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PANDEF cautions Nigerian government over Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho, others
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has cautioned the Federal Government over some of its recent actions, warning that the government should consider the consequences of treating with contempt, the 16-Point Agenda it presented to President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2016. The group also condemned the midnight raid on the house of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho and cautioned the Government’s plan to identify the sponsors of the rearrested leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. The socio-cultural organization said the action of the government has caused the Niger Delta youths to declare a vote of no-confidence on PANDEF because it was the leaders of the region that requested them to stay action when they took a decision to cri...
AfreximBank to support Ogun infrastructural development with $200 million
The African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim) has disclosed its plans to support infrastructural development in Ogun State with an envelope of $200m. The fund, according to the bank, will be dedicated towards projects and other developmental initiatives embarked upon by the incumbent administration in the state. The President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Afrexim Bank, Benedict Oramah, who made this known when he led management of the bank on a courtesy visit to Governor Dapo Abiodun at his Oke-Mosan Office, Abeokuta, on Monday, equally said the bank would partner Ogun on ensuring that the 250-bed Specialist Hospital, Abeokuta, is completed and begin operations soon. Oramah, while noting that the bank has been investing heavily in the health sector in Africa to develop vaccines ...
Femi Falana: Old grazing reserves law applied only to northern states
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has disclosed that the Grazing Reserves Act of 1964 which President Muhammadu Buhari was bent on reviving was only applicable to northern Nigeria in the 1960s. In a statement issued on Sunday and titled, ‘President Buhari Should Embrace Ranching,’ Falana argued that the Grazing Reserves Act of 1964 was not a law of general application because the “Western Region, Mid-Western Region and the Eastern Region had ranches for animal husbandry.” Falana, therefore, advised Buhari to promote ranching instead of attempting to revive grazing routes. The human rights lawyer stated that in 2016, the federal government announced that it had acquired 55,000 hectares of land in 11 states for grazing of cattle. “Shortly thereafter the federal government adopted c...
Sultan: What Nigeria needs now is excellent leadership
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, says what the country needs at this time is excellent and purposeful leadership. Abubakar said this during the inauguration of an ultramodern camp for Muslim and Christians pilgrims in Bauchi state. He called on leaders to strive to ensure that they fulfill the purpose for which they were elected to their various positions. “Leaders should always strive to do what the people want, because it is the main reason they were voted into power by the people. “What the country needs now is excellent and purposeful leadership. Leadership has been bestowed on us by Allah. We should know that one day, we will all give account of our stewardship in the hereafter. “It is incumbent on us as leaders to discharge our responsibilities to the best of our ability. The fo...
Ondo governor: No land in southern Nigeria will be ceded to invaders masquerading as herdsmen
The Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has declared that “no inch of the space delineated and known, currently, as South West, and indeed the whole South, will be ceded to a band of invaders masquerading as herdsmen under any guise.” Akeredolu made the declaration in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant Special Duties and Strategies, Dr Doyin Odebowale. The declaration was sequel to a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, on the position of President Muhammadu Buhari, on the farmer-herder clashes and what was termed as “Deep Rooted Solutions to the herdsmen attacks”. Shehu had in the statement revealed the presidency’s position that ranching and revival...
NALDA to establish integrated farm estate in Ogun
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) says it has concluded plans to establish an integrated farm estate in Ogun State. The agency also said it would set up a cassava processing plant and train 200 graduates in the state in soil testing technology. These moves according to NALDA are in line with its determination to boost the Cassava value chain and job creation for youths in the country. The Cassava processing plant would compliment the Integrated Farm Estates to be established in the three Senatorial zones of the state. The farm estate would comprise of different agricultural activities which includes farming, processing and packaging areas, commodity market, residential areas and schools. Executive secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne made this disclosure when h...
Anambra governor resolves airport land matter
The social media was agog recently that some purported women from Umueri in Anambra-East local government area protested half naked at the construction site of the International Cargo Airport over what they termed forceful land-grabbing by government to build the airport. Reports also had it that the said protesting women from Umueri had accused the state government of encroaching into areas the community didn’t release to them. But the traditional ruler of Umueri His Royal Majesty Igwe Sir Ben Izuchukwu Emeka stated unequivocally that such reports were malicious and economical with the truth because nobody protested naked and that his subjects were not known for such amoral behaviour. Igwe Emeka stated that Umueri was grateful to the government and people of Anambra state that the Interna...
How to tackle students’ abduction – NUT, NAPTAN
Nigeria Union of Teachers The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, and the National Parents Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, have proffered solutions to the incessant abduction of students by bandits in some parts of the country. Speaking in separate interviews with our correspodent, the two groups called on the federal and state governments to entrench the Safe Schools Initiative and deploy military personnel in schools across the country. National Secretary of the NUT, Dr. Mike Ene, said apart from the steps expected to be taken by the government to stem the ugly trend, every citizen should develop psychic eyes to help them be security-conscious at all times. He said: “These abductions here and there are deliberate steps to discourage education and encourage school drop out. It is unfo...
HURIWA accuses IGP Adamu of bias over Sunday Igboho’s arrest order
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Saturday accused the Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Mohammed Adamu of partiality and double standards by ordering the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Ngozi Onadeko to arrest the Yoruba Ethnic Rights Activist, Mr. Sunday Ighoho. But, HURIWA said IGP has refused to order the immediate arrest of the leader of a faction of Miyetti Allah Association, Bello Badejo who has threatened to take over lands of communities across the country unlawfully. HURIWA in a statement issued by the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said: “May be the IGP is lobbying for extension of tenure and can do everything to please the powers that be that have unambiguously made it known that the Fulani Ethnicity and Fulani herdsmen are sacred cows wh...
Rivers governor commiserates Akwa Ibom over death of PDP, PANDEF chairmen
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has commiserated with the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel over the recent loss of prominent indigenes of the state. Wike described the death of the State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Udo Ekpenyong and the Director-General of Governor Emmanuel’s two terms Divine Mandate organization and Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga rtd., as a grave loss not just to Akwa Ibom State but the entire South-South region and the party which, he said, is Nigeria’s hope. The Rivers State Governor who was on a condolence visit to Governor Emmanuel at Hilltop Mansion, Government House Uyo, on Thursday said what touches Akwa Ibom touches Rivers state. Hear him, “what I came here is that the Governor Udom ...
Enugu to deal with land grabbers, fraudsters
The Enugu State Government has declared its resolve to resist any attempt by land grabbers and fraudsters to short-change the people under any guise. The Commissioner for Lands, Dr Victor Nnam, stated this when he received an award for exceptional service and leadership from the traditional ruler of Amechi Udewo, Igwe Daniel Nnamani, the Ogboo Ogu I of Amechi Udewo, Awkunanaw, Enugu State. The Commissioner said his Ministry was working assiduously to transform land administration in the State, in line with the agenda of the State Governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. He said: ‘I appreciate the entire people of Amechi and Obeagu Awkunanaw. I assure you of my resolve to continue the good fight of faith against land grabbers and fraudsters, as well as the transformation of the land administration...
U.S. warns Pacific islands about Chinese bid for undersea cable project
The United States has warned Pacific island nations about security threats posed by a Chinese company’s cut-price bid to build an undersea internet cable, two sources told Reuters, part of an international development project in the region. Huawei Marine, which was recently divested from Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and is now majority-owned by another Chinese firm, submitted bids along with French-headquartered Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), part of Finland’s Nokia, and Japan’s NEC, for the $72.6 million project backed by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB), the sources with direct knowledge of the project details said. The project is designed to improve communications to the island nations of Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Kiribati. Washington sent a diploma...