Headlines
International Community Has Rejected Buhari, Says PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday said the international community has rejected President Muhammadu Buhari.
It stated that the claim was confirmed by the perceived disgraceful outing and poor attention allegedly given to Buhari by world leaders and investors at the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement said the lack of attention given to Buhari in Tokyo confirmed his alleged rejection by the international community.
He said Buhari only came home with an empty basket and pocket full of promissory notes.
Ologbondiyan said, “The conference has shown that no world leader or international investors want to do any real business with Nigeria under President Buhari, mainly because of the legitimacy burden of his presidency arising from the rigging of the February 23 presidential election, as well as overt impunity, corruption, treasury looting and recklessness that pervade his administration.
“It is lamentable that while President Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress are celebrating a mere pledge of $300,000 (N108m) from the Japanese Prime Minister and a promissory note for E50m from an EU commissioner, his Ghanaian counterpart, Nana Akufo-Ado, sealed a deal with automobile giant, Toyota, to immediately establish a Toyota and Suzuki manufacturing plant in Ghana with a determined timeline of August 2020 for production.
“The multinational had also signed a deal to establish a similar plant in neighbouring Ivory Coast with a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect already signed last Thursday.”
According to him, Toyota preferred Ghana because of the favourable economic climate prevailing in the country; a climate, which, he stated, had taken flight from Nigeria under Buhari.
In another statement, Ologbodiyan said Buhari had abdicated his responsibilities as the President of Nigeria.
He said, “The PDP notes with dismay that the Buhari presidency only stops at issuing condemnations, publishing commiserations and embarking on condolence visits with empty assurances, but takes no definite steps to address the situation and bring culprits to book.
“This complete failure of leadership and abdication of the statutory duties of the President indicates that the Buhari presidency has no solutions towards ensuring the security of lives and property in our nation.”
The Punch
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
