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FG Moves To Revitalize Education, Sets Aside N470 Billion 

By
Ayodele Oni
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Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed,minister of finance

By Ayodele Oni

The Federal Government has commenced implementation of part of agreement reached with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which announced suspension of eight months old strike last week.

Minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed announced on Wednesday that the sum of N470bn has been provided as Special Fund in the 2023 budget for university revitalisation and upward adjustment of lecturers’ salaries.

The Minister, who made this known at a briefing in Abuja, explained that the sum was specially provided in the allocation to education for upward adjustment of salaries for university lecturers and revitalization of universities.

The sum of N300bn is for university revitalisation and N170bn for upward adjustments of the university lecturers’ salaries.

According to her, the draft 2023 budget has been prepared on the background of international challenges such as the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 pandemic, adding that revenue generation has been a major challenge to national development in the country.

On the allocations for critical sectors, she said the sum of N2.05 trillion is allocated to education and 1.58 trillion naira for health.

She added that N2.74 trillion is allocated to defence and security, infrastructure got 998.9 billion naira while social development and poverty reduction has N756 billion.

ASUU members are however still expecting a presidential order for payment of their eight months salary, withheld while the strike lasts.

Ogun 2023: NNPP Gov Candidate Lauds ASUU For Calling Off Strike, Advices Undergraduates

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, the Gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, in Ogun State, has expressed excitement over the decision of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to call off its eight months strike.

Ajadi made this remarks during his ongoing familiarization tours of Ogun neighborhoods, stressing that there couldn’t have been a more refreshing piece of information than the call off of the ASUU strike.

He recalled his appeals to the two sides early in the commencement of the strike, to find amicable solution to the grievances of the lecturers, saying that he was happy now that the strike had been called off.

“I am excited that the strike has been called off. You could imagine how much we would have lost in these past seven months or thereabout, so to me, it is a welcome development,” he said.

Ajadi who advised the federal government, through its agencies to ensure the terms of the agreement were adhered to, also appealed to the lecturers to do their best in ensuring no further break of the academic calendar

According to him, “It is painful to see students spending one, two, three more years for a course they should be done with in due time. The side effects can never be quantified.

“This calls for more proactive approach in teaching these students who must have become rusty staying at home”.

He said aside drastically affecting the students’ future, strikes usually exerts more pressure on parents and guardians, who have to cater for theirs wards, and also worry more in terms of their safety and wellbeing when they not in school.

He stressed that the increasing involvement of youths in crime, was traceable to constant breaks in academic calendar, amongst others, and that no responsible government should allow that to happen.

Referencing the proverb that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, he said, youths are more vulnerable to negative tendencies when idle, and that this was worsened by peer pressure, amidst the challenging economy.

Ajadi recalled the past whereby agreements leading to the call-off of similar strikes had been breached advising both the ASSU and the federal government to avoid that happening this time round.

He particularly advised the students to redouble their efforts towards ensuring that they regained lost grounds, “It is a cardinal belief of the NNPP that the education and future of our youths should not be toyed with. We are all familiar with the saying that the youths are the future of tomorrow, and I believe that governments at all levels should align with the saying by implementing youth oriented programmes.

“That is why also, the NNPP is prioritizing youths, women and children in its manifesto. Part of our programme is to take adequate care of this category of people, once coming into power.”

Our Interactions With Presidential Candidates Not Meant To Endorse Any Of Them – Arewa Committee

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Arewa Joint Committee has shed light on why it organized forum to interact with some presidential candidates of political parties for next year’s election.

The northern group explained that the interactive forum was not meant to endorse any of the candidate by the region.

Chairman, steering committee of the Arewa group, Mallam Murtala Aliyu in a communique signed and made available to newsmen in Kaduna, explained that the interaction was not aimed at endorsing any presidential candidate.

The six presidential candidates of the various political parties, except New Nigerian Peoples Party, (NNPP) Rabiu Kwankaso were at Arewa House, Kaduna on Saturday and Monday for an interactive session with the joint committee.

The joint committee comprised of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Arewa House, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Arewa Research and Development Project and Jamiyyar Matan Arewa.

According to the committee, the interaction was planned with the goal to showcase the potential of candidates in the open so that the North and Nigerians can decide who has the best blueprint for the nation and make the best choice of whom to vote for in the 2023 general elections.

It stated that the interactions were not planned with the goal of endorsing a candidate, but part of a longer process that plans to generate commitments to address the challenges of the North by candidates that covers a substantial part of the campaigning period.

“We plan to extract and publish these commitments so that Nigerians may measure and evaluate candidates against them.

“Our goal is to afford citizens an opportunity to match candidates against their commitments to matters that are central to the interests of the North.

“Until the elections in February, 2023, the North would be challenged to raise its vigilance over all electoral activities.

“It is vital that the region prioritized evidence of competence, integrity, quality of preparation and commitment to address the challenges of the North among candidates.”

It noted that it would continue to invite attention of the government to the security of the electoral process, and in particular the vulnerability of many parts of the North to organized crime, which may pose a serious threat to their right to participate in electing the next set of leaders in 2023.

Ekiti Election Petition Tribunal: INEC Opens Defence As Gov Oyebanji, Deputy Close Case

By
Ayodele Oni
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Ekiti State Election Petition Tribunal

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun  Oyebanji and his Deputy, Mrs Monisade Afuye, closed their defence on Wednesday at the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Ado-Ekiti.

The closure of their defence was announced by leading counsel, Lateef Fagbemi,  SAN at the resumed sitting of the tribunal.

Other respondents’ lawyers,  including the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are expected to start their defence as the tribunal adjourned sitting till Thursday, October 20.

Social Democratic Party (SDP)  candidate in the June 18 election, former Governor Segun Oni and his political party had filed the petition before the tribunal to discredit the election of Oyebanji and his deputy, Monisade Afuye.

The petitioners, Segun Oni and his party, called four witnesses to establish their case before the tribunal.

Among the four witnesses were Segun Oni himself and the Ekiti state SDP chairman, Bamidele Ekunola,  both of who alleged widespread irregularities in the election.

They alleged that the election was characterized by vote buying,  ballot snatching, chasing away of SDP polling agents, widespread violence and other electoral offences.

They however failed to mention a single polling unit or a ward where these malpractices were allegedly  perpetrated.

They also failed to mention the name of anybody they referred to as the agents of APC,  who committed the alleged electoral offences.

Former Governor Segun Oni also told the tribunal that he never lodged any complaint of the alleged irregularities with the police and that he didn’t witness any form of violence or vote buying on the day of election.

He said he returned home after he voted at his polling unit, where the exercise went smoothly.

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

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.”

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