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Resign Now and End Blood Letting, Tinubu Tells GEJ
Bola Tinubu, former Lagos state governor and national leader, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to take the noble path of resigning rather than continuing to blame imaginary enemies for his inabilities to end the wanton waste of citizens lives.
He also made a comment bound to stir up a hornet’s nest of angry opposition and criticisms when supported the granting of amnesty to Boko Haram militants, insisting that they are not ghosts as alleged by President Jonathan.
Tinubu spoke in Kano Wednesday when he led leaders of the ACN on a sympathy visit to Alhaji Ado Bayero , Emir of Kano and victims of Monday’s suicide attack that killed dozens of people.
He called for the scrapping of the ministries of Police Affairs; and Interior- two ministries, he described as conduit pipes used by the government to siphon money.
According to him, running the ministries is a duplication of the functions and a waste of public funds and that the current security challenges could possibly be due to the duplication of ministries, rendering the Inspector General of Police, M.D. Abubakar, incapacitated to take firm control of security.
He said: “The financial handicap of the IGP, who is supposed to be answerable only to the Police Commission, which should be saddled with promotion and discipline, takes away his independence to steer police affairs properly without interference”
Turning to President Jonathan, he said “I am worried of the sustenance of terrorism. If it is happening in some of these states all this while and you have not gathered enough intelligence to nip it in the bud, you have failed. You should please resign as a government.”
“You cannot continue to blame all the Inspectors General of Police or police officers alone. It is the responsibility of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria to make sure that Nigerians live in harmony, not divided religiously, not divided by tribe and not in conflict among themselves” He added
He blamed incompetence for the president’s claim that Boko Haram members are ghosts.
Tinubu said “They are no ghosts. Those people in prison, are they ghosts? If there are ghosts, then please show me their graves? If they are ghosts, then remove the JTF, because the JTF is not trained to fight ghosts”
He called for the granting of amnesty to Boko Haram militants, insisting that they are not ghosts as alleged by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Tinubu explained that the amnesty must be based on justice, particularly for those with no blood stains on their hands.
He however said those involved in criminal activities among them must be made to face justice.
“For the innocent ones among them, there must be amnesty. We cannot fight a war in our own country against minor crimes and minor people. We would only end up multiplying these people by trying to use force against our own citizens. I therefore disagree with the President; they are not ghosts” He added.
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EFCC Arraigns Two FSDH Bank Officials Over $307k, €50k Fraud


EFCC
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AfDB Supports Francophone Africa Start-ups with €6.5M

The African Development Bank Group last week approved an investment of €6.5 million in the Saviu II fund in order to support technology start-ups through their seed phase and first institutional fundraising, mainly in French-speaking Central and West Africa.

The Bank will invest €4.5 million as equity and €2 million as a first-loss hedging tranche on behalf of the European Commission, under the Boost Africa Programme.
This participation of the Bank Group will enable the Saviu II fund to give priority to companies with a strong technological or digital component.
Saviu II, the second investment vehicle of Saviu Partners, plans to invest between €500,000 and €3 million in about 20 technology or technology-oriented business-to-business start-ups in the seed phase or carrying out first institutional fundraising.
The Saviu II venture capital fund aims to make at least 60% of its commitments in the French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa: Côte d ‘Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The fund can also co-invest in promising technology companies in East Africa that have a strong team and business model, and whose strategy includes entering the market in French-speaking West African countries and establishing a strong presence there.
In addition, the fund will devote a dedicated envelope to pre-seed investments, focusing on minority equity investments, usually in co-investment with studios, incubators or other ecosystem partners.
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Nigeria Inks $1.3bn MoU with AFC for Alumina Refinery, Mining Push

Nigerian Government has signed a $1.3 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) via the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) to fund an alumina refinery, national geoscience mapping, and a strategic investment vehicle for mining growth.

Special Assistant to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, said the refinery will process one million tonnes of bauxite yearly using a modern Bayer process, powered by an on-site gas-fired cogeneration plant.
Minister Dele Alake called it a transformative milestone boosting GDP, aligning with reforms that improve investment climate, regulations, and licensing to attract private capital. He directed agencies to fast-track permits.
The 20-year project at 95% utilization eyes 19 million tonnes total output, $1.2 billion annual GDP addition, $25 billion economic impact, and $8 billion forex earnings, per feasibility studies.
SMDF Executive Secretary Fatima Shinkafi termed it the agency’s biggest funding deal, supporting value-addition policy.
The partnership extends to geoscience mapping for mineral data, de-risking exploration, and a joint vehicle for mining assets.
Permanent Secretary Engr. Farouk Yabo praised the reforms. Shinkafi signed for government; AFC’s Franklin Edochie for the corporation, witnessed by AFC CEO Samaila Zubairu.
Tomori positioned it as Nigeria’s largest private mining investment and FDI magnet.
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