The Zamfara State Government has revealed that it has not received the 20 trucks of rice allocated by the Federal Government.
This was disclosed by the Director General, Media and Communication to the State Governor, Comrade Nuhu Salisu Anka, in a telephone interview with newsmen in Gusau, the state capital on Saturday.
According to him, the Federal Government had earlier announced the dispatch of the consignments to state governments.
“Zamfara State is yet to receive its allocation of 20 trucks of rice, which was approved by the Federal Government,” he added.
He stated that the moment the consignments arrive, he will ensure that journalists are notified about the arrival of the allocation to Zamfara State.
We’re yet to receive 20 trucks of rice approved by Nigerian govt – Zamfara State
We’re yet to receive 20 trucks of rice approved by Nigerian govt – Zamfara State
Gov Kefas tells security operatives to fish out killers of Taraba monarch
Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba has ordered security agents to urgently pursue the killers of the monarch of Chanchanji, Alhaji Tanimu Kunbiya and his son.
The monarch and his son were killed on Friday evening along the Chanchanji-Takum road in an ambush by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communications, Emmanuel Bello, it was stated that the security forces, as directed by the governor, should immediately investigate the circumstances and pursue the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
Describing the tragic manner in which the late monarch and his son were killed on their way from a funeral event in Takum, Governor Kefas vowed to provide all necessary support to the operatives to track down the killers.
“Everyone involved must be brought to justice as soon as possible,” the governor stated.
While calling for calm among Takum residents, he vowed to leave no stone unturned in bringing the criminals to justice as quickly as possible.
He reiterated his resolve to rid the state of all acts of lawlessness and brigandage, stressing that the era of banditry and criminality has ended with the strong security measures his administration is implementing.
Gov Kefas tells security operatives to fish out killers of Taraba monarch
NBS reveals widespread cases of vote-buying during 2023 polls
Nigeria’s fight against electoral corruption faces a worrying trend, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Their latest report, “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and trends third survey on corruption as experienced by the population,” reveals a rise in vote-buying during the 2023 general elections.
The survey indicates that 22% of voters encountered attempts to sway their vote through financial or material inducements. This represents a concerning 5% increase compared to the 17% reported in the 2019 elections.
Describing it as another form of corruption, NBS said vote-buying, which is the act of offering money, goods or other favours in exchange for the vote of a voter in an election, NBS said, “This represents an increase in both types of vote buying compared with 2019 when personal offers of money were reported by 17 per cent and personal offers of other favours were reported by four per cent of citizens.
“Furthermore, in 2023, 10 per cent reported that they were not personally offered money or another favour in exchange for their vote, but that instead another member of their household was approached, compared to 5 per cent in 2019.”
READ ALSO:INEC registers 269,992 new voters in Edo, Ondo
While the extent of the problem is concerning, the report offers a glimmer of hope. The NBS data suggests that a significant portion of voters (55%) remained uninfluenced by these offers. However, with 40% admitting to voting based on financial or material incentives, the report underscores the continued vulnerability of Nigeria’s electoral process.
It said, “Just over half (55 per cent) of the citizens who were personally offered money or another favour in exchange for their vote in the 2023 general election reported that the offer did not influence their vote choice, while 40 per cent of those citizens said they voted for the person or political party which offered them money or a favour precisely because of the offer.
“Between 2019 and 2023, the proportion of Nigerians who were personally offered bribes in exchange for votes increased similarly across sexes, urban and rural areas, and age groups”, the agency said.
The rise in vote-buying calls for a multi-pronged approach. Strengthening law enforcement efforts, voter education campaigns, and addressing the underlying socio-economic factors that make voters susceptible to such practices are all essential elements in ensuring the integrity of future elections.
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Nationwide protest: Peter Obi’s supporters are planning mayhem in Nigeria – Tinubu’s aide
Bayo Onanuga, a senior to President Bola Tinubu, has alleged that supporters Mr Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, are planning mayhem in Nigeria.
Onanuga claimed that the proposed nationwide protests were being planned by Obi’s supporters, whom he described as failed presidential candidate.
According to him, Obi should be held responsible for whatever crisis that would emanate from the action.
In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Onanuga said the proposed protest planners are also the same people who were instigated by the incarcerated IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu to launch the destructive ENDSARS protest in Nigeria in October 2020.
He wrote: “REVEALED: Peter Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria: Obi should be held responsible for anarchy
“Don’t be fooled: the malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And he should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the action.
“The protest planners are also the same people who were instigated by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to launch the destructive ENDSARS protest in Nigeria in October 2020. ENDSARS began as a genuine protest by youths against the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, notorious for its high-handedness. IPOB members planning to extricate the South East region from Nigeria infiltrated the protest and hijacked it for their own agenda. Lagos still bears the scar of the malicious destruction by IPOB elements until today.
“Two years after ENDSARS, the IPOB and the gullible innocents joined the Labour Party in 2022 to support Peter Obi, a sympathiser of their cause.
They are the people spreading the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance’, ‘Tinubu Must Go,’ and ‘Revolution2024’. They are not democrats but anarchists. They are attempting to call out our people via propaganda because their Messiah, Peter Obi, failed to win the Presidency in the 2023 election. As bad losers, they don’t have the patience to wait for another election in 2027; they would rather destabilise Nigeria by staging a civilian coup against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
If they understand the meaning of their hashtags, they will realise they are clarion calls for treason. Wanting to end an elected government is high treason. Wanting revolution is a call for a coup d’etat, which is also high treason.
I have been on the trail of one of the protest planners, who is nameless but claims to have an internet radio station, PTM100.88 Abuja. The anonymous person joined X in August 2022 and has 520 followers today, among whom are FS Yusuf, another rabid Obi supporter, and Professor Pat Utomi, a Labour Party chief and a guy on X who goes by the pseudonym Peter Obi’s First Son. PTM’s profile image has someone holding the inscription` Certificate Forger Not My President, ‘ with a photo of Peter Obi as an inset. Only Obi’s supporters will be talking about certificate forgery long after the Supreme Court dismissed the allegation.
In the past 24 hours, this faceless X user has been whipping up the gullible to join the protest being planned and also posting the activities of his Messiah, Peter Obi. He retweets Peter Obi often.
In one of the posts, a video shows a teenager, who is said to be in the North, printing T-shirts emblazoned with “EndBadGovernance in Nigeria 2024’.
There is also a retweeted post by Babatunde Gbadamosi, a failed and frustrated politician in Lagos. In it, he refers to his earlier post urging people “ to identify APC members, sponsors, supporters, enablers, thugs, promoters, and appointees.” The police and DSS ought to have arrested the man for making a brazen threat to political opponents.
There is “General Oluchi,” a woman who goes by the screen name “A Field Marshall of the Han Dynasty.”
She has been sending out letters of mobilisation. She even pinned a “Week 6 “ letter urging Nigerians to wake up and take control of their country, using the language of IPOB, Peter Obi, and his supporters.
Another member of the malcontents is Brother Bernard, also known as Mikael C. Bernard. He is not based in Nigeria because he was once busted over Binance and fraudulent crypto businesses in Nigeria. Bernard was the man who once wrote that the naira should go down to zero.
“In a reaction to Oluchi, he said the protesters should remove the increase in salaries for the armed forces as part of their demands.
“If they want an increment in salary, let them launch their own protest. It is not our job to fight for enablers of evil”, he wrote on X.
According to our law, men of the armed forces don’t protest, an X user reminded him. He posted a sarcastic response: ‘By law, they can slap people wearing cams ( camouflage) and shoot at protesters ba?”
“Security agents should, by now, begin to interrogate these agents of destabilisation. There is no country in the world where people are not going through some economic challenges and where the cost of living is not a major issue. No country is immune from economic turbulence at the moment. Civilised and democratic people wait for another election to make leadership changes. They don’t trigger mayhem in their countries by staging protests, the end of which nobody can predict.
“Nigerian citizens must consider the government’s attitude and concern about the cost of living crisis when deciding whether to join the protests by the Labour Party and IPOB supporters.
“The Tinubu government has not been found wanting in this regard. The minimum wage has been increased by more than 100 percent. Loans are being disbursed to students in tertiary schools. A credit corporation has been launched to promote consumption credit. Palliatives, including the latest distribution of 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states and Abuja, are being rolled out. Businesses, such as pharmaceuticals, are being assisted. The Federal and state governments are investing heavily in agriculture to produce more food.
“The economy is improving, inflation is slowing, the national debt has been reduced in dollar terms, and the FIRS has increased revenue generation to record levels. Investors are coming back to our country. Our stock market is the best in the world, with a 33 percent return on investment.
“President Tinubu has a four-year mandate to run his agenda. Those calling for protest should wait till 2027 to either re-elect him or elect their Messiah, Mr Peter Obi.”
Nationwide protest: Peter Obi’s supporters are planning mayhem in Nigeria – Tinubu’s aide
NGX WEEKLY ROUND-UP: Investors gain N320.84bn as equities market soars
Investors in Nigerian equities market enjoyed a bullish run on the floor of the NGX following a profit making of N320.84bn in the just ended trading week.
The bourse recorded gains in four of the five trading days losing on just one trading day.
The market capitalisation rose by N320.84bn to N56.93trn from N56.44trn in the previous week.
Similarly, the All-Share Index (ASI) surged by +0.87% to close at 100,539.40 points from 99,671.28 points recorded the previous week.
The equities market got off to a positive start on Monday July 15, 2024 as investors gained N172bn at the end of the trading session.
The trend continued on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 as investors gained another N62bn.
The trend was however reversed on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 as investors recorded a loss of N24bn.
The equities market returned to positive note on Thursday, July 18, 2024 as investors lost N262bn at the end of trading session.
READ ALSO:NBS SURVEY: Nigerians paid N721bn in cash bribes to govt officials in 2023
The equities market closed the week positively on Friday, July 19, 2024 as investors gained N20bn at the end of the trading session culminating in a total profit of N320.84bn for the just ended week.
In terms of volumes of transactions made, FINMAL FINANCE COMPANY LIMITED led the way with 1.199bn volume of stocks valued at N2.997bn followed by VALM VALMON SECURITIES LTD which traded a total of 403m equities valued at N2.667bn.
CARDINALSTONE SECURITIES LIMITED traded 390m volume of shares valued at N8.358bn.
The NGX Insurance Index dragged the bourse down by 4.86% while the NGX Pension Index pushed up the bourse by 1.11%.
AIRTELAFRI recorded the biggest share price increase from N2,100 at the beginning of the week to N2, 200 gaining N100 followed by PRESCO which increased its share price from N369.00 to N383.00 gaining N14.00 in the process.
UCAP also increased its share price by N12. 50 from N28.40 to N40.55.
On the flip side, VITAFOAM recorded the biggest decline in share prices losing N2.20 to close the week at N19.00 from the N21.20 it started the week on followed by NGX GROUP which shed N1.95 and ended the week on N21.35 from N23.30 at the start of the week.
VITAFOAM also shed N1.15 to close at N19.00 from N21.20 at the beginning of the week.
By: Babajide Okeowo
The post NGX WEEKLY ROUND-UP: Investors gain N320.84bn as equities market soars appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
Farm destruction: C’River Assembly urges govt to evacuate Fulani herders
Lawmakers in the Cross River State House of Assembly have called on the State Government to take steps towards the systematic evacuation of the Fulani herders as a permanent solution to the destruction of farmlands in parts of the state.
There are reports that hundreds of Fulanis have invaded many villages in Bekwarra LGA of the state.
Recently, many farms were destroyed in Ukpada village in Bekwarra Local Government Area of the state by Fulani herders, which resulted in huge losses.
On the 1st of July, 2024, women of Ukpada village carried out a peaceful protest over the wanton destruction of their farms by Fulani herders who had taken possession of their farms.
The lawmakers have now directed the state government to, as a matter of urgency, implement the Cross River State Livestock Management and Grazing Law passed by the 9th Assembly.
The Lawmakers made the resolutions following a Matter of Urgent Public Importance sponsored by the member representing Bekwarra State Constituency and Minority Whip of the House, Hon. Charles Omang Omang.
He expressed sadness that his constituents, mostly farmers, were now afraid to go to their farms because of the presence of Fulani herders who allegedly carry dangerous weapons.
Also contributing, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Sylvester Agabi condemned the activities of the Fulani herders whom he said prefered their cattle to human beings, adding that the problem was not peculiar to Bekwarra but in other LGAs across the State.
Both the Majority and Minority Leaders, Francis Asuquo and Samuel Neji Abang, respectively, stressed the need for proactive measures to prevent crises in the area.
Speaker of the Assembly, Elvert Ayambem decried the activities of herdsmen who allowed their cattle to destroy farms and crops, adding that the implementation of the Livestock Management and Grazing Law would greatly facilitate peaceful coexistence, as well as secure farmers’ investment.
Farm destruction: C’River Assembly urges govt to evacuate Fulani herders
Abia community renews ban on open grazing of cattle
The ban placed on open grazing of cattle on farmlands in various villages of Ibeku ancient Kingdom, Umuahia North LGA of Abia state has been renewed by the people.
The President General of Ibeku Egwu Asaa Development Association (IEADA) Jerry Onyemachi, who announced the renewal in Umuahia, explained that the ban on open grazing was still effective.
He cautioned cattle owners, cattle rearers and their “collaborators” against openly grazing their cattle on people’s farms in Ibeku land.
The President General, who expressed worry on the activities of cattle on farmlands in some Ibeku communities, especially Ajata Amuzu Ibeku, directed the owners of the cattle to remove them without delay.
According to the IEADA President General, “disobedience to the anti-open grazing directive would not be tolerated in any part of Ibeku land.”
Abia community renews ban on open grazing of cattle
Again unknown gunmen murder traditional ruler, son in Taraba
Another traditional ruler has been gruesomely murdered in Taraba State.
The monarch, who was the third class chief of Chanchanji, in Takum local government council of the state, was killed alongside his son.
Alhaji Tanimu Kunbiya and his son, Yusuf Kunbiya were said to have been gruesomely murdered by unidentified gunmen on Friday evening.
TVN learnt that the incident took place along the Takum-Chanchanji road as the king was returning from a burial ceremony.
As of the time of filing this report, the area has been enveloped in tension.
It could be recalled that the village head of Usmanu village in Karim-Lamido local government council of the state, Alhaji Auwal Abubakar, and his younger brother, were also recently killed by gunmen.
The State police spokesperson, Gambo Kwache, confirmed the murder to TVN in the early hours of Saturday.
“We got the report that the third class chief of Chanchanji and his son were killed in an ambush in Jakudi village,” he said.
She added that more heavily armed policemen and other security agencies had been deployed to the area to maintain peace and order.
Condemning the killings, the leadership of the Tiv Cultural and Social Association, through a statement issued by its President General, Chief James Baka, called on the government and security operatives to bring the perpetrators to book.
He pleaded with the people of the community to remain calm and allow the security operatives perform their constitutional responsibilities.
Again unknown gunmen murder traditional ruler, son in Taraba
FG okays Kogi govt’s Livestock Service Centre
The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed satisfaction with the level of preparation on the side of the Kogi State Government for the proposed site for the Livestock Service Centre.
The National Project Coordinator of Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES), Alh. Abubakar Sanusi made the remark while briefing journalists shortly after an assessment tour of the proposed site at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, (CUSTECH) Osara Kogi State.
He said he was impressed with the leadership quality of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, and the State L-PRES team, adding that the introduction of mechanized farming in the State was in line with the renewed hope agenda.
He said the Livestock Service Centre when completed would improve productivity and commercialisation of livestock value chain.
“Livestock Service Centre is like a mini-complex having a lot of livestock activities going on. We have a veterinary clinic, processing facilities, abattoir, market for selling livestocks, and training of livestock farmers.
“We have provisions to establish 5 Livestock Service Centres and we want to assess the states.
“Kogi has shown interest that they want to establish the Centre, making it 12 states that have shown interest. We are here in Kogi on assessment and report back,” he added.
While urging the people of the state to embrace the project, Abubakar emphasized that the L-PRES project will reduce the menace of farmers-herders clashes in the country.
The Kogi State Project Coordinator of L-PRES Dr Olufemi Bolarin said about $31.2 million had been earmarked for the development of the Livestock Service Centre.
“The Kogi Livestock Service Centre will significantly contribute to the economic development of Kogi State by creating jobs, enhancing productivity and fostering sustainable practices.
“This project will not only boost the livestock sector but also catalyze broader economic growth and development in the region,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Confluence University of Science and Technology, (CUSTECH) Osara Prof. Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu expressed delight over the location of the Centre in the Institution, stressing that it was coming at a time the National Universities Commission approved Faculty of Agriculture for the university.
FG okays Kogi govt’s Livestock Service Centre
Islamic scholar advises President Tinubu to address economic hardship urgently
A former Commissioner for Religious Affairs in Zamfara State, Sheikh Tukur Sani Jangebe has called on President Bola Ahamad Tunibu to find a lasting solution to the present economic hardship in the country.
Sheikh Jangebe stated this in Gusau, the State capital while fielding questions from newsmen.
According to him, the common man in the country now finds it very difficult to feed once a day.
“Leprosy and poverty are twins but the difference is that leprosy attacks the body while poverty attacks the mind.
“The economic hardship if allowed to continue the way it is may leave so many Nigerians frustrated which may result in a breakdown of law and order,” he cautioned.
The Islamic cleric advised the federal government not to treat the issue of food security and abject poverty with a mere wave of hand.
Islamic scholar advises President Tinubu to address economic hardship urgently