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Photos: Wike Leads Rivers’ Leaders To London On Condolence Visit To Mpigi’s Family, Says; “He’s A Dependable Ally”
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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described the death of the senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Barinada Mpigi, as a loss, not only to the Ogoni people of Rivers State, but to the entire country, describing the late Senator as “a dependable ally who stood by his friends, even during trying times.”
Senator Mpigi died at 64, last week Thursday, after a brief illness.
In a statement in London on Thursday, by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the FCT Minister, who led the delegation of Rivers State leaders on Thursday, to visit the wife of Senator Mpigi, Mrs. Patricia Obiageri Mpigi, and her children, promised to stand by the family and ensure a befitting burial for the deceased.
The Minister was accompanied by his two sons, Jordan and Joaquin, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, Senators Magnus Abe, Allwell Onyesoh and Olaka Nwogu, as well as Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Aaron Chukwuemeka, Felix Nweke, Kenneth Chikere and Hon. Dum Deekor.
Condoling with Senator Mpigi’s wife and children, Wike said;
“We are here as a delegation sent by the leader of Rivers State. Actually Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, Chief OCJ Okocha and Sergeant Awuse would have come, but considering their age, they couldn’t. We were asked to come and see you before you return home.
“I don’t know where to start from, but one thing that is key is that all of us know that certainly, a day would come that we will go and meet our maker. But when it will be, nobody knows.
“I do know that your husband has tried. He really was very strong to overcome whatever was the problem. And you too as a very strong woman, gave him the necessary support.
“You know how close all of us were to your husband, particularly myself. I was council chairman with your husband, and we have been together. Your husband was a strong pillar in the politics of Rivers State.
“There is nobody among us that does not know the impact of Barinada Mpigi. When he says he is your friend, he is your friend. If Bari says he is not going to work with you, you don’t need to go and ask anyone whether he will change his mind. He stands with his friends through thick and thin. It is very unfortunate that this is the period we really need your husband to be around. But we can’t question God.
“I had thought that he would overcome it, but God knows better. There is nothing we can say today that can bring Bari back. In fact, I was telling one of our friends that the day we will know that Bari is no longer with us is when he will be lowered. Up till now, some of us are still having that belief that anything can happen.
“God gives, God takes. I believe that He will give all of you the strength, just as we pray that God will also give us the strength to bear this irreparable loss, which is not only to the Ogoni people, Rivers State, but to Nigeria as a whole.”
Promising to stand by the family, the Minister, in an emotion-laden tone said, “We will play our own part. We will not forget Bari.
Like I have said, it is our own loss, we will be there with you. We will play our roles to ensure that he is accorded a befitting burial.
“On behalf of the leaders of Rivers State, we say take heart and remain strong.”
Responding, wife of the deceased, Patricia Mpigi, thanked the Minister for always standing by the family, saying “I thank you for your presence and support. All I can say is thank you. Thank you for all you have done.”
The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) says transportation fares are expected to decrease nationwide from October 1.
This was stated in a communique issued Thursday at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting to review readiness and progress in implementing affordable CNG and electric vehicle transportation.
The stakeholders’ engagement, convened by Pi-CNG & EV, brought together representatives of state governments, including transport commissioners in various states.
“Several states are already making progress towards meeting the federal government’s target through the deployment of CNG and electric mobility solutions,” the communique stated.
Reports from various states captured in the communique showed that several states had deployed CNG and electric buses, tricycles, motorcycles, conversion centres, refuelling facilities, and charging infrastructure.
It also showed that commuters using supported clean mobility services in some states were already paying fares significantly lower than prevailing rates.
The communique said that Niger, for instance, has procured 200 CNG buses, with 35 already operational, alongside 11 electric vehicle charging stations. It said Abia deployed 40 electric buses and 20 charging stations, with plans to increase its fleet to 100 buses by December.
Some stakeholders met in Abuja to review their readiness and progress in implementing affordable CNG and electric vehicle transportation.
Ismaeel Ahmed, the executive chairman of Pi-CNG & EV, said the engagement would focus on addressing infrastructure gaps in states where CNG and electric vehicles were already available but needed additional refuelling, charging, and conversion facilities.
Mr Ahmed said that states agreed to identify their busiest transport corridors and provide relevant data to guide the deployment of additional CNG infrastructure. They are also expected to submit three priority interventions that can realistically be delivered in line with the October 1 target.
Each state is to establish an implementation team comprising officials from the transport, energy and related sectors to work directly with Pi-CNG & EV. The initiative will assign coordinators to facilitate implementation and monitor progress at the state level.
“Private-sector participation will also be prioritised, with state investment promotion agencies expected to work towards a common framework for attracting investments into CNG and EV infrastructure.
“The engagement is to ensure that the lower operating costs of CNG and electric mobility translate into actual savings for commuters. The Federal and state governments are working to make affordable public transportation available to more Nigerians,” Mr Ahmed said.
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has began the final phase of its recruitment screening, with shortlisted candidates undergoing documentation, physical fitness assessments and medical screening.
The NCS Spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, who made this known on Thursday, said the screening was being conducted at the service’s Training and Doctrine Command, TRADOC, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Maiwada said the two-week exercise, which commenced on Monday, would run until September 19 and cover shortlisted applicants for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, ASCII, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres.
He said candidates were being screened in batches arranged alphabetically according to their states of origin to prevent congestion and ensure an orderly exercise.
Addressing the candidates, Frank Onyeka, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resource Development, said the service was evaluating character and professional conduct alongside physical fitness.
Onyeka congratulated the candidates for reaching the stage and urged them to comply with the guidelines of the exercise.
He said the candidates should remain orderly and strictly adhere to the guidelines, adding that their attitude, discipline and conduct were critical factors in determining who would ultimately join the service.
He also said the NCS was working closely with the Customs Police and other relevant units within the service to safeguard the integrity of the recruitment process.
Also speaking, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs and Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Dow Gaura, said administrative innovations and inter-agency collaboration had helped streamline the exercise.
Gaura said the activities of the recruitment exercise reflected the policy vision of the Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, which emphasised continuous operational improvement, collaboration and innovation.
He described the process as seamless and hitch-free, noting that it had been conducted without any casualties.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that screening for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs, ASC, cadre ended on Thursday, while evaluations for the Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres would continue until September 19.
The NCS had announced an annual recruitment cycle and released the final list of 3,852 successful candidates for its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise on August 4.
The exercise received 573,680 applications for 3,852 positions, with 1,275 candidates selected for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre.
You can access of exchange rate today below:
Note: The exchange rate changes hourly. It depends on the volume of dollars available and the Demand.
This means…you can buy or sell 1 dollar at a certain rate, and the price can change (high or low) within hours.
The official naira black market exchange rate in Nigeria today, including the Black Market rates, Bureau De Change (BDC), and CBN rates.
The exchange rate fluctuates hourly based on the supply and demand of dollars in the market.
What’s the dollar to naira black market today, 11th September 2026?
The exchange rate for a dollar to naira at Lagos Parallel Market (Black Market) players sell a dollar for ₦1390 and buy at ₦1380 on Friday, 11th September, 2026, according to sources at Bureau De Change (BDC).
Please note that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not recognize the parallel market (black market), as it has directed individuals who want to engage in Forex to approach their respective banks.
Dollar to Naira Black Market Rate Today
Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN) Black Market Exchange Rate Today
Selling Rate ₦1390
Buying Rate ₦1380
Dollar to Naira CBN Rate Today
Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN) CBN Rate Today
Highest Rate ₦1329
Lowest Rate ₦1326.
FG promises to decrease transport fares nationwide from October 1
Customs Starts Final Recruitment Screening Of Candidates
See Black Market Dollar to Naira exchange rate today 11th September, 2026
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