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NGF Set To Induct New Members, Plans Week-long Programme

May 13, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, (NGF) has scheduled a week long programme of activities to receive some new members into its fold.

The programme, which kick-starts on Sunday is expected to feasture among others, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji and his wife, Dr Olayemi who will be attending the induction programme for newly elected and returning governors, as well as their spouses in Abuja.

Special Adviser ( Media) to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode confirmed this in a statement in Ado Ekiti at the weekend.

According to him, the week-long induction programme scheduled to hold between Sunday, May 14th to Wednesday May 17th, is aimed at building the capacity of state Governors to establish, manage and set priorities, using best practices and leveraging on tools of their trade for greater and more effective governance.

According to a release by the NGF, the induction programme is aimed at deepening the knowledge and skills of the governors on the principles of governance, as well as helping them transit from campaigning to governing.

The second part of the induction programme, which is tagged Governors’ Wives Summit, is designed as a forum to strategize on how the activities of the Governors’ spouses can best complement the governors’ roles in promoting good governance.

The programme is also aimed at helping the Governors’ wives transit effectively to their new roles as First Ladies.

Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, a Senior University lecturer until her new role as Ekiti State First Lady, will be attending the second part of the programme billed to hold between Wednesday 19th and Friday 21st, alongside 35 other First Ladies.

Immediate past Governor of the state Dr Kayode Fayemi was chairman of the forum until October last year when his tenure ended.

Veteran Nollywood Actor, Mukaila Adedigba Is Dead

Akinwale Kasali

May 13, 2023

By Akinwale Kasali

The Nigeria Make-believe Industry, popularly known as Nollywood, has been thrown into mourning following the demise of veteran Actor, Mukaila Adedigba, who was best known Sikiru Adeshina.

The actor who was well known in Yoruba Genre of movie was said to have died earlier Saturday, May 13, 2023.

The cause of his death is still sketchy as the time of filing i this report, but the news of his death was announced by a junior colleague in the industry.

Kunle Afod broke the news and made it viral as he took to his social media handle.

He wrote; R.I.P Adedigba, We will surely miss you., We drank from your River of knowledge, we know how, important you are,the sad news this morning really broke my heart @alafinoro1 sun re ooo.

“Another library is burnt down today, A great philosopher, An icon with so much Yoruba knowledge, A lover of God.

@alafinoro1, You departed this sinful world early hour of today, May your gentle soul rest in peace”.

Details of his burial has not been-publicized, but speculations are rife that he will be buried later, same day he died according to Islamic rite.

He will be sorely missed by colleagues in the industry, especially those who drank from his fountain of knowledge.

Oyo Teachers Threaten Boycott Of WAEC Examinations Over Demotion Of Colleagues

Ayodele Oni

May 13, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

The ongoing West African Examinations Council, (WAEC) Senior Secondary School final examination is being threatened in Oyo State by the decision of some teachers to boycott the supervision of the exercise.

The teachers are reported to be protesting the demotion of six of their colleagues over their involvement in examination malpractice during previous examination, which also led to the blacklist of some schools.

The demotion of the affected teachers was announced last week through a letter by the Oyo State Teaching Service Commission, (TESCOM) signed by Orowale M.I. on behalf of the Commission’s Chairman and addressed to the Tutor-General in the Saki Zone of the State.

The Commission claimed that the teachers were demoted for their involvement in examination malpractice during the 2022 Senior School Certificate Examination, (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

According to TESCOM, the decision to demote the affected teachers was a result of the findings of the Panel set up to investigate them adding that the panel found the affected teachers guilty.

The State chapter of the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, (ANCOPSS), has cautioned against the planned action.

A statement by the association explained that, together with the Nigeria Union of Teachers, (NUT), it is already engaging the State Government and WAEC on the issue, and that any negative action at this material time will be counterproductive.

In the letter, titled “‘Boycott Of WAEC Examinations By Teachers ILL Advised – ANCOPPS states that “It has come to the attention of the leadership of ANCOPSS in Oyo State that some of our teachers are planning to boycott the supervision and invigilation of the ongoing West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations.

“The purported planned boycott is said to be hinged on the punishment meted out to teachers who invigilated and supervised the examinations which led to the delisting of those schools, allegedly, involved in examination malpractices.

“The position of ANCOPSS, as the umbrella body of all Principals in Oyo State is that such a boycott or protest at this material time is needless, pointless, and ill-advised.

“The leadership of NUT and ANCOPSS in the state is already engaging the state government and WAEC on the issue, and any negative action at this material time will be counterproductive.

“It must be noted that boycotting the supervision of any external examinations, for which the State Government has invested billions of Naira over the years, will be tantamount to sabotage, negligence, and dereliction of duty with very severe consequences as stated in the extant Public Service Rules.

“We want to implore all Principals to engage their teachers on the futility of such planned protest at this material time while waiting for further instructions from the leadership of NUT and ANCOPSS in the state.

“Consequently, all Principals are hereby directed to issue official letters to their nominated teachers for supervision and keep such letters in their files with the teachers signing for receipt of such letters for record purposes.

“Any teacher who declines such a nomination should be asked to write a formal letter through the Principal, through the Tutor General to the Executive Chairman of Tescom to ask for exemption.

“The Executive Chairman, who is the representative of the Executive Governor is the only person who could grant such exemption. This is the standard procedure.”

Gulf of Guinea: CJN Calls For Cooperation Between Nigeria and Neighbors

James Orji

May 13, 2023

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON has stated that the judiciary has a role to play in all legal forms of fight against piracy, noting that a secured maritime domain was vital to economic development and advancement. The CJN stated this while declaring the 3^rd edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium for Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal and Judges of the Federal High Court, Open in Lagos.

The CJN who was represented at the event by Hon. Justice Musa Dattjo Muhammad, CFR, averred that he was pleased with the 2023 edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium, because it was tailored towards effective and efficient adjudication of cases as well as curbing the menace of piracy within the Gulf of Guinea.

He observed that the Gulf of Guinea was richly endowed, and that it was necessary for key players in the maritime sector to continually engage in constructive discussions to achieve the benefits associated with the maritime industry.

In his words, “The Gulf of Guinea encompasses eight African countries, to wit; Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo. These countries are home to about 4.5 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves and about 2.7 percent of proven natural gas reserve. Two-thirds of these reserves are concentrated within the exclusive economic zone of Nigeria, the center of gravity of the region, whose oil sector accounts for 75 percent of the state’s revenue and about 90 percent of total export. The Gulf of Guinea is richly endowed with vast reserves of hydrocarbon, mineral and fisheries resources, making it a strategic area”.

Speaking further, the CJN said that the workshop was apt, as it would create avenue for capacity building and increased maritime domain awareness. He affirmed his belief that ultimately, participants at the event would be able to drive conversations on how to maximize the benefits of the maritime sector and also generate ideas and strategies necessary for its sustenance and safety. He opined that the colloquium was a proactive measure to further expose judicial Officers to fundamental developments in Maritime Security issues, enabling them to be at par with international relevant laws and policies governing the maritime security sub-sector.

The CJN commended the Management of NIMASA under the stewardship of Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR, for his grit and determination in ensuring that the Agency fulfils its mandate. He noted that under Jamoh, the Agency had recorded notable improvements in maritime security and safety, especially through effective implementation of the Deep Blue Project which has, among other things, led to the impressive decline in piracy and armed robbery on the sea.

“The legal strategies being adopted by Nigeria to combat maritime piracy and armed robbery in the Nigerian waters have not gone unnoticed. This is evident in the creation of the Nigeria’s Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act (SPOMO) 2019. Before the advent of the 2019 Anti-Piracy Act, there were no specific ‘laws to determine the context of piracy in Nigerian waters and legal enforcement in response to maritime insecurity. Thus, the 2019 Anti-Piracy Act is an important step in securing the country’s coastline and seas. It has also ensured an increased level of transparency and accountability in the maritime sector, by strengthening the governing institutions to attract investment capital through implementation of regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian maritime industry. This will encourage foreign investors to have a sense of trust in the Nigerian Maritime industry, which will enhance revenue for the government while ensuring a fair return on investment”, the CJN said.

In his remarks, the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice John T. Tsoho commended the Management of NIMASA for its roles in enhancing the development of maritime law and its knowledge. Justice Tsoho who was represented by Honourable Justice Adekunle Olayinka Faji, noted that since the Federal High Court was the court with primary jurisdiction in maritime matters, Federal High Court would always support relevant legislations that would ensure efficiency and effectiveness in harnessing the gains in the maritime industry.

“The price of peace and freedom is however vigilance. If we are to harness the gains of a secured maritime domain, we must continue to build capacity and fine-tune our laws. It is in this connection that I must state that work has been concluded on the new Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules and the text has been sent for gazetting. It is thus only a matter of days before the new Rules will come into force. The Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) is also at work on the new Admiralty Jurisdiction Act. All these legislative efforts are geared towards enhancing the potentials of our country in the Deep Blue Project and the overall growth of our economy”, he said.

In his opening remarks, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, observed that it was gratifying to note, that the Admiralty Workshop had moved so rapidly that so soon, after a dark period when all discourse centered around insecurity and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, NIMASA and all stakeholders in the maritime industry were today sufficiently emboldened to move the trend of engagement to another level, as the maritime industry gave consideration to the vital issue of harnessing the gains of a secured maritime domain.

Speaking further, Jamoh, who was represented by the NIMASA’s Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Hon. Chudi Offodile, stated that a well-developed blue economy would be strong enough to service Nigeria’s annual budget, because it encompasses all economic activities associated with the oceans and seas. However, he observed that despite these endowments and abundant resources in the nation’s oceans and seas to back her economic diversification and development drive, Nigeria was yet to take full advantage of the emergent ocean economy to expand its revenue base.

According him, “Since the concept of the blue economy began to gain traction decades ago, maritime nations have been harnessing the full benefits of the ocean economy by protecting their oceans and seas, which is why NIMASA is working tirelessly to secure our waters and the Gulf of Guinea. The time has come for us as a nation to build on the successful achievement of security in the Gulf of Guinea and work intentionally to harness the profitability of our maritime space”.

Present at the Colloquium was the Chief of Naval staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Z. Gambo, who was represented by Rear Admiral BJ Gbassa, the Chief Justice of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, Sir Hon. Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, the Chief Justice of Anambra State, Hon. Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, Dr. Emeka Akabogu, Mike Igbokwe, SAN, amongst other Justices and Maritime stakeholders.

Themed, “Beyond Maritime Security Threats In The Gulf of Guinea: Harnessing the Gains of a Secured Maritime Domain”, the 3^rd edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium was organised by NIMASA in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) and the National Judicial Institute (NJI), for Justices of the Supreme Court and Appeal Court and Judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.

Who’s New Twitter Chief Executive

James Orji

May 13, 2023

Linda Yaccarino was raised in an Italian-American family, with a father who was a police officer and a mother who never went to college.

After graduating from Penn State, she worked at Turner Entertainment for 15 years before joining NBCUniversal, where she oversaw roughly 2,000 people, and was involved with the launch of its streaming service.

Her work has been marked by close collaborations with big brands, finding opportunities for product placement and convincing them to advertise alongside television shows – even ones with a reputation for edgy content, such as Sex and the City when it first launched.

She has also built relationships in new media with the likes of Apple News, Snapchat and YouTube.

A 2005 profile in an industry publication portrayed her as a busy, married mother-of-two children, then aged 13 and 9.

“I have absolutely no hobbies,” she said at the time.

Business Insider’s Claire Atkinson has followed Ms Yaccarino’s career for two decades and said her background in advertising could help Twitter, which has seen its ad sales drop sharply since Mr Musk’s takeover.

“If Twitter are looking to monetise better than they have been, then that would be the place to start and Linda would be the ideal person to make that happen,” the chief media correspondent said.

“She’s the kind of person that I can imagine Elon Musk needs,” Ms Atkinson added. “She won’t be rolled over.”

Indeed, her negotiating style within the industry earned her the nickname the “velvet hammer”, according to the Wall Street Journal in 2012.

Ms Yaccarino will face the challenge of running a business that has struggled to be profitable, while facing intense scrutiny over how Twitter handles the spread of misinformation and manages hate speech.

When Mr Musk first started discussing his plans for Twitter last year, he said he wanted to reduce the platform’s reliance on advertising and make changes to the way it moderated content.

He also said he wanted to expand the site’s functions to include payments, encrypted messaging and phone calls, turning it into something he called X.

But Mr Musk courted controversy when he fired thousands of staff upon his takeover, including people who had been tasked with dealing with abusive posts.

He also overhauled the way the service authenticates accounts, charging for blue ticks in a move critics said would facilitate the spread of misinformation.

Some of the changes raised concerns among advertisers, worried about risks to their brands, who subsequently halted spending on the site.

Mr Musk has acknowledged “massive” declines in revenue, though he told the BBC last month that companies were returning.

IMAGE SOURCE

At an advertising conference last month Ms Yaccarino interviewed Mr Musk and pressed him on what he was doing to reassure firms that their brands would not be exposed to risk.

“The people in this room are your accelerated path to profitability,” she said. “But there’s a decent bit of sceptics in the room.”

There has also been some instant scepticism at Ms Yaccarino’s appointment on social media, where many were looking for clues to her politics, which reportedly lean conservative.

Her work for the World Economic Forum, an organisation viewed negatively as “globalist” by those on the right, has not been well-received in some quarters along with her role in a coronavirus vaccination campaign featuring Pope Francis.

Others on the left have questioned her political involvement in a White House sports, fitness and nutrition council under former President Donald Trump.

Mr Musk, who has also put women in senior positions at SpaceX and Tesla, is known to be a notoriously unpredictable and demanding boss.

Even the announcement unfolded in an unusual manner, after media reports sparked by Mr Musk’s post that identified Ms Yaccarino appeared to catch her bosses at NBCUniversal off guard.

As of mid-Friday in the US, Ms Yaccarino had still not commented publicly on the move.

Industry watchers will be curious to see how the relationship develops between the New Yorker and the until now hands-on Mr Musk.

Ms Atkinson said the two Twitter executives would be facing “difficult conversations” about how to handle moderation, especially with the 2024 presidential election approaching in the US.

“How long Linda can last under these tricky management situations is anyone’s guess,” Ms Atkinson said.

BBC

“How A Cough That Looked Harmless Killed My Wife” – Professor Ralph Akinfeleye

Adesina Soyooye

May 13, 2023

By Adesina Soyooye

Renowned Professor of Mass Communication, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, has lamented how his wife died just because of a cough that seemed so ordinary.

Professor Akinfeleye lost his wife of almost 40 years – Chief (Mrs) Carol Anike Akinfeleye – to a brief illness.

Said the devastated Professor: “I’m still in shock because a cough that looked so harmless, and should have been treated with simple medication, landed her in hospital and she never came back alive.”

Continuing his lamentation, he said both of them were busy, excitedly planning, and looking forward to their 40th wedding anniversary, only for death to strike so suddenly.

“We were looking forward, with excitement, to our 40th wedding anniversary in September, as we discussed it daily. Just too bad and painful. But the Lord is on His Throne.

Mrs Akinfeleye, a former School Principal and Director of Education, Lagos State, held the Chieftaincy title of Yeye Gbekonuyi of Idanre Kingdom.

Her funeral ceremonies will be held on June 15 and 16 at Odode, Idanre, Ondo State.

Imo Governorship: Uzodinma Drops Deputy, Professor Placid Njoku

The Source

May 13, 2023

By Charles Igbo

Unless there is a miraculous change in calculations, the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Professor Placid Njoku, will not be on the ballot, alongside Governor Hope Uzodinma on November 11, 2023.

It is the day the Imo Governorship election will take place. But, Professor Njoku will not be Uzodinma’s running mate.

The Governor has set his eyes on another.

Uzodinma not picked anybody yet as Professor Njoku’s replacement. But to beat the dateline of the Independent National Electoral Commission for the submission of names of Candidates for the election, Uzodinma has picked and submitted the name of his Commissioner for Works, Ralph Nwosu, as a “Place Holder.” Meaning that he would be dropped for a substantive running mate.

Nwosu, a strong loyalist of the Governor is from the same Orlu Senatorial Zone as the Governor. They are, also, from the same Local Government Area.

It is not known, yet, why Uzodinma dropped Professor Njoku, an academic and a former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Umuahia, Abia State. Both men enjoy a rosy, cordial, relationship. But there are speculations that the Professor, from Owerri Zone, may have been dropped because of the need for somebody with a better electoral value than him, especially, as the Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Samuel Anyanwu, popular as Samdaddy, is from the same LGA, Ikeduru, as Professor Njoku.

It is still not known from which Senatorial Zone, Uzodinma will pick his running mate. What is known is that his Senatorial Zone, Orlu, is exempted. His choice is limited between Owerri and Okigwe Senatorial Zones.

Not a few people give two reasons why Owerri is likely to carry the day.

Firstly, the Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party, Athan Achonu, is from Okigwe Senatorial Zone. Uzodinma, they say, is not likely to pick his running mate from that Zone, seeing that their votes would likely be seriously divided. The only Zone remaining is Owerri Zone where he has a strong support base even though the PDP Candidate, Anyanwu comes from the Zone.

Secondly, having dropped Professor Njoku, an Owerri Zone son, it will be untidy not to replace him with another Owerri son, a Zone which has been screaming discrimination on the grounds that no Owerri son has, fully, occupied tho office of the Governor since the return of democracy. While the late Chief Evan Enwerem was sacked by the Military, after a little over one year in office, the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was, in 2020, removed by the Supreme Court after eight months in office.

Governor Uzodinma, based on the newly re-signed Imo Charter of Equity which says Owerri Zone will produce his successor, has promised to see that it is implemented.

For now, all eyes are on Uzodinma, to see from where his running mate will come from – Owerri or Okigwe.

Imo Government To Recruit 10,000 Teachers, Says Uzodinma

The Source

May 13, 2023

Governor Hope Uzodimma on Friday hinted that his Government is set to recruit 10,000 teachers for the primary and secondary schools in Imo State.

Also, three brand new General Hospitals located in the oil producing area of Imo State – Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru East- will be commissioned next week while 19 others across the State have been slated for upgrade.

Governor Uzodimma dropped the hint during an Interactive Session with Imo State Elders Council at the Rockview Hotel Owerri.

The elders had invited the Governor to brief them on the state of the State.

The governor commended the Elders for working tirelessly to see that Imo retains its original identity of providing direction and thanked them for their commitment to the progress and development of Imo State.

The Governor reminded the Elders that the reason for the establishment of the Council which is backed by law of Imo State House of Assembly “is to ensure that we have checks and balances in governance so that whoever is in authority will know that people are watching him.”

Informing the Elders of his modest achievements in the past 40 months in office, Sector by Sector, the Governor recalled the strides he made in Civil Service, in road infrastructure, health, education, maritime and other critical areas.

In Education, the Governor announced that he has just approved the recruitment and training of 10,000 Primary and Secondary School Teachers who will be trained before deployment.

He added that “the Teachers will be recruited within their locality and posted to schools in their areas so that the Community Leaders, the Traditional Rulers and the Town Union Presidents will hold them accountable and ask questions when they are found culpable of not going to work while they are taking salaries.”

On the Health Sector; in addition to the rehabilitation and upgrade of the existing 19 General Hospitals in the State, the Governor told the Elders that the 13 percent Derivation fund coming to oil communities that have never been accounted for by the past administrations is now being used to provide quality healthcare to the people.

To this end, Governor Uzodimma said: “Already three brand new General hospitals fully equipped with modern hospital equipment have been built and completed in the three Local Governments of Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru East that make up the Oil producing Local Governments in Imo State.”

Still on the health sector, the Governor said that his government has concluded arrangements to acquire two MRI equipment for Imo State Teaching Hospital Orlu and Umuguma Specialist Hospital which he emphasized “needs upgrade to meet up with the demands of Imo people presently.”

On maritime, he informed that the dredging of Oguta to the Atlantic Ocean is beyond the economic, trade and Industry, but is “the best way of recognizing and drawing the Federal Government’s attention to the South East.”

Regarding Housing, he announced that his government has developed a blue print on housing estates which will be used to determine appropriate area of sighting housing facilities in Imo State.

The Governor told the Elders that he embarked on massive road infrastructure when he noticed that all the roads in Imo State were dead traps and that a lot of frustrations were written in the faces of Imo people, especially the regular road users who today are happy and are bringing in positive reports.

He urged the Elders to take ownership of the roads and other infrastructure because they are there for their use and that of their Community members, urging them community leaders to help in the maintenance and protection of the facilities from vandalism by criminals.

He recalled how his administration has recovered IMSUTH and restored lost accreditations, saying today, “IMSUTH has joined the big league,” of which himself as Governor is proud of it.

Governor Uzodimma recalled his achievements in the area of youth empowerment by making them create opportunities for themselves through wealth creation saying that “so far over 50,000 have been trained and equipped.”

He urged the Elders to speak out against the evil doers in the State and to tell them to desist forthwith from such and embarrass peace, noting that his government has applied both kinetic and non-kinetic forces to degrade the efforts of the evil men.

On the part of the government, the governor promised that they shall try to do their best to ensure protection of lives and property and pledged to remain committed in serving with honesty and sincerity.

He thanked them on the Charter of Equity which he noted will allow for peaceful transition and handover of government from zone to the other.

Reiterating his earlier promise of open and transparent administration, the Governor said that the books and receipts of his administrations are available for scrutiny and challenged anyone who has anything contrary to come up and report.

He assured Imo people and particularly the Elders that Imo is safe and secured in his hands.

Responding to the numerous requests by some of the elders the Governor noted that his government cannot solve the problems of Imo State in one day but will continue to do her best.

He acknowledged the need for a finishing school (Imo Academy) as suggested by Prof Maurice Iwu and noted that his government had already written that the new Federal Medical Centre coming to Imo State be located in Okigwe zone in addition to the proposed relocation of the Faculty of Engineering of the Imo State University to Okigwe.

On the area of sports, he informed that Dan Anyiam Stadium is nearing completion and that Imo people should visit the stadium to consummate a brand new central Gym acquired from Holland that is already installed there.

He maintained that Imo State needs creative thinkers and a lot of ideas and asked the Elders to show more sincerity and commitment.

In their separate reactions, Members of the Elders Council commended the efforts of the Governor towards the development of Imo State which they acknowledged have surpassed their expectations.

Prof. Maurice Iwu advised that a new Imo should be all embracing and acknowledged that the massive road infrastructure has moved Imo State away from heterogenous society to homogenous society. He also commended the Governor on his achievements in security.

While Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe thanked the governor for honouring his family by naming the KO Mbadiwe University after their father, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu commended the Governor and expressed his delight on the dredging Oguta Lake to the Atlantic Ocean and described the Governor as a thorough democrat.

Archbishop David Onuoha commended the Governor on the sponsorship of 1,000 pilgrims to the holy land and described him as an ecumenical. He requested all Igbo people to support the Governor.

Justice Ben Njemanze (Rtd.) thanked the Governor for making the judiciary comfortable and pleaded for more attention to the development of sports.

Chief Jerry Chukwueke commended the efforts of the Governor in all areas and appealed to Imo people to key into the Social Security Registration and the Social Trust Fund exercises which are ongoing and requires them to register with only their PVCs.

A former Governor of Imo State, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim and an Elder statesman, Engr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu said Governor Uzodimma has courage and intellect and that they are proud of him.

Ohakim requested that the address of the Governor to the Council be put in a booklet form circulated, agreeing with Archbishop Onuoha that more efforts be made to get Imo people in the rural areas to be properly abreast of the activities of the Governor.

He called on Imo people to join hands to ensure the success of the 3R government, urging the Elders to go home and hold community meetings where they can tell their people of the achievements of Governor Uzodimma.

Ohakim also urged those running for governorship with Uzodimma not to waste their resources, saying they stand no chance of beating him based on his verifiable achievements.

The Challenges Facing Nigeria Are Surmountable – Obi

The Source

May 12, 2023

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi has described the many challenges facing Nigeria as surmountable with right and purposive leadership. He was speaking on Friday, at the public presentation of the compendium on him entitled: “Many Voices, One Perspective” at Finotel Hotel, Awka.

Obi who reiterated his belief that what Nigeria needs now is “conscious, planned and aggressive transition from consumption to production” said he was touched when, a few days ago, he watched the news with pictures of how United Arab Emirates plans to harvest their first set of wheat grown in a purely desert setting through the aid of modern technology.

Obi who described as “ disheartening”, the recent report from the United Nations World Food Programme(WEP), to the effect that Nigeria, especially Borno, Yobe and Adamawa would be seriously affected by hunger this year said that such news were discomforting to him against the possibilities of Nigeria which our leaders have failed to utilize.

Employing statistics, Obi said that the combined square kilometre of land mass of the three states mentioned, namely, Borno( 70.9 sq km); Yobe (45.5 sq km); and Adamawa( 36.5 sq km) which amounts to 152.9sq were far greater than that of Isreal which is just 22.1 sq km and yet Isreal feeds itself and export excess to the world. Obi said that with right leadership, which was his commitment, that Nigeria would do as well.

Commenting on the political development in Nigeria, Obi said he would be the President of Nigeria in the fullness of time, always supposing that the judiciary would do the right thing. He thanked the Obidient Family for their belief in him and appealed to them to see apologies to the elders now and then, as in constance with the African understanding of respect for the elders or our fathers even when they might be wrong.

“In our journey to New Nigeria, I am very committed, I am not on transit to anywhere. I have committed to the struggle for a better nation, no matter how long it takes,” Obi said.

In his own remarks, the Royal Father of the day, HRM, Igwe Alfred Achebe described Obi as “Man of the Destiny”. He said one of the things that distinguished Obi from other politicians is his efforts to stay on the truth and do the right things, and insistence that the right things must always be done no matter the time it takes. He commended Obi for consistently following the path of truth, integrity and transparency.

Speaking at the event, the Senator-elect for Anambra Central Senatorial District, Sen. Victor Umeh, eulogized Obi as one of the greatest Nigerians to ever live and impact many lives positively. Describing him as development-oriented, he said there is no serious political discussion in the country without Obi being at the centre.

Earlier in his opening remark, the lead Editor of the book, Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna thanked Nigerians for their faith in Obi. She said that the public presentations of the book was another way of supporting Obi’s political journey towards the Presidency.

The traditional ruler of Agulu, Obi’s town, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor described Obi as a worthy son of Agulu whose pedigree speaks for itself.

About 25 traditional rulers and many politicians, well wishers and numerous “Obidients” attended the event.

Power To Fine Erring Broadcast Station: NBC To Appeal Judgement

Ayodele Oni

May 12, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

Dissatisfied with a court judgement, which stripped it of power to impose fine on erring broadcasting station, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has hinted that it will appeal.

Ruling in a suit filed by Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, (MRA), Justice James Omotosho, held that NBC lacked the power to impose fines on broadcast stations.The judge voided the N500,000 fine imposed on 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019 on the grounds that NBC, not being a court of law, lacked such power.

According to the court, the NBC Code, which vested the commission with the power to impose sanction, was in conflict with Section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which vested such judicial powers on the court of law.

Justice Omotosho held that the court would not sit idle and watch a non-juristic body, arbitrarily impose fine without recourse to the due process of the law.

Reacting, the NBC in a statement issued by its Director General, Balarabe Shehu llelah, said it had applied for a Certified copy of the judgment.

Ilelah said the commission would appeal against the judgment when found to be in conflict with previous judgments of the court, which “empowers the commission to regulate broadcasting in Nigeria.”

The statement reads “The attention of the National Broadcasting Commission has been drawn to a ruling by the Federal High Court, Abuja nullifying the powers of the Commission to impose fines on broadcast Stations that violate the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

“In view of the foregoing, the Commission has applied for a Certified copy of the judgment.

“It is global best practice and the ethics of the Legal profession, that no party to a suit can freely comment on a judgment it has not seen and read.

“The Commission will appeal against the judgment when found to be in conflict with previous judgments of the Court, which empowers the Commission to regulate broadcasting in Nigeria.”

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