The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has asked three of its pioneer general managers to proceed on terminal leave from November 20. The affected directors are Mustapha Bukar, general manager for finance and management services; Anthony Akah (pictured), general manager of consumer affairs and head of division of consumer affairs, and Olufunke Dinneh, general manager of legal and licences. The affected general managers, said to be the most senior directors in the seven divisions, were retired having spent eight years working at the commission. According to inside sources, this has caused controversy in the commission and among power stakeholders as the three general managers are said to be in their 50s and have not reached retirement age. But NERC was said to have relied on its staff handbook, which mandates the directors to take a bow after eight years tenure. Mike Faloseyi, assistant general manager at the public affairs unit of NERC, told TheCable that there is no shake-up at the commission, while he promised to get back with more details on the development but had not fulfilled his promise at the time of filing this report. NERC was created in 2005 through the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 as an independent regulatory body with authority for the regulation of the electricity industry in the country Nigeria.

The Law Students Association of Nigeria has dragged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) before the Federal High Court Abuja, challenging what it described as the incessant strikes by the union. The association is seeking an order to compel ASUU to return to the classroom as well as an order of perpetual injunction to restrain ASUU from embarking on further strikes. The suit which was filed by the President of the association, Mr. Blessing Agbomhere on behalf of his members is also asking the court to compel ASUU to pay N10 billion compensation to Nigerian students. This, the association claims, is for allegedly infringing on the right of the students to education as guaranteed by Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 17 of African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. The association is further asking the court to order ASUU to pay damages to all Nigerian students for the psychological and emotional torture metted out to them as well as the loss of valuable time following the continuous strike. Speaking to newsmen, Agbomwere said that the suit was sequel to its findings that ASUU members had been short- changing the Federal Government by teaching in more than one university. He said it’s investigations also revealed that members of the union were engaging in consultancy services in oil companies and collecting multiple salaries at the detriment of the Nigerian students. Apart from ASUU, the association also joined Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, the Minister for Education, the Minister for Labour and Employment, the Attorney-General of Federation and the Federal Government as 2nd to 6th defendants in the suit. The association is seeking among other reliefs, a declaration the strike of the union is a breech of the right of members of the association to education. “A declaration that the indefinite strike embarked upon by the 1st and 2nd defendants since March 2020, leading to the closure of government owned universities, which has detrimentally and negatively impacted on plaintiff’s learning and the smooth operation of academic calendar of universities, is a brazen infraction of the plaintiff’s right to education. “An order of mandatory injunction compelling the 1st and 2nd defendants to call off the strike and return to the status quo ante bellum whilst negotiation for amicable resolution of the issues in contention or among the defendants is ongoing. “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants whether by themselves, servants, agents and/or privies from further declaring or embarking on indefinite and incessant strikes.” The students are also seeking an order directing the 3rd to 6th defendants to re-open government owned universities and to honour their contractual agreements with the 1st and 2nd defendants in the overall interest of the plaintiff. The students are also asking the court to award the sum of N10 billion against the union. “This is to serve as general and exemplary damages for the loss of valuable time, opportunity, mental torture, psychological anguish and general deprivation which the plaintiff has suffered or is likely to be exposed to on graduation.” No date has however, been fixed to hear the suit. ASUU has been on strike since March 2 and officials of the union have been negotiating with the government since then.

Justice Ayo Salami, the chairman of the panel set up to investigate allegations of corruption against the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu, has recommended that the next head of the anti-corruption agency should come from outside of the Police Force. He made the recommendations on Friday, after presenting to President Muhammadu Buhari a report by the panel set up to investigate allegations of corruption by the Attorney General and Minister Justice, Abubakar Malami, linked to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu. According to him, the four previous chairmen of the EFCC since inception were from the police, so an opportunity should be open to persons from other law enforcement or security agencies as provided in the EFCC establishment Act of 2004. Justice Salami believes this will help the commission better reposition itself for greater effectiveness. “Four successive chairmen of the EFCC from inception, have been drawn from the police. “Therefore, in appointing a new chairman of the EFCC, consideration should be given to candidates from other law enforcement or security agencies and core staff of the EFCC as provided in the EFCC establishment Act of 2004,” he said. “It is also important to point out that there are 970 policemen, 114 drivers and 641 mobile policemen and 215 operators on secondment to the EFCC. “Therefore, an exit plan for the disengagement and other personnel within two years from now should be considered. This will address the issue of no promotion of core staff for over nine years. For over nine years, some of the core staff are stagnant in one position which is unhealthy and is creating some sort of rivalry between the police and the core staff of the EFCC. Your excellency, our thinking here is that whoever you are appointing, other than a core EFCC staff should be in transitional capacity of two years, during which period arrangement can be made for appointment of the core EFCC staff who had proven themselves commendable”. President Muhammadu Buhari had inaugurated the panel in July and it was given 45 days to carry out the assignment but the time frame was extended further after the panel requested for more time.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives , Femi Gbajabiamila, has confirmed that an agent of the Department of State Services attached to him shot and killed Ifeanyi Okereke , a newspapers vendor in Abuja . The Nigeria Police Force had denied that its officer shot the vendor . Gbajabiamila, in his second statement on Friday, identified the DSS agent as Abdullahi Hassan . The Speaker , who vowed to get justice for the deceased , disclosed that he had contacted Okereke ’ s family members and would meet with them . The statement read , “ The unfortunate death of Mr Ifeanyi Okereke at the hands of one of my security aides has left me deeply shaken. “ Mr Okereke was a citizen going about his business, trying to make a living for himself and his family. There is no reason for his life to have ended the way it did. “ This morning, I have handed over the security operative , Abdullahi M . Hassan , to the Department of State Security ( DSS ) for investigation and appropriate administrative and judicial action. In the interim , he has been suspended from the convoy. “ l expect , and I will see to it that the family of Mr Ifeanyi Okereke receives the full measure of justice so that their bereavement is not compounded by any actions that can cause them further pain and suffering. “ I have expressed my personal condolence to his family and have arranged to meet with them when the parents of Mr Okereke , who are already on their way, arrive in Abuja . “ Additionally, I have committed to them that I will support his wife and the immediate family he has left behind. “ I commiserate with the family of Mr Ifeanyi Okereke and ask all Nigerians to join me at this time to pray for the peaceful repose of his soul. ” Crimefacts.News had reported how a security aide to the Speaker shot the vendor in the head . The incident, which occurred at the Federal Secretariat , Abuja , around 3pm on Thursday, had caused panic in the area. Okereke was subsequently rushed to the National Hospital by his brother and some police officers where he reportedly died . It was learnt that the shooting happened when Okereke and other street vendors selling on the Shehu Shagari Way , Three Arms Zone , flocked around the convoy of the Speaker, who was said to be in the habit of giving out money anytime he passed them .

American Defense Minister, Davit Tonoyan, has tendered his resignation, an Armenian newspaper reported on Friday. Tonoyan’s resignation comes after Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan quit his post on Monday, Aljazeera reports. The Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is under pressure from opposition politicians and protesters to step down. Thousands are demanding Pashinyan quits following the signing of a peace deal that secured territorial advances for Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh after six weeks of fighting. The truce, brokered by Russia on November 9, stipulated that Armenia hand over control of some areas its holds outside Nagorno-Karabakh’s borders to Azerbaijan. Earlier on Friday, units of the Azeri army entered the Agdam region. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there led to a ceasefire in 1994. That war left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but the substantial surrounding territory, in Armenian hands. Heavy fighting that flared up on September 27 marked the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict between the two ex-Soviet nations in more than a quarter-century, killing more than 1,000 people, including dozens of civilians on both sides. Azerbaijan has not disclosed its military casualties.