The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Appeal Court affirms Mbah as Enugu governor

    Appeal Court affirms Mbah as Enugu governor

    The State and National Assembly Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has affirmed the election of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) as governor of Enugu State.

    The Appellate Court, yesterday, in a unanimous decision, resolved all three issues canvassed against the appellant, Edeoga Chijioke Jonathan of the Labour Party in favour of the PDP candidate.

    The three-member panel presided over by Justice Tani Yusuf Hassan held that the Appellant failed to prove that the respondent was not qualified to contest the governorship election.

    On the allegation of overvoting, Justice Hassan in her lead judgement held that the Voters’ Register was never placed before the lower tribunal, and that failure to tender the Voters Register before the lower tribunal rendered the appeal inadmissible.

    The court held that the testimony of all the witnesses called by the appellant did not prove that there was over-voting in the governorship election.

    The Appeal Court consequently dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit and affirmed the judgement of the Election Petition Tribunal, which declared Mbah of the PDP as the winner of the March 18 governorship election.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Mbah of the PDP the winner of the March 18 governorship election having polled 160,895 votes.

    Edeoga of the LP came second with 157,552 votes, while Frank Nweke of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 17, 983 votes to claim third place.

    Dissatisfied, Edeoga and his party had approached the tribunal urging it to disqualify Mbah and declare him the winner of the election, while claiming to have polled the highest valid votes cast.

    The petitioners also challenged the candidacy of the governor over an alleged forgery of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.

    In its judgement, the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal affirmed Peter Mbah as the duly elected governor of the state.

    Read Also: Afenifere disowns Adebanjo over Supreme Court judgment on Tinubu’s victory

    Delivering judgment, the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal led by  Justice Kudirat Akano, dismissed the petition filed by Chijioke Edeoga, of the LP.

    The tribunal held that Edeoga and his party failed to prove their case.

    The court held that Mbah met the minimum requirements for the election which is a school certificate or its equivalent.

    The tribunal rejected Edeoga’s witnesses, adding that the petitioners did not present any admissible evidence to prove that Mbah’s certificate was forged.

    “NYSC discharge certificate is not a qualification for governorship,” the tribunal ruled.

    “Assuming that the NYSC discharge certificate of the second respondent as claimed by the petitioners was forged, is the NYSC certificate a qualification to contest for governor in Nigeria according to the constitution? The answer is no.”

  • Imo guber: We’ve no hand in the fake video of Anyanwu’s withdrawal — APC

    Imo guber: We’ve no hand in the fake video of Anyanwu’s withdrawal — APC

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dissociated itself and the party’s flag bearer in today’s Imo State governorship election, Senator Hope Uzodimma from an alleged trending video of the withdrawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate from the race.

    The party also faulted the call by the opposition that its candidate (Uzodimma) be disqualified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) describing the call as nothing but fear of impending defeat at the poll.

    APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka in a statement in Abuja on Friday said neither Uzodinma nor the Party had any hand in making or procuring the making of the video.

    He noted that the call on INEC to disqualify Uzodimma was an advertisement of PDP crass irresponsibility.

    The statement reads: “In the latest advertisement of its crass irresponsibility, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify His Excellency, Hope Uzodinma, Executive Governor of Imo State and standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11, 2023, governorship election.

    “The PDP based this call on its concocted flimsy allegation that the Governor was behind an alleged viral video announcement that Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, PDP Imo State governorship candidate, had withdrawn from the race.

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    “To be crystal clear, neither Governor Uzodinma nor our great Party had any hand in making or procuring the making of that video. Our Governor and Party have been hard at work campaigning to persuade the good Imo electorate to renew our mandate to have any interest or time for such a piece of frivolous and unhelpful propaganda.”

    “At the end of any credible investigation into the video’s origins, we will not be shocked to discover that it was a malicious creation of the PDP in a calculated but futile attempt to smear Governor Uzodinma and our Party, exactly as this baseless and senseless allegation sought to do.

    “The unmatched track record and popularity of our candidate makes the PDP quiver in desperate panic. We are confident that no last-minute antics of the PDP will deter the good people of Imo State who are poised to reelect our Governor to finish the good work he has started.”

  • Communal crisis: Ebonyi releases white paper as panel recommends boundary pillars

    Communal crisis: Ebonyi releases white paper as panel recommends boundary pillars

    Ebonyi State Government has released a white paper on the report of the committee on the resolution of the land dispute between Amana in Ezza South Local Government Area and Ohankwu in Ikwo Local Government Areas of the State which claimed many lives with properties destroyed.

    This was as the committee set up by the government has recommended the immediate re-establishment of cement boundary pillars to end the crisis taking bearing from existing ones to determine the owners of the disputed Lead site and surrounding farm lands under contention.

    The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation in the state, Jude Okpor disclosed this in Abakaliki, the state capital at a press briefing.

    “The White Paper dated 8th November 2023 and endorsed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, contained the government’s statements of adoption of the Committee’s recommendations and the governor’s directive to concerned ministries and departments to implement the same.

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    “The Committee from their findings set aside the earlier report of the Ebonyi State Peace Committee which recommended the government’s acquisition of the disputed land and properties and its subsequent partitioning between the contending  Communities. They observed that the CAN committee did not consult archival evidence before arriving at its decision,” he stated.

    Okpor noted that the committee further found out that the discovery of lead, a mineral in commercial quantity in the area, and the removal of the cement boundary beacons established by the colonial masters were the immediate and remote causes of the crisis.

    He explained that the committee therefore recommended immediate re-establishment of the cement boundary pillars taking bearing from existing ones as such will automatically determine the owners of the disputed Lead site and surrounding farm lands under contention.

  • Betta Edu, Alia perform groundbreaking ceremony for IDPs’ shelter in Benue

    Betta Edu, Alia perform groundbreaking ceremony for IDPs’ shelter in Benue

    Nigeria’s Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Renewed Hope shelter for the poor and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Tatyo and Kyo community in Makurdi North Local Government Area of Benue State.

    She performed the groundbreaking alongside the State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, with a promise to work with the state government to ensure that the IDPs returned to their ancestral homes.

    Speaking at the event, Edu said the project was in fulfilment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to reduce humanitarian crises and poverty challenges in Nigeria. “The President assured Benue people that if he was voted into power, he would provide security and resettle them back to their ancestral homes where some have been out for over 10 years following the Herdsmen-farmers conflict. The Minister commended Governor Alia for ensuring that peace returned to Tatyo and Tyo communities, as well as other communities which have been engulfed by violence since 2012 resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands from their homes.

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    Notably, since 2011, over 12,000 people have lost their lives in Tatyo alone, and thousands more were rendered homeless due to attacks by suspected armed herders in the Markudi North  Local government area of the state.

    The Renewed Hope Shelter, which has a learning centre, health centre, and market,  according to Edu will be built by the community members in clusters under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in partnership with the Benue State Government.

    She expressed sadness over the IDPs’  experience these past years and pledged that “for these wonderful people that have come from the IDP camps, the journey back to your ancestral homes has begun, “this is the beginning of a journey to return home.”

  • ICPC urges political class, others to shun corruption

    ICPC urges political class, others to shun corruption

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged President Bola Tinubu, governors and the entire political class to shun corruption and instead foster a culture of integrity in public office.

    The spokeswoman for ICPC, Azuka Ogugua, said this at the “2023 Do The Right Thing Summit” in Abuja on Thursday.

    At the two-day summit titled “Being the Right Leader,” Ogugua said the future of any country depends on the type of leaders it has at all levels, from the federal, state and local government areas as well as in schools and offices, according to the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The ICPC scribe stated that, “The commission wishes to use this opportunity to call on all leaders in the country to shun every act of corruption or compromise and embrace integrity and uprightness in all their activities. This will manifest as they follow the rules, give room to others to hold them accountable, and make their work transparent,” said Ms Ogugua.

    The ICPC spokeswoman explained that the anti-graft agency was working with schools and youth groups to groom leaders who will always do the right thing.

    Ogugua said the ICPC would want to eradicate corruption and corrupt practices in Nigeria, encouraging civil society organisations working in the area of anti-corruption and good governance to register with the commission for effective collaboration.

    Read Also: Afenifere disowns Adebanjo over Supreme Court judgment on Tinubu’s victory

    The convener of the summit, Michael Nwadiora, urged Nigerians to work together for a just society irrespective of the diversity in the country.

    Mr Nwadiora said, “We stand united in our commitment to catalyse positive change and pave the way for a future defined by equity, empathy, and empowerment.

     “Our diversity is not merely a source of strength but a treasure trove of perspectives that can guide us toward innovative solutions to the most pressing issues of our time.

     “The challenges we confront may seem daunting, but history has shown that when we stand together with unwavering determination, the seemingly impossible becomes achievable.”

    The convener stressed that the summit was a testament to the commitment to creating a better future. He said it would allow future experts, thought leaders, and change-makers from various fields to engage in meaningful conversations and inspire change.

  • Ribadu urges security agencies to protect Nigerians

    Ribadu urges security agencies to protect Nigerians

    All security, intelligence and other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), have been urged to take responsibility for protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.

    The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, made the call at the briefing of Service Chiefs and Heads of Agencies on the road map for the establishment of the proposed Anti-Kidnap Multi-Agency Fusion Cell (AMFC), on Thursday, in Abuja.

    Ribadu was represented by the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), retired Rear Adm. Yaminu Musa.

    This is contained in a statement by Raphael Towoju of the Strategic Communications Department of NCTC-ONSA.

    The NSA  said it was imperative for all stakeholders to come together to find a comprehensive solution to combating the menace of kidnap-for-ransom and other related crimes bedevilling the country.

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    He said that the first Security and Defense Partnership dialogue between the United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria was held in London in February 2022, as part of the concerted efforts by ONSA to address the menace of kidnapping in Nigeria.

    According to him, one of the agreements reached during the dialogue was the need to create the AMFC to help stem the threats posed by kidnapping in the country.

    “So far, eight workshops have been held by personnel of relevant stakeholders working with experts of the UK National Crime Agency (NCA).

    “The workshops culminated in the setting up of a multi-agency writing team to contribute to the formulation of a National Anti-Kidnapping Strategy,” he said.

    The NSA expressed appreciation to the UK through the High Commissioner for the support provided in the nation’s efforts to tackle the issue of Kidnapping and other crimes in Nigeria.

    In his remarks, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, said the first duty of any government was the security of its citizens, adding that the issue of Kidnapping brings trauma to families.

    Montgomery reiterated the commitment of the UK Government to the full implementation of the Security/Defence partnership between the two nations.

  • Obasanjo teaches Nigeria, others, to ‘unlock untapped potential’

    Obasanjo teaches Nigeria, others, to ‘unlock untapped potential’

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chairman of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2023) Advisory Council, has said the untapped potential of the African continent will be unlocked through cooperation and collaboration.

    Obasanjo said this at the IATF2023, a hybrid event in Cairo, Egypt. He said intra-African trade would foster industrialisation and create job opportunities for Africans.

    Beyond being just an exhibition of goods and services, the IATF2023 is a platform for networking, collaboration and knowledge sharing, according to him.

    “It is bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, and policymakers from across Africa and its diaspora to exchange ideas, forge partnerships and explore new opportunities. It is through this spirit of cooperation and collaboration that we will unlock the untapped potential of our continent,” he said.

    Read Also: Afenifere disowns Adebanjo over Supreme Court judgment on Tinubu’s victory

    The former president noted that “The trade fair signified the commitment of Africa and its diaspora nations to economic integration and to their collective determination to create a prosperous future.”

    Therefore, he urged African leaders, policymakers, and representatives to foster an environment conducive to trade by eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy, harmonising regulations and investing in necessary infrastructure.

    He also mentioned that the IATF2023 was a stepping stone towards a future where African nations traded freely, breaking down barriers and opening doors of opportunities for all. He urged entrepreneurs and innovators to seize the moment to build bridges of commerce between nations and within communities by embracing the spirit of entrepreneurship to unlock new markets.

    The former Nigerian leader also urged them to leverage technology to unlock new markets, connect small-scale farmers with global partners and empower women-owned businesses.

    The IATF2023 is Africa’s largest trade and investment fair, projected to attract over 1,600 exhibitors and 35,000 visitors and buyers.

    Also known as the AfCFTA marketplace, it is organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union and AfCFTA Secretariat.

  • Federal govt to expand local wheat production

    Federal govt to expand local wheat production

    The Federal Government will be making investments to expand local wheat production capacity and support security in the country, Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari has said.

    He disclosed this, in Lagos, during a tour of the Apapa Bulk Terminal Facility of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc. The event was to inspect the offloading and dispatch of 6,750MT of high-yielding certified wheat seeds imported into the country through the instrumentality of the Flour Millers Association of Nigeria (FMAN).

    The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has also set out to support effective dry-season farming, across the country. The move is in furtherance of the quest of the present administration to bolster food production in the country.

    Kyari said the FMAFS is forging a productivity-enhancement partnership with the FMAN in wheat production as a way to vouchsafe the viability and sustainability of the national wheat production plan.

    He said, “My Ministry is conversant with the peculiarities and attendant challenges facing the entire wheat value chain in Nigeria, and we have the President’s full mandate to make the investments necessary to promote and expand Nigeria’s local wheat production capacity.”

    According to Kyari, who spoke in the company of his Minister of State, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, and other senior officials of the FMAFS, “the choice of the seed variety: Borlaug 100, is indicative of the resolve of Government to drastically enhance output, and in turn reduce the nation’s wheat import dependency.”

    Kyari said:, “The administration of Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu is committed to the sustainable transformation of the food production capacities of the Nigerian farming populace, and this is also evident in the Government’s recourse to the mechanism of FMAN to procure the seeds”.  This, he said, was informed by the association’s well-documented antecedents of progressively catalyzing the growth of wheat development in Nigeria through various viable initiatives”.

    According to him,  the track record feeds into the Tinubu administration’s willingness to forge viable public-private partnerships in the bid to drive local food production and reduce the dependence on imported agricultural commodities.

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    Chairman of FMAN, John G. Coumantaros, who was on hand to conduct the Minister on the tour, noted that the association has initiated and executed noteworthy projects that have contributed to Nigeria’s wheat development agenda. In this regard, the Association has provided input loans to over 7,000 farmers and has also established funding for research and capacity development for wheat farmers.

    According to Coumantaros, “FMAN, over the years, has facilitated and procured over 51 thousand metric tonnes of wheat grain from 504 collection points spread across 15 states in Nigeria”. The main impact point of the Association remains the areas of human capital development, where it has directly assisted over 100 thousand smallholder farmers with; vital training, equipment for land preparation, irrigation; mechanized harvesting and threshing services, as well as strong agronomic support, all aimed at increasing crop yield and profitability.

    “Therefore, forging a partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security sits squarely within FMAN’s vision to drive self-sufficiency in wheat production in the country.”

    The Minister of State FMAFS, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, in his contribution, underscored that the wheat self-sufficiency plan of the Federal Government forms part of the “overall productivity intensification strategy encapsulated in the National Agricultural Growth Scheme (NAGS), aiming to support smallholder farmers across the country with input subsidy to enhance productivity across 6 staple commodity value chains of maize, cassava, sorghum, rice, soybeans, and wheat.” 

    The Scheme, which is supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) is a critical part of an overall agricultural sector transformation strategy of the Federal Government currently being rolled out across the country. “The dry season farming centres around 4 commodities: wheat, rice, maize, and cassava will be followed by a comprehensive wet season exercise, all targeted at ensuring that food is available, and affordable for Nigerians,” Abdullahi posited.

  • Kefas condemns murder of Taraba teacher by students

    Kefas condemns murder of Taraba teacher by students

    Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has condemned the killing of a secondary school teacher, Bassey Sarduana Nkuphee, by some students in Taraba, stating that no teacher should lose his or her life while imparting knowledge.

    Kefas stated this, on Friday, while reacting to the gruesome killing of the teacher in Jalingo, the state capital, by one of his former students and some of his friends from the Model Secondary School in Jalingo, the State capital.

    Describing the incident as highly regrettable, the governor urged parents, teachers and other stakeholders to intensify their supervisory roles over their wards at home and in school.

    The governor, who expressed his sadness at the incident through a press statement made available to newsmen in the state by his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communications, Emmanuel Bello, said the incident is indicative of societal decay.

    He identified drug abuse by some youths as a major reason for the vices in society, urging security operatives to leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

    Read Also: Afenifere disowns Adebanjo over Supreme Court judgment on Tinubu’s victory

    He believed they could achieve this through a thorough investigation into the causes of the incident.

    The Taraba State Command of the Nigerian Police Force confirmed the incident through its spokesperson, Abdullahi Usman.

    Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Usman, affirmed that the command has commenced an investigation into the case, stressing that efforts are been made to track down all the students involved in the killing. He urged anyone with useful information on their whereabouts to reach out to the command.

    The deceased was attacked following his decision to punish some students at the school. Those among the students who had been nursing ill feelings towards the teacher allegedly ambushed him on his way home and stabbed him to death.

    However, the state Commissioner for Education, Augustina Godwin, said on Thursday night that some suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident.

    The Chairman of the union, Sule Abasu, who gave the directive in a statement, said the teachers would not return to the classrooms until justice was served on the matter.

    The statement read: “Fellow comrades, on a very sad note, we received shocking news of the demise of our colleague who was stabbed to death.

    “This is an inhuman act meted out to the most peaceful group of persons and organisation.

     “Teachers are known for their contributions to the development of our society.

     “You are to note that an injury to one, is an injury to all of us.

     “We hereby register our displeasure over this barbaric devilish act where a teacher becomes prey to his students and other hoodlums in the society.

    “We, therefore, call on you to suspend academic activities in all schools across the state, until this issue is addressed so that our duty is carried out without encumbrance.”

  • The grace to grass story of Happie Boys

    The grace to grass story of Happie Boys

    • By Adeniyi Adewoyin

    The story of two internet sensations, Matthew Kelechi and Amakor Johnson known as the Happie Boys remains one that aptly follows the phrase grace to grass. The Happie Boys became popular in less than a week after a single video shared on TikTok went viral. However, in less than a year, these internet sensations have grown to become one of the most controversial duos. ADENIYI ADEWOYIN writes.

    Internet frenzy

    The story of Happie Boys began when the video of two security guards dancing at one of the branches of Chicken Republic, a fast food chain in Nigeria, went viral in 2022. Not many would have predicted what fate holds in store for the two young men after grabbing fame as an instant internet sensations. Matthew Precious Kelechi and Amakor Johnson had shared a video of themselves dancing while on duty which caught the attention of social media users and became an instant viral.

    Job loss and outcry

    Following the instant fame, the Happie Boys were faced with immediate challenges when they were allegedly sacked for ‘unprofessional conduct’ during work hours by the management of the eatery. The news of their sack spread so fast and got fans outraged.

    Outraged Nigerians flooded social media in support of the security guards to lambast the management of Chicken Republic for dismissing the duo instead of seizing the opportunity to ride on their fame and gain more customers.

    However, the restaurant debunked the allegation stating that the Happie Boys work with a security company who assigned them to their branch and the security firm were responsible for what happened to them following the viral video.

    Pastors offers visa, scholarship

    On hearing of their story, a popular clergyman, Pastor Chibuzor Chinyere, the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), offered scholarships to the two security guards.

    Pastor Chinyere noted that the boys were too young to be working as security personnel and noted that the church is giving a scholarship to them in a university in Cyprus.

    The hitch

    Pastor’s promise seems to only last a few months as he cites high exchange rate as a reason to halt the scholarship program in Cyprus. Pastor Chibuzor reportedly asked all his scholarship recipients including Happie Boys to return home in order to transfer their studies to Nigerian Universities which he would continue to pay for but that was the genesis of their fall out.

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    Accusations

    Not happy with the new development, Happie Boys took to social media to reveal that they had been abandoned in Cyprus by their sponsor. The boys alleged that the clergy was diabolic and unloyal and claimed the pastor was doing more for other students on scholarship.

    The curse

    As their fallout escalated, Happie Boys went further to share their conversation with the clergyman on social media claiming he cursed them. The Happie Boys rescinded on their claims and took to their social media accounts to appeal to the clergyman.

    Arrested, detained in Cyprus

    Within a year, their dream of a better life has been a roller-coaster with no assurance of what the future holds. In October 2023, the Happie Boys were allegedly arrested and detained in Cyprus over unpaid school fees and risk being deported to their home country. Unconfirmed reports also alleged that Happie Boys have been deported to Nigeria and were seen in an Abuja hotel.