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Oyo State Conducts a Staff Audit and Discovers Ghost Workers

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Oyo State Conducts a Staff Audit and Discovers Ghost Workers

The Oyo State 2019/2020 Civil/Public Servants Audit and Payroll Re-engineering/Validation Exercise Implementation Committee has recommended the termination of 41 staff categorised as “No Show” (ghost workers) by the consultants.

The consultants had indicted and recommended the dismissal of 602 officers, but the Implementation Committee confirmed 41 ghost workers, exonerated 40 others of any wrongdoing, discovered 10 deaths, and made 170 methodical retirements.

It also confirmed that 341 others with erratic service records could choose to resign voluntarily.

Mr Taiwo Adisa, Governor Seyi Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary, said the Implementation Committee had reviewed the consultants’ report and spoken with the impacted officials before finalizing the implementation model.

Messrs The Oyo State Government has appointed Sally Tilbot Consulting in 2019 to conduct employee and pensioner verification/validation and payroll re-engineering, dubbed the 2019/2020 Staff Audit.

In a report provided to the government on April 30, 2021, the consultants indicted 602 people, advising that they be removed off the payrolls, based on a series of reconciliations, after which an Implementation Committee was formed to fashion out the final implementation model.

The 13-member Implementation Committee, led by Mr D.O. Olatunde, Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Commission, agreed that 41 personnel identified as “No Shows” should be promptly dismissed from government payrolls.

An administrative investigation is underway.
It was suggested that the government conduct an administrative investigation to identify where the wages of the “No Show” cops had gone.

290 officers have turned in their voluntary retirement letters out of 341 who informed the Implementation Committee of their decision to retire, while the 24 officers who did not take advantage of the two-month opportunity have been retired by the relevant government agencies.

However, the Implementation Committee, in its May 2021 report, suggested that the government affirm the resolve of the 341 officers who chose to retire voluntarily after discovering improper service records in their files. The impacted officers will be “assisted to move into the pension payroll not later than two months after their separate notifications of retirement,” according to the document.

Read also: Ekiti Govt Uncovers 362 Ghost Workers

Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration had laboriously convened a series of reconciliation meetings to review the report of Sally Tilbot Consultants, which conducted a forensic analysis of civil/public servants between 2019 and 2020, and then set up a 13-member Implementation Committee, led by Olatunde, to fine-tune the final processes of its implementation.

However, the Committee recommended in its report to the government that 170 officers who were found to have “retired systematically” (retirement based on age or years of service) be removed from the list of 602 previously recommended for sanction by Tilbot Consultants, and that the list of affected officers from Tertiary Institutions be forwarded to their respective governments.

“As a result, the Committee agreed that forty (40) officers should be absolved and allowed to remain on government payrolls; one hundred and seventy (170) officers who had retired systematically should be allowed on pension payrolls; and ten (10) deceased officers should be paid their due entitlements,” according to the report.

Other members of the Committee include Prof. Musibau Babatunde, Special Adviser, Economic Matters to the Governor; Comrade Bayo Titilola-Sodo, Special Adviser, Labour Matters; Mr Akin Funmilayo, Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission; and F. Akin Funmilayo, Permanent Secretary, Service Matters, Office of the Head of Service.

Mrs A.A Fasina, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance; Mrs Folabimpe Segun-Olakojo, Acting Solicitor-General of the State; Mr O.J. Adeniyi, Executive Secretary, State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB); Comrade (Mrs) K.F Aiyedun, Representative of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC); Comrade Kola Badmus, Representative of the Trade Union Congress (TUC); Comrade Kola Badmus

Federal Government has locked down Abuja parks in the wake of COVID-19’s comeback

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Federal Government has locked down Abuja parks in the wake of COVID-19’s comeback

Fearing a resurgence of COVID-19 instances, the federal government has locked down various parks in Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said that it was increasing surveillance at recreational facilities across the territory to verify that COVID-19 protocols were followed.

This was revealed on Wednesday during a monitoring exercise at the Abuja Millennium Park by Ikharo Attah, the Head, Media and Publicity of the FCT Ministerial Committee on COVID-19 Enforcement.

Mr. Attah stated that the administration will not relax its grip on the devastating illness.

While residents, particularly Muslims, have the right to a full recreational complement throughout the holiday, the administration is responsible for preserving a healthy atmosphere, he said.

While compliance with the COVID-19 procedures was evident in the city center, it was significantly less so in the satellite towns and most of the interior areas, he added.

“According to what we saw at the mosques during the prayers on Tuesday, there was compliance, especially at the larger city mosques.

APC to PDP: We will soon shock you with our consensus 2023 presidential candidate

“We noticed few washing stations and people using hand sanitizers, but it may not be the same in the suburbs,” he remarked. The Unity Fountain has been shut down. Jabi and Millennium parks are also closed.”

Mr Attah further said that the FCT police commissioner had directed divisional police officers to ensure that no parks were open in their jurisdictions.

“The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello, has urged citizens to assist in the fight against COVID-19, particularly the dreaded third wave.

Mr Attah stated, “The minister is ready to open up entirely whenever we are able to overcome the infection.”

ITF And How Not To Reward A Patriot

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ITF And How Not To Reward A Patriot

By Benedict Aguele

The Industrial Training Fund has been in the news of late for leading a revolution in the technological space in the country. One of the reasons is the recent launch of made in Nigeria Android phone, ITF Mobile with 100% locally sourced materials.

I was impressed, to say the least, and that ignited my interest in the ITF, and the revelations have been mind-boggling. As a start, the ITF, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, and established in 1971, has not only raised training consciousness in the economy but has also helped in generating a corps of skilled indigenous manpower which has been manning and managing various sectors of the national economy.

In those days, at the mention of ITF, the thought of students’ placement on industrial training readily comes to mind. This erroneous impression is that everything about the ITF starts and ends with certifying students’ industrial training experience.

I dare say a lot has changed in the operations of the ITF under the leadership of Joseph Ari as the director-general. After detailed scrutiny of the ITF in the last five years, I speak on good authority that, indeed, there has been a revolution in the agency. One of the signs is the manufacturing of the ITF Mobile, the first made in Nigeria smartphone.

I gathered from reliable sources that the ITF had also been silently finetuning skilled indigenous manpower in various sectors of the economy through the revamping of the ITF Model Skills Training Centre.

The Model Skills Training Centre was established by the Industrial Training Fund as a Post-Secondary Technical Institution in 2011 to provide industry-relevant career and technical education programmes for secondary school leavers and adult learners.

It was a two-pronged effort by the Federal government to actualise the millennium development goals. To date, the Model Skills Training Centre (MSTC) is progressing in developing the nation’s economy through its highly Skilled Human Resource.

In 2016, the MSTC formally applied to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), which is mandated to accord approvals on prospective TVET programmes to include specific programmes for critique/vetting and development in the National Vocational Certificate (NVC) component. This was closely followed by another critique exercise request to add the National Innovative Diploma (NID) component to its certification status.

In 2017, the MSTC was granted approval to operate as an Innovative Enterprise Institute (IEI), with effect from December 2016, to offer programmes in the two components of NID/NVC. Admission into the MSTC is now through JAMB for the NID programmes that run for Two (2) years and direct admissions for the Modular programmes that run for four weeks to 24 weeks. Today the Centre is a Model in TVET Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

This brings me to the leadership question in Nigeria. I have long stated in numerous forums that leadership is required to set the country on the path of greatness. Using the ITF as an example, we could see how credible leadership has resulted in groundbreaking initiatives that make every Nigerian proud.

Let’s rewind; if the director-general of the ITF, Joseph Ari, had toed the line of his predecessors in office, I am sure the ITF would have remained that agency responsible for student’s placement for industrial training exercises alone.

We should learn to call a spade a spade and celebrate those who have displayed acts of ingenuity in service to the country. The story of Joseph Ari at the ITF comes readily as a worthy example for leading the revolution at the agency in the last five years of his stewardship.

I gathered that it’s about service for him, and this could be felt in the manner the agency has been able to carry out its mandate effortlessly. This, in my considered opinion, answers the leadership question that is needed in the country.

The likes of Joseph Ari have proven that leadership is not rocket science; therefore, there are no ‘set’ qualities that have to be present in all leaders. Instead, an effective leader draws from a range of personal qualities to help them deal with different circumstances and challenges. This is the Joseph Ari story at the ITF and why he should be celebrated and not castigated.

Unfortunately, this is the country we have found ourselves in, where some does not want to see anything progress and where the ultimate aim is to pull down rather than uplift.

I have been reading some mischievous publications on Joseph Ari recently, and I could not help but laugh in utmost disbelief. And I said to myself, how can we make progress as a country when good deeds are detestable, and blackmail is the order of the day.

I hold the firm opinion that the media has a role to play in ensuring that malicious and mischievous intentions are not promoted at the expense of the integrity of those with a solid commitment to providing credible leadership in the country.

The implication of the above is that should mischievous elements get the upper hand, we can be assured that the country would be thrown to the dogs, and sustainable growth and development would elude us.

Those that are envious of the sterling leadership of Mr Joseph Ari at the ITF should do well to swallow their pride and desist from the well-orchestrated slander campaign launched in the media, which might be as a result of the exploits recorded by the agency under his watch and in record time.

In my considered opinion, I think the narrative on the Joseph Ari led ITF should be on how leadership has transformed a once docile agency to a proactive and result-oriented agency. My two cents.

Agule is a strategic communication expert and wrote this piece from Abuja.

The Chairmen of the FCT Council Pledge Their Loyalty to the Minister

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The Chairmen of the FCT Council Pledge Their Loyalty to the Minister

The six area council chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have sworn their allegiance to Dr Ramatu Tijanni Aliyu, the territory’s Minister of State.

The FCT Administration’s Area Councils Services Secretariat, which is likewise under the minister’s control, has also pledged its full commitment to him.

The chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, who signed on behalf of the council chairmen, said in a joint press statement issued by the six area council chairmen and the FCT Area Council Services Secretariat to debunk media reports that the two were insubordinate to the minister.

Read also: Food security: RIFAN assures Nigerians that rice production will increase

“We are devoted not just to the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, but also to our esteemed National Assembly representatives. If we want to deliver democratic dividends to our communities, we can’t work in silos as local council leaders.

Mrs Omolola Olanipekun, the Ag. Secretary of the FCT Area Council Services Secretariat, also slammed the report, claiming that the Area Council and the secretariat were working together to drive the administration’s policies.

We Found Condoms and Sperm in My Daughter’s Private Parts, Raped Student’s Mother Speaks Out and Demands Justice

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We Found Condoms and Sperm in My Daughter’s Private Parts, Raped Student’s Mother Speaks Out and Demands Justice

Vivian Akpagher has revealed for the first time about how condom and sperm discharge were found in her private area before her daughter, Keren-Hap­puch Akpagher, a 14-year-old Premiere Academy Student, died in Abuja.

The bereaved mother, who could not hold back her sorrow, revealed the news to press in Abuja on Wednesday.

She claimed she brought her kid to the hospital after picking her up from school because she was complaining of pains and weakness.

She further claimed that when trying to administer drips to her, the doctor opted to place a urinary catheter due to her frailty, but that following a medical test, she discovered sperm discharge and a condom left in her private area.

“All of this began on Friday, June 18, 2021, when my daughter sent a message and subsequently called to say that we should come and pick her up for medical attention since she had an eye infection,” the mother explained.

“I informed the school matron that I would come pick her up, and she warned me that if I did, she would be placed in isolation for seven days. She stated that I could pay and the school would transport her to the clinic for therapy and then return her to me. That was the first time I’d heard that, despite the fact that I’d been taking her out for medical checkups. I consented, and they delivered her to me at Nisa Premier Hospital, where she was treated.

Read also: Igboho’s lawyer claims that he is chained like an animal in Cotonou and refutes rumours of his release

“She was brought in with a nurse and a teacher, and when it was time for her to return with them, she asked me, ‘Mummy, are you still leaving me with these people?’ I advised her not to be concerned and to go gather her belongings.

“When I got to school, my daughter called again on the school phone, requesting that I come pick her up, and I told her that I would, but the school would not allow me to step inside, so I became enraged.”

It was at this point that the mother dialed the principal’s number, but she did not answer, according to what was learned. It was also learned that the principal afterwards texted her, requesting that she be released.

She claimed that when she arrived to the school, security requested her to wait because he wanted to speak with the principal on the phone, which kept her at the gate for more than an hour. The principal, on the other hand, later came out with her daughter.

APC to PDP: We will soon shock you with our consensus 2023 presidential candidate

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APC to PDP: We will soon shock you with our consensus 2023 presidential candidate

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the party will soon shock the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) when it announces its consensus candidate for the 2023 presidential elections.

APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) National Secretary John Akpanudoehede said this in a statement issued on Tuesday in reaction to a statement by the PDP accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of a self-succession plan in the 2023 presidential election.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Akpanudoedehe, however, stressed that the party would not allow individual ambitions to derail the Buhari administration ahead of the 2023 presidential poll.

He said unlike the opposition PDP, the APC was a disciplined party, noting that the former was just being haunted by its past.

Akpanudoedehe recalled the third term agenda of the PDP while it was in power, pointing that the “APC would surprise it with the outcome of its planned congresses scheduled to commence on July 31.”

“After our congresses and the National Convention, we will shock them (PDP) by bringing a consensus and an agreeable candidate that will fly the flag of the party come 2023.

“APC has no third term agenda like PDP. What we are doing now is to stabilise the party and not allow individual ambitions to derail President Buhari’s administration,” he said.

PDP had accused President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC of plotting self-succession in 2023 following a remark by the presidency that the ruling party would not hand over power in 2023.

Read also: Igboho’s lawyer claims that he is chained like an animal in Cotonou and refutes rumours of his release

Buhari’s Spokesman Garba Shehu had charged the PDP and other opposition parties to forget about taking over power from Buhari in 2023.

Shehu said Nigerians who were firmly in support of Buhari would not allow PDP or other political parties to take over power.

Condemning the remark, PDP said Nigerians would not allow the APC to stay a day beyond May 29, 2023.

PDP argued that Garba’s statement explained why there had been a heavy onslaught against the country’s institution of democracy as well as the Electoral Act.

“Our party and indeed the majority of Nigerian across board and even across party lines caution President Buhari’s handlers to note that such plots cannot stand as it will be firmly resisted by the people” PDP’s statement stated in part.

“Shehu Garba should be bold enough to announce that President Buhari will be on the ballot for another term in 2023 and watch how Nigerians will respond.

“The 1999 Constitution (as amended) is clear on the tenure of office of the President and such cannot be extended under any guise or conditions whatsoever.

“It is imperative for Shehu Garba to note that Nigerians have been subjected to the worst forms of hardship under the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration and will never allow anything that will keep this administration in office a day beyond May 29, 2023.”

How Beninese Authorities Imprisoned Sunday Igboho and Made Him Cry Like a Baby – Lawyer Reveals

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How Beninese Authorities Imprisoned Sunday Igboho and Made Him Cry Like a Baby – Lawyer Reveals

Chief Yomi Alliyu SAN, the counsel representing the defendant, stated on Tuesday that his client was chained inside the cell, tortured on the hand, and forced to cry like a baby. The lawyer confirmed that Igboho sobbed during their telephone conversation on Tuesday.

The lead counsel for arrested Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho has described his client’s treatment in police custody in Benin Republic as inhuman.

Chief Yomi Alliyu SAN, the counsel representing the defendant, stated on Tuesday that his client was chained inside the cell, tortured on the hand, and forced to cry like a baby. The lawyer confirmed that Igboho sobbed during their telephone conversation on Tuesday.

According to him, Igboho’s wife, Ropo, a German national who was arrested alongside the activist, was also held in a separate cell by police in the neighboring country.

“They chained him in the cell where they put him in Cotonou,” the lawyer told Punch. Yesterday, when he was arrested, there was a fracas at the airport. They struck him in the hand and then handcuffed him; he is in pain and was sobbing like a child when I called and he heard me.

“The wife was also placed in a separate cell, but she was not chained. He was crying, his wife was crying as well, and he was writhing in agony. We can only hope they do not hire someone to assassinate him. You cannot put someone in a cell and then chain them.

Read also: N100 billion in FDI into the insurance sector benefits over 20 companies

“As you are aware, he sustained an injury and was not rushed to the hospital for treatment. We heard that he will appear in court tomorrow, but I’m not sure that will be sufficient.”

Recall that Igboho and his wife were arrested on Monday around 8 p.m. at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic. They were about to board a flight to Germany when they were apprehended by Interpol.

The senior advocate, who described his client’s arrest as shocking, urged the German, Benin, and international communities to “rise up and put an end to the Nigerian government’s impunity by refusing any application for extradition of our Client who already has an application before the International Criminal Court that has been duly acknowledged.”

On July 1, 2021, the Nigerian secret police raided Igboho’s Ibadan residence in the Soka neighborhood, arresting approximately 12 of his aides and killing two of them in a gun duel.

The Nigerian Federal Government had alerted the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Customs Service to prevent Igboho from fleeing the country.

Food security: RIFAN assures Nigerians that rice production will increase

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Food security: RIFAN assures Nigerians that rice production will increase

The Oyo chapter of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has assured Nigerians of their commitment to increasing rice production in order to reduce the commodity’s high cost.

Mr Samuel Akande, Chairman of Oyo RIFAN, gave the assurance yesterday in Ibadan.

Akande stated that the farmers’ goal for years has been to bring high-quality rice to the table on a consistent basis and at a lower price than it is now.

He noted that the association encouraged members to engage in commercial agriculture of the commodity on suitable land in order to accomplish its objectives. “In Oyo State, the problem is not a lack of farmers willing to plant rice, but a lack of enabling facilities.

“We are still waiting to see what the government has in store for us in terms of land, land clearing, and tractors; up until now, it has been entirely up to the farmers here,” he explained.

Akande stated that the RIFAN/CBN/United Bank Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) was the state’s only certain hope for rice farmers.

He stated that the ABP package included all necessary inputs for smallholder farmers, based on the farmer’s assumed capacity. “Rice pyramids are making a comeback across Nigeria. On a more serious note, RIFAN has been selling rice paddy to millers in order to bring the price of rice down.
“Farmers are truly fearful of working at full capacity to produce food on a daily basis because they are being attacked and their rice fields are being grazed unhindered.

“Where land clearing equipment and irrigation systems are available, they are not maintained.

“Another area of difficulty is farmers’ inability to control flood/drought experiences without a well-planned and managed irrigation system, which smallholder farmers cannot implement without government intervention.

Read also: 14 people were killed, and 4 others injured in road accidents in Abuja

“To increase rice production, what we, the farmers, can do and have been doing is to recruit and train more people to plant rice. With farmers on the ground, any willing government will find it simple to identify and locate the right farmers to support,” he explained.

According to him, RIFAN has received input loans for fertiliser, water pumps, hoses, sprayers, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.

Akande stated that in order to bring the market price of rice down, governments at all levels must make deliberate efforts in that direction.

“Because farmers can only produce for the market, and because our middlemen buy low and sell high, only the government has the wherewithal to maintain a desirable price level.

“We also encourage Nigerians to embrace the culture of eating locally produced foods in order to ensure the project’s continued existence. We can expect perfection only if we continue for an extended period of time,” he stated.

Igboho’s lawyer claims that he is chained like an animal in Cotonou and refutes rumours of his release

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Igboho’s lawyer claims that he is chained like an animal in Cotonou and refutes rumours of his release

Mr. Yomi Alliyu, the lawyer for Yoruba nation agitator Chief Sunday Adeyemo, alias Sunday Igboho, has stated that his client is being treated inhumanely while being held in police custody in Cotonou, Benin.

The lawyer claimed in a statement released on Tuesday that Igboho is being treated like an animal in police custody and may appear before a court today for an extradition order.

“I received a call from a reliable source in the Republic of Benin just about three minutes ago informing me that Sunday Igboho has been placed in a very dehumanizing condition in a police cell in Cotonou,” he said.

Read also: Nigerian air passengers may be granted some relief from Nigerian airlines

“The source informed me that they are under instruction from above to chain Igboho like an animal awaiting slaughter. He informed me that Igboho was shackled to the floor and was in excruciating pain.

“While I was on the phone with the source, I could hear our client sobbing and pleading for the chains to be removed, stating that he was in pain. However, I can hear one officer telling him that they are unable to remove the chains because they are following orders.

Alliyu, however, stated that the Nigerian authorities’ request for extradition is unlikely to be granted, given Igboho’s status as a political offender.

According to him, “I am aware that our client, Chief Sunday Adeyemo (a.k.a. Sunday Igboho Oosa), will appear in court tomorrow [today] in Cotonou, the capital of the Republic of Benin.”

“The Nigerian authorities and security operatives who arrested him will seek an extradition order to return Sunday Igboho to Nigeria.

“However, it is improbable that the extradition order sought would be granted. This is due to our client’s status as a political prisoner who is immune from extradition. As I stated earlier today in a press release, even his arrest by security operatives was contrary to the political nature of his offense.

“An ex-tradition treaty exists between four West African countries – Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, and Benin Republic – that protects Igbo people from extradition to the Republic of Benin.

“The 1984 Extradition Treaty between Togo, Nigeria, Ghana, and the Republic of Benin prohibited the extradition of political fugitives. Additionally, it states that if the fugitive will not receive justice as a result of discrimination and/or undue delay in prosecution, the host country should refrain from releasing him.

“Article 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, to which the four countries are signatories, made agitation for self-determination a fundamental right that all countries must protect,” he explained.

Buhari bemoans insufficient agricultural land utilization.

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Buhari bemoans insufficient agricultural land utilization.

President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) voiced regret on Tuesday over the country’s limited amount of arable land being farmed, while encouraging more Nigerians to take up farming.

The President made the remarks Tuesday at his country residence in Daura, Katsina State, after Eid-el-Kabir prayers.

This was included in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, headlined ‘I Was Surprised to Hear Only 2.5 Percent Of Arable Land In Nigeria Is Being Cultivated, Says President Buhari.’

According to him, the Presidential Economic Advisory Council informed him that just 2.5 percent of the country’s fertile land had been cultivated.

He also recognized that the country’s poor agricultural land utilization is inextricably connected to a wave of instability in different regions.

As a result, he ordered security firms to collaborate more with communities to create a more hospitable atmosphere for farmers. He directed security services to be more tenacious in preserving the country’s peace and to foster a more amicable connection with communities in order to gather information.

Read also: 49 Yoruba Nation agitators on Monday, and a Lagos State Magistrate Court in Yaba granted them bail

Buhari observed that the security situation in the North East and South-South has improved significantly, and measures are on to guarantee the same in the North Central and North West.

He promised Nigerians that further efforts would be made to apprehend those who have been disrupting the nation’s and citizens’ tranquility.

Additionally, at the prayer field, the Emir of Daura, Faruk Faruk, urged people to increase their support for the President in order for him to carry out his goal of enhancing security and strengthening the economy.

“Since the President took office, the nation has witnessed some good improvements.

“May God continue to bless the President with good health and the bravery necessary to lead the nation to peace. God would not allow Nigeria to suffer humiliation,” he said.

 

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