News
Army slams Gumi for accusing soldiers of supporting bandits
…says allegation meant to belittle soldiers’ sacrifices
The Nigerian Army has fired back at Sheikh Ahmad Gumi over his allegation that soldiers work with bandits.
The cleric known to have access to bandits had accused security personnel of colluding with bandits in the northern part of the country.
But in a statement on Wednesday, army’s spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, said while there might be some officers guilty of such accusations, the army does not condone acts of sabotage.
He said the allegation was a calculated attempt to denigrate the Nigerian military and undermine the sacrifices of patriotic troops, working tirelessly to restore peace and stability in the country.
“It is essential to remind ourselves that these same military being accused of connivance are the ones who recently put their lives on the line to rescue abductees of the Government Secondary School, Birnin Yauri, from kidnappers,” he said.
The army spokesman also said, “While the NA will not attempt to excuse the possibility of black sheep amongst its fold, it must be stated unambiguously that it will not condone any form of sabotage or aiding and assisting the enemy by any personnel.
“The provisions for dealing decisively with such acts are crystallised in Section 45 (1) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“It must also be pointed out, that while the military is very much receptive to constructive criticism, it should not be perceived as a gateway for derogatory comments that have the potential to embolden criminals.”
He urged opinion leaders not to be agents of destabilisation by aggravating the current security challenges facing the nation.
Nwachukwu stressed that troops would continue to conduct themselves professionally in consonance with the code guiding their operations in all combat engagements, as well as in line with global best practices.
He said, “Citizens are enjoined to continue to support military operations by providing useful information to defence and security agencies, and together we shall rid our society of these criminal elements.”
News
Electricity: Labour insists on picketing power regulator, distribution offices today
Electricity: Labour insists on picketing power regulator, distribution offices today
Members of organised labour announced on Sunday night that they would shut down offices of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Distribution Companies across the country.
They stated that the offices would be kept under lock and key until the Federal Government granted their request for a complete reversal of the electricity tariff increase.
According to reports, the commission increased the electricity tariff for Band A users from N65/kwh to N225/kwh.
The Federal Government later approved a marginal cut, which labour rejected, demanding a complete reversal.
READ ALSO:
- We lost N87bn to Lagos-Calabar Coastal road project – Eko Atlantic City owners
- Rivers: Pro-Fubara Assembly to screen commissioner-nominee today
- Woman jailed for forging late Abba Kyari’s signature
Last week, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its counterpart from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) warned the commission to reverse the hike by Sunday, May 12.
The movement also warned the commission to announce the stoppage of what it described as the “discriminatory practice” of segregating electricity consumers into arbitrary bands.
In an official notification sent to journalists on Sunday night, the head of information at NLC headquarters, Benson Upah, gave an update: Members of the movement would converge on Labour House by 7:00 a.m.
“NLC invites you to cover the picketing of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission headquarters in Abuja,” Benson said in the official notification sent to our correspondent last night.
Electricity: Labour insists on picketing power regulator, distribution offices today
News
We lost N87bn to Lagos-Calabar Coastal road project – Eko Atlantic City owners
We lost N87bn to Lagos-Calabar Coastal road project – Eko Atlantic City owners
South Energyx Nigeria Limited, owners of the Eko Atlantic City in Lagos, is bemoaning the loss of about N87 billion, an estimated cost of the reclamation/sand filling it did to the realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.
He lamented the wrong narrative where the public is meant to believe that Eko Atlantic City further reclamation would eventually turn their beach to dry ground, thus dressing them in the cloak of aggressors in the eyes of the public.
Akanbi said: “To put the records straight, we are the victims here and not the aggressors, as we are made to look like.
“The Federal Government, shifted the right of way (ROW) of the coastal road, bending it into the land reclaimed by us legally to save some valuable structures at the Landmark Centre.”
Akanbi said the Water Corporation Road was the original alignment government planned to use but they later realised that if they start from that end, by the time they get to where Queens Event Centre is, the demolition would be more massive than what we have.
He added: “The government in their wisdom committed themselves to less demolition. In fact, there is hardly any serious demolition right now in the sense that what has happened really is not like any of the structure of Landmark is affected; what has been consumed is the beach.
READ ALSO:
- Rivers: Pro-Fubara Assembly to screen commissioner-nominee today
- Woman jailed for forging late Abba Kyari’s signature
- Fubara can’t change House of Assembly venue – Falana
“Our position is that, you did not even own the beach, where you are using today, as the beach is part of our land -Eko Atlantic city – and that ideally you should be paying us money but we have not asked you for any money because we were not in need of the land then.
“Now, what the Federal Government has even done is to save some of the structures because they said if they go by their original alignment, it will consume part of the Event Centre and the Mall. What this means is that Eko Atlantic City itself will suffer loss of land because the coastal road now enters into the land of Eko Atlantic City. ‘‘
“You know two parties are involved now, there is the federal government’s coastal road, there’s is Eko Atlantic City by the South Energyx, and because they shifted the ROW, the road now enters into our Eko Atlantic city, meaning that we are losing N87 billion for all the land that we reclaimed to sell to Developers which the Coastal highway has encroached on”.
“Again, another point that should be validly made to owner of Landmark Centre is that the beach he is claiming to ownership of is that by the time the Eko Atlantic City sand fills, and reclamation gets to that place, there would be no beach again. So, whether he like it or not, now or in the near future, that beach will not be there again”.
News
Rivers: Pro-Fubara Assembly to screen commissioner-nominee today
Rivers: Pro-Fubara Assembly to screen commissioner-nominee today
The factional House of Assembly led by speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, has invited a commissioner-nominee, Danagogo Iboroma, for screening and confirmation as a member of the state executive.
Gillis-West asked Iboroma to appear at the Hallowed Chamber, Rivers State House of Assembly, Auditorium, Admin Block, Rivers state government House Port Harcourt.
Iboroma was asked to appear with 10 sets of his CVs, photocopies of his credentials and the original.
Rivers: Pro-Fubara Assembly to screen commissioner-nominee today
-
Sports2 days ago
EPL: Man City go top after thrashing Fulham
-
metro2 days ago
Why I claimed Ooni is my father – Man recants, apologises (+ VIDEO)
-
News5 hours ago
Obasanjo to Gov Adeleke: Don’t leave dancing but ensure you work
-
News2 days ago
Rivers crisis may truncate Nigeria’s democracy, remember ‘Operation Wetie’ – Bode George warns
-
News2 days ago
British High Commission shuns Prince Harry, Meghan ceremonies in Nigeria
-
News1 day ago
Aisha Yesufu under fire for celebrating naira fall
-
News1 day ago
Minister inspects Nigeria-assembled CNG buses, says transport costs to drop
-
News18 hours ago
Rivers: Wike’s loyalists protest in Port Harcourt against Fubara