Reinstated Edo Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu has revealed that he would have abandoned his governorship ambition if his principal, Godwin Obaseki, had approached him reasonably.
Instead, Obaseki’s alleged threats and dictatorial behavior strengthened Shaibu’s resolve to pursue his ambition.
Shaibu, who has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) spoke candidly during a courtesy visit to the APC National Working Committee in Abuja, on Thursday.
He described Obaseki as a dictator and expressed feelings of betrayal despite his loyalty and sacrifices.
Read Also: DSS uncovers plan to infiltrate planned #EndBadGovernance protest
Shaibu claimed he won the Edo State PDP governorship primary with 381 delegates but was shut out of the venue. He has since been vindicated by two court judgments, which declared his delegates authentic.
Shaibu emphasized his commitment to internal democracy and his ambition to fix the state, stating that he would have supported another candidate if they shared his vision.
However, cording to him, Obaseki’s behavior led to their fallout, and he is determined to prevent dictatorship from derailing democracy in Edo State.
He said, “We are in court and by the grace of God, I had already been vindicated by two judgments. What is critical is that I want to prove internal democracy must be respected and allowed to play. You can lobby, you can talk to people and people will understand. If the governor had shown leadership, maybe I wouldn’t have contested because I am not a desperate person.
“My ambition is not inordinate. I have an ambition to fix the state. If somebody else can agree that we collectively fix it, I will follow. But the governor wanted to behave like a military dictator. And for me, we fought. I have captained people that have fought for this democracy. I started from the youth wing. I am sure I am one of the top people you will mention for this democracy that we now have. And for me, I cannot watch this democracy be derailed and allow dictatorship to take control.”
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Edo Deputy Gov Shaibu opens up on reals reason for fallout with Obaseki
Lagos govt denies involvement in Oro Festival amid plans for #EndBadGovernance protest
The Lagos State government has denied any involvement in the rumored Oro festival scheduled for August 1-15, 2024, coinciding with the planned #EndBadGovernance protest.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, stated this during an interview with the PUNCH, on Thursday.
He noted that the government does not interfere with religious activities, including traditional worship.
Akosile drew parallels with Muslim and Christian events, emphasizing that traditional worshippers have the constitutional right to practice their faith without government interference.
Read Also: AGF Fagbemi explains impact of Supreme Court ruling on local govt autonomy
He noted that the government’s focus is on maintaining peace and order, ensuring that protests and religious activities do not disrupt business operations in the state.
“Oro festival is like Muslim and Christian activities and has no business with Lagos State government interference. We don’t have a hand in how any religious group goes about their lawful activities.
“The protesters have their rights just like the traditional worshippers who want to perform their activities too. What is our business in that?
“If anybody wants to protest, they should come out and carry out their right lawfully by not disrupting the business activities in the state. We will not allow the peace of the state to be disrupted. No responsible government will allow it,” he said.
The government’s clarification comes after a social media post sparked mixed reactions about the Oro festival. Akosile reiterated that the government respects the rights of all groups to exercise their lawful activities, including protesters and traditional worshippers.
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A great Iroko has fallen, Mbah mourns Iwuanyanwu
The Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has expressed grief over the death of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
He described the death as the fall of a great iroko and an incalculable loss to Ndigbo in particular, and Nigeria in general.
Mbah said Iwuanyanwu was unapologetically Igbo, yet a consummate nationalist and quintessential statesman, who gave his all in service to the nation and the Igbo race.
In his reaction to the passing of the elder statesman on Thursday, Mbah said, “I received with deep grief the shocking news of the demise of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, an icon, pan-Nigerian, national colossus, and an absolute patriot, who gave his all for the peace and progress of Ndigbo and Nigeria.
“Ahaejiagamba, as he was popularly known, took up the mantle of leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo at a very difficult time, and acquitted himself most creditably as a courageous leader, whose vision was to chart a new roadmap for Igbo renaissance in the Nigerian commonwealth.
“He was an erudite scholar, researcher, media entrepreneur, sports enthusiast and financier, business mogul with interest in many critical sectors of the nation’s economy, and indeed a philanthropist. His politics was no less remarkable. His views were candid and unpretentious, but never divisive. His maturity shone brightly, as he often sought to build bridges. Indeed, Chief Iwuanyanwu, a pan-Africanist, would be missed by not only Ndigbo and Nigeria but Africa as a whole.
“On behalf of the government and people of Enugu State, I offer my condolences to his family and pray that God comforts and grants them as well as the government and people of Imo State, Ndigbo, and the nation the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. Rest in peace, Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo.”
According Online reports that Iwuanyanwu died on Thursday, July 25, 2024, after a brief illness.
He was aged 82.
His death was confirmed in a statement on Thursday by his son, Jide.
Afenifere urges organisers to shelve planned hunger protest
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Thursday, appealed to Nigerians to be circumspect on the issue of the nationwide protests being contemplated by some people in the country.
Afenifere, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, deposed that while the people have an inalienable right to protest, consideration should be given to the general atmosphere surrounding the planned protest.
He said, “Information at the disposal of Afenifere is that the planned protest is to draw the attention of the government to the excruciating situation in the country.
“As the saying goes, those who feel it, know it. In other words, Nigerians consider protest as a way of registering their displeasure, perhaps disenchantment over what many are going through. It’s in order.
“But there are some factors that need to be put into consideration. First is whether protest is the only means by which the government’s attention can be called to the perceived hardship in the land. And, if the protest path is to be taken, what form should it take?
“Engagement is a very potent instrument not only to call attention to the situation on ground, but to decide on what the ways should be.
“Incidentally, the Federal Government has not only expressed its awareness of what is going on in the country, it expressed a commitment to engagements with Nigerians so as to find solutions to the myriad of challenges that the country is facing. Challenges that are the basis for the planned protests.
“The experience of what happened during #Endsars in 2020 is still fresh in our minds. Scars of the protests can still be felt in various places. For instance, the non-pareil modern laboratory in Lagos that was destroyed then could not be replaced up till now. A laboratory that had nothing to do with what the protesters were venting their anger against. The destruction of the laboratory has meant that tests that could be routinely done in Lagos now have to be taken to the United States of America.”
The organisation therefore called on relevant arms of government not only to meaningfully engage the people, but to make manifest steps to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians within the shortest possible time.
AGF Fagbemi explains impact of Supreme Court ruling on local govt autonomy
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has asserted that the Supreme Court’s recent landmark decision granting full financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local governments will enhance local governance, security, and human rights.
Fagbemi made this statement on Thursday in Abuja during the 17th anniversary celebration of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA).
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He pointed out that local governments are the closest to the grassroots but had been under the tight control of state governors for the past two decades. He lamented that this control had paralyzed the functioning of these councils, with previous efforts to address the issue failing.
Expressing his satisfaction that President Bola Tinubu’s administration took decisive action to rectify this, Fagbemi said, “This administration, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, being conscious of the linkage of governance with security and human rights, took the bold decision to approach the Supreme Court of Nigeria on this issue and that singular judgment of the apex court would not only improve governance at the local government level but would also significantly improve security and access to human rights.”
He emphasized the importance of the intersection of governance, security, and human rights for societal progress, stating, “The intersection of governance, security, and human rights is crucial to the well-being and progress of any society. It is imperative that we explore these connections to understand how we can better serve our citizens and protect their fundamental rights.”
Read also: Naira continues slump, trades N1,603/$1 at official window
Fagbemi underscored that effective governance requires collaboration among all three branches of government, noting that poor governance can lead to rights erosion and injustice. He also highlighted the judiciary’s role and the recent passage of the Minimum Wage Bill as indicators that improved local governance could address underlying issues like poverty and unemployment, which contribute to insecurity.
He said, “Without security, the enjoyment of rights such as freedom of movement, expression, and association becomes impossible. However, security measures must always be balanced with the need to respect and protect human rights. Excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions, and other abuses undermine the very foundation of our democratic principles.”
The Attorney General also cautioned law enforcement agents against holding individuals in detention beyond the time allowed by the Constitution. He warned that any breach of these regulations would result in penalties, stating, “I wish to remind our law enforcement agents that they must respect the laws of the land and not keep people in detention beyond a reasonable time as stipulated in Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. Law enforcement agents must do their due diligence before arresting anyone. Situations where people are languishing in detention beyond the time allowed under the Constitution or by order of the courts, will no longer be tolerated and appropriate sanctions shall be meted out to those found guilty of contravening the laws of the land.”
Fagbemi emphasized his commitment as the chief law officer to protect individual rights and ensure justice. He announced the establishment of a Department of Citizens Rights within the Federal Ministry of Justice to handle complaints effectively.
He also noted recent advancements such as the 2024-2025 Strategic Action Plan by the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee and the official signing of the Practice Direction and Guidelines on Remanding Proceedings by Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf.
Fagbemi concluded, “I am particularly delighted, as these groundbreaking feats towards refining the remand system underscore our dedication to ensuring that the rights of suspects are protected and that justice is administered without unnecessary delays. It is in this same spirit that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu exempted the Board of the National Human Rights Commission when he dissolved the Governing Board of all Federal Government agencies.”
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Iwuanyanwu: Peter Obi reveals last moment with Ohanaeze President-General
The Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has recalled his visit to the late Ohanaeze President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu at the hospital earlier this month.
Obi said the late President-General of Ohanaeze promised him that he would soon be alright.
He described the death as shocking and said Iwuanyanwu was a bridge builder who would be remembered for so many positives.
Obi writing on his X handle said, “I am greatly disheartened by the death of an elder statesman and President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
“The devastating reports of his death have left all who knew him heartbroken.
“He was not just a father to many, but a bridge builder who remained committed to the peaceful coexistence of the nation. He was undoubtedly a deeply patriotic Nigerian whose desire for justice, equity, progress and development of the nation transcended tribal boundaries.
“Chief Iwuanyanwu was one of those revered father figures who have always given me useful advice. I recall visiting him at the hospital on the 11th of this month with the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador Okey Emuchey.
“He promised me that he would soon be alright, to continue with his contributions to the progress of the nation. Since then, I continued to pray for his quick and full recovery, till I received the sad news of his death.
“I sincerely condole with his immediate family, the Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, and the entire nation over the death of this revered patriarch. May God grant us all the fortitude to bear his sad loss and grant him eternal rest.”
Iwuanyanwu: Peter Obi reveals last moment with Ohanaeze President-General
ACF applauds Tinubu for signing Northwest Development Commission bill
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has hailed the signing into law the Bill establishing the Northwest Development Commission by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Prof. Muhammad-Baba, in a statement on Thursday, expressed the forum’s confidence that the law marked a new watershed in what will surely be a new lease of life for the people of the geopolitical zone.
He said, “ACF extends warm appreciation and gratitude to Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Deputy President of the 10th Senate of the Federation and indeed all who contributed to the enactment of the law also deserve our gratitude.”
It explained that the Northwest remained at the very bottom of all Nigeria’s developmental indices and living conditions, adding that the region continued to be devastated by insecurity, banditry and associated challenges, and indeed forming the ground zero of insecurity and terrorism.
“It remains to be said that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the new law will utilise the resources allocated to the Commission to make a visible impact on the lives of the people,” the forum advised.
ACF said that the law marked a new vista in the socio-economic and political development of the Zone.
It added, “All hands must be on deck to see to it that the teeming and largely agrarian people of this area will have the dark clouds of underdevelopment removed from their environment in its totality.”
ACF applauds Tinubu for signing Northwest Development Commission bill
Naira continues slump, trades N1,603/$1 at official window
The Nigerian currency, the naira, slumped again against the American dollar on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
The domestic currency shed N17 to trade at N1,603/$1, data from the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) has shown.
This is against the rate of N1,586/$1 it traded on Wednesdays July 24, 2024.
The intra-day high and low recorded during the day were N1,620/$1 and N1,519/$1 respectively, representing a lean spread of N101$1.
READ ALSO:Naira recovers, trade N1,500/$1 at official window
The naira also slumped against the dollar at the parallel section of the FX market as the local currency shed N5 against the dollar to trade N1,600|$1, as against the rate of N1,595/$1 it traded the previous trading day.
The naira also shed N5 against the British Pound to trade at N2,075£1 as against the previous trading day’s rate of N2,070£1 representing a loss of N10 for the local currency.
The Canadian dollar continues to close flat against the naira to trade at N1,200| CA$1 same as the previous trading day rate of N1,200| CA$1.
The naira also gained N10 against the Euro to trade at ₦1,700/€1 as against the previous trading day’s rate of ₦1,710/€1.
By: Babajide Okeowo
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Nigeria raised $99bn from diaspora remittances in five years
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Nigeria has raked in about $99bn from diaspora remittances in the last five years.
She added that the contributions of the Diaspora community to national development cannot be over-emphasized.
Speaking at the 2024 National Diaspora Day Celebrations in Abuja on Thursday, Dabiri-Erewa urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to citizens in the diaspora.
She said, “Let me also state that the contributions of the Diaspora community to national development cannot be over-emphasized.
“According to the World Bank statistics recently, Nigerians in the Diaspora have remitted over 99 billion US dollars into the system in the last five years. This is huge and highly commendable.
“So, this is a sector that we need to pay more attention to. We haven’t paid attention to it. We need to do a lot more. So we have to tap into the enormous resources we have with the diaspora. We are still scratching the surface. And that’s what I will say.”
Dabiri-Erewa also revealed that the efforts towards the amendment of the constitution to allow for diaspora voting have commenced with the introduction of a bill to that effect.
She expressed hope that the bill would pull through and that Nigerians in the diaspora would be allowed to participate in elections in the country.
She said, “It is worthy of note that the long-awaited Diaspora Voting, which has been a consistent topic of discussion among the Diaspora community, has now passed the first reading in the Parliament, which is a huge plus for this administration.
“The Bill was sponsored by no other persons than Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Hon. Sadiq Ango Abdulahi from Kano state.”
She also said the commission is collaborating with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to boost diaspora investments.
Dabiri-Erewa added, “Aimed at creating a window of opportunities for the Diaspora to invest in Nigeria. The Commission is collaborating with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to boost diaspora investments in the country by designing and creating different investment channels and negotiating long-term investment opportunities for our Diaspora in Nigeria. This is to facilitate Diaspora Direct Investment.”
FG to restock food reserve system
The Federal Government has announced plans to restock the National Strategic Food Reserve System to address food insecurity and stabilise food prices in the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, made this known at the unveiling of the 2024 Global Food Policy Report themed “Improving Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition in Nigeria: Policies and Actions” organised by the International Food Policy Research Institute and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.
According Online reported that the United Nations predicted that 82 million Nigerians, about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030, calling on the government to tackle climate change, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity.
It also noted that “in Nigeria, 37 per cent of children, or 6 million children, are stunted (chronically malnourished or low height for age), more than half of them severely. In addition, 18 per cent of children suffer from wasting (acutely malnourished or low weight for height).”
Speaking at the event in Abuja on Thursday, Abdullahi stated that the government is working hard to ramp up food production, particularly for major staples like rice, maize, and cassava, to calm down the current food situation.
He noted that the country’s production is not only for local consumption but also for the West African region.
“The idea of the National Strategic Food Reserve is for us to be able to keep stock so that when prices of food are getting high, we release from the stock so that we stabilise the price,” Abdullahi explained.
The minister acknowledged that the reserve system was affected by the floods in 2021, but the government is now working to restock it starting from this year’s harvest.
He also mentioned that the government is distributing fertiliser and agrochemicals to farmers to boost production.
Abdullahi called on Nigerians to support the government’s efforts to address food insecurity and stabilize food prices.
“We are working very hard to make sure that when the time comes, we can get more food into our reserves because that will help us to stabilise the production,” he said.
Abdullahi thanked the participants and called on Nigerians to work together to address the food insecurity challenge.
“We are aware that, honestly, what we produce in Nigeria, we are more or less producing for West Africa. People are aware of this. You go to the border markets, you see the kind of food that is leaving. So we are working very hard to make sure that when the time comes, we can get more food into our reserves because that will help us to stabilize the production”, he said.
Also speaking at the launch, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Production Services and Rural Development, Dr. Kingsley Uzoma pledged the committee’s support for initiatives aimed at addressing food insecurity and malnutrition in the country.
The chairman said, “Anything that has to do with food insecurity, food malnutrition, it is something that we must all contribute and put our hands on the deck.”
He emphasized the importance of ensuring that farmers enjoy the benefits of their harvest, saying, “After a harvest, you want to come back home to see that you get the benefits of whatever you live off of.”
The chairman also highlighted the need for quality harvests, stating, “We are now talking of the quality of the harvest. And that is the only thing that can give us a healthy nation.”
He commended the organizers of the event and expressed the committee’s willingness to collaborate with them, saying, “Whatever we can pick from here and collaborate with you, we will make sure we have our part.”
The chairman also emphasised the importance of partnership, saying, “We look forward to partnering with you in areas where we believe our legislative role will enhance your efficiency.”
In his closing remark, the Country Director, GAIN, Nigeria, Michael Ojo who had earlier made a presentation on the importance of data for evidence-based policymaking and targeted interventions to address malnutrition and promote healthy diets, noted that urgent efforts are needed to support governments and other stakeholders at all levels—from global to local—in leveraging the Nigeria Subnational Food Systems Dashboard and other data sources.
“This will guide national nutrition plans, identify effective entry points for improving diets, set realistic goals for transforming food systems, and navigate trade-offs to combat malnutrition and foster healthier diets,” he noted.