Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has denied making comments in an interview about President Muhammadu Buhari’s one year in office.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Soyinka described a report quoting him as declaring his support to Mr. Buhari as a “disgusting forgery”.

“Once again, I notify the security arms of Nigeria about this increasingly obsessed exercise in identity forgery,” Mr. Soyinka said in a brief statement.

The report quoted the literature professor as saying he had faith in the president “to stop the unprecedented bleeding of the country from never-seen looting in history.”

“We couldn’t just continue to have a country that rewarded criminals like the past administration openly and obscenely did,” the report claimed Mr. Soyinka said.

“We needed a Buhari to put his legendary stamp of integrity to drive governance and in one year there is a new lease of life in the way government business is now conducted.

“On economy we have believed lies of GDP and statistics built on falsehood for too long. Corruption was driving the economy as the working capital while petrol-dollars gave us a false sense of insularity,” the report continued.

“Everything just crashed on us without the money from oil like it used to be. Years of mismanagement all came to hunt us and very bad too.

“With Buhari having used the last 12 months for housekeeping, the trajectory of the economy will continue to go north with more hard work and faithful implementation of government programmes,” it concluded.

But Mr. Soyinka denied making such statement in any interview.

“I alert the public to beware of the danger this portends in the murky atmosphere of Nigeria’s ongoing politics,” he said.

“The sycophants of power and influence will clearly do anything to gain attention and preferment, but they only earn the contempt of decent citizens, including those on whom they foist their unsolicited services.”

The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase on Tuesday criticized members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, over the killings of police officers during yesterday’s bloody protest in the South-East.

In a statement by the Force Spokesperson, ACP Olabisi Kolawole, Arase also ordered the disarmament of IPOB members.

The statement reads “Following the manifestation of the disposition of the armed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) activists to undertake premeditated attacks on Police officers engage in operations aimed at restoring public order in States in the South-East and South-South geopolitical zone of the country, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon E. Arase, fdc, NPM, has directed the Assistant Inspectors General of Police and the Commissioners of Police in the affected area to disarm members of the group operating firearms immediately.

“The IGP noted that the targeted attacks on Police personnel, who have been performing their statutory functions in the most professional and civil manner since the latest resurgence disorder, portrays the IPOB activists who are orchestrating the insurrection as having crossed the threshold in their misguided attempt to test the common will of the nation.

Condemning the killings of police officers during the rally that turned bloody, Arase ordered the arrest of any member of the group found in possession of firearm.

He also directed that all IPOB members arrested in connection with the killings be charged to court for murder.

Recall that some police officers were reportedly killed during the celebration rally to mark Biafra Day which turned bloody in some states yesterday.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has called on Nigerians to remain hopeful, stressing that after a “long suffering,” comes a period of prosperity.

The Minister made the call at a meeting with members of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON, in Abuja yesterday.

Commending Nigerians for the endurance and support shown the current administration so far, Mohammed, however, sued for patience, saying change is never instant.

He said, “In the words of Henry David Thoreau, all misfortune is but a stepping stone to fortune,” the minister said.

“Change is no instant coffee, it is a process. We are now laying a solid foundation for our country.

“The road will be rough, but as the saying goes, the darker the night, the brighter the morning. Our long suffering people will surely smile again.”

Admitting that the country is passing through a very difficult situation with the loss of more than 60 per cent of national income due to the crash in the price of crude oil, the Minister assured Nigerians that the government would deliver on its election campaign promises.

“This administration is aware that it was not elected to make excuses, but to put the nation back on a sound economic footing, ensure the security of lives and property and banish corruption.

“We have therefore decided to turn the disaster that we inherited into a blessing by diversifying our economy away from the mono-product of oil, leveraging on agriculture, solid minerals as well as culture and tourism, among others,” he said.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, has sacked the management of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) led by Baba Shehu Lawan.

Bello also removed all heads of departments as well as heads of units under the board and directed their deputies to take charge.

Mrs. Oluwatoyin Omolola Olanipekun has been announced as replacement and is expected to resume today, Friday.

A statement yesterday signed by the chief press secretary to the minister, Muhammed Hazat Sule, said the minister effected the changes on Wednesday after he and the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, met with the former management team of the AEPB.

He urged the former director and his management team to ensure all handing over processes are completed by end of May.

Also, the minister directed that the former management team of the board be constituted into a special task force on the recovery of N9.8 billion debt owed AEPB.

Bello instructed that the new task force be headed by the former director and gave it two months to recover the debt and remit same into FCT Administration’s coffers.

he minister also approved the appointment of Squadron Leader Abdullahi Adamu Monjel (retired) to head a special team of 200 security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to assist in the enforcement of environmental laws in Abuja.

I heartily greet and felicitate with all Nigerian children on the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day celebration.

I seize the opportunity of this year’s celebration which comes just two days before the first anniversary of the present administration, to reassure our children and youth that we remain fully committed to fulfilling our promise of a better Nigeria for all of our people.

On this happy occasion for our children, I reaffirm my belief that it is the right of every Nigerian child to have access to quality and affordable education, as well as healthcare and other basic necessities for a good life, in a peaceful and secure environment.

The good health and well-being of Nigerian children remain a top priority on our agenda for national development and we have demonstrated our strong commitment in this regard with the allocation of N12.6 billion in the 2016 budget for vaccines and programmes to prevent childhood killer diseases such as polio, measles and yellow fever.

Other measures in the 2016 budget, such as the school feeding programme for children at a cost of N93.1 billion, will ensure that more children go to school and enjoy the fun of learning and growing together with their peers.

Despite the current economic and funding challenges facing our dear nation, my administration will continue to do all within its powers to achieve better living conditions and greater access to quality healthcare and education for all our youth.

It is a thing of joy that on this year’s Children’s Day, we can also celebrate the safe return of one of the Chibok girls, Amina Ali Nkeki and many other abducted women and children who have been freed from the clutches of Boko Haram by our gallant troops.

I assure all Nigerians and friends of the country, once again, that my administration will not rest on its oars until the ungodly terrorist sect is totally eliminated from our country.

As peace gradually returns to the insurgency-ravaged North-Eastern States, the Federal Government will continue to work diligently to ensure the rapid and full reintegration and rehabilitation of all internally displaced persons, including orphaned children in the region.

We will also sustain and strengthen ongoing actions to protect children more effectively from violence, child-labour, child-trafficking, forced marriages and other related offences.

In return, I urge you all to imbibe and exhibit in greater measure, the virtues of hard work, diligence, discipline, honesty, prudence, selflessness and patriotism which are essential for the actualisation of our vision of a truly great nation.

The world now looks up to our dear nation, Nigeria as an exemplary model of democratic ideals after the smooth transition that brought our Administration to power.

You, our children and youth have a very significant role to play in ensuring that our democratic institutions of governance are continuously nurtured, improved and strengthened to underpin national development and prosperity.

Remain assured that under my leadership, the Federal Government will continue to do its best to prepare and equip you to show the world that with its brilliant, resourceful and resilient people, Nigeria is a country of incredible potential and opportunity.

I wish you all a Happy Children’s Day celebration.