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Gowon urges ECOWAS to lift sanctions on Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger

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Former Nigerian head of state and one of the founding fathers of the Economic Community of West African States, Yakubu Gowon, has urged the regional political and economic union to lift sanctions on Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic.

Gowon made the call in an open letter to the Heads of State and the ECOWAS member states on Wednesday.

Widely seen as West Africa’s top political and regional authority, the 15-nation bloc of ECOWAS – formed in 1975 to promote economic integration in member states – has struggled in recent years to reverse a wave of military takeovers in the region, including Mali in 2020 and 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger last year.

Members of the fifteen-nation bloc (excluding the four members suspended since falling under military rule – Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger), along with the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union, agreed to close all borders with Niger, suspend financial transactions and freeze the country’s assets in external banks.

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The three countries, which mulled a counterforce, the Alliance of Sahel States, against the regional bloc after the overthrow of the democratically elected government in Niger, announced their exit from ECOWAS on Sunday, January 28, 2023.

In a joint statement by their military leaders, Capt. Ibrahim Traoré (Burkina Faso), Col. Assimi Goita (Mali), and Brig. Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani (Niger Republic), the three countries announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS with immediate effect.

The three countries, which are currently under military rule, said they ceased to be members of ECOWAS as the regional body had allegedly “moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism.”

They claimed that ECOWAS had become a threat to its member states.

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Gowon, who presented the letter to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, in Abuja at a press conference, expressed concern that the pronouncement by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic to exit from ECOWAS threatens the unity of the bloc and has far-reaching implications for ordinary citizens.

He said, “It saddens me to learn that ECOWAS is threatened with disunity following the announcement by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, three important Member States, of their intention to leave the Community.

“The impact of such a decision will have far-reaching implications for the ordinary citizens who have been the major beneficiaries of regional integration.”

Gowon called on the ECOWAS authorities to immediately consider the implementation of the “lifting of all sanctions that have been imposed on Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger.”

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He appealed to the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, including leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, to re-unite for peace and stability in the region.

“Therefore, on behalf of all the founding fathers of the Community and myself, I urge the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, including the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, to put aside their differences and reunite for the peace, stability and prosperity of our sub-region,” Gowon said.

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Adeboye advised me to pay my wife full salary after resigning from her banking job-Bakare

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Popular man of God Pastor Tunde Bakare has narrated how RCCG Senior Pastor Eunuch Adeboye advised him to pay his wife full salary after she quit her job.

Hear him:

“ Pastor Adeboye told me to be paying the full salary of my wife when she resigned from her bank job without telling me”.

“ When my wife told me she had resigned, I drove to my father-in -law’s house to report her but he told me that nothing concerns him with our marriage.

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“I then drove straight to Redemption Camp to report her to Pastor Adeboye. I told him how my wife just resigned from her bank job without telling me and that I just started my chambers and we were just making it little by little and her salary would help us augment whatever I gave her.

“Pastor Adeboye’s response shocked me. He said, “ Wow,she did that on her own! Don’t u think that’s a great thing to do? She did it to focus attention on your child. If all women would do that Nigeria would be a better place. He then told me that apart from house allowance, I must be paying her the salary she earned at the bank since she resigned to start working in my house and taking care of the children.”

“I wasn’t happy with the counsel because I was scared of how I would cope as the sole breadwinner of the house. The Holy Spirit then took me to Isaiah 54:5 and showed me a Scripture I will never forget,” I,the Lord your God,your maker, I am your husband. The Holy Spirit then said if I am your husband, treat your wife the way you want me to treat you! “

“I was sober and I prayed.The next month instead of giving her 375 Naira, her salary in the bank, I gave her 500 Naira and I also gave another 500 Naira for house allowance. It has grown since then!”

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* Culled from his autobiography, the last but definitely not the least*

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SAD! One casualty, six injured as bus collides with truck on Ikorodu road

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A terrible road crash at Majidun, inward Ogolonto, Ikorodu Road, has left one woman dead and six others grievously injured, the authorities have confirmed.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) revealed that the accident involved a Volkswagen commercial bus, registration number EPE 494 XM, and a stationary tipper truck.

In a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, said that Preliminary investigations indicate that the bus, chartered to ferry passengers to a programme in Ogijo, suffered a sudden brake failure while reportedly speeding recklessly.

However, the driver lost control, slamming violently into the tipper truck parked at the roadside for diesel.

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The violent collision claimed the life of an adult female passenger instantly.

Five women and one man sustained severe injuries and were rushed to Benic Special Hospital for emergency treatment. The deceased was taken to General Hospital, Ikorodu, for formal documentation.

The statement read, “The brutal impact resulted in the instantaneous death of an adult female passenger, while five female occupants and one male sustained severe and life-threatening injuries. While all 5 injured casualties were rushed to nearby Benic Special Hospital, the remains of the deceased were immediately transferred into the custody of security personnel who conveyed them to the General Hospital, Ikorodu, for urgent formal documentation.

“In a swift and highly coordinated response, LASTMA operatives pursued and apprehended the tipper truck driver who attempted to abscond upon witnessing the enormity of the tragedy. The driver of the commercial bus was likewise arrested. Both individuals were thereafter handed over to officers of the Ipakodo Police Division for comprehensive investigation.

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“To re-establish order and ensure seamless vehicular movement toward Ikorodu Garage, LASTMA personnel efficiently removed the mangled remains of both vehicles from the roadway.

“The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, conveyed profound grief over the harrowing incident and extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

According to the statement, “He prayed that Almighty God grants them the fortitude to endure the irreplaceable loss, and he wished the injured victims a swift and full recovery.

“Mr. Bakare-Oki further admonished motorists to exercise utmost restraint, vigilance, and discipline on the highways by avoiding excessive speed.

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“He stressed that overspeeding drastically impairs a driver’s capacity to respond to sudden mechanical failures or unforeseen hazards, thereby magnifying the risk of catastrophic outcomes.

“Bakare-Oki reaffirmed LASTMA’s resolute commitment to the protection of lives and the promotion of safer motoring culture across Lagos State.

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2027: Despite Ex-President Jonathan’s unusual silence, supporters storm PDP convention with posters(Photos)

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Despite Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s unusual silence towards his 2027 presidential aspiration, many Peoples Democratic Party members who support former President Goodluck Jonathan’s political comeback were seen at the party’s current elective convention in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

With Bala Mohammed, the governor of Bauchi State, projected as Goodluck Jonathan’s running mate, the supporters were seen raising flags.

According to an online newspaper there has been conjecture on Jonathan’s potential return to run for president in 2027.

Despite the former president’s silence on the subject, his allies attested to his purported preparedness to run in the much awaited election.

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On Friday, posters of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde were seen at the convention site.

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