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The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has engaged in war of words with the Patriotic Volunteers, a group within the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano state, over the announcement made by the APC group to form what it termed as “shadow government” to checkmate the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
In a statement issued as a counter to the group’s announcement, and signed by the state commissioner for Information Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Wayya, the state government described the group’s intention to form a shadow government in the state as not only a desperate and politically motivated scheme but also a dangerous move with serious social and legal implications for the entire state and Nigeria’s democratic system.
The commissioner said democracy does not permit anyone to lose their sense of judgment simply because they have lost relevance within their party’s political structure, adding that the right to freedom of expression does not grant anyone the liberty to make reckless statements or take actions that undermine constitutional governance and the sovereignty of an elected government.
“Let me remind these elements within the Kano APC that, in a democratic system like ours, forming a government within a government is entirely illegal and unconstitutional. A shadow government, as practiced in the United Kingdom, exists within a parliamentary system where opposition parties appoint “shadow ministers” to scrutinize the ruling government. However, Nigeria operates a presidential system, which neither recognizes nor supports such a structure outside the institutional framework of the law,” he said.
The group under the its national President of the group and former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Usman Alhaji, had revealed a plan to form a shadow government apparatus that will effectively put an eye on the state government’s activities..
According to him, the group is planning to assign its members to all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to monitor their activities and make “constructive” criticism that would prompt the government to do the needful.
“This is what is obtainable in the UK where we see opposition parties form the shadow government to checkmate the incumbent one. We are going to replicate it in Kano by assigning our members at MDAs to monitor the activities there and come up with a report. We are committed to doing this, because what we want is a better Kano for all,” he said.
[DailyTrust]
In December 2024, President Tinubu presented a N49.7 trillion budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly.
However, on February 5, he notified the lawmakers of an additional N4.5 trillion to the budget figure, raising it to N54.9 trillion.
Out of the figure, N3, 645, 761, 358, 925 trillion is for statutory transfers; N14, 317, 142, 689, 548 trillion is for debt servicing; N13, 064, 009, 682, 673 trillion is for recurrent non-debt expenditure, while N23, 963, 251, 624, 250 trillion is for capital expenditure.
The National Assembly had equally set January 30, 2025, as the target date for the budget approval. But following the inability to conclude budget defence sessions, plenary resumption was postponed to February 4, 2025. The Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Abubakar Bichi, acknowledged that the process was lengthy, involving budget defence, harmonisation and final report submission before final passage.
Surprisingly, on resumption after Christmas break, the President sent two separate letters to the two chambers of the National Assembly, where he proposed to raise the earlier budget from N49.7 trillion to N54.9 trillion, citing additional revenues generated by key government agencies as the rationale behind his action.
He was said to have conveyed the budget adjustment in separate letters to both the Senate and House of Representatives. The letter was read during plenary on the same day by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Tinubu said the increase was driven by N1.4 trillion in additional revenue from the Federal Inland Revenue Service, N1.2 trillion from the Nigeria Customs Service and N1.8 trillion generated by other government-owned agencies.
After reading the letter, the proposal was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations for urgent review, with Akpabio assuring that the budget deliberation would be concluded before the end of February.
As promised, the National Assembly worked expeditiously to beat the end of February deadline and just last week, February 13, 2025, the Senate passed the 2025 budget with a total figure of N54, 990, 165, 355, 306 trillion.
In his remarks after the passage of the bill, Senator Akpabio, who presided over the session, commended the Finance Committee Chairman, the standing committees chairmen and all members present for their contributions to its passage. He also expressed hope that the budget would be used to move Nigeria forward.
However, economic experts, manufacturers and analysts spoke to DAILY POST, with some describing it as purely academic exercise.
Those pushing this narrative wondered why the president would bring the additional revenue to the 2025 budget instead of putting it into the 2024 budget to ensure that it was 100 percent implemented.
There are those who have argued that it could lead to inflation if not well channeled.
President of the Calabar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CALCCIMA), David Etim, stated that while budgets are merely projections, their realisation depends on the government’s ability to generate revenue to support them.
“The budget has increased by about N5 trillion. If that amount is directed toward infrastructure development, it will be a game-changer, bringing tangible value to the economy. However, if it is funneled into recurrent expenditures or consumption, it will only fuel inflation,” Etim told our correspondent.
He expressed optimism that the government’s stated goal of reducing inflation to around 24 percent, with a long-term target of 15 percent, suggests that the additional funds would be channeled into productive investments.
“If this money is used for infrastructure, it will boost economic productivity, create employment and help stabilise inflation further,” he added.
Etim also noted that manufacturers stand to gain significantly from improved infrastructure, particularly better road networks that will enhance market accessibility.
“With more roads opening up, access to markets will improve, increasing demand and income for manufacturers,” he explained.
Also, a small and medium enterprises expert and member of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Daniel Dickson-Okezie harped on the need for strategic allocation of the additional budget.
He emphasised that the ratio of capital expenditure to recurrent expenditure remains low, insisting that the government must prioritise long-term investments over short-term spending.
“In most developed economies, budgets lean more towards capital projects rather than recurrent expenses. We need to adopt this approach now more than ever,” Dickson-Okezie said in an interview.
According to him, capital expenditure, particularly in infrastructure, will have a multiplier effect across various sectors, creating jobs, enhancing business operations, and improving the overall standard of living for Nigerians.
“It is not just about increasing the budget; it is about ensuring that the funds are channeled correctly. If this money is invested wisely, it will drive economic growth and create a lasting impact,” he concluded.
For a former House of Representatives member, Yusuf Mohammed, the proposal is basically academic, as he noted that whether it would generate inflation or boost the economy is neither here nor there.
He argued that since the President told Nigerians that he had gotten some additional revenues from 2024, he would have used the money to implement the 2024 budget instead of putting it into the 2025 budget.
He insisted that since the revenue agencies have improved and are generating more money, it means that the President can also do that projection for 2025 because the revenue generating agencies are bringing more money.
“All these arguments that there will be more inflation don’t add up at all. Several countries in the world like China, are going into serious implementation of infrastructural programmes to boost the economy but here it is not so. We tend to channel our resources into recurrent expenditures.
“The government needs to spend the money it has generated to get the country moving. Instead of keeping the money for 2025, the money should be used to implement all the infrastructural projects and programmes that are included in the 2024 budget.
“And if you do that, you will generate economic activities and more people will be taken off the street and the economy will get moving again. So, the question of whether it will bring inflation doesn’t add up,” he said.
Still pushing that the hike in 2025 budget was not necessary, he stressed that since the 2024 budget has not been implemented 100 percent, the money would have been deployed to ensure that the 2024 was fully implemented.
“The question that we need to ask ourselves is: what is the level of implementation of the 2024 budget? I don’t think it is 100 percent.
“At the last count, someone told me it was just 60 percent. So, if you have additional money, why don’t you implement the budget fully?
“This is because, according to the president, the budget is a plan to get the economy moving. Now you have not implemented the 2024 budget 100 percent and you are keeping the money for next year.
“I strongly believe that we have not fully implemented the 2024 budget and the president should just do that.
“Since we now know from his calculations that the agencies generating revenue will generate more revenue in the coming years, he should simply project that in the coming year, instead of an additional nine percent, he can project 20 or 30 percent and then review the budget accordingly.
“After all, we are expecting that the oil production will still further increase, meaning that there will be a lot of money that will be generated in the coming year.
“In my eight years in the National Assembly, I have discovered that several projects are not completed because of inflation and changes in costs and the rest of them.
“So we have a lot of projects that were started and may not have been completed and if the president had gone to the National Assembly to seek for extension of time for implementation of previous budget, my contention is that since 2025 budget is a plan that is being made and it is not being implemented immediately, if you have additional funds, it would be better applied to the projects that need to be funded but have not been funded.
“Secondly, a budget is a plan; an assumption of the revenue you will get and the expenditure that you are going to incur.
“That means that if the President is now convinced that the revenue agencies are capable of generating more revenues than they used to, and that there are now more people in the tax net than we had before, it means that there should be a change in the 2025 budget.
“And that change should be to tell the National Assembly that he expects more money in 2025, and then to increase the budget to implement all the programmes that he is planning to implement,” he stated.
He believes that the whole idea boils down to politics, stressing: “Like I said, the president and his team are very good at playing politics in the minds of the people and that is what they are doing, to show that they are transparent and that they are doing things that other people have not done before.
“But, my contention is that the National Assembly has always tinkered with revenue projections and made decisions based on its projections year in year out.”
With stakeholders emphasising the need for infrastructures focused spending, the government’s budget execution strategy will be crucial in determining whether the N5 trillion hike would serve as a catalyst for economic expansion or exacerbate inflationary pressures.
Expectations are also high with regards to how the entire budget performs, especially in bringing Nigerians out of misery.
[DailyPost]
Actress and producer Teniola Aladese has revealed how she struggled to come to terms with the tragedy of losing her ex-boyfriend.
In an interview on With Chude, Aladese revealed that her ex-boyfriend passed away just months after their breakup, leaving her with a deep sense of loss and anger towards God.
The actress, known for her role in The Christmas in Lagos, questioned God’s purpose behind her ex-boyfriend’s untimely death, citing his talent, plans and potential.
However, Aladese said she found solace in believing that her ex-boyfriend fulfilled his purpose during his time on earth, leaving a lasting impact on those who knew him.
She said: “He passed a couple of months after we broke up and was even dating someone else after we ended things. We still remained friends, but after he passed, it was a huge blow – on me, on his friends, on his family members. I don’t even want to know how his mum copes. He was the only son. One daughter, one son.
“For me, it took a lot of reassurance that people come into this world for a certain purpose. Because the reason I was angry with God was that this guy had his whole life ahead of him. He was so talented, he was a writer. He had plans to direct and even after we broke up, he said to me, ‘You are still going to produce my films.’ And so there were all these plans, and just like that, accident and the guy goes. I am like, ‘Why would you allow this to happen?
“Now what I use to console myself is that he was here for a purpose. He left his mark. All of us that were his friends remember him for who he was and for how good of a person he was”.
[TheNation]
The West African Examinations Council, on Sunday, announced the release of the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results for Private Candidates, Second Series.
This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina.
According to Adesina, a total of 65,023 candidates participated in the examination, with 43,923 candidates, representing 67.55%, scoring credit and above in a minimum of five subjects.
Furthermore, 34,878 candidates, accounting for 53.64% of the total candidates, obtained credit and above in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
Adesina noted that the results reflect a promising performance among candidates.
“The performance of candidates in this year’s examination is encouraging, with a significant percentage achieving credit and above in key subjects,” she said.
For candidates eager to check their results, WAEC has provided a simple online procedure:
Visit the WAEC official results checker website: www.waecdirect.org.
Enter your 10-digit WAEC Examination Number in the designated field.
Input the four-digit Examination Year, for example, 2024.
Select the Type of Examination as ‘Private Candidate Results.’
Enter the e-PIN Voucher Number.
Provide the Personal Identification Number (PIN) from the e-PIN.
Click ‘Submit’ and wait for the results window to display your performance.
Candidates who experience any difficulties accessing their results are advised to contact WAEC through its official communication channels for assistance.
[Punch]
Men of f the Department of State Security, DSS, and Nigeria Police, in tye early hours on Monday, stormed the premises the Lagos State House of Assembly, sealing up the offices of the Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, her deputy and clerk of the house.
As of 10 am, armed security personnel have taken over the premises at Alausa, Ikeja, and environs frisking every passersby.
Meranda, however, arrived with her convoy at about 11.15am.
Recall that the embattled, former Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, has sued the state lawmakers challenging his removal as the Speaker of the Assembly.
Obasa, it was gathered, has filed a motion at the Ikeja Division of the State High Court, where he is also seeking an accelerated hearing of his suit.
Obasa was removed in absentia by 32 out of the 40 members of the state Assembly on January 13, 2025. He was in America when he was removed in a situation described as “coup,” by President Bola Tinubu.
The development has generated controversy with members of the Governance Advisory Council, GAC, an apex political decision making body in All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos, divided over Obasa’s removal.
READ ALSO: https://reubenabati.com.ng/news/okey-ogbodo-embroiled-in-amede-eha-amufu-election-controversy
Obasa, in the suit, was challenging the legality of his removal from office.
The motion, made available to Vanguard Media was filed on Wednesday, 12 February, 2025, names the Lagos State House of Assembly and Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, current Speaker of the House, as defendants.
In the suit filed by his lawyers, led by Chief Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, Obasa is seeking several reliefs, among which are: “An order fixing a date for the expeditious hearing of the originating summons.
“An order of this Honourable Court abridging the time within which the Defendants may file their response by way of counter affidavits/written addresses as specified by the Rules of this Honourable Court, to 7 days after the hearing and determination of this Application.
“An order of this Honourable Court abridging the time within which the Plaintiff/Applicant may file its Reply of points law, as specified in the Rules of this Honourable Court, to 3 days of the service of the Defendants processes on him.”
Obasa’s application is predicated on nine grounds, including the interpretation of various sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As amended), and the Rules and Standing Order of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The suit read in part: “This application is predicated among which he stated the suit concerns the interpretation of Sections 36; 90; 92(2)(c); 101 and 311 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As amended) vis-à-vis ORDER V RULE 18(2) and Order II Rule 9(1)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) OF RULES AND STANDING ORDER OF LAGOS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY (which enjoy constitutional flavor and status);
“The action borders on the constitutionality or otherwise of the sitting and proceedings of the Lagos State House of Assembly of the 13th January, 2025 where the Plaintiff herein, as Honourable Speaker was said to be impeached.
“This action challenges the constitutionality of the sitting and proceedings of the Lagos State House of Assembly to sit during recess without the Speaker reconvening the House or giving any other person powers to reconvene the House.
“Public interest requires the case to be heard and determined speedily and expeditiously so that legislative activities in the State is not stalled.
“The legality of the continued sitting of the 1st defendant under the present leadership in violation of the aforementioned laws and rules calls for an urgent determination;
“The nature of this action is such that is required to be heard and determined expeditiously having regard to the exceptional circumstances surrounding same;
“There is need to abridge the time within which the Defendants may file their response to the originating summon as well as time within which the claimant/Applicant may file its reply on point of law; and
“This Honourable Court is imbued with inherent powers to grant accelerated hearing and abridgment of time; and
“It is expedient to grant accelerated hearing of this action and abridgment of time for parties to file the relevant processes in the interest of justice.”
Obasa maintained that none of the parties to the case would be prejudiced or suffer any injustice by the grant to his application.
[Vanguard]
The United States has pencilled 201 Nigerians for deportation amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal migrants.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs, spoke about the development when Richard Mills, US ambassador to Nigeria, paid her a courtesy visit at the Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.
Mills said “those to be repatriated would be dropped in Lagos. There wouldn’t be room for whether it should be in Port Harcourt or Abuja”.
“The first group will be convicted prisoners. Those who committed crimes and are in US prisons,” he added.
“Some of them are those who have clearly violated US immigration laws. They appealed but were denied yet they are still in the US. They have committed immigration crime, people who have been ordered to leave.”
According to a statement issued Sunday by Magnus Eze, the minister’s media aide, both officials addressed concerns about the repatriation system, with Odumegwu-Ojukwu seeking a dignified deportation process for her compatriots.
“With the new administration in the US, we want a situation where there will be commitments. If there will be repatriation, we want dignified return,” she said.
“At the moment, we’re told that about 201 Nigerian nationals are in US immigration camps, and about 85 have been cleared for deportation.
“Will there be any way of ameliorating their pains? This has been of great concerns to not just Nigerian nationals in the US but family members in Nigeria who depend on them for survival, children whose school fees are paid for by these diasporans.
“We are asking as a country whether they will be given ample time to handle their assets or will they just be bundled into planes and repatriated?
“It will really be traumatic especially for those who had not committed any violent crime.”
UNCERTAINTY AROUND DROP BOX VISA SYSTEM, USAID
There has been uncertainty around the drop box process — a visa interview waiver that allows eligible individuals to obtain a visa without a face-to-face interview at the US embassy.
Some media outlets reported that the drop box visa processing option was no longer available for US visa applicants in Nigeria, while others reported otherwise.
Efforts to reach the US embassy for confirmation were not immediately successful.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also urged the US to issue a statement clarifying its actual position on the drop box system to assuage the concerns of Nigerians.
She also asked that the US reconsider its stance if it was mulling a possible suspension of the policy.
In addition, Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed worry about the status of USAID, inquiring if it was outrightly dismantled or merely suspended.
Addressing the minister’s concerns, the US ambassador said the drop box visa policy has not been suspended but added that it was being reviewed, as is expected whenever there is a change in administration.
Mills assured that the position of the new US government on USAID, drop box visa system, and other areas would be known in due course.
[TheCable]
Answering questions from journalists on the position of Senator Aminu Tambuwal that no one with conscience will join the APC.
In response Mr Osita Okechukwu foundation member of the APC said that Tambuwal cannot truly talk of conscience when he connived to wreck the PDP; hence it is the trust deficit of his Party’s leadership which simulates defectors.
It could be recalled that Senator Aminu Tambuwal, the former governor of Sokoto State, at the North West Zonal meeting of the PDP, had expressed disappointment over the recent wave of defections by members of the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
And he was quoted as saying that, “I believe that no one with conscience will join the APC. People leave parties for different reasons, but what I have been observing in recent times are defections not based on the interest of the people but on stomach infrastructure.”
Okechukwu upon this statement retorted that the wave of the defections is basically the outcome of erroneous breach of the rotation convention of president and Section 7 of the PDP’s Constitution of which Tambuwal was one of the masterminds.
“One cannot fathom how my friend Senator Tambuwal didn’t rate the breach of the rotation convention, especially against his erstwhile bosom friend Nyesom Wike, Minister of FCT; who backed him in 2018 presidential primary when no aspirant of southern extraction in the PDP contested in obedience to the rotation convention as unconscionable?
“This is the offshoot of Wike Masquerade raging” - Okechukwu submitted.
READ ALSO: https://reubenabati.com.ng/news/okey-ogbodo-embroiled-in-amede-eha-amufu-election-controversy
He reminded Tambuwal and his cohorts that some patriotic members of the PDP are defecting because the party has been demobilised, irretrievably wreckage rendered and ineffective to play its traditional role of main opposition party.
When told of the impending coalition or merger which will dislodge the APC in 2027 presidential election, Okechukwu replied that the greed in the party will not allow them to forge solid merger.
He said they have already started cooking up awkward permutation of south 17 and north 11 years in Aso Villa, just to rupture again the rotation convention, as if Nigeria got independence in 1999.
“Tambuwal and cohorts act as if they have 100% votes of the north in their pocket and albeit the northern electorates are quarantined in a dormitory to be hauled to the polling booth on Election Day.
“Their masterminds always forget that the northern electorates are one of the most sophisticated in the country and cannot be toyed with.
“Or do they think that the southeastern electorates that put all their eggs in one PDP’s electoral basket, even when APC presented Rt. Honourables Chuba Okadigbo and Edwin Umezoke in 2003 and 2007 as vice presidents respectively are amnesia stricken? The defection is not about stomach infrastructure, it’s about PDP’s leadership trust deficit.” Okechukwu opined.
The House of Representatives is considering a bill to amend the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, to regulate the deployment of police officers as orderlies to top government officials and prevent abuse of the practice.
Sponsored by the lawmaker representing Epe Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Wale Raji, the bill seeks to limit the duration officers can serve in such roles and ensure their reassignment to core police duties after a specified period.
A copy of the bill, exclusively obtained by The PUNCH, proposes amendments to Section 18 of the Principal Act by introducing new subsections (12 to 17) that clearly define the offices entitled to police aides and the duration of such assignments.
Subsection 12 of the proposed amendment stipulates that only select public officials, including the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria, state governors, deputy governors, and principal officers of the National and State Assemblies, as well as local government chairmen, shall be entitled to police orderlies as determined by the Inspector General of Police.
The bill introduces a three-year limit for police officers assigned as orderlies to elected officials, after which they must return to their police divisions for other duties and further training. Additionally, such officers will not be eligible for reassignment to similar roles for at least five years.
However, an exception is made for officers attached to the President, Vice President, state governors, and principal officers of the National and State Assemblies, who may serve throughout the official’s tenure before being reassigned.
To ensure compliance, the bill proposes penalties for any police officer who contravenes or aids the violation of these provisions, with misconduct punishable under the Police Service Rules.
In its explanatory memorandum, the bill seeks to curb the abuse of police personnel attached to VIPs while improving the efficiency, professionalism, and dignity of the Nigeria Police Force.
The proposed legislation is expected to return to the floor of the House for further debate in the coming weeks.
I Was Never Obsessed With Control Of LG Funds Like You – Obaseki Blasts Okpebholo Over ₦96 Billion Fraud
AFOLABI
Former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has dismissed the state Government panel report indicting him of ₦96 billion for fraud alongside Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and impeached Local Government chairmen.
Naija New reports that, following the revelations in the report, Governor Monday Okpebholo has vowed to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Presenting the report to Governor Okpebholo over the weekend, the panel’s chairman, Solomon Imohiosen, revealed that forensic investigations uncovered massive financial irregularities, with approximately ₦96 billion either mismanaged or diverted into private accounts.
READ ALSO: https://reubenabati.com.ng/news/okey-ogbodo-embroiled-in-amede-eha-amufu-election-controversy
Responding to the allegation, Obaseki, in a statement on Sunday through his Media Advise, Crusoe Osagie, described the fraud allegation as another desperate effort to justify Okpebholo’s unconstitutional onslaught on duly elected council executives.
Obaseki stated that Okpebholo does not have supervisory responsibility over the local governments and can, therefore, not set up any investigation of government officials elected into office just like him.
The ex-governor said he was never obsessed with control of local government funds during his tenure, as Okpebholo has shown himself to be in the last three months, adding that Nigerians and Edo people should ignore the governor’s lies and propaganda.
The statement read, “We have read with disdain a statement by Monday Okpebholo alleging that the elected 18 local government chairmen in Edo State mismanaged N96 billion, in another of Okpebholo’s frantic efforts to justify his unconstitutional onslaught on the elected leadership of the third tier of government.
“What is most shocking about the statement is that Okpebholo appears to be completely oblivious of the fact that he does not have supervisory responsibility over the local governments and can therefore not set up any investigation of government officials that are elected into office just like him.
“As a matter of fact, these local government chairmen have a better claim to their democratic office than he, whose election stands on a knife edge, with the election petition tribunal preparing to deliver justice in the September 21, 2024 election, widely believed to have been rigged.
“Also advertising Okpebholo’s ignorance is his attempt, as usual, to drag His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki into his propaganda. Okpebholo should kindly note that Obaseki was never obsessed with control of local government funds during his tenure, as Okpebholo has shown himself to be in the last three months.
“We are forced to, by this statement, inform Okpebholo that there are limits to his powers as governor, and if he believes there are financial infractions in a separate tier of government from his own, he should simply inform the relevant agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to carry out their constitutional responsibilities. Okpebholo needs to be reminded that he is neither the Inspector General of Police nor the Chairman of the EFCC.
“We urge all Edo people and Nigerians to ignore the lies and falsehood propagated by Okpebholo in his statement and to rest assured that His Excellency Godwin Obaseki, who is clearly the target of Okpebholo’s witch hunt ran the most transparent government in the history of Edo State and had no authority over local government funds at any time during his 8 years in office.”
A newly wedded official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Aliyu Imran, has been tragically killed by a mob in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Naija News learnt that Imran, who held the position of Assistant Superintendent of Narcotic 1, was set ablaze by a furious mob in the Gadan-Gayan region of Igabi LGA.
This incident reportedly occurred after a vehicle which Imran and his colleagues were pursuing was involved in a collision that resulted in fatalities.
According to SaharaReporters, the officer and his team were chasing a suspected drug dealer when the suspect attempted to evade capture by reversing his vehicle, leading to the deaths of at least three individuals on the scene.
In an effort to de-escalate the situation, Imran reportedly intervened but was subsequently attacked by the mob.
He sustained stab wounds while the Officer in Charge (OC) called for assistance.
The media platform quoted sources to have disclosed that a courageous police officer transported him to a nearby hospital; however, the mob later invaded the medical facility, forcibly removed him, and set him on fire.
Imran’s bereaved family has expressed their disappointment, accusing the NDLEA of neglecting to issue a statement or extend condolences or compensation to them.
“It happened that on Friday some NDLEA officers went for an operation at Gadan-Gayan. They are covering it up. This is our agency. Do you know what they normally do? If accidents like this happen and an officer is in involved or an officer loses his life, instead of them compensating the family, the NDLEA will try to cover it up so that they will not give the deceased family the compensation.
“Some officers were on patrol and the suspect reversed and started driving away from the officers on patrol.
“So the officers took their own car and followed the car that was trying to get away from them. So in that process, the car they were chasing had an accident, and killed four people died.
“So when our officers reached there, one of them Aliyu Imran, came down to try and calm the situation. Then people started to attack him. Even me, I’ve been involved in that kind of situation before.
“Normally, the moment you see the place is starting to get tense, you leave immediately.
“So when he came down to try to calm the situation down, the OC (Officer-in-Charge), the person that led the operation, started saying, okay. You guys should inbox. Like, let’s go. When you say inbox, it means you should enter car – let’s leave.
“So, in the process, they left Aliyu Imran in that place. So those guys, they stabbed him. After stabbing him, one police officer there took him on his bike to one hospital close to that place for treatment,” the source said.
He said the mob followed the policemen to the hospital, dragged out the NDLEA officer and burnt him alive.
The source further shared the sad development: “Do you know what’s heartbreaking? He just got married last December. His wife fainted as they were burying him yesterday (Saturday).
“Aliyu had stepped out of the vehicle to calm the situation, but the crowd turned hostile. I understand how these things escalate—I’ve been in similar mob situations during operations. Once tensions rise, the best thing to do is leave immediately.
“In the chaos, they left Aliyu Imran behind. The mob attacked him, stabbing him repeatedly.
“A police officer tried to save him by taking him to a nearby hospital on his bike. But the same mob stormed the hospital, dragged Aliyu out, and burned him alive while he was still clinging to life.
“The agency has done nothing for his family. They haven’t even addressed the incident officially. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, and NDLEA has covered it up before.”
The source asserted that this is not the first instance of an officer losing their life while on duty.
He noted that in many cases, these occurrences are not widely reported, and the families are left with only minimal compensation.
In response to the unfortunate event, the spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, refuted claims suggesting that the agency neglects its fallen officers.
He affirmed that the chairman of the agency is directly communicating with the family of the deceased officer.
“As I speak with you, a delegation from the headquarters—led by the agency’s director of operations and general investigations—is already in Kaduna to meet with the family. Additionally, another commander had earlier been dispatched by the chairman. So, there’s no truth to the claim that the family has been abandoned.
“To further demonstrate how seriously the agency is taking this matter, the management has suspended the commander involved. Do you understand?”
“This is an ongoing investigation. The matter is being thoroughly looked into, and the agency remains in close contact with the family. We are working diligently to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident,” he was quoted to have said.
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The Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has admonished African leaders to look past the era of waiting to receive aid from developed nations and instead be creative with the domestic resources available in the continent.
Naija News reports that United States President Donald Trump recently announced the suspension of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) activities across the world, citing financial mismanagement.
This development comes following United States Republican lawmaker, Scott Perry, alleged that USAID funds were used to arm Boko Haram terrorist organizations.
Addressing journalists at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nigerian former finance minister, Okonjo-Iweala commented on the development, stating that African leaders must look inward for funding opportunities for the continent.
The former World Bank developmental economist emphasizes that Africa must shift its perspective to recognize opportunities amid the challenges posed by the suspension of billions of dollars in global funding for health and education initiatives in various countries.
Okonjo-Iweala asserted that African leaders need to focus on attracting investment and mobilizing resources to navigate the current social and economic realities influenced by the policies of the Trump administration.
She said: One of the key things that is emanating is a recognition of the present very difficult geopolitical context we are in. And of course, as the head of the WTO, I am right in the middle of it. But one thing is very clear.
“Africa, really, we really need to change our mindset. Access to aid, I think we can begin to think of it as a thing of the past. We really have to focus on two things: attracting investment and mobilizing our own domestic resources.
“And I think that is a theme that is running through almost all the meetings here at the AU. I think African leaders are recognizing that this is a challenge. But we can also see it as an opportunity.
“And again, I’m glad to say that it’s emerging that look, this could be looked at as an opportunity. This morning, we had a session with the Multilateral Development Bank Association of Africa itself, along with President Mahama. One of the things we talked about is how do we better mobilize our own resources on the continent to invest in ourselves. I pointed out that we have about $250 billion worth of pension funds resources on the continent, which we need to find a way to tap.”
We Have The Institutions, Capitalize On Them – Okonjo-Iweala Stressed
The WTO boss stressed that Africa must capitalize on its institutions and properly channel its resources for development instead waiting to be helped.
Okonjo-Iweala added: “First, the pension funds need to look at their regulations to see how they change it so that they can invest more on the continent rather than investing more outside. And pension funds from South Africa is the biggest, but you have South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Botswana, Namibia, and many other countries.
“When you start totalling the resources, it’s huge, hugely significant. 250 billion is the estimate that I have. We have these multilateral development banks like the African Finance Corporation. Afrexim Bank is chairing the Association of African Multilateral Institutions.
“We need to capitalize on them better. Instead of looking outside to see what we can get, we have our own institutions. The shareholders are the African governments. Capitalize them properly so that their balance sheet can expand.
“They have a combined balance sheet now of about 70 billion. But if you look at the $70 billion, but if you look at the needs we have for infrastructure alone, up to more than 200 billion a year, you can see that we need to expand these organisations’ balance sheets.
“We have more than 84 national development banks and financial institutions, quite apart from the multilateral.
“How do we mobilize them and capitalize them better so they can help us finance? In Nigeria, during the time I was finance minister, we raised a diaspora bond of $300 million that was quite successful.
“That’s another type of instrument you can tap, tapping resources of our people outside, not just inside the continent. So there are so many creative and innovative ways we can raise resources.
“I want to end by one thing. Another theme going here at the meeting is the realization that we have to better add value and monetize our mineral resources on the continent.”
They Will No Longer Come To Dig Our Resource To Process Them Elsewhere
Okonjo Iweala insists that when the proper steps are taken, all the resources being taken out of Africa will henceforth be processed in the continent as these will create more jobs and increase its trade.
She said: “Almost every head of state is talking about large discoveries of lithium, manganese, copper, so many other things that are needed in the manufacture of electric batteries and vehicles.
“They are found on this continent. The issue is how do we attract the right investments so they add value? They don’t come to dig up, mine the resources and get them processed elsewhere. They have to be processed on the continent to create more jobs for us and to increase our trade.
“The only way we are going to be able to finance ourselves is to grow our economies, trade more, add value to our products, and trade more. And at the WTO, we’re trying to see what are those barriers that are preventing us sometimes when we add value, we can’t export it the way we want.
“What are those barriers? And we have a unique opportunity at our 14th ministerial next year, which will be in Cameroon, for Africa to articulate those barriers.
“And for us at the WTO to work hard to make sure that we lower them so we can have a better percentage of world trade and a better percentage of intra-Africa trade.”
The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, has officially released the results for the 2024 second series of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE for private candidates.
Notably, a total of 43,923 candidates, representing 67.55% of those who sat for the examination, scored credit and above in a minimum of five subjects.
In a statement by the acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, out of the 65,023 candidates who participated in the exam, the results indicate a promising performance, especially with 34,878 candidates (53.64%) achieving credit and above in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
This represents a significant improvement from previous years, with a marked increase of 9.35%, compared to the 2022 and 2023 results, where only 42.16% and 44.29% respectively achieved similar success.
The examination, which featured both paper and pen and computer-based modes, took place across 5,067 centres in the country.
Of those who took part, 31,504 were males, while 33,519 were females, marking a close gender distribution with females slightly leading at 51.55%.
WAEC confirmed that results for 62,354 candidates (95.90%) had been fully processed and released, while 2,669 candidates (4.10%) were still awaiting results due to errors attributable to their submissions.
Additionally, 2,577 candidates (3.96%) had their results withheld due to allegations of examination malpractice.
Candidates whose results have been withheld can visit the WAEC Notice of Examination Malpractice Portal to make official representations regarding these allegations.
Pastor, Ebuka Obi stunned as lady proposes marriage to him, says God confirmed it to her in dream
AFOLABI
A lady’s bold move in the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach left the founder, Ebuka Obi stunned and congregants bursting with loud laughter.
The lady who attended the Singles Conference had the opportunity to speak to the congregation and she made an unexpected speech.
She kicked up by stating that in 2022, someone prophesied to her that she was going to marry a prophet and the prophesy was further given a boost after God confirmed it to her in a dream.
However, she noted that the impediment was that the prophet whom she believes is her future husband is quite inaccessible.
Upon further probing by the pastor, the lady revealed that Ebuka Obi was the man whom the lord revealed to her as her husband.
This ultimately threw the church off-guard as the band swiftly kicked off a performance of Flavour’s hit track, ‘Golibe’
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Sharing the video on IG, the pastor wrote:
“She Proposed Marriage to EVANG EBUKA OBI during Singles Conference ?????.”
Recall that a few months back, Ebuka Obi took the public by storm, revealing a life choice that few can ignore.
In a new and eye-opening interview with BBC Igbo, the Imo-born cleric, speaking in his native labuat, Igbo, made a shocking admission that has sent ripples through the spiritual community and beyond—he revealed that he has never had sexual intercourse.
He shared that 12 years ago, he made a sacred vow to God to remain celibate until marriage.
For Ebuka Obi, celibacy isn’t a mere sacrifice but a powerful tool that allows him toremain spiritually focused, helping him hear God’s voice with absolute clarity, unhindered by worldly distractions.
His words; “I have never dated before. I have never had sexual intercourse with any woman. Any woman who says I’ve had sexual relations with her should speak up
“Qualities in a woman is not the reason I am not yet married. What is holding me back is that I want to hear the voice of God on it. He has never directed me about marriage. I prayed for 100 days last year to hear from God about it but there was no sign.”
“Davido is an underdog, Wizkid is a superstar, Burna Boy has global influence” – Akon shares views on top Afrobeats stars
AFOLABI
In a recent interview with ChartsAfrica, Senegalese-American musician Akon weighed in on Nigeria’s biggest Afrobeats stars, sharing his thoughts on Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido.
The video, which has since gone viral, generated a wave of conflicting reactions from fans across social media.
Akon, who has long been a significant figure in the music industry, expressed his admiration for Burna Boy, describing him as a “beast” on the global music scene.
He commended Burna Boy for his unique fusion of Nigerian and Ghanaian sounds, which he believes sets him apart from other artists.
Akon also credited his former colleague, who served as the head of international at Konvict Music, for having a strong influence on Burna Boy’s rise to fame.
When speaking about Wizkid, Akon labeled the “Ojuelegba” crooner as a true superstar, noting that his releases remain relevant throughout the year despite only releasing one song annually.
Turning to Davido, Akon referred to the “Awuke” singer as a hardworking artist who was initially an “underdog.”
He pointed out that Davido looked up to Wizkid during his early career and benefitted from the backing of his wealthy family.
Akon highlighted that despite the challenges, Davido’s persistence in releasing quality music and videos eventually secured his place as a leading figure in the Afrobeats genre.
He further praised Davido for having the most songs, recognizing his consistency in both quantity and quality.
Akon also took a moment to shout out Mr. Eazi, acknowledging his ability to blend music with business acumen, which has contributed to his growing influence within the industry.
While Akon’s praise for Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido was appreciated by many, his comments about Davido being an “underdog” sparked a heated debate online, with some fans disagreeing with his assessment.