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President Bola Tinubu has ordered a review of his administration’s plan for a monthly N8,000 transfer to 12 million of the poorest households in the country for six months, in a bid to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy. The plan was contained in a letter read last Thursday on the floor of the House of Representatives regarding the $800 million loan request of the previous Muhammadu Buhari administration for a social safety net programme. The President’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, in a statement on Tuesday, noted that the cash programme…

The Abia State government has confirmed the sacking of about 7000 workers from the state civil service who were employed by the immediate past administration between January and March 2023. The names of the affected people have also been removed from the state payroll. The sacking of the workers said to have been illegally employed was disclosed by Prince Okey Kanu, the state Commissioner for information during a press briefing after the Executive Council meeting in Umuahia on Tuesday. The information boss revealed that about N600 million has been saved with the sacking. According to Kanu, over 2,300 ghost workers…

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, on Tuesday played host to the Managing Director of Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria's biggest lenders, who came on a business visit. Mr. Onyeagwu came with a team of the bank's senior management staff, including Adaobi Nwapa, an executive director. Onyeagwu congratulated Dr. Otti on his electoral victory, successful swearing in and assumption of office, while also expressing confidence in his capacity to lead Abia to meaningful development. He assured the Governor that Zenith Bank is willing to partner with the government, especially in the area of project financing, support for small and…

The adjustment of the petrol pump price from N540 to N617 per litre has sparked anger and condemnation among some Nigerians. THE WHISPERER reports that on Tuesday, Nigerians woke up to an increase in pump price as many fuel stations in the FCT and other parts of the country had adjusted their pump to reflect the new price regime. The new pump price comes less than two months after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, had announced an upward review of the product from N194 to N488 and N555. This followed the announcement of the removal of fuel subsidy…

The Senate is expected to receive President Bola Ahmed Tinubu list of ministerial nominees on the 19th of July, 2023. The Clerk of the National Assembly said this information is contained in a letter he received. The Ministerial list is widely anticipated by Nigerians as one that will give an indication of the Policy direction of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration at addressing the myriad of challenges facing Africa’s largest Economy.

Governor Alex Otti says Abia saved N220 million on monthly wage bills through the Abia government’s newly introduced unified payment system, saving N220 million on monthly wage bills. This is contained in a press statement on Monday in Umuahia by his chief press secretary Kazie Uko. It stated that the development was part of the outcome of the ongoing verification of civil servants and other public workers, geared towards weeding out ghost workers. The statement revealed that the government’s current payment system helped identify 2,300 ghost workers in Abia’s workforce. It stated that the verification exercise was ongoing and expressed…

Gunmen, on Monday, reportedly shot and killed the traditional ruler of Ezuhu na Amadi autonomous community in Abor Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo, Nnamdi Mmirioma. It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 3.00 p.m. when the gunmen allegedly invaded Mr Mmirioma’s palace and shot him severally. The reason for the dastardly act on the deceased could not be easily ascertained at the time of filing the report. The incident had thrown the community into palpable fear and panic. The commissioner of police, Mohammed Barde, confirmed the incident, describing it as gruesome. In a statement issued by the…

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted a former Attorney General of Abia State and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Umeh Kalu (SAN), leave to serve writ of summons on the Abia State Chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and its acting Publicity Secretary, Elder Amah Abraham. The court gave the nod pursuant to an application by the legal representative of Chief Umeh Kalu in a pending suit which he is seeking to compel the PDP and Amah Abraham to issue a public apology in a full-page advertisement in both Sun Newspaper and ThisDay Newspaper. THE WHISPERER reports…

Troops of 192 Battalion Nigerian Army (NA) operating in 81 Division Area of Responsibility have busted an international ammunition smuggling syndicate, while transporting a truck load of smuggled ammunition to Anambra State on Saturday 15 July 2023. The troops, who acted on actionable Intelligence conducted a meticulous and rigorous Stop and Search operation along Ajilete-Owode Road in Yewa North LGA of Ogun State and uncovered the illegal ammunition in a truck with Registration number ENU 697 XY, loaded with 720 packets of Red Star Cartridges of 12 Calibre, containing 25 cartridges per packet, totalling 18, 000 cartridges and an additional…