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Deputy Senate President Donates 1000 Motorcycles To Kano Police

November 23, 2024

Motorcycles Donated By Deputy Senate President to Kano Police

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

In an effort to enhance security in Kano, the Deputy Senate President, Jibril Barau, on Saturday, November 23, 2024, gifted the Nigeria Police ,a total of 1000 motorcycles.

Senator Barau representing Kano North Senatorial District at the Senate of the National Assembly, noted that the gesture is aimed at assisting the Police in securing lives and properties .

During the presentation ceremony at the Kano State Police Command Headquarters in Bompai, the Deputy Senate President underscored the need for adequate public support to security agencies in their onerous task of maintaining peace and stability in the country.

He noted that logistical and other relevant support will go a long way in enhancing the operational efficiency of our security agencies.

Senator Barau lauded the efforts of the Kano State Police Command and the high level of professionalism being displayed by its officers and men in the discharge of their constitutional mandate of protecting lives and properties.

” I commend the officers and men of the Kano State Police Command for their exceptional professionalism in carrying out their constitutional duties.

“Their dedication to the maintenance of peace and order in the State is truly appreciated.

“As a token of appreciation, support will be provided to ensure they continue to perform optimally, contributing to the peace, progress and political growth of Kano”, he stated.

According to him, 700 of the motorcycles will be distributed to police formations within the Kano North Senatorial Zone, while the remaining three hundred will be disbursed to police stations across the Kano Central and Kano South Districts.

In all, the motorcycles ,he informed, will be allocated to 76 Divisions so as to enhance operational efficiency in all the 44 Local Councils of Kano.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Salman Garba Dogo, while appreciating the Deputy Senate President for the rare gesture, assured that the Motorcycles will be properly deployed to achieve the desired objectives .

He called on other public spirited individuals and groups to emulate the good deed of Senator Barau for the purpose of enhancing security.

The Source reports that the one thousand motorcycles are estimated to have cost about one billion Naira.

PDP Governors Call On Judiciary To Save Nigeria’s Democracy

Ayodele Oni

November 23, 2024

By Ayodele Oni

Unity within the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), and urgent economic electoral system reforms topped the agenda of Governors of the opposition party on Saturday.

The PDP governors who met in Jos, Plateau state, for their seventh meeting, in a communiqué read by Bala Mohammed, Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, expressed commitment to address divisions within the party, emphasising the importance of unity ahead of the next general elections.

The meeting, which was attended by leaders within the PDP, including the National Working Committee (NWC), the Board of Trustees (BOT), and other major party figures, addressed various issues affecting the party and the nation.

Part of tye communique reads:

“The Forum notes the concerns of Nigerians, PDP founding fathers, elders and members of our great Party of seeming divisions within the ranks and files.

“The Forum wishes to state categorically that it remains resolute in its determination to ensure unity and cohesion of this great Party that Nigerians have come to trust as the best platform for democratic governance.”

The meeting endorsed the postponement of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which was originally set for next week Thursday.

The forum urged the NWC to schedule the rescheduled NEC meeting by the first week of February 2025.

“The Forum is constrained to accept the latest postponement of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Party in empathy with our colleague, H.E. Governor Eno Bassey, whose late dear wife will be buried on the same day earlier scheduled for NEC.

“Once again, the Forum wishes to commiserate with our colleague and pray that God will grant him and the family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

“The Forum is strongly advising the NWC to call NEC latest by the first week of February 2025 to allow for elaborate consultations with critical stakeholders of the Party.

“The period between November and February is to address the existential problems confronting the Party, with a deliberate timeline of activities within the period under review to address issues of leadership and litigations confronting the Party.”

In response to the economic challenges facing Nigeria, the PDP Governors called on the President to urgently review the country’s economic policies.

They condemned the ongoing hardships inflicted on Nigerians under the policies of the APC-led federal government, with the PDP Governors’ Forum pledging continued efforts to alleviate these issues at the state level.

They also noted recent electoral irregularities, specifically in Edo and Ondo States, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating results to favour the ruling APC.

“The Forum empathizes with Nigerians who are groaning under the oppressive economic hardship foisted on the nation by the policies and decisions of the APC-led Federal Government.

“The Forum calls on the President to urgently review both macroeconomic and fiscal policies that will address the welfare and well-being of Nigerians.

“The Forum wishes to pledge that all PDP Governors will continue to aggressively pursue policies and programs that will reduce the hardship and ensure progress and development.

“The Forum notes with concern the rape of democracy in Edo Governorship elections. It is clear to everyone with conscience that INEC manipulated results in favour of the APC candidate when in fact majority of lawful votes were won by the PDP candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo.

“Meanwhile, we are still examining the documents in Ondo Elections where the APC manipulated results after openly buying votes. The Forum calls on the judiciary to save Nigerian democracy and the National Assembly to look into our electoral laws to make it difficult for institutional sabotage of the will of the people.”

Looking ahead, the PDP affirmed its commitment to reclaiming political power in Nigeria, with the party’s leaders expressing optimism about regaining their rightful place in the country’s political landscape by 2027.

“We Are Not Part Of Deal With Gov Aiyedatiwa,” – NNPP, Candidate In Ondo Fault Parties Solidarity Claim

Ayodele Oni

November 23, 2024

By Ayodele Oni

The governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Olugbenga Edema, has stated that himself and the party are already in court challenging the eligibility of APC to field a candidate in the last Saturday’s Governorship election.

He explained that the case is in suit number FHC/AK/CS/103/2024, Olugbenga Edema & anor v. INEC & Ors.

According to him, with this, neither him nor the party could have attended a meeting on Friday in Akure where political parties and their candidates pledged to work with Governor Aiyedatiwa.

“I want to make it clear that neither I nor anyone from the NNPP was part of the meeting where support for Governor Aiyedatiwa was pledged.”

He dismissed the claims that the party was among those who pledged support for Governor Aiyedatiwa.

He maintained that the clarification became imperative in light of a meeting held on Friday, where purported leaders from 13 political parties expressed commitment to collaborate with Aiyedatiwa, who was announced as the winner of the November 16 off-cycle governorship election.

Following a report making the rounds that some political parties, including the NNPP, were part of the meeting at the Government House, Edema specifically stated that he did not attend the meeting, and neither he nor the National Leadership of the NNPP sent any party representative.

The NNPP candidate further asserted that, “The party has not endorsed the current administration, and any claims suggesting same should be disregarded.

“Our commitment is to the principles of democracy and the welfare of the people of Ondo State. We are focused on our next line of action, which will reflect our values and vision for the state.”

Edema, however stressed the need for political parties to be tenacious in their engagements, rather than mere endorsements, stressing that NNPP remains committed to its ideals and will continue to advocate for the people.

N70 000 Minimum Wage: “Disregard Any Notice Of Strike Action”, NLC Urges Yobe Workers

Suleiman Anyalewechi

November 23, 2024

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Yobe State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has described as fake, unfounded and deceptive, the news making the round that it has issued a strike notice.

The Source reports that news of a purported notice of industrial action by Yobe workers due to disagreements between organized labour and the Government over the implementation of the N70 000 new minimum had saturated the social media space in the last 24 hours.

It will be recalled that the National Leadership of the Organized Labour had issued a standing directive for its members to commence strike actions in States that fail to implement the new wage structure by December 1, 2024.

But a statement issued on Saturday, November, 23, 2024, by the Yobe NLC Chairman, Muktari Musa Tarbutu, called on the State workforce to ignore the said strike notice.

According to him, the State NLC leadership is not privy to such strike notice as being circulated on the social media

He informed that there is no need for the Organized Labour in the State to declare any industrial dispute, as the joint negotiation efforts on the new minimum is progressing well between Labour and the Government.

“You may recalled that the joint Committee between the Government and NLC has concluded its negotiation on the new minimum wage and the report has since been forwarded to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, for his consideration and approval.

“Therefore, by this notice, NLC Yobe State Council is calling on all the Yobe State Civil Servants to disregard this purported circular and continue with their normal works and activities .

“We equally urge the Yobe State Civil Servants and the general public to be cautious of fake news and circulars”, the NLC Chairman stated.

He, however, reaffirmed the commitment of the leadership to always protecting the interest of the state workforce.

Lagos 2027: Group Tells Seyi Tinubu To Quash Ambition, Say No Room For Non-Lagos Indigene

Akinwale Kasali

November 23, 2024

By Akinwale Kasali

Days ago, a Group under the aegis of Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders, CONYL, had endorsed Seyi Tinubu, Son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next Governor of the State. But a Youth Group under the auspices of the Coalition of Lagos Indigenous Youths has rejected the endorsement.

The Group said the dream of the younger Tinubu of becoming the Executive Governor of the Centre of Excellence is a tall ambition that cannot come to reality. He should Quash the idea, they warned him.

It stressed that Tinubu is from Osun State, but the magnanimity of Lagosians and Indigenes paved way for his Father to be a two- term Governor of Lagos State. At the moment, they said, there is no room for a non-Lagos Indigene to be on the seat of Power in Alausa.

The coalition made this declaration in a release signed by its President, Abdul Kareem Whyte.

Part of the statement reads:

“Our attention has been drawn to the recent endorsement of Seyi Tinubu for Lagos Governor by a group known as Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL) and the group is described as the the umbrella body of all the youth groups drawn across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

“The said Coalition sat in Owerri, Imo State, and publicly issued the statement on endorsement, While we know Mr Seyi Tinubu has his democratic rights as a Nigerian, we condemn the ill-fated endorsement and describe it as anti-democracy and a deliberate move by some faceless individuals to deny indigenes of Lagos State right to govern themselves in 2027.

“As for us, there is no vacancy for non-indigenes in Lagos State in 2027. The marginalization is too much and the marginalization has led to the underdevelopment in the State.

“It’s unbelievable that since 1999, our hinterlands are not developed, no good roads, Lagos State living on debt and our traditional system distorted by successive Governments.”

The coalition, therefore, enjoined the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Osuolale Akiolu, to beware of persons who would soon seek indigeneship of Lagos State because of 2027.

“Return Home, We Will Provide A Secured Environment For Xmas” – Military Assures South Easterners

Suleiman Anyalewechi

November 23, 2024

Mohammed Abubakar Badaru - Minister of Defence

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Residents of the South East zone of the country have been assured of the provision of adequate security of lives and properties, as well as a conducive atmosphere for the conduct of their business activities.

On a working visit to Enugu and other parts of the security- challenged Region, Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru, informed that the Federal Government has put every machinery in place to enhance security in the Region.

A statement on Saturday, November 23, 2024, from the Ministry’s spokesperson Henshaw Ogubike, said the Minister gave the assurance while addressing Officers and men of the 82 Division and Joint Taskforce South East Operation code named “Operation Udoka in Enugu”.

The Defence Minister emphasized the imperativeness of a secured environment for the thriving of business activities.

He called on the troops to re-double their efforts towards stamping out all forms of criminal and terrorist activities in the region, and noted that a secured environment is a necessary prerequisite for business growth and prosperity.

Badaru,stated that peace and development will definitely take a flight from an unsecured atmosphere, adding that the Federal Government is more than committed to halting all forms of insecurity in every part of Nigeria.

“There is a renewed determination to intensify our efforts against all forms of insecurity under President Tinubu’s leadership”, he said.

The General Officer Commanding, GOC, the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Enugu, Hassan Dada, a Major General, announced the readiness of troops in the region to provide an enabling environment for a hitch free Christmas festivities in the region.

According to him, the Army is presently executing some robust strategies aimed at shoring up security ,and ensuring adequate protection of lives and properties .

He noted that the primary target is to secure the environment, build people’s confidence with a view to encouraging holiday seekers to return home.

The Source reports that the Defence Minister’s visit coincides with the arrest and arraignment, in Finland, of one of the perceived drivers of insecurity in the South East, Simon Ekpa.

On same Thursday when Badaru commenced his two day working tour ,the Finnish police announced the arrest and arraignment of Ekpa and four other promoters of the murderous faction of the IPOB on charges bordering on terrorism..

His Autopilots’ ruthlessness is believed to be at the root of the spate of violent attacks, destruction of properties and killings that have been rocking the region for months on end.

President Tinubu To Senate: “Confirm Lt General Oluyede as COAS”

Adesina Soyooye

November 23, 2024

By Adesina Soyooye

Barely one week after the funeral of late Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja, Bola Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has forwarded the name of his replacement to the Senate for confirmation.

It is no surprise that the mantle fell on Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, the man Tinubu appointed as the Acting COAS, and promoted to be of equal rank with Lagbaja – Lt General – even before Lagbaja died.

Oluyede has been described by a number of people as capable and disciplined and tough.

Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Communications, in a statement, confirmed that President Tinubu’s letter to the Senate, which sought for Oluyede’s confirmation, was forwarded on Friday.

He said the President’s action was in accordance with Section 218(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act.

Oluyede was appointed Acting Chief of Army Staff on October 30, following the illness of Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who passed away on November 5.

The statement said President Tinubu expressed confidence in “Oluyede’s leadership qualities, professional integrity, and extensive experience, which he believes will help lead the army and ensure national security and stability.”

Oluyede, a member of the 39th Regular Course, served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1992 and promoted to Major-General in September 2020.

Oluyede has held numerous command positions throughout his career, including Platoon Commander and adjutant at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer in the Guards Brigade, and Commandant of the Amphibious Training School.

He, said the statement, had participated in several operations – Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in the North East, where he commanded the 27 Task Force.

He is, also, a recipient of several awards. They include the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, the Field Command Medal, the Field Command Medal of Honour, the Field Training Medal, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award.

Before Lagbaja’s death, the late COAS had recommended Oluyede to the President for a National Award.

Ifeanyi Ubah Goes In Blaze of Glory Despite Threats From Biafra Liberation Army

Akinwale Kasali

November 23, 2024

By Akinwale Kasali

Politician. Philanthropist. Businessman. Serial entrepreneur. Senator Ifeanyi Ubah was everything rolled in one.

On Friday, November 22, Ubah, a Senator of the Federal Republic, who broke many hearts when he passed on July 27, was buried in his Otolo, Nnewi, Anambra State.

And what a send-off from Mother-earth it was. The funeral was emotional but fit for a king, for a warrior, a go-getter that his people said he was.

The threats by the Biafra Liberation Army which through a spokesperson warned against bringing his body back to Nnewi held no water. It was an empty threat, roundly ignored by everybody – the poor, the rich, men, women and even children.

Nobody could even have tried anything because security was tight.

The Biafra Liberation Army had threatened to disrupt the funeral and reduce Nnewi to Somali, if Ubah’s body was brought home for burial. They said if buried, his body would be exhumed and thrown into the evil forest.

Reason: A false propaganda that not only did Senator Ubah give IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu away to the Federal Government which enabled his rendition from Nairobi, Kenya, to Nigeria, that his private jet was used to transport Kanu to Nigeria.

Ubah’s constant vehement denial cut no ice with those who wanted to nail him.

But on Friday, their threat was defied as the remains of the late Senator Ubah was interred within his sprawling compound in his hometown Umuanuka, Otolo Nnewi, Anambra State.

A mammoth crowd of sympathisers, families, colleagues and associates accompanied his body. If weeping and wailing from the hundreds of the indigent all of whom he was taking care of could wake him up, thar would have been easy.

They cried, wept and wailed as they watched his casket. To many of them, the unbelievable just sank.

Nigerians emptied into Nnewi to pay their last respects to the late Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Capital Oil and gas.

Tears cascaded the cheeks of hundreds of people that stormed the burial ceremony.

His remains was first brought to his hometown in Umuanuka, Otolo Nnewi, before being taken to St. Peter Clever Parish for a funeral Mass.

As his body arrived at his estate, many of his dependents, including indigent locals, gathered at the gate, wailing in grief.

The late politician passed away on July 27, 2024 in the United Kingdom while attending his daughter’s graduation.

Known for renowned philanthropic gesture, he was instrumental in improving the lives of many people in Nnewi and Anambra through his charitable works and businesses, which also provided employment for many.

The Biafra Liberation Army through one of its members, IPOB Eze had warned against the burying of Ubah in Nnewi, rather, suggesting that he should be buried in the South West or the North.

The Homily was said by no less a person than His Most Grace,

Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke, who praised Ubah’s philanthropic life, urging others to live with the same selflessness and dedication to others.

Jigawa: Gov Namadi Sends Technicians To China For Specialized Agricultural Training

Ayodele Oni

November 23, 2024

By Ayodele Oni

Jigawa State is set to boost agriculture to enhance higher revenue as Governor Umar Namadi flagged off the departure of 30 newly recruited Master Technicians to China for specialized training in Agricultural Mechanization.

The programme is part of the state’s broader strategy to modernize agriculture and boost productivity through advanced technology and capacity building.

Speaking at the farewell event at the Government House in Dutse, Governor Namadi described the initiative as a landmark moment in the state’s agricultural history.

He added that the 30 technicians traveling to China will undergo six to eight weeks of training in agricultural equipment maintenance and operation.

The governor stated that the beneficiaries, who are graduates with engineering and agricultural engineering backgrounds, are expected to return as master technicians equipped to manage the service centers and maintain the machinery.

He reiterated that agriculture remains the foundation of Jigawa State’s economy and stressed the government’s commitment to mechanizing farming practices to enhance efficiency and reduce manual labor.

Namadi pointed out that to facilitate this transformation, 60 service centers have been established across the state, along with the appointment of a managing director for the Jigawa State Farm Mechanization Programme, a fully independent company registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC).

He further explained that the company will oversee the deployment of farm machinery and ensure its maintenance and operational sustainability.

According to him, the state government has already made substantial progress in this regard, including the procurement of 300 tractors, 60 combine harvesters, disc ploughs, sprayers, and other essential farm implements.

He explained that, 65 percent of the payment for the machinery has been made, with the remaining 35 percent expected to be completed by the end of next month.

The governor noted that deliveries of the equipment are anticipated to begin by late December 2024 or early January 2025,

Namadi promised that the machines will be made accessible to farmers across the state through the service centers, where farmers can be able to hire tractors and other equipment at heavily subsidized rates, ensuring affordability and sustainability of the programme.

“Our goal is to ensure the mechanization of agriculture, making these tractors available to all farmers in the state.

“All farmers have to do is visit any of the service centres, request a tractor, and the tractor will be delivered to their farms to render services.”

I No Longer Trust Tinubu, We Will Not Support Him In 2027 – Jesutega Onokpasa

Akinwale Kasali

November 23, 2024

By Akinwale Kasali

“Asiwaju is disconnected and dislocated from reality”

Jesutega Onokpasa, a Lawyer, is still angry. He is still angry with President Bola Tinubu over the President’s appointment of Daniel Bwala, a Lawyer like him as Special Adviser Policy Communication.

Less than 48 hours after Bwala’s appointment, Onokpasa recorded an angry video message where he said that by Bwala’s appointment, Mr President has humiliated his loyalists. He said Mr President has betrayed them. He said Mr President has stabbed them on the back. He said God would pay the President in kind. That video recording went viral on Social Media.

Onokpasa’s beef with Bwala’s Presidential appointment stems from what the President suffered in the hands of Bwala in the months running to the 2023 Presidential Election.

A member of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Bwala resigned from the APC and decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over Tinubu’s choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate. Both men are Muslims, and Bwala said that a Muslim-Muslim ticket was an insult, a slap on the face of Christians. A humiliation and a sacrilege, almost.

On decampment to the PDP, he was immediately appointed the Spokesperson for the Party’s Presidential Campaign Council. It was a job he did so well by calling then Candidate Bola Tinubu all kinds of names. A fraud. Fake. Drug Dealer. Drug Baron. Convict. Certificate forger. And more. And, he continued even after Tinubu won and was sworn-in.

Bwala called Tinubu’s mandate a stolen mandate. He said the election was rigged. And, he said Tinubu was so incompetent that even if he spends 30 years in office, he still would get nothing right.

If not a few Nigerians were shocked when Bwala suddenly made a u-turn and began to hotly romance the President, they were more shocked that the President, a few days ago, appointed Bwala his Special Adviser.

Onokpasa’s immediate reaction was like a bomb thrown at the President and Bwala. Many thought he would have calmed down a bit. But Onokpasa anger is still boiling to high heavens as confirmed by the interview he granted Arise Television’s Charles Aniagolu.

In the interview, a boiling Onokpasa dismissed Bwala’s appointment as stupid. He took a look at most of the President’s appointments and said the President’s Government is for the people of Osun and Lagos, the two States, he pointed out, where the President lost at the polls. He said the President has ignored the North, the South-south and the South- east in appointments.

He summed his anger up by saying the President can no longer be trusted, and thar those his loyalists who he has shocked by Bwala’s appointment, including himself, will never support his second term bid in 2027.

Following, parts of Onokpasa’s interview with Aniagolu on Arise Television.

“My President just behave like he can stab anybody in the back, disgrace anyone and humiliate anyone.

I don’t trust him anymore. I am sorry.

“He is clearly and totally misguided, he just believes he is doing what will help him in 2027.

“Somebody said that it is a strategy, but I said NO, it is stupidity.

“Bwala helped Atiku Abubakar to fail in 2003, and he will help Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fail in 2027. That is my prediction unless he (Tinubu) changes”.

Asked if he felt like a fool by Bwala’s appointment Onokpasa answered:

“Not only for me, but for all us, our Party. We won in Ekiti, we won in Ondo and Ogun State, where are those people. You form a government of Lagos and Osun, where you lost at the 2023 Presidential Election. What an Insult.

“My President thinks he has conquered everywhere and also conquered everyone. We shall see what will happen in 2027.”

Asked if the President’s policies are helping the poor, Onokpasa answered in the negative.

“At all. This is the strange part. In fact, Asiwaju is confusing us. Now, you form a government and prices keep increasing, our citizens can hardly afford to buy food. What was our plan? We massively planned to produce food for Nigerians. We buy cars N250 million, we put on wrist watches worth N200 million, and we can’t afford to take tractors to villages.

They called us “Agbadorians” during the Election. Okay, you call us Agbadorians, and we eat the Agbado, are you not Agbadorians like us?

“No plan, absolutely nothing. I don’t know what the two guys in the Ministry of Agriculture are doing. They have no plans to feed anybody, perhaps, other than themselves.

“Infact, it is a disgrace. I don’t understand Asiwaju anymore. Asiwaju seems to have been disconnected and dislocated from reality.

“So, is it during the second term he will take us seriously? We are not going to support him in 2027.”

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