Author: New Daily Prime

Former Labour Party spokesperson Kenneth Okonkwo has blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its internal crisis, accusing its leaders of becoming subservient to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Okonkwo argued that President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Nyesom Wike as a minister significantly weakened the PDP’s position as an opposition party. In 2023, Wike, a former Rivers State governor and prominent PDP figure, accepted a ministerial role under Tinubu after openly opposing his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television program, on Friday, Okonkwo contended that the PDP leadership effectively surrendered to Wike, who,…

Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, and his law firm have filed a petition requesting the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union to impose a visa ban on the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi. The petition, dated February 4, 2025, accuses Adejobi of suppressing free speech and using his position to intimidate Nigerians critical of the government. The petition highlights multiple instances where Adejobi allegedly ordered the unlawful arrest and detention of individuals for expressing their opinions online. It accuses him of defending police brutality and weaponising the law against dissenters. “We urgently appeal to the…

The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, only proposed the introduction of a 12-year basic education system, and there has been no immediate policy change. In response to widespread media reports suggesting that the Junior and Senior Secondary School (JSS and SSS) system would be scrapped, the ministry issued a statement emphasising that the proposal was still under review. The statement, issued by the Director of Press at the Ministry, Folasade Boriowo, confirmed that no immediate changes would be implemented. “At the Extraordinary National Council on Education Meeting held on 6 February 2025…

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, has called for the death penalty for drug peddlers, particularly those involved in selling counterfeit medicines that result in the deaths of children. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, February 7, Adeyeye emphasised that only strict and severe penalties could effectively deter drug peddlers. She cited a recent incident in which children’s medicine, bought for about N13,000 and resold for N3,000, was found to contain no active ingredients when tested in NAFDAC’s Kaduna lab. “That raised an alarm. Guess what? When…

By Alade Adisa President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced significant leadership changes at several federal universities, including the University of Abuja, now known as Yakubu Gowon University. These changes are effective immediately. At Yakubu Gowon University, President Tinubu dissolved the entire governing council and relieved Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi of her duties as Vice-Chancellor. Senator Lanre Tejuoso, currently Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has been appointed Pro-Chancellor of the Yakubu Gowon University. He will be succeeded in Makurdi by Senator Joy Emordi, now pro-chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education. To succeed Maikudi, President Tinubu appointed Professor Lar…

President Bola Tinubu has implemented significant leadership changes across several federal universities in Nigeria, including the dissolution of the governing council at Yakubu Gowon University and the removal of Professor Aisha Maikudi as Vice-Chancellor with immediate effect. In a statement released on Thursday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President announced that Professor Patricia Manko has been appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University for a six-month term. However, she will not be eligible to apply for the substantive Vice-Chancellor position when it becomes available. Senator Lanre Tejuoso, who currently serves as the Pro-Chancellor of…

The Senate on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Capt. Chris Ona Najomo as the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Najomo’s confirmation followed the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Aviation during Thursday’s plenary session. The report was presented by the committee’s Chairman, Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (APC-Oyo), who expressed confidence in the nominee’s qualifications for the role. Senator Abdulfatai highlighted Najomo’s vast experience and significant contributions to the aviation industry, stating that these qualities made him a suitable candidate for the position. “This is due to his vast experience and outstanding contributions to the…

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has proposed the creation of 31 new states in Nigeria, which, if approved, would bring the total number of sub-national governments in the country to 67. The proposal was presented in a letter read out during Thursday’s plenary session by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the proceedings in the absence of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The letter outlines the committee’s recommendations and the steps required for the state creation process. The proposal, which includes the creation of new states across various regions, suggests that six new states be created in…

The House of Representatives has called on the Attorney General of the Federation to propose more severe sanctions, including life imprisonment, for producers and importers of counterfeit drugs into Nigeria. This resolution was passed following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance, sponsored by Tolani Shagaya, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), during Thursday’s, February 6, plenary. Shagaya, while highlighting the gravity of the motion, expressed deep concern over the growing issue of fake and substandard products flooding the Nigerian market. He warned that this trend, affecting goods, drugs, food, and beverages, is a serious threat…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced new regulations that will allow Bureau de Change (BDC) operators to purchase up to $25,000 weekly from a single Authorised Dealer Bank (ADB). This move aims to meet the retail foreign exchange demand for eligible invisible transactions, such as Business and Personal Travel Allowance (BTA/PTA), overseas school fees, and medical expenses. The guidelines were outlined in a circular issued on February 5, 2025, by Dr. W. J. Kanya, the Acting Director of the CBN’s Trade and Exchange Department. The circular also stipulates compliance requirements designed to ensure transparency and prevent misuse of…