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2027: We need new faces, Tinubu, Peter Obi, Atiku should step aside –Kenneth Okonkwo

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Kenneth Okonkwo

A former spokesman of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council, Kenneth Okonkwo, has charged President Bola Tinubu, ex-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi to step aside ahead of the 2027 elections.

Okonkwo said Tinubu, Obi, and Atiku are not fit to contest in the 2027 election, stressing that they have failed Nigerians.

Speaking on Arise TV, the Nollywood actor also criticized the opposition for their failure to form a consolidation and work together against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Okonkwo: “I completely agree with you that we need new faces, 100%, and that was why I have said that Atiku, Peter Obi, and Tinubu should step aside.

“The reason is that the ruling party has failed, and the opposition has failed. Are you aware that in the House of Representatives, you have more opposition members than the ruling class?

“I’m saying you don’t just finish an election, and the first thing you start talking about is the next election. You consolidate and form alliances amongst yourselves to work together as the opposition.

“If all the opposition members in the House of Representatives had come together, they would have produced the speaker and the vice.”

Credit: dailypost.ng

Tax Collection In Nigeria Is Pretty Low –Bill Gates

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Bill Gates

American billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates says tax collection in Nigeria is low. The co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation spoke on Tuesday at the Nutrivision 2024, a pan-African youth dialogue on nutrition in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.

Gates was answering a question on financing mechanisms the Federal Government of Nigeria could adopt for funding large-scale public health interventions.

He also said Nigeria has the prospect of becoming a net exporter of food given the vast land and soil type in the country.

The billionaire philanthropist said, “In agriculture, Nigeria, today, is a net food importer given the geography, if the right credit facilities and advice to farmers, soil surveys, (and other) things are available, there’s the opportunity for Nigeria to more than double its food output which would be pretty transformative because it would mean that you’d be a net food exporter instead of having to use very scarce dollars particularly at the current exchange rate to go buy food, you’re bringing dollars in.

“Particularly, agricultural productivity is important for the
incomes in the rural, more northern areas and so embracing digital approaches, better seeds to get this kind of an agricultural miracle to take place that’s going to help the country in terms of equity, in terms of women, and in terms of these nutrition issues.

“The health piece will have to be a priority. Over time, there are plans for Nigeria to fund the government more than it does today. The actual tax collection in Nigeria is pretty low.”

Gates said citizens who want education and health can develop confidence in some public and private programmes.

Credit: channelstv.com

Fuel price hike: Tinubu never betrayed NLC –Presidency blasts Ajaero

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The Presidency slammed the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, for saying that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu betrayed labour leaders by increasing the petrol pump price.

Ajaero had alleged that labour accepted the N70,000 national minimum wage based on an understanding that the pump price of PMS would not be increased.

Reacting to Ajaero’s allegation, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, on his verified X handle, @Abdulfagge, said he was in the last two meetings where Tinubu met with Labour leaders, noting there was nowhere an offer was made in exchange of fuel price hike.

The Presidency slammed the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, for saying that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu betrayed labour leaders by increasing the petrol pump price.

Ajaero had alleged that labour accepted the N70,000 national minimum wage based on an understanding that the pump price of PMS would not be increased.

Reacting to Ajaero’s allegation, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, on his verified X handle, @Abdulfagge, said he was in the last two meetings where Tinubu met with Labour leaders, noting there was nowhere an offer was made in exchange of fuel price hike.

Abdulaziz described Ajaero’s claims as “dirty politics” aimed at manipulating the emotions of Nigerians.

He said that he attended the two meetings and no offer was made in exchange for a fuel price hike, contradicting Ajaero’s assertions.

“I sat through the two meetings President @officialABAT had with Labour leaders on minimum wage. At neither of the meetings was an offer made in exchange for the fuel price hike.

“Ajaero is once again playing his dirty politics with the emotions of Nigerians,” Abdulaziz said. Credit: dailypost.ng

NLC Demands Immediate Reversal Of Petrol Price Increase

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NLC President Joe Ajaero

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday demanded an immediate reversal of the hike in fuel price announced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), saying the hike has worsened the misery of Nigerians.

Amid the lingering fuel scarcity in the country, the NNPCL increased the pump price of petrol from ₦568 to ₦855, ₦897 (depending on the location per litre).

Condemning the move in a statement, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, accused the Federal Government of betraying labour movement.

Ajaero said, “We demand the immediate reversal of the latest increase in the pump of PMS across the country, release of all those incarcerated or being prosecuted on the assumption of having participated in the recent protests.

“Halt the indiscriminate arrest and detention of citizens on trumped up charges, reversal of the 250% tariff hike in electricity, stop to the hijack of the duties of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

“End to policies that engender hunger and insecurity, Halt to government’s  culture of terror, fear and lying. We are guided by our belief in our country and the need to secure and sustain its sovereignty, integrity and welfare of the people.”

According to the NLC President, the current administration is yet to implement the new national minimum wage of N70,000.

While accusing the government of insincerity, Ajaero described the policies of the current administration as traumatic.

He recalled how President Bola Tinubu gave labour leaders the option of choosing from N250,000 as the new minimum wage in exchange of petrol price at N1,500, and said they rejected the offer due to the impact it would have on Nigerians.

Credit: channelstv.com

Ukraine’s foreign minister resign as ahead of expected cabinet reshuffle

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Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba became the latest top official to tender his resignation on Wednesday, ahead of an expected major government reshuffle as yet another wave of Russian attacks overnight killed at least seven people, including a child.

As Ukraine’s top diplomat, Kuleba has been a prominent fixture in Zelensky’s administration and one of the most public-facing, especially dealing with overseas officials. He was seen as a capable politician and a safe pair of hands, one of the strongest members of Zelensky’s cabinet. His offer to resign comes ahead of an expected visit by the president to the United States this month.

Kuleba’s was the latest in a flurry of resignations. Two of Ukraine’s vice premiers, three ministers, the head of the State Property Fund and a top official in Zelensky’s Presidential Office have all quit within the last day or so.

The parliament needs to approve the resignations for them to take effect. They are yet to vote on Kuleba’s exit, but have approved the resignations of the three other ministers and one of the vice premiers on Wednesday. They did not accept the resignation of the property fund head and the deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk, who will remain in their posts.

The parliament is expected to vote on Kuleba’s resignation on Thursday. It will also vote on the two resignations it did not accept on Wednesday and consider the appointment of new ministers.

Zelensky has not yet given any explanation for the reshuffle, but said in his nightly address on Tuesday that the coming fall will be “extremely important for Ukraine” and as such “our state institutions must be set up so that Ukraine achieves all the results we need.”

Credit: cnn.com

US to accuse Russia of 2024 election interference

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Vladimir Putin, Russia president

The United States is to accuse Russia of a sustained campaign to interfere in the November presidential election, US media has reported.

The Biden administration is expected to address the Kremlin’s efforts to influence public opinion with a series of actions including criminal charges, according to CBS, the BBC’s partner in the US.

The Russian state media network RT – formerly Russia Today – would be a major focus of the US efforts, according to CNN.

Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to announce sanctions or other law enforcement action on Wednesday.

US officials warn that a growing number of foreign adversaries have attempted to interfere with its elections since Russia’s efforts in 2016.

In June, a group of hackers linked to the Iranian government successfully breached the Donald Trump campaign and leaked some of its internal documents.

Credit: bbc.com

France blames Britain for English Channel migrant deaths

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English Channel migrants

The French rescue workers packed up their gear with well-practised efficiency. The medical tents. The stretchers. The security cordons.

Shortly after the last bodies had been driven away from the quayside in Boulogne, the remaining ambulances and red emergency vehicles drove off too, leaving only a handful of officials standing in the fading light beside a few frayed fishing nets near the harbour wall.

“It’s so upsetting,” said Frederic Cuvillier, Boulogne’s mayor, reflecting on the way this long, constantly evolving migrant crisis has reshaped – and traumatised – France’s northern coastline.

On Tuesday six children and a pregnant woman were among 12 people who died after a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank off the coast here, in the English Channel.

“These people flee death and end up dying here. Mothers, children… convinced they will find a better life across the Channel,” said Cuvillier, gesturing west, towards a grey sea.

In the immediate aftermath of such incidents there is – I have noticed, after witnessing several already this year – a widening gap between the way the French and British react.

In the UK, officials have been quick to focus on – and to condemn – the smuggling gangs. Each incident, each death, is seen as the result of cynical criminal activity. Which, of course, it is.

Once again, the smugglers crammed far too many of their paying clients into what appear to be increasingly flimsy boats, with nowhere near enough life jackets.

Here in northern France, the police have a similar focus. They are preoccupied with the task of trying to patrol ever larger stretches of their increasingly militarised coastline. They now have more manpower, buggies, night-vision equipment, and special drones that can detect groups of migrants hiding in the dunes.

But the police are aware that, as they expand their operations – much of it now funded by British taxpayers – the smuggling gangs are responding, finding new ways to cross, and often putting the migrants themselves at ever greater risk as a result.

Credit: bbc.com

Police Swoop On Suspected Ponzi Scheme Gangs … 487 arrested in Kumasi

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MAXWELL OFORI
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Some of the suspects
Some of the suspects

Four hundred and eighty-seven (487) persons are in the grip of the Ghana Police Service for engaging in suspected Ponzi scheme.

According to information available to The Chronicle, the police arrested these persons on Monday, September 2, 2024 through an intelligence-led operation.

The suspects, consisting 257 females and 230 males, the Police said, are members of the Ponzi scheme, known as QNET in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region.

The suspects were arrested in a house located at Adwuman, near Kenyasi, a suburb of Kumasi.

The Chronicle’s Police sources said that preliminary investigations established that, the suspects, through the scheme, successfully enticed unsuspecting persons from various parts of the country, under the guise of offering lucrative returns on their investments.

The Chronicle is informed that exhibits retrieved from them include; registration documents and other materials bearing the QNET logos.

Some of the suspects

The twelve of the arrested suspects who have been identified as executives of the scheme are; Gyereh Evelyn, Francis Kpesah, Samuel Musah, Simon Yakubu, Thomas Kotual, Kwasi Nyabi, Benjamin Nsigma, Elijah Musah, Moses Katu, John Balabon Tagnakibi, James Nogma, and Fidelis Bang-ib.

They are currently in Police custody assisting with investigations.

‘NPP Has Delivered On Its Promises’

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ISAAC AKWETEY-OKUNOR
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Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, says the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is the only party that has kept its promises to the people of Ghana under the Fourth Republic.

Speaking at the Regional Townhall meeting in Koforidua, on Tuesday, the Regional Minister declared that the NPP government had almost fulfilled all the promises it made to the good people of Ghana since taking over the reins of power.

“We have delivered on our promise of infrastructural development. The Akufo-Addo government has done more in six years than the NDC administration did in eight years”,  Mr Acheampong stated.

The Eastern Regional Minister and former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpraeso constituency stressed that the then-candidate Akufo-Addo promised in 2016 to prioritise infrastructure development.

He highlighted the government’s efforts to transform the region since 2017, citing infrastructure development, healthcare, education and economic empowerment as key areas of focus, a position which was amply demonstrated through exhibition of projects undertaken by this government.

The Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, in his welcome address emphasised the significance of the event, stating that it was an opportunity for the government to showcase its achievements and engage with citizens.

The event featured exhibitions showcasing government projects and achievements, providing citizens with a first-hand look at the tangible results of the government’s developmental efforts.

Infrastructure development includes the construction of new roads and highways, such as the Koforidua-Bunso highway and the Nkawkaw-Abirem road, upgrade of existing roads such as the Koforidua-Tema highway and completion of the Eastern Corridor Road project.

The minister mentioned the establishment of new hospitals and health facilities, including the Koforidua Regional Hospital and the Nkawkaw District Hospital, upgrade of existing health facilities, such as the Koforidua Polyclinic and introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) mobile renewal program under healthcare category.

Education

Mr. Acheampong stated the construction of new schools and classrooms, including the Koforidua Senior High School and the Nkawkaw Methodist Primary School, upgrade of existing schools, such as the Koforidua Technical Institute and introduction of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

Economic Empowerment:

The Minister continued that his government had established the One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) program, with several factories operational in the region, introduction of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) program, which has benefited thousands of farmers in the region and establishment of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) program, which also provided employment for thousands of youth in the region.

Other projects are the expansion of electricity coverage to rural areas, including the Koforidua-Kwabeng electricity extension project and the introduction of the Digital Address System (DAS) to improve navigation and address identification.

Touching on the importance of the event, the Regional Minister noted that it provides an opportunity for citizens to engage with government officials and provide feedback on the NPP’s achievements.

This, he underscored, would foster engagement between the government and citizens, promoting transparency, accountability and collective progress in the region.

On her part, the Minister for Information, Madam Fatimatu Abubakar, indicated that the town hall meeting, organised by the Ministry of Information, would provide a platform for citizens to engage directly with government officials and receive updates on government projects and policies.

“These meetings are crucial for accountability and transparency. We believe that by promoting open dialogue and sharing information, we can build a stronger relationship between the government and the people”, the minister explained.

Sekyedumase Chiefs Petition Napo Over Demolition Of NPP Financier’s House

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MAXWELL OFORI
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The demolished house

The demolition of the property of a Financier of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), George Oti Bonsu, appears to have ruffled feathers.

The latest are the Chiefs from the Sekyedumase Traditional Council and its people, who have petitioned the running mate of the NPP flag bearer, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to intervene.

The petition, signed by the Sekyedumasehene, Nana Antwi Boasiako II, dated August 24, 2024 addressed to Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, expressed the “displeasure, disappointment and anger” of the chiefs and people of Sekyedumase.

The chiefs said that the entire Sekyedumase was in a state of mourning when news broke, most importantly when it was between the family of the 2nd lady and our son, who are both strong members of the New Patriotic Party.

According to the chiefs, the youth of Sekyedumase planned a demonstration to express their displeasure, “but for the timely intervention of the traditional council of Sekyedumase.”

“Mr vice president to be, all we are asking you to do for Nananum and the Sekyedumase people is to intervene for a fair judgement and possible compensation for the people of Sekyedumase to be at peace with the party.

“George Oti Bonsu is one of the few citizens of our land who supports the development of the Town and he is always keeping .Sekyedumase NPP active. Kindly help us keep the smile on the faces of our people again,” the chiefs wrote to NAPO.

PETITION TO NPP

The petition to NAPO was not the first, as concerned members of the NPP recently called upon the party leadership and the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, to intervene in the ongoing dispute between George Oti Bonsu and Abu Ramadan.

In two separate petitions dated July 10 and 20, 2024 addressed to the NPP national executives and the National Chief Imam respectively, the group requested for a peaceful resolution of the impasse and highlighted the pivotal roles played by Oti Bonsu and Abu Ramadan in the party.

The petition was signed by Reverend (Rtd.) Dickson Kankam Boadu, Chairman and Diaspora Representative, Nana Ekow Annan Nyarko, First Vice Chairman, Francis Tosu Yao, Secretary, Zakaria Sukemana, Director of Operations and Madam Cynthia Akumoa Boateng, Women’s Commissioner.

BACKGROUND

The petitions follow the demolition on April 7, 2024 of 10 buildings in Adjiriganor, Accra, said to belong to Mr George Oti Bonsu.

Mr Bonsu alleged that one Hajia Aisha Ahmed, who is also claiming ownership of the land, brought masked military men to demolish the ten-storey building on the land, totaling approximately US$3.5 million.

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