Fresh Coup In Africa, Gabon President Removed

The military has announced a coup in Gabon, deposing President Ali Bongo, who was declared winner of Saturday’s election.

Bongo, who came to power after the death of his father in 2009, won a third term in an election which opposition argued was heavily disputed.

According to Reuters, tensions were running high amid fears of unrest after Saturday’s presidential, parliamentary, and legislative vote, which saw Bongo seeking to extend his family’s 56-year grip on power while the opposition pushed for change in the oil and cocoa-rich but poverty-stricken nation.

A lack of international observers, the suspension of some foreign broadcasts, and the authorities’ decision to cut internet service and impose a night-time curfew nationwide after the poll raised concerns about the transparency of the electoral process.

Culled from Daily Trust

Demolition Under Wike Continues As Abuja Market Goes Down

Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have demolished a market called “Kasuwan Dare”.

The market located at Hassan Musa Katsina Street, near Kpaduma II in Asokoro Extension, Abuja, was said to have harboured suspected hoodlums and drug dealers.

In a chat with NAN, the Director, Department of Development Control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima, said the market was becoming a threat to the residents of the area and passerby.

He said the area was turned into a haven for criminal activities despite relentless efforts by the FCT Administration to sanitise the area.

culled from Daily Trust

Subsidy removal: Bicycles dealers make brisk businesses in Bauchi

Some bicycle dealers in Bauchi are making brisk businesses due to increasing patronage occasioned by the hikes in pump prices and transport fares.

A check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the Bauchi metropolis showed that most of the workers, students and businessmen have resorted to cycling since the Federal Government ended the fuel subsidy regime in the country.

NAN checks at the Central Market Bauchi showed that the demand for new bicycles and repair of the old ones had increased by about 70 per cent as the number of cyclists kept surging.

Culled from Vanguard

How FG can execute roadmap for economy — NESG, OPS, others

The Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, and other members of the Organized Private Sector, OPS, yesterday rolled out priorities for the successful implementation of the Federal Government’s Roadmap for reviving the Economy.

The priorities, they said, include specific national targets for each of the eight priority focus of the roadmap, complete fine-tuning of policies and repositioning of institutions in the next three months, and strong coordination to avoid inter-ministerial misalignments in the implementation of the roadmap.

Culled from Vanguard

10 things to know about Nigerian flag designer, Taiwo Akinkunmi

Micheal Taiwo Akinkunmi, a retired civil servant and the famous Nigerian Flag designer was announced dead on Wednesday 30th August, 2023.

Here are ten things to know about “Mr. Flag Man”:

1. Taiwo Akinkunmi was born on May 10, 1936.

2. Akinkunmi is from Abeokuta, Ogun state, but was born in Ibadan and has lived there most of his life.

He had his secondary education at the Ibadan Grammar School and got his school leaving certificate there in 1950.

3. While he was an undergraduate at Norwood Technical College in London he heard of the call to design the national flag and submitted his design.

4. In 1958, his design was chosen as Nigeria’s National flag

5. Akinkunmi initially painted a sun on the white of the green/white/green which was later discarded.

6. He was awarded a cash prize of 100 pounds for winning the contest.

7. In 2010, he was given a presidential award by the federal government.

8. He was honoured with Officer of the Order of Federal Republic (OFR) and honourary Life presidential adviser on 29 September 2014 at the Conference Centre Abuja

9. In 2021, Akinkunmi unveiled the world’s largest national flag in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

10. He died on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

Culled from The Nation

Tinubu passionate about reducing cost of fertiliser – Shettima

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, says President Bola Tinubu is very passionate about reducing the cost of fertiliser for Nigerian farmers to ensure the attainment of food security.

Mr Shettima stated this at a stakeholders’ meeting with Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, FEPSAN, and the Federal Government, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

The stakeholders at the meeting also includes the Minister of Agriculture, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

Culled from Daily Nigerian

Kano NNPP Chairman clears air on suspension of Kwankwaso

The Kano State Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Hashimu Dungurawa, has reacted to the report of the alleged suspension of the National Leader of the party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Dungurawa told DAILY POST on Tuesday that Kwankwaso has not been suspended from the party, nothing that, “right now, he is attending a well-represented NEC meeting of the party in Abuja.”

He insisted that Kwankwaso is held in high esteem within the NNPP and is recognised as a legitimate leader, making the allegations of suspension false and damaging to his reputation.

Culled from Daily Post

Guber Tribunal: Zamfara APC disowns bribery allegations

Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, has declared that the leaked bribery audio circulating on social media was aimed at tarnishing the image of the party.

This was contained in a statement by the APC publicity secretary in the State, Yusuf Idris Gusau.

He said in the statement that, “It should be made categorically clear that Anas Sani Anka is not a card carrying member nor a good supporter of the APC in any way.

Culled from Daily Post

IGP warns police operatives against extortion, harassment on highways

Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun warned in Abuja on Tuesday that serious sanctions awaited police operatives engaged in extortion and harassment, particularly on interstate highways.

 “Alleged incidences of extortion, intimidation, and harassment of commuters on highways are being looked into and the force is resolute in addressing these issues promptly and decisively.

 “In response to the reports and series of complaints received on police platforms, the police leadership have directed all supervising officers to undertake stringent supervision of their subordinates in the field.

Culled from Daily Nigerian

Endless queue for passports must stop, FG tells NIS

The Federal Government has expressed dismay over the difficult circumstances Nigerians have to go through in order to obtain a passport, warning that the era where citizens queue endlessly to get passports must stop.

Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who spoke at a brief with the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Adepoju Carol Wura-Ola, and Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, urged the Nigeria Immigration Service to make the process seamless while ensuring that the document is made available to applicants in record time.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Alao Babatunde, on Wednesday in Abuja, said the Minister also charged agency heads under the ministry on the need to walk their talk as the country is at a critical point and in dire need of transformation.

Culled from Tribune

Kano procures furniture for mass wedding of 1,800 couples

The Kano State Hisbah Board (KSHB), has said it has procured furniture and other materials for the wedding of 1,800 intending couples under its mass wedding scheme.

The Commander-General of the board, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, said this when he inspected some of the items for the wedding on Wednesday in Kano.

He said the government had set budgeted over N800millon for purchase of clothing materials, food items, furniture and other necessities for the wedding.

”Each bride will receive a set of bed, mattress and pillows, as well as N20, 000 to start up a business.

 “Some philanthropists have pledged to contribute their quota to ensure the success of the wedding.

 “1,800 couples will benefit from the gesture, which would go a long way in curtailing societal vices and poverty in the society, as many marriages were being postponed, due to inability of parents to sponsor the wedding,” he said.

Culled from Blueprint