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Buhari on a jamboree visit to Uzodinma, count Ndigbo out – Ohanaeze
Emmanuel Uzodinma
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, OYC, on Thursday berated Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State for linking Ndigbo to President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the State today.
Uzodinma had disclosed that Buhari would, apart from commissioning projects he completed in the State, meet with Igbo leaders and discuss issues affecting the zone.
But in a reaction, the President-General of OYC, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, said Uzodinma’s claims were big slight on Ndigbo.
He said it was insulting that a private visit to Uzodinma’s Imo Government could gradually turn into a visit to Igboland by Buhari.
The enraged youth group said, “we had wanted to hold our peace over the noise about President Buhari’s visit to Imo State but under the prevailing circumstances, we are compelled to set the record straight.
“We want to start by making it clear that President Muhammadu Buhari is not visiting Igboland today, but is rather coming to see Governor Hope Uzodinma on a private visit that has nothing to do with the good people of the Southeast.
“Having said that, it is also imperative to state that Ndigbo are not scheduled to meet with Buhari in Imo State to discuss any issue whatsoever. The reason is simple- at no point did Igbo leaders meet where a decision was taken for such a visit, let alone agreeing on issues to present to Buhari.
“Secondly, Uzodinma, who is number one enemy of Ndigbo, a man that has bluntly refused to protect our people, but is holding tenaciously to open grazing of cattle, is not and will never be a rallying point for Ndigbo.
“Having said this, he is on his own and is not in any way representing the interest of Ndigbo, but is merely receiving Buhari as his private guest, which he is entitled to.
“Any Igbo leader going there is not representing the interest of Ndigbo and we will regard such a person as an enemy of the people.
“What we will not tolerate is the habit of dragging Ndigbo into such a Jamboree. Ndigbo are not ass lickers, we are one of the three major tripods under which this country is standing and for that reason, we are not going to go cap in hand begging anyone for what is our due, including the 2023 presidency which is not negotiable.”
The youth group equally said it was not happy that the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, were popularizing Buhari’s visit by proclaiming sit-at-home in the entire Igboland.
“What is the essence of even contemplating a sit-at-home in the entire Igboland because Buhari is visiting Hope Uzodinma in Imo State? They have helped Gov. Uzodinma in giving the visit such a colouration that it is for the entire Igboland.
“If at all they must declare a sit-at-home, it should have been in Imo State because Buhari is not visiting Igboland. They should not make this kind of very costly mistake next time, it has given this visit undue popularity,” Okwu added.
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Under-pressure AIG Okolo says state police comment personal opinion, not IGP’s
Under-pressure AIG Okolo says state police comment personal opinion, not IGP’s
Inspector-General of Police in charge of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) at the Force Headquarters, Benjamin Okolo, may have been under pressure for saying Nigeria is not ripe for state police.
Since he represented the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, at a forum on Monday with former Nigeria’s presidents and leaders of thoughts, the statement was simply attributed to the IGP.
It was at a national dialogue on state police organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja.
Okolo however on Tuesday retracted the comment, saying he was not directed by IGP Egbetokun to disagree with the position of former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, and the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, on the issue of state police at the forum.
Okolo had also proposed that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) be merged to become a department under the police.
Newstrends had quoted Okolo as saying at the Monday forum, “It is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria police force that Nigeria is yet to mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police.
“In view of this, the police leadership rather is recommending the following instead of creating state police.
“First, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety to form a department under the Nigeria police.”
But in a U-turn, Okolo, at a press briefing at the Force Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday, said he only made the comment in his personal capacity to stimulate the discourse, and not the official position of the IGP and the police force.
He said, “My expressions on state police at the session held at Abuja Continental Hotel on 22nd April, 2024 are my personal opinion to stimulate the discourse.
“They are not the views of the Inspector-General of Police or the Nigeria Police Force.”
News
Shun politicking, FG tells new 17 Chargé D’affaires, Consuls General
Shun politicking, FG tells new 17 Chargé D’affaires, Consuls General
The Federal Government has advised newly appointed five new Chargé D’affaires and 12 Consuls General to the nation’s mission in other countries to shun politicking and focus strictly on their job.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, gave the charge while unveiling the new appointees on Tuesday.
He also charged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.
A statement by Alkasim Abdulkadir, the minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, gave these details.
While asserting that they were pivotal to the economic drive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tuggar further stressed that as seasoned career diplomats, they should recommit themselves to their calling of diplomacy for the collective interest and development of Nigeria.
Reacting on behalf of the new appointees, the just appointed Consul General for the Consulate in New York, Ambassador Abubakar Jidda, reiterated the commitment of his colleagues to uphold the ethos of the profession and pledged to bring the much-needed investments to the country.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the confidence reposed in them.
The new appointees are to resume immediately, the statement added.
FULL LIST:
Chargé D’affaires
Amb. Saidu Mohammed DODO, Damascus, Syria
Amb. Patrick Imoudu, IMOLOGHOME Pyongyang, Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea
Amb. Francisca Kemi OMAYULI
Singapore, Singapore
Amb. Babagana AHMADU
Bangui, Central African Republic
Amb. Mohammed MOHAMMED
Tripoli, Libya.
Consul General Conuslate
Amb. Auwalu Jega NAMADINA
Atlanta, USA
Amb. Nnamdi Okechukwu NZE
Bata, Equatorial Guinea
Amb. Francis Ntui ENYA
Douala, Cameroon
Amb. Gbadebo AFOLABI
Shanghai, China
Amb. Oludare Ezekiel FOLOWOSELE
Hong Kong, China
Amb. Abubakar JIDDA
New York, USA
Amb. Yakubu Audu DADU
Frankfurt, Germany
Amb. Taofik Obasanjo Coker
Buea, Cameroon
Amb. George Collins ONWUEKWE
Guangzhou, China
Amb. Umar Ibrahim BASHIR
Johannesburg, South Africa
Amb. Zayyan IBRAHIM
Dubai, UAE
Amb. Muazam Ibrahim Jibrin NAYAYA
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
News
Produce copy of invitation to me, Bello challenges EFCC
Produce copy of invitation to me, Bello challenges EFCC
The former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, refuted allegations that he disregarded an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the EFCC, Bello was summoned for interrogation on January 27 this year but failed to appear, leading to a declaration of him as a fugitive after an unsuccessful attempt to apprehend him at his Abuja residence.
In response to this claim, Bello’s media office issued a statement on Tuesday, challenging the accusations and urging the anti-graft agency to produce a copy of the invitation letter.
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The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a publication/press statement with the above title, issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, 22nd April, 2024, and signed by Wilson Uwujaren, its Acting Director of Public Affairs.
“In the said statement, which the Commission carefully circulated widely as usual, Mr. Uwujaren, who we have to believe is not a lawyer, continues the EFCC’s ongoing unconscionable lies against the former Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Yahaya Bello, CON, by labelling him as a fugitive from justice in order to disingenuously justify their established and willful pattern of defying lawful court orders.
“Contrary to Mr. Uwujaren’s claims, official records and court documents relating to their hounding of Alhaji Yahaya Bello establish a clear timeline of events. These documents are endorsed with dates and times of filing and payments, which are endorsed on court processes – all of which testify to the true sequence of events.”
The statement, signed by Ohiare Michael from Bello’s media office, dismissed the EFCC’s assertions and accused the agency of resorting to intimidation and harassment. It emphasized that while Bello respects the rule of law, he is not afraid of the EFCC.
Produce copy of invitation to me, Bello challenges EFCC
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