Nigeria struggles as Buhari wrangles with budget, naira

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari finally swore in his cabinet in November, nearly six months after taking office, he hoped to shake off his nickname “Baba Go Slow”. But troubling errors in the budget of Africa’s largest economy and the continuing free fall of the naira on the black market have both Nigerians and investors worried that Buhari still isn’t moving fast enough to address a deepening economic crisis. Since its peak in 2014, the global price of oil — which accounted for two-thirds of the Nigerian government’s revenue — has plunged by 70 percent, decimating economic growth and the naira.

Boko Haram hungry, desperate —Lai Moh’d

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described the spate of suicide bombings and attacks on soft targets by Boko Haram, lately as actions of hungry and desperate terrorists.

Sacked agency heads working for PDP — Oyegun

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said, yesterday, that President Muhammadu Buhari sacked heads of 27 federal parastatals on Monday because they were compromised by the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He said the APC had no apologies for the gale of sack that rocked the agencies. Oyegun, who disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said the sack was not about APC members filling the positions left by the sacked parastatal chiefs, but about weeding out those sabotaging efforts of the Federal Government to bring development to Nigerians.

Tompolo: No clue on whereabouts, 4 days to court appearance

WARRI—FOUR days to the February 19 date given by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to the nation’s security agencies to produce the former ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, there is no clue on his whereabouts. Also, his Ijaw relatives are not ready to give up the former militant leader, who the people of Gbaramatu-Ijaw in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, regard in very high esteem.

I’m not ready for trial —Dasuki

ABUJA— Former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki,  has said he was not ready for trial until the Federal Government complied with an order of the Federal High Court granting him bail.

Jonathan’s camp, senators kick as Sheriff leads PDP

A MAJOR step to restore the strength of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – the choice of an acting national chairman –  was off the target yesterday.

The main opposition party sank deeper into crisis after a section of its leadership picked former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff for the top job.

Obasanjo awarded $841m Abuja rail project without engineering design

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo awarded the $841m Abuja rail project without engineering design and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2007, an official of Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) told a Senate panel yesterday.

Aregbesola admits increasing airport contract by N7bn

The Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has said he deserves commendation for building the Moshood Abiola International Airport at Ido-Osun, Osun State, for N11.5bn.

Reno Omokri present his book to GEJ

President Goodluck Jonathan and his former New Media SA, Reno Omokri, recently reunited at an event where Reno Omokri handed copies of his books to the former President. Reno Omokri, an ordained pastor, is the founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center in California and author of Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God and Why Jesus Wept and the host of Transformation with Reno Omokri. Another pic below,