Buhari in closed-door meeting with 36 governors in Aso Rock

 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with governors of the 36 states behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Details coming….

Netanyahu thanks Trump on three-year anniversary of US recognition of Jerusalem

 

The American proclamation on the Israeli capital will be displayed in Israel’s Cabinet room alongside President Truman’s 1948 proclamation recognizing the newly established State of Israel, says the Israeli premier.

(December 7, 2020 / JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his great support for the Jewish state, saying that his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017 would go down in history with President Harry S. Truman’s recognition of the State of Israel.

“Exactly three years ago, President [Donald] Trump became the first world leader to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” said Netanyahu at Sunday’s Cabinet meeting.

“The proclamation will now be prominently displayed on the wall of Israel’s Cabinet room here in Jerusalem. It will be displayed alongside President Harry S. Truman’s 1948 proclamation recognizing the newly established State of Israel. These two historic proclamations will never be forgotten,” he said.

The Israeli premier noted that as significant as that recognition was, it was but one of many historic decisions Trump made during his presidency.

“He recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He recognized Israel’s legitimate rights in Judea and Samaria, proposed a realistic peace plan that acknowledges those rights and maintains Israel’s ability to defend itself. He forged the historic Abraham Accords, which ushered in a new period of peace that is dramatically changing the face of the Middle East before our very eyes,” said Netanyahu.

“He withdrew from the dangerous Iran nuclear deal, placed crippling sanctions on Iran and took out the world’s most dangerous terrorist, Qassem Soleimani. And, of course, he brought the U.S.-Israel alliance to unprecedented heights,” he added.

“For all this and more, thank you, President Trump.”

Trump planning last hurrah for Biden inauguration

 

President Donald Trump is planning to leave the White House on inauguration day via helicopter, skipping Joe Biden’s inauguration – and instead holding a massive rally in Florida to kick off a potential 2024 election bid, according to a report by Axios.

Citing sources familiar with the discussions, the Axios report claims that rather than attend Biden’s inauguration on January 20th, President Trump will depart the White House via Marine One, then fly to Florida on Air Force One for a massive political rally, held to coincide with the swearing in of Joe Biden.

The rally would likely serve as the platform for Trump to announce a run for president in 2024.

The Trump campaign refused to comment on the report.

White House spokesman Judd Deere neither confirmed nor denied the report, but said that unnamed sources “have no idea” about the president’s plans.

“Anonymous sources who claim to know what the President is or is not considering have no idea. When President Trump has an announcement about his plans for Jan. 20 he will let you know.”

Recent reports citing unnamed White House officials claim that President Trump is already planning a 2024 presidential run, as polls show him the candidate of choice among Republicans for the 2024 presidential ticket, with more than half of Republicans favoring Trump over all other potential candidates.

Buhari pleased with outcomes, says presidential aide

 

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Sunday said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was “very pleased” with the outcomes of the bye-elections held across the country on Saturday.

He said since results from the elections showed that the All Progressives Congress remained the chosen party of Nigerians, Buhari urged the party to uphold the spirit of hard work that led to the victories recorded.

Shehu said this in a press statement titled, ‘Presidency welcomes bye-election results, says we won’t fail the nation.’

The statement reads partly, ‘Results coming from the states of the long list of bye-elections show definitely that our party, the All Progressives Congress, remains the chosen party of Nigerians.

“We do not take this confidence of the people for granted and we will not fail them.

“Nigerians who appreciate the efforts of the administration in making life better for all citizens, especially under an economy facing the severest test from the global coronavirus pandemic will not be disappointed.

“We thank them immensely for their trust in the party and government.”

Similarly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Sunday congratulated the ruling APC for its victory in the bye-elections.

The Speaker specifically congratulated the APC in Lagos State and its victorious candidates for the Lagos-East Senatorial District and that of Kosofe State Constituency II, Tokunbo Abiru and Obafemi Saheed, respectively.

In a statement on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker noted that APC remains the party to beat across the country, boasting that it will remain so.

In a related development, the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, in a statement felicitated with candidate of the APC, Prof Nora Daduu’t, on her victory in the Plateau-South Senatorial District bye-election.

ASUU: Union gives update on strike, negotiation with Nigerian govt

 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has disclosed that its members are in consultation over the proposal the federal government made to them.

ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said members are making consultations regarding their next line of action.

Ogunyemi explained that the consultation would go beyond this week.

Following a series of meetings between ASUU leadership and the federal government, the Labour Minister, Chris Ngige had promised that government would pay all withheld salaries of lecturers.

The Federal government also pledged to release N75 billion for the revitalisation of universities and the payment of Earned Academic Allowances.

However, Ogunyemi told Vanguard: “We have what the government is offering and have transmitted the same to our members nationwide, and we are consulting on what the next line of action will be.

“As for how long the consultation would take, I cannot say, but it may go beyond this week. Whatever we decide on is going to be in the national interest, the interest of our children, the interest of our members and the good of all.”

Dickson wins Bayelsa West senatorial by-election

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr. Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the Dec. 5, Bayelsa West senatorial by-election.

INEC Returning Officer Prof. Okechukwu Okeke, of the Federal University Otuoke, (FUO) said that Dickson polled 115,257 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Peremobowei Ebebi of All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 17,500 votes.

US govt removes visa reciprocity fees for Nigerians

 

The United States has removed all visa reciprocity fees for Nigerians with effect from December 3.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this on Saturday.

A statement from the ministry confirmed that the development follows the Nigerian government’s decision to remove “excess visa application, processing and biometric fees for United States citizens applying for Nigerian visas”.

The reciprocity fee was imposed by the Donald Trump administration in 2019 and was between $80 to $303 depending on the type of visa.

The fee was charged alongside the mandatory visa application fees for only applicants who are issued visas.

Goodluck Jonathan debunks rumours of contesting 2023 election

 

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has debunked rumours of him contesting the 2023 presidential elections and possibly return to the office he left five years ago.

He said it was rather too early for him to be thinking of that.

The Bayelsa State-born Jonathan bared his mind on Friday, December 4, when journalists asked him to state his position on the speculations that has been trailing him in recent times about the moves by politicians trying to woo him to throw his hat into the ring.

Speaking with journalists after attending an event organised by the Commonwealth Community Choir in Abuja, Jonathan was asked if he would be joining the presidential race for 2023, but he swiftly responded by saying:

“It is too early to talk about that.”

Jonathan added that he would rather speak about the issue of insecurity in the country and called for support for the Federal Government and the security agencies to overcome the challenges.

He also noted that Nigeria was not the only country affected by insecurity as that was one of the major challenges he had to deal with while in office.

In the past few weeks, there have been conjectures that Jonathan is being persuaded to run at the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s two terms.

During his 63rd birthday celebrations two weeks ago, there was a report of a visit by some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and chieftains of the ruling party, with gossips rife that they were trying to convince Jonathan to contest in the 2023 presidential election.

In a statement he later issued, Jonathan denied the fact that the visit of the APC big wigs had anything to do with politics as they only visited him to celebrate with him and his family.