The message tagged ‘Time to Reclaim Nigeria’s Greatness,’ touched on unity, nation-building, insecurity, politics, among others.
He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use his wealth of experience to end the ugly “instrumentalisation of religious, ethnic or regional identities”.
He also appealed to Nigerians to continue to have faith in the country and be hopeful.
Kukah said: “Now, the government must devise strategies for achieving reconciliation, which has eluded us. Our injuries are not invisible. Many national conferences have been held to chart a way forward. The trove of grievances and hopes is there, and all the government needs to do is to dust them up. No need to reinvent the wheel or attempt some new diagnosis.
“Mr. President, Sir, congratulations and a happy Christmas. Now, you have what you prayed for, what you dreamt of, what you longed for. For the better part of over 20 years, you have plotted to be our President. For years, you campaigned for a new Nigeria through restructuring or overhauling the defective machinery of the Nigerian state.
“For years, you fought the military and other forms of dictatorships. For years, you fought for the victims of a deep state. For years, you sought to create an egalitarian society. For years, you sought a just society. For years, you have built networks with individuals, communities, and institutions. Now is harvest time.
“You are in the driving seat now. Under your watch, Nigeria must turn the corner. Under your watch, we must end the ugly instrumentalisation of religious, ethnic, or regional identities. You have had enough time to think of the answers to many questions that are crying for answers. Your future and that of our country is in your hands.
“Mr President, you have no excuses before God or the people of Nigeria. Neither God nor history will forgive you if you fail. This is our moment, our date with history. Now, all eyes and ears are on you. Our prayers for a united country are with you.
“We have seen the first faltering steps of policy decisions, which have elicited a mixture of controversy, anxiety, and praise. This is to be expected. You have promised us a Renewed Hope Agenda, but know that hope has worn thin in our dear nation.
“Nigerians have almost lost hope in the fact that a government can really and truly care for them. Nigerians have lost hope in the fact that our politicians will put our interests first and find a way to deal with the cancer of corruption. We had lost hope in being united again, given the seeds of division that had been sown. Ignite our hope again, Sir.
“We now have seen some renewed hope in your effort to run an inclusive government. We want an end to partisanship. The problems of Nigeria are deep-seated, and they are based on a culture of corruption that has become the foundation stone of governance. This evil structure has to be dismantled.
“Palliatives will not resolve Nigeria’s problems. The problems are deep and structural. Please do not be afraid to reset the template of power, regardless of the cultural or historical myths. We are tired of promises and stories. We want evidence we can see and touch.
“Mr. President, the killings of Nigerians by whatever name must end and end now. These senseless killings, abductions, extortions, and kidnappings have to end, and the sacredness and sanctity of human life must be restored. Blasphemy laws have no place in a democracy. We are not in a theocracy.
“Those who take life by whatever means must be fished out and punished. A culture of compensation to victims must be institutionalised and states must take full responsibility while criminals or those who hide them are fished out. We cannot go on this way. The seeds of hatred that have sprouted in Gaza show us the consequences of allowing a culture of distorted narratives to grow among us.”
He noted: “You must rid the public service of criminals who have turned the opportunity to serve into an ignoble enterprise. We concede that there are millions of decent men and women who genuinely wish to serve but are crushed by the deadweight of corrupt ogas at the top who use corruption as their oxygen! This surgery must happen if you are to succeed in any of your dreams of delivering much-needed services to our people.
“To be able to have credibility, your Renewed Hope agenda must be based on a solid foundation of faith and hope for the restoration of glory for our country. So far, a few of your key policies have unleashed a raft of suffering on the masses of our people. There must be a deliberate effort to restore hope to the faces of the poor and vulnerable in our society.
“We have heard the familiar stories of empty treasuries and the efforts at investigations. We wait to see if anything will be different. Lay the foundation for ending the unnecessary sufferings of our people.”
“Good politics and good politicians can bring about change, but all of these require the commitment and honesty of citizens to be honest at all levels. I therefore call on Christians, in particular, in this season to become real models of our faith.
“The call to be a Christian is not a call to join an Association or a Club. The fourteenth-century English poet Alexander Pope said, “Christ may be born a thousand times in Bethlehem, but if he is not born in your heart, his birth has no meaning for you.”
The Transmission Company of Nigeria has said 90 per cent of its substations have received bulk power supply following efforts to recover the grid which suffered another collapse on Tuesday.
It said the ongoing restoration of the national grid which collapsed for the sixth time this year is ongoing and almost completed.
The Public Affairs General Manager of TCN, Ndidi Mbah said in a press statement that it has restored supply to Abuja.
On Monday, the grid collapsed at about 6:18 p.m., plunging many into darkness.
Checks by our correspondent confirmed that power generation dropped from 3.87 gigawatts at 5 p.m. to 3.56GW at 6 pm., and then to 0.00GW by 7 pm and 8 pm.
Reacting, electricity consumers in the Federal Capital Territory decried the incessant grid collapses, describing them as an embarrassment to the country.
But the transmission company in a reassuring message said the problem would be resolved soon.
The statement read, “The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby states that the national grid experienced a partial disturbance, on Monday, 14th October 2024 at about 6:48 pm and notes that efforts to fully recover the grid are still ongoing.
“Although the recovery of the grid commenced immediately, with Azura power station providing the blackstart, grid recovery reached advanced stages at about 10.24 am, today when it encountered a challenge that caused a slight setback in the recovery process.
“The slight setback notwithstanding, TCN continued with the grid recovery process, which has reached an advanced stage, ensuring bulk power availability to about 90 per cent of its substations nationwide.
The statement added that supply has been restored to the Abuja axis and other major distribution load centres nationwide.
“Supply has been restored to the Abuja axis and other major distribution load centers nationwide.
“The partial disturbance did not affect the Ibom Gas generating station which was islanded from the grid yesterday and continued to supply areas in the South Southern part of the country such as Eket, Ekim, Uyo, and Itu 132kV transmission Substations during the period.
“Investigation into the cause of the incident will be carried out as soon as the grid is fully restored.”
The Federal Government has issued a forecast of five days of heavy rainfall, which could lead to flooding in 22 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), starting today, October 14, 2024, and ending on October 18, 2024.
The prediction was made by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre under the Federal Ministry of Environment in a statement released on Monday.
Communities living along the flood plains of Rivers Donga, Benue, and Ogun have been advised to evacuate immediately due to increasing water levels, which could lead to severe flooding.
Affected Areas.
The following states and their surroundings are predicted to experience rainfall that may result in flooding:
1. Osun State: Ede, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Osogbo
2. Delta State: Escravos
3. Cross River State: Ikon
4. Taraba State: Donga, Ibi, Wukari, Bandawa, Beli, Bolleri, Dampar, Duchi, Garkowa, Gassol, Gungun Bodel, Kambari, Kwata Kanawa, Lau, Mayo Ranewo, Mutum Biyu, Ngaruwa, Serti, Yorro
5. Nasarawa State: Rukubi
6. Kebab State: Argungu, Birnin-Kebbi, Gwandu, Kalgo, Ribah, Sakaba, Yelwa
7. Gombe State: Bajoga
8. Katsina State: Bakori, Funtua
9. Borno State: Biu, Briyel
10. Kaduna State: Birnin-Gwari, Buruku, Kaduna, Jaji
11. Niger State: Bida, Kontagora, Lapai, Lavun, Magama, Mashegu, Mokwa, New Bussa, Rijau, Sarkin Pawa, Suleja, Wushishi
12. Yobe State: Dapchi
13. Adamawa State: Demsa, Farkumo, Ganye, Gbajili, Jimeta, Mayo-Belwa, Mubi, Natubi, Numan, Song, Shelleng, Wuro Bokki
14. Kogi State: Ibaji, Omala
15. Kwara State: Jebba, Kosubosu
16. 16. Bauchi State: Kari, Tafawa Balewa, Kirfi
17. Plateau State: Shendam
18. FCT: Kubwa, Gwagwalada, Bwari 19. Kano State: Sumaila
20. Oyo State: Kishi 21. Sokoto State: Silame
22. Zamfara State: Majara Advisory.
The government has urged residents in these areas to take precautionary measures and remain alert.
The forecast highlights the potential for flash floods, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Residents are encouraged to monitor updates from local authorities and evacuate if necessary.
The Ministry of Environment and disaster management agencies are collaborating with state governments to prepare for emergency responses.
The national electricity grid has collapsed again throwing the country into darkness.
The grid collapsed at about 6:18 pm on Monday, leaving Nigerians in darkness.
Reports said the power generation dropped from 3.87 gigawatts at 5 pm to 3.56GW at 6 pm and 0.00GW at 7 pm and 8 pm.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company confirmed the grid collapse in a statement on Monday evening.
The EEDC informed its customers “of a general system collapse that occurred at 18:48 hours today, 14th October 2024,” saying this has resulted in the loss of supply currently being experienced across the EEDC network.
“Consequently, due to this development, all our interface TCN stations are out of supply, and we are unable to provide services to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.
“We are on standby awaiting detailed information of the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo,” the EEDC stated in the statement signed by the Head of Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh.
EEDC distributes power to the five South East states.
Also, the Abuja Disco confirmed the grid collapse in a statement Monday night.
“Dear Valued Customer, Please be informed that the power outage being experienced is due to a system failure from the national grid at 6:58 pm today, affecting the power supply to our franchise areas.
“Rest assured, we are working with the relevant stakeholders to restore power as soon as the grid is stabilised. Thank you for your understanding,” the company said.
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