President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday expressed his shock at the death of former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Jubril Martins-Kuye.
Martins-Kuye died earlier on Sunday.
The president, who reacted to the ex-minister’s death via a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Nigerians would miss Martins-Kuye for his insight on developmental issues.
The statement read: “President Muhammadu Buhari commiserates with family, friends and associates of former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sen. Jubril Martins-Kuye, praying that the almighty God will comfort them at the moment of grief.
“President Buhari condoles with Ago Iwoye community, government, and people of Ogun State over the passing of the legislator in the Third Republic, who served in the Fourth Republic as Minister of State, Finance, and Minister of Commerce and Industry, bringing with him many years of experience from the banking sector.
“The President believes Martins-Kuye will be sorely missed for his insight on issues of development, particularly in tailoring budgets that reflect the needs of the people, with his emphasis on full implementation.
“President Buhari prays that the soul of the former minister will rest in peace.”
The ex-minister was born on August 16, 1942, in Ago Iwoye, Ijebu constituency of Ogun State.
He was appointed as minister of Commerce and Industry by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in March 2010.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo–Olu has directed Rapid Response Squad to impound vehicles with covered number plate in the state.
Head of Public Affairs Unit, Rapid Response Squad, Femi Moliki, in a statement, on Sunday, said six vehicles without number plate had been impounded after the directive.
In the statement titled, ‘Sanwo-Olu orders police to impound vehicles with covered number plate’, Moliki said, “Five of the vehicles have been transferred to the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences. The sixth, a Mercedes Benz, ML 350 was intercepted and impounded in Victoria Island by the officers of the squad around 9:30 p.m. yesterday (Saturday).
“The driver of the vehicle, one Adam Oluremi, 32, threatened and mobilised a military man to shoot the officers. The officers professionally de-escalated the crisis and successfully towed vehicle to RRS Headquarters.”
Receiving a briefing on the issue, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, directed that the vehicle be impounded and the driver prosecuted, maintaining that “nobody is above the law of the land”.
Meanwhile, RRS Commander, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, has charged officers of the squad to be professional in the discharge of their responsibilities, maintaining that they should be civil and firm in enforcing the law.
He urged the officers to be dedicated and not to give room for distractions while on duty.
Egbeyemi stated that law-abiding Lagosians should look forward to a robust relationship, noting that the squad would be uncompromising with criminals.
Popular petroleum products dealer, Alhaji Suleiman Akinbami, who was kidnapped in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, last Sunday night was set free by his kidnappers on Sunday afternoon after spending a week in captivity.
He was abducted about 9 pm last Sunday at his petrol station along Ado–Ijan Ekiti Road by the gunmen.
A source close to the family, who said Akinbami had rejoined his family on arrival at Ado Ekiti, said he could not ascertain whether any ransom was paid for his freedom.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the release of the oil merchant, said, “He was released around 3pm somewhere in Kogi State”.
Abutu said men and officers of the command had not rested since he was whisked away last week, saying, “We have been on the trail of the kidnappers, serious manhunt had been launched on them, we believe that it was when the criminals felt that the pressure was much that led to his release”.
The police spokesperson, who said, “No arrest has been made all along. Efforts are still ongoing”, added that he was not aware of any ransom paid to secure the man’s release, saying, “As a matter of fact, we don’t negotiate with criminals. I am not aware of any ransom.”
He, however, advised residents, “The plain fact is that the police work better with useful and timely information.
“We are telling our people that they should give us useful and timely information that could lead to the arrest of those suspects and other criminal elements in society. They should be security conscious and ensure that they watch people around them.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the passage of Hajiya Fatima (Fanta) Mohammed, immediate younger sister of late Head of State, General Sani Abacha. Fatima Fanta, mother of Sen. Basheer Mohammed (Lado), Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), lived to the age of 75.
Late General Sani Abacus.
In a condolence message by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday, the president sympathised with the Abacha family, Lado and his siblings as well as the people of Kano State.He noted that Fanta devoted her time on earth to caring for the less-privileged and godly upbringing of her children.
President Buhari prayed that Allah would console all those mourning her and grant Fanta Aljannatul Firdaus (Paradise).
Museveni has ruled Uganda without pause since seizing control in 1986 when he helped end years of tyranny under Idi Amin and Milton Obote. He is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
The opposition candidate in Uganda presidential election, Bobi Wine, has accused the incumbent president, Yoweri Museveni, of fabricating the results of the election.
He described the poll as the most fraudulent election in the history of Uganda and urged citizens to reject the results. Bobi Wine, a singer-turned-lawmaker, also said his home in the capital, Kampala, was surrounded by hundreds of soldiers and that the military was not allowing him to leave.
The army’s deputy spokesman, Deo Akiiki, said security officers at Wine’s house were assessing threats he could face by going out: “So they might be preventing him in the interest of his safety”.Uganda Election Commission had declared incumbent Yoweri Museveni the winner of the Thursday presidential election.
Bobi Wine.
Chairman of the commission, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, said Museveni won 5.85 million votes, or 58.64 per cent, while main opposition candidate Bobi Wine got 3.48 million votes or 34.83 percent.
“The electoral commission declares Yoweri Museveni… elected President of the Republic of Uganda,” he said. He said turnout was 57.22 per cent of the almost 18 million registered voters.
Byabakama urged the population to “remain calm and accept the outcome of these elections” while reminding those celebrating to be mindful of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Museveni has ruled Uganda without pause since seizing control in 1986 when he helped end years of tyranny under Idi Amin and Milton Obote. He is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Once hailed for his commitment to good governance, the former rebel leader has crushed any opposition and tweaked the constitution to allow himself to run again and again.
Wine, 38, meanwhile was on track to see his newly formed National Unity Platform (NUP) become the main opposition party in Parliament, notably winning eight of nine constituencies in the capital Kampala.
The poll followed one of the most violent campaigns in years, with harassment and arrests of the opposition, attacks on the media and the deaths of at least 54 people.
Thursday’s election took place in an apparent calm but under soldiers’ oppressive presence and riot police and an internet blackout that entered its fourth day.
However, Wine has alleged widespread fraud such as ballot-box stuffing and said his party agents had in some places been beaten and chased away from polling stations.
Whatever is being declared is a complete sham, we reject it, and we dissociate ourselves with it,” he said on Friday. Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, promised to provide video evidence once the internet was restored.
Election commission chairman Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama said: “The onus is on candidate Kyagulanyi to show how votes are rigged.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has won a sixth term as president, extending his 35 years in office.
The 76-year-old won 58.6.% of the vote while his nearest rival Robert Kyagulanyi, known by his stage name Bobi Wine, took 34.8%, the election commission said.
Federal officials on Friday sought to walk back claims that some of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday intended to “capture and assassinate elected officials.”
The detail was included in a court filing Thursday, in which federal prosecutors in Arizona pushed to keep Jacob Anthony Chansley, known as “QAnon Shaman,” in detention, arguing he was a flight risk.
Prosecutors wrote in the filing that “strong evidence, including Chansley’s own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States Government.”
The detail was reported by multiple outlets, including The Hill, and followed concerns raised by lawmakers and others over footage of the Capitol breach that showed rioters chanting “Hang Mike Pence.”
However, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Arizona told The Hill later Friday that the line about rioters wanting to capture and harm elected officials was struck from the memorandum at the request of the government during a court hearing.
Acting U.S. Attorney for D.C. Michael Sherwin, the top prosecutor in Washington, D.C., said there was no “direct evidence” to back the claims, according to multiple reports.
“Right now, we don’t have any direct evidence of kill/capture teams,” Sherwin said, according to Politico.
Sherwin added that there may have been a “disconnect” on evidence obtained in the cases as prosecutors across the country coordinate, according to the news outlet.
“There were other prosecutors,” Sherwin said. “That may be a disconnect that may be adding information that’s not directly related to what we have.”
The Hill has reached out to Sherwin’s office for comment.
The amended filing comes as authorities build cases against scores of individuals from across the country who stormed the Capitol building.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday that more than 100 people have been arrested so far in connection to the riot and dozens more have been identified as potential suspects. The Washington Post reported last week that the FBI was investigating whether some rioters sought to harm lawmakers or staff.
Sherwin said Friday that his office has brought more than 98 criminal prosecutions, according to Reuters, and has opened investigations into over 275 people in connection with the riot.
Chansley – who was seen wearing fur and horns in the Capitol- was charged last week with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
The Thursday memo alleged that Chansley left a note for Vice President Pence at the Senate chamber dais that read “it’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.”
When asked what the note meant, authorities say Chansley went on a “lengthy diatribe” describing Pence and other U.S. leaders “as infiltrators involved in various types of wrongdoing.”
Prosecutors also stated that Chansley has said he wants to return to D.C. for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, and has the ability to do so. They said he could quickly raise money for travel “as one of the leaders and mascots of QAnon.”
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has said that schools in the state will remain closed until Feb. 1, as the state grapples with the second wave of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Obaseki stated this at a news conference on Friday in Benin, as most states across the federation gear up to reopen schools on January 18.
”We have decided that schools will not reopen for now; this situation will be reviewed by Feb. 1. ”We will like our own schools to reopen on Feb. 1, depending on the situation at that point in time.
“Between now and that time, we will be going round to make sure that these schools have running water. “We want to ensure spacing for the children are in place and we want to ensure that they have temperature checks at the entrance of each school. “Each classroom should not hold more than 30 per cent of the students; all of that is being worked out by the Ministry of Education and the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (EDOSUBEB).
Obaseki
“Within the next two weeks, we should be able to finalise plans to allow children go back to school. “In the meantime, we will reactivate EdoBest at home. You will recall that during the first wave, we were able to creat over 9,000 virtual classrooms for these children to learn,” Obaseki said. The governor expressed hope that the children would not stay at home longer than was expected. He said that there was the possibility of introducing break after every hour to enable students to go out and get fresh air.
“We will not relocate markets as we did in the first time. We will work with market associations to ensure that we continue fumigation of the markets on an ongoing basis. “All markets and shops must ensure they have running water, soaps and hand sanitiser at the entrance. We are working on alternative opening days for stores in the markets. “We will introduce no-face-mask, no-entry policy in every market and store in Edo.
“Anybody found not complying with these protocols will be subjected to community service, no matter how highly placed, and he or she will become an ex convict. “We have also seen 10 and a half increase in the number of older people who are infected with the virus. ”Research has also shown that more children and youths are infected by this virus at this point in time. “As at yesterday, we had 46 new cases, bringing the total number to 3,189 confirmed cases,” he stated.
According to him, in the last 46 days, Edo has recorded 493 new cases, 214 recovery and 12 deaths. He said that the non compliance to COVID-19 safety protocols had been largely responsible to the wide spread during the second wave. The governor noted that in view of that, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew had been reactivated in the state, adding that the state had the logistics and human capacity to respond to the pandemic.
He appealed to all worship centers to ensure that children under 12 and the elderly were not allowed to attend services, following the prevalence of the disease. “Religious gathering should not last for more than one hour. Where there are more than one service, there should be an hour interval to allow for decontamination. “Event centers should not admit more than 30 per cent of their capacity, while hotels should shut down their swimming pools and restaurant operators should encourage take away,” he said.
Speaking during the news conference, the state Epidemiologist, Dr Greg Oko-Oboh, called on anybody with fever to go to the nearest center for screening. Also speaking, the Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shaibu, called on passengers to put on their face masks before boarding vehicles. He said that failure to do so would attract sanctions to both the drivers and the passengers.
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine on Friday claimed victory in presidential elections, rejecting as a “complete sham” early results that gave President Yoweri Museveni a wide lead. The 38-year-old former ragga singer said his party’s polling agents were beaten and chased away in parts of northern and western Uganda, that ballot boxes were opened and stuffed, and that some voters were only given ballots for the parliamentary election.
Museveni, 76, is seeking a sixth term after almost four decades in power, and the youthful Wine has emerged his main rival in a country where most have known only one president.
The internet remained down for a third day as vote counting continued from Thursday’s poll, with provisional results from 29 percent of polling stations giving Museveni an early lead of 63.9 percent while Wine trailed with 28 percent.
“I am very confident that we defeated the dictator by far. I call upon all Ugandans to reject the blackmail. We have certainly won the election and we’ve won it by far,” Wine told journalists.
“Whatever is being declared is a complete sham we reject it and we dissociate ourselves with it.”
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, listed a host of irregularities in different districts and promised to provide video evidence once the internet was restored.
He said he would announce a strategy in coming hours.Election commission chairman Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama said he did “not appreciate the assertion that these results we are reading out are rigged”.
“The onus is on candidate Kyagulanyi to show how votes are rigged”. On Friday morning the capital Kampala was quiet and some businesses remained closed, while soldiers and police patrolled on foot. Full results are expected by Saturday afternoon.
Amnesty International, human rights activists and some lawyers on Thursday urged federal authorities to call to order those behind Amotekun before the security outfit further degenerates into a militia group.
The issues surrounding Amotekun’s modus operandi appears more disturbing especially in Oyo State, where the operatives are wielding dangerous weapons, including guns, during their operations.
Amotekun operatives
Many people have been killed by Amotekun operatives even as their political leaders continue to live in denial while defending or justifying the group’s activities.
The latest incident was Wednesday’s killing of another 21-year-old student, Tosin Thomas, in Ibadan, less than 24-hours after Governor Seyi Makinde defended the operatives of Amotekun when he insisted that they did not kill some innocent Fulani herders.
Speaking on the killing, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, yesterday confirmed in a statement in Ibadan that an Amotekun operative was responsible for the killing of the student at a Total Filling Station at Mokola roundabout in the evening.
The commandant of Amotekun, Col. Olayanju Olayinka (rtd), confirmed the incident yesterday.
Mr Olayinka, however, said the operative, who shot the deceased, has been dismissed and handed over to police.
We gathered in the build-up to the killing, two young men had a misunderstanding, which led to one of them inviting men of Amotekun to the venue.
The source said when the operative got to the venue, he did not engage them before he fired the gunshots which hit the deceased.
The Amotekun operatives have reportedly killed 11 people within three weeks in Oyo State.On December 24, 2020, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) accused members of Amotekun deployed in Oyo town of killing a 400-level student of the University of Ibadan, Akolade Gbadebo.
Also, on January 3, a member of the corps, Ibrahim Ogundele, allegedly shot Fatai Yekini, also an officer of the Amotekun corps, at Isale-Oyo area of Oyo, as Special Police Constabulary attached to Ojongbodu Police Station.
On Saturday, three Fulani residents of the state were allegedly killed by the Amotekun corps in Okebi, Tapa area of Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of the state.
However, a family head, Mogaji Wale Oladoja, cautioned members of the public not to change the narrative of the incident, adding that it is unfair to turn it into a tribal war.
He said Yoruba and Hausa people have been living peacefully for many years without crisis, adding “inter-marriages have been happening between them from time immemorial.”
According to him, “We don’t have to turn this to ethnicity war for no reason. Almost 10 people were killed in that area in less than a week and you expect security men to fold their arms. Let’s be reasonable.”
On their activities, Oladoja said; “If not for the Amotekun, those hoodlums could have hijacked the state from the people. Those Amotekun people are really working since the police stopped working after the #EndSARS protest. They are really helping us.”
A bloc of House conservatives is opposing a waiver that would allow President-elect Joe Biden’s Defense secretary nominee to bypass a law barring recently retired generals from holding the civilian job.
In a memo its members and staff released Thursday, the Republican Study Committee, which counts most GOP lawmakers as members, argued granting a waiver for retired Gen. Lloyd Austin so soon after Congress granted one to President Trump’s first Defense secretary, James Mattis, would set a “new dangerous precedent.”
“Furthermore, regardless of the ‘waiver,’ Gen. Austin is not the right person for the job of secretary of Defense,” the memo added. “He lacks civilian experience, has no experience in countering China, and has a track record of failures as the [Central Command] head in Syria and Iraq and in the war on ISIS. For all of these reasons, conservatives should not vote to grant a ‘waiver’ for Gen. Austin.”
Under a 1947 law meant to ensure civilian control of the military, Defense secretaries must be retired from the military for at least seven years before they can take the job. Austin retired in mid-2016.
But Congress can approve a waiver to the law to allow someone within the cooling off period to lead the Pentagon and has done so twice: first for George Marshall in 1950 and then for Mattis in 2017.
In 2017, just one House Republican voted against Mattis’s waiver.
But after Biden named Austin as his pick for Defense secretary, some Republicans said they regret supporting a waiver for Mattis, including current Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Jim Banks (R-Ind.).
“Based on the lessons learned after the House made the unprecedented move of granting a waiver four years ago, the Republican Study Committee will oppose granting General Austin a waiver,” the caucus said in a statement Thursday.
The RSC’s position is not binding on its members, and Republican opposition alone would not sink Austin’s waiver in the House.
But with Democrats holding a slim majority in the House, Republicans opposing Austin en mass would leave little room for error in uniting Democrats around the pick.
Some Democrats have expressed a wariness to granting Austin waiver, but few have explicitly said they would vote against it. Most House Democrats opposed Mattis’s waiver after Trump would not let him testify before the House Armed Services Committee prior to the vote.
But some Democrats who voted against Mattis have said they will support Austin’s waiver, including House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.).
In addition to not wanting to stymy Biden’s agenda by blocking his nominees, Democrats are concerned about blocking someone who would be the nation’s first Black secretary of Defense.
The House Armed Services Committee is expected to hold a hearing Jan. 21 for Austin to testify about the waiver.
The Senate Armed Committee heard expert testimony on the waiver this past Tuesday and is scheduled to hold Austin’s confirmation hearing this coming Tuesday.
Lady Gaga speaks in support of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden during a drive-in campaign rally at Heinz Field on Nov. 2, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Penn. She’ll join Justin Timberlake and Tom Hanks at next Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) event.
Lady Gaga has joined the increasingly star-studded list of artists who will perform at next Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) inauguration of Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris. The Biden-Harris inauguration committee announced the news on Thursday (Jan. 14), revealing that Gaga will sing the National Anthem during the inauguration in Washington, D.C.
Gaga previously tackled “The Star-Spangled Banner” at 2016’s Super Bowl 50, and according to the Presidential Inaugural Committee she’ll have plenty of A-list company at the primetime Celebrating America special, which will be hosted by Tom Hanks and feature performances from Jennifer Lopez, Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato and Ant Clemons, with more artists expected to join the 90-minute (8:30-10 p.m. ET) special that will be aired on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and MSNBC, as well as on the Committee’s social media feeds, Amazon Prime Video, Twitch and Fox’s NewsNOW.
T.I., John Legend, Common, Lady Gaga & More Encourage Georgians to Vote in Run-Off Election.
Timberlake revealed on Wednesday that he and Clemons wrote a new song, “Better Days,” several months ago, describing it as their way of “doing what little we could to encourage everyone to stay hopeful and to keep working towards a better future.”
The special, which the PIC says is the “capstone” to the day’s events, was developed in part because the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many traditional inauguration events — such as live concerts, the inaugural parade and the raft of galas and balls — to be canceled. As a result, the organization is turning to less traditional ways to engage with Americans for the inauguration, including a public art display in Washington, and a memorial to lives lost due to the disease.
“This inauguration presents a unique opportunity to spotlight the resilience and spirit of an America united,” said PIC CEO Tony Allen in a statement. “We have witnessed countless heroes this past year step up to the frontlines and serve their fellow Americans, so we are telling their stories, spreading their collective light, and celebrating the best of our country and its people with this prime-time program. Our first priority is safety — so while many of us will be watching safely from our homes, we are creating real moments of connection that highlight a new inclusive American era of leadership that works for and represents all Americans.”
Tom Hanks Hosting ‘Celebrating America’ Inaugural Special With Performances From Demi Lovato & More
The emerging list of superstars performers for the inauguration special already stands in stark contrast to the modest line-up for one-term president Donald Trump’s 2012 pre-COVID inauguration. Though the former reality star boasted that he would have “the biggest celebrities in the world” marking his coronation, the final line-up was a mix of country stars, cover bands and mostly unknown acts, including Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down, The Piano Guys, Lee Greenwood, DJ RaviDrum, The Frontmen of Country, Big & Rich, Cowboy Troy, Tony Orlando, America’s Got Talent runner-up Jackie Evancho singing the National Anthem, standards cover act Tim Rushlow & His Big Band, Sam and Dave’s Sam Moore, the Rockettes, The Silhouettes, Circus 1903, Cache Olson and Pelican 212 performing at a variety of inaugural balls.
Makinde says he hopes to get as many COVID-19 vaccines as possible for Oyo residents.
Oyo governor, Seyi Makinde, says he’s opening discussions with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to get a sufficient supply for residents of the state.
Nigeria hopes to kick off its vaccination campaign against the novel disease by the end of January 2021 with the supply of 100,000 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to be focused on frontline workers.
According to the sharing formula published by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Oyo State will receive 1,848 doses of the vaccine.
Seyi Makinde
Makinde said during a media briefing on Wednesday, January 13 that the number allocated to Oyo by the Federal Government is grossly inadequate for the state’s need, prompting him to explore other methods. I have been advised that Astrazeneca vaccine is more suitable for Oyo State due to storage instructions.
“So we are opening discussions directly with the manufacturers to see how we can get as many as possible for our people,” he said.
Oyo is the fifth worst affected by COVID-19 in Nigeria where nearly 104,000 cases have been detected since last February.
A second wave of the virus kicked off in December 2020 with a sharp rise in the number of daily cases recorded nationwide.
Makinde said on Wednesday that the second wave in Oyo is not a thing because the curve was never flattened in the state to begin with.
“Rather, we had more people becoming complacent and acting as if the pandemic was over,” he said.
The governor called on residents to not let their guard down and continue to adhere strictly to COVID-19 safety protocols.
The Nigerian leader now has his Stingy Men Association ID ready for pick up.
Undated photographs in which President Muhammadu Buhari is seen handing out a ‘miserly’ N1,000 to a bunch of kids on a visit, have inserted him into the Stingy Men Association of Nigeria (SMAN) trend and conversation.
President Buhari with kids in the villa.
The social media trend or bant has been latched onto by celebrities like Don Jazzy and Mr. Macaroni, with identity cards printed for eligible members of the male gender, for effect.
The trend is a self-deprecating joke about men, amid the never-ending gender wars on social media.
A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory has stopped the prosecution of Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre, Burna Boy, Davido, Falz, activist Deji Adeyanju and others over the #EndSARS protest.
The High Court ordered a Magistrate court to immediately stop proceedings and stay action against 50 persons who supported the #EndSARS protests, following a criminal complaint filed by lawyer Kenechukwu Okeke.
Okeke in his suit alleged that during the riot, properties were destroyed and the defendants who promoted the #EndSARS protests must be held responsible for it and also brought to justice.
Justice Bello Kawu who delivered a judgement on the application filed by Activist Deji Adeyanju (one of the defendants) for a judicial review of the substantive matter before the magistrate, said;
“An order of this honourable court granting leave to the application to issue and serve on the defendant an application for judicial review against the proceedings/direct criminal complaint of Hon. Omolola Tolulope Akindele sitting at Chief Magistrate Court II, Wuse Zone 6 in the suit of Kenechukwu Okeke Vs Deji Adeyanju and 49 others in suit No. CR/49/2020.
“An order of this honourable court, that on the grant of the above orders herein, serve as stay of all proceedings on the direct criminal complaint Omolola Tolulope Akindele sitting at Chief Magistrate Court II, Wuse Zone 6 in the suit of Kenechukwu Okeke Vs Deji Adeyanju and 49 others in suit no. CR/49/2020.
“An order of this honourable court, that on the grant of the above orders herein, same order as granted by the honourable court shall restrain the Nigeria Police Force, 2nd and 3rd defendants from taking any further steps, arresting and or taking any unconstitutional/illegal steps in the form of any guise as it concerns the subject matters whatsoever before this court herein as it concerns all parties in the proceedings.”
The Federal Government has disbursed another round of performance-based grants to States in the sum of N123.348bn ($324.6m) under its States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme for Results.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, who disclosed this in a statement signed by Mr. Hassan Dodo, the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations on Wednesday in Abuja, explained that the disbursement followed the achievement of results by the States in the just concluded 2019 Annual Performance Assessment (APA).
The assessment was carried out by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) and approved by the Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.According to Mrs. Ahmed, the disbursement included N91.048 billion (USD239.6 million) of performance-based grants for the 2019 APA results achieved by 32 Eligible States across various Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) covering fiscal transparency, accountability, expenditure efficiency, revenue mobilization and debt sustainability.
States received grants in accordance to the number of results achieved, with Sokoto State receiving the highest amount of N6.612billion while Kano State got the lowest amount of N1.710billion.
“Bayelsa, Imo, Rivers and Zamfara States got zero allocation due to their inability to meet the 2019 eligibility criteria which required States to publish online approved annual budgets and audited financial statements within a specific timeframe,” she said.She further noted that the 2019 APA results were a significant improvement on the 2018 APA results where the total performance-based grants of N43.416 billion (USD120.6 million) were received by 24 Eligible States, demonstrating the substantive progress States have made on fiscal reforms.
She disclosed that the second part of the disbursement involved a new COVID-19 response DLI: The implementation of a tax compliance relief programme for individual tax payers and businesses by States by 30 September 2020 where 34 out of 36 States (only Anambra and Zamfara States missed out) were able to achieve the results for this new DLI for the total of N32.3 billion (USD 85 million) of grants.
The disbursement came after the recent one in November, 2020 by the Federal Government where the sum of N66.5billion (USD175 million) was granted to 35 States which achieved results under another new COVID-19 response DLI: the passing of an Amended COVID-19 Responsive 2020 Budget by 31 July 2020.
The Minister observed that since the first disbursement in April 2020, the Federal Government has thus far disbursed the total sum of N233billion(USD620.6million) to the States under the US $750 million World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results.
Mrs. Ahmed reiterated that the World Bank-assisted SFTAS Programme was principally meant to strengthen fiscal management at the state level so as to ensure effective mobilisation and utilisation of financial resources to the benefit of their citizens in a transparent, accountable and sustainable manner, thereby reducing fiscal risks and encouraging a common set of fiscally responsible behaviours.
She noted that the SFTAS programme could not have come at a better time, given the dwindling government revenue occasioned by oil price volatility and coupled with the current impact of COVID-19 which has further intensified the need for improved practices in fiscal transparency, accountability and sustainability as enunciated in the SFTAS ideals.
The Minister stressed that with the disbursement of the total sum of N233.264 billion (USD620.2 million) since the beginning of the Programme for Results, “we have thus far successfully adapted and implemented the SFTAS Programme to provide timely support to States with a view to strengthening their fiscal capacity for responding to numerous fiscal challenges in their respective domains.”
“The increase in the number of benefitting States and results achieved is indicative of the wider acceptance of SFTAS ideals by all States of the Federation and this would herald a new era of transparency and accountability in fiscal governance at the sub-national level”.
Justin Timberlake and Demi Lovato are among the superstars who will perform on Jan. 20 at the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Joe Biden is getting ready to dance, dance, dance at his upcoming presidential inauguration.
Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato, Jon Bon Jovi and R&B singer Ant Clemons will perform as part of the inauguration festivities for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Jan. 20, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
The music superstars will participate in “Celebrating America,” a live 90-minute prime-time special hosted by Tom Hanks that will air at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. The event, which will include more performers yet to be announced, will cap off a day of celebration that will see Biden sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
Justin Timberlake/ Demi Lovato
This special will feature remarks from both Biden and Harris, in addition to spotlighting American heroes who stepped up during the ongoing pandemic. It will follow the other events of this historic day, including the official Inaugural Ceremonies, a wreath-laying on Arlington National Cemetery and a “Parade Across America.” The program will air live on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and MSNBC, along with streaming live on the PIC’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch channels. Additionally, it will be carried live on Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Bing, NewsNOW from Fox, and AT&T DirecTV and U-verse.
“This inauguration presents a unique opportunity to spotlight the resilience and spirit of an America united,” PIC CEO Tony Allen said in a statement. “We have witnessed countless heroes this past year step up to the frontlines and serve their fellow Americans, so we are telling their stories, spreading their collective light and celebrating the best of our country and its people with this prime-time program. Our first priority is safety—so while many of us will be watching safely from our homes, we are creating real moments of connection that highlight a new inclusive American era of leadership that works for and represents all Americans.”
Inaugural events are certainly known for landing top-level talent. Barack Obama’s second inauguration set a high bar in 2013, counting Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor among that year’s performers.
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the internal Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE) results.
The results show a two per cent increase in the number of candidates who made five credits and above in all subjects.
The Registrar, Professor Godswill Obioma, announced this at the NECO Headquarters in Minna.
Obioma placed the number of candidates who are involved in various examination malpractice at 33,470, representing a 2.61 percent of the total 1,209 992 who sat for the examination.
The Registrar, who reiterated the long standing zero tolerance for malpractice, said the malpractice incidence in 2020 dropped compared to 2019 figure that is put at 40,730.
He attributed the improvement to the deployment of biometric verification devices and strengthening of the examination monitoring strategy in terms of scope and depth.
“Arising from the above, schools derecognised are; 4 from Adamawa, 2 in Kaduna, 2 in Katina, 2 in Niger, 1 in Tarabara and 1 in FCT and they would be rerecognosed for two years for their involvement in mass cheating and whole school cases,” he said.
He added that 24 supervisors were also blacklisted for various offences ranging from poor supervision, aiding and abetting, connivance with non-candidates to write answer on chalkboard and so on.
For the 2020 results released by the council, a total of 1, 221, 447 candidates registered for the examination with 665, 830 males and 555, 617 females.
More so, 1, 209, 992 sat for the examination out of which 659, 796 are male 550, 126 are female with 160 students with special needs.
Out of the 1,209, 922 candidates who sat for the examination, 1, 112,041 made 5 credits and above representing 91.91percent irrespective of English and Mathematics while 894, 101 candidates made 5 credits and above including English and Maths, representing 73.89 percent with an increment of 2.3% and 2.01% compared to 2019.
Also, 974,331 representing 82.68% had credit and above in English language while 1,060,100 representing 90.08% made credit and above in mathematics.
The Council, however, announced that it had made special arrangements for those candidates who missed some papers due to the ENDSARS protest in some states which include; Abia, Enugu, Edo, Rivers, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Lagos, Oyo, Kano, FCT and Ogun.
Subjects missed, according to the council, are Chemistry 1 (practical), economics, commerce, technical drawing, food and nutrition and further Maths.
According to Obioma, “the affected candidates will now sit for those papers missed during the forthcoming 2020 SSCE (external) scheduled from Monday 1st February to Wednesday 3rd March 2021.
“The special arrangement will be at no extra cost to these candidates.
“Upon the release of the 2020 SSCE internal results, those of the affected candidates will be pending for the papers missed and would be subsequently updated after the supplementary examination results are released.”
While commending all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the examination despite all hurdles faced occasioned by the outbreak of Coronavirus and ENDSARS protest, the registrar said candidates can now access their results on the Council’s website (http://www.neco.gov.ng./).
Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) on Tuesday was informed that he and other top former state officials including the Michigan health director will face charges resulting from an investigation into the Flint water crisis, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Defense attorneys were informed by the state attorney general’s office to expect an initial court appearance soon, the AP reported, citing two people familiar with the prosecution. The two sources familiar with the matter spoke to the wire service on the condition on anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly about the charges.
The specific charges Snyder and his former top officials will face were not named.
A spokesperson for the state AG told the AP that state officials “will share more [information about the charges] as soon as we’re in a position to do so.” The Hill has reached out to both the Michigan attorney general’s office.
Rick Snyder
Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D), whose district includes parts of Detroit, tweeted her approval of the news Tuesday 8, writing: “The justice train is coming through.”
Snyder’s administration was heavily criticized over the water crisis, which exposed thousands of Flint residents including young children to water with dangerously high levels of lead. Lead is an element that can cause brain damage and other defects with high exposure.
The water supply issue was linked to an outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease which sickened dozens in the area.
Scientists determined in February 2019 that the drinking water provided by the city’s taps was finally safe to drink, an outcome that resulted from years of efforts to replace and reinforce piping across the city.
However, due to the toil, much skepticism toward the water system reportedly remains among the city’s populace.
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