Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has berated the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, over his reaction regarding the comment of former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, on the plan to acquire presidential jets.

Naija News reported that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Monday, condemned the move by the Federal Government to buy new aircraft for the presidential fleet.

Peter Obi described the move as insensitive while Nigerians grapple with economic hardship occasioned by the Federal Government’s policies.

However, Onanuga, in a swift reaction, described Obi’s comment as insensitive, wondering if he would rather have the life of the President jeopardised by flying faulty aircraft.

In a post via his social media page, Dele Momodu backed Peter Obi’s statement and suggestion, stressing that there is no reason to acquire presidential jets when the country is going through hard times.

The veteran journalist noted that Tinubu owned private jets before he was declared President and should demonstrate the sacrifice he has been preaching to Nigerians.

He wrote, “In these hard times, there’s no compulsory reason for a country to own Presidential jets. In fact, it is an overindulgence. ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU owned private jets ever before he was declared President. He can demonstrate the SACRIFICE he preaches by downsizing and returning to them and requesting his retinue to go commercial when absolutely necessary. AIR PEACE has a fleet of Boeing 777 that can be hired for long haul flights and this will keep them in business. Trouble is our politicians are outlandishly flamboyant… There’s nothing wrong with what PETER OBI said and suggested…”

The Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has formally distanced itself from the views expressed by the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, over the purchase of new jets for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The group insisted that the safety and security of the nation’s leaders must be treated as a paramount issue.

Speaking via a statement released on Tuesday amid the ongoing controversy, Secretary-General Okechukwu Isiguzoro asserted that Obi’s opinion does reflect the collective stance of the Igbo Nation as embodied by Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Isiguzoro highlighted that the current Presidential fleet, acquired over two decades ago during the Obasanjo administration, poses significant security risks and could hinder the President and Vice President in performing essential duties.

The statement said, “While we acknowledge Mr. Obi’s concerns about Nigeria’s economic challenges and the necessity to tackle pressing issues like insecurity, poverty, and hunger, Ohanaeze Ndigbo firmly believes that the safety and security of our nation’s leaders must take precedence.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo wholeheartedly supports the Federal Government’s decision to procure new Presidential jets to ensure the safety of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima.

“The organization recognized Obi’s genuine concerns for the Nigerian populace and his aspirations for economic improvement, urging him to collaborate with President Tinubu to provide constructive input and support for policies aimed at alleviating the hardships faced by citizens.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo remains committed to fostering unity, progress, and the well-being of all Nigerians. We firmly believe that through cooperation, we can work towards a brighter future for our nation.” 

A veteran Yoruba film actor, Lere Paimo, has appealed to governors from the South-West region of the country to control the activities of herders in the region, as farmers could no longer access their ancestral farms due to insecurity.

Paimo, who is widely recognized as Eda Onile Ola, said the people are suffering, and there is much hunger in the land because peasant farmers are unable to carry out their usual farming due to fear of destruction by herders.

The renowned actor expressed his belief that with proper security, infrastructure, and encouragement for agriculturalists, the South-West region could provide for its population and the whole country.

In an interview held on Tuesday in Lagos, Lere Paimo shared his insights on how to address the current socio-economic challenges, inflation, and food shortage issues facing the nation.

He suggested that the governors of South-West states need to work together and implement strategies to curb the activities of violent herders to guarantee food availability in the area.

Furthermore, he emphasized that by ensuring security, improving infrastructure, and offering support to farmers, the South-West could sustainably feed its citizens and the entire nation.

The veteran said: “Let every South-West governor control the activities of herders, who always clash with farmers. This has sent many away from their ancestral farms, and the attendant hunger is staring us in the face.

“The herders have brought a lot of losses to many farmers by making their cattle to feed on farms while some farmers have also lost their lives in the process. Many have left their farms over this.

“This is very bad. Each governor has the authority and power in their various states to ensure that herders are tamed for people to have the confidence to go back to farm without fear of any loss.

“People are suffering and hungry because many people have deserted farms because of security. If we want food security like before, we need to do something in that direction.

“Let each governor in the region take it as a personal responsibility to ensure stiff penalties for any herder who leads his flock to feed on people’s farms.”

Lere Paimo advocated ranches for herders as part of efforts to turnaround the current food crisis in the country.

He added: “We must take actions now to ensure security in the region, especially for farmers to enhance food security.

“South-West has enough arable land to growth its food and also feed the entire nation.

“The herder-farmer clashes is creating a lot of fears for the farmers in the region and our leaders must take urgent action before it will be too late.”

He mentioned that because raising cattle is a personal venture for individuals or collectives, it’s important for the government to step in and protect farmers from any negative impacts.

He argued that it’s the responsibility of the government to allocate a designated area for herders to graze their livestock within every state or municipality.

The Abuja Federal High Court has denied granting bail to the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.

In his ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite held that Kyari’s bail is at the discretion of the court in line with section 161 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The judge ruled that Kyari had not shown any evidence to warrant the court granting him bail. 

On May 22, the judge had granted the former boss of the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, temporary two-week bail to bury his mother.

However, the two weeks were extended by a week upon an application filed by Mr. Kyari for an extension of the bail.

On June 1, Kyari perfected the bail conditions and was released the same day.

At today’s proceedings, Justice Emeka Nwite refused to extend his earlier order but granted accelerated hearing in the case.

Kyari was detained following his arrest on February 14, 2022, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for alleged involvement with an international drug cartel.

He, along with four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team—Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu—was arraigned on March 7, 2022.

Two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also charged.

While Kyari and the IRT members pleaded not guilty, Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were convicted.