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National Politics: “Any Igbo Man Fighting Tinubu Is Selfish, We’re Praying For Him”

By
James Orji
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Bola Ahmed Tinubu - President

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Anambra state, Modestus Umenzekwe, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown that he loves Igbo living in South east Nigeria.

Umenzekwe’s remark comes amidst suggestions in the region that they are being marginalized, a situation analysts insist has fueled serious agitation among its people who are craving for inclusion.

The president, the APC however noted, has demonstrated his government’s inclusiveness by appointing some prominent Igbo sons and daughters into leadership positions in his government.

According to the APC chieftain, the president has further demonstrated that he is a detribalized Nigerian who has priotise infrastructural development in the south east, apart from appointing Dave Umahi, a former Governor of Ebonyi as the Minister of Works, a position Igbo man has not held for “50 years”.

For priotising the interest of Igbo, the politician said the people of south east should be eternally grateful to President Tinubu.

He said: “Any Igbo man fighting Tinubu’s government, I believe, must be doing it from ‘selfish’ perspective and that is why majority of Igbo have continued to pray for him.

“You can see that the narrative has changed, God will give Tinubu long life to redirect this country. The signs have started showing. The challenges are much, but we shall conquer.”

Sultan Of Sokoto: Muslims Will Resist His Deposition, MURIC Warns Gov

By
James Orji
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Abubakar Sa’ad III - Sultan of Sokoto
Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III: Sultan of Sokoto

Islamic Group, MURIC, has warned the Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu, not to contemplate the deposition of the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad III.

In a statement issued on Monday, June 24, by MURIC’s  Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, the Islamic rights body said there was rumour that the Governor was planning to depose the Traditional Ruler, who is also the Spiritual Leader of Muslims in the country.

Recall that Governor Aliyu had, in April, 2024, deposed 15 Traditional Rulers in the State over one reason or the other.

MURIC, however, urged the Governor to bury the thought of deposing the Sultan same way he removed other Traditional Rulers, warning that Nigerian Muslims will not sit and watch the Sultan  removed.

The Group urged the Governor to “look before he leaps” before removing Sultan Abubakar from his stool.

Prof Ishaq said, “MURIC advises the Governor of look before he leaps. The Sultan’s stool is not only traditional. It is also religious. In the same vein, his jurisdiction goes beyond Sokoto. It covers the whole of Nigeria. He is the spiritual head of all Nigerian Muslims.

“Therefore, any Governor who tampers with the Stool of the Sultan will have Nigerian Muslims to reckon with because the Sultan combines the office of the Sultan of Sokoto and that of the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).

“Governor Ahmed Aliyu should not force Nigerian Muslims to take a drastically revolutionary measure. Having a Traditional Ruler as leader has been a condition Nigerian Muslims accepted a long time ago as a necessary weakness in the structure which they have to live with.

“A Military Governor, Colonel Yakubu Muazu, exposed this soft underbelly when he deposed Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki on 20th April, 1996. Nigerian Muslims will be forced to make a hard decision if Sokoto Governors continue to diminish the authority of the Sultan.

“For the avoidance of any doubts, Sultan Muhammad Sa’d Abubakar is not only the Sultan of Sokoto but the Sultan of the Nigerian people. His performance and style of leadership have warmed him into the hearts of Nigerians.

“Nigerian Muslims, North and South of the country, may be constrained to pick Islamic scholars only as President General of the NSCIA and overall leader of Nigerian Muslims. It will be farewell to the leadership of Traditional Rulers over the NSCIA and an irreversible departure from Sokoto’s priviledged leadership position. But history will not be kind to Colonel Yakubu Muazu and Ahmed Aliyu for ruining the chances of Sokoto.

“That will make it impossible for any Governor to harass or intimidate the leader of Nigerian Muslims. The power and influence of Governors over Traditional Rulers have become absolute and totalitarian in recent times. Nigerian Muslims must be given space to breathe some air of freedom like all other associations.

“Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, the third time is enemy action. If the deposition of a Sultan and NSCIA leader happens a second time, Nigerian Muslims will not allow the embarrassment to happen a third time.

“MURIC reiterates its call on the Sokoto State House of Assembly to either repeal or review the State ’s Chieftaincy laws by adding the phrase ‘except the Sultan of Sokoto’ to Section 6, Cap 26 of the Laws of Northern Nigeria which empowers the state governor to depose the emirs including the Sultan.”

The body called for immunity for the Sultan because of the important position he occupies, saying prominent Northerners and the State House of Assembly must rise up to the occasion.

He said, “We urge Northern elites and Islamic scholars based in the North to intervene before it is too late. This is the time to lobby the Sokoto State House of Assembly and the Governor himself. If the Chieftaincy Laws of Kano State can be repealed within 24 hours, nothing stops that of Sokoto State from being reviewed in favour of immunity for the office of the Sultan in a single day to save Nigerian Muslims from humongous embarrassment.

“It is arbitrary, irrational and condescending for a state governor to possess the power to dethrone the Leader of all Muslims in Nigeria when even an ordinary Chairman of a Local Government cannot sack the Presidential of a Campus Students Union. It is unacceptable. Enough is enough.

“In the same manner, it is tactless, reckless, myopic and senselessly audacious for any Governor of Sokoto State who has the power to remove the Sultan of Sokoto and Head of all Nigerian Muslims to actually use that power. Well, once bitten, twice shy. Nigerian Muslims travelled this road once, under Military Rule. We will not ply the same road again.”

NAF Mourns Its 15-Year Old Student Killed By Senior Students

By
The Source
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Blaise Felix Aliy - NAF Student Killed

By Gideon Njoku

When 15 year old Blaise Felix Aliyu got an admission  to the Air Force Comprehensive School Kaduna, he felt that the sun was beginning to rise for him. It was more so when his twin brother was also admitted. Orphaned  early in life, they felt they could find some comfort in a school environment, with their age mates and senior colleagues to keep them company and guide them. Perhaps, they even had the dreams of becoming Air Force Officers in future.

But the joy has turned into sorrow. It has ended in tragedy. For, on June 19, 2024, the young Aliyu was tortured to death by two senior students. His killers are said to be SS3 students.

As he lies dead in a cold morgue, his twin brother is left confused, alone, and heartbroken. Heartbroken, too, is the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar who has ordered a comprehensive investigation.

Aliyu’s end began when the two SS3 students invited him to their room. Not suspecting that was the last he would be alive, he went to answer them. Nobody exactly knows, for now, what transpired, or what he did wrong, but they began to punish him. In the process of the harrowing punishment, they killed him.

Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabwet, Spokesperson for NAF, in a statement, expressed deep sorrow over Aliyu’s tragic end.

In the statement, he said the Chief of the Air Staff and the entire Officers and men of NAF are pained and sad over the inexplicable tragedy.  He said an investigation has started to unravel exactly what happened.

Reads part of the statement: “The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, and indeed the entire NAF family, are saddened by the painful and unfortunate incident of the untimely death of our students at Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna on June 19, 2024.

“To avoid all speculations, a thorough investigation is ongoing to unravel how, why, and what actually led to the death of the  victim. Rest assured that this matter is receiving the utmost urgency it deserves, and we won’t rest until it is unraveled.”

A concerned parent who pleaded anonymity because  his son is a student in the school wondered how such atrocity could be committed without attracting the attention of other students and/or staff. He worried too about the deceased’s twin brother who is still in the school. “Where was the Hostel Master or there was none?”, he lamented.

His suggestion: An immediate expulsion and prosecution of the two students involved.

POMR Commends Tinubu For Emulating  Obi in The Boreholes Projects

By
The Source
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Peter Obi and Bola Tinubu

The office of the Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR has commended and thanked President Bola  Tinubu for harkening to the call of its Principal, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi to wealthy Nigerians to join him in ensuring the provision of boreholes across the country for the downtrodden in our midst.

Obi embarked on the project after witnessing what many Nigerians go through trying to get basic needs like drinking water. He had already installed some Boreholes as a short time solution in some Northern states of Nasarawa, Bauchi, Kano, Zaria, Kebbi, Suleja Niger State and Sokoto where the situation is acute.

At the special anniversary of the death of his mother, Alhaja Abibatu Magaji in Abuja at the weekend, the President announced a nationwide project to construct 400 boreholes as a continuation of charity in the late mother’s memory.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its Spokesperson, Yunusa Tanko, the POMR commended what it described as “this spirit of charity from the President as it’s in line with our principal’s desire to attend to the poor in our midst.

“POMR would like to advise that this new line of thinking from the President should be reflected in the government projects which at the moment are not addressing the yearnings of the poor in our midst.

“It remains shameful that in a nation where millions have no access to clean drinking water, millions of children are out of school and have no access to decent healthcare with millions of youths out of jobs, yet the government is placing priority on bogus projects like coastal highway, mansions, flyovers and buying of jets etc as a priority.

“The President’s new spirit of charity if it continues will help in pulling many Nigerians out of poverty if it’s diversified.”

Obi Never Commented On The National Anthem – POMR

By
The Source
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Peter Obi
Peter Obi

The Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR has said that its attention has been drawn to a news story circulating in social media that the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has been among “the detractors” who have been vocal against the expenditure on the new National Anthem.

The news story, POMR said,  claimed that the sum of N814b was spent on the National Anthem by the Federal Government and that it has attracted criticism from Nigerians including Peter Obi.

But POMR says  nothing could be further from the threat as its Principal never made such a comment.

In a statement issued Sunday by its Spokesperson, Yunusa Tanko, POMR said:

“POMR wishes to state clearly that while Peter Obi has been a critic of wasteful spending of public funds, he has not said a word directly or indirectly on the new national anthem.

“Most of OBI’s statements are based on verifiable facts and he never embarked on frivolous remarks.

POMR has been made aware of some hirelings whose assignment is to push out funny statements and attribute them to Obi to finally discredit his laudable opinions on national issues.

“We, therefore, wish to alert the general public especially media houses to be wary and watch out for such induced materials. Peter OBI’s media office can always be reached for any clarifications.”

Nigeria Moves To Boost Value Of Naira, Launches Gold Purchase Programme

By
Ayodele Oni
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President Bola Tinubu and Dele Alake

By Ayodele Oni

In a bid to shore up Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and boost value of the Naira, the minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, has announced a National Gold Purchase programme.

The Minister, while presenting the new Gold initiative to President Bola Tinubu, stated that it has met the London Bullion Market Association Good Delivery Standard and will soon be sold to the Central Bank of Nigeria to strengthen our foreign reserves.

“Recently, I had the honor of presenting the latest gold bars to HE President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The bars were sourced from artisanal and small gold miners and refined by an agency of our Ministry, the Solid Minerals Development Fund.

“They have met the London Bullion Market Association Good Delivery Standard and will soon be sold to the Central Bank of Nigeria to strengthen our foreign reserves.

“This marks the first commercial transaction under the National Gold Purchase Programme (NGPP), which is a centralized offtake scheme supported by a decentralized aggregation and production network of artisanal and small-scale miners and cooperatives.

“Furthermore, I am proud to announce that this first commercial transaction has resulted in a substantial increase of over US$5 million in Nigeria’s foreign reserves assets, the refinement of over 70 kilograms of gold to the London Bullion Market Good Delivery Standard, and the successful aggregation of locally mined gold, injecting around NGN6 billion into the rural economy.”

Ekiti Announces Free Surgery For Residents

By
Ayodele Oni
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Biodun Oyebanji

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Government has announced free surgery for residents.

The State’s Health Commissioner, Dr Oyebanji Filani, in a statement on Sunday, explained that the  comprehensive free surgical mission is aimed at providing essential surgical care to residents of the State.

“This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to improve healthcare accessibility and outcomes for the people of Ekiti State.

“The Free Surgical Mission, which will be conducted across various healthcare facilities in the State, will cater to a wide range of surgical needs, including but not limited to:

“Caesarian Section, Hernia repairs, Appendectomies, Cataract surgeries, Lump and Fibroid Removal, Hydrocele (IPA) as well

other minor and major surgical procedures.”

He added that  “The initiative is designed to ensure that all residents, particularly those who are underserved and financially disadvantaged, have access to necessary surgical interventions without the burden of cost.”

According to the Commissioner, “Key Objectives of the Free Surgical Mission include: enhance Healthcare Access; Providing free surgical services to residents who might otherwise be unable to afford such care and improved Health Outcomes:

Others are “Addressing surgical conditions that can significantly impact quality of life and overall health; Reduce healthcare  Disparities; Ensuring equitable healthcare delivery across all socioeconomic groups within Ekiti State.”

Giving further details, Dr Filani added that enrollment is currently ongoing at primary health care facilities in all wards across the state.

“To enroll, you will need to provide your NIN and a passport photograph, while the surgeries will be performed at selected hospitals equipped with the necessary facilities and personnel to ensure safe and effective outcomes.”

Bayero vs Sanusi: Group Slams Gov Yusuf For Earmarking  N100 Million  For Palace Demolition, Renovation

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Abba Kabir Yusuf and Aminu Bayero and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

An Advocacy Group, War Against Injustice, WAI, has described as unacceptable and a misappropriation of funds, Kano State Government’s allocation of about N100 million for the purported renovation of the Nasarawa Mini-Palace.

Kano state Government- dethroned Emir Aminu Ado Bayero is presently holding forte at the mini-Palace. His fellow contender to the Kano Emirate Royal Stool, Emir Muhammad Sanusi, is holding forte at the City Palace.

But on Thursday, June 20, the Kano State Government in the wake of the verdict by a Federal High Court Kano nullifying the processes that led to the reinstallation of Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano, announced its plans to demolish and renovate some sections of the mini-Palace .

It also directed the State Police Command to evict  Emir Bayero from the Palace to free it for the renovation efforts.

The Police has since ignored the directives, citing a subsisting court process over the issue as reason.

But rising from an Executive Council Meeting on Saturday June 22, the State Commissioner for Information, Halilu Dantiye, informed that the Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf led administration has approved N99.9 million for the renovation exercise.

He said that the amount is what will be needed to put in to shape defective parts of the palace wall ,other dilapidated sections  and surroundings.

However, in a statement on Sunday, the WAI  knocked the Kano State Government for embarking on such an elephant project at a time the people are reeling under heavy economic difficulties.

Comrade Umar Ibrahim, Executive Director, WAI emphasized that rather than waste scarce resources on unviable projects, Governor Yusuf should prioritize the wellbeing of the suffering   citizens and residents of the State.

He urged the Kano State Government to, as a matter of urgency, re-route the amount to the provision of basic amenities for the common people.

The Source reports that following the eviction order, the second in the series, and the expression of intent to demolish and renovate by the Kano State authorities, Security Agencies have enhanced security arrangements at the mini-palace in an obvious readiness to thwart the efforts.

Muhammad Hussaini Gumel, the Kano State Commissioner of Police had on Friday June 21 insisted that the Kano State Government eviction order, if implemented, will be prejudicial to an ongoing litigation in that regard.

It will be recalled that following the return to Kano on May 25, after his purported deposition and subsequent 48-hour dateline to vacate the Palace, on May 23, Governor Yusuf had ordered the arrest and detention of Emir Bayero.

Although security agencies shunned the order, Emir Bayero, however, instituted a legal challenge at a Federal High Court .

Only last Friday, June 14, Justice  Simon Amobeda, while ruling on the application, slammed a-N10 million damages against the State Government for infringing on Emir Bayero’s fundamental rights.

The State Government has since appealed against the ruling.

Cholera Outbreak: FG Urged To Deploy Vaccines To Schools As Death Toll Rises

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Cholera Outbreak in Lagos

By Akinwale Kasali

A call has gone to the Federal Government to make Vaccines available in Schools around the country to curtail the spread of Cholera.

The outbreak is having a heavy toll on Lagos State as 24 deaths has been recorded, with 35 confirmed cases and 417 suspected cases across the State as of Friday, July 21, 2024.

Experts are of the opinion that the outbreak is not just a national concern but a local fight for survival, particularly in areas where access to clean water and proper sanitation remains a luxury.

A situation report issued by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, last Friday (EPI Week 25), as of 19th of June, 2024, revealed that the outbreak has swept across the 20 LGAs.

While the highest outbreak occurred in Ajeromi, Kosofe, Epe, Ikorodu, Alimosho and Eti-Osa LGAs, as of 10th of June, 2024, the Commissioner said there is the need to adhere strictly to personal and environmental hygiene to stay safe from infection risk.

However, in what seems like an attack on cholera in countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced a resurgence of cholera worldwide.

The FG is being urged to provide a vaccine that would be used in Schools for children to curb the situation.

Aside Lagos State, other States in the country that has high casualties  include: Oyo, Kano, Ondo and Ekiti States.

Ekiti: Governor Oyebanji Charges Writers To Promote Social Justice

By
Ayodele Oni
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Biodun Oyebanji - Ekiti State Governor

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has called on members of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) to use their platforms to promote social justice, truth and unity through constructive dialogue that can positively change the nation’s social and political narratives.

Governor Oyebanji made the call in Abuja on Saturday at the June edition of Abuja ANA’s Reading and Writers’ Dialogue which  featured former Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi as Guest Writer.

The governor acknowledged the pivotal role of the association in driving social and political change for a better society.

Highlighting the importance of literature and the Arts in shaping public opinion and fostering societal progress, Governor Oyebanji commended the association for its contribution to the country’s intellectual and cultural development.

Governor Oyebanji expressed optimism that with continued efforts from the association and support from various stakeholders, Nigeria literature would continue to thrive and contribute significantly to the nation’s development.

The Governor assured the Association that his administration would continue to collaborate, support and provide a conducive environment for literary activities in Ekiti State as well as promoting reading culture among the youth.

“I thank ANA for the honour done to us in Ekiti State, because what you have done to Erelu Fayemi is an honour done to Ekiti people and as I sat down there, I just engaged in a conversation with myself that this is a conference of established writers.

“If people spend so much resources and effort to write, we must ensure that those works don’t go unnoticed but supported to lead to a better society in a country where people’s reading culture is going into extinction.

“I can imagine Dr Kayode Fayemi sitting down here, reading from most of those books he wrote as Governor of Ekiti State with respect to policy and advocacy.

“I am sure that if he is seated here, most former Governors, many Governors, Ministers will be here.

“We have ANA members in the National Assembly, bring them here let them invite their members because people are so busy but once one of them is involved they will be here, so collectively we can navigate towards a better society that we all dream of.”

Earlier in her keynote address, the former First Lady of Ekiti State and Guest Writer, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who shared some insights into her motivations for writing and the impact of writing on her life, said her identity as a writer brings her immense peace and satisfaction.

Erelu Fayemi  said she writes to change the narrative, challenge preconceived notions and stereotypes, to get justice against discrimination, amplifying the voice of the unheard and advocating for systemic change, and a better society.

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