The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the inability of Sen. Mohammed Ndume to access President Bola Tinubu cannot warrant or justify his outlandish declaration that the president had been “caged”.

Mr Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

The statement was the party’s reaction to comments credited to Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, saying President Bola had been “caged”.

Ndume, while saying that securing financial autonomy for local governments was the greatest achievement of Tinubu since he assumed office in 2023, also said that he was unaware of existential challenges in the country.

“The latest outburst in the media by the senator representing Borno South, and Chief Whip of the 10th Senate, Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume, claiming that President Tinubu has been caged.

“And unaware of existential challenges in the country is as haughty as it is unnecessary.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has regretted the dearth of courageous people who can speak truth to power.

Obi who spoke Saturday, during the 10th anniversary of Alaigbo Development Foundation in Umuahia, Abia State, regretted that the country had aboundance of praise singers who tell leaders what they what to hear.

The former Anambra State Governor who recalled how he judiciously managed public funds while in office, also charged public leaders to use public funds for the people.

He further charged them to make people-centred policies, and pursue programmes that promote public peace.

Obi blamed the woes of Nigeria on avarice and insatiable quest for wealth among public office holders.

He, therefore, challenged Nigerians to speak truth to power and stop hero worshipping.

Obi said: “What we lack in Nigeria is people who can tell you you are wrong when you are. Leaders are bound to listen to the people because the people put them in the office.

” Leaders must use public money for public purpose”, Obi thundered. 

Continuing, he said:”When I was in public office, I used public money for public purpose. I made sure I used the peoples money for them.

” I did not spend any Kobo for personal gain. I didn’t take it owing pensions, gratuities. I did not owe any contractor. Now in private life I can do whatever I like with my money.”

The former Anambra State Governor who said he left office without owing workers including pensioners and contractors, disclosed that he also left behind $150m for the state.

Obi solicited continued prayers for leaders so they would serve the people with the fear of God.

The former Anambra Governor who advocated role for traditional institution, advised Government to partner socio-cultural organizations for the development of society.

He further encouraged ADF to continue its advocacy and sensitization of Ndigbo for advancing the cause of the Igbo nation.

Obi also preached unity among Ndigbo.

In his remark, the pioneer President of ADF, Professor Uzodinma Nwala, said the objective of ADF had been galvanize Igbo stakeholders for the development of Alaigbo.

The new national President of ADF, Nze Coleman Emeka Chukudelunzu, called for unity among Ndigbo to rebuild Igbo land.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of the event, Maj General Chris Eze (retd.), commended the doggedness of Ndigbo to overcome the challenges of the civil war.

Highlights of the two -day event were the inauguration of the new national leadership of ADF, and cutting of the anniversary cake.

In the wake of Saturday’s shooting incident at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, United States, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have issued separate statements condemning the violence and expressing relief that Trump is safe.

After the shooting that reportedly occurred minutes into Trump’s speech, Secret Service agents quickly surrounded the former president and escorted him off the stage.

Trending social media videos appeared to show blood on Trump’s face and a bleeding ear as he was led away.

Biden, after receiving briefing on the situation, said in a statement published on the White House website: “I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.”

He added, “Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”

Biden’s vice, Harris, issued a similar reaction: “Doug and I are relieved that he (Trump) is not seriously injured. We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting.

“Violence such as this has no place in our nation. We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence.”

Both Biden and Harris expressed gratitude to the Secret Service, first responders, and local authorities for their swift action in protecting the former president and managing the situation.

The U.S. Secret Service had earlier confirmed Trump’s safety, with spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeting, “The Secret Service has implemented protective measures and the former President is safe. This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available.”

Also reacting, the Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger told Washington Post that two people were confirmed dead following the incident, including one of the suspected shooters.

Former President of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News gathered that Anyim announced his defection to the ruling party at the Pa Oruta Ngele Township Abakaliki during the Grand Finale of the APC Local Government election Campaign on Saturday.

Anyim, on Saturday, led other notable personalities across other political parties, including former State and National Assembly members, Former Governorship candidate of Labour Party, Edwin Nkwegu, Senator Obinna Ọgba, former national and state assembly candidates and thousands of their supporters to join the party.

The National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, Governor Hope Uzodinma, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State and Minister of Works, David Umahi, State Chairman of the party, Stanley Meghan and others were in attendance to receive them.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, commended Anyim for all the support he gave to APC during the 2023 elections adding that it is only now he formally joins the party.

He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for all the support given to him when he faced legal battles after joining the party.

He said, “President Tinubu called me to come and see him, and when I came, he carried me in his car personally to meet a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who handled our case”

The Minister noted that he faced serious attacks and conditions for deciding to join the APC but is grateful that today the party has become the beautiful bride of all in the state and southeast.

The Minister noted that the President is very much interested in the development of the southeast and needs the support of the people to succeed.

He noted that the Lagos Calabar Coastal Road will have a spot that will pass through Ebonyi, adding that other work is ongoing on other major roads in the region.

He urged the two governors and other party Leaders in the region to work harder to bring on board every stakeholder in the region to the party so that the region would take its rightful place in national politics.

Uzodinma noted that the recent ruling of the Supreme Court will strengthen democracy in the country.

He urged youths to shun all forms of protests against the government of President Tinubu.

Anyim assured the National Chairman that Ebonyi State has always been united under one political family.

He noted that the people have resolved to collapse the whole state into one political family in appreciation of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s performance and efforts at uniting all groups in the state.

An early morning fire outbreak has burnt a section of the Gidan Rumfa palace of the 16th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.

PUNCH Online gathered that the fire outbreak, which happened on Friday night, around 11 pm, was set by yet-to-be-identified persons.

A source, who spoke with Daily Trust, said the palace located at Kofar Kudu, where the Emir sits every Monday for the court, was seriously affected by the fire.

The source added that the throne, air conditioners, and other valuables were destroyed in the inferno.

“It was the palace at Kofar Kudu. You know the palace has an entrance from inside while the main entrance is from the front (outside). The key was forced open, and what was suspected was that they broke in, set the fire and locked the door.

“The throne, air conditioners and other valuables in the palace have been destroyed,” the source said.

However, the Chief of Staff to the Emir, Munir Sanusi Bayero, confirmed the incident in a statement, a copy of which was made available to The Punch on Saturday evening.

According to the statement, “It is hereby notified that on Saturday, July 13, 2024 morning, a fire incident occurred at the outer court of His Highness’s Palace, Kofar Kudu.

“Fortunately, there were no casualties, and the damage was minimal. The palace is taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of the palace and its occupants. We are also investigating the cause of the fire and taking steps to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.”

However, the Kano State Fire Service claimed they were not informed about the incident, as they didn’t receive any calls at their centres.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to import a cargo of Brazilian crude, Bloomberg reported on Friday.

It said this would add to the large number of overseas barrels of crude feedstock that the Nigerian firm was importing.

Indigenous crude oil refiners, including Dangote refinery and modular refineries, as well as local crude producers have repeatedly raised concerns about the low crude oil output from Nigeria.

Although the government, through the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, has been making efforts to tackle this, oil production from Nigeria has remained low.

This has made it tough for local refiners to get crude, as bulk of the oil produced in-country are exported due to earlier arranged contracts with International Oil Companies operating in Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that traders with knowledge of the matter stated that Dangote refinery, which is still ramping up to full capacity, would receive a shipment of one million barrels of Tupi crude from Brazil for delivery in the second half of next month.

“The refinery, billed as pivotal in ending Nigeria’s dependence on foreign fuel, has already snapped up millions of barrels of American crude,” the report by the media organisation stated.

It stated that the purchases of non-Nigerian barrels likely reflect the most competitively priced, suitable cargoes.

The traders said the cargo was sold by Petrobras, a state-owned Brazilian multinational corporation.

Bloomberg said officials at the company, and one at Dangote, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Quoting data from the Latin American country’s commerce ministry, the publication said it was the first time that Brazil had exported oil to Nigeria.

Dangote refinery recently purchased five million barrels of US crude scheduled for delivery next month and in September.

It was reported in May this year that the refinery planned a purchase of 24 million barrels of crude from the US for over a year.

Modular refiners had also stated that crude importation would linger until Nigeria produces enough barrels to meet both domestic demand and exports.

Former United States President, Donald Trump, was rushed off stage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, following alleged gunshots from unknown sources.

The incident, which occurred just minutes into Trump’s speech, may have left the former president injured.

Videos in circulation on social media show what seemed to be blood on Trump’s face, with his ear bleeding as he was being moved away by Secret Service agents.

 

 

 

 

Bullet pierced upper part of my right ear – Trump

 

 

Former President Donald Trump has released a statement following the shooting incident at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which left one person dead and another seriously injured.

Trump himself sustained a minor injury during the attack.

“I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Trump said in his statement sighted by PUNCH Online on Sunday.

He went on to express his condolences to the families of the victims stating, “Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured.”

 

The incident occurred as Trump began his final rally before the Republican Party convention. Witnesses reported hearing a series of loud bangs that sounded like gunshots, causing chaos at the event.

John Yeykal, an attendee from Franklin, Pennsylvania, described the scene saying, “We saw a lot of people go down, looking confused. I heard the shots, it sounded like between firecrackers and a small caliber handgun.”

Meanwhile, Trump provided details about his injury, stating, “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”

 

The Secret Service quickly rushed Trump off the stage and into an SUV. They later confirmed that the “former President is safe” and declared the area an active crime scene.

Trump’s statement revealed that the shooter is now dead, though he added, “Nothing is known at this time about the shooter.”

Both President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama have issued statements condemning the violence and wishing Trump a speedy recovery.

Biden said, “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”

Meanwhile, Obama echoed this sentiment, stating, “There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy.”

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang visited the collapsed structure at Saint Academy in Busa Buji, Jos North local government area for an on-the-spot assessment and ordered the immediate closure of the school.

The school had 284 secondary students and 145 primary pupils. The structure collapsed on Friday morning, resulting in the deaths of 22 people and injuring 154 others.

By Friday evening, statistics showed that 154 people had been rescued from the debris, with 22 confirmed dead and 132 hospitalized. Injured students and staff are receiving medical treatment at various hospitals in Jos, the state capital.

Specifically, 39 of the injured are at Plateau State Specialist Hospital, 32 at Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) Hospital, 55 at Bingham University Teaching Hospital, and six at Jos University Teaching Hospital.

During his visit to the site on Saturday morning, Mutfwang also expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased children and promised that the state government would cover the medical costs for the injured students.

He said, “… Whoever built this school, did not do well. I am not a technical person but all I can see on this debris is sand. It is a two-storey building as a layman, I know there has to be a proper mixture of sand and cement but what I can see here is pure sand.

“You have endangered the lives of innocent children for no reason. We can’t continue like this, it is no longer time to spend time praying against demons and Satan, this is human negligence.

“We cannot allow this school to function for the parents, it is unfortunate what has happened but what it means is that this school is closed down immediately.

“We can’t take any further chances and we need to send this message particularly the owners of private schools the drive for profit must not overshadow the safety of lives so we taking steps immediately to do a technical audit of all the schools. We will test their structural integrity to ensure human beings can habit such buildings.”

He added, “Some buildings were not built in the right places, some built without approvals, without the right materials so we will correct these things. I won’t just blame the school but also our public officials who were supposed to supervise but didn’t do their jobs.

“We are setting up a committee to investigate this incident and bring in building professionals to investigate this and anyone found culpable will face the wrath of the law. This is why we signed Executive Order 003 to bring sanity into the environment.

“When we insist that some building be demolished, we are not wicked, we are concerned about the safety of lives. When we see buildings on waterways, in marshy places, we will bring them down. We can’t afford to have this kind of mishap again. May God grant the parents of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss and grant the injured a quick recovery.”

He commended the efforts of all stakeholders in the rescue mission and asked that citizens do the right things and obey rules and regulations put in place to save lives.

A victim of the collapsed two-storey building in the Kubwa area of Abuja has shared his harrowing experience. The building at Plot C31, Sultan Dasuki Road collapsed on Saturday morning.

The last victim rescued, a corps member, was found unconscious under the rubble by officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), FCT Emergency Management Department (FEM), FCT Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigeria Police Force. The corps member was promptly transported to the Kubwa General Hospital. 

Two other victims, Abdullahi Masud and his female guest, had managed to escape before the collapse and were also taken to the hospital. Masud recounted his ordeal, stating that a neighbour had previously pointed out a cracked wall near the staircase.

“I later noticed an unfamiliar sound from several parts of the building while I was bathing in the morning. I managed to run out naked. I learned that other people could escape, too, leaving only one lady stranded at the time. While in the hospital, my girlfriend was brought too,” Masud said.

Another resident, who remained anonymous, said, “I heard a rumbling sound around 7 am. I thought it was from my next compound, only for me to rush here, and I hear the commotion. So I went to the front and saw that the building had collapsed. They have been trying to rescue people. FEMA is around. Fire service is also around. They have rescued some people. They are still trying to rescue more people. There are people still trapped inside.”

Mrs. Florence Dawon Wenegieme, the Acting Director General of FEMD, was at the scene and confirmed that the search and rescue efforts would continue until they reached ground zero.

This incident follows a recent school collapse in Jos, Plateau state, which killed at least 22 people and injured over 100.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will have to spend way beyond their means to maintain French tactician, Herve Renard as Super Eagles coach.

Herve Renard made a name for himself in the coaching world when he led two different African countries, Zambia and Ivory Coast to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2012 and 2015 respectively.

The 54-year-old France tactician is currently the head coach of France Women’s national team. He has announced that he would step down from the role after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Hence, a series of national teams are lining up for his signature including the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Egypt and the United States of America.

A source from the NFF confirmed according to the Vanguard that the football federation has contacted Herve Renard. The source revealed that the Frenchman is demanding $180,000 which is equivalent to 253 million naira. He also demanded other unnamed conditions which were not revealed.

The source was quoted as saying: “Yes, the NFF has made contact with Renard for the Super Eagles job, but the biggest stumbling block is that he is demanding a salary of $180,000 (a month), which in Naira is almost close to 300 Million.

“This will be the highest ever paid to a coach and the NFF just cannot afford this.

“This may well be a wild goose chase.”

Note that the former Super Eagles of Nigeria head coach, Jose Peseiro was initially paid $80,000 per month on the job. This salary was later slashed to $50,000 per month and months of debt at a point.

Reports claimed that Finidi George who resigned from the job in June, barely two months after his appointment, earns just 5 million naira as the coach of the Super Eagles.

Recent reports claimed that the NFF has recommended Herve Renard and two other coaches to be considered for appointment. It is now left to be seen who the federation will settle for.

The Super Eagles’ head coach is expected to be named before August as the national team will begin their 2025 AFCON qualification campaign in September.