Nelson Ugwuagbo

Hundreds of youths and women from the Muslim community in Plateau State have joined the protests over Court of Appeal judgements which nullified the election of two senators and four other members of the House of Representatives elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The protest came on the heels of the massive protests which brought together youths from the 17 local government areas of the state, who barricaded major streets like the Old Airport Junction and Mararaba Jama‘a, demanding the review of the judgements by the Appeal Court.

The youths unanimously described the development as an act of injustice and an attempt to rob the state of the mandate the people gave to the PDP.

The secretary of Hausa/Fulani PDP Forum, Abdulkarim Yaro, called on the National Judicial Council, NJC, to review the Appeal Court judgements which were hinged on a pre-election matter that the Appeal Tribunal does not have the jurisdiction to entertain.

According to Yaro, “We got up to express our displeasure with the recent judgements by the Appeal Court because we know we have been robbed of our mandate. In other states, this issue has been taken as a pre-election matter, but why is the case of Plateau different?

“We from the Muslim community, align our voice with all the groups from Plateau who came out to speak against this injustice, we were to protest but the police said no, so as law-abiding citizens, we have no other option than to obey but we demand that the whole nation should look at Plateau. Why are we treated differently?” he lamented

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday presented a N273 billion budget for 2024 to the State House of Assembly.

The budget, christened “Budget of Reconstruction and Recovery,” has an estimate of Two Hundred and Seventy- Three Billion, Nine Hundred and Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety -Seven Thousand, Four Hundred and Ten Naira (N273,908,997,410).

Speaking to lawmakers at the assembly, Adeleke said the figure is made up of recurrent expenditure of One Hundred and Sixty–Five Billion, Six Hundred and Fifty–Four Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy – Six Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira (N165,654,976,700) and capital expenditure of One Hundred and Eight Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty – Four Million, Twenty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ten Naira (N108,254,020,710).

“The tag for this budget reflects our current focus of rebuilding the battered state we inherited,” Adeleke said. “It is a sign that we are targeting recovery after successfully revamping all sectors of Osun society,” he said.

Adeleke assured lawmakers that the executive arm has the will and determination to ensure the achievement of budgetary goals once the proposal is passed into law.

“Today, I am reassured of our collective partnership for a new Osun of our dream,” he said. “You have in me a governor with firm belief in executive-legislative collaboration for development.”

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Southwest Zone D extends its heartfelt congratulations to Asefon Sunday Dayo, the former NANS National President, on his recent appointment as the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Students’ Affairs to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This appointment stands as a testament to Asefon Sunday Dayo’s dedication, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students.

NANS Southwest Zone D applauds the decision of the President of Nigeria in recognizing Asefon Sunday Dayo’s exemplary service and entrusting him with this significant role. We believe that his wealth of experience and deep understanding of students’ issues will contribute immensely to the formulation of student-friendly policies and initiatives at the national level.

Asefon Sunday Dayo, hailing from the Southwest, has always been a staunch advocate for the rights and well-being of Nigerian students. His appointment brings pride not only to our region but to the entire student community across the nation. We are confident that he will continue to champion the cause of students and work tirelessly to improve the educational sector in Nigeria.

NANS Southwest Zone D pledges its support to Asefon Sunday Dayo in his new role and expresses optimism that under his guidance, students’ concerns will be effectively addressed, leading to a brighter future for education in our country. We look forward to collaborating closely with him to ensure that the voice of the students is heard and their needs are met on a national level.

Once again, we congratulate Asefon Sunday Dayo on this well-deserved appointment and wish him success in his endeavors as the SSA Students to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The nationwide industrial strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday has left passengers stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,

Passengers who arrived at the airport on Thursday morning, some unaware of the impending strike, found themselves stranded as the NLC shut down both the entrance and exit gates of the airport, thereby disrupting flight operations.

An eyewitness captured the scene in a video shared with Leading Reporters, revealing the plight of passengers who were forced to trek on the road leading to the airport.

Some even resorted to using a path through the bush in order to access the airport.

The eyewitness, who gave his name simply as Alex, said: “When I came this morning, I saw that the road leading to the airport was blocked. Initially, I thought it was the typical traffic jam that passengers sometimes experience at the airport. However, about 10 minutes later, more than 30 vehicles had queued behind me.

“I had come to pick up someone from the private jet wing of the airport. When I eventually managed to exit the traffic congestion, I and some other people had to follow a path through the bush to access the airport,” the eyewitness added.

Leading Reporters had earlier reported that the leaderships of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared a total nationwide strike over the brutalisation of NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, by the police in Imo State last week.

Consequently, the NLC handed the Federal Government a five-day ultimatum to replace the Imo State police commissioner as well as the arrest and prosecution of some of the aides of Governor Hope Uzodimma said to be linked with the alleged assault on Ajaero.

The unions also demanded the arrest and prosecution of the Special Adviser to the Imo State governor on Special Duties.

While the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had ordered the redeployment of the Imo police commissioner, the unions said their other demands have yet to be met, hence the strike action.