Acting IGP, Mohammed Abubakar AdamuAuthorities have confirmed that armed men who aided the snatching of ballot boxes in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State and its environs during the governorship election today, November 16 were “fake policemen.”
Results of the governorship election in Bayelsa State, not yet confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), show that All Progressives Congress (APC) is in early lead in many polling units.
President Muhammadu Buhari has described as unfortunate ethnic and political interpretation given to the ongoing reorganization at the presidency, aimed at enhancing service delivery to Nigerians.
The National Examinations Council (NECO), has dismissed no fewer than 70 staff for certificate forgery.
The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba has expressed disappointment with Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki of trying to politicise project which his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole undertook to control flood in Benin city, the State capital.
Peter ObiVice Presidential Candidate to Atiku Abubakar, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23, 2019 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has advocated the option of revolution as the only way to save Nigeria and launch her into the league of countries towing the paths of development.
Peter Obi, who spoke on November 13 at Baze University, Abuja, explained that the nature of the revolution he is advocating is not the one with guns and cudgels, but the type that sees digital camera displacing manual ones; electric cars threatening to displace fuel-driven cars; knowledge economy displacing baggage economy; industries displacing manual production, among others.
Peter Obi who was once governor of Anambra State spoke on the theme: “The Role of Young Nigerians in the Development of Sub-Saharan Africa.”
The PDP Vice Presidential candidate said that young Nigerians must be made to understand that nations that are doing well today went through revolution and that, that is what Nigeria needs to drive development within sub-Saharan Africa.
He advised the youth to remain committed to positive ideals. He reminded them that one of the problems of Nigeria is the celebration of impunity, whereby Nigerians clap and dance with those destroying the country because of their ability to part with stolen money.
Peter Obi also advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police, as well as other security agencies and organisations that are directly or remotely involved in the conduct of election to see the elections holding tomorrow (Saturday) in Kogi and Bayelsa states as opportunities to redeem the bartered image of Nigeria as a country incapable of conducting free and fair elections.
The former governor, who spoke at a separate event: the 7th anniversary lecture of News Express at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, recalled the gains Nigeria recorded from the conduct of elections during the immediate past Goodluck Jonathan Administration.
Such elections, he claimed, restored the hope of Nigerians on elections as a means of freely expressing their franchise as against what he called the “return to kangaroo elections marred by violence and all that was vile” as recorded during the last election.
He insisted that free and fair conduct of Saturday’s elections would restore hope to the country, adding: “Besides, it would also encourage well-meaning Nigerians to join in the future elections.”
The Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria’s secret police has made it clear that it has been detaining retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, Ibrahim El-Zakazaki and Omoyele Sowore by their requests“Among others, their families and trusted persons bring them food of their choices on daily basis. There could not have been better treatments than these.”
“It will continue to conduct its operations within the bounds of the law and importantly be guided by that time tested axiom of Usman Dan Fodio that conscience is an open wound and only the truth can heal it.”
FCT MInister, Muhammad Musa BelloMinister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has vowed to use the new road traffic policy to bring sanity to Abuja roads with a view to saving lives.
The minister, who spoke today, November 15 at the public presentation of the policy, known as Functional and Efficient transport system, stressed that there is need for an attitudinal change by road users to safeguard the sanctity of lives.
He said that the people should know that breaking traffic laws is unacceptable, adding that the collaborative measures taken by the FCT Administration and the various security agencies in the FCT were geared towards ensuring that all traffic regulations are followed to save lives and ensure a safer city.
“Journeys that ought to take a short time, because of the available facilities, take much longer, simply because many road users decide not to follow basic rules of traffic use within the city. It is manifested through parking on areas that are meant for pedestrian walkways, ignoring pedestrian bridges, ignoring zebra crossings, driving against traffic, overloading, parking in undesignated car parks. People have to learn to respect zebra crossing. Motorists must respect pedestrians and school children at zebra crossings.”
The minister reminded the people that while there is no ban on commercial tricycles and commercial motorcycles in the Federal Capital City, the the law does not permit them on expressways or driving against traffic.
“What we are saying is that the laws are very clear. There are designated areas allowed for motorcycles. There are designated areas allowed for tricycles and what we are trying to do is to emphasize that.
“Our objective is to save lives; to make the human life valuable the way it’s supposed to be. And how can we do that? We have to make sure that all traffic regulations are adhered to and the advantage we have is that all these is covered by law and we are going to use the provisions of the Nigerian constitution, the laws of the highway code, the FCT Transport Regulations, the National Road Traffic Regulations and other traffic laws and regulations and we are going to back that with a robust support from the judiciary so that all those that violate traffic regulations and protocols are made to pay for it because that is the only way we can guarantee the safety of lives of our people.”
He said that as part of plans to cushion the effect of the measures to bring sanity to FCT roads, the number of high capacity buses have been increased to cover the routes illegally plied by the commercial tricycles while the recently commissioned Abuja Light Rail would serve as alternative mode transport for residents.
The Minister assured that additional coaches will be made available for the Abuja light rail before the middle of next year while ten additional metro stations on the Abuja Airport line will be opened. This he said will ease the traffic on the roads.
“On our part as an Administration, we are doing our very best to provide additional high capacity buses. We are also making much easier the process of registration of companies or persons that want to provide taxi services, as long as the vehicle meets the minimum standard that is required by law. I would also want to mention that as you know, the Abuja light rail is already operational. By the middle of next year, a substantial number of coaches that are under construction now would have arrived and about 10 additional stations on the metro stations to Abuja airport line would have been opened and then we would have train probably moving almost in intervals of 30 minutes.”
Muhammad Bello also called on investors in the transport sector to partner with the FCTA to help cushion the effects of enforcement of the traffic rules and regulations, adding that requirements for the registration of taxis/cabs have been made easy to encourage more participants.
Also speaking at the event, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi said that 20 patrol vans and 350 personnel have been deployed to the FCTA to effect the implementation of the new policy.
He pledged the commitment of the FRSC to work very closely with the FCTA for the success of the Safe Functional and Efficient traffic management policy.
He commended the Minister for the bold step he has taken to ensure safety on FCT roads and safeguard lives and property.
Shehu GarbaThe Presidency has come up with idea of the best roles the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should be playing henceforth after the Supreme Court ruling on its petition against the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Political Wild Fire Called Yahaya Bello, By Adam Ahmed Abere
The locational dateline was Abuja on April 2018 EPA (Ebira People’s Association) had organized retreat for the CBOs & NGOs of the Kogi Central District. I flew the cat on the need for the people of the Central to support Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB) bid of 2019. It was then a hard knot. Very few agreed with me. It inspired many CBOs whose leaders later called me and said I made sense in my call. Then I flew the second kite during the official opening of the JNI House in Lokoja. The SGOH was His Eminence Sultan Saad Abubakar III. That was the same day Gov Yahaya Bello marked his third anniversary on the delicate throne of Kogi State governance. I digressed into GYB’s exploits on security architecture after comparing it with the chaotic situations that existed during Govs Audu, Ibrahim & Wada. My pronouncement was that GYB has done so much in security administration that he needs to be voted to power come 16th Nov 2019. My call was predicated on the rubrics that whatever his sins in other realms, his suave security interventions, designs and practices between 2015 and 2019 commended themselves to GYB’s continuity. HRM Ado Ibrahim Atta III, the Ohinoyi of Ebira and His Eminence privately showed how enthused they were in my linking the Sokoto Caliphate’s Security and the current security dynamics on the one hand and the comparison of the past with the present interm of securing men and materials.