Author: Farida Usman

Anxiety continues to grow on the uncertainty of government Ramadan Feeding program as the economic crunch bites harder among significant percentage of people in the state. Moreover, residents have appealed to the state government to expedite action on the arrangement to launch the annual feeding program essentially to ease the pains of many who are finding it difficult to feed themselves and their families. With the worsening food inflation compounded by a rising level of poverty in the country, some residents in the state have lamented the inability to carry out sufficiently the spiritual obligation in the holy month…

Amidst epileptic power supply and its attendance implication on businesses, the Kano Electricity Distribution Company, (KEDCO) has explained challenges crippling its ability to maintain quality supply across franchise states. Addressing journalists on Tuesday, KEDCO Managing Director, Abubakar Yusuf attributed the inability to meet customers demands to low generation, vandalism and energy theft. Explaining the extent of poor energy supply from Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Yusuf worried that KEDCO could only receive 180 MW to customers that required not less than 600 megawatts. According to KEDCO’s boss, ” for us to meet power supply of our customers across the…

Staff members of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company have started an indefinite strike after protesting over unjust treatment and other pending industrial disputes with the management of the company. When Channels Television visited the scene of the protest on Tuesday morning, the placards-carrying aggrieved members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), blocked the entrance to the headquarters of the company in the Kaduna State capital, preventing other staff members and customers from gaining access to the premises. Among their grievances, Channels Television learnt, was a demand for six years’ unremitted pension, non-payment of the death benefit of…

The Senate on Monday inaugurated an ad-hoc committee to investigate the Ways and Means and the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Led by the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio and other senators to the inauguration, the move comes after a decision by the Red Chamber to probe details of the programmes based on monies given to state governments, manufacturers, aviation, banks, excess funding in the power sector, amongst others which raised the current debt profile of the country. This was part of resolutions of the Senate after a debate over the report of…

Dan’agundi Electricity Transmission Station, at Dan’agundi Kano municipal is on fire. The high-tension power hub owned by Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN transmits energy to a large percentage of sub-stations in the metropolis. Although, the cause of the incident is not yet known, the raging inferno is being streamlined live on Nigeria Television Authority verified  X handle @NTANewsNow Details soon.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf cautioned the newly appointed Judges and Shari’a court of Appeal Khadis that justice must be served to all regardless of social status in the society. Besides, the Governor had reminded that appointment of the new heads of courts devoid of any political affiliation but rather based on merit. The Governor gave the advise on Friday while presiding the inauguration of nine state high Court Judges and four Sharia Court of Appeal Khadis. According to Yusuf, ” Your new position should be seen as a call to duty and justice. But Justice should not be a privilege…

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has threatened non-performing distribution companies (discos) with licence revocation as Nigerians suffer power outage in the country. “It is disheartening to witness the decline in power supply despite the concerted efforts to improve the situation,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.“ The Ministry has been exerting pressure on the Generating Companies (GENCOs) to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4000MW. Despite this progress, certain distribution companies are failing to adequately distribute the power supplied by TCN, while vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in…

President Bola Tinubu has signed three execution orders to help improve the investment climate and position Nigeria as the preferred investment destination for the oil and gas sector in Africa. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the documents are in line with the President’s efforts to remove obstacles to investments in Nigeria, harness the nation’s resources and diversify the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians. The orders are to introduce fiscal incentives for oil & gas projects, reduce contracting costs and timelines, and promote cost efficiency in local content requirements. The executive…

Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam has expressed concern over the dilapidated structures and abandoned projects littered the Nigeria Police Academy, in Wudil, Kano. The Minister raised the worry on Monday during his first official visit and inspection of the facility at the academy in Kano. The former Yobe state Governor, wondered why structures already awarded would be abandoned midway despite budgetary provision. BREAKING: Hisbah CG, Shiekh Daurawa Withdraws Resignation He further disclosed government approved the revival of N1 billion through the Police Trust Fund for the completion of ongoing projects in the institution. The Minister acquitted the Federal…

The Nigerian Communications Commission NCC on Monday, explained why some telecommunications subscribers who previously linked their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers (NINs) have their mobile lines barred. NCC spokesman, Reuben Muoka, said “people who probably didn’t get a cleared or verified NIN” have been barred because “the earlier ones they submitted was not good”. Muoka, who was on a National TV said some SIM cards have verification and identification issues like disparity in information such names and other data. “There are still some subscribers whose NINs are yet to be verified by NIMC and those have to also…

Amidst food inflation increase in Nigeria, the price of Onion has dropped by more than 70 percent in Kano. A market survey at Gundutse market in Karfi, Kura local government area of Kano state state, a 100 kg of Onion is sold for between N20,000 and N25,000, depending on the size. The current price is between N100, 000 and N120, 000 the same quantity of Onion was sold at Gundutse market in December, 2023, the survey indicated. In January, 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released food price index indicating an average price of 1kg onion bulb rose by…

Kano State Management Board has dismissed casual workers at Waziri Shehu Gidado General Hospital for absenteeism. Similarly, the hospital board summoned the Chief Medical Director, Chief Nursing Matron as well as queried medical personnel on core but found absent at duty in the hospital. The Executive Secretary Kano State Hospitals Management Board, Dr Mansur Mudi Nagoda issued the directive when he paid an unscheduled visit to the hospital. He also worried that despite government policy on free maternity service, the hospital management has continued to subject patients to difficulties by directing them to purchase medication outside the hospital. Dangote immortalises…

Former Super Falcons goalkeeper, Bidemi Aluko-Olaseni is dead. Aluko-Olaseni passed away after an eight-year battle with cancer. Reacting to the sad news, the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, in a post via its X account, on Saturday, expressed sadness over the death of the former goalkeeper. “We are sad to hear of the passing of former @NGSuper_Falcons goalkeeper, Bidemi Aluko-Olaseni after an eight-year battle with cancer,” NFF tweeted. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. May her gentle soul rest in peace.” Aluko-Olaseni’s tenure as a goalkeeper for the Super Falcons was marked by exceptional skill. She also played for…

President Bola Tinubu on Friday approved the appointment of four new Executive Directors for Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). This is contained in a statement signed Ajuri Ngelale – Special Adviser to the President on Media Publicity. It reads : “As part of his diligent efforts to substantially enhance the quality and quantity of electric power wheeled across the nation’s power grid, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of four Nigerian professionals to serve as Executive Directors of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), for a renewable term of four years: (1) Engineer Oluwagbenga E.A. Ajiboye — Executive…

Senate on Thursday, February 29, confirmed four out of five nominees as members of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria. At a sitting on Thursday, February 29, 2024, the Upper Chamber said the approval was under sections 6(1), (2) (d) and 10 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007. The confirmation follows the submission and consideration of a report by the Chairman of the Committee on Banking, Insurance & Other Financial Institutions, Sen. Adetokunbo Abiru representing Lagos East. Initially, the candidates billed to appear before the Upper Chamber were Robert Agbede, Ado Yakubu Wanka,…

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the Red Line Rail Project in Lagos. The project, an intra-state rail service is aimed at improving transportation within the city, spans 37 kilometres. The red line will share the right-of-way with the Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Railway. The route will initially run from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo in Lagos, with notable stations including Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo. New Pace For Development Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said that the commissioning of the Lagos Red Line project isn’t just about improving the city’s mobility, but about reshaping the…

Juventus player Paul Pogba has been banned from football for four years following a failed drug test, according to reports by Italian media. Football journalist, Fabrizio Romano, also confirmed this on his X account. Details later…

Women Affairs, has asked for the signing of legislation that would establish a mobile court to try gender and sexual-based crimes in the country. The minister made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja during a Conference of Nigeria’s Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs. According to the minister, if women avoid trading words with their spouses, it could avert physical assault, which may result in harm or death. She said she and the commissioners would lead a protest to the office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation to sign the law. Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye advised…

An American woman, Mary Lea Forsythe has turned 100 years old on earth as she technically celebrated her ‘25th birthday’ on Thursday, February 29, 2024. Forsythe, a resident of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, celebrated her birthday every four years because she was born on a Leap Day. According to CBS, she was honoured by the Centenarians of Oklahoma ahead of her big day. The nonprofit organisation honors people who are 100 years old or older. Forsythe sang in the chorus in high school and “loves all things musical and plays the piano and mandolin,” according to the organization. Her favorite…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a directive to telecom service providers to bar subscribers who have failed to link their phone numbers to their National Identification Numbers (NIN) on or before February 28, 2024. The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Aminu Maida, who gave the directive through the Director of Public Affairs, Ruben Mouka, at the 45th Kaduna International Trade Fair on Wednesday, insisted that as matter of critical national security, telecom consumers must link their NIN to their SIM cards. He insisted that the February 28th deadline given to telecom operators to bar subscribers who…