News
2023 Polls: Why Nigerians must ignore EU report on election – Prof Oladimeji
A United States-based Associate Professor of Medicine, Yemi Oladimeji, has called on Nigerians to ignore the final report of the European Union (EU) election observation mission on the 2023 polls.
Oladimeji in a statement on Monday in Osogbo, described the report as a threat to the country’s national unity and portends danger to peaceful co-existence among diverse ethnic groups and interests.
According to him, the report is not comprehensive enough to be valid, since the EU Elections Observer Mission failed to cover a substantial number of polling units across the country during the elections.
Oladimeji said the time of the release of the EU report should also be queried, adding that the report was meant to serve a “political purpose.”
He said, ”no group or individual outside Nigeria has the competence to define us better than who or what we are or interpret our political and electoral processes better than ourselves.”
“There is no time better than now to assert our sovereignty as a nation. Nigeria should resist imperialism under any guise.
“The EU knowing its limitation in interfering directly with the internal affairs of Nigeria now resorts to a subtle appeal to make the world believe something was missing with the nation’s 2023 general elections through that report.
“The majority of Nigeria voted for Bola Tinubu, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and must be allowed to stay focused and chart a way out of the woods for a country already bedevilled,” he added.
News
Gov. Adeleke flags off N14.9bn flyover bridge in Ile-Ife
News
Terrorism: ECOWAS to raise $2.4bn to fund counter-terrorism standby force
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is working to set up a counter terrorism force to tackle security threats within the sub-region.
The Commissioner Political Affairs, Peace and Security of ECOWAS, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, stated this at the opening of a three-day consultative meeting of Commandants of the three designated ECOWAS Training Centres of Excellence.
The three centres of excellence are the National Defence College, Nigeria, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Ghana, and Ecole de Maintien de la Paix Alioune Blondin Beye, Mali.
The consultative engagement is a bi-annual event coordinated by the Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security of ECOWAS.
It is to support training, capacity building, research and development of the ECOWAS Standby Force, and the general peace and security within the sub-region.
Mali which is housing one of the training centres of excellence was absent at the meeting.
This may not be unconnected with the recent move by the country alongside Niger and Burkina Faso to exit the ECOWAS community.
Musah said that terrorism was cascading across the region and there was need to have counter terrorism forces to contain its spread.
“This is the decision, and in the coming weeks, ECOWAS has already with the Chief of Defence Staffs, developed operational modalities, the concept of operations and everything for us to aggregate.
“It will be something like an advance rapid reaction force of a battalion that will be able to confront terrorists’ bases.”
He explained that as part of the resolution of the authority of Heads of States, 2.4 billion dollars would be raised to fund the ECOWAS standby force to tackle the security challenges headlong.
“The Heads of States have decided that on the first year, we must raise about 2.4 billion dollars to support the operation of this force in order to face the terrorist.”
Musah said out of the amount, the Heads of States have directed member states contribute one billion dollars to commence the operation of the stand-by force.
He also explained that Ministers of Defence and Finance from the sub-region would be meeting to fashion out funding modalities for the force.
“This brings me to why this exercise is so critical today.
“If you look at our region, it is being ravage by terrorists. Today Burkina faso has overtaken Afghanistan as the most terrorised state on earth, and Africa has become home to terrorists organisations.
“Elsewhere in the world there are opportunistic terrorists attacks like we saw in some countries not too long ago.
“We are faced with the nightmare of having one of our member states being completely occupied by terrorist groups.
“If they set up a front base in one country then no country is safe, and we have already seen the impact of that on some of the coastal countries – Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’voir – over the past few years.”
The ECOWAS commissioner, however, said Nigeria has been able to degrade the Boko Haram terrorists.
“In Nigeria, thanks to the efforts of the Nigerian Government, Boko haram have been degraded to the extent that they do not post a sustainable threat to the peace and security of Nigeria.”
Earlier, the Commandant National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu while welcoming participants to the meeting, said West Africa was the only region that assigned training centres with special mandate.
He, therefore, urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to exchange useful ideas to enhance operations against terrorist groups in the region.
News
Tinubu to return Wednesday – presidency
The presidency has announced that President Bola Tinubu and his aides will return to Nigeria from Europe on Wednesday.
The special adviser on information and strategy to the president, Bayo Onanuga, announced in a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with his aides, will return to Nigeria tomorrow from Europe,” Onanuga wrote.
On April 22, Tinubu left Abuja, the country’s capital, for the Netherlands on an official visit.
The presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, stated that the president was visiting The Netherlands at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
After the engagements in the country, Tinubu travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between April 28 and 29 to attend a special World Economic Forum meeting.
Details later…
-
capital market2 years ago
Rt.briscoe, FBNH, Others halts negative performance of stock market
-
Finance3 months ago
Court orders Sen. Victor Umeh to repay N136m bank debt to AMCON
-
Abuja Update2 months ago
UNDP, FG partnership needed to achieve inclusion, equity- Minister
-
Abuja Update1 month ago
Banks drive stock market performance with N147bn gain
-
Business2 weeks ago
Tingo Group unveils Tingo Electric, Tingo Cola drink at Lagos launch
-
Health3 weeks ago
Capacity training will reduce migration of health workers- NPHCDA
-
News4 months ago
Oil thieves sponsoring malicious media campaign against Navy – Spokesman
-
Infotech1 month ago
World Backup Day: NITDA urges Nigerians to ensure backup of data