Today's Headlines:Obaseki To Swear In Four New Commissioners;Biden Finger Putin In Prigozhin’s Death
Obaseki to swear in four new commissioners Friday
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, will on Friday, swear in four new commissioners confirmed by the state’s House of Assembly.
In a statement, Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, said the ceremony would take place at the New Festival Hall in Government House, Benin City, the Edo State capital, by 1 pm.
The commissioners to be sworn in are Asi Surajo Jubril, Zubairu Dada Abubakar, Osilama Okuofo and Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor.
Ogie said, “It is hereby announced for the information of the general public that the four commissioner-nominees confirmed by the Edo State House of Assembly on Wednesday, August 23, 2022, will be sworn into office by His Excellency, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, on Friday, August 25, 2023.”
Biden Fingers Putin In Prigozhin’s Death
Photo Credit:Daily Trust
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he was “not surprised” at news that Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, may have died in a plane crash in Russia.
“I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised,” Biden said.
“There’s not much that happens in Russia that (President Vladimir) Putin is not behind,” Biden told reporters after taking an exercise class with his family near Lake Tahoe.
“But I don’t know enough to know the answer” of what may have happened to the powerful former Putin henchman, he said.
Prigozhin’s name was on the passenger list of the aircraft, which crashed northwest of Moscow, according to Russian state media.
The crash came two months after he launched Wagner on a short-lived rebellious march on Moscow, aiming to force the removal of the country’s military leadership.
Last month in Helsinki, Biden jokingly warned that Prigozhin, whose elite Wagner force has played an important role in the war on Ukraine, should watch his step after his abortive rebellion.
“If I were him, I’d be careful what I ate. I’d keep my eye on my menu,” Biden said.
Niger Coup: Tinubu, Islamic leaders meet in Aso Rock
President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting with a delegation of Nigerian Muslim leaders (Ulama) led by Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Recall that a group of Islamic leaders had recently offered to interface with the coup leaders in Niger Republic on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and they got the approval from President Tinubu.
They were in Niger to interact with the junta’s head, General Abdourahamane Tchiani.
The Islamic clerics had advised against the use of military force by ECOWAS.
President Tinubu is the Chairman of the ECOWAS’ Authority of Heads of State and Government and it’s expected that the Islamic leaders will brief the President on the outcome of their interactions with the military junta as well as their colleagues in Niger Republic as regards the political crisis
The ECOWAS had taken steps to show its disapproval of the military take over of power in Niger by imposing a series of sanctions and an ultimatum, which the body threatened could lead to an armed response.
ECOWAS has insisted that the military junta should reinstate the democratically-elected President.
APC NWC Replaces Kyari, Betta Edu with Dalori, Idele
Photo Credit:Punch papers
The ruling All Progressives Congress has officially unveiled new officers to occupy the positions of the outgoing members of the National Working Committee and other vacant zonal offices in the party.
Addressing newsmen at the national secretariat of the APC on Wednesday evening, the National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru, said the election of the new officers was in line with the mandate given to them by the National Executive Committee at the last meeting held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on August 3.
The move saw outgoing National Deputy Chairman for North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, being replaced by Borno party chairman, Ali Dalori, while founder of Sister-To-Sister Empowerment Worldwide, Dr Mary Alile Idele, from Edo State occupied the office of the National Women Leader previously held by Dr Betta Edu.
Both Kyari and Edu were among the 45 ministers of President Bola Tinubu who were officially sworn in at the Presidential Villa on Monday.
Other elected officers included Garba Datti Muhammad, who replaced Mallam Salihu Lukman from the same Kaduna State as National Vice Chairman for North West; National Legal Adviser, Prof. AbdulKarim Abubakar Kana from Nasarawa State; National Welfare Secretary, Donatus Nwankpa from Abia State; Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko from Kogi State and Zonal Organising Secretary, Ikani Shuaibu Okolo from also Kogi State.
Photo Credit: Google
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