A Benue State High Court in Gboko, presided over by Justice D.M. Igyuse has dismissed a suit seeking to set aside the suspension of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and have him reinstated as National Chairman of the party.
The suit was filed by one Nongo Ordue on behalf of the 17 member executives of Dr. Ayu’s Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko Local Government Area, LGA, of the state, seeking an order setting aside the suspension of the former National Chairman of the PDP from the party.
The plaintiffs among other prayers, also sought an order of the court reinstating Dr. Ayu as the National Chairman of the PDP.
In his reply to the suit, counsel to the PDP, Clement Mue, submitted that the judgment of a Makurdi High Court in Utaan against Ayu, which was marked MHC/85/2023 had sufficiently addressed the issues raised in the claim of the plaintiffs.
Mue argued that the suit was therefore caught up by a bar known in legal parlance as ‘estoppel.’
Mue informed the court that “Senator Ayu had since filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the decision of the court.”
He argued that “hearing and determining the suit would amount to sitting on an appeal against the earlier decision of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.”
The PDP counsel urged the court to hold that the suit before it amounted to “an abuse of court process.”
In his judgment, Justice Igyuse pointed out that the plaintiffs had filed a similar claim in suit No. GHC/36/2023 between themselves as plaintiffs, including Dr. Ayu who was the 18th plaintiff and the said suit was struck out by High Court 3, Gboko on June 27, 2023 on the application of J.T. Injua who told the court that the said claim had been filed by the present plaintiffs’ counsel, Nongo Ordue.
Justice Igyuse agreed with the submission of Mr. Mue and accordingly dismissed the suit, describing it as “the worst form of abuse of court process.”
—Says his economic reforms ‘re anchored on ease of business, collaboration
As Nigerians continue to witness economic hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday assured that with patience and determination, he will succeed.
The President said the “bitter pill” must be administered to an ailing nation and economy to build a better future for the country.
Speaking with members of the Board and Management of the Nigeria Economic Support Group, NESG, in Abuja President Tinubu reaffirmed his support for a robust public-private sector partnership to grow the economy, saying that his administration’s sustained, bold and coordinated reforms are anchored on a “strong adherence to accountability and transparency.”
The President reiterated his unequivocal resolve to fully implement the eight priority reform areas under the Renewed Hope Agenda within the next three years.
He emphasized that Nigeria is blessed with rich human and natural resources, in addition to deficit opportunities, which can quickly be leveraged into new prosperity, calling for the urgent exploitation of Nigeria’s diversity for collective gain, with an eye on new think tanks in the agricultural sector and the establishment of a commodity exchange.
According to him, “We have gone through the past. I will not look back. The focus of my horse and my race remains forward-looking. We have an abundance of knowledge and untapped mineral resources, and an agricultural sector that is God-given, but we tend to shy away from taking those gigantic steps that will result in prosperity for our people. We are not exploiting our diversity for prosperity, we are at each other’s throats, arguing about unnecessary things, instead of thinking and doing for our people. “
The President noted that he was elected on a “no excuses” platform for renewed hope and that he will not accept excuses from anyone in his government as they set out to deliver on his agenda.
“Looking backwards is retrogressive for any reformer. Looking forward can give you the leaps that will propel you in the right direction. We need think tanks in the agricultural sector. I don’t see why Nigeria will be so blessed with good soil and not have a commodity exchange. I don’t see why we have not been able to interrogate our real estate sector and propel it.
“I don’t see why we have not used consumer credit to build the purchasing power of our people and the capacity of our very own manufacturing sector,” the President assessed.
While commending the NESG for believing in the reforms of his administration, the President said the “bitter pill” must be administered to an ailing nation and economy to build a better future for the country.
“I am here and I believe we can do it together. No single person succeeds alone. The world is dynamic. We are confronted with climate change and other challenges, but somewhere in the eye of the storm, there is a quiet and peaceful corner for those who can toil well. With patience and determination, we will succeed,” the President assured.
The Chairman of NESG, Mr. Olaniyi Yusuf, welcomed the economic reforms announced by the Tinubu administration, specifically with respect to fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange rate harmonization, food security and palliatives to sub-national governments.
The NESG Chairman pledged that the NESG would work with the newly inaugurated cabinet to achieve the eight-point agenda of the administration.
“Your track record in the effective implementation of bold economic reforms as the Governor of Lagos leaves those of us in the private sector without doubt that you will achieve much greater feats as our nation’s president,” the NESG Chairman confided.
He used the occasion of the courtesy visit to formally request the President to declare open the NESG Summit in October, as well as to direct Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to partner with them and participate fully at the Summit as part of efforts to ramp up local and foreign direct investment in Nigeria.
The African Union (AU) has suspended Gabon’s membership in the wake of the coup in the Central African country.
AU’s Peace and Security Council said on Thursday evening that it strongly condemned the take-over of power by the military in Gabon, which deposed President Ali Bongo.
It suspended Gabon’s participation in all activities of the AU and its institutions “with immediate effect until constitutional order is restored in the country.”
The AU suspended Niger Republic’s membership just a few weeks ago after the military took power there at the end of July.
Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Sudan have also been suspended since the coups in those countries.
In Brussels, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said the European Union “rejects any seizure of power by force in Gabon.”
“The challenges facing Gabon must be resolved in accordance with the principles of the rule of law, constitutional order and democracy,” Borrell wrote on Thursday in a statement.
“The country’s peace and prosperity, as well as regional stability, depend on it,” the statement added.
He called for “inclusive and substantive dialogue” instead of force to respect the rule of law, human rights and the will of the Gabonese people.
The military had seized power in Gabon early on Wednesday.
Officers announced on state television that state institutions had been dissolved.
They added that results of the recent election had been annulled as they were fraudulent and the country’s borders were closed.
Shortly before, the electoral authorities had declared Bongo, who had been in office since 2009, the winner of the Aug. 26 election.
Military leaders named the head of the Presidential Guard, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, as the country’s interim leader on Wednesday evening.
[Vanguard]
Norway on Thursday announced it was closing its embassy in Mali, citing the “security situation” that developed after the ruling junta ordered out foreign troops helping it fight jihadists.
“The decision to close the embassy in Bamako was taken following an assessment of whether it is possible to safeguard Norwegian interests in Mali given the security situation in the country,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Since the two military coups in 2020 and 2021, the political situation in Mali has been volatile.
“The military-led transitional government has terminated its security cooperation with France and the UN. When the UN mission ends, it will become more difficult to maintain normal diplomatic activity in the country.”
France, Mali’s former colonial power and ally in the jihadist struggle, fell out with the junta after it wove close ties with the Kremlin, bringing in paramilitaries that Paris says are Wagner mercenaries.
The 13,000-member UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA, which first deployed to Mali in 2013, is to leave the country by the end of the year at the junta’s request.
Norway’s embassy in Bamako also represents the country’s interests in Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger and Chad.
The ministry said it was looking at options for how to replace the embassy’s role and provide substitute services during the closure.
The junta has promised to restore civilian rule after free elections that it says will be held by February 2024.
The embassy closure does not affect Norway’s aid to the Sahel, which last year amounted to more than $100 million, the ministry said.
Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Joint Task Force Team have impounded over 400 commercial motorcycles for traffic violations in the Federal Capital City (FCC).
The seizure followed the combing of strategic spots that the okada operators use as their routes for operations, like Kpaduma II, Asokoro extension, Galadimawa by Primary School, Gudu market, Kabusa junction, and Apo mechanic.
Speaking before crushing of the impounded motorcycles at Area 1, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police, Garba Haruna said the exercise was a sign that the law on the okada ban was still enforced.
“FCT residents are aware that motorcycles had been banned from entering the Federal Capital City since 2006, crushing of the okada is to show a signal that the city centre is not an area for them to operate.
“There are designated areas for them to operate, that is the suburbs of FCT, so the recalcitrant type will learn from this exercise. We don’t want to see any motorcycles in the city centre,” Haruna said.
On his part, the Director FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Abdulateef Bello said the new Minister of FC, Nyesom Wike has given the Directorate a marching order to ensure commercial motorcyclists and Keke NAPEP operators are taken off Abuja roads.
He explained that even though the DRTS has been working hard to sustain the ban on okada riders within Abuja metropolis since it was put in place in 2006, the recalcitrant operators keep returning to the roads.
According to him, the Administration had declared zero tolerance for illegal activities and would ensure the effort is sustained under the new administration.
The Nigerian Army says bandits and some other criminals operating in the North West and North Central regions of the country are adopting some of the tactics being used by terrorists to wreck havoc in the country.
It said it was evident in their usage of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which were aimed at sending shivers down the spines of law-abiding citizens, insisting that all their tactics would be deplored no matter how hard they try.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, stated this at Army Headquarters, Abuja on Thursday while receiving the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov.
The Army Chief, however, said the service was ready to collaborate with the organisation to restore peace to troubled parts of the country, saying both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches would be employed to end the adversaries.
The senior military officer specifically sought the support of the UN and other organs of the organisation on the deradicalisation programme for the repentant terrorists.
The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov promised that his organisation would build Nigeria’s capacity to detect, investigate and prosecute terrorism-related offences.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has given reasons why he believes it is impossible for President Bola Tinubu to lose at the election petition tribunal.
Wike who supported Tinubu who was the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election said he believes God supports what they did during the election and won’t turn against them.
He added that the lawyers are also doing their work at the tribunal and he believes the outcome will not be against President Tinubu.
Naija News reports the former Rivers State Governor made the submission during an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday.
Also during the interview, Wike maintained that he and others with him did the right thing in not supporting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the presidential election, Atiku Abubakar.
He reiterated that they did what they did in the interest of justice and fairness.
According to Wike, it is regrettable that Atiku refused to acknowledge he made a mistake and seek forgiveness before and after the elections.
Four former presidential candidates in the 2023 general elections have pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to include them in his ‘Government of National Competence’.
Naija News reports that the opposition presidential candidates met with the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, on Thursday, begging for inclusion in the administration of President Tinubu.
Some of the presidential candidates who met with Ganduje at the National Secretariat of the party included those of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Action Democratic Party (ADP), National Rescue Movement )NRM) Action Peoples Party, APP, among others.
The presidential candidate of NRM, Felix Osakwe, who spoke on behalf of the Forum of Concerned Presidential Candidates, said they are for the peace and development of Nigeria, hence their refusal to challenge Tinubu’s victory at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).
Recall that Tinubu, before his swearing-in as President, called for a Government of National Unity and would go beyond that to establish a ‘Government of National Competence’.
The Nigerian government has directed all international airlines to vacate the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos from October 1, 2023.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo made this known on Thursday, October 1, 2023, during a tour at the airport.
The minister who was accompanied by the Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed, said said the move was necessary to give room for total maintenance work at the airport.
The minister maintained that the development would pave the way for airport expansion.
The minister further expressed his dismay about the airport environment that was unkept. He then issues various orders to keep the facilities clean.
The African Union’s Peace and Security Council said Thursday it had decided to “immediately suspend” Gabon following the military coup this week.
The body said on X, formerly Twitter, that it “strongly condemns the military takeover of power in the Republic of Gabon which ousted President Ali Bongo on 30 August 2023”.
It “decides to immediately suspend the participation of Gabon in all activities of the AU, its organs and institutions until the restoration of constitutional order in the country”.
The announcement came after a meeting of the council on the situation in Gabon following Wednesday’s coup that followed disputed elections in which Bongo was declared the winner.
It said the meeting was chaired by AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Bankole Adeoye, of Nigeria and the current holder of the council’s rotating chair, Burundi’s Willy Nyamitwe.
On Wednesday, the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, had called on the Gabonese army and security forces “to guarantee the physical integrity” of Bongo, who the coup leaders said had been placed under house arrest.
Faki also condemned the coup and said the events in Gabon were a “flagrant violation” of the legal and political instruments of the Addis Ababa-headquartered African Union.
“(Faki) encourages all political, civil and military actors in Gabon to favour peaceful political paths leading to the rapid return to democratic constitutional order in the country,” he said on X.
Earlier this month, the African Union took similar action to suspend Niger after a coup in the West African country in July that toppled elected president Mohamed Bazoum.
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The Nigerian Navy has thwarted an oil theft operation at Lekki Waters and arrested four individuals identified as men of TANTITA Security Service, owned by a Niger Delta ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.
But Tantita security service swiftly dismissed the report, claiming their men were after the real culprits who owned the wooden boat laden with crude products.
While parading the suspects on Wednesday, the Commander of NNS Beecroft, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, said Tompolo’s men were arrested by men of the Nigerian Navy stationed at FOB LEKKI at waterways near the Itolu community, Lekki, after the residents of the area raised the alarm following gunshots from the waterside.
He said they were arrested while attacking a local from whom they tried stealing a boat engine.
Oguntuga said, “In a swift response to a distress call, the Nigerian Navy stationed at FOB Lekki foiled an attempted oil theft operation on the waterways near Itolu community, Lekki, in Lagos State.
“The incident occurred in the early hours of August 29, 2023, when local youths reported gunshots in the vicinity of the community.
“Reviewing the information, naval patrol teams immediately launched a response operation. Upon arrival at the scene, the naval team met four individuals dressed in black polo shirts with TANTITA inscribed on the back, trying to recover a dismantled outboard engine from a local. The team recovered the engine and apprehended the four Tantita employees.”
“It was after this arrest that the patrol team realized that the four individuals were part of a movement of a large wooden boat with two fibre boats. The four arrested individuals beckoned on the two fibre boats to approach them, but when they noticed NN patrol teams, the boats altered courses fled away, and abandoned the large wooden boat laden with 11 x 1000L Geepee tanks with product suspected to be stolen crude oil.
“The arrested individuals have been identified as Asonja Goddey (28), Obajimi Oluwaseyifunmi (38), Awoowo Aribo (35), and Oluwadaisi Balogun (40), all hailing from Igbokoda in Ondo State. The owner of the boat they were trying to forcibly employ, Ishola Ojubuyi (42), is also taken into custody.
“The Nigerian Navy has initiated an investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly the possession of firearms used in the community, economic sabotage, how the product came from Ondo State to Lagos State, as well as attempting to steal a boat engine from the locals.
“Also, one Mr Owoyele Omotuyi, who was identified as a Tantita staff member, came to secure the release of the four apprehended, claiming they were Tantita employees. All suspects, along with the confiscated exhibits, will be handed over to appropriate agencies for further necessary action and prosecution,” he added.
Denying the allegations, the security outfit’s Ondo State Coordinator, Idowu Asonja, alleged that the Navy was paid to guide the vessel.
He said, “It is a pathetic and worrisome moment in the western corridor of the Niger Delta states as Nigerian Navy officers arrested four of the Tantita security guards in Ondo/Ogun Zone after the Tantita guards successfully apprehended a wooden vessel fully loaded with crude oil.
“This afternoon, it happens that the Navy security initially were parading a wooden vessel loaded with crude oil, after a while, they released the vessel which was fully loaded with crude oil by some oil thieves.
“Meanwhile, the Tantita security guards were monitoring the matter and later bombarded the vessel after discovering that the Navy officers were paid to guide the vessel. This notorious act/display by the Navy officers provoked the Tantita guards in the area to pursue the vessel, which they later succeeded in arresting.
“To our greatest surprise, the owners of the vessel ran away and came back to the scene with some Nigerian Navy officers working at the Dangote Refinery, which resulted in a conflict and finally, the Navy officers attacked my men, later arrested four of the Tantita security guards from Ondo zone, and set free the wooden vessel.”
Federal Government on August 22, 2022, awarded the contract of protecting oil pipelines to TANTITA Security Service, but there has been controversy over the contract with Nigerians disagreeing on whether it should be revoked or not.
The World Bank Country Director, Shubham Chaudhuri has announced that the $800 million palliative will be disbursed soon.
Chanduri revealed this to Betta Edu the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (FMHAPA) at the bank’s headquarters in Abuja.
He said “The proposed disbursement of $800m for the Social Safety Nets Project will commence soonest.
“We will support the verification and scaling up of the National Social Register (NSR), provide technical support in the preparation of the Ministry to attend UNGA, and give specialized backing for the establishment of the Trust Fund”
The decision to support the minister, was a show of commitment after Chaudhuri pledged to provide all the needed support for the new minister to deliver on the new mandate of the ministry during her visit.
Edu’s visit to the bank was to inform that the Federal Government will fund 15 million households through the Conditional Cash Transfer(CCT).
A CCT is a government initiative aimed at reducing poverty by making welfare programs conditional upon the receivers’ actions.
In a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Information FMHAPA Rhoda Ishaku Iliya on Thursday, Edu reminded the World Bank team of President Bola Tinubu’s direct focus on the people and lifting them out of poverty.
She said, “The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to cover no fewer than fifteen million households under its updated social safety net project tagged Conditional Cash Transfer.
“The flexibility of the World Bank to accommodate the re-focused agenda of the Ministry to eliminate poverty is a welcome development.
“The ministry is preparing to host the Humanitarian Dialogue as well as the creation of the Renewed Hope Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund (HPATF).
“The Trust Fund is expected to come from federal government budgetary provision and allocation, development partners, international community, taxes, private sector contribution among others.
“The Ministry needs the support of the World Bank to verify and expand the National Social Register (NSR) and offer your technical support to work with the Ministry to achieve Mr President’s target.”
Ego, a well-known Nigerian singer who served as Lagbaja’s backup singer has lost her husband to the cold hands of death.
Chris Kehinde, a Nigerian journalist, claims that Ogbaro passed away on Wednesday in the US.
On Thursday, he posted a picture of the couple to his Instagram account along with the caption: “Ohh No Victor Niyi Ogbaro this can’t be true. Victor and husband of Ego died today from what I just learnt. May his soul Rest In Peace.”
Ego, born Nwakaego Iheanacho, got married to Ogbaro in 2009. They, however, lived apart for a while.
Before her husband’s death, Ego removed Ogbaro from her social media accounts fuelling rumours of trouble in their marriage.
Wale Adedayo, the suspended Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government area of Ogun State has said he will challenge his suspension in court.
Recall that seven councillors of the local government led by their leader, Fasheyi Adesuji, from Itele Ward 7 had amid tight security on Thursday morning suspended the embattled council boss for three months over what it described as “maladministration and financial mismanagement”.
The lawmakers had listed about 15 financial infractions against the LG boss including using N8.2m to procure 20 tables and chairs for the primary schools as well as misappropriation of N35m among others.
Adedayo has however described his purported suspension as a “hoax and one that was forced down the throat of the lawmakers having been allegedly baited with N1m”.
His suspension came a day after he accused the governor of fraud.
He said, “The suspension or impeachment of a local government chairman ought to follow due process. The first stage is a letter to me about the so-called infractions.
“Of course, they stormed the Council secretariat with more than 100 armed policemen this morning along with thugs and agberos. They think we were going to react violently as they had prepared. We are in a democracy. We’ll challenge them democratically.
“All the allegations are baseless and without foundation. They forcefully marched the Clerk of the House to Abeokuta yesterday along with the local government’s HOLGA. So, we knew what the Governor was up to before the charade of this morning.
“Two of the councillors were led to the council at gunpoint. And immediately they finished all of them were taken in a vehicle to Abeokuta. Of course, I was told that N1m was given to each person who signed. We are not bothered. Once the EFCC comes, the books of the local government can also be opened for them to see,” the statement concluded.