Tag Archives: Demands

Gambia President-elect Demands Jammeh Steps Down ‘Now’

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Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow said on Monday that longtime leader Yahya Jammeh should step down immediately after Jammeh reversed his decision to concede defeat following a presidential election.

“I think he should step down now,” Barrow told AFP. “He has lost the election, we don’t want to waste time, we want this country to start moving.”

Jammeh’s party announced a legal challenge on Saturday over the December 1 election in which he had already conceded defeat to Barrow.

Barrow is due to welcome a heavyweight delegation of African heads of state and UN representatives Tuesday to persuade Jammeh to go, which the president-elect said gave him confidence he would soon take power.

“It’s giving us confidence and it will give confidence to every Gambian that the world is concerned about Gambia,” he said.

Diplomatic sources told AFP the delegation is likely to include UN West Africa envoy Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, and Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in her capacity as head of the west African bloc ECOWAS.

Jammeh has led the tiny sliver of a nation of just under two million people for 22 years since taking power in a coup.

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http://guardian.ng/news/gambia-president-elect-demands-jammeh-step-down-now/

Senate Demands N95bn To Treat 19m Kids Of Malnutrition

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Senate said Monday it would appropriate N95 billion in 2017 nutrition funding for some 1.9 million children aged under five suffering from malnutrition.

It is the biggest appropriation promised for nutrition so far, after it appropriated a paltry N2.4 million in budget for federal health ministry in 2016, which wasn’t released.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso admitted malnutrition budget in 2016 “wasn’t properly budgeted.”

“Only N2.4 million in FMOH budget, less than some states budgeted,” told a press briefing before the senate committee started a policy dialogue on nutrition in Abuja.

“If we are going to take care of children confirmed for malnutrition, we need to make sure they are budgeted for.”

Senator Matthew Urhoghide, vice chairman of Senate health committee and also on the appropriations committee, defended his committee’s passing just over N2m for nutrition.

He said the amount was “proposed by the ministry, and that was what was passed.”

Speaking about its current calculation of N95b for nutrition in 2017 budget, he said, “We are saying this is what must go to the budget office before it comes to us.”

He said it wanted the health ministry to budget that amount of funding for nutrition before submitting its budget to avoid any alternation to the budding raising concern about “budget padding.”

Out of an estimated 2.5 million children considered wasted – too thin for their age — and in need of malnutrition treatment, the expected funding can only provide for 1.9 million at an estimated N50,000 child.

The United Nations Children’s Fund has pledged to fund treatment for an extra 600,000 children to be treated for severe acute malnutrition. Another 11m children are considered stunted, or too short for their age.

“The actual footprint of the burden of malnutrition is far greater than what you see in terms of [severe acute malnutrition],” said Shawn Baker, director of nutrition and global development at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“What’s terribly encouraging is there’s a recognition that nutrition has not been under-prioritised.”

Working with Borno state, UNICEF expanded treatment to reach 15,000 children, up from 6,000 between June and September, said Arjan de Wagt, UNICEF nutrition chief.

“What’s stopping us from scaling up?” said de Wagt. “When the resources are there, it is very easy to scale up to a million children. That’s not rocket science.”

Credit: dailytrust

Niger Delta Leaders Present 16-point Requests To Buhari

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Stakeholders from the Niger Delta on Tuesday presented 16 requests to President Muhammadu Buhari at a meeting they held behind closed doors with him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The requests were presented by the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass Bayelsa State, King Alfred Diete Spiff, on behalf of the leaders who visited the President under the aegis of Pan Niger Delta Forum.

Among other things, the Niger Delta leaders demanded the allocation of oil blocks and awards of contracts to indigenes of the region, review of the amnesty programme, de-militarisation of communities in the region and relocation of operational headquarters of oil companies to the region, among others.

Paralympic Games: Saraki Demands Reward For Team Nigeria

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The triumphant Team Nigeria Paralympic athletes yesterday arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to a rousing heroic welcome from hundreds of posters-bearing Nigerians as the Senate President urged the federal government to reward the athletes.
Before their arrival, it was an endless drumming, singing and dancing as the Boys Brigade Abuja musical band and the Pyakasa Youth Cultural Group, Abuja held the enthusiastic crowd waiting to get a glimpse of the victorious Paralympic team spellbound.
The crowd which gathered as early as 2.30pm and waited patiently for hours on end for the arrival of the team, went into ecstatic mood and more dancing on sighting them, jostling and surging to have handshakes or take pictures with them.
Meanwhile, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has charged the federal government to reward the Paralympic athletes handsomely for making the country proud, stressing that they deserve the reward.
Fielding questions from journalists on arrival at the International wing of the Abuja Airport, the former governor of Kwara State said that though he cannot specifically make any recommendation on the kind of reward the federal government should give them, the National Assembly will however invite, parley and host them very soon.
According to him; “I think they did very well considering the quantity and quality of medals they gathered at the Rio Games. We need to encourage them like we did to the able bodied athletes and should be our focus now.”
Addressing the athletes that shattered both world and Paralympic records during a brief ceremony on arrival by 5.40pm yesterday, Director; Youth Development, Luka Jonathan Magset, who represented both the minister and the permanent secretary assured that they will be given heroic welcome.

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http://sunnewsonline.com/paralympic-games-saraki-demands-reward-for-team-nigeria/

PDP Demands Buhari’s Resignation

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The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday railed against President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing his administration of incompetence, and saying he should step down after the nation slipped into economic recession.

“We join all well meaning Nigerians to call on Mr. Buhari to resign if he is unable to reverse the disastrous economic decline he has brought on Nigerians,” the party said hours after figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics confirmed that Nigeria had slipped into recession.

The NBS said Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product contracted by 2.06 per cent, marking the first major recession in 29 years for Africa’s largest economy.

Analysts have long predicted that Nigeria’s economy was heading for a recession amid a shrinking naira and diminishing revenues occasioned by low crude prices.

The downward spiral has led to an increase in the number of Nigerians struggling to eke out a living, fueling fears of an outbreak of social unrest.

Behavioural economic experts and religious leaders recently raised concerns about the dangers of leaving the country’s expanding youth population without means of livelihood for too long.

The PDP in its statement Wednesday saw the crisis as a direct consequence of Mr. Buhari’s “ineptitude and incompetent” approach to economic management which were a rehash of the “archaic and incoherent economic policies” he similarly pursued as the head of a military junta between 1983 and 1985.

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NBA Demands Apology From EFCC

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The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), is demanding an apology from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the withdrawal of a statement it has described as unacceptable.

A statement from the General Secretary of the NBA, Isiaka Abiola Olagunju, on August 29th 2016, said The NBA condemns in the strongest terms the use of abusive and uncivil language of ‘rogues and vultures’ by a public authority.

He added that: “It is unacceptable. The NBA demands unequivocal withdrawal of this statement and an unreserved apology from the EFCC.”

Olagunju explained that NBA president during his inaugural address in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday 26th August, 2016, commended the achievements of the EFCC but called for the reform of the Agency to enhance its capabilities to deliver on its mandate on a ‘consistent and sustainable’ basis devoid of political interference.

He said the call for reform was made on the basis of well-established institutional safeguards that demand the proper regulation of the wide discretionary powers involved in the investigation and prosecution of criminal matters.

He pointed out that combining investigative powers with prosecutorial powers in one single agency, (called the Roskill Model in England), is the exception rather than the norm.

Olagunju noted that: “In the UK only the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) enjoys such combined powers. But given the institutional safeguards, both within the SFO and the maturity that characterizes the UK Criminal Justice Institutions, the abuse of such powers will be highly unlikely.”

He added that the NBA Constitution demands that it promotes law reform and legal development. It, therefore, commits itself to promoting healthy public debate about our institutions and interrogating their capabilities and performance, including all criminal justice agencies such as the EFCC.

He said the NBA President Mr. Mahmoud, SAN has over the years supported the work of the EFCC in many ways and acted as counsel in a number of matters on behalf of the organization.

However, the EFCC in a statement by its spokesman Wilson Uwujaren also on 29th August 2016 said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission Did Not say the whole of the NBA is populated by rogues and vultures.”

Read More: dailytrust

Lawmaker Demands Release Of Detained Legislative Aides

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A member of Kogi State House of Assembly, Idris Ndako, has expressed concern over the continued detention of some legislative aides and called for their immediate and unconditional release from police detention.

Ndako condemned what he said was the illegal arrest and detention of four legislative aides on account of disrupting the sitting of the House members last week, adding that they were their legislative aides and were arrested at Crusher Village while waiting for their principals who resumed on Thursday.

The lawmaker told journalists in Lokoja that the workers were standing beside the cars of their principals when the police swooped on them and took them away.
He said, “That is why we keep telling the police to work with their own intelligence, and not rely on the one given to them by some people. They have been giving the police wrong information with the intention to destroy the G15.

“The security forces do not have credible information, that is why they arrested wrong people.

“Imagine, the police claimed that the four men our suspected to have come to disrupt our sitting. How can my Personal Assistant who drove me to the assembly complex turn to be a thug?

“After all, our sitting that day was peaceful. Except that the police wanted to lock us out. The police must have acted on a script.”

The Kogi State Police Command had on Thursday disclosed that it has arrested four suspected thugs at Kogi Assembly complex.

While parading the suspects at Command headquarters in Lokoja, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Yakubu Usman, said he had a distress call that thugs have invaded the House Assembly.

Usman stated that it is responsibility of the police to protect lives and property of the people of the state.

Credit: Punch

Group Demands Discharge Of Saraki

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A non-governmental organisation (NGO), known as Nigeria Needs Positive Change Group (NNPCG), at the weekend, called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, discharge and acquit the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki or re-arraign a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

The group, in a statement signed by one Mr. Jide Jokotade, said that “this has become imperative following developments at the Friday sitting of the CCT at the ongoing trial of Dr. Saraki on an alleged false declaration of assets where the lead counsel of the Federal Government, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), publicly admitted to have erred both in the charges and procedure leading to his prosecution”

“If Dr. Saraki were not acquitted immediately, the FGN must be honourable too to re- arraign former governor of Lagos State Bola Ahmed Tinubu whom the same prosecutor, Mr. Jacobs, equally admitted was discharged in error even though evidence proved he had a case to answer.

“Earlier, the fact that two charges were also dropped by the Federal Government owing to lack of evidence against Dr. Saraki is clear testimony that there were and there are still errors in the charges. And this confirms earlier claims by Saraki and his supporters that the exercise at the CCT was persecution, not prosecution. And it is politically motivated. ?The most honourable option available was for the CCT to discharge and acquit him without further delay,” NNPCG insisted.

The statement described the ? continuation of the trial at the CCT as an abuse of power and judicial process maintaining that “since the prosecutor had pronounced publicly and admitted to established flaws in the trial and any further action in that direction amounted to persecution and political vendetta.

Credit: Dailytimes

Demands By Centenary Promoters Unrealistic- Minister

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The FCT Administration has declared that the request by the promoters of the Centenary city project for the revocation of the development agreement between the Centenary City Plc and the FCT Administration is untenable and unrealistic.

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello made this declaration yesterday at the National Assembly during the public hearing on the Centenary project by the Senate Committee on the FCT.

Bello revealed that the Centenary City Plc wrote the FCT Administration requesting for the revocation of a valid development agreement which was duly executed by the two parties as a pre condition to access the over 1, 200 hectares of land for the development of the city.

“Frankly speaking the Centenary City Plc is seeking to operate a parallel authority within the FCT. If not, how do you explain a situation where by the company is asking for the cancelation of the agreement between us and them only to enforce a third party agreement signed between them and another government agency”.

He reiterated that the project was a unique and well conceived idea which the administration is proud to be part of, insisting however, that the agreement clearly spelt out the obligations of each party in the project.

The minister said the arrangement which the company is trying to implement was reached between it and the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) which was signed after the company had earlier entered into a pact with the FCT Administration which qualified it to embark on the project.

He said the free trade zone status which the company is seeking to enforce did form part of the agreement between it and the FCT Administration.

Malam Bello therefore insisted that the administration cannot allow another set of laws to regulate any part of the territory, stressing that the matter has been forwarded to the office the Attorney General of the Federation for legal advise on whether it is proper to have an entity within the Federal Capital Territory operating outside the the FCTA laws.

Credit: Leadership

Ohanaeze To Visit Buhari With Demands

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The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has resolved to visit President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja with a charter of demands.

 

The resolution was adopted after a meeting of some members at the private residence of one of their leaders in Enugu, yesterday.

 

Among the issues they resolved to present to Buhari for urgent attention included the reconstruction of the Enugu- Umuahia- Port Harcourt Road, the Enugu- Onitsha express road, appointment of more Special and Senior Special Assistants or Assistants as Igbo are not represented in his government, as well as the completion of the Second Niger Bridge to end the ongoing agitation for Biafra Republic.

 

Apart from these, they also resolved to ask the President to set up the Eastern Nigeria Development Commission, ENDC, to handle the issue of unemployment of Igbo youths which they said was responsible for the continued agitation for the Biafran Republic by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as reportedly requested by Governor Rochas Okorocha during the reconciliation meeting between the two former factions of Ohanaeze led by Chief Enwo Igariwey and Ralph Obioha respectively.

 

Okorocha was alleged to have pledged to take “Ohanaeze to the river,” during the reconciliatory meeting of the two factions in Owerri, the Imo State capital about two weeks ago.

 

Sources close to the meeting told Vanguard in Enugu that other matters which came up included the search for a new chairman of the group following the end of the tenure of present executive led by Igariwey.

 

Meanwhile, IPOB members have reacted to the outcome of the Ohanaeze meeting, saying that “some Igbo politicians who are using IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu (its detained leader) or Biafra to get cheap popularity will fail and advised them to stop doing so with immediate effect.” In three separate statements, IPOB listed Igbo leaders like Chief T. A Orji, Rochas Okorocha, Emeka Offor, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, Ike Ekweremadu, Chukwuma Soludo, Ralph Uwazuruike, Okezie Ikpazu, Onwuka Ukwa as well as Ohanaeze Ndigbo” as among individuals and groups working against its interest.

 

According to IPOB, “the Ohanaeze Ndigbo was looking for access to Buhari for the selfish interest of its members adding that they were using the blood of dead Biafrans to enrich its members.”

 

Those who signed the statements were Emma Mmezu and Clifford Iroanya.

 

Also, in the second statement entitled, “THE STRANGE DECISION TO CONTINUE PLAYING WITH FIRE,” they said, “The well- rehearsed attempt by Joe Nwaogu, Ohanaeze scribe to deny their attempt to stifle the demand for freedom by all peace loving people, while using the IPOB agitation as an “Open Sesame” to have access to Aso Villa is actually childish. Nwaogu lied when he claimed the U.S. Consular General also visited other zones. Truth is the IPOB agitations informed the U.S. delegation’s visit to the South East. They did not visit nor have intention to visit other zones.

 

 

Credit : Vanguard

President Jonathan’s ADC Sues EFCC, Demands N100m Damages

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An Aide de Camp (ADC) to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Ojogbane Adegbe, has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to court to challenge his alleged detention.

Mr. Adegbe, a colonel, in the suit filed at the Federal High Court, his counsel, Ogwu Onoja, (SAN) is claiming N100 million damages for his detention which violated his fundamental rights.

Mr. Onoja urged the court to declare that his client’s arrest and continued detention by EFCC since February 11 was unconstitutional and violated his right to personal liberty guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.

He urged the court to make an order directing the EFCC to immediately release the applicant from unlawful detention.

Mr. Onoja argued that the arrest and detention of Mr. Adegbe by the EFCC violated his right to personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed by Section 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.

The applicant’s counsel contended that EFCC’s action violated Articles 5,6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The case has been fixed for Feb. 26 for hearing.

Credit: NAN

Senate Condemns “Ultra-Wicked” Electricity Tariff Hike, Demands Reversal

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The Nigerian Senate has asked the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, and electricity distribution companies to immediately suspend the new electricity tariffs that has seen charges raised by over 40 per cent.

The Senate gave the order Tuesday, following a motion sponsored by Suleiman Nafiz (APC-Bauchi North).

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, described the tariff raise as “ultra-wicked and unconscionable”.

Despite Nigeria’s dismal electricity output, the federal government implemented the new tariff regime on February 1, sparking widespread criticisms and nationwide street protests by the organised Labour.

But the Minister for Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said the measure was a “bitter pill” Nigerians must swallow to enjoy optimal service delivery in the power sector.

Mr. Nafiz asked the Senate to probe how funds allocated to electricity companies were spent.

In his contribution, Dino Melaye, (APC-Kogi west) noted that the latest increase in electricity tariff was the fourth since the privatisation of power.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Dasuki Drags FG To ECOWAS Court, Demands N500m Damages

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Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd), has dragged the Federal Government before ECOWAS Court in Abuja over his continued detention. He is also demanding payment of N500 million damages for alleged rights infringement.
This is even as a Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered the government to produce him by February 16.
Dasuki is also urging the sub-regional court to order his release forthwith.
In the suit filed by his lawyer, Robert Emukpoeruo, the former NSA is urging the court to declare among others, that his continued detention in defiance of orders for his bail granted by three courts, and after fulfilling the bail conditions, was “unlawful, arbitrary and an egregious violation” of his human rights.
The applicant also urged the ECOWAS Court to hold that it was, “a most egregious violation of the treaty obligations” signed by Nigeria under and by virtue of its being a signatory to legal instruments, to have unlawfully detained him under a “de-humanizing condition” after he had  been granted bail and met the conditions for his release.
Similarly, the former NSA would want the court to declare that the alleged invasion of his privacy, home and correspondence at his Abuja and Sokoto residences on July 16 and 17, 2015 and the “forceful and unlawful seizure” of his properties, “without any lawful order or warrant” constituted a gross violation of his fundamental rights and offended the country’s treaty obligations as a signatory to the listed legal instruments.

Credit: Sun

PDP Demands Inquest Into Bayelsa Killings

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The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded a comprehensive inquest into the killings that occurred during the governorship election in Bayelsa State and for all perpetrators to be brought to book.

The party praised the people of the state for standing against intimidation, rigging and violence to ensure that their will as a people prevailed in Saturday’s supplementary election.

In a statement issued Monday by the acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus, the party decried the desperation of the APC whose thugs it alleged openly engaged in violence resulting in the killing and maiming of innocent Bayelsans.

“We hereby demand a comprehensive inquest into these killings and that all perpetrators be brought to book. In fact, the steadfastness and resilience shown by the people, particularly in Southern Ijaw will go down in history as one of the many sacrifices made to defend democracy in the land.

“Arising from what happened in the state last Saturday, it is very clear that the APC-led federal government under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari is not disposed to free, fair and credible electoral process in the country despite being a huge beneficiary of PDP’s electoral reform.

“However, by standing against intimidation and remaining resilient, the people have greatly contributed in deepening democracy in the country and by so doing ensuring that their own destiny is right in their own hands.

Bayelsa is a core PDP state and ones wonders how APC thought it could win in this gubernatorial election with its discredited candidate, knowing the strength and popularity of our great party in the state, in addition to the record of achievements of our candidate, Governor Seriake Dickson.

“Finally, the PDP congratulates Dickson for his well-deserved victory and statesmanly handling of the situation in the face of provocations,” PDP said.

Credit: Thisday

House Of Reps Demands End To Customs’ Roadblocks

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The House of Representatives has asked the Nigerian Customs Service to stop the practice of mounting road blocks in search of goods that have already been brought into the country.

After considering a motion of public importance raised by Temitope Olatoye, the House urged the Comptroller General of Customs to deploy more personnel to the borders to curtail the activities of smugglers.

The Nigerian Customs Service has also been encouraged to engage in continuous training and development programmes for its officers for optimal performance.

According to the lawmaker, there has been low generation of revenue by the Customs due to corruption and other factors, which he listed.

“Allowing contraband goods to be smuggled into Nigeria, failure to enforce the payment of requisite duties, poor accountability of the revenue generated and preferential treatment of high net-worth individuals are responsible for the low revenue generation of the service,” Honourable Olatoye said.

Credit: ChannelsTv

Newspaper Vendor Demands N50m, Apology From Senator For Assault, Defamation

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A newspaper vendor in Akwa Ibom State Mr. Ndifereke Asuquo Etim has demanded the sum of N50 million and an unreserved apology from a one-time Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Anietie Okon as compensation for assault and defamation of character.

A letter by the lawyer to the vendor Ndianabasi  Udofia to the Senator warned that failure to accede to the demands within 14 days shall attract appropriate legal steps in a court of competent jurisdiction to remedy the wrong done his client.

The lawyer recalled that on 23rd, September 2015 at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the Senator wantonly abused the fundamental right to human dignity by publicly maltreating his client (the vendor).

He said the vendor was beaten black blue, humiliated and ordered orderlies to strip him naked on the spurious, malicious, and unfounded allegation that his client stole the Senator money.

“After beating our client to a coma, he was stripped naked to recover your alleged missing cash. Only N600.00 was found on our client, money he realized from selling his papers.

“You have not deemed it fit to apologise to our client till now despite the humongous cash our client has spent from good Samaritans to receive medical attention as a result of your assault on him which left him partially blind and deaf hence affected his petty vendor business.

Credit: thisdaylive

Death Penalty For Looters, NLC Demands

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Organised labour unions, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, have jointly called for capital punishment for anybody found guilty of corruption in the country.

The President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, and his counterpart in the TUC, Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, made the call on Tuesday at a press conference on a national rally against corruption. The rally is scheduled for Thursday (tomorrow).

The union leaders said they would lead workers in a solidarity march to the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the National Assembly complex and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to declare support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign against corruption.

Read More: punchng

Buhari Demands Detailed Report On NITEL Sale

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President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday demanded a comprehensive report on the sale of the Nigerian Telecommunications Ltd (NITEL).

The president, who gave this directive when the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Communications Technology, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, and some top officials of the ministry briefed him in Aso Rock, said he was concerned by the continuing protests of former NITEL employees and other Nigerians over the manner in which the company’s assets were sold.

Read More: leadership

PDP Demands Removal Of New Acting INEC Boss

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Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has demanded the removal of the newly appointed acting chairperson of the Independent national Electoral Commission, INEC, Amina Zakari.

Ms. Zakari was appointed as head of INEC by President Muhammadu Buhari hours after its former chairman, Attahiru Jega, handed over to Ahmed Wali, a national commissioner there.

Addressing a press conference in his office Wednesday, PDP’s publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the party was disturbed by the development in INEC where Mr. Buhari, who knew all along that the immediate-past INEC Chairman, Mr. Jega, would be leaving office by June 30, but had to wait for him to handover to one of the national commissioners only to reverse it immediately, thereby injecting bad blood in the commission.

“The situation in INEC since the PDP government reformed and granted it operational autonomy has been peaceful, but Tuesday’s untidy overruling of Prof. Jega and appointing of Mrs. Amina Zakari as acting chairman which, we gathered was influenced by personal relationship with the Presidency and one of the new governors of the North West, ostensibly to pave the way for the APC at the electoral tribunals, has completely eroded public trust in the commission,” he said.

Mr. Metuh said although the PDP recognizes the right and powers of the President to appoint the Chairman of INEC and others, such as that of the Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, which was done recently, he said the party rejects attempts to paint the process as transparent and objective when such was not the case.

“In INEC, the PDP states in unequivocal terms that we cannot, as critical stakeholders, fold our hands and watch while the Presidency perpetuate actions that diminish the independence of the electoral commission.

“The PDP has declared the appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as unacceptable and demands that President Buhari changes her immediately,” he said.

Read More: premiumtimesng

APC Demands Apology From Saraki, Dogara

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Although some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC have initiated moves to reconcile the aggrieved camps and bring back peace in the party, its national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is not yielding to it until his conditions are met.

Vanguard exclusively gathered yesterday that Tinubu who felt greatly slighted by the elections of Senator Bukola Saraki and Rep. Yakubu Dogara as the senate president and the Speaker, House of Representatives respectively against the party’s official candidates, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabimila had said of what can assuage his anger and that of the party.

A competent party source told Vanguard in Abuja that principal among the conditions is that both Saraki and Dogara must tender and publish a full page apology publicly using the national dailies.

To this end, the source hinted that an extended meeting of the national leaders of the party with APC governors involved had been slated for next week.

The meeting, it was learnt, would hold either Monday or Tuesday.

“You don’t joke with the man (Tinubu). He said they must make a public apology to him using the newspapers. A meeting that will involve all APC governors has been scheduled to hold either on Monday or Tuesday. Wait and see what will happen. They have to do it”, the source said.

Read More: vanguardngr

PDP Demands Payment For Rivers Workers Before Handover

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The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has demanded that the outgoing administration of Governor Rotimi Amaechi pay all outstanding salaries and allowances of civil servants before it handed over power on May 29.

State Chairman, Felix Obuah, said PDP expressed shock at the comments credited to the outgoing Information Commissioner, Ibim Semenitari in which she claimed that the outgoing All Progressives Congress (APC) government was not indebted to workers in the state.

“The comments by the outgoing Information Commissioner portrayed her as not just a professional liar but also a stranger who is not on ground with the goings-on in the State.”

Obuah said for the avoidance of doubts, the PDP drewthe attention of. Semenitari to the plight of workers at the Rivers State Polytechnics, Bori, who for the past three months are reportedly yet to get their salaries.

“The Party tasks the Information Commissioner to go and ask workers at the Rivers State College of Arts and Science (RIVCAS), who have been praying and fasting for months over government’s refusal to pay their salaries,” he said.

PDP recalled that only on Monday, athletes who would be representing Rivers State in the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Calabar, staged a protest to the Government House to demand the payment of allowances of several months.

“The story is not different at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt where, according to the PDP, workers are languishing in penury owing to months of unpaid salaries.”

Obuah said Semenitari should talk to lecturers and teachers in the employ of the State government, workers at the Ministries, as well as their counterparts at the parastatals, institutions and agencies of government and hear about the last time they got paid by the Rivers State Government under the Governor RotimiAmaechi led government.

“The PDP Chairman therefore, calls on Semenitari to hide her face in shame and publicly apologize to Rivers people and workers for deliberately lying to them,” Obuah said.

Credit: CAJ News

Reps Elect Demands 50% Pay Cut For Buhari, Lawmakers, Others

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A House of Representatives member-elect, Abdullahi Gaya, from Kano State, on Monday asked the in-coming administration of Muhammadu Buhari to slash the wages and allowances of the Presidency and National Assembly by 50 per cent.

Mr. Gaya, who spoke to journalists at his residence in Kano, said the reduction in salaries would cater for the nation’s capital expenditure.

Until his election as a legislator, Mr. Gaya was the Commissioner of Finance in Kano state.

“In my opinion I think it will be better for all the elected representatives, beginning from Mr. President to members of parliament, to Ministers, to other Advisors and special assistants, to agree that what we will be receiving is slashed to 50 per cent,” he said.

Mr. Gaya, who will represent Gaya/Ajing/Albasu federal constituency, said Nigerian leaders need to reduce their expenses for the country to have positive changes.

“Since we believe the country needs positive change we should therefore accept it as such. The slash in the expenses should continue till when our dear nation gets to execute capital projects. May be from the time we were inaugurated to another two years,” he said.

His call came days after a Senator-elect, Dino Melaye, pledged to lead a campaign for the reduction of Nigeria’s federal lawmakers, who are ranked the highest paid legislators in the world.

Mr. Melaye also said the government should use the funds realized from pay cut to develop the nation.

Credit: premiumtimesng