October 2024 – Page 28

Post Date : October 10, 2024

Plateau Election: PDP wins all 17 LGAs

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP has won all the 17 local government areas of Plateau State, the State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, announced on Thursday. PLASIEC Chairman, Plangji Cishak who declared the winners also handed them the certificate of return in a brief ceremony at the PLASIEC headquarters in Jos. The winners were subsequently sworn- in but he State Acting Publicity Secretary of the APC, Shittu Bamaiyi, said, ‘The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission is a total disappointment and a disaster as far as the local government elections are concerned. “The assurances of transparency, credibility, and fairness by Governor Mutfwang and PLASIEC turned out to be a smoke screen for deceit and malpractices. The processes began with well-crafted strategies comprising the elections by both PLASIEC and the PDP-led government through all forms of malpractices and harassment of political opponents. “PLASIEC kick-started the rigging machinery by the late take-off of elections and the deliberate supply of election materials, particularly ballot papers and results sheets to the strongholds of PDP opponents. For example, local government areas such as Kanke, Kanam, Wase, Shendam, Langtang-South, Bokkos, Jos-North, Pankshin, and Bassa were given about 20% of the required ballot papers. “Despite the repeated requests for more ballot papers, PLASIEC refused to burge but rather asked the disfranchised voters to wait for materials, which never came. “As if that was not enough, in some areas the elections never took place, although sensitive materials were brought to the Wards but not put to use on the alleged instructions from “above”… The APC is asking its supporters to remain calm and peaceful and not to take the laws into their hands, as the Party is determined to do everything within the law to ensure that the right things are done.”

Post Date : October 10, 2024

Court strikes out manufacturers’ suit challenging electricity tariff hike

A federal high court in Lagos has struck out the case filed by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) against the eleven distribution companies (DisCos) for increasing electricity tariff for Band A customers. In a statement on Wednesday, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said the judgment delivered on Monday, dismissed the suit for being an abuse of court process. “The court considered the arguments adduced by the parties and delivered a well-considered judgment on 7 October 2024 by ruling that MAN’s suit was an abuse of court process being premature and without due regard to the provisions of section 51 of the Electricity Act 2023,” NERC said. “The court also held that MAN’s case disclosed no reasonable cause of action and that by having not exhausted the internal mechanism of resolution of disputes, that the suit was not instituted with due process of law and consequently struck out the case.” Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the director-general of MAN, did not immediately respond to TheCable’s enquiry regarding the court’s decision. On April 3, the NERC approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification. The commission said customers under the category, who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily, would begin to pay N225 per kilowatt (kW), starting from April 3. In defence, Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, had said the federal government could not afford to pay subsidies on power anymore, hence the need for the tariff hike. MAN then instituted the suit marked FHC/L/CS/881/2024 against NERC and other DisCos. The DisCos, which were joined as respondents include the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), and the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDC). Others are Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDC), Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC), Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), and Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC). The association argued that the regulatory procedures for tariff reviews were not properly followed before NERC issued the Supplementary Order on April 3, and the revised rate on May 6. Furthermore, MAN contended that applying the tariff increase solely to Band A feeders, while excluding other bands, constituted discrimination against those consumers. Objecting to the suit, NERC submitted that MAN’s case constitutes an abuse of court processes, being hasty and prematurely filed without following due process of the law.

Post Date : October 10, 2024

FG seeks arrest of Dana Air MD over ‘N1.3bn fraud’

The federal government has asked a high court sitting in Abuja to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Hathiramani Ranesh, managing director of Dana Air. Mojisola Okeya, counsel to the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), made the oral application on Thursday before Obiora Egwuatu, the presiding judge. The application followed Ranesh’s absence in court for his arraignment. The federal government alleged that the managing director has refused to appear for his arraignment in the alleged N1.3 billion fraud. The AGF had filed a six-count charge against Ranesh and two others. In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2021 and filed by Moshood Adeyemi, deputy director of public prosecutions in the office of the AGF and minister of justice, Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd were joined as second and third defendants respectively. In the first count, Ranesh, the two businesses, and unidentified individuals were accused of committing a crime on the property of the Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina between September and December of 2018. They were alleged to have conspired to remove, convert, and sell four units of industrial generators “i.e. three (3) units Ht of 9,000 KVA and 1 unit of 1,000 KVA; all valued at over N450 million, which form part of the Deed of Asset Debenture that were charged as collateral security for a bond issued in your favour, which Deed is still subsisting at all material times”. In count three, the defendants and others at large were accused of conspiring to fraudulently divert N864 million from House No. 116, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Isolo-Lagos, between April 7 and 8, 2014. The funds were said to be part of Ecobank bond proceeds intended for the resuscitation of production at the Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina and other unapproved purposes. Count five alleged that the defendants and others conspired to “fraudulently remove and transfer to one Atlantic Shrimpers Account No: 0001633175 with Access Bank and divert the sum of N60,300,000 (Sixty Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira).” The money was also said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for the resuscitation of production at the aforementioned factory and other unapproved uses. The cumulative amount involved in the charge stands at N1,374,300,000. RANESH ABSENT IN COURT When the matter was called on Thursday, Okeya told the court that though the case was scheduled for the arraignment of the defendants, Ranesh was not in court. She then urged the court to issue a bench warrant for Ranesh’s arrest. However, Bidemi Ademola-Bello, defence lawyer, disagreed with Okeya. Ademola-Bello said they had filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter and that the prosecution had already been served. Okeya, on her part, objected to taking the preliminary objection on the ground that the defendants ought to be arraigned first before the court could entertain any other application. In his ruling, Egwuatu asked Ademola-Bello to refer the court to any section of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, that makes provision for his request. The judge also ordered the parties to address the court in the next adjourned date on whether the preliminary objection ought to be taken before arraignment. He subsequently adjourned the matter until November 4.

Post Date : October 10, 2024

T-pain: Atiku Hits Tinubu Over Hardship

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has slammed President Bola Tinubu for being undisturbed by the hardship his policies including the removal of petrol subsidy has inflicted upon Nigerians. In an X post on Thursday, Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), labelled Tinubu as “T-Pain” for drowning the well-being of Nigerians. “The haphazard and disingenuous approach of the current administration to fuel subsidy management has been the reason we are in this current economic crisis in the country. “As things stand, there will be no let up in the escalating inflation rate, which is drowning the material well-being of Nigerians. It is even more worrying that T-pain is undisturbed by the hardship in the country,” Atiku wrote. Nigerians woke up to another shocker on Wednesday morning when the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) retail outlets adjusted the pump price of petrol in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. In Lagos, our correspondent observed that many NNPCL outlets sold a litre of the essential commodity for ₦998, about ₦150 higher than the initial price of ₦855. The sudden increase set motorists and transporters in panic-buying mode as snake-like queues have besieged filling stations. Many filling stations not owned by the NNPCL immediately followed suit as they also incrementally adjusted their pump prices, with many selling as high as ₦1050 in many parts of Lagos. In Abuja, the situation was not anyway different as NNPCL retail outlets hiked the price of the essential commodity from ₦897 to ₦1,030. The fresh increase followed the September 2, 2024 increase by the NNPCL. The retail company had hiked the price per litre of petrol from ₦568 to ₦855, sparking outrage. Though there has not been any official statement from the NNPCL on the latest increase in petrol prices, the NNPCL hinted at a fresh price increase when it began loading its first batch of petrol from the Dangote Refinery in mid-September.

Post Date : October 10, 2024

NDLEA Removes Husband Approval Condition For Married Women’s Visa Clearance After Outrage

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Thursday, dumped its initial rule that married women would be required to provide a letter of approval from their husbands to obtain a visa clearance certificate. This followed a backlash on social media after the anti-narcotics agency initially mandated married women to submit a “letter of approval to travel from their husband, attached with his passport photograph” to obtain the certificate. The NDLEA’s visa clearance certified individuals with no drug-related convictions in Nigeria — a requirement by some countries. However, after a social media outrage, NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said the requirement has been removed. He said, “The entire procedure for visa clearance issued by the NDLEA as required by some countries is currently undergoing review and the requirement for a married woman to present a letter of approval from her husband to travel is one of the items that the Agency has since jettisoned as a non-mandatory item on the list. “The inclusion of that item abinitio arose following some ugly developments in some source countries. “Members of the public are assured that the item has been deleted from the list of requirements in the ongoing review exercise, which will be made public in the coming days.”

Post Date : October 10, 2024

Military asks Asari Dokubo to come to battlefield

The Defence Headquarters on Thursday challenged former militant leader Asari Dokubo to come to the battlefield and witness the capabilities of the military. Dokubo had, on October 5, threatened to shoot down a military helicopter hovering around his residence, asserting that he could contain the Nigerian military. In response to Dokubo’s claim that he could defeat the military, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, dared him to enter the battlefield and see whether he could indeed contend with the military. Buba further vowed that the ex-militant leader would be neutralised if he showed up on the battlefield, and he called upon the relevant security agency to address the matter. Buba stated, “Now, to comment that he can shoot down military helicopters is laughable, and I am tempted to laugh about that. We are in a democracy, and we are professional;we cannot simply act on someone’s comments without due consideration, lest we be accused of being undemocratic. “The military is not the only security agency or department in the country. Other security forces have a constitutional role to play in addressing these issues. “I assure you that he does not possess that capability, but I will leave it to the appropriate security forces to handle the matter. Our mandate is to confront him on the battlefield and take him out. He should come to the battlefield and see whether we can react or not.” Buba emphasised that the military’s primary focus is on terrorists operating in various theatres of operation.He remarked, “Our enemy is the terrorists. While some may choose to label them differently depending on the region, in the northwest and northeast, some refer to them as bandits. “I tell you, they are all terrorists. We must label them for what they are. Troops are making significant progress; as I mentioned, we prioritise targeting terrorist leadership, and we have successfully eliminated over 300 terrorist commanders in the last three quarters, not to mention their foot soldiers. “Our aim is to diminish their fighting capabilities and to damage their military potential, which we have been achieving. As indicated in the brief you have just received, you can see the number of weapons and ammunition we have recovered.”

Post Date : October 10, 2024

NIN-SIM linkage of all phone numbers completed, says NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission has announced that it has completed the linking of all phone numbers in the country to a National Identification Number. Speaking at the 2024 Annual Corporate Governance Conference held in Lagos on Thursday, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, acknowledged the challenges faced by Nigerians during the process. Maida stressed the significance of the concluded NIN-SIM linkage initiative, stating that the federal government’s policy will help curb crime and insecurity in the country. He said, “We have recently concluded the implementation of the federal government’s 2020 policy of linking every phone number to a NIN. “Though it was a bit painful for Nigerians, I think we also need to appreciate what this does for us. “Today, there is no phone number that we cannot associate with a verified NIN. Not just a number, but a number that has been verified.” More to come…

Post Date : October 10, 2024

Army debunks killing of soldiers, civilians in Imo

The Nigerian Army has denied the report in a section of the online media of an attack on troops and the killing of several soldiers and civilians in a Local Government Area of Imo. The Acting Deputy Director, 82 Division Army Public Relations Officer, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, made the rebuttal in a statement issued in Enugu and made available to newsmen on Thursday. Unuakhalu stated that the online media reports had “no iota of truth but a fiction of the imagination of sympathisers of the dissident group.” The statement read in part: “The attention of 82 Division Nigerian Army has been drawn to the falsehood being peddled by some online media, claiming that an attack on troops of the division deployed in Ehime Mbano Local Government (LG) Secretariat led to the death of several soldiers and civilians. “The publication is a fiction playing out in the minds of the terrorist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) criminal elements and their sympathisers that want to dampen the confidence of Imo people and by extension the people of South-East.” Unuakhalu recalled that on Oct. 3, 2023, the headquarters of Isiala Mbano LGA, built and maintained with public funds, was set ablaze and destroyed by the same IPOB/ESN criminal elements but there was no attack or casualty from troops or civilians. He stated that a similar mindless attempt was made at the Secretariat of Ehime Mbano LGA of Imo in the late hours of Wednesday, October 8. He noted that the gallant efforts of the troops prevented the criminals from gaining entrance into the council secretariat. “The criminal elements, who came in their numbers, shooting sporadically from a distance, had to beat a hasty retreat due to the overwhelming fire power of the vigilant and gallant troops. “During the exploitation carried out in the early hours of today, it was confirmed that the dissidents suffered heavy casualties as seen from the blood stains on Ehime Mbano- Oriagwu Road,” he stated. Unuakhalu advised the public to disregard the “misinformation” by the online publications, adding that troops would continue to protect citizens and critical government infrastructure in the state by dealing decisively with criminals, who aim to subvert the government. He further noted that “the anti-people cowardly behaviour” of the dissidents, burning public buildings built with tax payers’ money and where law abiding citizens eke out a living, “is most unfortunate”. He also stated: “Apparently, the IPOB elements are not for the people but for themselves. “The Headquarters of 82 Division enjoins all Imo people and the residents of the South-East to continue to provide security information that will enable security agencies to eliminate the criminal elements.” He urged the people to always contact the division with useful information on the following toll-free line, 193 and press Option 2 . “The good citizens of the South-East region are encouraged to go about their normal socio-economic activities without fear or intimidation from any group of persons,” Unuakhalu added.

Post Date : October 10, 2024

BREAKING: Court dismisses Fubara’s appeal, affirms Amaewhule as Speaker of Rivers Assembly

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, affirmed Hon. Martin Amaewhule as the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly. The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, equally validated the Amaewhule-led members of the Assembly as bonafide lawmakers for the state. While dismissing an appeal that was lodged before it by Governor Siminalaye Fubara, the court upheld a judgement the Federal High Court delivered on January 22, which nullified the 2024 budget of Rivers State on the premise that it was not presented before members of the state assembly that were known to the law. According to the appellate court, Fubara, shot himself on the foot when he voluntarily withdrew a counter-affidavit he filed to challenge a legal action the Amaewhule-led lawmakers instituted to be recognised as valid members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The court held that governor Fubara’s decision to present the 2024 Rivers State Appropriation Bill to only four out of 31 members of the Assembly, amounted to a gross violation of section 91 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. It will be recalled that the Rivers State Assembly was fractionalised owing to the frosty relationship between Governor Fubara and his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike. In the heat of the fracas, governor Fubara sidelined the Amaewhule-led 26 members of the House that were loyal to Wike and presented the state’s N800billion 2024 budget before the four lawmakers led by Hon. Edison Ehie who had emerged as a factional Speaker of the Assembly. The Ehie-led faction, which had also declared seats of the Amaewhule-led pro-Wike lawmakers vacant for defecting to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the Peoples Democratic Party, promptly passed the budget which was quickly assented to by Governor Fubara. Meanwhile, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, both Fubara and Wike signed a peace pact that included the restoration of Amaewhule as the bonafide Speaker of the State Assembly. The factional Speaker, Ehie, who had approached the court and was joined as an interested party in the suit, subsequently withdrew all the processes he filed before the court and equally rescinded both his seat and his membership of the Assembly. Whereas Governor Fubara, in line with terms of the peace deal, withdrew all the processes he filed to challenge the suit, however, the pro-Wike lawmakers only withdrew an impeachment notice they served on him while they declined to terminate their legal action. While deciding the suit, Justice James Omotosho of the high court held that the budget was invalid as it was not properly presented before the Rivers State House of Assembly as required by the law. It held that Governor Fubara acted like a tyrant when he demolished the Rivers State Assembly complex and withheld funds standing to the credit of the legislative house. The court also described as unconstitutional, the redeployment of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Rivers State Assembly by Governor Fubara. Justice Omotosho stressed that the governor lacked the statutory rights to interfere with the operations of the Assembly, adding that he acted in contempt of a subsisting order that barred the parties from taking any steps to overreach the matter that was pending before the court. Besides, the court held that the National Assembly could not take over the legislative affairs of the state in the absence of the preconditions that were listed under section 11 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Consequently, the court, among other things, nullified all actions the Rivers Assembly took without the participation of the Amaewhule-led members of the House, among which included the presentation of the state appropriation bill. It issued an order of injunction, restraining Governor Fubara from impeding or frustrating the operations of the Assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership as its speaker. It ordered the governor to release all funds standing to the credit of the Rivers State House of Assembly. While upholding the verdict of the lower court, the appellate court held that Fubara conceded to the Amaewhule-led lawmakers when he withdrew all the processes he filed against their suit. “A party must be consistent in the presentation of its case. A party cannot approbate and reprobate or blow hot and cold at the same time,” the appellate court held. It held that the orders of the trial court were appropriate given the circumstance of the case, saying the appeal Fubara filed before it amounted to an academic exercise. Accordingly, it ordered Fubara to pay a cost of N500,000 to each of the Respondents in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/133/2024.

Post Date : October 10, 2024

Man stabs friend to death in Ondo over N2,000 debt

Police detectives in Ondo state, have arrested a 34-year-old man, Monday Chukwu, for allegedly stabbing his friend, Kefa Ofando, to death over N2,000 debt in Odigbo council area of the state. Parading the suspect alongside 10 other suspected criminals, the state police commissioner, Abayomi Oladipo, said in Akure, the state capital, that the suspect killed the deceased on September 20, this year during an argument over N2000. Oladipo, said the crimes committed by 11 of the suspects paraded, include killings, robbery, arson and removing of the vehicle brain boxes and other parts from their victim’s vehicle. According to him ” on the 20th of September, 2024, operatives of the Ondo State Police Command attached to the Odigbo Divisional Police Headquarters, acting on a complaint, swiftly responded and arrested one Monday Chukwu, a 34-year-old resident of Akintola village in the Odigbo area of the state. “The suspect allegedly stabbed one Kefa Ofando, aged 30, to death. “Discrete investigation revealed that the deceased had borrowed the suspect the sum of two thousand Naira, which, when demanded a few days later, led to an argument during which the suspect stabbed the victim with scissors on his neck. “Upon arrival at the scene, crime scene experts recovered a pair of scissors, while a medical practitioner confirmed Kefa Ofando dead. ” Investigation is ongoing, and the suspect will soon be charged to court upon conclusion. “However, this underscores the importance of staying away from violent individuals and the need to act with restraint, especially when angry or under pressure. Oladipo said that another 16-year-old, Precious Kolawole, a suspected killer of the population Ondo state caterer and the CEO of ‘Bola Country Kitchen’ Mrs Adeniyi Iyabode, has been arrested. Precious, was one of the domestic staff of the popular caterer, who murdered her, days after she celebrated her birthday. The suspect and two others, including Emmanuel Philip, already in the police net, withdrew the sum of thirty thousand Naira from the deceased account via her ATM card, which they stole after killing her. Police commissioner said that Precious is a secondary school student, who fled the community, after committing the dastardly act. Oladipo added that one of the suspected killers, Philip Emmanuel, aged 17 years, ” in a voluntary statement expressed their individual degrees of involvement in the dastardly act. “The first suspect, Precious Kolawole, claimed to have heard Mrs Adeniyi talking about receiving a substantial amount of money through her bank account and, on the heels of this, recruited Philip Emmanuel, the second suspect, to jointly murder the victim gruesomely. “Clinical investigation revealed knife wounds inflicted by Philip Emmanuel and machete cuts by Precious Kolawole, resulting in the death of the victim. ” It was also gathered that the victim successfully withdrew the sum of thirty thousand Naira from her account via her ATM card. “While the suspect is still in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation, it is pertinent to reiterate that safety measures like observing restraint in monetary discussions around domestic staff, concealing one’s ATM PIN, and installing CCTV surveillance cameras are necessary to optimize personal safety and security. The police commissioner, also said that one Renan Niju of Lapepe, Bolorunduro, has been arrested for suspected arson. Oladipo said that the burning of the property, a school, according to the complaint, had been traced to a Chieftaincy dispute in the community. He said that the suspect arsonist was arrested a few days later when he revisited the complainant’s property at midnight. According to the police boss, ” ran out of luck, as local vigilantes, working in concert with the police for intelligence gathering in the area, apprehended him before he could carry out his dastardly acts. The following were recovered from the suspect upon his arrest: a lighter, a liquid substance suspected to be premium motor spirit (fuel), weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, a Nigerian flag, and a handcuff key. The suspect will be charged in court upon the conclusion of the investigation. While the sole motive of this criminal action is yet to be unravelled, the existence of such criminal-minded elements in society calls for a higher level of vigilance and security consciousness. Members of the public are urged to take extra measures to ensure that their personal properties are not left unattended and unpoliced.