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CAN Expresses Shock Over VP’s Convoy Fatal Accident

Published

7 years ago

March 16, 2020

…Commiserates with the bereaved, Call for probe of the explosion

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle and the entire Christian Association of Nigeria received with shock the news of the fatal accident involving the convoy of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, SAN while on their way to catch their flight at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja recently.

Religious body made this known on Monday in a statement issued by the Special Assistant (Media &Communications) to the CAN President Rev. Bayo Oladeji on Monday in Abuja

According to the statement, It was quite unfortunate that a runaway Toyota Camry Driver ran into the convoy of His Excellency, hit and killed one of the motorcycle escorts in the convoy, in the person of Late Inspector Ali Gomina. That was quite shocking and we could feel the pain in the heart of His Excellency over this sad development.

“While we commiserate with His Excellency Professor Yemi Osinbajo over this unpleasant development, we at the same time commiserate with the family of the deceased, especially the immediate family, the wife, and the three children. May God grant them the comfort of the Holy Spirit and fortitude to bear the loss in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

“On the other hand, we rejoice with His Excellency for God’s safety again. The Bible says, ‘many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all.’(Psalm 34: 19) He that has delivered you will continue to deliver you so that you might be able to fulfill your life purpose in the name of Jesus.

“We give thanks to God for the quality of leadership you provided when you abandoned your trip to go straight to Guide community and the family of the deceased to identify with them at the time of their pains. Your assuring words that the government will not abandon the family and the community are quite comforting. May the Lord continue to watch over you, your team and all of you in government while you are performing your duties to our nation Nigeria in the name of Jesus

“CAN equally commiserate with the people and the government of Lagos State over the Sunday’s explosion that went off at Abule Ado in Amuwo Odofin Local government area of Lagos State which has reportedly led to the demise of not fewer than 16 people including the Principal of Bethlehem Girls College, Rev Sister Henrietta Alokha and some students of the school. Many houses in the area were reportedly blown off or partly pulled down as a result of the explosion.

“Our hearts go to all the bereaved families and we pray to God to console and comfort them all. We at the same time pray for the quick recovery of those who are currently recuperating in the hospitals.”

However, the CAN, therefore, asks both the Federal and the Lagos State governments to investigate the disaster with a view to discovering the remote and immediate causes of the incident in order to prevent a future reoccurrence of the disaster anywhere in the country. The outcome of the investigation will as well allow disciplinary action to be taken against any act of negligence or criminality that caused the avoidable disaster. Human lives are too precious to be wasted in this way.

“Again, we condemn in strong terms the transportation of explosive devices in the country without adequate preventive measures. It is high time all the agencies of the government were alive to their responsibilities.

“We urge all road users to be careful to observe all traffic rules so as not to put the lives of other road users into danger.” The statement said.

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Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

3 days ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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