Economy

The naira, yesterday, suffered its biggest daily depreciation against the  dollar  as it exchanged for N345 to a dollar in the parallel market. This represents N20 depreciation when compared with the closing exchange rate of N325 […]

‘’There is nowhere in the world where Monetary Authorities fund Bureaus De Change (BDCs) directly with foreign exchange. The predominant patrons of Nigeria’s BDCs are predominantly, smugglers of unauthorised items, treasury looters, and others who […]

Just how did we get here? How did we get to a situation where our annual budget proposal would be a mere compilation of figures totally out of sync with society’s needs, circumstance and needs? […]

As events unfold in relation to the 2016 federal budget estimates currently at the National Assembly, it is becoming difficult to separate wild nightmares and dreams from reality. The budgeting process has degenerated to a […]

The mood inside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is shifting from mistrust to a growing consensus that a decision must be reached on how to end the global oil price rout, Minister […]

President  Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; advisers and ministers still operate in the belief that good intentions and reputations are all you need to run a new government successfully. Buhari, especially, must still be […]

A more optimistic view of the call on residents and companies to pay taxes is for citizens to see this as inevitable return of their sovereignty to them by those who had distracted citizens from […]

It is actually to the credit of the National Assembly that the gross errors of Nigeria’s 2016 Federal budget were spotted and brought to quick light. I have been a critic of the inaction and complicity […]

Why on earth are Jonathan’s appointees sitting pretty as head of critical agencies of state when he knew that their track record during the campaigns and presumed voting pattern during the election point unerringly to […]

EARLY in my career, I was invited to dinner by my Second Republic state governor, Professor Ambrose Alli. I was to share his company at table with two major pillars of my profession, both now […]

ELECTRICITY tariffs have been increased; consumers are complaining and NLC has risen in condemnation of the increase as expected of a grassroots organisation. Their arguments range from wrong timing, fleecing of consumers through estimated billing […]

Dubai is a sight for sore eyes. It is a testimony to how vision and ingenuity can change dross to gold. The change is not only in the tall, glittering buildings or the wide, ten […]

An independent body should be empaneled urgently to take a second look at the claims filed to AMCON as the basis for drawing taxpayers’ money five years ago. This should not take eternity. The true […]

Commercial banks in the country are raking in millions of dollars from a foreign exchange racketeering which has been fuelled by the acute shortage of hard currency in the economy, investigation by the Saturday PUNCH has […]

The dodgy figures did not insert themselves in the budget. Civil servants, who have mined the budget as their “oil block” for years, did it in cahoots with politicians who are desperate to recoup their […]

Yes, matters miscellaneous. This is how our inimitable columnist and teacher of mass communication, Professor Olatunji Dare, would put it if confronted by weighty issues, numerous, compelling and urgent enough, all competing for his attention, […]

It was just about three weeks after I assumed office as Spokesman to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007 when I received a memo from the office of the Permanent Secretary, State House, […]