TheNewsGuru

Tag: Crisis

  • Resolve the small party crisis you have – Akpabio tells Peter Obi

    Resolve the small party crisis you have – Akpabio tells Peter Obi

    The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday, urged Peter Obi, the former Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), to put his house in order and not make unnecessary comments on past leaders of the country.

    Akpabio stated this during a valedictory session held in honour of the late leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Pa Edwin Clark.

    He was also reacting to a comment Obi made at an event saying that the efforts of Nigeria’s past leaders were in vain.

    “Those who are aspiring as presidential candidates to cause division with their mouths using the social media, tell them to resolve the small party crisis they have before they come to talk about the larger Nigeria.

    “I am saying this because I understand that just yesterday, one of the presidential aspirants, Peter Obi, said that the labours of our leaders who have passed on were in vain.

    “They were not in vain. The mere fact that Nigeria is still standing together shows clearly that their labours were not in vain.

    “Very few countries with the size of Nigeria are still together; today, many have been fragmented.

    “Edwin Clark lived through the days of the USSR. Nigeria in spite our difficulties, God has kept us together because of the voices of people like Pa Edwin clark. So clearly, his labour and labours were not in vain.

    “And for those in the social media, Nigeria has an unregulated social media system so let them wallow in it and then take this situation and propagate all sorts of falsehood and all sorts of narratives.

    “Some of them on social media were not even born when Pa Clark was very active in service and so they couldn’t have known some of the things he did that we are remembering today.

    “And yet when somebody makes a statement that the labour of our past leaders are in vain, I beg to disagree”.

    Akpabio added that let Obi show leadership, like Edwin Clark did by resolving first, the crisis in the Labour Party.

    “He has one of the the smallest parties in Nigeria and you cannot even resolve the crisis in that Labour Party”.

  • Nnaji dismisses allegations of APC crisis

    Nnaji dismisses allegations of APC crisis

    Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has debunked allegations made by individuals claiming to be stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu North.

    Reacting in a statement on Saturday in Enugu, Nnaji described the accusation of him causing leadership crises in APC, Enugu State chapter, as baseless and desperate.

    He stated that the individuals involved neither speak for the party nor represent its authentic leadership in Enugu State.

    The minister reaffirmed his status as a respected and prominent chieftain of the APC, emphasising his role as a founding member and pillar of the party.

    He noted that his loyalty and contributions to the APC’s growth and stability at state, regional and national levels are well-documented and widely acknowledged.

    Nnaji expressed confidence in Chief Ugo Agballa’s leadership, insisting that “Agballa remains the duly recognised and authentic Chairman of the APC in Enugu State.

    “It is necessary to state unequivocally that the so-called stakeholders’ meeting lacks legitimacy, and their pronouncements hold no consequence for APC’s official leadership.”

    The minister described their actions as “calculated attempts to cause confusion and mislead party members and the general public.”

    He emphasised that governance must always be assessed holistically and not through blanket applause or hasty judgement.

    Nnaji urged genuine APC members in Enugu State to remain focused, disciplined and committed to repositioning the party.

    He further called on the APC national leadership and the public to disregard any claims made by individuals without a mandate.

    Nnaji reaffirmed his commitment to the APC and service to Nigeria, stating he would not be distracted by “orchestrated campaigns of calumny and mischief.”

  • House of Reps to investigate Osun LG crisis

    House of Reps to investigate Osun LG crisis

    The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the Osun local government crisis which has claimed no fewer than six lives in the state.

    NAN reports that the resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Rep. Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun) and nine other members from the state at plenary on Wednesday.

    Moving the motion earlier, Salam recalled that on Feb. 17, violence broke out in several parts of Osun.

    He said that the violence was as a result of the attempt to take over the administration of local governments in the state by the officials who were sacked by a court judgment in November 2022.

    Salam said that the sacked officials broke the gates of their respective local government secretariats to forcefully take over the councils without any court order.

    He said Gov. Ademola Adeleke had earlier raised an alarm on the imminent threat to peace and security in the state.

    The lawmaker said that the governor had also called on the Inspector-General of Police and heads of other security agencies to take proactive steps to forestall the violence.

    He expressed the concern that if the current trend of resort to self-help by political actors was not nipped in the bud, it might encourage citizens to do same in the face of perceived rights and privileges.

    “The present situation in Osun may snowball into a free-for-all unless urgent actions are taken by relevant authorities.

    “The preventable violence which happened in Osun had led to the death of six persons while scores of others suffered severe injuries and presently receiving treatment in various hospitals,” he said.

    Salam said that if prompt action was not taken against the ongoing lawlessness and arbitrariness, it might escalate into more serious security challenges in the state.

    According to him, the most fundamental objective and primary purpose of any government is the security and welfare of the people.

    He said that as representatives of the people, the house had the duty and responsibility of ensuring safety of lives and property in the country.

    Salam, however, said that the police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies had the capacity to restore normalcy in all the local government councils.

    In his ruling, the Speaker, Rep Tajudeen Abbas, said that an ad hoc committee would be constituted to carry out the investigation.

    NAN reports that Abbas led the house into observing a minute silence in honour of those who lost their lives during the crisis. 

  • Police confirm 6 deaths in Osun LG crisis

    Police confirm 6 deaths in Osun LG crisis

    The Police Command in Osun has confirmed that six persons lost their lives in the crisis over the control of local government secretariats in Osun on Monday.

    The crisis erupted between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the Court of Appeal judgment sacking of APC council chairmen and councillors.

    According to NAN, the PDP claimed that the Feb. 10 judgment of the Court of Appeal did not reinstate the sacked APC chairmen and councillors elected in 2022, APC insisted on their return.

    This is contained in a statement by the command`s spokesperson, CSP Yemisi Opalola, on Tuesday in Osogbo.

    Opalola said that several people also sustained injuries during the crisis.

    She, however, said that the Inspector -General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had deployed mobile policemen to the state to ensure a peaceful atmosphere.

    Opalola said that the mobile police, who were deployed from other states, arrived on Monday night.

    She said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mohammed Abba, had ordered a thorough investigation into the crisis, with a promise that perpetrators would be prosecuted.

    ‘The event of yesterday left six people dead and many people  hospitalised.We are not happy with what happened.

    “We expressed deepest sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives and property” she said.

    Opalola, who urged residents of the state to remain calm, said that the police would continue to ensure a peaceful atmosphere in the state.

    She warned those fueling trouble in the state to desist from the act, saying Osun is known for peace.We won’t allow anyone to disrupt the peace of our state.

    “The command will leave no stone unturned to achieve peace. Let us give peace a chance,” she said.

  • PDP senators move to gun down crisis engulfing party

    PDP senators move to gun down crisis engulfing party

    Following the recent development in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), senators elected on the platform of the party, on Thursday took a bold step towards gunning down the crisis.

    Addressing the press after a closed door session, the Senate Minority Leader, Comrade Abba Moro PhD said the PDP caucus acknowledged the crisis in the party and had resolved to work with all the critical stakeholders with a view to ending the crisis and restoring peace.

    The caucus appealed to all aggrieved persons to sheathe their swords for the sake of the party, promising to make every effort that’s necessary to bring everybody together and make PDP a formidable party that it’s known for.

    The caucus called for withdrawal of all litigations in court to make room for more robust discussions that aim to bring lasting peace in the party.

    It charged party members to put the interest of the party ahead of all personal interests and work towards strengthening the party and making it a better alternative to the ruling APC that has brought so much pains and hardship on the country, stating that PDP remains the only hope for the suffering Nigerians.

  • PDP crisis now resolved – Bala Mohammed

    PDP crisis now resolved – Bala Mohammed

    The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) on Tuesday said that the internal crisis rocking the party had been resolved.

    The forum’s Chairman, Gov. Bala Mohammed, stated this in an interview with newsmen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after the forum’s meeting.

    Mohammed said that stakeholders within the party had agreed that all the suspensions within the National Working Committee (NWC) be set aside and the status quo maintained.

    He said that the forum, alongside the National Assembly caucus and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), had met and reaffirmed that “there is no faction in PDP.

    “All the suspensions you heard about have been resolved by the governors, the NWC, the caucus of the National Assembly and the BoT.

    “There is no faction; everything has reverted to the status quo under the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, pending the time the governors and other organs of the party will sit down and resolve all the issues.

    “There is no party that does not have problems. Some of them are legal, and we do not want to preempt the outcome of the legal procedures.

    “So, whatever speculations and perceptions that might have gone out are wrong.

    “Both parties have agreed that in the interest of the party and Nigeria, we should return to the status quo before the suspension and counter-suspension.

    “These suspensions have been lifted; there are no more suspensions. That is the resolution of the PDP-GF,” he said.

    Mohammed advised members of the party to make sacrifices and come together.

    “Yes, we may have ill feelings here and there but we should bury them. Our personal feelings should not be allowed to create perceptions that seem to divide us,” he said.

    Asked if the Oct. 24 NWC meeting of the party would still hold, Mohamed said that the governors, BoT and NWC would discuss it.

    Also speaking with newsmen at the airport, the acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum, said there was no crisis in the party.

    Damagum said that some people only wanted to take advantage of the situation.

    He urged the media not to escalate things, even where there was no crisis.

    “As far as I’m concerned, the governors are our leaders and critical organs of this party, and when they speak, we must look at it holistically and also abide by it,” he said.

    Asked if the two suspended members of NWC, Debo Ologunagba and Kamaldeen Ajibade, had left PDP, Damagum said that they were still in the party.

    Meanwhile, a communique issued by the PDP-GF after the forum’s virtual meeting held on Monday and Tuesday, said that the party was careful in addressing issues, particularly those over which there were pending legal disputations.

    The communique, signed by Mohammed, said that after consultations with BOT, NWC and other organs of the party, the forum resolved “that the NWC should revert to the status quo and remain united in the interest of the party and the nation.

    “We also resolved that all suspensions issued on officials across the parties within the NWC have been lifted forthwith.

    “That there are no factions in the party and minor issues should not be blown out of proportion.

    “We also urge that occupants of positions of responsibility should be mindful of their vow to serve and grow the party from strength to strength, consolidating on the dreams of our founding fathers,” the communique stated.

    Other attendees of the virtual meeting, according to the communique, were governors of Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Oyo, Osun, Zamfara Delta, Adamawa, Plateau and Enugu states.

    NAN reports that two factions of the party NWC had, on Friday, emerged within the PDP, with each faction suspending key officers of the NWC.

    The Damagum-led faction of the NWC had suspended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, for alleged disloyalty.

    The faction also appointed their deputies, Manga and Osuoha as acting national publicity secretary and acting national legal adviser, respectively.

    Meanwhile, another NWC faction, in a statement issued by Ologunagba, also announced the suspension of Damagum and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged anti-party activity.

    The faction also announced Alhaji Yayari Mohammed as the new acting national chairman of the party.

  • Tackle hunger crisis, slash price of PMS-Bishop Kukah advises Tinubu

    Tackle hunger crisis, slash price of PMS-Bishop Kukah advises Tinubu

    The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Kukah, has urged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to tackle the food crisis in Nigeria.

    Kukah urged Tinubu while making his remarks on Friday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) unveiling of the Progressive Institute in Abuja.

    According to him, Nigerians are hungry and something urgent needs to be done.”

    He also called for urgent steps to be taken to reduce the cost of fuel.

    The event had governors, ministers, party leaders and other appointees of government from both national and state levels present.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume was also in attendance, as well as representatives of Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

    Nigeria currently battles one of the worst food crises in history, with food inflation pegged at over 40 per cent by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

    The ongoing increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol from around N585 per litre to almost N900 per litre by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has also sparked uproar in the country, with many calling for a reversal.

    While speaking further, the bishop said unless democracy was built on an intellectual foundation, “it will be built on sand.”

    According to him, politics must be seen as a science to deliver good governance and not a game of looting.

    He also said the Kukah Centre desires to raise the bar.

    While noting that he is not a politician, the clergyman, however, said he is political and believed in promoting quality leadership.

    In his remarks, the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje noted that the Progressive Institute is to ensure that the ideology of the party is institutionalised.

    He said it will also serve as the official policy think-tank of the party, and provide a platform for discussion between the party, Nigerians, the academic society and the media, to promote inclusiveness.

    He also said the institute will provide policy advice and suggestions to the government elected on the platform of the APC at both the national and state levels.

    Ganduje further explained that the institute will also serve as an intellectual platform that will engage the international committee.

  • Out-of-School Children Crisis: Nigerians urge govt’s urgent action

    Out-of-School Children Crisis: Nigerians urge govt’s urgent action

    …say Nigeria’s future is bleak

    Federal and state governments have been tasked to urgently address Nigeria’s worrisome spike in out-of-school children crises to save the country’s future.

    Experts and citizens made the call during an anti-corruption radio program, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, on Wednesday in Abuja.

    This is coming on the heels of two recent investigative reports published by Premium Times exposing how poverty, shambolic education system, dilapidated infrastructure, tortuous teaching, and learning environment continue to worsen the out-of-school children scourge in Niger and Nasarawa states.

    Nigeria currently has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, with only 63% of primary school children regularly attending schools, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

    Speaking during the radio programme, Chief Executive Officer of Gender Consult Joyce Ahmadu called on President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state governors to take prompt steps in tackling the rising numbers of out-of-school children, admonishing that high priority must be placed on improving basic education.

    Ahmadu warned that Nigeria’s future will be bleak if leaders fail to nip the out-of-school children problem in the bud without delay, as primary and secondary school education is the bedrock of every nation’s development”.

    She knocked on state governments that have failed to provide matching grants for implementing Universal Basic Education, UBE in their states. Adding that the action ensures the future of the Nigerian child remains in jeopardy, with girls mainly affected.

    “The buck lies on the government’s desk in budgeting and collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure that the education sector provides an enabling environment for children to learn. The role of government cannot be over-emphasized.

    “We (Nigeria) will not be where we are today if the governors prioritize education. The children just come to school and possibly don’t even learn anything, just to fulfill all righteousness. And we know that the primary and secondary schools are the bedrock, so If they don’t get it right at these levels, we are doomed.

    “The governors have a huge role in ensuring that even parents prioritize the education of their wards, but of course, they cannot hold parents accountable because they have not even provided the right infrastructure for children to come and learn.

    “The government needs to take the lead with regards to education and everybody will follow suit. Obviously, they’ve not prioritized education,” Ahmadu lamented.

    She noted that corruption is a major issue that must be dealt with if education budgetary allocations at federal and state levels are to be properly put to good use.

    Similarly, a board member of the Civil Society Action Coalition On Education For All (CSACEFA), Abdullahi Sale, called out state governments for their inability to prioritize the education of citizens as insecurity, infrastructure, and teachers’ remuneration are still not on the front burner.

    Sale, while stressing that Nigeria needs humongous investment in education to catch up with the rest of the world, also lamented the failure of some state governments to access UBE funds as of July 2024. He
    however, raised fear that more states will not access the education funds after the federal government increased the matching grant to N3.5 billion.

    “Government just have to prioritize education. We need to understand that the issues in the country today are not unconnected to the lack of education of our young people. Twenty years back, there was a study that these (out-of-school crisis) happenings that we see in the North would happen because education had been neglected. If the government had acted just the way former President Goodluck Jonathan started with the Almajiri schools and other initiatives, then we would have nipped it in the bud.

    “The government should realize that the issues we are facing in the country today are connected to lack of education, and so they should do the needful.

    “Many governors don’t see education as something they should invest in. For the 3.5bn, I’m afraid as to how many states will be able to match that 3.5bn. We (civil society groups) have monitored education infrastructure across the country, and what we saw on the ground is worrisome.

    “We need a humongous amount and political will to work on infrastructure in the country. So, the UBE fund is a far cry, but it’s better than nothing. I hope the governors will prioritize matching those funds,” Sale stated.

    On her part, data journalist and researcher Kafilat Taiwo urged federal and state governments to collaborate with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in addressing the myriad of problems bedevilling primary and secondary education, especially in rural areas.

    Taiwo, buttressing the findings of the investigation, stated that “poverty, insecurity, dilapidated infrastructure, poor welfare and others are some of the issues booming the rate of out-of-school children in Niger state and added that the federal government’s discontinuation of the school feeding programme has also caused a sharp drop in the number of children that attend school in rural communities.

    “The government needs to address issues affecting primary and secondary schools in the state. The teachers are just trying; they are being owed salaries, and they are deprived of upgrades and promotions. They need to be motivated to do more

    “The growing number of out-of-school children in the state is alarming. I got to know that more female children are out of school compared to their male counterparts. I got to know that the education sector in the state is facing a lot of challenges,” Taiwo averred.

    Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program PRIMORG uses to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.
    The program has the support of the MacArthur Foundation.

  • Over 120,000 people evacuated as fighting escalate in Russian, Ukraine border region

    Over 120,000 people evacuated as fighting escalate in Russian, Ukraine border region

    Russian authorities have ordered the evacuation of another district in the Kursk region, partly controlled by Ukrainian troops, according to Governor Alexey Smirnov. Residents of the Glushkovsky district are being relocated for safety, he announced late on Wednesday.

     

    The Glushkovsky district, located about 10 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, had over 17,500 registered inhabitants before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

     

    Earlier in the day, Smirnov reported an air raid alert in the Kursk area due to the threat of missile attacks from Ukraine. He urged residents to follow the recommendations of security forces and local authorities.

     

    The Glushkovsky district is approximately 150 kilometers from the regional capital, Kursk. Smirnov advised people in other regions with air alerts to seek safety in shelters or rooms without windows. Over 120,000

  • Rivers crisis: IGP condemns killing of policemen, escalated insecurity in Rivers

    Rivers crisis: IGP condemns killing of policemen, escalated insecurity in Rivers

    The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has condemned in the strongest terms the recent outbreak of violence and subsequent breakdown of law and order at various Local Government Council secretariats in Rivers State, where supporters of two political factions clashed over the tenure of Local Government Council Chairmen, which unfortunately led to the tragic deaths of a Police Officer – Inspector David Mgbada, and Samuel Nwigwe, a vigilante member at Eberi-Omuma in Omuma LGA.

     

    In response to these heinous acts, the IGP has directed the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, CP Olatunji Disu, to heighten security measures across the state and institute thorough investigations into the killing of the Police officer and the vigilante operative, as well as the general violence which erupted in the state.

    The IGP has specifically deployed operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to assist the Rivers State Command in apprehending the killers of the Police officer and the vigilante member.

    The IGP seriously warned individuals and groups of people who have a penchant for senseless attacks and mindless killings of Police officers and other security operatives across the country to desist forthwith as the fullest force of the law will be meted on them.

    The CP has also been directed to focus on increased patrols, strategic deployment of officers, and enhanced intelligence operations to prevent further violence and ensure the safety of all residents. The IGP extended heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased Police officer and the vigilante member noting that their dedication and sacrifice in the line of duty will not be taken for granted.

     

    The Inspector General of Police called on all residents and political stakeholders in the State to exercise restraint and seek peaceful means of resolving differences.