News Update

The fuel price controversy raged on Saturday after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) declared that local refining of petrol does not necessarily guarantee lower prices of the product. The company said fuel prices are principally determined by market forces and exchange rates. It, however, said Dangote is at liberty to fix his price.

The Presidency last night granted the request by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, to proceed on an “indefinite leave” to enable him attend to pressing medical matters affecting his immediate family. Ngelale said the decision was made after consultations with his family, owing to a worsening vexatious medical situation at home.

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Thousands of commuters plying the Ibadan-Ife Expressway were stranded for several hours on Saturday when a petrol laden tanker exploded and got burnt. Two articulated trucks, one 18-seater bus, two small commercial cabs (micra), one tricycle and three motorcycles were also completely burnt in the incident.

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 A United States-based chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gbogi Emmanuel, has rejected an appointment as a Special Assistant to the Ondo State governor, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Gbogi was among the 344 Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants appointed by Aiyedatiwa.

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 The federal government has imposed a deduction of N50 Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) from every inflow of N10,000 and above received by customers of Fintech companies, including Opay, Moniepoint, and others. In a notice to its customers on Saturday, the online payment platform stated that the charges in line with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) regulations, will take effect from September 9, 2024.

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 The national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, says he will win the 2027 presidential election. Kwankwaso, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, made the outburst on Saturday when he inaugurated the NNPP Secretariat, along IBB Way, Katsina.

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 Kano State Government has postponed the resumption date of both Primary and Post Primary Schools for the commencement of the 2024/2025 academic session. This is contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Kano by Balarabe Kiru, Director, Public Enlightenment, Ministry of Education.

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. The Peoples Democratic Party National Disciplinary Committee has received reports on alleged anti-party activities of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and others from the National Working Committee. The committee, led by a former Foreign Affairs Minister, Tom Ikimi, was set up to address and manage all disciplinary matters.

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 About four vehicles were, on Saturday, burnt while some people sustained varying degrees of injuries as petrol loaded trucks caught fire on the Ibadan-Ife expressway. The affected vehicles, according to the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Services, Yemi Akinyinka, were the petrol-loaded truck, an 18-passenger bus, another middle-size truck, and a Micra taxi.
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. A senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the United States is pressing for consular access to a detained Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, currently held at the Kuje custodial centre in Abuja. Concerns about his well-being were raised, with Binance Chief Executive Officer, Richard Teng, calling for his release due to claims of deteriorating health and inadequate medical care.