Center For Disease Control Alerts Nigerians On New Virus Discovered In China

January 22, 2020

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has alerted Nigerians on a new viru, known as novel coronavirus (nCoV) that has emanated from China.

In a statement today, January 22, the NCDC said that the first case of a novel (new) coronavirus (2019nCoV) strain was confirmed in China on the 7th of January 2020.

The statement said that preliminary investigations showed that most patients either visited or worked in the Huanan Seafood wholesale market, Wuhan city.

It said that as at the 20th of January 2020, 278 laboratory-confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV infection, including six deaths have been reported to WHO globally since the first case was reported on the 31st of December 2019.

According to the statement many of the initial cases were thought to have contacted the virus through animal-to-human transmission from the market, but that human-to-human transmission has also been established.

“Global surveillance is being established and it is expected that more cases will be reported over the next weeks.

“Wuhan city is a major transport hub in China. Beyond Wuhan, cases have been confirmed in other cities in China; Guangdong, Beijing and Shanghai. As at the 21st of January, five cases have been confirmed in four other countries; Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United States of America, all with a travel history to China.

“Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are normally transmitted between animals and people. A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain of the virus that has not been previously identified in humans. Some coronaviruses can be transmitted from person to person, usually after close contact with an infected patient, for example, in a householdor health care setting. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has convened its Emergency Committee today (22/01/20) to determine whether this outbreak should be declared a “Public Health Event of International Concern” (PHEIC).”

The statement went on to give details of the new viru, starting with the symptoms.

This new coronavirus 2019nCoV appears to cause mild to severe respiratory symptoms like cough and breathing difficulties. From current evidence, it appears that death is a rare outcome, mostly in patients with underlying illness.

TREATMENT

There is no specific treatment for disease caused by the novel coronavirus yet. However, many of the symptoms can be treated. Therefore, treatment is based on the patient’s clinical condition. In addition, supportive care for infected persons can be highly effective.

NIGERIA’S PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is currently coordinating a multisectoral technical group that is assessing and managing the risk of importation to Nigeria. NCDC is in close communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) who is closely monitoring the situation globally. WHO is in direct communication with the Government of China and other affected countries, and has released technical and travel guidance.

The Port Health Services unit of the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria has been placed on alert and has heightened screening measures at the points of entry. In China, exit screening measures have been enhanced for travellers from Wuhan city at the Points of Entry (PoE) (airports and ground transport stations) since the 14th of January 2020. This includes temperature checks, combined with provision of information and masks to passengers with fever, as well as directing symptomatic passengers to health facilities for follow up.

Nigerians are advised to remain calm. Travelers from Nigeria to Wuhan, China, are advised to avoid contact with sick people, animals (alive or dead), and animal markets.

Travelers from Wuhan to Nigeria, may be asked questions upon arrival by the Port Health Services unit at points of entry about symptoms of illness and travel history, and are advised to report immediately to NCDC, if they feel ill after a trip to Wuhan.

The Federal Ministry of Health through NCDC and its partners are fully committed to strengthening our preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks.

Information will be shared with the public as it becomes available.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

To reduce the risk of spread of coronavirus, members of the public are advised to adhere to the following measures:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water

• Cover your mouth and nose properly with handkerchief or tissue paper when sneezing and/or coughing. You may also cough into your elbow if a handkerchief is not available.

• Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing

• Avoid self-medication, report to the nearest health facility when you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms

• Healthcare workers are always advised to observe standard infection prevention and control measures when attending to patients and take a travel history.

As the situation is evolving, this advisory will be updated as more information becomes available.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is the government agency with the mandate to lead the prevention, detection, and control of communicable diseases. Its functions are to prevent, detect, investigate and control communicable diseases of national and international public health importance.

Tinubu Cautions Against Using Amotekun Controversies To Divide Nigeria

Editorial staff

January 22, 2020

All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has cautioned against using the argument and counter argument on the proposed Southwest security network, known as Amotekun to divide Nigeria along ethnic line.

He advised that there should be what he called “private discussion” between the Governors of the South-west and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami.

Tinubu, who is former Lagos State governor, said in a long statement today, January 22, said that the foundation of the country had not been put at risk with Amotekun, even as he warned that such foundation could be torn by what he called the “dangerous rhetoric of those who should know better.

“Those claiming that this limited, inoffensive addition to security threatens the Republic have taken themselves upon a madcap excursion.

“Those claiming that the Federal Government seeks to terribly suppress the Southwest have also lost their compass. Those who occupy these two extremes have sunken into the dark recesses of fear and political paranoia that can undo a nation if such sentiments are allowed to gestate.”

Full text of the statement titled: “The Public Discourse Over Amotekun,” goes thus”

“This issue has dominated recent discourse and media headlines. Distilled to its basics, it concerns how best state governments can assist with the safety and security of their residents. This is a matter of serious concern entitled to sober thought. However, it has been turned into a political tug-of-war. Fierce, often unthinking rhetoric, for and against, has crossed the lips of too many Nigerians. More subjective talking than objective thinking has been the fuel of this outburst.

“Question those in favour of Amotekun. Most have but the vaguest notion about it. They know few details yet vigorously attribute to its opponents the most negative intentions. Ask those who oppose Amotekun. They are equally ignorant of its provisions. They oppose the initiative not on its merits but merely because it was proposed by their political opponents or because they don’t see an avenue for personal gain from it.

“While colourful, the rhetoric has been disconcerting. How people have mishandled this matter demonstrates that we still have far to go in perfecting this democracy. Too much energy has been spent distorting this issue instead of seeking a resolution that supports local enhancement of security while keeping the constitution intact. If this becomes the standard for how we handle disagreements then we will obscure Nigeria’s path forward with our own rubbish.

“In this matter, I do not see malign intent in the differences of opinion between the SW Governors as authors of Amotekun and the Attorney-General as the primary law enforcement officer of the Federal Government. Shorn of the overly dramatic language, what lies before us is but a step in the evolution of our federalism. This is an opportunity to more clearly define that federalism; but one cannot attain this better, more functional definition through overblown, emotional language. Objectivity and calmness are required. To a significant degree, the enduring quality of our republic will be established by the sagacity with which we handle disagreements regarding the division of power between federal and state governments. Such disagreements are inevitable. This is not the first. Nor will it be the last. We must devote our energies more toward solving problems rather than amplifying them.

“Seeking to fulfil their mandates by helping protect their people, the governors of the Southwest collectively established a program to buttress existing security mechanisms. Seeking to protect the constitution as best he could, the Attorney-General offered his opinion on what he believed the governors have sought to do. No one can blame either party for seeking to fulfil what they genuinely see as their public duty.

“Until now, I have deliberately maintained a studied silence regarding Amotekun. Many have tried to goad my swift public reaction. Those who have taken this road did so not because they care about Amotekun or even the people it intends to help protect. They did so knowing this had become a delicate and emotional issue for many. These cynics did so with the adversarial hope that, in haste, I might misspeak or misstep in a manner they could twist to their political advantage.

“Such people are possessed of a mercenary aspect that permits them to sacrifice almost anything, even jeopardize the very foundations of our political unity, if they might exact personal gain from the upheaval. In that they know no nobler purpose than their own appetites, we should feel sorry for them. However, we must not allow our sympathies for their barren condition to persuade us that there is worth in their destructive misconduct. They must be left to the consequences of their own devices.

“If truly I am a political leader as I am often described, then I have not the luxury of hasty, ill-conceived utterances. There are those who will use inflamed words to spark the passions of others. This may bring transient applause. But when the cheers fade, we shall only have further descended because their words were never inclined toward resolution and long-term improvement but toward short-term popularity and perpetual confrontation.

“I believe in this nation and its benign prospects. I dearly love its people, all of them. Over the years of our existence, they have suffered much. Yet they still hold forth with heroic patience and an extraordinary optimism born of strong faith. To these people I owe my best. I shall not treat them cheaply or bandy their emotions like some errant football. The welfare of this good and decent people is my overriding concern.

“Equally, I do not cow to the demands of those who press for me to make a premature statement on an important issue. Again, that is a game devised by those who care more about political cleverness than the quality of governance. I chose to talk when my position has been made ripe by a collection of the facts and a reasonable assessment of those facts.

“As I view it, this matter can be divided in three major parts: 1) Substantive merits of Amotekun, 2) Decision-making and consultative process and 3) Recommendations on the way forward.

AMOTEKUN, GOVERNORS AND SECURITY

“As the highest elected official in his state and thus the individual embodiment of the will of the people, a governor must view safety and security as a foremost priority, integral to his mandate. To turn a blind eye to these concerns would be a grave dereliction. That the SW Governors seek to work together to complement the extant security architecture is, in principle, a commendable undertaking. In embracing this concept, they have acted in consonance with spirit of their offices for the better interests of their people.

“As Governor of Lagos State, I confronted a burgeoning criminal menace. I could not sit idly in the face of the violence and property destruction that struck genuine fear in the hearts of the people. The police tried as best they could; but their coverage was thin. They simply did not have the personnel or material wherewithal to be everywhere at once. We formed Neighbourhood Watch to help fill the gap.

“Our aim was not to replace existing structures but to complement and augment them. The mission of Neighbourhood Watch was to monitor the wards and neighbourhoods of the state. The group would gather information and intelligence to pass to the police and security authorities. The Neighbourhood Watch also provided an early warning system to keep citizens from harm’s way. The idea worked. Crime and violence reduced significantly. Even the overreaching Obasanjo government did not contend against Neighbourhood Watch.

“Judging from the public statements of the governors, Amotekun is meant to be structured along similar lines. As I understand it, Amotekun is to be another set of eyes and ears to assist the police. As such, it is but the second generation of Neighbourhood Watch expanded to a regional scale. Conceptually, there is nothing wrong with this. It does not appear to insult the constitution. However, my position regarding Amotekun is not blind or uncritical; there are several organisational and functional aspects of the proposal that could cause some problems if left unresolved.

“First, the stated mission is information gathering by civilians. Such tasks are always and everywhere best done in low-key fashion. Some aspects of Amotekun seem to undermine rather than enhance this function.

Second, equipping Amotekun with showy paraphernalia may cause the public to misconstrue the role of Amotekun, incorrectly believing its mandate is more expansive than it is. This possible disconnect could impede the good aims of the program.

“We also should consider that the Buhari administration has approved implementation of a policy of community policing wherein additional recruits from all 774 local government areas will be added to the force to help protect their own communities. As the Federal Government emphasizes grassroots policing it is uncertain how well Amotekun can complement the police force as the force moves toward greater decentralisation when Amotekun is organisationally leaning in the opposite way.

“We have been fighting for local and decentralised policing for a long time because we know that too much centralisation impedes performance. In regard to actual performance of its appointed tasks, Amotekun should have focused on grassroots local organisation at the state level without a regional command hierarchy. The regional approach may undermine efficiency. There is no compelling logic why the same personnel providing security & informational assistance in Ado-Ekiti should be under the same functional and operational leadership as those providing assistance in Lekki or Akure. This will not lead to optimal performance.

“The regional approach has only limited benefit with regard to the procurement and maintenance of vehicles and communications equipment because this wider approach allows for economies of scale. The regional approach also helps tackle the growing incidences of interstate criminal activity. Some things need to be corrected before Amotekun becomes operational. If not, it will not live up to expectations. Thus, the current formulation of Amotekun is in need of repair before it takes to the road only to quickly slip into a ditch.

CONSULTATIVE PROCESS BREAKS DOWN

“The governors state that they consulted regularly with the police and security agencies. This was the right thing to do. However, their failure to include the office of the Attorney-General in these discussions is the fount of the current public uproar. This was an unfortunate omission the governors should regret and seek to remedy. However, the conceptual merits and positive functional aspects of Amotekun should not be tainted by this procedural defect.

“While the Attorney-General is a conscientious public servant, he is also human. Not having been consulted, he was suddenly faced with an unexpected public announcement regarding a matter within his official ambit. He likely feared the failure to consult him meant that federal prerogatives were being encroached. To blame him for this conclusion would be to blame human nature itself. Though his negative reaction was understandable it was also unhelpful.

“The Attorney-General acted hastily in rendering a public statement that was more inaccurate than it should have been. Amotekun was never proposed as a “defence” agency; the Attorney-General erred in using this description. The use of uniforms and brightly coloured vehicles may not be the best ideas but they do not render Amotekun a defence agency or paramilitary group any more than a designated school van carrying uniformed students constitutes a paramilitary deployment.

“Believing the governors had crossed the line, the Attorney-General should have reached out to them. Before going public, he should have sought a private meeting so that he could have a better factual understanding of Amotekun. This would have enabled him to give the governors any specific constitutional or other objectives he might have. In this way, the two sides would have engaged in private consultations to reach agreement on the way forward. This cooperative process might have helped to correct some of the organisational lapses above identified. Such a diplomatic and wise step also would have prevented the current public acrimony now surrounding the issue.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESOLUTION

“This matter cannot be resolved on the pages of newspapers or by attributing negative motives to either side. The best way to resolve this is still for the two sides to enter private discussions. Either the governors should seek an official but private meeting with the Attorney-General, or the Attorney-General can initiate the contact. Since Amotekun is their initiative, the governors bear the greater onus in seeking the meeting.

“The meeting will initiate further discussion on how to resolve what appears to be a misunderstanding caused by an unfortunate lack of communication. Remedy the gap in communication and the misunderstanding will begin to disappear.

Last, I again stress to well-intentioned Nigerians to shun those who employ heated language to inflame emotions. It does us no good to rush toward exaggerated statements that suggest calamity of the highest order. Don’t allow yourselves to be fodder for those who seek to divide us.

“The fabric of the Republic has not been put at stake by Amotekun. However, that fabric could be torn by the dangerous rhetoric of those who should know better. Those claiming that this limited, inoffensive addition to security threatens the Republic have taken themselves upon a madcap excursion. Those claiming that the Federal Government seeks to terribly suppress the Southwest have also lost their compass. Those who occupy these two extremes have sunken into the dark recesses of fear and political paranoia that can undo a nation if such sentiments are allowed to gestate.

“We are one nation, 200 million strong with 36 states and a great complex of federal authority residing in dozens of federal ministries and agencies. If everyone is allowed their democratic expression, there are bound to be disagreements. This is inherent in the federal structure. Nations that have practiced federalism much longer than us still frequently debate over where the line between state and federal power is to be drawn. They have hundreds of court cases each year on this very issue. Yet they do not attack each other as we do. We must all learn to be more restrained and judicious in our reactions when such disagreements arise.

“Before leaping from our seats to lift our voice to the high rafters in profound indignation, we first would be wise to properly discern the situation. We must ascertain whether it merely is a tempest in a teapot or whether our house and all its teapots are swirling in a real tempest. Despite the ominous headlines and heated talk, an objective analysis points more clearly to the former than the latter. The resolution of this matter is not beyond us if only we allow ourselves to be the democrats that our better conscience and the very documents of our national existence call us to be.

“In trying to help resolve this matter, I have initiated communication with the Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, with a view to meeting the South West governors to explore amicable solutions to the avoidable controversy. I am sure that, at the end of it all, peace, security, and progress shall reign in our nation. Thank you.”

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

National Leader, APC

Alleged America’s Travel Ban: We’re Waiting For President Trump – Nigeria

Editorial staff

January 22, 2020

The government of Nigeria has announced that it is waiting for President Donald Trump to carry out the plan of his government to issue travel restrictions on Nigerians from entering the shore of America before it will react.

The Nigeria’s Presidency, through a presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said today, January 22 that the Presidency is treating the issue of travel ban as speculation for now.

In a terse response to a question by newsmen as to the reaction of Nigeria to the proposed travel ban, Garba Shehu said: “yes, we have read the news that the Trump administration is planning to add a host of African, Asian and Eastern European countries to its travel restrictions’ list as reported by the U.S. media.

“We are not going to react to speculations. We urge you to wait for us to see what unfolds under the new policy: its scope, its reach, the implications and its consequences before we react.”

We’re Happy With Supreme Court Judgment On Benue, Others, But Not On Imo – PDP

Greenbarge Reporters

January 22, 2020

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the Supreme Court for upholding the elections of Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Samuel Ortom of Benue and Ahmed Fintiri of Adamawa State but said it would continue to agitate for the reversal of the judgment on Imo State.
In a statement today, January 21 by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party insisted that the judgment on the four states would not in any way sway it to abandon or even diminish the nationwide agitation for a judicial review and reversal of the “miscarriage of justice” by the Court in its January 14, 2020 judgment on Imo state governorship election.
It said that by upholding the Sokoto, Bauchi, Benue and Adamawa elections, the apex court has shown that it can still be trusted to assert its independence and can further redeem its image by immediately reversing its “defective and widely condemned” judgment on Imo state.
The party pointed out that Nigerians would still be agitated and the image, as well as public confidence on the Supreme Court, will still not be fully redeemed until the court summons the expected courage to review and reverse itself on the Imo judgment, in line with the consensus already expressed by citizens across board.
The statement said: “This is because the miscarriage of justice in the Imo judgment is glaring, given the established fact that the Supreme Court conjured strange figures as votes and donated same to the APC and its candidate, Senator Hope Uzodimma, and used the unfounded figure as basis to declare a party that came fourth as winner of the election.
“What is most embarrassing is that in allocating the conjured figures to the APC, the Supreme Court became caught in a web, as total number of votes suddenly jumped to 950,952, over and above INEC’s 823, 743 official number of accredited voters for the election.
“The PDP insists that only a judicial review will guarantee justice in this matter as the PDP, the people of Imo state and Nigerians at large are not ready to allow the Supreme Court to impose a governor other than the person elected by the people at the poll.
“In congratulating Governors Tambuwal, Ortom, Fintiri and Bala Mohammed, the party urged them to continue in the path of good governance for which they were elected, in line with the manifesto and vision of the PDP.”
The party also called on all its elected and appointed officials as well as members, supporters and Nigerians across board to continue the demand for a judicial review on Imo, adding that the PDP will continue to toe that path until justice is seen to have been done.

How Okorocha, Other Past Governors Messed Up Imo’s Core Values – Gov Uzodinma

Greenbarge Reporters

January 22, 2020

Governor Hope Uzodinma has painted a picture of how the past governors, including Rochas Okorocha, have messed up the core values of Imo State and instituted the culture of lawlessness and neo-feudalism.
Governor Uzodinma,in his maiden radio and television broadcast to the people of the State today, January 21, said:”we have witnessed, over ten years now, a slow, steady but devastating loss of the core values that had defined our dear, adorable Imo State. In place of those cherished ideals, an insipid culture of lawlessness and neo-feudalism had crept into the body fabric of our state.”
He said that his vision of a new Imo State is predicated on freedom, security, and shared prosperity welded into good governance, adding that the evidence on ground indicates that Imo State requires fundamental reform to forge a new trajectory.

“The time is now to take action and free our state and her people from the strangle hold of the false religion of executive lawlessness, exclusive governance and total disregard to due process. I challenge every Imo man, woman, youth and child to hold us by the same standards and the same scales by which we judge past administrations.
“The New Imo State offers a new paradigm to redress the ripples of those years of maladministration, inexperience and outright inefficiency in public administration. The New Imo State will prove to our good people that government is not instituted to deride the people, but instead to protect citizens’ fundamental rights. Our New Imo State will restore financial discipline, entrench due process and conduct government business in the most transparent fashion. The New Imo State incorporates a new development trajectory that will harness the critical role of Local Government Councils in downstream value chain creation.
“In line with the provisions of the Constitution, we shall urgently restore the autonomy and integrity of Local Government Administration. Thank God therefore, for the objective effort of the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari in uncoupling the local government finances from the meddlesome interests of state officials. The dynamic LG System of our New Imo State will guarantee the steady trickle down of democracy dividends to the atomized hamlets and clans of our rural communities. To actualize this, credible Local government elections will be held soon.
“Our New Imo State will enshrine a new culture of shared prosperity in which the common wealth of the people is made available for the good of all. Above all, it is a new Imo State that will ensure good governance, prosperity, rule of law and equity. The Mission cuts across party line, religious leaning and intra ethnic divides. From now on it will no longer be governance as usual, but governance of the people, by the people and for the people, without discrimination against anyone.
“In practical terms therefore, the trajectory of development in the New Imo State of our vision is anchored on a “3-R” super structure of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery of key economic and political institutions that all of us will be proud of. In this wise, the New Imo State envisions the overhaul of State Civil Service and relevant institutions of the Bureaucracy for optimal efficiency and Service delivery- involving prompt payment of salaries, pensions and other statutory obligations to spur officers to greater productivity.”

Lassa Fever Kills A Doctor In Kano, 16 In Ondo, With 84 Cases Recorded

Greenbarge Reporters

January 21, 2020

Lassa Fever has killed a medical doctor whose name was simply given as Dr. Habib in Kano, even as 16 patients died of the same in Ondo State.
Information reaching us said that the medical doctor died in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and that a nurse also lost her baby even as some medical Officers have been quarantined.
And in Ondo, the state government confirmed that about 84 cases have also been recorded since the beginning of the year.
The governor, Rotimi Akuredolu, and the heads of relevant agencies met yesterday to review the situation which blew open at the weekend, as medical personnel struggled to grapple with the challenge.
Officials said that medical facilities at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, and other facilities in Akure, the state capital are already overstretched.
It was gathered that three local government areas have so far been affected. They include Akoko South West, Akure South, Ondo West, and Owo local governments.
The state epidemiologist, Steven Fagbemi, gave the detailed breakdown of the situation after the meeting with the governor.
The meeting also involved Local Government Chairmen from Ondo North and Central Senatorial Districts at the governors office in Akure.
Fagbemi said the fatalities were due to the fact that the cases had reached advanced stages before they were brought to the hospitals.
He said 47 patients were on admission and were responding to treatment, while 21 persons had already been treated and discharged.

Nigeria To Slug It Out With Liberia, Others In Group C In World Cup Qualifiers In Qatar

Editorial staff

January 21, 2020

Three-time African champions, Nigeria’s Super Eagles, have been drawn in Group C with Cape Verde Island, Central African Republic and West African neighbours, Liberia, for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying series.

Representatives of the teams, coaches and African football legends attended the Draw which was conducted by Nigeria’s Samson Adamu and assisted by Ghanian-born and former France international, Marcel Desailly, in Cairo today, January 21.

In Group A, African champions, Algeria, is drawn alongside Burkina Faso, Niger and Djibouti, while Tunisia is being joined by Zambia, Mauritania and Equatorial Guinea in Group B.

Cameroon will battle eternal rivals Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique and Malawi in Group D, while Mali has Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda to battle with in Group E.

Egypt will lock horns with Gabon, Libya and Angola in Group F, while Ghana will slug it out with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia in Group G.

Senegal will do battle with Congo, Namibia and Togo in Group H.

In Group I, Morocco have Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Sudan to contend with, while Group J is made up of Congo DR, Benin, Madagascar and Tanzania.

The Final Round will see the 10 teams drawn into five home and away ties, with the five winners securing the ticket to represent Africa at the tournament scheduled for November 21 to December 18, 2022 in Qatar.

Groups at a glance

GROUP A

Algeria

Burkina Faso

Niger

Djibouti

GROUP B

Tunisia

Zambia

Mauritania

Equatorial Guinea.

Imo Assembly Speaker, 9 Other Lawmakers Defect To APC As Deputy Speaker Resigns

Editorial staff

January 21, 2020

Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly and nine other members of the Assembly have detected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), even as the deputy speaker resigned his position.

The mass defection is coming a few days after the Supreme Court declared Senator Hope Uzodinma of the APC as the validly elected Governor of Imo State, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue him a Certificate of Return and for him to be sworn in.

Before then, Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held sway as governor.

The lawmakers who defected to the APC today, January 21 were from the PDP, Action Alliance and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Chiji Collins, read the letters of defection during plenary.

Those who defected were Authur Egwim (AA-Ideato North), Chyna Iwuanyanwu (PDP-Nwangele), Chidiebere Ogbunikpa (PDP-Okigwe), Obinna Okwara (AA-Nkwerre), and Paul Emeziem (PDP-Onuimo).

Others were Ekene Nnodimele (APGA-Orsu), Johnson Duru (AA-Ideato South), Ngozi Obiefule (AA-Isu) and Heclus Okorocha (PDP-Ohaji/Egbema).

The Legality Of Amotekun – By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa

Editorial staff

January 21, 2020

For so long a time in Nigeria, we have not witnessed the kind of solidarity and support from the people, for any policy of government as has happened in the last few weeks in the South West of Nigeria, where everyone, young or old, male or female, politician or professional, progressives, activists, religious leaders, students, traditional rulers, etc, rallied round their governors, for the launch of the neighbourhood security outfit code-named ‘Amotekun’. The scheme became popularized by the federal government’s hasty pronouncement, which came through the office of the Honorable Attorney-General of the Federation. From the subsequent statements of other principal officers of the federal government, it would seem that the government is not at peace with the idea of Amotekun, which in my view, is very unfortunate.

Under and by virtue of section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution, ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.’ Thus, it is very clear that the main reason government exists is for the good and safety of the people. So, anytime it becomes impossible for the government to guaranty the lives of its people, then that government has lost the purpose of its existence and should be scrapped. Nigeria has never been this challenged in the area of safety of lives and property. The Boko Haram menace accounts for the main threat to the lives of our fellow countrymen in the North-East, bandits have taken over the North-West, militants and criminals are in the South-East and South-South, whilst cultists and other criminals hold sway in the South-West. Without any exception however, kidnappers, who are on rampage all over the country, account for the greatest threat to the lives of the people presently.

Nobody is spared, as even security and law enforcement agents are also victims. Not long ago, a justice of the Court of Appeal, was kidnapped in Edo State in broad daylight, her police orderly was shot dead and others seriously injured. The kidnappers don’t even seem to fear God, as priests, pastors and imams have all tasted from their venom. It got to such an alarming point that people became restricted to their geographical locations in their respective States. The case of the South-West is made worse with the various forest reserves for cocoa, timber, kolanut, etc, all created during the agriculture revolution.

Section 214 of the Constitution has only established the Nigeria Police Force without specifying its powers or granting it any exclusivity in criminal matters. To discover the functions of the police in Nigeria, recourse will be made to the laws enacted by the National Assembly for that entity. In this case, it is the Police Act, section 4 of which states as follows:

‘The police shall be employed for the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property and the due enforcement of all law and regulations with which they are directly charged …’ Clearly from these provisions, there is no exclusivity granted to the Nigeria Police Force in relation to safety of lives and property. What the Constitution has prohibited in section 214 is that ‘no other police force shall be established for the Federation of Nigeria or any part thereof.’ Under the Exclusive Legislative List contained in the Third Schedule to the Constitution, Defence is listed as Item 17 whilst ‘police and other government security services’ is listed as Item 45. A community reading of these provisions of the various laws regarding the police force in Nigeria reveals the following:

(i) Under section 214 of the Constitution, the name and nomenclature of The Nigeria Police Force is unique and exclusive and no other entity can be established in Nigeria or any part of it, with the same NAME. In other words, that name or organization has been established, registered and reserved for Nigeria and so other countries like Ghana, Libya, America or indeed other States like Edo, Kebbi, Lagos or Ebonyi, cannot competently establish any other entity with the same NAME Nigeria Police Force. Any other entity can be established so long as it does not bear the NAME Nigeria Police Force, but it can be JTF, Hisbah Police, Amotekun, Operation Messa or whatever. The Constitution is only concerned with the NAME, not the functions.

(ii) The Constitution HAS NOT defined the role of the Nigeria Police Force as the sole entity responsible for security or law enforcement. The role of the Nigeria Police Force is as defined by any law enacted by the National Assembly.

(iii) The extant law on the issue, that is the Police Act, enacted by the colonialists on April 1, 1943, has not donated any form of EXCLUSIVITY for the Nigeria Police Force, so as to exclude any other entity or organization from participating in security or law enforcement.

(iv) Even though the 1999 Constitution has established the Nigeria Police Force in its section 214, thorough study and investigation will reveal that the Nigeria Police Force was long established under section 3 of the Police Act of 1943, when the colonialists NEVER had in mind the idea of exclusivity. Even after independence, regions had their own police.

(v) Any government, Federal or State or Local, is free to establish any other entity for security, peace, order or law enforcement, so long as it does not reflect the NAME: Nigeria Police Force.

(vi) The National Assembly of Nigeria, on June 28, 2003, established the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, consisting of volunteers and regular members. The NSCDC Act in its section 3 (1) (a), vests the Corps with power to ‘assist in the maintenance of peace and order and also in the protection and rescuing of civil population in the period of emergency.’ In section 3 (1) (f), the Corps has ‘power to arrest, investigate and hand over to the Nigeria Police, for further investigation and prosecution, any person who is involved in any criminal activity.’ In May, 2007, the National Assembly amended the NSCDC Act, empowering the Corps to bear arms.

(vii) The National Assembly has by the NSCDC Act confirmed that policing, detection and prevention of crime, is NOT EXCLUSIVE to the Nigeria Police Force. Thus, Amotekun cannot be illegal or prohibited, as long as it does not bear the name ‘Nigeria Police Force’, which has been reserved for the federal government under the Constitution.

(viii) Very recently in 2016, Lagos State established the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, with the following functions:

• Gathering information about crimes, crime in progress, suspicious activities and crime suspects among other things.

• Making available such relevant information on rimes, crime in progress, suspicious activities and crime suspects to the police or other security agencies that require it.

• Putting structure in place to ensure that hoodlums and cult groups do not have the opportunity to operate.

• Undertaking routine motorized patrol day and night.

• Reducing the crime rate and ensuring that offenders are identified and made to account for their misdeeds.

• Following up on arrest of offenders to the court and ensuring justice.

• Timely reporting of suspicious activities and crimes in progress to the police or other security agencies and improving relationship between the police and the community as it concerns law enforcement.

• Contributing to maintaining community peace.

(ix) In 2018, the National Assembly again established the Peace Corps of Nigeria for the similar purpose of security and intelligence gathering but the Bill was not assented to by the President. However, the point has been made by that singular act of passing the Bill, that security is not exclusive to the Nigeria Police Force.

(x) Several States in Nigeria, have granted amnesty to cultists, bandits and other criminals, duly endorsed by the federal government, in order to achieve peace in those States.

(xi) Some other States in the federation have local law enforcement outfits, such as Hisbah, for the enforcement of their own local laws, to the knowledge and endorsement of the federal government. Indeed, in Zamfara State, the local police was employed for the arrest of a young man accused of stealing, leading to the amputation of his hand.

From all the above, it is the federal government that is guilty of hasty conclusions about Amotekun, which has nothing to do with Nigeria Police Force. Now, the Hon Attorney-General of the Federation is a member of the All Progressive Congress, which in 2015 released its Manifesto to all Nigerians, promising to ‘enable States and Local Governments to employ State and Community Police to address the PECULIAR NEEDS OF EACH COMMUNITY.’ Virtually all residential estates across Nigeria have security men helping to gather intelligence and maintain peace. The questions then is this: what is so special about Amotekun that the federal government is sounding jittery?

The federal government should embrace Amotekun and not antagonize it. Right now, the South-West governors and indeed all other governors across Nigeria, have the golden opportunity of rescuing their people from criminals and bandits. This will also address the unemployment menace and help reduce crime, grow the business environment and bring prosperity and peace to our people. The federal government should let Amotekun be, as there is absolutely nothing illegal about it, as long as there is a law in force to back it up. But if the government feels challenged with the outfit, then it could originate a suit in the Supreme Court, in accordance with the new year message of the President that henceforth, all its actions will follow the rule of law.

– Adegboruwa is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Human Rights Boss, Al-Awwad Thumbs Up For Saudi Arabia Over Human Rights Promotion

Greenbarge Reporters

January 21, 2020

President of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Dr. Awwad Al-Awwad has commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its continued efforts and activities in protecting and promoting human rights.

At a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet in Geneva yesterday, January 20, Al-Awwad recalled the recent World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2020 report which scored Saudi Arabia 70.6 percent on human rights observation.
According to him, the World Bank report ranked the Kingdom as the top reformer and top improver among 190 economies that it covered.

The report also places Saudi Arabia first among GCC countries and second in the Arab world.
Dr. Al-Awwad said that the Kingdom made such achievements under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman who introduced a lot of reforms, development, change and modernization of all state facilities, the foremost of which is human rights.
He said that in the past three years, 60 reform-related decisions dealing with human rights as well as 22 decisions pertaining to women empowerment have been made.
“Among the foremost of these reforms is the launch of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which focuses on the human being as the center of development, and includes human rights goals.

“The Kingdom is still looking forward to achieving more accomplishments, and will continue in the development march led by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense.”

Dr. Al-Awwad said that the Kingdom has fulfilled its international obligations to which it has become a party and submitted all its international reports, to be among the 36 countries that have committed to do so out of the total of 197 states parties.

1...832833834...2,436 Page 833 of 2,436