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You have no shame to speak on failures after 8 years of misrule – Gov. Yusuf counters Ganduje

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Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf,  has  replied  his predecessor,  Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, over his claims of failure in governance in the current administration, insisting that Ganduje’s eight-year tenure represented failure  and maladministration, following massive records of corruption, diversion pf piblic funds and sale of government properties that characterized it.

Governor  Yusuf , in  a  Statement issued by his spokesperson,  Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, and made available  to  journalists  on. Sunday, regretted that  Ganduje  shamelessly spoke  about  non-existent  failure in the New  Nigeria  Peoples. Party (NNPP) government,  instead  of  facing  the nemesis  of corruption  and  political violence  hanging around  his  neck.

Governor Yusuf insisted that  Ganduje presided over two unproductive tenures characterised  with siphoning public resources,  inability to cater for the needs of Kano’s population, nepotism and bloodshed that left many families the mood of melancholy.

“Our eight months in office has remarkably outweighed Ganduje’s eight wasted years of political caricature and  maladministration by all standards,”  Governor Yusuf stated.

He advised the acting National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the immediate-past Governor of the state, Abdullah Umar Ganduje to rather buckle up in defence of his battered image at the court, instead of further exposing his impunity on the media space.

Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa was quoted in the statement, reminding Ganduje how his gross penchant for corruption has brought shame and disgrace to the good people of Kano, insisting that no amount of media campaign would hinder the process of bringing him (Ganduje) to book on the glaring cases of corruption filed against him.

The statement further  regretted that Ganduje could yet muster the courage to defend himself in  the  media, despite the embarrassing video clip where he was caught, red-handed, stocking his large agbada pockets with dollars, a supposed kickback from a contractor; and other corrupt practices massively associated with  his  eight-year tenure during which he ran the affairs of Kano state as a family enterprise.

“We wish to reaffirm the present administration’s resolve and readiness to make Ganduje and his co-travellers face the full wrath of the law for thier intentional wrong doings,” the statement added.

Governor Yusuf,  however,  maintained that his administration is multifacetedly inclined,  prioritizing focus and attention on socio-economic and physical infrastructure developments for the overall well-being of Kano  and  the  good people of Kano state.

Governor Yusuf believes that for anyone to assume that efforts to unravel the issue of corruption charges against Ganduje and members of his immediate family is an attempt to cover up, clearly means, such category of  people are either under false illusion or being economical with the truth.

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For whatever option, Kano state government would advise the acting national chairman of APC to show cause why his name, that of his family, and the entire people of Kano should permanently erase from the global embarrassment that the dollar video has generated.

The administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf emphasized that it would leave no stone unturned to pursuing the dollar video scandal  to logical conclusion. He therefore requested the release of the forensic investigation conducted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFFC) on “Gandollar saga” in 2018, for public consumption.

On the allegations of poor governance in Kano despite the increase in federal allocation, Governor Yusuf revealed that his administration is still struggling to recover from state of bankruptcy Ganduje plunged the state in the last eight years.

Apart from inheriting liability and debt running into over N500 billion from Ganduje’s administration occasioned by his reckless financial misconduct, Governor Yusuf said the immediate past APC government sold almost all the property  and assets to Ganduje, members of his family, and his cronies.

He further stated that it is also glaring that Ganduje’s administration was associated with massive corruption, nepotism and  intimidation of innocent citizens of Kano state, hence the reason for setting up two Judicial Commission of Inquiry”

Governor Yusuf added that for someone to believe the lies  that our administration is  a  failure for justifying the huge resources in less than a year, means that  the person  has never been to Kano  to see things  for himself, or the person is a member of the opposition party who simply want to malign our administration.

Governor Yusuf revealed that the NNPP government in Kano recorded life-changing initiatives to the good people of Kano state, part of which include the foreign post-graduate scholarship for first class students, payment of tuition fees and entrance examinations for hundreds of thousands of university and secondary schools students, free maternal and child healthcare, renovations and equipping of some secondary healthcare facilities, among many other modset achievments that have impacted positively on the lives of  Kano people.

Additionally, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has taken a bold step in paying the backlog of pension gratuity for the state pensioners who were denied their entitlements by Ganduje’s administration in the last eight years. We completed the abandoned five kilometre roads in some Local Government Areas.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has also distributed four batches of palliatives to hundred of thousands of Kano residents to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal and increase in price of food stuff. Kano residents still remembered how Ganduje’s administration kept food items meant to be distributed  to the masses during Covid-19, under the sun and in the rain until they completely spoiled while other items were only brought out for distribution during 2023 elections, after greater percentage of the items were diverted and sold by his foot-soldiers.

While inagurating the JCI, Governor Yusuf said the first commission is to investigate issues related to misappropriation of public properties and assets while the second will investigate the cases of political violence and missing persons in the state. He wondered why Ganduje has started being jittery of the constitution of the commissions even when he has not been invited yet, to answer for his misdeeds.

According to the statement, the Governor is on the verge of restoring sanity from the spate of  political thuggery which the immediate-past administration  promoted;  and disruption of election processes in both 2019 and 2023 when unsuspecting and hapless  Kano people were maimed, injured, dehumanized, brutalized and killed by thugs loyal to the APC and Ganduje.

“We wish to warn Ganduje to stop dragging the name of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into his corruption saga, as we believe that our able and  well respected President does not interfere into cases before the courts of competent jurisdiction, as we witnessed during our trying  times at the Supreme Court when he allowed justice to prevail for the opposition parties,” Sanusi Bature added in the statement.

 

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NUJ Commends Dangote For Crashing Petrol Price

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The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council has commended Dangote Refinery for its consistency in the price reduction of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol.

 

Reacting to the latest reduction in the ex-gantry loading cost of PMS from ₦880 per litre to ₦865, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos State Council, Mr Adeleye Ajayi, said Dangote Refinery had projected itself as a huge partner in progress to all Nigerians.

 

The gesture, the Council Chairman said had endeared the business mogul to Nigeria as a saviour of the masses in the face of the present hardship

Recalled that Dangote Refinery had announced a reduction of its ex-depot price per liter by N15 ostensibly following reduction in the price of crude oil in the international market

 

“I want to emphatically say that the Dangote Refinery is indeed a blessing to all Nigerians. The roll out of petroleum products from Dangote Refinery has indeed changed the game and the fuel market is now liberalized.

 

Urging other industrialists to take a cue from Dangote’s good heart of empathy with Nigerians in the face of present economic hardship, the NUJ boss added; “In the last few months, we are all aware that Dangote Refinery has crashed the price of PMS at different interval and we are very optimistic that such gesture will be extended to other sectors by other industrialists.

 

“We need more Dangotes in this country so that Nigeria can be great again. Imagine if we have three or four Dangote in other sectors of Nigeria’s economy, Nigeria’s economic progress would have been fastracked.” Ajayi said.

 

Ajayi also lauded the move by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) which gave an express approval for the full implementation of the suspended Naira-for-Crude agreement with local refiners on Wednesday.

 

The chairman stated that the move would boost the confidence of the citizenry, as the output was expected to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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e-RIGHTS Project Partners Condemn Proposed Amendment to Data Protection Act Targeting Bloggers and Social Media Platforms

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Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), and Spaces for Change (S4C), under the European Union-funded eRIGHTS Project, condemn the proposed amendment to the Nigerian Data Protection Act, 2023, which seeks to mandate the establishment of physical offices by social media platforms and compel bloggers to register with recognized national associations and maintain local offices within Nigeria.

The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigerian Data Protection Act, 2023, to Mandate the Establishment of Physical Offices within the Territorial Boundaries of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Social Media Platforms and for Related Matters,” has passed both first and second readings at the Senate, raising serious concerns among civil society organizations, media actors, human rights defenders and social media users in Nigeria.

While the regulation of data protection is important in safeguarding the privacy of citizens, this proposed amendment extends far beyond data protection. By attempting to regulate bloggers and compel them to join recognized associations and establish physical offices, the bill threatens the constitutional rights of Nigerians, including the right to freedom of expression, privacy, and association, as guaranteed by Sections 37, 38, and 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, as well as international human rights instruments and conventions to which Nigeria is a party to.

This proposed legislation risks shrinking the civic and digital space in Nigeria. Independent bloggers, citizen journalists, and digital creators play a critical role in holding those in power to account, amplifying marginalized voices, and strengthening Nigeria’s democratic discourse. Imposing bureaucratic and financial burdens on these actors will not only undermine digital innovation but also stifle dissent and limit the diversity of online narratives.

We, the eRIGHTS project partners, therefore:

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1. Call on the National Assembly to immediately halt the legislative process on this bill and subject it to broader public consultation, especially with civil society actors, media actors, digital rights advocates, and tech stakeholders.
2. Urge the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria not to assent to any version of the bill that infringes on the rights to freedom of expression, privacy, and association.
3. Request the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to clarify its stance on this bill and uphold its responsibility to protect digital rights and data governance frameworks in a way that aligns with democratic values and international best practices.

The eRIGHTS project remains committed to promoting and protecting the digital rights of Nigerians, and to ensuring that the internet remains a safe and inclusive space for free expression, innovation and civic participation.

 

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Breaking:Reps Summons Rivers Sole Administrator

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The Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State oversight, has invited the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.) to appear before it on Thursday for an interactive session.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Spokesman of the House, Akin Rotimi (Jnr), on Wednesday.

Daily Trust reports that the 21-member committee chaired by the House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, was inaugurated by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen on Tuesday.

The committee was constituted by the House of Representatives following the resolution of the National Assembly approving the Presidential Proclamation of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.

Rotimi in the statement said the invitation was issued by the committee at its Wednesday’s inaugural meeting, following the formal inauguration of the Committee by Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.

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He said the meeting provided a platform for members to deliberate on preliminary reports and developments emerging from Rivers State since the Sole Administrator assumed office.

Rotimi said, “Pursuant to its constitutional mandate to exercise full legislative oversight in accordance with Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Committee resolved, among other matters, to invite Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, to appear before it for a comprehensive interactive session.

According to the Chairman of the Committee and House Leader, Hon. (Prof.) Julius Ihonvbere, OON: “This engagement is necessary to ascertain the true state of affairs in Rivers State and ensure that the House remains properly guided in the discharge of its oversight responsibilities in the public interest.”

The Sole Administrator is expected to appear before the Committee on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 4:00 PM, in Room 414, House of Representatives New Building, National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

“A formal letter of invitation has been sent and acknowledged accordingly. This public announcement serves to reinforce transparency in the Committee’s proceedings.

The Committee reiterates its commitment to fulfilling its duties with diligence, transparency, and strict adherence to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

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