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Wishful thinking. In your dreams! And as you perpetuate such PROPAGANDA and LIES, may NIGERIA happen to you and yours!!

The presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has said Nigeria is celebrating its 63rd independence at a crossroads.

According to him, the nation which is yet to attain its full potentials has so much to be grateful for, especially for the industry of its youths in various fields, whose achievements have led to the hoisting of the national flag across the globe.

Atiku said this in his Independence Day message to Nigerians, in Abuja, on Saturday.

The former Vice President and Wazirin Adamawa explained that this year’s Independence Day “is coming at a time when the country is at a crossroads in many aspects of our national lives.

"Sixty-three years ago, when this great country acquired independence, it was upon the promise of abundant prosperity and the principle of social justice.

“As a nation, we have continued to struggle to manifest the dreams of our founding fathers in upholding the promises of shared prosperity and social justice.

"We have encountered great moments when the flag of our dear country flew tall on the global stage through the industry of our sportsmen and women, the prolific distinction of our academia and the top notch artistry of Nigerian talents in the global music scene.

"The talents and doggedness of young Nigerians who have refused to give up on the country are the inspiration for a greater future that we celebrate today.

"The energy of the Nigerian youth is a formidable force in the consternation of manpower and skills that power the global economy.

Across the globe, and in various fields of human endeavour, the youth of this country have proven to have the competence to rival any of their peers from any part of the world.

"That success – the gallantry of our youth – is the primal element of what we celebrate today as a nation.”

He went on to say, “Therefore, for me, the challenge before us all is in ensuring that the political leadership in the country that we call home should be worthy of our pride as a people and not of telling embarrassment.

"Our democracy has triumphed so far due to the fidelity of our conviction that a democracy, when properly nurtured, should bring out the best in us and of us.

“As Nigerians, we are all not unfamiliar with the hardships in the economy, security, and other vital aspects of our society.

"While I enjoin us all to submit our strengths in faith to the Almighty God, we must be prepared to do our best to pull the country back from this point of uncertainty to a place of common safety.

“I congratulate fellow Nigerians, alongside friends and well wishers of our dear country across the globe, and wish you a happy Independence Day.

“God bless you all, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

LAGOS— DESPITE the ultimatum by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State ordering sanity along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, truck drivers and touts, yesterday, dared the governor to evict them.

It will be recalled that Governor Sanwo-Olu, last Friday, carried out an inspection tour of the axis with an ultimatum to the truckers to vacate the road or face the consequences.

Despite the partial compliance on Monday, the traffic situation has worsened as touts returned to the Mile-2 axis unchallenged by the Police and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA.

The truck drivers, who claimed to have settled everyone involved in the traffic management along the route, are daring the Lagos State government to address the problem by tackling the root cause and other contributory factors, adding that truck drivers are human beings too.

We’re suffering untold hardship—Truck drivers

A truck driver, who identified himself simply as Abdullahi, said: “From the look of things, everyone is blaming truck drivers, who are suffering untold hardship on the road while the police, LASTMA, NUPENG officials and area boys, who extort us are left to continue with their exploitations on us on daily basis.”

Abdullahi, therefore, urged the state government to convene a meeting of all the parties involved in the management of the axis with truck drivers to find a lasting solution to the problem.

“I am appealing to the government to meet with all the parties to find a lasting solution, otherwise their current effort is like scratching the surface of the matter,” Abdullahi said.

He noted that most of the officials mentioned are living on the sweat of the truck drivers, who spend days under the sun and rain with harassment from the officials and area boys.

Touts return as Police, LASTMA look on

Some of the drivers, who spoke toVanguard on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the road has become their last bus stop as the government has refused to provide them with rightful places to park.

One of the drivers, who looked quite tired, asked our reporter if he thought that they were happy to work under the conditions they found themselves in.

The driver said: “Do you think that we are happy to work under this harsh condition without taking our bath for days and with harassment from area boys, Lagos State Transport Management Agency, LASTMA, Police and other security agencies?”
He lamented that it had been their wish that the traffic should flow but those in authority have refused to do something about the whole thing.

“Why have they refused to do something about the harassment and extortion by the various security agencies and area boys?” the driver queried.

Pressed by the reporter to say their expectation from the government, the young driver said: “You should ask the Nigeria Ports Authority, LASTMA, Police and area boys why the traffic is not flowing.

“They know why they are making everything difficult for us so that they can make more money daily.”

Lagos summons stakeholders’ meeting

Meanwhile, Lagos State Government has summoned a stakeholders’ meeting with port operators tomorrow to address the lingering gridlock along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, particularly at the Mile-2 axis of the state.

The stakeholders include leaders of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG; Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA; National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW; Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN; Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LASTMA; Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC; Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association, PTDA; Nigerian Navy and the Army, among others.

The Lagos State government had earlier, reconstituted the Joint Security Task Force established to tackle the Apapa gridlock and other security threats within the axis brought about by the blockade of major roads in the area by tankers and containerized trucks.

The Apapa gridlock, in the past few weeks, had worsened due to the breakdown of the earlier Ccall-up system and operations at the ports.

We won’t tolerate lawlessness—State govt

Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said the state government was worried about the development in Mile-2 and Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and would not hesitate to wield the big stick if the unions refuse to let peace reign and comply with the laws of the state.

Giwa said: “Enough is enough. The state government will not tolerate needless lawlessness in the state. As part of efforts to return peace to the area, the Lagos State Government has summoned stakeholders to a meeting on Thursday, September 28, 2023 to restore permanent sanity to the area.

“I can assure you that critical decisions would be made to ensure that normalcy returns and sustained in the area in line with Governor Sanwo-Olu’s directive and commitment to restoring sanity in Apapa.”

There must be total enforcement—Residents
Meanwhile, some residents and stakeholders in the axis have expressed worry over the chaotic traffic on the road, saying there must be total enforcement and monitoring of the policy.

Tosin Mogbadunade said: “I am an entrepreneur and I come to Apapa. I frequent the road. Decades ago, it was a commercial centre but many businesses have packed out, shut down or relocated. My parents moved out of Apapa, Area B axis. There should be transport policies put over there and systems that work like Area B, here.

“If I were the government, I would look for the team that worked here and put them over there (Mile-2). Consult and assign them to formulate policies. Empower them with resources. We can start from Oshodi to create parks where trailers/trucks can go there and not stay on the road.

“Apapa doesn’t exist in isolation. So if we are to enjoy these results in Apapa, we have to extend it to the entire environment.”

Also, the Secretary of Apapa Club, Seyi Akinboboye described the traffic situation in Apapa as a living hell.

Akinboboye said: “To enter Apapa from Carter Bridge into Apapa, it takes you up to four, five hours driving in. It was a nightmare but the task force brought sanity into the whole thing.

“However, we need the local government to come in and fix those bad roads because it creates a bottleneck entering Apapa.

I will work hard for our nation with purpose, determination, and dedication to create wealth for all Nigerians. We have no reason to be poor! We will not look back, we will run aggressively forward."

President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his commitment to making Nigeria better, describing his countrymen as hardworking people but believes the nation has no reason to be poor.

Tinubu said this when he received a high-powered 62-man delegation, comprising leaders from both the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to the State House in Abuja on Thursday.

The Rivers stakeholders are thanking Tinubu for appointing Wike and other indigenes of the oil-rich state.

"We are not lazy people. We are richly endowed. We just need to be our brother’s keeper, and good neighbours to one another. I am not a President that will give excuses,” presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale quoted his principal as saying.

"will work hard for our nation with purpose, determination, and dedication to create wealth for all Nigerians. We have no reason to be poor! We will not look back, we will run aggressively forward.”

“Today, we may be swimming against the tide. But the waves will soon propel us forward from behind. We will achieve the goals and dreams of our forefathers. I am inspired by the nation of people I now lead,” the former Lagos State governor added.

The Nigerian leader who said people trust him to turn the tide assured of his government’s resolve to fulfill its promises to the country.

"I am the Captain and Chief Salesman of the country. We have to reverse the trend and achieve possibilities within a short period of time,” President Tinubu said. “Our people have high expectations for us. I pledge to work hard, and I pray to God to put me on the right path, not to disappoint Nigerians.”

Tinubu also said his government would pay attention to the Eleme Junction-Onne axis of the East-West Road linking the Port Harcourt Refinery.

According to him, the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is a strong adviser and would follow up on the issue for prompt action.

The Honourable Minister, Wike, is not just the Minister of FCT, he is also my adviser and an admirer of mine,” he added. “He has hit the ground running and he should be encouraged by the State”.

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has within 100 days of his second term executed 77 projects, programmes, key releases and interventions.

Secretary to the state government, Malam Bukar Tijjai announced this on Monday, September 11, 2023, in a report.

The report, released to the public, enumerated all projects and their locations as well as other activities carried out from May 29, 2023, to September 6, 2023, which make up 100 days of the second term.

The SSG highlighted that Zulum delivered 10 projects in the education sector which include the establishment of three Mega schools namely Alakaramti community primary school with 30 classrooms, administrative block and sporting facilities, Government Day Secondary School, Gamboru also with 30 classrooms, administrative bloom and sporting facilities renamed after late Borno’s former SSG, Usman Jidda and Shuwari II primary school with 20 classrooms, staff quarters and other facilities.

He recalled that the three schools were commissioned by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday, during his two-day official visit to Borno State.

Tijjani noted that also in education, there is recruitment of 4,000 thoroughly examined teachers for public primary and secondary schools (3000 for primary & 1,000 for secondary).

He also listed the construction of 30 houses for teachers in Gubio, Briyel & Dikwa (10 flats in each town) and payment of scholarship allowances to 14,284 Nigerian based students and 30 students on foreign scholarship.

On healthcare, the SSG said, there are five projects and these include the establishment and construction of four primary healthcare centres each of them with 30 beds capacity and nurses quarters.

These primary healthcare centres are located at Limankara in Gwoza, Kaleri in Mafa, Zarmari in Konduga and Shuwari II in MMC which was also commissioned by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday.

There is also the distribution of drugs worth N800m to general hospitals, he added.

Bukar Tijjani noted that on governance, there is the release of N2 billion for disbursement of non-interest loans to civil servants.

There is also the doubling of gratuities payment from N1.2 Billion annually to N2.4 Billion. There is also the release of N1 billion additional support to victims of Maiduguri Monday market fire victims, the SSG noted.

On infrastructure, Bukar Tijjani said there is the construction of roads in Monguno town, COE, Waka-Biu, and Abuja-Sheraton in MMC, there is a construction of a tunnel-like pedestrian underpass in MMC among others.

On security, there is the procurement of 50 brand new patrol vehicles and 300 brand new motorcycles for security outfits.

On transport, there is the procurement of 30 city buses, and 25 coaster buses allocated to civil servants.

On agriculture, there is the procurement of 471 ploughs and harrows for 312 tractors allocated to farmer cooperatives across the 312 wards in our 27 LGAs.

There is also the distribution of 100 trucks of fertilizer to farmers across the state, and the distribution of livestock feeds to 300 farmers in Jere, Konduga and Mobbar LGAs.

On humanitarian response, there is distribution of food palliatives to 120,000 households across Gwoza, MMC, Jere, Kukawa, Mafa, Bama and Damboa LGAs.

There is also resettlement of IDPs from Bukarti and Jibrent villages at Molai 500 housing estate.

There is also phase II reconstruction/rehabilitation of Mallam Killumuri village in Konduga, and Bama town.

On housing, there is the ongoing construction of 72 units of two bedroom flats in 12 blocks of storey buildings around Ramat Polytechnic.

On human empowerment, there is the completion and equipping of 4 Vocational Training Institutes in Biu, Shani, Mafa and Magumeri towns. There is also the construction of 2 ICT centres with 100 computers each in Gajiram and Gubio towns.

On water supply, there is the construction of 44 new Hybrid boreholes with overhead tanks, water reticulation and array of taps across 16 LGAs.

There is also the rehabilitation of 40 solar powered boreholes across MMC, Jere, Konduga, Mafa and Marte LGAs.

On electricity supply, there is the electrification of six villages in Bayo, rehabilitation of electricity (I.T.C) lines from Benishiek through Auno, Jakana, Mainok to Maiduguri; Maiduguri- Mafa and Maiduguri-Dusuman I.T.C lines.

The General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, has cautioned prophets who are fond of predicting elections in the country to desist from the despicable act.

Olukoya said the pulpits in the House of God are for saying truth to the children of God, and should not be manipulated for political campaigns for politicians.

The revered deliverance pastor made this known during the sermon on Sunday, at the headquarters of the church, while lamenting how many Christian clerics that predicted the outcomes of the 2023 elections failed.

He said the so-called prophets brought shame to the religion of Christianity by declaring unfounded predictions on their preferred politicians in the build-up to the electrons.

He said, “You see what happened in Nigeria during these last elections, disgraced the religion of Christianity very well. This prophet said this person would win, and this would not win,” Olukoya said.

“‘If this one wins, I will become a herbalist, if this one wins, let them cut off my hand, if this one wins this, this one will die before his wish.’

" All did not come to pass, and they call themselves prophets. Prophets of where? It is madness when you begin to say what God does not ask you to say. The pulpit in the house of God is the pillar and ground of truth. It is not for political campaigns,” he added.

The 2023 elections saw many Nigerian clerics coming out to predict who would be winners, a move that caused confusion among the populace.

The presidential election which took place on February 25 produced President Bola Tinubu as the winner.

Last Wednesday, the Presidential Election Petition Court, in Abuja, dismissed the petitions filed by the three opposition parties and upheld Tinubu’s victory.

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, has said his administration will demolish many properties in the state capital to build a state capital of people’s dream.

Soludo stated this on Saturday after participating in the monthly Solution Walk For Healthy Living held at the Anambra State stadium in Awka.

According to Soludo, after the demolition of some properties, Awka will be built to the status of a real state capital every body would be proud.

“Those living in Awka, we will demolish Awka and build a befitting capital for us. We will also build fly over across the high way in Awka.

Awka will be the real capital and by next year, when Anambra state will be 33 years, the governor of the state, for the first time will live in Awka, in the government house,” he stated.

Soludo also stated that “every kobo” the state government under him generate would be judiciously used to build sustainable development for the good of the people.

According to him, he is very passionate on building sustainable human capital development.

The governor urged youths to work hard to earn a decent living. He also urged youths undergoing training in the state government’s ongoing “one youth two skills programme” to take the training seriously, saying it could be their breakthrough in life

The Lagos State Government has dissolved its Park and Garages Committee to allow the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to coordinate activities across motor parks and garages in the state.

The dissolution was made on Friday after the state governments lifted the indefinite suspension placed on NURTW barely one year and a half ago over internal leadership wrangling between members.

It is also coming 24 hours after the former Lagos State Parks and Garages Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly called MC Oluomo, publicly returned to the NURTW with thousands of his members in the state.

The decision to dissolve the LASPG was approved by the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was said to have instructed the Ministry of Transportation to dissolve the committee and return the NURTW.

The Transport Permanent Secretary also lauded the executives of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Committee for holding forth while urging the union to maintain peace and operate within the ambit of their constitution as they commence transition back to NURTW.

The Lagos State Government, Former National President of the Union and Chairman Transition Committee, Najeem Yasin, applauded the efforts of the state government and the ministry in the resolution process.

At the union headquarters in Lagos, formal re-introduction into the union was done to absorb the Lagos State Parks and Garages back into NURTW.

Ahead of the delivery of the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on Wednesday, the military and the police have said they will not condone any unlawful action by troublemakers.

The Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, warned those who might be planning to cause violence on that day to discard the idea.

The tribunal, in a statement on Monday, announced it would on Wednesday deliver judgment on the petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Chairman of the INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had on March 1 declared Tinubu the president-elect because his party scored the majority of votes cast in the poll.

The tribunal justices who will deliver the verdict on Wednesday are the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Haruna Tsammani; Justice Stephen Adah of the Court of Appeal (Asaba Division), Justice Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf , Court of Appeal (Asaba Division), Justices Moses Ugo (Court of Appeal, Kano) and Abba Mohammed of the Ibadan Division of the Court of Appeal..

In the 2023 poll, the former Lagos State governor polled 8.8 million to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar, who scored 6.9 million, Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, who polled 6.1 million votes, and 15 other candidates.

However, five of the 18 political parties that participated in the elections turned to the court to contest the declaration by the electoral body.

Leading the charge against Tinubu’s electoral triumph are Atiku and Obi who have asked the tribunal to nullify the ex-Lagos governor’s victory in the February 25 presidential election.

Besides the PDP and the LP, other aggrieved parties included the Action Alliance, Action People’s Party, and the Allied Peoples Movement.

In the course of the tribunal proceedings, the five-member panel headed by Justice Tsammani dismissed the petitions of the AA and the APP.

The dismissal was a sequel to a formal withdrawal of the petitions by the parties.

Atiku in his 66-page petition urged the court to cancel the election and order a fresh poll due to alleged irregularities that marred the exercise in thousands of polling units.

The ex-vice president in his joint petition with the PDP marked: CA/PEPC/05/2023, applied for the withdrawal of the certificate of return that was issued to Tinubu by INEC.

He maintained that the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election was “invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.”

Atiku further argued that Tinubu’s election was invalid because of corrupt practices and prayed the court to nullify his election and declare him the winner of the presidential election, having secured the second-highest number of lawful votes cast in the election.

He insisted that the APC candidate did not meet the constitutional threshold and “is constitutionally disabled from contesting for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

However, in a reply he filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Tinubu questioned the legal competence of the petition.

He described Atiku as a consistent serial loser who had since 1993 crisscrossed different political parties in search of power.

Obi in his petition argued that the election was flawed by irregularities, citing also the alleged non-qualification of Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, to contest the election.

He also alleged that Tinubu failed to win a majority of lawful votes and also one-quarter of lawful votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory.

He alleged that the election was conducted in substantial non-compliance with the provision of the law.

Bishop David Oyedepo, Founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide AKA Winners Chapel has opened up on why he acquired a fleet of private jets.

According to him, the reason is because God has blessed him richly.

In a recent sermon at his church, also known as Winners Chapel, Oyedepo stated his church is now changing planes like bicycles because of God’s blessings.

The popular pastor disclosed that when God first told him that he was going to fly, he and his church never pursued it with human energy.

He said: ”God told us we are going to fly; if He left us to plan to fly, it won’t enter our budget in the next ten years. We are just changing planes like we change bicycles because His blessings make us rich and add no sorrow.

“We didn’t confess; we didn’t pray, pray for the plane to do what? They asked me, which kind of plane and I said any kind. I don’t know the name of any because I wasn’t shopping for it.”

On the Ark Project, Oyedepo said the church had not announced any offering in Canaanland or branches of the church.

The bishop said: ”The dollar-to-naira rate has tumbled and tumbled, but the blessings have tumbled too. There is no forex input from outside Nigeria on the Ark Project, yet there is no pressure on anybody.”

On tithes, the Bishop said people who pay their tithes don’t lack, stressing that tithe payment is biblical.

He said ”John D. Rockefeller was a tither, and he ended up the first American billionaire in history. People don’t lack what they give; they only lack what they keep. He was tithe raised, tithe groomed and tithe sustained.”

Some parents in Kubwa, a suburb in the Federal Capital Territory, have called on the federal and state governments to develop bicycle lanes on roads for students who have bicycles to ride to schools and other places safe.

They made the call at the second edition of a 10-kilometre cycling competition organised for students Abuja.

The competition tagged “Bikers Race: Cycling is Fun”, was organised by Apexdotcom in collaboration with Dynamic Women on Point.

Mrs Marian Oluwapidan, a parent and one of the organisers of the competition, said that the competition would encourage children to take themselves to school or go on errands.

She explained that the competition would also build confidence, stamina and a better mental capabilities of the students.

“With this fuel subsidy removal, they will not need school bus, with their bicycles, they can actually ride to school.

“When they get to school they can park their bicycles and when they are done, they take their bikes and go back home.

This will reduce the stress on the parents trying to pay for school bus or trying to pay for commercial motorcycles, but once they have a proper bicycle, they can ride to school,” she said.

Another parent and one of the organisers, Mrs Gloria Eloho-Uduokhia, observed that the initiative was to enhance the wellbeing and physical fitness of the students.

"The economic situation in the country is something else as fuel price is on the high side.

We organised this competition so that the students prefer to ride their bikes to schools.

With this, we are also calling on the government to create lanes on the roads for students to be able to ride their bicycles safely,” she said.

Master Dominion Caleb, who emerged over all winner of the competition, appreciated the group for coming up with the competition.

It was a good experience and I want to thank God for making me come first,” he said.

At the end of the competition, prizes were given to the winners and runner-up participants in each category.(NAN)