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The Etsu Kwali, Luka Nizassan III, has celebrated the newly constructed Gomani – Dafa – Yangoji Road, in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing it as a “major infrastructure milestone” in the area.

Nizassan told journalists on the sideline of the inauguration of the project, at Dafa on Tuesday, that the road was a long-awaited answer to the prayers of his people.

He commended President Bola Tinubu and FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, for responding to the cries and prayers of his people.

“We feel so delighted that this part of the area council is benefiting from government intervention. There is nothing happier than having you make demands and the demands have been met.”

He said the newly constructed road holds deep historical and economic significance for the region.

According to the Etsu, it is one of the oldest routes in the old Abuja Emirate, now Suleja Emirate, dating back to the colonial era when it was used by emissaries for tax collection.

He, however, said that despite its historical contribution to Nigeria’s development, the corridor had suffered decades of total neglect.

“Previous administrations and private individuals had attempted to fix the road, but all efforts failed until Wike intervened,” he said.

He said that the new road would not only revitalise the economy of the area but also enhance security.

He disclosed that before the construction, the road had deteriorated to a level that severely hindered law enforcement and crippled economic activities.

“This road was so bad to the level that having security men accessing this place for patrols and search and combing became so difficult.

“It will improve the security of this area because people who commit heinous crimes do not like accessible areas,” he noted.

Nizassan pointed out that Kwali, being a predominantly an agrarian society, would benefit immensely from the road that directly links four vital political wards—connecting Yangoji on the main express to Dafa, Gomani, and Pai.

This connectivity, he said, is expected to drastically reduce transit times for commuters and local farmers moving agricultural produce to urban markets.

Noting governance as a reciprocal relationship between the government and the people, the traditional ruler urged his subjects to rally behind Tinubu’s administration.

“Government is a game of give and take. Our responsibility now is to also supply our own share, which is support.

“We will continue to provide support for this administration because we still expect more from the government,” he said.

Looking ahead, Nizassan said that the Kwali community would anchor its trust in the FCT minister’s promises for further development, specifically pipe-borne water projects and the ongoing rehabilitation of
school infrastructure.

“This will provide clean water for my people and ensure a conducive learning environment for students,” he said.

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The Centre for Transparency and Accountability in Governance (CTAG) has called on the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and other relevant anti-corruption agencies to immediately arrest and investigate one Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi over what it described as “a dangerous pattern of impersonation, misinformation, cocktail of blackmail and attempts to undermine public institutions.”

The group, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Sunday Itodo, on Tuesday, condemned what it termed the “reckless and scandalous allegations” made by Adeyemi against the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, insisting that such claims must not be allowed to go uninvestigated.

According to the group, the categorical disclaimer issued by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, stating that no agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council exists under the Presidency, raises serious questions about the authenticity of Adeyemi’s claims and activities.

“Prince Adeyemi has publicly claimed to be the head of an agency which the Presidency has unequivocally denied knowledge of. This is a grave matter touching on national security, public trust and the integrity of government institutions. The DSS and the Police must immediately invite and investigate him,” the statement said.

CTAG challenged Adeyemi to make public, without delay, his purported appointment letter as Head of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

“If indeed such an agency exists and Prince Adeyemi was legitimately appointed to head it, he should publish his appointment letter and disclose the authority under which the appointment was made.

“He further claimed that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation approved no fewer than 300 staff members for the take-off of the agency. Nigerians deserve to know the identities of these purported staff members.

“We therefore demand that Prince Adeyemi immediately publish the list of the alleged 300 staff, indicate where and when their recruitment was advertised, provide evidence of their appointments, disclose the payroll platform on which they are being remunerated, and state the source of funds used in paying them”, Itodo queried.

The group also queried Adeyemi’s assertion that the agency maintains an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

It said: “If there is indeed a CBN account in the name of this purported agency, Nigerians must know who authorised the opening of such account, who the signatories are, and under what legal instrument the account was created.

“The CBN should equally clarify whether any account exists in the name of the said agency and furnish the public with relevant details within the ambit of the law.”

On the allegation that he allegedly paid N600 million to secure the position through a third party allegedly linked to the Chief of Staff, CTAG described the claim as weighty and incapable of being left in the realm of speculation.

“Adeyemi has alleged that he paid N600 million to obtain the position, with N400 million allegedly transferred through a third party as upfront. Such an allegation is too serious to be treated casually.

“He must immediately provide documentary evidence of the transactions, including bank transfer records, payment receipts, account details, dates of payment, identities of intermediaries involved, and any communication establishing the alleged arrangement.

“He must also provide incontrovertible evidence supporting his allegation that Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila demanded a percentage of the purported N24 billion take-off grant allegedly approved for the agency.

“These are criminal allegations. They cannot simply be thrown into the public space without proof”, Itodo stressed.

The group maintained that public office holders must be held accountable where evidence exists, but stressed that unfounded allegations, blackmail and deliberate attempts to tarnish reputations for pecuniary or other ulterior motives should be firmly resisted.

“It is becoming increasingly common for certain individuals and groups to weaponise false allegations and media sensationalism in a desperate bid to blackmail, distract or extort public officials.

“Nigerians are no longer deceived by these antics. Those who specialise in the business of character assassination and blackmail should know that the public is increasingly aware of their methods and will not subscribe to such schemes.

“While no public officer is above scrutiny, allegations must be backed by verifiable evidence. The era of reckless accusations without consequences must come to an end”, the statement read.

CTAG therefore urged security agencies to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into all the claims made by Prince Adeyemi and ensure that anyone found culpable of impersonation, fraud, false information or criminal defamation is prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“The integrity of the Presidency and public institutions must be protected from individuals seeking to exploit them for personal gain or notoriety,” the statement added.

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A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Buba Galadima, has declared that the lawmakrs in the National Assembly who had a hand in the passage of the State Police Bill would be consumed by it when it eventually comes into being.

Alhaji Galadima said this, on Tuesday, on Arise TV, during an interview.

The elder statesman, who said he had fought against its creation since 1987, said the lawmakers erred in the passage of the bill and he said the lawmakers would pay dearly for it.
He likened the State Police scheme to the Native Police structure in the pre colonial era.

Foreign Counterparts’
Said he, “The State Police Bill was just passed like that without really looking at the nitty-gritty of that law.

“I am not very much concerned because most of the characters in the National Assembly were not matured enough when the Native Authority Police was used by the Native Authority or the Regional Governments of that time. If they knew, they would not have put their fingers into this. And I assure the country that those who have a hands in this will pay dearly in the hands of State police. Am sure some of the members of the National Assembly, when this law is passed, will never have the chance to visit their states,” Alhaji Galadima declared.