The Senate on Thursday passed the Public Holiday Act Amendment Bill to recognise June 12 as the new Democracy Day.

The bill was passed almost one year after President Muhammadu Buhari announced that the date would replace May 29 for Nigerians to commemorate the return to the civilian government.

While some members of the National Assembly had criticised the President that Democracy Day cannot be changed by just a declaration, others commended his decision.

President Buhari’s declaration was later approved in the Senate by an act of parliament after the lawmakers considered the bill seeking to amend the Public Holiday Act on Thursday.

The bill, which is in concurrence with that of the House of Representatives, will now be forwarded to the President for assent.

More to follow…

https://www.channelstv.com/2019/05/16/senate-passes-bill-recognising-june-12-as-democracy-day/

Announced Chiendu Offor as interim Speaker

Twenty-one out of the 27 lawmakers of the Imo State House of Assembly on Wednesday suspended the Speaker, Acho Ihim.

The suspension of Ihim came after he had adjourned the ongoing plenary and escaped with the maze after reading a letter announcing the lifting of the suspension placed on the 27 Local Government chairmen by the state lawmakers last week.

The 21 lawmakers immediately announced Chiendu Offor (Onuimo) of the Action Alliance as the interim Speaker.

They also announced the suspension of the Majority Leader of the House, Lugard Osuji; and elected Lloyd Chukwuemeka (Owerri North) in his place.

The Acting Speaker who later addressed journalists, said that the 21 lawmakers had served impeachment notices on Ihim and Osuji.

Ihim, in a bid to frustrate his colleagues from removing him, had allegedly ordered his aides to switch off the generator supplying electricity to the complex, but the visibly enraged lawmakers went on to impeach the two principal officers.

Trouble had started after the lawmakers raised objection to the letter announcing the lifting of the suspension of the 27 LGA chairmen.

The lawmakers had quoted Order 15 of the House Rule, which empowers lawmakers to contribute to issues before the Speaker rules, but Ihim said that no lawmaker was allowed to contribute to the matter.

The lawmakers were seen putting final touches to the impeachment notices as of the time of filing this report.

https://punchng.com/breaking-imo-speaker-escapes-with-mace-as-lawmakers-suspend-him/

The defence headquarters on Tuesday dissociated the armed forces of Nigeria from the circulation of document, calling for the overthrow of the democratically elected government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement issued by Muhammed Wabi, deputy director of defence information, the DHQ accused a group, “Nigerian Continuity and Progress’’ as being behind the document.

Wabi alleged that the document called for the setting up of an “interim government’’ in place of the elected government.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to dissociate itself from the rascality and intentions as espoused in a document being circulated by a faceless group named Nigerian Continuity and Progress calling for support of a revolution to oust the current democratically elected government and in its place establish an illegitimate interim government,” the statement read.

“The AFN outrightly condemns the undemocratic and demonic actions of the author of the document.

“Accordingly, members of the public are enjoined to discountenance the content of the documents being circulated by NCP and equally condemned in totality, the call to derail our hard-earned democracy.”

It said the armed forces was “very mindful of its constitutional responsibilities’’ and would not be misled into any act that would undermine democracy as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended.


“The AFN remains unflinchingly loyal to the Constitution, as well as President Muhammadu Buhari and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he said.

Wabi said all relevant law enforcement agencies had been advised to unravel those behind the “seditious” document for appropriate actions.

https://www.thecable.ng/military-we-are-not-planning-to-overthrow-buhari

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ON Monday alleged that Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, continued receiving her N700, 000 monthly salary seven months after she retired as a civil servant.

It said the former First Lady, who effectively retired from the Bayelsa State Civil Service as a Permanent Secretary on October 14, 2014, was paid her salary up till May 2015, when her husband left office.

The Commission stated this at the Federal High Court in Lagos during hearing of a forfeiture case it brought against Mrs. Jonathan.

The agency is praying the court to order the final forfeiture of $8.4 million and N7.4 billion allegedly belonging to her.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun declined to grant EFCC’s application for final forfeiture but directed parties to give oral evidence to justify ownership.

She said there were conflicting depositions in the affidavits before her, adding that oral evidence was needed to clear them up.

The judge had last April 20 ordered the funds’ temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government.

Mrs. Jonathan, Globus Integrated Services Ltd, Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd, Pagmat Oil and Gas Ltd, Magel Resort Ltd and Esther Oba are the respondents.

Among the temporarily forfeited sums are N1.085billion and N226.3million found in Finchley’s Ecobank account and N39.4million found in its Diamond Bank account, as well as N55.9million found in Pagmat Oil and Gas’ Diamond Bank account, among others.

Mrs. Jonathan’s lawyers, including Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had argued that the funds included donations and legitimate earnings by the companies linked to her.

But, EFCC said the money was “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity”.

At the commencement of proceedings yesterday, Mrs Jonathan’s lawyers called a former Head of Service of Bayelsa State, Mr. Fraser Ogboru, as its first witness.

In his testimony, Ogboru, who said he retired from Bayelsa State Civil Service on December 31, 2014, told the court that he had knew Mrs. Jonathan when her husband was a Deputy Governor.

He claimed he was still in service when Mrs. Jonathan was appointed a permanent secretary.

During cross-examination by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness said he had no knowledge of when Patience Jonathan’s salary was stopped as he had already left service by then.

Oyedepo: “The first respondent’s (Mrs Jonathan) effective date of retirement is 16th October, 2014. Would you be surprised to hear that the first respondent was still earning salaries till May 2015?”

Ogboru: “I would be surprised.”

Ogboru said a Permanent Secretary’s monthly salary was about N700,000 while the gratuity upon retirement was just over N20million.

Other witnesses including a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, and the South West Zonal Coordinator of an NGO, Women for Change Initiative, Chief Mrs. Kate Onyechere, also testified.

In his testimony, Dudafa denied being used by the former First Lady to launder money.

He told Justice Olatoregun that all the funds in an account linked to a firm, Globus Integrated Services Ltd, were cash gifts given to the former First Lady during her husband’s tenure as President.

“I was not procured by the family of Dame Patience Jonathan to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities and by virtue of being the former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to the erstwhile president and the 1st respondent (Mrs. Jonathan), I was informed by the 1st respondent that the funds in the firm’s account are cash gifts that were given to her while she was the first lady”, Dudafa said.

The witness also denied that he was aware that a bag he received on behalf of Dr. Jonathan from one, Col. Adegbe, in the course of his duties contained $47 million which was allegedly removed from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the instruction of a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki.

On her part, Chief Mrs. Kate Onyechere explained the rationale behind the founding of the Women for Change Initiative by Mrs. Jonathan.

She also revealed the various sources through which the Initiative get fund to carry out its activities.

“The Initiative was formed by Mrs. Jonathan as a normal non-governmental organization. The main thing is empowerment. We empower Nigerian women across 36 states. We have zonal, states and local government coordinators.

“We organised luncheon and receive donations across states to get funds. We also write private individuals to donate. Even, the coordinators also make donations”, she said.

The witness further revealed that Mrs. Jonathan was unanimously adopted by the trustees and coordinators of the Initiative as the sole signatory to its accounts.

Under cross-examination by Oyedepo, the witness named four individuals as Trustees of Women for Change Initiative.

They are: Dr. Chidinma, Mrs. Josephine, Mrs. Jonathan and Mrs. Yemisi Oyewole.

Further hearing in the matter has been adjourned to May 24, 2019 at 11am.

https://thenationonlineng.net/patience-jonathan-received-n700-000-monthly-salary-for-months-after-retirement-efcc/

President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration for a second term on May 29, will be a low-key affair, as a number of the events slated for the inauguration will now be held during the first observance of June 12 as the National Democracy Day, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has announced. Lai told State House reporters that the decision to have a low-key inauguration for the President was taken at the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, 8 May 2019.

He said, however, that invitations have been sent to all world leaders to attend the ceremonies marking the observance of the Democracy Day on June 12. ”Since the first observance of June 12 as Democracy Day falls into an election year, and as a measure to sustain June 12 as Democracy Day, the celebration of the inauguration and the advancement of democracy in the country will now take place on June 12,” he said.

He said that the country cannot afford to have two major celebrations within a two-week interval. He said the details of the events slated for the two ceremonies will be unveiled at a world press conference slated for May 20th in Abuja

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/just-in-buharis-swearing-in-to-be-low-key-moves-major-events-to-june-12.html

The Economic Confidential on Sunday released its Annual States Viability Index (ASVI) report.

It showed that 17 States are insolvent as their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) in 2018 were far below 10% of their receipts from the Federation Account Allocations (FAA) in the same year.

The index declared that without the monthly disbursement from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), many states remain unviable, and cannot survive without the federally collected revenue, mostly from the oil sector.


The IGR are generated by states through Pay-As-You-Earn Tax (PAYE), Direct Assessment, Road Taxes and revenues from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The IGR of the 36 states of the federation totalled N1.1 trillion in 2018 as compared to N931 billion in 2018, an increase of N172 billion.

The report further indicates that the IGR of Lagos State of N382bn is higher than that of 30 States put together whose Internally Generated Revenues are extremely low, and poor compared to their allocations from the Federation Account.

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, which is not a state but the nation’s capital generated N65bn IGR against N29bn it got from the Federation Account in 2018.

Lagos State remained steadfast in its number one position in IGR with a total revenue generation of N382bn compared to FAA of N260bn which translate to 146% in the twelve months of 2018.

It is followed by Ogun State which generated IGR of N84.55bn compared to FAA of N93bn representing 90%; Rivers with N112bn compared to FAA of N237bn representing 47% and Kwara State with a low receipt from the Federation Account has maintained its impressive IGR by generating N23bn compared to FAA of N81bn representing 28%.

Others with impressive IGR include Edo with IGR of N28bn compared to FAA of N112bn representing 25%; Kano generated N44bn compared to FAA of N183bn representing 24%; Enugu with IGR of N22bn compared to FAA of N92bn representing 23%; Ondo with IGR of N24bn compared to FAA of N108bn representing 22.77%; Kaduna with IGR of N29bn compared to FAA of N131bn representing 22.44% while Delta State earned N58bn IGR against FAA of N285bn representing 20%.

The report noted that ten states with impressive IGR generated N808bn in total, while the remaining states merely generated a total of N295bn in 2018.

While the report provides shocking discoveries, the states with less than 10% IGR have remained 17 as in the previous year 2017.

It added: “The poor states may not stay afloat outside the Federation Account Allocation due to socio-political crises including insurgency, kidnapping, armed-banditry and herdsmen-farmer clashes.

“Other states lack foresight in revenue generation drive coupled with arm-chair governance.

“The states that may not survive without the Federation Account due to poor internal revenue generation are Ebonyi which realized a meagre N6.14bn compared to a total of N76bn it received from the Federation Account Allocation (FAA) in 2018 representing about 7.98%; Bayelsa with IGR of N13.6bn compared to FAA of N192bn representing 7.10%; Taraba N5.96bnbn compared to FAA of N88bn representing 6.77%; Adamawa with IGR of N6.2bn compared to N97bn of FAA representing 6.77% and Borno with IGR of N6.52bn compared to N122bn of FAA representing 5.3% within the period under review.


“The major poor internal revenue earners are Katsina which generated N6.9bn compared to FAA of N138bn representing 5.03%; Yobe N4.48bn compared to FAA of N89bn representing 4.86% and lastly Kebbi N4.88bn IGR compared to FAA of N101bn representing 4.88%.”

The Economic Confidential ASVI further showed that only three states in the entire Northern region have IGR above 20% in comparison to their respective allocations from the Federation Account. They are Kwara, Kano and Kaduna States. Meanwhile seven states in the South recorded over 20% IGR in 2018. They are Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Edo, Enugu, Ondo and Delta States.

The four Southern states with the poorest Internally Generated Revenue of less than 10% compared to their FAA in 2018 are Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, Ebonyi and Bayelsa. Similarly, 13 Northern States have poorest IGR, namely Benue, Nasarawa, Gombe, Zamfara, Niger, Bauchi, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Yobe and Kebbi States.

https://dailypost.ng/2019/05/12/10-nigerian-states-economically-viable-17-bankrupt-see-details/

Bukola Saraki, senate president, has tackled the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over the seizure of some of his residential houses located in the Ikoyi area of Lagos.

The seizure is coming less than a week after the anti-graft agency launched a fresh probe against the senate president over allegations of money laundering.

The EFCC is investigating Saraki’s earnings during his time as governor of Kwara state. Saraki governed the state between 2003 and 2011 before proceeding to the senate.

But the senate president has maintained that the action of the EFCC was a witch-hunt and “only reinforced our earlier stated position that their current investigation is mischievous.”

A statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, special adviser (media and publicity) to the senate president, read: “Our attention has been drawn to the fact that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has marked certain property belonging to Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, obviously under the claim that they are subject of investigation.

“The action of the EFCC only reinforced our earlier stated position that their current investigation is mischievous, contrary to the tenets of the rule of law and only aimed at settling scores. This position is founded on the fact that these same buildings were the subject of earlier investigations by the EFCC as well as the case initiated by the Federal Government at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

“Also, the case went all the way to the highest court in our country, the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In that case, Saraki was discharged and acquitted because the courts believe the government has no case.”

According to PUNCH, the anti-corruption agency seized some houses, located at 15a, 15b and 17 MacDonald road, Ikoyi, Lagos, allegedly purchased by Saraki.

Saraki’s relative was also quoted to have said that the houses were seized last Friday so as to keep the senate president “under strict surveillance ahead of May 29, 2019 when they may invite him.”

“The EFCC had been making inquiries into the finances and assets of Saraki for quite some time. They came to inscribe ‘EFCC, Under Investigation’ in red on the walls and the fences. The irony is that even houses that don’t belong to Saraki were marked,” the relative said.

Olaniyonu had previously accused the commission of intimidating Saraki with its probe of his tenure as governor of Kwara state.

In its response, the anti-corruption agency told the senate president that he ought not to be afraid if he has nothing to hide.

https://www.thecable.ng/saraki-kicks-as-efcc-seizes-his-houses-in-ikoyi/amp

More information leaked on Friday over the new cabinet list being compiled by President Muhammadu Buhari.

It will be recalled that Buhari earlier gave a hint that he would be reshuffling his cabinet.

Politically, Governors are expected to nominate those who should be Ministers from their states.


Some of criteria considered before submitting such names are party loyalty and competence.

But the political terrain has changed. This time, some powerful politicians have hijacked the party structure from the Governors, who are supposed to be the party leader in their states.

As tension mounts over the list being compiled, two Governors are said to be at “worse loss”.

Governors Rochas Okorocha, Rotimi Akeredolu and Ibikunle Amosun of Imo, Ondo and Ogun States have been said to be blocked.

It was gathered a cabal in Aso-Rock has blocked all moves by the governors to influence those that should be appointed in their states.

A source said: “Some of these governors still do not understand Buhari’s style. I know three of them whose gestures have been rejected. I can confirm to you that no one knows the content of the list yet. But we have letters already blocked and some rejected on the subject matter.”

https://www.independent.ng/new-cabinet-list-buhari-rejects-nominations-from-imo-ondo-ogun/

Sen. Ademola Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Osun 2018 Governorship Election said he had instructed his counsels to challenge the appeal court judgement which upheld Gov. Gboyega Oyetola’s election at the Supreme court. Adeleke, in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Thursday said he received the appeal court judgement with dissatisfaction.

According to him, the judgment of the appeal court relied on weak technical foundation, while the substantive issue which formed the basis of the lower tribunal judgement was relegated to the background. “I received with dissatisfaction the judgement of the Court of Appeal on the ruling of the election petition tribunal which had duly returned me as the validly elected governor of Osun state.

“I have subsequently instructed my counsel to prepare for an appeal against today’s judgement at the Supreme Court immediately. “Today’s judgement relied on weak technical foundation.

“The substantive issue which formed the basis of the lower tribunal judgement was relegated to the background. “We are reviewing the full ruling and action has already commenced to appeal the judgement and ensure the eventual retrieval of the stolen mandate,” Adeleke said. He, however, urged the people of the state not to be downcast, saying that the struggle for good governance and retrieval of People’s mandate cannot be truncated by any flawed judgement. “We are taking the legal battle further to the topmost court in the land. I am confident the apex court will upturn today’s unsustainable ruling.

“To all members of PDP in Osun State and my campaign organisation, the struggle is now at the most critical stage. “We cannot waiver nor slow down. We must forge ahead in high spirit until final victory is attained.

“In this endeavour, I promise to provide the leadership as the genuine governorship mandate holder in Osun State” Adeleke said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal nullified the judgment of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The tribunal had in its verdict of Friday, March 22, 2019, declared the PDP and its candidate, Sen. Adeleke, the winner of the Sept. 22, 2018 polls. However, Justice Jummai Sankey, read the lead judgment of the Court of Appeal on Thursday. Justices Abubakar Yahaya, Isaiah Akeju and Bitrus Sanga agreed with the lead verdict.

A fifth member of the appellate court, Justice Ita Mbaba, disagreed and upheld the election tribunal’s verdict that gave the victory to Adeleke.

https://leadership.ng/2019/05/09/sen-adeleke-reacts-to-appeal-court-judgement/

Speaker of Jigawa State House of Assembly, Mr Isah Idris has been impeached.

The Speaker was impeached on Thursday in an emergency meeting, DAILY POST reports.

The meeting had in attendance 20 out of 30 lawmakers.

The House, after the impeachment unanimously voted Idris Garba Kareka as the newly elected Speaker of the House.

Also impeached, were Majority leader, Sank Isiyaku as well as Chief Whip, Aminu Sule Sankara.


https://dailypost.ng/2019/05/09/breaking-jigawa-assembly-impeaches-speaker-elects-another/

Rochas Okorocha, governor of Imo state, says the evil he feared in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been haunting him since he joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Okorocha had defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), where he contested and won the 2011 governorship election.

The outgoing governor had been declared winner of the 2019 senatorial election in Imo west but the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) withdrew his certificate of return.

The commission based its action on the complaint of Francis Ibeawuch, the returning officer for the election who said he declared Okorocha under duress.

Speaking at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, the governor said he remains a staunch member of the APC despite efforts to “frustrate him out of the party”.

He accused Adams Oshimhole, national chairman of the APC, and some other leaders of working with INEC to ensure he does not get his certificate of return as the “duly elected senator”.

“The evil I feared in the PDP has befallen me ten times in the APC. Last week, I wrote a letter to INEC for the first time myself, informing INEC of their wrongdoings and illegal actions taken by INEC to withhold my certificate on mere allegations of duress which was never founded, neither was there any committee set up to investigate the matter,”Okorocha said.

“So, INEC on their own believe the reports of their returning officer without investigating the authenticity of the investigation. So, there was no issue of fair hearing at all.

“What is important here is that INEC does not have the power to withhold the certificate of return having declared the result. I believe the INEC chairman is up to a game with the chairman of the APC who is being used to frustrate my coming to the senate and this is politically motivated.

“I’ve given enough time that INEC might correct itself and do the needful and issue me my certificate of return but to no avail.”

Okorocha alleged that Festus Okoye, a national commissioner of INEC, is being used as the “hatchet man” against him.

“Many things have happened so far and these should be of concern to everyone. INEC that made the submission to the tribunal have gone back requesting to withdraw it because the submission was defending the declaration by INEC,” he said.

“I wonder what they want to do with the certificate, if they don’t give it to me, who will they give it to? Maybe they will give it to Festus Okoye because he is from my Senatorial zone but what they are doing is presenting INEC as a lying organisation and that is dangerous for our democracy because, as it stands right now, the image of INEC is bastardised.

“What it means is that tomorrow somebody can withhold the certificate of anybody because you don’t like his face because you feel that he wants to politically challenge you in future.”

https://www.thecable.ng/okorocha-the-evil-i-feared-in-pdp-has-befallen-me-10-times-in-apc/amp

Ted Odogwu, Kano

The Kano State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, passed the Bill for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs into law, paving way for the decentralisation of the Kano Emirate council.

Among others, the law will give room for the creation of four more first class emirs in the state, which include Rano, Karaye, Bichi and Gaya Emirate councils.


Earlier, a committee was constituted by the House to decentralize and create four more first class Emirs, following a petition written by some legal practitioners.

According to the petition, the establishment of the Emirates would facilitate more development to the people, as well as provide security in the respective areas.

Reading the joint committees report before the floor of the house on Tuesday, the Majority leader, Alhaji Baffa Danagundi, said the report also recommended the review of the law.


He said, the decision to pass the bill into law, followed wide consultation, with stakeholders, adding that the feedback the committee received from the public, was overwhelming and impressive.

According to Danagundi, the law, if signed by the state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the Emirate council would have their own king makers except Bichi, which would have its King makers from the old Emirate council, Gidan Dabo in particular.

Earlier, Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, promised to sign the popular Bill into law, without hesitation, as soon as it was passed by the House.

He said: “We heard about a Bill forwarded to the State House of Assembly, requesting them to enact a law for the creation of four more Emirs in Kano. We believe those that did this, did it with good intention. And they want the development of the state.”

Furthermore, Ganduje disclosed that the idea had been in the state, among citizens, for a pretty long time. The effort did not scale through those years, “…but now, we are happy to see that the idea would come into fruition,” .

With the creation of more Emirates, Ganduje argued, that all sectors of the society would enjoy improvement. “It will also lead to more concentration on our health, education and other equally important sectors of the society. That is why I said, there will be no waste of time in signing the Bill into Law,” he promised.

https://punchng.com/breaking-kano-assembly-passes-bill-creating-four-new-emirates/

The Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman has asked the Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbe, to inform President Muhammadu Buhari that Katsina people and other Nigerians are not safe due to incessant kidnapping and killings.

He spoke when Ogbeh and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, visited him ahead of the national launching of distribution of cotton seeds/inputs to farmers for the 2019 planting season.

“Hon Minister, tell the president that we have to take very good care of our people, security first. All these programmes, as good as they are, cannot be without security. Security is first and fundamental,” Daily Trust quoted the emir as saying

“Every day I receive reports of kidnapping and killings from district and village heads”.

The monarch alleged that government officials, politicians and wealthy individuals who are enemies within and outside government are behind the incessant killings and kidnapping across the country.

“What are you to gain by killing, kidnapping people? It’s very unfortunate. I have not seen this kind of country; how do we live like animals?

“Three days ago Magajin Gari (of Daura emirate council) was abducted, nobody is safe now, whether in your house or road, wherever you are.

“What we want you to do for us is to stop the fight. Many people have deserted, abandoned their farms in fear of kidnapping and killings and other atrocities, it’s very unfortunate,” he said.

https://dailypost.ng/2019/05/07/people-killed-kidnapped-daily-tell-buhari-nigeria-unsafe-katsina-emir-minister/

Ade Adesomoju, Abuja

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal will hold its inaugural sitting on Wednesday, The PUNCH has confirmed on Tuesday.

As earlier exclusively reported by The PUNCH on Monday that the notice for the preliminary sitting of the tribunal would be issued this week, the PEPT issued the notice on Monday.


Our Correspondent confirmed on Tuesday that the notice was served on all the parties to the petitions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, on Tuesday.

Others that were said to have been served through their lawyers included the All Progressives Congress, President Muhammadu Buhari, the PDP and its presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential elections, Atiku Abubakar.

The newspaper also learnt that the five-man panel that will hear the PDP‎ and Atiku’s petition is to be led by the President of the Court of Appeal.

The tribunal has three other petitions by various political parties and their candidates ‎to hear.

The PUNCH had reported on Monday that the PEPT ‎was, this week, expected to issue the notice for the pre-hearing session on the petition filed by the PDP and Atiku.

The tribunal will, during the pre-hearing session which the Electoral Act provides must be completed within 14 days, fix “clear dates” for the hearing of the petition.

The five-man tribunal has 180 days’ period from the date of filing of the petition on March 18 to hear and deliver its judgment in the case in which the petitioners said they had assembled about 400 witnesses to testify.

https://punchng.com/breaking-tribunal-holds-inaugural-sitting-on-atikus-petition-wednesday/

A letter by a cult group threatening to unleash mayhem on students of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile Ife, is currently generating ripples on Twitter as the unnamed cult group says it plans to attack students of the institution on June 1, 2019.

The letter, signed by one ‘OJU’ said it plans the attack following the arrest and punishment meted out to its members not only by the authorities of the institution but also members of the Mman O’War.

According to the letter seen on the twitter handle @DrOlufunmilayo, the cult group was also angry that a popular musician, Zlatan, came to the institution for a show and did not come to say hello to them at their ‘base.’

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/05/cult-group-reportedly-threatens-to-attack-oau-students-june-1/

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

About 75 political parties on the platform of the Inter-Party Advisory Council on Monday passed a vote of confidence on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, for what they called the satisfactory conduct of the 2019 general elections.

The decision was taken at a national roundtable on the last elections organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy and chairmen of the political parties in Abuja.

The council’s Deputy National Chairman, Jeff Ojirika, read the communique of the roundtable which was attended by a former Vice President of Sierra Leone, Samuel Sam-Sumana.

The chairmen of the political parties who participated in the roundtable also indicted the nation’s security agencies for allegedly colluding with some unscrupulous politicians during the elections

The communique read, “The roundtable, after a comprehensive review of the conduct of the 2019 general elections, passes a vote of confidence on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, for the successful conduct of the election.

“The roundtable notes with satisfaction the transparency in communication and regular engagement of stakeholders at the national, state and local government levels which ensured that everybody was carried along in the process.

“The roundtable indicts the security agencies for the lapses in the election due largely to their collusion with unscrupulous politicians and negligence to do their jobs.”

They commended the National Assembly for responding to the challenging needs for a responsive legal framework for the conduct of the elections but regretted that non-signing of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill was a major setback on the quality of the electoral process.

They, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sign the Bill into law.

The communique added, “The roundtable calls on the National Assembly to immediately re-present to President Muhammadu Buhari the amended electoral and calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to do the needful to ensure that the bill is signed into law.

“The roundtable demands the establishment of electoral offences tribunal to try electoral offenders, which should be structured to take off less than a month after election petition tribunal hearings have concluded.

“Political parties and young people should leverage on the provisions of the Not Too Young to Run Act to increase political participation in subsequent elections.”

https://punchng.com/75-political-parties-pass-vote-of-confidence-on-inec-chairman/

Adelani Adepegba

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered 214 landed properties in Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Oyo states and in different cities across the country between 2015 and 2018.

The real estate was recovered from over 70 individuals and seven firms who were prosecuted for various financial crimes, including money laundering.

A breakdown of the recoveries obtained by SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday, showed that 179 properties were recovered through interim forfeiture court orders.

Thirty-five of the properties have been finally forfeited to the commission while two, including a hotel belonging to Ima Niboro, former spokesman to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, were returned voluntarily.

Other prominent Nigerians who lost their properties through court forfeiture orders include a former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke; ex-National Security Adviser, Dasuki Sambo; former minister, Iyorchia Ayu; the late Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh and a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.)

Others were former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, ex-Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, Col. Bello Fadile (retd.) and a former Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema who had 20 properties under interim forfeiture.

The list also included George Turner whose 17 properties in different parts of Bayelsa State were placed under interim forfeiture; former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu and Garba Birni-kudu who had 14 properties under interim forfeiture.

Similarly, the commission recovered three properties, including a seven-storey building under construction in Gudu district, Abuja, belonging to one Emmanuel Ozigi and two others, while six properties located in different parts of Ibadan, Oyo State, were recovered from one Oni Ademola.

Five choice properties were recovered from Alison-Madueke; they include a multi-storey building on Banana Island, six flats in Ikoyi and 21 mixed housing in Yaba, Lagos; 16 terrace houses in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and 13 terrace duplexes in Mabushi, Abuja.

The anti-graft commission also obtained a final forfeiture order in respect of buildings in Ikorodu, Agege, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; Cranbel Court, Citiview Estate, Arepo, which were recovered from Jamiu Anifowoshe and forfeited to the Lagos State Government.

Real estate consisting of seven buildings located on Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Victoria Garden City, Ikota, Port Harcourt, Lekki and Utako, Abuja, were also recovered from Obasuyi Osasoghie and forfeited to First Bank Plc.

Between January and April, 2019, the EFCC had recovered N3.2bn (final forfeiture) from Amosu who paid N2.2bn; Olugbenga Gbadebo, N190.8m; Solomon Enterprise, N101m and Paul Boroh and 16 others, who coughed up N686.7m cash.

Last year, the agency recovered 141 vehicles; 44 bank accounts; one barge; farmland; four filling stations; two hotels and 47 parcels of land which were considered proceeds of crime.

https://punchng.com/diezani-badeh-fayose-dasuki-yuguda-65-others-forfeit-214-properties-to-fg/

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has much to learn in the playing opposition politics.

Recall that the PDP switched from being the ruling party to becoming the opposition party when it lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 election after leading the country for 16 years.

However, in a post on his Twitter handle, Fani-Kayode urged PDP leaders to understudy their counterparts in Venezuela and Sudan to learn how they play their roles.

The ex-minister wrote, “Go to Venezuela and Sudan and find out how real opposition leaders are meant to behave when faced with mass murder, genocide, ethnic cleansing, sit tight leaders, rigged elections, wholesale tyranny and barbarous and brutal injustice.

“The opposition in Nigeria has much to learn.”

"Reports that I said I am "proud of Buhari" and that I have "dumped PDP" and "joined APC" are false. Those that are peddling such vile mendacities and perfidious falsehood are insane. I commended Buhari for getting the young lady in Saudi Arabia out of prison but it stops there."

https://mobile.twitter.com/realFFK/status/1123696943547518976

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

Ado Ekiti-The All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ekiti State has suspended indefinitely, former governor Segun Oni from the party over alleged anti party activities.


The party, in a letter dated 1st May, 2019 and addressed to Oni, said it took the action over failure of the party chieftain to appear before the ward executive to clear the allegations.

The letter was signed by the chairman and secretary of Ifaki ward II, Shina Akinloye and Ogunyemi Taiwo , respectively and 24 other executive members in the ward.

The APC executive in Ido /Osi local government through its Assistant Financial Secretary and Assistant Organising Secretary, Messrs A. Suleiman and Olanrewaju Olamope, signed respectively.

Apart from being a former governor, Oni also served as the Deputy National Chairman(South) of the party under the tenure of Chief John Oyegun.

The letter titled: ‘Suspension From All Progressives Congress Ward II, Ifaki Ekiti’ reads: ” Subject to Article 21 Subsections I, II and X of the APC constitution 2014 as amended, we undersigned executive members of the APC hereby suspend you indefinitely from our great party, based on your refusal to honour our invitation for investigation and fact finding into the allegation of anti party activities leveled against your person by the members of our party.

“We are by the copy of this letter informing both the local government and state working committee of the party for necessary information and action”

The party , had in a letter dated 24th April,2019 and signed by the ward executive invited Oni to appear before a panel.

The letter reads: “We the executive members of the APC in Ifaki Ward II, hereby request your presence at the Ilero town hall, Ilogbe , Ifaki Ekiti to clear air about the allegations by members of the APC in your ward.

” Kindly indicate by informing the APC chairman the convenient time and date to appear before members within the next seven days of the reception of this letter”.

The letter of invitation was received on Oni’s behalf by one Segun Adetunji on 25th April, 2019.

Recalled that Oni had gone to court after the May 26, 2018 APC governorship primary to challenge Governor Kayode Fayemi’s eligibility to participate in the election.

Oni had said that going by the constitution of the party, Fayemi , being a Minister in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari ought to resign 30 days to the primary.

Fayemi resigned in June, 2018 after the primary had been held.

He later won the July 14 governorship election, by defeating the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Prof Kolapo Olusola.

But the supreme court in its judgement dismissed Oni’s suit for lack of merit, saying Fayemi didn’t breach the law by resigning after the primary.

APC disciplinary c’ttee recommends Okorocha’s sack

Though, Fayemi in his reaction to the court verdict spread olive branch to Oni, with a promise to work with him to move the party forward.

But some party members were said to have insisted Oni needed to be punished for disrespecting the party , by declining the Senatorial ticket and went to court to upturn Fayemi’s victory

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/05/breaking-apc-axes-oni-over-anti-party-activities/

By Kingsley Omonobi
Abuja – Authorities of the Nigerian Army have debunked the claim making the rounds in some media indicating that Boko Haram terrorists are better paid than soldiers of the Nigerian Military hence they are better motivated in their bloody attacks.

Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col Sagir Musa in a statement, described the claim as a lie made by an irresponsible individual who may have links with the group.
He said, “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a publication on Sahara Reporters and other social media platforms, to a false claim credited to one Doctor Sidi Ali Mohammed, a member of the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative.

“In it, he alleged that the criminal terrorist group members earn as much as $3,000 daily, as against the Nigerian soldier who is paid N1,000 only.

“This is not true, pure lie and highly irresponsible comment coming from a supposedly knowledgeable person of his calibre.

“It is also criminal and preposterous to compare the gallant soldiers of our Armed Forces with the rag tag terrorists’ criminal gang.

“Indeed there is no such basis at all between the outlawed criminal terrorist who commits crime against humanity and our highly patriotic, courageous and brave soldiers whose sacrifice cannot be quantified.

“Over time, we have been alerting the world that the menace of Boko Haram terrorism is being aided and abetted by sympathizers’ such as Doctor Sidi Ali Mohammed.

“He must have been associated with the terrorists’ group beyond what he may want the public to know for having the knowledge of how much a terrorist earns per day to commit atrocities against fellow Nigerians and other innocent people including women and children.

“His statement could be part of the deliberate attempt to demoralise the patriotic soldiers serving their fatherland so that the terrorists will take advantage of it.

“It is also a way of swaying the gullible youths to believe the lies of Boko Haram terrorists as being peddled by him.

“Therefore, we are calling on all Nigerians to discountenance the statement credited to Doctor Sidi Ali Mohammed; while we take necessary steps to formally report him to the appropriate authorities to further substantiate these unfounded allegations.

“We would like to assure the public that the Nigerian Army would remain resolute and focused in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in our great nation and no amount of distraction or terrorists’ propaganda will dissuade it.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/05/boko-haram-terrorists-do-not-earn-more-than-the-nigerian-soldier-nigerian-army/

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed Mr Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to immediately intervene in the case of Zainab Aliyu, the student incriminated in drug-related matters and being detained by Saudi Arabian authorities.

Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora matters, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, made this disclosure in a statement made available to DAILY POST by her media aide, Mr. Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Monday.

Dabiri-Erewa said that the President gave the directive two weeks ago when the matter was brought to his attention.

She said, “President Muhammadu Buhari gave the directive immediately the matter was brought to his attention about two weeks ago .

“My office has been working with the AGF as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in that regard.”

The presidential aide assured that progress was being made in Zainab’s case, along with two others in similar circumstances in Saudi Arabia.

Dabiri Erewa said that Zainab, “though detained, has not been put on trial by the Saudi Arabia government. And with the hard evidence that those who implicated her have been arrested, a strong legal case is being made to the Saudi authorities”.

“Mr Habib Aliyu, the father of the alleged drug courier, Zainab Aliyu, had appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Saudi authorities and the international community as well as well-meaning individuals to intervene in her daughter’s case and save the ‘innocent’ lady from being executed wrongly.

“Habibu Aliyu, who is not happy that his daughter is cooling off in a Saudi Prison despite the recent discovery that she was framed up by some drug cartel, explained that the allegations of Zainab entering the country with Tramadol, was absolute falsehood as recent events and arrests have confirmed the girl’s innocence.

“Zainab, a student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, had travelled from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in company with her mother, Mrs. Maryam Aliyu, and sister, Hajara Aliyu. She was later arrested over allegations that a luggage, bearing her name tag, contained the unlawful substance.

“Zainab who was accused of entering Saudi Arabia with an illegal dosage of Tramadol was later discovered to be a victim of a cartel that specialises in keeping hard drugs in travellers’ bags, some of whom are already in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).”

https://dailypost.ng/2019/04/29/buhari-directs-agf-malami-return-zainab-aliyu-awaiting-execution-drug-trafficking-saudi/

Fulani elders under the platform of concerned Fulani leaders forum (CFLF) have called Bello Bodejo, president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a “fraudster,” who lacked the mandate and credibility to speak on behalf of the ethnic group.

The CFLF’s censure comes on the back of a statement by Bodejo, during an interview with Saturday Sun, where he dismissed the possibility of Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

“What I know is that Tinubu cannot be the president of Nigeria. That is the truth. He is very old and maybe older than President Buhari,” he had said.

But Muhammad Musa Bawa, on behalf of the forum, issued a statement, on Sunday, where he questioned the credentials of Bodejo and slammed him for attempting to arrogate to himself the power of Nigerians to determine who leads them.

“We note with dismay a publication in The Sun Newspaper of Saturday April 27, 2019 and attributed to one Alhaji Bello Bodejo, the self- acclaimed President of MiyettiAllah Kautal Hore, an association mischievously conceived to serve some dubious interests. In the publication, Bello Bodejo was quoted as casting aspersions on the person of All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.

“Bello Bodejo’s statement is unfortunate and repulsive in all ramifications. For one, he lacks the mandate and credibility to speak on behalf of the Fulani. He has lost the confidence of our people because of his criminal activities, which are well known to us. We challenge him to come out and tell the whole world how his younger brother was killed during an alleged robbery operation at Saminaka in Lere LGA, using his Hilux vehicle.

“Bello Bodejo is a known fraudster who has made a career out of duping poor members of his Fulani community. As at today, he leads one of the biggest cattle-rustling-gangs in the North central zone, a morally-depraved man who could not keep even a woman as wife in his house. Such a person cannot be taken seriously or be highly regarded as to speak for others.

“Bello Bodejo stands for everything unethical. His questionable antecedents speak volumes about him and his ways. When he realised he cannot actualize his nefarious activities under any decent association, he resorted to desperate moves, contacting prominent politicians, soliciting for patronage and claiming to be a leader of the Fulani under Kautal Hore, a handbag association where he is law unto himself.

“In 2015, he aligned himself with the then-governing PDP. To worm himself into the heart of the party, he headed for Aso Rock Villa where he endorsed former President Goodluck Jonathan in the name of Fulani in Nigeria, a crime the Fulani people are yet to forgive him for. He castigated General Muhammadu Buhari, calling him all kinds of unprintable names.

“In the run-up to the 2019 election, Bello Bodejo also made frantic efforts to align with the PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, holding several meetings with him in his Asokoro residence. When all efforts to dupe Atiku Abubakar failed, he resorted to outright blackmail, again saying many unpalatable things about Atiku.

“He later made frantic efforts to reach out to Asiwaju Tinubu in January, 2019 to sell himself as someone with mass followers. But his satanic plans couldn’t sail through with a highly-intelligent Asiwaju, who can identify a fraudster when he sees one, hence Bello Bodejo’s unprovoked outburst.

“Nigerians should know Bello Bodejo through his past antecedents. He is worthless and must be seen as such. He does not command any decent followership as his criminal records speak volumes about him. He is a fraudster with questionable background who derives pleasure in intimidating people using his clandestine activities.

“It is instructive to note that the Fulani culture abhors shameful and disrespectful conduct, especially in relating to our elders. We call on Bodejo to desist forthwith from using the name of Miyetti Allah to spread his odious gospel of hate. He should tender an unreserved apology to Asiwaju.”


https://www.thecable.ng/youre-a-fraudster-fulani-elders-tackle-miyetti-allah-official-over-tinubu/

Angered with the statement made by the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, the social media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mrs Lauretta Onochie called PDP a ‘useless’ party.

Recall that Buhari travelled to the United Kingdom on a private visit, moment he commissioned some developmental projects built by the governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima on Thursday.

On hearing of Buhari’s trip to the UK, Secondus said that Mr President embarked on a ‘voyage unknown’. He condemned Buhari’s trip, noting that he (Buhari), did not notify the National Assembly or hand over power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Secondus accused Buhari of neglecting his primary responsibility, which is to secure life and properties of the citizens.

His words, “Eight local government areas of Katsina State, which is Buhari’s home state, have been overtaken by bandits. “Insecurity has risen to a level where people question if there is still government in Nigeria”.

Reacting to the above hypothetical statement via her official tweeter handle, Onochie described PDP as a useless party which is always in search of stories to concoct. She reminisced on the viral banality and platitudinous story of the cloned Buhari which she asserted that if someone was cloned directly into an adult, he might need a regular dose of Clonemaquine 1000mg to sustain the cloning. In another development, Presidency on Saturday averred that Buhari could govern the country from anywhere in the world.

Disclosing this yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, said that so long as the President’s absence was for a short period, he did not need to inform the National Assembly as requested by Secondus. Citing a section in the constitution, Garba said, “No that is not necessary. The President can exercise authority from wherever he is as he is currently doing. “This is a relatively short absence. If you check Section 145 (1) and (2) of the Constitution, you will see that the law is only infringed upon when such absence extends to 21 days.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/pdp-is-a-useless-party-lauretta-onochie-spits-fire/

The implementation of the new National Minimum Wage law may suffer setbacks in some states ALEXANDER OKERE writes

Respite came the way of employees especially civil servants in the country when President Muhammadu Buhari signed the new National Minimum Wage Bill into law last Thursday, increasing the least amount to be earned by a worker in the country from N18,000 to N30,000.

Buhari had through his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, said that the new wage policy took immediate effect.



The President’s assent to the bill signaled an end to years of conflict between the government and the organised labour over an upward wage review.

The Nigeria Labour Congress had in 2016 and 2018 pushed for an increase of the minimum wage to N56,000 and N65,500, respectively.

Following months of pressure from labour unions, the President inaugurated a tripartite committee, comprising the government, organised private sector and labour to consider the wage issue and make recommendations for its upward review.

In January 2019, the National Council of State approved the sum of N27,000 as the minimum wage, an amount which was also sent to the National Assembly for inclusion in the new wage bill.

The state governors had, through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, expressed their inability to pay N30,000, saying that paying that amount could lead to bankruptcy due to paucity of funds.

They explained that their decision to offer to pay N22,500 followed “extensive” discussions.

A statement by the Head, Media and Public Affairs of the NGF, Mr Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, had read in part, “Governors have collectively made it abundantly clear that they would have been happy to pay workers the N30,000 but times are hard and because of financial constraints and other limitations, many states cannot afford it, for now. The NGF had offered workers an increment of N22.500 from the current N18,000 after the submission of the report of the tripartite committee set up by the President and headed by a retired Head of Service, Ms Amma Pepple, on October 6, last year.

“The N22,500 was arrived at, after extensive deliberations among all 36 governors, outlining their financial capacities and liquidity, considering the economic situation of the country and the states’ other obligations to the majority of the people of their various domains.”

The NLC and the Trade Union Congress, however, rejected the governors’ proposal totally.

The position taken by the governors was in spite of the allocations received by the states from the Federation Account.

In 2018, the Federal Government, 36 states and the 774 local government councils were reported to have shared a total sum of N8tn from the Federation Account; out of which the state and councils were said to have shared a total sum of N4.5tn.

However, the new minimum wage bill was eventually signed by the President last Thursday. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate in January and March 2019.

The challenge now is the implementation of the new wage law, according to political analysts and stakeholders.

Many are of the view that the passage of the bill is just one part of the challenge before the labour unions as getting many of the governors to pay can prove to be a tougher nut to crack.

Some states are currently battling with backlogs of unpaid salaries.

Already, it appears that the new wage law did not go down well with most of the governors as only a few of them have openly expressed their acceptance. The NGF has yet to react to the new minimum wage law as of Friday, more than a week after it was signed by Buhari.

However, political analysts believe that the real hurdles facing the governors over the implementation of the N30,000 National Minimum Wage law are more of political issues than economic.

They said governors must be ready to reduce their large number of political aides, cut down on the amount spent on servicing political machinery of the state and ignore certain political considerations in order to implement the new wage law.

A professor of Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Jonah Onuoha, said that lawmaking in Nigeria had always been bedevilled by poor implementation.

Onuoha said, “Otherwise, how can you explain the fact even the N18,000 that was approved many years ago has not been implemented and you are approving N30,000? While we commend the President for assenting to the bill to become law, the question is: how do you implement it?

“There must be a way to compel the state governments to implement the law; there must be a way the Federal Government will prevail on the states to implement the law. The institution is so weak that every state governor behaves the way he wants without regard to the law.

“The Federal Government cannot compel the states to employ anybody but when you employ people, pay them according to the law. That is what we are saying, even if it means cutting down on their (governors’) lifestyles.”

In a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said that state governments had failed to set their priorities right.

Mumuni said, “Let me say straight away that at any level in the Nigerian polity, if priorities are ordered right, if we put our focus where it should be, there is no basis for any government not to be able to pay the new minimum wage. Look at what they pay their political hangers-on.

“You cannot say any of those governors do not pay more than N30,000 to political hangers-on. So, I believe that it is a question of cutting our coat according to our cloth, ordering our priorities right and everything will be okay.

He added, “The reason they (governors) will say they cannot pay is because monies are diverted for inanities and frivolities, rather than meeting the needs of the people of Nigeria. I don’t even know what they say they spend on security, especially when, from state to state, there are security challenges.

“You then ask yourself what the security monies they collect are used for. I believe that the issue of security votes is another nomenclature for mismanaging resources and I don’t think it is needed in the current dispensation.”

But a professor of Political Science at the University of Lagos, Derin Ologbenla, warned that defaulting governors would have to brace for industrial actions with the attendant consequences.

Ologbenla also noted that rather than depend on federal allocations to meet up with the remuneration of workers, states must be innovative to increase their internally generated revenue.

The don explained, “The idea behind the N30,000 is that the prices of goods have gone up, the naira has been devalued and the workers are suffering in penury. Therefore, something had to be done.

“The government, labour and owners of businesses met and negotiated the N30,000. Having been signed into law by President Buhari, it is now a law at the federal, state and local government levels.

“Now, any governor that refuses to pay will have himself to blame in the sense that there will be labour unrest in that state and the governor will not be able to achieve his aims and objectives. The N30,000 minimum wage is not even adequate for the workers.

“The prices of things have gone up; the governors who say they cannot pay must find a way of generating ideas, they must attract investors into their states.”

The professor also said that the new minimum wage law had provided an opportunity for the governors to cut down on their spending and channel their security votes to people-oriented purposes.

He supported the call for a review of the revenue sharing formula.

“The security votes of each state can be better applied. How are the security votes utilised? They are not monitored or accounted for; they are spent anyhow.

“I think every governor should use part of their security votes to support labour and pay the minimum wage so as to have peace because without peace, there cannot be development. The Federal Government should also be fair with resource control,” he added. Relatedly, the President, TUC, Mr Bobboi Kaigama, had last Saturday accused governors indebted to their workers of allegedly playing politics with the resources available to them and insisted that the new minimum wage law must be obeyed.

“That a state governor owes salaries is not an excuse not to pay the new minimum wage. They have not paid salaries to their workers because they cannot manage the resources in their possession well.

“They play politics with the resources. Before elections, some of them approached banks and borrowed billions of naira. After elections, they borrowed again to settle part of the outstanding salaries to workers in their states. There will be no relief in any form for any state government; they must all pay the new minimum wage,” Kaigama stated.

The Senator representing Benue North-East, Barnabas Gemade, had also during the passage of the bill disagreed with state governors over their supposed inability to pay the new minimum wage, positing that politics should not be put ahead of payment of salaries.

“Going by the volume of money and enormous amount spent by various state governors to buy votes in the just concluded general elections, no state can claim not to have the financial wherewithal to pay the new minimum wage. If a state, through its governor, has billions to buy votes, the same state should through the governor, pay the new N30, 000 minimum wage to her workers,” Gemade said.

Similarly, Enang on Tuesday noted that state governments were expected to comply with the new wage policy, adding no other considerations should affect it.

While the passage of the new minimum wage bill into law appears to have set the tone for a new lease of life for Nigerian workers, the responses of the state governments including addressing certain political hurdles will be a litmus test for the new law as the month draws to an end.

https://punchng.com/new-minimum-wage-law-and-political-hurdles-before-state-governments/

The Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said that since the return of democracy in 1999, Nigeria has had leaders who became Presidents of the country against their wish.

He explained that former Presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and even the current President Muhammadu Buhari, were never prepared to lead Nigeria.

According Kukah, no country of the world will accept the level of injustice and corruption that takes place in Nigeria.

The cleric said that this was why poverty had remained pervasive in the nation.

Kukah said that most people in the country are wearing garments of poverty, which has eaten deep into the country.

He said this yesterday in Jos, Plateau State during the 1st Joint District Conference and 10th Anniversary Celebration of Rotary International, organised by District 9125 Rotary International with a theme: “A decade of consolidation: The Journey so far.”

Kukah spoke on the topic: “Inspirational Leadership and Humanitarian Service”, where he pointed out that Nigeria needs a president who is well prepared to serve the nation.

According to Kukah, “Since the return of Democracy, Nigeria has not gotten a president who is prepared to serve this nation.

“President Olusegun Obasanjo was picked from the prison and became a president.

“President Umar Musa Yar’Adua was preparing to return to the university for lecturing but he was picked and became president.

“Goodluck Jonathan was a vice president and became president through a doctrine of necessity after the death of Yar’Adua.

“He contested and won and when he wanted to leave, he was asked to re-contest for the second tenure but lost to President Muhammadu Buhari who had vowed never to contest president again after contesting three times and losing.


“Buhari won his second tenure and he was begged against his wish to re-contest for second tenure and he won, so we have no president that has contested election based on his conviction.”

The cleric warned that the time will come when voluntary organisations will withdraw from building hospitals, schools and other social amenities and allow government to face the anger of the people.

https://dailypost.ng/2019/04/27/obasanjo-yaradua-jonathan-buhari-became-presidents-wish-bishop-kukah/

By Henry Umoru ABUJA- FORMER Governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye, All Progressives Congress, APC, Plateau Central who is presently serving a ten-year jail term in the prison is co-sponsoring a motion in the Senate. Presenting a motion entitled, ” Senseless killing of a Briton and the abduction of three others in a Holiday Resort in Kaduna State by Armed Bandits” by Senator Shehu Sani, PRP, Kaduna Central Thursday, Dariye’s name was listed as one of the co-sponsors. Shehu Sani and one hundred and eight Senators co-sponsored the motion which is at the moment being debated on by the Senators.

Senator Dariye who was sentenced by the court for 14 years and still in the prison appeared as number 89 as a co-sponsor. It would be recalled that during his arraignment at the FCT High Court Gudu, in Abuja on Tuesday, 12th, June 2018, the Court sentenced him to 14-years imprisonment for fraud and misappropriation of funds.

But the Court of Appeal in Abuja later reduced the jail term of Dariye to 10 years, just as the appeal court had said that while the conviction was right, the former governor should have been jailed for 10 years. The court reduced the sentence of 14 years to 10 years for criminal breach of trust while a similar conviction for diversion of N1. 62 billion ecological funds were reduced from two years to one year. The sentences are to run concurrently, as the previous judgment in June, meaning Mr. Dariye has now been effectively jailed 10 years.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/breaking-senator-dariye-co-sponsors-a-motion-from-prison/

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

ADO-EKITI—THE Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG, in Ekiti State, yesterday, expressed confidence that the Yoruba nation would produce the country’s next president in 2023.

Speaking with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, State Coordinator of ARG, Mr. Bunmi Awotiku noted that the body would play significant role in rallying the Yoruba nation for the realisation of the 2023 agenda.

He said: “The South West has been supportive of the policies and programmes of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and we shall continue to do so. We want him to succeed and he shall succeed by God’s grace.

“We would come to the round table and I can assure you that Yoruba would forge a common front this time around. We have learned our lessons as a people and we won’t allow internal fight or acrimony to deprive us this great opportunity like the presidency.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/yoruball-produce-next-president-in-2023-afenifere/

Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has assured that by early June this year, the rail transport system would ready for use between Lagos and Ibadan. The Lagos-Abeokuta rail had been completed earlier in the year as passengers were offered a three-month free ride. The period of free ride was however later shortened.

Amaechi who spoke to some journalists over the weekend noted that his commitment to the full take off of rail transportation in Nigeria is aimed at making life easier and better for Nigerians. He undertakes rail inspection trips at least twice in a month. The Ghanaian government recently sent a team led by its Minister of Rail Development, Hon. Joe Ghartey, to come and understudy the progress being made in Nigeria’s rail projects.

The Lagos-Ibadan rail project is being executed at the cost of $1.6 billion, which is being funded from the loan from the Chinese government. He explained that the hitherto abandoned Itakpe-Wari rail line has been completed and has commenced operation. It shall, for a start, be carrying 100 passengers per trip, until more coaches are purchased. The Itakpe-Warri rail line was abandoned for 34 years.

READ ALSO: Human element affects port efficiency – Amaechi
“It is one rail project that we did not borrow a dime to complete. President Muhammadu Buhari was and still enthusiastic in driving the rail project in Nigeria as a way of improving the nation’s economy. The Itakpe –Warri rail line was revived and completed with $200m. Presently, the Railway Village which was burnt is being rehabilitated, just as the Railway yard (which will comprise school, hospital and maintenance units) is being built in Agbor, Delta State,” he said.

Amaechi further noted that the cost of land and other properties on the rail corridor have all gone up as many people are already scrambling to buy lands and properties along such places in anticipation of the economies that will be built within those areas.

https://thenationonlineng.net/lagos-ibadan-railll-ready-in-june-amaechi/

There are strong indications that the Osun Government may sack no fewer than 769 workers in the state’s civil service who were discovered to be working with fake and forged school certificates.
Mr Adelani Baderinwa, who is supervising the Information and Strategy Ministry, said in a statement that the discovery was made after five years of screening carried out by a consultancy firm employed by the state government.

“A consultancy firm, The Captain Consultants, engaged five years ago by the state government to verify the results and other necessary documents of the workers in the state has completed its assignment and submitted its report.

“The screening of the workers’ credentials came on the heels of controversies and reported forgery of results with which some of the workers allegedly used to secure job in the Osun civil service.

“At the commencement of the screening exercise in 2015, all the civil servants in the state were asked to submit their credentials in their personal files from which the Captain Consultants firm got access to their results and begun the verification exercise.

“Each and every result submitted by each of the workers was verified in their various secondary schools, post secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

“Some of the workers who were suspected to have forged/fake results were summoned by the firm and asked to present original results or go to their various schools for either attestation or re-confirmation.

“The firm, on its own, approached the schools for ‘confirmation of results’ of the affected workers for which they were obliged.

“The verification process uncovered serious certificate infraction on the part of some of the workers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government.

The Osun Government says it has concluded plans to provide free train ride for its…
“In some cases, as discovered in the verification process, some of the affected workers used another person’s result, while some forged their secondary and post secondary schools results to secure job in the civil service.

“In the case of some people employed as drivers in the service, it was discovered that they forged the O’Level results they submitted for their appointment.

“However, the firm in its report recommended that some of the civil servants caught in the certificate infraction be pardoned, while some should not be pardoned.

“Recommended for pardon are 102 drivers and 30 other workers who are to be pardoned on compassionate ground. A total of 586 workers are not pardoned, while the case of some 51 workers are still pending.

“While the exercise was on, some of the workers who were cleared and pardoned were receiving their salary while those that are yet to be pardoned have their salary suspended.

“A complete list of all the workers involved in the certificate infraction has been pasted at the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Civil Service Commission and Local Government Service Commission.

“Affected workers should check their names in the aforementioned places,” he said

https://www.independent.ng/breaking-osun-to-sack-769-civil-servants/amp/

Ade Adesomoju, Abuja

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Okon Efut, who led the former Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen’s defence team at Thursday’s judgment proceedings of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, has indicated that the conviction of the former CJN would be appealed at the Court of Appeal.

Speaking with journalists on the premises of the CCT after judgment was passed on his client on Thursday, Efut said, “We know that all is not over in this matter. The wheel of justice grinds slowly. It grinds slowly but surely. But this is not a matter that will end here.

“We shall avail ourselves of all the processes and the hierarchy of the judiciary.”

He described the judgment as unconstitutional, adding that it was in breach of the ex-CJN’s right to fair hearing.

He also said the judgment was premeditated, saying it had been passed as far back as January 23 when the tribunal ordered Onnoghen’s suspension without hearing him.

He said, “The conviction is unconstitutional. It is a breach of fair hearing.

“Before this day, on January 23, 2019, the same judgment had been passed, removing the Chief Justice of Nigeria without fair hearing.

“So, it was fait accompli, it was premeditated. Judgment has been passed before today. Today’s judgment is just a formality.

“We hold the view that the tribunal has not only breached the Constitution of Nigeria, it has breached the fundamental principles of natural justice, equity and good conscience.

“It has not only been able to pass judgment, it has convicted on an offence that was never charged.

“This is an erosion of the fundamental principles of our Constitution and until some questions are answered, for instance, why is it that the due course of justice was not allowed to flow?”

The CCT, led by Danladi Umar, had earlier convicted Onnoghen on charges of breach of code of conduct for public officers by failing to declare five bank accounts containing huge sums of money as part of his assets.

The tribunal ordered as punishment, the removal of Onnoghen as the CJN, chairman of both the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission.

It also banned him from holding public office for the next 10 years, and ordered the forfeiture of the funds in all the five bank accounts he was said to have failed to declare.

https://punchng.com/judgment-is-unconstitutional-premeditated-says-onnoghens-lawyer/

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday assented to the New National Minimum Wage bill, increasing the country’s minimum wage from M18,000 to N30,000.

Presidential adviser on National Assembly (Senate), Sen Ita Enang told State House Correspondents that the implementation start immediately.
He said the new law affects all workers in the country.


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/update-implementation-of-n30000-minimum-wage-starts-immediately-buhari.html