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Order Army To Vacate Okuama, Delta Monarch Tells President Tinubu
Ovie of Umiaghwa Abraka Kingdom in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, HRM (AVM) Lucky Ochuko Ararile (rtd.), has described the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama Community as an unfortunate situation, regrettable and condemnable.
HRM Ararile said this during his address at First Baptist Church, Oria, to thank God, as he clocked 12 years on the throne, just as he called on President Bola Tinubu to order soldiers stationed in the community to vacate the area.
Adding: ‘Residents need to return back and try to get their lives back and.start rebuilding,” saying the destruction that was carried out in Okuama after the murder of the military men was also regrettable too.
He said that the way the soldiers were killed was not in tandem with the culture of Urhobo and other ethnic groups in the Niger Delta.
“No ethnic group in the Niger Delta has it as a culture to desecrate the bodies of the dead. We don’t chop off people’s heads, remove their hearts or dismember it,” he opined.
The traditional ruler said the mode of the killings was Boko Haram-like.
Meanwhile, he said to avoid such incidents, security operatives must stick to their roles.
“In Nigeria, the army does the job of the police, NSCDC does the job of everyone else. The only jobs that others cannot do is that of the Airforce because they cannot fly planes,” he averred.
The outspoken monarch who noted that even amongst the same security outfits, some persons are not allowed to do their jobs, cited instances when cases had to be moved from Abraka under the DPO to Abuja.
In his words: “In a murder case moved out of Abraka to Abuja, how do you move witnesses there too during a police investigation? If the DPO does not have what it takes to complete such an investigation, Abuja should give him the needed backing and not move cases out and in some cases release suspects.”
On Tinubu’s performance so far, he said the President was on track.
His words: “The president did well by setting up a powerful Economic Team. This means that he has his hands on the table, knows the problems and has good ideas to deal with issues.”
He called on Nigerians to be patient with him and support the federal government, as well as the state government.
“Some may think that I have collected ‘brown envelope’ to say these things. Those that know me are aware that no one can influence what I say because I say it the way it should be said,” he averred.
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Shettima becomes 1st VP to lead Nigeria’s delegation to UN Assembly in 25 yrs
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has decided not to attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York this year.
The president has thus directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation.
President Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trip to China and the United Kingdom, according to a statement yesterday by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding.
“At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings.”
“The high-level General Debate, with the theme ‘Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations,’ will run from Tuesday, September 24, through Saturday, September 28, 2024,” the statement added.
Since return to democratic governance in 199, Shettima will be the first Vice President to Nigeria’s delegation to UNGA.
Only Goodluck Jonathan represented Nigeria as Acting president in September 2010 at the 65th UNGA, while late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was away in Saudi Arabia due to his ill health.
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Plateau Assembly approves N5.8bn for LG election
The Plateau State House of Assembly, on Thursday, approved N5.8bn for the conduct of the local government election in the state slated for October 9, 2024.
The approval by the House followed a communication from Governor Caleb Mutfwang, which was read at plenary by the Assembly Speaker, Gabriel Dewan.
The Speaker stated that the request was necessary as there was no budgetary allocation for the LG elections in the 2024 budget.
A member of the State Assembly, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak for the Assembly, confirmed the development to The PUNCH in Jos on Thursday.
The lawmaker said, “Governor Mutfwang, at Tuesday’s plenary, sought the House’s approval for N5.7bn as the 2024 supplementary, which was increased after upward review by the legislators.”
He continued, “The House leader, Joseph Bukar, presented the bill during our plenary. While soliciting the support of members for speedy passage, he said PLASIEC was running out of time in preparation for the election.”
“In their individual contributions, Hon. Kalamu Dal suggested a downward review of the budget size, while Hon. Daniel Nanbol urged for a critical review and deliberations. Afterwards, members approved a revised sum of N5.8bn, as opposed to the N5.7bn requested.”
The increase, as explained by Bukar, was due to an increase in security allocation for the election, from N2.7m to N4.2m. “So, that is what happened, and that is where we are at the moment regarding the forthcoming LG election,” the lawmaker concluded.
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Enugu, Kwara tighten security ahead of LG polls
Security measures have been intensified in Enugu and Kwara states ahead of their Local Government elections scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.
In Enugu State, the Police Command has pledged to ensure the safety of lives and properties during the elections.
However, the peace accord signing for the elections was marred by the absence of major parties like the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Congress, and Labour Party.
Only representatives from the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Accord attended but chose not to sign the accord, citing the lack of participation from the leading parties.
Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, said all wards and flashpoints had been identified, and security personnel would be on high alert to prevent any disruptions.
The Chairman of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. Chris Ngwu, said the commission was fully prepared for the elections with the support of the state government in procuring necessary materials.
In Kwara State, security agencies have been actively coordinating to ensure a smooth electoral process.
Over 3,000 personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have been deployed across the state.
The Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission has completed arrangements for a trouble-free election.
Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, reported that a strategic meeting with heads of various security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, and others, had been held to ensure coordinated efforts for maintaining law and order.
The Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, guaranteed maximum security for the election period.
The NSCDC Commandant, Dr. Umar Mohammed, announced the deployment of 3,000 personnel to various polling units and emphasised their role in preventing violence, ballot snatching, and other disruptions.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, Telumun Tombowua, announced on Thursday that eight political parties will participate in the upcoming LG elections in the state, scheduled for October 5, 2024.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi, Tombowua said the election would be conducted fairly and transparently.
He emphasised that the law establishing the BSIEC does not permit the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation Machines for this election.
Regarding the APC, Tombowua confirmed that the National Working Committee of the party had requested the commission to work with the seven-man caretaker committee appointed to oversee party affairs in the state.
He noted that while 14 parties had initially shown interest, only eight completed the necessary processes and submitted their candidates.
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