​2023: Group gives Gov Bello of Kogi 14-day ultimatum to accept call to run for presidency

A youth group has given the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, a 14-day ultimatum to accept its call on him to contest the 2023 presidential election,threatening that it would mobilize Nigerians to occupy the streets if he delays to accept its request.

Members of the group under the aegis of GYB2PYB,marched to the Kogi State Liaison Office in Abuja,Friday,where they presented letter of their request to the governor.

Speaking on their behalf, National Coordinator of the group,Amb. Oladele John Nihi,said their call was necessitated by what he referred to as the “exemplary leadership of the governor in Kogi State.”

Describing their action as patriotic to the country, Nihi said his group wanted Nigeria to “have a feel of what kogites are currently enjoying.”

He said:”Our intention initially was to shut down this liaison office and to occupy it for the next 14 days until the government accept our request to him to run. “

“The Nigerian youths have put their resources and manpower together and with

over 15 million of them signing signatures to ask Governor Yayaya Bello of Kogi State to contest the presidency come 2023.

“We believe that as youth leaders,we owe our nation this duty,to make sure that in 2023,we do not just have a president but the president that is youth minded. We want to have the president that is youth and women sensitive,” he added.

The group’s call on the governor, he explained was the result of efforts its members had put together in the last three weeks to that effect.

He explained that already, the group had acquired a national office for its operations, appealing to the governor to heed its call as according to him,Nigerians needed his sterling leadership quality.

He spoke further: “We felt that it is right time for Nigerians to have a feel of what Kogi State is currently having. We are aware that Kogi State today is the government of the youths, by the youths and for the youths.

“We are aware that Kogi State today,has over 90 percent of its appointees from the youth group, both men and women. We are aware that in Kogi State today,all the 21 Vice chairmen are all women. We are also aware that in Kogi State today,all the 21 council leaders are women. We are also aware that all the secretaries to the council chairmen in Kogi State today,are youth council coordinators.

“And we have discovered that if Yahaya Bello,the Executive Governor of Kogi State is doing all these wonderful things in Kogi State,Nigeria deserves to have a feel of what kogites are currently enjoying.

“It is on this note that the Nigerian youths, through the GYB2PYB Youths Support Group is submitting a letter of call to run for presidency come 2023,to His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

“We are here to call on him to contest for the presidency come 2023 and we are promising him that aside urging him to contest, as you are aware,over 75 percent population and even the voting strength of Nigeria are young people

“We are assuring him of our maximum support throughout the electioneering campaigns.

We will sensitise and canvass our colleagues across the 36 states and 774 local government areas for him and also making sure that we vote massively for him come February, 2023 and at the same time,protect our votes to make sure that our votes count”

“We want to give him a 14-day ultimatum to give us a positive response else the Nigerian youths are ready to shut down this nation.

“We are sure the governor would not want to witness a repeat of protest similar to the #EndSARs protests that happened in this country in October, last year.

“So we are giving him a 14-day ultimatum to accept to run so that we can begin our movement and mobilisation for him come 2023,” he further said.

The Special Adviser to the governor on Intergovernmental Affair,Barr. Medina Anako,who received the letter on behalf of the governor, promised onward speedy delivery to him,assuring that the group ‘s request would be answered with the time given.

She said:”This is one of the hundreds of calls for him to run for presidency in 2023. We have received all from women and different groups from across Nigeria, calling him to come and run for presidency in 2023,it’s a clarion call. Of course,nobody will call him if he hasn’t seen his exemplary leadership that he has put in place in Kogi State.”

She spoke further: “Governor Yahaya Bello is a youth. I am a woman working with him,his ADC is a woman. I’m sure no governor has ever appointed any woman as ADC but Governor Yahaya Bello did that given his belief that anything a man can do,a woman can do it too.

“The present SSG of Kogi State is a woman,the Head of Service of Kogi State is a woman. I don’t think there is anybody in his government that is above 50 years. We even have somebody in the council that is still in the university but he’s intelligent, he’s smart. That is exemplary leadership.

“We don’t need to use god fatherism,he doesn’t believe in god fatherism. When he became the governor of Kogi State,he didn’t have god father. He believed in himself, has a vision and he has followed that vision through.”

​Insurgency: Wike joins calls for sack of Service Chiefs

Governor Nyesom Wike has join the calls for change of Nigeria’s heads of security and rejigging of the nation’s security architecture as Boko Haram and bandits up north continue to overwhelm federal forces.

Wike during wreath laying and parade to mark 2021 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, on Friday, said the time has come for Federal Government (FG) to take decisive action and end the insurgency menace.

He said, “A country is as strong as its Armed Forces. The inability to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency despite years of full military engagement shows all is not well with our approaches and commitments to the battle against internal insecurity.

“Today raises the need for all of us to be worried by the deteriorating security situation across the country and to restate the call on FG to do everything necessary to bring the threat by Boko Haram and armed bandits to a decisive end in the shortest possible time.

“We thank the Service Chiefs for their efforts so far in the battle against the insurgents. But we also align with the concern of citizens that having seemingly reached their wit end, they should now give way for fresh hands and ideas to ensure Boko Haram and killer bandits are comprehensively defeated and smoked out of existence.

“The time has come for the to stop the pretenses, change strategy, seek help from our friends and confront the urgency of the internal insecurity in Nigeria with every weaponry at FG disposal to stop the killings, free all hostages and improve physical security of our country for all Nigerians”

On the significance of the Remembrance Day, the Governor said, “On this solemn day, we join the rest of our country to honour and pay tribute to all our soldiers who died at the various battlefields in the service of our nation.

“We also salute and honour every serving member of Nigerian Armed Forces carrying on today in the noble tradition of those before them dutifully defending our nation’s territorial integrity.

“They are fighting to keep us safe and secured in the face of insurgencies from Boko Haram, Bandits and other criminal elements threatening our peace and security across the country.

“Our beloved country is still together, existing and waxing stronger as one indivisible, free, and democratic country because of your commitment and sacrifice to its unity and progress.

“As Nigerians, our collective desire is to have a country where we can all live in unity, freedom and security. A country where our children and grandchildren can live in relative comfort and strive for a brighter future.

“No recompense can adequately assuage loss of precious lives or the disabling effects of permanent bodily injuries. But we shall never cease to accord profound honour you deserve and canonise your bravery and patriotism at all times in expression of our gratitude for what you truly represent.

“As a government, we believe society must endeavour to move beyond yearly ceremonial ritual and comfort speeches of today to proffer adequate care and support for the families of everyone of our soldiers who unfortunately pays the supreme price or suffers permanent disability in the line of duty to our nation.

“It is for this reason that we have since adopted and implemented the policy framework that guarantees some financial support to the immediate families of any soldier from Rivers State that pays the supreme price or suffers permanent disability at the battlefields in the course of his or her service to our nation.

“We have also fulfilled and continue to fulfil our promises and commitments to our veterans through the Rivers State Chapter of Nigeria legion. Two days ago, we released the sum of N70Million to the chapter.”

​KDSG rescues 160 Almajiris

By Habila Victor, Kaduna.

Officials of the Kaduna State Government Task Force enforcing Covid-19 related regulations have rescued 160 children from locations that are neither authorised and licensed as schools nor as children’s homes. 

The children are being profiled, documented and subjected to health checks, including test for Covid-19 infections, after which they will be transported to their states of origin.

According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, Some of the rescued children are yet to properly identify themselves. 

The statement reads “The rescued children are from 13 states in the north and south of Nigeria. Some of the kids are from Benin Republic, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic”.

“The locations in which the children were found were operating in violation of regulations that had ordered the closure of all schools since December 2020. By keeping children in unauthorised places, the locations were also in contravention of KDSG land use regulations and inconsistent with the policy of repatriating almajirai to their states and local governments of origin to continue their education under the care of their parents, and in properly registered and regulated schools”.
 
“Since March 2020, 31,092 almajiri children have been repatriated to their states of origin  since the Northern Governors Forum decided to jointly end the abuses associated with the Almajiri system. Since then KDSG has undertaken a continuous exercise to identify locations where these children are being kept and taken steps to rescue them from such places and reunite them with their patents to continue their education. As part of the implementation of this policy, Kaduna State has received 1,118 children from the state who were relocated from other states”. 
KDSG reiterates the need for citizens to take responsibility for the proper upbringing, welfare and care of their children, saying the widespread practice of having children and  then outsourcing and avoiding the responsibility for their moral, religious, and educational needs is neither supported by our monotheistic religions nor our culture. 

​COVID-19: FG limits class sizes, hostel occupancy; bans assemblies, as January 18 resumption date stands

The Federal Government, on Thursday, puts limitations to class sizes, hostel occupancy and asked the schools to ensure the compulsory wearing of face masks by all students, teachers and workers, as well ensure temperature checks and put hand washing facilities in strategic locations in all schools, as resumption date stands.

The government has also asked the school authorities to ensure a constant supply of water and sanitisers, and make available functional health clinics with facilities for isolation and transportation of suspected cases to medical facilities.

In a statement by the Director of Press in the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, gave the conditions.

He stated that, the decision to maintain the resumption date in the aftermath of “extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, including state governors, commissioners of education, proprietors and heads of institutions, staff unions and students.”

Adamu told parents and the respective institutions to ensure full compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

“Sequel to the hint given during the press briefing on January 12, 2021, for the review of the proposed resumption date of January 18, 2021, the Federal Ministry of Education has undertaken a comprehensive appraisal of the situation.

“After extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders, including state governors, commissioners of education, proprietors and heads of institutions, staff unions and students, the consensus of opinion is that the resumption date of January 18 should remain, while parents and respective institutions must ensure full compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

“These measures, which are to ensure the safe reopening of schools for academic activities, will be subject to constant review as we urge teachers, school administrators and other stakeholders to ensure strict compliance.”

When asked how the government intends to curtail further spread of the virus with the planned resumption, Adamu stated that school authorities would be asked to ensure strict compliance with existing and fresh guidelines that would be released.

He added, “We shall be warning stakeholders, particularly school authorities to ensure strict compliance with protocols.

“For instance, we will have no choice than to enforce compulsory use of face masks by teachers and students.

“We will also make it clear that we shall be reviewing the situation from time to time after the resumption with a view to taking necessary decisions.”