News
Edo Poll: LP Urges Residents to Disregard Purported Call On Akpata To Stay Off Guber Race

…says Originator Of Report Expelled Long Ago
The Labour Party in Edo State (LP) has urged residents of the state to disregard a purported call on Olumide Akpata, one of the party’s governorship aspirants to stay off the gubernatorial election slated for September, 2024.
One of the national dailies and some other online platforms had published a statement signed by one Dr. Abayomi Arabambi,yesterday, December 27, 2023, wherein the former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president was warned to stay off the gubernatorial race, claiming that Akpata was a mole.
But reacting to the publication, State Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Sam Uruopa, said the so-called Arabambi who signed the said statement had been expelled from the party, adding that the statement never emanated from the State Working Committee of the party, neither did it emanate from the national secretariat.
While noting that Arabambi has no locus standi to determine who should aspire to be the governor of Edo State, Uruopa said: “The man who signed the statement is not a member of Labour Party, he has been expelled from the party long ago.
“More so, he is not an indigene of Edo State nor a registered voter from Edo State, hence he has no locus standi to determine who should aspire or not aspire for governor of Edo State come 2024.
“I want to state it unequivocally that Labour Party ably led by Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi in Edo State did not in any point issue warning to Barrister Olumide Akpata or any other aspirants to stay of the governorship race.”
Uruopa, who said Akpata, like every other aspirant is very qualified to test his popularity at the party primaries, appealed to party members and supporters of the party to give the needed support to any aspirant they believe in.
Further expressing shock on how some persons are hell-bent in spoiling people’s chances, Uruopa said: “Anyone who read that publication should be able to design that it can never come from our party.
“But we are not distracted, and we can never be distracted by the publication. I believe the man concerned will never be distracted too. So, let us put the said publication behind us and move on.
“What we are more concerned about delivering good governance to the good people of Edo State after winning the September 2024 election.
“I want to, therefore, appeal to residents of Edo State to, as usual, give their support to our party before, during and after the election. By the grace of God we will occupy Osadebey Avenue next year and give them the real dividends of democracy they have been yearning for,” Uruopa added.
News
FG Immortalizes Buhari renaming UNIMAID after him
UNIMAID will now be known as Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday announced that the University of Maiduguri would be renamed in honour of the late leader, Muhammadu Buhari.
UNIMAID will now be known as Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri.
Presiding over the FEC session, President Tinubu delivered a stirring tribute, celebrating Buhari’s life as one defined by discipline, moral fortitude, and unwavering patriotism.
He described Buhari not as a perfect man—no leader is—but as a good, decent, and honourable man.
While acknowledging that Buhari’s record, like all legacies, will be subject to debate, Tinubu insisted that the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, and the incorruptible standard he represented will not be forgotten.
Crime
JUST IN: Court Frees 24 IPOB Members After Four Years of Detention

A high court in Ebonyi State has ordered the release of 24 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) after they were held in detention for four years.
The ruling on Thursday marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings involving the group.
The 24 IPOB members were discharged and acquitted by Justice I. P. Chima of Ebonyi State High Court.
It was gathered that they were among the last batch of the IPOB detainees out of the 36 held since May 4 2020.
Meanwhile, their lawyer and human rights activist, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, confirmed their freedom in a statement titled, “Justice Delayed, But Never Denied.”
According to him, the ruling followed the preliminary objection which highlighted the brazen violation of their fundamental rights: particularly the constitutionally guaranteed protection against double jeopardy, enshrined under Section 36(9) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Ejiofor said the sacred principle, “autrefois acquit”, stipulates that no person shall be tried again for an offence in respect of which they have previously been acquitted.
News
JUST IN: NIMASA closes two terminals in Lagos over ISPS Code violations

Lagos State officials of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, have sealed off ShellPlux and TMDK terminals, situated in the Ijegun-Egba area of the state, over repeated violations of the International Ship and Port Facility Security, ISPS, Code.
The action, announced on Thursday by NIMASA’s Head of Public Relations, Osagie Edward, stems from the agency’s responsibility as Nigeria’s designated authority for enforcing the ISPS Code, which was developed under the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, as part of amendments to the SOLAS Convention.
The code is designed to strengthen security protocols for ships and port facilities engaged in international commerce.
Edward stated that the shutdown followed consistent failure by the two terminals to comply with ISPS Code requirements, despite multiple formal warnings issued over time.
“This enforcement action is in line with global maritime security standards and conforms with Section 79(f) of the ISPS Code Implementation Regulations, 2014, which permits the closure of non-compliant facilities that remain in breach for more than three consecutive months,” he stated.
Commenting on the enforcement, NIMASA Director General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, noted that the agency resorted to the measure only after exhausting all other options.
“Our intervention is not punitive but necessary to protect Nigeria’s maritime assets.
As we work closely with the United States Coast Guard to improve Nigeria’s compliance status and remove existing conditions of entry for vessels, lapses like these cannot be ignored,” Mobereola said.
He emphasized that both facilities play vital roles in trade facilitation and would be reopened once they demonstrate full compliance with ISPS standards.
Mobereola also reiterated the commitment of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to ensuring the growth of a secure, efficient, and sustainable maritime environment that supports international trade.
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