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Kalu Charge NPC To Give Actual Population Figure For Proper Economic Planning

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By Gloria Ikibah
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu has charged the newly inaugurated commissioners on the Board of the National Population Commission (NPC) to ensure that the next census will give the actual statistics of Nigeria’s population.
According to the Deputy Speaker, knowing the figure was essential to economic planning and the spread of infrastructure across the country.
Kalu who gave the charge at the inauguration dinner of the federal commissioner representing Abia State at the NPC Board, Chief Emmanuel Trump Eke over the weekend in Abuja, added that it was not right to continue to hazard a guess about the country’s population each time the issue arises, stressing that it was time the narrative is changed for good.
This was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that Eke was amongst the 17 appointees inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Kalu said: “The charge to you people as commissioners, to be honest, we don’t know our number in Nigeria. We cannot keep claiming we are the giant of Africa when we don’t have an accurate statistics of our actual number as a nation. It’s embarrassing. Each time they ask you of your population, you said about…When are we going to drop this “about”, that descriptive thing to our number? You people should make it exact. When we call Ogun State, you tell us the number. We call Abia, you tell us. Total number in the South East, you give us. Total in the South West, North West, South South, etc, you give us so that we can plan because economic planning without actual knowledge of the population is a waste of time because you might plan for a few and the infrastructure will be overused by the much you did not capture.
“So, the root of our economic planning is knowing our number and knowing the demography, so that when we want to do project allocation, the spread will be guided by the population. So, census is what you have to do as a service to this nation. Push it hard and make sure that when the result comes, Nigerians will be glad to say yes, we are 250 million but I can assure you by the time you are done, we might be 300 million because we projected that we are going to be, I think, the 4th most populous nation in a few coming years and every nation in the world is looking towards Nigeria for investment because they know the market is there.”
Kalu also commended President Tinubu for running an all-inclusive government, appointing the Igbo in coveted positions of authority despite receiving poor number of votes from the region in the last presidential election.
He expressed gratitude to the Igbo for not participating in the recent protest against the present administration over economic hardship.
The Deputy Speaker who stated that the hardship was not principally created by the Tinubu’s government revealed that the administration is finding lasting solutions to the problems, especially in amid the removal of fuel subsidy which he said gave only the prosperity of the “white washed sepulchre”.
He called on the people of the South East to reciprocate the kind gesture of the administration by supporting the government, recognizing that their own were involved in the leadership.
Kalu stressed that the support will also encourage the President to assent to the South East Development Commission bill sponsored by him for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the region, adding that the President and his team are intentional about giving the South East a sense of belonging.
“This President has shown us love despite the fact that we did not vote as we ought to have voted. He has shown us great love and it’s about time we also started reciprocating the way we support the government in words and in action.
“And I want to thank all of you here who are Igbo people who supported not going on protest. When the calls came that Igbos are not joining the protest, that Igbos should join the protest. We said no. We are not protesting. I am proud of you. I want to thank you.
“The President gave us Chief of Naval Staff, an Igbo man from Enugu. He gave us the Minister of Works from Ebonyi. The President came to Abia and gave us number 6 citizen of the country. The President gave the Chairman of Governor’s Forum to Imo State. The President gave a lot of Ministers from the South East opportunities to head some ministries like Science and Technology and all the rest of them. The way to pay him back is to support him and make sure that we help stabilize national loyalty and increase national cohesion.
“We are working hard to ensure that most of you are strategically positioned. We are working hard to make sure that businesses owned by you are supported. What were not accessible to the Igbos before, we are pushing now for you to access them, leveraging this office. So, let’s be patient”, Kalu said.
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I Can’t Feed My Family Again; I Make N20,000 Daily But Spend N17,000 On Fuel — Taxi Driver Laments

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Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

A commercial driver identified as Wahab Ajibaye based in Ilorin, Kwara State has expressed frustration over the rising fuel prices, saying it has left him struggling to provide for his family.

Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

He said: “I am buying fuel for N1100 and I make N20,000 (daily) but I take only N3,000 with me to my house (after work). I am the owner of my car but I am no longer making enough to cater to my children and my wife. The All Progressives Congress (APC) government will not end well. Nigeria is becoming worse and we pray God takes away this set of current leaders.”

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Ajibaye blamed the ruling APC government for the hardship faced by Nigerians, saying, “Their government is bringing more suffering. They’re not ashamed, despite many Nigerians cursing them. They should rethink.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had recently agreed that the policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu resulted in growing economic hardships in Nigeria.

The party in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka had said this, while responding to a former national vice chairman (North West) of the party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

Recall that Lukman had berated the party for bad governance, adding that former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have failed to deliver on their campaign promises.

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Lukman, therefore, urged opposition leaders to unite and work hard to defeat the APC-led government in 2027.

But reacting, Morka in a statement on Tuesday argued that President Tinubu was taking bold measures to reset the country’s “long broken economy”, explaining that his reforms had increased economic hardship in the country.

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LASG shuts down Idera market over ‘environmental pollution

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) says it has sealed off the Idera market in the Oshodi metropolis.

In a statement on Thursday, Ajayi Lukman, LAGESC spokesperson, said the agency sealed the market due to unhygienic practices and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which contravened the environmental law of the state.

He said the measure was taken to enforce adherence to environmental cleanliness across registered markets in the state.

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‘‘Our operatives stationed across the Oshodi division during routine market monitoring identified the filth, unhygienic practices, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse around the Idera Market area, which prompted us to seal off the market until further notice,” the statement reads.

Lukman quoted Olaniyi Cole, the corps marshal of the agency, as decrying the level of hygiene at the market, which could lead to an outbreak of diseases.

He said Cole frowned at the inability of the market leadership to provide a valid waste collection contract, which resulted in the heaps of refuse in the facility.

He added that the display of wares for sale on road setbacks, lay-bys, medians, verges, kerbs, street trading, and hawking remained banned in the metropolis.

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The LAGESC corps marshal reiterated the ban on the sales, distribution, and usage of styrofoam in the state, noting that anyone found culpable would be punished decisively.

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Hours to Edo guber polls, major opposition candidate crumbles structure for Ighodalo

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Hours to the Edo State governorship election, the guber candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP)Amb Osalumese Areloegbe on Thursday morning collapsed the structure for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie Esq.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Benin City, Areloegbe said his decision to collapse the structure for the PDP candidate was because he believed that Ighodalo had all it would take to govern the state to greater heights.

According to him, I urged all my followers and supporters to disregard any information that I have aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

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“I am supporting Asue Ighodalo because he is competent, not that I am not competent but I believe Asue is on the forefront. That is my reason for supporting his candidacy.

“My party is aware because they have been having a series of negotiations for us to align with the APC, and I told them categorically that I am supporting PDP. My eighteen local government followers are in full support of my decision, I mean 100 per cent supporting the PDP candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie in this election.

“My choice for Asue Ighodalo is because, apart from myself, I see him as the next better candidate that I can support and I can put my weight on because he has the capacity, mentally, physically and otherwise to pilot the affairs of Edo State to greater heights.

“The national secretariat of my party, APP – they are in Abuja and I am in the state, and know much more of what is happening in Edo State. They are not here and don’t know what is going on here in Edo. And I am in a position to tell them what will be better for the Edo people.

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“There is a parable that says, ‘You cannot shave a man’s head when he is not present’. I am here in Edo State and I know who to support and why I am supporting him. The national leadership might have taken a different tone, but this is what I and my followers have chosen.

“We had a series of other politicians who had made such decisions before. That is why I agreed with the support of my supporters to collapse my structure for the governorship candidate of the PDP Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie.”

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