Metro

‘Nigerians living in scary times under Tinubu, APC’— PDP

Published

2 months ago

February 21, 2024

Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has, once again, lampooned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the hardship, hunger and economic challenges the country is facing under its watch.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, who raised the alarm on Tuesday, said the living conditions of Nigerians under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is so poor that Nigerians are currently living in “scary times” in the country.

Ologbondiyan who was a guest on a television programme, blamed President Tinubu and his economic policies for the worsening living conditions of Nigerians.

The PDP spokesman said in the past nine years that APC has been in power, it has displayed arrogance in failure and a tendency to purely pursue individual interests.

“What we have said several times over the years are coming to fruition, that the APC is not a political party; it’s a special-purpose vehicle, and a conglomeration of individuals who came together to pursue their individual personal gains,” Ologbondiyan said.

“Therefore, they have no mission, they have no vision, they have no policies or programmes. And that’s why we’ve found ourselves where we are now.

“Actually, the greatest thing for any leader is to be humble enough to admit errors. But what we’ve found over the years, in the last nine years now, is seeing APC displaying arrogance in failure.

“Rather than listen to other people, they are pretending to know it all; the insensitivity that ‘we can do it’ and that what other people are saying does not matter.

“Nigerians are in scary times under this government and everybody is affected both the people in government and the ordinary man on the street,” he stated.

The PDP image maker also blamed the APC government and Tinubu for his hurried decisions to remove fuel subsidy and float the naira which had led to “high inflation, low productivity, business collapse, job losses, poverty, hunger, insecurity and hopelessness in the country.”

Related Topics:APC Featured Hardship Hunger pdp President Bola Tinubu

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Metro

Nigerian troops neutralise 216 terrorists, arrest 332 in one week— Official

Published

18 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

The Nigerian Army Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops from different operation theaters across the country neutralised 216 terrorists and arrested 332 persons in the past one week.

A report released on Sunday morning by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, disclosed that troops also succeeded in arresting 24 “perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 161 kidnapped hostages across the country” in the week under review.

Buba noted that troops in the Niger Delta region denied oil thieves crude estimated to be worth the sum of Four Hundred and Forty Eight Million Five Hundred Fifty Seven Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety Naira.

According to the Army spokesman, troops in the oil rich region also discovered and destroyed 97 dugout pits, six boats, 20 storage tanks, two receivers, 16 drums and seven vehicles used in oil bunkering activities.

“Other items recovered incl 174 cooking ovens, one pumping machine and 8 illegal refining sites,” the report noted.

“Troops recovered 533,127 litres of stolen crude oil and 24,520 litres of illegally refined AGO,” he said.

Gen. Buba said that in other operation theatres, troops recovered 234 assorted weapons and 5,994 assorted ammunition.

“A breakdown of the discoveries include 131 AK47 rifles, 3 PKT guns, one M16 rifle, 43 locally fabricated gun, 21 dane guns, one 105mm gun, 2 automatic pump action guns, 18 locally fabricated pistols, 8 single barrel guns, 2 automatic pump action guns, one LG4 bomb, one MG skeleton, 3 explosive IED case, one MOWAG APC, one 81mm mortar tripod stand

“Others are; 3,120 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 2,195 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 211 rounds of 9mm ammo, 99 rounds of 7.62 x 25mm ammo, 467 live cartridges, one rifle butt, 15 magazines, 2 baofeng radios, 10 vehicles, 38 motorcycles, 43 mobile phones and the sum of N871,500.00 amongst other items.”

He reiterated that the military is going to continue to be very kinetic and strong against terrorists in ongoing counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations across the country.

“Indeed, we will banish and defeat terrorism from the nation rather than bow to it.

“Troops are maintaining the momentum in neutralizing the terrorist leaders and commanders. Indeed, we remain focused in fighting for the basic safety and security of citizens of this country,” he added.

Metro

Mapanza traditional council shares positive outlook on media rights, freedom of expression

Published

2 days ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Jonathan Muchindu, a representative of the Traditional Council of Mapanza Chiefdom in Choma District, Southern Province, Zambia, asserts that the media in Zambia currently enjoys “total” freedom of expression.

Muchindu attributed this position to the advancement of civilization, which he identified as a significant factor in ensuring media freedom.

He emphasized the role of the media in providing citizens with the necessary information to make informed decisions.

In an exclusive interview with Zambia Monitor in Choma, Muchindu, who also serves as the Director of the Zambia Corruption Prevention Watchdog, described the media and its content as essential elements akin to “food on the table.”

“We are truly privileged to witness the advancements in civilization. Previously, the media was confined to the hands of a few individuals, and its reach was limited.

“However, with the advent of technology, accessing news through various platforms such as radio and television has become commonplace.

“The media has evolved into an indispensable source of information, and its participation is now integral to our daily lives,” he remarked.

When questioned about the operational landscape of the media, Muchindu expressed confidence that no media entity currently faces undue interference or censorship.

“From our perspective, both in rural villages and urban centers, we have not encountered instances where journalists or media outlets have been subjected to harassment or undue influence.

“This collaborative effort had ushered in a sense of enlightenment among the populace, allowing for open discourse on governance matters, particularly in the realm of politics.

“The media enjoyed the same freedoms as ordinary citizens, and there is unequivocal liberty in its expression,” Muchindu concluded.

The declaration by the Traditional Council of Mapanza Chiefdom underscored a positive outlook on media freedom in Zambia and reaffirmed the critical role of the media in fostering informed public discourse.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.