Dubai Moves To Attract Tourists, Suspends 30% Tax On Alcohol

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January 2, 2023

Hon. Samuel Nwachukwu: Man Whose Large Heart Has Redefined Philanthropy, Humanitarian Gesture — Hon. Samuel Nwachukwu

The candidate of Action Peoples Party, APP for Umuahia South constituency of Abia State, Hon. Chibuike Nwachukwu has sent a goodwill message to the people of the Constituency as the world ushers in the new year 2023, urging them to make a strategic decision for their future.

While expressing optimism that the new year will bring so much hope and good tidings for the people, he called on them to seek a paradigm shift that will bring them prosperity and economic inclusiveness.

In a goodwill message on Sunday, Hon. Nwachukwu said the country has faced several challenges in recent times especially inflation, economic strait, dwindling living standard as well as insecurity.

He said the people of Umuahia South are not immuned from the challenges, expressing regret for the lack of inclusivity the people have been subjected to in recent times.

Hon. Nwachukwu called on the constituents to support him emerge the next House of Assembly member in the upcoming election and vote for candidates of APP across board for the betterment of Abia.

He expressed readiness to rewrite the history of the people by ensuring effective representation that will guarantee economic improvement, infrastructural development, job creation and their general welfare.

He also appealed to political leaders to stop making inflammatory utterances that can stoke the embers of fear, hate and uncertainty in the state and beyond.

Pakistan: 30,000 Candidates Participate In Police Recruitment Test For For 1,167 Slots

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January 2, 2023

Over 30,000 youths gathered on Saturday at Pak stadium, Karachi to write police recruitment test for Islamabad’s police force jobs available for only 1167 people.

While stadia are generally flooded with people for sporting events, musical concerts or political gatherings, it was entirely different on the last day of 2022 as youths gathered at the Pakistani national stadium battling for jobs.

According to reports from Al Jazeera, over 31 per cent of Pakistan’s youth is unemployed, and 51 per cent are females while 16 per cent are males.

The figures revealed the youth are possessing professional degrees, according to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE).

Reacting to the development on Saturday, PIDE said the massive turnout for the police recruitment shows the high degree of the unemployment in the country.

Sharing the video on Twitter, Al Jazeera said, “It’s not football that’s filled this stadium in Pakistan but the hope of finding a job. More than 30,000 people turned up to take a written test for Islamabad’s police force, where there are only 1,167 positions available.”

A video emerged on social media space showing thousands of candidates sitting in the stadium, appearing to be writing exam papers and hoping for recruitment to the Islamabad Police, according to the viral video sourced by Al Jazeera.

PIDE also disclosed that a surprisingly large part of the working-age group is not even part of the labour force.

It said these people are either discouraged workers or have other means of income to support them.

It also stated that despite pronouncements and policy initiatives, the female labour force participation rate (LFPR) remains shockingly low.

OUK Campaign Organization Hails Abia Stakeholders Over Choice Of Kalu As Consensus Candidate

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January 2, 2023

Abia North: God's Wrath Awaits Those Working Against Sen. Kalu's Re-election — Cleric — Senator Orji Uzor Kalu

The Orji Uzor Kalu Campaign Organization has commended Abia stakeholders comprising of traditional rulers, the political class, community leaders, traders and youth groups for announcing the Chief Whip of the Senate as the consensus candidate of the State to represent Abia North Senatorial District in 2023.

In a statement signed by Sunny Idika, spokesman of the campaign organization on Monday morning, described the endorsement as excellent, timely and far reaching.

“The Orji Uzor Kalu Campaign Organisation believes strongly that the choice of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu among the Abia North Senatorial candidates is a worthy move and a patriotic venture that aims at reducing unnecessary tension, acrimony and unhealthy diatribe among competitors and restore back to our politics the culture of rewarding performance and excellence.”

The statement lauded the stakeholders for a thorough and tremendous job, adding that, “It’s no secret that amongst all the senatorial candidates, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s impeccable leadership qualities, incredible performance, experience and sophisticated contacts dwarfs every other. After executing over 80 verifiable projects, Empowering Abia North youths with foreign scholarships to study medicine and surgery, sponsoring over fifty bills and moving over 30 motions in less than four years, Abia state stakeholders are only confirming what majority of Abians already know.”

Recall that a political group in Abia State, Concerned Abians Development Initiative (CADI), had endorsed Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as its consensus candidate for the 2023 Abia North Senatorial election.

The Leader of the group, Dr. Lawrence Ubani, in a statement issued on behalf of the group members in Umuahia, on 24th of December, 2022 stated that the entire stakeholders, various youth groups, traditional rulers and community leaders in the state were well pleased with the choice of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as the consensus candidate for Abia North Senatorial District election.

According to Ubani, “The group, therefore, calls on other candidates in the Abia North Senatorial race to accept the choice of Kalu for the interest of peace and development of the state and withdraw their aspirations to honour the decision of the leaders of the state.

“The group equally commends Distinguished Senator Orji Uzor Kalu for redefining the business of lawmaking by attracting dividends of democracy to Abia North Senatorial District and Abia State in general. What you’re doing in Abia North is unprecedented in the history of Abia State. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has attracted development across the three Senatorial District. If others achieved half of what you’re doing today, Abia North and indeed Abia State would be first in road network in Nigeria.”

Ubani, who is a renowned medical doctor, further called on other candidates in the race to accept the choice of Kalu in the interest of peace, unity and progress of the state.

He however, maintained that what Kalu needed is the corporation of political stakeholders to bring more development to the Senatorial District and Abia State in general.

“This is the time to shun bitterness and unite for the overall development of the state. We have seen that the political atmosphere is filled with bitterness, acrimony and jealousy. We must set them aside, unite and support a performing lawmaker like Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to bring more development to our state. Those contesting against should immediately step down for down. The right thing to do is to commend Senator Kalu for what he is doing and even beg him to run in 2023. We are using this opportunity to tell his opponents to all down step and join hand with Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to bring more development to our state,” the statement said.

2023: Abia Liberation Has Come, Says Ikechi Emenike

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January 2, 2023

Hours After Winning Abia APC Guber Ticket, Court Sacks Ikechi Emenike — Ikechi Emenike

Abia State All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship Candidate High Chief Ikechi Emenike, has declared 2023 as the year for the liberation of the state from over two decades of bad governance by inept leaders.

Welcoming Abians to the “year of rescue,” Emenike said that 2023 would be a remarkable year in the history of Abia State, adding: “This is the year to end god-fatherism in Abia, the year to send looters out of government house, the year to break the chain of transferring power among people bereft of ideas of good governance.”

The development economist said with the arrival of new year, the 2023 electioneering process has entered the homestretch, and stressed the need for Abians to prepare and vote for change.

He urged Abia voters not to leave anything to chance as the 2023 general election presents “a great opportunity for us to take back our dear state from the plunderers of our collective patrimony. We must rescue our state so that we can develop and make it great as well as truly God’s Own State where transparency, accountability and people-oriented government would hold be entrenched.”

Emenike reiterated his determination to lead the Abia rescue movement to a successful outcome at the poll after which “I will set up the building blocks of development to activate a holistic development of the state.”

He enjoined Abia youths to remove despondency associated with unemployment, assuring them that he would ensure that jobs are sustainably created with the establishment of the building blocks of development.

The governorship candidate also encouraged mothers to renew their hope of a new dawn in Abia where they would be empowered to take adequate care of their family, assuring that mothers would enjoy the benefits of their children being gainfully employed after graduation from higher institutions.

“Abia is now at the threshold of the much expected break from the past, characterised by persistent decay of infrastructure and looting of resources meant for project execution and salary payments”.

“We must collectively make efforts as individuals, groups, leaders, stakeholders, fathers, mothers to rescue our state from the dark forces of stagnation. The chance has come,” Emenike said.

Vanguard

After Peter Obi’s Endorsement, Tinubu Hits Obasanjo, Says Ex-President Can’t Produce Councilor

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January 2, 2023

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed the endorsement of Peter Obi, his Labour Party rival, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In a statement which Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, issued on his behalf, Tinubu described the endorsement as worthless.

He described Obasanjo as a political paperweight, who cannot win his polling unit for Obi in the election.

“We respect the democratic right of former President Obasanjo to support and endorse any candidate of his choice in any election.

“Except that he made it known formally in his new year message, any discerning political watcher in Nigeria knows that Chief Obasanjo’s preference for Peter Obi is expected. He had earlier stated his position at various public events, the last being at the 70th birthday anniversary of Chief John Nwodo, former President of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Enugu.

“We make bold to say that our party and candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not lose sleep over Obasanjo’s move, as Obasanjo is notorious for always opposing progressive political forces, as he did against MKO Abiola in 1993.

“The endorsement is actually worthless because the former President does not possess any political goodwill or leverage anywhere in Nigeria to make anyone win a Councillorship election let alone win a Presidential election. He is a political paperweight.

“He is also not a democrat anyone should be proud to be associated with. We recall that in 2003 and 2007 general elections when he was a sitting President, Obasanjo used all the coercive instruments of State at his disposal to railroad people into elective offices against the will of Nigerians as expressed at the polls. In 2007, he declared the polls a do or die affair after he failed in his bid to amend our constitution to have a third term.

“From our records, President Obasanjo has not successfully made anyone win election in Nigeria since then.

“Not even in Ogun State can anyone rely on his support or endorsement to become a governor or Councillor.

“We pity Peter Gregory Obi as we are confident that Chief Obasanjo can not win his polling unit and ward in Abeokuta for Obi in the coming Presidential election on 25 February, 2023.

“Chief Obasanjo’s endorsement is not a political currency Mr. Peter Obi can spend anywhere in Nigeria because he is not a political force, even in his part of the country.

“Chief Obasanjo similarly endorsed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party candidate in 2019 against President Muhammadu Buhari. Atiku was walloped by Buhari with a wide margin in the election,” Onanuga said.

Arochukwu Constituency: I’ll Fight To The End, Ike Okorafor Vows High Court Ruling

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January 2, 2023

Arochukwu Constituency: I'll Fight To The End, Ike Okafor Vows High Court Ruling

After the ruling of the Federal High Court in Umuahia on Thursday sacking him as the Arochukwu state constituency candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Prince Ike Okorafor has said he has filed a notice of appeal, saying he will fight to the end.

The court had ordered a rerun within 14 days after Mr. Ifeanyi Elvis challenged Okorafor’s victory over irregularities.

Prince Okorafor alleged that despite desperate efforts to stop him from participating in the primary election of the party for the constituency, he took part in it, saying that he would not give up his mandate for those not qualified to represent Arochukwu in Abia State House of Assembly.

He said, “Before now there have been a desperate effort to stop me from participating in the forth -coming election. When I consulted the APGA leviathan in my local government, he made mockery of Abam and told me how he want the position to go to Ihechiowa, ISU or Ututu to balance the power equation.

“I took the insult yet reasoned with him but to my greatest surprise he went and bought form for his boy and attempted to stop me from getting a nomination form. He practically Instructed that my nomination form should not BE SIGNED if not for the intervention of the STATE WORKING COMMITTEE of the party”.

According to him, another attempt was made to stop him at the screening level which was reversed by the party’s national working committee among other attempts to distract him from emerging the candidate of the party.

He added, “Another attempt to stop me was during screening, he paid that I should be SCREENED OUT which they did but the NATIONAL WORKING COMMITTEE upturned it. We went for primary elections, his godson did not participate instead conducted a fake primary election outside the venue chosen by the party without INEC just to cause me distraction. The judgement was influenced but I don’t have a problem with that. Let them also buy judgment at the appeal court.

“Glory be to God that even with all their intimidations the trial judge refused to grant any of the reliefs they sought in their suit but merely ordered a new primary election which I have appealed. After primary election, my name DISAPPEARED as the winner, if not for inec report and the National CHAIRMAN of APGA they would have stopped me.

“I will fight to the end. They have failed. Enough of the imposition in our constituency. Our people needs help. We want independent men who can take responsibility for their actions not errand boys” he added.

Ogun Couple Burnt Beyond Recognition In Their Home After Cross Over Service, Son Abducted

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January 2, 2023

Tragedy struck in the Ibara area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Sunday, when a couple, Kehinde and Bukola Fatinoye, were killed in a fire incident.

Their son was reportedly taken away by suspected hoodlums, who set the house on fire.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the couple were murdered in their private residence in Abeokuta shortly after returning from a New Year crossover church service.

It was learnt that the man, Kehinde, worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria, while his wife, Bukola, before her death, worked with the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

The victims were reportedly burnt beyond recognition with their remains later packed by policemen and health officials who visited the scene.

A close family source said the incident was suspected to be the handiwork of arsonists, who traced the couple to their house after they left their church.

The source further revealed that the suspects kidnapped their son and housemaid.

A cousin to the late Kehinde, Ambrose Somide, said he could not fathom the incident.

A church member, who asked to be identified as Kayode, confirmed that the couple were at the crossover service at a church in the Okejigbo area of Abeokuta.

Another sympathiser, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the couple lost their second son last July.

The source said, “Fatinoye family as a whole has been totally wiped out. The first son was also taken away; dead or alive, we don’t know. They were just recovering from the loss of their second son in July 2022.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.

He said “It is true that a couple were killed and set ablaze at their residence in Abeokuta, shortly after they returned from a crossover service.

“One person has been arrested by our operatives in connection to the incident. We will get to the root of the matter, as investigation has since begun.”

PHOTOS: Abia Deputy Gov, Ude Oko Chukwu Hosts Senator Kalu

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January 2, 2023

PHOTOS: Abia Deputy Gov, Ude Oko Chukwu Hosts Senator Kalu

The Deputy Governor of Abia State, Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu today hosted the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu at Nkporo residence in Ohafia Local Government Area.

It was the second time the former governor will visit Oko Chukwu in his Nkporo residence within three months.

Kalu was accompanied by the Speaker of Djibouti’s Parliament, Mohammed Ali Houmed, wife and other top government officials from Djibouti.

Details of the meeting was not made public to journalists.

Gunmen Kill Ebubeagu Commander’s Wife In Ebonyi, Set House On Fire

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January 2, 2023