₦airaland Forum

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has described two former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, John Bazia and Michael West, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, as political neophyte with slippery character.

He said the two defectors, who served as commissioners in his cabinet during his first tenure, became disgruntled because he did not retain them.

The governor while speaking on a live television programme in Port Harcourt on Friday, said the decision of Bazia and West to leave for the APC was of no political consequence because they were politically irrelevant.

He said: “What are the qualities of people that defected? The two people, Michael West and John Bazia who knew them in my cabinet? Have you ever heard them speak on behalf of PDP before? Have you ever heard them speak on behalf of our administration?

“You knew the position of Chidi Lloyd when he was in APC. Ask the former Commissioner of Transport (Michael West), he contested PDP primaries with me and got only three votes, but because of the politics of carrying everybody along and the money he spent I decided to accommodate him. He was Commissioner of Transport, ask him his contribution to the administration.”

The governor in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, explained that during his first tenure he almost sacked West as a commissioner for taking 13 luxurious buses belonging to the state government to Calabar for a spiritual programme.

He said: “I called the Commissioner for Transport and asked him of his whereabouts. He told me he was in Calabar to see his father, the Olumolumba. I was amazed, and said; you took our 13 buses to Calabar without permission. I would have sacked him that day. People prevailed on me to manage him till after the election.

“Taskforce were collecting money and paying into the Commissioner for Transport private accounts. I called in the State Executive Council meeting and ask him; how would you pay state money into your private account? I managed him till the end of my first tenure. You expect me to bring this kind of person to my cabinet?

The governor said the reason given by West for his resignation from the PDP was that he was not allowed to head his ward executive committee of the party.

“So how can we give somebody we know that will be leaving the party EXCO? So that when he is defecting, he will say has defected with the entire EXCO. He thinks he is smarter than anybody? These are neophytes in politics. We all kept eye on them,” he said.

Speaking on the defected former Commissioner of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, John Bazia, Wike revealed that while serving in the state executive council, Bazia caused him so much embarrassment.

He said: “During the 2015 presidential campaign, the President brought kola to the Traditional Rulers. You can’t believe what happened. The Chairman of Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council called me that the chiefs are waiting for their kola. I was amazed and said which kola, you have not received it? They said no.

“The then commissioner for Information who was the chairman of the Subcommittee of our campaign said they gave the Kola to John Bazia. Do you know what Bazia did? He took Eighty percent and brought 20 percent of the kola to the traditional rulers.

“The then Commissioner of Information got angry and slapped him and called him an armed robber. Everybody was angry and compelled him to bring the Kola. What an embarrassment.”

Wike also narrated how he had to personally intervene and pay off the 40,000 Euro debt Bazia was owing.

He explained that his administration had done many projects in Tai and Asari-Toru LGAS where the two defected commissioners hail from.

The governor described as laughable the allegation that he was constructing seven flyovers in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor LGAS.

He declared that he would be constructing additional three flyovers in Port Harcourt to ease traffic congestion.

Two suspected female kidnappers were lynched and set ablaze by an angry mob at Ojude Oba area of Iwo, Osun State on Thursday.

PM NEWS gathered that the women with another man had gone to kidnap a child around Ori Eru but luck ran out of them and they were caught but the male kidnapper escaped.

A witness told PM NEWS that the outburst of the people in the area attracted passers-by where the suspects were still being held.

The witness said the passers-by later marched the two female suspects to Oba’s palace where they were set ablaze alive.

Former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, on Wednesday, told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he had no case to answer in the allegations levied against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr. Maina, who told Justice Okon Abang shortly after the EFCC, through its counsel, Farouk Abdullah, closed its case, said he would be filing a no-case submission.

The former pension reformed boss, through his lawyer, Anayo Adibe, made his intention known shortly after he cross examined the ninth prosecution witness (PW9), Rouqquaya Ibrahim, an EFCC investigator.

Justice Abang adjourned the matter until Friday (December 10) for counsel to defendant, Adobe, to address the court orally and for the prosecution counsel, Abdullah, to respond to the no-case submission.

Mr. Maina was first arraigned before Justice Abang, on October 25, 2019, by the EFCC alongside his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd.

Although he is facing 12-counts bordering on money laundering up to the tune of N2 billion, he had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

He recently jumped bail, causing his surety, Senator Ali Ndume to be remanded at Kuje Custodial Centre. Nigerian security agencies, with the help of Interpol later retrieved Mr. Maina from the neighbouring Niger Republic where he was hiding.

Always great to return to Spain and to Catalunya, always hard to play in Camp Nou against one of the best teams I ever faced. Today we were a team of Champions! A true, strong and united family! Playing like this, we have nothing to fear until the end of the season... Let’s go!

Insecurity: Accept Your Failures, PDP Replies APC

The @OfficialPDPNig describes as stunning, the attempt by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the @OfficialAPCNg to blame Nigerians for the manifest failure by President @MBuhari to secure life and property across our country and urges the party to accept its failures.

The @OfficialPDPNig asserts that the @OfficialAPCNg should respond to Nigerians over its abysmal performance in governance instead of collapsing its structures and trying to indirectly use President @MBuhari as the scapegoat for their collective failure.

In dissolving its structures across the country, which is apparently a prelude to its reported name change, the @OfficialAPCNg and its administration have validated the call by Nigerians across board that President @MBuhari should resign.

The @OfficialAPCNg should know that dissolving its structures alone cannot be the answer to its humongous atrocities and failures in government.

Now that the @OfficialAPCNg NEC has indicted President @MBuhari by pointing to the need for national collaboration in tackling insecurity, which Mr. President had observed in the breach, by bluntly refusing to heed the calls by patriotic Nigerians, including the PDP, to rejig our security architecture, the call for his resignation has come across party, ethnic and class boundaries.

Moreover, it is clear that it is the @MBuhari Presidency and the @OfficialAPCNg that have been politicizing insecurity and we therefore advise them to go back to their boardroom and reexamine themselves.

Furthermore, while Nigerians are celebrating the exit of the @OfficialAPCNg following the collapse of its structure, the attempt to extend the tenure of its illegal national caretaker committee is an effort in futility as it amounts to building something on nothing.

This is because the constitution of the @OfficialAPCNg does not provide for a national caretaker committee and the appointment of a sitting governor Bala Mai Buni, as its chairman is a nullity, being in breach of the 1999 Constitution, (as amended). As such, the APC, having dissolved its structure, has exited the political firmament and such brings to close its attempt at membership drive.

Moreover, the NEC has no powers, under the @OfficialAPCNg constitution, to donate any administrative authority to a caretaker committee, which is alien to the their constitution.

PDP Congratulates Nigerians as APC, Their Tormentor, Finally Fizzles 

The @OfficialPDPNig congratulates Nigerians across the country, as their tormentor for five years, the @OfficialAPCNg, has finally dissolves out of our political firmament.

The party said the @OfficialAPCNg, being overburdened by the weight of failure, humongous corruption as well as the plagues of economic recession, violence, killings and hardship it has brought to our people, forcefully exited itself from the nation’s political firmament by dissolving all its national, zonal and state structures.

With this exit, December 8, 2020 has gone into the history of our nation as liberation day, especially given the spontaneous jubilation by Nigerians over this step towards political oblivion by a political party that has brought so much pain on them.

Now that the @OfficialAPCNg has become defunct, the @OfficialPDPNig invites the @inecnigeria to officially deregister the @OfficialAPCNg and recall its certificate of registration, given that it no longer has operational structures as required by law.

In the same vein, @inecnigeria should immediately declare the seat of all lawmakers elected on the platform of @OfficialAPCNg at the federal and state levels as vacant and commence the process of bye-election to fill the seats, as required by law.

Furthermore, government agencies, civil society organizations as well as the international community should immediately gazette the @OfficialAPCNg as a defunct political organization in our country.

Nevertheless, the @OfficialPDPNig invites all leaders of the fizzled @OfficialAPCNg to get ready to answer Nigerians for their misdeeds, and not to think they can get away with their atrocities by forming or joining another political party.

PRESS RELEASE

ENDSARS: IGP ORDERS INVESTIGATIONS INTO ALLEGED SUIT TOUCHING ON STATES’ JUDICIAL PANEL OF INQUIRY
· QUERIES FORCE LEGAL OFFICER

The Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has directed immediate investigations into a suit purportedly challenging the legality of the States’ Judicial Panel of Inquiry, investigating allegations by citizens against officers of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The IGP, who gave the order on the heels of trending reports in the media, today 3rd December, 2020, expressed the disapproval of the Force Management Team on the matter and ordered investigations into the alleged role of the Force Legal Section including its Head. Meanwhile, the Force Legal Officer has been queried and may face further sanctions if found guilty of dereliction of duty.

The IGP reiterates the commitment of the Force to fulfilling all its obligations with regards to the disbandment of the defunct SARS, the ongoing Judicial Panels and all other police reforms.

DCP FRANK MBA
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA

Former Governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sacked all the Minister’s and presidential aides he appointed to help him run the government as they have failed to perform their duties.

He made the call Wednesday in Lafia when he paid a condolence visit to Governor Abdullahi Sule in Government House and the family of the late Nasarawa State Chairman, Mr. Phillip Tatari Shekwo who was murdered by gunmen.

According, to him, “President Muhammadu Buhari should fire the people he hired to work for the country, because they have failed and are not performing in the national assignments assigned them.

“He should do the needful to save the nation from the insult on the leaders. The people are angry with the recent events in the country.

“The culprits who killed people in Borno, the people in Nasarawa and other parts of the country should be arrested and prosecuted. As the killing of people by gunmen should not happen again as it is an insult to the country.

“President Buhari should hire competent hands to develop the country as many countries suffered similar fate before the experience growth and development,” Okorocha said.

Okorocha called on Nigerians to be patient, cooperate with the government to reduce unemployment and hunger ravaging the nation.

In his remarks, Governor Abdullahi Sule said three suspected criminals linked with the death of the late APC Chairman were killed by the military, while one was arrested few days ago and he confessed to the crime and we are waiting for the report from the police.

A former deputy governor in Zamfara state, Alhaji Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad on Wednesday announced his formal defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wakkala who deputized former Governor Abdulaziz Yari from 2011 to 2019 made his decision known shortly after he held meeting with his key supporters in Gusau, the state capital.

“There were several speculations making the rounds for about two years now over where I politically belong; hence I feel this is the right time to put the records straight”

“I want to inform you that all this while, whether as a member of G8 group or not, I have remained a full card-carrying member of the All Progressives Party, APC, even though since the time of our crisis in 2019, the party did not consider us relevant, as demonstrated by its not inviting or informing us of any of its activities.

“I want to formally inform the general public that I have finally defected from the APC and have officially joined the PDP right from my Madawaki Ward under Gusau Local Government Area,” he said.

Alhaji Wakkala said he started making moves to deregister himself from the APC “when the party was hijacked by some self-centred individuals and that the party refused to accord relevance to those who toiled hard to nurture it.

“The mission of those individuals was to alienate and disenfranchise the majority members of the party and produce primaries in which only their handpicked surrogates are declared the winners. This move eventually destabilized the party and we formed the G8 group under it.”

He further pointed out that “since the inception of the present administration under governor Bello Matawalle, I have been playing an advisory role especially in addressing the security issues of the state which by Allah’s grace is gradually reducing”

“For these reasons and my genuine concerns to the growth and development of Zamfara and the improved welfare of its citizens, the Governor has appealed to me to join him into the PDP so that together, we can work for the progress of the state,” he added.

"If the president says I've lost the capacity to guarantee the security of lives and property, it's certainly an impeachable offence."
- PYO

Zabarmari: Zulum leads horrified kinsmen to bury 43 farmers killed by Boko Haram

... Death toll still uncertain

Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum was at Zabarmari early morning on Sunday, to lead kinsmen and other residents, still in shock, for the funeral of 43 farmers slaughtered by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Though the victims lived in Zabarmari, a farming community in Jere Local Government Area, famous for rice cultivation and local processing, they were attacked on Saturday, at Koshebe village, a place in Mafa Local Government Area.

Zulum, during his visit was told that death toll was yet to be fully ascertained.

"Your Excellency, as you have seen here, 43 corpses were buried, but others have not been retrieved from the scene of the incident. Nobody can tell you the exact number of people killed. Some of the victims are still missing" a resident (name concealed, told the Governor).

Zulum addressed the bereaved community.

“First of all, accept my deepest sympathy over this carnage, once again, that affects all of us and every human with conscience. I am told some persons are still missing. We have been discussing with the military since yesterday, Insha Allah the remaining people will be traced soon."

The Governor while speaking to journalists said, "It is disheartening that more than 40 citizens were slaughtered while they were working in their farmlands. Our people are in very difficult situations, they are in two different extreme conditions, in one side they stay at home they may be killed by hunger and starvation, on the other, they go out to their farmlands and risk getting killed by the insurgents. This is very sad. We are still appealing to the Federal Government to ensure recruitment of more our youths in the CJTF and hunters into the Nigerian military and the Civil Defence so that they can form part of the agro rangers that will protect farmers. We need many boots to protect farmlands and our youths understand the terrain. We will not lose hope because we have to remain optimistic about ending the insurgency” Zulum said.

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Jamaatu Nasril Islam, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll, has condemned the incessant killings by bandits in the Northern part of the country.

Abubakar, who is leader of Nigerian Muslims, made this known on Thursday at the 4th quarter 2020 meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council in Abuja.

According to the monarch, bandits now went into houses to kidnap people.

He said both the Nigerian and state governments must wake up to their responsibilities of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.

He said, “How much an onion costs in Nigeria today is an insight into the current economic hardship in the country.

“We do not lack recommendations and solutions to our problems. What we lack is the sense of purpose.”

Some gunmen have infiltrated the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria’s staff quarters, abducting Dr. Bako, a professor at the Department of Physiology.

Confirming the incident, the university’s Director of Public Affairs, Auwalu Umar, in a statement on Monday, the gunmen invaded the residence of the professor at about 12:50am.

According to the statement, the gunmen whisked the lecturer away, including his wife and daughter.

The statement read: “The University Division quickly informed the operatives of the Police Intelligence Response Team that advanced to the scene, following a distress call.

“There was an exchange of fire between the kidnappers and the mobile police operatives. When it was clear that they would be overpowered, the kidnappers ran into the bush along with the victims.

“As the police went after them up to Sasuwar Da’a village bordering the University, the kidnappers then released the wife and the daughter and went away with the husband. Some empty shells were recovered from the scene.”

The cadets were undergoing training for the young officers course, company commanders course and commanding officers course.

Officer cadets of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry (NASI) in Jaji, Kaduna State came under fire from bandits on Tuesday, military sources told Peoples Gazette.

An unconfirmed number of assailants, suspected to be cattle rustlers, ran into students of Tactics Wing, NASI, during ‘Exercise Wazobia’ — a rigorous military drill at Labar camp and opened fire, sources said.

“The armed escort responded with high volume of fire and the bandits escaped in disarray,” a source told the Gazette Wednesday morning.

The Gazette learnt that a soldier, who sustained gunshot wounds in the attack, was promptly evacuated to a medical facility in the state for treatment.

The Gazette could not immediately ascertain if the officer cadets undergoing military courses ranging from young officers course (YOC), company commanders course (CCC) and commanding officers course (COC) will resume combat training at the volatile camp or relocate to another exercise ground.

An army spokesman did not return multiple requests for comments.

Military authorities have repeatedly assured of ongoing efforts to intensify the onslaught against bandits and neutralise the activities of cattle rustlers in Kaduna and other disturbed parts of northern Nigeria.

Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El Rufai has slammed a N2bn defamation suit against a former media aide to ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Reno Omokri, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, a former Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Thisday Newspapers Limited and others.

Others sued in the three separate suits are Timothy Elombah, Daniel Elombah, Silas Onu and Auta Nyada.

The defamation suits were filed by his lawyer A.U. Mustapha (SAN) before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

In the case against Omokri, El Rufai contends that statements contained in his publication titled: ‘El Rufai’s email saying southern women youth corpers are seen as whores’ which was published by Thisday newspaper on Sunday 14th of June 2020 is injurious to his reputation, adding that it is “malicious, unwarranted and defamatory”.

The alleged defamatory statement are as follows: “Ever since I revealed that the Governor of Kaduna state had sent me an email wherein he said that Southern women youth corpers were seen as “whores”, there have been multiple sophisticated attempts to hack my email account. I do not know why anyone will be stupid enough to think that a meticulous record keeper as myself would leave such a sensitive detail in my inbox. For the attention of those who are trying to hack my account, that email is with my lawyers. The email was sent to me on Wednesday the 27th of April, 2011.

“The reason I chose to expose its existence is that Nasir El-Rufai is scheming to become Nigeria’s President, and in my opinion, and I am sure in the opinion of every right-thinking person, Nigeria cannot afford another Buharesque autocrat who says that Southern women youth corpers are seen (sic) whores. This was the sentiment expressed by extremist Hutus against Tutsis and was key to dehumanising them before, during and after the Rwandan genocide.”

The Defendants continued in their unlawful and malicious defamation of the Claimant in the said publication thus:-

“Look at what is happening in Southern Kaduna. In recent weeks, Southern Kaduna men, women, children and infants were being killed by herdsmen and the Kaduna State Governor has shown that he is more interested in appeasing and of apologising for the suspected perpetrators. The photographs of the victims are just too gruesome. It is just like a déjà vu of Dogo Na Hauwa. If you do not know what happened in Dogo Na Hauwa, in Plateau State, then Google the massacre that occurred there on March 7, 2010. Two years later, when violence erupted again in Plateau, and it looked like it was going to lead to a reoccurrence of Dogo Na Hauwa, then President Jonathan ordered troops to go to Plateau and keep the peace. I still have chills in my spine when I recall Nasir El-Rufai’s response to the attempt by the Nigerian Army to protect Nigerian citizens. On Sunday, July 15, 2012, Nasir El-Rufai said, and I quote, “We will write this for all to read. Anyone, soldier or not that kills the Fulani takes a loan repayable one day no matter how long it takes.” When you take into account the ferocity, and integrity of the Southern massacre killings and the ease at which the killers can raid these communities, with impunity, and sad to say, gravitas, one can’t stop asking if the loan El-Rufai mentioned on July 15, 2012 is being repaid in 2020. And then imagine if this man gets access to power at the centre. How will he treat Southern Nigerians?”

The governor demanded the sum of N500 million in compensation and an apology published in the newspaper.

In the suit against against Odinkalu, Daniel Elombah and Elombah Communications, El Rufai contends that the publication titled: ‘Litany of 25 critics who have suffered at El Rufai’s hands compiled by Chidi Odinkalu’ which was published in Elombah.com on Wednesday September 2, 2020 is “malicious, unlawful and without any justification.”

He specifically referred to the following statement: “Nasir El-Rufai has caused to be issued on his behalf a tissue of untruths, half-truths & falsehoods concerning his brutal persecution of his critics as Governor of Kaduna State.

To help his memory, here is a litany of #bodybags of critics who have suffered at his hands: Kaduna govt speaks on Dadiyata, prosecution of Odinkalu, Maikori, others
The Kaduna justice ministry released a statement, on Monday, to explain its stance.

“This thread is merely illustrative and not exhaustive of the tale of El-Rufai’s crimes of abuse of power, Napoleon Syndrome, and ruinous peeves and pettinesses.
This is necessitated by the tissue of mendacity issued on his behalf yesterday by Ministry of Justice, Kaduna.”

He demanded the sum of N500 million in damages and apology for the “defamatory and greatly injurious to his reputation.”

El Rufai also argued that the letter written by Jospen Onu and dated August 19, 2020 titled:’ Request to withdraw the offer of platform at the 2020 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Malam Nasir El Rufai’ addressed to Prof. Koyinsola Ajayi, SAN, in his capacity as the Chairman, Technical Committee on Conference Planning (TCCP) Nigerian Bar Association and copied to DR. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, Chairman, Board of Trustee, Nigerian Bar Association and Mr. Olumide Akpata, the then President-Elect of the NBA and published in the media, is “defamatory and greatly injurious to the reputation of the claimant.”

El Rufai also demands an apology and the sum of N500 million in another suit, the governor alleged that Silas Onu and Auta Nyada made the following defamatory statement against him: “As you may know, on 9 December 2019, Quartz Africa named Governor El-Rufai as the head of a “powerful’’ group of Nigerian state Governors who ‘’now regularly use security agents to arrest & intimidate journalists & activists to who dare to question their actions or attempt to hold them accountable.” University lecturer, Abubakar Idris, better known as Dadiyata, who was abducted from the gate of his house in Barnawa, Kaduna, on August 2019 and has not yet been seen since then. At 10:16 Hours on 23 December 2019, one of Governor El-Rufai’s sons, Bashir, issued a tweet gloating over the disappearance of Didiyata, in which he signed off with the line ‘’Dangerous lines in the public have consequences.’’ The Kaduna State government has not much acted as if the disappearance of Dadiyata is of much concern to it.”

He further claimed that the duo made the following defamatory comments against him: “Many other critics of Governor El-Rufai have been luckier, but only because they ended up in prison or detention. These include, university lecturer Dr. John Danfulani. Digital activist, Stephen Kefason, was abducted from his home in Rivers State on the orders of Governor El-Rufai and detained for over five months. Luka Biniyat, Journalist with Vanguard Newspaper, was also detained and, at the instance of Governor El-Rufai, fired from his job for writing a report the Governor didn’t like. The same thing happened to Segun Oniboyi, another Journalist with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN.”

That the unjustified, malicious and unwarranted attacks by the defendants against him (El-rufai) continued at paragraph 7 of the offensive publication thus:-

“A major focus of the intolerance of Mallam El-Rufai has been lawyers and the legal profession. In 2016, when he was visited by the then President of the Nigerian Bar, A.B. Mahmood, SAN. Governor El-Rufai threatened to the NBA president to abduct Kaduna lawyer, Ms. Gloria Ballason, because she had criticized him in a news article. A perfectly lawful act exercising constitutionally protected speech. Ms. Ballason, sued to protect her rights and in May 2017, secured a judgement of the High Court of Kaduna State which found that the Governor indeed violated her rights. The High Court awarded also damages against the Governor. He refused to pay up. Instead, he instigated another round of violations of the rights of Ms. Ballason, instructing the Kaduna State Police Command to blockade her law office in Kaduna at the end of 2019. In July 2020, the High Court of Kaduna State presided over by Honorable Justice Hannatu Balogun again found Governor El-Rufai and the Police in Kaduna State under his direction, in violation of the right of Ms. Ballason to practice her vocation as a lawyer. The High Court specifically found that they violated the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.“

No date has been fixed for the hearing.

I am pleased to announce that Christopher C. Miller, the highly respected Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (unanimously confirmed by the Senate), will be Acting Secretary of Defense, effective immediately..

...Chris will do a GREAT job! Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service.

There are fears that there is a resurgence of COVID-19 in Niger state following reported cases of three members of the state executive council testing positive for the virus.

The development has created fear in other members of the state executive council and staff of the ministries concerned.

THISDAY learnt that two of the commissioners reported to have tested positive are from the Niger South Senatorial zone while the third is said to be from Niger East senatorial district.

It was gathered that the discovery was made middle of last week when the affected commissioners showed symptoms of the disease.

According to the findings, the three commissioners have already gone into isolation while a directive has been issued to others to present themselves for test.

“All those that attended the last state executive council meeting, including the supporting staff are to be tested,” the source said.

The Chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19 and Secretary to the state Government, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, when contacted confirmed the story saying all the commissioners have been directed to subject themselves to test.

Matane however said that four of the commissioners that had been tested returned negative results. He however added that some of the commissioners were outside the state “but when they come in they must be tested.”

He ruled out the possibility of a spike in the disease pointing out that “we are not thinking of another lockdown, but we will continue to watch as things unfold.”

Matane advised the people of the state to always observe the COVID-19 protocol to avoid further spread of the virus.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has rejected reports by global rights organisation, Amnesty International, that police officer shot at #EndSARS protesters.

He described Amnesty’s report of October 21, 2020, that police personnel shot at peaceful protesters as “untrue, misleading and contrary to all available empirical evidence”.

Adamu said police officers, instead, “acted professionally, exercised commendable restraints and some paid the supreme price for peace during the recent protests and ensuing violence in some parts of the country.”

This was contained in a statement on Friday titled, ‘EndSARS Protests: Police Personnel Were Professional And Exercised Maximum Restraints – IGP Tells Amnesty Int’l’.

The statement was signed by Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba.

Adamu said, “During the protests, officers of the Force used legitimate means to ensure that the protests were carried out in a peaceful manner and in most cases, physically protected and walked side-by-side with the protesters.

“Even when the protests turned violent in some parts of the country, the officers still maintained utmost restraint and did not use excessive force in managing the situations.

“Available Reports show that 22 police personnel were extra-judicially killed by some rampaging protesters and scores injured during the protests. Many of the injured personnel are in life-threatening conditions at the hospitals.

“205 police stations and formations including other critical private and public infrastructure were also damaged by a section of the protesters.

“Despite these unprovoked attacks, our police officers never resorted to use of unlawful force or shooting at the protesters as alleged in the report.

“It also beggars imagination that Amnesty International failed to mention or pay tribute to Police officers who were gruesomely murdered during the protests while serving their fatherland.

“The Force decries the discriminatory tendencies exhibited by Amnesty International as seen in the report. One wonders if in the estimation of Amnesty International, police officers are not also human beings equally entitled to the protection of their fundamental rights to life and dignity of human person.”

The IGP noted that the Force is committed to the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms of the Nigeria Police Force. He also enjoined Amnesty to subject its reports to “adequate scrutiny and proper verification of facts before making the reports public”.

Senate Committee on Power, yesterday, queried Minister of Power, Maman Saleh, for siting about 20 rural electrification projects in his Lau Council Area of Taraba State, describing the action as ‘official misconduct’.

Members of the committee said the minister acted against his oath of office to be fair to all, adding that the projects, which were captured in the 2021 budget of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) were uncovered during the minister’s budget defense of the agency, which is under his purview.

A member of the committee and representative of Taraba Central Senatorial District, Yusuf Yusuf, had drawn the committee’s attention to the concentration of 20 projects in various amounts of between N20m to N50m in Lau Council Area as captured in the budget proposal.

Yusuf, however, indicated that he was not challenging the minister, but was only trying to set the records straight.

Chairman of the Committee, Gabriel Suswam, who corroborated Yusuf’s submission, said he was happy that a senator from Taraba pointed out the anomaly.

Other senators expressed disappointment that Saleh allowed his personal interest to affect his official conduct and decisions, which they perceived as a grievous matter.

Explaining the implications of the minister’s action, representative of Kebbi Central Senatorial District, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, said public officials were supposed to show fairness in carrying out their assignments, no matter the pressure.

The senators also expressed disappointment over what they described as REA management’s disregard for establishing regional headquarters and head offices across the country.

Consequently, the Senate directed the agency to revert to the geo-political zones arrangement in locating REA’s regional headquarters.

Suswam, who represents Benue North East Senatorial District, expressed shock when Managing Director of REA, Ahmad Salijo, highlighted the location of some projects to the senators.

The Senate had queried some projects titled: Provision and Installation Of Solar Mini-Grids In Six Geo-political Zones, which appeared twice in the document submitted to the Senate and demanded to know the projects’ locations.

Salijo listed Dutse (North West) Bauchi (North East) Lokoja (North Central), Calabar (South-South), Oshogbo (South West) and Enugu (South East) as locations of the projects, but that trouble started when Suswam insisted on naming the specific projects, adding that the particular projects were for power back up for REA’s regional offices.

However, Suswam noted that Enugu was the only location where REA complied with the national definition in establishing regional headquarters, adding that others flouted the directive on regional headquarters and offices.

He warned that abuse of power by public officers was unacceptable, adding, “To whimsically site projects in one’s locality because you have directors from those places is wrong.”

PRESS STATEMENT

GOVERNOR LALONG DIRECTS LIFTING OF CURFEW

Based on the assessment of the security situation in Plateau State and upon the recommendation of the Plateau State Security Council, the Executive Governor of Plateau State Rt. Hon. (Dr) Simon Bako Lalong has approved
the relaxation of the curfew imposed in Jos South and Jos North Local Government Areas with effect from Wednesday 28th October 2020.

By this directive, the curfew is hereby relaxed to commence from 6am to 12 midnight beginning from Wednesday 28th October untill further notice.

No movement will be allowed between the hours if 12 midnight to 6am.

Citizens are advised to go about their lawful businesses without any fear as security agencies have been directed to ensure effective patrols and surveillance to protect lives and property.

They have equally been directed to identify and arrest any individual or group of persons that engage in any acts of criminality including looting, arson, vandalism and threat to lives and property in the State.

The Governor after going round areas affected by the recent wanton acts of vandalism, arson and destruction in company of the Plateau State National Assembly Caucus, expresses deep sadness over the level of destruction of both public and private properties and the magnitude of the loss recorded.

While appealing to the youths to desist from such disgraceful acts, he warns that those caught engaging in such activities will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham
Director of Press & public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State .
27th October 2020.