₦airaland Forum

June 20, 2021

Press Statement

Kaduna Bye-Election: PDP Savours Victory, Mocks El-Rufai, APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says its victory in Saturday’s Kaduna bye-election despite the bragging, intimidation and rigging machinations of the Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led APC administration, is a further signal that the people of Kaduna state have since rejected Governor El-Rufai and his APC.

The PDP says its clean victory in Kaduna, particularly in the political melting point like Sabon Gari Constituency, is a foretaste of the crushing defeat that awaits the APC in Kaduna and other states of the federation in the 2023 general elections.

The PDP's resounding victory in the Kaduna election is a reaffirmation that Kaduna state is home to PDP, in spite of the APC administration, which is now being shown the way out.

The outcome of the Saturday’s bye-election also reinforces the popularity of the PDP as well as our candidate, Alhaji Usman Baba, while serving as an unmistaken expression of the people’s rejection of the high-handedness, oppression, executive recklessness and arrogance, divisiveness, vindictiveness, economic repression, infrastructural decay and general misrule that have characterised governance in Kaduna state under the APC.

Since it is clear that the APC administration in Kaduna state has nothing to offer the people other than imposing a siege mentality and arrogant power intoxication, our party counsels the APC to read the hand writing on the wall on the fate that awaits it in 2023.

The PDP congratulates the member-elect, Alhaji Usman Baba, as well as the people of Kaduna state and urges him to hit the ground running, in line with the commitment of the PDP to provide the dividends of democracy, which have eluded the people of Kaduna State in the last six years of APC’s misrule.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says Twitter and its founder, Jack Dorsey, are liable for the losses the country suffered during the EndSARS protest.

The minister stated this when he featured on a Radio Nigeria call-in programme, “Politics Nationwide’’ on Tuesday.

Mr Mohammed alleged that the twitter founder raised funds through Bitcoins to sponsor the EndSARS protest while his platform, Twitter, was used to fuel the crisis.

He explained that the allegations he made earlier were not taken seriously by Nigerians until an online media outfit carried out an investigation.

According to the minister, the online publication confirmed that Mr Dorsey retweeted some posts by some of the coalition’s supporting the EndSARS protest.

He said it was also confirmed that the Twitter founder launched a fundraising asking people to donate via Bitcoins.

Mr Mohammed stated that Mr Dorsey launched an Emoji to make the protest visible on the microblogging site.

He added that the Twitter boss also retweeted some foreign and local supporters of EndSARS.

The minister said: “If you ask people to donate money via bitcoins for EndSARS protesters then you are vicariously liable for whatever is the outcome of the protest.

“We have forgotten that EndSARS led to the loss of lives, including 37 policemen, six soldiers, 57 civilians while property worth billions of naira were destroyed.

“164 police vehicles and 134 police stations were razed to the ground, 265 private corporate organisation were looted while 243 public property were looted.

“81 warehouses were looted while over 200 brand new buses bought by Lagos State Government were burnt to ashes,’’ he added.

According to Mr Mohammed, it was unfair for Nigerians to conclude that the operation of Twitter was suspended indefinitely because it deleted President Muhammadu Buhari’s message.

He said the action was taken because the platform was being used to promote the views of those who wanted to destabilise the country.

He added that Twitter consistently offered its platform to promote agendas that were inimical to the corporate existence of Nigeria.

“Twitter has become a platform of choice for a particular separatist promoter.

“The promoter consistently used the platform to direct his loyalists to kill Nigerian soldiers and policemen, run-down INEC offices and destroy all symbols of Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“Every attempt to persuade Twitter to deny its platform to this separatist leader was not taken seriously,’’ he said.

The minister said the Federal Government has no apology to offer to those unhappy over the suspension of Twitter’s operations in the country.

He said a country must exist in peace before people could exercise freedom of speech and fight for a source of livelihood.

On the alleged defilement of a 16 YEAR OLD girl by a Traditional Ruler(His Royal Highness) who hail from Ula-Ehuda community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, the family of the 16 Year old girl has informed Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign that they cannot continue with the case over threats to their life .

This is coming after Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign took the family to Police station and reported the matter. The Medical test result of the medical examination conduced on the 16 year old girl in Ahoada General hospital shows, she was defiled.

The Centre cannot cry more than the bereaved. We have done our part. We will continue to stand against Sexual and Gender Based Violence .

Despite the appeal by the paramount ruler and the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, to youths in the capital city not to embark on the proposed protest slated for today, youths in their hundreds trooped to the streets to protest against the Presidency’s alleged support for open grazing.

The youths, who conducted themselves in a peaceful manner, are currently walking through Oja Oba through Oba Adesida Road displaying placards with different inscriptions including ‘Kick Against Open Grazing’ and others.

The Coalition of civil society in Osun State have commenced massive rally in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State against insecurity and unemployment in Nigeria.

DAILY POST reports that the groups armed themselves with different placards which read: Return my Twitter; Nigerian youths are not lazy, Buhari must go; Resign if you are tired – Buahri; Restructure Nigeria Now; among others.

The groups gathered at Oke-Fia in Osogbo around 8am on Saturday.

However, there are heavy security presence at the venue of the protest.

Men of the DSS, Police, JTF, Amotekun and other local operatives were present at the venue.

Meanwhile, some major road in Osogbo were deserted. Businesses and shops were shut.

Groups of young Nigerians have, on Saturday, June 12, embarked on a peaceful protest in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The protest to mark June 12 Democracy Day moved from the popular Mokola Roundabout on to the Unversity of Ibadan.

Their message is no to kidnapping, rape and bad governance. Though security personnel including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Civil Defence, Amotekun corps and even the Federal Road Safety Corps were on ground at the major roads on the state, there has been no confrontation between them and the protesters at the time of this report.

President Muhammadu Buhari says nobody has the power to decide for APC on zoning.

The president said this while responding to a question during an exclusive interview with Arise TV on Thursday.

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According to the president, only members of the the political party have the power to decide the party’s fate.

The president said the acting leadership of the party is fast working to reposition the party and make every member feel at home.

Buhari said, “The hope of this administration is to see APC last beyond it. Therefore we should allow the party to decide.

“You cannot sit here in Lagos, for instance, and decide on the fate of APC on zoning.

“The restructuring of the party has begun from the bottom to the top with the membership card registration. Every member of the party must be involved.

“We will soon conduct our convention. No single member of the party will be allowed to go against the wish of the party.

“The political party has to know how many members it has state by state. This the right step to go about.

“This administration under APC has achieved a lot. Go look at what was on ground before we came in and now.”

There is a huge ruckus at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, over a petition detailing wide-ranging corruption, abuse of office and mismanagement of funds to the tune of N1.1 billion during the tenure of Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.

The petition, seen by FIJ, was written by Ademola Dasylva, a Professor of African Literature, Oral Poetics and Performance, in May and sent to the 2021 Presidential Visitation Panel to the University of Ibadan, headed by Attahiru Jega, a professor and former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Listed as Olayinka’s accomplice in the several acts of alleged financial misconduct is Dr. Michael Alatise, who was Bursar during the tenure of the immediate past VC.

In September 2015, Olayinka assumed office as the 12th substantive Vice Chancellor of Nigeria’s remier university but left office in November 2015 to the most unpalatable of send-offs, as non-academic staff unions under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities of the institution bid him a symbolic farewell protest of “sweeping his feet out of office”.

CERTIFICATE PRINTING RACKET, BREACH OF THE PROCUREMENT ACT

According to the petition, in 2014, the Isaac Adewole administration contracted a UK company, Tall Security Print Limited, to produce 40,000 certificates (for graduate students). The company was represented by its Nigerian agent: Royal, Gold and Apple Limited (Nigeria). Under the project name, ‘Secured Academic Certificate’, the contract was awarded at the cost of N74,549,160.

But in 2016, barely two years after the first contract award of 40,000 pieces of UI certificates, the same contractor was commissioned to produce another set of 40,000 certificates at the cost of N86,407,200 by the Idowu Olayinka administration.

“It is important to question the rationale behind printing of UI certificates in the UK, despite the fact that there were, and still are, other reputable printing organisations in Nigeria, including Academy Press; and the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company,” read the petition.

It noted “two major breaches” in the certificate printing project: That the contractor to whom the Vice Chancellor Olayinka awarded the contract was paid 50%, half of the total amount of the project upfront, in the sum of N43,203,600, which is against the government rule of 15%; and that in a further breach of the Procurement Act, there was no Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) for the money advanced.

Since Adewole had contracted 40,000 pieces of UI certificates to a UK company in 2014, the back-to-back certificate printing project by Olayinka in 2016 raised a few more questions:

“How many certificates out of the 40,000 printed in 2014 by Professor Isaac Adewole’s administration were issued out before the new contract was awarded by Prof Idowu Olayinka, barely two years after?

“Was it a matter of coincidence that Professor Idowu Olayinka was in charge of the certificate printing project in 2014, as the then Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) under Professor Adewole?

“What is the reason for the huge difference in the awarded contract up to the sum of N11.86million (16% increase) between 2014 and 2016?

“What is the cause of the desperation to pay the balance of N43,203,600 in December 2016 when only very few copies of the certificates were delivered?”

SPURIOUS CLAIMS ON RENOVATION OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS’ HOUSES

The petitioner said that under the Senior Staff Housing Scheme, it took the University of Ibadan the sum of N48million to complete a six-flat structure from foundation to finish. However, the same university spent the following on other renovations of similar or lesser quantity within the same period: “N35million was spent to renovate the Bursar’s (Dr. Michael Alatise) Lodge in 2017 (note that the former Bursar did not move into the apartment until few months before his exit); N26million was spent to renovate the Librarian’s (Dr. Helen K. Opadeji) Lodge of similar structure to that of the Bursar in 2017; “N6million was spent to renovate the Registrar’s (Mrs. Oluwabunmi Faluyi) Lodge in 2018 (the Registrar’s Lodge is of the same structure as those of the Bursar and the Librarian); N15million was recently spent on the bungalow that the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, moved into after the expiration of his tenure on November 30, 2020.

OFFICIAL VEHICLES AND OVER-INVOICING

During the five-year tenure of Professor Olayinka as Vice Chancellor, with the exception of the official car that was purchased for the use of the DVC (Admin) office in 2018, all university official vehicles that were acquired did not follow due process, the petition stated.

In December 2015, in the very first month of his tenure in office, Prof Idowu Olayinka was said to have approved the purchase of an official car (Landcruiser Prado) for himself and a Toyota (Avensis) for the former Bursar (Dr. Alatise), without following due process. At the height of the outbreak of COVID-19, all vehicle purchases on behalf of the University Distance Learning Centre and other units of the University were reportedly done without recourse to due process.

Between 2015 and 2020, the former Vice Chancellor and the former Bursar were said to have effected the purchase of vehicles worth over N200million, as follows: in 2017, seven fairly used Toyota Camry were purchased at an inflated price of N30.3million for some university principal officers, deans and heads of units; in the same year, three brand new Toyota Avensis were purchased as official cars for some Principal Officers for N70.6million; and in 2017, a new Prado Jeep was procured for the Council Chairman at a cost of N55.94million.

“In 2020, at the point of exit, the former VC did not consider it procedurally unethical, a brazen violation of the enabling regulations guiding all official purchases, and a gross abuse of office to approve the purchase of a Landcruiser Prado for himself, regardless of whether or not at the point of exit, at the cost of N66million!” read Dasylva’s petition.

“The VC’s last-minute purchase was incongruous with the content and the spirit of the Governing Council’s ‘Decision on Entitlements of Council Members and Principal Officers’. Thereafter, he caused his existing official vehicle (also a 4-wheeler) to be undervalued and sold to himself at a ridiculous amount.”

ARBITRARY WELFARE PACKAGE

Dasylva described this as “another source of huge fraud in the University of Ibadan system”.

The petitioner, Professor Dasylva
“Initiations, decisions and disbursement of welfare package are substantially shrouded in secrecy between the duo of Vice Chancellor Prof Idowu Olayinka and the former Bursar, Dr Michael Alatise,” he wrote.

“Under the Vice Chancellor Prof Idowu Olayinka, management was in the habit of drawing monies out of the university account under the guise of providing welfare package, another name for bribery and settlement. It is to be noted that such monies in this category were never receipted for.”

Between December 2015 and November 2020, not less than N.5billion was estimated to have been expended as “welfare package”. Since welfare package is usually not accounted for, and at times, beneficiaries were not stated, the amount expended could be more than estimated.

At least one of the beneficiaries of such slush fund was said to be known: on his 60th birthday in 2018, Vice Chancellor Olayinka allegedly awarded himself the sum of N500,000 as welfare package!

“It has been a tradition to give welfare package to principal officers and council members strictly for wedding of their children and bereavement of spouses or parents. Never has any VC in UI history awarded himself a welfare package for own birthday while in office),” the petitioner said.

“Similarly, the former Bursar, Dr. Alatise, took a cue from his principal, and was awarded the sum of N500,000 for his PhD convocation ceremony in 2018. Still, there is a serious allegation of financial recklessness on the part of management which caused the University the disbursement of the sum of $150,000 to an agency in Abuja as welfare package.”

SEVERANCE PACKAGE

As approved by the Governing Council of the University, the Vice Chancellor is entitled to a “severance payment” of N5,777,595:00 while all principal officers are entitled to fixed honorarium (Bursar, Registrar and Librarian: N4,829,909:40; and DVCs: N3,863,927:52 for 2 terms, and N1,931,963:76 for 1 term).

The severance package/honorarium is to be awarded to these officers AFTER the successful expiration of their tenure. However, in the case of Professor Idowu Olayinka and Dr. Michael Alatise, the severance payment was said to have been disbursed over two months before the expiration of their tenures. Meanwhile, in the case of Professor Adenike Adeyemo, erstwhile DVC (RISP), her severance payment was not approved until the end of her tenure.

UNIVERSITY IGR

Between 2017 and 2019, a total number of 77,900 candidates wrote one form of examination or the other, at the UIDLC Computer-Based Testing Centre. The total amount generated came to N50,777,296.95, comprising N9,406,207.35 for the year 2017, N11,452,467.10 for 2018 and N29,918,622.50 for year 2019.

“Unfortunately,” said the petition, “the money made by the Centre was mopped up to attend to other things by the University management under Olayinka. Therefore, despite the apparent improved IGR, the Centre, as at 30th Novermber, 2020, was unable to pay the wages of its academic resource persons and support staff.”

Dayslva also wrote: “Before the establishment of the Directorate of Affiliated Institutions, there have been estimated incomes generated from the 13 institutions under the administration of the University, which were duly shared in accordance with the Senate approved sharing formula, to the participating departments and faculties. Between 2016/2017; 2017/2018; and 2018/2019, none of the participating departments and faculties received any funds. The University Administration diverted the legitimate share of the relevant units.

“As Dean of Arts, I kept requesting to know what happened to my Faculty’s share without answer. Besides, with the founding of the Directorate for Affiliated Institution, all revenues generated became centralized. During the 2018/2019 academic session, over N80million was generated by the Directorate of Affiliated Institutions. Despite the agreed sharing formula, approved by Senate, for the participating departments and faculties involved and the programme, the entire revenue generated from these affiliated institutions was, again, never shared to any of the departments and faculties. Sir, for reasons of accountability and fairness the honorable panel will need to find out what happened to the funds that ought to go to participating departments and faculties but was denied them.”

He also said: “The UI Micro Finance Bank was used as an avenue for slush funds, some of which were disbursed as welfare package (see Item E). Since the microfinance bank is a limited liability company under the regulation of the Central Bank of Nigeria, it is only appropriate to demand an urgent independent investigation and audit of the corporate governance and administrative structure of the bank between 2015 and 2020.

“Following the circular of the CBN of October 2018 (revised in March 2019) on ‘review of minimum capital requirement for microfinance banks in Nigeria’, all microfinance banks were directed to increase their capital base across the four tiers of microfinance banks.

“It is on record that the former VC, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, and the former Bursar, Dr. Alatise, worked hand-in-hand to effect the capitalization of UI Microfinance Bank by drawing the sum of N60m from university funds without Council approval.”

MULTIPLE DTAS FROM PERPETUAL TRAVELS

Between 2015 and 2020, the former Vice Chancellor was said to have embarked on perpetual foreign trips without approval of the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council. The occasion of most of these travels always coincided with periods of crisis on campus. More importantly, the cost of the foreign trips, including those that were non-official trips, run to millions of naira of the University fund.

“As it stands now, there is no limit to foreign trips and the privilege, not so much the trips, but the financial implication on the limited resources of the university that is grossly abused,” read the petition.

“In the case of Dr. Alatise, the former Bursar, he was always embarking on perpetual round trips to Abuja and Ilishan-Remo (location of Babcock University where he worked on his graduate programmes) for self-help and personal engagements. Like his principal, the cost of these trips was largely drawn from the lean UI vault.”

He lamented that the university had been hurt by a lack of funds arising from financial ineptitude and recklessness under Olayinka’s administration.

“For instance, the University’s Distance Learning Centre has been unable to pay the honoraria due to academic staff who have been serving as resource persons and instructors to the Centre. Also, the wages of such allied staff as cleaners of the university have been unpaid over 10 months now,” he said. “It is no longer news that the university is grossly indebted to its cleaning contractors to an estimated sum of N100.5million, thus impoverishing the cleaners who are being paid pittance as wages.”

Daylva put the “unprecedented financial indebtedness of the University of Ibadan” at almost N8billion as of November 30, 2020. He called for “a comprehensive forensic audit of the university account under the administration of Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka as Vice Chancellor and the Chief Accounting Officer, and Dr Michael Alatise as Bursar and Chief Financial Officer of the University of Ibadan from December 1, 2015 to November 30, 2020”, saying it would, among other things, help to check any further plundering of the commonwealth.

FIJ contacted Professor Dasylva to confirm if he indeed wrote the petition. And while he did not deny writing it, he expressed “shock” that it had found its way to the public.

“I made my submission to the panel in hard copy and to the panel alone. “It was not meant for public consumption. The panel has not even been given the time to do its job, so why should I talk to the public? If the panel had been given adequate time and it didn’t do its job, maybe I can understand why someone would leak the document to you. But right now, I don’t. In fact, whoever leaked that document to you should be tracked because the issues I raised are not for sensationalism or the external embarrassment of the university.”

Pressed further, he said: ‘I don’t know why anyone would have thought it wise to put the document in the public space. What for? What do they want to achieve with that?”
FIJ also contacted Professor Olayinka, but calls to his line rang out while an SMS went unreplied.

TWITTER SUSPENSION: Who the hell is a private company to determine, set and enforce its uninformed double standards of free speech, information dissemination and democratic governance to any sovereign nation?

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu Zonal Office, have arrested six suspected internet fraudsters in Enugu.

BREAKING: SERAP and 176 concerned Nigerians have asked the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Abuja to order an injunction restraining the government of President Buhari from implementing unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria and criminalising Nigerians and other people using Twitter.

In the suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21 filed today by Solicitor to SERAP, Femi Falana SAN, we contend that “if this application is not urgently granted, the government will continue to arbitrarily suspend Twitter and threaten to impose punishment on Nigerians and other people."

The suit, read in part: “The suspension of Twitter is aimed at intimidating and stopping Nigerians from using Twitter to assess government policies, expose corruption, and criticize acts of official impunity by the agents of the Federal Government.”
#KeepitOn

The Nigerian Army will be spending not less than N700 million on the retirement of 29 Major-Generals and Brigadier-Generals who will leave the service going by the appointment of Major-General Farouk Yahaya as the Chief of Army Staff.

SaharaReporters learnt that the 29 Generals’ retirement benefits would gulp a large chunk of the money, according to the 2017 Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service of the Officers and men of the Armed Forces.

Checks by SaharaReporters showed that the 29 Major-Generals are entitled to a brand new Peugeot 508 car, one cook, two residential guards, one service orderly and one service driver.

Chief among the benefits is free medical cover in Nigeria and abroad to the tune of $15,000 annually.

The 29 Major-Generals and Brigadier-Generals have already commenced a terminal leave – the prelude to their retirement – which will end on June 30.

“The brand new vehicles for the exiting generals will cost N464 million while the other logistics and employment of personnel for them will cost N200 million in total. The money will come from extra-budgetary allocations to the armed forces,” a source at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

“Some of them are lobbying but the rule is the rule. Generals in Course 36 have to be retired forcefully, since Major-General Yahaya is of the 37th Regular Course.”

SaharaReporters had on May 28 reported that President Muhammadu Buhari bypassed no fewer than 24 top senior Nigerian Army officers to appoint Yahaya as the Chief of the Army Staff, according to a document, Seniority Roll Nigerian Army Officers 2021 (Revised) obtained by SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters had stated that the President, by appointing Yahaya, hitherto the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East and from Regular Course 37, puts the 24 top army officers from Regular Courses 35 and 36, on the path of forceful retirement.

Military sources had said Buhari might have appointed a less qualified Yahaya, from Sokoto State, based on the president’s usual ethnic and religious sentiments as seen in his other various appointments.

Checks by SaharaReporters on the army’s document showed that most of the officers in line of seniority following the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, are from the South-West, South-East or Christians.

Following Attahiru are; “Maj Generals J.O Olawumi from Ekiti, J.O Akomolafe from Kwara, C.O. Ude from Enugu, J. Oyefesobi from Ogun, M.O Uzoh from Abia, C.C. Okonkwo from Imo, M.S.A Aliyu from Zamfara, U.M Muhammed from Niger and B.M Shafa from Ogun.”

Others are; “N.E. Angbazo from Nasarawa, Y.P. Auta from Kebbi, A.S. Maikobi from Bauchi, B. Ahanotu from Anambra, S.A. Yaro from Bauchi, J. Sarham from Kano, H.E. Ayamasaowei from Bayelsa, O.F. Azinta from Enugu, B.A Akinroluyo from Ondo, KAY Isiyaku from Niger, AT Haman from Borno, A.M. Aliyu from Gombe, H. P. Z. Vintekaba from Taraba, K.O. The Kadiri from Lagos, and IM Yusuf from Yobe.”

The new army chief, Yahaya, now 55 years, was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps on September 22, 1990.

When Buhari appointed the present crop of service chiefs only in January, no fewer than 20 generals from the three services who were members of courses 34 and 35 were retired to pave way for them.

Parents on Monday afternoon stormed some schools in Iyete, Igangan and Tapa in the Ibarapa North Local Government area of Oyo state to withdraw their children.

SaharaReporters gathered that news of another attack on residents of the areas by unknown gunmen got to the communities after children had arrived in their schools.

It will be recalled that unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen invaded Igangan community on Sunday, killing more than 10 residents.

Confirming the development to Saharareporters, the Elepe Tapa, leader of a community in Igangan area, Oba Titiloye Oyekanmi Sunday, said people have been running helter-skelter to ensure they took their children from schools.

"We couldn't sleep till this morning. We just heard that those Fulani people are restrategising to attack us again but they didn't tell us the precise time. No presence of security agencies here. We need government now," he said.

Our correspondent learnt that Ayete, Igangan and Tapa are the major communities within Ibarapa North Local Government Area.

The Convener, Igangan Development Advocates, Mr. Oladiran Oladokun had on Sunday said one of the sons of the Seriki Fulani of Oyo state who was chased out of Igangan, Ibrahim Saliu had vowed to ensure Igangan is razed to aches.

Oladokun in a statement on Sunday said; "No state security apparatus got to us during the storm. If we had not made a little cover, perhaps Igangan would have become a dunghill of ashes."

Oladokun therefore advocated for the relocation of the base of Amotekun Corpa in Igangan, conversion of Igangan Police outpost to headquaters, among other things as solution to the challenges facing Igangan.

He further said: "When the chips were down, our local hunters were the last man standing. Let the state via Igangan Development Advocates (IDA) get their list and use IDA to empower them with necessary logistics. We suggest that the government should relocate Amotekun base to Igangan, empower Amotekun to carry pump actions.

"It is time we deploy extreme measures for this extreme situations even if someone's toes will be stepped on. The state is empowered to make legislation towards her security, therefore let the state flex some muscles.

"On numerous occasions, Ibrahim Seriki Saliu son kept pledging that Igangan will be raze down to ashes.

He had the audacity to proclaim this on social media as well as on radio shows, perhaps his words were taken as mere groans but local Vigilantes at Igangan kept receiving the news of impending danger.

"The state I believe thought it's just another hype, for we notified the state of our fears on the 14th of april when covert information reached us of a meeting of the Fulani towards fulfilling their oath of allegiance towards reprisals

"Today we lick our wounds

We suffered heavy loss and casualties

The Fulani fulfilled their pledge.

I cannot say the same for those who are supposed to see to our security."

Meanwhile SaharaReporters learnt that some of the assailants who were killed include two aides of the Seriki Fulani.

A source who confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the phone said they attacked Igangan as reprissal attack to revenge on Yoruba people.

"People recognised one of the four assilants killed by hunters as an aide to the Seriki Fulani. We know he was behind the attack. We are ready for them. Let them come now. Our people including the elders are not sleeping again. We don't want any Fulani and their herds in Ibarapa land again," he said.

🏆 Congrats to all the players who made the PFA Premier League #TOTY!

🙌⚽️ @EdersonMoraes93 | @LukeShaw23 | Joao Cancelo | John Stones | @RubenDias | @DeBruyneKev | @B_Fernandes8 | @IlkayGuendogan | @HKane | @MoSalah | Son Heung-min#PFAawards pic.twitter.com/xkk9Ni8Ghw

— PFA (@PFA) June 6, 2021

� The PFA Players’ Player of the Year Award 2021 | @DeBruyneKev �

��� @ManCity @BelRedDevils #PFAawards #POTY #deviltime ��

Special security forces on Sunday morning killed one “unknown gunman” and captured about seven of them who tried to attack Imo police headquarters.

Vanguard gathered in Owerri, that the planned attack by the “Unknown gunmen” started as early as 08:15 am.

But at the entrance to the road leading to police headquarters, they were engaged by the Special security forces and were gunned down. In the process, a hummer jeep in which they came to attack were recovered.

Vanguard was told as of the time of filing this report that the Special security forces were still trailing those of the “unknown gunmen ” trying to escape.

Popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi on Saturday called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to be mature in accepting criticisms.

Gumi made the call while reacting to the ban on Twitter by the Federal Government.

Speaking with DAILY POST, Gumi said the Buhari-led government should “have a wide chest” in accepting criticisms from Nigerians.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had disclosed the ban on Twitter yesterday.

Addressing a press conference, Mohammed had said the Nigerian government suspended Twitter’s operation in the country because Nigerians were using the platform for activities that threatened the country’s existence.

DAILY POST observed that Twitter was banned less than 72 hours after the micro-blogging site deleted a war inciting tweet by the President.

Reacting to the ban, Gumi warned that the Nigerian government cannot fight the media.

He stressed that social media platforms have allowed both the government and the citizens to always state their sides on issues.

According to Gumi: “The Federal Government should show more maturity in its actions, they can’t fight the media. The Federal Government should have a wide chest to accept criticism.

“They should not fight the media; platforms like Twitter, Facebook and other social media have given people the opportunity to hear from both sides.

“The Federal Government should try to be honest, frank and to engage. Government should have a wide chest not to allow delinquent youths to anger it into massacring people. The government should express such maturity to allow criticism and act accordingly.”

Hundreds of thousands of citizens have opted for the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to boycott the indefinite suspension of Twitter by the Nigerian government.

The federal government on Friday through its Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension of the social media platform’s operation in Nigeria.

According to the minister, the action had become necessary following the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

But while many have expressed dissatisfaction with the development, highlighting the benefits of the microblogging site, hundreds of citizens have also explained how installing a VPN app can ensure you bypass the federal government’s action and still use Twitter.

Below are some reactions.
@obasipee
I just woke up this morning, I noticed my tweets can’t go, I sharply on my VPN.. finally I Twitting live from Atlanta.. Thank God For VPN

@onyechinonso
List of Free VPNs to download while Federal Government Suspension of Twitter In Nigeria last:
1. Windscribe
2. USA VPN
3. Nord
4. PIA
5. IPvanish
6. Thunder
#EndSARS , Nigeria, Buhari,Thank God for VPN, Na VPN, Soro Soke, Saturday, Iwobi, MTN, Airtel, USA,UAR

@xqute14me
If you are seeing this tweet, then you’re not alone. You have survived, we are the last ones alive after #TwitterBan, Thank God for VPN. Welcome to #EndSARS good times are here!

@lazywordsmith_
It is even better these clueless people suspend twitter in Nigeria.
I will be in Nigeria and be treating Federal Government and Buhari in the language they understand from Canada.
Thank God for VPN o

@TWEETORACLE
Thank God for VPN, you can be browsing In Nigeria yet using the IP address of USA.
This #TwitterBan is a joke cos Nigerians won’t stop using their voice.
It’s our fundamental right as citizens.
The FG can’t even change that.

The Nigerian Bar Association Assoc has noted with great concern the extraordinary decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria and, by necessary implication, the right of Nigerians to freely express their constitutionally guaranteed opinions through that medium.

The Federal Government also directed the Nigerian Communications Commission to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria, which is, at best, yet another disguised attempt to regulate social media, restrict freedom of speech and shrink civic space.

Whether one likes it or not, we are operating a constitutional democracy, the primary consequence of which is that every thing must be done according to law; and government must be conducted within the framework of recognised rules and principles which restrict discretionary power.

The Nigerian Bar Association finds no constitutional or legal authority to support the peremptory action of the Federal Government to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria and deprive Nigerians of their right to freely express their constitutionally guaranteed opinions. Beyond the dent on our constitutional democracy, at a time when the Nigerian economy is unarguably struggling, the impact of arbitrary decisions such as this on investor confidence is better imagined.

Consequently, if this decision is not immediately reversed, the Nigerian Bar Association will have no choice but to challenge same in the interest of the public and our democracy.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Ibrahim Muhammad has advocated alteration of the Constitution to reduce the maximum number of Justices of the Supreme Court from the current 21 to 16.

Justice Muhammad called for an increase in the number of Justices of Court of Appeal, which is currently pegged at 49 in Section 237 of the Constitution, to not less than 100.

He requested the age of anyone to be appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court should not to be less than 25 years of post-call to Bar.

The CJN also suggested that all the appeals from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court should be by leave of the apex court, with an additional requirement that the application for leave could be determined by three Justices of the Supreme Court, sitting in the chambers.

These form part of the 45-point proposals contained in the CJN’s submission on Thursday in Abuja before the Senate Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution by the CJN on behalf of the Judiciary.

In the 17-page submission, titled: ‘’Input by the Judiciary to the Proposed Alteration to the 1999 Constitution (as Amended),’’, the CJN asked that the Constitution be also amended for the seat of the Secretary of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to be placed at par with that of the Clerk of the National Assembly.

Justice Muhammed requested that the Constitution be further amended to state categorically that the CJN is the head of the Judiciary of the Federation,

He suggested that Section 230 of the Constitution be altered by substitution Paragraph (a) of the existing subsection (2), with a new paragraph (a), to read: “The Chief Justice of Nigeria,who shall be the head of the Judiciary of the federation.”

The CJN further wants Paragraph of the Section to be altered to replace the current provision of: “not exceeding 21,’’ in lines 1 to 2 of paragraph (b) of the existing subsection (2), with ‘’not exceeding 16.’’

The media aide to the CJN, Ahuraka Yusuf Isah, in a statement on Thursday, said Justice Muhammad, in his submission, also asked the National Assembly to alter the Constitution to mandate the National Judicial Council (NJC) to fix and review judges salaries every four years.

In item 38 of his submission, the CJN also requested that Part 1 of the Third Schedule, Paragraph 21 to the Constitution be altered to include sub-paragraph ‘h’ to the effect, that the NJC should ‘’fix, in conjunction with Salaries and Wages Commission, the salaries and other emoluments of judicial staff; in the case of judicial officers, to review such salaries no later than four years from the last exercise.’’

By virtue of the provision of Section 84 (1) of the Constitution, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) reviewed judges’ salary by enacting the ’’Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2008’’ which came into force on February 1, 2007.

The Act has not been reviewed since it was enacted, leaving judges’ salaries stagnant for about 13 years.

The CJN then requested that the NJC be allowed to collect, control and disburse all monies – capital and recurrent – for the Judiciary.

Justice Muhammad also wants a further alteration to the Constitution to allow the Judiciary to exercise control over the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), and for the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) to be allowed to advise the NJC in nominating persons for appointment as the Chairman and members of the CCT.

The Governing Board of the National Examinations Council has approved the appointment of Ebikibina John Ogborodi as the Acting Registrar/Chief Executive of the Council.

The appointment followed the death of the Registrar, Professor Godswill Obioma on 1st June, 2021 after a brief illness.

A Circular issued by the Director, Human Resource Management, Mustapha Abdul, explained that the Acting Registrar’s appointment was endorsed by the Governing Board at its emergency meeting held on 2nd June, 2021.

The Circular explained that Mr. Ogborodi’s appointment was as a result of him being the most Senior Director in the Council.

According to the circular, all activities of the Council are to continue unabated as earlier planned.

Until his appointment, Mr. Ogborodi was the Director Special Duties in the Council.

He hails from Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

He obtained his first Degree from University of Jos in 1986 and a Master Degree in Learning Disability from the same university in 1999.

The Acting Registrar joined the service of NECO in 1999 and had served in different capacities.

He was a former Acting Director, Examination Development Department; Acting Director, Office of the Registrar; Director, General Services and Director, Human Resource Management among others.

Ondo Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has denied calling for the scrapping of the Senate in the review of the 1999 constitution being undertaken by the National Assembly.

Akeredolu was represented by his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, at the House of Representatives public hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution.

Akeredolu described the report quoting him as calling for the scrapping of the Senate as an “interpretative error.”

The Ondo Governor, who spoke in statement by his Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, said he had, like many other well-meaning Nigerians, identified Nigeria’s Bicameral Legislature and its full-time status as plausibly reducible weights to cut cost.

He said: “Succinctly, Governor Akeredolu’s view, which is the official position of the Ondo State Government is that, adoption of the Unicameral Legislature, and making it part-time would not only cut cost of governance but has the potentials of enhanced performance and altruistic services to Nigerians.

“Therefore, ascribing or misinterpreting this proposal to isolatedly, depict a call for the scraping of the Nigerian Senate is erroneous. The call for a part-time Unicameral Federal Parliament remains and shall be pursued with all vigour.”

The crisis engulfing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State has taken a new turn with the suspension of the party’s state chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi.

PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Osa Nehikhare, said in a press release made available to DAILY TIMES on Wednesday in Benin City, the state capital, that it was a resolution reached by the State Working Committee during a meeting when he was accused of gross misconduct by causing unnecessary tension and disunity among party members in the state, a manner akin to bringing the party into disrepair.

According to him; Ignoring this allegation would be like ignoring the elephant in the room. This macabre dance must not be ignored as Edo people have watched in utter amazement and disappointment how Dr Tony Aziegbemi has been roped and entangled by his actions and unfortunately too, his inactions in the management of the affairs of the party.

“As a disciplined party, we pride ourselves as organised and focused on service delivery to our teeming supporters and of course Edo people.

“We urge our members and supporters to please remain calm as we embark on this self-cleansing exercise.

“His Deputy, Harrison Omagbon, has been directed to step in acting capacity pending when the allegation levelled against Dr. Aziegbemi would be investigated and resolved.

“Three members Investigative Committee is hereby set up, headed by the State Legal Adviser, Barr. Arthur Esene, and is mandated to report back to the Working Committee within one week. Other members of the Committee are Mrs. Linsdale Tes Sorae (State Woman Leader) and Dr. Wilson Imongan (State Auditor).

According to rumors, one of the charges leveled against the chairman was that he received money from the Governor without declaring it to the State Working Committee. When the Governor arrived at the celebration, he announced that he had given him $120,000 that he had not disclosed to the State Working Committee. Furthermore, he was said to have received N7 million from the Governor, which he did not mention to anyone.

Momba MP Condester Sichwale was thrown out of Tanzania parliament after a male colleague complained of her dressing.

The speaker ordered that she leaves and only comes back after changing what they claimed were tight trousers.