Author: The Nation

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said on Wednesday that his administration would soon begin a verification exercise to get the actual number of workers on the government’s payroll.

This followed what he described as “sudden rise” in the state’s wage bill.

Although, he didn’t give details of when the exercise would begin, the governor said the effort is solely for the purpose of knowing the number of the workforce.

The governor spoke during an interactive session with the civil servants as part of events marking the first 100 days of his administration.

Justifying the need for the workers verification exercise, he said he observed that between the time he was declared winner of the governorship election and the day he took his oath of office, the state wage bill had increased by a billion naira.

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Makinde, however, assured the workers that the verification is not aimed at witch-hunting anyone, saying despite the increased wage bill, his administration has continued to make the payment of workers’ salaries and their welfare a priority.

He said “We will soon conduct a verification exercise to get the accurate number of the state workforce. The verification is not to witch-hunt any worker and so we will only solicit your support and cooperation for the success of the exercise.

“The reason for the exercise is because we observed that between March 11, when I was declared the winner of the  governorship election and May 29 when I was sworn in as the governor, the wage bill of the workers increased by  N1billion.

“But, despite this, we are paying workers’ salaries without delay because their welfare is paramount to this administration.

“Our monthly federal allocation is a little above N5 billion, but we pay over N8 billion as wages every month.

“The good news is that the monthly federal allocation into local government councils is above N5 billion and their monthly wage bill is a little bit above N3 billion.

“We can easily save N2 billion into local government councils account and presently we have been able to save N8 billion.

“I want to assure you all that no worker will be unjustly punished or sacked because the era of impunity has gone. This administration will follow due process and civil service rules in any issue that pertains to the workers.”

The governor added that his administration will be committed to governance that is free of politics and religion, adding that “no worker will be discriminated against on the basis of religion or politics.”

He urged the workers to be committed to their duties and advised any civil servant who has anything to discuss with him to reach him on the phone.

Head of Service Mrs. Amidat Agboola had hailed the governor on behalf of the workers for what she described as “consistency” in the prompt payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners’ allowances.

She took the opportunity to inform the workers that the governor had given approval for the upward review of car and housing loan scheme from N500, 000 to N750, 000 and from N2 million to N3 million, urging the workers to be dedicated and loyal.

More startling revelations on how the convoy of wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, was attacked in Oye- Ekiti, the headquarters of Oye Local Government, have emerged.

This followed a blow-by-blow account of Erelu Fayemi of how she narrowly escaped death unhurt.

The governor’s wife was attacked by protesting students of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) while on an empowerment and advocacy tour to engage with women in the local government.

She was in the town in continuation of her tour across the state, which began from Moba Local Government and had visited Ilejemeje Local Government before arriving in Oye-Ekiti for the last leg of the tour.

While narrating her ordeal, Mrs. Fayemi in a statement titled: ‘The September 10th Oye-Ekiti Incident: Setting the Record Straight” disclosed that FUOYE students and possibly infiltrated by local thugs barricaded Oye-Ikole-Omuo highway to prevent the convoy of the wife of the governor from passing with a view to expressing their displeasure about poor power supply in the town.

She said her convoy was severely attacked by the protesting students with stones and cudgel until they escaped.

Explaining how the incident happened, she said: “While we were at Ilejemeje, we received a call from our advance security team that FUOYE students were protesting lack of electricity in Oye town.

Read Also: NANS blames Fayemi’s wife for killing of FUOYE students

“We were told that more information would be provided on the situation. Shortly after we received word that the students had dispersed and the coast was clear for my visit.

“When my convoy got to the Oye-Isan junction, we were met by a convoy of excited Okada riders who led us into Oye town. We made a stop at the primary health care centre along the road for me to present delivery kits to expectant mothers.

“There was no sign of any trouble. We proceeded to the venue of my town hall meeting at the civic centre with women in Oye Local Government. The atmosphere was very peaceful, the women were singing and dancing and there was nothing to indicate that anything was amiss.

“I stopped at the tent erected for the mobile health clinic in front of the civic centre to greet the elderly patients who were being attended to, and I also went to greet the beneficiaries of the Food Bank for the elderly project (Ounje Arugbo), who were assembled under another tent. I then proceeded to the hall for the programme.”

Erelu Fayemi added: “Half-way through our event, there was a disturbance outside. The FUOYE students (and possibly infiltrated by local thugs) had re-grouped and were trying to get into the venue. The security officers prevented this from happening.

“We finished our programme, and by the time we got outside, we found that vehicles from my convoy and those of my guests that were parked outside the venue had been vandalised.

“As we were driving out of Oye town, we encountered at least two roadblocks that the students had mounted to prevent the movement of vehicles. I could see students/thugs throwing stones and large sticks at us as we drove by.

“However, the casualties that were recorded did not take place while I was there. There are eyewitnesses, photographs and video footage to confirm this.”

Mrs. Fayemi, who expressed dismay over reports that the crisis occurred because she refused to address the protesting students, described the accusation as a monumental falsehood.

She denied that she instructed security details attached to her to shoot protesting students, stressing that she didn’t come across protesting students while she was in Oye-Ekiti for an empowerment programme.

Erelu Fayemi said she couldn’t have objected to civil protest being a human rights crusader and mother.

She said: “I did not encounter any group of students when I got to Oye town. They had dispersed before my arrival, and when they regrouped I was at the venue.

“It is possible, as I stated earlier, that the group that came to the venue trying to gain access with sticks and stones in hand might have included local hoodlums, but there was no way of telling the difference.

“I am scandalised and shocked beyond words to hear that I instructed security officers to shoot at students.

“If I had met a group of protesting students, as a social justice activist myself, I would have listened to their complaints and addressed them.  I firmly believe in citizens’ rights to protest on issues of concern.

“I am deeply saddened that at least one fatality has been recorded. As a mother my heart bleeds. All these students are my children, and no mother prays to weep over her offspring.”

Fayemi’s wife, however, commiserated with the family concerned, wishing those who are still receiving treatment a speedy recovery.

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has reserved judgment in the petition by Emmanuel Jime of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for returning Samuel Ortom as winner of the 2019 governorship election.

When the petition came up for adoption of final written address on Wednesday, the lead counsel to Ortom, Sabastine Hon SAN, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition with substantial cost, saying it ought not to have been filed.

Hon said the petition is “bedevilled and riddled with fundamental errors and that no reasonable tribunal will grant any relief to it. It is self- contradictory in many respects in terms of the figures and scores of the candidates; it is also contradictory to the evidence led.”

It was his contention that Jime, who contested the 2019 Benue governorship election, is different from the one that instituted the petition “because of variation in the scores at the poll and those complained of in the petition. As a matter of fact, in paragraph 5.06, page 37 of their final written address, the petitioners admit that there were errors in the petition. And in reproducing exhibit P2 (summary of result form), there are over 50 errors.”

Hon said the law is settled that a mistake that is not corrected is fatal.

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Moving the tribunal to dismiss the petition, Offiong Offiong SAN, who is leading a team of lawyers for INEC, submitted that contrary to argument by Jime’s counsel that only minimal proof rather than balance of probability is required, the petitioners must prove their case on the balance of probability and not on minimal prove. He cited the authority of Ucha Vs Elechi 2012 13NWLR Part 330 at Page 359.

Chief Chris Uche SAN, who appeared for the PDP, while urging the tribunal to dismiss the petition, said it was founded upon misconception of well-established principles of electoral jurisprudence.

However, Yusuf Ali SAN, who appeared for Jime and APC, prayed the tribunal to uphold the petition, nullify the election of Ortom and declare Jime and APC as the rightful persons to be given the Certificate of Return as winner of the 2019 Benue governorship election.

He told the tribunal that Ortom’s lawyers misconstrued the tables and figures in the petitioners’ final written address.

“He (Hon SAN) seems to have forgotten that the contention in the petition is the incorrect figures recorded by INEC in Forms EC8A and the petitioners cannot rely on same. Where the tribunal finds that unlawful votes are credited to any of the parties, the tribunal has the powers under the law to nullify such votes,” Ali said.

After hearing the lawyers, the Chairman of the tribunal, Honourable Justice Henry Olusiyi, held that judgment in the petition is reserved to a date that shall be communicated to the parties.

Armed bandits have attacked three communities in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

The communities are Rafin-wayam, Rafin-kwakwa and Gidan Dogo-Gurgu villages.

This brings to four the number of communities attacked in the state in the last one week.

The Nation learnt that the bandits, whose number could not be ascertained, invaded the town on three motorcycles.

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The residents said they were forced to run to Kagara, the headquarters of Rafi Local Government.

The victims alleged that their foodstuff and other belongings were taken away.

Youths at Kagara town in Rafi Local Government have taken to the highway, protesting incessant banditry and kidnapping in the community.

They blocked the Lagos-Kaduna Highway, lamenting that the federal and state governments have left them to their fate.

The youth carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘We need help’, ‘Government save us’, Help us with food and water’.

The police have confirmed the attacks.

Spokesman Muhammad Abubakar said: “We are reviewing the security architecture of the communities. We have swung into action and will bring the situation under control.”

Bandits at Ruga forest on Tuesday night released 10 women and a baby to the Katsina State Government.

This brings to 16, the number of kidnap victims who have regained freedom, as part of the swap agreement between the bandits and the government.

A statement by the Director, General Media to the Governor, Labaran Malumfashi, said the women and the baby looked haggard and were brought to Governor Aminu Masari’s office by two representatives of the bandits around 5:30pm.

The statement said: “The successful exchange of detainees between the government and the bandits represents a milestone in the efforts by Governor Masari and his colleagues from the Northwest, notably Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Mohammed Matawallin of Zamfara to end banditry, kidnapping and rustling, which have assumed a frightening dimension in Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states.

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“The release of the 10 women and the baby, the second time in a day, has also demonstrated the sincerity of purpose by the two sides, thus shocking sceptics who didn’t believe the arrangement would work.”

Masari reaffirmed the commitment of his government to achieve result through negotiations with the bandits.

He urged the outlaws to also fulfil their own part of the bargain.

The governor said: “As soon as the exchange of detainees is completed, the second and third phases of the engagement will begin and focus on the voluntary surrender and return of arms and ammunition to the government by the repentant bandits.”

The released victims include: Sa’adatu Garba, Dije Abdulmini, Dahara Garba, Salame Abu Musa, Rabi’atu Muazu, Shamsiyya Sabi’u, Halima Hambali, Barira Adamu, Mai muya, Manya Sani and Maryam Sani.

Seven persons including a seven-year-old girl kidnapped at Rijana on the Kaduna-Abuja highway last Saturday have been rescued by the joint Operation Thunder Strike.

The victims, who were travelling from Ofa in Kwara State to Kaduna, said their abductors, who were dressed in full military camouflage, stopped them at Rijana at about 9:30 pm and moved them to the forest.

They are: Aishat Bisola, 26, Ahmad Abdulrafiu, 26, Maryam Abubakar, 7, Suleiman Khadija, 25, Lawal Temitope, 23, Bala Abdullahi, 52 and Abdulrazak Okunola, 35.

Operation Thunder Strike is a Defence Headquarters lead operation comprising the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, DSS and NSCDC deployed to address security threats along Kaduna-Abuja, Kaduna-Birni Gwari and Kaduna-Zaria highways.

The Force Commander, Operation Thunder Strike, Col. Ibrahim Gambari, said since the inception of the operation, they have been trying their best to end kidnapping.

Read Also: APC condoles varsity community on death of kidnapped professor

“Before the operation was launched, several cases of kidnapping on a daily basis were being recorded, especially during the day. But since the inception of the operation, we have been able to nip in the bud such incidents  and most of the cases that were recorded usually happened at night. That was why the Kaduna State Government stopped the mounting of roadblocks on the road,” he said.

Two AK47, 130 rounds of ammunition, five magazine, two phones, N100,000 and three camouflage were recovered from the kidnappers.

One of the rescued victims, Aliyu Aishat Bisola, said they were kept on a rock for the five days without food.

“We trekked for over three hours before we reached the kidnappers’ den on a mountain top.

“They collected our phones and money while they were negotiating ransom between N10million and N2million.

“The kidnappers beat us everyday. They even covered the face of another male victim and threatened to kill him if he did not bring money.

“They did not give us any food or water, we sat on the rock under rain and sun without any shelter from that Saturday till Wednesday when we were rescued,” she said.

Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan, who received the rescued victims on behalf of the government, hailed the Army for the successful operation that led to the victims’ rescue.

Gunmen have abducted the Chairman of Kogi State Miners Association, Yunusa Oruma, from his home in Ankpa Local Government.

The victim’s brother, Prince Oruma, told our correspondent yesterday that his brother was relaxing in his house when eight gunmen invaded the place at about 8pm on Sunday and began shooting.

He said they seized his brother and drove away with him, adding that no information has been heard since he was abducted.

Oruma said the incident has been reported to the police and other security agencies in Ankpa, and appealed for their efforts to secure his brother’s release.

Police spokesman William Aya confirmed the incident.

He said efforts are on to rescue the victim.