Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Thursday issued a warning to residents of the state, especially the market community, to strictly comply with COVID-19 protocols as a rise in the number of infections is being reported in the state.
The deputy governor of the state, Nasiru Gawuna, revealed this on behalf of the governor at a COVID-19 stakeholders’ meeting with market community leaders in the state at the Government House in Kano.
He said it had been reported that 19 family members tested positive for COVID-19 after its breadwinner recently got infected and died as a result.
He said, “This COVID-19 pandemic is real and we have to seriously fight it.
“There was a house where the breadwinner died of COVID-19 recently and when the family members were tested, 19 of them were found to be positive,”
“We all know that it is the marketers that suffer most whenever there is a lockdown especially those who have to work to feed on a daily basis.
“Adhere to the necessary COVID-19 protocols to avoid the spread of the pandemic in the state and to avoid a situation that will necessitate the lockdown again,” he added.
The governor emphasized that the second wave of the virus was deadlier and warned residents to comply with the safety protocols in order to prevent another lockdown as well as closure of markets in the state.
He also promised 100,000 facemasks will be distributed to the market community to mitigate the spread of the pandemic and encourage compliance.
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah as a Muslim hater and said that the National Peace Committee (NPC) being an initive by the cleric had lost credibility among Nigerians.
A statement on Friday by the Nigerian Islamic human rights organization director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the group spoke following a revelation by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that the NPC is a personal initiative of Kukah.
“We received the information supplied yesterday by the Vice Chairman (Northern Region) of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Hayab, with great relief. The CAN Vice Chairman revealed that the National Peace Committee (NPC) is a non-governmental group convened by Bishop Kukah himself.
“This information is hidden from the public as NPC website merely says, ‘The National Peace Committee is an initiative conceptualized in 2014 in response to emerging threats occasioned by the 2015 general elections. It is an initiative made up of eminent elder statesmen who undertake efforts to support free, fair and credible elections as well as intervene in critical issues of national concern through high-level mediated and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms…
“The fact that the author of the ‘initiative’ is hidden from the public in its website here shows lack of transparency and possession of a hidden agenda. The joker card is in Kukah’s pocket. This can be gleaned from the composition of the membership of the committee which has fifteen (15) members.
“They are: Abdul Salami Abubakar, Mathew Hassan Kukah, Okoh Ebute Ukiwe, Dame Priscilla Kuye, HRH Sa’d Abubakar III the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Aliko Dangote GCON, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Mr. Brown Ade, Mr. Sam Amuka, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Professor Amezi Gobadiya, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Dr. Supo Ayokunle (CAN President), Justice Rose Ikeji
“These are eminent personalities whom we respect. But that should not be all. We must look further and ask, ‘How ‘national’ is the National Peace Committee? This must be done particularly because the brain behind it is also a social critic. A man who interrogates others must know that his actions will equally be interrogated. So how ‘national’ is the National Peace Committee?
“From the above list of members of Kuka’s committee we can see ten (10) Christians and five (5) Muslims only. There are also nine Southerners as against six (6) Northerners only. Can you now see what we mean? A man who always complains about marginalization and accuses others of nepotism cannot even raise a committee of fifteen without falling foul of his own allegations against others,” the statement reads.
Continuing Akintola said, “Bishop Kukah, sir, permit us to borrow a question for you from your Bible: ‘Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?…’ (Mathew 7:3-5).
“Bishop Kukah turned a personal initiative to ‘national’ and Nigerians fell for it. With due respect to the distinguished leaders who are members of the committee. We believe that they merely keyed into the scheme as patriotic citizens without any intention to deceive Nigerians. But not Kukah. He was playing a card and he knew what he was doing all along.
“Pity Rev. Hayab let the cat out of the bag. Hear him: ‘How on earth will you say a man should be removed from the house he builds?’ Did you hear that? So NPC is a house built by Kukah. Sounds interesting. Too discourteous, overzealous perhaps? It happens sometimes. Kukah will have to forgive his brother in the Lord for being less tactical.
“But why call the NPC ‘national’ if it is just a single man’s initiative. What is national about it? Is it the ratio 10:5 Christian-Muslim membership or the 9:6 Southern-Northern margin? By Nigerian standard and practice, anything ‘national’ is established by the government. So why dub a committee started by a single man ‘national’?
“This presupposes that there was, ab initio, an intention to pull the wool over the face of Nigerians. NPC was to be used against somebody (a political foe?) or a group of people (most likely Muslims?) in the near future. It is highly deceitful, misleading and perfidious. Had it been christened Kukah Peace Committee had been good. But now the wind has blown. We have seen the ruff of the hen. Kukah elected to call his committee ‘National’ to hoodwink Nigerians. We reject this nomenclature. It is bogus, mischievous and opportunistic.
“For the avoidance of doubts, we did not ask the Federal Government (FG) to expel Bishop Kukah from the NPC, we knew all along that NPC is an NGO. What we cautioned FG about was the obsession of successive governments in appointing Kukah into mediation committees.
“It is our humble opinion that a Muslim hater like Kukah should not be allowed to sit in judgement or in mediation on issues affecting Muslims or matters affecting the North. FG is free to appoint him as minister and give him six portfolios at a time if it so desires but never again as a mediator. Appoint him to any federal post but not to committees and councils that will mediate between the North and the South or between Christians and Muslims. He can never be fair or objective. His mind is fixated on one thing and we already know what that thing is.”
The Presidential ambition of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State got a boost on Thursday as the Niger State House of Assembly endorsed him.
The Niger State lawmakers also said it was the turn of the North Central geopolitical zone to produce the next President of the country come 2023.
The assembly made the endorsement during a visit by the 25 members of the Kogi State House of Assembly led by their Speaker, Matthew Kolawole to the Assembly, to solicit support for Bello.
According to the lawmakers, it was time for the zone to come together to support Bello’s ambition, adding that as a young and vibrant governor, and with the ‘not too young to run bill’ already assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari, he remains the best candidate for the number one position in 2023.
With all the state lawmakers making contributions in support of Bello’s ambition, the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Bawa Wuse, said: “We must come together from the North Central states to support this laudable and worthy project for the benefit of the people of the North Central and Nigeria in general.
“We need somebody from the North Central for the Presidency in 2023, so since Governor Yahaya Bello has come out for now, he has our support, he has our endorsement and we will support him.”
Former President Goodluck Jonathan says restructuring of the country alone will not help solve the numerous problems bedeviling the country like nepotism, ethnic and religious crisis if Nigerians do not restructure their minds.
Jonathan, who was a guest speaker at the 18th Daily Trust Dialogue held in Abuja on Thursday, with the theme: “Restructuring: Why? How?”, said:
“We cannot restructure without solving issues that polarize us; nepotism, ethnic and religious differences and lack of patriotism.”
Jonathan added that the country must develop specific solutions to her problems adding that Nigerians have mutual suspicion towards one another which must be nipped in the bud before Nigerians can have a better country to live in.
According to the ex-president, “discussion on restructuring will not help except we restructure our minds. Some of the challenges faced at the national level are still there at the state and local government levels, and sometimes even in our communities,” he said.
Continuing, he said:
“We cannot restructure without solving issues that polarize us; nepotism, ethnic and religious differences and lack of patriotism.”
He said that the regional government before the civil war was restructured to 12 states by the then Military Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon.
“It was a great decision to save the country from disintegration after coming out of the civil war. Going forward, Nigeria must design a solution in line with her peculiar issues.
“Let’s do our little best in our little corner to make the country great. The leaders and citizens should not lose hope in the nation as the future is bright.”
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime industry have hailed the reappointment of Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) by President Muhammadu Buhari for a second and final five-year tenure.
Stakeholders welcomed the renewal of Bala-Usman’s appointment and urged her to continue her reforms.
While commending Buhari for her reappointment, they called on her to build port infrastructure and make the ports more responsive and competitive.
In an interview with THISDAY, the President of Shipowners’ Forum, Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi, called on the NPA boss to consolidate on her good work and also empower women and groom people to sustain her legacy.
“She has set a huge standard in the industry and one other thing is that she is ready to learn as well as share her time. “What is important is to groom and mentor the younger one and people that will take over from her when she lives.
“Also, she should ensure in this new term, she opened the eastern portal end congestion in the seaport as well as the traffic gridlock, which has been another challenge in the last few years.
“She should ensure she achieves the call-up system because that is long overdue. The jetties and quay apron needed to be rehabilitated because they are collapsing. “She also needs to ensure that infrastructure that will attract investment to the sector are rehabilitated and constructed,” she said.
On his part, President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the umbrella body of customs agents in Nigeria, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, applauded the reappointment and called on the NPA boss to focus on her reforms to make the ports better.
He urged her to ensure that NPA as a service provider focuses on the technical aspect of port operations.
“She has done well and deserves commendation but we have a lot of problems that are militating against the port industry, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA); the AfCFTA has commenced; how are our ports going to fare? We want her to do more to make the port active and responsive because what we have now is too expensive.
“For now, the NPA does not have a defined role because when you look at the three components of the port, regulations, port operations, and landlord, they are supposed to be technical operators.
Hadiza Bala Usman
“They should focus on building the port in her new tenure. We are losing our cargo; the port access roads are not in good shape.
“She must focus on trying to build a new port system and focus on the technical aspect like dredging. They are providers of services so they should focus on providing the services to make the port better,” he said
Former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta is dead.
A younger brother of the deceased former police chief, Abdulrahman Adamu, confirmed Jimeta’s death to Daily Trust.
Adamu, a former minister of interior, said Jimeta’s funeral will take place on Friday after the Friday prayers at the National Mosque, Abuja.
Jimeta
Born on April 15, 1937, Jimeta was appointed IGP in 1986 to succeed Etim Inyang and was succeeded by Aliyu Attah in 1990.
He was also a National Security Adviser to former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida.
President Muhammadu Buhari has voiced sadness over Jimeta’s demise, saying the country had lost a great son who lived for the nation and served with all his strength.
The President, in the statement issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, described the late crack police detective as “a man of great courage, intellect and a true Nigerian statesman”.
Buhari commiserated with his family as well as the government and people of Nigeria over the loss.
The historian asked people of the Yoruba race and Nigerians to prepare to defend themselves against herdsmen.
The Worldwide Leader of the Yoruba global movement, Ilana Omo Oodua, Prof Banji Akintoye, has accused the Presidency of supporting criminality by faulting Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s order asking herdsmen to vacate forest reserves in the state.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, the historian asked people of the Yoruba race and Nigerians to prepare to defend themselves against herdsmen.
He accused Fulani herdsmen of engaging in full-scale criminality since President Muhammadu Buhari became Nigeria’s president.
The Yoruba elder wondered why the Federal Government had refused to prosecute many Fulani herdsmen engaging in criminal activities.
He said, “The Presidency is now initiating a very dangerous doctrine of governance in Nigeria. The presidency is now saying that the state’s authority no longer includes the security of the people of the state.
“That is not only bad but dangerous to the existence of Nigeria. It is an assessment of the quality of governance in Nigeria by the rest of the world.
“All Nigerians who are being assaulted, raped, and killed by the Fulani must defend themselves; not only Yorubas or those living in Ondo. If we continue to wait for the Federal Government, these herdsmen will kill all of us. We must rise to defend ourselves.
Prof Banji Akintoye
“The Nigerian government has shown again that it is working for the Fulani. I don’t think anybody should be afraid to say that because it is the truth. The Fulani has been committing crimes on a massive scale since 2015 in Nigeria.
“The government has never owned up that they are committing the crime. They have been going around kidnapping, killing people, and destroying farms, properties, and villages on a persistent scale and those things are crimes under the laws of Nigeria. In some parts of the country, it looks as if the army is colluding with them (herdsmen).”
The Ilana Omo Oodua leader commended Akeredolu, urging Yoruba to support him.
“Akeredolu should be commended for his decision, for his courage and show of knowledge of the land. We support what he is doing. We are waiting for what government would come and do in Ondo State,” he added.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday urged the new United States President, Joe Biden, to help Nigeria in its fights against terrorism.
Atiku made the call on his Twitter handle while congratulating Biden who was inaugurated as the US 46th President on Wednesday.
The ex-vice president expressed optimism that Biden’s administration would mark a new era in America’s regeneration and her reaffirmation as the beacon of democracy to the world at large.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain stressed that he looks forward to the removal of every travel restriction on Nigerian citizens in keeping with the good relations between the two nations.
Atiku wrote: “As Joe Biden begins his tenure as the 46th President of the United States of America, I am confident that this new era will mark America’s regeneration and her reaffirmation as the beacon of democracy to the world.
“As I congratulate President Biden and VP Kamala Harris, I urge them and their administration to strengthen US-Nigeria ties and help our beloved nation’s war on terror by providing every type of support required to win the war against the insurgency we face.
“I also look forward to the removal of every travel restriction on Nigerian citizens, in keeping with the good relations that have existed between our two nations beginning with the July 27, 1961 state visit of our first Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, to President John F. Kennedy, and continuing over the decades since then.
“As the playwright, George Bernard Shaw, once said, America and Nigeria are two nations divided by a common language. And millions of Nigerians and I wish to see that relationship sustained to the mutual benefit of both our democratic nations.
“Congratulations once again and may God bless both our nations and bring about a beneficial tenure for your administration.”
A member of the Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC), Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, on Wednesday declared his 2023 presidential bid.
Ohuabunwa, who declared his presidential bid during the inauguration of the newly-formed political group, New Nigeria Movement (NNM) in Abuja, said only an Igbo presidency would end the agitation for the Republic of Biafra by secessionist groups in the South-East.
He said the country was being run in an “opaque manner and urgently needed a redirection for the good of all.”
Ohuabunwa said: “Every Nigerian who wants unity must support power shift. Igbo presidency will stop Biafra agitation which asks for equity, fairness, and freedom; even other agitations will stop. Igbos are for justice and equity.
“We are not coming with anger and recrimination, but with equity; we need to come out and make Nigeria work. God has put it to my heart to come and contest for the office of the president of Nigeria.
“I am making myself available; it must not be me, but an Igbo of character. Ndigbo must present their best. God has given me the motivation and what it takes to lead Nigeria to get a country that works for everybody. It is not about the South-East, it is about Nigeria.”
Ohuabunwa is the current President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).
U.S. Surgeon General, Jerome Adams has resigned from his position at the request of President Joe Biden. Adams, 46, was nominated by former President Donald Trump and sworn into the job in September 2017.
In a lengthy post on Facebook, Adams wrote: Thank you for the opportunity to serve this great Nation, as this has been the honor of my life. Three years and five months ago, I was confirmed as just the 20th United States Surgeon General – and only the second ever African American male to serve in that role.
My tenure started with three category 5 hurricanes barreling down on our citizens. I immediately deployed to witness the devastation first hand, and to lead our Public Health Service Officers as we helped with the response. I saw the best of our Nation coming together in the worse of times, to help those who’d lost everything.
I then turned my attention to the opioid epidemic, encouraging more people to carry Naloxone by issuing the first Surgeon General’s advisory in over a decade. Working across government and with amazing advocacy organizations on the ground- many led by parents who had lost their own children to opioid overdose- we were able to increase Naloxone availability nationwide by over 400%, and save countless lives. This is perhaps my proudest achievement, as my family has been personally impacted my substance misuse, and I firmly believe stigma remains one of our biggest killers and barriers to health.
Being a parent of school-age children myself, I saw the need to issue subsequent advisories warning of the dangers of youth e-cigarette and youth marijuana use- a combination which merged into the deadly EVALI outbreak our Nation faced. Despite any opinions about adult use of these products, I hope Americans can agree that we must all work together to prevent youth initiation and use.
In 2019, I issued the first Surgeon Generals report in over 30 years on smoking cessation, highlighting the groups still most impacted by smoking, and the science behind what we know works to help them quit. We have made tremendous progress, but far too many- including those with mental health issues, our tribal citizens, and the LGBTQ community, haven’t shared equally in cessation successes.
And of course, there was COVID19. In the face of a once in a century pandemic, I sought to communicate the rapidly evolving science on this deadly adversary, and arm people with the knowledge and tools they needed to stay safe. I wasn’t always right- because no one was, and this virus continues to humble all of us- but I was always sincere in my efforts to speak to everyday Americans, and address the terrible health inequities this virus exposed.
My team also put out historic Surgeon General’s Calls to Action on Hypertension Control, Maternal Health, and Suicide Prevention. We did this because even in midst of a deadly pandemic, hundreds of thousands of people are killed by these other health risks every year. For example, more people died from uncontrolled high blood pressure in 2020 than from Covid-19. We mustn’t forget about all the other harms Americans face every day, or the many opportunities we have to improve health, and build more resilient communities. And we mustn’t forget that diseases and health risks rarely impact all communities equally. That’s why these Calls to Action specifically mention the groups disparately impacted, and talk about the need to study and address aggravating factors like bias.
Finally, I released a completely novel type of Surgeon Generals report- a report on Community Health and Economic Prosperity. It emphasizes the links between the health of our communities and the health of our economies. It is unique in that it makes the business case for why we all should care about and invest in the vital conditions that create opportunities and healthier communities.
During my tenure, I have visited with people from all across America. And despite all that you may read on social media or see on tv, I can assure you that from Alaska to Alabama, from Maine to Montana, and from California to the Carolinas, Americans mostly want the same thing. They want a fair shot at being their best and healthiest self, and to be able to support the health and well being of their families.
And speaking of families, I want to thank those of you who supported me and my family- my wife who is undergoing cancer treatment, my brother who is struggling to overcome addiction, my mother who suffered a stroke earlier this year, and my kids who sacrificed time with their dad so that he could serve this Nation. And thanks to those of you who have become part of my family- the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, my dedicated support staff in the Office of the Surgeon General, the amazing colleagues and friends I’ve met across government, and the many people across this great Nation who constantly pray for my wife and kids, and ask about my dog Bella.
I hope in 2021 and beyond, we can focus more on what unites us, and rise above what divides us. Because Americans working together can overcome any obstacle or adversary. I stand at the ready to help in our mutual quest for recovery, resilience, and health, and thank you from the bottom of my heart, for the opportunity to serve. Adams’ resignation came shortly after Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office.
Back in December, the Biden administration announced its nominee, Vivek Murthy for the role of the surgeon general. He previously served in the position under former President Barack Obama and he’s a close adviser to Biden.
When his nomination was revealed, Murthy said in a statement: “In this moment of crisis, I’m grateful for the opportunity to help end this pandemic, be a voice for science, and support our nation on its path to rebuilding and healing.” Murthy’s nomination will still need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before he can begin work.
Members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives literarily found themselves swimming against the tide last week.
This was evident in the grumbles of some NASS members in the period leading up to government announcement of school resumptions amid resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lawmakers had expressed deep reservations over inadequate consultations by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, and its hasty reopening of educational institutions, especially the universities which had been shut for nearly a year.
This incident, among others, characterized events at NASS last week.
On January 16, the House of Representatives faulted the Federal Government for giving schools the go-ahead to reopen despite the increasing cases of COVID-19.
The lawmakers bared their minds in a statement issued by the Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, in Abuja.
“They did not consult us; at least in my committee, nobody from the ministry spoke to me. I have been in Abuja. And I am not sure that they spoke to any of my members. They just don’t see us as part of the critical stakeholders,” Ihonvbere said.
He added: “We are particularly concerned that when the infection rates hovered around 500 and under, schools were closed; but now that it hovers well above 1,000 infections daily, schools are being reopened. Why are we rushing to reopen schools without adequate verifiable and sustainable arrangements to protect and secure our children?”
Ihonvbere’s outburst adds to the long list of claims of poor synergy observed in the relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government.
Unfortunately, it also deepens the longstanding perception that the executive holds little regard for the other arms, and would rather emasculate them where it deemed necessary.
Instructively, many years after leaning on democratic principles for guidance, the institutions of state appear not to be maturing very quickly but rather what has been witnessed is the rise of strong individuals who show little respect for rules of engagement in a democracy.
But in crying out loud, the lawmakers must appreciate that they have, over the years, made themselves weeping boys by failing to assert their authority, thereby laying the foundations for a disdainful treatment by the executive.
The new President of United States, Joe Biden, has signed a string of executive actions reversing key policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
A few hours after his inauguration, Biden headed to the White House and reversed the so-called immigration policy which banned citizens of Muslim nations from entering the US, rejoined the Paris Climate accord, and terminated the process for withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The president, who told journalists in the Oval Office that there was “no time to waste,” signed at least 15 executive actions.
Biden said: “Some of the executive actions I’m going to be signing today are going to help change the course of the COVID crisis. We are going to combat climate change in a way that we haven’t done so far and advance racial equity and support other underserved communities.”
During his inaugural address, Biden urged the nation to unite around defeating the COVID-19 which he described as the deadliest pandemic in a century.
Soyinka describes Trump as a xenophobic aberrant who disrespects the female gender.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who famously tore his green card to shreds after Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States in 2016, says he has forgiven Americans for electing Trump whom he describes as a “racist,” “xenophobe” and “monster.”
In an interview with Arise TV, the playwright said America has now redeemed itself by voting Trump out.
“I feel honoured to be associated with the democratic forces of the United States for correcting the unbelievable error that they committed four years ago,” Soyinka says.
On ripping his green card to shreds four years ago, Soyinka says: “I consider myself back in that community from which I dissociated myself four years ago and I am very glad to be back but I am not renewing my green card, it is not necessary. I go in and out as a visiting alien and that is good enough for me.” Soyinka says he was very much concerned with the US elections in 2016 because the country has a huge Nigerian population, adding that America’s history would not be complete without blacks.
He says he tried to warn Nigerians resident in the U.S about the impending danger of a Trump Presidency. When his advice was ignored, Soyinka says, he had to rip his green card to shreds.
Professor Wole Soyinka
“The complacency was very painful and I said if you people are so careless as to let this racist, this monster, this xenophobic aberrant, this disrespect of the female gender, this serial bankrupt, this man who called your own society a shithole country, if you are so careless as to let him become the next president, I am moving out,” he says.
Soyinka says he was somewhat happy when a Trump inspired mob attacked the U.S Congress, because Americans had come to take democracy for granted. So, you can imagine what I have felt over the last few weeks, the siege on the Capitol. In a way it was rather heart-warming for the Americans themselves to feel that what they have been fighting for is not really a given in their society and they had to confront it in a brutal, unbelievable way and they came out of it in flying colours.
“It is not over not by any means, I don’t say that for a single moment but it has been a lesson for us in this continent and we should be grateful that it did happen.
“I am sorry of course about the loss of life, I regret the disruption of normal life but now we are placed on the same playing level, that we are all fighting for the same virtue in human conduct, the same system we all believe in that you cannot take it for granted, not anymore and for us here in Nigeria, it has been, I hope, it was been a heart-warming occasion,” Soyinka adds.
Democrat Joe Biden was sworn-in as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Wednesday announced his donation of N500 million to the Sokoto State Government to support the rebuilding of the Sokoto Central Market which was ravaged by fire on Tuesday.
This was disclosed by Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s special adviser on media and publicity, Malam Muhammad Bello, in a statement made available to newsmen.
The Rivers governor, while expressing his shock and sadness over the incident, stated that the donation was to support the victims of the inferno and help in rebuilding the market.
Wike noted that anything that affects Sokoto also affects Rivers as a result of the age-long relationship they both share.
Tambuwal, while inspecting the scene alongside Wike, revealed that the market had 16,000 shops out of which at least 60 per cent were affected by the fire.
He said, “when the fire broke out the relevant state government agencies and those of the Federal Government within the state were mobilised to control it.
After inspecting the scene, Wike and his entourage also paid a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, who condoled with the state government and the victims over the incident.
The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) on Wednesday chided Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for directing Fulani herdsmen to leave Ondo forests within one week.
But the Ondo State Government had fired back at the Presidency for calling them to order, saying the statement issued by the Aso Villa on Monday was not from an informed perspective.
Also, the Afenifere and other groups from the South West and South-South, including some farmers, lauded the decision taken by Governor Akeredolu saying they were with him.
However, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) in a statement advised Governor Akeredolu not to allow “mischief makers” to compound security challenges in the country with his order, urging him to rescind the directive banishing the herdsmen or clarify his position in the event that he was misunderstood.
The statement signed by the Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed argued that Akeredolu as a senior lawyer should know that the Nigerian Constitution does not give him the power to deny any citizen the right to live where he chooses if he does not break the law in the process.
NEF said that if there were criminal elements among the Fulani herders who live in the state, the governor should take appropriate steps to identify them and deal with them and not to pass a sweeping indictment.
The statement read, “The Forum had resisted the urge to comment since the reported quit order because this is an extremely sensitive issue. It has, however, become necessary to speak at this stage and offer advice before mischief-makers capitalise on the issue to compound our existing challenges around security and co-existence.
“Governor Akeredolu is a senior lawyer who should know that the constitution does not give him the power to deny any Nigerian the right to live where he chooses if he does not break the law in the process. His duty to protect and improve the security of citizens and all people in Ondo State cannot be challenged.
“Indeed, all governors need more support to improve their responses to security challenges, which citizens face. Nonetheless, no Nigerian has the power to take punitive action against citizens on political grounds.
“The Forum believes that the action of the governor is provocative and unhelpful. If there are criminal elements among the Fulani who live in the state, the governor should take appropriate steps to identify them and deal with them,” he said.
South West elders on the other hand through the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said the Yoruba socio-cultural group was not surprised by the statement from the presidency urging Akeredolu not to go against the law.
Afenifere alleged that the development showed Buhari’s preference for promoting Fulani interests.
It said the prompt response by the Presidency was a sign that the Buhari government “has a serious problem with heating the rest of us when the issue involves its anointed Fulanis.”
According to Odumakin, “The intervention by what we mistakenly call the federal government of Nigeria on behalf of marauding Fulanis in Ondo State against the lawful government in that state did not come to Afenifere as a surprise as it is in line with the non-pretence by this regime that it represents only Fulani interests against those of Yoruba, Igbo, Jukun, Ijaw and other tribes in Nigeria.
“That the federal government and its minion, Garba Shehu, could only hear Ondo State when Governor Akeredolu was very loud and clear about herders to vacate forest reserves in the state is symptomatic that this government has a serious problem with heating the rest of us when the issue involves its anointed Fulanis.
“The Fulani criminals have caused untold hardships in Ondo State and other Yoruba towns and cities in recent time and only an irresponsible government that wants to behave like our federal government will continue to fold its arms.
“Are Ondo forest reserves under Ondo State government or the federal government and Miyetti Allah? We agree with the Ondo State government that the insensibility of Garba Shehu violates the corporate existence of Nigeria,” the statement said.
The Afenifere urged Yoruba people to stand with the governor, asking other South-West governors to emulate Akeredolu in order to “free our land from the Fulani who have surrounded us with the shield of the federal government.”
Another group, the Coalition of Oduduwa Elders, also warned the Presidency to steer clear of governance issues in Ondo or any other state in the country, saying the governor’s action was the best in protecting the lives of Ondo citizens.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr Tunde Arem and National Secretary, Barrister (Mrs) Folake Ajasin, the group asked the governor not to be distracted by actions of those it said “have failed to safeguard the lives of Nigerians” but be firm and decisive in his actions aimed at giving Ondo people safety.
“Akeredolu, to the best of our knowledge is a sitting governor of Ondo State. Until he is out of office, he has the constitutional mandate to device the best ways possible in giving his people who voted him into office good and quality leadership,” they said.
While noting that herders, like other citizens, have the rights to live anywhere in the country, the Yoruba group said, “They (herdsmen) must be reminded that their rights stop where other people’s rights start.”
Fielding questions from journalists in Akure, the Senior Special Adviser (Security Matters) to Governor Akeredolu, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, told newsmen that the directive given to Fulani herders became necessary having considered all options to check incessant kidnapping, killing of the people and destruction of crops.
He said that the state government had a meeting with the leadership of the herdsmen in the state on how to check activities of armed herdsmen kidnapping and killing people in the state.
According to him, “I want to believe that President Muhammadu Buhari is not in the picture of what is happening here because if he knew the clear picture of what is happening in Ondo State, there won’t be any negative reaction. We voted for him before he became the president and he is there to protect us not to destroy us.
“The security situation in Ondo State is becoming unbearable, every one of us living in the state knows that it is becoming unbearable to the fact that after the #EndSARS saga, there was never a day that one or two people will not be kidnapped in the state.
“This situation is embarrassing, disturbing even to the fact that our Amotekun Corps is overstressed and the best thing is to look for a way out, which led to the invitation of Fulani and Hausa leaders four days ago where we robbed minds together to address these issues of insecurity. It was there we discovered that we need to go ahead for a solution.
“We discovered during the meeting that most of the destruction of farmers’ crops occurs at night due to night grazing. Then the governor deemed it to ban it.
“Another fact is this issue of underage grazing. How can a boy of between 7 and 8 years take charge of about 200 cows? These Fulani herdsmen keep on destroying people’s properties and they are doing this recklessly. These Fulani herdsmen will uproot cassava by themselves and gather it in a particular place for cows to eat.
There was a time we held a workshop with them where the national president of Miyetti Allah was invited to Ondo State just to find a way of addressing this problem and we agreed on some points. He even promised us that this thing will stop, but we discovered that these issues are increasing,” he said.
Alhaji Dojumo expressed hope that within the seven days given to the herdsmen to vacate the forest reserves, there would be an improvement in the security of lives and property in the state.
Members of the Ondo State Agricultural Commodities’ Association (OSACA), the umbrella body for all agricultural value chain and farmers’ group in Ondo State, said they supported the position of Akeredolu for herders to leave.
They said by issuing the vacation order, the governor had rescued them because criminal elements who turned the forest reserves into hideouts for carrying out unlawful activities denied them the room to carry out their legitimate farming businesses. In a statement signed by Gbenga Obaweya and Ayo Omogie, chairman and secretary of OSACA, the group urged the governor to back the directive with relevant legislation as a matter of urgency.
“The grazing bill before the House of Assembly should therefore be given an accelerated passage. The social and economic impact of these nefarious activities if not quickly checked will lead to severe famine in due season, as farmers are leaving their farmland in droves for fear of being attacked, raped or kidnapped as these have become a recurring issue.
“It is on record that farmers in Ondo State have lost over 2,000 hectares of rice and over 3,000 hectares of cassava, just to mention a few, to herdsmen activities across the state,” they alleged.
Also, the PAN- Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the umbrella body of traditional rulers, leaders, and people of the coastal states of the Niger Delta expressed dismay over the statement from the presidency.
“It is disturbing that a legitimate order by a governor against a group of people who have been ‘illegally and forcefully’ occupying the lands of Ondo State is being questioned by a presidential aide.
“Is it not bad enough that this administration has been unable to take reasonable action against these herdsmen, for their violent crimes, across the country? “PANDEF, therefore, urges President Muhammadu Buhari to call Mr. Garbu Shehu to order, while prodding Governor Akeredolu and the people of Ondo State to remain resolute.”
On his part, the Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Ondo State, Alhaji Bello Garba, said they had no problem with Governor Akeredolu.
Garba said during their meeting with the governor, Fulani had not been told to leave the state or the forests but that they should cooperate with the government to flush out the bad eggs.
Speaking to Daily Trust in his office on Wednesday, Garba said he had summoned a meeting of all members of the association from the eighteen local government area of the state.
He said that the directive of the governor was in line with the directive of the national leadership of the association, which banned them from night grazing or leaving cattle under the custody of children.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday congratulated the new United States President, Joe Biden and his deputy, Kamala Harris on their inauguration.
Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the US on Wednesday.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the president said he looked forward to working with the Biden presidency and expressed hope that the new administration in the US would mark a strong point in the cooperation and support for Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
Buhari congratulated the new US leaders and the entire country on the successful transition, which marks an important historical inflection point for democracy as a system of government and for the global community as a whole.
The statement read: “We look forward to the Biden presidency with great hope and optimism for strengthening of existing cordial relationships, working together to tackle global terrorism, climate change, poverty, and improvement of economic ties and expansion of trade.
“We hope that this will be an era of great positivity between our two nations, as we jointly address issues of mutual interest.
“President Buhari and all Nigerians rejoice with President Joe Biden, sharing the proud feeling that the first woman elected Vice President of the United States has an African and Asian ancestry.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the inauguration of Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris as President and Vice President of the United States of America on Wednesday.
President Buhari, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesman Garba Shehu, voiced hope that their tenure will mark a strong point of cooperation and support for Nigeria as well as the African continent.
President Buhari congratulated the leaders, and entire country on the successful transition, which he added, marks an important historical inflection point for democracy as a system of government and for the global community as a whole.
“We look forward to the Biden presidency with great hope and optimism for strengthening of existing cordial relationships, working together to tackle global terrorism, climate change, poverty and improvement of economic ties and expansion of trade.
“We hope that this will be an era of great positivity between our two nations, as we jointly address issues of mutual interest,” the President added.
The statement said President Buhari and all Nigerians rejoiced with President Biden, sharing the proud feeling that the first woman elected Vice President of the United States has an African and Asian ancestry.
United States President Joe Biden has signed a string of executive orders, memorandums and directives that will reverse some of his predecessor Donald Trump’s most divisive policies, including rescinding the so-called “Muslim ban”, rejoining the Paris climate accord, and ending the process to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Just hours after his inauguration at the US Capitol on Wednesday, Biden signed 15 executive actions that his team earlier said aimed to “reverse the gravest damages of the Trump administration”.
Biden told reporters in the Oval Office that there was “no time to waste”.
“Some of the executive actions I’m going to be signing today are going to help change the course of the Covid crisis, we’re going to combat climate change in a way that we haven’t done so far and advance racial equity and support other underserved communities,” he said, as reported by the Reuters news agency.
President Joe Biden.
Biden’s first big challenge as he enters the White House will be tackling the surging Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 400,000 people across the country to date.
To that effect, Biden signed an order on Wednesday afternoon to institute a 100-day mask mandate across the US and appoint a Covid-19 coordinator to manage a national response to the pandemic.
He has also announced that the US would remain a member of the WHO, and that Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, would attend the ongoing WHO Executive Board meeting at the head of the US delegation.
Here is a look at some of Biden’s first executive actions as president:
Rescinding the ‘Muslim ban’
Biden rescinded the so-called “Muslim ban”, an executive order Trump signed in 2017 that banned travellers from seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the US.
The ban was changed several times amid legal challenges and ultimately upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018.
“The president put an end to the Muslim ban – a policy rooted in religious animus and xenophobia,” Biden’s White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a Wednesday evening briefing.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations welcomed the decision as “an important first step toward undoing the anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant policies of the previous administration”.
“It is an important fulfilment of a campaign pledge to the Muslim community and its allies,” the group’s executive director, Nihad Awad, said in a statement.
Rejoining Paris agreement
The US will once again become a party to the Paris Agreement, Biden also announced.
The move to rejoin the international treaty on climate change is expected to take effect 30 days after it is deposited with the UN, Biden’s team said earlier on Wednesday.
In November, the US became the first country in the world to withdraw from the treaty – a move that fuelled tensions between Washington and its allies in Europe and drew a widespread rebuke from environmental and human rights groups.
Biden launched his “100 Days Masking Challenge”, ordering a mandatory mask mandate in all US federal buildings for the first 100 days of his administration to try and curb the spread of Covid-19.
The order asks Americans to do their “patriotic duty and mask up for 100 days” and also creates the position of Covid-19 response coordinator, who will report directly to the president and help coordinate a unified national response to the surging pandemic.
“This will strengthen our own efforts to get the pandemic under control by improving global health,” Psaki said during the briefing, adding that Dr Fauci, one of the top US infectious disease experts, would participate in a WHO meeting this week “as the US head of delegation”.
The Infectious Disease Society of America immediately welcomed the mandatory mask order.
“The president’s order comes at a critical point, when vaccines, as well as a plan to accelerate their roll out, offer new hope, but also when more easily transmitted variants of the virus present new challenges,” the group said.
Re-engaging with WHO
Biden is halting Trump’s planned withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Trump administration in July of last year notified Congress and the United Nations that the US was formally withdrawing from the WHO. The decision would have gone into effect in July.
Trump justified the decision by saying the WHO “failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms” and accusing the group of helping China cover up the origins of the novel coronavirus.
The Biden-Harris administration is expected to participate in a WHO executive board meeting that is continuing this week, Biden’s team said earlier on Wednesday.
Bob Goodfellow, the interim executive director of Amnesty International USA, welcomed Biden’s WHO decision as “a much-needed first step” in restoring Washington’s cooperation with the international community.
He also urged Biden to support the WHO’s COVAX programme, which aims to ensure Covid-19 vaccines are evenly distributed between countries.
“It is of the utmost importance that the Biden administration lead multilateral efforts to fight the pandemic and to support and fund global vaccine efforts,” Goodfellow said.
Halting border wall construction
Biden also rescinded the national emergency declaration that was used to justify some of Trump’s funding diversions to build the wall on the US-Mexico border.
The order, Biden’s team said earlier on Wednesday, will direct “an immediate pause” in construction to allow for a review of the funding and contracting methods used.
Building a “big” and “beautiful” wall between the US and Mexico to block undocumented immigrants from entering the country was one of Trump’s key 2016 election campaign promises.
Revoking Keystone pipeline approval
Biden also revoked the presidential permit granted to the multibillion-dollar Keystone XL pipeline, a contentious energy project that was slated to ship 830,000 barrels of oil per day between the Canadian province of Alberta and the US state of Nebraska.
Canada, which this week said it remained committed to the project, expressed its “disappointment” at the decision on Wednesday.
But Matthew Campbell,a staff lawyer at the Native American Rights Fund, which has represented Indigenous nations in legal challenges against Keystone XL, told Al Jazeera Biden’s decision is “vindication” for Native communities opposed to the pipeline.
Fortifying DACA
In 2012, while serving as vice president to President Barack Obama, the US adopted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to provide temporary relief from deportation to “Dreamers”, young people who were brought to the US as children.
The Trump administration has tried to terminate the programme, through which 700,000 young people have applied for relief.
In a presidential memorandum signed on Wednesday, Biden directed the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the US attorney general, to make sure that DACA is preserved and fortified.
The memorandum also calls on Congress to enact legislation that would provide “permanent status and a pathway to citizenship” to the Dreamers.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who brokered the talks process between Donald Trump and the North’s leader Kim Jong Un, on Thursday congratulated Joe Biden on his inauguration as US president, tweeting: “America is back.”
The relationship between treaty allies Seoul and Washington was at times deeply strained under Trump, who repeatedly excoriated the South for not paying enough towards the US troop presence in the country, demanding billions of dollars more.
In his first year in power, Trump raised widespread alarm in the South by engaging in personal insults and threats of war with Kim — at one point accusing the pro-engagement Moon of “appeasement”.
Biden has repeatedly spoken of the need to rebuild the United States’ global standing and declared in his inauguration speech: “We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again.”
The centre-left Moon welcomed Biden’s swearing-in on his verified Twitter account, writing: “America is back. America’s new beginning will make democracy even greater. “Together with the Korean people, I stand by your journey toward ‘America United’”, he added. “We go together!”
President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr Jill Biden.
The US led the UN coalition forces that backed the South and fought North Korean and Chinese troops to a standstill in the 1950-53 Korean War, and Washington still stations around 28,500 of its forces in the South to defend it against its neighbour.
Moon seized on his hosting of the 2018 Winter Olympics to broker a dialogue between Trump and Kim that saw them hold an unprecedented summit in a blaze of publicity in Singapore.
At the time, they signed a vaguely worded statement on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, but a second summit in Hanoi in early 2019 collapsed over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return.
The process has been stalled ever since, despite a third encounter in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula.
World leaders congratulated President Biden shortly after his inauguration on Wednesday, with allied nations and bodies expressing hope for continued cooperation with the new administration.
“Congratulations President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on your historic inauguration,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who enjoyed a close relationship with former President Trump.
“President Biden, you and I have had a warm personal friendship going back many decades,” he added. “I look forward to working with you to strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance, to continue expanding peace between Israel and the Arab world and to confront common challenges, chief among them, the threat posed by Iran.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who also found an ally in Trump, tweeted that “America’s leadership is vital on the issues that matter to us all, from climate change to COVID, and I look forward to working with President Biden.”
“The India-US partnership is based on shared values. We have a substantial and multifaceted bilateral agenda, growing economic engagement and vibrant people to people linkages. Committed to working with President @JoeBiden to take the India-US partnership to even greater heights,” said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, another Trump ally.
The laudatory messages come after the Trump administration strengthened some of America’s closest international relationships and roiled others.
Other world leaders who saw their relationship with the U.S. falter during the Trump administration said they look forward to working with the Biden White House on an array of issues.
“Canada and the United States enjoy one of the most unique relationships in the world, built on a shared commitment to democratic values, common interests, and strong economic and security ties. Our two countries are more than neighbours – we are close friends, partners, and allies,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who faced a wave of tariffs from the Trump administration.
“We will continue this partnership as we fight the global COVID-19 pandemic and support a sustainable economic recovery that will build back better for everyone. We will also work together to advance climate action and clean economic growth, promote inclusion and diversity, and create good middle class jobs and opportunities for our people while contributing to democracy, peace, and security at home and around the world,” Trudeau added.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, meanwhile, said that the “bond between North America and Europe is the bedrock of our security, and a strong NATO is good for both North America and Europe.”
“For more than seventy years, our transatlantic Alliance has guaranteed freedom, peace, and security for our people. U.S. leadership remains essential as we work together to protect our democracies, our values and the rules-based international order,” Stoltenberg said.
Trump made no secret of his antagonism toward the alliance. The former president also repeatedly chastised members for not paying more for the alliance’s defense, threatening to pull out of NATO should countries not increase their spending.
Biden during his inauguration speech echoed promises he made on the campaign trail of bolstering the U.S.’s international alliances. On his first day in office, the new president is expected to sign a wave of executive orders, including ending Trump’s controversial travel ban and reentering the U.S. in the Paris climate accords.
“America has been tested. And we’ve come out stronger for it,” Biden said Wednesday. “We will repair our alliances and engagement with the world once again, not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrow’s challenges, not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example, strong and trusted partner for peace progress and security.”
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