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Tag: Federal Capital Territory

  • Alaghodaro 2018: Obaseki rallies top executives at NESG 24

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that his commitment to human development in the state stems from the desire to groom a repertoire of human capital that will not only drive the local economy but also compete favourably with their peers across the world for opportunities in the coming decades.

    Governor Obaseki disclosed this in discussions with top business executive on the side-lines of the 24th edition of the Nigeria Economic Summit, holding in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja, themed: Poverty to Prosperity; Making Governance and Institutions Work.

    The governor, who will be marking his second year in office in November, was at the event to among other things, rally top business executives for the Alaghodaro Summit holding in Benin City next month, with a theme that is focused on Edo People.

    The governor engaged with top members of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, which is a private sector think-tank that stimulates conversations around public policy and economic reform.

    Read Also: Obaseki’s aide resigns, joins PDP

    According to him, “We are harping on skills acquisition and vocational education to ensure that the people are equipped with the right skills to contribute to the economy.  We are also focused on basic education and are investing in it through the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme. We are partnering with a technology company to deliver quality education using technology in schools.”

    He said, “After the first school term of the programme, we have seen significant changes and improvement in the performance of students and the ease with which they comprehend instructions.

    “Over half a million students are to benefit from the Edo-BEST programme and over 7000 teachers have been trained and are currently teaching pupils in 612 schools across the state.”

    The governor explained that the state government has, through its skills development platform EdoJobs, trained youth on digital skills, prepping them for jobs and to create solution to society’s problems using digital tools.

    This is in addition to a number of reforms in the civil service to make working in government attractive and dignifying, with the renovation of new office blocks, prompt payment of salaries, and an open governance system.

  • FG sets up group to monitor rights abuses in detention centres

    The practice where detained suspects are subjected to inhuman treatment and kept in unhealthy environment may soon be an offence as a committee has been set up to monitor detention centres nationwide to ensure that detainees’ rights are protected.

    The Chairman, Presidential Committee on Prisons De-congestion and Reform (PCPDR), Justice Ishaq Bello disclose this in Abuja on Thursday while inaugurating a working group to monitor the implementation of Section 34 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

    Section 34 of the ACJA requires a Chief Magistrate to, among others, pay periodic visits to detention facilities to ascertain the state of detainees and the conditions under which they are detained.

    Bello, who is also the Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said: “We are concerned about the way detainees are treated and the condition under which they are kept.”

    He said the challenge of lack of access to legal representation by the poor detainees also contributes to congestion in prisons.

    Read Also: Human rights abuses remain unreported, says Centre

    Bello noted that the problem was prevalent in states like Kebbi, Yobe and Sokoto states where many detainees are unable to procure the services of lawyers. He urged the Legal Aid Council (LAC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to provide pro bono (free legal services to the poor detainees.

    He added: “As a country we have to continue to try to measure up to international standard and best practices. It is my hope that the inauguration of the working group births the change we want to see in the observance of human rights of persons in police stations and other detention centres.

    “Police stations and detention centres across states should be ACJA compliant. This working group will also act as a monitoring mechanism and also enhance transparency on what goes on in these detention centres.

    “Finally, this working group is being tasked to come up with strategies for the effective implementation of this project. The proposed police stations visit will provide a platform to introduce a Legal Advice Scheme to ensure that suspects and victims have access to free legal advice, and that they are kept in humane conditions as the ACJA anticipates,” Bello said.

  • Court awards N1m to farmer for unlawful arrest and detention

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Jabi has awarded a farmer Mr Samuel Dozo for an unlawful arrest and detention by the police.

    However Mr Dozo had sued the police for violation of his fundamental human right.

    His lawyer Mr Adolphus Okoro told the court that the police unlawfully arrested and detaining him on the 28th of March in a special anti-robbery cell without  trial and also demanded the sum of N70,000.

    Read Also: Wike urged to respect court judgment on 255 workers

    Justice Nasiru Meru in her ruling on Tuesday said continued detention of the applicant without trial is illegal and that he should be charged to court immediately without delay.

    She added “I hereby award the sum of N1m to the applicant as exemplary damages for his fundamental human right”

  • Lagos retains highest foreign debt portfolio – DMO

    Lagos State, the commercial nerve-center of Nigeria, has retained its position as the state with the highest foreign debt in the country, with a foreign debt put at 1.45 billion dollars as at June 30.

    A document obtained from the Debt Management Office (DMO), on Wednesday in Abuja, titled: ‘States, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Federal Governments’ External Debt Stock as at June 30, 2018,’ also detailed other states’ external debts.

    The document also stated that the external debt stock of the entire nation stood at 22 billion dollars with the Federal Government incurring 17.8 billion dollars, while the states and the FCT owed 4.28 billion dollars.

    This means that the Federal Government accounts for 81 per cent of the country’s external debt, while the states and the FCT account for 19 per cent.

    As at Dec. 31, 2017, Lagos State also had the highest foreign debt portfolio 1.47 billion dollars, but the figure reduced to 1.45 billion dollars by June 30.

    Following Lagos in a distant second is Edo, which incurred 279 million dollars.

    Others are Kaduna, 232.9 million dollars; Cross River, 193.7 million dollars; Bauchi, 134.9 million dollars and Enugu, 127.9 million dollars.

    Read Also:No cause for alarm over Nigeria’s N22.7t debt profile’

    According to the DMO, other top debtors are Anambra owing 107.4 million dollars; Oyo, 106.34 million dollars; Ogun, 105.3 million dollars; Osun, 101.5 million dollars and Abia with 100.2 million dollars.

    Following closely are Ekiti with 97.9 million dollars; Ondo with 81.4 million dollars; Rivers, 79.5 million dollars; Ebonyi, 67.9 million dollars; Kano, 65 million dollars; Katsina, 64.7 million dollar and Delta, 63.8 million dollars.

    The statement also revealed that Imo incurred 61.2 million dollars; Nassarawa, 61.4 million dollars; Adamawa, 57.8 million dollars; Niger, 55.7 million dollars; and Bayelsa with 57.2 million dollars.

    Others are Akwa Ibom with 48.3 million dollars; Kebbi, 46.7 million dollars; Kwara, 49.8 million dollars and Sokoto with 40.2 million dollars.

    States with the lowest debt portfolio include Taraba, with 22.1 million dollars; Borno, 22.2 million dollars; Yobe, with 28.4 million dollars and Plateau with 29.6 million dollars.

    Others are Kogi, with 32.37 million dollars; Jigawa, 32.80 million dollars; FCT, 32.83 million dollars; Zamfara, 34.2 million dollars; Benue, 34.7 million dollars and Gombe, 38.5 million dollars.

    The Director-General of DMO, Ms Patience Oniha, had at a media conference on Aug. 14, said as at June 30, the nation’s public debt stock increased marginally by 3.01 per cent from that of Dec. 2017.

    “One of the beneficial outcomes is the re-balancing of the debt stock, the ratio of domestic debt to external debt inching towards the target of 60:40 and the target of 75:25 between long term domestic debt and short term domestic debt.

    According to the figures for June 30 released by the DMO, the ratio between domestic and external debt stood at 70 to 30 compared to 73 to 27 in Dec. 2017.

    Oniha said the ratio of 60 to 40 was important to ensure that the nation was not 100 per cent indebted externally, and that it was also easier to raise money domestically.

    Oniha also said the Federal Government had been borrowing from the external debt market to refinance maturing local debts because of the lower interest rates obtainable from foreign sources.

  • ‘How not to evacuate sex workers’

    Much as the sight of commercial sex workers, beggars and hawkers on the streets annoys the authorities in the nation’s capital, the operation to quit them should be done with utmost respect, Gbenga Omokhunu reports

    No fewer than 100 social workers have been drilled on standard operation procedures for apprehension and evacuation of people deemed unwelcome on the streets of Abuja.

    This is aimed at improving handling of people involved in commercial prostitution, street hawking and begging in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    In particular, the workers, mainly field officers and some members of the security, at the programme were comprehensively educated by resource persons drawn from different security formations, human rights groups, as well as trained and experienced social workers.

    The capacity building workshop organised by the FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS) through its Social Welfare Service Department was held at the FCT Exhibition Pavilion, adjacent the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja.

    Declaring the training open, SDS Secretary, Alhaji Oladmeji Ali Hassan said it was aimed at training the trainers to help reduce human rights abuses in the handling of destitute, prostitutes, hawkers and beggars constituting a nuisance in the FCT.

    Hassan, who was represented at the occasion by SDS’s Director of Admin and Finance, Alhaji Umar Marafar, disclosed that the Secretariat deemed it necessary to bring together all the security agents and social workers that are involved in curtailing the menace, so as to retrain them, in order to go and train others to improve in the way they handle those they apprehend around the city, in line with human rights regulations.

    He said, “Those involved in the menace are not criminals, but constitute nuisance in the nation’s capital, because there are mistakes made here and there in the apprehension and evacuation procedures, so whatever standard we are employing must be in line with established Human rights.”

    Earlier in her welcome address, Director, Social Welfare, Felicia Nwogu, explained that the capacity building was conceived as a result of experiences on the field in apprehending hawkers, beggars, and commercial sex workers among others on the streets.

    Describing the menace as a vicious circle, as perpetrators seemly remain unfazed even after consistent apprehension and sensitisation on the dangers of engaging in such nefarious activities, the Director reiterated that the government would not relent on its efforts to curb the scourge.

    She said, “Over time there have been incidences of accusations of abuses from human rights activists that these people are not criminals, which is the truth, but they constitute nuisance on the streets of FCT, however they  should be treated with respect and dignity.

    ”And we know that the Present FCT Administration has already placed zero tolerance on such issues (activities) beggars, hawkers as well as commercial sex workers are not supposed to litter the streets, thereby not only constituting nuisance, but also security threat.

    “Our officers directly involved in the apprehension and evacuation of these people should be able to apply the standard human right principles in the discharge of their assigned mandate.”

  • Court voids cleric’s suspension

    a High Court of the Federal Capital territory (FCT) in Bwari, Abuja has voided the suspension of Revd Nicholas Anyanwu as the District Superintendent of the Abuja District of the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria.

    Justice O. A. Musa, in a judgment, also declared as unlawful and a nullity all processes leading the suspension of Rev. Anyanwu by some of the church’s leaders, without affording him the opportunity of fair hearing as guaranteed under Section 36 of the Constitution.

    The judgment was on a fundamental rights enforcement suit, marked: FCT/HC/CV/1889/2014, filed by Anyanwu against his suspension by a group of senior members of the church, led by Rev. Chidi Okoroafor (Assistant General Superintendent), who accused him, among others, of mismanaging the church’s funds.

    The applicant stated that Okoroafor and some other senior members of the church accused Anyanwu of mismanaging the church’s funds in 2014 and proceeded to set up an investigative panel, which claimed to have investigated the allegations and gave a guilty verdict against the applicant, a decision he challenged by the suit.

    Anyanwu, who faulted the church leaders’s decision to constitute an administrative panel to investigate the criminal allegations raised against him, also accused the panel and the church of denying him the right to fair hearing and to present his case.

    In his judgment, given last July 5, a copy of which The Nation sighted on Saturday, Justice Musa held that he was convinced that the applicant has proved his case.  He added: “To this end, I disagree with the submissions of the respondents and dismissed same and therefore enter judgment for the applicant.”

    Justice Musa proceeded to grant all the applicant’s reliefs and prayers. He declared that the allegations of mismanagement of funds, stealing and/or conversion of church funds made against the applicant by the respondents constitute criminal offences for which the applicant ought to be tried before a court of competent jurisdiction.

    The judge also declared that by the provision of Section 36(1) of the Constitution, the allegations of criminal offences against the applicant could only be tried by a competent court and not by an administration panel of inquiry or investigative panel set up by the respondents.

    He said the applicant, by virtue of Section 36(5) of the Constitution, is presumed innocent of all the allegations made against him by the respondents, and on which he is yet to be tried and found guilty by a competent court.

    Justice Musa, who voided the findings and recommendation of the investigative panel, declared as illegal the May 16, 20014 decision of the respondents, made “at the Abuja East District Headquarters, Area 11, Garki, Abuja purportedly suspending the applicant as the District Superintendent of the Abuja District of the Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria.”

    The judge also declared illegal the subsequent oral public announcement, of the applicant’s suspension, through the various pastors of the Assemblies of God Church in Abuja on May 18, 2014. He awarded N2 million against the respondents and in favour of the applicant for the malicious publication of the purported suspension in a national daily.

    Anyanwu said he was grateful to God for vindicating him. He said he had forgiven those behind his ordeal, who were bent on destroying his reputation. He assured that he would persist in his service in God’s vineyard and continue to pray for the good of all.

  • Group secures freedom for indigent detainees

    An Abuja-based rights advocacy group, Stand for Rights Initiative (SRi) has, within the last five months secured, on free legal services basis (pro bono), the release of about six indigent detainees held in various prisons on different criminal charges.

    The latest of such detainees is 25-year-old Babangida Usman, who was arrested in April by policemen where he was hawking sachet water around Nyanya, Abuja.

    He was initially detained at the Nyanya police station and was later transferred to Keffi prison in Nasarawa State after he was taken before the Chief Magistrate Court, Karu, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), accused of “indecent exposure,” in a charge marked; CR/02/2018.

    Executive Director and head of SRi, Sunday Essienekak said when the Usman’s case was brought to his group’s notice, it found that “Babangida was brought to the court by the state and abandoned him’’.

    “He was remanded in custody, and for several times, the prosecution did not show up in court. So we applied for his case to be struck out and Chief Magistrate O. Oyeyipoagreed with us and struck out the case and order his release on June 13 this year for want of prosecution.”

    Essienekakalso cited the case of Bello Waziri, who was arrested on November 20, 2015, for armed robbery and causing harm. Waziri was detained by the police until he was taken before Justice R. G. Soji of the High Court of Nasarawa State on December 12, 2016.

    “We found that since his arrest, detention and arraignment, the state did not call any witness. The prosecution said the police failed to release the case file. Justice Soji was later transferred and when a new judge was brought, the prosecution still failed to call its witnesses.

    “After spending three years in prison without trial, Justice H. M. Kabir, upon our application, discharged him on May 16, 2018 for want of diligent prosecution.

    Another lucky beneficiary of the pro bono legal services of SRi is 25-year old Joseph Daniel, who was arrested by the police in 2017 in Karu where he worked as a night guard in a bar. His female employer had complained to the police that he stole her gas cylinder.

    He was later remanded at Keffi prison after his arraignment because no one came forward to take him on bail.

    Essienekak said: “When we came into the case, we made a no-case submission after the prosecution closed its case. The trial Magistrate at the Karu Magistrate Court agreed with us and held that the prosecution failed to make out a prima facie case against Daniel to warrant him being called to enter defence.   The magistrate discharged and acquitted him on February 2, 2018.”

    Other cases are those of EffiongArchibong, Edwin Atsu and Julius Magaji. Magaji was kept in Keffi prison from 2015 on charges of armed robbery in a charge marked; NSD/LF/10c/2016. Upon the involvement of SRi,Magaji was discharged and acquittedon May 28, 2018 by Justice H. M. Kabir of the High Court on Nasarawa State for lack of diligent prosecution.

    Essienekak, who said he is motivated by the zeal to ensure access to justice and protection of human rights for all, particularly the poor, explained that his group has, since its incorporation in 2011 provided a wide range of pro bono legal services to over 300 indigent citizens.

  • Melaye accuses police of not releasing his passport

    The running battle between the Police and Senator Dino Melaye may be far from over.

    Melaye on Friday accused the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command of refusing to  release his international passport as ordered by the court.

    He said  that on July 25th, 2018, an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court ordered the Police to release his international passport to him following “a notice of discontinuance” filed by the prosecution in respect of charge  “No: CR/12/18” against him at  Magistrate Court Wuse Zone 2, Abuja.

    The Kogi West senator claimed that “the fragrant refusal of the Police to comply with the court order” to release his international passport amounts to contempt of court.

    He said that letters his lawyers wrote to the Police to retrieve the passport were not honoured by the FCT Police Command.

    Read Also: I was on top of tree for 11 hours – Melaye

    He noted that apart from the letters, his lawyer also went personally to the Police to retrieve the passport to no avail.

    Melaye who said that the Police earlier set a precedent when they released his passport to enable him go for medical treatment abroad, wondered what made the July 25th, 2018 order difficult for them to comply with.

    He said: “If a law enforcement agency will be the one breaking the law, how do you enforce the law? In a country under the rule of law, if an order of the court is given release this man’s passport, why would the court order not be obeyed. This buttresses the fact that the Police is still after me.

    “Since April 22nd, 2018 the Police withdrew my orderly. No politician has been so humiliated the way and manner I have been humiliated. The Police is still looking for me to arrest me over what I don’t know.

    “I want to restate that the Police can only kill and injure the flesh, they cannot kill the spirit. I remain strong.”

  • Tourism association holds annual meeting

    The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has confirmed that preparations are in top gear for its 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) which has been scheduled to hold on Wednesday, July 11 at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

    Speaking on this development, the President of FTAN, Alhaji Rabo Saleh, disclosed that the AGM Planning Committee is working on having a very successful and colourful AGM that is focused on strengthening the federation and consolidating on its gains over the years as well as on Nigerian tourism development and promotion.

    The non – elective AGM, he said, will be attended by all the federating associations and stakeholders from across the country and government officials with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, billed to deliver the keynote address.

    The theme for the one-day event, which is holding at Kapital Club and Apartments in Asokoro, is: Developing sustainable tourism through standardization and security, with papers to be presented by the Director General of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) and a director from the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

    Also expected are the director-generals and management teams of the various parastatals under the Ministry of Information and Culture and other MDAs, which include those of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and National Institute for Tourism and Hospitality (NIHOTOUR).

    One of the special features of the AGM is the presentation of the highest award and honour – Father of Nigeria Tourism — to Alabo Mike Amachree, who is the founder of Brooklyn Hotels and Port Harcourt Beach Resort among others. Cultural and musical entertainments will also feature alongside the business of day.

  • ‘Parents, teach your children Nigerian culture’

    There is a correlation between a country’s development profile and its language and culture.

    That seems to be the position of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC).

    The council has advised Nigerian parents to lay the foundation for national greatness by teaching their children the Nigerian language and culture.

    Director-General of NCAC Otunba Olusegun Runsewe said a people without a culture can never make progress because they are like a people without identity.

    Runsewe was speaking in Abuja at a children’s quiz and essay competition on Nigerian culture featuring about 100 pupils drawn from different primary and secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Runsewe said it is unfortunate that some schools don’t have culture clubs.

    He added that Edo State has insisted that every school must have a culture club which the agency has recommended to other states.

    He said, “There is no child that is not good at something, the child might be good in one area and not in the other, so we must check our strength in whatever we do with the youths.

    “I was very impressed on how our children were speaking their dialects today, which we know is not easy in our Nigeria of today.

    “Do you know before, if two Hausa men were having an argument and a traditional ruler passes, the quarrel ends because they will listen to the traditional ruler. These are our cultural values which we are losing. It is unfortunate that some schools don’t have cultural clubs. Edo state recently insisted that every school must have a cultural club which we are recommending to other states.

    “One thing you can never leave behind is your culture, a people without a culture can never make progress, it is like a people without identity. People talk of corruption and I have a solution, we went to visit EFCC with the management and I told the chairman that one of the reasons is when somebody steals money in our society, they call him and give him a title, are we not encouraging criminality?

    “This country used to be one of the greatest countries with no criminality and living together as one but now tribalism has changed it, we need to give orientation to our children when they are young. We need to build a better today for a greater tomorrow.”

    At the event, 14-year-old Lawrence Rita from Junior Secondary School Tudun Wada, Wuse Zone 4, said, “I started learning to speak my language from my mum at age eight and now I speak very well. To me, it is very good to speak your language because you might have a visitor at home and your mother wants to say something to you, in order for the visitor not to know what she is saying, she will use your dialect which is better.”

    Ten-year-old Egbuobi Lancelot, a Basic Five pupil of Solid Rock Academy Kubwa, Abuja told The Nation: “I learnt to speak Igbo from my mother, I love my culture, if you see an Igbo man walk pass, you will know because of the dressing, the way they speak, dance and eat. My school encourages me to speak my language a lot especially on cultural days.”

    Another student from Kubwa, 13-year-old Ahmadu Victor from Government Secondary School Kubwa said, “I speak my language fluently and I learned it from my mom, she always speaks it to us, now because of that, I am able to communicate with people of the same ethnic group and I like it because when I go to a new place and speak my language, I might find a person that speaks my language, identify with the person and make a new friend.

    “Although it is good to speak English since it is the official language of Nigeria which will be helpful when you go out but we need to preserve our own culture because whatever you do not preserve will go into extinction. To prevent it, kids need to be taught their languages. They could speak the language at home and learn English in school.”