The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Reps to probe Gogo, others for attempted mace-snatching

    The House of Representatives is to investigate the cause of the commotion that led to an attempt to snatch the mace on Wednesday following the announcement of the principal officers of the minority parties.

    This is even as Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila warned that the resolve of the House should not be tested by aggrieved members, who he said ought to know how to seek redress through due process, as laid down in the House rules.

    The Speaker’s warning came after series of interruptions in the name of point of order by Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers).

    The Speaker told the lawmaker to take his appropriate seat in the chamber.

    Complaints by the Chinda-led group began with the lawmaker occupying the seat allocated to the Minority Leader in the front row.

    After the Speaker settled in his seat and approved the votes and proceedings for the previous legislative day, where Ndudi Elumelu and others were selected as Minority principal officers, which attracted applause and shouts of Gbaja! Gbaja!! from the floor, Chinda raised a point of order.

    But Gbajabiamila did not allow him to speak.

    The lawmaker made other attempts but the Speaker did not allow him.

    The Speaker implored the House to be mindful of Orders 9 and 10

    While Order 9 borders on rules of debates and behaviour of members in the House, Order 10 is about order in the House during debates and how the Speaker is to be heard in silence, contempt in the face of the House as well as the powers vested in the Speaker dealing with erring members at plenary or committee meetings.

    Chinda immediately raised a point of order and the Speaker promptly replied: “Without asking you for your point of order, you are overruled.

    “I will not hear you; you are not in your allocated seat. There are allocated seats. You won’t be recognized until you take your appropriate seat.

    “Please, let me make it clear: I’m pleading; please, do not test the resolve of this House or you will have cause to regret”.

    Benjamin Kalu (Abia), relying on Order 6 (19)(b), said the event of Wednesday, where an attempt was made to snatch the mace, left him terrified and traumatized because it was the least he expected from his colleagues, especially ranking members.

    “That was an attempt to destroy the integrity of this House,” he said while praying that the matter and the instigator, Gogo Bright (PDP, Rivers), be investigated with a view to preventing a reoccurrence.

    His submission was met with applause from the floor.

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    Gbajabiamila said Kalu’s submission was comprehensive enough by capturing everything that occurred on the day.

    The Speaker referred the motion to the Ethics and Privileges Committee, when constituted.

    Tajudeen Yusuf (PDP, Kogi) followed with his own point order that the votes and proceedings approved by Mr Speaker did not contain the list of the members who selected Elumelu.

    Gbajabiamila ruled that the point of order was noted.

    Chinda attempted another point of order for recognition and the Speaker replied: “You will not be heard until you are on your seat.”

    Another member on Chinda’s side, Mark Gbilah (PDP, Benue), raised a point of order that the Speaker breached his privilege by his remarks of threat.

    The Speaker cut him short that he should endeavour to understand the meaning of and difference between threat and warning.

    He then urged his colleagues to allow the business of the day to progress.

    “We are not going to spend the whole day on point of order. Let’s move on,” Gbajabiamila added.

    Also, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has summoned Elumelu.

    Others House members the party summoned are: Wole Oke, Ms. Lynda Ikpeazu, Anayo Edwin, Gideon Gwadi, Toby Okechukwu and Adekoya Abdul-Majid.

    They were ordered to report today at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja at 10 a.m.

    The party’s decision to summon the lawmakers was contained in a statement yesterday by the party’s spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan.

    The summons, which was issued after a marathon NWC meeting, states that they are to meet the leadership in a “crucial meeting”.

    “The summons is in line with the provisions of Chapter 10 (57)(3) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”, the statement said.

    Elumelu became Minority Leader to displace Kingsley Chinda, who is said to be the party’s choice.

    Similarly, the party’s choice for Deputy Minority Leader; Minority Whip; Deputy Minority Whip were upturned as candidates in Elumelu camp emerged ended up gapping the positions.

    Also, the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jubril, who embraced Elumelu’s emergence on Wednesday, made a U-turn yesterday.

    Jubril had endorsed and congratulated Elumelu, who visited him at home after his election.

    But addressing reporters yesterday, Jubril said he endorsed Elumelu in error, adding that he was deceived into believing that the lawmaker was the choice of the party’s leadership.

    “I stand with the decision of the National Working Committee of our party on the House of Representatives minority leadership position. I was made to believe that Elumelu was the choice of the party,” he said.

  • 2019 polls most covered event in Nigeria, says Yakubu

    This year’s general election was the media’s most extensively covered event in the country, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said.

    He said over 1,799 journalists from 150 media houses were accredited for the polls.

    Fifty-two foreign media houses were also on the ground to cover the elections.

    Prof. Yakubu stated this on Thursday the opening of the parley with media executives in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    The media parley is part of the commission’s review of the polls.

    Read Aia remained valuable partners at ensuring credible polls.

    He said: “As one of our valuable partners, we have always worked closely with the media. It is for this reason that in addtion to our vibrant INEC Press Corps, the headquarters of the commission alone accredited 1,799 journalists from more than 150 domestic media organisations to cover the 2019 general election.

    “Foreign media presence was also impressive. We had 332 journalists from 52 foreign media organisations – from different parts of Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia – to cover the elections. It was, indeed, an engaging experience. The general election was the most extensively covered event in Nigeria in 2019.

    “Now that the election is over, it is time to re-examine the entire process with a view to consolidating the successes and establishing a template that would address the challenges.

    “The purpose of this meeting, therefore, is to discuss all the salient aspects of the process which require improvement. You were accredited to cover all aspects of the processes. The commission wants to hear from you how processes can be improved upon, from pre-election activities, such as the registration of voters, conduct of primaries and nomination of candidates by political parties, campaigns (including election debates by candidates) to Election Day activities, such as accreditation of voters, voting process (including more effective measures to stem vote buying), collation and declaration of results.”

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    Yakubu noted that the parley with the media was not a media briefing but an experience-sharing one.

    “It follows logically, therefore, that this meeting is not a press conference or another media briefing by the commission. Rather, the commission would like you to share your field experiences, observations and recommendations on all aspects of the election – from logistics, election technology, security, media accreditation, coverage of the elections, adequacy and effectiveness of public enlightenment drive by the commission, access to information by the media, access to political parties and candidates as well as issues of misinformation, dis-information, fake news, hate speech and more.

    “We look forward to your robust contributions and recommendations. The whole purpose of today’s meeting is how we can improve on processes and procedures for which you were not only reporters but observers and actively involved in several ways. Today, we will talk less and listen more to you,” he said.

    Also, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, noted that the media are pivotal to the electoral process and are the major purveyors of electoral information from the commission to the Nigerian people.

    He said: “The commission initiated this review for the purposes of self-evaluation,   examination and stocktaking of what worked   and what did not work during the general election.

    “We intend to harvest the positives arising from the election, review the negatives for purposes of learning the vital lessons and making improvements on the electoral process. This is because the way we look at our yesterday has an important bearing on the way we look at our today and the way we see possibilities for tomorrow.

    “Our consultation with the media on different issues and aspects of the electoral process will continue even after the present structured review meetings with critical stakeholders.”

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) President Chris Isiguzo said the media had ensured that the country’s democracy flourished.

    The NUJ president said the media had not disappointed the country, which underscored their effectiveness in democratic dispensation.

    He added that for the country to have a credible election, all critical stakeholders must be involved.

  • Court orders INEC to issue certificate of return to Sen. Uwajumogu

    The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to issue certificate of return to Sen. Benjamin Uwajumogu as the validly elected senator representing Imo North senatorial District.

    In the application filed by Uwajumogu, for the release of his certificate of return, Justice Taiwo Taiwo said INEC’s decision to review the outcome of the 2019 senatorial election was in contravention of the electoral Act.

    The court further held that INEC was bound by law to issue the certificate of return based on the declaration of the returning who announced Uwajumogu as the duly elected senator for Imo North Senatorial district.

    Counsel to Mr Uwajumogu applauded the verdict of the court, adding that INEC should implement the order immediately.

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    “Based on the order, the court said immediately; going by the provision of the electoral act, it ought to be within seven days of the declaration of the result. But for the attitude of INEC, now the court has said the order should be implemented immediately.

    “It is another opportunity for us to be happy again that the Judiciary is standing to what they are called to do in our democracy, this is the last hope of the common man, and they have again decided the position of the law as it ought to be.

    “We are happy about it and we believe our opponent will be happy about it because it is about the development of our law,”

    The court had on April 9, 20l9, ordered INEC to stay all further proceedings and actions connected with the declaration of Imo North Senatorial District election results of Feb. 23 and March 9, 2019, pending the determination of the application for prohibition.

    INEC had conducted an investigation into allegations of misconduct that played out in the election.

    (NAN)

  • Ogunlewe, son get APC membership cards

    The Lagos State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) said it had issued membership cards to a former Minister of Works, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe and his son, Moyosore.

    The Assistant Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Abiodun Salami, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ikeja that both were issued cards earlier in the day.

    Ogunlewe recently announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC over what he called instability in his former party.

    His son, Moyosore who was the PDP candidate for Kosofe 1, state house assembly seat in the 2019 elections but lost to APC, had earlier defected to the ruling party.

    Salami said the issuance of cards to both defectors at the ACME Road party secretariat meant they were now registered members of the party.

    He congratulated Ogunlewe and his lawyer son for joining the ”real party”, urging them to feel at home in the party of progressives.

    ”Yes, a former of Minister of Works, Sen. Ogunlewe and his son have been issued APC membership cards.

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    ”They were issued cards today at the party secretariat in Ikeja after they registered as members.

    ”This registration and issuance of cards means they are now full members of the APC.

    ”We congratulate them for joining the only progressive party in the country and we are urging them to feel at home,” he said.

    Salami said the issuance of cards was done quietly at the office of the party chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, and an elaborate defection ceremony would soon be organised to welcome the duo.

    Moyosore, while speaking with NAN, also confirmed the issuance of the cards to them.

    He said that they were well received by all the party executives led by Balogun.

    ”Yes, my dad and I were at the secretariat today where we registered and were issued cards of the APC at the party secretariat.

    ”We were well received by all the party executives led by Alhaji Balogun, we really felt at home.

    ”This is just registration, the defection ceremony comes up very soon. APC is the party to be, we are happy to be part of the family,’’ he said.

    (NAN)

     

  • Flood wreaks havoc in Calabar

    Residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, are counting their losses following a two-day rainfall that caused flooding in many parts of the city.

    The rain, which fell steadily since Wednesday morning until Thursday, flooded homes leaving many stranded.

    Fortunately no life has been reported lost.

    Among areas worst hit was the Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH) Staff Quarters where the residents urged the government to intervene in the perennial problem.

    Other areas affected by the problem in Calabar South include Target, Ebito, Atu, Musaha, Murray, Nelson Mandela, Yellow Duke Streets and even farmlands at Anantigha.

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    In Calabar Municipality affected areas include Asari Eso, Akai Effa, Essien Town, Murtalla Mohammed Highway, State Housing Estate, Efio-Ette junction, Parliamentary Extension among others.

    Though Calabar has the advantage that the water goes down soon after the rain stops, residents still lost property worth millions of naira and have begged the government to ensure something is done to permanently check the problem.

    Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Ayim Princewill, urged those living in the flood prone areas to move to higher grounds.

    He said the government is working towards preventing such occurrences.

    He said they had contacted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to get relief materials and are working towards alleviating the plight of those affected.

    “We can’t fight nature but only apply mitigation measures to handle the situation, he said.

  • Akoka CDA organises under-13 football competition for Ipaye

    16 teams of U-13 players from across Akoka community will participate in the sixth edition of a football competition in honour of Hon Ade Ipaye.

    The competition holds from August 9-12 at the Federal College of Education (FCE) Akoka Astro turf pitch.

    Chairman Akoka CDA, Mr. Segun Adesanya, who also doubles as the chairman of the LOC, said that all hands were on deck to make the competition a successful one that would usher in another historical dimension in Lagos football history.

    He said the competition was aimed at providing the platform for talented young children to actualize their dream of making a career in football.

    Shedding more light on the competition, he said: “I can assure you that the competition will get bigger every year. Even though people might want to underrate the competition, this year promises to be bigger as the first prize winner is to take home 75,000 naira”.

    “We are equally doing this to show that as the 4th tier of government, we can organize ourselves to do something worthwhile and contribute our own quota to the development of the society”. He added further.

    While eulogizing Ipaye, he said: “He’s one man who needs to be recognized, he has contributed a lot to the community. Despite his busy schedule, he has always created time to see the plights of Akoka CDA community members”.

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    The DPO, Bariga Police Division, CSP Shamang Kalat, commended the activities of the CDA for the rigorous efforts put in place to make the competition a reality. He further implored the technical team to put in fairness and transparency in the football competition.

    He said: “Sport is source of unity, it gives us sense of identity”.

    The former Abia Warrior star, said playing football was something he was passionate about hence catching the young kids up at the age of 13 is a very laudable step promoted by the community.

    Ipaye, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President and former Attorney General of Lagos State, in a live phone call conversation from Abuja, reiterated commitment to supporting the annual competition in his name.

    He further commended the organizing committee and the CDA for their efforts in making the event a reality.

    Meanwhile, head of the technical team, Mr. Babatunde Oluwo, assured the team was working assiduously to ensure a hitch-free football competition.

  • Ekiti declares war on sale of fake drugs

    The Ekiti State Government has declared war against sales of fake drugs to ensure safety of the people.

    The Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, stressed that the state government would not relent in efforts to guarantee the safety of public health.

    Egbeyemi disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing members of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Ekiti State Chapter, during a rally to the Governor’s Office in Ado Ekiti.

    The NAPPMED members staged the rally to declare their support for the administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi which they said had made great impact in the life of the people within a short time of coming to power.

    The medicine dealers who carried various placards with inscriptions declaring support for the Fayemi administration marched round the major streets of the state capital before terminating the march at the Governor’s Office.

    Some of their placards read: “Thank you for revisiting abandoned projects”, “We pledged our unflinching support to Fayemi”, “We stand with Fayemi for Ekiti development”, “We thank you for regular payment of Salary and Pension” among others.

    The Deputy Governor who spoke through the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Tade Aluko, assured that the state government would partner with relevant agencies, unions, and associations to prosecute fake drug vendors across the State.

    Egbeyemi charged the association to identify and notify the government about individuals who posed threat to the health of the public through the sales of fake drugs.

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    While noting that the security of lives and properties are basic responsibility of government, Egbeyemi maintained what government would not compromise the safety of the general public and investment.

    In his address, the President of NAPPMED, Ekiti State Chapter, Mr. Tunde Oke, explained that the rally was to congratulate Fayemi on his election as the Chairman, Nigerian Governor’s Forum and his serial victories at Election Petition Tribunal down to the Supreme Court.

    The NAPPMED boss revealed that the rally was also designed to identify and show solidarity with the various developmental strides and programmes of the Fayemi administration, which he said has given the State a facelift and brought succour to the masses

    Oke who led members of the Association in their large numbers round

    the State Capital wants the State government to look into the activities of Chemist and Supermarket Association of Nigeria (CASOAN) whom were alleged of selling fake drugs.

    “This group with some members at Ado Ekiti alone has been a problem selling anything sellable either genuine or fake, we are appealing to you to please help direct your SSA on public health to wade into the activity of this so called group so that there can be sanctity in our health care system,” he said.

    Also present at the rally were the state All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman,  Mr. Paul Omotoso; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Mobilisation, Prince Tunji Ogunlola and other political office holders in the office of the Deputy Governor.

  • LAUTECH Senate withdraws certificate of alumnus

    Senate of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State has approved the withdrawal of certificate issued to Akeju Oluwanisola Femi, a graduate of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, for refusing to appear before several panels raised to investigate his allegations of victimisation against an unnamed lecturer in the Department of Pure and Applied Biology of the University.

    The alumnus, who graduated in the 2013/2014 academic session, with Matriculation number 083659, had in a publication of March 15, 2018 on Naijaloaded, an online medium, claimed that a certain lecturer failed him in a particular Biology course for six years.

    All efforts made by different arms of the institution to enable Akeju shed more light on the allegations before various investigation panels allegedly yielded no fruit.

    The school said he allegedly refused entreaties made to him towards ensuring that he got redress and bring the said lecturer to book.

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    According to  a statement by the university, “other spurious claims contained in his write-up included that he sat for BIO 101, 102, 104 and 106 and scored grade ‘A’ in all of the courses. Investigation into his academic record, however, indicated that Akeju registered for and passed BIO 101 (E), 102 (E), 103 (E) and did not register for BIO 104 in his first year in the university until the second semester of his extra year in 2013/2014 session and passed with ‘E’ grade.

    “Bothered by the negative effect of such allegations on the university’s profile and the fact that he has continued to fail to honour several invitations by the panels set up by the university, the authority has therefore decided that, all rights and privileges extended to Akeju as an alumnus of this university stand suspended.

    “Other sanctions approved by the university’s Senate are that issuance of academic transcript to him is suspended forthwith; the statement of results issued by the university to Akeju be immediately invalidated, and that his academic certificate be withheld until further notice.”

  • Makinde is committed to ‘pact’ with coalition, says aide

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Wednesday reiterated his commitment to the coalition between his ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Party (ADP), led by Senator Olufemi Lanlehin.

    He said Lanlehin, who said he had pulled out of the coalition, did so in bad faith.

    Makinde’ aide, Babatunde Oduyoye, said in a statement at Ibadan, the state capital, Lanlehin’s action was shocking.

    He ssid: “It is more shocking to read Senator Lanlehin’s allegation that his decision was hinged on Governor Seyi Makinde’s infidelity to the coalition agreement.

    “That allegation, to say the least, is a clear affront on the sincerity of Governor Makinde and his magnanimous disposition in handling all the discussions about the coalition.

    “Let us also state without equivocation that the claim by the Senator is untrue, unjustifiable and inconsistent with the reality of it all.

    Oduyoye, maintained that the governor could not be accused of non-compliance by any party, because he had lived up to his promise to all parties to the coalition and in some cases “even bending backwards to accommodate all interests.”

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    He said that the Governor has lived up to his promise not only to Senator Lanlehin but also to all members of the coalition, saying that the committee reached an agreement, which was signed by all the parties and tabled before the Governor.

    He said that the agreement contained a template for the sharing of positions in government as well as membership of boards and parastatals, noting that procedures have been set in motion for the actualization of the template.

    According to Oduyoye, the apex committee of the coalition parties had met over three times, with agreements reached and tabled at a meeting with the Governor, adding that the Governor even improved on the agreement to further accommodate interests in the ADC and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

    The statement further read: “There was no dissenting voice from all the representatives of the parties at the meeting with Governor Makinde. Everyone commended how he handled the matter. Senator Lanlehin only had issues with the other leaders of the ADC on Monday when they were discussing how to share the positions allotted to the ADC.

    “He should not in any way attempt to drag the name of Governor Makinde to the frustrations he is encountering in his party.

    “If Senator Lanlehin withdraws from the coalition, he must have done so as an individual, because we are aware that the ADC as a party remains an integral part of the coalition as leaders of the party have repeatedly pledged their fidelity to the coalition.

    “We believe that the coalition was not put together merely to further any personal aspiration other than the collective interests of the people of Oyo State.”

  • Court bars APC, police from interfering in Edo Assembly matters

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the Inspector General Police (IG), Adamu Mohammed, have been barred from harassing or interfering in the legislative duties of the Edo State House of Assembly.

    Justice M. Umar gave the order following an motion ex-parte by Clerk Yayaha Audu Omogbai and the House of Assembly.

    Defendants in the June 28 suit are National Working Committee of the APC, IG, Edo State Commissioner of Police and National Spokesman of the APC Lanre Issa-Onilu.

    Justice Umar ordered the defendants, their servants and agents, not to interfere, disrupt or obstruct the constitutional duties of members of the Assembly.

    He also barred the defendants from further publishing in any newspaper or other media, any inciting publications concerning the inauguration of the seventh Assembly, as well as the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker which held on June 17.

    The court document reads: “An interim order of injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants by themselves, their servants, agents, officers or privies from interfering with, obstructing or harassing, in any manner whatsoever, the plaintiffs in the performance of their constitutional duties as the Legislative Arm of the Edo State Government pending the hearing and determination of the motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.

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    “That interim order of injunction is also granted restraining the defendants by themselves, their servants, agents, officers or privies from further committing any act aimed at disparaging the integrity of the legislative arm of the Edo State government and/or destabilising the peace, order and good governance of Edo State in general, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.”

    The case was adjourned till October 9.

    Only 12 of the 24 lawmakers in the Assembly have been sworn in. The 12 others, believed to have the backing of Oshiomhole, have since June 20 fled to Abuja over alleged threats to their life.

    The lawmaker-elect representing Akoko-Edo II, Emmanuel Agbaje, has been sworn in. Agbaje was sworn-in yesterday when the Assembly convened about 4.24pm by Speaker Frank Okiye who administered the oath of office.

    Okiye explained that the House had to reconvene because of the compulsory retirement of a deputy Clerk of the House which would only become effective with confirmation from the House.

    Agbaje said he presented himself for swearing in based on the position of his constituents and leaders of the APC.