By John Michael Ojo

Ahead of this year’s Christmas celebration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Monday address Nigerians in a media chat.

This was made known in a statement by the spokesperson to the president, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed that the media chat will hold by 9pm.

Onanuga added that this will be the first presidential media chat since Tinubu assumed office in 2023.

“The first presidential media chat with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be broadcast at 9 pm on Monday, December 23, on the Nigerian Television Authority and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.

“All television and radio stations are requested to hook up to the broadcast,” he stated.

By John Michael Ojo

No less than ten individuals have been confirmed dead following a stampede which took place in an event organized by Holy Trinity Catholic Church, situated in the Maitama area of Abuja on Saturday morning.

It was stated that the church had intended to distribute rice as palliative to the people during the event before the tragedic incident took place.

While confirming the development, in a statement signed by the Abuja Police Command Force Spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, the Command said ten individuals died, while eight others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

The statement reads: “This tragic event, which happened at about 6:30 am, led to a stampede that claimed the lives of ten (10) individuals, including four (4) children, and left eight (8) others with varying degrees of injuries. Four (4) of the injured have been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims are receiving medical care.

‘’To prevent such unfortunate incidents in the future, the Command hereby directs that all organizations, religious bodies, groups, or individuals planning any public event, charitable activity, or large gathering in the FCT must notify the Police Command in advance. This will allow the deployment of adequate security measures to ensure public safety and prevent avoidable tragedies.

“Failure to comply with this directive will result in the organizers being held liable for any incident or loss of life resulting from their negligence.

’The FCT Police Command remains committed to safeguarding lives and property in the Territory. Members of the public are encouraged to collaborate with the Police by adhering to these guidelines and promptly reporting emergencies through the FCT Control Room via 0803 200 3913 or 0806 032 1234”

In a similar vein, an unspecified number of people mostly woman have reportedly lost their lives in Okija community of Anambra state in a stampede.

New Times gathered that the stampede was said to have occurred on Saturday morning during an event for the distribution of rice organized by Obi Jackson Foundation.

Saturday’s stampede comes barely 72 hours after a similar occurrence took place in a funfair event organized by a former queen of Ooni of Ife in Ibadan, Oyo State capital where nearly 40 children have been confirmed dead by the state authorities.

The repeated stampede is a testament to the current economic hardship being faced by the masses as a result of the economic policies of President Tinubu in recent times.

Ogun State Ministry of Information and Strategy says it will continue to deploy all communication strategies to serve all organs of government in the promotion of government policies and programmes through a two-way communication channel between the people and the government.

The Special Adviser to the State Governor on Media and Communications, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, gave the assurance on Friday, while defending the ministry’s budget proposal for next year before the members of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, led by Hon. Musefiu Lamidi at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Akinmade reassured the Assembly that the ministry was cognisant of the principles of separation of powers, and would continue to render the necessary assistance to all arms of government in publicising their activities.

He noted that the next fiscal year would see to the utilisation of more strategies to mobilize the people for positive development, stressing that more reawakening of the people towards embracing the State’s core values alongside branding to leverage the successes achieved by the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration’s development projects would also be explored.

To this end, the ministry proposed a total budget expenditure of N2.023 billion for the next fiscal year, out of which N328 million would go for capital, N1.23 billion for overhead and the remaining N461million would take care of personnel.

Responding, the House Committee members sought more collaborative efforts from the ministry in mobilising the people towards government laudable policies and programmes.

Other agencies that had their budget proposals defended before the State lawmakers were the State Television (OGTV) and its State Broadcasting Corporation counterpart (OGBC), as well as the State Ministry of Culture and Tourism.