The Nigeria Police Force has advised electorate in tomorrow, Saturday, September 19 governorship election to cast their votes and return home immediately and that waiting for the counting of the ballot will not be allowed.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Research and Planning, Adeleye Oyebade, who is to coordinate election in Edo State, in an NTA enlightenment programme today, September 18, “it is better to come, do what you want to do, and go home; because some people will be kept behind bars and we will do proper investigation and diligent prosecution of offenders that we will apprehend.”
Confirming that police aides have been withdrawn for VIPs until after the poll, DIG Oyebade said that the police would remain neutral during the exercise and vowed to arrest any political thugs.
He said that movement remained restricted and advised any traveler planning to pass through Edo State to take an alternative route.
The DIG called on the candidates who signed the peace accord to make sure that they abide by the terms of the agreement.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has distanced himself from reports that he is making moves for the 2023 presidency.
Atiku said he was currently working with the PDP to ensure victory in all upcoming elections in Edo, Ondo and Anambra States respectively.
Reacting to report he had appointed 18 people in preparation for the 2023 presidential election, Atiku, speaking through his Media Aide, Paul Ibe, said that he would make everything public if he decides to run for the Presidency in 2023.
“We have to be very careful with social media, it can do good and a lot of bad.
“On the issue of the 2023 presidency, we have said it over and over again that we have not gotten there yet. We have said it over and over again that we are not there now.
“Where his Excellency is right now is to help his party, the PDP become victorious in all upcoming elections like Edo, Ondo and Anambra is also on the radar for next year. These are the things he is preoccupied with at this point in time.
“These issues of Atiku running for Presidency or not should not be an issue of social media; it would be made public if it gets to that point.
“But that is not where Atiku is right now, there is work to be done, he’s currently working with PDP stakeholders so that they would put themselves in a position of advantage and reorganise the party for the task ahead, so I can’t confirm if he has made any appointments. But you are aware that his support groups remain very vital and active and I think they are the ones organizing themselves.”
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has alerted leaders and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to brace up and win the governorship election in the tomorrow, Saturday, September 19 election or prepare to face danger.
He said: “let me tell you, God forbid that APC wins; if they do, all of you here would have failed because your political life will be in jeopardy.”
Governor Wike, who spoke at a meeting organized for leaders and elected representatives of the PDP in Benin, the Edo State capital, called on them not fear the threats of violence in the electoral processes, saying: “the electoral battle may not be easy. But God is with us. With the people also on the ground, we will win.
“They will come with federal might, but do not fear because we have the electorate on our side. They did the same in Rivers State; the people resisted them by protecting their votes.
“This is an opportunity for you to fight for the liberation of Edo State. You must all say enough is enough. One man should not be allowed to continue to insult Edo people. The godfather thinks what he says will always be. This is the time to stop him.”
Kogi State government has reacted to the statement credited to the United States of America Placing visa restriction on un-named politicians against the backdrop of the governorship election in the state in November last year.
In a 16-paragraph letter with reference, KGS/GO/ADM/25/II/XXX, dated 16 September 2020, the state government accused the US of being a merchant of fake news.
The letter, which was signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Mrs. Folashade Arike Ayoade, also accused the US of undermining Nigeria’s judiciary.
It was addressed to the Ambassador Of The United States of America Embassy at number
1075, Diplomatic Drive Central Business District, Abuja.
The state government made it clear that it found the visa restrictions and reasons given unacceptable, “and we protest your presumption. The least you could have done, if indeed this is about democracy and human rights as claimed, is create room, no matter how slim, for fair hearing. As it is now, partisan speculation as to who is indicted, who is not and for what, has become cudgels, furiously swung in the media space by all comers. Your action has therefore added abundant grist to the rumour mills and electrified the merchants of fake news.”
The state said that its concern is not the prerogative of the United States of America to impose entry restrictions on anyone, for any or no reason at all, which prerogative remains unfettered, “but the room for atrocious misinformation which the timing of your Press Statement and the mention of the Kogi elections therein has created in our state.”
It recalled that for the February and March 2019 General elections, the US advisory came out in July 2019, long before the Supreme Court delivered her judgments in the petitions against those elections, including challenges to President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection, adding that the presumption is that in spite of the US intervention, the Supreme Court still discovered no merit in the petitions and dismissed them accordingly.
“In our case, i.e, Kogi State, you made the tactical decision to release the update shortly after the Supreme Court delivered judgments in the 4 petitions which made it before her. Amongst a plethora of well-reasoned pronouncements the Apex Court dismissed the said petitions for failing to prove their allegations and for having no ‘scintilla of merit’. The inference from your timing is that the judgment is somehow tainted and did not meet the justice of the case, thereby casting aspersions, not only on the Nigerian Judiciary, but on the second term mandate freely bestowed on His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello by the good people of Kogi State.”
Full text of the protest letter is hereby reproduced:
I have been so directed by His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and I hereby make and forward this Letter of Protest to you in respect of the matters contained in it.
The Kogi State Government became aware of a United States Government list of individuals who received US visa restrictions for alleged electoral malpractices via a Press Statement to that effect posted on your Embassy website at https://bit.ly/32vD96M. In your own words, the still unnamed individuals are cited as guilty of ‘acts of violence, intimidation, or corruption that harmed Nigerians and undermined the democratic process.’ They are also alleged to ‘have operated with impunity at the expense of the Nigerian people and undermined democratic principles and human rights.’
You also noted in the Statement that the sanctions are derived from unspecified misconducts by the said individuals which extend from the February/March 2019 General Elections in Nigeria through the off-cycle November 2019 gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa to the as yet unheld governorship contests in Edo and Ondo States. Please note that for the purposes of this protest letter we are only interested in the citations to the extent that they are referable to Kogi State and her citizens.
For the most part, we concede that elections in Nigeria are complex affairs which will continue to require improvements for the foreseeable future. The 2019 Kogi State Gubernatorial Election was also not without its challenges. However, it is also crystal clear from critical and composite analyses of the records (official, media, observers, etc) of the November 16, 2020 polls that regrettable incidents were limited to a few polling units, while the overwhelmingly larger portions of the ballot were free, fair and credible.
Further, and in line with Nigerian law, the few political parties and individuals who alleged widespread electoral malpractices had free rein to contest the outcome in court. They vigorously litigated their claims over a grueling 9-month period, through a 3-step hierarchy of courts, to the inescapable conclusion at the Supreme Court of Nigeria that the said elections satisfactorily complied with the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Our concern right now is not the prerogative of the United States of America to impose entry restrictions on anyone, for any or no reason at all, which prerogative remains unfettered, but the room for atrocious misinformation which the timing of your Press Statement and the mention of the Kogi elections therein has created in our state.
For the February and March 2019 General elections, your advisory came out in July 2019, long before the Supreme Court delivered her judgments in the petitions against those elections, including challenges to President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection. The presumption is that in spite of your intervention, the Supreme Court still discovered no merit in the petitions and dismissed them accordingly.
In our case, ie, Kogi State, you made the tactical decision to release the update shortly after the Supreme Court delivered judgments in the 4 petitions which made it before her. Amongst a plethora of well-reasoned pronouncements the Apex Court dismissed the said petitions for failing to prove their allegations and for having no ‘scintilla of merit’. The inference from your timing is that the judgment is somehow tainted and did not meet the justice of the case, thereby casting aspersions, not only on the Nigerian Judiciary, but on the second term mandate freely bestowed on His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello by the good people of Kogi State.
We find this unacceptable, and we protest your presumption. The least you could have done, if indeed this is about democracy and human rights as claimed, is create room, no matter how slim, for fair hearing. As it is now, partisan speculation as to who is indicted, who is not and for what, has become cudgels, furiously swung in the media space by all comers. Your action has therefore added abundant grist to the rumour mills and electrified the merchants of fake news.
For instance, a United States based blog, saharareporters.com, has made inflammatory publications in which they named His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, among others, as a definite recipient of your visa restriction. Though you have named no names, accuracy is of no moment to them, just base political expediency, and they quote unnamed US State Department sources to give credibility to what is otherwise unproven.
Also, other players in the Kogi political space, including candidates and officials of opposition political parties which lost the elections and could not prove their allegations in court as aforesaid have now latched onto this action, holding media conferences and making press releases, claiming that the United States has justified their wild allegations and conspiracy theories where the courts and the administrative quarters failed. This is utterly regrettable.
Let it be noted that we are not challenging your visa bans in any way, whoever they may affect and for how long, but we do register the strongest protest possible as a State to the collateral and unwarranted interference in our political and social processes which it represents. You have reignited already dying embers of discord around the February/March General Elections and the November 16 Kogi State Gubernatorial Elections of 2019. This has invariably made our usual post-election duty of reconciliation with fair-minded political opponents all the more harder. We are hurt and disappointed.
Digressing a little beyond Kogi State to our contiguous states of Edo and Ondo, we wish to advice generally that by so preemptively interfering in their elections, both of which are yet to hold, events on ground since your publication indicate that the United States has foisted on our political process, not the expected caution or good behaviour by politicians which may have been your intent, but further calcification of hardened attitudes, more violent polemics, and increased sabre-rattling.
Even now every camp is trying to spin your action as evidence of US support for themselves and hostility to their opponents. Everyone involved in those elections is now stoked with an aura of invincibility and hellbent on displaying all manners of outrageousness on election day to prove their opponents the aggressors. After all, with sanctions looming over everyone like the Sword of Damocles, every stakeholder, including the security agencies are on tenterhooks and less likely to be lively. We fear you may have done our democracy more harm than good with this action, and we consider it most unfortunate indeed.
In conclusion, we believe that if the United States of America, despite her commanding heights and much longer experience as the acclaimed Bastion of Democracy in the world, is still locked in a fight to defend the integrity of her own electoral processes to this very day, then she ought to accord greater empathy, more civility and much less disruption, to nascent democracies.
Former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode has separated from his ex-beauty queen wife, Precious Chikwendu.
Fani-Kayode married Chikwendu in 2014 and together, they had a son in 2016 and a set of triplet in 2018.
The separation was said to have come as a result of a health challenge which Chikwendu has been trying to manage since they became a couple.
Chikwendu underwent a surgical operation for an undisclosed ailment in July.
It was believed that among other reasons that the former minister and Chikwendu separated had to do with misunderstandings over ‘‘unapproved outings.’’
Chikwendu’s uncle, Okey Onyemachi confirmed that there was no case of domestic violence, even as he denied rumour that Fani-Kayode is not the father of children.
“I never witnessed any domestic violence incident but I am aware that they are separated and are not staying together as we speak, but reports of domestic violence are very funny and malicious.
“I am unhappy about the reports and my major concern is the children and why people are cooking up fake stories. The allegations that the kids aren’t chief’s is a big lie and unthinkable. Precious is my niece and I can confirm that all these stories are false,” he said.
Fani-Kayode has been married four times. His first marriage was to Saratu Atta in 1987 but they were divorced by 1990.
The second marriage was to Yemisi Adeniji in 1991 and they were divorced by 1995. The third marriage was to Regina-Hanson Amonoo.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo speaking at a virtual meeting
Fifteen out of the 36 States in Nigeria have been found to be qualified for Word Bank grant in the education sector following the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic.
The states are Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kano, Nassarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara.
Speaking to newsmen today, September 17 after the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential villa, Abuja, Governor Nasir el-Rufai said that the 15 states will benefit from the COVID-19 GPE global partnership for education funding.
“These States are above the national average from at least two of three criteria. They made two of the three criteria for GPE funding.
“This is the grant from the World Bank and other donors.”
He announced also that the federal government has put in place some financial incentives to assist the states in implementing the education COVID-19 plan.
El-Rufai said that the Minister of State for Education presented a comprehensive memorandum to the council on education in the new normal.
“What the Federal Ministry of Education did today to the NEC was to provide a broad overview of the education sector and look forward to how we can continue with the education of our people in this difficult and unpredictable time.
“Educational institutions worldwide have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, leading to closure of schools at all levels. This is an attempt to contain the spread of the virus and save lives. Young people can get the virus and may survive it, but they can come home and infect their parents and grandparents that have a high chance of fatality.
“In Nigeria, the federal ministry of education approved the closure of schools and tertiary institutions on the 19th March 2020, even before a formal lockdown was announced. Some actions taken so far to mitigate the learning loss among children by the Fed. Ministry of Education are as follows: 1. Nigeria developed an education sector COVID-19 strategy and National Education Sector COVID-19 Response Plan in collaboration with parastatals, development partners, public health experts, and the Nigerian education group. The federal government also constituted a ministerial task force on COVID-19, comprising. 33 out of 36 states and the FCT, including Kaduna, we were the first to roll out an e-learning, digital learning platform with combination of radio and television programme to ensure that our final year students do not lose the entire second and third terms.
“Some of the measures to arrest the potential growth in the number of out of school children, arising from the situation we had before the pandemic and during the pandemic are as follows:
Disbursement of the federal government of Nigeria, UBE intervention funds to states on equality basis to enable them to implement tangible state based priority projects, including the building of schools or additional classrooms, renovations, rehabilitations, procurement of furniture and equipment etc with focus on enrolling more pupils or having more flexibility to do shifts.
The Almajiri integrated Quaranic teaching school programmes to mainstream the Almajiri boys into basic education and eradicate the out-of-school children syndrome in northern Nigeria.
Open schooling, which is principally aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children in the country, amongst others.”
On the way forward, the governor said that suggestions were made for the development of a national training programme to equip all university lecturers in delivering blended learning, especially the open and distance learning component should by the NUC, National Commission for Colleges of Education, National Board for Technical Education and implementated starting from November 2020.
“This should be a rolling capacity building programme covering all our tertiary institutions.
“Finally, accelerating and strengthening the management of an electronic digital identity management system for all Nigerians. This will aid easy enrolment, retention and completion of learners at all levels as well as curb and eliminate fraud, forgery and alteration of certificates.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to a Bill meant at refurbishing the Police Force in the country, as well as making it to be vibrant and robust.
In a memo dated September 16, 2020, the President communicated his assent to the Bill to the National Assembly, through the Clerk of the legislature.
The Act repeals the Police Act Cap. P19. Laws of the Federation, 2004, and provides for a more effective and well organized Police Force, driven by the principles of transparency and accountability in its operations and management of its resources.
Among others, the Act establishes an appropriate funding framework for the Police in line with what is obtainable in other Federal Government key institutions, enhances professionalism in the Force through increased training opportunities, and creates an enduring cooperation and partnership between the Police Force and communities in maintaining peace and combating crimes nationwide.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced significant increase in collectable tax revenue from the non-oil sector of the economy in spite of the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic across the world.
Executive Chairman of the FIRS, Muhammad Nami, who made this known today, September 17 when he led members of the Board of the Service on a visit to the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, attributed the increase in the non-oil sector receipt to reform measures introduced by the Board and Management as well as the renewed vigour in the Service workforce.
According to Nami, non-oil tax receipts have consistently contributed 75-90 per cent of total tax revenue in recent months.
He said that out of N490 billion collected by the Service in July only N52 billion was from the oil sector with the rest coming in through non-oil receipts.
Nami commended the minister for her support to the FIRS and its Board since their inauguration earlier in the year and solicited closer working relationship between the Service and her ministry.
The minister, who acknowledged Nami’s disclosure, commended the Management and Board for working to limit the disruptive impact of COVID-19 on government revenue through their proactive reforms.
She said that this had made it possible for the three tiers of government to receive their monthly statutory allocations from the Federation Accounts.
The minister observed that Value Added Tax (VAT) and Stamp Duties receipts have boosted government revenue despite the pandemic, even as she pledged to continue to support the Management and Board of the FIRS.
She tasked the Service to work harder towards diversifying government revenue sources further away from dependence on oil.
The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared ₦682.060 billion August 2020 federation account revenue to the Federal, States and Local Government Councils and agencies.
Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr. Mahmud Isa-Dutse, who made this known today, September 17, after the monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting through virtual conferencing, said that the gross statutory revenue of ₦531.830 billion was received for the month of August 2020.
This was lower than the ₦543.788 billion received in the previous month by ₦11.958 billion.
The gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) was ₦150.230 billion as against ₦132.619 billion available in the previous month, resulting in an increase of ₦17.611 billion.
A communiqué by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) indicated that from the total distributable revenue of ₦682.060 billion; the Federal Government received ₦272.905 billion, the State Governments received ₦197.648 billion and the Local Government Councils received ₦147.422 billion.
The Oil Producing States received ₦30.881 billion as 13% derivation revenue, while cost of revenue collection and transfers collectively received an allocation of ₦33.205 billion.
The Federal Government received ₦251.948 billion from the gross statutory revenue of ₦531.830 billion; the State Governments received ₦127.791 billion and the Local Government Councils received ₦98.522 billion.
₦30.881 billion was given to the relevant States as 13% derivation revenue and ₦22.689 billion was the collective total for cost of revenue collection, transfers and refund to agencies.
The Federal Government received ₦20.957 billion from the Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of ₦150.230 billion. The State Governments received ₦69.857billion; the Local Government Councils received ₦48.900 billion, while cost of revenue collection and transfers collectively had allocation of ₦10.516 billion.
The communiqué stated that for the month of August 2020, Oil and Gas Royalty, Companies Income Tax (CIT), Import and Excise Duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) increased considerably, while Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) decreased significantly.
The balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) as at 17th September, 2020 stands at $72.409 million.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu has come up with measures to avert what he called “infiltration” of Edo State in the September 19 governorship election by political thugs and hoodlums from the contagious States to cause mayhem.
One of such measures as contained in a statement today, September 17 by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, is the restriction of vehicular movement from 11:59pm tomorrow, September 18 to 6pm on the election day, September 19.
The police boss was quoted as saying in the statement that the restriction order is informed by the need to prevent the free flow, circulation and use of illicit arms and hard drugs.
“It is also meant to checkmate the movement of political thugs and touts and other criminally-minded individuals, especially from contiguous States, from hijacking and disrupting the electoral processes.”
Mohammed Adamu asked citizens of the state to go out en-masse on the day of the election and vote, assuring that the Police and other security agencies have been sufficiently mobilized to provide a safe, secure and conducive environment for the election.
The police boss, who regretted any inconveniences the restriction order might cause the citizens, he to the people to see it as part of necessary sacrifices towards the enthronement of democracy.
He warned that the Force will not sit idly-by and watch citizens who may want to engage in any criminal, violent and destructive acts, including snatching of ballot boxes, vote buying, vote selling, hate speeches, and other acts capable of compromising the electoral processes.
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Kogi State government has reacted to the statement credited to the United States of America Placing visa restriction on un-named politicians against the backdrop of the governorship election in the state in November last year.
President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to a Bill meant at refurbishing the Police Force in the country, as well as making it to be vibrant and robust.
