Presidency has said that granting amnesty to Boko Haram insurgents would make them drop their arms, embrace peace, stop bloodshed and save resources for the country. The Presidency also explained that President Muhammadu Buhari has remained silent over his second term ambition because his focus was to deliver good governance to the country.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said in an interview in Abuja that President Buhari’s achievements would give him victory in 2019, if he decides to contest. He also told some retired army generals that had ruled the country in the past, who had advised him to drop second term ambition, to summon the courage and contest against the president, stressing that President Buhari will defeat all of them.

On the assertion that President Buhari was shielding killer herdsmen from prosecution and even begging them to accept amnesty, Shehu argued that if the terrorists should embrace amnesty, it would stop the killings in the polity. However, some notable Nigerians, including Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed; Senator Femi Okorounmu, NBA Vice President, Monday Ubani; Niger Delta activist, Ann Kio-Briggs, and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara, disagreed with government, saying Boko Haram insurgents have not demonstrated remorse to warrant amnesty.

But Garba Shehu said: “Well, I hope you also realise that the social media has brought a lot of good things to the world and it has also brought a lot of problems not only in Nigeria but everywhere in the world.“Nations of the world are talking about regulations and control, this is happening in Germany in the UK, even the US, you see that a lot of these technology companies are being fined for infringements that they cause.“The thing is that there is a tendency to see things from a negative point of view when your point of view is shaped and coloured by the social media.

“It’s always been heard that the default position of social media itself is to be negative, so people have turned out to ignore grand reality and project images that are very negative.“Otherwise I wonder, this is an administration that has done extremely well and to a President who has sworn to an oath to defend the constitution and protect every life and property, it is very unfair and uncharitable to say that he will shield anybody.“In any case, the President controls only one layer of authority, what are the governors doing? Is the social media also saying that the governors are protecting the herdsmen from the law? Are they saying the local governments are also protecting them?

“You see, it has to take everyone at various levels of authority to shield somebody from the law in those circumstances, and the President himself, his passion is for the country, this is a President whose passion is not even for the office, even when everyone is asking him to go for a second term, he is keeping quiet because his focus remains the nation and the problem of the country.“Whoever is peddling these rumours that Boko Haram is being granted amnesty and so on, I would ask them who doesn’t want to make peace with the enemy? In any case, as it is proverbially said, all wars end up in the boardroom.

“You can defeat people technically in the field but at the end, you must come to the conference room to resolve all issues. So, if Boko Baram would lay down their arms and stop fighting and stop preaching that negative ideology, the country should be able to embrace them, welcome all of them so that they continue to live normal lives and be useful to the nation. “What that means is that we will be saving cost, saving lives that are being lost through bombing, killing of service personnel and we will be saving money that we are using to procure weapons so that such money can go into services and infrastructure and welfare of the citizens of this country. It is a win-win situation.”

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BIG STORY

Lagos State Flags Off – NCAOOSCE Advocacy Campaign To Tackle Out-Of-School Children Crisis

Published

6 hours ago

July 14, 2025

PorscheClassy News

The Lagos State Advocacy Team of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) today officially flagged on its state-wide advocacy campaign aimed at revitalizing efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

The flag-on ceremony, themed “Revitalization of the Out-of-School Children’s Initiative,” was held at the Palace of His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, the Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom, who served as Royal Host and Special Guest of Honour. In his address, the Chairman of the Lagos State Advocacy Team emphasized that the campaign is not just a government programme, but a national movement to restore dignity, opportunity, and inclusion for every Nigerian child currently excluded from formal education. The Commission commended His Royal Majesty for his continued contributions to education in Lagos State, including scholarship schemes, infrastructure support, menstrual hygiene initiatives, and the establishment of the Centre for Lagos Studies at Lagos State University. The campaign aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and supports the six strategic education priorities of the Federal Ministry of Education under Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON. Lagos is one of eight pioneering states championing this renewed national effort. The Lagos State campaign will cover all 245 wards across the state’s three senatorial districts, engaging traditional leaders, religious institutions, market groups, youth associations, and civil society organizations. A total of 1,225 local volunteers will be selected to champion the Commission’s flagship National Adopt an Out-of-School Child (N-OOSC) program at the grassroots level.

Key focus areas of the advocacy include: Ending street begging and child exploitation; Ensuring child identity through birth registration; Promoting safe, inclusive, and dignified learning spaces; Eradicating abuse disguised as discipline; Empowering communities to own the educational future of their children. “This campaign is not against religion or tradition,” the Advocacy Team reiterated. “It is about integration, dignity, and giving every child a fair chance.” The event concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders—government, traditional institutions, faith leaders, educators, and the public—to unite in ensuring that no child is left behind.

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Federal Government Declares Tuesday Public Holiday To Honour Buhari

Published

10 hours ago

July 14, 2025

PorscheClassy News

The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, July 15, 2025, as a public holiday in honour of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the public holiday on Monday on behalf of the Federal Government, after receiving approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

More to come…

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BIG STORY

FirstBank, NLNG, Shell Back QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit

Published

10 hours ago

July 14, 2025

PorscheClassy News

Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, First Bank of Nigeria, has joined forces with Mighty Media Plus Network Limited for the maiden edition of the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit.

Also supporting the event are Nigeria LNG (NLNG) and Shell Nigeria, two major players in the country’s energy and development sectors.

Chief Executive Officer of Mighty Media Plus Network Limited, Olumide Iyanda, announced the partnerships in a statement on Monday.

Mr Iyanda described FirstBank’s involvement as a strong statement of the bank’s belief in the power of Nigeria’s creative sector.

“FirstBank’s support is a reaffirmation of its long-standing commitment to promoting the creative economy,” he said. “Through First@arts, the bank has become a reliable partner to talents, institutions, and organisations working to grow Nigeria’s cultural assets.”

First@arts is FirstBank’s platform for supporting the arts. It provides financing, advisory services, and exposure for creatives across the value chain. The bank has backed major cultural events and partnered with institutions such as British Council, Duke of Shomolu Productions, Live Theatre Lagos, Freedom Park and Terra Kulture.

Among the projects FirstBank has supported are The Headies Awards, Lagos International Theatre Festival, The Oxymoron of Kenny Blaq, Kurunmi, Eni Ogun, and Oke Langbodo.

Iyanda also praised NLNG for its role in promoting excellence in literature and science through The Nigeria Prize for Literature, The Nigeria Prize for Science, and The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism.

“NLNG has shown leadership by rewarding creativity and innovation in ways that impact both the literary and scientific communities,” he said.

The prizes, worth up to USD100,000, are among the most prestigious on the continent. They celebrate Nigerian authors, critics, and scientists whose work makes a real difference.

Shell’s support for the summit reflects its ongoing commitment to education and social development. The company focuses on sustainable, community-driven educational projects, ranging from scholarships to infrastructure development and ICT donations.

“Shell’s belief in education as a foundation for long-term progress aligns with our vision for the summit,” Iyanda added.

He further noted that more sponsors will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

The QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit, themed “Financing as Catalyst for a Thriving Creative Economy,” will take place on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The venue is the prestigious Radisson Blu Hotel, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

The summit will bring together creatives, investors, policymakers, and business leaders to explore solutions to the funding challenges facing Nigeria’s creative industries.

Gbenga Bada
For QEDng creative powerhouse summit committee
08028599392

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