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Tag: run

  • REC on the run

    REC on the run

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alleged last week that suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State Hudu Yunusa-Ari was on the run along with his surety. The commission told the Adamawa State High Court that Yunusa-Ari was evading arraignment in court to answer to six-count charges preferred against him.

    INEC’s counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court presided over by Justice Benjamin Manji Lawan that the prosecution could not arraign Yunusa-Ari due to inability to arrest him. The defendant, Jacobs said, refused invitation from the investigative police officer (IPO) upon being served hearing notice. He requested the court to adjourn the matter to enable police to effect Yunusa-Ari’s arrest for arraignment and trial, or in the alternative bring application for the court to issue arrest warrant against him. Speaking with journalists after the court session, Jacobs said: “The defendant has been evasive. You can’t get him or arrest him. He is hiding. The lawyers have been encouraging him to do so.”

    The IPO who introduced himself as Moses Jolujdo, a Chief Superintendent of Police, confirmed to the court that the defendant and his surety had been evading arrest.

    INEC had dragged Yunusa-Ari to court on charges of announcing  false electoral result, violating the oath of neutrality, breach of duty, disorderly conduct at election, inciting disturbance, and impersonating a public servant. Those charges derived from his usurpation of the power of INEC-appointed Returning Officer to declare Aishatu Dahiru (Binani) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Adamawa State supplementary governorship poll last April while collation of results was still underway. He was overruled and suspended by the electoral commission, which declared Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner when results collation ended.

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    In his ruling, Justice Lawan granted the application for adjournment and adjourned the case to 22nd November, 2023, for Yunusa-Ari’s arraignment.

    It wasn’t the first time the suspended REC was being declared ‘on the run.’ In April, in the wake of his controversial call, INEC said he had disappeared without a trace after he failed to honour the commission’s summons to is headquarters in Abuja. “We don’t know where he is because after this particular incident, the commission wrote him and also called him on the phone. He never answered or returned any of the calls. We asked him to report to the commission…,we didn’t see him. Up till this moment, he has not reported and we don’t know his whereabouts,” then spokesman, National Commissioner Festus Okoye, said on television.

    But Yunusa-Ari eventually surfaced and denied ever being on the run, saying he was only laying low. He should re-enact such reappearance act now, unless he is truly on the run and a fugitive from law.

  • No foreign pressure on Buhari not to run, says Presidency

    The Presidency has described as fiction parading as news a newspaper report with the headline; ‘Pressure mounts on Buhari not to seek re-election.’

    Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement, condemned the publication, describing it as ‘fake news’.

    He maintained that the author of the ‘tendentious story’ was being mischievous or got procured by anti-democratic elements, and then penned the mischief.

    The statement read: “It is necessary to respond to a tendentious story published today as cover choice by Daily Independent Newspaper.

    “Under the headline, ‘Pressure mounts on Buhari not to seek re-election,’ the fiction parading as news claims that foreign powers, including the European Union, United States of America, United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia, are putting pressure on President Buhari not to seek re-election, due to some concocted reasons.

    “We thought fake news was the sole preserve of the social media in this season.

    “Alas, a traditional medium has caught the bug. Obviously, the author of the story just got a brain wave, or got procured by anti-democratic elements, and then penned the mischief.

    “If there are quarters in which President Buhari is held in very high esteem, and the work he is doing for Nigeria highly lauded, it is in the countries mentioned. Some of them are equally bastions of democracy, and will not interfere in the democratic affairs of a sovereign country. The newspaper should simply tell its story to the marines.’’

    According to him, President Buhari is not a flippant or frivolous individual, as he gave deep thought to the prospect, before announcing his bid for a second term in office.

    “It is only those who fear that their goose would be cooked, if they meet with him at the polls that are trying to dissuade him from running by all means, including sponsored newspaper stories.

    “By saying it got feelers that President Buhari may opt out of the 2019 presidential election, Daily Independent embarrassed itself, and all those who love good journalism.

    “The newspaper can surely do better,’’ he added

  • Yul Edochie to run for President

    Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie has announced his intention to run for the highest office in the country. The actor cum politician made this known via his social media page on Monday with a flyer and statement.

    He wrote; “Today I declare my interest to run for President of the greatest country in the world, Nigeria. A blessed country that has been crippled by decades of bad leadership. Enough is Enough! Fellow Nigerians, stand with me let us bring the problems of our country to the THE LAST BUS STOP!!!”

    It would be recalled that the actor had run for governorship in Anambra State last year which he lost to the incumbent governor.

    His campaign poster shows that he would be running under the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) ticket.

  • Fayose has right to run for president, says aide

    Fayose has right to run for president, says aide

    Hon. Lanre Ogunsuyi, a member of the old Ondo State House of Assembly, is the Commissioner for Information in Ekiti State. In this interview with ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA, he speaks on why his boss, Governor Ayo Fayose, is the best material for the presidency in 2019.

    What is your take on the deduction of $1billion from the Excess Crude oil Account?

    What the Governors Forum is an informal body, not constitutionally constituted. It can have advisory role but it has no powers to make Laws.

    It is that forum  that allegedly gave the Presidency. The nod to perpetrate an illegal action. So, if you do not derive your powers from the constitution to such things it becomes  absolutely Illegal.

    They said they would soon amend the constitution to such that such illegality can be accommodated in the future, but until done, don’t think that it can be justified n today it is on Boko. Haram, tomorrow,if the Governors Forum is. Not checked, it would pass such illegality again which would be implemented.

    The APC has said that Governor Fayose would account for alleged loan of N56 billion he allegedly borrowed. What is your reaction?

    Somebody quoted APC’s DMO, on that allegation, It is not the Nigeria DMO that said Ekiti or Fayose is doing N56 billion. The issue is that as at the time Fayose came in, Ekiti State can no longer borrow money from the money market. We have borrowed too much. The previous government has signed an ISPO that money should continue to be deducted from our. Pulse and that is been done since we have been here.  Over N1 billion is being deducted from our allocation on monthly basis and that is because we had taken a 20 billion bond, so if we go ahead to take another N56 billion, we will be left with nothing.

    So, the talk about borrowing N56 billion is in the imagination of those saying it. Nobody is asking us to refund any money from DMO. We have told the APC propagandists that such lies would not hold. We know they are saying that because of the outcome of the just concluded Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the misappropriation of funds under Fayemi, which they failed to stop at the court.

    Very soon, we will have Ekiti State version of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. It has been established that the Federal Government itself has no oversight function over funds in the state.

    It is only the House of Assembly that has oversight function over the state finances. It is only the National Assembly that can take over the oversight functions in a state in an emergency.

    The Federal Government is to take oversight of its own funds which is being stolen everyday and nothing is done about it.

    But, how can we prevent corruption?

    We are having our own anti-graft agency because we have zero tolerance for corruption.Dr Kayode Fayemi is advised to adhere to the letters of law to avoid being jailed. He has been given ample opportunity to defend himself against the shady deals he allegedly did when he was governor, but he didn’t show up. It is laughable that at the Federal level, Fayemi is made the chairman of on Anti-corruption. And due process, that is somebody who refused to come and give account of how he managed finances of his state. For four years.

    Some have said that Fayose may gain from the loss of chairmanship seat of the PDP by the Southwest as a result of his presidential ambition. But, they fear the north may not support him. What do you say?

    Everybody involved in politics has their own interest. If Governor Fayose is interested in the presidency and not interested in chairmanship of the PDP from South west, why should he support the chairmanship agenda?

    Governor Fayose is a leader in the PDP and moreso a leader in Nigeria even as the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum. If you wanted to be chairman and you are from the zone he comes from, then you need his support. But you didn’t even seek for his support. Governor Fayose’s constituency now is Nigeria. It has gone beyond Ekiti. We are showcasing him to the Nigeria and the whole world that this is a man fit and proper to be President of Nigeria.

    He has run the state creditably well even despite the lean resources.

    In his first term, he left N10.4 billion and didn’t borrow a dime. He rather paid all the debts his predecessor owed. Even now that things are very bad, you can see great strides he has done in infrastructural developments. That shows Fayose as a prudent manager of resources.

    As for PDP convention, the election was free and fair and has been widely accepted by all members. Some few people who were shocked by the margin which they were defeated are being reconciled with a just concluded reconciliation committee. Those initially aggrieved have turned round to. Congratulate the winners. Now that the chairmanship has gone to Secondus, we should now be angling for other positions that would be available.

    Governor Fayose is the most respected governor in Nigeria today; he remains the longest serving governor. He is the only governor who defeated the incumbent at different attempts for two times. He has the largest followership he is not even been idolised in Ekiti, but in Abuja, northern parts, I was shocked when I got to Kaduna to represent the government once people saw the plate number of Ekiti on the vehicle they hailed you Oshoko!. You remember when he went to court to show solidarity with the IPOB leader, how the Igbo people crowded round his vehicle and even forgot their leader.

     

  • Let the youths run

    SIR: There has been a lot of misconception regarding us, the youths. A notable Nigerian political party not long ago, appointed a 60-year old person as its national youth leader. A 70-plus year-old President, not long ago, defined himself as a youth, because he said: youthfulness is in the heart. This, to say the least, is excessively patronizing!

    The United Nations defines youth as young people in transition from childhood to adult hood who fall in the age category of 15-24years. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Culture Organization (UNESCO) a specialized Agency of the UN, has expanded its definition to cover all those who fall within the age category of 15-34years.

    The African Youth Charter, define youth as young persons between the ages 15-35years.

    So, even if we stretch the definition, youth are primarily those in the age category of 15-35years. Studies have shown that young people categorized as youth as defined above, constitute the most vibrant, active, energetic, innovative, courageous, risk-taking, problem solving and intellectually alert grouping of people in the world. Notably also is the fact that when they define goals and pursue them, they are relatively more ambitious, enthusiastic and promising.

    If care is not taken and their energies are not channelled in a positive direction, they can also be the most rambunctious, murderous, anarchic if not criminally-minded group. Hence, in view of the perceptive neglect of this vibrant category, which is simply reckless and crude, it can be argued that the basic needs of the youths have not been adequately catered for.

    I therefore call on the government to address these challenges by harnessing the youthful vibe and virtues adequately provide for the basic needs of the youth and channel their boundless energies into societal progress and development rather than conflicts and criminality.

    Invariably, change agents with tremendous impact spring up from this category of the population. This may be as a consequence of the inherent attributes of this age group. Take Alexander the Great for example, one of the most influential people in history (who succeeded his father as a king of Macedon at age 20, created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, from Greece to India, at age 30). Genglis Khan (who was elected Khan of the Mongolis at 24, became the sole ruler of the Mongol at age 35 in the 12th and 13th Century.

    Fast-forward to the 19th century. Great political rulers such as Napoleon Bonaparte (who became a General at 24 and built and ruled over a large empire in Continental Europe at 35); 20th century revolutionary types, such as Fidel Castro (27-30), Guevara (28-31). Others are the African giants such as Mandela (who joined ANC at 25, became its Transvaal branch chairman and organized the famous 1952 Defiance campaign against Apartheid at 34,was subsequently jailed for 27years and later became the elected President of South Africa in 1994; Thomas Sankara (33); Yakubu Gowon (32); Murtala Muhammed (37); to early colonial nationalists such as Sekou Toure (36), Mahathir Muhammed (21), Indira Ghandi (30) and other acknowledged global change agents such as John F. Kennedy (36) and Margaret Thatcher (34).

    We as youths need to be carried along politically, socially, developmentally and economically because we are #Nottooyoungtorun.

     

    • Badmus Ammar Olaide,

    Lagos.

  • RUN, Lagos sign MoU on infectious disease surveillance, control

    RUN, Lagos sign MoU on infectious disease surveillance, control

    The Redeemer’s University ‘s African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on infectious disease surveillance and control with the Lagos State government.

    Major objectives of the collaboration include  building the state’s capacity in genomics, especially as it applies to infectious disease diagnostics and strengthening the state’s capability to curtail outbreaks and epidemics .

    Commissioner for Health Dr. Jide Idris said the state’s need to build its research capability in disease surveillance, diagnosis, prevention, control and elimination of infectious diseases, led to the signing of the MoU. He said the university was chosen because it is a centre of excellence for genomics of infectious diseases.

    He said the long-standing relationship between Ikorodu General Hospital (IGH) and Redeemer’s University’s ACEGID was a major impetus in the signing of the MoU.

    Responding, Redeemer’s University Vice-Chancellor,  Prof Debo Adeyewa, recounted the university’s timely and central role in the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic, which led to the successful containment of the disease. He noted with satisfaction that Redeemer’s University, through the efforts of Prof Christian Happi and his research team, diagonised and confirmed the first index case of the disease. In addition, the university, he said, provided all the needed laboratory diagnosis support for EVD in all other suspected cases during the epidemic and thereafter.

    Prof Adeyewa acknowledged that ACEGID has successfully established a network of pathogens hunters in Nigeria, and Africa by training scientists in the field of genomics and establishing infrastructures in various countries.  He said though the achievements of the university were under reported, its contributions, he said, could no longer be undermined in the field of health sciences with major pathogens discovered and innovative diagnostics tools developed in the past three years.

  • Not Too Young To Run campaign hits Ilorin

    Not Too Young To Run campaign hits Ilorin

    The ongoing campaign against the exclusion of youths in leadership has hit Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    Dozens of students last Tuesday held a rally for the “Not Too Young To Run” legislation being proposed to be sent to the National Assembly.

    The rally was organised by Brain Builders International, a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO).

    The group led youths and members of civil society organisations across the state capital on a road walk, which ended at the state House of Assembly complex.

    The aim of the rally was to lobby the legislators to support the proposed legislation, which the organisers said, would improve youth political participation and leadership aspiration.

    The rally started at New Yidi Roundabout, with the participants sensitising the public on the importance of the bill.

    The campaigners marched to the Assembly complex in a carnival-like procession, drawing attention to the bill.

    At the state Assembly, they were received by the House Leader, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, accompanied by some members.

    Brain Builders International National Coordinator, Olasupo Abideen, told the lawmakers that the rally was to solicit the Assembly’s support in ensuring the passage of the “Not Too Young To Run” Bill.

    He explained that the bill was introduced, following peaceful agitations by the youth groups across the country to increase political participation. He noted that similar rallies were held across states to draw support for the bill.

    Olasupo said: “It is a known fact that young people have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the country through their energies and creativity. As such, we should be given more opportunities to participate in decision-making and contribute our quota to governance of our country.”

    Oyeleke, who stood in for the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ali Ahmad, said the Assembly had been supporting the youth in their quest for leadership roles, assuring the campaigners that the House would back the proposed bill as soon as it was presented.

    A member of the Assembly, Hon. Moshood Bakare, pledged support for the cause, promising to lobby his colleagues to do same.

    He said: “I am someone who believes in the capacity and brilliance of youths, because I had held leadership positions as a youth and I performed creditably well. If youths are doing well outside this nation, why should we restrict those brilliant minds from taking part in decision-making process?”

  • RUN graduates pioneer PhD students

    Redeemers University Nigeria (RUN), Ede, in  Osun State, is set to graduate its first set of doctoral students during its eighth convocation on Thursday.

    Its Vice Chancellor, Prof Debo Adeyewa, said at a press briefing that two students, who majored in Clinical Psychology, would graduate in this category.

    He noted that out of 619 undergraduates slated for graduation, 25 made first class, while in the postgraduate category, seven would graduate with postgraduate diplomas, and 23 with masters.

    The convocation would also feature the installation of General Theophilus Danjuma as the second Chancellor of the university.  He would be conferred with honorary doctoral degree in Business Administration along with Dr George Valencia Sampson, President of World Medical Relief, U.S.A for his healthcare delivery to humanity at the global level.

    Adeyewa noted that despite economic hardships in the country, RUN would not increase its fees and has not failed to pay staff salaries by the 22nd of each month.

    He counseled government to seek solutions and look into all possible areas to make life better for citizens. “The economic hardship in the country has affected us a lot. We also buy things from the same market everyone else buys and the prices have shot up by more than half. Parents are complaining and are finding it difficult to pay fees. So, we have created a payment plan of three installments for fees – 40, 40 and 20 per cent. Some parents were even quick to send their children to school because they were consuming too much food at home.

    “The change people are expecting is a positive one. Our leaders should please engage seasoned advisers. Solutions could come from anywhere; tertiary institutions, industries, among others. The solution is with us, not with external bodies,” he said.

  • Thieves are now on the run, says Oshiomhole

    Thieves are now on the run, says Oshiomhole

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said that thieves that brought Nigeria to its kneels are now on the run.

    He said dubious politicians will not succeed him in office.

    Oshiomhole said God’s vengeance could be seen in the confusion in the Peoples Democratic Party because the party destroyed the country.

    He spoke when he feted Muslims in the state at the state house as part of the Id-el-Fitri celebration.

    Oshiomhole assured the Muslims community that Nigeria would be a great country again with the actions taken by President Mohammadu Buhari.

    He said the Muslims should thank Allah for making President Mohammadu Buhari

    He said President Buhari has to be rigid to be able to find the thieves as well as avoiding building on a foundation already destroyed by the PDP.

  • RUN moves to permanent site in Ede

    The Redeemer’s University (RUN), hitherto based at the Redemption Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has moved to its permanent site in Ede, Osun State.

    President of the Redeemer’s University Students’ Association (RUNSA), Adelekan Doyin, said students would be resuming at the new location for the new academic session.

    “The permanent site is close to completion. The classrooms have been built and are currently being furnished. The hostels for students have also been built and are also getting finishing touches,” he stated.

    Vie-Chancellor, Prof Debo Adeyewa promised the permanent site would be very conducive for learning, saying work was in progress at the site.

    Speaking on accommodation, he said two students would be allocated to a room with a private lavatory.

    He assured that management had made provision for buses to convey the students from different states in the country to the new campus.