Connect with us

News

…Sets Road Map For 2023 PDP Presidential Candidate

Published

on

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not give its presidential ticket to any candidate who would serve only the interest of the wealthy few in Nigeria.
The governor said some desperate politicians were already scheming for a candidate who would not serve the interest of the many, rather the interest of just those of the wealthy few.
Wike made the assertion at a grand reception organised in his honour by the people of Kalabari ethnic nationality at the Abalama School Field in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, last Saturday.
The governor was conferred a traditional title of Se-Ibidokibo of Kalabari land (He who does good things for Kalabari people).
The installation was performed by the Amanyanabo of Abonnema, King Gboko Desreal Bob-Manuel.
The governor said, “No amount of gang up can make PDP to give somebody who will want to run election for the interest of some big men, and not for all Nigerians.
“Anybody who wants to be candidate of PDP must be candidate for the interest of Nigerians.”
He expressed concern over the fact that some companies in the country continue to post annual financial profits regularly in a struggling national economy to the detriment of the poor.
Wike said that such profits, invariably, shared only by the rich, make them to get richer, while the majority of the population of the country, who are poor, gets poorer.
He reiterated that the stakeholders in Southern Nigeria would soon make a declarative statement concerning 2023 presidential election.
“The day the South will speak, Nigeria will shake. We believe in the unity of this country, but nobody can threaten us. Nobody should threaten us. We believe in the unity of Nigeria, and unity of Nigeria must continue.”
The governor lampooned Rivers politicians serving in the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for their gross inability to attract Federal Government projects to the state.
Concerning the next governorship of Rivers State, Wike said anybody was entitled to aspire to be the next governor, but such person must show capacity for that office and well-disposed to protect the interest of the state.
He told Kalabari people, specifically, that they have not done well in terms of loving themselves and working in unity.
Wike said it was only a united people who can speak with one voice that can stand up to make demands, and therefore, urged them to put their house in order.
The governor announced the extension of dateline for the completion of the Trans-Kalabari Road phase one project by two months owing to the man-hours lostduring the period workmen were kidnapped on the site.
He disclosed that if the finances of the state improve, his administration may award the phase two of the Trans-Kalabari Road before he leaves office, next year.
The governor, while cancelling the contract for the reconstruction of Kalabari National College due to foreseen politics, announced the release of more fund for the Maryhood Girls Secondary School in the area to speed up its completion.
In his welcome address, Chairman of Rivers State Elders’ Forum, Chief Ferdinand Anabraba explained that the grand reception was significant for two reasons: its critical importance to them as a people and also because of the unity of purpose engendered among them under the Wike’s administration.
He said it was that kind of reception organised for prominent sons and friends who have impacted Kalabari people.
Anabraba noted that Wike has systematically fulfilled all promises made to them, including those of development projects and appointment of Kalabari people into his administration.
He listed some of the projects completed or ongoing to include the phase 1 of Trans -Kalabari Road project other administration promises but failed to execute for over 17 years, the rehabilitation and equipping of zonal and general hospitals, secondary schools, Abonnema Ring Road, sandfilling in Obonoma, Abonnema, Bakana, Oboama, and Abalama communities.
Also speaking, the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Nimi Briggs said that Kalabari people have enthusiastically and with relentless vigour, contributed to the growth and development of Rivers State and Nigeria.
It follows, therefore, according to him, that it was appropriate, and should be considered right thing for Kalabari people to expect return for the dues they had paid.
On his part, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs said the people were expecting Wike to also ensure that Kalabari people were brought out from the political wilderness in 2023.
A human rights activist, Ann Kio-Briggs noted that Rivers State, though a complex place to govern, does not mean that the people do not love each other.
She, however, harped on greater unity among the people while urging Wike not to relent in what he was doing for Kalabari people, the state and the region.

Continue Reading

News

Tinubu Orders Security Chiefs To Restore Peace In Plateau, Benue, Borno

Published

on

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a security outreach to the hotbeds of recent killings in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, to restore peace to areas wracked by mass killings and bomb attacks.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a four-hour security briefing with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives…to go meet with the political authorities there,” Ribadu told reporters, adding that Tinubu directed them to engage state-level authorities in the worst-hit regions.
Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; Chief Defence Intelligence of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Emmanuel Undianeye; Director-General, Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, appeared for the briefing.
The Tide’s source reports that in Plateau State, inter-communal violence between predominantly Christian farmers and nomadic herders spiralled into gory slaughter when gunmen stormed Zikke village in Bassa Local Government early on April 14, killing at least 51 people and razing homes in a single night.
In Benue, at least 56 people were killed in Logo and Gbagir after twin assaults blamed on armed herders.
Meanwhile, in Borno State, eight passengers perished and scores were injured when an improvised explosive device ripped through a bus on the Damboa–Maiduguri highway on April 12.
Ribadu explained that after an extensive briefing, intelligence chiefs received fresh instructions to restore peace, security and stability across Nigeria.
“In particular, Tinubu had ordered immediate outreach to the political authorities in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, and the defence team had gone round those States to carry out his directives and report back.
“We gave him an update on what has been the case and what is going on, and even when he was out there, before coming back, he was constantly in touch. He was giving directives. He was following developments, and we, in charge of the security, got the opportunity today to come and brief him properly for hours. And it was exhaustive.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives. The fact is, Mr. President is insisting and working so hard to ensure that we have peace, security and stability in our country. We gave him an update on what is going on, and we also assured him that work is ongoing and continues.
“We also carried out his instructions. We went round, the chiefs were all out where we had these incidents of insecurity in Plateau State, Benue State, even Borno, these particular three states, and we gave him feedback, because he directed us to go meet with the political authorities there,” the NSA explained.
Ribadu described Tinubu as “worried and concerned,” and said he directed that all security arms be deployed around the clock.
The government, he added, believes these steps have already produced measurable improvements, even if the situation is not yet 100 per cent safe and secure.
“He’s so worried and concerned, he insisted that enough is enough, and we are working and to ensure that we restore peace and security and all of us are there. The armed forces are there, the Civil Police, intelligence communities, they are there.
“They are working there 24 hours, and we feel that we have done enough to believe that we are on the right course, and we’ll be able to be on top of things,” Ribadu stated.
The NSA emphasised that combating insecurity was not solely a Federal Government responsibility.
He stated, “The issue of insecurity often is not just for the government. It involves the subunits. They are the ones who are directly with the people, especially if some of the challenges are more or less bordering on community problems.
“Not entirely everything is that, but of course it also plays a significant role. You need to work with the communities, the local governments, and the governors, especially the governors.
“The President will continue to direct that. We should be doing that, and that’s what we are able to. We are very happy and very satisfied with the instructions and directives given by Mr. President this evening.”
In Borno State, the NSA noted that while violence had surged in recent months, the insurgents refused to accept defeat.
He warned that most recent casualties there resulted from improvised explosive devices—”cowardly” IED attacks targeting civilians—and from opportunistic raids that follow any lull in fighting.
“We are getting the cooperation of the leadership at the state level, and everybody. It’s not 100 per cent…but we are going there.
“When you are having peace and you are beginning to get used to it, if one bad incident happens, you forget the periods that you enjoyed peacefully,” he added.
He paid tribute to the “many who do not sleep, who walk throughout, who do not go for any break or holiday”—the soldiers, police and intelligence officers whose sacrifices have created the fragile calm Nigerians now experience.
“They will continue to be there,” he said, adding, “Things have changed in this country…we are on the right track and we will not relent. We will not sit down; we will not stop until we are able to achieve results.”

Continue Reading

News

FG Laments Low Patronage Of Made-In-Nigeria Products

Published

on

A Federal Government agency – the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, has decried the low patronage of Nigerian-made products by Nigerians.
The agency identified some challenges leading to the low patronage of the local products as affordability and public perception, among others.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting organised by the agency in Akure, Ondo State capital, yesterday, the Deputy Director of Engineering at NASENI, Mr Joseph Alasoluyi, said Nigerians preferred buying foreign goods compared to local goods.
Alasoluyi, however disclosed that the agency had trained over 50 participants in the production of hand-made products, in a bid to ensure Nigeria-made products are patronised.
He explained that NASENI was set up to promote science, technology, and engineering as a foundation for Nigeria’s development and currently operates 12 institutes nationwide to achieve its objectives.
According to him, the aim of President Bola Tinubu, who is also the overall chairman of NASENI, was to ensure high production and patronage of “our local products thereby creating employment opportunities for many.”
He said, “The idea of this programme is to interface to ensure we produce products using our indigenous technology. This is what NASENI is out for, to ensure that homegrown technologies are encouraged.
“We are out there to ensure we integrate efforts to ensure that local technology is used to develop products within the resources we have.
“ The NASENI’s ‘3 Cs’ – Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation – that define NASENI’s strategic mandate: Creating innovations through research, Collaborating with partners to develop and refine products, and Commercialising these solutions to benefit the economy.
“Our achievements include the development of solar irrigation systems, CNG conversion centres, building machines capable of producing up to 1,000 blocks per hour, 10-inch tablets, locally made laptops, and electric tricycles (Keke Napep) set for market launch.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Samuel Oluyamo, blamed the Federal Government for not properly funding research in the varsities, also noting that many research outputs were left halfway due to lack of funding and weak linkages between research institutions and industry.
Oluyamo also queried the Federal Government’s commitment to funding research and development, saying many academic innovations remained on the shelve due to a lack of support for commercialisation and poor infrastructure.
“Until we upscale research into mass production, technological growth will remain elusive. The government is not funding research in the universities enough. Thank God for TETfund that is trying in this regime. The major interest in beefing up research in universities and research institutions is really not there,” he said.

Continue Reading

News

Nigeria Seeks Return To JP Morgan Bond Index

Published

on

The Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, has said that Nigeria is in advanced discussions with JP Morgan to re-enter the Government Bond Index and renew investors’ confidence.
Oniha disclosed this on Wednesday at a Nigerian Investors’ Forum on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.
The DMO boss explained that Nigeria has enjoyed favourable credit assessment among rating agencies in recent times on the back of the sweeping reforms initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Fitch Ratings recently upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings of seven Nigerian banks and two bank holding companies to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘, noting that the outlooks are Stable.
The affected issuers are Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Limited, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, First HoldCo Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Fidelity Bank Plc and Bank of Industry Limited.
The upgrades of the Long-Term IDRs of the banks followed the recent sovereign upgrade and reflect Fitch’s view that Nigeria’s sovereign credit profile has become less of a constraint on the issuers’ standalone creditworthiness, the rating agency said.
Fitch also upgraded Nigeria’s Long-Term IDRs to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘ on 11 April, a decision that reflected increased confidence in the government’s broad commitment to policy reforms implemented since its move to orthodox economic policies in June 2023, including exchange rate liberalisation, monetary policy tightening and steps to end deficit monetisation and remove fuel subsidies.
“These have improved policy coherence and credibility and reduced economic distortions and near-term risks to macroeconomic stability, enhancing resilience in the context of persistent domestic challenges and heightened external risks,” Fitch said.
Nigeria was removed from the JP Morgan index in 2015 ostensibly due to its deviation from orthodox monetary policies and influence of capital control in its management of foreign exchange.
Principally due to reduction in oil revenues at the time, Nigeria introduced currency restrictions to defend the naira after it failed to halt a dangerous slide with burning of dollar reserves. The bank had earlier warned Nigeria to restore liquidity to its currency market in a way that allowed foreign investors tracking the index to conduct transactions with minimal hurdles.
“Foreign investors who track the GBI-EM series continue to face challenges and uncertainty while transacting in the naira due to the lack of a fully functional two-way FX market and limited transparency,” the bank said in a 2015 note.
Nigeria was listed in JP Morgan’s emerging government bond index in October 2012, after the Central Bank removed a requirement that foreign investors hold government bonds for a minimum of one year before exiting.
The JP Morgan Government Bond Index reflects investor confidence and opens doors to billions of investment flows, making Nigeria’s proposed re-entry a positive signal to the market and investors.
Oniha explained that talks with JP Morgan were ongoing and had gained momentum in recent times due to the stability created by the FX market reforms.
“With all the reforms that have taken place, particularly around FX, we have started engaging JP Morgan again to get back into the index. We think we are eligible now,” the DMO DG said.

Continue Reading

Trending