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Proposed Federal Health University In Ekiti Gets FG’s Nod

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

The Vice-president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has assured that the proposed University of Health Sciences, for Iyin Ekiti, would materialize before the exit of the Buhari administration.

The bill for the proposed University, sponsored by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central, has passed through second reading in the senate.

Prof Osinbajo spoke when he received a delegation of Iyin Ekiti community, led by Oba Adeniyi Ajakaiye that visited him in Abuja.

The Vice President congratuled the community for having a special breed of citizens, who were resolutely committed to the development of the town.

He described the concept behind the bill for the establishment of the institution as progressive in nature and with a strong prognosis to scale the hurdles at the Senate.

“I promise my total support for the actualisation of the two bills at the crucial stage.

“The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will always support any stride that will add value to our people and we believe that education is one pivotal aspect through which we can make positive impacts in the lives of the Nigerian populace.”

In a statement made available to the media in Ado Ekiti, Senator Bamidele, explained that the delegation visited the Vice President, to canvass his support for the actualisation of the dream.

“Apart from this, they equally made rapport with Osinbajo on the bill to rename Federal University, Oye-Ekiti after General Adeyinka Adebayo.”

President Mohamadu Buhari had made announcement to rename the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, after the former Western Region Governor, General Adeyinka Adebayo, at his funeral in 2017.

Other members of the delegation were Minister Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Iyin-Ekiti quarter Chiefs; President, Iyin Progressive Federal Union (IPFU), represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Ministry of Health, Pastor Akinjide Akinleye; first professor of Architecture in Nigeria and Africa, Prof. Adeyinka Adeyemi; Iyin Ekiti Youth Forum (IYF) President, Com. Abayomi Ogundipe and IYF Treasurer, Com. Ganiyu Lateef.

The statement added that “today, the Iyin-Ekiti delegation to the Senate Public hearing on the proposed University of Health and medical sciences, Iyin Ekiti met with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at his office in Abuja.

“The delegation canvassed the support of the Vice-president for the two bills of great importance to Iyin Ekiti community and the state at large.

“The team informed the Vice-president that both bills had passed the second reading at the Senate and urged him to lend his support at the necessary level.”

How Top Music Icons, Ruggedman And 9ice Ended Age-long Rift

By
Akinwale Kasali
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'Gongo Aso' crooner, Abolore Akande, popularly known as 9ice, and Nigerian rap Star, Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, have ended their age long rift.

By Akinwale Kasali

‘Gongo Aso’ crooner, Abolore Akande, popularly known as 9ice, and Nigerian rap Star, Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, have ended their age long rift.

The duo had parted ways for years following allegations levelled against Ruggedman by 9ice of having an affair with his former wife and mother of Zion, his first Son, Tony Payne.

On several occasions the duo had sang songs to mock each other since the allegation, leading to the  breakup of Payne and 9ice.

Ruggedman and 9ice were one time best of friends in the industry, both singing together in the song, “Opomulero”, that was the toast of town then.

9ice often times regarded  Ruggedman as one of his backbones that made him a success in life. But, the Ohafia, Abia State born Ruggedman separated from 9ice following the allegation.

However, the duo were reunited at the 50th Birthday Celebration of Kunle Rasheed, a veteran Society Media personality at Radisson Blu Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

Both 9ice and Ruggedman performed to the delight of the crowd, as they both dished out songs from their archives to the admiration of guests present, who shared in the nostalgic moment.

After their performance, both were seen taking selfies with their teeming fans, as they even exchanged banters, putting an end to the speculation  that they were still at loggerheads.

Dignitaries from all walks of life graced the birthday gig of Rasheed, as Captain of industries, Government Officials, the Media and Nollywood Stars were present.

The birthday party saw the celebrant launching a Book titled, “Not Born With  A Silver Spoon”,to commemorate his day.

The Chief Launcher of the Book was the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, Gboyega Akosile.

Rendering solemn and captivating songs was the King of Fuji Music, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, KWAM 1, with delirious voice that sent guests into frenzy.

Lagos: Brickbat Hits PDP, As Party Remains Polarised, Disjointed

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The power tussle rocking the Lagos State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has escalated, putting the Party on the brink of Collapse.

Tuesday’s High Court ruling in Lagos, that sacked Adedeji Doherty as the State Chairman of the Party, reinstating Dominic Adegbola as the Party’s Chairman, has further polarised the Party, causing a clash of interest among  Party leadership and members.

Justice Oyekan Abdullahi, delivering judgement in suit No: LD/3600/GCM/2019 DR DOMINIC ADEGBOLA & ORS. V. PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY & ORS. filed by Dominic Adegbola, said the judgement was delivered in favour of the Claimants.

The Court said it considered the Preliminary Objection filed by the 1st -6th defendants, and dismissed them for lack of merit.

“Consequently, the Court considered the merit of the case canvassed by all the parties. The Court held that the positions sought to be filled at the special election were not vacant. Also, the Court held that the argument that the 1st Claimant, Dr. Dominic held the office of the State Chairman of PDP for 90 days has no place in the Constitution of PDP.

“The Court further held that the 1st Claimant was duly appointed to serve out the term of his predecessor who resigned.”

Justice Abdullahi stated that the “Claimant’s failure to utilize internal dispute mechanism is not accidental as the Defendants frustrated same. The Court relied on the attempt made by the 1st Claimant when he wrote a letter to the National Chairman of the party and the letter was rejected. This fact was not contradicted by the Defendants”.

The Court said it further held that “all the conditions precedent to conduct election into the party’s offices were not followed and that the NWC of the party had no power to conduct state and local government congresses. Also, the special congress must fail as there was no guideline from the NEC of the party.

“Furthermore, the Court held that no notice of the special congress was forwarded to INEC as required by the Electoral Act.

“In sum, the case of the Claimants succeeds completely. The special congress held on 13th November, 2019, was set aside and there were no vacancies in the first place.

“In addition, the Court further held that the Defendants’ act of conducting the special congress despite a subsisting order of the Court prohibiting same is contemptuous”.

However, since the judgment was delivered, there have been  brickbats between the Chairman of Lagos State Elders Committee of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and former Minister of Cooperation and Integration in Africa, Bimbo Ogunkelu, and PDP South West General Secretary, Rahman Owokoniran.

Ogunkelu said that the party will appeal the Court judgment that sacked Doherty as Lagos State Chairman and reinstated  Adegbola, stating that the party in Lagos will get a stay of execution and challenge the lower court’s judgment at the Appeal Court.

“We don’t accept that judgment. How can a properly carried out congress be set aside by a court because some people are not happy?

“It is a miscarriage of justice and we will go to the Appeal Court. We don’t understand how the judge came to that conclusion; that is why we will appeal.”

The party’s elders committee was solidly behind Doherty.

“I am the Chairman of the Elder’s Committee and we don’t understand why the two groups were lumped together, however, what happened at the court does not stop the party from uniting and working together,” he said.

In a swift reaction to Ogunkelu’s Statement, Owokoniran lambasted him, saying that it is so pathetic that Ogunkelu could utter such statement, stressing that Ogunleku did not read the judgment. And that if he read it, he failed to understand the issues.

According to Owokoniran, Ogunkelu did not contradict Bukola Saraki at the two reconciliation meetings he presided over in Lagos, when Saraki said that the Congress that produced Doherty was illegal and that it should not have taken place.

“Secondly, Dr. Ogunkelu was at the Congress that produced Dr Dominic, who contested the state chairmanship position with Chief Apena, Kunle Okunola and Elder Agbaje.

“Chief Apena was disqualified because he was not from Lagos West senatorial district. Dr Dominic emerged the winner from the Congress. Dr. Ogunkelu and Deji Doherty were in attendance.

“Ogunkelu apparently had not read the judgment before this reaction. Because he completely veered off the court ruling on the matter.

“The issue of a letter being raised by Dr. Ogunkelu was not relevant in this matter because according to Dr Saraki it should not have arisen.

“The Court, of course, shares the same view when it said that the Congress that produced Deji Doherty should not have taken place.

“Ogunkelu needs to put his reputation behind the facts and make reconciliation possible as an elder statesman.

“Putting himself in front of this distortion of facts at this point in time is mind-boggling. It is very important that PDP continues to enjoy the reconciliation and peace that Saraki’s reconciliation committee and leaders of the party have successfully gained without unnecessary distractions.

“PDP as a whole has serious work of salvaging the nation at hand”.

It would be recalled that after the sack of Doherty by the Court, the Zonal leadership of the party in a congratulatory statement titled: “The entire South-West leaders-victory at last.

“We celebrate the glory of the Lord in our life as the truth, finally reigns supreme in judgment.

“We pray that the rest of the cases left in the South-West in particular and the nation, in general, shall vindicate us.

“Now that the court has spoken, let’s allow peace to reign so we can build the party in unity,” the South West PDP Zone of party said in a statement.

Dream Comes True As 1994 Super Eagles Squad Gets House Allocation Gift

By
Ayodele Oni
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Super Eagle Tunisia 1994

By Ayodele Oni

Twenty nine years after, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved allocation of a  three bedroom house for each member of  the Super Eagles Squad that won the African Cup of Nations in Tunis, Tunisia, in 1994. I’m doing that, the President made real a promise by the Federal Government.

Garba Shehu, a Presidential Spokesman, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

According to the statement, the approval was a follow up to a memo from the Ministry of Works and Housing.

The statement reads:

“Following a memo by Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, the President approved the allocations in their states of preference, noting that six players and three technical crews received their houses already.

“The players are: Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Ike Shorounmu, Uche Okechukwu, Samson Siasia, Efan Ekoku, Sunday Oliseh, Benedict Iroha, and Isaac Semitoje.”

Others are Mutiu Adepoju, Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Ikpeba, Austin Eguavoen and Wilfred Agbonavbare (Deceased).

Also benefiting are Uche Okafor (Deceased), Thompson Oliha (Deceased), Stephen Keshi (Deceased), Christian Chukwu, Dr Akin Amao, Stephen Edema, Col. A Asielue and B. Aromasodun.

OPINION: Mr President, Restructuring is the only way to save Nigeria

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The Source
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By Bode George

I write to our President and Commander – in – Chief of the Armed Forces Muhammadu Buhari as a former junior General on his recent statement about restructuring.

My position here is without partisan or ethnic intimations. I bear no sectarian toga. My resolve is purely on the need to prevent the violent dissolution of the Nigerian entity.

It will be wrong and even cynical for anyone to pretend that the present Nigerian structure is smooth and without flaws. On the contrary the very skewed structures are provoking everywhere the glaring indices of terror and widening chaos. From Sokoto to Calabar, from Jigawa to Delta, from Borno to Rivers- the Nigerian -state is sinking deeper into loose banditry and general uncertainties.

Virtually everyone is vulnerable. There are no safe havens anymore. The present policing architecture is obviously unsuitable to modern threats and challenges. Policing can no longer be centralized. This is one of the cardinal points why restructuring of the Nigerian state is important.

Power has to be loosened at the center for the survival of this very fragile union. The states must be constitutionally empowered to determine their growth and development.

We cannot all be held down by an overarching unitary system which stunts merit and halts individual progress and initiatives.

Nigeria can only survive when the states can prosecute their individual vision, explore their God -given resources at their own pace without the intrusion of the central organ.

The states are suffocated, stifled, hindered and cluttered by inimical constitutional constraints that are savaging to developmental enlightenment. We are a nation of nations whose innate diversities should be cultivated as our collective advantages.

Where we have disparate visions, where we we have contradicting values, we can steer towards a unifying compromise without anyone being elbowed out . We can reconcile on the peace table without recourse to sectional triumphalism which invariably fans the embers of violence.

A nation can only be sustained on the platform of equity and fairness and not when some sections of our society feel fettered and squeezed out of the national equation.

While I will never support a violent dissolution of the country, i am a strong proponent of a very loose, tight and elastic union where each state can freely assert itself without any overbearing intrusion from an outsider, where the indices of economic advancement are devolved to the states, where policing are enforced as local matters, where natural resources are controlled by state organs and where the collective wealth of a state are sustained and steered towards the development of each state .

That is not the case now. The subsisting situation is an aberrant unitary constitution which flames anger and distrust, prompting many fissiparous actors who feel that the union has disadvantaged a large section of our society to canvass a separatist agenda.

But this is hardly a redeeming solution. An angry resort to a dissolution hardly ends in harmony. It often leads to the grim path of war. Surely this is not what we want. A progressive and graduated restructuring of the union , mandated at the peace table, will strengthen the bonds of our Union, rouse individual competitiveness, encourage the stirring of merit, widen our collective economic growth, galvanize the fields of industry, encourage initiatives and ultimately enhance the national harmony.

To remain on this same spot, to refuse to acknowledge that our nation needs to rectify the glaring wrongs through a new progressive , fair and equitable constitutional arrangement will be to scoff at reality and postpone a more compelling and inevitable chaos which nobody wants . History would be more kind to President Buhari should he choose to align with the popular clamor for a devolution of powers and a progressive restructuring of the Nigerian- state.

Bode George, a retired Navy Commodore, is the Atona Odua of Yorubaland.

Again, President Buhari Goes To London For Medical Checkup

By
Ayodele Oni
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President Muhammadu Buhari

By Ayodele Oni

For the second time this year, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari is travelling to the United Kingdom on medical grounds.

This news which has been received with mixed reactions by Nigerians was broken on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina in a Press  Release.

According to Adesina, Buhari is expected to depart the country on Friday, June 25, 2021, for London, the United Kingdom (UK), for a scheduled medical follow-up.

He also disclosed that the President is expected back in the country in the second week of next month.

This will be the second medical trip to be embarked upon by President Buhari this year.

Said the statement:

“President Muhammadu Buhari will proceed to London, the United Kingdom on Friday, June 25, 2021, for a scheduled medical follow-up.

“He is due back in the country during the second week of July, 2021.”

The President had left the country for a medical check-up in London earlier in the year, between March 30 and April 16, 2021.

During the trip, a number of Nigerians, led by Reno Omokri, had descended on London, to protest his presence. For days, they were on the streets demanding for his departure  from London to Nigeria. They asked him to go and get treated in Nigeria, saying it was a shame that he had not built and equipped any hospital in Nigeria to take care of his health.

A Presidential Aide had said that Buhari had retained the same Doctors long before he became Nigeria’s President, and was not about to ditch him just because he became President.

But many Nigerians worry about the cost to Nigerian tax payers, and insist Buhari had strongly condemned medical trips abroad and had campaigned using it as one of the things he would put a full stop to.

It is not known if the Omokri group would descend on London again over this visit.

Imo: Scare of Intruders, Poisoning, Grip Federal Polytechnic, Nekede

By
The Source
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Federal Polytechnic Nekede

By Chidi Onyewuchi

The Community of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri West Local Government Area, Imo State,   is gripped in palpable fear.

This was made public in an internal memo to the Polytechnic Community signed by the Public Relations Officer, Nwosu E.B., and copied to all stakeholders.

In the Memo dated, 23rd, June, 2021, Nwosu says there are intruders within the Polytechnic community, who say they came to sell dry meat.

He did not quite say how the Polytechnic’s Internal Security Personnel allowed them  access to the Campus, but he said the attention of the Polytechnic Management was drawn to their presence by the Polytechnic’s Internal Security Personnel.

He said the strangers who claim they come from Aba, Abia State, to sell meat, refused to eat the meat when asked to do so.

The three- paragraph memo, titled Security Alert, therefore, advised the Community to be careful of what they eat in the Campus.

It reads: “Information reaching the Management of the Polytechnic from our Internal Security Network confirms that there are suspected intruders  parading themselves as dry meat sellers. on the campus. The Security personnel interrogated the so-called meat-sellers who claim to come from Aba, and thereafter, compelled them to eat the meat, and they all vehemently refused.

“The Polytechnic Community is, hereby, advised to be careful of what they eat, especially, in the campus. The safety of staff and students of this great institution remains the priority of the Management.

Please, be guided.

The Federal Polytechnic Nekede is one of the most respected Polytechnics, academically, in the country but it has recently been enmeshed in cult activities by students which has made the Institution vulnerable to violence.

Ondo Gov Akeredolu Calls For More Investment In Real Estate

By
Ayodele Oni
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Rotimi Akeredolu - Ondo Communal Clash

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has called on Estate Surveyors and Valuers in the country to explore modern technology in their practice.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Richard Olabode stated that Akeredolu made the call while delivering his goodwill message at the 51st Annual Conference of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) held at the International Conference Center, Abuja.

Speaking on the theme of the conference: “Unlocking Real Estate Potentials For Economic Development”, Mr Akeredolu pointed out that there was no better time to unlock the real estate potentialities than now.

The Governor lauded the massive housing scheme of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, noting that it has created jobs for the people and bridge infrastructural deficits.

He urged investors and well-meaning individuals to invest massively in real estate instead of tying their resources in the banks with meager interest.

While identifying real estate as major driver of economic development, Governor Akeredolu said conscious efforts must be deployed to unlock the vast potentials in real estate to develop the country’s economy.

“The potentials are there. You can’t have a better time to unlock it than now. People are interested in keeping their funds in bank. Who wants the meager percentage in bank? The time is now to invest in real estate.

“People must be encouraged to invest massively in real estate. We must also commend President Muhammadu Buhari. He is committed to massive housing scheme. It is in my state,” Governor Akeredolu said.

The Governor also called for understanding between lawyers and estate surveyors and valuers in the course of performing their jobs, stating that both of them have strong affinity.

According to him, the large turnout of members of the institution at the conference was a great credit to their commitment and dedication to their institution.

Governor Akeredolu assured members of the institution of his continued support.

The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Abubakar Aliyu.

Also at the occasion were Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; Paramount Ruler of Yewaland and the Olu of Ilaro, HRM, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, and other dignitaries.

Heritage Bank: Angry Andy Uba Threatens N5bn Suit

By
Bayo Bernard
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Andy Uba
By Fola James
Senator Andy Uba, a former governor of Anambra state has spoken out after what seemed like a long silence, on his part after allegation that he took a huge loan from Heritage Bank and refused to pay back.
Fours days after he was publicly embarrassed by the staff of the bank, UBA, a former aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Domestic Affairs, has threatened to sue the deposit money bank for a whopping N5 billion.
 On Monday, no fewer than 20 young  workers from the new generation bank, in branded T-shirts and jean trousers,. brandishing placards, stormed Uba’s house in protest, demanding that he paid back the undisclosed sum he took from the bank.
The angry workers said they will lose their jobs because of the refusal of the senator to settle his debt, has affected the operations of the bank.
The senator must redeem his debt, the workers said to avoid further embarrassment.
The magazine learnt from insiders in the bank, that the protest was considered as a last resort to get the pay his debt after several attempts by the management to make him to so.
Speaking on the issue, Uba, who spoke in a statement, signed by his lawyer, Ahmed Raji, said the action of the bank workers has exposed him public opprobrium, shame and embarrassment.
Uba said as a politician contesting the governorship election in Anambra state, the protest has caused him serious lmage damage.
He’s one of the All Progressives Congress, APC  governorship aspirants in the state, he believed the protesters were sponsored by his opponents to destroy his chances in the election comming up later this year.
For the reputational damage he has suffered, the senator has demanded an apology from the bank, aside N5 billion in damages if the commercial bank failed to do his bidding.
According to the statement, “Our client’s attention has been drawn to a video currently being shared on WhatsApp, showing not less than 25 [twenty-five] staff of the Abuja branch of Heritage Bank Plc., wearing customised Heritage Bank Plc., T-shirts; carrying placards and signages with defamatory inscriptions written on them, at the front gate of the residential premises of our client, in Asokoro Abuja.
“Despite your veiled denial, the deliberateness of your staffs’ action is founded and the intent, to wit: – bring our client to public opprobrium, shame, ridicule, scorn etc. is glaring for all to see.
“This is more so, as you deliberately picked the rather inauspicious period immediately preceding the forthcoming gubernatorial primary election of the All Progressives Congress [APC] for Anambra State slated for the 26th of June 2021, wherein our client is the leading candidate to clinch his Party’s ticket, to stage this smear campaign against him.
“Surely, the damage occasioned to our client by your calculated but ill-advised action is unquantifiable. However, our client will be assuaged if a public apology, unreserved, is tendered by you and published in at least 5 [five] national daily newspapers within a day of receipt of this letter and payment [Five Billion Naira] in damages.
“If not, we have our client’s further instructions to seek redress against you in a court of law for the same. Kindly be advised.
“We do hope that you will take benefit of the olive branch offered in this letter; the gamble, otherwise, is yours to suffer.”
Meanwhile, the magazine learnt from sources that the bank is planning to publish how much the politician borrowed from the bank, to further embarrass him.

Nigerian Army Says Sheik Gumi Says A Lot Of Nonsense

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

The Nigerian Army has described as unfortunate, a  statement credited to an Islamic Cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, urging opinion leaders to demonstrate patriotism in building peace, rather than being agents of destabilisation, thereby aggravating the current security challenges facing the nation.

Sheik Gumi had, during a television interview on Wednesday, alleged that the Nigerian military was colluding with marauding bandits who have been responsible for various crimes and atrocities against Nigerians and the Nigerian state.

In a statement, signed by the Director, Army Public Relations,  Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Army maintained that it has been neutral and remained committed to the unity of the country.

“The Nigerian Army remains a bona fide symbol of national unity that has conducted its constitutional responsibilities in the most professional manner in line with global best practices of adherence to the rules of engagement and protection of the fundamental human rights of the citizenry.

“The sweeping allegation peddled by the scholar is not only sad and unfortunate, but a calculated attempt to denigrate the Nigerian military and undermine the sacrifices of our patriotic troops, who are working tirelessly to restore peace and stability across the country.”

“While the NA will not attempt to excuse the possibility of black sheep amongst its fold, it must be stated unambiguously that it will not condone any form of sabotage or aiding and assisting the enemy by any personnel, as provisions for dealing decisively with such acts are crystallised in Section 45 (1) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

 

“It must also be pointed out that while the military is very much receptive to constructive criticism, it should not be perceived as a gateway for derogatory comments that have the potential to embolden criminals.

“It is also necessary to reiterate that patriotism must be taken to a trajectory where subversive conversations on the state are brought to the barest minimum.

“Opinion leaders are enjoined to demonstrate patriotism in building the peace, rather than being agents of destabilisation, thereby aggravating the current security challenges facing the nation.

“The Nigerian Army wishes to reassure law abiding citizens, that troops will continue to conduct themselves professionally in consonance with the code of conduct guiding our operations in all combat engagements, in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and global best practice.”

Gumi, a self-appointed mediator and negotiator between bandits, parents and Governments, have been making, especially, recently, very many controversial statements on the state of the Nation’s security problems.

Nobody has, surprisingly, called him to order.

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