Presidency Speaks On Cabal Hijacking Tinubu’s Administration

The Nigerian Presidency has denied reports of a powerful ‘cabal’ forming in Aso-rock with the sole aim of hijacking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Appearing on TVC Politics on Sunday, Presidential media aide, Ajuri Ngelale disclosed that no one or any group of people could establish control over the President’s actions. He disclosed that the President has structured his government in a way that prevents any single official or group from exerting the kind of influence that could lead to governance hijack. He said, “The good fortune we have is that we elected, not just a professional accountant, a professional auditor, but we elected a man who fully understands the governance mechanisms, not just at the federal level, but at sub-national level. I think this is a man who anyone working in the office of the President would tell you, there is not one individual in the Presidency that has a monopoly over what the President sees, hears and reads. Nobody has that kind of power in the office of this President and that’s intentional.” “He is someone who everyone has access to, everyone who needs to have access to him, has access to him. He has direct communications on a frequent basis with the heads of intelligence agencies, anti-graft agencies, and the like.” “So there is not going to be the potential there for anyone to form a cabal around this President because he’s aware of the dynamics of what has happened in the past and he is determined to ensure that that is not replicated under his watch.” “I will also add the fact that in the person of the current CBN Governor Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, this is a man who is reputed around the world as being a prudent manager of men and resources. This is someone who has a reputation, even within the government, of being tight fisted and that is by the intention of President Bola Tinubu to have someone like that in place. “I would also add that when you look at organizational structures that lead to Governor Emefiele, … put him in the position that he currently is in, the President has taken a comprehensive review of that structure and he has said, even by legislation, that we are going to ensure that not only guardrails are put in place, but that legislative changes be enacted in such a way that this can never happen again.” “He’s determined to do it, Nigerians will watch him do it and that will mean that moving forward, the kind of elite conspiracy we saw between CBN officials, high ranking government officials and high ranking members of the private sector, they’re not going to be able to conspire amongst themselves to find loopholes within the system because we have a President who’s an auditor and accountant, who will close those loopholes, just the way he did in Lagos State many years ago.”, he said.

FG Bans Leave of Absence for Health Workers Relocating Abroad 

The federal government has placed a ban on leave absence for heath professionals relocating abroad.  The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the ban on Saturday, stressing that the era of health workers exiting to other countries in search of better offers after applying for a leave of absence is no longer acceptable. The Minister reiterates that the Federal Government had directed that health workers going abroad to seek greener pastures must henceforth resign their appointments before embarking on such journeys. According to Alausa, the ban on the leave of absence for health workers emanated from the executive order issued by President Bola Tinubu as part of drastic steps to combat the challenge of brain drain fondly called ‘Japa Syndrome’ confronting the nation’s health sector. He also revealed that the FG has commenced the production of manpower in the health sector such that the annual enrolment of nurses which used to be 28,000 is now 68,000 and that by the end of this year, it would have gone up to 120,000. The minister stated this on Saturday during his visit to the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State. He said that the President considered the biggest asset of the country to be the people and has not only vowed but has taken proactive actions to ensure the health sector is in good shape so that the health of the citizens won’t suffer. Speaking on the challenge of manpower shortages across the FG-owned health institutions, Alausa said, “The government is not unmindful of the Japa effect on our manpower in the health sector and the President has ordered for massive production of manpower such that when people go, there will always be replacement. “It is against this background that we are working intensely on the enrolment of our nurses. What used to be 28,000 is now 68,000 and our intention is to take it to 120,000 by the end of the year, so there will always be abundant skilled manpower to take over from those leaving the job. “We have equally doubled our enrolment for doctors, dentistry, pharmacists among others “Again, we didn’t say anyone who wants to move or japa to the UK or Australia to take up appointments there should not go, it is a free world.” The minister continued, “However, you cannot eat your cake and have it. If you are going, just resign your appointments with the Federal Government, rather than applying for leave of absence, that is the Presidential executive order that has been communicated to all the Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government-owned health facilities to implement. “The problem with the leave of absence is that such a fellow is out there in the UK or Australia working, making money but his name still appears on the payment roll of the government and so to replace him is difficult because he is still being considered as a staff whereas he has left the country. “So, to solve this problem, the President has directed that health workers going abroad to work should just resign their appointments and not apply for leave of absence. This way, you won’t be blocking others who want to work and of course piling burdens for your colleagues that you left behind.” Responding to some of the demands of the hospital such as increased funding, infrastructural development, among other welfare packages, Alausa said that the ministry would leave no stone unturned to do all that is necessary to improve the fortunes of the health sector in the country. Speaking earlier, the Provost and Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Paul Agboola, lauded the Minister for his selflessness and passion to turn things around for good in the health sector. The CMD said that as a result of the approval given by the Minister, his administration had started projects such as the Institute of Psychiatric for the hospital which had been in the pipeline for about 40 years, amongst others.

Late Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe’s Father Slumps, Hospitalized

Shyngle Wigwe, the biological father of billionaire business mogul and late former Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Dr Herbert Wigwe on Saturday slumped and was rushed to a nearby hospital for immediate treatment.  This was made known by a popular influencer on X(formerly Twitter), Tony Ogbuagu who denied the purported death of the late billionaire’s father.  He wrote: “Herbert Wigwe’s father is not dead please. He only slumped and has been taken to the hospital. Make una slow down with all these bad news.” Dignitaries, guests and hundreds of mourners arrived at the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State for the funeral service of Wigwe, his wife, Doreen, and son, Chizzy Wigwe who died in a helicopter crash in the United States alongside his wife and son were buried on March 9, 2024 after a combined funeral service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Lion of Judah Parish, Isiokpo. Wigwe and his family members died when a chopper heading to Las Vegas crashed near a border city between Nevada and California in February. 

Anambra Governor Soludo Appoints Yoruba Man As Permanent Secretary

Anambra State Governor, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has appointed an Osun State indigene, Bayo Ojeyinka as a Permanent Secretary in the state civil service. The appointment, which was based on merit, was commended by civil servants in the state, describing it as deserving. According to Business Day, Ojeyinka has been in the Anambra state public service system since 1995, after completing his National Youth Service Corps scheme (NYSC) in the state. He received the award as the best-serving corps member during his service year and was subsequently retained by the state government. Speaking on his promotion, Ojeyinka expressed gratitude to Governor Soludo and promised to increase his productivity, transparency, and fairness in his work. He said, “I am so excited to be considered. I don’t see this as a right but rather a rare privilege because so many brilliant officers also merited the promotion. “I thank Mr Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo for this honour, and Ndi Anambra for all their love, kindness and support in my 29 years of living in Anambra State. “I will repay the state with increased efficiency, productivity, transparency and fairness in my work. “I thank my colleagues to, the Head of Service, Her Honour, Barrister Mrs Theodora Igwegbe for her wonderful support. I promise to live up to the great expectations.”

Kaduna Govt Begins Negotiations For Release of Abducted Pupils, Teachers

Kaduna State government has begun negotiations for the release of the recently abducted 287 pupils and teachers in the state. The pupils were abducted from the Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School, Kuriga 1, in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.  According to investigations carried out by Punch newspapers, a highly influential private negotiator who has been involved in negotiating several abductions with bandits in the past, has been contacted by the state government for the assignment.  A highly placed source in the Kaduna State Government House, who is close to the negotiations but pleaded anonymity due to security reasons, confided in newsmen said the state government had reached out to the bandits through a private negotiator (names withheld) for the release of the pupils and their teachers. The source said, “The military has begun combing the forests in search of the children kidnapped by the bandits. Security agents have cordoned off the area and they have started searching for the abducted pupils. “The government is doing all it can for the speedy release of the abducted school pupils. “The government has established contact and reached out to the bandits for negotiation through a popular bandit negotiator. The negotiator was the one who worked for the return of some of the students abducted some years back. “He (the negotiator) had negotiated the return of so many abductees in the past. He negotiated the return of those students abducted in Katsina State years back.” Two other government officials also confirmed the development secretly to newsmen, but insisted on not being identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue. They also refused to provide additional information as they insisted that doing so might frustrate the ongoing efforts to secure the victims’ release and put them in harm’s way. Bandits, on Thursday, shortly after the assembly gathering at around 8.30am, stormed the LEA Primary School, Kuriga, abducted the pupils and some staff members of the schools.

‘Enough is Enough, Kidnappers deserve death penalty, Remi Tinubu fumes

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has said that anyone convicted of abduction deserves capital punishment. The first lady stated this in her reaction to the news of 200 women who were kidnapped in Borno State, and over 280 pupils and teachers kidnapped in Kaduna State. Remi Tinubu, also described kidnappers as cowards, saying “Whoever is kidnapping young people is sick, cruel, and a coward. “Enough is enough and I call on the state governors that once we take hold of them, they deserve capital punishment. “Why don’t they take people their size? Why are they torturing our children? What they are trying to do is kill our future. “We all know parents, when we are old we rely on our children. “Why would you go and take them from schools? Right now, I think enough is enough. As a former lawmaker, I believe that any one of them captured deserves capital punishment. “They (kidnappers) are animals, they are evil and we should take them out of our midst. “The state governors and the lawmakers should do something.” Recall that about 200 women were reportedly kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in the Gamboru-Ngala and Dikwa local government areas of Borno State. The women, who were Internally Displaced Persons, were said to have been kidnapped while they went into the bush in search of firewood. Also, over 280 pupils and teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA primary school at Kuriga, Kaduna State were abducted by bandits on Thursday, triggering national outrage. The bandits reportedly invaded the Kuriga area of the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday, shooting at their victims before taking away at least 280 of the pupils and teachers from both schools.

Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou set to clash in heavyweight boxing match

Former World heavy weight champion and Nigeran-Britidh boxer, Anthony Joshua is set to clash with Francis Ngannou in a heavyweight boxing match happening in Saudi Arabia tonight. The power-packed boxing fight between the two fighters will see them earn massive prize money and fight purses. The fight is organized by the head of Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Turki Alalshikh, who is driving efforts to make Saudi the new home of boxing. It was gathered that Joshua is set to bank a whopping $50 million [£39 million] from this fight, not including pay-per-view sales.  While Ngannou is reportedly set to receive $20 million [£15.6 million], which is twice the amount he received for his highly praised debut fight against Tyson Fury last October. This is Ngannou’s second time boxing in the ring and he is sure to provide a stiff test for Joshua, who is fighting for the fourth time in under a year. The involvement of Saudi Arabia in boxing’s biggest fights has given rise to Joshua’s calibre of fighters benefitting from huge fight purses. The money involved is a testament to the growing commercialization of boxing, although the focus will, of course, remain on the in-ring action.  The fight will take place at Kingdom Arena in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. The undercard is expected to start at 11:00 a.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. GMT, and the ring walk for the main fight is anticipated to take place at 6:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 p.m. GMT.

Presidency Reacts To Reports Of Tinubu Advising Buhari To Print More Money

The Presidency has refuted claims suggesting that President Bola Tinubu advised the Muhammadu Buhari administration to print N22.7 trillion.  This denial comes in response to statements made by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Wale Edun, during a session with the Senate Committee on Finance. Edun attributed Nigeria’s current inflationary pressures to massive currency printing during Buhari’s tenure, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in economic management.  He disclosed plans for a comprehensive audit of the reported N22.7 trillion printed without productivity. In reaction, Paul Ibe, spokesman for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, criticized Edun’s remarks, alleging Tinubu’s encouragement of such actions in 2020.  However, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga rebutted these claims, asserting that Tinubu never advised the government to print money. Onanuga clarified that Tinubu’s statement in 2020 did not advocate for Naira printing, as erroneously reported, and provided a clarification in Thisday a day after the false report emerged.

Gunmen Attack 2 Banks In Kogi

Gunmen suspected to be robbers have attacked two commercial banks in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. The robbers raided the banks and carted away millions of naira and other valuables. Eyewitnesses said that the robbers were shooting indiscriminately shootings during the attack. The robbery operation was said to have started around 5 pm. It was gathered that operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps engaged them in exchange of gunfire. The state police command is yet to react to the incident.

Why FG may Revoke DisCos Licences – Power Minister

The federal government has threatened tough sanctions, including licence revocation, against Distribution companies over epileptic power supply and ‘wilful non-performance’.  It also said Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) are to be held accountable henceforth for poor power supply in the country.  Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu issued the threat in a statement, describing as “disheartening” the decline in power supply despite the concerted efforts to improve the situation. He noted that his Ministry has been exerting pressure on the GenCos to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4000MW. “Moving forward, I’m committed to holding all distribution companies accountable for their performance. “Wilful non-performance will not be tolerated, and severe consequences, including licence revocation, may be imposed,” the minister said in a statement. Expressing concern over erratic electricity supply, Adelabu has summoned the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for an emergency meeting on Tuesday. The supply of electricity has dipped across the country in the last three months, due to many reasons, including lack of adequate gas supply, grid breakdown, low supply from Generating Companies (GenCos), the inability of DisCos to wheel supply from GenCos and sabotage.  The minister also expressed concern over the poor performance of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). Adelabu, who tweeted on his X handle, reiterated the reasons for summoning the AEDC and IBEDC chief executives and the TCN Managing Director. He gave the reason as an attempt to find a plausible solution to the power supply in their zones. “Despite this progress”, the minister said, “certain distribution companies are failing to adequately distribute the power supplied by TCN, while vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in regions such as Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan. “The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the worsening power supply in their respective regions and to collectively find lasting solutions.” The minister threatened to henceforth hold the DisCos accountable for their performance. He said: “Willful non-performance will not be tolerated, and severe consequences, including license revocation, may be imposed. “Additionally, I have instructed TCN to prioritise repair works on damaged transmission towers and power lines to improve supply in affected regions.” Adelabu recalled that during recent supervisory visits to power-generating plants, he witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by the sector. He spoke of plans to settle outstanding debts to power generation and gas supply companies, which will alleviate the financial strain and contribute to improved generation levels nationwide. Pleading with consumers for understanding, Adelabu said he and his team had been making frantic efforts to tackle the challenges. “I urge electricity consumers to remain patient as we work tirelessly to address these issues and provide better service to all Nigerians,” he said. It was gathered that the payment of $120 million out of the $1.3 trillion owed to the gas suppliers has unsettled the GenCos. The GenCos are said to be meeting to press for the payment of their outstanding debts. A source from the GenCos, who was privy to the meeting, said: “Since the Federal Government has made $120 million payment to the gas suppliers as part of their debt, we are also meeting to ask the same government to settle us, the GenCos.” Adelabu’s Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, confirmed the scheduled meeting with the TCN and DisCos.