BREAKING: Let court decide Nigeria’s president, Obi tells US

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the just concluded General Election, Peter Obi, has faulted the call made by the US Secretary of the State, Antony J Blinken, to President-elect, Bola Tinubu, adding that he should let the court decide the legitimate president of Nigeria.

Obi said this in a series of tweets on his verified Twitter handle while reacting to the conversation between Tinubu and Blinken on Friday.

The PUNCH reports that Blinken had pledged stronger ties between the US and Nigeria during a 20-minute telephone call to Tinubu on Tuesday.

But the call had generated reactions from opposition camps, with the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, describing the conversation between Blinken and Tinubu as “demoralising”.

“I am in disbelief that Secretary Antony Blinken called Tinubu, a contradiction to the publicly stated position of the US on Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.

“This is inconceivable considering that America, as the bastion of democracy, is well briefed on the sham election of February 25. To give legitimacy to the widely acknowledged fraudulent election in Nigeria can be demoralising to citizens who have hedged their bet on democracy and the sanctity of the ballot,’’ Atiku said on his Twitter handle on Wednesday.

However, Obi said, “There is still a lack of clarity on the basis of the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony J.  Blinken’s call to APC’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 16, 2023.

Talk Up Your Country, Osinbajo Urge Nigerians

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has tasked Nigerians to speak positively of Nigeria particularly to other nations.

Osinbajo who spoke at the launch of journalist and poet, Orukaino Umukoro’s The Memory of Seasons: a collection of poems on nationhood, faith and love, said a big part of nation building is all about building up one’s nation regardless of that society’s ills. With Nigeria, he said the reverse is the case, as Nigerians are often seen speaking ill of their country.

“Today, we hear in the US that between January and today, there has been well over 150 mass shootings in schools, malls, car parks, places of work at random by individuals. Yet, you will never hear an American at a conference say, “My country is not safe. People are being shot every day.” People of every country talk up their country. When we get home, we can criticise ourselves, we can say whatever we like, but we must talk up our country. We belong to one side. This country is our side. We must talk up this country and make sure that in every way that we can, we give the best impression of our country. 

“A country is not its politicians or its religious leaders or business leaders. It is you and I. Our country cannot be defined by any group of people, or political party, or head of a political party. It is defined by those who are born by Nigerians, born Nigerians or who become Nigerians by naturalisation. Our stories must be stories of our aspirations, our dreams and our hopes planted with the successes of our journey, and the future of great hope because we have incredible talents and material resources,” said Osinbajo.

Referencing the author’s poem Imagine Nigeria in the anthology, which urges readers to imagine a Nigeria of their dreams – ‘a Nigeria where over 250 ethnic groups understand their differences and harness their diversity into strength to become a truly indivisible country. Imagine a country with focused, selfless leaders and strong institutions. Imagine a country where rule of law prevails, a country where there is dignity in labour, where justice prevails both for the rich and the poor’ – Osinbajo said such a Nigeria is possible with the likes of Umukoro “whose heart burn brightly with the reality of this new nation.”

“I am glad that the project he spoke to me about three months ago has been accomplished. I am proud of his effort and creativity that it took to deliver such a good set of poems so quickly,” said the vice president.

BREAKING: Police rescue two US Embassy staff kidnapped in Anambra

The two members of staff of the United States Consulate in Nigeria who were kidnapped during the attack on their convoy at Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State on Tuesday have been rescued by security operatives.

The state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a press release to journalists in Awka, on Friday.

Although their names and identities were not disclosed, but Ikenga said they were rescued unhurt by the joint security forces in the early hours of Friday.

“In the early hours of Friday, May 19, 2023, the joint security forces rescued unhurt the two remaining victims abducted during the attack on a US convoy attack along Atani/Osamela road in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“Operations are still ongoing and further details shall be communicated, please,” Ikenga added.

NAFDAC seals contraband tomato paste distribution outlet, arrests one

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, on Thursday, sealed a facility of imported contraband tomato paste distribution warehouse in Rivers.

Mr. Adeniran Kazeem, the NAFDAC Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer, Apapa Lagos, made this known to newsmen in Port Harcourt.

Kazeem said this after the arrest of Mr Obiora John, the Managing Director of Integrated Wholesales Services Limited in Trans-Amadi Layout who allegedly imported and distributed contraband tomato paste which is on the federal government’s list of contraband importation products in the country.

Kazeem also said that Obiora John allegedly removed the seal placed on his facility by the agency in November 2022.

“Upon our interrogation, we noticed that the company removed the agency seal placed at the facility in November 2022 without the agency’s approval.

“The company’s accountant told us that the company had stopped the importation and distribution of contraband tomato paste since 2020, but we found out that the imported tomato paste seen at the facility was manufactured in 2022.

“We also found out from the company’s records that there have been importation and distribution of the products to date,” he explained.

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