Protesters on Monday morning took to the gate of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, to express their dissatisfaction over the ongoing economic chaos in the country.
Members of the community blocked the institution’s gate, thereby preventing vehicular movement and other activities.
A student, who does not want her name mentioned, told the newsmen that as of the time of filing this report, soldiers and Operation Burst officers had arrived the scene.
For weeks Nigeria has been faced with biting naira and fuel scarcity
Youths in Eruwa in Ibarapa East Local Government have expressed appreciation to the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin for completing the Secretariat of Eruwa Youth Movement, EYM in Eruwa.
The Eruwa Youth Movement, EYM established in 1961 is the apex youth organization in Eruwa.
The project was commissioned recently by the Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde during his campaign tour of Eruwa and Lanlate towns
The leadership of EYM approached the Speaker for intervention when the project inaugurated in 2015 could not be completed.
Hon Adebo Ogundoyin who acceded to their request took over the Secretariat from window level and completed it to taste.
The President of EYM, Comrade Kunle Adebola said God had used Hon Adebo Ogundoyin to bring the vision and dream of the Association to fruition.
According to him, the Speaker has written his name in gold for making it possible for Eruwa Youth Movement, EYM to have a befitting Secretariat.
Comrade Kunle Adebola expressed happiness that the Speaker made good his promise of not only completing the project but also completing it to taste.
” We are happy for the completion of our Secretariat here in Eruwa. Our dreams have come true. EYM as the apex umbrella body for youth organizations in Eruwa now has a Secretariat of its own. Special thanks to the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin for this laudable feat. “
” As we say thank you and God bless you to Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, we also pray to the Lord to continue to elevate his status, grant his heart desires and increase his sustenance to enable him embark on more projects for the benefit of our people. We know he is identifying with us because he is a youth like us. May his shadow never grow less.” EYM President prayed.
The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) has disclosed that 33 indigent students from Oyo state have benefited from Governor Seyi Makinde N10m donation into its scholarship scheme.
The beneficiaries were unveiled at the Monthly General Assembly of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes on Friday, February 3, 2023.
Its President General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga, commended Governor Makinde for his good gesture to the indigenes. He encouraged Governor Makinde to keep his gestures of always extending help to the needy in Society. Prince Adeaga noted that His Excellency has been known for his good deeds and prayed that God will always grant him all his heart desires.
Prince Adeaga further advised the beneficiaries that when they succeed in life, they should remember Ibadan and cultivate the spirit of lifting others in need when they achieve in their future endeavors.
“We held our monthly General Assembly, where we successfully awarded a scholarship to 33 indigent students who are Indigenes of Ibadan. They are students of various tertiary institutions in Ibadanland. “Governor Makinde gave us ten million naira (N10M) as part of our scholarship fund, it is a Scholarship program fund, out of which we have taken a first batch of 33 students of various institutions, and we are spending N4.2 million naira on all of them.
“University students were given 140 thousand naira; Polytechnic students were given ₦120 thousand while NCE students each benefitted in the ₦80 thousand naira. In their separate remarks, the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to Governor Makinde for his helping hand to them.
They promised to wisely use the opportunity given to them and notsappoint Ibadanland, CCII, and Governor Makinde.
The students further called on the state’s people to make sure that they supported the re-election bid of Governor Makinde and supported him in providing the dividend of democracy to the state.
“I will like to thank the Governor of my state, Governor Seyi Makinde, for his utmost support to the indigenous students of Oyo state generally.
“I would also like to thank the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes for their support for the indigenous students of Ibadan land.
“I will like to advise the people to consciously support Governor Makinde in his re-election bid because I believe that a lot is still coming from governor Seyi Makinde , the Governor of the masses.
“I have been serving Ibadan from day one because when I was at the federal college of education Oyo, I was a Chapter Federation of Ibadan Students Union (FIBSU) President and I will still continue my support for the development of Ibadan land in my own capacity.
“I want to say a very big thank you to Governor Seyi Makinde, may God bless him.
“Also I want to say thank you to CCII, God bless every members of CCII for the opportunity to benefit from this scholarship, I am pleased and blessed for this scholarship.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the House would have no option but to reconvene before the February 25 elections if the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) failed to address the hardships Nigerians face due to the currency swap policy.
The speaker said the House would continue to monitor the CBN’s implementation of the policy closely following the Green Chamber’s meeting with the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, on the issue.
Speaking during a town hall meeting with some ethnic groups in Surulere, Lagos, on Sunday, Gbajabiamila said he was on the verge of signing an arrest warrant against Emefiele following his initial failure to appear before an ad hoc panel of the House.
“The House of Representatives intervened on several occasions. We summoned the CBN governor the first time and again, but he refused to answer, because we had many hard questions for him.
“It was until I issued the threat of warrant of arrest before he came, and I would’ve signed that warrant; it would’ve been the first time in the history of National Assembly that a CBN governor would be arrested. I would’ve done it.
“Many have argued on the independence of CBN, the autonomy of CBN. That does not make CBN above the law. The constitution gives the House the power to issue an arrest warrant against anyone, we can summon anybody, and that was exactly what the House was going to do until the CBN governor came.
“So, we are watching, and we are monitoring very closely. If need be, we will reconvene the House, even though we’ve all been away for our elections. I will call the House back, if need be.”
Gbajabiamila also said that amidst the ongoing hardship, the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has identified with Nigerians and faulted the implementation of the policy at this time, which necessitated the extension of the deadline for the collection of the old currency.
“On the currency swap, let me explain something to you. We are all very intelligent people. Many are suffering, we have paid your salary, and you cannot withdraw it; people cannot eat, what kind of thing is that?
“But I have news for you. There’s one man who is running for president of this country, and that man has courage and audacity. This man came out boldly and identified the problem, that the fifth columnists, in cooperation with the PDP are the ones trying to sabotage this election.
“Many have said he’s talking about Buhari, but he told them ‘no, I’m not talking about Buhari; I’m talking about fifth columnists.’ If you don’t know the meaning of fifth columnists, go and check your dictionary. Fifth columnists infiltrate people, they even infiltrate families, otherwise how do you explain this type of policy?
“The president, being a compassionate person that he is, has asked for a few more days to look at everything that is going on and see if anything could change. We pray that things will change. If nothing changes, we will intervene again, but be sure of one thing: that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stands with you and stands with Nigerians in their suffering.
“He was the first to shout that what is going on? He has cried, he has begged, he has screamed that people are suffering, what did the PDP candidate say? He said, ‘no, CBN don’t listen to them; you must not extend this thing; let people continue to suffer.’ That is what the PDP candidate said. He said it publicly.
“So, you have the tale of two presidential candidates: one who stands with the people and says this currency swap must stop; the second one says,’ no, it cannot stop, it’s a good policy. CBN, don’t listen to him. Let the people continue to suffer.’ I leave the rest to you to determine who is with you and who is against you.”
Independent marketers of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, are getting set to shut down operations beginning from Monday once the government starts the enforcement of N195/litre pump price.
It was gathered on Saturday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, security agencies and the downstream regulator had all agreed that petrol be sold at N195/litre.
Oil marketers said the agreement was reached at a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, as participants resolved that beginning from Monday, February 6, 2023, the pump price of petrol should not exceed N195/litre, a development which dealers, particularly independent marketers, described as tough due to the high ex-depot price of the commodity.
They told our correspondent that to avoid having their outlets sanctioned, many filling stations operated by independent marketers would be shut from Monday as it made no business sense to sell a product lower than the cost price.
This is likely to further prolong the petrol scarcity and queues in many parts of the country as independent marketers control about 80 per cent of filling stations nationwide.
IPMAN’s National President, Debo Ahmed, told our correspondent that the approved ex-depot price of petrol was recently raised from N148/litre by the NNPCL to N172/litre, but depots hardly dispense the commodity at this cost.
Ahmed, who was reacting to the notice to members issued by the Public Relations Officer, IPMAN Ibadan Depot branch, Mojeed Adesope, stated that marketers were advised to sell the product in stock now before the enforcement begins on Monday.
“If you are taking it further than 400 kilometres from the place of purchase, you are going to get the bridging claims or price equalisation. But if you are taking it within 120 kilometres or around that distance, you will get some little allowance to make you sell at a controlled price.
“But, the truth is that we don’t get the product at the controlled price of N172, which is why you see a lot of areas where they sell at higher prices.
However, for MOMAN, because they get it at the controlled price, they take it from their depots to their stations and sell it at lower prices compared to independent marketers. Mind you, independent marketers control about 80 per cent of retail outlets in Nigeria.”
In Lagos, most of the outlets that sold the product on Saturday had long queues of desperate motorists, with some selling for between N280 and N350 per litre.
A similar situation was prevalent in Ogun State, where motorists struggled to get petrol from the few filling stations that had the product. Some stations on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway sold the product for between N320 and N380 per litre.
A commercial motorist, Idris Adewale, said he had banked on getting petrol at the Nipco filling station at Magboro for N195 per litre, but was disappointed to discover that the station was under lock and key. He also claimed that the Rainoil station at Ibafo did not sell the product and he only succeeded in filling his vehicle’s tank before the Sagamu interchange for N340 per litre.
A desperate motorist, Nnamdi Goodman, claimed to have bought 10 litres for N7,000 on Airport Road in Lagos on Saturday.
“The situation is very serious now. I bought 10 litres of petrol from a black marketer on the Airport Road in Lagos on Saturday morning. That’s N700 per litre! I don’t think I can keep going like this, otherwise I will spend all my salary and savings on fuel alone,” he lamented.
In the Federal Capital Territory, many filling stations belonging to independent marketers were shut on Saturday due to lack of products to dispense, while the few ones that sold petrol dispensed it above N195/litre.
At the Khalif Civic Oil & Investment Limited filling station located in Kubwa, a suburb of Abuja, petrol was dispensed at N300/litre, while many others in obscure locations in the capital city sold above N300.
However, the few outlets of the major oil marketers and the NNPCL that sold petrol on Saturday dispensed it at the approved N195/litre pump price. But many mega stations were not open for business due to lack of products to sell.
Eterna, Gegu Oil, Sunset Energy and MRS, among others, located on the Kubwa-Zuba Expressway, were not selling the product.
Also, Major Oil filling station on Airport Road, and the NNPC filling station on Arab Road, Kubwa, did not dispense the product as they were all shut.
However, the queues in the few outlets such as Salbas around Zuba, and Conoil in the Central Business District were not too long as the preceding day due to the fact that most residents stayed indoors for the weekend.
“It is impossible for the authorities to enforce price now; our people are making extra effort to ensure that we have the product to buy even if it is expensive.”
Anyaso said in addition to the hardship the people were facing as a result of scarcity and high prices, thousands of workers stood to lose their jobs if the problems persisted as no marketer would continue to pay workers when they were not in business.
The Lagos Police command on Sunday arrested some suspected Yoruba Nation agitators in the Alausa area of the state.
According to the command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, via his Twitter handle, the suspects were setting up camp when they were apprehended.
He tweeted, “Earlier today, a number of Yoruba Nation agitators commenced setting up camp at Alausa, planned to be used as base to launch a massive protest. Camp was promptly dislodged while agitators were arrested. Investigation continues at SCID. Lawlessness WILL NOT be tolerated!”
As the ancient city of Ibadan prepares to host the Presidential Campaign Rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) this Tuesday, the Oyo state chapter of the party has revealed an alleged plan by the ruling People’s Democratic Party to carry out coordinated attacks on members of the public who are warming up to receive Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his team.
There are clear indications that the Oyo state turn of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Rally earlier slated for January 7, 2023 will now take place at Mapo Hall, Ibadan this Tuesday. The event is expected to be attended by Senator Bola Tinubu, his vice presidential candidate, Sen. Kassim Shettima, APC national chairman, Sen. Abdullah Adamu, Gov. Simon Lalong as well as governors of APC extraction across the 36 states among other political bigwigs in the country.
Oyo APC, in a statement issued at the weekend and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, explained that its decision to go ahead with the Tuesday rally despite the crisis occasioned by the biting effects of fuel and naira notes scarcity being experienced by the masses “was borne out of the desire to shame some anti-democratic forces who are bent on truncating the chances of Sen. Bola Tinubu at the poll.
“We have uncovered the satanic plot by the PDP in the state to unleash its home-grown terrorists against members of the public who might want to troop out and welcome Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to Ibadan on Tuesday. The execution of the said plot, which is aimed at discrediting the peaceful conduct of the rally, has been put in the hands of a close aide to Gov. Seyi Makinde (names withheld)and the Chairman of the State Park Management System, Mr. Mukaila Lamidi (a.k.a Auxiliary).
“Impeccable sources have it that Lamidi has been given a huge sum to enable him mobilize his boys and equip them with dangerous weapons with which they would attack defenceless people at random to create fear and panic on Tuesday. Among places designated for the unprovoked attacks are; Iwo Road, Agugu, Monatan, Alakia, Labiran, Molete, Challenge, Ojoo, Sanngo and few other places in Ibadan. In the same vein, the leadership of the PMS has been directed to order commercial bus owners and drivers to withdraw their vehicles from the road on the rally day to frustrate people coming from outside Ibadan.
“We could have ignored the threat of violence coming from the PDP but for their unenviable record of brigandage and senseless killing. Just last week, the same set of people inflicted pains and agony on the whole of Igangan town in Ibarapa North Local Government Area when Gov. Makinde led his team from Ibadan on a campaign tour of the area which recorded fatalities. We recall that the criminal elements who obviously enjoy the backing of the state government have been fingered in some cases of violence in which some lives were lost while others received varying degrees of injury.
“A prelude to the execution of the evil plan was recorded on Saturday when one Riliwan Lamidi (son to Mukaila Lamidi Auxiliary) led a team of thugs to attack some private citizens employed to install campaign billboards of Tinubu/Shettima around Iwo Road interchange in Ibadan. The notorious gang shot sporadically at the their target whose only sin was tied to working with the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Sen. Teslim Folarin.
“Also, we have good information regarding the sponsorship of violent protests in major parts of Ibadan by Oyo PDP this Monday (today). However, we are using this medium to assure members of the public especially patriots and supporters of Asiwaju to come out enmasse as adequate security is being worked out to guarantee safety of lives and properties while we also appeal for calm in view of the prevailing circumstance in the country as the moment of renewed hope is almost here.” APC stated.
The senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on public affairs, Ajuri Ngelale, has faulted the implementation of the naira redesign policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) led by Godwin Emefiele.
He also alleged that the apex bank led by its governor, Godwin Emefiele had failed to feed the president with the realities on the ground.
Speaking in an interview on TVC News, Ngelale said Nigeria is witnessing a period of displeasure in line with the faulty circulation of the new naira notes across the country. He said:
“At this point, it is obvious to everybody that the implementation of the naira redesign policy has been faulty, to say the least.
“We are witnessing massive amounts of discontent, we are seeing situations where our people are left camping outside overnight in ATMs hoping for the injection of new cash into those ATMs. We are seeing people on the streets boxing each other out trying to walk themselves through the doors of banking halls hoping to access the new naira notes.”
He added: “What we are working to do is to ensure that Mr. President is given effective and true information and the report that has been given by the Central Bank of Nigeria that they have adequately supplied all banking branches in Nigeria with a sufficient amount of the new naira notes is absolutely false.
It is evident at this point and of course, Mr. President being the pro-people defender of the masses… did the right thing when the intelligence reached him that he was getting false intelligence from the Central Bank and was to extend the deadline from January 31 to February 10.”
Attempts to export large consignments of illicit drugs especially cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and ephedrine to Dubai, UAE and Europe through various disingenuous modes of concealment by desperate drug cartels via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos have again been frustrated by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, who intercepted them and arrested those behind the bids.
Top on the list of those so far arrested in connection with the seizures is a Nigerian based in Athens, Greece, Iwuozor Edward Chinedu. He was debarked from an Ethiopian airline flight on Friday 3rd February after officers in the tarmac team of NDLEA intercepted two bags during a secondary check exercise at the foot of the aircraft.
When the bags were searched in the presence of Chinedu and other airport stakeholders, two big pellets wrapped with foil papers and some sprinkles of pepper were recovered from each of the two sides of one of the bags. The pellets were used to construct false walls at the sides of the bag.
The two parcels contained substances that tested positive to cocaine and heroin with a gross weight of 1.30kgs and 900grams respectively. During preliminary interview, Chinedu claimed he came to Nigeria three months ago to do a surgery, which he was not comfortable doing in Athens. He further claimed he was given the bag to deliver in Greece for a fee of two million naira (N2,000,000).
Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the airport on Monday 30th January arrested a pregnant woman, Mrs. Sylvester Gloria Onome after 800grams of skunk were discovered concealed in two small radio sets she was sending to Dubai, United Arab Emirate.
On the same day, operatives also intercepted a consignment going to Congo Kinshasa, containing 111 bottles of body cream that were used to conceal 24.50kgs of ephedrine, a chemical precursor and active ingredient to produce methamphetamine. The cargo was later traced to a trader at Alaba trade fair complex, Ojo area of Lagos, Onyekachukwu Uduekwelu after the initial arrest of two freight agents. Another housewife, Mrs. Okpara Chizoba Victoria was arrested at her residence at 37 Obashola street, Ijesha area of Lagos on Friday 27th Jan. following the seizure of 300grams of skunk hidden in a bag of crayfish she was sending to Dubai, UAE through a freight agent.
In the same vein, operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the airport on Thursday 26th Jan. intercepted a sack of new clothes going to Sierra Leone. During a thorough search of the consignment, a parcel of white crystalline substance that tested positive to methamphetamine with a gross weight of 1kg, as well as 300grams of skunk and 100grams ecstasy (MDMA) were recovered. A freight agent, Mfonabasi Victor Joseph was already arrested in connection with the seizure.
No fewer than 255,500 pills of tramadol and diazepam were recovered from an Italy based suspect, Duru Josephat who concealed the drugs in two of the bags he was travelling with to Milan, Italy on an Ethiopian airline flight. He confessed he bought the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra state and was taking them to Italy to sell.
Barely a month after operatives at the Tincan seaport intercepted a consignment of 24.5kgs of cannabis indica concealed in used vehicles imported from Canada, they have again seized 75.75kgs of the same substance, which came from Montreal, Canada, hidden in a container of four used vehicles with number MSCU 5336680. Coincidentally, the consignment has also been traced to a suspect already in custody in connection with the earlier seizure, Steve Adigwe and his accomplice, Cedrick Maduweke who is still on the run.
In Bauchi state, a suspect Clement Ekweozor, was nabbed at Rafin Zurfi area, Bauchi town with 28,088 pills of tramadol and other opioids, while 12,000 capsules of the same drug were among others recovered from four suspects when their commercial bus marked UGH 978 KS was intercepted at Koka junction, Asaba, Delta state by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 1st January.
A 40-year-old secondary school teacher, Sani Isah was arrested by operatives at a house in Jekadefari area of Gombe on Thursday 2nd Jan. for dealing in new psychoactive substance, Akuskura. 2,198 bottles of the substance concealed in six bags were recovered from him while he claimed to have started the illicit business since 2018.
In Ogun state, 190kgs of cannabis were recovered from a dealer, Emmanuel Ibrahim in Lafenwa area of Abeokuta following credible intelligence, while three suspects: Mohd Sani Alasan, Yusif Musa and Musa Musa were arrested at Maidile area of Kano with 2,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup. Another dealer, Bako Ibrahim, 55, was also arrested on Saturday 4th February in Sharada area of Kano with 420 blocks of cannabis weighing 282kgs.
Another dealer of the same substance, Akeem Azeez, 39, was nabbed with 612kgs recovered from him in Akure, Ondo state. Following a follow up operation in Minna, Niger state, operatives of the Kogi state command of the Agency now have in their custody a suspect, Michael Ikechukwu Ofili, 30, over the interception of his consignment containing 106,800 pills of tramadol sent to him from Onitsha, Anambra state, along Okene-Lokoja highway.
While appreciating the efforts and commitment of the officers, men and women of the MMIA, Tincan, Bauchi, Delta, Gombe, Ogun, Kano, Ondo and Kogi state commands of the Agency towards ridding Nigeria of the menace of illicit drugs, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across the country not to relent.
The Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State has condemned half salary payment made by the previous administration in the State.
The PDP in a press statement made available by its spokesman, Olabamji Oladele as read in part:
“At a time Osun people are pouring encomium on Governor Ademola Adeleke, the State All Progressives Congress (APC) is swimming in its ocean of shame and refusing to show remorse for its wickedness and inhumane treatment meted out to Osun workers and pensioners.
Instead of apologizing to the public servants for imposing poverty and agonizing pain on them for several years, the APC still has the shamelessness to criticise a ‘talk and do’ Governor who is already clearing backlogs of half salaries and arrears left by the APC government.
We find it even appalling that the APC tried to distract attentions from it ugly past of pains and anguishes suffered by those who render services to the state. The evil of yesterday which APC represents shall never resurface in Osun State.
The disjointed narratives canvassed in a recent statement issued by the Osun APC showed its patent hatred for the people, particularly workers and pensioners who had been made to suffer unnecessarily. Osun people have taken judicious notice of the unrepentant anti-people insistence of the APC and they will use their votes to punish all APC candidates this month.
It is ludicrous for the APC to import unreasonable basis as the reason for Governor Adeleke’s decision to clear the wage related debt incurred by the previous government. Instead of throwing meaningless jabs, the APC should be explaining to the people why it owed that much and made no attempt to offset it, even if it is just one month.
The attempt to shift blame of the owed wages to the Rauf Aregbesola government is a bad way to make excuse for failure because, aside the fact that he was a Governor under APC, his successor, Gboyega Oyetola, campaigned for office on the strength of continuity. Yet, Oyetola ignored the plights of workers and pensioners for the four years his administration lasted, as no kobo out of the money was paid.
To now imagine that the APC will have the effrontery to attempt to play down the efforts of Governor Adeleke to clear the backlog of salary and pensions by the past administration, is the height of irresponsibility. It is a further demonstration of the APC’s disastrous attitude to responsibility and a more reason why it led the state to the abyss of ruin.
Osun people are well aware of the atrocious record of the APC, especially in term of welfare, and will find it grossly absurd that it is still bitter that Governor Adeleke is doing what Gboyega Oyetola failed to do in four years.
The reality of the APC lamentation is that it detests the hardworking civil servants and senior citizens in the state. The APC is not comfortable with the fact that Governor Adeleke is not towing its path of wickedness and deliberate negligence of the welfare of the people, which caused untold hardship for workers and pensioners.
In any case, it is imperative to stress to the APC that Osun people are now wiser and will not be swayed by the empty rhetorics of a party that did nothing but impoverish them. Let the APC know that Governor Adeleke will not watch people who laboured hard for the state to go without their entitlements as it was the pattern of the erstwhile ruling party.
We want to reiterate the PDP-led government commitment to clear the mess inherited from the APC government. The PDP will not only ensure that salary and pensions owed are cleared but abandoned projects littering the state will be completed.
This is evident in the latest move by Governor Adeleke to mobilize contractors back to resume construction of roads abandoned by the past administration. Governor Adeleke is committed to fulfilling his electoral promises to the people, and will not be distracted by the little talk of a terrible opposition, whose only idea of governance, is spreading hopelessness and poverty”.
