Kano Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has rejected the Court of Appeal judgment, which sacked him on Friday.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the nullification of the election of Yusuf of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) by the state election petition tribunal.
However, Yusuf and his party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), rejected this judgment and declared their resolve to take the case to the Supreme Court in an effort to retain his seat.
Yusuf announced this in a post on his X page.
He wrote: “After careful study and rigorous stakeholders engagement, my team and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), have decided to approach the Supreme Court on the miscarriage of justice, delivered by the Appeal Court, yesterday in Abuja.
“We are optimistic that the Supreme Court will by the grace of Allahu SWT, will set aside these miscarriages of justice by the Tribunal and the Appeal Court, and reaffirm our mandate, as given by the good people of Kano State.
“Furthermore, I call on the good people of the Kano State to continue to go about their legitimate businesses, as we have taken all the necessary measures to ensure the security of thier lives and property as a cardinal responsibility.
“Finally, I call on the good people of the state and other well-meaning Nigerians to continue to pray for Allah’s mercy and protection to save the state from the injustice of mischief makers, who are desperately scheming to hijack power through the back door and return the state to the dark ages.”
[TheNation]
A school environment is meant to be the epitome of sanctity, devoid of external vices capable of corrupting or influencing the minds of students.
Sadly, that is far from the picture cut by the surroundings of Silver Spring Schools in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.
For a first-time visitor to the area, it would be difficult to locate the school as it is obscured by a series of stalls and kiosks built close to the drainage, by the school fence.
The first impression that comes to mind on getting to the place is that of a fast-expanding local market meant to serve the immediate needs of those living close by.
However, a closer look would reveal something more sinister, a melting pot for gamblers and alcoholics.
Based on findings made by our correspondent, due to easy access to alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets, students in schools around the area find pleasure in converging at the market to indulge and after getting high, would break into fights, disrupting the peace of the area.
How, succour came the way of motorists, residents and business owners, who have over the years complained about the activities of the traders.
Officials of the Lagos Waste Management Authority and the state’s Ministry of Environment stormed the area and demolished stalls and kiosks built by the traders on the drainage channel beside the school.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that this development followed a request made by a lawyer and development consultant, Mrs Iyabo Awokoya to the Lagos State Ministry of Education and the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency via her verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, according to the official internet portal for all schools in the state known as ‘Lagos Schools Online’, the Silver Springs Schools, which is situated at Onitire, Abaranje, was started by its proprietress, Mrs Olaide Fawehinmi in 2001.
The school, our correspondent gathered, has about 105 students and has another college located in Ijeshatedo, Surulere.
In a photograph of the school, which Awokoya appended to her post, an array of wooden kiosks and umbrellas owned by traders could be seen adjoining the fence erected by the school.
The traders who ranged from Point-of-Sale operators to those who hawked snacks and pastries had their merchandise placed over the drainage channel, beside the school building.
Findings by Saturday PUNCH revealed that in the past few years, through various press releases, the Lagos State Government had expressed worries over the increasing abuse of setbacks and incidental open spaces around public schools and has sought to check such infractions.
In a series of replies to comments elicited by her post on Silver Spring Schools, Awokoya lamented that the shops had repelled parents from registering their children in the school, noting that its premises had been turned into a marketplace.
She further disclosed that the efforts of the school proprietress, who is her aunt, to eject the illegal traders had failed and she had even become afraid due to the recalcitrance of the stall owners.
The post read, “Dear Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, LASEPA official, Tunde, Please this is my aunty’s school on Abaranje Road, Ikotun, in Lagos.
“See the way the traders have taken over the setback and have erected permanent kiosks even attaching them to the fence. We have reported in all the possible places to be reported to no avail. Later the Ministry of Education will come with a contravention order. How can a school be rendered to a market?
“And they are vicious. My Aunt is 70 years old and afraid of them now. They first promised to leave when the LGA came with my agent, but then they failed. Then the LGA also relented. There is nothing we have not done. We petitioned the LGA and LCDA, Tunde Sosina,” she wrote in two separate posts.
Govt evacuates illegal stalls
Barely 18 hours after Awokoya’s post, state officials came to the school premises and removed the stalls and kiosks around the drainage setback.
The state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in a post made via his X handle, on Thursday, said he gave the directive and urged the school principal to take over the school setback.
He wrote, “As I instructed, illegal kiosks built on drainage setbacks beside Silver Spring Schools, Abaranje Road, Ikotun were earlier today evacuated by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority enforcement team and the Lagos State Ministry of Environment monitoring officers.
“The monitoring officers were directed to request the principal of the school to take over the setback and then beautify it in accordance with the ‘ Greener Lagos’ policy of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration.”
Responding to this, Awokoya posted on Thursday, “Wow! I truly can’t believe this. I cried out here yesterday about illegal kiosks that are erected in front of my aunty’s school in Ikotun and right now they are being evacuated.
“Dear Tokunbo Wahab, this is an uncommon favour sir. My aunt just called me to let me know. I am grateful to LASEPA and its General Manager, Tunde Ajayi. Lagos is working. Please Oliver Twist needs a little more help. The okadas that are always parking in front of the school entrance should find another bus stop.
“My aunty was getting so frustrated that she was thinking of selling the school and just keeping her flagship school in Surulere. The (school) expansion led her into a problem. Now, the Ministry of Environment has asked that we beautify immediately and my aunt is a flower lover so I am sure she will get cracking immediately.”
When our correspondent visited the school on Friday morning, he observed that the stalls had indeed been cleared and there were no more encroachments on the school fence.
A resident who gave his name only as Tunji commended the move which he said should not have happened if there had been strict enforcement.
“The stalls were removed yesterday and their owners have been forced to move elsewhere. They constituted much distraction to the students and the school surrounding was beginning to look ugly. Most of the people who patronised them were outsiders and if care hadn’t been taken, the whole place would have become a hideout for hoodlums. This should never have been in the first place if there had been strict enforcements,” he stated.
Invaded by alcohol-selling traders, gambling booths
Another resident of the area, Tobi Fagbemi, lamented that the setbacks of other secondary schools in Ikotun have been taken over by those hawking alcoholic beverages and gamblers.
“These traders have taken over all the setbacks in most of the secondary schools. Especially the Ikotun High School. It started gradually and now if you go around these schools, you will see people hawking herbal concoctions and alcohol in sachets. They also have gambling (Baba Ijebu) and sports betting kiosks.
“During school hours, you will see these students who are supposed to be in their classes learning subjects, sneaking out to hang around these joints. Even after closing hours, they still go there to spend their pocket money, and you’ll see them sipping alcohol in sachets. The government has to ban these shops around schools,” he told our correspondent.
School traders breeding thugs – Teacher
A teacher in a private school in Oshodi, Mrs Bukola Adelani, in a chat with our correspondent, expressed worries over the negative effects the presence of alcohol and cigarette vendors can have on students.
She said, “This problem is gradually getting out of hand because these traders around schools sell alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and even aphrodisiacs to students. Students go there to take these things and they start misbehaving, sleeping with their colleagues, and becoming violent.
“There was a case where a student went to take one of these drinks and he started sleeping in class. This is how substance abuse starts. Who knows what else they are selling to these children that we have not yet discovered? If you go through these markets springing up around schools, you will find that they sell adult materials to underage students.
“These vendors know what they are doing. They see students in school uniforms, especially the females among them coming to purchase these things and they don’t object. They will even argue that their gin is a remedy for stomach upset.
“The government needs to do something if we are to get rid of the menace of thuggery and drug addiction that is now spreading across schools in the state.”
Commenting on the development, an Ikorodu resident, Saheed Lawal, in his reply to Awokoya’s post on X, tweeted, “Go to United Secondary School and Ayangburen Secondary School in Ikorodu. These schools are adjacent to Ikorodu Road at the garage section, but they have all been taken over by people frying akara, clothes, food, ogogoro (local gin distilled from palm wine) sellers. It is absurd passing there every morning.”
Another, a project engineer on X, Fayemi Olatunbosun, who stated that he was a part of the team that worked on the ongoing road construction in Abaranje, Ikotun, disclosed that the setbacks were allocated by some community members.
“I joined a team of engineers who worked on the aforementioned road. You won’t believe that some people from the community allocated that small portion of the setback to different kiosks at a cost of not less than N30,000. They were doing this even when our work there was ongoing,” he wrote.
Government urges collaboration
In a lengthy post on Friday, Wahab, stated that his office had been inundated with numerous complaints from concerned citizens about noise pollution, flooding, and obstruction of walkways by traders.
“As a ministry, we continue to act swiftly upon receiving these vital complaints, and we are fully committed to responding promptly and decisively to restore law and order across the state. As the custodians of the state’s environmental well-being, we acknowledge the significance of addressing these concerns with utmost urgency.
“Flooding, noise pollution, and the unlawful blockage of walkways represent critical challenges that impact the lives and livelihoods of our citizens. Therefore, the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources is diligently organising and implementing a comprehensive action plan to tackle these issues head-on.
“This proactive response will involve collaborative efforts among various departments within the Ministry, in conjunction with relevant authorities, to ensure the effective resolution of these environmental challenges. The ministry urges all residents and stakeholders to join hands in this collective endeavour to maintain a clean, safe, and sustainable environment for everyone in Lagos State.”
Govt must implement EIA – Environmental researcher
An environmental researcher, Seun Awoyinfa, told Saturday PUNCH that the state government needs to implement an Environmental Impact Assessment to tackle the abuse of school setbacks.
“For every project, whether it involves erecting a kiosk or structure, especially around a school, an EIA must be carried out. There is no environmental sustainability without an environmental analysis.
“For instance, a school should not be close to the marketplace because the noise pollution will affect the level of concentration of the students. They should not be built close to a casino or betting spot otherwise, the intellect of those students is in contention due to that level of distraction.
“The same applies to allowing pubs or stores selling stimulants or drugs. They should not be sited close to a school because they could have negative impacts on students. The government should ensure that EIAs are carried out at each LGA and LCDA to curb this,” he advised.
[Punch]
Sudan has informed the UN chief of the “immediate” end of the United Nations political mission in the war-torn country, according to a letter circulated in the Security Council.
In an official letter in Arabic dated Thursday, accompanied by an English version from the Sudanese ambassador to the UN, Foreign Minister Ali Elsadig Ali informed Antonio Guterres of “the decision of the government of Sudan to terminate the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) with immediate effect.”
According to the English version, UNITAMS had aimed to “assist the transitional government of Sudan after the December 2018 revolution,” but the government said the mission had proven “disappointing.”
However, Khartoum said it would continue to work “constructively” with the United Nations.
Guterres spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday the mission’s mandate was scheduled to end on December 3.
“The Secretary-General has appointed Ian Martin to lead a strategic review of the UN Mission in Sudan to provide the Security Council with options on how to adapt the mission’s mandate,” he said.
Guterres was also appointing Algeria’s Ramtane Lamamra as his personal envoy for Sudan.
“We will continue to engage closely with all actors, including the Sudanese authorities and members of the Security Council, to clarify next steps,” Dujarric said.
UNITAMS employs 245 people, including 88 in Port Sudan, as well as others outside Sudan in Nairobi and Addis Ababa, Dujarric confirmed.
In an address to the Security Council on Thursday, the UN assistant secretary general for Africa, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, denounced the spread of the conflict to other parts of Sudan, which already has the largest number of displaced people in the world.
“Sudan is facing a convergence of a worsening humanitarian calamity and a catastrophic human rights crisis,” she said.
After almost seven months of fighting between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, almost 25 million people need humanitarian aid in Sudan, UN humanitarian operations chief Martin Griffiths said Monday.
The civil war, which started on April 15, has left more than 10,000 dead, according to an estimate by the NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (Acled), a figure that is widely considered an underestimate.
[Vanguard]
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has inaugurated a Very Important Persons Unit to provide adequate protection for persons of prominence in the country.
The Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi, disclosed this at the Passing-Out-Parade of the 501 trained personnel.
The event was held at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
Audi, represented by Assistant Commandant-General in charge of Agro-Rangers, Augustine Obiekwe, said the trained personnel were to protect persons of higher threats due to status, prominence and influence.
He urged the officers and men to discharge their duties professionally and serve as good ambassadors of the Corps at all times without compromise.
He explained that the primary objective of a VIP Unit was to minimise the risk of harm to VIPs and maintain their privacy, while allowing them to carry out their daily routines and engagements.
The CG said that the essential coordination and communication among team members was essential for the smooth operations of the protection unit, and charged the team to collaborate with intelligent agents of other security agencies.
According to Audi, the personnel were drawn from all NSCDC state commands and formations and had undergone a rigorous proficiency training at the Corps’ headquarters in Abuja.
In his address of welcome, ACG Training and Manpower Development, David Abi, enjoined the graduands to put into practice all they learnt in the course of training, stressing that the Corps must not fall short of expectations.
According to him, the establishment of the unit was for proper coordination, control and communication amongst guards for better service delivery in line with global best practice.
Abi said: “They underwent a special intelligence proficiency course which focused on VIP escorts, duties, psychological behaviours, the effect of emotions on temper, attitude, relationship between principals and personnel amongst others.
“This will no doubt equip the selected officers in the discharge of their duties beyond previous expectations and outcomes.”
[EagleOnline]
A former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof Bola Akinterinwa, has advised President Bola Tinubu not to appoint his cronies as ambassadors.
Akinterinwa was reacting to a report that some Governors, the President’s associates, unsuccessful governorship aspirants, and retired military officers have submitted loyalist names for ambassadorial appointments.
Speaking with The Punch on Friday, Akinterinwa said the President should not use such important positions to reward or compensate his political cronies who helped him win the 2023 election.
He said the President should consider appointing academic ambassadors who specialised in handling international affairs of the countries they would serve in rather than political ambassadors.
Akinterinwa asserted that most political ambassadors usually pursue personal interests over national interests because they have no training as diplomatic agents.
He said, “Political ambassadors are not interested in any national interest to protect abroad. The moment they are appointed, they look out for how to survive even after the tenure of the President who appoints them.
“Nigerian politicians do not place priority on the protection of national interests. If President Tinubu is not careful with the appointments and decides to reward his political cronies and friends, Nigeria will certainly be in trouble very shortly.
“If we are suggesting academic diplomats, I agree with that; there are many academic diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There can be a focus on the specialisation of those who have served in some countries if they meet the level of Grade Level 16 or 17; those are the people they should be looking out for.
“Political ambassadors need diplomatic training to be able to perform diplomatic functions enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention. Most unfortunately, it is the political ambassadors that have always behaved in a manner considered not compatible with the status of diplomats.”
[NaijaNews]
The nomination of 22 justices for elevation to the Supreme Court bench has been attributed to the ongoing pressures to fill the vacancies at the nation’s apex court.
The Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) had on Thursday listed 22 justices to fill the vacancies on the bench from the six geopolitical zones according to the gaps observed.
The document shows that the list has been sent to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for further action.
The list include: North Central: Jumai Sankey (Plateau, priority); Muhammed Ibrahim Sirajo (Plateau, reserve); Stephen Adah (Kogi, priority); Ridman Maiwada Abdullahi (Nasarawa, reserve); Baba Idris (Niger, priority); and Joseph Ikyegh (Benue, reserve).
For the North East, the list comprises Haruna Tsammani (Bauchi, priority) and Abubakar Talba (Adamawa).
The list from the North West comprises of Muhammad Lawal Shuaibu (Jigawa, priority); Bello Aliyu (Zamfara, reserve); Abubakar Sadiq Umar (Kebbi, priority); and Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero (Kano, reserve).
The South East list has Chidiebere Nwaoma Uwa (Abia, priority); Onyekachi Otisi (Abia, reserve); Obande Ogbuinya (Ebonyi, priority); Theresa Orji-Abadua (Imo, reserve); Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (Imo, reserve) and Anthony Ogakwu (Enugu, priority).
South South has Moore Adumein (Bayelsa, priority) and Biobele Georgewill (Rivers, reserve).
South West has Adewale Abiru (Lagos, priority) and Olubunmi Oyewole (Osun, reserve).
Sources say the nomination of the 22 justices followed the growing gaps left by the death or retirement of 12 of the justices in the last two years, which made the apex court short on the 21 justices provided in Section 230 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999.
The complaint by retired Supreme Court, Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, who had on October 27 spoken over the reducing number of justices of the Supreme Court from the constitutionally guaranteed number, is one of the factors believed to have influenced the move to fill up the vacancies.
[DailyTrust]
The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna on Friday announced the promotion of Lt. Col. Abubakar-Surajo Imam to Professor of Mechatronics Engineering.
Imam is said to be the first ever professor among serving personnel in the history of the Nigerian Army.
Brig.-Gen. AM Tukur, Registrar of the Academy, announced the promotion in a statement on Friday in Kaduna State.
According to him, the promotion was ratified during the NDA Council Meeting in September and took effect from October 1, 2023.
The registrar said that the council’s decision was a reflection of the confidence and recognition of the contributions of Imam to the Department of Mechatronics Engineering of the Academy.
He said the new professor had provided exemplary services and upheld the standard of excellence expected in his field.
“This recognition not only honours Professor Imam but also highlights the commitment of the Nigerian Defence Academy to acknowledging and rewarding outstanding contributions within its academic community,” he added.
[DailyPost]
Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Kano State, has expressed confidence in the party’s victory at the Supreme Court following the recent Appeal Court judgment. The Appeal Court had declared Dr. Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, the APC candidate, winner of the March 18 governorship election, overturning the earlier victory of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
During a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Ganduje commended the judiciary for upholding justice and assured the public that the APC would prevail even if the case proceeds to the Supreme Court. He highlighted that Gawuna’s administration would surpass his own achievements during his eight years as governor.
Ganduje stated, “This is an indication that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. Democracy, we can say, is matured in Nigeria. We have to thank all those stakeholders, the political parties, even the NNPP that took us to the Appeal Court.”
While acknowledging the possibility of the case moving to the Supreme Court, Ganduje expressed readiness for the legal process. He said, “There is nothing wrong for them to go to the Supreme Court. We too, we are ready to meet them in Supreme Court. And Insha Allah, we will win at the Supreme Court as well.”
Gawuna, the governor-elect for Kano State, also expressed happiness over the judgment and assured the people of good governance under his leadership. Ganduje affirmed his belief that Gawuna’s administration would surpass the achievements of his previous tenure.
The political landscape in Kano remains dynamic, and the legal proceedings are expected to continue, emphasizing the significance of the judiciary in upholding democratic principles.
There is apprehension in the camp of major opposition parties that some chieftains could switch allegiance to the All Progressives Congress, following a series of election petition cases that had been decided in favour of the ruling party in the last two months.
Recall that the Supreme Court had affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu on October 26, 2023.
The verdict ended the 171-day legal battle to nullify the election of the President by the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party candidates, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar respectively.
Five days after the apex court’s judgment, the immediate past National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Prof Rufa’i Alkali, and 25 chieftains of the party, including three governorship candidates announced their defection to the APC.
The new ‘converts’, who were warmly received by the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, at its secretariat in Abuja on October 31, claimed that they switched allegiance because the ruling party was accommodating.
Shortly before that, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, representing Anambra South Senatorial District, moved from the Young Progressive Party to the APC.
State governors as well as former ministers and other officials, who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the political associates of President Bola Tinubu have launched an intense lobbying for appointment as Nigerian ambassadors to foreign countries.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress, National Assembly members and retired military officers were among those jostling for ambassadorial nominations.
Nigeria has a total of 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates abroad.
The desperate lobby for ambassadorial appointments commenced after the Federal Government recalled all the envoys from their posts on September 2, 2023.
The envoys were directed to return to the country on or before October 31.
On October 20, 2016, former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the nomination of 46 non-career ambassadors-designate in addition to the previous nomination of 47 career ambassadors-designate.
Earlier, there was controversy over the recall of ambassadors by Buhari’s government but his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, debunked the reports in a statement, saying only 25 career ambassadors, who had attained the retirement age and had been in public service for 35 years, were recalled.
He explained in a statement, “There was nothing like mass recall of ambassadors. What happened lately is that 25 career ambassadors, who attained the retirement age, or 35 years of public service in December 2018, were recalled.
“They were allowed to remain at their duty posts and given an extension, if that is the word, in view of the upcoming elections, which are now behind us.”
In January 2021, Buhari approved the posting of 95 envoys, comprising 43 career and 52 non-career ambassadors, to man the nation’s diplomatic missions.
Before the approval, the Senate had ratified their nomination in 2020.
The diplomats were deployed after they were confirmed by the Senate in accordance with Section 171(2) (1c) and subsection 4 of the 1999 Constitution.
But the envoys were recalled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, on September 2, 2023.
The minister confirmed the development following reports that Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Isola, had been recalled.
But while clarifying the directive, Tuggar said the action was not a witch-hunt and that it applied to all career and non-career envoys.
The minister, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Al-Kashim Abdul-Kadir, had said, “Sequel to the enquiries on the letter recalling the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has reaffirmed that all career ambassadors and non-career ambassadors have been recalled on the instructions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The Presidency later clarified that all the country’s United Nations permanent representatives in New York and Geneva were exempted from the recall.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said the exemption was a result of the UN General Assembly, which was held between September 18 and 22.
Our correspondents could not confirm whether the recall order had been extended to Nigeria’s UN permanent representatives in New York and Geneva after the UNGA.
Foreign affairs ministry officials had yet to provide information on the status of the diplomats as of the time of filing this report on Friday.
Saturday PUNCH had reported that the Presidency had begun compiling the list of new ambassadors.
Following the development, it was gathered that the jostle for the vacant diplomatic posts escalated with politicians and other interested individuals bombarding the President and his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with requests for nomination.
Our correspondents further learnt that the foreign affairs minister and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ambassador Olusola Enikanolaiye, had come under immense pressure from prominent Nigerians seeking appointments.
Sources disclosed that those who failed to get ministerial nominations were at the forefront of the rush for the ambassadorial positions.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official said, “The President’s associates and state governors are intensifying their lobbies for career and non-career ambassadorial nomination.
“They are pushing the profiles of their candidates. They are jettisoning those with a year or less to retire and picking those with longer career years ahead.”
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ambassador Olusola Enikanolaiye; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, are under intense pressure from the lobbyists, including National Assembly members, APC support groups and party chieftains to be listed as ambassadors.
“Some of these lobbyists include past administrators, politicians, retired military men, unsuccessful governorship aspirants, and those who served as heads of agencies under Buhari, among others.”
When asked about the ratio of career and non-career diplomats that may be appointed, the source said, “Fifty-five per cent to 45 per cent.”
One of our correspondents gathered that the majority of the recalled ambassadors had returned to the country, while those who had yet to do so had formally handed over to the most senior officers at their diplomatic posts, while perfecting travel plans to return home as directed.
Confirming this, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “Most of the ambassadors are rounding off their tours of duty and heading back to Abuja. A good number of them have already returned.”
Similarly, a source in the Presidency said while some of the bigwigs in the APC and former governors had started submitting their curriculum vitae, some former ambassadors were also jostling to be reappointed.
While noting that the names of persons to be shortlisted remained confidential, the source added, “The Presidency didn’t extend it (ambassadorial appointment) for them (former envoys). Some of them are returning (to Nigeria) already.
“I don’t know anyone lobbying. I know that they’re working on it but I don’t know the specifics. People are submitting CVs.
“Different party leaders and stakeholders are pushing their interests. Even some of them (former ambassadors) are lobbying to be reinstated, so until the list is made official and published, anything can change.”
However, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof Bola Akinterinwa, urged President Tinubu to desist from appointing ambassadors as a reward system for his cronies.
He said the President should consider appointing academic ambassadors who specialised in handling international affairs of the countries they would serve in, saying most political ambassadors usually pursue personal interests over national interests.
Akinterinwa said, “Political ambassadors are not interested in any national interest to protect abroad. The moment they are appointed, they look out for how to survive even after the tenure of the President who appoints them.
“Nigerian politicians do not place priority on the protection of national interests. If President Tinubu is not careful with the appointments and decides to reward his political cronies and friends, Nigeria will certainly be in trouble very shortly.
“If we are suggesting academic diplomats, I agree with that; there are many academic diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There can be a focus on the specialisation of those who have served in some countries if they meet the level of Grade Level 16 or 17; those are the people they should be looking out for.”
Speaking further, the former NIIA DG explained that anyone appointed as an ambassador without prior training as a diplomatic agent, or career ambassador was referred to as a “political ambassador.”
“Political ambassadors need diplomatic training to be able to perform diplomatic functions enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention. Most unfortunately, it is the political ambassadors that have always behaved in a manner considered not compatible with the status of diplomats,” he added.
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The Code of Conduct Bureau has arraigned the Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Graft Commission, Muhuyi Magaji on a 10-court charge of corruption before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja.
The charges against Magaji, who was arraigned on Thursday, November 17, bother on alleged breach of the code of conduct for public officers; conflict of interest, abuse of office, false asset declaration, bribery, and accepting gifts, among others.
The CCB in a document exclusively obtained by our correspondent noted that investigation showed that the Chairman failed to declare some bank accounts bearing his name and that have the sum of N394m, thereby raising suspicion of corruption.
The defendant was, however, granted bail in the sum of N5m with two sureties that have properties within the FCT, while the case was adjourned to January 10, 2024.
Saturday PUNCH had earlier reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Code of Conduct Bureau are probing Magaji over his stewardship under the administration of the former Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.
Magaji who was probing the former Kano State governor, now National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, for alleged corruption over a viral video showing the former governor allegedly receiving kickbacks in dollars from a contractor, had vowed to investigate the video and bring Ganduje to book, if found guilty.
While a letter by the EFCC, obtained by our correspondent on Saturday, directed the PCACC’s Director of Finance and Accounts to appear for an interview at its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja on August 29, a correspondence by the CCB, also seen by our correspondent, requested for documents concerning his stewardship.
Both federal agencies asked the PCACC’s chair to furnish them with financial records and details of forfeited properties.
“In view of the above, you are requested to kindly release the director of finance and accounts to report for an interview with the undersigned through the team leader AFF/TC at Plot 301/302 Institution and Research District Jabi, along Airport Road, Abuja on Monday, 29th August 2023 by 10:00 hours.
“He should come along with the following information; Details of total funds released to your office by the Office of the Accountant General of Kano state from 2019 to 2021 fiscal year.
“Details of total funds released to your office by the Kano State Ministry of Local Government from 2019 to 2021 including contracts executed and details of beneficiary accounts,” the correspondence stated.
The CCB letter, however, read in part, “Consequently, you are kindly requested to furnish the Bureau with certified True Copies of detailed information on the following: All contractual undertakings by the Commission from 2016 to date.
Liberian incumbent president and football legend George Weah conceded defeat on Friday evening after nearly complete returns showed opposition leader Joseph Boakai leading with nearly 51 per cent of the run-off ballots.
"The results announced tonight, though not final, indicate that... Boakai is in a lead that we cannot surpass," Weah said in a speech on national radio.
The "CDC (party) has lost the election, but Liberia has won. This is the time for graciousness in defeat, to put national interest above personal interest," he said.
The expected victory for former vice president Boakai would be sweet revenge for the 78-year-old, who lost to Weah, 57, by a large margin in the second-round presidential vote in 2017.
With more than 99.5 per cent of the polling stations reporting vote tallies after Tuesday's second-round vote, Boakai had garnered 50.89 per cent of ballots cast, with Weah on 49.11 per cent, according to official results released by the electoral commission.
Boakai was 28,000 votes ahead of Weah, according to Friday's figures, after the two men finished neck-and-neck in the first round last month, with a national lead of just 7,126 votes for Weah.
The United States extended its congratulations to "president-elect Boakai on his victory and President Weah for his peaceful acceptance of the results".
"We call on all citizens to follow President Weah's example and accept the results," US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Weah said he had spoken to Boakai "to congratulate him on his victory".
"The Liberian people have spoken, and we have heard their voice. However, the closeness of the results reveals a deep division within our country," Weah said in his speech.
"Let us heal the divisions caused by the campaign and come together as one nation and one united people."
The elections were the first since the United Nations in 2018 ended its peacekeeping mission, created after more than 250,000 people died in two civil wars in Liberia between 1989 and 2003.
International observers, including the European Union, commended Liberia this week for holding a peaceful election.
Regional bloc ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, said the election was "largely" peaceful, but it noted isolated incidents that led to "injuries and hospitalisations" in four provinces.
Clashes during the campaign left several dead before the first round and raised fears of post-election violence.
Around 2.4 million Liberians were eligible to vote on Tuesday, but no turnout figures have been released.
Boakai is an old political hand, having served as vice president to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female head of state, from 2006 to 2018.
He is set to lead the English-speaking country of around five million people, one of the poorest in the world, for six years.
More than a fifth of the population lives on less than $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank.
Boakai forged alliances with local barons, including former warlord and senator Prince Johnson, who supported Weah six years ago.
Dozens of Boakai's supporters danced in celebration outside one of his party's offices in the capital Monrovia.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released the seven serving military personnel linked with alleged internet-related fraud.
The suspects which include one Army personnel and six from the Nigerian Air Force were arrested by the Kaduna Zonal office of the anti-graft agency on Monday and were remanded in the custody of the commission for further investigation and possibly prosecution.
However, the matter took a new twist on Friday morning as armed soldiers from the Nigerian Air Force invaded the EFCC office at Number 4 Wurno Road in the Kaduna State capital to enforce the release of their colleagues from detention.
The soldiers who arrived at the EFCC office in five Hilux patrol vans at about 10 am, surrounded the main gate of the commission, thereby preventing the EFCC officials from going in or coming out of their offices.
The situation led to a showdown between the Air Force personnel and EFCC security operatives, who engaged themselves in a shouting match and threatened to pull the trigger against each other.
After nerves were calmed, the EFCC Zonal Head and the leader of the Air Force team, met briefly after which the suspects were released.
Reacting to the incident, the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale told Channels Television in a phone call that the Commission released the suspects upon completion of an investigation and forensic profiling.
“The EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation and flagrant abuse of power. The Commission continued to engage with the leadership of the Nigeria Air Force and released the officers to the NAF Provost after they had been duly profiled,” Oyewale said in another statement late Friday.
He explained that the release and handing over of the suspects to their agency was done in line with the commission’s operating procedure, adding that the suspects would still be arraigned in court at the appropriate time despite being released to their agency.
The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja affirmed the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State in the March 18 governorship election.
The three-man panel of justices were unanimous, awarding no cost as the court ruled that each party to the matter should bear their costs.
Politics Nigeria reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the election which took place in March.
Following the declaration of Mohammed as the winner, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sadique Abubakar, approached the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in the state to challenge Governor Mohammed’s victory.
Chairman of the three-man panel, P. T. Kwahar, in his judgment, affirmed the victory of Mohammed who once served as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
However, not satisfied with the tribunal’s judgment, Abubakar filed a petition at the Appeal Court challenging the decision of the lower court.