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Category: Politics

I Begged Buhari To Help Me Deal With IPOB Militants In Imo – Uzodinma
Imo state governor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, says he invited the Federal Government to help him deal with militants disturbing the peace in the state.
A recent military operation in Orlu district of Orlu Local Government Area of the state has attracted criticism from many who condemned it as a heavy-handed approach.
Uzodinma said on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, that he begged President Muhammadu Buhari for assistance because of the threat posed by the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a security outfit set up by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He said the outfit was responsible for a reign of terror in the Orlu area, including the killing and raping of women.
The governor said the problem was too much for his government to handle, prompting him to demand federal assistance.
“There was a need for me to report the situation and that I did and we were supported to deal with the situation.
“It is not about crushing anybody and those that came didn’t do any crushing,” he said.
The governor also said that contrary to media reports, no one was killed by the military during the operations that took place last week.
He said many suspects were caught with weapons stolen from the Police and Army, and that they will be charged to court soon.
IPOB was declared a terrorist organisation in 2017 after numerous confrontations with the military.
Its leader Nnamdi Kanu has been a fugitive for years, escaping the country after he was charged with treasonable felony
February 24, 2021
Gov Akeredolu sworn in for second term
Ondo Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has taken oath for a second term in office. His running mate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, took the oath of office for the first time as Deputy Governor.
Aiyedatiwa was accompanied by his wife and three children.
The former Ondo Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission took the oath at about 10:30am.
Governor Akeredolu was accompanied by his wife, Betty, children and grandchildren.
Guests erupted in applause at the announcement of the presence of Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki at the International Culture and Event Centre, Akure, venue of the inauguration of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) for second term as Ondo Governor on Wednesday.
With Obaseki in Akure were Osun Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, his Lagos, Ogun and Ekiti counterparts – Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dapo Abiodun and Kayode Fayemi respectively.
Former Ogun Governor Ibikunle Amosun; former Senate President Ken Nnamani and new APC chieftain in Osun State Sen. Iyiola Omisore also graced the event
February 24, 2021
Niger Opposition Leader Claims Win Despite Official Results Showing He Lost
Opposition leader Mahamane Ousmane on Wednesday claimed he narrowly won Niger’s presidential elections, a day after official results said he lost by more than 11 percentage points.
“The compilation of results… which we have in our possession through our representatives in the various polling stations give us victory with 50.3 percent of the vote,” he said, according to a video of a speech he made in the southeastern town of Zinder that was authenticated by his party.
According to provisional results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), former interior minister Mohamed Bazoum picked up 55.75 percent of the vote in Sunday’s runoff and Ousmane 44.25 percent.
AFP
February 24, 2021
House of Rep: NNPC Must Account For N1.3 Trillion Alleged Illegal Deductions
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has stated that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation must account for the alleged illegal withdrawals from the Federation Account in 2017, totaling N1.3tn.
Chairman of the committee, Oluwole Oke (PDP-OSUN), stated this in Abuja on Tuesday at the committee’s investigative hearing on audit queries issued by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation against ministries, departments, and agencies of the Federal Government.
The committee had grilled the representative of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Ezeh Ekwueme, who appeared before the panel to explain the unauthorised deductions from Federation Account by revenue-generating agencies in the year under review.
Oke stated that it was improper for the NNPC to take the monies without being queried by the appropriate agencies.
He said, “They just take the money and nobody to ask questions. Even the Accountant General of the Federation cannot ask questions. NNPC has to account for the money. Aside illegally taking the money, which violates Section 162 of the constitution, they should render an account. What did they do with the money?”
The committee also queried the accountant-general over the lack of full details on the aids and grants released to agencies, amounting to N6.6bn in the same year.
Consequently, the lawmakers asked the accountant-general to provide a comprehensive list of beneficiaries of the donations.
Oke also directed the clerk to write to the beneficiaries to forward briefs of the aides and grants and what they were used for, based on the queries issued by the AUGF and the response by the ACGF.
The committee had on Thursday grilled top officials of the NNPC, warning the corporation against deducting from revenue from sales of petroleum products before remitting same to the Federation Account, threatening punitive action if the action was repeated.
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The committee had summoned the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari, as well as the head of the corporation’s subsidiaries.
One of the queries against the NNPC is alleging under remittance of revenue from domestic crude oil sales totalling N3.878tn.
The OAUGF issued another other query against the NNPC bothering on the non-collection of miscellaneous gas receipts for some months in 2015, asking the corporation to refund N450bn to the Federation Account; another refund of N1.8tn as well as unpaid gas revenue without details worth $198,919,212.27 (N37,189,084,819.19).
Kyari is particularly expected to respond to the audit query on “payment through Nigeria Gas Limited Funding Account $30,963,894.01 (N16,099,887,119.77) as well as misapplication of Joint Venture Cash Calls for other purposes, $292,094,405.82 and N2,474,295,000.
Chairman of the committee, Oluwole Oke, gave the directive when the management of the NNPC appeared before it to defend a series of audit queries.
On Thursday, the committee asked the corporation to account for unremitted gas revenue of about $228.9m and another N3.878tn from the sale of domestic crude.
February 24, 2021
Ex-DSS Official Gumi Met Bandits Near A Military Post
Security forces did not engage Kagara kidnappers to avoid collateral damage, former DSS official claims…
A former assistant director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, on Monday, explained that the security agents who were ordered to rescue victims of Kagara abduction didn’t engage the bandits in a gun battle in order to avoid collateral damage.
Amachree, who stated this on Channels Television morning show
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that the bandits could easily use the captives as a human shield if the security forces had engaged them in a battle.
He also said the compound where the popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, met bandits in a forest in Niger State to discuss the release of the abducted students and teachers of Government Science College, Kangara, was very close to a military post.
He said, “When you see bandits like that if their number is large, you will decide whether you want to get reinforcement to move in there. Then secondly, sometimes they have hostages with them and the hostages then become human shields for them.
“So, if you go in there, there will be a lot of collateral damage. So, these are the considerations. I am not currently in the theatre of what is happening there. So, I don’t know what the commanders of that area are doing but I can tell you they are not just sitting down.”
According to him, the security officials were asked to drop their weapons at a nearby military outpost before they were allowed to gain entry into the compound where about 700 bandits were camped.
Responding to insinuations in various quarters about why Gumi was able to easily access bandits while security agents were finding it difficult to do so, Amachree said, “It is not a matter of they don’t know. I think they know but you know, you just don’t jump into 700 fully armed people because the tactics have to be planned properly to handle things like that.”
February 23, 2021
Scores feared dead as heavy explosions, Gunshots rock Maiduguri
Heavy explosions and the sound of gunshots that engulfed some parts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital have claimed many lives with others injured.
This has forced many residents in the affected areas to scamper for safety.
The explosion and firing of Rocket Propelled grenades which started at about 5:45 pm up to the time of filing in this report were heard around Kaleri behind the University of Maiduguri, Adam Kolo, Limanti and Kagarmari wards of the metropolis.
Sources also said sounds of gunshots were heard around Fori and Cashew plantation general area near Giwa military barracks.
Sources said, armed insurgents were behind the attack attempting to infiltrate the city, as troops engaged them.
Maiduguri has been long without witnessing any Boko Haram invasion, even as the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru last Sunday while on Operational Visit to the state gave 48 hours ultimatum to troops to recapture Marte Local Government Area which is currently under the control of Boko Haram.
One of the fleeing residents of Kagalmari, Ahmed Abba near Pole wire Biyu of Gwange General Area in the heart of the city said “a heavy explosion which was detonated in one of the public gatherings led to the killing of scores and injured.
Also, sources said, one of the Rocket Propelled Launchers fired by the insurgents into Kaleri has killed an unspecified number of residents with others sustained injuries.
All efforts to get confirmation from the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Edet Okon proved abortive at press time.
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February 23, 2021
Abia Government: Smart Adeyemi Suffering From Protracted Case Of Mental Illness
Our attention has been drawn to comments made by the Senator representing Kogi West in the Senate, @SenSmartAdeyemi on the floor of the Senate yesterday, Monday, 22nd February, 2021. While the Senate was debating a motion on how to protect schools across the country.
Senator Adeyemi in his contribution stated that while his State Governor had awarded contracts for the renovation of schools, Abia is governed by drunkards. He then went ahead to say that the Governor of Abia State is a “champagne drinking Governor”.
Our initial response was to totally ignore the story because it is difficult to believe that a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will reduce both himself and the institution of the Senate to such gutter level, but having confirmed that indeed, the Senator made such comments, a response has become imperative.
Our view is that the Senator is either suffering from a protracted case of mental illness or is battling with occasional fits of schizophrenia which manifests in making careless, dishonorable, unrelated and incoherent statements.
This conclusion becomes irresistible judging from the total disconnect between the matter being discussed by the Senate and the comments made by the Senator as they affect the Governor.
If Senator Adeyemi was of sound mind, he should have known that when it comes to education, Abia is miles ahead of his home State of Kogi. Indeed, not just in education but in every single area of development.
If Senator Adeyemi had his faculties intact, he should have known that under the watch of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia State has maintained first position in WAEC Examinations in the entire country for five years now.
Kogi has not come close to the first 20. Never!
Ever since @GovernorIkpeazu became Governor in Abia State, there hasn’t been one single case of attack on any school anywhere in Abia State.
Senator Smart Adeyemi is clearly non compos mentis.
If not, he would have known that while his State is still awarding contracts for the renovation of schools, Abia had long completed more than 500 classroom projects scattered across schools in Abia State, and still counting.
It is obvious that Senator Adeyemi is battling with acute dementia and has lost every of his instincts as a journalist. If not, he would have known that just last week, the National Bureau of Statistics adjudged Abia State as No. 3 on the list of States that attracted foreign direct investments, with only Lagos and Abuja ahead of Abia State in the entire country.
It takes much more than drinking champagne to guide a state from zero foreign investnents to No. 3 in the country.
Kogi State featured prominently on the list of states that attracted zero investments. It is only a state that is peaceful and secure that has the capacity to attract such cross border investments.
Some weeks ago, the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) branded Kogi State unsafe for their consistent lip service to the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Adeyemi was never heard to have either responded to that statement by the @NCDCgov or raise it on the floor of the Senate.
Yet, he has the effontery, or rather, the buffonrey, to abuse a Governor whose state has maintained one of the lowest COVID-19 fatality rates in the country through proactive measures to protect our people.
Between a Governor who has consistently denied the existence of Covid and the one who has put in place measures to protect his people, one wonders who is the drunkard.
Let us even interrogate the statements of Senator Adeyemi further.
According to him, his comments against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu were in response to some comments allegedly made by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe against the Governor of Kogi State in a social media post.
This response, without more, confirms that Senator Adeyemi is mentally unstable.
If Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe made negative comments against the Governor of Kogi State, the proper approach was to respond to the Senator directly.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be vicariously liable for the comments allegedly made by Senator Abaribe.
Interestingly, Senator Abaribe clearly denied ever making such comments against the Kogi State Governor.
For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu does not take alcoholic drinks and he is shocked at the schizophrenic outburts of Senator Adeyemi whom he has never met nor had any dealings whatsoever with officially nor privately.
Governor Ikpeazu makes it abundantly clear to the Senator that save for the parliamentary privilege which he unfortunately enjoys, Senator Adeyemi would have been put to the strictest proof of his wild and senseless comments before a Court of Law.
Governor Ikpeazu concludes by advising the Senator to quickly seek psychiatric help before his case becomes unmanageable.
February 23, 2021
LG election: Nasarawa Assembly summons NASIEC
Abel Leonard / lafia
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has summoned the state Independent Electoral Commission ( NASIEC) to appear before the House Committee on NASIEC on Wednesday, 24th Feb., 2021. to furnish the House on its level of readiness and preparedness as well as the definite date for the conduct of local government council election in the state.
This, the House said, was to ensure smooth transition from democratically elected council officials to democratically elected council officials in the interest of peace.
Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, the Speaker of the House gave the directive after Hon Daniel Ogazi( APC- Kokona East) , the Deputy Majority Leader of the House brought the issue under the Matters of public importance during the House proceedings in Lafia Monday.
The Speaker said it is necessary and important for the state electoral body to brief the house on the definite date as people of the state are asking questions.
“This is an important issue that have to do with our state, have to do with our people as local government election is key to the lives of our people.
” It is in view of this, that we are directing NASIEC to appear before the House standing committee on NASIEC on Wednesday, 24th February, 2021 by 10 am to brief the House on its preparedness on the conduct of the local government election in the state,” he said.
Earlier, Hon Daniel Ogazi ( APC- Kokona East) while moving a motion to that effect called on his colleagues to support his motion to enable NASIEC to brief the House on the level of its preparedness towards the conduct of the local government council election in the state.
“Local Government administration is the closest government to the people at the grassroots.
” We need to summon NASIEC to brief us on its level of preparedness and definite date for the conduct of the local government election in the state.
” This will enable us to feed our people at the grassroots as their representatives on when local government election in the state will be conducted,because people are asking questions,Ogazi said
Hon Mohammed Ibrahim Muluku ( APC- Nassarawa Eggon East) supported Ogazi’s motion, adding that people at the grassroots would be happy to know the definite date for the conduct of the local government election in the state.
On their parts, Hon Yakubu Azara ( APC- Awe South) , Hon David Maiyaki ( PDP- Karu/ Gitata) and Hon Musa Iyimoga( ZLP- Doma North) all spoke in favour on the need to summon NASIEC to brief the House on the conduct of the local government election in the state.
They have supported their views by making a case to adequate plans made by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) for the conduct of the 2023 general election in the country which is well known to everybody.
In the same vein, the House slated 10th May, 2021 for the passage into law a Bill for a Law to Establish Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Nasarawa State and for other Matters Related Thereto.
The speaker slated the date after Hon Tanko Tunga ( APC- Awe North) , the Majoirty Leader of the House moved a motion for the adoption of the report of the House Standing Committee on Health on the bill which was seconded by Hon Danladi Jatau ( PDP- Kokona West) , the Minority Leader of the House.
During the sitting, the Speaker also lauded Governor Abdullahi Sule for directing the state ministry of environment that carried out fumigation in the house to ensure safety of members, staff and visitors to the house.
February 22, 2021
Shortage Of Beef, Tomatoes, Onions Loom In Southern Nigeria
Acute shortage of beef, vegetables, tomatoes and onions, among other essential edibles from the North may soon hit Southern Nigeria, as foodstuff and cattle breeders have threatened to withdraw their services.

National President of the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN), Muhammad Tahir, who disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, explained that the association had lost property and several members and were, therefore, demanding N475b as compensation from the Federal Government.
He hinted that unless the Federal Government addressed its grievances on or before Wednesday, February 24, 2021, it would have no other choice than to withdraw its services.
The association, an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said several letters written to President Muhammadu Buhari, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and governors of the 36 states had not been acknowledged.
He, however, pointed out that the National Assembly had addressed their grievances by referring the issue to its Ethics and Privileges Committee, adding that the two weeks given to the committee to consider the matter was too long for the breeders.
The association also expressed concern over “incessant attacks” on its members and their property across the country including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
It revealed that despite its several complaints and engagements with the presidency, security agencies, and other relevant ministries that regulate its operations as contained in its three weeks ultimatum issued on November 7, 2020, its members have continued to suffer intimidation, frustration, humiliation, destruction of their property and carnage.
“During the #EndSars protests, our members were killed and their property destroyed. We demanded compensations for lives and property our members lost.
“We have also written to various security agencies on multiple taxation hampering activities of our members through illegal roadblocks at unavoidable and strategic locations on federal highways and demand tax worth N450,000 before reaching our destinations.
“It is sad that some of the federal highways are not accessible to our members, as a result of multiple taxation, armed robbery attacks and kidnapping of our members until ransom are paid,” he lamented.
Tahir noted that the recent violence in Shasha, Ibadan, Oyo State, claimed the lives and property of its members.
It urged the Federal Government to revisit its demands at various times to address the issues, which include, but not limited to compensation for lives and property.
Its other demands are: “To protect the rights of our members on transit and at their business places and dismantling of roadblocks on highways by hoodlums in disregard for laws of the country, especially from Adamawa, Taraba, Benue to Port Harcourt.
“We seek an agreement between state governments and the union to the effect that henceforth, if any violence erupt in any state and our members are attacked, we will immediately withdraw our services.”
February 22, 2021
Nothing Wrong In Negotiating With Bandits – FG
The federal government has maintained that there is nothing wrong in dialoguing with bandits.
Last Wednesday, gunmen suspected to be bandits stormed the Government Science College (GSC) Kagara, Rafi LGA of Niger state, and kidnapped several students, members of staff, and some members of their families.
Abubakar Bello, governor of Niger, had noted that his government is doing everything to rescue the victims, including facilitating negotiations with the bandits.
While speaking during a radio programme monitored by NAN on Sunday, Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, responded to Nigerians who had spoken against the strategy of dialoguing with criminals.
Lai stated that nothing is wrong in dialoguing with bandits, as long as the ultimate objective is to make peace.
“After war, people still sit to dialogue. So if some people have taken it upon themselves to visit these people so that they can embrace peace, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that,” the minister explained.
Speaking further, he noted that the federal government will not pay any ransom to secure the release of abductees of GSC Kagara.
He also denied that ransom was paid to secure the release of over 300 children abducted in Kankara, Katsina state.
On the herders-farmers crisis in parts of the country, Lai said the government is taking steps to address it.
He said the steps include plans for intensive cattle-rearing to ensure that cattle rearing and crop farming don’t conflict.
February 22, 2021