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Buhari lauds Wike, commissions Port Harcourt Law School Complex

Published

2 years ago

November 19, 2022

President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has described the Dr. Nabo Graham- Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School, built, furnished and handed over by the Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s administration as a grand wonder structured to be self-sustaining.

The president noted that the project, among several others, is no doubt an abiding testament to the commitment of Governor Wike to the promotion of law and development in Rivers State and beyond.

President Buhari spoke while inaugurating the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Port Harcourt on Friday. He was represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

“I need not engage in poetic verbosity to properly describe the grand wonder that is being commissioned today. The icing on the cake is the fact that this edifice and its state-of-the-art facilities are structured to be self-sustaining through associated revenue earners, as designed by a man of higher vision who is now fondly referred to as Mr Project.”

President Buhari said he was aware that Governor Wike extended development initiatives to the neighbouring Bayelsa State, by executing multi-billion-naira projects that included a 900-bed space hostel and 1,500-capacity auditorium, in the Yenagoa Campus of the Nigerian Law School.

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This, he noted, is in addition to the provision of critical infrastructure support extended to federal courts in Rivers State, over the years.

“These are indeed pace-setting and unparalleled contributions by a state government to what is ordinarily under the remit of the Federal Government.

“Governor Wike’s dedication to these projects is better appreciated from the viewpoint of his being an unrelenting advocate of true federalism in Nigeria.”

President Buhari said the resultant effects of the governor’s sterling efforts have continued to strengthen the rule of law and national development.

The Nigerian president commended the good heart and statesmanship of Governor Wike, on behalf of the entire justice family and lovers of justice in Nigeria for his unifying efforts and commitment to national harmony.

“Governor Nyesom Wike has executed numerous landmark infrastructural projects which have transformed the human and economic development of Rivers State, while also forging socio-political alliances and promoting national harmony.

“Indeed, our dear nation needs more of such unifying efforts. It is in recognition of the foregoing that my administration discarded political considerations and acknowledged excellence, by conferring Governor Wike with the Nigerian Excellence Award in Public Service, in October 2022, for his unprecedented leadership role in the delivery of legacy infrastructural projects in Rivers State and beyond. Your Excellency, you have indeed immortalized yourself and history will be kind to you.”

President Buhari reiterated that the ceremony served as an avenue for them to be reminded of the need to promote cooperation and understanding between the Federal and State Governments in the overall national interest and the welfare of all Nigerians.

In his speech, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike said that sequel to his request for approval to build a law campus in Port Harcourt and subsequent approval given, he is today most delighted to have delivered the facility, completed within 10 months.

He stated that the contract for the project was awarded to indigenous contractors, who handled each of the structures under strict supervision, costing the state government about N17 billion.

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Governor Wike revealed that one of the reasons why his administration has been able to embark on several projects is because President Buhari had graciously approved the payment and release of unpaid 13 percent derivation deductions since 1999 to all states in the Niger Delta.

The governor insisted that the financial support given by the Rivers State government to the Nigerian Law School should be expended on the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus and nowhere else.

The governor said it will be unfair for the Rivers State government to have spent so much on providing the campus and not have an admission quota exclusive to the state.

In his good will message, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, said Governor Wike is a true leader who has shown excellence in governance and deliberately invested in the legal profession that will serve the course of justice to the people.

Speaking for the Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun noted that there is no legal professional who has contributed as much as Governor Wike has done to the promotion of legal practice in Nigeria.

In his speech, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who described the day as epochal for the legal profession, decried the inability of the National Assembly and other stakeholders to enact a new Legal Practitioners’ Act that should make the legal practice of international standard in the country.

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Tinubu not in France for medical attention – Presidency

Published

4 minutes ago

April 14, 2025

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu not in France for medical attention – Presidency

The presidency on Sunday refuted claims that President Bola Tinubu left the shores of the country to see doctors in France, insisting that it was a working visit.

During a guest appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, clarified that President Tinubu’s trip to France was for medical treatment, contrary to claims made by activist and politician Omoyele Sowore.

Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria in ‘about a fortnight’, according to his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.

He wrote, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fled Nigeria again to France for medical care, although some liars in his office claim he is on a working visit.

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“It is troubling to know that approximately 200 million Nigerians may be repeatedly subjected to misinformation disseminated daily, and they, in turn, do nothing to liberate themselves.”

In reaction, Bwala defended his employer, saying there was no iota of truth in the claim.

He said, “The president’s trips to France are not related to medical. Have you not seen him receiving people? I mean, there has been information about him receiving people.

“The president did not go to see a doctor. He was on a working visit and we have been publishing his activities.”

Tinubu not in France for medical attention – Presidency

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Expatriates to pay $15 daily fine for visa overstay – FG

Published

26 minutes ago

April 14, 2025

Trends Admin

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo

Expatriates to pay $15 daily fine for visa overstay – FG

The federal government has warned expatriates against violating Nigeria’s immigration laws, particularly regarding visa overstays.

It said defaulters will now face a daily fine of $15, alongside a possible long-term entry ban.

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this over the weekend during a stakeholder engagement with members of the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) House in Ikeja, Lagos.

He announced that effective August 1, 2025, any foreign national who overstays their visa in Nigeria will be required to pay a $15 daily fine.

He also said more serious overstays would attract stiffer penalties, explaining that an expatriate who overstays by more than six months will be banned from re-entering Nigeria for five years, while a one-year overstay will result in a 10-year entry ban.

According to the minister, these measures are part of a broader initiative under the Expatriate Administration System, set to launch on May 1, 2025.

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The system aims to tighten immigration compliance and improve the accuracy of data on foreign residents in the country.

He said current estimates place the number of expatriates working and residing in Nigeria at over 50,000, a figure he described as unreliable for effective planning and policymaking.

As part of the transition to the new system, a three-month grace period will begin on May 1, 2025, allowing expatriates to regularise their immigration status before enforcement begins in August.

The e-visa system, Tunji-Ojo added, will replace the visa-on-arrival process, allowing legitimate tourists and business travellers to obtain Nigerian visas within 48 hours. This reform is expected to curb abuse and streamline entry procedures.

Expatriates to pay $15 daily fine for visa overstay – FG

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Tinubu, Gov Yusuf asked to resolve Kano Emirate crisis

Published

14 hours ago

April 13, 2025

Trends Admin

Muhammad Sanusi and Ado Bayero

Tinubu, Gov Yusuf asked to resolve Kano Emirate crisis

A group, One Kano Agenda(OKA), has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abba Yusuf to facilitate peaceful dialogue among the stakeholders to resolve the current Emirship crisis in Kano.

The Director-General of the group, Amb. Abbas Abdullahi, who made the call while addressing a press conference at the NUJ press centre, Kano, on Sunday, also urged Northern Elders to encourage peaceful dialogue over the matter.

“We respectfully appeal to His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and His Excellency the Governor of Kano State and the respected elders of Arewa to take a proactive role in encouraging peaceful dialogue among all relevant stakeholders.

“National peace begins with local harmony and the restoration of calm in Kano is a matter of national interest.

“A prompt non partisan mediation effort will go a long way in maintaining mutual respect between state and federal institutions and protecting our traditional values,” Abdullahi said.

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The group also called for peace and unity among residents of the state in the wake of the Emirship tussle.

It emphasized the need for all stakeholders “to put Kano first and avoid divisions that could harm the state’s social fabric.

“We are gathered here because we believe that Kano must come first before political differences, personal ambitions or any divisive agenda.

“Recent developments around the Emirate issue have stirred tensions, sparked public debates and regrettably fueled discord among our people.

“While discussions on matters of history and tradition are important, we must be careful not to allow misinformation or political manipulation to erode the unity we have built over generations,” it said.

The group warned against any attempt to politicize the Emirate issue and emphasized the importance of respecting the state’s traditional institution.

It urged all stakeholders, including youth, civil society groups, and religious leaders “to rise above divisions and work towards peace and unity.”