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The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, described the 2022 Carnival National Polo Tournament over the weekend as a way to create synergy between security services and the general public.
The 2022 Carnival National Polo Tournament got off to a gallop at the Nigeria Polo Resort/Guards Polo Club on December 10 and wrapped up yesterday.
Speaking after the FCT Minister's Cup final between the Nigerian Police (IGP Strikers) polo team and the Nigerian Army Polo Association (NAPA) team on Saturday, Baba noted that both teams They showed professionalism during the game.
NAPA won the hard-fought match 5-4.
At the end of a heart-pounding four chukker, the Police Chief emphasized that the main objective of the tournament was to cement and promote partnership and cooperation between security services and the general public.
Baba said, “Everyone has done well.
The game was perfectly matched and the rules were strictly adhered to.
The start was excellent, as well as the clothing of both teams, which was a faithful representation of the two services.
“The horses were also in top form and the umpire was on top of the game.
Today both teams met in the final, having defeated so many opponents to reach this stage.
“For every game, there must be a winner and a loser and I congratulate NAPA on a hard-fought victory against a formidable law enforcement team.
“I am still very proud of my team as they showed with their display that they are a team to be reckoned with anytime, any day against any opposition.
“But the real goal of participating in this tournament is to cement the partnership, the relationship, the cooperation and the understanding between us.
If you also look at the number of spectators that came out to watch the game today, you can see that it was impressive.
So polo is also an avenue for the police to entertain and engage with the general public, which was evident today.
” Captain NAPA, Brig. General Adamu Laka expressed his joy at the victory of his team, adding that the tournament was also a way for both security services to achieve synergies.
“The Nigerian military and police have always had a rivalry over the game of polo and the aim of these games is to create synergy between the security forces.
In fact, today's match was really difficult and quite exciting and we thank God that we were victorious in the end.
“The police had a very strong and determined team.
However, they were playing in an Army field and the Chief of the Army General Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya had just sponsored the Army team in Argentina and we just returned”.
Hadi Sirika's Abuja Rubicon defeated Max Air by four and a half goals to three to win the Legislative Shield.
Yesterday's grand final pitted Alphamsa against Dogon Yaro Farms in a battle for the Guards Challenge Cup, while Malcomines of Jos faced 60 Yard/Afmaaj in the fight for the tournament's highest prize, the President's Cup.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, said that the 2022 Carnival National Polo Tournament was a way to create synergy between security services and the general public.
It should be noted that the tournament that was held by galloping at the Nigeria Polo Resort/Guards Polo Club on December 10 ended on Sunday.
Baba, speaking to reporters after the FCT Minister's Cup final match between the Nigerian Police Polo Team (IGP Strikers) and the Nigerian Army Polo Association (NAPA) team on Saturday , noted that both teams showed professionalism during the game.
After NAPA won the hard-fought match 5-4 goals at the end of a thrilling four-chukker, the Police Chief, however, emphasized that the main objective of the tournament was to cement and promote partnership and cooperation between the two services.
security as well as the general public.
Baba said, “Everyone has done well.
The game was perfectly matched and the rules were strictly adhered to.
The start was excellent, as was the clothing of both teams, which were a faithful representation of the two services.
“The horses were also in top form and the umpire was on top of the game.
Today, both teams met in the final after defeating so many opponents to reach this stage.
For every game, there must be a winner and a loser and I congratulate NAPA on a hard-fought victory against a formidable police team.
“I am still very proud of my team as they showed with their display that they are a team to be reckoned with anytime, any day and against any opposition.
But the real objective of participating in this tournament is to consolidate the association, the relationship, the cooperation and the understanding between us.
“If you also look at the number of spectators that came out to watch the game today, you can see that it was impressive.
So polo is also an avenue for the police to entertain and engage with the general public, which was evident today.
” On improving the quality of the team to ensure better performance in future tournaments, he said that he would continue to do everything possible to encourage the team, adding: “We can only do more and keep improving at what we are doing.
“Sport in general promotes many things in all services and in all institutions.
Even as an individual, you have to be sporty, in other words, exercise.
So polo is one of the very old games played by both the Nigerian Police and the Army to help us keep fit.
“We've had our teams since the early 1960s.
So we just continued and stepped up our efforts from where our predecessors left off.
The mounted troops are an integral part of the Nigerian Police where we use those of that department for operations and ceremonies.
It is also from that department that we normally choose our players and our horses”.
The IGP noted that the Police still hold the lead when it comes to sports, adding that they are working hard to ensure the pace is maintained.
“We just finished our biennial police games and we also fully participated in the National Sports Festival.
We have also sent some of our players to international competitions to represent Nigeria.
Therefore, we are still at the top of our game, whether it is in track, field events or any other sport.
” Brig. General Adamu Laka, the captain of the NAPA team, expressed his delight at the victory of his team, adding that the tournament was also a way for both security services to synchronize.
“The Nigerian military and police have always had a rivalry over the game of polo and the aim of these games is to create synergy between the security forces.
In fact, today's match was really difficult and quite exciting and we thank God that we were victorious in the end.
“The police had a very strong and determined team.
However, they were playing on an Army field and the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya had just sponsored the Army team in Argentina and we had just returned.
“So, we learned some new skills and I think we incorporated them into our game.
Apart from the speed and quality of our mount, we applied a tactical strategy in the game that gave us the advantage,” he said.
Laka revealed that the key to the team's victory also largely depended on the quality of their mount, adding that COAS had ensured that the team purchased new, high-quality horses before the tournament.
“COAS also bought 11 horses for the Army team, in addition to the ones we already had.
We also had a very good mount that gave us the victory because in Polo 80 percent of the game depends on the quality of your mount.
“We have a couple of Argentinian and Sudanese horses, as well as some South Africans.
So, in fact, the mount that COAS bought us really gave us an advantage over the Police equipment,” he said.
President Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) returned from Washington DC, United States, on Sunday morning after a week-long participation in the US-Africa Leaders Summit.
Buhari's official plane landed at the presidential wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in the early hours of Sunday morning, bringing the total number of overseas trips made in 2022 to at least 19.
Countries visited so far include Rwanda (June), Equatorial Guinea (May), Guinea Bissau (December), Niger (December), United States (September and December), United Kingdom (March and November), United Arab Emirates (May). , Liberia (July), South Korea (October), Ghana (June), Portugal (June), Spain (May), Belgium (February), Ethiopia (February), Kenya (March), Ivory Coast (May) and Senegal (July).
In between, the president and his vice president have been out of the country at the same time at least three times in the past two months, The PUNCH observed.
In his first speech at the US-Africa Leaders Summit, the President of Nigeria reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to generate 30 gigawatts of power by 2030.
Buhari noted that Nigeria became the first African country to develop a detailed Energy Transition Plan to address both energy poverty and climate change.
Consequently, he sought US support in getting Nigeria's Energy Transition Plan done, which he said required at least N10bn/yr to finance.
During the Just Energy Transition panel discussion, Buhari cited recent analysis showing that delivering the Energy Transition Plan requires spending of $1.9 trillion through 2060, including $410 billion above business-as-usual spending.
This additional funding requirement, he explained, translates to an investment of $10 billion per year.
In his second speech, the president warned his fellow African leaders that unconstitutional regime change, terrorism and the effects of climate change on the continent may undermine the ability of their states to achieve Agenda 2063.
Speaking on the topic, Partnership in Agenda 2063: A Peaceful and Secure Africa, Buhari, however, expressed his hope that these threats would not overcome the shared unity of purpose among all member states.
He urged member states to quell the resurgence of conflicts in their regions through inclusive governance, constitutionalism and strengthening the African Union's conflict prevention and mediation support mechanisms.
In an interactive session on Friday titled A Conversation with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, the president said he had given the Independent National Election Commission the necessary resources to run the 2023 election smoothly.
Therefore, I would not consider excuses from the political arbitrator on the basis of insufficient funds.
“I made sure they got all the resources they asked for because I don't want any excuse that the government denied them the funds,” Buhari said in response to a question about INEC's preparation for the 2023 elections at the co-sponsored event. by the United States Institute of Peace, the International Republican Institute, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
Buhari also warned Western nations against issuing "frivolous" travel advisories on Nigeria, urging international media to be more objective in their reporting on the country.
In the bilateral scenario, Nigeria signed two agreements on space exploration and clean energy.
On the first day of the summit, Nigeria, along with Rwanda, became the first African nations to sign the Artemis Accords.
According to a statement issued by the United States Department of State, “The agreements were signed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and by the Executive Director of the Space Agency of Rwanda, Francis Ngabo, on behalf of the Republic of Rwanda."
The Artemis Accords represent a bold and multilateral vision for the future of space exploration. The current 23 signatories commit to the principles to guide their civilian space activities, including the publication of scientific data, responsible debris mitigation, registration of space objects, and the establishment and implementation of interoperability standards.
On the second day, the Nigerian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment signed a clean and reliable energy agreement with Sun Africa LLC, the largest US renewable energy company operating in Africa.
The agreement earmarked at least 360 rural communities and another 16 nationwide for the construction of 5,000MW of solar power generation plants and 2,500MWh of battery energy storage plants.
The first phase of the project scheduled for Q1 2023 includes: Gwagwalada, FCT (143 MWp PV size and 68 MWh energy storage); Gombe, Gombe State (270 MWp PV size and 128 MWh energy storage); Lafia, Nasarawa State (350 MWp PV size and 166 MWh energy storage); Geregu, Kogi State (174 MWp PV size and 82 MWh energy storage) and Ihovbor, Edo State (24 MWp PV size and 11 MWh energy storage).
The president returns amid disputes between state governors, lawmakers and the Central Bank of Nigeria over the N20,000 daily cash withdrawal limits imposed by the latter.
Credit: https://punchng.com/buhari-returns-to-abuja-from-washington-dc/Thank you!
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A fact-check report by the Daily Trust has indicated that the claim that Dr Reuben Abati, host of Arise News' Morning Show, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for raising N500 million of funds illegal was "partially true".
A Twitter user @AbiolaYaqub had alleged on Thursday, December 15, that Abati, former special media adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, was arrested by the EFCC for raising N500 million of illegal funds.
read also
Furthermore, it alleged that the funds were paid to Abati through the office of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.
Verifying the claim, the Daily Trust stated that their verification revealed that in October 2016, the EFCC arrested Abati and Bala Mohammed, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, who is now the governor of Bauchi State.
The anti-corruption agency later revealed that Abati received N50 million from the embattled former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
In addition, Abati reportedly told investigators that he spent the N50m on media relations related to his work as Jonathan's media adviser.
But when asked for evidence of how the money was spent, he said such details were not documented.
read also
Abati was not charged or convicted. A few days after his arrest, the EFCC released him on administrative bail.
The newspaper concluded that the claim that Abati was arrested for collecting 500 million naira of illegal funds is misleading because the amount in question is 50 million naira.
However, it is true that the Arise TV host was arrested as claimed.
In a separate report, the APC Presidential Campaign Council has insisted that the party's candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will not attend the town hall debate hosted by Arise TV.
This was disclosed in a lengthy article written by Bayo Onanuga and Dele Alake in response to Arise TV owner Obaigbena's article.
Source: Legit.ng
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Credit: https://www.legit.ng/politics/1509946-reuben-abati-arrested-n500m-dasuki-gate-fact-emerges/A Twitter user @AbiolaYaqub said Thursday that Dr. Reuben Abati, host of the Arise News Morning Show and former special media advisor to former President Goodluck Jonathan,...
According to the Twitter user, the funds were paid to Abati through the office of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.
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Twitter user @AbiolaYaqub on Thursday tweeted an image of three people, including Abati and former Minister of State for Defense Musiliu Obanikoro, saying: “This is Reuben Abati of Arise TV in EFCC custody for raising 500 million naira from the Dasuki arms funds deal. Today, the same Abati works with Nduka Obaigbena, owner of Arise TV, created with money destined to fight the insurgency, but he complains about insecurity”.
The image has generated around 1,500 likes, more than 1,000 quote tweets, and retweets.
Claim 1: Image of Abati in custody of the EFCC
The Daily Trust submitted the image posted by @AbiolaYaqub and found that the image was cropped as the full image comprised a group of five people, including a former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode.
Although Google's reverse image search was unable to determine the exact location where the image was taken; whether at an EFCC facility or not, as it first appeared on the internet, the Daily Trust can confirm that all the people in the full image at the time it was taken were members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP).
Claim 2: Reuben Abati collected N500m from the NSA
Checks carried out by the Daily Trust revealed that in October 2016, the EFCC arrested Abati and Bala Mohammed, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, who is now Governor of Bauchi State.
The anti-corruption agency later revealed that Abati received N50 million from the embattled former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
In addition, Abati reportedly told investigators that he spent the N50m on media relations related to his work as Jonathan's media adviser.
“He said that the details of the relations with the media are never documented,” the EFCC sources said.
Abati was not charged or convicted. A few days after his arrest, the EFCC released him on administrative bail.
Credit: https://dailytrust.com/fact-check-was-reuben-abati-arrested-over-n500m-dasuki-gate/From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command (FCT) said it has launched an investigation into the fatal train accident that occurred in Kubwa, a satellite town in Abuja.
The incident that occurred on Thursday morning occurred when an Abuja-bound train was said to have collided with a moving car at Chikakore in Kubwa, causing the train to break down.
FCT commando police public relations officer Josephine Adeh, who released this in a statement, said the victim was unfortunately confirmed dead by a doctor on the ground.
Adeh in the statement said: “FCT Police Command is aware of the unfortunate incident of fatal train/engine accident that occurred on the Chikakore axis in FCT Kubwa area council.
“Upon receiving the information, crime scene investigators attached to Byazin Divisional Police Headquarters rushed to the scene, took charge of the situation, where a doctor on the ground confirmed that the victim was dead.
“The railway division that has jurisdiction over the track has started an investigation. Existing security findings and advice will be reiterated to ensure that incidents do not happen again any time soon.
Credit: https://www.sunnewsonline.com/police-investigate-abuja-train-crash-in-kubwa-as-victim-confirmed-dead/
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has launched an investigation into the fatal train accident on Thursday morning in Kubwa.
Our correspondent deduced that an Abuja-bound train had crashed into a moving carriage at Chikakore, in the Kubwa area of Abuja, causing the train to break down.
The train carriages remained stationary for more than 40 minutes, while engineers worked on the train.
Reacting to the incident, FCT Police Spokesperson Josephine Adeh said: “We are aware of the unfortunate incident of a fatal train/engine accident that occurred on the Chikakore hub in FCT Kubwa area council.
“Upon receiving the information, police crime scene investigators attached to Byazin Police Headquarters rushed to the scene, took charge of the situation, where medics on the ground confirmed that the victim had dead.
“The railway division that has jurisdiction over the track has started an investigation. The findings and safety advice already in place will soon be reiterated to ensure that such incidents do not happen again."
Credit: https://punchng.com/breaking-abuja-train-crash-victim-dies-police-launch-investigation/
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) is owned by the federation, but all shares of the incorporated NNPC are vested in the ministries of oil and finance, a structure that raises concerns about state interests as the company considers offering their actions to the public. .
Passed last year, the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provides that ownership of NNPC shares will be vested in the government upon incorporation and held by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated ( MoFI) and the Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated (MoPI) in equal shares. on behalf of the Federation.
Before the PIA became law, state governments, through the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), had kicked the structure. They recommended that since the corporation is owned by all three levels of government, the newly incorporated entity (NNPC Limited) should be owned by a vehicle that "owns the interest of all three levels of government."
They argued that the institution that is positioned to carry out this mandate is the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
Many stakeholders have praised the NSIA's ownership structure. The NSIA Act, which created the institution in 2011, empowers the organization to receive, manage, and invest funds in a diversified portfolio of medium- and long-term assets on behalf of the Federal Government, state governments, the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), and Local Government Area Councils in preparation for the eventual depletion of Nigeria's hydrocarbon resources.
To give effect to the mandates, the NSIA established three main funds: the Stabilization Fund, the Future Generations Fund and the Nigerian Infrastructure Fund.
The role of the Stabilization Fund is to provide budget support in times of economic stress; the Future Generations Fund is an intergenerational savings fund for future generations of Nigerians, while the Nigerian Infrastructure Fund is for investing in national infrastructure.
But lawmakers decided to scrap this strategy. They prefer to award ownership to two government ministries on behalf of the federation.
“This makes it clear that the Federation is the beneficial owner of the shares in NNPC Limited,” said Wolemi Esan, Deputy Managing Partner of Olaniwun Ajayi LP.
Esan said the Supreme Court has been consistent in its view that the federation refers to the federative units, which comprise all the states and the FCT.
“In the context of the PIA, therefore, it is clear that the state governments (which are federated units) have an ownership interest in NNPC Limited, through MoFI and MoPI.”
Regarding what this would mean for NNPC in an initial public offering (IPO), he said: “Whether NNPCL's proposed initial public offering will yield any direct benefit to state governments will largely depend on the structure of the public offering. initial. it is structured as an 'offer to sell', so that the shares held by MoFI and MoPI are what, or part of what, is offered to the public, then state governments will be entitled to a share of the proceeds.”
“However, where the proposed IPO is structured as a 'subscription offering,' the state government will not gain any direct benefit in terms of profit sharing,” he said.
Taiwo Oyedele, a partner at PwC Nigeria, argues that although the MoFI and MoPI jointly own the NNPC shares, they do so as trustees of the Federation.
Also Read: Representatives Back NNPC/Tompolo Partnership on Pipeline Safety
This is the reason for the requirement to seek approval from the National Economic Council for the disposal of NNPC shares, so that the subnational level of government has a say in any privatization of NNPC.
“In any case, any proceeds or proceeds from the sale of NNPC shares and other sources must be remitted to the Federation's account. This effectively makes the states joint beneficiaries of the NNPC even though only the Federal Government is the legal owner,” he said.
Analysts have called for a more effective ownership structure for NNPC, one similar to NSIA or the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), which allows state governments to sit on the board of companies.
NDPHC is incorporated under the Companies and Allied Act as a private limited liability company with fully subscribed participation by the federal, state and local governments with the mandate to manage energy projects labeled 'National Integrated Energy Projects'.
State governments have no representation on NNPC's board and are not involved in critical decisions about the company.
Credit: https://businessday.ng/uncategorized/article/explainer-will-states-lose-out-as-nnpc-positions-for-ipo/Organizers of the Abuja International Marathon, previously scheduled to take place on December 17, 2022, have announced the postponement of the race to April 2023.
Race director Olukayode Thomas, in a statement yesterday, cited safety considerations for the change of Abuja date.
first international marathon Thomas said that all was set for the marathon at the FCT, adding, however, that the security threat warning issued by the US Embassy and other foreign missions in Nigeria on October 23, 2022 has required the Date change.
“We have already put everything in place to organize a great race.
Our route has been measured and calibrated by Norrie Williamson, one of the best route measurers in the world.
We have also recruited some 120 foreign and some 200 local elite runners and thousands of runners, both marathon runners and amateurs, but one must be cautious following the security alert that terrorists are planning to attack an athletics event at the FCT.
“Our race is the only track event planned for the FCT, so we have to go back and re-strategize,” he said.
Thomas revealed that the organizers have met with the main security agencies to find a way to remedy the situation and avoid the postponement.
not only because of the efforts that Unicentral Resources Generation Limited and the FCT have put into organizing a successful race, but also because of the runners, managers, sponsors and other stakeholders in marathon and road racing, who have invested so much in the race.
“Unfortunately, the security organizations insisted on the postponement and advised that the best time to organize the contest is after the elections.
“We did everything possible to avoid this unfortunate postponement and make history by organizing the first international marathon in FCT, but the security organizations advised us to postpone it.
“As a responsible organization that puts human lives first, we have no choice but to listen to experts on the subject of security.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience we have caused brokers and other industry stakeholders.
A new date will be announced soon.
The contest will take place shortly after the election, most likely in April 2023, likely the last Saturday of the month,” Thomas said.
Taraba Council of Heads of State Chairman Manu Ishaku Adda Ali has said that the unity of Kwararafa descendants across the country is not political but a demonstration of the bond of brotherhood.
The paramount ruler who is also the Aku-Uka of Wukari had this to say on Friday as the traditional rulers of both the northern and central Kwararafa extractions of Taraba led by Kuru Kona, Mr. Augustine Vengkani, paid homage to him at his palace. in Wukari, the Jukun. old capital.
Members of the Kwararafa Descendants Forum led by its chairman, Simon Da'Abe Shinpu, also joined the monarchs in paying tribute to the ruler.
Emphasizing that the descendants of Kwararafa are spread across 26 federation states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja said there is now a need to foster unity and peaceful coexistence among them.
He said: "My joy knows no bounds today, especially when I learned that there are two traditional rulers of the Fulani extractions," adding that "if there is no peaceful coexistence with your neighbors who belong to other tribes, there is no way to Let the Fulani do it. accompany you to the palace.
“Your coming here has shown that the Fulani coexist peacefully with the descendants of Kwararafa in their domains; when there is no peace, it is impossible to take advantage of the abundant natural resources in their areas.
“Kwararafa was a great empire and there is no way Nigerian history would be written without mentioning the exploits of the empire.
“So many things happened that caused the Kwararafa nationalities to scatter across the country, but brotherhood is brotherhood regardless of distance.
“My happiness about the Kwararafa movements in the country is that they have nothing to do with politics or religion; because Kwararafa understood different religions and nationalities at its peak," said the monarch.
While praying for the bond of brotherhood to continue and flourish, he wished that the descendants of Kwararafa would also continue to coexist peacefully with other nationalities in the country.
The Chairman of the Kwararafa Descendants Forum, who earlier sympathized with Aku Uka and Wukari Chiefdom over the death of one of the princes, Dr. Adi Atoshi, described his passing as a colossal loss for the Jukun nation."
