How First Female Combat Helicopter Pilot Was Killed By Old Schoolmate [THE NATION]
The Nigerian Air Force has lost its first female combat helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile. She died in an auto crash on Tuesday. The young officer was killed by a reversing car inside the Air Force base in Kaduna. The car was driven by her old schoolmate.
The deceased pilot was winged last year by Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar in Abuja.
Air Force Director of Public Relations and Information Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, in a statement in Abuja, said: “Flying Officer Arotile died on 14 July 2020 at the age of 24, when she was inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force Secondary School classmate while trying to greet her.
“Flying Officer Arotile joined the Nigerian Air Force out of a passion for the job. In her words “I joined the military simply out of a passion for it. Being military personnel has been a long time ambition, the carriage and what it stands for are simply exceptional.
“Born on 13 December 1995 to the family of Mr and Mrs Akintunde Arotile in Kaduna, Flying Officer Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile hails from Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. She attended Air Force Primary School, Kaduna from 2000 – 2005 and Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna from 2006 – 2011 before she later gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna as a member of 64 Regular Course on 22 September 2012.
“Flying Officer Arotile was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer on 16 September 2017 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy.
“Flying Officer Arotile was winged as the first-ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force on 15 October 2019, after completing her flying training in South Africa. She holds a commercial pilot license and also underwent tactical flying training on the Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter in Italy.
12 Top EFCC Officials Suspended As Magu Regains Freedom [THE NATION]
After nine days in custody, suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu regained freedom Wednesday night.
Since July 6 when he was dragged before the Justice Ayo Salami Presidential Investigative Panel, Magu has been held at the Force Criminal Inestigation Department (FCID).
His lawyer wrote to Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu requesting bail for him but the IG yesterday replied that he did not authorize Magu’s detention.
He advised him to redirect his request for bail to the Presidential Panel for appropriate action.
Hours later, Magu was released to reunite with his family.
Magu told The Nation that he would not give up on the fight against corruption, adding: “Nigeria must own the war against corruption which President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to eradicate.”
He added: “As for me, I will forever wage war against corruption. I urge Nigerians to continue to support the fight against corruption, they should not give up on the fight because corruption kills a nation faster than any other thing.
“It is not a personal fight. Whether I am the EFCC Chairman or not, the anti-corruption war must continue.
“What I have gone through is a case of dog eats dog but I see it as one of those risks of the job. We must not give up”.
On the allegations against him, he said: “They are nonsense, they are mere trumped up allegations to tarnish my image and that of the EFCC. I did not steal or divert or convert funds to private use. I read the allegations and I was shocked.
“I thank Nigerians for their support, they should not be discouraged. I am happy to be back, I believe the war against corruption is winnable.”
There were fears of a major shakeup in the EFCC following the suspension of the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede and 11 other top directors.
Southwest States To Reopen Schools Aug For WASSCE [THE NATION]
The six Southwest states – Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti – have agreed to reopen schools next month to enable Senior Secondary School 3 pupils to sit for the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
But the Federal Government on Wednesday reiterated its advisory that schools should remain shut and not take part in the examination conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
At a virtual meeting organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission yesterday, commissioners for Education in the six states, special advisers on Education and State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) chairmen reached an agreement to reopen schools for SS3 pupils to sit for their final examination.
The meeting agreed on the need for Southwest states to implement a 2016 plan to establish a regional examination body akin to the Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) in the North.
The plan was laid out at the Roundtable on Creating a Collaborative Framework for Education Development and Advancement in Western Nigeria held in Osogbo, the Osun State capital in 2016.
A statement by the DAWN Commission said all the states would reopen schools for SS3 pupils on August 3 with COVID-19 preventive measures put in place.
According to the statement, the states will approach the Federal Government at the first instance to seek a postponement of the WASSCE by at least three weeks from the proposed resumption date.
At the second instance, states are to directly approach WAEC to seek a postponement of the examination to the week begining August 24.
NASC Sacks Clerk, Ajakaiye,150 Others [LEADERSHIP]
Controversy over the revised condition of service for National Assembly staff was yesterday put to rest as the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) declared that staff who had already at-tained the retirement age of 60 years or spent 35 years in service would receive their retirement letters soon.
By this declaration, the clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori, sec-retary to the commission, Mr Olusanya Ajakaiye, and about 150 others have been retired from ser-vice.
But reacting to the development, Omoloiri, who was forced to retire, dared the leadership of the National Assembly Service Commission, saying those affected by the announcement should con-tinue with their normal duty.
A press statement dated July 15, 2020, signed by the executive chairman of the Commission, Engr Ahmed Kadi Amshi, indicated that the commission at its 497th meeting pegged the retirement age for the staff of the National Assembly Service at 35 years of Service or 60 years of age, whichever comes first.
The statement reads: “Pursuant to its mandate as provided in the National Assembly Service Commission Act 2014 (as amended), the National Assembly Service Commission at its 497th meet-ing held on Wednesday 15th July 2020 has approved the retirement age for the staff of the Na-tional Assembly Service at 35 years of Service or 60 Years of age whichever comes first.
“To this effect the Commission has approved the immediate retirement of staff of the National Assembly Service who have already attained the retirement age of 35 years of service or 60 years of age. Retirement letters would be issued to the affected staff accordingly.”
The revised condition of service became a subject of controversy after the 8th National Assembly had raised the retirement age from 60 to 65 years or 35 to 40 years in service for its staff.
To this effect, Omolori and others who ought to have retired remained in the service.
Omolori, having joined the public service in 1985, was supposed to have retired in February, 2020. The now retired clerk joined Ajaokuta Steel Company as a legal officer in 1985, but transferred his service to the National Assembly in February 1991 as a Principal Legal Officer on GL 12, from the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).
His tenure was later extended in 2019 following the controversial review by the leadership of the 8th National Assembly.
However, the review was greeted by controversy as the commission described the amendment as unconstitutional on the ground that President Muhammadu Buhari had not assented to the amendment Bill.
Attempts by LEADERSHIP to get Sani-Omolori’s reaction proved abortive as his media aide, Andrew Oota, declined comment.
However, in a counter statement, the former Clerk office told the affected staff to ignore the di-rective of the commission and go on with their normal duty, saying the decision contravenes the extant service regulations as duly passed by the 8th Assembly.
Omolori explained that the resolution of the 8th Assembly on conditions of service still subsists; hence, NASC has no power to set aside the revised conditions for service.
He said, “Management of the National Assembly wishes to inform all staff and the general public that the extant regulation as contained in our Revised Conditions of Service duly passed by both Chambers of the 8th National Assembly puts the retirement age of staff at 40 years of service and 65 years of age whichever comes first.
“The Resolution of the 8th National Assembly on the Conditions of Service of Staff has not been rescinded nor abdicated by the National
Assembly, who under the authentic National Assembly Service Act 2014 as passed is empowered to review any proposed amendment to the Conditions of Service by the Commission.
“Therefore, the National Assembly Service Commission does not have the powers to set aside the Revised Conditions of Service as passed by the 8th National Assembly”.
N-Power: Massive Registration, An Indication Of Public Acceptance Of Batch C – Policy Expert [LEADERSHIP]
The massive registration of youths for the Batch C stream of the N-Power programme has been attributed to the transparent process the honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has introduced in the implementation of programmes and policies in the ministry.
This was stated in an interview by Dr Gbolahan Agbaje, a renowned policy and development expert.
He stated that the initiation of the Batch C stream of the N-Power Scheme by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under the leadership of Hajiya Saddiya Farooq is indeed an indication that the government is sensitive to the plight of the youths in the country.
“I can’t but laud the honourable minister for the way and manner she has carried on with the implementation of the various interventionist programmes under her ministry. The example of the massive registration by youths for the Batch C Stream of the N-Power is quite overwhelming.”
“Even though the Federal Government plans to enrol 400,000 applicants in the Batch C scheme, over 4.48 million youths have applied for the programme. This is an indication that the honourable minister is indeed thinking outside the box in ensuring that the policy of the federal government on the youths in the country is fully implemented.”
Dr Agbaje also noted that the honourable minister has transparently handled the affairs of the ministry, and this line of action has instilled confidence in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The level of transparency exhibited by the honourable minister has been outstanding and a lesson in governance in the country. I believe that if other public office holders imbibe such level of transparency in their conduct, Nigeria would indeed make substantial progress.”
“The distribution of humanitarian palliatives during the COVID19 pandemic across the country is another exemplary display of transparency and accountability by the minister. We must admit that she indeed understands what it means to head such a sensitive agency.”
He further asserted that the choice of Sadiya Umar Farouq as the head of such a sensitive agency is strategic and buttresses the level of commitment of President Muhammdu Buhari towards uplifting the plight of the youths as well as the vulnerable groups in the country.
“I have no reservation whatsoever with the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari in the choice of the minister because she has displayed a great sense of enthusiasm and commitment to the Nigerian cause. I must add that she can be regarded as a lesson in governance.”
“Taking the examples of the conditional cash transfer initiatives, the distribution of food items and other interventions all speaks volume of her level of integrity. I would advise her to continue in this fashion to ensure that the impact of the various government interventions reaches the intended beneficiaries.”
“Her work ethic is infectious and that infectious attitude is what I believe she has transmitted to staffers in her ministry and the various agencies under her supervision hence the effective coordination in the implementation of various humanitarian policies of the government.”
It would be recalled that accolades have continued to pour in for the efforts of the honourable minister of Humanitarian Affairs in the implementation of the various government policies that affected the lives of ordinary citizens. In recent times she has received awards on excellence and good governance by multiple organizations in recognition of her excellent works.
Police Release Magu, Buhari Suspends 12 EFCC Directors [PUNCH]
The former acting chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, on Wednesday breathed the air of freedom after spending 10 days in police custody.
He was released shortly after the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, directed one of his lawyers, Tosin Ojaomo, to direct his bail applications to the Presidential panel probing his activities in office.
Ojaomo confirmed the release of his client, saying, “Yes, I can confirm that Magu has been released this evening,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has ordered the suspension of 12 directors of the EFCC, including the commission’s Secretary, Olanipekun Olukoyede.
The order, one of our correspondents gathered, was handed down on Friday following a request by the presidential panel investigating the allegations of graft and misconduct against the former EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu.
The PUNCH learnt that the directors were asked by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to proceed on suspension on Tuesday in compliance with the presidential order.
A source said, “The panel actually requested the suspension of all the directors of the EFCC to go.
“Following the request, the President asked the AGF to direct the directors and other senior officials to proceed on suspension immediately. The officials were informed on Tuesday.”
This is happening as some loyalists to Magu were said to have fled with some sensitive files requested by the presidential panel.
It was gathered that the panel called for the files, but the officials in charge were said to have failed to respond to the panel’s summons, and attempts to get the concerned officers reportedly proved abortive.
A source said, “The failure of some of the loyalists referred to as Magu boys to provide the sensitive files requested by the panel is being treated as a serious security issue.”
Meanwhile, Magu on Wednesday demanded a copy of the report of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets and a memo by the Attorney-General of the Federation to the President in which 22 allegations were levelled against him.
The former EFCC boss in a letter to the panel chairman, Justice Ayo Salami, dated July 15, 2020, explained that he had not seen the allegations and petitions against him despite spending over nine days in custody.
Magu, in the letter written by his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, further said that he was ready to respond to the allegations against him if provided the copy of the allegations.
The letter was a follow-up to the earlier one addressed to the panel dated July 10.
It read in part, “Our client respectfully demands the following: a copy of the report of the Presidential Audit Committee, a copy of the memo of Honourable Attorney General of the Federation to the President on our client and individual petitions submitted to the panel against our client.”
Shittu observed that the panel had clarified that it did not order Magu’s detention, and therefore, requested the panel to direct the Inspector-General of Police to release him.
He stated, “Our client observes that the panel has issued an official statement to the effect that it did not authorise the detention of our client.
I Didn’t Sexually Harass Ex-NDDC Managing Director – Akpabio [PUNCH]
THE Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday denied all the allegations made against him by a former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Joi Nunieh, saying there is no iota of truth in them.
Nunieh had in a recent interview accused Akpabio of sexually harassing her, corruption and abuse of office, among other allegations.
But the minister, in a statement by his spokesman, Aniete Ekong, described the allegations as “false, malicious and libellous.”
The statement read, “Let it be known that there is no scintilla of truth in all the allegations peddled around by Ms. Nunieh. They are simply false!
“The Honourable Minister did not at any time, place or circumstance make any form of sexual advances to Ms. Nunieh, not even to put himself in a position or posture suggestive of sexual advances towards Ms. Nunieh, or any female staff of his ministry or the NDDC.”
Election Rigging: APC Petitions CP, Demands Ex-Ondo SSG’s Prosecution [PUNCH]
The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, have written a petition to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Salami, to investigate an allegation of electoral fraud made by a former Secretary to the State Government, Mr Sunday Abegunde.
Abegunde, who resigned from his position last week, had granted a media interview claiming that he and some others committed electoral fraud to ensure victory for Akeredolu in the 2016 governorship election.
The APC and Akeredolu through their lawyer, Mr Femi Emodamori, subsequently asked the police commissioner to investigate the claim.
In a petition dated July 14, 2020, the ruling party said Abegunde’s allegations were diametrically spurious, false, reckless, senseless, and criminal.
The petition read in part, “Consequently, we have the instruction of our clients to call on your office to set all the necessary machineries under your control as the Commissioner of Police in motion, to unravel the truth or falsehood in the allegation(s) of Abegunde, by conducting a thorough investigation into the allegation in this petition.”
The petition added that in the event that the investigation revealed that the allegation(s) were false, “we demand the immediate prosecution of Abegunde for the criminal offence of publication of defamatory matter, in contravention of Section 375 of the Criminal Code, and punishable with two years’ imprisonment, as well as any other offence for which he may be found culpable.”
I’ve Capacity To Fix WTO, Okonjo-Iweala Assures Trump [SUN]
Front runner for the office of the Director General of the World Trade Organisation and former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in a veiled message yesterday declared she has the capacity to reform the world body for the benefit of all members.
In a press briefing in New York, after her appearance before the selection committee, she told United States President Donald Trump, or whoever succeeds him in the forth coming presidential election, not to pull the US out of the organisation. “Don’t leave now: let’s fix what needs to be fixed,” she said.
Washington has threatened to withdraw the membership of the US from the organization, alleging poor management and “unfair trade.” The US president had told Fox news that WTO was established “to benefit everybody but us”, adding: “We lose the lawsuits, almost all of the lawsuits in the WTO.” He was more specific when he spoke with Bloomberg. He warned: “If they don’t shape up, I would withdraw from the WTO.”
Trump is not comfortable with the organisation’s open trade policy which is counter to his protectionist trade policies. US is one of the founding fathers of the organization charged with the responsibility of regulating global trade and dispute resolution among members.
Okonjo-Iweala, a former Managing Director at the World Bank and currently the Board Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is Nigeria and the Economic Community of West Africa’s candidate for WTO DG. She is contesting the position with seven other candidates.
Watchers of the affairs of the organisation say the organisation requires an experienced boss who will be courageous to effect radical reform. Okonjo-Iweala, however, believes she is the right boss the organisation needs now as she hopes to bring to bear her vast experience in financial and intercontinental business management.
The 164-member organisation is facing several challenges that if not addressed quickly could paralyse it. They include the undermining of the rules of the organisation, as in the case of the trade dispute between the US and China. Both countries have refused to observe the rules of the organisation, countries involved in trade disputes are allegedly exploiting “a loophole in WTO law that permits its 164 members to take any action they consider necessary to defend “essential security interests,” the organization has been unable to adjudicate or intervene in trade disputes because of the blockade of nominees to its appellate body,
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has declared support for Okonjo-Iweala. Chairman of the forum and Governor of Kebbi, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, in a statement said President Muhammadu Buhari, in endorsing her candidature, has not only presented the best to the world, but also presented a credible person with integrity.
“The literal freezing of world trade occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic serve as a stark warning that we need to have a better trade system. Whoever imagined that one country can ‘’seize” medical supplies going to other countries?
“Fixing the global trading system is one of the most important challenges of our time and doing so shall contribute to global prosperity more than any agreement. In so doing poverty shall be reduced and global prosperity shall be more equitably shared. Reforming the WTO is at the heart of any of such quests, and thus the choice of the next leader of the organisation matters.
“African countries have been committed to the WTO and have been patiently hopeful. The WTO Agreement was signed in 1995 at Marrakech in Morocco with many African countries being early signatories. Progress has been painstakingly slow with agreement of more equitable trade and agriculture on the table since 2001 it started in Doha, Qatar, known as Doha round.
“In nominating our own Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President Buhari is not just presenting a Nigerian Candidate but also presenting to the world one of its best, albeit from Nigeria, and one who is eminently qualified to lead the task of fixing the world trading system.