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IAWPA African Director Metchie commends Tinubu for declaring emergency on food security, says NHFSS would safeguard forests, farms
The African Director, International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA), Ambassador John Metchie, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for declaring state of emergency on food security.
It would be recalled that the President on Thursday, declared a state of emergency on food security and approved that all matters pertaining to food and water availability and affordability, as essential livelihood items, be included within the purview of the National Security Council.
Chief Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy who disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents, said President has directed an immediate release of fertilizers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal.
According to him, “We will immediately release fertilizers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal.
“There will be an organic synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the use of water resources to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands and to guarantee that food is available all years round.”
Reacting to the development in a statement he personally signed on Friday, Metchie who is also the Deputy Commander General of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service in charge of Technical Services, said President Tinubu has shown by his policies and declarations that he is a grassroots leader who is abreast with the basic needs of the people.
He said that one of the greatest challenges faced by Nigerian citizens currently is shortage of food, caused partly by insecurity in the farms and forests, adding that the President’s intervention in the very important sector, barely two months of his administration shows that Tinubu is serious with his promises to bring relief to the lives of the people.
He particularly hailed the President for saying Nigeria must do away with seasonal farming, saying that a country with more than 200 million people cannot afford to rely on seasonal farming but mechanised farming that is all-year round.
In addition to declaring emergency on food security, Metchie said there is a need to secure forests and farms across the country so that the plans of the President to map out hectares of land for farming and grazing would be realized.
He said- “I was delighted when the President’s spokesman, Chief Dele Alake said that the President’s mandate is to create jobs for the teeming youth population and to achieve between five to ten million more jobs within the value chain, “working with the current 500,000 hectares of arable land and the several hundreds of thousands more farmlands to be developed in the medium term.
“I was also pleased when he said that President Tinubu’s administration understands that food and water are the bedrock of survival and therefore is calling on all Nigerians to partner with government in ensuring the success of this strategic intervention.
“For me, one of the most strategic contributions we can make towards the success of the President’s initiatives on food security is to say that Nigeria needs to do more to secure farmlands so that farmers can move freely to and their farms without molestation. This is where the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) come in handy.
“It is gratifying that the two chambers of the National Assembly have passed the Bill for the Service. What remains is for the President to give his presidential assent to the Bill so that it can become law. Already, there are thousands of officers and men of the NHFSS working with the Police and other security agencies in the area of surveillance, information and intelligence gathering, as well as apprehension of criminals within farms and forests across the 36 states and the FCT.
“Many states have recognized and integrated the NHFSS into their security system and the testimonies of the great exploits of NHFSS officers and men are gladdening.
“The signing of the Bill by the President into law would legally empower operatives of the Service to become more emboldened to confront all forms of crimes and criminalities that are carried out within the forests including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and insurgency, among others,” Metchie said.
Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has announced the death of his wife after a prolonged battle with cancer.
The social media commentator shared the sad news on Instagram with a candle image, alongside a farewell message.
“Rest in peace my darling wife, odabo oyinbo mi”, he wrote.
Before her death, Fayose had opened up about the severity of her illness.
He said he travelled to Australia to spend time with his family, but was met with a painful reality as his wife had become extremely weak due to cancer.
He explained that she was no longer able to speak or carry out basic daily activities. According to him, the woman who once welcomed him at the airport could no longer do so, and he had to make his way from the airport by Uber.
He also described how roles had reversed in the home, saying he now had to take care of her, including cooking for her, as she could no longer do so herself. He added that he spent time beside her, singing her favourite songs, while she responded only by holding his hand.
In his emotional reflection, he also spoke about life and wealth, stressing that money and material possessions could not stop illness or death, and questioned the actions of those who use public office to take what belongs to others.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that all 22 registered political parties in Nigeria have submitted their membership registers in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the submissions were completed on May 8, two days ahead of the extended deadline set by the Commission.
According to INEC, the extension became necessary after political parties raised concerns over the original timeline during a meeting held on March 24.
The Commission had initially fixed April 21 as the deadline for the submission of membership registers in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election.
However, following consultations with political parties, INEC announced on March 27, 2026, that the deadline would be moved to May 10, 2026.
The adjustment, INEC said, was made to align with Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the actual dates chosen by political parties for their primaries.
Under the revised timetable, political parties are permitted to conduct their primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026. The law also requires each party to submit its membership register to the Commission not later than 21 days before the date of its primary election.
INEC stated that all registered political parties complied with the requirement within the extended timeframe.
“The Commission is pleased to note that all registered parties submitted their registers as of 8th May 2026, two days before the extended deadline,” the statement said.
The electoral body added that the submitted registers would now undergo the necessary verification processes in accordance with the law.
INEC reiterated its commitment to conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in Nigeria.
According to the Commission’s timetable for the 2027 General Election, elections into the offices of President and members of the National Assembly are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the deputy commander of the Islamic State terrorist group, ISIS, has been killed in Nigeria.
US President Donald Trump said al-Minuki was killed in a “complex mission” carried out by Nigerian and American troops.
The US president shared updates on the operation in a social media post late Saturday.
“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump wrote.
“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.
“He will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.
“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
Trump also acknowledged and thanked the Nigerian government for its “partnership on this operation”.
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