2023: Group holds Women rally for Funmi Ayinke

….Vows to mobilize 50 million votes

The Grassroot Women Support has vowed to mobilize about 50 million votes for Funmi Ayinke in the 2023 general elections.

The women who bore their minds at a “One million woman rally” in Abuja today said women as a significant stakeholder in the development project of any society needs to be involved in the development of the economy.

They said globally the issues of women marginalization and low participation in political leadership and decision-making have attracted much attention from stakeholders. 

Etuk Patricia who led the women said although women and men have different biological and physiological makeup, they may share common features with men regarding educational qualifications, socio-economic status, and occupation, among others. Yet, they are marginalized in virtually all spheres of public life. In many African countries, such as Nigeria, obnoxious social norms, political exclusion, and economic lopsidedness dictate the presence and voice of women in public life.

“We wish to highlight the undeniable fact that in the annals of the country, women have not had the privilege of leading this country despite their numerous contributions to the sustenance of democracy.  

“This is not to say women in the country are not qualified to lead the country, but rather the enabling environment has not been created as the history of Nigeria is replete with heroic exploits of women that are pacesetters, energetic, industrious and policy experts in governance and development. 

She said the Nigerian Women Coalition for Good Governance has looked wide and far in consultation and concluded that Ambassador Funmi Ayinke, whose penchant for the country’s development, has been noteworthy. 

“Her antecedent speaks volumes of a woman who is industrious, energetic and with the requisite experience and qualifications to turn around the fortunes of the country if allowed to lead this country in 2023. 

“Our endorsement of Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is hinged on the undeniable fact that she has proven herself the amazon of our time through her numerous exploits in her career and philanthropic activities. 

“Her development model has also elicited commendations from near and far in ways too numerous to mention. This much has been attributed to her leadership attributes that indicate a woman of substance whose penchant for thinking outside the box is legendary and what is required in addressing the myriads of challenges confronting the country. 

“Therefore, our firm conviction is that Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is well-positioned to lead the country to greater heights. We, therefore, call on all well-meaning Nigerians to roll out the drums in support of this amazon of our time in her quest to lead this country come 2023. 

“She is young, experienced, and an entrepreneur of repute who built a conglomerate from scratch by dint of hard work and resilience. Today, we wish to state that Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is the messiah Nigeria is waiting for. It behoves on all and sundry to work assiduously towards the actualization of a dream centred on the country’s collective good. 

“The Nigerian Women Coalition for Good Governance wishes to inform the generality of the Nigeria people that the time is indeed now for a paradigm shift in governance in the country and Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is that credible choice come 2023” the group said.

APC Convention: El- Rufai out to Tarnish President’s Image, Character- Group

A group, the Buhari Core Supporters Network (BCSN) has alleged that Governor Nasir el- Rufai of Kaduna state is out to tarnish the image of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group also alleged that Governor is behind the leaked All Progressive Congress (APC) zoning documents making the rounds and therefore, urge that he must be punished for his indiscretion.  

President of the group, Badamosi Luqman in a statement issued in Abuja said it is callous that documents with President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature were released under such questionable circumstances especially when the matter the documents related to is one that is controversial and has consequences for the sustenance of Nigeria’s democracy. 

He said since the documents surfaced, President Buhari has come under unwarranted abuses and criticism from within and outside the party, including people labeling him a dictator who has hijacked his party members’ right to elect those to lead the party.

“We have consulted those that are familiar with the circumstances behind the leaked documents and have found out that only El-Rufai had custody of the original documents and is consequently the only person that could have leaked them, which we now have cause to believe he did to further his own agenda.

“As a state governor and a public office holder who took the statutory oaths to assume office, El-Rufai should have known the error in releasing such sensitive documents to the public when he was not authorized to do so. It is doubtful that he would take it lightly for any of his aides or subordinates to commit the same crime he has committed.

“We are worried that the same El-Rufai who is acting behind the name of President Buhari and leveraging Nigeria’s first citizen’s name to destroy the APC while at the same time keeping up the pretext of being on the President’s side” he said 

Luqman said t is even more irksome that Governor El- Rufai is justifying his action to his associates as purportedly acting to promote a northwest agenda, which we know to be a pack of lies as he has now proven that his intention is to actualize his cabal’s selfish dreams and ambitions while destroying everything that President Buhari has worked and lived for over the years. 

“BCSN categorically warns El- Rufai that he has done enough damage to the image of President Muhammadu Buhari and should in the name of God and everything he holds dear to his heart allow the President to end his service to Nigerians without further tarnish from people like him.

“We urge President Buhari to order an investigation into the leakage of the documents with a view to confirming the person(s) behind the leak, their motives, and determining the befitting sanctions to discourage such irresponsible behavior in the future.  

“BCSN further urge the leadership of the APC, irrespective of what President Buhari does in this matter, to separately punish the Kaduna State governor, who has effectively pitched party members against each other with the leak. The party must send a strong message by ensuring that all those he got President Buhari to endorse are voted against at the party’s national convention for being part of the maligning the President’s reputation” he added

FEC may review Kaduna – Kano rail project as Amaechi accuses Chinese contractor of playing politics

Obviously displeased Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has accused the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) of consciously frustrating the delivery of the Kaduna-Kano rail project for political reasons.

The Minister who speaking to journalists during the inspection of the project and other facilities in Kano on Saturday said the CCECC is playing politics with the project.

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He threatened to speak more about the project after Wednesday Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

“I think the CCECC is beginning to play politics. They should move away from politics and focus on construction. And I think they need to complete the Kaduna-Kano rail as planned.

“I think what they’re doing is delay the project for this government to come to end,” he said.

Amaechi explained that the speed is extremely slow. They are supposed to have over 2,000 equipment on this project, they have just 541 so far. They claimed that over 300 are in Kaduna. We have sent a team to check. But even if you add that, you will still have just over 800. Just over 800 equipment compared to 2,000, means something is wrong somewhere” he said.

“I know they will claim that we haven’t funded them but part of their responsibility in the contract is for them to look for the money. CCECC hasn’t given us money. Chinese haven’t given us money. So they can’t afford to delay it because is their responsibility to look for the money. That’s what the CCECC must do. But I will address the press and Nigerians on Wednesday after we meet with CCECC. If there is no difference, I will tell the country what’s going on.

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He said the report from the project consultant show the project is just about five percent completed, which is unacceptable.

He also described as unacceptable the fact that the contractor was yet to commence work on the Port-Harcourt/Maiduguri rail line, saying, “we have given them some money. They ought to have started work by now but if you go there, nothing is happening. It is an old track. We can’t just give you money and you go to sleep.”

The Minister however assured Nigerians that when completed, the project would be of high standard, saying, “quality is guaranteed. Quality is not our problem. Our problem is speed.”

The 204km rail corridor consists of 13 large and medium sized bridges, 17 framed bridges, 60 highway overpasses, 12 pedestrian overpasses and three stations.

Amaechi also visited the Dala Inland Dry Port, Kano where work was going on at impressive speed.

Managing Director, Dala Inland Dry Port, Ahmad Rabiu, told the Minister that all that was left were electrical fittings and minor works for operations to begin at the port just in weeks.

The Minister was accompanied on the trip by the Permanent Ministry, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani: Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria (NRC) among others.

2023: Group to hold one-million-woman Funmi Ayinke for President rally

As the 2023 presidential election edges closer, the clamour for Nigeria’s first female president has continued to gather momentum.

Further pushing this agenda are a group of concerned women across the country who have tipped renowned philanthropist, Amb Funmi Ayinke for the job.

Led by its convener Princess Uju Chukwu, the group have pledged to hold a one-million-woman rally in solidarity with their fellow woman.

According to a statement signed by Princess Uju, as the name implies, women in their numbers from the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory will participate in the mass action.

She said the women are united in a common course; a female presidency and Ayinke as their preferred choice.

Uju said Ayinke was selected from a strong list that consisted of nine other distinguished women who have not only excelled in their professional careers but shown competence, capacity and capability to govern.

Of the 10, she noted that Ayinke had an edge due to her philanthropy, humanitarian and selfless services.

“If it has happened in Liberia, Malawi and Tanzania, we believe Nigeria is ripe for a female president. Now is the perfect time,” Uju said.

“Women are no longer begging to be included anymore, no. Rather they want to take over the helms of affairs.

“Ayinke is our choice. She ticks all the boxes; young, visionary and selfless. She is an accomplished professional who has carved a niche for herself in the engineering sector and would definitely transform the nation if she emerges president.

“Yes, she wasn’t the only choice. There were over 50. We narrowed the list to 10 and ultimately Ayinke was picked by the overwhelming majority of our selection committee members.

“At the last polls, it was gathered that over 40 per cent of the actual voters were women. However, this isn’t reflected in the representation that we get”.

Uju, therefore, urged other women to join the movement, noting that this is for the future of their daughters.

She added that if these over 40 per cent of the country’s voters can settle for a fellow woman, then Ayinke can emerge.

Uju, however, appealed to Ayinke to publicly declare her interest in the presidency.

She also urged females from all works of life to join the one-million-woman rally.

GANDUJE TO UNVEIL DALA DRY PORT LOGO, THEME ON MONDAY

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, will on Monday March 7, 2022 unveil the Theme and Logo of the Dala Dry Port at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

The event which will hold at the Lagos room of the hotel by 11 am is a prelude to Kano Economic Investment summit which will
showcase the DALA DRY PORT as a major transport infrastructure and other sectors like the Kano economic city that will stimulate industrialisation and commerce.

According to a statement signed Thursday by the Kano State Commissioner for information, Mohammed Garba, the Dry Port will make Kano a hub of domestic and international trade.

“It will diversify the economic base of the country,” he said.

The statement revealed that the unveiling of the Logo and Theme shall have in attendance major stakeholders in the industry including; The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), Shipping lines, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), National Inland water ways Authority (NIWA) and Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding (CRFFN).

Others are the Chairman Dangote group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, The Chairman BUA group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, a host of others from the business community and Royal Fathers led by the Emir of Kano, His Royal highness Aminu Ado Bayero.

Process for establishment of national carrier resumes next week, Sirika assures aviation correspondents

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has announced that the ministry will advertise for requests for proposals on the establishment of a national carrier next week Monday.

He also said the process for the concession of Nigeria’s four major international airports will be completed in the second quarter of 2022.

Sirika disclosed this Wednesday while playing host to the Executive Committee members of the Abuja Transport and Aviation Correspondents Association (ATACA) in his office in Abuja.

The Federal Government has been making efforts to concession Nigeria’s major international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.

Sirika said, “The transaction advisers for the concession have finished the Outline Business Case and had got the Request for Qualification. We’ve pre-qualified the people and they’ve been issued Request for Proposal.

“They’ve turned the proposals in and we are analysing them to announce the successful bidders and this will be soon. Our timetable is for the first quarter of this year.

“Well, I can see that it is still happening, let’s be very ambitious, but certainly it will end in second quarter and all the (identified) airports will be concessioned.”

The minister further noted that many airports have been established since the current administration took over government in 2015.

He said, “There are more airports today than when we came in 2015. There’s Anambra and Lafia airports; there is Ekiti airport, going on; Makurdi airport, going on; Yobe airport, Ebonyi airport and many other airports.

“We have about 12 new airports added since we came and this is growth. And we have the same in other aspects of the sectors, as more runways are being added, more capacities for the airports are being delivered.

Sirika said the government was diligently implementing the key components of the aviation sector roadmap, adding that “we are very sure that before the end of the term of Mr. President, these things will be achieved and realised.”

The minister also revealed plans to begin the issuing of requests for proposal to intending investors for the establishment of the national carrier on March 8, 2022.

He said, “The transitional adviser is going to request for proposal next week Monday. Government will own five per cent, Nigerians will own 46 per cent and the international partners airlines will take 49 per cent shares.

“We will give them some weeks to respond to the request, then we will announce the winning bidder. However, in the interim, because government intends to own only five per cent of the airline shares, we are going to go ahead with the AOC (Air Operator Certificate) which has commenced since.”

Sirika added, “I believe that by April, we should be able to have our AOC ready, which means, we are ready to start. And once the AOC is in our hands, the offices are secured, the interim board is being constituted, and when they finish signing the contract, we will announce who they are.

“Currently, they are called interim because they will hold the airline on an interim bases up to the time the investors will come and take over.”

Sirika said the interim board members “are noble people, some are Nigerians, some are not. I think they are about nine of them to run the airline and they will begin operations between now and July.”

He said that within the period, Nigeria Air would run Lagos and Abuja, “and as the situation demands, they may extend to Port Harcourt and other parts of the country.”

Kogi Local Government Secretaries honour Commissioner as baby is named after Governor’s mother

It was a gathering of political bigwigs at the home of Kogi State Commissioner of Solid Minerals, Hon Abubakar Bashir Gegu who Tuesday named his newly born baby girl after the late mother of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello.

Prominent among the crowd of politicians and well wishers is the Coordinator of Secretaries of Local Governments of Kogi State, Ms Joy Ojoma Odaudu who extolled the commissioner’s love for the governor by naming the daughter Nana Hauwa Oziohu.

She described Hon Gegu as a great and loyal member of the Governor Bello’s cabinet and has exhibited such by immortalizing the very great woman who gave birth to the governor. She wished the new baby a live that is that extraordinary and long.

Also present at the occasion is the Chief Security Officer to the governor, Alhaji Abdulmalik Suleiman who represented the governor.

Executive Chairmen of both Kogi and Lokoja local government areas were also present among many others.

2023 Presidency: YBN women mobilizer takes Bello’s campaign to the grassroots

The campaign to mobilize support to elect Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello of Kogi State President of Nigeria in 2023 may have taken a new turn in Kogi State.

This is as the Women mobilizer of the Kogi State chapter of the Yahaya Bello Network (YBN), Ms Joy Ojoma Odaudu has concluded her door to door campaign in the 11 wards of Omala Local Government area of Kogi State.


The women mobilizer who is also the Secretary Omala Local Government area was overwhelmingly received with songs and dance as villagers trooped out in their hundreds to welcome the one the fondly call Mama Jay.

During the tour, she told the people that in Nigeria’s political history some political office holders have tried to ensure that what they were elected to do are done to the best of their ability, leaving no cause for regrets especially for those who have invested their time and  resources to get into their various offices.

“One of those who are leaving no stone unturned by providing good governance to the best of his ability is the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello. 

The need to sieze this opportunity to elect this unequalled as the president of Nigeria is inevitable come 2023.

“In fact, Governor Yahaya’s achievements in the last years in steering the affairs of the state in an exemplary manner have made many people to describe him as a man with uncommon political virtues and I describe him as a goal getter.”

Hon. Odaudu attested to the fact that Yahaya Bello on the saddle of governance has turned around the fortunes of the state from its despondent state in the past to a prosperous one today.

“In the education sector without doubt, this administration has improved the educational standard of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary institutions in the State. The Bello Government has carried women along in his political journey ever since he assumed office. 

“More so, in the public service, civil servants in the state are grossly indebted to the governor for his prompt payment of salaries.

Hon. Joy calls on all the women all over the country and meaningful Nigerians to support Governor Yahaya Bello for President Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023.

I want to build Nigeria’s biggest rail station in Kano, Amaechi asks Ganduje for land

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has disosed plans to build Nigeria’s biggest rail station in Kano State.

The minister made this known Monday when a delegation from Kano, led by Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje, visited him in Abuja to discuss the rail and Dala inland dry port in the State.

“We have two major projects we want to do in Kano; the first being the standard gauge from Kano to Kaduna.

“We are applying to Kano State Government to give us land to build the biggest station in Nigeria.

“It is the biggest station because we are combining two rail lines.

“The first is the Kano-Maradi which will empty in Kano and then the second one is Kano-Kaduna which will also empty in Kano.

“Don’t forget, the station we are building in Kano will be the station that will take passengers from Lagos to Kano.

“If you combine Kano-Maradi and Lagos-Kano, you will know that the volume of passengers you will get in a week will be about a million passengers.”

According to the minister, there will be expansion in the concept of the Kano station which is largely the same framework as the lagos station but has more space.

He said the visit of the Kano delegation was also to deliberate on the Dala inland dry port which was already at an advanced stage.

Amaechi said that the ministry’s delegation would, on March 5, visit the site to ascertain the level of work and how the ministry could support realisation of the project.

In his remarks, Ganduje said that the State Government had contributed about N2.5billion to the dry port project to ensure its speedy completion and commercialisation.

“We are investing about N2.5billion; we are providing access road; we are providing also other social amenities just to contribute our own quota.

“That project was conceived 20years ago but never materialised until during our time.

“So I want to make sure that this project is a reality and, in order to do that, we have to provide enabling environment, contribute our own quota.

“So we are happy with the developers because they have gone far and we are happy with the honourable minister of transportation because he has given maximum cooperation in assistance to see that the Kano State Dala inland dry port is a reality.”

Ganduje said that the project would lead to economic development for Kano and its neighbouring States as well as for Niger Republic, Cameron and Chad, among others.