News
NEXT LEVEL: South East Excluded From Occupying Key Positions
The South-East geo-political Zone has failed to clinch the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, as President Muhammadu Buhari has re-appointed Boss Mustapha as the SGF thereby ending speculations that a former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, from Ebonyi State, would be appointed the SGF.
Onu, who is from the South-East, is a long time ally of Buhari having been a member of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, which produced Buhari as its Presidential candidate twice.
With the positions of President, Vice-President, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and SGF all filled, it implies that the South-East has been omitted from all key positions.
In the previous Buhari administration, Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, emerged as the Deputy Senate President over controversial circumstances which did not go down with the All Progressives Congress-led government
The highest position being held by the South-East today is the Minority Leader of the Senate in the person of Eyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia-South Senatorial district.
Speaking on Saturday, the National Publicity Secretary of Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Uche Achi-Okpaga, said the organisation is not surprised by the President’s actions.
The Ohanaeze Spokesman maintained that the South-East survived the last four years of Buhari’s government and will also be able to survive the next four years.
He revealed that the President ought to act like a statesman by appreciating the nation’s diversity.
Achi-Okpaga said: “We are not surprised. This is not news. We never expected anything from him before. When he was inaugurated for a second term, I issued a statement that we were not expecting anything from Buhari.
“This is a man that has never minced words about his intentions. He never placed any premium on South-East so why should you expect him to give us appointments? You see how he went all out to remove the Head of the Judiciary who is from the South?
“We were able to survive the first tenure and we have enough shock absorbers to help us endure till the end of his second tenure. So, our prayer is that he takes things easy so that the country will not disintegrate.”
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has described the planned increase in electricity and telecom tariffs as unconscionable.
The statement comes after the telecoms regulator last week approved the increase in mobile tariffs.
The federal government also recently said that plans were ongoing to increase electricity tariffs “over the next few months.”
However, Sani, who said the government’s plan is unreasonable, insisted that it should be halted.
The ex-lawmaker also expressed his support for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the scheduled protest against the government’s proposal, calling it a welcome development.
“The planned increase in electricity tariffs in the midst of poor power supply and the proposal to increase telecom tariffs is unconscionable and should be halted. The scheduled labour union protest is a welcome development,” he posted on X.
The United States President, Donald Trump, has revealed his decision to cut off all future funding to South Africa, citing poor treatment of “certain classes of people.”
Trump made this known on Sunday in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
According to Trump, South Africa was seizing land and mistreating some citizens without concern for the violations of their rights.
“South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY.
“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump wrote.
Reports suggest that the American leader may be defending White South Africans, some of whom have alleged that the South African policy is unfair to them.
There are indications that the federal government will on Monday meet with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to stop the planned Tuesday nationwide protest against the 50 percent telecommunications tariff hike.
A reliable source familiar with the matter, who preferred anonymity, disclosed this on Monday morning, noting that the meeting between the NLC leadership and the federal government is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday.
The source said the meeting was a “dialogue on matters of national interest as it affects Nigerian workers.”
According to the source, it will be an inter-ministerial meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), purposely to resolve issues raised by the NLC concerning the federal government’s approved upward adjustment to telecommunications tariffs, which the NLC, its allies, and others are vehemently opposing.
This comes as the NLC is already mobilizing workers for a mass protest tomorrow (February 4) against the 50 percent tariff hike approval.
On Thursday last week, in a letter to affiliate unions and state councils, NLC General Secretary Emma Ugboaja urged them to mobilize other Nigerians to send a serious message to the government.
The planned protest follows the 50 percent telecom tariff approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on January 20, 2025.
The approval had sparked widespread rejection among telecom subscribers.
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