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Post Date : January 8, 2022

Fani-Kayode: Yahaya Bello would defeat Atiku if they contest 2023 presidential election

Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation, says Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, will defeat Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, in the 2023 presidential election if the duo contested. With months to the 2023 election, there have been speculations on who will emerge party flagbearers of the two major political parties — All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In an interview with Channels Television on Friday, Fani-Kayode said he believes Bello will make an “excellent president,” adding that the Kogi governor will appeal to young Nigerians. “I believe Governor Yahaya Bello. I believe that he will be an excellent president. I believe he will appeal to millions of young people in this country and that this is a change in the dynamics we are giving power to a younger person. That is just my view though,” he said. Asked if Bello (as APC candidate) can defeat Atiku of the PDP in the poll, the former minister said the Kogi governor would defeat the former vice-president squarely. “Why not? He (referring to Bello) will defeat him (referring to Atiku) hands down,” he said. The former minister added only Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, his Enugu counterparts from the PDP can provide a “strong fight” against the APC in the 2023 presidential election. Fani-Kayode asked Mohammed to join the APC to contest the ruling party’s presidential ticket if the PDP denied him slot. “There are two people that will provide a very strong fight against the APC within the ranks of the PDP, only two. The first is Bala Mohammed, who I have immense respect for,” he added. “But I doubt they have the presence of mind to give him the ticket in fact they will make sure he does not get the ticket or he should come to APC and try his luck. “And Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state who is not even on your list (a list of 2023 presidential hopefuls put together by Channels Television) and he is one of the brightest and the best of them all, the most effective. They are two people that would provide a good fight. “There is nobody else on that list, particularly Atiku Abubakar, that can stand against anybody within the APC, particularly against Yahaya Bello, Fashola or Fayemi. That is just my view, and I have my reason for saying that.” In the 2019 election, Atiku came second after polling 11,262,978 votes as the winner of the election — President Muhammadu Buhari — polled 15,191,847 votes.

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Post Date : January 8, 2022

Presidency: South South Governor Bankrolling Aspirant – Sources

There are strong indications that a governor in one of the South South states may be the promoter and financier of the presidential ambition of an aspirant from the South East, reliable sources told Saturday Telegraph. Th highly-placed sources, who disclosed this to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity, said the powerful governor, who belongs the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hopes to lobby influential members of the main opposition party, to ensure the emergence of the aspirant. Part of the calculation, according to the insider sources, is for the state chief executive to emerge as the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the preferred aspirant, in the event that he succeeds in winning both the PDP’s ticket, as well as the presidency. It was further gathered that high-wired plans made by the PDP governor to get his preferred aspirant’s endorsement by South East party stalwarts failed, as many had feared that such move will shut out other presidential hopefuls from the zone. The governor is also said to have a Plan B, which is the projection of one of his colleagues from the North East, also a prominent voice in the PDP Governors’ Forum. The North East governor has played prominent roles in national affairs, it was gathered. One of the sources said: “The Governor is (seemingly) expanding his political frontiers, in his determination to increase his level of prominence in the polity. “Now, let me expose his game plans: he is positioning and promoting the candidacy of a prominent PDP stalwart from the South East. “As a matter of fact, the governor and his party, had approached PDP top official in the South East in company with his preferred aspirant, for possible endorsement. “That, however, did not happen, as many of the prominent South East politicians approached, sued for caution, against the backdrop of the fact that more politicians will declare interest as the political process gets clearer. Another source, who spoke in similar vein, pleaded with the presidency to enact an executive order for anti-corruption agencies to rev-up corruption cases against politically- exposed person’s (PEPs). “If you ask me, I will appeal to the presidency to enact an executive order, which aim is to rev-up investigations of politically- exposed persons. “If you must know, some of these prominent Nigerians angling for the plum job see that as an escapist route to gain immunity from prosecution”.

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Post Date : January 8, 2022

300-level UNIJOS student murdered inside hotel room, eyes, other organs taken away

A 300-level student of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), identified as Jennifer Anthony, has been killed and her body mutilated, with some parts missing. Nigerian Tribune learnt that the deceased, who was a student of the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Science, was lured to a hotel on Zaria road in Jos, by a man suspected to be her boyfriend, where she was allegedly drugged before being killed. It was gathered that the boyfriend, after the act, left the hotel and removed virtually everything that might be used to trace him, including the lady’s phone and other valuables in her bag. A source close to the hotel disclosed that the mutilated body of the girl was discovered by one of her friends who traced her to the hotel and discovered her in a pool of her blood, while the eyes and other organs were missing. “The friend who discovered the body alerted the hotel workers, who then invited the police. The remains of the lady had been deposited at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital,” the source said. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Ubah Gabriel Ogaba, confirmed the incident. He said the command had commenced full investigations into the incident. Ogaba said: “The command is aware of the ugly incident which took place on January 1, at a hotel [name withheld]. The suspect, who is at large, went away with all means to identify the victim. “The commissioner of police has ordered a discrete investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and to arrest the perpetrators of that dastardly act. We promise to furnish the media with more details on the incident as it unfolds.” He added that the commissioner of police also had a security meeting with hoteliers in Jos on Thursday over the incident and gave them tips on how to avoid future occurrence

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Post Date : January 8, 2022

CBN Adjusts Naira To N414.14/$1

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday adjusted the value of the naira further down to N414.14 per dollar from N413.96/$1 on Thursday, data on the apex bank’s website shows. Having weakened the naira to N413.49/$1 on December 31, 2021, the CBN adjusted the local currency further down to N413.67 per dollar and N413.96/$1 on Tuesday and Thursday respectively. This means that by adjusting it to N414.14 per dollar yesterday, the regulator has now weakened the naira for the fourth time in eight days. However, the naira gained marginally against the dollar on the Investors and Exporters’ (I&E) window yesterday, according to data from the FMDQ Security Exchange, as it closed at N416 per dollar compared with N423.25/$1 earlier in the day. Forex traders told Saturday Telegraph that the naira dropped to N572/$1 on the parallel market yesterday from N570/$1 on the previous day. Speculation is rife in financial circles that the naira’s weakening on the official forex window suggests that the CBN might be gearing up to weaken the local currency. Analysts note that the country’s external reserves have been heading south in recent weeks. For instance, the reserves, which, as at November 30, stood at $41.19billion, had dropped to $40.52billion as at January 5 2022.

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Post Date : January 8, 2022

NLC Rejects FG’s Plan To Increase Tax On Carbonated Drinks

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is rejecting plans by the Federal Government to increase taxes on non-alcoholic and carbonated drinks. NLC’s position is contained in a statement signed by its President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, which was circulated to journalists in Abuja. The government had announced the increased taxes as a way of discouraging over-consumption of sugar, checking obesity, and also generating more money to fund the 2022 budget. But the union believes implementing increased taxes on non-alcoholic and carbonated drinks, which is one of the provisions in the 2021 Finance Act, will impose more hardship on the citizens. The NLC, therefore, asked the National Assembly to urgently amend the sections of the Finance Act which re-introduced excise duties on non-alcoholic and carbonated drinks. Read the full statement below: On the 31st of December 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Finance Act. Some of the provisions of the Finance Act includes the imposition of excise duties on locally produced non-alcoholic, carbonated, and sugary drinks. The reason offered by government for this decision was to discourage the consumption of sugar by Nigerians as it has led to upsurge in obesity and diabetes. In a letter dated 27th November 2021, the Nigeria Labour Congress wrote to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly pleading that government should suspend the implementation of the excise duties on non-alcoholic, carbonated and sugary drinks. The Congress provided a number of very cogent reasons why government should not go ahead with the decision to impose fresh taxes on soft drinks. One of the reasons we advanced was that the re-introduction of excise duties on non-alcoholic, carbonated and sugary drinks will impose immense hardship on ordinary Nigerians who easily keep hunger at bay with a bottle of soft drink and maybe a loaf of bread. Our concern is the mass hunger that would result from the slightest increase in the retail price of soft drinks owing to imposition of excise duties as it would be priced beyond the reach of many Nigerians. Congress was also alerted by the complaint of manufacturers of soft drinks in Nigeria that the re-introduction of excise duties would lead to very sharp decline in sales, forced reduction in production capacity, and a certain roll back in investments with the certainty of job losses and possibly shut down of manufacturing plants. Nigerians would recall that this was also the complaint of tyre manufacturing companies such as Dunlop and Michelin which was overlooked by government until the two companies relocated to neighbouring Ghana. A similar situation is playing out with the soft drinks manufacturing sub-sector. Government should pay attention. With 38% of the entire manufacturing output in Nigeria and 22.5% share representation of the entire manufacturing sector in Nigeria, the food and beverage industry is the largest industrial sub sector in our country. The food and beverage sub-sector has generated to the coffers of government N202 billion as VAT in the past five years, N7.3 billion as Corporate Social Responsibility and has created 1.5 million decent jobs both directly and indirectly. There is thus no gainsaying the fact that the industry is a golden goose that must be kept alive. The health reason proffered by government as reason for the reintroduction of the excise duties seems altruistic. Yet, we are amiss why the government did not place the excise duties on sugar itself as a commodity rather than on carbonated drinks. The truth of the matter is that an additional increase in the retail price of carbonated drinks would put more Nigerians at risk of serious health challenges as many people would resort to consuming sub-standard and unhygienic drinks as substitutes for carbonated drinks. The appeal to rescind the re-introduction of excise duties on non-alcoholic drinks becomes even more compelling when the projected immediate revenue expected from the policy is weighed against the potential long-term loss to both manufacturers and government. The beverage sub-sector will lose 40% of its current sales revenue. This translates to a loss of N1.9 trillion. While the government will only make total projected receipts of N81 billion from the proposed reintroduction of the excise duties. Government also stands to will lose N197 billion in VAT, Company Income Tax and Tertiary Education Tax as a consequence of expected downturn in overall industry performance should the excise duties be effected as being planned. In light of the foregoing, we ask the National Assembly to quickly amend the sections of the Finance Act that re-introduced excise duties on non-alcoholic and carbonated drinks. We also ask government to extend COVID-19 palliatives and support incentives to the Food and Beverages industry to cushion the shock and haemorrhage that the industry is trying to recover from. Finally, we demand that Government should engage Employers in the subsector and Organized Labour in sincere discussions on other options that can deliver a mutually satisfying win-win solution to this issue. We hope that the current situation will not be allowed to degenerate into a breakdown in industrial relations in the sector and generally in the country. Comrade Ayuba Wabba, mni President January 2022

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Post Date : January 8, 2022

Miyettti Allah to FG: Ignore Ortom’s unpatriotic call — we will never be a terrorist organisation

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has asked the federal government to ignore the request of Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, to declare the association as a terrorist organisation. Hours after the federal government gazetted an order designating bandits as terrorists, Ortom had said the security challenges in some parts of the country, including Benue, will be adequately addressed if the same position is taken on MACBAN. But reacting, Baba Ngelzarma, national secretary of MACBAN, described Ortom’s request as “unpatriotic”. Ngelzarma alleged that Ortom’s hatred for the Fulani “was not in doubt”, adding that “he has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is an unreliable leader”. The national secretary said the association had contributed to peacebuilding in Benue, adding that MACBAN has spared no efforts in helping the people of the state to live in peace with the pastoralists. “We are not at all surprised at the recent call by Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue State for the proscription of our association (MACBAN) going by his antecedents, whose stock in trade is fanning the embers of hatred between peaceful Nigerians that have been living in peace for many centuries,” he said in a statement. “We, therefore, call on the federal government to ignore this unpatriotic call by a wayward governor who is hell-bent on putting this country into unnecessary crisis. MACBAN is not and will never be a terrorist organisation. “We are fully registered with the regulatory agencies with clear vision and mission to foster peaceful coexistence to our teeming members as well as serving humanity positively.” Ngelzarma also advised Ortom to “concentrate on delivering the dividends of democracy to the good people of Benue”, instead of “chasing phantom shadows”.

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Post Date : January 8, 2022

Three White Men Sentenced To Life In Jail For Killing Black American Jogger

Three white men convicted of murdering African American jogger Ahmaud Arbery after chasing him in their pickup trucks were sentenced to life in prison Friday in a case that highlighted US tensions over racial justice. Travis McMichael, 35, and his father Gregory McMichael, 66, were sentenced to life without parole, while their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, who had a less direct role in the murder and cooperated with investigators, was given life with the possibility of parole. The three were convicted in November of multiple counts of murder, aggravated assault and false imprisonment for chasing down 25-year-old Arbery on February 23, 2020 as he ran through their Satilla Shores neighborhood near Brunswick, in the US state of Georgia. Pronouncing the sentence, Georgia Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley called the murder “a tragedy on many, many levels.” Weighing the verdict, Walmsley said he kept thinking of “the terror of the young man running through Satilla Shores.” “He left his home apparently to go for a run and he ended up running for his life,” Walmsley said. “He was killed because individuals here in this courtroom took the law into their own hands.” Cellphone video Before the sentencing, members of Arbery’s family asked the court to give the three the harshest possible penalty. “They each have no remorse and do not deserve any leniency,” said his mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones. “This wasn’t a case of mistaken identity…. They chose to target my son because they didn’t want him in their community.” “The man who killed my son has sat in this courtroom every single day next to his father. I’ll never get that chance to sit next to my son ever again, not at a dinner table, not at a holiday, and not at a wedding,” said his father Marcus Arbery. Graphic cellphone video taken by Bryan showed the armed men following Arbery in their trucks for about five minutes, suspecting with no evidence that he might have been a burglar. Arbery repeatedly tried to avoid them, but was blocked by the trucks and then shot and killed by Travis McMichael. They claimed they were trying to make a “citizens’ arrest”, which was legal in Georgia at the time. But a mostly white jury rejected that argument. Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski called their actions “vigilantism.” “Vigilantism always goes wrong,” she said Friday. The investigation into the original incident was stalled by local law enforcement for three months until the video was leaked, sparking national outrage. A local prosecutor, Jackie Johnson, has been indicted for violating her oath of office and allegedly hindering the investigation into Arbery’s death. AFP

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Post Date : January 8, 2022

I won’t bury my son even if it takes 30 years to get justice – Sylvester’s dad Afeez Hanafi

Sylvester Oromoni, the father of the late 12-year-old pupil of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, has restated the family’s commitment to get justice, saying that he would not bury his son even if it takes 30 years to get justice. He also kicked against the report of the autopsy carried out at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, alleging that there was foul play. Sylvester’s death went viral following a social media post by his cousin, Perry Oromoni, who alleged that some senior pupils of the school beat him up in his hostel because he refused to join a cult. The school denied the claim, stating that the boy complained of leg pains following an injury he sustained while playing football. The state government ordered the indefinite closure of the school pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter. Five students and five employees of the school were arrested by the police but legal advice by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Adetutu Oshinusi, cleared the suspects. The autopsy carried out by a consultant pathologist at the Central Hospital Warri, Clement Vhriterhire, revealed that Sylvester died of “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication in a background of blunt force trauma.” But the interim and final autopsy report by LASUTH attributed the cause of death to “Septicaemia, lobar pneumonia with acute pyelonephritis and pyomyositis of the right ankle.” However, the outgoing Commissioner of Police in the state, Hakeem Odumosu, on Friday said the toxicology report of the first autopsy carried out in Warri was released on December 30, 2021, signed by Vhriterhire, attributing cause of death to “acute bacteria pneumonia due to severe sepsis.” Sylvester Snr and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had kicked against the DPP’s advice with the latter describing the report as “escapist and hasty.” Falana had said, “The report has not laid to rest the allegations surrounding the gruesome murder of Sylvester Oromoni. The report is escapist and hasty as the authorities are aware of the fact that the Chief Coroner of Lagos State has ordered that an inquest be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the unnatural death of Sylvester Oromoni. The inquest, which commenced before the coroner on December 16, 2021, has been adjourned till January 15, 2022 for further hearing.” Speaking to our correspondent on Friday the father said the case had yet to have a closure, insisting that his son would not be buried until “justice is served” even if it took as long as 30 years. He said, “The family does not have power. We only rely on God. If they insist that the school will reopen, there is no problem. If God keeps me for 20 or 30 years, I will follow up this case. Government will come, the government will go. I am not bothered. The soul of that boy is crying round. God is alive; He cannot be bribed. “My son will never be buried. If it takes me 30 years to get justice, he would remain there (in the mortuary). He is my son; I won’t bury him. Nigerians should look beyond what they are saying.” Asked if he had any doubt over the autopsy released by the state government, he retorted “Do they have any autopsy report? They don’t have any. The doctor that did the autopsy in Delta State was recommended by the Area Commander. He is not the family doctor. We don’t know him. Our lawyer applied to the Area Command to get a copy of the autopsy.” But Odumosu, during a press briefing held at the police headquarters in Ikeja on Friday and tagged ‘Sylvester Oromoni Jnr: Update on Investigation,’ dismissed any foul play. He said eight persons–five pupils and three house masters – were arrested following a petition to the police on the matter, adding that on December 9, 2021, he interviewed the late pupil’s family, the school management, and witnesses at the command’s headquarters. He said, “During the open interview, it was unanimously agreed that another autopsy should be carried out where pathologists from all parties would be present. Investigation was extended to Delta State and Abuja. I will like to state here that investigation revealed that the same case was reported at the Area Command Warri, Delta State, on December 1, 2021. “It has also been established that a post mortem examination was initially carried out on December 2, 2021 by a Consultant Pathologist, Dr. Clement Vhriterhire of the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta State. The result of the first autopsy dated December 10, 2021 attributed the cause of death to ‘acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication in a background of blunt force trauma.’ “However, toxicology screening was recommended and also carried out. While waiting for the result of the toxicology, another autopsy was ordered by the Coroner Magistrate in Lagos because of the status of jurisdiction. The corpse was, therefore, moved with armed police escorts from Delta State to Lagos State by TOS Funeral and the autopsy conducted at the expense of the Lagos State Government. The second autopsy was carried out at the Lagos state University Teaching Hospital on December 14, 2021 in the presence of representatives of all the parties involved in the case.” The CP said the second autopsy was carried out by the Consultant Pathologist and Chief Examiner, Department of Pathology and Forensic Sciences, LASUTH, Dr. S.S Soyemi, witnessed by representatives of all the parties, including Vhriterhire, as well as police officers, among other principal officials. Odumosu said the final results of the post mortem and toxicology examination conducted at Delta and Lagos states agreed that the deceased died a natural death. He stated, “Before the expiration of the 21 days remand order, the families of the students applied for their bail at the Magistrates’ Court 1 Yaba. The application was approved hence the students who were earlier remanded at Boys Home, Oregun, were granted bail. The house masters were also granted bail after the expiration of the 21 days

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Post Date : January 7, 2022

BREAKING: Kalu meets Ikpeazu as defection rumour heightens

Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, on Friday met with Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. Ikpeazu received Kalu at his Umuobiakwa country home in Obinngwa Local Government Area of Abia, according to a statement by Kalu’s media office in Abuja. The statement added that Ikpeazu alongside his aides and personal staff who were already waiting for Kalu’s coming, received the Senate’s Chief Whip who arrived at the Governor’s mansion at exactly 1:32pm. The statement reads in part: “Kalu who was accompanied by his retinue of aides and security staff disembarked from his official SUV and advanced to exchange greetings with the Abia Governor who was beaming with smiles on sighting the Senate Chief Whip. “Immediately after their cordial greetings, Ikpeazu led Orji Kalu and his personal aides straight to his lounge. – “Shortly after another another brief episode of pleasantries, the duo proceeded with the exemption of their aides into the inner room for a private meeting. “The visit of the former Governor Orji Kalu who is regarded as the father of Abia politics comes just a week after the Abia State visited President Muhammadu Buhari on December 30th last year which fueled speculations that he intends to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). “Also recall that photos on social media of Ikpeazu with President Buhari heightened various reactions. “Many believe the visit is connected with his rumoured intention to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “Furthermore, the unexpected visit also comes less than a week after the Peoples Democratic Party stakeholders in Arochukwu local government council, affirmed Orji Kalu’s political supremacy, declaring the former governor as their leader and father of Abia politics. “According to records during his tenure as Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu introduced the current Abia Governor to politics, who prior to his becoming Governor was a lecturer at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu, after which Kalu appointed him as his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Education, followed by other subsequent appointments. “Also, Ikpeazu’s predecessor, Theodore Orji, a native of Umuahia Ibeku, was drafted into politics by Orji Kalu as his Chief of Staff when Kalu was Governor of the state. “TA Orji remained in the position throughout Kalu’s eight years in office. Orji Kalu ensured that TA Orji succeeded him in 2007 and also governed the state for eight years, which ended in 2015. “Additionally, Senator representing Abia South and 2023 governorship hopeful, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, was also brought into politics by Orji Kalu as his Deputy during his governorship tenure in 1999.” (The Nation)

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Post Date : January 7, 2022

2023: Feb 18 presidential poll date sacrosanct, says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that nothing has changed about the February 18, 2023 presidential election date. INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, stated this in an exclusive inteeview with The Nation. “The Commission will as soon as practicable meet to consider issues that may shape the 2023 general election and possibly consider the date for the release of the timetable and schedule of activities,” he said. According to him, 2022 will be a busy and challenging year for the Commission. “The conduct of a Presidential election is constitutionally circumscribed by Section 132(2) of the Constitution. “However, the Commission is at liberty and has the discretion under Section 132(1) of the Constitution to fix the exact date for a Presidential election which it has done and nothing has changed. “Presently, the Commission is preparing for the FCT Area Council Election that will hold on the 12th February 2022, eight pending bye-elections as well as Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. “This year will be a busy and challenging year for the Commission. “The Hon. Chairman has assured the nation that we are determined and have the courage to deliver on our mandate. “We seek the cooperation and understanding of all the critical stakeholders for the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections,” Okoye said.

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