IN  a significant move to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, President Bola Tinubu received a symbolic gold bar on Sunday from the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake.

This gesture marks the commencement of the National Gold Purchase Program (NGPP), aimed at boosting the naira’s value and enhancing the country’s foreign reserves.

Minister Alake expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his support of reforms in the solid minerals sector.

He highlighted that the NGPP, which involves sourcing gold from artisanal and small-scale miners and refining it to meet the London Bullion Market Association’s Good Delivery Standard, will substantially contribute to Nigeria’s economic stability.

Alake stated “This initiative will significantly increase our foreign reserves and strengthen the naira. The refined gold will be supplied to the Central Bank of Nigeria, marking a crucial step in our economic strategy.”

The presentation also underscored the first commercial transaction under the NGPP, establishing a centralized gold purchasing system that integrates small-scale miners, cooperatives, and production units across the nation.

This program is expected to provide a structured market for gold, fostering economic growth and stability.

He said, “The successful completion of the first commercial transaction clearly demonstrates the National Gold Purchase Program’s effectiveness. It has increased the nation’s foreign reserves assets and shown that using the Nigerian Naira to purchase a liquid asset traded in United States Dollars, such as gold, is a viable strategy. This transaction has also underscored the potential of the National Gold Purchase Program to enhance fiscal and monetary stability.”

Alake added that the initial commercial transaction under the program resulted in a +US$5 million boost in Nigeria’s foreign reserve assets.

The transaction involved refining over 70 kilograms of gold to meet the London Bullion Market quality standard and aggregating locally mined gold, thereby infusing approximately NGN6 billion into the rural economy.

President Tinubu expressed appreciation for the Ministry’s accomplishment in advancing the government’s goal of economic diversification by acknowledging and displaying the symbolic gold bar

The headquarters of Christ Embassy Church, located in the Oregun area of Ikeja, was engulfed in flames early Sunday morning.

Multiple videos of the incident were posted on X.com, showing the severity of the fire and the efforts of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service to contain it.

One witness, tweeting under the handle @Chief_Augustin1, shared footage of the blaze and commented, “Christ Embassy Church on Billings Way, Oregun, is on fire. Serious fire is raging, and men of the Lagos State Fire Service are working hard to put it out. Thank God service hasn’t commenced fully.”

Firefighters are on the scene working to extinguish the fire and assess the damage.

Further details about the cause of the fire and any potential casualties are yet to be released.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has spoken out about its ongoing dispute with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over the recent recruitment process.

The conflict erupted on June 4, 2024, when the PSC released a list of 10,000 successful applicants for constable and specialist positions. The list quickly became a point of contention.

Recall that on June 10, 2024, President Bola Tinubu removed Solomon Arase from his position as PSC chairman and appointed Hashimu Argungu, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, as his replacement.

In response to Arase’s dismissal, Force Public Relations Officer Muiywa Adejobi issued a statement condemning the PSC’s list.

He alleged that the list was tainted by corruption, including names of candidates who had failed either the Computer-Based Test (CBT) or the Physical Screening.

Adejobi also claimed that some individuals who did not apply for the roles were included in the list.

At a press conference held at Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun firmly rejected the list of candidates recruited by the Police Service Commission (PSC).

Egbetokun emphasized that his decision was driven by his responsibility to lead over 300,000 officers, the largest police force in Africa, who rely on him for clear guidance and leadership. He stressed the importance of ensuring quality recruitment into the force.

However, in a statement on Friday, PSC spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani accused the NPF of undermining the commission.

Ani highlighted that a court ruling had affirmed that the PSC has the sole mandate to recruit personnel for the police.

“The Police Service Commission has watched with keen interest developments since it concluded and released the list of successful candidates for recruitment as Constables into the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Commission is disturbed at the flagrant abuse of ethics, the Constitution and valid judgment of the apex court of the land.

“The Commission wishes to state as follows; a. That the release of the confidential letter sent to the Chairman of the Commission by the Inspector General of Police on alleged lapses in the recruitment exercise to the Media was a gross violation of the Public Service Rules with grave Consequences.

“b. That since 2019, when a former Inspector General of Police hijacked the soft copy of an ongoing recruitment exercise and forcefully completed the exercise without the input of the Commission – the statutory body solely charged with such responsibility, the Commission has not been allowed to perform this constitutional duty.

“c. The Commission has at every turn suffered several indignities in its attempt to perform functions provided to it by the Constitution even after the Supreme Court decided the matter in its favour.

“d. That this show of brute force and intimidation by the Police and most recently inducements of hired writers to run down the Commission in the Media is a serious affront on the mandate of the Commission.

“The Commission has studied the issues around this successfully concluded recruitment exercise and has come to the conclusion that even after the Supreme Court Judgment, the Police is reluctant to allow the Commission perform this constitutional assignment.

“The Commission demands that the Police should provide verifiable evidence to prove the allegations peddled against it as it is obvious that it is a case of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.”

The statement urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the situation and ensure that the Police Service Commission (PSC) can carry out its duties without unwarranted interference.

“The Commission wishes to appeal to Mr. President to protect it and rein in the Nigeria Police Force to respect the Constitutional Mandate of the Commission to recruit. The Nigeria Police Force is created to enforce the law and not to circumvent it in whatever guise.”

It added “It is the considered opinion of the Commission that the successful candidates should be allowed to proceed on training without delay.”