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Leading Reporters

This is the worst and loneliest prison in US where Umar Abdulmutallab is serving

by Leading Reporters July 2, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian-American young boy who attempted to bomb an airplane is serving in the worse and loneliest prison in United States of America called The United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility (USP Florence ADMAX), commonly known as ADX Florence or Supermax,

This Supermax Prison in America is the only federal supermax prison that hosts the deadliest and most dangerous prisoners. It has the tightest security. No criminal has ever escaped from this prison. Ever!

Currently, there are about 439 inmates in this prison. Many inmates in this prison commit su!c!de because they are isolated completely from all humans. Suicide is the only way out and this is because of the level of isolation inmates suffer

In this prison, inmates are so isolated that they can’t communicate with any human and completely can not hear any sound at all— they can’t even see the prison guards or other prisoners year in, year out.

July 2, 2023 0 comments

Tinubu chides his advisers for excluding fuel subsidy removal from inaugural speech leading Reporters

Headlines

Tinubu divulges his advisers excluded fuel subsidy removal from inaugural speech

by Leading Reporters June 25, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

President Bola Tinubu has revealed that the fuel subsidy removal was initially not part of his inaugural speech as it was excluded by his Special Advisers, Wale Edun and Dele Alake, but he felt he had to stop it on the first day in office.

The president described the fuel subsidy as a “scam” and disincentive to growth, noting it rewarded smugglers and reduced the burden of the “real cost” of the commodity for some countries.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, this was made known by President Tinubu, while addressing members of the Nigerian community in France on Friday, June 23, 2023.

President Tinubu, who disclosed that it was the next day after the announcement that he called the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, adding that he let out the giant elephant of fuel subsidy without bringing down the house.

Fuel subsidy was a scam

President Tinubu said the interest of Nigerians will always be protected, even in engagements with the international community, governments and multilateral institutions on global issues relating to climate change, energy transition, food security, trade, security and diplomacy.

According to the statement, the President said,

“We have transport challenges, electricity challenges, infrastructural challenges and others. I let out the giant elephant of fuel subsidy without bringing down the house,’’ he said, adding, “Our diversity is our asset, if we know how to use it.’’
The statement added, ‘’President Tinubu explained that the fuel subsidy was a “scam” and disincentive to growth as it rewarded smugglers and reduced the burden of real cost of the commodity for some countries.
‘’He said the Special Adviser on Monetary Policy, Wale Edun and Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, had excluded fuel subsidy removal in his inaugural speech, but he felt it was expedient to stop the subsidy on the first day.’’

Tinubu said, “It was the next day I called the GMD of NNPL.’’

What you should know

Recall that President Bola Tinubu during his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, announced that fuel subsidy is gone as there was no provision for that in the 2023 budget from July 1.
The President pledged his administration’s support to channel the money to provide basic infrastructural needs to Nigerians.
The action of the president has been backed by some stakeholders and interest groups including state governors, legislators, oil marketers, economic and financial experts, among several others.
However, this did not go that well with organized labour due to the spike in the pump price of petrol, leading to a declaration of a planned strike action and protest by the NLC and TUC.
The strike was however suspended on the backdrop of the judgment of the Industrial Court which restrained them from going ahead with the strike as well as the outcome of the meeting between the leadership of the organized labour and representatives of the Federal Government.

June 25, 2023 0 comments

Headlines

Okonjo Iwuala bemoans the level of divisiveness among Nigerians

by Leading Reporters June 25, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has lamented the level of disunity in Nigeria, describing the situation as sad.

She spoke via her verified Twitter handle yesterday while debunking reports alleging that she snubbed President Bola Tinubu during the just-concluded summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris, France.

Okonjo-Iweala had posted photographs with some participating African presidents like that of Senegal, Macky Sall; South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema – at the summit which was also attended by President Tinubu.

Social media users in Nigeria, especially supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, who go by the appellation of ‘Obi-dients’, hailed Okonjo-Iweala for purportedly snubbing Tinubu at the global event.

Consequently, many netizens who are supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, otherwise known as ‘BATists’ began to fire what can be described as a counter salvo without finding out the veracity or otherwise of the claim.

They alleged that President Tinubu was deliberately cropped out of the photographs despite his attendance of the summit convened by the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

But, amid the social media spat between the two groups of Nigerians occasioned by false claims and counter-claims, Okonjo-Iweala took to her verified Twitter handle again yesterday to debunk the allegations against her.

She shared more photographs she took at the summit with President Tinubu, Nigerian businessman Tony Elumelu and others, noting that photographs with other African presidents earlier posted by her were done in the order she received them from her accompanying staff and colleagues at the event.

She, therefore, stated that ascribing any ulterior motive or meaning to her action (order of posting her photographs) was unnecessary and unwarranted even as she called for unity of purpose and cessation of further attacks by Nigerians.

Okonjo-Iweala wrote: “Nigerians please relax! Re Paris, Interesting attacks from both sides. Sadly shows the depth of polarization in our society. I post photos in the order received by accompanying staff or colleagues. Reading more into it is unwarranted. Let’s unite to build our country not attack!”

June 25, 2023 0 comments

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, Leading Reporters

Headlines

New Army Chief, Lagbaja, Shakes Up Army Formations

by Leading Reporters June 25, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

In what appears to be a major shakeup in the formation of the Nigerian Army (NA), the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has appointed and posted some senior officers.

The move, according to the director of Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, is part of renewed efforts to reposition the Nigerian Army for operational efficiency and functional administration.

The army chief directed all newly appointed senior officers to redouble their effort and commitment to duty in ensuring the sustenance of the ongoing onslaught against terrorism, insurgency and other threats to national security, as they assume their new appointments.

Those affected in the recent redeployment include some principal staff officers (PSOs) of the Army Headquarters (AHQ) general officers commanding (GOCs), corps commanders, commandants of training institutions, brigade commanders, commanding officers, among others.

In the new development, Maj Gen GU Chibuisi has been moved from HQ Multinational Joint Task Force Ndjamena (MNJTF) to Theatre Command Joint Task Force NE Operation (OPHK) and appointed Theatre Commander, while Maj Gen IS Ali is redeployed from Theatre Command Joint Task Force NE OPHK to HQ MNJTF as the Force Commander.

June 25, 2023 0 comments

Life Style

Meet Wole Soyinka’s first son Olaokun Soyinka who’s a medical practitioner

by Leading Reporters June 23, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Olaokun Soyinka (born 11 November 1958) is a Nigerian medical doctor and a former Ogun State commissioner for Health.

His father, Wole Soyinka, is the first Nobel laureate in Africa.

Olaokun is the first child of Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and his first wife, British multicultural educationist, Barbara Dixon. He has nine siblings. He attended Government College, Ibadan, before pursuing a career in Medicine. He attended University of London (St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School) and qualified as a doctor in 1982 and also got an MBA from Cranfield School of Management in 1986.

He practised as a physician in the UK before founding and publishing the British Journal of Cardiology. He was an active member of the Nigerian prodemocracy movement and General Secretary of NALICON (National Liberation Council of Nigeria). He was also a member of New Nigeria Forum where he collaborated with Dr Kayode Fayemi to publish NigeriaNow, the prodemocracy newsletter.

He, along with a small team of activists (Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kayode Fayemi and Wole Soyinka) worked together to establish Radio Free Nigeria which was later renamed Radio Kudirat, a shortwave station, which broadcast daily to Nigeria. He returned to Nigeria in 1998, following the death of military dictator, Sani Abacha.

Since his return to Nigeria, he has pursued a career in Public Health. After a period of consultancy for the UN and CIDA, he spent three years at the WHO country office as the Health Promotion Officer. He was subsequently appointed as Commissioner for Health, Ogun State. While serving as Commissioner, he spearheaded the implementation of the Ogun State Community-based Health Insurance Scheme called Araya.

June 23, 2023 0 comments

Exclusives Headlines

President Tinubu vows to appoint an Abuja indigene as the next Minister of the Federal Capital Territory

by Leading Reporters June 20, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

The days look good for the indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory FCT as President Ahmed Bola Tinubu has vowed to appoint a native the next Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

A discreet source who hinted on this said that President Tinubu countered all pressures on him to appoint one of his ‘loyalist’ into the juicy position of FCT minister.

“Several names of party stalwarts were presented to the President to choose from as the Minister of FCT. His first question was if the names given to him were all indigenes from FCT. When he was told that the names were his friends, close associates and that of his ‘loyalists’, the President was said to have vowed that if he or she is not an indigene of FCT, he or she does not stand a chance to be appointed an FCT minister under his administration”

The President was also quoted to have told his advisors, and associates that it was only natural, fair, and wise to appoint an Indigene as the next Minister of FCT.

He was said to have hinted that even though Abuja is the Federal Capital Territory, he believes in giving honour to whom it is due.

Furthermore, the source said that the President may go beyond party affiliation to appoint an FCT Minister. He was said to be looking for a grassroot mobilizer and a stabilizer who will help him push for the policies he has for the FCT.

One of the names being pushed forward, according to another source is the immediate past Senator of FCT, Senator Philip Aduda. Senator Philip Aduda is seen as the voice of the indigenes and is loved across boards among the indigenes. Senator Aduda lost to the Labour Party Candidate Senator Ireti Kingibe in the last election.

June 20, 2023 0 comments

PSC Approves Policy Guidelines On Deployment Of AIGs, CPs Leading Reporters

Headlines

PSC Approves Policy Guidelines On Deployment Of AIGs, CPs, to TACTICAL COMMANDs

by Leading Reporters June 20, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

The Police Service Commission has approved new Policy guidelines for deployment of Management and Tactical Commanders in the Nigeria Police Force.

Chairman of the The Commission Dr. Solomon Arase in a statement notes that the Nigeria Police Force will be guided by the principle of Federal Character in both recruitment and deployment of its personnel at Management and Tactical levels to ensure balance, equity and fairness in the system.

The chairman observed that the current deployment of Commissioners of Police to State Commands does not reflect the principle of equity and fairness to all geo-political zones of the country.

On the Imperative of Gender-senstivity in the Deployment of AIGs and CPs, the commission noted the continued practice of lopsided deployments of only male Police Officers to Zones and Commands with no fair consideration and representation of female Police Officers who are qualified for such positions.

Meanwhile, The Commission has approved three state Commands out of the thirty seven Commands must have female Police Officers as their Commissioners of Police and out of the seventeen Zonal Headquarters, at least one Zone must have a female AIG to head the zone, the statement added.

June 20, 2023 0 comments

Headlines

Tinubu sacks boards of NNPC, FIRS, other federal agencies, Spares INEC, 13 Others

by Leading Reporters June 20, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the immediate dissolution of the Governing Boards of all Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies in the exercise of its Constitutional Powers and in the Public interest.

The dissolution does not, however, affect Boards, Commissions and Councils listed in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

In view of this development and until such a time new boards are constituted, the Chief Executive Officers of the Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies are directed to refer matters requiring the attention of their Boards to the President, through the Permanent Secretaries of their respective supervisory Ministries and Offices.

Permanent Secretaries are directed, also, to route such correspondences to Mr President through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Consequently, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies are to ensure compliance to the provision of this directive which took effect from Friday 16th June, 2023.

Permanent Secretaries are particularly directed to inform the Chief Executive Officers of the affected Agencies under the supervision of their respective Ministries/Offices for immediate compliance.

Leading Reporters presents the list of the identified boards, commissions and councils, featuring in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution as amended.

They include:

(a) Code of Conduct Bureau;

(b) Council of State;

(d) Federal Civil Service Commission;

(e) Federal Judicial Service Commission;

(f) Independent National Electoral Commission;

(g) National Defence Council;

(h) National Economic Council;

(i) National Judicial Council;

(j) National Population Commission;

(k) National Security Council;

(l) Nigeria Police Council;

(m) Police Service Commission; and

(n) Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission

June 20, 2023 0 comments

Headlines

BREAKING: Tinubu sacks Service Chiefs, appoints new ones

by Leading Reporters June 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

President Bola Tinubu has approved the sack of all service chiefs and appointed new ones.

He also approved the appointment of Nuhu Ribadu as the new National Security Adviser(NSA).

These were contained in a statement on Monday evening by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and made available by the the Director of Information in the office, Mr Willie Bassey.

The President approved the appointment of DIG Kayode Egbetokun as Acting Inspector-General of Police and Adeniyi Bashir Adewale as Acting Comptroller General of Customs.

Read the full statement below.

PRESIDENT TINUBU RETIRES ALL SERVICE CHIEFS, ADVISERS, COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF CUSTOMS, APPOINTS NEW ONES
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the immediate retirement of all Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Advisers, Comptroller-General of Customs from Service as well as their replacements with immediate effect.
The newly appointed Officers are:

S/N NAME APPOINTMENTS
1 Mallam Nuhu Ribadu National Security Adviser
2 Maj. Gen. C.G Musa Chief of Defence Staff
3 Maj. T. A Lagbaja Chief of Army Staff
4 Rear Admirral E. A Ogalla Chief of Naval Staff
5 AVM H.B Abubakar Chief of Air Staff
6 DIG Kayode Egbetokun Acting Inspector-General of Police
7 Maj. Gen. EPA Undiandeye Chief of Defense Intelligence

Mr President has also approved the following appointments:
S/N NAME APPOINTMENTS
1 Col. Adebisi Onasanya Brigade of Guards Commander
2 Lt. Col. Moshood Abiodun Yusuf 7 Guards Battalion, Asokoro, Abuja
3 Lt. Col. Auwalu Baba Inuwa 177, Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State
4 Lt. Col. Mohammed J. Abdulkarim 102 Guards Battalion, Suleja, Niger
5 Lt. Col. Olumide A. Akingbesote 176 Guards Battalion, Gwagwalada, Abuja

Similarly, the President has approved the appointments of other Military Officers in the Presidential Villa as follows:
S/N NAME APPOINTMENTS
1 Maj. Isa Farouk Audu
(N/14695) Commanding Officer State House Artillery
2 Capt. Kazeem Olalekan Sunmonu (N/16183) Second-in-Command, State House Artillery
3 Maj. Kamaru Koyejo Hamzat (N/14656) Commanding Officer, State House Military Intelligence
4 Maj. TS Adeola (N/12860) Commanding Officer, State House Armament
5 Lt. A. Aminu (N/18578) Second-in- Command, State House Armament

Mr. President has also approved the appointments of two (2) additional Special Advisers, and two (2) Senior Assistants, namely:

S/N NAME APPOINTMENTS
1 Hadiza Bala Usman Special Adviser, Policy Coordination
2 Hannatu Musa Musawa Special Adviser, Culture and Entertainment Economy
3 Sen. Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel Senior Special Assistant , National Assembly Matters (Senate)
4 Hon. (Barr) Olarewaju Kunle Ibrahim Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives)
Finally, the President has approved the appointment of Adeniyi Bashir Adewale as the Ag. Comptroller General of Customs.

It is to be noted that the appointed Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police and the Comptroller General of Customs are to act in their positions, pending their confirmation in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Willie Bassey
Director, Information
For: Secretary to the Government of the Federation

June 19, 2023 0 comments

Exclusives Headlines

Tinubu to go after Mele Kyari for refusal to remit Trillions of Naira despite several letters from RMAFC

by Leading Reporters June 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Mele Kolo Kyari is one public office holder that felt larger than life under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in his official capacity as the former Group Managing Director GMD of the government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, now NNPC LTD. Despite receiving seven letters from the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, directing him to remit trillions of unremitted government fund, Kyari refused to render account of his stewardship. He never honored any of the invitations by RMAFC nor replied to any of the agency’s letter to him.

But the tides have changed and this time, they are hauling against Mele Kyari. A reliable source in the Presidential Villa has hinted that Mele Kyari refusal to remit hundreds of millions of Naira into consolidated Account, despite repeated appeal by the leadership of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to remit the money into Federation Account will land him in troubled waters any moment from now.

The discreet source told LeadingReporters that President Tinubu on enquiry, after being sworn in as President, found out that the leadership of NNPC under Kyari was enmeshed in perennial mess, untamed corruption, outrageous abuse of office, violation of Code of Conduct Acts as well as reckless diversion of Government funds under different guises. It was learnt that the President found out despite several letters of invitation extended to Mele Kyari by the leadership of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to remit an undisclosed sum running into trillions of Naira, Kyari refused to appear before the commission.

“I can confirm to you that a total of seven letters were written by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to Mele Kyari to remit government’s money into the consolidated account. An order he did not even violate but refuse to honour. He did not even reply to any of the seven letters written to him. That was the height of impunity under Kyari as the GMD of NNPC”

The source hinted that Emiefele’s case may be a child’s play compared with the rot that have been uncovered in NNPC under Kyari. It was further learnt that the President has vowed to do all he needs to do to ensure that those who bled the treasury will not go unpunished even if it means stepping on powerful toes.

“You know President Tinubu is a die-hard person who will go all out and achieve what he wants to achieve. This is one of such times and moments that the President would not mind getting all the logs that have hindered smooth inflow of revenue off the way. It will entail pushing the logs off the way and bringing to book those who have perennially placed the log on the way. Kyari days of impunity is over”. The source assured.

June 19, 2023 0 comments

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