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Work harder, no food for lazy man, First Lady, Remi Tinubu urges Nigerians

Published

2 months ago

October 11, 2024

The First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has urged Nigerian youths to be hard-working, saying, “There is no food for lazy man.”

Mrs Tinubu said this during a courtesy visit to the palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday.

She noted that while the Tinubu-led administration is working hard to provide sustainable solutions to the current challenges facing the country, Nigerians should also work hard to provide for themselves.

The first lady maintained that the government will do all it takes to ensure that Nigerians are not disappointed and called for patience with Tinubu’s administration.

Mrs Tinubu said: “There is no food for the lazy man; even God worked for six days and rested on the seventh day.

“Nigeria is a land that’s flowing with milk and honey, but we need to sustain it for generations to come.

“God has richly blessed my family before getting to the presidency and we are content with what we have.

“What is happening in the country, we are just two years into our administration, we are not the cause of the current situation. We are trying to fix and secure the future.

“I have embarked on several journeys but it seems that people are not seeing what God is doing in the land. Nations across the globe want to do business with us, legally, on the table. There is a government in power now that they know it is accountable.

“We are trying all our efforts to ensure that the economy is stabilised and the masses are living meaningful lives since the removal of fuel subsidy.”

On his part, Ooni acknowledged the visit of the First Lady to the ancient city of Ile-Ife and Tinubu’s administration’s efforts to ensure that Nigeria becomes the best country.

The visit also marked the commissioning of the 2.7-kilometre Oluremi Tinubu Way and Pavilion at Obafemi Awolowo University, a project built in her honour by the monarch.

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Non-Kinetic Approaches Boosting Southeast Peace Efforts – Deputy Speaker Kalu

Published

11 seconds ago

December 20, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, has affirmed that non-kinetic strategies aimed at tackling insecurity in the South-east region are showing promising outcomes.

Kalu made stated this while receiving the Outstanding Peace Ambassador Award from the House of Representatives Press Corps on Thursday, in recognition of his leadership in the “Peace in the South East Project” (PISE-P).

The event, held at the National Assembly Complex, also featured the unveiling of the fourth edition of the Press Corps’ magazine, “Green Sentinel”, alongside the launch of its website.

Kalu who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, reaffirmed his dedication to fostering sustainable peace in the southeast and commended security agencies for embracing non-violent solutions to insecurity challenges. While acknowledging progress, he stressed the need for sustained efforts to achieve lasting peace.

Kalu also lauded the Press Corps, led by Comrade Gboyega Onadiran, for its professionalism in delivering accurate and timely reports on parliamentary activities to Nigerians.

He said, “Before now, I was the spokesperson of the House, and I worked with you. You have not changed. You remain consistent in ensuring that you do the right work with regards to the ethics of your profession.

“You’ve been feeding Nigerians with the right information. You’ve been unbundling what we do here, we want to be more transparent. You know what that has done for us is that it has increased the confidence level of Nigerians in the workings of the parliament, more than it used to be.

“And today, launching the Green Sentinel, this Green Sentinel started when I was with you. And you’ve not allowed a dream to die. And I’m so proud of you to support you to make sure that you keep telling the story.

“You’ve also gone ahead to give me an award, not just as one of you, but as one of you who is interested in peace and motivation. The motivation has been nothing but the fact that we only have one country. We don’t have two. All this division. North, South, West, doesn’t matter to people like us.

“In fact, the more it is dissolved, the better. The more we remove all these North, South, East, West, the better for us because we are one. Because we are one, we must preach peace to sustain that oneness. That is the truth. We must preach it starting from home and from the Southeast, and they say charity begins at home. There’s no how I would preach peace outside to the rest of the rest of Nigeria, while leaving what is in my area.

“You know, Southeast has been, you know, there’s been a crisis there for some time, even though it’s going down now a little bit through our various interventions, and through your own intervention, the way you report the stories there, it’s going down. But we started the Southeast Peace Project, which the President was there to launch on the 29th of December barely a year now.

“And with that, we lobbied for the South East Development Commission, we reached out to people and we are beginning to speak to those who are radicalized and say, please come. There are better ways of achieving what we want to achieve through the non-kinetic approach. We spoke to the military and the security forces and they have given their support and they are ensuring that the kinetic approach to resolving problems is not the only approach.

“It’s working. Are we there yet? No. Are we going to get there? Yes. Especially now that the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his magnanimity approved the Southeast Development Commission Bill to become an Act and has gone ahead to make a budget proposal. So he’s not just talking the talk, he is walking the talk.

“What this would do for the peace project we are doing is that it’s going to calm the nerves of so many people who are agitating for one marginalization or the other. The President has now said this is the fund from the federation account to develop your place. What other excuse do you have to carry arms? What other excuse do you have to destroy your place? This is a peace tool that the President has given to us. And the President has taken that also to other regions of the country.

“The regional development agenda of Mr. President is a wonderful agenda because you see Northwest has received funds that are going to be used to calm the nerves of those there who are carrying out the insurgency and the rest of them. Northeast is working. Very soon, Southwest will start. South-South, and the rest of them. Before you know it, it would be every man to your own camp, develop your place. That is a regional agenda which worked for us before which is coming back again in the spirit of federalism and I’m sure it is going to work.

“So all this is because if we don’t pursue peace, there will be no unity. And if we don’t have unity, there will be no progress. Check our coat of arms. It says, peace, unity and progress. So if Nigeria wants to progress, the foundation is peace. Thank you for recognizing our work, and we pledge to partner with you to make sure that we achieve more within that space.”

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Let oracles decide Owa-Obokun stool, contestant tells Osun govt, kingmakers

Published

7 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Prince Kayode Adewale, a contestant for the vacant Owa-Obokun of Ijesa land throne, has urged the Osun state government and traditional kingmakers to rely on oracles and deities in selecting the next monarch of the ancient town.

Prince Adewale of the Owa Bilaro Oluodo Royal Family, made the call during a press conference in Ilesa, Osun State, on Thursday.

He noted that the Ifa oracle, along with the Obokun and Ogun deities, should be the determining factors in the selection process.

The stool became vacant following the passing of Oba Gabriel Aromolaran, who joined his ancestors on September 11, 2024, after a 42-year reign.

As the contest intensifies, an Osun State High Court, presided over by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, has restrained Governor Ademola Adeleke and others from appointing a new Owa-Obokun from the Haastrup family or any other candidate.

Amid the ongoing legal battles, Prince Adewale reaffirmed his interest in the throne, advocating for adherence to traditional processes to ensure fairness and legitimacy.

He said: “The Owa Obokun stool is not for sale. In Ijesaland when it’s comes to selection of a new King the Ifa, Obokun and Ogun deities will be consulted and the person that has the highest vote from them will emerge as the king.”

Declaring his intention, Adewale said he is committed to standardizing mining practices and implementing robust land reclamation policies.

“Ijeshaland is blessed with abundant natural resources, particularly in gold mining. However, our gold resources must be harnessed responsibly and sustainably. Under my leadership, I will work towards the standardization of gold mining practices, ensuring that this wealth benefits the people of Ijeshaland while preserving our environment for future generations.”

News

Reps approve extension of 2024 budget implementation to June next year

Published

7 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the extension of the implementation of the capital component of the 2024 budget from 31 December 2024 to 30 June 2025.

Leader of the House, Hon Julius Ihonvbere, laid the report of the report of the bill seeking the extension as the House dissolved into the Committee of Supply to consider it.

It is titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Appropriation Act, 2024 to extend the implementation of the Capital Component of the Appropriation Act, 2024 from 31 December, 2024 to 30 June, 2025 and for Related Matters (HB.2023)”

Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who announced the adjournment of plenary to January 14, 2025, urged members to work hard in their various to ensure that the prompt passage of the 2025 budget upon resumption.