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The Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu and the Chief of staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila arrives Presidential election Petition Court this morning.
NIAMEY, July 26 (Reuters) - Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been removed from power, according to a group of soldiers who appeared on the West African nation's national television late on Wednesday, hours after the president was held in the presidential palace.
Reading from a statement, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, seated and flanked by nine other officers wearing fatigues, said the defence and security forces had decided: "Put an end to the regime that you know due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance."
Abdramane said the country's borders are closed and a nationwide curfew declared, and all institutions of the republic were suspended.
The soldiers warned against any foreign intervention.
Lawyers to suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, have raised the alarm that the Department of State Service (DSS) is planning to re-arrest their client despite the bail granted him by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The lead counsel for the embattled and suspended CBN chief, Joseph Daudu, made this known after the court’s ruling on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Justice Nicholas Oweibo admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of the N20m and ordered that he be remanded at the correctional center pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.
Shortly after the ruling, DSS operatives strategically positioned their Hilux Pick Up van used in bring Emefiele to court, in a manner suggesting that they wanted to take him back to their detention centre.
This prompted Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and other lawyers of Emefiele to raise an alarm about their client’s planned re-arrest by the secret police.
As of the the time of filing this report, the suspended CBN governor is still holed up inside the courtroom with his lawyers.
Outside the court, a group of concerned lawyers also addressed journalists on the issue, expressing their concerns over the plan by the secret police.
President Bola Tinubu has urged the newly appointed service chiefs to work as a team, noting that there is work to be done.
Tinubu made the remark on Monday when he met the new National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu and the new service chiefs for the first time, since their appointment on June 19, 2023.
The NSA told State House Correspondents afterward that the President assured the service chiefs of his unwavering support during the meeting.
Ribadu, who said the service chiefs, on their part, pledged their loyalty to the President and Nigerians, also underlined their commitment to work tirelessly to secure the country.
Ribadu said, “We are here to thank Mr President for the opportunity he gave us to serve our country and to serve his own government. We also pledged our loyalty to him, to Nigeria and Nigerians.
“We believe that the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country. We are going to work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability and let’s get our lives back.”
The NSA, who is a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said although the task ahead is a big one, it would be done.
“Where we are today, and you can see already, things are improving in our country. If you see, the record of crimes and activities of criminals are going down, it will continue to go down. We’ll secure this place,” he said.
“Nigerians have seen the quality of the people that are given the opportunity, they are probably some of the best we have and they are not going to fail you, they’ll certainly deliver.”
The Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. C.G Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen T. A Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla; and the Chief of Air Staff, AVM H.B Abubakar, were at the meeting.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun was also present at the security meeting.
Residents of Trademore Estate, located along the Lugbe-Airport axis of the FCT, are currently protesting the planned demolition of the Estate by the FCT Administration.
The planned demolition follows the catastrophic flood incident in the Estate after heavy rainfall in the early hours of Friday, the 23rd of June.
Recall that the administration had declared the Estate a disaster zone, adding that the decision followed the “consistent and persistent” threat from flooding in the Estate, and urged residents to promptly evacuate.
Residents however came out protesting on Monday morning, calling on the Federal Capital Territory Administration to rather provide engineering solutions, than demolish houses.
Some of the residents held placards that read “Provide engineering solutions, not roadside approach”, “put an end to senseless killing”, “Trademore Estate is not a disaster zone”, etc.
The Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona said God spoke through President Bola Tinubu when the latter said ‘Emi Lokan’ (It’s my turn) during his campaign in Ogun state, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Awujale stated this while speaking during Tinubu’s visit to his palace in Ijebu-Ode on Thursday.
The Paramount ruler of Ijebuland said, “God spoke through you when you said it is your turn. (Emi Lokan). With this feat, you are still going to do one more term.
“Me and Asiwaju have been together for a very long time. We both did NADECO – the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) together. Asiwaju, our President was the one, who gave me the titled, ‘Baba NADECO.’
“Many of you may not know where we were both from, but the most important thing is that we are grateful for where we all started; where we are currently; and where Got is taking us to. This is the first stage of where we’re going, another stage is coming,” he said.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Wednesday defended the criminalisation of marijuana use in Nigeria as opposed to several other countries such as the US, UK, and Canada.
The Secretary, NDLEA, Shadrack Haruna, who was a guest on Wednesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said there was “a lot of misconception” about decriminalising the use of drugs.
“You travel to Canada, you travel anywhere, and you say, ‘They’ve decriminalised marijuana or cannabis and we’re using it,’” he said.
“But of course, you have different species of marijuana and in those countries, they have very good policies; very good enforcement and measurement standards which they have to follow.”
Haruna explained that there are different species of cannabis grown worldwide.
“The species they have, which they say they have decriminalised in some of those countries, are those without Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the active ingredient that makes one to be something else,” he said.
“We have cannabis that is far, far more potent, almost 45 percent, 100 percent Tetrahydrocannabinol. We can’t compare it to what they’re saying they have decriminalised.”
In those countries, enforcement is strict, he explained, arguing further that not so many countries, including the US, have “actually said we have decriminalised some of these drugs. None, including the UK”.
According to the NDLEA secretary, the UK used to allow the importation of cannabinol, which he said is used for some kinds of medical treatment.
“But of late, they have also restricted it because they’ve noticed the increasing content of cannabinol in that particular oil,” he said.
Haruna said while some argue for its commercialisation in Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO) has advised that the harmful impact of cannabis outweighs its benefits.
“Some people are saying, ‘We make a lot of money from it.’ But it is not money we are looking for. We are looking for the health of the nation. We’re looking for the well-being of individuals,” he said.
“But they are talking about the commercialisation of drugs and all those things. To me, it is a misconception, which of course the media should come out against it because we know that it’s something that is wrong for this country.”
Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, has claimed the Best African Player award ahead of Treble winner Riyadh Mahrez and Mohammed Salah at the Ghana Football Awards, The PUNCH reports.
The 24-year-old registered 31 goals in all competitions last season to help Napoli win the Serie A title for the first time in over three decades.
The Super Eagles forward’s best season as a professional player has seen him scoop awards and break records, with his latest coming from the award ceremony in Ghana.
Osimhen, in a video online, thanked the organisers for the award and promised to make Africa proud.
The video was posted on the official Twitter account of the Ghana Football Awards.
“It is a great privilege for me to win this award, it’s really a great honour. Thank you to those who voted for me and the support. Major thanks to the organisers of Ghana Football Awards for their love and support also, I appreciate you all for this recognition.
“I will keep making Africa proud, thank you all and God bless you,” he said.
The former Lille striker scored 31 goals last season in all competitions for Napoli and helped his club to win the title after a 33-year hiatus.
He was also impactful for the Eagles, scoring twice as the Eagles beat Sierra Leone 3-2 to qualify for next year’s AFCON in Ivory Coast.
The striker’s brilliant season also saw him win the top scorer award with 26 goals and also went further to break the former World Player of the Year George Weah’s long-time record as the African with the highest number of goals in Serie A history.
He was awarded the best striker in the league and is also a strong candidate for the best player’s gong at this year’s CAF awards.
Streaming platform, Netflix, has rewarded content creators, Ikorodu Bois, with special gift boxes for their remake of the 'Extraction 2' trailer.
The Ikorodu Bois made this known on their Instagram page on Friday.
Sharing a video of them unboxing the gifts, Ikorodu Bois wrote, “#netflix you guys are the sweetest 🥹 it’s the message in the card for us!😩😍❤️❤️❤️ we love youuuuuu!! #netflix #Extraction2”
In the video, the child group got school bags, shades, vests and other items in their boxes, with a customised note.
The note read, “Dear Ikorodu Bois, we are absolutely blown away by your incredible talent and creativity! Your recreation of the extraction 2 trailer clip was simply mind-blowing. And we couldn’t resist putting together this special gift box for you.
“Thank you for bringing us joy with your amazing videos. You truly are a shining example of what can be achieved with determination and a whole lot of talent. Love, Netflix.”
This is coming after Australian actor, Chris Hemsworth, the star of the film, 'Extraction 2', hailed the group for the remake of the movie's trailer.
Newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has vowed to make community policing work as he assumed office at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
He stated this on Wednesday when he officially took over the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force from retired IGP Usman Baba.
IGP Egbetokun warned police officers that he won’t tolerate abuse of office, corruption and misconduct, saying commensurate stiff punishment await erring officers.
The new police boss also said he will, in the coming days and months, unveil his strategies and tactics to secure the country and protect Nigerians from all forms of security challenges including banditry and gunmen attacks.
IGP Egbetokun said the salaries of constables recruited sometimes ago are already being looked into and the salaries, arrears and allowances will be paid by month end.
According to him, every law-abiding citizen will be brought on board in the fight against crime under his watch. The new police chief stressed that human intelligence garnered from communities would be used alongside technical gathering of information to curb crimes.
“Apart from technical intelligence, we are also going to rely so much on human intelligence available in our communities. We are going to be proactive in our approach to solving our community problems,” he said.
Quest For Community Policing
As banditry, vicious herdsmen attacks, killings and abductions increase in Nigeria in the last couple of years, some state government and socio-political groups like the Afenifere and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo had clamoured for community policing to tackle peculiar security challenges in the localities. Prior to the 2023 elections, the groups also called for constitutional review to allow devolution of powers and decentralised policing system.
In 2020, six states in the South-West geopolitical zone jointly formed a regional security operation code-named Operation Amotekun, which has since been backed by law and operational in Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun and Osun states. Also, in 2021, five South-East state governments formed Ebube Agu and the regional security outfit has since been operationalised just as the Benue State Government in 2022 launched the Benue Guards.
However, lack of arms licence for the men of these state-owned security have been said to hamper their effectiveness even as calls grow for the police to let them bear assault rifles like AK-47.
As part of its efforts to make community policing work, the administration of then President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2020 approved the sum of N13.3bn for the take-off of community policing initiative across the country but some challenges have encumbered the implementation of the initiative.
‘Challenges Will Be Addressed’
Acknowledging the challenges in the implementation of the initiative, the new IGP said they would be resolved and community policing is going to work.
IGP Egbetokun said, “On community policing, there is a lot that we are going to do differently in the implementation of the community policing strategies that we are operating presently.
“I discussed that with the retiring IG, my predecessor just before we came here and he told me all the problems we are facing with the implementation of the community policing strategies. We are not going to set it aside, we are going to continue with it but we are going to review a lot of things. We are going to make it work.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima has met with British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery at the State House, Abuja.
In a chat with State House correspondents after the meeting on Wednesday, the British High Commissioner said the meeting with the Nigerian Vice President was fruitful, as it focused on how to ramp up bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in the area of boosting economic engagements.
Montgomery said British ministers are “responding positively” to the policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration including removal of fuel subsidy and unification of foreign exchange rates.
The British High Commissioner said he discussed with the Vice-President on the measures to cushion the effect of the President’s first policies like subsidy removal.
He said, “I was in London last week and I was briefing my ministers and I was also talking to British business(es) in the finance, banking and investment sectors and they are responding very positively to these first decisions.
“We know that there are tough times with inflation and unemployment. The Vice President and I also touched on some of the measures that might be possible to cushion some of these economic pressures.”
Montgomery expressed confidence that the reforms of the new administrations in Nigeria will help place the country on a greater path.
“The big issue is that these reforms help out Nigeria on a higher, greater path, will attract more investments and the United Kingdom and the City of London see Nigeria as a big opportunity going forward,” he stated.
The Acting Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has officially assumed office as the 22nd IG.
The former IG, Usman Baba, officially handed over to Egbetokun today, Wednesday, during a Handing/Taking Over Ceremony of the Inspector-General of Police at the Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
PUNCH reports that Egbetokun was decorated on Tuesday at the State House by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and his four other friends in the G5 to come up with another aggrieved group within opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to make winning the 2027 presidential election a smooth ride for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akpabio, a former Akwa Ibom State governor, spoke on Sunday at a thanksgiving reception held at Wike’s private residence on Ada-George Road, in his hometown, Rumueprikom in the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the oil-rich South-South state.
“I want to thank you for all your efforts to bring justice to Nigeria,” Akpabio told Wike who backed the return of power to Southern Nigeria and supported APC’s candidate, Bola Tinubu against his party’s choice, Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election.
“And I want to thank the G5 Governors,” the Senate President said whilst addressing the G5 or the Integrity Group made up of five major aggrieved politicians within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who kicked against the emergence of Abubakar in the last February 25 poll.
“We are very delighted, we are proud to have G5. Please, ensure that in 2027, another G5 emerges so that APC will continue to do well in this country. And if you like, you can add two more, make it G7 and not only G5,” Akpabio added.
‘I Predicted Makinde Will Be A Governor’
Addressing Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who is also one of the G5 members, Akpabio said, “Your Excellency (Governor) Makinde, you know I predicted that you are going to be a governor when I met you with the late Alaafin, may his soul rest in peace. I just saw the way you were walking and I said, ‘This man walks like a governor.’ I wasn’t surprised when you became a governor.”
All members of the G5 including Wike, Makinde and former Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) were seated at the event.
Another member of the Integrity Group and former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose; as well as Acting PDP Chairman, Umar Damagum; former Governors Peter Odili (Rivers), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and James Ibori (Delta) were in attendance.
President Bola Tinubu was represented by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Serving Governors Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), joined the long list of Very Important Personalities at the event which was a Mecca of sorts with high-ranking APC stalwarts and members of the 10th National Assembly including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, ex-Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole; ex-Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi; member representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume; amongst others.
G5 Romance With APC
Many believed the G5 whittled the chances of Abubakar in the last presidential election as the G5 had insisted on Rotational Presidency after the eight-year administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military head of state from Katsina State in North-West Nigeria whose two-term tenure as democratically elected President ended on May 29, 2023.
At the PDP primary last year before the 2023 general elections, the G5 couldn’t stop Abubakar, another northerner from Adamawa State from getting the party’s golden ticket. The group thereafter demanded that Iyorchia Ayu (another northerner from Benue State) stepped down for a southern replacement as PDP national chairman but both Atiku and Ayu called the bluff of the G5.
For the presidential election, Abubakar lost in all the G5 states and while Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi won in Enugu and Abia, Tinubu raked in Oyo, Benue and Rivers.
Tinubu, 70, came out tops in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and secured significant numbers in several other states to claim the highest number of votes — 8,794,726, almost two million votes more than his closest rival, Abubakar.
Abubakar, 76, who has now run for president six times, got 6,984,520 votes, while Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented finished the race with 6,101,533.
On June 8, the G5 visited President Tinubu at Aso Villa in Abuja.
The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, on Wednesday, said the subnational was in a state of disrepair when he assumed office on January 15, 2020.
“Given the situation in Imo State before 2020 when I became the governor and the situation of Imo State today, 2023, three years after, a lot of things are there for people to now know that there is a huge difference,” Uzodinma said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“When I came to Imo State, I met a moribund state, a state that was in distress. A state, I can even say, that was in the cemetery; I exhumed the body.
“Can you imagine a state where I came as the governor and everybody absconded? No handover note. There was no compass for me to navigate the aircraft.”
According to the governor, after harvesting information from “official and unofficial quarters,” he was able to establish a nominal roll.
Uzodinma added that he “re-established” the civil service, created a payroll, and began to rehabilitate all the infrastructure which he described as dilapidated.
“The infrastructure deficit was so huge, all the roads were not motorable, all the hospitals were not working. I started,” he said.
As the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, the governor is seeking re-election in the state’s governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023.
Other candidates include Samuel Anyawu (PDP), Senator Athan Achonu (Labour Party), Anthony Ejiogu (All Progressives Grand Alliance), and Ikenga Okere (Accord Party).
The Nigerian Armed Forces performed a rendition of Kizz Daniel's 'Buga' at the forecourt of the State House in Abuja as part of the activities to mark the 2023 Democracy Day on Monday.
In attendance are Vice President Kashim Shettima; President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; amongst others.
Former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused those opposed to the zoning of the senate presidency to the South-South region of deliberately laying a stumbling block for President Bola Tinubu in the National Assembly.
Wike asserted that anybody who loves, believes in the unity of the country, and wants the President Tinubu-led government to succeed, will not hesitate to ensure that the next Senate President should be from the South-South as already determined by the President and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership.
The immediate past Rivers State governor stated this during a media chat in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
“There is something going in the country now about the Senate presidency and the House leadership, and everybody knows my position. My position is that the (Senate) presidency should come to the South-South. We are not talking about the presidency of the country now, we are done with that.
“If you agree that (Senate) presidency should go to the south, tell me the truth, where should it go? It can’t be in the South-West. It can’t be in the South-East. South-South has only produced one Senate president, far back in 1979, Joseph Wayas. South-East has produced over seven.”
He stressed that those who were adverse to President Tinubu’s presidential ambition are still hellbent on laying stumbling block for him at the National Assembly, through their opposition to his preferred choice of former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio as the next Senate President.
“The party (All Progressives Congress) and the President appear to have a soft spot for Akpabio. I would have thought that people will say, look allow this administration to start on a very good foundation, so nobody gives us excuses that why this administration could not start on good footing is because of the rancour between the executive and the legislature.”
Wike disclosed that President Tinubu and the APC national leadership preference for Akpabio, who is a Christian, is part of a deliberate strategy aimed at dispersing the misconception generated by the choice of former Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, a Muslim, as the president’s running mate.
According to him, by backing Akpabio and appointing the former Benue State governor, George Akume, as Secretary to the Federation, President Tinubu has demonstrated his sincerity to balance the faith question raised by the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket in the last presidential election.
“Muslim-Muslim ticket was a problem, coupled with the abysmal performance of the last government, it was a double jeopardy. PDP campaigned against it that this country can’t have a President as Muslim and Vice President a Muslim. Somehow, by the president’s own luck, God being by his side, and his doggedness, he was able to make it.
“Mind you, a lot of booty trap were set for Mr. President not to emerge as President. A lot of booty traps were set even by people in his own party. It is correct. There is no government in this world which is a ruling party that can bring up policy that will make your party to be unpopular during election period.
“Within that period of election, you brought the issue of Naira redesign and brought the issue of there was no fuel. Two things that affected the masses. You will know it was a booty trap set against Asiwaju not to emerge. Nobody can deceive me that that policy was not targeted at him.”
The former governor dismissed insinuation that his recent visit to the Presidential Villa was in connection to speculation that he was being offered ministerial position.
According to him, President Tinubu has never during any of their meetings made such offer to him as is being speculated in the media.
“Every week, you see people reeling out different list. What is my business? Mr. President has not called me one day to say, look, this is what I want you to do, for me to say yes or no. But, you see people churning out list. I’m sure this week another list will come out.”
He also described the appointment of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, as the Chief of Staff to the President as most appropriate.
Wike has, however, faulted the North retention position of chairman of the People’s Democratic Party Governors’ Forum.
The immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said he would make consultations with his wife and friends to determine whether or not to take up any appointment offer from President Bola Tinubu.
Wike, in an interview with BBC Pidgin, insisted that his wife and friends are the set of people he would first reach out to.
The Peoples Democratic Party chieftain who clarified that the President had yet to broach any such issue with him, however declared that he is not too big to serve the country.
However, Wike said he would want to rest for now, after serving as a governor for eight years.
According to him, “I’m going to rest; I have worked for eight years, so I’m going to rest.
“Tinubu has not informed me about getting an appointment; I’m not too big to serve my country, but he has never told me that he would give me an appointment.
“If he asks me, the first thing I will do is ask my wife and friends what they think about it.
“I will also assess myself if I’m prepared. I will never do what I’m not ready for,” he remarked.
Wike had ruled out plans to defect to the All Progressives Congress, even after meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Friday.
He said he only visited the president to offer him support four days after his inauguration.
Ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole has justified the decision of President Bola Tinubu to announce the removal of fuel subsidy.
“During the last fuel crisis, I found myself paying N1,000 for a litre somewhere in Edo state, where I ran out of fuel and had to refuel in order to get back home,” Mr Oshiomhole stated. “I wasn’t the only one. Many people. You find people sleeping in the petrol stations.”
Mr Tinubu’s “subsidy is gone” pronouncement triggered a sudden surge in petrol pump price and panic buying across Nigeria.
Petrol pump prices now range from N488 to N540. Some areas reported that the pump price of petrol rose as high as N1,200.
Mr Oshiomhole told Channels TV Sunday night that the new president’s declaration was in order when asked if Mr Tinubu had carefully considered his “subsidy is gone” statement.
“It is not a sudden withdrawal because at the time the budget was announced, subsidy will end in June,” stated the former Edo governor.
The former NLC leader added, “Whether you reverse the policy today and bring it back in June, what is the difference? You know that assuming that the government announced that today the policy had been reversed until June, marketers will start hoarding, and the price will go even higher.”
Mr Oshiomhole, who led several protests against petrol price hikes, likened fuel subsidy removal to a life-saving surgery, admitting that “the response of NLC is legitimate.”
“Namely, this decision will lead to a higher cost of living. My take-home pay can no longer take me home. In leadership, you have to take tough but necessary decisions in order to save the patient,” explained the former Edo governor.
The ex-NLC president added, “When doctors carry out surgery, they know that there will be some pain, but the surgery is necessary to keep the patient alive. He would suffer pain in the short run, but in the long run, you hope that he would live longer. I think those are the issues not about whether you talk properly or you did it properly.”
NLC will go on a nationwide strike against sudden fuel subsidy removal without provisions for palliatives to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on the masses.
The National Union of Electricity Employees and Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria are expected to join the protest on Wednesday.
A former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has expressed confidence that issues arising from the removal of fuel subsidy will be quickly resolved between the Federal Government and the organized labour.
Oshiomhole, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, said that President Bola Tinubu recognizes the impact the withdrawal of fuel subsidy is having on Nigerians and is determined to take immediate action to cushion it.
“This president recognizes that the effect of the withdrawal is already here, people are already going through some level of discomfort and therefore there has to be an immediate solution to it.
“Now that immediate solution is what we discussed and the fact that we are meeting on Tuesday again shows that clearly, we realize that this is not one of those things you want to buy time because it has a real negative impact, on particularly, the most vulnerable group.
“But we have a solution to it because you are going to make savings, so take from that savings or even if it is borrowing. So, whatever it is, you can leverage some revenue and improve wages to cushion the cost of living, I think it is legitimate, I think it is doable, it is not something that you want to spend two to three months negotiating,” Oshiomhole said.
The former Nigeria Labour Congress (NUC) president was part of a meeting between the Federal Government and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Sunday and he said the meeting was productive, adding that the government will consider all the demands by the TUC and revert on Tuesday.
He said that if Nigeria can save about N7 trillion by ending subsidy, the Federal Government can take part of that money and put in the wage sector “because those savings will go into the federation account which will be distributed among the three tiers of government and so every tier of government will have more money and should be able to meet the consequential increase in wages”.
The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, on Wednesday, supervised the cleanup exercise in the Aba and Umuahia areas of the state.
He shared the video via his Facebook account and wrote, “Today, I supervised the cleanup exercise for Aba and Umuahia, which commenced yesterday.
“I wish to thank all those working pro-bono to ensure that our towns are clean, and all who braved the rain to give effect to the directive we gave two days ago, declaring an emergency on the cleanup of Aba and Umuahia.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima assumed for work at the Vice President wing of the State House in Abuja on Tuesday at 12.39pm.
Speaking to State House Correspondents in his office, the Vice President restated the commitment of himself and President Bola Tinubu to improving the lives of the Nigerian people.
When asked about the fuel scarcity currently being experienced following the subsidy removal pronouncement made by the President at the inauguration on Monday, Mr Shettima affirmed the statement made by President.
He promised the Nigerian people better years ahead under the Tinubu-Shettima administration.
Akwa Ibom governor, Umo Eno, recognised Nigerian chef, Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, during his speech at the swearing-in ceremony at the Godswill International Stadium, Uyo.
He said, “Hilda, wherever you are, I recognise you, Guinness world record holder for the longest cooking hour by an individual.”
Eno as well as Senator Akon Eyankenyi were sworn in as the governor and deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State, respectively, by the State Chief judge, Justice Ekaette Obot on Monday.
Hilda Baci broke the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual with a 100-hour record time.
Afrobeat star, David Adeleke also known as Davido, on Monday performed at the inauguration party of the Abia State governor, Alex Otti, at the state's Government House.
Davido's aide, Isreal DMW, shared clips of the performance on his Instagram story.
Socialite Cubana Chief Priest, who was also at the event, added that the singer would also perform at the inauguration reception for the newly sworn-in Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
The video of the 17-year-old pupil of Oyemekun Grammar School Akure, Ondo State, Philip Solomon breaking the Guinness World Record holder for most skips on one foot in 30 seconds.
Education / List Of Universities To Apply For Free In The United States by MrNotAgain: 12:28am On Feb 25