₦airaland Forum

The headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) in Abuja is on fire.

The Nation reports the fire started a few minutes to noon.

The inferno is still raging at as the time of filing this report.

A trailer filled with over 50 persons has been turned back by Niger’s Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ahmed Matane.

The truck had been stopped by security personnel at Gidan Kwano area when they saw people on top of the truck unable to explain their journey.

The driver had explained they were coming from Lagos and heading to Kano, pleading they should be allowed to pass through as they pledged not to stop in the state.

But the security had to call the Chairman of the state Task Force on COVID-19 to seek permission to allow them to pass through the state.

Matane, who is the Chairman of the state Taskforce on COVID-19 when he arrived at the scene, immediately told the security personnel to escort the trailer back to where it came from.

He stressed that there was no waiver for any truck not carrying food items, fuel or other essential products to enter the state, emphasising the total lockdown of Niger.

An eyewitness told The Nation that the truck had been covered with tampoli, adding that while some of the boys were on top of the truck, others were under the covering.

The SSG had emphasised the state was determined not to allow anyone to cross the border while expressing his doubly over the health of the passengers in the truck.

The 24- hour restriction order in Niger state entered its third day on Wednesday.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Friday, met with the members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

Buhari said this in a tweet on Friday.

He said the meeting held at the State House with members of the task force was on national response to COVID-19.

The SGF had earlier said the task force would meet with Buhari to review the lockdown order in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, The PUNCH reports.

The President, who had, on March 29, ordered the lockdown for an initial period of 14 days, did not provide any indication on whether or not the lockdown would be extended.

Those at the meeting included Mustapha, who is also the Chairman of the PTF; the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire; the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu; and the National Coordinator in the fight against COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu.

Buhari said, “The Presidential Task Force on Control of COVID-19 briefed me today. I remain very grateful for the hard work that they are putting into this national assignment. I have no doubt that with all these efforts, Nigeria will triumph over this pandemic.”

The Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, has tested negative for coronavirus (COVID-19).

He confirmed his health status in tweets posted via his verified Twitter handle on Thursday.

Governor Mohammed announced his recovery from the disease about two weeks after he tested positive for COVID-19.

He thanked the people of the state, as well as religious leaders in Bauchi and elsewhere for their support and prayers while he was in isolation.

The governor also thanked the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the team of health experts in Bauchi tackling coronavirus.

On March 23, the state government said the governor had gone into self-isolation after he had contact with the son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who had tested positive for COVID-19.

According to his media aide, Mukhtar Gidado, Governor Mohammed met with Atiku’s son – on his way to Bauchi from Lagos – on the plane where both men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

Although he did not show any symptoms of the disease as of the time, the governor’s blood samples were taken and sent to the NCDC for a test.

The result of the test was positive while that of others who took the test with him, including his family and aides, came out negative.

A magistrate’s court in Yaba, Lagos state, has sentenced 34 persons to 14 days quarantine and one month community service for violating the state’s directives.

They were arrested on Wednesday for participating in fitness exercise along the Gbagada-Oworonsoki expressway.

The federal government had on March 30 imposed a 14-day lockdown on Lagos, Ogun and the federal capital territory as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

Lagos government had also ordered that every gathering in the state should not exceed 20 persons in a bid to ensure social distancing measures.

But the residents flouted the directive to engage in exercise.

On Wednesday, the court convicted the defendants after they pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of working out in a group larger than 20 persons.

It ruled that the violators will be quarantined for a period of 14 days at the Infectious Diseases Hospital Yaba or any other place assigned by the government.

Meanwhile, three of the defendants pleaded not guilty.

Nigeria has confirmed 254 coronavirus cases, out of which Lagos has the highest number 130, which is over 50% of the figure.

The country has discharged 44 patients while five deaths have been recorded.

Celebrated Nollywood Actress, Funke Akindele and her husband, AbdulRasheed Bello popularly known as JJSkillz, have pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of hosting a gathering of 20 persons and over, contrary to the social distancing directives of the Lagos State Government.

The actress and her husband were arraigned on Monday at the Samuel Ilori Courthouse of the Magistrate Court in Ogba, Lagos.

The charge against them is made pursuant to the Regulation 8(1a &b) and S 17(1) of the State’s Infectious Disease Regulation 2020.

According to the regulation, anyone found guilty is liable to one-month imprisonment or N100,000.

At the time of filing this report, the Attorney-General of Lagos, Moyo Onigbanjo SAN was leading the Prosecution for the State.

However, journalists were not allowed into the courtroom ‘because the police authorities cited the need to maintain social distancing.

The federal government says it is tracing no fewer than 4,370 people that have contacts with index cases of the novel Coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19).

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known on Thursday in Abuja, while giving an update on the measures being taken by the government to tackle the pandemic.

“We have 4,370 people of interest whom we are tracing, and we urge those who have had contact with suspected cases to immediately report to the authorities.

“We urge Nigerians to support the authorities in this regard, because we are on the verge of reaching the level of community spread.

“We must stop this immediately or we will record exponential cases in the days ahead,” he said.

The minister noted that being positive to Coronavirus is not a death sentence, and there is no justification for people not to surrender themselves for test.

He said some Nigerians, who flew into the country from overseas, filled wrong addresses and phone numbers in their forms, making it difficult to trace them when the need arose.

“We are not getting the kind of cooperation that this moment deserves from Nigerians.

“Many are busy engaging in meaningless criticisms instead of complying with the stipulated directives to keep people safe.

“Some Nigerians defied orders to stay away from large gatherings, while some religious leaders wilfully flouted the directives to ensure social distancing.

“The government is doing its best, but we need the citizens to do their best too,” he said.

The minister said it has got to the stage when government would have to use “strong enforcement” for people to comply with directives aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.

(NAN)

AS the number of confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Nigeria rose to 35 with one death recorded early Monday morning, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, has made known its displeasure over the poorly equipped COVID-19 Centers created by the state government to handle emergencies in the state.

This was contained in a statement signed by union’s Secretary, Sola Oladapo and made available to newsmen on Monday in Ibadan.

The union also tasked the government to enforce full implementation of stay-at-home order in schools as students were still seen going to schools on Monday.

The union further told Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to ensure that public motor parks are quarantined while park managers must ensure that sanitisers are administered to those boarding their vehicles.

The NUJ Chairman, Comrade Demola Babalola had on Sunday, set-up 11-man Committee, headed by Mrs Oyebukola Oriowo to ensure accurate reporting of COVID-19 preparedness and to, through reporting, draw the attention of the Taskforce to areas inadvertently neglected.

While acknowledging the activation of COVID-19 centres, an on-the-spot visitation by some members of the team showed the unpleasant state of preparedness, adding that some journalists who visited the government designated centre for infectious disease control which would double as Emergency Operation Centre in Olodo area of the city, reported that there was no indication of adequate preparedness on the part of the government.

Similarly, a team who visited the Olodo centre was disturbed that the announced centre was still a ghostland with bushes and access blocked.

“We learnt a team led by Dr Bashir Bello, the state Commissioner for Health, visited the facility but didn’t have access as they had no keys. Another member of our team contacted UCH and found out that they were yet to get any funding assistance from the state government for this pandemic.”

“All they have on ground now at UCH is a 4-bedded isolation centre with an empty chlorine tank, non-functional monitoring device, no water etc, yet the governor said he has directed funds to be made available but evidence on the ground suggests otherwise. The governor must be on top of this as people are fearful when they know everyone is susceptible. “At 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Odogbo in Ibadan is another isolation centre.”

No test kit except Lagos. Medical consumables are inadequate. staff strength, not a cheerful issue.”

“The union, however, wondered if the state government was really ready for the task of fighting COVID-19 global pandemic going by its slow response and poor sensitisation of the public and enforcement of its order.

“Oyo is one of the biggest states in the country with many porous entries and exits according to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). At this time of COVID-19 global pandemic, are we really monitoring these entries? ” Have we extended some of these facilities and designated centres to the various zones of the state to facilitate an immediate response to suspected cases? The state government must be proactive to save lives. We gathered that the Oluyole woman suspected to be infected with the virus had on Sunday driven herself to a private hospital after three days of “no” personal contact from government team.”

“The Oluyole woman whom the governor spoke about three days ago as a suspected case, has not been visited until this afternoon (Sunday) by any government official. The woman had risen to the occasion and drove herself to a private hospital in Ibadan,” it said.

“On Monday, students of some private schools still attended school in defiance to the government order. The government needs to be firm in enforcing the order. We also feel for the safety of all, Oyo State should declare two days break for workers to stay at home. This is not the time to be complacent. States in Western Nigeria are doing this and the pacesetter state cannot lag behind in protecting over 6million people. We also feel the government should come out about worship in religious centres and enforce compliance. The purpose of staying at home is defeated if we order people to stay at home but they converge as the multitude in religious centres. Only the living will worship God.”

“We also have information that some expatriates sneaked-in into some private companies in Ibadan such as SUMMARY. The company also has a huge number of casual workers. How are they ensuring adherence to safeguarding measures? Government should be proactive and partner with media organisations to sensitise the public. The government should advise postponement of family functions that will bring more than fifty people together.”

“Government actors should not be seen involved in activities such as social events, or functions which can threaten collective resolve to fight the pandemic.”

“Health personnel must be adequately protected and insured to be able to give in their best. We need to walk the talk. A stitch in time saves nine.” NUJ stressed.

Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana waded into the local government crisis in Oyo State, on Monday, urging Governor Seyi Makinde to either allow the sacked elected Chairmen to serve out their tenure or pay them off if they won’t be allowed to complete their tenure.

Falana who held that caretaker chairmen were unknown to the nation’s constitution, charged Makinde to rather speed up the process of conducting a local government election in the state.

These were some of Falana’s remarks during the maiden edition of Emeritus Professor Muyiwa Awe Annual Memorial Lecture, held at the University of Ibadan, on Monday.

Responding to journalists on way out of the local government crisis in Oyo State, Falana said: “The governor will have to speed up election of Local Government officials because the caretaker committees are unknown to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

“Once the Local Government chairmen have been elected, they have to serve their tenure and if at all you are not allowing them to finish their tenure, you will have to pay them. This is the position of the law.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General of Oyo State, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, on Monday, said the return to office of the sacked Chairmen of local government and local council development areas in the state will be guaranteed by a court order to that effect.

This is as Oyelowo, who spoke on a Channels Television programme, noted that there was no particular court case instituted against the appointment of caretaker chairmen by the Governor Seyi Makinde led government.

Describing the local government crisis in the state as a combination of politics and legality, Oyewo, however, said it looked forward to the court rulings on its injunction filed against the Attorney General of the Federation and five others and its appeal against a court judgment obtained by the sacked Chairmen against Oyo State governor.

He said the state government will abide by a court judgment that declares its appointment of caretaker Chairmen as null and void and calls for a return to the status quo.

Oyewo, however, said the state government was keen to conduct local government elections as soon as the ongoing court cases are dispensed with.

“The bottom line is that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde is a rule of law administration. If a judgment comes out of the court directing that our action is null and void, go back to the status quo, that will be done.

“Even with the action to appoint caretaker chairmen taken by the government, there is no instituted action against the action of the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, till I speak.

“What everybody wants is for the state to be able to resolve this matter, both in terms of the legality and political process. Within a short time from now, we hope to be able to conduct elections and have the administration of local governments properly running as it is required,” Oyewo said.

Speaking further, Oyewo said the Supreme court judgment being alluded to by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, in a letter to the state government, was not precisely to be enforced upon Oyo State.

Mentioning that there were some other states running local government using caretaker committees, he accused Malami of being partisan by writing the Inspector General of Police to enforce the judgment in Oyo State.

He described Malami’s involvement as subjudice, noting that the state government was in court to challenge the judgment obtained by the sacked Chairmen against the Oyo State governor.

“The Attorney General may have his reasons to have written that letter addressed to the Oyo state Attorney General but they are not based on the constitution and not based on law. They are so partisan.

“You don’t write a letter to the Chairman of a party in a state directing the governor. We run a federal government and this has been settled by the Supreme Court and sorted during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo when there was a dispute of creation of local government and the government withheld.

“The Supreme Court said if you have such issues, you go to court and that is what we have done. We have gone to court.

“The state government went to court because, with respect to the local government, we believe that the AGF was not properly briefed.

“If he were aware that the matter was subjudice, then he will not take such wanton, liberal use of his powers. His powers are guided by law, the constitution of the land, and as interpreted by the courts,” Oyewo said.

Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti state, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) may cease to exist at the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.

Fayemi said this in reaction to the reports on the move by some party members to remove Adams Oshiomhole as chairman of the APC.

Speaking in an interview with Daily Trust, Fayemi likened rumours of a rift between some governors and Oshiomhole to making a mountain out of a molehill.

In November, the APC faction loyal to Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo state, suspended Oshiomhole after a no-confidence vote was passed on him.

But Fayemi said the governors were instrumental to the emergence of Oshiomhole, adding that they only want to be respected as party leaders and have their views taken into consideration.

“The governors were instrumental to the emergence of Adams Oshiomhole as the chairman of the party. He was their colleague, so they worked together. I don’t think there’s a view about the leadership of the party in the PGF. I think there’s a clear view that the party can do a lot more than it has done,” Fayemi said.

“If we are not careful; if we do not institutionalise processes and procedures in the party and make it more inclusive than it is, we will not have a party when President Muhammadu Buhari leaves government. This is because he is the unifying force of our party.

“The governors want the party structures to function effectively and more regularly. Adams will also say that some of us have been at the forefront of pushing for even policy convention on an annual basis.

“Adams is a veteran, passionate and an ideological politician. I have worked with him closely. So I don’t see a divergence in these views. But governors also want to be respected as leaders of the party. They don’t want their views to be given a short shrift.”

Asked to evaluate the performance of the country’s political leaders, Fayemi said they have neither failed or “given us all we would have loved to see in this democraticisation process.

“And I underline that word ‘process’ because democracy is not an event, it is a process. And when you have a process you want the journey to be linear and progressive. But in any journey, there are bumps, values and undulating lines.”

On electoral violence and ways to curb it, the governor said public office should be made less attractive than it is.

“I think that in totality, we are progressing, but not at the pace we ought to. You can see that the system is not in denial about it,” he said.

“We take two steps forward and 10 steps backwards. I think we owe ourselves a duty to see the urgency of these things. We are losing the youth of this country to frustration, despondency and despair.”

Commenting on security and the launch of “Amotekun” in the south-west region, Fayemi said the outfit was needed to complement the efforts of the “overstretched” police.

He said Nigeria has about 400,000 policemen for its almost 200 million population, and “it is not unlikely that we have up to 150,000 protecting VIPs”.

“So, what are we talking about? Even if the police put in their best efforts, we will still have challenges. That is the point we are making. And that is what recommends this community policing strategy.

Asked if the governors would not misuse the outfit for political gains during elections, Fayemi asked: “Does the Federal Government not misuse the police?

“I know what happened to me in 2014 during the election. I was a sitting governor. I had immunity, but I was assaulted. Go into the history book and check it; that was federal police.

“Any police can be mishandled. What we should be talking about is how to make sure that security institutions are more accountable within the framework of democratic control.”

Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced his plan to attend the burial of his parents slated for February 14, 2020.

Kanu who spoke through IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful said the burial would follow the normal burial preparation, according to the custom of the land.

He however refused to disclose the security arrangements put in place for the burial in view of its sensitivity.

He said, “The burial of our leader’s parents burial will be 14th of February 2020.

“We are not going to disclose our security arrangements because they are much enemies who wish to destroy or destabilize every effort made for the successful burial of the father and mother of our leader

“IPOB is on ground and nothing will change our resolve to protect the environment.”

Kanu stressed the resolve of the group to maintain peaceful approach to their struggle for the actualization of Biafra republic.

“We are peaceful and will maintain it to last point. But nobody should try IPOB,” he insisted.

The IPOB leader lost his father Eze Israel Kanu, four months after his mother, Ugoeze Sally Kanu, also died.

Eze Kanu was the traditional ruler of Afara Ukwu Umuahia community till his death.

The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the March governorship election in Ogun State, Abiodun Akinlade has announced his return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akinlade’s return to the APC comes barely days after the Supreme Court dismissed his case, which he filed against Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governor of Ogun State.

The court said on Wednesday that the applicant, Akinlade failed to prove his allegation against the governor.

Mr Akinlade had approached the Apex Court to challenge the decision of the court of appeal which had dismissed his petition against Abiodun’s election as Ogun governor.

Akinlade said on Monday that he is returning to the APC alongside his followers.

The U.S. government has added Nigeria to a “Special Watch List (SWL)” of countries that have engaged in or tolerated “severe violations of religious freedom.”

This is coming at a time many Nigerians and the international community have criticised the Nigerian government for its serial violations of court orders and the shrinking civic and media space in the country.

The inclusion of Nigeria in the religion violations list was announced by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

“On December 18, 2019, the Department of State re-designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom.”

“The Department renewed the placement of Comoros, Russia, and Uzbekistan on a Special Watch List (SWL) for governments that have engaged in or tolerated “severe violations of religious freedom,” and added Cuba, Nicaragua, Nigeria, and Sudan to this list,” Mr Pompeo said.

According to Mr Pompeo, the U.S. also designated al-Nusra Front, al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qa’ida, al-Shabab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern.

USCIRF report

The 2018 report of the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which recommended Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), noted that religious freedom trended negatively in 2018.

“Religious freedom conditions in Nigeria trended negatively in 2018. The Nigerian government at the national and state levels continued to tolerate violence and discrimination on the basis of religion or belief, and suppressed the freedom to manifest religion or belief.”

The report added that “religious sectarian violence increased during the year, with Muslims and Christians attacked based on their religious and ethnic identity”

Another case cited is the violation of rights of Shi’a members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).

“The Nigerian military and government continued to violate the religious freedom and human rights of the Shi’a members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN). IMN leader Sheikh Ibrahim Al Zak Zaky remained in detention”.

“However, in 12 Muslim-majority northern Nigerian states, federalism has allowed the adoption of Islamic Shari’ah law in the criminal codes. The Nigerian constitution also establishes the roles of customary law and Shari’ah courts for Islamic personal law, family”.

PREMIUM TIMES has reported on how the Nigerian government has continued to clamp down on Shiites with maximum force since 2015. Over 300 members of the Shiite IMN were killed in December 2015 for blocking a public road.

The leader of the IMN, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenah, have been detained since then for their alleged roles in the death of a soldier during the massacre. Nobody has been prosecuted for the mass murder of the Shiites by Nigerian soldiers.

Dozens of Shiites demanding the release of Mr El-Zakzaky and his wife have been killed since the 2015 incident.

The Nigerian government and the Kaduna State government have in the past accused the Shiites of disobeying constituted authority and not recognising the government.

The government also denied that it was tolerating or engaging in violations of religious freedom, saying crimes such as those occurring in the Middle-belt states of Benue and Plateau were more economic, between herders and farmers, than religious.

The government also said it was doing everything possible to tackle such crimes across the country.

Perhaps based on the clarifications by the government, the U.S. did not designate Nigeria a CPC but rather included the country in the lower level SWL.

Reactions

International human rights lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe, in reaction to the development, highlighted the shortcomings of the USCIRF report saying it lacked accuracy and was not robust enough.

“We are happy to note that despite these shortcomings, the US government saw enough to escalate Nigeria’s designation to the penultimate Warning Watchlist. Nigeria is the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian and it is high time this is recognized,” he said.

“With the atrocities committed by the Major Gen. Buhari in the 2019 reporting period including the elimination of Christians from top government positions and replacement with Muslims, such as Chief Justice Onnoghen amongst others, it is very likely that Nigeria will join the list of the global worst persecutors by next year,” Mr Ogebe said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

The rights activist, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be fair in his treatment of all Nigerians, something the presidency has always said Mr Buhari does.

In addition, U.S. Congressman Chris Smith welcomed the addition of Nigeria to the SWL.

Mr Smith, who had visited Nigeria to consult with stakeholders on religious freedom, promised that “We will pay particular attention to Nigeria and the deteriorating situation under the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in the year ahead.”

He added, “President Buhari must address the murderous attacks conducted by Fulani extremists on Christians in the Middle Belt and the oppression of Shia Muslims in Kaduna State.”

Congressman Smith stayed further, “I also call upon the State Department to monitor the actions of Miyetti Allah with regard to its complicity in attacks by Fulani extremists.”