General
‘Fake Buhari’ Narrative Is Foolery, Ungodly, Despicable, Mischief—APC Chieftain
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has described those peddling the narrative of a ‘fake Buhari’ in Aso Rock, Abuja, as gullible mischief makers, who are being urged on by those who have prayed for President Muhammadu Buhari’s death.
Giving this explanation in a statement issued and circulated in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Mr Eze also revealed that the narrative had been part of the strategies of those who have plundered the nation’s wealth without conscience before President Buhari came in to end their reign of unchecked stealing.
According to the party chieftain, authors of the narrative had hoped that the president would not return alive from his prolonged sick leave abroad, but were shocked to see him back healthier and pushing the anti-corruption campaign more vigorously, adding that their ‘plan B’ was taking advantage of the gullible and hateful, selling them a story that has become the butt of jokes across the world.
“These misguided fellows, who are products of the dismantled looting system that looted our common patrimony with impunity, would have loved to see President Buhari dead so that the efforts to recover their looted lot will be impossible, but unfortunately for them through the prayers of some innocent children of God that include the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who visited him in London, and other religions leaders he survived to their uttermost shame and chagrin.
Mr Eze highlighted that those peddling this falsehood are despicable and doubters of the ability of God to heal should take consolation in the words of Archbishop of Canterbury who later personally received the Nigerian president at Lambeth Palace, London stating that he was delighted to see the rapid recovery Mr Buhari has made from his health challenges, noting that it was a testimony to the healing powers of God, and answer to prayers of millions of people round the world.
President Muhammadu Buhari who thanked Pastor Adeboye for visiting him saying on his twitter handle ‘thank Pastor Adeboye for visiting today, and for his prayers and good wishes. May God continue to bless him and his work’
According to Mr Eze, others that visited President Buhari during this period were the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara
Apart from his Media Team, the State Governors, some selected Ministers and the then Acting-President Yemi Osinbajo led the stream of visitors.
Mr Eze wonders how all these high ranking personalities couldn’t detect the ‘fake President’ and regretted that instead of us rejoicing that President Muhammadu Buhari survived their evil plot they resorted to cheap blackmail of trying to cast doubt and aspersion on the person and personality of President Buhari”, he said.
Mr Eze also described the onslaught on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as mischievous, unpatriotic, evil, demonic and unacceptable, saying “how could a foreigner, as claimed by these mischief makers, come in to act as the President of Nigeria without either the wife of the President or his children raising alarm over such an unislamic and unholy act?
“How could he have known both the president’s home in Kastina, recognize all the political actors in Nigeria, including his ministers and governors. Proponents of this satanic game should understand that Nigerians are aware, wise people and not fools who will accept such a dubious and diversionary strategy”, he said.
Mr Eze recalled the statement of Mr Yakubu Dogara the Speaker of the House of Representatives, “Today we visited His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari. I am glad that he is doing well. His health has improved tremendously. I urge all Nigerians to continue to pray and offer thanks to God for answered prayers and for the safe return of Mr President. We must give thanks to God for this highly welcomed recovery. It is clear that Mr President’s insistence on following his doctors’ advice has yielded the desired results. Mr President exhibited remarkable recovery and was very conversant with all the political happenings back at home and across the continent”.
He therefore counselled the egg heads in PDP to come up with serious campaign issues instead of such elementary and awkward diversionary styles of blackmailing.
He also assured Nigerians that President Buhari’s survival was divine as enemies of Nigeria never expected him to survive, adding “with all the great works his administration is doing to revive our economy: revival of the power sector, agriculture, roads and rail line and many others, Nigeria should be ready to ensure that he is re-elected to avoid taking us back to the era of looting system of government associated with PDP leadership.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has reaffirmed that electricity meters being deployed under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) are free for customers, warning Nigerians not to pay any money for meter supply or installation.
The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, stated this in Abuja at a joint media briefing on DISREP with the managing directors of Nigeria’s 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). DISREP is financed through a $500 million World Bank facility.
The DG said the concessional nature of the funding, which comes at single-digit interest rates, makes it more sustainable than commercial borrowing and supports long-term stability in the power sector.
Under the DISREP IPF, 3.2 million smart meters are being procured and installed nationwide over four years through competitive international and local bidding. According to him, close to 700,000 meters have already been delivered, while about 200,000 have been installed across different DisCos.
The DG said, “With DISREP and other Federal Government interventions, the journey to power sector reliability is underway. DISREP is not just a short-term intervention, but part of a broader and coordinated plan of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, towards building a financially viable and service-oriented electricity market
“Nigerians deserve a power sector that works, one that delivers reliable electricity, protects consumers, ensures value for money, and supports economic growth.
“Together, we shall achieve that! The supply and installation of these meters for customers is free.
It was also disclosed that the government had already paid the contractors to supply and install the meters. DISREP is integrated with other metering initiatives, including the Presidential Metering Initiative and the Meter Acquisition Fund, to accelerate the closing of Nigeria’s metering gap.
On his part, the Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Mr Chijioke Okwuokenye, warned customers not to pay for meters.
“These meters are to be deployed and installed freely. Anybody asking you to bring money should be reported,” he said.
MD of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko Disco), Mrs Wola Joseph-Condotti, said the company is working closely with the authorities to weed out bad eggs who extort money from customers for meter procurement and installation.
The programme offers significant benefits to consumers, including the removal of upfront meter purchase and installation costs, accurate billing, the elimination of arbitrary estimated billing, improved service accountability by DisCos, better transparency and dispute resolution, and long-term improvements in supply reliability as the sector becomes more financially viable.
For DisCos, Mr Gbeleyi said DISREP provides access to concessional World Bank financing for metering and network upgrades, reduces Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses, improves liquidity and revenue assurance, and strengthens operational performance for long-term investment.
He disclosed that $250 million of the facility is dedicated to Investment Project Financing, which supports bulk procurement of the 3.2 million smart meters, deployment of Meter Data Management Systems, and provision of technical assistance and capacity-building programmes to strengthen DisCos’ operations and processes.
Describing DISREP as a landmark transaction, Mr Gbeleyi said it is the first initiative of its kind in which the government, beyond investing in distribution network infrastructure, is deploying meters at scale to bridge the country’s metering gap. He cited official figures showing that Nigeria currently has about 5.66 million unmetered electricity customers.
“The plan is to quickly close that gap. These meters are for everybody. They are for Nigerians. Priority is on unmetered customers,” he said.
He clarified that while the policy targets unmetered customers, DisCos have been allowed to deploy up to 20 per cent of the meters to replace faulty or technologically obsolete units, following feedback from the field.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has successfully concluded the review of the Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) application, which is aimed at ensuring seamless handling and efficient resolution of stakeholders’ commercial disputes across the maritime sector.
The Head of NSC-ICT, Mr Benjamin Ivwigheghweta, and his team; the Head of the Complaints Unit, Mr Bashir Ambi and his team; as well as consultants from BrandOne, all collaborated to complete the platform’s final implementation stage.
Mr Ivwigheghweta expressed satisfaction with the successful integration of the revamped PSSP for streamlined dispute resolution. He encouraged the team to fully engage with the new system and to ask questions where necessary, ensuring that every member is well equipped to meet stakeholder needs with precision and efficiency.
On his part, Mr Ambi applauded the deployment of the PSSP as a tool for accelerating grievance resolution, adding that the platform would significantly strengthen the council’s dispute resolution framework by promoting transparency, boosting stakeholder confidence, and generating reliable, data-driven records to support national economic growth.
He further commended the ICT team for its unwavering support-particularly in ensuring extended network availability to support the Unit’s after-hours operations.
Describing the PSSP as a critical modern upgrade for dispute resolution, Mr Ambi revealed that the Council’s operations are now about 90 percent digital. “We rely heavily on electronic platforms to serve our stakeholders,” he said, adding that the ICT Unit has remained the backbone of these efforts by providing consistent support, even over weekends, to ensure uninterrupted online service delivery.
This digital-first approach, he noted, keeps the NSC at the forefront of maritime efficiency.
Following a productive three-hour technical review and interactive question and answer session, the PSSP is now in its final phase.
The next steps include the configuration of individual user access by the ICT Unit and a live demonstration of the platform to Management. Upon completion of these tasks, the council will be ready to go live-ushering in a new era of digital efficiency in port service delivery.
The Port Service Support Portal was officially launched by the former Vice President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo, in June 2016 in Abuja. The launch was held alongside the unveiling of the Port Harmonized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The portal was designed as an online, real-time platform to enhance service delivery, address stakeholder complaints, and curb corruption at Nigerian ports.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has deployed an army battalion to Kaiama district in Kwara State after suspected jihadist fighters killed about 170 people in an overnight attack on Tuesday.
The terrorists stormed Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Council, according to Kwara State lawmaker, Mr Saidu Ahmed.
The violence highlights fears that jihadist factions prevalent in Northern Nigeria are pushing south along the Niger-Kwara axis toward the Kainji forest.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the new military command will spearhead Operation Savannah Shield to checkmate the barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities.
He condemned the attack as “cowardly and barbaric,” saying the gunmen targeted villagers who had rejected attempts to impose extremist rule.
“It is commendable that community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a belief that promotes violence over peace,” President Tinubu said in the statement.
The President urged collaboration between federal and state agencies to provide succour to members of the community and ensure that those who committed the atrocities do not go scot-free.
President Tinubu prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and condoled with those who lost family members as well as the people and government of Kwara State.
Similarly, suspected bandits stormed Doma community in Tafoki Ward, Katsina State, on Tuesday afternoon, killing several residents, injuring many others and setting vehicles and houses ablaze.
There were conflicting figures over the casualty toll, with police putting the number of deaths at 13, while the executive chairman of Faskari Local Council estimated more than 20.
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