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Post Date : September 5, 2022

FAAN apologises over faulty escalators at Lagos airport

  The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has apologised over a traveller’s “near-death experience” on faulty escalators at the Murtala Muhammed international airport in Lagos. Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, acting general manager, corporate affairs, FAAN, said this in a statement on Monday. FAAN said it had taken full responsibility for the unfortunate incident. “Accordingly, We have also reached out to actively participate in the care for the injured,” the statement reads.   “FAAN is reviewing the operating procedure for the equipment to ensure that such sudden mechanical faults do not occur again.” On Sunday, a traveller, identified as Elvi, threatened to sue FAAN after her family and some travellers sustained injuries while using escalators at the airport on September 3, 2022. She accused immigration officers as well as some other staff members at the airport of looking away while the travellers needed help, adding that it took over 40 minutes for first aid treatment to arrive. “I wonder who certified and approved the safety/use of these escalators. We were told that they were serviced a few days before. I am definitely going to sue. The state of those escalators is totally unacceptable,” she had said. Videos posted on social media showed travellers bleeding at the base of the escalators and images of people with bruises.

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Post Date : September 5, 2022

Building collapse: Lagos commissioner, Salako resigns

  The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has accepted the resignation of the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, announced this in a statement on Monday. The statement read in part, “This is a prelude to the restructuring of the Ministry and its agencies. “Governor Sanwo-Olu thanks the Commissioner for his services to the State and wishes him success in his future endeavours. “The Governor warns all players in the sector to respect the law or face the consequences of any indiscretion, no matter who the perpetrators are.” Recall that the resignation came on the heels of a recent collapse of a seven-storey building in Oniru, Lekki area of the state in which four persons reportedly died in the ugly incident.

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Post Date : September 5, 2022

Worst of insecurity is over, says FG

  The Federal Government on Monday said peace and security are returning across Nigeria, noting that the worst of insecurity is over in nation. It said while the country may still witness isolated attacks on soft targets by terrorists, the security agencies have battled the agents of darkness and recorded massive victory against the terrorists. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this on Monday in Abuja during a joint press conference on the nation’s security situation. Others who jointly addressed the presence conference include the Ministers of Defence Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi, rtd, Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as well as Police Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Dingyadi. Mohammed said the security forces are winning the fight against insecurity and terrorism, adding that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s (retd.) regime would stop at nothing in securing lives and property of Nigerians. According to him, never again will terrorists and bandits and their cohorts hold sway in our country. He said, “As you are all aware, the issue of security has dominated ournational discourse in recent times, against the background of the terrorism, banditry and kidnapping in the North-East, North-West and North Central; separatist violence and crude oil theft in the South-East and South-South as well as cultism, armed robberry and sundry crimes in the South-West. “Today, we are here to tell you that while we may not be there yet, our military and other security agencies have succeeded – and are succeeding – in substantially restoring security across the nation. As far as the daunting security challenges we face are concerned, we can tell you that the worst is over. Never again will terrorists and bandits and their cohorts hold sway in our country. “The security challenges we have face, as an administration, have been daunting – from terrorism to banditry to kidnapping to separatist violence to crude oil theft to armed robbery and sundry crimes. It’s undoubtedly the greatest challenge to the peace and security of our great nation since the civil war from 1967 to 1970. “It is the kind of challenge that would have overwhelmed many nations. But thanks to the purposeful leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, we can say, I want to repeat, that the worst is over and peace and security are gradually returning to the land. Please don’t misunderstand or misrepresent this assertion. We may still witness isolated cases of security challenges here and there, but it will not be on the scale that we have witnessed in the past.” According to him, when many called for the use of foreign mercenaries to tackle the challenges, especially terrorism and banditry, President Buhari never wavered in his belief in the ability of our gallant men and women in uniform to rise to the occasion, and rise to the occasion they did. “Some said the security challenges have overwhelmed the military, but the military has now demonstrated that no group of ragtag criminals can ever overwhelm them. Terrorists and bandits and co can run but cannot hide, and this has been demonstrated by the arrest of those who attacked a church in Owo. “These criminals can run but cannot hide, as we have seen in the decimation of the cowards who ambushed the Brigade of Guards troops in Abuja. I am sure you will hear from my colleagues how our military and other security agencies have been decimating the top echelon of ISWAP and Boko Haram, how armed bandits camps and resources have been destroyed, and how the capacity of IPOB/ESN has been substantially degraded. “We are therefore not saying the battle is over. No. What we are saying is that our military and other security agents have been able to contain the daunting security challenges we face, and that the worst is indeed over. We have now put the terrorists, bandits and their ilk on the run and we will not relent until they have been crushed.”

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Post Date : September 5, 2022

Rivers PDP crisis deepens as party chiefs bicker over alleged threat to life

  Internal row in Rivers State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened as the Chief of Staff to the state governor, Emeka Woke and Senator Lee Maeba, exchanged words over alleged threat to life. Maeba had, on Saturday, alleged that a meeting was held at Government House, Port Harcourt to clampdown on him and others. But Woke debunked the allegation, yesterday, describing Maeba’s claim as a spurious tale concocted by a deranged mind. Maeba, who represented Rivers East District in the House of Representatives, recently, fell out with Governor Nyesom Wike following his support for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who is at a loggerhead with Wike. Woke denied the allegation at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Council during the grand finale of the statewide Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) collection sensitisation rally. But when contacted yesterday, Maeba insisted: “They cannot deny that, it is obvious that Governor Wike has has directed Government House security to clampdown on PDP members alleged to be in support to Atiku. The story was on Facebook on the 25th of April by one Macpherson. Why didn’t the government respond to that at the frequency it responded to my statement? Facebook is a credible social media platform; if it was a false story, why didn’t Facebook pull it down? It is over a week and Government House never responded and that was why I had to alert the public.” Meaba alleged that those marked for attack include: Senator George Sekibo, Rt. Hon Austin Opara, Celestine Omehia, Dr. Abiye Precious Sekibo, Prince Uche Secondus, Chinyere Igwe, Dr. Farah Dagogo, among others. But the Chief of Staff dismissed all, saying: “My brothers, such thing did not happen and it will not happen. Any person that cannot come to Rivers State should look for a better excuse and not killing excuse. “This government, we don’t kill anybody. We have never and will never kill anybody. Please, if you don’t have strength, tell your people that you don’t have strength.” He also took a swipe at the former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside, who hails from Opobo, for claiming that Wike’s administration had done nothing for the council. He wondered why Dakuku, who served as a Commissioner for Works under the Chibuike Amaechi’s administration and never made any effort to advance work on the Opobo axis of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Unity Road, from the point the administration of Dr. Peter Odili stopped work, would turn around to lie against a governor who provided road for the people of Opobo. But in a swift reaction, an aide to Dakuku, Mr. Martins Ogolo, noted that Chibuike Amaechi’s administration sand-filled the Opobo town and created a landmass half the size of old Opobo town under the watch of Dr. Dakuku Peterside.

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Post Date : September 5, 2022

2023: APC suspends Ogun lawmaker

  The All Progressives Congress in Ogun State has suspended a serving lawmaker and former deputy speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dare Kadiri, indefinitely for alleged anti-party activities. Mr Kadiri’s suspension was made public through a report jointly signed by the Ward 11 General Secretary and Ward Councillor, Olarenwaju Abiodun and Sobonojo Adeniyi respectively, in Ijebu north local government and made available to journalists in Abeokuta on Sunday. The lawmaker had recently hosted the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, barely two weeks ago and vowed not to work for Governor Dapo Abiodun in next year’s election. It will also be recalled that Mr Kadiri was also prominently mentioned in the travail of the Speaker of the Ogun state House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, who is currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The party in the report accused Mr Kadiri of hobnobbing with the opposition. “The nineteen out of the twenty seven Exco members unanimously agreed and voted for the indefinite suspension of Hon. Oluwadare Kadiri (Maba) from ward 11 APC,” the report read. The State Publicity Secretary of APC, Tunde Oladunjoye, confirmed the suspension saying it was a decision taken at the ward level. But Mr Kadiri dismissed the suspension, saying “those behind it are only a jobless set of people.” “They are just a faction and I don’t even recognise their chairman,” he said in reaction to the suspension. “He was not even elected, I don’t know how he is now parading himself as my chairman. He is not the elected chairman. The case is still in court, they are still trying to determine who the authentic chairman of this ward. “Can you build something on nothing? Nobody invited me, I don’t know my offense, they are stupid. “When I see an official letter from the party, I already know what to do. There are procedures everywhere, they should go and look for jobs. “I didn’t receive any letter to that effect, I’m just seeing it on social media. I have not seen any official letter from them and as a result I consider it as a mere social media stunt.”

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Post Date : September 5, 2022

Abducted Zamfara Worshippers Working On Bandits’ Farmlands – Report

  The 44 worshippers abducted from a mosque in Zamfara community last Friday have been subjected to physical labour on armed men’s farmlands, Daily Trust has learnt. Residents told Daily Trust that the bandits had called to tell relatives that the captives were with them and working on their millet and sorghum plantations but had yet to demand ransom. “Our millet plantations are due for harvest and the captives must do the work for us,” one of the bandits was quoted as saying by a resident, Abubakar Bukkuyum. Last Friday, bandits abducted dozens of worshippers from a central Juma’at Mosque in Zugu community of Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Residents said the armed men hid their guns inside their clothes and stormed the mosque when the Imam was about to start delivering sermons and they asked those on the premises of the mosque to get inside. “No one saw them with guns and many people mistook them as worshippers. Nobody paid attention to them because they hid their guns. “However, shortly after they moved inside the mosque they brought out the rifles and fired some shots as a warning. “They herded the congregants into the bush but some of the worshippers managed to scramble out of the mosque to safety. The muezzin was among those kidnapped but the Imam was able to escape the assault. “Some those who were outside the mosque were also abducted. When contacted for an update, the spokesman of the police in the state, SP Muhammad Shehu, said search and rescue operation had already commenced.

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Post Date : September 5, 2022

‘Over $10bn was threatened’ — Malami speaks on $496m settlement claim over steel plants

  Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), has explained how the federal government settled its long-standing contractual dispute with Global Steel Holdings Limited. Global Steel Holdings Limited, with headquarters in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), acquired Nigeria’s steel industry via five major concessions and share purchase contracts in 2004 during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. However, the contracts were revoked in 2008 after the federal government accused the firm of asset stripping. In 2013, Smart Adeyemi, a lawmaker from Kogi state, had said the Goodluck Jonathan administration — which was in power at the time — recovered the Ajaokuta steel mill “without any attendant financial obligation whatsoever”.   Years later, after the Muhammadu Buhari administration took over, in 2016, the federal government approved the execution of the modified concession agreement with Global Steel, which allowed the foreign firm to retain the Nigerian Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in Itakpe. Three years later, the Buhari administration was said to have backed out of the agreement, leading to a legal battle involving both parties. In a statement on Sunday by Umar Gwandu, his spokesman, Malami said a claim running into billions of dollars was threatened in arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce, International Court of Arbitration, Paris, over the five contracts,.   He added that the federal government was able to get a 91 percent reduction of the mediation claim — from “$5.258 billion to $496 million”. “The mediation proceedings was under the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) framework led by Mr Phillip Howell-Richardson,” the statement reads. “The settlement agreement came into effect on 19 August 2022. “Nigeria succeeded in reducing the claim in mediation brought by the international firm of King and Spalding, legal representatives of the Global group, by 91%. “A claim for over $10 billion was threatened in arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce, International Court of Arbitration, Paris, in respect of five major contracts of 2004-2007 – covering steel, iron ore, and rail.” Providing details of the dispute, the minister of justice said the five contracts entered into by the Obasanjo administration gave complete dominance over the Nigerian steel space to Global Steel. He, however, said the termination of the contracts in 2008 was contrary to legal advice supplied by the federal ministry of justice, which cited the termination cost in the form of damages. Malami said had the previous administration not terminated the Ajaokuta share purchase agreement on April 1, 2008, and waited for 55 days, it would have terminated lawfully and the government would have collected more than $26 million from Global SSte. He said this was because the firm appeared unable to pay the first tranche for the Ajaokuta shares before the first anniversary of the agreement — May 25, 2008. According to him, the failure of the foreign firm to pay would have given Nigeria a right to over $26 million as liquidated damages, under clause 12 of the Ajaokuta share purchase agreement.   Global Steel, in consequence, took the federal government to the International Chamber of Commerce, International Court of Arbitration, Paris, commencing arbitration in 2008. Malami said in May 2020, Global Steel threatened a resumption of the arbitration and announced an anticipated claim in damages of “over $10-$14 billion” against Nigeria in respect of the affected five contracts. He said the present administration took decisive steps to “resist” the claim, rather than pass it on to a future administration. With this development, Malami said President Muhammadu Buhari has “rescued” the steel industry from interminable and complex disputes as well as saved the taxpayer from “humongous” damages. The minister also said one of the lessons to be learnt included that future arrangements — sale or concessions — must be carried out in national interest and in compliance with the law. “The FGN engaged PwC Nigeria to do a comprehensive review to ensure taxpayers are protected,” the statement adds. “Also, Dr Tunde Ogowewo, a barrister (and senior academic at King’s College London), represented the FGN and advised the government throughout the process.”

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Post Date : September 5, 2022

Senator proposes bill to prohibit same-religion ticket

  Smart Adeyemi, senator representing Kogi west, says he is proposing a bill to prohibit the nomination of candidates of the same religion on a joint ticket. If passed into law, a presidential candidate would not be able to choose a running mate who shares the same religious affiliation. Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Kashim Shettima, his running mate, are both Muslims. The Muslim-Muslim ticket has drawn criticism, including from members of the party. Speaking on Sunday at a media briefing in Abuja, Adeyemi said the bill is seeking to amend the electoral act. “I hereby propose an amendment of section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 by inserting a new sub-section 3,” NAN quoted him as saying. “When this is accommodated, it will serve as a guide against any oversight such as this in the future, as further occurrences will be deemed as silent policies which will be capable of bringing down the fabrics of the nation. “For me, as a statesman, I owe myself the responsibility to speak the truth at all times, irrespective of mischievous misinterpretations.” The senator said though he supports Tinubu and Shettima, the concerns raised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the Muslim-Muslim ticket are valid. “But we must not confront these issues in such a manner that will obstruct the fabric of our national unity, peace and stability which we have all fought very hard to keep,” he said. “Yes, there have been oversights in key appointments in the past, which tends to keep the Christians at a disadvantage, and this has caused apprehension amongst us. “However, let us, in unity of faith in our nation and above all, in the almighty God, give our support to the APC presidential and vice-presidential candidates to pilot the affairs of our nation within the stipulated time.”

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Post Date : September 5, 2022

VI Building Collapse: Lagos Orders Arrest Of Developer, Others

  The Lagos State Government has ordered the arrest of the developer and other building professionals working on the collapsed seven-storey building in the Victoria Island area of the state. The order came from the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, during his visit to the site on Sunday. According to the commissioner, the developer and other professionals violated the state’s planning laws. “There must be a valid Planning Permit from the aforementioned agency, in addition to a letter of Authorisation, Stage inspection at every milestone and certification by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), to ensure that construction works were carried out in conformity with the approval granted,” he added according to a statement issued by the ministry on Sunday.   “Disclosing that investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the building collapse, Salako said the Police are on the trail of the developer and all professionals involved in the project such as architects, builders, and engineers,” the statement noted. “The Commissioner expressed concern at the level of disregard for the law in the built sector, affirming that the State Government will restore sanity and orderliness to the sector because it has zero tolerance for building collapse. “He enjoined Lagosians to join hands with the State Government in maintaining vigilance in the built environment by reporting any untoward developments in their vicinity, through any of the Ministry or State Government communication channels, particularly the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development (MPP&UD App) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency.”

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Post Date : September 5, 2022

I’m not leaving PDP, just concerned about South-East, says Ikpeazu

  Amid the controversy over the activities of Governor Nyesom Wike of River State and three other governors of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has said he has no intention of leaving the party. Ikpeazu, who spoke yesterday, said that what was important for him was for the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to decide on how they are going to include the South-East in the scheme of things within the party. . Ikpeazu, who spoke yesterday, said that what was important for him was for the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to decide on how they are going to include the South-East in the scheme of things within the party. Read Also: Soyinka: What I told Tinubu about Buhari, some APC leaders The governor, who stated that his party was willing to vote the PDP in the February 23 presidential election, said that, for now, the PDP has not made clear what positions are available for the South-East, should the party emerge victorious in the 2023 election. Meetings Ikpeazu, Wike, Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo have formed a quartet of governors who have met Atiku, the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mr Peter Obi, respectively, at different times in political negotiations. They are believed to be working against Atiku and are negotiating for better deals within and outside the party. However, Ikpeazu stated yesterday that although they have engaged in different discussions with other parties, his focus remained on the PDP and how the South-East would be accommodated in a favourable way after the elections. Ikpeazu’s words: “Forget all talks of leaving the PDP. I am not leaving the PDP and I don’t think other governors are planning to do so. “But the point is that the South-East was denied tickets of the presidency in both the PDP and APC. That leaves us unsure of where we are going, what roles we will play in after the 2023 elections. That is my concern. That is what I am fighting for. “Our votes are for the PDP. If we receive assurances of our position in 2023 from the PDP, where I belong in the first place. “It is not about playing hard with the PDP. It is about knowing what we will be given after the elections. These are things we need to sort out early before we commit to anybody. “It is not enough for us to vote for the party. It is about where we are going to be positioned after the election. You don’t run blind in politics. “Yes, truly, we are not happy with the outcome of the primaries but that does not mean I am planning to leave the PDP. That does not mean my faith is shaken in the party. But it is about working things out properly. That is my personal concern. “The South-East cannot continue to be treated as an outsider in the politics of the country. If we don’t have the presidency and the vice presidency, we are asking for something better, something good for the zone. “We can’t just vote or deliver our state for the fun of it. We must be sure of why we are voting.” The Abia governor gave indications that the discussions were continuing and that the position would be made clear in the coming days. He said the governors are continuing their negotitiations with both the party and Atiku. But he said his support should not be taken as a given because the modalities would have to be clearly worked out. “I said it on Thursday in Umuahia and I insist that I am not leaving the PDP. My concern is the South-East post-elections. We deserve better treatment,” he noted.

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