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Reintroduced national anthem could have prevented banditry – Akpabio
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has said the reintroduced national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”, could have prevented banditry and insecurity if the country had retained it.
Recall that the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the National Anthem Bill 2024 to revert to the old national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee”, which was abolished in 1978.
The National Assembly passed the bill to swap the national anthem from “Arise, O Compatriots” to “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”
The bill, which speedily passed first and second readings on the same day, was assented to by President Bola Tinubu, making it the new anthem of the country.
During a visit to the Nigeria Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies in Abuja on Tuesday, Akpabio said the reintroduced anthem would foster unity, patriotism and love among Nigerians.
Akpabio said those labelling the re-introduced anthem as an element of colonialism, don’t understand the country’s history and are ignorant of the law.
According to the Senate president, a panel made up of Nigerians was set up in 1959, which received inputs from all over the world regarding the anthem and approved the reintroduced anthem then.
He said: “The other impactful bill signed by the National Assembly is the reverting to our old national anthem.
“A lot of people are not aware that there was a panel set up and made up of Nigerians to receive input from all over the world in 1959.
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“So when people are saying we’re bringing in colonial anthem, they need to look into the history of “Nigeria, we hail thee”.”
“If we had kept to that anthem, we probably would not have banditry today in Nigeria because if you take your neighbour as your brother, you will not want to kill him.”
Akpabio also revealed that more than 30,000 Nigerian students have been selected to benefit from the student loan scheme.
The Senate President said the Student Loan bill allows the children of the poor and underprivileged persons in the country to obtain higher education without the financial burden.
According to Akpbaio, the bill was one of the most important pieces of legislation passed by the tenth Assembly of the country.
He said: “One of the most important bills for the tenth Assembly was the bill sent to us by President Bola Tinubu. The Student Loan Bill enables vulnerable Nigerian students, the less privileged, to obtain higher education.
“And as I speak to you now, over 30,000 Nigerian students have already been selected to benefit from that scheme.
“That is one of the bills I will say appeal to me the most.”
PUNCH.
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Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.
The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.
This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.
Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.
The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.
Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.
“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.
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“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.
The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.
An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.
Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”
Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.
Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.
Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.
He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”
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