Editor

Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has cautioned religious and political leaders in the state against hate speeches and incitements.

Governor Ahmed who handed down this warning yesterday during a stakeholders meeting with various religious leaders, political leaders, labour leaders and members of security and executive councils at the Government House, Ilorin, cautioned opinion leaders and other members of the public against utterances which could overheat the polity.

While emphasizing the need for constructive criticism for improved governance, Governor Ahmed stressed that criticism must be separated from incitements in order to move the state forward.

On outstanding salaries at local government level, Governor Ahmed challenged serving Transition Implementation Committees, TIC, and prospective local government chairmen to show capacity to raise revenues, saying that local government councils in the state had not done enough in revenue generation.

According to him, “councils’ business has moved beyond reliance on federal allocation for survival to a new level where council authorities must be resourceful by thinking outside the box to raise their internally generated revenues to augment payment of salaries and execute developmental projects”.

Governor Ahmed assured the TICs that the state government would continue to give necessary support to local government councils to improve their revenues and meet their obligations.

Also speaking, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lawan Ado maintained that hate speeches would be treated as terrorism in line with the directive of Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the recently held National Economic Council Security Summit in Abuja.

Various speakers at the meeting agreed that hate speeches must be checked in order to ensure sustainable peace in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

Abdulwahab Oba

Chief Press Secretary

to the Kwara State Governor

Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has denied promising to commit suicide if President Muhammadu Buhari returns to Nigeria alive.

Buhari flew in on Saturday after over 100 days in the UK on medical vacation.

Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, told newsmen that the statement was not made by the Governor.

Adelusi claimed it was a “creation of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state.”

“Mr. Fayose never said he would commit suicide if the President returns to the country.

“It is the creation of the APC. It is their style to create such falsehood,”? he insisted.

There had been reports that the Governor said: “I will commit suicide if Buhari comes back alive”.

The Kwara State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Aro Yahaya will on Tuesday, 22 August, address newsmen at the 18th edition of the Media Parliament of the State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

According to a statement by the organisers, the media parley, which serves as a feedback mechanism will hold by 10am at the NUJ Press Centre, Offa road, GRA Ilorin.

The statement stated that the Commissioner is expected to speak on the various road projects the State government has embarked on and the activities of his ministry in general.

It added that the Commissioner would be joined at the parley by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Alhaji Mahmud Ajeigbe and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communications, Dr. Muideen Akorede.

In line with constitutional provision, President Muhammadu Buhari has written the National Assembly, notifying the legislature of his return to office, after returning from medical vacation in London.

President Buhari had returned to the country on Saturday, August 19, 2017, and in a letter dated August 21, 2017, he told the Senate as well as the House of Representatives, that he was resuming office.

The letter stated in part: “In compliance with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I write to intimate that I have resumed my functions as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with effect from Monday, 21st August, 2017, after my medical follow-up in the United Kingdom.”

President Buhari had left for London on May 7, 2017, and handed the reins of government to the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who functioned as the Acting President.

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, on Sunday said the jubilation that followed the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari was an indication that the country had no alternative to him now.

Tokunbo Korodo, the Chairman, South-West Chapter of the union told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that Nigerians were in happy mood with the arrival of their President.

“We believe in our president and I can tell you, categorically, that there is no alternative to Buhari in moving the country forward,” he said.

According to the chairman, the people came out immensely to welcome him, because they believed in him to turn around the ailing economy.

“It is with happiness that Nigerians came to welcome their president, after 104 days in United Kingdom’s hospital.

“The gesture showed by Nigerians is a sign that they believe in him and they have been praying for him to recover from the illness.

“They have hope in him that he is back to turn the country’s ailing economy round.

“Everybody is happy to receive the president back in the country.”

Mr. Korodo urged Mr. Buhari to continue with his good work.

“Our president should not relent in his effort in getting rid of corrupt Nigerians and also ensure that money recovered from treasury looters is pump into the economy.’’

On August 19, many residents of Federal Capital Territory thronged the major roads from airport to catch a glimpse of the president who had spent 104 days outside Nigeria.

He was on medical vacation in London.

Some were seen singing, dancing with banners of the president’s portraits in their hands while others jostled to take photographs of his convoy with their cell phones.

The presidential aircraft that conveyed Mr. Buhari landed at the airport at about 4:35 p.m. to the excitement of all those present at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The aircraft then taxied to the tarmac amidst music played by the Guards Brigade along with a cultural troupe performing at the airport.

The president later mounted a rostrum and saluted the guard of honour before getting into his official car and driven to the presidential villa.

(NAN)