The Federal Government has accused some members of the House of Representatives, who recently returned from foreign trips of posing serious threat to the safety of Nigerians by refusing to subject themselves to screening at airports.

The Presidency, in a letter dated 21st March, 2020 informed Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila of the report from the Minister of Health on the refusal of some House members to subject themselves to screening at the airport as directed by health officials.

The letter signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, asked the Speaker to direct all members of the House who recently returned from trips abroad to report to the nearest NCDC office with immediate effect for screening.

The letter reads “It has been brought to the Honourable Minister of Health, recently reported to this office that some members of the House of Representatives are refusing to subject themselves to medical screening at airports.

“As you are aware, these airport screenings are our primary line of defense and refusal by any citizen to subject to these tests is a threat to our nation.

“Accordingly, you are kindly requested to direct all members of the House of Representatives who returned to Nigeria from foreign trips to report themselves to the nearest NCDC test centre with immediate effect.”

Spokesman of the House, Benjamin Kalu, told The Nation it would be unpatriotic for anybody to refuse to go through the screening process.

Kalu said since there are cameras at the airport, official should go through the camera to identify all those who returned to the country recently and refused to through the screening so that they can be traced.

Kalu said the letter from the Chief of Staff to the President was a wake up call for all Nigerians adding that corona virus was real and should be taken seriously by all irrespective of status.

He said: “There is a screening process at the airport that is supposed to be obeyed by every patriotic citizen of this country irrespective of your status. It doesn’t matter if you are whether you are the President of the country, a Senator or a member of the House or a governor.

“Health is very important. If yours is not important to you, that of others is important to them and any negligent act by being careless might affect a whole lot of Nigerians.

” The call from the Presidency through the Chief of Staff is potentially a wake up call. “The House will not feel that he was trying to pine on them what they are not. If there are those who did it, they should desist.

“Whether you are a House of Representative member or not, it doesn’t matter. Everybody is expected to subject himself. I am sure he sent that same letter to the Senate. It could be Ministers or Senator. There is nothing wrong about that.

“Yes, I have seen that letter being circulated online. What I am taking away from that letter is that people should make efforts to comply with this particular heath policy and I am not seeing anything wrong with that letter.
“Adding my voice to what the Chief of Staff said, Members or Senators or whoever you are, comply with the simple instruction because this virus is real and does not care about your status. So, let us humble ourselves, wait a few minutes and pass through the checks.

“There is not humiliating in going into isolation if need be. You must save your family, friends and the people you wok with. I think it is the patriotic thing to do and I commend the Chief of Staff to the President for rising that alarm and writing that letter.

“People should not misinterpreted the letter because it is not an attack on the House of Representatives.

“The content of the letter is what should be taken which is that everyone should be careful no matter who you are.

“I carry my hand sanitizer and when I come in, I go through the process. They are very respectful and professional about what they do.

“I don’t know why any body should claim to be a member of this or that and not subject himself or herself to such screening.
“The truth is that it is unpatriotic for you not to pass through the screening. It is unpatriotic to the nation and such persons should be penalised. They should be arrested.

“Those people who pass through there without screening should be arrested and be properly checked before being released so that we don’t allow anyone who has this virus into circulation. We don’t even know who has this virus right no and so, we have to take extra care.”

Lagos State Health Commissioner, Prof. Akin Abayomi has confirmed that the Chinese man who arrived in Lagos Monday on an Ethiopian Airlines with cough has tested negative for Coronavirus.

The Chinese man who was on a flight from Addis Ababa-Lagos was quarantined upon arrival at the Murtala Mohammed international Airport (MMIA) Lagos after checks on him by port health officials.

Details shortly…

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Maurice Iwu has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to transfer his N1.23b fraud case to Abuja.

Iwu told Justice Nicolas Oweibo that at 70 years, he was too old to be making frequent trips from his Abuja residence to Lagos for trial.

Iwu is facing three counts of alleged fraud and money laundering filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

The EFCC arraigned him last August 8 before Justice Chuka Obiozor, who granted him N1billion bail.

Following the transfer of the case to Justice Oweibo, the agency re-arraigned Iwu last October 24.

The EFCC alleged that he committed the offences between December 2014 and March 27, 2015.

The defendant pleaded not guilty.

The trial proper did not commence last October 25 as scheduled following the judge’s absence.

At the commencement of proceedings, Iwu’s counsel, Ahamed Raji SAN, told the court that the transfer was essential so that the defendant would not be subjected to unnecessary hardship.

He said Iwu resides in Abuja but always travelled to Lagos whenever the case came up.

“My Lord, this defendant is over 70 years of age, and he always travels down to Lagos and books a hotel whenever the case comes up. It will amount to great agony for him to continue with this trial in Lagos,” Raji said.

He contended that the transaction that led to the charge occurred in Abuja, thus the case should be tried in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He told the judge that all the witnesses listed in the proof of evidence reside in Lagos and Ibadan, more so, the case was investigated by the committee’s Lagos Zonal office.

Oyedepo stated that all the banks officials listed in the proof of evidence to testify and the documents to tender are in Lagos.

He argued that the offence for which the defendant was charged “touches on the Economic well-being of Nigeria,” therefore such offence can be tried anywhere in Nigeria.

Relying on Section 98 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Oyedepo reasoned that only the court’s Chief Judge has power to transfer any matter.

Justice Oweibo adjourned till March 6, for ruling.

As dignitaries pay tribute to Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i on the occasion of his 60th birthday, his lawyer, AbdulHakeem Mustapha SAN has said that, El-Rufa’i has 83 certificates from Havard.

Mustapha SAN said he was shocked the day he saw El-Rufa’i’s certificates.

According him, “there was a time El-Rufa’i’s was dragged to court for not having certificate. And as were about to get to the court that day, he dropped me in his car and handed me a bulky envelope.

“When I opened the envelope, I discovered he has 83 certificates from Havard. And when I asked him how come? He said, A.U, when my peers were busy buying exotic cars, houses and other luxurious things, this is what I was doing with my money.” Mustapha SAN said.

The event which is still ongoing has the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Finance, Zainab Shamsuna Ahned, APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, former APC Chairman, Chief Odigie Oyegun and former Zamfara State Governor, AbdulAziz Yari in attendance.

Others in attendance are: Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, MD of Nigeria Port Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman, among others.

The All Progressives Congress(APC) has rejected the declaration of Senator Duoye Diri as Governor-elect of Bayelsa by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).

Its National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, in an ongoing chat with reporters, faulted INEC “illegally declaring Diri as Governor-elect”.

He accused INEC of appropriating judicial powers to itself over the Supreme Court ruling that sacked Chief David Lyon as Gov-elect.

He said the party will seek legal redress and go to the court to reclaim its mandate.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Bayelsa govership election, Douye Diri, who was returned as governor by the judgment of the Supreme Court which disqualified the governor-elect, David Lyon has been denied access into INEC Headquarters where he came to collect his Certificate of Return.

Diri who arrived INEC office about 11.15 am was stopped at the gate by stern looking security operatives.

He was later addressed by a senior INEC official who asked him to go that the Commission will revert back to him at the right time.

Meanwhile the Commission is set to brief journalists on its decision.

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured all children, as well as adults, held hostage by terrorists and other criminals in Nigeria will be freed.

President Buhari gave the assurance on Monday at a breakfast dialogue with the theme: ‘Stop the war on children affected by Armed Conflicts, Dividend of Silencing the Guns’, on the sidelines of the ongoing 33rd African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The programme was co-sponsored by the governments of Nigeria, Uganda and Norway, the AU Commission and Save the Children.

The President also charged AU Peace and Security Council to energetically champion the strategy to stop the war on children and adopt the Child Protection Architecture within the African Peace and Security Architecture and the Road map on Silencing the Guns.

A statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, stated Buhari assured his administration is committed to get all kidnapped child, male and male, out of terrorists’ captivity.

Speaking of the situation in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria, President Buhari said ”a number of school girls from Chibok and Dapchi earlier abducted by Boko Haram have regained their freedom.

”We commend the gallant efforts of the MultiNational Joint Task Force and the partners in supporting the reintegration of the girls.

”Let me categorically reassure you of the steadfast commitment of the Government of Nigeria to ensure the freedom of all kidnapped children from the shackles of Boko Haram.

”We will not relent until every child, boy, or girl, every Nigerian adult in custody of Boko Haram, is freed!.”

The President urged African countries and stakeholders on the continent to work fervently towards strengthening the protection of children from the six grave violations during armed conflict.

The six grave violations are killing and maiming of children, recruitment or use of children as soldiers, sexual violence against children, abduction of children, attacks against schools or hospitals and denial of humanitarian access for children.

President Buhari expressed concern that these grave violations against children have continued unabated.


”It is for this reason that the Nigerian government has severally condemned, and is combating frontally the dreadful activities of terrorist groups like Boko Haram and the so-called Islamic State.

”Of course, the severity of these grave violations varies from country to country.

”The incidence of a single violation of children rights in any country is an indelible dent on the African consciousness and is to be deplored and condemned,” he said.

Reminding AU Member States of their commitments to protecting children affected by armed conflicts in Africa, President Buhari reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the protection of children in armed conflict zones.

He also used the occasion to outline some concrete measures taken by Nigeria towards tackling the root causes of child soldiers and the misfortune of out-of-school children.

”To stem the tide of out-of-school children Nigeria embarked on an all-inclusive reconstruction of schools vandalized by the ravaging terrorist activities of Boko Haram, while returning children are rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.

”Our Nomadic Education policy is also being implemented to reduce the number of out-of-school children. We have also prioritized de-radicalisation and demobilisation of ex-combatant children of Boko Haram insurgents,” President Buhari said.

Charging the continent on protecting children against the abuses of wars and conflicts, the Nigerian leader said ”the call to action is now for accountability by all African States to the rights of the children caught up in wars.

”Let us stop the war on children. This is a wake-up call for us all to create the enabling environment for rooting out the impact of armed conflicts against our children across the continent,” he said.

About sixteen states have completed negotiations on consequential adjustments and started paying the N30, 000 minimum wage to workers, the Nigeria Labour Congress has said.

The states include Lagos, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Jigawa, Yobe, Katsina, Ondo, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Bayelsa, FCT, Anambra and Akwa – Ibom.

NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba disclosed this during a meeting with members of the National Administrative Council (NAC) on Tuesday in Abuja.

The NAC also discussed the security challenge in the country, the decision of the Federal Government to borrow N2tn from the Pension Fund and casualisation of workers, especially by banks.

He said organised labour was not consulted on the decision of the government to borrow from the money.

Wabba said the union will keep its eyes open in order to ensure the safety of the N10 trillion pension funds.

“We will keep our eyes very open to ensure the safety of those funds and we also urge government to respect the provision of the law because it is only the pension fund administrator (PFA) that can actually invest the fund in such a way and manner that the safety of the funds will be guaranteed and there will be maximum return on investment.

Wabba said that while seventeen states were on the negotiating table, Taraba state government was yet to set up a committee to begin dialogue with labour leaders in the state.


He called on the state government to inaugurate a committee in order to commence dialogue.

Wabba said: “We have been able to make some progress. As I speak to you today from the initial six states that we mentioned in the last press conference, today we have 16 that have signed and commenced (payment).

“We have about three that have reached agreement but have not signed. We have about seventeen that negotiation is ongoing. I can say authoritatively that it is only in Taraba that nothing has started.

“The committee has not been inaugurated, the process of dialogue has not commenced and therefore, I want to use this medium to call on the Taraba state government to quickly respect the provision of the minimum wage Act.”

He insisted that there is no excuse for any state government not to pay the minimum wage since it had become a law.

Wabba said: “The minimum wage Act is already a law and every political officeholder must respect the sanctity of our constitution and also the sanctity of the oath of office they have sworn to uphold.

“If a worker is entitled to be paid his wages, the wages must be commensurate to what have been negotiated.

“Minimum wage implementation is observed in 90 per cent of the countries of the world and we cannot be an exception.

“There is no excuse for any state not to pay (the minimum wage). 85 per cent of the VAT increase goes to the state. Therefore, they don’t have any excuse not to pay workers the minimum wage, a minimum wage that will be negotiated not a minimum wage that will be a peanut that cannot even take a worker home.”

He berated the River State government for sealing off the state secretariat of the NLC.

“We condemn in very strong term the undemocratic action of the Rivers state government who went in the night to seal off NLC Rivers state secretariat under the laughable pretense of structural integrity. It is a shame.

“It is a clear violation of the International Labour Organisation Convention of 87, 98 and the labour Act which retrain public authorities from taking such action.

“We demand immediate opening of the office and respect for workers’ rights,” he said.

The National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Abagun Kole Omololu, has been arrested and detained.

According to him, he was arrested by one of the police officers on the entourage of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Omololu said he was arrested in Lagos State and detained at Onikan Police Station.

A message sent to The PUNCH by the Afenifere leader read, “I have just been arrested by ACP Oludotun Odubona on the entourage of the VP Osinbajo, claiming (that) I did not park well for the convoy, in front of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Ikoyi.

“Currently, I am in detention at Onikan Police Station, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.”

When contacted about 9.17 pm, Omololu told our correspondent that he had been released.

He said, “It is just an act of overzealousness. I have been released. No condition was attached to my release. Senior aides of the vice president, including the ADC and Chief Security Officer, have called me.

The Afenifere leader also said the police officer almost slapped him during the altercation.

“He accused me of struggling with the convoy, which was not the case. I was only trying to move away. He came to meet me where I parked, raining curses on me.

“He nearly slapped me. Despite all my explanations that I am an elderly man, he insisted that I was arrested and taken to the police station. I told him that I respect the VP and I won’t obstruct his convoy. He only embarrassed his boss. I know his boss will never do that.”

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Walid Jibrin has raised alarm over threats to his life and petitioned the Director-General of DSS and Inspector General of Police, following his comments that the party will not zone its presidential ticket come 2023.

Sen. Jibrin recently stated that the party will give room for interested aspirants from all parts of the country to contest for the presidential primaries for the 2023 elections, which elicited various reactions including threats of a demonstration against him and harassment.

According to him, “I have received a call from some people threatening my life over my coming out not to mention that the presidency of this country be zoned to the Northeast. They were saying that I am a traitor, that I should have come out to say that it is only Atiku Abubakar, that because I said that Atiku was already overthrown by the Supreme Court. They said for that, I should say Atiku is the man”.

The Zamfara State government has earmarked over N1 billion for the construction of Jumu’at Mosques, Ramadan welfare package and renovation of cemeteries and other religious activities in the state for the year 2020.

The state Commissioner of Religious Affairs, Sheikh Tukur Jangebe, disclosed this while defending the 2020 budget proposal of his ministry at the state House of Assembly in Gusau on Tuesday.

Jangebe noted that over N300 million from the amount would be used for Special Ramadan packages for rural dwellers in the upcoming 2020 Ramadan fast. “You know previously in every Ramadan season, the state government establishes Ramadan feeding centres across the state under this ministry.

“This time, we are going to restructure the Ramadan feeding package in the state, we want to reorganise it in such a way that it will reach the target beneficiaries in the rural communities. “We plan to provide grains, essential commodities and cash to various categories of needy instead of Ramadan feeding centers”, the commissioner said.

According to him, under the 2020 budget proposal, the ministry planned to build additional Jumu’at Mosques across the 17 emirates of the state. “We are going to establish one Islamic education centre in each of the three senatorial districts in the state.

The Federal Government on Thursday declared December 25th and 26th as public holidays.

In a statement signed by the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Interior, Georgina Ehuriah, January 1 was also designated as a public holiday.

The public holidays are for the Christmas (December 25th), Boxing Day (December 26th) and New Year (January 1st) celebrations.

According to the statement, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, felicitates with “Christians and all Nigerians both at home and abroad on this year’s Christmas and New Year Celebrations.”

The Minister also “enjoined all Christians to live within the virtues and teachings of Jesus Christ, which hinge on compassion, patience, peace, humility, righteousness and love for one another, adding that doing so would guarantee an atmosphere of peace and security in the country.”