President Bola Tinubu has directed the withdrawal of the nomination of Engr. Imam Kashim Imam to serve as the chairman of the board of directors of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA). The President’s withdrawal of the above-mentioned nomination is directed with immediate effect. All other appointments to the board and executive management team of FERMA are not affected by this directive. Chief Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) October 19, 2023

  Three unidentified people have been burnt alive in communities in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State. The incident was said to have happened on Wednesday, as the residents woke up to see three corpses in flames at different locations in the area. The areas where the incidents happened include – Junction of Utuh community, along the Ọnụ Soroọgụ Road, and Amannalụ Junction, Ebenator. While two corpses were roasted at the Utuh Junction, one was roasted at the Ebenator Junction. While the identities of those who burnt the corpses remain unknown as at the time of this publication, the identities of the roasted corpses also remain unknown, as they were burnt the preceding night or early morning. The development has since generated serious panic in the communities as residents were suspecting that the deceased might be kidnapped victims. However, sources close to the scenes said the trio, who were burnt beyond recognition, might have indulged in one crime or the other that resulted to their apprehension and consequent death. When contacted by this reporter Izunna Okafor, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu said he did not have any information about the incident. Ikenga also quoted the state police commissioner, CP Aderemi Adeoye as always cautioning people against jungle justice and taking laws into their hands. He said all suspects should be handed over to police for appropriate investigation and possible prosection. “The Command condemns this act in totality and has always encouraged the public to take suspects to police stations whenever they are apprehended. This will help the Police to conduct proper investigations and bring the suspects to justice under extant laws,” he said.

  President Bola Tinubu has appointed former National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Lanre Issa-Onilu, as the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA). Issa-Onilu’s appointment was made along with seven others for agencies and parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation. According to a statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the other appointments made by the President on the list included heads for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), among others. The statement read: “President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of eight (8) new Chief Executive Officers for Parastatals and Agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation: “National Orientation Agency (NOA) — Director-General / CEO — Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu; Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) — Director-General / CEO — Mr. Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos; Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) — Director-General / CEO — Dr. Muhammed Bulama; National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) — Director-General / CEO — Mr. Charles Ebuebu. “Voice of Nigeria (VON) — Director-General / CEO — Mr. Jibrin Baba Ndace; Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) — Director-General / CEO — Dr. Lekan Fadolapo; News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) — Managing Director / CEO — Mr. Ali Muhammed Ali; and Nigerian Press Council (NPC) — Executive Secretary / CEO — Mr. Dili Ezughah. “The President tasks the newly entrusted leadership in these important sub-sectors to innovate and create new opportunities for Nigerians to leverage upon through the effective reform of these key institutions of government which function to unify our people, reshape mindsets, and showcase this great nation to the rest of the world. “By these directives of the President, the above-listed appointments take immediate effect.”

  The Supreme Court has fixed Monday October 23 for hearing of the appeal by the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar, challenging the judgement of the Presidential Election Petitions Court which upheld the victory of APC’s Bola Tinubu This is contained in a hearing notice sent to the counsel for the respective partieson Thursday Ahead of the hearing, Atiku had filed additional materials including the recent deposition of the registrar of the Chicago State University, to support his arguments that Tinubu submitted false academic claims in his INEC nomination form Tinubu’s lawyers on the other hand, had asked the apex court to ignore the submissions of Atiku on grounds the the statutory period for submission of evidence had since closed The Supreme Court has until November 6, 2023 to give a final judgment on the appeal.

  A popular cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, has accused the Tinubu administration of planning to get eight years, vowing that they will not succeed. Although he did not specifically mention the president’s name in the video, which has gone viral, it was clear that the cleric was referring to Tinubu. VDO.AI PlayUnmute Fullscreen Gumi also said the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was supported hypocrites and worthless people. He alleged that though northerners were in charge of defence ministry, the command control is under southerners. Gumi also tackled Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), whom he described as “satanic”. “The Minister of the FCT is a Satanic person; I said it before when he was appointed and some people were grumbling. He has gone and brought the Israeli Ambassador, that’s what someone sent and I am yet to watch it. I am nut sure. But what is confirmed is he said they will collaborate with the Israelis on Abuja’s security issues. Abuja will now become an like Tel Aviv and when they see anyone with a beard like us, they will say it is Bin Laden; go and kill him. Where are those that worked for the Muslim-Muslim ticket? Hypocrites and worthless people. Abuja is becoming an extension of Tel Aviv and security is the bastion of the people. Have you not heard the silence? They know what they are doing. One Miyetti Allah leader came and told me that if they come to me with a proposal of negotiation with bandits, I should not be part of it, that I should leave it alone. “It is a decoy. Muslims are the heads of the Ministry of Defence, of what significance is it? The real people in charge of Command and Control, those holding the guns and shooting, are we the ones? We are not the ones; they are playing us. There is an agenda. All means of money and economic power have been hijacked by them, they are planning to deceive us for four years and get eight years. They will not, Insha Allah “I want to tell you, there is no way Northerners doing their legitimate business will get one billion naira. Our rich people cannot get anything except those they trust. They only trust them because they are doing what they want. Anyone whose loyalty they are not sure of, they will crush him in a few months. “They will only come during elections like it is done to spread grains to chickens. If they spread grains to chickens, that’s all. Giving spaghetti to people is the solution, this spaghetti issue is a big deal. We are being cheated in this country and in a real mess.” (DailyTrust)

  The House of Representatives has asked the federal government and other sub-national governments to ban the use of a popular children’s textbook, “Queen Premier” in schools across the country. The lawmakers asked the federal, states and local governments to ban the book because it contains words like “gay”, “eros” and others considered to be “offensive.” The call for the ban followed the adoption of a motion moved by Sulaiman Gumi (PDP, Zamfara) on Thursday during plenary. Details later…

  A Correctional Service officer was on Wednesday night killed when gunmen attacked the Afokang Correctional facility in Calabar, Cross River State. The spokesperson of the state Command of the Correctional Service, Affanga Etim, made the disclosure while speaking with reporters in Calabar on Thursday. He, however, debunked claims that the attack was aimed at the Correctional facility. He said the gunmen only opened fire on the joint security team at the facility and that there was no damage to the facility. According to him, “When they came, they opened fire on the security team who also responded in like manner and in the process, an Assistant Superintendent of Correction was killed. “No inmate escaped or was killed, the attackers didn’t get close to the main facility. “As we speak, we have deployed more armed personnel to the facility and everything is under control.” The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that stray bullets hit a mother and her six-year-old daughter during the attack. The victims, who were rushed to Naval Hospital in Calabar, were hit in the stomach and hand. (NAN)