A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Victor Akande, says Nigerians will praise the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government later over the closure of the nation’s land borders.
Akande, representing Ojo Constituency I at the Lagos State House of Assembly, made this assertion in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
The lawmaker, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, said that the closure had security and economic benefits to the nation.
Akande said: “It is more beneficial to close our border than to allow it open for now.
“Nigerians might not understand this now, maybe because of the little pains it has brought; but the positive effects that will soon follow will make Nigerians to praise the President for doing so.
“Security of our country is key and germane; if this step is not taken now, it may be difficult to control movement of people, arms and ammunition into the country and win the war against insurgency,” he said.
The lawmaker urged Nigerians to be patient with the government, saying that the continued closure was in the best economic and security interests of the nation.
“We need the closure also to battle problems of unemployment in the country. Our appetite for foreign goods and services is to our detriment.
“We create jobs for citizens of the countries where these foreign goods are coming from while our teeming youths do not get work to do.
”As long as our local goods are not patronised, it is a death sentence to employment opportunities in our country.
“The border closure will make us look inward and see what we can do for ourselves and even go back to agriculture. Nigerians will praise the government later for this step,” he said.
According to him, the closure will help put the nation on the path of economic growth and development through revival of local industries.
“We will have a sense of self-sufficiency. It is an avenue for us to develop. People are cultivating and producing rice everywhere now which is good for us,” he said.
Border closure: ‘Nigerians will praise FG
ASUU Opposes Implementation of IPPIS in Universities, Urges Account General to Tackle Corruption in Revenue-generating Agencies
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has charged the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) to tackle corruption in revenue generating agencies in the country where funds are allegedly not remitted to the federal government rather than forcing universities into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) ‘ on the pretext of sealing leakages’.
The Union also vowed to opposed the forceful implementation of the IPPIS in the federal universities by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) in defiance to extant provisions in the laws establishing the universities in the country.
Zonal Coordinator of ASUU comprising Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states, Professor Lawan Abubakar, at a press conference held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi Monday claimed that any forceful implementation of the IPPIS in the Nigerian federal universities will be a violation of university laws and university autonomy.
According to him, the policy is a negation of the Federal Government’s agreement with ASUU pointing out that universities have various laws that decide how lecturers should be paid while the governing councils of the institutions employ and sanction staff.
” Is it only in petty salaries that you want to seal leakages while allowing mega corruption like the P&ID, unremitted funds by revenue generating units etc to continue to have field days?
” IPPIS started before 2017, we equally need a declaration of the savings in personnel then. Where is the N273 billion of 2017 and 2018? How has it reduced the hardships Nigerians are still going through?, he queried.
The union therefore asked the federal government to respect and adhere to approved budgets of universities and to challenge the governing councils of universities to curb corrupt practices in their payroll.
” We call on ASUU members all over the country to continue to be with and support the national leadership. We should only accept information and instructions from our leaders. To the AGF, please restrict yourself to keeping money for government. You do not have any business asking ASUU to join IPPIS”, the union said.
London visit: This President is lawless, activist slams Buhari for not handing over to VP
Human rights activist, Inibehe Effiong, has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari for embarking on a three-week foreign trip without handing over to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, for the second time this year.
Effiong said in a statement, “This President is lawless. Buhari has gotten away with murder.
“In the spirit of the rule of law and due process, one would have expected Buhari to either comply with the mandatory requirement of Section 145 (1) of the Constitution by transmitting a letter to President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to empower Prof. Osinbajo to become Acting President during his vacation or await the court’s decision on the matter.
“Buhari has shown disdain for the law. Buhari is not bigger than Nigeria. It is a shame that we now have a tourist as President.”
The President, who has travelled to over 33 countries since he took office in 2015, transmitted power to Osinbajo in 2016, 2017 and 2018 but since his re-election in February 2019, the President has failed to do so.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Monday, announcing the President’s travel itinerary, there was no mention of power being transmitted to the Vice-President.
According to the statement, the President embarked on a trip to Saudi Arabia on Monday and then leave for the United Kingdom on November 2 for a private visit.
Although the Presidency failed to reveal the nature of Buhari’s “private visit”, the President has been known to pay several visits to the UK for medical reasons, having spent over 120 days there treating an unknown illness in the past four years.
Buhari’s private visit to the UK will be the second of such this year.
In April, the President travelled to the UK on a private visit without transmitting power to Osinbajo.
Effiong, subsequently sued Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation over the President’s failure to hand over power to Osinbajo in April.
The case, with suit number FHC/L/CS/763/2019, was filed before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
In his response, the President said he decided not to hand over power to Osinbajo when he travelled because there was no constitutional requirement for him to do so.
The President further stated that the only time he needs to hand over to Osinbajo is when he is proceeding on leave or going to be out of the country for more than 21 days.
The EQUITY NEWS.NG reports that in the past, Buhari had been known to hand over power to his deputy anytime he was travelling out of the country for unofficial engagements.
For instance, when the President travelled to London on a working leave on August 3, 2018 and returned on the 18th, spending a total of 16 days, he handed over to Osinbajo.
It was while Osinbajo was acting President during the same period that he sacked the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura, a move that was said to have been vehemently opposed by those close to the President.
Incidentally, since Daura’s sacking over a year ago, the President has not transferred power to Osinbajo again.
The President has in recent weeks curtailed the powers given to the Vice-President by first removing him as the head of the economic advisory team and asking him to seek special approvals before taking certain actions.
There have been reports that the cabal which controls the Presidency is opposed to Osinbajo’s purported 2023 Presidential bid.
The President’s media aide, Adesina, refused to respond to an inquiry on Monday.
Sanwo-Olu approves rehabilitation of 60 public schools in Lagos
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the rehabilitation of 60 public schools across the state aimed at improving standard, quality of education as well as education management.
The state Commissioner, Ministry of Education, Mrs.Folasade Adesayo, who disclosed this at an interactive session with stakeholders of the ministry, Monday, said that the move was in fulfilment of Sanwoolu’s inaugural promise to invest in the education of children and young adults in the state.
Adesayo added that the bold vision of Sanwoolu would herald a new vista of hope at repositioning the education sector in the state.
According to the commissioner, the benefitting schools in the first phase, include 10 from each of the six education districts. She said the move was part of the effort and impact-driven activities in kick-starting transformation in the education sector.
Adebayo stressed that the commencement of the rehabilitations might, however, not take-off until all due processes, including procurement, were fully completed and strictly adhered to by all parties involved.
According to her, “Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration has resolved to introduce measures aimed at addressing three (3)broad critical issues affecting education in the state; the need to upgrade the teaching profession, the curriculum and school infrastructure.
Government will ensure that public schools in Lagos State are made number one nationally and compete globally with much-needed skills while preparing for jobs of tomorrow.
In aligning school curriculum with 21st-century realities, the commissioner assured on leveraging technology platforms to teach, assess, test and reinforce learning in conjunction with the Private Sector and development partners, while ensuring collaboration with industry, federal government and academia in updating the school’s curriculum.
Adesayo reiterated plans by the state government to recruit qualified teachers public schools in the state.
Nigeria Police detain webmaster over published investigative story
Police operatives have arrested a professional webmaster, Adebowale Adekoya, over an investigative news story published last year.
The story was published on NewsDigest, an Abuja-based online medium.
According to PR Nigeria, Mr Adekoya was arrested in Ikorodu, Lagos last Friday while going home and thereafter whisked away to Ilorin Kwara State.
This reporter carried out the investigation titled ‘Inside Kwara factory where Indian hemp smoking is ‘legalized.”
The story was published over a year ago on May 19, 2018.
The report showed that at Hillcrest Agro-Alied Industry, one of the companies owned by a former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sarah Alade, smoking of cigarettes and Indian hemp was tolerated within its vicinity.
The report showed that workers saddled with the responsibility of loading and off-loading processed and unprocessed grains in trucks smoked Indian hemp at will without being sanctioned.
Before the story was published, the company refused to respond to enquiries. Calls and text messages sent to the firm’s telephone hotline were not responded to.
The Petition
Over a year after the story was published, Hillcrest wrote a petition to the police alleging that the story was injurious to it.
Rather than seek clarification from the reporter or approach the publisher of NewsDigest, the police identified the person, Mr Adekoya, who registered the website.
“He was the one that was in-charge of the NewsDigest IT structure as at the time the story was published and that was the basis why he was arrested,” Mr Adekoya’s lawyer, Yunus Abdulsalam, told EQUITY NEWS.NG.
“The platform affected is a reputable media house that can be reached. They should either go for the publisher or the reporter,” he said.
Mr Abdulsalam said that although plans are underway to secure his release, Mr Adekoya is yet to be freed by the police.
“I have informed some lawyers in Ilorin and they are working on his bail,” he said on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, the Kwara police spokesperson, Peter Okasanmi, expressed surprise when EQUITY NEWS.NG notified him about the detention of Mr Adekoya.
Mr Okasanmi who confirmed the receipt of a petition from the company noted that Mr Adekoya ought to have been released since Monday morning.
“The issue was brought to my notice yesterday and I was briefed that the parties involved will be contacted today and he will be released this morning,” he said on Monday evening.
He promised to get back to this correspondent after he has confirmed that Mr Adekoya is still in police custody.
The police spokesperson was yet to get back on Tuesday morning, while Mr Adekoya remained in detention.
NewsDIgest Reacts
Gidado Yushau, Editor of NewsDigest, expressed shock over the arrest of his online newspaper’s webmaster, describing the police’s action as ‘unbridled illegality.’
Mr Gidado said the police have no justification to arrest and detain Mr Adekoya over a story which he was not the author.
He said NewsDigest stands by its story and would always uphold the tenets and basic ethics of news reportage.
“We totally condemn the unjustifiable action of the law enforcement officers for arresting Adekoya who was doing his legitimate work of managing our online site and dozens of other media platforms.
“Besides, he was neither the owner of the website nor the author of the investigative report. Therefore, we are calling on the police to unconditionally release him,” he added.
The arrest of Mr Adekoya joins a growing list of clampdown by state agents on journalists and media workers for doing their job.
Agba Jalingo, a journalist in Cross River State, is still being detained and tried for writing stories critical of the Cross River government.
In Akwa Ibom, a journalist, Mary Ekere, who reports for a local newspaper in Uyo, was arrested by the state environmental task force on September 16 for taking photos of the task force officials raiding a shop.
She was thrown into the Uyo prison that same day without appearing before a judge, an incident lawyers who spoke with EQUITY NEWS.NG said was “strange” in the nation’s justice system.
Court adjourns MTN suit accusing Nigerian govt of ‘malicious’ taxation
A Lagos Division of the Federal High Court Tuesday further adjourned hearing until January 30 and 31, 2020, a suit filed by MTN Nigeria Communication Ltd against the Attorney General of the Federation, over alleged N242 billion and $1.3 billion import duties and withholding tax assessments.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that MTN instituted the suit by a writ, on September 10, 2018, challenging mainly, the legality of the AGF’s assessment of its import duties, withholding tax and value-added tax in the sums of N242 billion and $1.3 billion.
The plaintiff is seeking among other declaratory reliefs, a declaration that the AGF’s demand of the sums of N242 billion and $1.3 billion from MTN is premised on a process which is malicious, unreasonable and made on an incorrect legal basis.
When the case was called on Tuesday, Wole Olanipekun, a senior advocate of Nigeria, leading a team of other senior lawyers appeared for MTN.
On the other hand, T.A. Gazali, a State Counsel from the Federal Ministry of Justice, alongside Terhember Agbe, announced appearances for the AGF.
The plaintiff’s counsel then informed the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial but had been called by the respondent who informed him that he would not be able to proceed with trial as he was representing the government in another matter.
Mr Olanipekun also told the court that he had filed a reply to the plaintiff’s motion and had served same on him but added that since the respondent said he required time to study same, it will only be fair to allow him.
On his part, Mr Gazali also informed the court of his motion seeking an extension of time to regularise his processes.
Following consensus of parties, Chukwujekwu Aneke, the judge, adjourned the case until January 30 and 31, 2020, for hearing.
Meanwhile. the court vacated the November 31 initial date.
In its writ of summons, MTN is seeking declaratory reliefs on the following grounds:
That the purported “Revenue assets investigation” allegedly carried out by the Federal Government on MTN, for the period of 2007 to 2017, and its decision conveyed through the office of the AGF by a letter dated Aug. 20, violates the provisions of section 36 of the constitution.
A Declaration that the AGF acted in excess of its powers, by purporting to direct through its letter of May 10, a “self-assessment exercise” which usurps the powers of the Nigerian Customs Service to demand payment of import duties on importation of physical goods.
A Declaration that the AGF acted illegally, by usurping the powers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, to audit and demand remittance of withholding tax and value-added tax.
A Declaration that the purported “self-assessment” exercise instituted by the AGF via its letter of May 10, is unknown to law, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
In addition, the plaintiff wants a court order vacating the AGF’s demand letter dated August 20, for the sums of N242 billion and $1.3 billion from MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd.
Besides, MTN is claiming a total sum of N3 billion in damages against the defendant, which covers General damages, exemplary damages, and legal costs.
Meanwhile, in its preliminary objection, the AGF argues that the plaintiff in seeking redress to the subject matter has just three months from the date the cause of action arose to institute the action.
It argues that the plaintiff commenced the suit in clear disregard to Section 2 of the Public Officers Protection Act, which provides that any action commenced against a public officer, must be made within three months from commencement of cause of action.
AGF argues that plaintiff’s failure to commence the suit within three months as stipulated by law robs the court of jurisdiction to entertain same. (NAN).
90m Nigerians live in extreme poverty –FG
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Ms Sadiya Farouq, has expressed the resolve of the Federal Government to lift 90 million Nigerians currently living in poverty across the country.
She disclosed this while presenting the 2020 budget estimates of N44.21 billion for approval by the House Committee on Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees chaired by Mohammed Jega on Monday.
The minister said that the ministry was tasked with the responsibility of addressing some of the underlying causes, drivers and consequences of humanitarian crises and underdevelopment.
Farouq said this included the relatively high level of poverty of nearly half (90 million) of the country’s 198 million population.
The minister assured that the new ministry would strengthen the coordination of humanitarian and disaster management efforts by government and other stakeholders.
A breakdown of the proposed 2020 budget for National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons include N474,306,285 for personnel, N165 million for resettlement of IDPs in the North East and Bakkasi returnees in the 2020 budget proposal.
Others are N15 million for 1,000 IDPs enrolment into NHIS; N105 million for renovation/rent of 21,000,000 per state; N60 million Back to School fees; N105 million for drilling of boreholes; N184 million for securing land for relocation and reintegration of IDPs in FCT, Nasarawa States and N110 million for 2,200 families as return assistance to North East, among others.
Speaking at the occasion, the chairman of the committee assured that the budget will impact positively on all Nigerians.
“We are therefore poised for a collaborative action with the Executive arm of government to ensure that we design a performing budget that will meet the expectations of the teeming populace,” he said.
News New minimum wage: NLC, TUC react to Governors’ position on workers’ salary, issue threat
The Trade Union Congress, TUC, and the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, have vowed to resist the position of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, that States will pay the new minimum wage according to their capacities.
Equity news.ng reported that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), on Monday said that the consequential increments in the implementation of the N30,000 Minimum Wage Law would depend on the capacity of each state government.
They threatened that any governor not ready to pay should be ready for a showdown.
The labour leaders who spoke in separate interviews with the Nation insisting that states should pay as expected.
Secretary-General to the TUC, Musa-lawal Ozigi, said, “The governors are jokers. You know why? Because they were part of the minimum wage committee, they cannot say they don’t know what happened.
“The state governments are only playing games. They were represented in the minimum wage committee. They cannot come round to deny their responsibility. They are simply courting labour anger and we are ready for them.
“The statement is only to test Labour’s resolve to ensure that the dividend of minimum wage gets to everybody and we are ready for them.
“All the governors in Nigeria receive the same salaries. Even the states that cannot produce anything, they receive the same salaries with states that can produce something. So, they cannot also deny their workers what they should get.
“We have finished battling with the Federal Government and the consequential increase has been signed. It is time to go to the states to ensure that justice is done to everybody.
“Once the template we signed with the Federal government is passed to the states, we will then know which state said it cannot implement or pay. The template is not for negotiations but for implementation.
“We are not asking the federal government to help us in telling states what to do with the template. Labour will do its own job.
The General-Secretary of the NLC, Emmanuel Ugbaoja, added, “It will be a function of collective bargaining and not a function of directive from a governor. The leadership of labour in the various states will negotiate with the government in those states.
“We are done with that of federal government the negotiation moves to the state level. That’s what the situation is.”
FIFA doesn’t care about racism in football, they respect nobody’ – Yaya Toure
Yaya Toure has said FIFA is not doing enough to stamp out racism and that England should have walked off the pitch in the face of monkey chants during their Euro 2020 qualifier in Bulgaria.
The 36-year-old former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder made the comments to AFP after Qingdao Huanghai clinched promotion to the Chinese Super League at the weekend. England’s 6-0 victory in Sofia earlier this month was marred by racist chants and Nazi salutes from a section of Bulgarian fans.
The game was halted twice during the first half but England players opted to complete the match instead of walking off the pitch.
“This is a shame, why are you playing for England? They are always talking, ‘Blah, blah, blah’, and what? Nothing changes” Toure, who has been outspoken on football’s racism problem, said of the decision.
The four-time African player of the year said: “People from FIFA don’t care anyway because we’ve been talking about this, but it’s still continuing. I don’t want to say that I’m not concerned, I’m concerned”.
“They have to be serious about it, players need to make serious moves about it otherwise they (the racists) will continue to do that. They have to get the players out of the field. They respect nobody’.
Toure was speaking after he played a pivotal role for Qingdao in a 2-0 win on Saturday at Shanghai Shenxin, attended by just a few hundred spectators.
Nine teachers killed in Nigerian road accident, senator mourns
Nicholas Tofowomo, representing Ondo South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, has mourned nine teachers from Okitipupa Local Government Area killed in a road accident.
The News Agency if Nigeria (NAN) reports that the teachers from Okitipupa travelling for a wedding ceremony lost their lives in a multiple car accident at Ijebu-Ife on Saturday.
Mr Tofowomo, in a statement through his media aide, Olumide Akinrinlola, on Monday in Okitipupa, commiserated with the families of the bereaved.
The senator, who was also recuperating from a ghastly motor accident, said that accidents were recently caused not only by human errors but bad roads too urging the federal government to urgently repair roads.
“I mourn with the teachers from Okitipupa who lost their lives in a multiple motor accidents. I pray for the repose of their souls and commiserated with their families over the unfortunate incident.
“I also call on the federal government to as a matter of urgency rehabilitate roads to reduce accidents on our highways,’’ he said.
The senator, who was also the Senate Vice- Chairman on Transportation, however, said that he would sponsor a bill on speed limits of drivers to stem road accidents on highways especially during the “Ember Months’’.