Author: Gbenga Olaleye

Bulk petroleum retailers in Port Harcourt have criticised the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, over his recent comments regarding the shutdown of the Port Harcourt refinery. Ojulari had stated that the refinery was incurring losses of up to ₦500 million every month prior to the suspension of its rehabilitation works. He explained that although the refinery was processing about 50,000 barrels of crude, less than 40 per cent of the input was effectively refined. “When I resumed, one of the first priorities I focused on was the refinery. I did a…

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have sharply criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its declaration that the 2027 presidential ticket remains open to all members despite its endorsement of President Bola Tinubu. The ruling party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, had stated on Wednesday that the APC would not bar any aspirant interested in contesting against Tinubu for the presidency. “We will definitely not close our doors (to other presidential aspirants). When the time comes, our timetable will be made known. Anybody who wants to aspire for the presidency under the…

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has announced an ambitious grassroots mobilisation drive to recruit at least 203,000 new members into the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the state’s 203 wards, in preparation for the 2027 general elections. Speaking at an APC stakeholders’ meeting in Akure on Friday, Governor Aiyedatiwa said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, which he described as a bottom-up approach to strengthening the party’s structure and dominance nationwide. “This is our party, and it is our collective responsibility to make it stronger,” the governor said. “The Renewed Hope Initiative has been structured to…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed deep frustration over the Federal Government’s continued delay in addressing longstanding issues affecting university lecturers, stating that its members are tired of “words without action.” ASUU made the remarks amid ongoing discussions surrounding a counter-offer to the 2009 agreement—its most recent formal deal with the Federal Government—currently being reviewed by a committee led by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, had on Thursday announced that a high-level technical team had been formed to finalise a revised proposal, with the aim…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has lauded the successful conduct of the local government elections in Rivers State, describing the development as a crucial milestone towards the full restoration of democratic structures in the state. Wike made the remarks on Saturday after casting his vote at Ward 9, Unit 7 in his hometown of Rumuepirikom, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. The former Rivers State governor expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ensuring the elections went ahead as scheduled on 18 September, calling it a significant move in addressing the state’s political impasse. “The successful…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing local government elections in Rivers State, describing the polls as a significant step towards stabilising governance at the grassroots level. Speaking shortly after casting his vote at Polling Unit 007, Ward 9 (Rumuepirikom Kingdom) in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Saturday, Wike praised the turnout of voters and commended the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for organising what he called a successful exercise. “I want to thank RSIEC for the successful conduct of the local government elections,” the minister said.…

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday, made headlines after purchasing all the puff-puff sold by a roadside vendor for ₦50,000 during a rally in Osogbo, before offering her employment as a chef at the Government House. The incident occurred during an appreciation solidarity rally organised by Osun public servants, who trooped out in their thousands to commend the governor’s welfare initiatives since assuming office. In a viral video from the event, Governor Adeleke, seated in a bus, beckoned to the female vendor and inquired about the cost of all her snacks. He then handed her a bundle of ₦50,000…

The Lagos State Government has revealed that a total of 8,692 cases of domestic and sexual violence were reported between August 2024 and July 2025, with domestic violence making up the largest share. The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, disclosed the figures on Friday during a press briefing to kick off the 2025 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month. Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Olanrewaju Oyenuga, Pedro said the statistics reflect the state’s unwavering commitment to a zero-tolerance policy for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Breakdown of Reported Cases Of the 8,692 cases, 3,685 were…

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has revealed a significant surge in diaspora remittance inflows, which have risen from $200 million to $600 million per month. Cardoso made the disclosure on Thursday during the Delta State–Brazil Business and Investment Roundtable in São Paulo, Brazil. He attributed the sharp increase to the apex bank’s recent policy reforms aimed at enhancing confidence in foreign exchange (FX) remittance channels. “When we started looking at diaspora flows as a potential source of diversifying our foreign exchange flows, people laughed,” Cardoso said. “We started off at about $200 million every month.…

The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the state government to increase the minimum wage for workers to ₦150,000, citing the rising cost of living and recent wage hikes in other states. State NLC Chairperson, Comrade Funmi Sesi, made the demand on Thursday while responding to the recent upward wage reviews by the governments of Imo and Ebonyi states. According to Sesi, Lagos workers currently earn a minimum wage of ₦85,000 and deserve more, especially given the higher costs of accommodation, transportation, food, and basic utilities in the state. READ ALSO: LP accuses NLC’s…