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Twitter approaches FG for dialogue over suspension

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the microblogging platform, Twitter, has approached the Federal Government for dialogue with a view to resolving the problem that led to the suspension of its activities in Nigeria.

Mohammed made this known to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the presidential villa, Abuja on Wednesday.

According to him, he got the message from Twitter seeking dialogue with the government over the suspension order on June 9.

He maintained that the social media giant was suspended because it provided an avenue for unpatriotic elements that were bent on destroying the corporate existence of Nigeria.

According to him, the owner of Twitter helped to fund the recent #EndSARS protest while allowing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to use the platform to call for the killing of security agents and destruction of public facilities.

He said Twitter failed to take down Kanu’s tweets in spite of repeated requests to do so.

Mohammed listed conditions that must be met even if there is a discussion with Twitter including that it must now be registered in Nigeria as a business concern.

He said that other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram must also be registered so that the country could be able to generate revenue from their operations.

“Our decision to suspend Twitter has been lauded by some; it has been decried by some.

“But let me make it clear that what’s important to us is the sovereignty of Nigeria and until when Twitter is paused.

“And the cardinal thing is that Twitter must be registered in Nigeria, Twitter must be licenced in Nigeria and Twitter must stop using its platform for activities that are inimical to the growth of Nigeria or to its corporate existence.’’

According to the government spokesman, freedom of speech has not been stifled by the suspension of Twitter as he maintained that Nigerians can still use other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

He also denied that the suspension is not effective, arguing that that “Twitter is losing money as a result of the action’’. (NAN)

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Tinubu Seeks Senate Nod For Seven New Ministers

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President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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Tinubu Seeks Senate Nod For Seven New Ministers

 

President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate to approve the nomination of seven individuals who have been appointed as ministers in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Tinubu’s request is detailed in a letter directed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, which was presented during the plenary session on Thursday.

Tinubu, in the letter, listed the nominees to include: Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, Muhammadu Dingyadi, Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Mukhtar Maiha, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata and Dr Suwaiba Ahmad.

Akpabio, thereafter, referred the request to the committee of the whole for expeditious consideration.

The nominees are expected to bring valuable experience and expertise to their respective roles, contributing to the country’s development and progress.

Recall that the president had on Wednesday reshuffled his cabinet.

President Bola Tinubu made a major shake-up in his cabinet by nominating Bianca Ojukwu for ministerial position while dismissing six Ministers from his cabinet.

In conjunction with this shake-up, he has also submitted seven ministerial nominees to the National Assembly to fill the newly vacant positions.

The Ministers that were relieved from the cabinet were Prof. Tahir Mamman, (Education), Uju Kennedy Ohanenye (Women Affairs), Mohammed Gwarzo (State for Housing), Jamila Ibrahim (Youth Development), Lola Ade-John (Tourism) and the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, who has been replaced.

 

 

 

 

 

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Tinubu, FEC Scrap Niger Delta, Sports Development Ministries

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President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) have scrapped the Niger Delta Ministry, and the Ministry of Sports Development.

The decisions were taken on Wednesday at the meeting of the FEC in Abuja, as seen on the X handle of the Special Adviser Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga.

There will now be a Ministry of Regional Development to oversee all the Regional Development Commissions, such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission, and the North East Development Commission.

The National Sports Commission will take over the role of the Ministry of Sports.

The FEC also approved the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy.

Despite the announcement, Onanuga did not state what would happen to the ministers in charge of the scrapped ministries, or how they would function henceforth.

The Niger Delta Ministry is being headed by Abubakar Momoh, with John Enoh being in charge of the Ministry of Sports Development.

The development comes following recent clamour for a reduction in the number of ministries and political officers in the country to reduce governance costs.

 

 

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Immigration Arrests ‘Fleeing’ Bobrisky At Seme Border

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Bobrisky
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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has confirmed the arrest of controversial crossdresser Idris Okuneye also known as Bobrisky at the Seme Border.

The Service in a statement on Monday night said the social media sensation was arrested while trying to flee Nigeria.

A spokesman for the Service, DCI KT Udo, described Bobrisky as a person of interest over recent issues of public concern.

Udo said, “He is undergoing interrogation and will be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action.

“The Service assures the public that it will continue to be civil and professional in its statutory responsibility of manning the country’s borders.”

A blogger, Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, had alleged in viral videos that some officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) collected ₦15 million from Bobrisky during his naira spraying ordeal in April for the anti-graft agency to drop money laundering charges against him.

After that, a court sentenced the crossdresser to six months imprisonment and he was released in August.

The blogger also alleged that Bobrisky paid some millions of naira to secure a choice place in prison.

Bobrisky has since denied the allegations while the EFCC and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) had ordered investigations into the allegations by the blogger.

The House of Representatives also waded in and invited those involved for a probe while the Federal Government suspended some NCoS senior officers.

On September 30, 2024, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated a committee to probe allegations of gross misconduct against the NCoS.

The panel submitted its report on Monday saying the social media sensation served his six-month jail term in prison but he enjoyed several privileges including access to television and a fridge.

 

 

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