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  • #Endbadgovernment: Take leadership of protest to avoid anarchy – CSO tells organisers

    #Endbadgovernment: Take leadership of protest to avoid anarchy – CSO tells organisers

     

    #Endbadgovernment: Take leadership of protest to avoid anarchy – CSO tells organisers

    #Endbadgovernment: Take leadership of protest to avoid anarchy – CSO tells organisers

     

    A coalition of civil societies in Osun State, The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has stressed the need for the organisers of planned mass protests against bad governance to take leadership of the protest to avoid anarchy.

     

    The group, at its July state-of-the-State address, through its Executive Director, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli in Osogbo, disclosed that a protest without proper leadership and coordination is a recipe for anarchy.

     

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    While admitting that protest is a right of every citizen who deemed it fit to voice out on how a country is governed but warned the youth to be wary of a poorly organised protest to avoid being infiltrated by hoodlums.

     

    He said, “We strongly hold that the right to protest is that of every citizens of this country and no one should attempt to subdue people’s voices whenever they chose to cry out about how they are been governed or misgoverned. The state of affairs in Nigeria is truly worrisome and people have a right to voice their disapproval as guaranteed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for freedom of association, gathering, and speech.

     

    “We condemn threats by security agencies, groups, and political office holders against any form of protest. Our democracy as presently enjoyed, was borne out of agitations, therefore, if there is any component of democracy that is germane, it is that of freedom.

     

    “At a time that we have not fully recovered from the woes of the EndSars, the looting, maiming and destruction of lives and public facilities that were and still being replaced by our common patrimony or lost forever, we CAN’T afford to have a repeat of such as a nation and that is why the note of caution is been sounded to the ears of particularly the youths, than an uncoordinated protest or one that is without leadership is a very dangerous.

     

    “It is in this light that we caution that the protest be conducted peacefully, and no form of infiltration must be allowed by hoodlums and those whose intentions are not patriotic. We already are having a shortage in critical infrastructure in the country, and we can not afford to by ourselves destroy the very few functional national assets, in the name of showing grievances against the government.

     

    The group charged government at various levels to be proactive, transparent and accountable to gain the people’s trust.

     

    “We advise the government to be more proactive and engage the citizens more by being accountable, transparent, and showing empathy in their dealings and demand from the system that accommodate their representation and leadership”, he added.

  • Catholic bishops slam Olympics ceremony for ‘mockery of Christianity’

    Catholic bishops slam Olympics ceremony for ‘mockery of Christianity’

     

    Catholic bishops slam Olympics ceremony for ‘mockery of Christianity’

    Catholic bishops slam Olympics ceremony for ‘mockery of Christianity’

    French bishops complained on Saturday about the “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity” during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games which has upset some conservatives and has drawn mixed reviews.

     

    The opening had offered “wonderful moments of beauty, joy, rich emotions, and was universally praised,” a statement from the French Bishops’ Conference said.

     

    “However, this ceremony unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply regret,” the bishops said.

     

    While they did not refer to specific scenes, the ceremony featured a segment entitled “Festivity” which began with a group sat at a table, including several drag queens, which was reminiscent of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus is said to have taken with his apostles.

     

    It was set to music by lesbian activist DJ Barbara Butch.

     

    “We think of all Christians across the continents who were hurt by the excesses and provocation of certain scenes. We hope they understand that the Olympic celebration extends far beyond the ideological biases of a few artists,” added the bishops.

     

    The statement was co-signed by the “Holy Games”, a sports programme funded by the Catholic church.

     

    Some conservative and far-right politicians in France have also expressed outrage over what they criticised as a “woke” parade, which featured LGBT+ performers and a racially diverse cast.

     

    The four-hour ceremony took place under driving rain, with athletes sailing down a six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of the river Seine on 85 boats.

     

    Entertainers performed from river-side monuments, the banks and on bridges.

     

    “To all Christians worldwide who watched the opening ceremony and felt insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper, know that it is not France speaking, but a leftist minority prepared for any provocation,” far-right politician Marion Marechal wrote on X.

     

    A spokesman for France’s far-right National Rally party, Julien Odoul called the ceremony “a ransacking of French culture.”

     

    Arch-conservative Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban meanwhile railed against the “weakness and disintegration of the Western world” which he said was illustrated by the opening ceremony.

     

    “Western values were considered for a long-time as universal but are seen as increasingly unacceptable and rejected by many countries in the world,” Orban said in Romania.

     

    Show artistic director Thomas Jolly, who is gay, had pledged last week that the ceremony would celebrate “diversity” and “otherness.”

     

    Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, he said that his intention had not “been to be subversive or to shock.”

     

    “Last night it was about our Republican values of benevolence and inclusion,” he told reporters.

     

    “In France, you have the right to love as you like, who you like. In France, you can believe (in religion) or not believe. In France, we have lots of rights,” he added.

     

    -Bloated? –

     

    Reviews of the parade have been mixed.

     

    The quirky and high-kitsch parade which also featured ballet, opera and hard-rock has been broadly hailed in the French media.

     

    Sports newspaper l’Equipe said it had “left memories for a century.”

     

    But writing in Britain’s The Guardian newspaper, reviewer Arifa Akbar said there were some “thoroughly weird curatorial decisions.”

     

    “Paris is known for its taste but this looked like a motley outfit thrown together,” she said.

     

    Critic Mike Hale writing in The New York Times said the ceremony felt “bloated” and “worked to diminish the athletes”.

     

    Overall it was “quintessentially French: titillating, hermetic, light on humor and heavy on pretense,” he wrote.

     

    Around 100,000 spectators watched from stands on the river banks, often at a cost of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of euros.

     

    Although many were thrilled and upbeat despite the rain, others complained that they were left to watch screens and passing boats for most of the time, with the singers and dancers stretched out all along the route.

     

    Around 200,000 people received free tickets to stand at locations along the banks, often with poor visibility, and many headed home early.

     

    Paris organisers and the Internatinal Olympic Committee (IOC) were fulsome in their praise for Jolly’s work at a press conference on Saturday.

     

    “Every edition (of the Olympics) brings a stone to the edifice,” Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games executive director at the IOC, said. “This has brought a mountain, it’s not a small stone.”

     

    Chief Paris Games organiser Tony Estanguet hailed the ceremony as “a unique moment” and he stressed the successful work of French security forces.

     

    Around 45,000 police officers, 10,000 soldiers and 22,000 private security guards were on duty.

     

    “There were no security incidents,” he said.

  • BREAKING] Hunger protest: 4,200 policemen deployed in FCT

    BREAKING] Hunger protest: 4,200 policemen deployed in FCT

    [BREAKING] Hunger protest: 4,200 policemen deployed in FCT

    26th July 2024

    Poliofficers

    Ahead of the proposed nationwide protest, the Federal Capital Territory police command has deployed a total of 4,200 policemen across the nooks and crannies of the nation’s capital.

     

    The command also announced the deployment of explosive ordinance device experts at various strategic locations.

     

    The command in a statement on Friday by its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said the deployment was to ensure public safety, protection of protesters and to prevent the protests from being hijacked by non-state actors.

     

    Related News

  • Tinubu calls for strengthening Nigeria-China relations

    Tinubu calls for strengthening Nigeria-China relations

    1. Tinubu calls for strengthening Nigeria-China relations

    Tinubu calls for strengthening Nigeria-China relations

    President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja commended the partnership between Nigeria and China.

     

    The President gave the commendation when he received Mr Chen Xiaodong, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.

     

    “For us, it is a new beginning with you. A relationship that has lasted more than 50 years must be nourished, nurtured, and promoted.

     

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    “Our mutual commitment to the values of labour, understanding, and development is very important.

     

    “I am very happy that President Xi Jinping is paying attention to Africa as a whole and our developmental needs,” President Tinubu told the Chinese delegation at the State House.

     

    The President welcomed the support of China for a more prominent position for Nigeria in the G20, UN Security Council, and the intergovernmental organisation of developing economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS).

     

    “We believe in ourselves. We are determined to enhance the values of our people. Over the years, China has gone through phases of transformation and development.

     

    “I once visited Shanghai when it was a village, and to see the rapid transformation, the technological development, is worth more collaborative efforts,” the president said.

     

    President Tinubu commended President Xi Jinping for consistently strengthening relations with Nigeria and Africa.

     

    “We believe in our bilateral relations, and we want to strengthen that. I am glad you mentioned United Nations, BRICS, and the G20. This is the largest economy in Africa.

     

    “To classify us as a backwater economy, no matter how hungry we are, we will manage our hunger. We will be friends and partners with those who respect our values, and China is one of them.

     

    “I commend what President Xi Jinping is doing in Africa, helping with capital mobilization for projects that positively impact the lives and livelihoods of our people in Africa,” said Tinubu.

     

    He stated that the infrastructure needs of Africa were monumental, particularly those of Nigeria.

     

    “You have good technology that you can transfer. You have a good opportunity to make an indelible mark on Nigeria.

     

    “We have a very vibrant youth population, well-educated and ready to learn. Skill development programmes and transfer of knowledge is extremely important,” President Tinubu added.

     

    He also thanked President Xi Jinping for an invitation to visit China.

     

    “I am glad you appreciate my effort on Lekki Free Trade Zone, and we are doing very well. We need to establish more industrial parks across the country.

     

    “Nigeria is blessed with mineral resources, and we have a lot of Chinese nationals around. We need to discuss more on that and promote cordial relationships for mutual benefit,” the president stated.

     

    In his remarks, the Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs said he was in Nigeria to brief the President on the invitation extended by Jinping and the itinerary of the state visit.

     

    Xiaodong commended the President for his strategic vision, playing leading roles in ECOWAS and Africa.

     

    “You are an important leader and a strategist in Africa. We believe that your meeting with President Jinping will open up more discussions and opportunities for Nigeria and Africa,” the Chinese envoy said.

     

    He also congratulated President Tinubu on his re-election as Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. (NAN)

     

     

  • Hardship: We’re out to guard against artificial price hike of commodities – Kano anti-graft chair

    Hardship: We’re out to guard against artificial price hike of commodities – Kano anti-graft chair

    Hardship: We’re out to guard against artificial price hike of commodities – Kano anti-graft chair

    The chairman of the Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission, Bar. Muhyi Rimingado said the commission is all out to guard against artificial price hikes of commodities to mitigate sufferings of the peopl.

     

    Rimingado, who made this known while addressing a press conference at the commission’s headquarters, said it received a series of complaints from residents of the state about the hike in bread prices by bakers despite the reduction in price of flour bags and has swung into action to ascertain the genesis, whether it is artificial or other factors.

     

    He said the commission, upon engaging the bread bakers, was informed that it initially reduced the price of bread but claimed that within two days, flour dealers increased the price of flour bags by N5,000.

     

    He said the commission is mediating between the parties to ensure that the right thing is done and to also ensure that the price hike is not artificial in order not to put untold hardship on the people.

     

    The chairman, however, said the commission is working round the clock to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the increment and also plans to beam it search light on other commodities in order to mitigate the sufferings of the people.

     

    According to him, “As you rightly know, the commission has dual mandate, we are the anti-corruption agency and also the ombudsman, and it ensures that there is no hardship melted on the public.

     

    “From last week to early this week, we received series of complains from members of the public that there is a reduction of about N12,000 in the price of bag of flour, but the bakers of bread did not follow suit by reducing the prices of bread.

     

    “We reached out to the bread bakers, and we were made to know that they have reduced price of bread, but they also complained that within last two days the dealers increase the money (N5,000) per bag. That it was sold for around N60,000, but now N62,000 and N65,000. We intend to bring the traders and bakers together, and the commission will come in between to know what is happening.

     

    “We always and periodical find ourself engaged in this activities because we (Nigerian society) are passing through a series of challenges and the major one is food price hike which is bedeviling the strata of the society. And we will extend it to other commodities. Because we have been gathering intelligence aftermath of measures we (the commission) have taken previously.

     

    “We didn’t just fold our arms but we have been monitoring the situation, and we are aware that to some extent prices of commodities do change. But we are following the trend to know what is the genesis. Take for instance, that within two days, N5,000 was added in a bag of flour. Then we will ask who is doing this to the country? And what is the genesis? Is it artificial? If it is artificial, who is behind it? Because we are acting on behalf of the government based on the request of the people.

     

    “And we will do whatever it takes within the purview of the law to make sure that we mitigate the suffering of the people even if we will engage in extraordinary measures that we use to apply before. Secondly, we will make sure we protect the rights and interest of those involved in that kind of business.

     

    “They want to the government to act and mitigate the suffering of the people. This is what we have been doing and we have results.

     

    “We did it recently before the month of Ramadan when we went after those hoarding essential commodities and bring down the prices of the commodities for the people, even the Federal government from the Presidency urged other state governors to emulate Kano because of what the state government through this commission did.

     

    “We also did it during the COVID-19 pandemic and fuel scarcity. So it is something we have tested before,” Rimingado, however, maintained.

     

     

  • EU transfers €1.5bn raised from Russian assets to Ukraine

    EU transfers €1.5bn raised from Russian assets to Ukraine

    EU transfers €1.5bn raised from Russian assets to Ukraine

    EU transfers 1.5bn Euros raised from Russian assets for Ukraine

    A Ukrainian serviceman poses before being sent to the front line at an unspecified location in the Donetsk region, on July 22, 2024. Photo by Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP.

     

    The EU on Friday said 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) had been made available to support Ukraine. It is the first chunk of money earned from profits on Russian frozen assets.

     

    EU member-states had agreed in May to use billions of Euros in profits from frozen Russian central bank assets to help arm Ukraine and fund its post-war reconstruction.

     

    The EU froze around 200 billion euros of Russian central bank assets held in the bloc. The move was part of sanctions imposed on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

     

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    About 90 percent of the funds frozen are held by Belgium-based international deposit organisation Euroclear.

     

    “The EU stands with Ukraine. Today we transfer 1.5 billion euros in proceeds from immobilised Russian assets to the defence and reconstruction of Ukraine,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

     

    “There is no better symbol or use for the Kremlin’s money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live,” she added.

     

    The money comes from interest generated from the frozen Russian funds, not the funds themselves. The funds themselves remain locked away from Moscow.

     

    Brussels said 90 percent of the money would go to a central fund used to pay for arms for Ukraine, known as the European Peace Facility.

     

    The other 10 percent would go to the EU’s separate Ukraine Facility to support the country’s reconstruction needs.

     

    Ukraine reacts

    Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shymgal thanked the EU for its support.

     

    “Thank you von der Leyen and the EU for your steadfast support and this significant contribution to Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction,” he said on social media.

     

    “We are grateful to the EU for taking this vital step. This transfer will help us strengthen our defence capabilities,” the Ukrainian defence ministry said.

     

    However, Russia condemned the “illegal” move.

     

    “This is reason, of course, for thoughtful actions in response to such illegal decisions, which are implemented by the European Union,” Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman told journalists.

  • Thank you for chance to design YBNL logo – Adekunle Gold to Olamide

    Thank you for chance to design YBNL logo – Adekunle Gold to Olamide

    Nigerian singer, Adekunle Gold has expressed his gratitude to rapper Olamide for giving him a chance at the YBNL music label.

     

    Olamide established YBNL in 2012 after releasing his second studio album, ‘YBNL’.

    Adekunle Gold achieved his first music hit with ‘Sade’ in 2015, a high-life cover of One Direction’s ‘Story of My Life’.

     

    He was signed to YBNL the same year, releasing his debut album ‘Gold’ before eventually leaving the label after his contract expired.

     

    In a message on X (formerly Twitter), Adekunle thanked Olamide for his significant role in his career, revealing that he designed the YBNL logo and expressing appreciation for Olamide’s belief in his potential beyond graphic design.

     

    “Thank you @olamide for giving that young graphic designer the chance to not only design the YBNL logo but to be a part of your family,” Adekunle wrote.

    Since then, Adekunle Gold has released five albums: ‘Gold’ (2016), ‘About 30’ (2018), ‘Afropop’ (2020), ‘Catch Me If You Can’ (2022), and ‘Tequila Ever After’ (2023). Notably, ‘Falling Up’, a track from his latest album, was the closing ceremony anthem at the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week

  • Izunwanne mourns Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, Iwuanyanwu

    Izunwanne mourns Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, Iwuanyanwu

    Izunwanne mourns Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, Iwuanyanwu

    Lagos not Igboland

    IZUNWANNE, a body of senior journalists of southeast geo- political zone of Nigeria has described the death of Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, as shocking, noting that he would be remembered for his unassailable role as a leading light in the newspaper industry in Nigeria.

     

    Disclosing this in a statement, Sir Abuchi Anueyiagu, Coordinator, IZUNWANNE, said that Iwuanyanwu was a father-figure in the newspaper industry who left an indelible mark on the sands of time in both journalism and the newspaper world.

     

    The statement reads: “IZUNWANNE, a body of senior journalists of southeast geo- political zone of Nigeria, mourns the death of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a doyen of the newspaper industry in Nigeria.

     

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    “We were shocked and surprised by the news of his death as we never knew that he was sick.

     

    “Though he died as the President-General of the apex Igbo organisation, OHANAEZE NDIGBO, Chief Iwuanyanwu will be remembered by us for his unassailable role as a leading light in the newspaper industry in Nigeria, with his establishment of CHAMPION newspaper in 1988, a newspaper that became a household name and competed favourably with other prominent national newspapers in Nigeria.

     

    “By the establishment of CHAMPION newspaper, which he located in Lagos, the hub of newspaper industry in the country, Chief Iwuanyanwu gave the Igbo a strong voice as the newspaper endured the test of time. Many members of IZUNWANNE passed through Iwuanyanwu’s newspaper in the course of their journalism practice.

     

    “His immense contributions in the development and growth of both journalism and the newspaper industry cannot be over emphasised. He was a father-figure in the industry and left an indelible mark on the sands of time in both journalism and the newspaper world. He will sorely be missed.

     

    “We condole with his family, the journalism world, the newspaper business community and indeed the country in general on the passage of this giant, philanthropist, patriot, illustrious Igbo son, astute politician, successful business and newspaper proprietor, well known figure in the construction sector, and a quintessential personality. May his soul rest in peace.”

     

     

  • France’s high-speed railway hit by ‘sabotage’ hours before Olympics

    France’s high-speed railway hit by ‘sabotage’ hours before Olympics

    France’s high-speed railway hit by ‘sabotage’ hours before Olympics

    France’s high-speed railway hit by ‘sabotage’ hours before Olympics

    (FILES) An InOui high-speed TGV train is parked on the Charenton-le-pont railway yard in Paris on February 16, 2024. – French railway company SNCF suffered a massive attack of sufficient magnitude to paralyze its TGV network on the night of July 25, 2024 to July 26, the group told AFP and TGV traffic on the Atlantic, North and East routes will be very disrupted, a few hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. (Photo by Ian LANGSDON / AFP)

     

    France’s high-speed rail network was hit by arson attacks that disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers on Friday, just hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

     

    A source close to the investigation told AFP the attacks were coordinated acts of “sabotage”.

     

    “This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyse the TGV network,” SNCF told AFP, adding that many routes would be cancelled.

     

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    “SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous malicious acts overnight,” the national train operator said, adding that the attacks affected its Atlantic, northern and eastern lines.

     

    “Arson attacks were started to damage our facilities,” it said, adding that traffic on the affected lines was “heavily disrupted” and the situation would last through the weekend as repairs are conducted.

     

    SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou said 800,000 passengers were affected.

     

    Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete called the attacks an “outrageous criminal act” that would have “very serious consequences” for rail traffic throughout the weekend.

     

    He said connections towards northern, eastern and northwestern France would be halved.

     

    SNCF said trains were being diverted to different tracks “but we will have to cancel a large number of them”.

     

    The southeastern line was not affected as “a malicious act was foiled”.

     

    SNCF urged passengers to postpone their trips and stay away from train stations.

     

    – Olympics under heavy security –

    The attacks were launched as Paris was under heavy security ahead of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics, with 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs expected at the event.

     

    The parade on Friday evening will see up to 7,500 competitors travel down a six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of the river Seine on a flotilla of 85 boats.

     

    It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium, a decision fraught with danger at a time when France is on its highest alert for terror attacks.

     

    At Paris’s Montparnasse train station, passengers were waiting for more information about their trips, with display boards showing delays of more than two hours.

     

    “Normal traffic is expected to resume on Monday, July 29,” read one of the signs in the departure hall.

     

    The station’s loudspeakers told passengers that conditions to exchange and refund tickets would be more flexible.

     

    Graphic designer Katherine Abby, 30, clung to hope that her trip would only be delay and not cancelled. She booked her tickets for Biarritz, a popular southwest beach resort, weeks ago.

     

    “It’s my only vacation of the year, said Abby, who was travelling with her husband.

     

    “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a year, I would be pretty demoralised to have to cancel this trip, especially when you see what Paris looks like with the Olympic Games,” she said.

     

     

  • Niger State receives another set of 50 CNG buses

    Niger State receives another set of 50 CNG buses

    Niger State receives another set of 50 CNG buses

    Niger State Government has received another set of 50 CNG buses, bringing the total to 250.

    As reported earlier, 100 of these buses will operate on the Suleja-Abuja route at discounted prices, while the others will provide intra-state services, also at discounted prices.

    The buses will offer free services to school children within the state capital.

     

    Civil servants will also have access to the buses at discounted prices, moving to and from the state secretariat from designated bus stops within the state capital.

     

    It would be recalled that NNPC is already constructing CNG/LPG stations in Lambata, Tafa, Bida, and Mokwa, while the state government will construct one in Kontagora.