Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, has criticised Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), for gifting houses to judges.

In September, the minister flagged off the construction of 40 houses for judges in Abuja, which sparked a public outrage.

He said 20 of the houses, when completed, would be allocated to judges of the FCT high court, while 10 would be given to the judges of the federal high court and 10 to those of the court of appeal.

However, Wike on Wednesday denied the claim that the houses are being constructed to pocket the judges for political gains.

He said the construction of homes for judges is part of President Bola Tinubu welfare packages designed to promote the independence of the judiciary.

Reacting to the development during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Wednesday, Falana said the judges have no business going to the executive to buy them cars and houses.

The senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said autonomy of the judiciary has been constitutionalised.

“The minister of the federal capital territory operates like a state governor by virtue of the section 299 of the Constitution,” Falana said.

“So, he cannot say I am going to build 40 houses; 10 shall go to the federal high court, 10 shall go to judges in the FCT high court and 10 shall go to the court of appeal and supreme court, No.

“Because you are a minister of the federal government like a state governor, your budget is limited to the affairs of the FCT.

“So, you cannot, as the head of the FCT, be dishing out gifts of cars and houses to judges in the federal high court, in the appeal court and the supreme court.

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“Number two, you have cases before these courts, on the theory of equality before the court you cannot be seen to be giving cars or houses to the judges who are going to determine your cases.”

Falana said judges’ housing should be managed by the national judicial council, adding that executive assistance to the judiciary should go through the national assembly.

“If the executive wants to assist the judiciary, the appropriate approach is to go to the national assembly. You can have a supplementary budget,” he said.

“If it has been discovered that the judiciary needs housing in Abuja, then the national assembly should make the necessary appropriations.

“But the constitution does not anticipate that the minister of the federal capital territory, like a governor of Kogi, Ondo, or Cross River State, would offer cars and houses to judges in the federal public sector. No.

“That is why this matter needs to be properly scrutinised and resolved in line with the provisions of the Constitution.

“Judges need houses, of course. Judges need cars, of course. They need security, of course. But these should be provided by the NJC within its budget.”

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be unable to resolve its internal crises if members keep trying to undermine him.

Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike described the current leadership failure in the opposition party as the worst in its history.

”Let me tell you the problem—it is not that the PDP cannot get its acts together; it is this personal ambition,” the minister said.

“This attitude that ‘I must bring Wike down’. When all you attempt is to bring me down, you make mistakes. Wike will not go down, which is true.”

He said the PDP is not focused on tackling its crisis because some members are making every effort to undermine him.

He also accused Bala Muhammed, governor of Bauchi and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, of poor leadership and failing to organised the party.

“PDP has never had it this bad in terms of leadership, particularly from the chairman of the governors’ forum. And I knew it would be so. Leadership is not by mouth. It is about talking; it is by action,” he said.

“How do you know when people are treacherous? When Tambuwal finished as the chairman of the PDP governors’ forum, the position has always been rotating between the north and south.

“But Bala and co connived and went to Bauchi and took away the chairman of the governors’ forum of the PDP to the north.

“Of course, he knows, if I was governor, it wouldn’t happen. For me as a leader, you must have to make sacrifices.

“You must have the capacity to galvanise the people. You are in the opposition party. You are not in the ruling party. People will see that you are serious about taking over power.

“How has he (Mohammed) mobilised his colleagues by funding the party to make sure that the party is effective and efficient through the national working committee?”

The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has announced the dissolution of all executive boards within state agencies and parastatals, alongside the dismissal of permanent secretaries appointed from outside the Edo State Civil Service.

The news was shared on Wednesday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, who issued a statement in Benin City confirming that the changes take effect immediately.

Governor Okpebholo directed all affected officials to return any government property in their possession to the most senior civil service officer within their respective ministries, departments, or agencies.

The statement partly read: “It is hereby announced for the information of the general public that the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the dissolution of executives of all boards, agencies, and parastatals in Edo State Public Service with immediate effect.

“In addition, all Permanent Secretaries appointed from outside the State Public/Civil Service and all political appointees are hereby relieved of their appointments.

“Accordingly, all affected appointees are to hand over all government properties in their possession to the most senior public officer in their respective ministries, departments, and agencies.”

Meanwhile, the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has announced an indefinite suspension of all state revenue collections, especially in motor parks and other designated areas, until further notice.

Also, the Governor instructed the State Commissioner of Police to apprehend any individuals who violate this directive.

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has revealed that he decided to dump the Netherlands for Nigeria because he did not see a “clear path” to playing for the Dutch side.

Note that William Troost-Ekong was born in Haarlem, Netherlands to a Nigerian father, hence, he was eligible to play for the Super Eagles even though he had featured for Dutch youth teams.

The opportunity to play for the Super Eagles came during a phone conversation with the late Stephen Keshi, former coach of the Super Eagles, who reached out to him when Troost-Ekong was just beginning to establish his football career.

At 20, after an impressive season in the Eredivisie where he played over 30 matches, Troost-Ekong faced a critical decision of playing for Nigeria or his country of birth.

Despite having represented the Netherlands at the Under-19 and Under-20 levels, he found that opportunities with the senior national team were limited. Hence, he had to settle for Nigeria.

“I had to make this decision early in my career. At the time, I was finishing my breakthrough season and received a call from Stephen Keshi, a legendary figure in Nigerian football. His interest in me was truly inspiring”, Troost-Ekong told The Sports Afterparty Podcast.

“I had just started the season after representing Dutch youth teams, yet there wasn’t a clear path to joining the senior squad. Nigeria offered me a tangible opportunity to step into the international arena. The Super Eagles were changing, and I recognized that they needed fresh talent among their defenders.

“By choosing to play for Nigeria, I was not only seizing a chance to contribute to a team in transition but also enhancing my prospects at the club level. This decision was made with a comprehensive view of my career and growth opportunities.”

Note that since William Troost-Ekong made his international debut for Nigeria on June 13, 2015, the 31-year-old defender has made 71 appearances and scored seven goals

The National Vice-Chairman of the Labour Party, North-Central, Ibrahim Idoko has slammed the National Coordinator of the ‘Obidient Movement’, Yunusa Tanko, for claiming that the movement is bigger than the Labour Party and, therefore, brought it into the limelight.

In a recent interview with Arise News, Tanko, while asserting that the movement is larger than the party, also noted its independence and the possibility of moving to another political platform to uphold its values of good governance and accountability in the forthcoming 2027 elections, should it become necessary for the Labour Party to embrace its ideas.

In a press statement released to journalists on Wednesday, Idoko, dismissed Tanko’s comments, describing him as a political opportunist trying to please his paymasters.

He noted that the LP had been winning elections and making significant progress without the Obidient Movement for many years, adding that Tanko’s assertion should be disregarded by all party members and supporters across the country.

The statement read: “To say the least, this is laughable, coming from a one-time national chairman of a deregistered political party. Tanko and his allies need a brief history lesson on the Labour Party and its successes before the rise of the Obidient Movement.

“It is obvious that Tanko and his co-travellers are either living in denial or are grossly misinformed; either way, they are just being mischievous.

“The Labour Party has been winning elections across Nigeria long before now. For the record, His Excellency, Alex Otti, the current Governor of Abia State, is not the first governor elected on the platform of the Labour Party.

“His Excellency, Olusegun Mimiko, a former Governor of Ondo State, was a two-term governor. The party has also had National Assembly and House of Assembly members in various states.

“It should be noted that well-recognised politicians such as Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of Delta State, Senator Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, and Hon. Samuel Godday of Benue State, among others, were elected under the Labour Party’s platform.

“Tanko is simply being mischievous and seeking relevance from his paymasters. If Tanko and his allies wish to pursue an alternative path to the LP in 2027, so be it. We bear no grudges, but we are confident that under the leadership of Barr. Julius Abure and the current National Working Committee, the Labour Party will only grow stronger, and in 2027, LP will emerge victorious in the elections.”

Idoko, who is also the current LP chairman for Benue State, further reiterated the North-Central LP chairmen’s commitment to providing maximum support to Abure to help him elevate the party to greater heights.

A member of the House of Representatives, Obi Aguocha, has decried the treatment of Ndigbo in Nigeria when compared to other tribes.

The member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency, Aguocha, said the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, ought to have been granted the same privilege given to Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore.

In an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday, Aguocha stated that while Igboho and the former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Sowore, enjoyed the privilege of Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, it is not the same for Kanu.

He disclosed that Kanu’s detention remains an injustice that has been condemned by stakeholders.

“I can tell you, a whole lot of things have been done, not just by me, but well meaning Nigerians, stakeholders who have found this to be an issue of injustice.

“The last time I was there, I said it would appear that there are two sets of rules in Nigeria, one for every other Nigerian, another one for the Igbo man. Where every other Nigerian will scale certain circumstances, the Igbo man will find it very difficult to scale.

“What we thought would have been more meaningful is the invocation of section 174, of the Nigerian constitution that allows the Attorney General before the determination or a judgment of the court that he can write to withdraw the matter.

“There are precedents that are already been set on this. So we are just asking, Well, the way they have done for Igboho, the way they have done, for Sowore and many others, that Nnamdi Kanu is entitled to those fundamental rights, right as a citizen,” Aguocha said.

Out of 38 directors vying for positions as permanent secretaries within the Federal Civil Service, half failed to pass the qualifying examination.

In October, the Federal Government, through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), began the selection process to fill permanent secretary roles across eight states with vacant positions.

An OHCSF memo, dated October 7, 2024, and signed by Head of Service Didi Walson-Jack, clarified that directors currently facing disciplinary actions were ineligible for consideration.

The memo also confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had given his approval for the appointment process.

Providing recent updates, OHCSF Director of Press Eno Olotu said, “Of the 38 eligible directors who sat for the exam, 19 have passed the first stage and will move on to the second stage, which will assess their competency in using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in government operations on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.”

Olotu highlighted that the recruitment involves a rigorous three-stage process, aimed at selecting only the most capable candidates.

Those passing the second stage will advance to the final phase on Friday, November 15, 2024, where a panel of senior civil servants and private sector experts will conduct the last assessment.

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has distanced itself from the new terror group operating in the north known as Lakurawa.

Miyetti Allah added that its members are also victims of the illegal activities of Lakurawa.

The Kebbi State Chapter of the Miyetti Allah group made the clarification in a statement by its secretary in Kebbi State, Abubakar Lamido, who distanced the group from the recent killing of six indigenous Fulani and the destruction of 185 settlements and 42-grain silos in a reprisal attack.

MACBAN said the attack was carried out by the volunteers’ security known as Yansa Kai following the killing of 15 persons in Mera last Friday.

Lamido disclosed further that Lakurawa terrorists have been terrorising pastoralists through forceful taxation called (Zakat), and sometimes confiscated their animals and collected money ranging from N300,000 to N20m,120 cows, 51 goats and sheep from Fulani cattle rearers in the Augie area of the state.

“Lakurawa are hardened criminals, and should be treated as such. We are not associated with them. We are worst affected by their illegalities,” the statement said.

MACBAN added that members of the terror group are international criminals, and have been moving freely with sophisticated weapons around Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State, Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi State, and around Nigeria and Niger Republic borders.

It, therefore, called for urgent government intervention in arresting the criminals and support for victims of the reprisal attack, saying they had lost the foodstuff they harvested, shelter and cattle.

A man named Olamide Akinolu was allegedly beaten to death by unidentified individuals at the Osas Hotel in the Wadoye community of Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State.

PUNCH Online learnt from locals on Wednesday that the incident occurred on Tuesday around 12:40 p.m.

The 30-year-old victim had reportedly gone to the hotel to meet a man to whom he had paid N50,000 to rent musical instruments when he was allegedly attacked by some suspects.

While the Ogun State Police Command did not disclose the motive behind the assault, local sources told our correspondent that Akinolu began vomiting blood after the alleged attack.

Following the victim’s condition after the assault, our correspondent learnt that witnesses rushed Akinolu to a nearby hospital, where a doctor on duty pronounced him dead.

The command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Online on Wednesday morning and stated that efforts were underway to apprehend those responsible.

She said, “The victim’s father reported the incident to the Ajuwon Division. His son had gone to the hotel to meet a man to whom he had paid N50,000 to rent some musical instruments.

“As a result, he sustained serious injuries and was taken to the hospital, where the doctor pronounced him dead. This prompted a group of people to organise an attack on the hotel.

“The hotel manager was injured, and several instruments were damaged during the violence. Our officers were dispatched to the scene to restore order. Meanwhile, the body has been taken to a mortuary in Olambe for examination and autopsy.”

Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, has taken to social media to thank his ‘Humble Billionaire’ male friend who helped him during the recent tough times with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In the post via his Instagram page, Bobrisky described the ordeal with EFCC as a heavy battle, but his friend told him to worry less about the situation.

Bobrisky said the billionaire is a father, husband, and mentor, and he hopes to have a womb in his next world to give birth to a child for the man.

The controversial crossdresser also addressed those wondering how he would survive abroad.

He wrote, “It hurt so bad I can’t sing your praises openly in that Nigeria. You are my life saver thank you so much baby. In my next world, I pray I have a womb to give you kids. You are a father, a husband and a mentor. The battle was heavy but you said chill, we are gonna win. God bless you. I can’t wait to see you here next month. My humble  millionaire in Nigeria. Can’t wait to see you here in Nigeria. Finally, gotten to the land of freedom. I laugh at people saying how is he going to survive abroad.”