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Job creation, security our major aim in FCT, Wike tells British Envoy
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barrister Nyesome Wike has said security and job creation for the residents, are key priority areas on the list of his agenda in the territory.
He made this known when the British high commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery paid him a country visit in his office in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to him, the United Kingdom and Nigeria had a long relationship since the colonial period to Independence the relationship has been stronger and stronger.
Wike who was responding to the request of the commissioner on priority areas of the administration, said his interest is centered on the priority of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda which is anchored on eight priorities.
Tinubu on assumption of office in 2023 listed 8 priority areas of his administration which include food security, ending poverty, economic growth and job creation, access to capital, improving the playing field on which people and particularly companies operate, rule of law and fighting corruption.
Wike said the problems have not been all solved but there is significant progress in addressing them.
He explained that security in Abuja seems to be different because of the boundary states of Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi and Kaduna.
The minister stated that the states have high activities of bandits and it appears that when they are getting it hot in those states they run to Abuja.
Wike said, “Two months ago, it did appear to be too hot but you can now see that the level of criminal activities has come down very well because of the level of support and the commitment of security agencies, particularly the police.
“We gave the police and other security agencies a lot of logistics support and that is how I help them effectively to support the fight, this helps to calm particularly banditry and kidnapping, I can tell you that we have made tremendous progress in terms of arresting the kidnappers.
“There is no part of this world that there won’t be any form of criminality, what is important is the swiftness of security agencies to apprehend and also try to prosecute those that are involved, so am happy with what we have done.
“We also realized that before now it does appear that no activities in Abuja, many people complain that Abuja is down but as we came on board activities have come on board.
“We are proud to say that we have turned Abuja site which was not the case in the last past 8 years to construction site.
“Creating of job is a priority, what that will mean to the teaming youths is that, more creation of job is not only where it is white cola job, by these activities youths are involved, if you go to the area councils today there are a lot of jobs going on there, that has created way for the youths to be employed.
In his remarks, British high commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, said the visit was critical because of the important role the minister and his team play in the commission.
He said, “I have come to seek your view and understanding of approaches to the development of the Federal Capital Territory considering the many initiatives we have seen in the press which will lead to the prosperity of FCT.
“There have been security issues in the recent past, especially kidnapping, we want to get an update on the issue, also in a closed-door meeting I will give you more updates on UK and Nigeria’s bilateral relationships.
“In the last few days, we have step up our engagements to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a few weeks ago, the UK hosted the Nigeria defence on security and defence partnership, we shall be looking at how the business environment can be better as well”
Montgomery said the British Commission was interested in understanding the areas of priority to help in the bilateral relationship.
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would delay ruling on President Trump’s controversial claim that the Constitution does not guarantee birthright citizenship. The justices will hear arguments in the case on May 15, with a final decision expected by late June or early July.
The Court made no mention of addressing other concerns raised by the Trump administration, particularly its frustration with single district court judges issuing nationwide rulings in such cases.
Since Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office to end birthright citizenship, every court that has reviewed it has blocked the order. Despite repeated legal defeats, Trump has remained adamant that the constitutional guarantee of citizenship to all born on U.S. soil is invalid—an idea long dismissed by mainstream legal scholars. The Supreme Court affirmed birthright citizenship 127 years ago, and that ruling still stands.
A coalition of states has challenged Trump’s order, arguing there’s no legal ambiguity about the 14th Amendment. In their brief to the Court, they wrote: “For over a century, it has been the settled view of this court, Congress, the Executive Branch, and legal scholars that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees citizenship to babies born in the United States, regardless of their parents’ status.”
The amendment itself reads: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” Trump, however, insists this does not apply universally.
Federal judges in three states have blocked Trump’s executive order, and appeals courts have upheld those decisions. Notably, Judge John Coughenour—appointed by President Reagan—was the first to rule the order “blatantly unconstitutional.”
Even Trump’s legal team seemed to recognize the legal challenges. Rather than pushing for a total reversal of lower court decisions, they asked the Supreme Court to narrow the rulings, hoping to at least begin implementing parts of the new policy.
The Ondo State Police Command has said that the convoy of the President’s wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was not involved in an auto crash that led to the death of a seven-year-old girl in Akure, the state capital on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
The spokesperson for the Command, Olusola Ayanlade, in a statement, said the president’s wife was on a visit to the state on Thursday to distribute empowerment kits and equipment.
“Eyewitness accounts and preliminary investigations conducted by the Ondo State Police Command have confirmed that the incident was caused by a hit-and-run driver operating an unregistered white Lexus vehicle — not by any vehicle belonging to or associated with the First Lady’s convoy,” the police said.
The statement further said, “A witness who observed the hit-and-run pursued the fleeing vehicle on a motorcycle immediately after the incident, which occurred around the Oba Ile area of Akure. These accounts have been corroborated by several individuals at the scene as well as by the parents of the deceased.
“The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, was personally present and met with the grieving family to ensure a full and transparent investigation. At no point was the First Lady’s convoy involved in this tragedy.
“The command commiserated with the bereaved family and urged the general public to cooperate with us as we bring the perpetrator of the hit-and-run to justice.
Former DELSU VC, Sowore, Deji, other activists hit hard at Agbor Nursing School provost as query to student nurse goes abuzz on social media
“Also, we urge anyone with any useful information to please come forward or report to the nearest police station or security post nearest to them while we hunt for the killer
Credit: Channels Television
Several persons have lost their lives in another terrible accident that occurred on Karu Bridge, inward Karu Site, Abuja on Friday.
According to Daily Post report, the accident was caused by a truck laden with cement which failed its brakes while descending the Kugbo hill.
It was gathered that the truck, after crushing about several vehicles and their occupants, attempted to escape but was intercepted around Karu Roundabout by commercial motorcyclists.
The accident came barely a month after a similar fatal accident occurred on the same Karu Bridge in March, when a Dangote trailer powered by CNG lost its brakes, crashed into several vehicles and claimed multiple lives.
More details to follow
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