Nigerian govt responsible if anything happens to Ortom, group reacts to alleged assassination plot

A group under the aegies of the Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly (COSMBYLA), has called on the Nigerian government to investigate allegations of an assassination plot against Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

The group also called on the government to make sure nothing happens to the Governor due to his constant criticism of the FG as that could lead to the break up of the country.

The COSMBYLA was reacting to Ortom’s allegation on Wednesday that his intelligence team had discovered plots to assassinate him.

“Several attempts have been made to eliminate me, but God has protected me. I am not afraid of death and because of that, I have already written my will. I am not afraid of anyone,” Ortom had said.

In a statement on Friday issued by the coalition signed by Goodluck Ibem, the group said the Federal Government should be held responsible if anything should happen to Ortom.

“Information gathered have shown there was a meeting that was recently held to plan how to assassinate the Executive Governor of Benue, Dr. Samuel Ortom, and the security agencies have the details and they have not moved to arrest those involved in such despicable plan,” the group said.

Our country Nigeria is owned by all Nigerians and nobody or ethnic group or tribe, owns it more than the other.

“For one ethnic group (Fulanis) to target an entire state for extermination is vallainious and wickedness taken too far and we condemn it in its entirety.

We warn those actors who are killing Benue indigenes and at the same time, plotting to assassinate the Executive Governor of the state to steer clear now.

“We warn these evil actors to note that any attempt on Governor Samuel Ortom’s life will be totally resisted and it will lead to the disintegration of Nigeria.

“Ortom is a defender of the people; he has given a voice to the voiceless and we the youths stand solidly with him.”

Youth group warns Makinde against imposing candidates for 2023 election

A group of youths in the Oyo state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has warned Governor Seyi Makinde and party leaders in the state against imposition of candidates for the election into the state’s House of Assembly.

The group, Democratic Advancement Forum expressed worry at how state governors handpick party candidates for the elections into houses of assembly rather than allowing them emerge as candidates on merit.

In a release signed by the group leader, Adebayo Komolafe, they said that some candidates were not popular in their constituencies as they did not secure their mandates by merit, but by lobbying.

The group argued that such representatives do not represent the interests of their people and they have nothing to show as tangible achievement in the last three years.

The release reads in part: “We are concerned about the growth of our dear state and we believe that having the right people in place will hasten the development and compliments the efforts of Governor Seyi Makinde who is striving hard to make oyo a better state.

“It is sad that some of the lawmakers cannot walk freely in their constituency nor hold town hall meetings with their people because they have nothing to show for the years they have spent at the assembly and it won’t do the party any good to impose such a person on the basis of an automatic ticket.”

While calling for a level playing ground, the group maintained that any attempt to manipulate the party’s integrity will jeopardize its chances in retaining power beyond 2023.

Kwara accuses past governments of siphoning public funds as AMCON seizes two properties

The Kwara State government on Thursday accused past administrations in the state of siphoning public funds in the name of Shonga Farm.

The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Salman Jawondo (SAN), disclosed this at a press briefing in Ilorin, the state capital.

The government was reacting to the recent seizure of state properties by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in Abuja.

Also at the briefing were the state’s Commissioner for Communication, Bode Towoju, and Group Managing Director of Harmony Holding, Abdullahi AbdulMajeed.

Jawondo said the Shonga Farm Holdings established by former governor Bukola Saraki’s administration under its agriculture revolution programme started with huge loans of more than N5billion which the previous administrations failed to pay.

He said: “Nine out of the 13 autonomous farms have been sold out without remittances to the public coffers, even when the government is supposed to hold a paltry 10 percent equity in each of the farms.

“AMCON’s takeover of two state properties is to recover the bad loans that the farm owes a consortium of banks that invested in it dating back to 2007 because Shonga Farm Holdings could not pay back on the agreed timeline.”

Tambuwal charges Buhari on credible 2023 elections

The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, on Thursday challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the conduct of credible elections in 2023.

Tambuwal made the call in a chat with journalists after a meeting with the former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, in Kaduna.

He urged Buhari to emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan by conducting credible elections next year.

The governor said: “That is becoming our national anthem, unity all the way. It’s only when we are united that we can have a very strong force.

“As I said before, the head of the electoral umpire INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has only one option. That option is to leave a lasting legacy. From my knowledge, he is from a very good family background.

So he needs to actually make sure that he did not soil his family history and his own personal history by ensuring he conducts a free and fair election.

“Even President Muhammadu Buhari himself, despite all the failures that we are seeing in this administration, the only legacy that is left for him is to ensure he conducts the free, fair and credible elections. Same way as President Goodluck Jonathan did ensure and handed over to him in 2015.”

Sen Olujimi accuses Ekiti PDP leadership of creating division, sidelining women

One of the aspirants and the lawmaker representing Ekiti South in the National Assembly, Senator Biodun Olujimi, on Wednesday criticized the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDp) for creating division within the party.

Olujimi made this assertion via a statement while disclosing that the party leadership took stakeholders for granted before making crucial decisions.

“We have been in this business for quite some time. If it is the former governor that is sitting as a serving Senator, can you do what has happened to him, no?

“My gender has been affected. Beyond that, the fact that people take everybody for granted has also affected all of us. You can’t take people for granted.

“This is a business we came into voluntarily and when you are in it, people are supposed to build consensus, not to talk down on others,” the lawmaker said.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that Olujimi cited irregularities during the process of accrediting the delegates, and gender discrimination as the reason for dropping out of the party’s primaries.

The lawmaker had hoped to be the first female governor of the state, noting that the electoral team led by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa-Ibom State was expressly prejudiced against her candidacy.

Olujimi said, “I pulled out because every other aspirant has full compliments of delegates from their local government. It pleased the party to give me only 12 automatic delegates in mine.

“I have six local governments in my district as a sitting senator. They gave full compliments of delegates to somebody in four of my local government. And the two that were left, including my own local government. They gave me 12 delegates out of 78.

“I feel maybe it is because of my gender or maybe the party feels I have not done enough for it. That is why they would have done that to me.

“So, when they’ve done that to me, it didn’t make sense to continue with the process.”

Gov Akeredolu is a threat to democracy in Nigeria —CNG

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), says Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is a big threat to democracy in Nigeria following his comments that any party who fields a northern candidate for the presidency in 2023 will lose the election.

Akeredolu, who is also the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF), while receiving members of the Power Rotation Movement (PRM), in his office in Akure on Tuesday, had reiterated the need for parties to field southern candidates, insisting that it was the turn of the south to produce the next Nigerian President.

“Any political party that fields presidential candidates from the north would lose the election because such candidate would not have the support of the southern governors.

“Those pushing against power rotation in the country are toying with the existence of Nigeria,” he had said.

However, in a statement on Thursday by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the CNG said the Ondo governor as well as the Southern Governors Forum should be cautioned as their stance was capable of threatening Nigeria’s democracy.

According to the CNG, as far as the North was concerned, “the idea that we would be directly or indirectly threatened or intimidated or blackmailed into yielding an office which ought to be settled democratically is not acceptable.”

For the avoidance of doubt, no amount of threats and intimidation from the South would change the minds of northerners regarding zoning,” the apex Northern group said.

“Any president to be elected should be done democratically and not by unnecessary empty expressions by anyone from whatever region and of whatever status,” the CNG added.

The group also warned that “persistent threats from self-appointed enemies of the North are unconstitutional and reckless,” adding that Akeredolu constitutes a threat to the nation’s democracy.

“They are empty threats that won’t work.

“The North will not be deterred by empty, provocative statements from Akeredolu and groups in the South, who believe in threats and hate campaigns as the hallmark or defining elements for elections,” the Northern coalition said.

NLC warns NASS against devolving labour issues to states, removal from Exclusive List

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned the National Assembly against devolving labour issues to the states amidst plans to remove it from the Exclusive Legislative List.

Ayuba Wabba, the NLC President, issued this caution in Abuja on Tuesday through a statement titled “Labour on the Legislative Exclusive List.”

He noted that labour issues were presently domiciled in the Second Schedule, Legislative Powers, Part 1, Exclusive list, Item 34.

Wabba reiterated that national interest was paramount therefore, the labour should remain within the purview of the NASS.

”For the sake of our national interest, security and industrial harmony, labour should not be one of the items that should be devolved to the states,” he said.

Wabba also noted that the nation-states legislation on Labour drives substantially from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, protocols and recommendations and other instruments domesticated through the Acts of parliament.

As a result, Nigeria ratified the ILO Conventions 87 and 98, guaranteeing the right to organise and collectively bargain, after independence in 1960.

“Nigeria had since adopted all the core conventions in its capacity as a sovereign nation and regularly attends ILO organ meetings as a sovereign in line with international best practices.

”In the light of this, deregulating labour to the states will inevitably create intractable problems. At the membership level, the 36 states of the federation and FCT are no sovereign which is a basis for ILO membership of Nigeria.

”Secondly, a corpus of labour legislation across the 36 states and FCT will almost certainly create a judicial nightmare.

Thirdly, investors will be scared away as they will consider this as an unnecessary addition to the already hostile operating environment. At the level of workers who often act in the national interest, this will whittle down patriotic influence.

”In the light of this, we will strongly advocate against removing labour from the Exclusive Legislative List. Not even during the military era was this contemplated,” Wabba said.

Sen Lau replaces Bwacha as new Deputy Minority Leader in Senate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced Sen. Shuaibu Lau (PDP-Taraba) as the new Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate.

This was contained in a letter read by the Senate President Ahmad Lawan during the plenary on Tuesday, signed by the PDP National Chairman, Mr Iyorcha Ayu.

According to the PDP Chairman, Lau will be the replacement for Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha who has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Following the defection of Sen.Emmanuel Bwacha to the ruling APC, the PDP Senate caucus has nominated as his replacement, Sen. Shuaibu Lau.

“Lau is from Taraba in the North-East geo-political zone of the country, where the position has been zoned.

The PDP Senate caucus has duly informed the National Headquarters of the party, in view of which we so communicate to you. We believe that Lau will be an asset to the leadership of the Senate.

“Thank you and accept the assurances of our highest regards,” he said.

The defection of Bwacha to the APC brings the number of APC Senators to 70, while the PDP has 38 and Young Progressives Party (YPP) has only one.

The Senator said that his decision to leave the opposition party was conveyed sequel to a point of order raised during plenary.

“In view of my desire for equal competition, and about my desire to enjoy the full operations of my fundamental human rights, Mr President.

“I want to announce this day, that as King Solomon said, there’s a time for everything; now is a time for me to leave the PDP.

Mr President, I say I have the opportunity to breathe freely because of deliberate isolation and huge division and factionalisation in the party in my state.

“Mr President, I had to leave because I seek to breathe better. This day, I announce henceforth my exit from the PDP, and to join the governing party because of the visible presence of the party in my Senatorial District,” he said.

Igboho will be released soon – Lawyer

Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, will soon be released from detention in Benin Republic, according to human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi.

He made this known in a Facebook post while scolding Yoruba leaders for allegedly being selfish.

Igboho was arrested at Cotonou airport on his way to Germany alongside his wife in July 2021.

Olajengbesi, who secured the release of 12 Igboho’s aides arrested by operatives of the Department of State Service, noted that Igboho’s release would attract wild jubilation.

“Chief Sunday Igboho will be out very soon and there will be massive jubilation across the entire Yorubaland.

“He is no doubt a courageous man. This is very authoritative just that our Yoruba leaders should stop being selfish and allow good to prevail,” the lawyer said.

This comes after members of Agbekoya Worldwide asked the government of Benin Republic to free Igboho or they would use traditional means to get him out.

Sit-at-home killing businesses in South-East -Abaribe

The Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, said on Saturday the continuous observance of sit-at-home order in the South-East has crippled businesses in the region.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ordered the sit-at-home in the South-East last year in a bid to force the Federal Government to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial for alleged treasonable felony and terrorism charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Abariba, who addressed participants at the investiture ceremony of the 16th President of Enugu Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Jasper Nduagwuike, in Enugu, decried the insecurity in the region and called for an end to the sit-at-home directive.

He said: “What is happening in the South-East is a tragedy. Every Monday people sit at home. When you go to IPOB they said they are not the one enforcing it. Nobody has an idea to solve it.

“When I and Ekweremadu personally visited Nnamdi Kanu at the Department of State Service (DSS) detention, he said never give an order for anybody to sit at home. It’s time we stop all this mess in the South- East and build our economy.

“Sit at home is killing the economy of the South-East as most businessmen are moving out of the region. Insecurity in the South- East is the biggest problem.

“We want to turn the South-East into a Catalonia of Spain. We want to turn it into a hub of the world. We want to turn the South-East into a Bavaria of Germany. In 2023, the South-East needs a leadership that will combat insecurity and restore the economy.”

The presidential candidate PDP desires in 2023 – Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said on Saturday the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would give its 2023 presidential ticket to any individual with the desire to serve Nigerians.

Wike, who stated this at a reception organised in his honour by the Kalabari people in the state, added that some desperate politicians are already scheming for a candidate who would only work to meet the interest of a few in the country.

He said the Southern part of the country would make public its stand on the 2023 election soon.

The governor said: “The day the South will speak, Nigeria will shake.

“We believe in the unity of this country, but nobody can threaten us. Nobody should threaten us. We believe in the unity of Nigeria and unity of Nigeria must continue.”

“No amount of gang-up can make PDP give somebody who will want to run an election for the interest of some big men, and not for all Nigerians.

“Anybody who wants to be a candidate of PDP must be a candidate for the interest of Nigerians.”

End killings, violence, before Nigeria is consumed, Catholic Bishops tell Buhari

Catholic Bishops of the Lagos Ecclesiastical Province, have told President Muhammadu Buhari to do everything possible to end the killings and violence in Nigeria before the country is consumed by them.

The Catholic Bishops, on Saturday, made the call at their first meeting in Lagos which drew participants from the Dioceses of Lagos, Ijebu-Ode and Abeokuta, urging Buhari to use “every resources at his disposal to put an end to the killings and violence across the country.”

At the end of the meeting, the Bishops came up with a communiqué jointly signed by the Chairman of the board, Revd Alfred Martins and Secretary, Rev Francis Adesina, where they condemned the incessant violence in every part of the country under a President who was a top military strategist.

“The persistent killings and violence in every part of the country is becoming worrisome,” the communique reads.

The continuous senseless killings of innocent people and violence across the country is really giving Nigerians serious concerns. And they are continuing unabated while the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is not doing much to curb them.

In the wake of the 2022 New Year, a priest of the Diocese of Abeokuta, Rev. Fr. Luke Adeleke, was killed by gunmen while carrying out his priestly activities.

“Very recently, it was reported that in Taraba State, a Catholic Church was razed to the ground for no reason. These and numerous other cases of violence have been the hallmark of our nation. How long would these be allowed to continue?

“The President should rise up to his responsibilities and stop these killings and violence before Nigeria is consumed by them.

Buhari appoints Olatunji as pioneer CEO of data protection agency

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Vincent Olatunji as the National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the newly established Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB).

The bureau was established by the Federal Government in a bid to ensure better protection of data and privacy in Nigeria.

The spokesperson for the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Uwa Suleiman, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Until his appointment, Olatunji was the Director of the Government Development and Regulations Department at National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The statement read: “The successful implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria has significantly increased the adoption of data platforms and accelerated the datafication of our society.

“This has increased the importance of having an institution that focuses on data protection and privacy.”

We’ll use ‘juju’ to free Sunday Igboho if he isn’t released from Benin prison – Group

Agbekoya farmers society of Nigeria has vowed to deploy traditional means to free detained Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho, if the government of Benin Republic continues to detain him.

The association’s President, Chief Kamorudeen Okikiola spoke during a peaceful rally on “State of the Nation” in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Thursday.

He said that Igboho is not criminal, but a freedom fighter and he is being held illegally through the influence of Nigerian Government.

Sunday Igboho is not a criminal and we know he is being held illegally, Benin Republic Government has stopped taking him to court, hence, we demand that he should be released through legal means, if they refuse, we will use our magical power to get him out of the prison. I repeat, we Agbekoya, will get him out of Benin Republic detention and bring him back home”, Okikiola said.

Hoodlums attack Aregbesola’s campaign office in Osun

Hoodlums suspected to be political thugs attacked the campaign office of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, in Osogbo, Osun State.

The gunmen stormed the building shortly after a meeting by All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, shot sporadically and forced those at the premises to scamper for safety.

A section of the building was severely damaged during the attack.

The former governor’s campaign office had previously come under attack from criminals in the state.

The building, popularly referred to as Oranmiyan House, was attacked by thugs during a meeting of The Osun Progressives (TOP), a group loyal to Aregbesola in November last year.

The state has witnessed violent clashes between loyalists of Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the minister in recent times.

The spokesperson for the Osun State police command, Yemisi Opalola, who confirmed the incident, said police operatives had been deployed to the scene to access the situation.

‘Anti-graft war a marathon, not a sprint,’ Lai Mohammed tells Nigerians

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Thursday President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was doing well in its fight against corruption despite criticisms by Nigerians.

The Transparency International recently ranked Nigeria very low in its corruption perception index.

Mohammed, who stated this at a media briefing in Abuja, noted that the administration had implemented policies to fight corruption and ensure accountability.

He likened the fight against corruption to a marathon, saying graft was one difficult problem the government has been grappling with.

The minister said: “As you are aware, one of the three major policy planks of this administration is the fight against corruption, with the others, of course, being to tackle insecurity and also to revamp the economy. We will be having a series of thematic press conferences on these issues in the days ahead, with this one — on the fight against corruption — being the first one.

“It is common knowledge that one of the most difficult tasks for any government is to fight corruption because when you fight corruption, corruption will fight you back. This explains why naysayers have continued to belittle or dismiss the administration’s anti-corruption efforts.

“Let me say here that fighting corruption is a marathon, and never a sprint. Also, investigations, arrests, prosecutions and asset forfeiture — which are the immediate, visible indices by which many measure success in tackling corruption, constitute as important as they are, just a part of the strategies to combat corruption. There is also a more fundamental strategy, which I will describe as structural and governance reforms or if you like, institutional reforms.

“The Buhari administration has taken bold measures to streamline cumbersome bureaucratic processes in the implementation of government policies, check corrupt practices and ensure accountability in the implementation as well as delivery of these policies.”

ISWAP a huge threat to Nigeria if allowed to grow – Gov Zulum

The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, on Thursday raised the alarm over the threat posed by the Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP) in the country.

Zulum, who featured in the weekly briefing of the Presidential Communications Team at the State House in Abuja, said Boko Haram would be a child’s play if ISWAP was allowed to grow in the North-East.

He charged the Nigerian Army to re-strategise and check the insurgents in the interest of the citizens.

The governor said: “The growing number of ISWAP insurgents in some parts of the state is a matter of great concern to everybody, particularly on the fringe of Lake Chad and southern Borno State.

Let me make it clear, we should not allow ISWAP to grow. ISWAP are more sophisticated, more funded and they are more educated. We must do everything possible to defeat ISWAP. Otherwise, what Boko Haram did will be a child’s play. This is an early warning that the Nigerian Army has to re-strategise and defeat ISWAP.

“ISWAP will be a threat to the entire nation. Because of the group’s proximity to Sub Saharan Africa, they are coming from Libya and others to resettle here.”

2023: Saraki promises to make Nigeria great as president

The former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday promised to make Nigeria a truly great country if elected as President next year.

Saraki stated this on his Twitter handle – @bukolasaraki.

The former Kwara State governor is one of the few politicians eyeing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket in next year’s election.

He lamented that merit had been jettisoned for other primordial considerations in the country.

Saraki wrote: “For quite some time now, as a nation, we have focused on the old arguments of ethnicity and regional sentiments, instead of capacity, competence, and other critical issues.

However, whenever we watch football and when it is time to celebrate as Nigerians at weddings and other social engagements, we are united. Why should we allow past issues to drag us back and define us? Why do we focus on the old issues that do not define our future?

“This is why, based on my track record, if I am allowed to lead, all Nigerians will have a greater sense of what it means to be truly Nigerian.

“And yes, I believe that I am the “Nigerian for all Nigerians!”

2023: Don’t blackmail presidential aspirants from other regions, group tells Ohaneze

A group, Igbos for Progressive And United Nationhood (IPAN) has advised the Igbo sociocultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo, to stop blackmailing presidential hopefuls from other regions who declare interest to contest for the Office of the President in 2023.

IPAN in a statement made available to news men on Wednesday stated that even though it strongly believes that 2023 was the perfect time for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction to emerge, it did not believe in arm twisting Nigerians to make an Igbo man President, or telling other aspirants from outside Igbo land to drop their presidential ambitions.

In the statement, the National President of IPAN, Comrade Lawrence Onuzulike stated that every Nigerian who meets the constitutional requirement to contest for the office of the President was eligible to do so regardless of the region he or she comes from.

It therefore stated, that no one should blackmail anybody from throwing his hat into the ring.

According to Onuzulike, “Ohaneze as pan-Igbo group should be at the forefront of rallying support for Igbo aspirants in their various political parties like IPAN is undertaking instead of advising or begging interested aspirants from other regions not to contest.

“I am aware that since 1999, an Igbo man has always contested in Nigeria’s presidential election even when some political parties zoned their presidential ticket to other zones. All we should be doing is simply to appeal to Nigerians both political elites and the masses to support Igbo candidates this time around for the sake of equity and fairness”.

Ex- Gov, Lamido, warns against zoning

Sule Lamido, a former Governor of Jigawa State has expressed his disapproval for rotational Presidency as the nation gears up for the forthcoming elections in 2023.

Lamido made this call on Thursday during an interview on Channels TV “Politics Today.”

According to him, the agitation for a rotational Presidency into the electoral process was a recipe for disunity and regionalism.

“For how long do we remain blackmailed and held hostage for zoning? When are we going to have a Nigerian president for all Nigerians? The issue of zoning was a one-time thing designed to heal a particular problem, which has been healed. We are now fully reconciled.”

“I don’t believe in regional consensus, either for the south-south, south-east or north. I believe in the Nigeria consensus.

“Those clamouring for this consensus are not in active politics They are people outside the arena. I want people within the area with the same feelings and philosophy, who believe in Nigeria, to come together and come up with a Nigeria consensus. I don’t believe in regional or tribal consensus,” Lamido noted.

The polity has been rife with discourses over which region should provide the next President with the South-East appealing to stakeholders for fairness; the region is yet to produce the President since the return to democracy in 1999.

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