By Adedeji Egbebi

A political group in Ekiti led by Mr Ayo Omotoso inaugurated campaign coordinators on Thursday in Ado-Ekti in support of the ambition of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to become president in 2023.

Tinubu is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the 2023 general elections.

The group, Ayo Omotoso Movement (AOM), inaugurated campaign coordinators for Tinubu in the 16 local government areas of Ekiti.

Omotoso said AOM was inaugurated to build a strong structure at the grassroots to sensitise and mobilise votes for the APC presidential flag bearer and his running mate.

He urged Nigerians to support Tinubus candidacy, noting that Nigeria under his watch would witness unprecedented human capital development, and positive economic and industrial revolution.

I am proud to say that Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu is the best presidential candidate for the nation at this precarious time when Nigeria is battling with security and economic challenges.

AOM as a movement will not spare anything to ensure he gets the highest number of votes at the 2023 presidential election.

We will canvass and mobilise votes for our national leader, Tinubu, and also engage in voter education, Omotoso said.

In his remarks, Chairman of the movement, Alhaji Dauda Lawal described Tinubu as a most suitable, competent and patriotic politician.

Lawal charged the newly-inaugurated coordinators to begin house-to-house campaign to encourage youths and women participation in politics and ensure Tinubus victory at the polls.

He expressed the groups readiness to engage more prominent Nigerians across party levels to support Tinubu, whom, he said, has capacity to tackle the various problems facing the country.

As you are been inaugurated, I want to challenge you all and call on all our members and other progressive Nigerians to mobilise en-mass for a patriot and a nationalist.

I believe this is the only way we can assist him in bringing about the necessary changes needed in the country, he said.

Three of the co-ordinators who spoke separately at the event, assured that they would deliver on the task of mobilising votes for Tinubu.

We need massive awareness to enlighten people at the grassroots, especially women, who do not have access to the internet but turn out in large numbers to vote on election days.

Tinubu has lifted uncountable Nigerians out of poverty and helped to actualise their dreams irrespective of their political, religion or ethnic backgrounds, one of the, Mrs Oluwole said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Alli Hakeem

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Mogbede

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate in 2023 general elections says he has no disagreement with the partys National Chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, contrary to some media reports.

Tinubu said this when he spoke with newsmen after a visit to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.
He described the reports as fake news.

To the rumour manufacturers, I read in some papers about disagreement between myself and the chairman and that was a very big lie.

They didnt know that we have come a long way, the big masquerade dances not in the cage, but in the market square, and that is what Adamu use to be, full of wisdom.

We were governors together, before God put us together on this project again, he is going to deliver as the partys chairman for me to become Nigerias president, and I am very confident of that.

They can say whatever they want to say, throw all the jabs they want, we are a party strongly determined to fulfil our dreams of turning Nigeria to a very progressive, highly developed, prosperous country, he said.

Tinubu said that since his emergence as the APC Presidential Candidate, he has working as a progressive toward ensuring victory at the poll.

He said that the APC was determined to change Nigeria into an advance country with bright future for Nigerians.

It is a matter of great joy and honour for us to be here, especially me in particular, to interact with the team that authorised my becoming the candidate of our party.

To all the members in attendance that day, we want to say thank you, we have come together as a political party and we have taken progressivism as our doctrine.

We have to be progressive in our thinking, our did and objective to serve the country, Tinubu said.

He said that the APC was not threatened by opposition parties, in its quest for victory at the 2023 general election as it was committed to democratic and progressive principles.

We are not threatened, we are committed to democratic principles and values, we are not bickering in any way, the former two-term governor of Lagos State said.

This, he said, could not be said about other political parties which according to him, have beenspewing fake statistics and wrong figures to Nigerians.

He thanked the partys leadership and delegates for voting him as the presidential candidate in the March 26 presidential primaries.

He particularly thanked Adamu for his wisdom, support and cooperation over the years, saying that they had come a long way, even as former state governors.

Tinubu said that his visit was to strategies for the presidential campaign, ahead of the Sept.28 commencement date with the partys leadership with a view to ensuring effective electioneering campaign.

Yes, I admit that democracy is challenging, very hard and difficult a system to manage.

We have seen challenges left and right outside international sphere of politics, but we are determined to ensure that we democratise Nigeria fully and remain a beckon of democracy as the largest nation of black race in the world, he said.

He appealed to members of the party that may not be part of the presidential campaign team to be patient and to continue working for victory at all levels.

I beg you not to be angry if you are left out because we are going to give you another responsibility. Not every member here can be a member of the presidential campaign council, Tinubu said.

Earlier, Adamu expressed optimism that the APC would emerge victorious at the 2023 poll by Gods grace.

Some of the dignitaries accompanying Tinubu were his running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima and the Director-General APC Presidential Campaign Council, Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau.

Others were: Speaker House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and Secretary of the Campaign Council, James Faleke. (NAN)

Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Board of Trustees (BoT), Sen. Walid Jibrin, has resigned from his position.

Jibrin, who announced the resignation during the boards meeting in Abuja, Thursday said his decision was in the interest of the party and its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of 2023 general elections.

All we want is to make sure that Atiku becomes the president of Nigeria by all means. That is why I decided that me Sen. Walid Jibril, I am stepping down from the BoT.

I discussed this with the candidate and he agreed with me. If the party wins I will be given a bigger position, Jibril said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former President of the Senate, Sen. Adophus Wabara, has been appointed the acting Chairman of the board.

Jibrils decision, however, received wide commendation during the partys 97th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which held immediately after the BoT meeting.

The partys National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu announcing Jibrins decision to NEC members said the former BoT chairman as a foundation member had served the party meritoriously over the years

We want to, on behalf of the party specially thank him for all his services over the years, which culminated in his being secretary of the BoT and ultimately the national chairman of board.

He asked all NEC members for a standing ovation for Jibrin.

On his part, Abubakar appreciated Jibrins sense of patriotism and services to the party, while Wabara said that Jibrin by his action had demonstrated that BOT is truly the conscience of the PDP.

The Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Gov. Tambuwal of Sokoto State, also thanked Jibrin for his show of commitment and sacrifices to the success of the party.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Julius Toba-Jegede

Source: NAN News

By Florence Onuegbu

The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) on Wednesday urged the male gender to assist in house chores, for the good of the family.

The Executive Secretary, DSVA, Mrs Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, gave the advice at Katangowa Market, during an advocacy against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), tagged: Men Wey Sabi.

Some women have died because they did not cook for their spouses, some women are being victimised because it appears they are not meeting up with the house chores.

Today we are engaging the men; the men will be cooking; men will be cleaning; men will be changing diapers; basically roles that have been specifically ascribed as feminine roles.

What we are saying is that it doesnt make you less a man if you are involved in house chores for the family.

What we are saying is that if you are a man wey sabi, you should be involved because it is in partnership, marriage is partnership, Vivour-Adeniyi said.

She said that the campaign followed the resolve by the state government to rid Lagos of SGBV crimes in its entirety, through enlightenment campaigns and continuous sensitisation plan that cut across different strata of the society.

According to her, it is expedient to change the social construct by breaking gender stereotypes that further heighten directly or indirectly the crime of sexual and gender based violence.

She said that in the last one year from September 2021 to July 2022 there was a record of 4,860 cases of SGBV, with a notice of slight decrease in May and June.

The Babaloja General, Alhaja Abiodun kosoko and Iyaloja General, Mrs Funmilayo Alabi George of Agbado Okeodo LCDA expressed gratitude to the state government for bringing the initiative of the Market Fiesta.

Kosoko said that the problem associated with SGBV was that some people dont want the issue to be exposed, if it happens.

At the Katangowa market campaign, selected male adults performed on-the-spot chores socially ascribed to women, such as diaper changing and cooking.

Winners and other participants went home with various gifts and consolation prizes. (NAN)(www.nanews.ng)

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Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

Source: NAN News

By Ella Anokam and Joan Nwagwu

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called for proactive measures to curb high rate of oil theft and pipeline vandalism to spur productions in Nigeria.

PENGASSAN President, Mr Festus Osifo, made the call on Wednesday, in Abuja at a news conference heralding its new Advocacy Programme with the theme Chasing Oil Thieves and Vandals out if Business.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PENGASSANs Awareness Campaign Programme which aims at highlighting evils of oil theft and pipeline vandalism will hold Thursday, Sept. 8, in various zonal locations of the association nationwide.

Osifo, who urged the government to take immediate action on the criminality, threatened that after the associations advocacy if no traceable progress was seen, it would be forced to withdraw its workforce.

He expressed worry that Nigeria had been struggling to meet over 1.8 million barrels per day production quota of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) due to challenges occasioned by oil thefts and pipelines vandalism.

He decried the fact that due to this real time challenges a lot of oil companies were shutting productions and folding operations because they lacked sustenance and could not pay salaries.

Our members are loosing jobs in the service companies. Agip has literally shut down productions , Addax petroleum shut down its OML 124 completely, Total OML 58 has challenges and shut too, while SPDC was one of the worst hit as at today.

This is the first time in years the crude oil price is hitting the roof and risen astrometrically and crossing hundred dollars per barrel in the international market.

When you shut in a single barrel, you shut in a hundred dollars, when you shut in 10,000 barrels, you shut in 10,000 multiple by a hundred dollars, he said.

On this note, he said the association, had earlier engaged the government including, captains of industry, security chiefs and agencies whereby it proffered some solutions to curb the menace.

The president, while listing some recommendations the association proffered to government said it requested for consequent management and advocated sanctions to be put in place for officials in charge.

According to him, the association also advocated the use of latest technologies for pipeline surveillance and control room monitoring being evolved globally especially, in Qatar and Saudi Arabia and others that.

He said it also advocated that three per cent assigned for host communities to be increased to five per cent while local chiefs should be empowered to monitor the channels before intended proactive measures.

He said it equally advised that security chiefs should hold the security officers sent to the creeks in Niger Delta accountable and anyone that derailed or compromised should be punished or sent to prison as deterrent.

According to him, the engagement overtime has not yielded any fruit or results rather the menace continue to bedevil the country.

After the advocacy rally, our Central Working Committee will appraise the situation after one or two months, if there is no substantial or traceable progress made, the association may be forced to withdraw its workforce from productions.

Government must wake up, we want to see tangible evidence and results. The rhetorics must stop. This is the time to practicalise the talks, government must develop muscle to tackle the menace, he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

By Naomi Sharang

A research finding by the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) has indicated that financial support for youth employment programmes in the country is inadequate.

A researcher on the PEPs project, Dr Iyabo Olanrele, made this known at a validation workshop on the Empirical Review of Youth Employment Policies in Nigeria organised by PEP and held in Abuja on Wednesday.

Olanrele while stating that it was a known fact that unemployment had remained a major issue in the country added that there was need for government to fund such projects.

According to her, funding of youth employment programmes is necessary to take the teeming unemployed youths away from the streets.

The issue of financial support is perceived to be inadequate. All hands must be in deck to curb this, she said.

Other challenges to the programmes she said included insecurity which had made it difficult to implement some of the youths employment programmes in a large scale.

Olanrele also said that as a way of response to these issues, government had initiated policies and programmes including the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme and N-Power to curb the issue of unemployment

She said, Enormous resources were expended to make sure they are implemented. However, it is not yet known how these programmes have worked because of lack of systematic attempts to review the programmes to determine if they are effective.

According to her, to improve effectiveness of youth employment programmes, the issue of sustainability is important.

Sustainability systems need to be created into the programmes to ensure continuity, she said.

In his remarks, Deputy Director Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr Michael Nwaogwu, described the youth as a very important group in Nigeria.

He said, They account for 46 per cent of the population but are unemployed.

According to recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), unemployment in Nigeria is as high as 33 per cent.

Unemployment among young people is even more serious. This situation could create a phenomena called demographic disaster.

He further said that efforts to address the ongoing insecurity must take into consideration the issues facing young people in the country.

Nwaogwu, however, said that the ministry had developed a new youth employment policy framework, Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP) to address the issue of unemployment.

Director of Labour in the Ministry of Labour and employment, Mrs Gloria Oghifo, called on other stakeholders to collaborate with the ministry to curb level of unemployment in the country.

She said government has a National Employment Policy aimed at addressing youth employment issues.

On his part, the Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Muhammad Fadah, said that the corps was partnering the National Directorate for Employment (NDE) for the training of corps members in various skills.

Fadah who was represented by the Chief Agric Officer in the Corps, Mr Onarigu Abubakar, called on youths to engage in skills acquisition and entrepreneurial programmes to be self-employed after service.

Leader of the Nigerian Youth Parliament (NYP), North-west Caucus, Mr Aminu Usman, he called for the reorientation of youths to be actively engaged in meaningful ventures.

The youths in Nigeria are ready to be engaged and work for the country to see that the country develops.

Earlier, the Team Lead for the PEP project, Mr Sola Omoju said the vision of PEP was to bring together researchers and research institutions across the globe.

He said they are to build capacity and undertake research that provided contextualised solutions to key economic and social policy challenges in developing countries.

He added that Around the world, PEP had supported 314 research projects like this in 62 countries. In Nigeria, PEP has funded 22 projects.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Julius Toba-Jegede

Source: NAN News

By Stephen Adeleye

A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Connected Development, has advised women and youths in Kogi against selling their votes to the detriment of their future.

Amb. Hamzat Lawal, the Executive Director of the CSO, gave the advice when speaking with over 350 women at Upogoro/Odenku ward in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Lawal, an International Election Monitor, advised the women to get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and vote for credible candidates in 2023 elections.

He noted that the cash donation, distributed to the women, was to boost their petty trading as part of the efforts to improve the livelihoods of the people at the grassroots.

He explained that the empowerment was also part of the sensitisation of the grassroots against vote buying and selling.

According to him, the organisation was in the community to kick start a door-to-door, house-to-house and ward-to-ward sensitisation advocacy for the collection of PVC.

He described vote buying and selling as a great threat to the political development of Nigeria and urged the electorate to resist any attempt by money bags politicians to deceive them with items and money at the detriment of their future.

As a mobiliser working with grassroots, my simple message is that if politicians that are corrupt come to you to induce you with petty items, you should reject their offers.

Do not collect money rather vote on issues, listen to them and ask them salient questions about their ideas and what are their plans.

Vote for people you can hold accountable and people that can deliver dividend of democracy to improve your well being, Lawal advised.

Responding, the women leader, Mrs Bilkisu Ahmed, commended the organisation for the pre-campaign sensitisation and assured that women in the ward would heed to the advise of no selling of votes.

Also speaking, Mr Usman Abdulsalam, a youth leader, said they were impressed by the sensitisation.

He said that the meeting had opened their eyes to consequences of selling their votes, and assured that henceforth their votes will be based on capacity and antecedent of candidates. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo/Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

By Stephen Adeleye

The Kogi Enterprise Development Agency (KEDA) on Wednesday, launched Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) programme toward boosting food production in the state.

KEDA Managing Director, Hajia Rekiyat Sanni, said during the launching of the OFSP that the training and empowerment programme for women and youths was organised in commemoration of the two years of operation of the agency.

Already more than 50,000 women and youths have been trained by the agency on various entrepreneurial schemes and programmes in the state.

Its our belief as an agency that the OFSP programme will go a long way not only to boost food production in Kogi and Nigeria, but will transform the lives of both women and youths.

The new variety of the potato will also help improve the peoples health and quality of life, giving its nutritional value to mankind, she said.

Sanni said that the vision of the agency was to enhance businesses of the people of Kogi, especially women in cooperative societies.

She said that the agency had been operating an open door policy.

She noted that 70 per cent of the beneficiaries of their programmes were women and urged beneficiaries to listen attentively to get all the value addition on the OFSP products and embrace it.

The State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who flagged-off the programme, congratulated the head and management of KEDA for the positive impacts they had recorded within two years of operation of the agency.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Afolashade Ayoade, Bello urged the beneficiaries to take the training very seriously as it would increase their socioeconomic wellbeing, the state and the nation at large.

The governor assured the agency of governments support to all its empowerment programmes, especially as the 70 per cent beneficiaries were women.

He urged the beneficiaries to put up a new effort to ensure they achieved the best of the OFSP programme to set a new record for products exportation.

Let us not repeat the error of Cocoa and Palm tree. Let us set a new record of ensuring that the OFSP will be produced to the maximum not just for Kogi but Nigeria at large and for exportation.

Let our focus be toward large scale production and exportation of the fleshy sweet potato, Bello said.

In their goodwill messages, the State Commissioners for Agriculture, Commerce

By Bridget Ikyado

A legal practitioner, Mr Joe Abaagu, has cautioned youths in the country against electoral violence, saying anyone caught will go to jail for two years without option of fine.

Abaagu who is the Acting Chairman, Justice, Development and Peace Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that the new Electoral Act has very strong provisions to tackle electoral violence, snatching of ballot boxes and destruction of election materials.

The current electoral act is very harsh on electoral violence.

For instance section 116 of the Act which deals with disorderly behaviour at political meetings punishes anybody who goes to disrupt a meeting with the punishment of either N500,000 as fine or 12 months imprisonment.

This is quite stiff compared with previous legislations.

Similarly, Section 125 of the Electoral Act also deals with disorderly conduct at elections and also punishes with the same amount of N500,000 or 12 months in prison.

Section 126 which deals with offenses on election day and especially Subsection 4 which deals with snatching or destroying electoral materials, punishes an offender with 24 months imprisonment without option of fine.

You will go straight to jail and your future will be destroyed, he added.

The legal practitioner, therefore, said the youths should not allow themselves to be used negatively by politicians during the 2023 elections.

He said they should rather demand from the politicians, details of how they intend to tackle the myriad of issues affecting the country.

My advice to the youths is to beware; politicians who love them will be finding solutions to their joblessness, their problems, seek permanent solutions to endless ASUU strike so that they can resume school and continue their education.

Politicians who love them would seek their quality education at all levels starting from the foundational levels all the way to the tertiary level.

Politicians who love them would be looking for things that will make them grow to be very useful and responsible citizens of the country, he added.

He, therefore, urged the youths not to waste their future on politicians who do not have anything valuable to add to their lives and the nation.

Abaagu said the youths should embrace the purpose of good governance and peaceful election.

You should demand from politicians to use their own children or their own wards as political thugs if they are in need of thuggery, rather than children who are poor in our society, the lawyer said.

To the politicians, Abaagu said they should campaign on issues affecting the country rather than try to exploit the nations fault lines for their selfish interests.

There are a lot of issues that we hope politicians will use in campaigning this time around.

There are issues of poverty, there are issues of our economy, there are issues of violence, there are issues of insecurity, there are so many things that the politicians can use in campaigning.

The citizens would welcome campaigns, based on issues, rather than hate speeches and campaign of calumny and derogation, and campaign seeking to divide the country on our fault lines of ethnicity, religion and the like, he said.

According to him, only politicians who lack issues to campaign on that go to these fault lines and begin to use them to malign the opponent.

This is where they bring in youth to fan embers of hatred, disunity and discord in the polity and making the youths become fawns for easy use on the chess board of politicians, Abaagu said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Source: NAN News

By Deji Abdulwahab

The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has called on the IBB International Golf and Country Club to patronise Made-in-Nigeria products in its tournament to celebrate 62Nigeria Independence Anniversary.

The Director-General of NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, gave the advice when the Chairman, Independence Planning Committee of the Club, Dr Banjo Obaleye, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.

Runsewe pleaded with the committee to ensure that local materials were sewed for jackets for golfers who would participate in the tournament, adding that the committee should also focus on Nigerian cuisines.

According to him, this will not only promote arts and culture, but it will also enhance jobs creation and boost the economy.

Let me plead with you, because I dont know what your plans are. The jackets, if it is possible, we should use local materials.

Let me start by saying that Im happy that you are sewing the jackets in Nigeria so that our tailors will get jobs.

The materials, for instance, as you know me very well, I dont play golf with foreign materials. I use local materials to play golf.

I use to say that If there are over three million golf fans in Nigeria; if all of us should patronise our tailors, we will be adding value to them, NCAC boss said.

He said that the council would support the club in organising cultural exhibition to showcase the nations arts and crafts to the world.

For the exhibition, I want to assure you that we will take charge of the entire 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

At the corridor of IBB Golf, we will make sure that every state is being represented.

If we dont do that for you, others will take over the space and sell Nigeria from the wrong angle which will not be of our interest, Runsewe said.

According to him, what IBB International Golf and Country Club was doing was a story awakening us to our consciousness of unity of our country.

If Oct. 1comes and goes without doing anything, I want to tell you the danger, all those embassies will say what is wrong with our country.

But, if there are activities going on, the negative stories can be overcome with positive ones which will make a lot of difference.

So, for me, IBB Golf Club has made an impact in developing and making Nigeria to be seen in the right angle, he said.

Earlier, Obaleye, who is also Vice Captain of the club, said the visit was to seek the NCAC support for the independence tournament, aimed at developing sports and tourism in the country.

Independence tournament is the biggest event in the history or calendar of the club every year.

This year is not going to be an exception. We are going to start with rider cobbler match play between Nigerian community and International community and a winner of that tournament will have a trophy.

Again, the winner of the overall tournament will have a jacket and we will equally prepare a jacket for past winner, he said.

Obaleye said that the club was planning to have exhibition of arts and culture aimed at showcasing Nigerias heritage.

He added that Korean Embassy has indicated interest to participate in the cultural exhibition.

According to him, IBB International Golf and Country Club is a premier club in Abuja and the major focus is to develop sports and tourism in Nigeria.

It is also aimed at showing our cultures to a very big global community.

The club has numerous national teams that represent the expatriate and local community, he said. (NAN)

Edited by Remi Koleoso/Bashir Rabe Mani

Source: NAN News