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First Lady Tinubu donates books to Lagos public schools

Wife of the President Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu has donated 100,000 exercise books to pupils of public primary and junior secondary schools in Lagos State as part of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Education Support Programme.

The books were presented yesterday by wife of the governor, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, on behalf of the First Lady.

She said: “This gesture is well appreciated and will further support our students in their academic pursuit, enhancing learning outcomes. These books will be distributed to public primary and junior secondary school students through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), ensuring they reach those who need them most.

“Therefore, I encourage our younger generation that you can become whatever you desire to be in life. Whatever you can conceive, you can achieve provided you are truly determined to pay the price. I implore you to have the right attitude, in all you do, strive to reflect nothing but excellence in academics and your day-to-day affair.

“The Renewed Hope Initiative is driven by the Office of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to complement efforts of the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Its scope spans across education, health, economic empowerment, social investment, and agriculture.”

Read Also: Edun: FG realised N13tr non-oil revenue in 2023

Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Jamiu Alli-Balogun said the gesture will enable beneficiaries get learning properly.

“This initiative portrays the passion and love Her Excellency is noted for since her days as the First Lady of Lagos State. The Renewed Hope Education Program is set to positively affect the learning process with this gesture to pupils in our public schools. It will go a long way to support the pupils in receiving adequate learning with the required tools. It will also be a classroom support for teachers who will ensure the learning process is complete and impactful,” he added.

Representative of the RHI in Lagos, Wahab Alawiye-King, said the RHI is determined to support education as a tool to develop the country.

March 7, 2024
Tinubu introduces new policies for improved investment in oil and gas

President Bola Tinubu has introduced new policy directives aimed at improving the investment climate and to position Nigeria as the preferred investment destination for the oil & gas sector in Africa.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Tinubu took the step in keeping with his dedicated efforts to remove obstacles to investments, harness the nation’s resources and diversify the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“Following extensive engagements, analyses, and benchmarking with other jurisdictions, the President has initiated the amendment of primary legislation to introduce fiscal incentives for oil and gas projects, reduce contracting costs and timelines, and promote cost efficiency in local content requirements.

“Recognizing the urgency to accelerate investments, the President has directed as follows: ⁠Introduction of fiscal incentives for non-associated gas, midstream and deepwater developments.

“⁠Streamlining of contracting process to compress the contracting cycle to six months.

“The application of the local content requirements without hindering investments or the cost competitiveness.

“The details of these Policy Directives will be gazetted and communicated by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

Read Also: Insecurity has abated under Tinubu, attacks now isolated, says Akpabio

“These incentives were developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Petroleum, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board.

“The Special Adviser to the President on Energy has been directed to continue coordinating the aforementioned stakeholders to ensure the implementation of these directives within a stipulated timeframe,” the statement reads.

March 6, 2024
Insecurity has abated under Tinubu, attacks now isolated, says Akpabio

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday, March 6, said that insecurity in the country has drastically abated since President Bola Tinubu assumed office.

Akpabio spoke while contributing to the debate on a motion on the killing of 50 persons by suspected terrorists masquerading as herdsmen and increasing insecurity in Kwande, Ukum, Logo, and Katsina-Ala local government areas of the Benue State.

He however said that attacks being recorded are an aberration and no longer on the scale they used to be.

The motion was sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Udende (APC-Benue North East).

Akpabio said: “The primary responsibility of the state government is to use the security vote to ensure that the security of lives and properties in Benue state is protected.

“The first line of thought is the government of Benue as Senator Udende brought, we have not heard any comments from the government of Benue.

“If 50 people have been killed and communities have been attacked, we will expect that the state government will marshal out plans with the immediate security operatives within the affected state and see what they can do before bringing it to the President.

“And I want to assure you that President Bola Tinubu, though he has not stayed long in office, is supportive of the activities of the Armed Forces, and by the time the Senate meets with him in conjunction with the House of Representatives, I believe that the resolutions that we come out will benefit the entire country.

Read Also; Tinubu congratulates AfDB president, Adesina for winning Awolowo prize for leadership

“It is a fact that since his assumption of duties, insecurity has abated, and major attacks are no longer taking place, but this one is just an aberration, and it will be brought to an end.

“I assure the good people of the areas affected that this matter is now on the floor of the Senate and we are taking serious actions with the presidency to ensure that normalcy is restored to the areas and the victims are also taken care of.”

In its resolutions, the Senate observed a minute silence in honour of those recently killed in Benue State and urged the Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police, and other security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, deploy security personnel to address the continuing and ongoing attacks by armed terrorists in parts of Benue state.

The Red Chamber also resolved to put together all resolutions on incessant killings across Nigeria for onward presentation to the executive arm of government for action.

Udende in his lead debate expressed sadness that no fewer than 50 persons have been killed in fresh attacks on several communities in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Benue state by terrorist parading as herdsmen.

He added: “Further aware that the affected communities some of which were attacked as recently as yesterday 5th March 2024 include Tyuluv, Borikyo, Kundav, Ugbaam, Uyam, Udedeku, Yaaiwa, Nyihemba, Tomatar, Menakwagh, Yiase and Agura all in the Benue North East Senatorial district of Benue State;

“Saddened that residents of the villages and communities now find themselves targeted on a daily basis by heavily armed terrorist herdsmen, and the toll continues to be staggering as they bear the brunt, with reports of marauders butchering several villagers, leaving many homes completely burnt down and numerous residents still missing while the perpetrators, however, remain elusive and have not been apprehended;

“Further saddened that this pathetic situation and development has inflicted untold hardship on women, children, and the elderly, who are trekking long distances in search of a safe haven and awaiting the intervention of security operatives;

“Concerned that this situation, in addition to the loss of lives and property, has already impacted negatively on the economic lives of the people and the resultant effect of shortage of farm produce is one of the reasons for the astronomical rise in the prices of agricultural produce and inflation in the country;

“Further concerned that despite the public outcry and previous resolutions of the National Assembly as regards the criminal activities of these terrorists parading as herdsmen, there seems to be no visible action on the part of the government to curtail, abate or totally stop the criminal activities of these criminal elements;

“Convinced that the utmost concern of and the purpose of government is the security and safety of lives and properties in line with Section 14 (2) b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and there is need to act urgently.”

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA – Abia South), in his contribution, observed that nothing has changed since the Senate had over 10 hours of meeting with the Service Chiefs recently.

The President of the 9th Senate and chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmed Lawan (APC- Yobe North), recalled that one of the resolutions in the series of meetings that they undertook was for the leadership of the Senate to meet the president because they thought that the President, Commander-in-Chief, needed to know the lawmakers’ perspective and understanding of the issues on the insecurity in the country.

Lawan said: “Defence-related committees will continue to do their oversight. But one thing is very clear, this Senate, indeed, the National Assembly, since I know it has always given our Defence and security outfits a lot of attention and resources because we believe that within the constraints of our resources, we must do something to improve on funding. That is not to say we are solving the problem because of giving more resources.

“We need to insist on value for money. We give more resources, we want to see a better security environment, otherwise, when we have no KPIs, the resources may simply be filtered away.

“I believe that going forward, we should continue without oversight, but our services in the Armed Forces and other security agencies must always account for the resources we give them.

“The 8th Senate where I was the Senate Leader, and the 9th Senate where I was the Senate President both had national summits on security and we have voluminous, very rich reports, which we forwarded to the presidency at that time and we had series of engagement at leadership level.

“I believe we should go back, and look at those reports. Our leadership should engage Mr. President and come up with resolutions that we passed here in this Senate to say this is the way we feel.

“Of course, some of our citizens will say they want to defend themselves, but what is the purpose of government? It means we shy away from our responsibilities because the most important purpose of any government is security. Even welfare is second.

“So, we need to insist on getting better outcomes from our security agencies. I believe that every one of us here, whether affected now or not, has experiences of insecurity and should insist on getting improvement.

“The constitutional amendment is coming. I don’t know what we can do better, but the security architecture in Nigeria today has failed woefully. I have said this many times even in the previous assemblies that this thing is not working. We have to find something that works”.

Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume said: “This issue of security, we can’t continue to come here every day or at least every week to observe one-minute silence. Then next week we have something like that or more than that; then you say you condemn, we observe one-minute silence.”

He said the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly “on behalf of our colleagues, need to sit down with the President who is the Commander-in-Chief. Our security has the capacity. All they need, as I said, is training, equipment, and motivation (TEM).”

March 6, 2024
JUST IN: Tinubu orders distribution of palliatives in FCT

President Bola Tinubu has directed a fresh round of palliatives to be distributed to residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to cushion the effect of the high cost of living due to fuel subsidy removal.

The minister of state for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, disclosed this on Wednesday, March 6, during an emergency meeting with stakeholders.

Mahmoud stated that the emergency meeting was to arrange some committees for transparency in the distribution of the palliatives.

She said: “Yesterday we received this letter from the Presidency through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and we all know that some few days ago we were at Gwagwa where our warehouses were attacked by some youths in that area and then all we have there has been packed including the roofing, the gates and everything, and machinery that we used to make some of the foods that we were keeping there.

Read Also; Tinubu congratulates AfDB president, Adesina for winning Awolowo prize for leadership

“So along that way God Almighty has given us a solution, everybody knows how Mr President Bola Tinubu has been going up and down to see how he will cushion the hardship in the country, especially the issue of food security, we have been having meetings with the ministry of agriculture to get a lot that we have to distribute to people, to tell us how Mr President has his in the heart.

“So along this way that the honourable minister of FCT, Barrister Nyesome Wike, was addressed through this letter to call an important meeting with important stakeholders that were highlighted, they are here to see that we arrange some committees for transparency in the distribution of these palliatives that we are about to get, and then the preparation that we need to have before these items are given to FCT for distribution.

“This is the reason that we called for this meeting, when we received the letter it said that it had to be handled in two weeks, so the two weeks from the day we received the letter, and we received this letter on the 29th of February, we have already taken one out of it, before the two weeks, FCT will be able to submit all that is required from us.”

Mahmoud also registered her misgivings against the chairmen of the six area councils of the FCT, for coming late to the meeting, as well as poor representation.

She said: “We were directed to include a different class of people, about 15, and chairmen of area councils are number one on the list, to show you how important they are, they are the people in the grassroots, in fact for me this is for them, this is trying to bring out their imagine, by the time we are going to do this distribution from one area council to another, definitely this may bring their imagine out, then they will know that Mr President is listening to the call and complains of his people and he is answering that call.

“So if we don’t help Mr President to achieve this, who will come and do this for us? That’s why they are first on the list, to my surprise they are the last in terms of attendance, because they have not given importance to what it is, and I know I have given a brief on the meeting, I called it an emergency, because it is less than twenty-four hours, but if you look at the content, importance, even if it is two hours you must squeeze and manage to be here. Because you will not want somebody tell you the decision that has been taken for your people on your behalf.”

The FCT chairman of traditional rulers, the Ona of Abaji, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, assured the minister that as a father, he would call the chairmen to order.

The class of people on the committee include the chairmen of the area councils, the FCT Emergency Management Agency, Traditional rulers, the Department of State Service, Nigerian Police Force.

Others are, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Faith-based Organizations (JNI&CAN), the National Union of Local Government Employees, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Women’s Associations, Persons with Disability Groups, Youth Associations, Principals of boarding schools, Civil Society Organizations and Media.

March 6, 2024
Tinubu congratulates AfDB president, Adesina for winning Awolowo prize for leadership

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, on his emergence as winner of the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.

In a statement issued by his special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu lauded Adesina for his consistent effort at transforming agriculture in Africa.

The statement said: “President Bola Tinubu congratulates Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), on the award of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.

“Dr. Adesina joins the pantheon of other previous winners of the award such as Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and lawyer-educationist, Chief Afe Babalola.

Read Also; 10 Nigerian entertainers with most social media following

“President Tinubu commends the AfDB President for his visionary and noble endeavour to transform agriculture in Africa and ensure food security on the continent, recalling the growth enhancement schemes revolutionizing Nigeria’s agriculture value chains he introduced as the then Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“The President acknowledges Dr. Adesina’s unblemished records, tried and tested integrity, as well as his immense leadership and development strides, particularly in agriculture, efforts of which have earned him numerous honours and recognition globally, including the World Food Prize in 2017.

“President Tinubu wishes the AfDB President more success at AfDB and strength in his service to Africa and to humanity at large.”

March 6, 2024
Tinubu’s reforms will unlock Nigeria’s fortune – Policy Think-Tank

A body of independent policy analysts under the aegis of the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has expressed optimism that the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu will unlock the country’s fortune.

The group also said the well-thought-out reforms are policies that cannot be ignored by any rational local and international investor.

This position was contained in a review of the takeaways from President Tinubu’s last week’s visit to Qatar by the think-tank group.

A statement by the IMPI chairman, Niyi Akinsiju in Abuja on Wednesday, March 6, noted that reforms and the commitment of the president to implementing policies will sooner than later yield fruitful dividends that will turn around the economic fortunes of the country.

Elated by Tinubu’s commitment to go the whole hug in implementing the policies, Akinsiju recalled the president’s public declaration, during his visit to Qatar: “This economy, we will grow it, and we will feed ourselves out of penury…if it’s corruption, we must exterminate it no matter how hard it is fighting back.”

According to the group, “We find this declaration instructive. It affirms the President’s unwavering commitment to seeing through the reforms he has undertaken to implement.

“We also agree with the President’s call on Nigerians to persevere at this time because, according to him, nation-building requires perseverance and patriotism to succeed.

“It is to these two value orientations that we call the attention of Nigerians.”

Read Also: Tinubu’s Reforms: No Retreat, No Surrender

The group also emphasized its support for the President’s market-driven policies because it is the best option for the country.

IMPI said: “In truth, the Nigerian economy had been buffeted from different sides by many domestic and global assailing factors between 2016 and 2020 which may provide an understanding of the Federal Government and CBN’s insistence on state-controlled and managed economy for the benefits of the poor and vulnerable.

“Yet, after many years of the control and managed options, we are left with an economy in stagnation; one that depends on the periodic boom in the oil and gas sector to deliver momentary economic prosperity.

“By 2023, an economic template change had become inevitable. In our consideration, we believe that the Tinubu administration read the situation well by making overtures to the CBN to revert to the free float exchange policy.

“Of course, the economy, like in 2016 has since responded to the policy with a volatility that is not only immediate but intense with macroeconomic rates flaring up disconcertingly. This led to a high cost of living uproar across different segments of the nation.

“But rather than beat a retreat and embrace the populist option, the President has determinedly decided to walk the hard, lonely route of application of unpopular yet result-oriented policy, by insisting on sustaining and driving the national economy on the wings of the already introduced policies, chief of which are the fuel subsidy removal and unification of Forex rates”.

While rallying support for the reforms, the group added that individuals and groups who are optimistic about the reforms would be proven right in the long run.

“As one of the nation’s global entrepreneurs puts it, while pessimism abounds, it is crucial to keep our eyes on the bright spots in Nigeria’s economy. ‘We write off and ignore the country at our peril; it could very well become a 22nd century superpower’.

“This should be the big picture for every forward-looking Nigerian. Our fate should not be about existing from one day to the other; it should be about accepting the generational responsibility of standing in the gap for future generations. To sacrifice our today to change the economic trend of our country where rather than have millions numbered in poverty, we will have millions counted in wealth.

“It is to this end we declare that we are unpretentious about our support and advocacy for the policies being advanced by Tinubu’s administration targeted at enabling a market-driven economy. This is where we believe the fortunes of this great country can and would be unlocked,” it argued.

March 6, 2024
Tinubu’s Reforms: No Retreat, No Surrender
- By Niyi Akinsiju
To understand the nation’s current economic milieu, we have to go back to June 15, 2016. Nigeria’s central bank, on that day, announced it would abandon its currency’s dollar peg in preference for a free float of the Naira in an effort to alleviate the chronic foreign currency shortages choking growth in Africa’s biggest economy.

Under one week after the announcement, the Naira slumped from the pegged rate of N197/$ to N287/$. Three months down the road, in August 2016, the rate had fallen by an aggregate 61 percent to the dollar.

Read Also: BREAKING: Nigeria’s economy not distressed, says Tinubu

Expectedly, there was bedlam in the economic space with the din of the attendant noise becoming aggravated when Nestle Nigeria Plc, a multinational company renowned for its consistent profit outturn published its year end result with a depressing 94 percent drop in profits, a phenomenon blamed on the currency depreciation. The depreciation also led to Nigeria losing its title as Africa’s largest economy — a symbolic downgrade that succinctly summarized the many challenges facing the country at that time.

For many followers of the national economy in that year and beyond, current happenings in the Nigerian economy are akin to walking through the same historical corridors. Indeed, Nigerians had walked this path before and had experienced the same seeming awry economic assaults on their very existence as a people. The immediate reflex associated with such scenario was to capitulate. And capitulate, the country did.
March 6, 2024
Our economy not in distress, says Tinubu
- Reforms will take country out of challenges
- Moghalu backs President’s bold reform programmes
The economy is not in distress and the current situation is not beyond redemption, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said yesterday.

He stressed that efforts were on to navigate the country out of the current challenges.

According to him, the latest economic indicators do not portray a country in distress.

Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, who backed Tinubu’s reforms, said time was needed to address the issues.

They spoke at the 16th Leadership Conference and Awards held at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

Its theme was: “An economy in distress: which way forward?”

The event was organised by Abuja-based Leadership Newspaper.

Tinubu, who received the Leadership Newspaper’s Person of the Year 2023 award, was represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

The President acknowledged that the country is faced with challenges but is not helpless.

He said: “I should start by respectfully challenging the notion that the Nigerian economy is in distress.

“Distress suggests helplessness, being at the mercy of something we have no control over. But that is not the case here.

“We are in challenging times, no doubt, but these times have also been marked by unprecedented opportunities to reset the course and to build a new and sustainable economy, away from the rent-seeking and the waste that was once the order of the day.

“The Leadership Group has itself alluded to the ‘difficult but necessary’ decisions that we have taken.

“Since the removal of petrol subsidy, our imports of petrol have dropped by about 50 per cent, which translates to roughly one billion litres of petrol every month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

“In addition, the revenues accruing to the three tiers of Government – Federal, State and Local – have grown by between 50 per cent and 100 per cent since the removal of the petrol subsidy.

“This means more funds are available to directly impact the lives of Nigerians through investments in critical infrastructure, social security, and other areas.”

Tinubu said the economy saw a better-than-anticipated performance in the last quarter of 2023.

He noted that it grew by 3.46 per cent (year-on-year), compared with 2.54 per cent in the preceding quarter.

Capital importation into Nigeria, he said, was up 66 per cent in Q4 2023, reversing a 36 per cent decline in the previous quarter.

In January 2024, the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index (ASI) crossed the 100,000 points mark, its highest ever, the President said.

“There is no one who looks at this data who will conclude that ‘distressed’ is the accurate way to describe the Nigerian economy.

“Yes, we are challenged in a number of ways. But these are the outcomes of necessary reforms, and a lot of effort and energy is going into alleviating these pains and setting the economy on firm footing.

“And we are seeing incredible opportunities for investment in every sector of the economy, as we stabilize our foreign exchange market and our macroeconomic indices.

“I ask for the continuing patience and support of all Nigerians, including the elite that is very well represented in this room today.

“To the Nigerian media, I urge you to strive to report not only the challenges but also the solutions and the opportunities as well.

“Ours is a story of a country that is taking the right steps, and feeling the fleeting pains that will come with this course of action. A glorious dawn is indeed assured.”

The President also paid tribute to Leadership founder, the late Sam Nda-Isaiah.

He said: “Your memory will continue to live on, not only in our hearts but also in your brilliant writings and in the family and the business legacies that you left behind.

“To Madam Zainab Nda-Isaiah, thank you for carrying on so boldly and powerfully from where Sam stopped.

“We appreciate what you’re doing, and we will continue to support you.”

The award organisers said the Person of the Year honour was a recognition of Tinubu’s “undisputable can-do spirit” in defying the odds to emerge as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, going on to win the 2023 presidential election.

The award, the newspaper said, is also to acknowledge the President’s courage in taking many difficult but necessary decisions to reposition the country towards economic prosperity.

Moghalu backs ‘bold decisions’

The keynote speaker, Moghalu, backed the Tinubu Administration’s petrol subsidy removal and forex reform.

He urged the President to further cut down the cost of governance by reducing the size of his cabinet.

He recommended the setting up of a seven-member economic team comprising only economists.

Moghalu hailed the current fiscal measure taken by the Central Bank.

He said: “The past 10 years were particularly ruinous.

“They were the years of the locust, marked by unprecedented mismanagement of fiscal policy, unproductive external borrowing, unnecessary budget deficits, illegal Ways & Means lending by the Central Bank of Nigeria to the federal government to the tune of N30 trillion, and unprecedented corruption.

“Earlier, a combination of oil price shocks and an incompetent policy response from the CBN, in the form of an attempt to fix the exchange rate, all helped give us two recessions within seven years.

“Many of these things happened because, as we witnessed, there was a successful political assault on the independence of the central bank, with the storekeeper willingly handing over the store keys to the marauders.”

Moghalu said while Nigeria attempts to tackle its immediate problems, it must understand that they are simply symptoms of the long-ignored root causes.

Read Also: JUST IN: Moghalu applauds Tinubu’s decision on subsidy, forex

“We should not repeat the cycle of past crises that did not force us to fix our economy for good, to be productive and to create wealth and jobs for the average Nigerian.

“It is time to reposition our economy for the long term, out of the lessons of today’s challenges.

“I maintain my position, which is a matter of record, that the decisions to remove the petrol subsidy and forex subsidy were bold and correct.

“We have lived a lie for 40 years and the chickens have come home to roost.

“Given the country’s revenue challenges in the crude oil production and export sector, Nigeria could no longer afford to subsidise the importation of refined petrol, at least fully, and could no longer afford to defend the value of the Naira artificially.”

On the Economic Advisory Council, Moghalu said it should be composed of distinguished economists and economic thinkers with a strong track record.

“This full-time advisory council will recommend the reforms and implementation steps to truly diversify Nigeria’s economy and turn the country into a full Emerging Market economy such as Malaysia, Chile, Turkey and Thailand within the next 10 years.

“Of particular importance for the work of this council will be the challenge of poverty, how the government can take 100 million people out of poverty into the middle class in 10 years and advising on how the human development-GDP growth/GDP per capita-structural transformation continuum can be achieved,” he said.

Obi: no reason for country to be poor

Also, former Anmabra State Governor Peter Obi, said the country has no reason to be poor.

He urged governors to work towards making the country great again.

Obi said: “We have no reason to be poor considering what we have in Nigeria. There is no reason for Ukraine to give Nigeria grain. Let us invest in the north.”

Rain of cash for Salisu

Leadership celebrated Awwalu Salisu, a tricycle operator who returned N15 million to a passenger in Kano.

It was a rain of cash for him as Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago gave him N250 million: N50million on behalf of the President; N50 million on behalf of the governors; N50million on behalf of APC; N50million on behalf of Niger State and N50 million for himself.

Obi, who was a presidential candidate in last year’s election and his former running mate Datty Ahmed offered Salisu a scholarship at Baze University, Abuja.

Chairman of Leadership Group Limited, Zainab Nda-Isaiah, described the event as “very special”.

“This conference and awards year after year provide an exceptional platform in setting the agenda and offering solutions and new insights to a range of the country’s problems.

“Today’s (yesterday’s) event coincides with the 20th anniversary of the founding of LEADERSHIP – the dream of one man, my husband – the Great Sam Nda-Isaiah,” she said.
March 6, 2024
Tinubu should intervene in health worker’s suspension

Labour unions at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu (FNHE) chapter, have asked President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the suspension of the Medical Director, Prof Monday Igwe.

The unions included the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), National Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), and Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN).

Read Also: Our economy not in distress, says Tinubu

They made the appeal in a letter addressed to the President which was signed by the Chairman JOHESU FNHE, Obinna Eze, NANNM FNHE Chairman, Eric Ugwu, President NARD FNHE, Dr. Ezea Christian and Chairman MDCAN FNHE, Dr. Nnabuchi Jane.

According to the Labour unions, Prof Igwe was suspended last September 20 over allegations from a civil society organisation without proper investigations.

They lamented that despite full cooperation, they have not received feedback from the Ministry of Health’s investigation team.

The unions urge President Tinubu to ensure transparent reinstatement by demanding a detailed report based on truth and public service rules, clarifying reasons for Igwe’s extended suspension.

They argued that Prof Igwe, known for his dedication and compassion, should receive fair treatment and respect, not unfounded accusations and unfair penalties.

March 6, 2024
Tinubu seeks support for Africa’s battle against arms proliferation, others

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday tasked global partners to stand with Africa in its fight against growing and socio-political crisis springing up on the continent.

He gave the task at the opening of a summit on African Regional Dialogue of the Future titled: “The Africa we want and the UN we need” in Abuja.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the President expressed concern over the rising threat of terrorism, insurgency and military intrusions in governance across Africa, particularly in West Africa,

He, however, pressed the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to devise innovative strategies to halt the flow of arms and light weapons into the continent.

Tinubu said: “As part of our collective response to these challenges which have grave global implications, may I urge the participants to find innovative and cost-effective strategies by which the African Union would collaborate with the United Nations and the international community to stem the tide of the proliferation of arms and light weapons into Africa, end terrorism and resurgent insurgency and to check the retrogressive return of the military in governance in Africa.”

The president commended the efforts of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development and the Stimson Centre for organising the high-level Regional Dialogue, highlighting the global call for reform and democratisation of the UN System.

“The wide support by many reputable international Civil Society Organisations and research institutions…speaks the minds of honest and progressive global citizens,” he noted, emphasising the collective desire to improve global governance through multilateralism”, Tinubu said.

The president also acknowledged the severe socio-economic, environmental, and political challenges facing many African countries, making it difficult for them to achieve their development goals.

He agreed that African perspectives and innovative priorities need to be included in policy debates to enhance the performance of global institutions in addressing sustainable development, peace and security, climate governance, and human rights.

Highlighting the establishment of a standing Network of African think tanks, President Tinubu, praised the initiative as a visionary move to ensure African voices are heard in resolving global governance challenges.

He also reiterated his commitment to negotiating the peaceful return of democratic governance in ECOWAS member states affected by military interventions.

In closing, President Tinubu officially declared the conference open, wishing participants fruitful deliberations.

On his part, the former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari and founder/chairman of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy, and Development, Ibrahim Gambari, said Africans must be vocal advocates for causes that concern them.

He said: “As Africans, we must be our champions and very vocal advocates. All Africans must desire for each other a continent that is peaceful, secure, united, and prosperous.

“We must promote constitutionalism and respect for human rights and human dignity. These we must reach a consensus on as our non-negotiables and upon which all else will be built,” said Gambari.

The ace diplomat called for reforms in the UN saying “Our position for reform of the UN Security Council is to evolve into a body that is not paralysed by the misuse of vetoes as demonstrated in the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

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“It must also be a more inclusive body by making changes to the configuration of both permanent and non-permanent member states, and more importantly, Africa deserves two permanent seats at the council.

“The International multilateral institutions, especially the Bretton Woods institutions, should play a stronger role as an effective partner, understanding where we are in the development lifecycle while promoting trade facilitation, efficient harnessing, and maximisation of Africa’s resources for its economic growth and benefit.”

Gambari argued that the governance of these multilateral institutions must reflect effective African participation and thus responsiveness to its needs.

“Africa cannot be asked to defend that in which it did not participate in its definition and design,” he noted.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said the commission has a plan to completely change the continent Agenda by 2063.

He blamed Africa’s failure to deepen democracy and collective security as a major impediment to achieving sustainable development and progress.

Those who participated at the forum either physically, or through representation, include: at the forum were former African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr. Donald Kaberuka; Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mousa Faki Mahamat; Chairman of the Dangote Group and Representative of the African Business Group, Aliko Dangote; founder/Chairman of the Savannah Centre, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Special Envoy for Youth at the African Union Commission, represented by Sabina Nforba, among others.

March 5, 2024