The Nation Newspaper

Tag: withdrawal

  • Political class welcomes Buhari’s directive on withdrawal of police orderlies

    Political class welcomes Buhari’s directive on withdrawal of police orderlies

    Politicians across the country have welcome President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the police to reduce the number of their personnel attached to politicians and other ‘big men’.

    Buhari said during the week that policemen so withdrawn should be deployed to provide security for the generality of Nigerians.

    Senator Kabiru Ibrahin Gaya, representing Kano South said by phone yesterday that the directive is timely.

    He said Nigeria has had enough of siren blowing by police escorts attached to politicians.

    Some politicians,according to him, have been misusing the privilege by disturbing public peace.

    Gaya advocated that ministers should not be allowed to use police escorts and only the President, the Vice President and the Service Chiefs should be accorded that privilege in view of the sensitive positions they occupy.

    Dame Judith Amaechi, wife of the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, in her reaction in Port Harcourt yesterday through her Media Assistant, Dike Bekwele, described the decision as a welcome development,while the immediate past Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, called it a step in the right decision.

    The Kwara state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chair Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo is also in agreement with Buhari on the move,saying: “We have no problem with that. If that is what the president said we will obey and we have no cause for alarm.

    “We on our side will not rest on our oars to make arrangement for alternative security,” he said.

    The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu said the police authorities are “ already working on the President’s directive and the police will come out with the details very soon.

    “In the meantime, police will continue to assess requests from members of the public, with the view to determining the appropriateness or otherwise of such requests. Frivolous requests will not be given consideration.

    “We have always been working to address security fears that necessitate police protection by members of the public. It does not matter whether such fears are expressed by the rich or the poor.

    “We are duty bound to respond to security threats, whether the request is coming from the rich or the poor. We are there to protect every law abiding citizen, regardless of their social status”

  • A legislator’s withdrawal method

    It is curious that a member of the House of Representatives, Segun Adekola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), unexpectedly and inexplicably withdrew a motion already listed for debate. The motion was entitled: “Urgent need to curb unwholesome practices of Chinese, Indian and Lebanese companies in Nigeria.”

    A report said: “In his argument of the motion, as contained on the Order paper, the lawmaker said a media report on an incident at Wempo where it was alleged that a Nigerian worker’s head got smashed by a faulty machine called for concern.” It also said: “As stated on the Order paper, the lawmaker expressed concern that some of the foreign companies act with impunity by subjecting their workers to degrading working conditions and a near absence of safety measures in flagrant disobedience of Nigerian Labour laws.”

    Adekola’s withdrawal of the motion was anti-climactic and disturbing enough.  But even more worrying is the information: “In accordance with House rules, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, granted the request.” This raises a question about rules that appear to encourage abdication of responsibility. Isn’t the matter grave enough to seize the attention of the other members of the House, beyond Adekola’s vacillation and inconsistency? Who is expected to pursue such a pro-people cause, if those elected by the people to protect and promote their interests seem ignorant of what is expected of them?

    It is unclear why Adekola withdrew the motion. It is disappointing that he did so, considering that the subject remains topical. Or is he suggesting that there is no longer an “urgent need to curb the unwholesome practices of Chinese, Indian and Lebanese companies in Nigeria”? It was reported: “In his prayers, Adekola wanted the House to mandate the Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, when constituted to investigate the incident at Wempo and other unwholesome practices of foreign companies operating in Nigeria with a view to bringing an end to the unhealthy trends.”

    It is reasonable to think that the targets of the motion are aware of the development and must feel relieved. The alleged “unwholesome practices” have continued and will continue because of the on-and-off approach by those who are in a position to do something about them.

    This case of indefensible discontinuity deserves attention because it may well be the result of a lobby, which would make it even more condemnable. The legislator’s about-turn reflects unseriousness.

  • CeBIH confirms $50,000 annual ATM withdrawal limit

    CeBIH confirms $50,000 annual ATM withdrawal limit

    The Committee of e-Banking Industry Heads (CeBIH) yesterday confirmed Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) $50,000 annual limit on Automated Teller Machine (ATM) overseas.

    In a statement, CeBIH Chair, Tunde Kuponiyi, said the limit on international spend does not apply to local transactions or cash withdrawals from ATM terminals across the country.

    “This is to confirm that the newly introduced limit by the Central Bank of Nigeria is applicable only to holders of Naira denominated cards who use their cards for cash withdrawals abroad. For such customers, the CBN has imposed a limit of $300 per day and an annual limit of $50,000 on such customers.”

    He said the limit for withdrawal of naira is set by the individual banks in line with such lender’s corporate operative procedure, pointing out that the limits are not applicable to Point of Sale (PoS) and online purchases. He urged  bank customers to confirm what the limits are in their various banks.

    The apex bank slashed the naira debit cardholders’ spending overseas from $150,000 to $50,000 per annum.

    It also announced plans to reduce naira debit cardholders’ spending abroad due to inadequate foreign exchange to pay for rising amount of cardholders’ overseas spending.

    In a circular dated April 13 and entitled: ‘Usage of naira denominated cards overseas,’ the apex bank asked dealers and the general public to take note of the development.

  • ‘No going back on withdrawal of PDM candidate’

    ‘No going back on withdrawal of PDM candidate’

    The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM)  yesterday dissociated itself from the continued reference to Mr. Oludare Tomothy Akinola as its candidate in next weekend’s  governorship election in Osun State.

    National Secretary of the party, Dr. Oluwole Akinwunmi,said the party withdrew Mr.Akinola as its candidate as far back as June and “has not changed its position in this regard.”

    “The decision of the party and its reasons for withdrawing Mr Akinola as its flagbearer was communicated to the Chairman INEC, the Chairman of PDM in Osun State and Mr. Akinola himself,” Akinwunmi said.

  • CHAN withdrawal vexes Onduku

    CHAN withdrawal vexes Onduku

    Gomo Onduku has expressed his disappointment with Nigeria’s decision to withdraw from the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifying tie against Ivory Coast.

    The Bayelsa United forward reckons it would have been a big opportunity for the home-based players on the fringes of the Super Eagles to prove themselves at international level.

    “I’m not happy with Nigeria’s withdrawal from the CHAN qualifiers because it would have exposed those of us from the local league that have been called up regularly to the national camp to gain more international experience,” he told supersport.com.

    “I was looking forward to the qualifying matches because I had been invited to the senior camp five straight times, but haven’t yet made my debut.

    “It would have been easier to play for the home-based team than to vie for a place in the Super Eagles complete with the foreign-based players. However, one has to understand the federation’s position that there is no cash to prosecute the qualifiers.”

    Onduku is also confident Nigeria would have qualified for the tournament for the first time, despite failing in their previous attempts.

    He said Stephen Keshi had built up the home-based Eagles to a standard that had made them one of the favourites to even win the tournament.

    “There isn’t any home-based national team in Africa that has the kind of experience Nigeria has acquired since Keshi became coach of the Eagles,” he said.

    “There are two or three of them playing regularly in the main team, and there’s a full squad that have impressed playing against crack sides like Angola, Egypt and Peru. I’m confident that not only would we have qualified, but we would have been the team to beat in the competition.”

    Onduku has been a regular invitee to the Super Eagles camp since the 2013 Africa Nations Cup qualifying tie against Liberia.

    He scored 10 goals with Sharks last season in all competitions before joining Bayelsa United at the start of the current campaign.

  • Group faults EFCC’s withdrawal of N150m fraud suit against ex-commissioners

    A United States-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Kogi Lawyers in The Diaspora (KLTD), yesterday faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for withdrawing charges of alleged N150million embezzlement against two former Kogi State commissioners.

    In a statement in Abuja by its President Adinoyi Malik and Secretary Olugbenga Samuel, the group noted that the anti-graft agency, in 2010, charged to court Tolorunju J. Faniyi and Abiodun Ojo, who were commissioners in the Ibrahim Idris administration, for alleged embezzlement.

    The statement said the EFCC recently cleared the suspects and withdrew the charges against them from the Federal High Court, Lokoja, under questionable circumstances.

    The statement reads: “This is as a clear sign of the putrefactive decay and rottenness in the agency, sustained perversion of morality and integrity, crookedness, jobbery, malfeasance and a breach of public trust.

    “The EFCC sees Kogi as a very ‘fertile ground’ to despoil, maraud and plunder.

    “If not, how does one explain the sudden realisation, in 2013, of what the EFCC lawyer called ‘lack of evidence and substance’ to continue with a case of corruption the agency took to court in 2010?

    “This is the same way the EFCC has failed to investigate former Governor Ibrahim Idris…”

    The group noted that despite the allegations against the former governor, the EFCC has failed to prosecute him.

    “But the EFCC chose to charge another former governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu, to a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja after taking him before four different courts and judges in Lokoja.

    “This is despite a pending charge duly initiated by the same EFCC at the High Court of Justice presided over by Justice S. T. Hussaini and the Court of Appeal, Abuja, in Appeal suit number CA/A/381c/2011, alleging the same offences committed during the same period and arising from same facts as the pending and extant charges.

    “We cannot continue this way. The only way to fight corruption is to bring to justice those who have stolen public funds. Their punishment will serve as a deterrent to others who might be nursing similar plans.

    “What has become clear in this circumstance is that the EFCC is appearing dangerous to Nigeria. It has aggravated a problem and elevated it to a crisis. For it to continue to go to this extent to deceive the people, there must be a lot more to it,” it added.

  • Kalu lashes Orji over withdrawal of certificate

    Former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu has described his successor, Theodore Orji, as a political neophyte.

    Kalu, in a statement yesterday, said the move by Orji to revoke his Bachelor’s degree certificate from the Abia State University is just the latest in the failed attempts of Orji to silence him.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser, Oyekunle Oyewumi, Kalu said Orji’s intimidation of the University Senate to purportedly withdraw his certificate does not invalidate the authenticity of the certificate.

    Rather, he said the move has only put to test the pedigree of the men and women who make up the Senate of the university, the credibility of the certificate issued by the school and brought to fore the warped nature of Orji.

    The statement said: “What the Senate of ABSU has done amounts to shifting the goal post after the goal has been scored.

    “No one can deny the fact that Kalu was in ABSU for lectures and examinations.

    “And how do you withdraw a degree that has been duly awarded?

    “And to think it is the same Senate that awarded it that is withdrawing it.

    “It is obvious where the drummer is playing for the Senate to dance from.

    “Must the academic community allow politics and politicians to influence its decision?”

    Kalu said Orji was looking for any straw to hold on to after his failed bids to nail him with trumped up charges of corruption, prevent him from returning to the Peoples Democratic Party and run him out of Abia State completely.

     

  • France to begin withdrawal of troops next month

    France to begin withdrawal of troops next month

    FRANCE yesterday spoke of plans to pull its troops out of Mali from next month and insisted it will focus its operations on flushing out Islamist rebels in the North of the country.

    Its Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius confirmed the move yesterday.

    “We will continue to act in the North where some terrorist havens remain. I think that from March, if everything goes according to plan, the number of French troops should fall,” the minister was quoted as saying by the Telegraph.

    France has deployed nearly 4,000 ground troops, as well as warplanes and armoured vehicles in its three-week-old Operation Serval that has broken the Islamist militants’ 10-month grip on Northern towns.

    It is now due to gradually hand over to a United Nations (UN)-backed African force of some 8,000 troops, known as AFISMA, of which around 3,800 have already been deployed.

    A UN diplomat said France is talking about another month or so of active engagement in Mali, with one aim being the interruption of supplies to the extremists.

    The UN Security Council is likely to wait until the end of this month, when the military action has hopefully ended, to adopt a new resolution authorising a UN peacekeeping force for Mali, he said.

    The spokesman for the Malian military in Timbuktu, Capt. Samba Coulibaly, said there was no reason for the population to fear the withdrawal of French troops.

    He said: “With the size of the force we have here right now, we can maintain security in the town of Timbuktu.

    “The departure of the French soldiers does not scare us, especially since their air force will still be present both in Timbuktu and Sevare. They control this entire zone and can intervene within a matter of minutes in order to carry out airstrikes as needed.”

    French-led troops have killed hundreds of Islamist fighters in an operation to reclaim Mali’s vast arid North, according to France’s Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian.

    The Defence Ministry said the Islamists died in French air strikes on vehicles transporting fighters and equipment, and in “direct combat in Konna and Gao”, key central and Northern towns.

    According to the ministry, the intervention cost Frnace 70 million euros (about $95 million), with the figure rising by 2.7 million euros per day.

    France’s sole fatality so far has been a helicopter pilot who was killed at the start of the military operation, while “two or three” soldiers have suffered light injuries, Le Drian said.

    Mali said 11 of its troops were killed and 60 wounded after the battle at Konna last month but has not since released a new death toll.

    Le Drian said the Malian army had taken “some prisoners, not many, who will have to answer to Malian courts and to international justice,” adding that some of those detained were high-ranking militants.

  • Benue ACN seeks withdrawal of Suswam’s US award

    The Benue State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday urged the management of the Martin Luther King, Jnr Centre in Atlanta Georgia, the United States to withdraw the award it conferred on Governor Gabriel Suswam.

    Suswam was at the weekend in US presented with the award by the centre for what it described as his meritorious service to his nation.

    In a statement by its chairman, Comrade Aba Yaro, the party said: “While ACN has no issues with Governor Suswam receiving a personal award for private endeavours, we feel ashamed, betrayed and embarrassed by the said award given to him for “meritorious” service to his nation.

    “We are even more appalled that though the centre was promptly alerted about the risk it was taking, the Centre still proceeded with the conferment, thereby betraying Dr. King’s legacy, in conferring this noble award on an undeserving individual.

    “The organisers of the 2013 MLK Award have robbed the people of Benue State and Nigeria of their right to commemorate the noble memory of Dr. King at this year’s remembrance, by the image of Dr. King.

    “As the organisers give the Benue governor this award for good service to his people, they should know that the good people of Benue State have been shortchanged in the last five years by his poor governance and activities that are at total variance with the ideals that Dr. King stood for. Governor Suswam has totally embraced unbridled violence to achieve his political ambitions, contrary to the non-violence principle that Dr. King promoted and died for.

    “The centre organisers need to be reminded that while Governor Suswam celebrated his award with pomp and ceremony at the Hyatt Plaza, Atlanta, hospitals in Benue State are starved of medication and teachers’ salaries remain unpaid.

    “Despite the purported inauguration of the water works in Makurdi, Otobi and Katsina-Ala by President Goodluck Jonathan, water is very far from being available to the people because reticulation has not been done. It is, therefore, not possible for Governor Suswam to have saved over two million children through the provision of clean water. Most families still depend on other sources of water for domestic use.

    “Therefore, the ACN rejects this award vehemently and demands its withdrawal by the MLK Centre. We respectfully and humbly call on the MLK Centre to withdraw the award.”