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Tinubu Charges Jigawa People To Vote APC In Next Elections, Says Don’t Allow PDP Back To Power [PHOTOS]

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Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged the people of Jigawa State to vote in responsive and responsible leadership in the upcoming general election and not allow the Peoples Democratic Party back to power.

Tinubu said this when he addressed party supporters who thronged the APC presidential campaign rally held at Mallam Aminu Kano Triangle, Dutse in their large numbers.

He said having voted out the “jackals and hyenas” in the PDP administration in 2015, it would be disastrous to give them another opportunity back to power again.

He said: “You did the courageous job of chasing away the locusts eight years ago, do not trust their deceptive promises. Do not let them back into power. Like locusts, they will devour everything in their path!

“Instead, vote for the people that have a track record of delivering prosperity to the people. We did it in Lagos and Borno, and with your help we will do it again for Nigeria. Vote for the people with the vision, the capacity, the competence and the integrity to do what is right.

“Vote for responsive and responsible leadership. Vote for us. Vote for the APC on February 25 and March 11.”

He said his administration would build on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari and bring the country to flourish.

Speaking on his administration’s plans, Tinubu promised to revamp the agricultural sector, while also giving great attention to developing infrastructure across the country.

“The vast arable land in Jigawa will be activated to make this state a place to reckon with in agro-business and agro-allied industries.

“We will build upon the gains already recorded in agriculture in this state. We will invest in the expansion of irrigation and water management systems to increase productivity and reduce the impact of extreme weather, drought and flood cycles on crop yields.

“Our initiatives will ensure Jigawa farmers can cultivate their lands all year round,” he added.

He also said, “If you elect me, I will consolidate the ongoing infrastructural revolution by networking our entire country with good roads that would spur development. We will use the road network to connect our major agricultural and industrial hubs.”

Like in all his campaigns, the APC candidate stated the importance of securing the nation for economic growth, promising to provide all critical security agencies with all they require to secure the nation and make it habitable for Nigerians.

He added, “Most importantly of all, we will secure our nation and defeat the menace posed by evil criminals, kidnappers, bandits and terrorists. We will sweep them away. Broom!

“We will do so by recruiting and deploying more security personnel across the various agencies, improving their equipment and training and deploying top shelf technology to improve ground and aerial surveillance in key and dangerous areas.”

Overwhelmed by the tumultuous crowd, Asíwájú Tinubu thanked them every turn, saying ‘Nagode, nagode, thank you, thank you.”

Present at the rally were Senate President Ahmed Lawan, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the party’s Vice Presidential Candidate Kashim Shettima, and the Director-General of the campaign and Governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong.

Also at the rally were Chairman, Progressive Governors’ Forum and Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu and Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Umara Zulum (Borno), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) as well as the two Deputy National Chairmen of the party, Senator Abubakar Kyari (North) and Barrister Emma Enekwu (South).

Jigawa State Governor Badaru Abubakar thanked the people of the state for turning out in their large numbers to receive Asíwájú Tinubu and APC leaders.

He described Tinubu as his dear father who would soon be the “father of the nation.”

“You know me, I know you. You know what did before and what we are doing at present. You know right from President Buhari and me your governor, we are doing well for you. Baba Asíwájú will take over from there and double our party’s delivery for you”

BIG STORY

Federal Government To Grant Mining Licenses To Only Companies That Process Locally

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Nigeria will only grant new mining licences to companies that present a plan on how minerals would be processed locally, under new guidelines being developed, a government spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.

This is a departure from Nigeria’s long-standing practice of exporting raw commodities, as governments around Africa work to increase the value derived from their substantial mineral reserves.

To spur investment, Nigeria will offer investors incentives including tax waivers for importing mining equipment, make it easier to secure electricity generation licences, allow full repatriation of profits and boost security, Segun Tomori, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s minister of solid minerals development said.

“In exchange, we have to review their plans for setting up a plant and how they would add value to the Nigerian economy,” Tomori said. He did not say when the guidelines would be finalised or come into effect.

However, last week the minister of solid minerals development, Dele Alake, said it was now government policy to make value addition a condition for obtaining licences so as to create jobs and help local communities.

Alake, who also chairs an African mining strategy group comprising mining ministers from Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia, is pushing for a continent-wide effort to get maximum local benefit from mineral exploration.

Nigeria, Africa’s top energy producer, has struggled to extract value from its vast mineral resources due to poor incentives and neglect. The underdeveloped mining sector contributes less than 1% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Last year Nigeria exported mostly tin ore and concentrates worth about 137.59 billion naira ($108.34 million), mainly to China and Malaysia, according to the country’s statistics bureau.

The government aims to drive more investment into the sector by issuing more licenses. It has set up a state-owned solid minerals corporation offering investors a 75% stake and established a special security unit tasked with fighting illegal miners.

The government is also trying to regulate artisanal miners, who dominate the sector, by grouping them into cooperatives.

Foreign mining companies operating in Nigeria include Canada-based Thor Explorations which is involved in gold exploration, Chinese-owned Xiang Hui International Mining which partnered with a local company to process gold, and Indian-owned African Natural Resources and Mines, which is building a $600m iron ore processing plant in northern Nigeria.

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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Felicitates President Tinubu At 72

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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his 72nd birthday, describing him as a brave, bold, and passionate leader who is dedicated to the advancement, growth, and development of Nigeria.

He said that President Tinubu’s contribution to the nation’s growth is cause for celebration, citing the President’s unparalleled bravery, integrity, honesty, and patriotism in his efforts to steer Nigeria’s ship in the correct path since he into office on May 29, 2023.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said President Tinubu has provided honest and transparent leadership in Nigeria by taking bold decisions to address challenges militating against the prosperity of Nigeria and Nigerians.

Sanwo-Olu further described the President as a visionary and master strategist whose democratic credentials are scholarly materials for study in political economy.

He said: “On behalf of my family, the government, the people of Lagos State,  members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), leaders, and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, I congratulate our leader, President Bola Tinubu, on the occasion of his 72nd birthday.

“President Tinubu has sacrificed the greater part of his life in the service of our dear State and Nigeria. He contributed to the enthronement of democracy and good governance, serving first as a Senator in the aborted third republic and later as a pro-democracy activist, working tirelessly as a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to struggle for the de-annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

“President Tinubu’s financial wizardry and economic intellect, which he put to good use as the Governor of Lagos State, have taken our dear state to a greater height. Today, Lagos is the pride of Nigeria, occupying an enviable position as the fifth largest economy in Africa.

“President Tinubu has made positive impacts in the country through the Renewed Hope agenda of his administration. His unblemished service and track record of impressive achievements in public office have made him a role model for many Nigerians.

“As President Tinubu celebrates his 72nd birthday, it is our prayer that God will grant him more prosperous years in good health and wisdom as he continues to serve our dear nation.”

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JUST IN: CBN Increases Banks Capital Base To N500bn, N200bn For National Commercial Banks

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The capital basis for commercial banks with international permission has been raised to N500 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The policy change was confirmed by Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, CBN’s acting director of corporate communications. in a declaration.

She added that commercial banks with regional authorization are expected to reach a capital floor of N50 billion, while those with national authority must meet a ceiling of N200 billion.

Announced on Thursday, March 28, 2024, this comprehensive financial reform requires significant increases in banks’ minimum capital bases, which vary depending on the size of the bank.

The latest policy directive specifies that commercial banks with international authorization are now required to shore up their capital base to N500 billion.

In a bid to tighten the financial fabric, the CBN has not overlooked merchant banks, which are now subject to a N50 billion minimum capital requirement.

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