Category: Featured

President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration was committed to an infrastructure renaissance for Nigeria because the nation’s development depended on it.

The President noted this on Thursday during a meeting with the President of Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Dr Mohammed Al-Jasser, at the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, Buhari also pointed out Nigerians would be able to look after themselves when all necessary infrastructures are in place in the country.

“We are struggling very hard on infrastructure, because there can’t be sustainable development without it.

“Considering the vastness of our country, we need roads, rail, power, airports, housing, and that is what we have engaged ourselves with in the past six years. And our people are seeing the new developments. Relative to the resources available to us, we have not done badly. When infrastructure is in place, our people can look after themselves,” Buhari said.

Read Also: Buhari, North’s governors greet Mamman Daura at 82

The President thanked the IDB for its help so far, saying “what we are so dependent on (crude oil) has lost a lot of energy. It is coming back gradually, and we are breathing a bit more with some confidence. But we expect greater cooperation from you.”

Dr Al-Jasser said he had been glad to see the level of collaboration between Nigeria and the IDB since he assumed duties three months ago.

He told Buhari: “I am impressed by your policies on infrastructure, which will give opportunities to youths, and encourage the private sector. Nigeria is a pivotal country to us, and it deserves all the help it can get.”

The IDB boss said the main role of the bank was to promote development among its stakeholders and will continue to lend a helping hand to Nigeria.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi branch has faulted the appointment of Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, as a professor of cyber security by the Governing Council and the management of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO).

It maintained it was not convinced that due processes were followed in the appointment.

The Nation reports that controversy had trailed the recent appointment of the Minister as a professor by FUTO.

The Vice-Chancellor of ATBU, Prof. Mohammad Abdulaziz, in a letter written on behalf of management, staff, and students of the institution, congratulated Pantami over his appointment but ASUU disassociated itself from the congratulatory letter.

ATBU is Pantami’s alma mater where he started his career as a lecturer.

Addressing journalists at the Secretariat in Bauchi, the capital on Thursday, Bauchi ASUU chairman, Dr. Ibrahim Inuwa, said: “Appointing somebody to the rank of professor follows some procedures, to some extent we are convinced that these procedures are exhaustively followed but it is still questionable. But if it is proven beyond reasonable doubt we don’t have an option other than to acknowledge it but for now, we are really not convinced.

Read Also: Pantami: ASUU probe panel clears FUTO

“We had congress on November 4th, and we agreed that we should dissociate ourselves from that congratulatory message written by the VC. We have a disclaimer to that effect.”

Inuwa claimed that the VC did not consult the union before going ahead to congratulate the Minister on its behalf in “an appointment that is shrouded in a lot of controversies.”

He also faulted the report by the union in FUTO, which cleared the Governing Council and the management of the varsity of any infractions saying the report contained “a lot of holes.”

ASUU argued that according to information available at its disposal, the Minister left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia as a senior lecturer.

“In the case of the Minister, his last appointment in a university, Saudi Arabia was as an assistant professor –is a nomenclature that is used by the Americans. Assistant professor is equivalent to a senior lecturer in Commonwealth countries,” he stressed.

Inuwa said an Assistant Professor must satisfy a waiting period of three years, graduate postgraduate students, involved in university administration and must have been involved in community service to become a Professor.

He argued that the Minister was not in the academic environment within the period and could not have been qualified for the appointment.

The Police High Command on Thursday paraded 14 suspects over the invasion of the Abuja residence of a Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili, describing them as impostors unknown to any of the nation’s security forces.

Parading the suspects at the Force Headquarters Annex, Abuja, Force spokesman, Frank Mba, said that the 14 suspects and seven others at large conspired to raid the residence following information the Supreme Court Justice was keeping a large sum of money in foreign currencies.

Read Also: Justice Odili’s home raid: NBA demands Buhari probe panel

However, the Police commended the resistance put up by the security personnel attached to Odili’s residence for not allowing the suspects access to the building, saying that it could have been the greatest embarrassment to the nation if the operation had succeeded.

Details shortly…

 

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Thursday said that the National Identification Number (NIN) violates the constitutional rights to privacy of Nigerians.

HURIWA further tasked civil rights leaders to seek legal ways to quash the policy, expressing anger at the idea behind the introduction of the policy by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

The group said the explanation made by the Minister in Paris, France shows that the Federal Government has plans to spy on the citizens.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, while in France with President Muhammadu Buhari on the Peace Forum, had said the NIN will enable the Federal Government and security agencies to know the identity of internet users in the country.

But HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko, condemned the Minister and the Federal Government for seeking the demolition of the core essence of constitutional democracy which is the right to privacy.

The group said it has decided to proceed to the court of law to seek the appropriate quashing of the NIN policy, which interferes with the citizens’ enjoyment of their constitutional right to privacy.

Read Also: HURIWA to DSS: Allow Nnamdi Kanu access to his lawyer

HURIWA said it understands that rights to privacy are at the core of our constitutional democracy, adding that Pursuant to section 37 of the Constitution, the right to privacy is recognized as a fundamental right in the following words: “The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected.”

HURIWA affirmed: “The value of privacy must be determined on the basis of its importance to society, not in terms of individual rights. Moreover, privacy does not have a universal value that is the same across all contexts.

“The value of privacy in a particular context depends upon the social importance of the activities that it facilitates. The right of privacy implies the exclusion of the public eye from prying into an individual’s affair.

“Another crucial aspect of the right to privacy entails the right to protect one’s image and personality and to have unfettered access to control one’s zones of exclusivity, space and confidential information.

“The right to privacy lies within the realm of self-ownership. It is the moral liberty of doing what an individual deems fit to be down with his/her individualism and keeping others outside the sphere of his/her self-ownership.

“The right to privacy is one of the fundamental human rights entrenched in the Nigerian Constitution. Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution provides that: “The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected”.

No fewer than 71 terrorists, including two female logistics suppliers, Mrs Aisha Umar, 19, and Mrs Kaltumi Bakura,20, have been arrested by troops in Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) Camp in Bama, Borno State.

Thirty-one of the insurgents were also neutralised within the time under review, the Defence Headquarters disclosed.

Acting Director Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko, revealed that within the period in focus, the troops of Operation Hadin Kai, conducted a series of land and air operations across the North East theatre that yielded commendable results.

He said: “The sustained synergy in the land and air operational efforts have continued to degrade the operational capabilities of the terrorist elements, limit their freedom of action and drive scores of them into surrendering.

“Some of these operations were executed at different locations in Borno and Yobe States, including; Rann, Dalayazara, Gwange Kura, Bam Buratai, Makintakuri and Muduvi villages as well as Marte – Dikwa and Buni Yadi – Jauro Bashir roads.

“In the course of these operations within the period of 2 weeks, 31 terrorists were neutralized and 71 of them arrested including two women logistics suppliers namely Mrs Aisha Umar 19 years with a child of (2 years) and Mrs Kaltumi Bakura 20 years all resident at IDP Camp in Bama.

Read Also: Troops eliminate 31 terrorists, arrest 71, 1186 surrendered in two weeks

“Also a total of 122 assorted weapons recovered. Additionally, a total of 97 kidnapped civilians were rescued, while a total of 1,186 of BHT elements and their families comprising 226 adult males, 406 adult females and 555 children surrendered to own troops at different locations in Borno State.

“All recovered items have been handed appropriately and rescued victims reunited with their families, while arrested and surrendered terrorists have been profiled and handed over to appropriate authorities for further action”.

On Operation Hadarin Daji, he said: “troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI carried out extensive land and air operations across the theatre within the period under review. These operations were conducted at different locations including; Maidabino Town in Danmusa LGA as well as Gidan Diya village and Faskari town in Faskari LGA of Katsina State. Other locations were; Gusau – Magami road in Maru LGA; Dauran village in Zurmi LGA and Munhaya forest, all in Zamfara State as well as Zodi Hills along Zuru road in Kebbi State.

“Cumulatively, a total of 16 criminal elements were arrested; 13 armed bandits were neutralized and 6 kidnapped civilians were rescued; while 12 assorted arms and 77 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered within the period of 2 weeks.”

“In the course of these operations, troops discovered and deactivated illegal oil refining/bunkering sites. These feats were recorded in Brass, Yenagoa, Nembe, and Southern Ijaw LGAs in Bayelsa State; while in Delta State, some significant achievements were recorded in Sapele, Warri South and Warri South West LGAs. Also attendant results were recorded in Ahoada, Onne, Elele, Isiokpo, Emoha, Port Harcourt, Isong Enwang, Akwa Ibom State, Bonny and Ikwere LGAs of Rivers State.

“Cumulatively, troops discovered and immobilized a total of 20 illegal refining sites, 62 ovens, 12 cooking pots/boilers, 8 cooling systems, 19 reservoirs, 18 large dugout pits and 88 storage tanks. Additionally, eight criminal elements, including two impostors were arrested and seven arms and 3 rounds of ammunition, among other items were recovered in the course of the operations in the Zone.

“Additionally, troops rescued 13 kidnapped civilians within the period. Consequently, a total of one million, two hundred and three thousand, two hundred and fifty litres (1,252,250ltrs) of illegally refined AGO and one million, one hundred and thirty-eight thousand, three hundred and forty litres (1,140,340ltrs) of stolen crude were recovered in the course of the operations. Furthermore, troops neutralized three armed robbers and rescued two kidnapped civilians; while five criminal elements associated with pipeline vandalism, piracy, illegal oil bunkering and armed robbery were arrested within the period”.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given a waiver for employment in health, defence and paramilitary to ensure that those who leave for greener pastures were replaced.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige explained that the waiver was granted by the government despite an embargo on recruitment into public service.

Ngige disclosed this at the 2022 Budget Defence of his Ministry at the House of Representatives on Wednesday in Abuja.

The Minister recommended the bonding of medical workers to ensure that people did not leave the country at will after receiving training for free at public expense.

“Medical education in Nigeria is almost free. Where else in the world is it free? The Presidential Committee on Health should come with a proposal for bonding doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists and other health workers, so that they don’t just carry their bags and walk out of their country at will when they were trained at no cost.

Read Also: FEC approves N348.7trn-worth 2011-2025 National Development Plan

“In London, it is 45,000 pounds a session for medical education in cheap in universities. If you go to Edinburgh or Oxford, you pay $80,000. If you go to USA you pay $45,000 but if you go to the Ivy leagues, you pay $90,000 for only tuition, excluding lodging. You do it for six years. So, people in America take loans.

“We can make provisions for loans and you pay back. If government will train you for free, we should bond you. You serve the country for nine years before you go anywhere,” the Minister said in a statement issued by Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan.

The Minister said to address the incessant labour crises in the county, the government would introduce mandatory training for newly elected labour leaders at the National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS).

He said the proposed training will equip the labour leaders with the knowledge of Labour laws and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions to curb the incessant industrial disputes in the country.

Ngige also revealed that his Ministry has made provision for the establishment of Rapid Response Labour Desk Offices across the 36 States of the Federation to help nip some of these industrial crises in the bud.

A total of 3,906 prisoners, who fled some of the nation’s custodial centres during various incidences of prison breaks, are still at large.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this on Thursday during the weekly ministerial briefing, hosted by the Presidential Media Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to Aregbesola, a total of 4,369 inmates escaped from the centres from 2020 till date, adding that 984 of the number had so far been recaptured.

He however noted that the biometrics of all custodial inmates in the country had been taken, which he said would enable the escapees to be rearrested.

Read Also: Jail attack: We’ll recapture all fleeing inmates – Aregbesola

He said: “How long can they continue to run from the state? The state is a patient bird. You can run but you can never hide.

“We have their biometrics. Whenever and wherever they appear to transact any business, their cover will be blown.”

Aregbesola also said that 465 inmates are running various Degrees around the country, adding that 85 of this are running postgraduate programmes, including four who are doing Ph.D programmes.

He said 560 inmates have been enrolled for WAEC/NECO examinations while 2,300 are enrolled for adult literacy classes in several custodial centres.

Details shortly…

There is palpable tension in Gidan Kwano, the host community to the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna following the abduction of two persons on Wednesday night.

While students and other residents of the community are claiming they were attacked by bandits, the Niger Police Command said that the attack was carried out by hoodlums.

The incident occured at about 11.30 pm when the gunmen attacked a shop at Gidan-Kwano opposite FUT Gate and abducted two children of the shop owner.

Niger Police spokesman DSP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the incident, saying that one of the suspects have been arrested while the police are on the trail on the others.

Read Also: Gunmen open fire on market, kill three in Imo

“On 10/11/2021 at about 2330hrs, some suspected hoodlums attacked a shop at Gidan-Kwano opposite FUT Gate and abducted two children of the shop owner.

“Police/vigilante were immediately drafted to the scene for aggressive manhunt of the hoodlums and during stop and search, one of the suspect was intercepted and arrested at Barkuta village,” he said.

Abiodun assured that the abductees would be rescued unharmed from their abductors.

Students,who spoke to The Nation, said they were staying away from campus owing to fear over their safety.

Efforts to get reactions from the Information Officer of the University, Mrs Lydia Legbo and other principal officers failed.

They were said to be in a meeting and did not respond to texts or calls.

The move by governors to reverse the planned deduction of $418 million from states’ allocations to settle Paris Club Refund consultants hit a brick wall yesterday.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) said it was too late for the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to seek the reversal of the decision.

He maintained that since the 36 governors had earlier acknowledged the debt and made a commitment to pay the consultants and private firms, there was no going back.

The aggrieved governors had accused the AGF of bias in his handling of the disputed debt, saying that funds belonging to the Federation Account should not be arbitrarily deducted.

According to them, “states’ resources needed for critical development should not under any guise be frittered away as payment for contracts, whose veracity and authenticity are still a subject of litigation and disputation.”

The NGF added: “These contractors are impecunious and cannot restitute the states/LGAs, if the appeals or other litigation are determined against them.”

However, the AGF said, not only did the NGF, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and the consultants enter into a consent judgment of $3,188, 079,505.56 ($3.2 billion) in 2013, they made the commitment to pay and actually made part payments between 3016 and 2017.

Malami, who spoke in Abuja yesterday, accused the NGF of blowing hot and cold at the same time and seeking to shut the barn door after the horse had bolted.

On whether the Federal Government’s insistence on the deduction would not amount to disrespecting an existing court order and circumventing pending court cases, Malami wondered why the states, which made a part payment since 2013, decided to go to court.

The NGF had, in a statement on Monday, accused Malami of betraying public interest by supporting private interests in his handling of the Paris Club Refund.

The NGF accused him of bias and hasty payment to the consultants when the states were in need of funds.

Last week, the governors obtained orders from the Federal High Court, Abuja, restraining the Federal Government from withdrawing funds from states’ accounts for the purpose of paying the disputed debt.

Tracing the genesis of the crisis, Malami said: “Sometimes as far back as 2013, there was an engagement by the outgoing administration and the NGF in respect of certain consultants that were engaged by the two (NGF and ALGON) for the purpose of recovering certain amounts of money relating to Paris Club refund.

“And these consultants that were engaged have indeed, delivered and fundamentally, they were not paid the fees for the services they claimed to have rendered and on account of which they approached the judicial system for the determination of their rights and indeed, the enforcement of their fees.

“Now, in 2013, the then Federal Government and the governors’ forum came together, agreed and submitted to a consent judgment by the court of law in 2013. That consent judgment is what gave rise to the liability in contention as we are talking today.

“Some years back, the Federal Government was approached by these consultants for the purpose of payment of their respective professional fees. The Federal Government then approached the governors’ forum and ALGON and they collectively walked to the Federal Government and conceded to the position that the consultants have indeed, provided the services and that they were ready and willing to pay.

“The point of interest arising therefrom is that the governors’ forum and ALGON walked to the Federal Government and conceded that payment should be deducted from their monies and then, should be effected to the consultants.

Read Also: Paris Club refund: Court bars Buhari, AGF from deducting $418m from states

“And then, in 2016, 2017, these deductions were carried out at the instance of the governors’ forum and ALGON. Now, that was the situation on the ground.”

Malami recalled that since the Federal Government was suspicious of the huge claim the NGF and ALGON made on behalf of the consultants, which was in the region of $3.2b, the FG invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the State Security Services (SSS) to verify the services rendered by the consultants.

He added: “So, when eventually the services rendered were confirmed, the Federal Government took steps to demand confirmation in writing from ALGON and the governors.

“The governors individually wrote to the effect that they were liable. ALGON wrote to the effect that they were liable. And eventually, this payment commenced as far back as 2016.

“Now, nothing untoward happened thereafter until perhaps, of recent when the governors wrote seeking to avoid their liability.

“The implication of that, taking into consideration that the Federal Government was indeed, sued as a party, was that at the end of the day, the liability will be placed exclusively at the doorsteps of the Federal Government, where in actual fact, this is a liability that was incurred by the governors’ forum; this was a liability admitted by the governors’ forum.

“This is a case in respect of which the governors’ forum and ALGON conceded to judgment by way of submitting to a consent judgment before a court of law.

“So, what I am labouring to say, in effect, is that one, the engagement that gave rise to this liability was an engagement that was factored by ALGON and the governors’ forum.

“Two, arising from such liability, by way of creating a contractual obligation, parties submitted to the jurisdiction of the court in the form of the case instituted by consultants against the governors’ forum and against ALGON, and the parties submitted to the consent judgment.

“Three, the governors have indeed, each provided a letter of commitment to the Federal Government that they were indeed liable, the same thing with ALGON.

“They wrote individually; the governors wrote, individually directing the Federal Government to effect payment of this amount. And we have the letters at our disposal.

“So, what we are saying, in essence, is that this is a self-induced problem arising from the concession, arising from the consent, arising from the agreement of the governors’ forum and arising from the agreement of ALGON

“And then, four, over and above all these, payment has indeed, been effected over time without any objection on the part of ALGON and the governors’ forum.

“So, it is indeed, amazing that the governors are now belatedly, after having serviced the same claim for over a period of four-five years, are now belatedly turning round to raise objections in respect of the payment.

“This is even when one, they have consented on their own to a judgment, which was entered in 2013 before this government came in; two, they have been effecting periodic payment in respect of the same; three, they have provided individual indemnity and commitment that this payment should be effected over time.

“So, I think that is the antecedents that are of interest as far as this matter is concerned.”

The Ogoni ethnic nationality has called on the Federal Government to declare every November 10 as a public holiday in honour of their executed hero, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others.

The President, Ogoni Youth Federation, Legbrosi Yamabana, who spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in commemoration of the killing of Saro-Wiwa and eight others, said they were not in support of the proposal by President Muhammadu Buhari to grant pardon to their slain heroes.

Yamabama said activists, who were unjustly treated and died while undertaking a similar course like Saro-Wiwa had been granted posthumous honours, by the Federal Government.

Read Also: PHOTOS: Ogoni youths protest at NASS gate

He said: “We are still seeking justice 26 years after. Justice has not been done to our slain hero, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others also known as the Ogoni nine.

“We need a posthumous recognition to be bestowed on Ken Saro-Wiwa. We need his name and those of his colleagues to be exonerated. We want every November 10th to be declared a public holiday in Nigeria. We believe what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

“Is it because we are of the minority that they are treating us like this? Just recently some Ogoni leaders visited the President. To our surprise, Mr. President was talking about a pardon. We rejected it in its entirety.

“That is not the yearning of the Ogonis or Niger Delta. Pardon is given to criminals. Ken Saro-Wiwa is a hero. He committed no crime to be given a pardon. Instead he should be exonerated. The Nigerian state will not know true peace until this is done”.