University of Abuja elects youngest Acting VC

The Senate of the University of Abuja, has elected Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution pending the inauguration of the University Council and the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor. This followed the end of the tenure of Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah as the 6th Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) on June 30, 2024. Aisha is a Professor of International Law and the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University. Born on January 31, 1983, in Zaria, Kaduna State, she obtained her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). She attended the University of Reading and the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom, after her Secondary school education, where she obtained her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) degrees, respectively. She also attended the Nigeria Law School, Abuja, for her call to the Bar and the University of Abuja for her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law. Aisha participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2007, at the Corporate Secretariat and Legal Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Aisha joined the University of Abuja in 2008 as a Lecturer and became the first female and youngest Head of the Department, Faculty of Law in 2014; the first female and youngest Deputy Dean, Faculty of Law in 2018; and the pioneer Director University of Abuja. The acting Vice Chancellor is the youngest Professor of the University of Abuja and indeed Nigeria, as well as the first female Professor of Law in the North West and the University of Abuja. She specializes in United Nations Law and has written extensively on the area. She completed a Postgraduate course on United Nations Law and has supervised numerous undergraduate and postgraduate works. She has also taught Company Law for over 12 years and is well-versed in its mechanics. She has participated in numerous conferences and trainings worldwide. She is also a Member of various professional associations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigerian Law Teachers Association (NLTA), and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (IFWL). Prof Aisha is married with children.

Hardship: Why Nigerian govt needs to reopen borders – FCCPC

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has appealed to the Federal Government to reopen the country’s borders to allow for legitimate importation of food items to combat hunger among Nigerians. The commission said that reopening borders would facilitate food importation, while stabilizing market prices. It made the call during an advocacy meeting with traditional rulers and other stakeholders held at the Emir’s palace in Bauchi. Acting Executive Chairman of the Commission, Adamu Abdullahi, highlighted the FCCPC’s ongoing efforts in advocacy and public awareness regarding price gouging and other unfair trade practices in Nigerian markets. Abdullahi explained that the Commission’s visit aimed to sensitize stakeholders on their rights and help them identify counterfeit products and proper channels for lodging complaints. “As mediators, we ensure that substandard products are repaired, replaced, or refunded to the consumer if they are unsatisfied with their purchase,” Abdullahi stated. He expressed concern about escalating commodity prices due to the recent appreciation of the naira against the dollar, calling the situation unacceptable. “The FCCPC remains dedicated to promoting fair competition, protecting consumers, and fostering a regulated marketplace. We encourage citizens to be vigilant and actively report any violations,” he added. Responding, the Emir of Bauchi, Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu, expressed concern over the rising prices in markets, particularly for food items, which he noted are causing hardship for citizens. Represented by the District Head of Lame, Alhaji Yakubu Aliyu Lame, the Emir urged the Federal Government to take urgent action to reduce food prices, stressing the suffering of ordinary Nigerians. Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu assured that the traditional institution in the state is ready to help raise public awareness about the commission’s activities to ensure the message reaches the targeted audience.

Shettima presides over NEC meeting 

Vice President Kashim Shettima is currently presiding over the 142nd National Economic Council, NEC, meeting at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The council meeting is being attended by some members of President Bola Tinubu’s economic team in attendance. NEC is a statutory body mandated to advise the President on the nation’s economic affairs and it is comprised of the Vice President, Governors of the 36 states of the federation, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Minister of Finance, and other stakeholders. The meeting is coming at a time when the populace, especially the workforce, awaits government’s decision on a new national minimum wage discuss. The NEC meeting is expected to create an official interface for both the federal government and the sub-nationals, especially as the last Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting which held on Tuesday, decided to step down discussions on the minimum wage down until President Tinubu consults with other parties in the new pay discuss. Among those present at the ongoing NEC meeting are governors, Usman Ododo (Kogi), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Lawal Dauda (Zamfara), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Seyi Makinde, (Oyo), Lucky Ayedatiwa, (Ondo). Others are Abdullahi Sule, (Nasarawa), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Caleb Mutfwang, (Plateau), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Biodun Oyebanji, (Ekiti), Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya, (Gombe), Peter Mbah, (Enugu), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Dapo Abiodun, (Ogun), Umar Radda, (Katsina), Abba Yusuf (Kano), Umar Namadi, (Jigawa) and Umar Bago, (Niger). States being represented by their deputy governors include Lagos, Rivers, Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe

Each State Should Be Allowed To Negotiate Their Minimum Wage – Southern Governors (Full Text)

Governors of the states in the southern region of the country have demanded that each state should be allowed to negotiate its minimum wage with organized labour and other stakeholders. This position was made known in a 16-point communique issued by Governors at the end of their meeting held on Monday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, under the auspices of the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF). According to them, the new minimum wage should be reflective of the cost of living and the ability to pay for each state, adding that such a move would be a true reflection of federalism. The communique also called for the establishment of state police and stressed the resolve of the governors to adopt Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The Governors commended President Bola Tinubu for the coastal road project and called for the repair of Trunk A roads and the transfer of roads to state governors who have indicated interest in repairing them. The members of the forum further commended the President on the food palliative support to States, and the Governors were also commended for complementing the President in their various States through numerous initiatives ranging from food palliatives to transport allowances. The Forum concluded that quarterly meetings will be held and rotated among member states Below is the full text of the communique issued after the meeting of the Governors. “At the conclusion of the Southern Governors Forum meeting held on Monday, June 24, 2024, and having paid respects to our immediate past Chairman, HE, the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu; with condolences extended to his family, and appreciating the past Chairman for the solid foundation he laid by putting the forum in good stead; we the Governors resolved as follows: 1. Thanked and appreciated all member Governors for their support and commitment to the “Asaba declaration” of 2021, which was a resolve to ensure that Southern Nigeria produced the 2023 Presidential Candidate; we also thanked the Northern Governors’ Forum for their unwavering support for the resolution. 2. The Forum commended the laudable economic recovery reforms and policies of HE President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda; and unanimously committed to supporting him in his unwavering resolve to reposition the country and build a greater future for us all. 3. The Southern Governors applauded the President for conceptualizing and commencing the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, which cuts across eight (8) states. We noted that this will create employment in the construction industry, boost productivity by drastically reducing travel time, promote tourism, and open up and integrate all the Southern States to increased trade and investment opportunities whilst enhancing the ease of doing business. 4. The Southern Governors advocated that the Federal Government should rehabilitate, repair and reconstruct Trunk A roads and transfer roads to States that have expressed interest in taking them over. 5. The Forum will commission a regional multimodal transport master plan that will prioritise connectivity of rail, road, air and water transportation, to facilitate interstate, intra-regional movement of persons, goods and services and thereby enhancing the ease of doing business . 6. Being the economic and industrial region of the country, the Forum highlighted the need to address the inadequate power supply in the region. Member states were encouraged to take advantage of the recent constitutional amendment that now allows States to regulate, generate, transmit and distribute electricity whilst also considering optional sources like renewables. 7. The Forum resolved further to aggressively embark on energy transition plan from fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) to cleaner energy and specifically CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and ultimately EV’s (Electric Vehicles) to help reduce the cost of transportation, which will lowe

Senate passes bill for Act to amend the 2023 supplementary appropriation bill till 31st December

The Senate has passed has passed a bill for an Act to amend the implementation of the 2023 supplementary appropriation bill till 31st December, 2024. The implementation of the 2023 supplementary by implication would run in paripasu with that of the 2024 which stands at N28.78 trillion. The passage followed the emergency plenary convened which was presided by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. After clause by clause consideration of the bill and after the Committee of Supply, the bill was then read the third time and passed. The 2023 supplementary budget bill was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central for its implementation to be extended. In his remark, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio who thanked Senators for their understanding and patriotism, expressed his belief that the implementation would allow the executive to complete all abandoned projects.

Tinubu Seeks Senate Confirmation For Fresh Appointments 

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded letters of request to the Senate seeking the confirmation of certain individuals for fresh appointments. The President, in one of his letters, read during plenary on Thursday, urged the Senate to consider and confirm the nomination of Dr Olatunji Bello for appointment as the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). President Tinubu also forwarded the names of three nominees for consideration and confirmation for appointment as chairman, secretary, and member of the Police Service Commission (PSC), respectively. The nominees are the Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Hashim Argungu (chairman), Chief Onyema Uche (Secretary), and Retired DIG Taiwo Lakanu (member) of the PSC, respectively. The letters were read on the floor during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Bello’s nomination was thereafter referred to the Senate Committee for Trade and Investment, while that of Argungu, Uche and Lankano was referred to the Senate Committee on Police Affairs for further legislative work. The committees are to report back to the Senate in one week.

Strike: Nigerian govt, ASUU in closed-door meeting

The Federal Government delegation and the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, are in closed door meeting to discuss lingering crisis and avert strike by the Union. The meeting holding on Thursday in the office of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman,commenced at about 4.30p.m. The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu and other top officials in the ministry are in the federal government” team The ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, who led the union’s delegation told newsmen that the meeting was to deliberate on lingering issues affecting the universities to avert the planned strike actions. “There are a lot of issues that are outstanding within the system and we believe that before now, they would have been taken care of. ‘The issues would have been resolved in line with the promise made by President Bola Tinubu and there will not be strike in the university system. “We hope that this meeting will be able to resolve some of these issues so that we can move forward as a country as well as our university system,” he said. Earlier, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, said the meeting would provide an opportunity for both parties to rub minds on issues affecting the university system. Mr Mamman said that ASUU had earlier written to the ministry, detailing a number of issues and concerns affecting the universities and the union. He said that the issues required interactions between the union and government officials to avert any strike proposed by the union.

Ibadan Airport goes international status

In a significant milestone for Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde has secured the approval of President Bola Tinubu to upgrade Ibadan Airport to an international status, paving the way for increased economic development and regional integration. He made this known on Wednesday, while receiving the Chief of Air Staff of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Air Marshal Hassan Baba Abubakar who paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan. Governor Makinde said he would be heading to the Federal Capital Territory Abuja later today to get necessary documentation to that effect, assuring that work on the project would commence as soon as all documentation had been perfected. He said further that the runway will be expanded and a new terminal will be built when the project commences, adding that a team had been constituted to implement the project which he said would boost the economy of the state. Governor Makinde solicited the input of personnel of the Air Force in the state in ensuring that the project meets the required operating standards. Recall that Governor ‘Seyi Makinde during state of the state address recently promised that pilgrims from the state for the 2024 Hajj will airlifted from the Ibadan Airport. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Baba Abubakar, earlier in his remarks, said he was in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital as part of an operational tour to Air Force formations across the country. He commended Governor Makinde for his administration’s support to the armed forces, especially the Air Force Base in the state.

JUST IN: Dangote Refinery contains minor fire at its effluent treatment plant

The management of Dangote Refinery has reacted to reports of a fire incident at its refinery on Wednesday, saying the ‘minor fire’ occurred at its Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and has been swiftly contained. Anthony Chiejina, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer for Dangote Group, confirmed the development in a statement made available to Tribune Online. He assured the public that there was no cause for alarm as the refinery continued to operate normally and no injuries or harm was reported among the staff on duty.   “We have swiftly contained a minor fire incident at our effluent treatment plant (ETP) today, Wednesday, 26th of June. There is no cause for alarm as the refinery is operating, and there is no recorded injury or body harm to all our staff on duty,” Chiejina stated

Atiku Departs Nigeria 

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, departed Abuja for Europe on Wednesday. The former Vice President has faced significant criticism for often leaving Nigeria soon after each election. In contrast to the post-2015 and 2019 elections, Atiku stayed in the country for several months following the 2023 election. During this time, he engaged in party activities and consultations that many believe are in preparation for the 2027 elections. Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, stated on Wednesday that the former Vice President had gone on a brief foreign business trip accompanied by family members, friends, and associates. The statement read in part, “Nigeria’s leading opposition figure and former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has embarked on a business trip to Europe. “The former Vice President departed from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at 11 AM on Wednesday, the 26th of June, 2024, for his first port of call. “He was accompanied to the airport by family members, friends, and associates. “This morning, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar proceeded on a short foreign business trip. He will be back in the country soon.