Sahara Reporters Latest News Tuesday 12th November 2019

Sahara Reporters Latest News Tuesday 12th November 2019

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 12/11/19

Falana Raises The Alarm Over Plans To File Fresh Charges Against Sowore By DSS

Photo Speaks: Omoyele Sowore’s Timeline

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Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has raised the alarm over plans by the Department of State Services to file fresh charges against detained pro-democracy campaigner and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday with a view to keeping him further in incarceration.
Falana made the disclosure on Monday during a programme on Channels TV.
The respected lawyer said that he will file contempt charges against the agency on Tuesday.
He said the contempt proceedings is to compel the DSS Director-General, Yusuf Bichi, to justify in court why the agency had disobeyed orders directing that his client be released.
He said, “I was reliably informed last night by a security official that the government was currently fishing for evidence.

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BREAKING: Court Grants Sowore Bail

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1 Month Ago

“An attempt is being made to file a fresh charge on Tuesday so that there will be an excuse that ‘we are arraigning them in court, hence we are unable to release them’.
“If you recall, that was what was done when Justice Taiwo Taiwo granted Sowore bail on September 24.
“For a whole week, the order of the court was flouted. And then, of course, on September 30, he was arraigned together with Olawale Bakare.
“We are ready for them.”
Asides the contempt proceedings, Falana said his legal team also had plans to file an application under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules to challenge “the illegal detention of Sowore a week before an illegal order was procured to detain him for 45 days.

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BREAKING: DSS Turns Back Bailiff, Sowore’s Lawyer After Perfection Of Bail, Says We Close At 3:30pm

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5 Days Ago

Human rights activists and civil society organisations had vowed to storm the DSS headquarters on Tuesday to collect both Sowore and Bakare that were arrested on August 3 and 5, 2019 respectively.

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E2%80%9Cpeople%E2%80%99s-manifesto%E2%80%9D-edwin-madunagu The Imperative Of “People’s Manifesto” By Edwin Madunagu

In the 20 months since I wrote “Drafting a people’s manifesto” and “Further notes on the people’s manifesto” (February/March, 2018), a sufficient number of significant things have happened and are happening in our country, Nigeria, in the Nigerian Left, to the Nigerian Left and in the world to raise the level of the urgency of the broad suggestion I alternately called “draft” and “notes”. The use of these terms to describe my attempt was a cautious way of indicating that I was not, and could not be, publishing a manifesto on behalf of the Nigerian Left. I could only suggest, propose and urge—not as a detached outsider, but as an active insider.
One possible manner of appearance of an authentic “people’s manifesto” is clear to me and I expressed it in my piece, “Preliminary notes on RevolutionNow” (August 15, 2019). What I said then can be re-stated, perhaps more clearly: Variants of RevolutionNow (August 5, 2019) may be attempted again and again until a particular attempt initiates a popular revolt which will simultaneously produce an authentic “people’s manifesto” and a substantial and effective unity of Left forces.
This follow-up piece is also not a manifesto, nor can it be. And it is not a call for revolution. The preceding paragraph is a statement of possibility informed by history and experience: distant, recent and current. Having said this we should also quickly add and emphasise that no serious Left formation or serious Left programme can be based—solely or even substantially—on the possibility of popular political eruptions.
You only have to recognise that possibility of spontaneous revolts while struggling, campaigning, mobilizing and organizing. History and experience have sufficiently shown us that the absence of this recognition of possibility and therefore, the need for “sideline” preparations for it—is the dominant reason for “betrayals” and “hijackings” of popular political upheavals when they occur. Put differently, “betrayals” and “hijackings” of popular revolts are indicators of the level of organization of the Left. Most of the present seemingly chronic and insurmountable obstacles in the path of Left unity will evaporate at a revolutionary conjuncture we may not be able to predict.
The “manifesto of the Nigerian people”, or the “people’s manifesto”, as indicated in an earlier piece, and now being strengthened, has a double character or two forms. In the first place, it is a Nigerian Left’s manifesto in the ordinary sense of the term, “manifesto”: a “public declaration of intentions, motives or views”, of what it intends to do, at the very least, if it comes to power or office.
In the second place, it is a Nigerian People’s Charter of Demands presented to the Nigerian state by the Nigerian Left, in the name of the Nigerian people (popular masses). Hence the people’s manifesto, or distillations from it, can be used for elections as (campaign platform) and for general popular struggle. History shows us that this dual character of the “people’s manifesto” lies at the roots of its popular acceptance, its power and its resilience. These are primary tests of a “people’s manifesto”.
The events or “things” to which I referred in the opening sentence of this piece include Elections 2019 and the recent Supreme Court’s effective “closure” of the exercise; the steady decline of the state of the country’s physical infrastructure; the steady rise in the levels of unemployment, poverty and “insecurity”; the steady increase of the burden of living and reproducing life imposed by the Nigerian state on the masses of the Nigerian people; intensifying violent struggles within the ruling class for the control of political power and the economic surpluses extracted from the labour of the working and toiling masses—struggles in which the same masses are foot-soldiers and primary victims; and, generally, the steady decline of the quality of life of the broad masses of the Nigerian people – the “minimum wage” and its politics notwithstanding.
The significant events of the last 20 months also include the successful holding of a Conference of Marxism—resulting, among other things, in the establishment of a vibrant discussion platform for Marxists. This came as a qualitative addition to older but not-too-vibrant platforms for socialists and Leftists. Also appearing as a significant event is RevolutionNow and the current trial of its leader and a number of its lead partisans; the increasing fascist encroachment on the Nigerian people’s civil and democratic rights; the appearance of new popular-democratic platforms with credible leaderships—at the same time as the appearance of potentially-willing foot soldiers of full-scale fascism.
Finally, the significant events include the current world-wide popular protests in virtually all the continents and regions of the world. Here it is unnecessarily scholastic to start classifying the protests as “revolutionary”, “democratic”, “progressive”, “reactionary”, etc. The first task is to determine whether a protest is popular or not. Then identify and determine the “specific weight” of each ideological tendency in the protest. For the Left, that is where the lessons reside. Do not expect a “pure” protest.
The central message of the “people’s manifesto” at this point in history should be that the various negative and undesirable aspects of Nigeria’s current reality—as partially sketched above—can be arrested and reversed by the efforts of the Nigerian masses acting directly (that is, spontaneously), and as mobilized through their popular-democratic formations and coordinated by the Nigerian Left. But, then, who or what is the Nigerian Left? What are its antecedents and credentials? How does it intend to carry out its promise? How is its message, together with the description of the reality on which it is based, different from what the masses have been hearing over the years, since independence, from regime to regime?
These questions must be answered in the “people’s manifesto”. But before they are answered in the manifesto the Nigerian Left must answer them to itself. The latter is a condition for the former. And if it cannot answer anyone of them convincingly to itself, then it has to return to the drawing board. And in returning to the drawing-board, the identified three forms of struggle (direct, popular-democratic and Left) and their coordination should be more thoroughly interrogated. And remember: “Without a guiding organization the energy of the masses would dissipate like steam not enclosed in a piston box. But, nevertheless, what moves things is not the piston or the box, but the steam”.
Since the “people’s manifesto” will be a formal document it has to be appropriately structured, with a “table of contents”. The following six-point structure is an illustration: Who are the Nigerian Left? What country do Nigerian people now have? What country do Nigerian people desire and deserve to have?; For a popular-democratic Nigeria: How the desirable will become the realizable; Immediate steps to be taken on coming to power or office; and Exhortation on the essential continuity of the struggle until victory, and beyond victory.
So, what should be done? I recall what I proposed about 10 months ago: “The next qualitative step (for the Nigerian Left) is not the formation of new parties or groups, or renewed attempts to register those already in existence, but the establishment of a Centre for coordination, ideological education, research, documentation and publicity.” But two questions now emerge: Can there be more than one Coordinating Centre? Yes, there can be. But I believe that the Nigerian Left is tired of the futility of multiplicity of formations. How many successful conferences on Marxism or similar efforts have we had in the last decade? And, can be there be more than one “people’s manifesto”? Yes, there can be. But how many Left declarations and platforms have we had in the last decade and how many have survived? From the Nigerian Left history now demands a qualitative step forward – to save the nation.
Madunagu, mathematician and journalist, writes from Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

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Buhari, Worst Of The Worst Coconut By Bayo Oluwasanmi

President Theodore Roosevelt once said that the president as a “steward of the people should take whatever action necessary for the public good unless expressly forbidden by law or the constitution”.
In the case of President Muhammadu Buhari, the opposite is true. Buhari is against everything that would bring relief, happiness, peace, progress, and prosperity to Nigerians. Buhari has taken every action to uproot the rule of law and to subvert the constitution.
A president is an historical figure. A president can either be famous or infamous. He will be remembered for the bad than for the good. So far, President Buhari will be remembered for being the worst of the worst coconut heads tyrants that ever ruled a democratic nation.
The cost of Buhari’s despotism and incompetence is stupendously frightening. Millions of Nigerians are suffering. Millions are dying as I write. Our economy has collapsed. Our justice system has become the annex of Aso Rock under the direction of Buhari. Unemployment remains untamed. Aging and dilapidated infrastructures are everywhere. Our ancient healthcare system is an invitation to death. Which is why Buhari shuttles London infirmary every time for medical treatment. Nigerians have become captives under the iron rule of Buhari.
In 2015, Buhari campaigned as a “crocodile liberator”. Flashing his trademark sickening smiles, he assured the world that he was a born again democrat that would uphold the rule of law. Now we know Buhari is a vengeful dictator with all ignoble qualities of a tyrant. In a systemic and systematic way, Buhari has consolidated his tyrannical rule by dismantling any semblance of rule of law. He has literally suspended our constitution. He disobeys court orders at will.
Buhari as a predator, goes about looking for his critics to prey upon. One of his biggest catch is Omoyele Sowore. Sowore, a former presidential candidate, who ran on populist agenda of good governance and open government, has been unlawfully held in solitary confinement by Buhari’s lawless and ragtag secret service – Department of State Services. Sowore’s offense was calling for #RevolutionNow, a peaceful protest against Buhari’s corrupt and incompetent regime. DSS abducted Sowore midnight over 100 days ago on trumped up charges of insulting Buhari, of planning to overthrow Buhari’s regime, and of money laundering.
Twice, Sowore was granted bail. Twice, Buhari refused to release him. Buhari in his short four plus years as president has become one of history’s cruellest, most dangerous, and most unpredictable tyrants. Within that short period, Buhari has restored oppression and cruelty. He has worked manically to increase unconstrained power. He rules by campaign of sadism.
Buhari as a tyrant wants to be completely free of all constraints. But ironically, he’s the most enslaved because he surrounds himself with bodyguards, yes-men, and people who will feed his ego and desires. Supporters and defenders of Buhari’s tyranny are slavish and are willing to debase themselves to appease the deformed soul of a heartless tyrant.
For once, Nigerians should put aside all differences – politics, religion, and ethnicity – and fight for the soul of our democracy. I don’t care, you may not like Sowore. It doesn’t matter, you may disagree with his political philosophy. You may not agree for what he’s fighting for. Of course, many of you hate his guts, his audacity, his boldness, his courage, his incorruptibility. That’s understandable. But the issue at stake is not about Sowore. It’s about the soul of our democracy. It’s about the rule of law. It’s about our constitution. You must rise up and tell Buhari that he’s not a king. He’s not an emperor. He’s your steward. Come together and speak up. Demand that Sowore be released today. Tell Buhari to respect the rule of law. Ask him to obey court orders. Advise him to stop violating the constitution he swore to uphold. Stop this evil tyrant!
Remind Buhari that he was once guilty of what he accused Sowore of. In fact, Buhari didn’t call for mere revolution. He called for a violent and bloody revolution when he lost the presidency for the third time by inciting his supporters to make sure there’s flow of blood in the land. Sowore never called for a violent or bloody revolution. He called for a peaceful nationwide protest against misrule, corruption, and incompetence.
Buhari is on the wrong side of history. Nigeria will outlive him. He will go the way of his ancestors – the Idi Amins, the Mugabes, the Abachas, the Mobutu Sese Sekos, the Pharaohs, and other tyrannical beasts in history that were consumed by the wrath of the people. History beckons!

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Bayo Oluwasanmi

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Man Allegedly Tortured To Death In Kano

A 26-year-old man, Abdulkadir Nasiru, has allegedly been tortured to death by the police in Kano.
Information Officer of the Karaye Local Government/Emirate Council, Alhaji Haruna Gunduwawa, in a statement said the Emir of Karaye, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar II, had called for a proper investigation into the incident.
The Emir made the call after receiving a report of the incident from father of the deceased, Mallam Nasiru Madobi, and the District Head of Madobi in his palace.
Spokesperson for the police in Kano, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the incident when contacted.
He said, “Four policemen had already been arrested in connection with the incident.”

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Passenger Dies At Kano Airport After Slumping

A passenger, whose identity is yet to be confirmed, reportedly slumped and died at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Sunday, November 10, 2019, according to a report by PUNCH.
An eyewitness said the passenger, who was travelling to Abuja on Sunday afternoon, was about to board a flight when he slumped and died.
According to the source, the deceased was in company with a colleague from Jigawa State on their way to Abuja to attend a seminar when the incident happened.
Aviation authorities, it was learnt, promptly rushed the deceased to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.
Police and the MAKIA management are yet to officially confirm the incident.

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Ondo PDP Asks Governor Akeredolu To Apologise Over Five-Week Absence

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has asked Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to tender an apology over his five-week absence from the state.
The governor had left the state for 52 days to allegedly attend to his health in Abuja from where he took care of some official tasks.
The PDP on Monday in a statement said that the absence of Akeredolu had generated rumpus mostly as it concerns governance.
Spokesperson for the party in the state, Zadok Akintoye, said the party was surprised that with the return of the governor after 52 days, he has failed to tender an apology to the people.
The PDP said, “We would like to use this opportunity to welcome back to the state Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu after his five-week absence that has generated controversies over his state of health.
“As humans, it is our prayer that God would grant him good health and the wisdom to manage the remainder of his tenure.
“There has been no tangible explanation nor apology offered by the governor for his absence from the state.”
While calling on the Akeredolu to rise up and face the responsibilities of governance, the PDP said the governor should stop his usual signing of Memorandum of Understanding that are not attainable.
The party added, “One would have expected the governor’s alleged working visit to have resorted to visible actions and not another round of MOU’s that are mere unattainable aspirations without concrete evidence of anything being done.
“The governor was non-committal on the issue of minimum wage, did not utter a word of apology on the deplorable state of roads in Ondo, neither did he allay the fears expressed by citizens of the state on the poor state of public infrastructure.
“Our party calls on this government to rise up to its responsibilities of governing the state for the benefit of its citizens.”

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Visa: US Continues To Charge Nigerians Reciprocity Fee

Over two months after the Federal Ministry of Interior announced a reduction in the cost of Nigerian visas for American citizens, the United States Embassy in Nigeria has continued to charge Nigerians a reciprocity fee, according to a report by PUNCH.
The US Embassy had on August 29, 2019, announced a reciprocity fee for Nigerians based on the premise that Americans seeking Nigerian visa were paying too much to secure it.
The US Government had lamented that despite 18 months of consultation, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had failed to review its visa structure.
Announcing its retaliatory move, the US embassy stated that persons applying for a tourist visa would upon being granted a visa, pay an extra N40,700 while those seeking the L1 Visa (work permit) will pay an extra N112, 100 if given visas while those applying for H4 Visa (dependency/spousal) will pay an extra N66, 600.
Nigerians granted a journalist visa would pay an extra N77, 700.

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US Retaliates Against Nigeria In Visa Battle

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2 Months Ago

The US Embassy in an email said that it had yet to receive any official information from the Nigerian Government as regards the reduction in visa cost.
When contacted on the telephone, the Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ferdinand Nwoye, blamed the Nigeria Immigration Service for the development.
Nwoye said that once the NIS communicates with the ministry, the needful would be done.
He said, “You should know that the foreign ministry is not playing a key role in this thing. It is immigration that is in charge. If immigration conveys information to us, then we will relay it to the embassy but for now, there is nothing from them (immigration).”
The NIS Spokesman, Mr Sunday James, however, said immigration had done the needful by announcing a reduction in the cost of visa for Americans.
He said the service had no further announcement to make since the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, had addressed the matter.
Prior to the introduction of the reciprocity fees, persons applying for an American B1/B2 tourist visa paid about $160 at the exchange rate of N370/$1.
However, Americans applying for Nigerian tourist visa paid as high as $270 for a single entry visa, which comprises $160 for consular services, $100 for administration and $10 for processing.
The reduction in the visa fee, which was announced by Aregbesola, was said to have affected only the $160 for consular services and not the $100 for administration and $10 for processing.

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Nigerian Government Buckles, Slashes Visa Fees For US Citizens

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2 Months Ago

Speaking with our correspondent, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof Bola Akinterinwa, said there was a need for better engagement between the parties involved.
Akinterinwa said it was possible that the reduction in the visa fee as announced by the Nigerian Government may not have been comprehensive enough.

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NCAA Introduces New Format For Bird, Wildlife Strike Reporting

As a result of the evolution of a new format for birds and wildfire strike reporting, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has notified pilots, airports, airline operators and aircraft engineers of a change in the reporting format for birds.
Bird strikes also known as bird ingestion or bird aircraft strike hazard is simply a collision between an airborne animal and an aerial vehicle, usually an aircraft while a wildlife strike is a collusion between a mechanical vehicle and animals on the runway, taxiway.
This notification was contained in an advisory circular with reference NCAA/AAS/BHC/04/006/11/132 dated July 30, 2019 to all airports, airline operators, pilots and aircraft engineers and was signed by the Director, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Engr T. A. Odunowo for DG NCAA.
According to a statement signed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, the European Coordinating Centre for Accidents and Incidents Reporting System, the Excel-based format will now be used for International Civil Aviation Organisation Bird Strike Information System reporting.

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JUST IN: Ondo Robbers Kill NNPC Station Guard

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A gang of armed robbers have killed a security guard manning a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation filling station in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
One of the victim’s tooth was also removed.
The guard, Moses, was killed around 1:30 am on Sunday when the station had shut down operations for the day.
The robbers had stormed the gas station located on the Onyearugbulem Road at Shagari Village junction in the state city and overpowered the 27-year-old guard.
SaharaReporters gathered that the guard was attacked with machete on the head before he was shot dead by the robbers.
It is not clear whether the robbers carted away money from the facility but items included a CCTV camera were destroyed.
A worker at the filling station, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said, “We just came to work as usual this morning only for us to see that some people had burgled our filling station and forcefully gained entry to the place.
“We also noticed blood by the side of the station and saw the security guard (Moses) already dead, so we quickly raised the alarm.
“The robbers broke the office of the manager and destroyed the things inside the place. During the process of looking for money, they ransacked everywhere in the office.”
A resident in the area, who also asked not to be named, added, “It was surprising for us to wake up this morning to find out that they robbed the NNPC filling station and killed one of the guards on duty.
“None of us noticed that armed robbers were on operation here yesterday (Sunday) even to the extent that they had to break burglar-proof to gain entry.”
A supervisor at the filling station told SaharaReportersthat the case had been reported to the police.
Spokesperson for the police in Ondo, Femi Joseph, said investigation had begun into the incident when contacted on Monday.

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Sanwo-Olu Government Loses Land Ownership Legal Tussle To Iwaya-Balogun Residents

The High Court of Lagos State has restored all landlords and residents of Balogun Street Extension, Iwaya-Yaba, Lagos, to their land from where they were forcefully evicted after the demolition by the Lagos State government.
The court, presided over by Justice Ronke Harrison, delivered interlocutory judgment on October 29, 2019, after arguments by their counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN).
Residents and landlords of the mainland community in Iwaya area of Lagos State woke up to buldozers, armed soldiers and policemen on 18 August, 2017, from the state, which proceeded to demolish over 100 houses, displacing families thereby, with property worth millions of naira damaged in the process. Confused and bruised, the landlords and residents approached Adegboruwa, who agreed to take up their case in court pro bono (free of charge).
Upon proper investigation, it was discovered that the landlords bought their various plots of land from the Delfino Anthonio Da Meranda family and that they had all valid documents of title in proof of their ownership.
Consequently, Adegboruwa proceeded to file a case in court against the government, seeking amongst other reliefs:
A.        A DECLARATION that the demolition and wanton destruction of the claimants’ houses, buildings and structures at Balogun Street Extension, Iwaya, Yaba on the 18th of August 2017, by the officials of the 1st & 4th defendant constitutes an infringements of the claimants’ rights to property and is unlawful, unconstitutional and illegal.
B.        A DECLARATION that the claimants are entitled to statutory right of occupancy of all that land known as Balogun Street Extension community, Iwaya, Yaba Local Government Area of Lagos State.
C.        A DECLARATION that the claimants are entitled to possession of all that land known as Balogun Street Extension community, Iwaya, Yaba Local Government Area of Lagos State.
D.        A PERPETUAL INJUNCTIONrestraining the defendants, their agents, servants or privies either jointly or severally from trespassing on or further demolishing the structures on the land belonging to the claimants known as Balogun Street Extension community, Iwaya, Yaba Local Government Area of Lagos State.
E.        A PERPETUAL INJUNCTIONrestraining the defendants, their agents, servants or privies either jointly or severally from taking over or building on or developing the land or selling the land belonging to the claimants known as Balogun Street Extension community, Iwaya, Yaba Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The case went through the pre-trial conference and was eventually assigned to Justice Harrison for trial. On the day trial was to commence, the Lagos government informed the court that it was not contesting ownership and possession of the land with the landlords and residents, but only concerned with breach of physical planning regulations.
Consequently, Adegboruwa applied for interlocutory judgment on the claims for ownership and possession of the land.
On October 29, 2019, the court entered judgment in favour of the landlords and residents as per their claims of ownership and possession.
Addressing the residents and landlords in court after the proceedings, Adegboruwa urged them to partner Lagos government to rebuild their houses and take possession of their land.

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