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Meeting with Tinubu not about 2023- Fayemi

Published

2 years ago

January 16, 2022

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Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi has spoken on his recent meeting with the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying their meeting had nothing to do with the 2023 presidential election.

Fayemi said he was not in any clandestine meeting with Tinubu to discuss his chance of becoming President, but rather a family meeting of minds.

Recall that Fayemi held a closed-door meeting with the former Lagos State Governor on January 12, during which undisclosed issues were discussed, fuelling insinuations that Fayemi visited Tinubu to surrender his alleged presidential ambition.

But a statement on Saturday by the Governor Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, described as blatant lies insinuations that his principal had surrendered his undeclared ambition to Tinubu.

He said: “If Dr Fayemi eventually chooses to run in the 2023 presidential race at all, he would not hide his intention to do so, neither will he involve himself in any clandestine meeting to discuss his chances, since he would have been x-rayed and classified among the preferred aspirants based on his credentials, even before he makes such declaration.

READ Continue spending your old notes — Tinubu will change policy if elected, el-Rufai tells Kaduna traders

“The meeting, which took place on Wednesday 12th January, however had no third party present and had nothing to do with the presidential ambition or otherwise of either of the two political leaders.

“It was a family meeting of minds. It is therefore disingenuous of the spin doctors who were nowhere near the venue of the meeting to begin to second guess discussions at the meeting.

“In a democratic setting like ours with so many issues begging for attention, discussion will go on daily among political leaders at various levels. Political leadership plays an indispensable role in foisting great responsibilities on people, thus both formal and informal discourses cannot be wished away.

“Creating a fictional social media frenzy out of such meeting where issues of national discourse are discussed would thus amount to an ill wind that blows no one any good.

“Asiwaju Tinubu is a former two-term Governor of Lagos State and national leader of the APC, while Dr. Fayemi, also a chieftain of the party, is the governor of Ekiti State and current Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

READ 2023: Tinubu promises to protect Igbo businesses, make south-east Taiwan of Africa

“Meeting between the two leaders, dates as far back as their days in exile, when they were both involved in the struggle to wrest the country away from military jackboots, and has since been a regular occurrence both within and outside the country’s political space. So there should not be any big deal in seeing them meet, except someone has opted to create a mischief out of it.”

“Specifically, they have been dishing out barefaced and unsubstantiated lies that Dr Fayemi at the closed door meeting “debunked the raging rumour of his 2023 presidential ambition and pledged support for the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

“This, no doubt, is a reckless and untruthful spin. First, since the perpetrators were not present at the meeting and none of the leaders could have divulged what transpired, one wonders from where they got their narrative.”

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FULL LIST: Multichoice increases DStv, GOtv subscription

Published

5 hours ago

April 24, 2024

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Broadcasting company Multichoice has jacked up the prices of its offerings in Nigeria four months after its last increment.

The company reviewed prices in its packages across the board. The new prices will take effect from May 1, 2024.

With the latest price hike, the DStv Premium package increased from N29,500 to N37,000. Similarly, the DStv Compact+ went up from N19,800 to N25,000 while the Compact package increased from N12,500 to N15,700.

The Comfam package moved from N7,400 to N9,300. Yanga package moved up from 4,200 to N5,100 while Padi package increased from N2,950 to N3,600. HDPVR was increased from N4,000 to N5,000, the Access Fees package from N4,000 to N5,000, and XtraView moved from N4,000 to N5,000.

Meanwhile, the Gotv Supa+ package moved from N12,500 to N15,700, Supa package from N7,600 to N9,600, and Max package from N5,700 to N7,200.

While the Jolli package was jacked up from N3,950 to N4,850, the Jinja package moved from N2,700 to N3,300, and Smallie package from N1,300 to N1,575.

READ Fake navy officer arrested in Nasarawa

It will be recalled that the company implemented an upward review of prices in December 2023, days after announcing a $72m loss in its financial statement for the third quarter of the year.

Checks on the company’s reviewed price list then showed a 20 per cent per cent hike in the company’s packages across the board.

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NCAA grounds all Dana Air operations

Published

10 hours ago

April 24, 2024

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been directed by Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation, to suspend the operations of Dana Air, TheCable understands.

The directive followed the incident involving a Dana Air plane at Lagos airport on April 23, which veered off the Lagos airport runway.

This forced aviation authorities to divert flights from the local airport to the international terminal.

In a letter to the NCAA director general dated April 24, signed by Emmanuel Meribole, permanent secretary, ministry of aviation, and seen by TheCable, the ministry said Keyamo’s attention has been drawn to the “serious concerns” that followed the incident.

The ministry said the incident has raised concerns regarding both the safety and financial viability of Dana Air operations.

“In light of these incidents and with the paramount priority being the safety and well-being of our citizens and travelers, the Honourable Minister has directed that you immediately initiate the suspension of Dana Airline’s fleet until a comprehensive audit can be conducted. This audit should encompass all aspects of safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and financial health to ensure full compliance with our aviation regulations,” the ministry said.

READ Wike visits APC chair Ganduje in Abuja

“The recent incidents have underscored the urgency of this matter, and it is imperative that swift and decisive action be taken to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders involved. I trust in your expertise and diligence in carrying out this audit thoroughly and expeditiously.”

On April 23, Dana Air said all 83 passengers and crew onboard the flight disembarked safely without injuries or scare.

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Yahaya Bello took $720k from state coffers to pay his child’s school fees – Olukoyede

Published

18 hours ago

April 24, 2024

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The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, says Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, withdrew $720,000 from the state’s coffers to pay his child’s school fee in advance.

Olukoyede spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during an interactive session with media executives.

The EFCC boss alleged that the former Kogi governor transferred money from the state coffers to a bureau de change operator, and used the money for his child’s school fee in advance.

Olukoyede added that Bello made the payment in anticipation that his tenure was gradually coming to an end.

“A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to bureau de change and used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance,” the EFCC boss said.

“Over $720,000 in anticipation that he was going to leave the government house. In a poor state like Kogi, you want me to close my eyes under the guise of ‘I’m being used’. Used by who? At this stage of my life.”

READ Fans pressurising me to get married – Seyi Shay

Olukoyede said he inherited the case file of the former Kogi governor, noting that he did not initiate the investigation against Bello.

On April 17, EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja to arrest him over alleged N80 billion fraud.

While the EFCC operatives were at Bello’s residence, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, came to visit his predecessor.

Shortly after Ododo departed from the residence, the EFCC operatives also left the house.

Bello was reportedly rescued by Ododo when he departed his residence located in the Wuse Zone 4 district of Abuja.

Subsequently, the anti-graft agency declared the former governor wanted.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has also placed Bello on a watchlist.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Bello, alongside Alli Bello, chief of staff to Ododo; and one Daudu Suleiman, diverted about N80.2 billion belonging to the Kogi government.