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Nigerians Have No Reason To Be Poor — President Tinubu

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Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has encouraged Nigerians in the U.S. to rise above failure by having a change of mindset for success in all their endeavours in life.

Tinubu who gave the advice at the Presidential Townhall Meeting with Nigerians in the diaspora on Wednesday in New York noted that Nigerians had no reason to be poor.

It was gathered that the Townhall Meeting was organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

Tinubu, who commended the efforts on out-of-school children, the healthcare programme and the need to eradicate poverty, said Nigeria was a blessed country.

“Sincerely, we don’t have any reason to be poor, we are just poor in some leadership areas.

“That is what I harped on during my campaign. It was a very gruesome campaign but I won the election but if I didn’t thrown myself into it with strong determination and result, I wouldn’t have won.

“There were so many hurdles on my way that would have stopped me. I refused to be stopped, you can do the same as many of you here that are contesting elections”, the President said.

Speaking further, he said, “I want to give you a measure that will resonate with you. I was once a diaspora. What you have been through, I have been through it. A change of mindset is necessary.

“Take it this night that Nigeria is home for business opportunities.

“Also, anywhere you stay, there is always going to be an opportunity in, and in everything you do, there is always going to be an opportunity, if you know how to search and put your mind into it,’’ he said.

The president, however, expressed delight in the conduct of Nigerians who have continued to excel in their chosen fields in their host country.

“You are lucky to be among those who are celebrated for good manners and behavior and are operating in an acceptable manner.

“I’m very proud of you; I have also been beneficial of inspiration, determination, commitment and perseverance and that is all you need  to get to pull through.

“But, we need you back home, Nigeria has arrived; forget the frustration of the previous year’s leadership,’’ he said.

In addition, he urged the Nigerians to embrace one another, urging that there should not be no sentiment and discrimination among them.

Tinubu said: “You ought to embrace one another. No labeling, no identity, you should remove ethnic identify that tend to differentiate us.

“We are one single family, living in the same house but living in different rooms,.”

Earlier, the Chairperson of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, introduced some Nigerians excelling in their chosen fields in in the U.S. to the president.

Some of them who spoke expressed their delight in the leadership courage of the president, pledging to continue to support him in his efforts to reform Nigeria.

They promised that they would continue to make Nigeria proud in their host country and also contribute their quotas to the development of the home country.

In his remarks, the first Nigerian-American elected into the United States Congress, Oye Owolewa, said 25 per cent of business orders in the U,S. were black and 1.7 per cent got federal contracts.

Owolewa, who represents Washington DC, said they have been supporting people to take advantage ot such opportunities for their economic empowerment.

“Those are the opportunities to make investors biggest in New York.

“In my office, we do the talk, we teach our people how to get contract, we teach our people how to get grants.,’’ he said.

Also speaking, a Nigerian-American, Olufunmilola Obe, an Inspector working in the New York Police Department, briefed the president on her efforts to make Africa, especially Nigeria proud in her office.

She told Tinubu that she  was the coordinator of an African Law Enforcement Organisation, an association within the NYPD, as Vice President.

Obe is the first African ever to be promoted to the rank of an Inspector in the history of NYPD.

The Town Hall Meeting was attended by the Minister of Foreign of Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Amb.Tijjani Muhammad-Bande

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Amb. Uzoma Emenike; Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Amb. Lot Egopija; and Consul General in Atlanta, Amb. Amina Samaila were also in attendance.

Others were: Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom; Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State and Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara, among others.

 

Credit: NAN

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COALITION: Peter Obi Will Be Expelled From Labour Party — Arabambi

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The Labour Party has announced its intention to expel former presidential candidate Peter Obi over his participation in an opposition coalition seeking to remove President Bola Tinubu.

During a live appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, a party chieftain, Abayomi Arabambi, said Obi’s involvement with the coalition while remaining a Labour Party member was “unconstitutional” and “unacceptable.”

“Let me make it very clear: we are convening a NEC [National Executive Council] meeting where he [Obi] will be expelled. It is unconstitutional for you to belong to two political parties at a time. They have deceived him to their side, and there he shall remain,” Arabambi said.

He explained that the NEC would recommend Obi’s expulsion, which would then be formally approved at the party’s convention in line with its constitution.

“Obi will be expelled from our party. He is no longer a member. It is not within his right to claim, ‘I am still a member of the Labour Party,’ and at the same time be hobnobbing with what we call the ‘yahoo yahoo’ coalition. We are not going to accept that,” he said.

In a critical statement, Arabambi rejected claims that Obi was responsible for the Labour Party’s rise, saying, “I want to correct a very wrong notion—Obi did not make the Labour Party; the Labour Party made Peter Obi. It was just a chance of circumstance because of the #EndSARS protests and the failings of past administrations. Nigerians were simply tired.”

He insisted that it was the party’s credibility that gave Obi the platform that elevated his political image in 2023.

“It’s because of our own integrity. That was what gave Obi what he is today. He should be banking on our goodwill, not the other way around. He started the crisis in the Labour Party,” he said.

Arabambi also accused Obi of having an authoritarian approach, saying, “If he can fight party members to do his will, then he is not fit to run the party.”

He emphasized that the Labour Party had only one recognized leadership, stating, “Let me also make it clear: we do not have groups in the Labour Party. We have only one leadership under Julius Abure, our national chairman.”

Arabambi’s comments came after the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party gave Obi a 48-hour deadline to formally resign from the party over his alleged “bromance” with the coalition.

In a statement dated 3 July, LP’s Obiora Ifoh said, “Labour Party is not part of the coalition. Therefore, any of our members who are part of the coalition are given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.

Labour Party is not available for people with dual agendas or deceptive personas. We will not allow individuals to have one leg in our party and the other elsewhere.”

Ifoh accused coalition members of being opportunistic politicians “interested in relaunching themselves into the circle of power.”

This situation arose after the opposition coalition met on Wednesday, 2 July, in Abuja, where the ADC was adopted as its platform for the 2027 elections.

The coalition appointed former Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman and former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola as secretary.

The meeting was attended by many prominent politicians, including Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu, Gabriel Suswam, Ireti Kingibe, Emeka Ihedioha, and Sadique Abubakar—along with Obi.

 

Credit: Channels TV

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: JAMB Sets 150 As Cut-Off Mark For Universities

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has approved 150 as the cut-off score for university admissions in the country.

The decision was reached on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

It also announced that the cut-off score for colleges of nursing is 140, while both colleges of agriculture and colleges of education have a cut-off score of 100.

“The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences by the stakeholders (Heads of Tertiary Institutions),” JAMB wrote on its X handle.

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Over 100 Killed In Texas Flood, Bodies Recovered As Search And Rescue Operations Continue

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The number of deaths from severe flooding in Texas climbed to more than 100 on Monday, as rescue teams continued their difficult search for individuals swept away by the rushing waters.

Among those who died were at least 27 girls and counsellors who were at a youth summer camp located by a river when the disaster struck during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Weather experts have cautioned about further flooding risks as rain continues to fall on already saturated ground, making recovery operations harder for the roughly 1,750 personnel involved, using helicopters, boats, and dogs.

“There is still a threat of heavy rain with the potential to cause flooding,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated on Monday, warning that the death toll could still increase.

President Donald Trump confirmed plans to visit Texas on Friday, as the White House pushed back against accusations that his administration’s cuts to weather agencies weakened the flood warnings.

“Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,” said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday.

She noted that the National Weather Service, which The New York Times reported had several vacancies in Texas prior to the floods, issued “timely and precise forecasts and warnings.”

Trump described the floods that hit early Friday as a “100-year catastrophe” that “nobody expected.”

Although the president has previously argued that disaster relief should be handled by state governments, he signed a major disaster declaration to release federal funds and provide additional resources.

At least 104 deaths linked to the flooding have been reported throughout central Texas.

Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River flows, suffered the greatest losses, with at least 84 deaths reported, including 28 children, according to the local sheriff’s office.

Among the dead were 27 people who had been staying at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp hosting around 750 individuals when the floodwaters struck.

Camps are a cherished part of summer in the United States, with children often spending time in rural areas such as parks and woods.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz described the camps as opportunities to make “lifetime friends — and then suddenly it turns to tragedy.”

However, some locals have raised concerns about the lack of stronger flood-warning systems in this region of south and central Texas, often referred to as “Flash Flood Alley” due to its frequent and severe flooding.

Experts have emphasized that the NWS provided timely forecasts, while climate scientist Daniel Swain pointed to failures in “warning dissemination.”

San Antonio resident Nicole Wilson, who almost sent her daughters to Camp Mystic, launched a petition on Change.org urging Governor Greg Abbott to approve a modern warning system.

“Five minutes of that siren going off could have saved every single one of those children,” she told AFP.

During a candlelight vigil in San Antonio on Monday night, people gathered to pray for the victims and express ongoing concerns.

“I was pretty shocked on the gravity of the situation and how big it was, and I wouldn’t necessarily expect that our rivers would rise so quickly,” said Rebeca Gutierrez, 29.

“Hopefully there’s preventative efforts happening in similar areas to make sure nothing to this degree happens.”

In a devastating demonstration of nature’s force, the swollen Guadalupe River rose to the level of treetops and cabin roofs while girls were sleeping inside the camp.

Blankets, teddy bears, and other personal items were left coated in mud.

Cabin windows were smashed, likely from the powerful water currents.

Volunteers assisted in sifting through debris along the river, with some being driven by personal connections to the victims.

“We’re helping the parents of two of the missing children.

The last message they got was ‘We’re being washed away,’ and the phone went dead,” said Louis Deppe, 62, to AFP.

Several months’ worth of rainfall poured down in just a few hours from Thursday night into Friday, with additional rainfall since then.

The Guadalupe River surged by about 26 feet, roughly equivalent to a two-story building, within just 45 minutes.

Flash floods happen when the ground cannot absorb sudden heavy rainfall.

Human-induced climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves in recent years.

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