Author: Ogochukwu Ndubuisi

Tinubu Increases CCB Budget From N3bn to N20bn President Bola Tinubu has approved a massive increase in the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)’ budget from about N3 billion to nearly N20 billion. The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Dr Abdullahi Bello disclosed this in an interview with the News men on Sunday in Abuja. Bello said the increase was to overhaul the nation’s outdated asset declaration system, strengthen verification and enforcement to make the bureau more virile. He added that the budget increase was necessary to fund technological upgrades, improve the bureau’s working environment and strengthen verification…

US Warns Rwanda of Measures Over Congo The United States has threatened Rwanda with measures just days after the signing of a peace agreement in Washington. This followed the capture of a strategically important city in the Democratic Republic of Congo by the rebel militia M23. The actions of Rwanda in the east of Congo represented a clear violation of the Washington agreement co-signed by President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X on Saturday. The United States will take action to ensure promises made to the President are kept,” Rubio added. Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi…

Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze Hits PPDC Operations – CEO The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), , says the suspension of foreign aid announced by United States President, Donald Trump, has significantly disrupted its operations and forced it to lay off workers. Mrs Lucy Abagi, Chief Executive Officer of PPDC, a leading Nigerian governance and justice-sector reform organisation, made this known in an interview with the News men on Sunday in Abuja, Abagi said that the development created serious funding gaps for projects supported by United States agencies. President Trump, upon assuming office, ordered a halt to nearly all U.S.…

NGX Retakes N95trn Valuation as Investors Gain N1.54trn The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) retook N95 trillion in market capitalisation as equity investors gained N1.54 trillion week on week in the domestic bourse. The Nigerian equities market extended its December momentum, riding on a fresh wave of optimism and stronger buying interest as investors positioned ahead of year-end flows. The market’s mood was visibly upbeat, with confidence deepening and the seasonal effect firmly taking hold across major blue-chip and mid-tier names, according to Cowry Asset Limited. The benchmark All-Share Index advanced by 1.63% to settle at 149,433.25 points, inching closer to the…

Tinubu Urges Oyebamiji to Reclaim Osun for APC President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Bola Oyebamiji on his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Osun, urging him to ensure victory for the party at the poll. Oyebamiji emerged on Saturday at the party’s primary election held in Osogbo. Presidential spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja. Tinubu emphasised the need for the APC candidate to work towards reclaiming Osun for the progressives’ fold in the 2026 governorship election. The president praised the Osun APC for the unity and reconciliation that…

AMCON Hands Over Star Paper Mill to Abia Government. The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), on Friday, officially handed over the moribund Star Paper Mill Limited, Aba to the Abia Government, marking a significant step towards the state’s industrial revival. Speaking at the brief ceremony in Umuahia, the Executive Director (Asset Management) of AMCON, Dr Aminu Dan’s much, commended the State Government for its commitment to acquiring the factory. Dan’amu said that the factory, which had fallen into disuse due to financial distress, represented more than an asset, describing it as “an icon woven into the history of Abia…

FCCPC Begins Investigations to Determine Exploitation in Airfare Price The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), says it has commenced an investigation into pricing templates behind high ticket rates charge by some airlines on some domestic routes. A statement issued by Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, the Director, Corporate Affairs of the Commission in Abuja on Friday, said the investigation was to establish possible violations of the provisions of the law. Ijagwu said that concerns had been expressed widely in the past few days over what appeared to be coordinated manipulation or exploitation in the pricing of airline tickets by some…

Tunisia Sentences Top Opposition Figure Abir Moussi to 12 Years A Tunisian court sentenced prominent opposition figure Abir Moussi to 12 years in prison, her lawyer said on Friday, in what rights groups say is another step towards entrenching President Kais Saied’s one-man rule. “The ruling is unjust and is not a judicial decision but a politically motivated order,” Moussi’s lawyer Nafaa Laribi told Reuters. Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party, has been imptisoned since 2023 after police arrested her at the presidential palace entrance on suspicion of assault intended to cause chaos, in what critics say was part…

U.S. Ends Temporary Legal Status for Ethiopians The U.S. is ending temporary legal status for citizens of Ethiopia in the United States, according to a government notice, as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on legal and illegal immigration. “After reviewing country conditions and consulting with appropriate U.S. Government agencies, the Secretary determined that Ethiopia no longer continues to meet the conditions for the designation for Temporary Protected Status,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a notice posted in the Federal Register. Temporary Protected Status is available to people whose home country has experienced a natural disaster, armed conflict…

NIMASA Debunks Reports Linking Nigeria to Intercepted MV Skippers The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has dismissed reports alleging that the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Skipper intercepted by United States authorities is Nigerian-owned or Nigerian-flagged. Mr Osagie Edward, NIMASA’s Head of Public Relations made the clarification in a statement on Saturday. Edward said that the vessel, with IMO Number 9304667, did not fly the Nigerian flag and is not registered under Nigeria’s shipping registry. He said that the purported owners, Thomarose Global Ventures Limited, were not registered with NIMASA as a shipping company. The clarification follows media…