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Peter Obi Calls for Release of Nnamdi Kanu, Other Detainees
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and other freedom fighters in detention.
Obi said there was no reason for the continuous detention of the IPOB leader, especially as the courts of the land have freed him.
The former Anambra State governor made this call when he spoke to journalists on Saturday, in Onitsha, Anambra State, while also calling on leaders to double their efforts in tackling insecurity, saying that if nothing was done, the country may slide into a failed nation.
Obi, who also spoke on other issues, said, “I don’t see any reason for his continuous detention, especially as the courts have granted him bail. The government must obey the court.
“The rule of law is an intricate asset that we must cherish and live with. I use this opportunity to plead with the Federal Government to ensure that all those who are in similar conditions are released and discussed.
“We are in a democracy, and we should not be doing things that are arbitrary and not within the law.”
He lamented the increasing insecurity in the country, saying that Nigeria was gradually becoming a failed state if nothing was done urgently to salvage the situation.
He said, “The primary work of government is the security of lives and property. It is the foundation on which people can live in any nation because no one can stay in an insecure place.
“It is worrisome what is happening in Nigeria with the news of killings, abductions, and other vices that have made Nigeria one of the most insecure places on the earth. In fact, it is leading to a failed nation.
“I commend the government for their efforts so far, but there is a need to do more, and all leaders must come together to join hands and fight this. In the South-East, there is a need for the governors to come together to be able to tackle it.
“Even in economic agenda, I want to see the South-East governors work closely more. We want to see them come together and also bring together other groups in the zone.”
Obi expressed displeasure on the ongoing protests in Kenya, saying that the destruction of the government’s assets and property brings setbacks to any country.
“I am against riots or destruction of government assets and property because it is still scarce resources that we are going to use to repair them, but I’m not against peaceful protests.
“Peaceful protest is allowed, but it must be for a reason and not the personal interest of some people to satisfy a particular interest. It must be properly articulated and properly directed.
“I recall when people said they were protesting police brutality, and I said to them, no, let’s rather deal with the leadership. If we have good leaders, their agents can’t be bad. The problem is leadership. If the leaders are competent, have the capacity and do the right thing, their agents will follow their examples.
“I want to use this opportunity to say that all those who are being held because of one protest or the other should be released. Whether it is freedom fighters, EndSARS protesters, or even because of freedom of speech, be it journalists, let them all be released immediately.
“We are in a democratic country, and people have the right under the constitution to express themselves freely. They also have the right to peacefully protest, and we must listen to them. We must listen to those who say they are not happy, that is why it is a democratic nation. We should stop acting dictatorial and behave as if this is not a democratic country,” he added.
On whether there are plans for him to join other politicians to form a mega party to oust the All Progressives Congress, Obi said he had no such plans.
He said, “I will rather say that I am more particular on how the poor Nigerians can feed. I would rather talk about things that are affecting Nigerians today. We politicians are preoccupied with elections, and that is not what I am after. I am talking about how we reduce the price of food.
“Our people are dying of hunger, how do we make life more conducive for the poor Nigerian, how do we make our people earn more money, how do we pull people out of poverty? That should be our concern, and not forming a mega party.
“But if forming a mega party is to be able to provide all these things I have illustrated, then I am all for it. But if it is for state capture, so that politicians can take power and continue with the consumption, consumption, consumption, that we are seeing today, I will say no. But if it is to move the country to production, production, production, then I will say yes.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declared on Wednesday that President Bola Tinubu’s New Year nationwide broadcast has further frustrated Nigerians’ hope for good governance.
It alleged that the speech showed that Tinubu’s administration is grossly disconnected and unconcerned with the hardship Nigerians are going through as a result of ill-implemented policies and gross mismanagement of resources under the President’s watch.
The opposition party, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, noted that Nigerians are appalled that despite the prodding of well-meaning citizens, President Tinubu’s New Year speech did not articulate any specific direction for the nation or proffer solutions to the myriad of problems caused by APC’s misrule.
“President Tinubu’s speech again underlines APC’s insensitivity to the anguish of Nigerians by failing to present any definite policy roadmap towards reducing the price of petroleum products, addressing the widespread hunger in the land, and revamping our ailing productive sector,” the PDP stated.
It further observed that “the speech did not articulate any solution-based direction for the critical sectors of electricity, oil and gas, road infrastructure, food production, among other areas that are fundamental to the wellbeing of citizens.”
The party said: “It was also pathetically devoid of a precise plan to address unemployment through strategic investment to stimulate multi-sectoral Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the country.”
According to the PDP, the New Year address should have made definite pronouncements on the price of fuel, especially given that with deft, transparent, and innovative management of resources, economic potentials, comparative advantage, national refining capacity, and effective policing of our borders, Nigerians should not pay more than N350 per liter for petrol within the country.
It alleged that the Tinubu-led APC administration lacks the expected patriotic commitment as well as the required capacity, competence, and skills to effectively harness and manage the resources of the nation for the good of the citizens.
“Moreover, President Tinubu’s claim in the speech that Nigerians placed their confidence in him as their President is ludicrous and shows that he is disconnected from the reality of his abysmal perception among Nigerians.
“Mr. President must realize that Nigerians have lost faith in his administration; they have since moved on and are eagerly waiting for the next round of elections that will mark the end of the nightmare which the APC represents to our nation,” the PDP added.
A state funeral for Jimmy Carter, the former US President who died on Sunday at the age of 100, will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on January 9, according to the US Army.
US President, Joe Biden, who last year said that Carter had asked him to deliver the eulogy at his funeral, has directed that January 9 be a national day of mourning for Carter throughout the US
The official six-day state funeral for Carter begins on Saturday as his remains travel by motorcade through his hometown of Plains, Georgia, the Army said in a statement.
The motorcade carrying Carter will stop at the farm where he grew up. There, the National Park Service will ring the historic farm bell 39 times – Carter was the 39th US President.
Carter’s remains will then be carried to Atlanta, where he will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Center until the morning of Jan. 7. His body will then be flown to Washington, D.C., where he will lie in state in the rotunda of the US Capitol until his national funeral ceremony.
The family will hold a private funeral and interment in Georgia later on Jan. 9, after the ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral.
Carter will be buried in a plot next to his wife, Rosalynn Carter, on the grounds of their longtime home in Plains.
Carter, a Democrat, became President in January 1977 after defeating incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 election. His one-term presidency was marked by the 1978 Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt, bringing some stability to the Middle East.
Carter spent his long post-Presidential career devoted to humanitarian work, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. World leaders and former US Presidents have paid tribute to a man they praised as compassionate, humble and committed to peace in the Middle East.
– Reuters –
Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Monday, presented a N1.1 trillion 2025 budget proposal to the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Rivers House of Assembly.
He announced that Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) rose to over ₦250 billion naira, and it’s expected to close at ₦300 billion by the end of the year, marking a record 100% increase over the previous year.
This, alongside ₦300 billion received from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), enabled the state to execute transformative projects across sectors.
Building on this success, the governor unveiled one trillion, one hundred and eighty-eight billion, nine hundred and sixty-two million, seven hundred and thirty-nine thousand, nine hundred and thirty-two, thirty-six Kobo (₦1, 188, 962, 739, 932. 36) for 2025 fiscal year.
The proposed budget comprises Recurrent Expenditure of ₦462 billion and Capital Expenditure ₦678 billion, reflecting a 44% to 56% ratio.
Governor Fubara outlined the expected revenue streams to fund the budget, including ₦264.3 billion from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), ₦18.2 billion from Statutory Allocation, ₦132.1 billion from Mineral Funds, ₦204.2 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT) and ₦32.2 billion from Refunds Escrow, Paris/ECA, ₦27.5 from Refands from Bank Charges and ₦20.6Bn from Excess Crude Account.
The projections are based on economic indicators such as an oil price of $80 per barrel, a production target of 1.8 million barrels per day, an exchange rate of ₦1,500 per dollar, and a 22% inflation rate.
Governor Fubara emphasised that the 2025 budget prioritises key sectors critical to the state’s development, including Agriculture to ensure food security; Education for improved access, infrastructure, and quality of learning; Healthcare; Social Investment to empower vulnerable groups and foster equity and Infrastructure Development to enhance connectivity and economic activities.
In his remarks, Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo commended the governor for his vision and commitment to the state’s progress.
The 2025 budget presentation marks Governor Fubara’s second since assuming office in May 2023, amidst ongoing legislative challenges.
