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A political group, the ‘ROT Like Minds,’ organised special prayers on Sunday in Lagos for the success of the APC candidate, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the 2023 presidential election.
Coordinator of the group, Mr Jimmy Akinboro, chaired the joint Islam and Christian special prayers.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the group is made up of supporters of Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye (APC-Kosofe, Lagos Federal Constituency).
Akinboro said the group organised the prayers to seek spiritual intervention for Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
“The group believes that Tinubu’s presidential ambition will become a reality by seeking the blessings of God.
“Tinubu is a trusted and tested leader who has touched lives and redefined leadership in and out of political positions,’’ he said.
Akinboro added that the prayer session was also to support Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State’s re-election bid.
“This is not the first time Hon. Agunsoye is organising this type of programme.
“We have embarked upon this prayer session in honour of our principal and our mentor.
“This is because he has unfolded his ambition to become the president of the country by the grace of God.
“We are his foot soldiers and we are his loyalists.
All of us have come under the banner of this group to organise this Christian and Muslim prayer session.
“We want to hand over all our affairs to God, so that He can guide us and grant our request.
“This is so that Tinubu can become president to continue to do what he knows how to do best, which is developing people and developing society,’’ Akinboro said.
In his remarks, Mr Adebajo Adetunji, an APC chieftain in Kosofe Local Government Area said the prayer session was to pray for more wisdom, knowledge and for Tinubu’s aspiration to come to reality.
Adetunji said the prayer was to hand over everything to God, the Creator.
“He precisely knows from the beginning to the end, so we are committing Tinubu’s ambition to God to see him through the 2023 election,’’ he said.
In another contribution, Mr Kayode Alegbe, a party leader in Ikosi Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA), said “Asiwaju Tinubu has really performed well.
“If you look at his records when he was Lagos State governor, he created the 37 LCDAs.
“These councils have created jobs for more people in the state.
“Tinubu groomed many leaders across the country and elevated so many politicians.
“That is why we are also supporting his ambition and also supporting Gov. Sanwo-Olu.’’
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Dr Sidie Tunis, Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has directed the immediate suspension of staff recruitment.
He has subsequently set up a panel to investigate alleged malpractices in the recruitment process.
Tunis gave the directive in a statement issued by the parliament’s Communications Division.
The suspension follows allegations by the Nigerian delegation at the parliament that the country’s candidates were being marginalised in the recruitment exercise.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Nigerian representation to the bloc had threatened to withdraw its membership as its citizens were being margininalised at the parliament in respect of employment and promotions.
The speaker had received written complaints from the 1st Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the ECOWAS Commission, Amb. Musa Sani Nuhu.
According to the statement, the work of the eight-man independent Ad Hoc Investigation Committee is expected to start on Aug. 2022 and its findings are expected to be made available to the speaker within a week.
A bureau meeting will be convened immediately to consider the report for onward submission to the plenary.
“The action of the Honorable Speaker is in conformity with Rule Thirty-three (33) and Thirty-four (34) of the Rules of Procedures of the Parliament which provides that a Special Committee may be set up to address specific matters.
“The Ad hoc Committee would be headed by Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume, Chairman of the Committee on Administration, Finance, and Budget.
“Other Members of the Committee include:Hon. Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu from Nigeria and Hon. Fatoumatta Njai from the Gambia.
“Hon. Amadou Djibo Ali from Niger, Hon. Kounon Nahou Agbandao from Togo, Hon. Caramo Camara from Guinea Bissau, Hon. Moussokora Chantal Fanny from Cote d’ Ivoire and Mr. Arboncana Oumarou Dicko to serve as Clerk to the Committee.
“The Terms of Reference of the Ad Hoc Committee shall be as follows: Investigate allegations of inappropriate conduct in the ongoing recruitment process at the ECOWAS Parliament; Investigate allegations of marginalization of Nigerian Candidates in the current recruitment process;
“Investigate and determine if indeed the plenary adopted any Resolution concerning the subject matter (Recruitment of Staff), using normal parliamentary procedure;
“In the execution of its mandate, the committee shall be granted access to all documents relating to the recruitment exercise and work with the Advisory Committee on Recruitment and Promotions at the ECOWAS Parliament, to under-study and review the exercise.
“The Ad hoc Committee would be guided by the provisions of the Supplementary Act and the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
The leadership of the parliament has said it is devoted to upholding and protecting the rights of all citizens of the community to aspire to positions in any ECOWAS institution, in line with the provisions of the group’s staff regulations and all related protocols.
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NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Israel and Islamic Jihad militants on Sunday began a precarious Egyptian-brokered truce hoped to end three days of intense conflict in Gaza that has left at least 44 Palestinians dead, including 15 children.
The truce, which officially started at 11:30 pm (2030 GMT), aims to stem the worst fighting in Gaza since an 11-day war last year devastated the Palestinian coastal territory.
But a flurry of strikes and rocket attacks took place in the run-up to the truce, with sirens sounding in southern Israel moments before and after the deadline.
In a statement sent three minutes after the ceasefire began, Israel’s army said that “in response to rockets fired toward Israeli territory, the (military) is currently striking a wide range of targets” belonging to Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
In a subsequent statement, the army said its “last” strikes took place at 11:25 pm.
While both sides had agreed to the truce, each had warned the other that it would respond with force to any violence.
“The situation is still very fragile, and I urge all parties to observe the ceasefire,” UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said in a statement.
– ‘Respond strongly’ –Since Friday, Israel has carried out heavy aerial and artillery bombardment of Islamic Jihad positions in Gaza, with the militants firing hundreds of rockets in retaliation.
Buildings in Gaza have been reduced to rubble, while Israelis have been forced to shelter from a barrage of rockets.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s office late Sunday thanked “Egypt for its efforts” as it agreed to the truce, but said it that “if the ceasefire is violated”, Israel “maintains the right to respond strongly”.
Islamic Jihad member Mohammad al-Hindi had already confirmed the militants had accepted the truce, but the group added in a statement that it too “reserves the right to respond” to any aggression.
In addition to the 44 people killed including 15 children, the Gaza health ministry said 360 people had been wounded in the Palestinian enclave, which is run by the Islamist group Hamas.
Israel insists several children in the territory have been killed by stray militant rockets.
Three people in Israel have been wounded by shrapnel, while 31 others have been lightly hurt, emergency services said.
Islamic Jihad’s Hindi said the ceasefire deal “contains Egypt’s commitment to work towards the release of two prisoners”.
The pair were named as Bassem al-Saadi, a senior figure in the group’s political wing who was recently arrested in the occupied West Bank, and Khalil Awawdeh, a militant also in Israeli detention.
– ‘Terrifying‘ –Gaza resident Nour Abu Sultan had said earlier Sunday that she was “awaiting the declaration of the ceasefire on tenterhooks”.
“We haven’t slept for days (due to) heat and shelling and rockets, the sound of aircraft hovering above us… is terrifying,” the 29-year-old said.
Dalia Harel, a resident in the Israeli town of Sderot close to the Gaza border, said she was “disappointed” at news of a truce despite her five children being “traumatised”.
“We’re tired of having a military operation every year,” she said.
“We need our military and political leaders to get it over with once and for all… we’re not for war, but we can’t go on like this.
”
Islamic Jihad is aligned with Hamas but often acts independently.
Hamas has fought four wars with Israel since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, including the conflict in May last year.
The Israeli army has said the entire “senior leadership of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza has been neutralised”.
Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director general of the Shifa hospital in Gaza City, said medics were treating wounded people in a “very bad condition”, warning of dire shortages of drugs and fuel to run power generators.
The army said it had struck over a hundred Islamic Jihad positions, with the militants firing hundreds of rockets and mortars, some of them falling short inside Gaza.
Israel has said it was necessary to launch a “pre-emptive” operation Friday against Islamic Jihad, which it said was planning an imminent attack.
The army has killed senior leaders of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, including Taysir al-Jabari in Gaza City and Khaled Mansour in Rafah in the south.
