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Non-Kinetic Approaches Boosting Southeast Peace Efforts – Deputy Speaker Kalu

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By Gloria Ikibah

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, has affirmed that non-kinetic strategies aimed at tackling insecurity in the South-east  region are showing promising outcomes.

Kalu made stated this while receiving the Outstanding Peace Ambassador Award from the House of Representatives Press Corps on Thursday, in recognition of his leadership in the “Peace in the South East Project” (PISE-P).

The event, held at the National Assembly Complex, also featured the unveiling of the fourth edition of the Press Corps’ magazine, “Green Sentinel”, alongside the launch of its website.

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Kalu who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, reaffirmed his dedication to fostering sustainable peace in the southeast and commended security agencies for embracing non-violent solutions to insecurity challenges. While acknowledging progress, he stressed the need for sustained efforts to achieve lasting peace.

Kalu also lauded the Press Corps, led by Comrade Gboyega Onadiran, for its professionalism in delivering accurate and timely reports on parliamentary activities to Nigerians.

He said, “Before now, I was the spokesperson of the House, and I worked with you. You have not changed. You remain consistent in ensuring that you do the right work with regards to the ethics of your profession.
“You’ve been feeding Nigerians with the right information. You’ve been unbundling what we do here, we want to be more transparent. You know what that has done for us is that it has increased the confidence level of Nigerians in the workings of the parliament, more than it used to be.
“And today, launching the Green Sentinel, this Green Sentinel started when I was with you. And you’ve not allowed a dream to die. And I’m so proud of you to support you to make sure that you keep telling the story.
“You’ve also gone ahead to give me an award, not just as one of you, but as one of you who is interested in peace and motivation. The motivation has been nothing but the fact that we only have one country. We don’t have two. All this division. North, South, West, doesn’t matter to people like us.
“In fact, the more it is dissolved, the better. The more we remove all these North, South, East, West, the better for us because we are one. Because we are one, we must preach peace to sustain that oneness. That is the truth. We must preach it starting from home and from the Southeast, and they say charity begins at home. There’s no how I would preach peace outside to the rest of the rest of Nigeria, while leaving what is in my area.
“You know, Southeast has been, you know, there’s been a crisis there for some time, even though it’s going down now a little bit through our various interventions, and through your own intervention, the way you report the stories there, it’s going down. But we started the Southeast Peace Project, which the President was there to launch on the 29th of December barely a year now.
“And with that, we lobbied for the South East Development Commission, we reached out to people and we are beginning to speak to those who are radicalized and say, please come. There are better ways of achieving what we want to achieve through the non-kinetic approach. We spoke to the military and the security forces and they have given their support and they are ensuring that the kinetic approach to resolving problems is not the only approach.
“It’s working. Are we there yet? No. Are we going to get there? Yes. Especially now that the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his magnanimity approved the Southeast Development Commission Bill to become an Act and has gone ahead to make a budget proposal. So he’s not just talking the talk, he is walking the talk.
“What this would do for the peace project we are doing is that it’s going to calm the nerves of so many people who are agitating for one marginalization or the other. The President has now said this is the fund from the federation account to develop your place. What other excuse do you have to carry arms? What other excuse do you have to destroy your place? This is a peace tool that the President has given to us. And the President has taken that also to other regions of the country.
“The regional development agenda of Mr. President is a wonderful agenda because you see Northwest has received funds that are going to be used to calm the nerves of those there who are carrying out the insurgency and the rest of them. Northeast is working. Very soon, Southwest will start. South-South, and the rest of them. Before you know it, it would be every man to your own camp, develop your place. That is a regional agenda which worked for us before which is coming back again in the spirit of federalism and I’m sure it is going to work.
“So all this is because if we don’t pursue peace, there will be no unity. And if we don’t have unity, there will be no progress. Check our coat of arms. It says, peace, unity and progress. So if Nigeria wants to progress, the foundation is peace. Thank you for recognizing our work, and we pledge to partner with you to make sure that we achieve more within that space.”

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PFIPC scandal: ‘I borrowed N400 million to secure the appointment’ – Adeyemi Adeniyi

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The self-acclaimed Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, says he borrowed the N400 million to secured the job at the presidency.

Adeniyi made this revelation on Monday during zoom interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.

He said his creditors have reported him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

He described the way some actors in government taking the matter as ‘unfortunate and embarrassing’, asking how only him could manoeuvre the entire Federal Government system.

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“I borrowed this money, the N400 million, to pay for this appointment. In fact, those that I borrowed the money from have reported me to the EFCC to refund it,” he said.

When asked to react to the report that there is a United States lobbying firm helping him to seek an asylum, Adeniyi said, “I read it the way you read it.”

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May 18 primaries has come to a close, I appeal to all my people to support all APC candidates -Ize-Iyamu

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Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has beckoned on all his loyalists to support All Progressives Congress APC candidates after the party formally endorsed all Edo State candidates.

This was contained in a statement he personally signed encouraging his loyalists in Edo South to throw their weights behind all APC candidates.

Hear him:

“Following wide-ranging consultations with our leaders, party members, supporters, women, youths, and well-wishers across Edo South, Nigeria, and the diaspora, I address you today(Monday ) with profound gratitude, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of our great party.

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“The APC Edo South Senatorial Primary held on May 18, 2026 has come to a close. Our party has completed its democratic process, and a candidate has emerged. I accept the decision of our party in good faith and appeal to all our members, followers and friends to do same.

“The All Progressives Congress is greater than any individual ambition. It is a platform built on service, sacrifice, discipline, and our shared commitment to a better future for our people. Political contests may test our preferences, but they must never diminish our common purpose.

To every supporter, coordinator, volunteer, grassroots mobiliser, and everyone who stood with us throughout this journey, I offer my heartfelt appreciation. Your loyalty, sacrifices, encouragement, and prayers have been a constant source of strength. I remain deeply grateful for your confidence and steadfast support.

I wish to specially thank our brothers and sisters in the diaspora across party lines for the overwhelming support they gave my senatorial bid and assure them of my continous commitment to the development and progress of our district. I urge every one of you to remain peaceful, reject division, and continue to uphold the values that have always defined our people.

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Now is the time to reconcile, close ranks, and focus on the greater task before us. Our collective responsibility to serve the people of Edo South is far greater than any individual aspiration. As we move forward, I remain committed to working with our leaders, stakeholders, and party faithfuls to strengthen the APC, secure victory in the general election, and advance the development and well-being of Edo South Senatorial District.

The contest is behind us. The future is before us. Let us move forward with one resolve, and one commitment- to build a stronger APC and a more prosperous Edo South.

Thank you for your prayers, your loyalty, and your unwavering support throughout this journey.
History will not remember the contest we fought; it will remember the future we built together. Let us unite. Let us serve. Let us win for the APC, for Edo South and for the people of Edo State.

God bless the All Progressives Congress. God bless Edo South Senatorial District. God bless Edo State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Oba gha to kpere, ise

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Senate investigates N34tn Duty Waivers, Threatens Sanctions for Defaulting Agencies

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The Senate Committee on Finance has opened a fresh scrutiny of the Federal Government’s import duty waiver regime after the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) disclosed that the value of Import Duty Exemption Certificates (IDECs) issued since March 2020 rose to about ₦34 trillion by 2025.

The committee also threatened sanctions against the heads of several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, for failing to appear before its investigative hearing on revenue remittances.

Appearing before the committee on Monday, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the agency’s revenue performance had been significantly influenced by government fiscal policies, particularly import duty exemptions granted to strategic sectors.

He explained that about 60 per cent of the ₦34 trillion worth of duty waivers covered military hardware imported to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, while the remaining exemptions applied to imports of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, medical equipment, industrial machinery, manufacturing inputs and food items under government intervention programmes.

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Adeniyi maintained that duty waivers should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue forgone, arguing that they were intended to promote broader economic and social objectives, including industrial growth, improved healthcare delivery and national security.

He, however, recommended stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of the incentives deliver the expected outcomes through increased production, lower prices and wider economic benefits.

The Customs boss also told lawmakers that the Service had generated about ₦4.5 trillion as of June 30, 2026, against an annual revenue target of ₦11.04 trillion.

However, the hearing exposed disagreements over Customs’ financial obligations after the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) alleged that the agency had an outstanding operating surplus liability of about ₦8.9 billion based on its 2019 audited accounts.

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Customs officials rejected the claim, insisting that the figures required reconciliation.

The committee also turned its attention to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) after the Fiscal Responsibility Commission alleged that the agency had failed to remit about ₦13.9 billion in operating surplus between 2023 and 2025.

Responding, the Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, acknowledged the outstanding liability but said the Commission had commenced gradual settlement of the amount.

To establish the actual figure, Chairman of the committee, Senator Sani Musa, directed the CAC, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission and the committee’s secretariat to reconcile their records and submit a comprehensive report within two weeks.

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The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several invited agencies from the investigative hearing.

Senator Musa warned that the heads of the NCAA, SMEDAN, ITF, FMC Jabi and other defaulting agencies must appear at the next sitting or face sanctions under the Senate Standing Rules.

He stressed that agencies responsible for managing public resources have a constitutional obligation to account for revenues generated on behalf of the Federal Government and comply with legislative oversight.

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