Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr
Babachir Lawal says he is not nursing the ambition to become governor of Adamawa State.
Lawal told newsmen in Yola that the speculation was baseless, adding that at his age and position as SGF, it was not proper for him to think of serving as state governor in the future.
“At over 60 years of age and my position as SGF, I should not be thinking of being a governor, governorship should be left for younger people”.
Lawal also said he was not planning to sponsor a candidate for governorship of the state.
“The whole thing is funny, they are even saying that I favour my own tribe of Kilba in federal appointments because Bos Mustapha was recently appointed the Managing Director of Nigeria Inland Waterways Agency.
“People need to know that Mustapha is not only well qualified for the job but also a chieftain of the party who actively participated as an official in Buhari campaign organisation.
“Buhari knows Mustapha’s capacity and Buhari’s appointments are always based on merit.
Bauchi
About 12 persons have been reportedly killed in an auto
crash along Bauchi, Kano road.
Witnesses report that the victims were operatives of a popular local security outfit, Danga Security, heading back to Bauchi from Ningi, a town about 70 kilometres away.
The commandant of the Danga Security outfit, Yusuf Hassan who was in another vehicle behind the one involved in the crash, said the accident occurred about 5p.m. at Kafin Liman Village, along Bauchi Ganjuwa road in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state.
“Nobody is expecting that to happen, we were returning from Ningi to Bauchi, I was in my car and the Hilux that had an accident was conveying my personnel. It was four kilometers ahead us. It collided with a tanker that lost control and rammed into our Hilux killing all the 11 personnel”.
Benue
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has commended
the operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigating the Speaker and other members of the State House of Assembly for allegedly misappropriating N750 million meant for purchase of official cars.
The governor said his government would not condone any act of criminality or defend anyone who had a hand in fraud.
I would recall that the Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Terkinbi Ikanyga, his Deputy, James Ikefe, the majority leader, Benjamin Adanyi, Deputy majority leader, Nick Eworo, the minority, leader, Sule Aulu and ten other members were recently arrested and detained in Abuja by EFCC.
It was gathered that though they were left off the hook via bail after spending three days in detention, seven other members had been summoned to appear before the commission for questioning.
Borno
Soldiers have recorded successes in their operations
in parts of the North-East and North-West, killing several Boko Haram insurgents and three armed bandits respectively.
The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman in a statement said the troops 118 Taskforce Battalion, 8 Taskforce Division on blocking position at Garere Junction ambushed Boko Haram insurgents at Gudumbali, northern part of Borno State, while they were crossing to another location with some logistics items.
Usman said that during the operation the troops killed two and ambushed one of the terrorists.
He said the troops also recovered a truck earlier stolen by the terrorists in Kangarwa.
Ekiti
Some members of Esure Ekiti in Irepodun-Ifelodun Local
Government Area of Ekiti State have told Governor Ayo Fayose not to pardon the seven persons convicted of rioting and malicious damage in the community in 2014.
The seven persons were convicted in 2014 after a bloody feud between two quarters of Ilomu and Anyinshin in the town.
A letter of Appeal dated June 29, 2016 written on behalf of Ilomu quarters by their counsel, Dr A. D. Adebayo said the town had remained peaceful since the accused persons were convicted, pointing out their pardon might jeopardise the peace.
FCT
The General Overseer of Deeper Life Church, Pastor Wil
liams Folorunsho Kumuyi has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in President Muhammadu Buhari because God is on the throne.
He said he was hopeful that Buhari-led administration was on the right track to reposition Nigeria’s economy.
“Although the country might be passing the ‘best of times’, there are strong reasons not to lose hope on Muhammadu Buhari, because God is on the throne; He will turn things around for Nigeria. There is always light after the tunnel”.
Lagos
The Senate has reiterated its commitment to remove any
form of monopoly that will impede the development of private and public free trade zones in Nigeria.
Speaking after inspecting facilities at Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL), members of the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment led by its chairperson, Senator Fatimat Rayi-Resaki said the fact-finding tour would enable the senate gather useful information to aid its review of existing laws.
According to Raji-Rasaki who was accompanied by Senators Effiong Nelson and Yusuf Abubakar. The senate has shown commitment towards creating a conducive environments that would move the economy of the nation forward by strengthening the laws governing the operation of the trade zone.
She added that the committee would also visit similar projects in Calabar and Kano.
The chairman of LADOL, Mr Bedi Jadesimi while thanking the committee for the visit said he hoped that it would convey a different perception that Nigerians were capable of doing and pleaded with the legislators to create a conducive business environment devoid of policy somersault that could send wrong signal to investors.
Ogun
The rift between the Ogun State Government and the
Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ogun State council is yet to be over as the union has challenged the government to publish details of how it expended the bailout fund from the Federal Government.
The union faulted the state government’s claim that the bail-out fund was used to service the outstanding arrears of salaries/deductions of local government workers, describing it as mere political propaganda.
The NULGE leadership had accused the Ibikumle Amosen-led government of diverting N9.1 billion bail-out funds meant to pay salary arrears of the state government employees, including those of 20 LGAs for other purposes.
The union disclosed that the administration did not settle the outstanding arrears of salaries and deductions of local government workers with the bailout fund.
This is contained in a statement siged by the union President, Comrade Olatunji and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Oyo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has
called for a thorough investigation into the murder of a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr Gideon Aremu (Dorelope-LP).
This is contained in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr Olewale Sadare in Ibadan.
The statement described the death of Aremu who was the chairman, State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Public Relations and Security as brutal and disturbing.
“We received the news of the killing of Hon. Gideon Aremu with utter disbelief and rude chock.
This is in view of the fact that such nasty development and political violence have become history the state since 2011 when the current administration took the mantle of leadership of Oyo state”, it said.
Plateau
The Plateau State House of Assembly has witnessed a
rowdy session as members of the People’s Democratic Party protested the extension of the tenure of the transition chairman of the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.
Governor Simon Lalong had written a letter to the lawmakers, requesting that the tenure of the local government transition chairmen be extended by six months instead of the original two months.
The chairmen were appointed following the sacking of the chairmen who were elected into office by former Governor Jonah Jang.
But the 10 PDP lawmakers led by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Yusuf Gagdi protested the move, saying that it was against the agreement reached with the lawmakers when the chairmen were elected last year.
He said that the chairmen’s tenure had been extended by two months in the former exercise since they were appointed earlier this year.
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.