News
Tinubu off to France on private visit
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is off to Paris, capital of France, on a “private visit”.
In Addis Ababa, President Tinubu will join African leaders at the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State, scheduled from February 12th to 16th, 2025.”
According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, from Frane, the president would move to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, for the forthcoming African Union Summit.
“The president will arrive in Addis Ababa early next week for the African Union summit. While in France, President Tinubu will meet with his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron,” Onanuga said in a statement.
Tinubu’s trips abroad have come under public scrutiny on the back of the economic hardship in the country, with Nigerians raising concerns over his large entourage.
There have also been arguments whether such trips had attracted commensurate benefits and investments for the country.
But while appearing on a Channels Television programme a few weeks ago, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, had said Nigeria is rich enough to fund the president’s frequent foreign trips.
He had said Tinubu, contrary to the complaints, even needed to embark on more trips because of its strategic importance and inherent benefits to the country.
The minister noted that Tinubu could only strengthen ties with fellow global leaders in his quest to set the country on the right path.
He had said, “It is not a fair assessment. The administration is still new because the President was sworn in in 2023. In global terms, he is still a new president. He needs to interact with his colleagues and fellow heads of state to be able to establish relationships
You can further see the fruits of these trips and their benefits which attracted $2bn (worth) of investments like he did in Brazil. In fact, I would venture to say we are not travelling enough. We should do more.
Nigeria has the money. How much does travelling cost compared to the benefits? Again, how much does it cost really when you compare it to some of the things that the President has already addressed?
“How much have we wasted on fuel, electricity and other subsidies? He was subsidising consumption instead of production and subsidising the real sector of the economy,” he added.
Since assuming office in 2023, Tinubu has reportedly visited about 19 countries on 32 foreign trips.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing it as the “worst, most corrupt, and most intolerant” federal government since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
Speaking to journalists in Katsina on Monday night, el-Rufai accused the government of widespread dishonesty and failure to address the country’s worsening insecurity.
“This is the worst federal government in Nigerian history, and all the indices have shown it,” he said.
He charged the Tinubu administration with spreading propaganda, particularly on the security situation in the country.
“They lied that security has improved in Nigeria. They read out numbers of bandits killed except the ones we know are the leading bandits… Dogo Gide is still around, Mallam Abba… Bello Turji is still around,” he claimed.
Issues of insecurity in northern Nigeria
El-Rufai questioned how many local government areas remain under bandit control in states like Katsina, Zamfara, and parts of Sokoto, accusing the federal government of ignoring the root causes of insecurity.
He also hinted at a political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, predicting that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) would unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
El-Rufai was in Katsina to offer condolences to Governor Dikko Radda over his mother’s passing.
Days earlier, he had joined former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other political figures on a unity visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna.
He later described the visit as a symbol of “unity and brotherhood.”
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Arsenal on Wednesday hammered Real Madrid and finally hit the semis on 5-1 aggregate.
Bukayo Saka after losing a penalty in the the first half at the 13th minute but made up at the 65th minute.
Vinicius Jnr equalised within two minutes as Gabriel Martinelli nailed it for Arsemal at extra time.
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