NEWS
Wipe terrorists off, Buhari charges military officers
President Muhammadu Buhari has charged Nigerian military officers to fight terrorists and wipe them off the face of the earth.
Buhari spoke in Jaji, Kaduna State at the graduation ceremony of 247 students of the Senior Course 44 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
Full text of his speech:
I am delighted to once again visit the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji Nigeria, on the occasion of the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Course 44.
2.Command and Staff courses hold great promise to the careers of mid-level officers of the Armed Forces. They prepare officers for tactical and operational level leadership, focusing on national security, joint planning processes, interagency cooperation and operations as well as multinational integration.
3.I am pleased to note that you have since inception of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, over 40 years, steadfastly kept faith with the ideals of the College.
4. The Armed Forces Command and Staff College has been pivotal to the achievements of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Furthermore the College provides a broad platform for training of members of the Armed Forces of friendly countries and Senior Course 44 is no exception.
5.This Graduation is a milestone in the careers of the 247 graduating students today. You have made a success of this Course after 48 daunting weeks and I say to you all, Congratulations!
6.It is particularly gratifying to note that amongst the graduating students are international officers from sister African countries. Gentlemen, I am confident that you have enjoyed our friendliness during your stay here. I am also sure you would have observed that despite our diversity and challenges, Nigeria is still one of the most hospitable and enjoyable countries to visit and stay.
7.Your participation on the Course is a further testimony of our national security aspirations to promote international peace, friendship and cooperation. To the graduating students from Nigeria’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies, you have indeed justified the confidence reposed in you by your respective organizations. Congratulations!
8.We must specially commend the spouses of the graduands here for keeping the home front and without whose sacrifices there would have been no celebrations for many here today.
9.Most of the security challenges facing the world today are both asymmetric and trans-border in nature, involving mainly non-state actors in different regions and sub-regions of the world. The West African sub-region and indeed our beloved continent of Africa are not immune to these threats.
10.We have witnessed recent terrorist attacks in Nigeria bearing the hallmark of national and trans-border insurgents trying to cause havoc in Nigeria as well as in neighbouring countries. It will be part of your duty to confront these terrorists and insurgents and wipe them off the face of the earth and bring peace to our countries.
11.Consequently, the specifics of your training which focused primarily on countering these security threats are important. Combating these prevalent security threats effectively demands that African countries continue to work together at all levels; be it tactical, operational and strategic.
12.To this end, the ongoing collaboration of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Cameroun, Niger Republic and Chad in a multinational operation to combat the Boko Haram Insurgency in the Lake Chad region has been productive and particularly commendable and successful.
13.The synergy achieved in operating together must have been enhanced by an understanding of the doctrines of the cooperating forces.
14.This occasion provides me another opportunity to briefly reflect on the state of the Nigerian nation, particularly regarding national security. The last 12 years have been very challenging for our nation, considering the different security threats that have besieged the country.
15.Our government is poised to promote national security and development, as well as to remain committed to promoting a vision of a secure, safe, just, peaceful, prosperous and strong Nigeria.
16.We shall be employing all elements of our national power in ensuring security, a just society, peaceful coexistence, national unity and sustainable development while promoting our good standing internationally.
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17.The Armed Forces of Nigeria are working tirelessly to enhance their combat effectiveness, operational capability and training necessary to eliminate the threats, in synergy with other institutions and nations. The response of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, militancy, kidnapping as well as the activities of separatists and armed militias amongst others have been commendable. This government will continue to provide the required guidance and support to ensure that the desired results are achieved.
18.I am duly informed that in recent times, a lot of work has been done to expand and upgrade the facilities of the College. This is to provide a conducive and amenable environment that is fit for purpose.
19.This, you are complementing by ensuring that the College’s curricula speak to the critical needs of the knowledge, skills and aptitudes of the officers to face the dynamic contemporary national security challenges.
20.Your efforts are maintaining the status of the College as a mid-level military training institution of repute. I therefore commend the College Board as well as the Commandant and staff for these remarkable achievements.
21.This government will continue to support the College in its developmental strides. My administration will also continue to give priority to the training and welfare of officers and men of our Armed Forces.
22.Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, let me now return to our graduating students in whose honour we are gathered here today. You, the graduating students, should realize that the nation has made a lot of investment in your training up to this stage of your respective careers.
23.I am confident that you have been sufficiently groomed in character and learning to take-up the challenges you will be confronted with hereafter.
24.For the Nigerian graduating students amongst you, the graduation today is a clarion call to duty in service to our country. Nigeria expects the very best from you in terms of loyalty, commitment to duty and service to your fatherland.
25.Therefore, you must endeavour to make honest and positive contributions in the discharge of the constitutional responsibilities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, your strategic Ministries, Department and Agencies and be good ambassadors of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
26.Let me once again congratulate the Commandant and his team for transforming these graduating students into the highly refined products they have become today. I also congratulate your families whom I expect would be proud of your successful completion of this Senior Course. I want to thank them once again for always holding the home front together as you are moved from place to place as duty calls. We must all join hands and play our part in order to take our country Nigeria to its rightful place of peace and prosperity.
27.I thank you all for listening and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Hon. Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani, former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against criticisms over the difficulties facing Northern Nigeria.
He argued that the North has received substantial financial support through regional development commissions and should focus on utilizing these resources effectively.
Zailani made this statement while speaking to journalists after receiving Alhaji Yerima Shettima, President-General of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), who visited to offer condolences following the passing of his stepmother, Hajia Fatima Abdullahi (Goggu Ladi).
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He noted that Tinubu’s administration had provided significant financial backing to the North, particularly through the creation of regional development commissions, each receiving ₦750 billion annually—totaling ₦2.25 trillion for the region.
“President Tinubu has, in his own way, liberated the North from poverty and underdevelopment.
“With an annual budget of ₦750 billion allocated to each of the North’s three development commissions—totaling ₦2.25 trillion annually—the North has no reason to struggle with poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment,” Zailani stated.
He pointed out that if these funds were used efficiently, they could transform key sectors such as power, agriculture, and industrialization.
He cited an example where ₦200 billion could generate 100 megawatts of solar power, while investments in fertilizer blending plants and research could boost agricultural productivity.
Zailani stressed the need for accountability, urging Northerners to shift their focus from blaming the Federal Government to questioning the performance of their own development commissions.
“Instead of constantly questioning what the Federal Government is doing or not doing, we should be asking what our development commissions are doing with the allocated funds,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the Proposed Tax Reforms Bill, which some argue favors industrialized states like Lagos, Zailani encouraged the North to take advantage of its development funding and focus on self-sufficiency.
“Now that we have been empowered with development commissions, let us build our own industries and generate our own taxes instead of complaining,” he added.
He also commended Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani for his efforts in infrastructure development, particularly his directive for the construction of 20 kilometers of asphalt roads in each constituency.
He called on AYCF and similar organizations to collaborate with the government to drive progress in the region.
In response, Alhaji Yerima Shettima offered prayers for the late Hajia Fatima Abdullahi and reaffirmed AYCF’s commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in governance.
“We will continue to uphold the truth and ensure justice for all,” Shettima stated.
The Lagos State Government has announced the closure and diversion of traffic on the Independence/Mekwen Bridge (inbound Marina/CMS route) for two months to allow for emergency repairs.
In a statement on Sunday, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed that the repair work would commence on Wednesday, March 19, and run until Monday, May 26, 2025.
As a result, the section of the road from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) through Bonny Camp Bridge down to Independence Bridge will be closed to vehicular movement.
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Additionally, the Bonny Camp Underpass Bridge service lane inbound Independence Bridge will not be accessible to motorists. However, the service lane from Ahmadu Bello Way to Ozumba Mbadiwe will remain open.
To ease traffic congestion, the government has provided alternative routes for motorists.
“For motorists heading to Victoria Island from Ahmadu Bello Way, Osiyemi advised using Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street, then proceeding to Falomo Roundabout and linking Obafemi Awolowo Road to access Ring Road.
“Those traveling to the 3rd Mainland Bridge from Ahmadu Bello Way should go through Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street, then link Alfred Rewane Road to Osborne Road before connecting to Ring Road.
“Motorists heading to Inner Marina and CMS from Ahmadu Bello Way will be diverted through Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street to connect Falomo Roundabout, then link Obafemi Awolowo Road to access J.K. Randle Road/King George V Road.
Osiyemi assured that traffic management personnel would be deployed to regulate movement during the repair period.
“Motorists heading to Ahmadu Bello Way from Inner Marina/CMS will have through-traffic access,” he said.
The commissioner also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring minimal disruption, stating that officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will be on the ground to manage traffic flow along the affected routes.
The state government urged residents to plan their journeys accordingly and comply with the alternative routes to ease congestion during the two-month repair period.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has approved the recruitment of 1,100 primary school teachers to fill vacancies in public schools across the 18 local government areas of the state.
The announcement was made in a statement on Sunday by Bolu Ajijo, the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
According to the statement, the approval was granted after the completion of the recruitment process.
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“As part of deliberate efforts to fill critical vacancies in public primary schools across the state, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved the employment of one thousand one hundred teachers by the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board,” the statement read.
Reacting to the decision, the Executive Chairman of Ondo SUBEB, Victor Olambitan, commended the governor for addressing the shortage of teachers in the state’s public schools.
“The employment will go a long way in improving the pupil-teacher ratio in our public primary schools and, at the same time, enhance the quality of education delivered in schools, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas across the state,” Olambitan stated.
He also assured applicants that details on how to check the list of successful candidates and begin the documentation process would be made public soon.
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Lagos To Shut Independence/Mekwen Bridge For Two Months
Ondo State To Employ 1,100 Primary School Teachers
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