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Netizens slam Tinubu for taking sons, Seyi, Yinka in state visit to Qatar amid hunger, hardship in Nigeria
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Tinubu will visit Qatar on a state visit scheduled for March 2 and 3, 2024 but will be accompanied by 38 others including his sons, split into two batches.
President Bola Tinubu’s sons – Seyi and Yinka – are among the delegation to travel with the President on a state visit to Doha, Qatar.
Tinubu will visit Qatar on a state visit scheduled for March 2 and 3, 2024 but will be accompanied by 38 others including his sons, split into two batches.
The first batch of 16 people to arrive on February 28, 2024, includes Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari.
The second delegation made up of 22 people to arrive on February 29, 2024 includes Seyi Tinubu, Yinka Tinubu, PPS, Hakeem Muti-Okunola, SCOP, Ambassador Victor Adekunle Adeleke, PP, Dr. Ade Tinubu, and SSAP (Household), Subair Oluwatoyin.
The trip comes amid a nationwide protest against hardship, hunger and high cost of living, among others in the country.
Tinubu has promised to cut the cost of governance but many Nigerians have accused the government of only paying lip service to it and not fully committed to going ahead with it.
It was learnt that Seyi and his brother, Yinka have accompanied Tinubu on virtually every foreign trip.
Details of how Seyi also uses the presidential jet.
In October 2023, it was reported that some Nigerians had condemned the use of a jet in the presidential fleet by the President’s son, Seyi, to go on a private trip to Kano State to watch a polo tournament.
Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world’s oldest known team sports, but is the exclusive reserve of the rich and members of the ruling class in Nigeria.
It was learnt that Seyi embarked on the trip along with his friends on a Sunday to watch a polo tournament in Kano and they were welcomed on arrival to the ancient city by the state government officials.
Seyi Tinubu was likely attending the finals of the 2023 NPA Kano International Polo Tournament scheduled to be held at the Usman Dantata Polo Ground in Kano.
Seyi Tinubu’s reckless private trip using taxpayers’ money amid hardship in Nigeria mirrored what happened in January 2020 when then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hanan, took a private photography trip to Bauchi State in a presidential jet.
Jaafar Jaafar, a Nigerian journalist from Kano State and the founder of Daily Nigerian, wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, “Here’s Tinubu’s golden child, Seyi, traveling in a presidential jet to watch polo in Kano. But this trend did not start today.
“Buhari set the bad example when he allowed his daughter Hanan to travel in a presidential jet for a photo tour in Bauchi. Even if our laws are vague on this, one thing is clear. This is an offence to the moral code of leadership.”
Another user, @belloinuwa, who also spoke on the misuse of special forces units in the country said, “What about the misuse of a special forces unit as his bodyguards? See them in the pictures.
“The other day he went skateboarding in Abuja with them running by his side. This is just a continuation of the culture of impunity from the previous government, perhaps on an even grander scale this time.”
Another X user, @HGBashar wrote, “Buhari merely sought the title of ‘President’ without understanding or respecting the sanctity of the office.
“The audacity to let his daughter, Hanan, use a presidential jet for a mere photo tour in Bauchi was the beginning of this mockery. Now we see Tinubu’s protege, Seyi, hopping on the same jet for a polo match in Kano.
“It’s not just about the laws, it’s about ethics, morals, and respect for the position. Our leaders must do more than just occupy an office; they must uphold its dignity.”
Also, @EIderstateman said, “Gone are those days when public employees could confront political leaders without fear or favour and be reprimanded if they disregarded established processes, norms, and regulations. My Dad once sent a bill to Sir Ahmadu Bello for using an official plane for an unofficial trip.”
In November 2022, in the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, Seyi also attracted public outrage when he flew to Kano in a private jet to lead a rally in support of his father.
Human rights activist and #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore, recently berated the Nigerian government over the report by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, that only 5% of Nigerians had more than N500,000 in their bank accounts.
The minister in an interview with Channels TV stated that approximately only 5% of people in Nigeria have more than N500,000 in their bank accounts.
Edun added that the Nigerian government’s reforms were to rectify the economic imbalances that disproportionately favoured a small group of elites in the last eight years over the majority of citizens.
According to him, the reforms are corrective measures to mop up the liquidity in the economy that was not tied to production or supply of goods and services, adding that these imbalances only benefit a few people in the economy.
Reacting to the minister’s report, Sowore in a post on his X handle on Sunday said that while only about 5% of Nigerians had over N500,000 in their bank accounts, President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi was using a wristwatch worth N346 million.
He said that ‘justice for all is not specific enough’ for Nigerians who are facing an astronomical rise in the cost of living and hardship in the country.
Quoting part of the finance minister’s statement, Sowore wrote, “‘Only 5% Of Nigerians Have Over ₦500,000 In Their Bank Accounts’” – Tinubu’s Finance Minister, Wale Edun. Meanwhile, Seyi Tinubu @STinubu’s watch is ₦346,000,000. ‘Justice for all just ain’t specific enough!
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The Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Barr Nyesom Wike has moved to ensure that the cost of construction is reduced in the Territory.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
He took this position during an inspection tour to Zeberced Limited Quarry Saturday in Abuja which is the largest in the whole of West Africa.
Wike, who was amazed at the scale of operations, described it as a game-changer for the construction industry in the region.
He said: “It’s a factory right here in the FCT, and the Managing Director has always invited me to see the facility, which is the biggest quarry in West Africa. I had never been here before, but today, I’ve taken the opportunity to assess the environment and see firsthand the incredible work being done,” Wike remarked during his tour of the factory.
The minister’s visit comes amidst rising construction costs in the capital city.
Wike stressed that the abundant availability of raw materials within the FCT should, in fact, lower construction expenses, particularly when it comes to aggregates used in building roads and infrastructure
He stated, “That shows that ordinarily, the cost of construction ought not to be very expensive, particularly in the FCT. Apart from the equipment that is imported, the raw material is available here. I wonder why contractors should be talking about the high cost of aggregates as if these materials are imported they’re made right here.”
With over 800 workers directly employed at the quarry, Wike commended the company’s contribution to job creation and local economic growth.
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He further revealed that the same company is spearheading the development of an industrial park at Idu, a project the FCT Administration is fully supporting.
“I sent out a letter to the Ministry of Finance just yesterday to facilitate some tax credits, which will enable them to carry out the expansion of a single-carriage road to a double-carriage way, a project currently being handled by Salini Construction Company. We’re giving them all the necessary support to make this a reality,” Wike added.
The minister, visibly impressed by the quarry’s operations, expressed some concerns about the environmental impact but was reassured that all assessments were up to standard. “My only concern was the environmental impact assessments, but I’ve been assured that everything is in compliance. I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen here.”
Wike’s visit underscores the FCT Administration’s focus on driving industrial growth while encouraging local manufacturing to support infrastructure development.
With local resources available, he emphasized the need for contractors to re-evaluate pricing structures, particularly in the FCT, to reflect the advantages of sourcing materials locally.
Wike’s endorsement of the quarry and the upcoming industrial park at Idu marks a step towards a more sustainable and cost-efficient approach to construction in the capital, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s vision for economic growth and infrastructural development.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has narrated how his ambition to lead a paramilitary group led to a massive scam.
He recalled an incident from years ago when he was deceived by someone claiming to offer him a prestigious position.
He said the man, who presented himself as a recruiter for a new paramilitary agency, convinced him to invest in the venture.
The clergy revealed this in a post on his X handle on Monday.
Describing his decision to trust the man as a lapse in judgment influenced by his past fascination with the military, Adeboye admitted that his desire to fulfil this role led him to act prematurely.
He narrated, “Years ago, I was duped by a man who promised to make me a commandant of a paramilitary group. This man had been sending messages to me through my secretary for a while, and so, one day, I gave him an audience. He explained to me how a Boy-Scouts-like group had evolved into this new agency, and that he was sourcing for who would lead the group spiritually.
“Normally, I ask God before getting involved in anything at all, but this time, my love for the military in my younger days beclouded my best instincts, and I agreed to be their head. He told me that they needed some funding, which I gave as the prospective head. However, I later found out that the man was a fake.”
He, however, noted that the experience birthed the Redemption City corps and a local police post.
“My desire to be part of a paramilitary group made me run ahead of God, but God had already purposed for Redemption City to have its own corps of chaplains as well as a local Police post. He knew the desire of my heart, and He had planned for it to be fulfilled in His own time. I thought that I could bring my desire to fulfilment in my own time, but I was wrong. What I lost in that experience was money, but for someone else, it might have been their life or a loved one.
“However, I later found out that the man was a fake. My desire to be part of a paramilitary group made me run ahead of God, but God had already purposed for Redemption City to have its own corps of chaplains as well as a local Police post. He knew the desire of my heart, and He had planned for it to be fulfilled in His own time. I thought that I could bring my desire to fulfilment in my own time, but I was wrong. What I lost in that experience was money, but for someone else, it might have been their life or a loved one,” he added.
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The Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Barr Nyesom Wike has moved to ensure that the cost of construction is reduced in the Territory.
Pastor Adeboye narrates how a scammer promised to make him commandant
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