Democracy Day
Nasarawa governor frees 36 prison inmates, donates N250,000 transport fare
The Nasarawa State Government has released 36 inmates in the state’s correctional centre to reduce overcrowding. The inmates, who are prisoners mostly awaiting trials and convicts, were released by State Governor Abdullahi Sule who visited the correctional facility in Lafia on Wednesday. The Lafia Correctional Centre is one of the six prisons in the state, located along Doma Road, Lafia City and is known to be overstretched presently with mostly awaiting trials inmates. Speaking while presiding over the release of the prisoners, Governor Sule said the move was to mark the June 12 Democracy Day. ‘I am glad to be here. By law, it is the responsibility on the part of leaders to forgive when it is time to forgive because God forgives us. When I looked at the faces of these inmates, I discovere...
Kano governor: Why I gave women more political appointments
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano says he has compensated APC women by giving them more political opportunities in the state than they aspired. The governor also pledged to support more women aspiring for political offices in 2023, saying that more women are needed in the mainstream political sphere. Mr Ganduje made the pledge on Monday evening at an interactive session with journalists as part of activities to mark the Nation’s Democracy Day. He noted that the ruling party in the state, APC, had previously supported women with political ambition. He said, ”Although the party made it open and free for female contestants to obtain registration forms for various positions, they had ceased (sic) the opportunity.” ”But despite their failure to make it to their aspired positions, the administr...
Ondo governor: Why Amotekun will transform into state police
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Saturday said that the State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps would eventually transform into a State Police overtime. Akeredolu, who insisted that every federating unit in the country should have its own police for effective security, noted that there was no serious attempt to redesign the nation’s security architecture to respond to the demands of a nascent country at the time of independence. Speaking at the 2021 Democracy Day lecture held in Akure, the state capital, the governor also said that he does not believe in secession. At the event held at the International Event Centre (DOME), Akeredolu said the local government could not be absolutely autonomous and that the Federal Government should have no control, whatsoever, over h...
Femi Falana charges Nigerian government to dialogue with agitators, secessionists
Nigeria’s foremost human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) yesterday challenged the federal government to dialogue with various groups agitating for secession from the federation. Falana justified this demand on the premise that it “is on the roundtable the grievances can be sorted out” in the interest of peace, security and development He made this at the 25th anti-corruption situation room, which the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) organised in Lagos yesterday. Speaking on the subject, “Assessing The Fight Against Corruption,” said it was the promise to fight corruption that made Nigerians vote for President Muhammadu Buhari. The human right lawyer said it was the corruption in the system that culminated in agitating for secession, noting that it “is better for the fe...
South-west governors urged to strengthen Amotekun to prevent attacks
The protem chairman of the Coalition of Yoruba Liberation Movement, Yemi Farounbi, has called on south-west governors to strengthen the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun. He said Amotekun operatives need to be “heavily fortified” so that they can repel the attacks of bandits. Farounbi’s message was contained in a press release which was read at an event held in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, to mark Democracy Day. Speaking on the backdrop of the recent attack in Ondo and Ekiti states, and in Igangan, a rural community in the Ibarapa area of Oyo, Farounbi said the south-west is under attack from the herders and bandits. He said: “We hereby alert our people in Yorubaland and the entire Yoruba race of the impending indirect slavery coming up in the heels of the well-orchestrate...
COVID-19: Hard choices made by Nigeria responsible for successful impact – President Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has said the hard choices made by his administration to tackle the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world have yielded successful impacts. The president, who addressed Nigerians in a nationwide broadcast on Saturday to mark the 2021 Democracy Day, was referring to some measures, including travel restrictions across the states of the federation and beyond, compulsory use of nose masks, hand washing protocols and other relevant protocols instituted to limit spread of the virus. Mr Buhari said; “Our response to the pandemic involved making hard choices in balancing livelihoods and public health concerns. “You are all living witnesses to how successful this has been due to a number of proactive measures put in place. Our response to COVID-19 is globally acclaimed. “...
June 12 protest: Police arrest Agba Jalingo
A right activist and a newspaper publisher, Agba Jalingo, has been arrested by the police in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria’s South-south. Jalingo is the publisher of Cross River Watch, an online newspaper with focus on Cross River State. He was arrested at the police headquarters, Calabar, on Friday where he went to honour an invitation by the Commissioner of Police in the State, Kayode Sikiru, Cross River Watch said in a report. The newspaper said Sikiru invited Jalingo to the police headquarters to discuss the planned nationwide June 12 protest which the latter is said to be coordinating in the state. After discussions, Jalingo was reportedly referred to another officer who informed him that the police had received a petition which accused him of being an arms dealer, the newspaper...
Lagos PDP: Yinka Odumakin lived fulfilled life, fought for downtrodden
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has mourned the death of the Spokesman of a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin. The PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Taofik Gani, told newsmen on Saturday in Lagos that Odumakin spoke and fought for the masses. “Yinka Odumakin lived a fulfilled life, fighting and speaking for the downtrodden, devalued ethnic groups and the nation at large. “We cannot forget his outspokenness on national issues and fight for equal rights amongst ethnic nationalities. He spoke truth to power,” he said. The PDP spokesman added that Odumakin surprised the party when he was invited as a speaker at a Democracy Day symposium. He honoured the invitation and spoke the truth to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and PDP. “A rar...
Subsidy removal: Nigerian government sets up modalities to disburse 2,000 buses
The Federal Government on Monday in Abuja has set up modalities for the disbursement of 2, 000 buses to cushion effects of subsidy removal. Dr George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs in his speech at Inter-Ministerial Stakeholders meeting on Poverty Alleviation, said the initiative was also part of programme to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. Akume said the initiative was in collaboration between his ministry, Agriculture and other government agencies saying the disbursement of the buses would be through cooperative societies of Nigeria. He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari in his 2019 democracy speech, promised to lift 100 Nigerians out of poverty through numerous governments` initiatives. “The alleviation of poverty in Nigeria has been and...
President Buhari authorises N19.67 billion for completion of East-West road
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate release of N19.67 billion to ramp up efforts in completing sections I-IV of the East-West Road project by 2021. The presidential directive was part of efforts to address infrastructure deficit in the Niger Delta region and boost its economy. Mr Buhari had, in his Democracy Day address, said the funding of the sections of the road project would be duly released to better the lot of his people and would be followed by a forensic audit. “I am determined to ensure that development meant for the people of the Niger Delta get to them so I have authorised a Forensic Audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission,” the president said. The road project, which was first conceived in 2006 by the Obasanjo administration, was meant to be completed ...
President Buhari, Borno governor meet over killings
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, met behind closed doors with the Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting was meant to address the recent killings recorded in the state. The state government had last week confirmed that 81 people were killed in an attack that was carried out on Gubio Local Government Area of the state. Seven persons, including a village head, were also said to have been abducted by the insurgents. In condemning the attack, the Presidency, in a statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had given an indication that the President would be meeting with the state governor on the matter. Shehu had said the President, who was expecting a detailed briefing by the state governor o...
