Today's Headlines: APC’ll rule Nigeria for 60 years, says ex-Kaduna Speaker; Shettima Chairs NEC Meeting In Abuja
APC’ll rule Nigeria for 60 years, says ex-Kaduna Speaker
Photo Credit: Punch papers
The immediate-past Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani, on Thursday, boasted that the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has what it takes to make the ruling party remain in government for more than 60 years.
Zailani made the statement when he led a delegation of former House of Representatives members on a solidarity visit to Ganduje at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja on Thursday.
The development is coming barely 15 years after a former National Chairman of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Vincent Ogbulafor, made a similar controversial statement.
The now-late Chief Ogbulafor had boasted that the PDP was poised to rule the country for at least 60 years because of the good policies and programmes of the party.
But the PDP government under then President Goodluck Jonathan was defeated in the 2015 presidential election, seven years after Ogbulafor’s prediction.
Zailani, however, believed the ruling APC under the new leadership of Ganduje could stand the test of time.
He said, “We have no doubt in our mind that you (Ganduje) will lead this party to continuously forming government in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for more than 60 years. We know you can do it and we have absolute confidence that you can do it. As you can see, we are representing the country because all the six geopolitical zones are adequately represented here.
“We may not be in the House of Representatives now. But we want to tell you that all of us have the energy, the vision and the interest of the party at heart, so we are offering ourselves for any party assignments.
Shettima Chairs NEC Meeting In Abuja
Photo Credit: Channels Television
Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday, chaired the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
The meeting being held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, has in attendance, governors from across the Federation and other stakeholders.
The meeting is expected to address some of the pertinent economic challenges in the country occasioned by the removal of the petrol subsidy.
Also expected to be discussed are security challenges across the country, with recent attacks in some parts of the North.
Journalists have been excused from the meeting and are waiting to be briefed on the outcome.
5,166 killed, 1,830 abducted in seven months
Photo Credit: Punch papers
No fewer than 5,166 Nigerians were killed while there were 1,830 cases of abduction across the country between January and July this year.
This is according to a 2023 Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Consulting, an Abuja-based security risk management and intelligence consulting company. According to the report obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday, 749 Nigerians were killed in January; 624 in February; 961 in March; 707 in April; 679 in May; 854 in June; and 592 in July.
It also revealed that 208 Nigerians were abducted in January; 173 in February; 411 in March; 302 in April; 168 in May; 239 in June; and 329 Nigerians in July. Speaking on the rising trend of insecurity in the country that has continued to claim lives and property, a retired Colonel, Hassan Stan-Labo, who recently spoke to The PUNCH, blamed the government for failing in its responsibility to protect the lives of its citizens.
Subsidy removal: Niger to spend N3bn on palliatives
Photo Credit: Daily Post Nigeria
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has revealed that the state government will spend three billion nairas on palliatives to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on the citizens.
Bago made this disclosure at the closing of a two-day retreat organised for commissioners, members of the Niger State House of Assembly, special advisers, Local Government Council chairmen, and heads of MDAs in Suleja.
According to him, each ward in Chanchaga, Bida, Suleja and Kontagora local government areas would be given the sum of N20 million, while the other remaining wards in 21 LGs would receive N10 million each.
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