Tinubu: I Will Convert Yahoo Boys To Tech Experts

 All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu yesterday promised to transform advance fee fraudsters, otherwise known as “Yahoo boys,” by creating technological hubs for them, if elected in next month’s poll.

He stated this during his campaign rally in Benin, the Edo State capital, yesterday.

Tinubu, who flew into the ancient city from Kano where his campaign train berthed on Wednesday, urged a huge crowd of supporters at the University of Benin Sports Complex, Ugbowo, to vote for him, if they wanted to be rich.

The former Lagos State governor also canvassed reparation by some European nations for returned Benin artefacts.

Besides, he criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar, accusing them of focusing on personal comfort instead of developing the country when they were in power between 1999 and 2007.

He faulted Obasanjo’s endorsement of the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, saying he (Obi) “could not tackle erosion menace in the Southeast state of Anambra” where served as governor for eight years.

Describing himself as a knowledgeable man, the APC candidate, said industrial and technology hubs would be created to make the youths become instruments for development.  

His words:  ”I will convert Yahoo boys and make them useful by converting their talents and intellects to produce chips for industries. We can defeat poverty, ignorance and homelessness. We have the knowledge, we have the brain to do it. Trust me. I am an expert in finding the way where there is no way. I found a way to tame the Atlantic in Lagos and turn it to money- making machine.

“Sociologically, we can make mountains, we can climb Kilimanjaro, we can defeat poverty. We will break the shackle of poverty, ignorance and homelessness.”


Tinubu accused Obasanjo and the past PDP government of failing to provide electricity for Nigerians “to make even popcorn “ after spending $16 billion on the power sector. 


He said: “I brought Enron to solve electricity problem and help Lagos economy, but Obasanjo and PDP frustrated it. They punished me and Lagos people and even began deducting our money.

“I created local governments in Lagos to accelerate development and create employment for our people, but Obasanjo seized our allocation and punished us for that. That was wickedness and such a man said he endorsed a man for you to vote as President.

“Can you follow such a man? Can Obasanjo recommend a leader to anyone in Nigeria? A man who does not know the way cannot show the way.”

The APC standard bearer, who also said that Atiku was unfit to be president, accused Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and his allies of ordering the removal of his billboards.

He said: “Show me a better job that Atiku did before. You cannot find it. He is not the smartest customs officer. A customs officer, who cannot define the ethics of the civil service. A civil servant, who said selling cars is where he made his money, but does not know that the only thing that civil servants can do is agriculture, not dealing in or smuggling cars. That is a disqualification. He (Atiku) is not fit to be president.”

On the returned artefacts, Tinubu said: “Edo people, prosperity has come, happiness has come, hope is back in your homes, knowledge is back in your community. I am happy about the returned artefacts. They are bringing our artefacts. I support the Oba of Benin who said our heritage must come back, but I disagree with the Europeans.

“They have used our artefacts for exhibitions and tourism for decades in their museums to make money. They should not just send them back without money. When I become President, I will ask them to pay us restitution. I will contribute to the building of the museum in Benin.”

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje hailed the crowd at the Sports Centre assured that the 19 Northern states would massively vote for Tinubu.

A former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, described Tinubu as a president in waiting, who believes in the unity of Nigeria.

Buhari To Join the Campaign Train For Tinubu In 10 States

 

The president was in attendance when Tinubu kicked off his campaign with a rally in Jos, the capital of Plateau, in November 2022.

In a statement released on Friday, Festus Keyamo, spokesperson of the APC campaign council, said Buhari has provided “sterling and inspirational leadership” for the APC.

He listed the states where the president is expected to join the campaign train as Lagos, Adamawa, Cross River, Katsina, Imo, Yobe, Kwara, Sokoto, Ogun and Nasarawa.

In the latest campaign Time Table released yesterday (5th January, 2023) the President is billed to join the campaign train in at least ten states,” the statement reads.

“The states are Adamawa state on the 9th of January; Yobe state on the 10th of January; Sokoto state on the 16th of January; Kwara state on the 17th of January; Ogun state on the 25th of January; Cross Rivers state on the 30th of January; Nasarawa state on the 4th of February; Katsina state on the 6th of February; Imo state on the 14th of February and the grand finale in Lagos state on the 18th of February.

“The PCC expresses its profound gratitude to President Buhari, the leader of our great Party, for his sterling and inspirational leadership at this time and for galvanizing our teeming members and supporters across the country.

We urge our party faithfuls and supporters to turn out en masse, as usual, in the forthcoming campaign rallies.

“The zero hour is nigh; our spirits must be high; we must not relent in this our collective march to our victory that is divinely ordained.”

The president had recently said he is committed to the campaign of the APC standard bearer and all members of the party vying for elective positions.

Discos Make ₦‎296 Billion In Three Months – NERC Report

 Power distribution companies raked in about N296bn as electricity bills from customers in the first quarter of 2022, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission said on Thursday.

In its just released first quarter 2022 report, the power sector regulator stated that the collection efficiency of the Discos was 67.36 per cent during the quarter under review.

‘This corresponds to a collection efficiency of 67.36 per cent, which represents a 1.98 percentage point reduction compared to 2021/Q4, where the average collection efficiency was 69.34 per cent.

“In monetary terms, although the billing in 2022/Q1 reduced by N7.41bn (-2.44 per cent), revenue collections reduced at a higher rate of N10.98bn (-5.22 per cent).”

The commission said it was imperative for Discos to employ technologies and operational procedures to increase both their billing and collection performances to forestall long term financial challenges.

“These could include holistic energy accounting procedures, customer and infrastructure metering, etc,” the NERC stated.

On market remittance, the commission said the combined invoices from the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and the Market Operator to Discos in 2022/Q1 was N205.63bn.

It said the invoices were split as follows: generation costs – N164.86bn; and transmission and administrative services – N40.77bn.

This came as the Transmission Company of Nigeria announced on Thursday that it took delivery of two 150MVA, 330/132/33kV power transformers and accessories at its Central Store Ojo, Lagos State.

Explaining the collection efficiency of Discos in Q1, 2022, the NERC said, “The total revenue collected by all Discos in 2022/Q1 was N199.9bn out of N295.69bn billed to customers.

Peter Obi Pays Bills Of Mother, Son Abandoned By Husband In Hospital

 Labour Party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi has paid the bills of a woman and her son abandoned by her husband in the hospital for six months in Enugu, IGBERETV reports.

Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu shared the news on Facebook. She wrote:

"Blessing Usulor, in early June 2022, was rushed to Hopecare Medical Centre, Enugu by her neighbours when she slumped and went into a coma in her quarters within the IMT Campus-4 axis of Enugu.

She stayed in coma for a whole 10-days and her medical case was with some complications including renal failure, which necessitated dialysis treatment, diabetes complications and sepsis which degenerated to septic shock. Her condition was critical. Eventually she developed ulcers in skin lesions due to being bedridden for a long time, among other complications.

According to the Chief Medical Director of Hopecare Hospital, Dr Samuel Ngwu’, “ Our primary consideration was to save this poor young lady’s life. The hospital staff brought it to my attention that there was no monetary deposit for her medical treatment .
“ My answer was that a 22-year-old person will never die in my care because of money.

“So, we continued to treat her; and as God may have it she recovered.
After the treatment, paying the medical bill become a challenge after she was discharged on July 1, 2022.

“Since than she has been here and even more, the husband brought her two-year-old son and later abandoned both her and her son in the hospital till date. We have contacted many NGOs, religious organisations and even the relevant ministries in this regard but to no avail

“While in the hospital all this while, she lives on handouts from other patients and also relatives of other patients she meets in the ward. Earlier, today, a relative of a patient gave her N3,000,” he said.

“This situation was brought to the attention of Mr Peter Obi by Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, who I told about it the day before. She put me on the line to Mr Obi and I narrated all to him.  

He first of all commended the hospital for putting life first before monetary consideration and said that ours is a shining example that with love and care, Nigerians have the capacity to rebuild this great country once more.
“We must bear each other’s burden, and create a Nigeria that works for Everybody,’ he told me.

Mr Peter Obi paid the medical bill of approximately one million Naira by a cheque which was handed over to the hospital management by Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu yesterday, 4th January 2023, stating that the exemplary conduct of the hospital by seeing to the survival and total recovery of the patient shows that the change we are all yearning for is indeed possible.

The medical director thanked Obi for the gesture, adding that “we are looking forward for a New Nigeria, where we will be led by leaders with vision like Mr Peter Obi”.

In a tearful mood, Usulor, who hails from Ebonyi State, appreciated Obi for identifying with “a poor and nobody” in the society.
“I am overwhelmed with joy that I don’t know how to thank His Excellency for this kind gesture and remembering someone that have been abandoned. 

“I appreciate Dr Samuel Ngwu and the entire management of Hopecare Medical Centre that God has used to keep me alive till today. May God continue to bless and reward you all’.

#anewdawnwillrise
Go and get your PVC."

Afe Babalola: Obi Best Qualified To Lead Nigeria

 Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) has said that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, (LP), Mr Peter Obi is the most qualified person to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the only people opposed to Obi are those who participated in plunging the country into the state of underdevelopment it is at present.

“Unless you are part of the old system that has brought us to where we are, there is no way you will oppose a young man like Mr Peter Obi, an untainted, young, educated man with ideas from being the president of Nigeria,” he said.


Babalola, who will mark 60 years of his call to Bar as a lawyer this year said he and Obi share a common passion in their love for quality education.

“We have a common ground, and that common ground is that he will give education a rightful place in his administration. Unlike all of you, I never had a conventional education, I never went to secondary school, or university but due to determination and courage I endured. I studied privately through correspondence and obtained my A Level by correspondence, passed the entrance into university by correspondence.

“But for education I would not be where I am today and that is why by the grace of God after a successful practice, I am what I am today. I will celebrate 60 years of my call to Bar this year and by the grace of god, peter obi will be there. He is the most qualified to lead this country”.

Sowore: Kola Abiola Should not Contest Against Me

 Omoyele Sowore has said that by virtue of everything he did for the Abiola family, he didn't expect Kola Abiola to contest for the presidency against him. 

This is another way of saying: I have paid my dues, it is my turn. 

Okowa To Omo-Agege: I Have Constructed 4 Road Projects In Your Village

 Against the claim of Deputy President of the Senate and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Delta state, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege that the governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa has not constructed any road in the state since he took over the leadership of the state, Okowa said no fewer than 45 road projects have been constructed in his Delta Central Senatorial District by his administration, while four of the projects were constructed in the lawmaker’s village.

Omo-Agege had alleged Okowa that with N4.2 trillion Internally Generated Revenue, IGR and 13 percent derivation in the last seven and half years, the governor has nothing on ground to show for it.

Omo-Agege, also claimed that Okowa, who is touted as ‘Road Master,” uses unknown and substandard contractors in some of the road reconstruction.

The APC governorship candidate also alleged that the governor instead of using the state resources to develop the state has resorted to wasting the state funds for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential campaign.

But the governor has described the Deputy Senate President’s claims as empty lies. 

The governor through his Chief Press Secretary. Olisa Ifeajika said that over 2000 kilometers of road has been constructed by him.

While alleging that lie is in the DNA of the Deputy Senate President, the governor said that about 45 roads have been constructed by his administration in Senator Omo-Agege Senatorial District and four to his village.

The four projects are the construction/rehabilitation of Internal roads in Orogun town – Ughelli North, the construction of Arhagba – Orogun Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area (Phase I: From Arhagba/Emonu Junction to Ebor Community)-Ughelli North, the Ogbe-Ikolobie Road Orogun – Ughelli North and the Imodje Road Orogun – Ughelli North.

Speaking to State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Omo-Agege said it was a misconception to tag Delta a PDP state.

Fielding questions from journalists on how intend to dislodge the state currently in firm grip of the PDP, Senator Omo-Agege, who said he was in the Villa to confer with the President on national issues, said, “That is a very serious misconception to tag Delta State, a PDP state. Delta is very ripe for the taking.

He said, “We’re determined to achieve this; we’ve been going round each local government, ward by ward, making the case; drawing the attention of the people of the state to the mis-governance and lack of performance on the part of not just Okowa but the PDP led administration in the past 14 years, but most especially in the last seven and a half years; and the message we’re saying to people is resonating.

“We’ve been able to make the case to them, that Delta State is supposedly a very, very rich state and indeed a very rich state given the contributions that we’ve made, not only to the economy of this country, but also to the economy of the state, because of the receipts we have gotten from federal allocation, inclusive of a 13% derivation and other resources that come to the state by way of IGR. 

“By our own reckoning, since the Okowa administration came into being, Delta State has received close to about N4.2 trillion and this came, like I said, by way of federal allocation, it came by way of 13% derivation, and also about N400 billion that the state has borrowed.

“Only recently, thanks to my brother, the governor of Rivers state (Nyesom Wike), who also made us to understand that another N260 billion was given to our state (on account of shortfall payment). So if you look, that will be a total of 4.2 trillion Naira that has come to the state. There’s nothing on ground by way of infrastructural development that is commensurate with all of these receipts that come to the state.”

He further said, “If you go to Delta State today, there is no road, no single road that is a new road that was constructed by Okowa as a governor. The last set of roads that we have in Delta State were constructed by Governor (James) Ibori. Since that time not a single new road, either by Governor (Emmanuel) Uduagan or by Governor Okowa. All he’s been doing is doing patches using mushroom companies to do patches, or remedial work on some of these roads which after three, four months, they get washed away by the rains.”.