Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Sunday 27th December 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 27/12/20
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BREAKING: Many Feared Dead As Boko Haram Terrorists Attack Communities, Burn Churches In Borno
Many persons are feared dead as gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists on Saturday night attacked three communities in the Hawul Local Government Area of Borno State.
The villages attacked include Debiro, Tashan Alade and Tirgitu.
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A source told SaharaReporters that the insurgents came in about 10 gun trucks and began to fire indiscriminately at anything within sight.
The gunmen burnt down two Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN) churches, also known as Church of the Brethren, in Tashan Allade.
The attack came a few days after a similar incident occurred in Pemi, a ward in the Chibok Local Government Area of the state, where about eight people were killed.
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Five Feared Killed As Boko Haram Attacks Church In Chibok
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Biden Is A Fake President, Afghanistan Elections Far Better Than US 2020 Poll – Donald Trump
President Donald Trump on Saturday said a young military man working in Afghanistan told him that elections in the country were better than the 2020 US presidential poll.
In a series of tweets on Saturday, Trump described Joe Biden as a “fake President”.
He alleged that the electoral process was corrupt and described the Supreme Court as totally incompetent.
“If a Democrat presidential candidate had an election rigged and stolen, with proof of such acts at a level never seen before, the Democrat senators would consider it an act of war, and fight to the death. Mitch and the Republicans do nothing, just want to let it pass. No fight!” Trump wrote.
“Where the hell is the Durham Report? They spied on my campaign, colluded with Russia (and others), and got caught. Read the Horowitz Reports about Comey and McCabe. Even the fake news @nytimes said ‘bad’. They tried it all, and failed, so now they are trying to steal the election!
“The US Supreme Court has been totally incompetent and weak on the massive election fraud that took place in the 2020 Presidential Election. We have absolute proof, but they don’t want to see it – No ‘standing’, they say. If we have corrupt elections, we have no country!
“A young military man working in Afghanistan told me that elections in Afghanistan are far more secure and much better run than the USA’s 2020 Election. Ours, with its millions and millions of corrupt Mail-In Ballots, was the election of a third world country. Fake President!”
A young military man working in Afghanistan told me that elections in Afghanistan are far more secure and much better run than the USA’s 2020 Election. Ours, with its millions and millions of corrupt Mail-In Ballots, was the election of a third world country. Fake President!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2020
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Don’t Use Christmas Period To Cause National Disunity, Lai Mohammed Cautions Kukah Over Attack On Buhari
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Saturday, warned the Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Mathew Kukah, to stop stigmatising the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
The minister, in a statement titled, ‘FG Urges Religious Leaders To Eschew Message of Disharmony’, also warned religious leaders in the country to “refrain from stoking the embers of hatred and disunity” which could “trigger unintended consequences”.
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There Would’ve Been War Or Coup If A Non-northern President Practised Nepotism Like Buhari — Bishop Kukah
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However, The PUNCH had earlier reported that Kukah in his 2020 Christmas message titled, ‘A nation in search of vindication’, on Friday, accused Buhari of nepotism.The cleric had said, “Every honest Nigerian knows that there is no way any non-Northern Muslim President could have done a fraction of what President Buhari has done by his nepotism and got away with it.
“There would have been a military coup a long time ago or we would have been at war. The President may have concluded that Christians will do nothing and will live with these actions.
“He may be right and we Christians cannot feel sorry that we have no pool of violence to draw from or threaten our country. However, God does not sleep. We can see from the inexplicable dilemma of his North.”
Reacting on Saturday, the minister said Kukah and other religious leaders have a responsibility to speak truth to power but “such truth must not come wrapped in anger, hatred, disunity and religious disharmony”.
Mohammed said it was “graceless and impious for any religious leader to use the period of Christmas, which is a season of peace, to stoke the embers of hatred, sectarian strife and national disunity”.
Making an apparent reference to Kukah’s statement that there could have been a coup or war in the country should any other leader exhibit Buhari’s “nepotistic behaviour”, the minister warned, “Calling for a violent overthrow of a democratically-elected government, no matter how disguised such a call is, and casting a particular religion as violent is not what any religious leader should engage in, and certainly not in a season of peace.”
“While some religious leaders, being human, may not be able to disguise their national leadership preference, they should refrain from stigmatising the leader they have never supported anyway, using well-worn and disproved allegations of nepotism or whatever,” Mohammed further stated.
“Whatever challenges Nigeria may be going through at this moment can only be tackled when all leaders and indeed all Nigerians come together, not when some people arrogantly engage in name-calling and finger-pointing,” he added.
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IBEDC Confirms Electrocution Of Motorcyclist, Food Vendor, Commiserates With Families
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on Saturday confirmed the electricution of two people at Iwo Road junction in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
IBEDC commiserated with the families of the victims.
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Electric Cable Falls In Ibadan, Kills Food Vendor, Commercial Motorcyclist
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The commiseration was contained in a statement signed by Mr John Ayodele, IBEDC’s Chief Operating Officer.
The names of the victims were given as Mr Oladeji Olatunji and Mrs Kemi Adegoke.
According to IBEDC, the incident happened on Iwo-Adogba Road in Ibadan around 4 pm on Friday.
“We are currently working with families of the deceased at this difficult period to help provide some measure of succour.
“Investigations have begun to ascertain the facts of the case, while all necessary protocols and reports to the regulatory authorities have been initiated.
“Our team of engineers are already carrying out safety routine maintenance to forestall such occurrences in future,” Ayodele said in the statement.
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How Chief Of Naval Staff Tortured, Harassed Navy Officer, Lawyer Tells Buhari To Defend Client
Ibok Ete-Ibas
A senior officer of the Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain Emmanuel Owen, has cried out over the continuous torture, victimisation and oppression he is suffering in the service allegedly orchestrated by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas.
Owen explained on Saturday that due to the constant harassment in the military, his health had deteriorated and alarmingly led to perspiration and heart problems.
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Navy Moves To Court-Martial Emmanuel Owen Who Exposed Fraudulent Act of Chief of Naval Staff
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The navy officer, speaking through his lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, of The Law Corridor, Abuja, alleged that Owen’s request to meet his “doctors for proper medicare” had been consistently denied, thereby threatening his life.
Olajengbesi in a release on Saturday called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Security Adviser, Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.), and the Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Magashi (retd.), to address the issues of “unfair and torturous treatment continuously meted out to this senior officer.”
He said, “We have evidence of several cases of abuse of office against the Chief of Naval Staff; we have observed with great concern his reckless, oppressive and degrading actions against one Navy Captain Emmanuel Owen, just like many of his victims in the service.
“In the course of serving this country, Captain Owen sustained several life threatening injuries to his person. He sustained an injury to his eye which led to the permanent disability and loss of sight in one of his eyes. He also lost a testis from burnt trauma. He suffered a fractured jaw in the line of duty, just to mention a few as there are other injuries we would rather not mention here.
“Yet, he is being subjected to unfair, inhuman and degrading treatment coupled with consistent harassment by the current CNS who should ordinarily be a morale booster to such a senior officer.
“What is Captain Owen’s offence? We have it on record that the courageous officer sometime on board a ship, NNS AMBE in 1996 while on national assignment in Liberia, discovered that the now CNS was involved in some issues bordering on corruption and personally called him to encourage him (the CNS) to serve with integrity.
“Rather than taking the admonition of Owen, the now CNS locked Captain Owen up in the toilet and summarily tried Owen for a trumped-up charge in order to dismiss him while still onboard the NNS AMBE in Liberia.
“The Captain has since 1996 remained an object of victimisation by the now CNS in the Nigeria Navy.
“The CNS has channelled all his resources both official and unofficial to make life as a Naval Officer unbearable for Owen. In particular, the CNS withheld funds from Owen for national assignments to train naval officers for Admiralty yachting regatta in India in 2016 and 2017.”
The lawyer further listed the issues of alleged unfair and torturous treatment continuously meted out to the officer, saying, “One, constituting the court martial in Lagos whilst the officer is engaged in Abuja by reason of his official posting is tantamount to a deliberate attempt to frustrate him when same could have been constituted in Abuja and made for ease of attendance of proceedings, amongst others.
“Two, not providing necessary transport allowances or even accommodation for him for attending and partaking in the court martial which is billed to take place in a location outside his last posting.
“Also, he has become stranded and destitute having run out of funds. In the light of the several impunity acts, a host of which have been captured in the body of this press statement by the CNS, we call upon the President to relieve the erring CNS of his appointment without further delay in order to save the reputation, integrity and right standings of the Nigerian Navy.”
“The President is further called upon to review and take a positive stand on the Letter of Victimisation written to him reporting all the nefarious and unlawful acts of the CNS. The President is required to act purposively and decisively as the C-in-C, as the acts of torture and victimisation complained of in the said letter yet persist and have continued to be aggravated with impunity by the CNS, who has become a law unto himself,” he added.
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Gunmen Kidnap PFN Chairman, Wife At Kaduna Prayer Camp
The Kaduna State Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Emmanuel Bako, and his wife Cindy Bako, have been kidnapped by gunmen at a praying camp in Jema’a Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
In a statement on Saturday, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the cleric, his wife and one Douglas were attacked by unidentified men at the Albarka praying camp along the Afana-Fadan Kagoma-Kwoi Road.
Aruwan, however, said troops arrived at the location and pursued the kidnappers, who succeeded in kidnapping the victims.
The statement reads, “Security agencies have reported to the Kaduna State Government the kidnapping of Apostle Emmanuel Egoh Bako and his wife, Cindy Bako, in Jema’a Local Government Area.
“According to the report, unidentified gunmen attacked the Albarka praying camp along the Afana-Fadan Kagoma-Kwoi Road. They fired sporadically, hitting a vehicle as can be seen in the attached pictures, before abducting Apostle Bako, his wife and one Mr Douglas from the camp.
“Troops arrived at the location and pursued the kidnappers who were however able to escape with the victims.”
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*-romp Lagos OPC Members Kill Man For Breaking Into Hotel Room During Lovers’ S** Romp
The Lagos State Police Command is currently on the trail of some members of the Oodua Peoples Congress who beat a man to death in FESTAC Town after the deceased broke into a hotel room.
SaharaReporters learnt that the man was killed on the suspicion that he was a ritualist after he broke into a room in Grass Copper Hotel.
According to a police report from the FESTAC Town division, the suspect broke into a room where a lover and his girlfriend had lodged.
SaharaReporters gathered from an eyewitness that the lovers were reportedly having s** in the hotel room when the suspect broke in.
“He was caught and handed over to some hotel guards. The guards in turn handed him over to the OPC members in the area. The lodger and his girlfriend were having s** and it was what attracted the intruder to break in. He was suspected to be a ritualist,” the witness added.
It was learnt that the OPC members, without recourse to the police, descended on the intruder and beat him until he became unconscious and died. He was thereafter rushed to Mainland General Hospital, Yaba, where he was confirmed dead.
The police report obtained by SaharaReporters stated that a bag containing some female clothes was recovered from the deceased.
The report partly reads, “That today being December 13, around 7.30am, a complaint was received from a security guard at Grass Copper Hotel that a customer who goes by the name, Ahmed Shaibu, of Tajudeen Oguseye Street, Ejigbo, lodged in the hotel with his girlfriend in Egypt room. “The customer recounted that an unknown person broke into his room; he apprehended him and handed him over to the security guards on duty. Thereafter, the unknown person was beaten by OPC men, who are now at large. “He sustained injuries on his body and was taken to a hospital where he was receiving treatment. At Mainland General Hospital, he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor. A bag containing female clothes was recovered from the deceased.”
The police noted that detectives had visited the scene of the incident, taken photographs, while the corpse had been deposited at the Mainland General Hospital morgue, Yaba, Lagos.
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Buhari Must Ban Military From Protests, Rallies By Citizens, Other Internal Operations —Femi Falana
Femi Falana (SAN)
Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights activist, Femi Falana, has said that in line with the provisions of the constitution, President Muhammadu Buhari should ban military deployments from internal operations, including protests and rallies.
He added that such civilian demonstrations and protests as well as political rallies fall under activities meant for the police.
Femi Falana (SAN)
Falana stated these at a convocation lecture he delivered at the Ekiti State University convocation ceremony, noting that to prevent hoodlums from hijacking peaceful protests, rallies and marches, the police must provide adequate security.
He said, “A few days ago, President Muhammadu Buhari publicly acknowledged that aggrieved citizens have the fundamental right to exercise their freedom of expression through peaceful rallies, marches and protests. The position of the President is backed by the provisions of Section 39 of the Constitution and article 9 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act. However, the President warned hoodlums not to hijack such protests.
“But to the utter embarrassment of the Federal Government, some Commissioners of Police announced a ban on protests and any other form of public meetings in many states.
“It is high time the attention of such police authorities was drawn to the case of the All Nigeria Peoples Party v. Inspector General of Police (2006) CHR 181. In that case, the Presiding Judge, Chickere J., declared police permit for rallies illegal and unconstitutional and proceeded to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant (Inspector-General of Police) whether by himself, his agent and privies from preventing the plaintiffs and other aggrieved citizens from organising or convening peaceful assemblies, meetings and rallies.”
“In affirming the epochal judgment of the Federal High Court in the case of Inspector General of Police vs. All Nigeria Peoples Party (2008) 12 WRN 65 the Court of Appeal per Adekeye JCA (as she then was) held inter alia:
“The right to demonstrate and the right to protest on matters of public concern are rights which are in the public interest and that which individuals must possess, and which they should exercise without impediment as long as no wrongful act is done.
“If as speculated by law enforcement agents that breach of the peace would occur, our criminal code has made adequate provisions for sanctions against breakdown of law and order so that the requirement of permit as a conditionality to holding meetings and rallies can no longer be justified in a democratic society.
“In view of the clear state of the law, the President should, without any further delay, prohibit armed soldiers from usurping the powers of the police by getting involved in the maintenance of internal security in any manner whatsoever and however.
“However, to prevent hoodlums from hijacking peaceful protests, rallies and marches, we call on the President to direct the Inspector-General of Police and Commissioners of Police in all the states of the federation to comply with section 94 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended which provides as follows: Notwithstanding any provision in the Police Act, the Public Order Act and any regulation made there under or any other law to the contrary, the role of the Nigeria Police Force in political rallies, processions and meetings shall be limited to the provision of adequate security as provided in subsection (1) of this section.”
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E2%80%99s-dilemma-national-debt-population-and-pandemic-dr-nasir-aminu Nigeria’s Dilemma: National Debt, Population, And The Pandemic By Dr Nasir Aminu
Dr Nasir Aminu
Governments spend money on acquiring goods and providing services for the public. The spending is usually planned in an annual budget which is signed into law. However, there might be some off-budget spending that requires no legislative approvals. Such expenditures, known as public sector spending, can include education, healthcare, social protection, and defence.
For Nigeria, the spending is on its 201 million citizens, according to the World Bank (2019) population data. 44% of the population are under the age of 15, and 44% are between 15 and 65. The population is a potential for increased global productivity.
Like every government, Nigeria’s public spending is financed primarily through two sources: government revenue and government borrowing. Revenue for Nigeria’s government includes (direct and indirect) tax collections, income from natural resources, and foreign aid. Foreign aid spending is usually off-budget. Government spending can be financed by borrowing from its citizens or foreigners.
Whenever the government’s revenues fall short of its planned spending, the President will propose a fiscal (financial) deficit in the annual budget. As the fiscal deficit accumulates over the years, they form the national debt. In June 2020, the debt management office (DMO) revealed that Nigeria has a national debt of N31 trillion.
Dr Nasir Aminu
From the 2021 budget publication, the proposed total spending for the economy is N13.6 trillion with a fiscal deficit of N5.2 trillion. The budget allocated N3.3 trillion for debt servicing to reduce the amount of national debt. However, if the 2021 budget were to be fully implemented the national debt will increase because of the deficit.
What are the key facts about Nigeria’s national debt?
One, as of today, the national debt is larger than it has ever been at any time. The debt payment is not imminent, and it will be bequeathed to the next generation, which is not bad for the current leaders. For example, the DMO revealed that the country borrowed N134 billion in December 2020 when they sold 15-year and 25-year bonds, at around 7% interest rate.
Two, the world’s interest rates are at historic low levels as world economies implement various stabilisation policies due to recessions induced by the coronavirus pandemic.
Three, Nigeria’s revenue source is not enough to cover the estimated future spending, and foreign aid inflow has reduced. Thus, the national debt will continue increasing as the country keeps spending, and its path does not look sustainable. Currently, the economy is in a recession due to coronavirus and falling oil prices – Nigeria’s top export commodity.
Is the government right to borrow money to pay for the coronavirus-induced recession?
Yes, it is important to relieve the suffering of Nigerians as they go into the second lockdown. The most effective way is to give the money directly to the people instead of sharing foodstuffs. In recessions, economic activities are reduced as people are out of work. Therefore, higher government spending is required to generate higher demand. The financial assistance of $3.4 billion by the international monetary fund can cushion the impact of slow economic activities. The loan will cost only 1% in annual interest, and repayments will start in the third year.
Will government borrowing crowd-out private-sector borrowing and investment?
As world interest rates are at ultra-low levels, government borrowing will not be a problem for the private sector businesses. The low-interest rates indicate that global money savings are higher than the private sector demand, to borrow the money, for investment. Theoretically, higher government borrowing raises the interest rate, but currently, there are powerful factors that are keeping them low like productivity, and technology.
What if the price of oil changes?
The price of oil has a mind of its own. It fluctuates exogenously. If the price of rises above the 2021 budget benchmark, then will have higher than budgeted crude oil revenue. Therefore, the country may borrow less than expected, all things being equal. However, if oil prices were to fall below the 2021 budget benchmark, expect the government to borrow more.
Can Nigeria’s growing population, and the next generation, pay-off the debt?
The accumulated debt of N31 trillion is equivalent to saying every Nigerian owes N154,229, cetris paribus. Logically, we should consider what will be best for the children and our grandchildren 30 years from now. We could bequeath them a small national debt and little public investment, which yields a lower standard of living. Otherwise, we can take advantage of the current low-interest rate and bequeath them a huge debt. The debt will pay for public investment that will increase productivity and a higher standard of living. Unlike most western economies where there is a large percentage of an ageing population, credible investments in Nigeria can guarantee future generations’ productivity.
Like the 2021 budget, subsequent budgets have had lower capital expenditure allocations for public investment. The National Assembly also sought an extension to implement the 2020 Appropriation Act’s capital aspects, from December 31, 2020, to March 31, 2021. It is predicted that spending the two budgets simultaneously will growing the country’s gross domestic product by 3%.
What if the world interest rates begin rising?
Although experts do not predict an imminent rise, the world interest rate is expected to rise eventually. Thus, a risk to surprise the market and experts exist. If an increase in interest rates is higher than expected, it could induce the government to reduce spending and increase taxes. The policy could be softened if the world demand for crude oil is rising together with its prices.
To conclude, the choice we face is between (a) seizing the existing opportunity to invest now to avoid the possibility of struggling later, or (b) investing little now and starving society of much-needed public investment. These are politically tough choices to make, and today’s low-interest rates are buying us the time to consider these decisions.
Dr Nasir Aminu is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
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E2%80%93-nigerian-polytechnic-lecturers Why We May Go On Strike Early 2021 – Nigerian Polytechnic Lecturers
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has said the body could embark on strike in the first quarter of 2021.
In an interview with SaharaReporters on Thursday, the President of the union, Anderson Ezeibe, said the union had yet to take a position on the issue but would not rule out the possibility of going on strike early next year.
Ezeibe said the union would review the response of the government to its demands, which would determine its next line of action.
He said, “We could have gone on strike in November but it was deferred. We haven’t decided yet but the position of the union will be revealed in the first quarter of 2021, upon assessment of the response of the government to the demands of our union.”
Highlighting the issues that could make the union resort to strike, Ezeibe said: “The inadequacy of the implementation of the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS); the non-implementation of assessment study reports of polytechnics in Nigeria; non-reconstitution of governing councils of federal polytechnics; non-payment of salaries in many state polytechnics; non-release of minimum wage arrears for workers both in federal and state polytechnics; victimisation of union officers at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo and Federal Polytechnic, Kogi.”
He added that union officers were victimised by the managements of the three institutions and that the matter must be properly addressed.
“In IMT, Enugu, the management dismissed five of our union officers two years ago for participating in union activities. In Udi, one was also dismissed. In Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, two of them were dismissed, one has been called back while the other person is left.”
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