Morning recap: US Visa bond policy, fake agency scandal, 2027 politics dominate top stories

August 3, 2026 8:04 am

Politics, governance, immigration and public policy dominated the headlines as the self-styled Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council denied responsibility for creating the disputed agency and sought to testify before the House of Representatives probe panel.

Meanwhile, the United States made its $20,000 visa bond programme permanent for travellers from Nigeria and 49 other countries.

The Federal Government also barred MDAs from awarding unfunded contracts, the NYSC released fresh orientation camp guidelines for prospective corps members, and fresh cracks emerged within the Obi-Kwankwaso political movement.

Also, the Wike-backed PDP hailed INEC’s listing of its presidential candidate, Canada tightened work permit rules for foreign workers and a PUNCH investigation revealed that over 6,500 Primary Healthcare Centres across Nigeria remain non-functional despite years of funding.

See the top stories here:

Fake agency scandal: Controversial DG fights back, fingers more MDAs

The self-styled Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi, has denied allegations that he solely established the disputed agency, claiming that several Federal Government ministries, departments and agencies acknowledged, processed or engaged with the council.

Adeyemi, who is currently being held by the police, made the assertion in a statement issued on Sunday by his legal team and signed by Festus Akhigbe. He also requested an opportunity to appear before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the council.

According to his lawyers, Adeyemi should be allowed to testify before the Yusuf Gagdi-led panel, arguing that producing a report without hearing his side of the matter would amount to a breach of his constitutional right to fair hearing.

FULL LIST: Nigeria, 49 other countries affected by US `$20,000 visa bond programme

The United States has made its visa bond programme permanent, requiring certain travellers from 50 countries, including Nigeria and 29 other African nations, to pay a refundable $20,000 bond before qualifying for specific categories of U.S. visas.

The U.S. Department of State said the policy applies to applicants seeking B1/B2 business and tourist visas who are instructed by a consular officer to post a bond before their visas can be issued.

According to a federal notice published online on Friday, the programme, which began as a pilot initiative, is intended to strengthen compliance with U.S. immigration laws.

Travellers who comply with the conditions of their visas and leave the United States within the authorised period will have the bond refunded.

NYSC issues guidelines for corps members ahead of orientation camp

The National Youth Service Corps has released new guidelines for prospective corps members ahead of the forthcoming orientation exercise, cautioning them against travelling at night and outlining key registration requirements.

In a notice shared via its X handle on Monday, the scheme advised prospective corps members to make their safety a priority while travelling to their designated orientation camps.

“Prospective Corps Members are advised not to travel at night to the orientation camp,” the NYSC stated.

The scheme also warned that prospective corps members with discrepancies in their graduation dates would not be registered at the orientation camp.

Abandoned projects: Fed Govt bars ministries from awarding unfunded contracts

File photo: Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi

The Federal Government has directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies not to award contracts or undertake financial commitments without obtaining the necessary budgetary approval and cash backing, as part of efforts to strengthen fiscal discipline and ensure compliance with procurement regulations.

The directive is contained in a Federal Treasury Circular dated July 31, 2026, and signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr Shamseldeen Ogunjimi.

The circular, obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, was addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of extra-ministerial departments and agencies, accounting officers and federal pay officers.

Power tussle rocks campaign teams

Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso — File: Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso

A leadership crisis has erupted within the OK Movement, a political support group established to mobilise support for the joint presidential ticket of Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, with rival factions exchanging accusations and laying claim to the organisation’s leadership.

The dispute intensified after the movement announced the appointment of former Inter-Party Advisory Council Chairman, Peter Ameh, as its National Director-General in a statement signed by Jackie Wayas.

2027: INEC listing silences doubters, Wike PDP insists

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the publication of its presidential candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission has ended doubts about its participation in the 2027 presidential election.

The party maintained that those who predicted it would fail to field a candidate had been proved wrong.

It described the inclusion of its presidential candidate, Sandy Onor, and running mate, Babangida Umar, on INEC’s published list as a significant step in its preparations for the 2027 polls.

Canada tightens work permit rules for foreign workers

Canada Flag

Canada has introduced tougher eligibility conditions for foreign nationals applying for reciprocal employment work permits under the C20 exemption by limiting the programme to applicants who are already employed by an overseas company.

According to the Economic Times on Sunday, new guidelines issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on July 29, 2026, require applicants to have an existing employment relationship with a foreign employer before they can qualify for the permit.

Under the revised policy, foreign workers whose employment would only begin after arriving in Canada are no longer eligible under the exemption.

The updated IRCC guideline states: “A foreign national must be currently employed by the company abroad” to qualify for a reciprocal employment work permit.

Despite billions spent, over 6,500 PHCs still non-functional

Despite billions of naira invested over the years by the Federal and state governments to improve Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, no fewer than 6,516 Primary Healthcare Centres nationwide remain non-functional, limiting access to essential healthcare services, particularly for residents of rural communities.

An analysis of data obtained from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency by The PUNCH revealed that Katsina and Osun states recorded the highest number of inactive facilities, while the situation remains particularly severe in insurgency-hit Borno State, where hundreds of PHCs destroyed during the conflict have yet to be reconstructed.

The findings further showed that poor infrastructure, inadequate manpower, insecurity, insufficient funding and poor maintenance continue to hamper efforts to revitalise the country’s primary healthcare system.

Adetutu Sobowale

Adetutu has three years experience in publishing stories on gender, health, education, metro and fact-checking.

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