Cloned Nigerian Anchor

Author: Doris Israel Ijeoma

  • Kwankwaso pays solidarity visit to suspended Bauchi senator, Abdul Ningi

    Kwankwaso pays solidarity visit to suspended Bauchi senator, Abdul Ningi

    Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has paid a solidarity visit to suspended Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi.

    Senator Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial district, was suspended by the Senate following his interview with the BBC Hausa Service, in which he alleged budget padding against the Senate leadership.

    The former majority leader of the Senate was suspended for three months after Senator Jimoh Ibrahim moved the motion.

    Senator Ningi’s suspension has since sparked debate and raised concerns about freedom of expression within the Senate.

    His allegations of budget padding have drawn attention to issues of transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s legislative processes.

  • FG To Create 5000 New Jobs For Nigerians

    FG To Create 5000 New Jobs For Nigerians

    President Bola Tinubu’s government is set to create at least 500,000 new jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country.

    This is sequel to a new partnership with the U.S. Cybersecurity Institute, Lab Four, to generate 50,000 business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs over the next three years.

    Doris Anite, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday in Abuja.

    The MoU was signed between Lab Four and the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), the executor of the programme.

    According to the minister, the jobs generated through this partnership have the potential to annually attract up to $1.2 billion into the Nigerian economy.

    She identified the job categories as “telesales, customer service, virtual administrative assistant, marketing/social media assistant, and tech/cybersecurity.”

    “The jobs generated through this partnership have the potential to annually attract up to $1.2 billion into the Nigerian economy through remuneration for the employed.

    “In addition to about $60 million that it will provide to develop the BPO ecosystem through direct support to the individual BPOs,” Ms Anite said.

    The minister said the four-pronged objectives of the NATEP initiative were to deliver one million service-export jobs over the next five years and increase foreign exchange earnings and revenue for Nigeria.

    She noted that to successfully implement the mandate of NATEP, there was a need for strategic partnerships, both with institutions within Nigeria and those overseas.

    “As such, our partnership with Lab Four will be one of the many partnerships we will have to ensure that Nigeria becomes a global hub for thriving micro, mini, and mega BPOs,” she said.

    In his remarks, Femi Adeluyi, the national coordinator of NATEP, said the initiative would target the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector and that the selection process would be transparent.

  • No hiding place – Nigerian Army warns Okuama community

    No hiding place – Nigerian Army warns Okuama community

    The Nigerian Army has warned the Okuama community in Delta state, to “be ready to face the full wrath of the law”.

    This follows the killing of soldiers who were on “a peaceful and mediatory mission”, following a communal clash between Okuama and Okoloba communities.

    In a statement signed by Major-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director Army Public Relations, the Army flayed the community for resorting to propaganda instead of fishing out the culprits.

    It read: “The unfortunate killing of troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian Army (NA), while on a peaceful and mediatory mission, after a reported case of communal clash between Okuama and Okoloba Communities in Ughelli South and Bomadi LGAs of Delta State respectively is not only despicable but should be unreservedly condemned by all.

    “These were troops committed to peace and security of lives and property of citizens and non-citizens alike in the Niger Delta Region, murdered in cold blood by an armed youth gang of Okuama Community, in the most gruesome, heartless and cruel manner and went ahead to sacrilegiously debase their remains by ripping out their hearts by the very people they were there to protect.

    “Regrettably, the community complicit in this dastardly act has resorted to media propaganda and shenanigans, rather than engage in a positive effort to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous crime. This again is a clear indication that the murder of the troops was a communally orchestrated attack against legitimate forces.

    “The falsehood being peddled by these criminals and their cohorts to whip up sentiments and sway the public to coverup, endorse or support the outrageous criminal acts of their armed youth gang should be disregarded in its entirety, it is only a ridiculous attempt at justifying their crime, rather than turn in themselves to security agencies. There is no amount of propaganda that would arm-twist the narrative, they are complicit and must be ready to face the wrath of the law.

    “While law-abiding citizens are assured that there will be no reprisal on the part of the troops, we enjoin all to go about their normal activities, even as ongoing efforts are scaled up to positively identify and isolate the criminals to account for their atrocious deeds.

    “The Chief of Army of Staff, Lt Gen Toareed Lagbaja, while commiserating with the families of the officers and soldiers who lost their lives, has directed that no stone should be left unturned until the perpetrators of this gruesome acts are apprehended to face the full wrath of the law. Troops are determined to get to these criminals, there is certainly no hiding place for them.”

  • Terrorists Abduct 87 Persons In Kaduna

    Terrorists Abduct 87 Persons In Kaduna

    Suspected terrorists have abducted about 87 people in a fresh attack on the Kajuru-Station community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The latest attack was confirmed by a member of the Kajuru-Station Youths, Harisu Dari, on Monday.

    Harisu, said the terrorists stormed the village around 10 pm, breaking into some shops and stealing food items and other valuables.

    He explained that no contact has been established yet with the 87 locals abducted on Sunday night.

    “As of the time I visited the community this morning, security operatives have not been drafted to help restore the confidence of the villagers.

    “The villagers are traumatized by the sad development. The government needs to re-strategise in tackling these terrorists,” he said.

    The attack came barely two days after 15 women and a man were abducted in the Dogon-Noma community of the same local government.

    Kajuru and Chikun LGs had in the past two weeks become the hotbed of kidnapping, causing tension in the state.

    Recall that the terrorists had in two weeks kidnapped over 172 villagers in the area.

    However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan is yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.

  • Federal Government Seeks fresh World Bank loan

    Federal Government Seeks fresh World Bank loan

    The federal government of Nigeria is seeking to obtain a fresh $1 billion loan from the world bank.

    According to reports, the loan will be used address the challenges facing Internally Displaced Persons and their host communities, as well as bolster rural access and agricultural marketing in the country.

    This was contained in a recent World Bank document titled, ‘Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities Project’ and ‘Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project – Scale Up.’

    According to the loan breakdown, while the IDPs’ loan is put at $500m, the rural access and agricultural marketing project loan is estimated at $550m.

    The fund is expected to provide help to communities in Nigeria badly affected by insecurity.

    “The proposed project will utilise a three-pronged approach to develop sustainable solutions for IDPs and host communities in Northern Nigeria.

    “First, the proposed project aims to provide tailored solutions for each of the targeted states and communities, recognizing that each internal displacement situation is specific and localised, with conflict, violence and/or climate challenges presenting a different level and set of vulnerabilities for host communities.

    “Gender, age, and special needs of individuals also play a role, as well as the length of displacement, number of times displaced and other factors.

    “Thus, responses will be adapted to address the specific needs of vulnerable populations within displacement-affected states and communities. Second, the proposed project will follow a ‘People-in-Place’ approach, integrating the needs of the people and the impacts on the place where they settle,” the document stated.

    According to a review by a World Bank team, Northern Nigeria, especially Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, has experienced the highest numbers of internally displaced persons.

    This is primarily due to the ongoing conflict involving Boko Haram, as well as other factors such as banditry and conflicts between farmers and herders, leading to the displacement of over 3.5 million people.

    Since 2009, Boko Haram has continued to carry out heinous crimes on Nigerians, This is primarily due to the ongoing conflict involving Boko Haram, as well as other factors such as banditry and conflicts between farmers and herders, leading to the displacement of over 3.5 million people.

    Since 2009, Boko Haram has continued to carry out heinous crimes on Nigerians, while banditry has been described as a variant of Boko Haram.

  • Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria is dead

    Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria is dead

    Ghana’s high commissioner to Nigeria, Rashid Bawa, has passed away.

    He died in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

    Bawa, who was appointed to the position in 2017 by President Nana Akufo-Addo, was reported to have died on Thursday.

    A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a distinguished diplomat, Bawa previously served as Ghana’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2005 to 2008.

    He also represented the Akan constituency in the Ghanaian parliament as an independent candidate from 2001 to January 2005.

    Bawa’s death comes shortly after the passing of John Kumah, Ghana’s deputy minister for finance and member of parliament for Ejisu constituency.

    President Akufo-Addo praised Kumah for his dedication to serving the country and his commitment to improving the lives of Ghanaians.

    “His unwavering dedication to service, his tireless commitment to the betterment of our nation, and his profound passion for uplifting the lives of the people of Ejisu and Ghana were evident to all who had the privilege of knowing him,” the president said.

  • 16 Soldiers Killed In Delta State

    16 Soldiers Killed In Delta State

    Some military personnel on a peace mission to Okuama community in Delta state have been killed.

    According to a press statement by the Acting Director, Defence Information at the Defence Headquarters, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the troops were of 181 Amphibious Batallion.

    He said they were headed to Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State on a peace mission to the Okuama community, and they were surrounded by some community youths and killed on Thursday, 14 March 2024.

    His words: ”The unfortunate incident occurred when the troops responded to a distress call after the communal crisis between the Okuama and Okoloba communities both in Delta State.

    ”The reinforcement team led by the Commanding officer was also attacked, leading to the death of the Commanding officer, two Majors, one Captain and 12 Soldiers.

    ”The Chief of Defence Staff ( CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa has has directed the immediate investigation and arrest of those involved in the heinous crime. The occurrence has been reported to the Delta State Government.

    ”However, the military remains focused and committed to its mandate of maintaining peace and security in the country.

    ”So far, a few arrests have been made, while steps in place to unravel the motive behind the attack.”

  • Terrorists Launch Fresh Attack On Kaduna Community

    Terrorists Launch Fresh Attack On Kaduna Community

    Terrorists, on Saturday, launched a fresh attack on the Dogon-noma community in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The attack is coming barely three days after one person was killed, and eight women were kidnapped in the Banono Angwaku community of the same local government.

    A former chairman of the local government, Cafra Caino, confirmed the fresh attack to our correspondent on Saturday.

    According to him, the attackers invaded the village around 5.45am on Saturday in large numbers, shooting indiscriminately.

    Caino said, “We are yet to get the number of casualties because the locals ran for their lives at the time the assailants invaded the community.

    “The community had, some time in 2019, come under heavy attack where 74 people were killed and the community recently has been experiencing attacks.”

  • Akpabio Gets 14 Days Ultimatum to Reverse Ningi’s Suspension

    Akpabio Gets 14 Days Ultimatum to Reverse Ningi’s Suspension

    Constituents of the Bauchi Central Senatorial district in the state have given Senate president Godswill Akpabio a 2-week ultimatum to reverse the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi.

    Ningi, a former majority leader in the upper chambers, was suspended for three months for expressing sincere concern about irregularities in the 2024 national budget.

    The constituents, under the umbrella of the Youth Coalition of Bauchi Central Senatorial district, said the Senate should instead investigate the irregularities with a view to addressing them in the best interest of the country.

    The coalition at a press conference addressed by its Chairman, Nazeef Abdullahi Rio in Bauchi, said, “We demand that the Senate should immediately reverse its decision of suspending our Senator. Recall him back to his seat so that he will continue representing our dear Constituency and the Country at large.

    “To our total dismay, instead of the Senate to commend Senator Ningi for his patriotic discovery investigate the irregularities with a view to addressing them for the best interest of the Country, it ended up unjustifiably suspending him thereby denying his rights as Senator and a Nigerian.

    “This is the highest level of injustice meted on any Senator and any Senatorial district in the history of our dear country.

    “As people of Bauchi Central, we declare our total support and solidarity to Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi. We equally strongly commend him for standing firm to represent our views and fight for our rights and that of the entire Nigerians.

    “We also demand that the Senate should fully investigate all the alleged irregularities in the 2024 budget so that nobody will take Nigerians for granted and so that the image of the Senate will not be painted black in the eyes of Nigerians.

    “If the Senate fails to meet our demands within two weeks, as constituents of Bauchi Central Senatorial District, we will be left with no option than to take legal action so that our constitutional rights would be upheld.”j

  • More Attacks Imminent Unless Nigerian Government Negotiates With Bandits – Sheikh Gumi

    More Attacks Imminent Unless Nigerian Government Negotiates With Bandits – Sheikh Gumi

    Kaduna based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has re-emphasized the need for the Nigerian government to dialogue with bandits in order to stop incessant attacks on innocent citizens. 

    The cleric stated that there is no military solution to end the insecurity problems Nigeria is currently facing. 
     
    Speaking during an interview session with AriseNews TV on Friday morning, the Islamic scholar insisted that persistent military attacks on the terrorists were responsible for their latest lack of sympathy on Nigerians they abducted. 
     
    He admonished the Nigerian government should emulate how the United States’ government negotiated with the Taliban terrorists by also having a dialogue with the bandits to prevent the insurgence in the country. 
     
    “This thing (banditry) is turning into something else. We are turning them into monsters, more monsters as what they are. They are ignorant, they don’t have direction, they don’t have leadership, they don’t have empathy now because of the way we treat them too, we don’t care when we burn them,” he said 
     
    “When we burn their children and women, in fact this very recent incident is just a tip of an iceberg; what has been happening in the bush, until we change our tactics and allow people who know, these politicians, I am tired of them. 
     
    “I was a military man myself, but I don’t think there is a military solution, in fact I think it is humiliating military to think that the military should take care of civilian insurgency, what we need is a very good detective work, very good policing, very good social programme. We should leave our military off these issues. Our military knows fire for fire and these people do not have the fire power, they hide behind the civilians and do whatever they do. So don’t let us humiliate and disgrace our military. This is not their job, this is the job of politicians. This is the job of the police, this is the job of intelligence.  
     
    “In fact I believe no ransom should be paid, I believe that but engage, engage these people. Give them hope. But not only in these children’s cases, be holistic. I heard when one military man said it is turning into a war, I am so sad to see that they are now realising that it is turning into a war. It has been war since, it has been ethnic war, it’s been class war, it is not just more than criminality. We have to accept that. 
     
    “If we can see Israel and Hamas exchanging prisoners, I don’t see why we can’t negotiate. If Americans can negotiate with the Taliban, I don’t see why we can’t. They (foreign governments) can’t impose on us their own ideas when behind the door, they also negotiate with these terrorists.”