NEWS
Pay more attention to unsettling security situation, nation’s unity, Uzodinma tells Media
Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo has urged the media to pay more attention to issues like the depletion of the country’s crude oil output and the unsettling security situation in the country.
The governor made the call while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday.
Uzodinma was reacting to a question about the choice of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to go for Muslim – Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election.
He said the issues of Nigeria’s unity, increasing cases of oil theft and security challenges should be of more concern to Nigerians rather than granting media space to champions of religious dichotomy and ethnic jingoism.
“I think that even the media – I want to use this opportunity to invite you people to prioritize our areas of interest.
“First, the mood of the country today is not about who the candidates are.
”The mood of the country is that two or three years ago, we were producing 2.1 million barrels of crude oil every day.
“For over 12 years, that has been our main source of foreign exchange.”
He decried that because of the activities of those who are anti-national interest, Nigeria had lost over a million barrels and barely managing to produce one million.
“I think we should arise in unison to condemn the activities of crude oil theft by anti-Nigerian interest groups and bring back the economy of the country, because you have to have a country first before you have a president.
“Look at the quantum of banditry going on in Nigeria today, to the extent that bandits are courageously coming into the capital city.
”We should rise in unison and condemned these activities,’’ he said.
Uzodinma stressed that the media should concentrate more on things that would unite the diverse ethno-religious groups in the country.
He said: “We should make emphasis on things that will unite the country and by the grace of God abandon those things that are capable of dismembering the country.
“Our national interest is important. Our national unity is important. Our ability to live together as brothers and sisters is also important.
“The primary purpose of government is for the security of lives and property and the welfare of our citizens. To what extent have we supported federal government in achieving this primary purpose?
“Those are things that should occupy our minds now. But if you throw Nigeria into a situation where religious dichotomy, ethnic jingoism will be at the front burner, it means you are working against Nigeria.
“So, let us allow political parties who have chosen their candidates, no matter the religion where they come from, to go out and do their campaign.”
According to him, it is left for the electorate to reject the ticket by not voting for them or accept the ticket by voting for them.
“But, if we continue to make these things headlines, you are heating up our polity unnecessarily.
”I want to beg you in the name of God, let us save our country,’’ he said
Speaking to the issue of oil theft, the governor charged the federal government to identify the brains behind the menace in the country and bring them to justice
The governor said “the act is a cancer which must be dealt with to steady the economy.’’
He warned against treating perpetrators as sacred cows, saying that anyone involved in the practice must be brought to book irrespective of the status in the society.
“Crude oil theft is like cancer to our economy and a thief is a thief, no matter his class.
“So, the process that will address the issue of crude oil theft will identify those behind it, irrespective of their class and for me, I don’t see any profile that will make a criminal not to be a criminal.
“All I will pray is the repentant mind to believe in the country and save the country the agony of this criminality.
“So, it is something that is very serious, as a matter of fact, it is something that government must take very seriously.
“Nobody should be a sacred cow; whether your profile is high, whether you’re middle-class profile or low profile, you’re considered a thief to national treasury.
”Commensurate punishment should be mated on such an individual, once identified,’’ he added.
Reacting to a recent World Bank outlook on Nigeria’s economic future, which projected that the country faces an existential threat, he said:
“Even 25 years ago, before 1999, World Bank has always said Nigeria will break into pieces and today Nigeria has not been broken into a half piece.
“This country is loved by God and our faith in God has been keeping this country.
“We have had friendly enemies as partners, both internationally and nationally, but yet Nigeria continues to exist.
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“There is nowhere in the world you will go and the gas stations you will see are not Shell, ExxonMobil, Texaco (Overseas), all the major oil producing companies.
“It is only in Nigeria that you will hear languages like independent market, Okafor & Sons Filling Station and all that. What is the World Bank saying about that?
“It is only in Nigeria you talk about subsidy. What is World Bank saying about that?
”It is only in Nigeria you hear jargons like Turn-Around-Maintenance, where else in the world do you have such language?’’
On his meeting with the president, Uzodinma said he sought his s approval for the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, to be converted to Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital and for Alvan Ikoku College of Education to become Federal University of Education, Owerri
The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has issued a stern warning against any attempt to establish a Sharia Court in the state without legal authorization.
This comes in response to the circulation of a digital notice announcing the launch of such a court.
In a statement personally signed on Tuesday, Governor Abiodun emphasized that Sharia Courts cannot be legally established by individuals or groups outside the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
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He reaffirmed that the state government only recognizes courts constituted through the legal framework of the Constitution and state laws.
“No Sharia Court is authorized to operate within Ogun State,” Abiodun stated. “The courts legally empowered to adjudicate disputes in the state are Magistrates’ Courts, High Court, Customary Courts, Customary Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.”
He further clarified that Sharia law does not form part of the legal framework in Ogun State and warned against the operation of unauthorized courts or assemblies.
According to the Governor, the state government respects the rights of individuals to practice their religion and apply their faith in personal matters.
However, this freedom does not extend to the creation of institutions or courts without proper legal backing.
Governor Abiodun directed all individuals involved in the creation or operation of the illegal Sharia Court to immediately cease all activities and disband the entity.
He also urged the public to disregard any summons, documents, or communications from the unauthorized court and to report such incidents to the authorities.
“The Ogun State Government will uphold the rule of law, ensure respect for the legal and judicial framework within the state, and prevent any breakdown of law and order,” the statement concluded.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Abuja after attending the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The presidential aircraft, 001, landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 7:40 pm on Tuesday, according to the State House media office.
The President was received by top government officials, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
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The summit, organized by the Tanzanian government in partnership with the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank, centered on advancing “Mission 300,” an initiative designed to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030.
During the event, African leaders, private sector representatives, development partners, and civil society organizations discussed strategies to overcome the continent’s energy challenges.
Discussions focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and accelerating energy access in underserved regions, with an emphasis on mobilizing private sector investment.
On the opening day, ministers from participating nations presented their national energy strategies, known as compacts, which outlined their plans to achieve universal energy access within five years.
The summit culminated in the endorsement of the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration by Heads of State, including President Tinubu, which charts a unified path for achieving the goals of Mission 300.
In his address, Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa’s energy sector and emphasized the country’s commitment to universal energy access.
He highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing clean energy initiatives and detailed its strategy for integrated energy delivery across the continent.
“Nigeria remains committed to achieving universal access to energy and will continue to champion solutions that integrate renewable energy and enhance efficiency across Africa,” Tinubu said.
The President was accompanied by key members of his administration, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; and Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen.
An Air Busan passenger plane caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of 176 people on board, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The incident occurred at around 10:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) as the aircraft, which was bound for Hong Kong, ignited near its tail section.
A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants were evacuated using inflatable slides, Yonhap reported.
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One person sustained injuries during the evacuation, but no further details about the injury or the fire’s cause were immediately available.
South Korea’s Busan fire authorities were not reachable for comment, according to AFP.
This incident comes just weeks after South Korea’s worst aviation disaster in decades.
Recall that on December 29, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash-landed and exploded after striking a concrete barrier at Muan International Airport.
The crash killed 179 of the 181 passengers and crew on board.
According to Flightradar24, Air Busan’s fleet is composed entirely of Airbus aircraft.
The cause of Tuesday’s fire is under investigation.
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