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Former Ogun Governor Amosun Visits Tinubu In London

A former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has joined the array of politicians who have visited the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu in London.
Naija News reports that the Senator representing Ogun Central District in the National Assembly paid a visit to Tinubu in London on Wednesday.

The former Lagos governor has been receiving prominent politicians over the last few weeks in the UK where he is currently residing.

Some of those who have visited the APC leader include President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.

Others are former Borno Governor Kashim Shettima, former APC National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire, members of the Lagos state House of Assembly led by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, Hon, James Faleke and Hon. Usman Zanna.

This news platform reports that the former Lagos State Governor was said to have undergone a series of surgery on his knee.

There were claims that Tinubu had undergone another knee surgery at the John Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, the United States.

It was gathered that the APC chieftain returned to London in the United Kingdom on crutches after undergoing the successful surgery.

Power minister Saleh Mamman collapses, hospitalised after Buhari sacked him

Saleh Mamman collapsed in Abuja and landed at the hospital yesterday after being told by President Muhammadu Buhari that he had been relieved of his job.

Mr Mamman served as power minister since 2019 until he was fired on Wednesday as Mr Buhari conducted a minor redeployment of his cabinet members. He was fired alongside agric minister Sabo Nanono.

“He collapsed yesterday and was immediately hospitalised,” a family source told The Gazette under anonymity. “He wasn’t expecting to be fired so soon.” The nature of Mr Mamman’s ailment was not immediately clarified to The Gazette, and his spokesman did not return a request seeking comments.

The source said Mr Mamman has been quietly receiving treatment at a hospital in Abuja, and The Gazette has withheld the name of the hospital to respect the former minister’s privacy.

Mr Mamman, 63, was said to have been living at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja for more than three weeks on the bills of some powerful interests in the power sector, who were hoping he would still be in the office to be able to award lucrative contracts.

“He has been living permanently at Transcorp Hilton since early August,” our sources said. “His bills were being covered by elements in the power sector who were looking forward to more lucrative contracts before the bad news of his dismissal struck yesterday.”

He also reportedly has plans to run for governor in Taraba by 2023, a claim The Gazette has not been able to independently corroborate.

Award Winning Singer, Iyanya Gets Political Appointment

The Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, has appointed award-winning singer, Iyanya as the Senior Special Assistant on Tourism and Entertainment.
The development was revealed by the singer in a post on his Instagram account on Wednesday.

Iyanya appreciated the state Governor for finding him worthy to handle such a position.

He wrote, “It’s forward ever and backwards never. I have been appointed the Senior Special Assistant on Tourism and Entertainment to the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade.

“I thank God who made this possible and also my Governor for finding me worthy to handle this position.”

In another development, the Gulder Ultimate Search reality tv show has returned to the television screen after seven years break.

There had been calls for the reality show to return to the screen due to morality.

Gulder Ultimate which started in 2004 borders on the survival instincts of its contestants.

Police Confirm Abduction Of 73 Students In Maradun, Matawalle’s Hometown

The Zamfara State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of 73 Students of Government Day Secondary school, Kaya in Maradun LGA.
Police confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesperson, SP Mohammed Shehu.

According to Shehu, the State Commissioner of Police, Ayuba N Elkanah, has ordered the deployment of search and rescue team that was mandated to work in synergy with the military to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students

Elkanah appealed to the general Public especially parents and relatives of the abducted students to exercise patience and continue to pray for the success of the ongoing rescue operation.

Security has also been beefed up at Kaya Village and environ to forestall further attack on the communities.

Recall that this newspaper had earlier reported that gunmen suspected to be bandit terrorists on Wednesday morning abducted students.

The gunmen who came on motorcycles stormed the school shooting sporadically.

“There was an abduction of students just now in Kaya town, Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara state. The gunmen who were in large number came to Kaya Junior Secondary School and abduct large number of students,” a source had said.

A teacher in the school told the BBC Hausa that he and others managed to escape by running away under the cover of farms near the school.

He disclosed that the bandits stormed the school in the hours of 11 am and 12 pm.

Breaking: President Buhari Mourns As Aisha loses Son

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed condolences to Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, the former Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment following the death of her son, Aliyu Abubakar.

In a message to the father of the deceased, Alhaji Kabiru Mukhtar and the former Minister, which was delivered by his personal aides, President Buhari described the death of the young Aliyu as extremely sad.

The President prayed for quick recovery for two brothers and sister of the deceased, who are currently on admission in hospital following a road accident that claimed the life of the deceased.

He urged doctors, nurses and other health workers to do their best for other victims of the accident under their care.

President Buhari also prayed to Allah to repose the soul of the deceased and grant fortitude to the family and the friends of the deceased to bear the loss.

Aides who delivered the message from the President are Ya’u Darazo, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Special Duties, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity and Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, State Chief of Protocol.

The Minister thanked the President for sending the delegation and expressed appreciation of the family for his demonstration of love and care for them.

Real Reason Why Buhari Sacked Two Of His Ministers

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed why he relieved two of his Ministers of their duties on Wednesday.
It was earlier reported that President Buhari on Wednesday sacked the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, and the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman.

The President, however, directed the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar, to take over the Ministry of Agriculture while the Minister of State for Works, Abubakar Aliyu, has been deployed to the Ministry of Power.

A statement on Wednesday signed by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the two ministers were sacked due to the independent and critical review of their ministries.

According to Adesina, the review of the two ministries was done through sector reporting during cabinet meetings and at retreats.

He revealed that the review had helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.

The Presidential spokesman added that the continuous rejig of the cabinet should be expected until the desired objective is met.

He said: “The changes were sequel to the tradition of subjecting our projects and programmes implementation to independent and critical self-review.

“These significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.”

BREAKING: Gunmen Suspected To Be Bandits Attack Zamfara School, Abduct Students

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted many students of Kaya Junior Secondary School in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara state.

SaharaReporters gathered that the gunmen who came on motorcycles stormed the school on Wednesday afternoon, shooting sporadically.

Niger, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and many other states in North-west and North-central Nigeria are bedevilled by bandits’ attacks.

The bandits kill and kidnap at will despite the large deployment of police officers and soldiers to the affected states.

The latest incident comes a few weeks after bandits abducted students and teachers of the College of Agriculture in the Bakura Local Government Area of Zamfara state.

In the early hour of July 5, over 100 students of Bethel Baptist High School in Damishi, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state were abducted.

In February 2021, gunmen struck the Government Secondary School in Kagara, Niger State, abducting school pupils, teachers, and workers.

Also on December 11, 2020, 344 secondary schoolboys were abducted from Kankara in Katsina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, while he was there.

In February 2018, 110 schoolgirls were also abducted by Boko Haram from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State. Five died in the process while others were later released, except Leah Sharibu, a Christian girl who refused to renounce her faith.

Hundreds of schoolgirls were also kidnapped in Chibok in 2014 by Boko Haram, some of whom have not been released till date.

Just In: President Buhari Sacks Two Ministers

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday relieved two of his Ministers of their duties with immediate effect and also announced their replacement.

The affected officials are the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, and the Minister of Power, Mr. Saleh Mamman.

The President also directed the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar, to take over the Ministry of Agriculture while the Minister of State for Works, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, has been deployed to the Ministry of Power

The development was confirmed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

More details later…

ASUU Next Line Of Action Revealed After FG Fails To Honour initial Agreement

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has revealed its next line of action after the Federal Government failed to honour the agreement it entered into with the union.

ASUU president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, had earlier alleged that the government has not been picking calls pushed through by the union.

The varsity lecturers had called off their eight-month-old strike in December 2020 after ASUU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government. Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige had met with the lecturers on August 2 to review the level of implementation of the MoU after several complaints by the academic union.

Ngige at the time assured ASUU that government will through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), release N30 billion as a revitalisation fund to the union the following week.

However, the government has not yet fulfilled its promises to the union and the month of August has ended.

ASUU, in this regard, said it will hold an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) this week with its leaders and principal officials to decide its members’ next line of action.

The varsity union said it will follow up its NEC meeting with consultations with all its chapters should the government fail to respond positively to the aggrieved lecturers.

ASUU said Nigerians should hold the government responsible for their next action. Naija News understands that the Federal Government has not spoken on the latest agitations by the varsity teachers.

Osodeke stressed that the union’s NEC would convene to weigh available options and take a position.

Amaechi Denies Saying Stealing Public Funds Is Done Quietly Under Buhari Government’

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has denied reports quoting him as saying that stealing is done quietly under the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
It was reported that the minister had said in an interview with Daily Trust on Sunday that stealing of public funds under the Muhammadu Buhari-led government is not done in the open.

Speaking on the legacy of the Buhari administration, the former Rivers governor said that the present administration has handled Nigeria’s resources very well.

He said: “I want Nigerians to be honest; can you openly take money in this government? I am not saying whether we are corrupt or not.

“Let us assume we are corrupt, can you openly take money in this government? In the past governments, what happened? You can take money in the streets. Corruption was so pervasive that nobody was talking about it. It was not hidden that people completely and openly displayed their wealth.

“Most of those who did that had nothing to do to show for it. They did not have a carpentry shop, but they were billionaires. They did not hide it; but here, if you are stealing, it is done quietly. I am not saying it is good, it is a sin punishable. In the previous government, you could steal and you won’t be caught. If you were caught, there won’t be consequences. But in this government, if you steal there are consequences,” Amaechi added.

But in a telephone interview with the same media outlet on Tuesday, the minister denied saying that corruption is prevalent under the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

According to the former Rivers governor, he was misrepresented and misquoted in the widely circulated interview.

Amaechi added that the administration has succeeded in curbing impunity and corruption, unlike the previous governments.

He claimed that during the previous government, someone without any means of verifiable livelihood could become a billionaire due to corruption.