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Soyinka Harps On Foreign Assistance Over Insecurity

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Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, at the weekend asked the Federal Government to seek foreign assistance in dealing with the security challenge in the country.
Soyinka said on Arise TV that the current situation was so bad that government should not shy away from paying “people to come and help us” in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency and other threats to life and property.
“Let them get away with the issue of sovereignty. If they have to pay people to come and help us, then call them whatever you want. Please go ahead because we’ve reached that stage of desperation,” Soyinka said.
But he said “a general mobilization” of Nigerians to defend themselves could be more like it.
His words: “I will prefer a general mobilisation in which people are trained; farmers especially are trained to work with the hoe in one hand and the gun in the other hand, ready to protect their lives, their harvests and the rest of us.
“We are not unique; history is full of those situations… I will like to see a national mobilisation. Let’s be practical.”
He wondered why some northern governors had to negotiate with bandits terrorising their states.
He said: “You don’t appease evil. We are dealing with evil. There is no other word; we are dealing with the proliferation, the enthronement of evil in the society.
“And unfortunately, we have encouraged its manifestation, its proliferation, its entrenchment.”
Soyinka who also spoke on the South West Security Network, Amotekun, warned that the outfit must not transmute into the scrapped special anti-robbery squad (SARS) in another guise.
Amotekun has been accused of extrajudicial killings and high handedness; the same complaints against the police that sparked last year’s #EndSARS protests across the country.
Soyinka said it was important to inculcate ethics in Amotekun members to make them understand their role and responsibility.
He said: “Community policing like Amotekun is recognition of the fact that the civic part of the entire national polity has got to wake up in not just its own defence but survival.
“I have told them anytime you want us to come and assist, we will come, even if it is just on the ethical session. So that as you are training them to defend us, we are also training their minds so that Amotekun does not become another SARS. It’s very important. We must do everything together.”
He said Nigerians should learn to take responsibility for their own survival and advised other parts of the country that are yet to have their own security outfits to do so.
“The citizens have got to take a very good look at huge gap in governance, the lacuna in governance in this nation, and then take responsibility for their own survival,” he said.
“This is what makes our own responsibilities for ourselves as citizens even more difficult because when drama like that happens we go to the very heart of our existence as human beings to see our children have been swept up not for the first time, and we cannot have a clear sequence of events articulated by the security agencies, by the government so that we can even take on our own against such events happening in the nation.
“But when we reach that stage, you no longer talk of a nation but of a contraption struggling along. The sovereignty of this nation is in the hands of murdering herdsmen; the sovereignty of this nation has already been taken over by Boko Haram, those who do nothing at the slightest respect for what is called national integrity.
“I am very glad that northern elites are now speaking out boldly and practically and at the same time all these states, I’d like them to come out, passing these message to those who have not yet launched their own Amotekun. If they don’t hurry, I will launch my own o.”
He hailed the #EndSARS protests as “righteous, well organised and long-overdue movement by a generation over whom one has been uttering noises of despair.”
He was particularly happy that the Nigerian youth who organised the protests “finally moved.”
“And finally, finally they moved. The youths moved,” he said.
He added: “To me, they made many of us proud. This is a kind of generation that seems to pick up positive signs in their existence and now are taking charge.”

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Cleric Preaches Love As Deputy Governor, Chief Judge Grace Wedding In PH

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The Presiding Bishop of Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, Bishop Victor Uzosike, has described love as the bedrock of human existence, family stability and societal harmony, stressing that without love, nothing meaningful can thrive.

Bishop Uzosike made this assertion while speaking to journalists during the wedding ceremony of his daughter, Praise Uzosike, to Architect Chibuzor Akubueze on Saturday, December 20, 2025. The solemnisation was held at the Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, and was attended by dignitaries from across Nigeria and beyond.

According to the cleric, love is not only the foundation of relationships but also a powerful force that determines the success of individuals, families and communities.

“If you do not love a place, that place will not bless you. If you do not love your children, they will not be useful to you. If you do not love your family, your family will become a strange island to you. What you do not love, you do not have. Love is the key,” he said.

Reflecting on his family’s journey, Bishop Uzosike said God’s love had sustained them through seasons of challenges and triumphs, noting that unity had remained their greatest strength.

“We have stayed together as one family. God has shown us love in miraculous and mysterious ways, especially during difficult times,” he stated.

Describing the wedding as an amazing and beautiful experience, the bishop expressed appreciation for the show of love from his daughter’s friends, many of whom travelled from the United Kingdom and Ghana to attend the ceremony. He revealed that some of them personally paid for their flights and accommodation, which he described as a rare display of genuine friendship.

He also disclosed that his first daughter, who lives in Manchester, United Kingdom, with her husband, could not attend the wedding due to tight schedules, but noted that she remains happily married and fulfilled.

While thanking guests for honouring his family with their presence, prayers and goodwill, Bishop Uzosike said he felt proud and grateful to God.

“One of the greatest gifts God can give to a man is children who are sound in all ramifications. My children can see, hear, speak and walk. That alone is enough reason to be grateful,” he said.

He praised the bride, describing Praise as an exceptional achiever who had distinguished herself academically. According to him, she completed secondary school at 15, graduated with First Class honours at 19, and earned distinctions in her MBA as well as her first and second master’s degrees.

“For a long time, people believed that highly educated women may not marry early or at all. Today, Praise has proved otherwise. She has made her mother and me very proud,” he said, describing her as a rare gem.

Bishop Uzosike also expressed joy over his son-in-law, whom he described as God-fearing, disciplined and professionally sound.

“He is well brought up, passionate about God and morally upright. His parents did a great job. My wife, Pastor Esther, also did an excellent job,” he added.

The wedding ceremony attracted prominent personalities, including the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof. Ngozi Odu; the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Ayemeyie; and several senior clerics.

Bishop Fidelis Ugbong officiated the solemnisation, while Apostle Chika Onuzo delivered the sermon, identifying communication, sex and money as key factors that can strengthen or weaken marriages.

Prof. Ngozi Odu also prayed for the couple and paid glowing tributes, drawing admiration from attendees.

The reception, held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Port Harcourt, was equally colourful. Justice Matilda Ayemeyie proposed the toast, describing marriage as not always a bed of roses and emphasising patience, commitment and understanding.

The event was chaired by Chief Henry Nwabugo and attended by notable personalities, including retired Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili; Apostle David Zilly-Aggrey; Hon. Otunba Jumbo; Nze Best Anele; and Prof. Henry Ogiri, among others.

Guests were entertained with dance performances by the couple, while the parents’ outing added elegance to the celebration. The master of ceremonies, Ambassador Kingsley, kept the audience engaged with humour and interactive sessions.

Overall, the wedding was a remarkable blend of spirituality, culture and celebration, marked by love, joy and unforgettable moments.

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2027: APC Chieftain Predicts Tinubu’s Victory  …Says Bayelsa Stakeholders Supporting President en masse  … IPAC Knitted Together, Working In Synergy With His Office

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Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), in Bayelsa State and Special Adviser to the State Governor on Inter-Party Relations, Dr Jackson Ebi Suokiri has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would secure landslide win in the 2027 Presidential polls.

The Governor’s Aide stated this in Yenagoa, the state capital on Wednesday while fielding questions from newsmen against the backdrop of Tuesday’s pioneer Stakeholders meeting of the party convened by the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri as leader of the Party in the State upon his recent defection late last year.

He averred that Party stakeholders in the state were prepared to give the President the massive support needed to return elected, come 2027 following his sterling trajectory of performance and qualitative leadership prowess.

Dr Suokiri stressed that the reason for the governor’s swapping of party was in the best interest of the state, while also noting that the governor took the right decision as there was no need continuing with opposition politics even as the state has to align with the national government for rapid socioeconomic and political advantages for the state and its people.

“Governor Diri’s defection like you’ve personally heard him saying was for the best interest of our state, Bayelsa. When you’ve a President performing well at the national level and being very supportive to your state as a governor, I don’t think you’ve to be in an opposition party anymore, but rather align with the centre.

“Diri is a bridge builder. He is at peace with everybody and willing to work with all, irrespective of party affiliations or political differences for the interest of the state.

“As Stakeholders we’ve resolved to collectively work to return President Tinubu elected for second term in 2027. And you can see the Governor is not pressuring anybody or the structure of his former party, the PDP to defect like he has done.

“The PDP structure in the state is still intact, and for the APC, his new Party even as current leader in the State, he has been working with the structure and everybody he met on ground, hence you can see that the APC Caretaker Committee led by Dr. Dennis Otiotio has been maintained at the pioneer Stakeholders meeting convened by the Governor.

“But you must also know like you’ve seen and I’ve previously said that Governor Diri has outperformed expectations of Bayelsans in all sectors, be it economy, infrastructure, health, education, etc.”, he said.

Meanwhile, as against insinuations that some political parties were not working with the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Party Relations, the Governor’s Aide has revealed that as it were currently, all the 19 registered political parties with presence in the state are working in unity with his office as members of the Inter-party advisory council (IPAC).

“IPAC is working in unity with my office. Before the Governor’s defection the only party that wasn’t working with my office was the APC. But since after his formal defection, the APC and even those other parties that were either sympathetic to the APC, the governor’s new party or the PDP, his former Party are all now working together with my office as members of IPAC”, Suokiri added.

 

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

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Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

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Federal Fire Service FFS entered the New Year on full operational alert, tackling multiple fire outbreaks across the country from midnight into the early hours of January 1, 2026, in what officials described as one of the busiest festive-season deployments in recent years.
The intensified nationwide response followed a December 2025 directive issued by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who had ordered that no firefighter should proceed on leave throughout the holidays.
According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the FFS, DCF Paul Abraham, the no-leave policy proved critical as the Service moved swiftly to contain fires in several states.
The Federal Capital Territory FCT recorded its first fire incident of the year barely twenty-three minutes after midnight when flames erupted at Cake Hot Restaurant located within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja.
Abraham said fire crews from the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived promptly and were able to stop the blaze before it could spread through the popular recreational centre.
While a section of the garden area was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.
Officials said property worth an estimated ?1.5 billion was saved, although losses were placed at about ?500 million.
“Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was triggered by objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings over the dangers posed by fireworks during the harmattan season”, the Service said.
The Controller General had repeatedly urged Nigerians to avoid fireworks, candles and open flames indoors, warning that the dry winds characteristic of the season allow fires to spread rapidly.
He also warned the public about electrical faults and power surges and advised that electrical appliances be switched off and unplugged when not in use or when occupants leave their homes, stressing that overloading sockets and extension boxes remains a significant cause of domestic fires.
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