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Pipeline Contract: Akeredolu Knocks FG On State Security

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The Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has condemned the alleged refusal of the Federal Government to strengthen the security of the states of the federation.

Akeredolu alleged that the Federal Government was playing the ostrich by abandoning states to their fates concerning the security of lives and property of the people but rather empowering some private security outfits in the country.

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The governor stated this in a statement he issued through his Chief Press Secretary on Wednesday, in reaction to the recent purported award of contracts by the Federal Government to some private security outfits to protect the pipelines from being vandalised.

According to the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, the action of the FG has implied that it permitted private security outfits “to bear heavy assault weapons while denying the same privilege to the states, the federating units,” to tackle insecurity.

The statement read in part, “The news concerning the purported award of pipeline contracts to some individuals and private organisations by the Federal Government has been unsettling. More disquieting is the barely disguised hostility displayed against either the idea or the actual establishment of security outfits by some State Governments to fill the widening gaps in the scope of security coverage noticeable nationally.

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“The Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, has been consistent in its refusal to accede to the request by some states in the Federation to strengthen the complementary initiatives adopted to protect lives and property. This is done in spite of the knowledge that the very issues which necessitated the creation of these outfits support providing adequate weaponry. All attempts to persuade the Federal Government to look critically into the current security architecture have been rebuffed despite the manifest fundamental defects engendered by over-centralisation.

“It is, therefore, shocking to read that the Federal Government has maintained the award of the contract to ‘protect’ the country’s pipeline from vandals to private organisations. This story, if true, leaves a sour taste in the mouth. The NSA will, obviously, not advise the President to approve the award of a contract of such magnitude if the operators have not displayed sufficient capacity to checkmate the criminal activities of equally powerful groups. Consequently, it is safe to conclude that the Federal Government has, impliedly, permitted non-state actors to bear heavy assault weapons while denying the same privilege to the states, the federating units.”

READ ALSO: FG Inaugurates Presidential Delivery Tracker, Website

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The governor added, “The award of contract to private organisations to protect pipelines raise fundamental questions on the sincerity of the advisers of the government on security issues. The open and seeming enthusiastic embrace of this oddity, despite the constant and consistent avowal of the readiness by the security agencies, in particular, the navy to contain the pervasive and deepening crises of breaches and threats to lives and property, attracts the charge of insincerity bordering, deplorably, on dubiety.

“If the state governments, which are keenly desirous of protecting their citizens, establish ancillary security outfits and there has been pronounced reluctance, if not outright refusal, to consider permitting them to bear arms for the sole purpose of defence, granting private individuals and or organisations unfettered access to assault weapons suggests, curiously, deep-seated suspicion and distrust between the Federal Government and the presumed federating units.

“The engagement of private organisations to handle serious security challenges reinforces the belief that the whole defence architecture in the country needs an urgent overhaul. The Federal Government cannot be seen to be playing the ostrich in this regard.”

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Why Niger Delta Is Critical To National Growth – Tinubu

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President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed the significance of the Niger Delta region to Nigeria’s economic prosperity, describing it as “the goose that lays the golden egg.”

This is even as he tasked the Niger Delta Development Commission to fast track the completion of abandoned projects that are critical to the development of the region.

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Tinubu stated this at the plenary session of the 25th anniversary of the NDDC held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Saturday.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the President said his administration’s legacy project, the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, will serve as a viable alternative to the East-West Road.

Tinubu said the flagship infrastructure project ‘will foster trade and connectivity across the region while opening up new investment prospects in the hydrocarbon belt and spurring the growth of eco-tourism and blue economy-based industries in the region’.

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He stated, “I have also directed the board and management of the commission, through the Minister of Regional Development, to complete and deliver abandoned critical projects, including the Kaa-Ataba Bridge, Okrika-Borokiri Bridge, Bonny Ring Road, Gbaregolo Roads and Bridges, and the East-West Sampou Roads and Bridges, among several others.”

READ ALSO:JUST IN] 2027: South-South APC Endorses Tinubu, Four Govs For Re-election

Tinubu commended the NDDC leadership for its efforts to improve the commission’s service delivery and encouraged it to sustain the momentum and continue working towards enhancing the region’s development.

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He added, “Beyond infrastructural development, the NDDC must continue to prioritise human capital development, as it remains the primary index of progress.

“Projects and programmes that directly impact the lives of ordinary people in rural communities must be prioritised. In this regard, I commend the Board and Management for the ‘Light Up the Niger Delta’ initiative, which has not only reduced night crimes and enhanced security but has also extended trading hours and improved social life across the region.

“I also urge you to place special emphasis on empowering the youth and women of the region.

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“The NDDC must constructively engage the youth, steering them away from violence and militancy towards entrepreneurship and other legitimate means of self-development.

“This administration prioritises youth development, and I encourage the NDDC to collaborate with the Ministry of Youth Development to leverage the various initiatives available.”

READ ALSO:Lagos LG Poll: Police Re-adjust Movement Restriction

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He continued, “Furthermore, there can be no sustainable development without peace, security of lives and property, and adherence to the rule of law. The NDDC must continue to work towards sustaining peace in the region.”

The President emphasised the importance of agriculture in the Niger Delta, noting the region’s vast potential beyond oil and gas. He encouraged the NDDC to invest in agricultural initiatives that would unlock and maximise the region’s agrarian resources for the benefit of both the region and the country.

While congratulating the commission on the silver anniversary, he called on the people of the Niger Delta to continue to support his administration’s programmes and policies.

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Former President Goodluck Jonathan called on the NDDC to prioritise long-term, people-focused infrastructure over politically motivated short-term projects, saying frequent leadership changes have stunted the commission’s impact.

“In just 25 years, the NDDC has had over 11 CEOs. I thank the President for retaining the current CEO.

“Let the next 25 years be defined by legacy projects, not just visions and promises. Resist the temptation to award projects without proper funding, ” Jonathan stated.

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READ ALSO:Japan’s Petabit: What To Know About Internet Speed That Can Download 67 Million Songs In A second

Rechoing Jonathan’s concerns, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, blamed leadership crises and internal corruption for the NDDC’s historical underperformance.

Akpabio said, “For over 20 years, th3 NDDC operated from a rented apartment at N300 million per year, without connection to the national grid.

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“Yet, diesel contracts were preferred over a one-time N70 million grid connection.”

He lauded the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, as the right leader to reposition the commission, saying, “We have found in Dr. Ogbuku a man worthy to take NDDC to the next level.”

On her part, the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, urged the NDDC to deliver measurable results.

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She stated, “Over N7 trillion has been sunk into the NDDC since inception. How many solid roads have you built? The Niger Delta still ranks low on human development. A lot needs to be done to meet the aspirations of the people.”

The NDDC Managing Director, Ogbuku, assured stakeholders of a new era of impact driven by partnerships.

We don’t want to be defined by our past. We’ve decided to create a future for the Niger Delta through partnerships with IOCs, traditional rulers, and stakeholders,” he said.
(PUNCH)

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Lagos LG Poll: Fashola Absent At Polling Unit

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A former Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola, was absent at his polling unit on Saturday, to vote for his party’s candidate for the Chairmanship and Councillorship election

Fashola, who was expected at the polling unit with the wife, Mrs Abimbola Fashola, was not seen throughout the election, which started at 8.00 a.m. and ended at 3.00 p.m.

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NAN recalled that Fashola was also absent during the 2021 local government election.

READ ALSO:LASIEC Releases Validated Candidates’ List Gor Lagos LG Polls

Journalists, who waited for the former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, from 8.19 a.m. when the election at the unit started, left for other places after hours of waiting, while some stayed till the end on the possibility of him coming.

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The News Agency of Nigeria reports that voting for the Chairmanship and Councillorship election in Polling Unit 002, at State Junior Grammar School (Special), Itolo Street, Eric Moore, Surulere, started at 8.19 a.m, as at the time the INEC agents arrived to set up the unit.

The unit, which is the venue where Fashola was expected to cast his vote, saw eligible voters trickling in.

The unit which had 1,355 registered voters, recorded only 213 voters who came to exercise their franchise.
(NAN)

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Swiatek Beats Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 To Win Historic Wimbledon Title

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Iga Swiatek demolished Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the most one-sided women’s Wimbledon final for 114 years to win her sixth Grand Slam title.

The Polish eighth seed was in charge from the first point and wrapped up victory in just 57 minutes in a brutal display of precision hitting on Centre Court.

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It is the first time a woman has won a final at Wimbledon without dropping a game since 1911, when Britain’s Dorothea Lambert Chambers triumphed by the same scoreline.

And Swiatek, 24, is just the second player in the Open era to win a major without losing a game in the final since Steffi Graf humbled Natalia Zvereva at the 1988 French Open.

“It seems super surreal,” said Swiatek, who is the first Wimbledon singles champion from Poland and has now won majors on all surfaces.

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READ ALSO:Djokovic Becomes Third Man To Win 100 ATP Titles

“I didn’t even dream, for me it was way too far. I feel like I am already an experienced player after winning the Slams before but I never expected this one.

“This year I really, really enjoyed it and feel I improved my form here.

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“I am always going to remember the opening of champagne bottles between serves. It is a sound that will keep me awake at night.”

Swiatek lost just one set during the entire tournament as she won her first trophy on grass, two weeks after reaching the final of the grass-court event at Bad Homburg.

US 13th seed Anisimova was expected to prove a stern test after ousting world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, but Swiatek performed a demolition job.

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Anisimova made a nervous start in hot conditions on Centre Court, with Catherine, Princess of Wales, watching from the Royal Box.

READ ALSO:EPL: Arsenal Title Bid Rocked By 0-1 West Ham Loss

She was broken in the first game, soon slipping 2-0 behind and the signs looked ominous.

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The American appeared to have found her feet in her next service game but the merciless Swiatek refused to give ground and recovered to move 3-0 ahead when Anisimova double-faulted.

At 4-0 down Anisimova was facing a first-set wipe-out but she was powerless to halt the rampant Swiatek, who sealed the opener 6-0 in just 25 minutes.

The American won just six points on her serve in the first set and committed 14 unforced errors.

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An increasingly desperate Anisimova could not stem the tide in the second set, double-faulting again in the third game to give her opponent game point and then netting a backhand.

The crowd got behind her but to no avail as Swiatek kept up her level, serving out to win and celebrating before consoling her devastated opponent.

READ ALSO:Ex-boxing World Title Holder, Thierry Jacob, Is Dead

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Anisimova made 28 unforced errors in the 12 games.

Swiatek is Wimbledon’s eighth consecutive first-time women’s champion since Serena Williams won her seventh and final title at the All England Club in 2016.

She has won all six major finals in which she has competed.

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Swiatek, who now has 100 career Grand Slam match wins, has won the French Open four times and also the US Open, in 2022.

Her previous best performance at Wimbledon was a run to the quarter-finals in 2023.

The distraught Anisimova left court briefly before returning for the trophy presentation.

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The American, who lost in qualifying last year, broke down in tears again during her speech on court, calling Swiatek an “incredible player”.

I know I didn’t have enough today but I’ll keep putting in the work. I keep believing in myself and I hope to be back here one day. Thank you everyone,” she said.

AFP

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