N’Assembly’s air conditioning system collapses

Nearly half a billion naira debt owed contractors has forced a shutdown of some parts of the central air conditioning system at the National Assembly building in Abuja, The PUNCH learnt on Monday.

The worst-hit section is the New Wing of the House of Representatives, where several key hearing and committee rooms have been without a reliable cooling system since the first quarter of 2016.

Our foreign missions lack funds, Buhari laments

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday regretted that the funds available to run the nation’s missions abroad would not be as robust as his administration would want until the economic situation improved.

He urged the nation’s ambassadors-designate to learn to “do more with less.”

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while declaring open an induction course organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for career ambassadors-designate, who were recently cleared by the Senate.

Supreme Court doesn’t need 21 justices, says CJN

The acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has said appointing more judges or increasing the number of courtrooms are not the solutions to the problem of delayed justice dispensation in the country.

The acting CJN said the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court would remain congested so long as the number of appeals proceeding from the high courts was not regulated.

Things that make me cry –Helen Paul

Many people have the mind-set that since it is the job of a comedian to constantly put smiles on the faces of their fans, then they are immune to unpleasant emotions like sadness.

However, during a chat with popular comedienne, Helen Paul, she explained that humour merchants are also humans who get sad and depressed once in a while. She further told Saturday Beats a few things that make her cry.

I’d marry an entertainer only if… –Korede Bello

Many entertainers would readily say they cannot get married to someone in their industry for several reasons.  

However, for music sensation, Korede Bello, getting married to an entertainer is not really a problem. While chatting with Saturday Beats, he gave the only condition for to marrying an entertainer.

He said, “I can marry an entertainer if the world would not give us problems.”

Mavis wins N5m Next Titan reality show

After hours of drilling  by judges on what it takes to run a business, Marvis Marshal-Idio has emerged winner of the third edition of The Next Titan Entrepreneurship Reality Show.

She beat three other finalists – Sunday Ewolabi, Ronald Ajiboye and Victoria Mamza – at the grand finale of the event held at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, on Sunday evening.

With the victory, Marshal-Idio,  a mother of one, went home with the star prize of N5m, provided by the sponsor of The Next Titan, Heritage Bank; and a brand new Ford car presented by co-sponsor Coscharis Motors.

Although the finalists had gone through a series of trainings and quizzes during the preliminary stages, the judges, who themselves are seasoned entrepreneurs, again subjected them to an intensive oral test on Sunday.

150,000 refugees return to Nigeria, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday disclosed that about 150,000 refugees had returned to Nigeria from across the border.

He said the Federal Government was working hard to tackle the challenges involving Internally Displaced Persons.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while receiving the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Phillipo Grandi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Kumuyi suspends crusade for retreat

The General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has suspended his nationwide crusades in preparation for the church’s December Retreat.

The nationwide crusades, which started early this year, had taken the 75-year-old man and his 71-year-old wife, Esther, to almost all the 36 states of the federation.

N10, 000 tax: Truck drivers block Abuja-Lokoja-Okenne road

Gradual movement of vehicular traffic returned to the Abuja-Lokoja-Okenne Expressway in Kogi State, on Monday, after it was blocked for more than eight hours by protesting truck drivers.

The drivers were protesting what they described as exorbitant taxes by the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue Service.

The truck drivers blocked the road to protest what they described as 100 per cent hike in tax.

Two suicide bombers die in Maiduguri

Two suspected members of the Boko Haram sect died in Maiduguri, on Monday, when an Improvised Explosive Device one of them strapped to her body exploded at a police checkpoint.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Borno Police Command, Victor Isuku, the suicide bombers were halted at the outskirt of Maiduguri.

Name govs backing you, Makarfi tells Sheriff

The Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmed Makarfi, has challenged the faction of the party being led by Ali Modu Sheriff to mention governors behind it.

Makarfi said that there was no iota of truth in the claim by the faction that at least eight governors were supporting it.

A key member of the Sheriff faction, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, had claimed that up to eight governors were behind the faction.

Buhari hails Saraki at 54

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, called for better cooperation between the executive arm of government and the legislature.

This, he said, was needed to ensure smooth implementation of his government’s policies and programmes.

Buhari made the call in his goodwill message to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on his 54th birthday.

Russian ambassador shot dead in Turkey

Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Gennadyevich Karlov, has been shot dead while speaking at an art exhibition in the Turkish capital, the Russian Foreign Ministry, has confirmed.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the announcement in a live televised statement, Sky News reports.

She said, “Today in Ankara, as a result of an attack, the ambassador of the Russian Federation to Turkey, Andrey Gennadyevich Karlov, received a wound from which he died.

Ijaw congress leadership crisis deepens

THE Boma Obuoforibo-led Ijaw National Congress has called on members of the group and Nigerians not to recognise Alabotubo Harry as the president of the union.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the INC, Mr. Miebaka Tamunomiebi, described the August 6, 2016 election won by Harry as a sham.

NLC says Ajaero, others desperate, plans peace move

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, has said the congress is determined to preserve the unity of the labour movement in the country.

Wabba said this in a statement while reacting to the formation of a new labour union in the country, known as the United Labour Congress, by some top labour leaders in Lagos on Saturday.

Ayade to appoint 6,000 aides in 2017

The Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, on Monday said he would appoint 6, 000 new aides and create 50, 000 jobs as from January 2017.

He said the appointment of the new aides would expand governance and put food on the tables of residents.

The governor said this at the U.J. Esuene Stadium during a reception in his honour following the December 9 Supreme Court ruling which validated his election.

IPOB warns Buhari against visit to Enugu

The Indigenous People of Biafra, on Monday, warned President Muhammadu Buhari to ‘stay clear’ of the South-East.

The President is slated to attend the opening session of the South-East Economic Summit in Enugu on Thursday.