Connect with us

Latest News

Buhari Returns To Twitter

Published

on

Buhari Returns To Twitter

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday used Twitter for the first time to commemorate Eid-el-Fitr four months after lifting his embargo on the microblogging platform.

Buhari’s government had announced an indefinite suspension of Twitter’s operation in June 2021, after the platform deleted tweets by the president who had threatened to treat members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in the “language they understand.”

However, after a series of meetings between the Federal Government and Twitter management, the restriction was lifted on January 13.

READ ALSO: Buhari Speaks On How Successor Will Emerge

In a series of tweets, Buhari spoke on how the fight against Boko Haram had been long and hard, but said victory was within sight.

The tweets read: “The fight has been long and hard. Final victory is within sight. Boko Haram and its offshoots’ final embers are now fading. Last month, the leader of ISWAP was killed in an airstrike. Since the New Year, thousands of fighters have surrendered.

“The territories they used to occupy are now seeing the return of those who were forced to flee their barbarity. Normality is finally beginning to return to the North-East. It is a long process. Yet it is one we are, together, now embarking upon.

“With the designation of bandit groups as terrorists, the challenges of banditry and kidnapping are being tackled differently in the North-West and North-Central where the latest military acquisitions and Armed Forces are being fanned out across the region to thwart acts of terror.

“The administration is equally getting impressive reports of the special operations to curb crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in the South-South, with millions of illegally refined products being impounded and illegal refineries destroyed.

“While we are making progress cleaning the environment, some evil people are busy causing more pollution and destruction.

“In response to the disturbing rise in criminal attacks targeting law enforcement and public facilities in the South-East, concerted military operations to rid the region of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN) elements have, in recent weeks, led to the overrunning of IPOB/ESN bases, the seizure of weapons and the arrest of a large number of suspects.

“I have recently approved the establishment of a Naval Base in Oguta, Imo State, among other interventions to strengthen the security of lives, property and critical national infrastructure in the region.

READ ALSO: Buhari Lifts Suspension On Twitter

“The reinvigoration of the war against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking is also showing positive results as shown by the arrest of over 12,300 offenders including seven drug barons; the conviction of 1,400, counseling and rehabilitation of about 8,000 drug users.

“The seizure of over 3.4 million kilograms of drugs and cash worth over N130 billion, all in 2021 has been recorded while the first Quarter of this year has seen the arrest of no fewer than 3,536 offenders including security personnel and a well-known billionaire drug baron.”

 

Read more authentic news on our social media platforms

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Latest News

NUPENG Ex-chief Frank Kokori Is Dead

Published

on

Erstwhile NUPENG General Secretary Chief Frank Kokori

A former General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori has died at the age of 80 years.

Chief Frank Kokori breathed his last at a kidney treatment hospital in Warri, Delta State, in the early hours of today, Thursday.

One of his aides, who confirmed the painful development said he would want the family to formally break the news to the media.

“He passed on this night. I would want the family to break the news formally to the media.

“I am his aide but at this moment I am not to speak on this until the family issues a statement,” he said.

Kokori’s health relapsed on Monday, and the veteran labour leader was placed on life support.

Kokori made a distress call over his failing health status last month.

He lamented that in spite of his key role in the growth of the nation’s democracy, he had been abandoned.

At the hospital last month, he said: “I came to this hospital when I was told there is a place like this in Warri.

“They have been doing their best. In the midnight, they put their generator off. But I begged them to run it that I will pay their bills.

“I came on Tuesday. After the dialysis, I have been here. I could have just died because of lack of diesel. So I had to beg them to run their generator so the air conditioner, AC, in the ward can function. I need it to be alive.

“It got to a stage that I could not take a flight, I could not walk . If it was when I was in NUPENG, I would have been flown out with air ambulance immediately.”

When the Military junta of General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the June 13, 1993 presidential election, Kokori was involved in mobilising the masses against the government.

He led NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, in organising nationwide strikes that crippled the oil industry.

Also, Frank Kokori was actively involved in pro-democracy activities, organising and participating in rallies and demonstrations.

“If I wanted to compromise, the military (junta of late General Sani Abacha) was ready to give me anything but I stood for democracy, believing that democracy would usher in a better Nigeria.

“The refineries were working before I retired from NUPENG.

“I became the tribune of the country, heading the freedom fighters. Some of us were underground, disguised for 10 weeks fighting the military.

“The military sent presidential jet to pick me to compromise, but I refused.”

Continue Reading

Latest News

Ogun To Provide Shelter For Victims Of Gender Based Violence -Abiodun

Published

on

L-R: Commissioner for Women and Social ocial Development, Mrs. Adijat Oladipo Adeleye; Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi; Governor Dapo Abiodun; wife of the Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun and the wife of the Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Mrs. Victoria Oluomo, when members of the Ajose Foundation, led by the Governor's wife, embarked on a walk to the governor's office, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta, as part of the 16 Days activities against Gender Based Violence on Wednesday.

The Ogun State Government on Wednesday said it would provide a befitting accommodation for victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the state.

Governor Dapo Abiodun made this known in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, when he received his wife and other women, who were on a road show as part of activities for the 16 days’ Activism Against Gender Based Violence in the state.

The governor, who acknowledged that gender violence has become pronounced among males and females in the country, assured that the state government would provide a befitting building to serve as a shelter for people that have  been sexually harassed or subjected to other forms of molestation in the state.

The shelter, he said, will save them from the stigma usually associated with the problem.

He added that the government would also work towards instituting a Gender Based Violence Trust Funds to finance the welfare of the victims.

“You want us to ensure that we have a befitting shelter and you made a case for that, and you emphasized the fact that people abused in the house or at home can not go back home. There are those who do not have anywhere else to go back to. There is a lot of stigma associated with those who are abused.

“I believe that we have identified somewhere previously, but I am told that it may not be befitting.

“By this, I am now instructing the Secretary to the State Government to work with the Ministry of Housing to identify a building; if they can’t find one, we identify a parcel of land and we will construct a befitting building to serve as the needed shelter for those persons who have been subjected to all kinds of sexual harassment,” he said.

On the call for a specialized court to try cases of gender based violence in the state, Governor Abiodun said: “Fortunately, our head of court in Ogun State is a woman. In fact, the two courts we have, the state High ourt and the Customary Court of Appeal, are both headed by women. I am sure that the Chief Judge will be more than happy to see what she can do to expedite the request.”

The state helmsman also assured stakeholders that his administration would support women at the executive level and at the judiciary to ensure that all that is required to reduce gender violence to the barest minimum in the state, is implemented.

Governor Abiodun also brought to the fore the need to look into violence against men.

He said: “I also want to bring to the fore that violence against persons is not only violence against women . Men also are being abused. But often times, nobody talks about that, and I want to be the advocate for men who are being abused.

“On the Gender Based Violence Trust Fund, I will do everything that I can to ensure that we sit down and plan on how to mobilize resources towards this noble cause.

“Once again, I want to assure you that I do identify with you and as your Governor, I will do everything within my power to ensure that we reduce this incidence of gender based violence to an absolute minimum in Ogun State.”

In her remarks, wife of the governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun noted that there was an increase in cases of rape and incest in the society, calling for the provision of a safe space for those who have been abused or harassed.

Earlier, an expert on gender based violence, Dr. Mojisola Akinsanya noted that there was an urgent need to relocate women who have experienced violence at home for them to have a peaceful place to stay.

Dr. Akinsanya, who advocated for a Gender Based Violence Trust Fund in the state, acknowledged poverty as the driving force for GBV, noting that once women are well empowered, they would adequately cater for themselves.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Mike Ozekhome Fined For ‘Demonising’ Supreme Court

Published

on

Mike Ozekhome (SAN)

For ‘demomising’ the Supreme Court, rights activist and Constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome has incurred a fine of N40 million .

This development occurred in a ruling by Justice Tijani Abubakar, who ordered the Senior lawyer to personally pay the N40 million fine to the four respondents he took to court in respect of the Imo governorship tussle decided since 2019.

Abubakar held in the ruling that the request was strange, frivolous, baseless, unwarranted, vexatious and irritating.

He further held that the motion was a calculated design to demonise the Supreme Court.

Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN called to the Nigerian Bar over 42 years ago was fined the huge amount for bringing a motion before the Apex Court seeking to revalidate the suit that removed Emeka Ihedioha as Governor of Imo State in 2019.

Those to be paid are the Action People’s Party, APP, Uche Nnadi, Uche Nwosu and the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.

In the motion considered to be frivolous by the court, Ozekhome had asked the Court for a consequential order to compel INEC to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Ihedioha to enable him to spend a four- year tenure as Imo Governor.

His grouse was that the incumbent governor, Hope Uzodinma unlawfully spent the four years which Ihedioha ought to spend.

Among others, Ozekhome in the motion claimed that the All Progressives Congress APC had no candidate in the 2019 Imo governorship election, hence, Uzodinmma ought not to have been made governor on the platform of APC.

However, the apex court dismissed the motion on the ground that it had no jurisdiction to entertain such a motion.

Continue Reading

Top Stories