The Labour Party (LP) House of Representatives caucus has rejected the March 27th proposed date for the opposition party’s National Convention, calling for a postponement.

Naija News reports that the LP leadership had initially fixed the convention to take place on March 29 but later changed it to March 27. The party’s leadership said the date was changed because the initial day falls on Good Friday, a significant date for the Christian faith worldwide.

But in a statement to journalists, the leader of the LP caucus in the lower legislative chambers, Afam Ogene, called for the postponement of the national convention for proper planning.

He stated that the party needs to make proper and more comprehensive consultations and make efforts to bring every stakeholder on board.

According to him, the party should have started with ward congresses before jumping to a national convention.

The statement read: “The national convention of any national political party is such an important event that ought not to be conducted without proper planning or in a hurry.

“While we acknowledge that the various challenges currently being thrown at the national leadership may have been responsible for the seemingly sloppy organization of the proposed convention, we hasten to add that the fact that many stakeholders, including my colleagues in parliament, were not carried along in the whole process leaves resentment trailing the process.

“While we agree that the 29th, as earlier scheduled, is not appropriate for the reasons given, we also note that the 27th is not any better. Indeed, many have wondered why a national convention would seem more preferable, as against the bottom-up approach of beginning congresses from the wards.

“In fact, even more fundamental is the health and sustainability of our dear party. The party has, for some time now, witnessed internal friction and glitches, just like every other political party in the nation. So, we in the House of Representatives, as the direct representatives of the people, are of the view that the party needs some more time to smooth the rough edges in the party leadership system and operational mechanism before the next convention.

“So, for these reasons, we respectfully call for the postponement of the national convention and the immediate activation of a consultation mechanism that would inject a healing and reinvigorating tonic in the party for a more successful and sustainable future, for the overall good of our teeming supporters and Nigeria in general.”

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cardoso, is reportedly set to retire eight directors of the apex bank, barring any last-minute change.

Naija News gathered that the directors, who were employed by the former governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, would be served early retirement letters this week.

According to Daily Trust, some directors were initially redeployed to an arm of the bank, FSS 2020, under the Governor’s Directorate, which worked closely with Emefiele.

The newspaper reported that the directors have worked from the Directorate’s office located in the Maitama District of Abuja since 24the November 2023, and are kept in a sort of pool to await “further directives.”

The newspaper said sources within the bank revealed that some had already been served the disengagement letters since Friday, 15th March 2024, but could not state clearly under what terms those affected were disengaged.

One of the sources said: “We don’t know whether they were given early retirement or their appointments were terminated outright.”

The sources could not confirm if those being served early retirement letters have been found guilty of any offences, adding that the news of the planned sack has been widespread since Thursday last week.

One of the sources said the main reason for the sack of the affected officials was “because they had worked very closely with the immediate past governor of the bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele”.

It was learned that the decision has raised great concern amongst staff of the CBN, who fear that it could be a prelude to more layoffs by the current management of the banking regulator.

Recall that the apex bank had relocated no fewer than 150 staff of the Banking Supervision Department (BSD), which is one of the 29 departments of the bank, to Lagos. The BSD is under the Financial System Stability Directorate of the CBN.

The relocation saga, it would be recalled, had generated heated controversy across the country, with many people of northern extraction alleging that it was an attempt to dislodge staff who are northerners from the institution.

But the CBN rebuffed those insinuations, insisting that it was part of a proper reorganisation of the bank, to ensure that the regular onsite examination of the 24 banks in the country was diligently carried out since most of those national and regional banks are headquartered in Lagos.

It also adduced that part of the reason for the relocation was the desire to de-congest the corporate headquarters of the bank.

The Labour Party, LP, 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi has cried out over the hardship Nigerians are passing through.

Speaking on Monday, Obi lamented the kidnapping in the country.

According to him, about 7,000 Nigerians have been kidnapped in the past one year with several cases of killings and clashes recorded across the country.

This was as he described Nigeria as one of the hungriest nations and most difficult countries to live in the North.

Posting on X, Obi called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps towards improving the situation in the country.

“In the past 1 year, about 7000 Nigerians have been kidnapped, with about 700 kidnapped in the last 3 weeks, notwithstanding the violent crimes and killings that occur in every part of the nation, which must have included us in one of the world’s riskiest countries to live in.

“A report by the globally respected publication, Financial Times, on March 12, 2024, described Nigeria’s kidnapping racket as a sign of a failed state. With all of these happening in our nation, how then can we attract foreign investors, & retain the confidence of local investors?

“We have become one of the hungriest nations in the world and one of the most difficult nations in the world to live in, with food prices constantly going out of the reach of most Nigerians. Power supply is abysmally poor and Nigerians are now mostly in total darkness,as over 60% are without power supply. Even those in perceived privileged areas now go for days without power supply.

“A 2022 Energy Progress Report designated Nigeria as the country with the largest number of people lacking access to electricity with 92 million of its over 200 million population living without electricity. About 80 percent of our primary healthcare centres are not functional. The cost of medical treatments and medicines have gone beyond the reach of most Nigerians.

“We now hold the enviable position of having the highest number of out of school children, with about 20 million out-of-school children. We need to take our children off the streets and give them access to basic education.

“I, therefore, urge our executive and legislative arms to consider the many challenges facing our nation and re-allocate resources to these very critical areas. This is the time for complete sacrifice. A New Nigeria is still very POssible,” he wrote.

Two siblings, Zainab Bashir Muhammad (Hibba) and Ummu Salma Bashir, aged 7 and 5, have been confirmed dead in a fire outbreak that occurred in the Madina Quarter of Bauchi.

The unfortunate incident occurred at a house close to Barden Gabas Primary School adjacent to Tirwun quarters, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis around 11:00am on Sunday, March 17, 2024.

It was gathered that the incident occurred after the mother of the two deceased children locked them in the house and went for errands.

“When we noticed the fire from the house, myself and some neighbours rushed to the house, but our efforts to forcefully open the gate into the house proved abortive,” a witness narrated.

“In the process, we were able to get rid of the door with the use of some carpentry tools and gained entry into the house, but that was when the fire overpowered the room where the two children were sheltered.

“When we entered the house, we tried to force open the room where the children were staying, it was a real fire with heavy dark smoke, making it difficult for us to gain entry.”

Another neighbour to the inferno, Usman Abdullahi (Dan Usmanu) said that "This thing is already destined by God, but it was not the habit of the bereaved mother to lock -up the children and go on errands. Most of the time, whenever she was going out, she used to drop the children in my house, because our houses are close to each other.

"Her husband, Bashir Muhammad was not at home when the incident occurred. Up to this time I am talking to you, we don’t know the actual cause of the fire incident.”

Men of the state fire service have tried their best to fight the fire to stop it from spreading to the surrounding houses and structures considering that it is dry season.

Meanwhile, the children have been buried according to Islamic rites.

A man, Okon Edet has been arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police command for allegedly beating his father to death during an argument over a plot of land.

The unfortunate event was confirmed by the Command’s spokesman, Odiko Macdon, while parading the suspect and 55 individuals who were arrested for various crimes.

While 54 of the suspects were nabbed for crimes ranging from kidnapping to robbery and cultism, Edet and another were accused of killing their parents.

According to the police mouthpiece, Edet murdered his 75-year-old father, Chief Edet Okon Oyoho, with a machete after confirming that he sold a plot of land he had already gifted to him.

Macdon said the other murder suspect, Nkereuwem Umoren Ekpo, also macheted his 90-year-old grandmother, Martina Udoudo Akpan, to death and absconded with her N16,750.

The police spokesperson revealed: “On March 13, 2024, following reliable intelligence, operatives of Okobo division arrested one Okon Edet ‘M’ of Uruting Village in Okobo LGA for killing his father, one Chief Edet Okon Oyoho, ‘M’, aged 75, of the same address, by beating him mercilessly with a machete, leading to his demise. The suspect confessed to the crime.

“His reason for perpetrating the heinous crime was that he got information that his father, now late, who owns many parcels of land in their community in Okobo LGA, had sold many of the lands, including the one he gave to him as his son to build a house.

“So, he confronted his father and confirmed that the information was true, and he asked his father for the money he got from selling the land, and the father replied that the buyers hadn’t paid. So, he got angry and beat him to death.

“Similarly, on February 25, 2024, at about 1400Hrs, one Nkereuwem Umoren Ekpo ‘M’ of Adiasim Ikot Udo Village in Essien Udim LGA, was arrested for the murder of his grandmother, one Martina Udoudo Akpan ‘F’ of Onuk Nkop Ekpo village, aged about 90 years.

“The suspect was alleged to have used a machete to cut his grandmother’s neck while they were cutting cassava stem in the farm, which eventually led to her death, and untied the sum of N16,750 from the deceased’s wrapper and absconded.”

The PPRO highlighted that 54 individuals were apprehended for a range of offences, including kidnapping, robbery, and cultism.

Additionally, it was emphasized that the Commissioner of Police, Waheed Ayilara, is dedicated to ensuring the provision of efficient security in the state, aligning with global standards of excellence.

“In the last month, a total of four kidnap victims have been rescued including a woman who faked her own kidnap; 18 arrested for armed robbery, 11 for murder including two young men who killed their fathers, and 23 arrested for cultism and other vices,” Daily Trust quoted the police PPRO saying.

Shade Ladipo has spoken about how her marriage crashed.

The Nigerian media personality opened up in a recent interview.

Recall that the radio host tied the knot with Jide in 2018.

But speaking with Daddy Freeze in an Instagram live session, Ladipo revealed that lack of s3xual intercourse for six months made her marriage fail in 2020.

She said when she relocated with Jide to Canada, they resided in his brother’s home.

The radio host said during their stay with her in-laws, “we were not able to communicate, function, or able to find our footing”.

Ladipo said six months into their stay, she moved out of the house, leaving her ex-husband who wanted to stay back because “he had debts”.

She added that the natural separation resulted in their official divorce in 2020.

“The biggest issue in Canada is the cold. When we landed we landed in in-law’s house. We could not have s3x in my in-laws house. Like six months in my in-laws’ house. I am telling you,” she said.

“The plan was we were going to be in the in-laws house for six months. We are not able to reduce the tension. We were not able to communicate. We were not able to really function. We were not able to find our footing. We could not use the bathroom because there was only one. The in-laws were also at home plus their two-year child.

“Again, the plan was that after six months, we would leave the brother’s house and then find our footing. By the end of the six months, he said did not want to leave. And I had to leave. He said he owes debt. He was working a contract job. He wanted to get a permanent job. He was happy with everything. Me I just needed to be happy first.

“He was a nice boy. We moved in together in the estate (in Nigeria). We were living together. People do not understand that when you have the right connection with your partner, even with kids, you go find where you will have s3x.

“I entered Canada as a married woman. Single as a pringle now. Covid happened and life happened. People in my life know. I have been officially divorced since 2020.”.

A suspected bandit informant, Dan Abba, has been arrested by vigilantes at Bishini village market in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The suspect was apprehended while attempting to sell a stolen cow at the village market.

A resident of Azzara, Ahmadu Sajo, was said to have informed the local security men about Dan Abba’s presence at the market square.

The suspect is believed to be associated with bandits who have been responsible for the abduction of herders and the theft of their cattle in various areas, including Kuchimi, Haying-Dam, and the Gidan-Makeri region of Kagarko town.

It was gathered that the suspect had been declared wanted by the troops in the vicinity, along with other suspects who were fleeing.

However, luck evaded him until last Thursday when he was apprehended at the village market while in possession of a stolen cow.

The informant mentioned that the suspect, along with the stolen cow, was handed over to the troops. Additionally, he informed that the vigilantes were actively trying to track down the whereabouts of some of the other stolen cows.

“The vigilantes suspected that the cow the suspect brought to the market might be among those cows that were stolen two weeks ago at a village in Kagarko LGA,” Daily Trust quoted Sajo saying.

However, the state police command has not issued an official statement regarding the development yet.

Ernest Umakihe, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), has disclosed that Nigeria might soon start importing yam from China, for local consumption.

Umakihe stated this while speaking at a stakeholders workshop on repositioning yam as an export crop, with the theme, ‘Prospects and Challenges of yam export in Nigeria.' 

Leadership reports that Umakihe lamented that despite accounting for 67% of global yam output, it was unfortunate that Nigeria is nowhere on the map of yam exporting countries.

He expressed concerns that with China delving into yam exportation, and considering Nigerian's taste for imported goods, Chinese yam may soon be found in Nigerian kitchens if care is not taken, thereby pushing more Nigerians into the unemployment market and reducing the income of yam farmers.

Umakihe said Nigeria’s first attempt at exporting yam was by Nasarawa State Government in 2009 with 8.5 metric tonnes and within the same month another 66 metric tonnes were exported in two shipments, followed by Oyo State, but without success. He also said that the Ministry’s attempt to revive yam export in 2017 was poorly handled.

“It was only in 2017 that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture under the leadership of Chief Audu Ogbeh, then Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development organised the first flag-off ceremony (of yam) with a batch of 72 tons to UK and USA. I believe these were done without proper planning before the execution. Aside the mentioned attempts, nothing much has been heard of the yam export from Nigeria,” he said.

Umakihe said it is the duty of Nigerians to find out what went wrong and how to address.