A close aide to General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Salman Yusuf, has urged Nigerians to beware of internet fraudsters using the name and picture of the former military president to send wrong signals all in the name of politics. In his statement in Minna, the State capital, Yusuf said the former Nigerian leader cannot send messages since he does not operate any social media account. “Our attention has been drawn to a plethora of fake social media accounts, especially Facebook, bearing General Babangida’s name and photos. We wish to state that IBB has never owned nor operated any social media account, and he does not intend to operate any now or in the near future,” the Thursday statement added. “The surfeit of Facebook accounts bearing his photos and names are fake. The fake accounts are the creation of identity thieves and cyber fraudsters, local and international, who steal the identity of prominent people to defraud, misinform and commit heinous crimes against Nigerians and foreigners alike. General Babangida does not comment on national issues on social media. “That is absolutely unnecessary because there are official channels available to him to communicate his stand on any national issue to the authorities. Besides, he has unfettered access to several credible mainstream media that he can talk to any time he feels strongly about any matter. “We implore the general public, indeed, all Nigerians, to please ignore the warped imaginations and antics of cyber criminals who do not mean well for our great country. “Babangida’s faith in Nigeria is unshakeable, and he is optimistic that as a people, we shall overcome our current national challenges if we do not grow weary and if we resolve to get our leadership question right. “We urge Nigerians to get involved in the democratic process, conduct themselves peacefully, and exercise their constitutional rights by voting for candidates of their choice in the coming general elections.”

  As part of efforts to ensure victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari has shown further personal commitment to the cause of the party and its presidential flag-bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by indicating his readiness to be physically present at some of the presidential campaign rallies. In a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Festus Keyamo, the President is billed to join the Campaign Train in at least ten States. The States are Adamawa State on the 9th of January; Yobe State on the 10th of January; Sokoto State on the 16th of January; Kwara State on the 17th of January; Ogun State on the 25th of January; Cross Rivers State on the 30th of January; Nassarawa State on the 4th of February; Katsina State on the 6th of February; Imo State on the 14th of February and the Grand Finale in Lagos State on the 18th of February. President Buhari, out of his very busy schedule, had earlier attended the flag-off of the Presidential Campaign in Jos on the 15th of November, 2022. This was also after graciously accepting to be the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling party. However, until the latest statement, not much has been seen of the president at various gatherings where Tinubu and his team have held their campaigns. Below is a full statement as sent out by Festus Keyamo. PRESS RELEASE BY THE APC PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN COUNCIL: IN REVISED CAMPAIGN TIME-TABLE OF THE APC, PRESIDENT BUHARI SHOWS FURTHER PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO THE CAMPAIGN OF ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU The Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress announces that in its revised Campaign Timetable just released, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has shown further personal commitment to the cause of the All Progressives Congress and its Presidential flag-bearer, ASIWAJU Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the 2023 Presidential election, by indicating his readiness to be physically present at some of our forthcoming presidential campaign rallies. Recall that Mr. President, out of his very busy schedule, had earlier attended the flag-off of the Presidential Campaign in Jos on the 15th of November, 2022. This was also after graciously accepting to be the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling party. In the latest Campaign Time Table released yesterday (5th January, 2023) the President is billed to join the Campaign Train in at least ten States. The States are Adamawa State on the 9th of January; Yobe State on the 10th of January; Sokoto State on the 16th of January; Kwara State on the 17th of January; Ogun State on the 25th of January; Cross Rivers State on the 30th of January; Nassarawa State on the 4th of February; Katsina State on the 6th of February; Imo State on the 14th of February and the Grand Finale in Lagos State on the 18th of February. The PCC expresses its profound gratitude to President Buhari, the leader of our great Party, for his sterling and inspirational leadership at this time and for galvanising our teeming members and supporters across the country. We urge our party faithfuls and supporters to turn out en masse, as usual, in the forthcoming campaign rallies. The zero hour is nigh; our spirits must be high; we must not relent in this our collective march to our victory that is divinely ordained. Thank you. FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, FCIArb(UK) · Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council. · Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Federal Republic of Nigeria. SAN, FCIArb(UK)

  World food prices fell for a ninth month in a row in December but hit their highest level on record for the full year in 2022, UN data showed Friday. Food prices soared to a monthly record high in March after Russia invaded agricultural powerhouse Ukraine, a major supplier of wheat and cooking oil to the world. But prices have dropped since then, with more relief brought by a deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July that lifted a Russian naval blockade on Ukrainian grain exports. The Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday its price index, which tracks the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities, fell to 132.4 points in December, a 1.9 percent drop from November. It was also one percent lower than in December 2021. But the index was 14.3 percent higher overall in 2022 compared to the previous year as it reached an all-time high of 143.7 points. “Calmer food commodity prices are welcome after two very volatile years,” FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said in a statement. “It is important to remain vigilant and keep a strong focus on mitigating global food insecurity given that world food prices remain at elevated levels,” he said. Torero said many staples are near record highs, with prices of rice rising and “still many risks associated with future supplies”. World prices of maize were 24.8 percent higher on average in 2022 than in 2021, according to the FAO. Wheat was 15.6 percent more expensive. But maize prices fell in December, mostly due to “strong competition” from Brazil, the FAO said. Wheat was also down for the month “as ongoing harvests in the southern hemisphere boosted supplies and competition among exporters remained strong”. The FAO’s vegetable oil price index reached a new record high in 2022 but fell 6.7 percent month-on-month in December to its lowest level since February 2021. Dairy and meat prices hit their highest levels since 1990, the agency said. While meat prices fell 1.2 percent in December, those of dairy rose 1.1 percent for the month.

  Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has threatened his Commissioner for Works, George-Kelly Alabo, with termination over delay on a road construction project in the Abua/Odual Local Government Area (LGA) in the state. Wike gave the commissioner a 24-hour ultimatum while conducting the flag-off of construction of Ekagho-Ogboloma-Adada Link Road in the state on Friday. The governor stopped his address midway to seek out the representative of the contractor, Lubrik Construction Company. He was however informed that the woman in question had left after addressing the audience. Turning to an official off-camera, presumably his Commissioner of Works, Wike asked, “Why have they not mobilised to Abua? They collected the money; they collected [for the roads] here, so why have they not mobilised?” The government official responded inaudibly to which the governor said, “What is preliminary works? Did they collect our money preliminarily? Call the company, now! Let them come here.” When a man of South-Asian descent appeared before the governor, the latter asked why the company had not “moved to site on the other road in Abua” after collecting the state government’s money. “Soon we will start to move to that place,” the unidentified contractor replied. “Commissioner for Works, I give you 24 hours. If they don’t move to site, return our money immediately,” the governor said to cheers from the Ekagho residents. “You see, part of the problem – that’s why our problem is not only the company. Even those that are supervising the job are part of the problems we have. “This company has collected the money more than two months ago, and you’re telling us now that they are preparing after [taking] money from us. Let them not move to site till tomorrow, I will sack you as the Commissioner for Works.” According to Wike, there is no basis for the delay. “You don’t take our money and keep it in the bank, and do your other businesses, and then the people are suffering. Before you know it, in March, the rains will start and then you tell us, ‘Because of rain….’ It can’t happen,” he said. The Rivers governor urged the people of Abua/Odual to “shout” and “cry” on social media if they perceive a slow rate on the project, saying the outcry would get to his attention. “And when I know, make sure – in fact, the chairman of council, you must be giving me monthly reports of what is going on on these two roads in Abua/Odual. I don’t only want to depend on the reports from the Ministry of Works,” he said. “In fact, what I will do now is to appoint people who will be my special assistants on these two roads, so that we will monitor what the Ministry of Works is doing. “As they give me their own report, I monitor what they are doing because I’m no longer comfortable that a company will collect money for two months and the commissioner is telling me they are preparing. I can’t believe this. When you people go, you collude with them.”

  Guinea-Bissau has renamed a sports stadium in its second city Bafata “Pele Stadium” in honour of the late Brazilian football legend, the government announced on Friday. The decision was made at a cabinet meeting after observing a minute’s silence in memory of Pele, who died on December 29 at age 82, the government of the West African nation said in a statement. The regional stadium has a capacity of about 15,000 seats. Bafata is located about 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of the capital Bissau. On Wednesday, Cape Verde’s prime minister announced that the stadium in its capital city, Praia, would also be renamed the “Pele Stadium”. The two African countries made the name changes in response to a call by FIFA president Gianni Infantino for each member country of the world football association to name one of its stadiums after the star player. Following Pele’s death, thousands of fans and football dignitaries gathered at the stadium of the Brazilian club Santos, where he had played from 1956 to 1974, to pay their respects. Pele’s final resting place was a 200-square-metre (2,150-square-feet) mausoleum in Santos’ vertical cemetery, where a huge crowd of fans paid tribute to him.

  Republican favourite Kevin McCarthy was named speaker of the United States House of Representatives on Saturday as he finally quelled a fierce rebellion among his party’s ranks that had paralysed the lower chamber of Congress for days. McCarthy was always the frontrunner to lead the Republican-led House, but his victory in the small hours of the morning was almost derailed by a right-wing revolt in his party that extended the contest to a historic 15 rounds of voting. The speaker wields huge influence in Washington by presiding over House business and is second in line to the presidency, after the vice president. McCarthy had been hoping to secure the gavel in the 14th round before midnight Friday but suffered a shock defeat amid astonishing scenes of Republican infighting as he came up short by just one vote out of more than 400 cast. As Matt Gaetz voted “present” to deny McCarthy the gavel, the disappointed Republican leader went over to talk to the Florida lawmaker-elect face-to-face. Gaetz pointed a finger at McCarthy, who began retreating as Alabama’s Mike Rogers lunged at Gaetz and had to be held back with a restraining arm across his face. The Republicans, who hold a razor-thin majority, had been mired in internecine warfare as McCarthy failed to win a majority in multiple ballots, with around 20 conservative hardliners blocking his path since Tuesday. But the 57-year-old Californian was able to pick up more than a dozen votes among the defectors in two-afternoon voting rounds Friday after offering major concessions. Emboldened, McCarthy predicted he would win in the 14th round — but suffered a humiliation given wall-to-wall coverage on US news channels before finally bagging his victory in the 15th. “Just reminds me of what my father always told me,” McCarthy had told reporters. “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And now we have to finish for the American public.” – Major concessions – There were more rounds of voting in the fractious 2023 contest than in any speaker election since the Civil War. McCarthy had projected confidence all week, even as he was bleeding votes rather than adding to the base of around 200 Republicans who have backed him all along. His party’s takeover of Congress is expected to herald the end of cross-party cooperation, with the legislative process gridlocked and Republicans promising an aggressive agenda of investigations into most aspects of President Joe Biden’s administration and his family. Democrats and some of McCarthy’s own supporters, in private, are concerned that he has been offering his far-right critics radical policy commitments that will make the House ungovernable. There were reports, which AFP has not verified, that he had agreed to propose keeping spending at 2022 levels, including a cap on military funding which would have the same effect as a $75 billion cut. That has raised alarm among defense hawks pushing for the United States to project strength amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an emboldened Chinese stance on Taiwan. No single lawmaker, however senior, has the authority to set budgets, but the fact that the suggestion was being taken seriously underscores the Republicans’ turn towards isolationism under the leadership of Donald Trump. Other lawmakers-elect were complaining that McCarthy was handing the hardliners plum committee posts and changes to the rules that would severely curtail the role of the speaker. – Poisoned chalice? – The renegade Republicans are understood to have flipped their votes in exchange for rule changes making it possible to oust the speaker in a vote called by just one member. They are also asking for an outsized role in deciding which bills make it to the floor and how they are handled. The length and precariousness of the speaker selection process has highlighted how difficult McCarthy is going to find it to corral votes in the 118th Congress Democrats said the role would be a poisoned chalice, as the compromises McCarthy has made will leave him as the weakest speaker in modern history. “He has moved steadily to the right and he has capitulated at every turn to these extremist elements in the GOP,” Maryland congressman Jamie Raskin told MSNBC, referring to the Republicans by their nickname, the “Grand Old Party.” AFP

  The Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, has explained the reason behind the high number of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards in the state. Agbaje disclosed that this was because many prospective voters might have migrated from the state for different reasons, while others might have died. In a brief interview with Saturday PUNCH, Agbaje also noted that at least 400,000 out of the 900,000 old PVCs would be collected by previous registrants. The REC said, “We have the old ones that are about 900,000 before, the number has even reduced now, and that is why uncollected PVCs seem to be on the high side. “I had earlier told some journalists that those PVCs cannot all be collected because many of the owners of the PVCs have relocated, we have so many institutions in Lagos, some students are no longer in the state, we also have government workers and other workers who have been transferred. Some even left Nigeria, some may have died. So many people cannot collect theirs again. However, we still have about 200, 000 to 400,000 PVCs that can still be collected during this period.” Speaking on the current PVC collection process, he said it would improve since the process had moved from the Local Governments to the 45 Residential Areas (Wards) in the state. “I think the collection of the PVCs has started to improve now that we have transferred the collection of the local government to the residential areas. They have been able to attend to many people. Areas like Agege, we have 11 RAs there, Ifelodun, Alimosho, we also have 11 RAs there. We have 45 RAs across the country so people who were unable to collect at the LGs can go there too. “Many of my Electoral Officers have said they are going to have more than they have been having in the LGs. They have gone today; they have more than 2,000. We will look at the outcome on the 15th of this month.” Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission in Lagos State, on Friday, decried the poor collection of PVCs, as 1,630,744 cards were yet to be collected in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the Public Affairs Officer of the commission in the state, Mrs Adenike Oriowo, revealed that only 224,490 of 940,200 newly printed PVCs had been collected as of Wednesday, which cuts across the commission’s offices in the 20 local government areas in the state. Oriowo noted that the commission received a total of 6,570,291 PVCs out of which 5,655,257 had been collected on Wednesday, while 915,034 were yet to be collected by the owners. According to her, the total PVCs (old and new) received by the state from INEC headquarters in Abuja stood at 7,510,941 out of which 5,879,747 had been collected, while 1,630,744 were yet to be collected as of Wednesday. She said PVC applicants had the opportunity to visit their Registration Areas/Wards from January 6 to 15 to pick up their cards in person and not by proxy at the ward levels and that the exercise would revert to the local government levels by January15, 2022. “We have moved the PVCs to the RAs (Registration Areas) today. We want the people to use the opportunity and create time to pick up their cards,” she said. Also, the INEC in Rivers, on Thursday, urged those unable to collect their PVCs at the LGA offices of the commission to do so at the Registration Areas/Wards on the stipulated dates. The Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Mr Mark Usulor, in a statement in Port Harcourt, appealed to all stakeholders to provide a peaceful and enabling environment for the commission’s officials to successfully carry out the exercise at the 319 Registration Areas/Wards in the state within the stipulated period. INEC, in a similar report, said it had created more centres to ease the ongoing collection of PVCs in the Federal Capital Territory. According to NAN report, the commission released a circular in Abuja on Friday which listed the venues to include Government Secondary School Garki, Area 10.