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Nigerians are starving, dying, PDP tells Buhari

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government to end what the party referred to as their insensitivity and take urgent steps to address the worsened food insecurity and the attendant hunger and starvation across the nation.

Making this assertion in a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary on Sunday, the party lamented that under Buhari, over 82.9 million Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals due to the failure of the administration to take practical steps to grow and protect the food sector, thereby leading to severe food scarcity with prices soaring beyond the reach of Nigerians.

It said: “Due to the misrule of the APC and Buhari administration, our country now ranks as 98 out of 107 in Global Hunger Index, with an agonizing food shortage, collapsed purchasing power; alarming 33.3 percent unemployment and 22.95 food inflation rates as well as increased morbidity and mortality rates.

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“Today, under the APC, a bag of rice which sold for N8,000 under the PDP now sells for N30,000, a measure of garri and beans which sold for N150 and N250 now sells for N500 and N800 respectively; a measure of maize and guinea corn which sold for about N150 now sells for N400 while a kilo of meat which sold for about N800 now sells for about N2,300.”

The main opposition party noted that the current food crisis is occasioned by the failure of the APC administration to recalibrate our agricultural sector as well as to take decisive steps to address the violence, terrorism and banditry in food production areas.

The party further stated: “Nigerians recall how the APC administration had to remain insensitive to calls by our party and well-meaning Nigerians asking it to address the escalated violent attacks and killing of farmers as well as livestock producers, by bandits, terrorists and criminal herders resulting in the desertion of farms in various parts of our country.

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“Nigerians can also recall the response of the APC administration to the beheading of 43 rice farmers in Borno State, wherein it heaped blames on the slain patriots instead of immediately tracking down their killers and ensuring the security of our farmers in the area.

“Under the APC and Buhari watch, our farmers now overflow in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps as their fields and farmhouses have been overrun by bandits and terrorists including political mercenaries brought into the country.

“Moreover, escalated insecurity on our highways has also hampered production and distribution value chain, with no hope in sight.”

The PDP charged President Buhari to take urgent steps to address the urgent issue of hunger by opening our silos to cushion the situation and push down prices.

It advised that the federal government should also realign the agricultural sector by beefing up security in food production areas so that farmers can return to the farmland.

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The PDP also expressed its belief that the time has come for President Buhari to provide direct stimuli to small businesses as an incentive to pay salaries, revamp production and boost purchasing power.

 

 

 

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UPDATED: DHQ declares physics professor, 7 others wanted over murder of 17 soldiers in Delta

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The Defence Headquarters has declared eight persons wanted in connection to the killing of army personnel in Okuama community, Delta state.

The 17 army personnel were killed on March 14 during an operation in the community.

 

Among those declared wanted are Ekpekpo Arthur, a professor of physics at the Delta State University; Akeywiru Omotegbono, Andaowei Bakrikri, Igoli Ebi, a lady; Akata David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Oghenerukevwe and Reuben Baru.

The names of the deceased soldiers are A.H Ali, D.E Obi, S.D. Ashafa, U. Zakari, Yahaya Saidu, Danbaba Yahaya, Kabir Bashir, Abdullahi Ibrahim, Bulus Haruna, Sole Opeyemi, Bello Anas, Alhaji Isah, Clement Francis, Abubakar Ali, Adamu Ibrahim, Hamman Peter, and Ibrahim Adamu.

After the killing of the army personnel, President Bola Tinubu and the military high command promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

On Wednesday, the personnel were buried at the military cemetery in Abuja and were posthumously conferred with national honours by President Tinubu.

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The president also offered scholarships to children of the late officers.

 

Speaking during the burial ceremony of the late personnel, Taoreed Lagbaja, chief of army staff (COAS), said it was “highly demoralising” that the soldiers were killed by those they were equipped to protect.

The army chief added that it took over 72 hours of searching to recover the vital organs of some of the deceased soldiers.

 

He added that the Nigerian Army exercised “a lot of restraint” in the search for missing arms and body parts of the deceased soldiers.

 

The army chief also said some of the widows of the slain officers are pregnant.

 

“The Okuama killing has added to the care of the Nigerian Army and, by extension, the Nigerian state, 10 widows, three of whom are four, five, and eight months pregnant, 21 orphans, and many other dependents, which include parents,” Lagbaja said.

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We didn’t monitor Labour Party national convention, says INEC

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it did not monitor the national convention of the Labour Party (LP).

 

Recall that on Wednesday, the LP conducted its national convention at the Grand Seasons Hotel, in Nnewi, Anambra state.

Julius Abure was re-elected as chairman of the party at the convention.

However, Rotimi Oyekanmi, media aide to Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, said that the conduct of the convention was not monitored by the electoral umpire.

Oyekanmi did not specify why INEC did not monitor the convention.

The convention was initially slated for March 29 but was later changed to March 27. The leadership of the party had said the date was changed because the initial day falls on Good Friday, a very important date for the Christian faithful across the world.

The venue was also changed from Abia to Anambra.

 

Speaking on the change of venue, Kehinde Edun, LP national legal adviser, said the party duly informed INEC about the change in venue and date.

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“So, we are at liberty to pick any venue of our choice. We only need to inform INEC about the change in venue and the time,” Edun said.

 

There have been calls for the party to suspend its national convention.

 

On March 17, the house of representatives caucus of the LP called for the suspension of the convention to enable the party “properly plan” the event.

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described Abure’s re-election as “an illegality”.

 

On March 16, the NLC and LP traded words over calls for the suspension of the party’s convention and resignation of Abure as chairman of the party.

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DHQ declares eight wanted over murder of 17 soldiers in Delta

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The Defence Headquarters has declared eight persons wanted in connection to the killing of army personnel in Okuama community, Delta state.

The 17 army personnel were killed on March 14 during an operation in the community.

 

DHQ named those declared wanted as Akeywiru Omotegbono, Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Bakrikri, Igoli Ebi, Akata David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Oghenerukevwe and Reuben Baru.

More to follow…

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