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Ambushed PMF Repels Attack; Loses Officers; IGP Mourns |The Source

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The Source
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Mohammed Adamu - Police IG
Mohammed Adamu - Police IG

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed 9 Adamu, has commended the Police officers attached to Police Mobile Force – 9 PMF Squadron, Kano for displaying uncommon gallantry and repelling the attack on their convoy by bandits numbering about a hundred along the Birnin Gwari – Funtua Highway on Friday, 15th January, 2021. They were  on their way back to their base in Kano after the completion of their special duty.

The officers are personnel attached to Operation Puff Adder, and deployed to Niger State in the sustained operation to reclaim the public space and tackle incidents of banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the area.

Contrary to unconfirmed reports in some sections of the media stating that eighteen (18) officers were kidnapped, only sixteen (16) officers were attacked in the ambush. The officers successfully repelled the attack accordingly and neutralized the bandits in their tens while many of the bandits scampered into the bush with gunshot injuries.

Regrettably, four (4) of the Officers paid the supreme price during the exchange of gun fire between the Police and the bandits while an officer is still missing.

However, the remaining eleven (11) officers led by their Unit Commander, successfully recovered the bodies and firearms of their fallen colleagues. Concerted efforts are being intensified to rescue the officer still missing.

PDP Crisis: Lagos PDP Dumps Fayose, Pledges Allegiance To Gov. Makinde |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Governor Seyi Makinde

By Akinwale Kasali

The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South West Geo Political Zone over leadership struggle of the Party has escalated and become more messier, with the Lagos State PDP pledging allegiance to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as its Leader.

The Lagos State chapter of the PDP pledged its unalloyed loyalty and allegiance to Governor Makinde at the stakeholders’ meeting held at Government house, Ibadan, the state capital, over the weekend.

Governor Makinde and former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose have been entangled in cold war over the control of the PDP structure in the south-west zone.

In a statement, Taiwo Adisa, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde said the Lagos PDP leaders sought audience with the governor to prevail on him to continue leading the party in the South West Zone.

He stressed that Dayo Ogungbenro, the caretaker zonal chairman of the party, endorsed Makinde as the leader of the Party in the zone, in an unanimous decision.

Adisa quoted Waliu Hassan, deputy chairman of the PDP in Lagos, and Rita Orji, former house of representatives member, as saying Makinde should continue leading the party in the region.

The party chieftains said members of the PDP in Lagos have agreed to sheath their swords and work towards the progress of the party and to ,also, ensure that the party wrestles  power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) of come 2023.

“The purpose of today’s meeting, to be very precise, is to thank Governor Makinde for standing by the party and to pledge total loyalty to his leadership of the South-West. No more, no less.

“We can tell you that the governor does not want anything from us. He, as the Chief Security Officer of Oyo State, needs nothing from the party, rather we are the ones who came all the way from Lagos, to plead with him to keep leading the party.

“We resolved to, irrespective of any rancor, move the party forward and we will ensure that the party takes its better seat in 2023.

“We did not come here to discuss who takes anything for zonal congress. The congress will soon come up and for all we care, we have come to restate our commitment to our own governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, and we stand by him anywhere he is going on the issue of the South West.”

Adisa said the meeting was attended by the full structure of the Lagos PDP executives, and that 12 executive council members were present out of 19 as well as the 17 non-working committee members of the party.

Professor Felix Inyama Dies |The Source

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The Source
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A Professor of English at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Felix Nnadozie Inyama, is dead.

Inyama’s  passing adds to the number of Academics who have passed in the past two weeks. About five of them have passed in quick succession.

Family sources say Prof. Inyama passed on January 12, in Abuja, where he went for a conference. He  had a long battle with  diabetes, which inexplicably shot up as soon as he arrived Abuja, in company with his wife and daughter.

Aged 74, he was a native of Akurubi, Itu, Ezinihitte, Mbaise, Imo State.

Married to Scholar, a Chief Nursing Officer at the UNN Clinic, both had five accomplished children.

Covid-19: LASG Begins Decontamination Against Spread Of Virus |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration is not leaving any stone unturned to decontaminate the Alausa Secretariat and other Government Agencies as the second wave of the Covid-19 Pandemic outbreak ravages the Country and the world at Large.

A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Belinda Odeneye, stated that the exercise had become necessary to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in the State secretariat.

She emphasised that the State Government will continue to adopt measures as part of the safety protocols to ensure that the pandemic does not further spread in the State, saying that the fumigation exercise will be a continuous process until the virus is contained.

Odeneye said the decontamination exercise which commenced on Friday, 15th of January, 2021 with the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Lands Bureau, and Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development is expected to end on Saturday the 30th of January 2021.

The Permanent Secretary added that the exercise would commence at 2 p.m during weekdays, while it would start at 8 a.m on weekends and urged all workers to vacate their offices and complex on stipulated days to avoid inhaling chemicals used during the fumigation exercise.

According to the schedule, the Office of the Head of Service/PSO, Ministry of Special Duties & Inter-Governmental Relations, Management Services and Reforms Office, Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Office of Public-Private Partnership, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency and Office of Civic Engagement will be fumigated on Saturday 16th of January, 2021, while the Office of Secretary to the State Government Cabinet Office, Office of the State Auditor General, Audit Service Commission, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, Office of Education Quality Assurance are to be fumigated on Sunday, 17th of January 2021.

The Office of the Deputy Governor, Ministry of Local Government & Community Affairs, Civil Service Commission, Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure will be fumigated on Monday 18th January 2021 in addition to the Ministry of Works & Infrastructure, Ministry of Housing, Civil Service Pensions Office, Ministry of Information & Strategy and Ministry of Health will be decontaminated on Tuesday 19th of January, 2021.

The Staff Clinic, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Establishments, Training & Pensions, Central Business Districts Office, Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives are slated for fumigation on the Wednesday 20th of January, 2021 and the Ministry of Wealth Creation & Employment, Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources, Ministry of Home Affairs, Lagos State Liaison Office Annexe, Lagos State Valuation Office, Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department and the Lagos State Planning & Environmental Monitoring Authority are scheduled for Thursday 21st of January, 2021.

The State Treasury Office, Ministry of Finance, ABAT CENTRE, SPDV, Ministry of Science & Technology and the Ministry of Youth and Social Development are to be fumigated on Friday 22nd of January 2021, while Ministry of Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State Safety Commission, Ministry of Economic Planning & Budget, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission and the Lagos Television LTV Complex, Agidingbi, are to be decontaminated on 23rd of January. Also, the State House of Assembly Complex, LASEPA Building, LASEMA, Fire Service Office – Alausa, Digital Village and RRS & GMT will be fumigated on Sunday 24th January.

The exercise moves to the Old Secretariat, Ikeja, on Monday, 25th January 2021 with Local Government Service Commission, Local Government Establishment & Pensions Office, Teachers Establishment & Pensions Office, Office of the Auditor General for Local Governments, Office of Youth & Social Development (COURT), Lagos State Coconut Development Authority, Muslim Pilgrims Board, Christian Pilgrims Board, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB), and Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA) on Monday 25th January, 2021.

It would be the turn of the Lagos House/Office of the Governor, Office of Chief of Staff and Lagos Global on Tuesday 26th January, 2021. The exercise will continue on 27th January at Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), JJT and Ndubuisi Kanu Parks, Staff Canteen and Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), Lagos State Printing Corporation, Office Of Surveyor General, Arts and Culture, Debt Management Office and Lagos State Residents’ Registration Agency (LASRAA) Office are scheduled for Thursday 28th January, 2021.

The fumigation exercise holds in Oshodi on 29th January at the offices of LASTMA, LASDRI, Lagos State Task Force, KAI Office, Neighbourhood Watch and LAW Reform Commission and would be rounded up on 30th January with the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, Public Works Bureau, Lagos State Cooperative College (Johnson Agiri) Oko-Oba, Agege and Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau.

Ekiti State Set To Take Lead In Snail Production In Africa |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Snail

By Akinwale Kasali

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State is set to boost the economy of the State in Snail Production.

The State Government is set to lead Africa as the continent’s hub of large scale commercial production of Snail, whose global trade is worth 12 Billion Dollars.

Governor Fayemi will declare open the Farmkonnect Egbeja Snail Village billed to produce millions of Snails for local and international market.

According to the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Olabode Adetoyi, the Governor will commission the ultra modern N5 Billion Naira Snail project with stocking capacity of 2 million snails per cycle.

Experts said the project is the first of its kind in Ekiti State and Nigeria.

Adetoyi said the project is the second biggest snail farm in Africa.

“This Agric project will attract 3000 employment. All State Executive Council , Officials and friends of Ekiti State Government are cordially invited” he said in a release made available to Irohinoodua on Saturday.

The farming of snail is called heliciculture. It takes between 10 to 30 days for the tiny eggs to hatch releasing multiple snails about 4 mm long but could grow up to 10 mm per month.

In about half a year, the Achatina fulica is about 35 mm long and ready for reproduction

Sometimes the sexual maturity takes 6 to 16 months, depending on diet which should include Calcium.

The snail international market booms with the share of export in total global output being about 80% in 2007-2016.

Experts say trade boom is fueled by acccess to ready made market.

France, Germany and Portugal are some of the leading European countries where snails are consumed

Portugal for instance is the world’s biggest consumer of snails with some 30,000 tonnes consumed annually

Touchstone Agriculture, a  top Agricultural Organization revealed in 2014 that the value of global consumption of snails was estimated around 450.000 tons worth over 12 billion dollars.

Utomi Slamed Buhari Over Claim On State Of Nation |The Source

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Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Former Presidential Aspirant, political economist and Co-convener, National Consultative Forum, Prof. Pat Utomi, has lambasted and rejected the  claim by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration that Nigeria is better than it met it in 2015.

Utomi said that Nigeria was not the poverty capital of the world seven years ago, but currently had more people living in extreme poverty than any country worldwide.

He expressed concerns on the rising inflation rate and shrinking debt to revenue ratio, which was as high as 99% in Q1 2020 and 95% in Q3 2020.

Buhari had, in a self-assessment report Wednesday, claimed that Nigeria was better than he met it more than five years ago while hosting the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, Revd Yakubu Pam.

While the dust raised by the president’s self-assessment report was yet to settle, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its Consumer Price Index (CPI) with an indication that inflation rate increased by 15.75 per cent (year-on-year) in December 2020 compared to 14.48 per cent in November 2020.

Under Jonathan, the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was $546.7 billion in 2014, the year before Buhari assumed office. It plunged to $486.8 billion in 2015; $404.7 billion 2016; $375.7 billion in 2017; then rose to $397.2 billion in 2018 and $448.1 billion in 2019.

The official data of the World Bank put Nigeria’s 2020 GDP at $250 billion, though the bank’s projection revealed that rate might be around $360 billion in 2021 and $450 billion in 2020.

Confronted with these stark realities under the Buhari administration, Utomi, founder/CEO, Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), said: “The truth of the matter is that Nigeria is not in a good shape. Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world today. But it was not seven years ago.”

He, also, said Nigeria “is more divided and tense today than it was seven years ago. Nigeria has been getting progressively worse. Every government has been worse than the one before it. That is the tragedy of Nigeria.”

Amid worsening socio-economic indices under Buhari’s administration, the political economist warned that national disaster was looming if the country’s political leaders did not change their behaviour in public service.

Concerned about the future of the federation, Utomi said: “I have talked about this several times. National disaster is looming. The fact is that political actors do not understand the meaning of public service any more.”

In concept, the political economist argued that public service “is a place where people make sacrifices to build a greater tomorrow” contrary to the thinking of the present political leaders at virtually all levels.

He lamented that the country’s political actors “always want their rewards on earth and right now even if it destroys tomorrow,” which according to him, was the reason the federation was descending into deteriorating socio-economic and political conditions.

Utomi lamented: “If we look at the scramble to borrow and what it is being committed to, which is not in productive activities, we know tomorrow will be scary and perhaps most uncertain. There is no question about that.”

He, however, admitted that Nigeria could still be rescued out of the woods only if political actors, irrespective of their ethnic nationalities, political leanings and religious bias, could change their behaviour in public service.

To tame the country’s intractable debt crisis, the political economist observed that the policy option that the present government should consider “is to focus any borrowing on intense production concentration.

“When you produce enough to meet that concentration will not only amortize the debt, but also will also provide you more employment and expand the economy. General borrowing can only lead us to more trouble.”

Utomi recommended the need for all political actors across party lines “to change behaviour. There is no point in borrowing when no investor wants to invest in Nigeria because of the behaviour of our political leaders.

“Nigeria is considered an unsafe place to invest in because of the regulatory risks. The investors are more likely to fail in business because of the actions of the government than any market force. We spend so much in infrastructure and no person comes to invest. What is the point?”

Utomi, therefore, argued that the starting point to rescue Nigeria from descent into insolvency “must be the behaviour of political leaders in Nigeria. If they do not change it, we are finished. It does not matter what else we do. One business fails everyday because of the government.

“Most of the money spent on infrastructure is unnecessary. There is private money we can attract and spend on infrastructure. But that private money is scared of Nigeria because it does not know if the next governor will come in, he will continue or discontinue with the project.

Insurgency: Army Says It Has Weakened Boko Haram |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The Army says that Boko Haram Insurgents would soon become history in the country because It has “weakened enemies” of the country who no longer have “sovereignty or authority” on any territory in the country.

The defense spokesman, Major General John Enenche, stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme  commemorating the Armed Forces Remembrance Day. The presidency had earlier said Boko Haram insurgents are weaker compared to 2015.

“Boko Haram is much weaker today than in 2015, as attested to by the Governor  of Borno state on December 6, 2020,” Femi Adesina, presidentiaal spokesman, had said in a statement.

Affirming the stance of the Presidency , Eneche said as of 2015, Boko Haram had between 17 and 20 local government areas under its control.

He said those territories were recaptured under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Yes, the Commander-in-Chief is very right by saying that we have a weaker Boko Haram. Why is it so? In the sense that as at 2015, before they came on board, we had a very terrible situation in the northeast.

“Between 17 and 20 local government areas were under the full authority of the insurgents, that is the Boko Haram group and what does that translate to. It translated to a fact that they (referring to Boko Haram) constituted authority, local administration and judiciary.

“They were even collecting levies, which we can term taxes, the people were subject to them, they sack traditional rulers and most of them were into exile. By 2016, the whole place were recaptured.”

Eneche said the current crop of Boko Haram insurgents are hiding from one bush to another enclave with no capacity to fight.

“Now what we have as Boko Haram is a weakened enemy of the country, so it is very right going by my analysis I just made,” he said.

“Whereby they were moving from bush to enclave, from enclave to bush. They do not have any sovereignty or authority in any territory in the northeast, by extension Nigeria, so we now have a weakened Boko Haram.

“Of, course if they are strong force to be contended with, why don’t they come out? They cannot come out.”

New Judge For Ekiti State Judiciary |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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Fayemi and Chief Judge

By Ayodele Oni

A new Judge for Ekiti state judiciary will be inaugurated on Tuesday by Governor Kayode Fayemi.

The appointment of the new Judge, Adeniyi Familoni, was ratified by the National Judicial Council, (NJC) last week.

Barrister Adeniyi Familoni, was until his appointment, Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs.

The NJC had found Familoni suitable for appointment.

Familoni began his career as a Legal Officer in the Ondo State Ministry of Justice in 1996, and later, Ekiti State Ministry of Justice where he, at various times, held offices as Director Law Review, Director Citizens Rights, Director Civil Litigations and Director Public Prosecutions.

He was appointed Permanent Secretary in Ekiti State Civil Service in April 2019 and posted to Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs.

Pan Yoruba Group Navigates The Future For Yoruba Nation |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Yoruba Youth Patriotic Movement - YYPM

By Akinwale Kasali

Pan Yoruba Group, Youth Patriots Movement, is set to navigate the future of the Yoruba, in a move to have the Oduduwa Republic it has been clamouring for.

In this vein, a summit of Yoruba leaders, eminent personalities and cross section of stakeholders is set to hold in Ibadan, Oyo state on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 10am.

The Summit, conveyed under the aegis of Yoruba Patriots Movement with the theme “Yoruba Nation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” is scheduled for the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

It is to be held in strict compliance with COVID-19 protocols, and will feature a virtual component to facilitate the participation of wide spectrum of stakeholders in the affairs of Yoruba nation.

The Summit will deliberate on prevailing and future socio-political challenges as well as prospects of Yoruba nation with emphasis on issues that bother on the welfare, security and mutual coexistence of Yoruba people within a peaceful, stable and united Nigeria.

It is to be co-chaired by General Alani Akinrinade, former Chief of Defence Staff and High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, former Governor of Oyo State, and  will have in attendance present and former governors as well as notable past and present political office holders in the six southwest States of Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo. The Summit will receive royal blessings from custodians of Yoruba Traditional institutions: Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), Ooni of Ife; Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi (II),  Alaafin of Oyo.

Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo (II), Alake of Egba Land; Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Oba of Lagos;  Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan; Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom; Oba Rufus Aladesanmi (II), Ewi of Ado Ekiti; Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji (Aje Oguguniso I), Olubadan of Ibadan Land; Oba Sikiru Adetona, The Awujale of Ijebu Land; Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi (Afuntade I), Alawe of Ilawe; Oba (Dr.) Aderemi Alayemore, the Olujudo of Ido-Osun.

Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Professor Yemi Osinbajo will declare the Summit open. Prominent Yoruba political chieftains and opinion leaders expected at the Summit include Afenifere patriarch, Chief Reuben Fasoranti; Senator Biyi Durojaiye, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Otunba Subomi Balogun, Chief Afe Babalola, Aare Gani Adams amongst others.

Key resource persons for the Summit include Pastor Tunde Bakare, Latter Rain Assembly; Dr. Yemi Farounbi, Former Nigeria Ambassador to Phillipine;  Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation; Professor Ayoade Oduola, Director, University of Ibadan Research Foundation; Professor Siyan Oyefeso, Director General, Centre of African Culture, Osogbo; Professor Adegbenga Onabamiro, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan and Senator Smart Adeyemi representing Kogi West.

A communiqué on the way forward that approximates the concerns and expectations of Yoruba nation in Nigeria will emanate from deliberations at the Summit.

This was disclosed by Engr. Adekunle Olayinka, Secretary, Planning Committee for PAN Yoruba Summit Conveners in a statement made available to Newsmen.

Buhari Appoints Inlaw, Marwa NDLEA Boss

By
Bayo Bernard
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By Tosin Olatokunbo

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a former military administrator of Lagos state, Buba Marwa as the new chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. The appointment came barely a week after the president failed to re-appoint the former chairman, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (rtd).

Until this appointment, Mohamed Buba Marwa was the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Drug Abuse. The former military administrator, MILAD is now effectively the boss of the agency.

His predecessor was appointed on Jan­uary 12, 2016 by the former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachair Lawal, but had recently came under public scrutiny for mismanaging the agency, particularly, his decision to hurriedly recruit 5000 fresh staff when his term had already ended. He was sacked despite his intense lobby to retain his job for another four years.

Marwa was born on September 9, 1953, a retired Nigerian army officer who served as governor of Borno State, and then Lagos State during the military administrations of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha.

He was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant in the Nigerian Army Reconnaissance Corps before moving to the Armoured Corp. He held various posts in the army, including Brigade Major (23 Armoured Brigade), Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, academic registrar of the Nigerian Defense Academy and deputy defense adviser in the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC.

In 1990, he was appointed Governor of Borno State. In 1992, he became the defense adviser to the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

The NDLEA boss’ step son recently married President Buhari’s daughter .

Meanwhile, close watchers of the para-military organization insist that the two-time MILAD will bring forth, to his new job, his experience as a military technocrat and seasoned administrator.

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