News

‘Stop reintegrating repentant terrorists’ – Anglican Bishop Ike urges Nigerian Govt

Published

2 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Preport

Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt Rev Prof Samuel Obiajulu Ike has charged the Federal Government of Nigeria to discontinue its programme of reintegrating repentant terrorists.

Bishop Ike gave the charge in the presidential address he delivered on Friday at the third session of the 19th Synod of the Diocese held at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Ogbete, Enugu.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to end the reintegration of the so-called ‘repentant terrorists’ into the critical aspects of the society, insisting that those involved in terrorism should be prosecuted rather than rehabilitated.

While expressing worry over the level of insecurity in Nigeria, Bishop Ike said despite allocating N5.41 trillion, about 9.3 per cent of the proposed N58.47 trillion 2026 budget, to security and defence, there has been no significant improvement in security.

The cleric, who spoke on a wide range of issues, condemned the policy of rehabilitating repentant terrorists, arguing that those responsible for killings and other violent crimes must face justice.

“In a society where a man is sentenced to death for defending himself against terrorists and another is prosecuted for stealing a goat, terrorists must also be made to face trial for their heinous crimes,” he said.

He urged the President to sanction cabinet members allegedly sympathetic to terrorists, stop referring to Boko Haram members as “insurgents,” and officially designate them simply as terrorists.

Bishop Ike also called on the Federal Government to act against social media platforms allegedly used by terrorist groups to spread propaganda and fear.

Expressing concern over persistent killings and abductions, he cited reports that over 1,100 Nigerians were kidnapped in the first quarter of 2026, while attacks in Plateau, Benue and Kaduna states claimed hundreds of lives.

Questioning the impact of huge investments in military hardware, drones and Tucano fighter jets, he said Nigerians deserved better protection.

“We renew our call on the President to act swiftly to ensure the protection of Nigerians. The 2027 elections are endangered if the government fails to guarantee the safety of its citizens,” he said.

On the economy, the bishop faulted the Federal Government’s continued borrowing, describing it as inconsistent with President Tinubu’s earlier pledge to stop borrowing for capital projects after meeting revenue targets.

He noted that despite the N58.47 trillion 2026 budget, the Senate approved a fresh $6 billion loan in March to finance the 2025 budget deficit.

Describing the situation as ironic, Bishop Ike questioned the utilisation of borrowed funds, citing inflation, naira depreciation and rising poverty as evidence that economic reforms had yet to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

“There is increased pain, poverty and hunger in the land. Nigerians are disillusioned and disenchanted. The reforms appear not to have worked; rather, they have increased the cost of living. The Federal Government should rethink its policies and ensure they deliver tangible benefits to the masses,” he said.

He lamented that electricity supply has worsened despite the electricity tariff hike following customer categorisation, noting that President Tinubu’s promise of reliable and affordable power remains unfulfilled.

The bishop reminded the President of his 2023 pledge that Nigerians would have electricity “by all means necessary,” stressing that the time to fulfil that promise was yesterday, and the next best time is now, especially after the approval of N3.3 trillion to clear longstanding debts in the power sector.

He added that the installation of a N10 billion solar power project at Aso Rock in late 2025 had further diminished public confidence in the government’s commitment to improving electricity supply for ordinary Nigerians.

Related Topics:Anglican Bishop Govt Ike Nigerian reintegrating repentant stop Terrorists urges

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Tinubu establishes National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office, appoints Obi Adigwe pioneer coordinator

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Deregistration: Our candidates will be on ballot – NDC

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Health

Tinubu establishes National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office, appoints Obi Adigwe pioneer coordinator

Published

16 minutes ago

June 27, 2026

Preport

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) and appointed Obi Adigwe as its pioneer National Coordinator.

The agency will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

The NHTDAO will serve as a meta-level national platform for coordinating the country’s digital health agenda.

It will reinforce, not replace, the existing statutory functions of relevant departments and agencies.

It will also harmonise and empower the public and private institutions across the health system, set the standards that connect them, and operationalise the National Digital Health Architecture, approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.

The National Coordinator, Mr Adigwe, as Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, has leveraged science to catalyse interventions in artificial intelligence, translational research, and technology transfer.

He coordinated major projects, including the ¥300m Nanotechnology grant and the AFREXIMBank grant for Africa’s first API Training Facility. He led the roadmap development that underpinned an €18 million EU grant, the largest in Africa for the thematic area.

During the last pandemic, Mr Adigwe showcased African science globally by conducting the world’s first analysis to debunk claims about the Covid Organics preparation.

The Office’s Steering Committee, which will provide strategic direction and oversight, comprises:

Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare (Co-chair)
Olaniyi Yusuf, Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (Co-chair)
Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare (Alternate Co-chair)
Kachollom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
Idris Alubankudi Saliu, Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy
Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator, SWAp Coordination Office
Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator, Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain
Muyi Aina, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency
Kelechi Ohiri, Director General, National Health Insurance Authority
Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
National Information Technology Development Agency
Six representatives of State Commissioners of Health, one from each of the six geopolitical zones
Pharm Hamza Buhari, stakeholder representing industry and community

President Tinubu expects the NHTDAO to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven health system that improves health outcomes for all citizens, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)

26 June, 2026

News

Deregistration: Our candidates will be on ballot – NDC

Published

2 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Preport

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has assured that its candidates will be on ballot in next year’s general elections.

The National Secretary of the party, Ikenna Enekweizu, gave this assurance on Friday when he appeared as a guest in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He was speaking on the party’s registration battles.

Recall that a Federal High Court in sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday set aside its judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, as a political party.

“All our candidates will be on the ballots come 2027, and we will win the elections. We still six months before next year.

“Let me tell you something. There’s a funny thing about this matter. We were scheduled to pick up our codes to start uploading our candidates Today. We are supposed to be at INEC Today to pick up the codes, and then at the middle of the day, the ruling just came up.

“I think it was designed and timed to stop us from picking up those codes, but I can assure you that we’ll pick them up. We’ll upload our candidates and we’ll participate in the elections.

“Our candidates and supporters have nothing to fear. We’ll win the elections because Nigerians are fed up with what is going on in this country Today. We are fed up with the hunger, the insecurity, the failures of government and the heartlessness of the government that is ruining this country,” he said.