Edo PDP Chairman Freed From Kidnappers Den

The Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has regained his freedom after eleven days in captivity. According to Senator Odion Ugbesia, Aziegbemi arrived his residence at about 3am on Tuesday, March 26. It was still unclear if any ransom was paid for Aziegbemi’s release as at the time of writing this report. Recall that Aziegbemi kidnapped on the March 16, 2024 by some unknown gunmen a few metres from his residence off the GRA in Benin City, the Edo state capital. He was said to have been trailed by his abductors who were said to be in two Toyota Corolla cars, overtook his jeep along Odaro Street off Country Home road close to his house at about 11 pm Friday.

IPOB: Kanu’s family insists he needs cardiologist

The family of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has raised fresh concern over his continued failing health, saying he needs urgent medical attention to avert a major health crisis. This is as the family sought to know those benefiting from the alleged whopping N800 million that the Federal Government spends as the cost of bringing him to court any time he is to make appearance. Spokesman of the family, Prince Emmanuel Kanu in a statement on Sunday said the family heard that the Federal Government spent N800 million each time he was brought to court. His words:” Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has finally become a money-minting venture for a few corrupt individuals in the corridors of power. “We heard that Government spends N800 million each time he is brought to court. Then, we want to know who the beneficiaries of the said money are? “Government should tell the people who collects and spends the money, and on what. “Our fear is that if it’s true that such humongous amount of money were spent on bringing him to court any time he is to appear, then it may be impossible to grant him bail any time soon because the cabal benefiting from his continued incarceration may not be willing to let go of their oil well.” The family which recently berated the Igbo political class for allegedly abandoning their son, expressed deep worry over his health condition. “We just got information that he is critically down. He has not been granted access to his personal doctors, and he urgently needs cardiologist. He should not be allowed to die in DSS custody”. The family, once again, called on the international community, to prevail on Nigeria to release the IPOB Leader who, it said, “is unjustly held for demanding the freedom of his Biafra people “. Kanu has remained in a solitary confinement at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services, (DSS), since June 21 when he was abducted and extraordinarily renditioned from Kenya.

Bill Mandating government officials’ children to attend public schools Set to be transmitted to National Assembly

A private bill seeking to prohibit government officials from sending their children to private schools and also using private hospitals, both within and outside Nigeria, is set for transmission to the National Assembly for legislative action.  The bill Proposes that public officials “shall patronise public education system for the education of his/her child or ward at nursery, primary, secondary and first-degree university levels.” The bill, sponsored by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the 2023 election, Dumebi Kachikwu, also proposes that “No public officer shall patronise any private hospital within or outside the country for the treatment of any sickness or disease for himself, spouse, child or ward, no matter how grievous or life-threatening or debilitating the disease or sickness confronting the public officer, spouse, child or ward may be or appears to be, provided that where it is established that the public health institution in Nigeria may not be able to treat such sickness or disease, owing to lack of necessary materials or personnel.” It further proposed that where public health facilities cannot take care of the ailment of a public official or their family members “such a public officer may, on his own expense, upon the express permission granted therefore by the Senate, seek treatment in private hospitals within or outside Nigeria.” Furthermore, it proposed that “No public officer shall enroll or register his child or ward in any private school within or outside the country for the purpose of acquiring education at nursery, primary, secondary and first-degree university level.” A copy of the bill titled, “A Bill for an Act to place restriction on certain activities of public officers and directors of specialised businesses and for other matters connected therewith,” was made available to newsmen on Sunday. Speaking on the bill, the sponsor of the bill, Kachikwu, said, “The bill also proposes that civil and public servants are not allowed to have police escorts or protection except when a competent court has ruled that a threat to life exists and the police protection is for a maximum period of three months renewable for a period of one month by the order of a court. “Only the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker, governors, their deputies, Speakers, Speakers and Deputy Speakers and state Houses of Assembly and the Chief Judges of the different courts shall be entitled to police protection. “This also applies to directors of companies that require a government license, permit or lease to operate such as banks, telecom companies, oil and solid mineral mining companies, broadcast houses.” Section (1) (i) of the proposed law reads, “The objective of the bill is to promote patriotism among public officers by encouraging public officers to patronise public education system and public health institutions for the education of their children and healthcare services. “To promote confidence in the public education system and the public health system as public officers driving the sectors would devote time, energy, intellect and resources in providing efficient and effective education and healthcare service delivery for the citizens. “To ensure that directors of specialised businesses patronise public education system and public health institutions for the education of their children and healthcare services with a view to preserving foreign exchange earnings of the country and build confidence in the nation’s education and healthcare delivery system.” Under general restrictions, the bill provides that “No public officer shall travel by air for any official assignment within the country except it is proven that restriction of such a travel by air shall impact the national security and well-being of Nigeria,” and any public officer who violates this provision or “who has a generator or borehole in his house or

Fani-Kayode Reacts To Terrorist Attack On Moscow City Hall

A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has condemned the terrorist attack in Moscow, Russia, which led to significant loss of life and injuries. On Friday, gunmen dressed in camouflage infiltrated a concert venue complex in Moscow and began firing upon unsuspecting citizens. A viral video footage from the Crocus City Hall, currently circulating on social media, depicts the extensive complex, housing both the music hall and a shopping centre, engulfed in flames, with smoke rising into the air. The death toll from the unfortunate incident was declared to be over 60 by Russian investigators, with health officials confirming that 145 people sustained serious injuries. Reacting to the sad incident via his official X page on Saturday, Fani-Kayode said the attack was cowardly, horrific and brutal. The former minister condoled with President Vladimir Putin and the people of Russia over the terrorist attack. He wrote: “I join millions all over the world in condemning the cowardly, horrific and brutal attack by terrorists in Moscow last night, and my heart goes out to President Vladimir Putin and the people of Russia.”

Fake News Nearly Destroyed my 40-year-old marriage -Lai Mohammed

A former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has recounted how fake news circulated on social media nearly destroyed his 40-year-old marriage. The ex-minister shared his story during an event in Lagos commemorating Prof. Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday, where he discussed “The Media in the Age of Disinformation.” The text of Mohammed’s presentation was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday. Mohammed, also serving as the Managing Partner of Bruit Costard, a lobbyist and public relations firm, reflected on one of the significant challenges he encountered during his tenure as minister: the rampant spread of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation. Mohammed emphasized that fake news, disinformation, and misinformation nearly destroyed his marriage, highlighting their extensive consequences. He said, “Permit me to share publicly with you today for the first time, how social media threatened the foundation of my 40-year-old marriage. “It was sometimes in 2018 when I came to Lagos from Abuja for an official assignment. “As usual, I retire to bed about midnight, but about 3 am., my wife gently roused me from my slumber. “At first, I panicked, fearing that there had been a security breach, but my wife’s mien belied that possibility, for she was calm and composed.” He continued: “Solemnly, my wife asked me if I was fully awake as there were some serious issues to discuss. “I could not fathom what was that urgent or serious to warrant being woken up at this time of the night. “My mind immediately did a kaleidoscope of my rascalities and escapades in the last few months”. Mohammed said the accusation from his wife was “a bombshell” and was narrated to him in Yoruba language. He presented the narration as follows: “Daddy, death can come knocking at any moment, please let me also, as your wife, be a signatory to your overseas account in Ali Financial which contains 1.3 billion dollars.” The ex-minister expressed disbelief that his wife fully believed the false story circulating about government officials, including himself, supposedly having large sums of money in overseas accounts during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. “I spent the next two hours or so, sweating to convince my wife that there is no iota of truth in the allegation “I had to fetch a calculator and reproduce the Federal Appropriation Act for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 in the middle of the night and explain to her why it is simply preposterous for me to have 1.3 billion dollars in a foreign account. “I explained to her that there is no year my capital budget exceeded N5 billion, which then, at about N400 to a dollar, was just 12.5 million dollars. “I explained that, even if I managed to divert every kobo of it to my personal account, it will take at least, 104 years to save the sum of 1.3 billion dollars being peddled that I stole,” he said. Mohammed added: “My wife insisted that the whole world believed the story and that her friends had, as a result, besieged her with all kinds of requests. “She said every effort on her part to deny the existence of this foreign account only succeeded in depicting her in the minds of her friends as a selfish, greedy and uncaring friend. “Is my wife truly convinced of my innocence? The answer is in the wind!. “ Mohammed reiterated that social media remained the platforms of choice for the purveyors of fake news, anti-state groups, anarchists, secessionists, terrorists and bandits. During his time in government, Mohammed remembered that his ministry uncovered 476 online publications solely dedicated to disseminating fake news against the previous administration of President Buhari. Mohammed specifically remembered the fake news claiming that the former president had passed away while undergoing treatment in a London hospital and had been replaced by a clone named “Jubril from Sudan.” According to Mohammed, the

El-Rufai Visits Suspended Senator Ningi At His Residence

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, has paid a solidarity visit to suspended Senator Abdul Ningi at his residence.  Senator Ningi had raised concerns about the budget implementation under the Tinubu-led government, alleging discrepancies between the approved budget and the actual implementation.  He was eventually suspended for three months by the Akpabio-led senate. The details of El-Rufai’s visit to the PDP lawmaker cannot be ascertained as at press time but it might be connected to the 2027 presidential polls. On Thursday, El-Rufai visited the Social Democratic Party headquarters in Abuja with many speculating his impending defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, his spokesperson refuted the rumors.

Labour Party petitions FG, ministers, others over vandalisation of party offices by NLC

The Labour Party has formally petitioned relevant government institutions over the invasion of its premises by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). In the petition, the party requested urgent intervention to protect its interests and called for disciplinary measures against the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and other union leaders. In letters addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Minister of Labour and Employment, and the Registrar of Trade Unions, the party leadership, represented by Chairman Barrister Julius Abure and National Secretary Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, outlined their concerns. According to the Labour Party, Comrade Ajaero has misused workers’ funds to orchestrate picketing and insurrection at the Labour Party headquarters, which constitutes an abuse of office. The party asserted that such actions should be met with appropriate sanctions. Part of the letter read, “It has become unavoidably necessary to request for your urgent intervention, being the Regulatory Agency for trade unions including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). “The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has over the years engaged in a war of attrition with our party. It came to a head and unbearable when the NLC under the leadership of Comrade Joe Ajeoro directed the picketing of our party’s National Headquarters and our chapter offices across the country. The unwarranted attack in our office resulted in the destruction of several properties. “The NLC claims to be owners of the party and therefore wants to impose the leadership of the party, exerts overwhelming control to achieve a political end. It must be pointed out that once a Political Party is registered by INEC it becomes a body corporate with a perpetual succession and a common seal (see the letter of INEC to NLC dated 3rd September 2015) where INEC stated clearly that the NLC has no superior status. “Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that, a Political Party once registered has a life of its own and it is only regulated by its constitution. It is imperative to note that by the import of the above provisions, whosoever plays any role whatsoever in the registration of the party becomes immaterial. The party will thereafter be regulated by its constitution. “It should be noted that Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) prohibits any association from contributing to the funds of any Political Party. It is a criminal offence under section 15 of the Trade Union Act to use Trade Unions Funds whether directly or indirectly to fund a Political Party. “It is our arguments that using workers funds to picket and sponsor insurrection in the Labour Party headquarters and its legitimate leadership is an abuse of office by the Presidents of the NLC Comrade Joe Ajaero and should therefore be called to order and properly sanctioned. “Similarly, the NLC has no right to picket an organization where there is no trade dispute. The Labour Party has no staff who are members of the NLC. The actions of the NLC is a clear violation of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, the Trade Union Act and other relevant laws.

Tinubu Makes New Appointment 

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Olugbile Holloway as director-general of the national commission for Museums and monuments. This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.  “President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Olugbile Holloway as the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. “Mr. Holloway is the Managing Director of Evoke Communications Limited, a creative brand/consultancy agency.  “He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Relations and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. “The President expects that the new Director-General will bring life into this important agency and ensure the preservation, promotion, and development of Nigeria’s diverse tangible and intangible cultural heritage”, the statement said.

Uzodimma Appoints Brother As Deputy Chief Of Staff

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has approved the appointment of his brother, Ferdinand Uzodimma, as his Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of General Services. The governor also reappointed Cosmos Iwu as the Secretary to the State Government; Nnamdi Anyaehie as his Chief of Staff and Sydney Agbor as the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations. The three officials served in the same capacities in Uzodimma’s first four years as governor. Also appointed are Patrick Ekeji as the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Administration and Sam Nwaobasi named as the Special Adviser on Programme and Policy Implementation and Monitoring. A statement issued on Thursday by the governor’s spokesman, Oguwike Nwachuku, disclosed that the appointments took immediate effect. The statement read, “The Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, has reappointed Chief Cosmos Iwu as the Secretary to the Government of Imo State. “In the same vein, Nnamdi Anyaehie, Chief Patrick Ekeji and Olisaemeka Sydney Agbor have been reappointed as Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration) and Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) respectively. “Also, the governor has approved the appointment of Chief Ferdinand Uzodimma, a one time Councillor, Transition Committee Chairman and Sole Administrator of Oru East Local Government Area as his Deputy Chief of Staff (General Services) with Mr. Sam Anyalewechi Nwaobasi named as Special Adviser on Programme and Policy Implementation/ Monitoring. “The appointments take immediate effect. “Governor Uzodimma, who congratulated the new appointees, urged them to bring to bear their professional competence in the efforts to drive the vision of the Shared Prosperity 3R Government of Imo State.”

Ahead of Edo, Ondo Guber: INEC Calls for Media Collaboration Against Fake News

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has emphasized the important role of media organizations in the fight against fake news and misinformation during the first quarterly consultative meeting held in Abuja. Addressing representatives from various media outlets, Prof. Yakubu underscored the importance of maintaining transparency and openness in the electoral process, particularly in the lead-up to the off-cycle Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States. Highlighting the Commission’s mandate to organize, supervise, and conduct elections, Prof. Yakubu noted the extensive responsibilities involved in ensuring free, fair, and credible electoral processes. He provided insights into the recent flurry of electoral activities, including bye-elections and re-run elections conducted across multiple states. With the Edo State Governorship election scheduled for September 21st, 2024, and the Ondo State Governorship election set for November 16th, 2024, Prof. Yakubu outlined the preparations underway, including the submission of candidate lists and personal particulars by political parties. While expressing concern over the proliferation of fake news in the digital age, Prof. Yakubu reiterated INEC’s commitment to combating misinformation through collaboration with media partners. He urged journalists to scrutinize and report on political party primaries with the same diligence applied to main elections, emphasizing the critical role of primaries in shaping the electoral landscape. In addressing the challenge of fake news, Prof. Yakubu advocated for greater openness and transparency, citing INEC’s policy of engagement with stakeholders to counter misleading narratives. He reaffirmed the Commission’s dedication to working closely with the media and encouraged reporters to serve as guardians against misinformation, thereby strengthening democratic processes. Prof. Yakubu also extended his appreciation to all participants and reiterated INEC’s commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent electionsas he equally called for continued collaboration between INEC and the media to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.