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Timi Frank Condemns $15bn Illegal Railway MoU by NDDC’s MD

*Urges EFCC, ICPC to wade in

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Sunday, strongly condemned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a $15billion Trans-Niger Delta Railway Project entered into by the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, with Atlantic Global Resources Inc.

Frank in a statement in Abuja described the action of the NDDC’s MD as illegal and a Yahoo Yahoo abracadabra, that is fraudulently laced with deceitful intentions aimed at siphoning the resources of the commission.

He called on any of the anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, to urgently wade in, arrest, investigate and prosecute Ogbuku and his co-conspirators for attempted fraud and misappropriation.

He noted that only the Chairman of the Governing Board of the NDDC is vested with powers to enter into contracts with other firms by the act establishing the agency.

He said, “It is worthy to note, that as part of the responsibility of the Governing Board of the NDDC, as empowered by its establishment Act No 6, 2000, only the Chairman is vested with the sole power to sign contracts or MoUs with any firm or organization.

“It is curious therefore, as to how only the Managing Director and a selected few in conievance with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs would proceed to sign an MoU without the prior knowledge of the Chairman, but rather justifying an ultra vires action.

“The position of the NDDC management in its reaction affirming that the $15billion Railway MoU was signed for the preliminary process for a railway network and not an award of contract, suggests that ongoing talks with this company is another calculated attempt to defraud the Niger Delta people in the guise of ‘Preliminary Studies’ for a Trans-Niger Delta Railway.

“This shady MoU without due consultation with the board, carried out by the MD of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, with Atlantic Global Resources Inc, to build a railway network connecting the nine Niger Delta states can only be described as crass carelessness and outrightly insensitive at this time.

“Mr Ogbuku must be reminded that the struggle for the attainment of a better Niger Delta was a battle fought by many and thus as stakeholders in this struggle, we’re mandated to serve the people relentlessly rather than engaging in the same setbacks of the past.”

He added: “In the light of the above therefore, it is clear that the MD and his partners are clearly toeing the same path as the pre-forensic audit of the commission.

“Besides, in pursuit of a better Niger Delta, we’re poised to applaud laudable projects and disapprove of white elephant projects in this regard.

“It is sad that whilst we continue to hope for overall growth and development of the region, we’re still confronted with weighty and dubious setbacks detrimental to the positive advancement of the zone.

“It will be foolhardy to jump on a Trans-Niger Delta Railway network’s feasibility, when the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had only recently in 2021 awarded a $11.7 Railway contract that would connect states in the entire region from Lagos.

“It is therefore shocking that an agency of government will seek to overide the prior approval of FEC and initiate another MoU on behalf of the NDDC and the Federal Government for the same project in 2023 without due process nor approval by FEC in the twilight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“The FEC must make its position clear as regards this recent MoU duplicating the project even as the completion of the East/West Road has since become a mirage with little or nothing done all these years.”

He called on the National Assembly, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the nine Niger Delta States’ Governors (Advisory Board of NDDC), and all other stakeholders to outrightly reject the flawed MoU as it is of no immediate significance save for personal aggrandizement.

He said: “Any form of support in aiding the commission to secure loans for the purpose of this purported ‘Preliminary Studies’ for the railway construction must be rejected and resisted.

“The Niger Delta people are desirous of more sustainable programmes that positively

affect daily living rather than any phantom project.

“The NDDC must focus on the implementation of its original masterplan, which no board has achieved since inception and concentrate more on Human Resource Development programmes, including training of youths, provision of better healthcare, education, etc., and cease from being used as a conduit in impovershing the people.”

*Ask Tinubu To Retain Isa Jere as CG

The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Isa Jere has been commended for the good instituting reforms that are yielding positive results through out the country .

The National Coordinator of Concern Civil Society  Organisations and the National Secretary, Comrade Mada Ibrahim and Okpani Mike Odeh James made the commendation in a chat with media men in Kaduna .

According to Comrade Mada Ibrahim, NIS under Isa Jere has been able to curb the influx of foreigners into Nigeria during election season and this have greatly reduced to the cases of illegal aliens participating in the country’s election .

“If you recall before the election,Isa Jere gave his commandants marching orders to weed out illegal aliens and prevent them from participating in the polls .

“That order resulted in the  arrest of foreigners in Zaria, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and Ogun  with huge number of PVCs. We also are aware of how many others with the country’s PVCs were apprehended by The Service  

“The result is what we saw during the election, zero reports of foreigners participating in our electoral process in 2023 . 

Mada went on to commend the men and women of Nigerian Immigration Service for civil and orderly conduct during the elections proper .

During the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections, reports we got showed that men and women of the Nigerian Immigration Service were very civil, diplomatic and were at the best  

These of humanity have endeared them to the hearts and minds of many Nigerians and we are saying thank you to them and their boss 

Apart from helping to conduct an election that is free from the intervention of illegal aliens, Isa Jere was also commended by the group for initiating several other reforms such the  establishment of a  Digital electronic passport portal which prevents time wasting and extortion of Nigerians seeking to obtain or renew the passport .

According to the group’s National Secretary, Okpani Mike Odeh James, 

“Jere has been able to restore discipline and hard work within the Service as men and women of NCIS are more dedicated to the jobs

staff of the Service have been retrained or maximum efficiency under Isa Jere .

Okpani Mike further added that for the good of the Service and the country, 

“we are calling on the incoming administration to allow Isa Jere continue with the reforms that he has initiated .

We asking  Bola Tinubu to add at least four more years to Jere’s tenure

*Ask Tinubu To Retain Isa Jere as CG

The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Isa Jere has been commended for the good instituting reforms that are yielding positive results through out the country .

The National Coordinator of Concern Civil Society  Organisations and the National Secretary, Comrade Mada Ibrahim and Okpani Mike Odeh James made the commendation in a chat with media men in Kaduna .

According to Comrade Mada Ibrahim, NIS under Isa Jere has been able to curb the influx of foreigners into Nigeria during election season and this have greatly reduced to the cases of illegal aliens participating in the country’s election .

“If you recall before the election,Isa Jere gave his commandants marching orders to weed out illegal aliens and prevent them from participating in the polls .

“That order resulted in the  arrest of foreigners in Zaria, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and Ogun  with huge number of PVCs. We also are aware of how many others with the country’s PVCs were apprehended by The Service  

“The result is what we saw during the election, zero reports of foreigners participating in our electoral process in 2023 . 

Mada went on to commend the men and women of Nigerian Immigration Service for civil and orderly conduct during the elections proper .

During the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections, reports we got showed that men and women of the Nigerian Immigration Service were very civil, diplomatic and were at the best  

These of humanity have endeared them to the hearts and minds of many Nigerians and we are saying thank you to them and their boss 

Apart from helping to conduct an election that is free from the intervention of illegal aliens, Isa Jere was also commended by the group for initiating several other reforms such the  establishment of a  Digital electronic passport portal which prevents time wasting and extortion of Nigerians seeking to obtain or renew the passport .

According to the group’s National Secretary, Okpani Mike Odeh James, 

“Jere has been able to restore discipline and hard work within the Service as men and women of NCIS are more dedicated to the jobs

staff of the Service have been retrained or maximum efficiency under Isa Jere .

Okpani Mike further added that for the good of the Service and the country, 

“we are calling on the incoming administration to allow Isa Jere continue with the reforms that he has initiated .

We asking  Bola Tinubu to add at least four more years to Jere’s tenure

*Says Tinubu unfit to rule Nigeria

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said that he has been able to run for the office of the President of Nigeria since 1993 without any controversy because unlike his main rival and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, he is unencumbered by drugs and identity scandals.

These revelations are contained in Atiku’s response to Tinubu’s and APC’s reply to his petition challenging the process and the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

Besides, Atiku said that his own identity, comprising age, state of origin, and educational qualifications, have never been in dispute like those of Tinubu.

In his response to Tinubu’s reply to his petition, Atiku insisted that Tinubu is constitutionally disabled from contesting for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Amongst others, Atiku alleged that Tinubu is unfit to lead Nigeria having been indicted for drug related offences in the United States of America (USA) and made to forfeit a sum of $460,000 as a compromise agreement.

In the response filed by his lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, the PDP presidential candidate justified why the declaration of Tinubu as President-elect cannot stand, adding that against the law, “Tinubu holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and Guinea, having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Guinea”.

Similarly, Atiku accused Tinubu of not disclosing facts of his constitutional qualifications in his Form EC9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), contrary to the provisions of the law.

The petitioner while admitting that Tinubu may be a “Titan and a Maestro”, he however said that the “President-elect is certainly not a titan and maestro in national stature but in controversies such as age, state of origin, identity, educational qualifications represented by certificates obtained from universities and colleges”.

Apparently reacting to Tinubu’s response in which he described Atiku as a serial election loser, the former Vice President said that Tinubu is a giant in forfeiture, drug related offences and failure to disclose dual nationality to INEC.

“The comparison of the second respondent (Tinubu) with the first petitioner ( Atiku) who had attained the eminent position of Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for eight years is totally unfounded”, he said.

Justifying his request for the annulment of the declaration of Tinubu as President-elect, Atiku said that Tinubu and APC never won the majority of the lawful votes cast in the February 25 presidential election.

Amongst others, the PDP presidential candidate maintained that Tinubu failed part of the constitutional requirements, having failed to secure 25% of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as constitutionally required.

He insisted that the return of Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election is undue, unlawful, and invalid because Tinubu did not meet the constitutional requirements as to qualification.

Rather than addressing the issues raised against him and the disputed election, Atiku said that Tinubu deliberately chose not to answer points of substance in the petition and opted for extraneous facts, contradictory, evasive, speculative and vague assertions.

In reaction to another issue raised against Atiku’s petition, the former Vice President claimed that his petition did not in any way constitute a gross abuse of any court process, adding that the originating summons of February 28, 2023, filed at the Supreme Court by Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta , Edo, and Sokoto states have since been discontinued.

At any rate, Atiku said that parties in the suit of the six PDP controlled states are not the same in his own petition and therefore prayed the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to discountenance the objections and the averments raised against the petition by Tinubu and grant him all the reliefs sought in the petition.

Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Paul Ibe said that the only thing common between Atiku and Tinubu is the year 1993.

He said while it was the year that Atiku started his presidential campaign run, it was also the same year that Tinubu fell to the US justice system over his indictment and conviction for drug trafficking and money laundering for which he forfeited a whopping sum of $460,000.

Meanwhile, J K Gadzama, SAN, has ceded the headship of the Atiku legal team of the PEPT to Chief Chris Uche, SAN.

Filings by the Atiku legal team responding to Tinubu’s and APC’s reply to Atiku’s petition were signed by Chris Uche, SAN.

Additionally, Atiku’s legal team has filed an application for pre-trial hearing notice pursuant to paragraph 18(1) and (2) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act 2022.

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has called on the National Assembly, Nigeria Police Force and Department of State Services, among others, to urgently commence investigation of the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva over alleged certificate forgery and identity theft.

Sylva who is a former Governor of Bayelsa State, recently emerged the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Bayelsa State.

Frank made these request in a petition he addressed through his solicitors to the Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the DSS, among others, on the matter.

In the petition, dated March 31, 2023, and signed by the Principal Partner of Graylaw Practice LP, Edward Omaga Esq., Frank urged the National Assembly to summon Sylva and officials from his alma maters in Nigeria and Switzerland to explain the inconsistencies in the identity of the politician.

According to the petitioner, Sylva’s primary school certificate carried his name as Anagha Timipere as evident in documents the ex-Minister filed before a court in the United States as part of an ongoing defamation suit brought by his lawyers.

He said Anagha Timipere was different from Marlin Anagha Timipre, which is the name on Sylva’s WAEC certificate.

He claimed that the ex-petroleum minister had also obtained his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Port-Harcourt, with the certificate bearing Anagha Timipre Marlin.

He insisted that this clearly contradicted Sylva’s 2011 doctoral degree certificate in International Relations from Ubis University, Switzerland, with the name Chief Timipre Sylva.

He further claimed that Sylva neither participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme nor did he obtain an exemption certificate as required by law.

The petition reads in part: “Obviously, the certificates mentioned above have visible anomalies and do not depict the true identity of CHIEF TIMPRE SYLVA. It is confusing as to who CHIEF TIMIPRE SYLVA is; who ANAGHA TIMIPRE MARLIN is; who MARLIN ANAGHA TIMIPRE is and who ANAGHA TIMIPERE is.

“There is no evidence anywhere showing that CHIEF TIMPRE SYLVA ever changed his name from ANAGHA TIMIPRE MARLIN to TIMIPRE SYLVA in 1986 after he purportedly graduated from University of Port Harcourt,” stated the petition.

“Investigation by our client reveals that there is also no record that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge or Exemption Certificate, as the case may be, either in the name of ANAGHA TIMIPRE MARLIN or TIMIPRE SYLVA.”

The obvious discrepancies in the documents caused the petitioner to insist that Sylva may have forged his academic certificates or had them stolen from a third party, “an offence that violates Section 438 of the Criminal Code Act and carries a 14-year prison sentence.”

He urged both chambers of the National Assembly to summon the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), and State Security Services (SSS) officials for their roles in screening and approving Sylva’s ministerial appointment as well as his successful governorship bid in 2007.

He claimed that after learning that his identity inconsistencies could imperil his governorship quest, Sylva filed processes to change his name to Timipre Sylva in an official Government Gazette of May 12, 2022.

He said before seeking to change his name in an official gazette, Sylva had already served as Bayelsa State governor between 2007 and 2012 and also Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, among other top-level state and federal positions.

Additionally, the petitioner prayed the National Assembly to summon Sylva and officials from all the academic institutions that issued him certificates to confirm the actual identity of who they awarded the academic certificates.

The institutions include Ajeromi Central School in Apapa, Lagos, West African Examination Council (WAEC), University of Port-Harcourt and Ubis University, Switzerland.

He urged the Nigerian Immigration Service, through the National Assembly, to seize Sylva’s International Passport to prevent him from fleeing the country and seeking refuge in Western nations like U.S., Dubai, Canada, etc.

In another petition to the Governor of Bayelsa State and Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Frank who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, called on the State Government to urgently commence investigation to unravel the authenticity of certificates and true identity of Sylva.

He called on the state to derecognise Sylva as former Governor of the State if found to have either forged his certificates or altered his identity.

By Victor Danjuma

Aggrieved members of National Union of Agricultural and Allied Employees (NUAAE) on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest against the continues stay in office of an alleged suspended National President of the union, Comrade Simon Anchaver.

Speaking to Journalists in Abuja, the National Treasurer of NUAAE, Comrade Obafemi Oyenubi said ” we came here to conduct our meeting at the National Secretariat but we discovered that the policemen that are here don’t want to allow us to enter saying that they haven’t receive a Directive about our coming and immediately we received invitation from the area commandant which we obliged to and he advised us to be law abiding which are used to doing.

According to him the Area Police Command reschedule their meeting with the Anchaver group to 5th May, 2023 to find lasting solution to the lingering crisis.

He said ” our demand is that Comr. Anchaver is on suspension therefore he dares not parade himself to conduct meeting of this union longer. And beside he’s a retiree from Benue state therefore we’ll not accept him as our leader any more and also to allow us use our offices at the headquarters.

According to him the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is aware of the lingering crisis in the union as they have their delegates from there too.

In a related Development, Comr. Oyenubi that he (Anchaver) has written illegal letter terminating the leadership of Kwara state Executives of Lower Niger Rivers Basin Development Authority which is against the rules and regulations stipulated in their union constitution.

He has appealed to the relevant authorities to disregard and reverse such purported letter arguing that Comr. Anchaver is suspended therefore he doesn’t not have legal right to write the management of the Basin in ilorin, kwara state capital.

On his part, the Acting President of NUAAE, Comrade Comrade Aniedi Ekpo said ” the crisis rocking the union can just be summarised as selfishness and greed by the esrtwhile National President of the union, Cmr. Anchaver who was suspended since Dec 4th, 2021 but he still holds unto power with some individuals he can manipulate their benefits.

“In so doing he’s bringing down the reputation of the union however we’re moving forward with legal backup to show up that we’re sincere in this course.

He stressed that they expecting Comr. Anchaver will be in the next meeting next month for them to resolve the crisis.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Lower Niger Rivers Basin Forum, Comrade Mudi Olayinka said ” the issue started last year where we made corruption allegations against the Management of lower Niger Rivers Basin Development Authority ilorin.

” the forum made and we reported to the Ministry of water resources on mismanagement of the Managing Director but the Ministry failed to do the needful.

He noted that comrade Anchaver had invited him on the issue which he explained to him and the next step was a letter suspending him which is against their constitution.

Several calls and texts messages sent to the contact of Comrade Anchaver at the time of filing this report was not responded to .

The highlights of the meeting was that the aggrieved members of the union were seen chanting solidarity songs at the front of their headquarters at Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Abuja.

The Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Phrank Shaibu has called on the National Assembly to publish a report of its investigation on the N52bn Special Works Programme implemented by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo.

Shaibu said this in a statement, while reacting to Keyamo’s acquisition of a house in the United States at the cost of over $300,000.

Recall that in 2021, the Federal Government had in a bid to ameliorate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, approved the sum of N52bn for the hiring of 774,000 Nigerians across all the local government areas in the country for three months.

The 774,000 Nigerians were hired to take on menial jobs such as clearing of drainages, sweeping of markets, cutting grass and other community services.

Keyamo had specifically orchestrated the sacking of the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Nasiru Argungu, insisting that he was in charge of the N52bn project which the National Assembly noted was a flop.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives had stated that many of the beneficiaries of the funds did not get anything, while others who got did not do any job. They, therefore, questioned Keyamo’s running of the programme and promised to launch an investigation into the matter.

Reacting to Keyamo’s claim that he owns several houses in the US, Shaibu said: “The National Assembly had described the special works programme as a sham and also questioned how the funds were spent. Keyamo had, for the last two years, defended the shambolic implementation of the programme.

“With his open confession that he has acquired houses in the US, I hereby call on the National Assembly to publish its report on the failed project. I also call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately probe the finances of Festus Keyamo, who only became a senior advocate two years before becoming a minister.

“It is public record that Keyamo was an activist and a prosecutor for the EFCC, doing mostly pro bono cases before taking public office. However, he now boasts of being a real estate mogul after becoming a minister. This is laughable and an insult to the sensibilities of Nigerians.

“In any case, Keyamo’s time as minister of state for labour and employment witnessed the highest level of unemployment, which KPMG says is about to hit 40%. Under Keyamo, universities also witnessed prolonged strikes, as ASUU proceeded on 10 months strike in 2020 and eight months industrial action in 2021. Keyamo clearly failed as a minister but grew wealthier in the process through his so-called real estate business. He thus needs to be investigated with immediate effect.”

Keyamo had said that by letters dated March 6, 2019, before he was appointed a Minister, he wrote to the relevant government agencies, informing them of the closure of his foreign accounts and the repatriation of his funds to the country since Nigerian law does not allow public officials to operate foreign bank accounts.

He further stated, “My assets declaration is there for all to see. Some of us don’t need government funds or patronage to get by. Whatever we do and whoever we support is out of our deep convictions.”

Reacting, however, Shaibu dared Keyamo to publish his asset declaration form as submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau in 2019.

He said since Keyamo had boasted many times about being an EFCC prosecutor and an anti-corruption champion, he ought to be bold enough to make his asset declaration forms public to prove that he was telling the truth.

Shaibu said, “Keyamo has one month left on his tenure as minister, which means he will need to declare his assets before the CCB next month. Let him make public his asset declaration forms, before and after office, to prove to Nigerians that he did not steal.

“The truth about Keyamo is that he is a hypocrite, a rabble-rouser who pretends to be on the side of the masses but is only after his stomach. He started as a disciple of the great Gani Fawehinmi but has since strayed from Gani’s ideals by serving as Spokesman for a man who was an anathema to Gani and who Gani had accused of forgery and fraud – Bola Tinubu.”

Amidst uncertainty over the zoning of the speakership of the 10th Assembly , The All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Group has raised the alarm over alleged plot by the opposition to foist a speaker on the next House of Representatives. 

Alluding to outcomes of clandestine meetings being held in and outside the  country,  the group accused the opposition of plotting to not only destabilize the APC but further embarass the ruling party at the inauguration of the 10th Assembly. 

Alh. Ali Kangiwa Dankira, a member of the Katsina State chapter of the APC Support group, while speaking on the matter, alleged of plans by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, headed by outgoing governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal to rally opposition House members – elect to support his ally and an APC Reps member- elect from Katsina State, Hon. Sada Soli, for the speakership of the 10th Assembly without recourse to zoning arrangements or input of the APC. 

Dankira alledged of plans to reenact  the Saraki/ Dogara National Assembly leadership scenario in 2015 where the ruling APC was embarassed by party stalwarts in conjunction with opposition elements.

” Hon Sada Soli, member -elect, Kaita, Jibia Federal Constituency, Katsina State was the Chief of Staff to Tambuwal from 2011 to 2015, just as they had been coleagues in same House from 2007 to 2011 as Reps then under the PDP. 

” Hon Soli, some members and outgoing governor Tambuwal have been holding meetings on how Soli would emerge as the 10th Assembly speaker with direct implementation of the strategies that  led to the Saraki /Dogara scenario in 2011 which Tambuwal helped in marshalling out.

“Our fear is that given the diversity in the composition of the the 10th Assembly as regards members-elect, if there is no clear cut intervention by the party leadership and chieftains, the APC will be embarassed by opposition elements working in cohort with some of our members. This will ultimately hamper the smooth running and success of the incoming Bola Tinubu administration,” Alh. Dankira lamented. 

He called on the APC National Working Committee, President Muhammadu Buhari, the President- elect and his vice, APC leaders and party stalwarts to immediately liaise with its members-elect to reach encompassing resolutions as to their stand on the current leadership position to avoid a repeat of the past, noting that a stitch in time saves nine. 

The CEO manna group, Mr Chima Nnaedozie has congratulated the Muslim ummah the world over for the successful completion of the month of Ramadan with the celebration of the Eid- El- Fitr 2023.

In a special sallah message on Friday, he urged Nigerians to use the celebration to pray for the peace, progress and unity of the country

” I congratulate Muslims the world over for a successful Ramadan and wish them all wonderful Eid- El-Fitr celebration

” May we use the lessons and blessings of Ramadan and pray for peace, process and unity of our country and the world at large” he added

• don’t Compromise merit, NCYP task President Elect

As Nigerian Muslims join the rest of the Muslim Faithfuls in marking Eid El Fitri celebration, President – Elect, Bola Ahmad Tinubu have reminded that Nigerians voted for him based on his track record during his tenure as the Governor of Lagos State, therefore, he should not compromise his sterling leadership quality .

The Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) in a goodwill message to the President- Elect which was signed by its national leader, Isaac Abrak and made available to media house,used the occasion to extend its heartfelt greetings and felicitations to President Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The statement furthers states

“As we celebrate with Tinubu, we remind him that he was elected by Nigerians because of his legacy as Lagos state governor, where he provided good governance to all the people of Lagos. Tinubu transformed Lagos into one of the biggest economies in Africa because he assembled a team of people who understood his God-given call for service to humanity. This cabinet was made up of Nigerians drawn from all ethnic and religious backgrounds based on merit.

“We strongly remind the President Elect not to compromise on this standard as he chooses his kitchen cabinet, advisers, and other government principals. This standard is what Nigerians voted for in him, and they do not expect anything less but even better.

The group also task the incoming President to be mindful of the security and economic hardships that have bedeviled Nigerians while urging him to hit the ground running with policies aimed at ameliorating these hardships with the help of carefully assembled team members

“The NCYP recognizes that Tinubu’s presidency is coming at a time when the Nigerian people have been stretched by economic and security hardships to the highest limit. As such, the country cannot afford to be stretched beyond its elastic limit.

“Thus, only a team with the character of selfless service and spirit of patriotism like that of Tinubu’s days in the Lagos government can hit the ground running, improving the living conditions of all Nigerians, uniting the country, and setting it on the path of transforming into the great nation envisioned by our founding fathers.