Pastor Sam Adeyemi & His Wife Return To Nigeria After Two Years

 The founder and senior pastor of Daystar Christian Centre in Oregun, Lagos State, Pastor Sam Adeyemi made a triumphant arrival to the church over the weekend with his wife, Nike.

In 2020, the cleric and his sweet wife left the church. When the federal government imposed a nationwide lockdown because of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, they were on vacation in Canada at the time.

The Adeyemis stayed away from their Nigerian base when the travel ban was lifted. They are said to have commuted between Canada and the United States, where their kids attended school.

The Oregun church in Lagos typically has the clergy deliver sermons using a pre-recorded message that is shown from a screen.

The congregation celebrated as the man of God appeared and assumed leadership of the pulpit over the weekend.

Adeyemi was dressed in a straightforward white shirt and pants, while his wife was wearing an Ankara gown that reached her knees.

The congregation’s excitement about the clergyman’s return to his base in Nigeria caused them to shout nonstop for a few minutes.

PDP Turned Ebonyi To London, Iyorchia Ayu Tells Ebonyi People

 PDP transformed Ebonyi into London, will do same for Nigeria – Iyorchia AyuPublished on January 26, 2023 By Rachel Osazuwa

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, on Thursday said the party transformed Ebonyi State into another London.

Ayu said the PDP would replicate the same feat in Nigeria if Atiku is elected president next month.

Speaking during the PDP presidential campaign rally in Abakaliki, the state capital, Ayu said Atiku and Okowa are President and Vice President in the waiting.

Ayu warned that the All Progressives Congress, APC, can’t lay claim to any achievement in the state.

According to Ayu: “Atiku, Okowa just waiting to be sworn in as president and Vice President. Since Ebonyi was created, it has been a PDP state and will remain so.

“Ebonyi State has given us good governors. Abakaliki and Ebonyi State have been transformed into another London, thanks to PDP governors.

“APC can’t claim anything in Ebonyi State, Umahi was in PDP before he defected, and APC can’t claim any achievement. If you want development in Nigeria stick to PDP.

“Don’t make the mistake you made in 2015; stick with PDP and Ebonyi State will see development. APC is not a party but a small alliance that came together to deceive Nigeria.”

The state Governor, Dave Umahi, who was a member of the PDP, had defected to APC in 2022

Protest Rocks Katsina As Buhari Commissions Overhead Bridge Project

 Some youths in Katsina State have taken to the streets to protest the state of the nation on Thursday.

The protest took place shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the Kofar Kaura Overhead Bridge project in Katsina metropolis.

An eyewitness told our correspondent that immediately the President left the Kofar Kaura area of capital city, irate youths began to make bonfires on the newly constructed road, chanting “Bamuyi, Bamuyi” in Hausa language, meaning ‘we are not in interested’.

According to him, “My name is Mustapha Muhammad Boss, after President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the underpass, some unknown persons came from the neighbourhoods and begin to chant ‘Bamuyi’, stoning security operatives and branded APC vehicles as well as burning tires.
“For this reasons, we decided to close our shops for safety. This act is improper and condemnable, because it is uncalled for.”

However, the Police operatives have dispersed the protesters with tear gas while normalcy has returned to the area as the President moved on to commission other projects in the State.

LEADERSHIP reports that President Buhari is in his home State of Katsina on a two-day working visit beginning on Thursday.

We Have Full Confidence In INEC, Says US

 The United States has expressed confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the 2023 elections.

Mary Beth Leonard, U.S ambassador to Nigeria, said this at the 20th Daily Trust Dialogue in Abuja.

Leonard said the US favours no candidate but seeks a peaceful and transparent election in Nigeria.

She said, “The United States supports credible and transparent elections that will reflect the will of the people in a process that will be conducted peacefully. We have confidence in INEC to conduct the elections.

“2023 is an opportunity for Nigeria to claim its place as the democratic leader in Africa. We favour no candidate. We favour open and transparent elections conducted in a peaceful process. This is the foundation of democracy and legitimate transfer of power.

“It’s good that we reflect on the fact that since 1999, Nigerians voters have successfully exercise their democratic rights. For more than two decades, Nigeria has demonstrated to Africa and the world its strong commitment to peaceful and transparent elections.”

She said that at a time when democracy is being tampered with in many places in Africa, the practice is deepening in Nigeria.

In his welcome address, Malam Kabir Yusuf, Chairman, Media Trust Group, said this year’s dialogue is special because it is coming a month before the general elections.

He said the dialogue is Media Trust’s little contribution to the the efforts to bring peace to the country.

He welcomed the guests to the occasion chaired by Archbishop (Emeritus) John Cardinal Onaiyekan, HRH Alhaji Ismaila Mohammed, former chairman, First Bank of Nigeria and first female chairman of First Bank, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Professor of Political Science and member of the Board of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, Lecturer, Analysis of Business Problems, Lagos Business School. Dr. Yetunde Anibaba and Human Capacity Development Specialist and CEO, Heltoni Services Limited, Dr. Eugene Enahoro.

Among the dignitaries in attendance are Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, former governor of Katsina State; Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spokesman Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF); Mr Festus Okoye, National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, INEC.

CBN Bans Dollar Charges On Domestic Transactions

 Launches Afrigo, to set deadline for existing card shemes

With the launch of the National Domestic Card scheme, Afrigo, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it will be coming up with a deadline for the existing card schemes in the country afterwhich they will no longer be eligible for domestic transactions.

Speaking at a virtual launch of the card scheme on Thursday, the Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, said: “all domestic transactions that are going to be conducted in Nigeria will have to be through the Nigerian domestic cards.”

Noting that the domestic card scheme avails the country “the sovereignty of our data” in addition to coming at a lower cost, Emefiele added that “at this time when foreign exchange challenges persist globally, it is important that we have this card to ensure that all card transactions, online transactions where you’re using cards will now effectively immediately begin to go on the Nigerian National Domestic system.

“At some point in the next few weeks, I’m sure that the CBN will come up with the cut-off. We will no longer pay dollars for those cards, for the charges on those cards.”

159 Nigerians Renounce Citizenship In 2022 – FG

 The Federal Government has said at least 159 Nigerians renounced their citizenship in 2022 alone.

The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, stated this on Thursday at the 64th session of the State House Ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, 150 Nigerians renounced their citizenship between 2006 to 2021. In 2022, however, 159 Nigerians renounced their citizenships.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who featured at the briefing, said the massive exodus of Nigerians out of the country in search of greener pastures influenced high demands for passports.

He said in 2022, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) issued the highest number of passport booklets totaling 1,899,683 in over seven years.

Aregbesola said properties worth N3.19tn were lost to various fire incidents nationwide between 2015 and 2022.
He said this included N46.1bn lost to fires in 2022.

A breakdown of details from the federal fire service showed that in 2015, 2016 and 2017, properties worth N15.7bn, N1.65bn and N5.18bn were lost in fire incidents.

In 2018, 2019 and 2020, Nigerians lost N26.71bn, N16.46bn and N32.12bn respectively to fires. While N3.05bn and N46bn were lost in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Aregbesola, however, said valuables worth N25.32tn were salvaged from various fire incidents nationwide.

The breakdown included: N57.50bn (2015), N16.6bn (2016), N426.5bn (2017), N2.84tn (2018), N1.18tn (2019), N1.35tn (2020), N18.99tn (2021) and N448.4bn (2022).

The number of people saved from fire accidents stood at 2,244 while 366 persons died within the same period.

The minister, who said the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) processed and issued at least 9.31 million passports from 2015 to 2022, added that the agency processed over 1.8 million passports in 2022 alone.

The breakdown showed that in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the service processed and issued 941,995, 1,035,668 and 1,136,855 passports, respectively.

In 2018, 2019 and 2020, it processed 1,242,953 and 780,047 passports respectively. While 1,056,422 and 1,899,683 passports were processed and issued in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

New Naira Notes, Fuel Scarcity: Fifth Columnists, PDP Twisted Tinubu's Comments

 PRESS STATEMENT 

FUEL AND NEW NAIRA NOTES SCARCITY: FIFTH COLUMNISTS WORKING IN CAHOOTS WITH PDP

Nigerians should no longer be in doubt about those working in cahoots with fifth columnists in the system to inflict avoidable pains on our hapless people for political end.

No sooner Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu empathised with the Nigerian people facing the dual crises of fuel and new Naira notes scarcity, than the opposition PDP and the Atiku camp issued a knee-jerk response, derailing from the issues, distorting Asiwaju’s statement and trying, in vain, to create a wedge between our presidential candidate and President Muhammadu Buhari.

When the guilty are afraid of being uncovered, they try to push back with red-herring

For the records, Asiwaju  Tinubu during APC campaign rally at Abeokuta on Wednesday, in his statement, did not mention, blame or accuse President Muhammadu Buhari for the current challenges in the country.

Asiwaju Tinubu was only adverting Government’s attention to the sabotage being carried out by some Fifth Columnists in the system, possibly working in cahoots with the PDP.

The CBN officials, including Governor Godwin Emefiele have said many times that enough new Naira notes have been supplied to the banks, yet our people complain that they have not been able to get the new notes. 

In recent days, many ATMs are either not working or when working they are dispensing the old notes, just a few days to the January 31 deadline.

Similarly, Asiwaju Tinubu is aware of the salutary efforts by President Buhari to end the fuel queues, by chairing a 14-man panel. Yet the queues and agony continue.

For a presidential candidate, who cares about the suffering of our people, he has a duty to warn government that its efforts to make life better for Nigerians are being sabotaged on several fronts.

Our presidential candidate only re-echoed what is well known and acknowledged, even by President Buhari himself at different fora: That there are Fifth Columnists in and outside of government who often throw spanners in the works against good intentions and programmes of the government.

How does an advisory genuinely made by Asiwaju Tinubu to protect and create goodwill for the government of his party become an attack? It can only be so in the jaundiced view of the PDP.

It is in this light we found amusing the directionless Atiku Campaign's bagful of mischief in their hurriedly put together press statement meant to gain shameful mileage from the suffering of Nigerians. 

PDP and Atiku should remember not to get high on their own smoke. No political blackmail and an attempt to create a conflict between Tinubu and his long-term ally, President Muhammadu Buhari can succeed.

We have bad news for Atiku and his handlers: their latest mischief is therefore doomed to fail.

The Atiku rudderless campaign, always seeking cheap shots and easy ways has again woefully attempted to make a mountain out of a molehill from the comments made by Asiwaju Tinubu in Abeokuta.

As a patriotic and compassionate leader, Asiwaju Tinubu will not stomach seeing ordinary Nigerians being made to face excessive difficulties over mundane issues due to activities of petrol and currency hoarders. 

As a proud leader of the APC, Asiwaju Tinubu would not also look indifferent as his party and the government get dirtied with black brush at a critical time like this, whether he is a candidate or not. 

Atiku camp’s hasty move to mine political capital out of the clearly difficult situation betrays his campaign’s possible connivance, due to its desperation. 

As Asiwaju said in Abeokuta, these orchestrated hardships will not stop his impending victory come 25 February. Nigerians shall surely vote for a party that is working to solve all the problems and mess created by the PDP for which their presidential candidate was an integral part in the, largely, 16 unproductive years they spent in government.

Atiku and his team can continue their indulgence in fake news and twisted narratives, they cannot change the minds of majority of Nigerians who have long rejected the PDP and Atiku, after their 16 wasted years in power.

Bayo Onanuga
Director, Media & Publicity 
APC Presidential Campaign Council 
January 26, 2023