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  • SANs to Malami: obey all court orders

    A 20-man group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) under the aegis of the Justice Reform Project (JRP) has urged Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami (SAN) not to pick and choose which court orders to obey.

    They said disobeying some orders purportedly in “public interest” violates the constitution.

    The SANs said Malami’s powers are circumscribed by the constitution, and he cannot depart from it under any guise.

    In a statement by its convener Charles Adeyemi Candide-Johnson (SAN), JRP urged Malami to ensure that the Buhari administration makes the obedience of court orders its watchword.

    The group said it felt compelled to call out Malami in view of his comments during his Senate screening.

    JRP recalled that Malami’s response to a question as to why the government flouts some court orders.

    The AGF said they were disobeyed in public interest, adding that it was his duty to protect the overall rights of Nigerians which he claims overrides the need to respect individual liberties.

    Read Also: Fed Govt committed to unhindered access to justice, says Malami

    JRP said: “Mr Malami is wrong. It is not the right or power of the Attorney-General to determine legal rights and to pick and choose which he will respect or not. To assert such a right or power threatens the very constitution and the rule of law.

    “If an individual or a group breaks the law or threatens national security or public order, it is the duty of the Attorney-General to build a compelling case and then present it to the constitutional adjudicator.

    “This official cannot be accuser, prosecutor and then judge at the same time.

    “If any single minister or group of ministers can secretly determine what is in the public interest and enforce such assumed public interest by defying due and legal process, then every single Nigerian is at risk of arbitrary power.

    “If any minister can determine that he can abuse or discard court process, even after himself invoking the power of the courts, then he can abort every other constitutional guarantee in turn.

    “JRP, therefore, considers it expedient to state that no matter the apparent flaws in our judicial system, it remains the bastion of our democracy that all court orders must be respected by every Nigerian citizen.”

    The SANs emphasised that no person or authority is superior to the constitution and therefore Malami should not undermine the sanctity of court orders.

  • Oyetola seeks France’s support on vocational education

    Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has solicited the support of France in the development of vocational education to tackle unemployment in the state.

    Oyetola made the request when France Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Jerome Pasquier, and his team, paid a courtesy visit to the governor on Tuesday in Osogbo.

    The governor said that the support of France in vocational education would assist the state in producing more people with business skills who would be self-employed.

    “The conventional education as good as it is does not give skills.

    “We are turning out so many graduates who are not skilled and that is why we are looking at training more people to acquire skills, and in turn set up their own businesses,” the governor said.

    Oyetola, who noted that white collar jobs were no longer available, said it was not possible for government alone to absorb all unemployed youths.

    Read Also: Oyetola to Osun people: I will prioritise health

    “How many people can the government employ with the dwindling revenue? The era of white collar jobs is going.

    “And that is why we need your support in vocational education through which people can acquire skills without necessarily looking for white collar jobs.

    “When people acquire vocational skills, they will create jobs, employ people and also sustain their lives,” he said.

    The governor said that the state government was trying its best in helping people to acquire vocational skills in all its nine vocational colleges across the state.

    He also sought for more support in the area of mining, agriculture and tourism.

    The governor commended France for its support in the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP1and2) in the state.

    Oyetola disclosed that the $15 million granted to the state by France with additional $45 million by the World Bank had helped the state to cover the entire state under the initiative

    .The governor said a letter from the World Bank confirming the state as the best in terms of project implementation was enough evidence for the state to be considered for the third phase of the programme.

    Earlier in his remarks, Pasquier had commended the state government for its good track record in the implementation of RAMP 1 and 2 programme.

    The Ambassador said France would always be ready to support Osun government in the area of culture, economy and education among others.

    “My job as France Ambassador is to develop good relationship between France and Nigeria, and not only in Abuja and Lagos but in all the states, including Osun,” Pasquier said.

  • Amnesty programme and matters arising 

    It is a sad commentary that the Niger Delta people face the paradox of having an amazing wealth in crude oil but are buffeted by a whirlwind that has choked genuine efforts to turn around the situation in a region that is bare in human capital and infrastructural development.

    Ironically, parochial interests, greed and an unbridled sense of entitlement have beclouded sound reasoning of some persons who claim to be leaders of the region and possess a monopoly of knowledge on how to run interventionist agencies established by the Federal Government to address developmental challenges.

    For these elements, there is no line between darkness and light; morality or absurdity. What is paramount is the means to acquisition of illicit wealth, power and fame, not the common interest of the Niger Delta people whose balloon of hope they’ve consistently deflated whenever it was inflated.

    That is the scenario being enacted in their desperation to take over the office of Prof. Charles Dokubo, Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, whose unblemished integrity they’ve unsuccessfully been trying to blur with tar. My worry, however, is that the drama has taken an absurd dimension.

    Recently, an online portal notorious for blackmail and promotion of fake news on Amnesty Programme published an “exclusive” report that Prof, Dokubo had fled the country to the United States “after being implicated in an N23billion looting under the cover of the National Security Adviser, Gen. Babagana Monguno”, who it alleged, was his godfather.

    The news portal claimed its investigations revealed that the presidency had asked Prof. Dokubo to prepare his hand-over notes and hand over to the most senior civil servant in the Amnesty Office, but the NSA advised Prof. Dokubo to escape the prying eyes of security operatives and go into hiding in the US.

    It further said the presidency was concerned with security reports detailing fraudulent contracts and payments of over N10billion and the looting of the Boro Town Amnesty Programme training facility in Bayelsa State to cover up N13billion fraudulent contracts. It summed up that a total of N23billion Amnesty funds were looted between 2018 and 2019.

    These are lies sponsored and recycled overtime by self-styled leaders to distract Prof. Dokubo from working to achieve the objectives for which the Programme was initiated, except for the recent addition that he had fled the country; when, in fact, he travelled to the Washington DC on official duty after being duly cleared for the trip by the authorities.

    It turned out to be an unfortunate outing for the purveyors of fake news who were unaware that Dokubo had returned to Nigeria on the day the “exclusive” was splashed on PointblankNews, which has elevated junk journalism to a nauseating level. As a face-saving measure, the publishers deleted the report from the news portal same day to befuddle undiscerning members of the public, in a clear case of mischief.

    That was a misadventure in which the purveyors had a bloodied nose and quickly needed a pad to clean up. So they went to town the next day, September 3, with another fabricated report that Prof. Dokubo had laundered over N5billion in two Turkish banks in connivance with three senior management staff of the Amnesty Programme, including the directors of Administration, Procurement, and Legal Adviser.

    The report also claimed that investigation on the case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been stalled because Dokubo is a nominee of the NSA, General Monguno, who is also the godfather of the acting chairman of EFCC. It further claimed that companies registered and owned by some of President Muhammadu Buhari’s principal aides and leaders of the All Progressive Congress, were awarded fraudulent contracts at the Amnesty Programme.

    But it fell short of expectation on ethical standards as no mention was made of the two banks in Turkey where the alleged sum of N5billion was laundered and how it was perpetrated, neither were other details of alleged contract scams provided.

    Rather than indulging in concoction of fake news in furtherance of their smear campaign against Prof. Dokubo with the objective of removing him from office, the purveyors might have earned for themselves, an inch of credibility (if there was any left for them), if only they had done a bit of checks and cross-checking of what was availed them as facts.

    That way, they would have known that the unfortunate incident of vandalization and looting of the Amnesty Programme Vocational Training Centre at Kaiama, Bayelsa State by hoodlums in February, this year, had been under investigation by security agencies, particularly the Police, which has concluded its assignment and submitted a report to the appropriate authorities. I hope that the findings will be made public soon to put to rest the chain of fallacy churned out as exclusive news on that incident.

    I have no doubt that discerning and well-meaning Niger Deltans and Nigerians are conscious of their ignoble role to please their paymasters by discrediting Prof. Dokubo. Which is why, reports celebrated on the portal in recent times are mainly about Dokubo and the Amnesty Programme.

    It is unfortunate that they have gone a step further by dragging the names of respected top government officials who have no business with the Amnesty Programme in the mud, in a desperate bid to get at Dokubo. My prayer is that his detractors will soon come to terms with the futility of their actions and succumb to the supremacy of the will of God, the Almighty. No human should play God.

    • Ganagana is Special Assistant (Media), to the Coordinator, Amnesty Programme

  • Ethiopian PM, Tinubu win African democracy award

    Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the National Stalwart of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu have won African Democracy Award for their efforts to grow democracy and good governance on the continent.

    The award was conferred on them at the 4th Africa Political Summit and Diamond Awards in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, where the two political figures were hailed for their huge commitments to democracy, freedom of speech and socioeconomic and political developments of their countries.

    The award was the highlight of a three-day conference on Campaign Financing and Elections in Africa, an initiative of the Association of Political Consultants – (APC) Africa, a body peopled by top political consultants from across the continent.

    “This award serves to recognise and encourage icons of democracy and good governance in Africa. It has been our culture to celebrate those political figures who have done a lot to promote democracy in their respective countries,” Kehinde Bamigbetan, President of APC Africa, said in a speech at the ceremony.

    Bamigbetan described Abiy as an outstanding leader who has done a lot to strengthen democracy, human rights, press freedom and peace in East Africa.

    He cited his leniency towards Ethiopian political dissidents, his respect for and olive branch to the opposition, and his peace efforts with Eritrea and other neighbours.

    “The Prime Minister won this award because of the tremendous works he has done in Ethiopia since he came on board. He opened up the political space and freed dissidents who were in jail. We also believe that a leader who has done so much to broker peace in Sudan deserves to be recognised,” Bamigbetan said.

    He said the decision to recognise Asiwaju Tinubu followed his longstanding commitment to democracy and human rights – alongside his political shrewdness that has seen him and other opposition elements defeat the then ruling party in Nigeria, and his contributions to democratic growth in other African countries.

    “Asiwaju is a political figure whose impacts have been felt not just in Nigeria, especially with the historic election of President Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of the opposition APC, but across many countries in Africa. He has continued to work to deepen democracy and good governance,” Bamigbetan said.

    Firayad Mahmud, who received the award on behalf of the Prime Minister, thanked the organisers of the event and said the recognition would spur Abiy to continue to work for democracy, human rights and peace.

    Asiwaju Tinubu, who was represented by Alhaji Mutiu Are, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council in Lagos State, said the award was an incentive for him to continue to work for representative democracy and good governance in Nigeria and elsewhere on the continent.

    “I do not take this award for granted. It is a challenge to continue to do more,” he said, commending the Lagos contingent to the conference.

    The conference, which began on Monday, drew participants and speakers from across Anglophone and Francophone African and European countries, including serving and former government spokespeople and functionaries.

    They included President of the European Association of Political Consultants, Igor Mintusov; President of the International Association of Political Consultants, Mehmet Ural; Board member of the European Association of Political Consultants, Dr. Reza Kazemi; Secretary-General of APC-Africa, Kipngeno Duncan Kirul (Kenya); Vice President of APC-Africa, Dianemonique Adjanoun (Benin Republic); former Information Commissioner in Ogun State, Kayode Samuel; former Lagos Information Commissioner, Steve Ayorinde; former Special Adviser on Communications in Osun State, Semiu Okanlawon; former Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Lagos State, Habib Aruna; Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kwara State, Rafiu Ajakaye; and top political consultant, Ms. Temitope Lakisokun; among others.

    The confab dwelt on new global trends in fundraising for elections, impacts of social media and technologies on campaign branding and merchandising, demographic trends among critical stakeholders and future of African democracies, among others.

  • CJN advises judges on transparency

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Mohammad, has advised judicial officers to always be transparent and uphold their oaths of office.

    Mohammad particularly urged judges of the Federal High Court, the court with the broadest jurisdiction among High Courts in the country, to redouble their efforts in view of the large volume of cases pending before the court.

    Represented by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu of the Court of Appeal, the CJN spoke yesterday in Abuja at the 35th annual judges’ conference of the Federal High Court.

    The CJN stressed the need for judges to always be transparent, live above board and be guided by their oath of office in the discharge of their responsibilities.

    The court’s acting Chief Judge (CJ), Justice John Tsoho, restated his plan to ensure that more judges were appointed for the court.

    The Federal High Court, with headquarters in Abuja and presence in all states of the federation, currently has 80 judges.

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    Justice Tsoho urged his fellow judges of the Federal High Court to improve on their efforts in a bid reduce the current high volume of pending cases.

    This, the acting CJ said, was necessary to bridge the existing gap pending the appointment of more judges.

    He hailed his predecessor, Justice Adamu Kafarati, for his thoughtfulness, which reflected in his directive to judges to be introspective in granting ex parte injunctions in pre-election matters before, during and after the last general elections.

    The directive and the way judges of the court adhered to it, Justice Tsoho noted, assisted the court in avoiding being linked with unnecessary controversies.

    The acting CJ, who said the conference was intended to prepare the judges for the task ahead, added that the court had engaged experts in various fields to interface with judges and to bring them up to date in most aspects of their operations.

    He said medical experts had also been engaged to counsel judges on health issues, which he noted were of great importance to all heads of courts.

    Justice Tsoho thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for considering him worthy of being appointed the court’s acting Chief Judge.

    He also hailed the CJN for his exemplary support to the Federal High Court.

    The acting CJ assured the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) and his colleagues of his commitment to duties with a pledge that he would not to let anyone down.

    Justice Tsoho also assured the nation that he would not be involved in anything that would make them regret their support for him.

  • JAMB Registrar gets Exam Ethics Africa Leadership Impact Award

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Exam Ethics Marshall International (EEMI), has voted the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, as winner of this year’s Exam Ethics Africa Leadership Impact Award.

    The organisation’s Founding Chairman Ike Onyechere announced this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja.

    Onyechere said that the independent award committee of EEMI unanimously voted Oloyede as the winner of the award, following assessments of nominations from various African countries.

    According to him, exam malpractices have become a serious challenge which calls for collective responsibility and action, in the best tradition of inter-agency and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

    He said: “The award of recognition of his (Oloyede’s) outstanding performance was due to his implementing best practices in the conduct of JAMB examinations.

    “His performance, which has motivated and inspired reforms in admission, teaching, examination, certification, registration and regulation processes across Africa, is also a basis for assessment.”

    Onyechere added that Oloyede, with his initiatives, had effectively demonstrated that the epidemic of examination malpractices ravaging the education sector could be caged, if stakeholders in the sector could demonstrate courage and political will to confront the monster.

    Read Also: JAMB to use NIN for 2020 UTME registration

    “The committee took special cognisance of Oloyede’s steadfastness, strong nerves, strength of character and supreme self-confidence in introducing and sustaining reform initiatives.

    “This is in spite of the diversionary campaigns of misinformation being mounted by perpetrators to prevent the plugging of loopholes that had served as the facilitator of examination malpractices.

    “His insistence that only candidates with biometric verifications should be allowed to sit for JAMB examinations, for example, blocked one major loophole through which impersonators, exam mercenaries and organised exam fraud syndicates infiltrated exam halls,” he said.

    The founding chairman said that the performance of the registrar had enhanced the integrity and credibility of administration, supervision and monitoring of JAMB exams, especially by engaging vice-chancellors and other top professionals as chief external examiners.

    He said Oloyede had also helped in eliminating extortion of candidates by cyber cafes and touts by making it possible for them to check their results through their mobile telephone, using the same telephone numbers that were used for registration.

    “Another thing he does that earns him the award is the efforts through which the names, locations and identities of blacklisted computer-based (CBT) centres were released promptly.

    “He provided timely warning to candidates to stay away from such centres. By so doing, he has shattered the usual conspiracy of secrecy that enabled the protection and recycling of rogue institutions, supervisors and invigilators indicted for aiding and abetting mass cheating.

    “By working with security agencies to swiftly secure the conviction of exam fraudsters, the JAMB registrar has demonstrated that the judiciary has the capacity to deploy quick legal sanctions against exam fraud as in other parts of the world,” he maintained.

    Onyechere said that the committee assessed Oloyede’s leadership impact against the background of the fact that exam malpractices were the source of pervasive and systemic corruption in all sectors of the society.

    According to him, through exam malpractices, seeds of criminality are being sowed in the fertile minds of children and youths, preparing them as ready and willing recruits for corruption and equipping them with undeserved certificates and licences.

    He said that the award would be presented to the JAMB registrar at the 23rd EEMI conference scheduled for between Sept. 24 and Sept. 27 in Abuja.

  • Buhari backs PSC in tussle with IGP over employment

    President Muhammadu Buhari has pitched his tent with the Police Service Commission (PSC) in the tussle between the commission and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over appointments and promotions.

    He said the PSC mandates include the task of appointment and promotion in the NFP.

    The President stated this yesterday when he received the 2018 Annual Report of the PSC at the State House, Abuja.

    He added that the PSC mandate also included the disciplinary control of officers of the Nigerian Police Force, except the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

    “By the mandate of the Commission, the task of appointment, promotion and disciplinary control of officers of the Nigerian Police Force, except the Inspector General, fall under it,” he said.

    President Buhari urged members of the PSC to redouble their efforts at ensuring that the NPF delivers on its responsibilities.

    He said: “The Commission has the most challenging responsibility of carrying out oversight responsibilities of the Police Force.

    Read Also: Buhari, Atiku: What next after judgement?

    “The people that comprise this commission are mostly personally known to me and some of them have been through the mill, as it were. Therefore, I expect them to put the police in order.

    “I personally believe that the Inspector General is doing his best …the police are always in the frontline and unless we get the police working effectively, the security of this country will remain in doubt.”

    President Buhari noted that the commission’s assignment was enormous and called for sacrifice and commitment, “especially now that almost every country is faced with severe internal security challenges. Nigeria is no exception”.

    He praised the Commission for new ideas introduced into the workings of the Force.

    “I am aware that you have put policies in place to reposition the Police Force in the areas of merit-driven promotion and prompt disciplinary actions.

    “Government will require that you redouble your efforts and ensure that the Police Force receives the required assistance for optimum service delivery,” the President said.

    He also urged the Commission to ensure harmonious working relationship with the Police Force.

    “I wish to see close communication and understanding between you and the Nigeria Police. This is necessary for the overall efficiency and effectiveness in securing the country,” President Buhari added.

    PSC Chairman Musiliu Smith, who led other members to the State House, told the President that in line with his (President’s) specific directives, the management was gradually putting together a productive Nigeria Police Force.

    According to him, this will attract the endorsement of all Nigerians and receive the acclaim of the policemen themselves.

    Smith also requested for the intervention of the President in overcoming the funding constrains of the Commission as well as securing better office accommodation.

  • ‘Our facility can beat Boko Haram’s drone’

    The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has said its facility is capable of beating Boko Haram insurgents and their new set of drones, as reported by the New York Times.

    The agency said it had mapped out Sambisa Forest while the data it generated had been used by the military to enhance their activity on how to combat insurgency.

    The agency’s Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, spoke yesterday in Abuja in an interview with The Nation.

    Read Also: Air Force strikes Boko Haram Facilities, neutralises occupants

    The spokesman said although activities between the agency and military cannot be fully disclosed, the success the military had recorded in the Northeast was due to the availability of data the agency provided.

    He added that unfortunately, Nigeria does not have high resolution satellites that can generate clear picture data.

    Ale said: “We mentioned security before. Our activities in the area cannot be 100 per cent disclosed, but I can tell you that the success the military has been able to achieve in the Northeast was due to the availability of data given to them by the space agency because we were able to map out Sambisa Forest and the military has been able to use the data to enhance their activity on how to combat insurgency in the Northeast.”

  • 320 more Nigerians to return from South Africa today

    A delay in securing landing permit from South African aviation authorities for Air Peace has led to rescheduling the evacuation of the second batch of Nigerians from South Africa.

    This is coming on the heels of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.

    In the second batch, 320 Nigerians were billed to arrive the country yesterday through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    But the delay made the management of Air Peace to reschedule it till today.

    Air Peace Chairman Allen Onyema stated this in a telephone interview with The Nation.

    Onyema said following the late approval for landing rights, the Boeing 777-300 departed Lagos for Johannesburg last night to arrive with the 320 Nigerians by noon today.

    The businessman said the airline was committed to the project by following due process and laid down procedures set by South African authorities.

    He said: “Air Peace, less than an hour ago, just secured landing rights permit from South African aviation authorities. Our aircraft will now depart by midnight (last night) to evacuate Nigerians already cleared to return.

    Read Also: PHOTOS: Arrival of Nigeria returnees from South Africa

    “The whole idea is to ensure the returnees arrive here during the day for enhanced logistics. Bringing them home in the middle of the night may not be very convenient. That is why we moved it to Wednesday (today).”

    Scores of journalists, security agencies and others waiting at the airport had mobilised for the operations.

    Also, Southsouth National Leader and Convener of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has advised the Federal Government to handle the relationship with the South African government with mature diplomacy.

    The Ijaw leader was responding to the visit of the South African Special Envoy sent by President Cyril Ramaphosa to convey his country’s apologies to the Nigerian government and people over the recent xenophobic attacks.

    Many Nigerian in South Africa were said to have died while others lost property estimated at millions of dollars.

    Clark noted that the South African government had taken the first right step by sending its representatives with an apology message.

    The elder statesman said to ask for further show of commitment from South Africa in the form of compensation for losses incurred during the attacks would not be wrong but it should not be done alone by Nigeria.

    According to him, the relationship with South Africa and the response to the harsh treatments meted out to Nigerians in the country should be treated with guided diplomacy.

    Clark said there are still many Nigerian citizens still resident in South Africa, adding that Nigeria should rather make the South African government show faith to its promise to eradicate xenophobia and discrimination in the country.

    “The South African government did the right thing by sending the special envoy. It is the right step to take. But more than that, other issues of further steps should be discussed when President Muhammadu Buhari goes to have a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa in October.

    “About the issue of compensation, I think Nigeria should not make such demand alone since we are not the only affected country. Besides that, the South African government has said it was compulsory for all companies registered in the country to get insured. I think this a caveat to take seriously.

    “However, since this xenophobia attacks affected many African countries, I think Nigeria should provide the leadership for other African countries whose citizens suffered losses to these attacks, approach the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN) and even the International Court at The Hague to seek redress and table the matter of compensation.

    “All these said, I believe we as a nation need to handle this matter diplomatically, considering how many of our people are not willing to return home yet. I think just about 500 out of thousands have returned. So, there’s need for caution.

    “I think we should make the South African government do much more to prevent these attacks from happening again. I remember that in 2011, the South African government gave a commitment to ensure that xenophobic attacks, discrimination and racism would be made to end. I think this is a more diplomatic and mature way of dealing with this issue for now.”

  • Abia to end farmers/herdsmen clashes

    Abia State has said it will establish a ministry to address and settle disputes between farmers and herdsmen.

    This is coming barely one week after Enugu State established Forest Rangers to tackle farmers/herdsmen clashes.

    A statement by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s Chief Press Secretary Onyebuchi Ememanka said the ministry would be established before Ikpeazu’s second term ends.

    Read Also: Southwest curbs farmer-herder clashes with hunters, others

    Ememanka said the ministry would focus on mainstreaming activities of Fulani herdsmen and other violent crimes to safeguard the people and environment.

    The statement reads: “The idea is to ensure that no inch of Abia territory will remain ‘unpoliced’. Field personnel of the ministry will be trained under a collaborative effort with the police.”