Nigeria vs France: Presidency reacts as Super Falcons lose at Women’s World Cup

SPORTS

Nigeria vs France: Presidency reacts as Super Falcons lose at Women’s World Cup

 

Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, has commended the Super Falcons of Nigeria despite their 1-0 defeat to France in their final Group A fixture at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup on Monday.

We reports that Nigeria, on Monday night, were defeated 1-0 by the host nation at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

The Super Falcons came into the game, needing at least a point to give themselves a good chance of qualifying for the Round of 16.

However, having held on for most of the game, the African champions conceded a penalty in the 75th minute.

Wendie Renard missed her first kick, but referee Melissa Paola Borjas Pastrana ordered for it to be retaken, while showing a yellow card to Chiamaka Nnadozie for not keeping a foot on the line.

Renard made no mistakes the second time, as the hosts finished top of the group with nine points.

Reacting, Shehu on his official verified Twitter page wrote: “Super Falcons deserve commendation for their performance against France. In soccer, refereeing can mean everything as we saw in today’s match, #NGAFRA.”

Nigeria will now have to wait on the results from other groups, to know if they will progress into the next round, as one of the best third-placed teams.

 

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Igbo Presidency: Nigeria will never have peace – Jim Nwobodo reveals

POLITICS

Igbo Presidency: Nigeria will never have peace – Jim Nwobodo reveals

 

Former Governor of old Anambra State, Jim Nwobodo, has revealed why Nigeria will never have peace.

Nwobodo said peace will continue to elude Nigeria until somebody from the Igbo extraction is allowed to become president.

Speaking in Enugu yesterday at his 79th birthday event, Nwobodo said the South East must be allowed to produce Nigeria’s President 2023.

He lamented that the South East was being relegated in the country’s power equation.

The former governor warned that because Nigeria has failed to recognise justice and fairness, it would continue to lag behind in development.

He said: “Peace will always elude Nigeria because it has decided to pay lip service to justice and fairplay in its power equation.”

“Let the Igbo have their turn at the presidency and development will come; peace will come and you will have created room for development,” he stated.

Nwobodo also faulted the ongoing trial and suspension of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

He described Onnoghen’s trial and removal from office as a disgrace to the Nigerian judiciary.

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National Assembly: Buhari won't interfere on ‘deciding’ Saraki, Dogara’s successors

POLITICS

National Assembly: Buhari won't interfere on ‘deciding’ Saraki, Dogara’s successors

 

The presidency has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari won’t interfere in deciding those to lead the 9th National Assembly.

Buhari’s Special Adviser on National Assembly matters (Senate), Ita Enang, said the president had devolved the responsibility to the All Progressives Congress, APC, to decide.

Speaking with Daily Independent, Enang said: “The president is the leader of the party and the party is handling the situation.

“The president does not have to speak on every matter. He devolves power which he has done in this case.

“He does not give the power to the party because the power belongs to the party; he is just the leader of the party. So, the party of which he is the leader chaired by the national chairman is handling the situation and is on top of it.

“The members themselves, both senators and Reps members are very serious stakeholders at the highest level. So, we are relating with them and they have given assurances that they will respect the party’s position.”

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$1 Billion Arms Fund: No One should Play Politics With Security Of Nigerians - Presidency

​BREAKING NEWS

$1 Billion Arms Fund: No One should Play Politics With Security Of Nigerians - Presidency

The Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, on Thursday said the $1 billion approved by the President is not illegal.

The sum was approved for the procurement of military equipment. 

Onochie pointed out that the release was approved by the National Economic Council and the state Houses of Assembly.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Onochie, said, “The NEC, made up of state governors, approved the $ 1 bn given to the military to purchase arms.

“The state Houses of Assembly approved same. There is no illegality in the release of the fund to the military.

“No one should play politics with the security of Nigerians.”

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$1 Billion Arms Fund: Those Who Kick Against It Are Playing Politics With The Lives Of Nigerians - Presidency

​BREAKING NEWS

$1 Billion Arms Fund: Those Who Kick Against It Are Playing Politics With The Lives Of Nigerians - Presidency

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina says those criticizing President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of one billion dollars for security funding are only playing politics with the lives of Nigerians.

President Buhari had approved the fund during a meeting with the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), and the service chiefs on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. .

Governor Fayose, on his part, alleged that the approval was a clever move by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government to raise funds to finance the 2019 presidential election and the July 14 governorship poll in Ekiti.

Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday condemned the presidential approval of the one billion dollars without recourse to the National Assembly.

Responding to criticisms, Femi Adesina, Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, who spoke on Channels Tv, Thursday night said that proper procedures for the release of the fund were being followed.

He dismissed reports that the amount was too huge to be spent only on security matters, saying no individual or government could quantify the value of human lives.

He said: “As we speak now the communication to the National Assembly is about ready. Those who have been flexing muscles over the matter should just have bothered to make inquiries from the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters.

“If they had inquired, they would have been told that the communication would soon be on the way to the National Assembly.

“Talking about the timing, there is no timing that is not good for security. Every time is security time. Those who are reading political meaning into it is just unfortunate they play politics with everything and they will play politics with the very lives of Nigerians, which is very bad.’

“It is not something that I think any government could begin to disclose. But we know that it is expensive. I remember that the Chief of Army Staff spoke about some trillions of naira recently – security is expensive but human life is much, much expensive.’’

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Defend Yourself Inline With The Law - Presidency Supports Danjuma's Call For Self Defence

​BREAKING NEWS

Defend Yourself Inline With The Law - Presidency Supports Danjuma's Call For Self Defence

 

A Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, yesterday backed calls by former Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General Theophilus Danjuma (Rtd) that Nigerians should defend themselves against the unending violence in some parts of the country.

Shehu, who appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s political programme, Sunday Politics, however, warned that it must be within the ambit of the law.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with you defending yourself in line with the law,” he said.

“The security services in the country will probably not be telling Nigerians to do nothing when they come and attack,”

We reported that a day earlier, the Buhari-led government had appealed to prominent Nigerians, who have national influence, to watch what they say. 

Meanwhile, on the reaction of the President to the Former Defence Minister’s outburst, Shehu said he believed that President Buhari was taking the pleas made by Nigerians seriously in dealing with the issues raised.

“This is a listening government and the reaction then was of silence to say to them that we have heard you.

“We will listen to the useful advice you have given us. We will take what we can use from what you have said,” he noted.

The Presidential aide, however, exonerated the military of condoning attacks that have led to bloodshed in the land.

He was of the view that members of the Armed forces were there to defend citizens of the country even to their own detriment.

TY Danjuma had on March 24 accused the military of complicity in the killings within Taraba, Benue and other “riverine states” in the country.

According to Danjuma, during a convocation ceremony of Taraba State University, “The peace in this state is under assault. There is an attempt at ethnic cleansing in this state and, of course, in all the riverine state of Nigeria. We must resist it. We must stop it. Every one of us must rise up,”

Following his outburst, many Nigerians have expressed their views, with many criticizing the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for failing to address the security challenges in parts of the country.

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