NOBODY IS WORKING FOR THIS GREAT COUNTRY – JOE IGBOKWE LAMENTS
Dons Eze
- October 18, 2024
WHY 40 PEOPLE WERE MASSACRED IN ENUGU COMMUNITY – CONVICT
WHY 40 PEOPLE WERE MASSACRED IN ENUGU COMMUNITY – CONVICT Eight years after the tragic massacre of April 25, 2016, which claimed the lives of at least 40 individuals in Nimbo, Enugu State, Mohamed Zurai, the sole individual convicted for the mass murder, has come forward to confess his involvement in the crime. However, he maintains that his role was limited to recording the killings on video and denies any direct participation in the violence. Zurai, a herdsman, disclosed during an undercover operation at the Enugu Correctional Center, where he awaits execution, that the Nimbo massacre was allegedly in retaliation for the beheading of an Alhaji in the Enugu community. He was sentenced to death by Justice Anthony Onovo of the Nsukka Division of Enugu State High Court on May 17, 2023. Zurai was among five suspects charged with murder for their alleged involvement in the Nimbo massacre. During the trial, Zurai was identified as the prime suspect after his cell phone was discovered to have recorded the killings. Despite his confession to filming the violence, he denies any active participation in the murders. Zurai claims that his life is now in danger, alleging that individuals have been offered money to silence him and prevent him from revealing further details about the massacre. He expressed bewilderment over his conviction while his co-defendants were acquitted. In a plea for assistance, Zurai requested contact information from the reporter to seek legal representation for appealing his death sentence.He remains incarcerated, awaiting his fate, while questioning the fairness of his conviction compared to the treatment of his co-accused.
40 NIGERIAN LAWMAKERS MAY LOSE SEATS OVER CONCURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF NASS, ECOWAS PARLIAMENT
40 NIGERIAN LAWMAKERS MAY LOSE SEATS OVER CONCURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF NASS, ECOWAS PARLIAMENT Over 40 Nigerian lawmakers are likely to vacate their seats for concurrent membership of the National Assembly and ECOWAS Parliament as well as the Pan-African Parliament, if a suit filed against them succeeds. The suit was filed by the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, a non governmental organisation that seeks to promote transparency and accountability in governance through public interest litigations, advocacy, policy engagements. The body had earlier called on the President of the Senate to declare the seats of the affected lawmakers vacant for belonging to multiple parliament’s at the same time and collecting emoluments from all. Having failed to comply with the call, the body served a pre-action notice on the Senate President and copied the Clerk of the National Assembly, indicating its readiness to seek judicial redress if the call was not heeded. The body, in the letter dated April 8, signed by its Secretary, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, warned that in the event that the Senate President fails to comply with its request within seven working days from the date of the letter, it shall commence a lawsuit to seek the interpretation of a court of law. In the alternative, the body offered to draft two bills for domestication of both the international instruments establishing both the ECOWAS Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament. The group insisted that the practice of serving both bodies violates Section 68(1) of the 1999 Constitution and Article 18, Supplementary Act of the ECOWAS Parliament, 2017, which prohibits a serving member of a parliament serving with it and collecting emoluments. In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, ALDRAP asks the court to determine whether having regard to Section 68 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as altered), any member of the National Assembly who wishes to take a seat at the ECOWAS Parliament and/or the Pan-African Parliament, ought to first resign from the National Assembly. “In the alternative: whether having regard to Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution (as altered), the provisions of the ECOWAS Parliament legislation, which allocates 35 seats to Nigeria, has not yet become legally operative within Nigeria considering that both the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly have not subjected the said parliament to the legislative procedure prescribed under Section 12.” The prayed the court to make a “Declaration that the 5th defendant (Clerk of the National Assembly) shall immediately discontinue the payment of salaries and all forms of remuneration to all 40 lawmakers who were recently inaugurated as either members of the 6th Assembly of the ECOWAS Parliament and/or the Pan-African Parliament”. It also prayed for an order directing the Clerk of the National Assembly immediately discontinue the payment of salaries and all forms of remuneration to all the 40 lawmakers who were recently inaugurated as either members of the 6th assembly of the ECOWAS Parliament and/or the Pan-African Parliament.The group, in the same vein, asks the court to order the 6th defendant (INEC) to immediately conduct bye-elections within 30 days from the date of the vacancy to fill all 40 vacant seats at the National Assembly.
WIKE TO FUBARA: COURT INJUNCTIONS OBTAINED BY MIDNIGHT CAN’T REMOVE RIVERS LAWMAKERS
WIKE TO FUBARA: COURT INJUNCTIONS OBTAINED BY MIDNIGHT CAN’T REMOVE RIVERS LAWMAKERS FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that court injunctions obtained by midnight cannot be used to unseat any member of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Wike spoke on Saturday at the grand civic reception held at Ogu-Bolo in honour of Chief George Thompson Sekibo to celebrate his 20 years of service at the National and 36 years of his life in public service. “If they like they can go to anybody by 2am or 4am to get injunction. The law will take its course. We must follow due process,” Wike said. Turning to the suspended assembly members, Wike said: “Don’t be afraid, nobody will remove you as a lawmaker. Most of you don’t understand. This is our work. Our business is to make them to fear. That is what I am doing. We will make them to be angry ever everyday and they will continue to make mistakes.” Wike declared that backing Governor Siminalayi Fubara was a mistake he would correct at the appropriate time. “I want to say this clearly, in life we have made a mistake. I have made a mistake. I own it up and I say God forgive me. I have said all of you forgive me. But we will correct it at the appropriate time. I am a human, I am bound to make a mistake. So forgive me for making a wrong judgement. So nobody should kill. “As you see me I stand straight. I think well. I came with senator Magnus Abe. I work with people that have brains. On politics, when people with brains agree they disagree. Those, who don’t know what to do but said they would bring me down, who born them? They are nowhere. When you are in charge, you are in charge. “Everything will calm down. All these people running around, they would come down. Boma worked for his appointment, he showed loyalty and commitment and that is why God placed him there. Don’t worry. “Let me also advised you, forget about how they abuse us. You must be alive for people to abuse you. If you are dead, will they abuse you? At the appropriate time when the results will be announced, we will know who is who. We have defeated them severally.“Some.of them ran to Abuja but when I went to Abuja, they ran back here. Have you not seen the way Abuja is moving? No amount of propaganda can help you. Ogu people have shown loyalty and I want to thank you”.
HOW HOSPITAL REFUSED TO TREAT ME BECAUSE OF N80,000 DEPOSIT, DALUNG, FORMER MINISTER
HOW HOSPITAL REFUSED TO TREAT ME BECAUSE OF ₦80,000 DEPOSIT, DALUNG, FORMER MINISTER Solomon Dalung, former Sports Minister, has publicly criticized the treatment he received at Rayfield Medical Services in Jos, Plateau State, after being allegedly neglected for hours due to non-payment of an admission deposit. Naija News reports that the incident, which Dalung detailed on X, formerly known as Twitter, occurred after he became critically ill and unconscious. Dalung recounted his harrowing experience at the hospital, stating that he was initially left unattended in the emergency ward due to a delay in the payment of an ₦80,000 deposit. “I was ferried into the emergency ward but abandoned for over four hours due to non-payment of admission deposits,” he shared. It was only after regaining partial consciousness and managing to transfer the deposit that he was finally attended to, though he again lost consciousness for about seven hours. Dalung expressed his dismay over the incident, emphasizing the potential risk to his life had he not regained consciousness to authorize the deposit. He described the situation as a stark reminder of the lack of humanity in the health care process, pointing out that many Nigerians could have faced similar, possibly fatal, outcomes. “I took ill on Wednesday, arrived at the hospital, and shortly became unconscious after the doctor’s interviews,” Dalung explained. He was surprised by the lack of immediate care and the focus on financial procedures over medical urgency. “After four hours, I suddenly became very cold, so I became conscious. And I raised my head and saw some drugs in a cartoon but couldn’t move or do anything,” he added. The former minister also highlighted his longstanding relationship with the hospital, where not only had he been treated multiple times, but his wife had also passed away. This history made the neglect he faced even more baffling and painful for him. “They’ve been treating my family members. That’s why I’m yet to come to terms with how I was treated,” he said. Upon discharge, Dalung was frustrated by the lack of communication about his treatment. He insisted on speaking to the doctor to understand what medical condition had been addressed. “They discharged me without even telling me what they treated me for, so I insisted I wanted to see the doctor and that I won’t leave until I saw him,” he recounted. Following the incident, Dalung plans to lodge a formal protest with the hospital’s management, expressing a strong desire to prevent similar negligence toward other patients in the future. He lamented the focus on financial obligations over patient care, recalling how his life hung in the balance while the hospital staff prioritized payment discussions.
HOW ENUGU LOCAL GOVT PENSIONERS GRAPPLE WITH UNPAID PENSIONS, GRATUITIES
HOW ENUGU LOCAL GOVT PENSIONERS GRAPPLE WITH UNPAID PENSIONS, GRATUITIES Retired Enugu state local government workers lament two years arrears of pension. In addition, Enugu State government has not paid gratuities to retired state and local government workers for over a decade The state Governor, Mr. Peter Mbah has inaugurated a committee to ascertain the true position of things with a view to paying backlog of pension, gratuities Peter Nwudeh has been sick for over two months now. His doctor at Bishop Shanahan, Nsukka Enugu State, had requested that he takes his drugs regularly to avoid worsening his health condition. He has been suffering from aging- related sicknesses. But, Peter, a retired primary school teacher, has no money to buy his drugs. He retired from Enugu state Universal Basic Education Board, ENSUBEB about seven months ago and his pension is yet to be paid. He has to stay for the next 18 months before he will start receiving his pension. When he went to one of the microfinance banks in Nsukka, Enugu State, where his salary was domiciled to obtain salary advance to sort out his health issue, he was reminded that until his pension started coming to the bank, he is not eligible for such finance assistance. Pained by this ugly situation, Mr. Nwuudeh, a retired grade level 16 and headmaster had no choice than to sell his only motorbike at a giveaway price to buy his drugs and sort out other needs. The situation of Mr. Peter Nsude is a clear definition of the plight of pensioners especially local government pensioners which comprises primary school teachers, administrators and local government staff in Enugu state. Findings showed that many of whom that couldn’t sort out their health issue and other pressing needs have continued to die everyday in Enugu state. Our reporter gathered that on retirement, the retiree has to wait for the next two years before he/she starts receiving pension. On the issue of gratuity, it has become a kind of taboo that for over two decades, no pensioner especially that of local government has been gratuity in the state. Our reporter visited one of the pensioners, Stella Odo who retired as a head teacher one of the primary schools and she narrated her inexplicable ordeals. “I retired in November 2020, but I started receiving my pension in November 2022. It took me a whole two years before I saw my first pension.” Asked why there was such delay, Mrs. Odo explained that ” this is because the state government is owing the pensioners two years arrears of pension. So, if you retire this month, being April 2024, you have to wait for the next two years when they will have paid up to April 2024. As I speak with you, I received my March 2022 pension two weeks ago.” On how she has been surviving without her pension for two years, she narrated that ” it has not been easy. I teach at one private school where they pay me N20,000. But of course you know this is not enough. My rent is N300,000 annually and it is subject to upward review by my landlord.” Explaining further Mrs. Odo said that ” for those in Post Primary Schools Management Board, PPSMB, and Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Board, STVSMB in the state, their case is quite different. If any of their staff members retires today, the next month, the said retiree will start his or her pension. Why our own is different, we don’t know. They keep on telling us that our fund comes directly from Federal government. They also told us that we are not state government staff.” In any case, another pensioner Mr. Fidelis Ugwueze said his children…
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT TINUBU, BY AMBASSADOR HABIB BABA HABU OON
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT TINUBU, BY AMBASSADOR HABIB BABA HABU, OON Dear Mr. President, Having traveled extensively across Nigeria with you during the 2023 campaigns and being a devoted member of the Renewed Hope Family, I remain steadfast in my belief that you, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaba of Borgu, possess the determination, capability, and skill to lead Nigeria towards progress. The Nigerian populace did not err in electing you as President. Throughout the campaigns, you emphasized the imperative of revitalizing the Nigerian economy and steering it towards growth and development. You were candid in acknowledging that the necessary reforms would initially entail considerable pain for Nigerians. Presently, we are all experiencing the repercussions of these reforms. It is important to acknowledge that the dynamism displayed by ABAT in Lagos has been tempered by the frailty of ageing. Nonetheless, your mental acumen, sagacity and capability endure. This presents challenges in conducting physical inspections of projects, necessitating a reliance on trusted aides. However, this reliance, on trusted officials, also poses a vulnerability to potential sabotage within your administration. I implore you not to place unwavering trust in any individual to the extent that their words supersede your own, even if inadvertently. Vigilance and continuous oversight are essential. Drawing from my experience as the Presidential Liaison Officer to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who passed away 14 years ago, I witnessed firsthand how his illness rendered him susceptible to exploitation by ministers and personal staff. Some of them exploited this trust, exacerbating crises that ultimately led to the Doctrine of Necessity. Although this is a topic for another occasion, it is worth noting, Olusegun Adeniyi, in his characteristic humility didn’t explicitly name such individuals. I have been working on a paper dealing exclusively with “The Powers of the Unelected Personal Staff of a President – from General Abatcha to PMB”. My second and concluding pointer is to, respectfully, draw Your Excellency’s attention to the fundamental economic principle that no government can tax its citizens into near poverty and expect sustainable growth and development.May Allah grant you good health and the capability to achieve your objectives of making Nigeria Great. Your success remains as one of my daily prayers
BANDTRY: WE’RE REAPING WHAT WE SOWED – BISHOP KUKAH
BANDITRY: WE’RE REAPING WHAT WE SOWED – BISHOP KUKAH The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, on Friday, said Nigeria is reaping what it sowed following bandits and terrorists’ attacks across the country, most especially in the North. He blamed the insurgency on the government’s inability to prioritize education of the young generation, warning that the situation may get worse. The Catholic Bishop spoke in Abeokuta , Ogun State, while delivering a lecture at the 42nd Actualisation conference of Rotary International, District 9110. The four-day conference attracted thousands of Rotarians from Lagos and Abeokuta. The clergyman in his lecture described rising security challenges in Nigeria as the consequences of the young generation not having proper education. He said “We are facing the challenges that are the consequences of our children not having education. Now everybody is fearing bandits, everybody is fearing Boko Haram, we are reaping today what we sowed yesterday and it will actually grow worse. “We have millions of children, at least between 10 and 12 or 15 million children that are on the streets who are begging, each of these children are growing by the day, the Almajiri that is 10 now, in 10 years time he will be 20 years so unless we quickly do something the situation may go worse.” He called on philanthropists, religious bodies and other humanitarian organisations to channel their efforts towards combating illiteracy. Kukah said Nigeria “must try to combat illiteracy because there is no substitute for education and if we who are educated believe that we are secured then we must think again.” In his goodwill message, former President Olusegun Obasanjo charged the Rotary club to redouble their efforts in creating a better world. Obasanjo who spoke in a pre-recorded video, called on the club to continue to put service to humanity above every other thing. The former President urged participants to use the opportunity of the conference to reignite the passion for helping the less privileged and impacting the society positively. The District Governor, Ifeyinwa Ejezie, noted Rotary Club under her watch has done a lot in the area of its focus including basic education and literacy, maternal and child health as well as economic empowerment. She said the District has taken the issue of mental health to another level by educating alot of people, adding that drug abuse among the youths was equally addressed by the club.Ejezie reiterated the Rotary Club’s commitment to humanitarian activities within the district and across the world.
PETER OBI, TINUBU TO SPEAK AT AN EVENT IN US
PETER OBI, PRESIDENT TINUBU TO SPEAK AT AN EVENT IN US There have been several reactions from social media users after it was announced that the former governor of Anambra state and Labour Party, LP, candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Gregory Obi and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be speaking at an event. The announcement was made on the official X handle of Peter Obi Media Centre on Friday. According to report, the event which is titled, “Investing In Nigeria From The Diaspora” will be held in the United States of America. Aside from Peter Obi and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, other people that will be speaking at the event include; Hon. Abike Dabiri, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina, Jim Ovia and many others. Peter Obi Media Centre wrote on its page; “Obidients and Well-Meaning Nigerians in USA, get your schedule as His Excellency, Peter Obi ‘Thank You Tour’ continues”.However, after the report surfaced online, there were several reactions from social media users.
THEY ABANDONED NOVEL IDEAS I INTRODUCED AFTER I LEFT POWER – JONATHAN
THEY ABANDONED NOVEL IDEAS I INTRODUCED AFTER I LEFT POWER – JONATHAN Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said some of his ideas were jettisoned after his exit from office. Jonathan, who was President from 2010 to 2015, said this during the Founder’s Day Colloquium to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, on Friday. The colloquium, with the theme, “Re-Imagining Tertiary Education for Africa’s Present and Future Reality”, was held at the university’s main auditorium. While recalling that women were admitted into the Nigeria Defence Academy, Jonathan said he faced serious challenges but had his way as the president of the country. “I recall the challenges faced by women in the military. But as President, I directed that the Nigeria Defence Academy commence admission of women into the institution. “However some of the ideas, which could have helped in the technological development of the country were jettisoned,” he said. The ex-President also called for the recalibration of the nation’s educational system to focus more on technology and innovation. While describing the focus on acquiring only certificates as damaging to the economy, he stressed that the attitude should be discouraged by emphasizing knowledge and skills acquisition to produce graduates that would pilot the economy. He said: “I want to congratulate the founder of this university and say that because of the success of the university, successive governments gave licences to other private universities to operate. “There is always resistance when one starts something new, but with your commitment and dedication, your efforts in the last 25 years are commendable. “All founders of private universities in Nigeria need to celebrate you for opening the door for them.” He thanked God for using the former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsami Abubakar, to bring democracy to the country. Also speaking, Abubakar, who was instrumental in the establishment of the university, said Igbinedion University had immensely contributed to the growth and development of Nigeria in almost every sector. He congratulated the Chancellor and Founder of the university, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, for the foresight to pursue a private university license 25 years ago. Deputy Pro-Chancellor of the university, Lucky Igbinedion, who spoke on behalf of the Pro-Chancellor, and Founder of the university said 25 years after, the effort of establishing the institution had paid off with the springing up of more private universities in the country. The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the university, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, disclosed that students of the institution were exposed to entrepreneurial and skills acquisition modules.“At 25, it is significant to note that the brilliant exploits of our Blue-sky graduates in their various fields of endeavour across the globe evidenced the quality of our products,” he added.
WORLD BANK SLAMS BUHARI’S N5,000 CASH TRANSFER, SAYS IT HAD LITTLE IMPACT ON HOUSEHOLDS
WORLD BANK SLAMS BUHARI’S ₦5,000 CASH TRANSFER, SAYS IT HAD LITTLE IMPACT ON HOUSEHOLDS The World Bank has said that the ₦5,000 cash transfer scheme implemented by the Nigerian Government had little impact on household consumption and women’s financial inclusion in the country. This global apex bank said this in a report titled, ‘Beta Don Come: Effects of Cash Transfers on Women and Households in Nigeria’. In the report, the World Bank added that the scheme implemented in 2016, called the National Social Safety Nets Project (NASSP) also had a limited impact on employment, especially for women. Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration provided households with a cash transfer of N5,000, disbursed as a lump sum every two months. Payments were given to each household’s primary caregiver — predominantly women — the report stated. The report, however, suggested that there is a need for a complementary livelihood to support the intervention to generate sustainable improvements in households’ self-sufficiency. The bank said it found “no significant effects on overall household consumption, women’s employment, or financial inclusion”. The report reads: “Program participation improved several dimensions of households’ and women’s welfare over time. “Households in communities that entered the program earlier experience larger increases in household savings and food security, along with increased access to farmland and livestock ownership, compared to similar households in communities that entered the program later. “We also find improvements in caregivers’ self-reported happiness, decision-making autonomy over how to spend their own income, and freedom of movement. “Positive impacts appear to primarily result from the saving mobilisation component of the program. “Households are substantially more likely to save the longer they have been receiving cash transfers and to switch away from exclusively using cash for household consumption. “However, in contrast to these strong positive impacts, we do not find any statistically significant effects on overall household consumption or on caregivers’ employment and financial inclusion.” The World Bank also said despite the efficacy of the programme, there is no evidence of “the impacts of participating in the program at all”.“We find positive effects on households’ saving, food security, and economic activity along with increased caregivers’ decision-making autonomy and physical mobility associated with participating in the project for longer periods of time.”