News
Lobbyists Stranded As Tinubu Relocates From Bourdillon To ‘white House’
Politicians and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains who thronged the Bourdillon, Ikoyi, Lagos residence of President Bola Tinubu yesterday, to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir with him and continue their lobby for political appointments, were extremely disappointed.
Reason: The President has relocated to his recently refurbished ‘White House’ located on No. 4, Queens Drive in Ikoyi. Although some members of his family and personal aides attended to some party members and feted some Lagosians at Bourdillon, many politicians that attempted to see him at his Queens Drive residence were turned back by security agencies.
Sources said the President cancelled many appointments “to attend to some pressing national demands, and also needed more time to rest following his trip to France and the United Kingdom.”
People believed to be politicians in vehicles with tinted-glass were also turned back. Also, some clergymen dressed in cassock were not allowed to enter the palatial building, just as many reporters, including Television Continental (TVC) news crew were denied entrance.
The Guardian also sighted a man with a sick child on a wheelchair pleading with the security agencies to allow him to see the President. He left after several entreaties to security agents fell on deaf ears despite hours of staying at the ‘White House’ gate.
One of the guests, who was denied entrance, told The Guardian that he came from the mainland to present a gift to the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.
He said: “The level of security here is expected. This is the residence of the President and it has to be heavily fortified. We don’t know who is who. I only came to drop a gift for the First Lady, but I wasn’t allowed. Maybe I will have to take it back.”
It was gathered in Lagos yesterday that members of the President’s kitchen cabinet were still debating on the percentage of professionals and politicians that will constitute the cabinet.
Sources said while the national secretariat of the ruling party is working to prune down a list of ministerial nominees from different states, special attention is said to be given to state chapters of APC with factions.
The source said: “There are plans to ensure that the appointment is used to bring together factions in some states and ensure peace in the party.”
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured that prompt attention would be given by the Tinubu administration towards addressing infrastructural deficits in the country.
Shettima gave the assurance yesterday, when he paid Sallah homage to the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Garbai El-Kanemi in Maiduguri. He specifically mentioned Gamboru Ngala, Dikwa as well as Damboa roads in Borno State among others, facing infrastructural challenges, which require government attention.
In his remarks, the governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, extolled the virtues of the Vice President as a man of the people, a grassroots politician, adding that it was the first visit of Shettima to the state.
Also in his welcome remarks, the Shehu of Borno, who spoke in Kanuri, praised the Vice President as a worthy son of Borno, stressing that the love the Vice President enjoyed reflected in the massive support they gave to him.
The Shehu solicited the support of the Tinubu administration to address the issue of bad roads and security challenges in the state and the country.
Headline
Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna
Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.
The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.
Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.
Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.
News
Senate approves death penalty for drug traffickers
Senate on Thursday, May 9, approved the death penalty for those convicted on the charge of drug trafficking in the country.
The punishment prescribed in the extant NDLEA Act is a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration of a report of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Drugs and Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
The Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters presented the report during plenary, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno North).
The bill, which passed its third reading, aims to update the list of dangerous drugs, strengthen the operations of the NDLEA, review penalties, and empower the establishment of laboratories.
Section 11 of the current act prescribes that “any person who, without lawful authority; imports, manufactures, produces, processes, plants or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroin or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life” was amended to reflect a stiffer penalty of death.
Although the report did not recommend a death penalty for the offence, during consideration, Senator Ali Ndume moved that the life sentence should be upgraded to the death penalty.
During a clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, put the amendment on the death penalty to a voice vote and ruled that the “ayes” had it.
But Senator Adams Oshiomhole objected to the ruling, saying that the “nays” had it.
He argued that matters of life and death should not be treated hurriedly, but Barau said it was too late, as he failed to call for division immediately after his ruling.
The bill was subsequently read for the third time and passed by the Senate.
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