The Nation Newspaper

Tag: urges

  • Fayemi urges politicians to eschew violence

    Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi has urged politicians to eschew violence and other acts that could breach the peace.

    He spoke against the backdrop of Tuesday’s clash among factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other clashes in the state.

    Fayemi said in a statement in Ado-Ekiti yesterday that it was important for politicians and those who aspire to occupy public offices to restrain from violence, regardless of the level of provocation.

    The governor, in the statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said it was important for political leaders to work towards sustaining the level of peace being enjoyed.

    He said political leaders should be tolerant of opposing voices and views, irrespective of differences in party affiliation and political ideology.

    The governor stressed that political aspirations should be pursued legitimately and with a sense of responsibility.

    Governor Fayemi said Ekiti people are known as honourable men and women, hence resorting to violence as a way of settling political differences does not augur well for the state.

    “I enjoin our politicians and leaders of political parties to stay clear of actions capable of throwing the state into crisis as we approach electioneering period. The peace and well-being of the state should remain a priority to all who aspire to public offices.

    “While there is bound to be differences in views and ideology, ability to appreciate and manage these differences is also critical to the credentials of every leader and would-be leaders.

    “Government will not relent in its effort to promote peaceful coexistence among the indigenes, including consultations with political leaders and other relevant agencies of government”, the statement added.

  • ACN urges PSC to widen probe of Rivers crisis

    ACN urges PSC to widen probe of Rivers crisis

    CAN a bus conductor be punished for an accident while the driver is exonerated?

    This is the question the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is asking after examining the plan by the Police Service Commission (PSC) to probe the Rivers State House of Assembly fracas.

    To the party, PSC should address the causes rather than the symptoms of the crisis in Rivers State in its ongoing investigation into the role of the police in the flare-up in the Assembly.

    In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the statement credited to PSC Chairman Mike Okiro suggests that his commission is only interested in the role of the police in last week’s clashes, rather than how the police hierarchy in the state wantonly allowed the flare-up simply because it is acting to protect certain interests at the expense of public interest.

    ‘’Governor Amaechi of Rivers has documented, in a much-publicised letter to Mr. Okiro, how the Police Commissioner in Rivers, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, has thrown professionalism to the winds in pursuing his narrow agenda at the expense of the security of the state.

    ‘’It is on record that this ‘political policeman’ has worsened the security situation in the state since he assumed office in February 2013 by undermining the authority of the Governor as the Chief Security Officer of his state; undermining the security structure put in place by the State Security Council and compromising the council to such an extent that members no longer speak their minds freely during meetings.

    ‘’These are the issues we expect a non-partisan PSC to address with a view to sanctioning whoever it is that paved the way for the disgraceful show that was put up under the klieg light last week. While the PSC will be right to sanction even the policemen shown to have acted badly that day, the sanctions must extend to their bosses who allowed that to happen. Anything short of that will be akin to punishing a bus conductor for an accident involving his vehicle while exonerating the bus driver,’’ it said.

    ACN also insisted, in line with its earlier statement, that President Goodluck Jonathan cannot be absolved of blame over the crisis, much as his aides and party have struggled to distance him from it.

    ‘’Anyone with a conscience knows that the root of the problem in Rivers lies in the President’s bedroom, and no amount of fanciful statements or name calling targeted at those who are conscientious enough to call a spade a spade will change that.

    ‘’This is why we are insisting that the President must be impeached by the National Assembly for his failure to respect the rule of law and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which he has taken an oath to uphold,’’ the party said.

    It called on the Presidency to heed the voice of reason instead of instigating attacks on those who have called attention to its overt or covert role or its vicarious responsibility in the Rivers crisis.

    ‘’Our party, the ACN, has been viciously attacked for standing up for what is right on the Rivers crisis. One of the country’s most respected personalities and a global icon, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has been called names for speaking up in order to avert a deterioration of the crisis.

    But this is nothing new. The legend Obafemi Awolowo was equally castigated when he called attention to the worsening state of the nation’s economy in 1983, only for him to be proven right shortly thereafter.

    The Presidency and all concerned must listen to the voice of reason in the interest of the nation,’’ ACN said

  • Akeredolu urges Supreme Court to nullify Ondo poll

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and its governorship candidate in Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), have filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, which upheld the election of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

    ACN counsel Titiloye Charles, confirmed the filing of the appeal at the weekend.

    The Appeal Court dismissed the ACN’s petition on the grounds that the appellants had not proved how the illegal injection of 100,725 names by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into the voter register affected the October 20, 2012 election.

    It ruled that the finding of the lower tribunal that the appellants were aware of the illegal injection was perverse and that the voter register was not a pre-election matter and the tribunal wrongly declined jurisdiction.

    In the notice of appeal before the Supreme Court, which is based on 13 grounds, the appellants (ACN and Akeredolu) complained that the learned appellate justices erred in law when they held that the appellants failed to prove how non-compliance of the voter register used for the election with the Electoral Act affected the result of the election.

    They said the lower court’s findings that the voter register used for the election did not comply with the statutory requirement rendered unnecessary any proof of how the non-compliance affected the result of the election; and the effect of the said ruling before the Court of Appeal is that there is no valid voter register for the election.

    The appellants said there was sufficient witness evidence before the court to prove that the non-compliance affected the result of the election.

    ACN and Akeredolu said the learned appellate justices erred in law when they ruled that the appellants did not show how the judgment appealed had occasioned substantial or miscarriage of justice when the appellate court in its judgment found many miscarriages of justice and injustice suffered by the appellants, which made the tribunal dismiss their petition.

    They prayed the Supreme Court to nullify the governorship election held in Ondo State and order a fresh poll based on a valid voter register.

    The appeal was filed by 52 lawyers led by Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, Oladipo Okpeseyi, SAN, Lasun Sanusi, SAN and Oluwole Aina Esq.

  • PDP chief urges court to set aside judgment

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Ogun State Prince Buruji Kashamu has urged the Court of Appeal, Lagos, to set aside its judgment delivered on July 2 regarding an attempt to extradite him to the United States by the Federal Government.

    He said the judgment was “delivered without jurisdiction” because the panel’s integrity was questioned.

    The Notice of Motion, filed on July 10, was brought pursuant to sections 6 (6) and 36 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended); Order 7, Rule 1 of the Court of Appeal Rules 2011, and the court’s inherent jurisdiction.

    Kashamu said while the appeal was pending, a petition was written accusing the panel of justices of alleged compromise in another appeal. He (Kashamu) was accused of being behind the petition.

    Following the development, Kashamu said he wrote a separate petition urging the court to constitute an independent panel to hear pending appeals involving him.

    “In spite of the aforestated petition of the respondent /applicant alleging likelihood of bias against the Lagos Division of this court, and without awaiting the outcome of the said petition written to the President of the Court of Appeal, a hearing notice was sent out fixing hearing for April 18.”

    Interpol documents have shown that Kashamu was not indicted in a fraud enquiry initiated by a Republic of Benin bank.

    The Interpol, in a March 4, 2008 letter made available by Kashamu, said Banque Internationale du Benin accused the businessman of serving as chief guarantor for loans running into over N600 million but diverted the fund.

    Interpol, in its findings, said it established that Kashamu took the loans and had cause to default payment, which made the interest shoot up thus leading to a litigation, which Kashamu’s company won.

    Interpol said: ” Contrary to the allegation, the suspect was not found to have engaged in fraudulent/clandestine activities as all records were checked both local and internationally and all our probes were returned negative. The suspect was never declared wanted or convicted either in Nigeria or anywhere in the world.

    “No single evidence of criminality was submitted by the bank and none was established by the police during our investigation. “

  • Sultan urges Muslim scholars on publications

    THE Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged Muslim scholars to publish books that would be beneficial to Muslims in understanding their religion.

    He gave the advice in Zaria at the launching of a book “Fasting, according to Islamic Law.”

    The book is 200 pages with 25 chapters and five sections. It is written in Hausa and English languages.

    “The book focuses on fasting in Islam and is a good attempt at propagating the injunctions of Islam. I am urging our brothers and sisters to write similar books,” Sultan said.

    Executive Secretary, Jamaatul Nasrul Islam (JNI), Sheikh Khalid Aliyu, said Ramadan is a special period for all Muslims, adding: “It is a period where every Muslim strives to get closer to Allah through acts of devotions including recitation of Qur’an, observing supererogatory prayers, giving out alms and self-renewal among others.”

    Another guest, Sheikh Sheriff Ibrahim Saleh, said Muslims must ensure that they keep the month of fasting pure.

    Director-General of the National Teachers Institute (NTI), Dr Aminu Ladan Sharehu said, the event was like an introduction of the book to major stakeholders in Islam, saying the Sultan would decide when the book would be publicly launched.

    The book among others, dealt with Islamic laws guiding the month of Ramadan and fasting, rules and injunctions guiding fasting and things to do after fasting.

     

  • Wike urges supporters to be ready to fight

    Minister of State for Education Chief Nyesom Wike yesterday urged his supporters to be ready to fight against those he described as outsiders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Wike, who is leading the group opposed to Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, spoke in Buguma, Asari –Toru Local Government Area when he took his 2015 mobilisation to the base of the militants. He is believed to be nursing a governorship ambition in 2015.

    He also escaped attack from people described as Amaechi’s supporters.

    Buguma is the traditional headquarters of Kalabari Kingdom where the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Otelemaba Dan Amachree, hails from.

    The event was the inauguration of the wards (13) and local government executives of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI). Wike is the grand patron of GDI.

    Wike said: “We cannot be intimidated. Do not allow anybody to provoke you. Rivers people have said enough is enough. If they say they want to meet us in the field, they should come to the field and meet us. We are not afraid of anybody. If you (Amaechi’s supporters) like, you should continue to put your own band there, we will continue to do what we are doing.

    “What I can tell you today, Nigerians know that those friends from this state, they have lost control of the state. This is the first time that Rivers people are seeing that the National Assembly will be making laws for them. The National Assembly members (from Rivers state) should withdraw. They should all come back home.

    “I told GDI people I would be here today. I heard they said they would stop the inauguration. I said nobody could stop the inauguration. I want to thank you for standing firm. Do not be afraid. If they want to fight you, be ready for them. This is not the time anybody will intimidate you.

    “This is not the time anybody will use police to arrest you. If they come for arrest, we will also arrest them back. This is the time for action. Let them know it clearly that we are not afraid of anybody. I have decided to come here (Buguma) to send the message to them. I am not going to be afraid of anybody.

    “I want to tell you, PDP is in charge. All of them are no longer PDP members. All of you here today are PDP members. If they want to confront us, let them go to another party and face us in the election.

    “Why are they running? Why are they hiding under PDP? If they know that they are popular, let them join another party. I thank you for coming out en masse and for refusing anybody to intimidate you.

    “We will continue. Do not allow anybody to separate you from your brother, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. President Goodluck Jonathan is your brother. President Goodluck is an Ijaw man. Do not allow anybody to bring any problem among you. They are only seeking for their personal ambition.

    “We cannot reject our son, a Southsouth person. We will vote for him (President Jonathan) for 2015 presidential election. The wife (Dame Patience) is a Rivers woman. Nobody can tell us stories. We will stand by our brother. It does not matter whatever that will happen.”

    The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, and another ex-militant, Soboma Jackrich, are from Buguma.

    Just as the President-General of the GDI, Bright Amewhule, was inaugurating the members of the executives of the group in the 13 wards and the local government chapter, supporters of Amaechi in Buguma decided to position loud speakers to face the arena, blaring music.

    Amaechi’s supporters were throwing plastic chairs towards the GDI members. They hurled bottles, stones and sachet water at the gathering. The minister suspended the office’s inauguration and quickly left for Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    The development heightened tension in the ancient community, with people scampering to safety, to avoid being hit by the missiles. Soldiers and riot policemen restored order.

    The Secretary-General of the GDI, Samuel Nwanosike, who is also the Rivers Publicity Secretary of the PDP, later in a telephone interview, said the inauguration of the GDI office in Buguma for Asari-Toru chapter was not on the programme.

    GDI President-General Bright Amewhule urged Wike’s supporters of Wike not to be intimidated, stressing that when they follow the minister of state for education, they would not regret their action.

  • Fed Govt urges ASUU to suspend strike

    Fed Govt urges ASUU to suspend strike

    The Federal Government yesterday urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to suspend the ongoing strike to enable both sides discuss the issues involved and proffer solutions.

    The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, addressed State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

    The government urged ASUU to use strikes as a last resort.

    Moro was with the Minister of State I (Foreign Affairs), Viola Onwuniri, the Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, after the meeting, which lasted about an hour.

    He said: “On issues of national concern, the current impasse between ASUU and the Federal Government was considered with some concerns by the FEC.

    “We took a general overview of what has been happening in the education sector and expressed the concerns of the average Nigerians, stakeholders, parents and students. We concluded that a passionate appeal be made to ASUU to consider the overall interest of Nigerians in terms of the education of our children and to see the possibility of using a strike, which has become too incessant in recent times, as a last resort.

    “We also want to see that a common ground is developed between ASUU and the Federal Government, considering the fact that the development of education in all its ramifications is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders, including ASUU. Council also directed that some level of interactions be established between members of the Executive Council, the government and ASUU, to find a sustainable and enduring solution to the frequency of strike in the Nigerian university system.

    “We hope that the intervention by all stakeholders, including the National Assembly, traditional rulers and prominent Nigerians, would persuade ASUU to call off the strike and find other means of extracting from government its demands rather than resorting to strike once too often.

    “These are some of the issues that we have canvassed today.”

    The minister also said the FEC reviewed President Goodluck Jonathan’s state visit to China in search of partnership with the Asian country in various areas of development.

    He said: “Council considered the trip and its national significance and prayed for the success of Mr. President’s visit.

    “The Council also considered a variety of issues concerning Nigeria’s participation at the 67th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly between September and December, last year. It also considered a report of the special summit of the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).”

    On the unsettled salaries and allowances in some ministries, Moro said: “Council considered that steps should be taken to ensure that in ministries and parastatals and MDAs, where salaries haven’t been paid, effort must be made to ensure that salaries are paid.”

    Against some reports, Onwuniri noted that there was nothing wrong with a Chinese minister receiving President Jonathan at the Chinese airport.

    According to her, the reception for President Jonathan in China on arrival was not against international practice.

     

  • Imbibe spirit of tolerance, Yero urges Muslims

    Kaduna State Governor Mukthar Ramalan Yero yesterday told Muslims in the state to imbibe the spirit of tolerance and unity in order to peacefully co-exist with adherents of other faith.

    The governor, in a Ramadan message to the people, said the time has come for Nigerians to unite and embrace one another as brothers and sisters created by God to exist in peace and harmony.

    He said Muslims should use the period of Ramadan to seek forgiveness from others and forgive those that have offended them to gain from the salvation of Allah.

    According to him, “as Muslims, we are all aware of the importance of Ramadan as a month when Allah forgives his servants of their shortcomings. I call on all Muslims and indeed all citizens of Kaduna State to use this period to also forgive one another of all misgivings that happened in the past.

    “Let us use this holy period to come together in warm embrace of genuine reconciliation, peace and love. It is time to join hands in building a truly united and peaceful Kaduna State that will ultimately evolve as one of the most modern industrially developed states in Nigeria.”

    While asking Muslims to use the fasting period to pray for the peace and economic development of the state the governor said “Allah answers all prayers in this holy month, I therefore call on all Muslims to pray for the peace and economic growth of our country.”

  • Ekiti Deputy Governor urges media to stand by truth

    EKITI State Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu has urged reporters to uphold the truth and sustain courage and integrity. These, she said, are the hallmarks of the profession.

    Mrs. Adelabu said the advice became imperative to curb corruption and insecurity.

    She spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti when she hosted officials of the ‘B’ Zone of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by the Deputy National President, Prince Rotimi Obamuagun.

    The Deputy Governor received officials from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states in the Conference Room of her Office on behalf of Governor Kayode Fayemi.

    She said she was proud to be associated with the profession because of the calibre of the practitioners, the regard people have for the profession and the roles of journalists in the struggle for the nation’s independence, sustenance of peace and promotion of development.

    Admitting that it could be risky at times for reporters during the discharge of their duties, Mrs. Adelabu enjoined them to be upright, fearless and unbiased.

    The Deputy Governor advised reporters not to be deterred by the hazards of their profession, reminding them of the expectations of the society.

    She urged them to collaborate and build a synergy with the government at all tiers to fight corruption and insecurity threatening the corporate existence of the country.

    Mrs. Adelabu hailed the delegation for being objective in its appraisal of the state and the award given to the governor in recognition of his administration’s performance as well as his contributions to good governance.

    She assured that the governor, being a seasoned journalist, would support reporters.

    Obamuagun lauded the infrastructural revolution brought to the state by the Fayemi administration, which he described as enormous and unprecedented.

    He also praised the government for its media-friendly posture and policies, which, according to him, have given reporters a conducive environment to practice.

    Obamuagun said: “We appreciate the assistance given to the state council of the NUJ by the Fayemi administration.”

  • Lawyer urges Fed Govt to assist bereaved families of NANS executive

    The National Legal Adviser to the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ohazuruike Toochukwu, has urged the Federal Government to assist the families of the late National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) executives, who died in a car accident last month.

    Five NANS executives died at Ariam, Ikuano Local Government Area of Abia State, when the bus they and five others were travelling in was crushed by a trailer.

    They were said to be going to the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) to intervene in a crisis that erupted in the institution.

    The lawyer condemned what he called the indifferent attitude of various levels of the government, the authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), the University of Uyo and the Trans-Tabansi Motors, the owners of the trailer, to the plight of the families of the dead students.

    Ohazuruike, who is also the legal adviser to the Senate secretariat of NANS, described as inhuman the lackadaisical attitude of the Imo State Government and the federal agency that allegedly authorised the students’ journey, which led to their death.

    He also regretted that visiting the victims at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, the Abia State capital, the Minister of Education, Prof Ruquyyatu Rufa’i, has not fulfilled her promise.

    Ohazuruike said: “It is shocking that four of them have been buried without even a condolence message or a representative from the relevant quarters to the bereaved families.”

    According to him, of the five survivors, one is at the Intensive Care Unit of the FMC in Umuahia, after being in coma for days; one lost six of his teeth and the other had a battered scrotum.

    The lawyer said all the victims had been settling their medical bills without any financial support from anybody, thereby leading to the deterioration of their condition.

    “The fact that five of them are dead does not mean that they should be forgotten. This is because they died while on an active service,” he added.