Nation
Olonisakin Pulls Out Of Service, Hails Military
The immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, yesterday in Abuja, officially pulled out of the Nigerian Army in a parade at the Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro.
Olonisakin, pulled out following his retirement and appointment of his successor, Maj.-Gen Lucky Irabor, by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 26.
As part of the military tradition in honouring a retiring CDS, the event involved a march past by the officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
It was attended by the Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi, members of the National Assembly, Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, current Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Irabor and other services chiefs.
Others in attendance were the traditional ruler of Ode-Ekiti, as well as representative of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
In his valedictory remarks, Olonisakin thanked President Buhari for counting him worthy to command the nation’s armed forces in the last five years.
He said that his appointment as CDS came at time Nigeria was confronted with several security challenges like Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
Olonisakin said that confronting those threats was his major pre-occupation as CDS.
According to him, prior to his assumption of command along with the immediate past Service Chiefs in July 2015, the Boko Haram terrorists held sway in parts of the North East.
“Our immediate challenge on assumption of office was to flush out the Boko Haram and restore Nigeria’s sovereignty over these occupied territories.
“Gratefully, with the support of the political leadership, particularly Mr President, Commander-in-Chief, and indeed all Nigerians, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, under my leadership was able to reclaimed territories that were hitherto under the control of the terrorists.
“While the security threat posed by the Boko Haram is still being contained, the Armed Forces of Nigeria have, in the past five years, continued to develop capacities to contain insurgency and other asymmetric threats to our nation,” he said.
Olonisakin also disclosed that the military under his leadership had been transformed from being inexperienced in asymmetric warfare to building enormous capacity.
He said that the military had gained valuable experience in fighting asymmetric threats.
According to him, the current capacity to defend Nigeria has transited from fighting conventional war on land, sea and air alone, to capacity to contain threats to the country in the cyber security and information domain.
“We have, therefore, built a solid foundation on which the current, and indeed future generations of Nigerian military commanders, can build on in the performance of their constitutional roles of defending our dear nation from both external and domestic threats to our corporate existence.
“The five and a half years of my tenure also witnessed transformation in the organisational structure of the Defence Headquarters,” he said.
Olonisakin commended the immediate past service chiefs and Chief of Defence Intelligence, over their efforts and sacrifices, adding that he felt proud to command, co-ordinate and direct the armed forces in the last five years.
The former CDS also paid tribute to the departed heroes who had laid down their lives in defence of the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He expressed confidence that he handed over the command of the military to a competent successor, who had commanded the MNJTF and Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole, among other strategic positions the military.
Nation
Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina
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.
Nation
Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three
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.
Nation
AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition
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.
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