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Tinubu absent as Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso spar at Arise TV debate

Published

2 years ago

December 5, 2022

Tinubu absent as Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso spar at Arise TV debate

As previously stated, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, again, shunned the Arise TV presidential debate, with candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in attendance.

Tinubu, through his presidential campaign council, on Saturday, in a statement indicated that he won’t be attending any debate organised by the TV station, whom he accused of being biased against him. He also asked his supporters and spokespersons to boycott Arise TV.

The APC candidate left Nigeria on the eve of the event, just as his media team explained that he was going for an event at Chatham House, in London.

However, the trio of Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso took turns to speak at the third series of the Arise TV Town Hall Meeting on the broad themes of education, healthcare, poverty and human capital while also fielding questions from the panelists consisting of senior journalists and development experts.

They all agreed last night that the issues of poverty reduction, healthcare, educational uplift and human capital development demands more serious attention. They also admitted that the increasing budget deficit must be tackled to allow government perform optimally, while security and proper education are required to pull Nigerians out of poverty.

Speaking on human capacity development, Atiku talked about giving incentives to the private sector to create employment. He also said he would link the labour market with the education sector.

“We have to get our kids not just educated, but rightly educated. By the time you educate them, they will be available to the private sector who should be the engine of growth. The private sector is the driver of prosperity in any given economy.”

Atiku maintained that under his administration, he would provide incentives to the private sector, most of which would go to the Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) to encourage young people to set up businesses and grow them to create employment.

He recalled that during his time as Vice President, he commissioned a study, which proffered solutions to the high number of out-of-school children, especially in Northern Nigeria.

Atiku, however, expressed sadness that none of the Northern governors took steps to implement the report, which would have gone a long way in substantially reducing the number.

In his submission, Kwankwaso said for NNPP, education has always been key in the party’s plan to pull people out of poverty. He said: “Education has always been key for us in pulling people out of poverty. I’m not surprised that we have 133 million poor people, out of a population of 200 million.”

This, he said, would be reversed when he gets the chance to become president, noting that he did this successfully during his time as two-term governor of Kano State.

Speaking on the same subject, Obi said the Federal Government should take the lion share of the blame for the growing poverty in Nigeria. This, he said, is because it controls the issue of fiscal policy as well as security, which has degenerated to a point where farmers can no longer go to the farms.

He also lamented that investment in education has remained poor over the years. This, he said was largely responsible for falling standards and growing poverty.

The LP candidate said when compared to South Africa, Nigeria’s investment in education is abysmal.

He said: “Our investment in education is low, it is about N3.6 trillion in the last six years, which is less than 10 per cent. In South Africa, they invested about 380 trillion rands, which is about 14 to 16 per cent of their budget.”

Speaking about his plans to deal with the challenge of the scary rate of out-of-school children, especially in the North, Obi said: “Most of these children studied Quran. And if they studied the Quran, it means they are intelligent. I will meet them at this point and give them skills.”

Responding to questions on the alleged diversion of funds meant for local governments as a trigger for the mounting poverty, Atiku said: “We must look at the Constitution and determine how to ensure that local government funds are directly allocated to the LGAs and applied in the best ways possible.

“When I assumed office as VP in 1999, I was placed in charge of LG allocations. I gave instructions that all LGA funds should be transferred directly to the LGAs. After nine months, the state governments protested and said it was illegal.”

On how to reduce poverty, Atiku vowed to sustain the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) and State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (SEEDS), which he said significantly reduced poverty

“I believe the programme initiated by the PDP government, which brought down the poverty rate in Nigeria, should be sustained.”

Obi described as unacceptable the increasing poverty rate, saying to tackle budget deficit, government must cut cost of governance and remove petroleum subsidy.

“The Federal Government must work seamlessly with sub-nationals for us to have a meaningful development, particularly in reducing poverty.”

He said the country has no business subsidising petrol when the health sector is in need of funding, noting that the budget for the health sector is unacceptable and must be increased to at least 10 per cent if the country wants to stop experiencing the brain drain currently marring the health sector.

He emphasised that as opposed to investing in petroleum consumption, government needs to focus on more critical areas such as health, education and fighting poverty.

His words: “These are areas where you have to do subsidy not in petroleum consumption. There are areas where government do subsidies and it is for productive and development areas that are critical like health, education, fighting poverty. These areas are where you need to invest, so, there is need for fiscal package to support the insurance, which will allow them to treat high to low diseases. It’s been done in Indonesia, in India, I will show you big nations that are practising it. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to learn what is being practiced somewhere and do the same.”

On how to revive the health sector, Kwankwaso said: “Leaders should cultivate the habit of patronising our local health system, rather than going abroad.”

The NNPP presidential candidate assured that his government would not allow governors to suffocate the local governments financially if elected.

Kwankwaso noted that there was a need to look at the Constitution to ensure provisions could be made whereby local government authorities can get their money derived from the Federation Account directly.

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North Hails Tinubu’s Marching Order to End Banditry by 2025

Published

15 hours ago

February 7, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

Stakeholders in northern Nigeria have applauded President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the military to end banditry and insecurity by the end of 2025, describing it as a necessary step toward restoring peace and stability.

The Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, who announced the directive recently, assured that the military would sustain its aggressive operations against criminal elements.

“The bandits are now on the run, but the military will not rest until we end this thing. The president has given us marching orders to end insecurity in every part of our country by the end of this year.

“The Chief of Defence Staff and the National Security Adviser are working day and night to actualize that target. As you have seen, we are putting pressure on all the theatre operations,” Badaru said.

Citizens across the North-East and North-West welcomed the development, stating that insecurity remains a major obstacle to progress, particularly in food security and economic activities.

A Borno-based farmer, Abubakar Ibrahim, said the presidential order gave hope for a return to normalcy. He stressed the need for a massive military push to clear insurgents from the Lake Chad region, which is crucial for all-year-round farming.

“We are happy a deadline of December is given. There’s always a need for a timetable to get things done. Rehabilitation, reconstruction, and resettlement programmes are ongoing in Borno, but we still face challenges from remnants of terrorists that need to be cleared,” Ibrahim said.

In Adamawa, former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ahmad Sajoh, also commended the presidential order, emphasizing its potential to restore economic activities.

“It is indeed very comforting to hear the Commander-in-Chief issue a direct order to the troops. Flushing out bandits has multiple benefits, including the restoration of productive activities such as farming and trading. That is the real import of the President’s directives.

“While expressing total support for this bold decision, it is also necessary to advise that the President should equally give another directive for the non-kinetic component of the fight against banditry and insurgency. A robust public enlightenment campaign should accompany this renewed onslaught,” Sajoh said.

In Zamfara, residents of Shinkafi Local Government, including Salisu Tunga and Aminu Bello, praised recent military gains but urged for intensified operations.

“Bandits are still harassing some communities in Shinkafi, raising the need for more intense military operations to complete the job. Up to now, travellers need military escort in areas like Dansadau, Magami, Dangulbi, Zurmi, Kauran Namoda, Shinkafi, Moriki, Maradun, and Maru,” Tunga said.

He further lamented that some communities in Tsafe, Zurmi, and Bukkuyum LGAs were still being forced to pay levies to bandits, stressing the need for decisive action.

In Kebbi, the Deputy Governor, Sen. Umar Tafida, confirmed that bandits were infiltrating from neighbouring states and Niger Republic but assured that security measures were in place to counter the threats.

The Director in charge of Security at the Kebbi Cabinet Office, Alhaji AbdulRahman Usman, highlighted significant progress in securing the state.

“They used to attack Argungu, Augie, and Arewa Local Government Areas but have been chased away and dealt with,” Usman said.

In Sokoto, Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Ahmad Aliyu, Col. Ahmad Usman (Rtd), described the presidential order as timely, noting that military operations were yielding results.

“Many terrorist enclaves were identified and destroyed, with several bandits neutralized. Hundreds of kidnapped victims are also being rescued in the ongoing operations,” he said.

With the military intensifying its offensive, residents remain hopeful that the December deadline will bring an end to the scourge of banditry and pave the way for lasting peace.

Headlines

Oyebanji Warns Ekiti Pilgrims Against Tarnishing Nigeria’s Image in Israel

Published

16 hours ago

February 7, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has urged 17 Christian pilgrims traveling to Israel to uphold Nigeria’s reputation and avoid any actions that could bring embarrassment to the country.

Speaking during a prayer service held in Ado-Ekiti ahead of their departure, Oyebanji, represented by Deputy Governor Monisade Afuye, emphasized the importance of spiritual rebirth in shaping a nation’s development through attitudinal change and character rebranding.

He encouraged the pilgrims to remain dedicated to the spiritual exercise, ensuring that the benefits reflect in their personal lives and society at large.

“We desire a society that is corruption-free, where people can imbibe the fear of God in their operations and daily lives,” Oyebanji stated.

“I therefore charge you to pray not only for yourselves, but for our dear state, nation, and the world at large. We live in times that require our collective prayer and unity more than ever.

“I plead that you do not engage in any act that can jeopardize the intentions of this pilgrimage and put our nation into unwarranted international embarrassment,” he added.

The governor reminded the pilgrims that the journey was not just physical but spiritual, urging them to make the necessary sacrifices and embrace piety to maximize the benefits of their participation.

In his exhortation, the Government House Chaplain, Segun Awolumate, described spiritual voyages as a source of blessings, emphasizing that true transformation would only come through holiness.

“I expect you to be holier and believe more in God after this journey. You have to be fully revived. Your prayers too must bring revival to Ekiti and Nigeria.

“The land you are visiting is not ordinary; it is filled with the spirit and covenant of God. Make good use of this opportunity,” Awolumate said.

Also present at the service were the Secretary of the Ekiti State Christians’ Pilgrimage Welfare Board, Sunkanmi Adu, as well as the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Chairman of the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rev. Emmanuel Aribasoye, among others.

Headlines

Fintiri pledges more digital, self-employment opportunities for youths

Published

2 days ago

February 6, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa has pledged to continue to provide world class training opportunities for youth, civil servants and entrepreneurs to make them competitive in the global digital economy.

Fintiri said this at the graduation of 50 youths on digital skills in Yola on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that each of the beneficiaries was presented with a starter pack.

Fintiri, who was represented by his Special Adviser on ICT and e-economy, Hammanjam Adamu, said the initiative aimed to empower youth to be self-reliant and employers of labour.

“We have embarked on an ambitious journey to position Adamawa State as a digital hub, fostering innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

“The State Government remains committed to supporting your growth with initiatives like the ICT Technical Talent Program.

“We aim to train 100,000 youth in Adamawa State in various technical and digital skills over the next few years,” he said.

Fintiri encouraged the beneficiaries to apply the knowledge acquired to stay connected and to continue learning for more success.

Hammanjumba Gatugel, Commissioner for Ministry Entrepreneurship Development, said the participants were drawn across 21 Local Government Areas.

They said they were under gone intensive training on Digital Marketing, Graphic Design, Website Development and Modern workplace Digital Communication Courses.

“The training has provided the beneficiaries with Digital skills to enable them compete with their counter-part globally, also with the knowledge make informed decision in the Digital world,” he said.

According to him, the programme will enhance their employability and readiness to open wide range of employment opportunities including media, advertisement, marketing and design.

The commissioner also advised the beneficiaries against selling their starter kits so as not to defeat the aim of the training.

Arabo Ishaq, Chief Executive Officer, Datarose represented by Abdulmalik Adamu, a resource person, appreciated Adamawa government for the opportunity.

He said, the beneficiaries could now develop website among others skills acquired.

“We have a beneficiary that is about to get married and designed his invitation letters with the skills he acquired he acquired during the training,” he said.

Iya Bamalam who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries appreciated the opportunity and assured to apply the skills effectively.