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Ganduje makes U-turn, says Kano is now ready for Buhari’s visit

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Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano, says the state is “very ready” to receive President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said this on Sunday while speaking to journalists after a meeting with Buhari in Daura, Katsina.

“We are very much ready to receive him and we have a lot for him to commission, including federal government projects and state government projects. They are state-of-the-art projects,” Ganduje said.

Hours earlier, the state had written to the president seeking a postponement of the visit over the “suffering” caused by the deadline for the old naira notes.

However, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has now extended the deadline for the validity on the old naira notes till February 10.

Speaking further on Sunday, Ganduje said the state is satisfied with the president’s response to the concerns raised over the visit.

“Seeing is believing. You can see that I have led a powerful delegation from Kano state on the issue of new naira notes and we have seen Mr. President,” he said.

“We have laid the complaints of the Kano people and we are very happy. He explained to us and also assured us that the time is extended and the quantity of new naira [notes] will increase so that the suffering of the people will be reduced.

“We informed him that Kano is the most populous state in the federation and also the commercial nerve centre of the northern part of Nigeria — second to Lagos.

“But in terms of cash transactions, Kano is higher than Lagos because Lagos has gone far in terms of cashless society, cashless transaction.

“But Kano state, being comparatively a rural state, so to say, still we have 24 local governments without banks. Most of the banks are concentrated within Kano metropolis.

“So, you can imagine the suffering of the rural areas, rural people in terms of cash transaction. But we are happy that the time has been extended and also the quantum of the naira notes will be increased.

“So, we are so grateful to the president for effort.”

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FAAN shuts KFC outlet that humiliated Gbenga Daniel’s wheelchair-bound son

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has shut down a KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

This move came less than a day after the airport branch of the fast-food restaurant allegedly humiliated a wheelchair user, Adebola Daniel, the son of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel.

Sharing his experience, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Daniel said he was “made to feel “less than human” because of his disability.

He said while passing the time alongside his wife and siblings, at the restaurant ahead of his flight, a manager of the restaurant told him to leave the premises because “No wheelchairs allowed.”

“To be disabled in Nigeria is to be undesirable, unwelcome and unaccepted. As I’ve said before, it’s a lonely, scary and isolated place. Never has this been more true than it has ever been today where I faced the worst sort of public humiliation that I have ever experienced. To think that this happened at an international brand, KFC at an international airport – Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos – is unthinkable,” he said.

Reacting, the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, announced in a statement on Thursday, March 28, 2024, that the restaurant has been shut down.

According to the statement signed by Obiageli Orah, the law clearly states, “A person shall not deprive another person of access to any place, vehicle, or facility that members of the public are entitled to enter or use on the basis of the disability of that person.” This legislation underscores the seriousness with which the Nigerian authorities view discrimination, particularly in spaces accessible to the public.

The incident came to light after a Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM) reported on social media the unfair treatment they encountered at the KFC outlet within the airport premises.

Reacting to these allegations, FAAN’s MD/CE, Olubunmi Kuku assembled a team to investigate the claims. The team included other officials of the agency such as the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, and the Regional Manager South West, Sunday Ayodele, among others.

Following the investigation, FAAN said the allegations were confirmed to be true and proceeded to close the KFC facility implicated in the discriminatory act.

As part of the corrective measures, KFC management has been instructed to issue a written apology to the affected individual and to publicly display a policy statement of non-discrimination at their facility.

This statement must be visibly placed at the entrance of the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport before the establishment is allowed to resume operations.

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FCT court discharges, acquits Adoke in OPL 245 trial

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Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the FCT high court has dismissed the charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy filed against Mohammed Bello Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation, by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ruling on the “no case” submission made by Adoke, Kutigi said the EFCC failed to prove its charges of fraud, bribery and money laundering and ruled that the defendant has no case to answer.

He discharged and acquitted the former minister on all counts.

The judge said the allegation of illegal tax waivers granted to Shell and Eni was not corroborated by the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) or any authority in government.

On the alleged N300 million bribe said to have been given to Adoke by Abubakar, the court ruled that the EFCC did not provide any evidence to prove its case.

Nigeria has now lost virtually all the cases it filed or joined in Italy, the UK and Nigeria.

This is expected to finally bring litigation over the OPL 245 saga to a close.

The EFCC had earlier conceded that it did not have sufficient evidence to oppose the applications by Adoke, who was listed as first defendant, and others — although it insisted that Rasky Gbinigie had a case to answer over the alleged forgery of company documents to remove the name of Mohammed Abacha as a director.

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DHQ declares eight wanted over murder of army personnel in Delta

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The Defence Headquarters has declared eight persons wanted in connection to the killing of army personnel in Okuama community, Delta state.

The 17 army personnel were killed on March 14 during an operation in the community.

DHQ named those declared wanted as Akeywiru Omotegbono, Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Bakrikri, Igoli Ebi, Akata David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Oghenerukevwe and Reuben Baru.

The names of the deceased soldiers are A.H Ali, D.E Obi, S.D. Ashafa, U. Zakari, , Yahaya Saidu, Danbaba Yahaya, Kabir Bashir, Abdullahi Ibrahim, Bulus Haruna, Sole Opeyemi, Bello Anas, Alhaji Isah, Clement Francis, Abubakar Ali, Adamu Ibrahim, Hamman Peter, and Ibrahim Adamu.

After the killing of the army personnel, President Bola Tinubu and the military high command promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

On Wednesday, the personnel were buried at the military cemetery in Abuja and were posthumously conferred with national honours by President Tinubu.

The president also offered scholarships to children of the late officers.

Speaking during the burial ceremony of the late personnel at the military cemetery in Abuja, Taoreed Lagbaja, chief of army staff (COAS), said it was “highly demoralising” that the soldiers were killed by those they were equipped to protect.

The army chief added that it took over 72 hours of searching to recover the vital organs of some of the deceased soldiers.

He added that the Nigerian Army exercised “a lot of restraint” in the search for missing arms and body parts of the deceased soldiers.

The army chief also said some of the widows of the slain officers are pregnant.

“The Okuama killing has added to the care of the Nigerian Army and, by extension, the Nigerian state, 10 widows, three of whom are four, five, and eight months pregnant, 21 orphans, and many other dependents, which include parents,” Lagbaja said.

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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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