Impeachment: Ondo Assembly Denies Knowledge On APC Reconciliation Committee, Says Action Continues

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October 9, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo State House of Assembly has dissociated itself from the reconciliatory move by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the ongoing move to impeach the deputy governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

National chairman of the APC, Alhaji Ganduje had constituted a committee to wade into the crisis which led to the impeachment move and reconcile warring factions.

Also last week, Aiyedatiwa, through his lawyer had requested for definite adjournment if the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja to allow the committee carry out its assignment.

However, Counsel to the state assembly, Femi Emodamori, reacting through a statement on Monday in Akure maintained that “the State House of Assembly was not privy to it, since media reports state that the Committee is to reconcile the Ondo State Governor and his Deputy, whereas impeachment is a pure legislative proceedings.

“In any event, I submitted further, Ondo State House of Assembly comprises members from different political parties, and not just APC.”

The statement added “I have read some grossly distorted and tendencious online reports about the proceedings of the Federal High Court, Abuja today 9th October, 2023 in the case instituted by the Ondo State Deputy Governor to stop his impeachment.

“Because of the huge public interest in the case, I feel obliged to correct the distortions.

“The respected learned Counsel for the Plaintiff had urged the Court to adjourn the case sine die (indefinitely) on two grounds.

“His first ground was that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had set up a Reconciliation Committee to look into some of the issues, and that there was need for the Court to also promote reconciliation by adjourning indefinitely.

“His second ground was that the Ondo State House of Assembly (my Client) had written a petition to NJC against the Judge, signifying loss or lack of confidence in his lordship, consequent upon which the Judge ought to adjourn indefinitely to await the determination of NJC.

“The Counsel alleged that the House used derogatory words against the Judge in the Petition.

“In response, I submitted on behalf of my Client, just like all the other respected Counsel for the other Defendants in the case, that we had actually prevailed on our Client to withdraw the Petition, and the Petition had been withdrawn on Friday 6th October, 2023; in which case, it cannot be used as an excuse to seek an indefinite adjournment.

“I fully apologized to the Court for any wrong choice of words in the Petition, which was authored and signed by my Client.

“Again, we submitted that based on Section 188 (1)-(9) of the Constitution, every stage in the impeachment process is time bound, and that adjourning the case indefinitely with an ex parte order in place would amount to an invitation to constitutional anarchy.

“Based on various submissions of Counsel, His lordship agreed that the issue of jurisdiction must first be decided. His lordship refused the application to adjourned sine die, and instead adjourned the case till 16th October for applications challenging the Court’s jurisdiction to be heard and determined.

“Interestingly, it was in the open Court today that the Claimant served my client (the State House of Assembly) the Originating Summons filed as far back as 21st September, 2024 and the ex parte order made by the Court as far back as 26th October, 2023, thereby confirming my repeated public assertions that my Client was never served any of those processes.”

Interior Minister, Tunji Ojo Says Home Delivery Of International Passport To Commence In 2024

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Akinwale Kasali

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October 9, 2023

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By Akinwale Kasali

Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Minister of Interior, has promised Nigerians that their International Passports will be delivered at their homes, offices and locations of their choice starting from February 2024.

The Minister made this disclosure at the opening ceremony of the International Week of the University Of Lagos, titled, ‘Breaking the Borders of Partnership”.

Tunji Ojo added that from January next year, Nigerians would be able to complete the application process online.

In his words, “ We have commenced the automation of our end-to-end passport application process, and we have given a timeline from which Nigerians will begin to experience the “sweet experience.”

“By implication, Nigerians will not need to wait longer than two weeks before they get their passport. By January next year, Nigerians will be able to complete this application process online, and by February next year, with collaboration and partnership with other relevant stakeholders, Nigerians will have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, and other locations of their choice.

“This, of course, would be extended to our visa application process. We are deploying technology throughout the entire process to make it as seamless as possible.

“To achieve this, we have set everything into motion to open 12 more visa application centres across the world. In this regard, we are also working on strengthening our visa-on-arrival policy. We are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enforce the principle of reciprocity, and a committee has been set up in the ministry to achieve this.”

The Minister lamented that there was a duplication of registration of identity numbers country including the, Bank Verification Number, BVN in the bank, the international passport, the National Identification Number, NIN, and SIM card registration by telecommunication companies.

He however revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had given the directive for the harmonisation of the various identity numbers in the country.

He added that the integrity of travel documents would be restored through the harmonisation of data.

“Identity is who we are, what we are, and what we live for. But today, what we have is a duplication of our registration. We have the BVN in the bank, the international passport, the NIN, SIM card registration by telecos, and so on, all of which request your data. The integrity of our travel documents must be restored through the harmonisation of our data.

“We have the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, to harmonise the country’s database. When we harmonise our data, there will be an exchange amongst agencies such that when our people need data for passport and visa applications, or BVN, with their NIN, their data can be pulled out. This will not only save us stress, cost, and energy but also help us optimise our processes and the country’s security architecture.”

Ekiti: Councillors Suspend LG Chairman For Assaulting Deputy Governor

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Ayodele Oni

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October 9, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

For assaulting the Deputy Governor of Ekiti state, Mrs Monisade Afuye during last Saturday’s party’s primary to pick candidates for the Local Government Election, a Local Government Chairman has been suspended.

The Legislative arm of Ikere-Ekiti Local Government approved an indefinite suspension of the Council’s Chairman, Oluwafemi Ayodele over gross misconduct and abuse of office.

In a letter, which was duly signed by nine out of the eleven Councillors, it was alleged that the Chairman verbally attacked the Deputy Governor, and desecrated the institution of office of the Governor of Ekiti state.

Part of the letter reads, “We, the undersigned Councillors have suspended you indefinitely as Local Government Chairman of Ikere Local Government for gross misconduct and abuse of office.

“We have sought the concurrence and superior authority of the House of Assembly to uphold our decision.

“Among the other misconduct and abuse of office was your video that you made to castigate the personality of the State Deputy Governor, Chief(Mrs) Monisade Afuye and desecration of institution of office of the Governor of Ekiti State. You posted a video which went viral and still trending as we write.”

The Councillors stated further that it becomes necessary to suspend the Chairman as a proactive step to prevent those who are poised for war in defence of the Deputy Governor not to take laws into their hands by resulting to self-help.

“We hereby notify you of your indefinite suspension with immediate effect to prevent those who are poised for war in defence of the Deputy Governor not to take laws into their hands by resulting to self-help”

Shock, Disbelief In Owerri North Over Gruesome Murder Of Rtd Bank Manager, Wife

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The Source

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October 9, 2023

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By Charles Igbo

The serene community of Emeohe Mbaoma Emii, in the Owerri North LGA is gripped in shock and disbelief, over the gruesome recent murder of two of their own – Mr Anyasodor and his wife.

It was a murder so grisly, so gruesome, so cruel, so terrifying. They were murdered in their home.

While Mr Anyasodor, reportedly, a retired bank Manager, was murdered in his living room, and his body burnt beyond recognition, his wife was butchered in her bedroom, on her bed.

The Anyasodors were, reportedly, murdered by yet-to-be identified assailants on the night of a wake-keep near their home. They were not present at the wake-keep, or, if they were, both husband and wife had left, and gone to bed when their killers came calling.

What surprised most people was that whoever persons killed them did so quietly. They were not in a hurry too. There was no noise, no shoutings, no screams, from the Anyasodor home. Otherwise, such could have attracted the attention of those at the wake-keep.

It was either they met Mr Anyasodor in the living room and killed him, or they dragged him out from the bedroom, killed him in the living room, and burnt his body there. As for the wife, she was slaughtered while she was still lying down on the bed.

Nobody can quite explain why husband and wife were so brutally murdered, or why Mr Anyasodor’s body was burnt. But a speculation, not confirmed, is rife.

Even though all the children of the Anyasodors are, reportedly abroad, the speculation is that one of their sons was, allegedly, involved in an unwholesome business with some people who he cheated out, allegedly, of the proceeds.

To get even with him, the “business partners”, allegedly, went after his parents.

As the bodies of the Anyasodors were being evacuated from their once loving, but now desecrated and violated home, villagers, including relations, watched in disbelief and shock.

Neither the family nor the Police has issued any statement on the double, gruesome, murder.

CBN: eNaira Portends No Risk To Nigeria’s Financial Stability

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Tosin Olatokunbo

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October 9, 2023

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The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has denied a report that the country’s Central Bank Digital Currency, CBDC, otherwise known as the eNaira, is a threat to the nation’s financial stability.

The apex bank in a statement signed by its spokesman, sa AbdulMumin, stated that the peddlers of such reports lack understanding of how successful the CBDC has narrowed the country’s financial inclusion gap.

The CBN said the rebuttal is necessary to set the record straight, even though it does not usually join issues on “news commentary.”

The statement said: “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to news items on some media platforms – traditional and social – suggesting that the country’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the eNaira, is a threat to the nation’s financial stability.

“After reviewing the reports, which appear to have been syndicated, there seems to be a lack of understanding of portions of the Foreword, and some articles, in the bank’s recently released Economics of Digital Currencies: A Book of Readings.

“A recurring theme in the book is the interest of regulators, such as the CBN, in the role of cryptocurrencies as speculative investments, and the potential threat they harbour for financial stability.

“ Pursuant to that, the articles in the book provide an in-depth understanding of CBDCs generally and the workings of the eNaira in particular, highlighting issues and challenges in implementation and adoption.

“One of the media reports speaks of “concerns about Nigeria’s central bank digital currency, eNaira, indicating potential risks to financial stability despite its success in narrowing the country’s financial inclusion gap.”

“The nexus implied is unconvincing. In the ordinary course of things, the CBN does not join issues on news commentary; however, we are constrained to clarify the reports to ensure that misunderstandings are not fostered.

“The eNaira structure continues to evolve and undergo modifications targeted at improving the user experience across all interfaces. We encourage Nigerians to embrace the technology for, amongst other things, greater financial inclusion,” the apex bank said.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari, on October 10, 2021, launched the eNaira saying the digital currency has placed Nigeria on global focus.

President Tinubu Appoints New Members Of Media Team, Among Them, Fela Durotoye, Presidential Aspirant

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Ayodele Oni

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October 9, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new members to further boost his media team.

The new appointees, that were unveiled on Monday in Abuja by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale are to serve in the Office of the President under the Media & Publicity Directorate.

The statement added that the appointments are in compliance with full respect for the tenets of Nigeria’s federal character principle and the supremacy of merit:

They are Mr. Fela Durotoye, former presidential aspirant, now Senior Special Assistant to the President, National Values & Social Justice;

Fredrick Nwabufo, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Public Engagement and Mrs. Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Strategic Communications.

Others are Aliyu Audu , Special Assistant to the President, Public Affairs; Francis Adah Abah, Personal Assistant to the President, Special Duties.

President Tinubu has further approved the secondment of Mrs. Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe to serve as the Communications Adviser to the President on the ECOWAS Commission.

The President tasks the new appointees who are serving in the Media & Publicity directorate to uphold the highest standards of decorum and decency in their engagements with members of the public as they advance the President’s determined bid to renew the hope of Nigerians in a restructured economy and unified society that caters sufficiently to the needs of all, regardless of any differences.

Miyetti Allah Says Wike Drinks “Ogogoro” Before Going To Office

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Ayodele Oni

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October 9, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

Miyetti Allah has said that the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, drinks “ogogoro” (an alcoholic beverage) before he goes to work.

Miyeti Allah said this in reaction to the threat by Wike to ban the movement of cows in the Federal Capital.

The National Secretary of the body, Saleh Alhassan Kubah told Wike that his threat to ban cattle movement in the FCT is inconsequential and added that Wike must find a way for the cows as most of the cattle belong to the elite.

Miyetti Allah’s statement reads: “Where is the grazing land in Abuja? Is it inside the buildings they will graze? The thing is, Wike is not consequential. We have seen Ortom come and go.

“So we don’t want to engage Wike, who has to take ‘Ogogoro’ [Alcoholic drink] before he goes to the office every morning.

“You’ve not heard it before? He said it himself. Let him deliver services in the FCT. We are waiting to see the good work he will do. You know he’s working for our party, so I can’t criticize him.

“He’s our minister. So I don’t want to start fighting our minister. It’s not consequential because there’s no grazing area in Abuja.

“All those cattle you see there belong to the elite there, so he’ll find a way for them. Wike doesn’t merit our responses. Let him deal with the massive abandoned buildings.

“Let him collect tax from all those houses nobody is occupying. Let him develop the city. Let him take care of the indigenous people that have been neglected, the Gwari people.

“He’s from Port Harcourt, an Ikwerre man. He knows how they behave in Port Harcourt. If the Gwari people give him 10 per cent of how Ikwerre people behave in Port Harcourt, he will know how to deal with them. Let him develop the rural areas, and the satellite towns and give them amenities. Power is transient.

”No matter how it is, he will leave very soon. We can’t engage him. He can’t get new information from us. He’s an attention seeker. Is there any grazing land around the Villa?

“Or, is it the sight of cows that people don’t want to see? Are cows not the beauty of the Northern geography? You want to eat cows, but you don’t want to see them; is it not contradictory?

“If there are no cows in the northern geography, what you will be seeing is a crisis caused by the spirits of the land. The land won’t be stable, because the cows need to move for the spirits to be happy. It is their environment.

“He can’t chase the cows away. Who will chase the cows away in the northern territory? Nobody can chase them. We’re going nowhere.

“Let him revoke the lands in the FCT; why is he giving them more time? I thought he would just revoke them at once.

“In the Abuja development plan, there’s no grazing area in the FCT or AMAC area council. Let him handle the issues of insecurity in Abuja. We’re not and will never be his problem.”

Group Opposes Planned Appointment Of EFCC Former Secretary, Olukoyede As Substantive Chairman

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Ayodele Oni

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October 9, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

Opposition has risen against alleged planned move by President Bola Tinubu to appoint a former Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede as substantive chairman of the anti graft agency.

Olukoyede had served as Secretary of the Commission while Ibrahim Magu was Chairman.

A group, the Alliance for Good Governance and Due Process, said that apart from the fact that his appointment will be against the law establishing the commission, he was among those indicted by the Justice Ayo Salami investigative panel.

The group, on Monday in Abuja, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mr. Ayelabola Hussain, said the alleged nomination, if it was true, would be a serious violation of the EFCC Act which was specific about the qualities and qualifications of persons that should be the chairman of such an important commission.

Hussain noted that, nothing should be done to turn the EFCC into a lame duck commission just because some powerful forces would prefer an unqualified person to run its affairs.

“We have watched closely and monitored some of the decisions taken by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since his inauguration on May 29, 2023.

“While we have, in the past, commended the President for some of the policy initiatives, we find it curious that some news organisations published a story that the President was planning to nominate a one-time Secretary of the EFCC, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, as the chairman of the anti-graft agency.

“To us, this is a shocking development that must be addressed because we have struggled to understand what qualifies Olukoyede for such an exalted office. To be sincere, we have found none. This is, to say the least, a rude joke.

“Besides, the rumour mill is agog with the story of how Olukoyede contracted a Senior Pastor in one of the leading Pentecostal churches in Nigeria to put in a word for him at The Presidency so that he could be appointed to head the anti-agency.

“Is this right? How can The Presidency justify appointing someone who still has a pending case of corruption and who is still under investigation as head of an anti-corruption agency? In any case, the EFCC Act is clear about who is qualified to be the Chairman of the commission.

“The questions are many. In what way is Olukoyede qualified to be so nominated if true? What happens to the pending cases against him even as Secretary of the EFCC under the leadership of Ibrahim Magu? Was Olukoyede exonerated by the Justice Ayo Salami Investigative Panel of the EFCC? If so, where is the report of that panel?

“By the way, it is public knowledge that Olukoyede’s account is still under investigation and frozen. So why is he in hurry to go back to the EFCC? Is there something we don’t know? Does a man with such a huge baggage deserve to be rewarded with the Chairman of the EFCC?”

Movement Of Cows In FCT: Miyetti Allah Dares Wike, Dismisses Him As Inconsequential, Says Elites Behind Herdsmen

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Ayodele Oni

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October 9, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

Miyetti Allah has reacted to the threat by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike’s threat to ban the movement of cows in the federal capital.

The National Secretary of the body, Saleh Alhassan Kubah, challenged Wike, that his threat is inconsequential adding that Wike must find a way for the cows as most of the cattle belong to the elite.

Miyetti Allah statement reads, “Where is the grazing land in Abuja? Is it inside the buildings they will graze? The thing is, Wike is not consequential. We have seen Ortom come and go.