NEWS
FULL TEXT: President Buhari Delivers Last New Year Message To Nigerians
My Fellow Countrymen and Women.
A very happy and prosperous New Year to you.
First, I would like to thank and honour the Almighty who saw us through the year 2022 and has given us the opportunity to see another year. Each New Year is an opportunity to reflect on the past year, reposition, and move forward with the New.
As we celebrate the opportunity to be alive in the year 2023, we must also acknowledge the passing away of our brothers and sisters who didn’t make it into this new year. May their souls rest in perfect peace.
This year is particularly important to me because this message is in essence valedictory. After having the honour of serving you, my compatriots, for the last seven plus years, my tenure as your President in the most revered tradition of our ongoing and maturing democracy must necessarily come to an end. In the next five months we would have gone to the polls and elected a new president along with new governors and a plethora of other elected officials at both the national and state levels.
All these electoral and democratic principles are working in concert because of the transcendent beliefs, beyond partisan politics, of you the great citizen of Nigeria. In addition is my personal commitment and executive promise to see to the letter that the 2023 elections being diligently conducted by INEC will be free and fair. The collective electoral will and votes of Nigerians will be fulfilled, even in the twilight moments of my watch.
Reflecting on year 2022 allows us as a government to examine our legacies of successes and challenges. As we celebrate our wins and review obstacles, we all must understand that governance is a continuum, which still places a transitional responsibility on this administration to provide for the incoming government a non-partisan and objective roadmap for 2023. We as Nigeria; one country united under the will of God and actively growing as an indivisible entity, have been enabled year after year, decade after decade, to weather all stormy waters and emerge stronger and better where others have fallen and disintegrated. This has made us a unique nation across the globe and our continent.
In year 2023, Nigerians go to the polls to exercise our right to vote and elect a new Administration, it is an important year for our country to ensure that we have another smooth transition of government, to whoever the people have decided upon. This administration’s landmark Amended Electoral Act will ensure that we have free and fair elections across the Nation. We as Nigerians must also take responsibility to ensure we participate in ensuring that the 2023 elections are free and fair by not engaging in anti-state activities and other nefarious acts that may affect the run of the polls. We must also resist every attempt to be used by politicians to create unrest in any form to disrupt the elections. We, as government will ensure such activities are met with the full force of the law.
As our security agencies continue to make the country proud, we must continue to assist our patriotic forces by providing much needed community intelligence. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that Nigeria remains safe and peaceful for us all. Therefore, we have a duty and obligation to support our troops and intelligence agencies by being alert and reporting anything suspicious. The fight against insurgency in the North East region has continually recorded very clear wins in the past year. The Federal Government, and the Borno State government, have started the journey of returning internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes earlier taken by the insurgents. Also, over 82,000 insurgents with their families have surrendered to the Nigerian military. A number of surrendered insurgents are currently being processed by the rehabilitation (Operation Safe Corridor) program. The fight against banditry, kidnapping and other crimes in the North West and other regions is gaining momentum and showing very clear results. One of which is the resumption of Train Service along the Kaduna to Abuja corridor.
In the aftermath of the EndSars, our administration took heed and instituted the ongoing Police Reform program based on a new Presidential Vision for Policing in Nigeria. This new vision is framed in a clear road map that transcends the tenure of this administration and it is predicated on six principles:
A) Building Trust and Legitimacy
B ) Leadership, Accountability and Oversight
C) Technology and Digital media
D) Community Policing and Crime Reduction
E) Officers Training and Education
F) Funding, Officers’ Welfare, Wellness and Safety.
This reform program is very much in its foundational phase but has recorded noteworthy successes in improving police welfare and their emoluments. Other gains have been the ongoing training of 500 police cadet trainers to enable a better training regimen for the 2022 first batch of the 10,000 new cadets with an additional 10,000 set for 2023. In support of these reforms has been the provisioning of new material for the Nigeria Police to steadily improve on its constitutional responsibility to enforce law and order, protect lives and property as well as street level peace and security.
Despite the ongoing global economic crisis, we have been able to weather the storms. Inflation across the globe is at its highest, the Federal Government has been resolute through its economic interventions to remain above water during this period. 2022 brought a combined impact from ongoing wars and aftereffects of COVID-19. Though creating its own fiscal challenges, we have continued to subsidize our energy costs to buffer households from inflationary pressure of high energy costs. In 2023, we are focused on building on our GDP and sustain the huge surge in the non-oil GDP growth.
The Nigerian Start up Bill has been passed as an Act. This is considered a huge step in lowering our unemployment figures by boosting job creation and supporting the entrepreneurial drive of our youths. If you recall in my 2021 New Year speech, I had mentioned the need to secure the future of our youth recognizing that our young people are our most valuable natural resource, at home and abroad. In this regard, we worked with the legislature to develop an enabling law to turn their passions into ideas that can be supported, groomed and scaled across regions. 2023 will see the implementation of the Nigerian Start Up Act nationwide.
The year 2023 would, indeed, be a time when we would work to solidify on delivering key strategic priorities under our “SEA” – (Security, Economy and Anti-Corruption) Agenda. Some of the key priority areas we would direct our attention and strengths to include:
a. Focus on SECURITY; we will continue to engage, push back and dismantle the operations of both internal and external extremist and criminal groups waging war against our communities across the Nation. We will also focus on ensuring that free and fair elections would be held come February 2023. Our security forces are working in partnership to ensure the wins we have got in war against insurgency, banditry, secession and other crimes are sustained and more wins acquired.
b. For the ECONOMY; our focus would be on maintaining and building economic growth through the national economic diversification agenda that supports the goal of national food self-sufficiency and growth in non-oil sources. The ongoing infrastructure revolution by our administration will see us deliver the key projects across the Nation in power, rail, roads, ports and technology.
c. ANTI-CORRUPTION: On the anti-corruption drive of our administration, we have created new records in this fight, growing from 117 convictions in 2017 to 3,615 convictions as at December 2022. We as a government are committed to ridding our nation of all forms of corruption, through the collaboration with all the arms of Government to effectively prosecute this fight.
As we welcome the New Year, let us look with hope to 2023, a year to move forward as a Nation towards unity, progress and prosperity. I offer my own personal felicitations, mindful of the various opinions and interpretations of our executive legacies. I welcome and accept both the accolades and criticisms in equal measure secure in the conviction that I did my best to serve our dear country Nigeria and I pray that the next President will also pick up the baton and continue the race to make Nigeria one of the leading countries of the world by the end of this century.
Long Live the Nigerian spirit of oneness, togetherness, and unity. Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A Happy and prosperous New year.
God bless you.
Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR!
NEWS
Ibadan Man On Why He Used 76 Women For Ritual, Ate Others
An ear-tingling tale has emerged from the Oyo State capital, Ibadan, where a yet-to-be-identified male confessed on radio that he sacrificed almost 80 women to his idol over a seven-year period.
He made the confession in Ibadan, while appearing at a Fresh FM radio programme, titled, ‘Opeyemi’ on Saturday.
Famous in the locality, Foko area of Ibadan, where he was born, by his alias, ‘Mistina Orobo’, the now self-acclaimed pastor asserted that the almost 80 women were not part of those he was hired to kill and had eaten.
He was driven to sacrifice the women in the quest to renew his mystical power. He would then indulge in cannibalism after he had taken their blood for sacrifice to his idol.
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In his words, “My idol takes about 73 to 76 women for over seven years. These women are always gotten from the club or other popular places. When I eat people, it is purposely to renew the voodoo in my body. Sometimes, when I’m shot, it won’t penetrate, even when I’m hacked, the machete breaks. The sweetest human parts are tongue, palm, and foot.”
The cannibal then used the mystical powers for nefarious activities including supporting others, including politicians, business people, and high flying career people, like bank managers, in the quest to accomplish ulterior motives.
“I also work for bank managers, politicians, and some other rich men. I’m very popular among them. When I first worked with a bank manager, it was one wealthy man that we killed and the info was supplied in the bank.
“The only person who was left to sign refused to sign, we visited him, made him sign, and killed him aftermath. I charge up to N50 to N80 million to get people killed and we always work as a team. I taught some people to work, some as highway or armed robbers and I usually get my fair share,” he added.
He formally sought anonymity until the right time, and gave graphic details of what he and his boys did to influence outcome of elections in Oyo State.
On his early days, the mysterious man confessed that he has been eating sacrifices since the age of nine as the son of an herbalist, from which he added hired assassin and highway robbery to his trade.
“As a child of an herbalist, I always eat sacrifices in seven different junctions, this was what fortified me before I grew up to become a dreaded hired assassin and sometimes, highway robber,” he confessed.
On how he turned a new leaf, the man said he met Jesus in his dream after he attempted to avenge people who earlier fought with him.
According to him, “I had been killed before but I woke up because of the idol I had at home. The day I went to retaliate those people who fought and killed me. When we got to the first person, I had a change of mind. When we got to the house of the other one, he was drunk, and my boy was about to unleash on him when I begged that he should be spared, since then, I have been sympathetic and have left the wayward life. Now, God has taken over my life.
“I am now in a seminary. I spent four years learning to be a prophet. I am not ready to establish a church. I just want people to know my terrible story. I had sold all three houses and cars I bought while engaging in these acts. I met Jesus in my dream.”
He also stressed that a former lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Temitope Olatoye (a.k.a. Sugar) died because he was in Ghana at that time if not it would have been averted, adding that he had always informed Sugar of the dangers looming.
Recall that Sugar died on March 9, 2019, in the Intensive Care Unit of the University College Hospital, after suffering bullet wounds in the head from shots of suspected political thugs in the Lalupon area of Ibadan.
The public is still wondering at the speed with which the news of his attack spread, the tales in the locality being that Sugar died on the spot.
NEWS
JUST IN: Angry Nigerians Storm NNPC HQ, Demand Mele Kyari’s Resignation
Tensions flared outside the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) headquarters in Abuja on Monday as a large group of Nigerians gathered to demand the resignation of NNPC Group Managing Director Mele Kyari.
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The protesters, driven by frustration over reported mismanagement and high spending, specifically pointed to $4 billion spent on the refurbishment of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries—projects that many feel have yielded little return.
More to follow……….
NEWS
JUST IN: Tinubu Swears In Seven Newly-Appointed Ministers
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially sworn in seven newly-appointed ministers at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The ceremony, held on Monday, brought together the ministers-designate, their families, and dignitaries, marking a significant step in the ongoing reshaping of Tinubu’s cabinet.
This swearing-in follows a week of important political activity, including the Senate’s screening of the nominees, which occurred shortly after President Tinubu announced their appointments.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga had confirmed that the new ministers would be screened on Monday, setting the stage for today’s event.
To accommodate the swearing-in ceremony, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, typically scheduled for Mondays, has been rescheduled to Wednesday.
This cabinet reshuffle reflects President Tinubu’s response to increasing public demands for change amid Nigeria’s ongoing economic challenges.
In a bid to enhance governmental effectiveness, Tinubu dismissed five ministers and reassigned ten others, aiming to tackle pressing national issues more effectively.
The seven ministers include:
Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda: Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction
Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi: Minister of Labour and Employment
Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Dr. Jumoke Oduwole: Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment
Idi Mukhtar Maiha: Minister of Livestock Development
Yusuf Abdullahi Ata: Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development
Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmad: Minister of State for Education
As they assume their roles, attention will be on how these ministers navigate the complexities of Nigeria’s economic landscape and work towards policies that improve the lives of citizens.