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Nigeria's Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has approved the following appointments for some Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions. Alh. Ali Usman—Chairman, National Pension Commission Mr. Funso Doherty—Director-General, National Pension Commission Mr. Manase Benga—Executive Commissioner, National Pension Commission Zaki Magawata—Executive Commissioner, National Pension Commission Ben Oviosun—Executive Commissioner, National Pension Commission Nyerere Ayim—Executive Commissioner, National Pension Commission Dikko Aliyu AbdulRahman—Chairman, Governing Board of the Bank of Industr Mr. Olukayode Pitan—Managing Director, Bank of Industry Mr. Emeka Nwakpa—Chairman, Governing Board of the Consumer Protection Council All appointments into the National Pension Commission are subject to confirmation by the senate, the others aren't and are with immediate effect

Violence erupted midway into the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to elect chairmanship candidates for the July 22 council polls in Lagos State on Saturday, ending the event abruptly. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some aggrieved party supporters engaged one another in a free-for-all midway into the election, smashing ballot boxes over allegations of an imposition of candidates at the election. Scores of delegates and others present at the Teslim Balogun Stadium venue fled in different directions as a result of the fracas, even as some were injured. The chairman of the Elections Committee, Tokunbo Afikuyomi, a former senator, was also attacked, and partially stripped by angry supporters who accused him of impartiality as he scampered to safety. Security officials later forced him out of the grip of the angry youth and whisked him away. NAN reports trouble started when some party members in Surulere and Lagos Mainland openly protested...

Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has called Cote d’Ivoire and Liberian Presidents regarding how a small fraction of the Ivorian’s Armed Forces mutinied against the Government. The Presidency stated this in a tweets on Thursday afternoon. The tweets reads: “@ProfOsinbajo has been in phone discussions w/ Ivorian and Liberian Presidents, regarding a peaceful resolution of the Ivorian situation “The AgPres noted the readiness of @AsoRock to work with @ecowas_cedeao & West African leaders to pursue a quick resolution of the situation. Recall that on Wednesday. the acting President, Yemi Osinbajo condemned developments in Cote d’Ivoire in which a small fraction of the country’s Armed Forces mutinied against the Government. The Acting President, in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande said Nigeria express strong and unflinching support for the Government of President Alhassan Ouattara and welcomes ongoing ef...

Acting President, Mr. Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, signed three executive orders with the potential to significantly change some of the ways government business and operations are conducted in the country.  This was contained in a statement by Mr. Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the acting President. The statement disclosed that ahead of the signing, an interactive session held at the old Banquet Hall of Presidential Villa. In attendance were all relevant government officials, including ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of departments and agencies. The session was held to directly engage government officials, who would be in charge of the implementation of the orders and the new instructions. The executive orders also stipulate sanctions and punitive measures for violations. The three orders signed by Mr. Osinbajo provide specific instructions on a number of policy issues affecting the ease of doing business in the country, sup...

Less than a month after SaharaReporters exclusively reported attempted fraud by the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, the agency's Managing Director, Norbert Bielderman, has tendered his resignation. Mr. Bieldermam, a German who was appointed the Managing Director of the company in December 2013, is scheduled to exit the company on August 31, 2017. SaharaReporters had in April reported a plan by the board to re-introduce the suspended Management Support Agreement (MSA) where three percent of the company’s gross earnings was shared among members of NAHCO's Board of Directors. In addition, SaharaReporters had disclosed that the Board of Directors of the ground handling company was seeking to spend a whopping sum of N155 million on an ostensible overseas training for members. Mr. Bielderman had kicked against the wasteful and fraudulent moves, and threatened to tender his resignation if the board insisted on pressing f...

Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was, on Tuesday, prevented from commissioning a road project in Sapele by thugs led by Mr. Monday Igbuya, therecently impeached Speaker of the state legislature. Mr. Okowa, his deputy, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, and other top government functionaries were in the area to commission the road and inspect other projects as part of activities marking the second anniversary of his administration. But Mr. Igbuya, leading a band of thugs, invaded the venue and chased away the governor and his entourage.  The governor, his deputy, the newly elected Speaker of the House, Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori; his deputy, Mr. Friday Osanibi, and other dignitaries had taken their seats in readiness for the event when Mr. Igbuya arrived with his thugs to start a protest. The governor had to be quickly moved away from the venue. Members of his entourage also fled, leaving the venue for thugs believed to be loyal to the new Speaker and the...

Ten days after Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari left the country for England to seek medical attention for his deteriorating health, an information war appears to have broken out between those who want him dead and those striving to counter that narrative with their own propaganda. On the first hand are those using various clones of international news websites to spread rumors that the president is dead. One of those phony websites last weekend made a parody of CNN, but while CNN has a .com domain, the fake website appeared with a .tv web address.  On the other hand of the battle are those trying to counter the rumors by spreading an old picture of a considerably-healthier President Buhari and Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The picture was actually taken when Mr. Buhari visited...

In December 2009, Mr. Jide Zeitlin withdrew his nomination as President Barack Obama’s nominee for financial reform at the United Nations.  His retreat was announced a few weeks after the allegation of his dishonest business dealing was exposed by a New Delhi Court in India.  Eight years after the scandal, Mr. Zeitlin has worked his way back to Nigeria to corner a juicier deal as the Chairman of the Board of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).    The acting President Yemi Osinbajo inaugurated the board yesterday at the State House Abuja and announced the appointment of Mr. Zeitlin.  According to a report published in Washington Post in December 31, 2009, Mr. Zeitlin, a former Goldman Sachs executive and telecom entrepreneur, had been accused of insincere business dealings with Indian contractors who said they have not been paid for building wireless towers throughout India in spite of the agreement.  His company, Independent Mobile Inf...

Nigerian leaders on Thursday converged in Minna, Niger state capital at the wedding ceremony of Halima Babangida, the daughter and last child of ex-military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, including his wife, Patience and a large delegation of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, governors, past and serving senators were present.     CAPTION this PHOTO:  Isn't this a disrespect for the personality of a former President, Goodluck Jonathan?