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Plane Crash: How Army Chief, Three Generals Died; Who Dunnit?, Shocked Nigerians Ask |The Source

By
Bayo Bernard
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Attahiru - Lt General - COAS

By Bayo Bernard

“Lt General Attahiru, who will be buried today, Saturday, May 22, at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja, along with the other Senor officers killed with him, goes into history as the Chief of Army Staff who served the shortest time in recent years. He served for only five months. His predecessor, Lt General Tukur Burutai, served the longest- almost six years”

He was not prepared for death in such a horrific manner, nor any manner at the time he was burnt to death. He was full of life, and looked forward to a National Assignment in Kaduna which he completed, same day, Friday, May 21.

And was on his way back to Abuja, along with a couple of his colleagues and aides.

They boarded the Airforce plane, a Military plane, capable of withstanding all kinds of challenging weather. But it turned out it was their last flight. They flew to death a few minutes after they took off from the local wing of the Kaduna International Airport.

For Nigeria, an embattled country, it was a black Friday. And the Nation mourns.

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Attahiru boarded the military aircraft  from Abuja. The aircraft carrying him and other top military officers, crashed at the Kaduna International Airport on Friday evening killing him and other Generals, among others.

The initial report said that his wife, Fati, was also on board the ill-fated flight. Fake news.

The embattled Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai  debunked it. He said Fati was not on board.

For Nigeria and el-Rufai, Attahiru’s death could not have come at a worse time. He was from Kaduna State, a State which has, almost, been made nonsense of by deadly bandits and Kidnappers. A State which has just been brought to its knees by angry Civil Servants and an obstinate Governor.

Lt General Attahiru’s death comes amidst reports that Abubakar Shekau, the dreaded leader of terrorist group, Boko Haram, has been killed in battle with a rival group, the Islamic West African Province, ISWAP.

The development also coincided with Thursday’s warning by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, of an imminent attack, by Boko Haram members on Abuja and Jos.

The IGP has put the Commissioners of police in the Federal Capital Territory and Plateau State on the alert over possible attacks from the insurgents.

The alert was contained in a May 19, 2021 circular addressed to the two Commissioners of Police was signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, Idowu Owohunwa, an acting CP.

Baba said an intelligence report revealed that terrorists are planning to attack Abuja and Jos. The circular with reference number TB: 0900/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.TI/47 was titled ‘Terror elements to expand frontiers of attack.’

He also directed the Commissioners of police to review their security architecture and beef up security around Government facilities, particularly, in Abuja and Jos.

The circular read, “Intelligence report at the disposal of the Inspector-General of Police has uncovered plans by Boko Haram terrorists to attack major cities in the country, particularly in Jos, Plateau and the FCT, Abuja.

“The proposed attacks would be coordinated by the duo of Muhammad Sani, a Boko Haram commander, domiciled in Sambisa Forest and his deputy, Suleiman, hibernating around Lawan Musa Zango, Gashua, Yobe State.

“In light of the above, it is the directive of the Inspector-General of Police that you review your security architecture across all critical government infrastructures and police facilities in your jurisdiction with a view to checkmating the dastardly plans of these marauding terrorists,” the IGP said.

The IGP had, also, a few days ago in Enugu launched a new police formation to handle the spate of insecurity in the South-east and South-south.

In spite of all the efforts by the Government to tackle insecurity, keen watchers of recent events insist that the death of COAS will shake the Nation’s security architecture to its very foundation.

Those who died with the COAS, according to Mohammed Yerima, include Brig. Gen M.I Abdulkadir, Brig. Gen Olayinka, Brig. Gen. Kuliya and Major L.A Hayat. Others are Major Hamza, Sgt. Umar, Flt. Lt Asaniyi, Flt. Lt AA Olu and Sgt Adesina.

According to sources who spoke with this Magazine, the feelings in Aso Rock, Nigeria’s Presidency, is now that of despondency and disappointment that the tragic incident happened at a time that everything is being done to secure the country from security threats posed by armed bandits, kidnappers and Boko Haram, which intelligence reports say are planning to attack Abuja.

Many Nigerians are asking questions over this deadly crash. They ask: Was it avoidable? Was the aircraft in good condition? Was the crash due to bad weather as is being hinted at? Did they take off under a heavy down pour? If so, why? Did the Control Tower give them clearance to take off? Or did the crew disobey the Control Tower? Or what? Unending questions.

Nigerians cannot wait for a transparent investigation to answer these questions.

For the records, this will be the second deadly Military aircraft crash within months. On a mission to look for students kidnapped by Bandits in Niger State, an Airforce Aircraft crashed on take-off at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja killing all on board.

Some weeks ago, an Airforce Aircraft with a Pilot and co-Pilot disappeared into thin air. Neither the bodies of the Pilots nor the carcass of the aircraft has been seen till date. The Military debunked a viral video of the alleged crash and a claim by the Boko Haram that they shot the plane down, dismissing the carcass of the plane, flaunted by the insurgents as fake.

Now this.

A few years ago, a Military aircraft carrying some top officers to Obudu Ranch for a meeting crashed killing top Generals and their aides.

General Attahiru, was appointed in January by President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed Lt General Tukur Burutai, now retired, as the Chief of Army Staff.

A native of Kaduna State, Attahiru, was born on August 10, 1966. Until his recent appointment, he was the General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu.

With service number 8406, he was a member of the Regular Course 35 of the Nigerian Defence Academy. At a time, he was the Theatre Commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole until he was sacked in 2017 for alleged incompetence.

Under his watch, suicide bombings and attacks on military formations were on the rise. Barely a month after he assumed office, Boko Haram insurgents attacked Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has sent his condolences to the family of the killed officers, urging other Nigerians to pray for their souls.

Ayade: Will Governor Bala Muhammed Carry Out Threat To Join Ayade?; Ikpeazu Denies Defection Plan |The Source

By
The Source
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By Chidi Levi

When Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi state visited Calabar, the Cross River state capital, in March, to dissuade Governor Ben Ayade from dumping the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, he emphatically told his host that “an injustice to Ayade is an injustice to Bala. If you cross, I will cross”

Now, with the defection of the Cross River state governor to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, will Governor Mohammed carry out his threat by dumping the PDP?

Competent APC sources told this Magazine that it was a matter of time before the Bauchi state governor his Zamfara and Abia state counterparts join Ayade in the party.

For Bala, the drawback, for now, is the lack of a tenable excuse for defecting, it was gathered.

“Since he is in full charge of the PDP in Bauchi, unlike Ayade who lost the party’s structures to Cross River National Assembly members, Bala cannot claim any form of injustice is being perpetrated against him by the National Leadership of the party. So, he is currently shopping for believable reasons to advance for his impending defection”, one of the sources reveal.

Meanwhile, the only reason the Governor is allegedly defecting to the APC, it was gathered, are fears that with the PDP, he may not win re-election in 2023.

The outcome of the November 2020 Baraza Dass state constituency bye-election in which the APC candidate, Bala Lukshi, defeated PDP candidate, Lawal Wandi, was said to have further convinced the Governor that returning to Government House in 2023 on PDP’s platform may be a herculean task.

Bala narrowly defeated former governor Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar of the APC in 2019 to become Governor. However, the APC took control of the state’s House of Assembly.

On his part, apart from his displeasure with a South-south PDP governor over the latter’s overbearing influence in the party and bullying tendencies, Governor Bello Muhammed Matawalle of Zamfara state is also reportedly concerned about standing for, and winning a second term election on PDP’s ticket having become a PDP Governor by default in 2019( through the instrumentality of the judiciary) in a state that is overwhelmingly APC.

Matawalle has also come under intense pressure from Northwest Governors and party chieftains from the zone to join the APC.

He is the only PDP Governor in the region, and the Governors and party stalwarts have made several overtures to Matawalle to join them in the APC, reminding him that Zamfara is naturally an APC state and, therefore, has no business being in the opposition.

To further ginger his interest, an automatic ticket by the Northwest APC for the 2023 guber election is being dangled before the Zamfara governor.

Governor Bello Matawalle
Governor Matawalle: Not sure of re-election under PDP

For Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, his desire to go to the Senate to represent Abia South after his tour of duty as Governor, The Source was informed, is at the heart of his alleged defection bid.

A bosom friend of Governor Ayade, Ikpeazu’s alleged Senate ambition, should he pursue it in the PDP, will collide with Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s political interest.

Ikpeazu, the magazine has been informed, does not want to struggle for the PDP Abia South Senatorial 2023 ticket with Senator Abaribe hence his APC moves.

Senator Abaribe who is the Senate Minority Leader, is reportedly gearing up to return to the upper Legislative chamber in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Abia state Governor has through his Special Adviser on Media, Enyinnaya Appolos, dismissed his alleged defection plans.

“Those of you waiting for Okezie Ikpeazu, PhD, Governor of Abia State, to leave the People Democratic Party (PDP), you will wait for eternity…pls enjoy your waiting while Gov Ikpeazu, leader of the PDP in Abia, working with other state and national leadership of the party to ensure a PDP presidency of Nigeria in 2023…Power to the people! PDP!”, Appolos said on his Facebook page.

Imminent Boko Haram Attack On Jos, FCT, NPF Realises Mistake, Recants, Says No Cause for Panic |The Source

By
The Source
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Nigeria Police Force

Obviously realising the mistake it made in allowing a scary Memo from the IGP  to the FCT Commissioner of Police,  which alerted of an imminent Boko Haram attack on the FCT and Jos, Plateau State, to leak, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has embarked on a damage control.

Not a few people wondered how such a sensitive and scary internal memo not only leaked, but went viral. It caused not a little panic, with many families already planning to flee Abuja and Nigeria. 

But the Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Usman Alkali Baba, from whose office the memo emanated has, in a statement signed by NPF Spokesperson, CP Frank Mba, assured citizens of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Plateau State and other contiguous States, of safety and security as they go about their lawful day-to-day activities. 

According to Mba, “The IGP’s assurance is coming on the heels of the unintended, viral spread of an internal directive issued to the Commissioners of Police in Plateau State and FCT Commands to forestall any likelihood of attack or breach of security by organized criminal elements in their Areas of Responsibilities (AOR).”    

Mba explained that the memo in question was deliberate and a way of being proactive, especially, as it was intelligence-driven.

“The IGP’s directive, which is a deliberate, intelligence-driven and proactive measure, is designed to prepare the law enforcement community for comprehensive response to any threat to lives and property. 

“The IGP noted that the security alert, rather than becoming a source of panic to the citizens, should instead send a message of re-assurance to them about the intelligence depth, capacity and operational preparedness of the Nigeria Police to preemptively deal and contain any threat to public peace and security. The alert does not in any way suggest that an attack is imminent in any of the two States.     

“The Police High Command, therefore, calls for calm, urging citizens to go about their normal activities with renewed sense of vigour, patriotism and vigilance as the Police continue to work with other relevant stakeholders to keep our public space safe.”

But many Nigerians dismiss this assurance as “medicine after death”, and enjoin the IGP to investigate how such a sensitive memo leaked. They, also, say that its leakage has tipped off the Boko Haram sect to either be more prepared and/or calm down now, and strike later.

IGP Confirms Gov Bello’s Story, Says Abuja In Danger Of Attack |The Source

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Usman Alkali Baba - Acting IGP

By Adesina Soyooye

The worst has been confirmed. Niger State Governor, Abubarkar Sani Bello, was not, afterall, wrong when he warned that the dreaded Boko Haram sect, was only a two-hour drive to Abuja.

Within that period, a number of private primary and secondary schools, as well as at least two private Universities, listening to his warning, shut down for fear of an attack.

The Police had calmed nervous and agitated  Abuja residents down, saying it was not true, and that they were monitoring the situation.

Sadly, it now turns out true. Abuja and Jos, Plateau State, and perhaps, other cities in Nigeria,  are under an imminent attack by  Boko Haram.

Confirming the situation in an official memo to the FCT Commissioner of  Police, the Ag. IGP Usman Baba,  in a letter signed on his behalf by his Principal Staff Officer,  confirmed the imminent attack on Abuja and Jos. Other unnamed cities are also in danger.

Titled ” Terror Elements To Expand Frontiers  Of Attack”, the letter reads in part:

“Intelligence report at the disposal of the Inspector General of Police has uncovered plans by the Boko Haram Terrorists to attack major cities in the country, particularly in Jos, Plateau State and the FCT, Abuja. The proposed attacks would be coordinated by the duo of Mohammed Sani, Boko Haram Commander domiciled in Sambisa Forest, and his Deputy, Suleiman (fnu), hibernating around Lawan Musa Zango, Gashua, Yobe State.

“2. In light of the above, it is the directive of the Inspector General of Police that you review your security architecture across all critical Government infrastructures and Police facilities in your jurisdiction with a view to checkmating the dastardly plans of this marauding terrorists”

The President Muhammadu Buhari Government had swept into office in 2015 with a firm promise to secure Nigeria against Boko Haram attacks. Sadly, things have turned for the worst, despite Governments denial to the contrary.

You Are Safe In Ondo, NYSC Assures Corps Members |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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NYSC Ondo Unit

By Ayodele Oni

Corps members deployed to Ondo State have been assured of adequate security during their service year.

The Ondo State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, who gave the assurance during the low key Swearing in Ceremony where she declared open the orientation course for 2021 Batch ‘A’ (Stream II) service year also assured their parents of adequate security for their wards.

“I wish to assure the parents and guardians of the Corps members that there is no cause for alarm as the scheme sustains its core responsibility of adequately catering for the security and welfare of corps members.”

The State Coordinator advised the Corps members to take their personal security seriously and with unflinching sensitivity.

“The security situation in our darling nation is of grave concern to all of us who believed in the project called Nigeria and I want to admonish you to protect your lives first and above all other considerations.”

She said that security chiefs and uniform agencies have been briefed and they all assured her of adequate protection and safety for corps members deployed to the State and those that would be passing through to other parts of the country.

The NYSC boss specifically appealed to corps members to face their primary assignment during the service year and live a decent life devoid of ostentatious exposures which may put them to security threat.

She promised to continue to liaise with Security Chiefs from time to time so that security architecture and network apparatus put in place remains dynamic and rigid.

“Still talking on security and welfare of corps members, I wish to announce that following the outbreak of Lassa Fever and Coronavirus pandemic, the National Youth Service Corps Scheme, as a proactive measure embarked on far reaching actions in order to guide against the contraction of the deadly virus by corps members.”

According to her, the Scheme has been in constant touch with Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC), Federal Ministry of Health, as well as the Teaching/Medical Centres nationwide and they have been playing supportive roles by lending technical support to the Scheme.

“My beloved children in the national service, it is imperative that I inform you that this orientation course is a special one as we have to observe all the protocols of COVID -19.”

“My distinguished and patriotic members of the service corps, NYSC in her bid to make graduates captains of industries, entrepreneurs and be self employed came up with life changing programme that will make you self reliant during and after that service year.

“I am encouraging you to enrol for the in-camp training where some skills and vocations would be handled by highly competent trainers and facilitators.”

Oath of Allegiance was administered on 1072 prospective corps members deployed to Ondo State and 212 dislodged from Lagos State, by the state Chief Judge, represented by Justice Feyisayo Kuteyi.

Submit Phone Tracking ID Numbers To Database, NCC Orders Telecom Operators |The Source

By
Uche Mbah
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By Uche Mbah

The Nigeria  Communications Commission, NCC, has sent out words that it must have every subscribers tracking Identify number in their database in addition to the National Identify Number, NIN, the Commission has said. This means that the government will have the National Identification number, NIN, The International Mobile Equipment Identity Number, IMEI, and phone number of every Nigerian with a mobile device.

This has been clearly stated in the revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration just released by the Commission.

However, legal authorities believe the directive is in violation of Citizens’ privacy, and violates the constitution.

Section 37 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) provides that:

“The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations, and telegraphic communication is hereby guaranteed and protected.

Despite this provision, the NCC has mandated Telecom providers to cross check that these are submitted to the commission before a number becomes active on any network.

The directive, the Commission said, was to curtail counterfeit mobile phone theft, enhance national security, protect consumer interest, increase revenue generation for the government, reduce rate of kidnapping, mitigate use of stolen phones, and facilitate tracing of lost mobile phones and electronic devices.

“To achieve this”, the commission said, “the NCC would be responsible for the implementation and Management of the DMS to achieve the policy objective.

“The implementation of a Centralized Equipment Identity Register, CEIR, otherwise known as Device Management System (DMS) will serve as repository for keeping records of all registered mobile phones IMEI and owners of such phones.

“IMEIs that have been reported as either stolen or illegal will be shared through the DMS to all operators and service providers. The purpose is to ensure that such devices do not work even if different Sim Cards are inserted into those devices.”

The Commission has, in recent times, come under fire for making it compulsory for subscribers to link their phones to their NIN.

Allegations of Communication Minister Isa Pantami, being sympathetic international terror organisations raised questions on whether the linking is to further terrorist interests.

For example, questions are asked on why NIN was never used to track Boko Haram, Bandits and Herdsmen but are allegedly used to track and kill the leader of the Eastern Security Network, ESN.

No More New Beneficiaries Under Amnesty Programme – FG |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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Col Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd)

By Ayodele Oni

Eleven years after it was launched, the Federal Government has concluded arrangements to take stock of beneficiaries under the Amnesty Programme.

The Amnesty Programme is one of the measures introduced under the  Late  President Musa Yar’dua  to give soft landing to some militants that laid down their arms at the coastal region of the country.

Already, the Presidency has approved the decision of the Presidential Amnesty Office to conduct verification on about 30,000 ex-agitators captured under the programme in the last 11 years.

A member of the think tank, in the amnesty office, Mr Tonye Bobo, disclosed in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state while fielding questions from Journalists.

According to him, the interim  administrator of amnesty,  Col. Milland Dikio, (rtd) has constituted a 10-man committee of Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) think-thank.

The Committee, he said, would enrich, monitor and propagate the new PAP roadmap of the amnesty to reposition and ensure that the new policies are close and in tandem with the Niger Delta communities.

Mr Bobo explained that the verification was not to witch hunt anybody, but ensure proper verification of those that are captured and those still left out of the Amnesty programme.

He said that the verification has also received the backing of all the ex-militant leaders in the region.

“The Amnesty office does not have the capacity to admit new beneficiaries and we agreed.

“Now we also agreed that we should know those 30,000 beneficiaries, for us to know how to conduct the verification.”

Mr Bobo also promised that as a member of the new think-thank of the Amnesty office, the Committee would engage every critical stakeholder from the grassroots to the top, to offer advice for the affairs of the region.

He said that the new Committee set up by the Interim Administrator was also saddled with the responsibility of sustaining the prevailing peace in the region.

He noted that the issue of PAP has to do with the re-integration of 30,000 ex-agitator captured and the development in the region.

“As one of the change-agents of PAP,  I am ready to bring to fore ideas that will help to achieve the desire and anticipated transformation in the region.”

Mr Bobo, also an Amnesty beneficiary under the third phase, commended the interim administrator for the new assignment.

Ayade Defection: Group Blames Wike, Alleges He Forced Gov. Ayade Out Of PDP |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Nyesom Wike

By Akinwale Kasali

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has been blamed by a group for allegedly  contributing to the decision of Governor Ben Ayade to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the ruling All Progresssives Congress, APC.

A Group, the Biafra Nations League, BNL, claimed that the Cross Rivers State Governor, was forced out of the PDP, by his Rivers State counterpart.

But Ayade had revealed that he joined the APC, due to the attributes of President Muhammadu Buhari and the realisation that Cross River, which has been emasculated economically, following the ceding of its oil wells, and needed to be in sync with the party at the center.

However, the Deputy National Leader of BNL and Head of Operations of BBs TV, Ebuta Akor Takon, in a statement  said Nigerian politicians have always been known for their cross-carpeting.

But the Group  said that Governor Wike has been parading himself as the boss in the South-South and also in his party, and blamed Ayade’s decision to leave the PDP on Wike’s attitude.

“H e[Wike] believes everything is politics. He was interfering in Cross River State political affairs.

“He has insulted every Governor in the South-South believing everything should be all about Rivers State.

“He was a boy yesterday, but brought up by Chibuike Amaechi, but now he has grown wings, who believes everything is all about politics”.

It would be recalled that Governor Wike had said that another Governor of the PDP will jump ship to the APC soonest, following the defection of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State from the PDP to the APC, but he failed to say who.

Wike had said then, on Politics Today Programme  Channels Television; “I can tell you, there is one PDP Governor that will leave, just like Umahi, I expect the Governor to “come up with another excuse” when giving reasons for his defections.

“The point is that these are the people who have been playing anti-party (politics). They will be romancing with the APC in the night and coming out to PDP in the day time,” he said.

Mixed reactions greeted Ayade’s defection on the Social Media space, as various views erupted from Nigerian. While few lauded him, some slammed him while others were indifferent.

A tweet, @Omojuwa, wrote, “I guess Ben Ayade and Nyesom Wike couldn’t mend their differences. Ben Ayade has now transferred himself to the APC.”

@GodwinEguono described the decision as a shameful one, as he tweeted, “They run to APC for safety when their tenure is coming to an end, to avoid being probed by EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission).”

“What blessing will your decamping bring to the state? What development has Buhari brought to Nigeria that you want to join hands with him? What blessings has APC as a party brought to Nigeria?”, @TimothyFadayomi questioned.

Ita-Giwa Goes On A Second Missionary Journey To APC, Cites Ayade |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Florence Ita-Giwa

By Akinwale Kasali

For the second time, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, popularly known as Mama Bakassi, has dumped the party which brought her into prominence, the People’s Democratic Party. And for the second time, she joined the All Progresssives Congress, APC.

The former Senator who was Special Assistant to erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo, followed the footpaths of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State who also defected to the APC from PDP.

In deed, during his first political journey to the APC, she angrily  left Ayade behind in the PDP.  According to a story she told a couple of her friends at the Protocol Lounge of the Local Wing of the  Murtala Mohammed International Airport at the time, he and the Governor had planned to dump the PDP for the APC at the same time. But she said the Governor kept delaying, kept shifting the date of their exit. So she left for the APC, describing the PDP at the time as “Now a party of small, small boys”.

But she was to jump back to the PDP months to the 2019 General Elections, describing the APC as unorganised. This current defection is, therefore, his second missionary journey to the APC.

Attributing her exit to Ayade defection to the APC, Ita-Giwa said wherever Cross River State Governor, Ayade, goes she goes.

Speaking to Journalists in Calabar after the Governor defected to APC,she said that the Governor is the Political Leader in the state and she will always go where he leads.

“We have a leader in the State and wherever he moves to, my loyalty is with him”.

Ita-Giwa who was a founding member of All Nigeria People’ Party (ANPP) had moved between PDP and APC four times since 1999.

Giving reasons for defection, she said the State Political leader, Ayade, has been

unjustly treated by the PDP and the Party was meddling in the affairs of the State forcing him to move to APC.

Ayade had declared on Thursday, “It is my responsibility to bring back Cross River to the center to enhance our fortune. We need to work ahead with our President for the future of our country”

He said the territorial integrity of the State has been interfered with and his responsibility is to “resocket’ the State back to its proper disposition.

The Speaker of the Cross River House of Assembly, Eteng Jonah Williams said he will join the Governor in his new political voyage.

Others who were present at the Executive Chambers of the Governor’s Office ready to join him include Senator Stephen Odey of Northern District of the state, Mr. Legor Idagbo representing Obudu/Obanlikwu/ Bekwara Federal constituency, and Mike Etaba of Obubra/Etung federal constituency in the House of Representatives.

Governor Ayade had been having a running battle with members of the National assembly who took control of the party executives at the expense of the Governor who primarily owns the State’s political structure.

In January and February 2020, the ward and Local Government Congresses of the PDP were hijacked and taken over by PDP Executives, leaving Ayade with just Obudu and Obanlikwu.

The Executive Council is expected to be dissolved soon to make room for the inclusion of APC members.

Bank of Industry’s Assets Hit N1.86 tn

By
Bayo Bernard
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The Bank of Industry, BOI total assets grew to N1.86 trillion during the 2020 financial year, according Aliyu Dikko, the chairman, Board of Directors of the bank. This, according to Dikko was achieved despite the COVID 19 headwinds that hit businesses last year.

He disclosed this at the 61st Annual General Meeting of the bank held on Thursday, in Abuja, where the bank stated that the N1.86 trillion represented an increase of 79.1 per cent when compared to the N1.04 trillion it recorded in the 2019 financial year.

He said the increase in total assets by 79.1 per cent was driven to a large extent by the successful debt syndications of €1 billion and $1 billion that were concluded in March and December 2020, respectively.

The Group’s total equity increased by 15.3 per cent from N293.08 billion in the previous year, to N336.48 billion in 2020, the chairman of the bank said, adding that loans and advances grew marginally in 2020 by 1.3 per cent to N749.84 billion, compared with the 2019 fiancial year.

Profit Before Tax fell by 9.6 per cent from N39.34 billion in 2019 to N35.54 billion, while Dikko mentioned BOI milestones to include the facilitation of the disbursement of N2.5 billion and N1.2 billion under the N-Power and Government Enterprise & Empowerment Programmes to 300,011 and 109,039 beneficiaries, in line the bank’s partnership with the Federal Government under the National Social Intervention Programme.

The chairman of BOI said“Despite the challenging year, I am pleased to announce that the Group’s financial statements remain strong and resilient. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world to transform much faster than expected from the way we work to how we communicate; from the way we learn, to how we travel.

“We have witnessed improved opportunities in key sectors and industries, notably health care and Information and Communication Technology. The IMF projects a growth of 1.5 per cent for Nigeria on the back of recovery in oil economy, as well as implementation of key initiatives aimed at spurring economic growth.

“Our broad strategy in the coming year shall mirror that of the government, in terms of focusing on business recovery, whilst keeping an eye on growth and new business opportunities,” Dikko said

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