The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Audi, has ordered the immediate deployment of undercover security agents to schools and host communities in the North-West zone and other parts of the country to protect the schools from attacks by bandits.

The Commandant directed the undercover agents to work with the states ministries of education to achieve the desired result of ensuring safer schools in the country.

Over 200 NSCDC personnel, local vigilantes and other stakeholders drawn from the seven states in the North-West geopolitical zone participated in the five-day special training programme under the safe schools initiative handled by the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre.

The National Strategic Plan on Safe Schools Initiative is also designed to mobilise synergy among security agencies, especially in the areas of evidence-based collaboration, coordination and cooperation.

The strategic plan is based on the whole-of-society approach with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps as the lead agency.

“The Corps is also hosting the headquarters of the Centre, saddled with the responsibility of coordinating safety and security response for schools and host communities in collaboration with all security agencies and other relevant stakeholders." The commandant General said.

“The Centre is the first of its kind in Africa; available records indicate that no other country has this kind of facility with the sole responsibility of providing safety and security prevention and protection measures for schools and host communities.”

He said in view of the recurring attacks and violence in schools in the country, the task ahead of the centre was enormous.

"It requires effective synergy and collaboration from all stakeholders including the Federal, State and Local Governments

“It is also pertinent to state that the Standard Operating Procedure of the Centre provides for creation of state coordinating centres and local government response centres for effective and seamless operation.

“It is for this singular fact the I respectfully present on behalf of the centre, the request for the kind consideration for allocation of an existing structure within each of the state capitals in the North-West to serve as the safe school coordination centres,” he said.

The CG told the participants that the task ahead of them was enormous.

“Be reminded that aside being ambassadors of the centre, you are equally the foot soldiers who are in direct contact with the members of schools and host communities,” he said.

´And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun…”- 2 Samuel 12 1- 12.

“Hello my beloved brothers in Israel, I want you to know that we are praying for you, that all members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God all over the world are standing by you at this critical moment. The Almighty God, the holy one of Israel, will give you absolute victory and give you permanent peace from now on in the mighty name of Jesus”- Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

Since the creation of Israel in 1948, the Arab world in general and the Palestinians who felt they were displaced from their ancestral homeland in particular have been at war with the new state called Israel. History recalls that both disputants have the same ancestry through Abram/Abraham, who is regarded by Muslims, Christians and Jews as the father of their faith, and who came from Ur in Mesopotamia in present-day Iraq, the country of President Saddam Hussein; remember?

Abraham gave birth to two sons, Ismael (“God hears”) the elder son, from Hagar whom biblical records regard as the bondwoman (Egyptian slave girl of Sarai/Sarah) but whom the Muslims regard as one of the many wives of Abraham, and Isaac (“He will laugh”), the second son from Sarah, whom the Christians/Jews regard as the son of promise. While Ishmael is seen as the ancestor of a wilderness-dwelling Arab tribe to the south-east of the land of Israel (the Ishmaelites), Isaac is seen as the ancestor of the Jews or modern-day Israel.

So, Ishmael and Isaac were half-brothers. Both came from the same loins – the loins of Abraham. So, what is going on between the Palestinians (Hamas) and Jews (Israel) can best be described as the war of brothers or “brothers at war” (apologies, Alex Rutherford). “Brothers at War” is the second instalment in the “Empire of the Mughal” (1530) in which Rutherford tells the story of the second Mughal emperor, Humayun, who loses and then regains the empire bequeathed to him by his father.

Losing/regaining, losing again and regaining again of territory (Palestine/the Promised Land) has been the history of the rivalry between two brothers in the land of Palestine. Shouldn’t outsiders, then, caution themselves and mind their own business? If you cannot make peace between two warring brothers, must you pour petrol into raging fire? Must you take sides between two brothers fighting over what they both perceive, rightly or wrongly, as their father’s patrimony bequeathed unto them for an inheritance?

I decided to ask questions around the Palestinian/Israeli conundrum and here are the answers I received:

1. Is Israel a Christian nation? Israel describes itself as a “Jewish and democratic state” and is the only country in the world with a Jewish-majority population. Other faiths in Israel apart from the Jewish faith (73.6 %) include Islam (predominantly Sunni, 18.1 %), Christianity (mostly Melkite and Orthodox, 1.9 %) and the religion of the Druze (1.6 %). The remaining 4.8 % include faiths such as Samaritanism and Baha’i.

2. What is the difference between Jews and Christians? Christianity emphasizes faith in Jesus Christ who gives grace, empowerment and guidance for living the moral or holy life while Judaism, the religion of the Jews, teaches a life of holiness through performing ‘mitzvot’ and emphasizes the importance of adhering to the Bible’s standards of social justice as laid down by the prophets.

3. What is ‘mitzvot’? It is a Hebrew word that roughly translates to ‘commandments’

4. Why is Israel important to Christianity? Many important events in the religion’s history took place there.

5. Which religion do the Jews practice? Judaism, the first and oldest of the three great monotheistic faiths. The basic laws and tenets of Judaism are derived from the Torah, the first five (5) books of the Bible.

6. Does Judaism believe in Jesus Christ? Judaism does not accept Jesus Christ as a divine being, an intermediary between humans and God, a Messiah or as being holy. Belief in the Trinity is also held to be incompatible with Judaism as are a number of other tenets of Christianity.

7. What religion was Jesus’? Jesus was a Jew. He was born of a Jewish mother, in Galilee, a Jewish part of the world. All his friends, associates, colleagues, and disciples were Jews. He regularly worshipped in Jewish communal worship in what were called synagogues. Jesus, however, is the founder of Christianity. The Bible, the holy book of the Christians, narrates the life and teachings of Jesus.

8. Who do Jews pray to? God in Judaism has been conceived in a variety of ways. Traditionally, Judaism holds that Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the national God of the Israelites, delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and gave them the Law of Moses at Mount Sinai as described in the Torah.

9. Who is Jesus in Judaism? There is no official Jewish view of Jesus but in one respect, Jews are agreed in their attitude towards Jesus. Jews reject the claim, which is made for Jesus by his Christian followers, that He (Jesus) is the Lord Christ, God incarnate, the very Son of God the Father.

10. Who, then, is the Lord in Judaism? Israelites’ tradition identifies YHWH (Yahweh), the God of Israel, as the creator of the world, who has been known and worshipped from the beginning of time.

11. Do Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews? Despite the manifest differences in how they practice their religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God. The founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammed, saw himself as the last line of prophets that reached back through Jesus to Moses, beyond him to Abraham and far back as Noah.

12. If Jesus founded Christianity and Muhammed, Islam, who founded Judaism? Judaism originated with the biblical patriarch, Abraham (approximately 1800 BCE). Abraham established a covenant with God that was confirmed with the reception of the Torah (The Law, including the Ten commandments) from God through Moses to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai approximately 3,320 years ago.

13. Who are the modern-day Israelites? Both the modern-day Jews and Samaritans trace their ancestry to the ancient Israelites.

14. What is Jesus’ name in Hebrew? Yeshua, which translates in English to Joshua.

15. Who is Jesus to Muslims? Isa, in Arabic, which means a prophet of God and was born of a virgin (Mary). They also believe he will return to the Earth before the Day of Judgment to restore justice and defeat the false Messiah also known as the Anti-Christ.

16. Do Jews celebrate Christmas? Jewish people do not celebrate Christmas for many reasons. Jews do not see Jesus as the Messiah. They believe that there are prophecies that he has not fulfilled, which means that he cannot be the one who was prophesied as the coming Messiah.

17. Do Jews believe in the Old Testament? The Jewish sacred text is called the Tarakh or the Hebrew bible. It includes the same books as the Old Testament in the Christian bible but placed in a slightly different order. The Torah – the first five (5) books of the Tanakh – outlines laws for Jews to follow.

18. Do Jews believe in the New Testament of the bible? Judaism emphasizes the Oneness of God and rejects the Christian concept of God in human form. While Christianity recognizes the Hebrew Bible called the Old Testament by Christians as part of its scriptural canon, Judaism does not recognize the Christian New Testament.

19. What is the difference between Christianity and Islam? Christians believe that Jesus is the incarnated Son of God, divine and sinless. Islam teaches that Jesus was one of the most important prophets but not the Son of God, not divine and not part of the Trinity. Rather, Muslims believe the creation of Jesus was similar to the creation of Adam.

20. Do Muslims believe in the Virgin Mary? The Quran speaks highly of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. Prophet Muhammed described her as the most respected and honoured woman ever in the life of humanity.

21. What is the population of the Gaza strip controlled by Hamas? 2.3 million (2023), including over a million children.

Gaza has been under land, sea and air blockade by Israel since 2007. Gaza is 139 sq. miles while Israel is 8,355 sq. miles The population of Gaza is predominantly Muslim (Sunni mostly, with small Shia and Ahmadi Muslim communities). The population of Israel is 9.73 million (2023) with Jews making up 73.5% or 9.73 million of the population while the Arab community makes up 21% or 2.048 million. TO BE CONTINUED.

The leader of Yoruba Self-determination Movement Prof. Banji Akintoye has stated that President Bola Tinubu was not responsible for the freedom of Yoruba nation agitator Chief Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) from Benin Republic contrary to claims by some Igbo militant leaders.

Recall that Igboho regained freedom in Benin Republic last week after months of restriction in Benin Republic where he was arraigned for his agitation in Nigeria.

Akintoye, in a statement by his spokesman Gani Alagbala, explained that contrary to claims in a viral video by an unnamed Igbo militant leader that President Tinubu should release Nnamdi Kanu the same way he released Igboho, the President had no hand in Igboho’s freedom.

Kanu, who is the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is standing trial in Abuja and is being detained by the Department of State Security (DSS).

Akintoye’s statement read in part: “Although we will not fault our Igbo brothers, nor criticise them for seeking the freedom of their leader NMK in any way, we must set the record straight. The Nigerian authorities and administration under the presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu had no hands in the release and total freedom of our frontliner Chief Sunday Adeyemo (a.k.a Igboho).

“We give the credit to God Almighty, then the efforts of our leadership in this Yoruba Nation Struggle supported by well-meaning friends at home and abroad.

“This has been a tedious and tasking process, but we give glory to God that granted us success in Sunday’s freedom at last.

“We strongly deny the involvement of any politician or officials of the Nigerian government in all these processes, for simply there was none.

“Our appreciation again goes to Benin Republic government for not denying us justice at last , despite any political pressure.

“And we wish our Igbo brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu a quicker release from incarceration.”

Rep. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, highlighted that the South-Eastern region is facing a substantial economic downturn and notable disruptions in business operations due to the enforced “sit-at-home” directive by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra.

This concern was expressed during a courtesy visit by the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) executives in Abuja, headed by Abdulrashid Yerima, the president of the group.

Mr. Kalu pointed out that the South-East geopolitical zone suffers significant financial losses, ranging from N10 billion to N13 billion, particularly in the transportation sector, with each weekly “sit-at-home” day.

“When they sit at home in the South-East, the South-West, South-South, North-West, North-East, and North-Central are not sitting at home,’’ Mr Kalu said.

He also observed that the whole country suffers when SMEs in the South-East suffer, saying, “Prices of goods and services will suffer if there is insecurity in the land.”

Mr Kalu promised a legislative commitment to address concerns raised earlier by the visitors.

“We must examine existing laws that are not SMEs-friendly. That way, we can address some of the economic challenges facing the country via SMEs,’’ he said.

Mr Kalu promised to work with NASMEs for growth, adding that the 10th National Assembly would support its course with positive legislation.

He said recent data indicated that SMEs accounted for 48 per cent of national GDPs in emerging economies, just as the World Bank had declared that SMEs played a pivotal role in job creation.

Earlier, the NASME president appealed to Mr Kalu to facilitate laws supporting the growth of SMEs in Nigeria.

The Federal Government on Saturday said that the World Bank will soon release the $1.5bn concessionary loan to support budget funding soon.

The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun confirmed the development during a press briefing on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Recall that in 2020, the World Bank also approved a $1.5bn credit facility for Nigeria to enable it bridge budget funding gap for the pandemic year when the country faced sharp fall in oil prices and the economy jumped into a difficult recession.

Speaking on the new loan, Edun confirmed ongoing talks with the World Bank for the loan and added that the money will likely be released soon.

Edun who said the loan request will possibly be discussed as the Federal Executive Council meets on Monday, added that it will come with a near zero interest rate, dousing concerns around rising debt service obligations.

He said, “Talks with the World Bank on $1.5 billion budget support, is correct. The World Bank is the number one multilateral development bank for helping developing countries fund own projects and programs. It has free money through International Development Association (IDA).

“It has this for the poorer countries and right now I think we qualify as one of the countries that are almost in the normal window of the World Bank funding but also some concessionary IDA funding.

“That means that effectively, the interest rate will be zero. Therefore, there is no stigma at all attached with qualifying for a World Bank funding to help finance development.

“In this particular case, its long been in the pipeline, and we are hoping that that funding will come through soon. A lot of hard work is being done. There’s a Federal Executive Council meeting on Monday that should be able to discuss this as well as other initiatives for financing of reasonable term.

“We’ve talked about the high costs of money, but the World bank money is the cheapest.”

On the priority of government, he said the key focus remains providing a better life for all Nigerians.

The Minister added, “The various discussions we have had with institutions such as the International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMF), the International Finance Corporation, the Islamic Development Bank and the British Government, to name a few, show that domestic revenue mobilization is a critical component of Nigeria’s long-term path to sustainable development finance.

“The Nigerian economy is not immune to these global headwinds and the overall geopolitical fragmentations. Fiscal consolidation remains the preferred policy option for many countries, so that buffers can be built after long years of stimulus.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says one of its major concern in the conduct of the Nov.11 Kogi governorship election is the prevailing security challenge in the state.

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman, INEC, said this when he visited the Kogi Local Government (LGA) office of the commission, in Kotonkarfe during a visit to the state to monitor mock accreditation in Lokoja on Saturday.

Yakubu said that the commission was working with the security agencies to provide secured environment for peaceful and credible election.

“Wherever you go in Nigeria, you are sure to see two government offices. One is INEC. You will see an INEC office in the LGA headed by an electoral officer, an Electoral Officer (EO). You will also see the police office headed by a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for the local government.

“So, we are everywhere working together. And I’m happy that we are working together as we prepare for the elections,“ he said.

Yakubu advised the Electoral Officers (EOs) in the state to follow the standard template for logistics deployment at Registration Area Centres (RACs), as well as work with security agencies, for the election to commence in Polling Units (Pus)at 8.30a.m.

“My advice to you is that you have to use the standard template for this election.

“I am glad to hear that all the non-sensitive materials have been received in your local government. And I’m sure it’s the same story in other local governments as well.

“But it’s not only the receipt of the material that is important. You have to batch them so that they go into the box per polling unit.

“So, on election day, as you move to the super RACs or the RAC centers, you will then move to the polling units,” he said.

Yakubu added: “We are giving our words to Nigerians that we must open polling units at 8.30 am on the dot. Therefore, you must activate the RACs. If you don’t activate the RACs we can’t actulise the commencement of the votes at 8.30 am.

“You must activate the RACs with security and I am happy that you are working in partnership with them.”

He commended all the INEC staff and security agencies in the state.

Earlier speaking, Mr Hassan Musa, the Electoral Officer, Kogi Local Government Area (LGA) office, Kotonkarfe, said that the preparations for the election was in advance stage.

Musa said that the LG office had already received all the non-sensitive materials for the election and was working with security agencies for a peaceful election.

He said that in the next few weeks the commission would round the RACs centres in the LG to monitor the preparations.

“We have received virtually all the non-sensitive materials for the election and we have successful dispatched them to PUs level and we are good to go. We don’t have any shortfall for now.

“What we are waiting for is sensitive materials. As you know sensitive materials come few days close to the election . More so we are having cordial relationship security agencies and they are doing their best to address places that have security challenges.

“We have received virtually all the non-sensitive materials and we have successfully dispatched them to PU levels. And we are good to go, sir. We don’t have any shortfall for now.

“What we are waiting for is the sensitive materials, which normally come a few days before the elections,” he said

He added: “Also, we are having a very cordial relationship with the security personnel. We are meeting with them, as you can see. We even hold a brief meeting with them every day and they are doing their best to crop down places that have security challenges.

“We have also met with transportation unions, waiting to sign MoU with them. ”

Yakubu used the opportunity to plant a tree in the premises of the INEC office for peace election, before proceeding to visit some PUs where mock accreditation was held in Lokoja.

[Newsguru]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT) has called for the immediate resignation of Senator Samuel Anyawu as the National Secretary of the party.

ThisNigeria reports that Anyawu is the PDP flagbearer of the 2024 Imo gubernatorial election.

In a letter addressed to the acting National Chairman of the Party, Iliya Damagun and signed by the acting Chairman of the BOT, Adolphus Wabara, the board stated that it was unconstitutional for Anyawu to remain the party’s secretary while in the Imo governorship race.

The BOT then called on the PDP NWC to ensure that Anyawu steps down from his position immediately.

ThisNigeria reports that the NWC had stated that Anyawu remained the Secretary of the party, despite calls for his removal.

A statement issued by the committee read “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a statement by a group mischievously purporting that the NWC has relieved our Candidate in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of his elected position as the National Secretary of our great Party.

“The NWC states in very clear terms that the claim by the group is completely false as the NWC did not at any time relieve or contemplate to relieve the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of his position.

“The NWC therefore strongly condemns the action of this group which is obviously the handiwork of those who intend to embarrass, cause disaffection and division in our party in their attempt to distract the PDP, our Candidate, Senator Anyanwu and the people of Imo State in the quest to rescue the State from the stranglehold of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The NWC states and cautions that no matter how strongly an individual or group feels about an issue, resorting to fabrications, lies and claiming of a non-existent decision by the NWC is highly condemnable.”

“The PDP urges Nigerians, particularly our teeming members and supporters in Imo State to disregard the said false claims as Senator Anyanwu remains the National Secretary and Candidate of our Party in the November 11, 2023 Governorship election in Imo State.

“The NWC charges the PDP in Imo State to remain united, focused, at alert and continue to resist the antics of suprressive forces which are bent at distracting our Party in the march to victory on November 11, 2023.”

[ThisNigeria]

The Ondo State House of Assembly on Saturday distanced itself from reports that it has suspended the impeachment process of the state Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The House in its reaction vowed to carry on with the impeachment in order to determine the veracity or otherwise of the monumental allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor.

The lawyer of the House, Femi Emodamori revealed this stand in a statement released on Saturday.

The statement reads, “Our Client, the Ondo State House of Assembly, has brought some distorted news story stating that it had “suspended” the impeachment of the State Deputy Governor, to our attention.

“The House reaffirmed that it has not “suspended” the impeachment process as inaccurately reported, and will carry same through to a logical conclusion in order to determine the veracity or otherwise of the monumental allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor.

“Impeachment is a constitutional process clearly outlined in section 188 (1)-(11) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and our Client has meticulously complied with all the stages leading up to the obligation placed on the State Chief Judge to set up a 7-man Panel to investigate the allegations, as stipulated in Section 188(5) of the Constitution.

“The notice of allegations of gross misconduct was signed by 11 members of the House and presented to its Speaker on 20th September, 2023 in strict compliance with Section 188(2) of the Constitution, which requires at least one-third of the 26 House members to sign and present the notice to the Speaker. That is the first stage in an impeachment process.

“The Speaker, in turn, served the notice on the Deputy Governor on 25th September, 2023, and also caused same to be served on all the other members of the House, in strict compliance with the same Section 188(2) of the Constitution which requires him to do so within seven days. That was the second stage.

“The third stage, as stated in Section 188(3) of the Constitution, requires a two-thirds majority of the members to pass a motion within 14 days after the notice of allegation(s) of gross misconduct was first presented to the Speaker, for the investigation of the allegation (s) and request the State Chief Judge to set up the 7-man Panel to investigate same.

“Our Client meticulously complied with the said Section 188(3) of the Constitution. In fact, 23 out of its 26 members (more than the minimum two-thirds majority required) passed that motion on 3rd October, 2023.
Section 188(5) of the Constitution further states that after the motion is passed by the two-thirds majority, the Speaker should formally request the State Chief Judge to set up the Seven-man Panel.

“The Speaker diligently complied with this on the same 3rd October when the motion was passed.

“It was at this stage that His Lordship, the Honourable Chief Judge of Ondo State, replied the House, stating that he received an ex parte Order which the Deputy-Governor secured from the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court on 26th September 2023, ‘restraining’ his lordship from setting up the Panel, pending when the Court would hear all the parties in the case to determine the merit of the application or the case filed by the Deputy-Governor.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 188(10) of the Constitution clearly states that “The proceedings or determination of the House or Panel or any matter relating to such proceedings or determination shall not be questioned or entertained in any court”, and there are too many judgments of the highest courts in Nigeria affirming that no court has the jurisdiction to dabble into an impeachment process, as long as the House of Assembly complies with all the constitutional process.

“The Honourable Chief Judge himself stated in his widely reported reply to my Client, that his lordship was not unmindful of the above provisions of Section 188(10) of the Constitution and even quoted it verbatim.
His lordship however stated that as a Chief Judge, he would prefer that the ex parte Order, which his lordship believes “tied his hand”, should first be vacated or set aside. The Chief Judge obviously prefers to err on the side of caution.

“The position of our Client, therefore, and contrary to the inaccurate press report, is that in spite of their reservations about the position of the Honourable Chief Judge in the face of the clear provisions of Section 188(10) of the Constitution and the judgments of the appellate courts stating that no court has the power to question or entertain any matter relating to the impeachment, they would, for now, show sufficient understanding of the delicate position the Hon. Chief Judge has found himself, by promptly taking the necessary legal steps to vacate or quash the order and/or the entire suit at the Federal High Court, in order to untie the hands of his lordship and proceed with the impeachment to a logical conclusion.

“The general public would recall that a similar suit instituted by the same Deputy Governor on the same subject matter at the Ondo State High Court was dismissed on 10th October, 2023 for constituting an abuse of Court process, following a preliminary objection which we filed on behalf of our Client.”

[NaijaNews]

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has urged Biafra agitators to uphold a 40-day ceasefire.

Ohanaeze said the ceasefire is aimed at securing the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The Factional Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the ceasefire should start from October 31.

In a statement he signed, Isiguzoro said there are ongoing talks behind the scenes on the possibility of Kanu’s release.

According to Isiguzoro: “To facilitate progress in this matter, Ohanaeze Ndigbo urges Biafra agitators to uphold a ceasefire for a period of 40 days, refraining from any offensive aggression starting from October 31, 2023.

“Maintaining discipline among the Biafra agitators is crucial to ensuring the cessation of all offensive acts for the designated 40-day period.

“By doing so, the ongoing conversations behind the scenes will have the necessary environment to provide the desired solutions for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. Ohanaeze Ndigbo reminds Ndigbo of our Igbo idiom, “Every soup has a peculiar way of licking it,” emphasising the importance of engaging with relevant authorities through diplomatic channels as the most effective means of achieving the desired results.

“We implore Ndigbo to exercise patience during this challenging time. We acknowledge the pain and hardships endured by the people of the Southeast since the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu.

“As custodians of our land, we assure ourselves and our people that positive outcomes are anticipated following the November 2023 Imo State Governorship elections. The release of Nnamdi Kanu will be a surprise package for the Southeast.”

The body also appealed to Nigerians Kanu might have offended to extend forgiveness and allow the greater interests of Nigeria to prevail.

“The restoration of peace and security in the Southeast is of utmost importance and requires the collective involvement of all stakeholders.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo remains committed to working behind the scenes, galvanising all relevant parties to achieve this essential objective,” he added.

[DailyPost]

The World Bank has appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun as the Chairman of the African Governors’ Forum.

According to a statement on the Ministry of Finance’s X page, the ministry noted that Edun’s appointment makes it the first of such for Nigeria.

The statement reads, “The appointment presents a unique opportunity for Nigeria and implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“WORLD BANK APPOINTMENT.

“Nigeria’s Minister @FinMinNigeria & Coordinating Minister of the Economy Mr. Wale Edun has been appointed to Chair the African Governors’ Forum of the World Bank. 

“This marks the first time Nigeria has assumed the role of Chairman in 60 years.”

The African Governors’ Forum is a platform for African finance ministers and central bank governors to engage with the World Bank on issues of mutual interest.

[Vanguard]