Author: Opalim Lifted

Despite the claim of gender inclusivity in his administration, no female government official was present on Friday when President Bola Tinubu signed the 2025 appropriation bill into law. During the signing ceremony at the State House, Abuja, President Tinubu was surrounded by some male cabinet members, including Femi Gbajabiamila, his chief of staff (CoS). Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives; Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy; Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA); and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory, were seen standing on the left-hand side of the president as he…

President Bola Tinubu on Friday signed a budget of N54.99 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year, assuring that his government sees light of progress in Nigeria with the strategic reforms being implemented. “Today, we see a light at the end of the tunnel. We can see signs of progress,” President Tinubu said during the signing ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The National Assembly had on February 13, 2025, passed the budget, increasing President Tinubu’s proposal from N54.2 trillion to N54.99 trillion. Tinubu was joined at the signing ceremony by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the…

Commercial banks across Nigeria have commenced charging customers N100 per N20,000 withdrawal from their on-site Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and N600 for off-site ATM following a directive issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This development was announced by CBN in a circular dated February 10, 2025 on the review of ATM transaction fees, scheduled for implementation from today, March 1, 2025. Under the updated fee structure, withdrawals from a customer’s own bank ATMs remain free. However, customers using ATMs of other banks will now pay a charge of N100 per withdrawal of N20,000 or less at on-site ATMs,…

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has announced free medical surgeries to mark the General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s 83rd birthday. Adeboye was born on March 2, 1942, in Ifewara, Osun State, and turns 83 on Sunday. In a statement by his son, Pastor Leke Adeboye, on Thursday, the programme, which is part of the church’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, would offer free medical services in various areas, including obstetrics and gynaecology, surgeries, general surgeries, eye surgeries, dialysis sessions, reading glasses, and consultation. The free medical services will be executed by the Redeemer’s Health Centre, the church said. Interested…

Skype will ring for the last time on May 5 as owner Microsoft retires the two-decade-old internet calling service that redefined how people connect across borders. Shutting down Skype will help Microsoft focus on its homegrown Teams service by simplifying its communication offerings, the software giant said on Friday. Founded in 2003, Skype’s audio and video calls quickly disrupted the landline industry in the early 2000s and made the company a household name boasting hundreds of millions of users at its peak. But the platform has struggled to keep up with easier-to-use and more reliable rivals such as Zoom and…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Theodore Orji, a former governor of Abia state, over alleged N47 billion misappropriation. Theodore Orji and four others were arraigned on a 16-count charge at the Abia state high court on Friday. They pleaded not guilty to the charges. Theodore Orji was governor of Abia from 2007 to 2015 and senator representing Abia central from 2015 to 2023. Other defendants in the suit are Chinedum Orji, the ex-governor’s son; Philip Nto, a former Abia commissioner of finance; Obioma King, a government contractor; and Romas Madu, a former director of finance in…

President Bola Tinubu on Friday  signed the N54.99 trillion 2025 appropriation bill into law, marking a 99.96 percent increase from the 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion. The bill was approved by the national assembly on February 13, after revisions to Tinubu’s initial budget proposal of N49.7 trillion. The key breakdown of the 2025 budget includes a total expenditure of N54.99 trillion, statutory transfers of N3.65 trillion, and a recurrent (non-debt) expenditure of N13.64 trillion. Other components are capital expenditure: (N23.96 trillion), debt servicing (N14.32 trillion) and a deficit-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio of 1.52 percent. In his request to the…

The Supreme Court has affirmed the judgment of a federal high court that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the accountant-general of the federation from releasing statutory monthly allocations to Rivers state. The Supreme Court also ordered the Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers state house of assembly and other elected members of the house to resume sitting. The Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers assembly is loyal to Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT). In the judgment delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court faulted the Abuja court of appeal for voiding…

The Supreme Court has nullified the local government election held in Rivers state on October 5, 2024. In a unanimous decision on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court ruled in favour of an appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC). The court overturned a previous judgment delivered by the court of appeal in Abuja on November 21, 2024, which had upheld the election results. In its lead judgement delivered by Jamilu Tukur, the apex court held that there was no evidence to show that the conditions set out in section 150(3) of the Electoral Act had been…

Anike Agbaje-Williams, the first face to appear on African television, is dead. Agbaje-Williams, who died at 88, was the first face on African television after she appeared on the Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) station on the test transmission night and on the official opening night on October 31, 1959. The WNTV, now the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), was the first television station in Africa. She was also said to have been the first voice heard on Western Nigerian Broadcasting Service (WNBS), Africa’s first commercial radio station, earning the nickname “Double-First”. Banji Sokoya, who issued a statement on Thursday for the…