News

Fayemi commends Oyebanji for uniting Ekiti

Published

1 day ago

October 21, 2024

By Francesca Hangeior

The Former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has described Governor Biodun Oyebanji as a worthy successor with an excellent performance record and for the manner he has been able to unite all leaders of diverse political interests in the state.

Fayemi, in a statement made available to journalists on Monday, said not all leaders are endowed with such skills and ingenuity to achieve that much within two years in office.

According to the statement, Fayemi disclosed these in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, while commissioning two road projects, the Agric Olope-Odo Ado -Moferere road and GRA 3rd extension road (phase one), initiated by his administration but completed by Oyebanji.

It added that Fayemi praised Oyebanji for aligning with the Ekiti State Transition Law, which prohibits a succeeding administration from abandoning uncompleted projects midwifed by the preceding government, describing this as a hallmark of excellent leadership.

The statement read, “I am surprised with the way you have been uniting all the political leaders of Ekiti State. Not all leaders are blessed or endowed with such skill, not all of us. To me, it is good for the system, because we need peace and unity to drive development.”

He urged Oyebanji to continue with the pace of excellent delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of the state, even as he aligned himself with the gale of second-term endorsements for the Governor, by different groups and personalities.

“I am very proud of Governor Oyebanji. He is a soft and compassionate leader. All the road projects that we started like Itapa-Omu-Ijelu, GRA third extension, Ado-Ifaki and others were being attended to by his government. We thank God that continuity has become a blessing to us in Ekiti.

“We had a bad experience before. When I left in 2014, all uncompleted road projects and others were abandoned. We later revisited them when I came back in 2018. That was why I campaigned on the mantra of continuity that we are now seeing the gains.

“I am happy that the governor is ready to pay minimum wage. He is paying the salaries, pensions and gratuity of retirees. I am happy about this. The Hallmark of leadership is successive generation building.

“Most interesting was that, the governor didn’t change the contractors handling the projects. Those who started them completed them and they did a good job, if not they would have been revoked. Everything went well, this is the hallmark of good leadership”, Fayemi said.

Responding, Oyebanji, hailed Fayemi for laying a solid foundation for his administration to thrive on, by embarking on projects that serve as a launchpad for economic prosperity of the state at the twilight of his tenure.

“Governor Kayode Fayemi, you are a good mentor and coach. You have laid your bed very well. You were about to go when you awarded these road projects. You fought hard and won the election for me, which made it possible for me to continue with these roads.

“When I took over, I said to myself that before I start my own projects, I will complete whatever my predecessor started. All these projects belong to Ekiti like Governor Fayemi used to say, so let us protect them”, Oyebanji stated.

News

Reps To Invite FCT Minister, Police Commissioner, Others Over Rising Cases Of ‘One Chance’

Published

28 mins ago

October 22, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has mandate its Committees on Federal Capital Territory, Police and National Security and Intelligence to summon the FCT Minister, Commissioner of Police, DG DSS over the resurgence of activities of one chance operatives within the capital city.

The House also mandated its Committee on FCT to investigate the use of unregistered/unpainted taxis within the capital city as well as a comprehensive investigation into the activities of kidnapping and arm robbery within the capital city and report to the house within three weeks.

This resolution is sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Rep. Ismail Haruna Dabo, lawmaker representing Toro Federal Constituency of Bauchi state, on The Resurgence of “One Chance” Taxi Operators” in the FCT on Tuesday at plenary.

The interaction is part of an investigation ordered by the House following the killing of one Miss Nimah Sulaiman a lby “one chance” operatives on Thursday, October 17, 2024, in Abuja.

Debating the motion, Rep. Dabo decried that in recent years, the nation’s capital has experienced an upsurge in the rate of kidnappings and robbery incidents, including “one chance,” from those kidnapped from far flung suburbs to those kidnapped along the Airport Road, from those picked from their Estates, to those kidnapped at the City centre to those abducted by renegade one-chance taxi operators.

According to him, it has been a tumultuous and scary situation for people living within the capital territory of the use of unregistered and unpainted taxis has further worsen. the situation, providing an easy conduit for criminal activities within the capital city.

He said residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are living in fear as the security of the nation’s seat of power has continued to deteriorate as brutal criminals go about with their daily operations without mercy on citizens.

The motion reads: “Further aware that one Miss Nimah Sulaiman a Legislative Aide of Hon. Dabo, was kidnapped and brutally murdered on Thursday 17 October, 2024 on her way home to Jahi District, around 6:15 pm, where she was taken at gunpoint at Banex Junction in Wuse 2, by one chance operators;

“Recalls that despite paying ransom in full, her life was tragically cur short. Her body was found between the hours of 9 to 10 pm at Maitama/Mi.ister’s hill Bridge;

“Disturbed that this heinous crime has sent shockWaves through our community, confirming the escalating insecurity in the FCT. It is our collective responsibility as lawmakers to ensure the safety and security of our citizens”.

The lawmakers observed a one minute silence to pray for Late Nimah Sulaiman.

News

Just in: Ex-HoR member finally regains freedom after serving jail term in Kuje

Published

3 hours ago

October 22, 2024

Naijablitznews

Ex- House of Representatives member, Hon Farouk Lawan has finally regained freedom after serving his jail term at Kuje custodial.

Lawan in a statement he personally signed thanked his family and friends who supported him while serving his jail term in Kuje.

Read statement below:

“I Thank Almighty Allah – Hon Farouk Lawan

Alhamdulillah
Alhamdulillah
Alhamdulillah

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life as I step out of Kuje Custodial Centre, with a heart full of gratitude to Allah SWT for seeing me through this trial.

“My gratitude is deep, I’m alive and in good health and high spirits to be with my family, friends and associates. I don’t take that for granted.

“I remain grateful and indebted to my family and friends who stood by me through this particularly trying phase of my life.

“May Allah SWT bless you🙏

News

Reps Displeased With Nigerian Navy Over Arbitrary Purchase of Foreign Platforms, Seaman Abbas’ Dismissal

Published

3 hours ago

October 22, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has expressed displeasure with the Nigerian Navy for indiscriminate acquisition of foreign platforms without its knowledge, and failed to respond to its letters demanding for documents to facilitate effective oversight of the security agency.

Chairman, House Committee on Navy, Rep Yusuf Gagdi stated this while addressing journalists after a closed door meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Navy, during an oversight visit, on Monday in Abuja.

He said: “We cannot say anything now until we have gone to see those projects, the platforms that are being built, then we can come back here, and have another interaction”.

Gagdi also provoked with the Nigerian Navy over at manner in which the case of a personnel, Seaman Haruna Abbas, was handled, leading to his dismissal after six years in detention.

Abbas was allegedly held in detention for the period without trial over some disciplinary issues. As a result, his wife had cried out through a popular Abuja radio programme, Brekete Family Radio and Television programme on Human Rights Radio. This sparked wide condemnation before the Navy tried and subsequently dismissed him from service.

“We came for an oversight function, you all know every committee has the Constitutional power, so we came to the Navy to ask questions on tax payers’ money, how monies appropriated to the Navy is being spent.

“We came to ask questions on how interventions by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is being spent by the Navy. How the junior officers are being treated by the senior officers, including the famous case of Seaman Haruna, how he was suddenly dismissed. It is our responsibility on behalf of the Nigerian people to ask questions on these pertinent issues.

“We’ve asked them, but we are generally uncomfortable with them, so we’ve said that we are going to go on oversight visit, to perform a deep rooted oversight to know how resources are being applied and how disciplinary matters are being handled by the Navy.

“So by the special grace of God, it’s not a new thing, we are only doing our job. And I have told you without any fear of contradiction that the committee is not satisfied.

“Beyond the Seaman Abbas issue, we are not satisfied with the non-response to letters written by this committee, for documents demanded to guide us in our oversight function and so on, and the acquiring foreign platforms without the knowledge of this committee, and so many things.

“We cannot say anything now until we have gone to see those projects, the platforms that are being built, then we can come back here, and have another interaction”, he added.

In his brief earlier, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, told the committee that the Navy was facing several challenges hinging on but not limited to “inadequate resources to effectively carry its operations.”

The CNS stated that beyond its military responsibility, the Navy also performs the function of policing the waterways, complementing the Nigeria Customs which has no deep-sea policing capacity.