By Abubakar Ahmed

Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe on Wednesday visited President Muhammadu Buhari in London, where he is currently on a medical checkup.

This is contained in a release by the Director-General, Press and Media Affairs to Buni, Malam Mohammed Mamman in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mamman said that Buni, also the Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) had been in Dubai, UAE on a medical trip before he flew to London to meet with Buhari.

Buni had a brief stop over in London after a medical trip to Dubai the United Arab Emirates.

Their Excellencies, Buhari and Buni held brief and fruitful discussions on measures to move APC forward preparatory to the March 26 National Convention and the 2023 General Elections.

Buni is expected back in Nigeria on Thursday, to resume office as the Chairman APC CECPC, he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Governors of the All progressives Congress (APC) to stop further utterances that lead to disunity ahead of the National Convention.

A statement by the Presidents spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, on Wednesday in Abuja, quoted a letter personally signed by the president, addressed to Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State.

Bagudu is also the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum.

The letter was also copied to the Chairman of Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee (CECC), the Acting Chairman of the CECC, Gov. Sani Bello, the Director General of the DSS as well as the Inspector General of Police.

In the letter, the president said the multiplicity of cases currently rocking the party had the prospect of invalidating the activities and actions of the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The president said that since the party could not change the leadership of the CECC without infringing on the time limit set by INEC, and the fact that the current uncertainties and controversies pose a real threat to the party, he has therefore directed as follows:

The issue of the leadership of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee (CECC) should immediately return to status quo ante;

All members of the Governors Forum and their followers should desist from any behaviour or utterance that will likely lead to disunityin the ranks of the party, and ultimately jeorpadise the transition to the convention;

The Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee should accordingly be allowed to proceed with all necessary preparations to hold the convention as planned- unfailingly onMarch 26, 2022.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidency also announced the meeting between the president and the Chairman of the CECC, Buni, in London via pictorial reports. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Chinyere Omeire

A Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Wednesday sentenced a 34-year oldcleric, Fatai Afobaje, to death for killing his friend and mutilating his body.

Justice Modupe Nicol-Clay sentenced the cleric to death after finding him guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

The judge held that Lagos State Government, prosecuting the case, proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Nicol-Clay said that prosecution was able to prove that the convict caused the death of his friend, Rafiu Sulaiman, aged 44.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convict has been remanded since his arraignment in 2017, during which he pleaded not guilty.

Prosecution team, led by Mrs Adesola Adekunle-Bello, called six witnesses and tendered 12 exhibits during trial.

Prosecution had told the court that the convict murdered Sulaiman and mutilated his body by cutting off his head, intestines, lungs, scrotum and hands.

It said the incident happened on Feb.13, 2015, at Itire Village Magbon, Badagry, Lagos State.

The offences contravened Sections 221 and 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Naomi Sharang

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu has sought for the support of the APC Senate Caucus towards actualising his 2023 presidential ambition.

Tinubu said this when he met with the APC Senate Caucus at the Senate Presidents Conference Room on Wednesday in Abuja, adding that he was at the Senate for counsel, partnership and support.

Nigerians have come to that stage where we need a change of baton. President Muhammadu Buhari is about to serve his second term in full.

Election is coming up in February. I cant do it by myself and I cant do it by sitting at home expecting that many friends I have here will do it for me.

I believe jointly we can do it. You can back me successfully for the nomination of my lifetime ambition to become the president.

My ambition is not blind to the extent I will step on the toes of the President. I just want to step into his shoe and not on his toe, Tinubu said.

He said that if the counsel of wise men was anything to go by, Im asking for that teammanship here today to get me over the hump of the nomination process.

And from that hump, to get me to the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Look at my capacity. I am an unusual candidate. Perhaps the only one who had been in the Senate, who had been a governor and aspiring to become president.

He said that Nigeria will remain united if he was elected president and we will use that unity, the symbol of our party to cleanse Nigeria of unrealisable potential.

The national leader also commended the Senate for the passage of the Constitution Alteration Bill.

I Thank you for sustaining our democracy. I ran into a little ambush of women protesters because I went to the other gate.

Interestingly, you have been very careful on affirmative action, and you are been very careful not to jeopardise the Constitution.

Yes the interests of women are necessary but for APC, we are doing our best and we will continue to do our best to accommodate the interest of our women, he said.

President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan said that the APC Senate Caucus was a fundamental pillar of the party.

This caucus has remained committed to the party, shown resolve to our manifesto to work within us and the Executive. We have achieved so much because of the APC caucus.

From 2019 that this caucus showed loyalty, commitment, and purposeful orientation to ensure that our victory from 2015 and 2019 as a political party is fully utilised for the benefits of Nigerians.

This party needs the kind of commitment that APC members have shown in the country. APC must continue to be progressive in our actions. 2023 is going to be a year for APC again.

By Feb. 25 when the Presidential Election will take place, by the grace of God, APC will have the victory that is required, Lawan said.

Lawan added:Recently we had some difficulties because of misunderstanding between some of our members and the party was thrown into temporary confusion.

I thank God it is over now. It is very clear that our party is back on track, that in the next two weeks, our national convention will hold and a new set of leaders will emerge. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Yetunde Fatungase

The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing says it constructed internal road networks in 46 federal tertiary institutions across the country in 2021.

The Minister of Work, Babatunde Fashola, made this known on Wednesday in Abeokuta at the handover of the Federal Government intervention of internal roads at Aro Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the 1.3km internal road was rehabilitated by the federal ministry of works and housing on behalf of the Federal Government.

Represented by Umar Bakare, the Federal Controller of Works in Ogun, Fashola said another 17 roads were ready to be handed over, while attending to 30 other roads in various institutions across the country.

He noted that the infrastructure gap which was being bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways was also being replicated in schools and federal institutions.

It is undebatable that quality of health care delivery will be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the environment and those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedbacks from staff in the hospitals where this type of intervention has taken place.

The students are expressing renewed enthusiasm with regards to attending classes, because some defective roads have been restored to good condition.

This is consistent with our progressive ideal of improving the human condition and that process continues here today as we hand over this one in Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta as a critical intervention to support education, he said.

Fashola submitted that no fewer than 50 persons were employed and in the process, contributing to the job creation initiatives of the government.

He expressed the hope that the hospital management would ensure proper usage of the asset while shielding it from being abused.

In his remarks, Provost of the Hospital, Dr Paul Agboola, thanked the Federal Government through the ministry for the intervention.

He noted that since the establishment of the hospital decades ago, this is the first time in recent years where internal road network rehabilitation will be carried out by the ministry of works.

He added that the act had put smiles on the faces of the staff, students and patients at the institution.

Agboola said that the institution eagerly expect the commencement of the second phase of the 5km road initially requested from the ministry.

Like Oliver Twist, we ask for more. We await the second phase of the project as we asked for 5km, out of which 1.35km has been done. Were believing God that the remaining 3.65km will be done, he added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ramatu Garba

A Kano State Chief Magistrates Court on Wednesday, sentenced 18-year-old man, Aminu Rabiu, to 14 days community service for stealing two hens.

Rabiu, who lives at Kwanan Bariki Quarters, Kano, was convicted on two-count charge bordering on theft and cruelty to animal.

The prosecutor, Miss Asmau Ado, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Jan. 9 at Kwanan Bariki Quarters in Kano.

She said that on the same date at about 9:00 a.m the defendant stole two hens and in the process used his hand to break their neck.

The Presiding Chief Magistrate, Mustapha Saad-Datti, sentenced the defendant to 14 days community service.

He also ordered him to desist from committing crimes and to be of good behaviour. (NAN)(www.nanmews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By George Odok

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has distributed relief materials to 151 households that were affected by windstorm in Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency in Cross River.

The Director General of NEMA, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, began the distribution exercise in Ikom local government area.

Ahmed, who was represented by the Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, South South, Mr Godwin Tepikor, sympathised with the victims over the disaster that affected their buildings in 2021.

He informed them that the items were not for compensation for their losses, but the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari through NEMA to identify with Nigerians in distress.

He advised them to make good use of the items in their home

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was carried out in collaboration with officials of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency.

The items include, 300 bags of rice, 300 bags of beans, 300 bags of garri, 100 kegs of vegetable oil, 300 bags of cement, 300 pieces of ceiling boards, 200 bundles of roofing sheets, bags of nails, packets of zinc nails, among other.

Also speaking at the event, Rep. Chris Agibe, (Ikom/Boki), thanked the Federal Government for identifying with his constituents at their moment of need.

Agibe said that the items would go a long way in cushioning the impact of the disaster on his constituents

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Diwa Mary, expressed joy and thanks to the Federal Government and NEMA for coming to assist them.

She said that the items would enable them put their lives back again after the disaster.

Another beneficiary, Mr Papa Assi, thanked NEMA and the Federal Government for the gesture, which he said would go a long way to assist them in rebuilding their damaged buildings.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, has said that the current power situation in the country is caused mainly by shortage of gas.

Abubakar briefed State House correspondents after a hybrid meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The minister said that efforts were being made to address the situation, adding that Nigeria had the capacity of 8,000Mw on the grid, embedded and captive.

The issue we are currently facing now was not only as a result of the level of water, which most of you captured in your reports; that is part of it; but it is not much from that angle.

The more reason we are facing the situation now is as a result of the shortage of gas and some of the generators have to go into maintenance.

It is a scheduled maintenance and it is supposed to be scheduled outage but we had not envisaged that we will have issues around vandalism of pipelines.

Which the NNPC has addressed as you can see evidently everywhere, aviation fuel, and petrol in the filling stations; it is a combination of many factors.

That compounded the problem we are having on the grid.

The generators are not supplying because of lack of gas; so, I know some of you are aware; just two days ago, I summoned an emergency meeting which was unprecedented, the minister said.

He said that for the first time, he brought in all the sector playersfrom NNPC, Agip, Shell to the regulator, NERC, the GENCOS like the Niger-Delta Power Company, the TCN and the ministry.

Abubakar said that the meeting, which involved the adviser to the president on infrastructure, lasted for the whole day trying to proffer a solution.

I challenged all of them; I said this is like a war situation; we need to find solutions; we need to come out with answersquick ones, emergency solutions because the power on the grid has dropped due to those things that affected itlack of gas, the maintenance that some of the generators are undergoing.

So, you know technology, it is not up to you, that drop in the supply; the collapse of the grid, it triggered some response; some started to trip down and also caused the whole system to go down.

We had the day before yesterday, we recovered it, we are on top of it; we have recovered it now; the grid is back; we are trying to get more megawatts to push on to the grid through the aforementioned meeting; everybody now is contributing to that meeting.

Those things you have mentioned about bickering is no longer the cause because I have told them that we are one; nobody should blame anybody; because if you go on the blame game, how do you solve the problem?

Abubakar said that committees had been set up all geared towards getting more mega watts to put on the grid as basically, the problem was around gas.

According to him, there is need to have gas contract between generating companies and gas supplies some are form contracts, some are not.

He said that all the variables were being looked into and some solutions had been proffered which would come into fruition soon.

We have capacity of 8,000 mega watts the one on the grid, embedded and captive.

If you combine all of them, what is happening now is as a result of all these problems that we are encountering and we are on top of it; very soon, we will come out of it.

The minister said that his ministry had received an approval of N5 billion from FEC for compensation to project affected persons in the expansion of the Lagos/Ogun line with six sub-stations.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ibukun Emiola

Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has urged the Federal Government to ensure predictable market by controlling prices in the rice value chain.

The Oyo State Chairman RIFAN, Mr Samuel Akinade, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, on Monday.

Akinade noted that the cost of rice, if regulated by the government, will ensure the predictability of the market and check the unjustified increase in the price of what consumers buy due to the activities of middlemen.

If we plant rice because rain is good and we harvest it, and we sell it to the millers at a moderate price, the millers will add their cost to it.

But as soon as it leaves the milling centres, what will happen between then and when it gets to the table of the consumers is unknown.

There are middlemen who will sell the commodity and they can decide to sell for anything.

Also, the force of demand and supply will take its course, especially when people now begin to shift to local rice because of its nutritional value, he said.

According to him, the price will be going up because more people are going for it and that is why our market in Nigeria is unpredictable, everybody does whatever they like with the market.

If there is control from the government, it can regulate the price at different stages of production and stipulate price for the marketers, which will be okay.

If the government says the paddy rice is at this cost to the millers, the millers should release it at this price and then the marketer should sell at the market at this price that will be okay.

But in a case where the farmers release rice at a moderate price, the millers who produced added something, what of the marketers? Who is controlling the marketers? Nobody!

That is why we cant predict the price of rice. Besides, when people say the paddy is costly, it is because the chemicals we use are very expensive now, even the high cost of tractors is part of why rice is expensive, he said.

Akinade, a beneficiary of Anchors Borrowers programme of the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria said the cost of farming input had skyrocketed.

The farmer will add the cost of input on the land to determine the cost of production and then add his own profit and services to determine the price of rice.

The input starts from tree felling and uprooting. If the state or federal government wants to assist, that is the area they can come, on land preparation for planting to take place.

But up till now, for rice farming, they have not shown interest, he said.

Akinade said now that rain had started to fall, land preparation continues, adding; at this level, the stability of the rain cannot be relied upon for now.

We dont know what God wants to do, maybe it will continue like this. But rain needs to continue like this because we are expecting it to rain for three to four weeks before the rain stabilises.

And for rice, we need regular water. May be by around the end of April people can be planting.

Where the land is like Fadama, Akuro land, that is irrigable, low-lying plains underlain by shallow aquifers found along major river systems, people can begin to plant around this time.

Land preparation is the major operation now. For now, we can be clearing the land and plough.

If the land is soft enough for the tractor to plough, one can begin to plow now, first round. Then you plough the second and plant immediately, he added. (NAN) ()

Source: NAN News

By Suleiman Shehu
The new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba (Dr) Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade ll, has pledged to ensure security of lives and property in Ibadanland in particular and Oyo State in general, during his reign.

Balogun made the pledge on Tuesday, in Ibadan while playing host to the Heads of Security Agencies in the state when they jointly paid him visit.

The traditional ruler assured them that he would not use his position to impede their duties in whatever manner or form.

According to him, this is because of my firm belief that the fulcrum of societal development is squarely placed on security of such society.

The State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, led the team, comprising Mr M. A. Alex, Department of State Security (DSS), Mrs Uche Chukwura, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Mike Adaraniwa, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC).

Others were B.A. Jayeoba, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Ailewon Nuel, Nigeria Correctional Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) led by I. A. Dansuleiman.

Balogun, while appreciating the heads of security agencies in the state for the visit, said he had been in closed relationship with successive heads of the security agencies in the state.

Anything I can contribute to support and uphold the security of the state will be done.

We are aware of security threat in Ibadanland in particular and all my Chiefs have been adequately briefed to work closely with you people toward ensuring that peace and security in the state is not ruptured.

Im aware of my position and responsibility and I will not use it to impede your jobs in any manner or form.

You can count on my support at all times, I assure you that I will not let you down, the Olubadan said.

Earlier, Onadeko said: We are here to felicitate the new Olubadan, not minding the fact that we were all at the coronation ceremony.

We felt duty bound to formally come round and pay homage to our revered father, Dr Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade ll and pray for him to live long in sound health and to get wisdom to direct the affairs of his people.

As security personnel, heading different security agencies, providing security for lives and property in the entire state, we will continue to do everything within our power to ensure safety and security across the state which is our primary responsibility.

The Commissioner of Police urged the new Olubadan to listen to good counsel, especially his Oloris as they offer him good advice toward making his reign peaceful and progressive.

She equally urged the Oloris, comprising Olayinka, Olufunmilayo and Khalimat Balogun to ensure that the traditional ruler does not derail as a visionary and forward-looking oba. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News