On protracted overseas stay: Tinubu can go anywere he desires – Presidency
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent travels from the UK to France have sparked public reactions, especially given Nigeria’s current economic situation. After spending nine days in London, Tinubu is now heading to France for undisclosed engagements. Many Nigerians have voiced concerns on social media about his continued absence from the country. Responding to the criticism, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, reacted that Tinubu has the right to travel for personal reasons and official business, as his two-week leave allows him the freedom to move as he chooses. Onanuga in a post in his X handle wrote: “President Tinubu is on leave for two weeks. He is not restricted to the UK.“It is his private time. He can go anywhere he so desires.“He is still observing his leave.”
Tinubu Departs UK for France
While Nigerians battle excruciating hardship caused by government economic policies, President Bola Tinubu, after spending nine days in London, proceeds to Paris, France. Tinubu initially traveled to London for a two-week break, as stated by his media team, marking his first official leave since taking office in May 2023. The vacation was described as a period for both rest and reflection on his administration’s economic strategies. A close associate, Ibrahim Kabir Masari, who visited the President in London, announced they would be traveling together to France. Although the specific purpose of this trip is yet to be disclosed, Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria after the engagement in France. It remains uncertain if the President informed the National Assembly about his vacation, as required by the constitution.
Financial Reforms: Sen Lado Applauds Tinubu’s Commitment
Senator Basheer Lado Mohammed, Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his continued focus on financial reforms and fiscal discipline. He made statement during the Senate’s screening of Ms. Omolola Bridget Oloworaran, the newly appointed Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), conducted by the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service. Senator Lado noted that the Senate screening process shows President Tinubu’s dedication to strengthening Nigeria’s financial institutions, saying the reforms aim to reduce financial leakages and improve revenue generation to support national development. “President Tinubu’s vision for the nation’s financial sector is clear,” Senator Lado said. “Appointing capable and highly qualified individuals to lead critical financial institutions is central to his broader agenda of ensuring fiscal discipline and sustainable economic growth.” Under Ms. Oloworaran’s leadership, PenCom is expected to advance the administration’s objectives of financial transparency, accountability, and protecting pension funds. Her appointment is seen as a move to drive sustainable pension reforms that will benefit all Nigerians. In addition to commending the appointment of Ms. Oloworaran, Senator Lado also expressed satisfaction with President Tinubu’s selection of 21 nominees as Commissioners of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). The nominees, who were also screened by the Senate, will play a vital role in reviewing revenue-sharing mechanisms and increasing revenue flows into the national treasury. This initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to foster equitable revenue allocation and national economic growth. “The president’s choice of these highly qualified nominees is a testament to his commitment to placing only the best individuals with the right expertise in critical financial roles,” Senator Lado added. “Their leadership will be pivotal in enhancing revenue generation and ensuring public resources are managed effectively for the benefit of all Nigerians.” Senator Lado also reaffirmed the dedication of his office to promoting productive engagement between the Executive and Legislative branches of government. The Office of the Special Adviser, he noted, will work to ensure a healthy collaboration that enhances transparency, accountability, and good governance. “As we await the Senate’s confirmation of these nominees, my office is committed to fostering constructive relationships that will lead to the swift approval of executive nominees and the effective implementation of government policies for national development,” Senator Lado reiterated. In a related development, the Senate also confirmed the appointment of Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman as the Chairman/CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), following a successful screening process.
Ndume begs Tinubu to reduce fuel, food prices
Says Nigerians suffering, bad advisers sabotaging govt The senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has raised the alarm, saying certain fifth columnists working hard to sabotage the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Ndume said the astronomical increase in the prices of fuel, food, essential goods and services is becoming unaffordable to average Nigerians and the poor that form the majority In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Ndume said the bad elements are trying hard to pitch the people against the administration of President Tinubu by pushing for harsh reforms and bad policies instead of controlling inflation and exchange rate that are making life unbearable for Nigerians. The ranking senator said those who are bent on making the President look bad will stop at nothing in inflicting pains on Nigerians through the “so-called reforms until things get out of hand and the blame will be on President Tinubu.” While advising the administration of President Tinubu, Ndume said many families can barely meet up with daily demands in their houses as a result of the hyperinflation caused by incessant increase in the price of essential goods and services. Ndume said: “I personally believe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means well for Nigeria and Nigerians. I know this because I know what he stands for. But some of his advisers who don’t mean well for the people of this country give him wrong advise. “I’m appealing to him to resist these bad people who want to pitch the people against his administration. The hardship these people are inflicting on Nigerians is becoming unbearable. I’m currently in Borno, and I know what I’m talking about. People are really suffering, hungry, frustrated and angry. “In Borno State here, many families can’t even feed anymore. The untold hardship of these frequent increases in the prices is unimaginable. Farmers can not even move their farm products anymore because of the high cost of transportation. “Those who can still do this add the cost of transportation to the prices of food items they sell, and that’s why many people can’t feed again. People can’t travel anymore. To travel by road from Abuja to Maiduguri, for instance, is a fortune. How many of our people can afford that? “I know that President Tinubu means well for Nigerians, and therefore he should not stay back and allow a few bad advisers to destroy this country. That’s why I’m begging him to do something before it is too late. It is not good to test the patience of Nigerians, and that’s exactly what these bad advisers are doing. “As soon as the President returns to Nigeria, I urge him to look into these issues and address them urgently. The purchasing power of Nigerians is too poor, and they can’t afford the things that are being pushed on them every day by enemies of state.”
FG Unveils Direct Cash Support Scheme for Nigerians
In a move aimed at alleviating poverty and enhancing economic stability, Nigeria’s government has introduced a cash transfer programme to assist 20 million low-income individuals. Finance Minister Wale Edun revealed this development at the Nigeria Economic Summit, emphasizing the government’s efforts to allocate its improved revenue toward social welfare programs. The initiative targets the most vulnerable, covering around 60% of the nation’s poorest citizens. Currently, the programme supports four million households, which equates to approximately 20 million people. The plan includes an expansion phase that seeks to reach 15 million households nationwide. The government’s revenue for the first half of 2024 saw a remarkable rise to ₦9.1 trillion, a considerable increase from the ₦4.06 trillion collected during the same period in 2023. This surge has enabled the administration to invest heavily in social programs that address the cost of living and other economic challenges faced by Nigerians. Edun also discussed the broader fiscal reform plan, which involves utilizing technology to enhance tax collection and ensure compliance from various government entities. This approach has facilitated an increase in domestic resource mobilization, allowing the government to allocate more funds toward social initiatives. The programme’s expansion is in line with the government’s focus on developing sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, oil, and housing. The aim is to curb inflation, improve food production, and make essential goods more affordable. The initiative reflects the government’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for Nigerians through targeted economic interventions and sectoral development.
Dodan Barracks Renovation Set for December Completion
Ongoing renovations at Dodan Barracks, the former seat of the Federal Government is set for timely completion, December, the State House Management confirms. The Permanent Secretary, Olufunso Adebiyi, provided this update during a recent oversight visit by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Special Duties. The renovations, along with a substantial budgetary allocation for various operational needs, demonstrate the government’s commitment to maintaining its infrastructure. Adebiyi reported that the State House’s overhead costs for 2024 reached N22.62 billion, encompassing multiple departments, including the offices of the President and Vice President, the Chief of Staff, and the Medical Centre. In terms of budget implementation, the State House has achieved impressive figures, with 99 percent of the overhead expenses already utilized. Out of the N51.3 billion allocated for capital projects in 2024, N22 billion has been spent, indicating a 43 percent implementation rate thus far. Adebiyi praised the House committee for approving an increased budget for the State House, which is essential for addressing various operational challenges and improving staff welfare. The renovations at Dodan Barracks are funded through the supplementary budget for 2023 and the budget for 2024, reflecting a strategic use of available resources. Additionally, the State House is progressing towards full digitization by November 2024, which aims to improve efficiency and security in its operations. The visit by the House committee serves as a vital part of their oversight responsibilities, ensuring transparency and accountability in budget execution.
Hajj 2025: No Subsidy for Pilgrims, NAHCON Confirms
With Naira averaging N1,600: USD1, Hajj fares may exceed N10million in 2024 The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has announced that there will be no government subsidies or concessionary rates for the upcoming 2025 Hajj pilgrimage. This decision was communicated by NAHCON’s Commissioner for Operations, Anofi Elegushi, during a recent virtual meeting with Private Tour Operators. In the announcement, it was confirmed that pilgrims, whether registered through state Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards or private operators, will not benefit from any favorable exchange rates for fare payments. As a result, pilgrims may face costs exceeding N10 million, based on the current exchange rate of over N1,600 to $1, with the standard fare estimated at around $6,000. While the Federal Government had previously offered a substantial subsidy of N90 billion for the 2024 Hajj, no such financial support will be available for 2025. As NAHCON prepares for the next pilgrimage, initial deposit amounts for intending pilgrims have already been set by several states, including the Federal Capital Territory, at N8.4 million. Further discussions revealed that the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has limited the number of private companies involved in the pilgrimage to ten, each required to register a minimum of 2,000 pilgrims for visa approval. Additionally, it was announced that Nigerian pilgrims who attended the 2023 Hajj will each receive a refund of SR150. However, NAHCON is still awaiting further information regarding refunds for the 2022 Hajj. The Commission clarified that it received only N2.75 billion from 110 companies for the 2024 Hajj registration, contradicting claims of a larger debt owed to the Private Tour Operators. Refunds have already been processed for some companies, with remaining funds yet to be allocated.
Tinubu’s youth jamboree and Remi’s rented attire: a tragedy of misplaced priorities
By UGO ONUOHA “Our rulers are adjudicated rapists and raiders of the public treasury. But there’s no need to be so brazen and in-our-face as this so-called national youth confab appears to suggest. ONE of the strengths demonstrated one week ago, on October 1, by Nigeria’s president, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while he addressed the country on its 64th Independence anniversary, according to his media aide, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, was that he stood on his feet for the duration of the speech. I did not watch the broadcast because I was convinced that my early morning could be put to better use including my dawn workout. If what he had to say turned out to be that important, I could find the time to read the text at my convenience. As it turned out, and as usual, there was no compelling reason to read the text in light of the snippets from the broadcast that were uninspiring, distressing and depressing. Commentaries on the broadcast by independents and partisans showed that it was a rousing speech for regime choristers, and to unbelievers it was yet another underwhelming performance from Abuja. For those to whom Tinubu has become a god and a saviour as represented by Onanuga, the mere fact that the president made the speech while standing on his feet was an achievement of significant import. It was an unprecedented feat for which Nigerians should fawn over him. Onanuga, presidential assistant on information, was right in demanding applause from famished folks for the president for standing on his feet to deliver an address that lasted for barely 30 minutes. Corralling citizens to applaud the president demonstrated that Tinubu’s, and his predecessors’ neglect of funding of education has been deliberate. The more ignorant we are the easier it is for our rulers and their enablers such as Onanuga and others to gaslight us. In spite of myself I went back to watch the video of the broadcast. Even for a person who is half blind and hard of hearing, and this is no disrespect for visually impaired and hearing-challenged compatriots, the breaks in the recordings of the video, and the editing should be obvious. You do not have to be a media professional or broadcast guru to see through the cut and join of the tape. In simple terms what it means is that the recording was not done in a stretch or in one sitting (sorry standing). The different frames also indicated the principal was availed with breaks during the recording to sit down at intervals to catch his breath or to walk around so as to refocus before he returned to the presidential set. For unbelievers and naysayers who ordinarily should be treated as patriots, they saw a president who has been turned into a liar by his aides and speech writers. Or by his own making and choice. They saw a deterioration in a regime that has transited from deploying propaganda as a governance artform to one that sets up the president to be lying out-rightly to Nigerians. It was so bad, so shameful, and so embarrassing that Nigerians were fact-checking their president real time during a ‘live’ broadcast for what should be a solemn independence anniversary. The many lies in the broadcast including the handling of the Ways and Means federal government debt of N30 trillion, incurred between the former president who was Nigeria’s affliction, Maj.- Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and this regime, are in the public domain. The greater tragedy is that the debt which was secretly and illegally procured, and which use has not been accounted for, will be paid for by Nigerians up to the fourth generation, in a manner of speaking. The rapacious operatives of the regime of Buhari must be having fun at the expense of the rest of us, wherever they may be. The Tinubu honchos are not doing badly in the unabating assault on the commonwealth. Even the cases of those who were caught with their hands deep inside the national till have gone cold, and as we say here, ‘entered voicemail’. We have not set out to agonise over the issues from the broadcast that have been sufficiently litigated in the courts of public opinion. The courts of law are actually out of the reach of the majority of Nigerians by reason of cost for a people who have been deliberately pauperised by their rulers. In any case why go to the courts where the acolytes and stooges of the rulers rule supreme. They are not bothered about your going to court, indeed they encourage you to do so knowing that their kinsmen and kinswomen are in-charge. “If this regime is not determined to steal in the guise of a 30-day youth conference which will cost billions of Naira, it should borrow an idea from Kenya. The template is clear, simple, transparent and less costly.” One of our primary concerns in this intervention is Tinubu’s proposal for a national jamboree for youths. Not surprising, the only significant detail about the plan was that the jamboree would last for all of 30 days. At the end of the 30 days, according to the president, Nigerian youths would become more united, more articulate in their contributions to enriching government policy formulations, more vigorous in participating in nation building, a sharper voice in shaping their futures, among others. In addition, the president announced that the ‘National Youth Conference’ will ‘address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people, who constitute more than 60 percent of our population’. The conference and the conversations therefrom would unite young people to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice. Our rulers are adjudicated rapists and raiders of the public treasury. But there’s no need to be so brazen and in-our-face as this so-called national youth confab appears to suggest. The majority of Nigerians have been impoverished and castrated by successive regimes, and more so by Tinubu’s. They cannot do
President Tinubu Condemns Violence In Rivers
Gov Fubara expresses reservations about the manner of President’s intervention President Bola Tinubu has called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara, political leaders and their supporters in Rivers State to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law. In response to recent tensions following last Saturday’s local government council election, the President expressed deep concern over reports of arson and explosions in the state. He urged all political actors to de-escalate the situation and discourage their supporters from engaging in violence or destructive actions. President Tinubu directed the police to restore and maintain peace, law, and order immediately. While instructing law enforcement agencies to bring the situation under control, he emphasised the need to ensure the security of public institutions. President Tinubu said government facilities built with public funds must be safeguarded from vandalism. He stressed that self-help has no place in a democratic system, especially after 25 years of continuous democracy. According to President Tinubu, the judiciary can settle all political disputes, and the outcome of this election should be no exception. Gov Fubara, Angio Briggs express reservations Reacting to the President’s intervention however, Governor Siminlaye Fubara and Niger Delta Environmental Rights activist, Angio Briggs berated the manner of the President’s intervention. Speaking on a Channels TV programme last night the duo wondered why the President singled out Governor Fubara’s name while leaving out the name of the alleged traducer. Ms. Briggs rhetorically asked who are the political leaders President Tinubu referred to but couldn’t call their name(s)?
Why well Meaning Nigerians Must Support This LGA Election.
By: Amaopusenibo Bobo Sofiri Brown Rivers State is one of over 10 States that had Local Government Caretaker Committees (CTC) in place by July 2024. Many of the States have conducted their LGA elections without undue interference by Abuja High Courts or Police directives. Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) whose members were picked and inaugurated by His Excellency, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike in his last days as the recognized Governor of Rivers State, announced in July that the elections would hold on October 5, 2024.RSIEC has since confirmed that every necessary step in the process has been put in place to achieve a free and fair election. Most of the functioning Political parties in Rivers State have come out in support of the LGA elections. This development is a salutary departure from our past experience with LGA elections or any other for that matter. And in a most dramatic and strategic initiative, a coalition of Civil Society groups addressed a Press Conference in Abuja to declare support for the LGA elections. They gave coherent and troubling reasons that suggest very strongly their patriotic effort to expose the monkey hands in Abuja that seem to conjure stormy weather for Rivers State since November 1, 2023,The things happening should show to all Nigerians that Rivers people are largely united in their common desire to make a firm break with the old political environment that was in place up to October 30 2023.It was an environment of “might is right”, oppression and monopoly of our State revenue by a few who surround one Strong Man. It has made our state poorer and kept Rivers people enslaved. For instance, by 1883, at least four City States had sprung up in the Eastern Niger Delta known as Oil Rivers Province then. They were proud centres of indigenous enterprise as international trading hubs in a place some Europeans framed as a dreaded “heart of darkness”.But by 2023 not one of the old City States in Rivers State had any indigenous engineered local economy to feed our people and give them capacity to grow competitive business enterprises, dignity and a decent future.Rivers people who by the 1880s were celebrated in Europe for generating public wealth, who invested in education and enterprise-building through international commercial undertakings in their local economies and widely acclaimed fame for human dignity, have been reduced to beggars who now sleep under flyovers!Is that the life we want for ourselves and our children? Let nobody be faint-hearted about this LGA election. Let’s go forth with the fear of God and commitment to build good governance, not “turn by turn” looting.God said to Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart to fulfill His own purpose.Pharaoh’s stone heart, made the world to know that there is God.Rivers people and Nigerians are going through the same experience today.We will not fear Pharaoh’s well-fed amorphous Army. They threaten and seek to drown us in the Red Sea. The LGA elections is their latest battle field.Pharaoh and his Army live in luxury with gold plated chariots for Judges and Security officials who do Pharaoh’s bidding.They are allegedly paid in handsome currencies, from the looted wealth of Rivers State that for years have kept our State poorer.But God’s words ring true. His judgment will come upon Pharaoh and his Army of oppression and exploitation.Then they will know that Jehovah’s might is the ultimate (Exodus 14 v 4 & 14).See how confused Pharaoh and his Army have become over Rivers State, which they want to control at all cost? They keep failing with every step they take. More Stakeholder groups across Nigeria are joining hands to stand with Rivers people and our Governor, His Excellency Amaopusenibo Sir Sim Fubara!Isn’t God wonderful?I hear people worry about Pharaoh’s next move.We will not fear!For the God of Jacob is our refuge and strength. Let us be still and watch what He will do to Pharaoh (Psalm 46 v 10-11).He has set us free from bondage and will continue to do wonders before the eyes of all Nigerians, as He leads us along. Yes, His name is Jehovah (Joshua 24 v 17-18). Amaopusenibo Bobo Sofiri Brown Manager Public Affairs- East, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), Pioneer Head of PR, later Manager PR & Communication, NAFCON, (a MW Kellogg of Houston JV project)