Politics

Tinubu reveals details of meeting with traditional rulers

Published

2 years ago

June 9, 2023

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed the details of his meeting with traditional leaders on Friday.

According to Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director of Information to the President, Tinubu, speaking at an interactive session with the royal fathers under the aegis of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), informed them of the decision of his government to remove fuel subsidy, improve security, create jobs, and sustain the environment, as well as the forthcoming election of principal officers of the 10th National Assembly.

“We are all ears. We are ready to listen at any given time. I promise you an open-door policy; that is how I will go. That open-door policy is for you to call me and send me any concerns you might have at any time.

“We may not have it right 100 per cent of the time, but we must get it right 90 per cent of the time for this country,” he said.

Responding to issues raised by the traditional rulers on challenges facing the country, the President assured them, saying, “worry not because the country is in good hands.”

He added that his administration is very conscious of the expectations of Nigerians.

On the decision to remove fuel subsidy, for which various speakers at the meeting expressed support, President Tinubu appealed to the traditional leaders to persuade Nigerians to have faith that fuel pump prices will eventually come down.

“I am grateful you are paying attention to what I have been doing. You have paid attention to the subsidy removal. Why should we, in good heart and sense, feed smugglers and be Father Christmas to neighbouring countries, even though they say not every day is Christmas?

“The elephant that was going to bring Nigeria to its knees is the subsidy. A country that cannot pay salaries, and we say we have the potential to encourage ourselves. I think we did the right thing,” he said.

While acknowledging concerns about the need for critical infrastructure in different parts of the country, President Tinubu pledged that any roadblock in the way of the progress of the Nigerian people would be removed by his government.

“The lamentations about the capital projects—where will the money come from if we don’t protect our resources and boundaries? You cannot have development without capital projects,” he added.

On the leadership of the National Assembly, the President urged the royal fathers to counsel their subjects interested in elective positions on the need to manage their ambitions and create harmony within the legislative house.

President Tinubu declared that he is ready to work with any elected representative from the National Assembly, stressing that the Nigeria project is paramount to him.

“Nigeria must survive. Nigeria must develop. Nigeria must make progress,” he said.

On security, the President reiterated his pledge to Nigerians to prioritise the sector until every Nigerian “goes to sleep with their two eyes closed.”

He emphasised that the unity and togetherness of the country cannot be compromised, saying that every region of the country would get what it is due.

“We are going to tackle youth unemployment. Only when we have prosperity for the country can we create jobs to employ our youths,” he said.

Condemning crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region by a ‘tiny percentage’ of the population, President Tinubu said it was counterproductive to the economy’s growth.

“We need to tame those involved in this sabotage, and we will work as hard as possible to ensure that the diversity of this country is used for its prosperity, growth and stability.”

“That’s devolution of power, and that should be our contribution to the developmental projects you are looking for, and we will continue in ways that will help our people,” he said.

In separate remarks, the Chairman and Co-Chairman of NCTRN, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar, and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, pledged the support and loyalty of traditional rulers from the six geo-political zones to President Tinubu.

They assured the President of their continued prayers for his resolve to move the country forward under his Renewed Hope agenda.

“We are 100 per cent in support of your government, and we believe in the will of the Almighty Allah that you will move this country forward,” the Sultan said while congratulating him and Vice President Kashim Shettima on their election victory, peaceful transition, and assumption of office.

“We will contribute our quota to the country’s development once you reach out to us,” the Sultan added.

The Ooni of Ife expressed delight that the country has remained united and focused despite the challenges.

Politics

Rivers crisis: Why I won’t make peace with Fubara – Wike

Published

1 day ago

March 13, 2025

Seyi Babalola

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has revealed one of the reasons he can’t make peace with Governor Similayi Fubara of Rivers State.

Wike accused Fubara of removing a chief in his family and went ahead to make another person a chief.

The FCT Minister stated this on Wednesday while fielding questions from journalists at a media parley in Abuja.

According to reports, the statement comes amid the ongoing political crisis in the State, with Wike and Governor Similayi Fubara at the center of the feud.

“Sometimes when you people talk about this peace, you don’t take everything. You don’t just sit outside to talk.

“Look at me, a former governor, Minister of of the FCT, Governor (Fubara) had the temerity, the audacity, because he has money from federation account, because he has more Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), will enter my own family to remove a chief and make another person a chief,” Wike said.

News

Lagos HoA Crisis: Let Obasa Stay, Tinubu Tells Lawmakers

Published

1 day ago

March 13, 2025

Sunday Osanyintuyi

President Bola Tinubu has instructed lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly to allow the impeached and reinstated Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, to continue leading the house.

The President made this position known when he met with the lawmakers at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday.

As reported earlier, this is the first time President Tinubu is meeting the lawmakers since the crisis began in the house January 13, 2025.

One of the lawmakers told newsmen that ” Obasa is staying. We will obey the president. What we had was a family meeting. The President condenmed Obasa’s actions but blamed us for not carring him (Tinubu) along during the impeachement execrise”.

However, the lawmaker said President Tinubu warned Obasa to carry everyone along.

” He also warned him (Obasa) that if there were any future complaints from any quarters, he would be gone. “The President said he should let peace reign; and so based on that, we have accepted.”

On the pending matter in court, the source said: “The President has instructed him to withdraw it.”

Politics

Fubara not sincere, playing to gallery – Rivers Assembly

Published

1 day ago

March 13, 2025

Seyi Babalola

The Rivers State House of Assembly has disagreed with the claims by the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, that he was blocked from entering the House to re-present his 2025 Appropriation Bill.

The House said it never received any official communication from the governor indicating his interest to bring his appropriation bill to the floor of the House.

Spokesperson of the House and Chairman, House Committee on Information, Enemi George, described the claims of the governor as a mere comedy skit scripted to paint the House in bad light.

George recalled that on March 3, the House of Assembly wrote to the governor requesting him to bring his 2025 appropriation bill to the lawmakers following the judgement of the Supreme Court.

He said: “We were the ones, who immediately after that judgement appealed to the governor to bring his appropriation bill. We acted immediately because we have the interest of the state at heart and didn’t want Rivers people to suffer any harm.

“Despite withholding our entitlements for over a year and demolishing our chambers, we still wanted him to hasten up the presentation in the interest of the progress of Rivers.

“We indicated our intentions in that letter and even gave him a timeframe because of the urgency of the matter. To regularise his appointments, we also urged him during our subsequent sitting to submit the names of his nominees for the positions of commissioners and some boards’ membership for screening and confirmation.

“But, the governor rebuffed our pleas. We sent employees of the Assembly to deliver these resolutions to him. But, as usual, they turned them down at the gate and even brutalized them. We resorted to engaging the services of a courier company.

“But, he still did not heed our call forgetting that there are essential services like hospitals, schools and others to be funded. Our intention was to finish everything about the budget on March 15, so that we could send necessary information and documents to relevant agencies of the government to allow the release of Rivers allocations at the end of March. But, with what he is doing, we don’t know what he wants to achieve.

“How can he turn around to claim that we blocked him from re-presenting his budget? This is the height of insincerity. We even need the budget to be passed because the governor has been owing us our entitlements for more than a year and without the budget, we can’t get our entitlements.

“The governor and his team simply and deliberately acted Wednesday’s drama with a singular motive to tarnish the image of the Assembly. The governor is simply playing to the gallery to whip up unnecessary sentiments. But, it has backfired because the truth has come out”.

Besides, George insisted that the letter the governor claimed that he sent to the Speaker never got to him, adding that it was after the Wednesday’s sitting that the lawmakers saw the letter flying on social media.

He said: “But, even the letter trending on social media was dated March 11. Does it mean that the governor purportedly sent a letter on Tuesday God knows when, and immediately mobilised to the Assembly Quarters on Wednesday morning, claiming he came to present his budget?

“That alone vitiates the claimed purpose. It is procedurally trite that after writing to the Assembly, the governor ought to wait for the letter to be acknowledged by the lawmakers, who will then invite him to appear before them and make his presentation. Governor Fubara ought to know this if he is sincere.

“But, all we know is that this Assembly will continue to uphold the rule of law and will remain committed to promoting the interest of Rivers State. We urge him to do the needful so that Rivers people can breathe. He is toying with the lives and livelihood of Rivers people.