Today's Headlines: Subsidy removal: Tinubu is honest to Nigerians, says Ganduje; There will be total shutdown—Ayodele warns Tinubu

Subsidy removal: Tinubu is honest to Nigerians, says Ganduje

Photo credit: The Nation papers

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has said that President Bola Tinubu had the best intentions for Nigerians in the decision to remove fuel subsidy.

Ganduje noted that the policy and its execution might have caused significant difficulties for Nigerians, he emphasised the lasting benefits the policy will ultimately yield outweighs the short-term hardships people experience.

The APC chairman, while hosting the directors and secretaries of various directorates of the defunct APC presidential campaign Council said, “President Bola Tinubu was honest to Nigerians, he did not play a game with the removal of subsidy. He was very honest, even in his efforts to provide a solution to the effect of the subsidy removal.

“It came to the point that everybody was suffering. The removal of subsidies, there is no doubt, it’s a welcomed development. And you know, he didn’t want to deceive people even during the electioneering process. Before he was voted in, he said he would remove it, so he was honest. And now it has been removed, but of course, there are some pains.

“There is no doubt if you study the history of developed nations, they went through similar processes – one obstacle or another – and the people will have to suffer, but we are so happy that the President invited all the governors, irrespective of political leaning, and told them his agenda. His agenda is for immediate relief of the suffering, the medium measure, and the long-term measures.

“We are happy that most governments in the federation have taken the cue. They designed their state palliatives, and the federal government is also providing palliatives. But if you look at it, the short-term measure alone is not sustainable. It is the long-term measure that is important.”

On the issue of public transportation, Ganduje said the federal government has gone ahead with the discussion for the manufacturing and distribution of vehicles that run on gas.

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There will be total shutdown if…, Primate Ayodele warns Tinubu

Photo credit: Nigerian Tribune

Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has warned that Nigeria risks a total shutdown if economic hardship persists for the next three months.

Primate Ayodele in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, gave President Bola Tinubu three months ultimatum to fix Nigeria’s economy.

He explained that individuals will not wait for the NLC or any organisation to lead protests anymore rather, they will storm the streets in their numbers to cry out against the government.

The cleric stated the situation of the country will be best described as a ‘standstill’ if the president doesn’t find a lasting solution to the economic hardship being faced by citizens of the country.

He urged the president not to perceive his message as a threat but as divine instructions to save the country from impending danger.

‘’In the next three months, if the economic hardship doesn’t end, Nigerians will bring the country to a total shutdown with massive demonstrations and disorderliness.

“This won’t be the usual protest that NLC or TUC organise, individuals will storm the streets to personally protest and this will make the country standstill for days.

‘’President Tinubu should do everything possible to fix the economy, he needs to adjust and do all that is needful because the economic hardship will wreck the country and this will affect both the rich and the poor.

“Individuals will begin to protest, workers will shun their working place.’’

Police can’t vacate checkpoints — IG

Photo credit: Punch papers

The acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has declared that the Nigeria Police Force cannot afford to do away with checkpoints, adding that checkpoints are vibrant parts of visibility policing, and crucial to effective policing of contemporary Nigerian society.

The police chief also ordered the deployment of the Monitoring Unit and X-Squad operatives, in collaboration with supervisory senior officers, to conduct thorough assessments of key checkpoints along highways.

Egbetokun reiterated the steadfastness of his administration in its dedication to restoring a sense of order and responsibility to the nation’s highways and police operations, adding that the NPF is dedicated to restoring sanity, maintaining order, and fostering a sense of trust between law enforcement and the communities it serves.

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated this in a Wednesday night correspondence obtained by our correspondent.

‘Emilokan’ won’t work in 2024 Edo election, Obaseki warns deputy

Photo credit: Guardian Nigeria

The Edo state governor Godwin Obaseki has warned his deputy, Philip Shaibu, not to think that ‘Emilokan’, a Yoruba word which simply means “it is my turn”, will work during the gubernatorial election in 2024.

Obaseki said this even as the brawl between him and Shaibu appears to be very far from coming to an end anytime soon.

To this end, governor Obaseki has passed a message across to Shaibu, apparently warning his deputy that the “emilokan spirit” was totally unacceptable in Edo state’s politics.

“The ‘Emilokan’ syndrome or spirit is not a strategy for winning elections and ruling Edo people,” the Edo governor was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Obaseki said the Edo people would not accept “Emilokan” as a strategy, according to a statement forwarded to Premium Times by the governor’s spokesperson, Crusoe Osagie.

He was said to have made the remarks when the leaders of the Edo South Senatorial District paid a solidarity visit to him in the Government House, Benin.

“They are not known for that. For us, it is the people that will decide,” he said, apparently referring to his deputy, Shaibu, who is said to be nursing the ambition to contest for the 2024 governorship election in Edo state.

By bringing up the emilokan, Obaseki is in a way telling Shaibu not to feel that he is entitled to succeed him as the next governor of Edo state.

Meanwhile, Shaibu recently wrote a petition to the court to stop an alleged plot by Obaseki to remove him from office.

The governor, meanwhile, has accused Shaibu of manipulating the youth council election in Edo because of his (Shaibu’s) political ambition.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the Yoruba word, ‘Emilokan’ popular during his campaign for the 2023 presidential election.

The ideology behind the word as used then by Tinubu was that he had worked for the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari.

Tinubu believed it was thereafter his turn to succeed Buhari as the next elected ruler of Nigeria.

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