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Jonathan Mourns Nda-Isaiah, Says Late Publisher Was Deeply Committed To Public Good |The Source

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The Source
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Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has commiserated with the Nda-Isaiah family and the management of Leadership newspapers on the passing on of the founder and chairman of the Leadership Media Group, Mr. Sam Nda- Isaiah who died last Friday.

The former President in a condolence message to the family described the late Nda-Isaiah as an erudite journalist and columnist who deployed his creativity towards promoting peace, progress and unity.

Dr. Jonathan also noted that the late Publisher was deeply committed to public good, adding that he would be missed for his patriotism and incisive commentary on the state of our nation.

The former President said: “I commiserate with the Nda- Isaiah family, the Nigerian media, his  political associates and all sympathisers on the demise of Sam Nda- Isaiah at the age of 58 after a brief illness.

“Sam Nda- Isaiah was a pharmacist, an erudite journalist, a columnist and a newspaper publisher who deployed his creativity and platforms to promote the peace, progress and unity of Nigeria.

As a politician, publisher and entrepreneur, he was a man of deep commitment to solving many of the challenges within our country.

“He will be missed by many members of our society, for his incisive commentary on the state of our nation and for his patriotism.

“I pray for consolation for members of his family and all affected by his death to take solace in the fact the late journalist lived an impactful life of service and he was an inspiration to many especially those within the media.”

Presidency Says It Won’t Be Forced Into Restructuring |The Source

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Akinwale Kasali
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Garba Shehu

By Akinwale Kasali

Following the call for the restructuring of the nation from all quarters, the Presidency  has said the fFederal Government will not be forced on the issue of restructuring because of secession threats.

Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, said in a statement that unpatriotic and inciting remarks in some quarters would not help in advancing the cause of those pushing for restructuring of Nigeria as President  Muhammadu Buhari can’t be intimidated by such rhetorics of break up.

Shehu said the president will not be forced to take decisions that will endanger the lives of Nigerians.

Shehu, however, noted that the Government is willing to work with stakeholders and lawmakers in addressing the structural issues and impediment obstructing the growth of the country.

“The Presidency responds to the recurring threats to the corporate existence of the country with factions giving specific timelines for the President to do one thing or another or else, in their language, ‘the nation will break up’,” the statement read.

“This is to warn that such unpatriotic outbursts are both unhelpful and unwarranted as this government will not succumb to threats and take any decision out of pressure at a time when the nation’s full attention is needed to deal with the security challenges facing it at a time of the Covid-19 health crisis.

“This administration will not take any decision against the interests of 200 million Nigerians, who are the President’s first responsibility under the constitution, out of fear or threats especially in this hour of a health crisis.

“The President as an elected leader under this constitution will continue to work with patriotic Nigerians, through and in line with the Parliamentary processes to finding solutions to structural and other impediments to the growth and wellbeing of the nation and its people.”

Air Cdre. Johnson Attacked By Hoodlums, Critical |The Source

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Adesina Soyooye
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Air Commodore Akin Johnson

By Adesina Soyooye

For Air Commodore Akin Johnson, rtd, it was a keep-fit exercise  gone awry. For daring to jog around his area of residence in the early hours of Friday, he is lying critically, in a hospital.

According to reports, he was accosted and  very badly injured by hoodlums who attacked him.

It was not, immediately, known why the hoodlums attacked him near his residence in the Lugbe area of Abuja, or the point they wanted to make, since he had nothing on him to suggest his status in the society, but his injuries are so bad, that from his head, down to his ears and cheeks are in stitches. He was cut-up, obviously, with a knife.

Confirming the frightening incident, his wife said he is in a critical but stable state.

In a social media advisory, she warned people not only to be vigilant, but to avoid jogging/walking  very early in the morning or very late in the evening. She  says it is fraught with dangers. “Make sure it is daylight, and people are on the streets before you take a walk or a jog”, she said.

Abuja streets are fast becoming danger zones. Conscious of the situation, the Police have, in recent times, been raiding bad spots, and arresting hoodlums.

Covid-19: Sanwo-Olu Goes Into Self-Isolation |The Source

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The Source
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By Chidi Onyewuchi

Lagosians are not likely to see their Governor in “active service”, for at least 14 days, no thanks to COVID-19 protocols.

The Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for precautionary reasons has gone into self-isolation.

This is because one of his close aides tested positive for COVID-19 on  the10th of December.

In a statement, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, himself, a COVID-19 survivor, informed that:

“Mr. Governor and other members of his team will be tested by the Lagos State biobank today but will remain in isolation until the results of the tests are available.

“We are seeing slightly increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases in clusters in Lagos and all Lagosians should adhere to the prescribed advisories of safe distancing, good hand and respiratory hygiene and avoidance of unnecessary gatherings.”

To calm nerves and anxiety, he added:

“This is not the first time Mr. Governor is having the COVID-19 test. He has had at least three since May when he announced that 10 of his aides had tested positive for the virus.”

This is, however, the first time the Commissioner is issuing a public statement that the Governor would be in self-isolation.

Sanwo-Olu’s wife, Ibijoke, is a Medical Doctor, and was the Chief Medical Director of the  General Hospital, Ifako, Lagos,  before she became the First Lady, Lagos State.

Tragedy: Dapo Ojora, Saraki’s Brother-in-Law, Commits Suicide |The Source

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The Source
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Dapo Ojora

By Gideon Njoku

Tragedy has hit the family of billionaire Boardroom guru, Otunba Adekunle Ojora and his lovely wife, Erelu Ojuolape Ojora. Their son, Dapo Ojora, died Friday evening in tragic circumstances.

Dapo, a polo enthusiast, allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. This comes a couple of years after he survived a near-fatal motorbike accident.

Dapo was the elder brother to Mrs Toyin Saraki, wife of the immediate past Senate President, and two-time Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Dapo’s tragic death is a sad reminder for his family, of the death, nine years ago, of his elder brother, Gboyega, who died of heart attack at First Consultant Hospital, Ikoyi, at the age of 50.

It is not known, yet, why Dapo, a man from a distinguished background, would commit suicide. But  speculation is that he never got over his separation from his wife, Patricia, with whom he had irreconcilable differences.

Of the four children of Otunba Ojora and his wife, Ojuolape, only two are remaining – both now heart-broken  Mrs Toyin Saraki, and  Yinka Ojora.

Aside from his family,  Dapo Ojora will be missed by the Lagos social circle  where he was a constant. He was aged 58.

Debunk Killing Of 16 Travellers On Kaduna-Abuja Road |The Source

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The Source
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Abubakar Mohammed Adamu - IGP

The Force Headquarters, Friday evening,  denied that the 16 Kano indigenes who were killed Tuesday evening along the Kaduna-Abuja road  were shot dead by Boko Haram.

The killing of the men, on the heels of the horrific murder of over 60 rice farmers a couple of weeks ago in Bornu State, by Boko Haram insurgents which triggered outrage nationwide brought back  chilling memories when it was attributed to Boko Haram. Kano state Ganduje placed a curse on those who killed them.

But the Police now debunks the Boko Haram angle, attributing the tragedy to a lone fatal accident. It is not known why it took the place about 48  hours to confirm what happened, but a release by Force Spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba,  said the IG of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has warned Nigerians to stop spreading false rumours.

The statement reads:

“The attention of the Force has been drawn to reports in some section of the media speculating that Gunmen killed 16 Travellers on Abuja – Kaduna Highway on 8th December, 2020. The Force wishes to state that the information is false and unfounded.

“To set the record straight, the unfortunate death of the 16 travellers as well as injury to 3 others was due to a lone fatal vehicular accident. The sad event occurred on 8th December, 2020 at about 0120hrs when the driver of an 18-Seater Hummer Bus, Reg. No. FGE 553 ZS, belonging to Yasalam Transport lost control and summersaulted severally around ALCON Filling Station, Rigachukun, Igabi LGA in Kaduna State.

“Investigation by the Kaduna State Police Command reveals that nine (9) passengers died on the spot while ten (10) others, who sustained various degrees of injury, were quickly rushed to the St. Gerald’s Hospital, Kakuri. However, seven (7) of the injured victims subsequently gave up the ghost, bringing the total of the dead to 16. Three (3) of the remaining passengers are receiving medical treatment. The accident led to the unfortunate and painful loss of life of 16-travellers and injury to 3-others and not any attack by Gunmen as speculated.

The Force enjoins reporters to cross-check and confirm their reports before going public to avoid unnecessary spread of panic and emotional distress to members of the public.”

APC Was A Vanishing Party in 2019 – Femi Adesina |The Source

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Adesina Soyooye
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By Adesina Soyooye

Not many people knew that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was a dead party, almost, in 2019. Insiders in the party had given up. The party was struggling. And hope was lost.

No less a person than President Muhammadu Buhari’s Media Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, revealed this state of affairs on Friday.

In an article titled: “Dave Umahi, Heart of Lion,” where Adesina celebrated Umahi’s defection from the PDP to the APC, and the sudden foray of the APC into the South-east, Adesina said the APC was a vanishing party in 2019 which was saved, just a few months ago, thanks to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s  victory in the Ondo State Governorship election.

Under the Chairmanship of Adams Oshiomhole, the APC lost a number of states which the party had won in 2015, to the PDP. It was blamed on Oshiomhole’s leadership style.

The limit was when the party lost Edo State to the PDP due to Oshiomhole’s bitter squabbles with his former ally, Governor Godwin Obaseki. When Obaseki was denied the Governorship ticket for a second term in office, he decamped to the PDP, and defeated the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. The Oshiomhole/Obaseki feud cost Oshiomhole the high profile office of the party, and the sack of the National Working Committee of the party.

Adesina: “When in year 2015, Hurricane Buhari blew-in, the APC had 24 Governors, PDP had 11, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, had one. But due to schisms and wrangling, APC states began to dwindle till it was almost 18 to 17.

“Zamfara, Bauchi, Sokoto, Benue, Oyo, Edo, were all lost. If Ondo had not been won by Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu a couple of months back, it would have been the nunc dimitis of APC. The party was fast vanishing, and the auguries for 2023 were not good.

“The victory in Ondo State was good. It took the tally to 19-16. Then came the game-changer. Ebonyi came into the bag, and it became 20-15.”

Insecurity Worse Under Jonathan says Magashi; Nigerians Disagree |The Source

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Uche Mbah
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Minister for Defence, Basir Magashi

By Uche Mbah

In a claim that made many people shake their heads in disbelief, Minister for Defence, Basir Magashi, Thursday, said that insecurity was worse in the years before 2015 than it is now, wondering why the present government is being vilified over insecurity.

His claim came on the heels of increased incidents of killings across Nigeria, with the resultant renewed call for President Buhari to sack Service Chiefs.

Last month, about 60 farmers were killed by Boko Haram at Zabarmari in Borno state. This resulted in the Federal  House of Representatives  inviting President Buhari, who initially agreed to meet with the lawmakers but changed his mind at the last minute. Attorney General, and Minister for Justice, Abubarkar Malami, SAN, said the House had no powers to invite the President to appear before the House.

Speaking on a Channels TV program, Thursday, Magashi said the Buhari  administration has defeated Boko Haram, wondering why Nigerians are not appreciating the government’s effort.

“The problem with this country is that we always forget too soon. Look in 2015 backward, 2014, 2013; if you remember the situation in this country. In Kano, 200 people were massacred in the mosque. The Emir of Kano was also attacked. The road from Kano to Kaduna and Abuja were impassable. We had over 20 roadblocks from Kaduna to Abuja. It takes you almost 15 hours to reach where you are coming from. Even in Abuja, there were bombings. Everywhere in Nigeria in those years, you find that there were commotions, no security, people can’t even move,” he said.

“When this government came, you know what we did. In Borno state, about 20 local governments were under capture by Boko Haram. But as soon as Buhari came, they were all subdued and we took over all these things and we even said we technically defeated this Boko Haram.

“No piece of land is occupied by Boko Haram in Borno state. The only thing normally with the kind of insurgent operation is that they want to surprise, you, embarrass you, and do whatever they think would attract international news or the national news or cause commotion within the the environment they operate.

“And that is what they have been doing, and that is why we are trying very hard to adopt tactics and other forms of operations in order to stop this kind of people embarrassing this country.

“We are putting in place everything you can think of, tactically and operationally, in order to return this country to the very the peaceful country we know it.”

Friends of Nigeria, he said, are coming to the aid of the overstretched military aid.

“At the moment, most people think because of the sporadic attacks here and there, we lost control or we are not doing our best. Most of you know the problem with this country. The armed forces are overstretched,” he said.

“The other thing that we may have gotten, we are not supported by some of these countries we call our friends. They are not ready to give us what we need — with the money we have and everything. But certainly, what I am trying to say is that Nigeria is better than what we were seven years ago.”

“In Africa, the Nigerian army should be adjudged one of the best. We have conducted so many operations outside Nigeria. We went to ECOMOG (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group); we did the very best we can. We went to Sierra Leone; we did the very best we can and some other places. We are a force that is reckoned with in Africa, but because of the nature of the prolongation of this war, people are getting tired.”

“People don’t even know the principles governing this kind of operation. These operations are not concentrated in one particular place. It is an operation that they hit and run. We don’t even know their bases. Now, we understand the tactics that the best way to fight these people is to get enough intelligence and go out there to fight them and this is what we are doing. Every day, we are getting information, and the Nigerian army and air force are always in to see that they are run down.

“Since the beginning of this war, anybody who is watching it will know that Nigerian armed forces are capable of undertaking any the operation, given the requisite equipment and the motivation they require to fight this war.”

But many Nigerians insist it is either the Minister was deliberately misinforming Nigerians, or very ignorant of the  terrible security situation in the country, especially, in the North, which has kept everybody on edge, and earned Nigeria an unenviable position in the terrorism index in the world.

Ondo Govt Imposes Curfew As Communal Crisis Escalates |The Source

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Ayodele Oni
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Rotimi Akeredolu - Ondo Communal Clash

By Ayodele Oni

Following unending clashes between two communities in Ondo state, the State Government has imposed a curfew.

The escalation of clashes between Ode and Isinigbo communities in Akure North Local Government Area of the state has claimed lives with houses razed.

The State  Government said 24 hours curfew has been imposed on both communities with immediate effect.

Donald Ojogo , Commissioner for Information and Orientation said in a statement that  “aside approving this action, Governor Rotimi  Akeredolu, SAN, has equally ordered a massive manhunt for perpetrators of the despicable violence, just as investigations are already on to unravel the real cause(s) of same.

“With respect to the curfew, security agencies have been directed to ensure total compliance with the order.

“For emphasis, both Ode and Isinigbo communities have been closed down for any unauthorised human movement and activity until further notice. ”

A Palace has been razed. The Monarch cheated death, while several persons have left the two communities, who are at war over land ownership.

Imo 2024: Iwuanyanwu, PDP BOT Member, To Vote APC |The Source

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The Source
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Emmanuel Iwuayanwu

By Charles Igbo

In a speech that shocked members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, especially, in Imo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a  chieftain of the party, said he will vote APC during the 2024 Governorship election in Imo. Iwuanyanwu did not say he was speaking for himself, alone.

He imposed his decision on the people of his zone- Owerri. “Owerri zone will vote for Uzodinma, (Senator Hope Uzodinma) in the 2024 state Governorship election”,  he told audience in a speech which lasted for about 35 minutes.

Chief Iwuanyanwu spoke on Thursday in Owerri during a reception by Owerri zone for the Governor, where the Traditional Rulers in Owerri Zone, honoured him with a chieftaincy title of Onwa n’etiri Oha of Owerri. He was the Chairman of the occasion. And hinged his decision, to vote him, on the achievements of the Governor, so far, in Owerri.

But, following are why a number of people within the PDP, and the zone, were shocked at Iwuanyanwu’s speech.

The Chief is a member of the PDP Board of Trustees. He had said, a number of times, that the quest for the Governorship ambition of former Governor Emeka Ihedioha, began in his house, and that he fought for  his victory at the polls.

However, Ihedioha’s victory was short-lived, as the Supreme Court nullified it, and declared Senator Hope Uzodinma, the winner.

Ihedioha is from Iwuanyanwu’s zone, Owerri.

Since Ihedioha’s ouster, many in the zone, and PDP members feel robbed. The PDP in Imo has, since their ouster, been preparing seriously for 2024. The party, is aggressively opposed, all the way, to everything done by Uzodinma. In doing that, the party has kept an, atimes, unperturbed Governor Uzodinma on his toes.

At the reception on Thursday, PDP sympathisers  had said that the venue was empty, even though it was packed-full.

This magazine gathered that  Iwuanyanwu’s speech at once angered and infuriated PDP members, many of whom are calling for his expulsion from the party.

Owerri is the first Zone to receive Uzodinma, and honour him with a Chieftaincy title, since after his victory against Ihedioha in January, 2020.

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