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Meet Farmer, Politician Appointed As Nigeria’s Minister Of Sports

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed John Owan Enoh from Cross River State as the new Minister of Sports.

The president allocated portfolios to his ministerial nominees on Wednesday.

Recall that Tinubu transmitted his ministerial list to the National Assembly a day before the expiration of his 60-day constitutional deadline of July 28, 2023.

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Mr. Enoh, a 57-year-old Nigerian politician, farmer, teacher, and philanthropist, replaces Mr. Sunday Dare, who last held the position as the Minister of Sports.

READ ALSO: Patience Jonathan Visits First Lady, Pledges Support

Enoh was a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2015 representing the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State in the 8th Assembly of the Senate.

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He was a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) up until May 2017 when he defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Under the platform of the APC, he contested the governorship election in Cross River state in 2019 and lost to former governor Ben Ayade.

Enoh was born in 1966 into the family of Pa Owna Enoh and was raised in the Agbokim Waterfall community of Cross River State.

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READ ALSO: Edo: Octogenarian Machetes Wife, 75 To Death For Refusing Him Sex

He is married to Rachel Owan-Enoh with children.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from the University of Calabar, where he graduated as the best student in 1988 with 2nd Class Honours ‘Upper Division.’

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As an accomplished educationist and politician, he lectured for 7 years at the University of Calabar, Cross River State between 1991 and 1997.

He started politics in 1997 when the late General Sani Abacha unveiled his political transition programme.

He contested and won the election to represent Etung State Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly where he served as minority leader and later chairman, Committee of Information.

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He proceeded to the National Assembly to represent Obubura/Etung Federal constituency for a period of 12 years, 2003 to 2015 where he held a lot of positions.

He then proceeded to the Senate in 2015 and served as Chairman, Committee of Finance.

READ ALSO: Former MD Of Shell Nigeria Is Dead

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He was also the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in 2019.

Aside from politics, Enoh owns numerous farms where he conducts arable and livestock production.

Since he started his farming venture in 2000, he has cultivated about 2000 hectares of cultivated land.

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Enoh’s farm spreads across various parts of Cross River State, with about 150 hectares of planted palms in his native Agbokim Waterfalls and expanding to about 100 hectares of planted palms, and counting, at Etara-Ekuri and all communities in Etung LGA of Cross River State, where the politician hails.

Enoh is said to operate an out-grower scheme in communities where his farms are located.

The out-grower scheme is a corporate social responsibility scheme that empowers local small-scale farmers with arable and livestock to grow on their farms and later provides them with a market to sell these products.

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Aside from politics, Enoh runs a philanthropy including founding a foundation tagged JOE (John Owan Enoh) Foundation where he provides help for people living with diabetes in Nigeria.

He is a fellow, the Centre for Peace and Conflicts Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

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VIDEO: Why I’ve Never Tried Convincing My Christian Wife To Convert To Islam — Tinubu

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained why he has never attempted to convince his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, to convert to Islam, stressing his belief in love, religious freedom, and mutual respect among people of different faiths.

Speaking on Saturday at the funeral service of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwada, Tinubu said his marriage to a Christian pastor has never created any conflict in their home.

The president, who arrived in Jos, Plateau State around 2 p.m. for the ceremony at the COCIN headquarters church, said he inherited Islam from his family and has always upheld the principle of freedom of religion.

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READ ALSO:Benin Monarch To Tinubu’s Daughter: Do You Know Role Of Iyeki In Benin Culture?

He noted that both he and the First Lady serve the same God and would ultimately be answerable to Him, adding that what matters most are people’s deeds, character, and love for others.

Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace tolerance and peaceful coexistence, emphasising that hate should never have a place in the country.

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He also prayed for the repose of the soul of the late Lydia Yilwada and asked God to grant comfort and blessings to those she left behind.

READ ALSO:Tinubu Appoints New Heads For Key Agencies

He said, “Hate is not an option for us. Love is what you preach, that we should love one another.

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“Nobody, nobody determines what God has ordained. God’s ordained action and his promises are what matter. I inherited Islam from my family. I didn’t change. But my wife is a pastor. She prays for me.

“No conflict. And I never did at any single time try to convince her or convert her. I believe in the freedom of religion.

“We are praying to the same God. We are answerable to the same almighty God. We will answer to him. We will account to him. Our deeds, our character, our love for our fellow beings are what are important.

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“May the almighty accept the soul of Lydia and give all that she left behind blessings and glory, so we say, may her soul rest in peace.”

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UK Police Quiz Six After Fatal Synagogue Attack

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Six people arrested on suspicion of “terrorism”-linked offences after a fatal car-ramming and knife attack on a UK synagogue remained in police custody on Saturday, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged people not to take part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Two people were killed and three others seriously wounded in Thursday’s attack in northwestern Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

Police shot dead the assailant, Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old UK citizen of Syrian descent, within minutes of the alarm being raised.

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Three men and three women are in custody.

The attack has heightened fear among Britain’s Jewish community.

Police said they were patrolling places of worship across the city “with a particular focus on providing a high-visibility presence within our Jewish communities”.

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READ ALSO:US On Brink Of Govt Shutdown With Funding Talks Stalled

The attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester was one of the worst antisemitic incidents in Europe since the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel led by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

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Israel’s retaliatory offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the occupied territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

The Gaza conflict has inflamed passions in Britain, with frequent pro-Palestinian rallies in cities that some critics allege have stoked antisemitism.

A “global movement for Gaza UK” protest went ahead in London late on Thursday, with police making 40 arrests.

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London’s Metropolitan Police asked organisers delay another planned demonstration backing the banned Palestine Action group later on Saturday.

However, organisers Defend Our Juries rejected the calls.

READ ALSO:US Faces ‘War From Within’, Trump Tells Generals

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A spokesman said the group “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community over the attack.

– Accidental shooting –

Starmer urged protesters not to join the pro-Palestinian rally.

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“I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain,” he said on X.

During the attack, Shamie was seen “with a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through”, synagogue chairman of trustees Alan Levy, who helped barricade the doors, told ITV News.

“The heroes of the congregation who saw what was happening then came to the doors because he was trying to break the doors down to get in,” he added.

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READ ALSO:JUST IN: Court Bars Police From Enforcing Tinted Glass Regulation

A UK police watchdog, meanwhile, said it would look at the police shooting of Shamie.

The probe would also look at the shooting of a second victim who suffered a fatal gunshot and a third person who was shot but survived.

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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said there was no evidence anyone other than police used firearms at the scene.

“Our independent investigation will look at the circumstances surrounding the fatal police shooting of Jihad Al-Shamie,” it said in a statement.

“A post mortem has today (Friday) concluded another man who died at the scene suffered a fatal gunshot wound.”

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IOPC investigations are standard practice in situations where the use of force by police may have resulted in the death of a member of the public.

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Edo Inaugurates Committee On Drug Abuse, Healthy Living

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L-R: ACGN, NDLEA, Fidelis Cocodia, Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa and Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani during the Inauguration

Edo State Government has inaugurated Drug Control Committee for the state and local governments, aimed at curbing the menace of drug abuse in the state.

Inaugurating the committee, Governor Monday Okpehbolo said the committee was not only saddled with the responsibility of curbing the menace of illicit substances, but to promote healthier living across communities in the state.

Represented by his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Okpebholo described the initiative as “a vital step in our unwavering commitment to stopping the menace of drug trafficking and substance use among youths.”

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The governor, who bemoaned the rising tide of drug dependency and its impact on society, pointed out that the committee’s creation aligns with the national drug master plan and represents a bold stride toward protecting Edo future generations.

READ ALSO:Idahosa Hails Insurance 1-0 Thrashing Of Niger Tornadoes

On his part, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, represented by ACGN, Fidelis Cocodia, Zonal Commander, Zone 13, emphasised grassroots interventions, awareness campaigns, and support systems as the backbone of the fight against drug abuse.

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Edo State commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju disclosed that while national drug use prevalence stands at 14.4 percent, Edo state surpasses the average at 15 percent.

He noted that the state is one of the hardest-hit states in the country, warning that the trend has fueled crime and heightened youth vulnerability.

READ ALSO:Idahosa Lauds Edo Specialist Hospital Facilities

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The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole pledged to make Edo a model in drug control through rehabilitation, youth enlightenment, and second-chance opportunities for recovering addicts.

Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, described drug abuse as a pandemic, noting that “you hardly see a crime without drugs being involved.”

She added that women’s empathy and influence must be harnessed in the campaign against drug abuse.

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