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2024: ‘Tale Of Certificate Scam Is No Longer New’ – Aiyedatiwa’s Campaign Group Clarifies Certificate Forgery
AdminThe Co-convener, Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers (LACO-FS) in Ondo State, Biyi Poroye, has said the allegation of certificate forgery against Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is the work of detractors who are crying wolf over nothing.
Naija News reports that Poroye, who is also the Chairman of Emerging Political Platform (EPP), while speaking with journalists in Akure on Monday, said Aiyedatiwa was not jittery over the allegation of certificate forgery.
According to him, Aiyedatiwa has no certificate scandal and is well-qualified to contest and win the party’s primary and November elections.
He further declared that those uncomfortable with Aiyedatiwa’s academic qualifications should approach the court of law for redress rather than brandish fake police reports on his academic records.
He said, “For some time now, the media platforms have been abuzz with lurid stories, insinuating that Governor Aiyedatiwa does not have a secondary school certificate as claimed in his bio-data.
“Thankfully, facts don’t lie. Recall that the then Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, in his developmental stride in the education sector, relocated some dilapidated public schools to his newly built public schools.
“Therefore, Governor Aiyedatiwa who claims that he entered Ikosi High School in 1980 and passed out of the school in 1982 was right after all, because he was relocated to that school when he was in Form 3, and he passed on of it in 1982, at Form 5.
“This tale of certificate scam is no longer new and it beggars questions as to why it is going viral upon nothing. Definitely, detractors are crying wolf where there is none.
“This has in no doubt addressed the worry of all those who have been asking that how could Aiyedatiwa enter secondary school in 1980 and pass out in 1982.
“We indeed love this sort of inquest, and we want to task the good people of Ondo State and social critics to dig into the past/present of all the governorship aspirants and sponsors, across the party lines.
“For instance, how can aspirants who can not tell how they become millionaire overnight want to become the governor of Ondo State? Those who have handled the resources of the state with questionable issues. We need to ask questions.”
[NaijaNews]
Former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has said the federal government’s close alliance with the United States, the United Kingdom, and other super powers in the West is harmful to Nigeria.
The former minister said the partnership that Nigeria is enjoying with its former colonial masters, the UK, and their allies is indirectly hampering its relationship with Russia.
Fani-Kayode said this while speaking on the significance of the visit that he and his colleagues and some of his colleagues to the Russian ambassador in Nigeria during a recent interview with Arise TV.
“Nigerian government has been excessively close to the United States of America, and the United Kingdom, and that in itself, in my opinion, has its own baggage,” Fani-Kayode said.
He said the United States, during the administration of former President Barack Obama failed to sell weapons to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists, and its allies followed suit, saying Russia would not have done that.
“During the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the US led by Barack Obama said categorically that they would not sell arms to us to fight Boko Haram. By that time Boko Haram was taking over probably half of the North East zone of Nigeria.
“They went on to say no country close to them like Israel should sell to us. And, we resorted to buying arms from the black market… Russia was not in the equation at all. We were not looking in their (Russia) direction because of the alliance (with the West). Our allies, our life-long partners, our former colonial masters completely betrayed us,” he said.
Last week, Fani-Kayode led a delegation of prominent Nigerian leaders, including the immediate-past Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami; Senator Mohammed Hassan; Senator Bashir Lado; Hon. Farouk Adamu Aliyu; Dr. Joseph Onoh, and others on a condolence visit to the Russian Embassy in Abuja.
The solidarity visit was to commiserate with President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people on the terrorist attack which took place in Moscow last week and which resulted in the cold-blooded murder of 140 innocent and defenceless Russian civilians.
Speaking about the visit during the interview, Fani-Kayode said, “We are constrained by our faith and humanity to express our concerns and condolences primarily for those who lost their loved ones. It is very important.”
[DailyTrust]
How El-Rufai lobbied to replace Shehu Sani with Gov Uba in 9th Senate – Suspended women leader
AdminA women leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Hajia Maryam Suleiman, has slammed Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, accusing him of disloyalty to his predecessor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Suleiman, who is popularly called Mai Rusau, was until her suspension, the APC Women Leader in Badarawa/Mailali Ward.
In a video which has gone viral, Suleiman recalled how El-Rufai, in 2019, travelled almost 500 times to lobby party chieftains at the APC headquarters in Abuja to ensure that Sani became the representative of Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly.
Speaking in Hausa, Suleiman said El-Rufai fought hard and took risks to remove former Senator Shehu Sani in order to make way for Uba Sani, who was considered loyal at the time.
The outburst earned Suleiman a suspension from the party, according to a letter dated 31 March 2024, which was obtained by DAILY POST on Monday.
The letter, signed by the Ward Chairman, Ali Maishago and Secretary, Saka Bassahuwa, accused Suleiman of gross misconduct for criticizing Governor Uba Sani.
Parts of the letter read: “The Badarawa/Mailali Ward APC Executive Committee after due deliberations and careful examination on the viral video clip released on 30th March, 2024 via Social Media network: Facebook, Watshapp, and Tiktok which is against the constitution of our dear party, APC as stated in Article 21.2(v).
“Subsequently, the party relied on defamation of character of his Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Uba Sani.
“Unauthorised Publicity of the party dispute that discredited the personality of the Executive Governor of Kaduna State.
“From today, Sunday 31st March, the leadership of APC in Badarawa/Malali Ward unanimously resolved to suspend Hajiya Maryam Suleiman from the party pending further investigation on the matter from the constituted authority.”
Meanwhile, speaking with DAILY POST on Monday, Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District, recalled how he was blocked by the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, when he attempted to return to the 9th Senate.
According to him, El-Rufai blocked his return to the Senate because he stopped him from accessing a $350 million World Bank loan when he was chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts.
Shehu Sani insisted that he took the action in the interest of the people of Kaduna State, as the debt hanging on the state was more than revenue accruing to the state at the time.
He said: “As Senate Committee Chairman on Local and Foreign Debts in the 8th Senate, I did block El-Rufai from accessing the sum of $350 million loan after I have analysed critically the huge debt that was hanging on the state at the time.
“I did that out of genuine interest for the state and not out of malice, but it became an offence El-Rufai used against me.”
[DailyPost]
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has declared that the era of tampering with Local Government funds in the state is over.
This is as he has waded into the rift between traders at Ariaria International Market and a developer engaged by the previous administration to remodel the market.
Otti said he had directed that original shop owners at the remodeled A-line of Ariaria International Market, should be given the first right of refusal in the remodeled market.
The Governor said he got complaints from some of the original shop owners that the contractor was trying to sell their shops to money bags.
Vanguard reports that the remodeling of A-line at Ariaria International Market was initiated by the administration of the immediate-past Gov Okezie Ikpeazu.
Otti who spoke with newsmen in Umuahia said he would not allow the original shop owners at the market to be shortchanged for any reason.
He said that he was told there were about 4000 shops originally but there would be additional 1000 shops after the remodelling.
The Governor insisted that justice demands that the original shop owners should be given the first right of refusal before new persons would be allowed to buy.
Otti further promised that if any original shop owner were unable to afford the cost of the remodeled shops, Government would assist in negotiating a loan with any willing commercial bank to help out the affected traders.
He, however, added that there must be evidence that the affected traders do not truly have the financial capacity to pay for the new shops.
Gov. Otti said that a repayment plan had to be worked out with the willing financial institutions.
On the management of council funds, the Governor said that under his watch local government funds were no longer tampered with.
He challenged anyone with any evidence that council funds were being tampered with should make same available.
The Governor said that for the first time after many years, Council Chairmen in the state were able to “grade roads and rehabilitate health centres”.
” Now in Abia Council Chairmen are doing what they were unable to do before. There are massive renovations in our Local Governments now. It’s evident that our councils are operating well now”.
Vanguard]
Switzerland has topped the list of the most powerful passports in 2024 according to the Nomad Passport Index.
The consulting firm, Nomad Capitalist, disclosed that factors responsible for the strength of passports include visa-free travel, taxation, global perception,ability to hold dual citizenship status, and personal freedom.
The five criteria have a weighted index of Visa-free travel — 50%, Taxation — 20%, Global perception —10%, Ability to hold dual citizenship — 10%, Personal freedom (freedom of the press, mandatory military service, etc.) — 10%
Here’s the list of the top 20 passports in 2024:
1. Switzerland
2. Ireland
3. Portugal
4. Luxembourg
5. Finland
6. UAE
7. Netherlands
8. Norway
9. Germany
10. New Zealand
11. Iceland
12. Italy
13. Greece
14. Sweden
15. Czech Republic
16. Malta
17. United Kingdom
18. Belgium
19. Denmark
20. France
[TheNation]
A lecturer at the Department of Physical and Health Education of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Dr Kamar Abdulkadir, has been brutally murdered on campus.
It was gathered that Abdulkadir was killed on Sunday, March 31, when the attackers sneaked into his office, stabbed him with a knife and hit the slain lecturer multiple times with a hammer.
Zagazola Makama, a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad, disclosed that the victim was later found dead in the pool of blood with several injuries inflicted on his body by his alleged killers.
“His hands were peeled off when he tried to stop the attackers from stabbing him. They also used a hammer to smash his head and his spinal cord, killing him instantly,” Makama said.
The killers also zoomed off with his vehicle and other valuables.
The Borno State Police Command and the university authorities were yet to speak on the matter as at the time of writing this report.
[Newspot]
Allen Onyema, chief executive officer (CEO) of Air Peace, says the airline faced internal and external obstacles before it could commence Lagos-London flight operation.
Air Peace, Nigeria’s flag carrier, on March 30, commenced its Lagos-London flight services.
According to Onyema, during an interview with Arise TV on Monday, it took seven years to be able to commence operations.
“We got the designation about 6 and a half years ago to go into London. Since then, it has been a cat-and-mouse game,” Onyema said.
“We actually procured our three-triple seven because of this route, not for any other route because we wanted to give it the blow that it deserved at that time.
“However, we were not allowed to. Whether you like it or not, there is what we call international aero-politics which is very dirty. We applied for the third-country operators (TCO). You must get that one before you start going into any European country, UK inclusive.”
NCAA ‘DENIED’ AIR PEACE DURING EUROPE VERIFICATION
Onyema said the TCO organisation from Europe wrote the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), asking if the agency knew Air Peace and its designation but the regulator “denied” the airline.
“My country denied us. So, they tweaked back. We went back to the NCAA and they said we did not tell them. Who designated us? The federal ministry of aviation whose duty it was and it still is to do that,” he said.
According to Onyema, the airline was ready “but they (NCAA) said until they allow us apply”.
“We got designation from the federal government and the NCAA, under the same federal government that was telling me that you should not make any application going into the UK,” he said.
This, he said, was despite obtaining licences to fly to China and India.
Onyema said NCAA does not find the airline worthy to fly to the UK, even though it is doing “over 160 hours of flying (unblemished) daily” in the country.
“No other airline in Central Western Africa does that much. So, the game is both from within and without. We were stopped. I’ll never stop saying it,” he said.
“So, we continued this cat and mouse game with the NCAA until Captain Musa Nuhu during his time said enough is now enough. Air Peace must be allowed to go in. What’s the issue? When the heat became so much, they told us to prove to them that we will be able to pass the TCO.
“If I don’t pass the TCO, it doesn’t mean anything, then I’ll leave. But allow me to go. They said we must prove to them that we will be able to pass the TCO. I said you come and audit us based on the TCO standard.
“They said we have to get consultancy firms from IATA to do that and IATA must conduct that and give their results. We paid a cost of over 200 million. We brought IATA and IATA conducted it.”
Onyema said Air Peace passed the test, subsequently writing to NCAA to approve the process to do an audit with the TCO Europe.
He said the TCO did not respond for over a year until the airline threatened to go to the press if their response was not gotten.
Meanwhile, he said the country is being fleeced by all the airlines “going to London from this place”.
Onyema said people were paying five times more than they should have been paying for flights.
[TheCable]
Arrangements have been concluded for President Bola Tinubu to depart Abuja, Nigeria’s capital to attend the inauguration of Senegal’s President-elect, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
He is billed to leave Abuja on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, for Dakar, Senegal, following an official invitation from the Republic of Senegal.
According to Tinubu’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale on Monday, the President who doubles as the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, will join other regional leaders to witness the inauguration at Diamniadio Exhibition Centre on Tuesday.
He noted that the Nigerian President will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and other senior government officials.
“Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria after the conclusion of the inauguration,” the terse statement added.
The simmering rift between the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State Malam Nasir El-Rufai and his successor incumbent Governor Senator Uba Sani which came to the fore over the weekend over the debt profile of the state, assumed a new dimension yesterday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State suspended its women leader, Hajiya Maryam Suleiman over an alleged defamation of the character of the governor.
The suspended women leader is a known loyalist of el-Rufai, who is one of the leaders of the party in the state.
Sources within the corridors of power in the state had hinted that the governor had not been comfortable with the makeup of his cabinet which bears the heavy imprint of his predecessor.
Sani, who was backed by el-Rufai to become senator and later governor, had retained a good number of his predecessor’s appointees including the deputy governor, secretary to the state government and some commissioners.
The retaining of the former governor’s men in Sani’s cabinet was said to be a pay back to el-Ruaf for supporting his emergence, the sources stated.
However, the seeming cold war came to a head over the weekend when Sani said the huge debt burden left behind by his predecessor is making it difficult to pay workers salaries in the state.
Sani, at a town hall meeting in Kaduna said his administration inherited a huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and N115 billion contractual liabilities from the previous administration, adding that with the rise in the exchange rate, Kaduna State is now paying back almost triple of what was borrowed by the previous administration.
He further lamented that N7billion out of the N10billion federal allocation due to the state in the month of March was deducted to service the debt, which leaves the state with N3billion, which is not enough to pay the state’s monthly salary bill which stands at N5.2billion.
Recall that the immediate-past Governor Nasir El-Rufai had said he left a domestic debt of N80.60bn and a foreign debt of $577.32m for his successor during his handover to the new Governor last year. He also said he left N5bn and $2.05m in the state treasury.
Following the governor’s disclosure of the debt burden, a son of the former governor, Bashir elrufai, attacked the governor for revealing that his father left so much burden on the state.
Bashir, on his X handle, accused his father’s successor and political ally, of shying away from his responsibility by always staying away from the state and hibernating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
Meanwhile, Senator Shehu Sani, who had opposed the borrowings by el-Rufai, said he has been vindicated by the unfolding events. The former lawmaker, who was replaced by the incumbent governor in the Senate through the support of el-Rufai, said on his X handle, “To the glory of our Lord Almighty, posterity has vindicated me on the Kaduna Loan and Debt profile.
APC Suspends Former Governor’s Loyalist, Woman Leader
In what appears to be a fallout of the cold war, the APC Badarawa/Malali executive committee has suspended Kaduna State APC women leader, Hajiya Maryam Suleiman popularly known as Mai Rusau, over an alleged defaMation of the character of Governor Sani.
APC state women leader, a loyalist of el-Rufai, in a series of videos had condemned Sani for revealing the state debt burden he inherited from the previous administration.
In a letter of suspension signed by APC Badarawa/Malali ward chairman and secretary, Alhaji Ali Maiishago and Zakkah Bassahuwa, addressed to state suspended APC women leader, it explained that she was suspended from the party over unauthorised publicity of the party dispute that discredited the personality of Governor Sani.
The letter reads, ”The Badarawa/Malali Ward APC Executive Committee after due deliberations and careful examinations on the viral video clip released on 30* March, 2024 via social networks; Facebook, Whatsapp, and Tiktok which is against the constitution of our dear party APC as stated in article 21.2 (V)”
“In view of the above, below are the gross misconducts where the subsequent suspension relied upon. (1) Defamation of character of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State Malam Uba Sani. (2) Unauthorised publicity of the party dispute that discredited the personality of the Executive Governor of Kaduna State”
“Furthermore, from today Sunday 31″ of March, 2024, the leadership of APC Badarawa/Malali Ward unanimously resolved to suspend Hajiya Maryam Suleiman (Mai Rusau) from the Party pending further investigation on the matter from the constituted authority.” the suspension letter said.
Also, in a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP, Kaduna State APC secretary, Yahaya Pate, confirmed the suspension of the state women leader: ”Yes, she is suspended from the party by her Badarawa/Malali ward. She is now a suspended state women leader” he said.
The unfolding rift comes as the former governor has, in recent weeks, held political meetings with the national leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as well as with members of the PDP and APC. These meetings have since sparked rumours that he plans to dump APC and contest the 2027 presidential election. Both conjectures have been debunked by his media team.
Until his recent political consultations, el-Rufai had been in hibernation of sorts, after his ministerial nomination by President Bola Tinubu was turned down by the Senate following a petition against his nomination.
Rift Reflects Party’s Failure – Lukman
Meanwhile, a former national vice chairman, North-west of APC, Salihu Lukman has said APC leaders both in Kaduna State and at the national level must admit the party’s failure over the face-off between the Governor Sani and his predecessor, Nasir el-Rufai.
Lukman, who hails from Kaduna, made the call in reaction to inherited huge debt burden in the state.
The APC chieftain in a statement on Sunday said whatever could have been the shortcomings of el-Rufai as a Governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023 would have been strengthened by the absence of a strong functional party structure, which could have checked or at the least moderated his excesses.
He said those realities are still there today and if allowed to continue could lead Sani also in a wrong direction, whose implication may only become another subject of contestation between him and his successor.
Lukman also said without any excuse, all of them in APC in Kaduna must take responsibility for the bad situation facing the state and urged Governor Sani to take every necessary step to undertake inventory of the debt of the state and how it was utilised.
The former director general of the Progressive Governors Forum advised that part of what is needed now very urgently is to assess whether there are cases of diversion, which if established should be recovered.
He said, there is the need to come up with new initiatives towards mobilising new resources for the state as resolving the challenge of today’s huge debt burden requires new initiatives beyond what is currently being undertaken.
Lukman stressed the need for Governor Sani to setup a committee to review current challenges and recommend what needs to be done both in the short, medium, and long term.
The former APC national officer also said, without going into details, there are clearly some of the loans running into hundreds of millions of Dollars.
He insisted that the state government must take steps to evaluate these loans and deal with all factors that must have worked against achieving the objectives earmarked for the loans.
“The hard truth also is that Mallam Uba was one of his strongest collaborators in Kaduna State. The reality was that everything Mallam Nasir did during his eight (8) year tenure was endorsed and supported by Mallam Uba.
“Certainly, the decision of Mallam Nasir to anoint Mallam Uba as his successor must have been informed by the consideration of their strong personal relationship. That shortly after taking over, the two friends are falling apart is most unfortunate and only reminds one about what played out between Alh. Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi and Arc. Namadi Sambo between 2007 and 2010.
“These were very close friends and business partners, on account of which Alh. Makarfi anoint Arc. Sambo to emerged as his successor in 2007. Till today, the relationship between the two is still very bad,” Lukman added.
Meanwhile, the suspended APC women leader, Hajiya Maryam Suleiman has said she would stand by her statement on Kaduna debts.
“I stand by my statement that all the debt was supported by Governor Uba Sani as a senator representing Kaduna Central senatorial district at the 9th National Assembly. He is not being fair to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai,” she said.
She however declined comment on her suspension by the APC in the state, saying she only read about it in the news.
[Leadership]
The United Kingdom in December 2023 exported £185 million to Nigeria and imported £154 million, resulting in a negative trade balance of £30.8 million (N55.2bn), the federal government has disclosed.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the federal government is committed to changing the trend in favour of Nigeria.
She spoke at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos at the weekend during a ceremony marking the inaugural flight of Air Peace to London-Gatwick.
The much-celebrated flight had onboard Uzoka-Anite, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo and representative of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar.
Six years after, Air Peace reactivated the bilateral air service agreement (BASA) that Nigeria signed with the United Kingdom by launching the direct flight to London amidst widespread plaudits and jubilation.
However, Air Peace’s entry into the route has crashed fares even as the federal government vowed to give the airline all the support to survive on the route, and the aviation Minister stating that any treatment meted out to Air Peace on the route would be replicated by the government.
The Trade and Investment minister, in her remark, stated that Air Peace’s presence in London “is not merely about arrivals and departures” but about trade, investment and collaboration.”
“By choosing Air Peace, you choose to invest in Nigeria. You choose to empower local businesses, create jobs and strengthen our economy. In December 2023, the UK exported £185 million to Nigeria and imported £154 million, resulting in a negative trade balance of £30.8 million. This is a trend we wish to change in Nigeria’s favour, and an additional trade route is a major step in the right direction,” she said.
The minister of Aviation said Air Peace’s flight to London would not only crash fares but would strengthen the naira as the airline would not be looking for dollars to repatriate like other foreign airlines.
He said the federal government is not unmindful of the aero-politics that might play out, but it is ready to reciprocate if the British government comes up with any unfavourable policy against Air Peace.
He reiterated the policy of the federal government to support indigenous carriers to thrive.
“With Air Peace on the London route, there will be no problem of trapped funds. It is a local company, and we don’t have to repatriate the sale of tickets through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“We will be liquid enough in terms of foreign exchange to repatriate those funds. All the airlines that come into Nigeria, what they experience, are massive repatriation of funds that puts pressure on the naira because they have to seek dollars from both the commercial banks and CBN.”
Air Peace Chairman Allen Onyema explained that the London route would be a daily flight, saying the airline started the route in the interest of Nigerians who have been crying over exorbitant charges on the route.
According to him, the London route is just a tip of Air Peace’s sojourn on the international route as the airline currently flies to China, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, India, and several regional routes.
Acting Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, advocated for a fly Nigeria Act, saying every government official must support Air Peace for international trips.
[DailyTrust]
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Some Nigerians have expressed mixed feelings over the current situation at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.
This is as the hospital has cried out for help, saying it was overburdened by the financial challenges.
It also blamed the high debt burden on successive administrations, who left unpaid electricity bills to the tune of N328m.
DAILY POST reports that UCH, which was commissioned on 20th November, 1957, is the first teaching hospital in the country.
The tertiary health institution is currently in total darkness after it was disconnected from the national grid by Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on Tuesday, 19th March, 2024.
Those who spoke with DAILY POST described the situation as worrisome, with some of them querying what the hospital was doing with the money being generated daily.
Prolonged power outage not new in UCH – Mother of ex-patient
An-Ibadan based woman said that prolonged power outages were not new in UCH.
The middle aged woman, who gave birth to a baby last year, narrated how she quickly took her daughter to a private hospital due to a power outage in the hospital.
She said, “I had a baby in September last year in Lagos; the baby was sick so after 7 days I came to UCH to get treatment for her. She had to have an emergency blood transfusion and had to be put under light for jaundice.
“Can you believe there was no light to put the babies in the ICU under blue light? After 24 hours, I had to ask that she be quickly discharged. I took her to a private hospital to get treatment.
“Some babies could not be saved and some probably had complications. I am sad to see that they are still experiencing this in 2024. This is terrible”.
What is UCH doing with revenue generated – Ibadan resident queries
Another resident of Ibadan, identified as Mr. Ajibola queried why the hospital is owing such an amount of money.
He added that what was happening to UCH was as a result of corruption.
“The question is why are they owing. The high medical bills people are paying, where is the money going to?
“If Nigeria will be a better place, we all must be ready to do the right thing, as simple as obeying traffic orders, which many of us in this community do not do.
“Many of us are also corrupt and contributing to the problem of Nigeria”.
Investigate why UCH is owing IBEDC N400m – Health professional
A health worker, who identified himself as Mr. Akindele, called for an enquiry to ascertain why the hospital was owing such an amount of money.
He added that members of the public should ask the management of the hospital why it was owing the electricity distribution company.
“If small private healthcare businesses can power their offices, you journalists should investigate what UCH does with the revenue it generates,” he declared.
What is going on in UCH is very unfortunate – Chairman, Apete – Awotan Landlords/Landladies Association
The Chairman, Apete – Awotan Landlords/Landladies Association, Mr. Rasak Fabayo in his own reaction, described what is happening at the hospital as unfortunate, blaming it on corruption.
“What is going on in UCH is very unfortunate. I don’t expect them to owe IBEDC.
“It’s not only about electricity. The hospital has so much equipment that can make life more comfortable for the staff and patients, but due to the corrupt nature of the system, all these are not working again. The system is so corrupt,” he said.
Our IGR not enough to settle bills – PRO
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Funmi Adetuyibi, has said that the current internally generated revenue by the hospital is not enough to settle the bills.
Adetuyibi made this declaration while speaking with DAILY POST at the weekend.
The PRO insisted that the present Chief Medical Director of the hospital met a sum of N328m electricity debt on assumption of office in 2019.
“The present Chief Medical Director, Professor Jesse Otegbayo came on board on March 1st 2019.
“As at the time he resumed office, the total debt on power was N328m. Presently, the IBEDC is claiming we are owing them N495m.
“It is not that we do not always pay at all. This management is trying all means to pay. We use IGR to run it.
“We collect N14m monthly as overhead. We use the N14m to pay for electricity, water, renovation and consumables.
“To be candid, we use the whole N14m to settle IBEDC. The strike is also affecting us. We have written letters for help to come.
“We don’t mind if we see people who can support us. The IGR is not enough to pay our bills.”
[DailyPost]
Three jets in the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) are to be sold off, it was learnt at the weekend.
This is part of the cost-saving measures being adopted by the Tinubu Administration, an official told our correspondent.
There are 10 aircraft in the fleet – six jets and four helicopters – which will be cut to seven if the planned action sails through.
During the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the plan to sell two planes in the fleet did not materialise.
In October 2016, a Dassault Falcon 7x executive jet and a Beechcraft Hawker 4000 business jet were put up for sale.
The preferred bidders who initially agreed to pay $ 24 million for the two aircraft, later reduced their offer to $ 11 million. This was rejected by the then government.
Thereafter, an arrangement to put some of the aircraft on chatter for willing governors was initiated to make the planes income-generating, thereby reducing the government expenses on maintenance.
The planes in the Presidential Fleet are Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) 737, Gulfstream G550, Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7X, HS 4000, two Agusta 139, and two Agusta 101.
The BBJ 737 is the Nigerian Air Force One, which is used exclusively by the President.
It is designed to serve as an office and a residential quarter on air to enable the president to function effectively during his trip.
The President also uses one of the helicopters for shuttles during his trips around the country.
Other jets in the fleet are used by top government officials, including the Vice President, governors, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly members on special shuttles, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, ministers on special missions, the Chief of Staff, advisers and even ambassadors of plenipotentiary status.
It could not be ascertained at the weekend if the President BBJ 737 will be sold and replaced.
The BBJ was bought for about $43 million during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
A Falcon and Embraer jets have been slated to be sold.
The amount released from the budgetary line year on year could not be confirmed.
But President Tinubu is said to be uncomfortable with the rising cost of maintenance, hence his directive to reduce the fleet.
A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The President is uncomfortable with the rising cost of maintaining the planes.
“Three planes have been pencilled down for disposal.
“The main reason is cutting down high maintenance costs.
“I think officers in PAF were particularly concerned about the frequency of maintenance and how much it costs the nation.
“The President decided to let off the aircraft that constitute the most burdensome.”
An investigation confirmed that the presidency might have incurred over $5 million as maintenance fees in the past few months.
It was unclear the actual figure of outstanding commitments on the fleet which have not been settled.
Giving reasons for the use of some of the planes by top government officials, a source said: “It takes much time to connect some African countries by air. In such a situation, the Presidential Air Fleet is handy.
“The use of the fleet is domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for effective management.”
Last week, President Tinubu in another cost-saving measure imposed a three-month travel ban on public-funded foreign trips by Federal Government officials.
This takes effect from today.
[TheNation]
Turkey’s local elections, on Sunday d, dealt the biggest blow, in more than two decades, to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AKP party.
Here are five things to know about the poll that turned into a debacle for the country’s veteran leader.
More than a local poll
By throwing all his energy into campaigning for his party’s candidates for mayors, Erdogan gave the election a national resonance and made it a de facto referendum on him and his party.
This held especially true in Istanbul, the country’s megapolis and economic powerhouse where Erdogan got his political start and that he badly wanted to recapture from the opposition.
The voters’ answer was clear — the ruling party not only failed to wrest back control of Istanbul and the capital Ankara from the opposition but lost ground in the country’s other major cities, including in the conservative Anatolia region, which had been considered an AKP stronghold.
“The biggest election defeat of Erdogan’s career”, is how Berk Esen, a political scientist at Sabanci University, described the election, in which the main opposition CHP party scored “its best result since 1977”.
Economic woes
The election took place against a sombre economic background — 67 per cent inflation and massive devaluation of the lira, which has deeply affected the lives of most Turks.
“When Turkish people vote, the situation in the kitchen or on their plate changes the voting trend,” Ali Faik Demir, a political scientist at Galatasaray University, told AFP.
The biggest voting changes happen “when we cannot afford a living when we cannot eat”.
Istanbul
“Whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey,” Erman Bakirci, a pollster from Konda Research and Consultancy, recalled Erdogan once saying.
Turkey’s economic powerhouse is the mythic city straddling Europe and Asia, accounting for 30 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). With 16 million residents, it has nearly a fifth of the national population.
“It’s not easy to run Istanbul, a city more populous than 20 countries in the European Union,” said Aylin Unver Noi, a professor at Istanbul’s Halic University. “It’s a hub, a commercial, financial and cultural centre. It’s a country”, she said, adding that “those who manage to run this city and prove themselves there” open the way to a national platform.
Erdogan has personified this — he grew up in Istanbul and became mayor in 1994, launching a career that propelled him to the country’s top posts.
Erdogan’s twilight?
Erdogan has been in power in Turkey since 2003 when he assumed the post of prime minister. He was elected president in 2014 and re-elected twice since, most recently in 2023.
During his time at the top, he survived many storms, including huge opposition protests in 2013 that engulfed the vast majority of the country and a coup attempt in 2016.
Some analysts had already suggested that losing Istanbul and the capital Ankara to the opposition in the last municipal polls in 2019 signalled a turning point in the fortunes of Erdogan and his party. The huge blow dealt this time around could prove fatal, some observers have said.
Even before Sunday’s poll, Erdogan had suggested that the 2023 election that saw him re-elected president with 52 per cent of the vote would be his last.
Bayram Balci, a researcher at France’s Sciences Po University, says this possibility is now all but certain.
“He is capable of a surprise and deciding to end his career,” he said. It would be “a way to go out in style, all the while remaining faithful to his vision of Islam and his religious beliefs, according to which nothing on this earth is permanent”.
President Imamoglu?
With another decisive victory against Erdogan’s ruling party, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has cemented a leader’s role within Turkey’s notoriously fractious opposition.
He has the stature, popularity, the sense of media and above all, ambition.
During the run-up to Sunday’s vote, Erdogan pressed his message that Imamoglu — whose name he rarely mentioned — was a “part-time mayor” consumed by presidential ambitions.
The same charge has been levelled by his opponents within his own CHP party.
But since his first victory in 2019, he has faced legal troubles that could mar his political future.
An Istanbul court ruled in 2023 that an Imamoglu remark to reporters that city election officials were “idiots” was defamatory and sentenced him to nearly three years in jail.
It barred him from politics for the duration of the sentence.
Imamoglu has appealed, meaning that he has continued to serve as mayor while putting his fate in the hands of judges whose impartially he questioned.
It is not clear how the case against him will evolve ahead of the next presidential election in Turkey, which is set for 2028.
AFP
Nigerian singer, Duncan Mighty has made a shocking confession.
In a recent interview, the singer revealed that he was involved in the Niger Delta militancy some years ago.
According to him, God saved his life several times when he was involved in militancy.
Speaking in a recent interview with 3Music, Accra Ghana, Duncan Mighty said, “I was involved in the Niger Delta crisis.
“God has saved my life severally. I am a Port Harcourt boy. I am not from Lagos. I come from the South South, from the war zone before the amnesty.
“I have been involved with a lot of community activities that had to do with protecting of our people, oil.
“But when fame came, nobody know I am that boy who was in the creeks back in the days.”
He also revealed that he was a drummer in the church before switching to secular music.
“I was the first drummer for Christ Embassy in Port Harcourt,” he said.