President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the membership of the proposed National Minimum Wage Committee which will be inaugurated any moment from now.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, made the disclosure after visiting the president in the State House, where he briefed him happenings in his ministry.
Nigige who recalled Buhari administration’s promise to address minimum wage issue while in office, said the date for the inauguration of the committee would be determined as soon as members of the organised labour return from the meeting of the Labour Governing Board in Geneva, Switzerland.
“When we came to power in 2015, there was a minimum wage, and by May 2016, we now had a deregulation in the petroleum industry and prices of petroleum products went up and we started discussions with the organised Labour.
“One of the agreements was that the issue would be addressed. The old law expired last year August and we are now in the process of empaneling a new national minimum wage committee.
“I have cleared the appointments with the president today and as soon as the Labour people come back from the Labour Governing Board meeting in Geneva, we will take a consensus date with the governors because it is a tripartite committee involving federal and states, the private sector – National Employment Consultative Agency (NECA), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). These are the arms that will be involved. Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), their affiliates have done their nominations. What we are now trying to finetune is the date for inauguration,” he said.
Ngige who said discussion with the affected parties would decide whether the N56,000 minimum wage being demanded by the workers is achievable, said various jobs had been created by the agricultural policy of this government, stating that between five to seven million jobs have so far be created.
He said, “This is the first major opportunity we had to brief Mr. President especially as we had a harvest of strikes in September. So, we had to look at where we are and also look at where we are in terms of job creation, Labour administration and the issue of national minimum wage, which Labour has been asking the government to set in motion the process.
“We promised jobs but what has happened is that people tried to quantify jobs in terms of white collar jobs for graduates from universities, polytechnic but they don’t want to look at the blue collar jobs. Agriculture and agric chains alone have created more than 5-7 Million jobs. Talk in terms of rice. From rice tilling, harvesting, sending to the paddies, mills, and even where people are making the jut bags, transportations, people are getting jobs. So, that value chain alone from agric is enormous.
“Take the N-power, we have created millions of jobs from here. Skill acquisition from the NDE and other agencies of government, jobs are being created. We give them tools as plumbers, electricians ,cosmetologists, shoe makers, tilers and several other areas. We have created several jobs.”
In a letter made available to BVI Channel 1 and signed by Dr Sam Amadi on behalf of the MUMUDONDO GROUP to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation,Ministry of Justice,the letter reads :
‘Request for Executive Action on Allegation of Corruption against Presidential Aides
Mr. Charles Oputa (popularly known as charley Boy) has instructed us to write this letter on his behalf and on behalf of the Our Mumu Don Do group and several of its coalition partners that are campaigning for transparent, accountable and democratic governance in Nigeria. Our client is complaining against the President and the Federal Government for failure to publicly disclose the report of investigation into the cases against some senior officials of this government who have been accused of corrupt practices and take action to ensure their prosecution according to the law.
On May 29, 2017, President Muhammed Buhari took the Oath of Office of the President to do everything in his powers to enforce and protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While delivering his inauguration speech, the President declared war against corruption and promised zero tolerance for corrupt practices in the public service of Nigeria. Since after his inauguration, the President has continued to declare his commitment to fight corruption.
But, since assuming leadership of the country, the President has refused or neglected to act beyond mere words to fulfill his oath of office. Since May 29, 2015 there has been many allegations of corruption against high profile public officers and presidential aides. Some of these allegations are as follows:
Allegation of N270million procurement fraud against the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation
$43 million found in an apartment belong to the former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency
N500million alleged MTN bribery against the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari
N120 billion fraud against the Inspector General of Police
Alleged award of $25billion contract contrary to the procurement law against the Group Managing Director of the NNPC
The illegal reinstatement into the civil service of Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, declared wanted by the EFFC in connection with alleged N100billion Pension Fund
In the case of the allegations against the former Secretary to Government of the Federation and the Director of the NIA, the President usurped the statutory powers of the Nigerian police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Section 6 of the EFCC Act and Section 4 of the Police Act and set up a presidential investigation committee to investigate the allegations notwithstanding that the Nigerian Senate, in exercise of its oversight functions under Section 88 of the Constitution, has indicted the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the statutory responsibility to investigate crimes of such sort belongs to the Police and the EFCC. The establishment of the presidential investigation committee is therefore an unconstitutional usurpation of the powers of statutory agencies responsible for criminal investigation and prosecution.
The allegation against the Group Managing Director of the NNPC was made by the Minister of State for Petroleum in respect of alleged gross violation of public services rules and the Public Procurement Act. The allegation was made in a formal petition to the President. Notwithstanding the enormity of the allegation and the fact that it involves alleged violations of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, the President has not authorized investigation of the alleged crime. The presidency has also not disclosed to the public the result of the internal review of the petition and response of the Minister of State for Petroleum and the Group Managing Director of the NNPC.
In all these allegations the presidency has not issued public reports. The Presidential Investigation Committee that investigated the allegations against the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has submitted its report for months. The presidency has refused to release the report. This is clearly against the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, particularly Sections 2 and 3 of the Act. The failure or refusal to publicly release the reports of these presidential investigations violates the President’s Oath of Office, the provisions of the FOI and declared policies of the administration. Also, failure or refusal to authorize prosecution of these clear and serious allegations of violation of law and commission of crimes amount to abuse and violation of executive power of the federation in Section 5 of the Constitution.
In the foregoing premises, our client demands that the President of the Federation Republic of Nigeria publicly releases the reports of investigation into the allegations of crimes and/or violations of law against the aforementioned public officials, namely, the GMD of the NNPC; The Chief of Staff to the President; the SGF and DG NIA; the Inspector General of Police and Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina. Our client further demands that the President authorizes the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence prosecution of the cases against these public officers in line with the provisions of the law and the report of these investigation reports and executive reviews.
We hereby give notice that if after three weeks (21 days) after this notification the President has not publicly released these reports our client will consider to proceed to court to ask for declaratory and mandatory orders against the President and the Federal Government of Nigeria’
It was gathered that Charley Boy led the group with many other Comrades to the Minister’s Office.There was unusual calmness within the premises as MUMUDONDO coalition marched to the Minister’s Office to deliver the letter.Charley Boy told the Pressmen after the submission of the letter that the era of impunity has gone forever in Nigeria with the arrival of OURMUMUDONDO .He encouraged all the angry and frustrated Nigerians to stand up to be counted and insist that the right thing be done always.
The United Nations has insisted that Nigeria would remain one and indivisible nation, as it expressed delight on the role Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other leaders of the South East played to douse the tension raised in the region a couple of months ago.
Protests staged by pro-Biafra groups who were demanding self-determination had raised great concern in the South-East zone, prompting the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation to write to the United Nations.
Consequently, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, responded to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo letter, with a promise to send a delegation to meet with the group.
The UN delegation led by the Special Representative of the Secretary General in West Africa and the Sahara, Ambassador Mohammed Ibn Chambers, visited the Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo and other principal officers of the organisation in his Enugu residence, where the world body thanked them in the manner they handled the crisis that erupted in the region.
Chambers said: “We, indeed, came to commend them for the leadership they demonstrated a few months ago. We were all getting a bit worried about events and developments in the South East of Nigeria, but thanks to their leadership and their initiatives, they were able to bring together the chiefs, the political leaders in governance, the respected persons of the South East and through these interventions, we now saw that calm was restored and all are working to advance the one Nigeria agenda.”
He said the Secretary General of the UN “believes in this one Nigeria project because as he has always said, a united strong Nigeria is good not only for the people of Nigeria, but indeed for the people of West Africa and all of Africa.
“We know the strength that the people of the South East bring to Nigeria and the sub-region. There is hardly a single country in West Africa where you will not find enterprising persons from the South East, who are in their own rights economic ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“So, our simple message is to encourage the leaders, the elders of the South East to continue to endeavour to seek ways they can work with all other parts of this federation to strengthen the unity of this country through constructive approach, seek dialogue to redress whatever shortcomings that may be.”
Chambers noted that there were bound to be some structural imbalances in young democracies and young countries such as Nigeria, pointing out that the correct way to address them was through deepening the democracy everyone had embarked on by trying to accommodate one another.
“So, in this spirit, we came and in this spirit we are leaving. This will be a continuous dialogue from time to time. Whenever we are in Nigeria, we will always look forward to coming back to exchange and pay respect to the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,” he said.
The UN envoy said he was honoured and extremely pleased by the warm reception given to them by Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which he said, on a short notice, had assembled some high profile members of the organisation to receive them.
Flagging off the interaction with newsmen, Nwodo disclosed that on July 10, Ohanaeze Ndigbo wrote “to the Secretary General of the United Nations about the security infrastructure in our country as it pertains to Ndigbo,” adding that the UN Secretary General replied on October 10, and indicated that he was sending his representatives for West Africa and the Sahara to see them.
Nwodo said they had fruitful and frank discussions with Amb. Chambers, who he said assured them that “the United Nations represents the prevention of conflicts, represents promotion of development in a manner that improves the quality of lives and prevents conflicts while supporting protection of human rights.”
He, therefore, urged the United Nations to be alive to its responsibilities to members of the organisation as it pertains to Nigeria and Ndigbo.
He thanked the United Nations for sending such an important delegation to discuss with Ohanaeze Ndigbo, while wishing them well, as they return to their base.
CHIEF OLU FALAE SPOKE THE MINDS OF HONEST AND PROGRESSIVE NIGERIANS- THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT RESTRUCTURING NIGERIA IS ALL ABOUT .
This beautiful piece by Chief Olu Falae is for for the education of the hypocrtitical, genocidal, fake-prayer warrior, ICC bound war criminal called Gowon and other mischievous Nigerians , who pretend that they do not understand what restructuring is all about. This is 100% my position. God bless you Chief.
FOR THOSE STILL GREEKED BY THE TERM, THIS IS THE MEANING OF RESTRUCTURING AS CANVASSED BY SOUTHERN NIGERIA BY~Chief Olu Falae
You know I am a leader in the South West and at the National convention, I was elected as the leader of the Yoruba delegation. So, I am central to the Yoruba position. The Yoruba position is my position and it is the same position I canvassed in my book, ‘The way forward for Nigeria’ which I launched since 2005 in Lagos. What we mean by restructuring is going back to the Independence Constitution which our leaders negotiated with the British between 1957 and 1959. It was on that basis that the three regions agreed to go to Independence as one united country. So, it was a negotiated constitution. This is because, if the three regions were not able to agree, there would not have been one united independent Nigeria. But because the three regions at that time negotiated and agreed to package a constitution, that is why they agreed to go to Independence together. When the military came in 1966 and threw away the constitution, they threw away the negotiated agreement among the three regions, which was the foundation of a united Nigeria.
So, the military did not only throw away the constitution but a political consensus negotiated and agreed by our leaders of the three regions in those days. When we say restructuring now, we are saying let us go back substantially to that constitution which gave considerable autonomy to the regions. For example, each region at that time collected its revenue and contributed the agreed proportion to the centre. But when the military came, they turned it round and took everything to the centre. That could not have been accepted by Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe or Obafemi Awolowo.
This constitution we are using was made by late Gen Sani Abacha and the military; and Abacha came from only one part of Nigeria, so he wrote a constitution that favoured his own part of Nigeria. That is why I am saying, let us restructure and go back to what all of us agreed before. That is the meaning of restructuring. The regions used to be federating units, but in today’s Nigeria, they would now be called federal regions because states have been created in the regions. So in the West, you now have federation of Yoruba states which would belong to the Nigerian union at the centre. So, it is not like the region of old with all the powers. No. It is now going to be a coordinator of the states in the zone. That is what we mean by restructuring. And the regions would have a considerable autonomy as they used to have. For example, for the younger people, they may not know that every region then had its own constitution.
There were four constitutions at independence –the Federal constitution, Western constitution, Eastern constitution and Northern constitution. That was how independent they were and every region had an ambassador in London. The ambassadors for the regions were called Agent General so that you do not confuse them with that of Nigeria then called High Commissioner. So, Nigeria had four ambassadors in London. The ambassador for Nigeria then called a High Commissioner was M.T Mbu. The ambassador for Eastern Nigeria then was Mr Jonah Chinyere Achara, Western Nigeria was Mr Omolodun and for Northern Nigeria, it was Alhaji Abdulmalik. There were four of them. That was the kind of arrangement we agreed to, but the military threw it away and gave us this over-centralised unitary constitution. So, we said this is not acceptable any more; we must go back to the negotiated constitution which gave considerable autonomy to the regions, so that they can compete in a healthy manner. For example, Chief Obafemi Awolowo wanted to introduce free education in the West and other regions said they could not afford it, but he went ahead to introduce it in the Western region. He said he wanted to pay a minimum of five shillings a day, while others were paying two and three shillings. He went ahead and passed the law, making five shillings the minimum wage in Western Nigeria.
There was no problem with that. In Western Nigeria, the constitution provided for a House of Assembly and the House of Chiefs. In Eastern Nigeria, there was no House of Chiefs because they did not think they needed one. There was no problem with that and that is the kind of Nigeria we negotiated in London, but that is different from what we have today. So, we are saying let us go back to that arrangement which all of us agreed at independence and not what Abacha imposed on us, which is very partial, unfair and one-sided. That is the meaning of restructuring; it is to restructure unfairness and give semi-autonomy to the federating units.
Chief Olu False is a leading Yoruba leader and waa Head of the Southwest Delegation to the Jonathan National Constitutional Conference.
For a bank that recently had a programme that promotes kindness and putting their customers first, recent events have shown that First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Nigeria’s oldest banking institution, is yet to fully grasp the art of customer service.
My journey with First Bank began when we had to open salary accounts with it, after I was employed at NEXT newspaper in 2008. I believe I opened my account at their Lapal House Branch, Lagos Island, the building which also housed NEXT. Before then, I doubt if I had any previous banking relationship with them. Knowing how some Nigerian banks are, I have weathered the storm with them over the years, the days of long queues, the days of shorter queues; the days of pleasant staff, the days of not so pleasant staff.
However, nothing in my years of banking with them, and with any other bank for that matter, prepared me for what I was to experience at a First Bank banking hall the other day. It all began when very recently, I wanted to use my card at the ATM, and the transaction was declined. I proceeded to go use it at a POS, the transaction didn’t go through. I also wasn’t able to perform transactions on my mobile app. It was then I knew something was wrong.
I had to figure it out that it could be because of my name change. You see, when my GTBank ATM expired, the bank in which I had done my BVN, I changed my last name from Bangudu to that of my husband. I had, however, not gone to First Bank to effect the change there.
The bank just froze the account. Just like that! That was the first straw. No courtesy to inform me that there was now a discrepancy in the name and that of the account that had my BVN origin. No communication, such as: ‘Dear customer, we have noticed some discrepancies in your account details. Please, visit any of our branches.’ Okay, after freezing the account, no informing the customer, like: ‘Dear customer, your account has been frozen due to errors noted in your account details. Please, visit any of our branches to rectify it”. Nothing! You just had to discover yourself by getting embarrassed at the ATM or POS or over the counter, or some other way.
My sister had sent some money to me and that was the money I went to withdraw. First Bank, you knew, or you didn’t, that my account details had error(s), yet you could receive money on the said account, but couldn’t release it, because of the said error? How hypocritical!
Anyway, last week, I went to the bank. It is the only branch I am aware exists in Kubwa, FCT. I armed myself with the necessary document that could be required of me, as I already had an idea it could be the name-change. I had planned that I may spend an hour or at least two, to fill all the forms, queue, and be attended to. I know this time budget is ridiculous already, but given the state of our banks, whose staffers act as if they are doing you a favour, I decided to be that benevolent.
If I had known what was ahead on this very day, I would have spent at least half the time and energy I spent in the front of the mirror, praying for patience and longsuffering to bear what was ahead. But alas, as the mere mortal that I am, I was busy feeling myself, feeling chic and fly. On getting to the bank last week Monday, I sighted the customer service queue. It was ridiculous. I took a spot. A man was attending to the queue, giving forms. I stated my concern and got the forms, which I began to fill.
After standing in the queue for a while, I noticed that it was barely moving. It dawned on me that it was only one staff attending to people. I had begun to lose my patience; and all the ‘babe’ feeling was beginning to fizzle out. The place was getting stuffy. Customers were getting impatient. People were joining a queue that was barely moving.
It seemed like the bank had just carried out an exercise on customers’ details and had to freeze accounts, with errors and mismatches. As a result, they should have made proper arrangement to see that sufficient hands were on ground to attend to customers, as they were sure to come, calling. It was a shock to behold that only one lady was attending to customers. With the number of people waiting, even five people would not have been too much to attend to the now impatient customers.
The other lady who I believe should have also been attending to customers was hardly on her seat. It was a terrible experience. To cap it all, inside forces – other bankers from inside – would come and distract the one lady attending to customers.
Before long, I started hearing comments such as: ‘Chairman, free that babe now, make she attend to us”… “This is no longer First Bank, this is Last Bank”. To say the place was becoming a market place is an understatement. There was no explanation or apology from the bank officials as to why only one person was attending to such a queue. They just left us shouting and lamenting there as some people of no consequence. It was so bad that at some point, two customers were almost about slapping each other. I believe if the bank had taken better care of us, customers wouldn’t have to turn on each other out of frustration.
It finally got to my turn. The bank official was nice. I don’t know how she managed to be that collected despite all the pressure on her. She attended to me, and to think that after many hours on the queue, I left in good spirit. She said that the process would take about 72 hours.
I went to the bank, Monday October 16, a week later, in high hopes that my account would have been unfrozen, and I will be able to make my transactions. I stood on the customer service queue and then went to meet the lady (another lady) attending to people on the queue, with my account name and number; to help me check if my account has been unfrozen, as the second person that was supposed to attend to customers was barely available. She told me to join the queue. This queue we are talking about is one that takes about 30 minutes to attend to a customer.
I, however, just wanted to check if my account had been unfrozen. I had joined that queue the previous week and the lady that attended to us was checking people’s account for them and telling them why their accounts were frozen. They dropped their name and number on her table and she will check it for them. It would have been very ridiculous to join the queue, that type of queue, that was barely moving because there was just one bank official attending to people. It was no fault of the customers that the branch is under-staffed.
When she told me to join the queue, I then requested for a withdrawal slip. I remember that the previous week I went, the lady who attended to us (the people standing on the queue) also attended to customers with withdrawal slips. Once again, it was ridiculous to have these set of people join this type of queue. Another queue could have been arranged for people who just wanted to check their accounts and sign their withdrawal slips, as it took about two minutes to attend to each of this category of customers. However, Nigeria’s first and oldest bank did not think it wise to do so.
The lady gave me a withdrawal slip. I filled it and put it on her table and went back to the queue. After a while, I went to meet her. This woman had been mean, but I had chosen to ignore it. Now, she told me pointblank that she was not going to check (if my account has been unfrozen). She told me I would (take the slip and) queue at the withdrawal queue, and then if my account was still unfrozen, I would come back and queue on the customer service queue. I just felt hot tears dropping from my eyes. What wickedness! On my own money? Was it a crime banking with First Bank?
This woman was sitting right in front of the computer. It wouldn’t take her two minutes to do the checking. I wasn’t asking for the impossible. Just last week, I witnessed how her colleague created time to check people’s account for them and cater for those with withdrawal slips, because it was not realistic to lump up such customers with those of us who had detailed rectification to do as regards details of our accounts.
This woman just set out to be mean. Maybe, when she saw the tears, she had a change of heart and checked the account for me. With all the disdain she could gather, she uttered words like: ‘your account is still frozen. Give them some time’. No explanation on why my account was still frozen after about a week; no time frame of when I should check back. I left and went to a corner to get myself together. I knew I wasn’t going to let her get away with that.
I asked a bank worker to direct me to the office of the branch manager. Another bank official I met at about the entrance of the manager’s office told me she was not around and said I could speak to the supervisor. I went to see her and explained all that happened. I asked if the way I was treated, and spoken to was right? “It wasn’t”. She apologised and asked for my account details, to know what was happening. And, in a very short while, she told me I could use my account now, and that I could also use my existing ATM card. I didn’t have to do a new one because of the change of name, until it expires.
For a bank that says it puts its customers first, I was beyond shock at the meanness of the Customer Service staff, among other things. Just last month, the bank said it had a historical FirstBank Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability week themed ‘Promoting Kindness, Putting You First’, encouraging people everywhere to step out of their comfort zones and perform random acts of kindness.
First Bank, charity begins at home. Let that kindness be felt in your banking halls. Your customers are complaining. If you are irritated or don’t have sufficient staff to handle customers like us, you can send us mails and texts to come collect our change so that your staff can fully invest their time on your billionaire customers, instead of treating us like sub-humans. There are banks that would gladly have us and would treat us better. If you have any little value left for your non-millionaire-customers, I believe you would have installed Close-circuit cameras at that branch. You can take a few minutes to watch and see.
First Bank, your customer service is appalling. Work on it. Your Kubwa branch is a joke. Fix it.
An Onitsha-based businesswoman, Celestina Oba was, on Thursday, arraigned at the Federal High Court, Awka, by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on two-count charges of importing and selling fake cosmetic products at God’s Mercy and Miracle line, Ogbaru main market, Onitsha , Anambra state.
The prosecution, while reading the charges, Oba, who resides at No.5 Ugochukwu Lane, Nkpor in Onitsha on or about the 25th day of October 2017 at God’s Mercy Line, Ogbaru Main Market, “did sell cosmetics to writ, Eva soap without registration number and thereby committed an offence contrary to section1 (1) of the Food, Drugs and related Products (Registration) Act CAP F. 33 LFN 2004 which is punishable under section 6 (1) (a) of the same Act.”
Count II also stated that “the same woman under same date and place did sell to writ , Eva Soap in a manner that is false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 5 (a) of food and drugs at CAP F32 LFN 2004 and punishable under section 17 of the same Act.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty and was granted bail by the trial Judge, Justice I. N. Oweibo with the sum of N500,000 but to remain in the custody of her own lawyer, Amaka Ezeno Esq till December 13, when the matter was adjourned for trial.
Counsel to the Federal Government of Nigeria and NAFDAC, A.J. Washington, while warning against the influx of fake and substandard products in various markets in the country, said Eva complexion care soap in many exciting variants, is manufactured in Nigeria solely by Evans industries limited, Ikeja, Lagos State, while warning the public to beware of all cloned or unregistered products.
He noted that NAFDAC was poised to fight on towards eradicating fake and substandard products in the country.
It would be recalled that a team of NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement officers working on a tip-off had last Monday impounded fake and adulterated products worth over N20 million at the Relief and Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) Markets, all in Onitsha, the business hub of Anambra State.
The confiscated products include counterfeited Eva soap, imported Goya Extra Virgin Cooking Oil, unregistered alcoholic beverages – Baby Oku and White Mischief, imported Olivea Vegetable Oil and locally made insecticides which the agency said posed a major risk to human health. Over seven shops filled with the counterfeited products were closed down by the agency while two suspects were arrested.
Addressing newsmen after the exercise, the agency’s Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor, who led the operation, said the action would help curb the menace of counterfeiting of food and drug products in Nigeria. Ejiofor who promised to clampdown on importers, distributors and marketers still stocking banned regulated products, said the impounded vegetable oil and alcoholic beverages were below standard, uncertified and not registered by NAFDAC
He advised Nigerians to be wary of drugs, food and other regulated products they buy and should also demand for receipt of any product they purchase to enable them to track the fakers within the markets. Ejiofor further affirmed that importers of fake products into the country would get life sentence once the National Assembly approves a bill by the agency seeking for such punishment, urging traders and citizens to report suspicious activities to the agency.
The World Igbo Youth Congress (WIYC), has said that Abia people should not make the mistake of re-electing Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for a second tenure, stating that he has not done anything for Abians to guarantee him a second tenure in office as the Governor the state.
They noted that rather than make concrete efforts towards the development of the State, paying salaries of workers and providing dividends of democracy to Abians he claim to be governing, he has been busy aiding and abetting Biafra agitators.
According to them, even “civil servants in Abia State have never had it so bad since the return to democracy in 1999, and the man at the saddle at this point in history, appears unready to bring to table any attempt to strategise and make their lives better”.
This is contained in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of WIYC, Mazi Alex Okemiri .
Okemiri said that Ikpeazu has done nothing to guarantee him a second term in office.
“Apart from civil servants, pensioners are also groaning with several months of pension arrears. All these are happening despite the several bailout funds and Paris Club refund, as well as the monthly statutory allocation and internally generated revenue that comes into the state.
“It only shows that the Governor is either insensitive to the plight of workers or lacks the wherewithal to govern Abia State.”
“May we also point out that the state of infrastructure in Abia State has remained everything but pitiable. We get embarrassed each time picture of terrible state of roads in different parts of the state surface on the social media.
Most of the Governor’s aides are even richer than the Governor and Abia, we know that Ikpeazu as a person is a good man with intention to promote made in Aba products, but his aides countermands his policies and procedures for governance, one of his aides on special duties and personal aide from his wife’s village have bought almost all the landed properties in Umuahia and Aba, it appears Ikpeazu lacks the capacity to discipline these aides Who are richer than him, we have no option to drag Ikpeazu’s aides to EFCC with all the evidence against them , for them to refund all the looted funds from Abia treasury”, WIYC alleged.
“We have observed the pains and sadness in the faces of Abia people, we have asked what have the government has done with the borrowed funds which the Abia house of assembly approved for him which runs into billions of Naira, Obingwa people are regretting having their son as Governor, there’s no single road done in Ikpeazu LGA, he has no road to his village, there’s no Youth Empowerment, there’s high rate of crime in Aba, kidnapping has returned to Aba, there’s multiple taxation on traders ,it has taken Ikpeazu 28months to build drainage from Osisioma junction to Aba main park, a 2kilometres road, yet there’s no hope to complete it, the Igbo Youths decried.
“This has continued because the current administration is not prepared for governance. As such, it will be a disservice to the people to think of re-electing the governor in 2019.
“We believe and indeed urge the people of Abia State to begin the process of searching for a competent hand that would pull the state out of the doldrums of poverty and bag governance. Time has come for the good people of Abia state to do away with god-fatherism. We have seen the adverse effects and cannot continue in such a manner”, we hereby declare Abia Government house vacant, and warn PDP to replace Ikpeazu or be ready to lose Abia State Government house for the first time since 1999 to APC or APGA ,APC /APGA should field candidates from Abia South, to beat PDP if they field Ikpeazu at last the group concluded.
It could be re-called that same group had few days ago accused Ikpeazu and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of plotting the escape of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and called for the immediate arrest of Abaribe.
In a statement personally signed by Engr Anthony Aniebue-The Administrator,Customary Government of the Indigenous People of Biafra,the statement reads ‘ As your Administrator,i want to assure you that our quest for self determination within the framework of both local and international laws is our inalienable rights as free citizens of the world .We are Biafrans by Indigenous identities but still Nigerians by citizenship ,however we shall continue to press for our right to exist as a people either within or outside Nigeria’the statement concluded.
The Administrator told the BVI Channel 1 Reporter that the Biafra case in Federal High Court Owerri being represented by Bilie Human Rights Initiative is specifically asking for an Order declaring that the Claimants(Biafran People in representative capacity) have the right to self-determination pursuant to Articles 19 – 25, Cap 10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, and are therefore free to exercise their right to self-determination for independence or any other political status of their choice .While the one initiated by Messrs Chukwukadiba and others asked for a compensation of N100 Billion and order directing the clearance of abandoned bombs and other weapons in their communities which FGN opted to resolve out of court.
Aniebue further stated that the case for Biafra self determination is still ongoing and cannot be compromised.
The Federal Government has replied to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s application seeking to withdraw as one of the sureties for the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The Federal Government described Abaribe’s application as belated.
The position of the Federal Government was contained in its counter-affidavit and written address filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja to oppose Abaribe’s request to withdraw as Kanu’s surety.
The Federal Government told Abaribe that Kanu was in his custody and he had to produce him for the continuation of his trial.
It stated in its counter-affidavit that Abaribe was aware that Kanu “has long violated the bail conditions handed down by this honourable court” on April 24, 2017 before September 11 when he claimed to have lost contact with the defendant.
The counter-affidavit said: “That it was at this point at violating the conditions at the bail that the senator surety ought to surrender the 1st defendant and or bring up this application;
“That this application is belated and ill-timed;
“The applicant failed to apply to the court timeously, stating on oath that the defendant bound by recognizance to appear before this court had violated the bail condition given by this court.”
The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, argued in the written address that Abaribe “failed woefully” by allegedly aiding and abetting Kanu to flout his bail conditions.
The written address stated: “My lord, the surety has failed woefully to abide by the terms of the contract he entered into with this court and therefore cannot claim frustration.
“My lord, we urge that the court hold, that surety having refused to do what he ought to have done pursuant to section 174 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 aided and abetted the 1st defendant in the flouting of the bail conditions of this court and should forfeit the bond he entered into.”
Denying that Kanu was not in the custody of the Nigerian Army, the Federal Government stated in its counter-affidavit that the defendant remained in Abaribe’s custody.
The address said: “That the military activities in Abia State tagged ‘Operation Python Dance II’ was a routine exercise in its second year carried out by the military at the end of every year.
“That the 1st defendant is not in the custody of the Nigerian military or any other security agency in that regard.
“That the 1st defendant is in custody of the applicant (Abaribe).”
Kanu was absent from court when his case came up on October 17, 2017, but his co-defendants with whom he was being prosecuted on charges of treasonable felony were produced in court by prison officials.
Abaribe’s lawyer, Ogechi Ogunna, informed the court of the motion by his client seeking to withdraw as Kanu’s surety but the judge said she would not hear it until the senator first produced the missing defendant.
Ogunna gave Abaribe and the two other sureties up till November 20 to produce the defendant in court.
A traditional ruler in Anambra state, Ogirisi Igbo, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, has threatened to unleash a traditional deity, Ogirisi, against the All Progressives Congress, APC, if they attempt to rig the November 18 Anambra governorship election.
Ezeonwuka issued the threat while reacting to APC’s boast that the party will unseat the APGA government.
In a statement, Ezeonwuka said election riggers would have the electorate who are vested with Ogirisi powers to contend with, stressing that the wrath of the gods of the land are stronger and the enemies of the state.
He maintained that Governor Willie Obiano of APGA will win at the poll because his good works will speak for him.
The Board of Trustees (BoT) member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said that relevant stakeholders like traditional rulers, church and leaders, town unions’ members and youths have expressed readiness to resist any attempt to rig the election.“APGA candidate will emerge victorious. We don’t need to rig the election to achieve that because Governor Willie Obiano has done wonderfully well this past four years.
“The people are ready to vote and ensure that their votes count. In APGA, our slogan is: No to rigging, our votes must count. Vote Willie Obiano,” he said.
