The Police Service Commission, PSC, said it has approved the dismissal of three senior Police Officers over cases of misconduct.

Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations who disclosed this, in a statement on Friday, said the commission also approved the reduction in ranks of five others found wanting in the conduct of their official duties.

He said the dismissed Police Officers were two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and one Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

He said one Chief Superintendent of Police, (CSP), one Superintendent (SP), one Deputy Superintendent (DSP) and two Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP) were reduced in ranks for misconduct, adding that fourteen officers received severe reprimands, six others, reprimanded and seven others were given warning letters.

He said the commission also reinstated six dismissed officers who got favourable court judgements or a review of their cases.

Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi have discredited the written address filed by President Bola Tinubu following the outcome of the February 25 presidential elections describing the latter’s outburst as “desperation taken too far”.

In the written address sighted by TRIBUNE ONLINE and dated July 14, the 2nd and 3rd respondents led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN), faulted the claims of Obi’s witnesses including the seventh witness, Clarita Ogah who had claimed to be a cloud engineer and a member of staff at Amazon.

The respondents also warned the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), that misinterpreting the law as provided for in the constitution on the 25% of lawful votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, could “lead to absurdity, chaos, anarchy and alteration of the very intention of the legislature.”

However, the petitioners in their final written address filed by Obi’s lead counsel, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), to the 2nd and 3rd respondents, said there will only be anarchy if the rule of law is truncated.

“This is a cheap, misguided, and destructive blackmail clearly intended to target the country’s judicialism and constitutionalism. It also aims at cannibalising our democracy.

“When has it become offensive for Petitioners to canvass a ground prescribed for the challenge of an election in section 134(1)(b) of the Electoral Act? Desperation taken too far can be extremely dangerous. Let the 2nd and 3rd Respondents (Tinubu and Shettima) know that where the rule of law is trampled upon or truncated, anarchy reigns supreme,” the written address partly read.

The court had given the petitioners and the respondents ten and seven days to file their written addresses and five days for the respondents to reply on points of law

A viral video of President Bola Tinubu campaigning to reduce the price of fuel upon his assumption as president has surfaced online.

Tinubu at his campaign rally in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on January 25, 2023, could be heard in the video promising the crowd an easier life under his leadership. The President spoke in the Yoruba language.

On Tuesday, The PUNCH reported another hike in fuel price to N617 from N197, two months since the removal of fuel subsidy by the President upon being sworn into office on May 29, 2023.

Tinubu in his inaugural speech, announced the removal of fuel subsidy, a move that resulted in fuel being sold at N537 per litre barely two days after he ended the subsidy.

Speaking in Yoruba, Tinubu during the rally in Abeokuta, could be heard assuring the crowd that although people believed the petrol price would hit N200, it would actually be reviewed and the price reduced as leader of the nation.

“The great Nigerian youths, the great Nigerian students, the confident Nigerian youths. This is a revolution. This election is a revolution. They are plotting, but they will fail. They said fuel prices will increase and reach N200/N500 per litre. Go and relax, we will crash the prices.”

“They don’t want this election to be held. They want to sabotage it (elections). Will you allow them?”, Tinubu asked his supporters who responded with a resounding “No.”

“Even if they said there is no fuel, we will trek to vote. They have a lot of mischief; they could say there is no fuel. They have been scheming to create a fuel crisis but forget about it.

“Relax, I, Asiwaju, have told you that the issue of fuel supply will be permanently addressed. Whoever wants to eat the honey embedded in a mountain won’t worry about the axe. Is that not so? And if you want to eat palm kernel, you would bring stone and use it to break it, then the kernel will come out. It’s not easy to…

“Let them increase the price of fuel, only them know where they have hoarded fuel, they hoarded money, they hoarded naira; we will go and vote and we will win. Even if they changed the ink on naira notes. Whatever their plans, they will come to naught. We are going to win. Those in the PDP will lose (won ma lule).

“I am a homeboy, I have come here, you will not be put to shame, we will take over the government from them, the traitors who wanted to contest with us. They had no experience.”

The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education has increased the school fees of new students into Federal Government Colleges otherwise known as Federal Unity Colleges to ₦100,000.

This was contained in a directive from the Office of the Director of Senior Secondary Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education, reference number ADF/120/DSSE/I, dated 25th May, 2023, and addressed to all Principals of Federal Unity Colleges.

According to the circular entitled, “Approved fees/ charges for Federal Unity Colleges (1st Term) for new students“, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, new students are expected to part with ₦100,000 instead of the previous N45,000.

“The latest fees/charge increment will affect virtually all aspects and activities of the school, including tuition and boarding fees, uniform, text books, deposit, exercise books, prospectus, caution fee, ID card, stationery, clubs and societies, sports, extra lesson, insurance, et al.

“Please be informed that the ministry has approved only the underlisted fees and charges for all Unity Colleges,” the memo read.

Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state, has counseled colleagues from other states to be sensitive and reduce long convoys, following the removal of fuel subsidy.

In his words, “Hey gentlemen, we would need to be sensitive to the times; we need to live within the average of the people that we’re governing, and so on and so forth, and knock off the waste and the irrelevancies, so to speak,” Soludo said.

Soludo said this while addressing journalists after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting which was chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja on Thursday.

He noted that the situation in the country has called for some reviews, and it would be insensitive for governors to move around with large convoys.

According to him, the state governor that is going with “20-something vehicles in a convoy and all these have to be fuelled” is not living “within the average of the people”.

Soludo also confirmed there were discussions among the governors and members of the council to also make sacrifices for the people.

Soludo cited examples of what he has done in his state to cut costs.

He said, “When I assumed office, for example, it was costing about N137 million every month to clean up public offices, and so on. Today, in Anambra, we’re doing N11 million a month from N137 million on a monthly basis; this is just an illustration.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima chaired the NEC meeting. The council is also made up of the 36 state governors, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other government officials.

A Nigerian man, Godswill Okon, took to his Facebook page, Thursday, to celebrate becoming a father 13 years after getting married.

Okon shared a photo of his newborn daughter, penning a heartfelt message alongside, as he celebrated his new role as a parent while gushing over his daughter.

“She just open her eye since after her birth and we looked eyeball to eyeball. e sweet ooo to be a father.

“We had a father and daughter conversation and at length she smiled at me. And I promised to always teach her the ways of the Lord.

“I didn’t forget to tell her how priceless she meant to me. That I waited for 13 good years with shame, pain and mockery from people for not having a child, but today God decided to silence my accusers and feeds them with shame…Jesus, you are so good to me.”

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu has assured concerns raised by Nigerians on result management at the various elections during the 2023 general elections will be addressed.

He said even though some of the concerns raised are sub judice because they are before the courts, the commission intends to discuss them in-house and share experiences on the way forward.

Yakubu spoke at the commission’s post election review meeting with Collation and returning officers who participated in the 2023 general election.

The meeting is the fourth in the series of review meeting to take stocks of the conduct of the 2023 general elections and fashion the way forward.

He said: “The Commission is aware that as collation and returning officers, you worked under extremely challenging circumstances by tediously and manually completing designated forms as provided by law and either moved them to the next level of collation or concluded the processes as Returning Officers.

“Many of you also have the cognate experience of result management, having served in similar capacities in at least three electoral cycles. The Commission appreciates your commitment, dedication to duty and sacrifice to the cause of our democracy.

“More specifically, and from your practical experience in the 2023 General Election, we would like to hear your perspectives on the processes and procedures recruitment, training and posting of Collation and Returning Officers; logistics for movement to and from your places of assignment; the role of technology in result management among others.”

He said when the review engagements are exhausted, a comprehensive report will be prepared.

REMARKS BY THE CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC), PROF. MAHMOOD YAKUBU, AT THE POST-ELECTION REVIEW MEETING WITH COLLATION AND RETURNING OFFICERS HELD AT LADI KWALI HALL OF THE ABUJA CONTINENTAL HOTEL ON FRIDAY 21st JULY 2023

National Commissioners Collation and Returning Officers for the 2023 General Election
Other Senior Officials of the Commission Members of the INEC Press Corps Ladies and Gentlemen

1.​ It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the fourth in our planned engagements with key participants in the administration of the 2023 General Election. You may recall that on 4th July 2023, we met with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). Thereafter, the RECs met in the various States of the federation with our regular staff and ad hoc officials, including those who presided over the elections at polling unit level. Two days ago, we held yet another meeting with our Electoral Officers (EOs) and the leadership of the land and maritime workers’ unions who were engaged to provide logistic support for the movement of personnel and materials.

2.​ Today, we are meeting with yet another important category of election officials i.e. the Collation Officers. Present here today are the 37 State Collation Officers for the Presidential Election (SCOPEs). Many of you also doubled as Returning Officers for the 28 Governorship elections. For legislative elections, we invited, across the six geo-political zones of the country, the Senatorial District Collation Officers who also doubled as Returning Officers for senatorial elections. It is practically unmanageable to invite all the collation and returning officers for 1,462 federal and state constituencies made up of 109 Senatorial Districts as well as 360 Federal and 993 State Houses Assembly constituencies. We therefore focused on the Senatorial Districts since they are bigger and cut across the other constituencies.

3.​ The Commission is aware that as collation and returning officers, you worked under extremely challenging circumstances by tediously and manually completing designated forms as provided by law and either moved them to the next level of collation or concluded the processes as Returning Officers. Many of you also have the cognate experience of result management, having served in similar capacities in at least three electoral cycles. The Commission appreciates your commitment, dedication to duty and sacrifice to the cause of our democracy.

4.​ At the same time, issues have arisen and some Nigerians have raised concerns about result management at various levels. While some of the issues are subject of litigations and therefore sub judice, we can nevertheless discuss them broadly and most importantly share experience on the way forward. It is therefore the Commission’s expectation that at this meeting, we will identify areas of strength and weaknesses as well as the necessary reforms that we need to introduce going forward.

5.​ More specifically, and from your practical experience in the 2023 General Election, we would like to hear your perspectives on the processes and procedures for:

i. Recruitment, training and posting of Collation and Returning Officers;

ii. Logistics for movement to and from your places of assignment;

iii. The integrity of the collation and declaration procedure, including the application of the law, regulations and guidelines for result management;

iv. The role of technology in result management;

v. Security of Collation/Returning Officers and the collation centres;

vi. Conduct of party agents and election observers during collation;

vii. Conduct of security personnel; and

viii. Any other lessons that will improve the future collation and declaration of results.

6.​ Consistent with the Commission’s commitment, when the review engagements are exhausted, a comprehensive report will be prepared. It is therefore expected that you will share your field experiences candidly. We would like to hear from you and what can be done to improve this critical aspect of the electoral process.

7.​ On this note, it is my pleasure to welcome you once again to this review meeting.

8.​ I thank you all and God bless

...N190,000 For Medical Students

The University of Lagos has increased school fees amid rising inflation and hikes in petrol prices following the removal of fuel subsidy.

The school increased its tuition from about N20,000 to over N100,000 depending on the course of study.

The new tuition ranges from N100,750 to N190,250 depending on whether the course of study requires laboratory or studio work or if the student is in the college of medicine.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola held a meeting with the representatives of non-teaching staff unions on July 20, 2023, at the Senate Committee Chamber of the school.

During the meeting, Ogunsola disclosed the proposed fees for undergraduate students of the school.

A statement issued by the school’s chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) said during the meeting that lasted approximately three hours, the “proposed fees for undergraduate students at Unilag were disclosed. Students without lab or studio use would pay N100,750, those with lab use would pay N140,250, and college of medicine undergraduates would pay N190,250.

“The SSANU representative, Comrade Rasaki Yusuf requested a rebate for staff members with children in the university, but the vice chancellor explained that the charges were set nationally and could not be modified for specific student categories.

“However, she offered the option of paying in instalments for staff wards with a condition to pay up one month before the final exams.”

In June, President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loan Bill into law which allows Nigerian students to access loans from the government.

The bill will also enable Nigerian students to access loans at interest-free rates.

The piece of legislation passed the second reading at the House of Representatives on May 25, 2023.

Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the president; Dele Alake, a member of the President’s Strategic team; Tunde Rahman, spokesman for the president; and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, David Adejoh, witnessed the signing.

SaharaReporters had reported that the government inserted a jail term of two years or a fine of N500,000 or both for any students who breach the new Student Loan Act.

While perusing the Student Loan Bill which was introduced to the Nigerian National Assembly in 2019 by the Former Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, SaharaReporters learned that section 22(5) of the newly enacted bill states that any person who breached or aided anyone who breached its provisions would be jailed for 2 years with or without a fine of N500,000 if found guilty by a competent court of law.

The provision reads: “Anyone in default of the provisions of sub-section 4 above, or found to be aiding the default of any of the provisions of this Act is guilty of an offence and if convicted shall be liable to imprisonment for two years or a fine of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) or both.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reassured his administration will focus on providing adequate security for Nigerians in every part of the country.

Naija News reports that the president stated this while speaking at the graduation of Course 45 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State.

Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, pledged more support for the military as he commended them for protecting the territorial integrity of the nation.

The president, who also congratulated the graduating officers, described the military officers serving Nigeria as the best group of people out of the over 200 million citizens of the country.

Two hundred and ninety-one participants graduated and were conferred with the Passed Staff Course (PSC) honour.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Prince Adewole Adebayo has slammed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the removal of fuel subsidy.

Adebayo described President Tinibu as a hypocrite for opposing former President Goodluck Jonathan when he wanted to remove fuel subsidy in 2011 and went in the opposite direction when he came to power.

In an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, Adebayo said Tinubu and his advisers should have provided palliatives and other plans to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal for Nigerians before the announcement.

He said, “When we talk about hypocrisy, it didn’t start with the labour unions. Hypocrisy started with President Tinubu himself who opposed former President Goodluck Jonathan when he had a smaller amount of subsidy adjustment and all of them went on the streets against it.

“And when they came to power, they went in the opposite direction; finished everything once and for all. It is not a political statement when you say people are hypocritical. We predicted all this.

“We were discussing it then. Nobody can pretend that he/she is not aware that it will affect factor cost. And if it affects factor cost, it will affect cost of living. If it affects the cost of living, more people will go into poverty.”

Speaking further, Adewole said the fuel subsidy removal has thrown more Nigerians into poverty in the last two months, warning that unless President Tinubu and his handlers rethink and have a backup plan, the government would fail woefully.

He said: “I think it is not too late for the government, starting with President Tinubu and co, to rethink and have a backup plan because I have a feeling, and I am saying it with every sense of responsibility, that if they go the way they are going, they will fail woefully. Not because they hate the people but because they are adopting models that never worked.”