₦airaland Forum

BigBelleControl:
I'm sure the airline is a private initiative, why's there so much hype around it?

As many Nigerians groan in poverty due to the rising cost of living occasioned by unprecedented inflation, Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said the poor in the country are angry with government officials and other members of the elite, who constitute the minority.

The vice-president said this at the graduation ceremony of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 16 participants from different security agencies and nominees of state governments in Abuja on Saturday. The event was organised by the National Institute for Security Studies.

This is the first time a senior government official is admitting the biting hardship in the country, which has been aggravated since President Bola Tinubu took over the reins of government on May 29, 2023.

In his inauguration speech, the President had declared that subsidy on petrol was gone for good, and hours after that statement, the pump price of petrol jumped from N238-N263 per litre to a minimum of N500. It currently sells for between N580 and N615.

As Nigerians were adjusting to the new reality and the attendant increase in the prices of goods and services, including transport fares, the Federal Government announced the decision to allow the exchange rate of the naira to major international currencies float and be determined by demand and supply.

That decision immediately led to a significant depreciation of the local currency, which peaked at N465.07 against the United States dollar just weeks before Tinubu’s inauguration. The scarcity of dollars and other major international currencies led the naira to climb to over 1,000 against the greenback.

Just on Friday, the naira fell to an all-time low of N1,099.05/$ at the official Investor and Exporter forex window to cap what had been a turbulent couple of months for the national currency.

This signifies a 30.36 per cent decline from its closing rate of N843.07/$ according to data from the FMDQ Securities Exchange. That was the lowest rate that the naira had closed since the Central Bank of Nigeria moved to adopt the I&E window as the official trading channel for the currency.

That day, the currency began trading at N844.10/$ before closing at N1,099.05/$. Since June, the naira has lost more than 40 per cent of its value, adding to inflationary pressure in the country.

Saturday PUNCH reported that many families risked celebrating the approaching Christmas and New Year in hardship due to the hike in the prices of goods and services, and were devising life-changing ways to cut costs.

Shettima, however, said on Saturday, “All of us here belong to a tiny segment of the Nigerian population. And you don’t need a soothsayer to tell you that the poor are angry with us. Go to the slums and mingle with the poor. I am a native of Maiduguri (Borno State Capital). Anytime a rich man brought a new car to his house, it (the house) used to be a place of pilgrimage.

“People (used to) go and see not out of anger, but out of admiration. But now, as we cruise around in our bulletproof cars, one will see contempt in the eyes of the poor. We have to improve the quality of governance. And what we have is a tiny window of not more than 10 to 20 years. Let’s improve the quality of governance.”

He also noted that creating jobs and giving hope to the populace would help curb insecurity in the country.

The VP added, “Let’s create jobs; let’s give hope to the populace. And once we create jobs, all this madness of insecurity will disappear. There won’t be Boko Haram and banditry if this is done, especially for us from the North. We can blame the bandits, but we in leadership positions owe it to posterity to address this.

“They (the poor) are the most neglected segment of our society. You can hardly differentiate between them and their animals. Even the animals they rear belong to those in the city. So, there have to be kinetic and non-kinetic solutions to all the problems. Be it the IPOB agitation in the South-East; be it the challenges in the South-South; be it Boko Haram or rural banditry in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central.”

He, however, urged the citizens to be patient with the President and support his efforts to reposition the country.

“I want to ask you to give the President the benefit of the doubt. Let us support you. Let us rally around and be reassured that he is determined to redefine the meaning and concept of modern leadership, and is ever ready to reposition the Nigerian nation. But without the support of you and I, he can’t do much,” the VP said.

He berated those seeking to secede from the country, noting that they “hardly think beyond their noses.”

Shettima said, “It’s easy to predict failure. But what about success, what is the end result of failure? It is destruction. Just two million Syrians knocking on the doors of Europe, and they caused Brexit. They caused the emergence of Trump in America. So, how do you proceed? Those people who are agitating for the breakup of this nation, or the implosion of this country, they hardly think beyond their noses.

“They don’t think beyond the depth of their pockets. Surviving their way on the growth of the innocent and the agonies of our people will not do us any good. “

Also at the event, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, said the service would soon commence the production of unmanned aerial vehicles, AK-47s, and other weapons that would be used by its personnel.

According to him, this is to reduce the heavy reliance on foreign countries for weapons and the huge resources for the procurement of such weapons.

He noted that when the plans materialise, the service would deploy the weapon across the country.

The DSS boss said, “We shall support the institute in its training programmes. I care for the welfare of our staff members, active and retired. We shall never go back on that. We’ll also continue to pay attention to our research and development.

“In fact, sooner or later, we shall start eating what we produce, and we will produce what we eat. This is coded. It means that we shall start deploying some of the assets we have or the platforms we produce by ourselves, including unmanned aerial vehicles. We are producing our AK-47.

“When we reach the destination, we will save the country from the pain of the resources being chunked out to buy such weapons.”

He also assured other security agencies of the DSS commitment to providing them with credible intelligence.

Bichi added, “We shall continue to appreciate all the agencies that partner with us in the journey so far. And I promise the other security agencies that the DSS will continue to provide you with proactive intelligence to drive your operations.

“We have achieved that in different parts of the country. And I have to thank the military and the police especially for giving us that opportunity and appreciating our own input in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in different parts of the country. We are going to sustain that by the grace of God and for the generality of the people.”

He also urged residents of Plateau and Kaduna states to shun their hostilities and convert them to jobs.

Bichi said, “Let me just advise us, especially the people of Plateau and Kaduna. It is now time for you and me to return Plateau to its 1970s situation where Plateau or Jos was seen as a tourist-attractive state or city. But with conflict, all the industries in Plateau are gone. No peace. You are idle. So please, turn your hostilities into jobs.

“We have seen that it happens in so many places. The Kanuri and Fulani turn their hostilities into jobs. Kano and Zaira also did. So, please do that and save the nation from disaster, because there is no point that from 1991 to date and at the interval of four years you are having ethno-religious conflicts.

“It’s not good. Talk to yourselves. Talk to your people. Be focused. See the development of Plateau. See development and security.

The DSS DG also urged Nigerians to desist from disparaging their leaders.

He said, “We have the indices of a great nation. So, it’s a question of how do you get out of that. Let us avoid simmering or disparaging our leaders. You can’t go anywhere by doing so. Most especially we are in a democratic dispensation.

“If you are patient enough, you will be able to achieve what somebody achieved now or in the near future. Let us talk to ourselves.

Nigerian international student arrested for impregnating 4 female police officers in US.

A Nigerian international student named Jamil Ezebuike, from Anambra State, has found himself entangled in a legal web in the United States for impregnating police women.

Ezebuike, pursuing a course in women’s security at a distinguished university in New Jersey, stands accused of impregnating not one, but four female police officers.

His arrest has sent shockwaves through the community, unravelling a complex narrative of deceit and clandestine relationships.

Ezebuike’s journey to the US took shape under the guise of an international student, armed with a non-immigrant study visa.

As an aspiring professional in women’s security, he had seemingly immersed himself in a course that aligns with his academic pursuits.

The intricate tale of his arrest unveils a carefully orchestrated deception.

Operating under the radar, Ezebuike managed to engage romantically with four female police officers simultaneously.

The relationships remained concealed until one of the officers, who had been impregnated by Ezebuike, discovered the truth.

What adds a layer of intrigue to the story is the officer’s decision to investigate further, revealing Ezebuike’s involvement with three other women in the police force.

The revelation prompted the officer to report the situation, leading to Ezebuike’s apprehension by security authorities.

The legal repercussions loom large as he faces the prospect of a court arraignment.

If found guilty, the consequences may extend to deportation back to Nigeria, marking a significant downturn in his academic and personal pursuits.

This incident serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities surrounding international relationships and the ethical considerations that come with studying abroad.

The legal proceedings will not only determine Ezebuike’s fate but also underscore the importance of transparency and adherence to ethical standards, particularly in a cross-cultural academic environment.

As the story unfolds, it casts a spotlight on the intersection of personal choices, legal consequences, and the broader implications for international students navigating foreign educational landscapes.

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, on Saturday, joined a combined team of security personnel and military troops to foil an attack on the residents of Zakka village in Safana Local Government Area.

During the joint operation, which Governor Radda witnessed, a 33-year-old man abducted by armed bandits was rescued, according to a statement by Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed.

Kaula Mohammed, who is the Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Radda, said his principal was in Safana local government on Saturday to flag off an empowerment programme sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, when he received a distress security call of a planned attack on Zakka village by terrorists.

“After the intelligence report on the planned terrorist attack was revealed to Governor Radda around 1pm, he immediately called off his involvement in the colourful empowerment programme of the Katsina House of Assembly Deputy Speaker.

“Mr Governor and a few members of his entourage then joined a combined team of security personnel, comprising men of the Nigerian Police, Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji, ground troops of the Nigerian Army, and personnel of the Community Watch Corps, to engage the terrorists at Zakka Forest before the criminals advanced to the hills.

“A 33-year-old man was bravely rescued by the gallant troops after a heavy gun battle with the terrorists, which lasted almost 30 minutes. The terrorists were fortunate to escape without suffering any casualties after their callous mission was thwarted.

“After repelling the bandits, Governor Radda directed that the abducted man rescued by troops be taken to the hospital for urgent treatment, as he was shot in the leg by the bandits,” he said.

A cross-section of people in the area interviewed expressed happiness over the quick response from the governor and hoped for its sustenance.

They said the action displayed by the governor has clearly demonstrated his unwavering commitment to fighting insecurity in the state.

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has declared that the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu should not double as the Minister of Petroleum.

Sanusi made the submission on Thursday while speaking at The Bank Directors Summit held at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

According to him, the advice is necessary in order to have someone who can be held accountable because if anything goes wrong in the petroleum sector, people would not want to speak against the President.

The former Emir of Kano also called for the audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), noting that this call was what cost him his job as the CBN Governor.

“Let me advise that the idea of the president being petroleum minister. The last president was minister of petroleum for eight years.

“When I was governor of CBN, we had a petroleum minister. So when we talk about NNPC, I could attack Diezani, now nobody can talk about petroleum because in 8 years if you talk, you are attacking the president,” he said.

President Tinubu upon assumption of office, split the Ministry of Petroleum Resources with the appointment of Ekperipe Ekpo as Minister of State, Gas Resources; and Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State, Petroleum Resources but retained the position of substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources for himself.

This follows the style of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari who also doubled as the Minister of Petroleum during his tenure.

But Sanusi stated during his talk that the President shouldn’t be the Minister of Petroleum as well.

BlackRains:
The women nko, what will they receive?

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Adams Oshiomhole, has stated that prisoners from foreign countries are being ferried into Nigeria to work at construction sites.

He made the claim when the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committees on Interior for a budget defense on Wednesday, December 6.

“Your ministry needs to regulate the issuance of the quotas very well as I have it on good authority that prisoners from foreign lands are working in Nigeria as construction workers,” Oshiomhole told the minister.

He said though it was heartwarming that the ministry surpassed its revenue targets on the issuance of expatriate quotas, the policy was giving room for expatriates to steal jobs meant for Nigerians in Nigeria.

“Many non-Nigerians are in the country, some of them live inside containers. They were being paid according to their country’s minimum wage by the construction industry that brought them. I don’t want to mention the companies’ names, but if I’m provoked, I’ll mention them.”

Responding, Tunji-Ojo said his ministry had already come up with the Expatriate Employee Network aimed at safeguarding jobs meant for Nigerians from being stolen by expatriates

'We have a Muslim president and vice president, but they are killing Muslims' - Former NHIS boss, Prof Usman Yusuf laments about the erroneous Kaduna bombing incident

Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof Usman Yusuf, has decried the erroneous Kaduna bombing incident. Residents of Tudun Biri Village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna were celebrating Maulud Nabbiy (Prophet Muhammad’s birthday) when the Nigerian Army erroneously dropped bombs in their midst, killing over 120 persons.

In an interview with Arise TV, Yusuf said the optics for the Nigerian Army as well as the presidency is not good. He stated that during the build up to the 2023 general elections, Islamic clerics in the region sold a fraudulent Muslim-Muslim ticket to them. He said with the President and the Vice President being Muslims, Muslims in the North are still being killed.

‘’The Muslim clerics in the North came and sold this fraudulent Muslim-Muslim ticket and we have Muslim Vice President and Muslim President. Our people in the North are saying you are killing Muslims, inflicting a lot more pain on Muslims. You closed the borders along all the seven Northern states because you want to go to war with Niger. You are inflicting pain. Now you are killing Muslims. Look at the Military hierarchy, people are being mischievous. Look at the operational Military hierarchy and look at their religion. The military needs to be very careful and start doing damage control fast''

alanto:
Alex otti is following Tinubu's script.
He wants to destroy igboland. We will not allow it.

Ogene001:
Meanwhile, where is the picture of the hospital? Peter Mbah media crew have no achievement to show. They should stop deceiving people