Governor of Adamawa State has declared a 24-hour curfew across the state as some residents broke into government and private food stores on Sunday.

Witnesses told our correspondent that the looters complained of hardship following the removal of fuel subsidy and the high cost of foodstuff.

“Aside from food items, people were also seen with items such as generator sets, mattresses, and other non-food items were said to have been looted from stores owned by private individuals,” a resident, Manu Haruna, said.

Chief press secretary to the governor, Humwashi Wonosikou, announced the curfew Sunday afternoon.

He said the government was compelled to announce the sit-at-home order to check the activities of the hoodlums in the state capital looting shops and stores.

“The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has declared a 24-hour curfew on the state, effective immediately Sunday 30th July 2023.

“Governor Fintiri said the curfew followed the dangerous dimension activities of hoodlums had assumed across the state capital as they attacked people with matches and broke into business premises carting away property.

“With the curfew imposed, there will be no movement throughout the state.

“Fintiri said only those on essential duties with valid identification would be permitted to move around during the period of the curfew.

“The Governor is appealing to citizens and residents of the state to comply with the directive, adding that any person found contravening the order would be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law, Wonosikou wrote in the Sunday press release.

The police command in the state similarly released a statement warning residents to be law-abiding and stay away from chaotic activities.

The state’s commissioner of police, Afolabi Babatola, said he had deployed a team drawn from different units to enforce the 24-hour curfew declared by the state government.

President Bola Tinubu has appointed a Special Investigator to probe the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Related Entities, Daily Trust reports.

The president named Jim Osayande Obazee, the Chief Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), as the investigator.

The President asked the Special Investigator to investigate CBN and key Government Business Entities (GBEs).

He also said Obazee would report directly to his office.

“In accordance with the fundamental objective set forth in Section 15(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), this administration is, today, continuing the fight against corruption by appointing you as a Special Investigator, to investigate the CBN and Related Entities. This appointment shall be with immediate effect and you are to report directly to my office.”

“The full terms of your engagement as Special Investigator shall be communicated to you in due course but, require that you immediately take steps to ensure the strengthening and probity of key Government Business Entities (GBEs), further block leakages in CBN and related GBEs and provide a comprehensive report on public wealth currently in the hands of corrupt individuals and establishments (whether private or public).

“You are to investigate the CBN and related entities using a suitably experienced, competent and capable team and work with relevant security and anti-corruption agencies to deliver on this assignment. I shall expect a weekly briefing on the progress being made,” the letter read.

The president also sent a copy of his directive suspending Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the CBN on June 9, 2023.

Emefiele has been in DSS custody since then. He was arraigned in court last week and granted bail but the secret police rearrested him.

...Says Assault Misdirected And Uncalled For

The Senate has described as misplaced, a comment credited to a chieftain of the Labour Party, Professor Pat Utomi, over the decision of the Senate to stop the planned increase of electricity tariffs which would further increase the suffering of the masses.

A statement issued by the Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the Senate, Yemi Adaramodu, on Sunday in Abuja said, "the Senate is alarmed at the insidious misinterpretation enunciated by some political surrealists, who always leave the causes of their troubles to look for unnecessary scapegoats.

"The personal tirades and character assaults hauled at the Senate President by Professor Pat Utomi, are misdirected and uncalled for. Insinuating that the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Godswill Akpabio, was mocking the Nigerian masses with the phrase 'LET THE POOR BREATHE, is dressing falsehood and mischief in an undesirable garment.

" The Senate is an assembly of Distinguished men and women, who are sent by the Nigerian public to the Hallowed Chamber to represent their interests. The public-interest motion to halt an increase in the electricity tariff for Nigerians is one of such instances that tests the Senatorial responsiveness of Distinguished members of the 10th Senate.

" With the fire of the fuel subsidy removal still smouldering, the Senate opined that any increase in electricity tariff would be suffocating and that whoever is desirous in doing so should allow the poor; all Nigerians to breathe.

"The Senate President compassionately, hit the gavel with a stoic warning that any such attempts would be obnoxious, ludicrous and could only seize oxygen from the reach of the masses.

"Despite this open display of patriotism and sensitivity, some political irrenditists and turncoats feel they could turn the omnipotent actuality on its head to gain their lost momentum.

"The Senate didn't and would not mock the masses, without who, there would be no Nigerian Senate.Who, digging into an extreme partisanship to impugn on the image of the Senate and particularly the personality of the Senate President, is quite unfortunate and an exhibition of political superficialism, irreverent and opprobrious outburst.

"We believe that whoever is in the court to pursue a self-awarded electoral victory should not labour to assume that running expletives on the Senate and its leadership is the needed elixir to infuse legal blood into the dry veins of their case.

"The 10th Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has passed many life support resolutions in its short span, including the misinterpreted Senate's No to Increase in Electricity Tariff.

" We thus advise political rolling stones and pretenders not to play politics with the lives of Nigerians and allow the National Assembly to join hands with other arms of government to pull out Nigeria from economic morass and make life more abundant for us all", the statement concluded.

In a swift response to military coup in Niger Republic, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has enforced a no-flight zone over the country.

The decision was announced today by the ECOWAS, at an urgent meeting following the increasing tension stirred by the military actors who are attempting to take over in Niger.

This significant move which includes air and land border closure, is seen as a crucial reaction to the recent ascendancy of the junta, which has stirred significant unrest in the country and poses a threat to political stability within the region.

The ECOWAS leadership believes that the imposition of a no-flight zone will help curb the junta’s influence and hinder any potential allies from providing aerial support, even as leaders of the coup fear that the regional body could stage an imminent military intervention in the capital of the Sahel country.

In addition to the no-flight zone, the regional body has agreed on immediate financial sanctions over the coup, and has given the junta a week to cede power, while noting that a use of force has not been ruled out.

ECOWAS also insisted that President Mohamed Bazoum remains recognized as president of Niger, and called upon member states and the international community to uphold and respect these decision, in an effort to help restore peace and stability in the republic.

Speaking at the emergency meeting which he presided over today, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS denounced the coup by military leaders in Niger Republic, saying Africa has come of age.

Briefing leaders of the regional bloc, Tinubu registered the displeasure of ECOWAS at the coup d’état in the Niger Republic.

“Africa has come of age, we reject coup and interruption to constitutional order,” the Nigerian leader said amid applause.

“As African leaders, it is our sheer responsibility to foster stability and progress, placing the wellbeing of our people at the forefront of our endeavours.

“Working together towards their prosperity and happiness must always constantly be our goal and consistently, we will stand with our people in freedom and our commitment to the rule of law and not the barrel of gun.”

Late Wednesday, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the chief of Niger’s powerful presidential guard took power after a military coup. The action has since been condemned by the United Nations, African Union, the European Union, the United States among other world and regional leaders.

Tchiani, 59, has shunned the limelight despite a stellar military career which saw him lead the elite 700-member unit from 2011 up until now.

On Friday, Tchiani declared himself leader after staging a takeover that began on Wednesday when his presidential guards seized President Mohamed Bazoum and sequestered him in the presidential palace.

[Channels TV]

Thousands of supporters of a military junta that took power in Niger earlier this week have marched in the capital, Niamey, with many waving Russian flags and chanting the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The demonstrators on July 30 set fire to the door of the French Embassy, while the army tried to restore order.

The French Foreign Ministry urged the junta to "ensure the security of our diplomatic missions and consulates," while the office of French President Emmanuel Macron said France "will not tolerate any attack against France or its interests."

Former colonial power France and the European Union suspended financial aid and security cooperation with Niger on July 29.

Junta leaders said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 28 because of what they claimed was the threat of "imminent military intervention" by the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

ECOWAS planned an emergency summit in Abuja, Nigeria, on July 30 to discuss the situation in Niger.

Russia's Kremlin-connected Wagner mercenary group has a presence in neighboring Mali.

Before the coup, Niger was considered the most reliable remaining partner for Western efforts to combat jihadists in the Sahel region. France has 1,500 troops in Niger to conduct joint operations with Niger's military, while the United States and the European Union have provided security training and assistance.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Binken, traveling in Australia, said continued U.S. aid was conditioned on "the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order" in Niger.

The African Union has issued an ultimatum to the junta to restore Niger's democratically elected government within 15 days. Failure to do so, the bloc said, would force it to take "necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators."

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and relies on some $2 billion in annual international assistance.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar on Saturday attended a crucial meeting of leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The meeting which lasted over two hours was held at the residence of a chieftain of the PDP and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, in Maitama, Abuja.

Naija News reports the meeting had in attendance former Delta State Governor and 2023 PDP presidential running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, suspended party chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and other party leaders.

Some of the former governors who attended the meeting were Babangida Aliyu (Niger State), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), and Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano).

Also at the meeting with Atiku were seven serving governors of the party.

They were Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State (Atiku’s state), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) and Lawal Dauda (Zamfara).

Details Of Discussion Between Atiku, PDP Leaders Emerge

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar held a closed-door meeting on Saturday with some of his allies in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in order to prevent former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike from hijacking the leadership of the party, a source has claimed.

Naija News earlier reported that Atiku on Saturday attended a crucial meeting of leaders and stakeholders of the PDP in Abuja which according to him was productive and had a lot of collaborative energy.

Though Atiku did not disclose further details about what transpired during the meeting, a source told Daily Trust on Sunday that the meeting was called to discuss how to make one of the ex-governors succeed Iyorchia Ayu as the PDP National Chairman.

According to the source, loyalists of Atiku within the party were the ones who attended the meeting and that is why the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) members were not invited.

It was further revealed that the aim of the meeting is to prevent Wike from hijacking the PDP structure and making one of his men the national chairman.

[NaijaNews]

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has described as “outrageous falsehood” claims that Aisha Dahir-Umar, its director general (DG), was paid “millions of dollars” for estacode during COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

Reports circulating online further alleged that there were documents showing how the monies were paid into her account.

But in a statement issued on Sunday, the commission said it was impossible for any government official to claim foreign travel allowances in 2020 when there was a global restriction on international travels and most airports were closed, forcing people to work from home and hold virtual meetings.

The commission said all rates for estacode payments are standardised and foreign trips require strict documentation, “including air tickets, stamped passport pages and evidence of number of days spent”.

“Even if the DG were to spend two years abroad non-stop, her estacode allowances would not be up to a million dollars,” it said.

PenCom linked the reports to the current jostling for appointments in the country.

FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE

Management would like to alert the public to the renewed campaign of outrageous falsehood against the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and its Director General, Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar, over some imagined financial impropriety. Although the promoters of this fiction went to the extent of manufacturing documents and listing non-existent bank accounts to make the fabrication look real, a fiction remains a fiction and can never become the truth no matter how many times it is repeated and recycled.

It was alleged that the Director General was paid millions of dollars as estacodes for foreign trips she did not embark upon in 2020. This poor attempt at calumny is exposed by the fact that there was a global lockdown in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic during which international travels were restricted. Offices were shut down and most people had to hold virtual meetings. It is, thus, most outlandish to suggest that any government agency would claim to be paying allowances to its officials for international travels when most airports were shut down globally.

More so, official foreign trips require strict documentation, including air tickets, stamped passport pages and evidence of number of days spent. Rates for estacodes are standardised. If the DG were to spend two years abroad without returning to the country for one day, it would still be impossible for her to claim a million dollars as estacode. The desperate fabricators need to respect the intelligence of Nigerians.

We are aware of current political intrigues in the country caused by the jostling for appointments, but we believe there are more decent ways of going about it than peddling tales by moonlight and using notorious online outlets to push the lies to unsuspecting readers. The public is implored to ignore these fake documents and the discredited allegations being recycled at the slightest opportunity. The Commission has nothing to hide and will continue to run a transparent and accountable system.

[TheCable]

Pope Francis on Sunday called on Russia to return to the agreement that had allowed the safe passage of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea to world markets.

The Ukraine grain deal was agreed last year and allowed around 33 million tonnes of grain to leave Ukrainian ports, helping to stabilise global food prices and avert shortages.

“I am calling on my brothers, the authorities in the Russian Federation, to re-establish the Black Sea initiative so that the wheat could be safely transported”, Francis said during his weekly Angelus prayer.

“We are constantly praying for martyred Ukraine, where the war is destroying everything, including the wheat, which is a major offence to God because wheat is his gift to feed humanity and the cries of millions of our brothers and sisters suffering from hunger are lifting to the sky,” he said.

Russia two weeks ago refused to extend a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, under which Ukrainian grain exports passed through the Black Sea to reach global markets, including Africa, easing pressure on food prices.

Moscow withdrew from the agreement after protesting for months that the parts of the deal that allowed for the export of Russian fertiliser were not honoured.

Following Russia’s pullout, wheat prices have risen.

AFP

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected the Federal Government’s 25% increase to the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.

The decision was made during the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos, and a communique was issued on Saturday, July 29, with signatures from the association’s president, Orji Emeka Innocent, secretary-general, Chikezie Kelechi, and publicity and social secretary, Umar Musa.

Doctors insist on earlier demands. 

The doctors insist on their original demand, which is the full restoration of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CMSS) to its value at the time of its approval in 2009.

The communique expressed strong disapproval of the 25% increment in the basic salary of doctors and the accoutrement allowance calling it “paltry”. 

The statement reads, “NEC vehemently rejects the paltry 25 per cent increment in the basic salary of doctors, as well as the accoutrement allowance,” It went further to insist they stand on their earlier demands “for full restoration of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to its right value as at the time of the approval of the structure in 2009,” 

Strike continues

Orji emphasized that the strike would continue until the government demonstrates significant progress in addressing the association’s demands, as outlined in the earlier ultimatum.

The doctors’ demands encompass the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), concrete measures for the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and settlement of all salary arrears owed to its members since 2015.

What you should know 

Earlier in the week, resident Doctors across the country embarked on an indefinite strike after the expiration of their two weeks warning strike on July 19.  

The demands of the doctors include payment of arrears dating back to 2014,2015, and 2016; an upward review of the consolidated salary structure for medical doctors to reflect changes in exchange rate and inflation since 2014 amongst others.

To placate the doctors, the Federal government, through the office of the National Salary and Wages Commission, offered an N25,000 accoutrement allowance for medical and dental practitioners in the country.

The federal government also increased the salary of medical doctors by 25% for those in CONMESS grades 1 to 6 and 35% for those in CONMESS grade 7.  

In a letter from the FG, it states the cost of the increase will be from the overhead budget and will be effective from June 1, 2023.  

[Nairametrics]