UNCERTAINTY AS NORTH SPLIT OVER PLANNED PROTEST
Dons Eze
- July 27, 2024
25 MUSLIMS ELECTED TO UK PARLIAMENT DESPITE RISING ISLAMOPHOBIA
25 MUSLIMS ELECTED TO UK PARLIAMENT DESPITE RISING ISLAMOPHOBIA A record-breaking 25 Muslims have been elected to the British Parliament, despite rising Islamophobia in the country. This shows an increase from the 19 Muslim MPs elected in 2019. The successful candidates come from various political parties, with 18 representing the Labour Party, four as independents, two from the Conservative Party, and one from the Liberal Democrats. The election saw Muslim voters play a crucial role, with many casting their ballots in support of candidates who expressed solidarity with the Palestinian cause and condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza. The list of the 25 Muslim candidates elected to the UK House of Commons includes: Rushanara Ali from the Labour Party, who kept her seat in Bethnal Green & Bow. She was first elected on May 6, 2010. Yasmin Qureshi from the Labour Party, who kept her seat in Bolton South East. She was first elected on May 6, 2010. Shabana Mahmood from the Labour Party, who kept her seat in Birmingham Ladypool. She was first elected on May 6, 2010. Naz Shah from the Labour Party, who kept her seat in Bradford West. She was first elected on May 6, 2010. She was a Labour member from May 7, 2015 until April 27, 2016, and an Independent member from April 27, 2016 to July 5, 2016. Imran Hussain from the Labour Party, who kept his seat in Bradford East. He was first elected on May 7, 2015. Mohammad Yasin from the Labour Party, who kept his seat in Bedford. He was first elected on June 8, 2017. Tulip Siddiq from the Labour Party, who kept her seat in Hampstead & Kilburn. She was first elected on May 7, 2015. Rupa Huq from the Labour Party, who kept her seat in Ealing Central & Acton. She was first elected on May 7, 2015. She was a Labour member from May 7, 2015 until September 27, 2022, and an Independent member from September 27, 2022 to March 2, 2023. Rosena Allin-Khan from the Labour Party, who kept her seat in Tooting. She was first elected on June 16, 2016. Afzal Khan from the Labour Party, who kept his seat in Manchester Gorton. He was first elected on June 8, 2017. Apsana Begum from the Labour Party, who won Poplar & Limehouse. She was first elected on December 12, 2019. Zarah Sultana from the Labour Party, who won Coventry South. She was first elected on December 12, 2019. Tahir Ali from the Labour Party, who won Birmingham Hall Green. He was first elected on December 12, 2019. Abtisam Mohamed from the Labour Party, who won Sheffield Central. Naushabah Khan from the Labour Party, who won Gillingham and Rainham. Zubir Ahmed from the Labour Party, who won Glasgow South West. Sadik Al-Hassan from the Labour Party, who won North Somerset. Jas Athwal from the Labour Party, who won Ilford South. Iqbal Mohamed, an Independent Candidate who won Dewsbury and Batley. Ayoub Khan an Independent Candidate who won Birmingham Perry Barr. Shockat Adam an Independent Candidate who won Islington North. Adnan Hussain an Independent Candidate who won Blackburn. Nusrat Ghani from the Conservative Party, who kept her seat in Wealden. She was first elected on May 7, 2015. Saqib Bhatti from the Conservative Party, who won Meriden. He was first elected on December 12, 2019. Bobby Dean from the Liberal Democrat Party, who won Carshalton and Wallington. This election result marks a significant step towards greater diversity and representation in UK politics, but also highlights the need for continued efforts to address Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslim communities in the UK. With 3.4 million Muslims living in the UK, this election marks a significant milestone in the country’s political landscape,…
A FEMALE HOUSE MEMBER HAS BEEN LIVING ABROAD SINCE INAUGURATION – AGGRIEVED LAWMAKERS
A FEMALE HOUSE OF REPS MEMBER HAS BEEN LIVING ABROAD SINCE INAUGURATION – AGGRIEVED LAWMAKERS Some aggrieved lawmakers have tackled a particular House of Representatives member whom they have accused of living abroad since their inauguration. The aggrieved lawmakers have formed a pressure group, codenamed “Novelty Group.” According to Leadership, the group was supposed to hold their inaugural meeting yesterday, but it was cancelled following the death of a House member. Speaking to newsmen, one of the lawmakers said a lady who is the chairperson of the House committees of a juicy commission has been abroad, where she solely performs and administers the oversight functions of a committee since their inauguration. He said no member, including her deputy, knows anything happening in the committee or the commission. He said the female House member occasionally gives out instructions and nauseating handouts from the commission to members of the committee, whom she treats like her aides. “We can no longer tolerate this rubbish,” he said. The aggrieved lawmakers also tackled chairmen of committees for relegating their deputies and first-timers.”And most of these so-called privileged first-time and ranking members hardly come to plenary. Some of them supervise and administer, as well as confiscate benefits from the federal agencies and parastatals we are supposed to handle together from abroad,” the lawmaker said.
SOKOTO GOVT STRIPS SULTAN OF POWERS TO APPOINT DISTRICT, VILLAGE HEADS
SOKOTO GOVT STRIPS SULTAN OF POWERS TO APPOINT DISTRICT, VILLAGE HEADS The Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has signed the amended Sokoto Local Government and Chieftaincy Law, which effectively strips the Sultan, Sa’ad Abubakar, of the powers to appoint district and village heads in the state. The law was signed by Governor Aliyu on Thursday along with five others after they were passed by the State House of Assembly. The Governor, however, denied insinuations that the local government and chieftaincy law was targeted at witch-hunting the Sultan, but rather to strengthen good governance in the state. He said those spreading contrary opinions are politically motivated or simply ignorant. “We note with concern the unnecessary tension created by our proposal to amend some of these laws. “Some of the reactions were politically motivated while others were done ignorantly without care to inquire from the right quarters on the details and intention of the amendment. “It is a known fact that in every society, laws are enacted and amended to suit the needs of time and interest of the governed in line with circumstances at hand. Previous administrations had amended one law or the other in the state with a view to giving the state laws the needed touch that would fast track peace and development. “Let me make it clear that the just amended laws are not meant to winch-hunt any individual or group but rather to promote good governance and to remove the ambiguity and inconsistency with the nation’s constitution,” Governor Aliyu stated. While assuring the people of the state of the commitment of his administration to them, the Sokoto State Governor further advised Muslim clerics against allowing “lazy politicians” to use them in scoring their political goals. “Whenever we come across any law that does not suit the interests of our people, we will not hesitate to replace it,” he added.Other laws signed by the Governor include Sokoto State Tenancy Law, Zakkat, and Waqf Law, among others.
CATHOLIC BISHOPS OPPOSE SAMOA AGREEMENT, REQUEST AMENDMENT OR WITHDRAWAL FROM IT
CATHOLIC BISHOPS OPPOSE SAMOA AGREEMENT, REQUEST AMENDMENT OR WITHDRAWAL FROM IT The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has urged the Federal Government to immediately propose amendments to the Samoa Agreement or withdraw from it, if such amendments were not accepted. This is contained in a statement titled ‘Threats to the sovereignty and values of Nigeria in the Samoa Agreement’ on Thursday and jointly signed by President of CBCN and Archbishop of Owerri, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji; and Secretary of CBCN and Bishop of Uromi, Donatus A. Ogun respectively. The Catholic bishops said that they were concerned that Nigeria’s civil authorities may not be fully aware of the implications of the nuanced language in the document, which threaten the nation’s national sovereignty and values. “We, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, as watchmen and guides, deeply committed to the sound moral, religious, and cultural growth of our dear country, hereby clearly highlight what the Samoa Document portends for the future of Nigeria and Nigerians and call on our government to, as a matter of urgency, propose an amendment of the Agreement or withdraw from it,” the CBCN statement shared by the National Director of Social Communications of Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev. Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh. The bishops said though the agreement looks innocuous and attractive on the surface, underneath it, is carefully blended with post-modern secularistic ideologies that significantly undermine the moral, cultural, and religious beliefs of Nigerian citizens. “We are concerned that our civil authorities may not be fully aware of the implications of the nuanced language in the document, which threaten our national sovereignty and values,” the bishops said. The CBCN said the Samoa Agreement is the third edition of the Lomé Convention of 1975, as the first edition was originally a trade and aid agreement between the European Economic Community (EEC) as it was then (with former colonial masters) and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states (former colonies). They said the second edition was called the Cotonou Agreement, as a treaty signed by the European Union (EU) and the ACP states in 2000. They said, “The Samoa Agreement replaced the Cotonou Agreement and was signed off by 44 ACP states out of 79 member countries on 15 November 2023 in Apia, Samoa. “Nigeria did not sign it due to concerns with the language relating to sovereignty and African values. It is, however, the case that on 28 June 2024, just days away from the Nigeria-EU business summit held in Abuja on 2 July 2024, Nigeria signed it.” Speaking on the legal effect of the signing, the CBCN said the state parties makes it final, before it will then defer to the domestic processes of each country. They said, “In international law, when the state signs a Treaty, it indicates its intention to be bound by it in the future, and it demonstrates its support for the principles and goals of the Treaty and its willingness to consider ratifying it in the future. “Given the secrecy surrounding Nigeria’s signing of the Samoa Agreement, it is unclear whether the signature was tendered subject to ratification, acceptance, or approval. Ordinarily, signing a Treaty creates an obligation to refrain, in good faith, from acts that would undermine its object and purpose (Arts 10 &18, Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969). Signing a Treaty serves as an intention to be bound by it when it is enforced. “Under article 98.3 of the Samoa Agreement, Nigeria, by signing it, bound itself to recognise the validity of any measure taken to implement the Agreement after the date of its entry into force. “Its signing makes Nigeria surrender its position as a persistent objector to the impugned language during negotiations in several international fora. Most of…
GOVS TO MEET TO REVIEW SUPREME COURT VERDICT ON LG AUTONOMY – SOLUDO
GOVS TO MEET TO REVIEW SUPREME COURT VERDICT ON LG AUTONOMY – SOLUDO Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo has revealed that the Nigeria Governors Forum has convened an emergency meeting, to review the decision of the Supreme Court of Nigeria granting autonomy to Local Government Councils in the country. Soludo who held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House on Thursday, however, praised the court decision saying it was a democratic process which should be commended by all democrats. Reacting to the ruling, he said, “That’s great. I mean, the Supreme Court is Supreme because it is the final authority and I am a democrat. I believe in the rule of law. Once the Supreme Court has spoken it has spoken. I understand, I mean, tonight, I think the Governors Forum is meeting to review this. “We’re yet to even… I mean, I haven’t seen the document myself. I’ve been extremely, very busy all through the day but I’ve seen snippets of it. “But at a fundamental level, yes, we need resources to get down to the real grassroot and we need the people’s money to work for them at all levels, whether at the federal or the state and the local government. “We need to promote accountability. We need to promote transparency in the utilization of public resources at all levels, to be able to lift the burden of the common man”. Recall that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had on Thursday, declared as unconstitutional the situation where State Governors stifle funds meant for the LGs.The feat achieved was made possible when the Federal Government dragged the state governors to court to compel them to hands-off local government administration in the country and face their tasks squarely as governors.
IBORI DESCRIBES SUPREME COURT RULING ON LGCS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY AS ASSAULT ON TRUE FEDERALISM
IBORI DESCRIBES SUPREME COURT RULING ON LGCS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY AS ASSAULT ON TRUE FEDERALISM Former Delta State Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, has described the Supreme Court ruling which gave financial autonomy to the 774 Local Government Councils, LGCs in Nigeria, as assault on true federalism. Ibori, who made the declaration in a post on his X handle, said the decision could be seen as an erosion of state autonomy. He proclaimed: “The Supreme Court has dealt a severe setback on the principle of federalism as defined by section 162(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The section expressly provides thus: “Any amount standing to the credit of the Federation Account shall be distributed among the Federal and State Governments and the Local Government Councils in each State on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly”. Sections 6 provide further clarity on the subject matter. (6) Each State shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the Local Government Councils of the State from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State. “The court’s ruling on the matter is an assault on true federalism, he said. “The federal government has no right to interfere with the administration of Local Governments under any guise whatsoever. There are only two tiers of government in a federal system of government. “I’m opposed to fiddling with the allocations to the Joint LG Accounts at the state level, but that in itself does not call for this death knell to the clear provisions of section 162 of the constitution. The implications of the ruling are far reaching and the issues that readily come to mind are: “1. Constitutional Interpretation: The Supreme Court’s ruling appears to contradict the explicit provisions of Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution. This raises questions about judicial interpretation and whether the court has overstepped its bounds in reinterpreting clear constitutional language.constitutional language. “2. Balance of Power: The ruling potentially shifts the balance of power between the federal government and states. By allowing federal intervention in local government finances, it arguably centralizes more power at the federal level, contrary to the principles of federalism. “3. State Autonomy: This decision could be seen as an erosion of state autonomy. States are meant to have significant control over their internal affairs, including the administration of local governments, in a federal system. “4. Financial Independence: The ruling may impact the financial independence of states and local governments. If the federal government can directly intervene in local government finances, it could potentially use this as a tool for political leverage. “5. Precedent Setting: This decision could set a precedent for further federal interventions in areas traditionally reserved for state governance, potentially leading to a more centralized system of government over time. “That Local Governments must be “democratically elected “goes without saying. Yes, I agree, that’s the position of the constitution but withholding their allocation is not the way to go. It’s wrong. “In the coming days, we will begin to fully understand the implications of the Supreme Court decision. An assault on the constitution is not the answer to fiddling with the Joint LG Account. If the ruling is saying Governors cannot temper, touch, fiddle with the Joint Accounts, that’s fine because they shouldn’t be doing that in the first place. But asking the Federal Government to pay Local Governments allocations to the account of the Local Government directly, is utter madness. “Like the Hon. Justice Oputa JSC of blessed memory once said in describing the Supreme Court ” we are not final because we are infallible, but we are infallible only because we are final”.“It is…
SIX TAKEAWAYS FROM SUPREME COURT RULING ON LOCAL GOVT FINANCING
SIX TAKEAWAYS FROM SUPREME COURT RULING OB LOCAL GOVT FINANCING The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, July 11, that henceforth, the federal government must directly pay any funds allocated to the local governments in the federation to the local government areas managed by democratically elected officials. In a landmark decision by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for state governments to withhold and use the allocation meant for LGAs without transferring it to them, as required by Section 162(3) of the Constitution. Here are some important lessons from the Supreme Court’s decision on LG allocations. 1. Unconstitutional Practice: The court ruled that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue receiving and confiscating monies allotted to LGAs, a practice that has persisted for more than two decades. 2. Constitutional Violation: The Supreme Court determined that this practice violates Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. 3. Direct Payment of payments: The court ordered that payments intended for LGAs be transferred directly from the federation account to the LGAs rather than through the states. 4. Democratic Governance Mandate: The court highlighted that LGAs must be managed by democratically elected individuals, deeming governor-appointed caretaker committees to run LGA operations unlawful. 5. State Obligation: According to the verdict, the 36 states have an obligation to maintain democratic governance at the third tier of government. 6. Dismissal of Governors’ Objections: The court dismissed the preliminary objections made by state governors contesting the competence of the suit launched by the Federal Government to secure financial autonomy for the LGAs
COURT REMANDS FORMER MINISTER IN PRISON
COURT ORDERS REMAND OF FORMER POWER MINISTER IN PRISON A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, be remanded in Kuje prison in Abuja pending the consideration of his bail application. Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Thursday, July 11, after Mamman was arraigned on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering offences. He pleaded not guilty to the charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following which the prosecuting lawyer, Olumide Fusika (SAN) sought a date for the commencement of trial. Lawyer to the defendant, Femi Ate (SAN) said he filed a bail application shortly before the court resumed sitting. Although Fusika admitted being served with the bail application around 12:30 pm, Justice Omotosho noted that the application was not yet in the court’s file. In reaction, Ate prayed to be allowed to return the next day to argue the bail application, which request Fusika did not oppose. The judge then adjourned till today, July 12, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kuje correctional centre.The defendant, who his lawyer said is ill, looked dejected while stepping off the dock, shortly after the judge’s pronouncement.
TINUBU, LABOUR LEADERS’ MEETING ON MINIMUM WAGE INCONCLUSIVE
TINUBU, LABOUR LEADERS’ MEETING ON MINIMUM WAGE INCONCLUSIVE The meeting called by President Bola Tinubu to discuss the minimum wage issue ended in an inconclusive note on Thursday. But it afforded parties to the discussions, notably, the President and the organised Labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress. an opportunity to engage in a heart-to-heart talk. The meeting which lasted for about one and half hours, mainly centred on xraying the issues that should necessitate an increase in the current minimum wage, highlighting the contemporary economic realities. The meeting was, however, adjourned till next week to allow for more consultations from the government and labour side. Emerging from the meeting, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, described the short meeting as fruitful as it was more or less a family discussion between a father and the children. She said, “It was a fruitful meeting, father, children meeting. I think we are hopeful that very soon everything will be resolved. Of course, when father and children talk you know what it is. That’s just exactly what has happened. It took us almost an hour. I believe that it’s all for good”. On his part, President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero revealed that the meeting will reconvene next week, insisting that both parties have not rescinded their previous positions on the amount. Ajaero said, “in a real sense, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion and we have had that discussion. We agreed to look at the real terms and to reconvene in the next one week. So that’s where we are. Because we didn’t go down there to talk naira and kobo. At least there were some basic issues that we agreed on”. Asked whether they deliberated on the N250,000 being demanded by Labour, the NLC President replied, “I remember mentioning that we didn’t go into Naria and Kobo discussion. Now the status quo in terms of the amount N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation”. Corroborating Ajaero and Onyejeocha, the TUC President, Festus Osifo said they told the President in plain terms what the economic realities are at the moment. He said they tried to make the President see reasons why the minimum wage has to be shored up, going by the hardships Nigerians were facing. His words, “In the meeting we tried to put the issues on the table. Issues that are bothering and biting Nigerians today, are the economic difficulties and the value of naira, how it has also eroded, and how these have affected the prices of commodities and goods in the market. “We tried to put these before Mr President because he is the President of the country and the bulk stops at his table. “We have had all the conversations with all his agents, but today we said let us meet with the father of the country and have this conversation and make the argument that Labour always make, we made all the arguments, the economic analysis, macro, micro, fiscal and monetary issues.”So we put everything forward and at the end, the president made his remark as the president and we all agreed “Let’s go back, we internalize it, we have some conversation and in one week’s time, we will come back and we will continue the meeting”.
NERC REELS OUT NEW SANCTIONS FOR DISCOS
NERC REELS OUT NEW SANCTIONS FOR DISCOS The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has disclosed that there will be new sanctions for Discos that failed to meet up some contractual agreements with customers and regulators. In an Order on Performance Monitoring Framework for all the DisCos, it said this will affect seven issues that would be used to assess their performance. “This includes energy off-take relative to partial contracted capacity; revenue recovery rate; compliance with reporting of a uniform system of accounts; compliance with API feeder streaming; compliance with the order on capping of estimated bills; compliance with the implementation of forum decisions; and compliance with service standards for the resolution of complaints received through the NERC contact centre and NERC headquarters,” it said. The order which was signed by NERC’s chairman, Sanusi Garbo, and Commissioner Legal, Licensing & Compliance, Dafe C. Akpeneye, added that the new order sought to hold the top management of each DisCos accountable for their compliance with reporting requirements and implementation of directives of the commission in line with the terms and conditions of the utility. “This will drive increased operational performance from DisCos thereby improving energy delivery to customers under their franchise area,” it said. The order stipulated that failure to off-take up to 95 per cent of available nominations in any month will attract issuance of a rectification directive. But the failure of any DisCo to off-take up to 95 per cent of available nominations in two of the three months in any quarter will attract a downward adjustment of DisCos guaranteed Admin OpEx by 5 per cent for the next quarter. Also, for any instance of a customer overbilled, 10 per cent of the naira value of the total over-billing for the period will be deducted from the DisCo’s annual Admin OpEx allowance during the next tariff review, and credit adjustment for overbilled customers. “If the energy overbilled is greater than 20 per cent of the allowed cap or the number of customers overbilled represent is greater than 20 per cent of unmetered customer base, the Commission may take other enforcement actions including the withdrawal of the KYL of the Head of Billing or the officer responsible for the billing function in the utility.“For non-compliance to the resolution of complaints through the NERC contact centre or headquarters after the expiration of timelines in the CPR, the DisCo would be made to pay fines within the first month -billing: N10,000 per day; disconnection: N2,000/day; interruption: N2,000/day; metering: N1,000/day; delay in connection: N1,000/day; Voltage: N1,000/day,” it said.