The All Progressives Youth Forum (APYF), a political pressure group, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to consider the South-East for key political appointments in his second term.
The group made the call in a communiqué issued to newsmen at the end of its South-East leadership post-election meeting held on Friday in Enugu, NAN reports.
It stated that “Considering the South-East for major political appointments is the only way to ensure a smooth sail for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.”
The statement further stated that the party had made serious in-roads in the South-East.
“We express our satisfaction that APC remarkably garnered more votes in 2019 than 2015 in the South-East.
“This is because of the numerous projects the Buhari-led administration has embarked on in the zone.
“We, therefore, use this opportunity to plead with our father, President Muhammadu Buhari, and the leadership of APC to give more political appointments to the South-East to prepare the zone for electoral success in 2023.”
The statement congratulated the president and other APC candidates for their victory at the polls.
The communiqué was jointly signed by the South-East Zonal Coordinator of the group and Enugu State Coordinator, Mr Titus Nnamani as well as the Zonal Secretary and Imo Coordinator, Mr Ubah Onyewuchi.
Others are Mr Azuka Nwobu, Anambra State Coordinator; Mr Agu Chibisi, Abia State Coordinator and Mr Edwin Okoro, Ebonyi State Coordinator.
Yinka Odumakin, a spokesperson of Afenifere has revealed today that aid Buhari’s next ministers should be picked on the basis of what they can deliver.
He stated that Buhari’s next set of ministers should be those who understand the situation of Nigeria.
According to Odumakin: “Really, I can’t tell the type of men or women Buhari should pick on his next cabinet but those to be picked should be about what contributions and agenda they want to implement as ministers.
“If we are still down with this Miyetti Allah and cattle route thing and you pick the best of Havard and Oxford, we are going nowhere.
“Unless we are ready to start afresh to put Nigeria on the path of development and productivity and if the country is still about Miyetti Allah and cattle routes, no matter who you pick, the country will go under.”
Odumakin also pointed out how to resolve the issue of insecurity across the country.
He said: “We can’t dissolve this issue of insecurity by this fire fighting brigade approach we are doing now. Where the president is in London on a private visit the IGP is running up and down, in Birnin Kebbi today and before he gets to Kaduna he has forgotten what happened in Birnin Kebbi. With all these, we are going nowhere.
“There is no way you can police Nigeria from Abuja and still get results. First of all, you must delegate power, allow every part of the country to police their land, crime is cultural.
“You can’t pick a policeman in Oyo State now to go and fight bandits in Zamfara even if he sits among bandits he may not understand what they are saying, he does not know the route around in the area as such effect police should be at the state units.
“Secondly, we must go back to productivity, who ever knew there was a large deposit of gold in Zamfara State that they are fighting over now. We must make every part of Nigeria a reproductive centre, move away from oil and gas. When this is done millions of young people will go back to work.
“The more youths are engaged legally, the lesser the number of those taking up banditry. So, as we are dealing with law and order we are also dealing with economic activities. Those engaged in crime are those who are unemployed. Unless we fix this country, it’s going under.”
Veteran Nollywood actor, Larry Koldsweat, on Friday led other Nigerian celebrities in a solidarity walk to call for an end to banditry and kidnappings in north western part of the country.
The celebrities under the auspices of Human Rights Monitoring Group, called on the world to take notice that high ranking politicians are behind the resurgence of killings in the north-west.
Addressing the well-attended rally, which held from the Unity Fountain to the presidential villa, Abuja, Koldsweat urged Nigerians to rise up against politicians that are sponsoring these killings all over Zamfara State with a firm demand that they stop it now.
“We are gathered here today as patriotic Nigerians who do not want to be complicit in an injustice being perpetrated against other Nigerian. Our march is about not being complicit by remaining silent in the face of grievous harm being done to our compatriots in several states of the country. What the perpetrators of this crime are banking on is that they have gotten away with their evil in some places and they can therefore spread their deadly merchandise to other parts of the country.
We speak to the killings in Zamafara and its environs. Those facilitating these killings began by making us initially think it was a case of petty crime gone wrong. It later became cattle rustlers killing victims to steal cow. Then we began hearing of armed bandits. Even their armed bandits have later been discovered to be militias that were unleashing violence as a smokescreen while the mineral resources, gold, in Zamfara state was being mined by the tonnes while the environment is degraded beyond comprehension and the citizens deprived of their livelihood.
Our shock as a nation upon finding out about this pillaging of Zamfara and neighboring communities should have been a red card for the people benefiting from this evil to call it quits and scamper away like the criminals that they are. But this is not the case. These people have resolved to dare our collective will as a people and to test the capacity of Nigeria to respond to their felonious activities with the powers of a sovereign state,” he said.
A Nigerian student whose arrest for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia sparked protests has been freed and the charges against her dropped.
Zainab Aliyu could have faced the death penalty if convicted. Her sister, Hajara Habibu Aliyu, told the BBC that the bag containing the drugs was tagged in Zainab’s name without her knowledge at the airport in Kano before departing for Saudi Arabia.
The Department of State Services ( DSS) has called for inter-agency collaboration to tackle contemporary security threats confronting the country.
The director general of DSS, Yusuf Bichi, made the call at a meeting of Forum of Spokesmen of Security and Response Agencies ( FOSSRA) on Thursday, April 25,in Abuja.
“As part of global best practice and effective approach to security management, partnership and collaboration among stakeholders is imperative,” he said.
He said that the current security challenges confronting the nation required joint efforts to combat them.
“Inter-agency synergy has, no doubt, become the new paradigm of law enforcement and security management in today’s world.
“Today, our country is bedeviled with varied security challenges. We must therefore be resolute and remain strong in the face of these challenges,” he said.
He urged security agencies to bring their wealth of experience and comparative advantage to compliment each other.
“With unity of purpose, we can surmount the challenges and keep Nigeria one and free from violence and crime,” he said.
He urged them to bring up ideas that would build trust and promote public confidence in security agencies.
“Remain steadfast, committed and loyal to the cause, I therefore charge you to rededicate yourselves to the service of your father land,” he said.
The father of Somtochukwu Ibeanusi, the 11-year-old boy who was allegedly shot dead by security agents during the demolition of Owerri Main Market on August 27, 2017, has demanded a N20million compensation from the state government.
Isaiah Ibeanusi, the bereaved father, who testified at a public hearing on police brutality, corruption and abuse in southern Nigeria, lamented the nonchalant attitude that the Police have displayed in the handling of his son’s murder.
At the event, organised in Owerri by a civil rights group, Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), Ibeanusi said it was unfortunate that two years after his only son was killed through a stray bullet, no efforts had been made to properly investigate the incident and prosecute the killers.
He accused the Police and the government of paying lip service to the killing of his only son.
Somtochukwu’s father, who asked for N20 million as compensation, said the money would cover all the expenses he incurred, including the burial expenses and N500,000 he reportedly paid for the autopsy.
“The compensation would at least cushion the pains of the loss,” he said. “I want a thorough investigation into the circumstance that led to the killing of my only son. I want justice. I want his killers to be brought to justice.”
In his presentation during the public hearing, Okechukwu Nwanguma, National Coordinator of (NOPRIN), stated that the foundation was committed to ensuring that police brutality and corrupt tendencies are brought to an end.
Nwaguma disclosed that the aim of the public hearing was to make sure that victims of police brutalities get justice.
“We want contributions to the ongoing advocacy and efforts to reform and transform the Nigeria Police from a brutal regime force to a democratic, professional, citizen-friendly, effective and accountable police force that serves and protects the rights and interest of the people,” he said.
“It is worrisome that despite the huge investment of resources, time and energy by civil societies, government and international development partners and foreign governments, police reform efforts have yielded no significant improvement.
“On the part of government, there seems to be more rhetoric than concrete actions. Even though when the government sets up police reform committees, their recommendations are never wholeheartedly implemented.”
Ibeanusi previously spoke of how, a few days after the incident, two State Security Service (SSS) officials believed to be acting on Governor Rochas Okorocha’s orders arrived at his home with an unbelievable message.
“They said I should not tell anyone that my son was killed in Imo, that I should instead tell anyone who asked me that the incident occurred in Rivers State,” he had said.
“They promised to do heaven and earth for me if I complied, but I shouted at them ‘over my dead body’. I told them I wouldn’t do it even if they offered me N10 million. The two of them came again the next day, around 4pm. I walked them out and told them I never wanted to set my eyes on them again!”
He had also said that when Somto’s body was taken to his native Anambra State for burial, Okorocha’s men were in attendance, too, to offer him a compensation of N2million cash. But he rejected it.
“I sent the money back and in addition I sent them two cartons of malt!” he said.
Still desperate to placate Ibeanusi, the state government renamed a part of the under-reconstruction market in honour of his slain son. But it made no meaning to him, still.
“I saw it last week; they put it there: Somto Shopping Mall,” he said in April 2018. “I found it disturbing; I just left the place. You know, it’s just as if this tragedy happened two days ago; I remember it but I don’t like to.”
Well, well, well, it looks like Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, isn’t the only member of the royal family to recently be connected to some drama that has made its way to the public spotlight. Rumors of an alleged feud between Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and longtime friend Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley first emerged last month. Since then, the rumors have evolved to something worse: reports that Prince William cheated on Kate with Hanbury while the duchess was pregnant with their third child.
As originally reported by UK tabloid The Sun, the friends and neighbors had a falling out after Prince William encouraged Kate to slowly phase out Hanbury and husband David Rocksavage from their lives. While these reports have not been independently confirmed, Prince William has made a strong statement when he threatened British media outlets with legal action if they were to proceed with reports.
While it’s still unclear exactly what this alleged feud leading to the possible breaking of friendly ties was about, one unsubstantiated narrative by established UK journalist Giles Coren involves claims of an affair between Hanbury and William. Elle magazine reported earlier this week that Kate and Hanbury had apparently considered taking legal action against The Sun, implying that both women want to shut the story down because it’s not true. Although, to be fair, neither woman has issued a statement confirming or denying there is any truth to rumors of bad blood between them.
In light of all this, and considering this is the first time many are hearing the name “Rose Hanbury,” let’s take a look at who Hanbury is and what we know about her.
1. She is a member of the peerage of the UK
When she was 25 years old, Hanbury married David Rocksavage, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley. Following their 2009 nuptials, Hanbury earned the title of Marchioness of Cholmondeley. She also has familial ties to the peerage as her grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Lambert, was the daughter of the 10th Earl of Cavan.
2. Hanbury was a model before she got married
Hanbury’s professional life before marriage primarily revolved around making a living as a model. Per Tatler, Hanbury was represented by Storm Models, the same agency that once represented supermodel Kate Moss.
3. She is a mother of three
Hanbury is a mother to three children. Twins Alexander Hugh George and Oliver Timothy George will be 10 years old in October and daughter Lady Iris Marina Aline Cholmondeley turned three in March.
4. She has more than one royal family connection
Not only is Hanbury connected to the royal family through her friendship with Kate, but her grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Lambert, was a bridesmaid at Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s wedding in November 1947. Hanbury also had the honor of attending William and Kate’s nuptials back in April of 2011.
5. Hanbury and Kate are part of a special circle of friends
Both Hanbury and Kate’s homes, Houghton Hall and Anmer Hall respectively, are located in Norfolk, England, and they are located within walking distance of each other. Because of this and the fact that the friends live close to other members of the British upper crust and, as such, regularly socialize with them, their group has been dubbed the “Turnip toffs” by the media, likely a dig at the rural local of their homes and their class.
6. Hanbury and Kate are patrons of the same charity
In addition to having been friends for over a decade, Hanbury and Kate are patrons of one of the same charities, the East Anglia Children’s Hospice. The group is dedicated to helping children and young adults who are living with life-threatening conditions as well as supporting families living in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Henry Ajomale, a former Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Abdullahi Bodejo, National President, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, are in stiff disagreement over the presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu, the National leader of the APC.
Multiple reports have claimed that the former Governor of Lagos State is gunning for the presidential seat come 2023.
Although Tinubu has not confirmed or debunk these reports outright, he had said that his interest in the leadership of the National Assembly was not to clinch power in 2023.
However, the Miyetti Allah leader said Tinubu should forget the ambition of becoming president if he was nursing one.
He said Tinubu would never become Nigeria’s president because he is old and does not enjoy the full support of all the Yorubas.
He also thwarted Tinubu’s contribution to the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s president in 2015.
He said: “I have told you that 2015 is now history. Even me talking to you now, do you know the role I played in 2015? People played all manner of politics in 2015 and Tinubu was not the only person.
“What I know is that Tinubu cannot be the president of Nigeria. That is the truth. He is very old and maybe older than President Buhari. Some people see Tinubu like one big masquerade but he is not.
“If Tinubu is recognized by the Yoruba people as their leader, why did Buhari score 50 per cent there? Why did he not ask them to give him like even 60 per cent at least? Tinubu has failed and that is the truth. Or are you telling me that Tinubu did anti-party activities by telling the South West to share the votes 50/50 to APC and PDP?”
However, the former chairman of Lagos State APC, said God has destined Tinubu to be Nigeria’s president and “one million Bodejos of this world can’t stop it”.
He said: “Who is Bodejo? Is Bodejo God that he should be making that kind of declaration? Only God knows tomorrow. Bodejo is going too far by trying to play God. What Bodejo should realize is that if God has destined it that Tinubu will be President of Nigeria in 2023, one million Bodejos of this world can’t stop it. Who even knows what will happen between now and 2023; it is only God. Bodejo’s statement is not only reckless but also very unfortunate.
“What Bodejo should realize is that it is Tinubu’s constitutional right to aspire for any political office in the country including the presidency. It is now left for Bodejo to vote or not to vote for him. Bodejo has only one vote. It is Nigerians that will determine Tinubu’s fate if he has such an agenda.”
Ajomole told the Miyetti Allah leader to worry more about finding a solution to the alleged killings of innocent Nigerians by herdsmen and leave Tinubu’s ambition out of his mouth.
He also debunked Bodejo’s claim that Tinubu is not a Yoruba leader as he is not widely accepted in the region.
“That’s his own view, but there is no controversy about it, and the fact still remains that today as we are speaking, Tinubu is our leader. Not only that, he is also a Yoruba leader, and his leadership is recognised and acceptable to the Yoruba,” he said.
Both interviews were published by The Sun newspaper on Saturday.
