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Ogun: Our community Now Hotbed of Kidnappings, Killings By Fulani Men- Community Laments

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Dapo Abiodun
Governor Dapo Abiodun

The leaders of thought in Iwoye-Ketu, a border town in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun state has lamented the spate of kidnapping and killings in the area by suspected Fulani criminals.

In a save our soul, SOS, message to the authority, the community leaders and residents said the crime in the area has reached an alarming level in the last few weeks.

The leaders said the security problem could plunge the community into serious crisis, calling on the government to quickly arrest the situation.

According to a statement signed by Chief Semiu Usman-Legitan and Comrade Wale Fadipe, the leaders of the Iwoye-Ketu Development Forum which was made available to journalists on Tuesday, the perpetrators of these heinous crime have shown no regard for human life, adding that the month of August has witnessed significant rise in violence.

The statement said: “In recent months, the situation in Iwoye-Ketu has deteriorated rapidly. Our community has become a hotbed of kidnappings, killings, and other violent acts.

“The perpetrators of these heinous crimes have shown no regard for human life, attacking and hacking our people to death at the slightest provocation.

“The frequency and brutality of these attacks have instilled fear and anxiety among our people.”

Saying “August has been particularly harrowing for the community, with three separate kidnapping incidents reported,” the leaders said the criminals have capitalised on the porous borders in the communities to unleash violence, detailing those that have been victims so far.

“Among the victims of the ongoing violence are Kabiru Ogunrinde, who was killed while assisting police officers at a crime scene, and Eric Adekanmbi, who was brutally murdered while attempting to secure the release of kidnapped victims.”

Edo Governorship: INEC Holds Mock Accreditation As PVC Collection Continues

By
Ayodele Oni
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INEC on Edo Election

By Ayodele Oni

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has announced that collection of voters card by those that newly registered in Edo state will continue till 7th September at all the 192 Wards in Edo State.

National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun who disclosed this in a press statement stated that the exercise was previously slated to end on Tuesday.

He added that “Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) from the recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Edo State would be available for collection at two levels.”

Olumekun said the learning from the lessons of previous collection of PVCs, the Commission has carefully packaged all the PVCs by Poling Units, Wards and LGAs.

“We also produced the collection register, providing details of the voters whose cards were ready for collection and uploaded same to our website.

“We contacted them using the addresses provided at the time of registration. As a result, out of the 184,438 new PVCs available, 125,928 cards were collected by voters representing 68.3% of the total.

“This is the highest percentage of PVCs collected in five days since the Commission introduced the CVR ahead of off-cycle governorship elections in 2015.

“A detailed breakdown of the collection by LGAs has been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information.

“Meanwhile, the collection will resume in our 18 LGA offices in Edo State from tomorrow Wednesday 28th August 2024 and end on Sunday 8th September 2024.”

Olumekun appealed to the remaining voters to pick up their PVCs in person from the LGA offices, reiterating the policy that no cards will be collected by proxy.

In another development, INEC said that it will hold mock accreditation of voters ahead of Edo State governorship election scheduled to hold on September 21, 2024.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement Tuesday, revealed that the mock accreditation would hold on September 10, 2024.

He said: “In continuation of preparations for the Edo State governorship election holding on Saturday, 21st September, 2024, the commission is test running the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and result upload to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal for the election using live voters in select locations in the state.

“For this purpose, the commission has designated 12 polling units across six local government areas (LGAs) covering the three senatorial districts of the state as centres for the mock accreditation.”

Anambra: Why I Haven’t Borrowed In 3yrs-Soludo

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Charles Soludo - Governor of Anambra State
Charles Soludo - Governor of Anambra State

Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has denied report that the state is planning to borrow N245 billion to finance the 2024 Budget.

The governor said the report is false, and should be disregarded.

The state’s helmsman made the remark while answering questions from journalist after his statewide broadcast to mark the state 33 years of statehood.

Recall that the state house of Assembly had in 2022 approved N100 billion for the state government to borrow. But Governor Soludo said the fund has not been borrowed because there is no need for it yet.

According to the former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor borrowing is not a wrong thing to do by a government, but the state has not borrowed since he came to office three years ago because the need has not arose yet.

He explained further that despite the N121 billion deficit in the 2024 Budget the state has not borrowed to fill the gap, adding that “we have been working on projects, on programmes that will be bankable.”

Soludo said, “The news that I want to borrow N245 billion to fund the 2024 budget is fake news. I have tried to find out from the rest of my team where that was coming from and to know if there is any such plans that I’m not aware of. So, it is certainly fake news.

“Let’s be clear, and I want to make some points about borrowing. I have a view about borrowing. Every enterprise, be it private, government or whatever that wants to scale up their activities will look at the cost of funds, the opportunity and the time value of those money and it can make sense.

“You can borrow today to provide goods and services and tomorrow the economy will generate enough resources to pay back. So, borrowing in itself is not a bad idea. Every prosperous country that ever developed and grown big lived on some form of debt or another.

“So borrowing is not a negative word, but this administration under my watch, we have a particular view about borrowing and we have very narrow stringent criteria for borrowing. We are not just going to borrow just to finance this or finance that.

“In 2022, the House of Assembly, when we had our supplementary budget, actually approved for us to borrow N100 billion. To this moment, we haven’t borrowed a kobo out of that. Last year 2023, we had deficit in our budget, about ninety something billion.

“This year, we have a budget deficit of about N121 billion and until this moment we have not borrowed one kobo of that. The reason is that we have been working on projects, on programmes that will be bankable. We are insisting that we borrow for bankable projects, for projects that will create and add value.

“So far we are working on some major infrastructural projects that will generate resource payback. The moment we are ready for that, that is when we will gladly and proudly approach the market to be able to scale up our transformational trajectory,” the governor said.

George Moghalu, Former NIWA Boss, Dumps APC

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Chief George Moghalu
Chief George Moghalu

By Adesina Soyooye

Chief George Moghalu, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC has resigned from the Party.

Moghalu was a foundation member of APC, a Party he joined from the People’s Democratic Party.

In his chequered political life, he had attempted a couple of terms to be the Governor of Anambra State,  but none materialized.

However, he had, also, held high profile positions under the APC Government.

For instance, he was a former National Auditor of the Party. And, until recently, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA.

It is not known why he formally resigned from the Party on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, but he had not been comfortable in, and with the Party since the last Governorship Primary Election in the State when he felt he was short- changed.

In his resignation letter addressed to  the Chairman,  Uruagu Ward 1 Nnewi North Local Government Area Anambra State, which he made available to the Media on Tuesday, he wished the APC well.

A copy of the letter titled Resignation of Membership of the APC, was also forwarded to his State and Local Government Chairmen.

He did not give an inkling in the letter where he would next be headed to,  but he cited personal reasons for his decision to resign from the APC.

Moghalu: “I bring you the good wishes of my dear family and wish to formally notify you of my decision to resign my membership of the APC with effect from today, 26 August 2024.

“Please accept this as my personal decision. It is my utmost desire and expectation that we will continue to maintain the cordial relationship that we have built together over the years.

“I wish you and all the members of the party the very best. Please accept, as always, the assurance of my best regards.”

Aged 62 years, Moghalu is from Nnewi, Anambra State. Not a few people expected that with the passing of Senator  Ifeanyi Ubah, he would  contest for the Senatorial seat of Anambra South which has now become vacant. But, perhaps, he has become tired of trying.

Osun@33: Gov Adeleke Tasks Indigenes On Development

By
Ayodele Oni
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Ademola Adeleke - Osun State Governor
Governor Ademola Adeleke

By Ayodele Oni

Osun state Governor, Ademola Adeleke has charged the people of the state to remain focus and be steadfast in the development of the state.

In a state wide broadcast to mark 33 years of creation of the state, the governor lauded the forefathers that fought for the creation of the state for their relentless efforts.

He stated that “My fellow citizens, as we mark this 33rd anniversary, let us renew our pledge to contribute to the development of our state.

“Let us embrace the values of hard work, integrity, and community that have defined us as a people. Together, we can ensure that the Osun of tomorrow is even greater than the Osun of today.

“As your Governor, I am committed to leading this charge with transparency, dedication, and accountability.

“As we all know that governance is a collective responsibility, I call on all of you—our traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil servants, artisans, farmers, and entrepreneurs—to continue to play your part in the development of our state. Together, we can make Osun a model of excellence and progress.

“Today, let us renew our commitment to the vision that inspired the creation of Osun State. Let us continue to work towards a future where every citizen can thrive, where opportunities abound, and where the legacy of our founding fathers remains strong.

“In the face of challenges, we must remain steadfast. Together, we can overcome any obstacle that stands in our way. Our strength lies in our unity, our diversity, and our shared vision for a prosperous and peaceful Osun State.

“On this 33rd anniversary, I ask that we all take a moment to reflect on the journey so far and to recommit ourselves to the ideals of our founding fathers. Osun State is our home, and it is our collective duty to ensure it continues to thrive.

“Good people of the State, in the 33 years since our state’s creation, we have faced both triumphs and challenges, but we have also made significant strides.

“Our state has grown in leaps and bounds, and we have every reason to be proud of our achievements. From the development of our infrastructure to the empowerment of our youth, from the preservation of our rich cultural heritage to the promotion of peace and security, Osun State has continued to evolve, becoming a model for other states in the Federation.

33 years ago, the dream of a state that could stand tall and independent within the Nigerian federation became a reality. The creation of Osun State in 1991 was not merely a political event, but the fulfillment of the hopes and aspirations of our people.

“It was the result of years of unwavering commitment and sacrifice by those who believed that our unique cultural heritage, resources, and potential deserved recognition and development.”

N70,000 Minimum Wage: Kano Seeks N99b Supplementary Budget

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Abba Yusuf - Governor of Kano State
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 approached the State House of Assembly seeking a N99 billion approval for the remaining part of the 2024 fiscal year.

According to the letter of which was read during plenary by the Speaker, Ismail Falgore, the Governor noted that out of the sum, a total of N33 billion will be used to service personnel cost.

Similarly, N30 billion has been earmarked for capital expenditure, while the sum of N34 billion has been set aside for overhead and administrative purposes.

Governor Yusuf said that his  move is in line with the provisions of sections 122 ( A and B) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

The primary and collected objective for seeking the supplementary budget,  the Governor insisted, is  to executive some priority projects that have the potentials to impact the lives of the people.

In an interactive session with the Media, after the presentation of the  request letter to the State  Lawmakers, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget Matters, Musa Shanono, stated that the total budget of the State for 2024, after adding the supplementary request will come to N 569,559 816, 357.84.

Further breaking down the purposes, the Commissioner informed that a substantial part of the money, under personnel cost, will be dedicated to the payments of the N70,000   minimum wage recently  signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The State is said to be  determined to accord the minimum wage brokered by the umbrella body of the organized workforce – the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, a priority attention.

Shanono,also, stated that part of the supplementary appropriation will be used to consolidate on the infrastructural renewal projects of the state Government, particularly in the health and education sectors.

The State Legislators are  set to give an accelerated consideration to the supplementary appropriation.

“Don’t Visit Your Personal And Administrative Deficits  On Innocent Sokoto Citizens” –  PDP To Gov Aliyu

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Ahmed Aliyu - Sokoto State Governor

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

For allegedly masterminding the circulation of a video clip showing Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu having a torrid time holding down his audience in English Language, at a public function, Shafi’u Umar Tureta, an aide to the immediate past Governor of the State, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, has been arrested by the State police Command.

Also arrested were several other Peoples Democratic Party PDP followers, believed to be working in concert with Tureta. Currently, Tambuwal’s Aide has been remanded in prison custody by a Sokoto State High Court.

They were also said to be  behind the circulation of another viral video that captured guests feting the Governor’s wife with currencies of different hues at her birthday party a few months back.

The Source reports that the video showing the Governor’s wife being sprayed cash, had surfaced in the wake of the controversy sparked by the arrest and subsequent jailing of transgender social media influencer, Bobrisky.

But the PDP has rejected such orchestrated moves by the State police Command. The Party insists that Governor Aliyu is hounding its members.

In a statement issued by the Sokoto State PDP Publicity Secretary, Hassan Sahabi Sannyinawal, the opposition party  admonished the Governor to purge his house of fifth columnists.

According to the statement, the Party stated that information available to it has revealed that Tureta and other PDP members were arrested on the orders of Governor Aliyu.

The Party noted that the  arrested persons are being accused of sharing video clips of the Governor struggling to address his audience in English language at an event  and another showing the Governor’s wife being sprayed cash at her  birthday party .

However, the PDP is of the conviction that the said video clips must have been recorded first  by members of the Governor’s inner circle before finding their way to the public domain.

According to the PDP spokesperson, it is the responsibility of the Governor’s aides to censor the videos and prevent them from being made public.

“Our party supporters and media personnel are not responsible for the Governor’s personal and administrative deficits and shortcomings .

“We advise, therefore, that he should endeavour to deal with his failures in constructive and proactive ways instead of visiting his frustration on innocent citizens.

“The PDP wishes to caution the Sokoto State Government about its fast worsening human rights record occasioned by its notoriety for harassment and assault on dissenting opinion.

“We hereby counsel Governor Ahmed Aliyu to turn his energy towards improving the dismal performance of his regime ,rather than the desperate struggle to stifle freedom of expression in the state”, part of the PDP statement reads.

Local Council Polls: Gov Soludo Seals LP, APGA Offices As APC Shuns Exercise

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Charles Soludo - Governor of Anambra State

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Ahead of the September 28 2024 Local Council Election in Anambra, the State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo, has gone for the broke.

In one fell swoop, the Governor who had earlier promised a level playing ground for all parties in the election, on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, allegedly  directed the sealing of Labour Party, LP, Anambra State head office.

The headquarters of the factional All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, led by Court proclaimed National Chairman Edozie Njoku, was also sealed by a combined team of Security Agents and Government officials.

The Source reports that Chief Njoku had, last month, been declared as the rightful National Chairman of APGA by a Court of Appeal, Abuja.

Subsequently, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC officially recognized him as the authentic leader of the Party.

But Soludo, who is the only Governor  elected on  the party’s platform, has refused to accept  Njoku as APGA National Chairman.

In the last few weeks, the two have been locked in an intractable battle over the screening of  APGA aspirants for the forthcoming Local Council Elections.

While Chief Njoku has insisted on his faction conducting the exercise, Governor Soludo will not tolerate such development.

The APGA headquarters located at the Udoka Estate in Awka, the Anambra State Capital was said to have been sealed in the wee of hours of Tuesday.

Chief Njoku who has  acknowledged the development, however, promised to respond fully after consulting with other party National officers in Abuja.

“It is true. I got the information this morning that the Party Office in Awka has been sealed  by a Government Agency. So, I am consulting with our National officers.

It is after the consultation that we will decide on the next line of action to take”, the APGA National Chairman stated.

But reacting to the development, the LP Secretary in the State, Okoli Akirika, while confirming the sealing of the state Secretariat,  regretted that such a far reaching action was taken without engaging the officials both through notices and/or warning letters.

He informed that some agents of the State Government, in concert with Security Operatives, stormed the party office, ordered everybody in sight out, and sealed it up.

“It is rather unfortunate, bizarre and brazen that the Anambra state Government is fruitlessly seeking to truncate statutorily emplaced procedure for the selection of Local Government Chairmen and Councilors in the deviously convoluted Council election, is now mindlessly resorting to underhand, illegal and obnoxious intimidation.

“While appealing to the teeming Labour Party members, supporters, sympathisers, stakeholders and Ndi Anambra in general to remain calm, the State Leadership of our great Party shall, as law abiding Anambrarians have recourse to due process to contain and checkmate this unprovoked and untrammeled illegality” the LP stated.

In the main, the state Government has continued to claim ignorance of the fate that befell the two opposition parties.

Dr Obi Ogbolu, Governor Soludo’s Aide on Political Matters, while speaking emphatically denied any knowledge about any sealed Party offices.

“Iam not aware of any attempt to seal party offices in the state, except that someone called to complain that they have been asked to leave their office.

“When asked where I was told at the Udoka Estate,  on enquiry, the Housing Development Corporation said that before now, it had served warning notices to the landlord concerning the conversion of the place to commercial purposes without official approval.

In essence, the Housing Development Corporation said the residential building was converted to commercial purposes. But I am not aware that the place is a party Secretariat”, Ogbolu noted.

The Source further reports that the All Progressive Congress, APC, last week, served notice of its imminent boycott of the Local Council Elections, citing lack of sincerity on the part of Governor Soludo’s administration as a major reason.

The Party had maintained that, it has no  intentions to confer legitimacy on an exercise primed to be mired by manipulations.

The Council polls is coming over a decade since the last exercise was conducted in 2014 under the administration of Peter Obi.

Former Governor Willie Obiano ran the Councils throughout his eight years with appointed  Caretaker Officials.

Governor Sulodo, before now, had maintained the tradition.

NEMA Receives Deported Nigerians From Libya

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

The National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), has announced the repatriation of a new batch of 171 Nigerians from Libya.

NEMA said the returnees were received on Tuesday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Cargo Terminal, Ikeja, Lagos.

The agency, on its X handle explained that the returnees were brought into the country on a Al-Buraq aircraft Boeing 737-500 with registration no: 5A-DMG.

According to the agency, “The repatriated Nigerians are 41 female adults, 115 male adults, one female child, six male children, four female infants and four male infants. No medical case was recorded.

“The NEMA Lagos Territorial Office LTO officers along with other stakeholders such as Nigeria Immigration Service, (IOM), Port Health, Federal Airport Authority(FAAN), NAPTIP and NCFRMI, were on ground to provide basic humanitarian support for the returnees upon their arrival.

“In addition to the reception given, the returnees are expected to undergo basic business skill training, counseling and necessary medical assistance at the Transit Camp in Lagos as part of the reintegration programme before their release to their various destinations by IOM.

“Those That Want To Truncate Civil Rule Have Not Experienced Military Regime – COAS, Lagbaja

By
Ayodele Oni
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Lt General Taoheed Lagbaja

By Ayodele Oni

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, has observed that those calling on the military to take over governance in Nigeria have never experienced undemocratic government.

The COAS re affirmed that the Nigerian Army will resist all calls for undemocratic intervention in governance by the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

He declared that “Thanks, But No Thanks” the Nigerian Army will not allow itself to be use to undemocratically sail some interests to power and not poised to lose the new prestige it has painstakingly built in the past 25 years.”

General Lagbaja stated this during his opening remarks at the opening ceremony of the Chief of Army Staff combined second and third quarters conference 2024, on Tuesday,  at Akwa Ibom State Council of Chiefs Hall, Uyo.

General Lagbaja while reacting to pertinent issue that came up during the recent August 1–10 End Bad Governance Protest said the call was coming from young Nigerians who never experienced the Nigeria extensive military rule and the converted struggles by heroes and heroines of the current democratic dispensation to get the nation on its current part.

“As the Service that received the most image bashing as a fallout of previous military interventions in Nigeria, the Nigerian Army remains secure, and united.

“The Nigerian Army remains resolute in sustaining the ongoing efforts to ensure maximum revenue accrues to the Federal Government for the benefit of the generality of Nigerians.”

He noted that since the Nigerian Army’s senior hierarchy last met in April for the First Quarter Conference, the country has witnessed a new set of security challenges.

“Aside from the known threats of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, illegal mining, and farmer/herder crises, the recent protests in the Country, which were primarily driven by discontent over economic issues and government policies, resulted in significant unrest and, in some cases, violence.

“This situation reminded us that, as an Armed Force, we must not only focus on physical security and defence of the nation, but that food and social security issues can snowball into physical security challenges.

“Aside from the known threats of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, illegal mining, and farmer/herder crises, the recent protests in the Country, which were primarily driven by discontent over economic issues and government policies, resulted in significant unrest and, in some cases, violence.

“This situation reminded us that, as an Armed Force, we must not only focus on physical security and defence of the nation but that food and social security issues can snowball into physical security challenges.

“The protest that was held between 1 and 10 August this year was largely driven by provocative and inciting social media traffic. Although it was professionally managed by the Nigeria Police Force supported by the military and other security agencies. The challenge that it posed is a pointer to the fact that the military must always remain professional.

“It is obvious that some of the protest organisers hold contrary opinions from the government on how the security forces managed the situation.

“However, I believe it was carefully handled, and I commend our commanders and troops for conducting themselves in the most professional manner as they worked with the Nigeria Police and civil authorities to effectively control the situation.”. He continued.

Lt. Lagbaja, however, expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives and the destruction of public facilities, as well as looting witnessed in some states.

He mentioned that investigations are instituted into the actions of both the protesters and security forces, even as he condoled with the families and loved ones of those who tragically lost their lives during the protests.

He stressed that as a creation of the Nigerian Constitution, the Nigerian Army recognizes citizens’ right to air their grievances but believes such should only occur within the confines of the law.

“Evidently, the situation that led to the protest seems to have settled, but the Nigerian Army understands that the issue of food security will remain on the front burner of our national security policy and discussions for a while.”

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