TIMITALKS

Nigerians, especially motorists or vehicle owners, heaved a sigh of relief when the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced reduction in fuel price from N1,060 to N965 across all its retail stations nationwide. Also, the Dangote Group through its Refinery reduced its price per litre to N899 reaching out to Nigerians through the MRS filling stations[/b]. But what literally should be a source of joy has become an avenue for fuel stations to cheat, shortchange, and fleece motorists and Nigerians of their hard-earned money by dispensing less quality fuel which blows out easily in a very short time. In Abuja, commercial drivers are complaining bitterly of not meeting their daily target anymore apparently because of the shenanigans of the fuel stations through their attendants. Some drivers who spoke with Nigerian Tribune expressed disappointment in quality of fuel being sold, the price, and the tampering of the meters by the attendants who have the backing of their mana...

  Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike has knocked a former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili over a recent remark against his principal. DAILY POST reports that Odili had during a Christmas ballad organized by himself in honour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family, said that the incumbent Governor courageously stopped Wike from making Rivers State his private estate According to Odili, Fubara summoned an unusual fortitude to confront the quest by the FCT Minister to capture the state through ferocious but unnecessary political war. Reacting, Olayinka in a post on his official X handle, described Odili’s comment as disappointing, stating that the former governor, who is expected to act as an elder statesman, has reduced himself to a ridiculous level. Olayinka said in the coming days, Odili would get a deserved response from the FCT Minister. “ I Read the co...

  Former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of not telling Nigerians the true situation of the country and his administration . Lamido, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), also accused former President Muhammadu Buhari of not being transparent with Nigerians during his time. Lamido leveled the accusations when he featured on BBC Hausa service program ‘Gane Mini Hanya’. He said the two administrations prioritised propaganda rather than telling Nigerians the actual state of the nation unlike during the time PDP governed the country. “Buhari’s and Tinubu’s governments are not being transparent with Nigerians unlike during the time when PDP was in power where everything was transparent and open to all Nigerians. “ But with the coming of Buhari, deception and propaganda became tools for running the government.” Lamido also  faulted President Tinubu’s loan requests , lamenting that “ what the government is telling Ni...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBeZPN0Sl4M 17 Likes  4 Shares

  Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, has appealed to Christians in the state to exercise patience regarding the yearly pilgrimage to Israel due to the lack of peace in the Holy Land . Governor Bago, who made this statement at the 2024 State Christmas Carol organised by the Niger State Government in conjunction with the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, at the Justice Legbo Kutigi International Conference Hall in Minna, said that allowing pilgrims to travel there would be equivalent to signing their death warrants. Bago, represented by the Deputy Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Afiniki Dauda, noted that the current challenges in the Middle East, particularly in Israel, pose a significant threat to the safety of pilgrims. He emphasised that the governor cannot, in good conscience, authorise a trip that would put the lives of Christian pilgrims at risk. “I am not willing to give tickets that would lead to the death of our Christian brothe...

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will undergo prostate removal surgery on Sunday after he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, his office said. The 75-year-old leader underwent a test at Hadassah Hospital on Wednesday, where  he was "diagnosed with a urinary tract infection resulting from a benign prostate enlargement," the prime minister's office said in a statement. "As a result, the prime minister will undergo prostate removal surgery," it said. In March, Netanyahu underwent a hernia surgery, while in July last year, doctors implanted a pacemaker after a medical scare. Earlier this month, Netanyahu took the stand in his long-running trial for alleged corruption. This week, Israel's attorney general ordered police to open an investigation into Netanyahu's wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and a witness in the corruption trial. Souce: Reuter:  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-netanyahu-have-prostate-...

  She was found in possession of 764 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and six magazines meant to be delivered to the camp of wanted terrorist kingpin Bello Turji . The troops from Sector 2 Joint Task Force North West, operating under Operation Fansan Yamma, have arrested a 25-year-old woman, Shamsiyya Ahadu, suspected of serving as an ammunition courier for criminal elements . This was announced in a statement on Sunday. According to the statement, Ms Ahadu was arrested on December 28 alongside her accomplice, a motorcyclist, Ahmed Husaini, in the Badarawa area of Shinkafi LGA, NAN reports. She was found in possession of 764 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and six magazines meant to be delivered to the camp of wanted terrorist kingpin Bello Turji . “Her arrest followed an intelligence report regarding the movement of the terrorists’ logistics along the road from Kware to Badarawa communities in the Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara state . “In response to the develop...

  Adeleke pardons Osun resident sentenced to death for stealing chicken Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, has pardoned Segun Olowookere, who was sentenced to death by hanging for stealing a chicken and eggs in 2010. In a statement released on Thursday, Adeleke gave the prerogative of mercy to 53 convicts, including Olowookere. Olowookere’s co-defendant, Sunday Morakinyo, was also granted a pardon by the governor. Olowookere’s story went viral recently, and it sparked public outcry after an interview granted by his parents. In an interview with Biola Adebayo, a Nigerian actress, the parents claimed that police officers from the Osun command arrested Olowookere for an offence he did not commit. Olanrewaju, his father, said a divisional police officer (DPO) asked him to pay N30,000 for his son’s rerelease, noting that he could only raise N20,000 at the time. Olowookere’s parents had appealed to Nigerians to help intervene in their son’s ordeal. Following the viral video, Adeleke dire...

  Ooni’s Palace Mourns Funfair Victims, Shows Solidarity With Ex-Queen The  Palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has expressed sympathy to the families of children whose lives were lost at a funfair in Ibadan , the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday. “ We share in the grief and pains that have engulfed the affected families. We pray that Olodumare grants them the fortitude to bear this trying time ,” the monarch’s spokesman Moses Olafare said in a statement on Thursday. At least 35 persons have been confirmed dead in a stampede that occurred at the Islamic High School, Basorun, Ibadan venue of the family event organised by Wings Foundation owned by a former queen at the Ooni’s Palace, Naomi Ogunseyi. The police have arrested the ex-wife of the monarch and seven others for their various involvements in the funfair. The police said the case has since been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku with a Deputy Commissio...

  A statement by the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said with the payment of N80,000 minimum wage from January 1, 2025, the state government will pay workers the sum of N11.9 billion monthly, instead of the current N6.4 billion. According to the statement, Oyelade stated this when he received the state chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Kayode Martins, in his office, on Tuesday. The commissioner said that Governor Seyi Makinde is determined to cater for the welfare of workers, while not compromising the welfare of the generality of the people and the critical sectors. Oyelade further explained that with the monthly increment of 86% in salaries and wages for workers from N6.4 billion to N11.9 billion, Oyo State Government is now committed to the payment of over N143 billion on salaries and wages annually. He noted that Makinde is giving more to workers in the state beyond expectation, adding that the governor has done more than wh...

  The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has announced the establishment of a Production Monitoring Command Centre (PMCC), which it said is a transformative step in hydrocarbon operations in Nigeria. This initiative, driven by NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), a statement by the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, said, aims to track oil barrels produced by the country. According to him, it builds on the success of the Command and Control Centre to enhance monitoring, operational efficiency, and production within the oil and gas sector and aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s policy to increase efficiency and boost production in the industry. “The PMCC serves as a unified platform for monitoring hydrocarbon molecules from production to export terminals, covering Joint Ventures (JVs) and Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs). “By consolidating real-time data from various operators, the PMCC provides a comprehensive overv...

  Tragedy struck in Emure-Ile, Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti State, as gunmen ambushed and kidnapped several passengers traveling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Ado-Ekiti on Sunday night,  News360 Nigeria  reports. Among those abducted was  the bus driver, Mr. Sunday Emmanuel, according to reports from the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Ado-Ekiti Motor Terminal branch. The attackers have demanded a ransom of ₦30 million per victim. In a distressing twist,  the gunmen abandoned children who were also traveling on the bus. Their cries attracted the attention of passersby early Monday morning, leading to the incident being reported to the police. He said:  “They drove the bus into the bush and dragged people inside the bush. “They called the family of the driver and I pleaded to speak with the driver and after our conversation, they demanded a ransom of N30 million. They said they would call back, but they have not done so yet...

  The husband of one of the victims of the stampede that occurred at Okija, in Anambra State on Saturday, identified as Uchenna Nwaudo, has lamented the loss of his wife in the incident, saying he had warned her not to attend the programme, but she did not need his advice. No fewer than 22 persons died in a stampede that occurred at the gate of a charity event at the Obijackson Centre in Amanranta area of the community. The victims, particularly middle-aged women, the elderly and children were stampeded upon as they struggled to gain entrance at the gate amid a very large crowd. It was gathered that the centre was the venue of the sharing of 25kg bags of rice palliatives including vegetable oil and cash. Speaking to our correspondent on Sunday, Nwaudo lamented the loss of his wife in the incident, saying,  “I am from Umuohi village in Okija. On the fateful day, I had warned my wife not to go to the rice-sharing venue because of our little baby who was not feeling fine. I asked...

  The community predominantly inhabited by Irigwe Natives from Bassa was attacked in the night without any provocation by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, who invaded the hamlet and killed 15 persons Fifteen persons including a one-year-old boy were reportedly murdered in cold blood by assailants on Sunday night at Ri Do, also known as Gidan Ado a hamlet of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The leadership of the Irigwe Development Association in a press statement issued in Jos, and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Sam Jugo stated that the community predominantly inhabited by Irigwe Natives from Bassa was attacked in the night without any provocation by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, who invaded the hamlet and killed 15 persons. Several other persons were also seriously injured in the attack. Expressing concerns about the unprovoked attack coming a few hours to the yuletide, the leadership of the association urged security agencies, to ensure that such heinous acts ...

  Troops of Joint Task Force South-East, “Operation UDO KA,” have neutralised 13 armed members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and nabbed three kidnappers in South-East. The spokesman of the task force, Lt. Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, made this known in a statement on Monday in Enugu. He said that the feat was in furtherance of the troops’ clearance operations to make the South-East safe and peaceful throughout the Yuletide. Unuakhalu said that the Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Hassan Dada, had called on all well-meaning citizens to continue to support the joint task force. He said that citizens of the South-East can do this by providing timely, reliable, and credible information. “Remember, security is everybody’s business. It is not in the hands of security agencies alone. “When you see something, say something by calling the JTF Operation UDO KA’s toll-free line -193 and press Option 2—to speak directly to Headquarters Operation UDO KA,” he said. He said that citizens of th...

  After COVID-19, the quality of food served at parties and ceremonies, popularly known as owambes in local parlance, reduced significantly. Before then, guests were served with assorted food including jollof rice and swallows. But, COVID reduced the choice to either or even none, in some cases. However, if COVID-19 dents the Owambe lifestyle of Nigerians, the present economic condition has worsened it. Now, the size and types of drinks, food portions, venues, aso ebis, among other things that accompany an owambe have changed shape. The latest change is the serving of agbo Jedi and libido booster herbs at parties. Agbo Jedi, a Yoruba word used to describe a less expensive herb meant for the treatment of piles, is mainly used in households and rarely found in parties. Economy & lifestyle discovered that herbs for pile treatment and libido boosters have now joined the collection of drinks served at Owambes. According to Mrs. Habibat Jolaosho, a businesswoman whose daughter just g...

  Govt approves recruitment of 3,927 Customs officers The  Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy , Mr  Wale Edun  has said that the contribution of the Nigeria Customs Service is crucial in actualising Nigeria’s proposed N48tn 2025 budget. Edun  also  revealed that the Federal Government has approved the recruitment of 3,927 Customs officers. In a statement on Sunday by the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, Edun stated this during the 61st quarterly board meeting of the service recently held in Abuja. He also commended the service’s pivotal role in boosting Nigeria’s economic recovery. Maiwada stressed that the meeting followed President Bola Tinubu’s presentation of the 2025 budget to the National Assembly, tagged “A Budget of Restoration.” Speaking further, Edun said, “The budget projects N35tn in revenue, with the NCS expected to play a critical role.” Speaking further on the NCS’s performance, Edun d...

  reforms and fiscal discipline required to address Nigeria’s multifaceted economic challenges. To enhance the budget’s credibility, the administration must prioritise the reduction of inefficiencies in government operations, tackle contract inflation, and focus on long-term fiscal sustainability rather than perpetuating unsustainable borrowing and recurrent spending patterns. A shift toward a more disciplined and growth-oriented fiscal policy is essential for the nation’s economic recovery,” he stated. https://dailypost.ng/2024/12/22/2025-budget-cannot-address-nigerias-economic-challenges-atiku/ 3 Likes  2 Shares

  The federal government has appealed to the state governors who are yet to implement the newly approved minimum wage of N70,000 to do so as the special New Year package for workers across various sectors. It also revealed that  the President, Bola Tinubu, would launch the newly carved out initiative called Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP) to provide jobs for 2.5 million people annually within the next four years. The  Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, stated this in Abuja during weekend while fielding questions from selected Labour Correspondents shortly after a press briefing. Onyejeocha said that the expectation was that the state governors would take advantage of the New Year to grant their workers the minimum wage package, adding that hopefully 2025 would bring industrial peace, devoid of frequent strikes. She specifically said that the federal government had laid a foundation for industrial harmony in the country by ...

  FG to begin train track construction on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Section 1 in 2025 The Federal Government plans to begin constructing train tracks on Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in 2025. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this announcement during an inspection of Sections I and II of the project, which are located within Lagos and being handled by Hitech Construction Company Ltd, on Friday, December 20, 2024. The details of the announcement were published in a statement on the ministry’s official website on Saturday. “The President has given very serious attention to road infrastructure. Don’t forget that this Coastal Highway and, of course, the four Legacy Projects all have the train track incorporated. The construction of the train track for this section I is going to take off in 2025,” Umahi stated. The Works Minister outlined plans to enhance the Lagos-Calabar Highway in Sections I and II of Phase 1, including solar-powered CCTV cameras, lay-bys ...

  The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has said that petrol is going to sell at N935 per litre beginning from Monday (today) based on the latest arrangement with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. IPMAN’s National President, Maigandi Garima, said the reduction in Dangote refinery’s ex-depot price for petrol and the uniform arrangement being put in place, would enable marketers to sell at N935 in their outlets nationwide, incurring a cost of N36 on logistics. “Dangote refinery has brought another new arrangement of loading and pricing by which marketers would pay a fixed ex-depot price of N899.50k. “The refinery is running a programme whereby it wants the fuel consumption across the country to be at the same rate. We are expecting the new arrangement to kick-start on Monday. Previously, the loading price was N970 per litre, but from Monday, petrol prices will drop to N935,”  Garima stated. The association also stated that over 30,000 of its members are set to...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5j2GOBffyo WAFU B U-17 Girls Cup: Ghana Edge Gallant Flamingos On Penalties In Final December 22, 2024 Despite a spirited performance Nigeria’s Flamingos lost on penalties to hosts Ghana on penalty shootout in the final of the maiden WAFU B U-17 Girls Cup om Sunday. The Flamingos had to come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 and force the game to penalties where they lost 5-4. Ghana took the lead in the 13th minute through Gertrude Amoafa before Priscilla Mensah made it 2-0 on 18 minutes. In the 34th minute Precious Oscar pulled a goal back for the Flamingos to end the first half 2-1. The Flamingos thought they had equalised in the 66th minute but the goal was disallowed. Just three minutes later the Flamingos went close to drawing level only yo see their effort hit the cross bar. Their persistent eventually paid off thanks to Harmony Chidi who made it 2-2 on 80 minutes. With both teams failing to find the winner the game went to penalties with Ghana comi...

  While still in mourning mood over the precious lives lost due to tragic incidents stemming from the distribution of palliatives, I am deeply pained that such occurrences are a reflection of the severe hunger and poverty currently ravaging our nation. My heartfelt condolences go to the affected families, communities, and states. The recent arrest of the organizers of a palliative distribution program in Oyo state, spearheaded by the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, has come to my attention. I want to make a heartfelt appeal to the government to reconsider this action. Acts of goodwill, even when they unintentionally result in unfortunate outcomes, should not be criminalized. This particular initiative was intended to alleviate suffering and bring relief to the people. If accountability is to be sought, it should begin with the leaders and policymakers whose cumulative actions—or inactions—have inflicted the widespread hardship and suffering we see today. It is the systemic failure ...