The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has sacked the Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye.
The Court affirmed the judgment of the Kogi State National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.
The judgment which was delivered by the chairman of the tribunal, Justice A.O Chijoke, ordered the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC to conduct a fresh election in the zone within 90 days.
Reacting to the judgement via his Twitter handle, the Senator urged his supporters to remain calm.
“I just lost my election at Appeal Court and fresh election ordered. In all things I give God the praise. He who started a good thing will definitely complete it. I ask my supporters to be law abiding as we shall always overcome. To God be the Glory.” he wrote.
I just lost my election at the Appeal Court and Fresh election ordered. In all things I give God the Praise. He who started a good thing will definitely complete it. I ask my supporters to be law abiding as we shall always overcome. To God be the Glory.
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the review of the National Broadcasting
Code and extant broadcasting laws to reflect an upward review of fines from N500,000 to N5,000,000 for breaches relating to hate speeches, inciting comments and indecency. Also included are wilful repeat of infractions on three occasions after levying fine on a station to attract suspension of license; upgrade of breach of political comments relating to hate speeches and divisive comments to ”Class A” offence in the Broadcasting Code and the amendment of the NBC Act to enable NBC license WebTv and radio stations, including foreign broadcasters beaming signals into Nigeria. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known today, October 10 when he inaugurated a seven-member Committee on the Implementation of Reforms in the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). The Minister said thatthe reforms are part of the recommendations of a committee which he earlier set up on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari over the unprofessional and unethical conduct of some broadcast stations, especially before and during the last general elections. Pai Mohammed said the approved recommendations also include the independence of the NBC from political interference in the exercise of its regulatory powers, particularly with respect to the issuance and withdrawal of broadcasting license; recruitment of more monitoring staff for the NBC, as currently there are only about 200 Staff monitoring about 1,000 radio and television stations; deployment of adequate monitoring equipment and technologies for the NBC and the enhancement of welfare packages of NBC staff to avoid their compromise in the line of duty. The Terms of Reference of the Implementation Committee, as listed by the Minister, include to Immediately commence work on all statutory, legal and regulatory framework for further legislative action on the review of the NBC Act by the National Assembly; to immediately assess and propose equipment, materials and training needed to make the NBC a modern and well-positioned regulator and to liaise with relevant agencies to ensure the provision of the manpower needs of the Commission to enable it function optimally. He said the Committee is also to immediately establish and publicize a new sanctioning, fines and penalty regime that is in line with international best practice, promote professionalism and serve as a deterrent to erring practitioners against misconduct, especially hate speech, violence and spread of fake news. The Committee is also saddled with the responsibility of establishing and publishing a new regulation for the licensing of Web and Internet broadcasters/International broadcasters in Nigeria, in addition to ending all forms of monopoly detrimental to the actualization of the immense potential of the broadcast industry. The Committee is chaired by the Director, Broadcast Monitoring of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, while the Chief Press Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr. Joe Mutah, will serve as Secretary. Other members are Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa, Acting Chairman of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON); Mr. J.K. Ehicheoya, Esq, Director, Legal Services, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture; Hajia Binta Adamu Bello, Secretary General, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); Mr. Ibrahim Jimoh, Director of Administration, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria; Hon. Agbo Kingsley Ndubuisi, Board Member, NBC, as members. The Committee has six weeks to submit its report.
The Kaduna State Police Command has said that it has opted to negotiate with kidnappers for the release of six female students and two teachers of Engravers College, Kaduna, despite knowing the location of the gang. The Command said it cannot infiltrate their hideout or use a force to free the victims so as not to endanger the lives of the victims. The State Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga, who made this known at a news briefingtated at the command headquarters in Kaduna, said: “We are negotiating with the kidnappers to rescue these students and their teachers. We know the location of the kidnappers but we do not want to endanger the lives of the victims. “Most of these kidnappers are operating under the influence of hard drugs, so killing is nothing to the. This is why we are still negotiating with them and as soon as the victims are released, we will go after them. “We are assuring the people of Kaduna State that we will arrest these kidnappers very soon.” Some unidentified gunmen had abducted six school girls alongside their vice principal and a housemistress in the early hours of last Thursday at the school premises in Kakau Daji, Chikun local government area of Kaduna State. The kidnappers had earlier demanded a N10 million ransom to release the eight victims and later raised their demand to N80 million.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan and his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari embarked on heart presidential laughter today, October 10 at the presidential Villa, Abuja when Jonathan visited his host, for private talks.
Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itsey Sagay has said that the monies and assets being recovered from corrupt Nigerians are being ploughed into national budget every year.
Professor Sagay, who spoke to news men today, October 10 at the presidential Villa, Abuja wondered at the unprecedented amount of money and assets illegally acquired by mainly public servants that have been recovered.
“And the more remarkable aspect of it is that this recovered loots is being ploughed into the national budget every year. It is ploughed back into the national budget and used for the Social Investment Programme.
“So when you hear about feeding of over 12 million school children as when I checked last having nutritious meal every day, you hear of poor families being supported to survive and stand on their feet or over 500,000 young people who are being trained in all sorts of skills and paid N30,000 a month by the government and the interest free loans given to small scale businesses all over the country: it’s all part of this money.
Not a kobo of it is left. Everything is ploughed back and I think the country should know that, it’s very unprecedented.
“This had never happened before in the history of this country, everything is ploughed back.
Then we have succeeded in improving the quality of prosecution by giving the anti prosecution agencies a lot of capacity building, train them in the manner cases should be prosecuted and how charges should be drawn.
“Judges up to the Supreme Court, have also benefitted from this programme.”
The PACA chairman said that in the area of corruption, Nigeria which was losing almost N400 billion every year on fake fuel subsidy payments, does not have such case now.
“So generally the tone of the country has improved. The country has gained tremendously, corruption has gone down.
“There is still corruption but it has gone down and anybody who indulges in it, particularly an officer of a state who engages in it knows the risk he is taking. “We have the TSA. We have the bank verification number, all those things have made an incredible change in our level of anti corruption.
“Now, you cannot hide money in the banks anymore and agencies cannot hide money in various banks accounts which they spend without the knowledge of the government. Everything is in one place, everything is transparent, thanks to this government.”
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu displays Specimen Ballot Paper
The Nigerian Senate has said that it would reduce the number of political parties participating in elections in the country from the current 91 to five through legislation.
The upper chamber, at a meeting with the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by its chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, expressed dissatisfaction over the huge number of political parties fielding candidates in the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
Speaking at the meeting, former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP Enugu West), said the number of political parties contesting the elections contravened the amended Electoral Act. He said that by virtue of the Electoral Act, political parties, which failed to win a seat in the general elections should be deregistered.
This was even as chairman of the Senate committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC Kano South) said: “Those parties that didn’t perform shouldn’t be on the ballot. The existing electoral act as amended has precluded the participation of parties that didn’t perform in the last elections.
“We need to amend the act to reduce the political parties to a maximum of five. This committee is really committed to reducing the number of political parties to save taxpayers money.”
INEC chairman said that the commission is in a dilemma to take decisive action to deregister political parties as a result of pending electoral litigations which could alter its judgement.
“The commission had systematically deregistered many parties under the electoral act. But the parties insisted that the electoral act is inferior to the constitution,” Professor Yakubu told the senators.
President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to take a critical look at the cost of governance in the country with a view to weeding out corruption it breeds.
The President, who hosted members of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, October 10 acknowledged the commitment of the members and sacrifice they have made in accepting the assignment to serve the country.
“Some of the elite won’t trust you, and you will be alienated, no matter how close you are to them.”
Buhari recalled the experience of the past, in which assets were seized from officials who couldn’t explain how they got them, “only for those assets to be returned to them when government was changed.”
He vowed that such would no longer happen, adding that he had given instructions that all forfeited assets be sold, and the money put in the Treasury Single Account.
“Let’s see who will now take back the money from the treasury, and give back to those people, as was done in the past.”
This was even as the Chairman of PACAC, Professor Itse Sagay said that Nigeria is lucky more than ever to have a person of President Buhari’s credentials as leader of government.
“We congratulate you for being a star of the anti-corruption struggle in Africa. You attach a lot of importance to the fight against corruption, and we have tried to achieve the aims you had in mind when you established PACAC.”
Prof Sagay said that the committee trains and builds capacity of anti-corruption agencies, and that it also helps to develop a programme of non-conviction assets recovery, which is recording great successes.
PACAC made some recommendations to the President for the purpose of moving the anti-corruption war many steps forward.
They include, reestablishment of the jury system for criminal cases in the country; setting up of a judicial commission on corruption in the judiciary, to be headed by retired judges under the auspices of National Judicial Council (NJC); passage of Proceeds of Crime Act by the National Assembly; the setting up of a Presidential Truth and Restitution Task Force; and a closer look at the cost of governance to weed out all vestiges of corruption.
PRESIDENT BUHARI RECEIVES FMR MINISTER AS HEADS OF STATE 2. President Muhammadu Buhari (M) fllanked by Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, Former Minister of Internal Affairs, Maj-Gen Mohammed Magoro, Former Minister of Education, Alhaji Yerima Ibrahim, Former Minister of Health, Dr Emmanuel Nsan and Brig Gen Ahmed Abdullahi during a courtesy visit by his former cabinet members as head of State at the State House, Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. OCT 9 2019.
Some of the ministers who served Muhammadu Buhari as military head of State between 1984 and 1985 paid him a solidarity visit today, October 9 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Leader of the delegation, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who served as Minister of External Affairs, said that the team came to congratulate the President on his achievements in security, foreign affairs, anti-corruption, education, and many others.
“We were appointed 35 years and nine months ago. Eighteen of us were sworn in. Your leadership was firm, but you also gave us free hand to operate. You knew what each person was doing. We will never forget the opportunity you gave us. We remain patriots.”
Professor Gambari commended the President on the newly constituted Economic Advisory Council, adding that the same should be considered for security and foreign affairs.
Other former Ministers in the team were Major General Muhammed Magoro (Internal Affairs), Dr Emmanuel Nsan (Health), Alhaji Ibrahim Yakima Abdullah (Education) and Brig-Gen Ahmed Abdullahi (Communications).
Receiving his former ministers, President Buhari recalled “how we got things done then because it was a military administration.”
He pledged to “carry everyone along on my last lap as a democratically elected leader.”
President Buhari thanked the former Ministers for being consistently in touch and particularly lauded the military for building Abuja as new Federal capital for the country.
A minute silence was observed in memory of those who have passed on among the former Ministers.
The Tor Tiv of Tiv land in Benue State, Professor James Ayatse, has described the recent triumph of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as God-given victory.
He said that the mandate is to enable the President reconstruct, rebuild and unify the country and take it to the Next Level of socio-economic development.
The Tor Tiv who led a delegation of Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers on a courtesy visit to the President, pledge the support of the Council to the President.
“We are here to encourage your administration to carry on with its laudable programmes.”
This was even as the President called for better appreciation of the historical relationships among various communities in order to sustain the nation’s unity.
He recalled that the ties between the Tiv and his own ethnic Fulani stock predated him and the current generation, adding that such ties had helped in ensuring peaceful and harmonious co-existence among the people.
The President expressed optimism that such cordial bonds will continue to endure among various groups and serve as a strong unifying force in the country.
Buhari decried the misunderstanding of internal conflicts by many people at home and abroad, citing the farmer-herders clashes which in several places had been misconstrued as religious, when in fact they arose from social and cultural factors.
He restated his appeal for better understanding of the nation’s diverse cultures in order to engender a healthier co-existence among the people, while fortifying and strengthening the unity of the country.
Responding to the narration of the Tor Tiv on the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the recent conflicts in the State, the President said he was aware of that, and all that obtains in the Northeast, the Northwest and the South-South.
He noted that it is in realisation of the foregoing and the urgent need to ameliorate the plight of the IDPs that he created the new Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, “so that we have a ministry that coordinates their demands, and we avoid duplication of resources.”
President Buhari expressed delight with the leadership of the Tor Tiv and other traditional rulers in their various communities as well as for their strong support for his administration.
He promised to look into the “long list” of the delegation’s demands, and thanked the royal fathers for showing appreciation for what his administration has done in the State in terms of projects and appointments.
President Muhammadu Buhari has set an agenda for the Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), after administering the oath of office on the eight member Council, headed by Professor Doyin Salami today, October 9.
President Buhari charged them to focus on developing reliable data that will properly reflect what is happening in the country.
The President who called the task before the PEAC ‘‘most important national assignment’’, said:
‘‘As you develop your baseline study, I would like you to focus on primary data collection.
‘‘Today, most of the statistics quoted about Nigeria are developed abroad by the World Bank, IMF and other foreign bodies.
‘‘Some of the statistics we get relating to Nigeria are wild estimates and bear little relation to the facts on the ground.
‘‘This is disturbing as it implies we are not fully aware of what is happening in our own country.
‘‘We can only plan realistically when we have reliable data. As you are aware, as a government, we prioritised agriculture as a critical sector to create jobs and bring prosperity to our rural communities.
‘‘Our programs covered the entire agricultural value chain from seed to fertiliser to grains and ultimately, our dishes.
‘‘As you travel in some rural communities, you can clearly see the impact. However, the absence of reliable data is hindering our ability to upgrade these programmes and assure their sustainability.”
The President used the occasion to set agenda and expectations from the Council, constituted on September 16, 2019, to replace the Economic Management Team (EMT).
On the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs), the President told members that his administration was working to measure the impact of the programme targeted at improving the well-being of millions of poor and vulnerable citizens.
As such, the President said he had directed the new Minister for Humanitarian Affairs to commence a comprehensive data-gathering exercise in all Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the North East.
‘‘Today, we hear international organisations claiming to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on IDPs in the North East. But when you visit the camps, you rarely see the impact.
‘‘In 2017, when the National Emergency Management Agency took over the feeding of some IDPs in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the amount we spent was significantly lower than the claims made by these international organisations.
‘‘Therefore, actionable data is critical to implement effective strategies to address pressing problems such as these humanitarian issues.
‘‘I, therefore, look forward to receiving your baseline study as this will help us shape ideas for a sustainable and prosperous future.”
The President advised the Council members to proffer solutions on how to move the country and economy forward.
He also directed the Council to coordinate and synthesize ideas and efforts on how to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, working in collaboration with various employment generating agencies of government.
”I am told you worked throughout last weekend in preparation for this meeting.
”I have listened attentively to findings and ideas on how to move the country and the economy forward.
”Yes, Nigeria has exited the recession. But our reported growth rate is still not fast enough to create the jobs we need to meet our national ambition of collective prosperity.
”Reason being we had to tread carefully in view of the mess we inherited.
”Many of the ideas we developed in the last four years were targeted at returning Nigeria back to the path of growth.
”I am sure you will also appreciate that during that time, our country was also facing serious challenges especially in the areas of insecurity and massive corruption.
”Therefore, I will be the first to admit that our plans were conservative. We had to avoid reckless and not well thought out policies.
”However, it was very clear to me after we exited the recession that we needed to re-energise our economic growth plans. This is what I expect from you.”
President Buhari assured the Council that the Federal Government will ensure that all their needs and requests were met before the next technical sessions in November.
He said all key ministries, departments and agencies will be available to meet and discuss with them on how to collectively build a new Nigeria that caters for all.
”Now, no one person or a group of persons has a monopoly of knowledge or wisdom or patriotism.
”In the circumstances, you may feel free to co-opt, consult and defer to any knowledgeable person if in your opinion such a move enriches your deliberations and add to the quality of your decisions.”
Chairman of Council, Professor Salami, said the mandate was about “Nigeria first, Nigeria second, and Nigeria always,” adding that it is about Nigerians, not as numbers, but as people.
“Our goal is that the economy grows in a manner that is rapid, inclusive, sustained and sustainable, so that Nigerians will feel the impact.”
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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the review of the National Broadcasting
The Tor Tiv of Tiv land in Benue State, Professor James Ayatse, has described the recent triumph of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as God-given victory.
President Muhammadu Buhari has set an agenda for the Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), after administering the oath of office on the eight member Council, headed by Professor Doyin Salami today, October 9.
