INTERNAL SECURITY: POLICE SETS TO HONOUR SLAIN OFFICERS WHO WERE GRUESOMELY MURDERED IN DELTA OPERATION
Police Confirms Arrests of 5 Suspects, as IGP Orders Immediate Payment of Entitlements to Families; Assures Police Leadership's Commitment to Responsibility, Robust Welfare
The Nigeria Police Force is profoundly saddened by the devastating loss of six (6) courageous officers in Delta State, who exhibited exceptional valour in the face of adversity. These brave officers tragically fell victim to a cowardly ambush by armed assailants while undertaking a mission to investigate the disappearance and rescue of three of their colleagues in the Ohoro Forest, Delta State, while six (6) others are currently missing-in-action. Our hearts extend to the families, friends, and colleagues of the fallen officers during this period of profound sorrow. We stand in solidarity with them, offering our deepest condolences and earnestly praying for the peaceful repose of the departed souls.
The deceased officers include Inspector Abe Olubunmi (IRT) enlisted on 1st August, 2003; Inspector Friday Irorere (51 PMF) enlisted on 1st January, 2003; Sergeant Kuden Elisha (51 PMF) enlisted on 17th October, 2011; Sergeant Akpan Aniette (51 PMF) enlisted on 17th October, 2011; Sergeant Ayere Paul (IRT) enlisted on 17th October, 2011; and Sergeant Ejemito Friday (51 PMF) enlisted on 17th October, 2011. While the officers currently missing-in-action include Inspector Onoja Daniel enlisted 1st February, 2003; Inspector Onogho Felix enlisted on 1st January, 2004; Inspector Emmanuel Okoroafor enlisted 1st April, 2004; Inspector Joel Hamidu enlisted 1st June 2006, Sergeant Moses Eduvie enlisted 17th October, 2011, all of 51 PMF; and Sergeant Cyril Okorie (SWAT) enlisted 17th October, 2011.
Furthermore, the Nigeria Police Force is committed to honouring the memory of our fallen heroes by recognizing their bravery, dedication, and sacrifice. In accordance with this commitment, the Force will posthumously honour the slain officers for their noble service and ultimate sacrifice at the Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations Ceremony scheduled for April 5th, 2024 in Abuja.
In response to this grievous loss, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun Ph.D., NPM, has taken decisive actions as expected. The bodies of six (6) of the slain officers have been recovered after a fierce search conducted by a combined team of police officers and other security outfits. The Force is focussed on the search for the other six (6) officers; while all their families have been duly contacted.
Additionally, the Inspector General of Police has mandated the expedited processing and payment of all entitlements due to the families of the fallen officers, aiming to alleviate any financial burdens they may encounter in this challenging time.
Similarly, immediate measures have been initiated to ensure that justice is served swiftly and the perpetrators of this abhorrent crime are brought to justice. The Inspector General of Police has mandated the deployment of all necessary resources and personnel to apprehend those responsible for this senseless killing of our officers, and this has led to the arrest of five (5) suspects in connection with the preceding incident and the killing, who are currently volunteering information necessary for the rounding up of all the perpetrators.
It is paramount to underscore that contrary to perceived notions in some quarters, the Nigeria Police Force is committed to responding decisively to the loss of its officers and men as a result of the many unforeseen hazards associated with our job due to the dynamics of crimes and criminality globally. Recent incidents, such as the murder of SP Angbashim in Rivers State, where the perpetrators have been painstakingly traced to their hideout and decimated during the exchange of gunfire with gallant operatives of the Force is a vital pointer.
Notable also is the swift and robust response to the attack on the Police Command Headquarters in Adamawa State where one Inspector Jacob Daniel was gruesomely murdered, which was followed by a visit to Adamawa State by the IGP, and timeous response by Mr. President upon being briefed. Equally, efforts were intensified in that regard to seek redress and ensure sanctions for the attackers.
The Nigeria Police Force unequivocally condemns any further assaults on Police Officers and other law enforcement personnel who selflessly dedicate themselves to safeguarding the lives and property of all citizens, reiterating the NPF’s dedication to upholding law and order, and urging our officers to remain resolute in the discharge of their lawful duties, undeterred by such cowardly acts. Similarly, individuals and groups peddling unnecessary and insensitive publications being circulated in the media space are urged not to make light of this loss to the NPF but to sympathize with the police in these sorrowful times.
The Inspector General of Police, while assuring police officers and men, as well as the public that no effort will be spared in bringing the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice as the killers have murdered sleep and will be tracked down to account for their reprehensible acts, calls upon well-meaning members of the public to collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force by providing any pertinent information that may aid in the apprehension of the perpetrators. Together, we will ensure that justice is served and peace and security prevail throughout the country.
ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI, FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA
NIGERIAN WORKERS AND PEOPLE HAVE NO TIME FOR THE TANTRUMS OFA DROWNING POLITICAL WANNABE
The laughable, pathetic and incongruous gibberish by Mr. Julius Abure through his hireling would have been completely ignored by the leadership of the NLC Political Commission. We, however, have a duty to keep workers and Nigerians focused on the fact that Mr. Abure has severally violated a court judgement and an INEC supervised terms of settlement that mandate an all-inclusive National Convention of the Labour Party.
While Mr. Julius Abure seeks to evade the fundamental issues raised in our last press release where we demanded for his immediate resignation for convening a National Convention that he had no sole proprietorship over, we wish to remind him that the Nigeria Labour Congress remains the institutional trustees of the Labour Party. This statement of truth is backed by the fact of history, law and court pronouncement. This provides the premise for our demand as a critical stakeholder for Abure's resignation.
In the event that Mr. Julius Abure has suddenly developed selective amnesia, we wish to remind him, as stated in our last press release, that a 20th March 2018 judgment by Justice Gabriel Kolawole pronounced that Labour Party is owned by the Nigeria Labour Congress and that an all-inclusive National Convention should be held to right all the wrongs that the likes of Mr. Abure have foisted on the Labour Party for some time now.
We understand the psychological trauma imposed on an impostor when the owners of the house come knocking. It is not our fault that Mr. Julius Abure has consistently demonstrated lack of respect for court judgements, agreements and more recently contempt for his elders in the labour movement. Clearly, the little coins clanging on the neck of the stray dog appears to have deafened its ears not to hear the whistle.
Nigerian workers and other stakeholders in the Labour Party have resolved that the Labour Party must be fully recovered and repositioned as a political vehicle for the benefit of sincere and patriotic politicians who are committed to making genuine impact in the lives of ordinary. Nothing will change that. Not a thousand vituperations from a drowning wannabe 'politrickster' who has lost the confidence of most of the critical stakeholders in the Labour Party. Nigerian workers have and will always take back whatever is legitimately ours especially with the law behind us.
We advise Mr. Julius Abure to make peace with his conscience as his response to our last press release depict the burden of a troubled soul. His constant reference to his assumed powers to unilaterally convene a National Convention while conveniently deleting the word 'inclusive' establishes the fact of his deceit and duplicity. He knows that what the court judgement mandated was an 'inclusive' national convention. He knows that the follow up agreement he signed with Organised Labour in 2022 demanded for an all-inclusive National Convention of which various stakeholders would collectively develop the Convention details in terms of itinerary, agenda and process. Right now, all that Mr. Abure is doing is to circumvent this important process that is necessary to strengthen the Labour Party to challenge the sleuth of poor governance
The emergence of Mr. Julius Abure and his ilk is alien to Labour Party's Constitution. Mr.Abure should tell the world which National Convention produced him. His poor grasp of party processes as shown in his uncouth response to the caution by the Labour Party's House of Representatives Caucus to follow due process in planning the party's convention clearly situates him as a sponsored agent bent on destroying the Labour Party.
Workers who are not shareholders in the looting bazaar by a few national officers of the Labour Party are not in any mood to exchange words with him. All that interests Nigerian workers is that the Labour Party should be repositioned to deal with the myriad off governance issues rooted in broken politics that have obstructed our quest for decent work and a dignified life.
The NLC Political Commission the midwife of the Labour Party will not jettison this mandate placed on our shoulders by Nigerian workers. Not even a thousand and one lies, blackmail, divide and rule antics, name dropping and grandstanding by the ilk of Mr. Julius Abure bothers us.
We, therefore, call on all workers, leaders and members of the Labour Party to continue to openly identify with this collective strive to recover, reconstruct and reposition the Labour Party as the ideologically primed political vehicle for the emancipation of Nigerian workers and people from the terrible governance of the past four decades. We will prevail!
The Edo State House of Assembly has directed the state Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa to set up a seven man panel to investigate the allegations levelled against the state deputy governor Ry Philip Shaibu.
The state assembly is accusing the deputy governor of misconduct and divulging governments information to the public.
The panel is expected to carry out a thorough investigation into the allegations and make necessary recommendations.
The brief sitting was presided over by the Speaker, RT Hon Blessing Agbebaku.
Recall that the Edo State House of Assembly, earlier this month, began an impeachment move against Shaibu, accusing him of constitutional infractions.
But, Shaibu, denied being served with impeachment notice from the state House of Assembly as claimed by the Speaker, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku during plenary.
The inability of the House, according to the Speaker, to physically serve Shaibu led to a substituted service through advertorial in the newspaper.
Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to the Speaker dated March 12, 2024 and titled “RE: Service of Impeachment Notice,” signed by the Personal Assistant to the Deputy Governor, Charles Olubayo, Shaibu denied ever being served any letter and refusing to collect same.
He said Shaibu has been out of the state since March 3 and therefore could not have been served as claimed during plenary.
His supporters, however, believe that he is being persecuted because he is interested to succeed his boss in office, Gov Godwin Obaseki.
Shaibu emerged as the Governorship Candidate in a parallel primary election held on February 22, 2024.
Warns lawmakers to respect party supremacy or face disciplinary action
The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to a statement made by the Labour Party caucus leader in the House of Representatives, Hon Afam Ogene to the effect that it is unconventional to conduct our convention before state, local government and ward congresses. By this statement from Hon. Ogene, it is pertinent to point out that he is very unknowledgeable as it relates to the provision of the constitution of the party under which he was elected.
We had expected, even though he is coming from the background of PDP and APC, he should not mistake the APC and PDP constitutions to that of the Labour Party. We would like to educate him to note that as the other parties’ constitutions are different so is the Labour Party.
In line with Article 15:1-4 of our party constitution, there is no equality of tenure. While the Ward, local government and state executives have three years tenure, the national executive has four years tenure.
As at the moment, party executives in over sixteen states are subsisting because they have conducted their congresses. We had expected Hon. Ogene to read the constitution of the party before making public comments against the party.
The leader of the caucus is the alter ego of the party who should defend the party policy and programs in the national assembly. And for him to say that the House of Representatives caucus was not informed about the convention is clearly a mischief taken too far.
For the records, the House of Representatives through the caucus leader was duly informed about the coming convention. We are aghast at the kind of politics Hon. Ogene has chosen to play. It is therefore very unhealthy for him to rush to the press to misinform our members. We had expected him to be a liaison between the party leadership and the national assembly and as a leader he claims to be to help in ensuring that peace reigns in the party at all time.
We are also shocked that members of the House of Representatives elected under the Labour Party are always quick to rush to the media whenever we make major decisions. This is against the background that they have never risen to the occasion as members of the Labour Party in the House who are supposed to be the voice of the people and speak truth to power, in spite of the numerous challenges the country is going through.
Again, considering the sacrifices made by Nigerians in electing these Labour Party legislators, we had expected them to be the Ambassadors of the People. It appears that they seat at the national assembly for theirselves alone. It is obvious that it is only when it concerns the party that they flex muscles. They need not be told of the persecution the party leadership has been undergoing in the hands of the government in power as a result of their election into offices and yet, they have no qualms in bringing the party to opprobrium at any given opportunity.
We therefore advice our lawmakers to desist from rushing to the press on party matters. Party internal matters must remain and kept internal matters. The party will not hesitate to discipline any party member who will not respect the supremacy of the party. The party is prepared to defend its ideology and constitution at all times irrespective of whose ox is gored.
Finally, we want to assure our party members that the leadership is continuing with our consultations with stakeholders at all levels to ensure that free, fair and rancour free convention is held.
SIGN.
Obiora Ifoh National Publicity Secretary Labour Party
Federal Ministry of Transportation Press Statement
Setting the Records Straight: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federal Ministry of Transportation and MPH Rail Development (UK) Limited for the Proposed Port Harcourt-Calabar-Enugu-Abuja Standard Guage Rail Project.
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The attention of the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMT) has been drawn to emerging comments and commentaries by certain persons (especially on social media) concerning the status and implications of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 12th February, 2024 by the Honourable Minister of Transportation (HMT), Senator Said Ahmed Alkali on behalf of the Ministry with Messrs. MPH Rail Development (UK) Limited, a United Kingdom-registered company with Nigerian and foreign shareholding.
2. For clarity, a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, is a non-binding agreement that states each party’s intentions to take action, conduct a business transaction, or form a new partnership. It is not a legally binding agreement. It provides only a platform for further engagement, discussion, scrutiny, and the provision of required guarantees by the parties to reach an agreement if the parties are satisfied.
3. The MoU in question arose from an unsolicited proposal presented by the British African Business Alliance (BABA), an Association based in the United Kingdom with interest in business in Africa. Its proposal was initially submitted to the Ministry on 27th August, 2019. As required, the proposal (Outline Business Case) was submitted to the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) on 8th December, 2023. The major attraction of the proposal is BABA/MPH’s initiative to achieve 100% private sector funding for the project ‘with no loans or debt to the Nigerian Government or any of its agencies’, as captured in Article 3.3 of the MoU. The Regulatory Commission on 27th December, 2023 granted approval and issued a conditional OBC Certification. It is pertinent to note at this juncture, that COVID-19 was a major contributor to the time lag between initial proposal and the ICRC OBC Certification.
4. Messrs. MPH Rail Development (UK), is the company incorporated by BABA, as the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to ‘deliver’ the project. It must be emphasized that a Company to be used for such a purpose is usually new with nominal shareholding to allow for stake holding by parties to the project at theinvestment stage.
4. For the avoidance of doubt the following are the major terms of the MoU: • The primary purpose of the MOU, is to provide a platform for further discussion between parties to ascertain the possibility of executing the project or otherwise. It does not create a legal or contractual agreement neither did it commit the Federal government in any way;
• Article 3.3 of the MoU affirmed that BABA/MPH’s initiative is to achieve 100% private sector funding for the project ‘with no loans or debt to the Nigerian Government or any of its agencies’;
• A fundamental deliverable under the MoU is for MPH to design a funding and implementation model and submit same to the Ministry within 90 days of the MoU for further consideration and scrutiny;
• MPH, within the above-stated 90 days period will equally submit its Programme of Action to demonstrate its achievement of all the preconditions highlighted by ICRC, before further engagement with Government; and
• The MoU also sets up a bilateral Technical Committee to monitor the Company’s commitment towards achieving the above milestones and ensuring that the project objectives are well within sight.
5. The Ministry therefore considers it expedient to put out this Statement to reaffirm as follows: (i) This initiative is still at its preliminary stage. As the proponent, MPH is expected to submit within 90 days of the signing of the MoU evidences of commitment by potential financiers, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report, Financial Model and Programme of Action, Full Business Case Study Report, and a Comprehensive Feasibility Study Report; (ii) It is the submission of the above listed documents and the outcome of their evaluation that will determine the desirability or otherwise of the proposal; (iii) ICRC as the Regulator of PPP is fully and duly in charge of the oversight of this process; (iii) The MoU therefore constitute only the beginning of a long process that will lead to the project after due diligence and scrutiny by the Ministry and other appropriate authorities; and (iv) The nascent and nominal share value of the SPV company (Messrs. MPH Rail Development) does not diminish the plausibility of the business proposal at this early stage.
6. For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry wishes to reassure Nigerians and the general public that it is committed to discharging its statutory mandate towards the realization of the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of Mr. President to deliver efficient, affordable and sustainable transport infrastructure for the country with utmost diligence and fidelity. It therefore urges the pubic to discountenance the insinuations, cynicism and aspersions cast on the said MoU which is neither a legal agreement nor a binding commitment on the Federal Government.
Signed, Director Press and Public Relations Dated 16th March, 2024. FEDERAL MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION
Our attention has been drawn to an article circulating on social media regarding a purported plan by the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki to call on lawmakers of Edo State House of Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against his deputy Hon. Philip Shaibu.
Ordinarily, we would neither be concerned nor bothered by what methods the characters in the unending feud within the Edo State PDP employ to settle scores among themselves.
However, we are compelled to clarify and set the record straight because in the said article, it was falsely claimed, and I quote “ 👇
“ _Our reporter also gathered that the governor have(sic) already gotten across to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to help him lobby and talk to the APC lawmakers in the House to support the impeachment move against Comrade Philip Shaibu”
We wish to categorically state that Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole has not, at any time, engaged in discussions with Governor Godwin Obaseki regarding plans to impeach his deputy, as the apex leader of the APC in Edo State, is solely focused on fostering goodwill between the people of Edo State and the APC, with the goal of winning the upcoming governorship election and returning the state to a path of progress under an APC government.
Also, it is important to state that matters of impeachment are the sole responsibilities of the Edo State House of Assembly and the Edo State Judiciary. Political parties have no constitutional role to play in any impeachment process.
Therefore, the notion that Senator Adams Oshiomhole can influence the actions of APC lawmakers, should there be any impeachment exercise in the Edo State House of Assembly is simply preposterous.
Senator Oshiomhole has not and will not engage in any deals with Governor Obaseki on this or any other political issue.
Lastly, we urge all Edo people to approach articles of this nature with skepticism if the authors fail to take credit for their allegations. As we begin the process leading to the September 2024 governorship election in our beloved State
let us all strive for truthful and responsible discourse in our political environment.
These God forsaken human beings were roaring all over X, accusing everybody of being paid and cursing at our families because we dared to support another candidate while they were the actual people getting paid and milking the innocent people. May God judge us all accordingly.
The Nigerian Army has restated its commitment to protect and uphold democracy in Nigeria, saying it “will continue to defend our constitution and not suspend it for whatever reason.”
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who declared this position at a seminar on career planning and management organised by the Army headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, said the Army has no plan to interfere in or truncate democracy in Nigeria.
Addressing participants at the training, Gen. Lagbaja charged officers of the Nigerian Army to remain above board in the discharge of their professional duties.
His words: “Permit me to seize this opportunity to reiterate that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, particularly the Nigerian Army has come to terms with the country’s choice of democracy as the preferred system of governance.
“We are, therefore, agents of democracy and have no desire to truncate it. The Nigerian Army will continue to defend our constitution and not suspend it for whatever reason. It is the duty of our elected leaders to lead while the military does its job as enshrined in our constitution.
“Nigerian Army personnel must therefore remain professional and be above board as they discharge their constitutional duties.”
The Minister of State of the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, made this known in a statement issued on Monday by her Special Adviser on Media, Austin Elemue.
The decision followed Sunday’s invasion of a warehouse located in Gwagwa-Tasha, belonging to the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the FCTA, by hoodlums.
The incident took place amid the ongoing food crisis ravaging the nation.
Mahmoud, during her visit to the warehouse on Monday, expressed disappointment with the incident, describing it as not driven by hunger but criminal minds.
“This is really a bad situation. And it is not something that the Administration will take lightly. All those that are involved must be brought to book. We have to do something. And also, this is a sign that we need to reinforce the security situation around all our warehouses because you just have to keep food.
“But the way this thing happened is beyond hunger. This is a criminal act. Somebody who is hungry cannot move out to remove all the roofings that are here. All the doors, all the windows, and also the gates.
“As you have heard from people around, the youth of the environment or the community, are suspected to have instigated this incident. So, this is a very sad event. And we are not happy about it”, she said.
Mahmoud explained that the incident occurred when the administration was restocking its warehouse to meet up with the directive of President Bola Tinubu to distribute palliatives to all six area councils in the FCT.
She further stated that the FCTA would find and prosecute those behind the ugly incident, noting that the administration would renovate the warehouse in due time.
“We did distribution about twice. And then about to do the third one, where these trucks were here to offload these food items, and then they were attacked, even injured some people on duty.
“This is not showing that we are good ambassadors of the nation. So definitely we are going to take action about this event that has happened. We have to reconstruct, not even renovate this warehouse, all the offices, and then the gates that are damaged”, she stated.
The House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes has ordered the immediate arrest of the Chief Executive of Binance Holding Limited, Richard Teng and Management, for failure to appear before the committee and defend its alleged involvement in terrorism financing and money laundering.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe issued the warrant of arrest on Monday when the CEO and Management again failed to appear before the committee but instead sent one Senator Ihengen, the company’s legal representative.
Ihengen, in his defence, said two top management staff of the company who arrived in the country earlier to appear before the committee were arrested by the Federal Government last week.
However, The Chairman of the committee dismissed the excuse and with a voice vote ordered the arrest of the CEO and Management.
THE WHISTLER, recall that on Friday, Reps had summoned the CEO and Management of Binance to appear before the committee on Monday unfailingly.
Binance, an online trading platform where users deal in cryptocurrency, has been flagged by the Central Bank of Nigeria to have been involved in money laundering, and terrorist financing among others.
The Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration confirmed the looting of its warehouse in Dei-Dei on Sunday, by residents in the FCT, over the economic hardship in the country.
Confirming the incident to our correspondent, the spokesperson for the ARD Secretariat, Zakari Aliyu, said the Secretary, had earlier visited the warehouse, where the residents had looted everything in the store and vandalised the place, removing the roofs and windows.
He added that the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, and the FCT Mandate Secretary, Agric Secretariat, Lawan Geidam, will again visit the facility on Monday where more detailed information will be given regarding the incident.
“We visited the scene of the incident this morning. We visited with the Secretary and some other officials of the Secretariat. So, by tomorrow, the Secretary I think with the Minister of State will pay another visit to that place. I am sure that a lot of information that will be useful to you, you will get it. If you can just be patient, tomorrow you will get all the information you need. If you go there, there is nothing there. If you know that place, do you know that they removed the roof, and the windows inclusive, apart from the food items?”, he said.
Busts another drug cartel in Lagos, arrests members with 17.4kg cocaine, heroin, meth; over 3.1million pills of opioids recovered in Kano, Lagos, Borno raids
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted a 40-year-old businessman, Ejike Chibuke Solomon with 1.45 kilograms of cocaine concealed in his luggage while attempting to board an Ethiopia Airlines flight number 950 to Vietnam via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja.
Ejike was arrested at the Abuja airport on Saturday 2nd March 2024 after NDLEA officers subjected him to a thorough search, and in the process, the illicit substance was discovered concealed, factory fitted, in his bag. In his statement, the suspect claimed he was on a business trip to Vietnam.
Meanwhile, operatives of a special unit of the Agency on Friday 1st March swooped on members of a syndicate that deals in methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin in their hideouts in parts of Lagos. The operatives assigned for the operation raided the home of Esimone Amachukwu Christopher at 14 Arochukwu street, Ejigbo, where 10.012 kilograms of methamphetamine was found in possession of his associate, 40-year-old Evelyn Nneka Okem. Esimone is currently at large.
While the Ejigbo operation was going on, another set of officers were simultaneously busy in the residence of another member of the syndicate, 45-year-old Ebele Edwin Iwuegbunam, located at Plot 1604 Close D, 4th Avenue, Festac town, Lagos where they arrested him and recovered 429.5grams of cocaine and 7 kilograms of heroin.
In Kogi state, NDLEA officers on a stop and search operation along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on Friday 1st March intercepted a commercial bus marked GRM 347XA (Borno) conveying 28 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 11kg; 100 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup and 500 tablets of diazepam, all concealed in three plastic drums covered with cattle fats, heading to Jos Plateau state.
While operatives in Ogun state on Thursday 29th February recovered 169kg consignment of cannabis abandoned in a truck at Sagamu tollgate, their counterparts in Lagos seized 25 cartons of tramadol containing 325,000 pills in Ikeja the previous day Wednesday 28th Feb. Same day, a suspect, Abdullahi Garba Khalil, 42, and 2,745,000 capsules of pregabalin recovered from him at Singer market, Sabon Gari area of Kano were handed over to the Kano state command of NDLEA by the Department of State Security, DSS.
In the same vein, the 243 Recce Battalion, Nigerian Army, Badagry on Saturday 2nd March transferred 27 sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 1,110kg recovered at a coastal community, Ajido by soldiers, to the Seme Special Area Command of NDLEA. A suspect, Hassan Muhammad, 34, was on Saturday 2nd March arrested with 44,950 pills of tramadol at Moranti area of Borno state by NDLEA operatives.
In Abia state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 28th Feb raided a drug joint at Cemetery Barracks, Aba, where Ifeanyi Uche, 37, was arrested with different quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Another raid was carried out at the abandoned Eyimba Hotel, Ogbor Hill, Aba, where illicit substances were seized and suspects arrested on Friday 1st March.
With the same zeal, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Fobin Primary and Secondary School, Idiroko, Seme, Lagos; Army Barracks Grammar School, Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo state; State Model Secondary School, Awka, Anambra state; Government Girls Secondary School, Okumgba-Ama, Ogoloma, Okrika, Rivers state and leaders and residents of Lapan community, Gombe state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the NAIA, Abia, Ogun, Kogi, Lagos, Seme, Borno and Kano Commands of the Agency as well as those of the Special Unit for their outstanding feats in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) equally applauded them and their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures.
Femi Babafemi Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Abuja Sunday 3rd March 2024
A nominee for membership of the Central Bank of Nigeria Board of Directors, Urum Kalu Eke has declined the offer stating that he was currently engaged in the World Bank.
This came to the fore during the Thursday plenary when the Senate began the process for the confirmation of the nominees.
President Bola Tinubu had on February 13 forwarded the names of Urum and four others for confirmation as members of the board for the CBN.
But during the confirmation, former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Kalu,( APC, Abia North ) told the Senate that the person who is his constituent had called him on the phone to reject the offer, noting that it would conflict with his present job as a consultant with the World Bank.
He said, “The nominee told me this role would conflict with his job as a consultant to the World Bank, Federal Government agencies and other private companies.”
Meanwhile, the Senate has confirmed the appointment of four other members of the Board of Directors of the CBN forwarded to it by the President.
Those confirmed by the Senate on Thursday as Directors are Robert Agbede; Ado Yakubu Wanka; Professor Murtala Sabo Sagagi and Mrs. Muslimat Olanike Aliyu.
The confirmation was sequel to the consideration of a report of the screening of the nominee presented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance & Other Financial Institutions by the Chairman, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, (APC, Lagos East).
Abiru said, “That the Senate do receive and consider the report of on the confirmation of the nomination of the following Five (5) persons as members of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria in accordance with section 6(1), (2) (d) and 10 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.”
According to him, the Committee did not clear Urum Kalu Eke from Abia because he failed to appear before the Committee for screening.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed March 14 to hear the cases challenging the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s flagbearer for the Edo State gubernatorial poll.
The suits marked FHC /ABJ /CS/ 195/2024 were filed by Adizetu Hadizat Audrey and Abosede Adunni Umoru.
Another suit marked FHC /ABJ /CS/ 196/2024 was filed by Moses Adomokha Alabi and Christopher Ebode Oboarere.
Joined as respondents are the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Setonji Koshoedo, PDP’s National Working Committee, NWC, PDP, Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Executive Committee(NEC).
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Magaji Ibrahim, told Justice Inyang Ekwo in his two separate motions that the PDP primary election ought to be nullified if it was held on February 22 based on an alleged “defective” delegates list.
He urged the court to restrain the party from holding the primaries, contending that PDP’s election victory could be set aside in view of its unconstitutional ward congress.
He also contended that the process which produced the party’s delegates list was defective because Senator Samuel Anyanwu who the court had declared as the substantive National Secretary of the PDP, was not engaged in the selection process.
Parties were then ordered by the court to show cause why the PDP primaries should not be stopped.
At the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, Matthew Burkaa, announced appearance for the plaintiffs saying the parties had been served with his processes as ordered by the court.
However, the legal team representing some of the defendants said they have not filed replies to the substantive suit of the plaintiffs.
Subsequently, Justice Ekwo gave ten days to each defendant to file responses to the plaintiffs’ substantive suits.
“This matter is adjourned to March 14 for hearing and on the date of hearing, the preliminary objection shall be taken together with the substantive matter,” Ekwo ruled.
The leadership of the Labour Party has clarified that the letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by a dissident group and former members of our party led by one Lamidi Apapa to recognise Anderson Uwadiae Asemote and Monday Ojore Mawa as the gubernatorial and deputy governorship candidates does not emanate from the Labour Party.
Nigerians are sufficiently aware that the authors of the letter in circulation are fraudulent and desperate people seeking for recognition and also unrelentingly working towards obtaining by tricks from unsuspecting Nigerians as they have done in recent elections.
As it is done in every corporate or governmental institutions, letters or any correspondences are received with a stamp of acknowledgement. As it is a custom, if you write any letter to INEC, the commission is expected to receive it after due verification. Though acknowledgement of a correspondent does not imply recognition or acceptance of its content, but we however insist that INEC must henceforth verify signatories of any future correspondences as it concerns Labour Party before acknowledgement.
Nigerians will recall that on the 22nd of February, two other political parties; namely APC and PDP had their parties primaries and that on the following day, Labour Party also had its primaries where it elected Barrister Olumide Akpata as its candidate. These events were televised live on notable television stations. INEC officials led by the state electoral commissioner also observed the very successful primaries.
How on earth could a group of persons conduct a primary election that was not known or heard by the public and was not covered by the media, and went ahead to ask the INEC to act on their correspondence. INEC knows that there was no primary; it did not supervise any other primary but the one conducted by the Party led by Barrister Julius Abure.
INEC knows that they just brought names; there was no primary. We were in Benin that day, and the world knew that Abure had an issue and was released, after which he witnessed the primary. How come they did a primary and the media did not know? When and where did they conduct their delegate election? Was it by direct or indirect election? These men are just a bunch of desperate people looking for easy money from desperate politicians.
There is even a crisis amongst the Apapa camp. Are you aware that Apapa has since left them; he is no longer with them. When did you hear Lamidi Apapa speak about them? Are you also aware that the former Youth Leader, Anselm Eragbe has disclaimed them? In his disclaimer he said that the tenure of Apapa and their group in acting capacity has since elapsed and has not been renewed. Eragbe also said that the Apapa-led aggrieved members of the party have only insulted the sensibilities of the party members by the introduction of Anderson Asemote and Monday Mawa to the INEC as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the September 21 governorship elections in Edo State.@
The letter of disclaimer of Lamidi Apapa, entitled Disclaimer Against Imposition Of Names Of Gubernatorial Candidate & Deputy As Purportedly Written To INEC For Edo State 2024 Primary Election,” said the Apapa-led group lacked locus to do so.
The letter reads in part: “That the only thing they have done is to further increase our pains, insult our persons and sensibilities by their actions for not deeming it fit and necessary to consult those of us from Edo State and by imposing names for the Edo State Labour Party gubernatorial and deputy governorship candidates without conducting any valid gubernatorial primary in Edo State.”
Eragbe further insisted that those names be withdrawn from the INEC forthwith with valid withdrawal letters. “We have maintained that the acting leadership tenure of Apapa and three (3) others expired on November 30, 2023, and that no concerted effort has been made to correct or cure that constitutional defect to re-establish legality based on the May 3, 2023, NEC Resolution in Bauchi State.”
Labour Party is thereby urging Nigerians to distance from any other list other than that of Barrister Olumide Akpata as the only candidate being sponsored by the Labour Party.
We also using this medium to specially appeal to the media to stop progressing with this factional narrative. There is no faction in Labour Party. If you are still in doubt of the authentic leadership of Labour Party, please check the website of the INEC. Stop sympathizing with some undemocratic elements that have vowed to destroy the very institution we are working hard to protect.
SIGN
Obiora Ifoh National Publicity Secretary Labour Party
We are aware of a leaked diplomatic correspondence between the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja and our Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to Qatar between 2 and 3 March, 2024.
The leaked diplomatic paper by mischief makers about an investment forum is not in any way a snub on President Tinubu by the Qatari government.
The Note Verbale is about a private sector-led Business and Investment Forum to be held on the margins of President Bola Tinubu's State Visit.
The event is being put together by the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Qatar's Chambers of Commerce and Industry where business people from Nigeria will engage their counterparts from Qatar on commercial and investment opportunities available in both countries.
We note the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries and affirm that the State Visit by President Bola Tinubu to Qatar is on the invitation of the Emir of Qatar, His Highness, Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.
The State Visit is particularly aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic cooperation between Nigeria and Qatar.
NACCIMA and Qatar Chambers of Commerce and Industry are collaborating to take advantage of President Tinubu's visit to Doha to mobilise the business community from our two countries to explore opportunities in key economic sectors such as oil & gas, manufacturing, agro-business, construction, real estate, ICT, Renewable Energy, Solid Minerals and service sector, among others.
President Tinubu is expected to proceed to Qatar on the State Visit as scheduled and during the visit, the Nigerian leader will engage in high-level bilateral discussions with Qatari leader on many important matters, covering the full range of diplomatic and economic issues.
It is not correct for anyone to insinuate that the Qatari authorities have snubbed the Nigerian leader over a business and investment forum which is tangential to the all-important State Visit and which President Tinubu is slated to attend as a guest.
President Tinubu and His Highness Al-Thani are both committed to maintaining and building on the existing cordial and special relationship between Nigeria and the State of Qatar.
Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy
Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms State/Official Visit by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Qatar on 2-3 March, excellent relations between Federal Republic of Nigeria and the State of Qatar
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms the forthcoming visit by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the State of Qatar on 2-3 March, as scheduled. The visit will include bilateral discussions at the highest level across a full range of strategic, diplomatic and economic issues.
HE Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said: “The Federal Republic of Nigeria and the State of Qatar have a long history of friendship and close bilateral relations. The forthcoming visit to Doha by HE President Tinubu will help build on this important relationship.”
The Ministry is aware of the circulation in the media of diplomatic correspondence and wishes to confirm that it will not comment on leaks.
Signed: Francisca K. Omayuli (Mrs) Spokesperson Ministry of Foreign Affairs Saturday 24th February, 2024
Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared that there is no truth in the claim by Senate President Godswill Akpabio that states got additional N30 billion each outside of their statutory revenue allocations, to address the food insecurity.
The governor stated this on Thursday, noting that Oyo did not get any N30 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) or the Federal Government.
Makinde, who added that he has been doing everything to cushion the effect of the economic hardship on the people, warned that leaders should instill confidence and hope in the citizenry in this trying time rather than playing blame game.
He stated this in Iseyin, where he commissioned the newly-renovated multi-billion Naira Iseyin Central Mosque facilitated by legal icon, Ahmed Raji, SAN.
The governor added that apart from Oyo not getting N30 billion from any agency or department of the Federal Government, he could say the same for his colleague-governors as vice chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Makinde accused Akpabio of relying on unverified reports, clarifying that it was impossible for states to get funds from the FIRS, since all revenues go into the Federation Account and belongs to the Federal Government, states and the local governments.
He said: “This is a very difficult period in our nation’s history because all of us are aware of what we are going through economically. But for us as an administration, I can say we are the first in Nigeria to announce and implement measures on the 9th of June 2023, to cushion the effect of this policy through SAfER.”
“We have been doing our bit. And the reason I came here is for us to talk to ourselves and intensify prayers. So, this is one of the edifices through which we can reach God, though we have done our bit. We have health insurance for our own people, we gave farm inputs to our farmers but, at this stage, we need to cry to God.
“For the workers, we have been paying a wage award; N25,000 for workers and N15,000 for pensioners, and we have paid for close to six months. Only last week, I announced an extension for another six months so that we can have the time to conclude the discussion on minimum wage. Well, we know there is much to be done and we will continue to do everything within our power to support our people through this hard time.
“This is not the time to play politics, as we have real issues that deserve real solutions. But yesterday, I saw the video and read in the news where the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, made a statement, though he said it was unverified report, stating that the state governments received additional N30 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, outside of our statutory allocation, in the last few months, to address food security.
“Please, listen to me loud and clear. I can speak for Oyo State and can also speak for any of my colleagues. This is because, as the Vice Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, I know when things are happening.
“If I want to play politics, I will keep quiet and let this slide, but I am not going to let this slide. FIRS cannot give money to any state. It is not possible. All revenues accruing to the country goes into the federation account and it is distributed to all tiers of government. The FG does not give states money. The money in the federation belongs to all of us; it does not only belong to the Federal Government.
“So, if the Senate President, who is the number three citizen in this country, could be quoting an unverified report, people are looking at us as leaders. This is the period that we are supposed to give confidence to our people. It is not the period to start playing politics or to start looking for scapegoats.
“We need to engage with our people. If our policies are not working, we need to listen to the people and amend. So, if the Number Three Citizen had nothing but unverified report, why did he need to say it? Does his statement give confidence to the people or solve the problem of hunger and anger in the land? Let me say it clearly: as for Oyo State and for most of my colleagues, there is nothing like N30 billion being given to states for food security and I stand to be challenged.
“Yes, the Federal Government promised the states N5 billion and out of that, it only gave N2 billion and they are even asking that the N2 billion should be refunded right now. It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to manage the fiscal situation in Nigeria and manage the inflationary trend we have in the country right now.
“We have been transparent about everything we are doing here and this is the time for us to stay together as a nation to solve the problems we are facing. It is not the time to engage in blame games and propaganda. Hunger and anger are real and, as leaders, we must address them.”
The Senate on Thursday, February 22, passed a Bill which seeks to establish the South East Development Commission (SEDC).
The agency according to the Bill is to be charged with the responsibility to receive and manage funds from the allocation of the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses, and other infrastructural damages suffered by the region as a result of the effect of the civil war.
The Red Chamber decided a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill by the Committee of the Whole, chaired by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Recall that the House of Representatives on December 21, 2023, at its Committee of the Whole chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who is also the sponsor of the Bill, unanimously passed it for 3rd reading and sent it to the Senate for concurrence.
The Senate approved the long title of the Bill as recommended, clause 2 as amended, clause 3 to 5 as recommended, clause 6 as amended, clauses 7 to 29 as recommended, interpretation clause 30 as recommended, short title clause 31 as recommended, schedules 1 and explanatory memorandum as recommended.
The Commission, when established, shall among other functions, “Conceive, plan and implement, in accordance with the set rules and regulations, projects and programmes for the sustainable development of the South East States in the field of transportation including roads, health, education, employment, agriculture, industrialization, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity and telecommunications; cause the South East States to be surveyed in order to ascertain measures which are necessary to promote its physical and socio-economic development.
“Implement all the measures approved for the development of the South East States by the Federal Government and the member States of the Commission; identify factors inhibiting the development of the South East States and assist the member States in the formulation and implementation of policies to ensure sound and efficient management of the resources of the South East States; assess and report on any project being funded or carried out in the South East States by mineral extracting and mining companies, oil and gas producing companies, and any other company including non-governmental organisations and ensure that funds released for such projects are properly utilized.
Other functions include, “Tackling ecological and environmental problems that arise from the extraction and mining of solid mineral, exploration of oil mineral in the South East States and advise the Federal Government and the member States on the prevention and control of oil spillages, gas flaring and environmental pollution; liaise with the various solid mineral extraction and mining companies and oil and gas prospecting and producing companies on all matters of pollution prevention and control; and execute such other works and perform such other functions which in the opinion of the Commission are required for the sustainable development of the South East States and its peoples.”
In his remarks after the Bill was passed, Senate President Akpabio, noted that once the Bill becomes law, it would bring development and the region’s fears would be addressed.
Akpabio said: “It’s a very important bill passed by this 10th Senate, this bill addresses all the fears of our brothers and sisters from the South East.
“I want to say congratulations. I pray this commission will bring a lot of development to the South-east and we will assist you to stop any form of agitation and bring peace to your region. When harmonized, it will address the fears of the south-east.”
With the passage at both Chambers, a Conference Committee will be set up to harmonize differences before it is transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his assent.
BREAKING!!! Effective from next week, Lagos civil servants from Level 1-13 has been directed to work for three times in a week, as a forms of relief measure taken by the State Government to cushion the effects of the economic hardship.
Gov @jidesanwoolu announces during a live media chat.
#SanwoSpeaks
Breaking News;👇🏽
Sanwo-Olu announces free child delivery across the State’s General Hospitals and secondary health facilities. The State Government will be distributing hypertension medications free of charge to Lagosians in need of the drugs.
We will open Sunday Markets in at least 42 identified markets across Lagos state. Residents will be able to buy food items at a discounted price. You will only need able to buy items worth up to N25,000.
He also speaks on the demolition exercise across the State
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa has vowed that the military will go after persons advocating coup d’ ‘etat in the country.
Describing such individuals as enemies of Nigeria, Musa said the law would surely catch up with them.
Musa insisted that the Armed Forces was on top of its game and would continue to defend and protect democracy in the country.
The CDS spoke shortly after he inaugurated the main entrance of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army and Officers Transit Accommodation, at the Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
While acknowledging that the country was going through some challenges, he berated persons calling for a coup saying it would never happen.
He said coup was never an option adding that the nation had achieved more and developed faster under democracy.
According to the CDS: “Whoever is making that call (coup) does not love Nigeria. We want to make it very clear that the Armed Forces of Nigeria are here to protect democracy.
“We all want democracy and we do better under democracy. And so we will continue to support democracy. And any of those ones that are calling for anything other than Democracy are evil people and I think they don’t mean well for Nigeria.
“And they should be very careful because the law will come after them. We can see that with democracy a lot of things are happening in Nigeria. Yes we are going through trying periods, I mean in life nothing is hundred percent.”
Musa called on citizens to be patient and give their support to the government to succeed and put the enemies of state to shame.
He said the incumbent administration was doing its utmost to improve the economy and address other challenges across the country.
Musa said: “Everybody goes through a trying period in life, and it is what you do with them. You can see the government putting efforts to ensure that we come out better.
“And it is when you go through difficulties and come out better you will really appreciate what it is to build a nation. And so we are going through our trying period, but I can assure Nigerians that it will get better.
“All we need is all of us to put our hands together to ensure that we defeat those enemies of the government, those enemies of this country that don’t want us to succeed.
“We will surely succeed and the Armed Forces are here to support the Government in ensuring that we develop, we succeed and to see that there is peace in Nigeria.
The Police have confirmed the arrest of the Labour Party, LP National Chairman, Julius Abure in Benin City, Edo State, South-South Nigeria.
The arrest by Zone 5 operatives of the Nigeria Police Force follows a petition against him over alleged assault, molestation and illegal possession of firearms.
Abure was in Benin City for the Edo State LP Governorship primaries scheduled to hold on Friday February 23 for nomination of party's candidate for the September 21 polls.
The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) on Tuesday directed its members to immediately resume petroleum loading activities.
The National President of NARTO, Othman Yusuf, gave the directive after a meeting held in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, with NARTO, oil marketers and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA).
NARTO had in a letter dated 15 February, addressed to the General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) and signed by its National President, Othman Yusuf, directed its members to withdraw their trucks from petroleum product loading activities with effect from Monday, 19 February.
The association noted that the decision to withdraw its operation was due to the high operational costs in the industry.
The association had recently raised concern over the high cost of diesel required to power its trucks for the transportation of petroleum products across the country.
In its letter, the association said it can no longer continue in business within the context of the current economic situation in the country.
“We agreed to suspend and withdraw the action and we commence operations immediately,” Mr Yusuf said Tuesday.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday, passed for second reading a bill to provide for the establishment of state police in the country.
Sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu and 14 others, the bill seeks to alter the relevant Sections of the 1999 Constitution to pave the way for states to establish their own policing outfits.
As lawmakers took turns to contribute to the debate on the floor of the House during Tuesday’s plenary, Kalu who stood in for the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, urged members to look beyond political ambitions and think about the safety of Nigerians and Nigeria.
Also speaking, Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos) said, “It is the job of the police to maintain law and order. We have a population of over 200m people but we have a police strength that is less than 400,000. State Police should be created to address the internal security challenges of Nigeria.”
PRESIDENT TINUBU TO 36 STATE GOVERNORS: THERE MUST BE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR INCOMPETENCE; SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS TO BOOST FOOD PRODUCTION AND REMOVE RENT SEEKERS
President Bola Tinubu says his administration is evolving home-grown solutions to address the nation's food security challenges by setting up schemes to support local production and discourage all forms of rent-seeking that are associated with food importation.
The President made the declaration at a meeting with 36 state governors, attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, and some ministers at the State House in Abuja on Thursday.
On security, President Tinubu approved the establishment of a committee comprising state governors and representatives of the federal government to, among other things, explore the modalities for establishing state police.
The President further endorsed the training and equipping of forest rangers by sub-national governments to safeguard human and natural resources in local communities.
''My position at this meeting is that we must move aggressively and establish a committee to look critically at the issues raised, including the possibility of establishing state police.
''From Kano, we have read reports about large-scale hoarding of food in some warehouses. The National Security Adviser (NSA), the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services should coordinate very closely and ensure that security agencies in the states inspect such warehouses with follow up action.
''We must ensure that speculators, hoarders, and rent seekers are not allowed to sabotage our efforts in ensuring the wide availability of food to all Nigerians.
''What I will not do is to set a price control board. I will not also approve the importation of food. We should be able to get ourselves out of the situation we found ourselves in, because importation will allow rent seekers to perpetrate fraud and mismanagement at our collective expense. We would rather support farmers with the schemes that will make them go to the farm and grow more food for everyone in the country.
''We must also look at the rapid but thoughtful implementation of our livestock development and management plans, including dairy farming and others,'' the President stated.
President Tinubu urged the governors to trust the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with the management of the country’s monetary policy, emphasizing the importance of allowing designated institutions to fulfill their mandate effectively.
He said the ''cacophony of postulations'' on the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates was unduly affecting the market negatively.
''Every one of us can not be an expert. If we have given someone an assignment, let us allow them to do it. If they can not do it, then we find a way to quickly get them out of the system,'' the President affirmed.
President Tinubu asked the governors to always make the welfare and prosperity of the people a priority of their development programmes, assuring them that the federal government will continue to work diligently to improve the nation’s revenue profile.
At the meeting, the President and the governors emphasized the importance of working together to address issues of insecurity, food security, and out-of-school children.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for convening the meeting and affirmed the governors’ commitment to partnering closely with the federal government.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) February 15, 2024
Elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Dantata has thrown his weight behind the move to transition from a presidential system of government to a parliamentary system.
Dantata, while speaking on the development on Thursday, said the parliamentary system is better than the presidential system of government because it is cheaper.
The nonagenarian stated this when some members of the House of Representatives spearheading the transition move paid him a consultation visit at his Kano residence.
Recall that the House of Representatives has passed, for the first reading, the bill seeking to transform the presidential system of government into a parliamentary system.
Titled ”The Bills proposing constitutional alterations for a transition to a parliamentary system of government,” it was sponsored by sixty lawmakers and read for the first time during Wednesday’s plenary in Abuja.
Briefing newsmen after plenary, the spokesperson of the sixty-member group, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki (Sokoto, PDP), said that the proposed alterations, when passed, would significantly impact the national political landscape.
According to him, over the years, the imperfections of the Presidential System of Government have become glaring to all, despite several alterations to the constitution to address the shortcomings of a system that has denied the nation the opportunity to attain its full potential.
He said among these imperfections are the high cost of governance, leaving fewer resources for crucial areas like infrastructure, education, and healthcare, and consequently hindering the nation’s development progress, and the excessive powers vested in the members of the executive, who are appointees and not directly accountable to the people.
He further noted that the bills presented seek a return to the system of government adopted by our founders, which made governance accountable, responsible, responsive, and ultimately less expensive.
Dasuki explained that with the presentation of these bills, the House hopes to ignite and provoke a national conversation about the future of the Nigerian governance system, to ensure robust public debates, stakeholder consultations, expert analyses, and a thorough and informed decision-making process, to raise awareness about the significant development and to encourage constructive dialogue on the potential implications of these proposed constitutional alterations.
“Today, we stand on the cusp of history, as lawmakers across party affiliations and regional backgrounds come together to present bills proposing Constitutional Alterations that seek a transition to Parliamentary System of Government.
“These bills, seeking to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, advocate a transition from the current presidential system to a parliamentary system at all levels – federal, state, and local government.”
Crime / Police To Honour Officers Murdered In Delta, Arrest 5 Suspects by chokekachy: 6:59pm On Mar 23