FRESH FM TOP NEWS THIS WEEK

The hottest and most trending news articles for this week in all categories are captured in one shot. Find articles ranging from News to Sports, to Politics, to Entertainment, to Economy, to Metro plus, and many other categories. See below the top news for the week:

 

 

NEWS

• No going back on use of technology – INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has said that INEC’s allegiance and loyalty are to Nigeria and Nigerians who want free, fair, credible, and verifiable elections supported by technology which guarantees transparent accreditation and upload of polling unit results for citizens to view in real-time on election day. This was as he reiterated that there was no going back in the commission’s readiness to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal in the 2023 general election.

The electoral umpire’s boss stated these in a statement published on Wednesday, titled, ‘A message from the INEC chairman: 100 days to the 2023 general election’. Yakubu said INEC had made a steady progress in electoral reform and election administration, adding that Nigerians’ confidence in the electoral process was increasing.

He further stated that the commission would keep Nigerians posted on the progress it was making and challenges it was confronting as the 2023 elections inched closer. Consequently, the INEC boss said the commission would start bi-weekly media briefings, followed by weekly briefings, which would culminate in daily briefings in the week leading to the elections. He, therefore, called on Nigerians to fully participate in all electoral activities, including the ongoing display of the register of voters for claims and objections, as well as collection of permanent voter cards.

Yakubu also appealed to political parties and other stakeholders to eschew violence and rancour and conduct their campaigns peacefully, while pledging that INEC would play its part diligently and conscientiously in the elections.

• Again, Buhari vows to defeat insecurity

President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to hand over a country free from insecurity to the next generation of leaders. He stated this on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Emblem Appeal Fund, which preceded the meeting of the Federal Executive Council. In October, during the 2022 National Honours Award Investiture held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Buhari had restated a pledge he made during his Independence Day speech to free the country of insecurity.

On Wednesday, he reiterated that he would hand over “a Nigeria that is free from insecurity to the next generation of leaders.” The President also authorised the payment of Security Debarment Allowances to all military veterans in the sum of N134.7bn. Buhari further announced the payment of N10m to the Nigerian Legion on behalf of the Federal Government during the unveiling of the 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem and Appeal Fund. He pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of veterans by ensuring payment of their pension and other entitlements.

Buhari also expressed delight that the Defence Health Maintenance Limited was living up to expectations in providing healthcare services to veterans, noting the expansion of the reach of their services through the establishment of zonal and state offices. He assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would continue to strengthen all security agencies to enable them to surmount the security challenges in the country.

• N11bn addition to defence budget uncovered, minister queried

The Senate on Thursday took up the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (retd) on insertion of N11bn in the proposed 2023 budget of the defence ministry. The Senate Committee on Defence uncovered the gap during the defence of the entire proposals of the minister. The N11bn extra, as observed and pointed out by the Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Itsifanus Gyang (PDP Plateau North), comprises N8.6bn earmarked for the procurement of military hardware /equipment and N2.25bn for safe school initiatives.

He said, “Honourable minister, in the proposed 2023 budget of your ministry, N8.6bn is discovered to have been allocated for the purchase of military hardware and N2.25bn for safe SCHOOL initiatives. The two items, when critically viewed, were not supposed to be in the ministry’s budget since hardware procurements are done by the Army, Navy and Air Force and Safe School Initiative by the Federal Ministry of Education. These to us are duplications of budgetary votes which require explanations from you.”

The minister, in his response, sought permission from the committee for the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Ibrahim Kana, to respond. The permanent secretary, in his response, told the committee that the sums were added to the ministry’s budget for the 2022 fiscal year by the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed. “The two budgetary votes were not initiative of the ministry. The Ministry of Finance and National Planning put them there,” he added.

Not satisfied with the explanation offered by the permanent secretary, the committee, through its Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wamakko (APC Sokoto North) told the minister that both the N8.6bn and N2.25bn proposals for the procurement of hardware and safe school initiatives would be expunged from the ministry’s budget.

• FG deploys soldiers, DSS in INEC offices nationwide

In a move to protect the Independent National Electoral Commission assets ahead of the 2023 election, the Federal Government has deployed the Department of State Services’ personnel, soldiers, civil defence corps operatives as well as Federal Fire Service personnel in INEC offices nationwide. It has also directed the security services to enhance intelligence gathering, sharing and utilisation of the same to stem acts of political violence which have assumed an increasing dimension in recent weeks. The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, who disclosed these during a meeting with the chairmen of leading political parties at the Force headquarters in Abuja, on Thursday, disclosed that the police recorded 52 violent cases in six weeks.

The meeting, which was attended by the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Felix Morka, and other parties’ chieftains, was sequel to the attacks on the Ogun and Osun state offices of INEC last week and other incidences of physical violence by party supporters in Borno, Kaduna, Zamfara and other states.

Other participants at the meeting included the National INEC Commissioner, Ms May Agbamuche-Mbo; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar; the DG, Defence Intelligence Agency, Maj Gen. Samuel Adebayo; a representative of the DG, DSS and other paramilitary agencies.

Baba revealed that the NPF would also be working in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Fire Service to take decisive lawful action against purveyors of hate speech, incitement to violence, mobilisation of thugs and other violations.

• 2023: Governors to blame for violence — IGP

The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has said some state governors manifest traits of political intolerance which contributes to violence in the country’s electoral process. Speaking yesterday at a meeting with political parties and other stakeholders in preparation for the 2023 general elections at Force headquarters, the IGP said: “We have been receiving reports of some state governors who encourage political thugs and sub-national security outfits under their control to disrupt seamless and statutorily guaranteed campaign activities of parties or candidates with whom they hold opposing political views.

To checkmate this resort to violence, the IGP said: “INEC should take decisive actions against candidates and parties that violate the Electoral Act in the areas of conduct of political parties, candidates, and other actors in relation to hate speeches; campaign funding regulations; encouraging, supporting, or inciting violence; and depriving political opponents of basic electoral rights guaranteed under the Act”.

On how the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies planned to tackle electoral violence, IGP Alkali said: “We have resolved to enhance intelligence gathering, sharing and utilization of same to stem acts of political violence; upscale the deployment of security teams to all INEC assets and facilities nationwide, with teams drawn from the Police, Nigeria Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Civil and Security Defence Corps, NSCDC, and the Federal Fire Service.

• 2023: INEC staff registered underaged voters —Igini

Forer Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mike Igini, has accused some staff of the electoral body of registering underaged voters. He said that those involved in the recent INEC registration process are all staff of the commission which makes it easy to trace the culprits for prosecution.

“Those who have done this are staff of INEC, I can tell you. If you register as a registration officer, you register with your personal ID (identity card), all of them can be traced,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, yesterday. Anyone who undermines the confidence of public institutions must be brought to book,” Igini said and cited a case in Akwa Ibom State where an Information and Communications Technology staff of INEC used his office to register under-aged voters.

Igini further blamed the registration of the under-aged on collapse of values in the society, berating parents who allow their under-aged children to register as voters. He commended the commission for the publication of the voters’ register, saying that it is the first time it is being published on INEC website. The recent publication and display of the voters register by the INEC raised dust owing to the surprising number of children voters. Various social media platforms are awash with claims and counter-claims over the issue.

Speaking on the issue, APGA National Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku, said: “Why would you tolerate under-aged voters? It is against the law. It goes without gainsaying that if there are under-aged voters, it is against the law. They should be dealt with for breaking that particular law.

• 2023: Utomi challenges INEC to distribute 9.3m PVCs in its coffers

Leader of the National Coalition Front NCFront and convener of the Big Tent coalition of Political Parties, Social Movements and Civil Society organizations, Professor Pat Utomi, has protested against what he described as the non-distribution of Permanent Voter Cards PVCs in the coffers of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, alleging that at least 9.3 million such cards were lying idle in the commission’s offices.

Utomi, who disclosed this when he, alongside the chief spokesman of the Peter Obi/Datti Ahmed (Labour Party) Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Tanko Yusuf, and Dr Austin Kemie, led an advocacy walk to INEC Headquarters under the aegis of the “Big Tent” yesterday, urged INEC to decentralize the process of PVC collection and if possible, take the cards to the doorsteps of Nigerians.

In a swift reaction, INEC disclosed that most of the PVCs were ready for collection, adding that the number of Nigerians who had collected their cards were more than those yet to do so. Chief Press Secretary CPS to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, told Vanguard that it is the duty of registered voters to collect their cards in persons and not by proxies. He said: “The Independent National Electoral Commission has offices in all the states of the federation and the 774 local government areas to make the Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC, available for collection.

But Utomi queried the necessity of even having the PVC as a requirement for voting, saying with biometrics authentication of a potential voter, there was no need to have a physical card. He said: “It is the duty of INEC to do everything possible to decentralize and take down to the people, their PVCs, to make sure that everybody who was registered gets his or her PVC. “We even know that the process is biometric. So, it should not even matter if they don’t have it (PVCs). Once their faces and fingerprints are recognized, they should be able to vote. It is not acceptable for Nigerians to be disenfranchised.

“We know that about 9.3 million voter cards are yet to be collected and are sitting idle in INEC offices. We want an explanation. If INEC needs help, we are ready to volunteer so that these cards can get to their rightful owners. We also want to discourage persons from further vandalizing INEC offices and burning PVCs which is capable of disenfranchising Nigerians. There is urgent need for the dissemination of information regarding the PVCs”, he added. Utomi urged INEC to make extra efforts towards the distribution of PVCs to Nigerians, especially persons with disabilities.

• 2023: US govt threatens visa ban on election riggers, backs adoption of BVAS

The United States government has threatened to sanction anyone who interferes with the democratic process or instigates violence in the 2023 general elections. The US also said it would not shy away from applying sanctions, including visa restrictions, on those found culpable of election rigging.

Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Rolf Olson, gave the warning at the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Alumni Association Annual Seminar 2022 on “Promoting Electoral Integrity in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges” yesterday in Abuja. It also threw its weight behind the decision of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and electronic transmission of results for the poll.

Noting that the BVAS and the electronic transmission of vote results sheets are to ensure the integrity of the elections, Olson maintained that the US had no candidate in the elections. Recall that the US government had imposed visa restrictions on some individuals for their actions during the November 2019 Kogi and Bayelsa state elections and in the run-up to the September and October 2020 Edo and Ondo state elections. Although the US did not reveal the identities of those banned, it said the decision reflected its commitment to strengthening democracy in Nigeria.

• Looted funds: EFCC puts more govs under watch

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said the number of governors being monitored by the agency for possible money laundering arising from the redesign of the naira is rising. Speaking to ewsen after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, he, however, declined to give the exact number of state chief executives involved. The anti-graft agency had previously revealed that three governors were being watched on the suspicion that they might attempt to launder stashed cash in their possession which they might not be able to lodge in the bank before the deadline by the Central Bank of Nigeria to return old notes for redesign.

Bawa commended the apex bank’s initiative to redesign some naira denominations, describing it as a significant process in the country’s fight against financial crimes and other forms of corruption. The EFCC boss urged politicians to go about their campaigns without using illegitimate funds. Speaking on the Eagle Eye, an app recently introduced by the commission, he said the initiative was to ease the reporting of crime. “Let me use this opportunity to remind Nigerians that Eagle Eye is very important for those that are reporting the holders of these currencies that we know that are out there,” he added.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, South-East chapter, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, has appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria to extend the deadline for the circulation of the country’s new currencies. Siddiki said the deadline of December 15, 2022, should be extended for another three months to enable members of the association to bring out their money from the forests and avoid huge losses.

He said the appeal became necessary because the group was mostly living in forests and bushes as a result of their business and they needed more time to bring out their savings for proper transformation to the new redesigned notes.

• FG reviews school feeding, adds N30 per meal

The National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme has been reviewed from N70 per meal for schoolchildren to N100 in Delta State. The state Commissioner for Humanitarian and Community Support Services, Dr Darlington Ijeh, who stated this in Asaba, frowned on the manner in which the caterers were shortchanged. Ijeh, who was sworn in by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as a commissioner on August 2022, vowed to monitor the Federal Government’s programmes for the betterment of the people of the state.

He said, “Upon my assumption in office three months ago, I inherited a backlog of issues on the NHGSFP that ranged from inconsistent payment to underpayment, low capturing leading to low figures for cooks, which adversely impacted our pupils and the state. “Today, the N70 per meal for school pupils has been reviewed to N100 per meal, and other bureaucratic bottlenecks that had bedevilled the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in the state, such as short payment of caterers and indiscriminate payment modules, became a thing of the past.”

The commissioner, who distributed cooking utensils to cooks, appealed to the caterers to make good morality their guiding principle in the discharge of their duties. He said the school feeding programme was designed to feed pupils from primary 1 to 3 in public schools, adding that the aim was to encourage more school enrolment as well as improve the nutritional meals of the pupils.

 

 

 

 

POLITICS

• ‘I’m kneeling and begging’ — Obi asks Wike to support LP for presidency

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has asked Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, to support his bid for the presidency. Obi said this on Thursday during the inauguration of the Nkpolu Oroworukwo flyover in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital. The LP candidate said he will ensure better opportunities for Rivers state if he’s elected president. “I will talk to my people and we will negotiate. If we leave the state for him (referring to Wike), he will leave the federal for us. We will negotiate it. We know you’re in charge,” Obi said.

“We will not quarrel with you. Anybody who quarrels with you doesn’t know what he is doing. I will not try it. I’m begging. Please give us this one and take the other one. We will leave for you. I will accommodate them in the other one. I assure you of our commitment to build a better Nigeria. Our past will not be our future. I and Datti represent the future of Nigeria. I have told Nigerians to hold me responsible. I will not give excuse. I know the problems of Nigeria.”

He commended Wike for his performance in Rivers, adding that Port Harcourt has the potential to be the “export city” of Nigeria. He advised Wike to remain consistent in his principles, and said if the Rivers governor supports LP, the party’s chances will be improved in the 2023 elections. “Remember this agreement today. I’m kneeling down and begging. Take this one, give me this one. I assure you the one I will take, I will use it to ensure that Rivers state becomes greater and better,” he added.

Obi’s plea comes amid the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has seen Wike refusing to support Atiku Abubakar, his party’s presidential candidate. Wike and his allies — which include four other governors — have excluded themselves from the PDP presidential campaign on the grounds that Iyorchia Ayu must resign as national chairman.

• Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win, says Soludo

Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, says Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), will not win in the 2023 general election. Soludo said this on Monday in an article titled ‘History Beckons and I Will Not Be Silent (Part 1)’. The development comes amid criticism of the Anambra governor over his recent comment on the worth of investment Obi made for the state when the latter was governor. In a recent interview on Channels Television, Soludo had said the investments by Obi for Anambra are now “worth next to nothing”.

Reacting to the criticism, Soludo said the LP candidate is well aware of the “game” he is playing, adding that with LP, Obi does not have the necessary structure in place to win the presidency. “Let’s be clear: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win. He knows the game he is playing, and we know too; and he knows that we know,” the article reads in part. The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to APGA. The brutal truth (and some will say, God forbid) is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for president: the rest is exciting drama!

“As my brother, I wish him well and even pray for him. I told him during his courtesy call that my prayer is that himself or Prof Umeadi of APGA would win, why not? That is from my heart, but I also told him that my head and facts on the ground led me to know that its probability is next to zero (what I cannot say before you, I won’t say behind you). So I already told him my opinion. Indeed, there is no credible pathway for him near the first two positions, and if care is not taken, he won’t even near the third position.”

• Obi replies Soludo: I’m a trader, you’re a professor… you can do more as governor

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has responded to the criticism of Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra. In a recent interview on Channels Television, Soludo had said the investments Obi made for Anambra while he was governor are now “worth next to nothing”.
Also, in an article published on Monday titled ‘History Beckons and I Will Not Be Silent (Part 1)’, the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said the LP candidate does not have the necessary structure in place to win the presidency.

Speaking on Tuesday at the Lagos Business School (LBS) 2022 alumni conference, Obi said government is a continuum, and as such, Soludo can do better for the state since he is now in office.
“The one that they said is worthless is that we invested [$]3.5 billion in International Breweries. International Breweries is part of Ab Inbev, which is the biggest brewery in the whole world,” he said.
We had a policy when I was governor that any company, foreign investor who wants to invest in Anambra state, we will buy 10 percent of the company, and under the condition, we started an agreement that they will give Anambra people work to the minimum of not less than 40 percent.

“They built a facility in Anambra state. That facility is there today employing, directly and indirectly, over 10,000 Anambrarians. They bring one of the highest revenue source for the state. When you spread your investments, some will go up, some will go down. But overall, the company is still there, still doing well, and a part of a global chain.

“I didn’t explain it because of the comment of my brother. My brother remains my brother. We are very close and I remain prayerful for him. For other things which I didn’t succeed, God has given him opportunity to do it and succeed. For me, if there is anything pending, governance doesn’t finish. You stop where you stop; other people will continue from there. He is a governor of my state; my senior brother. He’s even more intelligent than me. He is a professor; I’m a trader. So, he will be able to do things more than I have done it.

• Igbo elders tackle Soludo over comments on Peter Obi

Sequel to sustained hostile verbal attacks from Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, on the presidential ambition of the Labour Party standard-bearer, Mr. Peter Obi, top Igbo Elders on Wednesday, took Soludo to the cleaners, urging him to shut up and stop embarrassing himself and Ndigbo through his utterances. Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Prof ABC Nwosu, Achike Udenwa, Chekwas Okorie, and Prof Fabian Osuji, expressed shock at the level Soludo would stoop in expressing his hostility towards Peter Obi who has never done any thing to provoke him.

Expressing his dismay, Prof. Fabian Osuji, former Minister of Education under the Obasanjo administration said he was embarrassed by Soludo’s tirades on Peter Obi. “I am thoroughly embarrassed about the level of hostility being exhibited by our brother and friend, Prof Charles Soludo towards Peter Obi. Soludo cannot claim to be self-made.

“People like us participated in making him. I was Prochancellor and Chairman of the Council at the University of Nigeria when his papers came for approval for Professorship. I could have found reason to withhold or deny assent. But we put him out and praised his work. That made President Obasanjo appoint him as Economic Adviser without hesitation. Three years later, three of us: Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Oby Ezekwesili, and myself were attending a Conference in Brussels when President Obasanjo called Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who was Finance Minister to ask for the nomination of Governor of Central Bank. We gave a unanimous vote for Prof Charles Soludo.

“As Ndigbo, we were proud to support our brother. He was not the sole candidate. Obasanjo gave him the position. Everyone rejoiced. That was the power of Umunna. Years later, I cannot imagine the same person who benefitted resoundingly from the support of Umunna being the one to pull down his brother who is enjoying overwhelming support elsewhere. I am truly ashamed of Soludo. Ndigbo should not allow him to get away with this. He should be made to withdraw all his damaging statements against Obi. There is still time for him to reverse himself in this matter. Ndigbo must not allow him to get away with this”.

Reacting to the situation, a former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife said he was shocked by what Soludo was saying. “I’m shocked. I’ve tried calling him and he is not answering. By now, he would have understood the impact of what he did and should go into hiding. But we must talk to him. It’s highly embarrassing. Someone who hasn’t done anything to you.”

• We’ve dragged Soludo to Igbo deities over comment on Obi, says Ohanaeze Worldwide

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, an Igbo socio-cultural association, has tackled Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, over his recent comment about Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP). The association is different from Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the group headed by George Obiozor. In an article published on Monday, Soludo had said Obi knows that “he can’t and won’t win” the presidential election.

Reacting in a statement issued on Tuesday, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, secretary-general of the association, said the group has taken Soludo begore “two famous divinities and deities” over his comment. The group said it is “unreasonable public behaviour” for Soludo to “cast aspersions” on Obi who is his kinsman and presidential candidate from the south-east.

The group said Nigerians should “disregard” Soludo’s comment about Obi and Philip Umeadi, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). “He had confirmed that he is the number one enemy of the New Nigeria and was hired by an unpopular Presidential candidate who is looking for Igbo politicians to pull down Obi’s popularity ahead of 2023,” the group added.

• Tinubu gaffe: It wasn’t slip of tongue but divine proclamation, says PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the recent gaffe by Bola Tinubu, presidential canddiate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is “divine proclamation” for the PDP. Tinubu, who is the presidential candidate of the APC, suffered a gaffe while speaking at the flag-off of his campaign in Plateau state. While concluding his speech, Tinubu said: “God bless PD…” and quickly corrected to “God bless APC.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the “prayer” by Tinubu “confirms his innermost conviction that the PDP represents the hope and aspiration of the majority of Nigerians for a secure, prosperous future under a united country”. The PDP scribe said the “blessing” by the APC presidential candidate “is a pointer that it was not a slip of tongue but a divine proclamation that the hope for Nigeria, which he harped on, can only come from the PDP”.

“It is instructive to note that the APC Presidential Candidate had earlier in his address, admitted that Nigerians were ‘in distress’ under his failed APC but that hope is on the way,” the statement reads.
Since Asiwaju Tinubu’s prophetic blessing on the PDP, our Party has been receiving flurries of calls, solidarity messages and visits from key members of the APC who believe that his prayer is a divine act of God to point the nation to the right direction.

• Kukah to Nigerians: Don’t kill yourselves for any politician… they drink from same pool

Matthew Kukah, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, has asked Nigerians not to fight over politicians who are after pecuniary gains. Kukah, who spoke on Tuesday when he appeared on a television programme, said Nigerians should consider politicians as friends who should not be regarded seriously.

The bishop’s advice comes a few days after Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), and Atiku Abubakar, his political opponent, were seen in a video exchanging jokes at the private wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, in Abuja. The clergyman also expressed concern over the surge in violence by supporters of political candidates ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

“These politicians are struggling and they’ve lived their lives struggling for the national cake which they will distribute amongst themselves. It is, therefore, in the interest of ordinary Nigerians to know that they have to vote to stay alive,” he said. Supporters of candidates all over the country need to be a bit more restrained and wise. We ordinary people must figure out how to manage our passion when it comes to politics.

“Don’t take seriously the grandstanding of the politicians. All the things you see about them abusing themselves or quarrelling, you will think they will never shake hands. They are very good friends, and many of them drink from the same pool. So, don’t go and kill yourself for nothing. That is what that message is all about.”

On September 29, the national peace committee led by Abdusalami Abubakar, chairman of NPC, and Kukah, had organised an event where all presidential candidates for the 2023 general elections signed an accord committing to peace during the polls.

• Rivers won’t vote for president along party lines, says Wike

Party affiliation, ethnicity or religion will not determine the February 25, 2023 presidential election in Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike said yesterday. He also listed equity, justice and fairness as the conditions for truce between the leadership of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the aggrieved Group of Five (G5) governors. Apart from Wike, other G5 members are: Samuel Ortom (Benue); Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ngwuanyi (Enugu).

They are asking Dr. Iyorcha Ayu to quit as PDP national chairman to pave the way for a Southerner to step in, arguing that Ayu (from the North) cannot hold on to the position when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (another northern) is the party’s presidential candidate. Wike spoke on Wednesday when former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole inaugurated a flyover located in Rumueprikon, his country home in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Port Harcourt. The flyover is the eighth implemented by the Wike administration in the state.

The governor said Nigeria was in dire need of unity, justice and equity, adding that the next election would not be based on party, ethnicity and religion. He said it was unacceptable for anybody to say people should not be voted for because they were not from a particular ethnic group or religion.

On the condition for truce, Wike clarified that the group of five governors fighting for inclusiveness in PDP will spurn any reconciliation not based on the principles of equity, justice and fairness. He renewed their position that elective offices must be shared equally between the North and the South in the opposition party ahead of the 2023 general election.

• Wike apologises to Oshiomhole over attacks, comments

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has apologised to the former chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, over his comments and attacks on him (Oshiomhole) in the past. Wike also revealed that the interest of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, G-5 Governors is simply to ensure that the country tows the path of progress, restating that the protesting governors would only be open to reconciliation based on equity, fairness and justice.

The governor spoke, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, at the inauguration of the Rumuepirikom Flyover, the 8th so far constructed and completed by his administration, performed by Adams Oshiomhole, former governor of Edo State. Wike used the opportunity of the commissioning to offer public apology to Oshiomhole over some political comments made against him and the governorship candidate that he supported in the last Edo State gubernatorial election.

He said: “You know I came to Edo State to make sure your candidate didn’t win election. I was virtually in charge, everyday coming out on television to take you on, and I said you will not win, and you didn’t win. “Well, that assignment has been done, we now know who is who. I want to tell my people, I sincerely apologise to you.”

On the lingering crisis in PDP, Wike said prior to the crisis rocking the PDP, some members of the party were singing praises of him and of the G-5 governors, regretting that the same people have turned around to call them names. Wike said: “I’m sure, those of them in my party, before, they cannot say anything without mentioning Wike. But now, because I said let the right thing be done, let agreement be agreement and because I have said that, I have now become an enemy. These were people who were praising me morning, night, any day.”

• ‘We’re now friends’ — Wike apologises to Oshiomhole for supporting Obaseki’s re-election

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has apologised to Adams Oshiomhole, former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for supporting the re-election of Godwin Obaseki as Edo governor.
Speaking on Wednesday at the inauguration of the Rumuepirikom flyover in Obio-Akpor LGA of the state, Wike said he is now friends with Oshiomhole. Obaseki and Wike are both governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wike had supported Obaseki’s re-election bid in 2020 after the Edo governor defected from the APC to the PDP in the wake of his fallout with Oshiomhole, his ally-turned-political foe. However, both PDP governors were engaged in a feud earlier in 2022, and do not seem to be currently on friendly terms.

Addressing Oshiomhole at the inauguration, Wike said he has learned from the past. “I said you will not win and you didn’t win. That assignment has been done and we now know who is who. I want to tell my people and sincerely apologise to you. You know, each time you learn. People will praise you when you do for them. The day you say ‘no, you’re wrong’, they begin to say all sorts of things.

• Oshiomhole: I pray more people like Wike will come into governance

Adams Oshiomhole, a former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says he prays that more people like Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, come into governance. Oshiomhole spoke on Wednesday at the inauguration of a flyover in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital. The former governor of Edo said people like Wike will fight for what they believe in. “It is my hope and prayers that more people like you (Wike) will come into governance, because a country cannot be led by people who can’t sustain a fight in what they believe in,” he said.

The former APC national chairman lamented that some southern governors reneged on their agreement on supporting a southerner to become president in the 2023 elections. “They voluntarily decided to meet across party divide, PDP and APC governors. They met in Asaba and they were hosted and they had dinner,” he said. They might have had champagne, but the takeaway that was communicated to us was they are united on one issue on where the next president should come from.
It is an agreement. You are expected to obey your agreement. Me, I’ll stand by my agreement.”

Oshiomhole also said the average Nigerian wants courageous leaders at the helm of affairs. “They want people who can predict their actions, but a small section of the political elite don’t want straightforward talk,” he added. They will say you have to be politically correct but to be politically correct is to be smart — you will say exactly what you will not do.”

Oshiomhole’s comments come amid a crisis involving Wike and his allies in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over calls for Iyorchia Ayu to step down as PDP national chairman. The calls have been based on party stakeholders insisting that the PDP presidential candidate and the national chairman cannot be from the same region. Meanwhile, following Wike’s loss at the PDP presidential primary to Atiku Abubakar, the Rivers governor had accused southerners of working against the region getting the ticket for the party.

• Tinubu: I’m not seeking office on religious grounds

All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday assured the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that he will not run his administration on the basis of religion, if elected. Tinubu, who met with the CAN leadership in Abuja, recalled his administration did not discriminate against anyone, either based on tribe, religion or gender when he was Lagos State governor. He said as president, he would not depart from his previous position.

He was accompanied to the session by his wife and Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) pastor, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila; Governors Hope Uzodinnma (Imo), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara); Deputy Senate Leader Senator Boroffice Ajayi; Senate Chief Whip Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; Minister of Special Duties, Senator George Akume and other chieftains.

The leadership of CAN under new President Daniel Ukoh presented a charter of demands to the APC candidate. They include state police or a decentralised policing system; devolution of power to states; equal rights for all religions and their adherents; right to self-determination by all ethnic groups; right to control natural resources by communities that bear them; anti-open grazing, and equitable electoral system that guarantees the right to vote and be voted for by all.

Tinubu said: “My belief in the need for secular government and faith-based organisations to work in unison is not something adopted recently to benefit my campaign. As governor of Lagos, I partnered with the Christians to improve lives and foster education. For instance, I returned mission schools to their owners, most of who are Christians.

Tinubu acknowledged that some reacted harshly to his choice of running without knowing the man or giving him a fair chance. “The rumour that this is some plot to suppress the Christian community is untrue and unfortunate. I can no more suppress the Christians of this nation than I can suppress the Christians in my own household, my very family. You all know my wife is Christian and a pastor.

• Address Igbo marginalisation, South-East tells Tinubu

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has been asked to address the marginalisation and discrimination of the South East in the country. The Governor of Ebonyi State, Davi Umahi, who spoke on Thursday, during a town hall meeting attended by Tinubu, the political elite and entrepreneurs from the region in Owerri, Imo State, said since the end of the civil war, the Igbo had continued to be shortchanged.

Umahi said, “As we welcome and align ourselves with you, it is important that we urge you to address this issue as by the grace of God you become the next president of this country. There are certain positions that have continued to elude Ndigbo since the end of the civil war. It is our hope that your presidency will address this issue when you emerge as the next president of this country by the grace of God.”

The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, said the people of the South-East had resolved to align with the APC and make Tinubu the next president of the country. He disclosed that a group of entrepreneurs from the region had levied themselves N500,000 each and realised over N1bn to support the presidential bid of Tinubu.

A former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, described Tinubu as a “warrior who has won the fight before the war.” The immediate past governor of Anambra State, Nkem Okeke, said he made no mistake by joining the APC in 2021, adding that Tinubu would emerge the next president of the country.

 

 

 

 

 

ECONOMY

• Fuel subsidy to end in 2023 – Finance minister

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, says the Federal Government will do away with petroleum subsidy by June 2023. Ahmed said this on Tuesday in Abuja during a press conference to mark the end of the 28th National Economic Summit. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that fuel subsidy gulped N2.565tn between January and August 2022. Also, in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, the Federal Government proposed to spend N3.3tn on fuel subsidy between January and June 2023.

According to Ahmed, removal of fuel subsidy is part of the FG’s medium-term plan in the budget.
She, however, said that the challenge was how to go about removing the subsidy. “First, we have to engage. We have already engaged with the states and the public before it was approved as part of the medium-term plan. We have to do it by systematically informing the citizens about the size and the quantum of the fuel subsidy. We also have to educate them about the opportunity cost of what we are unable to do because of the fuel subsidy,” she said.

According to the minister, the fuel subsidy, in addition to budget deficit, is putting enormous pressure on the “fiscals”. “It is not money that we have; it is money that we have to borrow to maintain the fuel subsidy. Some countries introduced subsidy during the COVID-19, and because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but they are using their money to fund such subsidy. In our case, we are borrowing to pay the subsidy; that is double jeopardy. It is something that has to stop

“We are glad that majority of people in decision-making positions, including the political parties, have agreed that subsidy is not sustainable. The plan is, by June 2023, we must have completely exited subsidy, and it has to be a gradual process,” she said.

• Nigeria’s inflation rate hits 21.09% as food prices rise

Nigeria’s inflation rate has jumped from 20.77% in September 2022 to 21.09% in October 2022 as the country battles with soaring food prices. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed this on Tuesday in its Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for October, noting that food inflation was 23.72% in October 2022, from 23.34% in September 2022.

The CPI measures the rate of change in the prices of goods and services. According to the Bureau, the rising inflate rate was caused by importation costs, high energy costs, and surging food prices among others.

“On a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate for October 2022 was 1.24 per cent, this was 0.11 per cent lower than the rate recorded in September 2022 (1.36 per cent). This means that in October 2022 the general price level for the headline inflation rate (month–on–month basis) declined by 0.11 per cent,” the report partly revealed.

“On a year-on-year basis, in October 2022, the urban inflation rate was 21.63 per cent, 5.11 per cent higher compared to the 16.52 per cent recorded in October 2021. On a month-on-month basis, the urban inflation rate was 1.33 per cent in October 2022, this was a 0.12 per cent decline compared to September 2022 (1.46%),” the report added.

• Senate Backs CBN On Naira Redesign After Heated Debate

The Senate has resolved to provide legislative support to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the redesign of the N1,000, N500 and N200 naira notes. The upper chamber made this resolution after a heated debate on a motion moved by Senator Uba Sani on CBN’s policy to redesign the three naira notes. Majority of Senators across party lines support the redesign of the naira but some of them are concerned about the deadline set by the apex bank for the old notes to be deposited in commercial banks.

Lawmakers also questioned the impact of the redesign of the naira note on the economy and if it will help reduce the inflation rate and the dwindling value of the naira. They want the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele to provide further clarification on these issues. They also worried about the effect of this policy on those in the rural areas and the unbanked.

The Senate consequently mandated its Committee on Banking to embark on aggressive oversight to ensure that Nigerians are protected during this exercise. Emefiele on October 26, 2022 announced that the apex bank will issue redesigned N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, effective December 15, 2022, while the new and existing currencies will remain legal tender and circulate together until January 31, 2023.Senate Backs CBN On Naira Redesign After Heated Debate

The Senate has resolved to provide legislative support to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the redesign of the N1,000, N500 and N200 naira notes. The upper chamber made this resolution after a heated debate on a motion moved by Senator Uba Sani on CBN’s policy to redesign the three naira notes. Majority of Senators across party lines support the redesign of the naira but some of them are concerned about the deadline set by the apex bank for the old notes to be deposited in commercial banks.

Lawmakers also questioned the impact of the redesign of the naira note on the economy and if it will help reduce the inflation rate and the dwindling value of the naira. They want the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele to provide further clarification on these issues. They also worried about the effect of this policy on those in the rural areas and the unbanked.

The Senate consequently mandated its Committee on Banking to embark on aggressive oversight to ensure that Nigerians are protected during this exercise. Emefiele on October 26, 2022 announced that the apex bank will issue redesigned N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, effective December 15, 2022, while the new and existing currencies will remain legal tender and circulate together until January 31, 2023.

• Naira redesign targets looted funds — EFCC chair

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said the decision to redesign the naira is aimed at returning hidden public funds. Bawa stated this in an interview with Deutsche Welle DW Hausa Service, adding that the government wanted people who hid the funds to deposit them in bank accounts. The EFCC chair insisted that there was no political motive behind the idea.

He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari had evaluated and accepted the advice put forward by the Central Bank of Nigeria on the redesign of the naira. He said, “These public funds were embezzled and we want them to return them; we have not told anyone not to bring this money out. What the government said was to deposit the money into bank accounts, or else sanctions may follow.

“The redesigning of the naira in law is expected to be done after every eight years; Nigeria has 20 years without redesigning, almost 80% of the naira is not in the bank and the CBN is in the hands of people; so how can the government succeed? How can a country get 25% of foreign exchange which is a benefit from its currency in 10 days? There is no political motive behind this; some people siphoned and hid public funds and that is why we want them to bring them out.

According to the EFCC boss, when the issue of the redesign of the naira came up, the dollar rose to N880, but later crashed to N680. “It is just a mirage and maybe with this, the dollar may crash completely to even N200, who knows?” he added.

• FG says debt sustainability now threatened by low revenue

The Federal Government, FG, has indicated that Nigeria’s debt sustainability has now come under serious threat following the recent rise in its revenue shortfalls. Making this disclosure yesterday at a workshop for members of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts and House Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management in Abuja, the Director-General of the Debt Management Office (DMO) Ms. Patience Oniha, further said that interest rates had sharply increased at both domestic and international capital markets, thereby making loans more expensive and debt service more burdensome.

She, therefore called for urgent actions to raise the nation’s revenue base. Her words, “Debt has grown and we all know why. Revenue base is low and we often don’t achieve annual revenue targets in the annual budgets. Even if we achieve the revenue targets 100 percent, they are still too low for a country the size of Nigeria.

“We have been dependent on borrowing as a country for a very long time. We have been borrowing because the revenue base is low. Because the revenue base is low, it is now threatening debt sustainability. We need urgent actions to moderate the level of new borrowing because debt service to revenue ratio would have been low if the revenue base had been very strong.

• Nigeria’s poverty exceeds World Bank projection, five states lead

The National Bureau of Statistics has disclosed that 133 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor. In its latest National Multidimensional Poverty Index report launched on Thursday, the NBS said that 63 per cent of Nigerians were poor due to a lack of access to health, education, living standards, employment and security. The Multidimensional Poverty Index offers a multivariate form of poverty assessment, identifying deprivations across health, education, living standards, work and shocks. The Statistician-General of the Federation and CEO of the NBS, Semiu Adeniran, said this was the first time the bureau would conduct a standard multidimensional poverty survey in Nigeria.

He added, “Unlike the Global MPI which uses three dimensions (Health, Education and Living Standards), we added a fourth dimension, Work and Shocks in the 2022 MPI Survey. This fourth dimension as well as other added variables such as food security, water reliability, underemployment, security shocks and school lag, were all added to reflect the current realities and priorities in Nigeria.”

The 133 million poor Nigerians recorded by the NBS exceeded the World Bank’s projection for Nigeria in 2022. The World Bank, which said that poverty reduction stagnated since 2015 under the regime of the President Muhammadu Buhari, projected that the number of poor Nigerians would hit 95.1 million in 2022. The rising poverty also defies the government’s plan to life 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years. In August 2019, Buhari said his regime would lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty between 2020 and 2030, which means that an average of 10 million Nigerians would be lifted out of poverty each year.

In June 2021, Buhari inaugurated the National Steering Committee of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. This, he said, re-echoed his commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, with a well-researched framework for implementation and funding.

The NBS report further showed Sokoto, Bayelsa, Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau are the top poorest states in 2022. Sokoto leads the poorest with 90.5 per cent of people in the state poor. It is followed by Bayelsa with 88.5 per cent poor people, Gombe with 86.2 per cent, Jigawa with 84.3 per cent, and Plateau with 84 per cent. The least poor states are Ondo with 27.2 per cent poor people, Lagos with 29.4 per cent, Abia 29.8 per cent, Edo with 31 per cent, and Anambra with 32.1 per cent.
The report said that 65 per cent of poor Nigerians (86 million) were in the North, while 35 per cent (nearly 47 million) were in the South.

 

 

 

 

HEALTH

• Don’t perish for lack of knowledge on diabetes, DICOMAI tells Nigerians

On this year’s World Diabetes Day, Nigerians have been enjoined to learn more about diabetes and its avoidable risks to reduce increasing burden of the disease and unnecessary deaths in the country.
The Chairman Board of Trustees, Diabetes Control Media Advocacy Initiative, DICOMAI, Dr. Afoke Isiavwe and Executive Director, Sam Eferaro, DICOMAI, said awareness about the disease remains a key factor in saving the lives of several people walking around in every part of the country who are oblivious of the fact that they have the disease and those already diagnosed who do not know how to manage or control it.

On the theme, “Education to protect tomorrow” DICOMAI said the campaign is to focus on the need for better access to quality diabetes education both for healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes. The statement called for awareness and recognition of factors such as a family history of diabetes, overweight, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, increasing age, high blood pressure, poor nutrition during pregnancy, impaired glucose tolerance and history of gestational diabetes, all closely associated with type 2 diabetes.

About 11.0 million people are living with diabetes in Nigeria, according to UN statistics. The statement further informed that diabetes remains one of the largest global health emergencies of the 21st century, largely because of its severe and deadly consequences. The organisations also observed that awareness about diabetes remains too low in the country, saying this is responsible for the detection of a large number of cases only when complications have set in.

DICOMAI therefore called on governments, healthcare providers and other stakeholders to intensify their efforts in providing adequate information to assist the public in recognising the signs and symptoms of the condition and the available preventing options.

 

 

 

EDUCATION

• Fed Govt insists on no-work, no-pay for ASUU members

The Federal Government yesterday insisted on no-work, no-pay for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who spoke after the week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, said the government has paid the teachers what was due to them. “I think that’s the position of the government; that it is not going to pay anyone for work not done and they only did, I think, the number of days that they were paid,” he said.

The minister denied ASUU leadership’s claim that the teachers were being treated like casual workers. He asked: “How can anybody make a university lecturer a casual worker? Do you know the meaning of casual worker? If you know the meaning of the casual worker, it is impossible to make a university lecturer a casual worker.”

When told that the teachers were planning to stay off work for a day in protest, he said: “I’m not aware. That they are going on strike? No, nobody has told me. “So let’s wait till the work-free day comes, then I’ll find out the details and we’ll discuss. You can ask me then, but at the moment, I’m telling you honestly, I do not know that there is a problem.”

Deputy National President, National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, appealed to ASUU to take the ‘no work no pay’ rule in good faith and continue teaching for the sake of students. He urged them to shift ground and make some compromises.
Ogunbanjo said: “ASUU should take it in good faith and continue teaching. They should understand the economic situation of the country. The country is borrowing. According to the government, it has met 70 to 80 per cent of their yearnings, so they should be ready to sacrifice.

• Ngige hates ASUU, responsible for half-pay – Lecturers

Lecturers in different parts of the country on Tuesday protested against the no-work no-pay policy imposed on them by the Federal Government following the eight-month strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. They said the actions of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, towards the union would destroy public universities in Nigeria.

Members of ASUU, University of Lagos chapter, held a rally from the Julius Berger Auditorium of the university premises, to the school main gate, to protest against the half salaries they received in October. The aggrieved lecturers held a big banner and placards with inscriptions that included, ‘Ngige be mindful of history, ASUU will outlive you’, ‘Teachers teach the nation but Ngige cheats the teachers’, ‘No work no pay and prorated salaries are punitive measures against renegotiated agreement,’ among others.

Speaking after the rally, titled, ‘The casualisation of intellectualism in Nigeria’, the branch Chairman, Dr Dele Ashiru, said Ngige instigated the government against ASUU. He said, ‘‘Ngige is the agent provocateur; he is the one instigating the government against ASUU. He has inexplicable hatred against our union and that is the reason he turned our struggle to a personal fight.

“It was Ngige who poisoned FEC against our union. Ngige started the campaign of no-work no-pay against our union. Ngige dragged ASUU before the court; Ngige wrote Ministry of Finance to stop our salary and made it prorated. He registered two stinker unions to weaken our union which was against the Trade Union Act. Ngige also wanted our union proscribed by suggesting that we have not been submitting our account. Ngige is out there to destroy public universities.’’

While speaking on the half-pay, he added that the action of the government was contrary to all labour laws and best practices all over the world, adding that the government prorated ASUU salaries so as to pitch the union against its students and Nigerians.

Also addressing the members, the Chairman, ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, appealed to the government to restore normalcy to the education sector by implementing the demands of the union. He described the government’s action towards the academic members as repressive, saying it was capable of causing more danger for the university communities and the students. The National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Soweto, alleged that the government was creating potholes for the incoming administration by failing to amend ways with the union.

 

 

 

WORLD

• Donald Trump announces 2024 presidential bid

Former US President Donald Trump has announced his bid for the White House in 2024.
Trump’s announcement comes as some Republican party members hold him responsible for the underwhelming performance of the party in last week’s midterm elections.

Speaking to a crowd at his Florida estate on Tuesday night, the 76-year-old politician said his bid for presidency was what America needed as a comeback from decline. “America’s comeback starts right now,” he said. We are a nation in decline. For millions of Americans, the past two years under Joe Biden have been a time of pain, hardship, anxiety and despair. We have to save our country.”

During Trump’s time at the White House, he was the first US president to be impeached twice, and his harsh rhetorics, which many public figures often heavily criticised, polarised the country. Currently, he is a target of multiple investigations into his conduct before, during and after his first term as president. These include allegations of fraud by his family business, his role in last year’s attack on the US Capitol, his attempt to overturn the 2020 elections, and the stashing of classified documents at his residence at Mar-a-Lago.

Many observers, including some Republicans, have questioned whether the former president is the right candidate for the party. Trump’s announcement puts him, once again, against President Joe Biden, who said he may run for re-election in 2024.

• Trump Failed America, Biden Says After Ex-President Announces 2024 Run

President Joe Biden responded Wednesday to Donald Trump’s announcement of another run for the White House by saying the Republican “failed” his country while in office. “Donald Trump failed America,” Biden said in a tweet from Bali, where he was attending the last day of the G20 summit.

This accompanied a video compilation saying Trump presided over “rigging economy for rich”, “attacking health care”, “coddling extremists”, “attacking women’s rights”, and “inciting a violent mob” to try to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.

Later, while participating in a ceremonial mangrove planting with other G20 leaders, reporters asked Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron if they had reactions to the Trump announcement.
The two looked at each other briefly before Biden said “not really,” while Macron remained silent.

• Republicans win U.S. House majority, setting stage for divided govt

Republicans were projected to win a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, setting the stage for two years of divided government as President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party held control of the Senate. The victory gives Republicans the power to rein in Biden’s agenda, as well as to launch potentially politically damaging probes of his administration and family, though it falls far short of the “red wave” the party had hoped for.

The final call came after more than a week of ballot-counting when Edison Research projected Republicans had won the 218 seats they needed to control the House. Republican victory in California’s 27th Congressional district took the party over the line.

The party’s current House leader, Kevin McCarthy, may have a challenging road ahead as he will need his restive caucus to hold together on critical votes, including funding the government and military at a time when former President Donald Trump has launched another run for the White House.
“Americans are ready for a new direction, and House Republicans are ready to deliver,” McCarthy said on Twitter.

The loss takes away some of Biden’s power in Washington but on Wednesday he congratulated McCarthy and said he would work across the aisle to deliver results. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement House Democrats “will continue to play a leading role in supporting President Biden’s agenda – with strong leverage over a scant Republican majority.”

• UK Inflation Accelerates To 41-Year Peak

British inflation has jumped to a 41-year high on soaring energy and food bills in a worsening cost-of-living crisis, data showed Wednesday on the eve of a key budget. The Consumer Prices Index hit 11.1 percent in October, reaching the highest level since 1981, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement. That compared with 10.1 percent in September, which matched the level in July and had already been the highest in 40 years.

Domestic fuel bills rocketed again despite the UK government’s energy price freeze as the market faced more fallout from key producer Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The October figure beat market expectations of 10.7 percent and was higher than the Bank of England’s forecast peak. “Rising gas and electricity prices drove headline inflation to its highest level for over 40 years, despite the Energy Price Guarantee,” said ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner.

Over the last year, gas prices have leapt by 130 percent and electricity prices by 66 percent, according to the ONS. Runaway inflation comes despite state energy support, which sought to limit annual energy bills at an average of £2,500 per year. Finance minister Jeremy Hunt blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine for spiking prices, as well as the easing of pandemic curbs.

Hunt is expected Thursday to hike taxes and slash spending, despite the cost-of-living squeeze, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attempts to fix economic chaos wrought by predecessor Liz Truss. “The aftershock of Covid and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is driving up inflation in the UK and around the world,” Hunt said Wednesday. This… is eating into pay cheques, household budgets and savings, while thwarting any chance of long-term economic growth.”

The Ukraine conflict has also sent inflation soaring to the highest level in decades worldwide, sparking economic turmoil. That has forced major central banks to raise interest rates, risking the prospect of recession as higher borrowing costs hurt businesses and consumers. The Bank of England this month sprang its biggest rate hike since 1989 to combat sky-high inflation — and warned the UK economy may experience a record-long recession until mid-2024.

• NASA Launches ‘Most Powerful’ Moon Rocket

NASA launched the most powerful rocket ever built on a journey to the Moon on Wednesday, in a spectacular blaze of light and sound that marked the start of the space agency’s new flagship program, Artemis. The 32-story tall Space Launch System (SLS) blasted off from the storied Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 01:47 am (0647 GMT), producing a record 8.8 million pounds (39 meganewtons) of thrust. “What you have done today will inspire generations to come, thank you!” Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA’s first female launch director, told cheering teammates.

Fixed to the rocket’s top was the uncrewed Orion spaceship that will orbit Earth’s nearest neighbor, in a test run for later flights that should see the first woman and first person of color touch down on lunar soil by the mid-2020s. About two hours after launch, NASA said the spacecraft had completed a propulsive maneuver to escape the pull of Earth’s gravity and was on its path to the Moon.

America last sent astronauts to the Moon during the Apollo era, from 1969-1972. This time it hopes to build a sustained presence — including a lunar space station — to help prepare for an eventual mission to Mars in the 2030s. There were nervous moments as teams worked to overcome technical issues that ate into the two-hour launch window, which opened at 1:04 am.

First, engineers were forced to pause the flow of liquid hydrogen into the core stage Tuesday night because of a valve leak, but a team sent to the launch pad resolved the issue after about an hour, by tightening loose bolts. Later, the space agency reported that a radar site monitoring the rocket’s flight path was experiencing problems due to a faulty ethernet switch, which had to be replaced. It was third time lucky for NASA after two previous launch attempts were canceled for technical reasons. The launch was also delayed due to weather setbacks including Hurricane Ian, which battered Florida in late September.

• Poland Puts Military On Alert After Reported Russia Strike

Poland put its military on heightened readiness Tuesday after Russian missiles reportedly landed inside the NATO member’s borders in a potentially major escalation of the war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of firing the missiles into Poland, but there was no immediate confirmation from either Warsaw or Washington, and Moscow dismissed the reported strikes as a “provocation” intended to escalate tensions.

The possible strikes, which allegedly killed two people, drew widespread condemnation, with European Union chief Charles Michel saying he was “shocked” and French President Emmanuel Macron calling for talks at the G20 summit underway in Indonesia.

Warsaw put its military on heightened alert after an emergency national security council meeting. “There has been a decision to raise the state of readiness of some combat units and other uniformed services,” spokesman Piotr Muller told reporters after the meeting in Warsaw. The US State Department said Washington “will determine what happened and what appropriate next steps would be.”

Poland is protected by NATO’s commitment to collective defence — enshrined in Article 5 of its founding treaty — but even if a cross-border strike is confirmed, the alliance’s response would likely be heavily influenced by whether it was accidental or intentional. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted to call for NATO members to convene an “immediate” summit. Hungary, also a NATO member which borders Ukraine, convened its national defence council in response to the reports, a spokesman for Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

The reports came after Russian missile strikes hit cities across Ukraine Tuesday — including Lviv near the border with Poland — which Kyiv said cut power to seven million homes. Zelensky said Russia had fired 85 missiles at energy facilities across the country, condemning the strikes as an “act of genocide” and a “cynical slap in the face” of the G20 as world leaders gathered for a summit expected to tackle the war in Ukraine.

• World’s Population Hits Eight Billion – UN

A baby born somewhere on Tuesday will be the world’s eight billionth person, according to a projection by the United Nations. “The milestone is an occasion to celebrate diversity and advancements while considering humanity’s shared responsibility for the planet,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. The UN attributes the growth to human development, with people living longer thanks to improvements in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene and medicine. It is also the result of higher fertility rates, particularly in the world’s poorest countries — most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa — putting their development goals at risk.

Population growth has also magnified the environmental impacts of economic development. But while some worry that eight billion humans is too many for planet Earth, most experts say the bigger problem is the overconsumption of resources by the wealthiest people. “Some express concerns that our world is overpopulated,” said United Nations Population Fund chief Natalia Kanem. “I am here to say clearly that the sheer number of human lives is not a cause for fear.”

Joel Cohen of Rockefeller University’s Laboratory of Populations told AFP the question of how many people Earth can support has two sides: natural limits and human choices. Our choices result in humans consuming far more biological resources, such as forests and land, than the planet can regenerate each year.

The overconsumption of fossil fuels, for example, leads to more carbon dioxide emissions, responsible for global warming. “We are stupid. We lacked foresight. We are greedy. We don’t use the information we have. That’s where the choices and the problems lie,” said Cohen. However, he rejects the idea that humans are a curse on the planet, saying people should be given better choices.

 

 

 

 

 

SPORTS

• Pinnick cost Super Eagles 2022 World Cup ticket – Rohr

Former Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr, has once again criticised Amaju Pinnick, the former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, for the team’s failure to pick a ticket to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Rohr endured a frosty relationship with Pinnick during the latter part of his reign in charge of the Super Eagles. The German was fired last December after guiding the Super Eagles to the playoff round.

The Nigerians wobbled through the qualifiers losing at home to Central African Republic and were also forced to a draw at home by Cape Verde. Former defender, Austin Eguavoen took charge of the Super Eagles in an interim capacity and the team eventually failed to qualify for the mundial after losing on away goal rule to the Black Stars of Ghana.

“Pinnick said my dismissal will avert a disaster, but in the end he created the disaster that cost Nigeria the ticket to the World Cup,” Rohr told Eagle7FM Sports Radio in an interview anchored by Osasu Obayiuwana. I regret that I did not take my team to win the World Cup, I regret that my players will not be at the World Cup even though they deserve to be there. It was not my decision, it was a decision by Pinnick and his board. He was punished for this as Nigeria lost the chance to win the AFCON and did not qualify for the World Cup.”

Rohr was linked with the Mali national team coaching job after being sacked by Nigeria but he lost out to Eric Chelle. The former Gabon and Burkina Faso tactician recently stated that he is open to coaching. He will, however, be in Qatar for media work.

• FIFA launches service to protect World Cup players from online abuse

FIFA has launched a new service to crack down on hate speech and discrimination online during the World Cup, the sport’s governing body announced. The service will protect more than 830 World Cup players from abuse on social media during the Qatar tournament.

“FIFA is committed to provide the best possible conditions for players to perform to the best of their abilities,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in the Wednesday statement. At the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we are happy to launch a service that will help to protect players from the damaging effects that social media posts can cause to their mental health and well-being.”

David Aganzo, the president of the worldwide representative organisation for professional footballers (FIFPRO), said it was football’s responsibility to protect players. “This type of abuse has a profound impact on their personalities, their families, performance as well as on their overall well-being and mental health,” he said. We hope that the social media protection service provides a starting point to help to defend participants from abusive messages,“he said.

He also urged the social media companies to join and support the football governing body in tackling the issue at the FIFA World Cup.” FIFA will monitor the social media accounts of all participants at the World Cup, scanning for abusive, discriminatory and threatening comments and then reporting them to social networks and law authorities.

• Adesanya arrested in US over metal knuckles

Former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, has reportedly been arrested for taking brass knuckles through security and John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. The 33-year-old, who lost his title by TKO to Alex Pereira in New York last Saturday, was arrested by Port Authority police in the American Airlines terminal on Wednesday.

According to a report on Daily Mail, a Port Authority spokesperson at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York confirmed the arrest, saying Adesanya was booked for possessing ‘metal knuckles.’
Brass knuckles are a Class A misdemeanor in New York, and it is also illegal to bring them aboard an airplane. It’s not clear where Adesanya allegedly stored the weapon.

Adesanya’s loss has seen him plummet down the pound-for-pound rankings, dropping from No. 2 to No. 8 on MMAfighting.com. A native of Lagos, Nigeria, Adesanya is now a citizen of New Zealand and currently lives in Auckland.

Longtime rivals Adesanya and Pereira went head-to-head on Saturday in a showdown for the UFC middleweight belt, where the latter emerged victorious after a brutal TKO stoppage late in the bout.
Despite claims that referee Marc Goddard called an end to the fight prematurely, Canadian fighter and trainer Firas Zahabi insists Adesanya should be ‘grateful’ for the decision.

 

 

METRO PLUS

• FG to support female commercial drivers

The Minister of State for Transportation, Ademola Adegoroye, has promised to facilitate the support of the Federal Government for female professional and commercial drivers in the country. The minister made the promise when he received the leadership of Female Drivers Association of Nigeria in his office in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the minister, Ebenezer Adeniyan, he said that the female commercial drivers are special and must be encouraged to flourish in their chosen profession.

Adegoroye further noted that the federal ministry of transportation will look into the request of the association to have female professional drivers employed into the ministry, stressing the need for government to give the needed recognition to female drivers.

Speaking earlier, the President of the association, Eunice Odeghe, said FEDAN was formed to bring all women professional drivers and automobile workers together under one umbrella to promote their interests and to deal with their challenges. The association also decorated the minister as a its patron.

• Soldier crushes general to death in Lagos barracks

The Director of Finance at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Brigadier-General Audu James, has died after he was knocked down by a car. Newsmen gathered that the car was driven by a corporal, Abayomi Ebun, inside the NAFRC Old Barracks in Lagos. Ebun was said to be drunk at the time of the incident and had since been detained by the NAFRC provost for further investigation.

A photo of the vehicle showed a huge dent on the bonnet while the right side of the windscreen was cracked. Newsmen gathered that immediately after the accident, James was rushed to the NAFRC Medical Centre where he was confirmed dead. The Welfare Officer, SEC 40, Kayode Olagunju, in a facebook post on Wednesday, described the news of James’ death as a sad development.

The spokesperson, 81 Division Nigerian Army, Major Olaniyi Osoba, said he heard about the incident but lacked the authority to speak on it. However, a signal obtained by newsmen confirmed that Ebun, who had been placed in custody for investigation, was drunk during the accident that claimed James’ life.

• Obasanjo mentors Lagos underprivileged, area boys

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has advised some Lagos street boys, popularly known as area boys, brought to him by a renowned female talking drummer, Aralola Olamuyiwa, for mentorship, to rediscover themselves. The renowned female talking-drumer popularly known as Ara, took some repentant area boys and girls to Obasanjo’s penthouse residence, the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, for mentorship.

The project, dubbed, ‘Eko Inspire Me,’ was facilitated with the assistance of the Lagos State Government in order to get the beneficiaries off the streets. The street boys and girls who had been branded ‘Street Kings and Queens’ had a mentoring session with Obasanjo, where they informed him of some of their challenges. The former president noted that God didn’t create them as street boys or girls, but there was the need for them to rediscover themselves.

The female drummer thanked the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for supporting the project. One of the mentees, Priscilla Ogba, said, “I did not believe in my life that I would set my eyes on our former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Even taking a picture with him is a privilege and a miracle.”