Home Blog Page 911

‘You have become a blind defender of Tinubu’, Dele Momodu blasts Omokri

admin
-
0
‘You have become a blind defender of Tinubu’, Dele Momodu blasts Omokri

Veteran journalist and one time presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu has accused former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri of being a blind supporter of President Bola Tinubu’s policies that have plunged the country into an economic crisis.
The Ovation Magazine publisher further upbraided Omokri and described him as an opportunist and a modern day ‘Tinubuist’ who now takes delight in attacking anyone who criticizes the Tinubu administration’s lapses.
Momodu who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), had, in an open letter on Wednesday, called out Tinubu, saying the President was busy engaging in waste by purchasing private jets, building monuments, and distributing palliatives rather than fixing the collapsed economy.
The veteran journalist lamented that the waste by Tinubu’s government was a sign of a failed administration.
Momodu urged Tinubu to curb excessive spending, focus on economic development, vocational skills, and local agriculture, while warning him against those he described as hero-wọrshippers in government and emphasized enforcing discipline, especially regarding Nyesom Wike’s actions.
In the open letter titled “Urgent Message For President Tinubu,” Momodu said:
“Your Excellency, I have decided to write this open letter to you as a concerned friend and brother.
“As you’re aware, I’m a member of opposition but you and I have had a long history together.
“I owe you only one thing, TRUTH. It is very obvious that the first thing that takes flight in the Presidential villa is TRUTH.
“The reason is simple. Some Nigerians are experts in hijacking men and women of power. The deification process is often swift and irreversible.
“I’m writing you today, not because I expect you to act on my suggestions, but to put it on record that someone gave you the true picture of things. I’m also hoping that some of your friends will read and interpret to you, in a sober moment…
1. Nigeria is in big trouble. Our economy has virtually collapsed. And what’s the way out? You’ve been wasting too much money at a time that requires absolute frugality.
Please, stop this reckless propensity for wasting scarce resources. Purchasing Presidential jets, building outlandish monuments, distributing cash as palliatives, etc, are signs of a failed and careless government.
If you can curb the excessive spending of your government, you will free up a lot of resources for serious development.
2. I believe you’re frittering away our resources because you desperately crave a second term. But the best assurance of a second term is PERFORMANCE.
Nigerians are not expecting you to turn water into wine but they don’t want you to turn their wines into water. Here are my tips: invest in vocational skills for our highly talented youths who can demonstrate their capacity for hard work. Invest heavily in local agriculture. Upgrade our institutions of learning.
Giving cash to politicians to distribute is unhealthy and unhelpful… It is the height of cluelessness.
3. In the name of God, beware of those hero-worshippers at the National Assembly who have turned you into God. NDUME is your best friend. Listen to him. There’s danger ahead.
4. You must enforce DISCIPLINE as a leader. Your new disciple, NYESOM WIKE, has publicly disrespected you in the FUBARA matter. You need to sanction him before he throws Nigeria into total chaos.

URGENT MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT Tinubu
Your Excellency, I have decided to write this open letter to you as a concerned friend and Brother. As you’re aware, I’m a member of opposition but you and I have had a long history together.I owe you only one thing, TRUTH. It is very obvious… pic.twitter.com/BDo1kftsfW
— Dele Momodu Ovation (@DeleMomodu) July 18, 2024

Following the letter, Omokri took to his X handle to attack Momodu in Tinubu’s defence.
“Response To My Beloved Senior, Dele Momodu: Nigeria’s Economy Is Not Collapsing. Far From It!
Dear Egbon Dele Momodu,
I read your open letter to President Bola Tinubu, in which you said, “Our economy has virtually collapsed”, among other things.
READ ALSO:‘Peter Obi will never be president in Nigeria’, Omokri vows
Respectfully, the facts do not support your assertions, and in your open letter, you did not provide any facts. Only opinions. So, please let me present some facts that contradict your opinions.
Firstly, only yesterday, the International Monetary Fund projected that due to the reforms being undertaken by the current administration, Nigeria will have a 3.1% GDP growth rate in 2024.
This is one of the best projections for an African country in 2024, and does not signal an economy that has ‘virtually collapsed.’
Secondly, Nigeria had a record high of ₦6.52 trillion trade surplus in the first quarter of 2024. This has never happened before.
We routinely had trade deficits in the past. This means that because of the monetary reforms by the current government, Nigeria is now exporting significantly more than it is importing, and the growth is largely in the non-oil sector.
For example, Nigeria is now a net exporter of clement to Europe and a growing exporter of refined petroleum products to Europe and West African states.
Ghana, a fellow petroleum exporting country, is largely dependent on LPG from Nigeria. This projects growth, not collapse.
Thirdly, in terms of revenue, all Nigerian states, bar none, have received significantly higher federal allocations since May 29, 2023, than they were receiving under the Buhari regime.
Each state now gets at least 45% more federal allocation, with Nasarawa getting almost 100% more and Anambra getting 70% more, whereas their wage bill has not increased.
The above projects economic strength rather than collapse.
Fourthly, according to Financial Derivatives (FDC), with a Return on Investment of 22.90%, Nigeria’s Stock Exchange is now the most profitable capital market on Earth, bar none. Please note that. Bar none.
The National Bureau of Statistics has also corroborated this. For the first time in our history, the all-share index (ASI) of the Nigerian Stock Exchange crossed the 100,000 mark in 2024.
I would not categorise such growth as collapse, and I am sure investors who smiled to the bank would not either.
Fifthly, capital inflow into Nigeria increased by 66.27% this year. This is probably why Fitch and S&P Global Ratings upgraded Nigeria’s economy to a Stable B, and why foreign inflows into the capital market jumped fivefold in the first quarter of 2024 to N93.37 billion from N18.12 billion in the same period last year.
Sixthly, despite clearing the backlog of foreign exchange debts owed to foreign airlines and other foreign investors by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria’s foreign reserve hit a year-to-date high of an estimated $34 billion this year. How can a nation with such a healthy reserve be said to be on the verge of economic collapse?
Finally, the Student Loan promised is now a reality and is being disbursed. That means Nigeria is about to witness a dramatic increase in its human resources, as more youths will have access to education.
Therefore, bearing the above in mind, is it not possible, egbon Dele, that you may have focused too much on assumption and too little on facts to come to your conclusion that Nigeria’s economy is collapsing?

Response To My Beloved Senior, Dele Momodu: Nigeria's Economy Is Not Collapsing. Far From It! 
Dear Egbon Dele Momodu,
I read your open letter to President Bola Tinubu, in which you said, "Our economy has virtually collapsed", among other things. Respectfully, the facts do not… pic.twitter.com/kMiJPQGeCZ
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) July 18, 2024

Displeased with the attack, Momodu also took to X to criticize Omokri’s defense of Tinubu’s policies, emphasizing the difference between economic theories and real-life economic conditions, warning him against bIind support and urged him to say the honest truth to prevent Nigeria’s worsẹning crisís.
In the rejoinder titled “Re: Urgent Message For President Tinubu,” Momodu schooled Omokri on the differences between economic and economy.
“I have just read Mr Reno Omokri’s response to my earlier article, titled URGENT MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT Tinubu.
Since I’m not a fan of fake economic theories that bear no positive impact on society and the citizens, I won’t waste my readers’ time on trading words with Reno. I will only make the following observations:
1. What happened to my Brother Reno that he feels he must defend many of the most atrocious policies of the Tinubu government?
I believe Reno is too brilliant to waste his talents on a government that can’t even defend itself in good conscience.
2. When did Reno become a born again Tinubuist that he has forcefully taken over the jobs of Ajuri and Onanuga combined. Otherwise, he would have known the difference between economics and ECONOMY.
Economics deals mainly with textbook theories while the ECONOMY deals with the practical and realistic conditions of the people on day to day basis.
All the economic ratings quoted by Reno have no meaning in Nigeria of today. No textbook can envisage or assuage the unprecedented hunger and suffering of Nigerians.
Our country is haemorrhaging to death while pseudo economists are regaling us with an over-romanticized magic of IMF/World Bank.
3. What enablers like Reno and company are doing by their blind support for a government that needs honest TRUTH is reminiscent of the story of Marie-Antoinette, the bride of King Louis XVI, who told the lumpen proletariat in France to eat cake if bread is too expensive for them.
In her majestic delusion of grandeur and provocative ignorance, the Queen did not know that bread and cake are of the same origin and that the latter is actually more expensive.
What happened next? REVOLUTION swept away most members of the French privilegentsia.
Today, Nigerians are substituting tomatoes with watermelon to cook food…
I will never wish such evil to befall Nigeria, my dear beloved country, but prevention is oftentimes better than cure.
I pray President Tinubu will somehow arrest this obvious drift towards perdition.”

RE: URGENT MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT Tinubu
I have just read Mr Reno Omokri’s response to my earlier article, titled URGENT MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT Tinubu. Since I’m not a fan of fake economic theories that bear no positive impact on society and the citizens, I won’t waste my readers’… pic.twitter.com/eNMoItYplX
— Dele Momodu Ovation (@DeleMomodu) July 19, 2024

The post ‘You have become a blind defender of Tinubu’, Dele Momodu blasts Omokri appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.

Nigerian workers deserve more than N70, 000 minimum wage – Analysts

admin
-
0
Nigerian workers deserve more than N70, 000 minimum wage – Analysts

A cross-section of economists and political analysts have expressed disappointment over the newly approved N70,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abakaliki, they described the amount as inadequate considering the current economic situation in the country.
NAN reports that President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved N70,000 as the minimum wage for civil servants, with a promise to review it every three years.
Mr. Collins Anike, an economist, said that the decision would not meet the demands of workers and the public in general.
“I commend his promise to review the national minimum wage law every three years, but he should have considered what was already discussed to meet the needs of the people,” he said.
Mr. Titus Ezeh, a political analyst, called on the government to review critical sectors of the economy to address inflation, energy tariffs, review policies, and ensure food security.
“There is a need to revisit the hike in energy tariffs, petrol pump prices, and inflation, which is really troubling the masses,” Ezeh said.
Mrs. Regina Agbo, a petty trader, said that the impact of the electricity tariff hike was obstructing the ability of businesses and affecting other sectors of the economy.
“The cost of production and rising prices of goods have caused difficulties in the system,” she said.
TVN reported that the organized labour had proposed a N250,000 minimum wage, while the government team and the organized private sector proposed N62,000.
Nigerian workers deserve more than N70, 000 minimum wage – Analysts

Global IT outage causes chaos, grounds flights, affects banks, media, telecoms

admin
-
0
Global IT outage causes chaos, grounds flights, affects banks, media, telecoms

According to a Microsoft web page tracking the status of its services, “users may be unable to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services.”

The global IT downtime is also affecting apps including Microsoft Fabric, Teams, Purview, Defender, SharePoint and OneNote.

MSF decries 40 per cent increase malnutrition admissions in Nigeria, 17,223 malnourished children in Bauchi

admin
-
0
MSF decries 40 per cent increase malnutrition admissions in Nigeria, 17,223 malnourished children in Bauchi

A humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has raised the alarm over a significant rise in malnutrition cases in Nigeria, declaring a 40 per cent average increase in admissions.
It highlighted a critical situation with 17,223 malnourished children in Bauchi alone, in the first quarter of 2024.
This is as the humanitarian organisation urged immediate support to address the escalating crisis.
According to MSF teams , across Nigeria , malnutrition admissions have risen by an average of 40% compared to the same period last year.
It further revealed that Bauchi, along with much of northern Nigeria, is facing a malnutrition crisis.
It made the alarming revelation during a press conference tagged “Doctors without Borders” in Bauchi State.
MSF’s Project Coordinator for Bauchi, Rabi Adamou, expressed concern over the drastic rise in admissions, noting the strain on resources as the peak malnutrition season approaches.
She disclosed that In Bauchi, 5,787 children were admitted to the ITFC and 17,223 children to three local Ambulatory Therapeutic Feeding Centers (ATFCs), which support malnourished children before they need inpatient care.
According to her, MSF has scaled up its response in the area by increasing bed capacity at the Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Center (ITFC) in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state.
She added that between January and June 2024, the number of admissions increased by 127% for the ITFC and 123% for the ATFCs compared to the same period in 2023.
“We are only just entering the peak season for malnutrition, and our facilities are over capacity and having to expand”.
“We are very concerned by the catastrophic increase in malnutrition admissions we have seen in Bauchi in the first half of 2024. Although there may be many factors compounding this increase, the numbers we are seeing are incredibly high,” he stated.
To address the situation, Adamou revealed that “MSF has been supporting the local health system in Bauchi State since 2012 by responding to disease outbreaks such as cholera, diphtheria, and Lassa fever, providing medical care, training medical staff, and conducting health promotion activities.
“Since 2022, MSF has been addressing the high numbers of malnourished children, currently operating a 250-bed ITFC and an inpatient pediatric department (IPD) in Kafin Madaki General Hospital, along with ATFCs in Kafin Madaki, Kafin Liman, and Miya primary healthcare centers.”
“New community-level activities are planned, including Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM/iCCM+), which aims to expand the community approach to include malnutrition treatment.
“This will be piloted in eight villages in Miya starting mid-July. The ‘Parent MUAC’ (mid-upper arm circumference) activity will also be implemented to train parents and caregivers to detect early signs of malnutrition at home before it becomes severe.”
On her part, Nathalie Avril, Nutrition Advisor of the MSF said the organisation has been supporting the local health system in Bauchi State since 2012 by responding to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, and Lassa fever.
She said MSF has also assisted in the area of providing medical care, training medical staff, and conducting health promotion activities amongst the community.
According to her, since 2022, MSF is currently running a 250-bed capacity ITFC and an inpatient pediatric department (IPD) in Kafin Madaki General Hospital, adding that it has been responding to the huge number of children suffering from malnutrition.
In his remarks, the Executive Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BSPHCDA), Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed commended the organisation for engaging in the fight against malnutrition in the state.
He observed that, apart from treating malnourished children, the MSF is also involved in training the communities and health workers to identify five aspects of their work.
“It’s not only malnutrition, there is pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. The communities are also involved, whenever a child is malnourished, whether it is mild or moderate, the situation should be managed, and they are doing it”, he said.
MSF decries 40 per cent increase malnutrition admissions in Nigeria, 17,223 malnourished children in Bauchi

Ex-Niger Delta agitators plan protest over deplorable East-West Road, blame Umahi

admin
-
0
Ex-Niger Delta agitators plan protest over deplorable East-West Road, blame Umahi

A group of former agitators in the Niger Delta region, on Thursday, announced plans for a massive protest over the deteriorating state of the East-West road.
The ex-agitators, led by Osaanya Osaanya, claim the road project has been abandoned despite its critical importance to national infrastructure, including the Onne port, Port Harcourt Refinery, and Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Ltd.
The protesters, who dubbed the planned demonstration as the “mother of all protests,” said they aim to mobilize hundreds of youths from the region to demand immediate attention from the Federal Government.
The protest is expected to last for days, with the goal of compelling the government to fix the road, which they describe as a “death trap.”
Osaanya criticized the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for allegedly awarding the road contract to a sub-standard contractor, causing unnecessary suffering for the people of the Niger Delta.
He called on various groups and leaders in the region, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, to join the protest and demand that the government take immediate action to address the situation.
Read Also: CBN approves sale of dollars to eligible BDCs at N1,450/$1
Osaanya said, “The problem we are facing on the East-West Road is caused by Dave Umahi, the Minister of Works.
“How on earth will he carve out the most disturbing spot that needs urgent attention to a sub-standard contractor?
“Or is the Minister of Works intentionally suffering the people of the Niger Delta? We will bring the protest to the doorstep of the Minister and the President so that they will know what we are going through.
“We can’t continue to live like this as a people. This is the major road connecting all of us in the Niger Delta, where the bulk of the resources used in constructing mega roads in other parts of the country come from.
“Why should we always be on our knees to beg for what we rightly deserve? This coming protest is another sad reminder of how we have been marginalised and neglected as a people,” he said.
The planned protest highlights the long-standing neglect and marginalization of the Niger Delta region, which has been a source of frustration for the local population.
The ex-agitators’ demands for a decent road infrastructure resonate with the wider community, who feel their resources have been exploited without adequate investment in their welfare and development.
The post Ex-Niger Delta agitators plan protest over deplorable East-West Road, blame Umahi appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.

Senate rejects bill to establish South-South Development Commission

admin
-
0
Senate rejects bill to establish South-South Development Commission

The Senate, on Thursday, rejected a bill seeking to establish the South-South Development Commission, in an unanimous vote.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River-South), aimed to create a commission to manage funds and address infrastructure, militancy, and environmental issues in the South-South region.
However, the bill faced stiff opposition from northern senators, led by Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi-Central) and Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi-Central). They argued that the proposed commission would duplicate the functions of the existing Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
READ ALSO:Tinubu seeks Senate approval to inject N6.2tn into 2024 budget
Aliero, a former governor of Kebbi State, criticized the bill as unnecessary and potentially embarrassing for the Senate. He noted that the South-South region already has a fully-funded government agency and ministry overseeing development, making the proposed commission redundant.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, sensing the opposition, called for a vote to step down the bill, which was unanimously endorsed by the senators. The rejection of the bill highlights the ongoing debate over regional development and resource management in Nigeria.
The post Senate rejects bill to establish South-South Development Commission appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.

Planes grounded as global IT outage hits airlines, media, banks

admin
-
0
Planes grounded as global IT outage hits airlines, media, banks

A global Information Technology, IT, cyber outage has affected the operations of banks and airline operators globally.
The outage affected airlines’ operations in countries like Singapore, the United States and Australia.
The IT outage began in the early hours of Friday.
IT giant, Microsoft confirmed it was investigating an “issue” with its 365 apps and operating systems.
Microsoft said it had recovered some services, while warning that the issue was ongoing and users should expect “service degradation,” according to a status page on its website.
The outage has been blamed by some experts on social media on an update to the CrowdStrike security software, causing an issue with Windows software.
Crowdstrike ran a recorded phone message on Friday when its technical support was contacted, saying it was aware of reports of crashes on Microsoft’s Windows operating system relating to its Falcon sensor.
Planes grounded as global IT outage hits airlines, media, banks

‘They want to tarnish my father’s image,’ Gov Zulum’s son speaks on murder allegation (Video)

admin
-
0
‘They want to tarnish my father’s image,’ Gov Zulum’s son speaks on murder allegation (Video)

Umara Babagana Zulum, son of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has broken his silence over an allegation that he killed a fellow student in Indian during a fight over a woman.
Several social media platforms had flown with the story that Unara, a student of the University of New Delhi, had smashed a bottle of alcoholic drink on a Chinese national who showed interest in the same lady with him at a nightclub.
The sensational story also said his father had been running ‘helter-skelter’ and pulling at diplomatic ties to get his son off the hook.
Despite denials by the state government debunking the report of the governor’s son’s arrest over the alleged murder, the reports refused to die down as it gathered momentum, forcing the Borno Governor to issue a statement saying he would not hesitate to take legal action against any medium that continued to publish what he described as complete falsehood.
Umara himself has also come out to debunk the murder allegation, describing it as baseless and untrue which was targeted at his father with the intention of tarnishing his image.
READ ALSO:Gwoza bombing, sabotage against resettlement plans —Gov. Zulum
In a video clip he posted on his X account with the handle @muhdzulum, Umara who said he was currently at the Government House in Maiduguri, addressed the allegation saying his father is the actual target of those behind the allegation.
“Dear esteemed Nigerians, I am Umara Babagana Umara Zulum, I am here to address damaging falsehood that had been made against me,” he said in the video.
“It has come to my notice, a baseless gossip accusation against me saying that I killed someone at a nightclub.
“This is not true. They want to tarnish my father’s name. I have been with my family since two months now, right in Maiduguri.”

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.UMAR ZULUM Is speaking pic.twitter.com/jWaLkiqE7S
— ZULUM_jr (@muhdzulum) July 18, 2024

The post ‘They want to tarnish my father’s image,’ Gov Zulum’s son speaks on murder allegation (Video) appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.

263 Boko Haram terrorists surrender in Borno

admin
-
0
263 Boko Haram terrorists surrender in Borno

The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) fighting insurgency in the Lake Chad region says 263 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have surrendered to troops.
This was contained in a statement issued by Lt.-Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, the Chief Military Public Information Office of MNJTF in N’djamena, Chad.
He said that the insurgents surrendered between July 11 and July 17, 2024, during the ongoing Operation Lake Sanity II.
“The wave of surrenders began on July 1, when five terrorists surrendered to MNJTF troops in Wulgo, on the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
“Preliminary information indicated these individuals hailed from Tumbuma and Kutumgulla in Marte Local Government Area (LGA), Nigeria.
“On the same day, Malum Kori Bukar, a 50-year-old, escaped from the Jibilaram hideout and surrendered to the troops.
“Additionally, on 11 July, 19 terrorists surrendered in the village of Madaya, extreme North Cameroon, and another 11 surrendered in Wulgo from the Tumbuma hideout in 2 waves.
“On 12 July 2024, 64 individuals surrendered in Bonderi, Cameroon, including 6 adult males, 20 women, and 38 children. Moreso, on 13 July, 27 terrorists surrendered,” he said.
He said that preliminary investigation revealed that all the surrendered individuals belong to Nigerian communities.
“Consequently, they were handed over to the troops of Operation HADIN KAI for further action,” he added.
263 Boko Haram terrorists surrender in Borno

US election: I will be president – Donald Trump

admin
-
0
US election: I will be president – Donald Trump

The presidential candidate of the Republican Party, Donald Trump has vowed to win the United States, US, presidential election in November.
Trump spoke while taking the stage at the Republican National Convention on Friday after accepting his nomination as presidential candidate
Addressing an ecstatic crowd at Milwaukee in Wisconsin, Trump said: “I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope.
“Four months from now, we will have an incredible victory, and we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country.”
“Together, we will launch a new era of safety, prosperity and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, colour and creed.”
Recall that the former US President had escaped an assassination attempt during his campaign in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A 20-year-old, Mathew Crooks had shot at Trump but only managed to hit his ear while one person was killed.
Crooks was however killed by secret service agents.
US election: I will be president – Donald Trump

1...910911912...2,833Page 911 of 2,833
© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv