News
Yoruba Nation agitators, IPOB oppose grazing zones
A South-West group, Conscience of Yoruba Nation, has opposed the proposition by the Federal Government to create ranches in regions of the country as part of measures to resolve the farmer-herder clashes in the country.
The separatist Indigenous People of Biafra also rejected the idea for the South-East.
President Bola Tinubu had, on Monday in Niger State, said his administration was ready to implement a comprehensive programme to end farmer-herders clashes nationwide, calling on states to provide land to create ranches.
“I know what it means as an economic sabotage for roaming cows to eat up the crops and vegetation of our lands; it could be painful but when we re-orientate the herders and make provision for cattle rearing, the problems will be solved.
“The governors should provide the lands and I, as the President, I’m committed to giving you a comprehensive programme that will solve this problem towards banishing hunger from the land,” Tinubu had said.
However, in a statement on Thursday by its Convener, Otunba Adekolejo Omololu, the COYN opposed the idea of providing land in the South-West to build ranches for herders from the North.
“As regards the recent instruction of the President of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, to the state governors to provide land for grazing to herders in an attempt to curtail the incessant farmer-herder crisis that is ravaging the country, the COYN hereby rejects this proposition of the President on this subject.
“Grazing zones as a proposal to combat the farmer-herder crisis has proved ineffective in the Middle Belt of the country. Benue State banned open grazing and provided ranches, yet the crisis in Benue has continued. In Plateau and Nasarawa states, lands were donated by the President Buhari administration but this did not stop the farmer-herder clashes.
“Southern Kaduna is another example of cases of failure of the grazing reserves; they have the longest record since the 1960 grazing reserve act where the former Northern Region let the herders lease land for grazing, the reserve land subsequently becoming disputed land, leading to further conflicts till today and continued killings in the region.”
The group, which is an affiliate of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, urged Tinubu to look into farm security initiatives for farmers whose lives were endangered every day by armed herders who had been confrontational in their encounters with farmers, leading to bloody clashes.
“We propose that the President set up a committee to investigate the causes of the incessant farmer-herder crisis and why existing remedies in other regions of the country with adequate land mass for ranching have failed.
“Mandating state governors to give land as grazing zone appears to be a repeat of the same ineffective strategies that have plagued the country since the 1960s,” the South-West group said.
Similarly, in a statement on Thursday by its spokesman of IPOB, Emma Power, vowed that IOOB would not allow any governor in the South-East to cede any land in the region for ranching or any agricultural purposes from external forces.
The pro-Biafran group declared that there was no land in the South-East for any kind of ranching.
IPOB said, “Nigerian media yesterday reported what could be considered as a great disservice, the President’s call during a political inauguration of his agricultural programme in Niger State, where he was said to have asked the state governors to provide land for RUGA and ranches.
“Perhaps, the President has forgotten that political campaigns where promises are made to win elections are over. The recent public call for the state governors to provide land for agriculture is not in good faith because it will embolden terrorist herdsmen.
“Nevertheless, we in the IPOB movement and family will never allow ceding or selling any part of our ancestorial land to these dangerous terrorists and bandits for whatever reason. The Biafra region has no land for whatever purpose. Biafrans are farmers and pastoralists, too.
“Our lands are not sufficient for Biafrans to farm and rear livestock, let alone ceding some to the dangerous terrorists. President Tinubu can cede lands in the South-West and the North, but definitely not in the South-East and the South South.
“IPOB calls all the governors in Biafra land not to surrender Biafra land by obeying the political call to give lands for RUGA and ranching. IPOB and Ndigbo, in general, will resist any governor who gives or sells any land to Fulanis for whatever purpose.”
“IPOB said it recalled that Buhari “adopted all tricks in the book to establish RUGA settlement in all the states, but Nigerians resisted them.”
“It is unfortunate that Tinubu’s government that has subjected Nigerians to an avoidable hunger and economic disaster is pushing an agenda that will further increase food scarcity and insecurity in the contraption called Nigeria,” the separatist group said.
News
Reports of Justice Agim accompanying Wike to UNICAL convocation false, misleading Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has denied that one of its justices, Justice Emmanuel Agim accompanies the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to the convocation at the University of Calabar in the South South Nigeria.
The denial came amid suspicion that Justice Agim who wrote a judgment of the Supreme Court in favour of the 27 lawmakers in Rivers State is close to Wike, hence, his presence around Wike has triggered speculations.
Wike is the former governor of Rivers State and a current of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who controls lawmakers in Rivers.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Supreme Court’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Festus Akande, he refuted the claims, saying Agim attended the event on his own.
The statement described the rumour as misleading, insisting that Justice Agim attended the event as a honoree, urging Nigerians to disregard the social media lies.
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“Hon. Justice Agim attended the convocation as an esteemed honouree and an alumnus of the institution, who the Governing Council had found worthy to be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Law (Doctor Honoris Causa),” the statement read.
“That Justice Agim was recognized for his significant contributions to the legal profession, which reflect his dedication to justice, integrity, and the rule of law.
Naija News reports that the statement highlighted that Justice Agim’s achievements serve as an inspiration for aspiring legal professionals and students alike.
The statement also addressed the claim that Justice Agim had attended the convocation ceremony in the company of Nyesom Wike.
It stressed that this was a false narrative, stating that Justice Agim’s attendance was independent of any government ministry or department and that he was not accompanying any government official.
“Any insinuation to the contrary is not only inaccurate but undermines the judicial independence that is crucial to our democracy,” the Supreme Court emphasized.
Additionally, the statement noted that Justice Agim had been scheduled to attend the burial ceremony of Hon. Justice Stanley Alagoa in Bayelsa State but had sought permission to attend the convocation ceremony instead.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court urged the media and the public to verify information through credible sources before dissemination.
“We encourage the public and media to verify information through credible sources before sharing or publishing to prevent the spread of misinformation,” the statement concluded.
News
State of Emergency in Rivers: $5,000 shared to Reps as ‘Sallah gesture,’ not bribe – Hon. Betara
Member representing Biu/Bayo/Shania/Kwaya/Kusar Federal Constituency of Borno State, Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara has disclosed that he shared $5,000 with members of his committee as a “Sallah gesture”.
Betara who is the Reps Committee Chairman on FCT said the money was not a bribe to pass resolution declaring a state of emergency in Rivers as being insinuated.
The was posted by a Nigerian investigative journalist, Jaafar Jaafar on his X handle.
Jaafar said Betara explained this to him after the lawmaker reached out to clarify that the $5,000 given to lawmakers was merely a “Sallah gesture” and not an inducement.
He quoted Batara to have said the gesture was a long standing g tradition and has nothing to do with the state of emergency I Rivers.
Jaafar wrote:
“The chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified to me that he only shared $5,000 with each member of his committee as a ‘Sallah gesture,’ not as an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State.
“According to him, he maintains the tradition—like Santa Claus—every year.
“As we say in Hausa, not thigh but hind leg.”
The clarification by Betara came amid strong speculations that Senators received $15,000 bribe to pass a resolution to sustain declaration of state of emergency rule in Rivers.
The bribe was reportedly shared on Tuesday before they voted on Wednesday.
News
INEC holds crucial meeting to look into petition recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Senate
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proceeded into a crucial meeting to study and look into a petition submitted to it by constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
CAPITAL POST gathered, it a top management meeting as it was claimed that over 250,000 constituents signed the petition out of 480,000 registered voters.
The meeting was confirmed on Monday by the Acting
Director of Publicity, Esther Chibuikem, stating that the meeting held at a committee room at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
It was also confirmed that the Secretary to the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on received the petition against Natasha on Monday.
The petition follwed the nod given by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja on Friday where the earlier judgement restraining INEC from accepting the petition was set asid3.
Last week, constituents from Kogi Central were said to have i initiated a recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, but some constituents claimed that they were d3ceived into exercise as they were told to gather with their voters card for 3 powerment.
However, the Court, in a judgement delivered in Lokoja, affirmed that the recall process is constitutionally valid and aligns with the civic rights of the constituents.
The court urged the constituents to continue exercising their rights in an orderly and peaceful manner.
The development was after the court on Thursday granted an interim injunction restraining INEC, its staff, agents, privies or assigns from receiving, accepting or acting on any petition containing signatures of members of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
As at press time, INEC hasn’t release information on the next action as signatures may have to be critically compared with its register to determine validity.
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