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Lagosian team can only fix Lagos not Nigeria, APC chieftain tells Tinubu

Published

3 months ago

August 12, 2024

Admin

A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) and lawyer, Jesutega Onokpasa, has called on President Bola Tinubu to build a competent ‘Nigerian team’ around himself in order to be able to right the wrongs of previous administrations and achieve his economic plans for Nigeria.

Addressing President Tinubu in a viral video message, the member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, called on the president to dismantle the team of Lagosians around him and assemble a team of Nigerians that would assist him deliver on his Renewed Hope Agenda, saying Lagosians in the presidential team had been redundant and of no value to the administration.

According to him, the earlier Tinubu gets better people, the better for his aspiration of fixing the country.

“Mr. President, most of us supported you because we know your antecedent, what you have done in Lagos. But, you see, you cannot come to form a core of a team that is basically a Lagosian team to fix Nigeria, it is mathematically incongruous. It is an incongruity. It is expected that you will mobilise a team of Lagosians to fix Lagos but you will have to mobilise a team of Nigerians to fix Nigeria.

“You see these Lagosians you brought to Abuja to help fix Nigeria, with respect, are not helping you, starting with your Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. You will have to dismantle this team, with respect, my president, you will have to dismantle it and rebuild a true genuine Nigerian core.

“Your core team must no longer be a Lagosian team, it must be a Nigerian team. Otherwise, we will just continue like this. Most of them are just interested in making money, they don’t love you and they are not interested in your welfare and success. They are not interested in your political welfare, they are not interested in moving Nigeria forward, these guys have been parasitising you for decades. Let me use our Delta parlance, ‘Dem don parasite you reach’. Discard them. There are many people across this country.

“I am not talking about myself, I don’t need an appointment. Have I not been surviving? I have been spending money on you. Have I come to you to beg you for money before? I will continue supporting you, my president, I don’t need you to give me anything. You have to dismantle this your Lagosian core.

“They think Nigeria is Lagos? Sapele is not Lagos, Warri is not Lagos, Benin is not Lagos, Ughelli is not Lagos, Lokoja is not Lagos, even right there in Yoruba land, is Akure Lagos? Is Ado-Eki Lagos, is Osogbo Lagos? You cannot bring a Lagosian team and believe it will be able to fix Nigeria. A Lagosian team will fix Lagos, it is a Nigerian team that will fix Nigeria,” Onokpasa said.

News

I regret obtaining NDA form for Lagbaja, says family head

Published

10 mins ago

November 10, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The head of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja’s family, Pa Tajudeen Lagbaja, has expressed regret obtaining Nigerian Defence Academic (NDA) form for the deceased.

Pa Tajudeen, the younger brother of the late COAS’s father, stated that he would not have bought the form had he known it would lead to his death.

Some family members also alleged that Lt. General Lagbaja may have been killed through diabolical means due to a land dispute in his hometown.

According to TheNation, In 2023 a dispute arose in Ilobu, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area in Osun State, when representatives of the Nigerian Army planned to establish a hospital in the community.

Pa Tajudeen told TheNation that he initially obtained the NDA form for the late Lieutenant General.

“Everyone who is born must die. We give glory to God. The year that I obtained NDA form for him, if I had known that he would die before me, I would not have done so. I regret obtaining the form for him. But it is destiny.

“The death that killed Taoreed Lagbaja ought to take me. I took him as one of my children. We are greatly bereaved, we are sad. He constructed a borehole in his father’s compound and other places in the community.

“We can never forget him, his death is so shocking to us. I have accepted the fate, all the promises he made to me have hit a brick wall. He always gave us hope in the family, despite the sorrow, I give thanks to God,” the family head said.

News

Tinubu Reappoints Prof Abdullahi Mustapha As DG Of Biotechnology Agency NBRDA

Published

15 mins ago

November 10, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

President Bola Tinubu has reappointed Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha as the Director-General of the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA).

Prof. Abdullahi is expected to serve another second term of five years as the head of the research agency.

His appointment was announced in a press statement issued by the Press Secretary to the NBRDA Director-General, Toyin Omozuwa, in Abuja on Saturday.

According to the statement, Mustapha’s reappointment was conveyed in a letter signed by the Secretary to the

Government, George Akume.

“Mustapha’s second term is effective from 31st October 2024 and is in line with the provisions of Sections 10 (1) and (3) of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (Establishment) Act, 2022,” the statement said.

Omozuwa stated that industry experts regard the reappointment as an expression of Tinubu’s confidence in Mustapha’s capability to drive innovation towards achieving food security.

He added that the reappointment would allow the Director-General to complete his work in enhancing pharmaceutical production, as well as positioning Nigeria at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Mustapha is a Professor of Bioinorganic Chemistry and hails from Dambatta Local Government Area of Kano State.

The National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) is an agency established in 2001 under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, that implements policies, explores resources, conducts research, promotes, coordinates and develops biotechnology in Nigeria.

The NABDA also controls and supervises the introduction of genetically modified organisms into Nigeria.

News

Legal Questions Arise Over Elon Musk’s Immigration History Amid Calls for Citizenship Revocation

Published

7 hours ago

November 9, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

Elon Musk, a citizen of the United States could be at risk if it is proven that he misrepresented facts during his immigration process, according to legal experts. This debate comes I the middle of calls for the revocation of his citizenship, fueled by Musk’s vocal support for Donald Trump and his controversial remarks on immigration.

Musk, originally from South Africa, moved to Canada before settling in the U.S., where he eventually became a naturalized citizen, but reports recently alleged that he may have worked in the U.S. without proper authorization in the 1990s.

According to ‘The Washington Post’, Musk was admitted to Stanford University in 1995 on a student visa but did not enroll, instead working on the startup that became Zip2. Court records and former associates cited by the “Post” suggested that he lacked proper work authorization during this period.

But Musk has debunked these claims, as he said that he was in the U.S. legally on a J-1 visa, which later transitioned to an H1-B visa. However, a 2005 email cited in a defamation case reportedly revealed Musk admitting that he applied to Stanford because he “had no legal right to stay in the country.”

Legal experts indicated that working without authorization and misrepresenting such actions during the immigration process could constitute grounds for revocation of citizenship under U.S. law.

The Legal Framework

The U.S. law permits the revocation of citizenship if it was obtained through “concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation.” Violations such as unauthorized work can be flagged during multiple stages of the immigration process, including green card and naturalization applications.

Amanda Frost, a professor of immigration law, explains that misrepresenting visa violations could lead to denaturalization. “If a person violated the terms of a visa and later failed to disclose that during the naturalization process, their citizenship could be deemed ‘illegally procured,’” she stated.

Stephen Yale-Loehr of Cornell Law School adds that while such cases are legally valid, they are rarely pursued unless the violations are deemed material.

Potential Outcomes and Implications

If evidence of wrongdoing were uncovered, Musk would not face immediate deportation but could be subjected to a lengthy legal process. Criminal penalties for making false statements during naturalization include up to five years in prison.

However, legal experts note that such cases often hinge on whether the alleged violations would have materially affected the individual’s eligibility for a green card or citizenship. Immigration attorney Greg Siskind believes it’s unlikely that Musk’s actions, if proven, would have prevented his eventual naturalization.

Political and Public Backlash

The controversy has reignited debates about immigration enforcement and denaturalization. Under the Trump administration, efforts to revoke citizenship increased significantly, with thousands of cases investigated and dozens referred for deportation.

Musk, a high-profile immigrant, has faced criticism for his frequent comments on immigration issues, with many accusing him of promoting divisive narratives. His extensive ties to government contracts and national security projects also add a layer of scrutiny to his case.

Calls for Musk to release his immigration records under the Freedom of Information Act remain unanswered. Meanwhile, legal analysts emphasize that any action against Musk would depend on clear evidence and prosecutorial discretion.

This unfolding situation underscores the complexities of immigration enforcement and the potential implications for high-profile figures.