₦airaland Forum

The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency has urged state governments to step up mass vaccination against COVID-19 as part of moves to combat the virus.

The agency, in its latest advisory obtained by one of our correspondents in Abuja, also urged state governors to enact and enforce vaccination mandate for local and state government workers.

This came to fore as the percentage for fully vaccinated Nigerians stalled at 4.2 per cent while those that had taken their first dose remained grounded at 9.8 per cent as of Sunday, January 9, 2021.

The NCDC in its daily updates continued to report increase in the number of fatalities reporting no fewer than 38 deaths between January 1 and January 8.

Despite the increasing number of cases and deaths, some states have not vaccinated up to 200,000 individuals while Abia, Kogi and Niger states have not commenced administration of booster shots.

While some states had commenced the booster administration, analysis by our correspondent revealed that Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Imo, Kwara, Sokoto and Yobe had yet to administer boosters up to 100 residents.

While Imo had only administered ten booster shots, Ebonyi administered 52, Akwa Ibom administered 67 among others.

NPHCDA urges states to set up mass vaccination sites in markets, others

But the NPHCDA in its bid to speed up vaccination, in its advisory told governors that it was part of their responsibility to enact and to enforce vaccine mandate on state and local government workers.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha had in October announced that Federal Government workers who failed to show proofs of vaccination would be barred from government offices.

The Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shauib had another press briefing in 2021 had said that individuals who refused to get vaccinated would not be allowed to infect other people.

The Presidential Steering Committee went ahead to issue a vaccination mandate to Federal civil servants. The Boss Mustapha-led Committee had stated that Federal Civil servants without proof of vaccination and negative PCR tests would not be allowed into their respective offices as of December 1, 2021.

The federal civil servants who refused to adhere to the mandate were turned back home while others had to visit makeshift vaccination sites to get vaccinated.

State governments of Kaduna and Ondo states had also enforced vaccine mandate on state workers. But in a fresh advisory sighted by our correspondent, the NPHCDA advised governors to enact and enforce the same vaccination mandate on state and local government workers.

The advisory partly reads, “Enact and enforce vaccine mandate for all state and local government workers, direct mandatory set up of mass vaccination sites in public places including markets, parks, event centres, stadia and academic institutions.

“Approve and direct the release of state counterpart funds for advocacy, communication and social mobilization, logistics and additional teams in quarterly tranches.

“Pay weekly unscheduled visits to at least one mass vaccination site to supervise and motivate the vaccination teams, chair weekly review meetings with traditional and religious leaders to address vaccination gaps.

But the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT minister, Dr. Ejike Orji told one of our correspondents that the final decision to enforce the vaccine mandate lay on the minister.

He said, “Well the vaccine mandate is a Federal Government policy and it is expected that each state will start the process. A lot of people think we are trying to force it but what the government is saying is that if you have a right to not get vaccinated, other people also have rights to not getting the virus from you.”

“Sooner or later, the FCT will give the instruction. it is the mandate of the minister to do so and he will decide when to fully enforce it.”

In a related development, the Ekiti State Chief Judge, Justice John Adeyeye, has taken delivery of equipment to facilitate virtual court sittings, saying that he has issued a practice direction which includes among others use of appropriate technology for timely and effective disposal of cases.

The CJ, who spoke in Ado Ekiti while receiving laptops and printers from the state government for the commencement of virtual sessions in the courts, said that the new Practice Direction had been available for use by stakeholders in courts of the state since January 4.

Adeyeye said the objectives of the Practice Direction included “timely and efficient disposal of cases, use of suitable technology, just determination of proceedings, efficient use of available judicial and administrative resources among others.”

“Other aspects of the Practice Direction shall involve service of processes electronically, preparation for remote hearing, conduct of remote hearing, recording, adoption of written addresses, notice of delivery of judgments and rulings.

“The Practice Direction is pursuant to Section 274 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended), Order 45 of the High Court of Ekiti State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2020, Section 354 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Ekiti State, 2014 and any other enabling legislations,” he said.

Accordingly, the Practice Direction shall apply to cases involving urgent or time-bound Interlocutory applications, fundamental human rights, where the applicant is in custody and other matters as the chief judge may approve.

The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Wale Fapohunda (SAN), who presented the items to the CJ on behalf of the state government, said, “The equipment will serve as veritable tools in handling the virtual court sittings.”

Omooba77:
Toothless people, nothing go happen....
Noise nothing else.....

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun mass mobilisation of civil society organisations (CSOs) ahead of its planned January 27 and February 1 nationwide protests against the proposed removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government.

The Nation gathered that meetings between the congress and leaders of the CSOs are expected to hold tomorrow in Abuja and Friday in Lagos.

The parleys, according to a letter by NLC President Ayuba Wabba and General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja, will be attended by members of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the congress and the affiliate unions’ leadership.

The letter by Wabba reads: “Comrade, you may recall that at the regular meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress, which took place on 17th December 2021 at the Oyerinde Olaitan Auditorium, Pascal Bafyau Labour House, the NEC decided, among other things, to mobilise Nigerian workers and people for a nationwide protest on the 27th of January 2022, particularly in all the state capitals of the federation.

“There will also be a national protest on the 1st of February 2022, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“The planned protest is to register the displeasure and rejection by Nigerian workers and people of the proposed plans by the government to increase the price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also commonly referred to as ‘petrol’.

“Currently, it is being speculated that the planned price hike would see a litre of petrol selling between N340 and N360.

“Clearly, this price upsurge would unleash very severe and calamitous dislocation on Nigerian workers, people, and businesses.

“In order to plan for an effective and peaceful protest, we seek the indulgence of your union as a member of the NLC Central Working Committee to be part of a planning meeting with leaders of CSOs scheduled to take place in both Abuja and Lagos states.

“While we look forward to your attendance, please accept the renewed assurances of our highest esteem.”

President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Quadri Olaleye, said the National Administrative Council, CWC, and National Executive Council of the NLC would thereafter meet for three days from January 20 to fine-tune the strategies for the protests.

Olaleye said: “The TUC will make its decision known on 22 of January. We are having our organs’ meeting from the 20th, 21th and 22nd. It is after that meeting that we will decide on what to do.

“The planned subsidy removal is a major issue that we will discuss. We have other issues like the failure of the government to implement the electricity tariff reduction agreement. We will look into it at the meeting. I don’t want to preempt the meeting.

Mcreloaded:
Shokolokobamgboshe.

helinues:
Our gallant officers would soon get to your camp..

Just wait for it

Inspite of overtures by some Northern governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to fly the flag of the party in next year’s election, there is no commitment yet from President Muhammadu Buhari or key party leaders on the matter, The Nation can now report.

It was learnt that the ex-President is still consulting on whether or not to contest or remain a statesman.

Jonathan is believed to have lost the backing of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, especially his anointed choice in one of the South-South states.

The particular governor is said to have ruled out the prospect of another Jonathan presidency under any guise.

According to an investigation conducted by our correspondent, the cold shoulder from the PDP governors was capitalised upon by some APC Northern governors to woo Jonathan.

The APC governors opted for Jonathan because he is only entitled to one term, after which power would return to the North.


It was gathered that Jonathan’s candidacy is not acceptable to more than three APC governors.

A top source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “Some Northern governors have reached out to Jonathan on 2023 presidency and the need to be APC flag bearer.

“The permutations of the governors border on fostering a North and South-South alliance with some elements in the South-West in 2023.

“The governors believe that with one term for Jonathan from 2023, the presidency can return to the North in 2027.

“But many APC governors are not buying into the Jonathan project at all. They claimed that if Jonathan secures APC presidential ticket, there would be no justification for the 2015 ouster of PDP from power by the ruling party.”

Findings from some close associates of Jonathan confirmed that he is interested in the presidency but he wants the ticket on a platter of gold.

The ex-President is said to have confided in some members of his former cabinet.

A former Minister said: “So far from interactions with him, the ex-President appears to be interested but he is not convinced of the genuineness of the overtures.

“Some APC governors came to beg him to run for the 2023 presidency on the platform of the party.

“I think the affected APC governors are aware of the fact that Jonathan has lost grounds in PDP. They see him as a big catch to renew the aged alliance between the North and the South-South as was the case during the Second Republic.

“The talks are still ongoing. Jonathan has been awaiting a firm commitment from President Muhammadu Buhari and key APC leaders but this is not forthcoming. His terms are to join APC and get the presidential nomination.

“Buhari, who said he won’t disclose his preferred candidate for 2023 presidential race, sticks to due process and he has not given any green light to Jonathan.

“Many APC stalwarts are also not excited by likely defection of Jonathan from PDP to their party. Apart from his gentle disposition and democratic credentials, they don’t rate him as a political asset.

“But Jonathan’s aspiration has received the blessing of two former presidents/heads of state.”

Investigation revealed that Jonathan has been boxed into a corner in PDP by some governors and presidential aspirants.

A party source added: “The truth is that Jonathan is not finding it easy in PDP. The PDP governors hold the party’s structure and they are not looking towards Jonathan.

“In fact, Jonathan is no longer enjoying the confidence of PDP governors. He seems to have fallen out with a South-South governor he installed in 2015. The governor has ruled out Jonathan from 2023 presidential race.

“Among PDP governors, there are presidential aspirants, including Jonathan’s 2010 /2011 chief strategist, Sen. Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Barr. Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and his old foe, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto).

“Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whom Jonathan defeated at the presidential primary election in the past, is stronger now than the ex-President.

“The option left for the ex-President is to take the risk and plunge himself into the race to try his luck.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the federal government’s introduction of N10/litre on all non-alcoholic, carbonated and sweetened beverages.

Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning, had announced the new tax on Wednesday.

Ahmed said the new tax would raise revenue for health-related and other critical expenditures.

But in a statement, Ayuba Wabba, president of NLC, wondered why the government did not place the excise duties on sugar itself as a commodity rather than on carbonated drinks, adding that the health reason proffered by the government for the re-introduction of the excise duties “seems altruistic”.

He said the tax would impose more hardship on the people, especially on “ordinary Nigerians who easily keep hunger at bay with a bottle of soft drink and maybe a loaf of bread”.

“Our concern is the mass hunger that would result from the slightest increase in the retail price of soft drinks owing to the imposition of excise duties as it would be priced beyond the reach of many Nigerians,” Wabba said.

“Congress was also alerted by the complaint of manufacturers of soft drinks in Nigeria that the re-introduction of excise duties would lead to a very sharp decline in sales, forced reduction in production capacity, and a certain roll back in investments with the certainty of job losses and possibly shut down of manufacturing plants.

“Nigerians would recall that this was also the complaint of tyre manufacturing companies such as Dunlop and Michelin which was overlooked by the government until the two companies relocated to neighbouring Ghana.

“A similar situation is playing out with the soft drinks manufacturing sub-sector. Government should pay attention.

“With 38% of the entire manufacturing output in Nigeria and 22.5% share representation of the entire manufacturing sector in Nigeria, the food and beverage industry is the largest industrial sub-sector in our country. The food and beverage sub-sector has generated to the coffers of government N202 billion as VAT in the past five years, N7.3 billion as Corporate Social Responsibility, and has created 1.5 million decent jobs both directly and indirectly.

“There is thus no gainsaying the fact that the industry is a golden goose that must be kept alive.”

He said an additional increase in the retail price of carbonated drinks would put more Nigerians at risk of serious health challenges as many people would resort to consuming sub-standard drinks as substitutes for carbonated drinks.

“The appeal to rescind the re-introduction of excise duties on non-alcoholic drinks becomes even more compelling when the projected immediate revenue expected from the policy is weighed against the potential long-term loss to both manufacturers and government. The beverage sub-sector will lose 40% of its current sales revenue,” he added.

“This translates to a loss of N1.9 trillion. While the government will only make total projected receipts of N81 billion from the proposed re-introduction of the excise duties. The government also stands to lose N197 billion in VAT, Company Income Tax and Tertiary Education Tax as a consequence of the expected downturn in overall industry performance should the excise duties be effected as being planned”.

NLC, therefore, asks the national assembly to quickly amend the sections of the Finance Act that re-introduced excise duties on non-alcoholic and carbonated drinks.


The All Progressives Congress, APC, Imo State chapter has urged Senator Rochas Okorocha, a former governor of Imo State to consider the option of resigning as a Senator representing Imo West having shown unpardonable incompetence.

The party hinged its call for Okorocha’s resignation on what it described as poor and dismal performance in the Senate.

The state chairman of APC, Hon Macdonald Ebere stated this in a statement signed by Cajetan Duke, the Publicity Secretary of the party in the State.

The ruling APC said, “Imo people have had enough of Okorocha and his family, who they consider as unfit to occupy any public office in Nigeria anymore given their poor and dismal performance in the State.

“Our party condemns without reservations the futile attempt by Senator Rochas Okorocha to vilify the Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma on Arise Television interview with wild claims, accusations and allegations filled with hate and vehemence.

“Instead of presenting himself as a good ‘Presidential material,’ Okorocha is busy carrying on in a brazen manner, marring his chances, rubbishing himself by trying to tarnish the image of Governor Uzodinma with fabricated lies, unsubstantiated accusations and fabrications like the alleged Hope Strike Force.

“We are aware that Okorocha is a master of Ostrich politics and grandstanding, which he used to deceive Imo people for eight locust-infested years but this time he has failed.

“Indeed, if Okorocha has serious or incriminating evidence against Governor Uzodinma, we thought the best place to report to is the Police and not mass media.

“For the umpteenth time, Gov Hope Uzodinma has stated that he has nothing personal against Okorocha but only bent on actualizing the mandate of the people.”

The party further called on Okorocha to refrain from his distractions and allow Governor Uzodinma to focus on delivering good governance to Imo people.

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has asked the federal government to ignore the request of Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, to declare the association as a terrorist organisation.

Hours after the federal government gazetted an order designating bandits as terrorists, Ortom had said the security challenges in some parts of the country, including Benue, will be adequately addressed if the same position is taken on MACBAN.

But reacting, Baba Ngelzarma, national secretary of MACBAN, described Ortom’s request as “unpatriotic”.

Ngelzarma alleged that Ortom’s hatred for the Fulani “was not in doubt”, adding that “he has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is an unreliable leader”.

The national secretary said the association had contributed to peacebuilding in Benue, adding that MACBAN has spared no efforts in helping the people of the state to live in peace with the pastoralists.

“We are not at all surprised at the recent call by Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue State for the proscription of our association (MACBAN) going by his antecedents, whose stock in trade is fanning the embers of hatred between peaceful Nigerians that have been living in peace for many centuries,” he said in a statement.

“We, therefore, call on the federal government to ignore this unpatriotic call by a wayward governor who is hell-bent on putting this country into unnecessary crisis.

“MACBAN is not and will never be a terrorist organisation.

“We are fully registered with the regulatory agencies with clear vision and mission to foster peaceful coexistence to our teeming members as well as serving humanity positively.”

Ngelzarma also advised Ortom to “concentrate on delivering the dividends of democracy to the good people of Benue”, instead of “chasing phantom shadows”.

walkbrazil4k:
Yea I know of stout and infact of they don't put enough sugar in stout nobody would be able to drink it and it depends on the brand of the beer, the one I take here the sugar content is very low and Coca-Cola is is 21-22grams of sugar

walkbrazil4k:
Sugar inside beer is low so I would always go for beer

In a bid to safeguard the rail lines from attack, the federal government yesterday procured and handed over six hilux patrol vehicles inputed with radar scanners to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to monitor the Abuja-Kaduna corridor.

Government had mulls the idea of installing security gadgets along the Abuja-Kaduna rail tracks following a recent bomb explosion at the corridor.

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, while handing over the vehicles to the management of NRC led by its Managing Director, Mr. Fidet Okhiria at the Idu Train Station, Abuja, said: “We are all aware of the security situation in the country as a whole but, we thought about supporting NRC on the security architecture of the Idu-Abuja rail track.”

According to him, “Remember this is a project that has long being completed, commissioned and operational, so this was a project for 2021, at least to improve the security apparatus tor the patrolling of that route and so, the ministry has to procure these vehicles to support NRC and the Nigeria Police working on that route to effectively police that route and that is why the ministry procured this.”

Amaechi noted: “The security apparatus we have for most of the rail track has a number of components into it. we have the local people that are patrolling, the civil defence, the police corp of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and we have locations where stations are, where we need the security men to be able to move from one location to the other in addition to the fact that we are also looking at surveillance applications and fibre optic equipment too but for the movement of the security, we need these vehicles.”

The minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mrs. Magdalene Ajani, further added that the vehicles are not meant to be plying on the rail tracks, stating: It is to aid what the security agents are doing. If there is an emergency call, they will be able to move from point A to B and it may not necessarily be along the rail track. It is part of the things that they need to do to keep the place safe.”

He further said that six of the hilux vehicles were procured and it went through a proper procurement process.

“The sensors are the accostic and fibre optic equipment we are talking about. Those ones are still in the procurement process, we have gotten approval from NITDA which is one of the requisitions because they are tech-based equipment and when the procurement process is concluded, they will be installed”, Amaechi said.

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director, NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria stated that the move was to show that the corporation have risen up to the security challenges its facing, adding: “the minister has decided to buy us some vehicles to ease insecurities off the tracks so that is why today, what we are doing is the handing over of the six Hilux vehicles that can be used as a patrol of aiding the security personnel in moving about and ensure that the tracks are secured and guarded.

On how the vehicles will get to the tracks, the NRC MD noted, “If we have issues, like maybe someone is arrested, we have to move there and we have to get there. And we are also to get some machines to put at various stations, two or three machines for easier access so that if there is any report, we can get there in other words, these machines are mainly on ground at areas that are accessible and where is not accessible, we can send the vehicles there and this is a step in a right direction and these vehicles were already in the plan”, he concluded.

The pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, on Thursday said that Indigenous People of Biafra’s banning the singing of the National Anthem and the transportation of livestock to the South-East was a declaration of war.

The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents while commenting on the plan by Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria to ban movement of foodstuffs from the North to the South-East.

But the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, appealed to the northern traders to shelve the plan.

There were reports on Monday that the secessionist group, IPOB had banned the slaughtering of Fulani cows and the recitation of the Nigerian national anthem in Biafraland -South-East.

According to the reports, IPOB, in the New Year message by its Director of State, Chika Edoziem, said only the Biafran anthem should be taught in schools.

The group also said only “native cows” would be permitted for consumption in Biafraland.

On Wednesday, the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria expressed its readiness to stop the transportation of livestock and foodstuffs to the South-East.

The Chairman of Northern Traders, Muhammad Tahir, said members of the association would stop sales of cattle, grains, onions and other foodstuffs in the Southeast.

In a statement he signed, Tahir said, “For us, we would always support the indivisibility of Nigeria; but if IPOB wants to secede, then so be it.

“Bilateral trade between us and them is all about wealth creation for the two regions; the cattle we take to them is food and not poison.”

But on Thursday, the ACF said the order by the IPOB was unnecessary as Nigeria was not at war, urging well-meaning Nigerians to call the Biafra agitators to order.

Yawe also said in an interview with The PUNCH in Kaduna that it would be difficult for the forum to appeal to the Union this time around.

The ACF noted that the fear and concerns of the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff & Cattle Dealers of Nigeria were justified following the threat by the IPOB

The ACF’s spokesman said, “We have appealed to this union in the past when their members were attacked and some killed and their property destroyed due to no fault of theirs.

“At that time, they mounted a blockade and stopped the supply of foodstuffs to the East. Prices skyrocketed and there was an outcry. Due to appeals by the ACF, they lifted the blockade.

“The recent actions by IPOB amount to a declaration of war. It is difficult for the ACF to appeal to the union to resume supplies to the East with the pronouncements of the IPOB.

“The concerns of the union and their fears are justified. Somebody should call IPOB to order. We are still one country and not at war. Their pronouncements amount to an open declaration of war.”

But Ohanaeze Ndigbo regretted that Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria would issue a threat to stop transportation of livestock and foodstuffs to the South-East without getting its (Ohanaeze) position on IPOB’s directive.

Ohanaeze spokesman Chief Alex Ogbonnia, in an interview with The PUNCH, said, “The Igbo are the most out-reaching and adventurous ethnic group in Nigeria. We are welcome in every state in Nigeria by all the ethnic groups and to that extent, we welcome other ethnic groups in Igboland. It is exchange of values; mutual reciprocity. The issue of banning goods for which an ethnic group is known is not acceptable. For example, we have goods for which the Igbo are known and are marketed in other zones in Nigeria, the same way we welcome goods for which other ethnic groups are known and marketed in Igboland.

“So, Ohanaeze Ndigbo philosophy is peace onto all. Is only when we identify any source of conflict we try to manage it but for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in fact, Igbo in general we welcome goods anybody will sell in Igboland.

“Importantly, the people who are acting on what IPOB said, they should know that we have many aspirations in Igboland, but Ohanaeze Ndigbo is the umbrella associations of all the Igbo groups. So efforts should be made to listen to Ohanaeze Ndigbo before some final decisions will be taken on issues affecting entire Igbo.”

CNG bans Igbo goods in North

On its part, the Coalition of Northern Groups called for a total boycott of all businesses operated by the Igbo all over the North.

The CNG’s Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, noted that IPOB’s order issued in a statement on Monday amounted to a grave provocation and serious threat to northern commercial interests in the South-East and by extension to the physical well-being of northerners living as minorities among Igbo communities.

The CNG called for the total boycott of all businesses, goods and services operated by Igbo in the North effective from the same April 2022.

The CNG also called on northerners everywhere to decline support for any political party or formation or movement that had the active participation of South-East politicians.

Suleiman said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the North while maintaining its tradition of tolerance and accommodation, shall however no longer be disposed to condoning further acts of irresponsibility in the form of deliberate threats of intimidation or harassment targeted at Northerners living and doing legitimate businesses elsewhere in the country.

“Since such targeted utterances have in the past being preludes to physical attacks on northerners and destruction of their properties in particularly the South -East, we urge northern transporters and suppliers of goods to consider alternative trade routes to avoid the imminent risks that come with this IPOB threat.

“We warm that the North has had enough of the antagonism from the South- East and its attack dog, the IPOB and will no longer remain passive under such deliberate and sustained attacks and will henceforth be forced to react to every provocation and unwarranted abuse and violations.

“All those who have no other useful vocation other than attacking northerners under the slightest of pretexts, should know that our patience has reached its nadir.

“The North’s reticence in speaking out or taking action is not born of fear or ignorance of how to respond in kind.”

Mintum:
Sani Abacha is far more intelligent than the dullard.

Presidential media adviser, Femi Adesina, has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari is not like the late Head of State, Sani Abacha.

In an article on Thursday, “PMB and The Futurologists”, the spokesman mocked the then military ruler for refusing to leave Aso Rock because he was scared of prophetic visions and predictions.

Adesina disclosed that a cleric told Buhari to send emissaries to him with bags of money, so he could pray and stave off the tragedy.

Noting that the President was busy with international travels at the period the ‘prophet’ mentioned, no accident or incident happened.

“That was what the marabouts did to Sani Abacha, that he remained holed in Aso Rock. Between November 1993 and June 1998 that he was head of state, you could count both local and foreign trips he made on the fingers of one hand.

Adesina recalled that there was a time plenty of hype had been made on his visit to Oyo State, to commission the Asejire Water Scheme.

The aide said the state was agog with expectations, and a holiday had been declared, only for Abacha not to show up, after being “caged by the futurologists”.

“At another time, he had been confirmed to visit Lagos, to commission projects, including the Marwa Gardens, in Alausa area of Ikeja.”

“Visiting Lagos would have been good for Abacha himself. The city had been put under lockdown. At the last minute, Abacha refused to show up. Caged again by the horizon scanners, who always see negative, never anything positive.

“It was said that in the few times the head of state ventured out of the fortress called Aso Rock, he would lock up all the Service Chiefs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, until he returned”, the essay read.

UDOKABESTLUV:
See More Photos Via www.. com

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he is not happy with the state of electricity in Nigeria because he identified that no country could develop without infrastructure means; road, rail and power.

The President disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday.

Asked if he is happy with the country’s capacity of electricity production, Buhari said, “I am not because I identify that no country can develop without infrastructure and infrastructure means road, rail and power.

“This government is working very hard on the road. Try to imagine what was happening between Lagos to Ibadan six months ago and what it is now.

“We are doing from Lagos to Kano by rail, road from here to Kaduna to Kano. So we have to get the infrastructure right and then Nigerians will mind their own business. But when the infrastructure is not there, the roads are not there, the rail is virtually killed, no power, what do we expect people to do?”

Nigeria currently has the capacity to produce 13,000 megawatts of electricity, but presently, the country produces just 4,000 megawatts on the national grid.

Buhari had in May 2018 queried the spending of $16bn on power projects during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.