Wives of Vice Chancellors of public universities are set to travel to Istanbul, Turkey for a five-day conference, PUNCH reports.
This is as the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities since February 14, 2022, entered its third month.

According to a letter by the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, the programme is scheduled to hold from 18 to 23 July 2022, in Istanbul.
The letter which was dated May 5, 2022, was signed by the Committee’s Secretary-General, Yakubu Ochefu.
Ochefu noted that each of the VC wives would pay a sum of N1.5million as course form to attend the programme.
The letter addressed to vice chancellors was titled, “Invitation to the Istanbul 5-Day Leadership & Management Masterclass, Fellowship Induction for Spouses of Vice Chancellors, Women in Academics and Higher Education Leadership.”
It partly read, “We understand the vital role spouses play in supporting Vice Chancellors as they execute their day- to day administration of universities. It is therefore imperative, that capacity building exercises be put in place for the Women in Academics and spouses of Vice Chancellors in Nigerian universities.
“In this regard, the Committee’s Secretariat, in partnership with Win Institute for Gender Studies, Nigeria in collaboration with her Turkey-based learning partner, Istanbul Egitimler, have put together a 5-day Leadership & Management Masterclass, and Fellowship Induction for spouses of Vice Chancellors, women academics and higher education leadership in Africa.”
Similarly, the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities Spouses is set to hold a two-day conference at the Tayo Aderinokun Memorial Hall at the University of Lagos.
The conference slated for May 9, 2022, has UNILAG VC, Prof O.T. Ogundipe, and his wife as hosts while former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Dr Ibukun Awosika, is pencilled as one of the speakers.
ASUU had on February 14 embarked on industrial action.
The union led by Prof Emmanuel Osodeke said it made the decision for the Federal Government and its agencies to meet the lingering demands of the union.
The National Association of Nigerian Students had since threatened fire and brimstone, while scolding the Federal Government for abandoning the plight of students of public universities.

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Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos State, has purchased the All Progressive Congress' nomination and expression of interests forms.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the ruling party had pegged the nomination forms at N100million. 

The clergyman is seeking the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He joins the growing list of aspirants jostling for the ticket of the APC which holds its primaries on May 30, 2022.
Bakare said he had the vision for a new Nigeria and he was the best suitable candidate to address the problems confronting Nigeria.
He, however, said he remains the rallying point to restore order in the country.
He said, “The PTB brand is a rallying point for all Nigerians. I have a vision of a new Nigeria and I will play a leading role as we approach the Nigeria of our dreams.”
In September 2019, the clergyman had said God told him he would succeed Buhari in 2023.
In April 2022, Bakare said he was the most suitable Nigerian to address the problems bedevilling the country.

 

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File photo used to illustrate story.

An officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, has reportedly slumped and died in the process while on duty at the Ojota post in the state.
According to Vanguard, the tragic incident which occurred at ab File photo used to illustrate story. out 7.30am on Thursday, caused confusion in the area as passers-by and sympathisers who tried to save the life of officer applied first aid, but it was to no avail, an eyewitness said.

The identity of the deceased officer, a middle-aged man, could not yet be ascertained, while the immediate cause of the death was also not known.
Confirming the incident, a senior LASTMA officer, said the body had been deposited at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital LASUTH, Ikeja.

 

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A former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Clement Illoh, was on Thursday sentenced to 12 years in prison for allegedly stealing from the Nigerian government.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State sentenced Illoh to four years imprisonment each on three counts charges bordering on non-declaration of assets.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Illoh before Justice Babs Kuewunmi of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
In the first count, the court heard that the defendant on April 19, 2016, in Lagos failed to make full disclosure of assets to the tune of N97.3million, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27 Subsection 3C of the EFCC Establishment Act of 2004.
In the second count, he was accused of failing to disclose the sum of $139,575, while in the third count, he failed to disclose assets worth £10,121.
Justice Kuewunmi sentenced Illoh after the accused changed his "not guilty" plea to "guilty", four years after the prosecution closed its case.
Illoh made the U-turn on Thursday after an intensive cross-examination from the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, revealed that Illoh received funds to the tune of N65million from SURE P project contractors to his personal First Bank account no: 3033750243.
The court held, "I have given due attention to the allocutus of the defendant. However, the court will not fail to perform its duty in accordance with the provisions of the law. Consequently, the defendant is hereby sentenced to four years in each of the counts and same shall run concurrently from the 10th of October 2019.”
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the sum of N97,300,613.44, $139,575.50 (N57.9 million) and £10,121.52 (N5 million) respectively to the Federal Government of Nigeria being proceeds of unlawful activities.
Amid the court proceedings, defence counsel, T.S. Awana sought the court's permission to confer with his client, following which he applied for the defendant to change his plea.
Justice Kuewunmi granted the application and Illoh pleaded guilty.
He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to four years imprisonment on each of the counts running concurrently.
The sentence is the second time in three years that Illoh has been convicted of fraud.
On October 3, 2019, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Special Offences sentenced Illoh to five years in prison for stealing N14.1million from the Nigerian government.

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INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that it will not extend the deadline for the conduct of primary elections.
The electoral body explained that the deadline remains “firm and fixed” for Friday, June 3.

INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu Getty Images
It urged political parties to conclude their primaries within “one month from today.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, INEC said all 18 political parties had been served the required notices, indicating the dates for their conventions, congresses, and primaries for the purpose of nominating candidates for various elective offices.

 

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Sunday Asefon

The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Sunday Asefon, says the union is prepared to hit the streets to protest the strike embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Asefon made the comment while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

Sunday Asefon
According to Asefon, the government appears not to be interested in ending the strike as its focus has shifted to the elections in 2023.
“We are talking about education, we are talking about life,” he said.
“Our life is no longer being discussed by the leaders, these leaders that we elected; but rather, their focus now is about election. This election that we are talking about is because of their parochial and selfish interest.
“We are battle ready, the highest they can do is to shoot us. If they shoot, they will ask their police to shoot us, if we die, the generation coming will know we died because of fighting for them. They would also know that they shot us because they are preparing for election. But we need to take action.”
Asefon added that the government should stop playing politics with the ASUU issue.
“If you have an opportunity to meet the ASUU and federal government, federal government will tell you they inherited the problem from PDP, the ASUU will tell you this negotiation has been on since when Jonathan was there but what we believe as students is that government is continuous; they should be able to fine tune and find a solution to this matter,” he said.
“We should not be at the receiving end every time and as such, they should stop using us to play politics.”
ASUU had on Monday, February 14, 2022, announced a four-week total and comprehensive warning strike following the inability of the union and the Nigerian government to reach a common ground on the demands of university lecturers.
Some of ASUU’s demands include the release of revitalization funds for universities, renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, release of earned allowances for university lecturers, and deployment of the UTAS payment platform for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers.
Following the expiration of the initial four weeks of the warning strike, the union had gone ahead to declare another eight weeks saying that it was giving the government more time to attend to its needs.

 

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The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Maj Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim, has asked drivers working with the scheme to be conscious of their health and conditions of their vehicles at all times in order to avoid road accidents and fatalities.
Ibrahim stated this on Thursday while speaking at a workshop organised for NYSC Drivers, with the theme, “The Driver's Health Status: A Panacea for Accident Management and Control,” held at the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters, Maitama in Abuja.

File photo File photo
This was contained in a statement issued by the Corps’ Director, Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, and obtained by SaharaReporters.
According to Shuaibu, the physical and mental health of all drivers is very critical to their overall performance, as he noted that only a healthy driver would be alert as well as be efficient in driving.
“He stated further that in order to avoid fatal road accidents, all drivers must take their health seriously and adopt healthy lifestyles.
“He said road accidents have claimed many lives in recent times with some of the causative factors attributable to stress, sleep deprivation, fatigue, drunkenness, illness, bad eyesight, and drug abuse, among others,” the statement added.   
The DG noted that the management was committed to the enhancement of the welfare and efficiency of workers and would also intensify efforts aimed at safe driving among NYSC drivers.
"Apart from regular servicing of vehicles, we have accorded priority attention to the drivers' health, especially through routine medical checks. Don't joke with your health because you are very important to us and we cherish you. Be very honest in your dealings and we don't want to hear any case of misconduct from any of you. I am happy that NYSC Staff are very wonderful people," he said.
He further advised the workshop participants who were drawn from all NYSC formations across the country to adhere to approved speed limits, carry out necessary checks on their vehicles before driving, and avoid alcoholic drinks, and night journeys, among other risks.

 

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Electricity

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Thursday gave some Electricity Distributions approval to increase their tariff rates.
The distributions include; Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC); Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC); Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC); Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC); Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC); Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

Electricity galaxytvonline
NERC based the increase on the Performance Improvement Plans of the DisCos and indices such as gas price, inflation, exchange rate, US inflation rate and available generation capacity.
The new approval took effect from January 1, 2022 but the new rate was from February 2022, The Nation reports.
According to the document titled: “This regulatory instrument shall be cited as Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO-2022) for Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc (PHED”), the commission noted that the indices with potential impact of on electricity rates were considered.
The document that contained in the commission’s Order No: NERC/304/2021, which chairman, Sanusi Garba and Vice Chairman Musiliu Oseni signed on 29th December, 2021, added that these indices shall be reviewed in every six months to update the tariffs with changes in the indices as applicable in line with the MYTO.
“Consequently, following the approval of PHED’s PIP on 30th April, 2021, the Commission issued the MYTO-2021 Extraordinary Tariff Order effective from 1st July 2021 in consideration on PHED’s CAPEX proposals over a 5-year plan in line with the approved PIP.
“Accordingly, this MYTO-2022 order restates PHED’s approved 5-year CAPEX and relevant assumptions applied to forecast revenue requirements and applicable tariffs for the period 2021-2026 in line with MYTO Methodology and Regulations Procedure for Electricity Tariff Reviews in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).”
It is programmed from 1st July 2021 to 30th June, 2026.
The document showed that for the PHED (A-Non MD) customers who paid N56.16/kwh in January 2022 will now (February to December 2022) pay N60.67/kwh).
(B Non-MD) customers who paid N56.64/kwh in January 2022, will now pay N59.64/kwh. The noted that E- MD2 customers who paid N50.72/kwh in January 2022, will now (From February 2022) pay N54.22/kwh.

 

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File photo used to illustrate story.

The number of Nigerian students enrolled in universities in the United Kingdom has reached the highest of all time, according to a report by education search platform, Erudera.com.
According to the report, the number of Nigerian students who enrolled in the 2020/2021 academic session stood at 21,305, which represents almost a 64% increase from the 2019/2020 figures.

File photo used to illustrate story. Justin Tallis/AFP

From the data analysed, a total of 13,020 Nigerian students pursued higher education in UK Universities during the 2019/20 academic year, skyrocketing to over 21, 000 the following year, “a growth that did not occur ever before,” the report said.
In previous years, 10,685 Nigerian students were enrolled in UK Universities in the 2017/18 session, while in the 2018/2019 session, 10,810 Nigerian students enrolled.
The report further noted that of the 21,305 Nigerian students who were admitted to UK Universities, about 16,980 settled in England; 2,655 in Scotland; Wales - 935 and Northern Ireland - 740.
By universities, majority of the Nigerian students (1,155) enrolled in University of Hertfordshire, followed by Coventry University with 935 Nigerian students.
855 Nigerian students enrolled in the Robert Gordon University while Ulster got a share of 690 students. Sheffield Hallam University - 610; Teesside University - 575; The University of Salford - 535; Birmingham City University - 495; University of the West of England, Bristol - 485 and the University of Portsmouth - 415.
“It is worth noting that Nigeria is the number one country in Africa, with the highest number of students sent to the United Kingdom. Right after Nigeria, the African countries with the highest number of students sent to the UK by the last academic year are Egypt (3,260), Ghana (2,795), Kenya (2,640), South Africa (2,060), Morocco (1,265), and so on.”
Alma Miftari a representative of Erudera attributed the increase in enrolment to the prestigious reputation of UK universities, their history, quality education, and the multicultural environment they offer.
“The UK is the second most popular study destination in the world, counting 605,130 international students by the last academic year, the highest it ever had. The reputation of universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, and the UK higher education system continues to engross ambitious people who want to make a bigger impact,” Miftari said.
The report further stated: “The United Kingdom is the world’s second most popular study destination among international students, just after the US, by 2020/21 the UK hosted up to 605,130 international students.
“The majority of international students in the UK come from China, India, the United States, Pakistan among others. A 13.08% increase in the international student enrolment at the postgraduate level occurred between 2019/20 and 2020/21.
“Three top subjects of study for international students in the UK were Business and Management, Engineering and Technology, and Social Sciences.
“The largest number of international students in the UK study Business and Management (177,715). Engineering and Technology is the second most chosen subject of study for international students in the UK (with a total of 63,375 students).
"Social Sciences and Computing rank third and fourth in the number of international students enrolled in such disciplines (51,930)."

 

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File photo used to illustrate story.

Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has accused the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Janet Agbede, of illegally arresting family members of one Ms. Gift Chinyere Solomon, a surrogate mother of a set of male twins.
According to Effiong in a statement on Thursday, Agbede who was instigated by a United States-based couple, Gamaliel Onyeka Onyemaobi and his wife, Shullam Francisca Onyemaobi, vowed not to release those in detention until the set of twins were handed over to them.

File photo used to illustrate story.
The lawyer wondered why the police boss arrogated to herself the powers to enforce a surrogacy contract and the power to determine custody.
He added that Agbede had flouted the clear provisions of Section 36 of the Nigeria Police Force (Establishment) Act, 2020 which prohibited arrest in lieu to the effect that “A person shall not be arrested in place of a suspect.”
The statement read, “On Sunday, May 1, 2022, heavily armed policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Abia State Police Command acting on the instruction of the Commissioner of Police, Abia State, went on rampage and arrested family members of Ms. Gift Chinyere Solomon (our client), a surrogate mother of a set of male twins, and took them into their custody after they made illegal and unsuccessful attempts to arrest our client.
“This barbaric action by the Abia State Police Command is instigated by a Nigerian/American couple, Mr. Gamaliel Onyeka Onyemaobi and his wife Mrs. Shullam Onyemaobi, who are determined to forcefully and illegally seize the twins from their genetic and biological mother after she rightfully decided to retain custody of her children following the failure by Mr. and Mrs. Onyemaobi to fulfill the promises they made to her.
“Just for emphasis, it is the eggs of our client that were used for the fertilisation and not that of Mrs. Shullam. This makes our client the genetic and biological mother of the children. The couple who already have five children after abandoning our client while she was pregnant, and did not show reasonable concern for her life, welfare, antenatal and postnatal needs and the needs of the children, suddenly woke up from their slumber, returned to Nigeria and enlisted the services of the police to help them forcefully take the children out of the country.
“Rather than advise the couple to seek redress in court if they have a reasonable cause of action, the Abia State Commissioner of Police, CP Janet Agbede, has arrogated to herself the power to enforce a purported surrogacy contract and the power to determine custody.
“One wonders what the business of the police is in a purely civil matter. What is the business of the police in surrogacy and custody dispute? Why is CP Janet Agbede constituting herself into a court of law? What exactly is her interest in this case? Our client’s family members, namely: Mrs. Ngozi Solomon (mother), Mr. George Solomon (brother) and Ms. Joy Solomon (sister) were arrested and have been detained for the last five (5) days in lieu of our client.
“It is scandalous that despite the talks about police reforms, CP Janet Agbede has flouted the clear provisions of Section 36 of the Nigeria Police Force (Establishment) Act, 2020 which has prohibited arrest in lieu to the effect that “A person shall not be arrested in place of a suspect.” Furthermore, the CP has also disregarded Section 32 (2) of the same Police Act which states that “A person shall not be arrested merely on a civil wrong or breach of contract.” The arrest and continued detention of three members of our client’s family beyond 24 hours is a blatant violation of Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
“Before issuing this press release, I reached out to CP Janet Agbede but she neither picked nor returned my calls. I also sent her messages but she has not deemed it fit to respond to them. I called the PPRO Abia State on Wednesday, 4th May, 2022, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, and he simply washed his hands off the case like the Biblical Pontius Pilate and referred me again to CP Agbede.
“I also called the officer-in-charge of the case at RRS in Aba and he arrogantly and ruthlessly told me that there is nothing that anyone can do that will make them to release the innocent detainees except my client appears before them and surrenders her children to Mr. and Mrs. Onyemaobi. It is pertinent to note that the police while arresting our client’s sister, Ms. Joy Solomon, stripped her almost naked, dragged, tortured and brutalised her in the full glare of the public. The detainees are being kept in the most dehumanising conditions.
“The couple who instigated the police to do these nefarious acts would never succeed in recruiting the American police to play this dirty role for them. They did not also seek the services of surrogates in America because of the huge financial implications. They came to Nigeria where they thought they could exploit our client, and where they can easily recruit the services of the Nigeria Police Force to do their bidding.
“We once again call on the Nigerian Government, the Inspector-General of Police, American Embassy in Nigeria, the media, international community and the general public to call CP Agbede to order. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees and urge the police to stay-off this case and concentrate on the rising crimes in the country.”

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Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of Ogun State, has formally declared his intention to contest for president in 2023 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party.
He made the declaration at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Thursday.

Amosun said going by his past contributions to nation building since the fourth republic, he was ready to provide a new model for managing security in the country by working with regional and global bodies to solve the nation's security challenges.
“Under my leadership, I will consolidate the ongoing process by broadening and deepening where necessary, rebuilding the all-encompassing, coherent and comprehensive security structure to conform to the different facets of our national security concerns and achieve the different fundamental purposes of national security. 
“We will forge a new mode of complementing in security management among the federal, state and the local governments to ensure better protection of life and property of our people; we will work with the regional, continental and global organisations toward addressing these problems,” he said.
Speaking further, he said his administration would lift 100million Nigerians out of poverty within a decade as his previous and current experiences in the legislative and executive arms of government gave him a deep understanding and vision in making Nigeria a leading black nation in the world.
“I will reduce poverty by lifting 100million Nigerians out of poverty within a decade; our ultimate goal will be to reactivate and regenerate and give a new boost to our economy and public finance.”
He said his government would ensure formidable security and economic development for the country.

 

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Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Nigeria's Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), has obtained the N100 million expression of interest and nomination forms of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Abuja.

 

This was made known on Thursday by Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant-Media and Publicity to the Vice President.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Akande wrote on Twitter, “A passionate team of support groups and individual Nigerians from across the country have raised funds to support the purchase of APC nomination forms for the Vice President’s 2023 presidential bid.

 

“Today, the forms are being collected by representatives of the team, just as the VP continues his interactions with APC stakeholders across the States.

 

“Today, he is in Cross River and the Bayelsa States. It's all about the desire & resolve of the VP to serve the people of Nigeria with all his heart, experience and insights.

 

“Video shows the VP on arrival at Calabar this morning, acknowledging cheers on the streets. He was received by Gov Ayade and has since received the blessings of the Obong of Calabar who told VP "all we are praying is for you to pick the ticket," of the party later this month.”

 

https://twitter.com/akandeoj/status/1522195515768778752?t=KFIUpwcGH3GRHDhvpe6YjQ&s=19

 

Osinbajo is seeking the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and had declared that he was fully prepared to take a shot at the presidency.

SaharaReporters earlier on Thursday reported how Osinbajo distributed $300 each to about 400 presidential nomination delegates in Adamawa and Taraba during his visit to the states on Wednesday.

The Vice President reportedly switched from doling out money in naira to hard currency in order to stay on top of his game.

At meetings held behind closed doors in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital and Yola, in Adamawa State on Wednesday, Osinbajo gave each delegate to the APC National Convention US $300.

"I was handed an envelope containing $300 shortly after the Vice President left the hall," a delegate told SaharaReporters while displaying the money.

He was said to have pleaded with the delegates to favour his candidacy above all others in the race, arguing that he has more experience in governance at home and on the international stage than all his competitors.

SaharaReporters reported on April 22, 2022, that some presidential delegates of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the South-West on Friday went home with N250,000 each after attending a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“This was what we were given by Osinbajo today,” a delegate had said while showing the money packaged in an envelope.

 

A visibly elated VP was accompanied to Muna Hotel in Yola, the venue of the meeting by some APC party senators, House of Representatives members and cronies of President Muhammadu Buhari.

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Timipre Sylva, Ogbonnaya Onu

Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, will on Friday formally declare to run for President in 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), SaharaReporters learnt on Thursday.

SaharaReporters exclusively learnt that the Minister of State Petroleum, Timipre Sylva will also declare interest in Presidency.

Timipre Sylva, Ogbonnaya Onu

A political support group, Northern Nigeria’s Young Foodstuff Suppliers Union had in February pledged to foot the bill for purchasing all the prerequisite forms for Onu to run for the presidency of the country.

 

The Treasurer of the organisation, Alhaji Shu’aibu Kano, said they were ready to tax themselves as small scale businessmen and women to purchase the forms for the “vibrant and patriotic gentleman.”

 

He stated this in a press release made available to journalists in Bauchi, noting that they were going to use their hard-earned money to bring Nigeria out of the woods by supporting the only “incorruptible, detribalised and highly educated Igbo man who has all it takes to turn this country around if elected president.”

 

It was gathered on Thursday that the minister will formally declare his interest in the position of the president on Friday at the NUJ International Press Centre in Abuja.

 

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti; Yahaya Bello, Governor of Kogi; Governor of Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru; former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu and former Imo governor, Rochas Okorocha, are some of those who are vying for the presidential ticket of the APC.

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A High Court presided by the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Nathan Musa, has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), from conducting an election for the vacant seat of the member representing Michika constituency at the State House of Assembly, Ayuba Kwada.

 

The court, in an interim injunction, restrained INEC from conducting an election to find someone to occupy the vacant seat as directed by the Speaker of the State Assembly, Aminu Iya-Abbas, following the declaration of Kwada's seat as vacant.

SaharaReporters on April 27, 2022, reported that Kwada had been sacked.

 

Kwada's seat was declared vacant by the Speaker of the Assembly, Aminu Iya-Abbas on Wednesday, following the lawmaker’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

Ruling on motion ex parte on Thursday, Justice Musa also restrained the Accountant General of the State from stopping the salary, benefits and other privileges of the lawmaker pending the hearing and final determination of the motion on notice.

 

The plaintiff, Kwada, had prayed the court to direct the various parties to maintain status quo before his seat was declared vacant pending the interpretation of section 109 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

 

In a suit number HC/ADSY/73/2022, Kwada had joined the State Assembly, the Speaker, Commissioner of Finance, Attorney General of the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and INEC as 1st to 6th defendants and sought four reliefs from the court.

 

The Chief Judge thereafter adjourned the matter to May 16, 2022, for the hearing of the originating process.

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Prof Ango Abdullahi

The presidency of General Muhammadu Buhari serves as the grimmest moment and the darkest chapter in the history of Nigeria.

Some northerners are suffering from “shared psychosis” (madness) of hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thinking and speech. Buhari as the symbol of “induced delusion” spreads the madness to some of the northerners. The result is heightened pathologies, inducing delusions, paranoia, and a propensity for terrorism, violence, killings, and chaos such as we are witnessing today in Nigeria. Buhari and the affected northerners are as dangerous as any terrorist group because their mental pathology is accompanied by criminal-mindedness.

They foolishly insist the next president must come from the north. In their arrogance, obduracy, and shared madness, they believe they are the ones with the divine right to anoint the next president. In a cacophony of hysteria, they say it’s their turn to produce the next president. The northerners are pushing their luck too hard. They are working strenuously to set Nigeria ablaze. Their greed for power, the relentless pursuit of hegemony, and dumb intransigence would further animate the cause of Yorubas and Igbos calling for separation.

All the dictators that ever ruled Nigeria are northerners. They gave us bloodthirsty dictators like Generals Sani Abacha, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar. The present dictator, Buhari, is a northerner of the Fulani Sunni Muslim stock.

As we precariously inch towards 2023, the northerners are dishing out inflammatory statements short of saying the north is the owner of Nigeria. Ango Abdullahi, Convener of Northern Elders Forum said: “The issue of zoning or power shift is dead and buried. Candidates should be allowed to contest elections on the basis of merit of their competence and not where they come from, hence the Northern Elders Forum is of the opinion that the presidential position should be left open for standard norms of the democratic process.”

Prof Ango Abdullahi

Where were Abdullahi and his northern bigots when zoning was used in selecting Buhari to succeed former President Goodluck Jonathan? Why didn’t northerners demand “merit” “competence” “and not where they come from”? If merit was used, Buhari would never have come near the gate of Aso Rock!

The northerners, no doubt, tear reason out of their heads. They have lost their senses and other cerebral virtues.

Listen to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, the self-appointed middleman for Fulani terrorists. The divisive figure who negotiates ransom on behalf of kidnapped victims said: “Kidnapping children from school is a lesser evil because in the end, you can negotiate and bandits are very careful about human lives. Before, the mission of bandits was to go into a town, ransack it and kill people.”

“The bandits… they have families, children… they should be respected and should be given all the human rights everybody has.”

The Northern Consensus Movement claimed that “the north has a population of 120 million people and Fulani has 40 million.” According to NCM, the north has a total population of 160 million people and the south only 70 million people. Indeed, the figures must have been concocted by roadside suya sellers! The group emphasised that there was no way the south could defeat the north. The north, wrongly I might add, still laments over the remaining four years left of the late President Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure. All these statements and many more, show the shared madness of some northerners typical of herd instinct.

To those of you that will be left behind in Nigeria after the exit of Yorubas and Igbos, you must prevent another moron from the north from succeeding Buhari or risk being wiped out by the Fulani terrorists.

 

bjoluwasanmi@gmail.com

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Bayo Oluwasanmi Disable advertisements : 

Residents of major cities in the South-East on Thursday defied the sit-at-home order issued by unknown gunmen terrorising the region.

The gunmen had taken over some towns in Abia, Imo and Anambra states on Wednesday where they declared that there would be a sit-at-home protest on May 5 and 6 in the region over the planned two-day visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State.

They also threatened to attack anyone caught disobeying the order.

A resident of Enugu told SaharaReporters that social and economic activities are ongoing in the state.

“Nothing like sit-at-home order here, are they expecting us to kill our business because of Buhari’s visit? Never,” he said.

Another resident of Owerri in Imo State said, “Owerri is busy today. Though there was an uneasy calm earlier, people have moved on. The town is busy.”

Meanwhile, President Buhari arrived in Ebonyi around 11 am.

His presidential jet touched down at the Alamo Ibiam International Airport, Enugu around 10:30 am.

Buhari was received by Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and his Ebonyi counterpart, David Umahi and other officials of government.

He thereafter took a helicopter to Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital.

The President is on a two-day working visit to Ebonyi State where he is expected to inaugurate some projects executed by the Umahi administration.

He is also billed to have a meeting with selected leaders from the South East.

The South-East region has witnessed increasing and regular attacks on security agencies and facilities, government institutions and high-profile individuals following the arrest of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

IPOB has been linked to the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied having any involvement in the attacks.

Politics Breaking News News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

The statement by the leader of the Yoruba Cultural Group, Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, that the South East should get the next turn at the presidency has ruffled quite some feathers. 

This comes at a time when nearly half a dozen of his kinsmen have shown interest and almost nothing seems certain anymore because the two major political parties, having just discovered the virtue in merit, are now disposed to an open race.

The only thing that is certain is where the presidency may not go: the South East. When you hear top politicians talking about power shift, and insisting that the president after Muhammadu Buhari should come from the South for the sake of “fairness and equity”, they are not talking about the country’s most excluded region - the South East. 

They are not talking about the region with the least federal presence, the least representation in federal establishments and the least number of states, all of which are a price for a war fought over 50 years ago. 

The advocates of power shift have managed to define a geopolitical South that excludes the South East. They speak only of equity in power shift insofar as it means power going to the South West or ‘South South’. Adebanjo bucked the trend, and Edwin Clark has also lent his voice.

In a country where hypocrisy is a political virtue, the mindset of those who preach fairness and equity is governed by the Matthean principle: those who have will have more added to them, so that they can have even more at the expense of the disadvantaged.

That’s why the South West, which in the last 23 years has had 15 years of the first two top positions, currently has six candidates aspiring for another eight years, while the ‘South South’ which has had four years at the top job, has lined up six aspirants as of the time of writing. 

And the North, which never fails to disappoint in the politics of benevolence is saying on the one hand that power should shift to the South, and on the other propping up its own candidates to join the race, after about ten and a half years of being at the helm since 1999. 

In the All Progressives Congress (APC), for example, the first sign from the North that all the talk about a Southern candidate meant nothing was when the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, shelved the idea of being a running mate potentially to a ‘South South’ candidate, fancied at the time to be former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Insiders confided to me this week that, “It was after the Jonathan idea met the brick wall that Malami revived the idea of running for Kebbi governorship. The dead Jonathan project was a clear signal to Malami that given the large crowd of aspirants from the South a northerner might do better at the APC primaries and doom his vice-presidential ambition.”

Let us return to the South East. What is it about the region that makes it so convenient to treat it with spite and malicious negligence?

Some say that the region has to grow up and earn its place: no one hands over power on a platter. That sounds sensible and logical - that is, until we remind ourselves that the whole business of Federal Character, enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution today, was power redistribution served on a platter. 

The Federal Character Commission (an elevation of quota system) is a useless bureaucracy costing the country billions of naira. It was improvised by General Sani Abacha in 1996 to help disadvantaged states catch up with the others and to create a sense of belonging. I wonder why the beneficiaries, mostly Northern states, did not think it prudent to earn the privileges bestowed by this crooked system. 

How about the argument that the South East does not deserve a shot at the presidency at this time because of the inability of Ndigbo to unite around one candidate and pursue a common agenda - that they are masters at the game of group betrayal and disassembling politics?

Those who make this argument cite Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, who appear to be inclined to candidates outside the zone, as examples of Ndigbo’s penchant for betrayal and backstabbing. Why can’t they rally around any of the 16 Igbo candidates in the race?

If the South East is Nigeria’s capital of disunity, how do the proponents of this argument explain the ambitions of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Governor Kayode Fayemi, and potentially, Pastor Tunde Bakare, who are not only from the South West, but are all members of the same political party? 

How do critics of the Igbo quest explain the fact that even though the South West has enjoyed the lion’s share of power in two decades, it is still in the race with a bigger sense of entitlement than any other region? Or why did three other Northern aspirants contest for APC’s ticket against Buhari in the party’s presidential primaries, despite the push for a consensus candidate at the time?

Not done, there are others who would argue that politics is a game of numbers. If the South East does not have the numbers and cannot negotiate with others to its advantage as it did in 1959, why should it - or anyone - blame others for its current misfortune? 

That sounds logical, until you cross to other zones, like the ‘South South’, for example, that apart from producing a president, has reaped financial rewards and political benefits, from derivation to special commissions and an amnesty programme, far in excess of its numerical strength. 

In the mathematics of a federation, the cold abstraction of numbers sometimes deserves to have a human face. That was why Jonathan became president; that is why Quebec retains its distinct cultural and political identity, despite its union with Canada.

Then, of course, there are those who argue that rotation is pointless because it is simply the crutch of the thieving political elite. Ordinary people up and down the country, North and South, hardly benefit. And when the elite are conspiring to steal, they hardly discuss tribe, religion or region. We should be concerned about what the candidate can – or has done – rather than where he or she is coming from.

That is true. But that truism applies to all six zones in the country. I completely agree that there should be a broader definition of who benefits from power beyond zoning; a need to make power more inclusive, accessible and accountable. But why didn’t that begin in 2013 when Northern elders, determined to remove Jonathan, said, “power rotation was a mark of equity and justice”?

If it’s not good enough to stop former President Olusegun Obasanjo from returning to govern as civilian president for eight years after three years as military president, and it's not strong enough to stop Buhari from copying Obasanjo’s example, why should it be the albatross of the South East? In fact, the last time the Southern Forum led by Governors Peter Odili, Chimaroke Nnamani and Victor Attah pressed for power shift in 2007, they capitulated and allowed Obasanjo to hand over to Umaru Shehu Yar’Adua!

In the current calculations about where the next president should come from, perhaps the biggest elephant in the room is the spectre of the separatist agenda in the South East, largely promoted by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). Separatist-related violence in the South East has claimed hundreds of lives, ruined lives and left the region devastated. 

Those who oppose power shift to the region argue that an Igbo president after years of violent confrontations in the South East, with the political leaders looking the other way most of the time, would amount to rewarding rebellion, and who knows how or where it would end? 

That is frighteningly seductive. Anyone who has the faintest idea of what has been going on in the South East, especially in the last four or five years, should be worried. But perhaps we should pause and examine the conditions under which three Nigerian presidents - Obasanjo, Jonathan and Buhari - emerged in the last three decades.

Obasanjo emerged on the back of widespread violent disturbances, especially in the South West, after the annulment of the 1993 election and the death of MKO Abiola. Obasanjo, a Yoruba president, was the North’s peace offering to the South West, as Jonathan was to the implacable ‘South South’ and Buhari to the North - all of this regardless of the near ungovernable state of these regions when these presidents emerged and allegations of complicity against one of the candidates.

We can argue all day about being strategic, about optics or the need to avoid sending the message that violent rebellion pays and we would be right. But if “justice and equity” are the reasons why other regions have had their turn as tokens of good faith and reconciliation, then we cannot justify different treatment for the South East. And I don’t have to have a dog in the fight to say so.

It’s time to end the obfuscation and pussyfooting and to call this spade by its name: Nigeria must stop treating the South East as if it does not matter and still hope to find peace.

Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Azu Ishiekwene Disable advertisements : 

Russian billionaires and entrepreneurs have been arriving in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in unprecedented numbers, business leaders told the BBC.

The wealthy Russians have been fleeing the impact of western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

Property purchases in Dubai by Russians surged by 67% in the first three months of 2022, a report said.

The UAE has not put sanctions on Russia or criticised its invasion of Ukraine.

It is also providing visas to non-sanctioned Russians while many Western countries have restricted them.

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people have left Russia over the last two months - although exact figures are not available.

One Russian economist said as many as 200,000 Russians had left in the first 10 days after the war began.

Virtuzone, which helps companies to set up operations in Dubai, has seen a huge surge of Russian clients.

"We are receiving five times more enquiries from Russians since the war began," said chief executive George Hojeige.

"They are worried about an economic meltdown that's coming. That is why they are moving here to secure their wealth," he added.

The influx of Russian nationals has bolstered the demand for luxury villas and apartments across the city. Real estate agents are reporting a surge in property prices, as Russians arriving in Dubai are looking to purchase homes.

Dubai-based real estate agency Betterhomes found property purchases by Russians surged by two thirds in the first three months of 2022.

And another real estate agency, Modern Living, told the BBC it had hired many Russian-speaking agents to cater to rising demand. Chief executive Thiago Caldas said they were receiving numerous calls from Russian nationals looking to relocate to Dubai immediately.

"Russians who are coming down are not buying just for investment, they are looking at Dubai as a second home," he said.

Many multinational companies and Russian start-ups are also relocating their employees to the UAE.

Fuad Fatullev is the co-founder of WeWay - a blockchain technology company that had offices in Russia and Ukraine. After the war broke out, he and his partners shifted hundreds of employees to Dubai.

"The war had a massive impact on our operations. We couldn't continue [as we were] as we had to move hundreds of people outside of Ukraine and Russia," says Fuad, who is a Russian citizen.

He adds that they chose to shift their employees to the UAE as it offers a safe economic and political environment to operate a business.

He said Russian businesses were moving out as they were finding it incredibly difficult to operate due to sanctions. The challenge was even more acute for companies dealing with international clients and brands, as most western firms have severed ties with Russian-based enterprises, he said.

Global firms like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Google that have shut down offices in Russia, are also relocating some of their employees to Dubai.

"There is definitely a brain drain that is happening. A lot of people are leaving because there are a lot of business restrictions right now," says Mr Fatulley.

Russia's central bank is barred from tapping into the billions of foreign reserves held overseas in foreign banks. Some Russian banks have been removed from the Swift financial messaging system.

International News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday arrived in Ebonyi for a two-day official visit to the state.

Buhari arrived in the state around 11 am in a helicopter.

The president will inaugurate King David University of Medical Sciences, Ebonyi international shopping mall, along with some roads, among other projects.

Security operatives had been deployed to Abakaliki, the state capital, ahead of Buhari’s visit.

Umahi had in a statement on Tuesday said President Buhari would be in the state for two days: Thursday and Friday.

The announcement was followed by threats from unknown gunmen who declared a mandatory sit-at-home protest on May 5 and 6 in Ebonyi and other states in the South-West region.

According to a military source, the gunmen who took over some towns in Abia, Imo and Anambra states on Wednesday evening, threatened to attack anyone caught disobeying the order.

"Gunmen were seen shooting in some streets of Aba in Abia and in Imo and Anambra announcing to residents that there will be sit-at-home on Thursday and Friday when President Buhari is to visit Ebonyi State, and that they must observe it throughout the South-East," the source had said.

The gunmen reportedly called on President Buhari to immediately release the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu from detention.

But a report by NAN on Thursday said among the security personnel on guard were soldiers, policemen, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel.

Some residents, who spoke with NAN in Abakaliki said they were looking forward to the presidential visit to the state.

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 

A video of some residents in Abia State hailing some gunmen terrorising Nigeria’s South-East who staged a broad daylight patrol at Ariaria International Market, Aba, Abia State has been obtained by SaharaReporters.

The gunmen on Wednesday stormed the market where they declared a sit-at-home protest on May 5 and 6 in the South-East region over the planned two-day visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Ebonyi State.

They also threatened to attack anyone caught disobeying the order.

In the video, residents could be seen rejoicing and hailing the gunmen after passing the message.

Governor David Umahi had in a statement on Tuesday said President Buhari would be in the state for two days: Thursday and Friday.

The South-East region has witnessed increasing and regular attacks on security agencies and facilities, government institutions and high-profile individuals following the arrest of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

IPOB has been linked to the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

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