NEWS
Osun 2022: APC’ll win with wide margin – Oyetola
INCUMBENT Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun says All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the July 16 governorship election in the state by wide margin.
According to him, winning his re-election is to consolidate on his achievements in the last three-and-a-half years.
The governor said this during an engagement meeting with the state chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), on Sunday in Osogbo.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the governor, however, appealed to the electorate not to be deceived by desperate politicians.
Oyetola, who said that he had been serving the state diligently since the beginning of his administration, said that those who lacked administrative capacity must not be allowed to truncate the developmental process in the state.
The governor said that he was optimistic of winning the election by wide margin.
He said his party was prepared and ready to ensure his victory through the support of the electorate.
“My desire is to win the July 16 election well, even with wide margin.
“The electorate are on my side; my achievements are there to speak for me and God is willing to crown my efforts,” he said.
Oyetola, however, appealed to the electorate to resist the temptation of selling their votes.
He said that they should not allow those who were bragging to win the election with dollars and euros to sabotage their future with peanuts.
“I want to appeal to the electorate to resist the temptation of selling their votes to desperate politicians.
“Osun is not for sale, neither are the people of the state for sale. Those who are bragging around with dollars to win the election have nothing to offer.
“They are only desperate to get the power without anything tangible to offer the state; we must not allow them to have access to our treasury,” he said.
Oyetola assured that he would not renege on his campaign promises, adding that the general welfare of the masses would continue to be his utmost priority.
“My second term will be for service, more than ever before. I will not relent because that is why I am the governor.
“The welfare of the masses, prompt payment of workers’ salaries and pension, empowerment, youth engagement, improved economy, health and education, among others, will not stop,” he said.
Oyetola urged the electorate to use their permanent voter cards (PVCS) to ensure victory for him and APC for the good work he had been doing to continue.
The governor also warned politicians against violence, adding that the election should not be seen as a do-or-die.
Oyetola said that anyone caught perpetrating violence before, during and after the election would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
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“Osun is known for peace and we should not allow anything, not even the election, to truncate the peaceful atmosphere.
“Election should not be seen as a do-or-die, but as an avenue to serve humanity.
“I appeal to all the political gladiators in the Osun to abide by the rules of the election for the sake of peace.
“Anyone caught causing violence, no matter how highly placed, will be dealt with by security agencies,” he said.
The governor, however, said that his administration would continue to support the farmers with necessary farm inputs and implements.
Oyetola said that his government had set aside 1,000 hectares of land for farming to boost food sufficiency and make the state the food basket of the South-West zone.
The initiative, according to him, is to rejuvenate the agricultural sector by making it more attractive and productive for farmers, particularly the young ones.
In his remarks, AFAN Chairman in the state, Mr Suleiman Araokanmi, commended the governor for his various interventions in the agricultural sector in the state.
Araokanmi, however, appealed to government to give more farm inputs to farmers to enhance more food production.
He also pledged his association’s support for the re-election bid of the governor. (NAN)
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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