By Precious Igbonwelundu and Ebele Boniface

The Lagos State Police Command has banned Christmas carnivals and street parties and night clubs, as part of efforts to contain the second wave of COVID-19.

It also announced the return of the 12a.m. to 4a.m. curfew regime across the state effective yesterday, warning that anyone who flouts any of the orders would be dealt with.

Commissioner of Police (CP) Hakeem Odumosu gave the warnings while parading about 500 suspects arrested for not wearing face masks.

Odumosu said residents must put on their face masks in public places.

According to the police boss, anyone found whether in the church or mosque, market place, inside vehicle or dancing without a face mask would be apprehended and prosecuted.

He also warned those who usually held handkerchiefs to use as facemasks that it would not be allowed, urging people to ensure they put on their masks to avoid being arrested.

“All these people were arrested because they were not wearing nose masks. Policemen and officers are not wicked. They are merely carrying out orders that are beneficial to the health of the citizens.

“Please, COVID-19 is real and I want you to know now that gathering in clubs or anywhere that social distance will not be maintained is banned.

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“Again, 50 per cent capacity must be maintained in churches and mosques because of the importance of human health. Consider your health before going to church or mosque. It will not be wise for you to go to a church where COVID-19 prevention rules are not obeyed.

“Then, after singing and clapping hands, you fall victim to COVID-19. Avoid things that can affect your health. Consider your health before going to church or mosque.

“What I am emphasizing is on the rising trend of Cuvid19 cases. Some people don’t believe that COVID-19 is real.

“It is the directives from state and federal governments that they cannot afford another lockdown, hence everything humanly possible should be done now to stop further spread of COVID-19.”

Agency Reporter

Worried about the mutated strain of COVID-19 manifesting itself in the United Kingdom, the Federal Government says it may impose a travel ban to and from certain parts of the world.

Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed spoke on Monday in Abuja at a Special Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Mohammed, a member of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, said while the government appreciates the negative economic impact of another lockdown, it would not rule out restriction on movement to and from certain parts of the world.

“We are more concerned about the new strain of COVID-19, which is manifesting itself in the UK; that is the mutated strain.

“It is difficult to detect, it spreads faster and people have been known to die of it within a very short period of its detection.

“This is a major concern to us as a country.

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“While I do not want to pre-empt the PTF because we are meeting this afternoon, it is going to be top on the agenda of our discussions.

“I will not be surprised if that will be the recommendation of the committee, which is meeting later today,’’ he said.

The minister added: “This season, many students are coming from the UK in particular, to come and join their families in Nigeria.

“Besides, many of our people, because of the traditional link we have with UK, may want to go there for business or family re-union.

“It is a very testy time and it might be another dangerous period to transmit this new variant of COVID-19.”

The minister noted that many European countries had banned flights to and from the UK.

According to Mohammed, the Federal Government would not hesitate in giving the directive if it is the only way Nigerians can be protected from the agony of the new variant of COVID-19.

By Tony Akowe, Abuja

The House of Representatives on Monday said it will investigate the award of N19.2 billion railway rehabilitation contract to a non-existent company by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in March 2011.

The lawmaker resolved to examine the circumstances surrounding the issuance of a certificate of no objection to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) by the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPE) which the Federal Executive Council (FEC) relied on to award the contract to the company.

But it was learnt that the company, Eser Contracting and Industry Company Incorporated, did not meet the requirements for the contract.

House Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu called the attention of his colleagues to the contract.

He alleged that Eser Contracting and Industry Company Incorporated was awarded the contract to rehabilitate the 463-kilometre Port Harcourt-Makurdi section of the Eastern railway line for N19.2 billion in March 2011, with the work divided into three sections.

According to him, the sections are: the 463-kilometre Port Harcourt-Makurdi track; 1,016-kilometre Makurdi-Kuru track and 640-kilometre Kuru-Maiduguri track.  The three sections were awarded to three different companies.

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Elumelu also alleged that while carrying out due diligence on Eser Contracting and Industry Company Incorporated, it was discovered that the company was no-existent.

The lawmaker said it was not duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), as required by the procurement Act; neither did it have the required tax clearance nor audited statement of account for the preceding three years.

He added that the company had no legal capacity to do business in Nigeria.

Elumelu said in the invitation to bid advert for the contract, which was placed in the November-December 2010 edition of the Federal Tenders Journal, the certificate of incorporation was a major requirement listed among the criteria to bid for the job.

By Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has announced the names of the 69 judges and heads of courts it recommended for appointment at its 93rd meeting on December 16.

In a statement by its spokesman Soji Oye, the NJC also named the courts where they are to serve.

Oye said: “All recommended candidates are expected to be sworn in after approval of the NJC’s recommendations by the President, the governors and the Houses of Assembly, as the case may be.”

They new appointees are: Justice Henry Adebola Olusiyi (Chief Judge, Kogi State), Justice Aisha Lami Bawa Bwari (Chief Judge, Niger State), Kadi Shu’aibu Sodangi Achida (Grand Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Sokoto State), Justice John Bayo Olowosegun (President, Customary Court of Appeal, Kogi State), Justice Wasiu Oladejo Akanbi (President, Customary Court of Appeal, Osun State) and Justice Patrick Sati Dapit (President, Customary Court of Appeal, Plateau State).

Others are: Justice S. M. C. Ururuka-Onyensoh (President, Customary Court of Appeal, Abia State), Saadu Muhammad Sambowal, Farouk Umar Sarki and Mohammed Mukhtar Abubakar (judges of the High Court of Bauchi State); Bamidele Rotimi Aina and Aisha Uwani Mohammed (judges of the High Court of Kogi State); Timipere Songi (judges of the High Court of Bayelsa State); Ben Whyte-Opufaa and Gbasam Okogbule (judges of the High Court of Rivers State); Alma Ngozi Eluwa and Dominica Okwuchi Okoroji (judges of the High Court of Imo State); Olatunde Opeyemi Beatrice Sobowale (judge, High Court of Ogun State); Hadiza Lawan Musa and Amina Shehu (judges of the High Court of Yobe State.

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A senior prosecutor with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mohammed Sadisu Abubakar, is also on the list, as well as Bashiru Dan Maisule, Salisu Garba, Lawal Sule Abdullahi and Abdullahi Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory (Kadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT).

Others on the list are: Adeniyi Olatunji Familoni (a judge of the High Court of Ekiti State); Nwode Nicholas Emmanuel and Ogbunnefi Emmanuel (judges of the High Court of Ebonyi State); Muhammad Musa Kaugama (Jigawa State High Court); Aroh-Onuoha Martha Nkiru, Ugwueze Paul Chukwuemeka, Ezugwu Hyacinthia Urunwa, Mogboh Uchenna Juliet and Anike Okey Paulinus (judges of Enugu State High Court); Oshodi Rahman Adeshola and Aigbokhaevbo Olubukola Florence (Lagos High Court); Ishaku Usman and Hafsat Turaki Sanda (judges of the High Court of Nasarawa State); Nankwat Dawat Shasheet and Buetna’an Mandy Dogban Bassi (judges of the High Court of Plateau State); Aziegbemhin Williams Idemudia, Igho Patricia Braimoh, Esohe Irene Bazuaye, Etinosa Gloria Adekanmbi, Hassana Garuba Oshione, Theresa Irenonsen Eghe-Abe, Ogbevoen Rachel Aiteseme and Itsueli Mary Enoredia (judges of Edo State High Court).

By Eric Ikhilae, Abuja; Chris Oji, Enugu; Chris Njoku and Damien Duruiheoma, Owerri

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday rejected a request for an interim injunction to restrain the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, led by Chief John Nnia Nwodo, from holding its forthcoming election.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on an ex-parte motion, held that he could not grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff without hearing from the defendants.

He ordered the plaintiff – the incorporated Trustees of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly – represented by its lawyer, Amobi Nzelu, to put the defendants on notice and adjourned until January 15 for mention.

The judge said the plaintiff could apply to the Chief Judge for a hearing during vacation after serving the defendants.

The defendants are Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nwodo, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

Nzelu prayed the court for an order of interim injunction restraining the first and second defendants and their agents “from conducting any election into the various offices of the first defendant fixed for December 2020/January 2021 pending the determination of the motion on notice filed in respect of this matter.”

He prayed the court for an order of interim injunction against them from doing anything in furtherance of the election.

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The plaintiff also sought to compel the AGF and IGP to prevent the conduct of any election into the various offices of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

The plaintiff is contending the Ohanaeze is an illegal association, having not been registered by the CAC under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

It claimed to have been the only association properly registered with the name Ohanaize Ndigbo.

The plaintiff, in a supporting affidavit, said: “Despite being an illegal association, the first defendant is still operating and collecting monies from different individuals and politically-exposed persons to conduct the said election.

“Being an illegal association/body, the first defendant should not be allowed to operate let alone conduct elections or doing business in Nigeria.

“Unless restrained, the first and second defendants (Ohanaeze and Chief Nwodo) will go ahead with the said election.”

Also yesterday, the suspended Secretary-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Uche Okwukwu, said the “current crisis” rocking the association could jeopardise the quest for an Igbo president in 2023.

 

 

By Sanni Onogu, Abuja

The Senate on Monday finally passed  N453,200,000,000.00 as the budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the 2020 fiscal year.

This followed the presentation of the report of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta  by Senator Amos Bulus at plenary.

The committee, in its recommendation, noted that the revenue profile of the NDDC for 2020 comprised N12billion  brought forward; N63,506,151,945 from the  Federal Government; N63,506,151,945 N317,493,848,055 from  oil companies,  the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) and others contributors; N60 billion Ecological fund   as well as N200 million internal revenue.

Bulus, who is the committee’s vice-chairman,  added that after due consideration, the members recommended that the expenditure profile of the NDDC for 2020 should  constitute  personnel cost of N27.389 billion;  overhead expenditure of N13,937,244,107;  internal capital expenditure of N2,793,755,893  and development projects,   N409.080 billion..

He added that the committee members  recommended that the 2020 budget of the NDDC would elapse March 31, 2021.

All the recommendations of the committee were approved by the Senate after due consideration.

But, the senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson,  protested the appointment of a sole administrator for the NDDC by the Federal Government.

Dickson, who seconded a motion for the passage of the budget,  called on the Senate to put a caveat on the estimates.

He argued that it would amount to illegality for a sole administrator to be in charge of the budget spending.

Dickson said: “Whereas it is true that an audit can go pari-pasu with a board, as a matter of fact, if you want to carry out a proper audit, you must set up the board according to the Act for them to do what they need to do.

“That is what is happening in every other corporation or institution. But in the case of NDDC, things are left the way they are.

“As it is now, all the governance structure and mechanisms put in place by the Act are non-existent. They don’t have a governing board made up of the governors and officials at the Federal level, you don’t have the board sitting on it and now they brought in the IMC (Interim Management Committee) and the IMC has gone.

“But in its place what do we have? You have another illegality replacing the earlier illegality for which the Senate and the National Assembly courageously and patriotically took the position that you have taken.

“There is no indication whether this budget that we are now being told to pass is the one that will be implemented by this Sole Administrator unknown to the laws of this country, unknown to the NDDC and unknown to the Senate.

“Whereas we need now at this stage, in the interest of the people of the Niger Delta, to consider and pass this budget, we need to add a caveat that this budget when passed should not be implemented beyond the recurrent normal running expenses until the NDDC Act is complied with.

“So that you don’t have a situation where we pass this budget and then one Sole Administrator unknown to the law and the Senate, someone whose capacity you cannot assess will be there to implement it.”.

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Senate President Ahmad Lawan said stopping the implementation of the capital component of the budget would negatively impact the people of the area.

Lawan called on the Senate Committee on Niger Delta to sit up and ensure that the funds were properly utilised.

“The committee had done a good job in the past and it should continue with that,” he said.

He disclosed that the National Assembly has been  engaging with the Executive for the nomination to be made for the Governing Board of the commission.

Lawan said: “We will continue to put in a lot of effort to ensure that within the shortest time we get the nomination so that the NDDC Act will be properly and fully complied with.

“The nominations will go a long way in waking up everyone who thinks that sole administrator should be there for a long time.

“Between now and when the sole administrator we will go, the funds appropriated will be utilised.

“The budget 2021 for NDDC should be presented to us as quickly as possible because we want to streamline the implementation of all the  budgets whether it is for the MDAs or agencies like the NDDC, with the main budget of the country.

“Starting from January 2021, budget implementation for that should start.”