NEWS
Edo Election: PDP Seeks IG Intervention over Alleged Attacks on Members
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Inspector-general of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene over alleged attacks on the party members in Edo.The party National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made the call at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.Ologunagba alleged that PDP members and Edo innocent citizens were being attacks, harassed and illegally arrested.
He described the action as desperate bid to scare the people from coming out to vote and attempt to seize the opportunity to rig the Sept. 21 governorship election in the state.Ologunagba claimed that because the PDP Candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo was coasting to victory in the election, desperate political actors were now using violence and harassment to break the will of the people of Edo.He recalled that on Monday, Sept. 2, PDP alerted on how innocent citizens of Edo and PDP members, notable among whom were Mr Kingsley Osahon, who was arrested in Uromi, Mr Odion Bright and Timothy Isibor were also arrested in Igueben.He added that On Wednesday, Aug. 28, an attempt was made by security operatives to arrest Chief Francis Inegbeniki, who recently defected from the APC to the PDP.Ologunagba added that also on Sept. 4, political thugs stormed the home of one Shina, who decamped from the APC to the PDP three weeks ago and forcefully took him away while shooting sporadically to scare the people.“On Tuesday, September 3, 2024 an attempt was made to pick Mr Joel Aidamebor which was firmly resisted by the people.“ Only yesterday, Sunday, Sept 8, thugs and hoodlums attacked PDP rally in Edo North and destroyed campaign materials in an assault that was decisively resisted by our courageous members and supporters in Edo North,’’ he said.“The IGP owes a duty to the people of Edo and the nation, in the perseveration of peace and sustenance of democracy, to address this issue before it escalates.“This is the only way to douse the tension in Edo State and reassure the people of a free, fair, transparent and credible election,’’ he said.Ologunagba added that reliable information at the party disposal was that thugs from neighbouring states were being recruited to disrupt the forthcoming election in the state.He, however, said that the Edo people would use every legitimate means allowed in a democracy to defend themselves either directly and physically.He added that the PDP as a law-abiding party would also stand with the people to protect the country’s democracy and ensure that the will of the people was not subverted.(NANNEWS
Customs Intercept Contraband Worth N510.92m in Two Conths
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit Zone C, says it intercepted contrabands with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N510.92 million between July 15th and September 15th, 2024.The zone covers the six states in the South-South geopolitical zone and the five states in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
This is contained in a statement signed by Jerry Attah, Public Relations Officer, NCS, Zone C, and made available to journalists on Wednesday. According to the statement, Comptroller Michael Ugbagu, NCS, Zone C, gave the statistics while showcasing the seized contraband to relevant regulatory agencies at the Government Warehouse in Edo.Ugbagu said that the zone also recovered the sum of N25.57 million from demand notices raised based on some infractions noticed, making a cumulative sum of N536.49 million recorded within the months under review.“The DPV was derived from our seized goods, which include 49,699 sachets of various brands of tramadol and 3,350 bottles of various cough syrups with codeine without an NAFDAC number.“1,015 sacks of dry donkey meat and skin, 75 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing, 463 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 269 pieces of used pneumatic tires, and 56 cartons of smuggled foreign tomato paste.“More worrisome is the interception of 49,699 sachets of various brands of tramadol and 3,350 bottles of various cough syrups with codeine without NAFDAC registration numbers.”He noted that the cough syrup with codeine and tramadol without NAFDAC registration numbers, if not intercepted, could have had adverse effects on youths.He added that the items were mostly intercepted along the Ewu-Okada/Benin expressways based on credible intelligence. (NAN)NEWS
APC Forum Decries Deplorable Condition of Federal Roads
The Forum of Stakeholders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has decried the deplorable condition of some federal roads in Nigeria. Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the North-Central Chairman of the forum, said this in an interaction with newsmen on Wednesday in Jos. Zazzaga described some of the federal roads as ”death traps”, particularly those within the north-central region.
He said that some of the deplorable roads in the region include Jos-Akwanga, Makurdi-Oturkpo-Otukpa, Makurdi-Ankpa, and Jos-Saminaka. Other roads that needed urgent attention, he said, included Suleja-Minna, Ejule-Otukpa, Ganawuri-Manchok, Lokoja-Abuja, Lapai-Agaie-Bida, Birnin-Gwari-Bokani-Mokwa, Minna-Zungeru-Tegina-Kontagora. ”Currently, the north-central region has the most deplorable roads and highways in the country. ”These deplorable roads have brought severe hardship on the people and lost lives and property through preventable road traffic crashes. ”We call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure the rehabilitation of these roads because good roads are vital enablers of development,” he said. The chairman also called on governors of states within the region to reconstruct the dilapidated roads and seek refunds from the federal government. ”Though these are largely federal roads, they are located within states, and the beneficiaries are the people of these states. ”So we call on state governments to reconstruct these roads and seek refunds from the federal government,” he added. (NANNEWS
Yuan Strengthens 7. 087 Against Dollar
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 160 pips to 7.087 against the dollar on Wednesday.This is according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.In China’s spot foreigners exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by two per cent from the central parity rate each trading day.
The central parity rate of the yuan against the dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. (Xinhua/NAN)