Politics, World News

Nigerian Army Gives Different Narrative, Says Soldiers Were Not At Lekki Toll Gate To Enforce Curfew.

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Brigadier-General Ibrahim Taiwo, Commander of 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, who spoke before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Saturday, said the soldiers were going for an operation along the Epe axis and had no alternative route that was why they took the Lekki Toll Gate area that had been taken over by protesters at the time.

The Nigerian Army has again contradicted another of its claims on the October 20 Lekki Toll Gate incident in Lagos by stating that its soldiers did not go to enforce curfew but were on another mission when they were attacked by some hoodlums, who joined the EndSARS protest.

Brigadier-General Ibrahim Taiwo, Commander of 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, who spoke before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Saturday, said the soldiers were going for an operation along the Epe axis and had no alternative route that was why they took the Lekki Toll Gate area that had been taken over by protesters at the time.

He said that immediately the soldiers got to the toll gate, they were “pelted and stoned by hoodlums”, adding that soldiers responded by firing into the air in order to clear the way for them to continue their operations.

“The place was cleared at about 8:45pm and they said they were going back to their respective units. 

“Later in the day, they went out again at about 11:00pm,” Taiwo added.

Taiwo, however, insisted that soldiers fired only blank bullets while admitting that some soldiers were with live bullets.

He also stated that given the same circumstance, the army would act in a similar way to that of October 20, 2020.

Recall that the he had said that the army was called to end the violence going on as a result of the #EndSARS protest and were at the Lekki Toll Gate.

He added that the army was not informed by the state government that the curfew had been shifted to 9:00pm on that day.

Also, in a statement credited to the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Sagir Musa, the Nigerian Army said its officers were simply ensuring compliance with the curfew put in place by the Lagos State Government.

The army revealed that they were invited by Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, as it expressed its disappointment at the governor for publicly denying his involvement in the matter.

Recall that due to the involvement of the military, about a dozen protesters were killed at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20 with many others left with gunshot injuries.

The killing of the protesters sparked an outrage in the state leading to wanton destruction of properties by hoodlums.

Politics

LAUTECH: I won’t sack Osun indigenes – Governor Makinde.

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Governor Seyi Makinde has promised not to sack Osun indigenes working in the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.

He also said there should be no discrimination of any sort following the new ownership status of the institution.

Governor declared that the state now has the opportunity to restore the lost glory of the university.

The governor also maintained that the real work to reposition the university and take it back to the glorious days when it was adjudged the best state-run university has now begun.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor stated these while speaking on Ibadan-based Fresh FM’s Political Circuit, on Saturday.

The statement added that Governor Makinde appreciated his Osun State counterpart, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, for his cooperation all through the discussions.

He also stated that with the amicable ending of the joint ownership, a situation that has bogged down the university for years, he was ready to reposition the institution in line with his campaign promise.

He added that Oyo State under his watch will readily reposition the school for excellence, noting that his administration’s drive to industrialise the state will get the much-needed boost with an effectively run technology university like LAUTECH.

He said: “So, we give God all the glory. Now, the real work starts because we have to ensure that the university is properly funded so that it will be contributing to the economy of Ogbomoso in particular and Oyo State in general.

“If we are saying we want to industrialise the state and We have a university of technology adding value in Ogbomoso, the industrialisation effort can proceed very quickly.”

The governor further maintained that Oyo State is ready to fully shoulder the financial responsibilities of LAUTECH, as it has been doing since the beginning of the year 2020.

He said that the state government has appropriated enough funds to the institution in the 2021 budget, adding that his administration will continue to discharge its responsibilities on the institution.

According to him, his administration is renowned for putting its money where its mouth is.

He added: “The arrangement that we met when we came in May 2019, was that Oyo State usually will fund the University from January to June and then Osun state will fund it from July to December.

“We had to intervene a couple of times last year, and between May and December, we had to intervene to get the university running.

“I, already, indicated that we wanted to take it over and because of that, Osun felt why should they be putting their money and negotiation was still on?

“So, for this year 2020, Oyo State has been funding LAUTECH alone. After our January to June, from July, we have been funding LAUTECH alone basically and we appropriated enough money in the 2021 budget to continue doing that.

“So, we anticipated that we were going to get to this position and we are putting our money where our mouth is.”

Makinde, who described Oyetola as a statesman, equally said there is no victor nor vanquished in the arrangement that has seen the National Universities Commission (NUC) transfer LAUTECH ownership solely to Oyo State.

He added that the situation is a win-win for both states, even as he urged staff of the university never to discriminate against members of the workforce who are of Osun State extraction, saying: “Now, there is no Oyo Forum or Osun Forum anymore, it is LAUTECH Forum and it should be focused on the output and growth of the university.”

The governor added that the winners in the latest development are students of the institution and its stakeholders who can now have a stable environment that is conducive for learning and research, stating that he would visit Ogbomoso soon to meet with the stakeholders.

“Well, the only victor now are the students and the stakeholders of the university because they can now get a stable university environment that is conducive for learning and research.

“So, they can go ahead and do it but between Governor Oyetola and I, there is no victor, no vanquished. We just want our children to be able to go to school and also contribute their own quota to the development of the state and our country.

“It is a win-win for everybody; for the students, lecturers and stakeholders. Now, the major issue has been removed. So, they do not have any reason not to excel anymore.

“I will also use this opportunity to thank my brother, Governor of Osun State, for his cooperation and for being a statesman.

“When we were campaigning, I remember that my opponent then said that higher education should not be something you won’t pay for and that it should be commercialised.

“It was a major point of disagreement between us then and we maintained – and we are still of the view to date – that higher education should be affordable.

“So, when we came in on May 29, 2019, we found out that LAUTECH students, instead of spending 4 or 5 years for a programme, they had spent almost double of that and it was not the students’ fault but because of some people who benefit from a bad system.

“I appealed to my brother [Governor Oyetola] and told him that we need to resolve this problem. Let us keep our egos aside. University is from the name universal; I told him that we need to let the institution live up to its name.

“He saw reasons with me and we were able to come together and resolve it.”

Politics

Exemption of #ASUU from IPPIS IS Temporary -Chris Ngige

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Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has said that the Federal Government’s proposal to exempt members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System is a temporary measure pending the conclusion of integrity test on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution.

Ngige, who clarified the position of the government team on the negotiation with ASUU said that it was not true that the government had abandoned the IPPIS or that ASUU should not be on the platform.

Making the clarification on Saturday, the minister said, “I think it is better because a lot of people are quoting us out of context saying that we abandoned the IPPIS and that we said they should not be on IPPIS, it is not true.

“What we said in the meeting and what we agreed was that in the interim for the transition period that UTAS is being tested by NITDA and the Office of National Security Adviser for cyber security.

“For that transition period, ASUU members that are not yet on IPPIS will be paid through the platform with which they were paid the President’s compassionate COVID-19 payment done to them between the months of February and June.

“That platform is a hybrid platform between IPPIS and GIFMIS platform (Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System) for the transition period. That was what was used, it’s a hybrid.”

He said the reason for reaching that position was because no government payment will be done outside the IPPIS platform.

“So there is a handshake between IPPIS and GIFMIS platform and that was what was used in paying them for that period and so we are going to continue with that until UTAS undergoes all the integrity test and cyber security test and it is confirmed for use, ” he added.

On the N65 billion offer made to ASUU, the minister said that prior to the Friday meeting, the government made an aggregate offer of N50b to the union.

He said, “The offer made was clear. You can understand it this way. Prior to meeting of yesterday (Friday), government brought an aggregate offer of N50b to ASUU; N20b for revitalisation, to show good faith that government is still with them on the issue of funding for revitalisation and pending the affirmation of the new sources of funding public education. There is a committee on that and the committee is working on sourcing new education funds, it is a NEEDS committee.

“So, pending that NEEDS committee effecting a new funding source and strategy, government offered them N20b for revitalisation, apart from the funds that are coming from TETFUNDS that is also used for revitalisation.

“They refused the N20bn and said that they wanted N110b which was 50 per cent of a tranche of N220bn. Government said they didn’t have that kind of money and then increased that N20bn by N5bn to become N25bn and if it becomes N25b, the Earned Allowances will be raised to N40b immediate payment, making for a total of N65 billion for revitalisation and Earned Allowances in the universities.”

Politics

BREAKING: FG Offers N65bn To #ASUU For Earned Allowances, Revitalisation Fund.

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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, presides over a meeting between government and ASUU representatives in Abuja on November 20, 2020.

The Federal Government has offered a cumulative sum of N65 billion to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to address earned academic allowances and revitalisation of universities.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, made the proposal on behalf of the government to the striking lecturers when they met on Friday in Abuja.

Briefing reporters at the end of the meeting, he described the negotiation as fruitful as the government has decided to shift grounds on the lingering issues that have kept students out of the classroom for several months.

Ngige noted that in its bid to resolve the impasse with ASUU, the sum of N15 billion from the amount offered by the government would be for more funds to revitalise the universities.

He explained that the fund was in addition to the N20 billion paid earlier, making it a total of N35 billion committed as revitalisation fund by the government.

Politics

Femi Gbajabiamila suspends security aide who killed newspaper vendor.

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A newspaper vendor was shot by a policeman attached to the convoy of the Speaker House of Representatives , Femi Gbajabiamila, at the federal secretariat Abuja on Thursday.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has described the killing of a newspaper vendor in Abuja by one of the security details as horrible, saying he is distraught by the incident.

Gbajabiamila, in a statement he personally signed and issued in the early hours of Friday, said he did not know that someone was killed in the attempt to protect him until he arrived his destination.

The incident, which occurred at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, around 3 pm on Thursday, had caused panic in the area.

The victim, identified as Ifeanyi Okereke, was subsequently rushed to the National Hospital by his brother and some police officers, where he reportedly died.

It was learnt that the shooting happened when Okereke and other street vendors selling on the Shehu Shagari Way, Three Arms Zone, flocked around the convoy of the Speaker, who was said to be in the habit of giving out money anytime he passed them.

The Speaker’s statement read;
“A horrible incident has taken place. This evening as I left the national assembly, I stopped as usual to exchange pleasantries with the newspaper vendors at the corner. Many of them have known me since I first moved to Abuja and it was a friendly exchange.”

“Unfortunately, after the convoy set out in continuation of movement, unidentified men obstructed the convoy which got the attention of security men in the convoy who shot into the air to disperse them.”

“Some hours later, after getting to our destination, it was brought to my attention that someone was hit by a stray bullet, contrary to an earlier report by men in the convoy that they applied their security discretion to shoot in the air.”

“I have caused a report to be made to the local police station and an investigation has commenced.”

“In the meantime; the officer who fired the fatal shot has been suspended from the convoy pending the conclusion of the investigation.”

Gbajabiamila further wrote, “My value for human life and my respect for all people – irrespective of social-economic status – is what endeared me to these vendors and these are the reasons why I stop my convoy quite often to connect with them. For one of them to have been shot by my security detail is horrific and I cannot begin to imagine the grief and loss Ifeanyi’s family must feel on this sad day. No family should have to go through this.”

“I am personally distraught about this incident and my deepest sympathies go to the victim, his family, and Abuja vendors.”

Politics

A Year After Makinde’s intervention, NUC Transfers Ownership Of LAUTECH To Oyo State.

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The National Universities Commission has transferred ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology LAUTECH Ogbomoso to the Oyo State Government while the Osun state Government is to take over the College of Health Sciences in Osogbo.

The resolution followed the lingering ownership of LAUTECH over the years. The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission Professor Abubakar Rasheed stated this at a media briefing in Abuja.

Professor Rasheed said both Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Adegboyega Oyetola signed a memorandum of Agreement to the development.

The NUC boss expressed optimism that the new arrangement would restore peace to LAUTECH.

Politics, World News

Nigerian Government Signs MoU To Import Fuel From Niger Republic.

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According to a statement, Soraz Refinery in Zinder, Niger Republic, has an installed refining capacity of 20,000 barrels per day compared to the nation’s 5,000bpd domestic requirement.

The Nigerian Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Niger Republic for petroleum products importation.

In a statement in Abuja, Group General Manager/Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Garba Deen Muhammad, said the MoU was reached following bilateral agreements between President Muhammadu Buhari and President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger.

According to a statement, Soraz Refinery in Zinder, Niger Republic, has an installed refining capacity of 20,000 barrels per day compared to the nation’s 5,000bpd domestic requirement. This leaves a surplus of 15,000 barrels per day.

Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, signed the MoU on behalf of Nigeria while Alio Toune, Director-General of Niger Republic’s National Oil Company, Societe Nigerienne De Petrole, signed on behalf of his country.

Speaking shortly after the MoU signing, Sylva expressed delight over the development, describing it as another huge step in developing trade relations between both countries.

He said, “This is a major step forward. Niger Republic has some excess products which needs to be evacuated. Nigeria has the market for these products. Therefore, this is going to be a win-win relation for both countries. My hope is that this is going to be the beginning of deepening trade relations between Niger Republic and Nigeria.”

Also commenting on the development, the Secretary General of African Petroleum Producers Organisation, Dr. Omar Ibrahim, said he could not be happier with what he witnessed in terms of co-operation and collaboration between the two APPO member countries in the area of hydrocarbons.

He said, “I want to commend the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Niger and their leadership for this milestone.”

Politics, World News

Biden becomes first Democratic presidential candidate to win the southern US state in almost three decades.

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Georgia has confirmed Democratic President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the Nov 3 election in the state after completing a hand audit of ballots on Thursday, November 19, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said.

The audit, launched after unofficial results showed Biden leading Republican President Donald Trump by about 14,000 out of more than 5 million votes cast, ended with Biden winning by 12,284, according to data from Raffensperger’s office.

“Georgia’s historic first statewide audit reaffirmed that the state’s new secure paper ballot voting system accurately counted and reported results,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said in a statement.

“This is a credit to the hard work of our county and local elections officials who moved quickly to undertake and complete such a momentous task in a short period of time.”

The confirmation makes Biden the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the southern US state in almost three decades, since Bill Clinton in 1992. 

The Biden campaign’s communications director for Georgia, Jaclyn Rothenberg, said in a statement Thursday evening that the recount outcome, “simply reaffirmed what we already knew: Georgia voters selected Joe Biden to be their next president.”

“We are grateful to the election officials, volunteers and workers for working overtime and under unprecedented circumstances to complete this recount, as the utmost form of public service,” she said.

Raffensperger, a Republican, is expected to formally certify Biden’s victory today, November 20th, despite pressure from Trump, who has claimed without evidence that there were widespread irregularities and fraud in states that he lost to Biden, including Georgia.

Politics, World News

Even when Trump leaves the White House, his lie machine will be a powerful force-Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN.

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(CNN)Jodi Doering can’t believe her ears. The South Dakota nurse toils in an overcrowded hospital tending to Covid-19 victims who still insist their affliction is a hoax. “Their last dying words are, ‘This can’t be happening; it is not real,'” Doering said Monday on CNN’s “New Day.”

Such is the power of an effort by President Donald Trump and conservative media to push an alternative reality in which the pandemic has disappeared and isn’t really all that dangerous anyway. Such bravado sees mask-warning as weak and slavish to the “liberal” prescriptions of elite scientists and doctors. Never mind that 11 million Americans have been infected with the virus, 70,000 are in hospital and the country is approaching a quarter of a million mostly avoidable deaths.

Trump is now treating the US election as he did the pandemic, denying the truth in insisting he won despite every factual, political, constitutional and legal metric showing he lost. But the great political illusionist knows his audience: Cultural and ideological myth-making can squeeze out truth, science and facts in modern politics — which means that even when he leaves the White House, his lie machine will still be a powerful force.

Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, on a book tour for his new memoir, has warned that these gushers of falsehoods threaten to overwhelm the US political system, exacerbated by social media and politicians who will say anything to win power. “If we do not have the capacity to distinguish what’s true from what’s false, then by definition the marketplace of ideas doesn’t work,” Obama said in an interview with “The Atlantic.” “And by definition our democracy doesn’t work. We are entering into an epistemological crisis.”Half the country will dismiss his warning out of hand, simply because it was Obama who said it. In fact, many Americans still insist the 44th President should never have occupied the Oval Office because of a nasty “Birther” conspiracy theory. The lie seemed absurd during Obama’s term, but was actually a blueprint for Trump’s misinformation presidency.

‘More people may die if we don’t coordinate’

President-elect Joe Biden warned that the consequences could be deadly if Trump continues to block a smooth transition, particularly when it comes to a vaccine distribution plan. “More people may die if we don’t coordinate,” Biden warned on Monday during a press conference in Delaware. “How do we get over 300 million Americans vaccinated?” he asked “What’s the game plan? It’s a huge, huge, huge undertaking to get it done.” “… If we have to wait until Jan. 20, to start that planning, it puts us behind over a month. … So it’s important that it be done, that there be coordination now.”

Politics

Baruwa gas explosion victims write Sanwo-Olu, demand N4bn compensation.

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Over 30 persons, who lost loved ones, got injured or lost properties in the gas explosion that happened in the Baruwa area of Lagos on October 8, have written a pre-action letter to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, demanding N4bn as compensation for their losses.

The victims made the demand in an October 19, 2020 letter written to the governor by their lawyer, Akeem Fadun.

Fadun, who said the incident was blamable on government’s failure to act when the residents raised an alarm back in February 2018, said his clients should be compensated so they could get their lives back on track.

“Our clients have suffered varying degrees of damage, including death of family and kin, maiming and burning of loved ones, complete destruction of properties, such as shops, schools and homes.

“As it stands, many of the victims sleep in makeshift sheds amid the ruins left behind by the inferno, and others roam hopelessly, having lost their means of livelihood to the inferno.

“One of our clients lost his wife and three children at a go; another lost his brother and son; another, his brother and benefactor. Others have spouses with third-degree burns that will require further surgery, if they survive, to try to lessen the scarring and contracture; the list goes on. Some of the victims have had to assign permanent guards to other victims who have displayed symptoms of severe depression, anxiety attacks and even made suicidal utterances,” Fadun said.

The lawyer, while describing the explosion as man-made and a clear case of government systemic failure to delivery on its statutory function to protect citizens’ lives and property, recalled how upon writing a save-our-soul letter to the government back in 2018 calling for the removal of Best Roof Gas Station from the neighbourhood, the response of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development  was to demand payment of N689,500 from the residents for the likely removal of the gas station.

Politics, World News

#EndSARS protest: UK Parliament fixes date to debate sanctions against Nigerian government.

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A date has been fixed for members of UK Parliament to debate sanctions against the Nigerian government over its handling of the historic #EndSARS protests last month.

Recall that in the wake of the #EndSARS protest, a petition was launched to implement sanctions against the Nigerian Government and officials. The petition got over 220,000 signatures. 

Following the success of the petition, members of the UK Parliament have scheduled November 23 to debate sanctions against the Nigerian government. They will consider a petition from hundreds of thousands of Nigerians that asked them to look into the killings and gross violations of human rights abuses by security forces and other officials. 

It is however unclear if the British lawmakers would recommend sanctions after debating the petitions, or if the government would implement them considering Nigeria’s long-standing ties with the UK.

Politics

Bandits Demand N100m To Release Six Policemen In Katsina.

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Findings indicated that the families of the missing police officers were anxious about the safety of their breadwinners following the N100m ransom demanded by the bandits.

The bandits holding six Assistant Superintendents of Police captive in Katsina State for over one week are demanding N100m ransom for their release.

The PUNCH reports that the ASPs were among the nine who were just promoted to their current rank. They were attached to the Mobile Police Squadron 6, Maiduguri, Borno State.

Findings on Wednesday indicated that they were demobilised from the riot unit and eight of them were on their way to the Zamfara State Police Command on the transfer when they were ambushed in the Dogondaji area of Katsina State and taken into the forest.

A reliable police source explained that the nine ASPs were planning to go to Zamfara State together, but one of them changed his mind at the last minute while the others embarked on the trip in a commercial bus.

On getting to Kano, the driver was said to have asked them to join another vehicle as his bus had developed a fault.

The source said, “When they were released to go to Zamfara, they scheduled a day for the trip from Maiduguri, but one of them said he wasn’t comfortable with the journey and declined to join them. He said he had something to do and promised to join them in Zamfara later.

“So, the eight others left, but on getting to Kano, the driver said he couldn’t continue the journey to Zamfara, because his vehicle had developed a fault. They joined another vehicle, and on their way around Dongodaji in Katsina State, the bandits accosted and kidnapped them.

“While being taken away, two of them escaped, and one of them was shot in the leg though he didn’t die. He found himself at a village, and the villagers took him to a police station, and he was taken to a hospital. The other six officers are still with the bandits who are demanding N100m ransom.”

A senior police officer said the Commander, Mopol 6, could not account for the men when asked about their abduction, adding that he referred inquiries on the missing men to the Zamfara State Police Command.

The officer explained that the standard procedure was for the commander to send a signal to the Zamfara command informing it that he had released the nine ASPs, but he allegedly failed to follow the official procedure.

The source stated, “The problem came from the Commander, Mopol 6, their former squadron leader, who released them on transfer to Zamfara. He was supposed to relay the information on the kidnap incident, but he said he didn’t know about it when he was asked; instead, he referred inquiries to the Zamfara State Police Command.

“The commander should have sent a signal that the men had been released to go to Zamfara, but he didn’t do that. Normally, the Zamfara command would send a signal to Borno confirming that the men had resumed.”

Findings indicated that the families of the missing police officers were anxious about the safety of their breadwinners following the N100m ransom demanded by the bandits.

It was learnt that the families were attempting to raise N3m for the release of the captives or N500,000 each.

The Force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, had yet to respond to inquiries on the incident as he did not respond to calls and SMS sent to his mobile telephone as of the time of filing in this report.

When contacted by one of our correspondents, one of the officers, who escaped from the abductors, said he was too weak to recount the incident.

“I have high BP (blood pressure); I just came back from a check-up. I cannot remember everything now. The incident happened on Sunday along the Katsina-Gusau Road,” he said.

The Public Relations Officer, Borno State Police Command, DSP Edet Okon, said there was no reported case of policemen from the command being abducted, adding that the alleged victims were no longer serving at the command because they had been transferred.

“The Borno State Police Command has not received any signal in respect of her officers being abducted. The alleged abduction of officers is still unknown to us as we have yet to receive any alert on the matter. That is the official position of the command as of this moment,” Okon stated.

When Punch visited the Mopol 6 base in Maiduguri, he observed that police personnel were overwhelmed by the kidnap of their colleagues, which came weeks after some of their men were killed and several others injured during an attack on the convoy of the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum.

The mood in the barracks was very sober with little or no activity going on except for a few anti-riot policemen in uniform clustered in groups discussing the incident.

It was gathered that some personnel of the command were recently attacked at the Bama Local Government Area of the state and the latest development had dampened the morale of the policemen.

The PUNCH did not see women and children in the barracks except for a few at the market square. Except for the command headquarters, where some cops were sighted sitting under trees and in other strategic locations, the entire barracks, which houses a police training college, state police command and Mopol 6 base, was scanty.

Politics

#ASUU: We Will Resume Meeting With ASUU On Friday- FG

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The Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has revealed that it will resume meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday.

Naija News reports that this was made known by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday night.

It is gathered that the federal government and ASUU are expected to discuss issues including the contentious payment platform preferred by the union.

In a text message on Wednesday, the Ministry of Labour and Employment spokesman, Charles Akpan, said the dialogue with the ASUU leaders would hold at the minister’s conference hall.

Recall that ASUU had on March 24, 2020, declared an indefinite strike over what it described as the failure of the Federal Government to fulfill the 2019 agreement it had with the union as well as the issue surrounding the migration of members to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and other issues.

Dr Chris Ngige

The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) had also proposed the University General and Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System (UGPPPS) in place of the IPPIS.

Their action followed the complaints against the IPPIS which allegedly caused salary delays and shortchanged the university workers.

Meanwhile, Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has said if the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was not resolved by next week, the federal government would explore the provisions in the labour law.

Politics, Videos

Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde Flags Off Security Group, “Àmòtékún Corps” in Oyo Town.

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Yesterday, the governor of Oyo state, Engr Seyi Makinde announced on his social media platforms that a passing out ceremony for the security group, “Àmòtékún Corps” took place in Oyo Town.

“This afternoon, we held the passing-out ceremony of the Àmòtékún Corps in Oyo Town. It’s been a long journey to get to this point from July 2019, when the first meeting was held by all six south west governors to set up a regional security outfit”.

“The Àmòtékún Corps will collaborate with federal security agencies to secure our state. Members of the corps will be drafted to all the 351 wards in Oyo State. They will be answerable to me and so, I will be responsible for their actions”.

Speech at the Passing Out Parade of the Oyo State Security Network Agency code named Amotekun by Governor Seyi Makinde:

When the story of the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun is told, it will be on record that it was officially launched on January 9, 2020. However, the Amotekun journey began earlier. In July 2019, the six states of the southwest, namely Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States, agreed to set up this outfit.

Amotekun is indeed a first of its kind security agency because it is a regional security outfit initiated by one of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

History will also state that the headquarters is here in Oyo State. Since its founding, we have been taking steps to ensure that the security outfit kicks off operations. In March 2020, the Oyo State House of Assembly passed the Oyo State Security Network Agency Bill 2020, which I signed into law a few days later.

Although COVID-19 and other logistical issues delayed the recruitment process, we ran an open and transparent recruitment process that culminated in announcing the 1,500 successful candidates’ names in October 2020. Shortly after that, their training began in the first week of November. Today we are here to witness the passing out parade of the pioneer members of the Amotekun Corps.

Security has always been an issue close to my heart. While on the campaign trail, I spoke about how we could tackle insecurity in Oyo State. We outlined clear plans in our manifesto, the Roadmap to Accelerated Development in Oyo State 2019-2023. And so, when we came into office, we went ahead to make security one of the pillars of our administration.

Our actions have been based on the fact that if our state is insecure, we cannot attract investment, whether foreign or local. So far, we have supported our federal security outfits, who do their best to protect our people. We provided them with communication gadgets and patrol vehicles. More recently, we requested for and established just this past May 2020, the Police Mobile Force 72 Squadron at Ago-Are and presented them with patrol vehicles for the outfit’s operations.

But as I have argued on various fora, for governors to really play the role of Chief Security Officers of their states, state policing is the way forward. I am confident that someday, we will get enough support at the national level to achieve that constitutional review.

But, for now, we will settle for the next best thing.

The Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, is an independent outfit. Members will answer to the state governors, but they will be working with the federal security agencies.

Some of the primary functions of the Amotekun Corps as authorised by law include: Collaborating with and assisting the Nigeria Police and other security agencies in gathering information. They will be involved in crime, the investigation of crime, arrest, and prosecution of persons suspected of kidnapping, terrorism, destruction of livelihood, criminal damage to property, cultism, highway robbery, and any other illegal activities.

They will also be involved in routine day and night patrols on major roads and remote areas. Members of the corps will be drafted to all the 351 wards in Oyo State. They will be our own community police so that their presence will be felt everywhere. This ensures that offenders are quickly identified, arrested, registered, and promptly handed over to the nearest police station or post. As I said during one of my speeches following the End SARS protests, this is one outfit that I can boldly say hold me responsible for the actions of the members.

Therefore, let me state to you 1,500 pioneers of the Amotekun Corps that you must remain excellent examples in service. You are to work for the people. You are not called to harass or intimidate the people. Instead, exhibit the highest level of professionalism in the discharge of your duties. Remember that there are limits to your authority, and always follow directives from the chain of command.

We have appointed two qualified men as chairman and commandant of the Amotekun Corps, the persons of Retired General Ajibola Kunle Togun and Retired Colonel Olayanju Olayinka. We also have other eminent persons on the board. I am confident that under them, the Amotekun Corps will live up to their objectives.

As I said during the official launch of this outfit in January 2020, our regional integration, through Amotekun, should be seen in one light. We are coming together to fight a common enemy. That enemy is not Nigeria; the enemies are the elements among us and their affiliates who are determined to cause commotion within our states’ borders and threaten our peaceful coexistence.

And on this note, I declare the Oyo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun operational.

Watch below the governor’s speech.


Politics

Has The Microphone Been Turned Off On National Assembly’s N81bn Probe Of NDDC? By Fredrick Nwabufo

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So, it is a convenient tactic to hold the dirt of the interim management of the NDDC supervising the audit in the air for an eventual entente. What was happening was just crossfire of blackmail and intimidation. It is the threat of mutually assured destruction before the ‘’meeting at the table of kindreds’’.

Probe. This is another word for political manoeuvring, horse-trading, chicanery and blackmail – in the Nigerian milieu. Probes are launched here not for righteous ends but for some predetermined recidivist motives. In particular, the so-called ‘’corruption probes’’ are themselves felonious panels set up to exact vengeance, broker deals or cause distraction from national discontent. Beelzebub cannot cast out demons.

I recall the Ndudi Elumelu corruption probe of the power sector in 2009 where as chairman of the house committee on power, ‘’the prober’’ was accused of receiving bribes and allegedly annexing N5.2bn from the rural electrification budget alongside other officials on the panel. I would like to ask, what came out of this all-important and well-noised probe? Nothing!

I also recall the senate’s probe of sale of government assets by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) under Nasir el-Rufai in 2004. El-Rufai had alleged the previous year (2003) that some senators demanded a N54m bribe to confirm his appointment as minister. So, the angry senate unleashed itself in a tit-for-tat subsumed as ‘’corruption probe’’.

And not too long ago, Nigerians witnessed perhaps the grandest of all fiasco probes – the fuel subsidy probe involving Farouk Lawan, Mr Integrity, in 2012. Lawan, who was the chairman of the house committee investigating fuel subsidies, allegedly demanded a $3m bribe from Femi Otedola to exculpate his company, Zenon, of blame in the fuel subsidy fraud.

The probe came on the heels of the unrest occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy by the Jonathan administration in January 2012. The fuel subsidy regime was natively corrupt. Some oil companies held the government by the noggins and were paid regardless of whether they supplied petrol or not. Lawan, Mr Integrity, was recorded on video allegedly receiving a bribe of $500,000 from Otedola – a part payment of the filthy lucre.

In July 2020, Nigerians were entertained by a riveting but gallows-humorous spectacle from the national assembly panels probing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over alleged stealing of N81.5bn. The interim management of the commission admitted to have spent N1.32bn on themselves as ‘’COVID-19 palliative’’.

The commission also owned up to spending N81.5bn in just eight months. What is most discomfiting, really, is how this humongous sum was spent.

A breakdown of the profligacy by the house of representatives panel ‘’probing’’ the agency showed that the commission spent, ‘’N1.3bn on community relations; condolences, N122.9m; consultancy, N83m; COVID-19, N3.14bn; duty travel allowance (DTA), N486m, imprest, N790.9m, and Lassa fever, N1.956bn’’.

Other items on the lavish list are, ‘’legal services, N900m; maintenance, N220m; overseas travel, N85.6m; public communications, N1.121bn; security, N744m; staffing-related payment, N8.8bn; stakeholders engagement, N248m’’.

A big whale feast. That is what the NDDC has become.  In July, I wrote that the theatrics and pyrotechnics during the probe sessions at the senate and the house of representatives were nothing more than entertainment skits. It has been four months since the probes, but no one has been held to account for the gross plunder of funds assigned for the Niger Delta people. In fact, owing to the revelations from the probe sessions, Concerned Nigerians, a civil society group led by Deji Adeyanju, filed a petition against certain officials allegedly complicit in the graft bazaar at the NDDC to the EFCC, but none has been invited for questioning, let alone being prosecuted.

Kemebradikumo Pondei, acting managing director of the NDDC, ‘’fainted’’ during an interrogation by the house panel; Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, accused Peter Nwaoboshi, a member of the senate panel probing the NDDC, of  being a major beneficiary of the sleaze in the agency. The senator riposted, accusing Akpabio of appropriating a N300m NDDC fencing contract for himself. Joy Nunieh, former MD of the NDDC, unlatched the grimy closet accusing the minister of corruption, abuse of office and sexual harassment.

The distraction continued at the house where the chairman of the committee probing the NDDC was accused of being a shareholding partaker of the iniquity in the commission. Allegations and recriminations – by both the prober and the probed. Unclean hands seeking justice against bloodied hands. Again, Beelzebub cannot cast out demons.

I had said the probes were essentially about deal-brokering. The audit of the operations of the NDDC from 2001 and 2019 will bring to the fore a lot of interred skeletons involving those at the national assembly and those at the composite quarters of national corruption.

So, it is a convenient tactic to hold the dirt of the interim management of the NDDC supervising the audit in the air for an eventual entente. What was happening was just crossfire of blackmail and intimidation. It is the threat of mutually assured destruction before the ‘’meeting at the table of kindreds’’. The NDDC probes have gone the way of other probes.

Politics

Reps to Overhaul Aviation Sector – Gbajabiamila

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, said on Tuesday that the green chamber will undertake a total overhaul of aviation laws, to make the sector more profitable and effective.

The speaker said the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NIMET) the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and the regulatory body: Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), are far from meeting up with the international best practices hence the need to amend and bring them in conformity with the international best standards.

The Speaker made his remarks at a public hearing on six key aviation bills, as the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC demanded to be included on boards of the six aviation agencies, and kicked against interim boards, proposed in the bills.

The bills under review by the House, are a) A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (Establishment Etc.) Act, 2003 and to enact the Nigerian Meteorological Agency Act to Provide for the Regulation of Meteorology and Related Matters (HB.464)

“a bill for an Act to Repeal the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Act, CAP. N96 LFN, 2010 and to enact the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Bill to Provide for its Organisation, Control and Operation and for Related Matters (HB.463), a Bill for an Act to Repeal the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency Act, CAP N90 LFN, 2010 and to enact the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency Act for the purposes of Providing Effective Air Navigation Services in Nigeria, Ensuring Safety and Regularity of Air Navigation Services and for Related Matters (HB.462), a Bill for an Act to Repeal the Civil Aviation Act, 2006 and to enact the Civil Aviation Act, for the Regulation of Civil Aviation in Nigeria and for Related Matters (HB.460), A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Establishment of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau for the Regulation, Prevention and Providing Effective Administration for Safety Investigation in Nigeria and for Related Matters (HB.465), A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Act, CAP F5, LFN, 2010 and to enact the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Act to Provide for the Effective Management of Airports in Nigeria and Related Matters (HB.461)”.

According to him, “it is imperative to note that the development of our aviation industry is an added advantage to the growth of our economy. It is in this vein that the House of Representatives will continue to support the total rehabilitation and upgrading of our airports and allied services.

“The consideration of these Bills during this Public Hearing is a testament to our commitment to give new life to the aviation sector and make our airports to be a better non-oil revenue-generating sector as is witnessed in other advanced economies”.

Chairman of the Committee on Aviation, Rep. Nnolim Nnaji, in his opening remarks, said the Committee will do its best to accommodate all views from all sectors and expedite the review of the laws.

The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, in his remarks at the public hearing, recalled that the “The journey to the proposal for amendments of the laws establishing agencies under the Nigeria civil Aviation commenced as a result of funding in the International Civil Aviation /ICAO) universal Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) in the year 2006 as well as finding in the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category [Certification Audit in the year 2010 that the establishment Acts of some of the aviation services providers contain regulatory powers”.

He explained that “Whereas the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should be the only and autonomous regulator of the Civil Aviation in Nigeria. Thus, Nigeria was requested and agreed to take corrective action to address the audit findings.

“Consequently, a committee involving the relevant stakeholders was constituted by me to review the establishment Acts of the six Aviation Agencies, not only to close the audit findings by removing regulatory powers from service provider agencies but also to bring the respective Acts up to date with development in International Civil Aviation, separate powers among the agencies, facilitate the upgrade of NCAT to Degree awarding institution, give NIMET the Leverage to commercialize some of its products, remove impediments Into smooth running of the functions of all the agencies and ensure seamless coexistence between the agencies, encourage the agencies to initiate avenue of generating revenue, etc”.

According to him, “After series of meetings and deliberations by the Committee the six (6) draft Bills were produced. The draft Bills were then cleared by the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Federal Executive Council before their Transmission to the National Assembly by Mr. President.

” We have earlier on appeared before the appropriate committee of this Honourable after the transmission of this Bill by His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the National Assembly and submitted a written report detailing the reasons behind this request for the repeal and reenactment of these Acts.

” The time table of the Committee sitting today indicated that we are starting with Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) and the College of Aviation Technology Zaria (NCAT). Let me use this occasion to briefly state the history of the emergence of these two agencies”.

On the NIMET Bill, he said “In the course of carrying out the statutory functions of the agency, it was observed that there is need to reposition NIMET for the effective performance of its duties. There is a need to enact an Act that will unequivocally give the Agency the sole authority to regulate, license, approve and authorize the standard of Meteorological activities and operation in Nigeria”.

For the NCAT, the Minister told the Committee, that the wish of the executive, is to “empower NCAT to be able to award diploma, Degree and other relevant aviation courses and training as it is done in other jurisdiction”.

The president of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, however, called on the House Committee to expunge Section 29 of the Civil Aviation Act, because according to him, “airline business, cannot be described by any stretch of thought, as essential service”.

According to him, “Nigeria’s Labour laws have already defined what essential services means and has invested the powers to regulate industrial issues including essential services, on the Minister of Labour and employment. It would be nebulous, double jeopardy, counterproductive and a matter of conflict of interest to make a list of essential services under the Civil Aviation Act and to assign the powers of interpreting and assigning essential services to the Minister of Aviation”.

The NLC also demanded the inclusion of Labour unions on “six Aviation Agencies”.

He said this is “In furtherance of the need to protect, promote and defend the interest of Nigerian workers in this very important sector and to minimize occasions for industrial conflicts”.

He also kicked against “the provision for interim boards in the bills of the aviation agencies, is anathema to the public good”, adding that “A situation that allows the minister of aviation (with the ministry’s permanent secretary and the head of each agency) to directly superintendent over the agencies, as Board Chairman, even for an interim period, completely defeats accountability and the doctrine of the delegation of powers”.

Politics

FG’s Revenue Hit by Oil Production Cut will End Soon, Says Osinbajo

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The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said the oil production cut deal by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies has resulted in lower revenue generation for the federal government.

Osinbajo said yesterday that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources had a mandate to drastically reduce the unit cost of crude oil production in the country in order to increase government revenue.

“It is imperative that in our current era of scarce resources, we should aim at a unit cost of production in single digit,” he said at the 38th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE).

The vice-president, who was represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, said the collapse in crude oil demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused the recent sudden slump in oil prices.

“The low price and OPEC+ crude oil production curtailment have largely resulted in lower revenue generation for the government,” he said.

Osinbajo expressed confidence that the country would achieve the desired goal of finding more hydrocarbon deposits in the Nigerian basins, notwithstanding the curtailment in production.

He said, “We have the assurance that production curtailment will soon be over as the world economy improves. In order to grow our reserves, we have proposed fiscal incentives that will attract the investments in our basins in the Petroleum Industry Bill.

“In addition, the fiscal provision for gas business will be one of the most attractive in Africa.”

Politics

I Won’t Allow A Repeat Of #EndSARS Protests ―President Buhari

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Buhari disclosed this on Tuesday at a meeting of the National Security Council.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he will not allow a repeat of the #EndSARS protests that rocked the country recently. Buhari disclosed this on Tuesday at a meeting of the National Security Council.

Recall that the #EndSARS demonstrations across the country turned violent on October 20 after Nigerian soldiers opened fire on peaceful protesters, who had converged at the Lekki Toll Gate.

Across Lagos and other states in the country, vehicles, government buildings and private properties were razed and looted. The incident triggered a global outrage, with calls for justice echoing from different parts of the world.

Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, who spoke with journalists at the end of the meeting, said President Buhari assured Nigerians that he will carry all relevant stakeholders including the youth along in the process of maintaining peace in the country.

Politics

#Endsars : Court Grants N1m Bail To EndSARS Protester, Eromosele.

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Court Grants N1m Bail To EndSARS Protester, Eromosele. Health condition of the activist was taken into consideration by the court in arriving at that decision.

The Magistrate Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos, has granted bail to Eromosele Adene. He was granted a N1m bail and asked to provide two sureties in like sum.

The court also said the sureties must own their own companies.

Politics

#Covid19 :NYSC Releases Statement On Corps Members Testing Positive To Coronavirus.

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The management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has given a clarification on reported cases of coronavirus infection in some orientation camps in the country.

The NYSC management in a statement on Monday evening, noted that prospective corps members were all tested before gaining access to the camps and those that tested positive were immediately handed over to the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) for management.

The reaction comes after reports that some corps members in Lagos, Kano and Abuja camps had tested positive for coronavirus.

The NYSC management however submitted that that is not the true case of things as the NCDC is in all the camps and tests all prospective corps members before they are admitted into the camps, hence no cause for alarm as the safety of all including the corps members is of top priority.

“The true position is that no Corps Member in any of the NYSC camp is COVID-19 positive.”

“It is pertinent to add that the NYSC is in collaboration with Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) and the Centre maintains very strong presence in all the NYSC camps nationwide.”

“As a proactive measure, all Prospective Corps Members were tested for COVID-19 before being admitted into the camps. Those that tested positive were handed over to the NCDC for treatment and management.”

“There is no cause for alarm. Both the Scheme and NCDC are up to the task of safeguarding the lives of Corps Members and Camp officials.”

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