₦airaland Forum

cgniyi:
Nigerians in the comments supporting an Islamist regime that sponsors terrorist groups around the world baffle me. Boko haram never teach Una anything.

Kdon2:
First you long epistle is whacked because it is terribly bias.
Second, Iran had a huge christian population because it was a Christian country before arab jihadi overrun the country and imposed themselves over them. And most of them had to flee the country by the way.
Third, how is it that Jerusalem a Jewish land suddenly become Arabs choice relic. Even Judea and Bethlehem are all called Arab land by Palestinians. Does that make sense to you? For a religion that started after Jesus Christ that's utter rubbish.
So before you start being sanctimonious think better.

NothingDoMe:
You took your time to explain the religious demographics of Israel

What about Iran? Na 100% Isalm?

Presidential spokesperson, Daniel Bwala, has called out the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, Peter Obi, over his recent criticism of the Bola Tinubu administration.

Bwala, the Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, suggested that Peter Obi should have no position on issues of June 12, 1993, since, according to him, the former Anambra State governor was in Asia buying and selling and has no record of participating in the struggle.

Obi during the Democracy Day celebration called on Tinubu to follow the footsteps of former presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

Obi told the President to emulate ex-President Yar’Adua in accepting that the process through which he came to power was wrong.

He also said the president should be like Jonathan who saved Nigeria’s democracy by accepting defeat.

Peter Obi and his camp have always insisted that the 2023 presidential election was marred by irregularities and its results should not have stood.

Obi also said that there is no democracy under the administration of Bola Tinubu.

In a post on X on Friday evening, Bwala felt that the former governor should not comment on issues of democratic struggle in Nigeria.

He wrote, “Please can someone confirm to me whether it is true that on June 12, 1993 and weeks after that @PeterObi Peter Gregory Obi was in Malaysia or somewhere in Asia doing buying and selling trading business?

"I searched the internet to see any of his involvement in the struggle for democracy, I couldn’t see any link ohh.”

Meanwhile, some Nigerians commented under the post by Bwala, who was a frontline critic of the Tinubu administration but now a defender of the government.

@Udoh_D responded saying, “Can you show any evidence of Tinubu’s involvement in the struggle for democracy during the period you referenced—aside from fleeing to London to cool off?

Uncle Dele even housed him at some point.”

@Alphama… wrote, “As at the time you mentioned he was running a multimillion dollar business, he ain’t much older than you are but I wonder where you were at the time. It is very nice that you said he was running a legitimate business, not that he was dealing drugs or laundering money. What do you mean by struggle for democracy?

"Most of those you referred to did whatever they did not for the sake of our country, but for the same reason of grabbing power which they have been consistent with. Could every Nigerian have been in the field marching on the streets in a bid to return the country to civil rule? Did the constitution say that it is only those who were on ground at the time that can lay claim to the number one seat of Nigeria?… Sometimes when some of you talk I ask questions as to how your brains function. ..”

@Colman12Francis, wrote, “You’re a waste of legal education if you actually claim that you’re a lawyer. Let us assume that Tinubu fought for democracy in 1993. Are you suggesting that he should be a life president? If fighting for democracy qualifies him to be the president as your post suggests, what shall we say of those who fought for independence? What indices in Tinubu’s government have shown that he has an idea what democracy means? Daniel @BwalaDaniel, may hunger that made all this charlatan never leave you and yours now and generations ahead.”

The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a man with nine packs of cigarettes worth N90,000 allegedly stolen from a supermarket in Falomo, Ikoyi area of the state.

In a Facebook post, the RRS said its patrol team arrested the suspect (name withheld) at 5:30 pm on Sunday.

According to the squad, one pack of the cigarettes costs N10,000, which brings the total worth of the stolen cigarettes to N90,000.

The RRS said the suspect has been handed over to Falomo Police Division.

The post reads, “Around 5:30 p.m this evening, our patrol team arrested a suspected thief with nine packs of cigarette stolen from a supermarket (name withheld).

“He was trying to escape when he ran into our patrol team in Falomo Under Bridge, Falomo, Lagos.

“A pack of the cigarette is worth N10,000.

“He has been handed over to Falomo Police Division.”

By Hadiza Musa

A close ally of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ibrahim Masari, has said that anyone who voted for the president in the 2023 general elections has no reason to regret their decision.

Masari, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), made the statement during an interview with the BBC while speaking on Tinubu’s performance as his administration marks two years in office.

“Anyone who voted for President Tinubu between himself and God has no regrets,” he said.

He added that President Tinubu has recorded many achievements, especially in the areas of security and the economy, despite the current hardship being experienced by many Nigerians.

One of the major steps taken by the president, Masari said, is the removal of fuel subsidy.

However, he defended it as a bold and necessary decision that has helped the government save money and invest in development projects.

According to him, the president demonstrated rare political courage by removing fuel subsidy, a move previous presidents could not carry.

“Past presidents wanted to do it but couldn’t. He did it because of how much of the country’s money was being wasted.”

Masari also explained that the funds previously spent on fuel and electricity subsidies are now being redirected to important areas of national development, helping both the federal and state governments to function better.

He acknowledged the hardship many Nigerians are going through but insisted that the decisions taken by President Tinubu are meant to build a stronger and more stable country in the long run.

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed that from the earliest days of campaigns leading to the 2023 general elections, he told President Bola Tinubu that he will never support or vote for him.

Amaechi added that he decided to keep to his words and never worked or voted for Tinubu because the President lacked the capacity to govern Nigeria.

He disclosed this during a lecture in Abuja on Saturday to mark his 60th birthday.

"Some of us who are here are also those who vote on an ethnic or religious basis. Innocent, uneducated people are manipulated to vote based on ethnicity and religion — that’s why we are here.

“When we leave here, we go to plot to go and grab power; no Nigerian leader cares for you,”

Speaking on Coalition, he said, “We want to submit to the opposition if the opposition will take us out of this problem.

“The current government is weaponising poverty by stealing the money they should have used to build hospitals and schools. The benefit of the fuel subsidy removal is in their pockets,” he added.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taunted those saying his administration is pushing Nigeria towards a one-party system, saying that you cannot blame people for their choice of association.

Speaking at the ongoing All Progressives Congress (APC) National summit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President said, “it is only one party that is ruling”.

"For those still contemplating bale out of their ship, the country is yours, hold on to it. For those talking about one party system. It is one party ruling and driving the aspiration of Nigeria. You don’t blame a people balling out of a shrinking ship when they have no life jackets.

“I am glad of what we have and I am expecting more. That is the game. We are in a constitutional democracy.

He said nobody can force anyone to stay where they don’t want, adding that APC is ready to receive more Nigerians who are willing to join the ruling party.

He said, “they think this political party is a failure, but with your perseverance, we never gave up. We are the Progressives. We will soldier on. Continue to work hard… I listen to you, not them.

“We have an opportunity to make Africa great, but I urge you to stay the course. To those I cannot offer political positions, be patient, you will be happy to belong to this party.”

By Ojoma Akor

The number of young adults suffering from high blood pressure, also known as hypertension in Nigeria, is rising by the day, findings by Weekend Trust has revealed.

Often thought to be a disease of older adults or the elderly, studies have shown that younger adults within the ages of 18 to 45 years are increasingly coming down with high blood pressure in the country.

This has led to growing concerns, as some studies have shown that the prevalence rate of hypertension among young adults in Nigeria is as high as 21.3 per cent in some areas.

Also, some of those affected are students of secondary and tertiary institutions who have a hard time coping with the rising cost of medications.

Already in Nigeria, hypertension is a leading cause of death and illness among the elderly.

Experts say the risk of developing hypertensive cardiovascular complications is greater in younger than older individuals.

They said the presence of hypertension at a young age increased the risk of cardiovascular events at middle age. It contributes to an earlier onset of coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and transient ischaemic attacks.

High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels is consistently too high.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), your blood pressure is high when you have consistent systolic readings of 140 mm Hg or higher, or diastolic readings of 90 mm Hg or higher.

Prof Augustine Odili, the president of the Nigerian Cardiac Society and chairman of the Africa Regional Advisory Group for the International Society of Hypertension, explained it thus: “Measurement of blood pressure is written in two values. The one written on top is the systolic and the one below is the diastolic. So if your systolic blood pressure is above 140 and the diastolic blood pressure is above 90, you are said to have hypertension.”

Most cases of hypertension are asymptomatic; that is why it has been dubbed the ‘silent killer’.

Patients speak

When Hassan, 23, fell ill last year, he least expected to get a diagnosis of high blood pressure. However, after tests and four-day admission, he has been on a daily dose of high blood pressure medicine since then.

He said he was extremely shocked, even though his mother was hypertensive.

"My mother was diagnosed in her 50s, so I thought I was too young to suffer from it. I always thought it was only people in their 50s and 60s and above that suffer from high blood pressure,” he said.

Hassan, who wants to be known only with his first name, said he had made some lifestyle changes, including trying to get some rest from his busy work schedule at an information and communication technology (ICT) firm.

He added that he disliked taking drugs, even occasionally, but now, he has to make extra efforts to take his pills daily.

Aderibigbe Bisi, 56, a mother of five, said she got the shock of her life when her 19-year-old son, an undergraduate, was diagnosed of high blood pressure.

She and her husband do not suffer from the condition, but some persons from her maternal family have it, although as older adults.

“He has been receiving treatment and hoping that it would get better with time and not be on a lifelong medication from this age.

“He is one of the best students in his school; and he is always studying. But his siblings that eat too don’t have the condition,” she added.

Mark Yakubu (not his real names), a 34-year-old journalist, has been on high blood pressure drugs for four years. He recalled that he was always having persistent headache in the mornings before he went to the hospital.

“I always thought it was the stress of my job,” he said. But when he finally went to the hospital after he fell very ill, his blood pressure read 180. He also had malaria then. He was admitted and had to take sometime off work to recover

He said he had been on high blood pressure drug since then.

Julia, 30, a stroke survivor, said she suffered the attack at the age of 28. Before then, each time she measured her blood pressure, it was always high. But no one placed her on drugs; and she also took it lightly.

She recalled that she was also having a lot of challenges and stress meeting up with her family’s needs as.

Then one night, she suddenly couldn’t move her body, so she was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with stroke. She spent over a month in the hospital before she was discharged.

Today, while she is better, she said if a doctor had placed her on medication earlier, she may not have developed stroke.

Suspended Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara has appealed to the people of the state to keep supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Fubara, in a statement he personally signed to mark Easter, reinstated his commitment to deliver good governance in the state.

Describing Easter as a sacred season of reconciliation and unity, Fubara said during the celebration the peace of Christ should dwell in the hearts, restoring relationships, comforting the afflicted, feeding the hungry, and healing the brokenhearted.

He said: “It is a time to reaffirm our shared belief that peace shall overcome war, and that even shattered dreams can find new life in the light of the resurrection.

“This season renews our confidence that nothing neither hardship, nor adversity, nor even death can separate us from the love of God in Christ. In Him, we remain victorious.

"I reiterate my unwavering commitment to delivering good governance to the resilient and dignified people of Rivers State.

"Therefore, I call on the good people of Rivers State to continue to support and align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of our dear President, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, while looking forward to a better tomorrow.

“Let us not lose sight of our collective strength. The transformation we all desire is achievable when we act together as one people under God, committed to peace, unity, and progress.”

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the banner of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), paid a courtesy visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari at his Kaduna residence on Monday.

Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting, the forum’s chairman, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, said the visit was a demonstration of unity and strength within the APC.

According to him, the visit was timely following the conclusion of Ramadan, Lent, and the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. He noted that it was important for the governors to honor the former president, who served two terms under the ruling party.

Uzodinma described Buhari as a father figure in Nigerian politics and expressed delight at seeing him in good health and high spirits.

He thanked Buhari for his exemplary leadership, crediting him for laying the foundation that has enabled the APC to remain a dominant force in the country’s political landscape.

The PGF chairman emphasized the need for internal unity and focused leadership as essential ingredients for sustained electoral victories.

He assured that the APC remains Nigeria’s largest and most formidable political party and is well-positioned to remain strong as preparations for the 2027 elections begin.

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, who hosted the visit, also praised Buhari as a father, leader, and statesman whose influence continues to guide the party.

The Nigeria Police Force has advised the Take it Back Movement, TIB, and other organizers to shelve the planned nationwide protest scheduled for April 7.

DAILY POST reports that the civil society organisation and other groups have concluded plans to stage a nationwide protest on April 7.

The protest, according to the National Coordinator of TIB, Juwon Sanyaolu, is aimed at addressing issues surrounding the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act and the declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State.

However, the Nigeria Police in a statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, advised the organizers to “shelve this planned protest as it is ill-timed and mischievous”.

Adejobi said the scheduled date had been earmarked by the Federal Government as the National Police Day, “to celebrate the resilience and dedication of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force”.

"While not against the exercise of citizens right to peaceful assembly and association in Nigeria as enshrined in the Constitution, the Nigeria Police Force is deeply concerned about the motive behind such protest scheduled on the same day the contributions of the Nigeria Police Force to national security is to be celebrated, putting into consideration that such glamorous event would bring together dignitaries from all spheres of life both internationally and within the country, including Foreign Inspectors-General of Police and Diplomats.

"The Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, while reaffirming the commitment of the NPF to adequately carrying out its mandate in accordance with the Law and respect for rights of citizens hereby urges all the organizers of the planned protest as well as individuals who intend to join the protest to pursue dialogue by engaging the proper institution of government to press home their demands,” the statement added.