Savannah News NG

Malete dam For residents of Abata Karuma in Ilorin East, Kwara State, life with erosion has been a hell they contend with daily. A gully which stretches for metres has not only claimed the only motorable road in the community but has already eaten into the foundation of their houses. “They will come, do meetings with us, promise they’ll do it but they haven’t. They come during elections. We’ve seen the sign post indicating that they’ve completed it but that’s false. We want them to assist us in doing it,” Bamidele Dada, a house owner in the community lamented. Mr Bamidele was referring to politicians, in this case, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who in 2017 facilitated a N27 million erosion control project to the area. A signage indicating that work is either ongoing or completed was erected at the entrance of the community, but when UDEME , a project monitoring initiative, made efforts at identifying the project, only about 50 metres of drainage stru

According to Hadi Sirika, Nigeria's Minister of State for Aviation, the terminal cost the country a total of $600million, which was implemented through a $500million loan from China and Nigeria is providing counterpart funding of $100million. President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned a new terminal at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. According to Hadi Sirika, Nigeria's Minister of State for Aviation, the terminal cost the country a total of $600million, which was implemented through a $500million loan from China and Nigeria is providing counterpart funding of $100million. In January, Sirika had also announced that the terminal would cost additional $400million to be completed. The President commissioned the airport terminal on Thursday, and according to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the terminal will process 15 million passengers annually.

  THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has given a “No Objection” nod to the merger plans of Access Bank Plc and Diamond Bank Plc, the boards of both banks said yesterday. The deal is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019. Transaction completion is subject to Access Bank and Diamond Bank obtaining shareholder and regulatory approvals (CBN, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal High Court (FHC) and the National Pension Commission (PenCom). Following the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement and announcement of headline terms, which valued Diamond Bank at approximately N72.5 billion (about $200 million) and will see Diamond Bank shareholders receive N3.13 per share in cash and shares, Access Bank and Diamond Bank are announcing further details, including the rationale and benefits of the deal, the estimated cost synergies, the capital management plan and the timetable. The merger will form a leading Tier 1 Nigerian bank and the lar

  •Public declaration January 29 •‘Any other Yoruba not with us are renegade and usurpers’ The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, has endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the Yoruba candidates ahead of next year’s presidential election. It said any other group that fails to align with the current position would be treated usurpers and renegades. The organisation recalled that Afenifere, as started by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, should be progressive. Its spokesperson Biodun Akin-Fasae stated the group’s position yesterday while addressing reporters on the outcome of a meeting of delegates and elders from the six Southwest states in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The group is led by the longest-living senator in Nigeria, Pa Ayo Fasanmi. Notable figures at the meeting included a former Oyo State Governor Omololu Olunloyo, Prince Tajudden Olusi, Dr. Abayomi Fini, Chief Adeleke Ad

A man the police described as a notorious Boko Haram Commander  was yesterday arrested in Lagos. The suspect, Abdulmalik Umar, was said to have been responsible for the death of more than 200 people. Umar, 39, was arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IG) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) around Mowe at a nurse’s house where he was receiving treatment for the bullet wounds he sustained during a recent gun battle with the police in Abuja. It was gathered that the suspect, alleged to have masterminded the explosions at Nyanya and Kuje in Abuja in 2015, as well as several bank robberies in Ondo, Edo and other southern states, had fled Abuja three weeks ago when some of his gang members were apprehended. A police source, who confirmed the arrest, disclosed that the nurse, who is said to be Umar’s sister, and her husband were also arrested for aiding and abetting criminality. It was gathered that the head of the IRT, Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner

President Muhammadu Buhari The Presidency has accused Amnesty International of drawing “wrong conclusions” in its latest report highlighting the failure of the Nigerian government to check rampant killings in the last three years. The Nigerian Army had earlier dismissed the report, demanding the withdrawal of the group from the country, while the Presidency in its initial response “expressed concerns” about the group’s report. But in a more measured tone Thursday, the Presidency, through spokesperson Garba Shehu, commended Amnesty International for some of its conclusions, but said its evidence gathering was flawed. Read the full statement below: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT, DRAWING THE WRONG CONCLUSIONS – PRESIDENCY The first thing to say about Amnesty International’s Report: Setting the Record Straight is to thank the organisation for confirming a fact stated time and again by President Muhammadu Buhari that the conflict between herders and farmers i

Hafiz Abubakar A former Kano State Deputy Governor, Hafizu Abubakar, has returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Abubakar, a former staunch ally of the ex-Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, left the ruling party in August and resigned his position as deputy to the current governor, Abdullahi Ganduje. After leaving the APC, he joined Mr Kwankwaso in the Peoples Democratic Party. He, however, later defected to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) when he could not get the PDP governorship ticket in Kano. Mr Abubakar’s return to the APC was confirmed by his spokesperson and the presidency. Garba Shehu, the spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, said the president had a meeting with Mr Abubakar and other former Kwankwaso loyalists in Kano. Mr Shehu, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, said the meeting held on Wednesday night in Abuja. He said the president appealed to stakeholders in the APC all over the country to work for genuine

December 7, 2018 President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari has formally declined assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill. In a letter to both chambers of the National Assembly, Mr Buhari said passing a new bill with elections close by could ‘create some uncertainty about the legislation to govern the process.’ He also highlighted some parts of the bill that he said need legislative action. Many politicians, including leaders of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had called on the president to assent to the bill. A hint to Mr Buhari’s decision to withhold assent to the bill was first given by his aide, Ita Enang, who said earlier on Friday the president had sent the bill back to parliament. The president had declined assent to the bill in previous times, citing “drafting issues.” Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan last week said Mr Buhari should take time to study the bill and take a decision he is comfortable with. Mr Buhari had f

February 15, 2018 Agency Report President Muhammadu Buhari returning from Turkey President Muhammad Buhari arrived in Daura at about 5:20 p.m. on Thursday in an Air Force helicopter marked NAF -540 amidst cheers from supporters. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president landed at the Daura helipad in company of his aides and close family members. Among his aides were Bashir Kankiya, Chief Security Officer to the President; Lawal Kazaure, the Chief Protocol Officer to the President and Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity. Mr. Buhari is in Daura to commiserate with members of his immediate family over the death of two of his sisters. NAN reported that the president was received by the Emir of Daura, Farouk Umar and thousands of well-wishers. NAN recalls that Aisha Mamman, wife of the President’s elder brother and Halima Dauda, the President