April 2021 – Page 38

Post Date : April 15, 2021

IGP disbands special monitoring units in Lagos, Port Harcourt

The acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered the immediate disbandment of the IGP Monitoring Satellite offices in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Rivers State with immediate effect. He disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while speaking at his maiden meeting with police commissioners from the 36 states of the country and Federal Capital Territory as well as Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs). The police boss stated that the IGP Monitoring Unit as a whole was being re-organised in line with his desire to give the nation the policing of their dream. Baba explaned that he took the action following complaints by the members of the public of harassment and operating beyond their briefs during investigations. According to him:”In furtherance to our reorganisation plans as well as our commitment to return to the basics in policing, I have directed the immediate reform of the 1GP Monitoring Unit. “This involves the disbandxnent of the satellite offices of the unit in Lagos and Port Harcourt, the streamlining of the personnel profile of the unit at the Force Headquarters to not more than 50 operatives and the banning of the unit from undertaking criminal investigations including taking over cases from state commands. “Under the current dispensation, the unit will only operate within their original mandate which 1s to investigate complaints of professional infractions that may be alleged against any serving officer and as may be referred to them by my office. “Similar repositioning initiatives are being worked out in relation to other ad hoc investigative units in the Force. This is with a view to restoring professionalism, address citizens’ concerns on rights abuses resulting from the existence and operations of these ad hoc police investigation units and to discourage duplication of police functions in a manner that encourages indiscipline and abuse of police process.”

Post Date : April 15, 2021

Govt yet to tell us truth about escalating attacks in S’East – Bishop Onuoha

Co-Chairman, Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace, Bishop Sunday Onuoha has expressed worry over the escalating attacks both against security formations and communities in the South East zone, saying that Government is yet to disclose all it knows about the menace. The former Special Assistant to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Privatisation, in an exclusive interview with the VANGUARD in Abia, said it was very strange for government to claim ignorance of the real masterminds of the attacks despite the huge intelligence machinery at its disposal. He expressed shock that a band of unknown gunmen would invade a state capital like Owerri, attack police headquarters and prison facility, release inmates, and escape unchallenged. The cleric who suspected a cover up tasked government to come out clear on all it knows about the menace instead of prevaricating. His words: “Considering what happened recently in Owerri, I believe that Government has not told us the truth about those behind this menace. “As a Bishop, and a true citizen and as somebody who went to school and passed my exams, I believe that there is more to what is happening than we are told. ” How can unknown gunmen in their large numbers storm Owerri and wreck havoc close to Government House and go unchallenged? ” I think Government has not told us the truth. And I want government to tell us the truth.” The Methodist Bishop who strongly condemned the attacks and resultant bloodbaths, called for thorough investigation with a view to unmasking the perpetrators and their sponsors. On Ebubeagu security outfit announced by South East governors, Bishop Onuoha said Igbo Leaders had after their recent meeting in Owerri given the governors one month ultimatum to inaugurate a regional security outfit to help stem the time of growing insecurity in the zone. He hailed the action of the governors saying they had been under intense pressure by eminent Igbo sons and daughters both at home and in the diaspora to do the needful. The Bishop noted that though the action was coming late, the outfit would eventually turn out to be the best as the governors must have consulted widely. ” We told them in Owerri that we gave them one month, and we are watching them”, he said. He however, advised that serious caution had to be exercised in recruiting the personnel of the outfit to avoid infiltration by criminal elements.

Post Date : April 15, 2021

Senate summons Zainab Ahmed, accountant-general over N7.5bn ‘secret’ withdrawal

The senate committee on public accounts has summoned Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, over an alleged secret withdrawal of N7.5 billion from the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) account. Ahmed Idris, accountant-general of the federation, was also summoned over the withdrawal from the NADDC levy account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The Mathew Urhoghide-led panel issued the summons on Wednesday following a query raised in the auditor-general of the federation’s (AuGF) report. The AuGF said the funds were withdrawn on various occasions from 2000 to 2006 for government transactions carried out by the presidency. Jelani Aliyu, NADDC director-general, told the lawmakers that the money was withdrawn without the knowledge of the agency. He also said previous efforts by the agency to get the money refunded have failed. The AuGF report said N3.7 billion was withdrawn between March and December 2000 while N3.8 billion was withdrawn in two installments — N2.8 billion in 2005 and N1 billion in 2006. “A total sum of N3,836,000,000.00 was irregularly withdrawn from the two per cent National Automotive Council Levy Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja, in two installments of N2,800,000,000 (in 2005) and N1,036,000,000.00 (in 2006) by the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Finance as car loans to be granted for the Security Personnel Car Purchase Scheme Loan,” the AuGF wrote in the query. “The transaction was carried out by the Presidency in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant-General of the Federation without the involvement of NAC, the account owner. “However the principal and the accrued interest from the fictitious loan have not been paid back nor are records available on the beneficiaries, agreement documents, moratorium, duration of the loan, the yearly interest rates accruable and how the fund will be paid back by the beneficiary. “The director-general (of NADDC) has been requested to intensify correspondence with the Honourable Minister of Finance, Accountant-General of the Federation and the Presidency to recover the fund (loan).”

Post Date : April 15, 2021

Gunmen kill pastor in Enugu

The Enugu State Police Command on Thursday confirmed the killing of a pastor of Sabbath Church, James Ugwu, at his home in Ebugwu, Ibagwa Ani, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, Tuesday night. The state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ndatsu Aliyu, in a statement made available to Vanguard through the spokesperson of the Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, charged the officers of the command to launch a full-scale investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack and equally arrest the perpetrators for prosecution. He also enjoined the people of the community to remain calm and assist the police in their investigation, urging them to desist from any action capable of breaching peace and order. Part of the statement reads “We got a report that on 13/4/21 at about 2315hrs, yet to be identified armed men attacked and killed one James Ugwu in Ibagwa-Ani Nsukka, while his wife and one other were injured. “The CP has directed the SCID to launch a full-scale investigation to unravel the mystery behind the attack, arrest and bring the perpetrators to book. “He pleads with people of the community to remain calm, assist the Police in the investigation and avoid doing anything capable of breaching public peace of the area,” he said. Recall that the victim’s wife, Ogochukwu Ugwu, and another member of the community, Benjamin Uramah, also sustained gunshot injuries and are now receiving medical attention at the Enugu State Teaching Hospital, Parklane, in Enugu metropolis. The chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, Barr. Cosmas Ibeziako Ugwueze, and the member representing Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Emma Ugwuerua, visited the survivors on Wednesday and assured that they were in stable conditions.

Post Date : April 15, 2021

Obaseki lambasts finance minister, insists FG printed N60bn

Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki has faulted the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, for denying that the Federal Government printed N60 billion in March to support allocation to states. The governor, who accused the Federal Government of “monetary rascality’, also tackled the finance minister for “playing the Ostrich”. Obaseki said this in a series of tweets to react to the denial by Zainab that his claim on FG’s printing of N60bn was “untrue”. Obaseki said, “While we do not want to join issues with the Federal Ministry of Finance, we believe it is our duty to offer useful advice for the benefit of our country. “The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, should rally Nigerians to stem the obvious fiscal slide facing our country. “Rather than play the Ostrich, we urge the government to take urgent steps to end the current monetary rascality, so as to prevent the prevailing economic challenge from degenerating further. “We believe it is imperative to approach the Nigerian project with all sense of responsibility and commitment and not play to the gallery because ultimately, time shall be the judge of us all.” Obaseki was last week quoted as raising the alarm over Nigeria’s financial position which he said made the CBN print about N60billion to augment allocation shared by states in March. “When we got FAAC for March, the Federal Government printed additional N50-N60 billion to top-up for us to share. “This April, we will go to Abuja and share. By the end of this year, our total borrowings are going to be within N15-N16 trillion,” Obaseki had lamented over the weekend. But while answering questions from State House correspondents on Wednesday, the minister said Obaseki’s claim was not factual. Ahmed said, “The issue that was raised by the Edo State Governor, for me, is very sad because it is not a fact. “What we distribute at FAAC is revenue that is generated and in fact, distribution revenue is a piece of public information. “We publish revenue generated by FIRS, the Customs, and the NNPC and we distribute at FAAC. “So, it is not true to say we printed money to distribute at FAAC. It is not true.”

Post Date : April 15, 2021

Pastor Adefarasin, if Nigeria is a scam; then we’re all scammers

BY FREDERICK NWABUFO It is the bounden duty of every citizen to hold the government to account. In fact, citizenship is a call to duty – for the state. And there is no compelling duty which supersedes citizens subjecting their employees – the government – to scrutiny and constant vigilance. Critic is in the government is within the rights of every citizen, and active citizenship demands taking the government through its paces. No government is without criticism, and none is too special for criticism. However, we must distinguish between any government and Nigeria as a country. Governments will come and go, but Nigeria remains. We must understand Nigeria is its people. So, when we cast pejoratives at the country we are only slinging shots at ourselves. If we say, ‘’Nigeria is a scam’’, inadvertently we are implying, ‘’Nigerians are scammers’’. Nigeria did not become a ‘’scam’’, as some of those reviling the nation say, by accident; it became whatever it is by the machination of all of us. Nigeria is not a ‘’mere geographical expression’’. Nigeria is its people. The good, the bad and the ugly – we made it so. Whatever is ailing the country we are a vector of the causative factors. If Nigeria is a scam – as alleged by Pastor Paul Adefarasin — then we are all scammers. Though I concede that Adefarasin’s outburst might have come from a place of patriotism, his cataloguing of Nigeria as a ‘’scam and fraud’’ falls short of tact and critical reasoning. If Nigeria is a fraud; then we are all fraudsters – leaders and followers alike. We all have contributed in no small measure to the discomfiture of the entity. We live in a country where pastors run their ministries like conglomerates. They run them like business enterprises — but evading tax in the process. CAMA; a law to regulate the business undertakings of the religious industry and to bring some transparency and accountability into the ‘’spiritual business’’ was introduced by the government. However, the staunchest antagonists of this law have been pastors. Yet, these same people who do not want to live by the law are the loudest voices when passing capital sentences on Nigeria. Interestingly, these pastors run their churches in conformity with the law in other countries. They submit their finances for regular checks by the authorities in the UK, the US and other places. But in Nigeria they live in triumph of the law. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has been spreading injurious falsehood regarding COVID vaccine. He claims it is the concoction of the anti-Christ. He was fined 125,000 pounds for making ‘’potentially harmful and unsubstantiated’’ claims about the vaccine by the UK. But in Nigeria where he continues to traffic in COVID conspiracies, he has not been made to account for his transgressions because he is a ‘’man of god’’. Perhaps, this is why Nigeria is a ‘’scam’’. If Nigeria is a scam, then it is because of pastors who sit on high and trample on the laws governing the land. If Nigeria is a fraud, then it is because of pastors who go into concordats with politicians every election season; campaigning for them on the pulpit and commanding the bloodhounds of hell against those who do not accept their ‘’anointed candidates’’. The clergy is as tainted as the political class. Also, a civil servant, who earns N150,000 monthly but has kids in UK schools and with real estate dotting major cities in the country, will revile Nigeria submerging his own hypocrisy in lamentations and jibes at the state. He ignores conveniently his complicity in the corruption ravaging the country. In addition, some citizens spurn laws, rules and regulations. Where there are traffic lights, they ignore them; where there are procedures, they bypass them, and where there are standards put in place for effective service delivery and operations, they abandon them. Yet, they all blame ‘’Nigeria’’ for the jeopardous status quo as if the country exists without its people. The problem with Nigeria is a people problem. But the tragedy is that no one wants to accept liability for the appalling state of things. We cast the blame at the feet of ‘’abstract Nigeria’’. We are all complicit in the degenerative emasculation of Nigeria. Instead of abiding in wilful fatalism about Nigeria, we should project goodness and positivity into the system while working at making our country what we want it to be. Nigeria is what we make of it. The political class is flawed. But that is the reason a new generation of leaders must emerge and take the reins. None but ‘’ourselves can free our minds’’. Citizenship is a call to duty. NIGERIA IS NOT A SCAM.

Post Date : April 15, 2021

Inflation rate hits 18.17% on surging food costs

The consumer price index, which measures the rate of increase in the price of goods and services, increased to 18.17 percent in March from 17.33 in February. This is according to the March 2021 consumer price index/inflation report released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. The food inflation also increased by 1.16 percent on a year-on-year basis from 21.79 percent in February to 22.95 in March. More to follow…

Post Date : April 15, 2021

Buhari, APC’s misrule caused Twitter to choose Ghana over Nigeria ― PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday, observed that “the unabating misrule of the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC)” pushed Twitter to take its African Headquarters to Ghana instead of Nigeria, despite the fact that Nigeria has far more Twitter traffic and more business prospects than Ghana. In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary the main opposition party said Twitter’s preference for Ghana over Nigeria was occasioned by “inconsistent economic policies, obnoxious suppression of free speech, stifling of online freedom and open internet by the Buhari administration and the APC.” It read in part: “This is in addition to infrastructural decay, massive corruption and manifest failure of the Buhari Presidency and the APC to address the escalated insecurity brought upon our nation by their incompetent watch. “Indeed the decision by Twitter to bypass Nigeria to locate its African operational base in Ghana is another sad commentary of how our nation, which was hitherto a global investment hub under the PDP, has now been so degraded in global economic competitiveness under the APC. “Nigerians were heavily despaired on Monday when the founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, announced that his company will be setting up its headquarters on the continent in Ghana despite Nigeria’s domineering Twitter traffic in the sub-region. “With an estimated 39.6 million Twitter subscribers in Nigeria, which is bigger than the population of Ghana, Nigeria ought to be the destination, but for the anti-people policies of the APC administration. “It is sad that our nation has continued to lose huge foreign direct investments, which would have brought in more economic opportunities, especially for our youths, just because the Buhari Presidency and the APC lack the capacity to deliver on good governance. “The preference by Twitter for Ghana over Nigeria has further demonstrated that the Buhari administration’s claims on ease of doing business in Nigeria are mere media hypes. “Moreover, if President Buhari and the APC have the interest of the struggling youth demography of our nation at heart, they ought to have taken the necessary proactive steps to ensure that Twitter brought this huge investment to Nigeria, particularly given that we have the highest number of Twitter users on the continent. “It is indeed disturbing that the Buhari administration is taking no decisive steps to address the worsening situation in our country, which has become the world poverty capital under their watch. “The incompetence, insensitivity, corruption and laid-back attitude of the Buhari administration have continued to bring woes to our nation with an escalated 33 per cent unemployment rate, closure of over 40 million hitherto vibrant businesses with millions of families now unable to afford the basic necessities of life. “It is painful that despite our national potentials, President Buhari administration has not shown the required commitment of engaging foreign investors and captains of industries to attract investments as being done by Presidents of other countries. “Instead the Buhari Presidency is only interested in accumulating foreign loans and mortgaging the future of our nation. “It has therefore become clearer that our nation cannot achieve any headway with the APC on the saddle.” The PDP, therefore, charged Nigerians to remain focused as “we collectively rally on the opportunities granted by democracy to rescue our nation from the stranglehold of APC misrule.”

Post Date : April 15, 2021

Trigger-happy vigilante shoots passer-by dead in Lagos

A passer-by, Musa Yahaya, lost his life after a vigilante, Lukman Rasak, allegedly shot him to death in the Ijora area of Lagos State on Tuesday. PUNCH Metro gathered that Yahaya was on his way to a destination in the area when Rasak allegedly shot him in the chest around 2pm, and in a bid to save the victim, good Samaritans rushed him to hospital for treatment. It was learnt that the Seriki-Hausa, Apapa/Iganmu, Alhaji Mele Abacha, reported the incident to the police. The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the development, said in a statement on Wednesday, that Yahaya died from the bullet wounds he sustained after the vigilante shot him. Adejobi stated, “Police operatives attached to the Ijora Division of the command, on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, around 2pm, arrested a vigilante member, Lukman Rasak, 30, for shooting one Musa Yahaya, 28, in the chest at Ijora. “The victim was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The police were alerted and raced to the scene, arrested the suspect and recovered his gun with some cartridges.” PUNCH Metro g athered that area boys engaged in supremacy clashes in Ijora on Tuesday. During the clashes, residents and business owners in the area ran helter-skelter as gunshots rented the air. In his reaction, Adejobi, said, “Based on our own findings, it is unconfirmed. I have contacted the Area Commander and he said it was not true.” In another development, Adejobi said policemen attached to the Elemoro Division, on April 14, 2021, around 2am, arrested 17 suspected armed robbers at their hideouts in the area based on credible intelligence. He stated, “The suspects are Oladapo Job, 22; Abdulraheem Sidibaba, 20; Abdulrasheed Adebayo, 20; Tajudeen Abdullahi; Agbaje Sunday, 21; and 12 others. Items recovered from them are three cut-to-size locally-made pistols and four live cartridges. They are suspected armed robbers alleged to be terrorising and robbing the residents and PoS operators in the Ibeju Lekki area of the state. “They are giving useful information to the police on their various activities and operations in the Lekki area. The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered that all the suspects be transferred to the SCIID, Panti, Yaba, for proper investigation and possible prosecution.”

Post Date : April 15, 2021

Imo North: Ararume, Ibezim Sit On The Edge

As the people of Imo North senatorial district await the ruling of the Supreme Court on the outcome of the December 5 senatorial byelection, ANAYO EZUGWU writes on the optimism of the two gladiators in the tussle As uncertainty continues to surround the outcome of December 5, 2020, Imo North Senatorial bye-election, Francis Ibezim, one of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates contending for the senatorial ticket is optimistic that he will regain his mandate at the Supreme Court, just as he believes that the apex court would declare him the authentic candidate of the party. Ibezim has been locked in a legal tussle with Senator Ifeanyi Ararume for the party’s ticket for Imo North Senatorial seat. Presently, the two contending candidates are anxiously waiting for the Supreme Court to reconvene in order to decide their fates. The apex court had on Tuesday, March 23, suspended hearing on the case following the accusation by APC that justices of the court are working to subvert judgment. Justice Musa Muhammad, who led a five-man panel of justices, said the interim chairman of the party petitioned against him and two other justices for allegedly having a meeting with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to undermine justice in the case. Justice Muhammad informed counsels in the matter that the proceeding will not go on as scheduled until they are cleared of the accusation. “The APC alleged that my humble self had led my two brothers Helen Ogunwumiju and Abdu Aboki, to attend a meeting with members of the PDP to strategize how to subvert the outcome of this case. I must say that this is most unfortunate and my heart bleeds for this country. “If people as highly placed as the interim chairperson of the APC would open his mouth and make this weighty statement against innocent justices of this court, then I say my heart bleeds. We are not interested in any matter and I challenge him and the party to substantiate his allegation that my humble self attended a meeting with members of the PDP with a view to subverting the interest of their party. “This is a reckless and irresponsible statement. That is how these useless statements were made in the past and that is why we are not taking it likely. If they have honour, let them substantiate their allegations and I will not leave a day longer in this court. So, this matter is adjourned sine die, and parties should approach the chief justice of the federation,” he said. In order to enable the Supreme Court conclude on the case, APC issued an apology to the justices, while promising to uncover those behind such accusation. Governor of Yobe State and Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extra- Ordinary Convention Planning, Mai Mala Buni, who made the apology on behalf of the party, said: “It has come to my knowledge that an allegation was made against some Supreme court judges claiming that there was a meeting between their Lordships with the PDP to subvert the cause of Justice in the case of the Imo North Senatorial election. “I want to make my position abundantly clear and in unambiguous terms that, I Hon. Mai Mala Buni, the Executive Governor of Yobe State and Chairman APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, had, at no time personally said, written nor directed anyone to write on my behalf or the party to allege or claim that their Lordships met with members of the PDP or any political party on any matter. “I must say I am conscious of the positions their Lordships occupy, and would not be a party or be associated with such reckless statements against their Lordships. As Leader of APC, I am saddened by such weighty allegation said to be emanating from our party, obviously without my consent. On behalf of every member of the party, we distance ourselves from this allegation and sincerely regret the injury and hard feelings this might have caused their Lordships.” Before this latest development, on February 5, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Ibezim by refusing the plea of Ararume to be declared the authentic candidate of the party after dismissing two of his appeals. The Supreme Court held that Ararume’s appeals lacked merit and should be dismissed. Ruling in two separate judgments, the five-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Amina Augie, affirmed the decisions of the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, which voided the proceedings and decisions in the suit filed by Lady Uchenna Onyeiwu Ubah before the Federal High Court in Owerri. As Ibezim and his supporters went to town in celebration of the Supreme Court ruling, an Appeal Court sitting in Abuja upheld the disqualification of Ibezim as the candidate of the party. The appellate court in a unanimous decision by a three-man panel affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court Abuja, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove Ibezim’s name from the list of candidates for the by-election, after it found him guilty of submitting falsified documents. The trial court held that Ibezim was not qualified and eligible for nomination to contest the bye-election, having made false declarations in the affidavit and certificates he submitted to INEC for the purpose of contesting the Imo North Senatorial by-election. The court also cited irreconcilable conflicts in his names. It, therefore, barred INEC from accepting him as the candidate of the APC for the senatorial by-election. Ibezim challenged the ruling of the appellate court at the Supreme Court. He also faulted the judgment, saying that the court was wrong on many grounds. He regretted that the judgment was based on weak evidence of mere name variation. He said the variation in his name is not sufficient grounds to disqualify him as the photograph on his certificate is enough reason to disqualify him. Also, he said, the court refused to invite the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and his secondary school, Uboma Secondary, Ikperejere, Etiti. “On