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Call Your Lieutenants to Order, NSA Warns Politicians Ahead Guber Polls
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, has called on political gladiators in the country to call their supporters to order ahead of the forthcoming governorship and state assembly elections
He also said security agencies will work round the clock to ensure the polls are conducted safely in the country.
Speaking at a meeting of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, Mongonu commended security agencies, political parties and individuals for the peaceful conduct of the presidential and national assembly elections.
The NSA urged politicians to call their supporters to refrain from violence during the polls.
“Our preparation for the presidential and national assembly elections took place a few days ago. These elections were conducted with a considerable level of success in terms of security, in terms of collation and other matters,” Monguno said.
“I want to echo what the INEC chairman has just said by way of commending security agencies and intelligence organisations in the process that we just witnessed. Of course, the elections we are going into on Saturday are going to be much more complicated.
“Contextually, they are going to be different, but first of all, we are going to have 1,021 constituencies, meaning we are going to have more people interested, more people voting, more collation centres and obviously, the dynamics would be much more different than the elections that were just concluded.
“While commending the efforts of the various political parties and the individuals that participated in the last election, especially those that called for peace, for calm, I want to also urge the same individuals, especially at the state level to demonstrate the same level of maturity, the same level of discipline by calling their supporters to conduct themselves in a manner that is congruent with the expectations of the larger Nigerian society.
“Of course, there are channels for laying complaints and for addressing these complaints. For the security agencies, I know a lot has been done. I’ve been talking with the chief of defence staff, I’ve been talking with the Inspector-general of police, who is the head of the lead agency in the process of elections.
“So far so good, we do not envisage anything that is going to be terrible or apocalyptic in terms of the next few days. But, that does not mean that we should all do away with our readiness. We must comply with the rules, we must also allow everyone. I’ve said this so many times to exercise their fundamental right as citizens of this country.
“What we do not want to happen is for anybody to take the law into his or her own hands. I want to be very very clear on this, we are going to give the maximum support to all entities involved in this process.
“And we are also calling on the political bigwigs, the gladiators to call their lieutenants to order. Anybody who is itching to undermine this process should please think again. It is not in his own interest, not in the interest of the nation as well.
“Finally, those of us in the security agencies will continue to work round the clock. All the crisis centres are open and we will be talking with the chairman of INEC, if there’s anything that needs to be done, if there’s anything that needs to be added, my office is always open, ready and available to give that support.”
Vanguard
The Federal Government apologised on Friday for saying that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the first African President to ring the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (NASDAQ) closing bell.
Tinubu’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, tendered an official apology on behalf of the presidency in a statement where he said the error was regretted.
President Tinubu rang the closing bell of NASDAQ on Wednesday alongside business leaders, including the Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu.
“We inadvertently referred to President Bola Tinubu as the first African leader to ring the bell at NASDAQ on Wednesday in New York, based on the information provided by a third-party event organiser,” Ngelale said.
“We have since found out that this information was/is incorrect, as a former African leader has indeed had the privilege. This error is sincerely regretted.”
It has been revealed that a former African leader had previously rung the bell at NASDAQ, debunking the earlier claim of Tinubu’s bell-ringing, which was perceived to be a historic achievement.
They argued that in 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, while Femi Otedola’s daughter, DJ Cuppy, rang the NYSE bell in 2019.
Contrary to the claim, the former President of Tanzania, Kikwete, First Ladies and Health Ministers rang the closing bell of NASDAQ in 2011, as announced by NASDAQ in a notification to the public dated 2011 with the title, “President Kikwete of Tanzania, First Ladies and Health Ministers, and Global Health Leaders to Ring The NASDAQ Stock Market Closing Bell.’
Call it the eating of a humble pie, and you may not be wring as the embattled Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, apologised to Governor Godwin Obaseki amid a face-off between them.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday in Benin City, Mr Shaibu appealed to Governor Obaseki to forgive his “mistakes” for them to continue to work together, Channels TV reported.
“I use this medium to appeal to Mr Governor, if there is anything that I don’t know that I have done, please forgive me so that we can develop our state together,” he said.
“We have just one year to go. We have been the envy of the entire country. So, Mr Governor, if there is anything you feel that I have done, please I am sorry. I need us to work together to finish well and strong,” the deputy governor added.
When asked if he had resumed at his new office, Mr Shaibu said, “We have resumed but there is still a lot of work to be done there.
“There is no problem about it. The governor has asked us to go there. Like I have always tried to prove, I am a loyal servant and nothing has changed.
“I took a personal vow to support my governor and you can see my Catholic people are here. When I took a vow with God, nothing can change it and I wish that the relationship that we had will come back in the next few days and weeks.”
Mr Shaibu also said he has been missing the governor since their rift began, and expressed hope that God will “touch the governor’s heart” to forgive him.
“I mean well. If there is any mistake I have made as a human, it is not out of wickedness because I know I’m not wicked. I have a very clean heart.”
The Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has announced the revocation of 167 plots of land in some highbrow districts of the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Areas affected are Maitama, Gudu, Wuye which had the highest revocation, 41; Katampe, Katampe Extension, Wuse 2, Jabi, Utako, Idu Industrial zone, and Asokoro which had the second highest revocation, 39.
In a notice issued Thursday night in Abuja, the administration said the plots were revoked due to the refusal or failure of their allottees to develop them.
“The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA hereby informs the general public that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has, in the exercise of the powers conferred on him under Section 28(5)(a) & (b) of the Land Use Act 1978, revoked the underlisted plots with names and titles as reflected in our records for continued contravention of the terms of development of the Right of Occupancy to wit non-development”, the administration said in the notice signed by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola.
Some of the plots revoked in Maitama district A05 had names like Liyel Imoke, Musa Aboki Egu, Hassan Hadejia and Ishaya Baba.
In Jabi, some of the plots revoked had allottees such as Sam Nda-Isaiah, and Donubari Josephine Kogbara, while Katampe district had Peter Gregory Obi, BUA international among others.
In other areas, this revoked had names as Julius Berger Nigeria, Honeywell Construction, Uffot Joseph Ekaette, Shittu Mohammed, Udoma Udo Udoma, Kanu Agabi, Niki Niki Tobi, Ishaku Bello, and others.
Wike had on assumption of office vowed to restore the master plan of the territory and revoke plots that had not been developed or those whose ground rents have not been paid for years.
He had consequently given a two-week grace to allottees to pay their ground rents or risk revocation of their allocations.
Vanguard
