A lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Peter Ekemezie has been sentenced to six months imprisonment for publishing defamatory statements against one Prof. Alex Asigbo.
Ekemezie, convicted on three counts of charges bordering on forgery and defamation, was given an option of a N300,000 fine.
Delivering the judgment at an Awka Magistrates’ court, His Worship, E.C. Chukwu noted that he considered that the defendant had spent one month in a psychiatric home and four months in a Correctional Centre.
Prof. Asigbo had told the court that Ekemezie forged his signature when he refused to give him (Ekemezie) a witness statement but instead advised him to procure a subpoena.
Asigbo said this led to Ekemezie writing and publishing a series of defamatory statements against him on Facebook and other social media platforms.
However, it was unclear if Ekemezie was still a lecturer at Unizik by the time he was sentenced.
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor has warned the Economic Community of West African States—Ecowas against military action in Niger Republic.
The warning is coming after the regional bloc defence chiefs last week Thursday, announced readiness to send in a standby force that could possibly restore constitutional democracy in the former French colony after President Mohamed Bazoum was booted out of office by the coupists.
Mr El-rufai in a short statement posted on his official X handle while warning Ecowas against military intervention in Niger said, “As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’, because a war within our subregion is a war between brothers. Indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria.
Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.”
To critically examine worsening security situation in the South East and propose workable solutions, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, in partnership with Action Group on Free Civic Space, AGFCS, has organized a summit and public hearing in Awka, Anambra State Capital.
The summit tagged “South East Peace Summit and Public Hearing on Insecurity, Crime and Human Rights Violations” had eminent jurists, experts in human rights law, members of the civil society from South East states and media practitioners in attendance, and featured testimonies from victims and witnesses of insecurity and human rights violation.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of RULAAC, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, explained that with the testimonies by the victims and witnesses, concerned stakeholders can assist the most vulnerable and the most affected to seek legal redress, as well as advocate and push for urgent action to pull the zone out of the quagmire.
He regretted that instead of using stakeholders’ engagement and dialogue to address the underlining factors motivating separatist agitation, federal government resorted to brutal repression, which consequently radicalized the once unarmed group; forcing them to take up arms, leading to devastating impacts on socio-economic and political development, livelihoods, wellbeing and civic freedoms.
Mr. Nwanguma, who described the routine sit-at-home being observed in the Southeast as senseless, regretted that the order from non-state actors has ruined the economy of the Southeast and worsened the plight of toiling people most of whom depend on daily earnings.
While expressing concern that the Nigerian Police Force is yet to make public the outcome of investigation into allegations of arbitrary arrests, detention, torture, extrajudicial killing, conversion of property of killed or disappeared persons and organ harvesting by a whistle blower against some senior police officers in Anambra State, RULAAC however, commended the Anambra State Government for the establishment of bureau of missing persons, calling on other states to emulate Anambra, and for all state governments to take steps to restore people’s confidence in governance.
Earlier in his keynote speech, a human rights lawyer, Professor Chidi Odinkalu called for conscious efforts towards rebuilding the Southeast for sustainable development.
A Pro-Biafran group, Biafra De Facto Customary Government, BDFCG, has strongly condemned the threats of violence and intimidation against residents in Biafraland, particularly people of Enugu State, by a splinter group of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), calling on the group to immediately cease its violent and unlawful activities, and to engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve its grievances.
In a press statement obtained by BVI Correspondent in Awka, the group said though it recognizes that civil disobedience often emerges as a response to deep-rooted grievances and frustrations within society, resorting to violence and intimidation as means of enforcing compliance is not only counterproductive, but also unjust.
The statement signed by BDFCG Spokesperson, Prosper Odinga, urged the IPOB splinter group to exercise restraint and seek peaceful avenues to address grievances, consider nonviolent methods of protest, engage in meaningful dialogue, as well as work towards finding lasting solutions to the issues at hand.
It noted that the sit-at-home order being enforced in the Southeast has lost its moral high ground and led to a breakdown of social order, saying it is because the order “strayed from its nonviolent nature and devolved into violence, destruction of property and harm to innocent people”.
BDFCG however called on the government and law enforcement agencies to uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety and security of people, adding that it is through constructive dialogue and inclusive engagement that challenges facing Biafra people can be addressed, and a more just and prosperous future for all achieved.
In solidarity with the people of Biafra in Nigeria, the group expressed deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones or suffered harm as a result of the ill-advised approaches by criminals masquerading as freedom fighters, and expressed commitment to advocating peace, justice and respect for rights of people in Nigeria and around the world.
Read the full statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT
Condemnation of threats of violence and intimidation in Biafra, particularly this time in Enugu
Date: Tues, Aug 22, 2023
1. We strongly condemn the threats, violence and intimidation against the residents in Biafraland, particularly this time at Enugu, first capital of the Republic of Biafra.
It is being alleged that this violence and intimidation are being melted by so called deviant Biafran freedom fighters and our available intelligent report seemed to confirm that. These violence that are threatening the daily livelihoods of our citizens continue to metamorphose: from UGM, counterfeit civil disobedience tagged “sit at-home to unregulated security outfits.
2. We recognize that civil disobedience often emerges as a response to deep-rooted grievances and frustrations within society. However, resorting to violence and intimidation as a means of enforcing compliance is not only counterproductive but also aberration of the civility which Biafra represents in the comity of nations.
3. We urge all Biafrans – her various shadow and de facto governments, Igbo organisations, friends and well wishers to seek peaceful avenues for addressing this menace that tends enrooted in Biafraland in the name of political liberation in a meaningful dialogue, and work towards finding lasting solutions.
4. We do hereby express our hearted solidarity to Biafrans, friends and well wishers, particularly to all the victims of this abominable actions.
5. We express our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones or suffered harm as a result of the ill-advised approaches by criminals masquerading as freedom fighters.
We remain committed to putting a stop on all this distractive menace.
Biafra restoration stands on the pillars of peace, justice, and the respect for human rights.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has assured party loyalists that half of the things being said about him in recent times are false, describing them as “rumours”.
Obi made this known on Monday while speaking at the party’s rally in Edo State ahead of the local government elections in the state.
This is coming barely 24 hours after reports went viral that he was in talks with Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwankwaso for a possible merger to seize power from the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election.
The report claimed that the trio had decided to wait and watch the outcome of the election petitions in court, which would determine their next line of action.
However, assuring party loyalists and supporters of his commitment to the continuous growth of the party, he noted that the party will continue to grow stronger and better in the midst of detractors.
He added that he and the party leadership are committed to building a better and stronger Nigeria if given the opportunity to steer the country’s reins of power.
He said, “Labour Party will continue to grow. We will continue to go stronger (and) better. Half of the things you are hearing everywhere are rumours, don’t listen to them. We are committed to building a better and a new Nigeria where we will move Nigeria from consumption to production.”
Speaking further, Obi urged individuals contesting local government elections in the state to ensure a fulfilment of all campaign promises in the event of their victory.
He said, “Those of you who are contesting, go and tell the people what you will do and whatever you say, if you succeed, do it. No more promise-and-fail. The time for fake promises has passed in this country; we don’t want anybody to promise us fake things now. Anything you promise you must deliver.”
The newly sworn in minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says open cattle grazing in the capital city will no longer be allowed, while adding that the herders will have to take their cows for grazing outside the city centre.
“We will consult with the herdsmen and talk to them to see how we will stop, we cannot allow cows inside the city. It can be outside the city. That is the way it should be done,” Mr Wike said.
“Because the grasses are outside the city. The grasses are not here. These are grasses we planted to beautify the city. The ones outside the area councils are the ones they can eat.”
Mr Wike said this during his first media briefing after being sworn in as FCT minister on Monday.
The minister also condemned open grazing in the city centre, saying it does not portray Nigeria well in the face of foreigners who come to Abuja.
In the past eight years, under former President Muhammadu Buhari, Fulani herdsmen engaged their cattle in open grazing within the city centre.
Though it was condemned, Mr Buhari’s administration did nothing about it as herders grazed their cows across the city centre from Jabi district to Asokoro, Maitama to Central Business District, where the State House, National Assembly and Supreme Court are located.
As part of economic succor to the people of Anambra in the face of the present economic situation in Nigeria ,the Governor of Anambra State – Prof Chukwuma Soludo has rolled out palliatives in several forms . In a state broadcast to the people of the State , Gov Soludo stated that his Government would do everything possible to put smile on the peoples’ faces . His full statement reads ”Nigeria is undergoing fundamental re-setting of the macroeconomic framework. The long overdue disruptive change (especially the removal of subsidy on PMS and reduction of distortions in the exchange rate) comes with certain hardships on all the residents of Nigeria. Governments at all levels in Nigeria have shown a keen commitment to ameliorate the consequent short term effects of the policy change on livelihoods. The President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has rolled out an agenda of palliatives as the response of the federal government. We support the FGN agenda and expect to partner with the federal government to ensure that Anambra residents benefit maximally from the federal programmes.
Ours is a government on the foundation of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). We are progressives, and the welfare of the ordinary Nigerians especially the poor and vulnerable, remains our primary focus. Our motto is: “Be your brother’s and sister’s keeper”. There is no better time to rise up to the full essence of our motto and ideological stance on behalf of the ordinary persons than now.
In our 2024 budget, we shall roll out a more comprehensive agenda to address the medium to longer term issues that will help to smoothen the path for all our residents, and ensure that everyone shares in our broad agenda of building a livable and prosperous homeland. In the meantime and over the remaining four months of the year (September – December 2023) as well as within the context of our 2023 budget framework, we are rolling out a few immediate and medium term measures.
Our response recognizes that the subsidy removal affects ALL citizens, especially millions of the unemployed and underemployed youths and vulnerable segments of the population. Our interim response reflects the need to target the total population.
Palliatives
Salary Augmentation and Cash Award:
In our foresighted response to the rising inflation, our government had increased the salaries of all public servants by 10% effective January 2023. We have been paying the 10% adjustment since January 2023.
In addition to the salary increase, we will be paying every pensioner and public servant in the employment of the Anambra State Government and the 21 LGAs (approx. 59,000 persons) for the period September 2023 to December 2023 a monthly flat non-taxable cash award of N12,000. This is to augment their monthly take-home.
We will continue to clear the backlog of gratuity and pension of our pensioners. Recall that we met 4-year pension and gratuity arrears when we assumed office, which we have been paying since assumption of office.
Anambra State Government will be distributing rice to over 300,000 households in the coming weeks across the 326 wards in Anambra.
Tax Exemptions/Reductions:
The following highly vulnerable persons are exempt from all forms of taxation/levies: hawkers; wheel barrow and truck pushers; vulcanizers; artisans, okada drivers; petty traders with capital of less than N100,000; etc.
The IGR payments of ALL transporters — Keke, Minibus, etc are hereby reduced by 20% with effect from September 01, 2023.
Basic Education (primary school to JSS3) remain tuition free for all public schools. We are reviewing the plethora of other levies, fees, and charges in these schools. Before schools resume in September 2023, we shall make further announcements to sanitize the system and reduce the burden on our pupils/students and their sponsors.
Henceforth, we will provide free antenatal services and free delivery services to pregnant mothers in State primary health centres and general hospitals. We will announce a more comprehensive medical package for our residents, especially the senior citizens and children in our 2024 budget.
We call on the landlords to show empathy to their tenants at this challenging moment and consider easier options for rent payment.
Transport
We have approved the repair/renovation of all serviceable Public Servants Staff Buses currently under the office of the Head of Service of Anambra State to facilitate the movement of public servants.
Still on initiative to reduce the cost of transportation for the larger segment of Ndi Anambra, we will be applying to purchase many of the CNG-fueled buses to be provided by the Federal Government for intra-state transportation. The aim is to reduce the cost of transportation within Anambra.
We will embark immediately on the repair of existing and purchase of new water boats to ease transportation for our citizens in the riverine local governments.
Medium to long-term
We recently distributed a total of 1.1 million oil palm and coconut high yielding seedlings to over 100,000 households. We plan to sustain the distribution of one million seedlings per annum over several years in continuation of our revolution to create a new palm-coconut green/industrial ecosystem that will guarantee 500,000 – 1,000,000 households earning N1.5m to N3m per annum, thereby lifting them out of poverty, create wealth and earn foreign exchange for Nigeria. We also expect a new industrial complex to process the products, thereby creating more jobs for our youths.
We are getting ready to deal with the heavy flooding expected to massively affect eight local governments in Anambra soon. We have made arrangements for resettlements of Ndi Anambra living in flood-prone areas. We will take every necessary measure to ameliorate the effects on the victims.
In the next few weeks, we will be energizing our One Youth Two Skills program by providing a mix of grant and soft loan schemes at a maximum interest rate of 9% per annum through a collaborative initiative between the Anambra State Small Business Agency (ASBA) and its partner development finance institutions. This will benefit about 4,500 of our youths who have recently completed the year-long intensive trainings, and will enable them to become entrepreneurs and employers of labour. We are rolling out about N4 billion for this project.
We are completing the set-up and funding of the Ward-based Cooperative Initiative for micro-enterprises. We are proposing a revolving loan scheme at near zero interest rate. We are targeting over 100,000 micro businesses.
Already we employed 5,000 teachers and over 300 medical professionals within our first 9 months in office plus thousands of youths in the security sector. We understand that the teeming unemployed youths remain a potent time bomb. We are committed to recruiting further thousands of youths as teachers for our schools and road/street sweepers and engaging youths in public works.
We are rolling out a very ambitious program to build/modernize the primary health centres (PHCs) in all the 326 wards — to let everyone have access to qualitative healthcare. This is in addition to renovation/modernization of hundreds of primary schools and secondary schools. We recently approved a huge program for urban and rural water schemes to ensure that especially the poor have access to clean portable water.
We are constructing over 340km of roads across all the 21 local governments and we are poised to continue. We have also started repairs of some “trunk A” federal and state roads, to improve the lives of Ndi Anambra and reduce transportation cost in the State. As we enter the dry season, we will deliberately prioritize palliative works on many of our critical roads to lessen the burden on commuters and ensure more effective traffic management.
We are working assiduously to improve the Ease of Doing Business in Anambra to attract private sector investment into the State for improved job creation for Ndi Anambra. Security of life and property remain the number one priority of government. We are stepping up measures to deal with touts who inflict pain on our innocent citizens around some major places in the state.
Food prices are rising and food security has become a critical issue. We are determined to provide every assistance to the farmers for the next planting season in 2024 to boost food and animal production.
Finally, we are determined to collaborate with the Federal Government to ensure that Anambra residents benefit maximally from the myriad of palliatives being rolled out by Mr. President, including:
Provide our updated Social Register for Anambra residents to benefit from the FGN cash transfer
— apply to attract a conditional grant of N50,000 to at least 1,300 nano business owners in each of the 21 LGAs of the State
– support MSME and Startups in Anambra to apply for N500,000 – N1million soft loan each at 9% pa and repayable over a period of 36 months
– in collaboration with the Organised Private Sector in the State, apply to obtain the N1bn soft loan each at 9% pa and repayable over 5 years available to 75 manufacturers in the country;
— the N100 billion CBN commercial agricultural loan
— the Gas conversion scheme; etc
Good Governance Ministry (GGM) is most disturbed with the level of secrecy that has characterized Soludo Administration. Few days ago ,Tinubu – led Federal Government announced N5billion palliative and the distribution of five trucks of rice(100,000bags), 40,000bags of grains and fertilizers due to States as a measure to alleviate the impact of subsidy removal on the citizens .
GGM has noted the efforts of Prof Zulum of Borno State and other State Governors to show love to their people in this period of economic strangulation.
In line with Prof Soludo Manifesto which stated that transparency, especially in public
finance, will be key in building the kind of public confidence
required and that Government will deploy technology and responsive public services to achieve optimal service delivery , GGM ,however , expects information on how Anambra State Government plans to alleviate the economic hardship imposed on the citizens as a result of subsidy removal and floating of naira . This information ought to be given media hype by the State Government without further delay.
The continuous silence on the part of Anambra State Government on public policy initiative to address economic dislocations occasioned by subsidy removal and floating of naira only indicates insensitivity to the highest order.
GGM strongly urge Governor Soludo to demonstrate openness, accountability, and transparency in his administration in line with his contract with Anambra people (Manifesto). The people of Anambra deserve to know how public funds from Federal Government will be utilized and; where and when the accompanying foodstuff will be distributed. We call upon Governor Soludo to provide regular updates and ensure that the funds are judiciously used to the benefit of ndi Anambra while the palliative reaches those who truly need it, regardless of their political affiliations.
Finally,GGM noted that the level of economic inequalities have increased to the high heavens and if nothing is done urgently to reverse the ugly trend , the state of insecurity will be unchecked in the nearest future.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said the president Bola Tinubu-led federal government was secretly paying subsidy on petrol to maintain the current pump price.
Presently, petrol sells for between N568 and N617 in different parts of the country, and the ex-depot price of petrol stood at N580 per litre in Lagos on Thursday.
After adding the cost of conveying it to filling stations and the marketers’ profit margin, it ought to sell for between N620 and N630 per litre.
It was gathered that the difference, however, represents the subsidy that the government is surreptitiously bearing despite the fact that there is no budget for that.
In a chat with The Punch on Friday, IPMAN National Secretary, Chief John Kekeocha, said the decision of the government to put a cap on petrol prices meant that subsidy on the product had been reinstated.
He said, “The government is not being very transparent with this issue. When you say you have removed fuel subsidy, you don’t come again and moderate prices. It is like speaking with the two sides of the mouth.
“Removal of subsidy means you have removed your hands, and the prices have to follow demand and supply. So if the NNPC says it is getting forex (foreign exchange) to import products and reduce prices for marketers, are they going to do the same for other importers? Remember that the government gave import licences to about seven marketers?
“Are they still going to moderate prices for those people when they bring in the product? No! You don’t blow hot and cold at the same time. There is no way they can bring in the product and reduce the price and peg it for marketers to sell at a certain level; it means they are indirectly bringing back subsidy.
“If they want to bring back subsidy, let them say it openly that we are going to come back to subsidy because of the pains the country generally is going through. This is because the initial things they are supposed to do they did not do. We have always been clamouring; let the refineries work.”
Also speaking, IPMAN Spokesman, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, insisted that the subsidy on petrol was being returned gradually.
He said, “You can also see the analysis that the Presidency made with the cost of the product in neighbouring countries, as well as in the international market. It said no country is selling non-subsidised petrol at N617/litre.
But that is not a qualitative analysis. You will talk about the purchasing power of your own currency, as it were. In Ghana, a bottle of Coke is about N400, but it is about N200 in Nigeria. You won’t say because it is N400 in Ghana, Nigerians should also buy it at N400.
“So, that analogy by the Presidency in stating that petrol is cheaper here is not entirely correct. This takes us to the importance of domestic refining, which will enable us to check the demand for dollars and importation of petroleum products.
“If we actually want full deregulation, there must be local production that will check the rise in dollar. For once the dollar is rising, there’s nothing you can do to stop the simultaneous rise in petrol price.
“If not, it means the Federal Government is subsidising petroleum products, which implies that subsidy has indirectly returned.”
An Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) delegation to Niger Republic led by former Nigerian Military Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) has finally met the Niger coup leaders who forced out President Mohamed Bazoum last month.
The last-ditch diplomatic effort to prevent a possible military intervention also succeeded in meeting the ousted president who has been held by the junta.
The delegation met with Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine who received them at the airport and led them to the presidential palace.
They also met with General Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the junta, and his team for about 90 minutes before meeting Bazoum.
A previous effort by ECOWAS delegation also led by Abdulsalami failed.
Tchiani later apologised when some Nigerian clerics met with him, saying he could not guarantee the delegation’s safety at the time.
This comes after ECOWAS activated its standby force and said all options were on the table if “constitutional order” is not reinstated in Niger.
The sub-region’s defence chiefs met on Thursday and Friday and agreed on an undisclosed date for possible military intervention in Niger if all diplomatic efforts fail.
“We are ready to go any time the order is given. The D-day is also decided. We’ve already agreed and fine-tuned what will be required for the intervention. As we speak, we are still readying a mediation mission into the country, so we have not shut any door,” said Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
“All member states of ECOWAS present here today have all committed elements, they have committed their own equipment, they have committed their own resources to undertake this mission, so I tell you we are ready to go anytime the order is given.”
According to the bloc, most of its 15 member states are willing to contribute to the joint force, with the exception of countries under military rule – Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea – and Cape Verde.
After the bloc’s defence chiefs’ meeting, Burkina Faso and Mali, which had earlier warned against any military intervention in Niger, reportedly deployed war planes in the troubled nation.
