The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced a two-month visa amnesty initiative starting from September 1, 2024.
This program is designed to assist visitors who have overstayed their visas by allowing them to regularize their residency status or return to their home countries without facing penalties.
The initiative aims to help those who have exceeded their visa limits by providing a legal pathway to resolve their status.
This includes residents whose visas have expired, visitors who overstayed their visit visas, and children born in the UAE whose parents failed to apply for residency on their behalf.
The amnesty also extends to those who have absconded from their sponsors, though it excludes individuals who entered the country illegally.
The Head of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security, Maj Gen Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, emphasized that this initiative is an opportunity for violators to correct their status in the country.
He stated, “It is a chance for all violators to change their status in the country. The initiative will enhance the country’s position in the human rights sector.
“We want to support the people who are staying in the country by changing their status to enable them to get their rights and have a safe exit from the country or work and live decently in the UAE.”
The amnesty is accessible at various locations across the Emirates, providing overstayers with the opportunity to resolve their issues without fear of fines or imprisonment.
Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, has reiterated his concerns about the growing radicalization of bandits in Nigeria.
On Saturday, the influential cleric took to his Facebook page to share a disturbing video that showcases bandits celebrating and chanting in Arabic, underlining the dangers he has consistently warned about.
In the video, the bandits appear jubilant, chanting religious slogans that Sheikh Gumi suggests could indicate their increasing radicalization.
The cleric, who has previously advocated for dialogue and negotiation with the bandits as a means to address the security crisis in the North, emphasized the urgent need for the government to intervene before the situation escalates further.
Sheikh Gumi has long been a controversial figure in the discussions around Nigeria’s security challenges, particularly regarding his stance on engaging with bandits.
Sheikh Gumi wrote, “Initially, bandits were fighting an ethnic war that could be resolved. I warned if the kinetic [approach] is intensified, they will turn into ideologically motivated guerilla warfare. Nobody listened.”
He noted the shift in the nature of the conflict, emphasising the complexities of ideological warfare.
“The difference between the former and the latter is that ideological war is almost intractable; Boko Haram (BH) is an example. They commit the same crime, but this time, they think they are serving God. The picture is gloomy,” he added.
This statement comes amid ongoing concerns about the increasing radicalisation of bandits in Nigeria.
A wanted ex-beauty queen, Aderinoye Queen Christmas, has surrendered to the Lagos State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency after about eight months in hiding.
The Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, announced this in a statement on Sunday.
He said the suspect, born as Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, was declared wanted by the agency in January after she escaped from her Lekki, Lagos State residence.
This followed a raid by NDLEA operatives of her apartment at Oral Estate on January 24, 2024, after credible intelligence revealed that she deals in illicit substances.
“The suspect was Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture 2015/2016 and the founder of Queen Christmas Foundation,” Babafemi stated.
“Recovered from her home during the search witnessed by the estate officials include 606 grams of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, an electronic weighing scale, large quantities of drugs packing plastics, a black RAV 4 SUV marked Lagos KSF 872 GQ, and her picture frame among others.
“The suspect who claimed she has been hiding in Akure Ondo state since January when she escaped arrest in Lekki Lagos however surrendered to the Agency on Wednesday 28th August.”
The agency also intercepted hard drugs worth N17.9 billion in major operations in Lagos and Rivers States.
The hard drugs intercepted at the Onne and Tincan seaports were a total of 31,124,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and bottles of codeine-based syrup.
Parliamentary system will not solve Nigeria’s problems – Former presidential aspirant, Tafawa Balewa
AFOLABI
A former presidential aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Abdul-Jhalil Tafawa Balewa, says the adoption of a parliamentary system of government is not the answer to the nation’s current socio-political and economic challenges.
Tafawa-Balewa made this statement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos.
He was reacting to calls for a shift from the presidential system of government to the parliamentary system of government, to solve the country’s challenges.
Recall that Nigeria practised the parliamentary system of government, modelled after the British Westminster system, from 1960 to 1966.
During the period, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the Prime Minister while Dr Nnamdi Azikwe served as the ceremonial head of state.
“No (adoption of parliamentary system), but I think democracy has to be modified in Nigeria to be able to represent us.
“To introduce something somewhat new, something radically different will be too costly for us, and it won’t make much sense at this time,” the ex-presidential aspirant said.
According to him, the country should rather be urgently restructured to allow for devolution of power from the centre to the federating zones.
The politician said this would make the zones develop along their comparative advantages, adding it would make most of the country’s challenges disappear.
He further stated that the South-West can concentrate on the service industry, South East on the marine industry, manufacturing and commerce.
He added that the South-South could stay with just the petroleum manufacturing derivatives while the North could concentrate on agriculture.
CBN Governor, Deputies mum over alleged purchase of N10bn worth bulletproof cars, amid hardship
AFOLABI
The Central Bank of Nigeria has kept mum two days after a report emerged that its Governor, Olayemi Cardoso and four deputy Governors acquired six ultra-modern armored vehicles worth N10 billion despite the hardship Nigerians are facing.
Recall that the Daily Nigerian on August 30, 2024, reported that Cardoso and deputy governors, Mr. Philip Ikeazor, Emem Nnan Usoro, Bala Bello, and Muhammad Sani Abdullahi purchased six armoured Lexus LX 600 2023.
The report said that Cardoso got two for himself while the four deputies received one each.
The procurement comes despite the governors already having SUVs at part of their convoy, the publication stated.
Similarly, the governors had been alleged to have jacked up their housing allowances to over N1 billion.
However, two days after the report, the Spokesperson of CBN, Sidi Hakama has yet to confirm nor dismiss the claims.
Also, CBN has yet to speak on the matter on its official X handle, as well as website, DAILY POST gathered on Sunday.
The development comes nearly a year after Cardoso was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on September 15, 2023.
DAILY POST reports that since the appointment of Cardoso, the Monetary Policy Committee has continued to tighten measures.
The latest was the increase of interest rate to 26.75 percent in July 2024.
This comes as the country’s inflation rate declined to 33.40 in July 2024 from 34.19 in June 2023.
However, despite the drop in inflation, the prices of goods have remained significantly high as the Naira to Dollar exchange rate stood at N1598.56 and N1645 in official and parallel foreign exchange markets on Friday.
A Catholic missionary priest working in Gambia, Fr Kelvin Ugwu, has advised Nigerians to prioritise their safety as Sunday, September 1, ushered in what the people popularly call the ’ember month’.
Ugwu said vehicle owners should make every effort to do the necessary maintenance on their vehicles before praying against accidents and blood-sucking demons.
The statement is coming at a time when many Nigerians still hold beliefs
suggesting heightened risks, including road accidents, during the ’ember months’ including, September, October, November, and December than in other months.
They attribute the phenomenon to superstitious practices often referred to as ‘juju’ operations.
Although the Federal Road Safety Corps had severally in the past dispelled the widespread notions linking the ember months with superstitious, many still hold tightly to the belief.
In a post on his Facebook page on Sunday, Fr Ugwu listed five things people should do to avoid exposing themselves to danger.
He said: “While you pray against accidents and blood-sucking demons these “Ember” months, please do us the favour of keeping the following five points in mind.
“Oil: Make every effort to do the necessary maintenance on your vehicle. Change the oil, check your breaks, change your shock absorber if necessary, and check your car coolant.
“Tyre: Do not compromise on your car tyres; you are putting yourself in danger. The tyres of the car are what support the vehicle’s load, transmit traction and braking forces to the road surface, absorb road shocks, and change and maintain the direction of travel. . . If they are bald, they are bad.
“Alcohol: If you must drink, don’t drive; if you must drive, don’t drink. Alcohol consumption remains a major cause of road accidents.
“Seatbelt: Use your seatbelt always. If you think the distance is too short for you to use a seatbelt, then it means the distance is too short for you to drive. Trek instead.
“Speeding: The road is not an athletic ground where you compete with other drivers on who can run the fastest. There is no medal for the driver who overtook every vehicle on the way. Kill some of those childish instincts making you think the mark of a driver is to speed. Speed kills.”
Afrobeats sensation, Divine Ikubor, also known as Rema, donated N105m to a Christ Embassy church in Benin, Edo State, on Sunday.
The donation was made during a Sunday service, where Rema thanked the church for its support and guidance.
In a now-viral video, he said, “I’m not here to give myself any accolades or glory. I’m here to give God the glory. I feel like it is important to give back because the church has embraced, prayed for me, and has kept me very consistent with my spirit.
“Firstly, I want to give a pledge of N40m to the infrastructure of the church. I want to pledge N20m to Rhapsody of Realities, and being the fact that I came from the teens church, I also want to pledge N25m to the infrastructure of the teens church.
“I’m pledging N20 million to widows in church today.”
Rema further revealed how the church supported his family during a difficult time after his father’s passing.
He said, “When I was eight year old, when I lost my dad, we felt very lost and abandoned. All that we had was taken from us and we felt very alone and I remember at the time Pastor Joy and Pastor Thomas, the pastors of this church, they opened a shop for my mum and that was what she managed to take care of us.”
PUNCH Online reported that Rema arrived his hometown in Benin on Tuesday ahead of his highly anticipated homecoming concert.
Music producer Collins Michael, aka Don Jazzy, and Mavin crew also arrived in Benin to show support for Rema’s homecoming concert
Rema was said to have entertained the Oba of Benin at his palace who presented a royal plaque to him ahead of the concert.
Media
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— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) September 1, 2024
Afrobeats sensation, Divine Ikubor, also known as Rema, donated N105m to a Christ Embassy church in Benin, Edo State, on Sunday.
The donation was made during a Sunday… pic.twitter.com/DUdq9HV3kJ
Bello Turji: Minister Orders Chief Of Defence Staff, Other Military Heads To Relocate To Sokoto
Admin
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has ordered the Chief of Defence Staff and other military heads to relocate to Sokoto State as part of efforts targeted at eliminating bandits, terrorists and other criminals in the North West.
The Minister, who expressed sadness over the activities of the criminals in the region and other parts of the country, said while in Sokoto, the military chiefs would specifically supervise operations and ensure that Bello Turji and his gang are flushed out.
Naija News reports that Sokoto State is the headquarters of the General Officer Commanding, which oversees Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi states.
Matawalle said the government is deeply concerned about the persistent threat posed by banditry and terrorism in the North West particularly, and President Bola Tinubu is not happy with the situation.
He also urged the people of the region to remain vigilant and cooperate with the security forces in ridding the states of insecurity fuelled by the activities of the bandits.
The statement on Saturday, signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Henshaw Ogubike Minor, reads: “The Honourable Minister of State for Defence H.E Dr Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON has expressed his sadness over the activities of terrorists and Bandits terrorizing Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and kebbi States and its environs.
“Consequent to this the Honourable Minister of State has directed the Chief of Defence Staff and other military chiefs to move to Sokoto which is the Headquarters of the GOC Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and kebbi states with him as part of an intensified effort by the Federal Government to rid the North West of the menace of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.
“This strategic move underscores the unwavering commitment of the government to restoring peace and security in the region. While in the North West, they will supervise operations and ensure that Bello Turji and his Bandits gang are flushed out.
“These criminal Bandits have been circulating videos of a Nigerian military Armoured vehicle that was stuck in a water-logged area and late in the night the officers were asked to withdraw to avoid being ambushed by bandits, later in the night the bandits went to the water-logged area, recording video of the Armoured vehicle that was stuck and celebrating it. This incident happened in Kwashabawa, Zurmi local government Area of Zamfara state. This is not acceptable as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has been giving great support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“The Federal Government is deeply concerned about the persistent threat posed by banditry and terrorism in the North West particularly. We are ready to deploy all necessary assets to ensure that these criminal elements are flushed out and peace is restored to our communities, Dr Matawalle stated. We must move against these terrorists to enable our people to move freely.
“The time is up for these bandits and terrorists as increased and consistent operations will weaken all their bases.
“Matawalle hereby calls on the Armed forces of Nigeria to flush out the bandits and terrorists as his presence in the North West will ginger our armed forces.
“Matawalle further assured the people of Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, kebbi states and the entire North West region that the security forces will not leave any stone unturned until they flush out the bandits.
The Minister assured that he would be on the ground in the North West with the CDS and other military chiefs, leading the security agents against the criminals.
“In addition, the Honourable Minister of State for Defence also called on the people of Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and kebbi states to remain vigilant and cooperate with the Security forces and he reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians, emphasizing that the security and well-being of the people remain the government’s top priority.”
[NaijaNews]
Former Premier League defender who played across multiple clubs, Sol Bamba, has died at the age of 39 while in charge of a match for a Turkish club.
His death was confirmed on Saturday.
The former defender, known for his stints with Leeds United, Cardiff City, and Leicester City, had been battling Non-Hodgkin lymphoma since 2020.
Bamba, who also represented the Ivory Coast national team, was serving as the technical director of Turkish side, Adanaspor, at the time of his death.
The club announced the news in a statement on X, stating, “Our Technical Director Souleymane Bamba, who fell ill before the Manisa Football Club match played yesterday, was taken to Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital and unfortunately lost his battle for life there. Our condolences to his family and our community.”
The former Cardiff City, Leeds, and Leicester defender had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare form of cancer, on Christmas Eve in 2020.
Although he was believed to be in remission, Turkish outlet Hurriyet reported that he “fell ill before the Manisa FK match due to a relapse of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.”
After retiring from professional football in 2022, Bamba transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant manager for Cardiff City before joining Adanaspor in the summer of 2024.
He had been working as the club’s technical director until his untimely passing.
Tributes have poured in from Bamba’s former clubs and teammates.
Cardiff City, where he spent a significant portion of his career, released a heartfelt statement on X: “It is with the deepest sadness that we have learnt this evening about the passing of Club legend, Sol Bamba. As a player and coach, Sol’s impact on our football club was immeasurable. He was a hero to all of us, a leader in every dressing room, and a true gentleman. Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and everyone lucky enough to know and love Sol.”
Middlesbrough, where Bamba played in the 2021-22 season, also paid tribute on X: “We are devastated to learn of the passing of Sol Bamba at the age of 39. Our thoughts are with Sol’s family and friends at this time. RIP Sol.”
Leeds United, where Bamba served as captain in 2016, expressed their sorrow: “Everyone at #LUFC is devastated to learn of the news that former #LUFC captain Sol Bamba has passed away. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this tragic time. Rest in peace, Sol, you will be forever in our hearts.”
Bamba began his football journey in Paris with Paris Saint-Germain’s youth setup before moving to Scotland, where he played for Dunfermline and Hibernian.
His English football career started in 2011 when he joined Leicester City under Sven-Goran Eriksson, with whom he shared a close bond.
Earlier this week, Bamba paid tribute to his former manager, Eriksson, who also recently passed away.
Bamba later played for Trabzonspor and Palermo before returning to England in 2015 to join Leeds.
His captaincy at Leeds was cut short when he moved to Cardiff City in 2016, where he made 118 appearances.
It was during his time in Cardiff that he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He fought the disease for several months undergoing chemotherapy, and made an emotional return in the final match of the 2020-21 season.
He subsequently signed for Middlesbrough, where he made 28 appearances and famously scored the winning penalty in the FA Cup fourth-round clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Reflecting on his battle with cancer, Bamba once told Mail Sport, “After the first chemo, I was down for four days. I could not get out of bed. I lost weight. After that, I told my missus, ‘I’m not going for the second round.’ The way I was, in that moment, it was awful.”
Despite the challenges, Bamba made a return to the pitch, inspiring many with his resilience.
A worker with the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO Aviance) Auwal Dankode, who found and returned $10,000 while cleaning an aircraft in Kano recently, has been rewarded by the company.
Dankode and other colleagues were assigned to clean an MS 878 aircraft operated by Egypt Air when he found the money left behind by passenger on a seat and took the money to the airline’s station manager.
The group managing director/CEO of the company, Mr. Indranil Gupta, announced a cash reward, instant promotion and appointment as NAHCO brand ambassador when he was hosted at the headquarters of the company at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos at the weekend, according to a statement from the company.
Gupta said, “We are truly proud of the exemplary character exhibited by Auwal. He is a true NAHCO ambassador and an embodiment of what NAHCO stands for, honesty, integrity, diligence and hard work.
“We celebrate your being and we want this to be just the beginning. Let the values which has been instilled by your family, guide you and groom you into ideal leader which everyone will be proud of.”
He said majority of NAHCO staff exhibit these values in their everyday work, adding; “We urge you to continue working the same with very high integrity, diligently and continue being a good NAHCO ambassador.”
Chief finance officer of NAHCO, Mr. Adeoye Emiloju, commended Dankode for his integrity.
Responding, Dankode expressed appreciation to the management for giving him the opportunity.
He said, “No one in my area has ever worked at the airport. I am very grateful to NAHCO for the training they gave us and the opportunity to work and earn a decent living. I am greatly thankful of the NAHCO management for the honour and recognition of my effort.”
[Leadership]
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Chidimma Adetshina, winner of Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 pageant, said being invited to take part in the competition was a second chance to achieve one of her biggest dreams.
The 23-year-old law student came to Nigeria after accepting to participate in the competition following her controversial withdrawal from Miss South Africa 2024 due to xenophobic backlash over her nationality.
Born to a Nigerian father, and a Mozambique mother, she was raised in Soweto.
She represented Taraba State in the keenly contested competition, which had a total of 25 participants.
Adetshina will receive N10 million in cash along with other prizes as well as representing Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico this November.
Speaking before she emerged victorious in an interview with Arise Television, Adetshina said, “I am so excited, I just feel like this is a second chance in achieving one of my biggest dreams and my biggest goals, and I’m really excited. I’ve always wanted to be a model, I wasn’t really educated on pageantry and all of that.
“When I first knew what pageantry was, it was in 2017, and that’s when I told myself I want to be the next Miss Universe. So, for me, it’s just a thing of I had goals and I set them for myself, and I’m here to achieve them. So, I think I’m just aligning with what I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m really grateful for that.”
However, when asked if she would have participated in the pageant if she was not invited, she said, “No, I wouldn’t, because I wouldn’t have known if I was able to. And also, it has been long since I’ve been here (Nigeria). But I also saw the comments and I was like, maybe this is something I should try out, but then, obviously, the invitation came out and I was really excited that I was given that opportunity, so that’s why I took it as quick as possible.
“Ever since I’ve gotten here, I’ve only received so much love and encouragement from all of the girls. So, I came in here thinking that a lot of them will feel some type of way about the invitation and about me actually coming, but I can guarantee the words of encouragement, the support I’ve been given by these amazing women has been there, and I’m just really happy that they accept me, and that they are not feeling some type of way after receiving all the critiques and the comments about this advantage that people might feel that I might have had.
“I’m grateful for all the love and the support, I don’t think anybody deserves to be treated differently or feel unaccepted or unloved or whatever. So I’m really grateful because I’ve seen the support, I’ve seen the love. I thought, you know, most of it was all hate, but I’ve seen the love and I’m so grateful, because that is actually what fuels me, that is what gives me joy, that is what makes me motivated to actually continue thriving in my everyday life and my dreams as well, so, I’m really grateful for them.”
{dailytrust]
A former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has predicted the political future and relationship between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyewom Wike, and President Bola Tinubu.
According to Lamido, Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will soon become a political orphan to President Tinubu.
Lamido made this remark while speaking on the internal crisis rocking the PDP and Wike’s affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration.
He acknowledged that the ongoing PDP crisis resulted from its previous actions and because they, the party’s founding fathers, failed to build on the stability that once existed when the party was in power.
The erstwhile Minister of Foreign Affairs noted this during a recent interaction with The Tribune.
When asked what the way forward is for the PDP, having lost serially to the APC in the previous elections, Lamido said: “You are still talking about the mood of the moment. You didn’t reflect on the past. You must look back and ask what is the source of the problem. If you see a raging fire, you must identify the source to be able to control the smoke. You are simply talking about the symptoms; you are not looking at the bigger picture.
“When you say PDP, in 1998, when it was formed, the main focus was to restore unity in Nigeria, to restore people’s confidence, which was undermined by June 12 (1993 presidential election annulment) and a section of the country felt cheated and lost the sense of belonging. After the PDP came to power, the country was stabilised, as against the (previous) feeling of distrust. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from the South West emerged as the president even though they never liked him in his region.
“What is happening now is that we failed to build on that stability. Unfortunately, today, we are only reacting to the consequences of our own actions. Look at this government: all the governors the majority of the lawmakers, are PDP, only a few are from the Lagos axis but the majority of them are PDP. Even the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) in Tinubu’s administration – George Akume – was in PDP. (President Bola) Tinubu (Vice President Kashim) Shettima and the SGF are former governors, former senators, and up to the Senate President. Isn’t there a team with more experience solving Nigeria’s problems than this team?”
Who Is Wike? He Will Become Political Orphan To Tinubu – Says Lamido
Speaking further, Lamido faulted the speculations and narratives that the PDP has already conceded the political space in the party to the likes of former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
“If Tinubu is not tolerating him, who is Wike?” Lamido asked.
He stated: “Wike is our creation. We made him. Where was Wike in 1999? Somebody who was your own invention, whom you thought you could develop, groom as a future leader now tells you that he is his own person now; what do you do? To me, Wike is not a factor. If Tinubu does not tolerate him, who is Wike? So, Wike is there today because the environment is there for him to manipulate and exploit. Simple. We are putting political expediency over national interest. Wike is being hyped by Tinubu to destroy the PDP but destroying the PDP also means destroying Tinubu.”
Wike Was Never Planted In PDP
When asked to address the speculations by some Nigerians that Wike was planted to undermine the PDP, Lamido said: “No, Wike wasn’t planted. He is PDP. Are you saying Tinubu made him Special Adviser to (former Rivers State governor) Peter Odili or Chief of Staff to (former Governor Rotimi) Amaechi? Are you saying it was Tinubu who made him governor of Rivers State? No, Wike was never planted. He is PDP, but that is the Nigerian character we have been discussing. But ultimately, he will become a political orphan to Tinubu and both of them are going to lose because the entire arrangement is unholy; it is immoral, it is un-Nigerian. This issue of betrayal and undermining your party isn’t part of our culture. No matter how long he serves Tinubu, ultimately, both of them are going to lose because the country is losing. So, Wike was never planted. He was simply identified as a willing character who lacks the morality and good character, and honour not to disown his own party. He has mortgaged his own party.”
Asked whether the PDP has conceded that Tinubu is unstoppable in 2027, Lamido said: “No. You see, the domestic cat fed on small chickens, but one day, the mother of the chickens stood up to the cat. Tinubu is that cat. What I am saying is that even Pharaoh’s empire collapsed. So, no matter how daring you are, it won’t end well. So, Tinubu today is somebody who has a grip on Nigeria, who owes obeisance to nobody in Nigeria, who believes that God made him and he made himself, and he is now lording it over the Nigerian people, and nobody can challenge him. He was adept at studying the system and manipulating it. He exploited it, and he did it well. I wish he could use his sagacity and talent to help Nigeria’s development. It would have been wonderful. But he is using it negatively. He has everything but not for the development of Nigeria, and it is affecting you; it is affecting me.”
Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, has called on the Federal Government to save Nigeria, expressing concern over what it described as the near collapse of the nation since the administration of President Bola Tinubu took over.
In a communique by its Deputy Leader, Oladipo Olaitan and the Deputy Secretary General, Alade Rotimi-John after a regular quarterly meeting held in Ogun State, Afenifere maintained that the state of the nation has left the people perplexed.
According to the group, the Nigerian people are sorely troubled by the pervasive hardship, crippling hunger, unremitting insecurity in the land, runaway inflation, and massive unemployment all of which have left the people worse off than they were at the beginning.
It also observed the reckless, obstinate and indifferent attitude of the government to the long-term effects of the lack of forethought or purpose regarding the handling of the public revenue.
Afenifere, therefore, rued some of the Tinubu administration’s profligate predilection or inclination to waste resources, stating that $100m or N 240 billion as the purchase price for an Airbus A330 jet for the President and a further $50m to retrofit it was uncalled for.
In addition, Afenifere noted that N950m each as purchase price of a new set of armoured Cadillac Escalade Limousine SUVs as befitting vehicles for the President, N21 billion for renovating a new mansion for the Vice President, N90 billion as subsidy for religious pilgrimage and N10 billion to renovate the Presidential Lodge at Ribadu Road, Lagos, among others, gave an insight of a wasteful nature of the administration.
“Afenifere is scandalised or shamed by the odium and poor international or global image which have attended these profligate or prodigal expenditures.
“We are puzzled that a government can be so masterful at diversionary tactics just to lull the people to sleep and confuse them as they wake amid grave national circumstances and of a strident or sustained debate of its desultory or unmethodical handling of governance,” the group stated.
[DailyPost]
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has expressed commitment to ensure that the judgement of the Supreme Court on Local Government administration in Nigeria yields positive fruits for citizens, especially those at the grassroots.
ALGON National President, Hon Aminu Muazu Maifafa said the association would work with all relevant stakeholders to develop strategies to enhance the implementation of the judgement.
Maifafa spoke at a One-Day meeting organised by ALGON with support from Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL), a UK, Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) programme.
The meeting was attended by ALGON state chairmen across the country, members of Civil Society Groups and other stakeholders including the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Local Government Health workers.
Maifafa said all ALGON members are determined to ensure that the judgement aids good governance and enhances service delivery to people at the Local Government level across the state.
According to him, “We have the seal and the passion to ensure the success of this autonomy for local government so that our people at the local government level can be proud of us and that the efforts of all stakeholders towards this local government autonomy would not go in vain.”
The Team Leader of the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL), Engage Citizens, Dr. John Mutu said Nigerians would benefit when there is good governance at the local government level.
He said, “With ALGON and other stakeholders, it’s for us to reflect together on the judgement, the implications on the local government and to collectively identify challenges that may limit the implementation of the judgement and to collectively agree on strategies to ensure that the judgement is not just well implemented but that serves are delivered to the citizens.”
“And a lot of issues have emerged from the conversation from NULGE, the local government workers, the NUT, as regards to primary and basic education on what they see as challenges and recommendations have been made on what to do through constitution amendment process and through administrative processes.
If carefully done, we believe that the local government will be able to complement the efforts of the state and federal government to deliver services to the people that they are meant to serve”, Mutu said.
The FCDO Senior Governance Adviser, Chris Okeke harped on the need to ensure that local government funds are utilised judiciously to deliver services to the people at the grassroots.
[TheNation]