Senate Chief Whip and former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu says he would stop, finally, the activities of the Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra, IPOB, if the Federal Government sends him to the United Kingdom.
The IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kalu, lives in the United Kingdom.
The group has been agitating for an independent Republic of Biafra, alleging prosecution, persecution and marginalization in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Federal Government proscribed the group, even though its agitation has been non-violent, almost.
A face-off, which has been described as unwarranted and unprovoked occurred between some members of the group and security personnel, a couple of weeks ago, in Emene, Enugu state, and left fatalities on both sides. IPOB says 21 youths were mowed down, while two security personnel were killed.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, Kalu harped on the need for a united Nigeria, and asked IPOB to jettison the agitation for Biafra.
“I am an ardent believer of a unified Nigeria”, he said, adding that: “Nigerians are so entangled with each other that we can’t talk about separation.”
Nnamdi Kanu
Expressing his readiness to meet the IPOB Leader, convince him to drop the agitation, and bring him back to Nigeria, Kalu said:
“If the Federal Government permits me, I will go to the United Kingdom and negotiate with Nnamdi Kanu to return to Nigeria.
“I will convince him to drop the agitation for Biafra because our people don’t need it.
“We need a united Nigeria that will allow different cultures and tongues to live peacefully in any part of Nigeria”.
The IPOB Leader was forced into exile after Federal Forces invaded his father’s Royal Palace in Afara, Umuahia, Abia State. He escaped harm, and suddenly surfaced in Israel after several months.
The Senate Chief Whip had said Kanu was in Brazil. It turned out he was in Israel, from where he returned to the United Kingdom, which citizen he is.
His parents, also, escaped. But they never made it back to their Palace, alive. Both Their Royal Highnesses died in exile, and were buried same day amid flood of tears.
For the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, it is a victory dance suddenly cut short. It is like snatching a scoop of ice cream from a child’s mouth.
Just when Ortom was all set to receive, and embrace a long wanted, and awaited criminal, and show him off as one of his achievements in a long fight against criminals, the army snatched the show from him, and spoilt his fun.
For years, Terwase Akwaza, popular as Gana, and the Benue State Government have had a running battle.
This magazine gathered that, initially, Gana was a security informant, who partnered with the State Government to fight criminal activities. He helped keep the Benue -Taraba road safe.
But they fell out, and the relationship went sour.
Gana, then, turned around to make the road very unsafe with his criminal gang.
In 2015, the Government granted amnesty to many of the criminals, including Gana. But it did not work.
In 2017, Gana was declared wanted, dubbed the most wanted criminal in the area, with a focus on causing mayhem in parts of Benue and Taraba states.
A-N10 million bounty, some day N50 million, was placed on his head.
Recently, Governor Ortom, again, granted amnesty to criminal gangs, including Gana and his group.
It was working out well. Many of the criminals were surrendering with their arms, and agreed to a rehabilitation. Ortom was happy. He wanted peace in his state, and was ready to give an arm for it.
Tuesday, it was the turn of Gana and his group. They set off from their enclave somewhere in Nasarawa State. Ortom was elated, and all ready to receive them.
He was waiting for them, and set to make a big splash of the surrender of Gana and his gang. It was going to be the high point of the success of his Amnesty programme.
But it went awry.
Along the Gbese-Gboko-Makurdi Road, Gana and his group were intercepted by Soldiers at a roadblock.
This magazine was not able to confirm what happened, but the initial story was that they were arrested by Soldiers.
This much was confirmed by Governor Ortom who said Gana and company were on their way to surrender and embrace the amnesty as offered by the Government. Ortom said he could not explain why they were arrested since, apparently, the army knew about their movement to Makurdi to surrender, based on the amnesty offer by the Benue State Government. Ortom said he was waiting for Gana, and for an explanation on why they were arrested.
Later, those with him were, reportedly, allowed to move on.
But soon, the storyline changed. The army issued a release that Gana was killed in a shoot-out with soldiers.
Major General Moundhey Ali, Commander, 4 Special Forces Command, Doma, Nasarawa State, confirmed Gana’s killing, following what he described as “an exchange of gunfire.”
General Ali: “About 12:00 hours on Tuesday, we received strategic information on the movement of the dreaded bandit, Terwese Akwaza Agbadu, aka, Gana, along Gbese-Gboko-Makurdi Road.
“Troops of Operation ‘Ayem Akpatuma 111’, moved swiftly and mounted roadblocks along the routes.
“At about 13:00 hours, there was an engagement with the convoy of Gana, a shoot-out ensued, and the bandit was killed.”
Ali, also, said 40 armed members of the gang were captured, and a large cache of arms and ammunition, recovered.
Many people in Benue say Gana was judicially murdered, and worry how his killing would affect the credibility of Governor Ortom’s amnesty programme.
They say it could be interpreted that Gana was lured out with the Amnesty deal and, later, sold out.
A high profile Benue Government official, who pleaded anonymity, wondered if the Benue state Government did not inform the Military of Gana’s movement to Makurdi to embrace the the Government’s offer of amnesty. “This is not good at all”, he said, adding: “How many Boko Haram people have been killed by the Military on their way to embrace Amnesty? They are being rehabilitated. Why was Gana’s case different? His killing has dented the Benue Government’s amnesty programme, and put the Governor’s credibility on the line.”
Benue state Government has yet to comment on the killing of Gana at the time of filing this report.
Three executive directors are currently in keen contest to replace the managing director of Guarantee Trust Bank Plc, Segun Agbaje who is expected to retire by the end of the year.
But, the question of who will step into the big shoe of Agbaje, whose 10 years’ tenure as the chief executive officer ends by the end of the year, has been agitating the minds of close watchers of the tier one bank and the financial sector as a whole.
Those in the frontline for the top job are Demola Odeyemi, Bolaji Lawal, Haruna Musa, Miriam Olusanya, and Babajide Okuntola.
There are, however suggestions in the sector that the outgoing CEO has thrown his weight behind a particular executive director among the four contestants, who the magazine learnt are all qualified for the job.
It was also learnt that one of these three contestants; Bolaji Lawal, Demola Odeyemi and Miriam Olusanya will land the job at the end of the day.
“The odds favor Olusanya the only woman contestant. Apart from her sterling qualifications, experts in the sector are rooting for her so that she can join the new generation of women CEOs in the banking sector,” a big shareholder of the bank said in confidence.
Fidelity Bank has recently nominated a woman CEO designate Nneka -Onyeali-Ikpe.
Agbaje has denied backing any candidate in his recent comment concerning the succession matter. He said all the contestants will be given a fair chance to take a shot to become the managing director of one of the biggest banks in the country.
According to him, the management of the bank has already engaged a recruitment firm from the United Kingdom, UK which will, at the end of the selection process, pick his successor.
He said a new CEO will emerge before the end of the year: “What we are looking for now is a Managing Director for Guaranty Trust Bank Nigeria. The process has started, we have 5 executive directors and so all of them are going through the process at the moment.
“We are working with a consulting firm in the UK where we are looking for based upon what we see for the Nigeria business, what we think the future will hold, what we think Nigerian Banking will look like, we will then at the end of this process which will end at the beginning of the fourth quarter, we will then have a Managing Director for GT Bank Nigeria.”
“We have 5 executive directors going through the process and one will emerge before the end of the fourth quarter. So succession for GT Bank Nigeria is well under control.”
Meanwhile, the bank has also announced that it has applied for a Holding Company certificate from Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
GTB is expected to be broken into four subsidiaries: GTB Nigeria, GTB West Africa, GTB East Africa, and GTB UK, by the time the apex bank gave the nod, sources in the bank informed the magazine.
The Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the affairs of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, under its suspended, Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, has summoned the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to appear before it.
Malami was summoned by the seven-man Panel, headed by a retired President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Ayo Salami, to appear before it as a star witness.
It is not known if the Panel had planned to invite Malami, or if it was compelled to do so, but Malami was invited 24 hours after a letter written by Magu’s Counsel, Wahab Shittu, to the Chairman of the Panel, was made public.
Dated September 4, 2020, Magu had asked the Panel to subpoena Malami before the Panel to enable him, Magu, interrogate Malami. He said he wanted to cross-examine Malami, so as to watch Malami prove his allegations against him, Magu.
Ibrahim Magu
Magu’s problem stemmed from a damning letter written to President Buhari by Malami, against Magu, alleging official misconduct, insubordination, and corruption against Magu.
Magu was brought before the Panel on July 21, after being intercepted on his way to the Force Headquarters. He was subsequently detained for nine days, and suspended from office.
The Panel has since been sitting for weeks, and inviting witnesses. Magu had cried foul over some of the witnesses, especially, those he said had issues before the EFCC. He had also decried not being given copies of the petitions against him, and the Terms of Reference of the Commission.
He said he was not happy not being allowed to interrogate the witnesses, describing the alleged situation as unfair to him.
He, also, blamed Malami for, atimes, the slow pace of work at the EFCC, accusing him of interference.
On September 4, Shittu wrote to Salami, asking him to subpoena Malami. The letter was made public on September 7 and, on September 8, the Panel invited Malami to appear as a star witness.
Both men will now have the opportunity to confront each other. Malami is the supervising Minister of the EFCC.
The strong speculation is that with Malami’s invitation to appear before the Panel, the end of the proceedings of the Panel may be coming to an end. Meaning that Magu would soon know his fate.
What will it be?
Will he be found guilty, and finally sacked from the EFCC?
Or will he be found innocent, vindicated, and asked to go back to office? Or be asked to go back to his constituency, the Police? How will the Czar end?
The National leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is in a quagmire as to what to do with Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Frank Ibezim who, last week, emerged candidates of the party in parallel primaries for Imo North Senatorial bye election slated for next month.
The seat became vacant following the death, last December, of the occupier, Senator Benjamin Uwajimogu.
High Voltage Brinkmanship
Araraume and the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, are now engaged in high voltage political brinkmanship to outwit the other.They are, reportedly, frantically lobbying critical individuals in the party in Lagos and Abuja.
Both men belong to different factions of Imo APC.
Old Foes Unite
While Ibezim is the candidate of the faction loyal to Governor Uzodinma, Araraume was produced by former governor Rochas Okorocha’s faction.
In an ironic twist of fate, this magazine gathered that Okorocha and Araraume are now building a formidable opposition against Uzodinma.
Araraume was one of the prominent sons who had fought Okorocha to a standstill and scuttled his push to install, as successor, Uche Nwosu, his son inlaw.
The disqualification of Ibezim from the Senatorial race by the APC screening panel, even after victory in the primary, multiple party sources confirmed, was the product of Araraume/ Okorocha lethal deft moves.
Why We Disqualified Ibezim
Chairman of the Screening Panel for the party’s primary election for the senatorial district, Dr.Lawrence Chukwu, said Ibezim was actually disqualified from participating in the process.
Frank Ibezim: Backed by Gov.Uzodinma, Emeka Nwajiuba
The Governor Mai-Mala Buni-led APC National Caretaker Committee had appointed a seven-man Committee with Ajibola Bashiru (Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs) as Chairman, Samuel Ogbuku as Secretary, Jibrin Gada, Bello Kumo, Umar Gana, Mohammed Saba, and Godfrey Ejim as members to conduct the primary election for a candidate that would fly the party’s flag for Imo North Senatorial by-election, coming up in October.
However, on reaching Imo, the committee split into two factions led by Bashiru which produced Ibezim as a candidate, and Gana which declared Ifeanyi Ararume as the winner.
The APC leadership had issued a statement that it only recognised the Bashiru-led Committee, which it said has been vested with the power to announce the winner of the primary election.
However, the Screening Committee in a petition submitted at the APC National Secretariat Abuja said 11 aspirants were screened, out of which 5 were cleared and 6, including Ibezim were disqualified for not meeting basic requirements.
Dr. Chukwu: “Section 3(f) of the guidelines for the nomination of candidates stipulates that ONLY aspirants fully cleared by the party shall be eligible to stand election at the party’s primaries.
“Section 3(k) also clearly stated that all aspirants must show knowledge of the party’s manifestos and programs and must commit themselves to the full implementation of the party’s goals and objectives.
“Not losing sight of section 3(L) which states that all aspirants are to submit evidence of membership of the party for at least one year except a waiver is given.
“Therefore, in compliance with section 11 of same guideline stipulating the roles and responsibilities of the screening committee, we have done our job sincerely, honestly and diligently without fear or favour but we have observed that Mr. Frank Ibezim who is purported to be one of the possible flag bearers of our party, was not cleared to contest the Imo North Senatorial primary elections”, the petition read.
Governor Uzodinma: Ibezim is the candidate for Imo North
How Araraume threw Spanner in Uzodinma’s Works
Sources close to Araraume claim that the ex-Senator and APGA’s Governorship candidate in the 2019 governorship election knew before time he was not Uzodinma’s choice for the vacant Okigwe senatorial seat and, then, took his political destiny in his own hands.
It was learnt that while the Uzodinma faction was putting finishing touches to the crowning of Ibezim as Imo North senatorial candidate, Okorocha’s faction, with a heavy war chest from Araraume, got some members of the APC team in the state for the primary to crown him.
Though this magazine could not confirm the veracity of it, a source also claim that it was the Okorocha/ Araraume faction that dug up Ibezim’s educational discrepancies which it supplied to the APC panel on which strength he (Ibezim) was disqualified.
APC’s Dilemma
The dilemma now facing the National leadership of APC is how to navigate out of the quagmire without jeopardizing chances of the party in the bye election.
A top notch of the party listed four options open to the party in resolving the logjam:
*Stick with Ibezim
*Adopt Ibezim’s disqualification
*Forward Araraume’s name as candidate
*Ditch both Araraume and Ibezim and settle for a neutral candidate
The party, The Source was informed is, however, mindful of possible legal backlash in settling for any of the four options.
For example, it recognises the Marcellinus Nlemigbo- led Imo APC faction which is loyal to Uzodinma and produced Ibezim against Okorocha/Araraume faction led by Daniel Nwafor.
There are concerns, within the party, therefore, that Ibezim’s candidacy could attract legal suits on the account of his alleged hazy academic qualifications and, if proven could rob the party of the senate seat even after victory.
On the other hand, Araraume’s candidacy could also be problematic to the party.Party sources say some elements within Imo APC have already vowed to approach the court should the party forward his name to INEC as candidate for the bye election.
“Senator Araraume’s faction is not recognized by the national leadership of our great party and, besides, he is not a member of the party; he is an APGA member”, an APC chieftain who didn’t want his name mentioned told this magazine in Owerri.
Okorocha: Teams up with Araraume
Uzodinma’s Plan B
The Source has, however, gathered that Governor Uzodinma is not resting on his oars. The magazine has been told that the Imo state Governor is keeping a number of options close to his chest in the event that the unthinkable happens, and the party adopts Araraume.
“I can authoritatively tell you that its anybody but Araraume. Just watchout”, a loyalist of the Governor told the magazine.
PDP’s Okewulonu in the Mix
Meanwhile, PDP’s candidate for the bye- election, Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu, has been dragged into the feud within APC over Imo North.
Some sources claim the PDP candidate is governor Uzodinma’s plan B, should Araraume get the APC ticket.
The governor is allegedly poised to support Okewulonu to win after which he will encourage him to defect to the APC. “Mark my words: Chief Okewulonu will represent Okigwe in the Senate if the APC eventually makes the mistake of giving Araraume the ticket”, one of the sources said.
In the same vein, a different source informed the magazine that Araraume, who represented the Senatorial district between 1999 and 2003 has, allegedly, sworn to ensure that Okewulonu wins the election to punish the APC, should Ibezim get the party’s ticket.
2023 and Nwajiuba’s Connection
The Minister of state for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, is not just from Okigwe Senatorial district which is also called Imo North, but also hails from the same community as Ibezim. He is alleged to be the main energiser of Ibezim’s Senatorial ambition in preparation for his own gubernatorial ambition in 2023.
Nwajuba is reportedly primed at dismantling Araraume and installing Ibezim to clear the coast for his governorship ambition, the same ambition Araraume is also said to be nursing.
However, political analysts opine that though, Governor Uzodinma and Nwajiuba are currently in the same camp, and united in their resolve to enthrone Ibezim, both leaders may likely fall out before 2023 since they would be pursuing the same ambition (governorship) in the party.
Meanwhile, The Source has learnt that Governor Uzodinma’s main interest, for now, is to ensure that Araraume does not join Okorocha in the Senate to cause distractions to his government.
The immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency, Chief Henry Seriake Dickson, has said that he does not have any power outside God in his political career.
The former Governor said that he did not need occult powers and cult activities to register victories in his political battles, as power comes only from God.
A statement by his Media Advisor, Mr Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the Governor as having made the comment during a thanksgiving service at his country home of Toru-Orua on Sunday.
The former Governor stressed that God strengthened him and indeed fought the many battles he won in politics as Governor for eight years, and even before then.
The former Governor who spoke about the victory of the PDP in the last gubernatorial election said that God Himself, who he described as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe, used his own Court to deliver the verdict which stopped the All Progressives Congress from taking over the state.
He said that the fact that people imported drinks to celebrate the planned an APC take-over of Bayelsa State, but could not drink them, should convince political actors and, indeed, the citizenry that power comes only from God.
“So many things happened in this state in the past eight or nine years but the Lord gave us victory in all the challenges.
“The unprecedented battle of my re-election in 2015, after which they decided to make the State ungovernable should come to the mind. Bayelsa had over 15 police commissioners in a few months.
“And, of course, you remember the last miracle of the 11th hour! The man himself was preparing for inauguration when God used His own Court to deliver the verdict because He didn’t like what they were doing for our people,” he said
Chief Dickson described the reception given to him by the people of Ekeremor and Sagbama as unprecedented saying he did not receive such unique honour even during his days as governor.
He thanked the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, his Deputy Sen Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the commissioners and assembly members from the District, the delegates and all party members for affirming his nomination as the PDP Senatorial Candidate.
He said that the Senatorial election was crucial and of interest to Bayelsa West, Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation, as the country would be expecting a Senator with the experience and capacity to speak in the interest of the Country, and the Ijaw nation in particular.
Dickson has, so far, received an unprecedented endorsement from his party, the PDP, which members gave him an automatic ticket to run for the Senate, his District, and the Ijaw nation.
The Senatorial ambition of former Deputy Governor, Chief Peremobowei Ebebi, has caused division within the membership of his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Sagbama Local Government Area.
On Tuesday, 900 protesting members of the APC stormed the Toru Orua country home of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Senatorial Candidate, Chief Henry Seriake Dickson, the immediate past Governor of the State, and defected to the PDP in protest against what they termed the violation of the arrangement on zoning of the National Assembly seats in the Senatorial District.
The defectors led by the former Chairman of the Ogobiri Youth Association, Mr. Ekadi Tonbiri Desire, were received, on behalf of the State chapter of the PDP, by the Sagbama Local Government Chairman of the PDP, Mr Ofoni Oyafikunmo, the Senatorial Vice Chairman, Mr Michael Magbisa, the Chairman Sagbama Local Government Area, Embeleakpo Alade.
The defectors include elders, women and youth leaders of APC from various communities, including those in Ward 11, the largest in the local government area.
Seriake Dickson
The leaders of the group include Amadiowei Ekadi, from Ogobiri Community, Chief Kongo koria (Kabiama Community), Ebiyakpo Dagana, (Dagana Community) Patrick Okunbiri Preye, ( Ogobiri) and APC women leader Felicia Araye from Ogobiri and others.
Spokesman of the group, Mr Ekadi Desire, said that the APC members decided to pull out of the party because of the violation of the existing agreement on the zoning of political offices between Sagbama and Ekeremor.
The youth leader said that it was common knowledge that the two National Assembly positions in the Senatorial District are shared between Ekeremor and Sagbama.
He said that it was inconceivable and provocative for the APC to field a candidate for the forthcoming Senatorial contest from Ekeremor when an Ekeremor son, Chief Fred Agbedi, occupies the position of the House of Representatives.
He said that a fair and just system should not have allowed an Ekeremor son to contest the Senatorial election in brazen violation of the existing accord on zoning of National Assembly seats in the area.
He described Ebebi’s emergence as a deliberate and unacceptable oppression of APC members in Sagbama Local Government Area by the APC.
He stressed that the aggrieved members defected from the APC because of their belief in Chief Dickson’s ability, and readiness at all times to defend the Ijaw interest.
In his remarks, Chief Dickson said that the APC leadership was executing a deliberate plan to cause needless division and tension in the Senatorial District which shouldn’t be allowed.
He thanked the people for their support in all his elections such as the ones into the House of Representatives, the Governorship, his re-election, and the Senate.
He said that those who were received into the PDP would be given equal rights as other PDP members, and urged them to join party members in the campaign.
The NESG Chief Executive Officer, Laoye Jaiyewola, has warned that Nigeria’s government is heading towards totalitarianism, the way things are going in the country.
“We all have seen tendencies of totalitarianism, we are facing a tremendous food crisis, and this means we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder”, he told Arise TV. “We don’t have the luxury of time”.
This was a sequel to the press release issued by the group,
Tuesday, where they listed about 15 items they claim were of urgent national importance. In the release, the group commended Government’s actions on the deregulation of electricity and the petroleum sectors, but wants proper policies put in place.
“The NESG commends the government’s actions at deregulating fuel and electricity prices and urge that proper policies, processes, and procedures be put in place, to ensure that all the reforms (beyond price deregulation) necessary to facilitate the smooth functioning of both the fuel and electricity markets are effectively and conclusively implemented.”
The Group also expressed its reservations on the lack of transparency in the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) management of forex resource allocations and intervention funds.
The release was signed by its Chairman , Asue Ighodalo, and Chief Executive Officer, Laoye Jaiyeola.
“The Group expresses serious concerns about how the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has carried on the business of foreign exchange transactions, loan disbursements (intervention funds), and price fixings without appropriate policy clarity”, the release said.
“This can be subject to abuses, manipulations and significant market disruptions, reflective of a policy akin to crony capitalism. We therefore respectfully request the appropriate authorities to properly review this policy to restore credibility into our financial sector.”
Worried about some provisions of the ‘repealed and re-enacted’ Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020’ which was recently passed by the National Assembly waiting for the President for assent, the group decried certain provisions that breach the provisions of the country’s constitution and confers immunity on CBN officials and exempts actions by the apex bank from judicial review.
“These are draconian, totalitarian and inimical to the development of a stable and transparently regulated financial sector.
“We respectfully request that the President should please withhold his assent until the Bill is properly reviewed, amended, and is made fit for purpose.
“We also most respectfully request that our legislative houses should subject Bills, in particular, such crucial bills, to the most efficient scrutiny necessary to assure compliance with the Nigerian Constitution,
The nationwide protest against hike in the price of petrol and electricity tariffs berthed in Ondo state on Tuesday with protesters heaping curses on those behind it.
The protesters, made up mainly of members of the National Association of Nigerian Students, ( NANS), trooped to major roads in Akure, the state capital, carrying placards and banners with inscriptions against the hike in the cost of public utilities in the country.
Some residents that had been waiting for an opportunity to show their anger with the increment, joined the protesters, accusing the federal government of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.
They described the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government of President Mohammadu Buhari as incompetent adding that it has unleashed more hardship on Nigerians than any other past administration.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Kowe Odunayo, Coordinator of NANS Zone D, said the hike in the petrol and electricity bills amounted to wickedness on the part of the government.
According to him, youths, especially the students, would be affected by the price hike, stressing that government needed to reverse the decision immediately.
“It is no longer news to many of us again that the federal government has increased the fuel and electricity tariff but we want it reversed immediately.
“We are tired and we can’t continue like this, we have suffered enough under this government and can’t be smiling at the same time.
We are saying that the federal government cannot continue to take us for fools with its anti-people policies.
“If the government feels it can shut the voices of some people in Nigeria, it can’t shut the voices of the youths and the Nigerian students”.
Mr. Akinteye Babatunde, NANS JCC Ondo Axis, pointed out that Nigerians have suffered enough under the government of President Buhari noting that the people would no longer keep quiet on the injustice being meted out on them.
Aside from the recent hike, Babatunde revealed that the present government has introduced various anti- masses policies to Nigerians but said the youth would continue to speak against them.
“We have started speaking and making our voices known that the increment is unacceptable to us as youths. We shall continue to speak until the federal government knows that we are not happy about the increment of these utility bills.
“It is just too unfortunate that at this period of Covid-19 that the government in other countries are bringing succor to their citizens in Nigeria, our own leaders and government are increasing the pains and suffering of their own citizens.
“It is so sad that our government is doing this to us, and it was because some of us as youths could not stand our ground against this injustice that this government has brought upon us.
“It has shown that this government doesn’t like its citizens and we need to rise up and stand against them. Now, we won’t stop and we would continue to demand and agitate for the right things”.
Since the government increased the tariffs, the masses have been crying foul, saying the action smacks of insensitivity.
Protests first erupted in Osun State, last week over the hike. Labour Unions, including the NLC and the TUC are mobilising for protests.
However, the Federal Government says there will be no reversal of the hikes.
Sultan of Sokoto, Dr Sa’ad Abubakar, who is the Chairman, Northern Traditional Rulers Council, has described the killings in Southern Kaduna as “madness” that has to be stopped immediately.
He called on those involved in killings in Southern Kaduna to stop the act, saying, “enough is enough”.
Speaking during the Council’s Executive Meeting in Kaduna, the monarch noted that no man in his right senses go on a killing spree of innocent people under whatever guise.
The Sultan carpeted politicians as forces behind the unrests in the southern part of the state.
He called on the people of the state and Nigeria in general that no politician means well for them, adding, “lf you keep on igniting killings based on ethno-religious differences because it is the innocent children that are killed while that of the elites are protected.”
Earlier, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, reminded the gathering that the Southern Kaduna crises had prevailed for the past 40 years since the first Kasuwan Magani riot.
According to the Governor, Kaduna is a mini-Nigeria with over 52 ethnic groups, meaning that 10 percent of Nigeria’s ethnic groups are from Kaduna state.
He added that the danger of it is that, crimes committed by criminals for their own selfish motives were given ethno-religious interpretations.
Speaking on what his administration has been doing to abate the killings El-Rufai said, “a military base, Mobile Police Depot, Air Force and strike force personnel have been deployed to the zone.
“Also, equipment like drones and GSM trackers are being used which had helped to neutralized thousands of the bandits in the State. We also set up a Peace Commission to meidate between the aggrieved people.”
