Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari has said that she is worried about the faith of the next generation of both girls and boys in Nigeria.
“As women and mothers of the nation, the faith of the next generation of both girls and boys occupies much of my thinking.”
Aisha Buhari, who spoke today, Friday, at the third annual conference organized by SHE Forum Africa with the theme: Regroup, Reboot and Remove the mask, called on women in leadership positions to be role models for younger generation of women leaders to achieve full inclusion of women.
The President’s wife, who was represented at the conference by the Dr. Toyin Saraki, wife of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said that women, including those in leadership positions, needed to come together to map out concrete plans on how to promote gender equality.
Aisha Buhari said that women also needed to work towards promoting health, safety, education and entrepreneurship for people in the work place, market and rural communities.
“To achieve gender inclusion, the world must break up and pay attention to the rights and opportunities of all human beings to reach and live up to their full potentials.”
She urged governments at the local and international levels, private and public organizations as well as individuals to work towards the realization of sustainable community development.
She said that such development would enhance empowerment of women, including the decision making process of women in the society, which she said would address the undeniable vices and social norms that make women and girls to be treated poorly.
She also urged business owners, civil society groups and institutions to proffer solutions to inequality in order to promote creative solutions and systemic change in the society.
Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, a Gender and Development Specialist, said that there is need for Nigerian women to regroup, reboot and remove the mask because Nigeria was at war.
Adeleye-Fayemi said: “There is a war going on in Nigeria and the rights of women are greatly affected. Women are dying daily due to maternal mortality, women are being kidnapped and one out of three women experience some form of violence in her lifetime.
“Poverty, exclusion and abuse are things that have almost been normalized in our country.”
Adeleye-Fayemi said that Nigeria has been featured badly in the global gender economic measures and called on women to take their rightful place in the economy.
She said that in the Gender Economic Measure, Nigeria features very badly on most global indicators, adding: “the 2015 World Bank Gender Equality rated Nigeria as 158 out of 177 countries on the gender economic measures.
“The 2004 World Economic Forum on global gender report rated Nigeria 118 out of 178 counties, Nigeria presently feature as one of the 20 worst countries in the world to be a woman.’’
She said that issues on gender equality and women right have been undermined, and that culture, tradition and religion are used as an excuse to exclude women from attaining their full potentials.
The gender activist said that there is need for more feminist in the decision making process such as women with agenda for change, transformation and how to move women right issues forward.
“We have only six per cent of women in the National Assembly in Nigeria; eight states in Nigeria do not have women at the state Houses of Assembly.’’
She called on all stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of gender policy framework on Violence Against Persons Act and National Gender Policy, among others. [myad]

The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a motion to withdraw the charge of criminal conspiracy against Senate President Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

An affidavit in support of the motion was filed before the High Court of Federal Capital Territory today, Thursday, by a litigation officer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Odubu Loveme.

Saraki and Ekweremadu, as well as a former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and a former Deputy clerk, Ben Efeturi, were first arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu on June 10, 2016 via charge No. CR/219/16.

They all pleaded not guilty on July 27, 2016.

In the motion filed today, Mr. Loveme said that counsel to the Federal Government on the matter, Aliyu Umar, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on September 30 in the office of the Director of Public Prosecution told him that he had studied the case diary and “ had decided to amend the charge in the manner stated on the face of the motion paper”.

Mr. Loveme added that he has, consequently, filed an amended charge.

“That I depose to this affidavit in good faith believing same to be correct to the best of my knowledge and information and in accordance with the Oaths Act Cap 01 laws of the Federation of Nigeria,” he said.

Based on the amended charge, only Maikasuwa and Efeturi would face prosecution.

Count one of the charge against the two civil servants, is that of Criminal Conspiracy punishable under section 97 (1) Penal Code Act ( Northern States) Federation Provisions Act, 1960, Cap 345, laws of the Federation 1990 as amended.

It read: “that Salisu Maikasuwa and Benedict Efeturi, on or about the 9th day of June 2015 at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court agreed to do an illegal act, to wit to make the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as amended without the authority of the 7th Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria which act was committed by yourselves and that you thereby committed the offence of criminal conspiracy.”

The two officials are accused of fraudulently amending the 2015 Senate Standing Orders without the authority of the 7th Senate “with intention that the Senators elect of the 8th Senate would believe that the said Senate Standing Orders 2015 ( as amended) was made by the authority of the 7th Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria.”

They are also accused of forging a document punishable under section 366 of the Penal Code Act ( Northern States) Federal Provisions Act, 1960, Cap 345, Laws of the Federation 1990 ( as amended).

The Nigerian Government also accused them of giving false information with the intention to mislead the public.

The Court had on September 28 adjourned the matter to Friday, October 7 for commencement of hearing.

Umar, in his written address in support of the motion to amend the charge on Thursday, stated that the sole issue for determination is “whether the Court can permit the amendment of the charge in terms of the amended charge”.

He said the Court has the powers to permit the amendment based on the provisions of Section 216 (1) of the Administration o Criminal Justice Act.

The Section stated that “ A Court may permit an alteration or an amendment to a charge or framing of a new charge at any time before judgment is pronounced.”

He also quoted Section 216 (3) which states that “Where a Defendant is arraigned for trial on an imperfect or erroneous charge; the Court may permit or direct the framing of a new charge, or any amendment to, or the alteration of the original charge.” [myad]

Governor Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State has given a go-ahead for the probe of his predecessor, ex governor Murtala Nyako, especially on the execution of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) projects in the state.
according to the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Malam Ahmad Sajoh, who spoke to newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting, a five-man Investigative Panel has been constituted to do the job.
The commissioner said that the committee had Alhaji Alfa Belel as Chairman with Ayuba Tumba, Jim Audu and Babs Shuaibu as members while the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Political) in the office of the Secretary to the State Government, would serve as Secretary.
Sajoh also said that the White Paper on Justice Bobbo Umar Judicial Panel of
Enquiry which investigated the former administration of Murtala Nyako had been sent to the state’s Ministry of Justice for advice.
Governor Bindow had recently threatened to ratify the white paper on report of the judicial commission which investigated the administration of Nyako, “if supporters of the former governor continue attempts to sabotage my government”.
This was even as  a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State and a close ally of Nyako, Alhaji Uba Dan-Arewa, dismissed “threats by Bindow to indict Nyako.”
Dan-Arewa said the governor was only playing to the gallery as the former governor had no case to answer.
Dan-Arewa claimed that the Justice Bobboi Umar Judicial Panel of Inquiry, set up by
former acting governor, Umaru Fintiri did not complete its assignment.
Dan-Arewa said: “It is an empty threat because there is nothing like white paper as the said panel did not complete its assignment.”
He said that Fintiri, who set up the panel, was removed from office by an Abuja High Court for illegally occupying the seat of Acting Governor.
“Governor Bala Ngilari who took over from Fintiri snubbed the panel, while the judgment of the Federal Court of Appeal, Yola Division, on Nyako’s impeachment delivered in February this year declared Nyako’s impeachment as null and void and of no effect.
“Meaning, Fintiri’s administration which set up the panel does not exist by law.
“If Gov. Bindow wants any white paper to sign, he needs to set up another panel to probe Nyako.”
He cautioned Bindow against heating up the state, adding that the recent formation of the political support group, Team Bindow, by the governor’s supporters, was an attempt to commence campaign ahead of 2019. [myad]