Nasir el-Rufai likely to face arrest and prosecution over new book

by Akan Ido There are indications that following the release of his book, ‘The Accidental Public Servant,’ Nasir el-Rufai, the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may face questioning and likely prosecution for allegedly breaching the Official Secrets Act by reproducing restricted and classified government documents in the memoir. Reports say the book... Read More

Classified documents, FCT, FG, Nasir el-Rufai, The Accidental Public Servant

January 30, 2013

Not that easy, guys: FG responds to Boko Haram’s ceasefire announcement, gives conditions for engagement

by Isi Esene The Federal Government is, as expected, expressing cautious optimism over the recent announcement of a ceasefire by a faction of the Boko Haram militant Islamic sect. Its stance is apparently based on the fact that the sect had, at-least once before now, announced a ceasefire which it failed to honour. The Federal... Read More

boko haram, Ekpedeme King, faction, FCT, FG, Muhammed Abdulazeez, Ola Ibrahim, terrorism

January 10, 2013

UNIBEN distances itself from DE CONCOCTION – and more, in today’s news round-up with Cheta Nwanze

by Cheta Nwanze In other embarrassing news, red-faced by the fact that one of their professors jumped the gun and announced a cure for HIV/AIDS only two years after beginning something he claims is research, the University of Benin has distanced itself from the purported cure. It is not always ‘bad news’ of potential academic fraud... Read More

boko haram, Diamond Bank, FCT, HIV/AIDS, Nasir el-Rufai, UNIBEN, union bank

January 8, 2013

Get out: Hawkers given ‘final warning’ to leave Wuse

by Emmanuel Okubenji The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has issued a 74-hour quit order to hawkers within and outside Wuse market or face the full weight of the law. The order was announced by Joe Ukairo, the AEPB’s Head of Information and Outreach. According to Ukairo, this is the final warning to hawkers and... Read More

Abuja, Bwari, Enforcement Squad, FCT, Hawkers, Joe Ukairo, Wuse

December 12, 2012

Opinion: Nigeria needs a ministry of corruption

by Olabode Emmanuel Olawumi The duty of this ministry is to officially provide funds for the purpose of corruption… Nigeria is a country with a population of over 150 million people. It has 36 states plus a Federal Capital Territory. At least, each of its states is blessed with more than two mineral resources, as... Read More

corruption, FCT, nigeria, public officers, resources

December 9, 2012

“800,000 FCT residents displaced in 6 years”

The human rights group, Federation of the Urban Poor, on Saturday said the Federal Capital Territory Administration has evicted and demolished homes of over 800,000 residents of the FCT. The figure includes 10,000 persons that have been displaced since the recent demolition exercise by the FCT in the past few months. The President of FEDUP,... Read More

Abuja, disp[laced, el rufai, FCT

December 5, 2012

Chicken change: N50 billion will not be enough for infrastructure – FCT Minister

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed, yesterday, told Senators that the Park and Pay policy recently introduced in the nation’s capital where owners of vehicles park and pay was not backed by law. The FCT recently made it mandatory for commuters who use the roads especially in places like in... Read More

FCT, infrastructure

November 30, 2012

Corruption allegations: House of Reps to probe Godsday Orubebe’s Abuja mansion

by Isi Esene A building located in the Mabushi District of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, said to belong to the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, has become the centre of attention of the Federal House of Representatives as it sets up committees to look into the ownership of the building and report... Read More

Abuja, corruption, EFCC, FCT, Godsday Orubebe, Goodluck Jonathan, House of Representatives, icpc, Mabushi, Mabushi district, Odeneye Kehinde

November 19, 2012

You’re a hypocrite: President Jonathan’s special assistant goes on the offensive against El Rufai on Twitter

by Akan Ido The social media cold-war between the special assistant to the president, Reno Omokri, and the former FCT minister, Nasir el-Rufai, is getting a little more intense as Omokri during the weekend took it to the next level. He fired a number of tweets specifically directed at El Rufai casting doubts on his... Read More

Abuja, FCT, Goodluck Jonathan, Nasir el-Rufai, nigeria, Reno Omokri, social media, twitter.

November 18, 2012

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu: The Abuja delusion/illusion (YNaija FrontPage)

I look at all these evidently important roads and wonder what really the government is doing. Then I realize that they’re actually busy constructing 10 lane highways from the airport to the city. Yes in Abuja of course; complete with bridges and street lights all the way through. I’m really not sure how to say... Read More

Abuja, Benin-ore Road, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, FCT, Goodluck Jonathan, Lagos-Apapa, Lagos-Oshodi, President Goodluck Jonathan, roads, ynaija, YNaija Frontpage

November 8, 2012

TICKER: 47% of Abuja residents earn less than N30,000 monthly – Survey

About 47 per cent of Abuja residents earn less than N30,000 monthly, a demographic household survey carried out by the Federal Capital Territory Administration has revealed. The Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, gave the figure on Wednesday at the 8th National Conference on Investment. The conference, organised by the Nigerian Investment... Read More

earning, FCT, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Olajumoke Akinjide

October 29, 2012

Apo police killing: Lucy Ukpong’s family insist on justice as she is laid to rest

by Isi Esene Lucy Ukpong, the 20-year-old photography shop salesgirl who was killed by a stray-bullet in the Apo Area of Abuja earlier in the month has being buried. Ukpong was hit in the chest by a bullet allegedly from policemen from the FTC Special Anti-robbery Squad on October 12. The policemen claimed they had... Read More

Abuja, apo, FCT, Lucy Ukpong, police, stray bullet, Tony Ukpong

October 11, 2012

Is the ‘Buj ready for this? Nigerian Idol III hits the FCT

by Isi Esene The train for the season 3 of Nigeria’s biggest music show; Nigerian Idol kicks off this Saturday from Abuja. The auditions which will take place at the Rockview Royal Hotel on Saturday 13 October starts by 7am. You can still take advantage of this opportunity and be a part of this life changing experience by... Read More

Abuja, FCT, illrymz, nigerian idol, OMG

October 1, 2012

How security vote is tearing apart FCT ministers

by Stanley Azuakola What President Jonathan joined together, reports have emerged that the security vote is trying to put asunder. The minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Administration, Senator Bala Mohammed and minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, are reportedly on a collision course over the security vote allocated to that ministry.... Read More

bala mohammed, FCT, ministers, Olajumoke Akinjide, security votes

September 28, 2012

Harsh? Man sentenced to jail for stealing 3 bottles of cough syrup

by Isi Esene Amos Sijo, a 28-year-old man living in Abuja was on Thursday sentenced to three months imprisonment by a Gudu District Upper Area Court for stealing three bottles of Benylin cough syrup. The judge however gave the accused and option of coughing out N3,000 or serve the prison sentence. According to the police... Read More

Abuja, Amos Sijo, Christian Munonye, cough, Durumi, FCT, Judith Ogedegbe, sick, steal

September 24, 2012

Trapped on treetops: Kogi flooding crisis worsens

by Reuben Daba The flooding situation in Kogi State has assumed critical dimensions. Boats were deployed on Sunday by the Nigeria Red Cross Society to Ibaji Local Government Council of Kogi state to rescue trapped flood victims who took refuge on treetops. Even the Abuja-Lokoja highway was blocked by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)... Read More

Abuja, FCT, flooding, frsc, Ibaji, Kogi, Lokoja, Obajana, red cross

September 6, 2012

Police attack journalist for taking photo of minister’s car stuck in mud

by Stanley Azuakola These are dangerous times to be a journalist in Nigeria. Just last month, Benedict Uwalaka, a photo journalist with Leadership newspaper was assaulted at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) by hospital officials, when he went to cover the release of the corpses of the Dana crash. On Tuesday in Abuja another... Read More

car, convoy, FCT, guardian, journalist, Minister, mud, mudslide, Olajumoke Akinjide, Oluyinka Olukayode, Terhembe Daka

September 3, 2012

“Nigeria is not as rich as you think” – Okonjo-Iweala

by Isi Esene Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the c-oordinating minister of the Economy and minister of Finance, during the weekend recommended a lean financial management policy for the government indicating the limited financial resources available to the Federal Government for the execution of developmental projects. To address the situation, she said the government is taking steps... Read More

bala mohammed, budget, FCT, FCTA, federal capital territory, Ministry of Finance, ngozi okonjo iweala

August 27, 2012

Long queues disappear from Abuja fuel stations

by Akan Ido Normalcy have returned to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with the suspension of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) strike on August 23. NUPENG had earlier threatened to commence a nationwide strike action on Friday in protest against the challenges faced by oil marketers as it relates... Read More

Abuja, FCT, federal capital territory, fuel subsidy, Goodluck Jonathan, NUPENG, Stike action

August 17, 2012

WATCH: FCT Minister disregards court order, goes ahead with Mpape demolition

by Isi Esene The much touted rule of law which the President Goodluck Jonathan promised to observe during his election campaign was disregarded yesterday when the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, administration, led by Senator Bala Mohammed, approved the demolition of residential structures at Mpape, a suburb on the outskirts of the FCT. Residents of the... Read More

Abuja, AGF, Attorney General, bala mohammed, FCT, federal capital territory, femi falana, Goodluck Jonathan, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN

August 16, 2012

10,000 houses to go: Panic as FCT says no going back on demolishing illegal structures

by Isi Esene There is panic among residents of parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as the FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, has maintained that there is no going back on the planned demolition of 10,287 structures which were found to be violating the Abuja master plan. Many affected residents are stranded and desperate... Read More

Abuja, bala mohammed, demolish, FCT, federal capital territory, Goodluck Jonathan, Masterplan

July 22, 2012

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu: Dear Senator Bala Mohammed… (YNaija FrontPage)

My parents moved to Abuja in 1991, at a time when many Nigerians still believed that the new capital city would not succeed. The average Nigerian was skeptical and preferred to remain in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano or wherever else they called home at the time. I remember my siblings and I standing at the... Read More

Abuja, bala mohammed, Benin, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, elrufai, FCT, Minister, onitsha, ynaia frontpage

July 17, 2012

N32b Pension scam: EFCC seize choice Abuja properties

by Isi Esene The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been granted an interim order from the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Lawal H. Gumi, to take possession of all assets of the six people who allegedly defrauded the Police Pension Office of to the tune of N32.8 billion. The... Read More

Abuja, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, FCT, Pension, police, scam