General
Tinubu Vows To Tackle Insecurity in Nigeria, Stabilise ECOWAS
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has restated his administration’s unflinching determination to root out all forms of security threats and violent crimes in Nigeria.
The President also reiterated his resolve to stabilise the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and contribute immensely to peace on the African continent in his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
The President made the vow during the closing ceremony of the African Military Games 2024, which concluded in Abuja over the weekend.
Business Post reports that the West African region has been faced with rising insecurity and political instability which have produced coups in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso in recent years.
According to a State House press statement signed by Mr Stanley Nkwocha, the media aide to Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday, President Tinubu noted he intends to accomplish all these by strengthening ties across African countries to promote a profound sense of camaraderie among troops on the continent.
“Let me use this opportunity to declare the resolve and unflinching commitment of my administration to rid the nation of security threats and violent crimes. Moreover, as the ECOWAS Chairman, I want to emphasize my determination to stabilize the sub-region and indeed the entire African continent to ensure its prosperity.
“To accomplish this vision, I consider strengthening ties across African countries to foster a deep sense of camaraderie among our troops as a priority,” Mr Tinubu, represented by Mr Shettima, said.
He observed that the 2nd edition of the Africa Military Games could not have come at a better time, two decades after the last edition was held, noting that it is “in the spirit of boosting this collaborative framework for combating the rising spate of insecurity across the continent.”
He expressed firm belief that the military sports event would go a long way in awakening “the spirit of comradeship and friendship that is crucial to enhance cooperation among” militaries across the African continent.
Underscoring the significance of the event, President Tinubu pointed out that “Armed Forces constantly require fit personnel thereby underscoring the need for military personnel to always engage in sporting activities.
“As such, it is common knowledge that men and women of our Armed Forces must keep fit to ensure optimal physical, mental and emotional well-being to cope with the dynamics of our rapidly evolving volatile, uncertain and complex environment,” he added.
The Nigerian leader further applauded the vision of Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and the President of OSMA, Major General M Abdullahi, for recording yet another feat with this milestone achievement.
Declaring the Africa Military Games Abuja 2024 closed, President Tinubu congratulated delegates from participating countries across Africa for their good conduct and display of the spirit of sportsmanship.
“Given the professionalism you all displayed from the start to finish of this Games, you gentlemen and ladies are indeed not only military personnel but also great sportsmen and women. I am aware that the various games were conducted without any obvious hitches. This is indeed an achievement which we all as Africans ought to be proud of,” he stated.
On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, while commending participants at the Africa Military Games, Abuja said it “was with immense pride and gratitude and on behalf of the Nigerian Armed Forces that we celebrate what has been truly inspiring and a unifying event.”
Congratulating the teams that took part in the competition, General Musa noted that the courage, skills and sportsmanship exhibited in the field, tracks and courts have been inspiring, proving that victory is not just about crossing the finish line first but about embodying the values of unity and resilience.
Also in his farewell address, the President of the Organisation of Military Sports in Africa (OSMA), Major General Maikano Abdullahi noted that it was a pride and honour to congratulate the armed forces sportsmen and women as the event ended.
General Abdullahi also noted that the game is not only a platform for competition but also a celebration of shared value and unity.
According to him, the teams have represented their different countries with pride signifying the testimonies of hard work, discipline, team spirit and cooperation, adding that this will resonate far beyond the Abuja game events.
Team Nigeria emerged the overall winner of the AMGA- 2024 with 114 gold medals, 65 silver and 55 bronze totalling 234 medals while Algeria took 2nd position with a total of 96 medals and Kenya 3rd position with 50 medals.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has been urged to extend the deadline for the payment of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) by property owners in Abuja.
This plea for an extension was asked by the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) through a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr James Ezema.
The group said the initial two-week grace period given to the affected allottees, which expired on Friday, January 3, 2025, was insufficient, considering the current economic challenges facing the country.
Recall that after public outcries, Mr Wike, who is the immediate past governor of Rivers State, granted an extension to the owners of the 762 revoked plots of land in Maitama, Abuja.
“We are appealing to the Minister and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to tamper justice with mercy and issue an extension in the spirit of the yuletide and in view of the economic challenges in the country,” the association stated.
It stressed that the extension would give the affected individuals and groups ample time to comply with the directive, thereby avoiding any undue hardship or loss.
“We pray that the Minister and the FCTA will grant the allottees an extension to comply with the directive, giving all the affected individuals and groups enough time to have themselves to blame at the end of the final extension,” the statement added.
The CNPP’s appeal comes on the heels of its recent expression of concern over the escalating hunger and suffering faced by millions of Nigerians due to the economic realities in the country.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has dissociated itself from an unofficial viral statement by one of it members, regarding posters indicating activities of the organisation.
The group dissociated itself from the member in a statement signed by its National President and the National Secretary, Mr Kabiru Ibrahim, and Mr Yunusa Halidu, respectively.
“This post is made by an authorized member, Ado A Ado Kano.
“The opinions and views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the group, its administrators, or other members.
“For official statements, please refer to AFAN official contact or platform,” parts of the statement made available to Business Post stated.
According to AFAN, the unofficial posters flying around doesn’t represent the association, noting that Mr Kano is not authorized by AFAN or its officials but those of the author.
AFAN is the umbrella organisation for all farmers’ commodity associations in Nigeria.
Its vision and mission are to assemble all Nigerian producers into one organization, providing a single interlocutor for the government to address agricultural issues with the farming community.
AFAN was formed by the merger of the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (ALFA) and the National Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (NAFAN). The merger was recommended by former Nigerian president, Mr Olusegun Obasanjo.
By Adedapo Adesanya
BUA Group has denied widespread reports that its ongoing construction of a 200,000 barrels per day capacity refinery located in Akwa Ibom State is 90 per cent completed.
In a statement signed on Sunday, the group with subsidiaries in food, cement, and energy sectors said that the claims that the structure was at end stage did not come from it.
“Contrary to a misleading report stating that our 200,000 barrels/day refinery is at 90% completion, BUA wishes to advise the public to disregard such misleading reports that did not emanate from us,” a part of the statement read.
It clarified that the project was progressing well and added that it was going to meet the project timeline of 2025.
“As we make remarkable strides on our Akwa Ibom refinery project, we are proud to share that construction is progressing steadily.
“Whilst the refinery is not at 90% completion, we are however on track to meet our delivery timelines in collaboration with our partners.
“This BUA Refinery & Petrochemicals project represents a major milestone in strengthening Nigeria’s refining capacity and energy security,” the group said.
BUA is also carrying out other energy projects, including the construction of a mini-LNG plant and several new hybrid power plants across the country, which it said are also progressing rapidly.
The group says this will add additional capacity to our over 1,000MW installed captive power generation capacity.
“The public is advised to verify any news through our official channels and platforms so as not to be misled by mischievous persons,” the statement said.
“At BUA, we remain committed to transparency and excellence. As we have consistently done with over 12 of our completed mega industrial projects worth over $ 3.5 billion in the past 10 years, we will continue to keep you updated with verifiable and accurate information only where necessary, and as milestones are achieved.
“We appreciate the public’s interest and enthusiasm for this transformative project as we work together in building a stronger industrial and manufacturing base for a self-reliant Nigeria,” it added.
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