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Blinken heads to Brussels for urgent talks on Ukraine after Trump win

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Europe for urgent meetings with EU and NATO officials on Ukraine, in the shadow of Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House.

The US State Department will hold talks in Brussels on Wednesday on how to boost Ukraine’s support, anticipating a shift in US foreign policy following the transition of power to president-elect Trump.

Trump has previously suggested that he would curtail US military aid to Kyiv after he takes office as part of a general push towards an “America first” approach to foreign policy.

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the US to promote his “victory plan” in September, Trump described the country as “demolished”.

He argued Ukraine should have made concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin before he invaded and repeated his claim that he would put an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Trump has not gone into detail about what his plans for ending the war would be.

During his first term, Trump sold Ukraine Javelin anti-tank missiles that the previous Obama administration refused to provide, which were crucial to Kyiv’s initial ability to fight off Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Nevertheless, the president-elect has been ambiguous about his concrete position on the war. In the sole presidential debate against his election opponent, Kamala Harris, Trump claimed that he wanted the war to end but refused to answer questions about how he planned to help end it.

According to data from the Kiel Institute, America is currently the largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, with contributions totalling €84.7 billion between 2022 and 2024.

Incumbent US President Joe Biden has remained steadfast in his support for Ukraine, although he stopped short of fully endorsing the Ukrainian leader’s “victory plan”.

The US is currently entering what is known as a lame-duck session, which occurs between Election Day and the end of the two-year congressional term.

As Republicans wait for the next year to have full control of the White House, Democrats are trying to implement as many of their priorities as they can while they have the majority in the Senate.

As Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told in a recent interview, “President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe.”

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Councillors impeach two Edo LG Chairmen

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Councillors impeach two Edo LG Chairmen
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Councillors impeach two Edo LG Chairmen

Two chairmen in Uhunmwonde and Orhionmwon local government areas of Edo State have been impeached by their councillors.

The events were marked by accusations of violence, illegal actions, and political interference.

A similar situation also unfolded in Owan East, where the chairman and his deputy faced what they described as an unconstitutional impeachment process.

In Uhunmwonde, the impeachment process turned violent as armed men attacked bystanders, leaving several people injured.

The council chairman, Kenneth Adodo, accused the attackers of being policemen sent from the government house.

In Orhionmwon, the councillors impeached the Leader of the House, Daniel Osariemen, on Wednesday.

They claimed Osariemen was working to remove the council chairman, Newman Ugiagbe, and his vice, Midwest Ogbebor.

Following his impeachment, Osariemen allegedly led unknown persons to take over the council secretariat in Abudu.

He reportedly resumed work there as the acting chairman, but Ugiagbe dismissed his actions as illegal.

In Owan East, the chairman, Prince Aminu Okodo-Kadiri, and his vice, Clement Ojebuovbo, were also impeached.

Okodo rejected the impeachment, calling it unlawful and saying it did not follow proper procedures.

He argued that the law requires a seven-member investigative panel to handle such cases, but no panel was formed. He also claimed he was not given a chance to defend himself.

Okodo further pointed out that the mace used during the impeachment was not the official one for the Owan East Council, which he said made the process invalid.

He accused two suspended councillors of being part of the impeachment, even though they had not been reinstated officially.

The chairman also responded to allegations from the state governor that council chairmen misused ₦50 million meant for salaries.

Okodo said these claims were false, explaining that monthly salary expenses in most councils are higher than ₦50 million.

He added that all salaries had been paid up to November and that bank records showed no mismanagement of funds.

Okodo described the impeachment as politically motivated and vowed to take legal action.

He expressed confidence that the court would overturn the decision and restore his position.

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Breaking News: I am An Igbo Man, Anioma is Igbo, Nothing like Delta Igbo. We are all Igbos – Ifeanyi Okowa

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Breaking News: I am An Igbo Man, Anioma is Igbo, Nothing like Delta Igbo. We are all Igbos – Ifeanyi Okowa

Governor Okowa said there is nothing like delta igbo or Anioma igbo. He stated that we are all igbo people.
Igbo language to be included in school curiculum in all schools in all the igbo areas in delta state.
Me:
Okowa Dalu…Bini Land grabbers…Cry more…how can you even be claiming someone who does not understand your language, practice ur culture and bear your naive names… Anioma Igbo.
Follow us Sylvester Joseph

Almighty Unify IGBOS Now Deputy Jesus

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JUST IN: Governor Sim Fubara Signs N1.1 trillion Rivers state 2025 Budget Into Law.

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JUST IN: Governor Sim Fubara Signs N1.1 trillion Rivers state 2025 Budget Into Law.

 

His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has signed into law the 2025 Rivers State Appropriation Bill, totaling 1.1 trillion naira.

Below are the statements of His Excellency as he signed into law the Appropriation Bill, tagged “Budget of Inclusive Growth & Development.”

“Let me first thank the Rivers State House of Assembly for doing a very diligent job and also realizing that what we have ahead of us is to continue to work for Rivers people. So, I want to thank you for working very, very hard and ensuring that we hit the ground running in this new year.”

“I want to say this, maybe for some persons somewhere who are still mixing up issues: we have only one Assembly, and that Assembly is headed by Rt. Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo. A group of friends about nine or ten months ago embarked on what they call a “Sinbad Journey.” Halfway through the journey, while they were coasting, they realized they were entering into the den of devils and sharks. They now retrieved, but it is too late. The truth is, we are not going back. We have given enough room for peace. As it stands now, our majority target is the interest of Rivers State and to continue to defend the integrity of governance. As far as I’m concerned, we have moved on.”

“Let me thank everyone who made this possible. We made a promise to you that we would continue to keep the interests of Rivers State first. So now that this bill has been signed, I can assure you that every projection in it will be kickstarted so that the record of performance accorded to this administration in the year 2024 will be surpassed in this year.”

“Let me thank my management team, that is, my exco, for all the support, most especially my deputy and everyone—the Commissioner for Finance, Budget, and the acting Internal Revenue Chairman—for the wonderful job they did last year. We expect you to do more because we have a bigger task ahead of us.”

“We have made some promises to our people in education, health, and agriculture. We must ensure we make a good impact, just like we have done in the areas of road infrastructure and other aspects of the economy.”

“Let me, on this note, thank everyone and wish you a happy and prosperous New Year ahead as we continue the journey of making Rivers State great again.”

“Thank you.”

– John Martins®️

Thursday, 02 January, 2025

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