Gov Adeleke Reassures Osun People of Peaceful Saturday Polls

March 16, 2023

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke has called on Osun residents to troop out en-masse on Saturday, March 18, to cast their votes at the state elections, reassuring them of maximum security.

Speaking after the second State Security Council meeting today, March 16, in Osogbo, the Osun state capital, according to statement by his spokesman, Olawale Rasheed, the Governor said that the service commanders have concluded arrangements to secure lives and properties, warning hoodlums and political thugs to stay away from the state.

“Let me use this opportunity to warn agents of political violence to stay away from Osun State. Our security arrangements are water tight and there will be no hidden place for those plotting to disrupt the peace of the state.

“I have issued directive to the security chiefs to clamp down on anybody scheming to create mayhem. The service commanders will comb all criminal hideouts and flushout criminals who are targetting the election day for their trade. Election must be peacefully held in this state.”

The second security council meeting agreed on the following namely the mapping of hotspots ahead of the election, arrangements for voters and security identifications, joint patrol of trouble spots and intelligence sharing among the agencies.

The meeting was attended by heads of security agencies in the state including the police, the military, the para-military organisations among others.

Global Terrorism Index Ranks IPOB As 10th Deadliest Group In World

Editorial staff

March 16, 2023

The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) has ranked the Nigerian proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as the 10th deadliest terror group in the world

The GTI in its 2023 report, confirmed that with 40 attacks and 57 deaths in 2022, IPOB is considered the group’s deadliest year.

Recall that the separatist group was declared a terrorist organization by the federal government of Nigeria in 2017.

Some of the killings allegedly carried out by IPOB militants include those of an Army couple that were beheaded, different northerners in the South-East and numerous security operatives.

According to the GT reportI, published by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), an independent and Non-Profit Think Tank, IPOB is very dangerous.

Also, the Islamic state topped the ranking with 1,045 deaths and 410 attacks. Al- Shabaab ranked next with 784 deaths and 315 attacks while Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISK) recorded 498 deaths and 141 attacks; Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), 279 deaths and 77 attacks; Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), 233 deaths and 30 attacks.

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) ranked 6th with 219 deaths and 65 attacks followed by Boko Haram which is responsible for 204 deaths and 64 attacks.

The reports also showed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as recording 137 deaths and 90 attacks, followed by Islamic State – Sinai Province with 71 deaths and 27 attacks.

The report reads: “The impact of terrorism continues to decline in Nigeria; with total deaths falling by 23 per cent, decreasing from 497 in 2021 to 385 in 2022. The number of terrorist attacks in Nigeria also fell considerably, with 120 incidents recorded in 2022 compared to 214 in 2021. This is the lowest number of terror attacks and deaths since 2011.

“The military overtook law enforcement as the most targeted group in 2022. Military personnel were targeted in a quarter of all attacks, followed by civilians at 24 per cent, and law enforcement at 18 per cent. Despite this, half of all terrorism deaths in Nigeria in 2022 were civilians.

“Civilian deaths increased by78 per cent from 2021 to 196 deaths; while military deaths dropped considerably, falling 74 per cent from 2021 to 58 deaths in 2022. ISWA continues to be the deadliest terrorist group in Nigeria for the third consecutive year.

“The group’s lethality rate increased for the first time in two years, from just over three deaths per attack in 2021 to 3.7 deaths per attack in 2022. ISWA recorded its lowest number of attacks and deaths since 2020, at 57 attacks and 211 deaths in 2022, a decline of 28 per cent in attacks and 13 per cent for deaths when compared to the previous year.

“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), designated as a terrorist group by the Nigerian government in 2017,52 recorded their deadliest year in 2022. They were responsible for 40 attacks and 57 deaths in 2022, an increase from 26 attacks and 34 deaths the year prior. IPOB is a separatist movement with many factions, many of which are seeking a peaceful succession from Nigeria.

“Boko Haram’s attacks almost halved within the last year, while deaths attributed to the group increased slightly from 69 in 2021 to 72 in 2022. This is the lowest number of attacks by the group for over a decade.

“Attacks in the state also decreased from 91 to 48 respectively, a decrease of 47 per cent. ISWA is now the most prominent group in Borno State, recording 40 incidents that resulted in 168 deaths in 2022, compared to Boko Haram’s six incidents and 63 deaths.

“The state, however, remains the hardest-hit region in Nigeria for terrorism, accounting for 60 per cent of all terror-related deaths in 2022. The deadliest terror attack of the year occurred in Borno State, when gunmen killed 50 civilians who were accused of informing on the terrorists’ movements to security forces. ISWA claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted spies.”

Competence, Not Religious, Ethnic Groups, Will Earn You Place In My Govt – Tinubu

Editorial staff

March 16, 2023

“Whether your faith leads you to pray in a church or mosque will not determine your place in (my) government. Character and competence will.”

This was contained in a statement the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally issued today, March 16, 2023.

He noted that there has been talk of a government of national unity, but that his aim is higher than that.

“I seek a government of national competence. In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to ability and performance.”

The President-elect stressed that the day for political gamesmanship is long gone and he would assemble competent men and women and young people from across Nigeria to build a safer, more prosperous and just Nigeria.

“There shall be young people. Women shall be prominent. Whether your faith leads you to pray in a church or mosque will not determine your place in government. Character and competence will.

“To secure our nation and to make it prosperous must be our top priorities. We cannot sacrifice these goals to political expediencies. The whims of politics must take a backseat to the imperatives of governance.

“We have bridges and roads to build not just for commerce and travel but to connect people of different faiths, parties and different outlooks in harmonious dialogue and common purpose. We have families to feed not just to eliminate hunger but to nurture enlightenment, civic responsibility and compassion.

“We have jobs to create not merely to put people to work but to afford all a better standard of living by which families and communities are improved and democracy deepened. We have water to replenish not just to quench physical thirst but to ignite a thirst for creative and better solutions to society’s challenges. We have a nation to protect such that we eliminate danger and even the fear of danger. May all of our people be able to live their lives in the light of peace and the glow of broadening prosperity.

“An important step toward restoring economic normalcy has been taken by the Supreme Court’s decision on the parity of old and new notes . This restores both the rule of law and economic decency. But this is not the end of the story. It is merely the beginning of a more comprehensive solution to our economic challenges.

“Our Renewed Hope Action Plan outlines goals for greater economic growth in our cities and rural communities.

“We are committed to an economy of double-digit GDP growth, greater food security and one with a strengthened manufacturing base as well as an active digital economy where young people will have ample space to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.

“I realize that I am the servant of a larger purpose. As such, I have gone straight to work.

My team and I have been daily engaged in discussions and meetings, refining our ideas and policy solutions so that we can begin actively working toward the common good the very first day we assume office.”

Tinubu Cautions Atiku, Others, Against Dragging Nigeria Into Darkness Of The Past

Editorial staff

March 16, 2023

The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has cautioned his arch rival in the February 25 presidential election in the country, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and candidates of other political parties not to drag Nigeria into the darkness of the past

He said: “We have walked through the thick of the night to emerge into the light of brighter days to come. There is no good reason to retreat into the darkness of years past.”

In a statement he personally signed and released today, March 16, Asiwaju Tinubu recalled times in the past when governing institutions created more questions than they answered, but that the “arc of our political history gives me confidence that we can overcome that past.

“We must begin to repair and rebuild this national home of ours. There is time to complete the task, but time is also of the essence. We must not tarry or fret over the enormity of what we face.

“We are able of mind and body. Now, we must show the spirit and willpower to accomplish the historic things that lie within our grasp.”

The President-elect said that as the incoming President, he has since accepted the task before him

“There has been talk of a government of national unity. My aim is higher than that. I seek a government of national competence. In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to ability and performance.

“The day for political gamesmanship is long gone. I shall assemble competent men and women and young people from across Nigeria to build a safer, more prosperous and just Nigeria.

“There shall be young people. Women shall be prominent. Whether your faith leads you to pray in a church or mosque will not determine your place in government. Character and competence will.”

The full text of the statement, titled: Nigeria: “At the Cusp of Renewed Hope” is reproduced thus:

A fair, credible election has been held and has been won. The honor of that victory and the steep responsibility it entails has fallen on me. I say this not to gloat or boast because there is no room for such behavior. I merely state the facts as they are.

I realize many good and well-meaning Nigerians voted for other candidates. They are naturally disappointed that their favored candidate did not win. Other candidates have voiced their dissatisfaction, stating they will go to court to contest the election. This is inherent to the democratic process. We defend their right to seek legal recourse. While they exercise the legal rights afforded them in our democracy, I have set my course and mind on the leadership of this nation. We have important work to do and I am committed to getting that work done for the benefit of all the people, whether or not they voted for me or even voted at all.

This is not the time for continued acrimony and partisan recrimination. These negative things can incite strong passions; but they are not the pathway to a better nation. Only unity and national commitment can serve that purpose..

Critics of Nigeria have been too quick to conclude that our political system is fragmented because of the impressive showing of new parties and their candidates. These critics are wrong. The emergence of the new parties and their candidates underscores the dynamic strength of our democracy. People want democracy to work and they want to have their voices heard and interests met within it. This is a good thing to be promoted, not something to be feared.

What must concern us is not the growth of parties but the regrowth of old prejudices and bigotries such as ethnicity, creed and place of origin. As a nation and as individuals imbued with the love of God and of our fellow man, we are better than this. At some point we must decide whether we shall be enticed by the ills of the past or shall we more bravely and nobly be encouraged by the eminent prospect of a brighter future.

There have been times in our past when our governing institutions created more questions than they answered. But the arc of our political history gives me confidence that we can overcome that past. We have walked through the thick of the night to emerge into the light of brighter days to come. There is no good reason to retreat into the darkness of years past.

We must begin to repair and rebuild this national home of ours. There is time to complete the task, but time is also of the essence. We must not tarry or fret over the enormity of what we face.

We are able of mind and body. Now, we must show the spirit and willpower to accomplish the historic things that lie within our grasp.

As your incoming president, I accept the task before me. There has been talk of a government of national unity. My aim is higher than that. I seek a government of national competence. In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to abiilty and performance. The day for political gamesmanship is long gone. I shall assemble competent men and women and young people from across Nigeria to build a safer, more prosperous and just Nigeria. There shall be young people. Women shall be prominent. Whether your faith leads you to pray in a church or mosque will not determine your place in government. Character and competence will.

To secure our nation and to make it prosperous must be our top priorities. We cannot sacrifice these goals to political expediencies. The whims of politics must take a backseat to the imperatives of governance.

We have bridges and roads to build not just for commerce and travel but to connect people of different faiths, parties and different outlooks in harmonious dialogue and common purpose. We have families to feed not just to eliminate hunger but to nurture enlightenment, civic responsibility and compassion. We have jobs to create not merely to put people to work but to afford all a better standard of living by which families and communities are improved and democracy deepened. We have water to replenish not just to quench physical thirst but to ignite a thirst for creative and better solutions to society’s challenges. We have a nation to protect such that we eliminate danger and even the fear of danger. May all of our people be able to live their lives in the light of peace and the glow of broadening prosperity.

An important step toward restoring economic normalcy has been taken by the Supreme Court’s decision on the parity of old and new notes . This restores both the rule of law and economic decency. But this is not the end of the story. It is merely the beginning of a more comprehensive solution to our economic challenges.

Our Renewed Hope Action Plan outlines goals for greater economic growth in our cities and rural communities. We are committed to an economy of double-digit GDP growth, greater food security and one with a strengthened manufacturing base as well as an active digital economy where young people will have ample space to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.

I realize that I am the servant of a larger purpose. As such, I have gone straight to work.

This great project called Nigeria beckons to us all.

I ask that we work together as Nigerians for Nigeria. Those who voted for me, I ask that you continue to believe in our policies and plans for the country. I also ask that you reach out to your brothers and sisters who did not vote as you did. Extend to them the hand of friendship, reconciliation and togetherness. To those of you who did not vote for me, I ask you to believe in Nigeria and in the capacity of your fellow citizens, even those who voted differently than you. The better Nigeria I seek is not just for me and my supporters. It is equally yours.

I do not ask you to abandon your political preferences. That would be undemocratic. I do beseech you to answer the call of patriotic duty as the loyal opposition.

Remain loyal to the cause of a greater, more tolerant and just Nigeria. I too shall keep faith with this objective.

If we all play our proper roles, we shall begin the task of rebuilding our national home together, day by day, brick by brick notwithstanding our political differences.

As such, the victory of national progress will belong to all of us. The triumph of our nation’s democracy shall cite all of you as its very authors. This is how things should be.

Dear Nigerians, this is our country. This is our moment. We dare not wasting it. Nor do we back away to accept a lesser version of ourselves and of our collective fate. We can no longer be satisfied with calling ourselves the giant of Africa. We must devote ourselves to doing those great and historic things only a giant can do. As your president elect, I shall do my utmost in this regard for this is my sworn duty.

I call upon you to come bravely forth as well, not for me but out of abiding love of country and for the people who inhabit it with you. We are so much better than we have been. Now is the time to stand fast and have faith in what this nation can be.

I, for one, am standing. But this time, I shall not be the last or only one standing. Imagine how great we can be if over 200 million other souls stand with me. Let the world see a Nigeria that nothing can stop.

President -Elect, Federal Republic of Nigeria

March 16, 2023.

Meteorological Agency Warns Farmers Not To Plant Seed Yet Despite Early Rains

Greenbarge Reporters

March 16, 2023

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has warned farmers in Abuja and the adjoining North Central States who have experienced some rainfall in the last two weeks to desist from planting crops as the rainy season hasn’t commenced in these areas.

The Director General of NiMet Professor Mansur Matazu said that the rains that we have witnessed in Abuja and the environs are just a false onset and don’t represent the commencement of the rainy season.

“What happened in Abuja is a false onset as it was predicted in our Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) which we categorized as pre-onset activities. However, extreme southern coastal states like Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa, and a few other states have already reached their onset which we predicted was starting from March 3,” Prof. Matazu said.

“But for Abuja, it is pre-onset activities that are temporary. Farmers should use the opportunity to do land clearing and pre-raining activities. The onset for FCT is predicted to be from late April to early May depending in the local council.”

NiMet also warned pilots and the general public to be wary of thunderstorms and other hazardous weather events.

“NiMet predicted rainfall onset to be earlier than the long-term average in most parts of the country during the 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP).

“The onset is expected to start from the coastal states of Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom in early March, progressively followed by the inland states and the Central states.”

Broadcasting Commission Indicts 25 Over Announcement Of Unofficial Election Results

Greenbarge Reporters

March 16, 2023

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has announced the indictment of no fewer than 25 broadcast stations over alleged announcement of unofficial results of the Presidential election, held on February 25 thereby creating infractions of the law.

The NBC’s Director General, Balarabe Ilelah, who spoke to news men at a news conference yesterday, March 15, said that the affected stations were sanctioned in the course of monitoring the 2023 presidential and parliamentary polls, while 16 stations have been given a “final warning.”

According to him, one station was sanctioned for broadcasting the results of the election before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the results which contravened Section 5 (33) of the NBC Code.

He said that 17 stations were sanctioned for broadcasting partisan party content after the prescribed 24-hour stoppage time by NBC, while four stations have been sanctioned for divisive comments.

Balarabe Ilelah cautioned broadcast stations to adhere strictly to its broadcast code, the Electoral Act as well as other extant laws governing the coverage and reportage of the 2023 general polls.

The DG stressed the need for broadcast stations to be professional in the discharge of their duties.

National Population Census Shifted To May; N2.8 Billion Approved For NPC

Greenbarge Reporters

March 16, 2023

Population and Housing Census earlier scheduled to be held across Nigeria for March 29, has been shifted to May this year.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who dropped the hint yesterday in Abuja, said that the decision to reschedule the census was as a result of the rescheduled governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from March 11 to 18.

He said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the sum of N2.8 billion for the National Population Commission (NPC), to procure some software to be used for the conduct of the census.

“There was a memo presented by the National Population Commission, seeking for some software to allow them conduct the census in May this year.

”I believe because of the rescheduling of the elections, they cannot commence the census as scheduled.

“They sought council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8 billion.”

Presidential Election: Atiku Withdraws Motions Against Tinubu, INEC

Greenbarge Reporters

March 16, 2023

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has withdrew two motions challenging the election of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Cpongress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the February 25 election.

The two motions are motion on notice (number 13M) and motion ex parte (number 13MA) for substituted service on Bola Tinubu.

A statement by Paul Ibe, the media adviser to Atiku said: “When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, the two motions were withdrawn because they have been overtaken by events since access had already been granted on Tuesday to Atiku and PDP”

He recalled that the Court of Appeal had granted the request of Atiku and the PDP to be granted unfettered access to the INEC documents used for the presidential election.

“On the 10th of March, 2023 Atiku and PDP filed a motion (number 12M) ex parte and affidavit of urgency to ensure the implementation of the court order. The court, however, asked that they put Bola Tinubu,the All Progressives Congress APC and the INEC on notice. Consequently.”

“But on Tuesday at a conference meeting between lawyers of the PDP, LP, APC and INEC, access was eventually granted to the legal team of PDP by INEC.”

Paul Ibe said that it has become pertinent to make such clarifications “following insinuations and mischievous reporting of the withdrawal of the application for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant access to the legal team of the PDP.”

Facebook/Meta To Sack 10,000 More Workers For Its Effiency Policy

Greenbarge Reporters

March 15, 2023

Meta Platforms Inc. has planned to sack 10,000 more employees as it focuses on a “year of efficiency.”
The Facebook parent company announced its latest round of layoffs in a Tuesday morning note to employees that was also posted on the company’s corporate blog.
In November 2022, Meta announced plans to sack more than 11,000 in an initial round of cuts.
Meta shares were up more than 6% in late-morning trading Tuesday. “With less hiring, I’ve made the difficult decision to further reduce the size of our recruiting team,” Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said yesterday, March 14.
The company is set to inform recruitment team members about their status today, March 15 and will announce the impact on tech and business teams in April and May, respectively.
A current Meta employee said that he was bracing for the worst in the spring, when his division goes through cuts, adding to the uncertainty and fear gripping parts of the company.
Zuckerberg noted that Meta would also close about 5,000 additional roles that the company has yet to hire for.
“After restructuring, we plan to lift hiring and transfer freezes in each group,” he said.
Meta’s deeper cuts were initially praised on Wall Street, which is looking for bloated tech companies to rein in costs.
“The Year of Efficiency is becoming more efficient,” Evercore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney wrote on yesterday in a note that raised Meta’s price target to $305 from $275.
“With the new, lowered expense guidance, META is declaring that it can recover to growth with de minimis growth in expenses.”
Meta disclosed in its latest 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had 86,482 employees as of the end of 2022, though it also said that the “reported head count includes a substantial majority” of the 11,000 employees who were affected by the first round of layoffs.
Meta expected those employees to no longer be reflected in its head count by the end of the first quarter.
Technology companies including Meta went on massive hiring sprees during the height of the pandemic as the stay-home economy roared. But advertising spending has slowed since then, and Wall Street wants companies to be more disciplined with their costs.
Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Microsoft Corp., Salesforce Inc., and Zoom Video Communications Inc. are also shedding tens of thousands of jobs.
Meta initially planned to push forward with aggressive expense plans for this year, but the company’s spendthrift ways didn’t sit well with investors last fall, prompting Zuckerberg to pivot and announce the November wave of job cuts.
Since then, he’s espoused discipline even further, dubbing 2023 Meta’s year of efficiency in the company’s latest earnings materials.
The company has already lowered its 2023 expense forecast multiple times and did so again Tuesday.
Meta disclosed in a filing with the SEC that it now expects to incur $86 billion to $92 billion in total expenses this year, whereas its prior forecast was for $89 billion to $95 billion.
Prior to the first round of layoffs, Meta had been expecting $96 billion to $101 billion in total expenses for 2023.
Still, Meta continues to pour billions of dollars into developing virtual reality and augmented reality technologies essential to creating its vaunted metaverse. Meta’s Reality Labs division tasked with creating the metaverse lost about $13.7 billion in 2022 on $2.16 billion of revenue.
Source: MarketWatch

INEC Boss, Prof. Yakubu Advises Politicians To See Election As Contest, Not War

Greenbarge Reporters

March 15, 2023

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised political parties to consider the March 18 Governorship and States Houses of Assembly election in the country as a contest and not a war.

Professor Yakubu, who spoke today, March 14, at an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting, said:

“It is important for parties and candidates to speak to their agents and supporters to see the elections as a contest and not war.

“They should refrain from acts of violence that may mar the elections or compromise the security of our personnel, observers, the media and service providers,’’ Yakubu said.

The INEC Chairman commended the security agencies for their professional conduct during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly election.

He said that INEC looked forward for an improved performance in the Saturday’s election.

“The commission is encouraged by the directive to state Commands by the Inspector General of Police to handle all cases of electoral offences expeditiously.

“We look forward to receiving the case files. We will immediately set up a legal team to handle such cases in earnest,’’ Yakubu said.

Professor Yakubu called on political leaders to refrain from acts that may mar the election or compromise the security of INEC personnel, observers and other stakeholders.

He said that the governorship election would hold in 28 states, with the exception of Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun where the election was conducted off-cycle.

He added that the Houses of Assembly election would hold in all the 993 state constituencies across the country.

“Unlike the last elections involving 470 constituencies (one Presidential, 109 Senatorial Districts and 360 House of Representatives seats), the State elections will involve 1,021 constituencies (28 Governorship and 993 State Assembly seats).

“There will also be more candidates involved and more collation centres to protect. They are also local elections involving keen contests.”

In his remarks, the National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Major General Babagana Monguno, advised politicians to call their supporters to order to ensure peaceful conduct of Saturday’s election.

Mongonu said that individuals who has plans to undermine the election process must have a re-think or face the consequences of their actions.

“While commending the efforts of the various political parties and the individuals that participated in the last election, especially those of them that call for peace, I want to also urge individuals, especially at the state level, to demonstrate the same level of maturity.

“They should demonstrate the same level of discipline by calling their supporters to conduct themselves in a manner that is congruous with the expectations of the larger Nigerian society.

“Of course, there are channels for laying complaints and addressing these complaints.’’

Mongonu pledged that security agencies would continue to give support to all stakeholders in the election to exercise their franchise and responsibilities.

Commending professional conduct of security personnel in the last election, the NSA advised them to ensure that no individual took law into his hands in the Saturday’s election.

“So far, so good we do not envisage anything that’s going to be terrible or apocalyptic, in terms of the next few days.

“But that does not mean that we should all do away with our state of readiness. We must comply with the rules; we must also allow everyone to exercise their fundamental rights as citizens of this country.

“What we do not want to happen is for anybody to take the law into his or her own hands.’’

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