WEEKLLYHIP

Editor’s note: Senator Dino Melaye was cleared by the Senate after weeks over being involved in a scandal concerning his academic qualification. In this opinion by Azu Ishiekwene, he points out that the Melaye case is an eye-opener there is a lot of problem with the Nigerian system as Ahmadu Bello University has a lot to deal with. We are in trouble We’re in trouble, but that’s not the worst part. The real tragedy is that we don’t know that we don’t know. It took one week and a Senate summons for the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Professor Ibrahim Garba, to say that Senator Dino Melaye graduated from ABU. And even then, his testimony left more questions than answers. In response to repeated press enquiries, ABU had promised to take a public position on Wednesday. But for reasons that can only damage the school’s reputation, it made a U-turn, saying it would not make any comment until invited to do so by the Senate Ethics Commi...

Police declares illegal wearing of mini-skirts, skinny jeans, among other attires they deem unfit for 'public eyes' -Anyone found flaunting the new rule will be arrested without hesitation and fined or jailed for six months, or both - The authorities insist that from 1st April, every citizen in this country must get conversant with the dress code they need to wear to avoid being arrested If mini-skirts and skinny jeans are your favourite outfits, then you may need to overhaul your wardrobe, as these kind of attires are no-longer allowed in Zambia and can easily get you jailed, fined or both. The Government of Zambia has also reportedly directed its officers to start, with immediate effect, arresting people who dress indecently in public. “Zambia police is concerned with the dress code of some of our women and men in public. It is now a serious offence to dress indecently in public," a statement from the police command said. Wearing of mini-skirts, sagging trousers , ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved appointments into the executive management of some government agencies and parastatals - The affected agencies are Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and National Emergency Management Agency The press has obtained a press statement released by President Muhammadu Buhari's special assistant on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, announcing the new appointments. According to statement, the new chairman of the board of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) is former newspaper editor and ex-presidential spokesman, Chief Duro Onabule. Other executive directors of NTA include: Dr Steve Egbo for administration and training; Abdul Hamid Salihu Dembos for marketing; Mohammed Labbo for news; Fatima M. Barda for finance; Stephen Okoanachi for engineering; and Wole Coker for programmes. At the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Aliyu Hayatu is new chairman, while Buhari Auwalu and Yinka Amosun, are zonal d...

A group, the National Assembly, Stand up for Nigeria, says it is set to reclaim the Senate from Bukola Saraki and his supporters and return it back to the people of Nigeria - The group insists that the Senate carry out screening of RECs as it is their constitutional role that must be carried out - The group says it has scheduled 3 days rally at the Freedom Park in Lagos or Unity Fountain, Abuja next week A group known as the National Assembly, Stand up for Nigeria (SUN), has called for Senate president, Bukola Saraki to step down.The group which is up of over 99 Civil Society Organizations, 70 freelance activists and 100 Non governmental organization (NGOs), made the call in a statement signed by the national president, Sunday Attah in Abuja, Vanguard reports. Attah said the group is aimed at reclaiming the Senate from Saraki and his supporters to return it back to the people of Nigeria. The group condemned the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume and insisted that the Senate carry out...

As they marched close, armed with placards with various inscriptions, their faces said it all. They are frustrated and helpless. The only hope they have is the Lagos state government led by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. The residents of Oko Addo village, a community in Eti-Osa local government area of the state no longer sleep comfortably. They only could stage a protest within the community against one retired Brigadier-General Tunde Reis who they alleged has taken over their lands and houses. Among the placards read inscriptions which included, “Please, save, protect and preserve our inheritance,” “Save us from Brigadier-General Reis,” “Why should we be rendered homeless,” “Gen Reis, stay away from our land,” “Our land is not up for grabs, we intend to keep it for our use,” " Gen Reis stop the demolition on our land," among others. The residents, who said they had earlier gone to court on the matter, claimed that many of the ...

Reno Omokri, an ex-aide to former president Goodluck Jonathan, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of lack of transparency over how much he paid for his medical trip to the United Kingdom. Omokri, in tweets on Friday, March 31 evening, accused President Buhari of failing to 'walk the talk' on his campaign for transparency in governance. According to Omokri, Buhari is a servant of the people and is accountable to them. Failure to disclose how much he paid for his medicals from Nigeria's funds during vacation to the United Kingdom, Omokri said, is plain wrong. He tweeted In a tweet on Monday, March 27, Omokri accused President Buhari of constantly breaking his campaign promises to Nigerians who voted him into power. He noted that this was the worst kind of corruption

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted partly cloudy conditions over the central states of the country on Saturday with chances of localised thunderstorms over Minna and Ilorin in the morning. NiMet gave the prediction in the Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Friday in Abuja. It also said that there would be prospects of localised thunderstorms over Mambila plateau during the afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperature of 36 to 40 degrees and 21 to 27 degrees Celsius. The agency predicted that southern states would experience cloudy conditions with chances of localised thunderstorms over Akure, Warri, Lagos, Benin, Port-Harcourt and Calabar in the morning hours. It also predicted localised thunderstorms over most part of the south with exception of Shaki and Abeokuta in the afternoon with day and night temperatures of 32 to 34 and 23 to 26 degrees Celsius. According to NiMet, northern states will experience sunny morning with ...

Reports from Ondo state says a High Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, has sacked the local government executives in the entire state. Presiding judge Justice Isiq, while delivering his judgment, said that Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) erred by omitting the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) on the election ballot paper. The chairmen and the counsellors of the councils were members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who were elected into the offices after winning the local government election held in April 2016.

The chairman of the presidential advisory committee against corruption, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), could be arrested by the Nigerian police for failing to honour a summons by the Nigerian senate, according to explanation given by a senior advocate of Nigeria, Mr Mike Ozekhome. Ozekhome, speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily, on Friday, March 31, said the oversight functions of the Senate under sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 constitution empowers the upper chamber to book not only public officers, but all persons who have impute into matters over which the national assembly has powers to make laws. The senior lawyer said under section 89, if anybody invited by the Senate fails to appear, the lawmakers could order the police to arrest such a person He added that: “the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives if satisfied that the person has entered into recognizance, they can release the person but if not satisfied, they can tell...

Abdulmumini Jibrin, a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign on health ground. Mr. Jibrin, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, said the president’s ill health has affected governance in the country badly Mr. Jibrin, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress asked the president to resign from office on health grounds. He said the president’s ill health has affected governance in the country badly. “PMB should opt for or encourage to accept a negotiated exit. The country can not afford a sort of part time president at this time,” Mr. Jibrin tweeted Friday evening. “The president I see on camera needs full home care not office, moderately quiet life, enough rest and quality time with his family.“Life and health belongs to God but the more I see pictures of Mr President, the more Iam convinced he needs to go and rest. He needs it!” Mr. Jibrin is currently on susp...

- A new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) plan says membership of the opposition will now be paid for - The new membership plan is categorized into six and the people in the high cadre, the Platinum members will enjoy government positions, contracts and chance to become Board of Trustees members among other things - The Ahmed Makarfi started the plan but the Ali Modu Sheriff faction has kicked at it saying that the party is not for sale The Punch is reporting that the Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has perfected moves to use the party’s structure to generate funds for the opposition. According to the report, a high-powered committee made up of 201 members and headed Professor Jerry Gana has advised the party to sell its membership and also restrict senior government positions and other perks to the highest bidder. Sources within the party Gana has been moving around the country, distributing copies of the report, which has been accepted by ...

- The Edo state governor has revealed the best way to go about security in Nigeria - Governor Obaseki revealed that information was more important than weapons - He also called on the people to support security agencies Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki of Edo on Saturday, March 18 while speaking at the closing ceremony of a 4-day security awareness conference organised by the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Edo Chapter in Benin, revealed something vital. Obaseki said the power of security was not in carrying weapons, but on ability to disseminate vital information that would prevent perpetration of crimes. While the governor was not present, he was ably represented at the programme by Mr Bashiru Kadiri, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture. He also said that community policing should be all about the ability to circulate useful information that would lead to reduction of criminal activities in our society. Speaking on the power of collaboration, Obaseki said tha...

- Presisdent Buhari's media aide, Femi Adesina has said those complaining about the government are those who had no faith in President Buhari right from the start - Adesina said those who queued and voted for President Muhammadu Buhari are not yet disappointed with his administration and they are willing to wait for the change he promised Femi Adesina, the special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity had said those who truly believe and voted for President Buhari are yet to give up on him. Adesina said Nigerians will be amazed by the achievement of President Buhari in the two years of his administration when the reports for the midterm surfaces soon, Vanguard reports. He explained that the report will show what the Buhari administration has achieved in two years and those who genuinely voted for the President, can be assured he will deliver on his promises. He said:  “Those who queued in the sun and in the rain to vote, knew that they were...

According to a statement signed by Hon. Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission Mustapha L. Sulaiman, the commission has released lists of shortlisted candidates according to states, for applications into Federal Ministries. Below is the breakdown of the ministries involved: 1. Federal Ministry of Education 2. Federal Ministry of Labour & Productivity 3. Federal Ministry of Finance 4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs 5. Federal Ministry of Information and Culture 6. Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing 7. Federal Ministry of Science and Technology 8. Federal Ministry of Transport 9. Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation 10. Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation 11. Bureau of Public Procurement For the recruitment exercise, see instructions below: 1. All shortlisted Applicants are expected to check for their names under their State of Origin, below. 2. Thereafter, check the timetable to see when your ministry/cadre has been scheduled ...

These alleged cause of  ongoing war between the Nigerian Senate  and the Customs service boss, Comptroller-General Hameed Ali has been reportedly revealed. The ongoing battle is allegedly linked to a vendetta by the Senate after officials of the Nigeria Customs service reportedly seized a bulletproof Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) owned by Senate President Bukola Saraki. Sahara Reporters reports that Nigerian Customs officers in Lagos had on January 11, 2017 intercepted and impounded a Range Rover SUV which carried documents that claimed its chassis number was “SALGV3TF3EA190243.” The value of the car was N298 million, and the customs duty of N74 million should have been paid on the car. The driver of the SUV reportedly claimed that the vehicle belonged to the Senate President Bukola Saraki and presented a letter from the National Assembly liaison office in Lagos, indicating that the driver of the luxury vehicle was authorized to drive the Senate P...

The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra ( MASSOB ) has said the group is past the turning point of relenting on its agitation for Biafra nation. Comrade Uchenna Madu, the factional leader of MASSOB made this statement during an interview with The Nation in Aba. When Uchenna was asked if the MASSOB group would be willing to reconsider agitating for Biafra since the federal is taking steps towards rehabilitating the region, Uchenna said the request for secession is not because of bad road or Igbo presidency but a need for their own country. His words:  “We can’t stop, we have passed that point. Some people think that the agitation for the Sovereign State of Biafra was because of marginalization or infrastructural decay in the eastern region, No! We have passed that. We want Biafra, not because our roads are bad, not because Igbo man has not become the President of the country, Nigeria. We want Biafra not because of negligence of service, b...

On Wednesday, March 8, there was pandemonium in Sabo , a Hausa-dominated community in Ile-Ife , Osun state, where many lives and properties were destroyed. According to reports, trouble began when a Hausa man allegedly slapped a Yoruba woman whose shop he was said to have always messed up. Majority of the shops and houses that were pulled down belong to Yorubas, but were occupied by the Hausas where they trade and live. When we visited on Friday, March 17, the Hausas were seen in a lively mood despite the huge loss they suffered during the impasse which we learnt did not last for up to one hour. Security officials were still on ground in the community as at the time of the visit, since the people were still living in fear of a repetition of the violent acts. Although sanity has returned to the community, the Hausa residents were still agitating and were feeling cheated after their loss seemed irreparable.

The Nigeria Customs Service has announced the suspension of its new policy on payment of import duties on vehicles. Customs gave car owners one month to pay duties for their vehicles — for those who had not done so– vowing to prosecute defaulters. The plan sparked controversy as many Nigerians complained about paying for cars that had already found their ways into the country. The Customs Service initially defied a Senate demand the policy be put on hold, resulting in a standoff between both sides. But a statement released Wednesday by Customs spokesperson, Joseph Attach, said the plan has been “put on hold” after a meeting between Customs and the leadership of the National Assembly. Read the statement below: MOTOR DUTY PAYMENT PUT ON HOLD Following the unnecessary tension generated as a result of misconception and misrepresentation of the Nigeria Customs Service planned motor duty payment, the leadership of the National Assembly and the Comptroller-Genera...

The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, will on Monday officially launch Nigeria’s new Immigration Regulations, 2017 to ensure better security and Immigration in the country. Sunday James, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja. He said the Immigration Regulations, 2017 is a vital document that seeks to operationalise the Immigration Act, 2015. “The honourable Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, (retired) will officially present the Immigration Regulations 2017 to the public on Monday, March, 20, 2017. “The Immigration Regulations 2017 is a vital document that operationalises the Immigration Act 2015 and provides the legal framework for the effective implementation of the Act,” he said. He further said the new immigration regulation is a product of robust discourse that involved legal and migratory experts, including serving...

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has advised the Police to concentrate on their constitutional responsibility of providing security. Speaking at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday when he granted audience to Mr Zaki Ahmed, the New Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Governor Wike regretted that the Nigerian Police Force has metamorphosed into a political party. He said because of political considerations, the Nigerian Police sabotaged the  Rivers State Amnesty Programme. The governor said that the politicisation of Police operations in the state has been counterproductive in several respects. He said: “The Police instead of fighting crime has constituted itself into a political party. Everything for the police must be considered  from a political viewpoint . “Allow politicians to play politics. Simply do security work. A state like Rivers  is key to Nigeria. Our national assets are here and that is why we always support security agenc...

President Donald Trump sparked web derision for himself on Thursday as he tried to impress visiting Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny to the White House, with an Irish proverb. But what he quoted was neither Irish nor even a proverb. “As we stand together with our Irish friends, I’m reminded of that proverb … And this is a good one. This is one I like, I’ve heard it for many many years, and I love it,” Trump said. “Always remember to forget the friends that proved untrue. But never forget to remember those who have stuck by you,” he quoted the proverb. According to a report by Ventures Africa, Google checks later revealed that President Trumps ‘favourite proverb’ is part of a poem. It came from a poem written by a Nigerian budding poet, Albashir Adam Alhassan. Albashir Alhassan Here is the poem by Alhassan: Always remember to forget, The things that make you sad, But never forget to remember, The things that make you glad. ...

Nigerians have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to disclose how much he spent abroad for his medical treatment so everybody can see if indeed he truly sticks to his transparency promise to Nigerians at the inception of his administration. It would be recalled that President Buhari came back to the country on 10th March, 2017 after almost 50 days medical leave abroad. However, having spent almost a week after his return without disclosing his medical bills abroad, some Human Right experts have cited the Freedom of Information Act as a basis, demanding the President to tell Nigerians how much it cost him to get the treatment he got in London. Muhammadu Buhari The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP; Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), and the Campaign for Democracy, among others, have mounted pressure on the President to disclose his medical bill in the UK because his administration rode to power on the pedes...

The police in Borno have confirmed that two officers were killed by Boko Haram, but said the victims were not officials of the Borno Police Command. The Borno command said none of its personnel were killed during the Wednesday night attack on military formations in Magumeri village of Borno. The spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, Victor Isuku, explained his command’s stance in a statement on Friday. “The attention of Borno state police command has been drawn to a news report over the attack by boko haram terrorists at Magumeri town, in Magumeri LGA of Borno state on 15th March, 2017”, said Mr. Isuku, a Deputy Superintendent of Police. “According to the report, a police Sergeant. Aliru Aliyu was killed, while Sergeant Ayeni Lawrence was injured when the terrorists attacked Magumeri police station. “For avoidance of doubt, and to put records straight, the command wishes to state that the fallen police Sergeant Aliru Aliyu, the injured Sergea...

Buhari left the country on January 19, 2017, for a vacation, during which he received medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment for over 50 days The vacation was supposed to last for 10 days but was extended indefinitely when the president sent a letter to the National Assembly asking for more time to attend to medical issues as suggested by his doctors. The uncertainty surrounding the president's health had fueled rumours of his death in sections of the mediaBut his rumoured death was however, was dismissed by the presidency which insisted that Buhari was in good health. During his stay in the UK, Buhari made several calls to some Nigerian dignitaries, the latest being the former Ekiti state governor, Niyi Adebayo,  who he condoled over the death of his father.