Former Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh has regained his freedom. It will be recalled that the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Wednesday last week, nullified the seven-year jail sentence he was serving.
The court held that Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja was biased in handling the case of the former PDP spokesman.
Kwara State Government has facilitated the disbursement of N115m by the Central Bank of Nigeria to local rice farmers to cultivate 420 hectares of land for the 2020/2021 dry season farming in the state, an official has said.
Technical Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture AbdulQuawiy Olododo said the government was able to help the farmers because their umbrella body was properly organised and proactive.
“We call on other cooperatives across the state to emulate what the agribusiness farmers cooperatives have done so has to support the state government efforts in the agriculture sector,” Olododo said at a training programme for dry season rice production organised by Agribusiness Farmers Cooperative Associative Limited.
He urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity so that other people can also benefit from similar support from the government.
“As part of the efforts of the Kwara state government to ensure our farmers benefit from more of such interventions from the CBN, the government has decided to address the issue of land development. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has therefore approved the purchase of new bulldozers to support land clearing for farmers across the state,” he said.
For President of Kwara State Agribusiness Farmers Cooperative Associative Limited Hon. Baba Sanni commended the state government for its interventions in agricultural sector and sought further support for Agribusiness Farmers as the state begins to unfold more agricultural programmes.
“The training is one of the steps that we must take if we must do all things to make us succeed. Let me disclose that about 210 farmers are involved in this programme which will produce 420 hectares of dry season rice involving about N115m,” he said.
“We thank the state for the last tractorization programme of this year wet season. Our association was part of the project, and we thank God that from records available to the Technical Assistant, our association performed very well. If any other opportunity comes, we want the Technical Assistant to involve our Association inside-out.”
Sanni said the association has acquired over 3000 hectares of land at Oro-Ago in Ifelodun LGA of Kwara South, and 1000 hectares each in Kaiama and Owode Oja in Kwara north and central respectively, and appealed to the government to assist in clearing the lands as serious farming cannot be done without clear land.
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has stated that God prevented him from going into political dessert despite the corruption allegations levelled against him.
He made this known while speaking at a book presentation in Abuja on Tuesday.
In his remarks at the presentation of “Dear President Goodluck Jonathan”, a book written in his honour by Bonaventure Melah, a former managing editor of Daily Times, Jonathan said the wrong perception about him is gradually changing.
Jonathan stated that officials of the current administration tagged him and some members of his former cabinet as corrupt.
He, however, insisted that he does not hold any grudge against his detractors for their harsh criticisms.
“That is the problem myself and some members of my cabinet are still suffering since the beginning this administration when we were all tagged corrupt people,” he said.
“But I thank God that people can come together to celebrate me today. It is God. Otherwise, I would have been completely buried (politically).”
Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President Muhammadu Buhari, says Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, can contest for president in the 2023 elections.
He said though the ruling All Progressives Congress has not come out with its zoning formula, Umahi has the right to aspire for any position in government “as long as he can muster the needed support and momentum for victory”.
Adesina corroborated Umahi’s claims, saying the South-East must play better politics to get the ultimate office in the country.
The president’s spokesman further wrote, “Umahi has displayed a courage of conviction. He said the South East has been let down by the PDP in the last 21 years, so it was time to switch camp.
It takes the heart of a lion to change course in such setting. Some people said it was because he wanted to run for President in 2023. And why not? The party has not come out with its zoning formula, but in a democracy, anyone can aspire for any position, as long as he can muster the needed support and momentum for victory.
“I’ve always said it. The South-East must play better politics to get the ultimate office in the country. Sleeping and facing the same direction may not be the best option. The Orji Kalus, Hope Uzodimmas, Chris Ngiges, Dave Umahis, and many others, are now shining the light, so that their people can find the way. And so let it be.”
Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said he will reject another chance to chair the party.
The former Governor of Edo state who said he remains proud of the achievements of the party’s national working committee (NWC) under his leadership in a statement released on Monday December 7, affirmed that he has instructed his lawyers to withdraw the suit challenging his suspension from the party.
The statement read;
“I instructed my lawyers to withdraw the suits challenging my purported suspension from office by the proxies of those bent on removing me as chairman.
“It is, therefore, the height of mischief to insinuate, as it is being done in some quarters, that I would publicly accept the decision and later surreptitiously seek to contest it in court.
“That chapter of my political life is closed. Even if another NEC decision or a court order reverses the dissolution, with utmost humility I will decline to return as APC chairman.
“I am proud of the accomplishments of the NWC under my leadership and I am grateful to the principled 18 members who worked as a team committed to the cause of the party. Above all, I bear no grudges against any one for the manner of my removal.”
Former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, refused to be drawn on any question about insecurity in Nigeria, saying he was the wrong person to speak on the issue.
The former president said he also had his challenges to deal with while in office, “I was there before and of course, you know there was a lot of insecurity. So, I am the very wrong person to make comments on the insecurity in the land.”
He spoke on the side-lines of the Exclusive Command Performance by the Commonwealth Community Choir in Abuja, on Friday.
“All what we can do is to collectively support the government, encourage the soldiers and other security operatives to do more for our safety,” he added.
He noted that insecurity is a world phenomenon and Nigeria isn’t an exception, therefore encourage the youth to use their talent to impress on the unity of the country.
He observed that the youths in the country prefer to identify with regional affiliations than a national body.
He said this during a command performance by the Commonwealth Community Choir tagged ‘Peace for All Nations’ at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, on Friday, Punch reports.
He said, “I was discussing with somebody, and I said ‘look, in Nigeria, the youths appear not even to have a national youth body, because in most cases, the regional youth bodies are stronger than the national youth body.
“Ordinarily, the national youth body is supposed to be stronger than the regional youth body. If you go to my state, Bayelsa State for example, if I am a national member of the Nigerian Youth Council, the IYC, Ijaw Youth Council, feels that they are your boss.
“If you go to the Southwest and the North, the Arewa Youth Group feel they are superior to the national youth body.
“If you go to the Southwest, the same thing. If you go to the Southeast, the same thing. That shows clearly that as a nation, we are in trouble. The unity of the country is questionable.”
Commenting on the event, Jonathan further said, “So, when you see young people come together to perform with the theme: ‘Peace for All Nations,’ I am quite impressed.”
Asked to comment on the way forward regarding the insecurity plaguing the country, Jonathan said Nigeria was not the only nation affected by insecurity, adding that the whole world was facing insecurity because of the excesses of terrorists.
He said the Nigerian situation was somehow unique as the country feels it every day, even as he said he believed the government was doing its best.
“I was there before and of course, you know there was a lot of insecurity. So, I am the very wrong person to make comments on the insecurity in the land.
“All that we can do is to support the government collectively, encourage the soldiers and other security operatives to do more for our safety,” Jonathan stated.
Also speaking, Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, said nothing could be more important than peace.
Osinbajo, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Religious Matters, Pastor Seyi Malomo, further said peace in the society is one of the invincible cement that makes everything to work.
“If you remove that peace, everything will somehow collapse. So, peace cannot be coming at a more appropriate time when we are in the season of celebrating our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who the Bible says is the Prince of Peace,” Osinbajo said.
The United States has removed all visa reciprocity fees for Nigerians seeking visas to the US with effect from December 3, the Federal Government has said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed on Saturday that the development was a sequel to the removal of excess visa application, processing and biometric fees for American citizens applying for Nigerian visas.
The Donald Trump administration had in 2019 imposed the reciprocity fee for all approved non-immigrant visa applications by Nigerians.
The fee was charged in addition to visa application fees for only applicants who are issued visas.
The additional reciprocity fees which ranged from $80 to $303 depending on the class of visa, took effect from August 29 last year.
The US Embassy in Nigeria said the reciprocity fees were in response to unsuccessful talks with Nigeria to adjust the fees it charges American applicants.
It argued that the total cost for a US citizen to obtain a visa to Nigeria was higher than the total cost for a Nigerian to obtain a comparable visa to the United States.
The Mission insisted that the reciprocity fee was meant to eliminate the cost difference as required by US laws.
Announcing the removal of the reciprocity fee in a statement, the MFA spokesman, Ferdinand Nwonye, said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the United States Government has removed all visa reciprocity fees for Nigerian citizens seeking visas to the United States.
“The positive development is in line with the removal of excess visa application, processing and biometric fees for United States citizens applying for Nigerian visas by the Nigerian
Government.
“The United States Government has, therefore, eliminated reciprocity fees for Nigerian citizens with effect from December 3, 2020.”
The statement titled, ‘Update on the removal of visa fees for Nigerian citizens by the US Government,’ advised prospective travellers to the US to visit http://www.travel.state.gov for details.”
A Nigerian American Adewale Wally Adeyemo, a Nigerian-born attorney and former senior international economic adviser during the Obama administration, will serve as deputy Treasury secretary under former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, who Biden plans to appoint to lead the Treasury Department.
39yr old Adeyemo is currently the President of the Obama Foundation. He previously served as the first Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics from 2015-2016, and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.
Victor Ndoma-Egba, the former Senate leader, has lost his wife, Amaka Onono Ndoma-Egba.
It was gathered that Ndoma-Egba lost his wife to a ghastly motor accident along the Benin – Akure Expressway on her way to a function.
It was also gathered that Ndoma-Egba earlier this year lost his mother-in-law, mother and his former media aide while his house was vandalized during the #EndSARS protest in Calabar.
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