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Tag: boycott

  • Boycott: Party supporters beat up Rivers NBA chairman, lawyer

    There was a rowdy session at the Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt today as some party supporters attacked and beat up the Port Harcourt branch chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association.

    Trouble started when some lawyers under the aegis of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) lead by its Port Harcourt branch chairman, Sylvester Adaka stormed the Court of Appeal to appeal to a sitting Judge to adjourn proceedings for the day in furtherance of NBA’s protest against the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The presiding Judge, Justice A. A. Gumel condemned and cautioned the lawyers and their approach in the protest, accusing them of desecrating the temple of justice.

    Speaking to them, Gumel said: “Lawyers who are ministers of the court which is the temple of justice should not desecrate it by turning the courts into a public square, where lawyers will carry placards to disrupt court proceedings.”

    He said that he was in the court just to take records of processes but will hear motions at an adjourned date.

    But when members of the NBA insisted the sitting be adjourned, some party supporters in court attacked the NBA chairman and other lawyers who were with him.

    They beat them up, insisting the proceedings must continue.

    The matters slated for the day were the controversial All Progressives Party appeals.

    Read Also: Boycott directive stalls Onnoghen’s case in Industrial Court

    The Court later took record of five different appeals afterwards, all bothering on decision of Justice Omotosho of the federal high court in Port Harcourt to stay executive on the judgement.

    Justice Gumel however adjourned all appeals till January 31, 2019 for hearing of motion on notice

    The Rivers APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, who was in court condemned the episode describing it as unfortunate.

    He said: “I think what happened in court today was unfortunate and I don’t think it speaks well of the NBA.”

    Adaka said lawyers were in court to peacefully boycott proceedings of the court as directed by its national secretariat and national executive committee before he was attacked.

    He said: “While we were in court of appeal, I peacefully addressed the justices of the court of appeal to rise in continuation of our peaceful boycott of courts and also appealed to lawyers to leave the court premises.

    “But while we were in court, a couple of thugs in the court premises attacked the lawyers there, the thugs zeroed in on me and a couple of lawyers, if not for the intervention of my colleagues around, I don’t know what would have happened.“

  • 31 political parties to boycott today’s Kaduna LG poll

    A Coalition of 31 opposition political parties in Kaduna State has vowed to boycott the local government election slated for today  over alleged planned rigging by the state’s electoral body in favour of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).However, the major opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said it will participate in the polls.

    PDP chairman and one time Minister of State for Aviation, Hon. Hassan Hyet said though they align with all the positions of the coalition on the alleged plans to rig the elections, but that is not enough to boycott the elections.

    Hyet said as much as his party does not have confidence in the state independent electoral commission, it has enough confidence in the electorate, whom he said were ready to kick out the APC government.

    He however called on the electorate to disregard the insinuations that PDP is also boycotting local government elections. “We want electorate to come out en mass and vote for PDP in all the elective positions”, he said.

    The coalition had accused the Kaduna State independent Electoral Commission (KAD-SIECOM) of a grand design to disenfranchise the electorate and rig the LG election because it refused to display voters’ register at polling units for voters to confirm their names and eligibility to vote in good time.

    Chairman, Labour Party and chairman for the coalition, Umar Ibrahim Mairakumi, who led other political party leaders to the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kaduna yesterday, alleged that  KAD-SIECOM has deliberately refused to use the INEC card reader machine for authentication of voters during the election slated to hold between 8am-4pm today.

    According to him, “there is a plan to rig the election already. We have conducted primaries before now. But with what we have heard and seen, we have no other option than to boycott the election because we are in the know of a grand plan to rig in favour of APC.

    “We have seen the card reader, we have seen what it can do. We have said it should be used for the election to ensure transparency. Electronic voting machine is only representing the ballot box and ballot paper. It does not capture voter’s register.

    “What that means is that, anybody can just go and vote because there would not be any register to confirm whether your name is there or not.

    “We have information that people will never have. We foresaw security threat against electorate in Kaduna and we are been careful about the whole thing so we don’t put the lives of our supporters in danger.

    “Kaduna State has had enough of its political violence. It is therefore urgently imperative that we put the security of lives and property of our people in high premium.

    “This was why, instead of keeping silent, we have come to tell the world that the outcome of this election cannot be credible.

    “It is pertinent therefore, the Kaduna State coalition of political parties, in the interest of peace and safety of lives and property of our candidates and the public that, we have decided to boycott the forthcoming council election in Kaduna State scheduled for May 12, 2018.”

    Some of the political parties that made up the coalition are: NNPP, PPP, AD, ADC, PPA, PPN, APGA, sLP, NUP, GPN among others.

  • Senators may boycott Senate’s security summit

    Senators may boycott Senate’s security summit

    Senators are threatening to boycott the February 1 security summit organised by the upper chamber, it was learnt yesterday.

    They do not want the Villa Banquet Hall venue.

    The decision to organise the summit was taken by the Senate after a January 17 debate on the state of the nation and killings.

    The Executive showed interest in participating and President Muhammadu Buhari agreed to open the summit.

    Some senators are now questioning the decision to coopt the Executive into the programme.

    Yesterday, senators went into an executive session on the summit and it was learnt that the argument was heated, with many threatening a boycott.

    The relationship between the Executive and the Senate has not been cordial.

    After a lengthy closed-session, Senate President Bukola Saraki merely announced that the Senate deliberated on workings of the Senate and the National Assembly in general.

    But a source said the issue of the security summit and where it would be held dominated the “heated closed-session”.

    It was gathered that efforts by Saraki to persuade the senators to attend the summit failed.

    Most of the senators, the source said, insisted that on no account should the security summit be held in the Villa.

    The lawmakers were said to have said that instead of the Banquet Hall, State House, the summit should take place at the International Conference Centre (ICC).

    Besides, it was gathered that the senators suggested that President Muhammadu Buhari should only attend the conference as a guest of honour where provision should made for him to speak and address participants.

    Another source linked the position of the senators to the “shabby treatment meted to senators on October 26, when some senators were blocked from entering the Presidential Villa.”

    “We should learn our lesson because once bitten twice shy,” he said.

    Before the Closed session, a statement entitled “Security Crisis: Senate partners Presidency, to hold national summit Feb 1”, endorsed by the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, was circulated.

    The statement said in part:  ”Worried by the multi-dimensional security challenges facing the nation, the Senate in collaboration with the President Muhammadu Buhari and the Executive arm will on Thursday, February 1 and Monday February 5 convene a National Security Summit.

    “The Summit will provide an all-inclusive platform for heads of security and defence agencies, Governors, traditional rulers, socio-cultural groups, civil society organisations and others, with a view to finding solutions to acute and long term security challenges in the country.

    ”President Buhari, according to the statement, will declare open the summit to be held at the Banquet Hall of the State House on Thursday with all the 36 state governors in attendance.

    “Other participants at the event include all Senators and members of the House of Representatives, Ministers of Defence and Interior, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Service Chiefs and other heads of security agencies.”

    Another statement circulated after the closed session said the Ahmed Lawan statement should be dropped because the date for the security summit had changed due other national assignments.

    Also in another statement entitled “Senate suspends security summit in honour of late Ekwueme”, the Senate Leader said: “The national summit on security being organised by the Senate had been postponed in honour of the late former Vice President Alex Ekwueme who will be buried on Saturday.”

    The statement added, “The summit, scheduled to hold on February 1 and 5 at the Banquet Hall of the State House was to be declared open by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “A statement by the chairman of the Chairman, Senate ad-hoc committee on review of security infrastructure who is also the Majority Leader, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, stated that the postponement was to honour the late former Vice President, and to also enable Federal legislators, particularly those from the South-East, participate fully in the burial programme of the late elder statement.

    “Lawan said a new date for the summit would be announced in due course, and extend the committee’s apology to the invited dignitaries.

    “The summit was organised to provide an all inclusive platform for heads of security and defence agencies, Governors, traditional rulers, socio-cultural groups, civil society organizations and others, with a view to finding solutions to acute and long term security challenges in the country.

    ”Though the now postponed summit was an initiative of the Senate as part of its contribution to the resolution of the rising security challenges, it is being convened in partnership with the Presidency to find a common solution to the issue.”

  • IPOB and election boycott

    SIR: The Biafran group has been flexing muscles in recent months with increasing popularity. The most convex moment thus far was its sit-at-home ultimatum in remembrance of those who died during the Biafran war. Though the federal government did its best to frustrate the sit-at-home exercise, the eventual mass compliance ought to appeal to every patriotic Nigerian. For the first time in a long time, there is an alternative voice to the corrupt oligarchy of the East—a voice capable of provoking the elusive political equipoise essential for effective democratic leadership in the region. How that alternative voice is deployed, moving forward, is the real gist of this piece.

    That brings us to the restated call for boycott of future elections in the Biafraland by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). This call is obviously jejune and thus condemnable. Even the political leaders of the South-east and the South-south, most of whom have continued to exploit the Biafran crisis to avoid prosecution from corrupt practices, have responded with an extraordinary display of displeasure, attempting to smash any semblance of support for the Biafran movement that they now claim they can no longer stomach because of its tawdry approach. But anyone in his or her right frame of mind believing that the Biafran activists do not have the capacity to undermine future elections in the region is viewing the current events from a blurring rear-view mirror.

    At the same time, the leaders of the Biafran agitation must be careful not to allow the movement to be wallowed in blind ballyhoo. For sure, the South-east and South-south have experienced unimaginable history of marginalization. Too much to catalog! But what must not escape the thinking faculty of the Biafran agitators is that the real enemy is within. There is no evil perfected against the region without the active connivance of the local politicians, particularly since the advent of the Fourth Republic where the Igbo and their South-south neighbors have basked in plum political positions.

    Therefore, rather than any boycott of elections or other grandiloquent threats, the leaders of the Biafran movement can capitalize on its reigning popularity among the masses to begin to model the change envisioned under Biafra as a sovereign state. The forthcoming Anambra State election is a timely opportunity. For instance, a simple scan of the list of the major candidates currently gunning to govern Anambra State, of all places, are well-known overnight billionaires whose wealth are directly traced to looting of development projects in the area or others who see gross societal indiscipline and misconduct as a core cultural value.

    This is squarely where and when IPOB ought to step in and wield its influence towards the desired change. Instead of dwelling on past leaders or boycott of elections, this moment calls for the Biafran activists to employ all possible non-violent means to dislodge all corrupt and morally bankrupt candidates aspiring to lead Anambra State through the November 2017 elections.

    The leaders of IPOB must resist the temptation of romancing with the same corrupt politicians that are part and parcel of the problem in the first place. Plainly speaking, the Biafran agitators must not indulge in any dubious behavior that can lend credence to the swirling accusation that their struggle is no different from that of the current crop of politicians whose only aim in politics is to garner the qualifying attention to feather from any of the prime corrupt crumbs in the land.

    Like the IPOB, the ordinary Nigerian masses are against bad governance and injustice, however the shade. They are also anxiously yearning for true change in the country, and any sustained delay only goes to do more harm than good. IPOB, therefore, can gain wider support by embracing incremental change at every opportunity towards the greater good of the society while the debate for an independent state or other solutions can equally go on.

     

    • SKC Ogbonnia

    Houston, Texas, United States.

  • #NoBankingDay: Group calls for boycott of transactions on March 1

    #NoBankingDay: Group calls for boycott of transactions on March 1

    A coalition of consumer protection groups is set to rally customers against banks over excessive charges.

    The group,  at a briefing in Lagos, fixed Tuesday, March 1, as a #NoBankingDay, urging bank customers not to visit any banking hall, or use their ATM cards, or log in to any online banking platform, transfer any money through their phones, tablets, or laptops, or make any POS or online payments or issue or present any cheque on that day.

    The coalition, under the aegis of Nigerian Consumer Protection Associations (CONCA), consisting of Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON), Market Ombudsman, Consumer Empowerment Association of Nigeria (CEON), Consumer Rights Project (CRP), National Association of Telecommunication Subscribers (NATCOMMS) and United Consumers Association of Nigeria (UCAN), among others, urged customers  to heed the call and protest against unsatisfactory services, transactions and contractual terms.

    According to the President of CAFON, Mrs. Sola Salako, March 1, has been set aside as a day banking customers should avoid transactions as a way ot ptotesting against excessive charges and other negligent activities od bank.

    She said despite the CBN rules, abolished fees were being reintroduced, hence the need for total reversal of the multiple charges in the banks.

    “ATM withdrawals that were free 2 years ago, now cost N65 on third withdrawals (many banks even start charging from the first withdrawal!). We pay N1000 for debit card issuance and renewals (this has just been increased by between N200-500 by some banks without any form of notice though it is free in many countries),” she said.

    On the ATM management charges of N100 by the banks at the end of the year, she stated further consumers really want to know how banks ‘maintain’ debit cards already issued to them which they had already been charged N1000 when issued.

    “Then there is an Annual Debit Card Maintenance Fee N100. Even consumers who did not request for, or have never collected debit cards from some banks, are charged all these fees. On services they never used?” she stated.

    On online transfer charges, she said consumers pay N105 for every online transfer yet those same transactions were subjected to COT up until January 2016. “Just when we were going to start enjoying zero fees on current accounts, CBN reintroduces COT under a new guise as Monthly Account Maintenance Charge of N1/mille. This charge was levied by default on ALL consumers without the chance to negotiate according to CBN directive. Why must consumers pay double charges on every transaction? Contrary to global understanding of the fact that a Savings Account is usually a no-fee account, banks in Nigeria now deduct various fees from consumer savings accounts!  How will consumers be encouraged to save money with the banks?,” she said.

    On the Stamp Duty charges, she said: “A new Stamp Duty charge of N50 on every credit of over N1000 has just been introduced. While we recognis e the need for the FG to raise IGR in view of the current economic realities of our nation, there are legal issues on the validity of the levy. On our part, we question the fairness of a flat levy of N50 on deposits of N1000 or more. A student who receives an allowance of N2000 pays the same amount as a rich man who receives a deposit of N10m! So the student is technically paying more taxes than the rich man. That is inequitable and unfair thus requires an immediate review.”

    “We have endured excessive charges, unexplainable fees and unfair contracts that only protect the banks but do not protect the consumers. Banks debit consumers’ accounts at will for charges we never agreed to or were not aware of; they charge us for EVERYTHING; we pay to get our statements; introduction letters; debit cards, and now, some banks are charging N210 for the use of deposit and transfer forms in their branches!” said Salako.

  • Ondo lawyers boycott new legal year actvities

    Ondo lawyers boycott new legal year actvities

    •CJ must go, they insist

    The crisis between the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in Ondo State  and the Chief Judge, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, deepened yesterday.

    Lawyers boycotted activities marking the 2015 Legal Week in Akure, the state capital.

    The aggrieved lawyers earlier embarked on a six-month strike, accusing Justice Kumuyi of taxing them “heavily”.

    The lawyers, who called for Justice Kumuyi’s removal, alleged that he had commercialised the Judiciary.

    They threatened to continue boycotting all court activities presided over by the chief judge until he leaves.

    The lawyers said the chief judge introduced some unlawful policies, making it difficult for lawyers to operate.

    Speaking with reporters, the NBA chairman in Akure, Kayode Dare, said the Judiciary was now a money-making organ for the government.

    “Environmental fine that is supposed to be affordable at N500 is now N10,000.

    ‘’Many are languishing in jail because they can’t afford that money,” he said.

    Dare lamented that over 60 magistrates appointed by Justice Kumuyi were operating from rented apartments.

    The NBA chairman called for Justice Kumuyi’s removal by the National Judicial Council (NJC), on the strength of the petitions against him.

    A lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele, said the Judiciary had been polluted, adding that Justice Kumuyi is not fit to be a chief judge as most of his actions were unconstitutional.

    The lawyer said: “There is no separation of power in Ondo State, as the Judiciary seems to have been merged with the executive and totally commercialised.

    “Justice Kumuyi has disobeyed the NJC and the order of the executive has become our court rule.”

  • Rectors may boycott firms for discrimination against HND holders

    The Committee of Heads (COHEADS) of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology are set to tackle discrimination against polytechnic graduates in  the private sector.

    Rector of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Dr Abdulazeez Lawal, said the Committee had resolved to withdraw businesses from organisations such as banks and insurance companies.

    Reacting to the HND/BSc dichotomy during a press conference ahead of the institution’s 23rd Convocation, Lawal said: “We are looking at how to close the gap. One of the agitation of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) was the dichotomy issue. Government has set up a panel and we are expecting the report.

    “At COHEADS level, we also deliberated on this and noted that the discrimination is not peculiar to public service. Some private institutions also discriminate.

    “We have decided to take a number of steps. Where we see such clear discrimination, like in the banks or insurance sector, we may not patronise them again. We will withdraw our funds.”

    Lawal said though polytechnics have been scrapped in many developed countries they can still function effectively in Nigeria without discrimination.

    “As we are moving in line with theory, the university will conduct research, give us the outcome and then we translate them into innovation. And that is why polytechnics will remain. All we need is for government to remove the discrimination,” he said.

    At today’s convocation, 7,022 full-time and part-time students who have undergone National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes would graduate from the polytechnic.

    The Rector said they would be presented with their certificates same day – a first in the history of the 37-year old institution. The convocation would serve as the last to be convened by the rector, whose four-year tenure ends in June.

    Lawal said the polytechnic expanded in terms of programmes, facilities and improved on welfare and manpower development.  Regarding facilities, the rector said a lot of renovations and constructions have been done on the three campuses of the institution in Ikorodu, Isolo and Surulere.

    He added that with the increment in the number of lecturers sponsored for their PhDs locally and internationally, the academic culture of the polytechnic is set to further improve.

    Activities to mark the convocation included: prayer sessions for the graduands, convocation lecture, and variety show.

     

  • Enyimba to boycott Akwa Utd tie

    Enyimba to boycott Akwa Utd tie

    Supersport.com can confirm that none of Enyimba’s old players numbering about 20 will feature against Akwa United.

    Enyimba are expected to host the Promise Keepers in Sunday’s match day 1 clash of the Glo Premier League season at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba.

    An influential player who pleaded anonymity said his teammates have decided to boycott the season’s first match to protest non-payment of their sign on fee as well as match bonuses.

    “We, the old players are on strike, we stopped training on Wednesday to protest management refusal to pay us the remainder of last season sign on fee as well as 15 match bonuses.

    “We’ve decided to stay away from the encounter against Akwa United on Sunday in Aba.

    “We chose this path to awaken the management to their responsibility to the players, we reasoned that if we didn’t insist on no pay no play the management won’t take us serious and will continue to treat us as fools.

    “I can assure you that all the old players are united on this course and have resolved to remain steadfast until we receive 100% payment.

    “Management promised to pay off the indebtedness before the continental game against the Beninese side, Buffles du Borgou.

    “We showed unusual understanding by playing the game without a dime thereafter nobody from the management has shown up with the outstanding entitlements.

    “The new players are the ones training and are most likely to prosecute the match against Akwa United.

    “Management does not owe the new ones so they don’t have any reason not to play the match.

    “We wish them the very best in the encounter but we’re not going to play any part in game except the management makes a u-turn between now and match day to pay us off,” said the unnamed source to supersport.com.

    Chairman of the club, Felix Anyansi-Agwu was not available for comment on the players position.

    The People’s Elephant have crucial CAF Champions League clash against the Egyptian side, Smouha Sporting Club in the weekend of March 13-15 while the reverse fixture holds in Alexandria, Egypt at the weekend of April 3-5.

  • Rivers community threatens polls boycott for lack of devt

    Rivers community threatens polls boycott for lack of devt

    The residents of sunlight estate in Umuegbule community of Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State are not happy with the government. They described lack of government’s presence in the area as “intentional abandonment” and are threatening to boycott the March 28 and April 11 general elections unless they are assuranced that their plight would improve.

    During a protest last week, property owners in the area narrated how they are developing the area without government’s assistance.  They said despite the huge revenue the local government has been collecting from the occupants of the area nothing much has been done to improve the condition.

    The President of the Estate, Prince Iyke Nwkeji said the estate was a bush when they relocated to the area due to high cost of rent in Port Harcourt metropolis. He said government has not done anything in the area rather it was the efforts of the landlords that made them to have access roads and streets, light and water.

    He said, “We came here to build a house of our own because we could no longer cope with incessant increase of house rents in Port Harcourt city. Even a plot of land in Port Harcourt was on the high side. So when we came here the place was better and affordable. Today you can see that many people are now relocating here because we have made a sacrifice to develop the area, though we still have challenges facing us.

    one of the streets being constructed by the landlords“The major challenges now which we have been begging the local government and the state government is how to assist us tar the roads and streets.  We have done the right thing by creating those roads. It is left for the government who are collecting revenue in the area to come and assist us. This area is part of Rivers State, I don’t see the reason why government will abandoned us here without any government presence. You need to visit us here during the raining season to see how the people of the area are suffering.

    “On the effort to end flood in the area, we have contributed close to N10million; constructing water reserve in the area because when it rains even vehicles will find it difficult to drive out, school children will be forced to stay back at home. That is the situation we find ourselves, we are tired of asking people to contribute it is not easy collecting the money from residents.  In fact, some people in the area don’t comply with excuses that they don’t have. And you can’t force somebody who doesn’t have to pay a levy.”

    Mrs. Chiyere Nduka, one of the residents of the area said there problem is flood, “if government could help us with this yearly nightmare experience we will be happy. Our problem here is flood. When it rains the whole place will be flooded including people’s compound. This major road leading to the   express is the worst, we thank the youths in the area who sometimes volunteered to cross school children out of the water during this period. We want government to assist us so that we could enjoy the presence of government in the area.”

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Estate, Mr. Okey Obianagha said many politicians have been visiting them and promising to come to their aid yet none of their promises have been fulfilled. He noted that this time around the residents of the area would boycott the elections if there is no sign of seriousness on the side of the candidates campaigning in the area.

    “We wrote several letters to the chairman of Etche Local Government, we also wrote a letter to the Ministry of Works, copied to Rivers State government. One thing is certain, we have our Permanent Voters Card (PVC) so will decide whether to cast our votes or not. We are tired of unfulfilled promises.”

     

  • Biafran group urges elections boycott

    The Biafra Zionists Movement (BZM) has urged Ndigbo to boycott the elections.

    It said the action became necessary, following the refusal of a Federal High Court in Enugu to grant bail to 11 pro-Biafra activists standing treason trial.

    Addressing reporters in Enugu yesterday, the BZF National Chairman, Comrade Onyia Cyril, said any harm done to the detained members was a harm on Ndigbo.

    He enjoined the Igbo not to participate in the polls as a show of solidarity with the activists.

    According to him, “they have been in custody not because they are pursuing a selfish cause, but for demanding the liberation of Ndigbo.

    “We urge the Igbo not to participate in the elections. This is the only honour they can do to these great patriots.”

    Onyia, who faulted the reasons given by the court, noted: “It is surprising that the court refused them bail on the grounds that they may cause security breach during this period. It is surprising because the BZF does not believe in violence, neither does it associate with any violent body. We can never disrupt any election, although we shall abstain from voting.

    “We advise the Federal Government to intervene and ensure that these harmless freedom fighters are released.

    “In our fight for freedom, we have never and will never take up arms against the state. Everything we are doing is within the ambit of international laws and treaties.”

    He urged the Amnesty International and the United Nations to intervene in what he called “the use of federal might and power against lawful Biafrans”.

    A Federal High Court in Enugu last Thursday refused to grant the bail application filed on behalf of the BZF leader, Benjamin Onwuka, a lawyer and 10 others.