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Why I scrapped Ramadan Welfare package — El-Rufai

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El-rufai

Governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Monday, said prominent politicians and influential personalities benefit from the Ramadan and Christmas welfare packages rather than the poor.

Mr. El-Rufai was explaining the reason he scrapped the welfare package – distributing food items and gifts during Ramadan.

While hosting religious leaders last week, the governor said Kaduna State was broke and needed to tighten its finances to serve the people better.

He said the state government will no longer tolerate the siphoning of government resources in the guise of gifts to prominent politicians, public servants and famous figures, or the feeding of indigent persons during religious occasions; neither will it be involved in sponsoring people to religious events.

In a statement Tuesday, the governor said his administration stopped issuing contracts to so-called “super” politicians to supply foods, beverages and other essentials as Ramadan gifts across the state because the process, in the past, was fraudulent with nothing tangible to show for it, except playing to the gallery to score cheap political goals and fraudulently enrich a few individuals.

“It is a known fact that the so-called feeding of the poor during Ramadan is a window created to loot the public treasury with impunity using religion as a cover,” the statement read.

He said food stuffs, bought with public resources, are distributed to prominent government officials and other personalities, while the poor in whose name those foods are procured queue in droves for crumbs and are constantly subjected to several forms of hardships and degrading circumstances.

“The Governor is committed to always helping the needy in a transparent and sustainable manner. He is focused on providing sincere leadership, and that includes taking steps against the looting of the public treasury in the guise of feeding ordinary citizens who are deprived of social justice and basic amenities,” the statement said.

“The Governor’s position is simple. He will not dip his hands into the public treasury or aid the swindling of public funds using religion as a cover. Instead his generosity to the poor will continue in his private status as a Muslim. His commitment to Zakat is constant and has been done for decades without any form of publicity.

“The Governor encourages people of means to do the same in their private capacities, and not abdicate their religious duty to care for the less well-off to the government.

“This year, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and his friends are pooling resources to provide Ramadan feeding as private individuals to the vulnerable in our society.

“This is a healthy way of building a caring society, and if more widely adopted by people of means, will certainly provide for more persons than a fraudulent system of government provision that at best reaches only a few,” the statement concluded.

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Benue, Kwara Killings: Primate Ayodele Warned But They Never Listened

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Primate Ayodele Never Said Seyi Makinde Would Become President’’ – Media Aide Clarifies*

When Nigerians started celebrating after the United States launched an attack against terrorists in Nigeria on December 25, 2025, Primate Ayodele stood out when he said the nation shouldn’t celebrate yet because there would be reprisal attacks.

Many quickly lashed out at him, calling him all sort of names like prophet of doom, fake prophet, bet9ja prophet, to mention but a few. However, the prophet stood his ground and continued to warn President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his team that terrorists are planning to attack some Nigerian states.

His words after the US-led attack were:

“Nigerians shouldn’t celebrate yet, and President Tinubu shouldn’t celebrate either, because the powerlessness of his government is getting exposed, and America can come up with anything against him. This won’t stop kidnapping or insecurity in Nigeria.

“The government of Nigeria must work on it because the US cannot do it without the Nigerian government.

“Another bombing is coming up, and these bandits are ready for the consequences. They are also ready to counter-attack heavily; the government must get prepared for the outcome.”

Many didn’t know that Primate Ayodele isn’t a prophet that just speaks for attention sake, he speaks as directed by the most high God and that’s why he is always fearless in his approaches. Despite the fact that even the presidency celebrated it, he called their attention to some plans of terrorists across the country.

It’s been barely two months after the attack of the United States, and the country is back to more folds of insecurity across the country. Bandits have launched full-fledged attacks on the nation, killing several innocent souls without getting checked or arrested.

If only security operatives listens to Primate Ayodele’s warning, he vividly mentioned some of the states that bandits or terrorist would be visiting. He shared them in a prophet at least twice, including in video recordings but we wonder what these security operatives do with sensitive messages like this.

In one of the prophetic moment, he mentioned about eight states that will be attacked by terrorists if care isn’t taken.

“These states, Nasarawa, Abuja, Ondo, Kaduna, Sokoto, Benue, Katsina, Yobe, should be paid close attention to. They should deploy more soldiers to these states.”

Just yesterday in Benue, In Benue State, 17 people, including a Mobile Police officer, were killed when gunmen attacked the Abande market in Mbaikyor Ward, Turan district of Kwande Local Government Area. Gunmen opened fire on traders and residents, killing many on the spot. Police spokesperson in Benue State, Udeme Edet confirmed the attack.

In Katsina, In Katsina State, at least 20 residents were killed when bandits stormed Doma community in Tafoki Ward, Faskari Local Government Area.

Witnesses said the attackers moved unhindered, shooting villagers and setting houses and vehicles ablaze before fleeing. Faskari Local Government Chairman Surajo Aliyu confirmed the incident, describing it as a deadly reprisal and the worst in recent months.

In Kwara too, Primate Ayodele had said earlier before now, just after the Eruku incident, that he still sees attacks in the state.

In fulfilment of this, bandits killed at least 10 villagers in Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area. The attackers, reportedly operating from the Borgu National Park forest in neighboring Niger State, invaded the communities around 6.00 pm, firing sporadically and setting houses ablaze.

Sincerely, all of these could have been avoided by they failed to listen.

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Former Pension Reform Task Team Chairman, Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina, Hospitalised After Sudden Collapse in Abuja

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Former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina, on Tuesday evening slumped while attempting to access his office premises in Abuja and was immediately rushed to a private hospital for urgent medical care.

The incident occurred after complications arising from an untreated knee injury reportedly caused him to lose balance and fall on a staircase, resulting in a head impact that required immediate medical attention from personnel at the scene.

Confirming the development in an official statement, Emmanuel Umahi Ekwe, Esq., Media Assistant to Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina, speaking on behalf of his family, said the former pension reform chief was promptly stabilised and transferred to a private medical facility in the Federal Capital Territory, where he is currently under close supervision by a team of doctors.

According to the statement, preliminary medical evaluations indicate that Dr. Maina remains under observation, while specialists have advised that arrangements for a possible air ambulance evacuation may be considered should his condition require advanced or specialised treatment.

The situation has drawn concern from associates, professional colleagues, and well-wishers across the country, given Dr. Maina’s prominent role in Nigeria’s public sector and pension reform initiatives.

His family has appealed to the public for prayers, understanding, and respect for privacy during this critical period, assuring that further updates will be communicated as developments unfold.

 

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President Tinubu in Turkey: Guard of Honor and Strategic Agreements Signal New Era in Bilateral Relations

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By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, was accorded a full guard of honor during his official state visit to Turkey, a ceremonial reception reserved for world leaders and a strong signal of the respect Nigeria commands on the global stage.

The ceremony, held at the Turkish Presidential Complex in Ankara, featured military pageantry, national anthems, and formal protocol before high-level bilateral talks commenced.

The Presidency confirmed that President Tinubu briefly stumbled due to a camera cable while proceeding to the presidential lodge but stood up immediately and continued his engagements without interruption, stressing that the incident had no impact on the visit or his health.

More importantly, the visit delivered substantive diplomatic and economic outcomes. During talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on January 27, 2026, Nigeria and Turkey signed nine cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding, covering military cooperation, higher education, diaspora policy, media and communication, halal accreditation, diplomatic training, and the establishment of a Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).

At a joint press conference, President Tinubu emphasized the need to deepen cooperation in security, trade, and economic development, while President Erdoğan reaffirmed Turkey’s support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and commitment to strengthening strategic ties.

With Turkey’s strengths in defense technology, intelligence, education, and industrial capacity, the agreements open new opportunities for technology transfer, security collaboration, trade expansion, and human capital development.

In essence, the Turkey visit stands as a diplomatic success, defined not by a fleeting moment, but by honor, respect, and concrete agreements that advance Nigeria’s security, economy, and international standing.

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