCos to reimburse customers who purchase meters through the Meter Asset Providers (MAP) scheme.
He said “We have made it clear through the regulator’s direct order as well as the intervention from the ministry of power that these meters are to be provided to Nigerians at no cost.
“Even for meters that will be paid for through the MAP, there is a directive from the regulator to the discos that they need to find a way to reimburse citizens over time.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has pledged the readiness of the Green Chamber to address some of the challenges faced by magistrates across the country.
The Speaker made the commitment when representatives of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria visited him in his office at the National Assembly complex, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Wednesday.
According to Gbajabiamila, a situation where magistrates have poor working conditions would not augur well for the judiciary, considering the enormous task before them.
“Based on what you said, something clinical has to be done. I wonder why the situation is like this. We know your work. We know how much you put in this profession.
“I’m just surprised at your condition of work. Obviously, something needs to be done,” Gbajabiamila told a team from the Magistrates Association of Nigeria who paid him a visit on Wednesday.
The Speaker said the House would have to unravel the reason why magistrates are not referred to as judicial officers in Section 318 of the constitution, as brought to his attention by the association.
“We just started the amendment (of the constitution). We’ll look at it and bring it in conformity with the best practices in the world. We would do everything we can to address that issue.
“You talked about the fact that your laws are obsolete. Please help us to make our work easier. We will work with the relevant committees to begin to look at those laws. Help us write something so that we can review it. We need your inputs.
“In terms of your salary structure, that’s very important because of the sensitivity of the work you do. All the issues that you brought up are important to the administration of criminal justice. The earlier you get these things across to us the better for us all.”
Addressing the Speaker earlier, the president of the association, Malam Saidu Umar, said they have been grappling with poor working conditions over the years.
He said with the coming of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), their work became enormous, but that their remuneration remains nothing to write home about.
In a similar development, the Speaker has assured that the 9th House would continue to prioritize the health sector with a view to ensuring better service delivery for Nigerians.
Speaker Gbajabiamila made the assurance while addressing a delegation of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) led by its president, Prof. Innocent Ujah, who paid him a courtesy call in his office on Wednesday.
In his address, the Speaker assured that the House would fast-track the legislative process on a bill to repeal and reenact the Nigeria Medical and Dental Council Act.
Part of the measures, the Speaker said, is that the House would look at the issue of the outstanding allowances of the Nigerian health workers.
“Healthcare is one of the major areas of focus of the 9th House Legislative Agenda. We will continue to stand with you and anything that will help our country move forward. You can’t talk about nation-building without getting your healthcare delivery right.
“Just be rest assured that you have in this institution a friend. We will work with you. I must commend you that under the difficult terrain you work in, you’re still able to do your job,” he said.
The Speaker also supported the idea of a bank for the health sector as suggested by the NMA president, saying the House would look into it.
“We’ll like to explore the idea of a health bank further. We’ll work with our doctors in the House to know how we can go about it. If you can give us a little synopsis of it, we’ll work with it.”
He said the House would look at the suggestion to review the retirement age for medical doctors and other health workers.
“On the increase in budget allocation, I believe it has been increased to some extent. I don’t know the exact figure right now, but we’ll look at it. If there’s need to review it further, we’ll do that.”
Against insinuations in some quarters that the health sector has the least budget of about N43 billion, Gbajabiamila said the sector gets over N1 trillion budgetary allocation.
Earlier, the NMA President, Prof. Ujah, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, said the visit was to strengthen the relationship between the Speaker’s office and the association.
He pleaded with the Speaker for the House to come up with good legislation for the health sector; enhance the remuneration and allowances of medical personnel; ensure new retirement age of consultants at 70 and others at 65; improve funding and budgetary allocation for the sector as well as establish a bank for health as in the case of agriculture and industry.
On his part, the chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Services, Rep. Tanko Yusuf Sununu, a medical doctor, thanked the Speaker for all his interventions in the sector and said the NMA team was on a thank-you visit.
He then presented an award of excellence given to the Speaker by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at its Annual General Meeting held recently.
President Muhammadu Buhari presides over a virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja. Dec 2, 2020.
Image: Femi Adesina
President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja appreciated Nigerians and Organized Labour for restraint, understanding and patience as the country tackles myriad economic challenges, assuring that the Federal Government is working hard to ameliorate the situation.
Speaking at a virtually held event at the State House to unveil National Gas Expansion Programme and National Auto-gas Roll-out Initiative, President Buhari said:
“Let me now express my deep appreciation to Nigerians for their patience, and Organized Labour for its maturity and patriotism as we collectively navigate these global economic and other challenges.’’
The President urged Nigerians to embrace the use of gas as an alternative to fuel, noting that:
“It is no longer news that the vast Natural Gas resources, which Nigeria is endowed with has hitherto been used sub-optimally as a result of a dearth of gas processing facilities and infrastructural connectivity for effective and optimal domestic utilization.
“As I mentioned above, with a proven reserve of about 203 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) and additional upside of 600 TCF ranking Nigeria as the 9th in the world currently, the need for domestic gas expansion and utilization is apparent.’’
President Buhari said the deregulation of the downstream sector had exposed many to price volatilities in the global market, urging attention to more affordable alternative for energy, especially with Nigeria’s heavy reserve.
“Therefore, the roll-out of the National Gas Expansion Programme, Auto-gas initiative is coming at the right time, especially in light of global crude oil market fluctuations coupled with the full deregulation of the local PMS market.
“These developments have made it imperative to focus on gas as an alternative fuel to move Nigeria from the conventional dependence on white products for autos and prime-movers of industrial applications, to cleaner, more available, accessible and affordable energy source.
“The outcome will not only cushion the effect of the downstream deregulation that this government has to painfully implement, but also create new markets and enormous job opportunities for our people.’’
The President said the auto-gas initiative will lead to increased domestic gas utilization and enrich the trajectory of national economic growth and development, adding: “I therefore encourage everyone to embrace gas in form of LPG, CNG and LNG as an alternative fuel for autos and other prime-movers.’’
“The Minister of State Petroleum Resources is hereby directed to commence the process of hand over of mass transit buses to Organized Labour as part of our government’s pledge to continue providing support that will ease the transportation challenges Nigerians are facing at this time.’’
In his remarks at the event, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva said the Ministry is focusing on development of skills, technology and manpower as well as growth in the utilisation of LPG, CNG and LNG.
He added that the National Gas Expansion programme which was initiated this year to boost the utilization of gas in the short and medium term “is expected to create two million jobs per annum, promote skills acquisition and enhance technology transfer in addition to growing the nation’s GDP.”
The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kolo Kyari informed that from 2016 to 2019, the Federal Government had spent over three trillion Naira subsidizing the pump price of petroleum products particularly PMS, insisting that the subsidy regime did not benefit the masses that the President is passionate about.
He added that the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have made it impossible to continue with the onerous subsidy regime.
A former executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme on Wednesday said bandits terrorising northern Nigeria have the direct lines of the governors in the region.
While speaking on insecurity in Nigeria, Prof. Usman Yusuf, who was a guest on Arise TV’s The Morning Show Wednesday described politicians in the country as being worst than bandits who loot the country and provide guns for northern youths to rig elections and dump them afterward.
According to Mr. Yusuf, negotiations between state governors and bandits are “the governors of the states importing from the bandits and a sign of failure in governance.”
Mr. Yusuf said who appeared on ARISE News said in some instances, governors of the states buy cattle for the bandits and even give them money as ways of pacifying them.
“Many of these bandits have direct lines to these governors, calling them. I know Nasir el-Rufai refused to negotiate with them. The governors negotiate with them, they buy them cattle, they buy them birds, it is all signs of failure of governance from the centre to the states.
“We are negotiating with bandits and giving them the money of the people they are killing,” the Professor of haematology-oncology and bone marrow transplantation said.
He added, “you know there are two or three types of bandits, there are bandits in the forest that carry arms and we have a lot of bandits in government.
“All those people that loot people’s money are worse than bandits. All those politicians that loot the people money are worse than bandits and they winning elections.”
Mr. Yusuf said the insecurity being experienced in the country is a result of the enmeshed corruption and bad governance.
“It is politicians that imported to these kids to make them their political thugs. They give them arms all across the country, politicians give thugs arms and when they are done with them, they dump them.
“These kids have the guns, they become bandits and thugs and cultists and armed robbers, so yes there are bandits stealing our money and there are bandits getting our money ransomed,” he said.
Scores of bodies during a mass burial for victims of last weekend's massacre of farm workers just outside Maiduguri, Borno State in the North of Nigeria. The burial rites had in attendance Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum.
Vice President (VP) of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo says the brutal slaughtering of at least 43 farmers, who have been buried last weekend, just outside of Borno State capital, Maiduguri last week is a major tragedy.
The VP expressed sadness over the ugly incident in while speaking to newsmen in Abuja Wednesday.
“We suffered a major tragedy when terrorists attacked the Borno Farming Community. As a brother, father and Nigerian, I am incredibly devastated by these acts of violence.
“The President and I acknowledge that we must continually review the conventional means of dealing with some of these security challenges, especially the randomness.”
Commenting on the measure to curtail tragic occurrences as this, VP Osinbajo indicated optimism that strengthening local intelligence and community policing will be effective.
“I have spoken to Governor Babagana Zulum and former Governor Kashim Shettima. A lot more focus will be placed on local intelligence and community policing so we receive information quickly and react faster.
Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack on the farming community in Borno State. We will ensure justice is served.
On Tuesday, terrorist group, Boko Haram claimed responsibility in a video for the brutal attack on the farm workers in Northern Nigeria just as the death toll rose to 76. The Commissioner for Information in Borno State, Babakura Abba Jatau confirmed the rise in the number of victims of the massacre as search for more bodies began after the burial of the initial confirmed 43 corpses.
Gunmen on motorbikes according to villagers, attacked farmers on a rice field near Zabarmari village.
Video:
We suffered a major tragedy when terrorists attacked the Borno Farming Community.
As a brother, father and Nigerian, I am incredibly devastated by these acts of violence. pic.twitter.com/dqQyqDVA7S
President Buhari presides over Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting in State House on 18th Nov 2020
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim as the new Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu confirmed this on Tuesday.
The new NAPTIP boss is a holder of BSc (Sociology), Masters of Arts (Management) and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees, Mrs Sulaiman-Ibrahim, hails from Nasarawa State.
Until her new appointment, she was a member of the Nasarawa State Economic Advisory Council as well as Special Adviser on Strategic Communication to the Minister of State for Education.
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