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  • Renewed Hope: Why Tinubu needs ministers’ cooperation to succeed, by Shettima Yerima

    Renewed Hope: Why Tinubu needs ministers’ cooperation to succeed, by Shettima Yerima

    Shettima Yerima, the national president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) is one of the strong voices championing good governance in Nigeria. In this interview with WALE AKINOLA, Assistant Editor (Online), Shettima talks about the inauguration of new ministers by President Bola Tinubu, the Senate’s rejection of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s nomination, how his group fosters unity in Nigeria among other issues.

    As the president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), can you please provide an overview of your group’s mission and objectives?

    The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) is an organisation that aims to promote unity among different ethnic groups in Nigeria. We work towards achieving this goal by engaging in various activities and initiatives that bring people from different backgrounds together.

    How does the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum work towards fostering unity among various ethnic groups in Nigeria?

    One of the ways we foster unity is through dialogue and communication. The forum provides a platform for individuals from diverse communities to come together and discuss issues affecting them, share ideas, and find common ground.

    Another way the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum promotes unity is by organizing cultural events and programmes. These events showcase the rich diversity of Nigerian culture, helping to bridge gaps between different groups while promoting mutual respect and understanding.

    Read Also: Tinubu addresses world leaders at UN General Assembly Sept. 19

    Additionally, we engage in advocacy efforts aimed at promoting peace, tolerance, and harmony across Nigeria. We work with government officials, community leaders, religious organizations, and other stakeholders to develop policies that support inter-ethnic relations while addressing issues such as discrimination or marginalization.

    Overall, the AYCF plays an important role in fostering unity among various ethnic groups in Nigeria through dialogue, cultural exchange programmes/events, and advocacy efforts aimed at promoting peace and tolerance across all communities.

    Can you share some specific initiatives or projects that the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum has undertaken to promote inter-ethnic harmony and national unity?

    The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum is an organization that works towards promoting unity and understanding between different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

    Arewa Youth Consultative Forum has undertaken several community outreach programmes and events aimed at bringing people from different backgrounds together and fostering a sense of shared identity as Nigerians.

    This includes cultural exchanges where members from different ethnic groups come together to share their traditions and customs with one another, educational workshops on topics related to diversity and inclusion, and even sports tournaments where teams from various communities compete against each other in a friendly manner.

    Overall, we are committed to working towards interethnic harmony and national unity through various forms of engagement with diverse communities across Nigeria.

    How do you view the selection of the ministers appointed by President Bola Tinubu?

    It is too early to begin to judge this government. However, in general terms, selecting ministers for a government involves carefully considering their qualifications and experience to ensure they are capable of effectively leading and managing their respective departments. The president typically has the final say in who gets appointed as a minister, but they may also receive input from other officials or advisors. Ultimately, the success of any government depends largely on the quality of its leadership team, including its ministers.

    The Senate recently rejected the ministerial nomination of the ex-governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir Elrufai, who is considered a close ally of President Tinubu, based on an alleged security report, what is your perspective on this situation?

    The Senate, which is a group of elected officials who help make laws in Nigeria, recently said no to the suggestion that Mallam Nasir Elrufai should become a minister. A minister is someone who helps run the country by working for the president. Mallam Nasir Elrufai used to be in charge of Kaduna State before this happened. He is also known as being close friends with President Tinubu.

    The reason they didn’t want him to be a minister was because there were some reports about security concerns related to him. Security concerns mean that people are worried he might do something bad or dangerous that could hurt other people or cause problems for the government.

    It’s hard to say what my perspective on this situation is since we don’t know exactly what those security concerns were and whether or not they were true. But it seems like if there are worries about someone’s safety or ability to do their job well, then it makes sense for others in power (like the Senate) to take those worries seriously and think carefully before giving them an important job like being a minister.

  • Tinubu addresses world leaders at UN General Assembly Sept. 19

    Tinubu addresses world leaders at UN General Assembly Sept. 19

    Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu will address the 78th Session of the high-level General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, September 19.

    The UN correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tinubu, in his first outing to the Assembly, will be addressing world leaders in the evening of that day.

    The Nigerian President would be the fifth African leader to speak on day one of the gathering, according to the speakers list from the Office of the General Assembly President,

    According to the list, Tinubu will be the 14th speaker out of 20 leaders slated to speak on the first day.

    The South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the 10th speaker, will be the first African leader to speak in the morning session of the Assembly.

    Read Also: Angolan President invites Tinubu

    In the Afternoon session, five African leaders are expected to address the gathering.

    The Nigerian president would deliver his statement around 6pm (11pm Nigerian time) to the world leaders during the afternoon session.

    The President of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune will be the first African leader to speak at the afternoon session, followed by the Moroccan leader, Aziz Akhannouch and Mozambique President, Filipe Nyusi.

    The President of Senegal, Macky Sall will be the firth African speaker to address the gathering and the last leader on the first day.

    The President of Brazil, Luiz da Sliva would be the first world leader to present his address to the 78th session as it is tradition, followed by the U.S. President, Joe Biden, the traditional second speaker, being the host country.

    NAN reports that the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) will open on Tuesday, Sept 5. with the inauguration of a new President, Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, who will take on the mantle for the next 12 months

    The high level General Debate will be held from   Sept 19 and to Sept. 29.

    The Theme of the General Assembly including the general debate will be rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.
    (NAN)

  • APC chieftain urges Nigerians to be patient with Tinubu

    APC chieftain urges Nigerians to be patient with Tinubu

    A Lagos State chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oluwasegun Kayode Kazeem, has urged Nigerians to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a chance in the onerous task of repositioning the country.

    Kazeem spoke against the background of the deteriorating economic situation in the country as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy and the criticisms that trailed it and other policies of the Tinubu administration,

    The Agege-based APC chieftain who has been a Tinubu disciple since 1991 said despite what the Nigerian masses are going through, President Tinubu is tested and trusted and is capable of putting the country back on track. He said: “In all my years of following the Jagaban, I can say that his word is his bond. When he promises, he does it. That is what kept people like us to date to stick with him.

    Read Also; Angolan President invites Tinubu

    “I can only appeal to the citizens to be patient with him. We all go to the same market, and we feel the pain too, but we must come to terms with the reality that we need to make some sacrifices. We know it is not easy for many Nigeria s but there is no gain without pain.”

    Kazeem said he is very optimistic that Nigeria will never be the same after the Tinubu administration. He added that the man, Tinubu knows the pains that Nigerians are passing through. He added: “That is why I am asking Nigerians to give him a chance. Let’s give him at least one year; I believe we all listened to his last nationwide address to Nigerians. For the first time in a very long time, we saw a leader who is genuinely connected to the people; a leader who is pained and truly sorry that his policies and programmes are causing pain to his people.”

    The APC chieftain said he is convinced that with the huge money the government intends to push into the various sectors of the economy, Nigerians would soon begin to smile again.  His words: “The administration has told us it would push out N500 billion as palliatives to various critical sectors, such as manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure, transportation, housing, and enhancement in wages for Nigerian workers, among others. To reflate the economy, you need to pump money into the economy and this is what Asiwaju has done. Very soon, we would begin to see the impact of this great stride in our economy.”

    He described Asiwaju as Nigeria’s messiah and urged Nigerians to continue to encourage him and not be despondent. “We should all be praying that God should frustrate the cabals to allow him to implement his plans for Nigeria,” he added.

    Kazeem who has never been picked for any elective office despite his loyalty and commitment to the party by his people in Agege, however, said he remained committed to the ideas of the APC and the principles of President Tinubu.

    A University of Ibadan graduate of Economics who had his Ph.D. in Financial Management, from the University of Abuja, Kazeem said he is a contented politician and that he remains committed to the dictates of the party leadership.

    He said he has been an associate of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from his days in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Action Congress (AC), and later the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now the APC. He added that his closeness to the astute politician is sufficient enough to make him edge a bet that Tinubu is the best deal for Nigeria.

    He said: “I can tell you without any iota of doubt that President Tinubu is the best of the leading three or four candidates in the February 25, 2023 presidential election. Without mentioning names, we know the pedigree of some of his competitors and we congratulated Nigerians for the grace of God that saved us from falling into their entrapment. Tinubu is well known to some of us and is acceptable across the country as a detribalised and cosmopolitan politician. That was why it was the Northern governors who insisted that the ticket must go to the South, and worked assiduously to ensure that he emerged the winner.”

    Comparing Tinubu with other politicians he has had cause to interact with and who competed against him, Kazeem said Asiwaju is accommodating, tolerant, readily forgives without guile and is a father figure to everybody irrespective of colour, race or tribe.

    On Agege, Kazeem commended the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, who is a three-term speaker and leader of the party in Agege for the landmark changes that have been attracted to Agege in the last 10 years. He said as a committed patriot and party man, he accepted the leadership of Obasa and would continue to abide under his guidance in the overall interest of the peace, progress and good works going on everywhere in Agege and the Orile Agege LCDA.

  • Angolan President invites Tinubu

    Angolan President invites Tinubu

    Angolan President João Lourenço has invited his counterpart, President Bola Tinubu, to the regular bilateral and multilateral consultations of African leaders aimed at tackling common challenges across the continent.

     This is stated in a message by Lourenço through his envoy, Téte António, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola, in Abuja.   The message was made available to reporters by the Institutional Communication and Press Services of the Embassy of Angola in Nigeria, Benin and Niger.

     The message has to do with the regular bilateral and multilateral consultations of the leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) , ECOWAS regions, as well as the common challenges on the continent.

    “Lourenço is inviting his counterpart Tinubu, to participate in the III Edition of the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence-Luanda Biennial, taking place from Nov. 22 to 24.

    Read Also: JUST IN: Sanwo-Olu, Obasa meet Lagos GAC over rejection of 17 commissioner-nominees

     “Adopted in 2015 at the 24th Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), the Biennial of Luanda will take place under the theme: “Education, culture of peace and African citizenship, as tools for the sustainable development of the continent.

      “It intends to contribute to the implementation of the “Action Plan for a Culture of Peace in Africa, a joint collaboration between the Government of Angola and UNESCO,” Lourenço said.

     Anthonia, who arrived in Abuja on Tuesday, delivered the message from Lourenço to Tinubu, as well as courtesy meeting with his Nigerian counterpart, Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

  • Forum to Tinubu: don’t bow to pressure in appointments

    Forum to Tinubu: don’t bow to pressure in appointments

    From Juliana Agbo, Abuja

    Arewa Economic Forum has appealed to President Bola Tinubu not to yield to sectional pressure for appointments and patronage on critical sector of the economy.

     The forum called on Tinubu to appoint competent, qualified and experienced technocrats from other parts of the country to head crucial sectors.

     Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Dandakata, who spoke at a briefing in Abuja yesterday, also commended the President for retaining some performing chief executive officers of leading agencies.

     Dandakata said it  is not too late for the President to do the needful in upcoming appointments and crucial decisions.

     He said: “We must commend the President for retaining some performing chief executive officers of leading agencies in the Economy and Technology like Bello Hassan of NDIC and Kashifu Inuwa of NITDA. 

    “We urge Mr. President not to yield to sectional pressure for parochial appointments and patronage on the critical sector of our economy.

     “As our president, we expect Tinubu to be fair, just and equitable not only because the northerners voted but because that is the right thing to do.

     “We believe such highly competent, qualified and experienced technocrats from other parts of the country can also be appointed to crucial sectors of the economy”.

  • President Lourenço invites Tinubu to consultations of African leaders

    President Lourenço invites Tinubu to consultations of African leaders

    Angolan President João Lourenço on Wednesday invited his counterpart, President Bola Tinubu, to the regular bilateral and multilateral consultations of African leaders aimed at tackling common challenges across the continent.

    This is stated in a message by Lourenço through his envoy, Téte António, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola, in Abuja.

    The message was made available to newsmen by the Institutional Communication and Press Services of the Embassy of Angola in Nigeria, Benin and Niger.

    The message has to do with the regular bilateral and multilateral consultations of the leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) , ECOWAS regions, as well as the common challenges on the continent.

    “Lourenço is inviting his counterpart Tinubu, to participate in the III Edition of the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence-Luanda Biennial, taking place from Nov. 22 to 24.

    Read Also: President Tinubu deeply concerned about Gabon coup – Ajuri Ngelale

    “Adopted in 2015 at the 24th Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), the Biennial of Luanda will take place under the theme: “Education, culture of peace and African citizenship, as tools for the sustainable development of the continent.

    “It intends to contribute to the implementation of the “Action Plan for a Culture of Peace in Africa, a joint collaboration between the Government of Angola and UNESCO,” Lourenço said.

    Anthonia, who arrived in Abuja on Tuesday, delivered the message from Lourenço to Tinubu, as well as courtesy meeting with his Nigerian counterpart, Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs. (NAN)

  • Tinubu mourns Akinkunmi, designer of the national flag

    Tinubu mourns Akinkunmi, designer of the national flag

    President Bola Tinubu has mourned the death of the man who designed Nigeria’s national flag, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, whose death was announced on Wednesday, August 30.

    In a statement issued by his special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the president noted that the flag designed by the late Pa Akinkunmi has survived as a legacy reflecting Nigeria’s best qualities, including fruitfulness and resilience.

    The statement read: “President Bola Tinubu conveys his deepest sympathy to the family of Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, OFR, who designed the national flag in 1958 and left a generational legacy, following his passing into glory at the age of 87.

    “President Tinubu condoles with friends, and associates of the retired civil servant, who dedicated his life to the service of the nation, sharing knowledge and experience with old and young, and inspiring many to think and act patriotically.

    Read Also: JUST IN: Designer of Nigeria’s flag Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi dies at 87

    “The President affirms that the Green and White flag is a legacy that has consistently reflected the fruitfulness, resilience, and harmony enjoyed by the nation, and the boldness and uniqueness with which Nigerians characteristically reach for and achieve success around the world.

    “President Tinubu believes Pa Akinkunmi lived and worked for the greatness of the country, and rests eternally with a place of honour in Nigeria’s history.”

  • Appoint Yerima into your cabinet, Ohanaeze Youths beg Tinubu

    Appoint Yerima into your cabinet, Ohanaeze Youths beg Tinubu

    The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, has called for the inclusion of the national president, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima into President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. 

    The group described Shettima as a unifying figure for all the youth organisations in the country,  saying that he would represent all shades of interests. 

    The Igbo youths made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday, signed by its National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike.

    Okwu said for several years now, Shettima has used his wealth of experience and great interpersonal relationship skill to douse tension across the country by always reaching out to the various youths during periods of crisis. 

    He said: “He has overtime devoted his life to the service of the country by championing peace and unity at all times. 

    “Alhaji Shettima, as the Board of Trustees, BoT, Chairman, Nigeria Ethnic Nationalities Youth Organisations, is one person who has effectively galvanised the various ethnic nationalities youth organisation, through which he always quells tension and disagreements among the various Nigerian societies. 

    Read Also: President Tinubu deeply concerned about Gabon coup – Ajuri Ngelale

    “His undying passion for the unity and development of the country has been quite visible and dates back to the days of the Military era,” Okwu stated.

    Ohanaeze youths, while urging President Tinubu to consider the Arewa Youth leader, noted that his inclusion into the federal cabinet would accommodate the interest of the various youth groups in the country.

    Okwu stated: “He is a mobilizer, a leader par excellence, and has the wherewithal to rally round all the restive youths in the country and make sure their feelings are assuaged. 

    “We have no doubt about his capacity; we assure Mr President that this is one decision he will not regret.”

  • President Tinubu deeply concerned about Gabon coup – Ajuri Ngelale

    President Tinubu deeply concerned about Gabon coup – Ajuri Ngelale

    President Bola Tinubu has expressed concern about the Wednesday coup in the Republic of Gabon in the West Coast of Central Africa.

    Military officers in Gabon say they have taken power and put the president, Ali Bongo, under house arrest, as the country becomes the latest in Africa to suffer an attempted coup, only weeks after mutinous troops seized power in Niger.

    Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing State House Correspondent in Abuja.

    He said that Tinubu would consult with other Heads of State and Government in the African Union on the Gabon crisis with a view to determining the way forward for the natural resource-rich country.

    ‘’President Bola Tinubu is watching closely with deep concern for the country’s social political stability and at the seeming autocratic contention apparently spreading across different regions of our beloved continent.

    ‘’The president as a man who has made significant sacrifices in his life in the course of advancing and defending democracy is of the belief that power belongs in the hands of Africa’s great people and not in the barrel of a loaded gun,’’ he said.

    Gabon is rich in natural resources such as timber, manganese and oil and it’s the fifth largest oil producing nation in Africa, which has helped drive its strong growth.

    The country’s oil sector now accounts for 50 per cent of its GDP and 80 per cent of its exports.

    Ngelale said the president affirmed that the rule of law and recourse to the constitutional resolutions and instruments of electoral dispute needed to be used in the matters of democratic challenges.

    ‘’To this end, the lresident is working very closely and continues to communicate with other Heads of States in the African Union.

    ‘’This is towards a comprehensive consensus on the next steps forwards with respect to how the power in Gabon will play out and how the continent will respond to contagious autocracy spreading across the continent,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that military officers announced the takeover of democratically elected government of Bongo on Wednesday after a disputed Tuesday election.

    They also announced the cancellation of recent election results and the dissolution of “all the institutions of the republic”.

    Read Also: 23 things to know about ousted Gabon President Ali Bongo

    The army officers are said to be meeting later on Wednesday to decide who would lead the transition authority.

    The Commonwealth has also expressed fear about the military takeover in the country with Secretary-General Patricia Scotland saying the situation was “deeply concerning”.

    “The Commonwealth Charter is clear that member states must uphold the rule of law and the principles of democracy at all times,” Scotland said.

    Tinubu also spoke with the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Tradeus on the Gabon crisis, where the two leaders agreed on the need for the safeguarding of democratic institution in the continent.

    Tinubu also urged African in Diaspora to continue to engage with global communities to extend the support for the democracy in the continenet.(NAN)

  • Tinubu assumed office amidst economic crisis, says monarch in Obi’s town

    Tinubu assumed office amidst economic crisis, says monarch in Obi’s town

    The traditional ruler of Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor, has urged Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Obodoakor, who is the monarch of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi’s town, spoke during the celebration of his community’s new yam festival.

    He stressed that the President inherited a comatose economy.

    Igwe Obodoakor told members of his community and visitors that he believed in the ability of the former Lagos State governor to surmount the current challenges facing the country.

    Read Also: Kanu: why I won’t beg Fed Govt for my release

    He said the President assumed office in the midst of an economic crisis, adding that the President needs the prayers and support of all Nigerians, irrespective of political, tribal, ethnic and religious affiliations, to turn things around.

    Igwe Obodoakor said: “Nigerians should be patient with the President. The President came to power when the country was already in an economic mess. There’s no doubt about it.

    “So, we need to follow him gradually to enable him fix the country properly for the good of all.”

    Commenting on recent ministerial appointments, he said: “It is unfortunate that the recent ministerial appointments did not favour the Igbo as one of the major tribes that have contributed a lot to the development of Nigeria.

    “The President should urgently look into it and make amendments by appointing more Igbo into his Cabinet for the sake of peace, unity, fairness and justice.”