News
President Buhari Says He Deliberately Closed Borders to Encourage Food Production In Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari has confessed that he deliberately shut the country’s borders to encourage food production in Nigeria.
He said this during the inauguration of the new Customs Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
While the move was heavily criticised, Buhari noted that Nigerians later appreciated it.
“I deliberately closed the borders because knowing Nigerians, they order rice, give some Niger address, and then they bring the rice here,” he said at the event.
“With our land potential – we thank God Nigeria is favoured. We have people, we have land, and we have weather. How many nations are as lucky as Nigeria in the world? Very few nations are as lucky as we are! We thank God for that.”
Continuing, he said: “So, closing that border – 1,600 kilometres from Lake Chad to Benin – and Nigerians insist they that they have to impress their neighbours and other people and they eat foreign rice. I said, ‘No rice’.”
“You eat what you grow or you die. I tried to make my point. Later Nigerians appreciated it because it provided more jobs,” Buhari added.
“People got back to the lands – we have them– and we produced what we eat. Let whoever grows excess rice eat his own rice or sell it somewhere else.”
News
Rivers Lawmakers Insist on Investigating Fubara, Deputy
The Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, a seven man panel each have been constituted to investigate governor Fubara and his deputy.
Twenty -five members of the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) said that there is no going back on investigating Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy, Prof Ngozi Odu, for alleged gross misconducts.
The members re-stated this at Friday’s plenary in the temporary hallowed chamber of the State House of Assembly in their Legislative quarters.
The Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, a seven man panel each have been constituted to investigate governor Fubara and his deputy.
He also said that the Chief judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi is to be immediately notified about the resolution of the House.
The order paper of the house in Friday’s sitting has only two items which include investigating governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu.
Meanwhile,the house has adjourned plenary till January 27.
News
FG approves 6-month maternity leave for female lecturers without pay
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during the presentation of the renegotiated agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.
Photo: Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa (right), and Minister of State for Education
The Federal Government has announced that qualified female academic staff shall be entitled to a maternity Leave of six months as provided in the subsisting Public Service Rules,” Section 3.4(vii) reads.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during the presentation of the renegotiated agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.
He clarified that the Section 3.4 of the agreement, which focuses on ‘Non-salary conditions of service’, makes provision for six-month maternity leave as a fringe benefit.
Alausa described the agreement as a historic turning point that symbolises renewed trust, restored confidence and a firm commitment to uninterrupted academic calendars in Nigerian universities.
Alausa emphasised that the agreement reflects the resolve of President Bola Tinubu to prioritise education as the foundation of national development, noting that it marked the first time a sitting president took full ownership of the long-standing challenges confronting the university system.
News
Insurgency: Trump allocates N587bn to US Africa Command for military operations in Nigeria, others
The allocation is contained in the US National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026. The funds were approved under Title XLIII – Operation and Maintenance.
The United States plans to spend N587 billion ($413.046 million) on counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria and other African countries in 2026 amid worsening security conditions across West Africa.
The allocation is contained in the US National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026. The funds were approved under Title XLIII – Operation and Maintenance.
The security budget for the US Africa Command comes against the backdrop of the Christmas Day attacks on terrorists’ hideouts in Sokoto State by the Donald Trump administration.
On Tuesday, AFRICOM delivered a consignment of military equipment to Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security operations across the country.
Rivers Lawmakers Insist on Investigating Fubara, Deputy
Supreme Court Orders Sule Lamido ₦1.35bn Corruption Trial to Resume
Australian woman wakes to find massive python on her chest
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
Politics3 days agoBreaking News: FHC Sacks Wole Oluyede, Ekiti PDP flag bearer
-
News3 days agoUPDATE: Edo State Government Moves to Release 52 Ambrose Alli University Students Arrested Amid Ekpoma Protest
-
News3 days agoInsurgency: US Military supplies Nigeria with weapons to combat terrorism
-
News3 days agoNELFUND releases N161.97bn student loans to more than 864,000 students
-
Politics3 days agoLagos Emerges as APC E-Registration Epicenter
-
Opinions2 days agoReframing Nigeria’s Banditry Crisis: From Emotional Narratives to Strategic Clarity
-
News2 days agoWorld Bank projects Nigeria’s urban population to reach 264m by 2050
-
News3 days agoWidow of Ogun State’s First Civilian Governor, Chief Lucia Onabanjo, Passes Away at 100