Irreducible Eminent

Irreducible Eminent:(Text of The Press Conference Addressed by The HMIC, Alh. Lai Mohammed, on The Recent Increases in Petrol and Electricity Prices) PROTOCOL Gentlemen of the press, good afternoon, and thank you for honouring our invitation to this press conference, which we have called to address the recent issues surrounding the price of fuel and electricity tariff. FUEL PRICES 2. As you are aware, the long-drawn fuel subsidy regime ended in March 2020, when the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) announced that it had begun fuel price modulation, in accordance with prevailing market dynamics, and would respond appropriately to any further oil market development. 3. Recall that the price of fuel then dropped from 145 to 125 Naira per litre, and then to between 121.50 and 123.50 Naira per litre in May. With the low price of crude oil then, the cost of petrol, which is a derivative of crude oil, fell, and the lower pump price was passed on to the consumers to enj...

Eminent: The Nigerian Government has received the samples of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine. Russia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Alexey Shebarshin gave the samples of the COVID-19 vaccine to the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire during a visit to the Ministry in Abuja on Friday. The Russian Ambassador also handed over to the Minister an aide memoire which gives details about the vaccine to help the Nigerian Government conduct further research on it. “We are exploring all knowledge in terms of therapeutics and vaccines,” the Ministry quoted Ehanire as saying. “We are expressing our interest in the COVID-19 vaccine so that we will have the opportunity to work elaborately.” He explained that the country has been taking part in a series of knowledge exchange and contact with several research bodies and nations in a bid to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Ehanire noted that the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria for the right of access, immediately the Russian COVID-19 vaccine w...

Eminent: The Federal Government has said it spent N30.5 billion in response to COVID-19 between April and July 2020. This is in response to a letter by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) which asked the government to provide a breakdown of how it spent the N36.3 billion donations and fund received to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, N30.5 billion was spent within the said date and it represents 84 per cent of the total sum. A further breakdown of the expenditure reveals that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 spent N22 billion while the 36 states spent a total of N7 billion. Others include the Nigerian Air Force which spent N877 million for the deployment of assets in support of COVID-19 operations; the Nigeria Police Force spent N500 million on Personal Protective Equipment while about N18,000 was paid as bank charges. But SERAP alleged that the document submitted does not contain ot...

Eminent There was a mild drama on Friday evening during a debate organised by BBC News Pidgin for candidates in the September 19 Edo State Governorship Election as Governor Godwin Obaseki excused himself from the debate just at the beginning. Governor Obaseki asked the moderator and his co-panelists to allow his deputy, Philip Shaibu, to continue the debate in his stead. This development drew the ire of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who objected to the idea, insisting that he would not debate with Shaibu. Obaseki said, “First, I wan’ thank una say una invite me come this programme, make we debate among ourselves, make we fit talk wetin we wan do for the people of Edo State. “But make I first start by apologising. You see, as I dey now, I no dey Benin. I had to travel on emergency this evening come somewhere. And the meeting dey very important. But abi tell una, so my deputy dey on ground. E no get anything wey I dey do wey im no know. “So, I say...

Irreducible Eminent All Progressives Congress chieftains including former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; and former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, on Saturday, arrived in Akure, the Ondo State capital, for the flag-off rally of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu re-election campaign. Akeredolu is seeking a return to office on the platform of the ruling APC in the election scheduled to hold on October 10, 2020. He has his deputy, Agboola Ajayi of the Zenith Labour Party; and Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party as his main challengers in the election. Buhari had also presented the party’s flag to Akeredolu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. According to @OndoAPC on Twitter, Tinubu and Akande, who is APC ex-Interim National Chairman, alongside other party members, were received at the Akure Airport by the state governor on Saturday.

Eminent Man docked for defiling 11-year-old girl  A 24-year-old technician, Opeyemi Lukman, has been remanded in Ilesha Correctional Centre for allegedly butchering three family members in Osun State. Lukman, an electrician, was arraigned before an Osun State magistrates’ court sitting in Okuku yesterday on a seven-count charge bordering on murder, attempted escape and others. The prosecutor, Mr Mustapha, said on July 24, 2020, at about 11:00p.m. at Sekinat area, Inisha, Lukman butchered his customer’s family: Sarah, 57 (wife), Favour Onifade, six, and Toyin, aged 15, and as well stabbed Sarah’s husband, Solomon Tunde Oyeniran, in seven places. He was said to have stabbed the trio of mother and two children to death after gaining access into their house. The defendant was also alleged to have stabbed Oyediran with intent to kill him. Lukman was said to have armed himself with cutlass, screw pliers, and other dangerous weapons to rob. He stated that the accused person took his cust...