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Just in: APC Backs President Tinubu, Says Poverty Is A Global Practice
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has condemned too much emphasis on hardship and poverty in the country while neglecting gains the economy has recorded.
This Nigeria news platform understands that Felix Morka said President Bola Tinubu’s policies were the right policies that would put the country on the path of progress and prosperity.
In an interview with Arise News on Thursday, Morka condemned the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi‘s comment on poverty and hardship in the country.
He stressed that under successive governments before the APC took over in 2015, Nigeria had the challenge of multi-dimensional poverty.
He pointed out that the President appreciates the challenges. He said over time the gains of the government’s policies would translate into the life of Nigerians.
“The President in his statement was very clear. He did lay out some of the major progress that this administration has attained in the last several months.
“While also acknowledging that there remain challenges to the country, economic challenges, even security challenges at the country. The president is being very balanced and very real with Nigerians. He is not trying to gaslight anyone. He is calling it as it is.
“Now having said that, economics is economics. Economics is not magic.
Macroeconomic gains will in time translate to specific dining table, living room benefits to Nigerians. That is already starting. Now you see, I listened to your previous guest, who was speaking about poverty as though Nigeria has been without poverty since our independence or even before independence.
That is not the case. As of 2012, 2013, 2014, nearly 50% of Nigerians lived in multi-dimensional poverty. I think it is really misleading for anyone, whether it is Mr. Peter Obi or anyone else to come on national television to speak about poverty as though poverty dropped from the sky last night. It didn’t. No one wishes for any citizen to be poor or to live in poverty or to struggle with basic necessities. No one. Not the President, not myself, not any Nigerian, I believe. But unfortunately, that is the human condition.
“Even in some of the wealthiest countries of the world, people struggle and they initiate programs that are aimed to transform the fundamental conditions that create or sustain poverty. That is what this President is doing.
“Now if the richest countries of the world can initiate policies and actually create targets which are monitored over the short, medium and long term for those targets to be achieved, now who says that we mustn’t do that? That once a policy is announced, everything is supposed to completely resolve.
“Now look at the energy sector. We are seeing improvements. Yes, there was that deregulation, that whole removal of subsidy which created initial pain and maybe the pain continues to linger. However, with the reforms that are beginning to now bear fruit, we have local refineries that have been moribund for long periods of time, over decades. But they didn’t function,” he said.
The APC spokesman highlighted the improvement in the energy sector with the coming onstream of Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
Morka further assured Nigerians that with the refineries coming on stream the high cost of petrol would come down. He said that would also translate to a reduction in the high cost of living.
“Through the significant portion of the PDP administration in this country, these refineries were simply just sitting there. Nothing was going on. Now, it is running. Warri has just started to run. So my point is that the benefits from all of this, in terms of economies of scale, how this then translates to maybe cheaper fuel, we’re already seeing stability.
“This is the first Christmas I know in recent years where we’re not queuing for petrol. That is a benefit. The price has just lowered in the last couple of weeks. That is also a benefit. And over time, competition, when Warri is producing, Port Harcourt is producing, hopefully, Kaduna begins to burn and Dangote is also producing.
“There’s no way that we’re not going to see a progressive decrease in price of petrol to make it easier for people to actually buy fuel and power their machines, whether it’s cars or other forms of machine. But I think that we need to all just take a perspective and understand that these benefits we speak about are beginning to come down in the way it matters,” he added.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Boko Haram militants launched an attack on a Nigerian army base in Borno State on January 4, 2025, leaving numerous soldiers dead and others missing.
The attack, which lasted over two hours, targeted the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the Damboa Local Government Area.
According to security officials, multiple military buildings and operational vehicles were destroyed in the assault, and at least seven bodies have been recovered so far.
The militants invaded the base around 4 a.m., using a variety of weapons.
Details shortly…
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced a new initiative, which will allow students to resit their WASSCE papers as early as January and February 2025.
This marks a significant shift from the previous system, where candidates had to wait for the next private exam cycle.
The Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, John Kapi, disclosed this while speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show in Ghana on Tuesday, December 31st.
He explained that the new programme, referred to as WASSCE PC1, provides a faster route for students to improve their grades.
“Students who access their results now and realise they need to resit one or two papers have until 8th January to register online through our website or at WAEC-accredited internet cafés. The exams will take place from 24th January to 15th February 2025,” Mr Kapi stated.
According to him, to aid candidates in their preparations, WAEC plans to expedite the release of chief examiners’ reports, saying, “These reports will provide detailed feedback on where students may have gone wrong and how they can better approach their studies and the examination process.
“We’ve advertised this programme widely through banners, our website, and our results checker platform to ensure that both students and parents are aware,” Mr Kapi added.
He said students whose results have been cancelled are also eligible to sit the WASSCE PC1 exams, provided they have not been banned for some years for malpractice.
“For now, the exams will be conducted in regional capitals due to the limited number of candidates. Prospective participants are urged to complete their registration by the 8th of January to take advantage of this opportunity.”
WAEC, however, expressed optimism that this initiative will allow candidates to quickly improve their grades and qualify for the next cycle of admissions, avoiding a year-long delay in their academic progress.
Daily TRUST
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has encouraged Nigerians to cultivate an attitude of gratitude to God, regardless of the challenges they face.
Delivering his sermon at the church’s annual thanksgiving service tagged “All Round Praise” at the national headquarters in Ebute-Metta, Lagos, Pastor Adeboye highlighted the importance of appreciating God’s mercy in difficult times.
Citing the ongoing economic hardships and rising prices, Pastor Adeboye said, “If you don’t know what to thank God for, thank Him for His mercy.
“You are alive today not because of your ability, strength, or wisdom but because of His mercy. The Bible says, ‘A living dog is better than a dead lion.’ As long as you are breathing, there is hope for you.”
He further reflected on the value of life and the often-overlooked gift of breathing, drawing parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic, where many faced challenges with basic respiration.
“During the pandemic, those who couldn’t breathe needed oxygen masks to survive. As long as you can breathe, there’s hope, and those who have written you off will be surprised because your tomorrow will be alright,” he assured the congregation.
On the subject of gratitude, Pastor Adeboye shared a poignant message about mental health, clothing, and societal values. “Maybe you didn’t have new clothes for Christmas, but you are not naked, and that shows you are not crazy. Many have plenty of clothes, but they have lost their minds. Nebuchadnezzar was a king with abundant clothing, yet he roamed naked among animals when things went wrong with his mind.”
Pastor Adeboye also criticized the growing trend of indecent dressing, equating it to a form of practical nakedness. “Today, we see people exposing what clothes are supposed to cover. They celebrate this on television, but it’s not right,” he said, calling for a return to modesty and decency in appearance.
RCCG Declares 100 Days Fast.
Meanwhile, the RCCG has announced its annual 100-day fasting exercise, set to commence on January 11, 2025, and conclude on April 21, 2025. Themed “RCCG Fast 2025”, the Special Assistant to the General Overseer, Pastor Oladele Balogun, shared that the spiritual exercise will include 30 days of focused intercession for Nigeria.
Pastor Adeboye emphasized the critical role of prayer during fasting, stating, “Without prayer, fasting is just a hunger strike.” He expressed confidence that the fasting period would bring about a divine turnaround for Nigeria and urged participants to maintain a prayerful attitude throughout.
The event reinforced themes of gratitude, modesty, and spiritual dedication, offering hope for better days ahead for the nation and its people.
Just in: Boko Haram launch attack against military base, k!ll soldiers
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Adeboye advises Nigerians to be thankful amidst challenges, condemns indecent dressing
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