Senator Ishaku Abbo of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing Adamawa North has formally apologized to Nigerians for assaulting a lady at an Abuja sex toy shop.
The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare 11 in a handshake with President Muhammadu Buhari when Oba led all the top traditional rulers of Edo State today, July 3, to pay a visit on the President at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, the nation’s Federal Capital. Other royal fathers are the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru H. Momoh (Ikelebe III), Onojie of Orowa, Cyril Aidehoje, Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edehiri, Engogie of Evbuobanosa, HRH Prince, Akenzua, Oliha of Benin Chief Edionwe Oliha and other. Photo by Sunday Aghaeze.
Appointment of minority leader and other key officers in the minority political parties has set the House of Representatives on fire again, as members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), rose to challenge the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.
An eye witness said that the PDP members had wanted Kingsley Chinda, a PDP lawmaker from Rivers, to be appointed as minority leader, but that the Speaker went on to announce Ndidi Elumelu as the minority leader.
It was learnt that the leadership of the PDP had earlier written to the speaker, listing Chinda as minority leader, Chukwuka Onyema as deputy minority leader; Yakubu Barde, minority whip and Muraina Ajibola, deputy minority whip.
It was gathered that the Speaker, instead set aside the list forwarded by the PDP on the grounds that the PDP alone did not represent all minority political parties in the house. He then went ahead to read a letter signed by 99 members of minority political parties in the house on the preferred persons for the various positions.
The speaker then announced Ndidi Elumelu as minority leader, Toby Okechukwu as deputy minority leader, Gideon Gwani as minority whip and Adesegun Adekoya as deputy minority whip.
It was gathered that after the announcement, some of the lawmakers began to fight each other while some dived for the mace but were prevented from seizing it.
The Speaker has adjourned the house’s plenary to tomorrow, Thursday, July 4.
President Muhammadu BuhariPresident Muhammadu Buhari has given his assent to the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Bill, 2019, in a move aimed at bringing a dramatic improvement in security on the country’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar | Reuters photoPresidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has asked Senator Elisha Abbo of the same party to publicly apologize for assaulting a lady at a sex toy shop in Abuja.
Reacting to the incidence which had generated public condemnation, Atiku said: “I’ve seen the alleged assault video involving Sen. Elisha Abbo. The video is sad, inexcusable,” Atiku said on Twitter.
“I know the Senator quite well. But the law is clear and leaders must lead by example,” Atiku said in a statement on Wednesday.
“I advise him to publicly apologize, voluntarily go to the police and show a good example expected of a young leader. I also call on our party, the @OfficialPDPNig to take necessary disciplinary action and the @PoliceNG to ensure the law takes its full course.”
The PDP senator Abbo, who represents Adamawa North District, was shown in a video assaulting a lady attendant at the sex toy shop.
In the video, Abbo slapped the lady more than three times and ordered his security aide to walk the assaulted lady out of the shop.
The Senator in an interview with Channels Television claimed his sister was beaten at the shop and he was assaulted on arrival at the scene in May, while he was a senator-elect after the elections.
Meanwhile the Senate has called for an investigation into the assault and said while the matter remains an allegation, it will be investigated and all sides should be given a fair hearing.
The Senate president, Ahmed Lawan, however, gave the bi-partisan committee set up to investigate the allegations against the senator two weeks to submit its report.
Nigerians, members of opposition parties and human rights activists have also called for the arrest and arraignment of the lawmaker.
Gov. Umahi of Ebonyi state
The Taraba House of Assembly has amended the state Kidnapping and Abduction Prohibition Act 2010, to introduce death penalty and life imprisonment for offenders.
The Majority Leader and member representing Karim Lamido 1 constituency, Charles Maijankai, moved the motion for the amendment of the Act today, July 2, and was seconded by the Minority Leader of the House, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed, during plenary.
The Speaker, Abel Diah said that the bill, upon its assent by Governor Darius Ishaku would become Kidnapping and Abduction Prohibition Amendment Act 2019.
Diah, who represents Mbamnga constituency, said that the bill would ensure protection of residents of the state against kidnapping.
The speaker said that the new bill has amended section three, four, seven and eight of the 2010 Act.
He stated that the bill stipulate that any person who kidnap or abduct a person or by other any means of instilling or tricking another person with intent to demand ransom or compel another person to do anything against his wish shall be sentenced to death.
He explained that the person shall also forfeit all property and proceeds traceable to him or her to the State Government.
The speaker also said that any person who attempt to kidnap shall be sentenced to life imprisonment while any person who willfully permit his building or premises to be used for the act shall be sentenced to life imprisonment without an option of fine.
“The new bill prescribes punishment for violators as; any person, who threatened to kill, maim, injure or cause panic in order to compel another person, corporate or government organisation to do or refrain from doing any act committed an offence and is liable on conviction to 20 years without an option of fine.
“It also said that any person who threatens to kidnap another person by means of phone calls, text messages or any electronic device shall be convicted to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
“And any person who conceals any information or has knowledge as to the existence of a kidnap group or is aware of the planning and execution of a kidnap or abduction without informing relevant security agencies commits and offence and shall be convicted to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine,” he said.
Source: NAN.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), has directed its members to withdraw their services, shut ports operations and begin a nationwide from tomorrow, July 3 over unpaid wages to Dockworkers, among other issues.
The President-General of the union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, who addressed officials and a cross section of dockworkers at the Dockworkers’ Branch of MWUN, Lagos, today, July 2, said that the industrial action would not be suspended until all outstanding payments for over a year were fully paid, and other issues resolved.
The union had on June 11 issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to compel the International Oil Companies, (IOCs), to pay over a year outstanding wages to Dockworkers or face nationwide industrial unrest.
In fact, the leaders of the union had last week set up a strike coordinating committee and directed its officials in all port formations nationwide to begin a massive mobilisation of members ahead of the planned strike.
Comrade Adeyanju complained of non-payment of Government appointed tevedores/Dockworkers by the IOCs contravened Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Act 2007.
He lamented that several efforts made for the IOCs to see reason including the stakeholders meeting organised by the Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, fell on deaf ears, lamenting that while some of the affected Dockworkers had passed on prematurely due to economic hardship, those alive had been made to become destitute.
“As a responsible union, we cannot continue to fold our arms and watch our members die a premature death because of the nonchalant attitude of the IOCs management toward the welfare of our members.
“In view of the foregoing, we gave a 14-day ultimatum/notice to the Federal Government, through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation to prevail on the IOCs to do the needful by paying our members.
“Ahead of the expiration of 14 days Ultimatum/ Notice, which elapsed on Friday, 28th June, 2019, we issued a reminder letter dated 27th June,2019, informing the government that if at the close of work on Tuesday 2nd July 2019, no evidence of payment is seen, our members shall withdraw service in all the nation’s seaports until all issues in contention are resolved.
“As we speak, there is no sign of payment, therefore, by 6.am tomorrow, our members in all port formations nationwide are to withdraw their services and begin a nationwide strike.”
File photo: Wole SoyinkaNobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has wondered how President Muhammadu Buhari won the 2019 election for a second term of four years in office despite what he called “lackadaisical attitude he took to the issue of cattle rearing in the country.”
“President Buhari deserved to have lost the last election for the lackadaisical attitude he took to the issue of cattle rearing in the country. People have been killed in hundreds just because of the failure of leadership at a critical time. And the cattle herders have been given a sense of impunity.”
Professor Soyinka, who spoke today, July 2, at the launching of United Nations’ Solutions 17 SDG programme in Lagos, said that Ruga settlement, which the federal government has proposed to implement, “is going to be an explosion if not handled with care. But why do we not take our policies from good models? This is not the way people and countries deal with issues of cattle.
“I travel everywhere. It has to be handled in a way that is logical, comprehensible to the environment. When a cattle walks up to the window of my house in Abeokuta, a house which is located in a residential area, then there’s a problem.
“When cattle go to Ijebu Ode and eat up their plant seedlings and so on and you expect people to be quiet?”
“They kill without any compunction. They drive away the farmers who have been contributing to the food solutions in the country, the cattle eat their crops and then you come up with Ruga.
“I think that there is going to be trouble in this country if this Ruga thing is not handled imaginatively and with humanity as a priority.
“Any country where cattle takes priority over human life is definitely at an elementary stage.”
Caretaker committee chairmen of the 20 local government areas of Bauchi State have dragged the state Governor, Bala Mohammed, to court for allegedly disengaging them before the expiration of their tenure.
Speaking to news men today, July 2, representative of the sacked chairmen and former caretaker chairman of Bauchi local government area, Alhaji Chindo Abdu, said that they were appointed by the former governor to serve for a period of nine months each that would elapse in September this year.
He said that Governor Bala Mohammed, immediately after taking over, issued a statement directing all political appointees to vacate their offices without allegedly taking into cognisance the law that appointed them which he alleged stipulated that they were to serve for nine months.
According to him, after reading the governor’s press statement on the disengagement of political office holders, they wrote a letter to him through the secretary to the state government enlightening him that ‘by law,’ their tenure would elapse in September, but he still allegedly withheld their salaries and allowances.
“Based on the appointment letters we have, we are to stay there for nine months. And that nine months is going to expire in September.
“This month has ended; there is no salary and entitlements which we deserve. Based on that, we approached Bauchi State high court to demand for our rights.”
Chindo said that they are asking the court to order their reinstatement and payment of their salaries arrears and outstanding allowances allegedly withheld by the governor.
