Day: February 24, 2024

Ekiti: Time to silence the guns (3) By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Emporium Reporters

As an avowed Federalist, Nigerians expected Tinubu to have sent a Constitution Amendment Bill to the National Assembly with a view to tinkering with dozens of items on the Exclusive List in favour of the devolution of powers, state policing and the like. But it is too early in the day to say that it is too late! Since Ekiti is an APC-controlled state, Oyebanji can lead the process of putting the national government on its toes. The neutrality and/or objectivity of the various arms of the security services and…

Mining: Solid Minerals Development Fund partners Senate,others to attract foreign investments

Emporium Reporters

The Executive Secretary and CEO, Solid Minerals Development Fund SMDF, Fatima Shinkafi,said that the Fund was working with relevant stakeholders including Nigeria Senate to explore investment opportunities in the Mining Sector of the country. She said major focus of SMDF was to create competitive investment and grow the fund by attracting foreign investment, increasing export proceeds and as well, create jobs for Nigerians, hence the partnership with African Finance Corporation.   Shinkafi stated this while addressing journalists after a strategic meeting with the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, chaired by…

BREAKING: ECOWAS lifts sanctions on Niger, Mali, Guinea

Emporium Reporters

Following the extra-ordinary meeting of Economic Community of West African states in Abuja, the regional bloc has officially agreed to lift some sanctions on Niger Republic, Mali and Guinea.   The decision was reached at the extraordinary summit on the peace, political and security situation in the ECOWAS sub-region in Abuja on Saturday.   President Tinubu, who is the current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, led discussion on developments within and around member-states that have fallen under military junta.   NewsBand reported that at various times,…

Prospects for Reclaiming APC, by Salihu Moh. Lukman

Emporium Reporters

The heartwarming news from Edo State that emerged early on February 23, 2024 reported His Excellency Bassey Otu, Governor of Cross River State, who is the Chairman of the reorganised All Progressives Congress Governorship Election Committee, to have declared Senator Monday Okpebholo as the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the September 2024 election in the state. Polling 12,433 votes, he was reported to have defeated 11 other aspirants. The aspirants are Hon. Dennis Idahosa, who polled 6,541; Clem Agba 2,732; Amero Sunday 2,562; Everest Afolabi 2,117; Gerald Charles 1,181; Dr. Blessing…

The Ogoni Lessons of the Past 30 Years By Fegalo Nsuke

Emporium Reporters

Ogoni is one of the world’s most celebrated cases of state-sponsored repression. Against all odds, the people have persevered in the search for justice, equity and basic freedoms deserving of all humanity. Indeed, it has been a painful account that in our own country, our government ordered a military crackdown that left some 4,000 people dead, thousands of others went through torture, rape, brutal detentions which were supervised by Major Paul Okuntimo, the commander of the military task force at the time.       Trouble started in 1958 when…

Reps seek ties with Netherlands on Peace Building, Food Security

Emporium Reporters

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has called for more collaboration and partnership between Nigeria and the Netherlands to address some challenges in the country such as conflicts and food insecurity to foster economic growth and development. Kalu made the call while playing host to the Ambassador of Netherlands to Nigeria, Mr. Wouter Plomp who paid him a courtesy visit at the National Assembly, Abuja.   He noted that the Netherlands stands as a significant source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Nigeria,…

CBN increases BDC license fees to N2bn, issues new guidelines on FX transactions

Emporium Reporters

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced a fresh set of guidelines to keep Bureau De Change (BDCs) in check.   The Nigerian naira has recently hit an all-time low of N2,000 against the dollar due to the prevailing economic crisis in the country.   In response, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies to crack down on currency speculators in the forex market. This has led to raids on BDCs nationwide…

CDS advocates Whole-of-Society approach to addressing insecurity in Nigeria

Emporium Reporters

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa has called on all stakeholders in the national security architecture to adopt the whole-of-society approach to solving the current security challenges in the country. He stated this today, Friday 23 February 2024 while delivering a lecture at the 34th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) titled: “National Security in Contemporary Security Environment: Entrenching Whole of Society Approach”. According to the CDS, “a whole-of-society approach to problem solving entails both formal and informal institution pursuing a generalized agreement across…

Ogalla: A Naval Chief in the eyes of the storm, by Yushau A. Shuaib

Emporium Reporters

To some extent, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Defence Headquarters play strategic roles in ensuring that the public is adequately informed about the efforts and accomplishments of the security services, especially ongoing military operations. Behind the scenes, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, facilitates inter-agency collaboration and harmonious relationships among the different security organisations to achieve peace and stability in the country. He recently directed the reactivation of the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies, which was established during the tenure of President…