Tag Archives: Petition

One Million UK Citizens Sign Petition To Stop Donald Trump From Visiting UK.

Posted on by
575

A petition to stop US President Donald Trump’s UK state visit has gathered more than a million signatures.

Numbers of signatories have been rising rapidly since a US clampdown on immigration came into effect over the weekend, causing anger worldwide.

PM Theresa May announced the visit during her recent US trip. Downing Street has rejected calls for it to be cancelled as a “populist gesture”.

Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn urged the PM to postpone the visit.

Graham Guest, a solicitor from Leeds who began the petition, said he wanted it to “put the spotlight” on Mr Trump.

On Sunday, he told the Press Association news agency: “A state visit legitimises his presidency, and he will use the photo opportunities and being seen with the Queen to get re-elected.”

On Friday Mr Trump signed an executive order halting the US refugee programme for 120 days, indefinitely banning all Syrian refugees and suspending the entry of all nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Moves to implement the measure triggered anger and protest across the world.

On Saturday afternoon the petition had just 60 signatures but reached 100,000 needed to be considered for debate by Parliament just after midday on Sunday.

MPs will discuss the debate on Tuesday.

Protests in response to Mr Trump’s executive order are expected to take place after 18:00 in London, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Swansea.

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the row.

The Downing Street source told the BBC an invitation had been “issued and accepted” and scrapping it would “undo everything” following Mrs May’s visit.

“America is a huge important ally. We have to think long term,” the source added. No date has been set for the state visit.

But Shadow Attorney-General Shami Chakrabarti said the government’s position “sounds like appeasement”.

Mr Corbyn, who is supporting the petition, tweeted: “@Theresa_May would be failing the British people if she does not postpone the state visit & condemn Trump’s actions in the clearest terms.”

“@realDonaldTrump should not be welcomed to Britain while he abuses our shared values with shameful #MuslimBan & attacks on refugees & women,” he added.

Alex Salmond, the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman, said he thought the state visit was “a very bad idea”.

And Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the visit should not happen while the executive order was in place.

NJC plans to stop publication of petitions against judges.

Posted on by
9

The National Judicial Council is set to bar media reportage of allegations of misconduct levelled against judges and employees of the judiciary.

This is contained in the National Judicial Policy to be launched by the NJC on Monday and which will widen the dark veil that shields disciplinary proceedings against judges.

Under the new policy, the NJC or any institutions of the judiciary shall discard a complaint sent against a judge or employee of the judiciary for investigation if after receiving the complaint it is leaked or discussed in the media.

The policy partly read, “lt shall be the policy of the judiciary on complaints that allegations of misconduct against judicial officers or employees of the judiciary shall not be leaked or published in the media.

“Where complaints on allegations against judicial officers and court employees are submitted for investigation, the complainant or complainants shall be made to give an undertaking not to do anything to prejudice investigation or actions that may be taken.

“The institutions of the judiciary concerned with investigation or and implementation of decisions taken on such complaints shall be obliged to cease further action where such complaints are leaked or discussed in the media.

“Where such a leakage is occasioned after the submission of a complaint then all investigations on the complaints shall be suspended, the leakage investigated and if such leakage is from the complainant on through other parties known to such a complainant, such a complaint should be discarded.

“Where such leakage is occasioned prior to the presentation of the complaint and the source of the leakage is found to be the complainant or through other parties known to and connected with the complainant then such complaint shall not be accepted, upon submission, by the appropriate disciplinary body.

“Upon the conclusion of any investigation, the judicial disciplinary bodies may allow public disclosure of their findings, subject to following the proper channels for such disclosure.”

This is coming at a time when the NJC, the body vested with disciplinary powers over judges at all levels, is under public attack for either allegedly shielding corrupt judges or merely giving those found culpable a slap on the wrist.

The criticism of the NJC was sparked by the arrest of seven judges including two serving justices of the Supreme Court over alleged corruption allegations.

In the wake of the arrests, the arresting agency, the Department of State Services, said it took the step after the NJC allegedly rebuffed complaints against some of the arrested judges.

But the NJC has since denied the allegation of shielding corrupt judicial officers.

The new policy was prepared by the NJC in April 2016 but will only be launched under the chairmanship of the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed on Monday.

It covers issues such as judicial appointment policy, judicial discipline policy, judicial code of conduct policy, judicial education and training policy, judicial performance policy, case flow management policy, judicial administration and court management policy and transparency and anti-corruption policy, among others.

The new policy tends to tie the hands of those who have submitted complaints against judges from taking any other step until the NJC completes its investigation.

The policy says, any judiciary institution that receives a complaint a judge or any court employee shall make the complainant to give undertaking not to do anything to prejudice investigation.

No Regrets Writing Petition Against Aregbesola – Osun Judge

Posted on by
2

A former judge of the Osun State High Court, who was recently retired by the National Judicial Council, Justice Olamide Oloyede, has said she has no regrets writing the petition against Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori.

The retired judge said this while featuring on a radio programme, Frank Talk, aired by Rave FM and monitored by our correspondent in Osogbo on Monday.

Oloyede, however, apologised to the governor and the deputy for using certain words which she ought not to have used in the petition but stressed that she was convinced beyond doubt that she did no wrong by writing the petition where she asked the members of the House of Assembly to impeach Aregbesola and Laoye-Tomori.

She explained that she had no animosity against the governor, adding that she did not violate any section of the constitution for talking about the issues affecting the people of the state.

Oloyede said, ” I have no regrets writingthat petition, but I think in retrospect I have come to realise that perhaps, I didemploy some words or language in respect of Mr. Governor and his deputy, which I ought not to have and so, today I am tendering an unreserved apology, public apology for the choice of certain words which I would not repeat.

“However, as far as the substance of that petition is concerned, I remain resolute and I am convinced that my actions were done in fidelity to my office and to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigerian , which I swore to uphold and out of love for my country.

“As we say in law, the fact speaks for itself and as I said earlier, the petition speaks for itself. I would rather not go over the content of the petition, which I believe is in the public’s possession. My reason for writing is clearly stated there. I am a person known for my own conviction and the only regret I have, I have said it, every other thing I said I meant it word for word.

”She stated that some believed that the judiciary should only be seen and not heard even if the country was collapsing, but Oloyode said she did not belong to this class of people.

Celebrities Come Out To Sign Anti-Trump Petition

Posted on by
Reply

About a hundred Hollywood actors and music stars, from Lena Dunham to Moby, have signed a petition against what they say is the “hateful ideology” of Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump.

“We are a coalition of artists who, today, are joining millions of Americans in our commitment to defeat the presumptive Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump,” the online pledge reads.

“We believe it is our responsibility to use our platforms to bring attention to the dangers of a Trump presidency, and to the real and present threats of his candidacy.”

Among others on board: actors Kerry Washington, Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette, Jane Fonda and Woody Harrelson, and music stars Russell Simmons, Michael Stipe and DJ Spooky.

Keen to throw a spotlight on potential threats posed by Trump, they warned that the billionaire real estate mogul “wants to take our country back to a time when fear excused violence, when greed fueled discrimination, and when the state wrote prejudice against marginalized communities into law.”

US voters, the group said, should “use the power of our voice and the power of our vote to defeat Donald Trump and the hateful ideology he represents.”

Americans will vote for president on November 8.

Credit: Guardian

Group Petitions Buhari Over Fraud In NYSC

Posted on by
Reply

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged by civil rights group under the aegis The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency, CESJET, to order an immediate investigation into the finances of all National Youth Service Corps, NYSC  officials and management staffs connected with the online portal.

CESJET in a petition signed by its Executive Director, Sunday Attah and addressed  to President Muhammadu Buhari also want a forensic audit conducted on all revenues from the online portal and remittances to the Federation account.

The NYSC had last year introduced four thousand naira (N4,000.00) fee for accessing the online portal for registration and printing of call up letter by corps members.

The petition said, “the anti-people fee was vehemently opposed by Nigerians when it was introduced because it remains exorbitant and exploitative of youths that are mobilising to serve the nation.

“Your Excellency, the NYSC management conveniently structured this extortion as a Private Public Partnership, PPP similar to the Immigration recruitment scam that led to loss of life. At inception, the claims by Brigadier-General Olawumi and his cohorts basically implied that users of the online platform must pay for the initial cost of acquiring hardware and setting up the portal. The explanation was that there would be a drop in the N4000 fee over the course of time when the cost of setting up the portal would have been recovered. Conveniently, no definite timeline for reviewing the fee was provided.

“In addition to being an extortion racket, the PPP arrangement equally implies that Your Excellency’s directive on the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for all revenues generated by government agencies is in a grey area. Whatever agreement NYSC signed with its PPP implementing partner, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, remains secretive and details of remittances to the Federal Government are unknown.

“Nigerians were also misled into thinking that using the online portal was optional while the realities on ground are totally different. Those who tried not to use the portal ultimately discovered they must revert to it or risk losing the chance to serve their fatherland.

“We resorted to writing Your Excellency after all the petitions sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to halt the self enrichment being carried out by the NYSC and the principal actor, the Director General and they failed to act accordingly.

” The NYSC be compelled to truly make the use of the online portal optional

“A directive be given for a full scale investigation of the finances of all other NYSC officials and management staff with connections to the portal

“A directive be given for a forensic audit of all revenues from the online portal and remittances to the Federation Account.”

Credit: nigerianpilot

Ese: Reps To Hear Petition On Victim’s Compensation, Family

Posted on by
2

The House of Representatives has admitted a petition seeking the payment of compensation for the 14-year-old Ese Oruru and her family over her abduction, conversion to another religion and forced marriage.

 

Ese was freed and re-united with her family last week after having been kidnapped from Bayelsa State in 2015 and held captive in Kano State for six months.

 

The abductor, one Yunusa, a.k.a. ‘Yellow’, is already in police custody.

Meanwhile, following the successful release of Ese Oruru, a human rights activist, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, has urged the Federal Government to effectively apply laws for the protection of children from exploiters hiding under religion.

 

The teenage girl, forced into converting to Islam and marriage to Yinusa, was released and reunited with her family last week after a massive media campaign.

 

According to a report by Punch, findings on Monday showed that the House Committee on Public Petitions would begin hearing on the petition “just days away.”

 

A National Assembly official also said that the Speaker of the House, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, had referred the petition to the committee last week Thursday.

 

The petition was written by the Bayelsa State chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation in conjunction with the mother of the minor.

 

It was signed by the Chairman of the rights group, Chief Nengi James; the Legal Secretary, Mr. J.J. Mkbere; and Ese’s mother, Mrs. Rose Oruru.

It was gathered that a lawmaker from Bayelsa State, Mr. Duoye Diri, conveyed the petition to the speaker.

 

In addition, the petitioners called for a thorough investigation of Ese’s travails and the prosecution of the culprits to serve as a deterrent to to persons who might be planning such “criminal acts” in the future.

 

Part of the petition read, “In a country of plurality of ethnicities founded on secular tenets, the acts of certain adherents, no doubt, bespeak of reckless and crass invasion of other adherents’ rights to same, which in the instant saga, Ese Oruru’s own rights to movement, dignity of her human person, religion, education, family and private life, were subject of violations.

“Each of these entitles Ese and indeed, the Oruru family, to exemplary damages and the like on the one hand, while the investigation and prosecution of the culprits/masterminds of this obnoxious act will accord perfectly with the deterrent goal of the criminal justice system. “

The petitioners also demanded that a legal framework with stiffer penalties should be put in place by the Federal Government to penalise offenders.

“We trust that your handling of this subject matter will not betray people’s confidence in your (Reps’) legislative functions vis-a-vis the rights of Ese”, the document added.

Abayomi, also a lawyer, told our correspondent in an telephone interview that the restoration of Oruru’s mental health after eight months in captivity should be the priority of government and that Yinusa should be charged with kidnapping and sexual violation.

According to him, the act carried out by Yinusa should not be encouraged as the abduction violates the law, ethics and principles of human rights.

 

He added that the abductor should be punished according to his offence under the law.

 

“I think what the government needs to do is to have a standard, and apply the law effectively in order to protect children.

“Looking at some of the reports and the number of children essentially relating their experiences, it is clear that in many cases, these children have no choice and are forced into a condition they don’t want.”

 

Credit : Punch

Kogi Election: Faleke Files Petition At Tribunal

Posted on by
1

The running-mate to Abubakar Audu, the late candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in November 21 governorship poll in Kogi, James Faleke, has filed a petition at the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

Mr. Faleke, accompanied by Mohammed Audu, the son of late Audu, and lawyers, submitted the petition to the clerk of the tribunal at about 12.20pm in Lokoja on Monday.

Hundreds of party members and supporters converged on the state High Court premises, venue of the tribunal, to witness the event.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Secretary of the tribunal, Akanji Akinlabi, who received the petition, said the contents were yet to become public.

Mr. Faleke is challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s decision which declared the election inconclusive.

He argues that the election had already been won and lost before the supplementary poll, saying he should be declared winner.

Mr. Faleke told journalists that he was confident justice would be done in the matter, pointing out that he did not join his party, the APC as a respondent in the suit.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Petition To Ban Trump From Britain To Be Considered For Debate By Parliament

Posted on by
591

More than 130,000 people had signed Wednesday a petition to ban US presidential hopeful Donald Trump from Britain following his call to bar Muslims from entering the United States. Having topped 100,000 signatures, the petition now has to be considered for debate by parliament and will require a written government response.

“The UK has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech. The same principles should apply to everyone who wishes to enter the UK,” said the petition. The petition was part of a social media storm after Trump said that radicalisation meant there parts of London where the police feared for their lives.

Tweeting under the ironic hashtag #trumpfacts, web users mocked the blustering tycoon. One tweet had a picture of London’s telecom tower with the comment: “The world’s tallest minaret calls the whole nation to prayer in the UK”. Another carried an image of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a headscarf with the inscription: “Even the British monarch is now forced to wear a hijab”.

The anti-Trump petition was posted late Tuesday by Scottish resident Suzanne Kelly, a long-time critic of the 69-year-old. Six MPs have also signed a House of Commons motion calling on the government “to refuse a visa allowing Donald Trump to visit the UK until Mr Trump withdraws his comments”, saying they were “extremely divisive and will incite discrimination and hatred”.

Finance minister George Osborne told parliament that Trump’s comments “fly in the face of the founding principle of the United States”. He said democratic debate was “the best way to deal with Donald Trump and his views rather than trying to ban presidential candidates”. Another MP, Tulip Siddiq, said Trump’s remarks were “dangerous”.

“I would say to him you are not welcome in our country in the same way that you want to ban people like me going into your country,” she told BBC radio. “I don’t think we need someone poisonous like Donald Trump in our capital city,” the niece of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said.

Credit: Vanguard

Appeal Court Removes Part Of APC’s Petition Against Wike

Posted on by
1

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, expunged some paragraphs of the petition that led to the annulment of the April 11  governorship election that brought Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to power.

In a judgment it delivered, a three-man panel of Justices of the Appeal Court headed by Justice Datti Yahaya, struck out portions of the petition alleging that security agents were used to rig the election in favour of Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The decision of the appellate court followed an interlocutory appeal that was lodged before it by the APC and its governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.

Both APC and Peterside had gone before the court to challenge the ruling of the previous chairman of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal panel, Justice Muazu Pindiga, which deleted paragraphs of the petition containing criminal allegations against unnamed security operatives.

Justice Pindiga, who was subsequently removed from presiding over the petition by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, based his decision on the fact that the petitioners failed to join the said security agents and other persons it said participated in the alleged electoral fraud as parties to the suit.

Among those that the APC alleged masterminded the rigging of election in Rivers State included wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience.

Credit: Vanguard

Tribunal Upholds Adeyemi’s Victory, Dismisses Labour Party’s Petition

Posted on by
1

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Ibadan on Wednesday upheld the election of Rep. Akeem Adeyemi representing Oyo East, Oyo West, Atiba and Afijio Federal Constituency.

Kamil Akinlabi of Labour Party had challenged the declaration of Adeyemi of APC as the winner of the March 28 election.
Also joined in the petition were the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The petitioner had informed the tribunal through his counsel, Mr R. Akinloye, that Adeyemi was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast, adding that the election was marred by irregularities and malpractices.

Akinloye also said that Adeyemi did not have National Youth Service Corps certificate and prayed the court to declare his client as the winner of the election or order re-run in the affected local governments.

Read More: leadership

Senate In Rowdy Session Over Amaechi’s Petition

Posted on by
Reply

There was a mild drama on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday when a lawmaker representing Rivers East Senatorial District, George Sekibo, rose to present a petition against the nomination of former governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, as a minister.

No sooner than Sekibo, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, raised a point of order to submit the petition than the All Progressives Congress senators kicked against the submission, and raised their voice, shouting No!! No!!!

Notwithstanding the reaction of the APC senators, Sekibo went ahead with his point of order and got the permission of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to submit the document on behalf of his other colleagues from Rivers State.

Read More: punchng

PDP Asks Tribunal To Dismiss Petition Against Akpabio

Posted on by
Reply
The Peoples Democratic Party has asked the Akwa Ibom State Elections Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abuja to nullify its earlier proceedings on the petition challenging the election of former Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, as the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District in the 8th Senate.
Akpabio has since been appointed the Minority Leader in the Senate. But the petition challenging his election was filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the March 28, 2015 National Assembly elections, Chief Inibehe Okori.
The motion by the PDP asking for the nullification of  the tribunal’s proceedings and the dismissal of the petition was filed after the petitioners had called many witnesses in proving their case.
PDP, which is the third respondent to the petition, predicated its fresh motion on the grounds that the petitioners failed to properly apply for the commencement of the pre-hearing session as required by law, before going into the hearing of the petition.
Read More: punchng

David Mark Declines Testifying In Elections Petition

Posted on by
6

To avoid the fire of cross-examination, former Senate President David Mark on Tuesday declined giving evidence in the petition seeking the nullification of his election into the legislative chamber.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the election, Mr. Daniel Onjeh, is challenging the result of the election declared in favour of Senator Mark by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mark’s counsel, Mr. Kenneth Ikonne, had on August 13 told the elections petition tribunal that his client was ready to give evidence in the matter on Tuesday.

At the resumption of sitting, however, Ikonne told the tribunal that although present in court, his client would not enter the witness box to avoid harassment from petitioner’s counsel, Mr Tunji Oso during cross-examination.

During cross-examination, a lawyer is allowed to ask any question under the sun, even if it appears unrelated to the matter at hand.

Read More: dailytimes

Three of David Mark’s witnesses quit at tribunal

Posted on by
2

Three of eight witnesses called by David Mark in defence of the petition against him by Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress at the National Assembly Elections Tribunal, did not testify as they were not seen when called.

The Counsel to David Mark, Kenneth Ikonne, on Monday told the tribunal that he had eight witnesses to call for the day to strengthen his defence against the petition.

The five witnesses that testified- all Ward Collation Agents for the Peoples Democratic Party, said the conduct of the Benue South Senatorial election was free and fair.

However, under cross-examination by petitioner’s counsel, Tunji Oso, one of the witnesses, who claimed that all accredited voters had their names ticked on the voters register, admitted that no name was ticked on the register.

Another witness also admitted under cross examination that there were mutilation and alteration of exhibits, especially form EC 8A which was the result sheet.

Following the disappearance of the remaining witnesses for the day, Mr. Ikonne, prayed the court to grant him more time to persuade the witnesses to appear.

He said one of the absentee witnesses actually told him that he had defected to the APC.

Daniel Onjeh of the APC had filed a petition seeking declaration that the former President of Senate was wrongly declared winner of the Benue South Senatorial election.

Mr. Onjeh alleged electoral malpractices and substantial infringement on the Electoral Act, praying the tribunal to nullify the election and order for fresh poll.

The Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Mosumola Dipeolu, adjourned the matter to August 13 for continuation of defence.

Source: (NAN)

Kalu Petitions Jega Over Abia Election

Posted on by
1

Former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega to investigate the case of alleged impersonation of INEC officials during the National Assembly elections in Abia State.
In a petition addressed to Jega and signed on Kalu’s behalf by K.C Nwufo, SAN and Associates, he said the election was inconclusive and invalid by reason of corrupt practices and non compliance with the provision of the electoral act.

Kalu who contested for the Abia North Senatorial district on the platform of the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) said that the elections were flawed with irregularities and impersonation and urged Jega to investigate the issues raised.

The petition reads in part: “The said Abia North senatorial district comprises five local governments with the Ohafia local government headquarters designated as the headquarters of the district, while one Dr. Ihekweaba Chigoziem, an associate professor was appointed the returning officer by INEC…”

Read More: sunnewsonline