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Scrap The Senate, Save Funds For Developmental Projects – Gov. Akeredolu Charges Constitution Review Committee

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

The South West Zonal Sitting of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review began in Akure, Ondo state, Tuesday, with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu advocating for a Unicameral Legislature at the Federal level.

The Governor was of the view that the Senate, regarded as the Red Chamber, should be scrapped to reduce cost of governance.

He, also, suggested a reduction in the number of Ministries and parastatals as this would make more funds available for developmental projects.

The South West Zonal Public Hearing Center is for Ondo, Ekiti and Osun States, where various Speakers will present papers and submit Memorandum for the review of the 1999 Constitution.

Governor Akeredolu had, last week, received in Akure, members of the Senate Committee on similar exercise led by Senator Ajayi Borofice, representing Ondo North at the Senate.

While declaring open the talk shop, Governor Akeredolu, represented by Deputy governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, pointed out that the scaling down of the members of the National Assembly and the ministries would drastically cut cost of governance in the country.

“The position of the Ondo State Government has been made public. We advocate for a Federal Government largely reduced in size and scope of engagement.

“We want to see a Constitution that will enhance the performance of public office holders at all levels.

“It is possible to have a government that will serve the people in deed and truth. The law of the land must aid this realistic expectation.

“We must reduce the cost of governance and shift attention to service delivery in this trying period.”

“The country may consider dropping the current bicameral structure of the National Assembly and adopt a unicameral legislature.

“The membership of the Assembly should be part time. No member should earn allowances not known to the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Committee and, more importantly, people they claim to serve.

“Legislators should earn under a uniform salary structure. Allowance peculiarities must not be about obscenity. The Senate should be scrapped.

“The House of Representatives too should not be unwieldy. A maximum of four representatives should come from each zone.”

Earlier in a welcome address, the Chairman, House special committee on Constitution Review, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase represented by Mr Peter Akpatason pointed out that the exercise would consider the views of the people.

A number of Nigerians have been either for, or against the review of the Military-imposed 1999 Constitution, as amended. While some say go back to the pre-1999 Constitution, others say to dust up the 2014 Goodluck Jonathan Constitutional Conference, while others are in favour of a completely new Constitution.

Hurricane: Zamfara Gov. Sacks SSG, CoS, Cabinet, Suspends Two Traditional Rulers

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle has sacked his 23 Commissioners and Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Alhaji Bala Bello.

Special Adviser, Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, to the Governor, Malam Zailani Bappa, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Other political office holders affected by the Governor’s order are the Chief of Staff Col. Bala Mande, (rtd) and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr Bashir Maru.

The Governor also approved the removal of all Chairmen and members of the State Commissions and Boards of various Agencies.

The statement added that Governor Matawalle ordered the sacked Commissioners to hand over affairs of their Ministries to their respective Permanent Secretaries, except that of the Ministry of Security and Home Affairs which will be overseen by DIG Mohammed  Tsafe, (rtd)

The Chairmen of dissolved boards, he said, are to hand over to the most senior directors.

“The Head of Service will oversee the Office of the Secretary to the State Government,” the statement further clarified.

In another development, Governor Bello Matawalle has approved the suspension of the Emir of Dansadau, Hussaini Umar, as well as the District Head of Nasarawa Mailayi, Bello Wakkala with immediate effect.

The suspension is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the governor on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, Malam Zailani Bappa.

Matawalle further directed the District Head of Dansadau, Alhaji Nasiru Muhammad Kudu to oversee the affairs in the Dansadau emirate.

He, also, approved the constitution of a high-powered committee to investigate the activities of the suspended traditional rulers.

The Committee members are rtd DIG Mohohammed Tsafe, Chairman, Yusuf Kanoma, representing Maru North and Ibrahim Tukur, representing Bakura constituency in the state assembly.

Other members are Sheikhs Ahmad Kanoma, Abdullahi Dalla, Kabir Maru while Mr Abdurrashid Haruna will serve as secretary.

Meanwhile, the Governor reiterated that the presidential order to shoot any bandit, person or group caught with guns, is still in place.

Update On NECO Boss: Police Debunk Murder Story, Say Prof Obioma Died In Abuja After Brief Illness

By
Ayodele Oni
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Nigeria Police Force

By Ayodele Oni

Both the FCT and Niger State Police Commands  have  put a lie  to Media reports that the Registrar/Chief executive of the National Examinations Council, (NECO), Prof Godswill Obioma was killed in his Kaduna home by yet to be identified gunmen.

Media reports, quoting his wife, Elizabeth, had said that  the NECO boss was strangled to death on his return from Abuja  by yet to be identified assassins who, unknown to them, were lurking within his compound.

But soon, a letter to the Director,Human Resource  Manager, NECO, Mustapha K. Abdul, by the Professor’s first son, Prince Godwin Obioma, informed him that his father passed on after a brief illness.

The junior Obioma’s version has been confirmed by the Police. The FCT Command said he died at the National Hospital after he was rushed  there.

The Niger Police Command in a release stated that: “The attention of Niger State Police Command has been drawn to a publication circulating in some section of social media and national dailies that NECO Registrar Prof. Godswill Obioma was murdered by unknown gunmen in Minna.”

The release, signed by the Command’s Spokesman, DSP Abiodun Wasiu, said  that: “This story is totally false, untrue and a pure element of fake news.

“It is important to state, categorically, that on 31st May, 2021 the Registrar/CEO National Examinations Council (NECO), Prof Godswill Obioma, was rushed to National Hospital Abuja by his family members where he was later confirmed dead, after a brief illness.

“However, the family of the deceased has, also, confirmed the incident and formally notified the Management and  Staff of NECO of the demise of the  Registrar.

“Members of the public are hereby urged to disregard the fake news and, news reporters are advised to always verify their report before publication to avoid creating unnecessary panic and fear in public domain.”

The questions are: Why would his wife, Elizabeth, claim her husband was strangled to death? And, why has she not denied speaking to the Media on the manner of her husband’s  death? Is there an in-fighting  within the family? Or was the alleged claim by his wife fabricated by a mischief source?

Prof Obioma, a native of Abia State was appointed NECO Boss barely one year ago. He was aged 67 years.

Confusion: Wife Says NECO Registrar, Obioma, Murdered; Son, Disagrees

By
Ayodele Oni
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Prof Godswill Obioma

By Ayodele Oni & Akinwale Kasali

There is confusion over, exactly, how Professor Godswill Obioma, the Registrar of the National Examinations Council, (NECO), died. His wife, Mrs Elizabeth Obioma, told the Media that she watched helplessly as yet to be identified persons strangulated her husband, Monday night until he breathed his last.

But his first son, in a rather “too-soon” notification letter addressed to Mustafa K. Abdul, Director, Human Resource Management, NECO, said his father “passed to eternal glory after a brief illness.”

Elizabeth, who narrated the last minutes before the NECO helmsman death explained that the suspected assassins had ambushed her husband without anybody suspecting them.

Narrating the incident  Tuesday morning, she stated that the suspects stormed the residence and strangulated him.

“The assassins came in and killed him and left without taking anything,” she told the media by telephone on Tuesday morning.

Mrs Obioma said her husband had just returned to Minna from a trip to Abuja when the armed men, lurking in his compound, descended on him and strangled him.

But in the purported letter announcing the Professor’s death, his son wrote:

“Dear Sir, this is to formally inform you that my father Prof. Godswill Obioma the Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO passed to eternal glory yesterday 31/5/2021 after a brief illness.

We request that you kindly notify the Board, Management and the entire staff of the Council of this development.

We shall keep you duly informed.”

This Magazine was not able to confirm the sharp and serious discrepancies in the manner of his death as told by his wife and his son.

Prof Obioma has been facing attempts to remove him from office as the Head of NECO, an examination body under the Federal Ministry of Education.

He was appointed to the office a year ago on May 14, 2020. He hailed from Abia state.

The Niger state police command is yet to confirm the incident, but Dr Chidi Odinkalu, in a tweet, called for a thorough investigation, saying that the late Obioma had been having issues at the Ministry of Education.

His assassination in Minna comes 48 hours after a prominent Northerner, Barr. Ahmed Gulak, was assassinated in Imo State on his way to the Imo Airport to board a flight to Abuja.

Judicial Workers In Nigeria Are On A Salary Scale For Ten Years – Gov Fayemi

By
Ayodele Oni
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Fayemi swearing in New Chief Judge

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has bemoaned the plight of Judges in Nigeria who are stagnant on a salary scale for ten years now, blaming this on inactivity of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

He has, therefore called on the NJC to wake up and commence upward review of salaries and allowances of Judicial workers.

The Governor made the call in Ado Ekiti on Monday at the swearing in of the new acting Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice John Oyewole Adeyeye.

Justice Adeyeye succeeds Justice Ago Daramola who retired last week after the mandatory 65 years.

Governor Fayemi pointed out  that it was unfair that for the past ten years nothing was done on the salaries and allowances of Judicial workers inspite of increment in the emoluments and salaries of political workers and civil servants.

He urged the NJC to work with the stakeholders in the sector to make a genuine case for upward review of judicial workers salaries to improve their standard of living.

According to him, JUSUN and NJC are supposed to Collaborate on this and list it among their demands in the ongoing agitation for judicial autonomy.

The Governor urged the new Acting Chief judge to key into his administration commitment to ensure total eradication of gender base violence and other crimes against humanity in the state.

Governor Fayemi also called for the establishment of mobile court in police stations across the country to facilitate easy prosecution of criminal cases

Earlier, the Acting chief Judge, Justice John Adeyeye promised to discharge his duties effectively and consolidate on the successes recorded by his predecessor.

Ondo Gov Akeredolu To Commission Projects To Mark 100 Days In Office

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

The Ondo state government has listed commissioning of some projects and flagging off of new ones to mark 100 days in office of Govenor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Governor Akeredolu was sworn in for the second term of office on February 24, 2021.

Briefing journalists in Akure on Monday, secretary to the state government, Princess Oladunni Odu said the celebration would be low keyed.

She stated that the three senatorial districts of the state would benefit from projects commissioning and flagging off.

Odu, who is Chairman, Committee on 100days Celebration explained that the governor would commission capital projects like; hospitals, Government House Mosque, roads, garri processing, water projects and flagging off of Bursary & scholarship disbursement, as well as ground breaking of new Government’s House Lodge.

The old Government House Lodge, she explained, was no longer habitable as Governor Akeredolu has been residing there despite the deplorable condition.

The immediate past administration of Dr Olusegun Mimiko built a government house during his second term but the Governor could not live there due to defect in structure.

The ground breaking of the new lodge would hold on Friday 4th June, 2021,while first jumat service would hold at the new Mosque.

Odu explained that 7,000 tertiary institutions students would benefit from the state government’s Bursary and scholarship disbursement, adding that the governor would flag-off the disbursement on Monday 7th June, 2021 in Akure for the first time in over seven years.

She noted that the students would get ₦10,000 while law and medical students would be entitle ₦50,0000

The State Government scribe noted that the step was aimed at boosting academic excellence among the benefitting students, while 1,200 primary school teachers recently recruited would be inducted and trained.

Defection: Why Ayade Sacked Commissioners, Aides

By
The Source
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Governor Ben Ayade

By Stanley Ekpenyong

Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade’s decision to sack four of his Commissioners and four Senior Aides, Monday, came to many as a shock, having promised, May 20th, while addressing members of the State Executive Council shortly after announcing his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, that nobody will lose their jobs as a result of the new political realities in the State.

This magazine learnt that the Governor never contemplated that any member of his cabinet would stay back in the PDP, hence he never planned to dissolve the cabinet.

However, he was said to have been taken aback when some of the now sacked Commissioners: Mrs Rita Ayim, Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mike Usibe, Commissioner for New Cities and Donatus Etim, Commssioner for Climate Change surfaced two days later at the State’s PDP  meeting held at Transcorp Hotel, Calabar.

In fact, Usibe and Ayim were later named members of the Cross River state PDP Caretaker Committee headed by former Deputy Governor, Effiok Cobham. Mrs Ayim is now the Publicity Secretary of the Committee.

For the sacked Information Commissioner, Asu Okan, he has never hidden his partisanship on the side of his kinsman and mentor, Senator Sandy Onor, representing Cross River Central senatorial district in the Senate.

Both men hail from Etung Local Government Area of the state. Senator Onor was one part of the National Assembly members from Cross River who squared up against Governor Ayade for the structures of the PDP in the State.

Etim, the sacked  New Cities Commissioner is reportedly a nominee of Senator Gershon Bassey representing Cross River South in the Senate. Like Senator Onor, Senator Bassey was also part of the Abuja based Cross River PDP bigwigs who fought the Governor over the soul of the party.

The fate of the sacked Commssioners and aides appeard to had been sealed on Sunday by their absence at the APC integration dinner the Governor   held with party stakeholders in the state at Dorchester Hall, Spar Mall Calabar.

At the event which had in attendance, former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, Cross River APC Gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 election, Senator Owan Eno, two former Senators that represented Cross River South in the Senate, Senators Prince Bassey Otu and Florence Ita -Giwa, a former Presidential aide, Obono Obla, immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Zana Akpagu among other party bigwigs,  Ayade declare his former party, PDP, as dead and buried in Cross River “because anybody who is not here is nowhere”.

Apart from the four Commissioners, Governor Ayade, also, sacked four of his aides: Leo Inyambe, Rt Hon. Orok Otu Duke, Mr. Victor Okon (Alausa) and Mr. John Etim Bassey.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Christian Ita, quoted the Governor as thanking the sacked Commissioners for their services to the State while asking them to surrender all Government properties in their possession, including vehicles, to the office of the Chief of Staff “with immediate effect”.

Oshiomhole To Obaseki: “We Are Brothers Of Different Parents”; Says Their Misunderstanding, “Unfortunate”

By
Adesina Soyooye
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By Adesina Soyooye

Adams Oshiomhole, two-time Governor of Edo State, and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has, finally, climbed down from his high horse. He has presented his side which many Nigerians knew, and admired him for- his humble side.

On Monday, May 31, 2021, Oshiomhole sent a congratulatory letter to the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, on his victory at the Supreme Court over Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Ize-Iyamu was Oshiomhole’s  candidate for the Governorship seat, and the man for whom Oshiomhole denied Obaseki his party’s ticket for a second term in office.

The judgement, delivered last Friday, put an end to the legal efforts of the APC to sack PDP’s Obaseki from office.

Obaseki and Oshiomhole were friends. As Governor, Obaseki was Oshiomhole’s Chief of Staff. At the end of Oshiomhole’s tenure, he dumped Ize-Iyamu, and chose Obaseki as his successor. In dumping him, he labelled the Pastor a Cultist and a thief.

Feeling betrayed, Ize-Iyamu defected to the PDP, and became its  flagbearer. That was in 2016. Obaseki won, under the APC.

Along the line, Oshiomhole and Obaseki fell out, and became sworn political enemies. As the National Chairman of the APC,  Oshiomhole denied Obaseki a second term ticket, and ironically, went back to his vomit – Ize-Iyamu, promised him the  ticket, and convinced him to defect to the APC. That was to spite Obaseki.

Denied of a second term ticket, and pushed to the wall, Obaseki defected to the PDP, and picked the Governorship ticket, taking along with him, his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, another Oshiomhole boy.

The untidy situation cost Oshiomhole his high profile office as the APC National Chairman. The Party sacked him in a humiliating manner. It was Oshiomhole’s  lowest moment as a politician.  His case was compounded when Obaseki roundly defeated Ize-Iyamu.

Not a few people saw it as the spanking of Oshiomhole, and an, almost, final nail on his political coffin.

Since that defeat in 2020, they have been in Court with Obaseki, not to challenge the result of the election, but  for Obaseki to be sacked for, allegedly, presenting a forged University of Ibadan degree certificate. They continued, even when the University appeared in Court, on being subpoenaed, and confirmed Obaseki as its graduate. Ize-Iyamu kept appealing the case till it got to the Supreme Court.

Last Friday, the Apex Court dismissed the case for lacking in merit.

Seeing that the case has reached its last bus stop, both Oshiomhole and Ize-Iyamu did what they should have done since 2020. They, finally congratulated Obaseki.

In a letter of congratulations to Obaseki, signed on his behalf by his Media Aide, Victor Oshioke, Oshiomhole reminded  Obaseki of their (former) close relationship. He reminded him that two of them had gone “beyond being friends to becoming brothers of different parents”, and described what came between them as “unfortunate.”

The letter reads:

“Congratulations on your victory at the Supreme Court which has effectively laid to rest all matters arising  from  the last election.

“As I had repeatedly reminded you during our several meetings, our relationship has, through the  years, developed beyond being friends to being brothers of different parents.

“Whatever happened is unfortunate, and I believe God has reasons for everything.

“I have put all behind me and moved on. As I have consistently advised, please be magnanimous in victory. You are the Governor of all Edo people regardless of political leanings.

“Once again, congratulations, Excellency. Please, accept the renewed assurances of my very best wishes and high regards.”

Whether the two will go back to the beautiful relationship they had before, and whether this would make the Governor to forgo a couple of investigations into some projects executed  during Oshiomhole’s tenure as Governor, will wait for, perhaps, new developments.

Gulak’s Murder Was Political – Governor Uzodinma; Why He Came To Imo

By
The Source
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Hope Uzodimma

By Charles Igbo

“The events of the last few weeks do not represent who we (Imo people) are”

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State says the murder of Ahmed Gulak was political.

In his first official reaction to the gruesome murder of Alhaji Gulak in Imo State on Sunday, May 30, Uzodinma said it was clearly a political assassination. The Governor also revealed why the murdered former Political Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan was in the State, thus, debunking the many rumours surrounding his visit.

Not a few had said that considering the state of insecurity in the South-east, it was a bad judgement on his side to have visited Imo at the time he did.

But in a broadcast to the people of the State, on Monday, where he bemoaned Gulak’s murder, and consoled all those who lost loved ones during this sad period, Uzodinma said Gulak was on a National assignment.

Gulak was murdered on his way to the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport to board a flight to back to Abuja. Close to the Airport, the Cab he rode in, in the company of two others, was intercepted by gunmen who shot him after identifying him.

Said Uzodinma: “Being a humble man, he chose to travel incognito according to  his friend who was with him. Someone must have trailed him from the hotel to the Airport. That is exactly why his gruesome murder appears to be a clear case of political assassination.”

“According to reports by the Police, he was shot in cold blood, and the assailants did not remove anything from him”

Bemoaning the sudden violence in Imo State, an otherwise peaceful State, the Governor said:

“Imo people are very hospitable. The events of the last two weeks do not represent which we are.”

On why Gulak was in the State, the Governor said: “Alhaji Ahmed Gulak was in Imo State for a National assignment. He came to Owerri with the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment.”

Gulak was a brilliant lawyer and a former Speaker of the Adamawa House of Assembly, and so, was involved in the process of Constitutional Amendment.

Before the Governor’s disclosure of his mission to Imo, rumours had been rife on why he visited.

While some people said he came to the State to “inspect work on the road contracts given to him in the by Uzodinma”, others said he came to take “his share of the Federal allocation of Imo State.”

Yet, the most heartless of the false reasons for his visit was that “he came to give Uzodinma a final warning to the Governor to pay him the money owed him, Gulak, for giving him, Uzodinma, the APC Governorship ticket in 2019, which Uzodinma  promised to, but never fulfilled the agreed sum of N10b”.

Seeing that he was not able to fulfill it, the rumour alleged,  “the Governor put him in a Cab, and sent assassins after him”.

“All these cruel, and false allegations”, said an Imo elder, “were put on the Social Media, and made to go viral” in order to make the Governor look bad.”

But mourning Gulak, who he described as a patriot, the Governor said: “He was an invaluable friend and brother  whose sense of justice  fairness, and uprightness endeared him to me.”

Gulak was the Chairman of the APC APC Governorship Primary in 2019 during which Uzodinma was declared winner, against former Governor Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu.

That process, eventually, led to his becoming the Governor of Imo State, after the Supreme Court ruled in his favour, and removed the then incumbent  Governor, the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.

Uzodinma Was Never Attacked – Media Office

By
The Source
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0

By Charles Igbo

“They wish the purported attack on me – Uzodinma”

The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, was never under attack by any gunmen, both the Governor and his Media Office have said.

In the aftermath of the murder of a PDP Chieftain,  Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, in the State on May 30  a viral video had surfaced of a Governor’s convoy under attack. It was depicted to he that of the Imo State Governor, with a caption, “Governor Hope Uzodinma’s convoy under attack by unknown gunmen.” That was on May 30, 2021.

Again, on May 31, another video appeared with a caption, “Governor Hope Uzodinma currently under attack by unknown gunmen. Narrowly escapes.”

The Governor’s Media Office  has debunked the viral video. They said that the Governor was never under attack.

Also, in a broadcast to the State on Monday May 31 where he bemoaned the murder of Gulak, Uzodinma debunked the viral video and added: “That is what they wish for me.”

An interrogation of the video by this magazine shows that  it was the convoy of the Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, when it came under attack in 2020. Zulum was not on the convoy. His convoy was going to pick him when it was attacked by Boko Haram insurgents who had laid an ambush. Nobody was killed.

In a statement debunking the fake video that Uzodinma came under attack by unknown gunmen,  his Social Media office noted:

“We have seen a video making the rounds on social media and some other conventional media platforms of a purported attack on the convoy of the state Governor.

“While the video lacks clarity of whose convoy it is and where the attack took place, we make bold to say that it is not the convoy of Gov. Hope Uzodimma and this never happened anywhere in Imo State.

“It is appalling that while the State Government is earnestly seeking for ways to restore peace and order in the state, mischief makers can only come up with this stage-managed video of an attack on the Governor.

“Imolites are enjoined to again treat this video as trash, a comical conspiracy and the handiwork of the enemies of the state and be rest assured that in no distant time, Imo state will bounce back to what it is known for which is peace.”

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