National News
VP SHETTIMA TO HARVARD ALUMNI: President Tinubu Has Proved His Leadership Mettle

VP SHETTIMA TO HARVARD ALUMNI
: President Tinubu Has Proved His Leadership Mettle
** Says we’re exploring alternative energy sources, investing in green technology to transform lives of Nigerians
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has proved his mettle as a courageous and decisive leader through bold and hard policies, including the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, which are gradually transforming Nigeria into one of the largest economies in the world.
He assured, however, that measures being put in place to address the challenges caused by the subsidy removal such as alternative energy sources, and investment in green technology will soon improve the living standard of Nigerians.

The Vice President stated this on Tuesday when he received a delegation from the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni on a Nigeria-Ghana Trek at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Fielding questions from the Harvard students alongside the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, and the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, VP Shettima noted that President Tinubu is a good leader who is burning in an unquenchable desire to make Nigeria work.
He stated: “When we assumed the mantle of leadership, the greatest albatross around the neck of the Nigerian government over the past 50 years had been subsidy on petroleum products. We came to a point where we either get rid of the subsidy or the subsidy will get rid of the Nigerian nation.

“So, my boss (President Tinubu) took the bullet, and we knew that if we failed to address the fuel subsidy scam within the first three weeks of the administration, we wouldn’t dare to do that again. In his inaugural address, he took the bullet and announced the removal of the fuel subsidy. And we should know the consequences of unveiling a masquerade; they came after us. We stood our ground and the fuel subsidy was gone.”
On measures being taken so far to ease the hardship caused by subsidy removal, the Vice President noted that apart from the social palliatives, the administration is exploring alternative energy sources.
“We are investing massively in green technology – electric buses, electric cars and electric tricycles. Just two weeks ago, the Federal Executive Council approved an expenditure of N158 billion for the procurement of those items for the North East and it will be replicated in other sub-regions of the country,” he said.
Senator Shettima also said the realignment of the multiple exchange rate was another bold decision by President Tinubu which saved the country from corruption in the foreign exchange market.

“There was no need for you to work. If you had contacts, if you had goodwill in the Central Bank, they could allocate $50 million to you at the official exchange rate, which was around N300-N400 to the dollar, you could make a premium of N300 from the black market without lifting a finger. You can make $30 million within a week or two.
“Our fiscal policy, our tax reforms, are also a very monumental decision by the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Some of the decisions were very hard decisions. As I said, leadership is not a popularity contest. If you want to be popular, be a nice man, Bola Tinubu may not be a nice man but he is a good leader, and that is what leadership is all about. And we have to make this country work.”
The Vice President urged the delegation to ignore the negative narratives about Nigeria and focus on the development strides of the government.
Earlier, while introducing the delegation from the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni, leader of the group, Sheffy Kolade, said she represented a group of four West Africans who had invited fifty of their colleagues and friends on a Nigeria-Ghana Trek so as to move from curiosity on the outfit, colour of the skin, to learning where exactly Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world, is heading.
She explained that a lot of the Harvard students have taken courses on Africa, African policies, and history, adding that the visit to the Vice President of Nigeria would give them first hand information about the programmes and policies of government and the path of progress the country is going, given the current trends in the West and how Nigeria is responding to the changing relationship dynamics in the world.
According to her, the delegation also wants to know how Nigeria is positioning itself and how it is transitioning from being an emerging economy to a self-sufficient emerging leader.
Also fielding questions bordering on trade policies, subsidy, energy, and security, among others, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Oduwole stated that Nigeria is leveraging on the trade policy with WTO, with a particular focus on the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She said Nigeria is pushing for export diversification away from oil and gas, stressing that though much of her earnings come from it, priority now is on technology which attracts about 70% of the GDP.
Also answering questions about government policies and the direction of the economy, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating of the Economy, Mr. Edun said over the last twenty months under the leadership of President Tinubu, Nigeria has made significant progress from where the economy was physically collapsing.
He said, “Today, there is stability in all sectors of the economy due to timely and sound policies, reduction in frivolous spending, removal of petroleum subsidy that was draining the government of up to 5% of the GDP and drawing from the Central Bank far beyond the limits.”
He said the inflation figure recently announced showed that inflation is falling, exchange rate is stable, the price of food items is lower, the prices of energy, petroleum products are lower, while the fiscal deficit shows there is commitment to prudence by the government.
On her part, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, thanked the Harvard alumni, noting that their visit was what they envisioned when they formed the group about 20 years ago.
She said on the energy sector, there had been a lot of structural reforms, adding that even though the sector is less than 10% of the GDP, the country relies on it for foreign exchange earnings and fiscal income.
She noted that one of the policy thrust of the Tinubu administration is that energy becomes an enabler for diversification of the economy and associated income in order to trigger more productivity and income from other sectors of the economy.
“Aside from the removal of subsidy, the idea is that across the value chain, we undertake reforms that allow capital to flow and form around opportunities not only in Nigeria but also look through how we aggregate markets across the region and supply energy not only to Nigeria but across the region as well,” she stated.
VP SHETTIMA TO HARVARD ALUMNI
: President Tinubu Has Proved His Leadership Mettle
National News
Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger

Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger
By: Zagazola Makama
A renewed chieftaincy tussle in Muye village, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State, has sparked violent confrontations between rival supporters, prompting swift intervention by security operatives.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the crisis began around 6:20 p.m. on Thursday when the deposed village head, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulkadir Maigari II, forcefully returned to Muye and broke into the palace.
The incident provoked tension among residents, especially after supporters of the current Dakachi confronted the deposed monarch. The situation was immediately brought under control by a team of security personnel from Lapai.
However, Zagazola learnt that the situation escalated on Friday morning when supporters of both camps clashed again, leading to a free-for-all fight that disrupted public peace in the community.
Security sources were swiftly deployed to Muye to restore normalcy.
“The combined security teams have brought the situation under control. Monitoring and surveillance operations are ongoing to prevent further breakdown of law and order,” the source said.
No casualties or arrests have been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger
National News
Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony

Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony
By: Michael Mike
Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has called on Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress.
The advice was given by the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, in his message on Eid-el-Kabir.
The Institute, while extending warm greetings to Nigerians, wished them a joyous and peaceful celebration, marked by love, compassion, and unity.
The Institute while noting that Sallah is a significant occasion in the Islamic calendar, symbolizing the values of sacrifice, gratitude, and community, emphasized that the spirit of Sallah should guide Nigerians in their interactions with one another, fostering a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.
The IPCR urged Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress, while
encouraging individuals to embrace the values of Sallah, including forgiveness, empathy, and kindness, in their daily lives.
According to IPCR, peace is critical to promoting national stability and cohesion.
The Institute also urged Nigerians to use this period of Sallah celebration to address conflicts and promote dialogue, which could help to build trust and understanding among Nigerians and also contribute to a more peaceful society.
It recognized that the country’s many ethnic and religious groups can work together to build a more harmonious society, celebrating their differences and promoting a culture of tolerance.
End
National News
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
By: Michael Mike
A community leader and the Waziri Mushere of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Chief Yohana Margif has expressed dismay over the incessant killing of innocent citizens of the community.
Margif made this known in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to halt what he described as genocide against the people, which he said was being perpetrated by suspected herdsmen.
Margif also called on Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, and other security chiefs in the country, to rein in the alleged culprits.
He said: “I would like to draw the attention of the topmost leadership in Nigeria to the deteriorating dire security situation in Plateau, particularly in Mushere Chiefdom of Bokkos LGA.
“I urge President Tinubu to take immediate decisive action to halt these endless and senseless killings, protect lives and properties, and secure the future of the Mushere people, and other victims of obvious genocide against the people.
“Herdsmen are killing our innocent people, burning their homes, looting their foodstuff, property, livestock, and taking over their ancestral lands,” he said.
According to the Abuja-based real estate mogul, the attacks and attendant killings have intensified recently since the onset of this year’s farming season.
Margif further said that the people had been displaced from their villages and ancestral homes and were forced to become internally displaced persons in the country.
He emphasised that the situation required immediate intervention by all stakeholders in order to prevent further escalation and inflict an irredeemable harm by wiping out the entire community from the surface of the earth.
He lamented that: “Since President Tinubu’s administration began, Plateau State has witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence and loss of lives.
“This is the current sad reality. Our people are constantly under the threat of the enemy’s bullets and can’t sleep with two eyes closed due to the perpetual unleashing of violence against them by external forces.
“Something urgent must be done to stem the tide of violence and end this war against the people in order not to
harm this administration’s reputation,” Margif said.
In the past couple of days, suspected herdsmen militia killed no fewer than 35 people in the localities of Hokk, Pangkap, Fokoldep, Kopmur, Margif, Horop, Mbor, Mushere and Kwahas localities in Mushere Chiefdom.
Chairman, Bokkos Community Peace Observers, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the killings to newsmen, said the victims included a 70-year-old Pastor of COCIN LCC Kwakas-Mushere, Mimang Lekyil, who was attacked and killed in the church.
He said that the pastor’s wife was also shot in the leg and was admitted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment, he said.
“Bokkos has never been this insecure, with the people being butchered as we are currently witnessing,” Lilian Madaki, from the Mushere community told journalists.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Emmanuel Adesina, also confirmed the incident in a statement saying security forces including police and military personnel, had been deployed in the affected communities.
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
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