Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Monday 14th September 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 14/09/20
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E2%80%98violent-fraudulent-elections%E2%80%99-deployed-edo-oversee INEC Official Known For Conducting ‘Violent, Fraudulent Elections’ Deployed To Edo To Oversee Governorship Poll
Riskuwa Shehu
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has approved the deployment of five Resident Electoral Commissioners to Edo ahead of the September 19 governorship election in the state.
Among those posted to Edo is Kano State REC, Prof Riskuwa Shehu, known to have conducted one of the most violent and fraudulent governorship elections in Nigeria.
Shehu was also involved in the November 16 Kogi State governorship election.
Riskuwa Shehu
Recall that the 2019 governorship election in Kano supervised by Arab-Shehu was marred by violence and fraud in which about 10 people were reportedly killed.
Few days before polls, a video showing the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Abbas, describing the election as “do or die” went viral on the Internet.
In the short video, the party chairman also assured supporters that his party would provide maximum protection for members even if it means ensuring the dismissal of police officers who try to restore order.
Despite widespread reports of violence in the election, Arab-Shehu declared the governorship candidate of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, winner of the governorship election.
Ganduje had earlier lost the first election held on March 9 by about 26,000 votes, but his total votes in the two polls put him ahead of his main challenger — candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party — Abba Yusuf.
Thugs, many of whom donned tags of the APC, attacked journalists covering the exercise.
A source told SaharaReporters that Arab-Shehu was deliberately posted to Edo by the INEC Chairman despite the fact that he rigged election in favour of the APC in Kano State.
“He was posted there for a reason, he is the mastermind of violent rigging of Kano rereun election, in which women were raped and opposition voters prevented from casting their votes.
“Prof Mahmud Yakubu deliberately posted him to Edo despite the compromising fact that Ganduje is leading APC’s campaign. This is a man that is widely known to be partisan and close to Ganduje,” the source said.
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DSS Invites Activist For Exposing Multi-billion Naira Fraud In Kastina
A human rights activist and Kaduna-based businessman, Muhammad Mahdi Shehu, who exposed a N52bn security votes fraud in Kastina State, has been summoned by the Department of State Services.
SaharaReporters gathered that the invitation comes few hours after a closed-door meeting between the Director-General of the DSS, Magaji Bichi, and Secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Mustapha Inuwa.
The anti-corruption activist is scheduled to appear at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
SaharaReporters recall that Shehu had in July petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State for alleged misappropriation and misapplication of over N52bn spent as security vote in the state from June 2015 to April 29, 2020.
He stated that while Katsina was battling with insecurity, the Masari-led government spent hundreds of millions of naira on frivolities.
The businessman also asked Masari to resign his position as governor and sack Inuwa as SSG.
He further alleged that the Katsina State Government spent N24bn on security from funds it withdrew from two bank accounts in Fidelity and UBA without due process from 2015 -2019.
Mahdi also alleged that N684m was spent in four years under the present administration to pay policemen guarding Lambar Rimi, adding that the sum of N500m was withdrawn to purchase mobile phones and another N870m used to buy another set of phones for security personnel attached to the Government House.
“Let me also draw your kind attention that by Friday, the 4th of July, 2020, all expenditure related accounting books and documents have been moved to the Government House. It will therefore not be a surprise if attempts will not be made to tamper with them. “June 2015 to December 2015 – N809,098,210, 2016 – N3,629,189,460, 2017 – N7,880,836,508, 2018 – N24,137,364,725, 2019 – N12,735,698,345, 2020 – N3,494,682,000,” part of the petition reads.
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Group Condemns Sowore’s Restriction To Abuja, Threat To Mailafia
The Southern, Middle Belt and Northern Minorities Forum has asked the Nigerian Government to stop the harassment and intimidation of reknown critics including Omoyele Sowore, who has been restricted to Abuja through a very stringent bail condition in order to break his spirit.
SMBNMF in a statement by its President, Sidney Imohbio, asked the government to immediately let Sowore off the hook without any conditions.
The statement reads, “We call for the immmediate and unconditional release of Mr Omoyele Sowore. It is not certain that Sowore is a victim of political persecution. He is being held under no known law. The state have failed to prove a case of treason against him.
“Nigeria is keeping Sowore as a political prisoner. His outing in the last presidential election inspite of his lack of funds and his dependent on the will of ordinary Nigerians. The government is afraid of his rising profile and his prospect in future elections.
“It appears there is a conscious move to kill SaharaReporters which has become the voice of the toiling masses against a spineless ruling class.”
The group also condemned the third invitation of a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia, by the Department of State Services, saying it was an attempt to intimidate and humiliate him.
It said Mailafia spent over 20 years of his working life abroad as a university teacher, banker and international civil servant with unblemished record.
“We view this latest invitation at a time the court has taken over the process as an assualt on the judiciary. There is no justification for the invitation except it is anothet attempt to intimidate and traumatise the notable leader.
“Sadly, it is in his own fatherland that he is being taunted and subjected to criminal investigation and such extreme political persecution
“It has good reasons to believe that some powerful political forces want to silence Malaifa Obadiah forever, just like they did to Gana Akwaza for standing up to speak the truth,” the statement reads.
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E2%80%99s-praise-singer-receives-n57m-release-new-song-him President Buhari’s Praise Singer Receives N57m To Release New Song For Him
President Muhammadu Buhari’s praise singer, Dauda Kahutu popularly known as Rarara, has received not less than N57m to release a new song in favour of the President.
Kahutu got the funds less than 48 hours after asking for money to release a song in favour of the President.
The singer, who was in 2019 appointed as National Director of Music for the Buhari 2019 Presidential Support Committee, on Friday in a video on social media solicited funds, asking each person to donate N1,000 before he releases the song.
He also said financing the new song will show that there was no suffering and that Buhari’s government was doing well.
In the video, the praise singer said, “I will sing a new song in praise of Buhari until Northerners paid for it.”
He went on to read out an account number into which donations will be sent
Less than 48 hours after releasing the video, SaharaReporters gathered that the praise singer had raised a huge sum running into millions of naira.
Some ardent supporters of the President made donations and shared evidence of payment on social media.
Some wealthy Northerners and Buhari’s supporters also donated huge sums for the release of the song, sources disclosed.
“The praise singer had earlier said the claim of suffering in Nigeria is a lie spread by what he referred to as useless people.
“He got N57m in two days with 48 Northerners donating N13.7m.
“The singer, in recent days, has been giving out cars as gifts, a part of what he described as a sign that Nigerians are doing well under Buhari,” a source aware of the song project told SaharaReporters.
Rarara had released songs for some governors in the All Progressives Congress including Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano.
Recall that angry youth in Katsina State attacked the musician while he was shooting a video for the President.
According to Katsina Post, the youth attacked the musician at the Central Market in Katsina, the state capital, as he was shooting a video of his latest song “Jahata Ce”.
The aggrieved youth upon seeing the singer, started shouting and condemning him in Hausa language.
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Lawyers Divided As Malami Weakens Nigerian Bar Association Powers In New Gazette
Abubakar Malami
A new gazette by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), which supposedly weakens the powers of the Nigerian Bar Association, has caused division among some Senior Advocates of Nigeria and lawyers in the country.
Malami, according to PUNCH, amended the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007, removing the requirement for the NBA stamp and seal on court processes.
Abubakar Malami
Before now, membership of the NBA was compulsory for all lawyers and the stamps and seals were sold at N4,000 for 72 pieces and were given upon payment of NBA dues.
Without the stamp, a lawyer could not submit any document or letter to the court and the sale of the stamp and seal was one of the major sources of NBA’s revenue.
However, with the amendment of the process by Malami, the use of the stamps was no longer necessary.
This also implies that persons, who are not members of the NBA including non-lawyers, are allowed to submit court processes.
The gazette – marked S.I N0.15 of 2020 issued by AGF and dated September 3, 2020, reads in part, “In exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 12(4) of the Legal Practitioners Act Cap L11, LFN 2004 and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and President, General Council of the Bar, make the following rules:
“The Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2007 is amended by deleting the following rules, namely: 9(2), 10, 11, 12 and 13.
“These rules may be cited as the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Rules, 2020.”
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However, while some senior advocates and lawyers described Malami’s action as illegal, others disagreed.
NBA spokesperson, Dr Rapulu Nduka, said that the development was surprising, adding that the association was not carried along.
“We were not carried along and we will definitely ensure that it is reversed. We just woke up to the news of the amendment like every other person. We are consulting with stakeholders and we will make a decision on the next step,” he said.
A human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), said Malami ought to have consulted widely before making the move, which he said would greatly affect the revenues of the NBA.
He, however, said it was unlikely that the AGF had taken sides with the splinter NBA group.
Adegboruwa also said once the seal and stamp were no longer used, the development could lead to an increase in the number of fake lawyers in the country.
Also, a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, described the AGF’s action as illegal.
In a series of tweets, Odinkalu said he was not surprised that Malami, “who has a penchant for disobeying court orders”, would not take such illegal action.
Also, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said the AGF’s action was “blatantly” illegal because the power to amend the rules was the exclusive preserve of the general council of the bar and not of one person.
Effiong said, indeed, the NBA ought not to have commercialised the stamp and seal as it was exploitative.
He, however, said the AGF should stop acting as if he was above the law.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, said although he agreed that the AGF’s action was illegal, “it is good riddance to bad rubbish”.
He added, “The NBA is a victim of impunity it nurtured to grow and develop. I have always opposed the stamp and seal because it was meant to restrict access to the temple of justice. Why must every court process be stamped by a lawyer when litigants have the constitutional rights to either appear for themselves or be defended by legal practitioners of their choice? In the Second Republic, the late Prof Ayodele Awojobi, a mechanical engineer, was the leading public litigator in the country. As a layman, he prepared and argued his own cases from the High Court up to the Supreme Court.
“However, I agree with some of my colleagues who have argued that the amendment is illegal as it was not enacted by the General Council of the Bar. With respect, the argument is rather contradictory because the NBA was very happy when the 2007 Rules of Professional Conduct were enacted by the then AGF on behalf of the General Council of the Bar without any meeting. That was how every lawyer was compelled to affix the stamp and seal to all processes signed by lawyers. It had nothing to do with enhancing the quality of justice but designed to enrich the NBA.”
Also, Jubrin Okutepa (SAN) said both the manner of introduction of the stamp and seal through the amendment of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners by the then AGF in 2007 and the removal of the same provisions via another amendment by the incumbent AGF in 2020 followed the due process of law.
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Nigerian Government Moves To Ban Packaging, Sale Of Alcohol In Sachet, Small Bottles
NAFDAC DG, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye.
The Nigerian Government has begun moves to end the packaging and selling of alcohol in sachet and small bottles.
To reduce availability and curb abuse, effective January 31 2020, producers of alcohol in sachets and small bottles are to reduce production by 50 per cent of capacity prior to January 2020.
Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, in a statement said the packagings had led to an increase in the abuse of alcohol in the country.
NAFDAC DG, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye.
She made reference to the data by the World Health Organisation that claimed alcohol consumption contributes to three million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people.
She said, “NAFDAC under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Health, once again, wishes to bring to the attention of the general public, concerns relating to the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in sachets, small volume glass and PET bottles.
“These concerns relate to negative effects of irresponsible alcohol consumption on public health and on the safety and security of the public, alcohol being a toxic and psychoactive substance with dependence producing properties.
“Uncontrolled access and availability of high concentration alcohol in sachet and small volume PET or glass bottles has been put forward as a factor contributing to substance and alcohol abuse in Nigeria with its negative impact on the society.”
Prof Adeyeye stated that NAFDAC will work with the Federal Ministry of Health to exercise its regulatory responsibilities by ensuring that all alcoholic beverages and other regulated products approved by the agency meet set standards of quality, safety and wholesomeness.
“The Federal Ministry of Health is concerned about the high incidence of substance and alcohol abuse in the country and NAFDAC, being the competent authority and working with relevant stakeholders, is increasing efforts to stem this.
“With regard to alcohol, major stakeholders have been engaged at the highest level and are already sensitised to the issue. To this end, several interventions jointly agreed upon by major stakeholders are being undertaken and as a first step, no new products in sachet and small volume PET or glass bottles above 30 per cent ABV will be registered by NAFDAC.
“The overall goal is a complete phase out of high concentration alcohol in sachets and small PET and glass bottles in line with the agreed roadmap or earlier,” she added.
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Nigerian Health Workers Declare Nationwide Strike Amid COVID-19
Doctors on duty
The Joint Health Workers Union has asked its members to withdraw their services and embark on a nationwide strike starting from midnight on Sunday, September 13, 2020.
JOHESU in a statement said the strike was necessitated by the inability of the Nigerian Government to meet its demands.
Doctors on duty
The health workers are asking the government to address the failures and decaying infrastructure in the health sector and pay the shortfall in COVID-19 hazard allowances for their members.
The leadership of the health workers had on Friday met with representatives of the government on the industrial action.
After the meeting, the unions demanded to consult its members.
The statement reads, “In the light of the above, the meeting of our expanded NEC was held Saturday 12 September, 2020. And at the end of the meeting, which was held both physically and virtually, it was unanimously agreed that since nothing concrete was achieved at the said meeting with the Federal Government, that the strike notice is still germane and alive.
“Therefore, the 15-day ultimatum still subsists and with effect from midnight of Sunday, 13th September, 2020 our members shall withdraw their services due to Federal Government’s inability to meet their demands.”
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SERAP Sues Lawan, Gbajabiamila For Concealing Reports On Corruption Probe
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, over their failure to publish reports of all completed public hearings and corruption probes by the National Assembly.
SERAP is also suing NASS for not disclosing the number of probes that have resulted in any indictment of suspects.
In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is arguing that, “The court ought to compel Lawan and Gbajabiamila to publish the reports of hearings and probes and to send the reports to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for prosecution. Granting the reliefs sought would bolster public trust and confidence in the lawmakers’ oversight functions, and dispel the perception that many of the hearings and probes are politically motivated and serve personal interest, rather than the general public interests.”
SERAP is also arguing that, “Nigerians have the right to information, as guaranteed under Section 39(1) of the constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which the country has ratified and domesticated as part of its national laws.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Opeyemi Owolabi, readd in part, “There is no legally justifiable reason why the information should not be made widely available to Nigerians, and why the prosecution of indicted suspects should not be pursued, where there is relevant admissible evidence.
“Public officers are mere custodians of public records. There is legitimate public interest in the publication of the reports of these public hearings and probes. The public hearings and probes can only serve as effective mechanisms to prevent and combat corruption if their reports are widely published.
“The exercise of oversight functions and powers by the National Assembly to conduct public hearings and corruption probes in MDAs should be regarded as a public trust. The National Assembly has a unique opportunity to enhance the integrity of its oversight functions on corruption matters in particular, and other constitutional roles, in general.”
SERAP prayed the court to compel Lawan and Gbajabiamila to send all reports of completed public hearings and corruption probes to appropriate anti-corruption agencies to consider if there was sufficient admissible evidence to pursue prosecution and to sponsor a resolution to stop lawmakers from directly getting involved in the execution of projects by MDAs, and to ensure the proper and effective exercise of their oversight functions over corruption allegations including in the Niger Delta Development Commission and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).”
The suit followed recent public hearings by the National Assembly on corruption allegations in ministries, departments and agencies, including the NDDC and NSITF.
The outcomes and reports of the public hearings and corruption probes have remained secret and the allegations unresolved.
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Gana: How Not To Kill A Repentant Criminal! By Ozodinukwe Okenwa
SOC Okenwa
Terwase Akwaza better known as Gana was a notoriously dangerous political thug turned armed robber in Benue State. He was said to be a dare-devil bandit used by politicians in the state to rig elections before he dabbled into more profitable venture of armed robbery and kidnapping. Gana had terrorised and tormented many inhabitants of Benue State so much that a N50m bounty was placed on his head by the state and federal governments.
Gana met his waterloo recently in Gboko town when a military unit mounting a road check-point killed him after a shoot-out as the army command declared officially. About 40 members of Gana’s gang were captured in the process and taken prisoners. He died while on his way to the state capital city of Makurdi where he was to have surrendered and embraced the amnesty programme organised by the state government.
SOC Okenwa
Akwaza was reported to have had five wives! And his children could have been up to a dozen (if not a score) if the wives were fecund enough! Criminality often breeds a false sense of importance and concomitant invincibility. Besides, it attracts libidinal impulses, aggression or ruthlessness. The proceeds of involvement in crime could be a source of sexual conquest or drive for same.
One of Gana’s children could try to emulate him by becoming another Anini if steps are not taken to take them in and educate them properly. In almost every society, decent or indecent like ours, there is an Anini or Gana lurking somewhere reminding the rest of us of our collective weaknesses. And the failure of the authorities to provide blanket security of lives and properties.
The brutal killing of Gana reminds one of the similar extra-judicial killing of Mohammed Yusuf, the fallen Boko Haram leader in Maiduguri, Borno State. Yusuf was killed by the police even when he posed no danger to the society having been captured. After his demise emerged Abubakar Shekau.
Shekau’s terrorist exploits could not be compared to the moderation with which the late Yusuf pursued his mission of Western education constituting a sin in his warped misguided reckoning.
Yusuf was not as brutal and blood-thirsty as Shekau yet his apprehension and trial could have afforded him an opportunity for repentance and justice. Now, with the ‘unjust’ elimination of Gana another door may have been opened for a more violent dangerous successor to emerge someday to avenge his death!
What we are saying here is that Gana could have been given the opportunity to repent or have a date with justice rather than being set up and killed like an animal on the street. The consequencies could be grave for an already explosive security situation in the country.
The Benue politicians (including Senator Gabriel Suswam, the ex-governor of the state) could be rejoicing believing that the vital evidence that would have exposed their involvement in the making of the Gana myth had been ‘killed’ for good!
Yet, there is something that boggles the mind over the cold-blooded murder of the wanted criminal. How on earth could a repentant criminal ready to change his devious ways be gunned down?
Were the military elements that executed him not aware of the amnesty pogramme?
If what Governor Samuel Ortom was saying could be taken seriously as the truth — that the security forces were associated in the peace/surrender negotiations — why then would the army strike him down before the commencement of the amnesty?
Rumours in town had it that the military boys did a hatchet job by eliminating Gana in order to prevent him from spinning the beans and thus revealing the identities of his sponsors and godfathers. But we know one already: Gabriel Suswam.
Wantor Akwa, one of the five widows of Terwase Akwaza had said recently that her husband had wanted to work for God before he was killed by the Nigerian Army! Whatever that meant, working for God! She revealed that her husband came out of hiding because former Governor and Senator representing Benue North-East, Gabriel Suswam, had told him confidentially that he was involved in the peace deal.
Alas Senator Suswam betrayed Gana! Gana, prior to his untimely death, had said that if he did not see Suswam, he was not going to come out. He said until Suswam came around, he would not believe that the amnesty was true. That shows the extent he respected Suswam and the trust he reposed in him.
The extra-judicial killing of Gana represents in itself a crime against the rule of law and justice. It is how not to kill a repentant criminal! Justice is hereby called for even though Gana never served his victims ‘justice’.
SOC Okenwa
soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr
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Only JSS 3, SSS 2 Students Will Resume September 21, Says Lagos Government
Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The Lagos State Government has said that public and private schools in the state would resume on September 21, with JSS 3 and SSS 2 students returning to the classrooms first, before students in other levels.
Commissioner for Education in the state, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, disclosed this in a statement by Head, Public Affairs of the ministry, Kayode Abayomi, on Sunday.
Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The commissioner assured parents that announcements for the reopening of the other classes would be announced soon.
The statement reads, “This phased approach to opening will enable public schools to meet COVID-19 social distance rules and safety protocols and will help us watch the behaviour of the pandemic as we gradually open up our schools.
“The present JSS 3 and SSS 2 students in public schools in the State are to resume classes from Monday, 21st of September, 2020. The resumption will permit the present JSS 3 students who are already in an exit class to revise and get adequately prepared for their forthcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination organised by the Lagos State Examination Board and scheduled between Tuesday, 6th and Monday, 12th of October, 2020.
“The resumption will also afford the present SSS 2 students an opportunity to prepare effectively for their transition to SSS 3. The scheduled dates and venues for Entrance Examination into Lagos State Model Colleges will soon be announced by the State Examination Board.”
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