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  • Poverty, lack of economic opportunities major causes of insecurity in Northern Nigeria – APC chieftain

    Poverty, lack of economic opportunities major causes of insecurity in Northern Nigeria – APC chieftain

    A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Ambassador Abayomi Nurain Mumuni, has declared that poverty and lack of economic opportunities are the major causes of insecurity in northern Nigeria.

    Mumuni, who was the gubernatorial candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) in Lagos state in 2011, made this declaration via a statement made available to journalists on Saturday, May 4.

    The APC chieftain in the statement signed by his media aide, Rasheed Abubakar, said that poverty and lack of economic opportunities are the major causes of insecurity in the region. 

    Mumuni, who was part of the intelligence and security team, an arm of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) during the 2023 general elections, however, said that a multi-faceted approach is required to tackle the problem.

    To address the problem of insecurity in the region, the renowned author of “Global Terrorism and Effects on Humanity” said government must invest in economic development projects, create jobs and ensure infrastructural improvements. 

    Other things to be done to tackle the menace in the region according to the APC chieftain are introduction of social reforms, strengthening of security forces, community engagement and empowerment of women and youths in the region. 

    “Addressing the issue of insecurity in northern Nigeria requires a multi-faceted approach that tackles the root causes of the problem. Here are some potential solutions. 

    “Economic Development: In many instances, poverty and lack of economic opportunities have contributed to insecurity in the region. By investing in economic development projects, job creation initiatives, and improvements in infrastructures, the government can help alleviate poverty and reduce the likelihood of individuals turning to violence as a means of survival.

    “Social reforms addressing social inequalities, promoting social cohesion, and fighting discrimination are crucial steps in reducing insecurity. This could involve programs to empower marginalized communities, promote interfaith dialogue, and address issues of land disputes and resource-sharing.

    “Strengthening Security Forces: It is important to enhance the capacity and professionalism of security forces in northern Nigeria. This includes providing training, equipment, and support to law enforcement agencies, as well as ensuring accountability and respect for human rights in their operations.

    “Community Engagement: Building trust between communities and security forces is essential in combating insecurity. Community policing initiatives, dialogue forums, and conflict resolution mechanisms can help foster cooperation and understanding between different groups.

    “Countering Extremism: Radicalization and extremist ideologies have fueled insecurity in northern Nigeria. Countering violent extremism programs that address the root causes of radicalization, provide alternative narratives, and promote tolerance and respect for diversity can help prevent individuals from joining extremist groups.

    “Addressing Governance Issues: Corruption, weak governance, and lack of accountability have undermined security efforts in the region. Strengthening institutions, promoting transparency, and improving access to justice can help build trust in the government and address grievances that fuel insecurity.

    “International Cooperation: Insecurity in northern Nigeria is not a localized issue and requires regional and international cooperation. Collaborating with neighboring countries, international organizations, and development partners can help address cross-border security threats, share best practices, and mobilize resources to support security and development efforts.

    “Empowering Women and Youth: Women and youth often bear the brunt of insecurity in the region and are key actors in promoting peace and stability. Empowering women through education, economic opportunities, and leadership roles, as well as engaging youth in positive activities and youth-focused programs, can help build resilient communities and prevent violence.

    Read Also: State police an invitation to nationwide anarchy, says APC chieftain

    “Rehabilitation and Reintegration: Addressing the needs of former combatants, victims of violence, and those affected by insecurity is crucial for long-term peace-building efforts. Providing psychosocial support, vocational training, and pathways for rehabilitation and reintegration can help break the cycle of violence and build sustainable peace.

    “Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation: Effective implementation of these solutions requires monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess progress, identify challenges, and adjust strategies as needed. Data collection, feedback mechanisms, and regular assessments are essential for measuring impact and ensuring accountability in security and development interventions.

    “In conclusion, addressing insecurity in northern Nigeria requires a comprehensive approach that combines security, economic, social, and governance strategies. By tackling the root causes of insecurity, promoting sustainable development, and fostering inclusive and peaceful societies, we can work towards a future where all individuals in northern Nigeria can live in safety and prosperity.”

  • APC chieftain organises football competition in Akinyele LG

    APC chieftain organises football competition in Akinyele LG

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state, Hon. Rasaq Ajibola Sijuola has organised annual football competition for youths in Akinyele local government area. 

    The football competition was organized for senior category.

    It was gathered that no fewer than nineteen (19) football clubs registered for the competition which was held at Community Primary School, Sasa in Ibadan. 

    The competition was supported by Feboct Group LLC, Accost Prowess Services Ent, QR Code flip Company, Grittek Company and Savic Travels and Logistics. 

    The opening match commenced on Tuesday, February 11, between Sijublue FC and Ata FC which ended 1 goals to 2 goals in favour of Ata FC. 

    The second match which was held between Sasa FC and Bintin FC also ended 2 goals to 1 goal in favour of Sasa FC. 

    The committee in charge of the competition are; Coach Tigana Sasa, Mr. Adesokan Kazeem, Mr. Sijuola Hammed and Coach Adeyemi Abiodun Majek. 

    Read Also: APC chieftain Adeniyi empowers Ila market women

    Some of the guests during the kick-off match included APC secretary in the local government area, Hon. Bolaji Olawuwo, Ward 10 chairman of APC, Rasaq Ajimoti and president of Akinyele Youth Forum, Paul Olagoke. 

    Sijuola while speaking, noted that he organised the competition so as to discover more talents in the local government area. 

    The APC chieftain added that the competition will go a long way to impact positively in the lives of the youths in the local government area.

  • No vacancy in Alagbaka House, says APC chieftain

    Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Mr. Banji Alabi, said yesterday that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu will have the mandate of the people to serve the state for the mandatory eight years.

    Alabi, who is the Chairman, Governing Council of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic (RUGIPO) Owo, noted that Akeredolu came with twin promises of prompt payment of workers salary and infrastructural development, which, according to him, had been fulfilled.

    Speaking at the reunion of St Catherine Old Girls Association, Owo, Alabi decried the abject poverty being experienced  daily around African continent and particularly Nigeria.

    Besides, the APC stalwart urged the state Assembly to promulgate a law that will make kidnapping a capital offence to dislodge the perpetrators.

    He said Akeredolu’s administration had renovated over 500 schools, reducing the mortality rate of women at child birth as well as prevention and treatment of hypertension, diabetes measles and malaria and tuberculosis.

    Read Also: Ondo 2020: Hausa community flags off ‘Aketi’ second term bid

    Meanwhile, scores of Hausa community leaders from the three senatorial districts of the state yesterday converged on Akure, the state capital, to kick off the sensitisation exercise for Akeredolu’s second term.

    Numbering 500,the meeting was presided over by the Special Assistant(SA) to the Governor on Hausa/Fulani Matters, Bala Umaru.

    Bala said the sensitisation began in earnest as a sign of appreciation for what Akeredolu had achieved in the state for the people, particularly the Hausa tribe.

    According to him, the grand finale for the exercise is fixed for September, where five governors from the North would be in attendance.

    Besides, he said many National Assembly members would witness the occasion with three notable Emirs from their home base in the North.

  • Abe threatening my life, says APC chieftain

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has accused Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers Southeast) and his allies of plotting to eliminate him and his family.

    He called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, to protect his family from the threats to their lives.

    Eze, in an online statement yesterday, alleged that some of Abe’s allies called him and threatened that his family would be wiped out for his utterances against the senator.

    The statement reads: “Abe is Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) mole in APC. He is a selfish and ambitious man who will do anything for power. Abe is angry that I exposed how he teamed up with elements within and outside Rivers State to ensure that APC did not field candidates in the general elections.

    “I also exposed how Abe ceaselessly castigated and impugned Rotimi Amaechi’s person. To expose Abe’s intentions, his associate, one Augustine, called me on Saturday morning with mobile number 08183636808, saying they had set up a militia committee to monitor and kill me and all members of my family, for what I wrote about their principal (Abe), to confirm why they were called vultures.”

    Eze added that he did not know what he did to warrant the threats, besides exposing Abe’s plots against Amaechi. He alleged that the senator was using APC platform to lobby for ministerial appointment.

    The party chieftain said he has reported the threats to the police, but insisted that should anything unfortunate happen to him or any member of his relatives, Abe should be arrested.

    Abe’s spokesman, Parry Benson, refused to comment. But Abe’s ally, Kennedy Friday, said: “Chief Eze is a purveyor of lies and a crisis entrepreneur who lives by churning out falsehood and assassinating the character of people who disagree with the Minister for Transportation.

    “Having seen the groundswell of condemnation trailing his despicable writings and lies against eminent sons of Rivers State, he is now churning yet another lie from his imagination, possibly to scam the minister who employed him for this role.

    “There is nobody in this country who does not know that Chief Eze is a purveyor of lies and hate.”

  • Soldiers recall night of horror in Rivers

    They recall the night with fear. A routine job of guarding an election results collation centre suddenly turned bloody for two soldiers.

    Doctors are battling to save the lives of Capt. Adams Salami and Corp. Adeosun Adebayo of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, who were on guard duty on March 9 at the collation centre in Obio/Akpor Local Government Council Secretariat, Rumuodomaya, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A crowd of thugs descended on the place, shooting. The soldiers were hit.

    Capt. Salami and Corp. Adebayo are on the danger list in hospitals.

    With the invaders was Governor Nyesom Wike (the soldiers alleged), who has dismissed it all as a joke peddled by “clowns”.

    The soldiers spoke to reporters from their beds in Military Hospital on Aba Road, Port Harcourt and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).

    The 6 Division’s Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, in a telephone interview yesterday evening, described the “unprovoked shooting” of the soldiers as “very sad and quite barbaric”.

    The three agents of African Action Congress (AAC) during the March 9 collation at Obio/Akpor Local Government secretariat, Dr. Lawrence Chuku, Chikordi Dike and Chief Alex Wele, also claimed that Wike led over 200 thugs to abduct and beat them up.

    They were later dropped off his (Wike’s) vehicle, but went with the LG’s Electoral Officer (EO), a woman, the result sheets and other electoral materials.

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edwin Oludi, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify Wike for invading the collation centre with thugs, abducting the EO and others and hijacking result sheets and other electoral materials, contrary to the Electoral Act.

    Another APC chieftain, Ike Chinwo, insisted that no collation of results had been done at the secretariat, prior to the invasion, stressing that the hall was under lock and key. The EO sat in the office of the LG Chairman, Solomon Eke, before she was taken away, he said.

    Captain Salami said: “At about 23.00 hours (on March 9, after the governorship and House of Assembly elections, we got information that hoodlums were trying to invade the Obio/Akpor LG collation centre. So, we were asked to provide security in that area, which we did, in liaison with policemen posted there. We agreed that there would be limited access into the premises.

    “Five minutes later, to my surprise, the Rivers governor’s convoy came in (into Obio/Akpor LG council secretariat) with about 30 to 40 cars with hoodlums and thugs. Some were in police uniform, shooting sporadically within the premises. As usual, we decided to step back. I was pleading with them, as a soldier, to resolve the matter amicably.”

    Corp. Adebayo said: “I was deployed in Obio/Akpor LG collation centre and the crowd was too much. So, we had to reduce the crowd. It was then that the policemen in the governor’s convoy started mobbing us and hitting us with their weapons. I could not figure out the reason, because nobody asked anybody any question. The policemen were hitting us with the nozzles of their riffles.”

    The three collation agents of AAC, who are chieftains of APC, but decided to work for AAC, since APC had no candidates for the governorship and House of Assembly elections, also narrated their near-death experiences to reporters in Port Harcourt.

    Dike, the leader of APC in Obio/Akpor, who is also a former Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, said: “I am the collation agent for AAC in Obio/Akpor LGA. As an agent of the party, after the elections on that day (March 9), we proceeded to the collation centre, which is Obio/Akpor LG council secretariat. While we were in the council secretariat, wards’ INEC officers were bringing their results. Different wards’ INEC officers were coming to the LG council, though it was late; between 11 p.m. and 12 midnight.

    “We had the presence of Nigeria Police inside the LG council secretariat while the military personnel were outside the council secretariat, at the gate, providing protection for the collation centre. Surprisingly, the Governor of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesom Wike, came with over 200 fully-armed persons. Some were wearing army uniform, some were wearing police uniform and some were in mufti. Their vehicles were over 100. They stormed the LG council secretariat.

    “Before he (Wike) came, the Electoral Officer for Obio/Akpor LG was inside the council, at the LG council Chairman’s office. The governor came and invaded the place. His men were shooting and everybody was scampering for their lives. In the process, I was abducted by Rivers governor, alongside with Chief Alex Wele and Dr. Lawrence Chuku. Also abducted was the Electoral Officer for Obio/Akpor LG. He (Wike) then carted away all the electoral materials.”

    Narrating his own ordeal, Chuku, a former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LG council, who was Wike’s deputy when he (Wike) was chairman of Obio/Akpor LG council, described the experience as “highly traumatising and very horrible”.

    Chuku said: “As party agents, we arrived at the collation centre, which is Obio/Akpor LG council headquarters before collation started. When we got there, we noticed that the collation centre was locked. Some wards’ INEC officers that had come in were only hanging around, probably waiting for collation to begin.

    “The Electoral Officer and the Collation Officer were at Obio/Akpor LG Chairman’s Office and we were waiting for the collation to begin, when Rivers governor and his men invaded the collation centre. We heard gunshots from the main gate and, suddenly, the governor’s convoy came in.

    “Later, after our abduction and carting away of electoral materials to an unknown destination, we were dropped off at Rumuola, Port Harcourt at about 1 a.m. by Rivers governor himself. We now heard that the military men that were posted to safeguard lives and property within the perimeter of Obio/Akpor LG council secretariat were manhandled.

    “So, there was no collation in Obio/Akpor LGA on March 9. There was no single collation of any result from any ward, because we are the authentic agents of the party. We are calling on INEC to discountenance whatever result anybody will bring in.”

    Wele said on March 9 at Obio/Akpor Local Government Council Secretariat, while he and other collation agents of AAC were waiting at the venue, for the collation to commence, they were exchanging pleasantries across party lines, but later heard that Rivers governor was coming with his entourage.

    Wele said: “It was like a war situation. I was thoroughly beaten and my AAC’s agent’s tag was torn.”

    Rivers State commissioner for Information and Communications Emma Okah, who doubles as the Director of Information and Communications of the PDP Campaign Council, described the  leaders of AAC and APC as clowns.

    Okah said: “No such thing (invasion on Obio/Akpor LG council secretariat by Wike and thugs) happened. The APC and their ally, the AAC, failed in the elections. They are doing everything possible to divert attention from their shameful failure. Why would anybody abduct them? Of what use is their abduction? To gain what?

    “They should bury their heads in shame that they were moving with soldiers to thwart the wishes of their people. How can people who were moving with heavily-armed soldiers and supervising rigging of elections, also be abducted?”

  • APC chieftain to INEC: explain your role in Bauchi

    APC chieftain Yekini Nabena said the electoral body has a lot of questions to answer on the conduct of the governorship election in Bauchi State and its decision to jettison the rerun it earlier ordered for Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.

    Nabena told the opposition PDP to forget the dream of taking over the governorship seat in Bauchi, saying no magic can give the PDP the state having lost all other elections in the state.

    He faulted INEC’s declaration of People Redemption Party (PRP) House of Representatives candidate in Bauchi’s Katagum Federal Constituency as winner of the election, saying such “should have been declared inconclusive because the number of cancelled votes, (5, 211) was more than the margin of lead which was 4, 704.”

    Nabena, who doubles as APC’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, said: “If not that there was a grand plot to rig out Governor Mohammed Abubakar, how come the APC won 21 State House of Assembly seats compared to PDP’s  five seats in the state in the election conducted on the same day?

    Speaking with reporters in Abuja, Nabena said the reported non-usage of Card Readers in Bauchi Local Government Area “is a major issue that should not be disregarded by the electoral empire. The opposition PDP knew that that if rerun election is held it will loose the election to APC.

    “Maybe the opposition felt that if that position had not been taken by INEC, they would have won. But that is not the issue. The issue of election is not about winning or losing. It is about having a free and fair election. So, it is the free and fair conduct of the election that matters to all of us and to the whole world. I say so because if the election is not free and fair, there will be no issue of inconclusive; it must be concluded. So, we are challenging the INEC not give PDP undue advantage in Bauchi governorship election.”

    He insisted on the need to conduct a makeup poll in the Tafawa/Balewa council area.

    Nabena said the Returning Officer for the area, Mrs Dominion Anosike, had early told the world how she was intimidated and harassed while collating the results.

    He said: “She was even threatened. They threatened to rape her. She was a woman and she said it herself. The answer is there. There was tension everywhere in the place and she was forced to sign the document under that atmosphere.

    “I believe the APC will win because APC has won 80 per cent of the other elections except this election and this one has been declared inconclusive. Mark you, the results of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area has not been announced. But I tell you, you will be surprised if the result had been announced. We certainly would have won, that is why they are trying to deny us of the victory. If the hoodlums had not disrupted the process at the centre we would have won Tafawa Balewa. So, I believe we will win Tafawa Balewa again.”

    On the already declared Katagum Federal House of Reps result in favour of the PRP, Nabena described it as an error on the part of the INEC.

    “It is a clear case of inconclusive election because the margin between the PRP candidate and the APC candidate is less than the cancelled votes. So, we are demanding justice if INEC is not deliberately against the APC.”

  • APC chieftain asks FG to take action over killing of soldiers in Rivers

    Former national chairmanship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief  Ibrahim Emokpaire has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.

    Speaking to The Nation, Emokpaire condemned the killing of soldiers in Rivers State, saying the greatest democratic country in the world would not tolerate such.

    According to him, it was not the first time soldiers and security agents were being killed in Rivers. “There is no justifiable reason for two of our Nigerian soldiers to be killed. There is no country in the whole world, where military will be mowed down and the commander in chief will take it lightly with perpetrators of such heinous crime.

    Emokpaire said irrespective of the immunity of  Rivers State governor, Nysome Wike, what the Federal Government should do is to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State in order to deter others who think they can kill soldiers and get away with it or without consequences.

    “The men in uniform that are protecting the country cannot just be mowed down just like that without consequences. These are the people that have committed their lives to protect all Nigerians in general and nobody, however high, either with immunity or no immunity from any sector of the country has right to start killing the soldiers without consequences.”

    The former APC chairmanship aspirant urged Buhari to make sure that those who killed the soldiers were apprehended immediately.

    He wondered why many have kept quiet about killing of our soldiers, taking it as business as usual, saying it must have consequences. “We cannot take anything for granted; we cannot turn everything upside down in the name of democracy,” he said.

    He declared that even in the America which is one of the largest democracies in the world, would not tolerate one soldier being killed by anybody. “Even when a soldier was attacked and killed by a terrorist on the street of London, the perpetrator was apprehended immediately. Everybody connected with the crime was apprehended and was locked up for interrogation; the house of the terrorist was shut down completely,” Emokpaire said.

  • APC chieftain kidnapped in Owo

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jide Owoka, was kidnapped last Sunday on his way to his country home, Ute in Ose Local government area of Ondo State.

    Owoka was a member of National Association of Vetenary Research Institute. In a distress call to The Nation yesterday, the wife of the kidnapped politician, Omolola, narrated her ordeal to our reporter. She said: “I received a strange call Sunday evening where the news of my husband’s abduction was first broken to me and since then nothing has been heard until the following day when the kidnappers demanded N5m ransom” According to her as at Monday, all she could raise was a million naira which the kidnappers rejected. “They refused to collect the N1m insisting on the full payment of the full ransom money. ‘And to make the matter worse, they said they gave us up till 4 O’clock yesterday to pay the money, this is after my husband called me earlier in the day begging that I should do all I could to raise the money as his life is in danger” Omolola, who was speaking from this family Lagos residence, however could not say if her husband’s ordeal was politically motivated as he disclosed that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had been fully briefed about the incident.

    She on whether a formal report has been made to the police, she said the police in Ondo State are already investigating the matter but made a passionate appeal to the state government to come to her aid as the family including Owoka’s aged mother are going through untold emotional trauma

     

  • APC chieftain berates Amosun, others for anti-party activities

    The Director General of Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Council in Ekiti State, Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu, has berated the anti-party activities by some All Progressive Congress (APC) stalwarts.

    Osinkolu described as “unfortunate and worrisome” the anti-party posture allegedly displayed by some APC governors in the Southwest ahead of Saturday’s general elections.

    He said the cracks in the party in Ogun State due to Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s opposition to APC governorship candidate, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, could have adverse effects on the party and reduce votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential election.

    The campaign chief, who addressed reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, said cases of anti-party activities were also levelled against some other governors in the Southwest.

    He described the development as pivotal to the victory of President Buhari in the February 16 poll.

    Amosun is alleged to be backing the candidate of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Abdulkadir Akinlade, for the March 2 governorship election.

    This was said to have triggered the recent imbroglio which characterised the party’s presidential campaign on Monday, where President Buhari and other party leaders were nearly hit with missiles thrown by the governor’s suspected hirelings.

    “We are worried that our members go as far as trying to pelt a President. I am seeing a lot of anti-party playing out here in the Southwest and it is not going to be in our best interest.

    “But the bulk stops on the table of Governor Amosun because he ought to manage that situation better, being the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the state. He didn’t handle the issue very well.

    “Whether you are a President or governor or holding any other position, the party is supreme. This is because the crisis was a fallout of the primary. Governor Amosun must repent and change his ways because the Southwest is important to APC in the coming elections,” Osinkolu said.

    The campaign chief hailed APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole for displaying ingenuity in crisis management for the party to be largely united.

    He added that the party could have been more polarised but for Oshiomhole’s strong leadership acumen.

    Read also: Buhari to Commonwealth Sec-Gen: we’ll conduct credible polls

    Osinkolu expressed confidence that the party would win in Ekiti State due to Governor Kayode Fayemi’s superlative performances in the last four months.

    He said: “Within the last four months, Fayemi has boosted APC’s electoral fortunes through regular payment of salaries and pensions. He abrogated the development levy in public and private schools and introduced true and genuine free education. He approved N200 million car and vehicle loans for teachers.

    “Just on Tuesday, the governor met with teachers and canvassed for votes for President Buhari. So, our projection to get the nine

    National Assembly and 26 House of Assembly seats can be realised. The governor now relates well with the people and it will help us in getting more votes for Mr. President.”

  • Rigging is now a thing of the past – APC chieftain