Category: Northern Reports

A group under the auspices of Tinubu Legacy Forum (TLF) has urged Nigerians to support the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in the forthcoming 2023 election.

TLF described Tinubu as a man of integrity, who will always see to the social, political and economic development of the country irrespective of tribe and religion.

Briefing reporters in Abuja, the Coordinator, TLF, FCT Chapter, Barrister Abdullahi Muhammad, said Tinubu stands out as one politician “with the best résumé to consolidate on the next level milestones of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration”.

Muhammad said the Tinubu Legacy Forum in the next few weeks will embark on sensitisation of communities in the FCT, to further acquaint the residents of the FCT about the person of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and why they must support his aspiration for the development of the country.

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His words: “Tinubu Legacy Forum (TLF), a  voluntary organisation aimed at ensuring the actualisation of the presidential aspiration of the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“As you are all aware, the APC National Leader has started wide consultation across the country over his ambition, even though he has not made it public. But as a group, like many well-meaning Nigerians who are yearning for continuous development of this great country, and who also believe in the continuity of laudable projects and programmes of the present administration under APC, we believe in the leadership of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, as the next president of this country.

“We don’t have any other country other than Nigeria, and the security, wellbeing and development of its citizens is paramount to all of us. And we urged all Nigerians irrespective of tribe or religion to support Tinubu to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 for the social, political and economic development of the country.”

Local Government councils have been admonished to diversify their sources of revenue generation to supplement the dwindling revenue allocation from the federation account.

This piece of advice was handed down by the Commissioner, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and physical Commission, Mr. Alexander Shayen, during a sensitisation visit to the executive chairman of Mangu Local Government council recently.

Shayen, while disclosing the functions of the commission, stressed that stringent measures must be taken to supplement what the local government gets from the federation account as things are no longer as they used to be.

He said the outbreak of Coronavirus and the security challenge in the country has grossly affected the economy and the council must look outside the box.

Read Also: Why Lagos, Kano need 1% extra allocation in proposed revenue formula, by Sanwo-Olu, Ganduje

A director in the ministry, Mr. Ande Yorom, explaining the parameters being used by the commission in allocating funds to the three tiers of government, mentioned population, primary schools enrolment, primary health care facilities amongst others.

The director took time to point out some of the revenue derivation in the LGA to include taxation on mineral resources and landed properties.

The executive chairman of the council, Hon. Minister Daput while welcoming the visitors to Mangu Local Government Area, thanked them for the sensitisation, saying the local government is seriously looking for ways to supplement the shortfall in revenue generation being faced by the local government which is also affecting the development plans of his administration.

He called on the people of Mangu Local Government Area to cooperate with his administration, as he will soon embark on some of the suggestions given by the commission to straighten the revenue base of the council.

The battle for political power to shift to Benue South Senatorial zone has finally received the blessing of Governor Samuel Ortom.

This followed the presentation of the current deputy governor of the state, Engr. Benson Abounu, 66, to the governor by leaders and elders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Benue South Senatorial District (also called Zone C) as its consensus candidate to fly the party’s flag in the 2023 governorship primaries.

Since the creation of Benue from Plateau State, the governorship position has only rotated between Zone A and B, leaving zone C, which is dominated by Idoma ethnic group with deputy governorship position year in, year out.

The elders, led by the party’s zonal chairman, Chief Godwin Owulo, told Governor Ortom that having seen the good relationship between him and his deputy, the trust that exists, and the efficient way Engr. Abounu has discharged his duties and assignments, they were convinced that he would be a perfect replacement when the tenure of the governor comes to an end.

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They told Governor Ortom that there are two governorship aspirants from the zone but they settled for Engr. Abounu because of his wide experience and competence and promised to talk to the second person.

Chief Owulo said the deputy governor is as bold and committed as the governor and that he can carry his message to any quarter and water any tree the governor might plant in the course of his stewardship.

In his response, Governor Ortom said he would be pleased if his deputy is the one that takes over from him, having worked with him and found him competent, forthright and dependable.

Gov. Ortom told the delegation which was made up of the party chairmen from the nine local government areas of the zone, council chairmen, House of Assembly members, top government functionaries and elders that the party will try to resolve the governorship tussle through consensus.

He maintained, however, that when consensus fails, the party will conduct free, transparent and acceptable primaries.

Governor Ortom called on the zonal party chairman and other leaders of the zone to reach out more to people of Zones A and B to woo them into conceding the governorship position to the people of Benue South.

He said he will not impose any candidate on the people but insisted that he will not like the opposition to succeed him in the Government House in 2023.

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has reiterated his call on the Federal Government to include Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN and Fulani Nationality Movement, FUNAM on the list of terrorists groups in Nigeria.

Recall that the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation had approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to designate bandits as terrorist organisations which the Court obliged.

But Governor Ortom while speaking Friday, in Makurdi at the wedding between Barristers Agatha Msurshima Tyokyaa and Uhamber Bamber, said the bandits being mentioned are mostly from Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, MACBAN and FUNAM and so they should be designated as terrorists groups as well.

While commending the Federal Government for considering the option of designating bandits as terrorists, he suggested that “this should also include Miyetti Allah and FUNAM groups on the list.”

“I want to commend the Federal Government for being bold to designate bandits as terrorists. But I call on the Federal Government to include Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN and Fulani Nationality Movement, FUNAM in the category of terrorists because those bandits are their members,” the Governor stated.

A private construction firm, ONYX First Risers has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kogi State government to construct 1,000 housing units in Lokoja metropolis.

Chairman ONYX First Risers, Chief Essey Okagbare, signed on behalf of the company while Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs Folashade Arike-Ayoade, signed the MoU on behalf of the State Government in Lokoja, the state capital.

Speaking to reporters in Lokoja, Chief Okagbare told reporters that the firm entered into the agreement to develop 1,000 affordable housing units.

He said the idea was mooted in September this year and developed in the last three months, culminating in the berthing and signing of the MoU.

Owing to the Yuletide period and the logistics of moving equipment, Okagbare said the company hopes to move to site fully in January, 2022.

He said the one thousand housing units is just the first phase of the company’s partnership with the state government, adding that they will be focusing on quality and bringing in environmental friendly projects.

The SSG who said the state Ministry of Justice had scrutinised the documents,  stated that the desire of the state was to construct affordable houses for the citizens to address the accommodation deficit, especially in the Lokoja metropolis.

Special Adviser, Economic, Finance and Investment to Gov. Yahaya Bello, Mr Abdulkareem Siaka, said every state is in a perpetual phase of development providing accommodation and shelter.

“We have about 4.7 million (4,685,485) individuals that constitute Kogi State. We have house needs, we have housing deficits.

“That is why the government of His Excellency is interested in opening up housing estate within the state. It is not restricted to Kogi State capital but everywhere in the state.

Concerned APC Youth Members in Sokoto State has dissociated itself from any other candidate for the position of the Sokoto State All Progressive Congress (APC) Chairman, stating that Alhaji Mainasara Abubakar Sani is the perfect person for the position as elected by the party.

The group disclosed this to newsmen in a press statement signed by its President, Malam Isah Jabbi, on Friday in Abuja.

The statement reads: “The congress that produced Alhaji Mainasara Abubakar Sani as Sokoto State APC Chairman was supervised by the party officials sent by the National Headquarters and had in attendance, Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, members of the National Assembly, officials of INEC and 1,342 delegates across the 23 local government areas of the state.

“It’s therefore very imperative for us to make it clear that, the congress that produced Mainasara is the only genuine state congress in Sokoto State, while the other congress that was supervised by single individual claiming to be  APC God-father` is nothing but Kangaroo nomination.

“We reject in totality the congress conducted by the other faction because of its exclusiveness and flagrant violation of all known civilised norms, rules and party guidelines. Therefore it is null and void as it neither satisfies the requirements of the law nor support of the national secretariat of the party.

“As staunch and loyal members of APC, we have unanimously agreed to maintain our support to the leadership of Alhaji Mainasara Abubakar Sani as the authentic State Party Chairman, and we hereby restate our true allegiance to his leadership and dissociate ourselves from the kangaroo appointment made by single individual. This single individual is not authorised and has zero power to make any appointment in the name of the party.”

According to him, the founding fathers have put the issue of consensus in the constitution to give room for people to talk among themselves and agree.

He lauded members of the party for conducting a peaceful congress.

Security experts have cautioned the Federal Government and Judiciary against labels certain groups as criminals in its bid to address the country’s security challenges.

The experts argued that the attachment of labels to some criminal groups in the country in the fight against insecurity has not reduced the level of insecurity.

They said this during a roundtable organised by the Centre for Peace and Development of Veritas University, Bwari Area Council, Abuja.

The roundtable with the theme: “Interrogating criminal label and the scourge of insecurity in contemporary Nigeria,” was supported by Rosa Luxemburg Foundation West Africa.

A Federal High Court in Abuja recently labelled bandits as terrorists, following the proscription of the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra in the country.

But in his paper, a lecturer in the Department of Defence and Security Studies, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Dr Adejoh Sunday, noted that the declaration of IPOB and Fulani Herdsmen as terrorist organisations has not reduced the rate of insecurity in the country.

He explained that “It is important to note that the increasing rate of crime and criminality in Nigeria has not only worsened the pace of insecurity but also brought about the localisation and labelling of crimes to particular ethnic, people, groups, tribes or state.

“Regardless of the increase in labelling, there seems not to be any tangible improvement in the security of the Nigerian state.

“The declaration of Boko Haram and IPOB as terrorist organisations has not in any way addressed the insecurity in Nigeria. The activities of Fulani herdsmen and bandits are worst trends in Nigeria’s security history.”

On his part, another lecturer from the Department of Political Science, University of Calabar, Dr Obi Neji, said a situation where the authority is quick in ascribing labels to certain groups, while acting with sustained restraint in ascribing same levels for same tendencies by others has only fuelled suspicion and sustained insecurity.

He therefore urged the labelling authority to “demonstrate some level of unbiase in the process of labelling,” adding that good governance and justice remain the policy option in addressing issues related to criminal labelling.

The backlash on the self-acclaimed factional leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Mustapha Audu got heated up on Friday, as a coalition of youth organisations within the governing party came down heavily on him, calling for his arrest and prosecution.

Some party members under the auspices of the Progressive Youth Movement (PYM) on Monday announced the sack of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/ Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), declared the leader of the Movement, Audu in Buni’s place and announced 26th of February 2022 as date for the next National Convention of the party.

At two different press conferences in Abuja on Friday, youth of the party condemned the criminal and divisive tendencies of Audu and his cohorts in the Progressive Youth Movement, a group they claimed to be unrecognised by the party.

Rising from an emergency meeting of the Zonal and State youth leaders of the party at the National Secretariat, the youth leaders asked the security agencies to invite the acclaimed leader of the group, Prince Mustapha Audu for questioning. The APC youth leaders disassociated themselves through a communiqué read to newsmen by the North Central Youth Leader, Terver Aginde, after their closed-door meeting.

The communiqué said: “That the Youth leadership of the party will sign a petition to the DSS, the IGP and the AGF to bring to book these imposters who are trying to cause a breach of the public peace, as APC youth will not tolerate any further attack by some mischief makers on Mr President and the leadership of the party.

“That all security agencies should take note of any other attempt by the said Group to attack the APC or any of her.

“That we consider any attack on the CECPC as an attack on the president and the Supreme Court of Nigeria….

“That the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the APC set up by NEC under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State as Chairman is proper and lawful in all ramifications…

“That the so-called Progressives Youth Movement led by Mustapha Audu does not have any constitutional right to preside, speak for or represent any opinion(s) of the wing of the party.”

In the same vein, Dr Aminu Ishaku, the leader of the Coalition of Progressive Youth Groups – Nigeria and the Diaspora (COPY-ND) while addressing newsmen at Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja after a stakeholders meeting of groups in the coalition condemned the action of PYM

The coalition called for the investigation of the sponsors and promoters of PYM to bring them to book and apply appropriate sanctions on all the culprits.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker representing Makurdi North State Constituency at the Benue State House of Assembly Kwagh-Kudi Thomas has disbursed N10 million to indigent students as part of his Education Support Scheme.

The disbursement of the funds was held at his constituency office, North Bank, in Makurdi Benue State capital yesterday.

Beneficiaries were drawn from higher institutions across the states.

Over 250 beneficiaries of the Education Support Scheme collected their cash; while another 250 beneficiaries will have theirs disbursed on a later date.

Read Also: Lagos lawmaker lifts indigent pupils

In a chat with The Nation, Kwagh-Kudi said the exercise was part of his efforts towards supporting education, especially of the less privileged in society.

He called on the government at all levels to invest in education so as to guarantee the future of the youth.

Two beneficiaries from Benue State University (BSU), Terkimbi Kingsley, and Msuega Terwase, who spoke to The Nation commended Kwagh-Kudi, for supporting their education pursuit. He promised to put the funds into good use.