Ridoola's blog

Over the past 7 months of our administration, I have taken some difficult and yet necessary decisions to save our country from fiscal catastrophe. Dear Compatriots, It gives me immense joy to welcome each and everyone of you – young and old- to this brand new year 2024. We must lift up our hands to Almighty God, in gratitude, for His grace and benevolence to our country and our lives in the year 2023 that has just gone by. Though the past year was a very challenging one, it was eventful in so many ways. For our country, it was a transition year that saw a peaceful, orderly and successful transfer of power from one administration to another, marking yet another remarkable step in our 24 years of unbroken democracy. It was a year, you the gracious people of this blessed nation, entrusted your faith in me with a clear mandate to make our country better, to revamp our economy, restore security within our borders, revitalise our floundering industrial sector, boost agricultural product...

The Hisbah Commander also appealed to residents to always expose places in their communities, where immoralities are committed. Katsina State Hisbah Board has reiterated its commitment towards stopping street begging across the 34 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. Dr Aminu Usman (Abu-Ammar) , the Hisbah Commander General of the board in Katsina, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday. According to him, the state government is doing everything possible to sanitise the state from all forms of immorality. “The state government is making efforts to stop street begging across the state because it’s not part of our religion. “Begging only tarnishes the image of our religion and society. “The law establishing the Hisbah Board allows us to watch all nooks and crannies in the state, to search for street beggars and screen them. “We screen them to find out those that are truly in need of support and we hand them over to Zakat and Waqf bo...

The approval followed the consideration of President Tinubu's request in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Akpabio and read at plenary. The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request on the 2022-2024 external borrowing rolling plan of 7.4 billion dollars and 100 million euros. This followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt at plenary. Presenting the report, Sen. Haruna Manu , the Vice Chairman of the Committee, said the committee noted with utmost importance, the genuine and very serious concerns of Nigerians about the level and sustainability, serviceability of the nation’s borrowing activities in the last decade. He said the debt service figures constitute a huge drain on the nation’s revenue to the extent that it accounts for over 30 per cent of its expenditure in the annual budget. Manu said due to the shortfall in the nation’s annual revenue in relation to its need for rapid infrastructural and human ca...

In the North West, he said the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji killed 1,522 terrorists, apprehended 645 suspects and rescued 1,101 hostages. The Defence Headquarters says the military eliminated no fewer than 6,880 terrorists and other criminals and apprehended 6,970 others from January till date. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba , said this while giving an update on the operations of the military in 2023 on Friday in Abuja. Buba said the troops also rescued 4,488 kidnapped hostages as well as recovered 3,320 assorted weapons and 39,075 assorted ammunition during the year. He added that troops recovered 100.3 million litres of crude oil, 60.3 million litres of AGO, 3.4 million litres of DPK and 3.5 million litres of PMS within the year. In the North East, Buba said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai neutralised 1,759 terrorists, apprehended 953 suspects and rescued 826 hostages while 11,015 BH/ISWAP terrorists and their families surrendered. According...

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s legacy as a Yoruba nationalist and critic is cemented. "This is a joke taken too far" was the line that won me over to forever like Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. If anyone wouldn’t say anything, probably because of the fear of the Establishment, the cabal, future ambitions, or EFCC witch-hunting, it definitely won’t be the eminent Aketi of Ondo State. His passion for speaking truth to power, one could say, started from the unionism days of the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where he was a Student Union leader while studying Law. For anyone who attended Ife, Law and unionism were the perfect recipe for politics. The life sojourn of Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu (1956-2023) would then take him through Nigerian Bar Association leadership, both at the state and national levels, further exposing and emboldening him for the cause of defending the law and upholding human rights. This fearlessness would not slow down his career,...

President Tinubu expressed support for the establishment of the National Institute of Progressive Studies by the party. President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, said democracy must be progressive and inclusive with a primary focus on addressing poverty through the provision of job opportunities for youths and quality education for all Nigerian children. Receiving members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), on Thursday, in Lagos, President Tinubu expressed support for the establishment of the National Institute of Progressive Studies by the party. The President noted that the Institute is expected to conduct diligent research and educate all party members on the principles of democracy and good governance while providing a distinct identity for the party. "Democracy has faced challenges in the past, but I believe in a promising future for our country. We will deliver it. I am committed to supporting a strong and ideologically-determined d...

Since Aiyedatiwa’s emergence, no fewer than five aides of the former governor have dropped their resignation letters. Barely 24 hours after Lucky Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as Governor of Ondo State following the death of Rotimi Akeredolu, some allies and loyalists of the former governor have tendered their resignation. Akeredolu died in Germany on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, after a protracted battle with cancer, and hours after his death was announced, his deputy, who’s been working in an acting capacity was sworn in as the new governor of the state. However, since Aiyedatiwa’s emergence, no fewer than five aides of the former governor have dropped their resignation letters. They include the Chief Press Secretary to the former governor, Richard Olatunde , his Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Dare Aragbaye , the Commissioner for Infrastructure Lands and Housing, Aminu Raimi , the Special Assistant on Photography, Olawale Abolade and the Senior Special Assistant...

INEC announced that bye-elections will take in February 2024 to fill state and national assembly seats left vacant due to the resignation and demise of former occupants. The leadership of the Labour Party has rolled out a timetable and schedule of activities for its members ahead of the upcoming by-elections into the National and State Houses of Assembly. The party, in a statement issued in Abuja by its National Secretary, Umar Farouk , on Thursday, December 28, 2023, disclosed that the nomination form for Senate has been pegged at ₦3.5m. It added that contestants vying for seats in the House of Representatives will cough out ₦2m to obtain the party's nomination form, while House of Assembly aspirants will part with ₦500,000. According to Farouk, the sales of the nomination, expression of interest, and delegate forms will commence from December 28, 2023, to January 4, 2024, while submission of completed forms will end on January 4, 2024. “The primary elections will be held on ...

Tinubu has directed the security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous killings are fished out and brought to justice. The Federal Government has condoled with the families of the victims of the recent attacks in Plateau and ordered for immediate release of humanitarian relief to the affected communities. This is contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris , on Wednesday in Abuja “ The Federal Government of Nigeria strongly condemns the recent killings in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State. “We would like to reiterate the commitment of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration to securing every inch of Nigerian territory, and ensuring that all forms of criminality by terrorists, bandits and militants are tackled boldly and decisively. “President Tinubu has directed the security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous killings are fished out and ...

The Sultan of Sokoto wonders why security agencies can stop attacks before they happen. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar has condemned the killing of over 150 people in Plateau State by bandits on Christmas Eve. The Sultan while speaking at the 80th edition of the National Islamic Vocation Course (IVC) on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, said bandits are always a step ahead of the government. He said, “ We only condemned such things but after condemning such activities by these bandits and criminals what next? What are the rest of the government who are supposed to protect our lives and property (doing)? Why do we keep on having these clashes, why do we keep on having these deaths caused by ourselves? The Tudun Biri incident is still fresh with us and now the incident in the Plateau." The monarch also questioned the strategy of the security agencies saying, “ Why can’t you be proactive to stop such attacks before they happen?” “What happened to our intelligence-gather...

Adeleke spoke of his musical talent, which he claimed he passed on to his nephew and son - Davido and B-Red. Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has revealed how his father discouraged him from becoming a musician before he eventually ventured into politics. Adeleke earned the sobriquet of the ‘Dancing Governor’ due to his energetic dance displays in public, many of which gained virality on social media. The Governor is often berated by his political opponents due to his bright and bubbly personality. His penchant for dancing became a topical issue during his governorship campaigns, with critics labelling him unfit for the serious task of governance, even though his supporters believed such a trait showed that he would be socially accessible by all. During an interview on ARISE TV on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, the 63-year-old politician spoke of his obsession with dancing and how his father thwarted his childhood dream of becoming an artist. “ Actually, I was supposed to b...

People with Asthma and other respiratory issues should be cautious of the present weather situations. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has predicted moderate dust haze from Wednesday to Friday across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook, released on Tuesday, predicts horizontal visibility of 2km to 5km and localised visibility of less than or equal to 1,000 metres over the northern region. “ Moderate dust haze with horizontal visibility of 2km to 5km is expected over the North Central region and the inland cities of the South during the forecast period, while Hazy atmosphere is envisaged over the coastal cities throughout the forecast period,” it said. According to it, moderate dust haze with horizontal visibility of 2km to 5km is also expected over the North, the North Central and the inland cities of the South during the forecast period on Thursday. The agency anticipated a hazy atmosphere over the coastal belt of the country throughout the forecast period. NiMet’ pr...

Over 6000 residents of the communities have also been displaced as a result of the attacks. The death toll from the coordinated attacks on 23 villages in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi local government areas of Plateau State has risen to 155. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, the Chairman of Bokkos Local Government Area, Monday Kassa, said the death toll from his LGA alone has reached 125. “Up till this moment, our people are still in the bush searching for missing ones. Today we have recovered more than 20 bodies from the bush and the search is not over yet. The death toll from Bokkos local government is now 125,” Kassa said. Giving an account of the incident in his LGA, the Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Danjuma Dakil disclosed that the death toll in Barkin Ladi is 30 and not 17 as earlier reported. He added that over 1,000 injured victims were rushed to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). According to reports, over 6000 residents of the...

The bridge will not be reopened for safety purposes until it had been fully completed. The Enugu State Government says it has to postpone the reopening of one lane of the collapsed Enugu- Port Harcourt Expressway Bridge, following expert’s advice. The government stated that it received advice from the Project Manager, Mohammed Fadi , not to reopen the bridge “for safety purposes”, until it had been fully completed. The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Aka-Eze Aka , disclosed this in a statement issued in Enugu and made available to newsmen on Monday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Commissioner for Works, Gerald Otiji , had said at a post-State Executive Council meeting news briefing on December 15 that one lane of the bridge would be reopened to motorists to ease traffic during the Yuletide celebrations. But Aka stated that the bridge would no longer be reopened as announced, saying that based on the expert advice it should on completion be subjec...

A former National Secretary of the PDP believes Fubara will be in trouble whether he implements the agreement or not. The Peoples Democratic Party has expressed its dissatisfaction with the move by Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State to implement the peace pact aimed at resolving the conflict between him and Nyesom Wike. The political feud between Fubara and his predecessor has been a matter of serious concern as both parties heat the political temperature in Rivers State. The conflict led to the burning and subsequent demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly, following the defection of 27 members of the assembly from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a bid to quell the crisis, President Tinubu on Monday, December 18, 2023, had a meeting with Fubara, Wike and political stakeholders from Rivers State in Abuja. At the end of the meeting, the governor and his predecessor agreed to settle their rift after signing a document containing an eight-point re...

The governor appealed to the people of Kano to be calm pending the court's judgement. Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has expressed optimism on the ability of the Supreme Court judges to ensure justice and fairness on the state governorship election petition before the apex court. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yusuf spoke at the Sani Abacha Studium on Sunday during the flag of ceremony of 2,500 security personnel to be trained by the Corporate Security Training School in Kano. "We are confident that the justices of the Supreme Court would do justice to the appeal before them, so Kano people should be calm," he said. He explained that the corporate security training school was established during the administration of Rabiu Kwankwaso with the sole aim of training youths on security issues. "The trainees were selected from the 44 local government areas of the state, and will employ them and post them to various government agencies and parastatal...

Soyinka said he visited the President with a seven-point agenda, adding that they had a thorough discussion on the items on the agenda. Nobel Prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu who is currently holidaying in Lagos on Sunday, December 24, 2023. Soyinka, who described his visit as embarrassing said he once advised the President and Atiku Abubakar , the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections to leave the scene for young politicians. Explaining the reason for his visit, the academic said he came to see the President to see how he was doing after ignoring the advice he offered him five years ago. “Actually, it’s an embarrassing visit because when I visited him the last time, it was to try and persuade him not to run for office. I told Atiku and himself to please leave the ground so young people could run. That’s the last time we met about five years ago. “So I came to see how he was doing after...

According to Onaiyekan, the Nigerian youths are losing hope and trust in the country because of successive bad leadership at all levels. Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Catholic Bishop Emeritus of Abuja, has tasked political leaders to rebuild the trust of Nigerian youths in their fatherland through good leadership. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that such trust was necessary to secure the future of the country. He spoke on the sideline of the Christmas Carol organised by Emmanuel Njoku , Managing Director, Prezzo Shed Investments Limited, in Abuja. The event tagged: “Carol Night of Nine Lessons and Songs”, had in attendance the Abuja Choral Ensemble, clerics and other Nigerians from different backgrounds. According to Onaiyekan, the Nigerian youths are losing hope and trust in the country because of successive bad leadership at all levels. He lamented that the youths’ frustration was demonstrated in their willingness to leave the country in their hordes to Europe ...

The Manager of ABC Transport, Utako Abuja, also commended the implementation of the government policy to cut off half of the ticket fare for passengers. Some travellers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have commended the Federal Government for granting a 50 per cent discount on their fare tickets to various destinations within the country. They made the commendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday. NAN reports that President Bola Tinubu approved the commencement of the 50 per cent discount on the ticket fare by road, effective from Dec. 24, 2023, to Jan. 4, 2024. Dapo Esan , a Lawyer, who booked at ABC Transport office for a trip by luxurious bus from Abuja to Lagos, commended the federal government for paying half of his bill. According to him, the message came shortly, as if it would not happen, but it is real and commendable. “Normal fare is N35,000 to Lagos, but they collected 17,500, which is 50 per cent of it. So, that is some...

The enforcement team of the state government pulled down illegal gates mounted by residents in some streets within the Lekki Phase I. The Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources has commenced the removal of gates and other barriers indiscriminately mounted in some streets in the Lekki Phase I area of the state. The Lekki area is notorious for gridlock partly caused by illegal inner gates permanently closed by residents. Following several days of traffic snarl caused by the inaccessibility of these connecting roads, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu , authorised the ministry to clear the area to ease vehicular movement. Lagos govt moves to ease traffic in Lekki, pulls down illegal gates, barriers. [Twitter:@FollowLASG] Disclosing this in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter ) on Saturday, December 23, 2023, the state Environment Commissioner, Tokunbo Wahab , noted that the indiscriminate mounting and multiplicity of the gates robbed the environmen...

The don, who teaches in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences of Unilorin, observed the various causes of challenges with urination in women. Prof. Ademola Popoola of the Department of Surgery, University of Ilorin (Unilorin), has warned that penile erection after 30 minutes of sexual intercourse is purposeless, dangerous and harmful to men. Popoola raised the alarm in Ilorin during his paper presentation at the 250th Inaugural Lecture of the university, entitled: “That All May Pee in Peace”. According to him, ” a person who has more than 30 minutes of erection should report immediately to the hospital”. He stated that the erection must be aborted as soon as possible by a competent doctor to preserve penile erection subsequently. The expert, who observed that the penis needs to be turgid or erect for satisfactory sexual intercourse, however, said the erected penis often fractures or breaks. “Research shows that the right side of the penis ruptures more than...

The erstwhile CBN governor Emefiele had, in 2021, prohibited banks from dealing in cryptocurrencies or facilitating payments for cryptocurrency exchanges in Nigeria. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has lifted the embargo placed on cryptocurrency assets in the country and asked banks to ignore its earlier pronouncement banning crypto transactions. The crypto policy reversal was announced in a circular dated Friday, December 22, 2023, with reference number FPR/DIR/PUB/CIR/002/003 and signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Haruna Mustafa . Tagged, ‘Circular to all Banks and other Financial Institutions Guidelines on Operations of Bank Accounts for Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPS),’ the notice said the apex bank had changed its earlier stance on crypto assets in the country. The development is in line with the need to align with current global trends, which showed a need for crypto regulation, the CBN stated. It said, “ The CBN, in February 2021...

The re-opening of the refinery will have major and significant impact on Nigeria’s oil production and economy. A Niger Delta based entrepreneur, Richard Akinaka, has commended President Bola Tinubu over the timely and successful re-opening of the Port Harcourt Petroleum Refinery. According to Akinaka, who is the founder of Abitto Global Services limited, an oil and gas service provider, the re-opening of the refinery will have major and significant impact on Nigeria’s oil production and economy. Akinaka, who is voted as one of the outstanding Young Entrepreneurs from the Niger Delta region, made the commendation while addressing newsmen in Yenagoa. He said the revamping and commencement of production by the refinery would help reduce the pressure on the nation’s currency and inflow of forex. He added that it was also an advantage to the pursuit of Nigeria’s zero petroleum oil product import. Akinaka further commended Port Harcourt Refinery management, led by Ibrahim Onaja , and Tec...

The committee described Adesina as possessing the attributes for the award to the highest degree. The President, African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has been conferred with the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership. The Executive Director, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Amb. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu , said this in a statement in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the award promotes the legacy and democratic ideals of the late Nigerian nationalist and federalist leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo . Awolowo-Dosunmu said Adesina was the unanimous choice of the Foundation’s Selection Committee. He said the committee described Adesina as possessing the attributes for the award to the highest degree. He listed the attributes that have characterised Chief Awolowo’s excellent leadership, including integrity, credibility, discipline, courage, selflessness, accountability, tenacity of purpose, and visionary and people-centred leadership. Awolowo-Do...

He had accounts un UK, China US. The Special Investigator on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Related Entities, Jim Obaze, has unveiled a series of alleged corrupt practices during the tenure of the embattled former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele. According to the final report titled, 'Report of the Special Investigation on CBN and Related Entities (Chargeable Offences),' presented to President Bola Tinubu, Emefiele is accused of unlawfully lodging billions of naira in at least 593 bank accounts across the United States, United Kingdom, and China. These transactions reportedly occurred without the necessary approvals from the CBN board of directors and the CBN Investment Committee. Notably, it was disclosed that Emefiele deposited £543,482,213 in fixed deposits in UK banks alone, without any form of authorisation. The investigative team also found that the redesign of the naira, a move initiated by Emefiele, was not approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari . The r...

The Federal Government had earlier apologised to Nigerians over the current cash crunch in the country. Amid the lingering scarcity of cash, the Central Bank of Nigeria has vowed to punish any banks and Point-of-Sale operators disrupting the seamless circulation of the naira. The apex bank stated this on Thursday, December 21, 2023, in a statement titled, ‘CBN cautions banks, PoS operators over availability of the naira …Provides digital feedback box to address complaints.’ The statement posted on the bank’s Twitter page reads, “ The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria has been drawn to alleged cases of collusion between some Deposit Money Banks and Point-of-Sale operators affecting the availability of cash and disrupting the seamless circulation of the naira. “The CBN frowns at such inappropriate actions by certain individuals and is investigating the reported cases capable of undermining the smooth running of the economy. The CBN has, therefore, warned banks and PoS operator...

The panel contended that Yusuf of the NNPP lacked proper registration within the party. The Supreme Court has withheld its judgment on the appeal lodged by Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, who contested the verdict of both the Court of Appeal and the State Election Petitions Tribunal, resulting in his removal from office. A panel of five justices, headed by Justice Inyang Okoro , took a momentous pause after hearing arguments from legal representatives on Thursday, December 21, 2023. The appeal, brought forth by Governor Abba Yusuf and the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP), challenges the contentious November 17 ruling of the Court of Appeal, which annulled their triumph in the March 19 gubernatorial election. Governor Abba Yusuf and the NNPP seized the opportunity to highlight discrepancies in the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, which initially upheld the governor's election and granted him a monetary award of N1 million in damages. During the legal proceedings, a ...

This setup is to reduce the cumbersome process tourists experience on arrival to the state in their quest to settle down. The Lagos State Government on Thursday revealed plans to partner with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to create a welcome desk at the Lagos airports to ensure seamless operations for tourists. Toke Benson-Awoyinka , the state’s Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, said this was to reduce the cumbersome process tourists experience on arrival to the state in their quest to settle down. Benson-Awoyinka, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the welcome desk would cater for every traveller’s need to promptly make bookings for hotel and taxi among others. According to her, this is one of the efforts the ministry is putting in place to encourage tourists’ inflow into the state. “ We are going to create an atmosphere of welcome at every entry point into Lagos at the airport. “We are going to be working with FAAN to cr...

One of the lawmakers says they joined the APC to support President Tinubu's Renewed Hope agenda. One of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Enemi George, has maintained that they won’t return to their former party. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, George said there is no going back for the 27 lawmakers, adding that they joined the APC to work with President Bola Tinubu. “We have crossed that Rubicon. We have moved to the APC. We voted for the President, if we find Mr President worthy of our votes then I think we should find him worthy of our support. “We have moved over to join his Renewed Hope Agenda to work hands in gloves with him to ensure that the expectations of Nigerians are fulfilled. So, we have moved to the APC and we are working with the President, we have crossed that Rubicon and there is no going back for us,...

The former APC chairman spoke candidly about the intense power struggle he faced with governors aligned with the ruling party. The former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has exposed a plot orchestrated by former Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, and Salihu Lukman, a former national vice chairman, North-west, to forcibly remove him from his position as the ruling party's chair. Oshiomhole made these revelations during the launch of the book "APC and Transition Politics, " authored by Salihu Lukman, in Abuja on Tuesday, December 20, 2023. The former APC chairman spoke candidly about the intense power struggle he faced with governors aligned with the ruling party. The veteran politician recounted the events surrounding his removal, alleging that Lukman, in collaboration with some governors, spearheaded an unlawful campaign against him due to his efforts to establish party supremacy. "Lukman wrote ...