Month: April 2023

The Federal Government has explained that the sum of 1.2 million dollars allegedly spent in hiring buses for the evacuation of Nigerian students in Sudan was due to the dire need of the war situation.

This is contained in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Mrs Rhoda Iliya.

It was also signed by officials of the ministry of foreign affairs Ambassador Janet Olisa and Dr Sani Gwarzo of Humanitarian affairs ministry in Abuja on Saturday.

“The outcry over the negotiated sum of 1.2 million dollars for the buses hired for the exercise, is uncalled for.

“The amount in question was negotiated in a condition of war and where there are competing demands for same bus services by other countries also trying to evacuate their citizens.

“The general public is hereby advised to discountenance the unverified information being circulated on the social media as some of them are either due to ignorance or sheer mischief,” it said.

The statement also appealed for cooperation and understanding of all Nigerians in the ongoing efforts to ensure all Nigerians stranded in Sudan are returned home safely.

“The first batch of 13 buses conveying six hundred and thirty seven (637) evacuees had arrived the identified safe borders at Aswan, Egypt.

“The evacuees are undergoing necessary documentation and clearance before admission into the Egyptian territory for their eventual evacuation to Nigeria in the coming hours by the Nigerian Air Force and Air Peace airline, who have been on standby for the operations.

“However, the movement of the second batch of 29 buses will commence on April 29 and the evacuees are advised to be at the designated locations with only one luggage.”

It advised Nigerian students awaiting evacuation from Khartoum to cooperate with embassy officials for proper documentation while embarking on the buses to the designated locations.

“This will go a long way in speeding up the process and avoiding unnecessary delays with documentation and clearance upon arrival at the Aswan, Egypt.”

The government expressed commitment towards successful evacuation of all Nigerians stranded in Sudan before the expiration of the extended 72 hours ceasefire agreement.

“We want to use this opportunity to extend our appreciation to friendly countries who have in one way or the other assisted in bringing succour to Nigerians fleeing the war in Sudan.

“Particularly, Nigeria acknowledges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for graciously assisting with the evacuation of eight Nigerians from Sudan to safety in its territory, from where they would be airlifted back to Nigeria,” the statement added.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Prof. Razaq Abubakre, a former Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, has expressed optimism that former Osun governor Gboyega Oyetola will reclaim his mandate at the Supreme Court.

Abubakre, a retired Iwo professor and prominent indigene of Osun, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.

He said those threatening to cause trouble if APC wins at the Supreme Court are making empty threats.

“As for the promise of fire and brimstone by the PDP should APC win at the Supreme Court, it is an empty threat.

“This is because the security apparatus is part of the paraphernalia of the office of a chief executive, which will cease to be effective for the use of the PDP with its reputation of violence.

“Peace will return to the state once again by the grace of God the Almighty,” Abubakre said.

He alleged that the violent posture of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) remained a hallmark of the PDP, especially in Osun State.

“Many lives were lost in the struggle for Rauf Aregbesola to become governor in Osun State.

“The state normally knows peace only when progressives are in power.

“They kill their members even while conducting their primaries. They killed many members of APC and forced many to abandon their abodes which enabled the PDP and the unscrupulous umpire and security allies to write whatever they chose.

“Still, cast-iron records show that irregularities characterised the Osun governorship election,” Abubakre alleged.

He alleged that the intimidation of the Supreme Court by the spokespersons of PDP was not dissimilar to what Mr Ahmed Datti did, which prompted the Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka to condemn some of the Labour Party members.

Abubakre said that good governance was not impression management, neither was it corruption in the guise of delivering substandard infrastructural projects at inflated costs.

He said the performance of Adeleke was incomparable to the governance credentials of Oyetola, who was a silent performer.

Abubakre said that, for example, Oyetola demonstrated commendable probity and genuinely delivered critical infrastructural projects that would stand the test of time.

According to Abubakre, former governor Oyetola of the APC is still popular in Osun and is the favourite of the people.

“The popularity of APC and the former governor Gboyega Oyetola was tested twice in the just concluded Ramadan.

“The first of the events was held in Iwo, the headquarters of Osun West Senatorial District. It was a Ramadan lecture and prayers for the successful inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President of Nigeria and the victory of Oyetola at the Supreme Court.

“This, we organised from our own free volition and financial contribution without any funding from outside Iwoland. It was a mammoth crowd of devotees. May Allah accept the prayers,” he said.

Abubakre said the second event was a similar programme at Osogbo, held at the Tinubu-Shettima campaign office, for the same intent and purpose, which also turned out to be an up roaring success.

Abubakre was a Federal Commissioner for the Public Complaints Commission for Osun State between 2012 and 2018, and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ilorin from 2001 to 2003.

The Emeritus Professor has been a member of Agba Osun (Elders of Osun) of the APC, from 2021 to date.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Jide Awe, the Chief Exexcutive Officer, Jidaw Systems Ltd., says the new feature in WhatsApp can make users vulnerable to hacking or phishing attacks by cybercriminals.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the new WhatsApp feature enables users to operate their account on four different devices.

Awe told NAN in an interview in Lagos on Saturday that having multiple devices linked to a single account gives hackers more opportunities to access personal data or take over the account.

He, however, noted that WhatsApp had implemented several security measures to protect against such threats, including end-to-end encryption and remote device management.

Speaking on its advantages, he said the new feature would increase flexibility and convenience by providing users with more ways to access their WhatsApp accounts.

“The ability to use up to four different devices simultaneously makes it easier for users to stay connected with their contacts.

“This feature will enable users to manage their devices and log out of them remotely. This can give them greater control over their accounts, “he said.

On users opinions, Awe said individual preferences would come into play, noting that it might be convenient for some to use it on different devices while others could stick to using WhatsApp on one device.

He said that Mark Zuckerberg’s aim for adding the new feature could be an attempt to make WhatsApp more user-friendly and convenient with a view to attracting more users to the platform.

Awe said it could also be an attempt to keep up with other competitors like Telegram and Signal, both of which already offered multi-device support.

He added that the impact or success of the new feature would depend on whether users embraced it or if it would have any unforseen consequences.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji on Sunday neutralised three bandits in an ambush at Anka-Dan Kapani crossing in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Danmadami said the troops also recovered one PKT gun with 48 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 ammunition, three AK 47 rifles, three magazines with 63 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and three motorcycles.

“The military high command commends troops and encourages the public to avail troops with credible and timely information on terrorist and all criminal activities within their area,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria