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Protesting Youths Attack, Haul Stones at Buhari’s Convoy in Kano

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3 years ago

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Despite assurances given by Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, some angry youths in the state, on Monday, hauled stones at the advance convoy of President Muhammadu Buhari, during an official visit to Kano.

Security had been beefed up across the Kano metropolis as the President visited the state to inaugurate eight development projects.

The President arrived at the Aminu Kano International airport in the morning and from there, he was conveyed by helicopter to the palace of the Emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero.

However, in spite of the heavy security presence mounted on the routes leading to Ahmadu Bello Way where the President was to launch Galaxy Backbone Limited’s project, angry youths holding stones of various sizes and wielding sticks reportedly attacked Buhari’s convoy and helicopter as it hovered above them.

Videos circulated on social media showed the moment the irate youths pelted stones at the helicopter believed to be conveying the President.

One video showed citizens angrily struggling with some unidentified security agents while a convoy made its way through their midst.

Another video showed a road littered with stones while teargas canisters were being fired to disperse the angry mob.

The Punch observed as the protesting youths shouted “ba ma yi” (down with you) and ran helter-skelter to avoid being caught by heavily armed security operatives who provided security for the President and his convoy.

Besides Hotoro and a few other projects that were inaugurated, the President’s chopper was parked at the Emir’s palace, from where he proceeded to Kumbotso Local Government to inaugurate the 10 megawatts solar power projects.

However, the President’s trip to Kumbotso did not record any attack by any mob, as he was sandwiched by security operatives, who comprised heavily armed soldiers aboard motorised Toyota Hilux and was also supported by armed mobile police special forces.

The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, had recently in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, asked Buhari to postpone his planned trip to inaugurate some projects in the state.

Ganduje said in the statement that the naira redesign and January 31 deadline for old notes had brought hardship on residents of the state, adding that the development made people angry.

“Deeply concerned with the hardship caused by the limited time given for halting the use of old naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and for security reasons, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje reveals that the state resolved and wrote to the presidency that the visit of the president to commission some projects to be postponed,”  the statement said in part.

However, Ganduje, while speaking to journalists after a meeting with Buhari in Katsina, expressed readiness to receive the president to commission the projects in the state.

“We are very much ready to receive him and we have a lot for him to commission, including Federal Government projects and state government projects. They are state-of-the-art projects,” Ganduje said.

Prior to the Ganduje episode, angry youths had attacked government officials when the President visited his home state in Katsina to inaugurate some projects on Thursday.

The youths were said to have staged the protest to express their anger against the hardship being experienced in the country.

The situation reportedly degenerated when the youths started throwing stones, causing a commotion that created tension in the area.

The Punch

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UK PM Burnham Unveils 10-Year Plan, Begins Cabinet Overhaul

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2 days ago

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July 21, 2026

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The new British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, on Monday, unveiled a 10-year plan to tackle the country’s economic and social challenges as he began reshaping his government, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves among senior ministers leaving the Cabinet.

In his first speech outside 10 Downing Street, Burnham said his government would introduce measures to ease the cost-of-living crisis, end rough sleeping, build more council homes and devolve more powers away from Westminster.

“This moment will be a circuit breaker for Britain,” Burnham said, adding that details of the government’s cost-of-living package and how it would be funded would be announced from Tuesday.

According to the BBC, Reeves announced on X that she was stepping down as Chancellor of the Exchequer, describing it as “the privilege of my life” to have served in the role. The broadcaster reported that Burnham had offered her another senior cabinet position, but she declined.

The cabinet reshuffle also saw Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, Housing Secretary, Steve Reed and Business Secretary, Peter Kyle leave government as Burnham assembled his own team.

Speaking to reporters after his Downing Street address, Burnham said he would examine the tax-free personal allowance ahead of his first Budget in the autumn but acknowledged that raising the threshold would have significant fiscal implications.

He also pledged to reform England’s social care system, saying he did not want to leave office without fixing a problem that had persisted for decades, while reaffirming his commitment to existing fiscal rules.

The BBC also reported that Burnham held his first conversation with a foreign leader after taking office, speaking with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The resignation of the outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying he was leaving office “with good grace” and “a smile.”

Burnham is expected to continue announcing appointments to his new Cabinet as his administration takes shape, according to the BBC.

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Finance Minister Oyedele Defends Nigeria’s Rising Debt

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2 days ago

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July 21, 2026

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Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has clarified the sharp increase in Nigeria’s public debt.

Speaking before the Senate Committee on Finance on the state of the nation’s economy on Monday, Oyedele attributed the increase to naira depreciation and accounting adjustments rather than fresh borrowing by the Bola Tinubu administration.

Oyedele was responding to questions from the senator representing Kebbi Central, Adamu Aliero, over claims that the current administration had borrowed about N80 trillion in addition to the N75 trillion public debt it inherited.

According to the minister, comparing the country’s debt stock at the start of the administration with the current figure without accounting for exchange rate movements created a misleading impression.

“When this administration came into office, public debt was around N75 trillion. Many people simply compare that figure with today’s debt stock and conclude that this government has borrowed massively.

“However, it is important to note that, following the reforms and the depreciation of the naira, the foreign currency component of our public debt had to be revalued because Nigeria reports its debt in Naira. That accounting adjustment alone added more than N40 trillion to the public debt figure,” he said.

He added that the securitisation of the Ways and Means advances inherited from the previous administration also contributed significantly to the increase in the debt stock.

The minister further said that much of the government’s domestic borrowing was used to refinance existing debt rather than accumulate new obligations.

According to him, the Tinubu administration had adopted a prudent borrowing strategy focused on infrastructure and long-term economic growth.

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ADC Tells Tinubu to Resign As World Bank Reveals 139million Nigerians Live in Poverty

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3 days ago

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July 20, 2026

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Saturday asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign rather than seek re-election, asserting that the World Bank’s recent report showing that 139 million Nigerians live below the poverty line is his scorecard.

The ADC, in a statement by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the World Bank’s report, which also estimated that 17 million Nigerians are at risk of starvation, was “disturbing.”

“The evidence of 139 million people living in poverty and 17 million at risk of starvation is President Tinubu’s scorecard,” the party said. “On account of this catastrophic failure alone, President Tinubu should be contemplating resigning from office rather than seeking re-election.”

It decried that the “catastrophic” situation was occasioned by the Tinubu administration’s policies, which it said, “have favoured money over people and statistics over survival.”

The opposition party maintained that the economic growth Mr Tinubu’s government has repeatedly boasted of as a result of its economic reforms is “meaningless” if the livelihoods of people at the grassroots have yet to improve since 2023, when he assumed office.

“Instead of changing course, the government has stubbornly stuck with its ruinous economic policies and even continues to market recklessness as courage and wickedness as ‘necessary pains.’

“However, three years down the line, it is now clear that the chicken has come home to roost,” the ADC said.

According to the party, Nigeria desperately needs a leader who truly cares about citizens’ well-being and understands that economic reforms should improve citizens’ lives, not worsen their misery.

“A president whose government is not openly feasting while asking the people to continue fasting. A government that does not wallow in profligacy while handing the people palliatives,” it added.

The party condemned the ruling APC’s social intervention programmes aimed at cushioning the effects of its economic policies, adding, “Poverty cannot be defeated through palliatives.”

The ADC pledged that if elected in 2027, it would tackle the root causes of hunger by reducing energy costs, enhancing food production, and ensuring that farmers returned to their farmlands.

It also vowed to rehabilitate the 264 abandoned dams, improve access to fertilisers and quality seeds, and invest in storage facilities.

According to the party, transportation, waste, and food prices would be reduced while creating productive jobs.

“Hunger cannot be separated from poverty, education, or healthcare. That is why an ADC government will prioritise nutrition, primary healthcare, quality basic education, and skills development because no nation can build a prosperous economy while millions of its children are hungry, out of school, or cannot read simple texts,” the party said.

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