Lent: End Violence, Catholic Bishops Urge PMB [LEADERSHIP]
The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has appealed to President Muhammad Buhari to end the unprecedented waves of violence and brutality in the country, which it remarked, were largely targeted at Christians.
Their call was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the CBCN president, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze and the secretary, Most Rev. Camillus Umoh.
The bishops, who lamented the pervasive insecurity in Nigeria, said that whether at home or on the road, most Nigerians, in all the parts of the country, live in fear because they were no longer safe.
According to them, the repeated barbaric executions of Christians by the Boko Haram insurgents and the incessant cases of kidnapping for ransom linked to the same group and other terrorists had traumatised many citizens.
They further said that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes make public shows of them on social media, but Nigerians do not hear of any arrests or prosecution of the criminals, stressing that it raises grave questions about the ability and willingness of the federal government to protect the life and property of the ordinary Nigerians.
Akubeze said: ”To make matters worse, many communities are constantly threatened, harassed and sometimes even sacked by herdsmen, as they seek to take over more territories to graze their cattle forcefully.
“Aware of our moral responsibility, may we, once again, remind all the arms of government in Nigeria and all whose responsibility it is to protect Nigerians that without security there can be no peace and without peace, there can be no development or national growth.
NERC Jettisons April 1 Tariff Hike Implementation Date [LEADERSHIP]
There are strong indications that the April 1, 2020, fixed for the implementation of the controversial hike in electricity tariff is no longer feasible because the industry regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has extended the meter rollout exercise under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme by two years.
LEADERSHIP learnt that NERC’s action followed its careful study of the antics of the Distribution Companies (DisCos), especially in frustrating the MAP programme.
Consequently, NERC directed that all households should be metered within two years.
This was disclosed in Lagos by NERC commissioner for Finance and Management Services, Mr. Nathan Rogers Shatti, at a public hearing on “Extraordinary Tariff Review Application” organised by Eko Distribution Company (EKEDC).
Shatti said that the regulator had placed a cap on estimated billing system by Discos, to ensure those unmetered consumers pay approximately what those on prepaid meters pay.
With this arrangement, Shatti said that consumers would no longer feel cheated because arbitrariness in distribution of bills by the DisCos had created a lot of concerns in the system. He said that NERC in its wisdom came up with the idea having listened to consumers’ complaints and the failure of the DisCos to meter the consumers.
Kano Council Of Ulama Kicks Against Ban On Street Begging [LEADERSHIP]
The Kano State Council of Ulama headed by Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil has condemned the recent ban on street begging by almajiri imposed by the state government, describing it as mere pronouncement, which will not see the light of day.
Khalil who made this known in an interview with our reporter said that Kano State government is not serious and that the project is bound to fail like other similar policies by successive administrations in the state.
He said the council’s position revolves around five issues; “Firstly, if we look at the history of banning street begging since the time of Sir Ahmadu Bello, when they were making efforts to ban street begging it was opposed by the Ulama because they saw it as a way of keeping people away from Quranic or religious studies.
“The issue was politicised. Also during the reign of Governor Audu Bako, Alhaji Muhammadu Ibrahim, the father of Prof Ruqayya, former Minister of Education had in 1971 initiated good plans to curtail street begging, there too the Ulama politicised the issue. Audu Bako moved him from the ministry. Firstly he was sent on course to Kaduna and when he came back he was moved to another ministry. The issue was finally swept under the carpet. “
Judicial Review: When Supreme Court Took Lawyers To The Cleaners [THE NATION]
Lawyers who worked closely with the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, often recall what he said whenever he was irritated or annoyed.
“What is wrong with you nau?” Fawehinmi would often scold the squirming recipient.
They thought it was a special rebuke reserved for them, until the day they heard the legal giant saying to himself: “What is wrong with me nau?”
This was after he had turned his office upside down for a document that was right on the desk in front of him.
The Supreme Court told Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, and Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, pretty much the same thing on Wednesday, albeit in a different choice of words.
The court, in a unanimous ruling, came down heavily on the legal giants, both counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and David Lyon, after dismissing their application for a review of its verdict on the Bayelsa State governorship election.
The justices were so angry that they ordered the lawyers to pay N10 million each to each of the three respondents from their own pockets.
The seven-man panel led by Sylvester Ngwuta dismissed the two applications for lacking in merit.
Justice Amina Augie while delivering the verdict said the request to review the judgment was vexatious, frivolous, regrettable and a deliberate desecration of the judiciary.
North’s Governors Set To End Almajiri, Street Begging [THE NATION]
The move against out-of-schoolchildren (Almajiri) in the North gained more support on Wednesday with two governors – Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) joining the crusade.
Governor El-Rufai spoke of his plan to present a memo to his northern colleagues on practical steps to address the menace.
In Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, Governor Sule issued an Executive Order prescribing 10 years imprisonment for parents whose children engage in street begging.
El-Rufai spoke through his Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, during a meeting with stakeholders on how to tackle the Almajiri problem in his state.
According to the commissioner, the El-Rufai administration had the political will to address the issue but it required the cooperation of other states to prevent inter-state movement of the kids.
She frowned at parents who push their children to the streets to beg under the guise of Almajiri model of education, saying, the law banning street begging and hawking in Kaduna State would be implemented as a measure to check the development.
Hajiya Baba warned parents to be alive to their responsibility refrain from sending their children and wards to the streets in them under the guise of Quranic education in a far distance.
S’Court: Our Decision Final No Matter How Anybody Feels [THE NATION]
The Supreme Court declared on Wednesday that in line with its rules, “it shall not” review its judgment.
It said the only condition that could warrant a review of its judgment” once given and delivered” is if “there is clerical mistake or some errors.”
The apex court made this pronouncement while giving a judgment on the application by the All Progressives Congress (APC), its governorship candidate David Lyon and running mate Bobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, for a review of its February 13 judgment in the Bayelsa State governorship election.
Lyon and Degi-Eremienyo were declared Bayelsa State governor-elect and deputy governor-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the November 16, 2019 election.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Duoye Diri and his running mate Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo challenged the qualification of Degi-Eremienyo based on discrepancies in his names.
This application was upheld by the Supreme Court which voided the candidacy of the APC team. It ordered INEC to withdrew the certificate of return from the APC.
Dissatisfied, the APC, Lyon and Degi-Eremienyo filed applications before the Supreme Court asking it to reverse the judgment.
Giving its verdict on Wednesday, after a review by a seven-man panel, headed by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, the apex court said: “The decision of this court, in appeal No: SC/1/2020 is final for all ages; it is final in the real sense of the word final and no force on earth can make this court to shift from its decision delivered in the appeal: SC/1/2020.
New Tariff: Consumers Begin April 1 Countdown [THE NATION]
The scheming of the DisCos and Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has kept the customers that provide their transformers, replace their cables and sustain their unending payment of estimated bills for an unyielding darkness guessing. JOHN OFIKHENUA, however, reports that the stakeholders are counting down to April 1 with uncontrollable angst.
There is no doubt that the Federal Government is at a fix over what to do with the 11 electricity distribution firms. It is no longer single-minded about who should run the firms. The sign of the government’s confusion is evident in the discordant tones of its different agencies in recent times. While the question of whether the Federal Government should reverse the privatization of the power distribution firms came to the fore at different forums, owing to the poor performance of the companies, the suggestions of the different heads of government organizations sharply contrasted one another.
Last week, the growing state of the confusion worsened as the Minister of Power, Sale Mamman called for the revocation of the entities’ licenses. He courageously urged the managements of DisCos to accelerate their performance or quit the business.
His annoyance was that the power firms lack the requisite technical and commercial capacities to reduce their losses. The minister, who was worried that although the sector could generate about 13,000mw, transmit 7,000mw and regrettably distribute 3,000mw, sought a plausible alternative solution to the present investors in the distribution firms that could not rev up power supply to their customers.
His words: “If they are ready to continue, fine but if they are not ready to continue maybe they should give way to whoever that is ready to come and invest. We are asking the government to review and see if they are capable, but if they are not capable, they should give way.
Those Who Destroy Nigeria’ll Cry –Mbaka [SUN]
Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (Amen), Rev. Fr. Ejke Mbaka has said those who plot to destabilise Nigeria would receive dire punishment from God.
In his homily, yesterday at the weekly prayer at the Umuchigbo Nike Enugu state adoration ground he berated those blaming the present government for the harrowing experience Nigerians were experiencing without going back to history.
He said the current political, economic and security challenges did not start with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
He lampooned the administration of the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying its 16-year reign was wasteful. He said the party contributed immensely to the present adversaries being witnessed by Nigerians.
ISWAP Attacks Chibok Village, Abducts Head Of Civilian JTF [SUN]
Insurgents believed to be members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) group, yesterday, attacked Bambula community in
Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, leaving behind tears and sorrow.
The insurgents, who reportedly struck by 4am when the community was asleep, abducted Mohammed Abba, head of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) vigilance group.
The attack came a week after the insurgents attacked Korongilum in Chibok, setting many houses on fire.
Army Corporal Kills 4 Soldiers, Self, Injures 2 Others In Borno [SUN]
The Nigerian Army has said a soldier partaking in the counter-insurgency war in Borno State has killed four of his colleagues and shot himself.
Two other soldiers injured during the incident were said to have been rushed to the hospital, where they are recuperating and in stable condition.
The deceased, a corporal attached to Operation Lafiya Dole, Army Super Camp 15, at Malam Fatori, was said to have carried out the killing of his colleagues in the early hours of yesterday.
Although the army did not say what could have led to the act, it has commenced investigations to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killings.
Sources, however, attributed the brutal act to trauma, which they said most soldiers fighting the war are suffering from.
Insecurity: Knocks For Buhari’s Ministers For Not Wearing Black [SUN]
Catholics faithful across the country commemorated the Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent, yesterday, wearing black attires.
This was in line with the directive of the Catholics Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
CBCN had issued a directive to Catholics wear black outfits as a way of protesting killings and insecurity in the the country and to draw national and international attention to the ugly happenings in Nigeria.
The Bishops had said the church was aware of its moral responsibility even as they called on government to live up to its responsibility of protecting Nigerians.
However, members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), who are Catholics, observed the directive in the breach as they appeared at the weekly presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The only minister who complied with the directive was Uchechukwu Ogah, Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development.
Failure To Arrest Culprits Shows FG’s Insincerity On Killings –Bishops [PUNCH]
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria on Wednesday said the Federal Government had not shown willingness to end the spate of killings by the Boko Haram insurgents and herdsmen in the country.
The Catholic bishops, who stated this in a statement by their President, Augustine Akubeze, and Secretary, Camillus Umoh, said the failure of the government to arrest the criminals showed its insincerity and lack of commitment to protecting lives and property in the country.
The CBCN issued the statement to mark the Ash Wednesday, which marked the beginning of the 40-day Lenten period.
The body appealed to the international community to come to the aid of the Nigerian government in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency and Fulani terrorists, “who want to graze our country.”
It warned that should the insurgents and the Fulani terrorists succeed, the consequences would be grave not only for the West African sub-region, but also for Africa as a whole.
Fake Policeman Escorting Contraband Goods Arrested In Lagos [PUNCH]
Policemen have arrested a fake cop, Monday Job, for allegedly posing as a riot policeman to escort people conveying contraband goods from Cotonou in Benin Republic to Lagos State.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Bala Elkana, said policemen on duty arrested the suspect, adding that during interrogation, he could not state the squadron he was attached to.
He added that Job would be charged for the crime.
Elkana stated, “On February 10, 2020, around 8am, policemen on enforcement of the ban on motorcycles in restricted areas arrested one Monday Job, 32, at Oshodi, while riding a motorcycle and fully dressed in riot police uniform. A close look at his name tag and badge gave room for further probing. He could not give a satisfactory account of himself and the squadron he was attached to. In the course of investigation, he confessed to being an impersonator.
“It was revealed that he had been wearing the uniform to commit criminal activities, including the illegal escort of contraband goods from Cotonou to Lagos, escorting of vehicles from Lagos to other parts of the country, intimidating, harassing and extorting money from innocent members of the public while claiming to be a riot policeman. An investigation is ongoing and the suspect will be charged when the investigation is concluded.”
In another development, a commercial cab driver, Matthew Tokeme, has been arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly using his Sienna vehicle with number plate APP 488 FH to rob his passengers of their valuables in the state.
Bayelsa: Supreme Court Refuses To Sack Diri, Awards N60m Cost [PUNCH]
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the applications for a review of its February 13, 2020 judgment which overturned the All Progressives Congress’ victory in the last governorship election in Bayelsa State.
In the unanimous ruling of its seven-man panel led by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, the apex court said its judgment on the poll was “final in the real sense of the word, final, and no force can get this court to shift from its decision.”
It described the applications filed by the APC and its governorship candidate at the poll, David Lyon, as “vexatious, frivolous, and constitute a gross abuse of court process”.
Adjudging the applications as lacking in merit, Justice Amina Augie who read the lead judgment, said the apex court lacked jurisdiction to review its judgment except in few circumstances when there was the need to correct clerical slip or vary it to give effect to the spirit and intention of the judgment.
My Family Sacrificed To Bring Me Where I Am Now, Says Saka [THE GUARDIAN]
Arsenal’s Hale End Academy product Bukayo Saka has revealed for the first time that his older sibling, Yomi Saka was an aspiring footballer at Premier League side Watford before opting to go to university instead of pursuing a professional career, reports allnigeriasoccer.com.
During his pre-school years, Saka used to be involved in practice games with his father and Yomi, who is now attending a university in Reading.
“From the age of three or four I would be playing football at home in the garden with my dad, and my older brother, Yomi,’’ Bukayo Saka told arsenal.com.
“It was always like that. After school, we would eat and then it was straight into the garden to play football. We would play for hours.
“My dad and brother would want to go back inside but I never let them. We kept playing until I won. I’m serious, you can ask them! As long as they were winning, I wouldn’t let them back inside.”
While the England U19 international primarily plays as a left-winger and can also be deployed as a makeshift left-back, Yomi was a defender by trade.
“My brother played as a defender for Watford until he was about 14.
“Weekends in our house were always about football. My dad would usually take me to Arsenal – I joined when I was about seven – and my mum would take my brother to Watford,’’ added Bukayo Saka.
Reps Move For Commission To Develop South West [THE GUARDIAN]
A bill for the establishment of a commission to address the infrastructure deficit in the southwest geopolitical zone yesterday scaled through second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Sponsored by Mr. Olufemi Fakeye and 80 others, including Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the piece of legislation is entitled, “A bill for an act to establish South West Development Commission charged with responsibility, among others to receive and manage funds from allocation of the Federation Account, including donations and gifts, for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of raids, houses and other infrastructural damages suffered by the region and the need to tackle the ecological problems and any other related environmental or developmental challenges in the southwest states and for related matters.”
With the exception of a few lawmakers who opposed the move, the majority, who bared their minds on the initiative, believed that the country would be the biggest beneficiary if the zone is well developed.
Shehu Koko, who chairs the House Committee on Air Force, was particularly excited at the prospect of developing Lagos State – the commercial nerve centre of the country.
Koko (Kebbi: APC) argued that the growth of Lagos would have a positive impact on the wellbeing of Nigerians.
Yusuf Buba (Adamawa: APC), while throwing his weight behind the bill, described Lagos as a melting pot and home to all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic and religious inclinations.