…It’s Abuse Of Power – Labour Party

…Egbetokun Cannot Benefit Retroactively – HURIWA

 

The decision to amend the Nigeria Police Act 2020, which the National Assembly effectively did on Tuesday is tearing the force apart as senior officers have moved against it.

Already, there are grumbles and expressions of dissent with some going as far as warning that loyalty and hard work in the face of public hostility cannot be guaranteed.

Recall the National Assembly expeditiously passed an amendment of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020 (“Principal Ac”) on Tuesday granting the Inspector General of Police a four-year tenure regardless of his age or years of service.

The executive bill as passed into law enables the person appointed as IGP to remain in office until the end of term stipulated in the letter of appointment, in pursuance of Section 7 (6) of the Police Act of 2020.

Section 7 (6) of the Police Act of 2020 states: “The person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years.”

The executive bill, however, sought that Section 18 of the Principal Act is amended by adding a new subsection (8A) – “(8A) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-section (8) of this section, any person appointed to the office of Inspector-General of Police shall remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment in line with the provisions of Section 7(6) of this Act,” it said.

But Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, which makes direct reference to the civil service rule on retirement, states: “Every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve in the Nigeria Police Force for a period of 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier.”

Egbetokun, who was the principal officer of President Bola Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos State, was appointed as IGP in June 2023, two years before he clocks 60 on September 4, 2024.

Now, having established a firm working relationship with the president, and would be the direct beneficiary of the law, senior officers who feel they have been denied a possible IG position are crying wolf warning loyalty and hard work would be tested.

The officers who are next in line to take over as IG if Egbetokun retires in September disapprove of the development.

“Even though not everyone can be an IG, it’s wrong. It will crash the morale,” a senior officer also qualified for the position told THE WHISTLER on condition of anonymity.

He said it’s alarming that “nepotism is creeping into a once admired force. It’s getting worse. How would the rank and file think when at the top nepotism and favouritism is being given utmost consideration?

“I think the only fair thing is if the occupant of that office is not the first beneficiary otherwise it will spell doom for the future of the force,” he warned.

Another senior officer said, “What can we say but to watch and see. It’s a terrible day because the manner and speed the whole thing was done leaves much to be desired.”

Also, a retired senior police officer who said he doesn’t want to invite the wrath of the powers that be opined that “in our days, even though we were underfunded, we tried not to give prominence to favouritism and nepotism. What everyone would be looking at is who is the president and who’s the IG and who is the first beneficiary of this law.

“I don’t think it’s a good thing, it doesn’t look well. Tongues would wag, people would be demoralised and that’s the last thing you need in the already troubled force,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chief Spokesman of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Yunusa Tanko said “it’s a blatant abuse of power. If you want to even do something that is meaningful for the interest of the people, the office holder should not be a beneficiary of that particular law.

“Absolutely. If you’re doing it genuinely for the interest of the country, the person who is holding the office should be seen to be following another person, not for him to benefit from it, that is a selfish interest. That means there’s a hidden agenda.

“Nigeria is not meant for one person,” Tanko said, noting that “even the president, whether he likes it or not, one day, will leave that office.

“But the fact is that when you make the institution as solid and very, very impeccable for corrupt people, it makes the country stronger.

“So therefore, this particular bill, even if it’s meant for the interest of the people, then the office holder should not be a beneficiary.”

Similarly, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria or HURIWA said in an interview with THE WHISTLER that the only sane thing the president should do is to deny the current holder of the office the benefit of the law.

Onwubiko said, “If the current IG who was appointed over almost a year ago benefits from the bill that was passed one year after coming into office, it means one day this National Assembly will perform a magic of passing a bill abrogating the death penalty and then say that all those who have been executed under the previous law that authorised death penalty should be woken up from the dead.

“It means that if they perform this magic, they can equally say one day that they have abrogated the death penalty and all those who have been executed since the 1970s, should all be woken up from the dead.

“Egbetokun cannot benefit retroactively, it would be wrong. This National Assembly continues to perform magic in the manner the lawmakers are conducting their affairs.

“The passage of this bill shows they are puppets and can do anything,” Onwubiko said.

Amid calls for protest, the Presidency has said progress comes from dialogue and not through chaos and violent dissent.

Senior Special Assistant on Digital and New Media to President Bola Tinubu, O’tega Ogra, said the federal government has put out many developmental programmes aimed at ameliorating economic hardship in the country.

On his X handle on Wednesday, Ogra argued that these interventions by the federal government were enough to stop the protest planned and enable discussion.

“Minimum Wage Bill…Passed by the National Assembly less than a week after Mr President’s intervention meeting with organized Labour.

“When you add this development to the Student Loan Act (which was amended and passed just as quickly as the Minimum wage bill), the setting up of credicorp, a reduction in the number of taxes people pay, removal of levies/duties on essential food commodities, the holistic Presidential CNG Initiative (which seeks to reduce our dependence on ‘Premium’ Motor Spirit in favour of the cheaper, safer CNG which we have in abundance in Nigeria), then you will see a comprehensive, structured, and sustainable approach to providing a better life for Nigerians whilst other temporary palliative measures are being put in place.

“So that you know, Mr. President Bola Tinubu is eager to assent to the bill so workers can start enjoying this new wage structure as soon as possible,” he said.

The Digital and New Media aide to President Tinubu said the policies of the government on minimum wage, reduction in taxes and levies and CNG vehicles would increase workers’ disposable income and support their well-being.

Ogra added, “These measures will contribute to increased disposable income for workers by reducing the financial burden of tertiary education school fees as well as providing free CNG kits for commercial vehicles. Moreover, the reduction in the number of taxes for individuals/businesses and improved access to credit via Credicorp will further support workers’ well-being.

“Koko of The Matter: True progress arises from dialogue at the table, not from the chaos of violent dissent.”

Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Kingsley Moghalu, has said Nigeria’s economy only works for the rich and not for the poor citizens.

Professor Moghalu said the issue between President of Dangote Group – Aliko Dangote and Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), as it concerns Dangote Refinery, showed government’s inability to create an economy that works for the citizens.

Moghalu said unholy ties and vested interests between government and businesses were responsible for economic failures in the country.

In a statement on Wednesday, on his X handle, Moghalu said, “The NNPCL and AlikoDangote saga is a sad tale of how successive governments of Nigeria have failed to create a real economy that generates wealth for its citizens. Our economy works only for a very few who get rich while Nigerians continually get poorer.

“The economic failure of Nigeria’s leaders because of loyalties to vested interests and unholy ties between “business” and government is deeply unfortunate.

“Nigeria government is, and has been unable, to stimulate through effect economic policy a set of strategic oligopolies across sectors under which smaller businesses and supply chains thrive, making up a successful national economy as in South Korea.

“Neither has the government, on the other hand, been able to create a truly competitive, level playing field for business in Nigeria so that wealth creation can be more democratic. So it’s just failure, corruption and incompetence all around.

“Instead, we are regaled with sensational accusations on all sides when sweetheart deals go sour for reasons that actually lie outside the immediate subject of dispute.”

The President of Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation, Africa said foreign investors would interpret Nigeria’s business environment as risky because of the issues surrounding Dangote Refinery.

He added that unless patriotic leaders take over Nigeria’s leadership, the country may not make economic progress in the future.

“Meanwhile, what will investors and potential investors think of all this? That Nigeria is a truly risky business environment, that’s all. Until our more selfless and competent leaders arrive on the scene, I am afraid our country’s economy has little real prospects in the immediate future,” Moghalu added.

One Dasu Kassa,  a Police Inspector, has committed suicide in Adamawa State.

Kassa was found dead at his residence in Anguwan Yungur, Girei Local Government Area, on Monday.

It is gathered that Kassa had reportedly come back from a hospital in Yola earlier that evening.

Family sources attributed his decision to take his own life to financial difficulties and medical expenses.

The Police are investigating the matter with a view to finding out the circumstances that led to Kassa’s demise, according to reports.

His death underscored the crippling hardship and suffering the majority of Nigerians are grappling with as it becomes extremely hard to afford basic needs.

To express their dissatisfaction with the state of the nation and prevailing economic realities, a nation protest has been fixed for August 1.

Activist lawyer, Femi Falana, says no amount of threat from the government can stop the nationwide protest slated for August 1.

Recall that some organisations and even the presidency have decried the planned nationwide protests aimed at drawing the attention of the Federal Government to the perennial hardship in the country.

Falana advised the FG to identify the organisers of the protest and engage them in productive dialogue.

He gave the advice during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday.

He noted that threatening people was counterproductive and that such move would make the protest even more popular.

He said: “They have a way of contacting themselves and I think the government can draw some lessons from that 2020 (#EndSars) experience. Identify those who are planning the protest and then engage with them productively.

“Threat will not work. In fact, the action of the government has a way of popularising such protests.

“Nobody listens to such warnings. This time around, the government should identify the leaders of the movement and have some dialogue with them. There are demands that are being raised, the government should address those demands.”

Amnesty International has cautioned President Bola Tinubu’s administration against threatening Nigerians who are planning to protest against the current hardship and hunger in the country.

The global human rights body emphasized that threatening intended peaceful protesters is unlawful, adding that Nigerians have the constitutional right to protest.

According to reports, some youths plan a nationwide protest between August 1 and 15 to express their concerns over the rising cost of living and economic hardship.

Following these reports, President Tinubu’s media aide, Dada Olusegun, warned that the intending protesters would face the strongest resistance if they protested against the Nigerian government.

In a post via X, Olusegun stated that those who gave Tinubu the mandate to rule the country would strongly resist the protest. He tweeted, “Those who want to burn the country down under whatever guise will meet the strongest resistance of their lives. Not from security agencies but from the silent majority that gave their mandate to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for four years in the first instance. We are waiting.”

Amnesty International responded by stating that threatening peaceful protesters is not only unlawful but also a clear attack on freedom of assembly, as guaranteed by international law and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.

“Threatening peaceful protesters is unlawful. It is a clear attack on freedom of assembly, guaranteed by international law and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution. Nigerians must not be denied the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to peaceful protest through veiled threats of violence and false insinuations,” Amnesty International stated.

Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, has responded to the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over the threat of ₦ 5 billion defamation suit.

Recall that Peter Obi issued Onanuga a 72-hour ultimatum to apologise and pay ₦5 billion damages to him over defamation and libel or face legal action.

The demand follows Onanuga’s wild allegation, linking Peter Obi to the planned mass protest scheduled for August.

Recall that the Presidential Spokesperson had on July 20, 2024, in a post via his X handle, said, “Peter Ob’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria and that Obi should be held responsible for anarchy.”

However, the former Governor of Anambra State, writing through his counsel, Alex Ejesieme, SAN, said that the allegation, which was widely published in social and mainstream media and read by many within and outside the country, maligned his hard-earned reputation as a man who indulges in violence when all his antecedents are vivid that he abhors violence even in the face of extreme provocation.

Peter Obi said the demeaning and scandalous publication also caused a severe emotional injury to him, given his decades of stellar stewardship in private and public life.

In response, Onanuga, in a post via his X handle on Tuesday, said he is not afraid of any legal action and is ready to meet Peter Obi in court.

He wrote, “I am still waiting for the letter from Peter Obi’s lawyer threatening a N5 billion suit and demanding an apology to Peter Obi over the planned ‘revolution’.

“Let me just tell Obi and his lawyer: I am not afraid of any legal action. We shall meet in court.”

The family of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad, has conducted a fresh autopsy seeking to determine the cause of his death.

PUNCH Metro reported that the Magistrate of the Coroner Court sitting in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, T.A. Shotobi, on June 26, granted an order to the father of the deceased, Mr. Joseph Aloba, to engage a licensed and certified pathologist for a completely independent autopsy on the late singer.

The court also ordered that the applicant, Aloba, should bear all costs associated with the examination, evaluation, and autopsy.

A member of the family’s legal team, Monisola Odumosu, in a statement on Tuesday, said the autopsy was conducted on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20.

Odumosu noted that the family would proceed to carry out toxicology and histology tests on the necessary samples already obtained if the post-mortem procedure failed to reveal the cause of death.

“The second autopsy as requested by the Aloba family and ordered by the Magistrate of the Coroner Court, Ms. T.A. Shotobi, was conducted on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20, 2024. This autopsy is a two-part exercise, with the first part now completed.

“If the cause of death cannot be determined from this initial examination, the second part will proceed, involving a toxicology and histology test on the necessary samples already obtained,” the statement read in part.

The legal team further disclosed that the procedure was witnessed by Mohbad’s father and two separate pathologists appointed by him and Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi.

“This comprehensive procedure, conducted last Friday, was witnessed only by Mr. Joseph Aloba, the forensic pathologist appointed by Mr. Joseph Aloba and his team, legal representatives of both Mr. Joseph Aloba and  a pathologist appointed by Wunmi Aloba to observe the procedure,” the statement added.

Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. The Lagos State Police Command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.

His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, amongst others.

The singer’s body was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.

However, a pathologist, while testifying before the Coroner’s Court on May 15, revealed that an autopsy couldn’t determine Mohbad’s cause of death due to the decomposition of his body.

Following the disclosure, PUNCH Metro exclusively reported that the US-based lab refuted the claim by the Lagos State Government that the toxicology test was conducted at its facility.

The revelation was in response to inquiries made by our correspondent, who embarked on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the musician’s cause of death.

Responding to PUNCH Metro’s inquiry on May 17, the Client Services Associate, Forensics Division, NMS Labs, Esther Dede, stated, “Unfortunately, we do not have a case for that patient.”

The house of representatives has asked the federal government to suspend Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), over “unguarded comments”.

The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution during plenary session on Tuesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Esosa Iyawe from Edo.

The motion was titled ‘Urgent Need to Address the Outrage Resulting from Unguarded Comments by the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority’.

The NMDPRA and Dangote refinery have been embroiled in a dispute that began recently.

On July 18, Ahmed said local refineries, including the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, were producing inferior products compared to the ones imported into the country.

He also said Dangote requested all importation of petroleum products — especially automotive gas oil (AGO) or jet kero — be suspended or stopped, and all oil marketers be directed to his refinery.

This, Ahmed said, is not good for Nigeria in terms of energy security and also not good for markets because of monopoly.

Aliko Dangote, CEO of Dangote Group, denied Ahmed’s claims.

On Monday, Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state petroleum resources (oil), met with Dangote, Ahmed, Gbenga Komolafe, CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and Mele Kyari, group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, to resolve the matter. 

The house of representatives joint committee on petroleum resources (downstream and midstream) has also launched a probe into Ahmed’s claims.

The committee is also investigating the allegations that international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria are frustrating the survival of the Dangote refinery.

‘CARELESS STATEMENT, UNPROFESSIONAL’

Moving the motion, Iyawe described Ahmed’s statement as “careless,” as well as “unprofessional and unpatriotic” in the wake of calls for protest against the federal government.

Iyawe said Ahmed made the statement without conducting any prior investigation.

The lawmaker said the “unguarded statement” by the NMDPRA CEO has “sparked outrage from Nigerians who tagged his undermining of local refineries and insistence on the continued importation of fuel an act of economic sabotage, as the imported products have been shown to contain high levels of dangerous compounds”.

The motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house.

Consequently, the lower chamber asked the federal government to suspend the NMDPRA CEO pending the conclusion of the investigations into the claims.

President Bola Tinubu has pleaded with aggrieved Nigerians, especially youths planning a national protest over the high cost of living to shelve the action, saying there is no need for it. 

The President also assured those behind the planned protest that he has heard their grievances and is working seriously to ensure that all their concerns are addressed.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, conveyed the President’s plea while speaking with State House correspondents after he met with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President’s assurance came as the face-off between Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayou Onanuga; and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, took a new twist, yesterday.

Obi’s lawyers, yesterday, wrote Onanuga, demanding N5 billion and an apology within 72 hours for accusing him and his supporters of high treason in allegedly being masterminds of the planned “EndBadGovernance protest.”

In like manner, former presidential aspirant and a chieftain of the LP, Professor Pat Utomi, challenged Onanuga to produce evidence of his involvement in the planned protest or face N500 billion litigation.

Tinubu’s assurance

The minister said that at the meeting with the President, general issues on the country were discussed and that the President said he is working assiduously to ensure the country’s economy is placed in a good position.

His words: ‘’We discussed the issue of the country in general and Mr President has asked me to again inform Nigerians that he listens to them, especially the young people that are trying to protest.

“Mr President said he listens to them and takes what they say seriously and he is working assiduously to ensure that this country is good not just for today, but also for the future.

“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that, he asked them to shelve that plan and he has asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas, he has listened to them.’’