₦airaland Forum

Viewbest01:
didn't apply to row 3 of the example

It actually did

3 + 3 = 6
3 x 2 = 6

[center]By
THE ELECTORAL FORUM
(Twelfth Technical Session Public Statement)
[/center]
The Twelfth Technical Session of The Electoral Forum was held on Thursday, 29, August, 2024 via the Zoom platform. The meeting focused on pressing issues in electoral governance, particularly in light of the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states. Discussions centered on electoral adjudications: the implications of the Supreme Court verdicts regarding the governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa, particularly in light of Athena - Osita Chidoka’s analysis of these governorship election results. The conversation also explored the impact of recent Supreme Court judgments on State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and Local Government elections, alongside the significance of the recent changes in the Supreme Court’s leadership. The discussions also touched on the effect of Current State of the Nation on Elections such as issues of vote trading, apathy etc. and democracy.

The Chair of the Forum, Professor Adebayo Olukoshi, in his opening remarks, outlined the objectives of the meeting as:

Analyse recent Supreme Court verdicts and their impact on electoral outcomes.
Explore the effects of Supreme Court judgments on State Independent Electoral Commissions and local government elections.
Evaluate the influence of political party internal dynamics on electoral integrity.
Recommend reforms for election petitions, SIEC independence, party accountability, and civil society engagement.

 During the meeting Forum members analysed the recent Supreme Court rulings on the governorship elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa States. The Forum provided a detailed examination of these verdicts, highlighting the judiciary’s entrenched role in determining election outcomes. The Forum noted that the legal threshold for proving substantial non-compliance in election petitions remains a significant challenge for petitioners, making it difficult to overturn questionable election results. Additionally, there was growing concern about the increasing involvement of judiciary in electoral outcomes. It was noted that the supreme court will keep being embedded in elections as long as politicians refuse to play by electoral rules, and evolve a sound political culture. The political class continue to pose a problem to electoral democracy. Also, judges should uphold their code of conduct of professionalism stop the lobbying for positions in election tribunals thereby be beholden to godfathers who helped them get these positions rather focus on electoral justice and fairness.

 The recent Supreme Court judgment on direct funding to Local Government Areas (LGAs) was a central topic of discussion. This landmark ruling marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s fiscal federalism, with far-reaching implications for state/local government relations and the conduct of local elections. The Forum noted that while this judgment aims to strengthen local governance, it also presents new challenges. Some state governments may face substantial reductions in their allocations, potentially up to 77% in some cases. This shift in resource allocation necessitates a reimagining of state-local government relationships and calls for innovative approaches to governance at both levels.

Deliberations also focused on the potential role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in local government elections. The Forum highlighted the need for INEC to provide guidance and support to SIECs to improve the quality of local elections.Judicial reform emerged as a critical area of concern. The Forum welcomes the new leadership in the Supreme Court and calls for merit-based appointments, enhanced judicial independence, and the development of clear guidelines for adjudicating electoral disputes. The current electoral system was critically examined, with suggestions for reforms including a possible shift to a mixed electoral system and broadening the scope of acceptable voter identification methods.

The Forum noted with concern the persistent challenges in the electoral process, including violations of electoral guidelines and issues with result collation and announcement. We call for enhanced oversight and strict enforcement of electoral rules. The role of civil society in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy was emphasized, with encouragement for increased civic education and more robust oversight of electoral processes at all levels.

A key theme that emerged was the inseparable connection between democracy and development. The Forum stresses that for democracy to be meaningful, it must deliver tangible developmental outcomes for Nigerian citizens. The Forum also explored the internal dynamics of political parties and their impact on electoral outcomes. Discussions centered on the role of political parties in either upholding or undermining democratic processes. The Forum called for stronger regulatory oversight by INEC and the reinforcement of internal democracy within political parties to prevent the manipulation of electoral outcomes.

After thorough discussions and contributions from Forum members regarding the raised issues, the Forum proposed significant recommendations aimed at addressing burning issues of electoral governance in Nigeria. These recommendations focus on strengthening State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to ensure they effectively contribute to credible elections, among other objectives. These recommendations include:

Implement transparent mechanisms for direct funding to Local Government Areas (LGAs) to enhance local governance and development.
Strengthen the independence and capacity of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) through legislative reforms and standardized operational guidelines.
Establish a formal framework for collaboration between INEC and SIECs to improve the quality of local elections.
Reform the judicial system with emphasis on merit-based appointments and clear timelines for resolving electoral disputes.
Explore the adoption of a mixed electoral system to enhance representativeness and inclusive politics.
Invest in innovative technology for voter registration, voting, and result transmission to enhance transparency and reduce electoral fraud.
Implement strict campaign finance regulations and anti-vote buying measures to curb electoral malpractices.
Enforce internal party democracy and transparent candidate selection processes within political parties.
Introduce measures to increase the participation and representation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the electoral process.
Integrate comprehensive civic education into school curricula and launch nationwide campaigns to foster a stronger democratic culture.

Signed

Professor Adebayo Olukoshi, Chairman of The Electoral Forum

https://thenewsgiant.com/burning-issues-of-electoral-governance-in-nigeria/

Russia’s Army Records Over 70,000 Soldiers Dead

Over 70,000 people fighting in Russia’s military have now died in Ukraine, according to data analysed by the BBC.

And for the first time, volunteers – civilians who joined the armed forces after the start of the war – now make up the highest number of people killed on the battlefield since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Every day, the names of those killed in Ukraine, their obituaries and photographs from their funerals are published across Russia in the media and on social networks.

BBC Russian and the independent website Mediazona have collated these names, along with names from other open sources, including official reports.

We checked that the information had been shared by authorities or relatives of the deceased – and that they had been identified as dying in the war.

New graves in cemeteries have also helped provide the names of soldiers killed in Ukraine – these are usually marked by flags and wreaths sent by the defence ministry.

We have identified the names of 70,112 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine, but the actual number is believed to be considerably higher. Some families do not share details of their relatives’ deaths publicly – and our analysis does not include names we were unable to check, or the deaths of militia in Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.

Among them, 13,781 were volunteers – about 20% – and fatalities among volunteers now exceed other categories. Former prisoners, who joined up in return for pardons for their crimes, were previously the highest but they now account for 19% of all confirmed deaths. Mobilised soldiers – citizens called up to fight – account for 13%.

Since October last year, weekly fatalities of volunteers have not dipped below 100 – and, in some weeks, we have recorded more than 310 volunteer deaths.

As for Ukraine – it rarely comments on the scale of its deaths on the battlefield. In February, its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed, but estimates based on US intelligence suggest greater losses.

Many new recruits who have joined the military have criticised the training they have received. A man who signed a contract with the Russian army in November last year told the BBC he had been promised two weeks of training at a shooting range before deployment to the front.

“In reality, people were just thrown out onto the parade ground, and dished out some gear,” he said, adding the equipment was poorly made.

“We were loaded on to trains, then trucks, and sent to the front. About half of us were thrown into battle straight from the road. As a result, some people went from the recruitment office to the front line in just a week,” he said.

Samuel Cranny-Evans, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in the UK says: “Basic understanding of things like camouflage and concealment or how to move quietly at night, how to move without creating a profile for yourself during the day,” should be taught as basic infantry skills.

Another soldier also told the BBC that equipment is a problem, saying it “varies, but most often it’s some random set of uniforms, standard boots that wear out within a day, and a kit bag with a label showing it was made in the mid-20th Century”.

“A random bulletproof vest and a cheap helmet. It’s impossible to fight in this. If you want to survive, you have to buy your own equipment.”

https://thenewsgiant.com/russias-army-records-over-70000-soldiers-dead/

A United Kingdom-based Nigerian accountant and investment expert, Ms Patricia Adenike Balogun, has urged Nigerians to have faith and confidence in the capacity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to turn around the economic fortune of Nigeria.

According to her, the president is well endowed with all accounting and management tools, including the right leadership qualities to transform the Nigerian economy to a prosperous one.

Speaking from London in a Zoom interview with Nigerian journalists in Abuja, Ms. Balogun said, accountants are the best set of professionals that can lead a country out of recession and during the time of prosperity because they are visionaries, innovative and risk takers.

Ms. Patricia Balogun, an Accountant herself, also expressed confidence that the President could leverage on his background in the profession to task his professional colleagues on planning policies capable of reviving several sectors of the Nigerian economy made comatose by the harsh situation bedevilling the country.

She, additionally, asked that the government should reduce the tax burden on small businesses in order to help them navigate and survive the current economic challenges.

Ms. Balogun regarded as an advantage the background of the President as a former Accountant with Mobil Oil Producing and other establishments.

She said: “Accountants like President Tinubu are best to lead a country out of a recession. They are visionary, innovative and risk-takers. Although traditionally viewed as professionals who focus on numbers and data, their role is more dynamic. President Tinubu has been trained with the capacity to drive growth and embrace innovation. Their analytical skills as Accountants give them the capacity for data-based decision-making.”

She credited the accounting profession with facilitating the development of trail-blazing IT software currently driving innovations such as the Treasury Single Account (TSA) embraced by the Nigerian government, as well as FinTech and e-commerce platforms.

On the TSA, she said: “The accountants within the public sector put ideas together, and came up with that Treasury Single Account system to help ensure better transparency and accountability in the area of the management of funds within the country, as well as to curb corruption.”

According to her, the nation should not underrate the advantages that accountants and the accounting profession can bring to bear on the nation’s search for socio-economic solutions.

Balogun said: “Accountants have the capacity to drive growth and we are innovative. The analytical skills of accountants that make them excel in analysing data are very crucial in a time of economic uncertainty because we use the data we analyse to back the decisions we make. We have the risk assessment method of finding financial risks, along with different scenarios, to produce healthy outcomes. We have very good capacity in strategic planning.

“We know how to use multiple scenarios and models to differentiate which features will facilitate planning for risk-mitigation. We are very good at problem solving. When you have financial challenges, if you bring an Accountant, they are able to use their skills to basically adapt and find changing landscapes in implementing different corrective measures in terms of the time of economic action.

“In terms of being leaders, we create, we use data, we analyse data, and we are able to use them to bring financial health back to a business, to an organisation or to the country at large.”

Balogun recalled that accountants had been drivers behind the adoption of the Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) that has enhanced transparency and accountability within companies and within the country generally.

“During the privatisation policies of the 1990s and early 2000s, the accountants put together measures to help in ensuring that business outcomes were achieved,” Balogun said.

“In the agricultural sector too, we look at the efforts to diversify its different value chains within the economy and this led to increased jobs in agriculture. It also helped to diversify the country’s reliance on oil," she added.

Apart from reducing the tax burden on small businesses and other areas, Balogun advocated for robust government intervention that include funding and infrastructural development: “If ease of access to funds can be guaranteed to small businesses, it would help the entire country on the path of growth.

Additionally, the growth of enterprises and industries depends on creatively solving the problems of electric power, fuel energy, road infrastructure and security challenges.”

According to her, the UK has a system that allows small businesses to breathe, something the President could borrow from.

Balogun said: “A nation’s macro-economic growth and development are based on the health of the micro-economic businesses of ordinary people running small businesses. We implore the President to look at the various conditions under which these businesses operate. He must specially focus on the area of taxation for small businesses. Here in England, if your business’s income is not up to a certain benchmark, your responsibility to the government becomes reduced.”

Additionally, she suggested that the country must urgently seek ways for the diversification of its economy from oil into other areas like agriculture, mining, tourism and information technology.

https://thenewsgiant.com/economic-hardship-accountants-best-to-lead-a-country-out-of-recession-and-at-other-times-says-patricia-adenike-balogun/

A renowned business and management expert, Ms. Patricia Balogun, has proffered valuable advice to small and medium scale business owners on how to navigate the challenging economic landscape of Nigeria in the current era.

Speaking in a recent interview with newsmen via zoom, Ms. Balogun, a London-based financial engineer and SMEs promoter, emphasised the importance of resilience and adaptability in the face of the economic recession gripping the country, especially following the May 29, 2023 occasioned by fuel subsidy removal and floating exchange rate as policy of the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

She said there was need for a creative management, reassessment of strategies and necessary adjustments to stay afloat during these tough times.

One key piece of advice Ms. Balogun offered was for the diversification of their revenue streams by exploring new markets and product offerings, in order to increase their chances of survival in the long run.

https://thenewsgiant.com/uk-business-expert-tips-smes-on-surviving-nigerian-recession/

This, she declared, would open them to new customers, while retaining their old ones.

Ms Balogun also urged business owners to as a matter of urgency prioritise cost-cutting measures and efficient management of resources, to improve their bottom line and weather the storm of the recession more effectively.

Additionally, Ms. Balogun highlighted the importance of building strong relationships with customers and suppliers.

By fostering trust and loyalty with key stakeholders, she said, businesses could secure their support during challenging times and potentially gain access to new opportunities.

Ms Balogun said: “Following this time-tested expert advice would serve as a valuable resource for small and medium businesses struggling to survive in Nigeria's economic recession.

“With these recommendations and strategic changes, businesses can increase their chances of success and emerge stronger on the other side of the recession.”

The escalating assault on civil society and the media by the Bola Tinubu administration is profoundly disturbing. The level of oppressive control now imposed surpasses even the harshest days of military dictatorship.

The recent arrest of Mr. Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, en route to an official event, epitomizes this regime's relentless campaign to intimidate and subdue organized labour.

Just days prior, security forces detained a journalist, only to later claim it was a grievous error. What if the outcome had been fatal?

Now, Tinubu’s regime extends its repressive grasp to encroach upon @SERAPNigeria , an action that stands as a grave affront to our democratic values. This siege is anathema to the principles of freedom and justice.

It is imperative that Tinubu and his security apparatus redirect their fervour and intimidation towards the actual perpetrators of violence — terrorists and bandits — who are inflicting immeasurable suffering upon the Nigerian people. -AA

https://thenewsgiant.com/atiku-bombs-tinubu-over-actions-on-nlcs-ajaero-serap-go-after-terrorists/

The Federal Government should create a “special ministry” or agency to care for the needs of widows in Nigeria, a retired Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Grace Eisape, advised on Saturday.

She also told state governments to pay stipends to widows, while efforts should be made to give women access to lawyers that can advocate for them against unreasonable cultural practices.

One of the practices include forcing women to drink the water used to clean the corpses of their husbands to prove their innocence in their deaths.

Eisape, Visioner of Feeding All Nations Through Jesus Christ, made the recommendations during a one-day prayer walk in the Chika community along the Abuja Airport Road, Abuja and empowerment of over 200 widows.

The programme aims to address the rising hunger crisis in Nigeria and the tell the public about the marginalization of widows.

The event, which also took place in several African nations, South America, and the United States has as its theme “Jesus Christ: Liberating the Vulnerable Globally.”

The retired Judge, a product of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, said she she was led by the Holy Spirit to the ministry.

Justice Eisape, currently an Educator in the United States of America, is also the President of Deborah Generation: The Fire Place, a prayer group in New Jersey. USA.

She said, “Widows are marginalized, they are not well taken care of, their needs are not met adequately, they hardly receive help from family members

“It is therefore important that the Federal Government create a special ministry or even an agency to care for the needs of widows

“We targeted hundreds of widows all over the world. This prayer walk is currently going on in Africa nations, South America and in United States of America
I advise the state governments to pay stipend to widows, it will go a long way to relive their suffering

“We educate women on their rights. For example today, we have legal practitioners in all the locations where this program is holding today to educate women on their rights.

“The government should make provision, give women access to lawyers that can advocate for them against unreasonable cultural practices.”

During the event, Pastor Emmanuel Temitope Williams, the International Coordinator of the organisation, addressed the widows in the Chika community, urging them to remain resilient.

He said, “This program is designed to continuously meet your needs—whether it’s hunger, medical care, or legal rights,” he reassured them.”

Another Coordinator, Ms Mabel Onyia said over 500 widows have benefited from the Feeding All Nations Through Jesus Christ initiative in the FCT.

She said the Prayer Walk Rally was going on in Thirteen states across the country to educate widows on their rights and also provide for their needs.

A legal practitioner Salamatu Yusuf also spoke to the widows, assuring them of their legal protections under Nigerian law.

“There are laws in place to prevent the marginalization of widows, and we are here to ensure those rights are upheld,” Yusuf stated.

The event concluded with the distribution of both cooked meals and raw food items to the widows.

Many of the women left the event with renewed hope, expressing gratitude and requesting that similar initiatives be held regularly.

https://thenewsgiant.com/retired-judge-laments-says-nigerian-society-not-fair-to-widows/

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has descended heavily on the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing it as one run by a politician who wanted to bear the title of President without being prepared for leadership.

In a Press Release today Monday signed by the opposition Coalition's Spokesperson, Comrade Mark Adebayo, CUPP stated that President Tinubu is sleeping whilst the country is on fire.

CUPP described Tinubu’s current regime as "a government run by a cabal of incompetent, unpatriotic and rapacious power cultists who can't care less about the people's suffering.

https://thenewsgiant.com/biting-fuel-scarcity-opposition-parties-in-cupp-slam-tinubu-as-unprepared-to-govern/

"It is now crystal clear that President Tinubu never prepared for the serious business of governance. He just wanted to be President.

"The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, views the current artificially induced fuel scarcity nationwide as a satanic ploy by the failed APC government to further increase the pump prices of fuel which will further exacerbate the mass suffering of Nigerians.

"The government has not been able to advance any reasonable argument for the persistent fuel scarcity in the country that has further worsened the the already desperate economic situation of the country. This government has no solutions for the problems it has created for Nigerians.

"We make bold to say that this is a government run by a cabal of incompetent, unpatriotic and rapacious power cultists who can't care less about the people's suffering, but focusing solely on feathering their own nests and feeding their insatiable greed and avarice at the expense of Nigerians.

"The NNPCL owes Nigerians explanations as to the cause of its huge debt of over Nine Trillion Naira it's owing fuel suppliers who have now threatened to stop fuel supply to the country. Should the fuel scarcity get worse than this, the security situation of the country which is already very bad will even get worse, not to talk of the resultant economic meltdown and allied social crises.

"President Tinubu and those in power with him snore away as the country is on fire. They are so clueless now that their incompetence has been exposed by the staccato of policy somersaults they apply to the crises that their mishandling of the country has caused.

"The current administration behaves like a political undertaker to bury Nigeria as the primary purpose of seeking the highest office in the land. In all ramifications, the Tinubu administration has failed woefully and there is no magic they can perform to reverse their parlous records in the last fifteen months.

*** Wale Oshun Calls For Federal Constitution, Greater OPC Recognition
The Oodua People's Congress (OPC) today Thursday marked its 30th anniversary, asking the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pay attention to the plight of the Nigerian masses and give them the dividends of democracy.

OPC, also, asked the government to allow the group to contribute to the country’s energy security by restoring the pipeline protection contract the government of President Goodluck Jonathan awarded to the group but which Muhammadu Buhari revoked.

“Restoring our petroleum security contract will tackle unemployment in the South-West, Kogi, Kwara and Edo states and end pipeline vandalism in this axis. We have done it before, we can do it again,” said OPC President, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi.

In a colourful ceremony at the Ejigbo Mini Stadium in Lagos, OPC rolled out the drums in a carnival atmosphere that featured cultural displays by members from all the six South-West states, as well as from Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Abuja.

Guests at the occasion were: Chairman of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) who doubles as Chairman of OPC Board of Trustees, Hon. Wale Oshun, host Chairman of the Ejigbo Local Government, Mr. Monsuru Bello, and Member of the OPC Board of Trustees, Comrade Jubril Ogundimu.

They were all recipients of the OODUA DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP AWARD, along with the wife of the OPC Founder, Deaconess Iyabo Fasehun, and the Late Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, who received a posthumous award.

Speaking at the occasion, ARG Chairman, Wale Oshun, called for a constitutional review that would entrench true Federalism in the country.

He said: “Were Dr. Fasehun and Beko Ransome-Kuti alive today, they would be calling attention as they did 30 years ago to the problems troubling our country. Nigerians comprise of different nationalities and we are diverse. Those who forced the 1999 Constitution on us gave us a unitary Constitution that cannot work for all of us. It is a Federal Constitution that will work for us. We need now to go back and rework our Constitution to allow the different nationalities in Nigeria find creative expression and development.”

He, also, called for government to give greater recognition to OPC because the group fought for the restoration of democracy since its creation in 1994 to the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

Highlighting the significance of the anniversary, the group’s President, Afolabi said: “The occasion gives OPC members a unique opportunity to celebrate all our heroes past, especially the legendary Dr. Frederick Isiotan Fasehun, and all OPC leaders and members who have gone to the Great Beyond. Remembering their legacy says that their labour has not been in vain.”

Afolabi described OPC as a child of necessity.

Going down memory lane, he narrated: “After the June 12, 1993 election and most of 1994, darkness and hopelessness dominated Nigeria. The Military junta, first under General Ibrahim Babangida, followed by General Sani Abacha, harassed and terrorised the people like a hawk toying with chickens. We of the Yoruba race especially felt the pain of the insult that the Military dealt us collectively by cancelling and annulling the June 12 mandate of Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

“Dr. Fasehun took the bull by the horn and founded the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in Mushin area of Lagos. OPC proved that Yoruba people were not cowards as many thought. They would not do plenty of shakara when it comes to talking, and then run away at the point of actually fighting for their human rights and democratic rights. OPC mobilised the bravest and the best of the Yoruba race to fight for the restoration of the June 12 mandate of MKO Abiola.”

Lamenting that the group’s sacrifice had so far gone unrewarded and unrecognised, the OPC President said that, although the last 25 years of civilian rule had blessed Yoruba land with two sons as Nigerian President, the entire South-West with over 32 elected governors and 137 local government areas of the South-West with over 1,000 council chairmen, none had deemed it fit to give attention to the group.

He said: “OPC has received virtually zero-benefits in this democracy for which it sacrificed so much to produce. This makes OPC look like the head used to crack the coconut but is denied the benefit of tasting the fruit of its labour and the sacrifice. This injustice must be corrected. All we are saying: Let OPC and its members benefit from the democracy that OPC fought and died for!”

However, he warned that the current generation of politicians were running a selfish and self-serving civilian rule, with no benefit to Nigerians.

Afolabi said: “Fuel is expensive. Hospitals have become expensive and no-go area to the majority of Nigerians. We have four refineries and evil people have refused to let them work because of selfish reasons. Schools have become expensive and education is no longer for the poor commoners. Electricity has become a luxury. Nigerians hear of millions, billions and trillions being budgeted with little or nothing to show for the budget.

“Government must listen to the NLC and the #EndBadGovernance agitators. Let the poor breathe. Give Nigerians affordable electricity, education, fuel, gas and food.”

The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has called for dialogue between government and leaders of the August protest planned to highlight economic hardships Nigerians currently suffer in the face of reforms by the regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while calling for the immediate reversal of increased electricity tariffs and reduction of food and fuel price as a goodwill gesture.

OPC gave its counsel in a statement on Tuesday by its President Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, however, urging the protesters to remain non-violent and toe the path of dialogue.

“A hungry man is an angry man. The government must crash the price of food, electricity and fuel for peace to reign and for people to know that the government cares about their welfare,” Afolabi said.

The Yoruba socio-cultural organisation urged President Tinubu to immediately issue an Executive Order opening up all the country’s borders in the South-West and South-South in order for rapid inflow of food that would lower prices.

The OPC President encouraged the government to concentrate efforts on getting the nation’s refineries to produce domestic fuel in order to solve the problem of inadequate and expensive petroleum products.

https://thenewsgiant.com/opc-tells-tinubu-open-borders-for-cheap-food-slash-fuel-and-electricity-prices/

“If one man, Aliko Dangote, can build a refinery in less than 10 years, how can ordinary maintenance of four full-fledged and functional refineries become an impossible task since 1999 when civilians took over power? What is the mystery?

“Government must identify, expose and apprehend cabals and all the enemies making life unduly difficult for commoners in Nigeria. This nation belongs to all of us and Nigerians must be able to enjoy their commonwealth.”

He also called for reduction in the cost of governance.

Afolabi said: “A situation where citizens are urged to tighten their belts; but politicians are living larger than life on public funds can only bring discontent and rebellion. Government must cost the cost of governance. These are austere times and the leader must also adopt austerity measures.”

Additionally, the socio-cultural organisation asked the police to prevent the demonstration from being hijacked by hoodlums who could use the protest for looting and mayhem.

According to the OPC President, Nigerian leaders and protest organisers must not toe the line of Kenya, where demonstrations degenerated into a bloodbath with loss of lives and wanton destruction of property.

“Protestors and government have lost control in Kenya. We cannot afford to go that way. We have no other country but Nigeria; and we cannot allow a civil protest to spiral out of control,” OPC said.

In the wake of plans for a public protest on August 1 against prevailing economic hardships, a civil rights group, Liberty Movement of Nigeria (LMN), has asked Nigerians to be patient with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We appeal to the organisers of the protest to shield their sword, and join hands with government to build a stronger nation and propel Nigeria into the superpower that it is destined to be as the largest Black nation in the world," said Convener of the civil rights group, Olusola Ajayi Edward.

Edward gave the counsel in a press statement issued on Monday in Lagos, warning that unforeseen circumstances and fifth columnists might deliberately push the planned peaceful protest in the path of violence and defeat its noble intentions.

“Dialogue is often the best way out of social discontent,” Edward said. “At the end of any war, people will still sit around the table for discussions to end hostilities. So why not avoid the war and initiate discussions to prevent a breakdown of peace, law and order? Jaw-jaw is always better than war-war.”

According to him, the diplomatic way the President personally mediated to peacefully end the minimum wage crisis with Organised Labour showcased him as a leader who did not take Nigerians for granted.

The LMN leader said that the President deserved recognition for taking decisive steps to steer Nigeria away from the socio-economic self-destruction in which previous regimes had catapulted it.

“The English would tell you that things will get worse before they get better,” Edward said. “The fruits of President Tinubu’s bold economic and political reforms will begin to show with time; that we are confident of. And we will sooner than later give him the praise he deserves: The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.

“We appeal to the organisers of the protest to shield their sword, join government to build a stronger nation and propel Nigeria into the superpower that it is destined to be as the largest Black nation in the world.”

According to Edward, the lessons of the #EndSARS protests were still fresh and no one should be in a hurry to repeat the nightmare of those days.

Recalling that the 2020 #EndSARS protests ended on a sad and violent note, Edward advised against Nigerians walking down the same path so soon.

Edward commended the President for the successful fight initiated at the Supreme Court to grant autonomy to the nation’s 774 local governments, and said that this would bring development and the dividends of democracy closer to Nigerian citizen.

However, he said that the reality was that life was hard in Nigeria.

Edward said: “You cannot beat a child and expect him not to cry. Nigerians are suffering. Government as the parent and guardian must look for ways to ameliorate the sufferings. Food is costly. Fuel is costly. Electricity is costly. School fees in tertiary institutions have risen to an all-time high. All these need urgent attention.

“For citizens to demand that government pay urgent attention to these areas does not amount to breaking any law. But we must be responsible in our approach to tackling national issues so that our good intentions do not become a double-edged sword that will leave sorrows, tears and blood.”

https://thenewsgiant.com/give-tinubus-reforms-time-to-move-nigeria-towards-superpower-status-says-civil-rightsgroup/

Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Founder and Leader of the INRI Spiritual Evangelical Church in Lagos, has disclosed that he warned the late Senator Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah about the politician’s impending demise that occurred last week.

Ubah died in London on Saturday, aged 56.

Testifying that although he loved Ubah, Ayodele said the news of the demise of the Anambra-born business mogul and politician came as no surprise to him.

He said, “Ubah's death is no news to me, I love him so much, but I warned him.”

According to Primate Ayodele, Ubah was told of the impending danger for which he wanted to start a project for the church as part of “cleansing,” but he downplayed the importance.

He said: “When I warned him, he mixed politics with the spiritual. It is just a lesson to everybody. I don't need to tell you that he was my friend; Ubah was a nice person to me. He wanted to start a project for the church for him to live long.”

He also said that Senator Ubah was the only person that would have given incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo a run for his money in the upcoming governorship election in Anambra State.

Ayodele said: “I felt bad when I heard it. Except that he appeared not serious for the governorship, he would have been the best candidate to defeat Soludo. That is why I said he was not serious, he was mixing politics with the spiritual, you don't play politics with your Creator.”

https://thenewsgiant.com/i-warned-late-senator-ubah-says-primate-ayodele/

Seun, Happy Birthday.

LOL about you trying to hide your age. Goldfish has no hiding place.

You be 42 years-old naw.... born July 17, 1982.

God bless you more and more and keep you on the path of righteousness.

Two civil society groups have raised the alarm that next Saturday, July 13 local government elections in Delta State have been ceded in advance to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidates.

The two bodies raised their concern in a statement signed by Convener of Save Deltans, Barrister Ben Oghenekome, and his counterpart in the Campaign for Good Governance, Dr. Silas Tobi.

According to them, how would it be possible for the opposition not to post a single councillorship or local government chairmanship victory from 500 wards on Saturday, having produced two serving senators, four House of Representatives members and several Delta State House of Assembly legislators in the 2023 general elections?

Their statement, titled: “COMPROMISES WITH DSIEC, PDP TO SHORTCHANGE MILLIONS OF DELTANS,” reads in full:

“It is often said that many people who are into politics are only there for STOMACH INFRASTRUCTURE instead of deepening the democracy for the benefits of the populace. This is exactly the case of many Opposition Political Party Chairmen and their Executives in Delta State as they have sold their birthrights for a pot of pottage.

“Even the APC in the State, which we expect that will give PDP a run in the State, is even factionalized. They can't even unite their own house let alone coming together as opposition parties to fight a common cause and end the daylight robbery going on in the State’s so-called LGA election. We use to hear of the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, but today the PDP in the State has silenced them in the exchange of peanuts.

“We have gathered that barely 6 days to LGA election that DSIEC has perfected plans with the PDP through the State Director of Protocols who as at today remains the PDP State Organizing Secretary, Chief Sunday Onoriode, to declare all the 25 PDP Chairmanship Candidates and the 500 PDP Councillorsip Candidates winners of July 13 2024 LGA election in Delta State. How can a State, where Opposition Parties in 2023 general elections produced 2 serving Senators, 4 HOR members, Assembly members, will not be able to win a Councillorsip seat out of 500 wards in the State? HABA!

“We are therefore calling on all Opposition Parties in the State, CUPP, CNPP, IPAC to rise up to either protest this daylight robbery or totally boycott the July 13 LGA election.

“We are also calling on the National Chairmen of different Political Parties, the National Leadership of IPAC to intervene and caution their State chapters in order to save millions of Deltans from further political disaster and also to uphold the dignity of their party manifestos.

“We are also calling and advising the Chairman of DSIEC, Sir Jerry Agbaike not to allow himself to be used for posterity’s sake. He should as a matter of urgency retrieve the original results sheets, which was alleged that he has already distributed to the PDP few days ago.”

https://thenewsgiant.com/delta-lg-elections-groups-accuse-apc-other-opposition-parties-of-compromising-to-pdp/

PRESS RELEASE

03rd July, 2024

LG Polls: Delta PDP dismisses APC’s emotional instability; Says it’s caused by trauma

Once again, the attention of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State has been called to yet another gibberish published online with the headline: “DSIEC recruits, trains PDP members as ad hoc staff for July 13th Delta LG polls.”

For us in PDP, as well as other right thinking observers, we have become used to the regular antics and spurious allegations of the APC in every election season and we are not at all surprised that they have typically resorted to accusing the electoral umpire, this time DSIEC, of a recruitment exercise that only exists in their delusional imagination.

This of course is the usual smokescreen employed by a political party that simply doesn’t have the wherewithal to organize a proper campaign and it is even clear that the medium used in delivering the weird report of the accusation is heavily compromised in intent and purpose, and out rightly malicious in carrying out the obvious hatchet job.

Indeed, how else should a proper news medium which knows it’s onions be described, when it decided to throw caution to the wind and become unethically opinionated in the opening paragraph of its story in which it stated: “The expectations of Deltans of having what can be considered as credible election in the proposed July 13th Local Government polls might have been dashed as the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), has recruited and trained members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as ad hoc staff for the conduct of the elections.”

This evidently diminishes and dismisses any claim of the report being authentic and for us in PDP, it is a worthless story. The innuendoes and concocted accusations against Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) are untenable, unsubstantiated and fall into the category of tales by moonlight. Otherwise, we dare the medium and its APC sponsors to provide incontrovertible proof of what they have alleged against DSIEC.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), a party that is presently without shape or form in Delta State, has once again deployed its antic of sponsoring a spurious report to mischievously cast aspersion on the good work that DSIEC is doing and sow the seed of doubt by creating the impression that the forthcoming Local Government elections will not be credible, for the simple reason that the party is not and has not prepared for the election.

Of course every one observing what is going on can attest to the fact that APC in Delta State is a party in disarray, rudderless, with no clear cut leadership; it is a party where, to paraphrase the immortal quote of Chinua Achebe, “turning and turning in the widening gyre, the falcon cannot hear the falconer, things have fallen apart and the centre can no longer hold, with mere anarchy loosed upon Delta APC”.

Is this the party to be taken seriously with bogus allegations that DSIEC recruited ad hoc officials from PDP members that it will use for the Local Government elections? Is DSIEC just conducting council elections in 2024 in Delta State for the first time? How did it conduct the elections in the previous years? If it did not recruit ad hoc staff from the PDP in previous elections, why will the State electoral body do it in 2024? Infact allegations like this were also the stock in trade of APC in previous elections and they were conclusively proven to be completely false and roundly dismissed outrightly.

The organ through which APC brought out its jaundiced report, claimed to have done some investigations from which it drew its biased conclusion against DSIEC, yet did not give any convincing proof of conducting proper investigation that would make its report credible.

The very online report showed its partisan and bigoted disposition when it succeeded in talking to only the APC State Publicity Secretary, but failed to engage or interface with the PDP State officials so as to balance up the story.

Unfortunately for the medium, the Delta APC Publicity Secretary Barr. Valentine Onojehuo, said that the party was not aware that DSIEC was conducting training for ad hoc staff pointing out that the Commission hardly furnished other political parties with information on the activities leading to the conduct of the election, but the issue he refused to acknowledge is that the APC in the State is not unaware that DSIEC will be conducting the Council elections and for which all registered political parties are eligible to field candidates.

How will a party that is disorganized and messy as a result of its disorderly state, and which did not campaign and has no visible posters of most of its candidates anywhere else except on social media, have the temerity to seek to create an impression that the coming Local Government elections will not be credible?

We are in the days of Artificial Intelligence (AI), through which mischief makers can spin abracadabra just to hoodwink the unwary. But Deltans know better and are not deceived. While PDP in all the 25 Local Government Areas are engaged in comprehensive and well reported campaigns, selling their candidates and seeking their votes, APC, the party with stunted growth and without visibility in Delta State, is crying wolf where there’s none, and seeking to employ disingenuous means to badmouth an election for which the State electoral body has gone far in its preparations.

PDP in Delta State is already in the thick of electioneering campaigns, and we believe so also are other political parties. But let APC, a band of unserious and disorderly politicians be reminded that PDP is on ground in Delta State and will not be distracted by its hysteria. It is the people’s party. That is why Delta is PDP and PDP is Delta. There’s no amount of silly pranks by the unmanageable and traumatized APC that will work to frustrate the council elections.

Delta PDP is fully on ground and will continue to cooperate with DSIEC to ensure that it conducts credible Local Government elections in the State.

PDP! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!

Signed:

Engr. Dan Ossai, MNSE, CEng.
State Secretary,
PDP, Delta State.

++ Call On Delta IPAC And Opposition Parties To Boycott July 13 Council Polls

Some political pressure groups under the aegis of "SAVE DELTANS AND CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE" have jointly called on all opposition political parties in Delta State to cooperate support the Delta State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to protest the daylight robbery planned by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) for the July 13, 2024 LGA elections.

The coalition and APC accused Delta State PDP and DSIEC of colluding to rig the council polls in favour of the ruling party in the state.

In a release today Thursday, the groups said their investigations showed that the original result sheets of all the chairmen and councillors had been handled over to all the PDP Chairmanship Candidates for safe keeping.

They said: “Therefore, what we should be expecting on that day as ballot papers are just the "MORE YOU LOOK, THE LESS YOU SEE."

The Conveners, Barrister Oghenekome and Dr. Silas Tobi accused the Chairman of DSIEC, Dr. Jerry Agbaike, of acting to the script written by PDP in Delta State to further put millions of Deltans into bondage.

They said in their statement: "It was gathered that PDP through the former Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and State Director of Protocol, Chief Barr Sunday Onoriode, have been dishing out instructions to the Chairman of DSIEC to perfect plans to declare all the 25 council chairmen and 500 councillors to PDP. WHAT A WICKED WORLD.

"We also gathered that millions of Naira has been released to one of their loyal boy, Mr. Efe Tobor to buy over the leadership of IPAC in the state.

"We therefore, call on Delta State IPAC to be neutral and rise up to their duties and save millions of Deltans from the hands of these that don't mean well to the commonman.

"On ad hoc staff, which the APC raised the alarm, it was revealed that two cousins of the Convener of ‘Save Deltans,’ who were members of PDP in their wards and never applied for ad hoc staff were call to work as returning officers.

“The Convener vows to expose them more when the time comes.”

Efforts to get reactions from spokespersons of the Delta State Government on the allegations had not yielded fruit by the time of going to Press.

https://thenewsgiant.com/delta-local-government-elections-apc-groups-pass-vote-of-no-confidence-on-dsiec/

After a six-week election campaign, polls are now open across the country.

Millions will be able to choose new MPs at 40,000 polling stations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Polls will remain open until 22:00 BST – and then counting will begin straight away.

The multilevel regression and post-stratification (MRP) analysis predicted that Labour would win 431 seats, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives expected to win 102. It gave Labour a majority of 212 seats.

The pollster said 89 seats were considered “tossups”, with five percentage points or fewer between first and second place.

[url][/url]https://thenewsgiant.com/labour-predicted-to-win-uks-largest-majority-ever-as-elections-hold-today/

Even in a best case scenario the result for the Conservatives is significantly worse than the party’s previous worst election result in 1906, when it won 156 seats, YouGov said.

The Liberal Democrats are set to win 72 seats, and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK are forecast to take 3 seats, it added.

The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has described as a mark of ingratitude President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s failure to acknowledge its Founder, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, in the list of June 12 heroes rolled out in this year’s Democracy Day broadcast.

President of the Yoruba socio-political organisation, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, said the group worked for the President Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 elections and neither he nor his handlers had bothered to acknowledge OPC’s pro-Tinubu campaign one whole year after the new regime’s inauguration.

Lamenting that it took the family and estate of Dr. Fasehun to blow their father’s June-12 trumpet, Afolabi recalled that the Medical Doctor-turned-Activist had sacrificed his livelihood and liberty to fight for the disannulment of Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola’s mandate and the restoration of democracy through OPC and NADECO.

“Baba was jailed several times. Hundreds of innocent OPC members were killed. Some were arrested, jailed, maimed for life and extra-judicially slaughtered by evil agents of General Sani Abacha,” Afolabi recalled.

Afolabi, Late Fasehun’s former Deputy President, felt particularly pained that the organisation worked for the emergence of Tinubu in 2023, yet the group had been ignored since the President came into power.

“Just as Baba taught us, OPC regarded Tinubu as a Southern project and Yoruba interest; and we mobilised for his victory,” Afolabi lamented. “After the win, it appears like they used and dumped us.

“Are they neglecting OPC because we are not herdsmen, terrorists, bandits or militants who are being showered with Nigeria’s resources in the name of amnesty?”

OPC went on to slam current Fourth Republic politicians for ignoring Nigerians’ sufferings while allocating to themselves giant amounts of salaries and allowances as members of the Executive and the Legislature at the local government, state and national levels.

“Definitely, this Fourth Republic is far from the vision that the heroes of democracy hoped for, fought for and died for. Our democracy has been hijacked by soldiers of fortune, whose primary aim appears to be to milk the people’s commonwealth,” OPC said.

“Common Nigerians cannot afford petrol, gas, electricity. Commodities like pepper, tomatoes, rice and even garri have become luxury items. Entire families are joining the “JAPA” bandwagon to flee Nigeria. Youths are crossing and perishing in deserts and oceans just to escape from this country.

“Yet politicians carry on as if everything is normal. If politicians feel that they will not answer to man, they will surely answer to God.”

Afolabi described OPC as a legacy organisation.

He said: “OPC will be 30 years in September 2024 and this Fourth Republic is only 25 years old. Clearly, Fasehun founded the group as a Special Purpose Vehicle for democracy; and he poured his entire resources to sustain the group. Eminent Nigerians like Beko Ransome-Kuti, Kudirat Abiola, Doyin Okupe, Obas and intellectuals joined OPC. Therefore, OPC is far from being a group of nonentities and we have a role to play in this current political dispensation.”

The Family Estate of Dr. Frederick Fasehun has protested the omission by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the OPC Founder in the list of June 12 heroes contained in the presidential Democracy Day address.

In a statement on Wednesday in Lagos by the Late OPC Founder's son, Mr. Remi Fasehun, the family described the omission of the foremost Democracy Activist in the President's list as uncharitable, ungrateful and unpardonable.

"The President was a di beneficiary of our father's activism and sacrifice for democracy," the younger Fasehun said on behalf of the Estate. "Not only were they in the trenches together, Fasehun helped Tinubu to escape into exile. In fact, it is on record that, when General Sani Abacha's squad surrounded Senator Abraham Adesanya's residence where they held a meeting, Tinubu mounted the back of Fasehun and jumped the fence to flee into hiding and subsequently into exile.

"Several people, who escaped from the country into exile and joined NADECO-Abroad, including Pa Anthony Enahoro, were personally taken by boat and bush paths, through the NADECO Route, by Dr. Fasehun. He was at a point the link between Pa Enahoro-NADECO and NUPENG, the union that played a pivotal role in that struggle.

"He was thrown into prison several times by the General Sani Abacha junta, in Kirikiri, Ilorin and Kuje. At the infamous Inter Centre in Ikoyi Cemetery, he was held incommunicado for several months, an experience that inflicted immense damage on him physically and psychologically, to the extent of leaving his vision impaired for life.

"His family and businesses paid dearly for his struggle for democracy. Today, his wife and children still pay the price of their father's sacrifice to birth the democracy Nigeria has today."

They said Fasehun's hospitality business, Century Hotel, as well as his Besthope Hospital in Lagos, were today a shadow of the flourishing enterprises they used to be before he threw himself into the struggle for June 12.

University of Aberdeen-trained Medical Doctor and Africa's first Acupuncturist, Dr. Fasehun died December 1, 2018 in Lagos at the age of 83.

Furthermore, according to the statement, Fasehun specifically founded the socio-cultural group, Oodua People's Congress (OPC), in 1994, as a vehicle for wresting democracy from the sit-tight military junta.

"To ignore such an inimitable icon as Dr. Frederick Isiotan Fasehun from any so-called list of June 12 and Democratic Heroes smacks of crass injustice and inexplicable vendetta," his Estate declared.

It recalled that in the struggle for June 12, hundreds of OPC members paid the supreme price, through extra-judicial killings by overzealous and ill-advised security agents.

"We only hope that in the name of fairness and justice, the President will correct this anomaly and place Dr. Fasehun in Nigeria's democratic Hall of Fame as he very well deserves," the Estate said.

"Truth should not be sacrificed on the altar of politics, however. Dr. Fasehun should be given his well-deserved historical recognition as a true Nigerian Hero of Democracy," the statement declared.

While acknowledging that leading a huge nation like Nigeria could be a Herculean task, the Fasehuns urged Tinubu to put welfare packages in place to ameliorate the unprecedented poverty, inflation and insecurity bedeviling citizens.

STATEMENT BY COALITION OF UNITED POLITICAL PARTIES, CUPP

It is another Democracy Day without anything to really celebrate about. June 12th is a historic date in the political calendar of Nigeria because of its iconic identity indicative of a momentum that shook Nigeria to its very foundations and will remain relevant to our democratic experience as a people and country for a very long time to come.

In as much as it is commendable that this date has been inducted into our democratic Hall of Fame as Nigeria's Democracy Day, the hope it represents is largely absent. Democracy is useless unless it delivers to the people what makes them fulfilled as citizens of a country that they call theirs. In Nigeria of today, the productive and positive dividends of democracy are far remote from the mass of Nigerians.

The promised and expected hope has become a forlorn one because those in the position of power at the center are disconnected from the plights of the citizens who voted them into power.

Today, our supposed Democracy Day, most Nigerians have been deprived of their capacity to feed themselves and their families, unable to send their children to school, shelter has become mostly unaffordable, formal and informal sector businesses are collapsing, the Naira is at the mercy of other currencies, even African currencies like those of Bénin Republic, Ghana, South Africa and co - not just the dollar.

Our inflation rate of 33.70% is making life unbearable for most Nigerians. Insecurity is burgeoning beyond control as criminals are having a field day and often go unchallenged. Poverty level in the country has quadrupled since the inception of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu due, principally, to the wicked and wrong timing of the fuel subsidy removal.

All the suffering and retrogression in the land a are solely attributable to the anti-people plus trial-and-error policies of the Tinubu administration. Before contesting, it is now obvious that the president didn't prepare to govern in any way beneficial to Nigerians or the country itself. He only prepared to win the election and, having won, he became clueless as to how to ease the suffering in the land before taking over from his also failed predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari. Rather than relieve the socioeconomic pains of Nigerians, the Tinubu administration has increased same unbearably from his first minute in office.

The only hope that this Democracy Day signifies is the opportunity it provides Nigerians in less than three years hence to make another choice at the ballot for a president who will connect directly with our aspirations and have the blueprint to take Nigeria up the ladder of socioeconomic and developmental heights like the United Arab Emirate, Turkey and, even, Rwanda.

Rwanda, having emerged from a deadly fatricidal war, has retraced its steps from projected demise towards development, peace, security and prosperity through deliberate leadership actions whilst Nigeria continues to stagnate and retrogress as a result of leadership mishap. For Nigeria to reclaim its pride of place in the comity of Nations, we need to recalibrate our leadership recruitment methodology with a view to electing the best leader with the capacity and revolutionary drive to attain the national redirection that we so eagerly crave.

Rather than find the pathway out of the socioeconomic conundrums that the Federal Government's policies have pushed Nigeria into, we have a president who prioritizes return to Nigeria's old national anthem over revamping the economy and security insurance of the people. Will national anthem put food on the table of hungry Nigerians, create job opportunities for our teeming youths, give the desperately needed security to our people, or avail the country the general developmental strides that it lacks? The answer is a resounding no! But as it is the character of Nigeria's ruling cliques from independence till date, they always take us backwards.

While we wish Nigerians a happy democracy day, we also commiserate with all of us for the atrocious environment being created by bad and incompetent leadership.

Sgd.
Comrade Mark Adebayo,
National Spokesperson
Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP

Electricity consumers are currently groaning under the weight of Distribution Companies (DisCos) increasing higher tariffs by 250 percent for all categories from Saturday June 1.

Organised Labour cited the increase in electricity tariff as part of the grievances pushing workers to embark on an indefinite strike beginning from Monday, June 3.

The other reason for the strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) is the failure of government to agree on a new minimum wage acceptable to workers.

Despite the stand of Labour, the new tariffs kicked off on Saturday, with consumers using pre-paid meters realising the introduction of the new charges while purchasing recharge tokens.

According to some consumers interviewed by TheNewsGiant, they were shocked and angered with the new increase as they attempted to reload electricity tokens bought for their prepaid meters.

“I just bought the N1,000 recharge that is usually 14 units, but when I loaded, it displayed just 4 units,” lamented a resident of Oyedele Street in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State. “They have deleted a whole 10 units! This is wicked!”

One business centre who confirmed the increment to TheNewsGiant immediately raised the price of computer printouts for an A4 page of document from N100 to N200.

Mr. Richards Chuks, who runs a POS and electricity token vending outfit, also, bemoaned the increase.

According to Chuks, he noticed the increment when a customer came to make the purchase of electricity recharge token.

“This customer bought N1,000 and instead of the usual N14 units, IKEDC remitted just 4.4 units. Another customer came and we noticed the increase again,” he said. “These people have no human feeling at all. We are already battling with increased fuel, increased fees, and other services since this Bola Tinubu came into power. Now they have raised the tariff on electricity. How do they want people to cope?”

Chuks said it meant that instead of a power budget of N1,000 daily, he would need no less than N4,000 to run his office.

He has made the inevitable adjustments.

“You can see that I have already turned off the lights in this office; and the whole place is in darkness. That is part of the adjustment I have to make due to the new tariff,” he told TheNewsGiant.

However, investigations by TheNewsGiant show that those who bought tariff a day before paid the usual price.

A consumer who paid N10,000 was supplied by IKEDC a token of 148.8 kWh units on Friday, May 31.

Earlier this year, the National Electricity Regulations Commission (NERC), the DisCos and the Minister of Power had announced a higher tariff of 300 percent for Band A power consumers.

Power distribution companies (DisCos) were allowed to raise electricity prices to N225 per kilowatt-hour from N68 for those in that exclusive Band.

Government had said that consumers on other bands would not be affected by any increment.

NERC explained that only electricity customers in Band A would be affected by the increase and those in B, C, D and E increase would not be affected.

https://thenewsgiant.com/anger-as-discos-defy-govt-labour-and-increase-electricity-tariff-by-250-from-june-1/

Band A customers are offered an average daily electricity supply of 20 hours, even when many complain of not getting up to that quota.

However, NERC insisted that Band A consumers represented about 15 percent of the population that allegedly consumed 40 percent of the nation’s electricity.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on all South East Governors to dedicate May 30 as a public holiday for Biafra’s fallen heroes killed during the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970).

The commemoration demand by IPOB came as Justice John Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to 42 of the group’s members arrested in Anambra State in December 2023.

The organisation said May 30 was a time of introspection, a moment to consider the position of Biafrans in modern-day Nigeria and their relevance in the broader national context.

IPOB, however said unfortunately, the issues that ultimately led to the Biafran war were currently present within the policies and decisions of the government.

The Lead Counsel of IPOB, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, made these submissions in a statement sent to journalists in Abuja.

He said, “Today, May 30 2024, as we commemorate the death of our fallen heroes and heroines who died during the three years pogrom on Biafran soil, a Federal High of Nigeria sitting in Abuja per Hon. Justice J.K. Omotosho, delivered its ruling on the bail applications we filed and moved on behalf of 42 innocent Biafrans made up of Igbo youths, young women, mothers and fathers, who were arrested in Anambra in December 2023, and subsequently bundled to Abuja by overzealous Nigerian security agents.

“His Lordship, in his well considered Ruling delivered moments ago, admitted all these innocent Biafrans to bail. Pertinent to reiterate that these innocent Biafrans were arrested in Anambra State by overzealous Nigerian security agents, whilst they were going about their respective legitimate businesses, and subsequently brought to Abuja and charged before the court in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/8/2024, on a three count frivolous and unfounded charge of terrorism, on account of their alleged membership of IPOB.

“We shall take steps to ensure that the terms of the bail granted by the court are met as swiftly as possible so that these innocent men and women, can rejoin their families as soon as possible.

“We are also hopeful that all innocent Biafrans who are being held in various detention facilities across the country, will regain their freedom soonest. May God continue to bless all Ezigbo UmuChineke, even as we continue to move!”

Ejiofor said May 30 is set aside as a special day to remember and reflect on the death of over five million Biafrans who were massacred in a genocide during the three-year Biafra-Nigeria war, which lasted from July 6, 1967 to January 15, 1970.

According to him, the day is dedicated to honoring IPOB fallen heroes and heroines, not only to remember the cause for which they were brutally killed but also to reflect on how their deaths have impacted the lives of Biafrans, the lessons learned, and the resolutions made since then.

He said, “It is a time of introspection, a moment to consider the position of Biafrans in modern-day Nigeria and their relevance in the broader national context. Unfortunately, the issues that ultimately led to the Biafran war are still present within the policies and decisions of the government.

“Further, we must remember the massacre of over six thousand men, mainly residents of Asaba, who were gruesomely killed at Obosowe Asaba in present-day Delta State between October 4 and 7, 1967. Nigeria is under a moral obligation to acknowledge this tragedy, as it was not the making of Asaba. The massacre, where Nigerian troops summoned unarmed and innocent Asaba residents, rounded them up, and killed them in cold blood remains fresh in our minds.

“It is important to note that no matter how long history is hidden, it will always reveal itself on true platforms. Unfortunately, the story of post-war reconstruction, reintegration, and reconciliation has remained a ruse. These three Rs must go hand in hand for a full healing process, but the reverse has been the case.

“I use this moment of sober reflection to call on all South East Governors to dedicate May 30th as a public holiday, as a mark of respect and honour for Biafran fallen heroes. It is not asking too much to remember and commemorate Biafran heroes and heroines by declaring this date a public holiday across Biafraland. It is worth noting that long before 2019, the entire South West states had set aside June 12 as a public holiday to commemorate the anniversary of the annulled 1993 Presidential election, adjudged to have been won by the late MKO Abiola. Heaven did not fall when the South West Governors made this declaration in unison. Rather, the Federal Government was later compelled by the strong resolve of these leaders to consequently declare June 12th, a national public holiday starting from 2019 to date.

“Only the truth can set us free from the bondage of war and propaganda. I also wish to use this solemn opportunity to call on the government, particularly the Federal Government, to unconditionally release genuine Biafran agitators who are being held in various detention facilities. This gesture will go a long way in assuaging the ill-feelings of the gravely marginalized Biafrans and will help restore a sense of reintegration in the Nigerian project, pending a United Nations-organized and supervised referendum to determine the ultimate fate of Biafrans.

“As we continue to pray for the repose of our fallen heroes and heroines massacred during the civil war and subsequently, may we remember the cause for which they died. They did not die for the cause of relentless perpetration of heinous crimes, not for the cause of kidnapping, not for the cause of rampant rape of their descendants, not for the cause of killing our innocent brothers and sisters by those who have sold their souls to evil. It is not in our character, culture, and tradition to kill our own. Onye nwere nti ya nuru! Ozo emezina!!!

“May the souls of our departed fallen heroes and heroines continue to rest in the bosom of the Almighty Chukwuokike Abiama. Iseee, Iseeee, Iseeee!!!”

https://thenewsgiant.com/ipob-urges-igbo-govs-to-celebrate-civil-war-heroes-as-court-bails-out-42-activists/

South Korean tycoon Chey Tae-won has been ordered to pay his ex-wife 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion) in cash – the country’s largest ever divorce settlement.

It comes nearly a decade after Mr Chey’s marriage fell apart following the revelation he had fathered a child with his lover.

The Seoul High Court on Thursday ruled that Roh So-young – whom he was married to for 35 years – was entitled to a portion of his company shares.

Lawyers for Mr Chey – chairman of the powerful SK Group conglomerate – said he would appeal, claiming the court had taken “Roh’s one-sided claim as factual”.

The amount awarded to Ms Roh was a significant increase from the 66.5 billion won -settlement ruled by a lower court in 2022.

That family court had also rejected Ms Roh’s request that she be given a portion of Mr Chey’s SK shares.

This was overturned on Thursday, when the High Court found that the shares should be considered joint property.

In its verdict, the court stated that “it was reasonable to rule that, as his wife, Roh played a role in increasing the value of SK Group and Chey’s business activity”.

The court put Mr Chey’s wealth at around 4tn won, meaning Ms Roh – with whom Mr Chey had three children – would take an estimated 35 percent.

It also found that Ms Roh had helped ease regulatory hurdles for Mr Chey’s business and that her father – former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo – had “played the role of a protective shield” for SK’s ex-chairman Chey Jong-hyon.

The court said Mr Chey had not shown “any signs of remorse for his foul behaviour in the course of the trial… nor respect for monogamy” and said the new settlement took into account Ms Roh’s suffering over her ex-husband’s extramarital affair.

Mr Chey’s lawyers argued that, rather than his ex-wife’s political connections enhancing his business, they had been a disadvantage.

Shares in SK Inc – which is one of the world’s biggest makers of semiconductors and also has interests in telecoms, chemicals and energy – jumped 9 percent following the ruling.


https://thenewsgiant.com/ex-wife-walks-away-with-1bn-in-record-divorce-alimony/

U-turning at that bend is going to be dangerous and accident prone

France striker Olivier Giroud says he would be retiring from international football after next month’s European Championship, saying he wants to make sure he does not play “one season too many”.

Giroud, who left AC Milan to join American Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC earlier this month, has made 131 appearances for France and was a key part of their World Cup-winning squad in 2018.

With 57 goals, the 37-year-old is the men’s national team’s all-time leading goalscorer, having overtaken Thierry Henry during the 2022 World Cup.

“To be honest, this will be my last competition with Les Bleus. Obviously, I’m going to miss it a lot,” Giroud told L’Equipe in an interview published on Thursday.

“But I think the French team will be over after the Euro. We need to make way for the youngsters. You also have to be careful not to have one season too many. You have to find the right balance…

“I’ve always said that I was going to stop when my body asked me to. I think I’ve got two good years left. But as far as the French team is concerned, I think that’ll be the end of it.”

France, who were knocked out by Switzerland in the last 16 of Euro 2020, last lifted the trophy in 2000. They will face Austria in their Euros group stage opening game on June 17, before taking on the Netherlands and Poland.

Asked if he had any objectives for the European Championship, Giroud said: “No, I really don’t.

“It’s really the desire to go as far as possible in the competition with this generation that drives me.

“If I win, apart from the Premier League, which is very difficult to win, I could say I’ve won everything… After that, I’ve heard a lot about the 60-goal mark for the national team. We’re watching, but it’s not an obsession.”


https://thenewsgiant.com/frances-top-scorer-giroud-retires-after-euro-2024/

Residents of Ikeja area in Lagos State woke up to two separate rallies revolving around former Kogi State’s Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB).

The Pro-GYB protesters converged in the Ogba area of Ikeja early on Saturday morning to call on government that it must follow due process of law in its efforts to arrest Yahaya Bello.

Another group, Zero Corruption Agenda in collaboration with Kogi Peoples United Against Corruption, staged an anti-Yahaya Bello protest in Alausa Ikeja simultaneously.

The group which held a press conference just yesterday, also in Lagos, said it gave the EFCC a seven-day ultimatum to arrest Yahaya Bello or it would picket its offices nationwide.

When newsmen visited the two rallies, it was noticed that the pro-Yahaya Bello rally had over 1,000 protesters, while the anti-Yahaya Bello was scanty with just about 300 protesters.

Speaking on behalf of Citizens Action Against Lawlessness at the rally, Comrade Segun Abegunde, said government must not succumb to lawlessness when dealing with people accused of corruption.

Authorities, he said, must follow all due processes of law in the fight against corruption, in order to avoid throwing the country into anarchy.

Abegunde condemned people he described as anarchists, who are urging the EFCC to circumvent laws and all the necessary judicial procedures in carrying out its duty to arrest Yahaya Bello.

He said his group and other well-meaning Nigerians were not ready to keep quiet anymore when the rule of law is trampled upon.

Furthermore, he said democracy guaranteed a society of law and order where citizens enjoyed maximum protection of their rights by the government they freely elected into power.

He therefore labelled the actions of the Zero Corruption Agenda and its co-traveller as an attack on democracy.

He disclosed that according to Information at his disposal, the group was being sponsored by some politicians from Kogi State, calling on EFCC to ignore any order of any Court of competent jurisdiction and use military force to arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello even when his date to appear in court has already been fixed.

He warned that the call was an anarchist's agenda that wants to throw the country into chaos.

Abegunde revealed that many Nigerians who have suspected that the endless reckless attack on the former Governor, his family members and even innocent children by the EFCC in the most unprofessional ways, despite being protected by the law, have deep political undertones.

He said: “The desperation of these opposition figures and Yahaya Bello's political enemies hiding under the purported corruption charges, to call for his arrest when he has a court order protecting his fundamental human rights and was already in court with the EFCC, confirms evil plots against Yahaya Bello using the EFCC.

“These faceless composites of the so-called Kogites went to the extent of staging a protest against Yahaya Bello in London and made curious calls for his arrest without following rule of law. The videos exposed their ethnic leaning as they were speaking the language of the aggrieved politicians in Kogi State.”

Comrade Segun Abegunde said that the rallies, both home and abroad, calling to jettison due processes of law by EFCC in arresting Bello, court orders or no court orders, sponsored by the opposition and his political enemies within, are not only reckless but dangerous to the polity and are absolutely condemnable.

He urged the EFCC not to listen to the anarchists but follow the rule of law in its duty.

https://thenewsgiant.com/pro-yahaya-bello-rally-outshines-pro-efcc-protesters-in-lagos/

A teacher has been found guilty of having sex with two schoolboys.

Rebecca Joynes, 30, groomed both boys from the age of 15, Manchester Crown Court was told.

Joynes was convicted of four counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of sexual activity with another child,

She was on bail for sexual activity with the first child, boy A, when she began sex with the second, boy B, who she went on to become pregnant by.

Neither teen must be identified.

Joynes closed her eyes and grimaced before beginning to shake as the guilty verdicts were returned by the jury foreman.

Her mother and father, sitting in the public gallery, made no reaction.

But yards away the parents of the boys stifled cheers as Joynes was convicted.

Judge Kate Cornell warned Joynes: "There's a baby in this case who has done nothing wrong and is entirely innocent of all wrongdoing, and you will obviously want to see her before the sentence is passed, I do understand that.

"But you must be under no illusion what's going to happen on the fourth of July."

Michael O'Brien, defending, is now applying for a bail.

Joynes joined the school in 2018, as part of the Teach First teacher recruitment scheme after studying for a sports and exercise science degree.

The court had heard she was 28, had just come out of a nine-year relationship, and was "flattered" by the attention of teenage schoolboys.

Boy A worked out her mobile number after she gave him all but one digit, and the pair connected on Snapchat.

He sent her flirtatious texts and they agreed to meet secretly.

Boy A lied to his mother that he was staying over at a friend's house after school finished on Friday, but instead Joynes picked him up near his home in her Audi A1, took him to the Trafford Centre, and bought him a £350 Gucci belt.

Breaking bail
Back at her flat they kissed and had sex twice.

The next day the boy's mother noticed a love-bite on her son's neck, which he dismissed as "nothing".

But police received a tip-off and visited the school along with boy A's "distraught" mother, who stormed into reception after being told her son had spent the night with a teacher.

Joynes was bailed on condition she have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18.

She said she had a "breakdown" and moved back to her parents in Wirral.

She was at a low point when boy B messaged her on Snapchat asking how she was.

"I genuinely thought he cared," Joynes said.

Joynes moved back to Salford Quays, and Boy B visited and they had sex for the first time.

She was arrested for breaking bail conditions and spent five months in custody until she was bailed in November last year, giving birth in early 2024.

Jane Wilson, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: "Rebecca Joynes is a sexual predator.
"She abused her position to groom and ultimately sexually exploit schoolboys. Her behaviour has had a lasting impact on them."

https://thenewsgiant.com/female-teacher-guilty-of-sex-with-2-boys/

CAC Lady Evangelist Medaiyese’s Book Now Available On Amazon

Get your copy with one simple click…

https://www.amazon.com/JOURNEY-FAITH-CHRIST-EUNICE-OMOTOLA-ebook/dp/B0CY38PR4N

CAC Lady Evangelist Medaiyese’s Book Now Available On Amazon

Get your copy with one simple click…

https://www.amazon.com/JOURNEY-FAITH-CHRIST-EUNICE-OMOTOLA-ebook/dp/B0CY38PR4N

Renowned journalist and columnist, Ray Ekpu, has announced the news of the death of his wife, Uyai Ekpu.

The grieving Ray Ekpu disclosed to PUNCH Online in a statement he signed on Wednesday.

Mrs. Ekpu, aged 73, died on April 21, following a brief illness.

The statement read, “Uyai was a distinguished staff member of the Centre for Management Development (CMD), where she served until her retirement in 2011 as an Acting Director in the Management Education and Training Department.

“Uyai was a scholar of remarkable achievements, holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Enugu State University of Technology, Enugu State.

“Additionally, she earned diplomas from the Maastricht School of Management and the Ghana Institute of Management and Personnel Administration, Ghana.

“Uyai epitomised the virtues of family, community service, and inclusivity. Her life was characterised by a deep-rooted compassion and devotion to God.”

“Uyai is survived by her husband, Ray Ekpu, and three children: Elu Ray Mbakwe, Mfoniso Ray Ekpu, and Edikan Ray Osho.

“She leaves behind six grandchildren, as well as her elder sister, Eneanwan Inyang, a retired educator, and a multitude of other relatives.”

Ekpu, who previously served as Editor-in-chief and Chief Executive Officer of Newswatch Magazine, said details regarding the funeral arrangements for his wife would be communicated in due course.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/renowned-journalist-ray-ekpu-loses-wife/%3famp

Sokoto State’s Governor Ahmad Aliyu has sacked 15 district heads for allegedly aiding insecurity and engaging in land racketeering.

Also, Aliyu accused the previous administration of Senator Aminu Tambuwal of not follow due process in the appointment of some of the district heads.

Making the pronouncement in a statement on Tuesday, April 23, Abubakar Bawa, Press Secretary to the Governor said Aliyu, meanwhile, approved the reinstatement of seven district heads and placed four others under investigation.

He said the reinstatement and dethronement happened on the strength of the recommendation of a committee set up to review the appointments of traditional rulers in the state.

The statement said: “His Excellency the executive Governor of Sokoto state, Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, PhD, FCNA has approved the implementation of the recommendations made by the committee set up to review the appointments of traditional rulers, renaming of tertiary institutions and the dissolution of governing boards of state parastatals other than the Statutory bodies.

“The district heads of Tsaki and Asara are to retain their positions. The cases involving district heads of Isa, Kuchi, Kilgori and Gagi have been recommended for further investigations.

“Alh. Sama’ila Abdulkadir Mujeli is to return to his former post as Sarkin Rafin Gumbi.

“Nine (9) district heads namely; Unguwar Lalle, Yabo, Wamakko, Tulluwa, Illela, Dogon Daji, Kebbe, Alkammu, and Giyawa are hereby relieved of their appointments, for various offences bordering on insubordination, aiding insecurity, land racketeering, conversion of public properties for personal use, and in the overriding public interest.

“Similarly, six (6) district heads namely; Marafan Tangaza.Sarkin Gabas Kalambaina, Bunun Gongono, Sarkin Kudun Yar Tsakkuwa, Sarkin Tambuwal and Sarkin Yamman Torankawa are hereby dropped for the haphazard and unprocedural processes in their appointments by the immediate past administration as well as their total rejection by their subjects.”

[https://thenewsgiant.com/sokoto-gov-sacks-monarchs-appointed-by-predecessor-tambuwal/]

The seven district heads retained are: Aliyu Abubakar III, Ibrahim Dasuki Moh’d Maccido, Abubakar Buhari Salame, Aminu Aliyu Bello, Mahmud Shehu Yabo Mahe, Muntari Muhammad Tukur Ambarura Ambarura, and Malam Isah Aliyu Rarah.

Reject Pipeline Contracts In Itsekiri, Ilaje Lands For Tompolo

Leaders of civil society groups have held a rally in Lagos, calling for a stop to the pattern of awarding pipeline contracts to people and groups associated with violence.

They expressed full support for the reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, asking Nigerians to be patient to reap the dividends.

The groups, under the Civil Society Coalition for Mandate Protection, (CSC-MAP), which held a rally at Ojota in Lagos on Wednesday, cautioned that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) may be unconsciously empowering armed groups through pipeline contracts in the Niger Delta.

The groups said pipeline protection should be given to professional and that pipelines in Itsekiri and Yoruba territories should not be given to former bandits who once led armed insurrection against the state.

Over 1,000 representatives of indigenous peoples from oil-producing communities in Lagos, Ondo and Delta states attended the rally.

The group said it may be compelled to hold rallies in Abuja to draw the attention of The Presidency, the National Assembly and the International Community.

[img][/img]
https://thenewsgiant.com/civil-society-groups-in-lagos-rally-back-tinubu-and-reject-pipeline-contracts-for-ex-bandits/

Some of the banners read: ‘Stop Pipeline Contracts to Bandits’, ‘No more pipeline contracts for former militants,’ ‘Don’t Give Pipelines Protection in Itsekiriland to Our Enemy’, ‘Probe illegal Arms in Niger-Delta’, Okuoma Killings: Who gave The |Guns.’

The group said: ‘The CSC-MAP has received complaints from many oil-producing communities who feel sidelined by the Federal Government and corporation institutions like oil-producing companies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC in benefit sharing and job opportunities for the young in the companies involved in oil pipeline protection.’

The coalition said indigenous peoples vehemently oppose the idea of giving the protection of pipelines protection in Itsekiri and Ilaje lands to Mr Government Ekemuokpolo said to have led armed battles against the Itsekiri and Ilaje in the past.

‘We want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed.We do not want anything that can lead to another round of crisis in the oil-producing communities in the Niger-Delta.The NNPC must never give protection of pipelines in Itsekiri and Ilaje territories to Tompolo who was the ring leader in the ethnic conflict between Itsekiri and Ijaw and between Ijaw and Ilaje. Any attempt to do this is an invitation to chaos,’ the group said.

The coalition said oil-producing communities are concerned that while oil pipleline contracts are a means of providing jobs for local communities, the majority of people in oil-producing companies are sidelined by the fact that some of the companies involved in the pipelines protection are not indigenous to the communities and territories that are expected to protect.

‘The indigenous communities like Itsekiri and Ilaje are being sidelined. There is a looming dispute which can snowball into a major problem. It is inconceivable that oil pipeline protection in Itsekiri and Ilaje have been handed over to interests that fought these communities with arms and ammunition in the past.’

They said the danger is that leaders of armed groups in the name of pipeline protection are being fortified and funded to have dominion on Itsekiri and Ilaje territories, which is totally unacceptable.

‘Itsekiri and Ilaje Communities in Ondo, Delta, Lagos states call on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review the oil pipeline contracts to ensure that local and indigenous people that host oil and oil pipelines are direct beneficiaries,’ the CSC-MAP said.

Leaders who spoke at the rally were the CSC-MAP Deputy Coordinator, Michael Ajayi, Assistant Secretary, Ajayi Lateef, Abubakar Salami and Uzor Jideofor.

The group said millions of youths remain unemployed in Iteskiri communities even though they are from oil-producing communities.

That indigenous communities in Ondo, Itsekiri Delta, Ogun and Lagos States called on Tinubu to review the whole indigenous companies operating in these states to ensure that the real beneficiaries are people indigenous to these communities.’

CSC-MAP said the Federal Government should ensure pipeline protection does not lead to proliferation of arms in the oil-producing communities. It said the communities are worried following the killings of 17 soldiers in the Niger Delta which it shows clearly that certain elements in the Niger Delta are in possession of dangerous weapons.

It said: ‘The Federal Government should launch a new amnesty to ensure armed groups remaining in the Niger Delta hand over their arms to the Federal Government. That the Federal Government should set up a committee made up of security agencies and community leaders to investigate the source of arms used in the killing of the soldiers and to punish those responsible for the proliferation of arms.’

‘The CSC-MAP said the communities are worried and feel unsafe following the killings of 17 soldiers: ‘It shows clearly that illicit arms remain in large numbers in the Niger Delta. We call for immediate and thorough investigations to find out if there is a link between arms proliferation in the Niger Delta, oil pipeline contracts and the recent killing of the soldiers. That failure to address these burning issues may lead to outbreak of hostilities the Niger-Delta.

‘The community based organisation in the oil-producing communities are concerned about old and fresh environmental problems arising from busting of illegal refineries, social and cultural issues associated with oil production pipeline protection in Nigeria. CSC-MAP is also concerned with issues of pollution, security and other indigenous issues relating to oil production in Nigeria. The Civil Society Coalition for Mandate Protection, (CSC-MAP) is a coalition of 55 civil society, community-based organisations and faith based groups spread across Nigeria.’

The group was established in 2007 as a platform for the protection and defence of democracy, justice and the rule of law in Nigeria.

CSC-MAP has been involved in peace building and conflict prevention in the past 16 years through workshops, training advocacy and networking in urban and rural communities in Nigeria.