Today's Headlines: Nigerians can't feed again – Ogun Minority Leader;Gov Otti Bans Okada In Umuahia, Aba
Nigerians Can’t Feed Again–Adeleye
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Ogun State Assembly Minority Leader Lukman Adeleye has lamented the situation in the country and called on President Bola Tinubu to act now.
Adeleye said Nigerians under the current administration can no longer feed themselves or their family members, noting that the prices of food items have skyrocketed and the common people are finding them unaffordable.
Adeleye spoke during an empowerment programme held in Odogbolu for small-scale businesses to commemorate this year’s International Youth Day.
He regretted that the purchasing power of the people has been reduced due to the sudden removal of fuel subsidy by the current administration as well as the floating of the naira.
The lawmaker, who expressed concern about the prevailing economic situation in the country, said politicians should empower the masses to quench the current condition.
“It is worrisome that people now find it hard to eat three square meals as prices of food items and other products have gone up tremendously, while many can’t meet their family’s needs or their children’s school fees.
“Small-scale businesses are worse hit as they have continued to crash because of inflation. The President has to do something about this before things get out of hand,” he stated.
Gov Otti Bans Okada In Umuahia, Aba
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Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has directed an immediate ban on the operations of commercial motorcyclists, otherwise known as Okada, within Umuahia and Aba metropolises.
In a statement signed by Kazie Uko, his Chief Press Secretary, issued on Sunday evening, Gov Otti said that effective Monday, August 14, 2023, any motorcycle seen on the streets of Umuahia and Aba townships being used for such a purpose will be impounded by the security agencies.
He directed security agencies in the two cities to arrest any individual caught violating the order for possible prosecution.
Though no reason was given in the statement for the ban on okada use, some sources said it was part of the measures being applied by the state government to tackle crime in parts of the two cities.
However, some critics of the state government’s ban have said that the policy would further increase unemployment among youths.
The critics also urged the Abia State government to ensure that the ban is not restricted to only civilian okada riders but also to some security personnel who use okada.
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Consider Ministerial Nominee From Kaduna Central, South–Ramalan
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A former Chairman of the All Progressive Congress caucus in Kaduna State, Alhaji Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider a ministerial nominee from Kaduna Central or Kaduna South to replace former governor Nasir El-Rufai for inclusiveness.
In an open letter to Tinubu on Sunday obtained by DAILY POST, Ramalan said: “The ministerial position should go to Zone 2 or Zone 3, where persons and politicians of high calibre are well placed to take such a position in view that both El-Rufai and Governor Uba Sani are from Zone 1.”
He called on President Tinubu to look critically into the sharing of political positions in Kaduna State, saying that the over-concentration of political offices in one zone is not auguring well for APC in the State.
He explained that before 2015, when APC took over Kaduna State by storm from PDP which had held sway for 16 years, there had been equity in the sharing of the spoils, according to the understanding among politicians and other stakeholders in the state.
According to him, based on gentlemen’s agreement, when the office of the governor goes to Zone 1, naturally, the deputy governorship position should go to the 2nd or 3rd senatorial zone.
He added that for a delicate balance, the ministerial position usually went to the remaining senatorial zone to achieve inclusiveness and complete representation in the state.
He stressed that adherence to that sharing formula meant all three senatorial zones were fully represented at both the state and federal levels.
There are speculations that after the former governor failed to make the ministerial list, he or the governor purportedly forwarded the name of a certain Jaafaru Sani from Kubau Local Government Area, insisting that Zone 1, where the governor hails from, must still produce the replacement.
Ramalan, however, cautioned the President, stressing that the politics of APC in Kaduna State is not about El-Rufai alone but about the entire membership of the party and the people of the state.
He warned that the political isolation of Zone 3 has not in any way helped the fortunes of the APC or peaceful co-existence in Kaduna.
Niger Delta Group Calls On FG, NDDC To Complete East-West Road
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A group, the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council (NDENYLC), has called on the federal government, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to, as a matter of urgency, ensure the completion of the East-West Road, which has been under construction for over 14 years.
In a communiqué signed by the President General of the group, Terry Obieh, and the Secretary-General, Captain Henshaw Bassey, issued to journalists at the end of their meeting in Uyo, the group lamented that the road has remained a death trap for commuters over the years.
The group commended the MD of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, for his giant strides so far in the commission, appealing to him to work with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and prioritise the completion of the road.
The group enjoined the people of the Niger Delta to give NDDC all the required support to deliver on its mandate, even as it urged the prospective Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to work with the current MD of NDDC to finish strong in executing his ongoing developmental programmes for the youths of the region.
Dunyanari (
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