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Buhari to Nigerians: Bear with us if we haven’t done enough
President Muhammadu Buhari has pleaded with Nigerians yet to feel the impact of his government to bear with the administration.
He spoke in Ilorin through the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, at a town hall meeting with traditional rulers, youths, students, organised labour, market women and other stakeholders on the #EndSARS protest and its aftermath.
The forum was attended by the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman, Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi; the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari, and other traditional rulers, representatives of market women, traders and other stakeholders.
In the President’s message delivered by the minister, he said the administration had the interest of the youths and the people in general at heart and was doing a lot to touch their lives.
The President said the government was constrained by dwindling resources occasioned by the impact of COVID-19 which also affected the global economy.
He said, “If we have not done enough or we have not touched everybody, we appeal that you please bear with us.
“In the first instance, what we have is less than 60 per cent of the revenue that was available to other governments that came before us.
“We all know what we suffered during COVID-19, and as we are just trying to recover from this we also faced another crisis.
“We appeal that you should please assist the government and be patient. This government is dedicated to serving the people and we will continue to try our best to do so.
“I thank you all for your perseverance, understanding and patience.”
The President said the administration had many initiatives targeted at creating jobs for the youth and alleviating poverty among women and vulnerable groups.
He said the government initiated a N75bn National Youth Investment Fund to provide opportunities for the youth.
He said the fund was part of the N2.3tn economic sustainability plan aimed at cushioning the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on most vulnerable Micro Small Medium Enterprises across the country.
The President said other initiatives targeted at the youths included N-POWER which had engaged 500,000 beneficiaries with 400,000 more in December.
He said 10,000 youths had been trained and benefitted under N-TECH and N-AGRO respectively.
The President said the federal government FINTECH created enabling environment for growth of businesses that use technology to enhance or automate financial services and processes.
He said over two million farmers, traders, mostly youths, were empowered under FARMERMONI, TRADERMONI and MARKETMONI.
The President said over 500,000 youths had also benefited from the Graduate Internship Scheme which provides short-term employment graduates.
He said 1,000 farmers from each of the 774 LGAs in the country were empowered and guided under the Youth Entrepreneurship Support programme.
Also, Governor Abdulrazaq thanked the President for the initiative of directing ministers to interact with the people at the state level.
He prayed for peace, unity and stability of the country.
Emir of Ilorin said the town-hall meeting was a good forum for the people to express their minds and grievances to government.
News
Don’t host US, French military bases in Nigeria, northern leaders warn Tinubu
Don’t host US, French military bases in Nigeria, northern leaders warn Tinubu
Prominent northern leaders have cautioned against allowing the United States and French governments to relocate military bases from the Sahel region to Nigeria.
The leaders in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly leadership urged the Federal Government to resist such pressure.
Those who signed the letter are Professor Abubakar Siddique Mohammed of the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training (CEDDERT), Zaria; Professor Kabiru Sulaiman Chafe, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, representing the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP), Kaduna; Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Professor Jibrin Ibrahim from the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Abuja; Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani) of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CCISLAC) Abuja; and Y. Z. Ya’u from the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Kano.
The letter highlighted reports of aggressive lobbying by the American and French governments targeting Nigeria and other Gulf of Guinea nations to enter new defence agreements allowing the redeployment of troops expelled from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
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Expressing concern, they cautioned that Nigeria, strategically positioned among the Gulf of Guinea countries, might yield to such pressure, compromising its defence and internal security.
“The recent expulsion of French and American troops from Niger due to their perceived ineffective presence raises questions about the efficacy of hosting foreign military bases,” they said in the open letter.
They also argued that the primary goal of these bases, ostensibly to combat terrorism in the Sahel, has not been achieved, as terrorism has only escalated since those camps were established.
“It is important to clearly state that there are only dangers and no gains from such military operations.
“The American operations in Niger Republic, for example, were ostensibly to pre-empt and uproot terrorists from the Sahel region. The result has so far been quite unimpressive if not a complete failure.
“It is apparent that the presence of American troops and other intelligence personnel in Niger Republic is not serving any useful purpose.
“This is for the simple reason that terrorism, far from diminishing, has risen dramatically since the US began its operations in the region,” they said.
The signatories warned against compromising Nigeria’s sovereignty and independence for short-term strategic alliances, highlighting potential adverse long-term consequences.
Moreover, they highlighted the negative impact of hosting foreign troops, including increased living costs and environmental degradation, which disproportionately affect lower-income populations and indigenous communities.
As of now, the presidency or the National Assembly have not publicly responded to the open letter.
Don’t host US, French military bases in Nigeria, northern leaders warn Tinubu
News
Osun kingship Tussle: Court stops coronation of Gov Adeleke-appointed king
Osun kingship Tussle: Court stops coronation of Gov Adeleke-appointed king
Just weeks after a court ousted a monarch chosen by Governor Ademola Adeleke, Justice Micheal Awe has halted the planned presentation of the staff of office to the second king of Iree, Oba Muritala Oyelakin.
In a sequence of events, two kings had emerged as the Aree of Iree in the Boripe local government area of Osun state after Adeleke disapproved of the appointment of Oba Ademola Ponnle by his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola, and instead selected Muritala Oyelakin as king.
This dual kingship sparked a crisis within the community, with kingmakers neglecting the traditional rites of Oba Oyelakin.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, May 5, the ceremony for presenting the certificate, instrument, and staff of office to Oba Oyelakin as the Aree of Iree was put on hold.
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Justice Awe, presiding over the State High Court in Ikirun, Osun State, issued a restraining order against Governor Adeleke, his administration, and four traditional chiefs, including King Oba Oyelakin, prohibiting them from proceeding with the staff of office presentation ceremony.
The order was issued in response to a lawsuit filed by Oba Ademola Ponnle, who sought to halt the ceremony. Justice Awe granted the request, emphasizing the need to maintain the status quo until further legal proceedings.
The court order forbids Oba Oyelakin from receiving any instruments or staff of office as the Aree of Iree or undergoing any formal installation until the matter is heard on Wednesday, May 8.
Osun kingship Tussle: Court stops coronation of Gov Adeleke-appointed king
News
We have added 625MW to national grid – Minister
We have added 625MW to national grid – Minister
The Federal Government has announced the addition of 625MW of power to the national grid, increasing the grid’s wheeling capacity to 4800MW.
Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser, Strategic Communications to the Minister of Power said this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
Mr Bolaji quoted the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu as saying this at the inauguration of the 63 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA), 132/33 Kilo Volt (KV )mobile station at Ajah, Lagos and at the inuaguration of 60MWA, 132/33KV Power Transformer in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi.
According to the minister, the pivotal project is a testament to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu towards transforming the Power sector in the pursuit of reliable and sustainable energy infrastructure for a better Nigeria.
Mr Adelabu said that the mobile substation being inaugurated was a strategic deployment aimed at improving the transmission capacity constraints by over 1300mv across the nation.
He spoke on the significance of the project and other equipment undergoing installation under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).
Mr Adelabu said that the mobile substations equally stands as a beacon of hope for businesses, household reliant on uninterrupted power supply, stopgap measure during maintenance and emergency.
He commended the collaborative efforts of the FGN Power Company, the German Government and Siemens Energy whose partnership has facilitated the production and installation of the substations.
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The minister also announced the remote inuaguration of a 60MVA power transformer at Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi.
“Together, these equipment will boost our transmission wheeling capacity by 123mw, thereby paving the way for enhanced electricity supply for all Nigerians”.
”I urgy all Nigerians to safeguard these vital installations against acts of vandalisation and sabotage,”he said.
Mr Adelabu noted that the success of governments initiatives hinges on collective responsibility.
He also called on the management of the Power Company and all stakeholders in the power sector to work with determination to ensure that the timelines set for projects delivery are achieved.
“Together, we will embark on a journey towards a brighter future for Nigeria, one powered by innovation, resilience and collective determination”, he said.
Earlier in his remarks, Kenny Anuwe, Managing Director of FGN Power Company said, ” as Nigeria continues its journey towards energy sufficiency and economic prosperity, initiatives like the PPI.
According to him, this underscores President Tinubu’s unwavering determination to deliver adequate electricity towards unlocking Nigeria’s full economic potentials.
Mr Anuwe assured of FGN Power Company’s commitment in driving progress and delivering tangible improvements in electricity access for all Nigerians in this transformative era in Nigeria’s power Sector.
Mr Tunji said that FGN Power was established by the Presidency as a special purpose vehicle (SPV), tasked with implementing the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) with Siemens serving as the technical partner.
We have added 625MW to national grid – Minister
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