THE President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday said Nigeria was making progress in its efforts to ensure the reversal of the United States suspension of the issuance of “immigrant visas” to Nigerian passport holders.

His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement quoted the President as saying this while receiving the report of the committee on Citizen Data Management and Harmonisation chaired by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

Adesina’s statement was titled, ‘Nigeria making progress to reverse US visa restrictions –President’.

The Aregbesola-led committee was set up in February to address issues that led to the US temporary visa restrictions on Nigerian passport holders, which came into effect on February 21, 2020.

Adesina said the President expressed delight that two out of the six areas of concern raised by the US had been fully addressed.

The President said, ‘‘I also note the progress made by Nigeria towards the removal of the visa restrictions as two out of the six areas of concern raised by the United States had been fully addressed, two are substantially satisfied while some progress is being made on the remaining two.”

According to the statement, the committee had among other things recommended the establishment of a National Criminal Information Management, fashioned after the INTERPOL model, and a National Criminal DNA Laboratory, to aid criminal investigation, administration of criminal justice as well as sharing of relevant information.

In his remarks, Aregbesola was quoted as reporting that Nigeria had fully satisfied two of the six areas of concern raised by the US, two others substantially satisfied, and progress being made on the remaining two.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597409769/visa-nigeria-working-with-reverse-restrictions-buhari

The Department of State Services has accused a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia, of attempting to cause a breach of peace in the country.

The service also berated the former development banker, saying he is “playing to the gallery.”

Mailafia had in an interview with a radio station alleged that a Northern Governor was the commander of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

He was subsequently invited by the Plateau State office of the DSS and interrogated for six hours and released.

But Mailafia while addressing journalists after his visit to the secret police said he stood by his allegations.

However, the DSS Public Relations Officer, Dr Peter Afunanya, in a statement on Friday, said Mailafia “apologised profusely” for his comments during questioning.

He recalled that the DSS had earlier raised the alarm that some notable personalities were planning to cause a breakdown of law and order.

The statement read, “With the latest occurrences in the country, Nigerians may have no reason to doubt the service’s earlier pronouncement.

“Dr Obadiah Mailafia’s recent outburst aimed at playing to the gallery and creating unnecessary tension is a confirmation of his group’s desperation to breach the peace.”

Afunanya said Mailafia, as a former Deputy Governor of the CBN and currently, a Directing Staff at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, has unhindered access to government platforms, noting that he should be conversant with official information management protocols.

“But regrettably, he chose to cross the lines of decorum and conduct expected of a personality of his status.

“It is disappointing that he never took advantage of these to reach any of the security or related agencies to share the so-called information at his disposal.

“This, he has agreed to be a grievous error on his part. It, however, suggests his mischief and determination to use the fake news he spewed to incite the people under his control,” the spokesman said.

He added, “It is even more condemnable that Mailafiya, who had profusely apologised during his visit to the Service’s Plateau State Command for his ignoble statement, would, afterward, announce to the world that he stood by his misguided eruption.”

The secret police said it would not allow “disgruntled and aggrieved elements to take laws into their hands and cause mayhem in the polity.”

The agency said it would not hesitate to, within the confines of the law, decisively deal with such persons or groups, no matter how highly placed, that may wish to test its resolve.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597408729/boko-haram-mailafia-causing-breach-peace-dss

The Director General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Prof. Habu Galadima, has said

Nigeria and Africa need creative and innovative ideas to solve the problems confronting the continent.

Galadima spoke at a virtual ceremony on Wednesday to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NIPSS, the Dantiye Centre for Good Leadership and Journalism and the JS Centre for Governance and Security Policy Initiative.

Also present at the signing was the Chairman of the Dantiye Centre, Emeritus Prof. Munzali Jibril; and the Chairman of the CGPSI, Dr Jonathan Sandy, represented by Dr Tony Karbo.

Galadima said, “With the insurgency in the Sahel impacting parts of Nigeria and a number of other countries in the region; political tensions, often related to elections, disputes over trade and regional protocols, significant climate changes affecting the largely agrarian economies of the region, not to mention the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ramifications for public policy, the world is going through a period that tasks the creative energy, innovative spirit and imagination of institutions such as NIPSS.”

Galadima, however, said the problems confronting the world also presented unique opportunities, adding that the MoU would provide the framework for the institute to seize the opportunities.

He said, “We are confident that this partnership will assist Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region in the quest to promote collaborative politics; the ECOWAS protocols on good governance; the African Union Charter on Democracy and the Sustainable Development Goals.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597309318/africa-needs-innovative-ideas

The Edo State Government has condemned the attack on Governor Obaseki and his supporters during his campaign at Etsako West, ward 10, in Edo North Local Government Area.

Obaseki had embarked on a ward-to-ward campaign to seek for votes ahead of the September 19 governorship election, but his campaign train came under attack by suspected hoodlums.

The governor’s Special Adviser, Media and Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said, “The Governor’s campaign team was attacked today (Thursday) by men believed to be sponsored by Adams Oshiomhole and Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

“The reason why we are so sure is because the governor is embarking on a ward to ward campaign, not local government like the APC is doing.

“The governor was just actually arriving at the ward that Oshiomhole belongs to which is Etsako West ward 10; so some people were planted close to the location and started shooting at the governor’s campaign team. The plan was to scare the governor from coming and scare away the governor’s supporters who were already there.

“And interestingly the people didn’t even run away. I heard that a child was hit by a stray bullet from a locally-made gun and fortunately the child survived. But the governor still went ahead to hold the rally after the irresponsible behaviour of the hoodlums.”

However, the Head of Media, APC campaign committee, John Mayaki, described the allegation as baseless.

He said, “We should all go out to campaign. I am busy in my village campaigning. All they do is accusing. I really don’t want to respond. We should be campaigning now and trying to win votes for our parties.

“The campaign should be issue-based. I am not interested in accusation against Oshiomohle because he is not event contesting in the election. They have been spreading falsehood about him. They should go and campaign.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597392732/obaseki-campaign-train-attack-edo-blames-apc

A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has asked African youths to dislodge older generation from leadership positions.

Obasanjo enjoined the youths to participate actively in the activities of political parties with a view to taking over the structure from them.

Obasanjo said this on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at an interactive session held virtually to mark this year’s International Youth Day.

The programme was organised by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Participants were drawn from Nigeria, Mali, USA, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

According to him, unless old people are forced out of the political stage, they will continue to occupy the leadership positions to the detriment of the youths.

Obasanjo said “Unless you squeeze out those who are in office and those who want to remain in office perpetually, some after the age of 80, unless you squeeze them out, they will not want to be out.

“The type of change I am talking about, that I believe we can all embark upon is to subscribe to the constitution of political parties in favour of youths. Or if you like it you call it affirmative action in favour of youths. For instance, if you say, in the constitution of a political party, not less than 50 per cent of those who hold executive office within the party will be less than 40 years.

“You can even go beyond that and say that people who will be put up for election, not less than 50 per cent of them will be less than 40 years of age. That’s affirmative action. That’s positive discrimination in favour of youths.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597303748/obasanjo-youths-squeeze-old-generation-out-power

Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party, cautioned the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu against spending funds belonging to the state on the upcoming governorship elections in Ondo and Edo states.

In a press statement by the Lagos PDP’s spokesperson, Gani Taofik, titled ‘Resist wasting Lagos funds on Ondo” on Wednesday.

In the statement, the party raised an alarm that there would “most likely be a diversion of Lagos funds into the APC Ondo state governorship contest”.



It alleged that making Sanwo-Olu the Chairman of APC campaign council for the Ondo election was a way of asking him to finance the election.

The statement read, “The selection of Sanwoolu as Head of the APC Ondo State Governorship campaign council cannot be for his political experience but because the APC intends to use Lagos funds to run the Ondo elections.

“The party urge the Lagos State Commissioner for Finance and the Accountant General to prepare for accountability within this period of Edo and Ondo elections.

“We will invite EFCC and also support the legal protest against this selection targeted at diverting Lagos taxes in the face of colossal infrastructure inadequacies begging for attention in the state.

“Governor Sanwoolu should show empathy to Lagosians by rejecting the Greek gift selection as head of the APC campaign council, so as to concentrate on his much-touted quest to improve the state development.

“For the PDP, the state will be further plunged into avoidable debts and infrastructure deficits if the governor delves into such party assignments obviously distractive and prodigal at this time.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597231540/pdp-sanwo-olu-don-waste-lagos-funds

A former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, has revealed plans by the late Senator Buruji Kashamu to hand over the state’s Peoples Democratic Party structure to him a few days before he died.

Daniel was quoted to have said this during a condolence visit to the family of the deceased in Ijebu-Igbo on Tuesday.

Kashamu, who was the state PDP governorship candidate in the 2019 election, died from COVID-19 complications in a Lagos hospital on Saturday and was buried at his Ijebu-Igbo residence on Sunday.

Daniel’s revelation was contained in a statement titled: ‘We should not play politics with Kashamu’s death – OGD’, signed by his media aide, Steve Oliyide, in Abeokuta.

Daniel was quoted to have said that Kashamu sent a delegation to him on Wednesday, three days before his death.

The statement read in part, “OGD said, ‘It was true that Buruji sent a delegation to me last Wednesday, August 4, 2020, who came to discuss with me about his wish that I should provide further leadership for the political structure, which he built and had nurtured over the years.

“When the representatives, who included his lawyer, came, I discouraged political discussions and pleaded with them to all go and pray for his survival. Unfortunately, he passed away a few days after.

“We’re mourning a great man. His wish was to make peace with everyone before his death. As human, you must have strong friends and strong enemies.”

The statement explained that Daniel spoke against the backdrop of an earlier statement by Dr Remi Bakare, who spoke on behalf of the Kashamu political structure.

“Bakare, while welcoming Daniel and his entourage, said it was the wish of the late senator to have his structure handed over to OGD,” the statement added.

In response, the son of the deceased, Kabiru, expressed delight that the former governor and his father resolved their differences before his death.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597217977/planned-hand-over-ogun-pdp-structure-daniel

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has blamed governors, traditional and religious leaders for allowing crowds to gather and break safety protocols during electioneering in Edo State and burial of Senator Buruji Kashamu in Ogun State.

The PTF, at its national press briefing on Monday, said it was dismayed by the development.

Kashamu, who died on Saturday at the First Cardiology Consultants Hospital, Lagos, from COVID-19 complications, was buried in his Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, home on Sunday, with a large crowd in attendance in deviance to safety protocols.

Both the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party have also held campaign rallies in Edo State ahead of the September 19 governorship election.

The National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, was asked about the large crowds at the campaigns and at the burial, where social distancing rule was broken and many people failed to wear face masks.

Responding, Aliyu said, “I must say that we are dismayed with the level of compliance, when it comes to some of these activities.

“The issue is; we know that COVID-19 does not act like a proper pandemic. If you have a proper pandemic like Ebola, as I have always said, you will have dead bodies on the streets, people bleeding to death; that sharp factor is there and we do not need to do anything further to convince people to protect themselves and to do the right thing.

“We are faced with a pandemic that is an invisible enemy; we are faced with a pandemic where the majority of us would probably not have come across somebody with COVID-19.”

Aliyu said leaders in the respective states failed to ensure compliance with protocols at the events, urging them to ensure more enforcement of safety guidelines.

Aliyu also stated, “When it comes to wearing of (face) mask for instance; when you wear a mask, it is actually an act of kindness and caring. What you are saying is that you care about the people that you will meet; you don’t want to infect them with COVID-19.

“The same thing applies when it comes to social distancing. It is much easier to be proactive. It is much easier for civil authorities, leaders and governors to make sure that those situations that pose a risk of mass gathering are avoided.”

He said Nigeria was lucky that it had not recorded the high number of deaths that other countries had recorded.

Aliyu stated, “Nevertheless, a lot of people have died – close to a thousand Nigerians have died – that would have still been with us today if not for COVID-19.

“We certainly have to continue to engage Nigerians, enlighten them and encourage them to take those simple steps that are necessary to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

The National Coordinator said the PTF would continue to urge the states to step up their enforcement of safety protocols and guidelines, especially those who had established mobile courts to try offenders.

Responding to a question on a World Bank credit facility to Nigeria in the fight against the pandemic, Aliyu said the $114m approved by the global bank was a credit facility to the Federal Government but would serve as a grant to the states.

85 LGs in 20 states yet to conduct COVID-19 test

The Chairman of the PTF, Boss Mustapha, disclosed that 85 local government areas in the country had so far not conducted any COVID-19 test.

As a result of this, he said the affected local government areas in the 20 states had not reported any case of the virus.

He added that five states still account for 60 per cent of confirmed cases while 50 per cent of all cases were in 20 per cent local governments.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on his part regretted that Nigeria had lost 945 persons to the COVID-19 infection.

He said, “The figures show that Nigeria is also sadly approaching the symbolic 1,000 number of fatalities, a grim reality that should be a wake-up call for us.

“Many more Nigerians today personally knew a person who succumbed to COVID-19, and so I ask that we remind ourselves today that COVID-19 is still with us and will be for a long time.

“Until there is a vaccine, the only options we have to protect ourselves, are still the non-pharmaceutical measures that are proved to be cheap and effective, such as the appropriate use of face masks, physical distancing and avoiding crowds. If we do not adhere, there could be regrets. “

FG, NHIS mull new health insurance package

He added that Federal Government had started working with the National Health Insurance Scheme to create a new package of health benefits for Nigerians.

According to Ehanire, the package of health benefits, which would be more robust than before, would take care of a lot of basic illnesses that had to be covered by out of pockets.

Speaking on the delay in paying hazard allowance of health personnel frontline workers involved in the Coronavirus pandemic, he said it was due to human error.

On his part, Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said he was impressed with the conduct of school managements and students following the reopening of schools nationwide.

Go into self-isolation, Ogun tells Kashamu’s mourners

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Government on Monday, advised mourners at the burial of Kashamu to go into self-isolation to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The Special Adviser to the state Governor on Public Communications, Remmy Hazzan, said this in an interview with The PUNCH.

Hazzan said the government would step up the surveillance team around Ijebu-Igbo and neighbouring communities to ensure anybody with COVID-19 symptoms would be immediately tested.

Hazzan confessed that the government never envisaged such a surging crowd at the burial of the former senator.

Hazzan said, “The state ministry of health will be making a statement which will be like a protocol for everyone who attended the burial and I am sure it is going to be more like advice for them to self-isolate.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597131221/edo-rallies-kashamu-burial-ptf-blames-govs

The Chairman of the National Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party, Governor Nyesom Wike, has said for the sacked national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, the upcoming Edo State governorship election was a matter of life and death.

Wike, who is also the governor of Rivers State, said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, on Monday.

Wike said, “The best he (Oshiomhole) could do is to lay low and let Ize-Iyamu campaign. You can see that if Ize-Iyamu talks for two minutes, Oshiomhole will talk for 20 minutes because he knows this election will determine whether he will remain in politics or not.

“So, he takes it as a do-or-die matter. He knows that losing this election, he is completely out. He has been decimated in the APC national leadership. So, the only thing now is to hold Edo to see that anyhow they treat him in Abuja, he has where to fall back to.

“Now Obaseki is winning, Abuja does not want him, Edo does not want him. So, he has nowhere to go to. This third term agenda is trying to run and Edo people must resist him.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597133322/edo-for-oshiomhole-election-die-says-wike

The Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has said he was committed to the welfare of the people of the state.

He said many projects abandoned by his predecessor had been completed during his administration.

Akeredolu stated this on Monday while speaking at the flag off of distribution palliatives items donated by a Non-Governmental Organisation, the Coalition Against COVID-19 also known as CA-COVID-19 in Akure, the state capital,

Some of the items distributed included rice, sugar, noodles, marcaroni, spaghetti, garri among others.

The governor said the commodities donated to the state would be able to take care of at least 50,000 households across the nook and cranny of the state.

He said, “Part of our mitigation strategies is the provision of food items as palliatives to our people. Our administration, has again, within the available resources gone the extra-mile to make this a reality.

“If previous government had shown concern, we would have had a seaport. Agagu started it but we had a government that abandoned it. That government abandoned OAUSTEC. Come on Saturday and see the wonderful work we are doing there.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597133534/ondo-election-done-what-mimiko-couldn-eight

Advocacy group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has asked the World Bank to tread carefully in the disbursement of $114.28m to Nigeria for the purpose of tackling economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group said in giving the $114.28m facility to Nigeria, the World Bank must obtain an undertaking from the federal and state governments that they would be transparent in the handling of the funds.

SERAP gave the advice in an open letter on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oludare, to the President of the World Bank, Mr David Malpass.

The open letter was titled, ‘COVID-19: SERAP asks World Bank to ‘tread carefully in disbursing $114.28m credit for Nigeria’.

The group urged Malpass to “put pressure on authorities and the 36 state governors to accept voluntary scrutiny by Nigerians and civil society regarding the spending of the funds and use of the resources, including on how they will spend the money to buy medical equipment, and improve access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.”

SERAP said, “The World Bank has a responsibility to ensure that federal authorities and state governments are transparent and accountable to Nigerians in how they spend the approved credit and grant. The Bank should tread carefully in the disbursement of funds or distribution of resources to states if it is to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.

“Insisting on transparency and accountability would ensure repayment of the credit, and protect the project objectives and intended purposes for which the funds and resources are approved, disbursed and distributed.

“The World Bank’s power to provide credits and grants is coupled with a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that governments spending such funds meet international standards of transparency and accountability, including those entrenched in the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”


https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597054348/114-28m-serap-cautions-world-bank-over

A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, says societal values have disintegrated to the extent that online fraudsters, otherwise known as Yahoo boys, have become role models in the Nigerian society.

Diezani said this while delivering a lecture at a virtual event, which was also attended by her former boss, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, on Friday.

Speaking at the event organised by the Ijaw National Development Group, Diezani stressed the need for mentorship of Ijaw youths.

The videos were posted on Twitter by blogger, Jackson Ude, who is also the publisher of Point Blank News.

The former minister said, “The ones that have swag, the Yahoo Yahoo boys, as my son would say; these, in short, are the role models they are looking at. These are the ones that reinforce negative societal norms and values.

“This is a travesty of an unfolding tragedy for us. Why have I spent time talking about fatherless homes and the impact they have on our children? The truth of the matter is that an irresponsible boy tends to become an irresponsible man and it is therefore a vicious cycle. If you plant yam, you cannot harvest plantain.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1597049397/yahoo-boys-have-become-role-models-diezani

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, says Nigerians will only see the achievements of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), if they “calm down”.

Adesina said this in an article titled, ‘Why We Need to Calm Down’.

The President’s spokesman made several references to a viral video showing a little boy Oreofeoluwa Babalola, pleading with his mum not to beat him but rather calm down.

He said like the little boy pleaded in the video, Nigerians need to calm down and stop being angry about the problems plaguing the nation.

Adesina wrote, “But if the truth the told, that message from the boy is for the entire country. We need to calm down. We are too uptight, nervy, edgy. We grumble, murmur too much, call the government a lot of names, try to demonise those serving the nation, when it could be ‘our last chance; last chance in the world’ to really fix things.

“If you listen to some people; angry youths, religious leaders, political analysts, newspaper columnists, news reviewers, so-called activists, then nothing positive is happening in the country. It is all about insurgency, banditry, killings, joblessness, corruption, lack and deprivation. True? False!”

The President’s aide said the things many complain about are not peculiar to Nigeria.

He said Nigerians would only see good things if they calmed down.

Adesina wrote, “Those things are there, as they are also in many countries of the world. But they are not the only things happening in Nigeria. Only that we would not see the positive things except we calmed down. We would never enjoy the rainfall, if we expect rainstorm to carry away our rooftop at any moment. Calm down. I’m just telling you to be ‘calming’ down.

“We will see the things that pertain to the peace of our country, if we would just calm down. As the young boy said, “this is my last chance; last chance in the world.”

He said last Sunday, a retired Group Captain, Sadeeq Garba (Retd), said the killings in the country were sad and regrettable, but things were not as completely negative as some people and interest groups would want to make them seem.

Quoting what he called reliable statistics from the Centre for Research in the United States, the retired officer gave these figures of the evil development from 2011, in number of total killings as thus: 2011 (1096 deaths), 2012 (3761), 2013 (7167), 2014-(15,600) 2016 (4618), 2017 (5763), 2018 (6565), 2019 (8350) and 2020 was 6195 deaths as of June.

Adesina said the figures showed that killings under the current government were less than the previous one.

“But why do some people want to make it appear as if we hadn’t passed through worse times in this country? Forget about who was in power as President. It is not about individuals now, it is about the descent of a country into the Hobbesian state of nature, where life is nasty, brutish and short.

“Killings dropped from 15,600 in 2014 to 4,618 in 2016 but not one positive word simply because their eyes are blinded by negative thoughts and sentiments. And they now need to calm down. Rather than upbraid, our security agencies should be challenged and encouraged to rediscover what they did in 2016,” Adesina added.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596812032/you-see-buhari-achievements-you-calm-down

The President-General of Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has called on the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to change his unfriendly attitude and instead build bridges for the Ndigbo in the country.

The President-General of Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has called on the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to change his unfriendly attitude and instead build bridges for the Ndigbo in the country.

Nwodo was quoted as saying IPOB and Ohanaeze Ndigbo shared the same cause of fighting to emancipate Ndigbo, but added that Ohanaeze Ndigbo still believed in dialogue and the restructuring of the country.

The Ohanaeze boss stressed that the group had no quarrel with Kanu, saying, “This latest development should be the opening of the door for mutual cooperation between IPOB and Ohanaeze Ndigbo.”

Earlier, IPOB team, led by one of its principal officers, Benjamin Madubugwu, told the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership that the team came in continuation of the rapport reached with Ohanaeze at the Anambra State reconciliation meeting.

It called on Ohanaeze Ndigbo to assist in working towards the de-proscribing of IPOB.

Madubugwu said “IPOB is not a terrorist organisation, it was given a bad name in order to hang it.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596707602/ohanaeze-ipob-fighting-same-cause-emancipate-ndigbo

The #RevolutionNow movement and other human rights groups, on Thursday lashed out at the Presidency for describing Wednesday’s #RevolutionNow protests as a child’s play and irritation.

The groups told The PUNCH that the Presidency’s dismissal of #RevolutionNow’s protests clearly indicated that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari;’s (retd.) regime was insensitive to the suffering of Nigerians.

Members of the #RevolutionNow movement demanding good governance had on Wednesday protested in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Ondo, Osun and Ogun states.

During the protests, no fewer than 91 members of the group were arrested in the FCT, Lagos, Osun and Ogun states.

On Thursday, the Presidency described the protests as a mere child’s play and an irritation.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday.

Adesina said the protests were carried out by only a few youths out of the 200 million Nigerians.

He said, “Well, was it really a protest? By my estimation, it just seemed like a child’s play because protests by their very nature are spontaneous things, mass things. These are just a sprinkle of people trying to be funny. As far as I am concerned, it is nothing to worry about.

“A revolution is always a mass thing not a sprinkle of young boys and girls you saw yesterday in different parts of the country. I think it was just a funny thing to call it a revolution protest.”

When asked if it was right for the Presidency to talk down on young Nigerians for protesting, Adesina remained adamant, insisting that the protests were nothing but an irritation and he had a right to his opinion.

#RevolutionNow protest, irritating child’s play – Presidency

“In a country of 200 million people and if you see a sprinkle of people saying they are doing a revolution, it was a child’s play,” he said.

When asked if the government determines the seriousness of a protest only by its size, Adesina responded, “Well, it will always matter because if you said it was a revolution, revolutions by definition are quite well known.

“A revolution is something that turns the normal order. What happened yesterday, would you call it a revolution? It was just an irritation, just an irritation and some people want to cause an irritation in the country and what I will say is when things boil over, they boil over because you continue to heat them. When you see pockets of heating up in the country, eventually they culminate in a boiling over. So, Nigerians need to know that the country we get is what we use our hands to build.”

The President’s spokesman said the issues the protesters were demonstrating about such as insecurity, corruption, poverty and rights abuse were not peculiar to Nigeria and so the protests were misguided.

When asked if the clampdown on protests would continue, the President’s aide said, “The government will do whatever is right, whatever is required to maintain peace.”

However, there was a mild drama during the programme as Adesina and the National President of Revolutionary Lawyers’ Forum, Mr Tope Akinyode exchanged words over the #RevolutionNow protests.

Akinyode, who took part in the protests which were disrupted by security operatives, said the aim of the demonstration was to demand good governance, poverty eradication, a stop to the insecurity and many other issues.

Buhari’s regime, bereft of the fundamental principles of democracy – #RevolutionNow lawyer

The lawyer said, “We have to forgive Mr Adesina and the Buhari government for all the things they speak. They don’t understand these things. They are bereft of the fundamental workings of democracy and the rule of law. They don’t know what protest means, they can’t appreciate it

“Buhari is a dictator. He doesn’t obey court orders so he doesn’t know that Nigerians or the people have the right to protest which is why Mr. Adesina was continuously talking down on Nigerians, saying it was a child’s play and an irritation.”

Akinyode said Buhari’s regime seemed to be dedicated to failure hence its aversion to criticism.

He said, “I am disappointed by the myopic definition that Mr. Adesina gave the word revolution especially being a journalist who should have fundamental knowledge of the English language. Revolution has many meanings to it. You cannot attach a single meaning to the word.”

“And if the protesters are demanding the removal of the present government that is constituted, it is a constitutionally guaranteed right. The law allows for impeachment of any validly elected government and for a government that has woefully failed, is it not right for it to resign?”

Adesina, who appeared irked by Akinyode’s response, however, took issue with Channels Television for pairing him with “such a character”.

He said henceforth, the TV station must let him know who he is up against when next he is invited to a programme.

The President’s spokesman said, “Let me make this point. Channels TV should have been ethical and professional enough to tell me that I was appearing with somebody and then I could decide whether to appear or not to appear.

“The way this young man is talking, if I had a chance, I wouldn’t want to share a platform with him because he is irascible, he is irrational and he doesn’t understand and I could have decided whether to appear with him or not.”

Akinyode, however, stated that he was a lawyer and a learned individual.

Buhari protested against Jonathan in 2014 – #RevolutionNow co-convener

A co-convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Deji Adeyanju, in his reaction dismissed Adesina’s statement.

He reminded the presidential aide that his boss, who was then Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, also protested against the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.

Adeyanju said, “Did it mean that when Buhari protested in 2014, he too was also an irritant? People like Femi Adesina who found themselves in a position of power are already drunk after five years. These are the kind of people when they leave office, you wonder if they ever served in any capacity. He is blabbing.”

Presidency’s reaction insensitive — Ex-NBA Vice-President

A former Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Monday Ubani, in an interview with The PUNCH, described the Presidency’s reaction as insensitive.

“I expected Mr Adesina to be a bit more sensitive in his reaction to these issues. I consider that statement as highly insensitive. I didn’t believe that that was coming from him,” he said.

Buhari’s regime mismanaging democracy – Ex-CDHR president

A human rights lawyer and former President, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Malachy Ugwummadu, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the Presidency must be ready for more “irritation” for as long as the Nigerian public space had become a killing field

He stated, “The democracy they are shamelessly mismanaging today is a product of a sustained protests against autocracy and military rule.

“There cannot be a democratic environment worth the name without plurality of opinions and views expressed within the confines of the law including protests and demonstrations. That right to so express ourselves is entrenched under Section 39(1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”

15 #RevolutionNow protesters still being detained – Falana

On his part, a human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), described the arrest of the #RevolutionNow protesters in various parts of the country as totally uncalled for.

Falana queried the basis for the arrest of the protesters if their activities were childish as suggested by the government.

According to him, seven of the protesters arrested in Osun State and eight others in Kano, remained in detention as of Thursday.

He said, “In defence of the constitutional rights of the protesters to express their grievances against what they perceive to as incompetence of the government to manage the security of the country and to arrest the wave of corruption, the organisation that I lead, the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, has defend the legal and human rights of those who were arrested by the government and secured the release of some of them.

“So far, ASCAB has ensured the release of 40 protesters in Abuja, 19 in Lagos, and five in Ogun. We are still battling for the release of seven arrested in Osun State and about eight in Kano State.”

On his part, the Executive Director of Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, described Buhari’s advisers as irritating.

He said, “I am not surprise because the Buhari’s administration is becoming more and more intolerant of descents. The government failed to understand that no country ever developed by gagging free speech and expression.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596790771/revolutionnow-reactions-presidency-describes-protests-child-play

The Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, has said his administration will retrieve the billions looted by officials of the administration of late Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Taiwo Adisa, the governor said this on Wednesday at the commencement of the construction of the 21-km Ajia-Airport-New Ife Expressway, in Ajia town.

The 21-kilometre road project was awarded at the cost of N8.5bn.

Although the governor did not mention his predecessor’s name, he said the funds stolen in 96 months preceding his assumption of office would be retrieved.

Ajimobi ruled the state for eight years, which is the same as 96 months before Makinde took over.

Makinde said, “I heard somebody criticising us on radio concerning the N100bn bond and was of the opinion that this administration wants to put the state in debt.

“For the period of eight years they spent in office, they were only preoccupied with how to corner N1bn monthly into their private pockets.

“They spent 96 months in office, that means they have Oyo State’s N96bn with them. We will retrieve every fund that belongs to Oyo people for the purpose of infrastructure development.”

Makinde said his administration would reduce the infrastructure deficit in the state within a very short time.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596710199/makinde-vows-retrieve-n96bn-stolen-under-ajimobi

The Niger Delta Development Commission has said the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, stands by the list of contractors he released, which contained the names of some lawmakers and ex-governors as NDDC contractors.

The commission said the names emanated from files in the possession of its forensic auditors, adding that it was part of the volume of 8,000 documents handed over to the audit team.

Akpabio had, during an investigative hearing by the House of Representatives last month, claimed that some lawmakers were beneficiaries of the NDDC projects.

He subsequently released a list of contractors, which included the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Peter Nwabaoshi, whose name was listed against 53 projects.

He also said Senator Matthew Urhoghide and Senator James Manager got six projects each, while a former senator, Samuel Anyanwu, got 19 projects.

The former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the NDDC, Nicholas Mutu, was also named by the minister as receiving 74 contracts, as well as a former Delta State governor, James Ibori, and ex-Abia State governor, Orji Kalu.

All the men have denied the allegations, but the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, said, “The Interim Management Committee of the commission stands by the list, which came from files already in the possession of the forensic auditors.

“It is not an Akpabio’s list but the NDDC’s list. The list is part of the volume of 8,000 documents already handed over to the forensic auditors.

“Prominent indigenes of the Niger Delta, whose names were on the list, should not panic as the commission knew that people used the names of prominent persons in the region to secure contracts, and the ongoing forensic audit would unearth those behind the contracts.”

In the statement titled, ‘NDDC Invites President Buhari to Commission Signature Project’, the commission justified the release of the contractors’ names, noting that the “intention of the list was to expose committee chairmen in the National Assembly, who used fronts to collect contracts from the commission, some of which were never executed.”

Meanwhile, the NDDC said it was inviting the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to inaugurate the 29-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State.

It said the project, which cuts across 14 communities, costs N24bn and was built in conjunction with the Shell Petroleum Development Company to create a land link between Yenagoa and Nembe for the first time.

Odili said, “The road has cut the journey time to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, from three hours to one and a half hours. This project is not only a flagship of intervention in the Niger Delta but it is also a model of the development partnership between the commission and international oil companies in the region.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596622110/nddc-akpabio-stands-contractors-list

The Presidency has said the #RevolutionNow protests that held in different parts of the state on Wednesday were a mere child’s play and an irritation.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday.

Adesina said the protests were carried out by only a few youths out of the 200 million Nigerians in the country.

He said, “Well, was it really a protest? By my estimation, it just seemed like a child’s play because protests by their very nature are spontaneous things, mass things. These are just a sprinkle of people trying to be funny. As far as I am concerned, it is nothing to worry about.

“A revolution is always a mass thing, not a sprinkle of young boys and girls you saw yesterday in different parts of the country. I think it was just a funny thing to call it a revolution protest.”

When asked if it was right for the Presidency to talk down on young Nigerians for protesting, Adesina remained adamant, insisting that the protests were nothing but irritation and he had a right to his opinion.

“In a country of 200 million people and if you see a sprinkle of people saying they are doing a revolution, it was a child’s play,” he said.

When asked if the government determines the seriousness of a protest only by its size, Adesina responded, “Well, it will always matter because if you said it was a revolution, revolutions by definition are quite well known.

“Revolution is something that turns the normal order. What happened yesterday, would you call it a revolution? It was just an irritation, just an irritation and some people want to cause irritation in the country and what I will say is when things boil over, they boil over because you continue to heat them.

“When you see pockets of heating up in the country, eventually they culminate in a boiling over. So, Nigerians need to know that the country we get is what we use our hands to build.”

The president’s spokesman said the issues the protesters were demonstrating about such as insecurity, corruption, poverty, and rights abuse were not peculiar to Nigeria and so the protests were misguided.

He said the N-Power programme, which gives unemployed youths temporary jobs and monthly stipends was one of the ways the government was addressing joblessness.

Adesina said the President recognises the problems but they cannot be addressed in one fell swoop.

When asked if the clampdown on protests would continue, the President’s aide said, “The government will do whatever is right, whatever is required to maintain peace.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596705066/revolutionnow-protest-child-play-irritating-presidency

Professor of Broadcast Management and Media Law, Tonnie Iredia, says the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has hijacked the duties of the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission hence the hasty review of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

Iredia, who is a veteran journalist, said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday while reacting to the controversy generated by the new fine for hate speech which was increased from N500,000 to N5m.

He said, “There is a real problem. Everybody expects a broadcasting commission to be an autonomous body that has no place in politics. If you listen to the news, who has been speaking? The Minister of Information. Is he the Director-General of the NBC?

“When the minister is speaking, there is no way broadcasters can see that the regulator is speaking. He is not a regulator. He should leave the broadcasters in the NBC to do their professional duty. The law gives him the right to supervise but not to take over the job.

“The moment the minister is speaking, no matter how well-intentioned he may be, the people become suspicious because he belongs to a political divide and whatever he says is likely to be used against the opposition and I think this is a natural thing.”

The professor said the issue of fake news and hate speech were subjective and controversial matters.

He argued that criticism could also be tagged hate speech and thus the broadcasting code could be subject to abuse.

Iredia said, “Now take the issue of fake news that has been overplayed in the last couple of weeks. We were all in this country a few days ago when a minister told the nation that contracts in the NDDC were being grabbed by legislators. The legislators now challenged him to bring a list. The next thing the minister said was that he didn’t say so.

“We heard him say so, and we heard him say he didn’t say so. Now between the time he said so and the time he said he didn’t say so, broadcasters had gone ahead to broadcast it which is now fake news. Who is guilty now? Is it the media, the minister, or the politics of broadcasting?

“The point I’m trying to make is fake news, hate speech are very subjective terminologies and one has to be very careful because some will take criticism as hate speech but criticism is not hate speech.”

Iredia, who served as a consultant to the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria when the code was being revised, said broadcasters were not carried along during the process as was the norm.

He added, “Now, the problem is that for the first time in the history of broadcasting in this country, the code was not done the way it used to be done. This time around, the NBC just rolled out a number of things that it felt should be in the code and did not hold consultations with the stakeholders like the previous managers of the system did where you first of all hold consultation, everybody will look at it, there will be a document, you will bring it out at the tail end, there will still be another kind of peer review and all kinds of things.

“Just as I said at the beginning, the code was supposed to be a professional guide. It was supposed to be a masterpiece that promotes professional excellence in broadcasting but now it is filled with sanctions and what you will do and not do.

“And the bodies that should have been consulted were not consulted the same way. Rather, they were being told that it is subject to review and all their objections now will be taken into consideration in the next review.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596622906/hate-speech-lai-mohammed-has-hijacked-nbc

The Senate report on the alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission has revealed how the top management of the agency shared N4.9bn among themselves in the guise of medical checkup.

The document also showed that the management paid N114.9m as supplementary medical allowance to 26 staff member during the same period.

It stated that both disbursements were made when the nation was under lockdown to check COVID-19 spread.

The report was adopted and approved by the Senate shortly before it proceeded on its annual recess penultimate week.

A copy of the document obtained by our correspondent in Abuja on Monday, indicated that the monies were paid to the individual accounts in March and April this year.

The document indicated that the acting Managing Director, Daniel Pondei, and the two executive directors got N14.2m each.

The report noted that no such payment took place during the first Interim Management Committee led by Joi Nunieh.

It nonetheless, stated that available data showed that the allowance had been in existence even though it appeared to have no specific policy underpinning it.

The report stated, “The three members of the Interim Management Committee received the highest amount of N142m each.

“Two other people, namely Evan Caroline Nagbo and Ms Cecilia Akintomide, took N12,387,500 each, while Peter Uwa Edieya was paid N10,340,000.

The report further added that four other members of staff collected about N8m each while 140 others collected an average of N7m each.

The NDDC management also paid 75 others N6m each while 153 staff members were paid N5.5m.

Four other category of staff were paid between N4.1m and N4.8m while seven others got about N3m each.

The document further indicated that 804 staff members collected between N2.4m and N2.9m each.

Apart from these, the document showed that the management paid N114.9m as supplementary medical allowance to 26 staff members.

No fewer than 15 of them got N7m while one of them collected N5.2m.

The rest however collected between N375, 000 and N550, 000 each.

The report indicated that “payment to all the 1,401 staff who received the allowance was made on 16 March 2020.”

It added that the distribution of the payment category and number of staff did not suggest a regular hierarchical pattern and an absence of clear policy, which raised suspicion of arbitrariness.

The report also stated that the NDDC management used staff members for the distribution of Lassa Fever kits.

It explained that Personal Protective Kits were given to the 185 LGAs of the Niger Delta states through the NDDC staff.

The staff members, according to the document, were paid various amounts, ranging from N300,000 to N6,845,000, on April 15, 2020 for the distribution of the kits.

The report stated, “The total amount used for the distribution is N55,090,000.

“Twenty-nine employees were engaged in ‘Monitoring of the Emergency Response Programme on Lassa Fever Outbreak at a cost of N5,972,500’.

“NDDC did not provide any returns on the end-user beneficiaries which would have helped in evaluating the accountability and transparency of the programme. There was also no mention of the original target beneficiaries.

“NDDC management did not provide details of allocation of the Lassa fever Protective Kits per each state and LGA and how the distributors were assigned as well as the collated report on the distribution exercise.

“They should have justified the huge amount of money allocated for the exercise.”

The report further added that by its own record. NDDC spent N808.9m as imprest between October 29 2019 and May 23. 2020.

It stated that, “this covers a period of seven months during most of which the nation was on lockdown.

“Given that significant amount was also expended on travels, duty tour allowance during this period, payment of bills, it is difficult to justify this huge amount as imprest necessary for the services of the commission.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596526393/nddc-probe-pondei-others-spent-n5bn-medical

The Nigeria Governors Forum has said the attack on the convoy of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, by persons suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists, was proof that governors are also vulnerable.

The forum also decried the worsening security situation across the country “despite government efforts” to curb it.

Chairman of the forum, Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, said this in a statement titled: “NGF Expresses Solidarity with Governor Zulum and Borno State,” which he signed and made available to the media, in Abuja, on Monday.

He expressed gratitude to God for sparing the life of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum and members of his team who were attacked by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno last week.

The statement read, “On behalf of the 36 State Governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of the NGF, I write to express our solidarity with you and the people of Borno State, following the attack last Wednesday, by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect.

“This is one unwarranted attack too many. It epitomizes our collective vulnerability and the fragility of the country’s security architecture.

“Although you emerged from this incident unscathed, we note with regret the injuries sustained by two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and a Police Officer attached to your convoy and do accordingly pray for their quick recovery.

“Mr. Governor, Forum members are resolutely behind you in your effort to rid Borno State of these dastardly and wicked agents of evil.

“We are appalled by the worsening security situation in the country generally, in-spite of all the efforts of the government to end it.

“On our part, the NEC Sub-Committee on Security will be meeting tomorrow and rising from the resolutions thereof soon dialogue with Mr. President and the nation’s Security Chiefs to discuss this worrisome and rapidly degenerating situation.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596532169/boko-haram-attack-zulum-proof-also-vulnerable

The Nigerian Bar Association, senior lawyers and human rights groups on Tuesday took a swipe at the Federal Government for raising the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5m.

The NBA and others, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, said the hike was an attempt to stifle the media and kill free speech through an unconstitutional means.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while unveiling the reviewed Nigeria Broadcasting Code earlier on Tuesday in Lagos, disclosed that the fine for hate speech had been increased to N5m.

Justifying the decision, Mohammed said, “We remain unperturbed, because we are acting in the national interest. The broadcasting code is not a static document. As we often say, broadcasting is dynamic. Therefore, even the sixth edition of the code shall be reviewed at the appropriate time.”

He stated that the new code included,“the provision raising the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5m.”

Mohammed said the amendments were necessitated by a presidential directive for an inquiry into the regulatory role of the National Broadcasting Commission and conduct of broadcast stations before, during and after the elections.

The minister said the recommendations were approved by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to reposition the NBC to perform its regulatory role better, mostly in the areas of political broadcasting, local content, coverage of emergencies, advertising, and anti-competitive behaviour.

He noted that the reviewed code also had provisions on exclusivity and monopoly, prohibiting exclusive use of rights by broadcasters who intended to create monopolies.

The minister said this would boost local content and encourage open access to premium content.

He explained that sub-licensing and rights sharing created opportunities for local operators to also gain traction and raise revenue for their services.

Mohammed also noted the law prohibiting backlog of advertising debts would promote sustainability for the station owners and producers of content.

Recall that a senator from Niger State, Sabi Abdullahi, last year presented a bill seeking death penalty for hate speech.

But following criticisms by Nigerians, the senator said he would amend the bill to remove death penalty as the maximum punishment for hate speech.

The bill, which passed the first reading in November 12, 2019, has yet to progress to the second reading.

But the Minister of State (Transportation), Gbemi Saraki, in an interview with state House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting in November 2019, said hate speech bill was already captured in the country’s cybercrime law.

Nine months after the controversy generated by the hate speech bill died down, the NBA, two SANs and human rights groups on Tuesday faulted the Federal Government for hiking the fine for it.

Hike in hate speech fine unconstitutional attempt to gag the media – NBA

The NBA described the astronomical increase in the hate speech fine in the newly introduced broadcasting code as an unconstitutional attempt to gag the press.

The NBA said this through its outgoing National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kunle Edun, who was responding to The PUNCH’s request for the association’s position on the Federal Government’s new policy.

Hike anti-people – Lawyers’ association

Edun said the 900 per cent increase in the fine was anti-people. He stated, “This is an unconstitutional attempt at gagging the press. The press as the fourth estate of the realm plays the constitutional role of a watchdog of our democracy in the face of increasing impunity, seemingly official policy of disobedience of court orders, sheer exhibition of rascality by some of our security agencies and unbridled corruption in government.

Be more concerned about killings, NBA advises FG

“Gagging the press by increasing the fine for hate speech by 900 per cent is anti-people. The government should be more concerned about how to improve the welfare of Nigerians, stop the senseless killings in the country and give the people some hope that they have a government that cares. It is the failure of these core responsibilities of government that causes disaffection in society.

“These are the root causes and that is what government should deal with primarily, not scratching the surface.”

On his part, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Seyi Sowemimo, said penalty increment was not the best way for curbing hate speech in the face of widespread divisiveness in the country.

The SAN also doubted whether the fine could be enforced or not since it was imposed by a code made by the minister and not by the National Assembly, which is the body with the constitutional powers to make laws.

Sowemimo said, “It is difficult to really define hate speech in the context of the ethnic animosity and divisiveness that pervade the land. I am not sure increasing the penalty from N500,000 to N5m is the best way of discouraging hate speech. The ethnic animosity and divisiveness that pervade our society are some of the things that make people make statements that are being termed hate speech. I don’t think hate speech is the real problem that we have in our country now and so, I don’t see that this measure will serve any useful purpose.

“Besides, I think this fine for hate speech is going to be difficult to enforce. I don’t see how the minister and some people will make a code and increase fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5m. Until there is a law made by those who are charged to make laws, and not a code, I don’t see how this will be enforced.”

It’s an expression of Buhari govt’s despotism, dictatorship – Ozekhome

Also, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, described the increment in the fine for hate speech as unconstitutional.

The constitutional lawyer warned that if the Federal Government ever attempted to enforce the provision, it would be challenged and outlawed.

He described the move as an expression of intolerance, despotism and dictatorship.

Ozekhome said the code also lacked the force of law and should not be taken seriously.

He said, “The constitution has permitted freedom of speech and freedom to hold opinions. Once the constitution has done that, no law, not even an Act of the National Assembly, also called Act of Parliament, can derogate the clear provisions of the constitution, not to talk of a mere code of conduct for broadcasters.

“The code of conduct for broadcasters, as the name suggests, is just a directive to broadcasters on what to do and what not to do. It is persuasive; but to go as far as putting a fine of N5m for hate speech, it means they are turning a code into a law and into a provision of the constitution.

“If they do it to anybody and the person challenges it in court, the court will declare that section of the document null and void and of no effect. They do not have the power to do that kind of a thing. It is outrageous, unnecessary, constrictive and it closes the freedom of speech space and enthrones illegality, despotism and dictatorship.”

Ozekhome said he was not surprised by the action to gauge free speech, saying the Federal Government was “intolerant of divergent opinions, plurality of ideas, right activists and anything that does not go according to its wills and caprices.”

“It is a government that wants everybody to lie down facing the same direction. They don’t believe anybody is entitled to superior arguments. To such extents, they are narcissistic and self-opinionated,” he added.

It’s an attempt to stifle free press – International Press Centre ED

Speaking to The PUNCH, the Executive Director, International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, described the increment as an attempt to further stifle free press.

Arogundade wondered what the criteria would be for determining what constitutes hate speech.

He said there were agencies of government that could enforce the crime of hate speech and there were already relevant laws that addressed the issue of hate speech.

The IPC director, therefore, stated that it was wrong of the government to arbitrarily increase the fine for hate speech by 10 times.

Arogundade said, “I still need to go through the details but I think imposing a fine of N5m for hate speech is excessive and arbitrary. You ask yourself, who will this fine be targeted at. I think this is just an attempt to muzzle the media. Quite frankly it is not okay because there are other regulatory agencies that deal with hate speech.

“This is just a way of stifling the voice of difference in the society because the question arises that who defines hate speech. If for instance, the minister of health fails to perform his function as regards COVID-19 and people are dying due to neglect and the deaths are attributed to the minister, will that be tagged hate speech? So, I think it is an attempt to curb criticism of the government.

“When government is losing support of the people, they come up with these sorts of regulations. For me, it is an attempt to intimidate the citizens and prevent them from expressing their true feelings on the failure of the government and it will not stand the test of time.”

The Executive Director of the Centre for Public Accountability, Olufemi Lawson, in an interview with The PUNCH, said, “The imposition of fine against perpetrators of purported hate speech by the Federal Government is a condemnable clear attempt at gagging free speech and the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression of the Nigerian people.

“The hate speech classification as of today is backed by no law, other than some executive orders, which are reincarnations of the days of military decrees under the regimes of military juntas.

“We have often said and remain of the opinion that whenever anyone is found to have made statements considered enough as ‘hate speech’ the instrumentality of our existing laws, including such that can be used to prosecute for libel, should be applied.

“This country is no longer under a military rule, where someone somewhere in an executive corner, can wake up to impose fines on citizens, without recourse to the courts of the National Assembly. This is arbitrary and we will surely challenge this, as citizens of this country

Address killings in Southern Kaduna, group tells FG

Also the Media Associate, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, Armsfree Ajanaku, in an interview with The PUNCH, condemned the fine.

He said, “Our position is that while it is good to take strong steps to deter hate speech, we believe raising a fine is a cosmetic approach to solving the problem. The fundamental question is ‘What in the opinion of government constitutes hate speech?

“We hope this is not a ploy to clamp down on free speech. The next important thing is that if the government is keen on criminalising hate speech, what has it done to end actual hate crimes in which lives are lost. We can see the mindless killings happening in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the country; is government also going to impose fines for lives lost?”

Ali backs fine hike

But SAN, Mallam Yusuf Ali, said no penalty was too much to impose on makers of hate speeches because hate speech had the potential to destabilise society.

Ali said, “First, it is when society exists that we start to talk about rights and obligations. When society goes under, it is everybody to himself, God for us all. We have to look at the consequences of hate speech. Hate speech could cause a war. It could promote communal clashes, which are happening in Nigeria already. It could lead to the breakdown of law and order. And without peace, there can’t be progress; without progress, there can’t be sustainable life.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596617668/nba-activists-poke-for-raising-hate-speech

The Nigeria Governors Forum has said the attack on the convoy of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, by persons suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists, was proof that governors are also vulnerable.

The forum also decried the worsening security situation across the country “despite government efforts” to curb it.

Chairman of the forum, Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, said this in a statement titled: “NGF Expresses Solidarity with Governor Zulum and Borno State,” which he signed and made available to the media, in Abuja, on Monday.

He expressed gratitude to God for sparing the life of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum and members of his team who were attacked by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno last week.

The statement read, “On behalf of the 36 State Governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of the NGF, I write to express our solidarity with you and the people of Borno State, following the attack last Wednesday, by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect.

“This is one unwarranted attack too many. It epitomizes our collective vulnerability and the fragility of the country’s security architecture.

“Although you emerged from this incident unscathed, we note with regret the injuries sustained by two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and a Police Officer attached to your convoy and do accordingly pray for their quick recovery.

“Mr. Governor, Forum members are resolutely behind you in your effort to rid Borno State of these dastardly and wicked agents of evil.

“We are appalled by the worsening security situation in the country generally, in-spite of all the efforts of the government to end it.

“On our part, the NEC Sub-Committee on Security will be meeting tomorrow and rising from the resolutions thereof soon dialogue with Mr. President and the nation’s Security Chiefs to discuss this worrisome and rapidly degenerating situation.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596532169/boko-haram-attack-zulum-proof-also-vulnerable

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has assured voters that his administration will end the menace of thuggery in the state.

He said this would be done through the creation of jobs and rehabilitation of young persons without skills and education for proper reintegration into the society.

Ize-Iyamu, who gave this assurance while receiving Peoples Democratic Party defectors from the Ovia North East Local Government Area, said the problem of thuggery could be solved with adequate rehabilitation and provision of legitimate jobs and engagement.

He said, “I don’t support thuggery and the oppression of our people; only government officials wearing uniforms will be permitted to collect taxes when voted into office.

“We must look for jobs for the thugs in the motor parks and markets. You cannot solve one problem and create another problem on the long run.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596527335/edo-2020-find-solution-thuggery-ize-iyamu

Nigerian veteran actress, Victoria Inyama has urged all women to put a decent dressing to prevent rape. Since the inception of the global pandemic, over four thousand cases of rape have been recorded across the country.

Taking to Instagram, Victoria said that the government isn’t capable of putting a stop to the rampant rape cases in the country so ladies should dress appropriately to avoid falling victims to rape crimes.

”Appropriate Dressing & Comportment. It’s obvious to me that the Nigerian government is not really ready to put a fixed penalty to Rape and so l beg my ladies (minus the minors or aged victims) to plsssss dress in appropriate clothing so as to reduce the trigger for the perpetrators……A lot of these Perpetrators have underlying mental health issues & being around them in certain clothing is a trigger…..sadly the victim still gets to be shamed & ridiculed, so since this government is Not ready to do much, it would be wise to safeguard yourself. Yes it’s not about the dressing some will say & compare with Europe & America but remember they take Rape cases seriously unlike Nigerian…..Think about it”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596448733/rape-dress-well-avoid-being-victim-victoria

Its five months to the end of the year 2020 and Nigerian media personality DJ Cuppy is still optimistic about something that she sincerely wants.

The billionaire's daughter took to her page on the popular micro-blogging platform, Twitter, to declare that she would find the love of her life.

According to her, "2020 will be the year I find the love of my life..."

The Gelato crooner still believes that something great will happen to her love life this year.

DJ Cuppy has been very vocal about finding love as she often takes to her social media pages to share her desires with her fans and followers.

The Jollof On The Jet singer once took to her young sister Temi's comment section to react to her beautiful photo with singer Mr Eazi while noting that she hopes she finds her lover soon.

The year 2020 came as a surprise to many Nigerians as no one expected the year to go the way it went. However, despite the sad occurrences, many Nigerians, like DJ Cuppy are still expectant of something great happening to them.

As expected, Nigerians took to her comment section to react to her tweet. Many young men expressed their interest in her while stating that they love her.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596450499/find-love-this-year-cuppy

The House of Representatives on Sunday said it would review all loan agreements and conditions signed by the Federal Government.

The Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on Aid, Loans and Debt Management, Mr Chris Azubogu, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, just as the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria supported the investigation by the lawmakers into Chinese loans.

The House Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements had on Tuesday last week begun an investigation into the loans taken by the country.

The committee raised the alarm over loan agreements Nigeria signed with China. The lawmakers said the agreement might force Nigeria to concede its sovereignty to the Asian country if the loans were not paid back.

But the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who appeared before the committee, asked the lawmakers to stop the investigation into the Chinese loans.

He said the probe would send a wrong signal to China, which could stop the loans, thereby thwarting the nation’s rail projects.

The Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Aid, Loans and Debt Management, Mr Chris Azubogu, in the interview with The PUNCH, said, “The House generally is concerned. We are reviewing all the terms and conditions to know what they are like. The House is reviewing all loans and agreements.”

Also, a member of the Treaties, Protocols and Agreements, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that the lawmakers would not back down on the probe.

The lawmaker asked, “Do you agree that more money (loans) should be taken when the former (previous) ones that had been taken have not been accounted for? You want transparency and you are taking loans, and we are saying ‘give us transparency.’

“If you are taking a loan for a particular project, can the project pay back the loan? We are in a capitalist economy and in that economy, we should be able to know that if we invest the money, the project should be able to pay back the loan invested. That is what informed the loans we are looking at.

“Then, what are the stringent conditions attached to the loans? If we are not able to pay back the loans, what will be the consequences? These are key legal issues. We are looking at the entire template holistically. If you are taking loans, did you abide by the Nigerian content laws which say that our instruments should be considered first before considering importation?”

Investigations into Chinese loans necessary – LCCI, MAN

Commenting on the call by Amaechi to stop the probe, the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Muda Yusuf, in an interview with The PUNCH, stated that seeking clarifications on government finances by the National Assembly was not wrong, adding that the Chinese loans should not be an exemption.

He said, “There is nothing wrong in seeking information or clarifications about government finances, whether it has to do with domestic or foreign loans or any aspect of government business for that matter.

“It is perhaps a misnomer to call it a probe. I feel it is a process to give some insights and education on the loan processes. But there must be a strong reason for embarking on the exercise in the first place.”

Yusuf, however, said the members of the National Assembly should present a strong reason for embarking on such an investigation.

Minister’s opposition shows something about Chinese loan is hidden – MAN

On his part, the acting Director-General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Ambrose Oruche, wondered how a probe into the terms and conditions of Chinese loans would delay or affect the execution of the railway project.

He said, “Loan approval is being done by the National Assembly and I expect that anyone that is going to apply for a loan should be open to them; to show them every information they need. I don’t know why the minister is saying that the Chinese government will not give us a loan again. That shows that there may be something hidden that one cannot say or see.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1596444494/would-review-chinese-other-loan-agreements-reps

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has said testing positive for coronavirus is not a death sentence, The PUNCH reports.

Ikpeazu made this known in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information, John Kalu, on Monday.

Kalu, while announcing that the governor tested positive for the virus, urged “all Abians to take the fight against COVID-19 serious as the disease is real but not a death sentence”.

The commissioner explained that on May 30, the governor volunteered his sample for COVID-19 test and subsequently directed members of the State Executive Council and those of the inter-ministerial committee on COVID-19 to submit themselves for the same test.

Ikpeazu’s test returned negative but a second test on June 4 returned positive.

“As a result, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has gone into isolation, as required by relevant NCDC protocols, and he is being managed by a competent team of medical practitioners with a view to nursing him back to good health.

“Consequent on the above, the Governor has directed his Deputy, Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu, to act on his behalf pending his full resumption of duties,” the statement read in part.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1591610827/covid-not-death-sentence-says-gov-ikpeazu

The Federal Government has said the duration for each church service must not be more than an hour, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, stated this on Tuesday during a briefing in Abuja.

Aliyu while rolling out guidelines for the reopening of worship centres said, “Churches to open from 5am and close by 8pm

“For churches, each service should be for a maximum of an hour with an interval of thirty minutes in between services to allow time for disinfection.”

Similarly, the national coordinator said Friday prayers in mosques should also not exceed one hour.

“Mosques may open 15 minutes before and ten minutes after prayers. The total time for Friday prayers should not exceed an hour.

“Islamiya schools, Sunday schools, night vigils, and children classes are to remain suspended.

“Worshippers should be encouraged to sign up for preferred worship and make the option of virtual service an option.

“There should be no gathering either or after worship and business outlets within the premises should remain closed,” he explained.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1591170825/church-service-must-not-exceed-hour-orders

An 18-year-old student of the Federal College of Animal and Production Technology Moore Plantation, Apata, Ibadan, has been raped and killed in Ibadan.

The teenager, Barakat Bello, who was undertaking the National Diploma programme in Science Laboratory Technology, was reportedly attacked on June 1, 2020.

The development comes days after a first-year student of the University of Benin, Uwa Omozuwa, was raped and killed in a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Edo State.According to reports, the latest attack on 18-year-old Barakat took place at her home in Akinyele, Ibadan.

Initial reports stated that the corpse was found near the house.

The father of the deceased, Kasimu Elepo, told Sahara Reporters that he was not at home when the incident occurred.

He disclosed that the deceased’s sister was also out of the house at the time the tragic incident occurred.

According to him, the victim’s sister found Barakat’s body at the back of the house in a pool of blood when she returned from Qur’anic lessons.

He said, “I was not at home when the incident happened. The younger sister was not at home too, she went for Qur’anic lessons but when she returned home, she saw her at the back of the house with deep cuts all over her body. She had been raped and killed.

“Somebody called me on the telephone that I should come home but he refused to tell me what happened. When I got home, I saw that my daughter had been raped and stabbed to death.”

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students, Zone D, has demanded justice for the victim, saying that the raping of women must stop.

The deceased, who was a member of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, was buried on Tuesday according to Islamic rites.

The murder of the teenager has sparked protests on Twitter with the #JusticeforBarakat.

UK-based medical doctor, Harvey Olufunmilayo, said the rape ‘epidemic’ must be brought to an end.

He tweeted, “Barakat Bello was alone at home when some men attacked her. She was raped and killed. This was in Ibadan yesterday. She was only 18. Barakat was at home. She is a Muslim hijabi sister. You mad people that come up with excuses for rape, what is the excuse this time?”

Another tweet by @mideglow read, “This is becoming too much!!! We are tired of burying our sisters and friends. We are tired of molestation and rape! Capital punishment should be meted to the perpetrators.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Police Command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said in a telephone interview with The PUNCH that although the report is trending online, the police could not confirm it at the moment, noting that the incident had not been reported.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the family of the deceased to report the case for an investigation to be carried out by the police.

“Effort is being intensified to confirm the credibility of the report. At present, the Divisional Police Officers, Oluyole, and Apata divisions were contacted but we found out that the address that was quoted is not correct. When I got the DPOs and I inquired, the two of them said at present, there is no such report in their record.

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1591179320/another-teenage-student-raped-killed-ibadan

The Federal Government has said it is safer to worship at home, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, stated this on Tuesday during a briefing in Abuja.

He said, “There is no doubt that COVID-19 is still around. There is no doubt that it is safer to stay at home and there is no doubt that it safer for you to worship at home.

“The PTF is providing safety advisories in the event that you need to fulfill your spiritual need and you cannot do it at home but we are not making recommendations for people to go to places of worship.

“We are providing advisories to enable them do so safely. It is still better to do your worship at home. COVID-19 has not gone away. You only need to look at the numbers. We are in the exponential phase of the illness.

“We have move as a country to third place in Africa and because of our population, we could also move to the second or the first. So, now is the time to continue to take precautionary measures. It is not time to relax.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1591170154/covid-safer-worship-home-says

The Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday described the attack on his person by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party as malicious.

Aregbesola, who was a former governor of the state, said this in a statement by his media aide, Sola Fasure, in Osogbo on Monday.

The PDP had in a release on Sunday, urged the former governor to admit that he failed the state during his tenure as governor.

The party was reacting to issues raised during a virtual colloquium organised to mark Aregbesola’s 63rd birthday.

The opposition said the loans obtained by the administration were above the collateral size of the state.

In response, Aregbesola said the attack on his person was an indication that the PDP had taken malice to a new low, adding that the case of the party might be beyond redemption.

The statement reads, “It is a collection of mumbo jumbo, asinine and puerile effusions emanating from diseased minds.

“If they can find faults with award winning programmes copied by other states and multilateral agencies like the World Bank and UNICEF, and will disparage excellent performance and the sound judgements of established and respected professionals and experts, then the PDP in Osun has taken malice to a new low and their case may be beyond redemption.”

https://www.nairapark.com/news/1591096006/osun-pdp-case-beyond-redemption-says-aregbesola