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APC Fumes, Says Rivers Court Lacks Jurisdiction To Sack Okocha Led Caretaker Committee, Reinstate Beke

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Chief Emeka Beke

Akinwale Kasali

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State is yet to abate as one of its factions has frown at the verdict of the Rivers State High Court which reinstated the Emeka Beke as the substantive Chairman of the Party.

APC said that the Court has no jurisdiction to sack the Tony Okocha Led Caretaker Committee, and nullify the sacking of the Beke-Led Committee.

It would be recalled that Justice Sika Aprioku had, on Monday, ruled that the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party erred in dissolving the elected executives led by Beke.

The Judge stated that the APC NWC neither has the power to dissolve an elected executive of a State, nor set-up a caretaker committee when the tenure of the elected executive is still running.

But the Spokesman of Rivers APC Caretaker Committee, Chibuike Ikenga, warned that the judgment cannot override an earlier one granted by the Supreme Court.

He said, “It (the sack) is an effort in futility. The reason is that the Supreme Court has made pronouncements and taken decisions as to issues that pertain to the internal affairs of a political party, which are justifiable before any court.

“Therefore, what we have seen was also a choreographed judgment, in the sense that the judge and a couple of his colleagues are dancing to the tune of the Rivers State government. The judgment itself is a clear indication of those coalitions you have seen from haters of President Bola Tinubu and the move to take him out of power after losing the election serially in Rivers State.

“We have spoken to our lawyers and they will appeal accordingly. By the way, our party has given us the power to continue to act because it is strictly the internal affairs of the party. We are not under any form of pressure. As you can see, we are still going about our busy because we know the position of the law.

“The court cannot force people removed for anti-party activities to lead us in the state. These people left the campaign for President Bola Tinubu and supported Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. It was based on that they were dissolved.”

The Okocha-led Executive is loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who ironically, still proclaims himself as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while the Beke-led Executive  is loyal to former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, the “founder” of APC in the State.

Both Amaechi and Wike were Governors of Rivers State. Wike, during Amaechi’s first tenure as Governor, was his Chief of Staff. Both have, however, gone their separate ways, and are bitter political enemies.

Failure To Recite National Anthem To Attract 10-yr Jail Term

By
James Orji
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Tajudeen Abbas - Speaker

The House of Representatives is planning to impose a N5 million penalty against those who refused to recite the national anthem.

The failure to recite the national anthem could also attract a 10-year imprisonment, according to a new proposed law by the legislature.

The Nigerian lower house is proposing a bill to also make it an offence for any Nigerian who disrespect national symbols, including the national flag and emblems.

Recall that some Nigerians under the #endbadgovernance protests had burned and defaced the Nigerian flag in their quest to show their angst against the government.

Some protesters also brandished the flag of the Russian federation, calling for the take over of the democratic administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Such wild calls have been trenchantly condemned by many weel meaning Nigerians and groups, including Afenifere, the pan Yoruba group.

According to the proposed legislation, anyone found guilty of refusing to recite the national anthem shall be fined N5 million, face a 10-year prison sentence, or both.

The Bill sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has passed through the First Reading, and is now being red for the Second time awaiting to be sent to the Committee stage, according to checks by the magazine.

The Bill “stipulates that anyone found guilty of destroying national symbols, refusing to recite the national anthem and pledge, defacing a place of worship with intent to incite violence, or undermining the Federal Government shall face a fine of N5 million, a 10-year prison sentence, or both”.

Recall that Aisha Yesufu, a rights activist had attracted mixed reaction from Nigerians after she failed to recite the new National Anthem during a public function.

On May 29, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed into law the new national anthem bill ‘Nigeria we hail thee’.

Afenifere Condemns Call For Coup, Says Democracy Better Than Military Regime

By
James Orji
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Ayo Adebanjo

The pan-Yoruba socio-organisation, Afenifere, has condemned those calling for military take over of the country, saying the current democracy must not be truncated.

The Chief Ayo Adebanjo-led Afenifere made this admonition in a statement on Tuesday amidst calls by some protesters in the just concluded national hunger protests by Nigerians.

The magazine reported that some protesters under the #endbadgovernance had openly canvassed for military take over, in the northern parts of the country, while others brandished the Russian Federation flag to show their disenchantment with the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Not  a few Nigerians have condemned the calls by the protesters for a force take over of the government.

Reacting to the calls, Afenifere in the statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi said the current democratic process should not be truncated for any ‘reason’ whatsoever.

The group said brandishing the flags of foreign nations, describing it as inciting, and must be condemned by well meaning Nigerians.

Afenifere said despite some of its shortcomings, democratic government is still better that the military regime.

The statement said in part,  “Whether the flags belonged to Russia or the army, the message is more or less the same  – inciting the taking-over of government through an unconstitutional means.

“It would be a height of self-delusion to assume that the intervention of either the military or a foreign power will put an automatic stop to the hunger in the land.”

Ajayi stated that democracy “is still the best in our current situation because of its inherent characteristics of making the people the custodians of political mandate. Its elastic nature allows various tendencies to operate  – as long as they do so within the ambit of the law.

“This is a far cry from what is obtainable under a military government,” the group said.

Academic Corruption, Bad Governance Responsible For State Of Education In Nigeria – NUC

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Chris Maiyaki - NUC Secretary

By Akinwale Kasali

The Nigeria University Commission, NUC, has identified bad governance and funding as a major  problem bedeviling the Nation’s Universities.

Chris Maiyaki, NUC Secretary, said that poor governance, academic corruption and inadequate funding are some of the critical issues affecting Tertiary Education in Nigeria.

He made this assertion during the 2024 Registry Lecture at Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State.

Maiyaki said there is a decline in the nation’s University system in the past three decades, compared with the remarkable achievements of earlier periods.

Speaking on the theme, “Role Of The Administrator in Changing University Environment; Issues and Prospects,

Maiyaki said Nigerian graduates were once celebrated both nationally and globally, but the current landscape is marred by social vices, manpower shortages, economic pressures and incessant strike actions.

He urged University Administrators to embrace technology and artificial intelligence to revolutionise their institutions, emphasising that effective administration and governance are key to institutional success.

“We had our glorious years but then we had the downturn and there are a lot of factors for that; economic pressure, gradual decline in funding, value of the Naira in the real term is no longer enough.

“Some of these are also attributed to poor governance systems and also sometimes the broken family system.We have fallen short in procuring state-of-the-art museum, modern/ current journals, books, and laboratory equipment in some cases.

“We need more PhDs; we need to stabilise; the system has suffered a lot of instability due to a combination of factors. We need sustained constant funding and so many, things to be done,” he said.

He also urged Administrators to broaden their focus and cultivate strong relationships with external stakeholders to contribute to the development of an effective system that supports long-term growth and excellence in higher education.

He called for a collaboration to create the desired future assuring the Federal Government’s  support in creating policies that would direct institutions towards accomplishing their goals.

“May I sound a note of optimism that all hope is not lost as we have some good and cheery news to report.

“Nigeria has shown improvement in the Universities ranking and that shows that in spite of everything we’re going through, we have shown a lot of resilience.

“We have recently re-engineered our curriculum with critical stakeholders to bring it to speed because it must be in tandem with global best practices.

“I appeal to Babcock University and all other Nigerian universities to continue to work with the commission to forge ahead towards creating a future in which higher education values are defined by excellence, equity and global competence.

“We must continue to search for a way out as giving up is not an option,” he said.

Abia Speaker Finally Bows To Pressure, Swears-in Member-elect Nine Months After Appeal Court Ruling

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Emanuel Emeruwa - Abia State Speaker
Emanuel Emeruwa, Abia State Speaker

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Abia State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has hailed the inauguration of Honourable Aaron Uzodike as the member representing the Aba North State Constituency at the Abia State House of Assembly after nine months of deliberate procrastination.

The Party described the  development as a significant milestone in the journey towards deepening Nigeria’s democracy.

This is just as Honourable Uzodike extended his heartfelt gratitude to all men and women of goodwill who stood by him and democracy throughout the trying moments.

The Source reports that the Emanuel Emeruwa-led Abia State Legislative body,  after nine months of grandstanding and pontification, which inexorably snow-balled into gross display of legislative impunity and disregard for the judiciary, on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, finally bowed to pressure, and swore-in Uzodike.

For the records, the National/State Assembly Election Appeal Court, which sat in Lagos, had on November 27, 2023, affirmed Honourable Uzodike of the PDP as the rightful winner of the March 18, 2023, State Assembly elections.

The three-man Appeal Court Panel, had ruled to quash the earlier electoral victory of Destiny Nwagwu of the  Labour Party, LP, in the March 18 2023 election.

The National/State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia had,  in its ruling given victory to Hon Nwagwu.

Honourable Aaron Uzodike
Honourable Aaron Uzodike

However, on appeal, the victory was overturned in favour of Hon Uzodike of the PDP.

Following the verdict, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, issued Uzodike with a Certificate of Return after withdrawing the one earlier issued to Hon Nwagwu.

But in a development that jolted not a few, the Abia State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Emeruwa, blatantly refused to swear-in Uzodike, even in the face of overwhelming entreaties both from the PDP, Abia opinion leaders and other stakeholders.

Speaker Emeruwa, had, at first, premised his position, on alleged absence of consequential  order in the said Appeal Court judgment explicitly directing the swearing-in of Uzodike.

However, he was forced to recant, after the position failed to hold water and persuade keen watchers of the macabre dance.

Some months back, while appearing on a local Radio programme, Speaker Emeruwa again, cited a nebulous Court injunction restraining him from swearing-in Uzodike.

Attempts by the media to interrogate the obviously false claim of an injunction was met by even more impunity by the Speaker.

Particularly, the media and many concerned watchers, had questioned which Court in the land has the legal right to subject the decision of the Court of final jurisdiction to a further examination.

For one ,many, including the media, had insisted that going by the provisions of relevant sections of the 2022 Electoral Act, as amended, the Appeal Court remains the final arbiter in all National/State Assembly electoral petitions.

For vehemently challenging him to make public the said Court  injunction ,the Speaker  sent away two working journalists with the Enyinmba FM Radio, Aba from his scheduled press briefing at Assembly Complex in Umuahia in June this year.

Instructively, as at the time he succumbed to pressure to swear-in Uzodike on Monday, this Magazine’s checks could not establish the existence of such a restraining  order; and when, and  how it was vacated and by which Court.

Speaking shortly in an interview  after his swearing-in, Hon Aaron said:  I am eternally grateful to all men and women of goodwill who stood by me to call for the upholding of the rule of law .

“They fought the battle on my behalf. I am eternally indebted to them all. I dedicate today’s victory to you all. I will not take your love ,support and words of encouragement for granted.

“To my Constituents, the good people of Aba North, I promise you quality representation beyond legislation”

The PDP in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Head of its Media Team, Elder Abraham  Amah ,and made available to this Magazine, praised the tenacity and perseverance of Hon Uzodike amidst the nine- month travails.

The PDP also called on the Speaker to avail Hon Uzodike all his legally recognized  entitlements  within these past months.

National Council Of States Thumbs Up President Tinubu

By
Ayodele Oni
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Council of State meeting Tinubu 1

By Ayodele Oni

The National Council of State has passed a vote of confidence on the President Bola Tinubu for protecting democracy and standing for the interest of citizens.

This was expressed at its inaugural meeting since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.

Ex-Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan were in attendance at the Council of State meeting held at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.

Former Head of State Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar were reported to have attended the meeting virtually, while ex President Olusegun Obasanjo was absent.

Most of the 36 State governors were physically present at the meeting chaired by President Tinubu.

There were indications that the meeting also discussed the state of the economy and the recent protest against hunger and hardship.

The Council met last on 10th February last year ahead of the general elections.

Ondo Youths Accuse Govt Of Indebtedness To WAEC Which Led To Withheld Results

By
Ayodele Oni
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Lucky Aiyedatiwa

By Ayodele Oni

Following non-release of results of public schools in Ondo state in the just concluded West African School Certificate Examination, (WASCE) by the examination body, Coordinator of Ondo State Youths for Good Governance, Olawale Aladejana, has accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of not giving education necessary attention.

The West African Examination Council, (WAEC) explained that the Ondo state government is indebted to the council, hence the results are withheld.

The group described the situation as unfortunate and demanded immediate rectification by the state government .

The State Ministry of education has however assured that the problem is mainly logistics which will be resolved soonest.

The statement by the group reads, “We are appalled by the governor’s negligence and lack of commitment to the education of our children.

“The payment of WAEC fees for students in public secondary school has always been the responsibility of the state government, and the failure of the Aiyedatiwa-led administration to do so is a betrayal of the trust placed in him by the people.

“It has been reported that WAEC wrote “INDEBTED” on the results of some students from Public secondary school students in Ondo State. This is due to the Ondo State Government’s alleged debt to WAEC, which has resulted in the withholding of results for affected students.

“The debt is believed to be related to unpaid registration fees or other financial obligations owed by the state government to WAEC. As a result, WAEC has placed an “INDEBTED” status on the affected students’ results, pending the settlement of the debt.

“Affected students and parents have been advised to contact the Ondo State Ministry of Education or WAEC for further guidance on resolving the issue.

“We demand that the governor takes immediate action to rectify the situation by paying the outstanding fees and ensuring timely payment in the future.

“We also call on the governor to take responsibility for the distress and uncertainty caused to the affected students.”

The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Olaolu Akindolire, said  in Akure that as part of the administration’s commitment to ease the burden of parents, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has paid about N550 Million Naira for 26,088 students that sat for the 2024 WASSCE Examination in the state public schools.

According to him, the Governor has also approved the balance payment of N158,716 Thousand Naira for the 2024 WASSCE Registration fee for students in public Secondary schools.

On the challenge of students in accessing their WASSCE results, the Commissioner said the state government has taken it up with officials of WAEC, and the issues, which are basically logistics hitches, will be resolved soon.

Fans Mourn Death Of Gospel Musician,  Aduke Gold

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Aduke Ajayi Morounkola

By Akinwale Kasali

Fans and colleagues of Aduke Ajayi Morounkola popularly known as Aduke Gold are yet to come to terms with the passing of the gospel musician.

The demise of the musician came as a rude shock not to few, as it was do sudden.

Her colleague in the industry, Esther Igbekele, confirmed her passing on her social media handle when she announced the incident on Tuesday morning. She wrote and wrote, cA GENERAL HAS FALLEN. ADUKE GOLD #rip”.

Though the cause of her death is still uncertain, but Aduke Gold’s health issues were a huge part of her life.

Her battle with vertigo, which caused frequent fainting spells, was a constant challenge she faced while pursuing her music career.

Aduke Gold who started music professionally in 2004, came to stardom with her live performance at the first remembrance of the late gospel artiste, Baba Ara.

Aduke who was the 11th child of her late parents, grew up in the Ogba and Badagry areas of Lagos.

She became an orphan at the age of four years. Aduke Gold faced numerous challenges from a young age. She often shared her story of  hawking goods at a tender age. Her battle with vertigo, which caused frequent fainting spells, further complicated her early years but did not deter her from pursuing her calling which is music.

One of her famous tracks, “Nitori Ogo” which she released in 2021 also brought her into limelight. Apart from music, she was a child educator with a passion for teaching young children.

Aduke was a graduate of history and international relations from Lagos State University.

Despite the competitive gospel music industry, Aduke Gold made a name for herself with her uplifting songs. Her breakthrough single, “Nitori Ogo” (translated as “Because of Glory”), garnered huge fanbase.

Aduke Gold was inspired by several influential figures in gospel and secular music. Her role models included gospel legends like D.A Fasoyin, The Ayo ni C&S Choir, and Tope Alabi, as well as secular artistes such as King Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obe.

“You Should Have Removed Fuel Subsidy In Phases” – Catholic Bishops To President Tinubu

By
Ayodele Oni
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Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso
Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso

By Ayodele Oni

Catholic Bishops of Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province (KEP) have observed that hasty removal of subsidy on petrol by President Bola Tinubu is the cause of the current hardship in the country.

The religious leaders appealed to the president to consider reversing the action which has plunged Nigerians into economy crisis, stressing that policy reversal is not a sign of weakness but depicts responsible leadership.

They made the remarks during the Second Plenary of the Kaduna Ecclesiastical Provincial Bishops’ session on Tuesday in Kaduna.

KEP Chairman Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso who spoke on behalf of the clerics, said “we have been with subsidy for the past 25 years and we all knew it was eating deep into the finances of the nation.

“Definitely it had to go, but the hasty manner in which the president announced the removal had a lot of implications on the psychology and economic well being of the people.

“People would have been given notice, for instance subsidy will be removed by 25% in the next 6 months, so he could remove the subsidy in phases along side provision of palliatives and others.

“It’s about the people even if the president spends 10 years removing subsidy in phases without inflicting severe hardship on the people that will be better”

They called on the President not to listen to those that see the nationwide protests as an affront to his government.

According to the Catholic Bishops “the President should, by appointments, find a way of bringing in competent Nigerians across party lines to help further national cohesion.

“We propose that he decongest the Presidential fleet, suspend or rethink the idea of purchasing a new plane for himself, and continue to tighten the belt on public expenditure.

“Looking inward, we encourage the president to liaise with local industrialists to widen the net for employment and self-sufficiency.

“In the medium and long term, the President should ban the use of foreign cars by all public officers.

“These policies can inspire confidence in our people. Rather than hiring non- state actors to pacify people, politicians must engage their people directly.

“We encourage the President to focus on the ideals of Democracy by building consensus, rather than the temptation to search for enemies.

‘Having come from a tradition of protest, the President should appreciate that these protests do not undermine a country. However, leaders of faith communities and civil society must also sharpen their tools and capacity for advocacy.

“The value of protests is in direct proportion to the quality of the social fabric of a given society. When we have a social fabric weakened by illiteracy, poverty and corruption, these protests can provide a cure that is worse than the disease.

“So, we must seek other options for engaging the government as the need arises.”

Ondo PDP Defectors Are Excess Baggage Waiting To Be Shed – Gov Candidate, Ajayi

By
Ayodele Oni
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Agboola Ajayi

By Ayodele Oni

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ondo state, Agboola Ajayi has reacted to the defection of some prominent members of the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of November election.

Ajayi, in a statement by his media aide, Ayo Fadaka, pointed out that

the PDP has not suffered any damage due to their departure.

Among those that left the PDP are former Governor Olusegun Mimiko and a governorship aspirant, Sola Ebiseni among others.

Ebiseni returned to the Labour Party where he had defected to the PDP and has been picked as the party’s governorship candidate.

Fadaka stated that “the PDP remains unperturbed and unshaken about the decamping of a few members that are joining the APC.

“However we also place on record that their leaving has robbed them of the credibility to command followership as they embark on their solo journeys, thus, for the avoidance of doubt, the PDP has not suffered damage due to their departure.

“We also emphatically place on record that previous to their leaving, they have ceased to be relevant to developments within the Party, completely detached from our preparations for the election, and  had remained redundant within the Party for a considerable length of time.

“As such, their leaving cannot be described as a loss to the PDP, so to say! They were excess baggage waiting to be shed.

“We also take cognisance  of the misinformation that our Deputy Governorship Candidate, Hon Festus Olanrewaju Akingbaso has resigned his membership of the Party and position as one their infantile conjectures.

“Of course they are welcome to their delirious assumptions. However for the avoidance of any doubt, our gubernatorial ticket remains solid, prepared and primed to claim victory in governorship election holding on the 16th of November.

“We also note that Chief Sola Ebiseni who decamped from the Labour Party to contest for the ticket of our Party during the primary elections have now returned to his vomit, of course he is welcome to that.

“Fact of the matter is that he joined us primarily because he had no faith in the strength and clout of that Party to win election in the very first instance, now that he has returned to his Labour Party, and the gubernatorial ticket has been handed over to him and his wayfarer, it is hereby underscored that the Labour Party is not grounded and/or possess any strength to make any effect in the Election.

“We therefore wish to assure the public, our supporters and sympathisers that our preparation to win the election is undisturbed  by the actions of these few people and our commitment to win the election and re-birth a new Ondo State where the welfare of the people will be the commanding prerogative of the PDP administration, will become manifest by the grace of God and support of the people.”

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