Presidency Monday rose in defence of Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff, CoS to President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that he never used the funds of the Nigeria High Commission in London to pay his medical bills during a recent visit for emergency medical treatment.

West African leaders announced Monday they would return to Gambia to persuade President Yahya Jammeh to step down, as the strongman was left looking increasingly isolated at home and abroad.

EDO State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki presented a budget proposal of N150,011,831,079 for the 2017 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly for its consideration. While presenting the budget, the governor explained that the administration would maintain a balance of capital to recurrent expenditure (50%: 50%) in line with his administration’s plan to spend its way out of recession.

THE Federal Government on Friday, December 30, 2016, began the first phase disbursement of its promised N5,000 monthly stipends to the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians. The pilot scheme which took off in nine States across the country is being paid to one million Nigerians out of the 25 million expected beneficiaries.

The Naira on Monday appreciated at the parallel market after about two weeks of posting losses, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.