₦airaland Forum

Kwara State government has explained why it disengaged 2,414 teachers from the service of the State Universal Basic Education Board.

The teachers’ disengagement was announced in a statement titled, ‘Kwara govt takes stand on 2019 SUBEB workers, offsets pending seven months’ salaries. New employment portal opens January.’

The statement was signed by the Press Secretary, state Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mr Yakub Ali-Agan.

The statement indicted that the sacked teachers were recruited in the twilight of the administration of former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

The teachers were employed to teach English, Mathematics, and science subjects in junior secondary schools in the state.

However, the state government said although it had earlier screened the teachers and cleared 1,658 of them, it was later discovered that the majority of them were not qualified to teach.

The statement read, “For instance, it was discovered that some of the 1,658 [teachers] purportedly adjudged to be qualified did not, in fact they don’t have the required teaching certificates.

It was discovered that the teachers were engaged for subjects not covered in the executive approval, underscoring the unwholesome and impeachable nature of the entire process.

“Following from the above, the government has decided to start the employment process all over again in January 2021. The government will open a new application portal for all the 2,414 and any other eligible persons to apply for SUBEB teaching jobs in relevant subjects to be advertised. This effectively nullifies the controversial employment process of 2018/2019

The statement further explained that the decision to sack the teachers was built on justice and fairness to everyone, particularly taxpayers, and children, whose future depended on the quality of teaching they received at the elementary schools.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has directed the immediate payment of seven months’ salaries earlier withheld from 594 SUBEB teachers since June 2020.

“The salaries were paid on Thursday night on compassionate grounds as their employment status remains unofficial,” a government statement said on Thursday.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), is presently meeting with the students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, in Katsina State.

The PUNCH had reported that hundreds of the schoolboys were kidnapped by suspected bandits on Friday, December 11.

They were released on Thursday, December 17 in Zamfara State and taken to Katsina State on Friday morning amidst tight security.

The Personal Assistant on New Media to the President, Bashir Ahmad, had tweeted that Buhari would be meeting with the students.

Buhari had initially refused to visit the school where the students were kidnapped despite public outcry.

But the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, at a press conference on Friday, said although the President did not visit Kankara, Katsina State where students were abducted, he coordinated rescue efforts from his hometown,

When asked why the President failed to visit Kankara despite that he was in the state as of the time of the abduction, the minister said, “Yes, the president did not visit the town but he was busy coordinating the entire operation to ensure the safe return of the students within the fastest time possible.”

It’s shocking Buhari is in Katsina and can’t visit Kankara – Nigerians
Parents protest, PDP alleges tear gas attack on protesters, flays FG
Our focus is to resolve students’ abduction, not politics, says Presidency

Our Correspondents

Prominent groups and Nigerians from different walks of life, on Sunday, took a swipe at the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), over Friday’s abduction of students of the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State.

Most of those who reacted said Buhari had failed and said they were shocked that the President had not visited the school despite the fact that he is in Katsina State on a weeklong vacation.

Those, who commented on the abduction of the students and Buhari’s inaction, included the Coalition of Northern Groups; the Middle Belt Forum; the Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin; the Pan Niger Delta Forum; and the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Also, on Sunday, several Nigerians took to the social media to lambast the President for failing to visit the school.

However, the Presidency, through the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said its focus was how to quickly resolve the issue thrown up by the abduction of the students, and not politics.

Shehu said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, who sought to know from him when Buhari was planning to visit the school.

In responding, the presidential aide said, “As I speak to you, the Minister of Defence and the nation’s service chiefs just left the place.”

When told that Nigerians were already faulting the President for sending a delegation, while he is currently in the state, Shehu said, “Our focus is about resolving the issue. Leave us out of politics.”

Buhari criticised for failing to visit school

Several Nigerians took to the social media to criticise the President for failing to visit the school and wondered why he would ask the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, to travel to Katsina State from Abuja, when he (Buhari) was currently in the same state on vacation.

One @SodiqTade tweeted, “My problem right now is Buhari sending delegates to Katsina from Abuja while he is currently in the same state. It takes minutes to get to the school but no let’s waste resources.

“Those who asked Goodluck Jonathan to travel miles from Kano down to the incident site in Borno on same day are now making ‘long distance’ excuse for Buhari. Even though the incident site is Katsina and Buhari is in the same Katsina. They said 150 minutes road journey is much for him.”

@EhiOziegbe tweeted, “Buhari should resign if he is not well. How can he be in Katsina and a delegation is going there? There is something that is not adding up with all the nonsense happening in the North.”

Similarly, one @Boufdadi tweeted, “Where is Buhari? Why isn’t he showing his face? Why can’t he go and commiserate with the parents of the abducted children? There are things we are not being told. Time will tell us these things.”

Another tweep, @maojawo, described the visit by the delegation as a waste of public resources.

“Wastage seems to be the only thing this government know how to do. Buhari in Katsina cannot pay condolence to the people, he sent people from Abuja to do it for him. The time, energy, and resources for it are wasted,” he tweeted.

“Is the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria not in Katsina State? Only God knows how much fund will go down into this visit,” @aladeniyi_ asked.

In his contribution, @DanielBalogun wondered why Buhari could not cut short his vacation to visit the school and commiserate with families of the victims.
This does not add up. Ordinarily, the sitting President will cut short his private visit to attend to issue in his state. He should be seen with Masari to find the 333/600 students remaining. Another lesser delegation? Really? Is Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo also incapacitated?” he tweeted.

Be a man of honour, resign, M’Belt Forum tells Buhari

The Middle Belt Forum, on Sunday, asked the President to resign from his position having failed to tackle the security challenges facing the country.

Speaking with one of our correspondents in Jos, the National President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Bitrus Porgu, lamented the incident and wondered why Buhari, who promised to bring insurgency to an end within three months of assuming office, would continue to remain in power for more than six years without solving the problem.

Porgu said, “As far as we are concerned, in a civilised society, he would have resigned as an honourable person, because he has not been able to fulfil his promise to Nigerians.

“Unfortunately, in our clime, that has not happened, because people are not people of honour. The abduction in Kastina is just one too many. Those who abducted the young students will go and initiate them forcefully into terrorism and this is an unfortunate development.

“As the students were abducted, just yesterday (Saturday), a village south of Chibok in Borno State was attacked by terrorists, and from the information I gathered, two soldiers were killed along with one civilian, while the soldiers were able to bring down two of the insurgents.”

On his part, Odumakin said the nation had become virtually ungoverned under the President.

“The position of the President has become untenable and it is a wasteful venture calling for his resignation. The country under him is virtually ungoverned and practically ungovernable,” he stated.

While sympathising with the families of the abducted students, PANDEF described the action as condemnable and unacceptable, especially as it happened in the President’s home state.

It, however, said calls for the resignation of Buhari over the prevailing insecurity in the country was misplaced.

The spokesman for PANDEF, Ken Robinson, who stated this in a chat with one of our correspondents, said there were constitutional provisions to fall back on if the President was failing in his responsibilities.

He stated, “The fact remains that this administration of Muhammadu Buhari has failed Nigerians and has failed to secure and protect the lives and property of Nigerians across the country.”

On its part, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said calling for the resignation of the President because of the pervading insecurity in the country would not solve the problem.

Ohanaeze’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Chief Chuks Ibegbu, who spoke to one of our correspondents, asked: “If he resigns, who solves the problem?

“You can consider that in a sane clime, but we have not yet built sanity in our polity. Those that may be genuinely asking him to resign will become attack dogs if you tell them. Our real solution is restructuring our polity.”

Self-defence only option left for northerners – CNG

But the Coalition of Northern Group said the call for the resignation of the President, would not be out of place.

According to the CNG, the only option left for northerners in the current face of insecurity, is self defence.

The CNG’s Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman told one of our correspondents in Kaduna on Sunday that the organisation was pained by the renewed onslaught of attacks on Northerners by bandits.

By Boluwaji Obahopo – Lokoja

The Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission, KOSIEC, has declared the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner in all the 21 local government council elections conducted on Saturday.

By Clever Advertising The state electoral body also declared the APC winner of all the 239 wards. The election was contested by other political parties in the state as voters turned out to vote for their respective candidates. Although there was low turnout in some places, but it was peaceful throughout the state as no single crisis was recorded during the election. KOSIEC chairman, Mamman Nda Eri while announcing the result on Sunday said the All Progressive Congress (APC) won the chairmanship position of all the 21 LGA and all the councillor seats of the 239 wards in the state.

He said that the local government councils polls were free, fair and credible. However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi state chapter has faulted the council polls across the 21 Local Government Election of the State describing it as a big mockery to the nations nascent democracy. The State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mr Bode Ogunmola in a statement on Saturday, described the entire process as a scam.

He said the State Government should have opened up to the entire Kogite that they were not ready to conduct any council election rather than wasting the precious time of electorates who are willing to express their anger through the ballot on the maladministration of the present All Progressive Congress, (APC), in the last five years. Ogunmola noted that the feelers he is getting across the state polling booths showed that there was no election conducted anywhere in the State. The Party spokesperson alleged that some thugs loyal to the ruling party, invaded the headquarter of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission, (KOSIEC), on Friday night, to snatch ballot boxes into an unknown destination. He said the ruling party would have tasted a sweeping defeat if they were willing to conduct a credible, free and fair election, as their five years in power has been greeted with poverty, unemployment, hunger and a shrinking economy.

His words, “There is no election anywhere in Kogi State. I am at 002 Open space voting unit in Ogori, This is 9.30 am and there is no sign of any voting anywhere. Reports reaching me from across the state is the same. This is a big disgrace to our state again under the APC led government”. Also, the state chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Muktar Atimah has condemned the outcome of the election. Speaking with newsmen on Sunday, Atimah pointed out that having received assurances from the SIEC Chairman of conducting a credible polls, the council election lacked the minimum standard, was an aberration to known democracy. The SDP called on the President to ensure that holistic reforms on the conduct of the election are carried out before he lives Office, “Else it will be safe to say democracy in the country has been murdered.

“We called on the members of our party to observe a month of mourning as a way of registering our displeasure to the conduct of the concluded Kogi State Council election. The elected chairmen are expected to be sworn in on Monday at government house Lokoja.

…Want FEC to declare President Incapacitated

By Tordue Salem, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus of the House of Representatives has called on members of the Green Chamber, to commence impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari. They opine, he is incapable of continuing as the leader of the country. Besides, the section of PDP lawmakers in the Green Chamber, urged members of his cabinet to declare him incapacitated, invoking section 144 of the 1999 constitution.

By Clever Advertising The caucus “wants Nigerians to compel their representatives in the National Assembly to immediately commence impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari for gross incompetence and persistent and continuous breach of Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution. The Section provides ” the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government; …” “The PDP caucus also wants members of the Federal Executive Council to invoke the provisions of Section 144 (1) of the Constitution by declaring that the President is incapable of discharging the functions of the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “The Section provides ” The President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office, if- by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of all the members of the executive council of the Federation, it is declared that the President or Vice-President is incapable of discharging the functions of his office”. Leader of the caucus, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers) in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said “it was disheartening to the PDP Caucus that the President has failed to lead Nigerians from the front as he promised. Nigerians are daily and defencelessly killed by terrorists and bandits, while the economy is being freely bleed by public officers”. He was reacting to the recent killing of farmers in Zambarmari area of Borno state, adding that the reactions of the presidency and the military to such killings “highlight a certain crassness and lame duck attitude that has for the past five years come to define the Buhari presidency”. He said “ the body language of the government is worrisome as it emboldens terrorists in the country, the greater worries for the country however, is “the do-nothing posturing and the effeminate reactions of the presidency and the military that follow the dastardly attacks.” According to him, “the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives have observed with deep pain the dastardly attacks on poor farmers which have continued unabated across the vast swathes of northern Nigeria, which act came to a sad climax over the weekend in Zabarmari, near Maiduguri, north east Nigeria.

“The attacks continue to take a consistent pattern – a pattern that results in mass deaths and emboldens the insurgents to embark on more spectacular attacks that provide them national and global attention. While the emboldening of terrorists remain sources of worry, the greater worries for us is the do-nothing posturing and the effeminate reactions of the presidency and the military that follow the dastardly attacks”. Chinda said “The reactions of the presidency and the military highlight a certain crassness and lame duck attitude that has for the past five years come to define the Buhari presidency.” He lamented that “Northern Nigeria has long become the vortex of massacres. From Buni Yadi, Gamboru, Baga, Gwoza, Shiroro, Konduga, Kawuri, Southern Kaduna to Benue and certainly everywhere else in Nigeria, lives are being snatched by insurgents, bandits and kidnappers who have no respect for the sanctity of life.

While President Buhari idles in the typical fashion of Emperor Nero as our country burns. Questions must be asked about his capacity to lead at a time that our country desires robust and responsible leadership that can pull it from the brink and rescue it from the debilitions of insurgents, terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.” Chinda observed that “President Buhari is unwilling, (as it consistently appears,) to provide leadership to our fast collapsing country. Rather than take the proverbial bull by the horn, President Buhari ensconces himself in Aso Rock, typical of a Mourner-in-Chief, and issues press statements that make no meaning to a grieving nation”. He reminded the President that “a true leader who is worth every ounce of respect leads from the front as you assured Nigerians that you will do; a true leader doesn’t hide away from those he leads and pretends to mourn with the circus, whilst in fact, he lacks empathy and compassion.” “When a country elects a clown as its President based on sentiments and deceit, the country becomes saddled with circus, pantomime jesters who reduce statecraft to utter joke.” “Our country is in the grips of the clowns, hyenas and the circus is on.

We need to rescue Nigeria from the clowns, acrobats, trapeze actors, hawks and hyenas manipulating the statecraft. ” He added that, “As Vice-president Yemi Osibanjo SAN tweeted ‘if the President says I’ve lost the capacity to guarantee the security of lives and property, it’s certainly an impeachable offence. “Most painful is that whilst leadership is completely absent in Nigeria and the country dovetailing to a state of survival of the fittest, the economy is being fleeced in an unprecedented manner by public office holders.” He recalled “the warning by Albert Einstien that ‘the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything”, as he called on “Nigerians across tribe, religion and political party to wake up their National Assembly Members, and compel them to commence impeachment process against President Buhari to save Nigeria Rep Chinda advised”.

Counsel to the Lagos State government, Mr Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), on Friday, told the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the Lekki Tollgate shootings that #EndSARS protesters were a body not recognised by law. Owonikoko made the submission after Mr Adesina Ogunlana announced his appearance to the panel as the counsel representing the EndSARS protesters.

Ogunlana had informed the panel that he would be cross-examining Mr Abayomi Omomuwasan, the Managing Director of Lekki Concession Company (LCC).

Omomuwasan was appearing before the panel to testify on the Oct. 20 shooting of #EndSARS protesters by members of the Nigerian military at the Lekki tollgate. “To the best of my knowledge, there is no body called #EndSARS protesters and we know that a lawyer must adjudicate based on instruction. “My learned friend is entitled to representing anyone recognised before the law. We must know the persons the counsel is representing. “We cannot have anyone appearing for a body without any structure.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), for instance, is a known public body with known structure,” Owonikoko said. The LCC Counsel, Mr Rotimi Seriki, also aligned himself views with Owonikoko’s submission. “He must represent a body known to law.

The witness (LCC MD) appeared before the tribunal because they have evidence that would be of interest to the panel. “We cannot allow every Tom, Dick and Harry to cross-examine the witness,” he said. Responding, Ogunlana said he was neither a Tom, Dick or Harry, adding that he received his instruction from #EndSARS protesters, some of whom were present during proceedings. “He (Seriki) is not in a position to describe my clients or leadership. It is because of #EndSARS protesters that we are here; it is because of the #EndSARS protesters that this panel was created. “My lord did counsel a few days back that this is not a regular court but a fact-finding body. I’m not representing spirits; I’m representing actual persons,” he said.

Following his submission, Ogunlana presented three #EndSARS protesters, Victoria Oniru, Dabira Ayuku and Perpetua Kamsichukwu, as his clients. Reacting, Owonikoko, however, said “these are decent people. I withdraw my objection.” The LCC counsel also withdrew his objection, following the presentation of the #EndSARS protesters before the panel.

…Say ‘we are endangered species’

…Add Police Commission can’t force officers to work

…PSC denies threatening to dismiss officers over delayed return to duty

…Pleads with officers to resume work in spirit of nationalism

By Kingsley Omonobi

Law enforcement officers in areas worst affected by the #EndSARS protests in the southern part of the country have resolved to continue to stay off their duty posts, especially during the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations. Rising from a joint meeting of the law enforcement officers weekend, a Divisional Police Officer, DPO, who attended the meeting, told PRNigeria, that Nigerians should rather find a way to protect themselves from thugs, hoodlums and miscreants during the seasonal period.

According to him, the meeting which was attended by officers of the Nigerian military, security, intelligence and response agencies analysed how the violent assaults on innocent security personnel during the #EndSARS protest significantly dampened the morale of many of the servicemen and women. “In these ember months, and up to Christmas period and the New Year, I doubt if any of the security services can guarantee maximum security as usual. There is no way we can discharge our statutory responsibilities and function when we have become soft targets of miscreants and violent persons,” he said.

The DPO further said he would not allow any of his officers and men to be drafted to life-threatening beats and assignments during the period. He added: “Our destroyed facilities are yet to be reconstructed and rehabilitated; our looted armouries are yet to be restocked and when our men and women are yet to get over the humiliation of the atrocities committed on them by the same people we are charged to protect, how can we return to our duty post?” In the aftermath of the #EndSARS nationwide demonstrations, which turned violent and led to the loss of lives, including that of police personnel, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu, on Friday, directed men of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, to, henceforth, protect themselves against any attack by hoodlums. Speaking while on an on-the-spot assessment of the security situation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Adamu said: “If anybody touches or assaults you, you can also protect yourself.” But despite the marching order given by the IGP, PRNigeria gathered from a cross-section of personnel who preferred anonymity, that they were still sceptical about returning to their duty posts, especially in volatile areas in some states.

Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission, PSC, has also stated it would not force the security personnel to return to work after the recent attack on them and their facilities. While denying a report that the commission would dismiss any police officer who failed to return to work, its spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani, said the agency had condemned the killing of security personnel on legitimate duties and had warned that any attempt to make the country lawless would be an ill-wind that would blow nobody any good. In an official statement, Ani said the commission could only plead with the officers to in the spirit of nationalism, return to work while government works out enough protective programmes for them. He said: “The commission will continue to do its best to ensure the police is motivated to do its job.
“The commission, being the employers of the Police, is pained that Policemen were killed and stations set ablaze throughout the country. ‘’It will be very insensitive at this point for anyone to say that the commission will dismiss any policeman who didn’t return to work. ‘’The commission is even at present mourning the deaths of its gallant officers who were killed in the crisis.’’