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Yinka Odumakin: Nigeria has lost a fearless activist – Ekiti governor
The Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has mourned the death of Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the renowned activist and Spokesperson of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, describing the news of his passing as “tragic and deeply devastating.” Odumakin, according to his family, passed away Saturday morning after battling with COVID-19 complications at the age of 59years. Fayemi in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode said the Yoruba and indeed Nigeria have lost, ” a truly patriotic citizen, a fearless activist who consistently spoke truth to power and a man of the people who championed the cause of his people till he breathed his last.” He described the death of the Afenifere spokesperson as a personal loss to him, ” having had a long-standing working relat...
Yinka Odumakin: Premature departure of a bright star – Senator Tinubu
Like millions of Nigerians, I received with profound shock the news of the death early this morning of Mr. Yinka Odumakin, spokesman of Afenifere, committed fighter for democracy, dedicated civil society activist, courageous and outspoken defender of whatever ideals and principles he believed in and a patriotic citizen in every sense of the word. Ever since his student days, Odumakin had been fearless and unrelenting in speaking up in promoting the cause of justice and what he perceived as the best interest of the citizens of Nigeria. He participated actively at the forefront in the various students and youth struggles against successive military dictatorships in the 1980s and 1990s. In the process, he was arrested, harassed and even detained several times. Yet, he never allowed himself to...
Plateau governor shocked over death of Reps member
Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has expressed shocked over the death of Member, House of Representatives Hon. Haruna Ibrahim Maitala. Maitala died while representing Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State at the Green Chambers of the National Assembly. Lalong on a statement described the death of the lawmaker as tragic and a big loss to his immediate family, Jos North/Bassa constituency and the entire State. “I am deeply saddened by this tragic development for Plateau State and Nigeria where we lost another legislator in the National Assembly currently representing Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives. “The late Member was a passionate politician who served his people with zeal and compassion. He did a lot to project and protect the intere...
Nigerian army urges journalists to protect national interests
The Commander, Sector 2, Operation Lafiya Dole, Adamu Nura, has appealed to journalists to prioritise Nigeria’s national interest in their reporting. Nura made the appeal, on Friday, while hosting members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), who paid him a courtesy visit in Damaturu. “National interest is more important than any other interests, including public interest; because when you protect national interest, public interest will automatically be covered,” he said. He, therefore, enjoined journalists to always cooperate with security agencies, to protect the national interest in their reporting “and avoid giving any form of publicity to terrorists”. “Security is everybody’s business, without security nothing can be achieved,” he said. He added that the sector was ready to build...
PDP condemns attack on ex-CBn governor, urges security beef up in Anambra
File Photo Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the recent attack on the former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Chief Chukwuma Charles Soludo, describing it as callous, intimidation and unnecessary. The party said the killing of the three policemen attached to the former CBN governor was criminal and uncalled for, saying the police officers were doing their legitimate duty at the time of the incident. Honourable Ikechukwu Emenike, the Anambra South PDP Youth leader, who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Isuofoa, yesterday, said the gunmen disrupted Soludo’s interactive session with youths of Isuofia, who were gathered at the Isuofia Civic Center, shot dead three policemen and abducted Engineer Emeka Ezenwanne, the commissioner for Public Utility in the state who jumped ...
Zamfara governor: We rescued 2000 kidnapped victims through dialogue
The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Mohammad Matawalle, says his administration has secured the release of over 2000 kidnapped victims. He said this was achieved through dialogue and peace process initiated in the state. He said since he assumed office, over 62 bandits have accepted and embraced peace. The Governor, through his newly appointed Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji Dosera, disclosed this at a news briefing in Kaduna on Friday. He said the repentant bandits are also helping in campaigning and convincing those who are yet to accept the dialogue and reconciliation process to do so. “They (repentant bandits) are also helping in the identification of the leaders of the recalcitrant bandits, including their camps and location for dialogue and reconciliation. Since the...
Niger’s new president blasts terrorists for war crimes
Niger’s new president Mohamed Bazoum lashed out on Friday at jihadists who have carried out devastating attacks on his country, accusing them of “war crimes” after he took the helm of the troubled nation. The inauguration marked the first-ever transition between elected presidents in Niger’s six decades of independence from France — a historic moment that has been widely praised. But the Sahel country’s problems were deeply underscored in the run-up to Friday’s ceremony, after a string of jihadist massacres and an alleged attempted coup just two days before the handover. Bazoum hit out at “terrorist groups whose barbarity has exceeded every limit.” These groups “carry out large-scale massacres of innocent civilians, and in doing so, commit real war crimes,” Bazoum declared. Niger is being ...
Nasarawa committed to sports development – governor
Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa has reiterated his administration’s commitment to sports development in order to positively engage youths in the state. Sule stated this when he hosted members of National Super Bike Clubs’ Association of Nigeria who paid him a courtesy call in his office, on Friday in Lafia. The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Alhaji Othman Bala-Adam, thanked members of the association for the visit, assuring them of a fruitful stay in the state. “My administration remains committed to harnessing youths’ sporting potentials and tackling restiveness in the state. “I appreciate your decision to choose Lafia for your maiden Super Bikes Clubs competition and assure you of my support. “This is a timely initiative and a call for invest...
CSOs: Bandit attacks a risk to food security in Nigeria
Bandit attacks heighten risks for acute food crisis in Nigeria, stakeholders from the civil society and the media have said. This is even as they vowed to unite against terror rather than do anything that could promote it. “In addition to displacement, insecurity has hampered agricultural activities and heightened the risk of acute food uncertainty in the country”, they said in a communique issued on Thursday after a meeting of civil society groups and media in the nation’s capital. But they insisted that the adoption of new approaches by the government will address the specific political, economic, and social challenges that encourage banditry and terrorism in the country. The communique co-signed by Gbenga Onayiga and Adamu Ladan, the Acting Chairman and the Executive Director of the Vis...
Easter: NSCDC deploys 1,850 personnel in Ondo
THISDAY Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Ondo State Command has deployed no fewer than 1,850 personnel ahead of the Easter celebration in the state. The move was to ensure that there is adequate security, before, during and after the celebration in the state. According to the Corps Public Relations Officer, DSC Olufemi Omole, in a statement issued on Thursday “the situation of the country calls for collective efforts to ensure the protection of lives and properties.” He added that the State Commandant of NSCDC in the state, Eweka Edenabu urged the operatives who will provide security in various parts of the state to exercise caution in the discharge of their duties and exhibit a high level of professionalism in their dealings with the civil populace. The Commandant also dis...
Official: Why CCB denies Nigerians access to public officers’ assets information
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on Wednesday explained why it denies Nigerians access to the details of the assets declared by public officers. The chair person of the bureau, Muhammad Isah, also disclosed that assets declaration would soon become online-based. Mr Isah, represented by his special assistant, Mustapha Musa, spoke in Lagos at a meeting on ‘Promoting Transparency and Accountability in Asset Declaration by High-Ranking Public Officers’. Newsmen report that the meeting was organised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). On access to public officers’ assets information, the CCB chair said the bureau never honoured citizens’ requests for such information because the National Assembly had yet to give the guidelines for such public disclosure. He said the...
Nigerian government begs resident doctors to shelve planned strike
The Federal Government has appealed to Resident Doctors to shelve their threat of embarking on a nationwide strike in the country. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, made the appeal at a conciliatory meeting with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wednesday in Abuja. Newsmen recall that NARD had threatened to shut public health care facilities beginning from April 1, over unpaid salaries and other welfare packages. Ngige said that majority of the welfare issues under contention were almost resolved even before the letter of compliant and notification of a planned strike action was delivered at the ministry ”We are here because we have started solving your issues. We put up proposals with given timelines on how to deal with them. “We will look at thos...
