Proponents Of Hate Speeches May Face Trial As Terrorists, Osinbajo Warns
TENSIONS within the political and social sphere has prompted the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to sound a note of warning that proponents of hate speeches may henceforth be made to face terrorism charges, either as individual or groups.
The Acting President stressed that since the terrorism protection act as amended was now in effect, stakeholders in the Nigerian project cutting across business, religious and political leaders owe it a duty to promptly rise up against such vices and nip it on the bud.
He said if the elites failed in discouraging hate speeches they may also be found culpable whenever the consequences arise.
Osinbajo made these remarks on Thursday at the National Economic Council Security Retreat held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He made the remarks shortly before the meeting composed of state governors, service chiefs in the military, the Inspector General of Police among others entered a closed door session.
“Permit me to comment on hate speech. The Federal Government has today drawn the line on hate speech. Hate speech is a specie of terrorism. Terrorism as it is defined popularly is the unlawful use of violence or intimidation against individuals or groups especially for political ends.
“The law, that is the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 (as amended), defines terrorism as inter Alia, an act which deliberately done with malice which may seriously harm or damage a country or seriously intimidate a population.
“The intimidation of a population by words, by speech is an act of terrorism and this government intends to take this matter very seriously. As I have said, we’ve drawn a line against hate speech, it will not be tolerated, it will be taken as an act of terrorism and all of the consequences will follow it.
“I therefore call on all business, religious and political leaders, whatever your political leaning, your religion or tribe or faith to condemn in the strongest possible terms at all times, hate speech.
“Speech that promotes violence against an individual or group, especially when such comes from people of your own faith, tribe or group, your silence in such situations can only be seen as an endorsement.
“Hate speech, and the promotion of the same throughout history from Nazi Germany and the extermination of Jews to the Rwandan genocide succeeded in achieving their barbarous ends by the silence of influential, voices from the aggressor communities.
“When leaders in communities speak in such a manner as to create dissension or to intimidate a population are quiet, they do a great disservice to our unity and nation.
“This is why I urge all of our political leaders, religious leaders, business leaders and all of those who truly want a united country and a country where there will be peace and security, to ensure that we do not tolerate by our silence the hate speech that we hear every day in our community.
“Let me remind us that our Constitution states that the primary purpose of government shall be the security and welfare of the people. And as President Buhari likes to say: “you cannot administer a country you have not secured.”
“We will not relent in our vision to ensure a secure country, in which all citizens can confidently aspire to achieve their dreams and ambitions. I am confident that today will mark an important milestone in achieving that vision,” he noted.
THE Anti Buhari Protesters #OurMumuDonDo has terminated its sit out protest march in Abuja over death threats being received by the members of the group.
The group has been protesting against the continued stay of the ailing President Muhammadu Buhari in London asking him to resume or resign his office.
Addressing journalists the Leader of the group, Charles Oputa (Charly Boy)at the Unity Fountain said that the group decided to suspend the protest in order to restrategise and have a wider plan on the activities of the movement noting that the group has not chicken out as a result of the attack on its members at wuse market.
He explained that their members have received death threat from various quarters but they are not deterred.
According to him “We are not deterred by the intimidation and harrassment by the sponsored thugs and we cannot be cowed by a few group of people. What government want to do is to ensure that we have a clash with the hired crowd and we will not allow that to happen”
The group noted that a statement will be issued later in the day to tell Nigerians the next line of action .
The group was attacked at the wuse market on Tuesday where its leader Charly Boy narrowly escaped being lynched by the angry mob . The fraca that almost resorted to ethnic crisis when the youths in the market went on rampage wielding sticks and stones attacking people and destroying properties.
A popular musician, Charles Oputa, popularly called Charly Boy, who has been leading a campaign for the return or resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari, has been attacked.
Charly Boy was attacked in Wuse Market by angry protesters who are believed to be supporters of the president.
The musician and his fellow campaigners were last week attacked by security officials who dispersed them violently from the Unity fountain, also in Abuja.
“Charly Boy came to this market with some cameramen doing his protest here.
”I was standing in front of my shop when I saw him running for his dear life, being chased by those youth,” a trader at the market told Premium Times.
“They nearly lynched him, because those youth almost overpowered police security near him.”
The car he came with was later damaged by Hausa youth.
The musician was rescued by security operatives who fired gunshots and tear-gas to disperse the crowd.
The security operatives later returned to remove Charly Boy’s vehicles from the market, using tear-gas to disperse the protesters who tried to stop them.
Wuse market is Abuja’s largest and is dominated by northerners, many of them supporters of President Buhari.
The gates of the market were temporarily closed and manned by heavily armed security operatives after the incident.
“Charly Boy caused it, how can he come here to be talking against Buhari.
“Those Hausa boys dealt with him,” a meat seller in the market who witnessed the incident said.
President Buhari has been in London on medical vacation for about 100 days.
ACTING President, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is sending a five-man Federal Government delegation to Anambra State to visit and condole with the government and people of the state over last Sunday’s attack on worshippers at the St. Philips Catholic Church in Ofufe-Amakwa, Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the state.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday.
According to Akande, the delegation is made up of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige; Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril; and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka.
He said during the visit, the delegation would present a condolence letter from the Acting President to the state governor, Willie Obiano.
He added that Osinbajo, in the letter, extended commiserations to the families, friends of the victims and the Ozubulu community on the death of their sons and daughters and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured still in the hospital.
He further quoted the Acting President as condemning the attack which has brought sorrow to many innocent families and, has rightly provoked widespread condemnation.
“Such barbaric act constitutes an affront to our common humanity, and challenges, but will not overwhelm our collective resolve to rid our communities of all forms of violent crimes and criminality,” Akande quoted from Osinbajo’s letter to the governor.
The Acting President said the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari remained undeterred and would continually commit to deploying all available resources towards ensuring adequate security of lives and property in Anambra State and across the entire country.
Osinbajo said he had instructed law enforcement agencies to bring perpetrators of the crime to justice without any delay.
He said he would remain engaged with Obiano, the police authorities and other security agencies to ensure that the lives and property of citizens of the state and all Nigerians are well protected anywhere they may live.
DSS Has Invited Arewa Youths Who Issued Igbo Quit Notice For Questioning – Minister
THE Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), on Friday hinted that leaders of the Northern youth groups that were behind the eviction notice given to Igbos in the North have been invited for questioning by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Dambazau who did not release further details about the invitation accused the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, of violating the bail conditions granted him by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
He said at a news conference in Abuja that it is left for the court to determine what steps to take on the IPOB leader and to what extent he violated the conditions when his trial resumes.
He said the Federal Government has no immediate plan to re-arrest Kanu.
The minister said: “The issue is that yes Nnamdi Kanu violated bail conditions but it is not time yet for him to go back to the court for trial. We have this assumption but I think it is left for the court that gave those conditions to determine whether those conditions were violated or not.
“If those conditions were violated, the court knows what to do. We cannot assume that those conditions are being violated. Yes the public knows those conditions were given but the determination of the extent of violation will be left for the court.
“It is not like the police will go after Kanu to arrest him on the grounds that he violated the bail conditions. Kanu will have a day in court and the court will determine his fate because it is the court that gave those conditions.”
Don’t Rely On Nigerian Social Media For Information, Minister Tells Chinese Vice-Minister
LAI Mohammed has advised Chinese Vice Minister of The State Council Information Office, Mr. Guo Weimin, not to rely on Nigerian Social Media for information about happenings in the country.
Mohammed stated this in Abuja on Friday while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the visiting Weimin in the area of media and cultural relations.
He also said contrary to what naysayers want people to believe, the Muhammadu Buhari administration is working assiduously to redeem its electoral pledges, especially in the critical areas of developing the economy as well as fighting corruption and insecurity.
“Contrary to the lies that are being purveyed daily in the Social Media, this government has been working assiduously to redeem its electoral pledges. Our fight against insecurity is yielding very positive results.
“Our fight against corruption is focused and is ongoing and we are resolute and we have resolved that we are going to fight corruption until corruption goes under. We are happy that in this regards, we have a very good partner in China because we are aware and we know how China fought corruption and how China is fighting corruption.
”We have succeeded in nursing a very sick economy and very soon, Nigeria will get out of recession,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed, who said the signing of the MOU will further deepen the already excellent relationship between the two countries, expressed optimism that some provisions of the MOU that encourage the news agencies of Nigeria and China to reflect, in their reporting, the social, economic and cultural development in both countries, will eliminate the phenomenon of fake news.
“This is significant because we are today in the era of fake news.
“Unlike China, the Social Media here is completely unrestrained.
“Therefore it is important that you get your news directly from the official source,” he said.
The Minister sought the support of China towards the training of the Ministry’s Resident Information Officers on modern Governance Public Communication methods in order to build their capacity as the respective spokespersons of Ministries, Department and Agencies.
Alhaji Mohammed also sought partnership with China in the areas of film production and distribution, development of community cinema houses and collaboration in the co-production of films as well as screening of Nigerian films in China and vice versa.
He called for cooperation between the Nigerian Film and Video
Censorship Board and the China Censorship Board to curb the importation and exportation of pirated and adulterated movies of both countries.
In his remarks, the Chinese Vice Minister said the signing of the MOU between the two countries marked a new beginning in the relationship between the two countries, particularly in the area of media and cultural relations.
He said staff training and programme exchanges will further solidify the cultural ties between both nations.
Mr. Weimin said his ministry will scale up the broadcast of news about Nigeria in China and appealed to the Minister to reciprocate the gesture.
The Chinese Vice Minister acceded to Alhaji Mohammed’s request for the training of the Resident Information Officers and said the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria will fine-tune the capacity building engagement.
Mr. Weimin was accompanied by the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Zhou Pingjian, to the signing of the MOU.
THE acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has accused financial institutions of being behind moves to separate the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit from EFCC.
He also accused banks of creating a friendly atmosphere for looters to operate.
In a Facebook post on Friday, the EFCC quoted Magu as saying this while receiving a delegation of the International Monetary Fund, which visited the commission’s head office, Abuja on Thursday.
The Senate had on Thursday passed a bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency barely a week after it was sponsored in the chamber.
The powers and funding of the EFCC will be greatly reduced should the NFIU be separated from the commission.
Magu said, “I don’t trust the financial institutions. They create an enabling environment for thieves to loot our money. That is why they are fighting to remove the NFIU from us. They want to use a former managing director of a bank to head the NFIU.”
Magu had last week inaugurated a committee to reposition the NFIU, which was recently suspended by the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units.
The Egmont Group is an informal international gathering of over 132 financial intelligence units which provide the backbone for monitoring international money laundering activities
However, the NFIU, which is under the EFCC, was suspended by the Egmont Group for its lack of autonomy and absence of a proper operational framework.
Magu had set up a committee comprising former officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial institutions to help reposition the unit.
The EFCC, in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said, “The committee which has members drawn from law enforcement, financial and regulatory agencies is chaired by Dr. Abdullahi Shehu, a former Director-General of the Inter-Governmental Action Against Money Laundering in West Africa.
“Other members of the committee are Mr. Chidi Chukwuka from the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation; Mr. Bamanga Bello, Head of the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering; Hajia Jamila Yusuf of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Mr. Udofia Obot, a former Deputy Director, CBN; while Mrs Joke Liman of the EFCC is to serve as secretary.”
Having an accident, fatal or not, is not something that anyone wants to encounter. Regardless, when it happens, you have to look for ways to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. This said you expect some sane and normal actions taken by the people at the accident spot. However, for Nigerians, it is different. They completely do the opposite of what you expect and it can be very annoying. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares some of the seriously annoying things some Nigerians do after an accident.
Leave their car on the road
When you bashed another person’s car, you find them arguing and exchanging angry words right in the middle of the road. They do not really care if their actions result in a long traffic or notorious queue. Why can’t both of you get off the road and find a solution? In other cases, when a car has an accident, you still find it at that same spot for weeks.
Crowd the scene as if they are watching a movie
Imagine an accident scene and people simply gather round shouting, some crying, while others just watch what is happening like a movie. They will not allow the emergency services to work and in some circumstances, the police have to shoot in the air to disperse the crowd.
It is an opportunity for some to ‘steal’
In a crowd, you find the good, the bad and the ugly. The mission of certain people is just to steal. They steal phones, wallets, and other valuables. They do not even care if it is the properties of the person involved in the accident. Unfortunate!
Taking pictures
The technology age is here. The urge to take selfies and pictures have made some people become uncaring and unconcerned about others. At an accident scene, you find people taking pictures to post on social media just to get likes and comments. Meanwhile, an individual is lying there in a pool of blood.
Refuse to help the victims
This is probably the worse of all. You just wring in pain when you see people around you but they refuse to ferry you to the hospital or offer first aid. Sometimes, it is not their fault because the police may just come around and accuse you of something you do not know anything about. Nigerians prefer to wait until the emergency services and police arrive. But at that short time, a precious life may be lost. Let us lend a helping hand.
WHILE the nation is still grappling with various agitations across the country, a coalition of Yoruba groups, Yoruba Liberation Command (YOLICOM), has declared that the Yorubas are set to secede from Nigeria to form Oduduwa Republic.
Speaking on Thursday in Lagos, Opeoluwa Akinola, spokesperson of the coalition, said Nigeria is slowing down the progress of the Yorubas, killing and maiming the citizenry for selfish interests.
Ancient Yoruba warlord, Agbekoya, Oodua Redemption Alliance, among others, who were part of the coalition also said though they were not agitating for war but they are equal to the task, should there be need.
Akinola stressed that Yorubas were forced by the British into Nigeria in 1914 and the best time for peaceful dissolution, like other countries is now.
“Nigeria has become a burden on Yoruba people. We suddenly have been exposed to unimaginable threats of violence, wiping off entire families through clubbing to death, kidnapping of women and adults, savage killings, kidnap of school children and rape of infants.
“Stealing of public wealth and the public display of the stolen wealth, with arrogance by the criminals, the complete annihilation and confrontation of the poor people by the Nigerian state and many other ills that were hitherto strange to our long lasting ancient civilisation and values,” he said.
Akinola added that “the destruction of regional system of government has turned Nigeria into a unitary state dotted with savage vulture of corruption, ineptitude, inefficiency, moral degeneration, death, violence crimes and now violent religious extremism.
“The so-called democracy is nothing but the imposition of individual will through an orchestrated mass corruption where the poverty of the voters are exploited for electoral gains by politicians seeking political offices.
“Democracy is not about the interest of the few elected people and their cronies. Democracy is now government of the party for the party leaders and by the party members,” he said.
Akinola further stated that YOLICOM supports the aspiration of the Igbo nation, “irrespective of the unfortunate hate speeches, infantile savage utterances of a certain Nnamdi Kanu, who appears to have singled out Yoruba nation for ridicule and revulsion.
“We take solace in the fact that we work with many large-hearted, better-exposed, principled and consciousness Igbo leaders who have richer sense of history and understand better the complex nature of nation building and who also realise the importance of alliances, networking in statesmanship and international friendship and solidarity.”
He also said YOLICOM totally rejects the idea of restructuring as proposed by the Nigerian state and the political elite, adding that it is an attempt to restructure Nigeria on their own terms and not on the terms of the people.
“Nigeria will never be genuinely restructured by the present crop of political leaders who are themselves beneficiaries of the same skewed system.
“Even if the country will be restructured, it will still pass through the National Assembly which was created during the era of military rule of the Fulani to ensure an upper hand for the Fulani North”, he added.
One of the speakers, Francis Abayomi, corroborated that Oodua Republic is an alternative to agitation for Nigeria’s restructuring bid.
“We want to be free from generation of bond. We don’t want our children to be enslaved any longer. Most of us have spent good time in prison, so no threat can stop our agitation. Yoruba nation has an alternative. We can exist as a distinct nation. We want to ascertain our right to live as a country,” he said.
THE Senate on Wednesday kicked against the removal of Land Use Act from the 1999 Constitution.
At the clause by clause voting on the review of the 1999 Constitution, when it came to the retention of the Land Use Act, 46 senators voted in support, while 44 senators voted against.
The Senate also rejected the 35 per cent affirmation for women.
It rejected at both the federal level and state level, which recommended 35 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.
The Senate also threw out the proposal for resource control.
FIFTY Million Naira has been estimated as the cost of few hours visit by leaders of All Progressive Congress, (APC) to ailing President Muhammadu Buhari in London, United Kingdom, where the latter is ‘recuperating fast.’
Last Sunday, five governors from the APC including the party chairman, John Oyegun and Aviation Minister Rotimi Amaechi visited President Buhari who has been on medical vacation in London since May 7.
The Guardian Newspaper reports that the amount spend for the visit can pay for the West Africa Examination Council fee of over 4,000 candidates in Kogi or Zamfara State, or build at least two blocks of 10 classrooms in Oyo State.
As at yesterday when seven governors led by the Zamfara governor who is the chairman of the Governors Forum departed for London, first class British Airway return ticket cost $9800.
At the official rate of N315 to a dollar, the airfare of each governor amounts to N3 million.
A review by Social Times has the visitors summed up to 14, seven on the side of the party and seven on the side of the governors, their airfare therefore adds up to over N44 million.
The paper reports that most Nigerian politicians, who visit metropolitan London, lodge at Hilton Hotel on Parklane, adding that the Abuja House, the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom where President Buhari is being accommodated since May, is 17 minutes’ drive to the Hilton hotel on Parklane.
The least room rate at Hilton is 332 pounds per night. But Hilton Cosmopolitan Suite is considered the preference of most Nigerian VIPs.
Currently, the rate is 2000 pounds per night. At N411 to a pound, each visitor would be spending over N800, 000 per night.
For the 14 visitors, the total rent is over N11 million.
Other public officials who have recently visited Buhari in London were the acting President Yemi Osinbajo and the Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
Others are: Rochas Okorocha (Imo) Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa) Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) Yahaya Bello (Kogi) Aviation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi Party Chairman, John Oyegun Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).
Early in the year, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, had said it was needless for state governors to abandon their responsibilities and travel to London to visit the ailing president. Yari has gone back on his words. He led his fellow governors to Abuja House in London yesterday.
THE Presidency has described the recall of six judges accused of corruption as “a huge disappointment”.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) recalled the judges on Saturday, directing them to “resume their judicial duties with effect from June 7″.
But speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Okoi Obla, special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on prosecution, said the council’s action gives the impression that NJC was protecting some people.
He said the council ought to have heard the petitions against the judges.
“The impression is that they are trying to protect some people because there are petitions against these judges, half are criminal allegations against them, why has the NJC not looked into these petitions,” Obla said.
“They just have to suspend them, they are going to be charged to court I can assure that.
“I don’t want to be speculative but I’m assuring that [b]these judges will be charged to court[/b]and I am also calling on NJC to hear petitions against these judges, apart from the criminal proceedings we have filed against them, they should go ahead hear the petitions against these judges, otherwise Nigerians will want to think that they want to protect some people.
“The judges I have mentioned them, their names have been released there is an appeal against all of them, as I have said it is a huge disappointment because the fight against corruption is not the fight of President Muhammadu Buhari, it’s not for the executive branch of government… the judiciary, the legislature and the executive should work together, should partner, if we do not clean up our judiciary, foreign investors will not come into the country.”
Obla expressed fears that Nigerians may no longer have confidence in judiciary as they will prefer to take matters into their own hands which could be dangerous.
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“Nigerians will not have confidence in the judiciary, we are going to have a situation where Nigerians will take to self-help. They will not go to court again, they will prefer to settle scores and it will be dangerous,” he said.
The recalled judges are: John Okoro of the supreme court; Uwani Aji, court of appeal; Hydiazira Nganjiwa, federal high court; Musa Kurya, federal high court, Adeniyi Ademola, federal high court and Agbadu James Fishim, National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
THE Founder of DAAR Communications, owner of African Independent Television (AIT) and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Raymond Dokpesi, has unveiled a new political party.
Named the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), Dokpesi and Dan Anyanwu, former chairman of the Labour Party, unveiled the new party on Monday.
The occasion is ongoing at Reiz Continental Hotels in Abuja.
Those Asking For My Recall Are Not My Constituents – Dino Melaye
Those who came asking for my recall are not my constituents, They are sponsored by Smart Adeyemi and Kogi Governor – Dino Melaye.
THOSE were the words of Senator representing Kogi-west, Dino Melaye, on his reaction when constituents from his Senatorial district on Friday stormed the office of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lokoja to pick forms to commence the process of recalling him from the National Assembly.
On Sunday, Melaye in a programme on Channels Television, Sunday Politics, where he and Senator Adeyemi ( a former Senator from the district and his rival ) were guest, said those who were calling for his recall from the red chamber are not his constituents.
He said the protest was politically sponsored by Adeyemi and his state governor, Yahaya Bello for asking that workers and pensioners from the state be paid their entitlements.
Reacting to an audio tape which surfaced online allegedly suggesting that Melaye bribed a judge to obtain victory at the election tribunal which challenged his emergence as the Senator representing Kogi-west, Senator Adeyemi confirmed that the audio tape of bribery involving Melaye and Justice Ikpeme was bearing the true voices of the duo.
Reacting, Melaye described the tape as a “satanic collabo” between Adeyemi, Sahara Reporters ( the online news medium which published the audio tape) and others, urging him to be ready to prove that in court.
On representing his constituency in the Senate, the controversial Senator boasted of being the “Senator with the highest number of motions and one of the highest presenters of bills in the Senate.”
He also said project are ongoing in all the local government in his constituency with some of them nearing completion.
In terms of Intergrity, Melaye alleged that Adeyemi, got several contracts from Kogi and Rivers states which he has not completed, threatening to reopen the matter. Mr. Adeyemi has so far asked him to get ready to prove his allegations in court.
Last Friday, the leader of the protest, Mr. Muhammed Tanko who is also the Administrator of Kogi local government while addressing officials of INEC noted that all the Local Government Areas comprising Kogi West Senatorial Zone are united in their resolve to recall Senator Dino Melaye.
“We have compiled the key reasons to show the world that Senator Dino Melaye’s recall is not only long overdue, but the right thing to do in the best interests of Kogi West Senatorial Zone, Kogi State.”
Hon. Tanko opined that Senator Dino persists in portraying their Senatorial Zone as hostile to the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State respectively, for no just cause and not minding the impact on them.
“Whether the appropriate authorities act or not, we the people of his constituency who are at the receiving end of his shameful deeds have run out of patience and are resolved to recall and replace him with a decent and people-oriented Senator.
“We understand the requirements of S69 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 regarding the recall of such a member of the National Assembly and hereby assure everyone that Kogi Central Senatorial Zone is united in this and will achieve it.
“We hereby give the Kogi State Government notice that we are going through with this and if they will not help us, they must also not try to stop us or put obstacles in our way, in particular, everything the Law requires to be done by the Administration in Lokoja in aid of this process must be done with dispatch.
THE Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, has approved the redeployment of 71 senior officers nationwide for enhanced performance.
The redeployment, aimed at repositioning the commission, affected three zonal commanding officers alongside several sector commanders.
Ayodele Kumapayi, the former Sector Commander in Rivers State, who was recalled recently for forcibly cutting the hair of some female personnel, is now the Head of Corps Safety and Transport Office at the national headquarters, Abuja.
Kumapayi was replaced by Corps Commander Imoh Etuk, who was formally the Corps Public Education Officer at the headquarters.
In the redeployment released by FRSC Secretary, Susan Ajenge, Kingsley Agomo, the former Zonal Commanding Officer of Zone 7, Abuja, was moved to Zone 6, Port Harcourt.
Jonas Agwu, who was in charge of Zone 6, Port Harcourt, was redeployed to Zone 4, Jos.
The erstwhile Commanding Officer of Zone 4 Jos, Oludare Fadogba, takes over the affairs of Zone 7, Abuja.
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A.A. Nwaka, who recently completed a course at the National Defence College, Abuja, was deployed to the National Headquarters, Abuja to take over as the Assistant Corps Marshal in charge of Admin section.
Corps Commander Bisi Kazeem, who was the Head of Media Relations and Strategy at the headquarters, takes over from Etuk as the new Corps Public Education Officer.
Also affected is the former Kaduna State Sector Commander, Francis Udoma, who is now the Head of Transport Section at the Technical Service Department at the national headquarters.
Former Sector Commander, Gombe State, David Mendie, was moved to Benue State as Sector Commander, while Chidi Nkwonta, the erstwhile Sector Commander, Benue State, takes charge in Cross River State in the same capacity.
Similarly, Ikechukwu Igwe was moved from Cross River State as Sector Commander to Bayelsa State in the same capacity.
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James Mbatse was moved from Niger State as Sector Commander to assume the same position in Yobe State.
Ibrahim Abubakar and Umar Ibrahim were moved from Imo State and Osun State as Sector Commanders to assume the same positions in Gombe and Kaduna States respectively, among others.
In a statement circulated on Sunday, Sani Abdullahi, the Media Assistant to the Corps Marshal, said the redeployment takes immediate effect.
According to Abdullahi, handing and taking over processes are expected to be completed latest by June 10.
The statement said Oyeyemi enjoined all senior officers of the FRSC to brace up to the challenges of delivering safety to Nigerians in line with the Corps’ 2017 strategic goals.
THE Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has criticised the proposed N5 petrol levy by the Senate, describing it as a huge joke.
Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of NUPENG, said in Lagos on Saturday that the proposal was ill-timed and also smacked of insensitivity to the current economic hardships facing Nigerians.
He wondered how the nation’s Upper Chamber could think of another fuel price increase when Nigerians were “striving to cope with the current harsh economic realities”.
“How can the Senate propose such a bill at this particular period when poor Nigerians can hardly feed themselves?
“The prices of foodstuffs have tripled in the market, while workers’ salary has not been increased,” Korodo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Sen. Kabiru Gaya (APC-Kano), the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, had on June 1, presented a bill entitled, “National Roads Bill” to the House.
The bill recommends that Nigerians should pay N5 levy on every litre of imported petroleum products and that levy will form part of the proposed national roads fund.
It also recommends the deduction of 0.5 per cent on fares paid by passengers travelling on inter-state roads to commercial mass transit operators as well as the return of toll gates on federal roads, among others.
Korodo said:“Just a year ago, the pump price of petrol was increased from N87 to N145 per litre and Nigerians accepted the increment because of the sincerity of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“Any attempt to adjust the price of petrol under any guise will be resisted by the Organised Labour.”
The NUPENG chief called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the leadership of the Senate to step down the bill.
When asked why the government continually flouts court rulings on the release of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA) and Ibrahim El Zakzaky, Lai said: “Every government will balance national security with human rights; every country in the world. It is the level of the balancing”.
“As a government, I will balance national security against human rights; and then I will take a decision. Because there is security, there is stability, that the courts also exist.
“What I am saying (is) that the court has ruled but the court does not have the entire picture when it comes to national security. I am a lawyer too, therefore I have utmost respect for the judiciary”.
Mohammed however added that the Nigerians cannot pick one or two cases and conclude that the Buhari government is a government of impunity.
“You cant pick two, three cases which bother on national security to condemn a whole government and say this government is a government of impunity,” he added.
Politics › Spew Hate Speech Again & Face Trial As Terrorists, Osinbajo Warns by deantimes(op): 5:34pm On Aug 17, 2017
