[FULL TEXT] Gov. Soludo Announces Anambra State Interim Response To Cushion The Effects of Economic Challenges
AdminNigeria is undergoing fundamental re-setting of the macroeconomic framework. The long overdue disruptive change (especially the removal of subsidy on PMS and reduction of distortions in the exchange rate) comes with certain hardships on all the residents of Nigeria. Governments at all levels in Nigeria have shown a keen commitment to ameliorate the consequent short term effects of the policy change on livelihoods. The President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has rolled out an agenda of palliatives as the response of the federal government. We support the FGN agenda and expect to partner with the federal government to ensure that Anambra residents benefit maximally from the federal programmes.
Ours is a government on the foundation of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). We are progressives, and the welfare of the ordinary Nigerians especially the poor and vulnerable, remains our primary focus. Our motto is: “Be your brother’s and sister’s keeper”. There is no better time to rise up to the full essense of our motto and ideological stance on behalf of the ordinary persons than now.
In our 2024 budget, we shall roll out a more comprehensive agenda to address the medium to longer term issues that will help to smoothen the path for all our residents, and ensure that everyone shares in our broad agenda of building a livable and prosperous homeland. In the meantime and over the remaining four months of the year (September – December 2023) as well as within the context of our 2023 budget framework, we are rolling out a few immediate and medium term measures.
Our response recognizes that the subsidy removal affects ALL citizens, especially millions of the unemployed and underemployed youths and vulnerable segments of the population. Our interim response reflects the need to target the total population.
Palliatives
a. Salary Augmentation and Cash Award:
(i) In our foresighted response to the rising inflation, our government had increased the salaries of all public servants by 10% effective January 2023. We have been paying the 10% adjustment since January 2023.
(ii) In addition to the salary increase, we will be paying every pensioner and public servant in the employment of the Anambra State Government and the 21 LGAs (approx. 59,000 persons) for the period September 2023 to December 2023 a monthly flat non-taxable cash award of N12,000. This is to augment their monthly take-home.
b. We will continue to clear the backlog of gratuity and pension of our pensioners. Recall that we met 4-year pension and gratuity arrears when we assumed office, which we have been paying since assumption of office.
c. Anambra State Government will be distributing rice to over 300,000 households in the coming weeks across the 326 wards in Anambra.
Tax Exemptions/Reductions:
a. The following highly vulnerable persons are exempt from all forms of taxation/levies: hawkers; wheel barrow and truck pushers; vulcanizers; artisans, okada drivers; petty traders with capital of less than N100,000; etc.
b. The IGR payments of ALL transporters --- Keke, Minibus, etc are hereby reduced by 20% with effect from September 01, 2023.
c. Basic Education (primary school to JSS3) remain tuition free for all public schools. We are reviewing the plethora of other levies, fees, and charges in these schools. Before schools resume in September 2023, we shall make further announcements to sanitize the system and reduce the burden on our pupils/students and their sponsors.
d. Henceforth, we will provide free antenatal services and free delivery services to pregnant mothers in State primary health centres and general hospitals. We will announce a more comprehensive medical package for our residents, especially the senior citizens and children in our 2024 budget.
e. We call on the landlords to show empathy to their tenants at this challenging moment and consider easier options for rent payment.
Transport
a. We have approved the repair/renovation of all serviceable Public Servants Staff Buses currently under the office of the Head of Service of Anambra State to facilitate the movement of public servants.
b. Still on initiative to reduce the cost of transportation for the larger segment of Ndi Anambra, we will be applying to purchase many of the CNG-fueled buses to be provided by the Federal Government for intra-state transportation. The aim is to reduce the cost of transportation within Anambra.
c. We will embark immediately on the repair of existing and purchase of new water boats to ease transportation for our citizens in the riverine local governments.
Medium to long-term
a. We recently distributed a total of 1.1 million oil palm and coconut high yielding seedlings to over 100,000 households. We plan to sustain the distribution of one million seedlings per annum over several years in continuation of our revolution to create a new palm-coconut green/industrial ecosystem that will guarantee 500,000 – 1,000,000 households earning N1.5m to N3m per annum, thereby lifting them out of poverty, create wealth and earn foreign exchange for Nigeria. We also expect a new industrial complex to process the products, thereby creating more jobs for our youths.
b. We are getting ready to deal with the heavy flooding expected to massively affect eight local governments in Anambra soon. We have made arrangements for resettlements of Ndi Anambra living in flood-prone areas. We will take every necessary measure to ameliorate the effects on the victims.
c. In the next few weeks, we will be energizing our One Youth Two Skills program by providing a mix of grant and soft loan schemes at a maximum interest rate of 9% per annum through a collaborative initiative between the Anambra State Small Business Agency (ASBA) and its partner development finance institutions. This will benefit about 4,500 of our youths who have recently completed the year-long intensive trainings, and will enable them to become entrepreneurs and employers of labour. We are rolling out about N4 billion for this project.
d. We are completing the set-up and funding of the Ward-based Cooperative Initiative for micro-enterprises. We are proposing a revolving loan scheme at near zero interest rate. We are targeting over 100,000 micro businesses.
e. Already we employed 5,000 teachers and over 300 medical professionals within our first 9 months in office plus thousands of youths in the security sector. We understand that the teeming unemployed youths remain a potent time bomb. We are committed to recruiting further thousands of youths as teachers for our schools and road/street sweepers and engaging youths in public works.
f. We are rolling out a very ambitious program to build/modernize the primary health centres (PHCs) in all the 326 wards --- to let everyone have access to qualitative healthcare. This is in addition to renovation/modernization of hundreds of primary schools and secondary schools. We recently approved a huge program for urban and rural water schemes to ensure that especially the poor have access to clean portable water.
g. We are constructing over 340km of roads across all the 21 local governments and we are poised to continue. We have also started repairs of some "trunk A" federal and state roads, to improve the lives of Ndi Anambra and reduce transportation cost in the State. As we enter the dry season, we will deliberately prioritize palliative works on many of our critical roads to lessen the burden on commuters and ensure more effective traffic management.
h. We are working assiduously to improve the Ease of Doing Business in Anambra to attract private sector investment into the State for improved job creation for Ndi Anambra. Security of life and property remain the number one priority of government. We are stepping up measures to deal with touts who inflict pain on our innocent citizens around some major places in the state.
i. Food prices are rising and food security has become a critical issue. We are determined to provide every assistance to the farmers for the next planting season in 2024 to boost food and animal production.
j. Finally, we are determined to collaborate with the Federal Government to ensure that Anambra residents benefit maximally from the myriad of palliatives being rolled out by Mr. President, including:
- Provide our updated Social Register for Anambra residents to benefit from the FGN cash transfer
-- apply to attract a conditional grant of N50,000 to at least 1,300 nano business owners in each of the 21 LGAs of the State
- support MSME and Startups in Anambra to apply for N500,000 – N1million soft loan each at 9% pa and repayable over a period of 36 months
- in collaboration with the Organised Private Sector in the State, apply to obtain the N1bn soft loan each at 9% pa and repayable over 5 years available to 75 manufacturers in the country;
-- the N100 billion CBN commercial agricultural loan
-- the Gas conversion scheme; etc
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sounded a demolition warning to landlords of properties distorting the master plan of Abuja.
“All those people who are distorting the master plan of Abuja, too bad. If you know you have built where you’re not supposed to build, it will go down,” Wike said during a press conference in Abuja on Monday, moments after taking his oath of office at the State House.
He added that for anyone who has developed where they are not supposed to, even if the culprit is a minister or an ambassador, “your house must go down”.
The former Rivers State governor’s warning also went out to landowners who had taken over “the green areas” to build properties, saying those areas must come back.
“If you hate green, you must hate yourself. So, if you know you have anybody involved that has taken over the green areas or has taken over the parks to where you now do restaurants, no, we will not accept that. Sorry,” he said.
In a call to action, President Bola Tinubu has urged the recently appointed ministers to collaborate with him and each other to fulfill the aspirations of the Nigerian people through their work in government.
He gave the charge during the inauguration of the 45 confirmed ministers-designate on Monday held at the Conference Centre of the State House, Abuja.
“We are in this boat, even if it is a vehicle and I am the driver, the entire Nigerians are behind sitting and watching as you and I navigate this vehicle. We must hold each other responsible, we have to do the job to meet the expectations of all Nigerians.
“As I said earlier on, you are not a minister of a particular state, colony, region or ethnic nationality, you are a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” President Tinubu said.
Also in his speech, the President reminded the newly-sworn Ministers that it is a high honour to be chosen to serve as a minister in the Federal Executive Council and also charged them with teamwork.
He added that the greatest number of Nigerians are expectant of their delivery, accountability and transparency and as well expect them to work with integrity, dignity and deliver.
“With the inauguration of Ministers today, we are about to accelerate our governing efforts to move forward in realizing our best aspiration for Nigeria. It’s all about a great team and I believe we have them here. It is a high honour to be chosen to serve as a minister in the federal executive council of our beloved republic.
“With such high honour comes tremendous responsibility in this moment of abundant promise and peril in equal measure. All of you who have been sworn in have been called to distinguish yourselves. It is me who knows you and delegates this authority but the greatest number of Nigerians are highly expectant of delivery, accountability and transparency.
“Nigerians expect that you will serve with integrity, dignity and deliver. I will hold you to that standard. Your assignment began immediately. As your country honours you today by this call to service, you must each work to make yourselves worthy in the eyes of God and all our nation’s people,” he said.
The inauguration of the ministers comes less than a week after President Tinubu released the list of portfolios for the appointees, which was again reviewed on Sunday.
Those sworn in include former Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike as Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Wale Edun (Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy), Adegboyega Oyetola (Marine and Blue Economy), David Umahi (Works), Festus Keyamo (Aviation and Aerospace Development), and Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation).
Also among those sworn in are Bosun Tijani (Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy), Ishak Salaco (State, Environment and Ecological Management), Adedayo Adelabu (Minister of Power), Tunisia Alausa (State, Health and Social Welfare), Dele Alake (Solid Minerals Development), Lola Ade-John (Minister of Tourism), Sa’idu Alkali (Transportation), and Bunmi Tunji-Ojo (Interior).
Leaders of the North-Central geopolitical zone, have commended President Bola Tinubu for his “display of spirit of fairness” in the appointment of ministers.
The leaders, led by Alli John Alli, under the aegis of the League of Middle Belt Bishops, also appealed to Mr Tinubu to appoint Moses Ayom as ambassador-designate to China.
In a letter to the Presidency on Monday, Mr Alli, who noted that Mr Ayom was from Benue, called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, Governor Hyacinth Alia, to support the call for Mr Avom’s appointment.
In the letter, also copied to the North-Central zone governors, the leaders described Mr Ayom as having an edge over other nominees that might be considered for the position because he was the most qualified.
In the letter titled ‘Before it is too late’, the leaders said, “We are here once again as an umbrella body of Middle Belt Bishops, to commend the president for his unbiased appointments so far. However, recall that, High Chief Moses Ayom was the leader of agitation for Middle Belt presidency, but later dropped his ambition and went all out to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is now our president.”
The letter added, “Ayom has shown undiluted love and patriotism for this country and for the fact that there has been a very solid relationship and understanding that had existed between the Middle Belt and Southwest right from the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.”
The group urged Mr Tinubu not to forget to offer Mr Ayom a political appointment.
“We believe this will be the minimum the trio of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Sen. George Akume and Rev Fr Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia, will do for Chief Moses as a mark of reward for his immeasurable contributions,” said the group.
(NAN)
Nigeria, Algeria, and Egypt are expected to dominate the African natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply market from 2023 to 2027.
This is according to data from the African Energy Chamber in its August 2023 State of African Energy report.
According to the report, Africa’s 2023 natural gas supply is estimated at about 25.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf/d), a 1% year-on-year increase over 2022.
Meanwhile, the long-term supply potential, in line with global potential, is expected to grow by 7% to 27.4 Bcf/d by 2025, by close to 30% to 32.8 Bcf/d, and by about 65% to 41.6 Bcf/d by 2035 over the 2023 levels.
Also, the long-term commercial flows from Africa, too, are expected to stay relatively flat at 27 – 28 Bcf/d over the remainder of this decade and the next decade before starting to decline.
Short-term gas supply
A part of the report stated:
- “Short-term natural gas supply from Africa is expected to see an increase from 2023 levels of 25.5 Bcf/d to just over 27 Bcf/d in 2024 and stay relatively flat at about 27 Bcf/d till 2027.
- “Algeria, Egypt, and Nigeria are expected to drive the majority of the natural gas supply with an average of 80% of the total African gas coming from these three countries. Individually, the short-term output of these three countries is estimated to stay relatively flat.
- “Algeria is expected to see a growth from 10 Bcf/d in 2023 to 11 Bcf/d by 2027. Egypt is expected to stay flat at 6.25 Bcf/d. Nigeria is expected to fluctuate marginally between 4.5 Bcf/d and 5.5 Bcf/d.
The AEC report further highlighted the fact that Africa has pledged greater focus on the monetization of discovered natural gas, thereby ensuring proper usage of gas as a transition fuel and also limiting emissions from rampant gas flaring. It however noted that in Nigeria, the “Decade of Gas” policy launched in March 2021, has maintained a snail-like pace in implementation.
Nigeria’s Decade of Gas is a government-led initiative aimed at harnessing the country’s vast gas reserves to drive economic growth and development
A part of the report stated;
- “Two years after its declaration, Nigeria’s ‘Decade of Gas’ policy has recorded underperformance at a paltry 5% to date, as opposed to the 85% benchmark set by the federal government.”
State Chairmen’s Forum of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has warned President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to be cautious in their dealings with former Presidential Candidate of NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
They said the meeting between Kwankwaso and some big wigs in Nigeria’s politics was the former’s ploy to remain relevant after allegedly losing the grip of NNPP’s structure across the country.
In a statement, at the weekend, Ogun NNPP Chairman and Leader of the Forum, Olaposi Oginni, urged Atiku and Tinubu to terminate any dealings with the former governor of Kano.
For the forum, the recent meeting between Kwankwaso and Atiku is distasteful and disgraceful.
Oginni urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to keep an eye on Kwankwaso’s political desperation, which may constitute security risk.
The NNPP chairmen accused Kwankwaso of betraying the founder of the party, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, by breaking the Memorandum of Understanding signed before the 2023 presidential election.
“Dr. Aniebonam gave him the platform without taking a dime to enable him contest the 2023 presidential election. It is saddening that Kwankwaso is shamelessly trying all possible means to hijack the party from the original owner.
“In the same vein, Kwankwaso, without recourse to the states chairmen and the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), unilaterally started and concluded negotiation with Tinubu on the recent presidential election. This anti-party activity was confirmed by Kwankwaso’s spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, when he appeared on Channels Television last week to respond to various allegations by Oginni,” the statement reads.
The forum used the medium to warn Atiku to be more careful in his dealings with the likes of nomadic politicians of Kwankwaso’s calibre. It added: “Atiku and PDP’s preemptive measures on likely presidential election rerun shall be counter-productive with the likes of Kwankwaso, who can never be trusted.”
“What else can a Kwankwaso, who ensured that Atiku did not emerge as the sole candidate from the North, ready to offer after the colossal damages of Atiku’s and PDP’s chance of winning the presidential election?”
The Kano State Police Command, on Monday, banned all forms of protests in the state, with immediate effect.
This followed intelligence received by the Command that the two dominant parties; the New Nigeria People’s Party, and the All Progressives Congress have assembled a crowd to embark on a protest, without the endorsement of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
The lawmaker representing Akoko North-East and North-West federal constituency of Ondo State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has resigned his membership of the National Assembly after accepting his nomination by President Bola Tinubu to serve as a Minister in the cabinet.
Tunji-Ojo’s resignation was contained in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
A copy of the resignation letter was made available to journalists by Hon. Tunji-Ojo’s spokesman, Mr Babatunde Alao, in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
In the letter, Tunji-Ojo confirmed that his resignation was necessitated by his appointment to serve Nigerians as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in President Tinubu administration.
He explained that he had been chosen at a time when the country was in dire need of technocrats to help contribute their quota to the advancement and economic growth of the nation.
While appreciating President Tinubu for finding him worthy to serve the country in his new role as a Minister, Hon Tunji-Ojo said he was prepared to give his best for the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of the present administration.
“Our dear country is in dire need of collaborative and concerted efforts that would engender the much-needed advancement to greater heights and I have been appointed to contribute my quota to achieve that enviable objective as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the letter reads in part.
Tunji-Ojo, popularly known as BTO, is among the 48 ministers-designate appointed by President Tinubu and is to be sworn-in this Monday in Abuja.
He was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2019 where he served as the Chairman, House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) in the 9th National Assembly.
However, he was re-elected into the National Assembly for a second term after winning the 2023 elections.
Aside from being a member of several committees in the National Assembly, Tunji-Ojo facilitated several projects of tremendous value and development to his constituents and constituency.
He will be sworn in as Minister of Interior in the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Another round of tension has gripped the oil industry in the Niger Delta over the renewal of the N48billion oil pipeline surveillance contract awarded to the former leader of the dreaded Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tompolo.
Already, the renewal of the contract had pitched Tompolo against his colleagues involved in the struggle in the region, particularly the leader of the defunct Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mujahideen Asari-Dokubo; HRM Ateke Tom; Ebikabowei Victor Ben, alias Boyloaf; Chief Bibopere Ajube, alias Shoot-at-Sight, and an ex-warlord in Imo State axis of the region, Commander Nigeria, among others, across the states of the oil-rich belt.
The multi-billion naira security job awarded to Tantita Security Services, owned by Tompolo in August 2022, is due for renewal by the end of this month, a development which has triggered intense intrigues and maneuvering by some ex-warlords to wrestle it from the former MEND commander.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the ex-militant commanders are strongly opposed to the renewal of the contract as exclusively packaged for Tompolo in 2022.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the contract covers surveillance and protection of oil pipelines, which criss-crossed various oil producing communities in Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Ondo and Rivers States.
The award of the job to Tompolo was facilitated by former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, former Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr Mele Kyari, in August 2022.
One year later, as Tompolo prepared to approach the management of NNPCL for the renewal of the job, his ex-colleagues were up in arms against him.
The protesting ex-militant commanders are agitating for the splitting of the contract to accommodate divergent interests. There are mounting pressures on the Presidency and NNPCL not to re-award the contract solely to Tompolo and his outfit in its present component.
They vehemently opposed an omnibus contract to be awarded to Tompolo, which would cover places outside his areas of influence in Gbaramatu axis of Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
They insisted that his ambience of operation should be limited to his communities in Delta State, while they are allowed to also operate in their areas.
They rejected the template offered by the embattled warlord to sublet parts of the job to them in their different enclaves, insisting that the package being offered by Tompolo was at variance with his earnings from NNPCL, for the job.
Instead, LEADERSHIP learnt that they were unanimous that the contract be splitted, with its components awarded separately to individual ex-commanders to man their areas of influence.
Already, the aggrieved warlords have protested to the presidency, especially the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and Kyari, apparently to halt the moves to award the contract in bulk to their kinsman.
LEADERSHIP learnt that Kyari reportedly advised the protesters to remain calm pending the inauguration of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who is expected to prepare a memo on the festering issue for the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It was gathered that Tompolo was also having a running battle with his kinsmen and some close associates of Tinubu, who were bent on punishing him for allegedly not supporting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 polls.
They accused the ex-militant commander of having supported and heavily funded the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) within and outside Delta State, in the just concluded elections.
Those opposing Tompolo said he didn’t reciprocate the visit of Tinubu, in company with Kyari and other top party stalwarts to his enclave on Friday November 25, 2022 and the visit of another team raised by the President and headed by Kyari, with Wale and Seyi Tinubu as members of the team, on the eve of the governorship and houses of assembly election on March 17, 2023, to garner votes and support for the governing
However, to starve off any untoward development, Tompolo’s men and foot soldiers were reported to have relocated to Abuja to intensify lobby to retain the status quo in the award of the job.
LEADERSHIP gathered that they have approached Ribadu, Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila and other influential members of the inner circles of Tinubu, including members of the president’s immediate family, for help.
But despite stiff opposition, investigation by this paper revealed that Tompolo’s bid to renew the job still enjoyed the backing and support of Sylva, who is apparently relying on the former MEND leader for support in the November 2023 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State, Omo-Agege, who was said to have forgiven Tompolo for not supporting his gubernatorial ambition in the 2023 election and the chief executive of NNPCL.
They were reportedly touching base with powerful links within and outside the Presidency to ensure that Tompolo triumph, taunting and flaunting widely reported ex-militant and his company’s impressive records in the war against crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the region, as satisfactory credentials to renew the job.
One of our sources disclosed that the trio in their alibi in favour of Tompolo expressed conviction that renewal of Tantita’s contract would help in consolidating the gains so far recorded in the war against illicit deals associated with crude oil, in the region.
The source said, “The management of NNPCL has been having difficulties in renewing the pipeline surveillance contract given to Chief Tompolo to oversee the security and protection of crude oil pipelines in the Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Ondo and part of Rivers State in 2022 because his colleagues in the Niger Delta struggle are up in arms against him. They are opposed to an omnibus award of the same contract to him. They are saying that Tompolo cannot protect the pipelines in their areas.
Efforts by our correspondent to get reactions from Tompolo and the management of Tantita Security Services, were futile.
Tantita’s managing director, Chief Keston Pondi and the company’s head, Operations/Intelligence, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, ignored persistent calls and messages to their cell phones, for one week, to secure their reactions to the report.
But a source in Tantita Security Services, who pleaded with this newspaper not to mention his name because he was not competent to speak neither on behalf of Tompolo nor the company, said Tompolo and his lieutenants were not leaving any stone unturned to put issues in proper perspectives.
He said, “Tompolo’s men are in Abuja already to put paid to some lies being peddled against their boss, especially as concerned about his roles in the 2023 elections. Most of what is being said about him are tissues of lies. They are making frivolous allegations about him with a view to ensuring that the contract is not renewed. Come to think of it, what does the outcome of the elections have to do with the award and discharge of a legitimate business? This is purely a business and not politics. As Mr. President said recently, the time for politics is over. It’s now time for governance.
“Tantita has performed excellently in the assignment handed over to it to the admiration of all and sundry. The records of the increase in crude oil production are there in NNPCL and the oil multinationals and we must warn that it would not be in the interest of our economy to sacrifice excellence in favour of mundane arguments.
“We are not losing any sleep in Tantita and even our principal, High Chief Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tompolo, is not bothered about the so-called gang-up. We have done our best in Tantita in taming the hoodlums draining our economy through illicit crude oil deals and our performance chat is there for everyone to check. We have received accolades from within and outside the country for our efforts in salvaging the nation’s economy. The President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that we know very well will not succumb to undue pressures of blackmailers and enemies of Nigeria.
“We have no doubt that the management of NNPCL will take the right steps by renewing the contract to enable us to strengthen and consolidate our efforts in the national interests. Those opposed to us are the oil thieves and their collaborators, whom we have blocked the sources of their ill-gotten wealth,” the Tantita source added.
The group general manager, Public Affairs, NNPCL, Mr. Garba Deen Muhammad, also declined to comment on the report. Muhammad shunned calls and messages sent to him on the subject matter.
Troops of the 4 Special Forces Command, have been called upon to rise up to the renewed security challenges in Niger State.
Commander 4 Special Forces Command of the Nigerian Army Doma in Nasarawa State, Major General Hilary Nzan gave the charge during an operational visit to formations and units under the command in Niger State.
The formations and units under the 4 Special Forces Command Doma where the commander visited include Headquarters 403 Amphibious Brigade, 221 Tank Battalion and 101 Special Forces Battalion all in Niger State.
Addressing officers and men of the command, he urged them to redouble their efforts in tackling insecurity in communities around the North Central part of the country.
He said the Nigerian Army had remained committed toa securing all parts of the country to pave the way for peace and socio-economic development hence the need for the troops to be versatile in their approach to any security threats across the area.
The commander specifically charged them to flush out bandits terrorising Niger from the various forests which served as their abode.
LEADERSHIP reports that several forests linked Niger with states like Zamfara, Kebbi and Kaduna where bandits reigned supreme over the years.
The bandits, it was gathered, besiege the state through the affected forests which they also retreated to after carrying out their nefarious activities.
Security experts had repeatedly called on the federal government to convert the forests to productive use.
Major General Nzan expressed optimism that the troops would end the spate of attacks in the state.
He stressed the need for the troops to uphold professionalism, unity at all times and establish a strong synergy with the civilian public as well as other security agencies in the areas of intelligence gathering and information sharing to ensure success.
While interacting with the wives of the soldiers, he called on the women to be relentless in praying for their spouses to be focused on confronting the bandits and insurgents terrorising most parts of the country.
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As part of efforts to ease the burden caused by economic hardship on corps members, Kaduna State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Hassan Taura, said the Federal Government has upwardly reviewed their feeding allowance.
The coordinator, while fielding questions from journalists, after swearing in the 2023 Batch ‘B’ Stream ‘2’ orientation course, did not specifically disclose which of the allowances was reviewed.
“The Federal Government, in its wisdom, has reviewed the feeding allowance of the corps members,” he said, while responding to the plans to cushion the corps members’ hardship.
Promising to prioritise corps members’ welfare in his state, he said: “I told them (corps members) I am going to ensure their food is of good quality and quantity. I told them I will ensure that they won’t spend their money in the camp market. This is the promise I made to them and I am fulfilling them.
“I am going to feed them in such a way that they will not spend from their pocket.”
They don’t even have the money; so, it is our duty to ensure we feed them well.” On arrangements by the state government and private organisations to ensure timely payment of stipends of corps members, he said: “In line with our operations of the monthly stipend we pay corps members, we expect their employers, be it state government or private organisations, to pay them some stipend in addition to what Federal Government gives them.”
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has confirmed that the state has received N2bn as part payment from the N5bn promised by the Federal Government as fuel subsidy palliative.
He also confirmed the receipt of three thousand bags of rice to be shared among the people of Abia.
The governor who disclosed this while addressing the State Executive Council who are in Aba for a retreat, said his administration will not deceive the people like the previous administration did.
The Federal Government had last Thursday announced the sum of N5bn as palliative to each state of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to cushion the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State had announced this during an interactive session with State House correspondents in Abuja after the statutory meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
Security men drawn from the police, civil defense, state service and military formations in Kwara State were on guard at Yemoja River in Oko Olowo area of Ilorin to prevent security breach in the state.
The river was the initial venue of the botched celebration of the Isese festival by the traditional worshippers.
The operatives were drafted to the spot to prevent a clash between the traditionalists and the Muslims ahead of the celebration of the World Isese Day slated for Monday.
Islamic leaders had rejected the decision to celebrate the event in the Muslim dominated five local governments that make up Ilọrin Emirate.
Although the security men were on alert guiding the river, neither the traditionalists nor the Islam adherents were sighted by our correspondent for several hours during a visit.
Speaking with journalists at the Yemoja River site, the state Commissioner of Police, Mrs Ebbunoluwarotimi Adelesi who led the operation said the heavy presence of security operatives was to keep peace and protect the lives of the people and their properties.
“The security men are here to maintain peace, we are not here to deprive anyone of his or her fundamental human rights. They have been drafted to this place since yesterday to protect the people of the state.
“We have to be at alert as a result of what the two sides are saying. We cannot allow the security and peace of the state to be breached. Kwara State is the state of harmony,” she said.
The police command had earlier advised the traditionalists to stay away from Kwara and relocate the celebration to other states, a decision that was reiterated by the Muslim community in Ilọrin.
The police had said the security report did not favour holding the Isese festival in Ilọrin as initially declared by the International Council of Ifa/Orisa Religions (ICIR).
Niger Coup: Wounds From War May Never Heal - Ex-Lawmaker Cautions Tinubu Against Military Action
AdminA former member of the House of Representatives, Robinson Uwak, has advised the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) including its chair, President Bola Tinubu, to avoid starting war in the Niger Republic following the military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
The lawmaker’s call on Sunday followed the ECOWAS’ threat to invade Niger if all diplomatic efforts from international partners fail.
The junta has defied the directives from ECOWAS regarding restoration of democracy and installed a new government made up of soldiers.
Uwak, in a statement on Sunday, advised Tinubu to continue to toe the path of dialogue.
He warned that invading Niger with soldiers can cause irrecoverable crisis and wanton destruction across borders as the country is surrounded by Nigeria and Chad, among others.
He added that the impact of war can cause trauma on respective citizens.
“Let Mr President suspend any talk of military action and sustain the dialogue option as this would yield long term benefits for regional peace and stability within the ECOWAS sub-region.
“The President should take a deep look at the impact of any war with our neighbouring country, the post-traumatic disorders, the severance of cross-border filial relations, the destruction and the injuries may probably not heal. Let us avoid this war by all means,” Uwak stated.
He lauded former Head of State and the chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the Sultan of Sokoto for agreeing to broker peace between respective countries.
Recall that Tinubu had approached the Nigerian Senate for approval to send troops to Niger Republic despite imposing economic sanctions on the country.
But the lawmakers rejected Tinubu’s request.
Amid the development, the junta has vowed to remain in power for three years before permitting a democratic election.