The Nation Newspaper

Category: Featured

  • Pressure on Buhari to reject reworked Electoral Bill

    Pressure on Buhari to reject reworked Electoral Bill

    President Muhammadu Buhari is under pressure to reject the reworked Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022, it was learnt yesterday.

    Sources said those pushing against presidential assent to the bill anchor their argument on “certain anti-democratic and discriminatory clauses”.

    But, if signed and it becomes law, political parties will be expected to submit the names of their presidential candidates by August 18 — six months before the date of the presidential election.

    According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable, the presidential election will hold on February 18, 2023.

    Going by the provision of the reworked bill sighted by The Nation, on the date of submission of names of candidates, primaries for National Assembly, governorship and presidential candidates will hold between July and mid-August.

    A source said: “The President may still reject the bill because of ‘vendetta and anti-democratic clauses’ in the reworked Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022.

    “We may end up using the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) for the 2023 general election because of strange clauses.

    “For instance, it is illegal to exclude political office holders from primaries. By implication, ministers, commissioners and others cannot participate in the electoral process.

    “Also, the nation does not have the wherewithal for the use of the electronic voting machine. Most politicians in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are uncomfortable with it.”

    He added: “The consensus clause is cumbersome and an attempt to hit back at state governors who used to impose candidates. So, we should expect a likely rejection of the bill by the President.”

    Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) said he received the reworked bill sent to him by the President for his advice, on Monday. He said he would propose to the President to sign the bill if the content is in the national interest.

    According to other provisions in the bill, the electoral commission may use an electronic voting machine or any other voting device for the election.

    Ministers, commissioners and other political appointees are barred from serving as poll agents during the election.

    Besides, no political appointee at any level, be it a minister, commissioner or board chairman, can vote or be voted for during primaries.

    They are mandated to resign before the primaries of their parties.

    The election expenses for elective offices are pegged as follows: presidential, N5billion; governorship, N1billion; Senate and House of Representatives, N100million and N70million; House of Assembly, N30million; chairmanship election into an area council, N30million; and councillorship, N5million.

    No individual or other entity shall donate to a candidate more than N50million.

    Read Also: CNPP to Buhari: Sign re-amended Electoral Bill

    Section 29 (1-3) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022 is explicit on the deadline for the submission of the list of candidates.

    The section says: “Every political party shall, not later than 180 days before the date appointed for a general election under this Act, submit to the Commission, in the prescribed forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who must have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party.

    “The list or information submitted by each candidate shall be accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the candidate at the Federal High Court, High Court of a state, or Federal Capital Territory, indicating that he or she has fulfilled all the constitutional requirements for election into that office.

    “The Commission shall, within seven days of the receipt of the personal particulars of the candidate, publish same in the constituency where the candidate intends to contest the election.”

    Regarding mode of primaries, Section 84 (1) recommends: “A political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this Act shall hold primaries for aspirants to all elective positions, which shall be monitored by the Commission.

    “(2) The procedure for the nomination of candidates by political parties for the various elective positions shall be by direct, indirect primaries or consensus.”

    The conditions for consensus are as follows:

    • A political party that adopts a consensus candidate shall secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the position, indicating their voluntary withdrawal from the race and their endorsement of the consensus candidate.
    • Where a political party is unable to secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the purpose of a consensus candidate, it shall revert to the choice of direct or indirect primaries for the nomination of candidates for the aforesaid elective positions.
    • A special convention or nomination congress shall be held to ratify the choice of consensus candidates at designated centres at the national, state, senatorial, federal and state constituencies, as the case may be.

    Section 84(10-13) limits courts from either stopping party primaries or elections from holding.

    The section prevents political office holders at any level from participating or contesting for nomination into any elective office during primaries at the national convention or state congress.

    It claims: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”

  • NNPC subsidiary links scarcity to withdrawal of toxic petrol

    NNPC subsidiary links scarcity to withdrawal of toxic petrol

    A subsidiary of Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has attributed the scarcity of petrol in parts of the country to the discovery of contaminated product.

    The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in a statement, said methanol above Nigeria’s specification was discovered in a limited quantity of petrol in the supply chain.

    The agency said the supplier had been identified.

    NMDPRA explained that methanol is a regular additive in petrol and is usually blended in an acceptable quantity.

    It said: “To ensure vehicular and equipment safety, the limited quantity of the impacted product has been isolated and withdrawn from the market, including the loaded trucks in transit.

    “Our technical team in conjunction with NNPC Ltd and other industry stakeholders will continue to monitor and ensure quality petroleum products are adequately supplied and distributed nationwide.

    “The source supplier has been identified and further commercial and appropriate actions shall be taken by the Authority and NNPC Ltd.

    “NNPC Ltd and all oil marketing companies have been directed to sustain sufficient distribution of petrol in all retail outlets nationwide.

    “Meanwhile, NNPC has intensified efforts at increasing the supply of petrol into the market in order to bridge any unforeseen supply gap.”

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited said on Monday that there was no need for panic buying.

    Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Garba Deen Muhammad, said NNPC had sufficient PMS stock to meet the needs of Nigerians but did not mention the contamination.

    “The public is, therefore, advised not to engage in panic buying of petrol; and to ignore all rumours that may suggest otherwise,” he said.

    It was learnt an NNPC mother vessel laden with about 50, 000 metric tons of fuel (over 100 million litres) brought in the contaminated fuel.

    According to the sources, Total was the first to discover the “off spec” supply.

    Other marketers said to have received the contaminated consignment, though not supplied across all their stations, include Enyo, Northwest, Pinnacle and NIPCO.

    A source said: “Total discovered the contaminated fuel because the company usually tests any product it received before releasing same into the market.

    “So, when it got to Total and was tested, it was discovered to have been contaminated or ‘off spec’, hence it notified their neighbour Ardova that also received the consignment and that was how the bubble burst.”

    The source said NNPC advised marketers that loaded from that particular cargo not to sell.

    “Over 100 million litres of this batch of petrol is in circulation so it may take a awhile to recall it. If a station is not selling fuel presently, it is definitely affected.

    “A lot of people have already complained that their vehicles have been damaged by the fuel already,” the source said.

    The Nation learnt that the NNPC has promised to replace or refund marketers for the contaminated product.

    For some marketers who take fuel on credit and pay after 45 days, NNPC will retrieve the bad supply and replace it.

    For those that pay upfront, NNPC will refund them and take back their bad fuel.

    For marketers used as throughputs, they will simply take back their fuel.

    Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Garba Deen Muhammad, could not be reached for comments on the developments.

    Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Clement Isong, confirmed the “contamination” of some of the products in the supply chain.

    He told The Nation: “The current situation we are experiencing can be blamed largely on operational reasons. It is operational. There was some contamination in the products that entered the supply chain.

    “It was identified, captured and quarantined or isolated and it is now being withdrawn from the system. So this is what has disrupted the supply chain flow.”

    According to him, the cleanup process should be completed by this weekend and normalcy restored to the supply chain by Monday, “all things being equal.”

    Isong, however, reiterated the need to diversify the importation of the product.

    According to him, leaving the importation of fuel to one entity is dangerous and a very big risk the country is taking because the Nigerian market is too big for one supplier.

    “We have also said that as a business principle, you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

    “The Nigerian market is too big for you to risk having one supplier; the risk is too high.

    “We shouldn’t have only one supplier of PMS and there will always be challenges if we have one supplier of petrol. One way or the other, something will always go wrong.

    “That is why statistically speaking nobody has one supplier of a very important product like fuel,” he said.

    Some marketers said the scarcity may persist until depots are restocked with quality products.

    The marketers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), blamed the scarcity on the supply of a wrong specification of petrol in some parts of the country.

    They noted that the directive to withdraw the product from the market even after distribution to many filling stations and other areas created a supply shortfall, thereby, leading to panic buying.

    “As we speak, the NNPC Ltd is working to ensure that this disruption to the supply chain is addressed as soon as possible.

    “However, there is the challenge of logistics and how to compensate those who were supplied with the adulterated products.

    Read Also: PIA: Reps move to transfer assets of defunct NNPC

    “The NNPC is working with marketers on this and once the depots are restocked, tankers will start loading and supply will improve across the country.

    “Until we are able to achieve this, queues will remain at the petrol stations because of the panic already created,” one of the top marketers told NAN.

    An independent petroleum marketer said there had been complaints from some motorists on the fuel quality, which made his station stop selling for now.

    “Some independent marketers are not hoarding products as is being alleged.

    “Some of us were affected by the supply we got and we are trying to resolve the situation so that we can continue our business,’’ he said.

    Only a few filling stations were selling fuel at Ikeja, Iyana-Ipaja and Abule-Egba areas of Lagos.

    Others, especially those owned by independent marketers, were not open for business.

    The stations sold at between N162.50 to N165 per litre.

    In Abuja and surrounding states, some fuel stations were locked; those open had long queues.

    The queue at the main NNPC station on Obasanjo Road stretched to the GSM Village entrance.

    On the other side of the road, a Forte Oil station also caused a similar gridlock.

    Our correspondent observed that none of the stations sold above N162 to N165 per litre.

    The Total station beside the Nigeria Customs Service headquarters sold petrol for N162.2 per litre amid a long queue.

    On major expressways, black marketers sold the product in cans for between N2,500 and N3,000 per litre.

    In Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu inaugurated a 17-member special task force to crack down on illegal dealings in petroleum products.

    He urged them to stamp out all forms of malpractices in the sales and distribution of petroleum products.

    Represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Anthony Agbazuere, the governor said: “Your job is clear. It is to ensure that you eradicate illegal depots in private compounds and premises.

    “You have to ensure the eradication of the use of the wrong meter by petrol service stations.

    “Find out if dealers are either under dispensing, overpricing or hoarding petroleum products and stop such acts.

    “The issue of petroleum products has been deregulated, so anytime you are confused about it, try to get proper clarification because we do not want to run afoul of the law.”

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), South African Chapter, said those responsible for the contamination must be punished.

    Chairman of the chapter, Mr Bola Babarinde, said in a statement: “This importation of poor quality fuel is a grave concern to well-meaning Nigerians.

    “Members of APC in Diaspora are concerned that bad products were successfully imported and even allowed to be distributed to consumers.

    “The officials involved should be investigated and all culprits should be tried and sanctioned.

    “This type of behaviour is negative to great work the administration is doing to restore confidence in APC government despite enormous challenges facing our country,” he said.

    The APC chairman believes the development was avoidable, adding that there was no excuse for it.

    “The Federal Government should quickly make a statement and apologise to Nigerians whose cars and equipment were damaged due to the carelessness of the people we entrusted with the management of our petroleum ministry.

    “Compensations must be given to all Nigerians affected by this dastardly behaviour,” the party added.

     

  • Nigeria’s future will depend on science and tech development, says Buhari

    Nigeria’s future will depend on science and tech development, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigeria’s survival and collective future rests on active participation of the populace in the developmental of science and technology.

    The President spoke yesterday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while conferring the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) Award for 2020 and 2021 on three Nigerians who distinguished themselves in Medicine and Science.

    The NNOM awardees are: Dr. Oluyinka Olurotimi Olutoye, Medicine (2020); the late Professor Charles Ejike Chidume, Science (2020) and Professor Godwin O. Samuel Ekhaguere, Science (2021).

    President Buhari said he was proud to welcome the new Laureates to the prestigious league of highly honoured citizens.

    He said the nation would continue to celebrate and trumpet the scholars’ achievements as shining examples worthy of emulation by the nation’s young men and women.

    “Please, endeavour, at all times, to serve as beacons of hope and aspiration for the younger generation of Nigerians, reminding them that our survival and collective future as a nation ultimately rests on our being active participants in global developmental efforts, especially in science and technology,” he told the recipients.

    The President noted that since the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA) was established 43 years ago, the addition of the three recipients would bring the total number of recipients to only 79, confirming the high standards of the award and undeniable testimony of the strict adherence to quality and the merit-driven evaluation procedure for selecting the laureates.

    Read Also: Buhari, Ahmed seek visionary leadership in Africa

    He added that the integrity of the award also underscores the high expectations of the nation that the new recipients, like their predecessors, would continue to hold the banners of creativity and intellectual excellence very high.

    While congratulating the three awardees, the President expressed his administration’s appreciation for the patience of the 2020 award winners who had to wait for about two years to receive their award due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.

    President Buhari recalled that the total lockdown of the country in 2020 made it difficult for the assessment process to hold then but was later held concurrently last year alongside with the 2021 applications.

    He advised the youth to emulate the good works of the laureates by dedicating themselves to “excellence and strive to contribute their quota to the arduous task of getting Nigeria on the top bracket of outstanding nations”.

    The President also congratulated members of the Governing Board of the NNMA, under the Chairmanship of Prof. Shekarau Yakubu Aku, as well as members of the Four Specialised Committees of Assessors and External Assessors for their integrity and transparency, and for the excellent work they have done.

     

     

  • Fuel scarcity conspiracy to remove subsidy- Wabba

    Fuel scarcity conspiracy to remove subsidy- Wabba

    President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba has alleged that the emergence of queues in filling stations are part of conspiracy theories to force subsidy down the throat of Nigerians.

    Wabba said the NLC was watching closely as events unfold.

    The NLC had directed its affiliates to mobilise for nationwide protests following the proposed plan by the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy.

    However, following the decision of the government to drop the subsidy removal plans, the NLC rescind its decisions on January 25, 2022.

    There has been increasing queues in Lagos and Abuja with black marketers flooding major highways with petrol in cans, selling to motorists on the roadside

    Speaking at the Nigeria Union of Teachers solemn assembly on Tuesday, the NLC President questioned why there was fuel scarcity immediately after the government stated that it had shelved its decision to remove the fuel subsidy.

    Wabba said: “We are very watchful. We have seen that queues are surfacing which means that there is a conspiracy theory to force the policy of removal of fuel subsidy down the throat of Nigerians.

    “We have found out that some of these filling stations have products with three to five dispensing machines but they will use one and then close by 5 p.m. This was not the case before the pronouncement of the policy. Filling stations that do operate 24 hours have stopped operating and no one is giving explanation.

    “The Nigerian workers and Nigerians in general are continuously being exploited and we have the responsibility to protect all of us from all the cabals that are repeatedly benefiting from this so called subsidies.”

    Wabba also spoke on the proposed plan of the National Assembly to remove labour unions from the exclusive list.

    He noted that labour issues were presently domiciled in the Second Schedule, Legislative Powers, Part 1, Exclusive list, Item 34.

    According to him, labour, including trade unions, industrial relations; conditions, safety and welfare of labour; industrial disputes; prescribing a national minimum wage for the federation or any part thereof; and industrial arbitration.

    He said: “For the sake of our national interest, security and industrial harmony, labour should not be one of the items that should be devolved to the states.”

    Wabba, while explaining how it came to be on the Exclusive List, noted that the nation-states legislation on Labour is driven substantially from the International Labour Organisation Conventions, protocols and recommendations and other instruments domesticated through the Acts of parliament.

    He added that this explained the near uniformity of labour laws across the nations of the world and relative global industrial order, harmony and an attraction for foreign investment.

    Wabba said this was in realisation of the reality that 17 days after independence in 1960 under a democratic government Nigeria fell in line by rectifying and domesticated ILO Conventions 87 and 98, guaranteeing the right to organise and collectively bargain.

    He, however, said that Nigeria had since adopted all the core conventions in its capacity as a sovereign nation and regularly attends ILO organ meetings as a sovereign in line with international best practices.

  • JUST IN: Bandits kill 13, abduct Katsina village head

    JUST IN: Bandits kill 13, abduct Katsina village head

    Terrorists on Tuesday morning killed 13 residents and abducted a village head during an attack on three communities of Dukawa village in Bakori and Funtua Local Government Areas of Katsina State.

    A resident in one of the communities told The Nation that the terrorists began their operation on Monday night at Dukawa village in Bakori LGA, moving from house to house and looting shops moving to Gidan Kanawa where they reportedly killed three residents.

    They later attacked two other communities in Funtua Local Government Area where they murdered 10 residents and abducted the village head, Alhaji Umar.

    It was learnt the terrorists also looted shops and houses in the three communities and stole personal effects and money.

    Read Also: Bandits abduct Rev Father, kill cook in Kaduna

    Eldest son of the village head, Abdullahi Umar, said: “When they came, they started shooting sporadically to scare people away. I was in my room because it was after 1am.

    ‘’As I tried breaking, I met my father, also coming out, going towards the village centre where the shooting was coming from.

    “The bandits returned with him into the house and looted the house before they left with him and others.”

    The slain victims were buried on Tuesday afternoon.

    Katsina spokesman SP Gambo Isah confirmed the incident, adding that details will be provided later.

    He said: “It is true, and security operatives are on top of the situation”.

  • JAMB reschedules UTME/DE registration for Feb 19

    JAMB reschedules UTME/DE registration for Feb 19

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has rescheduled registration for the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry for Saturday February 19 to March 26, 2022.

    The exercise was earlier expected to commence on February 12.

    JAMB’s Head, Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The Board said the one-week postponement was to allow for more fine-tuning of the upgraded and more user-friendly procedures for candidates’ registration.

    Read Also: JAMB introduces self-registration for UTME/ DE applicants in Lagos, Abuja

    “The process, which will be concluded within the one-week extension period, is also aimed at accommodating feedback from candidates and other stakeholders alike,” the statement said.

    The statement added: “The Board wishes the general public to note that the Board is ever-ready to provide world-class services to Nigerians.

    “Further to the above, the new and improved procedures for the 2022 UTME Registration would be made available on the Board’s website, its weekly bulletin as well as other media outlets on Monday, 14th February, 2022.

    “The candidates, are by this notice, urged to follow keenly the procedures for registration as would be announced by the Board.”

  • OAU MBA student: Police withdraw murder case against Adedoyin

    OAU MBA student: Police withdraw murder case against Adedoyin

    The Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday withdrew a case against the owner of Hotels and Resorts, Ile-Ife, Dr Rahmon Adedoyin and six others charged with the murder of Timothy Adegoke, who died at the hotel on November 6, 2021.

    The police told an Abuja High Court on Monday that the Force wished to discontinue all proceedings in the murder case for “further investigation”, The Nation has learnt.

    Others charged with the educationist are Adedeji Adesola, 23; Magdalene Chiefuna, 24; Adeniyi Aderogba, 37; Oluwale Lawrence, 37; Oyetunde Kazeem, 38; Adebayo Kunle, 35, and others still at large.

    The Nation had reported that Adegoke died in controversial circumstances where he lodged at the hotel to sit for an examination.

    He was subsequently buried by the hotel management in a shallow grave without the knowledge of his family or the police.

    The police moved Adedoyin and the six others from Osun State to Abuja for investigation and prosecution.

    Read Also: Slain OAU student Timothy Adegoke laid to rest

    According to the case summary and proof of evidence earlier filed by the police, Adedoyin is being charged with illegally disposing of Adegoke’s body, altering and cancelling his payment receipt and removal of the hotel’s CCTV cameras with intent to destroy evidence.

    But in a ‘Notice of Discontinuation of Charge No.CR/015/2022 brought pursuant to Section 108 of Administration of Criminal Act 2015’, on February 7, 2022, the police told the court to discontinue the matter.

    “Take notice that the complainant discontinues all of the proceedings in this case against the above named defendants for further investigation,” said Ochogwu Ogbeh of the Legal and Prosecution Section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja.

    One of the counsels for the defendants, Yusuf Alli (SAN), confirmed the development on Tuesday.

    Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, had asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to transfer the suspects from the Abuja court to a competent court in Osun State.

    Falana, who is the lawyer to the family of the deceased Master’s student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, made the request in a letter dated February 4, 2022.

    The senior lawyer had argued that the criminal offences were said to have been committed at Ile-Ife and that the suspects ought to have been charged before a court of competent jurisdiction in Osun.

  • BREAKING: Senate okays six additional Law school campuses

    BREAKING: Senate okays six additional Law school campuses

    The Senate on Tuesday passed a Bill that seeks to increase the number Law School campuses from six to 12.

    The Bill, titled: “A Bill for an Act to amend the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc) Act by establishing the campuses for the Nigerian Law School, and for other related matters” was sponsored by Kogi West Senator Smart Adeyemi.

    The passage of the Bill followed the adoption of the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters that considered the Bill.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Shaibu Lau is new Deputy Senate Minority Leader

    Chairman of the Committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele presented the report.

    The existing Law School campuses are located in Lagos (Southwest); Abuja (North Central); Yola, Adamawa State (Northeast); Kano (Northwest); Enugu (Southeast) and Yenegoa, Bayelsa State (South-South).

    The additional campuses approved by the Senate are Kabba Law School Campus, Kogi State (Northcentral); Maiduguri Law School Campus, Borno State (Northeast); and Argungu Law School Campus, Kebbi State (Northwest).

    Others are Jos Law School Campus, Plateau State (North Central); Okija Law School Campus, Anambra State (Southeast); Orogun Law School Campus, Delta State (Southsouth) and Ilawe Law School Campus, Ekiti State (Southwest).

    Details Shortly…

  • Our position on Igboho, Kanu, Abba Kyari, by Malami

    Our position on Igboho, Kanu, Abba Kyari, by Malami

    The Federal Government position on the fate of separatists’ agitators – Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Adeyemo (a.k.a Igboho) – made public yesterday by Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami.

    Malami also spoke on Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari extradition matter and the allegation by Senator Rochas Okorocha that he is being persecuted.

    The AGF spoke last night on the Channels Television programme.

    He condemned Transparency International Corruption Index placement of Nigeria.

    Malami said he received the reworked Electoral Bill yesterday from the President for review and advice.

    He ruled out any federal government intervention in the trial of the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) leader Kanu and Yoruba Nation agitator Igboho.

    Kanu is facing treasonable felony charges in Abuja. Igboho is being detained by the Republic of Benin authorities over alleged illegal possession of travel documents and entering their country illegally.

    Igboho’s detention was extended by six months yesterday.

    “In the cases of Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu, there is no political solution as they are both facing trials. Igboho – in a foreign land that has its own laws and strategies of delivering justice.

    “We can only bring Sunday Igboho back to Nigeria after conclusion of his trial in the foreign nation. So, there is no possibility of political solution now on his case. The same thing applies to Kanu Nnamdi, whose case is the court is going on naturally.”

    On the allegedly implication of DCP Kyari in Hushpuppi’s case, Malami stated: “Multiple jurisdictions are involved. So, within the context of the case, the international community is doing everything to ensure justice is done in the case.

    “For now, there is a prima facie case of suspicion established against DCP Abba Kyari on the allegation of corruption involving Hushpuppi, though there is no sufficient evidence to proceed with criminal proceedings against him.

    “Nigeria is supportive to other international bodies to stamp out corruption. Generally, we are working on the matter and we are giving all necessary supports.”

    On the reworked Electoral Bill, Malami said: “It will be premature for me to comment on it as I have not internalised the re-worked Bill.  Certainly, if I am not satisfied with the Bill, and if it fails to care of the national and public interest, I cannot do anything against the public and the national interest, though this government is eager to leave an improved electoral system.

    “My office is a constitutional office and it is guided primarily by public interest and national interest in whatever action I take,” he said.

    Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim Magu are not facing political witch-hunt, he said.

    “You can’t stop anyone from making allegations, but this allegations should be looked into and fact-checked so the needful can be done in terms of ensuring justice and fairness.

    “The government checks activities irrespective of who is involved and ensures a balance of in the delivery of the justice.”

    On Magu, the AGF dismissed the allegation that the former EFCC chief was being subjected to political persecution.

    “But as a constitutional government, we must allow the institutions to do their job. So, what I can say on the matter is that the case is a work in progress.”

    Rejecting the corruption index rating of Nigeria by the TI, the minister said the Global anti-corruption coalition lacked the wherewithal to rank the President Buhari administration low.

    He said: “From what we have been doing in terms of convictions we had in 2021, it is clear that, the TI rating had no basis. The government, through the EFCC got more than 2000 convictions of high profile cases in 2021. So, there is no basis that the report of the TI can stand.

    “When we talk about the United Nations (UN) rating, TI report cannot stand. UN on drugs and crimes have refuted the report of TI’s report.

    “Even African nations spoke with one voice commending the government of President Muhammadu Buhari as far as fight against corruption is concerned. There is a movement as far as we are getting more convictions of perpetrators of corruption. This government is doing well in terms of prevention and prosecution of corruption cases.”

  • Residents flee as terrorists attack Niger communities

    Residents flee as terrorists attack Niger communities

    Residents of over five communities along the Kontagora-Rijau road in Mariga and Rijau local government areas of Niger State have fled over attacks by terrorists.

    The terrorists attacked Dusai village, which is a few kilometres away from Kontagora town on Sunday afternoon while Kuimo, which is close to Rijau gown was attacked around 4 pm on the same day.

    Several other villages were attacked between Sunday and Monday, The Nation learnt.

    Although no death has been confirmed, several people were said to have been wounded in their quest to escape the onslaught by the terrorists.

    Read Also: VIDEO: Residents flee as bandits attack Niger communities

    This created a massive influx of residents to Rijau, which is the headquarters of Rijau local government area to take refuge.

    Several people boarded tippers to take them to Rijau while others were seen on motorcycles with some motorcycles taking as many as five people.

    One of the fleeing residents, Fal’ai Danladi, said as she was running, she fell several times and injured her fingers saying that she was helped to Rijau by a motorist.

    Another fleeing resident from Warare community, Aliyu Bello said that he decided to run because he knew that if he is abducted, it won’t be easy on him.

    He said that all of them in the community have deserted the community due to fear of attack adding that while some found their way to Rijau, others ran into the bushes and rocks to hide.

    Chairman of Rijau Local Government Council, Bello Bako, confirmed terrorists attacked some communities, adding he and his officials are working out ways to ensure that the fleeing residents get somewhere to stay.