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President Buhari Is Not Trying To ‘Tame’ Nigerians – Minister

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President Buhari

President Buhari

Sequel to a publication in British newspaper The Economist in a report at the weekend entitled: “Nigeria’s war against indiscipline, Behave or be whipped” wrote that President Buhari wanted to “tame” Nigerians with the “Change Begins With Me” campaign.

However in a statement by Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Lai Mohamed, said the word “tame” suggested that Nigerians were “some kind of wild animals that must be domesticated.”

“This is not true. In his speech at the launch of the campaign on September  8, the President,  a globally-acknowledged leader, who believes strongly in the rule of  law, left no one in doubt that moral suasion, the very antithesis of  force, will be employed to achieve attitudinal change among Nigerians.

“In that speech, the President said I am therefore appealing to all Nigerians to be part of this campaign. To the best of our knowledge and, surely the knowledge of those who own the language, the words “appeal” and “enforce” are not synonymous.

In its rush to discredit the “Change Begins With Me” campaign, The  Economist, a widely respected newspaper, fell below its own standards by choosing to be economical with the truth. Enforcement is not part  of the strategies to be employed under the Campaign, and nowhere has it been said that the ‘moral polic’ will be unleashed, as reported  by the newspaper.

“In writing the story, the paper did not even deem it  necessary to speak with any official of the government, thus breaching  one of the codes of journalism, which is fairness. It chose instead to  quote a ‘critic’ of Mr. President in a perfunctory manner.

The statement also accused the magazine of making the same mistake that most critics of the “Change Begins With Me” campaign have been making.

“The campaign, which the President said will help restore our value  system and rekindle our nationalistic fervor”, is not designed to  shift any responsibility to Nigerians, as many have erroneously said.

It is an all-inclusive campaign that was designed to start with the  leadership. That much was explained by the President when he said the  government would “drive the campaign” and that it must be strongly supported by all concerned individually. “Change Begins With Me” was designed to start from the President, then trickle down to the Vice President, ministers, other top government officials and to all citizens.  “What is the campaign asking Nigerians to do? Be the change  they want to see in the society. In other words, if we all want an  orderly society, for example, the motorists among us must obey traffic  rules, our aggrieved youth must stop destroying public property,  patent medicine sellers must stop selling fake drugs, commercial  vehicle drivers must stop taking alcoholic beverages before driving  etc.

“There is nothing extraordinary or over-burdening in all these. We are the fundamental units of the society. If we are not willing to  change our ways for the better, we cannot expect a better society.”

CC:The Nation

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IGP directs police officers to wear black bands in honour of Taoreed Lagbaja

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Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, has directed officers to wear black bands in honour of Taoreed Lagbaja, the late chief of army staff (COAS).

In a statement signed by Muyiwa Adejobi, the force spokesperson, Egbetokun ordered personnel to wear the bands during the seven-day mourning period.

“This directive is to pay tribute and honour the late General who has shown gallantry, dedication, and passion for fighting violent crimes and insurgency in Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“He was a great leader who deserves to be honoured by all means.”

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu ordered that national flags be flown at half-mast in honour of Lagbaja.

Lagbaja died on Tuesday after battling an undisclosed ailment. He was 56-years-old.

He was appointed COAS by Tinubu on June 19, 2023.

Lagbaja enrolled into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987.

In September 1992, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Nigerian Infantry Corps as a member of the 39th regular course.

He served as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.

Lagbaja also participated in various internal security operations, including operation ZAKI in Benue, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in south-east, and forest sanity in Kaduna and Niger.

The president has appointed Olufemi Oluyede as acting COAS.

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LASEPA seals off churches, hotels over noise pollution

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The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has sealed off some establishments over alleged noise pollution.

The facilities sealed include churches, lounges, nightclubs, bars, and hotels in the Lagos metropolis.

In a statement on Wednesday, Babatunde Ajayi, the general manager of LASEPA, said the move was in line with the agency’s efforts to uphold environmental standards and safeguard public health.

“In a bid to address noise pollution and other environmental violations, LASEPA took action, closing down several establishments across different parts of the state,” Ajayi said.

He noted that the establishments were found guilty of breaching environmental regulations despite multiple warnings from LASEPA.

He reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance policy on regulatory non-compliance, saying “we will not permit disregard for our regulations”.

Ajayi said the enforcement drive focused on areas like Ogudu, Gbagada, Iyana Ejigbo, Isolo, Ajao Estate, Oshodi, Ilasamaja, and Okota.

He added that the sealed outfits include Honourable Lounge & Lodging, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Celestial Church of God, OMA Night Club and Lounge, and Bridge Spot Bar.

Others are Okiki Event Centre and Hall, Emota Paradise Hotel (Phase 2), CF Hotel & Suites, House 27 Hotel & Suites, Echo Spring Hotel, and Smile T Continental Hotel.

The LASEPA boss urged all businesses to recognise their environmental obligations and work alongside the state government to foster a cleaner and more sustainable Lagos.

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Tinubu approves establishment of Teaching Hospital in Ondo

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The Federal Government has approved the establishment of a teaching hospital in Akure, Ondo State, to support the training of medical students at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA).

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammad Pate, to initiate the necessary arrangements for the establishment of the teaching hospital. Prof. Pate has since dispatched a team to Ondo State to assess the location.

Leading the team, Dr. Jimoh Olawole Salaudeen, Director of Hospital Services at the Federal Ministry of Health, inspected FUTA’s permanent site, designated for the hospital. Salaudeen also visited the Akure Annex of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), which will serve as a temporary site for the teaching hospital.

Speaking with reporters after the inspection, Dr. Salaudeen expressed optimism about the hospital’s potential to become operational soon, citing available facilities. “President Tinubu directed that Akure should have a federal teaching hospital,” Salaudeen stated. “We are here to coordinate with the state government and review the site options for establishing the teaching hospital.”

Salaudeen highlighted the urgency of the project, noting that FUTA has begun training medical students, who are now in their third year. “The state government has provided a temporary site, and we are pleased with the infrastructure at the permanent site, including an auditorium, health center, and classrooms,” he said.

He added, “Our goal is to identify equipment needs at the temporary site to create a model federal tertiary hospital that supports student training. The enthusiastic support from the community is encouraging and will facilitate a peaceful learning environment.”

Ondo State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, affirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting the project, ensuring it aligns with the president’s vision. “We have drafted an MOU and laid groundwork for the medical students to complete their training on schedule,” Ajaka said.

FUTA’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, expressed relief, saying, “We’ve been concerned about where our medical students would complete their clinical studies. I’m thrilled that the federal government has stepped in to provide a solution.”

Prof. Oladiji also highlighted FUTA’s biomedical engineering department, which aims to contribute to the school of health sciences by producing essential medical equipment. “This initiative aligns perfectly with our commitment to training future health professionals and engineers who can innovate and support the healthcare sector,” she added.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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