The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Wednesday, said Southeast governors will use the Southeast Development Commission, SEDC, to develop the region.
The SEDC bill which was co-sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, comprises Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States.
The SEDC is expected to manage funds allocated from the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, and other infrastructural deficits suffered by the Southeast region due to age-long neglect.
The SEDC will also tackle ecological problems and related environmental challenges that have devastated the Southeast for decades.
However, a statement by Ohanaeze’s National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia, reads partly: “Furthermore, the South East governors led by the governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, will leverage the opportunity created by the Commission to anchor programmes that will fully harness and promote the industrial, agricultural, tourism, energy, commercial and investment potentials in the zone. It will also help to create the much-desired centrally coordinated security architecture in the zone; and more.
“A few days ago, the Minister of Works, Senator David Nweze Umahi, in Abakaliki, announced plans by the Federal Government to construct a 477 kilometre – six-lane Super Highway, traversing five states to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to the minister, the super highway will, among others, pass through Abakiliki, Enugu, and Nsukka, leading to Abuja.
“The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Chief Engr. Dr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, MFR; OFR; CFR; FNICE; FNSE; FNIST; KSG (Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo) is highly elated and sends a warm gratitude to Mr. President over these developments.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has maintained that the cause of backpedalling by Nigeria is the Igbophobia-a pathological fear of the Igbo in a country they have sacrificed so much to uphold. As it stands, President Bola Tinubu has shown a major departure from the Buhari regime by signing the SEDC Bill into Law; appointing Sen. Dave Nweze Umahi, a brilliant and prudent engineer as the federal minister for Works, and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla as the Chief of the Naval Staff.
“This is a quantum leap and a new beginning. An Awka man asked the wife, “ineme elee omanaese”?”
Governors will develop region with South East Development Commission – Ohanaeze
Governors will develop region with South East Development Commission – Ohanaeze
Give us more time, FG begs Nigerians
The Federal Government has assured that the issues prompting the proposed nationwide protest will be resolved to ensure peace and stability in the country.
Some groups and individuals had been mobilising for nationwide protests scheduled for August 1 in response to the economic hardship in the country.
In response to the proposed protest, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting with ministers.
Speaking after the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said no one would go to sleep among them until the issues were resolved.
He said, “We have discussed issues of national interest and all of us are working for Nigeria and we hope and believe that Nigeria is going to be great again.
“The planned protest is a family matter. All issues will be resolved in a way to ensures the peace and stability of the country. No one is going to sleep. Those who are agitating and asking for protests are Nigerians, they are our brothers, they are our sisters, they are all Nigerians and those in positions of authority; the ministers, the President, everybody, we are all Nigerians too. So, this is a family matter. This is a Nigerian family issue and all of us are looking at this issue very well and we hope that peace will prevail at the end of the day.”
Idris said the government had been engaging with stakeholders and other organisers of the proposed nationwide protest.
He said, “This is not a peculiar situation. Engagement has been ongoing. The President has met severally with all key stakeholders. I have also been meeting with stakeholders, other government functionaries have also been meeting with other key stakeholders.”
Reacting to reports by top Nigerians, including constitutional lawyer and human rights activist Femi Falana, SAN, that the protests must hold, Idris said the senior lawyer was entitled to his opinion in a democracy.
“He (Falana) is an individual. This is a democracy, everyone is entitled to his opinion. The protesters are also Nigerians, this is a democratic situation. What I keep saying is that we are all Nigerians and we are all acting in the interest of Nigeria, but suffice to say that yesterday, Mr President said there is no need for any protest, let us calm down.
“A lot is happening, Nigeria is going to move and march on and we believe that whatever government comes out with will be in the interest of Nigeria. We don’t think that there is a need for any protest, we are appealing for calm; we are appealing for a peaceful resolution or peaceful approach to any issue.
“If you have anything that you want to put out there, you are free to put it out there, but the government is insisting that we are all Nigerians, we have to be calm, we have to be patient, and suffice it to say that let us give peace a chance. Mr President is working round the clock, his ministers are working, everyone is working, all hands are on deck.”
Idris said the President’s message to all citizens was to calm down and give him more time.
He said, “Like I said yesterday, everyone is listening; we are all listening, the President is listening and he has a message for all Nigerians, that message is that they should all calm down, they should please give the man more time. Everything they asked for, all their pleas will be answered,” Idris said.
Reps grill Keyamo over infrastructure decay at airports
The House Committee on Aviation on Wednesday quizzed the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, over the decay of infrastructures at the nation’s airports.
The chairman of the committee, Abdullah Garba, grilled the minister during a meeting with officials of the ministry in Abuja.
He said the state of infrastructures at the local and international airports was worrisome and needed an urgent government intervention.
The lawmaker stressed that the safety of personnel and stakeholders at the nation’s airports were important.
He added that the major assignment of the committee was to identify the equipment and other items needed to revitalise the aviation sector.
On his part, Keyamo said that the level of infrastructural decay at the nation’s airports was a serious issue of concern to the ministry.
He, however, assured the committee that the ministry was compiling a list of equipment for safety in the nation’s airports.
On the award of contracts by the ministry, he informed the committee that most of the contracts awarded by the ministry are still ongoing projects.
The chairman and other invited stakeholders later moved into an executive session to address the issues of concern to the lawmakers.
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Ex-Gov Matawalle mourns his late Director General, Protocol, Kabiru Yusuf
The immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle has sent a condolence to the family of his former Director-General in charge of protocol, Kabiru Yusuf, who died on Monday after a brief illness.
Matawalle sent his condolences through a delegation led by the State’s chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Tukur Umar Danfulani.
He described the deceased, who was his DG Protocol as a humble gentleman who carried out his duties with diligence, passion, and trust.
The former Governor expressed shock over the news of the passing of the former protocol officer who died as a Permanent Secretary at the State Ministry of Youths and Sports.
According to him, the late Kabiru Yusuf will be missed and remembered for his good contributions in training all those he came across and also who lived a pious life guided by Islamic teachings which shaped his environment.
He prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased in Jannaatu Firdausi and the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Ex-Gov Matawalle mourns his late Director General, Protocol, Kabiru Yusuf
Gunman flew drone over Trump rally area before shooting, says FBI chief
The 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a campaign rally flew a drone over the area about two hours before the former US president began to speak, the FBI director said Wednesday.
FBI chief Christopher Wray, testifying before a congressional committee, also said the investigation into the July 13 shooting had not yet revealed a motive for the gunman.
Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on Trump with an AR-style assault rifle shortly after 6:00 pm as the Republican White House candidate was addressing a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Crooks, who was perched on the roof of a nearby building, was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper less than 30 seconds after firing his first shots.
Trump was wounded in the ear, two rally attendees were seriously injured and a 50-year-old Pennsylvania firefighter was shot dead.
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday, a day after acknowledging that the agency had failed in its mission to prevent the assassination attempt.
Wray said Crooks flew a drone over the rally area for around 11 minutes — between around 3:50 pm and 4:00 pm — on the day of the shooting some 200 yards (meters) away from the stage where Trump was scheduled to speak.
The drone and its controller were recovered in the gunman’s car.
Two “relatively crude” explosive devices were also found in the car along with another at the gunman’s residence, Wray said.
The FBI director said the devices had the ability to be detonated remotely and the gunman had a transmitter with him when he was shot.
“It looks like, because of the on-off position on the receivers, that that if he had tried to detonate those devices from the roof, it would not have worked,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean the explosives weren’t dangerous.”
Asked how many shots Crooks fired, Wray said eight cartridges had been recovered on the roof.
– No clear motive –
Wray told members of the House Judiciary Committee that investigators “do not yet have a clear picture of his motive.”
“We’re not seeing that yet, but we are digging hard, because this is one of the central questions for us,” the FBI chief said.
He said the gunman “appears to have done a lot of searches of public figures, in general” but “there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of rhyme or reason to it so far.”
“Sarting somewhere around July 6 or so, he became very focused on former president Trump and this rally,” Wray said.
“On July 6, he did a Google search for quote, ‘How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?’” he said, a reference to the 1963 assassination of president John F. Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald.
There is no evidence at this time that Crooks had any accomplices or co-conspirators, the FBI chief said.
AFP
Vested interests undermining Dangote refinery
Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has expressed concern over what he termed “unnecessary fuss” created by vested interests, which he believes could damage investor confidence in the Nigerian economy.
This is in the wake of the faceoff between industrialist, Aliko Dangote and the Federal Government’s authorities over the operations of his 650,000 bpd refinery.
Kwankwaso described the refinery as a crucial asset for Nigeria’s energy needs and economic stability, emphasising the importance of protecting the asset from any threats that could undermine its operations.
“I was privileged to visit the magnificent Dangote Refinery, and I was marveled by the sheer commitment that went into the quality of its establishment,
“The creation of unnecessary fuss around its integrity by some vested interests is very unfortunate, and it stands to undo all the years of hard work to maintain the fragile investor confidence in our economy,” Kwankwaso stated in a post on his X page on Wednesday
The Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party in the 2023 general elections called on Nigerians and the government to rally around the refinery
He stressed that the failure of such a monumental project would be detrimental to the nation’s economic progress.
“It’s time for us to rally around this National Asset to ensure that the monumental project does not fail. It cannot fail, and the Nigerian government must understand this by demonstrating fairness and confidence in both domestic and foreign critical investments,” he urged.
Previously, presidential candidates in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi described the unfolding conflict between Dangote Industries and some government agencies as deeply troubling.
They, in separate posts on X.com, lamented that the unfolding saga which is vilifying the Dangote refinery will deter vital foreign direct investment and hurt the economy.
Atiku and Obi further said government agencies must provide support for the Dangote refinery, adding that the refinery is too vital to fail considering its crucial role in national welfare.
Kebbi govt removes sole administrators in 21 LGAs
The Kebbi State government has removed the sole administrators in the 21 local government areas in the state.
The government announced the dissolution in a circular addressed to the sole administrators and signed by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Aliyu Hassan-Kalgo.
The circular was made available to journalists on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.
The circular read: “I am directed to write and notify you that Gov. Nasir Idris has directed the dissolution of Local Government Administrators in the state with immediate effect.
“All the local government sole administrators are to hand over the affairs of the Local Government (LG), including all the LG property in their possession, to the Director of Administration of their respective LG councils on or before Thursday, July 25, 2024.”
The sole administrators were appointed on March 6 at the expiration of the tenure of the elected chairmen in the local councils.
The elected chairmen came into office on February 5, 2022.
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Hardship: Oba of Benin urges Nigerians to shelve planned protest
The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II has urged the proponents of the nationwide protest against the Federal Government over the economic hardship in the country to shelve the proposed protest.
The Benin Monarch made the appeal in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Osaigbobo Iguobaro and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Benin City.
The monarch, however, advised aggrieved Nigerians to give the federal government enough time to implement its economic policy, which is expected to alleviate the present hardship being experienced by Nigerians.
TVN recalls that some youths had proposed August 1, 2024, to begin a 10-day nationwide hunger and hardship protests to draw the federal and state government’s attention to the worsening situations in the country.
He said the Oba opined that for things to get better, it has to be tough for a while.
He, however, appealed to the federal government to intensify efforts in the implementation of its economic and security policies.
Hardship: Oba of Benin urges Nigerians to shelve planned protest
Biden to address US as clock ticks on presidency
US President Joe Biden will give what could be his final Oval Office speech Wednesday to explain why he dropped out of November’s election and deny that he will spend six months as a lame duck.
With the world’s eyes already on a looming clash between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, Biden will insist that he still has work to do, despite his historic decision to bow out.
The 81-year-old Democrat said on X he would discuss “what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people” in the primetime televised event at 8:00 pm (0000 GMT Thursday).
The speech, expected to last eight to ten minutes, will be Biden’s first since stepping aside from the race on Sunday after weeks of pressure following a disastrous debate performance against Trump.
He had promised in his withdrawal announcement — made while he was isolating with Covid at his Delaware beach home — that he would give Americans more details on his stunning decision.
It comes just over a week since his last Oval Office address, following an assassination attempt against Trump on July 13, but is only the fourth of his presidency overall — and could well be his last.
With Harris, who has effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, and Trump both back on the campaign trail, Biden will be fighting an uphill battle to show Americans he is not yesterday’s man.
Republicans have called for Biden to step down altogether, saying that if he is not fit to stand for reelection then he is not fit to serve as president.
The veteran Democrat insists he still has much to offer, with a particular focus on the economy and on achieving an elusive ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
– ‘Not going anywhere’ –
Biden, who will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday, has said that they are on the verge of reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.
He would not be the first US president to chase a legacy-defining Middle East peace deal, after Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and even Donald Trump before him.
But in a sign of how quickly things are already moving on, Netanyahu will sit down separately Thursday with Harris — who was skipping his address to Congress on Wednesday due to a previously scheduled campaign trip.
Trump, meanwhile, said in a post on Truth Social that he will meet with the Israeli leader Friday at the Republican’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
With the clock ticking on his presidency, Biden said on X late Tuesday that it was “great to be back at the White House” after returning from Delaware, and that he had met his national security team for a briefing.
His decision to drop out has injected a huge dose of enthusiasm into a Democratic Party that had been plunged into chaos by the debate over his age.
An exuberant Harris was cheered to the rafters on Tuesday as she held a campaign rally in the battleground state of Wisconsin, her first since saying she had secured the delegates necessary for the nomination.
She could be nominated as soon as early August in a virtual vote by Democratic delegates ahead of the party’s convention in Chicago just over two weeks later.
For Harris, the challenge will now be to maintain that enthusiasm — and then to translate it into ballot box success in November.
Trump is due to appear in Charlotte later Wednesday for his first rally since Harris became the de facto nominee.
He is expected to ramp up his attacks on her, as at least one national poll conducted after Biden’s exit showed Harris slightly ahead.
Meanwhile, the impact of Biden’s decision on Americans unenthused by the long slog between him and Trump was coming more into focus.
Non-profit voter registration group Vote.org said Wednesday that it had registered nearly 40,000 voters in the 48 hours after Biden’s bombshell announcement, an almost 700 per cent daily increase.
“That’s the largest number of new voters registered over a 48-hour period we’ve seen this entire cycle,” posted Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey on X.
AFP
Ohanaeze hails Tinubu, Kalu over assent to South East Development Commission bill
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the South East Development Commission, SEDC into law.
TVN reports that President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday signed into law bills creating two new regional development commissions in Nigeria.
The bills include the North West Development Commission, NWDC, sponsored by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, and the South East Development Commission, SEDC, sponsored by Ben Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Reacting, Ohanaeze in a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, described the bill as “a quantum leap, a hope renewal and a significant part of a new beginning”.
The statement noted that the President General of Ohanaeze, Chief Engr. Dr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu was highly elated by the development.
Ohanaeze said the SEDC, which will cover Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States would go a long way to “assuage the feelings of the Igbos with respect to the 3R sophistry by General Yakubu Gowon in January 1970”.
“Ohanaeze seizes this opportunity to commend the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu and the co-sponsors of the all-important Bill.
“During a courtesy call to the National Assembly by the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the exceptional quality of Kalu did not go unnoticed.
“His suave, assertive, sagacious and visionary dispositions were very inspiring and a veritable source of hope. More importantly, he commands the respect and confidence of most members of the House of Representatives.
“It needs a mention that the SEDC which has remained in the pipeline for decades has come on stream through Kalu and his team.
“The Southeast Development Commission (SEDC) is expected to manage funds allocated from the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, and other infrastructural deficits suffered by the region due to age-long neglect.
“The SEDC will tackle ecological problems and related environmental challenges that have devastated the Southeast for decades”, the statement added.
Ohanaeze hails Tinubu, Kalu over assent to South East Development Commission bill