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I’ve Fulfilled My Promise On Boko Haram — Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari has said that “God has helped” his regime to “clear Boko Haram” in the North-East.

The President noted that the threat of terrorism was the most critical security challenge inherited by his regime but expressed delight that normalcy had returned to affected states in the North-East.

Buhari, therefore, declared that he had fulfilled the commitment he made to Nigerians in his May 29, 2015 inaugural address to frontally and courageously tackle Boko Haram terrorists and stabilise the country.

This is as he said nobody could blackmail him on inexplicable wealth and illicit enrichment while in office, stating that he did not have “one square-inch outside Nigeria.”

These are contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Tuesday.

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The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari says nobody can blackmail him on inexplicable wealth and illicit enrichment while in office, saying ‘’I do not have one square-inch outside Nigeria.’

“Speaking at a State banquet, Monday night, organised in his honour in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, the President restated his vow to serve God and Nigeria until his last day in office and beyond.

“He advised Nigerians to remain patriotic, saying ‘as I said more than 30 years ago, we have no other country than Nigeria, we must all stay here and salvage it together.’

READ ALSO: There Was Deliberate Attempt To Destroy Nigeria — Buhari

“Noting that the most critical security challenge inherited by the administration nearly eight years ago was the potent and pervasive threat of terrorism, the President expressed delight that normalcy has returned to affected States in North-East Nigeria.

“He recounted that the threat was particularly pervasive across the North-East geopolitical zone with Yobe State as one of the most hit by the terrorists.

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“He, therefore, declared that he has fulfilled the commitment made to Nigerians in his May 29, 2015 inaugural address to frontally and courageously tackle Boko Haram terrorists and stabilize the country.

“‘In the North-East, God has helped us to clear Boko Haram, the economy has picked up and some people are asking me about the achievements of my promise to fight corruption.

“‘Well, under this system fighting corruption is not easy. When I was in the military, as Head of State, I locked up some people because the Constitution says you must declare your assets and people who couldn’t explain the differences in their assets, I locked them up.

“‘In the end, I was also locked up. So, if you want to serve this country you must be prepared for the worst. But one thing that I am grateful to God for is that nobody can blackmail me. I do not have one-square inch outside Nigeria and I intend to stay in Nigeria when I retire from public office.’

“Reflecting on his journey to the presidency and re-election, the President said:

“‘Between 2003 and 2019, I visited all the local government areas in this country. In 2019 when I attempted a re-election, I visited every state and the number of people that came out to see who this Buhari is and was is more than what anybody can pay or force.

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“‘So, I thank God that Nigerians understood me and I made a promise that I will serve God and Nigerians.’

“President Buhari commended Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State for taking advantage of the return of peace and security in the state to execute people-oriented projects.

“Describing the governor as very competent and courageous, the President said he was lucky to have him in the saddle as the political leader in the state, supporting the federal efforts to decimate Boko Haram terrorist group.

“The President also acknowledged the cooperation of Nigeria’s neighbours in the fight against insurgency, recalling that his first visit outside the country in 2015 was to Niger and Chad, to garner support on tackling the misguided sect.

“President Buhari thanked the Governor and people of Yobe State, including Senate President Ahmed Lawan, for their warm reception during the State visit.

“In his remarks, Governor Buni expressed delight at the President’s inauguration of landmark projects in the state, including the Yobe International Cargo Airport, Damaturu ultra-modern market, Maternal and Child Health Complex at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital, the 2,600 Housing Estate in Potiskum and the Damaturu Mega School at new Bra-Bra.

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“He appealed to the President to approve the takeover of the Yobe State International Cargo airport by the Federal Government and the refund of N38 billion expended by the State government on the project.

“Equally, he requested the takeover of the State University Teaching Hospital, including the Maternity and Child Health Complex.

“The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, thanked the President for inaugurating a purpose-built, ultra-modern, and fully furnished State Command Headquarters; Police Secondary School; and Tertiary Police Hospital during the State Visit.

READ ALSO: Buhari Rolls Out Next Action Plans, Speaks On Retirement

“The IGP assured the President and Nigerians that the Nigeria Police are fully prepared for the upcoming 2023 general election and would remain apolitical in compliance with the presidential directive.

“He disclosed that newly passed out Constables are being posted on field operations to their Local Government Areas in line with Mr. President’s directives and ahead of their deployment for the general election.

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“‘In furtherance to this, we have exposed our personnel to specialized election security management trainings, developed Code of Conduct Handbook to guide the Police and other national security agencies that will be involved in the exercise,’ he said.

“He added that the Force has also perfected the logistics and manpower mobilization framework, and fine-tuned the Election Security Operational Action Plan in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Military, Intelligence Community, and other Sister Security Agencies.

“The IGP thanked the President for the annual recruitment of ten thousand police Constables over a five-year period, adding that the Presidential consideration has significantly bridged the manpower gap in the Force and broadly strengthened their capacity to effectively police the electoral process.”

 

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‘How Nigeria Can Achieve N10 Trillion Revenue From Knowledge Assets’

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Stakeholders, including government officials and experts, have outlined a bold vision for Nigeria’s economic future, aiming to achieve N10 trillion in revenue from knowledge assets.

At the end of a summit convened by Research for Impact, Knowledge-Economy, and Sustainable Development (RIKE-SD), and organized by the West and Central Africa Research and Education Network (WACREN) in Abuja on Thursday, discussions centred on the pivotal role of research, development, and innovation in driving economic growth and prosperity.

Abike Dabiri, Chairperson of the Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), emphasized the importance of leveraging Nigeria’s intellectual capital.

She said, “Without data, without research, without developments, we cannot grow. Mr. President himself has stressed the need for research, development, and innovation.

READ ALSO: FULL NAMES: Mamu, 14 Others, BDCs Indicted For Terrorism Financing

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“You need to grow, and you cannot grow without research and innovation. We have a wealth of talent, and what we aim to do with this group is to collaborate with the diaspora community to harness that talent and the enormous resources we possess as Nigerians.

“Our greatest asset is not even the oil, but the talent and resources we have at our disposal.”

Similarly, Prof. Elias Bogoro, former Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), highlighted the centrality of research in a knowledge economy, pointing out Nigeria’s robust government support for fostering research and innovation.

He stated, “When we talk about a knowledge economy, research is at the core. Nigeria is no exception. The government recognizes this and demonstrates strong involvement, facilitation, and support through the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, as well as the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.”

READ ALSO: Economic Hardship: Oyebanji Unveils N12bn Economic Relief Programme

Former Director General of the Defence Research and Development Bureau, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Jomo Osahor (retd), emphasized the importance of creativity and independence in research, stating, “Research and development are essential for the growth of every nation because it requires creativity and innovation. Relying solely on foreign ideas is not necessary.”

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Mustapha Popoola, Executive Director of RIKE-SD, emphasized the significance of institutionalizing research, development, and innovation across sectors.

He outlined plans to launch a coordination platform for Research, Development, and Innovation in Nigeria.

He explained, “Just like what happens in other countries when there are presidential pronouncements, it is not a matter of waiting to be asked to act.

“Mr. President, in his wisdom, has emphasized the need for us to institutionalize research, development, and innovation across the board.

“Therefore, our primary goal is to effectively utilize the development innovation toolkit to analyze the presidential priority areas, which amount to eight key focus areas.

“When we engage think tanks, they analyze the situation scientifically and socially, using various methods to determine the optimal solution.

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“So, when we discuss generating an additional N10 trillion in revenue for Nigeria through knowledge assets, research outcomes, innovation, and foreign direct investment facilitated by RDI platforms that we are collaboratively developing.”

The summit, supported by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), UK, aimed to strategize on leveraging Nigeria’s intellectual capital for economic growth.

 

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Police Hand Over Delta King, Ikolo To Military

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Wanted King of Ewu, Clement Ikolo, who turned himself in has been handed over to the military by the police.

The development has been confirmed by the Public Relations Officer, Delta State Police Command, Bright Edafe.

King Ikolo who was one of the eight persons declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters in connection with the killing of 17 military personnel in Okuama community, turned himself in to the Delta State Police Command on Thursday.

READ ALSO: Soldiers’ Killing: Wanted Delta King Surrenders To Police

The monarch was said to have arrived at the state police command headquarters at exactly 6:41 pm, to report himself to Police Commissioner, Olufemi Abaniwonda.

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Before he turned himself in to the police, the monarch spoke to journalists, insisting on his innocence.

Earlier on Thursday, the Defence Headquarters declared eight persons, including Ikolo, wanted over their alleged roles in the recent killing of 17 military personnel on a peace-keeping mission to Delta State.

Those declared wanted are Prof. Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Dennis Bakriri, Akevwru Daniel Omotegbo (Aka Amagben), Akata Malawa David, Sinclear Oliki; a traditional ruler, Clement Ikolo Oghenerukeywe; Reuben Baru, and Igoli Ebi.

 

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Ex-NBA Pub Sec, Ogbankwa Assaults Edo NUJ Chair, Others Over Publication

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A former Publicity Secretary of the Benin Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Douglas Ogbankwa, late Thursday at the Edo State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) assaulted journalists including the State Chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Festus Alenkhe and others over an online report of alleged case of stealing preferred against him by the state.

He was at the NUJ premises with plain cloth policemen to arrest a blogger, Friday Aghedo, who had published a story of his arraignment at the Criminal Court in Benin City over alleged attack on the matrimonial home of one Sandra Palmer-Kelvin for alleged issues with Ogbankwa’s client based in Denmark who is Sandra’s husband.

When he arrived at the premises of the NUJ with the policeman, journalists who witnessed what was happening informed the NUJ chairman who immediately met with the policemen and informed them that they should have announced their presence before the leadership of the union.

The chairman, however, assured the policemen that Aghedo would honour their invitation.

READ ALSO: Malabu Oil Scam: EFCC Loses Case As Court Discharges Ex-AGF Adoke, Others

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Infuriated by Alenkhe’s intervention on the planned arrest, Ogbankwa turned to the NUJ chairman where he roared “Alenkhe, even you, I will pick you up” and then threatened to deal with other journalists present including the Chief of Staff to Alenkhe, Simeon Osajie, the State Correspondent of Vanguard Newspaper, Ozioruva Aliu, Secretary of the Council, Andy Egbon, Treasurer of the Council, Solomon Obonzuya and several others.

Earlier, when his case was mentioned in the court, several lawyers including the Benin Branch chairman of the NBA, Nosa Edo-Osagie, Emmanuel Usoh and others pleaded with the judge to allow them intervene in the issue which they assured would be settled and report back in the next date where he was expected to take his plea.

In the charge sheet marked B/10/600/2024 between The State and Douglas Ogbankwa and others now at large, they were accused of allegedly stealing a stabilizer belonging to Sandra Palmer-Kelvin.

He is facing charges including felony punishable under Section 412 of the Criminal Law of Edo State, 2022.

READ ALSO: Iran Sentences Police Officer To Death For Killing Protester

The charge also reads: “Ogbankwa and others now at large, sometimes in the month of January, 2023 at 2nd Ugbor road, GRA Benin within the Benin Judicial Division did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: forcibly entry” which it said is punishable under Section 56 (1) of the criminal law of Edo State, 2022.

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“Douglas Ogbankwa and others now at large sometimes in the month of January, 2023 at the 2nd Ugbor Road, GRA, Benin City, Edo State within the Benin Judicial Division , did forcefully enter the residential house of one Sandra Palmer-Kelvin damage door keys belonging to one Sandra palmer-Kelvin.

“Douglas Ogbankwa and others now at large, sometimes in the month of January, 2023 at 2nd Ugbor Road, GRA, Benin City, Edo State within the Benin Judicial Division , did steal one stabilizer belonging to one Sandra Palmer Kelvin.”

Justice Ikponmwonba however adjourned the case for a report of settlement pleas not taken.

The prosecuting Counsel, Mr Orobosa Okunbor however did not oppose the defendant counsel application.

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