News
Ndume Under Fire for Sharing Video of Nigerians Waiting for Palliatives at Tinubu’s Residence
A video shared by Senator Ali Ndume of Nigerians queuing for palliatives at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Bourdillon residence has sparked widespread reactions. The footage, posted on December 25, 2024, highlights an issue that has become a point of contention: the persistent poverty faced by millions of Nigerians.
During a media chat on December 23, President Tinubu revealed that he has been distributing food palliatives from his Lagos residence for over 25 years. He emphasized that this long-standing tradition has always been orderly and without incidents of stampedes or fatalities.
This declaration came as a response to recent tragedies where palliative distributions in Abuja, Anambra, and Oyo states resulted in stampedes, causing multiple deaths. Tinubu blamed the lack of proper organization by the event planners in those states for the chaos.
On Christmas Eve, Senator Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, shared a video on social media depicting a large queue of Nigerians at Tinubu’s house waiting for food handouts. Ndume wrote beside the video:
“Queues for presidential handouts at Bourdillon on Christmas Eve highlight a sobering reality: Poverty knows no tribe, religion, politics, or region. It is a universal challenge that demands collective action and sustainable solutions.”
While Ndume’s statement intended to draw attention to the realities of poverty, it was met with mixed reactions, sparking both criticism and support.
The video and Ndume’s accompanying remarks have triggered a wave of responses, particularly on social media. Supporters of Tinubu defended his actions, while others questioned Ndume’s motives.
One Twitter user, Segun, commented:
“He [Tinubu] has been feeding people for over two decades, even before becoming president. This is nothing new.”
In contrast, another commenter, Noik, criticized Ndume’s actions:
“You are a disappointment. Using this to target the president is disloyal and counterproductive.”
Others defended Tinubu’s charitable efforts, likening them to similar initiatives by influential figures across Nigeria. However, critics argued that the incident reflects a failure to address the root causes of poverty in the country.
Ndume’s post has reignited discussions about poverty and the inefficiencies in palliative distribution. While Tinubu’s generosity is commendable, the reliance on handouts underscores systemic challenges:
Worsening Poverty: Many Nigerians continue to struggle with basic necessities, relying on charitable efforts for survival.
Tragic Stampedes: Recent incidents in Abuja and other states highlight the urgent need for better planning and distribution systems.
Political Undertones: Ndume’s post has been interpreted by some as a politically motivated critique of Tinubu’s administration, further fueling partisan debates.
Senator Ndume’s video has drawn attention to the stark realities of poverty in Nigeria and sparked a heated debate about the effectiveness of palliative distributions.
While President Tinubu’s charitable efforts reflect his commitment to supporting vulnerable Nigerians, the incident highlights the urgent need for sustainable solutions to address poverty at its root.
…as Speaker Ibrahima reaffirm commitment to regional unity
By Gloria Ikibah
The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, has reaffirmed the Parliament’s dedication to deepening economic integration among member states.
Speaking at the First Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament for 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria, she emphasized the importance of regional cooperation, particularly in advancing the single currency agenda.
The session opened with a seminar themed “ECOWAS @50 & Parliament @25: Reflections on Regional Integration,” aimed at evaluating progress and addressing challenges in the bloc.
On the recent withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS, Ibrahima acknowledged the impact on integration efforts but assured that strategies are in place to address any setbacks. She emphasized the enduring regional ties and called for continued dialogue with the departing nations while reaffirming ECOWAS’ readiness to maintain bilateral relations.
She further stressed the importance of translating seminar discussions into concrete policies that foster peace, stability, and economic growth.
The Speaker urged all member states to stay committed to ECOWAS’ objectives and work collectively towards a more unified and prosperous region.
I operate a Palmpay account. Until this morning, I had never attempted to set up an OPay account. I did not succeed setting it up because I discovered that someone with my three names and phone number operates an OPay account. I was mystified at the discovery and think this is grossly unsafe. The person could commit fraud and I could end up paying for it, say. That this happened is a result of formidable negligence on the part of OPay. I have no doubt.
Exactly what its KYC processes are I don’t know. I do not want to speculate, but I think OPay’s KYC processes are worse than poor. From my experience, the KYC processes at Opay, which self-describes as safe and secure, are squalid. They’re shit. Hot shit. Don’t dupe yourself into believing that you’re safe.
The number I attempted to use to set up an account is linked to my NIN, BVN and bank accounts, of course. How it could be in use by another person in Opay’s system eludes me. But in the meantime, the backstory.
I wanted to move N50,000 to my account to my Palmpay account from my Zenith Bank Plc account this morning. On account of a concentration outage I can’t explain, I typed Opay as the destination bank instead of Palmpay. My phone number, which serves as my account number, was correctly inputted and it threw up my name. I made the transfer, but got no notification from Palmpay. Strange. Very strange.
I checked a few minutes later and there was still no notification. I checked the receipt on my @ZenithBank app and discovered that the destination bank I typed in error was OPay. I called a friend, who advised me to open an Opay account and that the money would drop. I asked why it left my account at all since I had no OPay account. I felt it should have been reversed. He asked that I should go set up an Opay account.
I went through the whole facial recognition shebang, got an OTP and later a request for the last six digits of my BVN before things screeched to a halt.
I typed the last six digits and I got a response that they were out of sync. How? I wondered. I called the OPay customer care desk to know what happened. Someone named Funke, who spoke in Yoruba, attended to me. I chose to be served in that language because I thought, from my experience with telco help desks, my chances of being quickly attended to were brighter.
I gave the Funke my name and the number with which I tried to open an account with. She said the number is linked to an Opay account with the name Bamidele Temitope Johnson. She advised me to speak to my bank. My bank? I asked why it was even possible in the first instance, given KYC. She said she didn’t know. I contacted my bank, which said it couldn’t do anything because the names of the OPay account holder to whom I sent money in error are the same as mine.
The person I spoke with at my bank warned that I need this resolved. Very quickly, too. If the OPay account holder is funding terrorism or involved in other crimes, he warned, I coul get into a really sticky situation. I also suspect that there may be hundreds of people in a similar situation where shabby KYC processes make them sitting ducks. Trouble is just around the corner and they don’t know.
Johnson, a Lagos based Marketing Communications Executive shared this on his Facebook page…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Brigadier General Kunle Nafiu as the new Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Bri. Gen. Nafiu, until his appointment, was the Chief of Staff to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, having also served in the same capacity with the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Raised Abiodun Lagbaja.
A Member of 47 Regular Course, Nafiu is an Artillery Officer who graduated from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College and the US Army War College.
Before he was appointed Chief of Staff to the COAS, he was a Directing Staff at the Army War College, Nigeria.
The new NYSC DG hails from Ileogbo, Aiyedire Local Government Area of Osun State.
Nafiu, whose appointment is immediately effective, replaces Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed.
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