Good Morning. Here’s a recap of the top trending news stories this morning
1. A 36-year-old Nigerian civil servant simply identified as Daniel made a shocking revelation to BBC News that he still receives his monthly N150,000 salary despite having moved to the United Kingdom in 2022. In an interview, Daniel who now works as a taxi driver explained that he has an agreement with his boss in Nigeria, allowing him to collect his monthly paycheck despite being absent from work. This revelation comes in light of the Nigerian government’s announcement of a crackdown on public servants who collect salaries while living abroad.
2. An Air Force helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Air Force in the early hours of Monday crashed in Tami village, located in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Eyewitness said the incident occurred at approximately 5:00 am, causing significant alarm among residents. The helicopter said to be on a routine operational flight, experienced technical difficulties that led to the crash. Fortunately, the pilot managed to execute emergency protocols effectively, ensuring his survival.
3. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) raided three steel manufacturing companies over the weekend. A team of officials from the commission led by the Acting Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Adamu Abdullahi, visited African Foundries, Ogijo; Monarch Steel Mill Limited, Sagamu; and Kam Steel Integrated Company, Sagamu, all in Ogun State, to investigate alleged manufacturing of substandard iron rods.
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4. The Nigeria Federal Government has removed five oil blocks earlier put up for the ongoing 2024 licensing round due to legal disputes. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission confirmed the development in a recent circular. Accordingly, the five oil blocks are said to be under various litigation, however, NUPRC did not state the litigants. The affected assets are PPL3008, PPL3009, PML51, PPL267, and PPL268.
5. No fewer than 20 travelers along the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway were reportedly abducted by some gunmen at about 8 pm on Sunday while one of the victims was shot in the knee. The gunmen were said to have ambushed the travelers between Sagamu Area Command of the Nigeria Police and Ilisan township. The Chairman of Ilisan Development Council, Wemmy Osude, confirmed this to newsmen.
6. The Director, of Consultancy & Executive Services, Nigerian Building & Road Research Institute (NBRRI)Makava David has disclosed that alternative building materials (Bricks & laterite ) can reduce the cost of building houses by 25 to 30 percent making it easy for more Nigerians to own their own homes. He said that with the introduction of alternative building materials, houses would become very affordable to even the common man.
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7. The Senate panel probing the N30tn Ways and Means loans secured from the Godwin Emefiele-led Central Bank of Nigeria by the Federal Government has received more documents from the Office of the Accountant General. As a result, the panel is set to resume physical sitting after studying the documents.
8. The death toll in last weekend’s suicide bomb attacks at a wedding ceremony in Gwoza, Borno State has risen to 18 while no fewer than 42 others sustained injuries of varying degrees, the Director General, State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Dr Barkindo Saidu, confirmed, on Sunday.
9. Trademore Estate has captured the hearts of Abia State residents and government officials alike following the magnanimity of the estate’s CEO, Sir (Dr.) Emmanuel Ndubuisi Mbaka has shone through in his most recent contribution to the community – the provision of coaster buses for civil servants. The provision of the buses is to curtail late coming by civil servants caused by Issues arising from transportation.
10. The Federal Government through the Nigeria Customs Service has grounded a United States-registered Gulfstream G650ER jet belonging to a leading Nigerian bank, signaling the commencement of government clampdowns on private jet owners over unpaid import duty running into several billions of naira. The development came barely two weeks after the NCS began a one-month verification exercise for private jet owners in the country. The exercise which began on June 19, 2024, is expected to end on July 19, 2024.
