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Ethnic Diversity Should Not Be A Point Of Difference – Osinbajo

Published

4 years ago

January 30, 2022

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said Nigerians should not see ethnic diversity as a point of difference, noting that all people, regardless of ethnicity and faith, deserves to be treated equally and fairly.

Speaking at the conferment of a chieftaincy title, The Oduma (Lion) of Auchi on the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba by the Otaru of Auchi, HRH Alhaji Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe III on Saturday, the Vice President also stated that traditional institutions are meant to uphold values that binds people together.

He said: “Our country needs men and women who see and understands that our ethnic diversities is not a point of difference, men and women who understand that all people regardless of ethnicity and faith deserves to be treated equally, fairly and justly.

“And this is where the significance of the traditional institution comes to the fore because they are regarded and rightly so as the custodians of these values and noblest ideals of the people,” he added.

The Vice President said Auchi where he did his compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) symbolises what Nigeria should be due to the fact that it accommodates everyone irrespective of ethnic or religious background like in the case of Agba who is from Uzanu in Etsako East but found a home in Auchi where he has been living as a two year old.

He added: “The Auchi kingdom has its rich and special history. The celebrated innovation and enterprise of its sons and daughters has brought development and prominence to this kingdom and Edo State.

“It is remarkable and worthy of praise that in the great Auchi Kingdom adherence of both major religions in Nigeria, Islam and Christianity have lived and continue to live harmoniously for centuries sharing a common bond as members of this community and even of the same biological families.

“Auchi is therefore in a real sense not just the microcosm of Nigeria, but also an of our finest values of mutuality and community,” the VP added.

On his part, Agba said the conferment of the title was an appreciation and will continue to encourage him to continue to offer more services to humanity.

He commended the Edo State government for continuing the erosion check programmes across the state, which he said, began when he was the Commissioner for Environment under the administration of Comrade Oshiomhole, appealling that the Benin Water Storm Project which they also started should not be abandoned.

Dignitaries at the event were the Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, her Transportation counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Power, Engr Abubakar Aliyu, Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare, Accountant General of the Federation, Auditor General of the Federation, several political appointees and government officials.

Others included former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu who represented the state governor and traditional rulers led by the representative of the Oba of Benin.

Related Topics:Clem Agba Prof Yemi Osinbajo

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12 Die, 30 Missing In Peru Landslide

Published

22 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

At least 12 people, including three children, died in a landslide at a river port in central Peru on Monday, and 30 were reported missing, officials said.

The landslide submerged a boat with about 50 passengers on board, and another with none, as they were docked at the port of Iparia in the Amazon jungle region of Ucayali, according to a police report cited by the Andina news agency.

Six people were injured, it added, and a search and rescue operation was underway at the start of the Peruvian rainy season.

Without giving a toll, Peru’s COEN national emergency operations centre said on X that tragedy struck at dawn due to “erosion” of the bank of the Ucayali river.

It said the navy has been called in to help.

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Nigeria Grants Asylum To Guinea-Bissau Opposition Candidate

Published

22 hours ago

December 1, 2025

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The Nigerian embassy in Guinea-Bissau has granted asylum to Fernando Dias da Costa, the country’s opposition presidential candidate, following alleged threats to his life after last week’s military coup, The Cable Reports.

The coup was announced by military officers on Wednesday, just days after Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election in which both incumbent President Umaro Embaló and his main challenger, da Costa, claimed victory before official results were released.

Nigeria condemned the takeover and urged an immediate return to constitutional order.

In a letter to the President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Omar Touray, dated November 30, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said President Bola Tinubu had approved asylum and protection for da Costa inside the Nigerian embassy in Bissau.

Tuggar wrote that the decision was made “in response to threats made against da Costa’s life.”

“In this regard, it would be appreciated if you would kindly mandate the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau to provide him protection and security while in the premises of the Nigerian embassy,” the letter stated.

The foreign affairs minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, confirmed the letter’s authenticity to The Cable on Monday.

He said, “The decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant asylum and provide protection to Fernando Dia Da Costa falls squarely within Nigeria’s sovereign responsibility and longstanding commitment to regional peace, stability, and democratic governance.”

He added that Nigeria acted “in the broader interest of de-escalation,” saying the government had exercised its discretion “to prevent further deterioration of tensions and to promote social cohesion in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African sub-region.”

According to Abdulkadir, the intervention aligns with ECOWAS principles and reflects Nigeria’s role as a stabilising force in West Africa.

Following the coup, ECOWAS held an emergency virtual summit of heads of state and subsequently suspended Guinea-Bissau from the regional bloc until constitutional order is restored.

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Trump To Attend FIFA World Cup Finals Draw On Friday

Published

22 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The White House on Monday confirmed US President Donald Trump would attend the draw for the FIFA World Cup finals in Washington later this week.

The United States will co-host the 2026 tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.

“On Friday, President Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Centre,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Trump has made the World Cup a centrepiece event of both his second presidency and the 250th anniversary of US independence next year.

But the giant sporting extravaganza has not escaped the political turmoil caused by Trump’s hardline stance on a host of issues.

Trump, a Republican, has raised the possibility of moving games from some US host cities amid a crackdown on what he says is crime and illegal migration in some Democratic-run areas.

AFP