₦airaland Forum

The Kogi State House of Assembly on Friday impeached the state deputy governor, Elder Simon Achuba.

In doing so, however, the panel shunned the report of a seven-man judicial panel of enquiry constituted by the Kogi State Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah, to investigate the allegation of gross misconduct leveled against him.

The Chairman of the panel, Barrister John Baiyeshea, SAN, had earlier in the day led six other members of the panel to submit the report to the Speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole, at the assembly complex in Lokoja.

The House, after a few hours, announced the deputy governor’s impeachment, following an emergency meeting.

Majority Leader of the House, Bello Balogun, announced that the house met, sat and deliberated on the recommendations of the panel to arrive at their decision.

Documents available to The Nation, however, revealed that contrary to the decision of the lawmakers, the seven-man panel had cleared Achuba before his purported impeachment.

The panel headed by Baiyeshea had said that the allegations against Achuba had not been proved, saying there was no basis for the removal of the deputy governor in line with the 1999 Constitution.

It said the salaries of the deputy governor were not paid since February 2018

But while the panel’s report was submitted to the Assembly, it went ahead to remove the deputy governor.

The Assembly’s decision was said to have shocked members of the panel who were inaugurated by Justice Ajana on August 26, 2019.

A report of the panel obtained by The Nation on Friday night said Achuba was not guilty of mismanagement of funds, incitement, and murder of constituents.

Members of the panel are John Baiyeshea, SAN (Chairman); Hon. Justice S. S. Idajili (Rtd.); Barrister U. O. Onoja; Barrister E. I. Omuya; Venerable Z. O. Asun; Engr. Muhammad Ada Shuaibu and Dr. I. Ndagi Adamu.

The report said in part: “In line with Section 188( of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) quoted herein before, we hereby report to the Kogi State House of Assembly that the allegations contained in the Notice of Allegations admitted in evidence by this Panel as Exhibit C7 have not been proved.”

The panel dismissed the allegation of misappropriation of funds and non-compliance with extant financial regulations by the deposed deputy governor.

It said: “The summary of the evidence of all the said witnesses is that the Deputy Governor ought to retire some funds, and reference is made in this allegation to records from the Accountant-General’s Office and other appropriate Agencies which the Complainants claim indicate total non-compliance by the Deputy Governor, but Exhibit C8, C9, C10, C11, C12 produced from the Accountant General’s office tendered by CW2, firstly are not signed documents except for its certification.

“So the maker is not known, and by reason of them having not been signed originally, they are of no probative value.”

The panel also cleared the impeached deputy governor of alleged sponsorship of communal unrest, murder of constituents and displacement of communities in lyano, Ibaji LGA, Kogi State.

The report said: “This allegation was abandoned by the complainants in that no evidence was led at all by the complainants for consideration in respect of this allegation. Therefore same is abandoned.

“However, the allegation of the complainants is that there is a report of a Panel that indicted the Deputy Governor. No such report was placed before us. Instead, the Deputy Governor in paragraph 17 (m) (xvi) averred categorically that the report, Exhibit RQ which he tendered does not contain any indictment against the Deputy Governor.

“Consequently, this allegation having been abandoned is not proved.”

The panel also confirmed that the claim of the deputy governor that his salaries were unpaid since February 2018 was true.

The report added: “In Sub-paragraph 3 of the allegation of misconduct Exhibit C7, the complainant states as follows: “That his claims as regards non-payment of salaries is believed to be false upon an objective consideration of the state of the State’s finances hitherto, which is well known to all members of this Honourable House who also made efforts to find solutions.”

“Our comment, observation, and opinion on this is that apart from just a feeble statement that the claim of the Deputy Governor is false, there is nothing to suggest that the complainants were asserting positively and categorically that the Deputy Governor had been paid his salaries.

“However, the complainants want the claim of the Deputy Governor to be subjected to objective consideration of the finances of the state.

“We must confess that we do not understand what this phrase is supposed to mean. But we interpret it actually in the context of the whole paragraph to mean that the Deputy Governor’s salaries were not paid because the state has challenges with its finances and that the challenges are known to the members of the House of Assembly (who incidentally are the complainants) and that they’ve been making efforts to find solutions.

“In other words, we take this as an admission against interest to say that the Deputy Governor’s salaries have indeed not been paid and he has reason to complain.

“Based on the Notice of Misconduct before us, this particular allegation does not contain anything to show positively that the claims of the Deputy Governor are not true.

“However, in the observance of provisions for fair hearing, and to hear all the parties and what they have to put in, the complainants were allowed before commencement of hearing to bring in additional documents.

“And the additional documents are Exhibits C1 to C6 which were tendered by CW 1, and Exhibits C8- C12 tendered by CW2.

“By these exhibits, the complainants attempted to establish that the Deputy Governor was paid his salary contrary to his claim.

“However, it was revealed under cross-examination of CW1 and CW2 by J.S. Okutepa , SAN, that the said Exhibits were mere Schedules of Payment sent to the banks without cash backing.

“CW1 admitted under Cross-examination and stated as follows: “There is a distinction between Schedule of Payment and Actual payment. Salaries are not paid by cash and when they are paid by cash, the beneficiary signs… We are not owing any civil servants any salaries. We have paid them till August.”

“We observe here that the issue has to do with the Deputy Governor’s salary who is a political office holder and not a civil servant. It is also to be noted that Exhibits C8 – C12 tendered by CW2 are also schedules of payment. CW2 under cross-examination (See record of proceedings of 16th September 2019 Volume 2) admitted that he did not make any direct payments to the Deputy Governor.

“He also admitted that the Exhibits are not payment vouchers and as such the Deputy Governor did not sign the documents. From the evidence of these two witnesses, it cannot be positively confirmed/asserted that the Deputy Governor’s claims of non-payment of his salary is false.

“This is because from the totality of the evidence as enunciated above, there is a doubt about the payment of salaries to the Deputy Governor who is claiming that he has not been paid.

“We resolve this doubt in favour of the Deputy Governor because the evidence on record is Schedule of Payment and not evidence of actual payment. CW3 under cross examination by J.S. Okutepa SAN (See proceedings of 16th September 2019 volume 2) stated as follows on the issue, “Schedule of payment and actual payment is different. Until payment is made, approval to pay is not payment.” “Further on the claims on the issue of money, personal entitlements and office running imprest, CW5-The Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s office admitted under cross-examination by J.S. Okutepa (SAN) Deputy Governor’s lead counsel (See proceedings of 16th September 2019 volume 2 of this report) that from February 2018 to date, no money has been released for the running of the Deputy Governor’s office.

“He stated as follows: “From February 2018 till date He said security votes are to be given to the Deputy Governor’s office on monthly basis. From 2018 till date, we have not received security votes from the office of the Deputy Governor… Security votes by practice are not subject to government financial rules. Other salaries yet to be paid to other staff are still outstanding and unpaid. Schedule of payment does not translate to payment.”

“Putting all the foregoing together, and side by side with the evidence of the Deputy Governor in his deposition on oath from paragraph 17 (k), (l), (m)(vi), (m)(vii), (m)(viii), (m)(ix), (m)(x) and also his adoption of the evidence on oath and cross-examination. And considering the fact that the Deputy governor wrote Exhibit RP1- a letter to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria dated 6th August 2018, Exhibit RP2- letter to the Vice President of Nigeria, Exhibit RP3- a letter to the Secretary to the Federal Government, Exhibit RP4- a letter to the President of Nigeria on the same issue dated 28th of March, 2019, Exhibit RP5- another letter to the Vice President of Nigeria dated 28th March, 2019, and Exhibit RP6 – a letter to Adams Oshiomole, the National Chairman of the APC, all these go to show that the Deputy governor complained about non-payment of the salaries of his staff, security allowances, office running, etc.

“Interestingly, there is nothing before us to show that the complainants sent any correspondence to all these personalities to show that they had paid and that what the Deputy Governor was saying was not true. Neither was any response sent to the Deputy Governor’s lawyers in the same vein.

PapaBaby:
This case has nothing to do with Sharia law, I suggest Judge Tanko relocates to Kano, there are many cases awaiting his expertise. Nonsense

He was next in rank to Onnoghen....we have to make do with him until he leaves...

PapaBaby:
Buhari not only wants APC judges to hear the case, he made sure Sharia Judge Tanko will preside.

The Supreme Court act states that there must be a Judge versed in Sharia law and a Judge versed in Customary Law at every time.
I think three each.


Modified: That's the Federal CoA

PapaBaby:
Buhari not only wants APC judges to hear the case, he made sure Sharia Judge Tanko will preside.

It is customary the CJN must preside, then the most senior Justices ...it is expected that at that level, there is some kind of courage that comes with that experience.

wwwihy:
A man may fulfill the object of his existence by asking a question he cannot answer, and attempting a task he cannot achieve.

Why did you edit?

We wait and watch.....

A caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the house of representatives says Mary Odili, Slyvester Ngwuta, Bode Rhodes-Vivour and three other senior justices of the supreme court must be appointed to hear the appeal of Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku, PDP presidential candidate in the last election, had filed an appeal at the apex court to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the election petition tribunal.

It is a tradition at the supreme court for senior justices, including the chief justice of Nigeria, to preside over presidential election appeals.

Odili, a senior justice, is the wife of Peter Odili, former Rivers state governor and founding member of the PDP.

Rhodes-Vivour, another senior justice, is the father of Gbadebo, who ran for Lagos west senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP in the last election.

Ngwuta, a senior justice, resumed duties at the supreme court in September after being prosecuted for alleged corruption by the Buhari administration.

In a statement signed by Kingsley Chinda, PDP leader in the house, the caucus said Nigeria has set the precedent of appointing the most senior justices to hear presidential election appeals since 1979.

“The hearing of the appeal on the decision of the Presidential Election Petition filed by Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and our great party, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), begins a few weeks at the Supreme Court,” it said.

“The practice of selecting Justices to hear the appeal is expected to precede the hearing, going by age-long convention. What isn’t conventional is the present attempt to influence Chief Justice Ibrahim Tanko, going by reports in the media, to subvert the age-long and time-tested practice, precedent and convention of selecting the most senior Justices of the Supreme Court to hear the presidential election appeal.

“Chief Justices of Nigeria through time have never in the selection of the Supreme Court’s Election Petition Appeal Panel surrendered to the phoney dictates of the ruling parties.

“We are proud to state here that never in our great party’s time in power, did it or its personages, dictate selection of panel members to Chief Justices; NEVER.

“In 2008 when President Buhari, defeated by late President Umaru Yar’Adua, appealed the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, the then Chief Justice, Legbo Kutigi, empaneled Justices Katsina-Alu, Aloma Mukhtar, Dahiru Musdapha, Walter Onnoghen, George Oguntade and Niki Tobi to hear the appeal that year.

“He was never dictated to, nor was any attempt made by our great party to influence CJN Justice Legbo Kutigi, who stuck to a conventional practice that consistently secured the seal of approval of past Chief Justices: CJN Fatai Williams, 1979; CJN George Sowewimo, 1983; and CJN Muhammad Uwais, 2003.

“CJN Katsina-Alu also followed CJN Kutigi’s steps in 2011 and kept to the age-long conventional practice. If there is any arm of government that regards precedents and practices as almost sacrosanct, it is the judiciary. Nigerian Judiciary cannot reverse that internationally accepted practice of stare decisis just to please A.P.C government and serve the interest of a select individual or group.

“Selecting the Supreme Court Panel isn’t about witch-pricking-pricking Justices who suck blood out of justice isn’t about going outside the order of seniority to select Justices, witch-prickers, without independent jurisprudential thoughts and whose singular attribute for selection is that they demonstrate permanent dislike for justice and passion for doing the bidding of power.

“Surely, selection, Shorn off pressure and influence of the government and the present ruling party, is about demonstrating and holding firm to the constitutional powers of the Supreme Court to conduct its own affairs and not succumb to pervasive power and corrosive external influences.

“To sidestep precedents and convention is to provide legitimacy to the ruling party whose stock-in-trade is ridiculing the judiciary. Chief Justice Ibrahim Tanko must Sticks to precedents and conventions to preserve the integrity of the courts as the last hope of the common man and of citizens of our great country.

“We are however, gladdened that on Monday 14th October, 2019 through its Director, Press and Information, Dr. Festus Akande, the Supreme Court refuted this intent and reassured the Nigerian public that it is out to “Serve the interest of the generality of the Nigerian masses and not select individuals or groups”. We therefore, pray and hope that the Supreme Court does not allow itself to fall into this gobble trap.

“We wish to state that selection of Justices to hear the appeal of our great party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, must be in accordance with the conventional practice admitting only of the selection of the first seven most senior Justices of the Supreme Court: CJN Ibrahim Tanko, Justice Rhodes-Vivour, Justice Mary Odili, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Justice Musa Muhammad and Justice Kumai Akaahs. NO MORE.”


https://www.thecable.ng/pdp-reps-mary-odili-ngwuta-rhodes-vivour-must-be-appointed-to-hear-atikus-appeal

Lagos Water Corporation in Onikan area of Lagos Island on Thursday gut fire.

It could be recalled that there was a fire outbreak at the Lagos Water Corporation, Onikan Waterworks, in the early hours of Thursday October 17, 2019, which disrupted water supply to the Onikan area of the State. In its preliminary investigation, the Corporation revealed that the fire started from the Waterworks Independent Power Plant (IPP) point and spread to the gatehouse, destroyed the underground cable and burnt the operational vehicle parked inside the waterworks.

As of press time on Thursday officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Response Team, Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were still battling the fire incident at the Water Corporation in Onikan roundabout, in Onikan area of Lagos Island, although the fire had been put under control and confined to a secluded portion of the complex.

It was gathered that the fire ignited from different places on the ground inside and outside the Water Corporation complex. It was also learnt that the fire was suspected to be as a result of an underground gas or petrol facility suspected to be a pipeline.

As of the time of filing in this report, no loss of life or injury was recorded.

LASEMA Public Affairs Officer, Nosa Okunbor, said the Agency and other responders were still battling an ongoing fire incident at Water Corporation, Onikan roundabout, in Onikan area of Lagos Island as of press time yesterday.

He explained that the Water Corporation fire outbreak, according to the Agency’s recovery efforts around 18:42pm on Thursday revealed that a link was established with Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) confirming that there is an unidentified gas pipeline passing through the area.

He noted that efforts are being made to turn off the gas supply pipeline, saying recovery operation was still ongoing.

He said the fire was confined to a secluded portion of the complex.

“The fire was reportedly discovered to have ignited from different places on the ground inside and outside the water corporation complex. We have not recorded any loss of lives during the operation, nor has injuries been sustained.

“The combined efforts of the Agency’s Response Team, alongside Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and LASTMA on ground have paid off in ensuring the situation is under control. Though the suspected source of the gas leakage is still unknown, but LASEMA’s efforts on behalf of other Emergency responders are yielding handsome results.

He said; “The development is attributed to the fact that the confined fire which was burning like a pocket fire will be put out finally on arrival of the gas pipeline vendors. While awaiting arrival of the gas vendors to turn off the gas pipes at its main supply, blanketing and dampening are still ongoing at the recovery operation.

“Having successfully controlled and confined the fire with ongoing blanketing and awaiting the final shutdown of the gas supply at source, road traffic has been diverted. All roads inwards Onikan have been effectively cordoned off from Awolowo road to militate against any secondary incidents while the ongoing recovery operation lasts,” he said.

https://thenationonlineng.net/fire-guts-water-corporation/

FrLukas:


Just like that? No offence?

The deportees, who allegedly attempted to undermine national security, were also banned from returning to the country for life.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/fg-deports-seven-koreans-bans-them-for-life/amp/

September 13
Valweezy
400billionman
OakconsultNG
Huncho19

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja gave the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Chief David Lyon, and other defendants in a suit instituted against them by Preye Aganaba to file their defence within seven days.

Aganaba, a frontline aspirant in the just-concluded governorship primaries and founding member of the APC in Bayelsa, dragged the APC, Lyon and his running mate Degi Eremienyo including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the court in a suit he personally filed on September 12.

The aspirant , who moved the case from the Yenagoa division of the court to Abuja recently secured an order of substituted service against the defendants from the Federal High Court 5 presided over by Justice I.E. Ekwo.

But when the matter came up again on Wednesday, the defendants, who were in court acknowledged that they had been served the court processes and pleaded for seven days to file their defences.

The judge, who reportedly granted them the request, remarked that if they failed to comply after seven days, their action would be treated as abandonment of defence.

Ekwo adjourned the matter to November 4 for hearing.

Aganaba is asking the court to make a declaration that the primaries scheduled for September 4 across the 105 wards in the eight local government areas of the state did not take place.

He is praying the court to make a declaration that since there were no primaries, the declaration of results that produced David Lyon as the candidate of the party was illegal, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect.

The aspirant is further demanding an order setting aside the results of the APC primary election, which returned Lyon as the candidate of the party for November 16 election.
https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-court-orders-lyon-to-file-defence-within-seven-days/
Lalasticlala mynd44 Seun

Later, jobs will be posted on all job sites for Direct Short Service, federal this and that, etc.

One yeye aunty or uncle will just come from no where and say "just apply, there is nothing God cannot do", don't you have faith?, I know a friend whose son had a job in that same office without knowing anybody, just apply it.

Can you now see that there is nothing God cannot do?


At the end of it all, nothing...absolutely nothing will come out of the probe.

Crisis is allegedly brewing in the Senate over the employment slots allocated to the lawmakers by some federal agencies.

Some aggrieved senators have vowed to resist the sharing method allegedly adopted by the leadership of the Senate to allocate the slots.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the agencies gave the legislators the slots through their leaders.

But the slots were allegedly shared among the 10-member body of principal officers.

According to sources, many of the lawmakers are particularly bitter that their leaders allegedly shared the 100 slots allegedly given the Senate by the Federal Inland Revenue Service among themselves.

An aggrieved senator from the South-West, said on condition of anonymity, “We were given 100 slots by the FIRS but our leaders shared the slots among themselves.”

A ranking senator from the North-West said, “We have information that one of the leaders gave 26 slots to people in his senatorial district. There is a problem in the Senate already, because the leadership has cornered jobs meant for the entire Nigerians.

“Does it mean that you must know a senator before you get a job? Nothing is being done on merit. How will you get the best brains?

“The implication of this is that many people are being offered employment without undergoing any interview.

“They give them appointment letters because they know the leaders of the Senate. How can a single senatorial district get 26 slots when others have nothing?”

But a Senator from the South-East, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that he expected every legislator to have been given a slot.

A member of the Senate Committee on Federal Character, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that there was a crisis in the Senate following the development.

He said, “The fact that the leaders allegedly collected 100 slots and share them among themselves has shown that we cannot win the war against the lopsidedness that we talk about in this country.

“Some of our colleagues are already coming to lobby us to take it easy with the probe but we are going ahead with it.”

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character, Danjuma La’ah, said he was aware that some agencies had been boasting that nothing would come out of the (secret recruitment) probe because they had allegedly reached out to the leaders of the Senate.

The committee is probing the allegations that some agencies had been secretly recruiting without advertising the jobs.

La’ah said, “We are hearing that some agencies will not honour our invitation because they have connection with the Senate leadership. I am not aware that any agency gave out employment slots to the Senate.

“The leadership has not told us that they received any slot.

“As the chairman of this committee, who is also representing Kaduna South, I am not in any way aware that we have been given any employment slots, so we are going ahead with our probe.

“I have taken it upon myself that I will probe deeply into the agencies’ claims and carry out an extensive investigation. We are going to expose all those that are tarnishing the image of the Federal Government.

“We are aware that some of the agencies are selling employment slots for as much as N1.5m when we have children who have not got jobs since they graduated.

“Some have become bandits and terrorists because the jobs meant for them have been cornered by some greedy people. Young educated Nigerians are joining Boko Haram because of a lack of jobs.”

On when the agencies would appear before the committee to defend themselves, La’ah said, “Never mind, they will appear soon.”

He added, “President Muhammadu Buhari is not happy with what is going and he has been looking for a way to sack people with bad records. I even want him to use this as a yardstick to sanitise the system.”

La’ah said on Friday the committee had asked the officials of the affected agencies to appear before them this week.

The committee last week started investigating the allegations of secret recruitment by some of the federal agencies.

They include the FIRS, National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, National Space Research and Development Agency, the National Open University and the Federal Civil Service Commission.

https://punchng.com/crisis-rocks-senate-over-secret-recruitment/
Lalasticlala
Seun
Mynd44

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Cross River State and Elders Forum have kicked against Governor Ben Ayade’s return to school.

Governor Ayade had penultimate week enrolled as a post-graduate student in the faculty of Law, University of Calabar.

Sources close to the department said the Governor attended first lectures on Thursday, last week.

In a separate interview in Calabar on Tuesday, the stakeholders described Ayade’s return-to-school as a sign of idleness and an indication that the PDP-led leadership lacks direction and vision.

Reacting, the State Chairman of APC, Mr. John Ochala, said any serious-minded governor will not leave governance for school, recalling that no governor in the history of the country has ever done that.

Ochala regretted that the state had been handed over to an unserious leadership that has continued to drag it backward, saying that the governor has remained in office without any tangible achievement.

He said: “APC had always known that the present administration of PDP in the state was never serious in the first place.

“We have dilapidated roads all over the state, look at our schools, our health infrastructure, our revenue generation capacity, and all other infrastructures. These are not enough to bother a governor. All that bothers him is to use public funds to go to school. Why didn’t he go to school when he was a Senator?

“He is doing this to divert peoples’ attention from his failed administration. Besides, what are the socio-political or economic values of going to school to Cross Riverians? From his performance, one can say that all the schools he attended before now has in no way impacted positively on Cross Riverians other than economic underdevelopment”

The APC chairman said in spite of numerous challenges including communal clashes here and there the governor still travels outside the state too often, wondering what would become of the governance now he has become a student at UNICAL.

The party decried the non-contact of local government election in the state, saying such an unconstitutional act has rendered governance at the local impotent.

Also reacting on behalf of Cross River Elders Gorum, Chief Martins Agbor, said Governor Ayade has betrayed Cross Ruverians by abandoning governance back to school.

Agbor expressed worry how the Governor would cope with day-to-day administration and then combing it with daily academic work, saying the electorate are disappointed his attitude to governance in this second coming.

“I can tell you that if he had enrolled for a second degree in law for his first time, we would not have voted for him. He promised to make life better when he comes back and we believed him. Five months into his second term he is yet to appoint commissioners neither has he inaugurated any project as other Governors did in their one hundred days in office.

“Rather What we got from his media aides are praises of Ayade being the first serving Governor to be enrolled for law programme. It is very sad.”

Describing the criticisms as sheer idiocy, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Christian Ita, said there is no law stopping anybody from going to school even when the person is occupying a public office.

“The criticism is sheer idiocy because there is no law stopping anybody from going to school, including those occupying public office. Mugabe had most of his degrees while in public office.

“Modern governance runs at institutional levels and the governor, not being a superman, has put into place institutions that will drive development,” he stated.


https://www.sunnewsonline.com/apc-elders-forum-kick-as-ayade-enrols-in-unical/
Lalasticlala mynd44 Seun

The National Identity Management Commission, says the renewal of the National Identity Card will cost five thousand naira (N5,000) payable through remita.

This was disclosed by its tweeter handle (@nimc_ng) monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday, and confirmed by a staff of the Corporate Department of the NIMC.

NIMC also said that applicants who wish to renew their card can visit any NIMC office with the required documents to obtain their card.

” The requirements include a written application with attached proof of payment receipt made through remita, bank teller, NIN slip and submit it at our office.

” Card renewal costs N5,000 payable through remita.” NIMC tweeted.

The tweet also explained that the main focus of the commission was to ensure that all Nigerians are enrolled.

” Our main focus is ensuring that all Nigerians are enrolled and issued their NIN and Your NIN is the most important token of your enrollment.

According to the commission, Nigerians can authenticate their National Identity Number through the NIMC verification portal.

”Your NIN can be authenticated through our verification portal without your card” NIMC tweeted.

” You will be issued your cards when funds permit, Please bear with us and Your NIN is generated immediately for you upon successful completion of your enrolment.”


https://punchng.com/national-id-card-renewal-costs-n5000-nimc/

Bayelsa state govern­or, Hon Seriake Dickson, on Monday said the forthcoming governorship election in the state is not about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but about the fut­ure of the state and the Ijaw nation as a wh­ole.

He, therefore, urged the people to rej­ect the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the November 16 Gover­norship election.

The Governor also as­ked the leader of the All Progressives Congress, and Minister of State for Petro­leum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, to apologise to the people of Bayelsa for presenting an unelectable ticket to the people.I

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor to have made the ca­ll at the official opening of the PDP go­vernorship campaign office/secretariat in Yenagoa on Monday.

Commercial activities were brought to ha­lt along the busy Me­lford Okilo Road with the capital city on lockdown for hou­rs as the rally attr­acted a mammoth crowd from across the ei­ght local government areas of the state.

According to Dickson, the governorship poll is not only about Senator Douye Diri­,​ the PDP flagbear­er but about the entire Ijaw race.

The governor said th­at the APC has nothi­ng to offer the peop­le of the state and indeed the Ijaw nati­on as shown by the fact that the party which controls the ce­ntre had failed to attract any critical infrastructure to the state.

He said that the APC had only succeeded in promoting insecur­ity and instability in the communities of Bayelsa such as the sacking of Peremab­iri in Southern Ijaw Local Government Ar­ea and Bassambiri in Nembe Local Governm­ent Area.

His words: “The elec­tion is not about me but about the future of the state. Sena­tor Douye Diri is a symbol of what we ha­ve to do to keep our state within the bo­undaries of sanity.

“Now, five years aft­er, we know they have nothing to offer us in Bayelsa. Have they built any schoo­l, road, hospital, have they even built peace and security?I

“The only thing to show is the invasion of our communities, which have been dest­abilized.

“In Peremabiri, they handed over the com­munity to Ogun Boss, who is setting up a campaign team. Nembe Bassambiri is rans­acked and destabilised; law-abiding citi­zens are sacked and converted to Interna­lly Displaced Person­s. In Okpoama, old men and women are bro­ught out and flogged­.”

“Nobody should be pe­rturbed, about party leaders defecting. They are leaving bec­ause of money and fa­ke promises but the people are not with them. The APC doesn’t mean well even for the leaders who are leaving. The defeat APC will suffer will shock them.


“Today we are launch­ing ‘Operation wind up the APC in Bayels­a.’ A government by the APC has grave im­plications and it is better imagined.”

While urging members of the PDP to remain steadfast, the governor stre­ssed the significance of protecting the party’s platform, wh­ich he said had prod­uced countless state and national politi­cal appointees inclu­ding Vice president and president of the country.

Dickson, who expressed confidence in Senator Diri as a worthy successor, said he would perso­nally chair the PDP campaign council just as Chief Timipre Sylva has emerged cha­irman of his party’s campaign organisati­on.

In his remarks, the PDP governorship can­didate said the election would be a contest between those who are teste­d, committed and kno­wledgeable and those who are lacking in know­ledge and values.

Senator Diri​ added that the oil companies who are op­erating in the Niger Delta were attempting to deepen their op­pression and depriva­tion of the area by sponsoring their col­laborators to attempt control of the str­uctures of governance in the state.

Diri lamented also that the alliance of the Federal Governme­nt and oil firms had continually deprived the state and the Niger Delta region despite the immense contributions from the area.I

He stressed that wh­en elected into offi­ce, his administrati­on would give the deserved attenti­on to the genuine as­pirations of the peo­ple for better stand­ards of existence and a just formula for resource allocation.

According to him, the Niger Delta had go­ne beyond the era of militancy and was in need of constructed engagement to be driven by competent leadership.

“We are demanding mo­re allocation, a fai­rer process of reven­ue allocation. We wa­nt a governor that can communicate effec­tively and relate we­ll with the internat­ional community. We are not going to com­municate in Ijaw, and as we have always said, let the campai­gn be issue-based.”

Also speaking, Chair­man of the state PDP, Mr Moses Cleopas, described the ticket of Senator Diri and Lawrence​ Ewhrudj­akpor as experienced and tested with the capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy.

Mr Cleopas who also inaugurated the var­ious campaign organs for the election, charged them to effec­tively mobilise peop­le at the grassroots towards winning the governorship electi­on.

In his acceptance sp­eech as Director Gen­eral of the PDP Camp­aign team, Dr Nimbo­fa Ayawei said the campaigns would be is­sue-based and expres­sed optimism that Ba­yelsans would elect the PDP Candidate is remains the best.

Dr Ayawei urged the party’s members and supporters to carry the message of the PDP to all nooks and crannies of the sta­te to enable the par­ty to achieve victory on the election day.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/november-election-is-about-ijaw-nation-%E2%80%95-dickson/amp/
Lalasticlala

A CHIEF Magistrates’ Court in Gombe on Monday remanded 72-year-old Ibrahim Yunusa in prison custody for allegedly raping and impregnating his daughter.

Yunusa of Dadinkowa, Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of the state pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Daura Sikkam ordered the remand of the accused person and adjourned the case to November 13 for further mention to enable police complete investigation.

Earlier, reading the police First Information Report (FIR) Dalaky Wanma, the court clerk, said the accused committed the offences several times between December 2018 and January 2019.

He said Yunusa forcefully had carnal knowledge of his 17-year-old biological daughter and impregnated her in his house.

The clerk said the offence is contrary to Sections 390 and 282 of the penal code.

Police prosecutor, Sgt. Bako Shekari also told the court that police had just commenced investigations into the matter.

He asked the court for adjournment to enable the police complete investigations and seek legal advice from the Ministry of Justice.

https://thenationonlineng.net/man-72-remanded-for-impregnating-daughter/

The former speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Toney Isenah, on Monday made a U-turn, and tendered his resignation letter as the ‘speaker’ of the assembly, seven days after he was controversially removed by the lawmakers.

Mr Isenah was replaced on September 30 with a lawmaker representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 2, Monday Bubou-Obolo.

But he rejected his ‘impeachment’ as illegal and said he remained the speaker of the assembly.

Mr Isenah’s resignation letter, which was backdated to September 30, was read during plenary on Monday.

My resignation was for the peace and the “greater good” of Bayelsa state, the former speaker told the House.

Mr Bubou-Obolo presided over the plenary.

Aotendeike Boloigha, the media aide to the former speaker, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES, Wednesday night.

Mr Isenah, who is from the same Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area as Douye Diri, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been under pressure to resign.

But he had continuously resisted such pressure.

“I have not committed any crime. If I am supposed to resign, I know that, maybe, based on federal character principle, if my local government area produces the governor and when he is sworn in, ordinarily I was to leave,” Mr Isenah said in an interview he granted Channels television, a few hours after his reported impeachment.

“It’s not as if there is any law that the two can’t come from the same place. We should be talking about good governance. I am the speaker of the state and not the speaker of any group.”

Mr Isenah told Channels that he did not enter into any agreement to resign if Mr Diri wins the PDP governorship primary.

The former speaker said Mr Diri can still win the general election, even with himself remaining in office as the speaker.

“Why is it that I am now the sacrificial lamb? Why are they making it look like I am against Kolokuma-Opokuma producing the next governor? That is not right,” he said.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/south-south-regional/356935-bayelsa-speaker-resigns-days-after-rejecting-impeachment.html/amp/

Daniel Fakoya, 18, of Priory Court, E17 was sentenced to 15 years in jail and a further three years on the licence, following a hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 11 October.

He was jailed for firearms offences after shots were discharged in Leyton.

He must serve a minimum of 10 years of his sentence.

Fakoya was previously found guilty of the following offences on 10 September at the conclusion of a trial at the same court: conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life [17 December 2018]; conspiracy to possess ammunition without a firearm certificate [17 Dec]; conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with indent [17 Dec]; conspiracy to have an offensive weapon namely two bottles of ammonia [17 Dec]; conspiracy to have an article with a blade of point [17 Dec]; conspiracy to supply controlled drugs of class A [5 Oct – 14 Feb 2018]; possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life; [5 Oct]; and possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life [5 Oct].

He also pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking.

The court heard how on 17 December 2018 at around 11 pm, Fakoya was one of three males who arrived in Leyton High Road in a Volvo car. They saw a group of males on the street and shots were fired from the car.

The group scattered but Fakoya and his associates chased two males into an off licence. However, once inside they could not find them and left.

They jumped back into the car and sped away from the scene. However, within five minutes the car had crashed into a shop front in St James’ Street, E17. Fakoya and the other occupants fled the vehicle.

Officers arrived at the scene and searched the abandoned car – within it they found a handgun, ammunition and two bottles of ammonia. The handgun was located in the driver’s footwell.

A forensic examination of the car revealed Fakoya’s blood on the driver’s airbag and also just outside the car, indisputably linking him to the car and the items inside.

Further investigation established the car had been stolen ten days earlier during a burglary in Essex on 7 December.

Work began to track down Fakoya and he was subsequently arrested on 14 February – he was charged the following day for his role in the incident.

It transpired that Fakoya was already under investigation for a separate incident where another handgun and a quantity of class A drugs had been found at an address linked to him following a raid by officers from the North East Command Unit in October 2018.

Fakoya was also charged with these offences.

Detective Sergeant John Macleod from Trident, part of the Specialist Crime Command, led the investigation and said: “Fakoya’s reckless actions on the night of 17 December in discharging a firearm in a public place could potentially have had fatal consequences and it is only by sheer luck that no one was seriously hurt.

“The motive for the events of that night appeared to have been gang-related – Fakoya and his associates looking to settle scores with their perceived rivals.

“Our work continues to trace the others who were in the car with Fakoya that night. His conviction should serve as a clear message to them that we will continue to track down dangerous individuals and put them behind bars where they belong.”

http://saharareporters.com/2019/10/12/daniel-fakoya-18-spend-15-years-uk-prison-firearms-offences

An estimated $582 billion has been stolen from Nigeria since independence in 1960.

The estimate, which was attributed to Chatham House, was quoted in an article published by The Economist titled, ‘Catch me if you can, African kleptocrats are finding it tougher to stash cash in the West,’ published in its online edition.

Corruption is known to be one of Nigeria’s major problem and at least N11 trillion is said to have been diverted in the power sector alone since 1999, while N1.3 trillion public funds were reportedly laundered between 2011 and 2015.

In the article which talks about illicit financial flows in Africa, The Economist said so much has been pilfered from the continent that “tracking it all is tricky”.

It quoted Britain’s International Corruption unit as saying it has confiscated £76m ($117m) loot from Nigeria since 2006.

“Another £791m has been frozen worldwide thanks to its work,” it said, adding that “it barely makes a dent in the £100bn of illicit funds which Steve Goodrich at Transparency International, a watchdog, reckons enters Britain every year”.

The Economist said African leaders’ best way of hiding and moving stolen funds is to set up “a raft of anonymous shell companies and bank accounts”.

It spoke of how Sani Abacha, the former military head of state stole Nigeria blind and “deposited billions of dollars in banks across the rich world, no questions asked”.

“Light-fingered tyrants are looking back wistfully. In past decades they could stash their illicit wealth in the West,” it said.

“Friendly lawyers, banks and middlemen were on hand to park the loot. Western governments often seemed equally unfussed.”

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

The article, however, said gone are the days when stealing public funds was easy as it is “becoming a bit harder to get away with”.

“Anti-corruption campaigners and muckraking journalists have busied themselves trying to uncover stolen assets,” it said.

“Western governments, tired of seeing aid money stolen, have toughened up money-laundering and bribery laws.”

Similarly, an anti-corruption tool in the form of a mobile application was recently launched by the Akin Fadeyi Foundation to enable Nigerians to report corrupt practices.

https://www.thecable.ng/chatham-house-582bn-stolen-from-nigeria-since-independence

The committee set up by Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara, to find solutions to banditry in the state, says suspected bandits have collected over N3 billion as ransom from relatives of abducted victims.

Mohammed Abubakar, a former inspector-general of police (IGP) and chairman of the committee, disclosed this while presenting the committee’s report to the governor on Friday.

Abubakar said the report covered the period from June 2011 to May 29, 2019, adding that the ransom was collected from 3,672 victims.

Abubakar said a total of 4,983 women were widowed, 25,050 children orphaned and 190,340 persons displaced in the state over the period.

He added that “innocent Fulani herdsmen” lost 2,015 cattle, 141 sheep and goats, 2,600 donkeys and camels to rustlers while 147,800 vehicles, motorcycles, and others were burnt at different times and locations within the period.

The former IGP said to achieve sustained peace, the state government should take over all farmlands situated on grazing routes and adopt modern livestock farming to encourage herders to remain in one place.

The committee also recommended unconditional disarmament and setting up of a judicial commission of inquiry backed by law to address all forms of banditry in the future.

The committee also advised the government to partner neighboring state governments to rehabilitate all interstate roads to ease the movement of security personnel and the general public.

Receiving the report, Matawalle promised to implement the recommendations.

“I would like to make it clear that personal relationship, sectional, geographical, religious and ethnic interests will have no role to play in the decision l will take with regard to recommendations of the committee, especially those that relate to the recommended sanctions and disciplinary measures,” he said.

https://www.thecable.ng/shocker-zamfara-bandits-have-collected-n3bn-ransom

•The country is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a decade, recalling days of hyperinflation under Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwe has raised its average electricity tariff by 320 percent to ramp up power supplies at a time of daily blackouts but the move will likely anger consumers already grappling with soaring inflation and stagnant wages.

The southern African country is experiencing its worst economic crisis in 10 years, seen in triple-digit inflation, 18-hour power cuts and shortages of US dollars, medicines and fuel that have evoked the dark days of the 2008 hyperinflation under late President Robert Mugabe.

Wednesday's was the second increase in the price of electricity inside three months and follows sharp rises in fuel and basic goods prices in the last week. Salaries have not kept pace, prompting citizens to blame President Emmerson Mnangagwa's policies for the crisis.

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) said it had approved an application by Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) to raise the tariff to 162.16 cents ($0.11) from 38.61 cents.

ZERA said the tariff rise was necessary after inflation soared - the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it was about 300 percent in August. Zimbabwe introduced an interim sovereign currency - the Real Time Gross Settlement dollar or Zimdollar - in February which quickly fell prey to black market speculation.

In an effort to support the Zimdollar, the government in June outlawed the use of foreign currencies in local transactions. But the move failed to curb the Zimdollar's slide.

Consumers seem set for more price increases after the energy regulator said that, starting November, the power utility would index its tariff to the US dollar to enable it "to recover from inflation and exchange rate changes".

The new tariff would allow ZETDC to raise money to repair its generators, as well as pay for imports from South Africa's Eskom and Mozambique which cost $19.5m every month, the regulator said.

Hopes that Zimbabwe's economy would quickly rebound under Mnangagwa, who took over after the late Robert Mugabe was deposed in a coup in November 2017, have faded fast as ordinary people grapple with eye-watering inflation that has eroded earnings and savings.

On Monday, treasury data showed the economy was worse off than initially thought. It is now projected to contract by up to six percent this year due to the power cuts, which have hit mines, industry and homes and an El Nino-induced drought that has left the country needing to import food.

Mnangagwa, whom critics accuse of lacking commitment to political reforms and using his predecessor's heavy-handed tactics to stifle dissent, has pleaded for time and patience to bring the economy back from the "dead."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/ajimpact/zimbabwe-quadruples-electricity-prices-blackouts-191009095646975.html

sinaj:
share your story lets learn

The story is big,babe.

Just tried to take it off my head, ....e no funny!

Made similar mistake,
Still somehow paying for it!

God dey.

•White House says too many non-citizens taking advantage of the country’s ‘generous public health programs’

Immigrants applying for US visas will be denied entry into the country unless they can prove they can afford health care within 30 days of entering or can’t pay for it themselves, according to a proclamation signed by President Trump.

The new rule, which comes into force on 3 November, will be applied to people seeking immigrant visas, not those in the US already. It does not apply to those seeking asylum seekers, refugees or children.

But it would apply to the spouses and parents of US citizens. That could have an impact on families who are trying to bring their parents to the US.

The proclamation said immigrants will be barred from entering the country unless they are to be covered by health insurance within 30 days of entering or have enough financial resources to pay for any medical costs.

The Trump administration is trying to move away from a family-based immigration system and into a merit-based system, and Friday’s proclamation is another effort to limit immigrant access to public programs.

The Trump administration earlier this year made sweeping changes to regulations that would deny green cards to immigrants who use some forms of public assistance. The White House also directed officials to recover income-based welfare payments from sponsors, and proposed a rule requiring verification of immigration status for anyone seeking access to public housing benefits.

The required insurance can be purchased individually or provided by an employer, and it can be short-term coverage or catastrophic.

Medicaid for the poor doesn’t apply and an immigrant will not be able to obtain a visa if using the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies when buying insurance. Those subsidies are paid for by the federal government.

Trump has made cutting legal and illegal immigration a centerpiece of his presidency. The Trump administration said last month that it planned to allow only 18,000 refugees to resettle in the United States in the 2020 fiscal year, the lowest number in the history of the modern refugee program.

The White House said in a statement that too many non-citizens were taking advantage of the country’s “generous public health programs”, and that immigrants contribute to the problem of “uncompensated health care costs”.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan immigration thinktank, 57% of US immigrants had private health insurance in 2017, compared with 69% of US-born, and 30% had public health insurance coverage, compared with 36% of US-born.

The uninsured rate for immigrants dropped from 32%t to 20% from 2013 to 2017, since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, according to Migration Policy Institute.

There are about 1.1 million people who obtain green cards each year.

“This new attempt at an immigration ban is as shameless as it is stunning,” tweeted Doug Rand, a former Obama administration official who is the co-founder of Boundless Immigration. “It will be chaotic to implement and guaranteed to separate US citizens from their legal immigrant spouses and other close relatives.”


https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/05/us-immigrants-will-be-denied-entry-if-they-cant-afford-health-care

On November 2, Pomphret rang 999 claiming to have found his wife lying in a pool of blood at the stables in Warrington, Cheshire.

He told the call handler: 'There is brain and blood everywhere, and it looks like she has had her head beaten in.'

He was arrested the day after and protested his innocence before being released. He was re-arrested six months later and charged with murder.

A post-mortem examination concluded that his wife died from a violent assault, with severe head injuries caused by more than 30 blows to her head with a crowbar.

Gordon Cole, prosecuting, told the jury her death was not through a temporary loss of control by her husband but due to his 'loss of temper'.

Below:
The stables where Ann was murdered.
The home of the the Promphets.

'I could not have wished for a better son-in-law or dad for Megan.'

Ms Buckley said her daughter married the defendant in 1997 and they shared an interest in horses, describing her daughter as the 'driving force' in the relationship.

She also said her daughter could easily 'take the huff', blocking her on Facebook over something she had said.

Ms Buckley told how three years before her death she had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which can affect a person's social skills.

Kenneth Crane, Ms Buckley's partner, said in a statement: 'Marie, I would describe as a Jekyll and Hyde character.

'She was like a volcano. She could erupt at any time without warning. I would describe David as a very quiet bloke. He would never talk or chat.'

Below: The victim, Ann Marie

A bank worker accused of murdering his wife with a crowbar 'deserved a medal' for ever putting up with her, his mother-in-law has told a court.

David Pomphret, 51, bludgeoned his wife Ann Marie, 49, after he finally 'snapped' from all the abuse he suffered, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Pomphret, a technology expert with Barclays, struck her head more than 30 times at the stables they owned near the home they shared with their daughter Megan, 18.

He admits killing his wife on November 2, 2018, but denies murder on the grounds of a temporary loss of control.

Carol Buckley, the victim's mother, said in a statement read to the jury: 'David was an angel. He deserved a medal for putting up with Marie.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7534047/amp/Barclays-executive-beat-wife-death-crowbar-deserved-MEDAL.html
Mynd44
Lalasticlala
oam4j

Atansi Dominic, why were you disqualified?

Reasons are always given and what is your CGPA?

oloriLFC:
neither will we forget these

Please the ones on top right....those players on green lying down, are they doing training?

Timileyin1234:
Mumu dey hold am.
And if we check am na, u no go sabi play anything

Mtchew.........
See you...

My days of shaolin soccer.....you still be kid then sha