₦airaland Forum

More Nigerians, including non members of the Labour Party, LP have continued to indicate their support to the LP Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, with the latest being an incumbent members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, National Working Committee, NWC in the Southeast geopolitical zone, Chief Benjamin Udozor.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Amawbia, his country home, yesterday, Udozor said: “Obi is doing very well. I am PDP but I believe in him because he has an agenda for us”.

Explaining further Udozor who was a onetime Chairman of PDP in Anambra state, expressed concern over the worsening insecurity situation in the country and lamented that the military could not live up to its expectations.

“If you ask the military they will tell you that they have not been given order. So something is wrong with the leadership of this country. The President has to do something on insecurity”.

He however, attributed the rise on insecurity to unemployment of youths which would have helped in keeping them busy, since according to him, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

“Because they are idle they take to hard drugs out of hardship. They want to forget some of their problems and that is why they take hard drugs. If incoming government can be able to provide employment to the youths, I don’t think they will have the time to go for hard drugs. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop”

On security situation in Anambra State, he said that for now Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, was doing fine on security and infrastructure and urged the people to give him maximum support.

Udozor expressed optimism that with Obi as next President, Nigeria would get to the next level.

The media office of the Obi-Datti 2023 Presidential campaign has debunked speculations that the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has entered into a ‘political deal’ to support the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.

The campaign office in a statement in Abuja, on Saturday, described the speculations as the handiwork of charitable propagandists who indulge in distorting facts in the pursuit of imaginary relevance for their paymasters.

The statement read in part, “Rather than strive to contend with the hard sell of their candidates, these mischief makers bandy about misleading accounts of the issue-based messages of our candidates just to score cheap political points and thus distract the discerning public.

“While we understand the frustration of dealing in their hard-to-sell, “expired milk” [apologies to BAT] in a competitive market, the FairPlay rule demands that you don’t associate the good with the bad product. We demand honour even among thieves!

“We know the intention of the spin-doctors in selling an utterly false story that the highflying Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, met with his PDP counterpart and reached a deal. Nothing can be further from the truth.”

It further said, “Obi’s foreign trip, its motive, and where and who to meet are already in the public domain; his meeting in the UK with some Nigerian political leaders is visually seen by all.

“But mischievous propagandists prefer to concoct lies in a desperate effort to clean up their candidate.

“We understand why the focus is on the Obi-Datti candidacy; they are easily the front runners in this 2023 race and the tag team has irresistible messages that are resonating with the embattled Nigerian public who are anxious more than ever to reclaim and take back their country.

“The LP candidates are on a divine mission to rescue and rebuild this country and cannot be distracted by any fabrications intended to mislead.

“ If Obi’s mission is to rescue Nigeria from the old order, he ought not be seen working for the changing order.“

The media office noted that stories around the issue expose the writers as having exhausted themselves even before the start of the electioneering campaign and now resort to manufacturing supporters.

It argued that the same people who said that Obi is a social media phantom wave without political structure to win an election are today struggling to ‘photoshop’ the same Obi with their candidate.

The media office equally said, “Obi’s respect for Atiku or any leader in this country has more to do with his sound upbringing and the fact that his style of politics is devoid of hate and bitterness and should not be misconstrued to be cavorting the spent order represented by the competition.

“These propagandists need to know that the movement Obi and Datti-Ahmed are driving is not something in control of one man negotiating it away.

“Nigerian people have taken the steering from Obi and are driving him to the Aso Rock Villa; they will not look sideways for distractions.

“Obi-Datti media office is privy to intelligence that many distorted stories will be dished to the public to create confusion in their minds of the public and notes that such a mission is dead on arrival because the people’s commitment to the Obidient assignment is total.”

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has asked the electorate not to consider any of the presidential candidates speaking through proxies.

Speaking to supporters, who came to welcome him in Germany on Friday Obi said that every presidential candidate must personally tell Nigerians his agenda to make Nigeria work.

The LP presidential candidate, who spoke while addressing Nigerians in Frankfurt, Germany, on Friday, asked the electorate to do background checks on all presidential candidates before listening to whatever promises they make.

He said, “When you listen to us, go and check our backgrounds, this is not a time for somebody to show us his qualifications, I live in Nigeria and I know Nigeria and what Nigerians need. I am not a stranger to Nigerian problems.

“I am a trader but I have a privilege to go to some of the best of schools like Oxford, Cambridge, and other Ivy League institutions, but I always say to people that educational qualification is not the same as integrity. Listen to all the presidential candidates not through proxies. Let anyone who wants to be your President come forward himself and speak to you directly, because he is the one you will hold responsible for whatever happens to Nigeria under his care.

“This campaign is not a campaign you are going to speak through somebody, that person needs to come and directly tell us what he is going to do for our country and we must take note of whatever he says and hold him to his words.

“We also don’t want to be carried to this place in a wheelchair, but must consider his capacity, competence, integrity and commitment,” Obi said.

Talking about racism, Peter Obi said: “I don’t see any country as racist. If you think your host country is racist, you can go back to your country. The reason why you are here is because your place is not working.

“So, it is our duty to turn things around in Nigeria for the good of our country.

“Somebody asked me a question about going to look for foregin investors, I said Nigerians outside are going to do what China and India did.

“It is good for us to go back and fix our place, we need to secure it and it is important for our place to have proper leadership that is visionary, there is nothing happening in other countries that is a rocket science, a country is measured by its productive capacity.

“Somebody asked me what are we going to do to stabilise the Naira and I said it is very simple; production, because the more you produce goods and export, the more your currency becomes stronger, if you are looking for Dollars and Euros, just go and sell something to somebody that has Euro and Dollar and your currency will become strong.

“We will ensure security of lives and bring stability to governance.

“Our human capital today is low, we have 200 million people with barely 10 per cent productive capacity. You also need to reduce the cost of governance and have zero tolerance for corruption. People cannot continue to do what they are doing with government resources.”

He promised to provide an opportunity for diaspora Nigerians to vote in the 2027 elections if elected President next year.

Obi also assured that Africa will remain the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy as it will improve diplomatic sphere of influence via peacekeeping, trade, and investment initiatives.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State says his consultations ahead of the 2023 elections are in the best interest of the nation.

The governor had in the past few days met with top politicians in the country including the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar; his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi and former President Olusegun Obasanjo among others in London, UK.

Wike’s recent moves, following his fallout with the PDP after the presidential primary which he lost to Atiku, have triggered widespread reactions but the governor said his consultations portend good tidings for Nigeria.

“What we are talking about is for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not a parochial thing – being centred on a person or group of persons,” the governor said Friday at the VIP Lounge of the Port Harcourt International Airport following his arrival in the country.

“We believe that what is going on will be in the interest of Nigerians at the end of the day. Consultation is still ongoing. Nothing we have said now has been concretised. Discussions are going on.”

Undeterred Governor
According to the former minister, nothing can deter his camp from saving Nigeria from some leaders who only want to turn political offices into a family business.

“Leadership is not about you and your family. Leadership is about everybody. Somebody finishes eight years as governor, he brings his own son to be governor, brings his son to go to National Assembly?” the governor asked.

“It is only in this part of the world that you can see that. When we are talking about poverty everywhere? These are people who do not mean well for Nigeria.”

He is, however, optimistic “that with the consultations that are ongoing, it will be a thing of the past”.

“No amount of insults, blackmail can deter us from doing the right thing,” Wike maintained. “So, we are poised for it and there will be no going back”.

The Rivers governor touched down at the airport alongside Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State who were with him during his London trip.

Terrorists, who abducted scores of passengers on the AK9 Abuja-Kaduna bound Train on Monday, March 28, 2022, on Friday, released four more kidnap victims from their captivity.

With the latest development, there are 23 passengers still in captivity.

One-time negotiator for the release of the abducted passengers and Kaduna-based newspaper publisher, Malam Tukur Mamu (Dan Iyan Fika), disclosed this in a statement sent to LEADERSHIP.

“I can confirm that earlier on Friday, four additional victims of the train attack were released by their abductors.

“The four released victims just left my office. They said they came collectively to thank me for the past efforts I made to mediate on their behalf and for convincing their abductors to drop the threats of executing them and to plead for all stakeholders especially the federal government to intensify efforts as the condition of the remaining 23 victims they left at the forest is pathetic,” Mamu said.

The lucky passengers include the oldest kidnap victim, who is a 90-year-old grandmother, Mama Halimatu Atta.

Also released with her was her 53-year-old daughter, Adama Atta Aliyu.

Others were Mohammed Sani Abdulmaji (M.S Ustaz) and a Sokoto State indigene, Alhaji Modin Modi Bodinga.

Meanwhile, Mamu, who is a media consultant to the popular Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to immediately do something about the plight of a 12-year-old passenger, Azurfa Lois John, who is still in captivity alongside 22 others.

Mamu said according to information at his disposal, the terrorists are threatening to marry off the young girl if nothing is immediately done to rescue her from captivity.

“This is to alert the federal government and especially the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that I can confirm through credible information at my disposal that if urgent action is not taken to immediately secure the release of the youngest victim of the train attack, a 21-year-old Azurfa Lois John, the abductors as they have done in the case of Leah Sharibu are planning to marry her any moment from now.

“One of the top commanders is said to be in love with her. This important information should be treated with the urgency it deserves. Even though I know that releasing this information will not only unsettle her immediate family and loved ones but Nigerians as a whole, it is necessary to do so to avoid the repeat of Leah Sharibu’s case. I advise CAN in particular not to politicise this issue or reduce it to mere press releases as I have seen in the past but to work closely with relevant authorities to engage the abductors on her case as soon as possible before it is late.

“I pray that in view of the uncertainties which is becoming alarming, the federal government will also act very fast to ensure the release of all the remaining victims,” Mamu added.

Lagos State Government, on Thursday, extended a ban on the activities of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, to four more Local Government Areas (LGAs) and six Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

Effective from September 1, 2022, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu directed enforcement teams to fully implement the proscription order and bust erring riders across the councils listed in the Okada ban.

The additional places are Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu and Mushin Local Government Areas. The Development Area Councils are Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Isolo LCDA, Bariga LCDA, and Odi-Olowo LCDA.

The latest pronouncement came about three months after Sanwo-Olu ordered a total restriction on Okada in six LGAs, comprising Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, and Apapa, as well as LCDAs under them.

This brings it to 25 councils of the 57 councils in which Okada activities have been proscribed.

Announcing the ban at a press conference held at the Government secretariat in Alausa, Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladehinde, said the extension of the proscription order was a move by the State Government to sustain the gains recorded in the ongoing action against Okada operations in the State.

The commissioner said Okada accidents and fatalities had reduced by 63.7 per cent across the 15 local councils where the first phase of ban had been enforced, stressing that the development also significantly brought down the rate of crimes associated with motorcycles.

This, Oladehinde said, led to resolutions reached at a Stakeholders Forum, last Tuesday, with interest groups in which the participants unanimously urged the Government to make the Okada ban State-wide.

He said: “The Ministry in conjunction with the inter-ministerial committee on Okada, having critically accessed these resolutions and the challenges of Okada operations on the security architecture of the State, recommended to Mr. Governor not to go back on the already laid down phase ban in a bid to sustain the gains.

“Based on the apparent positive impact of the ban and the resolution of the Stakeholders’ Forum, Mr. Governor has approved the ban of Okada in another four LGAs and their respective five LCDAs for the second phase of the total ban, in addition to the on-going ban in the six LGAs and their respective LCDAs.”

The State Government advised residents to embrace alternative means of transportation for their journey, noting that the State had provided safe and sustainable First- and Last-Mile Transport Scheme, BRT Scheme, e-hailing taxi Scheme and other acceptable means for the safety of commuters.

Oladehinde disclosed that 7,500 motorcycles had been impounded and crushed in the ongoing enforcement, while resistance had dropped sharply. He issued a stern warning to riders who may want to flout the proscription order, stressing that the enforcement would not be sparing.

The Commissioner said the State Government had interventions in place to empower the affected Okada riders as an alternative means of livelihood. He urged them to embrace the intervention programmes which are being coordinated by six Government ministries and also Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).

He said: “It is important to reiterate the State Government’s commitment to the safety, security of lives and properties in the State. In exercising this, any motorcycle impounded will be crushed and the process will be made public.

“Both riders and passengers arrested on proscribed routes will be made to face the full wrath of the law in line with the provision of Section 46, sub-section 1, 2 & 3 of the Transport Sector Reform Law (TSRL), 2018.”

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, observed that the last Tuesday meeting with stakeholders reviewed the enforcement action taken since the total ban, pointing out that the feedback from the public informed further measures to curtail the activities of the commercial motorcycles.

He said Okada riding remained alien to the State’s integrated transportation master plan.

The ban enforcement will be supervised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation.

Tuesday’s meeting between the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government has again ended without an agreement.

This means the six-month old strike by public university lecturers is set to continue.

The striking lecturers had met with the Professor Nimi Briggs Committee on Tuesday at the National University Commission in Abuja with high hopes of resolving the impasse.

A senior member of ASUU, who craved anonymity told Channels Television that members of the Briggs renegotiation committee did not come with any new offer on the table.

Instead, the ASUU source said, the committee pleaded with the lecturers to suspend the ongoing strike, with promises that their concerns will be included in the 2023 budget.

According to the source, the meeting, which started at about 12pm, lasted for about three hours without any agreement reached.

ASUU’s Demands
ASUU embarked on a four-week warning strike on February 14.

On March 14, the union extended the industrial action by another two months to allow the government meet all of its demands. A 12-week extension was announced on May 9.

Since May 9, the union has remained on strike, vowing to persist until its demands are met.

The academics are seeking improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy among other demands.

One bone of contention for the academics is the non-payment of university revitalisation funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion.

But the Federal Government has said it doesn’t have the money to pay such an amount, citing low oil prices during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The agreement was struck in 2009.

Another is the issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The academics have proposed an alternative payroll system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

The General Secretary of the Evangelical Church Winning All, Rev. Yunusa Nmadu Jnr, has said that the All Progressives Congress’ Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket is a plot for its candidate, Bola Tinubu, to fail the 2023 presidential election.

The ECWA’s scribe said those who planned the same faith presidential ticket merely laid a land mine for the former Lagos State governor to fail, declaring that they never meant well for him.

The Tinubu-Shettima joint APC presidential ticket had generated controversies with several interests kicking against it.

Nmadu, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, while speaking to journalists in Kaduna on Tuesday, noted that the APC’s same faith ticket both in the state (Kaduna) and at the Federal level, had further widened the mistrust among Nigerians.

He also stated that the reasons adduced for the same faith presidential ticket was not only curious but insulting to other faiths in the land.

According to him, the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party is dead on arrival, adding that “I don’t know how anybody in their political calculation will ever think they will win an election in Nigeria without the Christians or win an election in Nigeria without the Muslims.”

He said, “Those who are the flying the Muslim-Muslim ticket either in Kaduna State or at the Federal level, to be categorical, have failed the examination already.

“This is not in the interest of the Muslims neither is it in the interest of the Christians. I will never support the same faith ticket even if it is Christian-Christian ticket where both faiths are almost equal.

“Of course, there are states where there is nothing you can do about it, especially in a predominantly Muslim state, you can’t go there and ask for a Muslim-Christian ticket. It’s understandable. And there are states that are predominantly Christians that you can’t go and ask for Christian-Muslim ticket.

“But I don’t know how anybody in their political calculation will ever think they will win an election in Nigeria without the Christians or win an election in Nigeria without the Muslims or win an election without people of no faith.

“This is our country. We are so divided that in the last seven years, the gap has increased so wide and it is expected that any government that is coming in now, should emphasise more on unity and how to bring the people together.

“In the same faith, ticket by the APC is dead before arrival. It is not in the interest of the unity of our country and I think those pushing the candidate to do this, do not even mean well for him.

“I believe again that this is my personal opinion, that because they want him to fail the election, they are asking him to do it so that he can fail and fail very well.”

On the reasons adduced for picking the same faith ticket, the ECWA’s scribe added, “Muslim-Muslim ticket is divisive; it does not encourage cohesion; it does not bring the country together and what we need now more than ever before is national unity and we need whoever that will bring us together, respecting everyone.

“Again, some of the reasons they gave for the same faith ticket is so mundane and so unintellectual. For instance, they said that we should be concerned about those who are coming to fix the country and not concern about religion.

“Are we saying those to fix the country are only found in one faith? They are also saying that its about competence. For me, I find that very insulting.

“What they are saying is that ‘we search as it is traditional from other faith and we could not find anybody that is competent’. That argument hold doesn’t hold water.”

Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has aimed an indirect shot at the APC presidential candidate for 2023 election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the controversy on his academic certificates.

In the INEC Form CF001 submitted on June 17, 2022, Tinubu did not provide details of his primary and secondary schools as the spaces were left blank.

He also did not attach copies of his certificates, which he stated in an affidavit, had been stolen.

This generated speculations that the APC flag-bearer could be hiding some details or was unsure of his credentials.

The matter took another dimension when four APC chieftains approached the court to seek Tinubu’s disqualification from the presidential election.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed September 7. 2022, for hearing.

But Saraki while speaking in Ilorin, said people with certificate issues were not fit to put themselves forward to rule Nigeria.

The summit with the theme: “Character as Leadership” was organized by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi Omoluabi Foundation as part of the International Youth Day programme.

According to him, “How can people who are struggling over basic issues of certificate aspire for the position of leadership anywhere in Nigeria?

“One of the core ingredients of leadership has to do with character. Nigeria has been ruined and the youth especially must be part of the process to elect those that will fix it to secure a bright future.

“My appeal to the youth is all about your future. In 2015, the rate of unemployment was only 8 percent, today, it is over 42 percent, in 2015, a dollar was N200 then but now N700. Cost of food has risen astronomically and rice is now over N30,000 from N10,000. We are all suffering because of choice of leadership.”

The former Senate President said the followers also have fault in the country’s predicament by choosing the wrong leaders.

“It is time we stop blaming the leaders because the followers also have roles to play, we know what is right and we know what is wrong, but we choose to do what is wrong.

“I was in the Senate, I knew what was wrong, I could have joined people to do what was wrong but I did what is right, it is time to do what is right.

“Though it’s difficult, I know, but if we do what is right, by the end of the day, we’ll get there. I want to appeal to all of us here, let us do what is right, let us stand for competence.

“There is no point for us coming to celebrate if we cannot take decision on choice of leadership, it is time for us to look at the choice of our leaders and when somebody comes out to vote, we should ask whether he has good character, courage and competence”, he said.

In his speech, Ekiti state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi urged the youth to participate in politics and governance in the country to make it better.

Fayemi who was represented by Mr Akin Omole, Ekiti state Commissioner for Information said, “Every Omoluabi should participate in politics and government to move Nigeria forward.

In his welcome address, Abdullahi explained that the programme was meant to prepare youth to be armed and ready to determine the future of the country in the next 25 years.

Abdullahi, who is the Kwara Central Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the forthcoming 2023 election gives the youth the opportunity to make the right choice of leadership.

He said, “Nigeria is a country with large number of people and large number of youth, there is need to prepare the youth for the future of this country and project what it will be in the next 25 to 50 years.”

States owing salaries of six months and above as at July 31, 2022
1. Abia
2. Ebonyi
3. Edo
4. Imo
5. Nasarawa
6. Ondo
7. Plateau
8. Taraba

STATES OWING WORKERS' SALARY

Abia (6 months & above)
Adamawa (3-5 months)
Benue (3-5 months)
Cross river (1-2 months)
Delta (1-2 months)
Ebonyi (6 months & above)
Edo (6 months & above)
Imo (6 months & above)
Kogi (3-5months)
Nasarawa (6 months & above)
Ondo (6 months & above)
Plateau (6 months & above)
Taraba (6 months & above)

’12 states owing salaries’ — BudgIT condemns non-payment of workers’ remuneration

BudgIT, a civic-tech organisation, has expressed concerns over the refusal of state governments to pay workers’ salaries.

BudgIT said this in a statement on Thursday signed by Iyanu Fatoba, assistant head, media and communications.

The organisation said the outcome of its 2022 Nigerian Sub-National Salary Survey showed that at least 12 states owe their workers at least one month’s salary as of July 28, 2022.

It urged concerned states to prioritise employees’ rights by paying all accrued salaries.

“BudgIT expressed this disapproval after its empirical survey across the 36 states in the federation revealed that at least 12 states owe their workers at least one month’s salary as of July 28, 2022,” the statement reads.

“BudgIT conducted this empirical survey to spotlight and identify state governments that have consistently failed to meet the essential requirement of governance and employee compensation, thereby subjecting their workers to unpaid labour and harsh living conditions.

While the findings from the survey favoured states that are not in arrears, states like Abia, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Ondo and Taraba owe three (3) years or less in payments.

“For example, Abia state currently owes its state tertiary institution workers six (6) months’ salary, while Ebonyi has not paid its pensioners in the last six (6) months. Secretariat workers in Taraba complained of irregular salary payments for up to six (6) months, while lecturers at state tertiary institutions and midwives in the state-owned hospital in Ondo State have not been paid a dime in the last four (4) months.”

Iniobong Usen, BudgIT’s head of research and policy advisory, said civil servants’ remuneration is a necessary part of the employer-employee relationship, whether at the state or federal level.

Usen said the delay in payment of salaries affects the smooth working of the government, adding that the survival and livelihood of civil servants depend on timely salary payment and the government’s refusal to pay shows its disregard for the legal obligation to pay.

“Nigerian civil servants are unfortunately no strangers to delays and gaps in monthly salary payments. Despite belonging to the executive implementing arm of the government, they have been left without payments in many instances. With several states guilty of this non-payment, civil servants are often at wit’s end at ‘month end,” he said.

The civic tech group further said the lingering issue has become worrisome, adding that non-salary payments are a breach of the basic contractual provisions between an employer and employee and failed to recognise national legislation on employee rights at the continental and international levels.

“BudgIT posits that this state of affairs is a combination of ‘governance failure’ bordering on mismanagement and administrative inefficiency, an unnecessarily large wage bill which itself may be due to poor planning and hiring practices, and a problem of broader macroeconomic downturns which in some sense are beyond the control of the state governments, as they have little influence over monetary and fiscal policies,” the group added.

“Therefore, BudgIT calls on the various state governments to urgently address this glaring inability to pay state workers’ salaries as the attitude, enthusiasm, productivity and survival of state workers and their families are directly related to the timeliness of their remuneration.”

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has confirmed the arrest of the attackers of St Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

The Governor confirmed the arrest shortly after the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor made the announcement in Abuja.

Governor Akeredolu further disclosed that the owner of the house where the attackers stayed before the June 5 attack in Owo has also been arrested.

He noted that government did not spare a moment in trailing the terrorists since the horrendous attacks on innocent worshipers at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa, Owo.

Arakunrin Akeredolu spoke during a courtesy visit to his office by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by the Chairman of the Council, Prince Leke Adegbite.

He said:”Now that the military has announced it, I can tell you that five of them have been arrested now. They are still on the trail of the rest. The home where they lodged in Owo and the person that accommodated them before the attack, has also been arrested.

“We did not spare a moment. I am happy that the Chief of Defence Staff has announced it. We have known for a while but we needed not to come out with it because more works are still ongoing. I can confirm that this arrest has been made. And they are still on the trail of some of them.”

Governor Akeredolu has also called on leaders of the Ebira community in the state to warn their young ones not to copy the bad venture of kidnapping.

The Governor said recent reports from victims of kidnap in the state have established that some Ebira indigenes are now involved in the unwholesome act.

He noted that the Ebiras have lived together with the people of the state peacefully for several decades, adding that they have always been supportive and hardworking.

“I want to use this medium to urge our brothers to concentrate on their farming trade. It will be unfortunate to know that the Ebiras in our midst are now involved in kidnapping.

“We are appealing to them not to copy bad thing. The traders selling by the road side should not become informants. We are not fighting them.

“We have seen their numbers, they supported and voted for us during elections. I will call their leaders and talk to them. Our brothers who were kidnapped on their way to Ikare, talk to them. They were taken to Ebira farmsteads.

“For me, we have lived together for too long for this to happen. I am ready to make any effort to ensure that the conviviality that we have enjoyed continues. But we are begging their leaders to urge them not to copy bad thing. They are in our midst , we are surrounded by them. The issue of security is key and it’s dynamic.” Governor Akeredolu noted.

The Governor, who thanked the NUJ in the state for the cooperation extended to his administration, assured them of sustained efforts at developing the state.

On the issue of Security, Governor Akeredolu disclosed that aside the recent recruitment and training of new Amotekun personnel, 20 hunters and local vigilantes will be trained by the Amotekun corps in each of the eighteen local government areas in the state.

Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ, Ondo State Council thanked the Governor for his support for the management of OSRC and Owena Press PLC, adding that the upgrade of facilities in the two state-owned media outfits is commendable.

He equally appreciated the Governor for the approval of the Weigh-in allowance for journalists and information officers working in the State and Local government service.

Richard Olatunde
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
August 9, 2022.

Renowned Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has faulted the Nigerian court system, saying there is no justice.

He described Nigeria as a nation with weak justice system whose fabric of power had broken.

Media shouldn’t be scapegoat for your failure, Gumi hits FG over threat to Trust TV, BBC

Treat Fulani herders like Niger Delta militants, Gumi tells FG

Gumi made the remark while speaking at a peace building symposium organised in Maiduguri as part of initiatives to reintegrate former Boko Haram insurgents into society.

He added, “Whoever has any interest in our country, we have made available for him soldiers he can conscript.

“So why do we leave our children uneducated? Why is education not for everybody? Why do we leave our population poor?”

While criticising the political leadership in Nigeria, Gumi also lamented how some Nigerians ride in private jets.

He said, “Some Nigerians are riding private jets while some Nigerians don’t know where to put their children in school. There is social injustice.

“If you go to the court system, justice is not there. The fabric of power is broken down. So, the children are there to be used by anybody.”

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general election, Bola Tinubu, and members of his campaign team are not happy with the statement made by Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, condemning a viral video showing members of the Pyrates Confraternity mocking the former Lagos State Governor, a source told SaharaReporters on Monday night.

In the video, members of the Confraternity during a procession gyrated to an anti-Tinubu song and poked fun at Tinubu for a speech he made in June in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he asked that power should be handed over to him.

The members of the Pyrates Confraternity sang, “Hand dey shake, leg dey shake, Baba wey no well, e de shout emi lo kan (Hands are shaking, legs are shaking. A sick old man is shouting ‘it’s my turn’).

“Emi lo kan (2ce), Baba wey no well, him dey shout emi lokan (It’s my turn (2ce), a sick old man is shouting ‘it’s my turn’”.

Tinubu, who seemed desperate during the speech had said, ‘Emi lo kan’, meaning ‘It’s my turn’.

He narrated how he consoled President Muhammadu Buhari after he had failed three times to become Nigeria’s President. Eventually, a political alliance spearheaded by Tinubu ensured Buhari won the presidential election in 2015.

However, Soyinka who founded Pyrates Confraternity as a university student in Ibadan, Nigeria, described making a mockery of Tinubu due to his ill-health as distasteful.

“I have listened to the lyrics of the chant intently and I am frankly appalled. I find it distasteful. I belong to a culture where we do not mock physical afflictions or disabilities. Very much the contrary. The Yoruba religion indeed designate a deity, Obatala, as the divine protector of the afflicted, no matter the nature of such affliction. This sensibility is engrained in us from childhood and remains with us all our lives. It operates on the principle of mortal frailty to which all humanity remains vulnerable,” Soyinka earlier said in a statement.

“One of my favorite authors, about whom, by a coincidence, I had cause to write quite recently, was CLR James, author of The Black Jacobins, Beyond A Boundary etc. etc. I called him my ideological uncle. He suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, but remained alert, lucid and combative for decades after the onset of the disease. We interacted politically at the Tanzanian pan-African Congress, the Dakar Festival of Negro Arts and a number of other cultural and political fora.

“We met frequently in his lifetime, dined together in restaurants, despite his challenge. it would be unthinkable, and a desecration of his memory to be part of any activity that mocked his affliction. A further statement will be issued when I have made further enquiries into this strange, uncharacteristic outing of the association.”

However, a close source to Tinubu has told SaharaReporters that the APC candidate and members of his team are upset that Soyinka “systematically revealed that Tinubu got Parkinson’s disease, thereby confirming that he’s an invalid candidate.”

“They are angry that Prof. (Professor Soyinka) revealed too much about Bola Tinubu’s health condition,” he added.

History Of Tinubu’s Recent Medical Tourism

In 2021 alone, Tinubu spent over 80 days patronising hospitals in France, the United States and the United Kingdom where he underwent surgeries leaving behind the poorly equipped hospitals in Nigeria led by the APC government.

He was flown out of the country some days before Christmas in 2020 to Paris, France.

There were speculations that he tested positive for COVID-19 but his media aide later denied such reports.

The APC leader returned to Nigeria on January 24, 2021, after a month’s absence from Nigeria.

He then went for a medical check-up on Thursday, June 10, 2021, to France and was conspicuously absent from the one-day working visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Lagos State.

"Tinubu is in Paris, France for a medical checkup. His health is deteriorating due to old age," a top source had told SaharaReporters.

Tinubu, amid death rumours, was forced to return to the country on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.

SaharaReporters also reported that Tinubu was hospitalised in Maryland, the United States in July 2021 where he had knee surgery.

“Tinubu is hospitalised in Maryland, US. His health is failing. He couldn’t participate in launching his Arewa library, and he couldn’t participate in the Local Government Area elections last week. He could not attend today’s APC congress due to health reasons.

“He had a surgery last week,” an authoritative source had disclosed at the time.

On August 9, 2021, Tinubu had another knee surgery at the John Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, the United States.

The APC chieftain, it was learnt, left the US for the United Kingdom on crutches, a few days after the surgery.

Sources close to Tinubu had told SaharaReporters that he wanted the surgery in Paris, France but changed his plan over rumours of his death.

“Tinubu had his second surgery at John Hopkins University in Maryland recently. He was accompanied by a popular Nigerian doctor in Chicago. He had wanted the surgery in Paris but when rumour was rife about his death, he hurriedly left for Nigeria and went to John Hopkins,” one of the sources had said.

"He left the US for the UK on crutches," another source had revealed.

In 2021, the President paid a visit to Tinubu in London and the latter was seen with a walking stick during Buhari’s visit, confirming SaharaReporters’ story that he underwent a second surgery in the United States.

Tinubu currently toes the path of President Buhari, who himself has spent hundreds of days on medical leave in the United Kingdom since he assumed office in 2015.

Peter Obi comes across as a humble, conciliatory, mild-mannered, and good-natured person—in contrast to his toxic, obnoxious online devotees whose rhetorical causticity he habitually has a need to restrain with words of caution.

I honestly have a hard time understanding the untempered hate often directed at him by his critics. You may disagree with his politics, but he has such a peaceful, restrained, and likeable public persona.

He never requites the unkind digs thrown at him by his opponents.
He always rises superior to mud-slinging. He is always kind and respectful even to his traducers. What's not to like about that?

He understands that to broaden his base, he needs to win over people outside his fanbase. It takes maturity, intelligence, and self-awareness to do that, particularly in our increasingly polarized world.

Yes, it’s legitimate to disagree with him (the choices he made as governor of Anambra, his fibs, exaggerations, self-serving autobiographical embellishments, messianism, etc.), but how can you hate someone who radiates such infectious likeableness?

RUMORED PLANNED ATTACK ON LAGOS STATE: CP ALABI ASSURES LAGOSIANS OF ADEQUATE SECURITY

The Lagos State Police Command is not unmindful of intelligence reports suggesting that Lagos State could be on the radar of some persons planning attacks across the country.

To this end, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Abiodun Alabi, fdc has placed the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) of the Command on high alert alongside all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Tactical Commanders, all in a bid to ensure that any possible planned attack is promptly and decisively nipped in the bud.

The Command is also working closely with sister security agencies to ensure that no person or group of persons succeed in destabilizing the peace and serenity enjoyed by the good people of Lagos State.

CP Alabi uses this medium to allay the fears of Lagosians and assure them that all human, material and operational resources have been fully and optimally deployed across the length and breadth of the state, especially at border towns, towards ensuring there is absolutely no breach of the peace.

Consequent upon the carefully laid down security plans/strategies, all residents of Lagos State are urged to go about their lawful duties without panic or fear. Lagosians are equally enjoined to remain very vigilant and report suspicious movements and persons to security agencies.

SP BENJAMIN HUNDEYIN, anipr, mipra
Police Public Relations Officer,
Lagos State Command,
Ikeja-Lagos.

July 31, 2022.

President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, has released update on the alleged kidnap of it’s two members, Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel.

According to Rollas, abductors of the veteran actors have requested for a ransom of $100,000.

“They have made contact and they are demanding for the sum of $100,000 in ransom”, he stated.

Recall that in a statement signed by the Director of Communications of the AGN, Monalisa Chinda-Coker, it was stated that the two actors were suspected to have been kidnapped.

However, in an interview with Saturday Beats, Rollas said, “We have not confirmed the kidnap as it were. The only thing we know is that all the money in Cynthia Okereke’s account was cleared this morning (Friday).

“We are expecting to get a kind of signal from the people holding them hostage to know whether it is a kidnap or not.”

The statement initially issued by Chinda-Coker read, “The two members were suspected of having been kidnapped, which has increased fear amongst members about the safety of actors filming in the country.

“Because of this sad development, the National President of the Guild, Ejezie Emeka Rollas, has instructed all actors to avoid going to the outskirts of cities to film except full security cover is provided to ensure their safety.”

Recall that Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornell were allegedly kidnapped after they left a movie location in Enugu State.

According to Monalisa Chinda, veteran actors Cynthia Okereke and Clemson, aka Agbogidi, were reportedly missing after their family members confirmed they didn’t come back from a film location at Ozalla Town, Enugu State.

She further revealed in her statement that the National President of Actors Guild, Emeka Rollas has asked members to avoid going to outskirts of cities to film except full security is provided to ensure safety.

Rollas also appealed to all members to pray for the safe return of their missing colleagues.

The Police Command in Enugu State said it has found the car of missing Nollywood actress, Cynthia Okereke.

The Public Relations Officer in Enugu, DSP Daniel Ndukweconfirmed the development on Saturday.

Ndukwe said, “the current report at our disposal dwells on a case of an abandoned and recovered vehicle, as well as a missing person.”

He said that the vehicle was abandoned and recovered at Four-Corners on Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway, precisely within Ozalla community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State axis of the road.

“On July 29, at about 7:30 a.m., we received information that a red-colored Toyota RAV4 Jeep with registration number AGL 199 CY was noticed to have been parked in an abandoned way at Four-Corners on Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway.

“Hence, the location was visited and the vehicle recovered.

“Coincidentally, at about 11:30 a.m., of the same date, a report was further received stating that the vehicle belongs to one Cynthia Okereke (f), a Nollywood Actress, who was last seen on July 26,” he said.

The police spokesman said that the report at the command’s disposal revealed that only one person was reported to be missing.

However, the Director of Communications of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Mrs. Monalisa Chinda-Coker, said two actors (Cynthia Okereke and Clenson Cornel) were missing.

Chinda-Coker in a statement on Friday noted that the families of Okereke and Cornel confirmed that they had not returned home since leaving a film location in the Ozalla community.

The statement reads: “The two members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Okereke and Cornel alias Agbogidi were suspected missing after their family members confirmed they didn’t come back from a film location at Ozalla community.

“The two members were suspected to have been kidnapped and this has increased fear among members about the safety of actors filming in the country.”

Reacting to the development, the National President of the Guild, Mr. Rollas Ejezie, instructed all actors to avoid going to the outskirt of cities to film except full security cover was provided to ensure their safety.

He expressed shock over the ugly development while urging the security agencies to speed up investigations that would lead to their safe rescue.

“Clearly, there is an agenda to politically, religiously, and economically suppress and oppress the Northern Christian. But we are up to the task.

“We will protect ourselves. The PVC and our prayers will be our weapons of choice and we will massively deploy them in 2023.

“The main purpose of this historical narrative is to let you know that for The APC, a Muslim-Muslim ticket has been a long-term political strategy and not a one-off decision. Thus, all this talk of competence as the reason for the choice of the Muslim VP is balderdash and diversionary. This is a calculated anti-Christian exclusion agenda that is being implemented.

“One might ask: why is the APC itself mute about our rejection of this Muslim Muslim ticket? And why has none of the other perpetrators of this crisis reached out to Christians for a dialogue? Why are they instead hiring fake Bishops and taking church groups to further embarrass the Church? Why are they embarking on a vicious media war against CAN and the Church instead of seeking reconciliation? Truly, things are not adding up.

“We see this ticket as an assent to the current and continuing educational, economic and political marginalization of the Northern Nigerian Christians.

“This scenario is what we find in all agencies of governments in the north. Therefore, we view this Muslim Muslim ticket as an extension of this practice of exclusion to the uppermost level of government.

“Christians all over the country see this Muslim Muslim ticket as a deliberate and premeditated attempt to introduce and firmly entrench religion into the politics of this country. This, of course, will lead to further disharmony in the hitherto fragile coexistence of the Nigerian society, disrupt peace and hamper both social and economic development of the country.”

Yakubu Dogara, a former speaker of the house of representatives, has kicked against the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Dogara conveyed his displeasure on Friday at the APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit.

The APC came under criticism after Bola Tinubu, its presidential candidate, picked Kashim Shettima, a former governor of Borno, as his running mate.

Dogara said it is hogwash to assert that no Christian is competent to be Tinubu’s running mate.

The former speaker said the ticket would create disunity in the party and the country at large.

He described Tinubu’s decision as a “fatal error of judgment”.

“I do not want to speak to the argument that there is no Christian competent enough to be vice-president because as we all know, that is hogwash,” he said.

“As long as God remains the God of justice, may we continue to resist injustice to our sinews, no matter who is for or against it because it is the requirement of the just God.

“Let us go out from this summit with the resolve to seek out our Muslim brothers and sisters who believe in unifying our people in order to usher in the much need peace and advancement for Nigeria to unleash her true potentials.

“I am sure we will jointly agree on a platform that would advance our collective search for unity, peace and development. Believe me, the only alternative is the road to Yugoslavia.

“God forbid! If we want to see Nigeria exalted, we must insist she does the right things.”

Elisha Abbo, a serving Adamawa senator, Solomon Dalung, a former minister of youths and sports, were present at the event.

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have invaded Abaa, a community near the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, and abducted two persons.

Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen stormed the community which is located in the Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State on Thursday night and whisked away their victims, a hotelier, and his worker.

Some LAUTECH workers as well as students are said to be living in the community which is located off the Ogbomoso-Ilorin Expressway.

A resident of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that the hotelier, his worker, and one other person were kidnapped by the gunmen he claimed are Fulani hoodlums.

The source said the community head, Chief John Adepoju, immediately sent messages to residents to remain vigilant and stay indoors after the incident.

The source said Adepoju had called a meeting of residents of the community where they would discuss the next step to take.

The source said, “The owner of the hotel travelled and returned yesterday and the incident happened not long after his return.

“The kidnappers should be about 10 from what those who were present at the scene told us and they fired several shots to scare people away and whisked their victims away.

“This problem which we were hearing of from afar has come to this area and it is unfortunate that it has become a frequent occurrence here now.”

Recall that within this month, the supervisor of late former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala’s farm, Christopher Bakare was abducted at Jabata in Surulere Local Government Area and the owner of a private clinic identified simply as Dr Rasheed was also abducted.

Both were released by their abductors after they had paid ransoms.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Oyo State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, is yet to confirm or deny the incident.

But the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.

He said he had got in touch with the police and the police assured him that an investigation had commenced into it.

The monarch also said the Security Adviser to the Governor, Fatai Owoseni, who is a former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State had been helpful concerning security matters in the area.

He called for reinforcement of security personnel to the area to prevent future occurrences of the incident.

There were gunshots recorded on Wednesday evening at a construction company in Owo, Odo State, the same town where gunmen attacked a Catholic Church.

The gunshots were said to have occurred at Craneburg Construction Company, Owo, with policemen confirming that some people were injured during the attack.

Tonight, there was a shooting incident at CRANEBURG CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Owo, Policemen are currently at the scene, victims have been taken to Hospital and they are in stable condition.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has thrown his weight behind of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) which rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Dogara said the position of CAN is the position of God as adopting a Muslim-Muslim ticket in a diverse country like Nigeria is a recipe for disunity and disaster.

He spoke on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at the 12th General Assembly and Leadership Transition Ceremony and Symposium on the Role of Christian Women and Youths in Politics, organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria in Abuja.

“The position taken by CAN is not only CAN’s position, it is not only the position of notable Christian leaders like Babachir David Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and many others who have spoken againts it, it is also God’s position because we serve the God of justice, our God is righteous, our God is the author of diversity, and He wants as diverse as we are to come together.

“So, CAN’s position, as much as it is a righteous position, it is the position of all of us who love righteousness, justice, diversity and are working to harness it for the advancement of this country.

“Anybody can say anything but in as much as what we are standing on is godly, any other position is ungodly. It is either you are for righteousness, inclusiveness , justice or you are against the unity of this great country.”

He called on women and youths to emulate the lives of Esther and Deborah in the Holy Bible who stood up for their people in times of national crisis in Israel.

Quoting from the book of John 3:3, he argued that only those who are born again can enter the kingdom of God and that it is a righteous thing for born again Christians to participate in politics.

Drawing from the parable of talents in the Holy Bible, Hon. Dogara called on Christians to utilise their individual talents for the advancement of the kingdom to impact on their communities and the societies as everyone will account before the creator on how they used their talents.

He added that to participate in politics does not mean everyone must run for elective offices, as women and youths can organise and mobilise their communities to participate actively in the democratic process such as voter registration.

“The scripture says we are the salt and light of the world”, he added

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter, Saviour Imukudo, who was at the High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Wednesday, to cover the court proceedings, has been arrested by the police on the order of the Akwa Ibom Chief Judge, Ekaette Obot.

Mr Saviour was in the court to cover the defamation case between the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, and a lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong.

Mr Ekpenyong’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has just been sent to prison for one month by Justice Obot.

A resident of Uyo, who witnessed the arrest of Mr Imukudo, said the judge had asked the reporter to identify himself in the courtroom when the proceedings started.

Mr Imukudo introduced himself as a reporter with the PREMIUM TIMES, and then Justice Obot ordered him to leave the courtroom.

As he was walking out of the courtroom, the judge ordered a police officer to search him and confiscate his phone, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

There were two armed police officers inside the courtroom, the lawyer, Mr Effiong, said in his tweets that alerted the public that he was being sent to prison by Justice Obot.

The PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter, Mr Imukudo, was still detained as of 1:30 p.m. in Justice Obot’s court.

Mr Imukudo has been covering the defamation case between Governor Emmanuel and Mr Ekpenyong in Justice Obot’s court.

The Katsina State chapter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party on Monday asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to disqualify the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and his counterpart in the All Progressives Congress Bola Tinubu.

The state Chairman of the NNPP, Sani Litti, who made the call at a press conference in Katsina on Monday, alleged that the two parties’ presidential primaries were marred by financial crimes.

He also called for the arrest of Tinubu and Atiku by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Department of State Services.

Litti alleged that no fewer than 50,000 Nigerians had lost their lives to banditry from 2015 to date.

He, therefore, called for the resignation of the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd.), because of what he described as insecurity in the country.

The chairman also charged members of the National Assembly to commence the impeachment of the President if he refused to resign.

He also called for the declaration of a state of emergency in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger and Sokoto states due to security challenges.

Litti advised the Federal Government to also hire mercenaries for six months to fight the banditry, insurgents and tribal militias, adding that Government should thereafter recruit one million young Nigerians who should be trained as special forces to secure the country after the exit of the mercenaries.

He stated, “ We reinstate the call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately resign from office for his inability to secure Nigeria. Insecurity issues keep rising due principally to bad governance including a rise in poverty, poor economic policies, a fall in the standard of living of the people, an upsurge of ethnic militias, an increase in corruption activities, crime and criminal activities, an increase in the use of drugs and several factors.

“In the event of the President refusing to resign, we urge the National Assembly to apply constitutional means to save the lives and properties of Nigerians.

“The government of Nigeria should as a matter of urgency declare a state of emergency on security in the following states: Katsina; Kaduna; Zamfara; Niger and Sokoto states.

“In this respect, we are calling on the Federal Government to immediately hire mercenaries for six months from whenever to fight the rising banditry, insurgency and tribal militias. Similarly, the government should as a matter of urgency recruit one million young Nigerians to be trained as Special Forces to protect and secure the country when the mercenaries leave in six months.”

The NNPP also called for the arrest and prosecution of Atiku and Tinubu over what it said, transpired during the conventions where they were elected standard-bearers for their respective parties in the 2023 general elections.

The NNPP declared,” We call on INEC to disqualify Atiku Abubakar,Bola Ahmed Tinubu from contesting the presidential election in 2023 and also for the EFCC, the Police and DSS to arrest them and all other actors who participated in the convention. We believe that should any one of these two wins the election next year, the country will slide into deeper corruption and financial crimes because the process which produces them is rooted in corruption.”

One of the party’s chieftains at the press conference, Dr Muttaqa Darma, justified the timing of the press conference, insisting that it was the appropriate time as the nation was preparing for general elections.

When contacted, the Director of Media and Communication for Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Bayo Onanuga, said, “I have not seen any petition to that effect from the NNPP. I also think the APC publicity secretary is in a better position to address this issue.”

Also, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, stated, “I have not read the NNPP’s call for the disqualification of our party candidate. You can forward the statement or press statement to me. I cannot react to what I have not seen.

“If I read the statement and decide that it is important enough to respond, I will release a statement to address it. Responding to you is not my only option, I can call a press conference tomorrow and deal with it if I think it is that serious.”

When contacted, the PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, said he was not aware of the NNPP’s allegation, adding that he has to see Litti’s statement before he would respond.

Press Release

FG Orders Closure of FGC Kwali, Security Beef-Up In Unity Colleges.

The Federal Ministry of Education has ordered the immediate closure of one of its colleges, the Federal Government College Kwali, located in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Education Minister, Adamu Adamu who gave the directive in the early hours of this morning said the closure became necessary following security breach on Sheda and Lambata Villages, suburbs of Kwali Area Council which also threatened FGC Kwali.

According to the Minister, the timely intervention of security Agencies saved the situation. Adamu Adamu also directed that arrangements should be made for final year students to conclude their NECO examinations.

The Minister has also directed Principals of Unity Colleges across the country to liaise with security Agencies within their jurisdictions inorder to forstore any security breach in our schools.

Ben. Bem Goong.
Director Press and Public Relations.

The Aseyin of Iseyin in Oyo State, Oba Adekunle Salawudeen, has passed away, family sources have told PREMIUM TIMES.

The monarch’s death happened on Sunday, the fourth such occurrence among senior traditional rulers in Oyo State in eight months.

Ealier, the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Ajagungbade Oyewumi died in December 2021, followed by the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who, respectively, joined their ancestors, as the Yoruba customarily say when a monarch dies, in January and April 2022.

Exact details of the Aseyin’s passing are slow to emerge but PREMIUM TIMES learnt from family sources that he has been sick for a while.

Iseyin is an ancient Yoruba town located in northern Oyo State, about 91 km to the capital Ibadan.

A House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, Vrati Nzonzo, has highlighted how he and other candidates in Christian-dominated communities face possible rejection because of the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the party.

Vrati said in an interview with newsmen in Yola on Friday that the decision by the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, to make a fellow Muslim, Kasheem Shettima his running mate still rankles among his Christian kit and kin and it robs badly on the party’s candidates for the different political offices to be contested for in the 2023 election.

Vrati Nzonzo who has the APC ticket for the Numan/Demsa/Lamurde Federal constituency said APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket makes his candidacy difficult to sell to his people.

Vrati said, “It will affect us, we APC candidates in Christian-dominated areas, but we are hoping to be able to make our people understand that we differ if the position of the party suggests that Christians don’t matter.”

Explaining how the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket poses a challenge to candidates like him, Vrati, a former chairman of Lamurde local government Council, said, “I am from a Christian-dominated constituency: Numan/Demsa/Lamurde. Are you now telling people not to vote for me since my party does not recognise my faith or refuses to be fair to my faith?

“If you are telling my people from Christian-dominated parts of the North where many of us come from and are seeking votes in 2023 that the presidency can be won without Christians, it’s not fair. Even if you actually win, you would have passed a rancourous message.”

He emphasised that he remained opposed to the same-faith ticket of the party because the arguments for it do not add up.

He said, however, that despite his opposition to the same-faith ticket of the APC, he remains an APC man who has to support APC and its presidential candidate.

“I have no option. I am an APC candidate. I am an APC person and I will support APC. I will support Tinubu,” he said.

The Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory Command, has denied raiding the head office of Peoples Gazette newspaper.

Policemen on Friday allegedly raided the head office of the newspaper in Abuja and arrested one of its editors, journalists, and staff members.

According to a report by Peoples Gazette, John Adenekan, an assistant managing editor, was taken away at about 12:35 p.m. by five armed police officers who broke into the paper’s office opposite NNPC Quarters in Utako.

The officers later returned to the office to arrest four other staff members, Ameedat Adeyemi, Grace Oke, Sammy Ogbu and Justina Tayani.

The officers declined to state the reason for their assault but demanded to see the paper’s Managing Editor, Samuel Ogundipe, and reporter Adefemola Akintade.

But both journalists were not available during the operation, prompting the officers to arrest Mr Adenekan in their stead, perpetuating an unconstitutional tradition of arresting associates in the event that people of interest are unavailable.

A reliable source within the police force confirmed to our correspondent that the security operatives raided the newspaper’s head office to effect the arrest of Ogundipe and Akintade who wrote a report on former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (retd.).

The action of the police came days after an Abuja-based Publisher, Isah Bello sued Peoples Gazette for allegedly defaming the Ambassador to Benin Republic.

The newspaper on June 23 reported that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission raided and recovered items including 50 luxury watches from a purported residence of Buratai.

However, Bello, in the suit before a Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, claimed the newspaper failed to respond to a letter dated June 28, 2022 seeking to clarify the source of its story.

According to him, the failure to respond to the inquiry was a violation of section 4(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and therefore is wrongful and illegal.

Filed by Osuagwu Ugochukwu, the publisher asked the court to prevail on the defendant to supply the information requested in his letter.

But reacting to the report, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh, who spoke to our correspondent claimed that journalists and staff members of the newspaper were only invited for questioning over a petition written against them accusing the paper of defaming the character of Buratai.

DSP Adeh said, “Our officers did not raid any media house. We don’t raid media houses because we know better, and media houses are not criminal hideouts.

“Someone had written a petition accusing the newspaper of defamation of character. The newspaper was accused of defaming the character of the former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai. However, we got a warrant from the court to invite them for questioning.

“So, the fact of the matter is that there was a petition against Peoples Gazette, and they are not above the law. So, if someone had written a petition against them, the right thing to do is to invite them, and that was what we did. We invited them for further investigation, and we carried the Nigerian Union of Journalists along on this matter. We’re not taking any action behind the NUJ, and there is also a warrant from the court to invite Peoples Gazette for questioning.

“We have no malicious intent for inviting them. Our officers went to Peoples Gazette office this morning to invite them to come to give a statement in response to the petition at the Utako police station. And as I speak to you, the NUJ Secretary is with them at the Utako police station as they’re making their statements.”

The Arewa Christians and Indigenous Pastors Association on Wednesday described the presence of clerics and bishops at the official presentation of the All Progressives Congress’ Vice Presidential Candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima, as a media stunt and desperation for monetary gains.

This is even as the association averred that none of the clerics in attendance at the event belongs to the North (Arewa), or is in registered Church as a Bishop in the hierarchy or order of Ecclesiastical or Apostolic ranking.

Journalists assigned to cover Shettima’s unveiling as the running mate of the presidential flagbearer of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had watched in amusement after the religious leaders showed up at the venue.

Their presence seemingly caused a stir as onlookers and guests stared hard at them as they walked into the reception of the Musa Yar’Adua Centre dressed in their cassocks and habits, amid heavy security at the venue.

Earlier, the media had been awash with reports from religious bodies urging Christian leaders to boycott the unveiling to drive home the point of their grievances.

Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Christians Association of Nigeria’s President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, had a few weeks ago condemned the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, ACIPA Chairman, Rev. Luke Shehu, disclosed that he was convinced the presence of the pastors and bishops was a desperate move to make ends meet while appealing to politicians.

The statement read, “The attention of Arewa Christians and Indigenous Pastors Association have been drawn to the sacrilegious act of some who claim to be Christian Clerics in other to appease and launder desperate politicians.

“We recall that in the past, aspersions were cast when some hirelings visited Aso Rock as Northern (Arewa) Christian Clerics. For the sake of clarity and avoidance of doubt, ACIPA has found out that none of the so-called Bishops or Pastors at the unveiling of the Vice Presidential candidate is from the North has or belongs to a registered Church as a Bishop in the hierarchy or order of Ecclesiastical or Apostolic ranking.

“ACIPA regrets the unfortunate desperation of some to make ends meet while appealing to politicians and a media stunt. However, we wish to advise charlatans and hirelings to desist from denigrating the honourable office of the Clergy and bringing the titles to disrepute and dishonour.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to also state that the hirelings cannot restore the departed glory when the elect and Alter of the Most High, Jehovah have been insulted, disrespected and dishonoured.

“We have since taken over and declared that God shall reign again above any other throne and man in the affairs and leadership of Nigeria.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Muslim youths have rejected the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming presidential election.

They want Tinubu to replace the former governor of Borno with a Christian political leader or cleric from the North without any delay to enhance the party’s fortunes ahead of the polls.

Briefing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday evening, the leader of the group, Abdullahi Saleh, said they were vehement and total in the rejection of against a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

According to him, while it must be stated that Asiwaju reserves the right to make decisions regarding his choice of running mate, such decisions must not be made against the collective sensibilities of the people.

He said, “As concerned stakeholders of the APC in the 19 Northern States in the country, we find it worrisome that such a decision could be taken without recourse to its implication on the electoral chances of the party and the attendant uproar such a decision could bring about in the country.

“It is also worrisome that of all the country’s political parties, only the APC presented a Muslim-Muslim ticket. In our opinion, this is insensitive and a gross display of a lack of respect for our Christian brothers and sisters.

“This is on the heels that the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a Muslim from South West Nigeria, and picking another Muslim from the northern part of the country as his running mate is politically and morally indefensible.

“We hold the firm conviction that such a move can boomerang with unpleasant consequences for the APC at the general elections, hence the need for the party’s leadership to make haste to correct this error of judgment,” he added.

Saleh explained that in Northern Nigeria, there are credible candidates with rich credentials and with massive grassroots following that can complement the presidential ticket of the APC in the presidential elections.

“As such, the 19 APC states Northern Muslims Forum sees the selection of Senator Kashim Shettima as an aberration that should be corrected with immediate effect by the relevant authorities within the party.

“The implication of non-action in this regard can only be imagined, so much so that the majority of the eligible voters in Northern Nigeria have elected to boycott the APC in protest of the disrespect and disregard to Northern Christians, whose population and relevance in the scheme of things in the region cannot be overemphasized.

“As a group, we wish to state unequivocally that we reject the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the vice presidential candidate of the APC.
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“This decision is hinged on the need to ensure a balance in the presidential ticket of the APC, as it has been since the return of democracy in 1999.

“The APC must respect the religious diversity of the country. We hold the opinion that emphasis must be placed on ensuring a united house before the elections and not a fragmented house,” he added

The youths, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu to replace the vice presidential candidate of the APC with a Christian as the vice presidential candidate of the party.

“If the APC is desirous of recording electoral success in the 2023 presidential elections, it must retrace its steps by selecting a Christian cleric as its vice presidential candidate. The party must not be perceived as promoting a religious agenda by fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“The 19 APC States Northern Muslim Forum condemns such a move in its totality as it is a recipe for the entrenchment of mutual suspicion between the Muslims and the Christians in the country, which won’t augur well for relative peace and tranquillity.

“We consequently say no to a Muslim-Muslim ticket by the APC. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to kindly intervene to save the party from an electoral crisis. We urge Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emulate the example of President Muhammadu Buhari in the choice of his running mate in the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.

“This stance is hinged on the national interest. Our Christian brothers and sisters deserve a place in the scheme of things, and the APC must not be seen as a religiously insensitive party. The time to act is now,” he said