*APC Flays Fresh Terrorist Attack In Oyo, Queries Makinde Over Newly-Acquired Surveillance Aircraft, As Deputy Gov Confirms Plane’s Deployment
By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan
A pro-Bola Tinubu group, Renewed Hope Global, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration over the positive rating given by global financial services firm, JP Morgan, to Nigeria.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant (Publicity) to Renewed Hope Global, Victor Okebunmi, on Tuesday, JP Morgan’s rating on the country’s economy had previously been low.
“Renewed Hope Global has commended the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, following JP Morgan’s inclusion of Nigeria in its newly-introduced Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets Edge (GBI-EM Edge), with Nigerian local-currency government bonds assigned a 7.4 per cent weighting.
“The development comes more than a decade after Nigeria’s naira-denominated government bonds were removed from JP Morgan’s emerging-market government bond index in 2015,” Okebunmi said.
Renewed Hope Global said the current high scores signaled growing international recognition of the economic reforms under the Tinubu-led administration.
“Global chairman of Renewed Hope Global, Ambassador Joseph K. Adebola, described the development as an encouraging vote of confidence in Nigeria’s economic direction.
“JP Morgan’s inclusion of Nigeria with a 7.4 per cent weighting is an important development for our financial markets. It shows that international investors are taking notice of the reforms underway.
“We must sustain this momentum and continue building confidence in the Nigerian economy,” he added.
Renewed Hope Global then congratulated President Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Nigeria and other institutions involved in strengthening the country’s financial system.
APC Flays Fresh Terrorist Attack In Oyo, Queries Makinde Over Newly-Acquired Surveillance Aircraft, As Deputy Gov Confirms Plane’s Deployment
Meanwhile, the Oyo State chapter of opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the reported attack by suspected bandits on an Operation Burst base at Tesi-Apata Village in Olorunsogo Local Government Area OF the state on Sunday.
APC also questioned the effectiveness of the multi-billion-naira surveillance aircraft that the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration recently acquired.
However, the state government, on Monday, confirmed that the aircraft had become operative, adding that five suspects had been apprehended over the attack.
According to a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC said the gunmen allegedly operated for more than one hour without being repelled.
The party questioned why there was no reported surveillance activity along the axis where the state government located the base station for the two security aircraft it said had been received and deployed.
The APC also criticised Makinde’s continued criticism of President Tinubu’s economic reforms, describing it as a reflection of what it called poor knowledge of economic management, human capacity development and nation building.
It said: “On many occasions, Governor Makinde has said that the removal of fuel subsidy and floatation of the naira by the Tinubu-led administration was designed to punish Nigerians and enrich the governors.
“Going by his claims, he has been enriched tremendously, as a serving governor; but the fundamental question is what he has done to transform the life of the common man in Oyo State in the last seven years.
“It is apparent that Governor Makinde lacks the capacity to create wealth, offer good governance and provide security with the enormous resources at his disposal, as he continues to waste taxpayers’ money on inanities and cosmetic projects.
“A good example is the N7.8 billion which he spent on procuring surveillance aircraft when he could have used five per cent of the amount on cheaper technological software and hardware to achieve better results.
“Only yesterday, the security of the entire Pacesetters State was shaken to its roots when insurgents unleashed terror on the Operation Burst Base located along the Igbeti-Igboho road in Olorunsogo Local Government Area of the state.
“At the end of the over-one-hour operation, the gunmen carted away all the weapons in the hands of the security agents and set ablaze their operations van, but it is gladdening that no casualties were recorded during the attack.
“Since the day Governor Makinde celebrated the purported delivery of the two aircraft, nothing has been heard or felt about their deployment to survey the state’s airspace.
“Sadly enough, the same Igbeti where the Base Station for the aircraft was reportedly situated came under heavy attack for more than an hour, and there were no surveillance aircraft to track the attackers and possibly repel them.
“Therefore, it is safe to say that the whole story about security surveillance aircraft is another scam.”
In its swift response, the state government confirmed that five suspected terrorists were arrested over the attack on the military base, as more than 120 soldiers had been deployed in pursuit of the fleeing assailants.
The government also said the surveillance aircraft were being deployed for reconnaissance operations to support efforts to track down the attackers and prevent further security breaches.
The state Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, made these known during an assessment visit to the scene of the attack, barely 24 hours after the incident.
A statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, who accompanied the Deputy Governor on the visit, conveyed Gov. Makinde’s assurance that the people of the area would not be abandoned.
“Governor Seyi Makinde has a message for the people: ‘You will never be abandoned’,” the statement quoted Lawal as saying.
The Deputy Governor, who was conducted round the affected facility by the Commanding Officer of the 81 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Asogwa, was briefed on the military’s response and the ongoing operation to apprehend the attackers.
The Commander explained that the destruction of the building and an operational vehicle during the attack resulted from the use of grenade launchers by the terrorists, which caused cooking gas cylinders within the premises to explode.
The government said five suspected terrorists had, so far, been arrested, with further arrests expected, as security operatives intensified their operations.
Lawal said the state’s newly-acquired surveillance aircraft would continue to support security operations through reconnaissance and monitoring, while explaining that the aircraft could not remain airborne continuously.
He said the aircraft conducted random sorties and would be available when required for security operations.
The Deputy Governor also announced the establishment of an emergency committee comprising the Chairmen of five adjoining Local Government Areas of Olorunsogo, Oriire, Saki East, Orelope and Irepo to coordinate immediate support for security personnel operating in the affected communities.
The committee, he said, would identify the needs of security personnel in the areas and liaise with the state government to ensure prompt assistance.
“As a responsible government, we will continue to play our part in ensuring that our people are safe,” Lawal said.
He expressed relief that no casualties were recorded in the attack, describing the absence of fatalities as a welcome development.
