NEWS
Buhari Returns Home from Kigali, Lauds Nigerian Youths
President Muhammadu Buhari, in the course of the week, visited Kigali, Rwanda, where he participated in the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and also held bilateral talks with world leaders.
The Nigerian leader, who returned to Abuja yesterday, had while in Kigali, visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda where he made a passionate appeal to Nigerians to be tolerant of one another and embrace peace for the general good of the society.
Buhari toured the permanent exhibitions at the Memorial and laid a wreath at the mass graves where more than 250,000 victims of the genocide were buried.
He also paid tribute to the memory of the victims and prayed for healing for the survivors.
After the historic visit, the president told journalists that a lesson from his visit was the need for Nigerians to continue to be tolerant of one another.
He added the nation should preserve its own historical antecedents from the Nigeria Civil War (1967-1970).
Also on the same day, the president held bilateral meetings with Jamaican Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, and Prime Minister of Great Britain, Boris Johnson on the margins of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda.
At the meeting with the Jamaican PM, Buhari lauded the relations between Nigeria and Jamaica.
“Our relationship dates back in time, to generations ago. Thank you for strengthening it, particularly on the economic and political fronts,” he said.
Also at the bilateral engagement with Prime Minister of Great Britain, Buhari again reiterated his resolve to respect the maximum term limit in the Nigerian Constitution.
The UK PM, obviously not quite familiar with Nigeria’s maximum two terms limit, had asked if President Buhari would run for office again.
Responding to Johnson’s question, the Nigerian leader said:
“Another term for me? No! The first person who tried it didn’t end very well.”
On the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, not being allowed to see his lawyers privately, the president dispelled such insinuation.
He said the detained separatist was being given every opportunity under the law “to justify all the uncomplimentary things he had been saying against Nigeria in Britain”.
The Nigerian leader had on June 24, congratulated Baroness Patricia Scotland, on her reappointment as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
Leaders of the Commonwealth meeting in Kigali, Rwanda on Friday reappointed Scotland by consensus for a further two years to complete the balance of her period in office.
He commended the purposeful leadership of the Dominican-born barrister and diplomat in the last six years.
The last official engagement of the President in Kigali was his meeting with Nigerians in the Diaspora on the margins of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on June 26.
At the meeting, Buhari had hailed Nigerian youths excelling at home and abroad, saying the country would welcome inputs and investments from compatriots with international exposure for the economy to thrive.
“It gives me great pleasure to be in Kigali, Rwanda and to meet with you, members of the Nigerian Diaspora as part of my regular meetings with Nigerians wherever I visit other countries.
“Let me begin by congratulating and commending Yewande Adebowale for emerging as one of the top four winners at the Commonwealth Youth competition at the Kigali Startup Festival 2022 at the Commonwealth Youth Forum,” he said.
Before departing for Kigali on June 22, President Buhari had presided over the virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the State House, Abuja. (NAN)
The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, Thursday and Jan.1, 2025 as public holidays.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Ministry of Interior’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani, on Monday in Abuja.
According to Ajani, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said that the public holidays were to enable citizens to celebrate Christmas, Boxing Day and the New Year respectively.
“The Christmas season is a good moment for both spiritual reflection and national renewal.
“As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, let us demonstrate kindness and extend goodwill to one another, irrespective of our differences,” the Minister.
Tunji-Ojo emphasised the importance of the season as a time to foster harmony and to strengthen bonds across families and communities.
He assured citizens of the federal government’s continued commitment to ensuring peace, security, and prosperity across the nation.
He further expressed confidence in the renewed hope agenda of President Tinubu’s administration for a better and prosperous economy in 2025.
The Minister, on behalf of the federal government sent warm greetings to all Nigerians, urging them to use the festive period to reflect on the values of love, peace, and unity that the season signifies.(NAN)
Some suspected hoodlums on Saturday attacked the palace of Etsu Lokoja, Chief Emmanuel Dauda-Shelika, Nyamkpa IV, burning properties within the premises, including a vehicle.
The palace, located on plot 306, New Layout, Lokoja, was allegedly attacked by hoodlums at about 1:00 am on Saturday.
The Nupe Natives of Lokoja Development Union were planning to host the 2nd edition of the Nupe Natives end-of-the-year event, tagged “Lokoja ’24 Nupe Cultural Fiesta,” on Dec.
21, 2024, before the incident occurred.The event was, however, aborted due to the unfortunate attack.
Dauda-Shelika said this on Monday in Lokoja that he heard a big bang on my door at around 1 am.
“I woke up to check through the window, wondering what could have happened.
“Then, I suddenly saw wildfire coming out of my car that was set ablaze by attackers.
“I knew it was an attack on the palace, and therefore I could not come out because of fear of being attacked. So, I managed to come out through the back door and scaled the fence to escape for my life.
“Thereafter, I came out to the road and realised that all my neighbours in the community were on the ground trying hard to quench the fire, but unfortunately the car was burnt as well as other properties inside it.”
The traditional ruler appealed to the government and security agencies to investigate the cause of the attack and bring perpetrators and their sponsors to justice.
He admonished Nupe natives in Lokoja to avoid any reprisal attack but continue to remain peaceful and law abiding and allow the government and security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation of the attack.
“We are appealing to Gov. Ahmed Ododo and security agencies to please use their good offices to investigate this unfortunate incident and bring to justice whoever is concerned, whether directly or indirectly.
“We also want the government to kindly visit our issues by recognising and grading the stool of Etsu Lokoja, which had been in existence before colonisation,” he said.
He stated that the Lokoja Local Government Area chairman and his security team came for an on-the-spot assessment that Saturday morning, as well as the police and other security outfits.
The National President, Nupe Natives Union Lokoja, Alh. Abubakar Ndashite, said the event scheduled for Saturday was a celebration of Nupe cultural heritage and not any form of coronation as being insinuated from some quarters.
Ndashite, who doubles as the chairman of the planning committee, said the aborted event was to project the Nupe spirit and culture as well as the rich history of the diversely composed Lokoja community and the peaceful and harmonious coexistence among her.
He expressed his displeasure over the aborted cultural event, noting that the union had expended so much on it, and urged the government to bring perpetrators to book. (NAN)
The Abia Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of eight persons with two others injured in a road traffic crash that occurred along the Bende-Ohafia Road.
A statement by the Sector Commander, Mrs Ngozi Ezeoma, on Monday in Umuahia said that the crash occurred on Sunday along the Mmuri River axis of the road in Ohafia Local Government Area of the state.
She said the crash involved a Trailer carrying chippings which hit and fell on a Sharon Volkswagen vehicle with 10 persons on board.
“At the time of the crash eight persons had died including a woman standing by the roadside and three were injured.
“The injured victims were taken to the hospital while the dead ones were deposited at the morgue,” she said.
Ezeoma said that preliminary investigation revealed that the crash was caused by dangerous driving and excessive speeding. (NAN)
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