General
Insecurity: Government Not Overwhelmed—Lai Mohammed
**Begs Media to Tone Down Reportage
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, has disclosed that the federal government is not overwhelmed by the rising insecurity in the country.
Mr Mohammed, while addressing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, also appealed to the media to assist the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari by “dousing the pervasive tension and not allow their platforms to be used uncompromising separatists and die-hard pessimists about the survival of our nation can only overheat the polity and aggravate the security challenges.”
He stressed that “this is not a call for censorship. It is a call for responsibility, in the national interest” as the media “must also realize that it can only carry out this responsibility in an atmosphere of peace and security.”
The Minister assured Nigerians that “in the days ahead,” the federal government will “confront the challenges headlong and restore law and order, peace and security.”
He said “while the government acknowledges the security challenges we face at this time, from terrorism to kidnapping, banditry and farmer-herder conflict, it is definitely not overwhelmed.”
Mr Mohammed explained that the security operatives have not been able to overcome the crisis because “one of the most difficult things to do, for a democratically-elected government, is to use the instruments of coercion against its own people.”
“For example, while the nation’s military has superior firepower over the ragtag band of Boko Haram and ISWA, the terrorists most often than not operate among the populace, either in our villages or towns, hence the military, in tackling them, is usually careful to avoid collateral damage. The same applies to the kidnappers who abduct our school children.
“Usually, the location of the kidnappers is not unknown to the security forces, but they still have to exercise caution in order not to hurt the same children they are trying to rescue. Despite these inhibitions, the security forces have the wherewithal to decisively tackle the challenges,” he added.
He lamented the “growing dangerous trend” of “launching deadly attacks against the nation’s security personnel.”
“Soldiers, as well as the police, customs and other security agents, have been killed and maimed in some parts of the country in this growing trend of targeting security forces.
“I want to say, unequivocally, that any attack on our security men and women is an attack on the state and a declaration of war against the nation.
“It follows, therefore, that this will be countered with overwhelming force. When those whose responsibility it is to protect us are themselves being subjected to mindless attacks, it can only be for one reason only: to instil fear and evoke a sense of pervasive insecurity among the people, whether known or unknown gunmen, those engaged in this dastardly act will pay dearly for their actions,” he stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Dangote oil refinery has commenced operating its polypropylene facility in Lagos.
Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer that is commonly used in plastic packaging, textiles, reusable shopping bags, surgical equipment, household chairs, and kitchen utensils.
According to S&P Global, the starting up of Dangote’s 830,000 metric tonnes per year polypropylene site was one of the last outstanding milestones for the oil refining and petrochemical complex in its commissioning sequence, which has been taking place since January 2024.
“Polypropylene production has now started, with supplies being distributed in 25kg bags, and has already threatened to upend the domestic market,” two market sources had told Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights.
When it becomes operational, the Dangote facility is set to become Africa’s largest polypropylene production site, producing from two polypropylene units with capacities of 500,000 metric tonnes per year and 330,000 metric tonnes per year.
The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, previously set out hopes that the complex would fully cover some 250,000 metric tonnes per year of domestic demand for polypropylene.
S&P Global cited that the new capacity could quickly capture market share in the existing polypropylene homopolymer market, which has so far been concentrated at Indorama Eleme’s Port Harcourt refinery in Nigeria and drawn imports from the Middle East.
The company had previously said its $2 billion petrochemical plant located in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, is designed to produce 77 different high-performance grades of polypropylene in the country.
With a turnover of $1.2 billion, the Dangote Petrochemical plant, situated alongside the Dangote Refinery, is positioned to cater to the demands of the growing plastic processing downstream industries, not only in Africa but also in other parts of the world.
Speaking then, Mr Devakumar Edwin, now the Vice President of Dangote Industries Limited, said the Dangote Petrochemical will drive massive investment in the downstream industries, generating huge value addition in the country, creating employment, increasing tax revenues, reducing foreign exchange outflow, and increasing the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
“We have 77 types of polypropylene, which can be used for different purposes, and we can produce it from our petrochemical plant. Currently, the plant is capable of producing about 900,000 tonnes of polypropylene per annum. Our Petrochemical plant should be the biggest in Africa,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election in Lagos State, Mr Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has announced his return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Adediran, along with his supporters, switched back to the ruling party on Monday at a media briefing held at Liberty Place, Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
This comes after a closed-door meeting between Jandor and President Bola Tinubu in Aso Rock, Abuja last week, where undisclosed matters were discussed.
Jandor previously resigned from the PDP, citing indiscipline and anti-party activities, betrayal by the party leadership on the eve of the Lagos governorship election.
He also lamented false claims of an alliance that misled PDP supporters into voting for another candidate, presumably the candidate of the Labour Party.
Following his resignation from the opposition party, Mr Adediran, who was previously a member of the ruling party in the state, met President Tinubu in Abuja to inform him of his decision to return to his initial political family.
Before meeting with Mr Tinubu, Jandor also held talks with several political leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former military President Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar and 2023 SDP Presidential Candidate, Mr Adewole Adebayo.
Jandor ran alongside popular Nigerian actress, Ms Funke Akindele, but they came third at the 2023 Lagos polls after the incumbent, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, polled a total of 762,134 votes to emerge the winner of the contest.
The candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, polled 312,329 votes, while the PDP candidate scored 62,449 votes.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Rivers State House of Assembly may have commenced the process of removing Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office.
This is because the legislative arm of government in the state has served a notice of alleged misconduct against Mr Fubara and his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu.
The Governor had been at loggerheads with a faction of the parliament in the past months, especially because of his fallout with his political godfather and predecessor, Mr Nyesom Wike, who is currently the Minister of the FCT.
Last week, after a Supreme Court judgment, Mr Fubara went to re-present the 2025 budget to the Rivers Assembly led by Mr Martin Amaewhule, but he was locked out.
Last Friday, the Assembly, which has 27 members loyal to Mr Wike, indefinitely adjourned plenary.
In a notice obtained by Channels Television, the state parliament said the decision to serve the Governor the notice was in line with the Nigerian Constitution.
“In compliance with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant laws, we the undersigned members of the Rivers State House of Assembly hereby forward to you a Notice of Gross Misconduct by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State in the performance of the functions of her office,” the notice read.
Recall that last week, during a media chat, Mr Wike disclosed that heavy would not fall if his successor is impeached by the Rivers Assembly.
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