NEWS
Rise up, reclaim your nation before it is annihilated, Utomi challenges Nigerians
The chairman of National Consultative Front and leader of the shadow Government professor Pat Utomi has challenged Nigerians to wake up from their docility to reclaim their country before it is annihilated.
In his New year message which was made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday he said
“As we cross over I want to call out all patriots to recognize that 2022 is the year to stop sitting on the fence and take action.
“Nigeria can and must rise up again but it will take patriots and true citizens willing to take on the fight for a new Nigeria as freedom is not served a la carte but taken by a bold generation responsible and accountable to a future foretold.
“As we cross over from 2021 to 2022 there is much to thank God for in spite of a surge in COVID infections, inflation eating away the income of poor Nigerians just as global supply chain crisis and problems at the Ports were compounding the woes of manufacturers and traders; and insecurity was making farming and food security the worry of the year.
“In joining fellow compatriots in Thanksgiving I would particularly like to pay tribute to the emergence in 2021 of an a new crop of patriots in politics and civil society who seem to have recognized a desperate need to Save Nigeria from challenges that have brought our dear country to the edge of a political and economic precipice.
“Movements like NCFront, RNP, The New Fabian Society of the Concerned Professionals, and emerging coalitions of alternative track political parties have provided hope in a time of gloom and despair as the country goes borrowing everywhere with the unfortunate tag of the poverty capital of the world.
“The collaboration of these groups to deepen our democracy with the idea of a Shadow Government marks for me a call for national renewal.”
He said reflecting on all that 2022 is the year of citizen awakening to save Nigeria.
“The promise of Nigeria in 1960 was the promise of peace and prosperity for all of its people, though tribe and tongue may differ but in brotherhood they would stand to shine the light to lead Africa out of serfdom.
“The future foretold has been setback by bad politics and poor economics. But we must now say no to the entrepreneurs of politics who have brought shame to the arena of politics as service on which our founding fathers like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr Michael Okpara, Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and others, erected the foundation of our beloved country. “If millions of us have to get on the streets in the manner of the Orange or Pink revolution. to make the dream of a more desirable Nigeria that Fela Durotoye often envisions in his motivational exercises then that we must do.
“We owe this duty of transforming Nigeria to our children because, in a sense we have been accomplices in the undoing of their future.
“George Orwell declared long ago that those who elect corrupt politicians, impostors and thieves are not victims but accomplices.
“In allowing those who loot our treasuries and use the war chest to brag about being ready to be elected we are accomplices twice over and need to make reparation in committing to vanquishing of money politics.
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.
To address Nigeria’s ₦9.7 trillion budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year, the Senate has approved President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to secure a ₦1.77 trillion ($2.2 billion) loan.
The decision was made during Thursday’s plenary session, where a voice vote confirmed the approval following the presentation of a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts.
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Chaired by Senator Wammako Magatarkada (APC, Sokoto North), the committee endorsed the loan request as a vital step in managing the country’s fiscal challenges.
Recall that President Tinubu had submitted the proposal earlier in the week, outlining the loan as a crucial component of his administration’s external borrowing strategy.
Details shortly…………..
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