Too bad...water which is almost free

Talk

One week after the resumption of domestic flights, passenger traffic remains at between 30 to 40 percent, checks by Daily Trust have shown. Domestic flights started last Wednesday with Lagos and Abuja, and by Saturday, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Owerri flights resumed.

Other airports are to also reopen on Wednesday for commercial flights with Overland, the only domestic carrier, which has not started operations, resuming.

The airlines, which have resumed operations so far are Arik Air, Air Peace, Dana Air, Azman, Max Air, Ibom Air and Aero Contractors. But since the flights resumed, the airlines have been carrying less than 50 percent of their capacity.

For instance, on the day of the opening, Air Peace had the highest number of passengers on its first flight with 112 passengers on a Boeing 737 aircraft which could take more than 140 passengers depending on the configuration.

Arik Air had less than 80 passengers on its first flight last Wednesday. But sources said the passengers’ tally had continued to dwindle since the first set of flights last Wednesday.

Analysis of Tuesday’s morning and afternoon flights operated by most of the airlines indicated that all of them carried less than 40 percent of the aircraft capacity. For instance, a Lagos-Port Harcourt morning flight of one of the airlines had 10 passengers and it returned to Lagos with 34.

Another airline had 28 outbound passengers and recorded 49 inbound passengers. Also, one of the Abuja-Port Harcourt flights indicated that one of the airlines departed with 58 passengers and returned with 53.

A source in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed that passenger traffic has been hovering at between 30 and 40 percent.

Experts believe the domestic traffic would experience a rebound only when the international flights resume.

An aviation analyst, Mr. Tayo Ojuri, had told Daily Trust that 30 percent of the domestic traffic is tied to international operations.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/one-week-after-flights-resumption-airlines-record-30-traffic.html

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, dared members of the National Assembly when he threw his weight behind the Minister of State for Labour, Productivity and Employment, Festus Keyamo, on the recruitment of 774,000 youths under the Special Public Works programme (SPW).

The federal government had unveiled the SPW to employ 1,000 persons from each of the 774 local government areas.

President Buhari, on Tuesday, reportedly gave a go-ahead to Keyamo to continue with the exercise, despite the suspension by the lawmakers. Daily Trust reports that this is about the first time the executive and the legislature would be disagreeing on national issues.

The initiative is billed to begin on October 1, and each beneficiary will be paid N20, 000 monthly to carry out public works. Keyamo had on June 30, clashed with the federal lawmakers when he appeared before the joint committees of the National Assembly on Labour to brief them on the recruitment exercise.

An argument over the composition of the selection of the committees of the scheme snowballed into war of words between the minister and the lawmakers. Thus, the federal lawmakers announced the suspension of the scheme.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-dares-nass-backs-keyamo-on-recruitment.html

hmmm

RIP

The Federal Government Thursday in Abuja launched a diagnostic kit, RNASwift, for the identification of coronavirus’ causal agent. The acting Director-General of the National Biotechnology Development Agency, Prof Alex Akpa, whose agency produced the kit, said the kit would enable Nigeria to test five million farmers and labourers to ensure food security chain was not compromised by COVID-19.

According to him, the kit which was designed, developed and validated by Nigerian scientists, holds huge potentials for the country’s plan at scaling up testing for COVID-19, “The diagnostic kit is a product of cutting-edge biotechnology which involves exploitation of molecular biology to design, develop and validate a cost-effective but yet very top-of-the range kit for COVID-19 testing”, Akpa said.

He added the development and validation of the kit was also a reflection of the creativity that had gone on in Nigerian laboratories working in collaboration with some scientists in the United Kingdom. He said the kit would reshape Nigeria’s testing approach and bring the power of large scale and precise testing closer to more Nigerians.

“This is a giant leap in the quest to ensure that every Nigerian and indeed every African gets the best attention needed to survive the COVID-19 pandemic”, Akpa said.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu and his Agriculture counterpart, Sabo Nanono, jointly launched the kit. Onu, while speaking before unveiling the kit, said it would be affordable to all poor Nigerians.

The minister said about 10 million kits had been produced and more would be produced in the near future. On his part, Nanono said the kit was capable of increasing productivity in the agricultural sector.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/covid-19-fg-launches-kit-to-test-5-million-farmers.html

EFCC is the wasting of resources without good result

ok

Labour Party governorship candidate (LP), in the forthcoming election in Edo state, Dr. Isaiah Osifo, has said that fielding a candidate facing corruption trial by the All Progressives Congress in the election is a mockery of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption fight.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the governorship’s candidate of the APC and four others are currently standing trial in the Federal High Court, Benin over an alleged N700m fraud preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC.

The four other defendants in the suit are former Edo State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Dan Orbih, state PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, former Deputy Governor Lucky Imasuen, and Efe Anthony.

Addressing journalists on Thursday in Benin, Dr. Osifo said it is a show of shame for the party that prides itself as fighting corruption to have fielded a candidate who is currently standing corruption trial.

“I decided to challenge the choice of the APC’s governorship candidate because as Labour party, it is our responsibility to enlighten and educate the public on the need to halt desperate people who have nothing to offer other than blind pursuit of personal aggrandisement,” he said.

He urged Edo people to vote wisely, not allowing APC to deceive them to vote for a candidate who is enmeshed in corruption charges.

Responding, the spokesperson, Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu campaign organisation, John Mayaki said Ize-Iyamu is an unblemished candidate for the election.

“Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is an unblemished candidate respected by all. The case that has been distorted and unfairly tied to Pastor Ize-Iyamu for political reasons has to do with the EFCC investigations of how the PDP managed privately-sourced campaign funds in 2015,” he said.

He said members of the PDP are are also parties to the case, saying that Ize-Iyamu has gone on the record to clarify things and will be cleared soon by the court because there is no evidence of wrongdoing.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/edo-fielding-candidate-facing-corruption-charges-mockery-of-buharis-anti-corruption.html

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, says the protracted power sector problem is dampening the hope of Nigerians for industrialization and overall development.

Gbajabiamila said this in Abuja on Wednesday at the opening of a two-day investigative hearing by the House Ad-hoc Committee on Power Sector Reform. He said: “It’s no longer news that despite huge investments in the power sector, little progress may have been made.

“It’s becoming increasingly worrisome that successive governments have been unable to fix the issue of power in our country with the current state of electricity supply apparently dampening the hopes of landmark industrialization and national development.” The chairman of the committee, Alhassan Ado, asked the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC) utilise the N1.31 trillion fund provided by the Federal Government to stabilise the power sector.

He stressed the need to tackle metering, transmission, licensing and other challenges inhibiting progress for effective supply of power to Nigerians.

NERC Executive Chairman James Fagbemi said the N1.31trn payment assurance facility advanced to the agency for stabilization of the sector would be effectively utilized.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria said it was deploying N1, 736,349.00 for expansion of transmission lines across states in all the six geo-political zones.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/power-failure-dampening-nigerians-hope-for-devt-gbajabiamila.html

Corruption fight

g

.

A Federal High Court sitting in Benin on Tuesday adjourned the trial of Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC governorship candidate in the Sept. 19 Edo election, along with others, until July 14 due to his ill-health.

The court had at its last sitting on June 18, validated the corruption charges against the defendants, and, therefore, adjourned the case until July 7 for hearing.

Ize-Iyamu and four others are being tried over alleged N700 million money laundering case filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Other defendants are Dan Orbih, former Chairman of PDP in Edo; Tony Aziegbemi, state Chairman of PDP; Lucky Imasuen, former Deputy Governor of Edo and one Efe Erimuoghae-Anthony.

The anti-graft agency had in its eight-count charge alleged that the defendants illegally received public funds to the tune of N700 million for the purpose of the 2015 general elections.

The EFCC said the defendants allegedly conspired and committed the offence in March 2015, by taken possession and control of the funds without any contract awarded.

At the hearing of the case on Tuesday, Charles Edosomwan (SAN), Counsel to Ize-Iyamu, told the court that his client could not make it to the court as he was currently indisposed. Edosomwan prayed the judge to allow him present the certificate of Ize-Iyamu’s ill-health as certified by his medical doctor to the court.

The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, after listening to the counsel, adjourned the case until July 14 for hearing. (NAN)

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/alleged-fraud-court-adjourns-trial-of-apc-guber-candidate-ize-iyamu-others.html

Mangu!

ok

The Council of Legal Education (Law School), has described as misleading, the report that the school approved the payment of N32 million to an unnamed cleaner over a period of 12 months.

The council also denied giving out an alleged N36 million as dressing allowance to an individual against Nigeria’s extant laws.

Mrs E. Max-Uba, Secretary of the council and Director of Administration, said in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday that the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu- Chiroma, (SAN), was wrongly quoted when he appeared at a public hearing.

The public hearing was conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts (SPAC), in connection with the annual report of the Auditor-General of the Federation on the Accounts of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015. The institution admitted that queries were raised from the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation with regard to the payment of N36 million as dressing allowance and N32 million as payment to an unnamed cleaner over a 12-month period.

It also said explanations were given on how the funds were spent without violation of extant laws. The institution said the Council of Legal Education traditionally has a dress code for its staff and students as part of its work ethics. “In furtherance of this tradition, the council approved a scheme and condition of service on March 10, 2009 that provides in part, the payment of 10 per cent dressing allowance to its staff.

”The payments were made into the individual bank accounts of staff and not a single person as erroneously reported,” she said.

She assured Nigerians that there was no fraud in the Nigerian Law School and also that the school would appear before the senate this week to make further explanations on other queries.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/law-school-denies-paying-n32m-to-cleaner.html

The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has uncovered financial infractions in the records of the Nigerian Law School. The infractions ranged from outright misappropriation to spending without approval and diversion of pension.

Law School loses former DG Law school student, 1 other remanded over impersonation during bar exams This is contained in the 2015 Auditor-General’s report submitted to the Senate Committee on Public Account. Nine queries were issued by the Office of the Auditor-General of Federation to the management of Nigerian Law School in 2015, according to the report.

The Auditor-General queried the payment of N36 million as dressing allowance through the account of one of the staff for 52 others without approval and in violation of Nigeria’s Financial Act.

“The Examination of payment records revealed that the Nigerian Law School several times paid N36 million to staff as dressing allowance in 2013 alone.

“The Management could not substantiate these payments with any approval from Salaries and Wages Commission to enable the audit team to determine the genuineness of these payments to staff.

No appropriation in this request,” the report said. The report also indicted the law school for paying N32 million to an unnamed cleaner over a period of 12 months against Nigeria extant laws.

The queries also said that N34.3 million was paid for the training of staff without approval from the federal government. The management of the institution, led by its Director-General, Prof. Isa Chiroma, appeared before the Senate panel on Thursday to defend queries.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Chiroma, while responding to the queries, said that he was not the Director-General of the institution during the period under review, though admitted that government is a continual.

On payment of N36 million as dressing allowance, the Director-General said, “I can’t imagine the Law School paying N36 million into one account on behalf of others.” His defense was, however, not strong enough for the Senate panel to vacate the query.

The Auditor-General’s report further revealed from the examination of payment voucher that the Law School, at various intervals, made use of the pension funds to offset expenses not related to payment of pension, contrary to extant Financial Regulation.

The Director-General of the Law School was asked to recover the sum involved and return the same into the pension account.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fraud-law-school-pays-cleaner-n32m-staff-gets-n36m-dressing-allowance-report.html

All is not well

Chai

The weapons and hardware being used by Boko Haram insurgents were looted and carted away during invasions on military formations in the northeast, according to Military sources.

They were reacting to the claim by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major-General John Enenche, that the military does not know those sponsoring terrorist groups in the country and how they get their weapons.

“It is not correct to say that the weapons being showcased by the terrorists are anything different from those procured for us,” one of the sources said. “The candid truth is that most of these vehicles, armour tanks and other military hardware were stolen from our bases.

Recall that in most displaced military locations, they looted our arms and ammunition to fuel their operations. Most of the vehicles they use were snatched from our frontlines troops. “Another means is that they get weapons from neighbouring Lake Chad countries at giveaway prices. It is easier to move arms and ammunition to Lake Chad Basin because of porous borders,” the source said.

A public affairs analyst, Abubakar M. Kareto, said the Boko Haram insurgents have several means of funding their operations including taxation of locals, raids on villages, kidnapping and looting of military formations.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/how-boko-haram-fighters-are-getting-weapons.html

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, nominated 41 non-career ambassadors-designate. The nominations was contained in a letter Buhari addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, requesting the confirmation of the nominees. Buhari appoints 41 non-career ambassadors Senate confirms 42 career Ambassadors-designate, Federal Character nominee The president’s letter was read by Lawan after the Red Chamber emerged from an executive session on Wednesday.

The list showed that Kano, Kwara and Oyo had three nominees each, two each from Benue, Borno and Adamawa, while the rest, except Abia and FCT, had one nominee each. Here is the list:
Abia
None
Adamawa
Engr Umar Suleiman L.S. Mandama
Akwa Ibom
Oboro Effiong Akpabio
Anambra
Chief Elejah Onyeagba
Bauchi
Abubakar D. Ibrahim Siyi
Bayelsa
Philip K. Ikurusi
Benue
Hon. Tarzcor Terhemen, Paul Oga Adikwu
Borno
Al-Bishir Ibrahim Al-Hussain, Brig Gen. Bwala Yusuf Bukar
Cross River
Prof. Monique Ekpong
Delta
Oma Djebah
Eboyin
Ominyi N. Eze
Edo
Yamah Mohammed Musa
Enugu
Maj. Gen. C. O. Ugwu
FCT
None
Gombe
Dr. Hajara I. Salim
Imo
Obiezu Ijeoma Chinyerem
Jigawa
Ali M. Magashi
Kaduna
Prof. M. A. Makarfi
Kano
Hamisu Umar Takalmawa
Imam Galandanci
Amina Ado Kurawa
Katsina
Amb. Yahaya Lawal
Kogi
Dare Sunday Awoniyi
Kwara
Ibrahim Kayode Laaro
Abioye Bello
Zara Maazu Umar
Lagos
Ademola Seriki
Nasarawa
Henry John Omaku
Ogun
Chief Sarafa Tunji Ishola
Ondo
Mrs. Nimi Akinkube
Osun
Adejaba Bello
Oyo
Adeshina Alege
Debo Adesina
Ms. Folakemi Akinyele
Plateau
Shehu Abdullahi Yibaikwai
Rivers
Hon. Maureen Tamuno
Sokoto
Faruk Yabo
Taraba
Adamu M. Hassan
Yobe
Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed
Zamfara
Abubakar Moriki

Source https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/full-list-names-and-states-of-non-career-ambassadors-designate.html

hmm

The Famokiti royal family of Orin Ekiti, in Ido/Osi Local Government, Ekiti State, has sued the state governor, Kayode Fayemi, to court for allegedly imposing “a traditional ruler from an anonymous royal family” on the community as the new Olorin-elect.

In a suit number HAD/44/20 filed at the Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, the Famokiti royal family is urging the court to nullify the selection of Adeniran Oluwafemi Ajibewa from the Ajibewa Ruling House as the Olorin-elect on the premise that such royal dynasty never existed in the history of the town.

The suit was filed by Princes Gbenga Fajulugbe, Olaniyi Fajulugbe and Segun Olatoye, representing the Famokiti royal dynasty as plaintiffs. Joined as defendants are Adeniran Ajibewa (1st), Samuel Ajibewa (2nd), Governor Kayode Fayemi (3rd), the state Attorney General (4th), state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (5th) and Secretary, Ido/Osi Local Government (6th).

In the legal document deposed to by their lawyer, Obafemi Adewale, the plaintiffs said the selection was a flagrant violation of the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Law, Olorin Chieftaincy Review of 1977 and the Morgan Report of 1988, which recognised only Famokiti and Olubunmo as the two existing ruling houses in the town.

plaintiffs contended that the recent Justice Jide Aladejana Judicial panel of enquiry set up by Fayemi to review chieftaincy matters in Ekiti State turned down the request for the creation of the Ajibewa dynasty and gave a recommendation that only the Famokiti and Olubunmo ruling houses should be recognized.

Based on the foregoing, they craved for an injunctive order setting aside the selection, nomination and approval of the 1st defendant as the Olorin-elect. They also sought an order restraining the governor or its agents from going ahead with the installation of Ajibewa as king or taking further steps, pending the determination of the substantive case.

Also sought was a declaration that the 1st defendant was neither from Famokiti nor Olubunmo and that Famokiti was the next to produce the new Olorin. Following the selection and approval of Adeniran Ajibewa as the Olorin-elect, the two ruling houses had on June 4, 2020 written a protest letter to Gov Fayemi, saying Oluwafemi Ajibewa was not a recognised prince in the town.

The letter, written through the Law Chambers of Obafemi Adewale and Co, insisted that a gazette purportedly signed on June 3, 1999 establishing the Ajibewa royal dynasty was “a product of forgery and a flagrant mutilation of historical facts about the community.”

However, the state government, through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prof Adio Folayan, has always maintained that due diligence was followed in the selection of Ajibewa as the Olorin-elect and that no law or tradition was circumvented.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/royal-rumble-family-drags-gov-fayemi-to-court-wants-oba-elect-disqualified.html

APC!

h

Sai baba

Good luck

Long way to go

Ten cases are pending before courts over the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), our correspondent reports.

The June 16, 2020, judgment of the Court of Appeal which affirmed the order of the FCT High Court of March 4, suspending Adams Oshiomhole from the party gave birth to three more cases to add to the initial seven.

A three-member panel of justices led by Justice Eunice Onyemenam, on June 16, held that Oshiomhole’s suspension on November 2, 2019, at his Ward 10 in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State was ratified by the ward, local government and state chapters of the party.

Following the judgment, some members of the APC declared the then acting National Secretary of APC, Victor Giadom, as acting national chairman, and further filed a fresh ex parte application to extend an earlier order granted by an FCT High court declaring him the acting national chairman.

Giadom was granted an interim injunction to function undisturbed as the acting national chairman by the FCT High Court on March 16. This was a suit by the National Vice Chairman (North East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, against Babatunde Ogala, Lanre Issa Onilu, Waziri Bulama and APC.

On June 18, the court presided over by Justice Samira Umar Bature made an ex parte order further extending the tenure of Giadom by two weeks, while Salihu is to function as acting national secretary pending “a validly convened National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting or pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed (whichever comes first).”

However, as the other cases are pending in court, Salihu has denied involvement in Giadom’s latest court application.

Earlier, on June 11, a Federal High Court in Benin transferred the suit challenging the mode of primary election adopted by the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to nominate its governorship candidate in Edo State to the Court of Appeal.

The suit was filed by a factional state Deputy Chairman of the party, Kenneth Asekomhe, and one of the governorship aspirants of the party, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, seeking to compel the NWC to adopt direct primary for the nomination of its governorship candidate.

The defendants in the suit are APC, Oshiomhole, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

Also, on June 17, a Federal High Court made further order stopping the Edo State Government and Gov. Godwin Obaseki from arresting and prosecuting Oshiomhole over an indictment in a white paper submitted to the state government.

The judge had earlier directed the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Justice J. Oyomire, the IGP and the Department of State Services (DSS), who are joined as parties to the suit, not to take any action pending the determination of the issue of jurisdiction.

Also, a lawyer and member of the APC, Charles Ude, on June 19, filed an application in support of Giadom as the authentic acting national chairman of the party.

Same June 19, a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt made an order restraining Giadom from acting as national chairman of the APC.

Justice Florence Fiberesima granted an order of perpetual injunction also restraining Giadom from parading himself as a member of the NWC of the APC in a suit filed by Dele Moses and others.

Other cases filed over the APC crisis include that of March 5, by a party member, Mohammed Rabiu, before a Federal High Court in Kano challenging the order of the FCT High Court which suspended Oshiomhole. The court presided over by Justice Lewis Allagoa, same day, granted an interim order asking the APC to maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the main suit; which means Oshiomhole remains chairman.

Also, on March 13, the Lagos State Chairman of the APC, Tunde Balogun, obtained an order from a Federal High Court, Lagos, restraining the NEC meeting of the APC from disturbing the acting National Secretary, Waziri Bulama; acting National Deputy Chairman (South), Abiola Ajimobi and National Auditor, Paul Chukwuma, from carrying out their functions.

Also, the National Vice Chairman (North West) of the APC, Inuwa Abdulkadir, on March 13, 2020, obtained an order from a Sokoto High Court to restrain the party from appointing or electing “Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu or any member” into its top positions except through a national convention.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/10-litigations-linger-as-apc-crisis-festers.html

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has engaged 6,111 farmers into the state’s mega farm schemes in 10 local government areas of the state. He said the schemes will encourage farmers and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) return to their communities and fully engage in farming activities.

This was disclosed Monday by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Alhaji Bukar Talba, at an inter-ministerial briefing in Maiduguri, the state capital. “They are to farm alongside these mega farms and beef up security apparatus,” he said, adding that they are also to expand farmlands with protections provided by Agro Rangers, Civilian JTF and hunters, while on the farms.

He said the activation of mega farms, was to produce rice, maize, groundnuts, beans and sesame seeds in the targeted 10 councils. He further said the siting of farms in Konduga, Ngala, Dikwa, Mafa, Gubio, Damboa, Biu, Askira/Uba, Magumeri and Kaga was based on councils’ comparative advantage of producing five different crops.

“Insurgency has led to massive displacements and high levels of food insecurity in the state. “The overall impact has led to great losses in livestock, destruction of irrigation and farming facilities,” he said. He said agriculture provides 90 percent of employment for rural populace that relied on farming as food security and means of livelihood.

“The state government’s policy thrust is massive investments in the agricultural sector to modernise and transform it into job creation and sustain economic growth.

“We’re creating a policy that encourages farmers’ greater access to farming activities,” he said.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/zulum-engages-6111-farmers-in-mega-farm-schemes.html