The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has challenged the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to come out clean on its stand on the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi’s decision to remove fuel subsidy if elected next year.

The APC PCC threw the challenge in a statement by the party’s presidential spokesman, Festus Keyamo in Abuja on Saturday.

Keyamo, who is also the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, noted the LP flag bearer had in the recent past publicly vowed to totally remove subsidy on petrol if elected President, a position the leadership of NLC had persistently opposed.

The APC Campaign Council wondered how the organised labour, whose leadership on Monday at a national retreat of the opposition Labour Party promised to mobilise its members across the 774 local government areas to ensure victory for Obi’s presidential ambition, can justify its long-standing opposition to the removal of the subsidy.

The APC Presidential Campaign Council demanded from the NLC leadership if it had discussions with the LP candidate on the issue of removal of fuel subsidy before the blanket support offered the opposition candidate.

The statement reads: “We note that the leadership of the organized labour under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday, September 13, 2022, at a national retreat of the Labour Party in Abuja, promised to mobilise its members across the 774 local government areas in Nigeria to ensure victory for Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, in next year’s presidential election.

We also note that in several interviews he granted in the last few months and weeks, Mr. Peter Obi has vowed to totally remove subsidy on petrol if elected President. We also note NLC’s long-standing opposition to total removal of fuel subsidy. Other left-leaning supporters of the Labour Party were also present at the event to cheer Mr. Peter Obi.

“Consequently, the following questions are urgently begging for answers by the leadership of the NLC:

*. Before adopting Mr. Peter Obi as its candidate, did the leadership of the NLC have a discussion with him on the issue of removal of fuel subsidy?

Read Also: 2023: Peter Obi meets Jonathan in Abuja

*. If they did have that discussion, did Mr. Peter Obi agree to back down on the issue of subsidy removal? Was that a basis for supporting him? If he did not back down on the issue, did organised Labour agree with him?

*. If no such discussion held, does it mean the leadership of the NLC now fully supports the removal of fuel subsidy? Or will that not be reckless of the NLC to adopt a candidate without thoroughly interrogating the candidate on his policies as they affect the Nigerian workers or the masses? The NLC must make a public statement and come clean on this.

*. If the excuse is that Mr. Peter Obi has said that the money saved will be used in other critical areas of the economy, how is that different from what the Buhari’s Government is also saying? ”

“These questions have become necessary because Nigerians deserve to know whether organised Labour’s adopted party, which is the Labour Party, supports and promotes a policy that the leadership of Labour opposes in another breath when it is adopted by the government of the day. They cannot be blowing hot and cold. ”

Keyamo who promised that the APC PCC would ensure issue-based campaign then tasked the media to interrogate the organised labour by ensuring that they come out clean on their position on fuel subsidy removal.

“We call on all members of the 4th Estate of the Realm not to sweep this point under the carpet and to thoroughly interrogate the NLC and the Labour Party on the one hand; and the seemingly right-leaning supporters of the Labour Party and Mr. Peter Obi on the other, on this issue so that they will come clean before Nigerians,” Keyamo demanded.

Barely 24 hours after the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, Shola Jejeloye, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), likened driving against traffic (One-way) to attempted murder, some officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have been caught driving against traffic (One-Way).

They were caught by a motorist on the Lagos Island.

CSP Jejeloye, during the public auction of vehicles at the Taskforce compound in Alausa, said most of the vehicles auctioned were confiscated for driving against traffic and endangering their lives and that of other Lagosians.

“Some of the individuals who have come here to bid do not know that if we had not confiscated some of these vehicles while committing those offences, they would have killed pedestrians, bidders or other road users who are unaware that there is a vehicle approaching through the wrong side of the road. From our records, 80 per cent of victims hit and run on the roads that were knocked down especially early in the morning were caused by motorists who drove against traffic,” he said.

In a viral video post shared @OmoGbajaBiamila, he wrote “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, your darling LASTMA officials who in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, recently auctioned off people’s vehicles for driving one-way against traffic.
When dem go auction this truck?”
In the video, a motorist was seen accusing the officials with LASTMA vehicle driving against traffic.
He said in pidgin language: “Dem (LASTMA officials) dey follow one-way on top of Third Mainland Bridge. I kon stop dem, dem say make I pass for here. I will not leave here. Oga, (talking to the LASTMA officials), go back ( asking them to reverse and follow the normal route).
One Otaigbe Imadegbelo tagged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his response that the LASTMA vehicle be also auctioned like others.
He wrote: “Hi @Mr_JAGs, when is the next auctioning date… I want to buy this truck for farming ..

Read Also: LASTMA arraigns 146 traffic offenders

“@jidesanwoolu, if you fail to auction this truck then you must resign…”
Simply Dickson said: “Latsma and Oworo police always take that one-way to the bus stop.”
Ololade Shin-Aba said: “Public service rule will apply in this case. The LASTMA official should be sanctioned. The armed forces are the major culprits. I hope they can be checked.”
Nexus Saphire hailed the motorist for his bravery, saying “LASTMA officials breaking the law?!
So shameful! I do commend d guy for standing up to dem n refusing them passage.
Super disappointed other road users didn’t throw in their voices to support him.
This particular group of LASTMA staff should be penalized n the vehicle auctioned off.”
Jay Kay wrote: “That is our reality. A sad one. Those who are meant to uphold law and order are the ones going against the law. They should be fined also.”
Reacting to the incident, LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs Unit, Adebayo Taofik, described the LASTMA officials’ action as wrong.
Taofik said they have been summoned to the headquarters for interrogation and disciplinary action.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has condoled with Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State over the passing of his mother Mrs Grace Akeredolu.

Lawan in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi in Abuja on Friday, joined friends and political associates of the governor to commiserate with Akeredolu’s family, government and people of Ondo over the loss.

The Senate president said the departed Matriarch left behind a great legacy in her children, and as a Lady Evangelist and community leader, lived a life of service to humanity and God.

Read Also: Ondo chamber of commerce commiserates with Akeredolu over mother’s death

“Sweet is the memory of the righteous. His Excellency should be consoled by the virtuous life that Mama lived and how she lived to see her children attain great heights in their chosen careers,” he said.

Lawan, who prayed for eternal rest for her gentle soul, also prayed for God to grant the entire family the fortitude to bear the loss.(NAN)

The drop in the number of Justices of the Supreme Court to 13 has added to the burden of the apex court, the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has said.

Justice Ariwoola spoke in Abuja on Thursday at a valedictory court session in honour of the retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Abdu Aboki.

The CJN said: “His Lordship’s (Aboki’s) exit from our fold has drastically depleted our ranks and opened a yawning gap that will hardly be filled.”

Justice Aboki exited the apex court’s Bench on August 5 this year on attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70.

With his retirement, the number of Justices of the Supreme Court slumped to 13.

The CJN, who noted that the number of Justices of the court has fallen from 17 to 13 within this year, said “a single drop in the number of justices here brings about a sudden increase in our workload.”

He hailed Justice Aboki, who he noted, has contributed greatly to the development of the nation’s legal system.

But, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) blamed the rapid depletion in the number of court Justices to its faulty process of recruitment.

Chief Onomigbo Okpoko (SAN) who spoke for BOSAN), said the “appointment process appears to have been designed and operated to exclude good and competent lawyers” from being appointed Justices of appellate courts.

Okpoko noted that the policy that encourages geographical spread in public service appointments as being the foundation of the mediocrity and incompetence that now threaten the system.

He added: “The body (BOSAN) has said it times without number and in various fora that the method of selection of candidates for appointment of Justices in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal is unsatisfactory in the extreme.

“The appointment process appears to have been designed and operated to exclude good and competent lawyers in the legal profession from being appointed Justices of our appellate courts.

“There are two aspects of this restrictive policy by the appointing authorities.

“The first is that the appointing authority appears to have established a policy that the vacancies created by exit of Justices of Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal are to be filled by picking a candidate from the state of the vacating justice only notwithstanding the availability of known better candidates readily at hand from other states or Local Government Areas in case of judges at trial courts.

“By the practice, our nation, our citizens, foreign and local businessmen/women, who use and or are expected to resort to the courts of law for resolution of their problems in Nigeria are denied the opportunity of having their cases considered and decided by appellate courts manned by best legal minds, the nation can produced at any time.

Read Also : UPDATED: Buhari seeks Justice Ariwoola’s confirmation as CJN

“This is a very sad reflection on our nation and the nation’s judiciary. The policy of geographical spread in public service and in public service appointments is acknowledged today, to be the foundation for the mediocrity and incompetence in some areas of the public service of our nation,” he said.

Okpoko recalled how the Supreme Court was once manned by five Nigerian jurists, who were from the Yoruba and Igbo tribes, but whose performance still remains a reference point in the history of the nation’s Judiciary.

He added: “So we asked, what justification is there to exclude good, competent and available candidates from the Bar and operate the policy of replacement to be the basis for the selection and appointment of candidates to man appellate courts.

“The National Judicial Council, as the appointing authority, should address this issue and appoint best candidates of our country to man our courts. After all, justice is blind and so does not look at or see the faces of litigants.

“Justice knows no tribe and has no colour or religion. It has no specified location because it is everywhere. Let no one put on the Nigerian judiciary the iron clad case restricting the appointment of our justices in the manner complained of,” Okpoko said.

Justice Aboki urged the National Assembly to consider amending the Constitution and other extant laws in such a way that only appeals relating to the presidential election should come to the Supreme Court, while others should end at the Court of Appeal.

He noted that this measure would reduce the number of appeals coming to the Supreme Court, particularly in relation to election-related cases.

He called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee to review the requirements for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria to the extent that it will reduce unnecessary pressure on the court.

Twenty hundred and eight six foreign nationals, including four Americans, 14 Britons and 86 Lebanese, swore the Oath of Allegiance to adopt Nigerian citizenship on Thursday, at a ceremony presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, informed State House Correspondents of the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) decision on February 9, 2022, when it approved the list of 286 foreigners, who were then seeking Nigeria’s citizenship.

”You have pledged your allegiance to Nigeria. When you give your love and loyalty to Nigeria, she returns her love and loyalty to you,” the President told the awardees during an event at the State House.

The President explained that out of the 286 foreign nationals presented with certificates of Nigerian Citizenship, 208 received certificates for Naturalisation while 78 got certificates by Registration.

He urged them to make positive and useful contributions to the advancement, progress and well-being of the different communities they reside, adding that as citizens they must be in accord with the national ethics and code of conduct.

”You are expected to abide by the Ideals and Institution of the Nigerian National Flag, Anthem, Pledge and respect for all Constituted Authorities.

”All those concerned with Immigration matters are to offer our new citizens quick legal identification. Also, their Local Governments should assist with their integration in the local community to enable them enjoy all the entitlements of a Nigerian citizen,” he said.

In exercising the constitutional powers conferred on him, by Chapter III Sections 25-31 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the President told the new citizens that Nigeria is a nation united by the principles of opportunity, equality, and liberty as enshrined in the Constitution.

Read also: On foreigners quest for Nigerian citizenship

”No matter where you come from, or what faith you practice, this country is now your country. Our history is now your history, and our traditions are now your traditions. Nigeria is your home and pride and joy.

”In line with our transformational ideals of strict adherence to due process and transparent procedures, the Ministry of Interior ensured that only deserving persons were recommended to the Federal Executive Council to be conferred with Nigerian citizenship”, he said.

Buhari recounted that the Federal Government in 2020 adopted the National Action Plan to eradicate statelessness and accordingly, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, inaugurated the High-level Steering Committee to Eradicate Statelessness in Nigeria by 2024.

The conferment ceremony was the first to take place since 2018.

Of the 286 new Nigerian citizens, 208 were conferred citizenship status by naturalization, while the remaining 78 by registration after they officially recited the oath of allegiance and the Nigerian national pledge during the ceremony held at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.