Tinubu

In a notable departure from tradition, the Presidency disclosed on Tuesday that President Bola Tinubu would not be delivering a nationwide broadcast on Wednesday to commemorate his first year in office as the leader of Nigeria.

Instead, President Tinubu is slated to address a joint session of the National Assembly, marking 25 years of the nation’s democratic voyage at both the executive and legislative echelons.

The revelation came through Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

According to him, President Tinubu’s forthcoming speech before the combined assembly will centre on the accomplishments of his administration and Nigeria’s democratic trajectory since the military ceded power in 1999.

Onanuga elaborated on the programme lineup, stating, “Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and now President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, are all lined up to address the parliament.

“Also lined up to speak is the former military ruler, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who handed over power to civilian administration in 1999.”

Furthermore, he announced that following the series of speeches, President Tinubu would officiate the commissioning of the National Assembly Library and Resource Centre, now christened the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Building.

In his inaugural speech on 29 May, 2023, President Bola Tinubu vowed to tackle the lingering insecurity in the country.

“Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence,” the new president declared in his inauguration speech at the Eagle Square, Abuja, promising to overhaul the sector.

“To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security doctrine and its architecture. We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide better training, equipment, pay, and firepower,” he added.

It was not the first time Mr Tinubu would make promises of improved security. He had in countless pre and post-election appearances made such assertions.

However, one year after he assumed office as president, almost all parts of the country still suffer one form of insecurity or the other. Although one year may not be enough to judge the success or otherwise of an administration, there has been no significant improvement in the security sector from where Mr Tinubu’s predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, left it.

Indeed, the menace continued unabated, resulting in more than 4,556 fatalities and 7,086 abductions between 29 May 2023 and 22 May 2024, according to data gathered from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a global data hub that collects real-time conflict-related data.

Two months after his inaugural pledge to improve national security, Mr Tinubu expressed satisfaction with the performance of the service chiefs he had just appointed barely a month earlier.

“We have seen that we are recording positive results in our security challenges because of your dedication, commitment and steadfastness,” he told the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, and three other service chiefs at their decoration ceremony in Abuja.

But killings and abductions keep making headlines.

An analysis of the ACLED data by PREMIUM TIMES shows that the six geo-political zones, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, experienced several violent incidents within the period under review.

Banditry-thorn North-west leads other regions with 1,475 deaths and 4,343 abductions.

The trio of Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states prominently featured as violence hotspots, accounting for 551 out of 718 incidents recorded in the region.

In the North-central, 552 incidents of banditry, farmers-herders conflict and cultism claimed at least 1,444 lives, including military and local security forces.

In addition, about 1,321 abductions were recorded in the region.

Insurgency, banditry and other forms of violence in the North-east also resulted in at least 819 deaths and 688 abductions. These were recorded from 408 violent incidents in the region.

A similar pattern of violence, including separatist agitations and extrajudicial killings, claimed about 310 lives in the South-east where 214 others were kidnapped.

Mr Tinubu had barely spent three months in office when his administration was quaked with the killings of 36 military personnel responding to terror threats in some communities in Niger State on 14 August.

That same day, the terror group led by notorious Dogo Gide also shot down a military aircraft on a rescue mission, although the Nigerian Air Force said it was an accident.

Three months later, Nigerians woke to shocking news from Bokkos and Mangu local government areas of Plateau State where over 100 locals were killed on Christmas eve. Violence continued in the area for a while with a series of attacks and reprisals.

In March this year, armed terrorists abducted 137 students from elementary schools in Kuriga, Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. The students were set free two weeks later, after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.

That same month, 15 military operatives consisting of two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, Nigerian Army, were killed by raging youth in Okuama village, Ughelli South LGA of Delta State.

President Bola Tinubu will on Wednesday address the members of the National Assembly in a joint session, the clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Tambawal has announced.

Tambawal, in a statement in the early hours of Tuesday, announced that the president will address the lawmakers in the newly renovated chamber to mark 25 years of democracy.

“This is to inform Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members that as part of the event to commemorate 25 years of unbroken democracy and Legislature in Nigeria, there will be a joint sitting of both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday 29 May, 2024.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, will address the joint sitting on state of the nation and also commission the National Assembly Library.

“Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members are expected to be seated by 9 a.m,” the statement reads.

It would be recalled that President Tinubu ordered a low-key celebration of his first year in office.

President Bola Tinubu has said the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will create direct job opportunities for millions and positively impact over 30 million citizens.

Tinubu made this known on Sunday in Lagos, marking the commencement of the 700-km Lagos-Calabar highway project and several other initiatives to commemorate his first year in office.

During the flag-off ceremony, the president said the project is more than just a road, describing it as a symbol of hope, unity, and prosperity for the country’s people.

He said, “On the next 10 benefits of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway; during the period of construction, the road will provide direct employment for thousands of people, and indirect employment for tens of thousands of politicians and more. Economic opportunity for millions is being opened.

“It will fast-track the community’s development, It will bring development closer to the people, and give 30 million people improved access to production and marketing centres. You can easily predict a journey, vertically and go along the horizontal line and do the definition of free movement of people.”

The president urged public understanding, especially from those whose properties and livelihoods would be affected by the project.

“I further crave the understanding of the general public, especially those whose properties and sources of livelihood will be impacted by this iconic project. We all make some sacrifices to enable our country to grow,” Tinubu said.

“However, be rest assured that this government is a compassionate government that cares for you and will do the utmost to offer succour, by way of compensation.”

Tinubu also hailed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a symbol of hope, unity, and prosperity for Nigerians.

He said “This project is more than just a road – it is a symbol of hope, unity, and prosperity. It will connect our communities in nine states, foster trade and commerce, boost tourism, and create new opportunities for generations to come.

President Bola Tinubu has sacked Chukwuemeka Woke as the managing director (MD) of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA).

Woke, who served as former Chief of Staff to FCT minister Nyesom Wike when he was Rivers governor, was appointed on May 9, 2024.

His appointment, however, generated mixed reactions and protests as some groups and individuals said it was against the principle of regional representation.

In a statement on Wednesday, May 22, Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesman, announced that Woke had been replaced with Dr. Adedeji Ashiru.

Ngelale noted that Tinubu had moved Woke to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) as the director-general/chief executive officer.

The statement read: “Engr. Woke, besides being an engineer, is an environmental specialist and politician. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, and had served under the Environmental, Safety, and Operations Departments of the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“He was Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State and Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, for many years.

“Dr. Ashiru holds a Doctorate degree in Engineering from the Common Wealth University, UK, and has led a consortium of blue-chip companies, in addition to earning many stripes in his professional endeavour.

“The President expects the new Chief Executive Officers to deploy their competencies to these critical agencies for sustainable gains and turnaround, while maintaining utmost transparency in their operations.”

President Bola Tinubu has allegedly violated the recent directive he issued to reduce the number of individuals accompanying him during official travels.

Last Tuesday, the President had announced a significant cut in the number of officials on his entourage, emphasizing it as part of the government’s “massive cost-cutting measures.”

According to reports, Mr. Tinubu had directed that his delegations be limited to 25 individuals for local travels and 20 for international engagements.

Additionally, he ordered the regular deployment of security agents based at his destinations for protection, rather than being accompanied by an extensive security detail from Abuja.

Despite the laudable policy receiving widespread praise for addressing concerns of wasteful public spending, it appears that less than a week after its announcement, President Tinubu himself violated the directive during his visit to Imo State on Monday.

Premium Times reports that when the President traveled to Owerri, Imo State, for the inauguration of Governor Hope Uzodinma’s second term, his entourage consisted of more than 50 individuals.

The report suggests that at least 25 people accompanied him on the presidential aircraft, with an additional 30 officials traveling before his arrival in the city.

Notable figures reported to have been part of the entourage include President Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, senior special assistants, personal secretaries, security personnel, and media representatives. The list also encompasses two presidential photographers, an official videographer, and NTA reporters and cameramen.

A State House official described the situation as “ludicrous,” pointing out that additional personnel were mobilized to travel ahead of the President’s arrival, including security details, protocol officials, and journalists, despite local media already having representatives in Owerri for the inauguration.