News
Obi speaks on Tinubu’s broadcast, says your speech failed to address harsh realities and critical issues that led to protest
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 poll, Peter Obi, has reacted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broadcast to the nation, saying the address failed to address the issues that triggered the protest.
Writing on his X handle on Monday titled ‘My Response to the President’s Address’ the LP standards bearer said,
“Having led the call for the President to address the nation and respond to the demands of the people, and having listened to the belated speech, I needed to delay my response to see if my understanding of the address was aligned with
others.
“I hesitated to respond immediately, as I felt it could have been perceived as another attempt by Peter Obi to sway public opinion, especially since I was initially accused of sponsoring the protest.
“However, I must begin by thanking the President for finally addressing the people, albeit belatedly, which might have prevented the unnecessary loss of innocent lives, including those of our security agents.
“While I had hoped that, in consoling the families of those who lost their loved ones in the protest, he would also show some empathy towards those who were injured, arrested, and detained due to the overzealous and unprofessional conduct of some security operatives,
this was unfortunately not the case. It is the responsibility of the government to identify criminal elements attempting to disrupt the protest through looting and other unlawful behaviours and to protect those genuinely exercising their democratic rights.
“Nigeria must embrace all tenets of democracy, including the right to protest, without selective adherence. I also appreciate his condemnation of the ethnic bigotry being propagated by some individuals against other ethnic groups.
“However, I had hoped for more decisive action, such as the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible, to demonstrate that such intolerance will not be tolerated in today’s Nigeria.
“The President’s address regrettably appeared disconnected from the harsh realities faced by the people and failed to address critical issues that initially triggered the protest. It either reflects a lack of awareness among his advisers regarding the scale of anger, hunger, and hardship in the country, or a deliberate choice to disregard it. At this point, I strongly advise the President to distance himself from sycophants and surround himself with individuals who will present the unvarnished truth.
“While the President’s speech focused on the past, the people are concerned with the present and the future. He should begin by addressing pressing issues such as the exorbitant cost of governance, measures to tackle corruption, the high cost of living, and directing resources effectively towards critical areas like health, education, and poverty alleviation. I respectfully reiterate that the President should declare a war on insecurity, the economy, poverty, unemployment, and the power sector.
“Persistent issues of corruption and mismanagement of public funds must be addressed decisively. As is done in other nations during such times, regular briefings, whether quarterly or biannually, from the President are essential to clearly communicate the visible and verifiable measures being taken to revive the nation from its current state of hopelessness, restore hope, and rebuild trust in our country.
“I also humbly request that the President reduce the repetition of how dire the situation is; every Nigerian is already aware of the extent of the problems. Mr President, you and your team were elected not just to witness the protests but to alleviate the suffering of the people.
“Nigerians do not expect the President to solve the nation’s problems overnight, but we do expect a concerted effort to address the mismanagement of public resources, reduce the high cost of governance, and tackle issues like insecurity, corruption, electricity, agriculture, and productivity to set the country on a path to recovery and growth. By doing so, the President can restore hope and rekindle the people’s faith in our dear country Nigeria.
A new Nigeria is Possible”.
By Kayode Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Engonga, has been arrested for allegedly recording over 400 sextapes of women, including the sister of the country’s president.
The sextapes were recovered from Engonga’s house and office following a raid by ANIF officials who carried out the operation in a fraud investigation against the 54-year-old economist.
The ANIF officials were said to have come across several CDs that later showed Engonga’s sexcapades with different married women.
The videos, according to a local media platform, Ahora EG, include encounters with high-profile individuals, including Engonga’s brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of the President of Equatorial Guinea, the Director General of Police’s wife, and about 20 of the country’s ministers’ wives, among others.
The video discovered in his office was said to have been recorded with consent and has since been leaked online.
In a report by a local media platform, Ahora EG, since last October, Engonga has been involved in a sexual scandal unprecedented in the history of Equatorial Guinea.
Ahora EG stated: “The most striking thing is that some scenes took place in his work office, including moments in which he is seen sleeping with a woman next to the National Flag. Based on this sexual scandal, the Executive has stated that the measure is a direct response to the acts that have affected the image of the country.
“With these new measures, the Government hopes to establish a clear precedent on the expected conduct of public officials in order to create a more respectful work environment in the public and private administration of Equatorial Guinea. For days now, erotic videos have been circulating on social media featuring Baltasar EBANG ENGONGA, better known as ‘Bello’.
“Baltasar EBANG ENGONGA is said to have filmed these scenes with the consent of the women themselves, which exonerates him from a possible crime of violation of integrity. In the videos, he is seen having unprotected sex with several women, including those married to powerful and well-known people in the country, but also with the most “diva and influential” single women in Equatorial Guinea. Some scenes take place in hotel rooms, houses, even in the protagonist’s office at the Ministry of Finance,” it added.
Speaking on the viral sextapes, the Attorney General of Equatorial Guinea, Nzang Nguema, said although the videos suggest that the women involved were not forced to participate, the law does not consider consensual sexual relations to be a crime, unless coercion or violence is proven.
“The possibility of a contagious disease being spread through these sexual interactions makes the situation even more critical,” Nguema added.
Reacting to the development on Monday, the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Nguema Mangue, said Engonga’s behaviours violated the country’s Code of Conduct and the Public Ethics Law.
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