Headlines
Southeast Deserves Senate Presidency, Umahi Maintains, Meets Buhari
The Ebonyi State Governor and senator-elect, Dave Umahi, on Tuesday, in Abuja, informed the President Muhammadu Buhari of his intent to be President of the 10th Senate.
Umahi, who disclosed this after meeting with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, argued that “justice, equity and fairness” must guide the All Progressives Congress when zoning the principal offices of the 10th National Assembly.
Yari had met Buhari on Sunday evening where he urged the APC to allow the North to produce the next Senate helmsman having contributed substantial votes towards the victory of the President-elect Bola Tinubu.
Akpabio, who also informed the President of his intention, said he was ready to work with the incoming administration, a promise Umahi also made on Tuesday.
While arguing that the South-East made considerable contributions to Tinubu’s victory, Umahi cautioned the ruling party against gauging its choices of the candidate by vote contributions alone.
He stated that the emerging candidate must be one who gives the APC a fighting chance in the June election.
Umahi said, “I think that every region that is clamouring for the Senate presidency to be zoned to them, it is the right of such people. But if you look at the true reflection of our society, you will agree with me that the right thing to be done by leaders without prejudice to their rights and their thinking is that the South-East deserves number three position.
“This is very important. And I’ve always said that you can deliver somebody by the reason of majority votes of a particular region, but you also need the minority cooperation of the minority people to have a holistic nation to govern.
“This is very important for inclusiveness, for the unity of the country and for everybody to be carried along. Nobody has been able to say this is the reason why the South-East should not be given this position. So, I believe strongly and I’m pleading, and I won’t even say more than what I’m saying, because I’m contesting; let it not be as if I am doing this because I want to benefit from it; but I know the effort we made, as a people, for the unity of the country.
“I know, the way we were regarded because we have been exposed, a number of us. And we understand that we are stronger when we are together. And we made vows to our people while we were campaigning for the APC, we assured them that we belong to an equitable and fair Nigeria. And it has come to a point where that position we took should be practicalised. And that is what we are begging and that’s what we are saying, because the chain is as strong as the weakest link. And it’s a time for healing, it is a time for inclusiveness and it is a time to move this country forward.”
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.”
