Home Blog Page 1893

Breaking: FG Announces Completion of 2nd Niger Bridge Amidst Doubts

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0

The Federal government has announced the completion of the Second Niger Bridge 16 years after it was started by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The announcement was made in Abuja by Babatunde Raji Fashola during a press briefing to present the scorecard of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The bridge, one of the cardinal projects of the administration linking the south east with other parts of the country, was not started by the incumbent, but much work has been done on the project since it came to office in 2015.

Meanwhile, the announcement contravenes, last week’s admonition of the government that it has shifted the completion of the bridge to 2024, citing other works that need to be done before it can be put to use.

“The bridge project was expected to be delivered by the end of December 2022, but there is a second phase which is a 3.3km road approach on the Delta side and 7km of approach road on the Anambra side that is yet to commence.

“But the government has deemed it fit that upon completion of the first phase, it will be open to traffic.

“At the Onitsha end, there is an interchange at Oba, where motorists can access the bridge, while at the Asaba end, there is a link road we are constructing to enable travellers to access the bridge from Benin-Onitsha road,” Seyi Martin, Acting Federal Controller of Works in Anambra State, said earlier in the month.

Speaking on the issue, Fashola disclosed that the project has been completed except for some auxiliary works that needs to be done.

The minister said, “I can confirm that the second Niger bridge itself is finished. People can walk through the bridge now unimpeded. What remains is the four-kilometer link road on the Asaba side.

“Right now, our dredger is in place, we have to rebuild the road by reclaiming sand, the recent surge of flood has slowed us down. On the Onitsha side, there is a 7kilometer road that links the bridge and the Onitsha-Owerri interchange.”

The multi-billion-naira 2nd Niger Bridge linking Delta and Anambra states was started by the administration of President Obasanjo on May 24, 2007. His successor, President Goodluck Jonathan continued with the project, and when the incumbent took over the government in 2015 he promised to complete the bridge before the end of his tenure in 2023.

See Candidates Campaigning On Basis Of Ethnicity And Religion As Enemies Of Nigeria – CNPP Tells Electorates

By
The Source
-
0
Chief Willy Ezugwu

Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has counselled political parties to ensure that their candidates are campaigning based on issues during the 2023 electioneering process, urging Nigerian electorates to take candidates resorting to fanning of embers of ethnicity and religion as enemies of the country who have nothing to offer the people.

In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, CNPP said that the recent comment credited to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was a serious breach of the National Peace Accord he recently signed.

The CNPP added that “inciting people of one’s ethnicity or religious extraction against others after signing National Peace Accord with a pledge to commit to campaigns based on their programmes and the capacity to deliver on campaign promises is a national disservice that must be condemned.”

“After watching the video clip and studying the comments made by the PDP presidential candidate, it became clear that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar underplayed the relevance of competence and highly elevated ethnic bigotry to the criteria for determining who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29, 2023.

“Telling Northerners that they need to vote for him rather than a Yoruba or Igbo candidate because he’s a Pan-Nigerian of a northern origin was clear departure from his earlier slogan as a unifier.

“His defence, instead of a simple apology, after saying that “What the average Northerner needs is somebody who’s from the north and also understands that part of the country and has been able to build bridges across the country,” and insisting that “This is what the Northerner needs, it doesn’t need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate, I stand before you as a Pan-Nigerian of northern origin”, is unacceptable. It’s like saying I am black but I stand before you as white, the CNPP said.

“As the umbrella body of registered political parties and political associations in Nigeria, and a committed advocate for the rule of law, transparency in governance and popular participation in the democratic process, the CNPP has a duty to stand at all times with the masses as we have always done.

“In the last seven years of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, the ethno-religious gap in the country has widened and to have an ethnic and religious minded President in 2023 will be worse than the worst known natural disaster ever in Nigeria.

“It is time to bring about national healing as any form of exclusion will take Nigeria back to the kind of life in the stone age.

“Today, life in Nigeria is already poor, nasty, brutish, and short. We cannot afford to go lower as a country as any further descent will spell doom for us as a country and further jeopardize our oneness as Nigerians.

“We therefore urge all political parties to stick to campaign based on issues and the leadership qualities of their candidates, not religion or ethnicity”, the CNPP stated.

2023: Tinubu Will Declare His Assets

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0
Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, will declare his assets after wining the presidential election next year, a chieftain of the party has assured Nigerians.

The Code of Conduct, CCB, makes it mandatory for public officials to obtain a public assets form and declare their their assets as soon as they come to office.

A former lawmaker, Farouk Aliyu gave the assurance on Tuesday while featuring on a Channels Television programme.

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state is believed to be extremely wealthy, and to underscore this point, the APC presidential hopeful had boasted at a time that he’s richer than some states in the country.

The former Lagos Governor’s wealth is shrouded in secrecy, and not a few Nigerians have insisted that he declared his assets, particularly now that he’s aspiring to lead the country as president and commander-in-chief.

 Some have even accused Tinubu of corruption by allegedly cornering the resources of the state through his successor governors which he installed after he left office.

For instance, Tinubu is believed to be the owner of Alpha Beta, a tax consultancy firm in charge of tax collections for the Lagos state government.

But speaking, Aliyu said the APC leader’s sources of income are legitimate, adding that all the probes on the former governor showed that he has nothing to hide.  

Aliyu challenged anyone who has any information on Tinubu to make it public.  

He explained that it’s necessary that those aspiring for public offices declare their assets, assuring that “if he (Tinubu) wins, there would be declarations – he would declare his assets for everybody to see and I assure you that if Tinubu wins the election by the grace of God, he is going to come clean.

“We don’t want anybody to keep it secret. We don’t want anybody to hide,” he said, maintaining that nothing illegal has so far been found on the APC presidential flagbearer.

Nigerian presidents, except the late President Umar Yar’Adua have all refused to declare their assets, citing the relevant laws which do not make it a compulsion for them to do so.

The Guardian while writing in its March 2, 2020 Editorial said the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to make his assets public, even though he had earlier promised to do so, raised serious questions about his integrity as an incorruptible public servant.

“This public image exuded by President Buhari years ago was one of trust. In his seeming frugality and simplicity he tended to have made overtures to the unsuspecting public that he was a man with a high sense of moral probity; one who would not brook any odour of corruption around his sphere of influence. It is this trust, this frugality and supposed uncompromising stance against corruption that well-meaning Nigerians invoke when they assume that Buhari would publicly declare his assets,” the newspaper said.

Killing Of Ijaw Indigene: Tension In Ondo Coastal Area Over Fear Of Reprisal Attack

By
The Source
-
0
Ilajie Community in Ondo State

By Ayodele Oni

Fear of possible reprisal attack may have compel some residents of coastal communities in Ondo state to start relocating from their domains.

The fleeing people, mainly women and children are leaving communities in Ilaje local government, following rumour of possible attack by their neighbouring Ijaws from Ese Odo local government.

The Ijaws are said to be planning to avenge the killing of one of their kinsman by yet to be identified persons.

The state government has however doused the rising tension in the coastal areas assuring the people of adequate protection.

Government, in a statement by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Richard Olatunde, said that “It has come to the knowledge of the Ondo State Government that women and children are leaving some riverine Ilaje communities in droves, owing to certain unfounded rumours about an imminent attack from Ijaw youths to avenge the alleged murder of one of their kinsman from Akpata in Ese-Odo local government.

“The Government condemns in very strong terms, every criminal act that leads to the killing of anyone.

“It is in this regard that security agencies have been directed to get to the root of this alleged crime. Investigations are already on in respect of this development.

“The Government therefore, urges fleeing indigenes and residents, if any, to return to their normal places of abode and continue with their lawful businesses without fear.

“The Governor pray all communities, including those perceived to have been hurt, to refrain from any act in the direction of self-help. Such shall not be tolerated in any manner.

“Government accordingly, appeals to all persons of goodwill, particularly Traditional Rulers as well as Religious Leaders of the affected areas, to rein in their subjects to avoid unnecessary conflict in the relatively peaceful riverine areas of the State.

“Nonetheless, Government is not oblivious of the fact that certain persons, especially politicians, are striving hard to heighten the tension with a view to deriving imaginary political advantages.

“This is not just condemnable. It is criminal and wicked that such acts targeted to deepen disharmony and distrust are being oiled for political gains.

“The good people of both Ilaje and Ese-Odo local government areas are enjoined to be vigilant so as not to be misled by persons who do not mean well for them.”

2023: Northern Youths Reject Atiku As Consensus Candidate

By
James Orji
-
0
The New Northern Initiative for Growth, a group of youths in the north has rejected plan by the Arewa Consultative Forum to announce Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Part, PDP, as it’s candidate for next year’s election.
It has also warned the forum against endorsing any other presidential candidate as its choice.
The group was responding to allegation that the forum has endorsed Atiku, a former vice president as it’s preferred candidate for the crucial election.
Recall that the Presidential candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwakwanso had alleged of plot by the forum to endorse Atiku among other candidates.
Kwakwanso, a former minister of Defense warned that the north will be polarize if the forum went ahead to announce the PDP candidate as its choice.
But the youths said the plan will backfire.
Lawal Sahab, the National President of the group said in Bauchi while addressing journalists that a presidential candidate should not be endorsed based on sentiment.
He explained that what ACF is trying to do is to ensure that power remains in the north after President Muhammadu Buhari leaves office.
“We wish to use this opportunity to reply to suggestions making the rounds that Atiku Abubakar is behind recent moves by some elements of the Arewa Consultative Forum and Northern Elders Forum to endorse him as the single candidate of the region for the 2023 presidency,” Sahab said.
“We use the opportunity to ask the so-called elders to explain to northerners where they derived their mandate to impose a single candidate on the entire region. We also challenge them to explain what criteria they used to arrive at Atiku as a consensus candidate for the North and to define his contributions to the growth of the region that qualifies him as such.
“By every reasonable assessment, Atiku has never had any concern for the North beyond exploiting the region’s resources, its goodwill for his political capital.
“Atiku who has risen on the goodwill of the northerners can today not boast of any development project he has ever influenced personally or through the high offices he has held, courtesy of the North.
“It is in his blind desperation to secure the presidency that Atiku is sponsoring capitalist northern leaders with no record of achieving anything for the region to manipulate the conscience of the northerner into believing that lies that he is a true northerner with good intentions for the region whereas the opposite is the case.
“The capital-minded northern elders are so blinded by their acquisitive tendencies around ripping the nation with Atiku’s main agenda for privatizing major public assets.
“It is important for the people of the North to refuse to be drawn into the lost battle of pitching all its eggs in one basket, especially since Atiku’s antecedents of non-performance throughout his tenure as vice president have made him unreliable and a major risk for the North to take,” he said.
ACF and other groups from the north have been meeting with top presidential candidate, to explain their plans for the country.

Ondo: Ikare Central Mosque Closed Down Indefinitely

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0
Ikare Central Mosque

By Ayodele Oni

To bring sanity and orderliness to the place of worship, Ondo State Government has ordered the closure of Ikare-Akoko Central Mosque to forestall breakdown of law and order.

The crisis started last week following moves by some people to remove the Chief Imam of the mosque. Security personnel had been deployed to forestall breakdown of law and order.

The state government also gave approval for public servants and students in both private and public schools in the state to wear native attires to office and schools on Fridays to promote culture and traditions.

The commissioner for information and orientation, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, disclosed this on Tuesday during a media briefing shortly after the state executive council meeting.

Ademola-Olateju said the state exco made some far-reaching decisions on other important issues.

”The Council decided that from now on, every Friday, Workers in Ondo State would be required to wear traditional wears to work. And for students in the State, it is permissible from now on that they can wear traditional attires to school every Friday.

“We made some decisions on law and order within the state. We know there are disturbances around the Central Mosque in Ikare-Akoko. The council decided that the Ikare Mosque should be closed down with immediate effect.

“There would be no prayer offered in that mosque until there is resolution to the issue and the government would be inviting the parties involved in the dispute as well as the league of Imams to resolve the issue at stake.

“Those who trespassed in various locations on government land, their structures would be demolished completely. If you have anything on government land, go and remove them now.

“And those that are writing petitions claiming to be the owners of government land, the government will not tolerate that. So, the council has said those writing petitions to challenge ownership of government land, it won’t be tolerated by the government.

“In terms of environment, we made decisions on the use of plastic waste. The Exco made far reaching decisions and plans are underway to encourage the use of biodegradable materials and the recycling of plastics.

“We made some decisions on Chieftaincy also. The council decided that the petitions received would be reviewed by another commission to be set up soon.

“On budget, today we discussed extensively about budgeting going forward and we made decisions and approved the medium term expenditure framework for 2023/2025.”

LAHA Speaker, Obasa, In Trouble: Aggrieved Lawmakers Plot Against Him

By
Akinwale Kasali
-
0
Mudashiru Obasa

By Akinwale Kasali

Crisis is brewing in the Lagos State House of Assembly. Some aggrieved Lawmakers, unhappy with the leadership style of Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa are plotting for him not to retain the seat come 2023.

This is coming months to the 2023 general elections, as some gladiators are already jostling for the Speakership of the 10th session of Lagos State House of Assembly.

Obasa is said to be eyeing to retain the Speakership, for the third time, which it is alleged, explains why he  withdrew from the 2023 Senatorial Race.

If he wins in 2023, as is expected, he will be  returning to the House for a sixth term .

It was gathered, however, that some of his colleagues are plotting to  stop him from  retaining the seat. He faces formidable opposition from fellow Lawmakers and vested interest within the All Progressive Congress, APC.

It was also gathered that entrenched interests within the APC in Lagos State who are pushing for possible replacement of the current Speaker are already scheming ahead of May 2023 when Rt. Hon Obasa would have completed a second term of eight years in office as Speaker.

The clamour for the replacement of Obasa as Speaker of the forthcoming session of Lagos State House of Assembly is said to be a major issue to be taking on board by the leadership of APC in the composition of Principal offices of Government for the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Considering that some notable current members of the House will not be returning to the hallow chambers, having failed to secure nomination for re-election at the primaries, the quest amongst interest groups in the Lagos APC to have the post of the Speakership zoned out of Agege and Lagos West Senatorial District that produced the current Speaker have started in earnest.

There are indications that high level consultations are  ongoing among stakeholders who are either demanding that the position of Speakership be zoned out of Agege or Lagos West Senatorial District.

While there appears to be disagreement regarding zoning out the Speakership position out of Lagos West Senatorial District out-rightly, investigation  revealed there is reasonable level of consensus that Agege should no longer produce the Speaker considering that the current occupier, Obasa, must have held the post for two consecutive terms by May 2023 and he can’t continue to hold sway for another four years.

Though details of a possible major contender against the current Speaker remains sketchy at the moment as permutations are ongoing, investigations, however, revealed that possible contenders amongst current members of the House of Assembly that are likely to be returning in 2023 are Hon. Mojeed Fatai Adebola from Ibeju Lekki Constituency 1, Hon. Tobun Abiodun from Epe Constituency 1 and Hon. Yishawu Gbolahan Rufai from Eti-Osa Constituency 2.

It is not however certain if the current tide of scheming will remain the same after the elections, and depending on decisions of the party as well as future occurrences.

State Governors Frustrating Constitution Review – National Assembly

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0

By Ayodele Oni

The brickbats generated by the continued delay in the proposed constitutional amendment continue as the national assembly shift blame on state Governors.

The highest legislative body in the country accused state governors of trying to stall the process of further amendment to the nation’s constitution being carried out by the federal parliament.

Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, made the allegation at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

On its part, Conference of Nigeria Speakers also shares in the blame game as members reportedly vowed not to pass the 44 Constitution Review Bills transmitted to them by the National Assembly until four bills they have proposed are passed.

He said the four bills being demanded by the Speakers included that on State Police.

Omo-Agege, who is the deputy president of the Senate, however said that he had the blessings of the committee’s Chairman, Ahmed Idris Wase, who is out of the country on a national assignment, to go ahead with the conference.

He disclosed that only 11 states have so far considered and performed their constitutional role of passing amendments to the constitution.

The lawmaker lamented that the Speakers of State Houses of Assembly through a letter to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review have given four conditions upon which the remaining 25 states will pass the amendments.

He described the letter as the “hands of Esau and voice of Jacob”, saying “state governors are behind the action of the speakers to stall the process.”

Present at the briefing were the Senate Leader, Senator Abdullahi Ibrahim Gobir; Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi and Minority Whip, Senator Chukwuka Utazi.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and the National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Ambali Akeem Olatunji, also attended the briefing.

The press conference was organized by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review.

However, the Chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review, Wase, was absent at the briefing.

2023: Melaye Questions Tinubu’s Competence, Says He Is Unfit, Not Prepared To Be President

By
Akinwale Kasali
-
0

By Akinwale Kasali

Dino Melaye, the Spokesperson, Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Management Committee, Dino Melaye, has queried the fitness, competence and preparedness of the All Progressives Congress, APC,  Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The former Senator in the Eighth Assembly said that it was disheartening how the APC National Leader plunged into new depths of desecration when by an unguarded and unrelated flow of thought he despised the body of Christ by profaning the sacrament of communion.

Melaye in a Statement today, alleged that the former Lagos State Governor trivialised the existential threat that climate change poses to humanity, adding that the APC Presidential Candidate fell out of tune with world leaders in ways that betrayed a lack of understanding of what the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Called the “Fierce Urgency of Now”.

Melaye stressed that the Two Term Lagos State Governor blasphemed by calling the Holy Communion into an unrelated conversation.

He added that it was insulting for Tinubu to have made mention of Christianity having failed to choose a Christian as a running mate.

“It would have been honourable for Tinubu to simply admit that he didn’t know what climate change is. Again, that exposed his limited understanding and poor preparation for governance. Any leader of any great nation who does not understand the basics of climate change, especially with the ongoing flooding in Nigeria and the economic conflict arising from farmers and herders, has no business aspiring to lead our dear country at this moment.

“Besides, Nigerians who have been in doubt about the presence of mind and the physiological capacity of Tinubu to preside over the affairs of Nigeria should now be convinced that he is not fit. For a moment, his thought processes tripped and he launched into another issue entirely. Nigerians could imagine if what happened in Kaduna had happened on the world stage. As I said earlier, Nigerians can not afford to gamble with the next election.

“An Atiku Presidency will not only be at home with global issues anywhere and anytime. He would build bridges and partnerships to address contemporary and emerging issues with pace, purpose and patience. He will collaborate with others to contain the causes and effects of climate change and more importantly, he will work for structures that will help Nigeria to build the resilience and adaptation to climate change, particularly in climate smart agriculture and other strategic initiatives.”

Lagos 2023: Wike Endorses Sanwo Olu’s Second Term Bid, Shuns PDP’s Governorship Candidate, Jandor

By
Akinwale Kasali
-
0
Nyesom Wike and Babajide Sanwo-olu

By Akinwale Kasali

The Governorship ambition of Lagos Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Candidate, Olajide Abdulaziz Adediran, suffered a major setback. Governor Nyesom Wike openly endorsed the Candidature of All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship Candidate and incumbent Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo Olu.

The endorsement of Sanwo-Olu who is seeking the Governorship seat for the second term by Wike is coming in the wake of the crisis in the PDP over the resignation, or not, of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

In a terse Statement by Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, he wrote, “Breaking: Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike endorses Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for second term in office. Details later,” Akosile wrote.

1...1,8921,8931,894...2,980Page 1,893 of 2,980