Gist Arena

T he President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has assured that as Nigeria’s economy continues to improve, prices of food items will soon “tumble.” Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said Nigerians will soon begin to feel the impact of the country’s improved economy in their daily lives. Speaking in Lagos, Mohammed highlighted how the Federal Government has being making efforts towards ensuring that the country’s economy continues to improve. Mohammed said with programmes like Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, Buhari is determined to put the country’s economy on a winning path. The Minister insisted that the current administration will not “relent in its determined effort to usher in a new dawn for Nigeria. We are winning the battle to revive the economy.” Mohammed in a statement said, “Good afternoon gentlemen and thank you for, once again, honouring our invitation. This i

T he Ministry of Defence has finally released funds for the payment of operational allowances for Nigerian troops fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east and several theatres of operation across the nation. In a statement he issued on Monday, the Director, Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, a brigadier-general, said the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, ordered the release on Monday. Mr. Buratai, a lieutenant general, had earlier on Sunday dispatched a ‘special message of assurance, encouragement and commendation’ to troops of the Nigerian Army engaged in operations in and outside the country. PREMIUM TIMES in October reported how troops fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east complained that they had not received their allowances in two months. Some of the soldiers who disclosed the information to PREMIUM TIMES in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, said the situation was causing them hunger and deflating their morale. The soldiers whos

T he non compliance of the Federal Government to the agreement between them and the Association of University staffs across the country had threatened to boil over, but today it was revealed that the Government have settled the debt. During the month of September, the Academic Staff Union of Universities went on a nationwide strike that threatened to cripple the country’s academic foundations and only suspended the strike after series of meetings, most of which ended in stalemates. An agreement was reached that the FG would pay the union all the money owed them in form of arrears from the commitment of the past administration that was made in 2009 on or before the last day of October. And as the month drew to an end, it started to seem like it was only a matter of time before the strike would resume in full earnest as reports revealed that the FG had given no ‘show of faith’ in offsetting at least some of the debt. Today however, the Party’s official Twitter page ann

T he General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has warned Christians against the dangers of not paying tithe. The social media has been on fire recently after on air personality Daddy Freeze said no pastor or clergyman is permitted to collect tithe from their members. However, Adeboye, speaking at the national headquarters of the church, lashed out at Daddy Freeze for suggesting that instead of paying tithe, Christians should use the money and buy beer to drink in church. Adeboye said even a mad man will not make such statement and advised Christians not to attract God’s curse by not paying their tithe. “Avoid divine curse like a plaque, somebody show me something on the internet on the question of paying tithe or not and the fellow said tithe is suppose to be used to buy alcohol and drink in the church,” the cleric said. “Now you know who is talking, even mad people will not come to church to drink alcohol. No matter h

A n officer of the Nigerian Army has written a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari to complain about alleged corruption and sorry state of troops. The officer, also part of the war against Boko Haram, wrote the letter in reaction to the army’s dismissal of the complaints of Abdulrauf Aliyu, a private of the Nigerian army. Aliyu had complained that he was abandoned after being shot by suspected Boko Haram insurgents. However, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, spokesman of the army, denied the allegation, saying Aliyu was declared a deserter for leaving the hospital he was receiving treatment without being cleared by the authorities. “This is a clear case of a deserter from the Nigerian army trying to run a campaign of calumny against the Nigerian army on Social Media,” The Cable quoted him as saying. But the soldier who wrote the letter spoke in defence of Aliyu and also drew attention to the plight of his colleagues. Full text of letter below… “Having read th

T he Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday said he ordered the demolition of popular Eke-Ukwu market in Owerri, the state capital, to deliver Imo people from a female deity. In a press release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor also claimed that ahead of the 2019 governorship election, some politicians in the state had started administering oath on citizens. The statement reads in part: “The State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has warned certain politicians in the state, especially those with governorship ambition against administering oath on Imo people who are either members or officials of their political parties. “The governor also advised members and officials of the political parties not to subscribe or allow themselves to be subjected to oath taking for any reason by any politician or aspirant because it is ungodly to do so. “One of the first things I did on assumption of office as governor was to build a befittin

C hairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has raised alarm over the 2019 election. He explained that he was crying out to Nigerians to urge the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the relevant legislations to enable the commission prepare for the general polls. A statement by INEC’s Director in the Department of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, quoted the Yakubu as conveying his concern when members of the Steering Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS), led by its chairman Hon. Aminu Shehu Shagari, visited him at the commission, in Abuja. It disclosed that the INEC chairman also spoke on the budget for the 2019 general election, which he said would be ready next week after the commission validates and approves its election project plan. He said: “The validation and approval of the Strategic Plan 2017-2021 and Strategic Programme of Action will give u

A former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday said that despite the difficult economic situation Nigerians are facing, they should keep hope alive as the challenges will soon fade away. Mr. Obasanjo made this remark while speaking at the 52nd Annual Service of Songs of the 1st ECWA Church, Ilorin, Kwara State. The former president explained that no matter the difficulties and challenges the country is going through now, the nation will come out stronger. Making reference to the harsh economic realities Nigerians are facing due to the ripple effects of the economic recession the nation just exited, the former president expressed optimism that there is light at the end of the tunnel. In 2016, Nigeria slipped into recession after five consecutive quarters of contractions since the first quarter of the year. But in September 2017, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, said the Nigerian economy had exited recession. The NBS said that growth reco