₦airaland Forum

Speaking at an empowerment programme in Ndoki, Ukwa East, on Saturday, Kalu said the South East Development Commission (SEDC) is a key initiative that shows Tinubu’s commitment to the region’s development.

“The president has tried for Ndigbo. He is still trying for Ndigbo. He is the only man that remembered Ndigbo after 54 years that a promise of reconstruction, reconciliation, and rehabilitation was made to Ndigbo,” he said.

The SEDC, signed into law to address the region’s infrastructure needs, marks the beginning of long-overdue post-war reconstruction, Kalu said.

The event also saw over 3,000 members from various political parties defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a shift Kalu attributed to Tinubu’s leadership and the promise of development.

“He came with the spirit of equity and fairness. He is a leader who believes in development,” Kalu said.

Emphasising the party’s growing influence, Kalu added, “As the leader of our party, he has asked us to galvanise the grassroots and bring them closer to the politics of development that he is bringing to Igbo land.”

Kalu welcomed the new APC members, assuring them, “For taking this decision to join APC, it shall be well with you. APC has come closer to the people.”

Previous Thread:
https://www.nairaland.com/8303518/deputy-speaker-kalu-welcomes-over

DAILY POST recalls that Farooq Kperogi, a US-based Nigerian professor of journalism, had accused Tinubu of governing Nigeria with a Lagos mindset, saying that Tinubu chose to dominate the economy with people from the South-West the way former President Muhammadu Buhari loaded the security sector with northerners during his tenure.

Former Governor Elrufai later shared Kperogi’s post on his X handle and wrote, “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” adding that sensible inclusion trumps senseless exclusion.

Reacting to El-Rufai ‘s shared post, Sani, via his X handle, wrote: “There were people who were silent when Buhari was fielding political offices with his kinsmen and have now found their voice to speak out when the equation doesn’t favour them.”

The former lawmaker, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th Senate, overtly referred to El-Rufai, adding: “Let’s not make reference to the nepotism that marginalised Southern Kaduna for eight years. Kaduna was an apartheid state for eight years.”

According to Sani, anyone can talk or criticise President Tinubu on issues of alleged lopsided appointments or nepotism, but certainly not El-Rufai.

If Nigeria wanted to destabilise Niger Republic I do not believe that we would need France or any terrorist organisation to do so.

Fani-Kayode said Nigeria is not part of the western powers sponsoring terrorists organizations to wretch havoc on the West African sub region.

He was reacting to claims by President Tchiani of Nigeria Republic that President Bola Tinubu was conniving with France to destabilize his country.

Tchiani had disclosed this in an interview with Radio-Télévision du Niger.

He alleged that the Lakurawa terrorist group, with the help of foreign security forces, including Nigeria’s, was responsible for the attack on the Niger-Benin oil pipeline on December 13, 2024, in Gaya, Dosso Region of Niger Republic.

Reacting, Fani-Kayode posted on X: “If Nigeria wanted to destabilise Niger Republic I do not believe that we would need France or any terrorist organisation to do so.

“I have maintained that the western powers are behind the terrorist groups that have plagued the West African sub region over the last 15 years and for the last ten years I have publicly stated this and given my reasons.

“I am equally certain that Nigeria, being one of the major victims of these terrorist organisations, has had no part in it and that no Nigerian President, past or present, has indulged in such grave and dangerous actions.

“The Nigerien Military Head of State, Abdourahamane Tchiani, would do well to be careful not to provoke our wrath with his absurd assertions and remain mindful of the fact that the defence budget for his country, Mali and Burkina Faso COMBINED is not up to 25% of Nigeria’s.

“Tchiani’s grave allegations that President Tinubu and NSA Nuhu Ribadu have been bought by the French to destabilise Niger Republic, that our Government is jointly sponsoring a terrorist group with France to do same and that there are French military bases in Nigeria are infantile, puerile, mendacious and asinine.

“It is a squalid attempt by the Nigerien Head of State to sow the seeds of dissention in our country, to alienate our people from constituted authority, to divide our people and to undermine the Tinubu administration.

“It is also highly provocative and the FG should consider the possibility of taking other more extreme measures if this reckless provocation continues.

“We are under no obligation to show restraint when we are being undermined and maligned.”

DAILY POST reports that Odili had during a Christmas ballad organized by himself in honour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family, said that the incumbent Governor courageously stopped Wike from making Rivers State his private estate

According to Odili, Fubara summoned an unusual fortitude to confront the quest by the FCT Minister to capture the state through ferocious but unnecessary political war.

Reacting, Olayinka in a post on his official X handle, described Odili’s comment as disappointing, stating that the former governor, who is expected to act as an elder statesman, has reduced himself to a ridiculous level.

Olayinka said in the coming days, Odili would get a deserved response from the FCT Minister.

“I Read the comments made by the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, today, and I can’t but be disappointed that someone who should be acting like an elder statesman can reduce himself to such ridiculous level of partisanship.

“Well, he will get his deserved response from the FCT Minister in due course”, Olayinka wrote.

Previous Thread:
https://www.nairaland.com/8303468/fubara-prevented-wike-making-rivers

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

According to Buba, the troops also rescued 291 hostages, arrested 51 suspected oil thieves, and recovered stolen crude oil worth N798.1 million.

He stated that the suspected ammunition couriers, identified as Danweri and Abubakar Hamza, were apprehended in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

Additionally, Buba reported that troops recovered 146 assorted weapons and 2,599 rounds of assorted ammunition during the week. The weapons included two PKT guns, 72 AK-47 rifles, 33 fabricated rifles, 28 Dane guns, and others.

The ammunition recovered comprised 1,596 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 636 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 111 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammo, 114 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 25 rounds of 9mm ammo, and 98 live cartridges.

Other items recovered included three Baofeng radios, three vehicles, 36 motorcycles, 40 mobile phones, and N1.8 million in cash.

“In the Niger Delta area, troops discovered and destroyed 66 illegal refining sites, 68 crude oil cooking ovens, 13 dugout pits, 41 boats, and 45 storage tanks,” Buba added.

Recovered items in the region included four speedboats, one pumping machine, 150 drums, one generator, two motorcycles, two mobile phones, one drone, and five vehicles.

“Troops also recovered 657,470 litres of stolen crude oil, 127,870 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 5,000 litres of DPK,” he stated.

DAILY POST recalls that the social media critic had, in a video on Friday, claimed that about N180 million was stolen from the NGO’s account.

VDM, who claimed that a suspect was arrested in Jos Plateau State in connection to the alleged missing fund, said “somebody hacked into the NGO website” and went away with the money.

The video, which went viral on Friday, has continued to attract criticism from different quarters.

When contacted by DAILY POST on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Plateau State Command, Alfred Alabo said, “We don’t know anything about that. We are not investigating it. Kindly contact FCT Command to know if the matter was reported to them.”

The spokesperson of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command also said they are “not aware of the matter”.

vinityermie:
Like him, hate him. Kano people love him and he takes good advantage of that. It'll take literal war to unseat the influence he has.

Richie6:
The same party members he said that they're cancer right?

maiunguwar:
Did the newly created Benue guards went on Christmas vacation?

Bobloco:
Imagine the audacity.

The APC calling someone a political refugee, when they are notorious for turning Nigerians into refugees in their own country despite there being no war. They've turned the entire country into the world's largest IDP camp, where Nigerians are trampled and stampeded to death over a few grains of rice, all due to Tinubu's and the APC's 'bolekaja' economic policy prescriptions.

Where in the world do you find long queues of people seeking foodstuffs at the President's residence?

Is this a sign that the president and his party have become a monumental disaster?

Shameless beings. Thunder 🔥 Tinubu and APC

Richie6:
There's nothing Wike will say without mentioning Mr. President.