Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has urged the Federal Government and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to upscale the wages of judges and other judicial officers. Tambuwal made the appeal on Friday in Sokoto when he swore in five judges of the state high courts and two khadis for the state Sharia courts. Those sworn in as high court judges are: Bashar Ibrahim, Fatima Ahmad Suka, Abubakar Adamu, Kabiru Muhammad and Amina Modi Yabo; while Idris Adamu and Mustafa Abdullahi Ahmad were sworn-in as khadis. Last year an equal number of judges and khadis were inaugurated, bringing the total number of judges and khadis in the state to 17 and 8 respectively. According to him, the wages of the judicial officers are far below what it is expected to be, and it can’t be remedied by states because it is within the exclusive purview of the Federal Government and the NJC. He urged the FG, and the NJC “to, as a matter of urgency, commence the review of the wages of our judicial officers. “It is long overdue. It is unfortunate if you hear what a judge takes home as his pay. Our judicial officers’ take home can’t take them home. It is for government to look inwards, with a view to reviewing it upwards, especially these days that we have terrible inflation in the country,” he said.
Read Also : Tambuwal creates six new ministries He, however, pledged that the state government will continue to make life easy for the judiciary staff by providing “whatever we are supposed to provide, despite that we’re facing very excruciating economic challenges.” Describing the judiciary in Sokoto State as “growing in size and capabilities that are being complemented by the infrastructure and right atmosphere provided for it to work,” the governor urged the new judges to be just and fair in accordance with their oath of office. “Make sure that you didn’t bring in any of your personal interests on matters brought before you,” he said, expressing the administration’s belief in their competencies and capacities, saying he was “absolutely confident that you can do the jobs.”
Over 500 groups in Osogbo, Osun State have set a target of 1million votes for All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kashmir Shettima in the forthcoming general elections They expressed optimism that this would ensure the APC’s victory in the state. The groups, represented by their leaders, met at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office. Osun Presidential Campaign Committee’s head of groups monitoring, Dr Ayodele Owoade, spoke with reporters after the meeting.
Read Also : What’s Bola Tinubu’s tangible worth? He emphasised that the committee was collaborating with the groups to deliver the votes for Tinubu. Owoade said: “Our major focus is to deliver Osun votes for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on February 25. “One of the ways to achieve that is to work with the various support groups in the state. For now, we have over 500 of them and more have been asked to register online. “We met them today to ensure that we are all working towards the same goal, Tinubu’s victory. “We have all discussed and have agreed to complement each other, especially in the area of canvassing and ensuring voters troop out en masse to vote for the APC candidate on election day.”
The Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has debunked the rumour of a frosty relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the insinuation was baseless and untrue.
Tinubu told a large crowd of party supporters in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital on Saturday, that his support for President Buhari “is unalloyed and enduring”.
The APC flag bearer who was in the state in continuation of his nationwide presidential campaign promised to tackle problems bedevilling the state and enhance agricultural productivity.
In his prepared speech which he could not read because of a massive crowd, Tinubu said, “I have supported President Buhari even before his first day in office. I will continue to be his supporter and friend after his last day in office”.
Commending the President for offering selfless and courageous service to the nation, Tinubu noted that, “He (Buhari) tackled the problems other leaders ran from. He has earned a place in history that cannot be denied.
“I have said this before and will say it again now: when the true history of this moment is written, President Buhari shall be treated very kindly because of his contributions to the nation,” he said.
Taunting the opposition, the APC candidate said they were misguided politicians who don’t want the greatness of the country to happen or to last.
“Their vision for Nigeria is the vision of one who cannot see. They seek to enrich themselves by making you poor. They want to eat everything so that you might go hungry. They want to own everything but leave you with nothing.
“We stand here today to affirm that our vision for a greater Nigeria will triumph over their blind vision for a broken Nigeria. Remember, where there is blind vision, there is also blind ambition.
“We will not allow their selfish games to overtake you. President Buhari has done his part to free Nigeria from its mean grip. Now we must do our part by freeing you from the selfish plans they have for you and our beloved land.
“Do not let those others fool you into returning to the past where you had no hope and had no say regarding the life you shall live and the future you shall enter. The APC remains the best and only hope for a more prosperous and peaceful nation.”
He thanked the people of the state and key party leaders for the warm welcome and their continued support for the APC.
Assuring the people of his readiness to address the challenges faced by the people of Zamfara State, he unveiled his plans to ameliorate them, pledging that he would consolidate on the gains recorded by both President Buhari and Governor Bello Matawalle in tackling the banditry problem.
“If Allah blesses us to win this election, we will not relent until we beat this problem.
“My running mate has battled Boko Haram. As governor of Lagos, I too have fought kidnappers and violent criminals. We will use our experience and our vision to defeat the wrongdoers.
“My security plan will empower all branches of security forces. There will be more personnel and we shall improve their ability to identify, pursue and stop the evil-doers. We will use modern air and ground technology to trace and capture these criminals.”
The APC candidate also promised to turn around the agricultural fortunes of the state and develop other natural resources found in the state.
“Zamfara State has great deposits of natural resources. My economic plan is to closely cooperate with the state government to attract the right type of investment in mining. This investment will not exploit the people of Zamfara. Instead, it will open the door to safer mining, better jobs and increased economic growth for the state.”
APC National Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle, who spoke at the rally, charged residents of the state to massively support Tinubu given his good plans for the state and Nigeria.
Before attending the rally, Tinubu had visited the Emir of Gusau, Ibrahim Bello, who conferred the title of Wakilin Raya Karkara (Ambassador for Rural Transformation) on him.
Tinubu was accompanied by Governor Atiku Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Senator Aliyu Wamakko from Sokoto State, former Zamfara State governors; Senator Sani Yerima, Alhaji Mahmuda Shinkafi and Senator Abdulaziz Yari, among other APC chieftains.
The rally was also attended by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd), APC National Women Leader, Dr. Betta Edu, and Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masar, among others.
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The family of the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has urged members of the public, to disregard a voice note circulating on social media, asking people to burn government properties. It said the makers of the voice note did not represent MNK. The family was reacting to an IPOB allegation on Friday of Kanu being poisoned in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). IPOB had claimed that there was an alleged plan to systematically eliminate Kanu through poisoning and starvation.
Read Also : IPOB alleges plot to kill Kanu through poisoning, starvation On Saturday the voice note urged people to burn down government properties in retaliation. But Kanu’s younger brother, Kanunta, warned against burning government buildings in the Southeast under the guise that the pro-separatist agitator had been poisoned. He warned those planning to do so that they were on their own. “This is to inform the general public that any group or persons planning to go and burn government properties in Biafraland under the guise that MNK is ‘poisoned’ are doing so at their own detriment and it does NOT represent Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or the IPOB vision,” Kanunta tweeted.
Gunmen have vandalised the constituency office of the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, located at Osuakoli, Bende Federal Constituency of Abia.
Kalu said the attack occurred at about 10pm on Friday, destroying everything in sight including the APC flags and billboard and leaving the place in ruins.
The House spokesman told newsmen in Abuja on Saturday that the attack was an act of cowardice by those who are afraid of his achievement in the constituency.
He added that while they may have succeeded in destroying the office, all the developmental projects he attracted to the area would remain.
Kalu said: “My office in Bende located at Osuakoli constituency was on February 27 at exactly 10pm attacked and over 100 bullets were found, destroying the windows, the doors
“Other items affected included the ceiling and the APC flag which were pulled down and torn into shreds; my billboards were also destroyed.”
The lawmaker said there was no presence of security agents until the gunmen left, adding that the matter had been reported by his aides at Osuakoli Police Station.
He decried the attack and the people behind it, saying to advance the country’s democracy violence must end.
He said: “The past three and half years, I have dedicated my servant leadership position to better the lot of my people with infrastructure attracted through the office of the President. My political party, as a ruling party, has shown its presence in my federal constituency in education, health, and infrastructure among others.
“This was possible because my representation put the people at the centre stage which has offended many people who have wanted the status quo ante to remain.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Saturday released the list of the 436 polling units across the country where it will hold a mock accreditation exercise scheduled for February 4.
The exercise is aimed at testing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The 436 polling units cut across 12 polling units in six Local Government Areas (two local government areas in each of the 109 Senatorial districts) and two Local Area Councils in the FCT.
The list of polling units for the exercise has been published on the commission’s official website.
Meanwhile, the collection of Permanent Voters Card which reverted back to the Commission’s offices at the local government level is expected to end nationwide on Sunday, January 29.
But there are strong indications that the commission may extend the exercise again to allow those who are yet to collect their cards to do so.
The Commission’s Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu gave the indication on Friday while speaking at a meeting with state Resident Electoral Commissioners from the 36 states and the FCT.
He said the Commission may consider other options to ensure that more Nigerians collect their PVC ahead of the February 25th Presidential and National Assembly election.
When asked what these options are, National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, Barrister Festus Okoye told The Nation that the Commission would meet to take a decision on the next step.
In response to a WhatsApp message, Okoye said “the Commission is meeting at 10am (Saturday) to review the issues. A statement will be issued thereafter”.
At the time of this report, the statement was still being awaited from the commission.
The scarcity of new naira notes will soon end, President Muhammadu Buhari assured Nigerians on Saturday.
He said the Central Bank and commercial banks were working to resolve the challenges.
“A number of initiatives by the Central Bank and all commercial banks are underway to speed up distribution of the new notes and do all that is necessary to forestall cash squeeze and chaos,” the President said in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu.
President Buhari assured that the government would ensure that citizens are unharmed in their businesses and no disruption is caused to the entire supply chain arising from the currency swap due to end shortly.
The President was reacting to reports of long queues of people waiting for hours for their turn to deposit old notes and get new ones.
The situation had triggered public anger and opposition’s criticism.
President Buhari reiterated that the currency changes were aimed at people hoarding illicit funds and not the common man.
He said it had become necessary to prevent counterfeits, corruption, and terrorist funding.
This, he assured, will stabilise and strengthen the economy.
While taking note that the poorest section of society is facing hardship as they often keep hard cash at home for various expenses, President Buhari gave strong assurances that the government will not leave them to their own fate.
The West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) has warned that next month’s general elections may be negatively impacted by the persistent fuel scarcity in the country. WADEMOS, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), said fuel scarcity might affect the deployment of materials and logistics ahead of the election. WADEMOS said this is a cause for concern due to the postponement of previous elections in the country, partly due to logistical concerns. It stated this at a press briefing that concluded its pre-election solidarity mission to Nigeria ahead of the polls. Its Director, Advocacy and Policy Engagement, Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante said: “Observations have been made about multiple security concerns that could significantly threaten the smooth conduct of the elections. “These include the strong undertone of religious and ethnic tensions taking centre-stage in the political discourse and debate among political parties and candidates alike. “Also, the fact of sustained insecurity across the country as a result of increased incidences of kidnapping, banditry, insurgency, and separatist groups creates a high level of uncertainty among the population. “There should be a commitment on the part of security agencies towards ensuring that known hotspots of violence and conflicts are prioritised for adequate security coverage and interventions ahead of the election and on election day.
Read Also : Ogun rally: Tinubu, fuel subsidy and currency redesign “Another issue of concern is around the deployment of materials and logistics ahead of the election. This fear is exacerbated by the current long-running incidence of fuel scarcity in the country. We strongly note the postponement of previous elections in Nigeria, partly due to logistical concerns.” WADEMOS urged the government to improve the availability of fuel to mitigate the effect that the current shortages could have on the election. It added: “This has the tendency of increasing voter apathy and turnout, particularly for voters who will travel long distances to their polling stations. “Again, it has implications for the movement of security personnel and patrol teams that will be deployed to provide security for the election.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and commercial banks are deploying several initiatives to speed up the distribution and circulation of the new naira notes and avoid cash squeeze and chaos.
Buhari spoke on Saturday as Nigerians are making a last minute rush to dispense of the old editions of the N1,000, N500 and N200 notes in their possession, ahead of the January 31 deadline.
The President was reacting to the discomfort being faced by the public in the process of changing their old notes for the new notes.
He said the decision to replace the three denominations of the old notes was targeted at those he said had illicitly stored up funds, as well as to curb terrorism financing.
Nigerians have, in the last few weeks since the plan to change the notes was announced, been hit by a crippling cash scarcity, which has not spared banking halls, ATMs and POS dispensing points, leading to widespread anger and despair.
However, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, President Buhari assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would ensure that the currency transition process does not harm their businesses and daily living, saying the current situation would end shortly.
“President Muhammadu Buhari, Saturday assured that the government will ensure that citizens are unharmed in their businesses and no disruption is caused to the entire supply chain arising from the currency swap due to end shortly.
“Reacting to reports of long queues of people waiting for hours for their turn to deposit old notes and get new ones, triggering public anger and opposition’s criticism, President Buhari reiterated that the currency changes were aimed at people hoarding illicit funds and not the common man and that it had become necessary to prevent counterfeits, corruption, and terrorist funding.
“This, he assured, will stabilize and strengthen the economy.
“While taking note that the poorest section of society is facing hardship as they often keep hard cash at home for various expenses, President Buhari gave strong assurances that the government will not leave them to their fate.
“He reiterated that a number of initiatives by the Central Bank and all commercial banks are underway to speed up distribution of the new notes and do all that is necessary to forestall cash squeeze and chaos”, the statement said.
The Nation reports that despite several calls for the extension of the January 31 deadline, the CBN has insisted that it will not shift ground.
The former Vice President posted a video on Saturday, titled, “My position on the CBN January 31st deadline on the new Naira notes” on his verified social media handles to express his view on the challenges faced by Nigerians in meeting up with the deadline announced by the country’s apex bank.
He said: “The ongoing policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria to redesign the naira notes has generated wild reactions across the country and beyond.
“This exercise is a worldwide practice and not anything new, especially as the January 31 deadline draws closer, a large number of Nigerians out of good conscience have expressed apprehension about how the policy and the deadline will make life more difficult for Nigerians.
‘’Many Nigerians, especially farmers, artisans and those in the rural areas do not have bank accounts, so the time frame for the change of old notes to the new one is not achievable.”
He appealed for the extension of the deadline to address the situation of hardship facing the people.
“On this note, I am compelled to align with the upsurge of demands for a slight extension of the monetary conversion policy.
“The January 31 deadline is certainly going to cause a heavy discomfort on our people and it will be magnanimous on the part of the government and the regulatory agency to ease the burden on the people for the public interest,” he said.
