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Nigerian Security Agencies To Ensure Smooth, Successful 2023 General Elections- Dambazau

By
Uche Kingsley
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Hon. Shamsudeen Dambazau, a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives who represents the Takai/Sumaila Federal Constituency in Kano State, stated that it is the responsibility of the country’s security agencies to ensure a successful and orderly general election in 2023.

In response to question about the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) concerns about security threats to the upcoming election, he made this statement on Thursday during an engagement with members of the House of Representatives Press Corps in Abuja.

He emphasized that the security agencies had a responsibility to protect Nigerians who also have the right to exercise their civic responsibilities.

Dambazau said “It is very important that they (security agencies) and the candidates (of political parties) come together to see that all apparatus put in place to ensure peaceful conduct of the election”, he said. 

On the pockets of argument against the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) for the coming general election, including that of National Chairman of the APC, Abdulahi Adamu, the lawmaker insisted that it is the best for the country at the moment, as according to him, the president backed the system based on past experiences of being rigged out.

The Lawmaker noted that, “Sometimes, people out of painful experience, when they are in position, they try to prevent others from going through the same. If people are kicking against the BIVAS, it is because it is doing its job. It is excellent”, he stated.

He also called for the evolvement of new technologies to ease the registration for, and collection of PVCs by Nigerians.

He also insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government under President Muhammadu Buhari has done so much in addressing insecurity, and deserved a return to continue on the legacies of the outgoing president, recalling how at a point he personally stop going stopped going to the mosque for prayers due to indiscriminate bombings.

Also on the twists added to the threats of terrorism or insurgency through kidnapping, banditry and secession agitations, the lawmaker submitted that “they are being addressed by the government. We have joint task forces all around the zones of the country. These, you cannot eliminate completely but what is important is a level of sanity”, urging the government to however up its punitive measures “so as not to allow impunity for anybody to come out to perpetuate such acts”.

When asked on his opinion over the suggested political solution option to the ongoing trial of leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, he said it was the full responsibility of the executive arm of the federal government, which initiated the arrest in the first place, to decide the best way out, especially on the basis that those charged with the responsibility of managing the situation “are better informed to make the right decision”.

UNN Shut Down As Obi Visit, Urges Students to Join Labour Party to Save Nigeria.

By
Shehu Danladi
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The University of Nigeria campus in Nsukka, Enugu state was shut down on Thursday by students who met Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party.

Peter Obi exhorts students to vote carefully and join the effort to free Nigeria from poverty, unemployment, and inadequate financing for education.

The presidential candidate, who is now visiting Enugu as part of his campaign, stopped at Nsukka, where the entire student body and faculty turned out in support of their idol.

All other operations came to a halt as a huge crowd surrounded Obi’s convoy and followed him as he spoke to the gathering at the Magaret Ekpo Refectory.

A mammoth crowd also received the Presidential candidate in Enugu as commercial and business activities were shut down.

Our correspondent reports that security agencies had a tough time controlling the crowd that trooped out to receive Obi in Enugu

Speaking at UNN Nsukka Campus, Obi said the purpose of the visit was to inform students of his ambition and solicit for their votes in the forthcoming general election.

His words: “As an alumnus of the great university, I am here to solicit for your votes in the forthcoming general election so that you can join hands with LP to rescue Nigeria.

“Ensure you have your Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) which is your constitutional instrument to vote me into power so that we can better Nigeria and remove it from consuming nation to producing nation,” he said.

The LP presidential candidate assured Nigerian students that if elected his administration would put to an end to the incessant Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike in the country.

He said that, incessant strike in public universities was responsible for students spending more than their course years .

“If I’m elected as president in February 25 election, that will not only mark an end to poverty,,unemployment and corruption.

“But it will also end ASUU strike in Nigeria, all hands must be on deck to recover our country from bad leadership,”

“My administration will give priority to education being engine room for development, since no country can develop more that its level of education,” he said.

Obi urged students to disregard some political parties saying that LP had no structure, explaining that “those who boost of having structures only have structures for looting public funds, corruption, impunity and ASUU strike

“Our mission is to rescue Nigeria from those who have hijacked the leadership of this country.

” You and all who believe that with good leadership Nigeria can work again are our structures,” he said.

In his address, Michael Abuchi, President, UNN Student Union Government,described Obi as a Super Lion who had done the university proud as governor of Anambra State as well as all positions held.

“UNN students are proud of you and are ready to give you our massive support to ensure that you are elected in next month general election.

” Your coming today to interact with the students is an eloquent testimony of the volume of love you have for students who are feature leaders.

“We will not take you visit today for granted, your visit has encouraged and given us sense of belonging.

” On behalf of UNN students I promised you that, on 25 February we will come out en mass to vote you to victory so that ASUU strike in public universities will end and Nigeria will be better again ,” he said.

Obi speech was intermittently interrupted by cheers and shouts of “Obi our next president, “Obi our next president”.

Chief Kenneth Okonkwo, LP Presidential spokesman, Chief Okey Ezea, LP Senatorial Candidate in Enugu North District and Chief Chidi Obetta Candidate for Nsukka/Igboeze-South Federal constituency were among party chieftains present at the event.

FCTA Education Secretary Orders Students To Refrain From Cultisms, Drug Use, Bullying

By
Toyin Adebayo
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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through its Education Secretariat has urged pupils to avoid cultisms, drug usage, bullying, and stealing.

This charge was made by Malam Sani El-Katuzu, the mandate secretary of the education secretariat, during a school resuming inspection in the Kwali Area Council of the Territory.

He also urged school administrators to implement measures and rules that would require all students, day and boarding, to report to class on the first day back from a break.

The Secretary made it clear to the students and kids that they should not waste the first week at home because academic activities start on the first day.

He, however, who rated the schools visited high in neatness and average in the turn out of pupils and students, but appealed to parents and guardians to always prepare their wards ahead of resumption to avoid wasting their time.

Reacting to the low turn out recorded in one of the Boarding Schools visited in Kwali, El- Katuzu said the FCT Administration is not unaware of the difficulty some parents go through, but insisted that they do their best to ensure that the students don’t miss out in test and first week lessons.

According to him: “Our observation in City Center is that students resume almost immediately. But unfortunately in Kwali,we have some little difference. The resumption is not too poor, but actually not too good. We expect a situation where students turnout will be more than 60%”

“We have spoken to the school Administrators to use their initiative to see that they introduce policies that will attract students to resume school immediately. However, we are also aware that because of the security situation, especially in Kwali and Abaji, sometimes, resumption is not as immediate as expected. But, that not withstanding, we will continue to talk to school Administrators to ensure that students resume on time” El-Katuzu explained.

Meanwhile, the Principal Government Science Technical College Kwali, Mr Oyawale Olusegun confirmed that most of the parents whose children were yet to resume, gave excuses that they have not been able to prepare their children back to school due to the impart of the harsh economic realities.

“Nearly 50% are yet to resume; the reason being that some parents are complaining that they are yet to prepare fully for the coming of their children. But we started lessons on Monday, he said.

Surprisingly however, a visit to Junior Secondary School Kwali, revealed that over 95% of students have resumed.

The Principal of the School Mr Ogonye Yakubu Shedrach who said the school has a total number of 1200 students, said over 1100 have resumed and lessons commenced since Monday with first test written by students on every subject.

He said: ” The Students population so far is within the range of 95% turnout.The total number of students is 1200. We went round the classes and the classes are almost filled up. The first two days were used for opening test. After the test teaching commenced fully” Shedrach said.

If PDP G-5 Governors indicate their support for Tinubu, no one will pay attention to them -Bwala

By
Roland Edet
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G-5 governors will not be taken seriously by the electorate, if they publicly support Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the president-elect of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the general elections of 2023, Dr. Daniel Bwala, a spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organization has said.

This is as a result of the PDP’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, refusing to step down after Atiku won the party’s presidential nomination, governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state, as well as some political heavyweights from the South.

They were alleged to have met with Tinubu in London last month. However, the outcome of the meeting remains unknown even though Wike promised to reveal the candidate they are backing this month.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen, Bwala expressed confidence that Atiku will win the election said given the negative things the governors have said about the APC in the past, nobody will listen to them if they ask the people to vote for Tinubu and his party in the presidential election.

According to him: “Look at it from the point of view of Atiku and the PDP. Atiku maintained a national political party. The movement for PDP is carried out by mostly people from the South, which consists of the Yoruba people, Igbo people, South-South and then, the North”.

“Only very few northerners are driving the Atiku campaign because it is a national agenda. PDP is a party that has national spread. It is a party that produced a Yoruba president, Fulani president and South-South president”.

“APC since its emergence has only produced a Fulani man. They accused him of empowering CPC members and now Asiwaju now wants to come and empower his ACN people. So, the APC is a party that is shared by just two people, Buhari and Asiwaju. The rest of the party members are nowhere to be found. So, we are not on the same level. Nobody will look at the APC and vote for them”.

“One of the challenges that they have right now is that if they go supporting Tinubu, is it not the APC that Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike said was a cancer they will be supporting? Remember Wike said PDP has headache and APC has cancer”.

“Even Ortom of Benue said APC brought destruction to his own people and that was why he joined PDP. So, will their people now listen to them to vote for APC? If they support Tinubu, that means they are only deceiving their people and are not fighting for equity, justice and fairness”.

Ayu’s Case At Supreme Court Against Ogbu, Provocative, Unforgivable, Says Ugochinyere

By
Roland Edet
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Ikenga Ugochinyere, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the House of Representatives in Imo State’s Ideato North/South federal constituency, has criticized Senator Iyorcha Ayu, the PDP’s national chairman, for filing a lawsuit in the Supreme Court to prevent Chris Ogbu, the Ideato South House of Assembly candidate, from winning. She called the lawsuit provocative, unforgivable, and dangerous.

Ugochinyere, who is also the spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), criticized Ayu’s choice to appeal Ogbu’s Supreme Court victory and claimed that he was scheming against the PDP candidates who were running against him.

In a statement, Ugochinyere claimed that Ayu’s attempt to have Ogbu’s victory declared invalid at the Supreme Court would consume him and his desire for needless vengeance.

According to him: “Ayu is fond of plotting against party’s candidates opposing him, to lose the forthcoming elections.

“He’s trying to get petty revenge at Ogbu for challenging his continued illegal stay in office. Ogbu did nothing to him, he’s the valid winner and candidate of Imo House of Assembly Ideato South Constituency, who dragged Ayu to Court for abuse of office and corruption and now Ayu has joined suit challenging his election and seeking Ogbu should be removed.

“It’s not his first time doing this, he’s fond of plotting against party’s candidates opposing him to lose the forthcoming election. This abuse of power by Ayu must be stopped and I vow that he will not be PDP national chairman before the general elections, he must resign or be sacked.

“He should know that his evil actions has consequences. This is totally unforgivable and his quest for petty revenge will definitely consume him.”

EFCC Releases Okupe, Apologizes For Wrongful Detention

By
Ola Akinola
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Doyin Okupe, the former director general of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), has reportedly received an apology from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for their “mistake” in holding him in custody.

Okupe was detained by Department of State Services (DSS) personnel at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State, and then turned over to the EFCC, which had earlier “asked for the action.”

For medical reasons, the former presidential adviser was traveling to London, United Kingdom.

Remember that the former PCC DG for the Labour Party resigned in 2022 after being found guilty of money laundering by a court. However, after complying all the requirements, he was given bail.

When asked about Okupe’s detention, DSS Spokesman Peter Afunanya said: “Doyin Okupe was intercepted by the DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos this morning at the instance of the EFCC.

He has long been handed over to the Commission which requested for the action. Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic.”

Meanwhile, the former aide on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, through his official Twitter handle, @doyinokupe stated, “I was arrested & detained @ the MM int airport, Lagos this morning 12th Jan on my way to UK for medicals yrs of my passport being withheld by the FHC Abuja.I hv just left the efcc office where snr officers in lagos& Abuja appologised to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?”

Reports indicate that one of Okupe’s lawyers, Tolu Babaleye said that the DSS asked him to provide court processes where he paid the fine option following his money laundering conviction by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

“When will this harassment stop? Who is after Dr. Doyin Okupe? As at today, the man has no case to answer anywhere, I hereby demand that the DSS should release my Client immediately as this is a violation of his freedom of movement, right to liberty and dignity of human person. This is unfair as man ‘s health is fast failing!,” Babaleye quizzed.

JAMB Begins Sale Of UTME Forms

By
Uche Kingsley
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0


The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced the sale of 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry (DE) application document for Nigeria and foreign centres.

Application from appropriately qualified people is requested foradmission to Nigerian tertiary
 institutions for the 2023 academic year.


The period for registration for UTME candidates including those from foreign countries is from Saturday 14, 2023 to Tuesday 14 February, 2023.

PIN vending for UTME end on Tuesday 14 February 2023, while registration closes on Friday, 17, 2023.

Registration period for direct entry only: Candidates are to have valid and functional personal e-mail address before commencing the process.

Direct Entry application would commence from Monday, 20 February, 2023 to Thursday 20 April 2023.
Registration for DE would only be at the Board’s State and zonal offices.

General entry requirement:
The general requirement for admission into first degree, National Diploma (ND), National innovation Diploma (NID) and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme are five (5) o’level credit passes including English Language.
In addition to credit in Mathematics is required for law and science-based and social science programmes.
Direct Entry

Candidates with any of the following qualifications may be considered for admission:
A minimum of O’level pass in five (5) SSSC subjects at not more than two sittigs with two prescribed subject for each programme.
Two passes (in prescribed subjects for each (,programme) course of study at the A’level Examination awarded by IJMB, Cambridge, JUPEB or institute of Baccalaureate with 3 credit passes in the SSSC.

Credit passes in two major subjects in NCE with 3 other credit passes in SSSC, NTC/NBC (mainly for technical and education programmes).
Minimum of credit grade in University/National Diploma or Nation Innovation diploma with the appropriate O’level.

Election Schedule Is Inviolate, Declares INEC

By
Ola Akinola
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0

***Reached 17 States with Sensitive/Non-Sensitive Materials

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stressed on Tuesday that the dates of February 25 and March 11 for the presidential/national and governorship/state assembly elections, respectively, remain sacred and that no changes to the schedule of the 2023 general election are being considered.

While delivering the final list of registered voters to all 18 registered political parties vying for seats in the 2023 elections in Abuja, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the electoral commission, closed the window for any modifications.

Additionally, he took use of the opportunity to separate the commission from a claim that the poll may be threatened with cancellation owing to security issues, which was made by a director of the commission.

Prof Yakubu hinted that the position presented by the staff does not reflect the position of INEC. and hence should be disregarded.

Stressing the sanctity of the scheduled dates for the polls, the INEC chairman disclosed that already substancial quantities of both sensitive and and nonsensitive materials have started arriving the various states with 44 days left to the opening of ballot on February 25.

He stressed that the commission has never had this kind of forward looking preparation, coming 44 days to commencement of poll.

According to him:”Already, substantial quantities of sensitive and non-sensitive materials have been deployed to various locations across the country. The last batch of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has been received while the ongoing configuration of the critical technology in readiness for elections will soon be completed.

“In the last two days, we commenced the airlifting of other sensitive materials to States across the country. Already, some of the materials for 17 States in three geo-political zones have been delivered. Furthermore, 13,868,441 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) have been printed, delivered to States and are being collected by citizens as new voters or by existing voters who applied for transfer or replacement of cards as provided by law.

“Similarly, following the display of the voters’ register nationwide and the conclusion of claims and objections by citizens, a new national register of voters has been compiled. In short, at no time in the recent history of the Commission has so much of the forward planning and implementation been accomplished 44 days ahead of a General Election.

” Therefore, the Commission is not contemplating any adjustment to the election timetable, let alone the postponement of the General Election. For the avoidance of doubt, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday 25th February 2023 while the Governorship and State Assembly elections will hold two weeks later on Saturday 11th March 2023″.

He said the commission is further boosted by “the repeated assurance by the security agencies for the adequate protection of our personnel, materials and processes, insisting that the ” 2023 General Election will hold as scheduled. Any report to the contrary is not the official position of the Commission”.

In all he said that a total of 93,469,008 registered voters, made up of 49,054,162 (52.5%) male and 44,414,846 (47.5%) female, will decide the fate of the presidential candidates, assuring of a credible, transparent and free and fair elections

“I would like to reiterate our commitment to transparent, credible and inclusive 2023 General Election. We will continue to take every step to protect the sanctity of the votes cast by citizens and to deal with infractions, including the arrest and prosecution of persons that attempt to perpetuate illegality at Polling Units on Election Day, be they underaged voters or vote buyers”.
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In his reaction the Secretary of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Alhaji Yusuf Dantale while commending INEC Chairman for elaborate organization made ahead of the elections lambasted the unseen hands he said have been working secretly to thwart the efforts of the Commission.

Dantale assured that IPAC as a body will collaborate with INEC to ensure and insist that votes count.

“The next election is going to be an election that its kind has not been witnessed in the country because it is going to be the first time that technology would be deployed to accredit voters and to also transmit results. We are aware that some politicians have been working secretly to undermine the efforts of INEC, but we must ensure that power truly returns to the people.

“We will ensure that the anti-democratic forces don’t have their way. The use of the special device must be encouraged because it will discourage vote buying and the issue of writing results”,he stressed.

Supreme Court set January 13 as date for its decision on the Jigawa APC Guber Ticket.

By
Ola Akinola
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0

The Supreme Court has set January 13 as the date for its decision on the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket in Jigawa state.

Umar Namadi had won the lawsuit at both the Federal High Court in Dutse and the Court of Appeal Kano Division.

Farouk Aliyu, on the other hand, is appealing the November 4, 2022 verdict of the Court of Appeal Kano Division, which dismissed his earlier appeal and affirmed Namadi’s election as the APC’s governorship candidate in Jigawa state.

On Wednesday, a five-member panel of Supreme Court Justices chaired by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun set the date for decision.

At Wednesday’s sitting, a five-member panel of Justices of the apex court led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun fixed the date for judgment after taking arguments from parties in the appeal filed by Aliyu, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

The panel also heard a cross appeal by Umar Namadi, the current Deputy Governor of Jigawa state.

It would be nice, that a three-member panel presided over by Justice Ita Mbaba, in the November 4, judgment, unanimously dismissed Aliyu’s appeal against the September 13, 2022 judgement by Justice Hassan Dikko of the Federal High Court, Dutse, for lacking in merit.

Justice Dikko had, in the judgment, held among others, that Aliyu lacked the locus standi to approach the court and added that he failed to prove his case with credible evidence.

However, in the cross appeal filed by Lateef Fagbemi SAN, Namadi is challenging a portion of the Court of Appeal judgment which upturned the trial court’s decision that Aliyu lacked the locus standi to have filed the suit which did not qualify as a pre-election case.

Adopting his client’s brief on Wednesday, Fagbemi on behalf of Namadi urged the panel to dismiss the appeal by Aliyu and allow his client’s cross appeal.
Fagbemi argued that the Appeal Court was wrong to have exercised jurisdiction over Aliyu’s appeal, which arose “from an action improperly constituted.”.

Lawyer to Aliyu, Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN objected and prayed the court to allow his client’s appeal.

Vote Candidates With Relevant Experience Sanwo-Olu Tells Nigerians

By
Roland Edet
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0

Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged Nigerians to support candidates with appropriate expertise, a track record, and knowledge of the best methods and policies to implement in order to bring about the necessary change for a better Nigeria.

Speaking at an endorsement/sensitization rally organized by the Lagos State Chapters of the National Association of Education Secretaries of Nigeria (NAESN) and Association of Primary School Heads of Nigeria (AOPSHON) on Wednesday at the Agege Stadium, Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, offered the advice.

He praised the organizations for their efforts and for endorsing the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates, emphasizing Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s expertise, competence, and audacity , adding that he has the antecedent of selecting the right people and team that can put the nation on the right pedestal and build the Nigeria of our dream.

“We need a person who is experienced, competent, bold and brainy, who can look and pick the right people for the good of our country and citizens and Asiwaju is the one. He is experienced and competent”

Commenting on achievements made so far by his administration, the Governor said he has performed greatly well. Citing the education sector, he said, the state government has so far employed over 3,000 teachers; built schools; equipped her teachers with tablets which have made teaching easy, good welfare packages for teachers among others.

He, therefore, advised that political candidates should stop lying to Lagosians as the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration has performed creditably well in all sectors and deserves a second term.

The Governor charged them to ensure that they mobilize and sensitize all the citizens to vote massively for all candidates of the All Progressives Congress in the February and March 2023 elections to ensure progress for Lagos State and Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Akeem Amosu, Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of NAESN, earlier in his welcome address stated that his association in collaboration with the state chapter of AOPSHON put together the rally, to lend a supportive voice to the aspirations of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the 2023 general elections owing to their antecedents and performance in governance.

Describing the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the father of modern Lagos who has left his footprints in the sands of time, Amosu added that the associations hold a strong conviction that if he emerges as the next president of the country, it will be a turning point for Nigeria and an end to the economic doldrums as well a bright and new beginning for the country.

Comrade Olukayode Edun, Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of AOPSHON, said they are supporting the APC Candidates to appreciate the contributions of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration for massively investing in the education sector and teachers in the State.

He, therefore, charged all members of the associations to ensure that they mobilize and ensure that APC candidates win at all levels during the 2023 general lectures.

Comrade Akintoye Hassan, Lagos State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), stated that Lagos State has been on a very solid foundation since 1999 and any attempt by anyone or group to disrupt the progress of the state should be resisted.

He urged teachers not to hide their faces at this time considering the good gestures they have benefited during the Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

He highlighted that “monthly salary has never failed, promotion of teachers has been steady, brand new cars yearly given to teachers to mention a few of the privileges they enjoy”. He, therefore, enjoined the teachers to come out and vote for APC candidates during the elections.

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