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Approval Of Olubadan Designate: No Cause For Alarm – Oyo State Government

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The Oyo State Government has implored the people of the State to remain calm, thus, allaying fears of residents of Ibadan following the delay by  Government on the approval of the Olubadan designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin.

Olakulehin was nominated by the Olubadan-In-Council weeks back, but State  Governor, Seyi Makinde is yet to approve the nomination, prompting residents to raise alarm.

But Olusegun Olayiwola, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters said the delay in the approval was due to administrative issues that will be addressed soon.

Allaying the fears of the people, the Commissioner said: “The process of coronating an Oba is not something one should toy with. And this is a Paramount Ruler, he is an Imperial Majesty and we need to follow due process.

“There are several things we have to look into. There are some administrative works that we have to take into consideration. But, I can assure you that not too long, you are going to hear from us, not too long.”

“We Are Not Conducting Any Verifications, Exercise Meant For Appointments And Promotion ” – Abia Govt

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Alex Otti

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Abia State Government has rejected claims that it has embarked on an another round of verification exercise of the state’s workforce.

It insisted that its directives for workers to upload their personal details online is only meant to avail itself of adequate information needed for appointments and promotions exercise within the civil service.

The Source reports that controversy, condemnation and outright rejection  had trailed and continued to dog an earlier directives from the office of the State’s Head of Service last week for workers to submit themselves to online verification exercise effective from May 10 to May 31.

The directive instantly drew the ire of not a few workers ,with their umbrella body, the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Abia State Chapter calling its members at the Ministries, MDAs and 17 Local Councils of the State to shun the proposed exercise.

The verification directives also had  drawn flakes from the wider society ,with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP describing it as dehumanizing and smacking of gross insensitive to the plight of the workers amidst the biting economic situation in the country.

But rising from its Executive Council meeting on Monday May 13 ,the Abia State Government expressed surprise that the NLC could make wrong imputations in to its well intentioned directive for workers to provide their personal resume for administrative purposes.

The State Commissioner of Information, Prince Okey Kalu, while addressing the Media after an Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, said what the Government has called for is only the uploading of credentials and not a full scale verification, as alleged by the Abia NLC leadership.

“Government is not embarking on any verification ,rather what is going on is that workers have been asked to upload their credentials online.

“And like they say, there is no smoke without fire. The Government had planned to make certain appointments from within the civil service and when the files of senior civil servants were brought forward ,it was discovered that there were no papers ( necessary documents )in those files. There were questions as regards the credentials with which these civil servants have been working with .

“On what basis were they employed ? On what  basis have they been promoted over the years ? Questions and more questions.

“It got to the point that the State Government decided on a Show-your-credentials exercise. But just to make it easy for workers, ,so that nobody congregates to do all that ,the Government directed that the upload of the credentials be carried out online.

“So that is not a verification exercise.But suffice it to say that asking workers not to embark on that exercise without interfacing and finding out what exactly is the issue is not fair to the state Government.

“Recall too that over the weekend,the NULGE Secretary issued a letter to that effect ( that local government workers should not adhere to the Government directives) .

“So we are using this opportunity to disabuse the minds of civil servants and members of the public who may have been misled by the false alarm and wrong narrative by the Abia state Chapter of NLC “the information Commissioner stated .

“Further speaking, Prince Kalu ,also described as unfair ,the decision by the Abia state Chapter of the National Union Pensioners NUP to deny entering in to an agreement with the State Government over the modalities for the recently paid pensions arrears in the state .

“The NUP Abia Chapter at the weekend issued a statement to the effect that their Executives did not represent them well during the discussions and subsequent agreement that led to the payments of their outstanding pensions in the state.

“It is not funny that the complaint is coming after the pensioners had received payments for their pensions .They embarked on a unilateral action and decided to write a public letter to the Government without first seeking clarifications from the Government officials concerned .

“That is not the right way to go about it.Not with a Government that means well for workers .A Government that has paid Abia pensioners their outstanding pensions with some dating back to 2014 .A Government that promised to pay pensioners their full monthly pensions going forward and has fulfilled that promise in the month of April and is poised to sustain the payments going forward..

“A Government that has come to your rescue after being owed several years of pensions . That is not the way to show gratitude” Prince Kalu noted

Hardship: Mass Protest Imminent This Year, Primate Ayodele Warns Tinubu

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Primate Elijah Ayodele

Amidst the current economic crisis in the country a popular Christian cleric Primate Elijah Ayodele has warned of a mass protest by Nigerians.

The cleric in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, on Monday, said such protest is imminent this year due to what Nigerians are currently going through.

The federal government should watch out, Elijah said, because the protest would be similar to the EndSars protest in 2020, where youths across the country moved to the streets to express their anger against Police brutality and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ayodele’s prediction comes on the heels of the picketing of Discos and the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission,  NERC, offices across the country on Monday by the Nigerian Labour Congress,  NLC and Trade Union Congress,  TUC in protest of higher electricity tariff.

The federal government had recently hiked the tariff to the anger of not a few Nigerians.

According to Ayodele, the coming protest will involve many Nigerians and will be “terrible”, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do everything to avert it.

The administration can only achieve this, he said, by addressing “the economic hardship now”.

He said: “I see another massive protest that will affect every quarter if there is no improvement by August-September, it will be terrible.

‘’President Tinubu should address the economic hardship now, he should also improve on electricity because if there is no adequate power supply, it will affect the economy badly. They should declare a state of emergency on electricity because nothing is improving. This aspect will affect the Nigerian economy.

‘’The government should also improve on agriculture to prevent hardship that is uncalled for. There is a lot to do to bring the price of food commodities down, if you don’t do it now there will be a massive protest. All these propaganda will not help, let them face reality.’’

Since the beginning of the year, pockets of protests have been held by Nigerians across major state capitals in the country, including the hijack of trucks carrying foods and other household goods by some hungry protesters.

The government has so far been able to quell such protests through the police and other security agencies.

CBN: Cardoso Insists On High Interest Rates Ahead MPC

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Yemi Cardoso - CBN Governor

Nigeria’s Central Bank governor, Yemi Cardoso has promised that the interest rate will remain high until inflation comes down in the country.

The CBN boss made the remark during an interview with the Financial Times on Monday.

According to checks form the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics Nigeria’s headline inflation rate increased to 33.20 per cent in March 2024, up from 31.7 per cent in February 2024.

This represents a month-by-month increase of 1.5 per cent points in the headline inflation rate, according to NBS report.

Further checks indicate that food inflation rose to 40 percent in March, compared to the 24.45 percent rate recorded in the same period in 2023.

Cardoso said the Monetary Policy Meeting, MPC, coming up later this month will ensure everything is done to rein in inflation until “inflation comes down”.

Cardoso said, “They will continue to do what has to be done to ensure that inflation comes down.

“Let’s face it: for a long period of time, the CBN did not embrace orthodox monetary policies.

“We want to go back to using an orthodox method, and it will take us to where we want to go.

Cardoso said the apex bank had been “reoriented” to focus on “price and monetary stability”.

Recall that the MPC raised the benchmark interest rate by 200 basis points to 24.75 percent in march from 22.75 percent in February.

The Cardsos-led CB is likely to continue in the same trajectory in April, as part of its monetary control measures to tackle inflation keen financial told the magazine on Tuesday, adding that the action may not necessarily incentivise  investors.

Rivers Of Crisis: Fubara Goes For Broke; Orders Justice Commissioner To Probe Wike

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Governor Simi Fubara is going for broke in the struggle for the control of the oil rich state between him and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

On Monday, Governor Fubara signaled that he’s not prepared to back down in the current battle with Wike following the set up of a probe panel to investigate the administration of the immediate past governor of the state, now Minister OF the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

The governor gave the indication while swearing in Dagogo Israel Iboroma, a senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, as the new Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state.

Addressing the new commissioner, the governor said he believed that Iboroma would serve the interest of the state, and would not work against it by filing a “nolle prosequi,” where the interest of the state in concerned.

Fubara remarked: “Why are we bringing you at this very critical time? We have a lot of issues around us. We believe that you are not going to be the one who, when they send service to you, goes and files “nolle prosequi,” or one thing that would kill us here.

“Let me also say this: you have a big task. We will be setting up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the affairs of governance. So, brace up; I am not going back on it.

“Please defend us. We know that you are going to defend us because your record is clean. You are a gentleman who is peaceful. You are not a noise-maker. People like you are endowed, and they have the fear of God.”

The governor’s remark is coming amidst the worsening trend in the battle for control between him and the minister.

The political crisis in the state took turn for the worst last week after some pro- governor lawmakers elected a new Speaker for the state House of Assembly.

Their action followed the threat by 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the Assembly to impeach the governor over his refusal to sign the 2024 Budget.

The governor has since signed an Executive Order moving the sitting of the House to the government House where lawmakers loyal to him are now sitting to continue their business of lawmaker for the restive state.

The pro-Fubara lawmakers led by new Speaker Victor Oko Jumbo had earlier cleared the new commissioner before he was sworn-in yesterday by the governor.

Meanwhile, those monitoring what is happening in the troubled state insist that the governor is the biggest beneficiary of Wike’s administration, probing his predecessor they said, is like probing himself.

Recall that Fubara rode on the back of Wike to office last year, but has since turned against the minister over irreconcilable difference.

“We Will Not Allow Herdsmen Take Over Our State” – Enugu In Diaspora Give Govt. 72 Hours  To Reverse Grazing Bill

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Enugu State indigenes in the diaspora ,under the  aegis of Concerned Patriotic Enugu Indigenes, CPEIID, has  given the Enugu State House of Assembly, a-72 hour ultimatum to reverse the Grazing Bill recently passed by the legislative body.

This is even as it has called on the Enugu State Government to take immediate steps to compensate the indigenes who have suffered varying degrees of losses on their farmlands owing to the destructive activities of Fulani herdsmen .

The Enugu Diaspora group in a letter captioned “Condemnation Of The Secretly Passed Grazing Bill And Demand For Immediate Reversal” and signed by its Leader Walter Chinedu, Secretary Urama Vincent and other executive members, made available to the Media on Monday, May 13 2024, said the Bill is in bad test and totally inimical to the interests of the good people of Enugu state .

The Source reports that early last week, Enugu State Legislators passed a bill seeking to establish an Agency by the State Government to regulate and control the activities of both herders and farmers in the state .

The State Lawmakers had argued that the Bill, when operational, has the potentials to halt the incessant farmers/herders clashes and enthrone a regime of peace in Enugu State.

They had also cautioned against any acts capable of discouraging outsiders from investing, and/or conducting their legitimate business activities in the state.

This is even as the legislative body also called on the indigenes of the State  to be accommodating, insisting that the herders have come to stay in Enugu State.

However, the Enugu Diaspora Group in its letter, May 11, 2024, while expressing deep reservations and concern over the Bill ,regretted that such a sensitive piece of legislation was passed without any public inputs .

Lamented the Group:

“This Bill which was passed without public inputs or debates , allows for the establishment of grazing lands by the Enugu State Government for AK 47 riffles-carrying Terrorist Fulani herders ,which has far reaching and devastating implications for our communities and state .

“The secret passage of this bill is a clear violation of our rights as citizens of Enugu state and a betrayal of the trust we have placed on our elected representatives .

“It is a clear example of the Government’s failures to prioritize the needs and interests of its people.

“The implications of this bill are severe and far reaching . It will lead to continuous massacre of our people,displacement of  our people,the destruction of our crops and properties and the continuous erosion our cultural heritage.

“It will also continue to perpetuate the criminal activities of Fulani herdsmen ,who have consistently shown disregard for the law and rights of our indigenous people and communities .

“We believe that the bill will have numerous negative implications including ,increased Instances of violence and insecurity ,particularly concerning the ongoing attacks by criminal herdsmen in our different communities ,displacement of indigenous communities and the subsequent loss of livelihoods,culture and heritage .

“We fear escalation of tensions, between communities and external groups,undermining of the social fabrics our state and the potentials for exacerbating  environmental degradation and negative impacts on agricultural activities and further endangering our food security.

“We have seen the negative impacts of similar ranches inBenue ,Plateau ,kaduna ,and other Nigerian states where thousands of indigenous communities have been displaced and forced in to IDP camps ,without being protected by the security forces .

“The experiences of these states serve as a stark warning of the dangers of allowing foreign herdsmen to take over our lands and displace our people. We can not allow Enugu state to suffer the same fate ” part of the letter reads.

Governor Fubara To Wike: “Continue To Make Mistakes

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Siminalayi Fubara - Governor of Rivers State

By Adesina Soyooye

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged his predecessor in office, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory to “continue to make mistakes.”

The Governor was apparently responding to Wike’s apologies to Rivers State people on Sunday that he made a mistake in picking and presenting Fubara to them as his successor. After the apology, Wike assured the people that he would correct the mistake at the appropriate time.

But in a response to Wike on Monday, while swearing in his new Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Fubara said whether Wike made a mistake or not, the fact is: “I am here today as the Governor.” He then wished Wike to continue to make mistakes.

The Governor also had a response to the claim by the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice that the Governor could have been a level 14 officer in the Civil Service but for Wike. He said that it was Wike who promoted Fubara from being a DFA, Permanent Secretary, State Accountant General to a Governor.

But Fubara dismissed the former Commissioner as one serving his master and so, talking nonsense and carelessly to please his master.

He said he was the Chief Accountant of Rivers State  on Level 13 in 2010. “If in 2010 I was the Chief Accountant of the State on level 13, where would I have been in 2023?”

The Governor, also, noted that he is the only Governor in Nigeria who takes insults from even a Local Government Chairman and keeps quiet. ” I do that because I don’t want to reduce myself to their level. I wish them well.”

State of the Nation: Obi visits Atiku, Saraki,  Lamido in Abuja

By
The Source
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Peter Obi visits Atiku Abubakar

The 2023 Presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has continued to live up to his expressed commitment to the peace and progress of the nation.  His abiding devotion is to the emergence of a Nigeria that works for all its peoples and where  the people are quickly pulled out of poverty.

Worried about the state of the nation and the increasing uncertainty in the living conditions of the poor and underprivileged,  Obi ,in Abuja on Monday, visited some top Nigerians, among whom are former Vice President, and PDP Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar,  former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and former Governor of Jigawa state, Alhaji Sule Lamido.

At the center of discussion during each of these visits was the state of the nation and how to reduce the suffering of all Nigerians irrespective of class and location. In particular, the desperate condition of the downtrodden in our midst was highlighted.

Of particular interest and emphasis in these discussions was the worrisome situation in the Northern parts of the country.

IPAC Inputs Into Constitution Review: LG Autonomy, High Nomination Fees By Political Parties

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

National Chairman, Inter- Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and National Chairman for Allied People’s Movement (APM), Yusuf  Dantalle  has announced that IPAC has set up Constitution and Electoral Act Amendments Committee that will recommend aspects of the laws that need to be reviewed, and presented to the National Assembly for consideration.

The IPAC chairman spoke in Abuja on Monday during an interactive session with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the forthcoming Edo and Ondo states governorship polls.

He stated that “Local Government autonomy is essential for the survival of democracy in Nigeria as politics is local.

“Citizens must be encouraged to actively participate in grassroots politics that guarantees free and transparent polls.

“The question is, How far have we gone in deepening/strengthening democracy in Nigeria. It is food for thought and calls for sober reflection in the quest for a strong, united, progressive, equitable and just democratic nation.

“Our hard earned democracy must be sustained. It should not be allowed to derail by the activities of anti-democratic and reactionary forces.

“The high expression of interest and nomination fees charged by some political parties should be reviewed despite being internal affairs of the parties.

“IPAC will continue to engage party leaders on this among; others that will curb imposition of candidates and boost internal democracy as we strive to make Nigeria better.”

Dantalle called on INEC, leaders of Political Parties, civil society organizations, security agencies, Judiciary, the media and citizens to be firm and decisive in protecting the nation’s democracy and forestall political upheavals as we currently have in some parts of the country.

He noted further that “this month, specifically 29th May, 2024 marks the One Year anniversary of the current elected officers, 25 years of uninterrupted democracy since the restoration of civil rule on 29th May, 1999.

“Sixty four Years of Political Independence and One Hundred and One Years of the formation of a Political party.

“We condemn in strong terms politics of bitterness, do-or-die politics and divisive politics that have tendencies of undermining our emerging democracy.

“It is unacceptable! Politicians must abide by democratic ideals, ethics and ethos, and desist from inflammatory utterances and actions that could impede our constitutional government.

“More importantly, political parties must adhere strictly by their constitutions in conducting congresses, primaries and conventions.

“The need to restore annual grant to political parties that was expunged from the constitution by the National Assembly, cannot be overemphasized.

“Frequent cross carpeting by national and state legislators is inimical to sustainable democracy. It is the remote cause of crisis in political parties and State Houses of Assembly, particularly when legislators decamp with impunity without cogent reasons. This must stop.

“Electoral Offences Commission is critical in the effort to sanitize our electoral process. The rate of electoral offences is alarming. It builds distrust and questions the integrity of elections.. Offenders must be duly punished to serve as a deterrence to others.

All eyes are on INEC to conduct free, fair, credible, acceptable and inclusive elections. With adequate preparation, functional BVAS and capacity to upload results in real time on its IReV portals, Nigerians will once more have confidence in the electoral system where every vote will be counted and count in the overall result.

IPAC Chairman stressed that leaders of political parties must live by example in deepening democracy by ensuring an environment conducive for successful elections, political stability and peaceful electoral process in Nigeria.

“It is one way of restoring trust and confidence in the electoral system which will bolster voters turnout in elections.

“We are deeply concerned by the low voters turnout in recent years particularly in the 2023 general election. It calls for concerted effort by all stakeholders in the electoral process.

“For democracy to succeed, it is very important that eligible citizens are active participants. It is obvious that your vote is your voice; for your voice to be heard you must register to vote.

“Effective voter register ensures that citizens’ right to vote is protected. It is imperative that INEC maintains updated Register of Voters in real time.”

Ahead of the forthcoming Edo and Ondo States governorship elections, he said “it is important that voters in the two states are massively mobilized to register and participate in the polls.

“As the umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria, IPAC will spearhead this crucial exercise in collaboration with INEC.

“In previous elections, Council would move to various states, sensitize and mobilize the people on upcoming polls, called for non-violence and urge them to shun vote buying and selling, etc with the limited funds at its disposal.

“With the lowest voters turnout in the 2023 general election, so much needs to be done. It is on record that the 2003 general election had the highest voters turnout because INEC released funds in 2002 to political parties to engage in voter education, sensitisation and mobilisation to register and participate in the elections.

Police Move To Unravel Death Of A Customs Officer, Alleged To Have Committed Suicid€ In Kano

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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0

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Kano State Police Command has moved to  unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of a Senior Customs Officer. He died  in Kano last week.

The Source reports that on Monday May 6, 2024, Abdullahi Abdulwahab Magaji CSC, reportedly    shot himself at his Farm Centre Quarters Kano home

. His wife, said to have raised the alarm, claimed that her husband shot himself with a pump action riffle, and subsequently  gave up before help could come from the Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital  kano, where he was rushed to.

But the Kano police authorities are not persuaded, by the suicide theory being weaved around the death of the Senior Customs personnel. The State Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Husseini Gumel, has ordered a full scale investigation into the incident.

In a statement issued on Monday, May 13, by the spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the kano State CP, assured that the Police is presently out to unearth the circumstances and details about the sad incident.

“On 6th of May 2024, at about 12 pm, a report was received that a customs officer ,one CSC Abdullahi Abdulwahab Magaji serving in Abuja ,and a resident of Farm Centre Quarters in kano allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself. with a pump Action Gun”

“The Police Statement noted that following the report, a Police team led by Ibrahim Abubakar was dispatched to the scene.

The Kano Police spokesman said that it was based on the report by the crime scene team that the CP ordered for a  full scale investigation into the death of the Custom personnel

The State Police Command according to the statement ,assured the general public that no stone will be left unturned in unmasking the circumstances surrounding the incident, adding that the public will also be availed of the outcome of the investigation.

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