Persons with disabilities have staged a protest in Awka, the Anambra State capital, over their voting rights.

The group said its members were being marginalised in election issues.

It demanded equal voting access in the November 18, 2017 poll in the state and in other elections.

The Executive Director of Centre for Citizen with Disabilities, Mr. David Anyaele, led the protest.

Anyaele said persons with disabilities were more than 600,000 in Anambra State and over 25 million in Nigeria.

He said, “The number of people with disabilities in Nigeria towered above the number of citizens in countries like Croatia, Belgium Denmark, and New Zealand put together.”

He said the group would take their protest to the Independent National Electoral Commission and ask to be provided with items as braille ballots, assistive devices, especially for the visually impaired amongst them.

The group threatened to take its protest to the National and State Houses of Assembly if they were not properly accommodated in the electoral processes of the country, starting with the Anambra poll.

It maintained that it had lined up activities in that respect, including interfacing with INEC officials, political parties, security agencies, heads of organisations, the media to sensitize them on areas of intervention on the marginalisation of their members.

It added, “Also, we will train and deploy two persons with disabilities each as observers across the 21 local government areas of Anambra State to observe the governorship election of November 18.

“We shall also impress on INEC to carefully choose the location of polling units to ensure that they are accessible for PWDs by locating polling units on flat surfaces as opposed to corridors, especially where ramps and hand rails are yet to be provided”

The group used the occasion to launch its chapter in Anambra State.


http://www.realnews.i.ng/blind-deaf-dumb-persons-protest-anambra-voting-rights/

The inauguration delay drama of a member of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Dorothy Mato, ended on Tuesday, as the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, finally administered oath on her.

Mato, a member of the All Progressives Congress, was pronounced as the replacement for a former Chairman, House Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Herman Hembe, by the Supreme Court.

The apex court had sacked Hembe on June 23 in a judgement in which it declared Mato as the validly-elected member to represent Vandeikiya/Konshisha Federal Constituency of Benue State.

The court had also ordered Hembe to return all the salaries he was paid since 2015 to the National Assembly.

However, for over three months, Dogara did not inaugurate the lawmaker as the House made one excuse or the other to delay the exercise.

House spokesman, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, blamed the delay on “documentation,” while at another instance, Mato was accused of not “presenting herself” for the inauguration.

The drama took an added turn on September 20, when the apex court again affirmed the sacking of Hembe in another ruling.

The former lawmaker had gone back to the court to seek a review of the sacking, particularly the directive to return the salaries that he received since 2015.

But, the court again ruled that he had been sacked and must return the salaries.

Hembe is considered among members to be close to the leadership of the House, having worked for its emergence on June 9, 2015.

At Tuesday’s inauguration, there was still an interesting drama on the floor.

As soon as Dogara settled down on his chair for the day’s proceedings to start, he asked for Mato and found out that she was not in the chambers.

“Where is the woman? If she is not ready, we will do it tomorrow”, the speaker said impatiently.

But, Mato, who was still outside the chambers at the time, had not been directed by officials on how she would get into the chambers.

She eventually entered the chambers and was inaugurated by Dogara.

A few members clapped for her as she took the oath and was shown to her seat. Dogara shook hands with her, smiling a little before quickly calling out the next item on the Order Paper for proceedings.

Mato hurried off after the session, declining to make any post-inauguration comments.


http://www.realnews.i.ng/three-months-dogara-swears-hembes-replacement/

The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was already probing the commission’s officials in 20 states over alleged electoral fraud.

He said this during a quarterly consultative meeting with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

Regarding the prosecution and probe of 205 of its officials for allegedly receiving part of the N23bn reportedly disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani-Alison Madueke, the INEC boss said he would continue to cooperate with the EFCC.

Yakubu said the last report given to him by the EFCC involved 16 states. He said the EFCC was already probing INEC officials in 20 other states

He said, “I want to say that this is the first time in the history of our elections that in one fell swoop, 205 officials were disciplined based on the interim report we received from the EFCC covering 16 states.

“Under the terms and conditions of service what we can do is to interdict them which means placing them on half salary and suspending them from work until their innocence or guilt is established. The last report covered 16 states and only last week I heard they had started prosecuting them.

“However, after receiving the report, we had a discussion with the EFCC and told them that for the outstanding 20 states, they should not submit any interim report to INEC but just prosecute them.

“Once they are taken to court, we activate the provisions of the terms and conditions of service. Whatever we need to do we will do even if it means getting rid of everybody in the commission and recruiting afresh for the purpose of the 2019 elections. We are committed to doing so.”

A Fulani traditional display among four young herdsmen has ended in a tragedy with one of them, Yau Musa, losing his life in the process.

The incident occurred along Project Road at Dutsen Bori Village in the Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State.

A 19-year-old man, Ahmed Saidu, has consequently, been arrested in connection with the incident and arraigned before a Katsina State Senior Magistrates’ Court for alleged culpable homicide.

Saidu, who resided at Garu Village in the Musawa Local Government Area of the state, is one of the Fulani youths who were participating in the display before the tragic incident occurred.

The court heard on Tuesday that Saidu, Musa, Salisu Inusa and one Nayib were engaged in the traditional display when the incident happened.

According to police prosecutor, Inspector Sani Ado, Saidu  allegedly hit  Musa on the head during the Fulani traditional display.

Musa allegedly sustained injury on the head and  was rushed to the Kafur Primary Health Care where he later died.

The presiding senior magistrate, Abdul  Umar, told the accused that the outcome of legal advice on the case from the state Ministry of Justice would determine if he would face trial at a high court or not.

The magistrate directed that Saidu should be remanded in the prison custody until October 12, 2017, when the case would come up for mention.


http://www.realnews.i.ng/man-loses-life-fulani-traditional-display/

A member of the Plateau State House of Assembly representing Rukuba/Irigwe constituency, Simon Kudu, on Tuesday became the centre of attraction after he mobilised members of the Peace Corps of Nigeria to patch the only major road leading to the Bassa Local Government Area of the state.

The action caused serious gridlock as residents trooped out to watch him.

Kudu appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the bill seeking to establish the Peace Corps of Nigeria, in order to provide more jobs for the youths.

According to him, the action became necessary considering the deplorable state of the roads which was constructed barely two years ago.

The lawmaker called on the government to ensure that the contractors who handled the project faced the full wrath of the law.

“I call on government to arrest the contractors, drag them back to site, to reconstruct the road or charge them to court,” he said.

The Plateau State PCN Commandant, Sunday Joseph, said as part of the command’s community responsibility, the organisation would continue to rehabilitate the Bassa Road, to make it safe for commuters and prevent road accidents.

Joseph wondered how government could allow such a contractor to go scot-free having done such a shoddy job.

He said, “The community services are part of our commitment to giving the society our support, which is also incorporated in our bill that has just been passed by the National Assembly, so as to make the environment clean and also to save lives from the bad nature of the road.

“Looking at the rate of accidents recorded on this road as a result of the potholes, it became imperative for the legislator to join effort with us in patching the road.”

http://www.realnews.i.ng/drama-jos-lawmaker-deploys-peace-corps-nigeria-repair-road/

The National Judicial Council has constituted separate panels to investigate various allegations of misconduct against 15 judges, including two Chief Judges.

The NJC’s Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, did not give the identities of the affected judges.

But it stated that the NJC received a letter from the Zamfara Sate Government approving the Council’s recommendation for the compulsory removal of Justice Musa Anka of the Zamfara State High Court.

Oye stated that the NJC took the decisions at its 83rd meeting held last week after considering the reports of the two Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees on 46 petitions written against judicial officers in the federal and state judiciaries.

The NJC’s meeting was said to have been presided over by its Chairman, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who is also the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

The NJC had recommended Anka for compulsory retirement since May, 2011, for allegedly receiving a bribe of N200,000 from one Zubairu Abdumalik in order to deliver judgment in his favour.

But the NJC’s recommendation was not formally approved by the successive governors of the state as required by the Constitution since then.

The NJC’s statement on Monday read in part, “Council welcomed as good development, a letter from Zamfara State Government approving the recommendation of the National Judicial Council for the compulsory removal of Hon. Mr. Justice Musa Ibrahim Anka from office for allegedly receiving a bribe of N200,000 from one Zubairu Abdumalik in order to deliver judgement in his favour.

“The recommendation was made to the Zamfara State Government by Council in 2011.”

The statement added that it had reported the Chairman of the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Adesina Ogunlana, to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee for allegedly using “uncouth language in a petition” he authored against the immediate past Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice O. O. Atilade.

It stated that 15 judges, including two Chief Judges, were to be probed by 15 newly constituted panels, adding that 31 petitions against other judges were found to be unmeritorious.

It stated that the petitions against the Acting Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice O. O. Akeredolu, and a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice John Tsoho, were withdrawn at the instance of the petitioners.

The statement stated, “The National Judicial Council, under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Mr. Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen, GCON, at its 83rd meeting constituted 15 committees to investigate various allegations in the petitions written against 15 judicial officers, including two Chief Judges.

“Council took the decision after considering the reports of the two Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees on 46 petitions written against judicial officers in the federal and state judiciaries.

“It dismissed a total number of 31 petitions, 29 of which it found unmeritorious, and the remaining two written against Hon. Mr. Justice J. T. Tsoho of the Federal High Court and Hon. Mr. Justice O. O. Akeredolu, Acting Chief Judge of Ondo State, were withdrawn at the instance of the petitioners.

“Al-Sagr National Insurance Company, who wrote against Hon. Mr. Justice Tsoho, withdrew his petition since the Hon. Judge had delivered the ruling in his case.

“Chief Raheem A. Badmus, who wrote against Hon. Justice Akeredolu, also voluntarily withdrew his petition for personal reasons.”

The Council said it also dismissed the petitions against Justice L. T. C. Eruba of the High Court of Justice, Abia State and Grand Kadi Abdullahi Waiya of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Kano State.

The petitions written against two other judicial officials were dismissed “for lack of merit.”

But the NJC said it issued two letters of advice to Justices Mojisola Dada of the High Court of Lagos State and Chukwudi Charles Okaa of the Anambra State High Court “for violation of extant laws in the course of their judicial duties”.

It however stated that the immediate past Chief Judge of Plateau State, Justice P. D. Damulak, had escaped probe because he had retired from office.

It stated, “Council considered and found worthy of further investigation the petition, written by Azi A. Phillip, on behalf of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Plateau State Chapter, accusing Hon. Justice P. D. Damulak, the immediate past Chief Judge of Plateau State, of bias, for failure to make his judgment in Suit No. PLD/J/236/16 delivered on 4th November, 2016, available to him till the time he wrote the petition.

“Council however decided not to constitute an Investigative Committee to look into the matter because the Hon. Chief Judge had already retired from service and therefore no longer in the employment of the National Judicial Council.”

http://www.realnews.i.ng/njc-raises-panels-probe-two-chief-judges-13-others/

Barcelona will join a strike called across Catalonia on Tuesday in protest at a violent crackdown by police of an independence referendum called by pro-separatist politicians for the region on Sunday, AFP reports.

“FC Barcelona joins the country-wide strike called for by Table for Democracy and therefore the club will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday),” Barca said in a statement on Monday.

“None of the professional teams or the youth teams at FC Barcelona will train tomorrow.”

Clashes as police fired rubber bullets and forced their way into polling stations, often violently removing activists, to confiscate ballots left at least 92 people confirmed injured out of a total of 844 who needed medical attention, according to Catalan authorities.

In light of the incidents, Barca played their match against Las Palmas behind closed doors on Sunday.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu said the club made the decision as a protest against the violent clashes rather than security concerns.

The vast majority of Barcelona’s stars, including five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique, who has been an outspoken defender of Catalonia’s right to self-determination, wouldn’t have trained with Barca on Tuesday in any case as they are on international duty with their respective nations.

http://www.realnews.i.ng/barcelona-join-catalan-strike/

Electricity consumers who bypass their meters will be forced to pay up to N450,000 as fine, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has declared.

According to NERC, financial sanctions ranging from N50,000 to N450,000 for meter bypass by power consumers have been drafted by it and have been endorsed by the 11 electricity distribution companies operating in the country.

It was gathered that NERC’s decision was also endorsed by the Federal Government through the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

This is coming as the regulator revealed that it was perfecting plans to deploy prepaid meters in government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies in order to avert future debt accumulation by the MDAs.

The Vice Chairman, NERC, Sanusi Garba, while speaking on the prepaid meter issues raised in the zone of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company, told Fashola and other participants at the last monthly meeting of operators in the sector that the amount being charged as financial sanctions depended on the class of power consumer.

Fashola advised NERC to be more accommodating during consultation and “advised the commission to place the highest level of sanctions on meter bypass to deter customers from such act.”

“He (Fashola) advised the Discos to prosecute offenders at the municipal level by liaising with the respective state governments,” it added.


http://www.realnews.i.ng/punishable-offence-bypass-meters-nerc/