PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING 6. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, President of the Senate Dr Ahmad Lawan, Speaker Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, Gen Yakubu Gowon, Former Head odf State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, Former President, Dr Ebele Goodluck Jonathan, former CJN Hoj Justice Belgore during the Council of State Meeting Head at the Council Chambers State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 10TH 2023
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently chairing a meeting of Council of State at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, ABN TV reports.
PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING 9. L-R; Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Mrs Folasahde Yemi-Esan, SGF Mr Boss Mustaha, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN, President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, President of the Senate Dr Ahmad Lawan, Speaker Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila during the Council of State Meeting Head at the Council Chambers State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 10TH 2023PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING 7A&B. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, President of the Senate Dr Ahmad Lawan, Speaker Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, Gen Yakubu Gowon, Former Head odf State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, Former President, Dr Ebele Goodluck Jonathan, former CJN Hoj Justice Belgore during the Council of State Meeting Head at the Council Chambers State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 10TH 2023
The meeting which started at 10:12am after the rendition of the national anthem is being attended by former heads of state and presidents, including Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) and Goodluck Jonathan. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, joined online.
Others who join virtually include Governor of Sokoto State and Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Kebbi State and Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Abubakar Bagudu, Governor of Plateau State and Chairman, of Northern States Governors Forum, Simon Lalong.
The rest are governors David Umahi, Ebonyi, Yahaya Bello, Kogi, Ademola Adeleke, Osun, Abubakar Badaru, Jigawa, Dapo Abiodun, Ogun as well as Benue State deputy governors Benson Abounu, Nasarawa, Emmanuel Akabe, and Enugu Deputy governor.
Two former Chief Justices of the Federation, Alfa Belgore and Mahmud Muhammad are in attendance.
In attendance physically are Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan
The National Council of State is an organ of the Nigerian government whose functions include advising the executive on policy making.
The meeting is expected to discuss national crises including petrol and naira scarcity, insecurity and others, ahead of the general elections.
Also present and awaiting their turn to brief the council are Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba, Commandant General, Nigerian Security, and Civil Defence Corps, Hammed Audi and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele on the preparation for the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections as well as March 11 governorship and state houses of assembly polls and new Naira notes respectively.
PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING 3B. L-R; Former President Dr Goodluck Jinathan, Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon and President Muhammadu Buhari during the Council of State Meeting Head at the Council Chambers State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 10TH 2023PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING 1A&B. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Former Head of State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, Former President, Dr Ebele Goodluck Jonathan and Former Head of State Gen Yakubu Gowon during the Council of State Meeting Head at the Council Chambers State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 10TH 2023PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING 00A&B. L-R; Former Head of State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, Former President, Dr Ebele Goodluck Jonathan, Former Head of State Gen Yakubu Gowon. and President Muhammadu Buhari during the Council of State Meeting Head at the Council Chambers State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 10TH 2023PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING 0A&B. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Former Head of State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, Former President, Dr Ebele Goodluck Jonathan and Former Head of State Gen Yakubu Gowon during the Council of State Meeting Head at the Council Chambers State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 10TH 2023
PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING 1A&B. L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Former Head of State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, Former President, Dr Ebele Goodluck Jonathan and Former Head of State Gen Yakubu Gowon during the Council of State Meeting Head at the Council Chambers State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 10TH 2023PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING AB. L-R; Former President Dr Goodluck Jinathan, Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon and President Muhammadu Buhari during the Council of State Meeting Head at the Council Chambers State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. FEB 10TH 2023
On May 26, the APC declared Emenike the winner of the governorship primary in the state.
On November 11, Binta Nyako, a federal high court judge, sacked Emenike and ordered INEC to recognise Ogah as the party’s governorship candidate in the state.
Both APC and Emenike had filed separate appeals challenging the verdict delivered by Nyako.
Dan Eke, another aspirant, also filed an appeal challenging the judgment of the trial judge that recognised Ogah’s candidacy.
In December 2022, the court of appeal sitting in Abuja affirmed Emenike as the party’s candidate.
In the unanimous verdict, Olabisi Ige, who led the appeal court panel, read out the names of the party members sent by the APC national secretariat to conduct the governorship primary that produced Emenike, affirming that the exercise was valid.
Another candidate, Dan Eke, also filed an appeal in which he contested the trial judge’s decision to recognize Ogah’s candidacy.
The court of appeal in Abuja confirmed Emenike as the party’s nominee in December 2022.
Olabisi Ige, who presided over the appeal court panel, read aloud the names of the party members appointed by the APC national headquarters to oversee the governorship primary that produced Emenike and affirmed the validity of the process in the unanimous decision.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says growing corruption in the country is defeatable if every stakeholder on the anti-graft corridor makes concerted efforts.
Ola Olukoyede, the anti-graft agency’s chairman, who stated this in his Eid el-Kabir message, maintained that renewal of efforts towards fighting all forms of economic and financial crimes is imperative to kill the menace.
“It is obvious that we can attain peace, love, progress and unity of purpose for a Nigeria free of corruption and unsavoury practices.
“Let’s keep building. Let’s keep attacking every threat to our progress. Let’s keep fighting economic and financial crimes together,” Olukoyede was quoted by the spokesman of the commission, Dele Oyewale, to have said.
According to him, Nigerians are not inherently corrupt, and there is nothing fundamentally wrong with us as a nation.
The anti-graft czar rejoiced with the nation on the momentous occasion of Eid el-Kabir, while stressing that the lessons of the festival should drive more commitments to the anti-corruption fight.
“The lessons of forbearance, sacrifice, faith and hope in Almighty Allah which Eid teaches should imbue in us fresh desire to please God and serve our nation without corrupt practices.
“We should renew our efforts towards fighting all forms of economic and financial crimes,” he said.
The Federal government has disclosed that the visa ban restricting travelers to the United Arab Emirates, UAE, will soon be lifted.
The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this during a 44-minute interview with the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, Otega Ogra, published on the official YouTube page of the State House.
Keyamo assured Nigerians that resolutions have been reached between President Bola Tinubu, and UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to lift the ban.
He said the resolution was reached during Tinubu’s visit to UAE in September 2023.
The Minister said the Nigerian government has since completed all processes, paving the way for an imminent announcement from the UAE government.
According to Keyamo: “After that high-level meeting, Mr. President, credited to him, made things very easy for us all. We did our follow-ups as his ministers.
“We have done everything. We have resolved everything. Just wait for the announcement from the UAE government, and that announcement is imminent.”
Keyamo further mentioned that he is aware of the specific date when the travel restriction will be lifted but he emphasized that it is up to the UAE government to make the official announcement.
The leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has appointed Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State as chairman of its reconciliation committee.
His appointment was announced early Monday morning in a communiqué from the South South zonal conference held in Calabar on Sunday.
It stated, “We have resolved to set up a reconciliation committee in the South-South region. This will be headed by HE Sen. Bassey Otu, governor of Cross River State.”
They also made a resolution to bridge any existing gap, foster collaboration, and work towards a common goal of strengthening the party’s presence and influence in the region.
In the communiqué, they reaffirmed their unwavering support for the policies and programs of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in fostering good governance, economic reforms, national security, and infrastructural development.
They resolved to mobilize available party assets towards winning Edo State during the governorship election to illustrate their determination to win more states.
He emphasized that this is the third successful air raid by NAF in the Faskari-Kankara area, disrupting terrorist activity, lately.
The statement further revealed that early Sunday morning, security forces responded to a distress call about a kidnapping in Jibia LGA, Katsina State.
A credible police source disclosed that the distress was received around 4:15 am from residents in Kwata area, Jibia LGA.
Responding swiftly, a police patrol team led by a Superintendent confronted the armed bandits who held three women and a six-month-old baby captive.
Consequently, the patrol team blocked the kidnappers’ escape route, leading to a gunfight that forced them to flee eventually, rescuing all victims unharmed.
The identity of the rescued victims as contained in the statement includes: Ummulkhari Abubakar, 23, Shafa’atu Abubakar, 35, and Maryam Lawal, 15 – were rescued unharmed. Also rescued was a six-month-old baby boy identified as Ismail Usman.
At least seven people were killed when an express passenger train and a goods train collided on Monday in India’s West Bengal state, derailing three passenger carriages, police said.
Images on Indian broadcasters showed the tangled wreckage of carriages flipped on their side, and one thrust high into the air precariously balanced on another.
Police said rescuers were scouring the twisted carriages in case there were more bodies trapped beneath.
“We have confirmation of seven deaths and 39 passengers admitted at a local hospital with various injuries,” local police officer Iftikar-Ul-Hassan told AFP.
The incident is the latest to hit India’s creaking rail network, which carries millions of passengers daily.
“We just saw the bodies of a dead driver and a guard… their bodies were taken out,” Rajesh Kumar Singh, from the Railway Protection Force, told AFP.
“Some more bodies may be under the crash site, but we don’t yet know for sure.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to “those who lost their loved ones”, in a post on social media, adding that “rescue operations are underway”.
‘Tragic’
West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the crash “tragic” in a post on social media.
“Doctors, ambulances and disaster teams have been rushed to the site for rescue, recovery and medical assistance,” Banerjee said. “Action on war footing initiated.”
Banerjee said the crash took place in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district, when the Kanchenjunga Express train was hit by a goods train.
Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the “injured are being shifted to the hospital”.
India has one of the world’s largest rail networks and has seen several disasters over the years, the worst in 1981 when a train derailed while crossing a bridge in Bihar state, killing an estimated 800 people.
In June last year, a three-train collision killed nearly 300 people in Odisha state.
In recent years, India has been investing huge sums of money to upgrade the network with modern stations and electronic signalling systems.
On Sunday, a train crossed for the first time the world’s highest railway bridge — 359 metres (1178 feet) above a river — in India’s Himalayan region, the railways minister Vaishnaw said.
The arch-shaped steel structure over the Chenab River links sections of northern Jammu and Kashmir state, connecting the disputed territory to the rest of India.
Work on the railway track has been ongoing for nearly three decades, and the trial run comes ahead of a formal opening expected within weeks.
The Men’s Christian Association (MCA) of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Solid Rock Parish, has conferred the prestigious “Voice of the Voiceless” award on Mr. Ifeanyi Okali, Director of ABN TV.
The award, presented on Father’s Day, recognizes Okali’s outstanding contributions to giving a voice to the marginalized and downtrodden in society.
Rev. Chukwuma, Associate Minister, presented the award during the church’s Father’s Day celebration, themed “The Victorious Men” (Romans 8:37).
Other Awardees include, the Minister In Charge of the Parish, Rt. Rev. Ezera Ume ( Ambassador Of Peace), Mrs. Okoroafor Eunice L. as Virtuous Woman, Lolo Nnenna Ojike Kalu also as Virtuous Woman, Dr. Mrs. Maduka Oluchi as Distinguished/Quality Leader, Mr. & Mrs. Ogbonnaya l as Good Work of God, Mr. Ameke Benjamin as Gentleman of the Year as well as Miss Chigozirim Amarachi Kalu, MCA Special Daughter of The Year
Others are, Mr. Kalu Ogbonna, Pioneer Member of the Year, Mr. Kalu Ezuma, Pioneer Member of the Year, Chief Uche Udo, Pioneer Member of the Year, Asp (Rtd.) Ndem John Okorie, Father of the Year, Dr. Christopher Kalu Okoro, Human Capital Builder for God, Mr. Nobert Okechukwu, The Newest Couple of the Year and Chief Friday Mba, Foundation Pillar Of The Church.
Okali expressed his gratitude to the MCA Solid Rock Parish, stating that the recognition motivates him to continue upholding balanced and objective reporting values as a journalist. He pledged to remain a voice for those who need it most.
The award acknowledges Okali’s dedication to using his platform to amplify the voices of the voiceless, making a positive impact on the community.
Former deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has declared support for the opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, in the upcoming September 21 governorship election in Edo state.
According to Shaibu, the governorship race started with three homeboys – himself, Okpebholo, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP).
“I will support a homeboy. I came into politics to contest as the governor of Edo State because I need the government to return to homeboys – people who understand our plight, people who understand what the people are feeling. Even the United Nations talks about the need for assessment. We don’t want outsiders, we have experimented with outsiders and it’s not working. So, this time around, we want homeboy,” he said.
“Today, I came in as a homeboy. We have only two homeboys in the major political parties in Edo State. One is in labour, and one is in APC, and I choose to follow another homeboy in the APC. The man they are parading in the PDP is an outsider, and we have also agreed that no more godfatherism in Edo. So, the man the PDP is trying to portray in Edo now is the godson of Obaseki and there is no way godsons will now be governor of Edo.”
The former deputy governor was speaking on the sidelines of the 2024 Father’s Day celebration at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church in Benin City, the Edo State capital. He was among the altar servants for the main mass.
Shaibu insisted that since he had dropped out of the race, his preferred choice from the remaining homeboys in Okpebholo. He noted that Edo governor, Godwin Obaseki has said everyone was free to choose who to support in any election, the reason he has come out publicly to back the APC governorship candidate in the election despite his PDP membership.
He stressed that his support for the opposition is not anti-party, adding even Governor Obaseki in the last election, was partly PDP and Labour Party.
“The governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki says that everybody has the right to support whoever he wants to support, but he forgot also that he doesn’t have the right to stop anybody from whom he wants to support,” he said.
“But I take one part from what he said, we all have the right to support whom we want to support, so it’s my right to decide who I want to support.”
Convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Edwin Clark, has asked President Bola Tinubu to order the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to drop all charges against the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Clark made this call in an open letter addressed to the President on Sunday.
In the letter, the PANDEF convener asked the president to use his executive power to release the IPOB leader, similar to how it was done in the case of Abdullahi Bodejo, president of Miyetti Allah.
The letter read in part: “I have never supported the activities of IPOB under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, but today, Nigeria is a broken country where many groups and nationalities have cried foul to the way Nigeria has been going since 1999 because of the military constitution imposed on Nigerians by the military.
“Today, our economy is failing, our democracy is failing, our education and health institutions are collapsing, the youths are jobless, and some people are treated as second-class citizens while a few enjoy the fruits of the so-called democracy we are passing through. Coupled with the violence and insecurity in the South-East, if allowed to continue, the consequences will be very unpleasant for all Nigerians.”
Clark said the unity of Nigeria can only be achieved and sustained if every part of the country is treated equally, adding that no one could play God over Nigeria and no section owns the country more than any other section.
According to him, Kanu’s release will end the Monday sit-at-home order in the South-East and restore peace in the country.
He further stated that the Igbos should be reintegrated into the mainstream of Nigerian politics to ensure equality among the regions.
“Let me re-emphasize the importance and urgency of reintegrating the Igbos into the mainstream of Nigeria, where their region will be equal with other regions in all ramifications, meaning that they should be fully and unconditionally united or be admitted into the union of Nigeria as it was before the civil war,” Clark said.
Officials said ambulances and disaster teams were sent to the site for rescue efforts soon after the accident at 08:55 local time (03:25 GMT).
State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock at the accident and said action was being taken on “war footing”.
The dead include the driver and the assistant driver of the goods train and the guard of Kanchenjungha Express.
“Rescue operations have been completed,” Jaya Varma Sinha, CEO of the Railway Board, told a press conference.
The injured, she said, were being treated at a medical college in Siliguri city. “Our first priority is for them to get the best medical aid possible.”
Railway official Sabyasachi De told reporters that “the preliminary information we have is that the Kanchenjungha Express was hit from the rear by a goods train”. He added that the reason for the crash would only be confirmed after investigation.
Ms Sinha said human error seemed to be the likely cause of the accident. “As per initial investigation, it seems that the driver of the goods train disregarded the signal.”
She added that Kavach, an automatic train protection system developed by the Indian Railways, needed to be planned and expanded for West Bengal state.
A police official told reporters that the engine of the goods train was damaged while three coaches of the express train were derailed.
A rescue official told the Times of India they avoided using gas cutters during the relief efforts because it could endanger the lives of those trapped in the train.
He said relief efforts were also slowed by heavy rain in the area.
Federal Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said relief teams had worked in close coordination with railway officials to carry out rescue operations.
The minister said he was travelling to the accident site.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “saddening” and said he had spoken to officials about the rescue efforts.
“Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” he wrote on X.
He announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,394, £1,890) for the families of the dead and 50,000 rupees for each of the injured passengers.
The railways have set up a control desk with a helpline number at Rangapani station, near which the collision took place.
Last year, a devastating crash involving three trains in the eastern state of Odisha had killed around 290 people and left more than 1,000 injured.
At least 14 Jordanian citizens have died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia due to intense heat, officials have said.
Jordan’s foreign ministry said 14 of its nationals had died “after suffering sun stroke due to the extreme heat wave” and a further 17 had been reported missing.
According to the AFP news agency, the Iranian Red Crescent confirmed that five Iranian pilgrims had also lost their lives, but did not specify how they died.
Jordanian officials said searches were continuing for those missing.
In a statement the Jordanian foreign ministry said it was coordinating with the Saudi authorities on procedures to bury or transport the bodies of the deceased, according to the wishes of their families.
Hajj,a religious requirement for all Muslims, is one of the largest mass gatherings in the world.
It is one of the five pillars of Islam along with five daily prayers, fasting, charity, and a belief in God (Allah) and in Muhammad as a prophet.
More than 1.8 million pilgrims are taking part this year, according to Saudi officials.
Hajjhas a history of deadly catastrophes, including stampedes and tent fires. But most years, the main challenge comes from intense heat.
Temperatures exceeded 46C (114.8F) this week, making many of the rituals that are performed outdoors and on foot challenging especially for the elderly.
The head of Saudi national meteorology centre, Ayman Ghulam, warned last week: “The expected climate for Hajj this year will witness an increase in average temperatures of 1.5 to 2 degrees [Celsius] above normal in Mecca and Medina.”
The two cities are at the heart of the five-day Hajj pilgrimage.
A treatment centre near Mount Arafat recorded 225 cases of heat stress, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
“It’s physically gruelling, but it’s very spiritually charged,” Neron Khan, a Canadian pilgrim told AFP.
She added that during some of the rituals, she was in “some sort of heat exhaustion situation”.
The pilgrimage will end on Wednesday. Saudi officials say as part of heat mitigation measures, they have set up many climate-controlled areas. They distribute water and offer advice to pilgrims on how to protect themselves from the sun.
The Saudi health ministry also issued an advisory, asking pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid being outdoors during the hottest hours of the day between 10:00 and 16:00.
Last year, at least 240 people died. And in the worst Hajj disaster, a deadly crush in 2015 killed more than 2,000 people.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says growing corruption in the country is defeatable if every stakeholder on the anti-graft corridor makes concerted efforts.
Ola...
