The Labour Party (LP) has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba to immediately conclude the investigation into the alleged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate forgery by the Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter Mbah.
The Labour Party asked the Police boss to immediately conclude the investigation and write back to the Court which ordered the investigation.
Speaking during a press conference yesterday, the Labour Party through their acting national publicity secretary Obiorah Ifoh, said Mbah should stop applying delay tactics in the case filed by the party in court.
“These are the facts and figures of the state of affairs in the case of forgery of certificate by Mr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the INEC-declared Governor-elect of Enugu state.
“We must all join hands as patriotic citizens to hold those who seek to lead us accountable. Forging public documents and compromising security and judicial institutions in a bid to conceal the facts must be condemned by all.
“By his own hands, on 26th June, 2006, Mr Peter Mbah wrote in a statement under caution before the EFCC that he served in Lagos during the 2002/2003 Batch A and that his place of primary assignment was in the Chambers of Nnaemeka P. Agu. At other times, Mr. Mbah has also at other times stated that his primary assignment was in the Chambers of Victor Udeh of Udeh & Associates. Mr. Peter Mbah also released a letter purported to have been a clearance letter from Udeh & Associates which was not signed by any known lawyer.
“Law Firms do not sign letters, lawyers do. Where exactly did Mr Peter Mbah serve? In the Statement under reference, Mr Peter Mbah insisted that Victor Udeh was never his boss but just a family friend, yet the same Victor Udeh’s chambers purporting to clear him that he had conducted his NYSC assignment and should be paid by the Corps.
“How exactly did Mr. Peter Mbah get the Certificate he issued to himself? In the coming days, the Labour Party will do all within its powers to prove that Mr. Peter Mbah was not qualified to contest the election of Governor of Enugu State, having presented a forged certificate to INEC and did not win the election,” the party said adding that they will petition the chief justice of Nigeria on the matter.
“It is therefore consequent on the above that the Labour Party has resolved to Petition the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Chairman of the National Judicial Council over the funny court orders being issued by judges in this case.
“Petition the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/611/2023 from the Court handling it to another Court.
Petition the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee to investigate allegations of forum shopping by Mr Peter Mbah and his lawyers,” the party said.
[Leadership]
• Jinadu, Bashorun demand new faces in next cabinet
• Buhari’s ministers will ensure continuity of APC policies, says Shittu
There is a growing disquiet among politicians over secret moves by some members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet to be appointed as ministers by the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Supporters of these ambitious ministers are arguing that the new government will need their experience to continue with the programmes and policies of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Tinubu had earlier hinted that competence and merit would be his major consideration in choosing his new cabinet members.
In a statement personally signed by him, the President-elect said: “In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to ability and performance. The day for political gamesmanship is long gone. I shall assemble competent men and women and young people from across Nigeria to build a safer, more prosperous, and just Nigeria.”
The ‘lobbying’ ministers are alleged to be the brains behind some of the unconfirmed ‘list of Tinubu’s ministers’ trending on social media to swing public opinions in their favour and test the waters.
Besides, these influential ministers played critical roles in the emergence of Tinubu, both at the APC primary and the February 25 presidential election in their respective states. For these ministers, the payback time is now.
Sources, who spoke to The Guardian, said while the appointment of the ministers is at the discretion of the President, he is expected to exercise such power by gauging the mood of Nigerians and the kind of government expected after eight years of the outgoing Buhari administration.
Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG) in the Second Republic, Elder Olorunfunmi Bashorun, told The Guardian that the 1999 Constitution empowers the President to appoint 40 ministers. One to represent each state of the federation and one from each geopolitical zone, but he warned Tinubu to be wary of succumbing to pressure from some of the outgoing ministers to be re-appointed into his cabinet.
Bashorun, a member of the Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC), said Tinubu should be thinking of elevating the business of governance above parochial sentiment.
The elder statesman, who also served as Commissioner for Education under Jakande administration, said: “If the President-elect should conduct a public opinion on the performance of the outgoing government, I am sure the result will support bringing in fresh blood. I don’t know any minister who deserves to be re-appointed, are you talking of the power sector or health, agriculture, commerce and trade? No, Nigerians deserve better than those people we have as ministers now.”
He, however, admitted that few of them performed creditably well, but they all deserve their rest after eight years in service. But former Minister of Communications, Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, disagreed with Bashorun, stating that the 1999 Constitution does not put a limit to the number of years or tenure anybody can serve as minister in Nigeria.
He said it is at the discretion of the President to appoint those who he thinks will add value to his government and nothing can be compared to experience.
According to the Ibadan-based legal practitioner, who served as communication minister between 2015 and 2019, “it is normal for politicians to lobby for political offices, but it is at the discretion of the President to appoint whomever he wishes.
“There are some ministers who worked to make Tinubu’s presidency a reality, nobody complained while they were working for him, can anybody now say they cannot be ministers, that is pedestrian thinking.
“In the advanced world, we have those who served their countries as ministers for over 20 years. What about lawmakers? Some people have been lawmakers in the U.S. for over 30 years. If somebody can serve as a lawmaker for such a long time, what stops anybody from serving as minister for as long as 20 or 30 years, once the President still considers him fit to serve? The older the wine the better, Nigeria needs their experience.”
The former minister also disagreed with those who hold the impression that the serving ministers have not done much to deserve re-appointment. He asked the critics to mention the metrics for evaluating them before coming to such a conclusion.
To him, President Buhari has done well in delivering on his campaign promises of fighting corruption, insecurity and developing infrastructure. He said Nigerians should have confidence in the National Assembly that is vested with the powers to scrutinise the ministerial nominees. “Remember that the National Assembly has the power to approve or reject any nominee for appointment,” he said.
But a political scientist and Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy Development (CDD), Prof Adele Jinadu, has advised the President-elect to raise the bar in appointing his cabinet members, noting that he could only achieve his aim of providing good governance to Nigerians by applying meritocracy in all his appointments.
He lamented the situation where political appointments in the country are either purchased or ceded to godfathers, who in turn nominate their children or cronies to represent their interests in government. To him, it is worrisome that some people have turned public office into a vocation, despite non-performance.
Reacting to the pressure by some outgoing ministers to continue serving under Tinubu’s presidency, Jinadu, a former Director General, Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) said “there is bound to be disagreement on what is normal in these circumstances, but if there is a tenure limit for chief executives, those who served with them should also be excused after their tenure.
“In our own case, it is worrisome that the appointment is being done without regard to performance in office to justify re-appointment to a certain position. It is also complicated because these positions are purchased either by themselves or through godfathers to place people in certain positions in public offices. To them, it is an investment, and most times a reward for loyalty.
“The bottom line is that there is something unusual in the way certain persons since 1999 have been in public office. They served as commissioners in their various states, and then became governors for eight years before going to the Senate and becoming Ministers without any spectacular achievement. So, these politicians have turned public office into a permanent vocation.
[Guardian]
“I don’t see any of the ministers that are spectacular to deserve to be re-appointed by Tinubu because we don’t have a basis for their assessment since much of what they do is shrouded in mystery.
Jinadu also disclosed that efforts by CDD to evaluate the performance of the ministers failed during a project called ‘Buharinomics’ because there was nothing feasible to link their activities to the campaign promises of the President and ruling party’s manifestos. He said the time has come for the Senate to be more circumspect in approving ministerial nominees without asking them relevant questions about the value they are adding to governance. He said the idea of lawmakers asking ministerial nominees to recite the Nigerian pledge or sing national anthem as only yardstick to approve their nominations is not only archaic, but a disservice to the people, who trusted them with the responsibility of ascertaining the competence and capability of the nominees to serve the country.
He also urged the members of the public, professional bodies, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to be more involved in the process of Senate’s approval for ministerial nominees by carrying out their private assessment on the nominees because “public scrutiny is very low and oversight by the National Assembly is weak.”
For a development expert, Dr. Kolawole Adegbite, members of the Senate should insist that the proposed portfolio should be attached to the ministerial nominees to be approved for them to be asked relevant questions that will show how deeply they understand the ministry they are being proposed to lead. He noted that the practice of approving ministerial nominees without having prior knowledge of the ministry to be posted to has been the major cause of putting round pegs in square holes and gross inefficiencies noted among ministers.
He said: “Tinubu should avoid committing ‘Type 1 error’ in his recruitment process. It is public knowledge that the Minister of Interior Affairs, Rauf Aregbesola, acknowledged that he knew nothing about the ministry when he was posted there. And it took him some months to learn what they do.
“What about the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, he is not known to be a sports administrator or enthusiast before being appointed to head the ministry. I also believe that Labour Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige, has scant knowledge of what it takes to negotiate with workers and I cannot disagree with many that blamed him for the protracted ASUU strike. These people are fine gentlemen and professionals, but they are not posted to offices where they can perform optimally. That is the issue here.
“Tinubu should not make the same mistake and the National Assembly should help him and Nigerians to achieve this.”
Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Tinubu has said the United States and the United Kingdom have since recognized his victory in the February 25 presidential election.
Naija News reports that the media officer to the President-elect, Tunde Rahman, in a chat with The Punch on Wednesday, said the U.S. was one of the first countries to acknowledge Tinubu’s victory.
Rahman noted that the matter of endorsement of the incoming administration by the two foreign countries had never been in doubt, adding that both nations have expressed readiness to work with Tinubu.
He said: “The US is one of the first countries to acknowledge His Excellency Asíwájú Tinubu’s victory, saying the competitive election represented a new period in Nigeria’s history and democracy. That was in a statement by the State Department Spokesman, Ned Price, on March 1.
“And of course, you should be aware of a recent letter from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak where he expressed his readiness and delight in working with President-elect Tinubu and even invited him for the Africa-UK investment summit holding next year.”
On what the phone call portended for Nigeria based on US policy in Africa, Rahman stated that the call speaks volumes about the numerous potential both countries can benefit from the relationship.
He said, “What does the telephone call portend? It is that the US understands and appreciates the important place of Nigeria in Africa and in the world at large. President-elect Tinubu and Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed to bring about and sustain a mutually-beneficial partnership and relationship.
“Both spoke about their shared values with respect to democracy and diversity and agreed to work together in these areas. Secretary Blinken talked about inclusive government. This is what President-elect Tinubu is all about.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the telephone conversation between the United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, as a welcome development.
According to the Director of Publicity for the APC, Bala Ibrahim, Bliken has the right to talk to the incoming president on ways to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Nigeria.
He said the majority of the opposition members criticising the US for its action needed some form of enlightenment on what ‘democracy’ and ‘bilateral relationship’ connote.
Ibrahim stated that there is nothing wrong or undemocratic with Blinken calling Tinubu because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognises him as the president-elect.
He said: “I think these people (opposition) misunderstand the meaning of democracy. They should also learn the meaning of bilateral relationships. Once an election is conducted and there is a body that is charged with the responsibility of deciding or playing umpire in the election. If that body has made a pronouncement, it stands valid until it is vitiated by a court of competent jurisdiction.
“Nobody is saying people should not go to court to challenge an election outcome. But nobody should say the announcement by the electoral umpire is void simply because there are those who are challenging the outcome. The position of the law is that you are innocent until proven otherwise. And who alleged is burdened by proof. It is for him to prove the wrongdoing or the invalidity of the result.
“Now, while that is ongoing, it doesn’t mean countries should not have a bilateral relationship. Every country is a sovereign entity that cannot be challenged by individuals who have contested and lost elections. They should go and continue licking their wounds and allow the legal process to continue. Diplomacy and diplomatic relationship cannot be dictated by their own wishes. No, it doesn’t work like that.
“There is nothing wrong with Blinken calling the president-elect. It is actually in line. America is the bastion of democracy, the biggest democracy in the world and one country that has practised democracy longer than any country in the world knows the meaning of that better than any other democrat in the world. For Blinken to call and discuss with the president-elect, they know the implication and meaning. There is nothing undemocratic or bad about it.”
The Nigerian Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has said the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, has arrested and detained its officers involved in the brutal assault of an Okada rider in Lagos.
Naija News reports that in the wake of the treatment meted at Nigerian afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti, a video of three police officers struggling with an Okada man, identified as Al-Hassan Usman, made the rounds online on Wednesday.
The video captured the moment Usman was trying to fend off the violent officers who were hell-bent on taking his motorcycle.
Two of the policemen were seen aggressively pushing Usman away from the bike, leading to severe injury on his forehead.
The third police officer rode away on Usman’s bike while his two other accomplices hurriedly left the scene in a tricycle.
The incident, which reportedly happened in the Abule Egba area of Lagos State four days ago, sparked outrage on social media as Nigerians called for the punishment of the erring officers.
Reacting to the development on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, the Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, speaking during a Twitter Space webinar, organised by Premium Times, confirmed the arrest and detention of the officers.
According to him, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, had sent the video to him via WhatsApp and they do not waste time in punishing erring police officers.
He said, “They have been detained, I’m saying it now. I got the video of the Abule Egba incident on my WhatsApp from the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, and when he sends material to me like that, I know what it means.
“We don’t waste time when our men misbehave”
Adejobi added that the Lagos police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, will take photos of the detained officers and make them available to the public, to further confirm that the police had taken action on the matter.
A high court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital, has issued a bench warrant against Rotimi Amaechi, former governor and Tonye Cole, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state.
Chinwendu Nwogu, the judge, also issued a bench warrant against Sahara Energy Resources Limited, Chamberlain Peterside, NG powers HPS Limited, and Cenpropsaroten Management Limited over failure to appear before the court on Rivers State Government’s criminal charges against them.
The presiding judge adjourned the case to July 5 for the plea.
The Rivers government filed a fresh lawsuit on misappropriation of public funds against Amaechi during his tenure as governor of the state from 2007 to 2015
Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor, had set up a seven-man panel in 2022 to probe Amaechi over an alleged withdrawal of N96 billion from the treasury during his tenure as governor.
The panel had also investigated issues surrounding the “sale of assets” by the former governor.
The listed valuable assets are Omoku Gas Turbine, Afam Gas Turbine, Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, Eleme Gas Turbine, Olympia Hotel, and the contract award for the execution of the monorail project.
The panel submitted its report in 2015, while Amaechi has insisted that he is not guilty of fraud.
However, on May 27, 2022, the supreme court dismissed an application by Amaechi, challenging the probe.
Wike said criminal charges were filed against the former governor, as well as Sahara Energy, a firm indicted in the deals.
President–elect, Bola Tinubu, has said the live broadcast of the Presidential Election Tribunal is an abuse of the court process.
Reacting to an application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Tinubu urged the tribunal to discountenance such a move.
He prayed the court to refuse the application on the grounds that “the court is not a rostrum or a soapbox and not also a stadium or theatre. It is not an arena for ‘public’ entertainment.”
In a counter-affidavit filed by his counsel, Wole Olanipekun, the President-elect argued that the application was not within the tribunal’s jurisdiction.
He stressed that the issue Atiku raised touched on policy formulation.
“The application also touches on the powers and jurisdiction invested in the President of the Court of Appeal by the Constitution, over which this honourable court as presently constituted cannot entertain.
“The application touches on the administrative functions, which are exclusively reserved for the President of the Court of Appeal. The application is aimed at dissipating the precious judicial time of this honourable court.
“The said application does not have any bearing with the petition filed by the petitioners before this honourable court. It is in the interest of justice for this honourable court to dismiss the said application filed by the petitioners,” he said.
[DailyPost]
‘They Pounced On Me, Removed My Cap’ – Lamidi Apapa Recounts Experience At Presidential Tribunal
AdminThe factional chairman of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa has narrated his experience while leaving the Court of Appeal, Abuja, after the Presidential Election Petitions Court adjourned pre-hearing in Peter Obi’s petition.
Recall, Apapa was mobbed and humiliated by suspected members and supporters of LP who believe he is being sponsored by associates of the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to frustrate Obi’s petition.
It took the intervention of security operatives to rescue him.
Speaking after the incident, Apapa insisted that the suspension of the embattled LP National Chairman, Abure, by an FCT High Court paved way for him to function in that capacity.
According to Apapa, the seat reserved for LP’s national chairman ought to have been occupied by him, adding that it was wrong for the Director-General of Obi campaign organization, Akin Osuntokun, to occupy it.
“I went to him (Osuntokun) and inquired to know on what capacity he was sitting on the seat. I told him that since I am in court today, I am the right person to sit on that chair,” he narrated.
On how he was attacked, Apapa said “They pounced on me, removed my cap and I am very sure that if not that you people (journalists) were there, I would have been dead by now.
“As you can see, I have recovered my cap. But as for the person that removed my cap, he will suffer till the end of his life.
“I saw him. He is a young chap but he will never grow old,” he added.
On allegations that he was paid N500 million to distract Obi’s team from their legal challenge of Tinubu’s victory, Apapa said “I have never taken any kobo from anybody and I have challenged anyone that has any evidence to bring it forward”.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday accused Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate Peter Obi of refusing to pay for documents.
It said the petitioners were unwilling to pay the required fees for the certification of election documents required to prove their petition.
INEC said their unwillingness to pay the prescribed fees accounts for the delay in the release of the remaining documents.
They relate to the presidential election results in Sokoto and Rivers states.
INEC’s lead lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), said this at the resumption of the pre-hearing session in the petition by Obi and LP before Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) yesterday.
Mahmoud referred to a letter to him by the petitioners’ lawyer, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), in which he protested the N1.5 million requested for the certification of the document concerning Sokoto.
Mahmoud said his client was willing and ready to release the requested documents, once the stipulated fees were paid.
“Specifically, with respect to Sokoto and Rivers, I was informed by the commission that the documents were provided, but the petitioners did not want to pay for certification.
“In Rivers, they were given some documents, but they insisted they will not take any until all the documents they requested are made available,” he said.
Mahmoud added that, unlike the petitioners’ team, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got all the documents it requested because it complied with the requirements.
He also accused the petitioners’ legal team of frustrating efforts by parties to sort out and agree on the mode of tendering available documents as exhibits.
Mahmoud claimed that while the petitioners’ team made it impossible for representatives of parties to meet on May 10 as earlier agreed, it (the team) walked out of the meeting subsequently held on Tuesday without any provocation.
Uzoukwu had complained that the scheduled report on the parties’ agreement on the tendering of documents was made impossible because INEC allegedly refused to grant his clients access to the documents.
He said he wrote five letters, visited INEC headquarters and even met with INEC Chairman on the issue, all to no avail.
He prayed the court to compel INEC to make the documents, including Form EC8A, available to the petitioners.
Uzoukwu denied the INEC lawyer’s claim that his clients were unwilling to pay and assured the petitioners were ready to pay any amount once it is official.
He denied that the petitioners’ team walked out of the meeting as claimed by Mahmoud.
Counsel for the President-elect and Vice President-elect, Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettma – Woke Olanipekun (SAN) and the counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) noted that from Mahmoud’s account, it was obvious that the delay in the release of the remaining documents was because the petitioners failed to pay the required fees.
Olanipekun and Fagbemi said the account of what transpired at Tuesday’s meeting, meant for parties to agree on documents, was as told by Mahmoud.
Olanipekun noted that the petitioners were making a mistake by refusing to pay the required fees, noting that certification and payment were allowed under Section 104(1) of the Evidence Act, without which the petitioners will be unable to tender the documents.
He wondered why the petitioners insisted on getting all the documents before taking any further steps when they already have documents concerning 36 of 38 states.
Fagbemi said: “The refusal of the petitioners to observe the protocol, to pay the necessary fees as required by law is what has made it impossible to proceed.”
The court then adjourned till Friday for the possible conclusion of the pre-hearing session.
The petitioners are to report on their agreement about the tendering of the documents and the hearing of pending applications, including those filed by the respondents seeking the striking out of some aspects of the petitions.
Following the increase in migration in the last two years, 48 per cent of Nigerians have been forced to return back to the country due to hardship according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The data released on Wednesday by the NBS themed “Awareness and Perception of Intending and Returned Migrants on the Dangers of Irregular Migration 2022” revealed that while hardship is the major reason for return, deceit, unemployment, no papers, and crime are also major factors.
The data garnered was from 2,400 households sampled from six states from each geopolitical zone, namely: Anambra, Edo, Lagos, Benue, Gombe, and Kano.
It reads, “Hardship accounted for 48.0 percent as the major reason for the return of migrants, followed by deceit at 20.1 percent, No papers at 16.4 per cent, No Job at 13.8 per cent, while crime was the least with 1.7 percent.”
A breakdown of the report indicated that “Kano recorded 39.0 percent, which is the highest number of returnees from abroad and 31.8 per cent agreed to detention as the major risk suffered by the returned migrants among others.
“Lagos had its returnees to be 20.7 per cent, Edo recorded 16.7 per cent, Anambra had 11.0 per cent, Gombe stood at 8.7 per cent and Benue had the least percentage of returned migrants with 3.9 percent.”
The report noted that about 90.9 per cent of the migrants returned voluntarily, while 5.9 per cent were forced to return and only 3.2 per cent returned voluntarily with assistance and reintegrated into society.
The NBS also disclosed that 85.8 per cent of households indicated that they do not give out their members as house help as against 14.2 per cent who admitted to giving out their members as house helps.
The NBS said “The means to earn a living is the most reason why households give out their members as house help as this accounted for 47.7 per cent. 22 per cent revealed that they could not cater for their wards, 14.5 per cent represent parents who can’t afford to send their wards to school, 8.8 per cent represented orphans while 2.1 per cent had no idea they will become house helps.”
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President Muhammadu Buhari has written House of Representatives seeking approval for additional $800 million loan for National Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP) from World Bank.
The letter: Request for Approval for Additional Financing of National Social Safety Net Programme (Scale-Up) by National Assembly was read by Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, as plenary resumed yesterday.
Buhari said the programme will expand coverage of shock responsive Safety Net support among vulnerable Nigerians.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the above subject to you. Please note the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved additional facility of USD800 million to be secured from World Bank, for National Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP) and the need to request for your consideration and approval to ensure early implementation.
“The House may wish to note the programme will expand coverage of shock responsive Safety Net support among vulnerable Nigerians. This will assist them in coping with costs of meeting basic needs.
“You may wish to note that the Federal Government under conditional cash transfer window of the programme will transfer N5,000 per month to 10.2 million, poor and low-income households for six months with a multiplier effect on about 60 million individuals. To guarantee credibility of the process, digital transfers will be made to beneficiaries’ accounts and wallets.
“NASSP, being a social intervention programme, will stimulate activities in informal sector, improve nutrition, health, education and human capital development of households.
“I wish to invite the House to approve additional loan facility of USD800 million to be secured from World Bank,for National Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP).”
“While hoping that this submission will receive expeditious consideration by the House. Please accept, Rt.Honourable Speaker, the assurances of my highest regards.”
The President also transmitted the Federal Fire and Rescue Service (Establishment) Bill 2022 to the House.
It reads, “Pursuant to Section 58(2) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), I forward herewith, the Federal Fire and Rescue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2022 for the consideration of the House of Representatives.
“The Federal Fire and Rescue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2022 aims to establish and provide legal and institutional framework for the Fire and Rescue Service.
“While hoping that the Bill will be considered for passage in the usual expeditious manner, please accept, Right Honourable Speaker, the assurances of my highest regards.”
The Speaker referred the letters to the relevant committees.
The House adjourned sitting indefinitely after taking the letters from the President.
This was as a member, Hon Ibrahim Isiaka moved a motion for the plenary to be adjourned because of the ongoing induction of the lawmakers.
The Deputy Speaker, Hon Ahmed Wase, opposed Isiaka, saying the House does not have to adjourn sitting because of the induction.
However other lawmakers argued against him saying it was unfair to continue sitting while members are expected to be part of the induction.
Eventually the motion was moved for the House to be adjourned till whenever the induction is done.
The induction is expected to end on Friday.
The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has accused the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa of abusing his office.
Matawalle said he and some “eminent Nigerians” have evidence of Bawa’s corruption and urged him to submit himself for investigation.
He made these accusations on Wednesday in a press statement.
He said, “I will also demand that Abdulrasheed Bawa excuse himself and surrender himself for investigation, as I and some eminent Nigerians have evidence of corrupt practices, breach of public trust and abuse of office against him and the commission led by him.
“Importantly, he needs to come clean with Nigerians on the way and manner he has prosecuted the anti-corruption fight.
“He needs to explain among others how seized assets by the EFCC are being sold without adherence to due process.”
The governor further asked Bawa to explain how he has assumed the “role of the plaintiff, prosecutor and jury and how he has executed his brand of plea bargaining with suspected criminals and saboteurs of the Nigerian economy and agenda who, instead of being put on trial, are walking freely all over Nigeria.
“It is when the EFCC Chair does this and becomes open, non-selective and all-embracing with his invitation, that will we take him seriously.
“It is only then will serious-minded officers who have served the people selflessly and meritoriously, and are not opposed to an examination of their books, and indeed Nigerians generally, take him seriously.”
According to Matawalle, without this, “it is just a case of another person in government who has some explaining to do himself over allegations of corruption, high-handedness and abuse of office now asking others to account, by so doing, merely giving Nigerians a comic relief from the present challenging times they are experiencing.”
He therefore encouraged Bawa to step aside and be probed, while the Commission extends its investigation to the Presidency and members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC.
He urged the EFCC boss to ensure the Commission’s investigation is wholistic and not selective by harassing governors alone.
He said: “investigation must be holistic and not selective. It is in this respect that the recent invitations (to governors) and pronouncement by the EFCC Chair is imbalance, incomplete, hypocritical and unnecessarily skewed.
“This is counterproductive to the anti-corruption crusade itself, that is if Malam Bawa is actually committed to one.
“In a bid to help the obvious knowledge-gap and inertia exhibited by the EFCC Chair, the probe should be all embracing and cover all officers.
“I demand that the EFCC chair extend similar invitations to officers of the Presidency and members of the Federal Executive Council, which is the highest tier of government in the country.”
opular Liberian chef Wonyean Aloycious Gaye has supposedly cooked for seven hours while on a mission to break Hilda Baci’s record.
According to a post from Liberian Music industry, the Wonyean has already gone 7 hours to challenge Hilda.
Hilda has set a standard and everyone is really looking for one record or the other to break.
The caption reads:
“Famous Liberian Chef Wonyean Aloucious Gaye says he’s ready to challenge the Nigerian lady, Hilda Baci. We can break her record.”
EDERAL Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nile University of Nigeria for African Aviation and Aerospace University to begin academic activities.
The academic activities meant to start last year would commence in September for 2023-2024 academic year.
The government explained the university would address research and development deficit in the aviation sector.
The university is expected to commence academic activities with courses in BSc Aviation Business and BSc Meteorology.
Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, said this in Abuja while signing the MoU with Nile University.
The minister hinted the management of the university have been employed and academic brief developed.
He added for efficiency, the university will eventually be privatised.
Speaking on the need for the university, he said: “The university ought to have happened a long time ago because it is part of our roadmap in 2016 approved by the President.
“This university has received attention all over the world. The first of its kind in Africa and by the grace of God, it would be one of the top universities in the world. I’m also very sure that we may even go into aviation medicines in the nearest future.
“It is dedicated to those core mandates of aerospace aviation and environmental sciences. It is intended to attend to the huge demands we have in this sub-region of ours and indeed continentally especially as Africa is looking to unite, integrate and become one entity in all fields and human endeavors.
“I’m happy to say that the academic brief has been developed, the management staff have been employed and of course, it would be governed by the federal government but will be owned and operated by the private sector through PPP arrangement.”
He continued: “I’m sure in the long run, it will end up being truly private sector but the government needs to ground it fully to ensure that the take-off does not suffer any hitch.
“The university will run both physical and online courses. These days, universities are turning into virtual and we will begin with the Bsc Aviation Business and Bsc Meteorology and of course, continue to grow. Also, not too far from now, we will be getting approval from NUC to commence Masters of Science in Aviation Management.
“Nile will provide support for the undergraduate programme for the first two years and it is expected that more research and collaboration will be established between the AAAN and NUN.”
He added that many countries, universities, organisations around the world including the ICAO have indicated interest to partner with the aviation university and offer some support.
The Vice Chancellor of Nile University of Nigeria, Prof. Dilli Dogo promised to support the aviation university with all it requires for a smooth take-off.
Dogo who commended the minister for the initiative said: “The minister and his team were determined to see that the university would take off as soon as possible.
“The initial plan was that it will take off in 2022/2023 academic session but because of bureaucracies of government processes, it was not possible to complete the due process required for us to actualisé what we started.
“The initial understanding which is subsisting is the fact that 100 and 200 and part of 300 level academic activities take place here and the rest will take place in NiMet and part of it will take place in the school of Aviation Kaduna, Zaria.
“To us, we are privileged and indeed pleased to be part of this momentous occasion and we look forward to actively participating in the delivery of this brand new university that seeks to impact positively Nigerians and indeed the African continent.”