Tag: tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has celebrated his long-time confidant and pioneer interim national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, as he clocks 85 years of age.

In a statement issued by his special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu recalled the defining role played by Chief Akande in the founding of the APC, lauding his consistency in the progressive path.

He said: “With a heart full of joy and gratitude to God, President Bola Tinubu celebrates his long-time confidant, Chief Bisi Akande, as he marks his 85th birthday on January 16, 2024.

“Chief Akande, CFR, was the governor of Osun State from 1999 to 2003 and the first interim national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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“President Tinubu extols Baba’s defining principles of integrity, loyalty, truth, and justice, recalling his exemplary leadership odyssey and selfless service to Nigeria.”

The statement further quoted President Tinubu as saying “Baba was a principal actor in the founding of our great party, the All Progressives Congress. He has always been a progressive; always noble and disciplined in thoughts and actions, as well as given to rational and enlightened ideals.

“He is a cherished friend and confidant, ever so generous with his wise counsel. I celebrate him.”

Tinubu, however, wished Baba Akande many more years in good health and strength, while thanking him for his unfailing support and sacrifice over the years and now.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the February 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar’s former spokesman, Daniel Bwala, has claimed to have informed his former principal about his meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics programme yesterday, Bwala said: “I informed Atiku Abubakar I was going to see the president.

“After I had seen the President, I informed him (Atiku) that I had just seen the President and he replied to me that, ‘Thanks Daniel for notifying me’.”

Known for his harsh criticism of All Progressives Congress (APC), the lawyer insisted that he had not betrayed Atiku by switching to endorse the former governor of Lagos state, who became victorious in the February 2023 presidential poll.

“It’s absolute nonsense for somebody to say because I said I will support President Bola Tinubu therefore I betrayed Atiku,” Bwala declared.

He dismissed as baseless the criticisms that followed his unexpected endorsement of Tinubu, whom he disparaged in the 2023 political campaign.

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When Tinubu selected Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno, as his running mate in July 2022, Bwala, who was then a member of the APC, ditched the ruling party. 

After criticising Tinubu for selecting a Muslim as his running mate, the politician-cum-lawyer jumped on the bandwagon of Atiku, the former vice president who is Muslim and who selected Ifeanyi Okowa, the former governor of Delta, as his deputy.

In a surprising event twist, Bwala who was one of Atiku’s most outspoken and frank campaign spokespersons during the run-up to the most recent election, dazed Nigerians by meeting with the President in the Aso Villa in Abuja and announcing his unwavering support for him.

Bwala however, maintained that people have the “right to change ideology” in the face of the intense criticisms directed at him for his unexpected decision, which called into question his political ideology.

The Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has commended President Bola Tinubu for being proactive in handling allegations against the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Betta Edu.

 National Youth Leader, Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, at a news conference yesterday, also raised the President for ordering an investigation into the matter as well as the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

 Okpalaezeukwu however condemned ‘media trial’ of the suspended Minister, and asked Nigerians to give her the benefit of doubt until the investigations are concluded.

 According to him, since the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) has said she did not honour the memo from the minister, it may be out of place to accuse her of diverting public funds, while the issues against her could as well pale down to the propriety of routing the memo and, perhaps, the request for the sum to be paid into a personal account of a Project Accountant.

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 Okpalaezeukwu said: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing commends President Tinubu for his adherence to the Rule of Law on the controversy surrounding the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu. We also thank him for setting up a presidential panel to investigate the veracity of the allegations instead of sacking her outright.

“Consequently, we hereby rally support for the suspended Minister, by calling on Nigerians to allow her get fair hearing and let the ongoing investigation run its course without media trial.

Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s initial steps in office, saying he is doing the right things and taking the right steps.

Igboho spoke during an interview with Alaroye Online TV monitored by The Nation in Germany, at the weekend. 

He said: “I pray for good health for President Tinubu. He’s doing well. So far he has been taking major steps to revamp the country. Many of the key appointments in key offices so far show he’s aware of things around him. 

“I want President Tinubu to remember that the Yoruba are suffering. He will definitely spend eight years. God will help him through the governance process. God will grant him long life to turn this country around. 

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“I’m currently in Germany with my family and I know God is in charge of my life. I have no work here in Germany. My work is in Nigeria. I’m a car dealer. I’ve been selling cars since 1996. 

“With respect to my property that was destroyed, I leave everything to God. He’s the one that owns our lives. We should all be after good name and work. Those whose lives were lost during the incident at my house, this incident pained me. Even my mother lost her life during the Yoruba Nation struggle.

“My mother’s death pained me. It has made me deeply worried. I’m begging God to help me bury my mother. She’s still at the mortuary. I know that’s how it pleases God to do it. 

“I will bury my mother soon, I will return home (Nigeria) soon. I do not regret that I led the Yoruba Nation struggle. I want to call on all of us to be in unity.”

The Youth Wing of the pan Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo, has commended President Bola Tinubu for being proactive in handling the allegation against the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Betta Edu.

Speaking at a news conference on Sunday, January 14, the National Youth Leader of the organisation, Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu also commended the president for ordering an investigation into the allegation and the National Social Investment Programme.

Okpalaezeukwu however condemned what he termed the media trial of the suspended Minister while asking Nigerians to give her the n before of doubt until the investigations ordered by the President are concluded.

According to him, since the Accountant General of the Federation has said she did not honour the memo from the minister, it may be out of place to accuse her of diverting public funds, while the issues against her could also pale down to the propriety of routing the memo, and perhaps the request for the sum to be paid into a personal account of a project accountant.

He said if the Minister is found to have committed some administrative infractions and not necessarily monetary diversion, the President should review her suspension and allow her to continue as a member of his cabinet.

He said: “Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo Youth Wing commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his proactiveness and adherence to the Rule of Law on the issue of the recently suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation,  Dr Betta Edu.

“We also thank him for setting up a presidential panel to investigate the veracity of the allegations instead of sacking her outright.

“Consequently, we hereby wish to rally support for the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Edu, by calling on Nigerians to allow her a fair hearing and let the ongoing investigation run its course without media trial.

“Nigerians should give her the benefit of the doubt until the series of investigations into her involvement in the alleged N583m financial wrongdoing have proved her to be complicit.

“Judging by the actions of some persons in the media, it is obvious that there is too much media trial around Dr Edu and those who wanted her out of favour with the Federal Government are sustaining the spins to her disadvantage.

“Media trial is unfair.  An allegation has been levelled against her, and President Bola Tinubu, in his wisdom, had suspended her to allow for a transparent and unimpeded investigation.  The best thing to do in the circumstance is to allow the process of investigation to conclude instead of crucifying her as if she had been found to be guilty.

“There is the need to find what the problem really was about the memo she put up to the Accountant General of the Federation, although, the Accountant General had said that she did not honour the payment.

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“If that was correct and we also give her (Accountant General) the benefit of the doubt that she would not have lied, then the subject of investigation of the N583 million could as well pale down to the propriety of routing the memo, and perhaps the request for the sum to be paid into a personal account of a Project Accountant.

“That would only be a matter of administrative infelicity and not financial heists since the Accountant General had confirmed that she did not honour the payment.

“We are of the view that Nigerians should hold their peace during the pendency of the series of investigations, which we believe would either prove or disprove wrongdoing.

“As a young, vibrant and brilliant woman, Dr Edu had from the outset of her ministerial stewardship warmed her way into our heart as a result of her demonstrable commitment and zeal in applying herself to her assignment.

“If it is confirmed in the long run that she had committed some administrative infractions and not necessarily monetary diversion, we shall very well urge President Bola Tinubu to review her suspension and allow her to continue as a member of his cabinet.

“Betta was entrusted with a Ministry as huge as the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and everyone can attest to the fact that she remains one of the best in the Tinubu-led Government, We must be careful not to throw away the baby with the bathwater”.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Sunday, January 14, reiterated the readiness of the National Assembly to join hands with President Bola Tinubu in finding lasting solutions to all issues of insurgency, insecurity, banditry, and all forms of criminality bedeviling the country.

Akpabio also called on the Church to partner with the President to rebrand the country.

He chided the Governor of Anambra state, Chukwuma Soludo for describing Nigeria as a dead horse standing.

He told the governor that Anambra state may be the horse he described because Nigeria is a “horse that is bouncing, and ready to gallop and go to work.”

The Senate president made these remarks at the Interdenominational Church Service for the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, on Sunday.

Akpabio said: “I must say, yes indeed, I’m not supposed to make comments on the liturgy (homily) that was rendered today by our dear Bishop, Bishop Muyiwa because of course, standing on the podium of God, he ought to, and he was speaking from the words that were put into his mouth. But when he was speaking, he said that the military actually, in the past, not the present military, caused a lot of problems in the country.

“I don’t want to correct it, but I just want to amend it that yes, indeed, the military have continued to save Nigeria to the best of their abilities.

“They did not cause the problem that we are finding today. I said a few days ago that in 1959 when the then Governor General was handing over to Nigeria, when we had independence on 1st October, in his address, he said one of the greatest problems of Nigeria was what? Corruption! Which means that corruption existed before Nigeria was born and so the government will continue to fight corruption.

“Therefore, I want to thank the Bishop for recognizing the efforts of the president in strenuously trying to bury this menace called corruption. I also want to thank the Bishop for all the accolades he has put on the steps so far taken by the President to reposition Nigeria.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step and the rot that we are seeing in Nigeria today started right from independence and it got us to where we are.

“It did not start with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But I said America took 185 years before they could produce a member of parliament as president and another member of parliament as Vice President.

“I think that was President Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon Johnson. But in Nigeria, less than 30 years, we have a president as a senator and we also have a vice president as a senator.

“This means that they know the problems of the grassroots and they are determined to solve that problem.

“I stand before you as part of you to say that I will join this president, not just to reform Nigeria, but to ensure that all the complaints and all the issues bordering on insurgency are addressed.

“We don’t have enough men and women in uniform. We are determined to give them the resources to ensure that they bring more people into the Armed Forces to secure Nigeria.

“We have started with the budgetary processes and I’m sure the leaders, the heads of all the agencies can attest to the fact that this government is very determined to provide everything that the Armed Forces need to bring total peace to this country. And for this, I applaud President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He further stated: “Also let me make mention of a sitting governor, I think it is Governor (Chukwuma) Soludo who described Nigeria as a dead horse still standing. I don’t know whether he’s talking about Anambra State because he’s the governor of Anambra State and so if he’s a governor, and Anambra State is a dead horse standing, it is not Nigeria. Nigeria is a horse that is bouncing, and ready to gallop and go to work. And he will go for work in Jesus’ name. But I want to thank him for the recollection yesterday that security is everybody’s business. If you don’t give enough intelligence to the men in uniform, there is nothing they can do. So everybody must get ready to get involved in security. Of course, communal clashes, such as the ones you are seeing in Jos of them date back to ages.

“Before Najida was born, people have been fighting, even in my area, people are fighting for land and when they are fighting, we must pray. We can only succeed through prayers. Yes, that’s the reason why I want to end what I’m saying, by just referring to what you already know in the Bible yes, unless the Lord watches over the city and over the nation, the watchmen do what? Struggle in vain. May God watch over Nigeria and Jesus name.”

Earlier in his speech, Akpabio said that the President Tinubu-led government at the centre, is focused on ensuring that Nigeria remains an inseparable and indivisible entity.

The Senate President who held that the continued existence of the country lies in its rich cultural, religious and ethnic diversity, called on the people to embrace unity, stressing the resolve of the present administration to redouble its efforts in securing the country.

The number one lawmaker, paid glowing tributes to members of the armed forces who fell in the quest to make Nigeria remain one, stressing that their labour would never be in vain.

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Akpabio also asked the Christendom and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project to join hands with the Tinubu government as well as the nation’s Armed Forces to tackle the issues that have threatened the co-existence of the country.

He said: “The unity of Nigeria came at a great price. The sustenance and defence of this unity rests on the shoulders of the men and women of the Armed Forces, and the true weight of loss is carried by the families and dependents of these fallen heroes. If only we could share the pain they feel, then we would truly understand the imperative of eschewing insecurity and violence in all its forms.

“The year 2023 was an eventful one, marked by general elections and a change in leadership. Our nation is still grappling with the effects of long-overdue multisectoral reforms needed to propel us forward and position Nigeria among the great nations of the world. I urge support to the government of His Excellency President Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, during this crucial time as we strive to achieve the Nigeria of our dreams. In this regard, I reiterate the President’s assurance that ‘our tough times will not last,’ and we should renew our hope in a great Nigeria.

“Now is the time for all stakeholders to set aside our differences, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or political affiliations, and come together to strategise on the way forward for this great nation that our gallant men and women of the Armed Forces paid, and continue to pay, the ultimate price to preserve. It is also a time for sober reflection, to take stock of past events such as the civil war, and to reflect on current challenges like the war on insurgency, incessant attacks on innocent Nigerians, and the spate of kidnappings across the country. We must reflect on their causes and work together to prevent future occurrences.”

According to Akpabio: “I call upon the church to partner with the government in a much-needed rebranding of Nigeria. The church is urged to continue spreading the gospel of love for oneself, others, and our country. We must blur the lines that divide us across ethnic and religious boundaries through messages of tolerance, peace, unity, and progress.

“This administration is more determined than ever to strengthen and promote the oneness and indivisibility of Nigeria because the strength of our great nation lies in our diversity.

“Once again, let us salute the courage and appreciate the sacrifices of our men and women of the Armed Forces. Let us stand in solidarity with the families of our fallen heroes and heroines. I assure you that the government will continue to evolve policies to address the challenges you face as a result of your loss.

“The inclusion of veterans, their dependents, and caregivers into the Social Welfare Register through the Ministry of Defence is a commendable initiative of the current administration. The President, Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces is committed to implementing welfare programmes within the services for the families of deceased personnel while making continuous efforts to address any remaining gaps.”