Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 28th December 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 28/12/19
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Ondo State Doctors, Nurses Protest Non-payment Of Six Months Salaries
Staff of Ondo State Medical Science Teaching Hospital took to the streets to protest the non-payment of six months salaries by the state government.
The nurses, doctors and other staff of the organisation lamented the decision of government to withhold their salaries without any notice.
The protesters stormed the hospital’s gate and walked to the governor’s office to express their anger.
The protesters bared placards with different inscriptions and messages.
One of the protesters, who spoke with our correspondent, disclosed that government had refused to pay despite letters written.
He said, “It is inhumane of the authority to see things come to this, going to work for six months for some without anything to show for it.
“At first, it was about unravelling the puzzle of how much we will be paid but it became a forth and back thing and so everybody surrendered to believing that it will be revealed.”
PHOTONEWS: Ondo State Doctors, Nurses Protest Non-payment Of Six Months Salaries
One of the leaders said that the nurses had concluded to embark on a strike to further demand the payment of backlog of salaries from the government.
The nurse said, “We submitted a letter that we will go on strike, the hospital management pleaded that salaries will be paid but they refused to pay and after an extra week, we had to embark on this protest.
“As at this moment, the staff have begun a warning strike to force the government to do the needful and begin payment of salary arrears.”
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Two Humanitarian Workers Abducted, Four Travellers Killed By Insurgents In Borno
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have killed four travellers and reportedly abducted two aid workers along Monguno-Maiduguri Road in Borno State, according to a report by Channels TV.
The travellers were killed in an ambush on Sunday, while the aid workers simply identified as Asabe and Jennifer were abducted in the same ambush by the insurgents.
Similarly, the terrorists had attempted to infiltrate Damaturu, Yobe State, on same day but were pushed back by troops of the Nigerian Army.
Unsatisfied with the failed attempt in Yobe, they attempted to infiltrate Biu Local Government Area of Borno but were also repelled by troops of the Army.
The attack was launched at about 7:00pm and it is believed that the insurgents made their way through the Buni Yadi-Biu Road.
Residents of Biu were thrown into panic with the hot exchange between the army and the insurgents.
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E2%80%99s-murder-us-hails-move Five Persons Sentenced To Death Over Khashoggi’s Murder, US Hails Move
Five persons were on Monday sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for the murder of journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, the country’s public prosecutor said.
Another three persons were also sentenced to a total of 24 years in jail.
The US resident and critic of Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in October 2018 after trying to pick up a marriage document for he and his Turkish fiancé.
After weeks of repeated denials that it had anything to do with his disappearance, the kingdom eventually acknowledged that its officials were behind the gruesome murder.
Meanwhile, the United States on Monday welcomed the death sentences handed down to the killers of journalist.
“Today’s verdicts were an important step in holding those responsible for this terrible crime accountable,” a State Department official told reporters after the ruling, which was lambasted as a travesty by Turkey, rights groups, and The Washington Post, to which Khashoggi contributed.
The court however, exonerated two top aides to Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince, whom the US considers responsible for Khashoggi’s murder.
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E2%80%93ashimolowo You Cannot Kill Corruption Where Disorder Exists –Ashimolowo
President of Kingsway International Christian Centre Global, Matthew Ashimolowo, has said that corruption can only be reduced if there is order and a system that kills the act.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Newsnight programme, Ashimolowo stated that President Muhammadu Buhari needs subordinates that can pilot the affairs.
He said, “The President, in my own opinion, he is just like every good leader should be; must have a helicopter view of what he wants. But the microcosms should be dealt with by the subordinates under him.
“If the President says he wants a government that kills corruption, then the people around him should now come up with the systems that make corruption difficult.
“We need those who will take the vision of the President and turn it to systems so that even if you wanted to do it, you were not allowed.”
He added that despite the fact that corruption cannot be killed, it can be reduced through a system that is captured at the lower level.
Ashimolowo stated, “Wherever there is disorder, you cannot kill corruption. For you to kill corruption, you must create order and people who like corruption, hate your order.
“Corruption can be stopped, maybe not 100 per cent.”
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House Of Reps Member, Shina Peller, Released By Lagos Police After Arrest
Businessman and member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Shina Peller, has been released by the police in Lagos after being arrested earlier on Monday.
Peller was arrested and held at the Maroko Police Station, Victoria Island, after going to secure the release of some persons, who had visited his nightclub to unwind over the weekend during a special annual show.
The lawmaker’s offence was not disclosed to him at the time of his arrest while his phones were also seized.
However, one of his aides, Shina Popoola, has now confirmed that the lawmaker had been released on bail after the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, Lagos.
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Anxiety Over Deji Adeyanju’s Health After Attack By Hired Government Protesters
Following an attack on human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, and several members of the civil society movement by some suspected hired government thugs, SaharaReporters can confirm that the activist is currently in a critical state.
Adeyanju was brutally attacked on Monday in Abuja during a peaceful protest tagged #FreedomRally in front of the National Human Rights Commission headquarters.
Many of the hired government protesters were seen carrying President Muhammadu Buhari’s posters while disrupting the peaceful demonstration by activists to unleash mayhem. #PressPlay: Human Rights Activist Deji Adeyanju Attacked In Abuja During #FreeSowore Protest @adeyanjudeji @YeleSowore pic.twitter.com/6OV0COOxGm— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 23, 2019
When our correspondent visited Adeyanju at the hospital on Monday evening, his condition was still in bad shape.
Apart from physical injuries sustained, the activist was having difficulty breathing normally.
Adeyanju also found it difficult opening his eyes as a result of the severity of the attack on him by the ruthless hired thugs.
Operatives of Department of State Services and policemen at the scene of the deadly assault did little or nothing to rescue victims from their attackers.
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E2%80%99s-wife-condemns-attack-deji-adeyanju Sowore’s Wife Condemns Attack On Deji Adeyanju
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Opeyemi, wife of pro-democracy campaigner and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, has spoken out against the attack on rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, and other protesters in Abuja on Monday.
Adeyanju was attacked by pro-government supporters during a protest at the office of the National Human Right Commission to demand the freedom of Sowore and other politically detained persons in the country.
The protest was going on peacefully until the sponsored thugs invaded the area and pounced on the protesters, picking out Adeyanju for heavy assault.
While speaking on a radio programme on WNYC in the United States on Monday, Opeyemi stated that the level of violence and disregard for rule of law in Nigeria was rapidly increasing as well as frightening.
She said, “There was a protest where they (Nigerian Government supporters) beat up one of the key organisers of the protest.
“The level of violence and disregard for the rule of law has really been frightening.
Speaking further, she said Sowore’s aim was to move Nigeria to a functioning democracy and a country that works for all citizens regardless of ethnicity and social background.
Sowore was rearrested by operatives of the Department of State Services on December 6, 2019 inside the Federal High Court, Abuja, less than 24 hours after he was released on bail after spending 125 days in detention.
He was first arrested on August 3 for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The government has accused him of insulting Buhari and planning to bring down his regime.
Despite two court orders directing his release on bail, Sowore remains detained by the DSS and is yet to be told the reason for his rearrest.
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CAN Commends United States For Placing Nigeria On Religious Watchlist
The Christian Association of Nigeria has commended the move by the United States in placing Nigeria on ‘Special Watchlist’ of countries violating religious freedom.
The US in its list placed Nigeria amongst countries whose governments had engaged in or tolerated the severe violation of religious freedom.
CAN in a statement by Special Assistant, Media and Communications, to the President of the organisation, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, said it welcomes the move despite the fact that it was not contacted before the decision was taken.
The organisation added that there were enough evidence to prove that the subtle Islamisation agenda and nepotism were real, adding that all key appointments made since the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari followed the same blueprint.
The statement reads, “These are facts and they are violations of some portions of the 1999 constitution (as amended). These include but not limited to Sections 10, 13 (3-4), 15 (2) (d) and (4).
“We are not happy that our country is being listed among the nations where religious intolerance is one of their hallmarks but it gladdens our hearts that at least the global community is not unaware of the fact that Nigerian Christians are becoming endangered species in their land.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Government through Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, rejected the label by the US, accusing America of being misled by disgruntled elements.
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Ganduje, Sanusi And Peace Of Kano By Mariam Mohammed Maktoub
Since May this year, the once ancient and cosmopolitan city of Kano is heaving breathlessly and except the major protagonists tread carefully, something might just give and the consequences are predictable. As a daughter of the soil, as they say, I am wont not to refer to any of those – Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and Emir Muhammadu Sanusi – as antagonists in the struggle for the traditional soul of the city so as not to cast any of the parties in this intriguing but worrying theatre as the agent provocateur.
But the fact remains that since the day Governor Ganduje exercised his executive powers to create four additional emirates to the existing Kano emirate, it was never going to be an easy meat to chew. The issue is not about right or wrong; morality versus the law, rather circumspection, timing and the personality of those involved in the whole process of driving inclusion and creating a sense of equality for all Kano sons and daughters.
Kano, it is generally agreed, is not just any city. It is a conurbation of learning, commerce, grandeur, and royalty. It is not just its elite that are provincial but the commoners and all who sojourn to and through it. Kano has seen the rise of kings and their capitulation; it has also glorified politicians and upended them when they became too arrogant for its liking. Such is the character of Kano. If that is its nature, abhorring the overly pompous and indulgent, why then should anybody, and now for that matter tempt the fates of Kano?
One would imagine that when the governor decided on the creation of four additional emirates which according to him is a response to yearnings of the people of the new royal stools, it would have been embraced by Emir Sanusi II who countlessly have harped on integration and inclusion in the country. Is it a matter of ‘national amalgamation’ but not in ‘my domain?’
Well, there have been insinuations, conjectures and inferences as to why the governor has remained insistent on having additional emirates in the city of over 13.4 million. But come to think of it, is one emir expedient to the rigours and demands of the people of Kano? Would not having additional emirates stifle the development agenda of Governor Gandjue? I am persuaded that the two gladiators in this emirate conundrum ought to carefully weigh and interrogate the issues before them and decide on the lesser evil, if it is one, anyway.
It is instructive to note that the Ganduje administration has done remarkably well in his first tenure and has started brightly with his renewed mandate with the law outlawing any girl being married without first completing secondary school. On the whole, the fact that the state government is incorporating the Almajiri system with modern system of education is what should be making the news. But what do we find making the news and trending; the state government’s emasculation of the Emir of Kano when it is actually in exercise of its executive powers to give a sense of belonging to all segments of Kano society by installing four additional kings.
The reticence of Emir Sanusi II on this matter while he unleashes his tentacles in the media and elsewhere does not brood well for a revered royal stool and a man of grand standing. History is replete with kings who gave up their thrones, drank the proverbial Hemlock like Socrates, and went into slavery to preserve their kingdoms. This is by no means suggesting that our beloved emir should walk the ignoble but heroic path. Rather, the idea that clear and manifest instructions are given and are ignored by the Kano emirate signposts a call to insurrection.
Take the case of Emir Sanusi’s appointment as the Chairman Kano Council of Chiefs since December 9 and further instructions to convene the council. The Emir of Kano conveniently ignored the directive, and a reminder now with a caveat of two days response had to be issued by the Office of Permanent Secretary for Special Duties on behalf of the Secretary to Kano State Government. Without a doubt, such behavior is unexpected from a grand traditional stool such as that of Kano.
Perhaps it needs reminding that as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Emir Sansui would not brook such recalcitrant attitude from any of his subordinates. That is even mild when it is remembered that the former CBN governor showed gross contempt for a sitting president.
While these might look as insignificant, in the power matrix perception is telling and when it becomes a pattern, other individuals in lesser positions could begin to emulate a dangerous example and no sooner it becomes a precedent which would ultimately erode the traditional ethos and values of respect, obedience and deference to those in high office.
It should be sounded clearly that the traditional stool is not a place for political and social activism except one geared towards rewriting obnoxious practices and customs. To this end, Emir Sanusi II should be clear on what he intends to achieve in his reluctance to accommodate his ‘brothers’ the new emirs, The world no longer dances to the alpha male or ruler. Even the Queen of England operates within the boundaries set out by law even when certain matters are not to her personal liking. Take the matter of Her Majesty to prorogue parliament for five weeks on the request of Prime Minister Johnson. If the emir is persuaded that he no longer fits into the constitutional oversight of the state governor, nothing stops him to follow the exemplary conduct of Emperor Akihito of Japan who in April this year after 30-years on the Chrysanthemum Throne abdicated becoming the country’s first monarch to abdicate in two centuries. But that is not my wish for the emir. He can rise above the partisanship of the moment by stooping to conquer by welcoming the Emirs of Rano, Gaya, Bichi and Karaye and galvanized them to work for the greater good of their peoples.
More than that, it is about time that Governor Ganduje tempers down and allow for a slow evolution of the process. While it is conceded that the emirs have been appointed afresh and installed, there is no gain in haste to convene the Council of Chiefs. The governor as a democrat should behave as one and not in fiat. The latest ultimatum to the Emir of Kano to accept his “appointment or otherwise” as the Chairman of the Council of Chiefs within 48 hours shows a growing childish impatience, which should not be. I’m strongly of the opinion that the governor should channel this enthusiasm of having Sanusi accede or otherwise within two days to Kano urban renewal programme. What gain is there if the state, noted for its febrile nature, erupts in brimstone and flares?
It is in this regard that President Muhammadu Buhari as the father of the nation should urge further conversation between the two powerful individuals. The state has witnessed a long period of relative tranquility save for the electioneering period, and this should not be mortgaged on personal egos.
Ms Maktoub is an Abuja-based publisher and Political PR consultant
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E2%80%99s-early-christmas-gift-and-adesina%E2%80%99s-call-revolution-skc-ogbonnia Sowore’s Early Christmas Gift And Adesina’s Call For Revolution By SKC Ogbonnia
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President Muhammadu Buhari must no longer continue to betray the vision of #RevolutionNow, being the call for protest against bad governance in Nigeria by the renowned anti-corruption and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore. Similarly, the President ought to embrace another powerful call this week for a revolution from no other than his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina. But this appeal remains a tall order. The truth is that President Buhari reneged on the revolution agenda we deployed to free Nigeria from the 16-year of gross misrule under the Peoples Democratic Party. As a result, virtually every performance measurement index in the critical areas of social, economic, and politic development have become worse than the situation before he assumed power. Even in the areas where Buhari recorded measurable progress, his style of leadership has been utterly miasmic, enough to cause a saint to wear the look of a Satan. Different efforts however, subtle to point the president to the right direction during his first term by members of the Nigerian media, as well prominent patriots, fell on deaf ears. It was then believed that voters could capitalize on the 2019 elections to sweep him out for good. But that was not to be. Apart from the fact that the presidential election was neither free nor fair, Muhammadu Buhari would become re-elected as the better alternative in an election generally viewed as a binary contest between a devil and the deep blue sea. This hollow re-election victory has done nothing but embolden Buhari to descend deeper and deeper into dictatorship. If his first term record was a dismal failure, his second term in office is trending to become even worse. But critics this time have grown tired. The Nigerian press, which is generally a vibrant and fearless force, had begun to feel surfeited since talking to General Buhari appears like talking to a brick wall. Even the prayer warriors had also begun to lose hope. Then came an early Christmas gift to Nigerians, particularly President Buhari. An unseen power beckoned Omoyele Sowore to say enough is enough, as he called for true revolution towards good governance in his homeland. Buhari and his people recognised that this voice was like no other. After all, the call was coming from Sowore, a rare patriot with a bevy of global networks, who along with his Sahara Reporters, had triggered the fall of many Nigerian corrupt leaders. The unseen power answered once again by goading Buhari to arrest and detain the human rights activist without bail. But Nigeria’s God is far from spent. The glimpse was the audacity of a woman in Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, the trial judge who threatened to jail the Chief of Buhari’s secret police, the Department for State Services (DSS), if he failed to free Sowore in line with court orders.. Though the DSS adhered to the judge’s ultimatum and released Sowore, little did the world know that the worst was yet to come. In less than 24 hours after the release, the same secret police stormed back to the federal high court, wielding wild guns, and forcefully re-arrested Sowore while he was standing trial, as the judge and court staff fled for their lives. The darkest hour has its dawn! The naked desecration of the Judiciary by the Executive branch in the Sowore saga has provoked new attention on Nigeria and has the potential for the long-sought liberation from Buhari’s reign of terror. Accordingly, major local news agencies, most of which were instrumental in bringing him to power, have washed their hands-off the president. In short, the nature of worldwide condemnation trailing the shameless rape on Nigeria’s fledgling democracy has not been witnessed in recent history. And the Buhari people ought to know the consequence. The bee sucks honey out of the bitterest flower! Notable Buhari enablers are beginning to sing different tunes. Some of them are even beginning to use the “R” while damning its phobia. Notice that his press secretary—of all people—did not hesitate to use the occasion of Buhari’s 77th birthday to echo the need for revolution in the country. In Femi Adesina’s own words, “Nigeria must get a new lease of life, and history must record it that the revolution started under one man: Muhammadu Buhari.” Interestingly, the date of Adesina’s publication was December 17, 2019, barely five months after Omoyele Sowore was arrested for daring to utter the word “revolution”. Every cloud has a silver lining! President Muhammadu Buhari has dug himself into a big hole in the Sowore saga, and change has become inevitable. Therefore, unless he prays for the doomsday, now is the time tap from the history and do the right thing. The wise will begin with an early Christmas gift of his own to the Nigerian people by freeing Sowore now! SKC Ogbonnia, Convener of Power To The Masses, writes from Ugbo, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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