Connect with us

News

WE’LL SUSTAIN EXECUTIVE LEGISLATIVE FRATERNAL BOND, VP SHETTIMA TELLS LAWMAKERS

Published

on

WE’LL SUSTAIN EXECUTIVE LEGISLATIVE FRATERNAL BOND, VP SHETTIMA TELLS LAWMAKERS

  • Says President Tinubu won’t compromise democratic ideals, values

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has promised to use his position to continue to ensure unbreakable fraternal bond between the executive and the legislature, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy.

Accordingly, he assured the leadership of the National Assembly of the President’s avowed commitment to entrenching democratic ideals and values through collaborative partnership with all arms of government.

The Vice President spoke on Friday when he declared open a retreat for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly at the Four Points by Sheraton, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

He said the unrivalled democratic credentials of President Tinubu, which include legislative experience, will continue to rub off on the entrenched and valuable governance style of the President, especially as it borders on respect of the rule of law, adherence to separation of powers as well as deference for constitutional rights.

Senator Shettima described the composition of the Federal Government as well as the leadership of the National Assembly as historical, unique and a major pathway to Nigeria’s unprecedented development.

This, he said, is more so that the expectations of Nigerians would be met regardless of the present challenges.

The Vice President stated: “For the first time in our history, all the elected heads of our branches of government are produced by the hallowed halls of the National Assembly. For the first time in our history, the heart of the executive branch of our government is serviced by the alumni of the National Assembly. Both the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President are proud alumni of the National Assembly. The Secretary to the Federal Government is one of us.

“We cannot, therefore, afford to go to war. Not because we are going to overlook each other’s transgressions, but because you are going to engage with those who know the gravity of your work and would never take you for granted.”

Harping on the need for peaceful coherence among the arms of government, Vice President Shettima said given the composition of the National Assembly, it has become emphatic that ranks are closed in the bid to give unprecedented service delivery and democratic pact to the Nigerian people.

“There’s no place in this country where you can find a fraternal bond as enduring as the ones that bind the members of the National Assembly. From converging on Abuja to water the dreams, debate the needs, and mitigate the fears of this diverse nation, we have forged friendships that defy the stereotypes of our differences. Term after term, election after election, old and new members return and exit, but the burden of managing a diverse nation has ensured that we cannot afford to tread the path of divisions,” the VP noted.

He further reiterated the need for national cohesion, saying it has become non-negotiable if the country’s potentials must be fully harnessed and tapped for prosperity and generality of all Nigerians.

“You have a President and a Vice President who are one of you and recognize the sacrifices you make. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has, with utter certainty, reassured us that we are not in government to go to war with the National Assembly. We are here to collaborate and march towards shared values.

“Governance is a collective responsibility, not a personal endeavour. Our most significant achievements were attained through cooperation and harmony. This is what we seek from you because we are brothers and sisters in pursuit of a country that serves all of us.

“The National Assembly is a complete spectrum of human experience. This is where you will witness eloquent testimonies of your colleagues in defence of reason. This is where you will witness profound debates that will dismantle your age-long assumptions. But, in the end, you will realize we are all bound by our fidelity to the ideals of democracy,” the Vice President charged the lawmakers.

Earlier, the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Professor Abubakar O. Sulaiman, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his continued support and deepened respect for legislative independence and harmony.

He said the Institute remains committed to working with the 10th Assembly in improving legislative governance.

Speakers at the event included Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio; Speaker House Of Reps, Dr Tajudeen Abbas; Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Deputy Senate President, Sen. Jubril Barau; Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu; Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Sen. Akon Eyakeyin and Marija Peran, the Resident Representative of Konrad Adenaure Stiftung.

Notable guests at the event included the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno; Sen. Ayim Pius Ayim; Sen. David Mark; Sen. Ken Nnamani and former Senate President, Sen. Ahmed Lawan.

Others were the Head of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Germany, Mr. Johnnes Lehne and all Principal leaders of the National Assembly.

The Vice President was accompanied by the Special Advisers to the President on Political Affairs and Special Duties, Prof. Hakeem Baba Ahmed and Dr. Aliyu Modibo Umar respectively. Others in the VP’s entourage were Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, APC Deputy Chairman (North), Chief Emma Eneukwu, APC Deputy Chairman (South) and other senior government officials.

WE’LL SUSTAIN EXECUTIVE LEGISLATIVE FRATERNAL BOND, VP SHETTIMA TELLS LAWMAKERS

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Airstrike Hits ISWAP Enclave in Tumbuma Baba, scores Nutrialised

Published

on

Airstrike Hits ISWAP Enclave in Tumbuma Baba, scores Nutrialised

By: Zagazola Makama

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), under the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), conducted a successful Air Interdiction (AI) mission at a terrorists’ hideout in the Southern Tumbuns general area in the Lake Chad of Borno, killing scores of the terrorists.

Intelligent sources told Zagazola Makama that the precision air strike, which took place at about 2100 hours on 5 May 2025, targeted a major terrorists’ concentration camp located in the Tumbuma Baba axis of Lake Chad.

The sources said that the offensive was in continuation of a decisive Operation KALACHEN WUTA II, aimed at denying terrorists the freedom to execute large-scale attacks during the Eid el-Kabir period.

The sources said that Intelligence and Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) reports confirmed that several terrorists were neutralised during the strike, and key logistics under heavy foliage were destroyed.

The sources said that the strikes followed credible intelligence on planned coordinated attacks by the insurgents before, during, and after the Eid festivities. The mission was meticulously planned and executed to forestall such threats and sustain pressure on terrorist elements operating in the Lake Chad fringes.

“We observed significant secondary explosions, indicating the presence of arms and fuel storage. Multiple terrorists were seen fleeing the area, while several others were eliminated during the strike,” the source said.

The sources said efforts are ongoing to gather further feedback, as well as to assess the operational impact of the interdiction.

He added that preliminary signs suggest a high level of disarray and panic within the terrorists’ ranks, with reports of attempted regrouping under surveillance.

Airstrike Hits ISWAP Enclave in Tumbuma Baba, scores Nutrialised

Continue Reading

News

Nigerian Air Force Neutralises Terrorists in Successful Air Interdiction at Maisani

Published

on

Nigerian Air Force Neutralises Terrorists in Successful Air Interdiction at Maisani

By: Zagazola Makama

The Nigerian Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai have executed a coordinated strike on a major terrorist enclave located at Maisani in the Timbuktu Triangle general area of Borno State, killing several ISWAP terrorists.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the air interdiction mission conducted on May 4, 2025, at approximately 1800 hours, was informed by credible intelligence and sustained surveillance, targeted terrorists’ structures cleverly concealed and camouflaged under thick shrubs in the area.

The sources said that using advanced platforms, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) conducted a focused Air Interdiction (AI) mission, resulting in the destruction of the identified enemy hideouts and the neutralisation of an unconfirmed number of insurgent fighters.

According to the sources, Post-strike Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) obtained from our Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms confirmed that the airstrike achieved its intended objectives, dealing a significant blow to terrorists.

Nigerian Air Force Neutralises Terrorists in Successful Air Interdiction at Maisani

Continue Reading

News

Nigeria Looks to World Bank to Tackle Challenges of National Capital Accounting

Published

on

Nigeria Looks to World Bank to Tackle Challenges of National Capital Accounting

By: Michael Mike

As the world marks the 2025 Environment Day, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has appealed to the World Bank for support on capacity building, data and in addressing the challenges poised by Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) in the country.

Head of Department, National Accounts Energy and Environment at the NBS, Dr. Baba Madu made the appeal at the 2025 Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) Conference on Thursday in Abuja with support from the World Bank in. collaboration with the NBS and the Federal Ministry of Environment.

Madu while noting that the NCA was a new area Nigeria must exploit to further boost the nation’s economy, said for Nigeria to grow and be at par with other developed nations, there was need to account for her natural resources.

He said: “NCA has been tasked with the crucial role of integrating natural capital into economic measurement. It is impossible to measure the economy accurately without accounting for natural resources. Issues such as environmental degradation, afforestation, desertification, and climate change all directly impact productivity.

“Productivity in turn, influences output—one of the core components of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These environmental factors must be reflected across all economic activity sectors to present a more accurate picture of national output.”

While stating that Nigeria currently has data on NCA in Nigeria, the NBS official however raised concerns over the huge data gap from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the environment sector.

He said: “We are not doing badly but we need to improve on what we are doing. In terms of data sources, I can tell you there’s a big gap because these are new areas needed to be exploited.”

Programme Leader on Sustainable Development at the World Bank, Vina Vutukuru, said there was need to jointly
explore the vital role of national accounting in national development plans and to brainstorm on how Nigeria could institutionalize it.

He said: “Establishing the national capital accounting as part of the national account system will allow us to measure the economic value of ecosystem services such as clean air, water and biodiversity which are essential for our well-being and economic prosperity.”

Vutukuru commended Nigeria for having “very bold ambitions” as far as responding to climate change was concerned saying, “That shows the commitment of the policy makers here towards the issue of climate.

“But I think to back up that aspiration and the aggressive goals that Nigeria has set for itself, the foundational thing for those goals to materialize those objectives to come true is a very strong natural account system.”

Head of Media, National Council on Climate Change Secretariat (NCCCS), Chioma Azie who represented her Director General, Dr. Nkiruka Maduekwe at the event, described Nigeria as a very ambitious country, stressing that natural resources was instrumental to achieving all the objective of climate action.

She said: “Technology, policy reforms, behavioral changes has a role to play but natural resources is very key because they’re underpinning the mitigation and adaptation for climate action.

“If you look at Nigeria’s NDC, the NCA is an avenue to provide raw materials that we could use to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies.

“If you look at what we have done in terms of this NDC in 2020.which is the second leg of the NDC, we identified a lot of mitigation activities within this mentioned sectors of ours. In agricultural sector we talked about smart agriculture. What is smart agriculture without natural resources?

“We talked about biomass, what is biomass without natural resources? We also spoke about land use changes and that is natural resources, we talk about natural solutions and we talked about also afforestation, reafforestation. Those are mitigation potentials of our NDC. So, we cannot achieve our NDC without SEEA.

“What you cannot be able to account for is recorded as if it is not done so if we know what is existing in terms of the reservoirs we have for natural resources, it can inform the scope of the mitigation activities we’re going to be imputing in the NDC 3.0,” she said.

Nigeria Looks to World Bank to Tackle Challenges of National Capital Accounting

Continue Reading

Trending

Verified by MonsterInsights