Author: bibncollar

The Nigerian government has announced the replacement of REMITA with a new payment system, the Treasury Management & Revenue Assurance System (TMRAS), as its official revenue collection platform. The transition will begin on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) confirmed this development in a memo dated February 28, 2025. Speaking on Tuesday, OAGF spokesperson Bawa Mokwa verified the memo’s authenticity, stating that further clarifications would be provided. According to the memo, TMRAS is designed to enhance federal revenue management by streamlining collections and payments across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). It will…

President Bola Tinubu has called on Muslims to use the holy month of Ramadan as a period of peace, patience, sacrifice, and service to humanity, emphasizing these as the true essence of Islam. Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Qur’an Tafseer at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, described Ramadan as journey of the soul, a time for deep reflection, self-purification, and embracing the true essence of Islam. He commended religious leaders for their role in shaping the nation’s moral values and fostering societal consciousness. He also urged Nigerians to pray for…

The Lagos State Government has reiterated its stance against corporal punishment in public schools, emphasizing counseling as a preferred disciplinary measure. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, reaffirmed this policy during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. “There is a policy in Lagos and across the country prohibiting teachers from administering corporal punishment to students or pupils,” he stated. “Instead of flogging, we have adopted counseling as a corrective approach.” Alli-Balogun also noted that alternative disciplinary measures such as kneeling, picking up dirt, and cutting grass within school premises could be used…

The Nigerian House of Representatives has given a three-day ultimatum to oil companies that failed to appear before its investigative committee over a N9.4 trillion debt owed to the Federal Government. The affected companies include Waltersmith Petroman Limited, Addax Petroleum Exploration Nigeria Ltd, AITEO Group, Britannia-U, and two others. The ad hoc committee leading the probe disclosed this after several companies ignored its invitation on Monday. According to the committee, only Belema Oil Producing Ltd responded to the summons. However, its representatives, led by Managing Director Ahmad Sambo, were asked to return on Tuesday due to the late submission of…

A petrol tanker explosion in Ibadan, Oyo State, has claimed the lives of the driver and his apprentice. The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday near Total Filling Station at Orita Challenge. Reports indicate that the tanker, loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, exploded following a brake failure. According to eyewitnesses, the driver lost control while attempting to navigate a roundabout, causing the tanker to hit a concrete structure, somersault, and burst into flames. Confirming the incident, the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Mr. Yemi Akinyinka, stated that emergency responders…

Vice President JD Vance on Monday suggested that European nations were pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to continue fighting in the ongoing war with Russia. Vance’s remarks came as he criticized Zelenskyy following a tense exchange with President Donald Trump at the Oval Office, which drew global attention. The Ukrainian leader left the U.S. without signing a minerals deal that the Trump administration insists would serve as a sufficient security guarantee to deter further Russian aggression. During an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Vance accused Zelenskyy of displaying “a certain sense of entitlement” during his visit to the…

The Igbo Community Association (ICA), the apex socio-cultural organization representing Igbo people in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has renewed its demand for the establishment of a seaport in the South-East, calling on the Nigerian government to address what it describes as a longstanding economic injustice. In a press statement signed by its President General, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, the ICA decried the persistent lack of a functional seaport in the region. It argued that this exclusion has stifled business growth, increased costs, and subjected millions of traders and entrepreneurs to undue hardship. The group accused the government of deliberately sidelining…

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has added a new perspective to the 1966 military coup led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, which has long been labeled an “Igbo coup.” Kalu, representing Abia North in the Senate, was reacting to revelations in Journey in Service, a book authored by former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, and recently launched in Abuja. Babangida’s account has sparked widespread debate, particularly his claim that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo-led conspiracy, as widely believed. Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, Kalu argued that Babangida’s book left out key details, including the alleged involvement of former President…

By Sylvester Udemezue MEMORY VERSE: “Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin. True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice. Justice and power must be brought together so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just. Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” (A) Preliminary Observations 1. Although the CTC of the 28 February 2025 Supreme Court judgment directing the group…

A Chief Magistrate Court in Minna has discharged and acquitted 26 individuals standing trial for criminal conspiracy and membership in a gang of thieves due to the prosecution’s failure to diligently pursue the case. The suspects were initially arraigned by the Niger State Police Command in October 2024, with charges under Sections 97 and 306 of the Penal Code. However, the prosecution’s inability to proceed with the case prompted the defense team, led by Barrister Abubakar Sadiq Ma’aji, to request their discharge. Presiding over the matter, Chief Magistrate Hajiya Ummul Katume Mohammed granted the request, citing Section 191 of the…