NEWS
Deby’s Death Devastates Buhari in Week of Minister Controversy
In a week of controversy stoked by alleged extreme religious views of a serving minister, President Muhammadu Buhari also voiced his “immense shock’’ over the tragic death of a veteran leader in a neighbouring country.
Buhari on April 21, expressed sadness over “the sudden and tragic death of President Idriss Deby of Chad, who died in battle, fighting rebels.
”Deby, 68, was a long-time ruler of Chad, a country sharing border with Nigeria.
Reacting to the development in a statement by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, Buhari said: “I’m deeply shocked and devastated by the sudden death of Idriss Deby in battle front, defending the sovereignty of his country.
“The late Deby had played a very active role in our regional joint collaboration in the military campaign against Boko Haram terrorists,” the president stated, referring to the joint campaign by Nigeria and Chad to fight off the terror group in Nigeria’s northern flank.
Boko Haram embarked on a bloody campaign in West Africa since 2009 but Nigeria, Niger, Cameroun, Chad and Benin Republic have joined forces to crush the group.
The President of Niger Republic, Mr Mohamed Bazoum, who was on a two-day official visit to Nigeria, was received by Buhari at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa on April 19.
Among those who joined the president to welcome Bazoum were the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello and some presidential aides.
The governors of Sokoto, Borno, Yobe, Kebbi and Zamfara States were also at the villa to welcome Bazoum, who was on April 2, sworn in for a five-year term.
Bazoum’s inauguration marked the first successful transfer of power from an out-going president to an elected president in the West African country since independence in 1960.
Buhari and his guest later went into a closed-door meeting.
The Nigerian leader had earlier received briefing from Vice-President Osinbajo after Buhari returned to Abuja from London after a 16-day medical check-up.
Also on April 19, the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr Maigari Dingyadi, presented the new acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, to the president.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting with the president, Baba said he was in the villa for formal introduction to the president.
“My minister brought me to the president for an introduction and he has introduced me to him.
“I thanked the president for giving me an opportunity to serve Nigeria in acting capacity as Inspector-General of Police.
“I have promised to do my best to change the narrative as far as internal security is concerned in the country. I’m coming back for a full briefing.’’
On April 20, Buhari joined Muslim faithful in the State House Mosque for Ramadan Tafsir, meaning explanation of the Qur’an.
The president, who was accompanied by his aides, was attending the Tafsir for the first time in two years, following the closure of the mosque during Ramadan last year, due to restrictions in public gatherings because of COVID-19.
On April 21, Buhari presided over the 42nd virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa.
The council approved augmentation of N8.39 billion for the completion of the Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Makera Road.
Those in attendance at the meeting were Osinbajo, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
On April 22, Buhari met behind closed-doors with some governors from northwest and north central states that are contending with the menace of banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The governors included Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Bello Matawale of Zamfara, Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Sani Bello of Niger and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.
Also on April 22, the Presidency dismissed the current controversy on the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, saying that “the Buhari administration stands behind all Nigerians, including the minister against unfair treatment’’.
Reacting to calls in some quarters for Pantami to resign over his utterances, dating back to over two decades, the presidential spokesman in a statement, the calls for Pantami to quit as unfortunate.
“It is unfair and unfortunate for anyone to seek the downfall of a hard working public servant, due to statements he made in the past even after such statements had been rejected by the affected person.
Also on April 22, Osinbajo presided over a meeting of the National Economic Council.
The meeting received presentations from the minister of finance, the Central Bank Governor and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
At the end of the meeting, the council affirmed that there was no printing of N60 billion or any amount whatsoever to shore up allocation for the month of March as insinuated recently in the media.
Also on March 22, Buhari condemned the latest killing of people by bandits in Zamfara, warning that “such wanton disregard for life will be brought to an end sooner than later.
“This insane and persistent violence against innocent people must stop.
“These criminals should stop pushing their luck too far by believing that the government lacks capacity to crush them,” Buhari said in a statement.
On April 23, the president approved the restoration of leases on OMLs 123, 124, 126 and 137 to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. The leases were in production sharing contract with Addax Petroleum.
Addax Petroleum is wholly owned by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. The leases, belonging to the Federal Government were revoked on March 30, 2021.
On April 23, Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo visited the Presidential Villa, where he updated Buhari on the socio-economic and security situation in Imo.
Uzodinma, who spoke to State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with the president, alleged that some politicians were responsible for the rising cases of banditry in parts of the country.
He also proclaimed that some politicians were bent on bringing down constituted authorities for selfish reasons.
Buhari also on April 23, participated in a virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, where he assured the international community of Nigeria’s readiness to mobilise relevant stakeholders towards action on climate to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
He lauded U.S. President Joe Biden for his renewed interest in the Paris Agreement.
On April 24, Buhari condemned the killing of three of the students kidnapped at Greenfield University in Kaduna State.
He described the students as bright youngsters who were cut down by evil people in their prime.
“My thoughts are with their families in this time of grief. May their souls rest in peace.”
The president also extended his condolences to the relatives, associates of the murdered students and the Kaduna State Government. (NAN)
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will step down from his cabinet position if President Bola Tinubu fails to secure victory in both the FCT and Rivers State in the upcoming 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an engagement with leadership and members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association in Abuja, Wike stated that his continued tenure as a cabinet minister is directly tied to his ability to deliver political results for the president in his primary areas of influence.
Setting a specific timeline, the Minister announced that should the ruling party lose in the FCT and Rivers State at the presidential poll scheduled for January 16, 2027, he will formally tender his resignation the very next day.
“If I cannot deliver where I work, then I’m not worthy to be here,” Wike said, emphasizing that his political mandate requires concrete electoral success.
“If I lose FCT, I’m not supposed to be FCT Minister. By January 17, 2027, I will announce my resignation as FCT Minister should the President lose in Rivers State and the FCT,” he stressed.
Outlining his political strategy for the territory, Wike revealed that the administration is building a multi-party coalition to secure victory across various elective offices in the FCT.
He explicitly endorsed candidates across legislative tiers while reiterating total support for the president’s re-election bid.
“Let us be clear on direction: for the Presidency, it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu! For the Senate, Philip Aduda is a man of the people, unlike those who only appear on television. The two House of Representatives candidates we are supporting are also here. They are former Area Council chairmen.
“In the FCT, we are running a unified coalition across parties to deliver results.
“If I cannot deliver FCT as Minister, then I am not qualified to hold this office. We have a firm agreement, and today is the final affirmation.”
The announcement comes amid ongoing efforts by the FCT Administration to resolve the long-standing relocation and land allocation exercise for thousands of traders and mechanics operating within the Apo Mechanic Village corridor.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended the deadline for candidates with outstanding admission offers from the 2021 to 2025 admission exercises to Nov. 30, 2026.
JAMB spokesman, Dr.
Fabian Benjamin, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.Benjamin said the extension followed the temporary unavailability of the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) for about 96 hours.
He said the extension would give affected candidates a final opportunity to either accept or reject their outstanding admission offers.
“The Board has approved Nov. 30, 2026 as the final deadline for candidates in this category to indicate whether they wish to accept or reject their outstanding admission offers,” he said.
He recalled that the Board extended the deadline to Sept. 30, 2026, adding that the recent disruption to CAPS necessitated the further extension.
Benjamin warned that candidates who failed to act by Nov. 30 would no longer be allowed to accept or reject the outstanding offers within the current window.
“Any subsequent request to update an admission record relating to these previous years will attract the applicable penalty fee,” he said.
He said candidates whose admissions were not on the matriculation list could face difficulties accessing benefits, including participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The spokesman advised all affected candidates to take action before the deadline rather than wait until the last day.
He said candidates who accepted their offers would be able to print their admission letters, while those who rejected them would have their dashboards reverted to “Not Admitted”.
According to him, the process would enable JAMB to update its records and ensure that the national admission database accurately reflected candidates’ current status.
Benjamin said candidates no longer studying at the institutions where they were offered admission could accept the offer and later apply for correction or deletion, where applicable.
He added that candidates currently pursuing a second degree programme, but still having an unaccepted admission offer from a previous year could reject the old offer and continue with their current programme.
“Candidates who have been offered admission in the 2026 admission exercise but still have an outstanding admission offer from an earlier year have no cause for apprehension.
“Such candidates may reject the previous admission offer, and doing so will not affect their 2026 admission,” he said.
Benjamin said the extension was also aimed at helping JAMB maintain accurate and reliable national admission records.
He reiterated that Nov. 30, 2026 was the final deadline for accepting or rejecting outstanding admissions from the 2021 to 2025 admission exercises.
“At the expiration of the deadline, all outstanding admission offers from these years that have neither been accepted nor rejected will automatically revert to ‘Not Admitted’ status on the Board’s records,” he said.
He urged all affected candidates to take immediate action, stressing that failure to accept an admission offer within the stipulated period could render the offer invalid.(NAN)
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The Board of Directors of the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) has inspected the ongoing maintenance and rehabilitation works at Taraku Mills Limited, ahead of the planned test run of the factory.
The inspection, led by the Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr.
Raymond Asemakaha, CFA, provided members of the Board with an opportunity to assess the level of work carried out at the facility and preparations for the commencement of operations.Conducting the Board around the factory, Dr. Asemakaha explained the progress made so far and assured that the facility would be test-run during the weekend as part of efforts to prepare the mill for full-scale production.
The Board Chairman, Lady Elizabeth M.N. Shuluwa, commended the GMD, the technical team and staff of Taraku Mills for their commitment and dedication towards restoring the facility to productive use.
Lady Shuluwa also expressed appreciation to the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, for his support and commitment to the revival of the state’s industrial assets.
She called on the people of Benue State to support the efforts to revive Taraku Mills and other state-owned industries, stressing the importance of collective ownership and support for initiatives aimed at creating jobs, boosting economic activities and improving the state’s industrial base.
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