Aloy Ejimakor, the Special Counsel to the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has said three governments of three different nations were involved in the incarceration of the self-determination group leader. Ejimakor said Kenya, Britain and Nigeria took part in the process that landed Kanu in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). Kanu’s lawyer revealed this in a Twitter post on Sunday, saying Kenya should have displayed remorse to demand his return. He also said the United Kingdom did not protect Kanu, who holds a British passport, while Nigeria did not obey its own law. Recall that President Uhuru Kenyatta was in power in June 2021 when the IPOB leader was allegedly arrested in Kenya by Nigerian authorities and renditioned to the country. Kanu’s lawyers called on the British government led by Boris Johnson, the former prime minister but nothing or little was achieved in getting him out of detention. Also, the federal government under former President Muhammadu Buhari has been faulted for not obeying court orders after the Appeal Court in Abuja, struck out the terrorism charges against Kanu on 13th October 2022. Among several agitations by the IPOB leader’s lawyers, Ejimakor stated again that, “Mazi Kanu Kanu would have been freed, if Kenya showed contrition by demanding his return to Kenya, if Britain protected him like they protected Umar Dikko in 1984, and if Nigeria decides to obey the law.”

  The Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has disowned a report claiming the group condemned the arrest of the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, by the State Security Service (SSS). Mr Emefiele was arrested by the SSS, hours after President Bola Tinubu suspended him from office. Chima Uzor, who claimed to be Ohanaeze’s director of national interest matters, had in a statement on Saturday, alleged that the CBN governor’s arrest was part of Mr Tinubu’s “scheme of ethnic cleansing of Igbos from public office and witch-hunting.” But reacting, Ohanaeze President-General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, in a statement on Sunday, said the Igbo group never commented on the suspension and arrest of the CBN governor. Mr Iwuanyanwu said the office of the director of national interest matters does not exist in the Ohanaeze leadership structure. He described Mr Uzor as an “impersonator” who is not known to the group. The president-general appealed to the country’s security agencies to intervene in the matter, which he noted, was a criminal impersonation. He warned Nigerians to be alert for “many fraudsters who are tarnishing the good image and reputation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo” by making false publications in the group’s name for selfish interests. Mr Iwuanyanwu said Ohanaeze has no plan to interfere with the investigation of Mr Emefiele by the SSS and other security agencies but the group will intervene if a court of law establishes his innocence. “Ohanaeze also has no intention whatsoever to interfere with the disciplinary actions by the government on officials of the government. “Individuals have the right to go to court and when the court of law proves the individual innocent and Ohanaeze is convinced that the individual is innocent, Ohanaeze will take every step necessary to assist the individual,” he said. “On the other hand, if the individual is guilty, Ohanaeze will be unable to assist,” Mr Iwuanyanwu added.

  The Edo State Government has reduced school days to thrice weekly as part of efforts to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal. The Chairperson of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Ozavize Salami said this in Benin City on Friday after a meeting between the state’s Head of Service Anthony Okungbowa and other government officials. Friday’s meeting was to liaise over the government’s directive that public and civil servants should work thrice weekly following the removal of subsidy. “For the three-day work week, we tried to cluster the school learning days into the first three days of the week. We did not want any gaps for administrative reasons. So, children will come on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in all basic education schools across the state,” she noted. She said the government has already put out modalities to meet up with the school curriculum. “What we have done also is that we’ve extended the learning time by one hour in primary schools and two hours in junior secondary schools to ensure that the term’s curriculum is achieved,” the SUBEB boss noted. “So, we have taken the timetable for Thursday and Friday and integrated it into the timetable for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.” On his part, the Head of Service explained that while public and civil servants are to work thrice a week, government offices will be opened throughout the week for services. According to him, workers not on duty will operate remotely.   Edo State is not the only place where the government has taken steps to cushion the impact of the subsidy removal. Kwara State has also declared a three-day working week for public and civil servants as Nigerians battle a hike in the price of petroleum. Organised labour is also pushing for the increase of minimum wage and the provision of palliatives to reduce the impact of the removal.

  Sunday 11 June 2023 Tackling rising obesity in Nigerian children N’Assembly leadership: Deal that fetched Akpabio Tinubu’s endorsement Babies dumped to die find hope in care homes 30 yrs of June 12: MKO son’s bombshell: Buhari cancelled benefit to Abiola family despite GCFR recognition Aso Rock slapping threat: Kwankwaso steps up Ganduje attack 10TH NASS FINAL SHOWDOWN: Wase adamant, PDP, Labour Party, others surrender Enugu Elders, others back Mbah as ‘S/East loses over N5 trillion’ Lawan, Kalu Tearful As Senate Holds Valedictory Session Emefiele: LP Asks Tinubu To Probe INEC, Not CBN Troops Kill Six Bandits, Recover Arms In Kaduna LGA Subsidy: Edo Govt Reduces School Days To Thrice Weekly Wike Hails Tinubu For Suspending Emefiele As CBN Governor Man City secure treble with first ever Champions League title Laolu Akande: Emefiele failed to redeem himself — his suspension is long overdue N’assembly leadership: PDP alleges plot to arrest lawmakers-elect opposing APC’s candidates Tribunal dismisses LP’s petition to question INEC over IRev glitches during presidential poll Adamawa senator: Those calling ninth senate a rubber stamp were right Inside Kano’s Lucrative Ostrich Farm, Where Chick Costs N250,000 Teach Me How To Return To Senate Without Contesting Primary, Okorocha Taunts Lawan 10th House: Opposition Scrambles For Minority Leadership Positions Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Contrary to reports making the rounds, the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari has not been removed from office, Vanguard is reporting. The aforesaid report speculating Kyari’s removal by President Bola Tinubu was published in certain media quarters (not Vanguard) on Saturday. However, in a telephone interview with Vanguard, authoritative sources in the Presidency and NNPCL who spoke on condition of anonimity described the news as fake.   Details soon…

  The presidential election petition tribunal has dismissed an application filed by the Labour Party (LP) seeking to question the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the technology deployed for the conduct of the election. According to NAN, the five-member panel led by Haruna Tsammani, held on Saturday, that the tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to grant the request because it was brought outside the pre-hearing session. The application, tagged CA/PEPC/03/2023, was filed by the LP and Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate. The applicants, among other reasons for disputing the outcome of the election, are accusing INEC of non-compliance with the 2022 electoral act. The petitioners’ concerns also included the failure to transmit the results of the presidential election in real-time on the INEC results viewing portal (IREV) as assured. The petitioners had asked the court to permit them to question INEC on the technology deployed to conduct the election including the competency of the ICT experts who oversaw technology. In two applications, the petitioners through Patrick Ikweto, their counsel, prayed the court to order INEC to supply the names and other details of its ICT professionals that deployed electronic devices for the conduct of the election. Specifically, the petitioners maintained that given INEC’s reply to their petition, the commission should be compelled to answer 12 questions posed to it. At the hearing, the tribunal in a unanimous decision, ruled that the applicants failed to disclose any extreme circumstance that stopped them from filing within the statutory time. The court said motions could not be heard at the hearing session. “It is an afterthought on the grounds that the pre-hearing period to file such an application elapsed on May 22,” Tsammani said.   “I have not disputed the fact that they did not call the attention of the court during the pre-hearing session. “It is for the applicant to take a step towards the hearing of his motion on notice. The court cannot do that for him. “The petitioners’ counsel are very conversant with the provisions of the law and did not ask for an extension of time. “They rather seek to employ the right to fair hearing as a magic wand to escape the consequence of their failure to comply with the law and blame the court for its inaction.   “Their application is incompetent and the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain it and accordingly, the application is struck out.”

  Bello Matawalle, former governor of Zamfara State, has accused the state government of allegedly robbing his houses and confiscating his personal belongings. On Friday, the Zamfara State Government, led by Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) confirmed that the security forces entered the two houses of Matawalle in Gusau and Maradun, where they seized 40 vehicles. However, Matawalle in an interview with BBC Hausa said that it was “stupidity” and “poverty” that caused his houses to be entered, saying that items including his wife’s hijab were stolen. He said, “I have never seen this kind of stupidity where someone’s house will just be entered without any permission as if we are in a lawless country. “I am in Abuja and nobody told me that any court gave that order or invite me and I refused to answer. The saddest thing is that, in my Gusau house, all my wives’ rooms were broken, even hijabs have been taken away. Stoves were all put in a car and taken away. “Instead of Dauda to face Zamfara problems, he wants to create another crisis because he knows I have my people and they will not fold their hands. “In my Maradun house, they took away all campaign cars that people gave us as contributions, including those I bought in United States even before becoming governor, you know I was a car seller. I will not ask them to bring the cars back, everybody knows that I have cars. “This is robbery, they entered everywhere in my houses, even my daughter’s wedding clothing materials (Kayan Lefe) were not spared.”

  Solemnity enveloped the ninth Senate when Orji Kalu, burst into tears while giving his valedictory speech on the floor on Saturday. Kalu, while weeping, stated that he was labelled a thief by some entities who conspired against him. He said, “Before I came into politics, I could buy anything money could buy. I’m not a thief. Those who put me in prison know the reason. They took over my businesses and wanted to kill me, yet I survived it, and I’m in the Senate with you.” The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned the former Abia governor and Ude Jones Udeogu, a former director of finance and accountant, on 36 counts of money laundering to the tune of N7.1 billion. On December 5, 2019, Kalu was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, while Udeogu got a 10-year sentence. The Supreme Court later nullified the trial of Kalu and his co-convicts. The apex court held that Mohammed Idris, the trial judge who had been elevated to the court of appeal at the time of the case, ought not to have presided over the matter while he was an appeal court judge. No fresh charges have been filed against him. The chief whip said before he ventured into politics, he was wealthy and played a critical role financially in the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party. Senator Kalu stated, “I have never lacked, while I was in the Peoples Democratic Party where I served for two terms as governor, I brought the money they used to form that party, every penny, in 1997 and 1998, and I later became a thief. “People I gave transport money from my house in Victoria Island became agents. This is what Nigeria represents.” Senator Kalu, who is also a frontline contender for the leadership of the 10th Assembly, said that the country was not fair. He added, “Thank you for giving me these four years of uninterrupted support. This country is not fair.”