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Alleged budget padding: ACF condemns Ningi’s suspension, says North’s interest at stake

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The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has condemned the suspension of the immediate past Chairman of Northern Senators Forum, Sen Abdul Ninigi, by the Senate, saying the interests of the North are at stake.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, explained that the Senate ought to have investigated the issues raised by the senator to establish the veracity of his claims instead of the suspension.

It urged the Senate to act with more circumspection in dealing with criticisms of its operations.

Ningi had alleged that N3.7 trillion was not attached to any specific project in the 2024 budget passed for implementation.

ACF noted that the allegation has since been denied by the 10th Senate as lacking in veracity, stressing that the interests of many communities in Northern Nigeria are at stake.

It said rather than the route of a rushed suspension of Ningi, ACF prefers a thorough investigation of the allegation by a statutory or ad hoc committee of the Senate.

It said the allegation of padding, as well as those related to the inclusion of items that benefit specific communities of some senators as “constituency projects”, stand unaddressed with all attendant negative implications for the Red Chamber and the executive.

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Retired Air Vice Marshal Obierika dies mid-air on British Airways flight

Obierika, a retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM) of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), was a former Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Training Command, Kaduna and a directing staff at the National Defence College, Abuja.

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A British Airways (BA) flight from London to Abuja was forced to make an emergency diversion to Barcelona, Spain, after Prof. Osita Obierika, died mid-air.

Obierika, a retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM) of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), was a former Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Training Command, Kaduna and a directing staff at the National Defence College, Abuja.

It was gathered that the aircraft departed London’s Heathrow Airport at 11pm on Sunday, October 5 and was to arrive Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by 5am on Monday.

However, around 1:30am, the pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted to El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spain.

The Octogenarian was said to have been returning to Nigeria from the United Kingdom where he was being treated for cancer.

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JUST IN: Fire guts Rivers Secretariat

Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Information, Dr Honour Sirawoo, confirmed the incident saying fire fighters intervened immediately to stop the inferno.

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Fire has engulfed a section of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt destroying some property.

Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Information, Dr Honour Sirawoo, confirmed the incident saying fire fighters intervened immediately to stop the inferno.

It was gathered that the inferno started at the ground floor of one of the tall buildings popularly called the Podium after the close of work and spread to the office of the newly constituted Rivers State Pension Board.

Sources said the fire started around 4.00pm and was reportedly caused by an electrical fault, though there was no casualty.

Rivers Head of Service, Dr Inyinge Brown, confirmed that no life was lost saying she was happy that the recently rehabilitated State Fire Service was on ground to quench the fire.

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NNPCL says rising cooking gas price caused by PENGASSAN strike

The strike, triggered by the dismissal of Nigerian workers at the Dangote Refinery, disrupted fuel and gas operations nationwide before it was suspended on October 1 following federal government intervention.

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The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, has attributed the recent spike in cooking gas prices to the temporary halt in operations caused by the strike action of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

Ojulari emphasized that the industrial action disrupted loading and distribution for several days, creating an artificial price surge.

“The increase you saw was relatively artificial because during the strike, movement and loading were delayed by about two to three days,” he explained.

“As operations normalise, it will take a little time for distribution and pricing to stabilise.”

He also accused some retailers of exploiting the brief supply gap to inflate prices, noting that “some people with existing stock took advantage of the situation to raise prices.”

Ojulari assured Nigerians that cooking gas prices would gradually return to pre-strike levels as supply chains recover.

The strike, triggered by the dismissal of Nigerian workers at the Dangote Refinery, disrupted fuel and gas operations nationwide before it was suspended on October 1 following federal government intervention.

The Dangote Group later agreed to reinstate the affected workers, paving the way for normal operations and stabilisation of gas prices.

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