The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Wednesday, confirmed that policemen dispatched to Magodo Phase 2 Estate area of Lagos State were there on his orders. Malami also faulted the criticism of the South-West governors, saying nothing was unruly about the operations of the police officers’ presence at the estate. This was contained in a statement by Malami’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Umar Gwandu. For days, policemen besieged the estate in the company of suspected land grabbers and members of a family who had planned to demolish property in the choice estate to execute a Supreme Court judgment. The development caused commotion at the estate as landlords and tenants panic over their fate. Recall that a Chief Superintendent of Police, Abimbola Oyewole, on Tuesday openly defied the order of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to vacate the estate. The CSP had told the governor that he and his armed colleagues were at the estate on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba; and Malami. The South-West governors had in a statement signed by Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Wednesday faulted the alleged roles of the IGP and the AGF. “We condemn, very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IGP to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between so-called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism. “We condemn, in very clear terms, the role of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN in this act of gross moral turpitude,” the governors said. But reacting in a statement Malami said, “It is important to state that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation belongs to the Executive arm of the Government. The Supreme Court belongs to the Judiciary. “The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice takes exception to the Southwest Governors unjustifiable insinuation of impunity against the office of the Attorney General over execution of a judgment of the Supreme Court. “The role of the executive is, in this respect, simply to aide the maintenance of law and order in due compliance with rule of law arising from giving effect to the judgment of the apex court of the land. “Let it be known that the issue is regarding a Supreme Court Judgement that was delivered in 2012 long before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in office at a time when Malami was not a Minister. “The judgment was a reaffirmation of the judgments of Court of Appeal and High Court delivered on 31st December, 1993.” “It is widely reported in the papers that the Lagos state Governor was quoted to have said “I’ve spoken extensively with the Inspector-General of Police and the Honourable Attorney-General, and we’ve resolved all the issues”. “The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, would appreciate if the coalition of the Governors will help to unravel the circumstances preventing the Lagos State Government from enforcing the court order despite several attempts from 2012- 2015 and so-called settlement initiative started in 2016. “Some of the cardinal pillars of democratic Government are the doctrine of separation of powers and obedience to the rule of law inclusive of Court Orders. “It is a common knowledge that execution of the judgment and orders of Courts of competent jurisdiction, and the Court of last resort in the circumstances remains a cardinal component of the rule of law and the office of the Attorney General wonders how maintenance of the law and orders in the course of execution of the judgment of the supreme can be adjudged by imagination of the governors to be unruly. “We want restate that sanctity of the rule of law is not a matter of choice,” the statement added.

Following a meeting with representatives of the Shangisha Landlord Association, members of the Magodo Residents Association, the police, among others, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said a committee had been set up to identify available plots and additional plots at mutually agreeable areas in the state. Addressing journalists after meeting with the stakeholders at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, the governor said his administration would ensure justice and fairness regarding the issue. He said, “We have been having meetings with stakeholders and representatives of Magodo Phase 2 and they listened attentively, stating that the issue had been the well laid out 549 plots of land to the Shangisha Landlord Association. “It has been well resolved that the committee already set up should identify available plots and additional plots at mutually agreeable areas with the government. “We would ensure that the injustice complained by the Shangisha Association of Landlords would be addressed and there will be de-escallation of police in the estate. “We want to assure residents and landlord associations that in no distant future, we will all work in our various capacities to ensure that fairness, equity and justice are shown and we will see to it that all the stakeholders with me are happy and the residents are also happy with the government.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he is absolutely aware of the suffering and pains Nigerians go through to feed under his administration. The President made the remark in an exclusive interview with Channels Television, which was monitored by Vanguard on Thursday. When asked if he was aware of the numbers of Nigerians who find it difficult to feed under his watch, the president answered affirmatively, “I’m absolutely aware of it, but like I said, look at the vast population of Nigerians, only 2.5% of the land revenue are being cultivated. We realised this rather too late, but we have to go back to the land (agriculture).” The president, however, advised Nigerians to leverage the opportunity that agriculture offers in order to find a lasting solution to the current economic quagmire. On the security situation in the country, Buhari said traditional rulers must play a huge role in bringing peace to communities. He also advocated for more dialogue in solving the farmer-herder clashes recorded across the country. “The role of traditional rulers must not be undermined, because in their areas they know who is who, even by families, not to even talk of individuals,” he said.

The Federal Government is set to reduce its workforce. It is designing what it calls an exit package for government workers that will be leaving the service. Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said reducing the size of government has become imperative given the huge amount the government spends on recurrent expenditure annually. Some Federal Government workers will lose their jobs when agencies are merged. The government’s mode of reducing the workforce, the minister said, will not entirely be in line with the Stephen Oronsaye report but based on a committee recommendation. According to her, the government is working on an “exit package” to be paid to those that will be affected. Mrs Ahmed said: “There is a special committee led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) that is working on the review of agencies with the view to collapsing them partly using the Oransanye report. “At the end of it what we want to do is to reduce the size of government and also to reduce the size of personnel cost and part of it will be designing the exit packages that are realistic”. The reason for the planned merger of agencies, the finance minister, said is because “we are revenue-challenged”. But Labour unions have called for caution as the Federal Government hints at a plan to reduce the workforce because of dwindling revenue. The unions asked the Federal Government to ensure that those who would be affected by the downsising be paid their full entitlements. Presidents of two Federal Workers’ unions who spoke with our correspondent are Comrade Lawrence Amaechi, President, Nigeria Civil Service Union and President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Dr Tommy Okon. In separate interviews, Amaechi said his union would monitor the implementation of the White Paper of the Oronsaye Committee report. He said: “Before they implement they will put us in their committee and if we are satisfied that Mr A must go where is his cheque? “If at the time of implementation we are satisfied that Mr A must go we will ask where is his cheque? Is it complete? Give it to him and he will go and better his life. “The Oronsaye committee white paper has long been gazetted. At this point we cannot stop it. It is just to follow the implementation; how it will not affect our workers badly. “When the implementation starts we will know how to fight it.” On his part, President, ASCSN, Dr Okon, said the union’s position on the planned retrenchment would be made public after meeting its organs. Okon said: “We have to meet as a Congress and take a decision that will be all encompassing. I cannot speak on the position yet until we meet. Once we meet then we will make our position known.

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his displeasure with the state of electricity in Nigeria. Nigeria currently has the capacity to produce 13,000 megawatts of electricity but currently, Africa’s most populous nation produces just 4,000 megawatts on the national grid. The President had in May 2018 queried the spending of $16bn on power projects during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. But speaking during an exclusive interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, the President reiterated his administration in providing infrastructure for Nigerians, including improving electricity. When asked if he is happy with the nation’s capacity of electricity production, the President replied in the negative. “I am not because I identify that no country can develop without infrastructure and infrastructure means road, rail and power,” Buhari said. “This government is working very hard on the road. Try to imagine what was happening between Lagos to Ibadan six months ago and what it is now. “We are doing from Lagos to Kano the rail, road from here to Kaduna to Kano. So we have to get the infrastructure right and then Nigerians will mind their own business. But when the infrastructure is not there, the roads are not there, the rail is virtually killed, no power, what do we expect people to do?” The President also shed more light on why the electricity supply is yet to be stable in the country. While noting that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is 100% government-owned, he noted that his government inherited the Distribution Companies (DisCos). According to the President, the owners of Discos bought them based on geo-political zones rather than merit. He added, “The people that own them, who are they? They are not electrical engineers, they don’t have money, it is just a political favour. “To remove a system and reintroduce one is no joke. Luckily we have the TCN and that is the transmission. If we can get our technology right, we will cut the cost on transmission and the likelihood of sabotaging the lines and so on.”