November 2020 – Page 26

Post Date : November 23, 2020

NCC account suspended on Twitter

Twitter, a social media service, has suspended the account of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) on the digital platform. The social media giant suspended the account on Monday, but TheCable cannot immediately confirm the reason for the action. The NCC is under the federal ministry of communications and digital economy headed by Isa Pantami. A statement on the account showed that no activity can take place on it. “Account suspended. Twitter suspends accounts which violated the Twitter rules,” a notification on the account reads. On suspended accounts, Twitter notes that the development may occur to ensure safe environment for users. “In order to maintain a safe environment for users on Twitter, we may suspend accounts that violate the Twitter Rules. Common reasons for suspension may include: spam, account security at risk and abusive tweets or behavior,” a statement on Twitter website reads. According to Twitter rules, an account can be suspended for several reasons including violence; terrorism/violent extremism; abuse/harassment; hateful conduct; child sexual exploitation; and sensitive media. When TheCable contacted Ike Adinde, NCC’s director of public affairs, he said the commission is aware of the suspension. The spokesman said it is false that NCC violated any Twitter rule, saying it is a glitch from Twitter’s two-factor authentication (2FA) system. “We have been aware of issues with our Twitter account, apparently emanating from technical glitches with the company’s (Twitter’s) authentication system,” he said. Adinde referred back to an August 10 report published here, saying a number of users globally are experiencing similar problems.

Post Date : November 23, 2020

Just In: Abducted Zaria Poly Lecturer, 2 Children Released

The Head of Department, Computer Engineering of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, Eng. Bello Atiku who was abducted by gunmen nine days ago has regained his freedom from the den of the kidnapers. He was released alongside the two children of his neighbour who were also abducted. Daily Trust reports that gunmen on Saturday, November 14, 2020 invaded the Staff quarters of Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic in Zaria and abducted Eng. Atiku. The gunmen also shot his neighbor, Sanusi Hassan, a registry staff of the institution on the hand before they made away with his two children. The school Public Relations Officer, Abdallah Shehu said the victims were released on Monday but could not give further details. “They are all safe now but they need rest and so we were not able to get any details from them but as soon as we get the necessary information, it will be related to the press,” he said.

Post Date : November 23, 2020

EXTRA: 2019 Elections: Court Orders Arrest Of Prof. Udu Over Alleged Electoral Fraud

A High Court sitting in Akwa Ibom State has issued a Bench Warrant for the arrest of a Professor of the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State over his alleged involvement in electoral fraud during the 2019 general elections. The professor, Ignatius Uduk, is accused of trying to rig the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District election. After several unsuccessful attempts to serve the Professor with the summons to appear before the Court in Charge No.HU/240C/2020, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had filed a motion for substituted service which was granted on November 16, 2020. The order was said to have been served on the office of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Uyo, on November 17, 2020, directing the defendant to appear before the Court on November 18. However, when the accused did not appear before the Court,the matter was adjourned to Monday, 23rd of November,2020. Issuing the Bench Warrant for the arrest of the Professor upon the application of the Counsel to INEC, Kpoobari Sigalo, the Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice A. E. Archibong, frowned at the refusal of the Professor to obey the order of the Court. He adjourned the matter to December 9, 2020, when the police is expected to produce the defendant in Court. The Commission had last week arraigned another Professor Peter Ogban, of the Department of Soil Science, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, who was similarly accused of involvement in electoral fraud during the 2019 general elections in the state.

Post Date : November 23, 2020

Fuel Price Hike: Why We Won’t Declare Strike – Labour

The organised labour on Monday said it would not declare nationwide strike and street protests to press home demands for a reversal of recent fuel hike because the organisation is not a “one-man show”, adding that “strike is the last option “. Leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at a joint press briefing at Labour House in Abuja, maintained that they would exhaust all available options to ensure ongoing issues were resolved before the option of strike would be considered. Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, while fielding questions from journalists, noted that labour could not on its own declare nationwide strike without engaging all its members and following due process. He insisted that the leadership of labour never betrayed the masses as being speculated in various quarters, saying the proposed September 28 nationwide strike was suspended following certain agreements between the government and the labour movement. Ajaero said, “The issue of whether we are going on strike immediately or not, I don’t think we operate that way in the labour movement. Our strike was suspended based on certain understandings and our understanding was still violated. That was why we raised that alarm yesterday (Sunday) which led to the walkout. “We can’t come in here to announce a strike or the next strategies as if it was just a one-man organisation. “Part of what we are doing in terms of engagement is to reach out and if every other means fail, strike is usually the last option by any union. We don’t just, at any slightest provocation start declaring strike. I think that is not what is on the table now but there are certain disagreements which we are trying to address.” Masses Confidence The labour leader said the organisation would work towards regaining the confidence Nigerians had reposed in its leadership. According to him, “On whether Nigerians have lost faith on us, we didn’t buy it with money and we won’t equally buy back their confidence with money. “Even the last agreement, there seems to be government’s interpretation of it; either the two parties, one of them seems not to understand the contents of the letters during the last agreement.” Speaking earlier, Comrade Nasir Idris, also Deputy President of the NLC, described the recent government’s move as “pain-inducing and life-crippling increase in pump price”, saying based on the last time the union signed the Memorandum of Understanding, government had no license to fix price of fuel. Idris, who assured Nigerians that the union had not lost its focus nor resolved to betray its members and the masses, noted that government’s conduct was in gross violation of fundamental terms of its agreement and in bad faith calculated to frustrate the process of an amiable resolution. He said, “Indeed, the letter and spirit of the terms and conditions of the agreement presuppose that contemplation of an increase or an increase would constitute a breach of the dialogue process. What we reasonably expected was that the government would channel its creative energies to deepening stimulus to the appropriate sectors of the economy to kick start growth.”

Post Date : November 23, 2020

Tigray Leader Tells Ethiopian PM His People ‘Ready To Die’

The leader of Ethiopia’s dissident Tigray region said Monday that his people were “ready to die” defending their homeland, rejecting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s ultimatum that they surrender within 72 hours. Abiy launched a military campaign against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on November 4, accusing it of attacking two federal military camps in the northern region, as well as defying and seeking to destabilise his government. The federal army says its forces are within 60 kilometres (37 miles) of Mekele, the Tigrayan capital and seat of the TPLF, ahead of a threatened all-out bombardment of the city of half a million people. Abiy — last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner — on Sunday called on the TPLF to surrender peacefully within three days, saying they were “at a point of no return”. But the TPLF’s leader Debretsion Gebremichael said Abiy was trying to cover for setbacks his army had suffered against Tigrayan forces, and was issuing threats to buy time. “He doesn’t understand who we are. We are people of principle and ready to die in defence of our right to administer our region,” Debretsion told AFP via WhatsApp. A communications blackout in the region has made claims from both sides difficult to verify. – ‘No mercy’ threat – Brigadier General Tesfaye Ayalew, as quoted by state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate on Monday, said that federal troops were “marching into Mekele” having captured key towns to the north and south. The army has threatened a “no mercy” tank assault on the TPLF leadership in Mekele, warning civilians to leave while they still can, raising concerns among rights activists. “Treating a whole city as a military target would not only (be) unlawful, it could also be considered a form of collective punishment,” Human Rights Watch researcher Laetitia Bader wrote on Twitter. Abiy urged the people of Mekele to side with the national army against the TPLF, “in bringing this treasonous group to justice”. Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed in nearly three weeks of fighting which has seen warplanes bomb the region and tanks enter the fray. Amnesty International also documented a gruesome massacre in which “scores and likely hundreds” of people were stabbed and hacked to death. Tens of thousands of Ethiopians have meanwhile fled west into Sudan and rockets have hit Eritrea to the north, spurring fears the internal conflict risks instability beyond its borders. – Rocket attack – In Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara region south of Tigray, two witnesses told AFP on Monday that rockets had hit the city, the third time it has endured shelling since the fighting began. “Three rockets fell on the city near the airport area. We don’t know about casualties or damages,” said one witness, who asked not be named. There was no immediate response from the government, nor any claim of responsibility. The TPLF claimed responsibility for earlier rocket strikes on Bahir Dar and Gondar, another city in Amhara, as well as Eritrea’s capital Asmara. Abiy, in a statement late Sunday, accused Tigrayan forces of destroying key infrastructure in their retreat from fighting, including the airport in the town of Axum and schools, bridges, medical centres and roads. Images broadcast by Ethiopian authorities on Monday showed what appeared to be deep gouges and damage to the tarmac at Axum. Abiy has resisted international pressure to halt the fighting and enter into dialogue with the TPLF, describing the campaign as a “law enforcement operation” against a “treasonous group” that is now entering its final phase. The TPLF led the armed struggle that toppled the brutal Derg regime in 1991 and controlled the coalition that took over, ruling Ethiopia for nearly three decades until Abiy was appointed in 2018. Since then, Tigrayan leaders have complained of being unfairly targeted in corruption prosecutions, removed from top positions and broadly scapegoated for the country’s woes. AFP

Post Date : November 23, 2020

Trial Of Ex-Niger Governor, Aide Over Alleged N2bn Fraud Stalled

The trial of former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, and his then Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko, has suffered a setback at the Federal High Court in Minna, the state capital. Their trial could not hold on Monday as it was noted that the representative of Nasko’s counsel, Mamman Osman, had filed an application for adjournment based on the lawyer’s ill health, which he served on the prosecution and first defence counsel. The Head of Media and Publicity at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the application for adjournment was filed on Thursday last week. Although the counsel disclosed that he was in possession of Osman’s medical report, he declined reading it in court, stating that it was confidential. In his reaction, the prosecution counsel, G.O. Adebola, objected to the application, noting that it was “bereft of reasons why adjournment has to be granted.” Adebola decried that he had gone to a great length to bring witnesses from Abuja, Port Harcourt, and other places to the court, stressing that the defence was wasting the time of the court and that of the defendants. But counsel to the former governor, Musa Sulaiman, supported the application, saying he was not aware of any human being that was immune to sickness. The presiding judge, Justice Aminu Aliyu, gave a ruling in favour of the defence lawyer and adjourned until January 18 and 19, 2021, for the continued trial of the defendants. Former Governor Aliyu and Mr Nasko are facing prosecution by the EFCC on amended three-count charges of breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N2 billion. While the case was initially struck out on June 19, it was relisted on October 27 and adjourned till November 23 for hearing.

Post Date : November 23, 2020

Gunmen Invade ABU Staff Quarters, Kidnap Staff

Unknown gunmen on Monday invaded the staff quarters of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and abducted a staff of the school. While confirming the development, ABU Zaria in a statement said the incident took place at the Sardauna Crescent on the university’s main campus. Although the gunmen had gone away with the unnamed staff, his wife and daughter, they were later overpowered by security officials in an exchange of fire and ran into the bush with the victims. They escaped with the lecturer and his family but a swift response by the Police who chased them to Dasuwar Da’a village, a community bordering the university, saw the gunmen releasing the wife and daughter, the statement signed by the school’s spokesman, Awwalu Umaru, further noted. The school said it has informed the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed and other security agencies about the incident, quoting the Vice-Chancellor of the school, Prof Kabir Bala, as calling for calm among residents of the university community. Read the full statement below

Post Date : November 23, 2020

2020 Finance Bill Exempts Minimum Wage Earners From Tax, Says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the 2020 Finance Bill exempts earners of minimum wage from paying taxes. Buhari disclosed this on Monday in a speech delivered virtually by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the opening session of the 26th Nigerian Economic Summit Group Conference themed: “Building Partnerships for Resilience.” “We are proposing in the new Finance Act that those who earn minimum wage should be exempted from paying income tax,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande. “These provisions which complement the tax breaks given to small businesses last year will not only further stimulate the economy but are also a fulfilment of promises made to take steps to help reduce the cost of transportation and the impact of inflation on ordinary Nigerians.” The President also commended the private sector for building a resilient economy in the country. To Buhari, “This government has always emphasized that the private sector has a key role to play in our efforts to build a more resilient and competitive economy as expressed in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. “Private companies in design, construction, logistics and finance are very much engaged in our infrastructural projects in power and rail as well as road and bridges and the installation of broadband infrastructure which is an essential requirement if Nigeria is to participate actively and benefit from the 4th Industrial Revolution.” SEE FULL STATEMENT HERE: OUR 2020 FINANCE BILL EXEMPTS MINIMUM WAGE EARNERS FROM TAX – BUHARI *Adds: This will reduce the impact of inflation on ordinary Nigerians *N15Trn Infrastructure company in the offing *VP explains the reduction of import duties on cars, says govt will buy locally assembled vehicles In order to reduce the impact of inflation on Nigerians, the Buhari administration through the 2020 Finance Bill is proposing the exemption of minimum wage earners from the Personal Income Tax. And when coupled with other items in the proposed Bill, and various economic policies of the Federal Government, these incentives would ensure the resilience of the Nigerian economy to exogenous shocks, according to President Muhammadu Buhari. The President made these disclosures in his speech delivered virtually by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, on Monday at the opening session of the 26th Nigerian Economic Summit Group Conference themed: “Building Partnerships for Resilience”. According to the President, “we are proposing in the new Finance Act that those who earn minimum wage should be exempted from paying income tax. “These provisions which complement the tax breaks given to small businesses last year will not only further stimulate the economy but are also a fulfilment of promises made to take steps to help reduce the cost of transportation and the impact of inflation on ordinary Nigerians.” Explaining the role of the private sector in building a resilient economy, President Buhari said “this government has always emphasized that the private sector has a key role to play in our efforts to build a more resilient and competitive economy as expressed in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. “Private companies in design, construction, logistics and finance are very much engaged in our infrastructural projects in power and rail as well as road and bridges and the installation of broadband infrastructure which is an essential requirement if Nigeria is to participate actively and benefit from the 4th Industrial Revolution.” Continuing, the President added, “…it is clear that we must diversify the economy away from dependence on crude oil exports, speed up human capital development and improve on infrastructure. Above all, our economy must be made more resilient to exogenous shocks. It is important for the private sector to play a key role as we work together to identify national priorities and try to influence our future national trajectory.” The President also gave insights to the collaboration between the CBN, the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Investment Authority (NSIA) and other stakeholders in the creation of an Infrastructure Company (Infraco) Fund to address some of the nation’s critical infrastructure needs. “It goes without saying that partnerships remain essential to attract the resources for building a solid national infrastructural base. I am pleased to inform you in this regard that we are working actively with the Central Bank, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority and State Governments under the auspices of the National Economic Council to design and put in place a N15 trillion Infraco Fund which will be independently managed. “The Infraco Fund will help to close the national infrastructural gap and provide a firm basis for increasing national economic productivity and growth,” the President explained. Restating the commitment of his administration to sustaining collaborations with the private sector in addressing challenges, President Buhari said “if there is one single lesson to be learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that partnerships are essential for credible responses with lasting effects.” His words: “Our national journey to economic prosperity is a long one, so we must all certainly work together. As we saw, partnerships were essential when we were faced with the serious challenge of combatting COVID-19. “We saw the key role that partnerships played in our national effort to combat the COVID-19 crisis. While Federal and State Governments worked together to manage the health response and ensure the establishment of isolation centres and availability of test kits, personal protective equipment, and medicines, the private sector also played an active role as individual entities, and also worked together in groups like the Coalition Against COVID-19.” During the speech presentation, the Vice President responded to the issue of import duties raised by some speakers at the summit. The Vice President noted that “the point of the reduction in levies on motor vehicles, commercial vehicles for transportation is to reduce the cost of transportation by reducing the cost of vehicles.” He explained that “with subsidy removal and the increase in fuel price and the pass-through to food prices, transportation costs had to be reduced. Now the automotive policy is directed at

Post Date : November 23, 2020

BREAKING: Minister’s brother kidnaped in Kano

Babawuro Tofai, the younger brother of Sabo Nanono, minister of agriculture, has been abducted in Kano. Gunmen had whisked the victim away from his family house in Gabasawa local government area of the state on Monday morning. One of the aides of the minister confirmed the abduction, saying the gunmen struck around 10am on Monday. Abdullahi Haruna, police public relations officer in Kano, also confirmed the incident, saying investigation was ongoing. More to follow…

Post Date : November 23, 2020

2023: Plot To ‘Uproot’ Tinubu’s Dynasty Thickens

There uneasy calm in the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the 2023 election and plot to whittle down the influence of the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Daily Trust reports. Though the 2023 election is still far off, the state APC is said to be worried by recent developments which showed some chieftains already declaring interest in the state governorship position. The chieftains are not only showing interest but also said to be challenging the authority of Tinubu who is the leader of the party in the state. The swelling rank of “disgruntled members” of the party, sources said, is causing unease in the dynasty at a time the opposition has vowed to checkmate the dominance of the APC leader in the state ahead of the 2023 elections. ‘O toge Lagos’ campaign launched to end Tinubu dynasty Already, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has launched a campaign tagged, ‘O toge Lagos’ to end Tinubu’s reign in 2023, though APC insists the opposition cannot unseat it in the state. While the ruling party has the opposition to contend with, it is also battling with the opposition within. Just last month, a former commissioner for Home Affairs in the state, Dr Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, resigned from the party after launching a political movement to drive his 2023 ambition. Following the announcement, he was relieved of his appointment as an aide to the speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa. But he recanted 24 hours after a meeting with some leaders of the party while sources say the issue raised by his earlier resignation was far from over. Less than two months after, another chieftain of the party, Mr Olajide Adediran, came out last week to declare his intention for the 2023 election. He said he was damning the consequence coming out two years to the election, noting that Tinubu could not stop him. Adediran, who is an ally of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said he was not oblivious that Tinubu might not give him the ticket but his ambition is unstoppable. “We understand this game. Do you think I will be stupid to believe that if our party remains the way it is today, Asiwaju Tinubu is going to give me the governorship ticket? He can give you everything but not the governorship ticket. “When I say every other, I mean every other thing but not the governorship ticket and that is why whoever emerges as governor of Lagos State will not be the people’s governor,” he said. Another chieftain of the party who spoke with Daily Trust on condition of anonymity said, “It is true that a lot of people are presently aggrieved but they are afraid to come out but in days to come you would see what I am talking about. “The decision by the GAC to ban all political movements is one of the means to checkmate the aggrieved members but this has not achieved that purpose. You would see a lot of aggrieved members coming out to dare the party in days to come. It is all about 2023. “A lot of members are aggrieved with the system and the leadership because their expectations are not being met but they are afraid to come out. They are torn between the devil and the deep blue sea,” he said. No crisis in APC spokesman says But the spokesman of Lagos APC, Seye Oladejo, insisted that the party remained one and that there was no crisis in it. He stated that there was nothing unusual with members of the party having ambition. Oladejo said: “It remains within the right of party members to be ambitious and aspire to any office of their choice. “The presence of ambitious members in a political party engenders mass mobilisation, spread to all nooks and crannies of the state and promotes all-round activities. “Our party has always encouraged members to contest and realize their ambition within the provisions of the constitution of the party. However, we will encourage members to continue to play by the rules and avoid causing needless crisis. “The increase in the number of members expressing different ambitions is indicative of our democratic growth and absolute confidence in our platform. Let me assure you that there’s no crisis within the ruling party as we remain determined to uphold internal democracy at all times.” The APC publicist also dismissed the threat by Jandor, saying he was merely seeking attention. Meanwhile, the spokesman of the PDP, Taofiq Gani, while speaking with Daily Trust, said the party was aware of the acrimony in APC, saying it would aid them to dislodge the ruling party. He said it was not only APC members that were dissatisfied with the leadership, many Lagosians are unhappy with the system in the state. Gani, however, warned that the “acrimony” within the APC should not stall governance in the state.