The Federal Government has appointed erstwhile Super Eagles Captain, John Mikel Obi as Youth Ambassador to inspire young Nigerians to strive for excellence. The appointment which took place at the NOC secretariat, National Stadium, Surulere Lagos on Friday is another of the Minister’s initiatives geared towards driving a vibrant youth for national development. Speaking at the event, Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr Sunday Dare, described the former Chelsea legend as a role model whose lasting legacies in football development have continued to have a positive impact on youths in the country. The minister promised to support Mikel’s vision and the vision for sports development in the country and also assured the Stoke City midfielder of the Federal Government’s unalloyed support whenever he chooses to invest in the country. “Time will not permit me to say much about Mikel’s success as a footballer. He is our legend and a role model who has continued to impact the lives of youth positively. “It is my pleasure to appoint you as Nigerian Youth Ambassador. It’s a new portfolio and your role as youth ambassador will be made known to Nigerians,” the minister asserted. In his response, Mikel expressed delight with his new portfolio and promised to work with the sports ministry to foster youth development in the country. “I feel highly honored to be appointed as Youth Ambassador of this country, it is a great feeling. I am happy with this partnership and I promise to do my best to encourage and inspire the youths towards national development not just in football but in other sports like Basketball, Boxing among others”, said Mikel. The event was followed by a tour of the National Stadium, Surulere which is undergoing rehabilitation. The minister stated that a lot of effort had been put into the rehabilitation of the stadium with much emphasis on the pitch, scoreboard, tracks, and the spectators’ stand. He stressed that the ministry had also partnered with a private organisation to change the seats of the 45, 000 capacity Stadium to a standard one. “A lot has been put in place to ensure that the stadium returns to what it used to be. The seats are no longer in line with FIFA standard, but we have partnered a private organisation to have modern seats in place,” Dare said.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday dismissed the suit challenging the legality of the three-month tenure extension which President Muhammadu Buhari gave the immediate past Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu. An Abuja based legal practitioner, Maxwell Okpara had, in his suit which has the President and three others as defendants, prayed the court to declare the continued stay of Adamu as IGP, as illegal and unconstitutional. Delivering judgement in the suit on Friday, the trial Judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that the President who is vested with the constitutional powers to appoint a serving Police Officer as IGP, in consultation with the Police Council also has the power to extend the tenure pending when a substantial IGP to avoid creating a vacuum. According to the Judge, Police Act the Constitution are clear on the appointment of IGP but are silent on the extension of the tenure of the IGP, but however added that “Since the President has the power to appoint Inspector General of Police, in consultation with Police Commission, he has the power to extend the tenure to avoid a gap, pending the appointment of a substantial IGP. “The Constitution and the Police Act did not forbid it,” Justice Mohammed held and added that the Plaintiff abysmally failed to prove that President Muhammadu Buhari has no power to extend the tenure of the former IGP, Adamu for three months. “The suit of the Plaintiff failed and it is accordingly dismissed,” the court held. Earlier, the Judge dismissed the Preliminary Objection challenging the eligibility of Plaintiff to file the legal action as well as the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit. The Plaintiff, through his counsel, Ugochukwu Ezikiel told newsmen that the judgment of the trial court will be tested at the Court of Appeal. Besides President Buhari, the former IGP Adamu, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN) and the Nigeria Police Council are joined as defendants in the suit. While Plaintiff urged the court to declare the continued stay of Adamu as IGP, as illegal and unconstitutional, the Defendants, prayed the court to dismiss the suit for want of merit. Mr E V Elodimuo who represented President Buhari, the AGF and the Nigeria Police Council, argued that the decision to retain Adamu as the IGP was not in breach of either the 1999 Constitution, as amended, or the Police Act. He urged the court to uphold the preliminary objection the 1st, 3rd and 4th Defendants raised against the suit. Specifically, President Buhari, who is the 1st Defendant, said he retained Adamu in office as the IGP, in the exercise of the executive power that was conferred on him by the Constitution. He said the Constitution empowered him to appoint a serving Police officer as the IGP, in consultation with Police Council, stressing that neither the Council nor the Police Service Commission, have not disclosed that Adamu is no longer a serving police officer. In a five-paragraphed counter-affidavit he jointly filed with the AGF, President Buhari, described the case of Plaintiff as “frivolous, unmeritorious and undeserving of the court’s attention” and urged the court to dismiss it “with heavy cost”. Likewise, Adamu’s lawyer, Dr Alex Iziyon (SAN), while urging the court to dismiss the suit, argued that going by section 136 of the Nigerian Police Act, his client, could remain in office as the IGP till 2024. The IGP, who attained the maximum 35 years in service on February 1, but got a three-month extension of his tenure by President Buhari on February 3, argued that his tenure never elapsed. He said the new Nigeria Police Act gave him a four-year tenure which would only expire in either 2023 or 2024. According to him, his tenure will lapse in 2023 if counted from 2019 when he was appointed as the IGP, or 2024, if counted from 2020 when the new Nigeria Police Act came into force and prayed the court to dismiss the suit. Okpara had, in his suit, contended that by virtue of section 215 of the Nigerian Constitution and section 7 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, Adamu could not validly continue to function as the IGP having retired as a member of the Nigeria Police Force as from midnight of February 1, 2021. The plaintiff, among other things, prayed the court to restrain Adamu from exercising any form of command or control over the Nigeria Police Force. He equally sought an order of court mandating President Buhari and the Police Council to immediately appoint a new IGP, in line with the provisions of section 7 of the Nigeria Police Act. More so, Plaintiff asked for, a declaration that by the combined effect of the provisions of section 215 and 216 of the 1999 constitution and section 7 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, the 2nd Defendant (Adamu), cannot lawfully continue to function as the IGP, not being a serving member of the Nigeria Police Force as from midnight of February 1, 2021, and therefore all actions taking thereafter are illegal, null and void and constitute a breach of the constitution and the Police Act.” As well as, “Declaration that the failure of the 1st (Buhari) and the 4th (Police Council) Defendants to appoint an Inspector-General of Police as at February 1, 2021, constitutes an abdication of their duties under section 215 of the 1999 constitution and section 7 of the Police Act.”

Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State says the government has begun to implement its rightsizing policy by disengaging 99 political appointees. He, however, stated that the state government had yet to disengage any civil servant as only agencies connected to the local government system have disengaged staff. The governor who briefed reporters on Thursday listed those affected to include the 23 local government councils, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and the Primary Health Care Board. He explained that the disengaged political appointees constituted 30 per cent of the total number of political office holders in the state. ‘’So far, 99 political appointees have lost their jobs, but we have not commenced rightsizing civil servants,” said Governor El-Rufai. He added, “We want to be fair with regards to civil servants. We had earlier promised that before we reduce the size of the civil service, we will start with political appointees, and we have done that.” The governor stated that the rightsizing of civil servants would still go on as planned because of dwindling revenues that were accruing to the state government from the federation account. He added that rightsizing commenced with political appointees because their details were clearly known, making it more straightforward to disengage them. Governor El-Rufai clarified that civil servants whose veracity of data had raised questions have been given a chance to clear the doubts before any action would be taken. He disclosed that the government has employed 11,000 more workers in the health sector, Kaduna State University, as well as primary and secondary school teachers across the state. The governor also faulted the claims that the salaries of political appointees accounted for the bloated personnel cost of the state government. ‘’In March 2021, the salaries of these political appointees amounted to N259 million, while civil servants were paid N3.13 billion aside from costs related to state contributions to pension, accrued rights, and other personnel costs. “So, it is false to insinuate that political appointees are the ones that guzzle most of the state’s resources,” he stated. Governor El-Rufai added, “Kaduna State cannot continue to use 84 per to 96 per cent of our revenues to pay salaries of less than one per cent of the population. “The rest of our people – all 99 per cent of them, need better schools, hospitals, water supply, roads, markets, and support for agriculture to make a living outside the government.” He also promised that the state government would not reverse the N30,000 minimum wage that it has started paying.

Angry youths in Ikem Ogor community in Isi-Uzo council area of Enugu State have set ablaze houses belonging to the family of one Lawrence Ezeoha popularly known as ‘Oshionwu’ for allegedly killing a mentally deranged teenager. The 70 year-old Oshionwu, was said to have shot dead the mentally deranged 19 year-old boy identified as Ifeanyi and popularly known as ‘Agudo’ on Wednesday for accusing him of being responsible for his mental ill health. The deceased according to village sources, was said to be riding commercial motorcycle otherwise known as (Okada) before his mental illness started few months ago. It was learned that trouble started when Agudo allegedly strayed into Ezeoha’s compound Wednesday morning and refused to leave the compound. Angered by the deceased refusal to leave his compound, Oshionwu, who the deceased had constantly accused of being responsible for his mental illness, went inside his house, took his dane gun and shot him on the chest. One of the villagers told our correspondent, “Some boys took him to Ikem General Hospital but on arrival to the hospital, he was pronounced dead by doctors on duty. “This development angered the youths of the community and they quickly mobilized themselves, went and razed down houses belonging to him and that of his son. “So the youths wanted to kill the man too but he quickly rushed to the police before they arrived. Left with no other choice, they destroyed everything in his house and set it ablaze. They also went and set ablaze the house his son newly constructed.” When contacted on telephone phone, the State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe said he had not been briefed about the incident.

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the MTN Group to make available top-of-the-range service to its Nigerian subscribers and at cheaper rates. The president made the call when he received in audience members of the board of MTN Group, led by its President and Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Mupita, at the State House, Abuja, on Friday. Buhari said: “I congratulate you on your appointment as the Group President of MTN. I wish you all the best. “Nigeria is your most lucrative market in Africa, Asia and the Middle East as well as the source of a third of the income of the entire MTN Group. “As such, we urge you to offer top-of-the-range and affordable services to Nigerians. “As we seek to make broadband widely available and affordable, we urge MTN to continue to support our efforts by expanding high-quality connectivity to Nigerians in un-served and under-served areas.” Indigenous content The president also called on the group to support the implementation of the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Nigerian telecommunications sector. “I recently unveiled and launched the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Nigerian telecommunications sector. “I call on MTN to support the implementation of this policy and, train and engage more Nigerians in your company. “In particular, we will like you to continue to support our efforts by improving the quality of service and enabling a downward price review of the cost of data and other services, in view of your large market in Nigeria. “We also urge you to step up your corporate social responsibility programmes and support research and development that will enhance your services in Nigeria.” Enabling environment He assured his visitors that his administration was doing everything possible to make Nigeria investor-friendly by addressing identified challenges. “We are implementing a number of policies and programmes to ensure that institutions like MTN have a conducive environment for doing business in Nigeria. “Our massive jump in the Global Ease of Doing Business Ranking is proof that our efforts are yielding results. “We have identified and addressed the key challenges that affected the growth of the digital economy sector. “I am happy to note that the right of way charges have now been pegged at a maximum of N145/linear metre. “I have given directives for the protection of critical national infrastructure and this has addressed the issue of vandalism of such infrastructure. “Service providers should always appreciate the efforts of government and not undermine it,” he said. Buhari expressed delight that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector was doing very well despite the global economic downturn. He noted that the ICT sector was the fastest growing sector in both the fourth quarter of 2020 and the entire year 2020, based on the report by the National Bureau of Statistics. “The sector’s 14.70 per cent double-digit growth rate played a principal role in supporting our country to exit the recession, triggered by COVID-19 pandemic. “The growth rate of the sector exceeded four times the next fastest-growing sector of the fourth quarter of 2020, which had a growth rate of 3.42 per cent. This is truly commendable,” the president said. (NAN)

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, has said that his command would arraign arrested members of the Eastern Security Network linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra for murder. The CP told The PUNCH that the suspects who he said were unleashing violent crimes on the state would not be allowed to go uncharged. He said that the law was very explicit on the activities of the group, adding that razing public infrastructure and killing of security operatives were an act of terrorism. Yaro disclosed that the legal department of his command would commence the persecution of Stanley Osinachi, who was caught penultimate Sunday when gunmen came to attack the state police command headquarters for the second time and others who were terrorising the state. The CP informed that he had moved his Tactical Units to the hinterlands to combat the hoodlums whom he said had shifted bases to the villages. Yaro said, “The law is very explicit on this. We will charge them for murder. Their activities are terrorism. They were unleashing violent crimes on the state until we decimated them in three explosive battles in the last six weeks. “I have moved my Tactical Units to the hinterlands because they have relocated to the villages because of the defeats they suffered at our hands in the last three explosive battles in the last six weeks.”