OHANAEZE REJECTS TINUBU’S MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT, SAYS IT’S REINTRODUCTION OF RUGA
OHANAEZE REJECTS TINUBU’S MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK, SAYS IT’S REINTRODUCTION OF RUGA The apex Igbo socio-cultural youth organisation, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has rejected the proposed creation of the Ministry of Livestock by the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government Speaking to journalists in Enugu, Enugu State capital on Monday, the National President General of OYC, Igboayaka Igboayaka, asked President Tinubu to drop the idea of creating a Ministry of Livestock, noting that it would spark a tribal war between the Fulanis and other tribes in the country. Igboayaka recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari tried to force RUGA down the throat of Nigerians but it was vehemently resisted and rejected by well meaning Nigerians. He said “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should hasten up to cancel the proposed ministry of livestock as initiated by ethnic land grabbers of Fulani political oligarchy through Miyetti Allah.” According to him, “Unfortunately, President Tinubu was misled on Tuesday July 9, 2024 into inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms which was tactically keyed in as a means to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain, but in actual sense it is reintroduction of RUGA from back door.” He added that “It’s historic that the Yorubas have suffered untold ethnic farmers crisis and killings by Fulani herders, therefore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu creation of livestock ministry is an attempt to arm Fulani herders and institutionalised a monster that will pose a threat to consume Yoruba farmers.” He said “It’s pathetic, President Tinubu is not aware that those behind the proposed ministry of livestock are the same cabals that have constantly pushed for establishment of RUGA in Nigeria for the past 12 years from former President Goodluck Jonathan administration to former president Mohammadu Buhari administration.” Speaking further, Igboayaka said, “It’s unfortunate and unacceptable to create ministries or agencies according to the interest, needs or demands of one section of the country or a particular tribe instead for national interest. “Creation of livestock ministry as championed by Miyetti Allah is a Fulani livestock agricultural project as a means to penetrate and grab lands that belong to other tribes for settlement in disguise of agricultural purpose.” He stressed that the people of the South-East “Will resist any form of cattle colony in Igbo land that serve interest of Fulani herders, with its further target of land grabbing institutionalisation of fulani community settlement in Igbo land will ultimately be resisted with the last pint of our blood” Comrade Igboayaka vowed.”I urge other ethnic groups, the middle Belt who are majorly the target of Fulani herders ethnic cleansing and land grabbing to rise up and resist the implementation of the so-called livestock Reform.”
PDP GOVERNORS MEET IN ENUGU
PDP GOVERNORS MEET IN ENUGU Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will be meeting in Enugu. The governors are Sheyin Makinde of Oyo, Umo Eno of Akwa-Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara States. Others were Ahmed Fintiri of Adamawa, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and the host governor, Peter Mbah of Enugu State. The meeting will be preceded by a gala and cultural night while the agenda for the meeting remain unclear. However, close sources disclosed that the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Damagum, and other key party leaders are expected to join the governors in the Enugu parley. The sources said that governors would most likely deliberate on how to organise successful state congresses nationwide on July 27, preparations for the forthcoming Edo and Ondo States off-season governorship election. They are also expected to review the implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to Local Governments as well as the issue of mass defections of top party members in Imo, Abia states. This is more especially the recent defection of the former President of the Senate, Sen. Pius Anyim and others to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC ).The governors of Osun Ademola Adeleke and Bayelsa Douye Diri were yet to arrive as the time of filing this report.
QUIETLY LEAVE APGA, DON’T DESTROY OUR PARTY – CHEKWAS OKORIE TELLS GOV SOLUDO
QUIETLY LEAVE APGA, DON’T DESTROY OUR PARTY – CHEKWAS OKORIE TELLS GOV SOLUDO The founder and pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chekwas Okorie, has told Governor Chukwuma Soludo to quietly leave the party if he so wishes. Chekwas said he has uncovered a strategy by the Anambra State Governor to destroy the party, on whose platform he was elected into office. The APGA founder said the Governor had sworn to him that he would never accept or work with Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of the party. Addressing the press in Abuja on Tuesday, Okorie accused Soludo of sponsoring factions in the party, especially the one led by Victor Oyeh, despite the Supreme Court ruling that declared Njoku as the authentic Chairman of the party, a ruling that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has since recognised. It would be recalled that INEC had finally complied with the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on 24th March 2023, enforced by the FCT High Court on 6th June 2023, and further re-enforced by the Court of Appeal on 28th June 2024, recognizing Njoku as the Chairman of the party. However, Chekwas believes that this victory had come under vicious attack by Soludo, adding that the Governor recently announced in a public event in Anambra State that he had concluded arrangements while at Abuja to get the Supreme Court to reverse itself and get INEC to withdraw the recognition the Commission had given to Njoku and his executive. “Professor Chukwuma Soludo has peddled the information among his close allies and the rebellious APGA faction working with him that he has secured the assurance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who he claimed pledged to influence the Supreme Court to review and reverse the judgment delivered on 24th March 2023 in favour of Chief Edozie Njoku,” he added. “He further assured his faction of APGA that INEC would without delay withdraw the recognition given to Chief Njoku and his National Working Committee. “Professor Soludo had boasted to me directly that he would use everything within his powers as the governor of Anambra State, to ensure that Chief Edozie Njoku would never be the National Chairman of APGA. “He vowed that if for any reason he failed to stop Njoku from becoming National Chairman, he would resign from APGA within 24 hours and that APGA would cease to exist as a political party. “At that point, I took strong exception to his boast. I told him that since he was not God who made APGA possible 22 years ago when it was registered by INEC as a political party, he lacked the power to determine the survival of APGA. “Having secured an all-round victory for APGA in 3 different courts, Njoku has demonstrated maturity and magnanimity in victory. “He has seized every opportunity both in private and public domains to stretch his hand of fellowship to Prof. Soludo and all members of APGA, irrespective of factional inclination, that the time to unite and rebuild the party has come. “I know as well as so many well-meaning Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a thoroughbred democrat and a progressive politician who after winning his presidential election of 2023, patiently and diligently successfully defended the outcome of the election both at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and at the Supreme Court. “They will not be the first to take that option and they will not be the last to do so. But to design a plot to collapse APGA into another party just to promote his personal political scheming and ambition is not only sacrilegious but an abomination that cries to high heaven. “We call on all well-meaning Nigerians, especially, President Bola Ahmed…
36 STATES, 774 LGS SHARE N10.13TRN IN SIX MONTHS – NBS REPORT
36 STATES, 774 LGS SHARE N10.13TRN IN SIX MONTHS – NBS REPORT Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown that five states which include some Niger Delta states and the country’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos State, received the largest allocations from the federal government from January to May 2024. The NBS report further revealed that the 36 states and 774 local governments shared a total of ₦10.13 trillion as statutory allocation within the period under review. The data sourced from monthly reports of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), and published by the NBS revealed that the 36 states’ allocation rose by 27% to ₦4.5 billion in 12 months (June 2023 to May 2024) from ₦3.58 trillion in the corresponding period (June 2022 and May 2023). The compilation of the states’ allocations collected from January 2024 to May 2024, showed that some Niger Delta states and Lagos received the most allocations (in naira) as seen in the table below: The revenue sharing formula as defined by FAAC gives the Federal Government the larger part of the allocation which stands at 52.68%, the states receive 26.72%, and local governments get 20.60%. The monthly income shared with the federal, state and local government areas is mostly sourced from earnings derived from oil exports, taxes (Value Added Tax – VAT), Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), Exchange Difference revenue and other statutory allocations.Other income sources include internally generated revenue and the 13% derivation revenue (for the benefitting states) which explains the higher allocations for the Niger Delta (oil-producing) states.
GOV SANWO-OLU SPLASHES N100,000 TO EACH CORPS MEMBER IN LAGOS
GOV SANWO-OLU SPLASHES N100,000 BONUS TO EACH CORPS MEMBER IN LAGOS The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday splurged a whopping N427.7 million on 4,277 corps members serving in the State a whopping. Sanwo-Olu said each corps member would receive N100,000. He also announced a donation of N100 million to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and support staff. The governor spoke at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Batch ‘B’ Stream 1 orientation course for 4,277 corps members in Lagos, held at the NYSC camp, Iyana Ipaja area of the state. The governor also approved the sum of N5 billion for the building of NYSC permanent site in Igando area of the state. Sanwo-Olu further announced automatic employment for 100 corps members in the public service after their service year. He charged the corps members to actively engage with local communities, address challenges, and contribute to meaningful projects, urging them to exemplify the lessons of discipline, perseverance, and teamwork that they had imbibed during their time in the camp.
Dons Eze
- Spirituality
- July 16, 2024
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POPE FRANCIS APPOINTS NEW VATICAN AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
POPE FRANCIS APPOINTS NEW VATICAN AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, a significant diplomatic role within the Catholic Church. The announcement was made on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, highlighting the Irish archbishop’s extensive experience in the region. “Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty has been appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria,” read a statement in Vatican News. “As the former nuncio to the neighbouring countries of Niger and Burkina Faso, the Irish church diplomat has extensive experience in the region.” Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, holds the continent’s second-largest Catholic population, following the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the country has seen a rise in violence against Christians, particularly in the northern regions, with priests and religious figures frequently kidnapped and held for ransom. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri and President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), announced the appointment: “Today, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. He said: “His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed His Excellency the Most Reverend Michael F. Crotty, Titular Archbishop of Lindisfarne, as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria.” In response to his appointment, Archbishop Crotty expressed his joy and gratitude: “My appointment as Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria is a cause of great joy for me and of profound gratitude to His Holiness Pope Francis for the honour that he has bestowed upon me. I pledge my utmost to serve to the best of my abilities as the Holy Father’s representative to all Nigerians, regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds.” Archbishop Crotty, reflecting on the historical ties between Ireland and Nigeria, added: “As a native of Ireland, I can say that Nigeria is well known to the Irish people, particularly through the bonds of faith and friendship established by many generations of Irish missionaries. I take this opportunity, therefore, to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Irish missionaries: bishops, priests, religious sisters and lay missionaries. Of course, side-by-side them, there have been countless other missionaries from many other countries.” A Distinguished Career Born on March 26, 1970, in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, Ireland, Archbishop Crotty was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cloyne on July 3, 1994. He continued his postgraduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained Licentiates in Ecclesiastical History and Canon Law and a doctorate in Ecclesiastical History. Archbishop Crotty entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 1, 2001, and has since served in various Apostolic Nunciatures around the world, including Kenya, Canada, Iraq, Jordan, and Spain. In February 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso, later extending his mandate to Niger. He was ordained to the episcopate on August 15, 2020. In May 2023, Archbishop Crotty was appointed Special Envoy of the Holy See to attend the presidential inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Apart from his native English, Archbishop Crotty is fluent in Gaelic, French, Italian, Spanish, and German. As he embarks on his new mission, Archbishop Crotty entrusts his work to the maternal care of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, inviting all Nigerian Catholics to pray for him and for Pope Francis through her intercession and that of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of both Ireland and Nigeria.
RIVERS HOUSE OF CRISIS: PRO-FUBARA LAWMAKERS TACKLE PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS OVER BUDGET SPENDING
RIVERS HOUSE OF CRISIS: PRO-FUBARA LAWMAKERS TACKLE PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS OVER BUDGET SPENDING The factional Rivers State House of Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, has condemned the resolution by the Martin Amaewhule-led House, barring Governor Siminalayi Fubara from spending public funds. The Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo stated this in his opening remark during plenary on Tuesday. He said what Amaewhule and 24 others whom he described as former members of the House did, was unfounded and without validity. Oko-Jumbo argued that the group had no legal capacity or moral basis, to bar the governor from spending public funds. He insisted that Amaewhule and 24 others are not members of the Assembly, following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December, 2023. Buttressing his argument, he said the section of the constitution which deals with the issue of defection is self-executing. He added that the section was further made effective following the declaration of the 25 seats vacant by Edison Ehie, who was legally recognised by a court as the Speaker, before his assumption He stated that the Assembly led by him, is the legally recognised section, which of course manages the statutory allocation of the house. Oko-Jumbo explained that Governor Fubara had duly presented the said appropriation bill to the house when Edison Ehie was the speaker, and that same was passed and signed into law. He said that the house is awaiting the presentation of the medium-term expenditure framework ahead of the 2025 fiscal year. He urged the public to ignore the Amaewhule pronouncement, and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to without delay conduct the bye-election to fill the 25 vacant seats in the house. It would be recalled that on Monday, the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, shut down all expenditures of the Rivers State governor. This followed a seven-day ultimatum the lawmakers gave the governor to present his budget before the House. The Leader of the House, Major Jack had raised the motion, after informing the House about the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum given to the governor to present the 2024 budget before the House. After deliberation, the House voted to shut down the Rivers State Consolidated Revenue Account, thus preventing Governor Fubara’s administration from spending any money on behalf of the state. Fubara had some months back, presented the budget to a set of lawmakers loyal to him. The House of Assembly members were then led by Edison Ehie who is now the governor’s chief of staff.Ehie and the lawmakers had then passed the budget estimates which Fubara later signed into law.
PDP VS PDP: RIVERS EXCO DISAGREES WITH NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OVER APPEAL
PDP VS PDP: RIVERS EXCO DISAGREES WITH NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OVER APPEAL The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has disagreed with its national leadership for dissociating the Party from the appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division against the ruling of the High Court of Rivers State in Suit No: PHC/2177/CS/2024. The national headquarters of PDP had in a press statement issued by Hon. Debo Ologunagba – the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dissociated the Party from the appeal filed at the Court of Appeal case. However, in a swift reaction the Rivers State PDP Chapter, the legal Adviser, Kingsley Chuku, a press statement argued that the “Federal High Court, Abuja Division in the case of Ambassador Akawo Vs Peoples Democratic Party & 2 Others in- SUIT NO: FHC/AB-J/CS/112/2023 delivered on the 20th day of September, 2023 had interpreted Article 46(1) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party and declared that the State Legal Adviser of the party is vested with the requisite powers and authority to appoint legal representation for the party in relation to the activities of the party at the State level”. Also, the State PDP Legal Adviser, Chuku pointed out that is that the Peoples Democratic Party did not appeal against the said judgment till date. Chuku clarified that he issued the letter of instruction to the Counsel who filed processes in the case in question, i.e., Suit No: PHC/2177/CS/2024 and authorized him to file the Notice of Appeal, relying on the judgment of the Federal High Court in the case of Ambassador Desmond Akawo Vs Peoples Democratic Party & 2 ORS (SUPRA). “I reiterate that the Rivers State Chapter of the party authorized the filing of the appeal.Thank you”, Chuku said. Recall that PDP, has distanced itself from an appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division. The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made the clarification in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Mr Ologunagba said that party’s attention was drawn to a SUIT No: PHC/2177/CS/2024 wherein the PDP was reportedly listed as appellant. He said that the purported appeal was never authorised or instituted by the party. “For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, has ascertained that the party did not file the said appeal neither did it authorize any external solicitor to file same on its behalf.“As such, the PDP cannot be listed as appellant in the appeal.
$1.8B FUEL STOLEN FROM NIGERIAN REFINERIES IN NINE YEARS NEITI
$1.8B FUEL STOLEN FROM NIGERIAN REFINERIES IN NINE YEARS – NEITI The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Dr Ogbonnaya Orji, has disclosed that the country lost $1.84bn worth of petroleum products from refineries in nine years. Orji stated this on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 2024 NEITI board retreat/meeting in Lagos. According to him, 4.2 billion litres of petroleum products were lost from the refineries as a result of oil theft between 2009 and 2018. This was estimated at 140,000 barrels per day. Baffled by the increasing rate of oil theft, the NEITI boss said, “Figures contained in our 2009 to 2020 audits have put Nigeria’s losses to crude oil theft over a 12-year period at 619.7 million barrels valued at $46.16bn or N16.25tn. Similarly, between 2009 and 2018, the country also lost 4.2 billion litres of petroleum products from refineries valued at $1.84 billion.” He added that these losses and their attendant negative effects on the economy made the previous administration constitute a special panel on oil theft/losses to study the situation. Orji hinted that NEITI did a report and made recommendations on the ways to stop oil theft in Nigeria, urging the current administration to look into the report and implement the recommendations. He emphasised that the five-day retreat was an opportunity to discuss ideas on ways to deal with the current challenges of oil theft, illegal mining, pipeline and other governance challenges that have contributed to the loss of revenues and investment opportunities. On energy transition, the executive secretary expressed worries that the nation’s economy is being threatened by the global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy as the demand for oil declines. Orji noted that the global transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources poses significant risks to countries that depend heavily on hydrocarbon-based natural resource revenues for survival. “Our country, Nigeria is heavily dependent on oil revenues for survival. It is within the ambit of this board to support our government and citizens with timely policy decisions and strategies to deal with this unavoidable unfolding development in the extractive sector. “The fear of the known risks in most of the affected countries far outweighs the potential unknown opportunities except we utilise the immense opportunities within the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, its global network and multi-stakeholder framework to search for solutions. “At current dependency levels, Nigeria already faces significant threats to its economy from the prospect of a permanent decline in global demand for crude oil. The demand for our oil keeps going down daily,” he remarked. He declared that given the fiscal problems Nigeria has experienced from short-term disruptions in crude oil and gas output, the much longer-term and permanent decline in demand would have a far-reaching impact on the country’s economy. Orji added, “While the transition from carbon-based fuel will have a significant long-term impact on Nigeria’s revenue and exports, the transition would also have other impacts on the economy. A direct consequence of the transition would be the loss of fossil fuel as a source of energy. “In 2021, crude oil and gas accounted for 46 per cent of energy use and 78 per cent of electricity generation in Nigeria. The transition would therefore require significant financial investment for the country to generate renewable energy to replace energy previously generated from carbon fuels. This financing (and technological) burden is in addition to the equally significant amount of money that is required to close Nigeria’s current energy supply gap,” he explained. On his part, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said for Nigeria to fully harness its abundant natural resources, there is an urgent need to re-examine the existing laws that vest control over oil and other mineral…
TWO HOUSE OF REPS MEMBERS DIE IN SEVEN DAYS
TWO HOUSE OF REPS MEMBERS DIE IN SEVEN DAYS A member of the House of Representatives representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, Nigeria, Hon Ekene Abubakar Adams is dead. Hon. Ekene was confirmed dead early Tuesday morning by his wife and his death comes just a few days after his former colleague from Oyo Olajide Akinremi Jagaban passed on. The outspoken lawmaker who was until his death the Chairman House Committee on Sports, had battled ill-health in recent times. He was also a former football player, ex GM of Kada City Football Club, ex GM Remo Stars before winning the house of Reps election under Labour Party in 2023. With his sport background, despite being a first timer, he was appointed the Chairman of House of Reps Committee on Sports. While trying to “find his feet” politically, he joined APGA, APC before joining LP where he won the 2023 election. Back in 2021, he contested under APC for local government chairman but lost in the primaries, also lost the APC primaries for House of Reps but later got the ticket of LP.This will be the second death in the House of Reps within seven days.