Tension in Benue as LG chair stops Thanksgiving Service in honour of Akume

The sudden suspension of a thanksgiving church service organized in honour of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, by the Caretaker Chairman of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Unongu Simon, is causing anxiety in the state.




The thanksgiving service, which was scheduled to hold on Sunday, was to be followed by a grand reception for the SGF.




In a state wide radio announcement, Guma Council Caretaker Chairman, Unongo, directed the NKST Church, Daudu, which was to host the event, to put it on hold for security reasons.




Unongo advised that anyone who wished to organize any form of public function in the area must get official approval from his office.




Meanwhile, the organizers of the event said they will proceed with the thanksgiving service as planned and insisted nobody can stop them.




A member of the Central Planning Committee of the church service, Lazarus Asema, said, “The venue and time for the church service remain NKST Church Daudu and it also remains unchanged.”




The host community, Daudu is close to Makurdi, the Benue State capital and is home to an Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp, occasioned by herdsmen attacks on farming communities.

‘I’m getting old’ – Nkechi Blessing expresses readiness for marriage

Nollywood actress, Nkechi Blessing Sunday has expressed readiness to tie the nuptial knot




She explained that ageing and the recent trend of celebrity weddings are mounting pressure on her to get married.




She noted that she was not ready for marriage in the past but that has changed now.




The thespian, however, advised singles not to allow themselves be pressured into getting married, adding that love is beautiful and sweet.




On her Instagram page, Nkechi wrote: “On the 25th was Chivido, yesterday was crazy about us [Sharon Oojo’s wedding]. Me I just dey here they think, shey na ExcessLove, XxBlessing, or Nkechi is XX, or Xxssive is Blessing.




“I don ready. I be no ready before. Dey will pressure you no panic, I panic. The pressure is much, love sweet o. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise, love is a beautiful thing. Look at their smiles.







“It’s like I am ready now, make una suggest hashtags abeg and the best designer for my dresses. The pressure don finally hook me for neck, and I don dey old.”

Northeast must not return to terrorism – Atiku

The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has charged the Nigerian government not to allow the Northeast slide back into terrorism and extreme violence.




Atiku made the call against the backdrop of multiple suicide attacks carried out at various locations, including a wedding reception and a burial ceremony in Gwoza town, Borno State.




The coordinated attacks led to the death of about 30 people while about 100 sustained various degrees of injuries.




Reacting, Atiku said such an attack was due to the government’s lacklustre posture to hold firmly on the frontline.




Posting on X, Atiku wrote: “It is a sad development that the ugly incidents of terrorism are resurfacing and, indeed, metastasising in the North-East.




“The reported attack by suicide bombers at a wedding reception, funeral procession, and a hospital on Saturday stands condemned.




“It is unfortunate that much of the pushback that had been achieved against the Boko Haram terror sect is being cancelled, owing mainly to the government’s lacklustre posture to hold firmly on the frontline.




“It is thus important to call on the federal authorities to wake up to their responsibility and to make sure that the North-East does not slide back into a theatre of terrorism and extreme violence.




“My condolences go to the families of victims of these attacks, and it is my prayer that God grants a peaceful repose to the souls of the departed. -AA”

SERAP gives CBN 7 days to account for ‘missing’ N100bn dirty notes, other public funds

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has called on Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to account for, and explain the whereabouts of the over N100 billion ‘dirty and bad notes’ and ‘other large sum of cash awaiting examination’ which are kept in various branches of the apex bank.




SERAP said the allegations are documented in the latest annual report published recently by the Auditor-General of the Federation.




The organisation also urged Cardoso to explain the whereabouts of the N7.2 billion budgeted for the construction of the CBN Dutse branch in 2010 and the N4.8 billion budgeted for the renovation of the CBN Abeokuta branch back in 2009, and to publish the names of the contractors who collected the money and failed to complete the projects.




In letter released in Saturday and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “These grim allegations by the Auditor-General suggest grave violations of the public trust, the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the CBN Act, and national and international anti-corruption obligations.”




“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the CBN to comply with our request in the public interest,” the letter reads in part.




“According to the recently published 2020 audited report by the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has since 2017 been keeping over N100 billion [N100,672,999,000.00] ‘dirty and bad notes’, and other large sum of cash awaiting examination in various branches of the CBN.”

Naira depreciates by 40% against Dollar in First half of 2024

The Naira depreciated by over 40 percent in the half quarter of 2024 at the foreign exchange market.




The FMDQ data showed that the Naira weakened to N1505.30 per dollar on Friday from between N896.6 and N907.11 it closed on 29th December 2023.




The figure showed that the Naira had continued its instability against other currencies in the last months despite a streak of months of appreciation before depreciation set in mid-April 2024.




The Naira reached its highest peak of N1,665.50 in February 2024 and lowest point in April when it stood at 1,140 and N1,230.61 at the official and parallel foreign exchange markets, respectively.




The development comes on the back of Central Bank or Nigeria policies, including the unification of the FX market, circular on the operation of International Money Transfer Operators, Intervention to Bureau De Change operators, regulation on excess FX to banks, and recently the withdrawal of Price Verification System Portal for importers.




Despite, the policy reforms by the apex bank, the Naira has continued fluctuations against the Dollar and other currencies in the foreign exchange market.




In April 2024, the Naira was adjudged as the best-performing currency, but slipped to worst-performing in May, according to Bloomberg.




This is as Naira closed at N1505.30 and 1515 at the official and parallel foreign exchange market, respectively on Friday.




The development comes despite the increase in Nigeria’s external reserve which stood at $34.07 billion on June 26, 2024.

Probe committee report: El-Rufai’s decision to go to court laughable – Lawmaker

 The member representing Zaria constituency in the Kaduna
State House of Assembly, Mahmud Lawal, has described ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s
decision to pursue legal action over allegations that he misappropriated N432
billion as “laughable”.





 



Speaking to newsmen in Kaduna, Lawal expressed
disappointment at what he described as El-Rufai’s sudden interest in the
judiciary after neglecting it for so long.



 



He stated that El-Rufai seems to have conveniently forgotten
the principle of separation of powers enshrined in the constitution, which
mandates non-interference between the executive, legislature, and judiciary.



 



“Does he (El-Rufai) believe that by resorting to legal
action, he can obstruct the legislature from carrying out its constitutional
duties?”



 





The lawmaker noted that Kaduna State had never experienced
such blatant misuse of public funds as recorded under El-Rufai’s tenure, “where
funds were misappropriated under the guise of project implementation”.



 



He explained that the claimed expenditures were
significantly disproportionate to the actual work accomplished.



 



“For instance, let me illustrate what occurred at Kofar Doka
in Zaria, my constituency. Billions of Naira were purportedly allocated for
road projects, but tragically, the only visible activity was bulldozers
demolishing people’s homes, rendering them homeless,” he said.



 



Lawal further criticized the projects carried out by the
El-Rufa’i administration in Kaduna State, alleging that they were primarily
aimed at personal enrichment, with little regard for the welfare of the
citizens of the state.



 



He pointed out the deteriorating condition of roads from
Unguwar Dosa to Malali and the questionable work undertaken at Kasuwar Magani
in Kajuru, stressing that the shops started to wear off even before occupation
by traders.



 



The most brazen display of dishonesty, according to him was
the Metropolitan Rail Line Project for which a substantial amount of money in
billions was allocated.



 



“What happened to the project? Where is the money? The only
evidence seems to be paper records indicating spending on surveys and map
design,” he noted.



 



Lawal stated that the public funds allegedly misappropriated
by El-Rufai’s administration under the guise of projects execution amount to
more than N432 billion.



 



He called on the people of the state to support the probe
committee in the efforts to recover the funds for the benefit of all.

Supreme court frees soldier on death row for murder after 12 years in prison

 The supreme court has discharged and acquitted Akawu Bala, a
sergeant of the Nigerian Army, over an allegation of murder.





 



Bala, who has been in Kaduna prison since 2012, was
sentenced to death for murder by the general court martial of the army.



 



He was accused of shooting one Isa Mohammed on December 9,
2012, when he was attached to the African Petroleum Station at Sabon Tasha,
Kaduna, with an AK47 rifle.



 



The victim was said to have died on December 10, 2012, at
Saint Gerald’s Catholic Hospital in Kaduna.



 





The accused stood trial before the general court-martial on
a two-count murder charge punishable under section 106 of the Armed Forces Act
2014.



 



He was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.



 



However, on February 17, 2017, the Kaduna court of appeal
upheld Bala’s appeal against the death penalty.



 



The court held that the charge sheet upon which he was tried
and convicted was not signed by a general officer commanding (GOC) as required
by law.



 



Obietonbara Daniel Kalo, the judge who read the court of
appeal’s lead judgment, declared the process of the trial and conviction of the
sergeant a nullity.



 



However, the court failed to give a consequential order
discharging the accused, after which Bala filed an appeal before the apex court
on March 16, 2017.



 



Reuben Atabo, the appellant’s lawyer, had argued that since
his client’s trial was declared a nullity, the court of appeal ought to have
made a consequential order to discharge him.



 



The lawyer also drew the attention of the apex court to
section 193 of the Armed Forces Act 2014, which he said prohibited the retrial
of any military personnel after his trial had been voided and set aside.



 



But the Nigerian Army, through its lead counsel, Isaac
Udoka, opposed Atabo’s position and urged the supreme court to order the
retrial of the appellant, in the interest of justice.



 



Delivering judgment in the appeal marked SC/889/2017 on
Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court discharged the convicted soldier.



 



Helen Ogunwumiju, the supreme court justice, held that the
proper thing was to discharge the appellant since his trial and conviction were
already voided.



 



The court added that under section 193 of the Armed Forces
Act 2014, Bala can no longer be tried on the same offences.



 



The court ordered the immediate release of the convict from
Kaduna prison.



 



The sergeant, in his argument, claimed that he shot at the
deceased, Mohammed, and one other person in self-defence.



 



Bala argued that it was dark on the day the incident
happened, adding that he had ordered them to go back, but they kept walking
towards him.



 



The soldier noted that he was apprehensive because it was
during the peak of the Boko Haram attacks.



 

Senator Jibrin mourns 14 worshipers killed by trailer after Juma’at

The Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, has
mourned the death of 14 worshippers who were killed by a trailer following an
accident after Juma’at prayers on Friday, in Kano.



 



Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, had confirmed that 14
worshippers lost their lives when a trailer ran over them after Friday prayers
at Imawa town, Kura LGA of Kano State.



 



In a statement on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media
and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, Senator Barau, commiserated with the families
of the deceased.



 



He prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and
the speedy recovery of the injured persons.



 





He said, ”With profound sadness, we mourn the tragic loss of
14 worshippers crushed by a trailer after Juma’at prayers on Friday in Kano.



 



”Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the
victims. We offer our deepest condolences in this hour of unimaginable grief.



 



“We pray for the souls of the departed to rest in Aljanatul
Firdausi and for the Almighty Allah to grant strength and comfort to those they
left behind,” he said.

Housing sector can unlock Nigeria’s $1trn economy – Minister

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has said that the development of Nigeria’s housing market has the potential to unlock the country’s targeted $1 trillion economy.




Dangiwa disclosed this during a recent groundbreaking ceremony for the 250-housing unit Renewed Hope Estate in Akwa Ibom.




According to him, under the current administration, Nigeria has turned into a construction site.




He explained that the project is part of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme launched by President Bola Tinubu with a groundbreaking for 3,112 Renewed Hope City in Karsana, Abuja, in February 2024.




He added the project further covered states like Kano, with a 500-unit Renewed Hope City, and Katsina, Gombe, Yobe, and Sokoto, each with a 250-unit Renewed Hope Estate in the first round of groundbreaking.




“We plan to turn Nigeria into a huge construction site. This estate, like the others, comprises 50 units of 1-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, 150 units of two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, and 50 units of three-bedroom semi-detached bungalows.




“We have designed these housing units in a way that makes them affordable for people to acquire by using organic designs to allow for future expansion as the income of beneficiaries increases,” he said.

CAS clears Amusan of doping violation offence ahead 2024 Olympics

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has been cleared to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.




The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) dismissed appeals by the World Athletics (WA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the women’s 100-metre hurdles world record holder.




The CAF concurred with an earlier verdict by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) that found Amusan not guilty of any anti-doping rule violations.




The 28-year-old was suspended last year by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for missing three drug tests within a 12-month period.




The body sought a two-year period of ineligibility for Amusan.




The suspension was upturned by the AIU, which allowed her to run at the 2023 World Athletics Championship.




This ruling by CAS marks the end of a legal process that began with the WADT’s initial decision on August 17, 2023.

Budget life span extension aims at full implementation — Presidency

The presidency said the decision of the National Assembly to
extend the life span of the capital section of the 2023 Supplementary Budget
was aimed at full implementation of the budget.



 



The Special Adviser to the President on Information and
Strategy, Bayo Onanuga stated this on Friday.



 



Recall that Nigerian civic platform, BudgIT, had criticized
the decision of the Senate to extend the life span of the budget, making it the
third national budget running concurrently in the country.



 



Reacting to BudgIT, Onanuga said the National Assembly had
not erred in its action, pointing out that it was in a bid to ensure the
implementation of projects in the budget.



 





He noted that the Senate had already explained its reason
for its intervention, saying there are projects in the old budgets that have
not been implemented because of funding issues.



 



“There’s really no issue here. The National Assembly has
already explained its reason for this. There are many projects in the 2023
Budget and the (2023) Supplementary Budget that have not been executed. The
idea is to achieve the implementation of such projects in the previous budgets.



 



“For instance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
has some allocation in the 2023 Budget and the Supplementary Budget, which, as
we’re talking;



 



“…have not been given the cash backing to embark of the
projects, automatically they have to take such projects forward to be
implemented. Apparently they weren’t able to implement because they didn’t have
the funds.



 



“One also knows that a lot of projects, in terms of capital
budget, were not done last year so they needed to carry them forward before
they can be done. That’s just basically the idea”, Onanuga said.

Anti-tax protests: We have damaging files on Kenya’s deputy president, says intelligence chief

Noordin Haji, director-general of Kenya’s National
Intelligence Service (NIS), says the agency has incriminating information on
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.





 



Gachagua had demanded Haji’s resignation in the wake of the
violent anti-tax protests in the East African country that saw at least 23 dead
and thousands injured.



 



The deputy president alleged that the NIS DG failed to
notify President William Ruto of the magnitude of the protests to elicit an
appropriate response.



 



Gachagua also accused Haji of frustrating competent officers
in the service and bringing in cronies who have messed up intelligence
gathering.



 





Reacting to the allegations in a statement on Wednesday, the
NIS chief chided the deputy president for “damaging his reputation”.



 



Haji maintained that his direct reports are to Ruto, adding
that Gachagua is only interested in the files because there are skeletons in
his closet.



 



“The DP’s actions and words suggest that he has a personal
interest in the intelligence briefs revolving around the protests. Could it be
that he is worried that the NIS may have pinned responsibility at his
doorstep?” the statement reads.



 



“The DP is still bitter that many of his tribesmen who were
serving in the NIS but sabotaging H.E. President William Ruto were removed from
the service.



 



“It can only mean that the DP’s desire is to sabotage the
President in the hope that if the President falls, he can benefit from it.”



 



Haji warned that the NIS has “files and extensive
information” about Gachagua that are damaging but which are under wraps.



 



“We invite him to shed off the DP tag so that this service
can show him what a personal fight looks like,” the NIS chief said.



 



Haji said the NIS is committed to professionalism and
integrity, adding that the service will not tailor its intelligence to fit into
Gachagua’s “power-hungry designs”.

Rivers crisis: Chief Judge transfers Amaewhule’s defection case

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John
Tsoho, has ordered the transfer of the cases challenging the defection of the
25 state lawmakers in Rivers State from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to
the All Progressives Congress, APC.



 



Tsoho ordered that the cases be transferred from Federal
High Court 4, Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Steven Dalyop Pam, to
Court Two headed by Justice E. O. Obele.



 



The CJ ordered the transfer of the case following a petition
by a defendant in the matter, Hon. Martins Amaewhule, demanding that the cases
against him be transferred to another court.



 



The cases are one instituted by the BOOT Party and others as
plaintiffs in suit number FHC/PHC/269/2024 and another by civil society
organisations in the state against Amaewhule and others, all on the defection
of the defendants to APC.



 





When the court resumed on Monday for hearing, it was
confronted with a petition signed by Martin Amaewhule addressed to the Chief
Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Tsoho, seeking the case to
be reassigned to another court.



 



The presiding judge, Justice Steven Dalyop Pam, who read the
petition in the open court, had noted that the petitioner, Amaewhule, was praying
to the CJ of the High Court to stop the hearing process following the petition.



 



When the petition was read, counsel for the plaintiff, BOOT
Party, Mr Reuben Wanogho, informed the court that the petition was aimed at
arresting the ongoing case and urged the court to ignore it.



 



But counsel for the 1st to 25th defendants in the suit,
Ferdinand Orbi, denied knowledge of the petition by his client and prayed the
court to adhere to the petition and stop further proceeding if the letter was
addressed to the CJ of the court.



 



However, the presiding judge, Justice Pam, noted that in the
first instance, the petitioner (Amaewhule) has no motion, or counter affidavit
before him and that he is not yet known in the case.



 

Tinubu approves N50,000 for 3.6m families in Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has given his approval for an uplift
grant for 3.6 million families in Nigeria.



 

The grant will be disbursed under the National Construction
and Household Support Programme.

 

This will see about 100,000 families in each state receive
N50,000 for three months.

 

Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, confirmed this in a
statement.

 



It read in part: “In addition, other items under the
National Construction and Household Support Programme include:

 

“One-off allocation to states and the Federal Capital
Territory of N10 billion for the procurement of buses and CNG uplift programme.

 

“Delivery of N50,000 uplift grants each to 100,000 families
per state for three (3) months.

 

“Provision for labour unions and civil society
organizations.

 

“Deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and sale of
assorted foodstuffs to be distributed across the nation.”

 

During the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja,
Tinubu urged state governors to work together to meet the needs of citizens.

 





Tinubu also promised that “he is willing to provide the
needed support to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of hardship.”

40,000 civil servants to receive first tranche of consumer credit- Presidency

 The presidency says over 40,000 civil servants have applied
in the initial phase of the consumer credit scheme and will receive the first
tranche of payment in weeks.





 



On April 24, the federal government approved the takeoff of
the first phase of the consumer credit scheme and launched a portal for
Nigerians to apply.



 



The government said the scheme, which aims to broaden
consumer credit availability, will be rolled out in phases, starting with civil
servants, and then extended to the general public.



 



Uzoma Nwagba, chief executive officer (CEO) of Consumer
Credit Corporation (CreditCorp), on May 15, said about 1.6 million Nigerians
have applied for credit under its scheme.



 





In a statement on X on Thursday, Dada Olusegun, special
assistant to President Bola Tinubu on social media, estimated that 500,000
Nigerians will have access to consumer credit by May 2025.



 



“Over 40,000 civil servants have applied in the initial
phase and will receive the first tranche of payment in weeks,” Olusegun said.



 



“The first phase of the scheme is targeted at civil
servants, and the next phase, the general population.



 



 “By May 2025, it is
conservatively estimated that 500,000 Nigerians will benefit from consumer
credit access.”



 



According to Olusegun, about 150 banks, both money deposit
and microfinance institutions, have expressed interest in being part of the
ecosystem that is being created by the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation
(CrediCorp) to essentially undergird a national consumer credit system.



 



He also said CrediCorp is collaborating with the National
Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to efficiently link Nigerians’ national
identification numbers (NINs) to a credit-scoring system.



 



Olusegun said the consumer credit scheme is conceived and
designed to accelerate credit access to citizens in line with Tinubu’s vision
of ensuring that every hardworking Nigerian enjoys a decent standard of living.

Nigeria’s FX inflow in Q1 2024 was $24bn, says Cardoso

Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),
says the country recorded a total foreign exchange inflow of about $24 billion
in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024.



 



Cardoso made this known during an interview with Bloomberg
TV on Tuesday.



 



The CBN governor said the monetary policy tools employed by
the apex bank are showing positive impacts on the FX market.



 



According to Cardoso, the FX inflow of Q1 2024 is about 50
percent above the inflows recorded in previous quarters up to 2021.



 





“The tools are having a positive impact. So we believe that
continuing on this trajectory, we believe that liquidity will continue to
grow,” he said.



 



Cardoso said CBN has set up a committee to facilitate more
inflow of diaspora funds into the official FX market.



 



He said the committee reported directly to him with the sole
objective of doubling the inflow of foreign exchange from the international
monetary operations.



 



The governor also said the committee has begun to yield
positive outcomes with an increase in inflow from Nigerians in the diaspora.



 



“We’ve had a recognition of the huge role the Nigerian
diasporans play in remitting tremendous amounts of money into the system over
some time,” he said.



 



“We set up a committee which reports directly to me to
double the amount of foreign exchange inflow coming from the IMTO who service
that segment of the autonomous players.



 



“Capital inflows are very important. And the reason why is
that in the case of Nigeria, the pass-through from the foreign exchange rate
into inflation is quite significant. We believe that this is an area outside of
the normal day-to-day operations that NNPC and exporters will help in closing
the gap.



 



 “Already, it’s
beginning to bring about results. Again, we are confident that with these kinds
of measurements, liquidity will increase in our market.”



 



Based on the data published on the CBN website, the
country’s FX reserves stood at $33.91 billion as of June 24.



 



In March, the apex bank said the economy recorded over $1.5
billion in FX inflow in the same month, indicating its monetary policy
initiatives are effective.

Kenyan citizens give President Ruto 48-hour ultimatum to resign

There is an outrage in Kenya as citizens gave President William Ruto a 48-hour ultimatum to step down, demanding a new government committed to “transparency, accountability, and good governance.”




The call for resignation has gained significant traction, with a viral Twitter statement stating, “We no longer recognise William Ruto as the President of Kenya. We recall his presidency and urge him to immediately resign and surrender his office to the Kenyan people.”




This statement has generated lots of engagement, reflecting widespread discontent.




Regardless of President Ruto retracting a controversial finance bill that proposed tax increases, public outrage continues to prevail.




The bill, which was intended to address Kenya’s debt of approximately 10 trillion shillings ($78 billion), or roughly 70% of GDP, faced fierce opposition.




Ruto highlighted that without the tax increases, there would be a significant funding shortfall for critical development programmes, including those supporting farmers and teachers.




Kenyans are said to have struggled with economic instability, rampant corruption, and governance issues, leading to escalating living costs and high unemployment rates.




The public’s frustration has climaxed into protests and a fervent demand for change.




Scores of protesters took to the streets, expressing their dissatisfaction with the administration, which they describe as plagued by “incompetence, mismanagement, and a persistent failure to address the nation’s pressing needs.”




Kenyan police were said to have fired rubber bullets and tear gas at demonstrators while soldiers were deployed and roads leading to Ruto’s office at State House and parliament were blocked by police in anti-riot gear.

Transfer my case with EFCC to Kogi – Yahaya Bello tells court

For the fifth time, former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja for his arraignment in the N82bn fraud case brought against him by the federal government.




Instead, the former governor applied to the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Tsoho, to transfer his trial to Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State.




During Thursday’s proceedings, Bello’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, informed Justice Emeka Nwite that his client had written to the Chief Judge requesting that the trial be moved to Lokoja.




He stated that the former governor preferred to be arraigned in Lokoja, arguing that the court there has territorial jurisdiction.




However, the senior lawyer did not mention the status of the Chief Judge’s response to the request.




He also did not fulfill his commitment made on June 13 to produce Bello in court for today’s arraignment.




At the time of this report, there have been legal disputes between the prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, and Adedipe.




The prosecution counsel is demanding that Bello’s lead counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, and Adeola Adedipe, both Senior Advocates, be tried for contempt for misleading the court.

Tinubu backs NDLEA to end drug abuse, trafficking

President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to redouble efforts in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking in the country.




He also urged support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in its fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.




A statement on Wednesday by the Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said the President gave the charge on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Abuja.




Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the President said, “I enjoin all and sundry to support the War Against Drug Abuse initiative, otherwise known as the WADA campaign, launched by NDLEA three years ago. I commend and urge everyone to redouble efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking in the country.




“On this score, I wish to reassure you of this administration’s support. The Renewed Hope Agenda places the youth at the centre of its focus. Therefore, we ensure that our young people are protected from anything that could derail their future or destroy their potential.”




The President also called for the prioritisation of evidence-based prevention strategies for drugs in the country.




“In the face of such a formidable challenge, prevention is the most potent weapon to deploy. Prevention not only saves lives; it also saves resources that would otherwise be spent on treatment and rehabilitation.




“The assignment before us as a country requires that we prioritise evidence-based prevention strategies, allocate adequate resources and foster partnerships for greater impact.”




In his welcome remark, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (retd), said the agency was not relenting in cutting off illicit drug supply channels and dismantling trafficking networks.




“After all, when you cut off drug supplies, you deny users the availability and access to them, including insurgents, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and sundry criminals who rely on drugs to foster their criminalities.




“The magnitude of our effort is reflected in the statistics of our drug supply reduction activities. We have arrested 52,901 drug traffickers, including 48 barons, in three and a half years. Over 9,000 of the suspects have been convicted in court. We have also seized over the same period 7.6 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit substances,” he said.




Meanwhile, a rights group, Hope Beyond Bars Africa, has kicked against the proposed death sentence for drug offences in the country.




The group, in a statement on Wednesday by its Executive Director, Oluwafunke Adeoye, said apart from not being deterrence enough, it was against global best practices.




“On this International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, we reaffirm our commitment to uphold human rights and human dignity and to promote justice that restores.




“Hope Behind Bars Africa firmly opposes the introduction of the death penalty for drug offences in Nigeria. There is a global trend towards abolition of the death penalty, especially for non-violent crime.




“Also, several comprehensive studies and reports highlight the lack of a significant deterrent effect associated with the death penalty for drug trafficking. We urge the National Assembly to reconsider this bill and focus on progressive, humane, and effective solutions to address the drug endemic,” she said.

Edo: Speaker orders Deputy Majority Leader out of plenary over improper dressing

There was a mild drama at plenary session at the Edo State House of Assembly on Wednesday as the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Natasha Osawaru, was ordered to leave the plenary for improper dressing and wearing of a dark shade.




The Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku, ordered the lawmaker who is representing Egor Constituency to leave the session following a point of order raised by Nicholas Asonsere, representing Ikpoba Okha Constituency.




In his point of order, Asonsere said the Deputy Majority Leader’s mode of dressing was against the rules of the House.




“This hallowed chamber is a sacred home. We will not continue to accept or allow anybody to bring it to disrepute.




“We have tolerated enough of the attitude and behaviour of some honourable members so to speak, and if we did not correct this now, it would become a precedent for others to emulate, if not now, in the near future.




“Please, Mr Speaker if I have the permission, I want to crave the indulgence to read some rules of the House sections and subsections.




“We have our own Bible which is often referred to as the Rules of the Edo State House of Assembly upon this we are being guided.




“Any member that violate or contravene the rules is punishable by the law,” he said.




The Speaker, while ordering the Deputy Majority Leader to leave the chamber, said the action was not his own making but in accordance with the House rules.




“Improper dressing and wearing of dark shade is not allowed in this House. It is not me that said it but the House rules. So, please, let us always comply with these our rules,” he added.

Kenya President, Ruto declines assenting Finance Bill 2024

Kenyan President, William Ruto has refused to assent the Finance Bill, 2024.




Ruto is said to have sent the bill back to the Parliament before they break for recess on Wednesday.




The president also proposed a raft of amendments to the Bill which the MPs will have to consider.




Parliament may amend the Bill in light of the president’s reservations or pass it a second time without amending it.




In returning the bill, the president will point out key areas that need to be altered.






If the MPs amend the bill fully accommodating the President’s reservations, the speaker will resend it to Ruto for assent.




If the House considers the president’s reservations, it may pass it a second time, without amendment, or with amendments that do not fully accommodate his reservations. This must have, however, been supported by two-thirds of the members.




With the MPs set to go on recess beginning, Thursday until July 23, it means that should the President return the document to Parliament the speaker may have to recall them.




Some of the tax proposals which had earlier been introduced in the bill include 16 per cent VAT on bread, Excise duty on vegetable oil, VAT on transportation of sugar, 2.5 per cent Motor Vehicle Tax and Eco Levy on locally manufactured products.




They have since been dropped.




The bill passed the committee of the whole house after these amendments were made.




The committee of the whole house format allows for detailed examination of each clause, ensuring thorough consideration before the bill progresses to subsequent stages of legislative review.

Emirship tussle: Politicians asked Ado Bayero to fight after dethronement – Kano gov

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State on Wednesday disclosed that some unpatriotic politicians encouraged the deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, to fight back after he was dethroned.




Disclosing this through his Chief Press Secretary, Sanusi Bature, the governor said these unpatriotic politicians are behind the court case challenging his deposition by the Kano State Government.




Featuring on Arise TV’s Morning Show, the governor’s spokesman described Bayero’s fight to upturn his dethronement as unnecessary.




Stressing that politics was involved in the issue of Kano Emirate tussle, Bature recounted that Emir Muhammed Sanusi never challenged the former state government when he was deposed in 2019.




Recall that Governor Yusuf had dethroned Aminu Bayero while reinstating Sanusi as the Emir of Kano in May.




This followed the decision of the state Assembly to repeal the 2019 Kano Emirate law.




However, Bature said: “We wanted him to vacate the palace because it’s used as a guest house and a graveyard, we want it renovated quickly so that it can serve its purpose. When the governor reinstated the Emir and had given 48 hours for all the other emirs to vacate their palaces.




“Ado Bayero in his own wisdom decided to remove his family and everything belonging to him from the palace. When I was there, the place was so empty when Sanusi entered.




“But some unpatriotic politicians from and outside Kano decided to ignite him to come back to Kano and strike a fight which is unnecessary. Some of the unpatriotic politicians are behind the filing of the court case, like it or not, there is politics here.




“Emir Aminu Ado Bayero was appointed after the dethronement of Sanusi but why didn’t Sanusi fight back at that time?”

Senate didn’t approve new presidential jets, says Akpabio

 The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said on Tuesday,
that the Senate had not approved the purchase of new presidential jets for the
use of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.







 



He described as malicious a report quoting him to have said the National Assembly would approve the purchase of
new aircraft for the President and Vice President, irrespective of the harsh
economic situation in the country.



 



The alleged report comes in the wake of the recommendation
by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence
to buy new aircraft for the President and the Vice-President as the existing presidential
jets are faulty and unsafe for use.



 



Last week, President Tinubu flew to South Africa for the
inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa in a private jet.





 



The Presidency justified the need to buy new presidential
aircraft while reacting to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party,
Peter Obi, who described the plan as misplaced and insensitive.



 



But the Presidency, in a swift reaction, described Obi’s
comment as insensitive, wondering if he would rather have the life of the
President jeopardised by flying faulty aircraft.



 



 “Does he (Obi) want
him (Tinubu) to continue moving around in a rickety plane and die like the VP
of Malawi and Iran President? Let him tell us. This is a basic thing any sane
government will do. You can’t toy with your President’s welfare,” presidential
spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said.



 



However, Akpabio, in a statement by his media aide, Jackson
Udom, denied that the National Assembly had approved the purchase of new
aircraft for the President.



 



According to the statement, the Senate President stated this
while speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, Borno State, shortly after leading
a delegation to pay a condolence visit to Senator Tahir Monguno over the death
of his father.



 



He said, “I want to dispel the rumour that you are hearing that
the Senate President said he would buy a new plane for the President and his
Vice, irrespective of the fact that Nigerians are hungry or whatever.



 



“I never said that. I was actually in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It
is the handiwork of propagandists and fifth columnists, who never see anything
good in what we are doing.



 



“Rest assured, pray for the government, have patience and be
assured that the combination of Tinubu and Shettima will bring wealth and
prosperity to all,” Akpabio said.



 



He expressed satisfaction with the security situation in
Borno State and urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the Tinubu
administration.



 



“I am happy to see that peace has returned to Borno, as a
result of the hard work of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I want to tell the good
people of Borno to continue to support the administration,” Akpabio said.

Minimum Wage: Governors hold emergency meeting

Governors of the 36 states of Nigeria have fixed an emergency meeting for today, Wednesday, over the proposed new minimum wage.




This comes a few hours after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Tuesday stepped down the memo on minimum wage.




Recall that the 36 governors had earlier rejected the proposed N62,000 by the federal government, stating that some states would have to borrow money if the amount is implemented.




However, the organised labour is still insisting on N250,000 wage.






According to Daily Trust, the Acting Director on Media and Public Affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Halima Ahmed, disclosed that the governors would meet in Abuja by 7 pm today, Wednesday, over the matter.

FAAN introduces armed unit at airports to tackle thuggery, extortion

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has
launched an armed Aviation Security unit at the Murtala Muhammed International
Airport in Lagos.





 



Disclosing this via his X page, the Minister of Aviation and
Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo said the armed unit was launched to
address touting and illegal activities at airports.



 



Keyamo said the unit has been mandated to arrest and
prosecute touts and other suspected criminals operating within the airport
premises.



 



According to the minister, the initiative will be replicated
at other international airports in the country, to ensure a safer and more
secure environment for passengers and airport users.





 



Keyamo wrote: “As part of the steps we earlier promised
Nigerians to take to curb the menace of touting and other illegal activities
around our airports, earlier today the Managing Director of FAAN, on my behalf,
unveiled the armed Aviation Security (AVSEC) unit at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.



 



“We will replicate it at other international airports. They
have the mandate to arrest and prosecute touts and other suspected criminals
around our airports.



 



“This is apart from the other inter-ministerial effort that
is still ongoing to deal specifically with the issue of agencies of government
within the airports that are involved in extortion, bribery and begging.”



 



Recall that on June 23, the minister claimed the issue of
extortion of passengers by officials of government agencies at the nation’s
airports was beyond the ministry’s control.



 

Edwin Clark to Tinubu: Halt threatening crisis in Rivers State

 Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South South
Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has asked President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of
urgency, halt the threatening crisis in Rivers State.







 



In a letter to President Tinubu, the Elder Statesman
reiterated that he should caution the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory
Administration, FCTA, Nyesom Wike, and call him to order in the overall
interest of Nigerians to allow the elected Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, whom
he, Wike, claimed he made, to govern Rivers State peacefully, saying that let
the truth be told to him that the former Rivers State governor is not ready for
any form of peace.



 



In the letter dated 25th June, 2024, and made available to
journalists yesterday in Abuja, the leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF,
said that he was calling on him as the President of the country to tread the
path of great honour as a self-professed democrat in bringing the very
troubling situation in Rivers State to an immediate end.



 



The letter is titled, “CHIEF CLARK BESEECH PRESIDENT BOLA
AHMED TINUBU TO HALT THE THREATENING POLITICAL CRISIS IN RIVERS STATE.”





 



The leader of the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum,
SMBLF, has, however, warned that failure to nip the Rivers State crisis in the
bud will appear as the proverbial Caesar sitting on his oars when Rome was
burning.  Let me remind you that the situation
in Rivers State is like a banana peel and if nothing is done early, could
engulf everywhere.  



 



Clark said, “I wish to congratulate you for your prompt
action taken by the Presidency to douse the political tension in Rivers State.
Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser on Media to Mr. President disclosed the
President’s position during an interview on TVC on Saturday, 11th May, 2024.
And it has been warmly received by Nigerians particularly in Rivers State. The
crisis is no doubt will gradually died down if the statement is upheld by the
Presidency, and it will enable us to face the security problem in other part of
the country.



 



“According to the Presidential media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, he
said, “I believe that anyone who believes that by their actions, whether it’s
from the federal level, state level or the legislative branch in the state or
the legislative branch in the state or the executive branch in the state, if
they are banking on Mr. President to take sides on this matter, they are
mistaking and they will be disappointed”.



 



 “I am now 97 years and
by the grace of God while I may be in my last journey, I have therefore
deliberately decided to address the Rivers State issues historically,
factually, and courageously without fear or favour to anyone in the interest of
Nigeria as a result of your Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike’s continuous threat to
remove from office the elected Governor of Rivers State. Your Excellency, you
have done what was expected as the father and President of Nigeria, we are all
happy to note that with the statesmanship statement from the presidency, the
tension in Rivers State is gradually dying down and the peace and good
governance is returning to Rivers State. Mr. President, we all know you as an
experience and matured politician and historically, you have bravely passed through
this way before when democracy was introduced in 1999, and therefore Mr.
President, know what I am talking about.



 



“I am confident and proud to say that I have known you for
many years even though we have never worked together but in our various positions,
we successfully fought against anti democratic policies of President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s regime between 1999 and 2007, and I developed special admiration for
you when you boldly and courageously spoke against President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s interference with your State Local Government system. You are
therefore responsible for the growth and wealth of Lagos State today and
Nigerians all over the country admire you because you never compromise your
constitutional right as provided in section 5(2) of the 1999 constitution of
Nigeria as amended which gave you the power and authority to manage the affairs
of Lagos State because the constitution recognized the autonomy of the State
and they are not subsidiary of the Federal Government. What changes now?



 



“Nyesom Wike has deliberately made a plan with the Rivers
State members of the National Assembly to stagger their thanksgiving service
and reception for over a long period of time where he will always have the
opportunity to criticise the government of Rivers State and harass the Governor
because the Governor must accept him as a political leader of Rivers State. It
must be remembered that these National Assembly members took oath of office in
June 2023. A situation which we now found ourselves by Mr. President allowing
Nyesom Wike to rule Rivers State from Abuja while he is no longer the Rivers
State Governor and at the same time performing his job from Abuja undisturbed
as Minister of FCT is unacceptable; hence we are legitimately resisting it. 



 



“Almost everything that Nyesom Wike had said in public has
been repudiated by him (Nyesom Wike is indeed a man of contradiction and
inconsistencies). From the PDP primaries where he vowed to support whosoever
emerged as candidate, to his vow not to be minister, to his scathing
excoriation of the APC which he likened to a cancerous party, everything Wike
supposedly stood for have been repudiated by his fickle mindedness”.



 



“With the exception of Governor Melford Okilo, who was the
first Civilian Governor of Rivers State in 1979 when Nyesom Wike, only a
12years old boy was still in primary school, he has condemned every other
Governor and President who trusted him and contributed to his becoming Local
Government Chairman of Obio-Akpor, Chief of Staff to Governor Rotimi Amaechi,
Minister of State Education by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and as a
Governor of Rivers State also by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his
wife, Dame Patience Jonathan. But today, he has abandoned them.



 



“The continuous activities of the Minister of the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) and immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom
Wike, are clear indications that he is not ready for peace in Rivers State.



 



“As a former Governor yourself who suffered under the heavy
hand of President Obasanjo and held your funds for several years, you can
appreciate the unnecessary pressure and distraction which the Governor is going
through by having a very high handed former boss breathing down on him with
federal might. Let me ask, if not for federal might, on what basis would former
members of the State House of Assembly who publicly declared to all; a change
of political party and were seen carrying the flag of your party and singing
the songs of your party still claim to be members of the Assembly.  Is this not contrary to Section 109(1) g of
the 1999 Constitution and extant Supreme Court Judgement as I referred to
earlier? If not for the presumed federal support, on what basis would Local
Government Chairmen whose tenures have expired refuse to vacate office?  If not for the federal might, on what basis
would Nigerian police whose duty is to keep law and order take over the
premises of the Local Government Secretariats in the name of protecting law and
order?  If not for federal might, why are
former Local Government Chairmen still parading themselves to be in office
granting interview carrying out demonstration and enjoying very visible police
protection? If not for federal might, why will the Police stop the duly
constituted Local Government Caretaker Chairmen and workers from accessing the
premises to perform their duties?  If not
the supposed federal might, why is the judiciary now in total confusion in the
contradictory judgements flying everywhere?



 



“Let the truth be told to you Mr. President, Nyesom Wike is
not ready for any form of peace. Therefore, I call on you once again, to
caution Mr. Wike and call him to order in the overall interest of Nigerians to
allow the elected Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, whom he, Nyesom Wike, claimed he
made, to govern Rivers State peacefully.



 



“Now, Nyesom Wike is dancing around President Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, like an urchin singing nursery rhyme, in his guttural and hoarse voice:
“President Tinubu, on your mandate l shall stand”. President Tinubu, Wike is not
standing on any mandate. He is standing on his opportunistic position as a
Minister. If at the end of his tenure as Minister let us see whether he will
still be singing on your mandate I shall stand.



 



“Mr. President, I humbly submit that given my age and status
as a senior citizen of Nigeria, I cannot accept on behalf of my people any
actions that undermine or violate the provisions of the 1999 Federal
Constitution of Nigeria as amended. As you well known, I have served the
country in different capacity including serving in the same cabinet with three
colleagues at the time (General Murtala Mohammed, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and
General Olusegun Obasanjo), all of whom later became President of this country.
That some of us have kept quiet on issues such as this is not because we are
afraid to speak out but for the respect and support which we have for your
office. I have seen a lot in politics and governance, both in Nigeria and
around the world.  What may seem
irrelevant to you today can become a major difficulty to the government in no
time.  As one old enough to be your
father since you are only 73 years old, I advise again, let this small fire in
Rivers State be quenched immediately and not allowed to conflagrate further.  



 



“Specifically, I am calling on you to tread the path of
great honour as a self-professed democrat in bringing the very troubling
situation in Rivers State to an immediate end. This is because not doing so
will appear as the proverbial Caesar sitting on his oars when Rome was burning.  Let me remind you that the situation in
Rivers State is like a banana peel, and if nothing is done early, could engulf
everywhere.



 



“Once again, I want to express on behalf of our people in
the south-south our profound gratitude and appreciation for the patriotic and
authoritative release from the Presidency concerning the present situation in
Rivers State.



 



“Before I end, I thank you for the very gracious message of
congratulation which you sent to me on the occasion of my 97th birthday, and in
fact, it was largely publicised both nationally and internationally. Let me
assure you of my continued prayers as you steer the ship of our nation.”



 



According to Clark, “Nyesom Wike and the 27 former members
of the Assembly and the so called Chairman of the APC caretaker committee in
Rivers State, Mr. Tony Okocha, have been issuing inflammatory and provocative
statement harassing the Governor to the extent that he recently threatened to
impeach Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State.



 



“Another divisive and provocative statement made by Nyesom
Wike was on Sunday 7th January, 2024, during his confession having hand in the
impeachment of the governor, because of the governor’s hand to impeach the
former Speaker and some members of the Rivers State House Assembly.



 



“He continued his public outburst at a so called grand New
Year luncheon at the banquet hall of his private residence in Port Harcourt,
Rivers State. Speaking on the Rivers crisis he said;



 



“Ask people why this matter came to this level. When people
went and plotted the removal of the Speaker you think we would fold our hands
to remove the Speaker an Obio/Akpor son?”



 



“But unfortunately, he miscalculated, when he directed the
Speaker, his kinsman, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule and the 26 members to defect
from PDP, the political party that sponsored them to the APC that does not have
a single member in the Rivers State House of Assembly, gleefully singing APC
song and waving APC flag. They did not realize that by their action, they
automatically lost their seats in accordance with the 1999 Constitution as
amended and the series of Supreme Court judgement on the same matter. The
remaining four members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who did not defect
also went to court. Since the former Speaker, Martins Amaewhule was also
included in the defection who later became the Speaker went to court where the
court confirmed his defection that those who defected including the Speaker
have lost their seat in the State House of Assembly, and also approved Martins
Amaewhule as the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly who
thereafter duly informed the Chairman of Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu about their decision. There is strong
evidence that APC under the leadership of Tony Okocha held a very successful
reception where the defected former members of the Rivers State House of
Assembly were received into APC with fan fare.  




 



“Recently, when he was addressing the former lawmaker
representing Ogu/Bolo Constituency in the House of Assembly, who defected from
PDP to APC, Wike declared that;



 



“Let me say this clearly; Arnold, don’t be frightened that
anybody would remove you as an Assembly member. Nobody will remove you as an
Assembly member.



 



“Most of you don’t understand. This (politics) is our work.
What l am doing is to make them fear; to make them angry. I have no other job
than to make them angry every day, to make them make mistakes every day. And
they will be in trouble every day. So, don’t worry about yourselves”.



 



“Mr. President, you can see clearly the wicked and
mischievous confession of your Minister Nyesom Wike sabotaging the
democratically elected Governor of Rivers State and his legitimate administration
in order to bring down the government because he want to be leader and continue
maintaining his structure in Rivers State.



 



“Nyesom Wike has definitely danced naked in the market with
one leg in PDP and the second leg in APC, using the two legs to create crisis
and insecurity in his own State, Rivers State and it may be too late for Mr.
President to discover him.



 



“The PDP from which the so called 27 defected members of
Rivers State House of Assembly was in the same position like Labour Party in
Ondo State. No split, no faction. In fact, Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi
Fubara of Rivers State attended the full caucus meeting of the PDP and the NEC
meeting of PDP held at the PDP headquarter on Thursday 18th April, 2024, and
both the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the National Secretary,
Samuel Anyanwu, from Imo State, who the so called 27 members cited as a
division in PDP because the Secretary was in court against PDP at the time. So,
the so called 27 members terribly mis-calculated and they automatically lost
their seat and there is no provision in the constitution for them to return
back. Therefore the new strategy mischievously been adopted by Nyesom Wike and
his co-travellers is to arrange with the PDP acting National Chairman and its
legal advisers to obtain an injunction in favour of the 27 former members of
the Rivers State House of Assembly that they were still members of PDP because
they did not followed due process when they defected from PDP to APC on Monday
11th December, 2023.    



 



“Mr. President, even though you trusted Nyesom Wike to the
extent of appointing him as Minister of FCT, you did not really know who Nyesom
Wike is.



 



“At this juncture, with kind permission of Richard Akinlola,
a well known columnist in one of his column narrated who Nyesom Wike is to the
average Nigerians even though you must have heard the same from your capable
and intelligent media officials;



 



“Wike is only loyal to himself and nobody else, irrespective
of his feigned allegiance. He may kowtow and genuflect before a political
leader, as he is currently doing in Abuja, but once he can no longer use you,
he goes into a fit of incoherent vituperative verbal assault, denigrating his
benefactors.”

Kano emirates virus must not infect Sultanate – Shehu Sani to Sokoto Gov

 Former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, has called on Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State not to allow the viruses that infected the Kano emirate to infect the Sultanate.



 

Sani’s comments followed alleged rumours of a crisis between the Sultanate and the Kano State Governor.

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, had alleged that Governor
Aliyu was planning to depose the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad
Abubakar III.



 



MURIC’s allegations came in reaction to the controversy and
tension over the deposition of some monarchs in Kano State.



 





But in his X handle on Monday, Sani said the Sultanate is
not only owned by the people of Sokoto State but has many stakeholders.



 



“Even though it’s a subject of speculation or conjecture, I
appeal to the Governor of Sokoto State not to allow the viruses that infected
the Kano emirate to infect the Sultanate.



 



“That Sultanate doesn’t belong to the people of Sokoto
alone. We are stakeholders,” he said.

#CHIVIDO2024: ‘Best day of my life’ – Davido gushes as he sets to wed Chioma

 



Afrobeats singer, David Adeleke, aka Davido, is basking in
excitement ahead of his wedding with his fiancée, Chioma Rowland, in Lagos
today.





 



A video has emerged showing the singer gushing while having
a haircut as he prepares to walk down the aisle with Chioma later today.



 



The singer, who couldn’t contain his feelings in the video
released by one of his associates, said today was the best day of his life.



 



“I feel good. It’s a great day. Best day of my life. We are
here to receive our wife,” he said with excitement.



 





Video:


Davido having his haircut for the special moment #CHIVIDO2024 pic.twitter.com/e0dzML0CBG— UPDATEBOYZ  (@Updateboyx) June 25, 2024

Again, Nigerian pilgrim returns €1,750 lost in Saudi

A Nigerian pilgrim from Gumi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Muhammad Na’Allah has returned the sum of €1,750 (One thousand, seven hundred and fifty Euros) which he found at the Haram in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.




He returned the money to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, for onward delivery to the owner.




This is the second time that such character would be exhibited by pilgrims from the country after Abba Limawa from Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State returned 10,500 Russian Rubles, 800 Dollars and 690 Saudi Riyals.




Receiving the €1,750 found by Na’Allah at the NAHCON office in Ummuljud, Makkah, the commission’s chairman, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi praised the pilgrim, saying the act symbolizes his name (Na’Allah) which demonstrated his closeness to Allah.




“This shows his pilgrimage has positively impacted on his personal character, behavior and attitude,” Arabi told the officials of the Zamfara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, who accompanied Na’Allah to the commission’s office




The chairman had also last week commended the Jigawa pilgrim, Limawa, 52, who returned the lost money for being honest and projecting the image of Nigeria positively before the international community.




The pilgrim explained that he found the money inside a waist bag while on his way to pray at the Masjid Haram (Mosque).




“Initially, I wanted to ignore the waist bag and move to the Mosque, but on second thought, I said it might belong to a Nigerian, especially some of our old women.




“So, I decided to pick it, and I proceeded to the mosque. When I returned to my accommodation, I opened the bag and discovered that there was no Nigerian currency or sign that it belonged to a Nigerian.




“Immediately, I approached one of the officials of the Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, narrated the story and presented the money to him.




“From there, he commended me for showing exemplary character and honesty and told me that he would hand over the money to the NAHCON to ensure that the owner gets their money,” Limawa explained.

Alleged plan to depose Sultan of Sokoto will cause more harm -Islamic cleric

An Islamic cleric in Zamfara State, Babangida Ahmad has described the alleged plan by the Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu to depose the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar as child’s play.




He reminded that the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, headed by its National leader, Professor Isiak Akintola had already warned that nothing of such should be approved to save the image and reputation of the Muslim community in Nigeria.




Ahmad further stated that any circular that supports the removal of the Sultan of Sokoto is unwanted and will demoralize the Islamic community in the country.”




He noted that MURIC is monitoring the happenings in the Kano emirate, urging the northern elites to mediate into the issue and allow peace to prevail.






Ahmad explained that deposing the Sultan of Sokoto would cause more harm than good to the Islamic community in Nigeria.