Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has lectured over 100 students on numerous benefits attached to hard work.
The minister spoke today, February 21, while presenting various gifts to the students and their teachers who performed excellently well at national and international competitions, including essays, quizzes and debates, in the year 2022.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Olusade Adesola, the minister said that their successes at the competitions could not have come without hard work and dedication.
“We have the awardees cutting across all the age brackets in the school system. This speaks volume as to the capability of our teachers and the good work you are doing.
“That is why some of our teachers also received awards because the system has come to realize and appreciate the fact that the students did not become what they are without the teacher.”
Muhammad Bello reminded the students that commitment and hard work are key to every success in life and advised them to hold on to such attitude for their overall success even after school.
“Always remember that you can attain a lot of benefits by working hard and it always pays to work hard.”
In his address, the Secretary for Education in the ministry, Malam Sani Dahir El-Katazu thanked the Administration for providing unfettered support for the Education Secretariat.
He said that the achievements were possible because the FCT Administration prioritized the welfare of teachers and provided the needed support for the growth and development of education in the FCT.
The Secretary explained that the awards were won by over 100 students and teachers in various fields of academics, social and sporting activities, adding that the award winners emanated from both public and private schools in both senior and junior categories.
“We felt it is our duty to bring them up to the leadership of the FCT for recognition so that we may get the encouragement for them to do better in future competitions.”
Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Master Anyanwu Lofty John from Loyola Jesuit College, first prize winner of the 774 Young Nigerian Scientist Presidential Award, also attributed their successes to the efforts of their teachers, parents and other support systems within the FCT that have helped to raise their potential.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made it clear that the N500 and N1,000 notes are no longer legal tenders anywhere in the country, describing as fake news, a report making the rounds that it had extended the validity of the notes to May 1st. A statement today, February 21 by the apex Bank’s Director of Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi said that CBN never gave such directive anywhere. The fake report quoted a statement purportedly issued by Nwanisobi, to have said: “Due to the current and unpleasant situation in Nigeria, in line with Mr. President, after having a closed meeting with him on the 20th of February, 2023, Central Bank of Nigeria has been directed to only reissue and recirculate the old N200, N500, and N1,000.” The apex bank, simply stamped “FAKE NEWS” in capital letters and in red colour on the fake news to catch public attention on it. In the official statement, the CBN insisted that it is working in total compliance with President Buhari’s directive on the reissuance of only the old N200 notes into circulation as legal tender from February 10 to April 10, 2023.
Horatius Egua, Senior Adviser on Media and Communications to Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Tmipre Sylva, has apologized for a statement he issued on pipeline theft and vandalism as responsible for the losses of crude. The minister’s media aide, yesterday, February 20, issued a statement on the subject matter: Theft, pipeline vandalism responsible for volumes of crude losses. Retracting the statement today, February 21 after the news has been published in many media platforms, Horatius Egua said that the statement was a draft which should not have been released to the media for publication as it did not get the clearance of the Minister of State Chief Timipre Sylva. He explained that the statement was not released “to denigrate the reputation of the head of any agency or government official or to dispute the figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). It was released in error. “I apologize for any discomfort or inconveniences the statement may have caused by its release.”
It has taken me more than six months to finally write this article on Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the oncoming 2023 general elections, for some personal reasons. I have written the profiles of virtually all the major presidential candidates and strangely I was surprised that despite having had a few memorable encounters with Peter Obi, Ihad only merely mentioned his name in passing as a bridge-builder across the Niger in an article I once wrote in June 2017, which is titled: Between Nigerian Igbos and Biafran Agitators A Northerners Perspective. I recall writing _”Between Obasanjo, Atiku and the Media” in August 2003 on the current presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on how the press had fuelled his altercation with his then principal President Olusegun Obasanjo. On the presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, I wrote _ Between Jonathan and Kwankwaso in November 2013, in which I disclosed the hallmarks of his administration as the governor of Kano as the provision of scholarships, entrepreneurship skills and massive housing to the people, while equally embarking on ambitious road building projects throughout the state. On the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, my article, _ Sowore of Sahara Reporters for President, written in April 2018, highlighted how he not only supported but equally protected me during a very difficult period in my life. I further emphasised in the piece how Sowore was in the habit of utilising his media platform,SaharaReporters to promote human rights and fight against corruption, coupled with the dictatorial tendencies of people in power. And just last year, precisely in January 2022, before the primary election, I wrote a tribute to Ahmed Bola Tinubu, who subsequently became the presidential candidate of the APC, 2023: Bola Tinubu and his Loyal Boys in Government,_ in which I underlined his dogged and fighting spirit, alongside his strong reputation for building people by affording them unusual opportunities to succeed in the public space, which in turn informs their unwavering loyalty to him. It was two months after that article on Tinubu, in March 2022, that I had encounters with two respected spymasters at different times and in different locations: one of them is currently serving as an intelligence chief, and the other, a retired security czar, with both of them surprisingly from Northern Nigeria. Our discussions were on potential presidential candidates from the South-East. In addition, we discussed the activities of the self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed secessionist movement, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who had then suddenly emerged as the most adored and prominent figure in Igboland. Kanu is so revered in Igboland that when he issued orders, his followers and the generality of the people in the South-East obediently obeyed this. Apart from ordering sit-at-home actions on what should be working days, Kanu, who called Nigeria a “zoo” in his online broadcasts and regularly insulted other ethnic groups in the country, championed a secessionist campaign for the independent Republic of Biafra, by inciting violence and promoting vile anti-Nigeria sentiments. When he was first arrested on the 14thof October, 2015, on a charge bordering on terrorism, he was later granted bail on health grounds on the 25thof April 2017. However, he breached the bail conditions and fled abroad. While in self-exile, Nnamdi Kanu intensified his subversive campaigns against Nigeria, using the online Radio Biafra to instigate violence and incite members of IPOB to commit violent attacks on civil and democratic institutions and personnel in Nigeria, particularly officials of security agencies, in addition to those of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and civilians. The Eastern Security Network (ESN), an armed wing of IPOB, continues to carry out subversive activities against the Nigerian State till date, under the moniker of unknown gunmen. During the EndSARS protests in October 2020, apart from inciting his followers to assault security personnel and facilities, he threatened some Yoruba leaders, after which mobs desecrated and looted the Palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, who had to be rescued and evacuated from the palace by security agents. To the joy of many Nigerians who believe in peaceful coexistence, were deeply disturbed by his violent rhetoric and instigation of insurrection against Nigeria, Nnamdi was successfully intercepted on Sunday, 27 June, 2021, through the collaborative efforts of Nigerian intelligence and security services and brought back to Nigeria to continue his trial in court. During my encounters with the security chiefs, we discussed the likely aspirants who could emerge as presidential candidates from the then anticipated primary elections of the political parties. Meanwhile, two platforms that I run, PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, have weekly and monthly security and intelligence reports that we submit to clients which include security services. The analysis of one of these platforms reveals that politically, Peter Obi and Professor Pat Utomi appear as highly acceptable faces to Igbo youths and a host of other Nigerians at the moment. The significant rise of Peter Obi to national political reckoning, with the possibility of a real shot at the presidency, certainly has the capacity to assuage the feeling of many Igbos pertaining to their deeply perceived marginalisation in the country, while also promoting political inclusiveness. In fact, intelligence shows that Peter Obi did his homework in traversing critical Nigerian states, where he consulted with the right people before announcing his presidential aspiration. Apart from retired military security officers, he also engaged with traditional institutions and other political stakeholders, after which it was not surprising that he picked his running mate, Yusuf Datti, from a very reputable scholarly and political family in Northern Nigeria Along the way, before his campaign had garnered formidable traction, there were suggestions to him about alliances and mergers as he set out on the LP ticket, besides those who strongly believed that he ought to have stayed in PDP as running mate to Atiku Abubakar, after which he could have then aspired for the presidency in 2027. Possibly the need to avoid an attritive slugfest with the overbearing Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the PDP made him jettison that advice, which has all turned out better for him, as he embarked on his own electoral trajectory not necessarily for the February election, but definitely in future. And, for those who have had the good fortune of encountering him, Peter Obi is not only stupendously wealthy and more so highly philanthropic towards good social causes, but he is also yet extremely simple and humble, unlike the typical rich Igbo folks and celebrities. PRNigeria has had reason to run some fact-checks that cleared a number of weighty allegations levelled against him. Equally, I can personally testify to the fact that Peter Obi has many enviable qualities. In 2008, as Governor of Anambra State, he had physically attended the launch of the Emergency Volunteer Group in Awka, which was hosted by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), where I was then the spokesperson. The director of NEMA, AVM Mohammed Audu-Bida (Rtd) was amazed by his punctuality at the occasion, and the very unusual act of going around with a very light entourage, unlike most Nigerian governors. I noticed the same punctuality when he arrived earlier than the organisers of the first annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos in August 2017. As the guest speaker at the event, he had cautioned that the borrowing spree of the Buhari administration, coming with the figurative dangerous banana peels, could drag the country further down into financial turmoil, alongside its attendant stress on the naira and the national economy at large. Even after emerging as the presidential candidate of LP, Peter Obi has neither been pompous nor arrogant. While going about the country in his energetic campaign, he can be described as a class act, who doesn’t insult or use foul language against any of his political opponents, unlike his fanatical fans. Even when his motives were either misread or misconstrued, and he became a subject of disparaging commentary by the opposition, for instance by his brother and his friend, Governors Charles Soludo of Anambra and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Peter Obi was more measured and circumspect in his response. Like one incapable of saying ill things about anyone, he spoke kind words back to those attacking him. Even when his motives were either misread or misconstrued, and he became a subject of disparaging commentary by those in opposition to him for some reasons, for instance by his brother and then his friend, Governors Charles Soludo of Anambra and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Peter Obi is more measured and circumspect in his response. Like one incapable of saying ill things about anyone, he spoke kind words back to those attacking him. That could not be said of some ill-mannered supporters. Obi is neither lousy nor garrulous, like some of the so-called Biafran freedom fighters and intellectuals, who engage in primitive, vicious, and violent crusades in the effort to draw attention to their need to secede the Southeast region from Nigeria, to form the Republic of Biafra. While the Biafran agitators, especially the followers of Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB/ESN, glorify and adopt violence as the only form of achieving their dream of an independent nation, they continue on the less-than-noble path of insurrection, characterised by the lack of finesse and civility in utterance and actions of the unknown gunmen that insist there wouldnt be elections in South-East, Similarly, there is equally an insular strain of fanatical Obidients, who see in Peter Obi nothing beyond an Igbo project for seeking redress to the considered marginalisation of Igbo from the Nigerian presidency, with their dispositions being brash, uncouth and entitled. Despite these, Peter Obi and his Nigerian supporters believe in dialogue and engagement with the democratic process towards the building of a better country, whose fault lines can be healed. They are the patriotic Nigerian Obidients whoare mature, responsible, and see the need for a country in which the whole will always be definitely greater than any of its individual parts, hence the democratic process is a tool towards achieving greatness for all. As we brace up for the reality of exercising our franchise to elect a president in the next couple of days, I am solidly persuaded that fake prophesies, social media attacks, unscientific opinion polls, religious sentiments, and ethnic bigotry would not determine the outcome of the election but the formidable appeal and groundwork of the candidate who the people are already sold on to, and whose networks will be able to rally across our different divides in Nigeria. It is undeniable that ethno-religious campaigns have fouled the air and unfortunately become a major determining factor in the forthcoming presidential election. While an Igbo from the South-East, a Yoruba Muslim from the South-West and a Northerner from the North-East have never held the office of Nigerian president, Peter Obi, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and Atiku Abubakar are the main gladiators in the next presidential election. As other prominent stakeholders in the Nigeria project have declared, I enjoin our political parties and their supporters to adhere to electoral rules and be willing to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship, whenever the outcome of the election is announced. Then the Nigerian people would have truly spoken. _*Yushau A. Shuaib, is founder of PRNigeria and Economic confidential*_
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has accused governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of preparing the ground for anarchy in the country through their utterances over the naira redesign.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, the PDP candidate, sympathized with Nigerians over the hardship they were facing over the naira scarcity, which was having unintended consequences.
Atiku said that the inciting comments by some APC governors wherein they threatened to shut banks rejecting the old notes had emboldened rioters to burn down commercial banks.
He said that Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who had threatened to revoke the certificate of occupancy of banks rejecting the old notes, was acting like a dictator, and this had evoked rebellious actions.
“The President made it clear that the old N1,000 and N500 notes are no longer legal tender. Those who are dissatisfied with the President’s proclamation should go to court rather than resort to self-help. Two wrongs do not make a right.
“Governor Dapo Abiodun, who is the number one citizen of Ogun State, ought to know better. However, he has been threatening to revoke the C of O of banks that obey the President’s proclamation. This act of defiance has evoked rebellion, hence the riots and burning of banks in Sagamu, Abeokuta, and Mowe.”
Atiku knocked the All Progressives Congress chapter in Ogun State for distributing old notes to voters ahead of the election as seen in viral videos.
“In viral videos all over social media, agents of Governor Abiodun could be seen sharing the old notes in envelopes branded with the governor’s picture, convincing the supporters that the notes remain legal tenders contrary to the CBN policy.
“It is obvious that Governor Abiodun’s concern has nothing to do with the pains of the people. It is only because of the inability of his party to buy votes. If we may ask, where did the APC in Ogun State get the old notes that are no longer in circulation? These are funds that were stashed for vote buying.”
The PDP candidate noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had accused APC chieftain, Adams Oshiomhole, of sponsoring the riots in Benin, which he said was clear evidence that the APC was behind the riots.
“Oshiomhole is one of the biggest critics of the naira redesign policy. It is not surprising that Governor Obaseki, who is the chief security officer of the state, has established that Oshiomhole is behind the riots. The APC really needs to stop provoking these riots.”
Atiku also knocked Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai; and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State for trying to provoke civil disobedience in their states.
“The APC and their governors do not love the masses. Their only grouse is their inability to buy votes because of this policy. Nigerians must not be deceived by these unscrupulous politicians.”
He called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and other security agencies to infiltrate the ranks of those staging riots with a view to identifying their sponsors.
He said that the ultimate goal might be to force the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the election on the grounds of insecurity.
“With elections less than five days away, the ultimate goal of the sponsors of these riots may be the postponement of elections. We commend the military and the police so far for curbing some of these riots.
“However, we call on them to go a step further by identifying their sponsors.”
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva has announced that measures are currently being taken to bring sanity to the oil sector which, according to him, has long being bedeviled by theft, pipeline vandalism and decayed infrastructure.
In a statement today, February 20, by his Senior Adviser, Media and Communications, Horatius Egua, the minister said however that despite the challenges, the Federal Government is determined to end the trend.
Chief Sylva stressed that the Federal Government is poised to end the trend through improved investments and security along the major oil and gas pipelines in Niger Delta region.
According to him, contrary to reports that about 40 per cent of the volumes of crude losses are due to measurement inaccuracies, the major sources of crude oil losses are theft, pipeline vandalism and production deferment as a result of pipeline non-availability.
“It is a known fact that the major losses of crude oil in the country have been through theft and destruction of oil pipelines. Again, we also know that some of the oil infrastructure are old and decayed and cannot perform at maximum capacity.
“And there is also the issue of lack of investments in fossil fuel in the country and the drive towards renewable energy has really hampered new investments in this sector.”
He emphasized that the problem associated with crude oil losses are systemic issues that the government is already handling with a view to finding permanently solutions to.
The minister, therefore, called on the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to harmoniously work together.
This, he said, would ensure that the constraints and impeding challenges in the optimal crude oil production volume were speedily addressed to boost national revenue.
He insisted that the Federal Government cannot continue to lose revenue through perceived lapses in crude oil production, especially at this very critical period of scarce revenue for the nation.
The minister said that this is not the time to dwell on the mistakes of the past or engaged in needless blame games but a time to work to close all existing leakages to enable government get maximum benefits from its crude oil and gas assets.
While expressing satisfaction at the improved security along the major oil pipelines in the region, Sylva called for sustained efforts by all concerned to maintain maximum crude oil production.
“We are very confident that Nigeria will achieve two million barrel per day crude oil production target very soon.
“The government is doing everything possible to get to where we should be and everyone is working hard to achieve this.”
The Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has described his opponent in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDPD), Atiku Abubakar as being inconsistent and opportunistic in matter relating to the redesign of the nation’s naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Tinubu said that Atiku had earlier hailed the CBN policy to high heavens when he initially thought it was a policy deliberately designed to stop him from becoming the next elected president of Nigeria.
“Atiku called on President Muhammadu Buhari and CBN Governor to ensure strict implementation of the policy and the deadline of 31 January because in his and party’s short-sightedness and gross miscalculation, Tinubu was the prime target.
“Atiku’s position exploded on his face when the unintended consequences of the CBN policy manifested in its full ramifications and crippled the entire populace.
“Atiku capitulated and sought to claim some credit by asking the CBN to ‘slightly shift’ the deadline of 31 January 2023.”
Tinubu, in a statement today, February 20, by Director of Media and Publcicty of his Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Bayo Onanuga, said that the CBN and the Federal Government “to which Atiku and his party have suddenly become the cheer leaders listened to all the voices of reason and shifted the deadline for the currency swap till 10 February.
“On 1 February, Atiku took another public position, asking the CBN not to shift the deadline again”
He quoted Atiku as having written that “there should be no further postponement of the new Naira regime after the expiration of the February 10 deadline. The vote riggers are seeking to push the CBN to extend till after the election when they would have achieved their evil plots. The CBN and the Presidency should be steadfast. The merits of the new Naira policy far outweigh the little inconvenience we are experiencing.”
Tinubu said that as all Nigerians can now attest, the 10 February deadline also proved grossly inadequate.
“Governors of the APC challenged it in the Supreme Court and got an interim order asking the CBN to allow the old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes to remain legal tender with the new notes.
“Amid the widespread misery and the currency scarcity that the Naira swap policy created for Nigerians, Atiku’s position proved once again an egregious miscalculation and clearly anti-people
“But with just five days away from the presidential election, Atiku wants to cash in on the mood of the country with his latest faux empathy. He is now asking CBN to allow Nigerians to deposit their N500 and N1000 old notes in commercial banks, after thousands of desperate Nigerians jammed the CBN offices in Lagos and other places, hoping to deposit their old currency and get the new notes.
“It is generally a bad time for poor and hapless Nigerians as currency scarcity has become the norm. The chameleonic politician forgot that he once described the suffering our people are going through some ‘little inconvenience”.
“We recognise Atiku’s desperation to be President and like chameleon, this unprincipled and unstable politician will change positions on any issue as long as he thinks it will help his perennial ambition.
“Nigerians should run away from Atiku. A man like the PDP candidate with no strong conviction and strength of character cannot offer the kind of leadership our country needs.
“Nigeria needs a consistent and steady leader who will stand firm and upright when it is convenient and when it is not convenient. Asiwaju Tinubu is that kind of leader and he has demonstrated that by his principled stand on the current crisis. He has also offered a six-point solution to get the country out of the current morass.”
All Dana Airline five planes are currently grounded due to maintenance, engine-related issues and other scheduled checks.
It was gathered that the grounded planes, which account for 100 percent of the carriers aircraft, are not available to fly, creating serious challenges against the backdrop of an already hostile cost environment and contributing to increased losses.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in July 2022, suspended the air transport license and air operator certificate of the airline for several operational infractions.
Investigation revealed that Boeing 737-3H4 (WL) with Registration Number 5N-DNB is currently out of the country for scheduled maintenance checks.
Boeing 737-3H4 (WL) with registration number 5N-DNA is presently parked at the 7 Star hanger due to an operational fault.
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (DC-9-83) with registration number 5N-JOY and another aircraft with registration number 5N-SAI are presently not operational due to checks and other faults.
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (DC-9-82) with registration number 5N-BKI was last seen at the Air Force hanger for checks and technical issues. The airline risk being grounded again by the NCAA for operating less than two aircrafts.
The 6th plane of the airline a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 with registration number 5N-DEV has been scrapped with no engines.
Meanwhile, information available to this newspaper indicates that the airline is working to exchange an engine to fit inside the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (DC-9-82) 5N-BKI.
In a letter addressed to the Accountable Manager, Dana Airlines Limited Dana, Isolo, Lagos, dated July 20, 2022, NCAA while suspending its operations last year in Nigeria, reminded it that the Authority recently sanctioned it and its personnel for maintenance violations.
The letter, signed by Captain Musa Nuhu, the NCAA Director General, was copied to the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika.
The letter read: “While Dana Air was fined a total sum of N30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million Naira), which it had not been able to settle till date due financial constraints, the AME Licence of Dana Air’s erstwhile Director of Maintenance was revoked for making false statements and false entries in the technical logbooks of the aircraft, 5N-SAI and 5N-JOY.
“The AME Licence of Dana Air’s Quality Inspector was suspended for sixty (60) days and the AMEL Validation of one of Dana Air’s expatriate Maintenance Engineer was also suspended for sixty (60) days, for maintenance violations.
“The Authority is convinced that Dana Air and its personnel deliberately violate the provisions of the Nig.CARs relating to safety and therefore the Airline is no longer in a position to conduct safe operations.
“The cumulative and apparent deliberate violations of the Nig.CARS, as indicated above, by DANA Air employees, especially several key post holders is indicative of a toxic corporate safety culture within the organization. This, in conjunction with report of the Financial and Economic Health Audit, is a good indication that safety and security of Dana’s flight operations are under serious threat and can no longer be guaranteed.
“Consequently, the Authority, pursuant to Section 35 (2), (3) (b) and (4) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2006, hereby suspends indefinitely, effective midnight on Wednesday 20th July 2022, the Air Transport Licence (ATL) and Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued to Dana Airlines Limited.
“Please recall that, in line with the provisions of Section 30 (4) (b) and (r) and Part 18.10.1 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), the Authority, in the month of June, 2022, carried out a Financial and Economic Health Audit of Dana Airlines Limited (Dana Air) for the years ended 31st December 2018 to 31st December 2021 and for the period 1st January 2022 to 31st May 2022.
“The audit found that: Dana Air will not be able to meet current obligations as they fall due without resorting to more borrowings/debts, as the current liabilities far exceed the current assets. This is a red flag on the Airline’s ability to finance current obligations.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has raised alarm over the report by the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) placing Nigeria as the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of 32 percent of children under five.
He said that an estimated two million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), with only two out of every 10 children affected being reached with treatment.
“Seven percent of women of childbearing age also suffer from acute malnutrition.”
Professor Osinbajo spoke today, February 20, at a virtual meeting of the National Council on Nutrition, where he observed with concern that the lives of young people and the future of the country depend largely on the collective efforts by public and private sectors towards improving human nutrition outcomes across the country. “If we don’t make these efforts and do it seriously, the sheer number of our children whose mental and physical development would be stunted would be mind-boggling, and I think that we must not allow a situation where in the years to come, we are asking ourselves whether we couldn’t have done better.”
“I am very concerned that we do not allow bureaucracy to get in the way of the real efforts that ought to be made. This is a point that I think we must make again and again; we cannot afford to allow bureaucracy and some rules to get in the way of actually making the impact that we need to make.”
Osinbajo stressed the significance of having these Departments of Nutrition in all relevant MDAs, saying: “we must not lose sight of the fact that it is a historic responsibility for us and for coming generations that we do something significant, something that can be built on for those who are coming behind us. “We must all come together and work hard on this issue of getting the department within the MDAs and ensuring that every MDA has a Department of Nutrition so that we can make individual impact and of course, the collective impact that we need to make.” The Vice President also highlighted the need for the incoming administration to place Nutrition at the top of its agenda. “I had a meeting last week with the technical advisory group of the Council and this was one of the issues that emerged, that we need to do something, to ensure that the incoming administration sees this also as a priority. “And we have undertaken to do that to ensure that the Incoming administration is sufficiently sensitized through the transition council and through other formal and informal means.” Professor Osinbajo also called for more public sensitization and awareness drive on the efforts of the Council in improving nutritional outcomes nationwide.
It would be recalled that following the recommendations of the Council, a Presidential directive was given in March last year for the establishment of Nutrition Departments in all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government. At the meeting today, the Vice President further mandated relevant public service officials to follow up on the issue for implementation of the directive. The virtual meeting was attended by Federal Ministers, Heads of Agencies of Government, development partners, and members of the private sector. They included the Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen; Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu; Agriculture, Dr Mahmood Mohammed Abubakar and the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba. The Chairman, Board of Trustees, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, HRH Mohammad Sanusi II, a member of the Council, also attended the meeting.
The Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has rejected the appointment of Naja’atu Muhammad, a former Director of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, as the North-West coordinator of the Police Service Commission in the forthcoming general elections.
Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Festus Keyamo, who issued a statement today, February 20, on behalf of Tinubu, described as shocking the appointment of Naja’atu, saying that her selection is “callous and insensitive” considering her strained relationship with the APC
The statement read in part: “We are deeply shocked and appalled to read a release by the Police Service Commission appointing one of its most partisan members, Naja’atu Bala Muhammad as a North-West coordinator of the presidential election. In that role, she is expected to move about freely, supervising the conduct of police officers during the elections.
“With the well-documented activities, actions and vitriols of Naja’atu in the last few weeks against our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (after being shown the door out of the APC as a mole) we venture to say that this appointment is not only callous, it is insensitive, openly confrontational and consequently unacceptable by the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
“Coming at a time when President Muhammadu Buhari is constantly assuring and reassuring the world of free, fair and credible elections, it confirms our worst fears that there are functionaries of government that are actively working with the opposition to thwart the avowed commitment of Mr. President.”
The said that the role given to Naja’atu Muhammad required an unbiased person, adding that she can’t deliver in the position.
It demanded her immediate withdrawal from the position, saying Muhammad should not be allowed to hold such position in any part of the country
“We need not emphasise that the role given to NAJA’ATU requires a honest and unbiased individual who will discharge the duties diligently and without reproach. The nation will not get that from NAJA’ATU.
“We therefore demand for the IMMEDIATE withdrawal of the name of NAJA’ATU Bala Muhammad as a coordinator of the Police Service Commission for the North-West or any region for that matter. She has an inalienable right to continue to campaign for any candidate of her choice and to vote for that candidate, but she cannot be given a garment to wear at this time that is meant only for neutrals.”
The Police Service Commission had assigned Naja’atu Muhammed as one of the coordinators who will supervise conduct of police officers during the general elections.
The commission also appointed 44 others to deal with police officers who misbehave during the conduct of general elections across the federation.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Between Peter Obi Of Nigeria And Nnamdi Kanu Of Biafra, By Yushau A. Shuaib
It has taken me more than six months to finally write this article on Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the oncoming 2023 general elections, for some personal reasons.
I have written the profiles of virtually all the major presidential candidates and strangely I was surprised that despite having had a few memorable encounters with Peter Obi, Ihad only merely mentioned his name in passing as a bridge-builder across the Niger in an article I once wrote in June 2017, which is titled: Between Nigerian Igbos and Biafran Agitators A Northerners Perspective.
I recall writing _”Between Obasanjo, Atiku and the Media” in August 2003 on the current presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on how the press had fuelled his altercation with his then principal President Olusegun Obasanjo.
On the presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, I wrote _ Between Jonathan and Kwankwaso in November 2013, in which I disclosed the hallmarks of his administration as the governor of Kano as the provision of scholarships, entrepreneurship skills and massive housing to the people, while equally embarking on ambitious road building projects throughout the state.
On the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, my article, _ Sowore of Sahara Reporters for President, written in April 2018, highlighted how he not only supported but equally protected me during a very difficult period in my life. I further emphasised in the piece how Sowore was in the habit of utilising his media platform,SaharaReporters to promote human rights and fight against corruption, coupled with the dictatorial tendencies of people in power.
And just last year, precisely in January 2022, before the primary election, I wrote a tribute to Ahmed Bola Tinubu, who subsequently became the presidential candidate of the APC, 2023: Bola Tinubu and his Loyal Boys in Government,_ in which I underlined his dogged and fighting spirit, alongside his strong reputation for building people by affording them unusual opportunities to succeed in the public space, which in turn informs their unwavering loyalty to him.
It was two months after that article on Tinubu, in March 2022, that I had encounters with two respected spymasters at different times and in different locations: one of them is currently serving as an intelligence chief, and the other, a retired security czar, with both of them surprisingly from Northern Nigeria. Our discussions were on potential presidential candidates from the South-East. In addition, we discussed the activities of the self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed secessionist movement, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who had then suddenly emerged as the most adored and prominent figure in Igboland.
Kanu is so revered in Igboland that when he issued orders, his followers and the generality of the people in the South-East obediently obeyed this. Apart from ordering sit-at-home actions on what should be working days, Kanu, who called Nigeria a “zoo” in his online broadcasts and regularly insulted other ethnic groups in the country, championed a secessionist campaign for the independent Republic of Biafra, by inciting violence and promoting vile anti-Nigeria sentiments.
When he was first arrested on the 14thof October, 2015, on a charge bordering on terrorism, he was later granted bail on health grounds on the 25thof April 2017. However, he breached the bail conditions and fled abroad. While in self-exile, Nnamdi Kanu intensified his subversive campaigns against Nigeria, using the online Radio Biafra to instigate violence and incite members of IPOB to commit violent attacks on civil and democratic institutions and personnel in Nigeria, particularly officials of security agencies, in addition to those of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and civilians. The Eastern Security Network (ESN), an armed wing of IPOB, continues to carry out subversive activities against the Nigerian State till date, under the moniker of unknown gunmen.
During the EndSARS protests in October 2020, apart from inciting his followers to assault security personnel and facilities, he threatened some Yoruba leaders, after which mobs desecrated and looted the Palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, who had to be rescued and evacuated from the palace by security agents.
To the joy of many Nigerians who believe in peaceful coexistence, were deeply disturbed by his violent rhetoric and instigation of insurrection against Nigeria, Nnamdi was successfully intercepted on Sunday, 27 June, 2021, through the collaborative efforts of Nigerian intelligence and security services and brought back to Nigeria to continue his trial in court.
During my encounters with the security chiefs, we discussed the likely aspirants who could emerge as presidential candidates from the then anticipated primary elections of the political parties. Meanwhile, two platforms that I run, PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, have weekly and monthly security and intelligence reports that we submit to clients which include security services.
The analysis of one of these platforms reveals that politically, Peter Obi and Professor Pat Utomi appear as highly acceptable faces to Igbo youths and a host of other Nigerians at the moment. The significant rise of Peter Obi to national political reckoning, with the possibility of a real shot at the presidency, certainly has the capacity to assuage the feeling of many Igbos pertaining to their deeply perceived marginalisation in the country, while also promoting political inclusiveness.
In fact, intelligence shows that Peter Obi did his homework in traversing critical Nigerian states, where he consulted with the right people before announcing his presidential aspiration. Apart from retired military security officers, he also engaged with traditional institutions and other political stakeholders, after which it was not surprising that he picked his running mate, Yusuf Datti, from a very reputable scholarly and political family in Northern Nigeria
Along the way, before his campaign had garnered formidable traction, there were suggestions to him about alliances and mergers as he set out on the LP ticket, besides those who strongly believed that he ought to have stayed in PDP as running mate to Atiku Abubakar, after which he could have then aspired for the presidency in 2027. Possibly the need to avoid an attritive slugfest with the overbearing Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the PDP made him jettison that advice, which has all turned out better for him, as he embarked on his own electoral trajectory not necessarily for the February election, but definitely in future.
And, for those who have had the good fortune of encountering him, Peter Obi is not only stupendously wealthy and more so highly philanthropic towards good social causes, but he is also yet extremely simple and humble, unlike the typical rich Igbo folks and celebrities.
PRNigeria has had reason to run some fact-checks that cleared a number of weighty allegations levelled against him. Equally, I can personally testify to the fact that Peter Obi has many enviable qualities. In 2008, as Governor of Anambra State, he had physically attended the launch of the Emergency Volunteer Group in Awka, which was hosted by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), where I was then the spokesperson. The director of NEMA, AVM Mohammed Audu-Bida (Rtd) was amazed by his punctuality at the occasion, and the very unusual act of going around with a very light entourage, unlike most Nigerian governors.
I noticed the same punctuality when he arrived earlier than the organisers of the first annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos in August 2017. As the guest speaker at the event, he had cautioned that the borrowing spree of the Buhari administration, coming with the figurative dangerous banana peels, could drag the country further down into financial turmoil, alongside its attendant stress on the naira and the national economy at large.
Even after emerging as the presidential candidate of LP, Peter Obi has neither been pompous nor arrogant. While going about the country in his energetic campaign, he can be described as a class act, who doesn’t insult or use foul language against any of his political opponents, unlike his fanatical fans.
Even when his motives were either misread or misconstrued, and he became a subject of disparaging commentary by the opposition, for instance by his brother and his friend, Governors Charles Soludo of Anambra and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Peter Obi was more measured and circumspect in his response. Like one incapable of saying ill things about anyone, he spoke kind words back to those attacking him.
Even when his motives were either misread or misconstrued, and he became a subject of disparaging commentary by those in opposition to him for some reasons, for instance by his brother and then his friend, Governors Charles Soludo of Anambra and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Peter Obi is more measured and circumspect in his response. Like one incapable of saying ill things about anyone, he spoke kind words back to those attacking him. That could not be said of some ill-mannered supporters.
Obi is neither lousy nor garrulous, like some of the so-called Biafran freedom fighters and intellectuals, who engage in primitive, vicious, and violent crusades in the effort to draw attention to their need to secede the Southeast region from Nigeria, to form the Republic of Biafra.
While the Biafran agitators, especially the followers of Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB/ESN, glorify and adopt violence as the only form of achieving their dream of an independent nation, they continue on the less-than-noble path of insurrection, characterised by the lack of finesse and civility in utterance and actions of the unknown gunmen that insist there wouldnt be elections in South-East,
Similarly, there is equally an insular strain of fanatical Obidients, who see in Peter Obi nothing beyond an Igbo project for seeking redress to the considered marginalisation of Igbo from the Nigerian presidency, with their dispositions being brash, uncouth and entitled.
Despite these, Peter Obi and his Nigerian supporters believe in dialogue and engagement with the democratic process towards the building of a better country, whose fault lines can be healed. They are the patriotic Nigerian Obidients whoare mature, responsible, and see the need for a country in which the whole will always be definitely greater than any of its individual parts, hence the democratic process is a tool towards achieving greatness for all.
As we brace up for the reality of exercising our franchise to elect a president in the next couple of days, I am solidly persuaded that fake prophesies, social media attacks, unscientific opinion polls, religious sentiments, and ethnic bigotry would not determine the outcome of the election but the formidable appeal and groundwork of the candidate who the people are already sold on to, and whose networks will be able to rally across our different divides in Nigeria.
It is undeniable that ethno-religious campaigns have fouled the air and unfortunately become a major determining factor in the forthcoming presidential election. While an Igbo from the South-East, a Yoruba Muslim from the South-West and a Northerner from the North-East have never held the office of Nigerian president, Peter Obi, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and Atiku Abubakar are the main gladiators in the next presidential election.
As other prominent stakeholders in the Nigeria project have declared, I enjoin our political parties and their supporters to adhere to electoral rules and be willing to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship, whenever the outcome of the election is announced. Then the Nigerian people would have truly spoken.
_*Yushau A. Shuaib, is founder of PRNigeria and Economic confidential*_