UAE President to Visit Nigeria in 2025
The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will visit Nigeria this year. He accepted an invitation extended by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a meeting on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2025. President Tinubu, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, participated in the global forum, which addresses challenges such as climate change, water, and energy issues. On Wednesday, he shared Nigeria’s views on these matters and praised the UAE for hosting a successful event. During their discussions, the UAE President expressed interest in strengthening economic ties with Nigeria. Both leaders discussed ways to attract investment into Nigeria. READ ALSO: FG Unveils 180-Day Emergency Plan to Tackle Rising Food Prices President Tinubu highlighted his government’s recent reforms, which he said have improved the economy and drawn billion-dollar investments from foreign companies. The meeting took place at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, with top officials from both countries in attendance. The Nigerian delegation included Ministers Yusuf Tuggar and Wale Edun, as well as National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The UAE delegation featured senior officials like Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber.
Remember the sacrifices of your fallen heroes – group urges Nigerians
The Centre for Wounded Servicemen and Fallen Heroes Support Fund (CFWS&FHSF) has urged Nigerians from all sectors to remember the sacrifices and valour of fallen military heroes. The group’s Board Chairman, Retired Gen. Cecil Esekhiagbe, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, marking the upcoming 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. January 15 is observed annually as Armed Forces Remembrance Day to honour fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country. READ ALSO: CBN sanctions 9 banks for failing to dispense cash via ATMs Esekhiagbe described the day as an opportunity to reflect on the courage, dedication, and selflessness of these heroes, emphasising that their sacrifices highlighted the true cost of freedom and the high price paid for the nation’s liberty. He also encouraged Nigerians to show support for the families of fallen and wounded servicemen. Esekhiagbe prayed for the families of the fallen heroes, asking God to provide them with strength and peace. “We will never forget the service they gave; we owe them an incalculable gift of gratitude, “he said. READ ALSO: Tinubu Tax Reform Bills: Buba Galadima Opens a Can of Warms The Board Chairman commended President Bola Tinubu, the Military Service Chiefs, and other security heads for their role in securing the nation, especially highlighting the successes under Tinubu’s leadership in combating security threats. He lauded the military’s efforts in addressing the Lukurawa insurgency in the North-West and noted the military’s success in containing terrorist groups such as Boko Haram. Esekhiagbe also acknowledged the sacrifices of soldiers and security personnel, including the Nigerian Army, Police, DSS, and NSCDC, who continue to work tirelessly to protect the nation. He expressed heartfelt sympathy for the families of fallen heroes, particularly widows and orphans, underscoring the critical role these individuals played in ensuring the safety and security of all Nigerians. “Their sacrifice will never be in vain,” he assured.
Tinubu To Grant Presidential Pardons
The Nigerian government has announced its intention to grant presidential pardons to certain convicts in correctional facilities across the country. To implement this, a Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy was inaugurated in Abuja on Wednesday. This committee, led by Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, includes representatives from the police, correctional services, human rights organizations, and religious bodies like the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Christian Association of Nigeria. READ ALSO: Reps demand 2024 budget breakdown, audited accounts of TETFund Legal professionals such as Justice Augustine Utsaha and Prof. Nike Ijaiya are also part of the team. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, explained that the initiative is based on the 1999 Constitution, which gives the President authority to grant clemency to federal offenders. The committee, with a four-year tenure, will guide the President in this process to ensure justice and fairness. Fagbemi noted that many applications for pardons have been submitted and promised a thorough evaluation. The committee will also visit correctional centers in different regions to identify cases deserving of clemency. After completing their work, they will present recommendations to the President for final decisions.
Peter Obi and Tinubu’s APC’s morbid line
My brother and friend Emeka Duru, a member of the reverred Nze na Ozo fraternity in Orlu, Imo state, said in the title of his article last week in the Niche online publication that ‘Peter Obi is not the issue’ afflicting the floundering regime of Nigeria’s president, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his special purpose All Progressives Congress (APC) clueless ruling party. In the old order, unblemished integrity and fidelity to the truth are some of the irreducible minimums for admission into the Igbo Nze na Ozo clan. Sadly, these requirements for membership appear to be receding as some young men of dubious character and questionable wealth have invaded that rarefied association ostensibly in their quest for legitimacy, relevance and acceptance. Today, many Igbo men and youngsters who are living thousands of kilometres away from the Igbo homeland simply send money home to their relatives to purchase the title of Nze or Ozo, and membership of the club. But I know Nze Emeka Duru. I know he lives here and he associates closely with the people of the ancient Orlu Kingdom where he comes from. He is honest, he is truthful, to the extent that any typical human being can be. If he makes a mistake it will be that of the heart, not the head. And he made a mistake in the title of his article which I referenced above when he wrote that Peter Obi was not the issue. The blurb in the said article which I alluded to said Nigerians needed issues of hunger and poverty holding them down to be tackled. That they needed assurances of a better future for their children. That they needed adequate security for their businesses and properties. That these were the issues that matter to the citizens. The point is that these things enumerated by Duru are exactly the issues that Peter Obi speaks to, and hammers on, to the discomfiture of our current rulers. And because those are the issues that Obi forcefully and relentlessly calls attention to, he has become an irritant to this band of insensitive rulers. He has, therefore, become the issue. So Peter Obi is the issue. They ignore him at their own peril. They take him out also at their own peril. Head or tail they lose. The rulers are in-between and in-betwixt. “So what happened recently with Felix Morka, national publicity secretary of the APC, was natural and expected, though weird. It’s typical that when one party in a debate loses the argument, they resort to abuse, intimidation, threat, and violence – first verbal and then physical violence. Morka and his band in the APC are at the first stage of verbal violence. And what they have done was to serve a notice that their regime will not be shy in moving to the next phase. The use of the phrase “crossing the line” by Morka on Obi was intentional, thought – through, deliberate, and collectively considered and agreed upon by the APC enforcers and executioners.” Obi is not a typical Nigerian politician in spite of his being a two -term governor of the south east state of Anambra, and a presidential running mate at another election. So when after the Nigerian Supreme Court legalised the controversial, some would say fraudulent, 2023 presidential election, and Obi said he would not abandon the pursuit of his quest for the realisation of a better Nigeria, not many people took him seriously. The expectation was that he would grumble and make noise for a few months, slip into oblivion, lose traction with his base of mostly young people, go abroad to catch his breath and attend to his health and business, and possibly return close to the next election in 2027 to once more stake his claim to the presidency. None of the expectations came to pass. And no sitting regime, especially that which has been burdened with a lingering perception of illegitimacy, and so many warts and baggage, will not feel irritated and angry at the ‘effrontery’ of Peter Obi. Not many rulers in a third world country like Nigeria will be comfortable with any citizen calling them out for inflicting pains and privations on the vast majority of the people. How can a man whom the electoral agency and the courts had judged that his alternative vision for the country had been rejected by the Nigerian electorate remain so popular and relevant? How could it be that the voice of the same man who was said to have been spurned by the majority of the voters still carried so much weight and resonated across the country two years, next month, after the election? It’s irreconcilable. It just does not make any sense. He should be stopped. The high decibel ‘noise’ from a man with a naturally tiny voice must be muzzled. So what happened recently with Felix Morka, national publicity secretary of the APC, was natural and expected, though weird. It’s typical that when one party in a debate loses the argument, they resort to abuse, intimidation, threat, and violence – first verbal and then physical violence. Morka and his band in the APC are at the first stage of verbal violence. And what they have done was to serve a notice that their regime will not be shy in moving to the next phase. The use of the phrase “crossing the line” by Morka on Obi was intentional, thought – through, deliberate, and collectively considered and agreed upon by the APC enforcers and executioners. For them it is enough for Obi. Words carry weight and meaning. It’s especially so in a fledgling anti-democratic dispensation such as ours is rapidly turning into. It does not matter whether the threatening words and warnings were muttered in a sober or in a menacing manner. And in this instance, Morka was menacing. He could not hide the fact that the APC is frustrated by the rankling failures of its successive administrations since 2015, first with that serial
Good governance is required to end terrorism – CDS
As part of efforts to boost the morale of the forces, the CDS disclosed that starting this year, the annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day shall be changed to Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day in order to reward the gallantry of existing combatants. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa has attributed the delay in winning the war against terrorism to the absence of good governance at the sub-national levels. He said the armed forces’ efforts must be complemented by good governance at the federal, state, and local government levels. He also revealed that the armed forces is mainstreaming welfare packages to motivate the combatants. In that regard, he said there is a proposal to change the annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day to Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day. READ ALSO: Kano Emirate Tussle: Kingmaker appeals Court of Appeal Judgement He said the name change is informed by the objective “of celebrating both the dead and the living.” According to him, “this year’s event of Armed Forces Day entails celebrating those combatants on active duty, families of the deceased and the dead officers.” Speaking this morning on Arise TV’s The Morning Show, General Musa said a situation where some Nigerians live in conditions that make it seem like they are not part of an organised modern society makes them vulnerable to the manipulation of those that come to recruit them into violent crimes like terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping. The CDS therefore, calls on leaders at the sub-national levels to up their games to make it sync with governance efforts at the federal level. “So when you go and see people living in a manner as if they are not part of an organised modern society, they will be open to other interests to manipulate,” he said. Another factor, he said had made the war to linger is the access of the terrorists to foreign funding. He said the Nigerian armed forces had found a cache of foreign currencies on some of the arrested terrorists. In a bid to eliminate this causative factor, he said the armed forces are collaborating with relevant government agencies to track the source of these funds. “So, that’s the oxygen we want to cut off,” the CDS disclosed. READ ALSO: Ahead of Mid-term: Emerging Signs Favourable for the Tinubu Presidency General Musa also cited “the nature of the enemy the army is dealing with” as another reason why the war on terror has lingered. According to him, the enemy appears like every normal citizen. He explained that this was the reason the army adopted “the non-kinetic approach that is based on the understanding that the war can not be fought by the armed forces alone but by all citizens and other stakeholders.” “Also, there are saboteurs who provide support for the non-state actors just to make it seem as though Nigeria is ungovernable.” General Musa disclosed that it was based on these discoveries that the country is working closely with countries in the Sahel to fortify the international boundaries. He said the window was still open on the possibility of convincing the three member countries that recently left the ECOWAS to reconsider their stance.
Tinubu Hosts Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister in Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is hosting China’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Wang Yi, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The visit, part of Wang’s two-day mission to Nigeria, builds on commitments made during the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing. Discussions are focused on strengthening partnerships in areas such as the economy, politics, and energy. The session also involves Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar. The ministers are expected to address the media after their private talks. Wang Yi was welcomed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by Dunoma Umar Ahmed, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This meeting underscores the deepening ties between Nigeria and China.
Tinubu’s Cabal More Dangerous Than Buhari’s – Dalung
Former Youth and Sports Minister Solomon Dalung has raised concerns about a powerful inner circle within President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He described this group as highly skilled and more influential than the cabal that operated under former President Muhammadu Buhari. Dalung noted that members of Tinubu’s cabal possess advanced knowledge of governance and power, enabling them to control access to the president and manipulate government processes. READ ALSO: Overhaul Power Sector to Unlock Nigeria’s Economic Development in 2025 – Rewane He contrasted this with Buhari’s cabal, which he characterized as less experienced and limited in strategy. Criticizing the denial of cabals in Nigerian politics, Dalung warned that their unchecked influence undermines governance and negatively impacts ordinary citizens. He questioned the government’s commitment to improving citizens’ well-being, citing widespread frustration among Nigerians.
Nigerians Condemn New Retirement Package for Army Generals
The internet has gone into a frenzy as Nigerians curse and swear in condemnation of a new retirement package approved for Service Chiefs and other generals by President Bola Tinubu. The highlight of the package include bulletproof SUVs, annual medical allowances of up to $20,000, and domestic aides. The package provides luxury benefits like personal assistants, security escorts, and free local and international medical treatments. Top-ranking officers, such as the Chief of Defence Staff, will receive bulletproof SUVs, Peugeot backup vehicles, and five domestic aides, while lieutenant generals will get Toyota Land Cruisers and similar perks. Lower-ranking officers, such as brigadier generals and colonels, will receive lesser benefits, including medical care and cars. Medical associations, including the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), criticized the allowance for foreign medical treatment. They argue that officials should receive healthcare in Nigeria to strengthen the local health sector. The public has raised concerns over the fairness of these benefits, especially given Nigeria’s economic challenges. Critics believe government funds should be used to improve healthcare, infrastructure, and social services rather than offering luxury retirement perks to retired officers.
Ribadu Denies Foreign Military Presence in Nigeria Amid Niger Tensions
Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, has dismissed accusations by Nigerien Abdoulrahamane Tchiani that foreign military forces, including those from France, are operating in Nigeria. Ribadu’s comments came in response to allegations made by Tchiani, who claimed that Nigeria was collaborating with France to destabilize Niger. This has added to the rising tensions between the two nations, particularly after Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, chose to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). READ ALSO: Air Peace Airfares: Keyamo Lashes Out at FCCPC Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Ribadu refuted Tchiani’s claims, stating there are no foreign military installations or troops in Nigeria. He encouraged journalists to visit the locations mentioned by the Nigerien leader and speak with local residents to verify the absence of any foreign military presence. The National Security Adviser emphasized that the real issue facing both countries is the common threat posed by terrorists, particularly the insurgent group Lakurawa, which has been wreaking havoc in the region. Ribadu further expressed that instead of focusing on accusations, both nations should collaborate to address security concerns that affect their shared borders. He also stressed the long-standing relationship between Nigeria and Niger, describing the people of both countries as “brothers” and calling for unity in tackling mutual challenges. Ribadu reassured that Nigeria would continue to work with Niger in the spirit of regional cooperation and development. The diplomatic tension between Nigeria and Niger follows the latter’s decision to leave ECOWAS, which has led to a broader political and economic rift. Despite the disputes, Ribadu’s statements reflect Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening ties with its neighbors in West Africa to combat terrorism and foster regional stability.
Tinubu Unveils 2025 Budget
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has presented the 2025 budget proposal to the National Assembly, marking a pivotal step in his administration’s efforts to stabilize and transform Nigeria’s economy. Dubbed “The Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,” the plan lays out strategic investments to tackle economic challenges and rebuild critical sectors. The proposed N47.90 trillion expenditure includes key allocations for defense, infrastructure, education, and healthcare. READ ALSO: Insecurity: Nigerians Paid N2.3trn as Ransom in One Year – NBS Report Tinubu emphasized bolstering security, improving infrastructure, and fostering self-sufficiency in agriculture. Revenue projections stand at N34.82 trillion, while the budget deficit is pegged at N13.08 trillion. The president highlighted significant milestones achieved under the 2024 budget, such as a 3.46% economic growth rate in Q3 and robust foreign reserves nearing $42 billion. For 2025, the focus shifts to reducing inflation, enhancing trade, and driving industrial output. With plans to reduce dependency on food and oil imports while boosting exports, Tinubu assured Nigerians of a brighter future, calling for collective action to overcome challenges and build a more prosperous nation.