Tag Archives: Rejects

NUPENG Rejects Sale Of NNPC Assets

Posted on by
Reply

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has said that it will not support the sale of NNPC’s assets without proper consultation with labour unions in the petroleum sector.

Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of the union, made the declaration in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

NAN reports that oil workers had on Nov. 13 declared that they would reject any attempt by the Federal Government to sell some of its stakes in the NNPC.

The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources released a draft policy document on the reform of the oil sector on Nov. 10, which proposed the sale of some of its stake in the national oil firm. According to Korodo, there is no way the unions will open their eyes and allow these assets to be sold without proper consultation.

“NUPENG says no to sale of NNPC assets, we are against any sale of the nation’s assets because there is no justification for it. “They are planning to sell them to their cronies like they did in power sector.

“We cannot continue to watch until they sell the whole nation.

“Labour unions cannot wake up and discover that assets are being put up for sale without consulting them; it will not work.

“The government needs to resolve labour issues before selling any assets,’’ he said.

Credit: NAN

 

Aso Rock Chaplain Rejects Demons In Presidential Villa

Posted on by
6

Aso Rock Chaplain, Pastor Oluseyi Malomo, has described as a slap on Christians, news making the round that the Presidential Villa, in Abuja is infested with demons.
He said this shortly after he delivered a lecture at the Economic Empowerment Summit entitled: Empowerment for Wealth Creation, organised by the Precious Cornerstone University (PCU) in conjunction with the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, held at the take-off campus of the university, Garden of Victory, Old Ife Road, Ibadan, at the weekend.
Former special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati, said recently that the Villa is filled with demons, and advocated its relocation. He also suggested that the present Villa be turned to a spiritual museum.
But, the State House chaplain said there was no need to relocate the Villa because Christians should use the powers given to them by God to cast out demons, and added that prayers have been instituted on the development and prayers are being taken from one church to the other over the matter.
Malomo noted that the presidential villa is the seat of power for the country, and anything that affects the Villa has affected the whole of the country.
He added that spiritual attacks on the Villa could translate to a situation whereby government could evolve a wrong policy.
He, however, appealed to Nigerians to pray for the leadership of the country for God to guide them.
Malomo and other speakers at the summit, including the President and Chief Executive Officer of Integrated Catering Company Limited, owner of the brand name ‘The Promise’, Mr Oluwatoyin Alabi; and pioneer Vice Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof (Mrs) Sidi Osho, who is the founder of Sidi Osho Foundation, highlighted various business opportunities, how to start and grow businesses as well as the place of God in running a prosperous business.
Founder of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Bishop Wale Oke, said Precious Cornerstone University was birthed in November 2007 and the National University Commission (NUC), through its Standing Committee on Private Universities, has completed its assessment of the institution for take off.
“Having been satisfied with our state of readiness, all that is remaining is for public pronouncement to be made by the Federal Executive Council for us to collect our licence,” he said.
Oke stated further that the university “is taking off from the Garden of Victory, but has its permanent site along Ibadan-Lagos Expressway.
The land for the permanent site has a valid title in the name of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, the owner of PCU. Few structures are already on the permanent site.
“Besides, a N200 million bank guarantee has been procured and submitted, as part of the requirements for granting of a licence.”

Credit:

http://sunnewsonline.com/aso-rock-chaplain-rejects-demons-in-presidential-villa/

Lawmakers Rejects Bill To Make History Compulsory Subject In Schools

Posted on by
1

Nigerian lawmakers on Thursday threw out a bill seeking to make history a core learning subject in the nation’s primary and secondary schools.

The proposed legislation was rejected by the House of Representatives after members raised concerns about the implication of a language in it.

The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Make History a Core School Subject in Nigeria’s Primary and Secondary Schools and for other Related Matters,” was proposed by Ayodeji Oladimeji from Oyo State.

Mr. Oladimeji said he crafted the bill to address widespread ignorance of Nigerian history – and even major historical events around the world – among Nigerians in primary and secondary schools.

“I have a secretary who did not even know anything about former Head of State, Murtala Muhammed,” Mr. Oladimeji, an APC member, said. “Colleagues, we need to do something about this situation because history is highly essential for nation building.”

But Mr. Oladimeji’s proposal quickly met an opposition, first in the person of Zakari Mohammed and later from other lawmakers.

Mr. Mohammed, an APC lawmaker from Kwara, said the word ‘core’ in the heading of the bill was problematic and blocked it from passing a second reading.

“I know it’s important for a people to know their history, but the word ‘core’ in the title of the bill is somehow,” Mr. Zakari said.

His position was later echoed by a few other lawmakers who demanded the bill be stepped down —even when they spoke highly of its importance.

The opposing lawmakers further stated that the parliament does not need to pass a bill strictly for the purpose of mandating history.

They said other key subjects such as English and mathematics are being taught in schools without special legislative backing.

But Mr. Oladimeji said he proposed the bill because he understood that history used to be in Nigeria’s early education curriculum but had since been removed.

The Nigerian government reportedly removed history from key subjects in schools in 2009.

Mr. Oladimeji said enacting the adoption of history into law should make it stringent for education administrators to expunge from the curriculum.

Speaker Yakubu Dogara, nonetheless, overruled Mr. Oladimeji’s prayers and urged him to go and rework the bill.

The defeated proposal came on the heels of relentless calls by academics for history to be restored into the curriculum for pupils.

Read More:

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/215001-nigerian-parliament-rejects-bill-make-history-compulsory-subject-schools.html

Senate Rejects Buhari’s Fiscal Proposals

Posted on by
1

The Senate on Thursday dismissed the 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Sustainability Paper sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the documents as “empty” and not worth considering.

Senate’s action is coming two days after it rejected the president’s plan to borrow $29.690 billion to execute key infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018. It said the plan lacked detailed information.

It also came on the same day the Senate denounced presidential aides as being “incompetent”, saying they failed to present a comprehensive proposal on Mr. Buhari’s bid to borrow $30 billion.

Mr. Buhari had on October 4 sent the MTEF and FSP, ahead of the 2017 budget, to the Senate and the House of Representatives for consideration.

The Senate complained that the details of the fiscal proposals, which in Nigeria’s public finance architecture are the precursors to the annual budget, were not attached to the president’s letter requesting the consideration.

At plenary on Thursday, the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, raised a point of order drawing the attention of his colleagues to a newspaper report with a headline, which suggested that the National Assembly was to blame for failure to meet the October target for the submission of the 2017 budget proposal.

He said the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, was quoted as saying in the publication that the suspension of debate of the MTEF/FSP had stalled the ministry’s plan to transmit the 2017 budget to the legislature.

Mr. Ndume expressed displeasure that the executive arm had resorted to blaming the legislature over the avoidable delay.

Read More:

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/214472-another-blow-senate-rejects-buharis-empty-fiscal-proposals.html

Senate Rejects Buhari’s Request To Borrow $30 Billion

Posted on by
Reply

The Senate has rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for authorisation to borrow about $30 billion.

The president, last Tuesday, forwarded a request to the National Assembly to approve external borrowing plan of $29.960 billion to execute key infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018.

He made the requests in two separate letters to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

Mr. Buhari said the external loan, the biggest in Nigeria’s history, will fund targeted projects cutting across all sectors with special emphasis on infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, water supply, growth and employment generation.

Other sectors, he said, included poverty reduction through social safety net programmes and governance and financial management reforms, among others.

According to him, the cost of the projects and programmes under the borrowing (rolling) plan is $29.960 billion.

This is made up of proposed projects and programmes loan of $11.274 billion, special national infrastructure projects $10.686 billion, Euro bonds of $4.5 billion and Federal Government budget support of $3.5 billion.

The Majority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, was quoted on Monday as saying that the House would approve the loan.

 But The Senate considered the request on Tuesday and refused to give its approval.

Read More:

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/214171-breaking-senate-rejects-buharis-request-borrow-30-billion.html

Another Nominee Rejects Buhari’s Appointment

Posted on by
Reply

The Chairman-designate of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Professor Akintunde Akinwande, has rejected his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari to head the agency.

The rejection marked the third time an appointee by Buhari would reject his or her nominations in recent days. Mrs. Pauline Tallen (Plateau) and Usman Bugaje (Katsina) recently rejected their ambassadorial appointments.

Indications that Akinwande had rejected his appointment arose when he shunned his invitation to appear before the Senate Committee on Power for screening yesterday and consequently stalling the screening of other nominees.

It was learnt that Akinwande rejected the nomination because he was not consulted before the nomination was made. To underscore his lack of interest in the appointment, he had hitherto failed to appear before the Department of State Services (DSS) for security screening.

It was also learnt that among the nominees whose credentials were sent to the Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, Akinwande’s credentials was conspicuously missing.

It was further gathered that the professor was not resident in Nigeria but based in the United States where he’s pursuing a project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.

“We also learnt that adequate consultation was not made before the man was nominated. We were therefore informed that the nominee may have turned down his nomination,” a source added.

Explaining the rationale behind the committee’s suspension of further screening, the Chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said it was impossible to screen other nominees in the absence of the chairman-designate.
Abaribe also said the privatisation of electricity sector was meant to improve the power sector, adding that the inauguration of NERC board was key to solving the power sector problems.

“Regrettably, when members of the committee assembled to screen the nominees made by President Buhari, we were told that the chairman-designate was unavoidably absent. The presidential liaison who brought the nominees informed us that the chairman was unavoidably absent,” Abaribe added.

Abaribe further observed that since Akinwande’s nomination had been made in the past three months, the Presidency should have confirmed the preparedness of the chairman-designate to appear for screening or otherwise. “The commission is vital and cannot function without a chairman,” Abaribe insisted.

Abaribe however, assured those concerned that the committee was ready to screen the nominees but insisted that “we cannot screen them until we have a formal communication from the presidency.”

Credit: thisdaylive

PDP Crisis: Sheriff Faction Rejects Walid Jibrin As BoT Chairman

Posted on by
1

The Ali Sheriff faction of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected Walid Jibrin as chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the party, saying his tenure had elapsed.

Mr. Jibrin had on Monday chaired a meeting of the BoT in Abuja in which a vote of confidence was passed on the Ahmed Makarfi faction Caretaker Committee.

The meeting also directed the committee to organise a fresh national convention in Abuja.

But the Sheriff faction’s Deputy National Chairman, Cairo Ojuogboh, said on Wednesday in Abuja “for the avoidance of doubt, the functions of the BoT is well articulated in the Constitution of the party and Section 32 (5g) states that it will “offers advice on matters.”

He also said the BoT has no power in the Constitution of the party to issue executive orders on the party’s matter.

” With particular reference to Section 32 (2c), it states that “the Chairman and Secretary of BoT shall serve a term of five years and no more,” he said. “The term of Sen. Walid Jubril therefore, has expired.”

Mr. Ojougnoh also said although the faction appreciated the “good job” that the reconciliation committee headed by Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, and former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, was doing, that it was not comfortable with the proposal of the committee that Messrs. Sheriff and Makarfi co-chair a National Executive Committee, NEC, where a unity convention will be discussed on and agreed upon.

Read More:

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/209647-pdp-crisis-sheriff-faction-rejects-walid-jibrin-bot-chairman.html

ASUU Rejects Scrapping Of Post-UTME

Posted on by
Reply

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday protested against the decision of the Federal Government to scrap the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

Warning that the scrapping “portends a serious danger for the quality of education in Nigeria, “the union also said the decision undermined the autonomy and powers of universities’ Senate as the highest policy-making body on academic matters, particularly admission of students and award of degrees.

The ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, who stated this in Abuja, added that the Federal Government did not consult the union on the matter.

He said, “The cancellation of post-UTME to us portends a serious danger for the quality of education in this country.

“The argument of Federal Government on the policy is unacceptable and potentially harmful to the future of Nigerian’s education system. We call on the government to rescind its decision and convene a genuine stakeholders ‘ meeting on the issue before making any policy statement.”

Credit: Punch

Court Rejects Metuh’s Request To Travel Abroad For Treatment

Posted on by
1
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed an application by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, asking for the release of his passport to enable travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
Justice Okon Abang in rejecting the request in a ruling, held that the court lacked jurisdiction to order the release of Metuh’s passport having earlier directed that it should be deposited with the Chief Registrar of the Court throughout the period of the PDP spokesperson’s ongoing trial.
“The law is settled and required no restatement that when a court has made an order, the court lacks jurisdiction to set aside the order or vary the order,” Justice Abang ruled.
Justice Abang also ruled that the prosecution – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission – having expressed fear that Metuh could jump bail, “the court must be very careful in deciding such complex application.”
“What the court needs to do is to balance the conflicting rights of parties,” the judge ruled.
He ruled that Metuh failed to adduce any evidence that his spinal cord-related ailment which he sought to treat at London Royal Hospital could not be treated in any of the nation’s teaching hospitals and the new hospital in Akwa Ibom State, which he said had been adjudged to be of international standard.
He held that Metuh could not ask for the release of his passport as of right without placing sufficient materials before the court.
The judge ruled, “This is not a sentimental issue. This is not the issue of sympathy. It is purely an issue of the law.
“Chief Olisa Metuh cannot casually apply for the release of his passport as of right.
“Chief Olisa Metuh filed the application as if it is a simple matter. It is not a simple matter.”
Credit: Punch

EFCC Rejects Ekweremadu As Anti-corruption Ambassador, Disowns National Assembly Officer

Posted on by
Reply

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has denied decorating Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy senate president, as its anti-corruption ambassador.

In a statement Wednesday, the commission said reports widely circulated in the media on Tuesday, quoting its National Assembly liaison officer as bestowing the award on Mr. Ekweremadu, was of no consequence as the officer acted on his own.

Read full statement:

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to some reports in the print and online media, on April 20, 2016 claiming that the anti-graft agency has decorated the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as “Anti-Corruption Ambassador”.

According to a statement issued to the press by the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, the purported decoration, was carried out by the EFCC National Assembly Liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari, who was quoted to have said: “On behalf of my acting chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Mustafa Magu and the entire management and staff of the EFCC, decorate you as an Anti- Corruption Ambassador and formally present this frame, as a token of our appreciation to your person and office, and as a symbol of the institutional partnership between the EFCC and the National Assembly”.

The EFCC totally dissociates itself from the purported action of Sulaiman Bakari as he acted entirely on his own. He clearly acted outside his brief as a liaison officer as the management of the Commission at no time mandated him to decorate Ekweremadu or any officer of the National Assembly as Anti- Corruption Ambassador.

The statutory mandate of the EFCC is the investigation and prosecution of all economic and financial crimes cases, which does not include the decoration of individuals as anti-corruption ambassadors.

The Commission is not in the habit of awarding titles to individuals. And those enamoured of titles, know the quarters to approach for such honours, not the EFCC.

Members of the public and stakeholders in the fight against corruption are enjoined to disregard the so-called decoration.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

Credit: PremiumTimes

Afenifere Rejects Grazing Commission Bill

Posted on by
1

Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, has rejected the Grazing Commission Bill proposed by the National Assembly to address the burning issue of farmers and Fulani herdsmen clashes erupting in different parts of the country.

Afenifere described the bill as “anti-people.”

The bill proposes the establishment of the National Grazing Commission which will preserve and control the national grazing reserves and livestock routes and other matters related to it.

The group’s leader, Reuben Fasoranti, while addressing journalists in Akure, said the bill, which empowered the commission to acquire any land anywhere in the country, would violate the subsisting Land Use Act and traditional means of land holding if enacted.

He noted that the bill was being proposed allegedly to favour the business of the Fulani herdsmen at the expense of the farmers whose farms were always destroyed by the Fulani’s cows in some other parts of the country .

” We reject any law that would rob the citizens of their possessions and award to another set of citizens as this offensive bill attempts to do. That is against the principle of natural justice, ” Mr. Fasoranti declared.

“It is also against federal principle for the government of the federation to therefore want to violate the rights of other sections of the country to please a group from an ethnic unit over and above the interest of other over 400 ethnic groups. ”

He called on all federal lawmakers from the south and Nigerians in general to join Afenifere in rejecting the bill.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Apple Rejects ‘Dangerous’ Order To Hack US Shooter’s iPhone

Posted on by
Reply

Apple has rejected a judge’s order to help the FBI break into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, warning it was “too dangerous” to create such a backdoor to the smartphones.

US magistrate Judge Sheri Pym ordered Apple on Tuesday to provide “reasonable technical assistance” to the FBI, including disabling an auto-erase feature after too many unsuccessful attempts are made to unlock the iPhone 5C.

Federal prosecutors had filed a motion requesting Apple’s help after the FBI failed to crack the phone’s code two months into the investigation into the December rampage.

Syed Farook, a US citizen, and his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik gunned down 14 people at an office party in San Bernardino, California, before they were killed in a shootout with police. 

But Apple said it would fight the judge’s order, firing the latest shot in a growing debate over encryption pitting the government against tech companies.

“The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers,” Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in a statement on the company’s website.

“We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand.”

Cook said it was too risky to provide the requested software because it could allow ill-intentioned individuals to unlock any iPhone and raises major privacy concerns.

“The US government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone,” Apple said.

“In the wrong hands, this software — which does not exist today — would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession.

“While the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control,” he said, adding that Apple has cooperated with the FBI thus far.

By disabling the security features, the FBI would be able to attempt as many different password combinations as needed before gaining access to the phone.

It was the property of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, which employed Farook, and the authority had agreed to the search of the phone.

Credit: Punch

Court Rejects Kanu’s Request For His Seized Passports, Money

Posted on by
1

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed an application by leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and founder of Radio Biaf?ra, Nnamdi Kanu, for the release of certain items, including his British and Nigeria passports, which are in the custody of the Department of State Service.

Justice James Tsoho dismissed the application made orally by Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Chuks Muouma (SAN), who had sought the release of the items because they would not be needed by the prosecution since they were not listed as part of exhibits to be tendered.

Apart from the passports, other items which Muouma sought to be released to the IPOB leader who is currently in detention at Kuje prison along with his two co-accuse, are cash sums of $2,200 and N87,000.

Justice Tsoho, in dismissing the application for lacking in merit, insisted that the fact that the items were not listed as possible exhibits did not foreclose the possibility of their being later used by the prosecution as exhibits.

?He then adjourned the case till February 19 for the hearing of an application by the prosecution for protection of its witnesses.

Credit: Punch

Gov. Ayade Rejects Proposal To Increase Taxes

Posted on by
2

The Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has promised that his administration would not impose further taxes on the people of the state but would rather harness the natural resources that abound to better the lot of the people.

Governor Ayade made the promise at the government house in Calabar the state capital, in reaction to a presentation made to him by a consulting firm and a financial institution on how to increase the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by introducing new tax heads.

He said that his administration is poised towards reducing the hardship of the low income earners rather than make life difficult for them through tax levies.

Ayade lamented that the model presented by the investors, which according to them has worked in Lagos and Ogun states to boost their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), would rather add to the hardship being suffered by the people.

Speaking further, he said that he was not in support of taxing people in order to raise money, but believes in tasking his brain to generate income by taking advantage of the many natural resources that abound in the state.

He stated that he represents the people who voted for him and their interest comes first.

Credit: ChannelsTV

Kogi Election: PDP Rejects Call For APC’s Candidate Substitution

Posted on by
2

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has kicked against an advice by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Abubakar Malami, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the party can substitute its late candidate in the Kogi State governorship election.

The opposition party also asked Mr Malami to “immediately vacate his office for harrying and misleading the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into arriving at the decision”.

In a statement by the opposition party’s spokesman, Olisa Metuh, the party said it was shocked that “INEC, a supposedly independent electoral umpire, could allow itself to succumb to the antics of the APC by following the unlawful directive of an obviously partisan AGF to substitute a candidate in the middle of the ballot process”.

Credit: ChannelsTV

Senate Rejects Proposal To Pay Unemployed Youth N5, 000 Monthly

Posted on by
Reply

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a motion for the payment of N5, 000 monthly allowance to unemployed youths in the country.

The motion was sponsored by Philip Aduda (PDP, FCT) but was greeted with shouts of “no, no” when he tried to explain it.

Attempts by the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, to second the motion were disrupted by the rowdiness.

Intervening, President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, posed the question but the senators responded along party lines.

While Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members yelled ‘’aye’’ in favour of the motion, All Progressives Congress (APC) senators, who were in majority, rejected it.

Credit: PremiumTimes

CBN Rejects FRC’s Request To Take Action Against Stanbic IBTC

Posted on by
Reply

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has rejected the request by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) that it takes disciplinary action against Stanbic IBTC Holding Company Plc (SIBTCH), saying that the council failed to follow due process in the matter.

To this end, the central bank has said it does not see any reason to advise/compel SIBTCH to comply with the sanctions meted to it by FRCN.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, stated this in a five-page letter, dated November 2, 2015, which was addressed to the Executive Secretary, FRCN, Mr. Jim Obazee.

He also pointed out that as the banking sector regulator, the FRCN failed to consult with the central bank throughout the process of its investigation. According to Emefiele, the announcement by the FRCN on SIBTCH was not only capable of eroding investor confidence, but inimical to financial system stability.

FRCN had sanctioned the bank over its audited accounts for 2013 and 2014 and suspended the Financial Reporting Numbers of the bank’s chairman, Mr. Atedo Peterside, and its chief executive, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, and also barred them forthwith from vouching for the integrity of any financial statements in Nigeria.

Credit: ThisDay

Fresh Kashamu Suit, NDLEA Rejects Judge

Posted on by
26

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has asked Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos to withdraw himself from a fresh suit filed by Senator Buruji Kashamu.

Kashamu, in the new suit, is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the NDLEA and the Attorney General of the Federation from seizing his property.

The new suit came after the failed effort by the NDLEA to extradite Kashamu to the United States of America, where he is said to be wanted for alleged drug-trafficking offences.

Justice Buba had on June 23, 2015 reaffirmed a May 27, 2015 order of Justice Okon Abang of the same court restraining the NDLEA and others from extraditing Kashamu.

Read More: punchng

Former Speaker Rejects Fayose’s Appointment

Posted on by
13

Former factional Speaker of Ekiti State House of As­sembly, Dele Olugbemi, has rejected his appointment as a member of the House of Assembly Service Commission by Governor Ayo Fayose.

Olugbemi shunned the screening and confirmation of nominees Tuesday and yesterday but the other four nominees were confirmed.

While the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi said, the former Speaker had not formally indicated his rejection of the appointment, Olugbemi, however, said: “ I am a member of the appointment committee. I was shocked to hear my name announced on the radio as being appointed as a member without my knowledge.

“ The governor’s action was against the ethos of democracy and he is simply running a one man show. Since he came into office he has been operating without regards to the party…”

Read More: sunnewsonline

Group Rejects Assembly’s Hasty Passing Of Bills

Posted on by
Reply

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has rejected the 46 bills reportedly passed by the National Assembly.

According to the prodemocracy group, the bills were passed without recourse. “The lawmakers passed the 46 bills within a space of 10 minutes with no sense of reflection about the implication of their action on the image of the country,”TMG Chairman, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said.

“This disturbing output, coming at a time the seventh National Assembly is winding down in preparation for the inauguration of the eighth Assembly, is indeed the same impunity that became the hallmark of those entrusted with the responsibility of running the Nigerian State in the recent past.
It was therefore not surprising that they ran the country aground.”

His group also condemned the alleged subtle attempt by the lawmakers to promulgate decrees instead of legislating for the good governance of Nigeria.

“We take exception to the use of the nation’s democratic apparatus for acts of legislative rascality, such as the arbitrary passage of the 46 bills. At TMG, we wonder why the 7th Assembly would choose the twilight of its session to embarrass Nigeria, at a time when our country is basking in the glorious milestone of a successful transition,” the official said.

He said the latest move, which is said to cast Nigeria in a shameful light before the global community, was coming from “an excessively overpaid National Assembly that had been a drain pipe, taking a good chunk of the nation’s financial resources, without commensurate results to show for it.”

“TMG finds it disheartening that the lawmakers who are taking so much from the system do not have the character and good conduct to draw the line between what is proper, just and fair and that which is not. Since 2011, when the 7th National Assembly was inaugurated, lawmakers largely helped themselves through impossible allowances in the guise of making laws,”
Zikirullahi added.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to refuse assent to these hastily- passed laws and called on Nigerians to be vigilant in order to check characters of those willing to make the country a laughing stock in the global comity of nations.

“The President must send a clear message about his intention to exorcise all vestiges of impunity from our polity by rejecting this attempt to ridicule Nigeria. We also call on all Nigerians to be vigilant in order to check characters who are all too willing to make our country a laughing stock in the global comity of nations on account of their unexamined actions.”

Credit: CAJ News

Buhari Rejects Rolls Royce in London

Posted on by
1

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, currently on a private visit to England, on Friday turned down the use of a Rolls Royce made available for him by the Nigerian High Commission in London.

Buhari shocked officials of the High Commission when, on landing at the Heathrow Airport, he declined to make use of  the  Rolls Royce and other facilities offered him.

The Nation gathered that after exchanging pleasantries with the embassy officials led by the High Commissioner, Dr Dalhatu Tafida, the president-elect politely told them that his visit was strictly private and he had made arrangement for all his needs while in the UK.

He reportedly thanked them for the warm reception and quickly hopped into a less flamboyant car he had arranged for and drove out of the airport.

A source said: “It appeared he was uncomfortable with the number of exotic cars in the convoy.

“Hard as the stunned diplomats present tried to convince him, he refused to bulge, insisting that since he did not inform the Commission of his visit because it was not an official trip, hence he was not entitled to such grandeur.”

Buhari, yesterday, held talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron at his 10, Downing Street official residence.

Top of their discussion was the continued threat to Nigeria’s security by the terror group, Boko Haram.

The official website of the UK government said after the talks that “both leaders congratulated each other on their recent election victories and discussed the challenges facing Nigeria.”

It added: “the Prime Minister stressed the UK’s wish to work for a stable, prosperous and secure Nigeria.

“The leaders discussed security in the region and the fight against terrorism, particularly the threat posed by Boko Haram.

“They discussed the need for a regional approach and agreed to continue working together to build the capacity of the Nigerian Army, with the UK continuing to provide military training and intelligence support.

“On tackling corruption, they agreed this was a priority to ensure Nigeria’s prosperity and success.”

Mr. Cameron was said to have agreed to look at what technical assistance and support the UK could provide to the Nigerian government as it looks to undertake its reforms.

“They also discussed the need to tackle organised crime and the links between the UK and Nigeria.

“Finally, they talked about the challenges posed by migration from Africa to Europe and the president-elect said he would do all he could to secure Nigeria’s borders,” the statement said.

Credit: TheNation

NGF: Jang Faction Rejects Reconciliation With Amaechi’s Group

Posted on by
Reply

Faction loyal to outgoing Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau has denied any reconciliation with the Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State led Nigeria Governors Forum. The NGF had met Tuesday in Abuja with about 20 governors including some deputies attending.

Tuesday’s meeting also saw the emergence of the Governor of Zamfara State, Abdualziz Yari, as the new chairman of the forum.

However, in a statement released in Abuja, the Jang faction stated that any such reconciliation attempt was futile as a majority of the governors will be out of office in a matter of days and therefore should leave issues of reconciliation, reorganization and a new Chairman to the incoming governors.

Read More: PremiumTimes

Jonathan Rejects Foreign Troops In Fight Against Boko Haram

Posted on by
Reply

President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday in Abuja urged the United Nations to focus more on helping Nigeria with the rehabilitation and reconstruction of persons and communities affected by terrorism in Northern Nigeria rather than deploying an international force to the country.

Speaking at an audience with the Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and Central Africa, Mohammed Ibn Chambas and Abdoulaye Bathily, President Jonathan expressed the view that UN intervention in Nigeria should not be based on Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which relates to military enforcement of peace, but on Chapter 8.

The President said the provisions of Chapter 8 of the UN Charter, which recognises the role of regional bodies such as the African Union in working with the United Nations for the promotion of peace and security, were robust enough to tackle insurgency in Nigeria and other African countries.

President Jonathan also told the UN envoys that with the cooperation of neighbouring countries, the Nigerian military had already regained most of the territories seized by Boko Haram in Yobe, Adamawa and Borno states, and had now commenced a final push to take the last stronghold of the insurgents in Sambisa Forest.

Read More: premiumtimesng

Jonathan Rejects Amended Constitution- Report

Posted on by
1

President Goodluck Jonathan has reportedly rejected the amendments made to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly. According to a top government official quoted by the report, President Jonathan vetoed the amendment on Monday.

According to the official, the decision of the President in vetoing the document was because the amendment did not meet the provisions of Section 9 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.

He said with the return of the document by the President, the letter accompanying it might be read on the floors of the two chambers of the National Assembly any time from Wednesday (today).

He said: “The President has vetoed the constitution amendment and he has sent it back to the National Assembly. “The amendment did not meet the provision of Section 9 (3) of the constitution which talks about the need for four fifth of the National Assembly to agree with the amendment.”

Read More: dailypost