News Roundup.....

Oil marketers, on Thursday, insisted on a possible hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, following a further plunge in the value of the naira against the United States dollar. The local currency weakened against the greenback at the black market from 900/dollar on Wednesday to 920/dollar on Thursday.

 The Labour Party factions led by Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa have clashed over conflicting views on the ruling of the Appeal Court in Owerri. A Court of Appeal in Owerri, Imo State, was said to have sacked Julius Abure and recognised Lamido Apapa as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

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 The Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has said that his administration will work to complete the construction of B6 and B12 roads linking Constitution Avenue to the Abuja City Gate, within the next seven months. Wike, who gave the assurance following a tour of some abandoned projects in Abuja on Thursday, added that the renovation of the Federal Secretariat buildings would also be completed within the next seven to eight months.

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 Factional National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Lamidi Apapa, has said only candidates endorsed by him can feature in the November 11 Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo governorship election. Apapa said this at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

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. President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to vote out governors who are not performing up to expectation. The President made the appeal on Thursday while responding to the request of some Islamic scholars that the Federal Government should monitor the distribution of palliatives given to states to cushion the effects of removal of fuel subsidy.

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 There is an end in sight to the existing visa ban slammed on Nigerians by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intervened in the matter. Receiving Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria at the State House on Thursday, the President directed that issues affecting relations with the Emirates Airline, and issuance of visas to Nigerians should be “immediately’’ resolved.

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 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, said he is under pressure to deploy forces in Niger Republic. Tinubu stated this while hosting top Islamic clerics (Ulama) led by Sheikh Bala Lau at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He okayed the Ulama’s request to continue the talks with the coup leaders. He requested them to expedite action because time is of essence.

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 Chicago State University (CSU) has again confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu graduated from the institution in 1979. It stated this in response to an application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar.

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Gunmen on Wednesday attacked an Army patrol van in Edo State, killing a soldier and carting away sacks believed to have been loaded with cash. Three soldiers were said to have been in the military vehicle that was heading towards Ikpoba Hill when the robbers struck at the traffic light along Akpakpava Road by First Junction around 2:10 pm.

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The Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos Seaports and Marine Command, have rescued five victims of human trafficking at Pashi checkpoint in the Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State. Comptroller Mohammed Saddiq, in charge of the command, at a news conference on Thursday, noted that the victims were intercepted alongside one Mrs Blessing Anireta, 26, without any means of identity or livelihood.

From Dailypost