Vice President Kashim Shettima has lauded Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for hosting what he described as a “masterpiece” opening ceremony of the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games.
Speaking with journalists at the Gateway International Airport in Iperu on his return to Abuja, Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event, praised the festival’s grandeur and the warm hospitality extended to over 20,000 participants from across Nigeria.
“The opening ceremony was truly spectacular, unlike anything I’ve witnessed before. Words cannot fully express our gratitude to Governor Abiodun for the immense resources, passion, and energy invested in showcasing Ogun State and Nigeria to the world,” he said.
Describing sports as a powerful tool for unity, Shettima emphasised its capacity to transcend ethnic, religious, and regional divides, fostering national cohesion.
He also applauded Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, for gracing the event with his presence and participation.
“At 91, Prof Soyinka remains mentally sharp and physically agile. His involvement is a celebration of excellence and a testament to Ogun’s legacy as a gateway to knowledge, tolerance, and unity,” Shettima noted.
The Vice President reaffirmed President Tinubu’s pride in Governor Abiodun’s efforts and commended the Ogun State Sports Commission for delivering a world-class event.
In his remarks, Governor Abiodun described the opening ceremony as one of the proudest moments of his administration, noting that the National Sports Festival, established in 1973, was envisioned as a platform to promote unity, discipline, leadership, and national consciousness among Nigerian youths.
“Our goal was to demonstrate our level of preparedness and prove that Nigeria can host an event of international standard. Yesterday’s ceremony reflected our vision, commitment, and pursuit of excellence,” the governor said.
Governor Abiodun added that the successful hosting of the event further cements Ogun State’s reputation, not just as Nigeria’s industrial hub but as a gateway to sports, tourism, and overall excellence.
“I believe this opening ceremony will remain a reference point for many years,” he concluded.
Vice President, Kashim Shettima on Sunday departed Nigeria to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum in Beijing, China, holding from Oct. 16 to 18.
Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.
Nkwocha said that Shettima would join world leaders from over 130 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America to deliberate on the theme, “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.”
According to him, the vice president is expected to avail Nigeria of the platform provided by the forum to woo investors for more developmental projects.
Nkwocha added that the Vice President would hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to promote Nigeria’s trade and investment relations in line with the economic development agenda of the Tinubu administration.
“The 2023 edition of the BRI will mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) championed by the President of China, Xi Jinping, as an initiative for global infrastructure development strategy.
“Adopted and launched by the government of the People’s Republic of China in 2013.
” The initiative seeks international action to enhance cooperation and promote infrastructure investment in nearly 70 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe through land and maritime routes. ”
He recalled that in 2018, former President, Muhammadu Buhari, on behalf of Nigeria, signed the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China.
“Nigeria and other partner countries across the world are to benefit from the initiative in areas of infrastructure investments such as ports, skyscrapers, railroads, roads, bridges, airports, dams and coal-fired power stations.”
Nkwocha said that the delegation of the vice president to the forum includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu and the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali.
Others are the Minister Of Works, David Umahi, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, and the Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Michael Ohiani.
In a related development, Nkwocha said in pursuance of the food security and diversification policy of the Tinubu administration, the vice president will, from China, depart for the United States of America, USA.
“While in US as the special guest, Shettima will deliver a keynote address at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and World Food Prize – facilitated Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue slated to commence on October 24th, 2023.
“Also, he will join other African international leaders, Heads of State and Government who in the past have delivered keynote addresses at the Borlaug Dialogue.
“They include former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan; World Food Prize Laureates; Ghana President, John Kufuor, AfDB President, Akinwunmi Adeshina and former President Olusegun Obasanjo and others,” Nkwocha said.
The media aide also stated that Shettima was expected to highlight reforms being instituted in the Nigerian Agrifood sector by the Tinubu administration.
“The vice president will engage several stakeholders, partners and investors in opportunities for investments in Nigeria.
“Several meetings and engagements have been slated for the vice president who is expected to be back to the country after his commitments in the US,” he informed.
PresidentBola Tinubu says his administration would make adequate provision for the enhancement of the operational capability of security and law enforcement agencies and improved welfare of personnel in its renewed drive to address security and related concerns across the country.
The President, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, gave the assurance at the Passing Out Parade of the 5th Regular Course of the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano.
He said, “This administration is committed to implementing effective measures to combat the security challenges in Nigeria and our synergy is the surest ticket to that destiny. We are implementing a comprehensive approach that focuses on key areas.
“First, we are investing in our law enforcement agencies to enhance their capabilities and effectiveness. We are offering extra resources, training, and equipment to bolster our Police Force and Security Agencies.”
Continuing, President Tinubu said, “Simultaneously, we are enhancing our intelligence and systems on both national and information-sharing international levels. We acknowledge that addressing security challenges necessitates cooperative endeavours with other countries. Hence, we are establishing alliances to adeptly tackle transnational threats.
“Furthermore, we are executing all encompassing social programmes and economic development projects aimed at fostering inclusiveness, social unity, and economic prospects for everyone,” the President added.
While commending the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies for their efforts, the President said, “Our moral duty now is to support the Nigeria Police Force and other security organisations in intensifying their bids to improve public safety.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged foreign investors to take advantage of the opportunities in Nigeria as the country is ready for business.
A statement by the Director, Information, Office of the Vice President, Mr Olusola Abiola said Shettima made the call in his remarks at a side event of the ongoing UN Food Systems Summit.
The theme of the summit is, “Scaling up of multi-stakeholder collaboration and investments in the implementation of the food systems pathways in Nigeria.”
The vice president noted that the combination of Nigeria’s young, energetic population and the agenda of the new administration placed the country far ahead of others in the region.
” We have the capacity of transforming the demographic bulge into demographic dividends or it will be the demographic disaster that will consume all of us. He said.
“Nigeria will surpass the United States as the third most populous nation on earth and the population is young. The median age is 19.”
“With determined leadership and the support of the global community, we believe, as eternal optimists do, that there is hope on the horizon,” the Vice President added.
The vice president expressed hope that the expected transformation could take place on the back of what he described as “building blocks that already exist in Nigeria.
On improving collaboration between government and the private sector, Shettima said focusing on agribusiness and the understanding that investment that would transform the food system would come from the private sector, with the government providing the enabling environment would scale up investment.
”Nigerian government, together with domestic and international finance institutions, scaled up the Value Chain Development Programme approach for the Special Agro Processing Zones Programme with an impressive investment of 521 million dollars from the IFAD, from the IsDB, and from the AfDB. He assured.
Present at the event were Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to FAO/IFAD/WFP in Rome; Mr Yaya Olaniran, Nigerian Ambassador to Italy, Mr Mfawa Abam; Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in the Office of the Vice President, Ambassador Ibrahim Hadejia, among other senior government officials.
Vice President, Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja to represent President Bola Tinubu at two major international summits in Rome, Italy, and St Petersburg, Russia.
Shettima, who left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 3 pm Sunday, will join other global leaders for the first Stocktaking Moment Summit, with the theme, “Transforming Food Systems for People, Planet and Prosperity,” holding from Monday, July 24, to Wednesday, July 26.
“During the summit, the Vice President will chair a high-level session, with the theme, ‘Innovative Financing for Food System Transformation: The Case of Nigeria,’ and the side event on ‘Scaling up Multi-stakeholders Collaboration and Investment in the Implementation of Food Systems Transformation Pathways in Nigeria,” a statement signed by State House Director of Information, Office of the VP, Olusola Abiola, revealed on Sunday.
The event is being organised in collaboration with the Rome-based UN Agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and World Food Programme, as well as the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and wider UN system.
Shettima will then proceed from Rome to St. Petersburg in Russia to represent the President at the Russia-Africa Summit scheduled to hold from Wednesday, July 26 to Saturday, July 29.
While in Russia, the Vice President will join other political and business leaders at the 2nd Russia–Africa Summit and Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum focused on strategising to enhance relations between Russia and the African continent, among other benefits.
Also, he will participate in bilateral meetings with representatives of relevant Russian senior government officials and business leaders to discuss relations between Russia and Nigeria.
Shettima, who is accompanied by senior government officials from federal ministries, departments, and agencies, is expected back in the country at the end of the week.
It is his first foreign trip since assuming office as Vice President.
The Federal Government is set to unveil “Pulaku solution” to address the root causes of banditry and insurgency in Nigeria, Vice President, Kashim Shettima has said.
He said both kinetic and non-kinetic solution must be embraced to ending the decade-long security menace.
The Vice President spoke on Sunday in chat with journalists while on a condolence visit to Kano State over the passing of elder statesman, Kashim Shettima.
Pulaku in Fulfude means brotherhood but it can be used in different context including helping or assisting the Fulani community.
Shettima also expressed the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu administration to ending all forms of terrorism in the country.
“The President is determined to define the meaning and concept of modern governance, and the crisis we have in the northwest which is further accentuated by poverty,” he said, according to a statement by his Director of Information, Olusola Abiola.
“The social exclusion is also something that the President is determined to frontally confront and in the coming weeks he is going to unveil the Pulaku solution.”
“Unless we want to engage in an endless war of attrition, there cannot be a military solution to the crisis in the northwest. There has to be a kinetic and non-kinetic solution.
“In the next couple of weeks, we will unveil the Pulaku solution which will address the grievances and social exclusion of our Fulbe cousins in the northwest and also towards addressing the root causes of all the banditry and insurgency in the nation,” Shettima added.
Earlier on arrival in Kano, the Vice President was received by Governor Abba Yusuf. From Kano, Shettima then flew to Katsina on another visit to condole renowned businessman, Dahiru Mangal over the demise of first wife, Aisha, who died Saturday evening in Abuja after a brief illness.
The Supreme Court has given a judicial seal of approval for the inauguration of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima.
The Court on Friday dismissed the suit by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, seeking their disqualification from the 2023 presidential election.
The Apex Court held that the PDP’s suit praying disqualification of Tinubu and Shettima was grossly lacking in merit and dismissed it.
The Supreme Court has given a judicial seal of approval for the inauguration of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima.
The Court on Friday dismissed the suit by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, seeking their disqualification from the 2023 presidential election.
The Apex Court held that the PDP’s suit praying disqualification of Tinubu and Shettima was grossly lacking in merit and dismissed it.
Justice Adamu Jauro who delivered the lead judgment slammed a fine of N2 million on PDP for poke-nosing into the internal affairs of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the conduct of its primary elections and nomination of its candidates.
Justice Jauro agreed with Tinubu’s lawyer, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, that PDP acted as a busybody and meddlesome interloper in the ways and manners it dabbled into APC’s affairs unjustly.
The Apex Court held that apart from the fact that PDP lacked requisite jurisdiction to institute the suit, the party also failed to provide a scintilla of evidence that Shetima engaged in double nomination.
The claim of PDP on the alleged double nomination of the Vice President-elect was described as most unfortunate and a clear deliberate mischief to mislead the Court and the country.
The Supreme Court also agreed with Fagbemi that no matter the pains of the PDP on how APC conducted its primary election and nominated its candidates, PDP must remain an onlooker.
“It is abundantly clear that the Appellant (PDP) in the totality of its position in the instant case, is peeping and poke-nosing into the affairs of another party as a busybody and meddlesome interloper,” he said.
The Court held that the action of PDP was painful because it used social media to set a booby trap for the Supreme Court to blackmail it.
It said this is most unfortunate, unwarranted and uncalled for.
Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with some Christian clerics under the aegis of the Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria.
At the meeting, Tinubu disclosed that his choice of a former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima was not a threat to the Christian community.
He added that his decision was based on competence and not religious considerations, adding that only competence can resolve the political and socio-economic challenges bedevilling the nation.
The APC presidential candidate said he has always been a friend of the Christian community and he should be considered based on his track records, plans and agenda for developing Nigeria.
“How will Nigeria develop? How do we banish hunger? How do we improve the insecurity and how do we eliminate killing one another, and shedding of blood of innocent citizens, that is what we must take to the office and not our religion.
“My intention is clear, not religiosity. My intention is to develop this country, to bring prosperity to our country and I have a better qualification, better track records, better exposure, and better vision than any of my mates.
“When the shortlisted names came, I looked at the characters on the list, their background and everything and here is somebody (Kassim Shetimma) who is so brilliant, so committed, who, during the crisis in Borno protected Christians,” he said.
The bishops, however, said the meeting is not an affirmation they’ll endorse APC’s candidate.
Chairman of Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria, Archbishop John Praise, said, “We are not committed to endorsing anybody, but you should ask your conscience and from what you have heard and from the explanation, he (Tinubu) had given to us to make your own judgement of who will better rule and handle the country.”
However, The closed-door meeting between the Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria in Abuja came under scrutiny on Thursday night.
The social media pages of the former governor of Lagos State were bombarded with mixed reactions from a cross-section of Nigerians, especially on Facebook and Twitter, hours after exclusive photographs of his rendezvous with the northern clerics in his Abuja campaign office hit the internet.
The development is coming barely three months after the Christian Association of Nigeria dissociated itself from the presence of some alleged bishops and pastors at the unveiling of the vice presidential candidate of the party, Kashim Shettima, saying they were desperados who went there for themselves.
CAN stated that although Tinubu was free to “hire mechanics and other artisans and sew clerical garments for them”, the effort would only add to their many ropes but would not change the need for fairness and justice.
Similarly, on Tuesday, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, made renewed threats to mobilise the northern Christian electorate to vote against Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 poll.
Dogara had predicted that adopting a Muslim-Muslim ticket was a fruitless political effort that was “doomed to end in spectacular failure.”
The ex-speaker made the statement while delivering his keynote address at a summit tagged ‘Meet The Church,’ organised by the Nigeria National Christian Coalition.
Lawal, on the other hand, vowed that the introduction of a same-faith ticket by the APC was a deliberate plan to further create divisions in the north.
The disgruntled former SGF, who spoke during an interview on Arise Television, declared that he was working with about 40 Christian leaders in the north to ensure that the contentious APC ticket failed.
But in Thursday’s meeting, the APC national leader reportedly explained to the PBFNS delegation led by Archbishop John Praise of Dominion Chapel International Church his reason for selecting Shettima to the northern Christian bishops.
Tinubu stated that his selection of Shettima was not a deliberate attempt to spite the Christian community but a choice he had to make to give Nigerians good governance if he got elected.
He stated, “Earlier today at a lively, productive and amiable meeting with a delegation representing the Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria, we discussed important issues of national significance as well as my determination to deliver unity, harmony and lasting peace to Nigeria.”
The reactions to his social media posts were instantaneous. While some of his followers and party supporters hailed his action, critics trolled and lampooned him for attempting to pull another stunt on the Christian community.
Culled/Titilayo Kupoliyi
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