NEWS
Atiku pledges to work with stakeholders to end ASUU strike
The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to work with the government and lecturers to end incessant strikes in Nigerian universities.
Abubakar stated this at a youth program with the theme “Intergenerational Synergy on Government”, organized by PDP to commemorate the 2022 International Youth Day celebration in Abuja on Friday.
Abubakar, who narrated how his father was arrested for never wanting him to go to school, described education as a fundamental right of any citizen, especially children and youths.
He decried the inability of the government to resolve the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying such would not happen under a PDP or his led administration when elected as president.
“I want to pledge that I will work with university authorities and government to make sure we end these incessant strikes by ASUU.
“This is because education is fundamental to your growth. It doesn’t matter whether you are in politics, business or any sector. The fundamental right of every youth or every citizen is to be educated.
“Therefore it is the responsibility of any responsible government to make sure that right is given to every Nigerian, every youth in this country,” Abubakar said.
The former vice president who reiterated his pledge for youth inclusive government, promised to provide youths with the opportunities to acquire the training and experience to take over from the older generations.
Abubakar urged the youth to support the PDP to take over government in 2023 to rescue the youth and the nation.
“I believe that the PDP provides the best platform for you to actualise your individual’s collective and national aspirations,” he said.
Abubakar encouraged youths who wanted to go into politics, either as part-time or full time career, to be patient and courageous in building their ways to the top.
The PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, said that the party would take care of all when it comes back to power by 2023.
He said that there would be sufficient representation for youths in the government, both in elected or appointed positions.
“PDP is the only party that has done it in the past. I will do it again.
“We will rebuild this country and you will have a better country. Power belongs to you; power does not belong to we the old generation. We are only rebuilding to hand over to you,” he said.
The Minority Leader of the House, Sen. Ndudi Elumelu, the acting Chairman of the occasion, who passed a vote of confidence on Ayu and his executive, urged members to join the party leaders to rescue it.
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Elumelu said those calling for the dissolution of Ayu’s National Working Committee (NWC) did not mean well for the party and the nation.
“What they should be thinking about is how to join us together to unite this party, unite Nigerians that are looking forward to PDP to rescue them and of course, come back to power come 2023.”
Elumelu urged the youth not to be deterred by what they were going through, but work with PDP to return to power.
“Let me charge youth to note that not only the future, but the present belongs to you. It is your time and you must make good use of it,” Ayu said.
The PDP National Youth Leader, Muhammed Suleiman, advised youths not to see leadership as an entitlement, but a process that involved all stakeholders in every aspect of the society.
Suleiman said that the youth must be prepared to have the right mindset and humility to deal with the challenges that come with leadership.
He said that the PDP NWC, led by Ayu, was fully youth-oriented and ready to support the youth in any endeavour.
“Our presidential candidate Abubakar has shown over the years that he is a true believer in the capacity of the youth.”
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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