9 Nigerians To Contest In Tomorrow’s US Polls [LEADERSHIP]
No fewer than nine Nigerian Americans are on the ballot in tomorrow’s general elections in the United States.
Running mostly on the platform of the Democratic Party, the candidates are bidding for different offices at the federal, state and local levels.
NAN reports that besides the presidential election, governorship polls are holding in 11 states and two territories, in addition to oth- er state and local elections.
Congressional elections are also holding on Tuesday with all the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate up for grabs.
At the federal level, Mr Oye Owolewa, whose father is from Kwara and mother from Oyo, is aiming for a ‘shadow’ (non-vot- ing) seat in the House of Representatives.
Owolewa, a Ph.D holder in Pharmacy from the Northeastern University, Boston, is seeking to represent the District of Columbia (DC) under the Democratic Party.
If elected the 30-year-old, whose agenda include fighting income inequality in the U.S., would be the first Nigerian congressman in the country’s history.
Also at the federal level, Mr Yomi Faparusi, an Ibadan-born native of Ode-Ekiti in Ekiti State, is vying as an independent candidate to represent the state of Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.
Faparusi holds a doctorate in Medicine from the University of Ibadan, a Ph.D. in Health from Johns Hopkins University, and Juris Doctorate from the Widener University School of Law, Delaware.
This is not his first shot at the U.S. Congress. In 2014 and 2016, he vied for the Republican Party’s ticket to the House of Representatives, but lost in both occasions
Faparusi’s priorities include being a positive voice for all Nigerians in the U.S. Senate, and inspiring Americans of African or Nigerian descent to seek public office in the country.
In Missouri, a Republican controlled state, Mr Yinka Faleti from Lagos is the Democratic Party flag-bearer in the election for the office of Secretary of State.
According to Wikipedia, Faleti was in the U.S. Army as an active- duty officer from 1998 to 2004. He served in Kuwait, first under Op- eration Desert Spring and later as part Operation Enduring Freedom.
The 44-year-old father of four holds a Bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point, and a Juris Doctorate from the Washington University School of Law.
His goals as a Secretary of State include protection of the “right to vote for Missouri families”, and ensuring elected officials hear the people’s voice.
Also at the state level, Mr Paul Akinjo from Ondo, is running for election to the California State Assembly under the Democratic Party to represent District 12.
Akinjo once served as Vice Mayor of Lathrop, California, and in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1982 to 1989. His priorities include hous- ing, immigration and transportation.
In Delaware, a small Mid-Atlantic U.S. state, Adewunmi Kuforiji is aspiring to represent District 34 in the state House of Representatives.
Kuforiji, originally from Ibadan, Oyo, secured the Democratic Party’s ticket on Sept. 15 after defeat- ing his challenger, Robert Haynes, at the primary. He holds a Bache- lor in Accounting and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Delaware State University.
In the 2018 mid-term elections, he vied for the same position but lost to the incumbent, Lyndon Yearick, of the Republican Party, whom he is facing he on Tuesday.
Also at the state level, Ms Esther Agbaje, is seeking to represent District 59B in the Minnesota House of Representatives on the platform of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFLP), an affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party.
The 35-year-old daughter of an Episcopal priest and a librarian, both Nigerian immigrants, defeat- ed longtime state Representative Raymond Dehn in the party’s primary in August.
She is one of one of four progressive greenhorns who defeated established Democratic legislators in the primary.
Agbaje has a law degree from Harvard University, a Master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, and has served in the U.S. Department of State, among others.
As a millennial, a “generation that has suffered numerous setbacks”, she seeks to bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to government.
On the ballot at the local government level are April Ademiluyi, Ngozi Akubuike and Benjamin Osemenam.
Ademiluyi, 39, is running on the Democratic Party’s ticket for Judge of the Seventh Circuit Court in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
For her part, Akubuike, a legal practitioner, is an independent can- didate for judge of the Minnesota 2nd District Court Position 8.
Akubuike studied law in Nigeria,
and worked in the banking sector before moving to the U.S. where she graduated from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
She has served in several capacities, including legal manager for the state of Minnesota. Osemenam, who moved to the U.S. in 1982, is contesting for a seat in the Brooklyn Park City Council of Minnesota to represent East District.
An engineer with the Minnesota Depart-
ment of Transportation, he is vying on the platform of National Party.
#EndSars Protests : Smugglers Flood Lagos, Ogun Markets With Rice, Tokunbo Cars [LEADERSHIP]
Smugglers have flooded markets in Lagos and Ogun States with smuggled foreign parboiled rice, foreign used vehicles, poultry products and groundnut oil in the af- termath of the #EndSARS protests that left the country’s borders porous, LEADERSHIP investigations have revealed.
The #EndSARS protest embarked on by Nigerian youths campaigning against police brutality was later hijacked by hoodlums who looted warehouses and van- dalised government properties across the country.
In Ogun and Lagos States, the hoodlums took advantage of the protest to attack Nigeria Customs Service’s checkpoints,
killing a Customs officer, Solomon Alagye, and injuring several others.
The development was officially confirmed by the Ogun Command’s public relations officer, Hammed Oloyede.
t was gathered that two weeks after the attack, Customs officers are yet to return to their respective checkpoints both in Lagos and Ogun States for fear that they might be attacked again.
Consequently, smugglers are availing the opportunity of the porous borders to move smuggled goods around unhindered.
LEADERSHIP checks revealed that the joint border drill operatives also stationed at Covenant University, along Sango-Idiroko road, Ota are yet to return weeks after hoodlums attacked officers statio- ned at that point.
Also, checkpoints from Owode inward Idiroko have reduced from what it used to be before the protest, making the Ogun State border porous for smugglers to penetrate.
It was learnt that in the past few days, smugglers had been moving smuggled poultry, rice and vegetable oil to various markets in Ogun State and its environs.
Our correspondent counted seven vehicles fully loaded with smuggled poultry products along Idiroko road at about 8:00am last Friday.
The same products were smuggled on Saturday at about 10:00am with no resistance from the joint border operati- ves, Ogun Customs operatives or Strike Force unit, Zone A.
Visits to markets by our correspondent showed that prices of foreign parboiled rice, poultry products and vegetable oil have reduced drastically in Lagos and Ogun States as a result of the smuggling activities in the last two weeks.
At Owode market along Idiroko border road, foreign rice that hitherto sold for N26,000/ bag now sells between N14,000 and N16,000, while at Atan market it sells for N18,000.
At Sango, a bag of rice sells for N20,000, while at Iyana ipaja market, the price has gone down from N32,000 to N22,000.
Also, a carton of poultry product (chicken Orobo) has gone down drastically.
A carton which used to sell for N14,000 now sells for N12000 at Owode, while at Sango, it sold for N13,000 before the protest and now sells for N10,000.
At Iyana Ipaja market, a car ton of frozen poultry product sold for N16,000 now goes for N14,000, while at popular Ile-Epo market, Oko Oba, Agege, frozen chicken that use to sell for N17,000 now sells for N15,000.
However, the crash in price was as a result of the massive smuggling through the unman- ned Lagos and Ogun borders af- ter the #EndSARS protest, especially at checkpoints where Customs officers were attacked.
Speaking, a customs source at the idiroko border command of the Nigeria Customs Service said, the morale of officers is present- ly on the low due to the attack on their checkpoints and formation in Ogun and Lagos States by hoodlums campaigning against police brutality.
According to him, but for the steadfastness of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ike- ja, smugglers would have overrun the South West, especially Ogun and Lagos with contraband.
The officer who pleaded anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the press said, “After the attack, the morale of Customs officers manning the borders became low, especially in Ogun and Lagos commands.
“You can see the paltry seizure made by the Seme border command last week. That is not what Seme command is known for in terms of anti-smuggling but the need for face-saving was the re ason why they made that seizure available.
“You can imagine the command celebrating seizure of seven units Tokunbo vehicles, six unit of Vegetable oil.
We need morale boosters for field officers to keep up the anti-smuggling fight in the Lagos and Ogun Command because that is the two busiest borders in Nigeria.”
Seven-month strike lingers as ASUU, govt fight over payment platform [PUNCH]
The Federal Government on Sunday criticised the Academic Staff Union Universities, saying issues concerning seven-month strike by the union were confusing.
The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, who stated this in an interview with one of correspondents in Abuja, accused the union of muddling things up over the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.
But in its response, the union said government wanted to turn Nigerians against university lecturers.
Recall that ASUU had on March 23 begun an indefinite strike over the Federal Government’s insistence on implementing the IPPIS, which the government said all its employees must adopt for their salaries to be paid.
Besides opposing the IPPIS, union also accused the Federal Government of not abiding by agreements both sides signed a few years ago.
Two weeks ago, there were indications that the strike would soon end as the Federal Government said that it might consider adopting the University Transparency Account System , which ASUU developed as an alternative to the IPPIS.
But the hope that students of public universities would soon resume dimmed on Sunday as the government and ASUU tackled each other on the payment system.
Berating ASUU, the Minister of State for Education, Nwajiuba, said, “We have a situation that is quite confusing because a lot of the issues are muddled up so you don’t know which one they (ASUU) want to address and which one they don’t want to address.”
He said government would not integrate ASUU’s payment system with the IPPIS until it is tested.
The minister stated, “If we are going to start adopting platforms from different groups, it will defeat the entire purpose for which we want to have a unified way of knowing how much we owe or due to pay at any time so that we can budget for it and plan for it. They (ASUU) said no, they had a system that they would like to develop, government said, ‘go ahead develop any system, it is not a problem.’
According to him, government told the union that ASUU’s payment system must tally with the IPPIS.
He stated that the government directed the lecturers to register on the IPPIS, while developing their system so that they could collect their salaries.
ASUU brought a semi-finished payment system – FG
He stated, “When originally we asked them how long it would take (to develop the system), they said 18 months and after a while, they brought us a semi -finished product and said the six months they had been on strike they had used it to develop the system and that we should now integrate it with our system. Government said no, we are not going to fuse this with all of our plans yet, until we independently work on it and see how it works which is where we are.
“So I still don’t understand what the issue is. We have been paying them and all the salaries we have paid them, have been paid on the IPPIS. So I don’t understand what they mean by they don’t want the IPPIS. They are already on the IPPIS.
Truckload of rice burnt as trailer kills 16 Ondo traders [PUNCH]
Some angry youths have set ablaze a truckload of rice after 16 people were killed and many injured in a fatal accident that occurred at the Ibaka area of Akungba Akoko, Akoko West Local Government Area of Ondo State on Saturday.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps, the truck, which was fully loaded with bags of rice, rammed into a market in the area and killed 16 persons.
The accident was said to have occurred when the truck had a brake failure, and in the process, crushed a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Corolla, as well as three motorcycles.
On Sunday, it was learnt that some youths in the town, who were furious about the accident, set ablaze hundreds of bags of rice in the truck.
Attempts to burn down the trailer were frustrated by men of the Nigeria Army who reportedly rushed to the scene to prevent breakdown of law and order.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the protesting youths, who sang solidarity songs, blocked the Ikare Akoko-Owo Expressway, halting vehicular movements on the road for hours.
The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, urged local governments in the country to relocate markets from highways.
Lamenting the loss of lives and damage to property occasioned by the incident, Oyeyemi, in a statement titled, ‘Akungba crash claims 16 lives, FRSC advises LG authorities to relocate markets,’ explained that “the crash occurred around 6.30pm on Saturday, October 31, 2020, when a DAF truck loaded with bags of rice rammed into the stalls in the market and crashed into a Toyota Camry saloon car, a Toyota Corolla car and three other motorcycles.
“The fatal crash involved a total of 23 people, comprising 11 male adults, three male children, seven female adult and two female children. Out of the 23 people involved, a total of seven people, comprising three male adults, three female adults and one male child, were rescued with different degrees of injury and taken to the hospital.
“Sixteen people got killed, comprising eight male adults, two male children, four female adults and two female children. The dead bodies were deposited at the Specialist Hospital’s mortuary in Ikare and the General Hospital’s mortuary in Iwaro Oka by FRSC emergency rescue teams.”
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Sunday, visited the scene of the accident and promised to assist the injured victims.
During the visit, Akeredolu, who expressed displeasure at the incident, commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives.
He attributed many road accidents to recklessness on the part of drivers and faulty vehicles.
“I want to appeal to our people to calm down despite the huge losses. Insurance will cover many of the expenses. We must get the owner of the trailer and get their insurance company to pay,” he added.
The traditional ruler of Akungba, Oba Sunday Ajimo, while thanking the governor for the visit, appealed for the construction of a dual carriage road in the community, or creation of an alternative road for heavy-duty vehicles passing through the town.
NMA urges vigilance, NCDC warns against COVID-19 protocol violation [PUNCH]
The Nigerian Medical Association on Sunday said Nigerians must be vigilant to avoid rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.
The NMA President, Prof Innocent Ujah, who gave the advice in an interview with The PUNCH, said the country could not afford an upsurge in coronavirus cases.
Ujah stated this as the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, warned Nigerians against non-adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols, saying the country was still at the risk of coronavirus
Our correspondents across the country on Sunday reported that there had been laxity in the adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols.
In Lagos for example, unlike three months ago, motorists were no more observing social distancing as they fully loaded their buses.
Also, most passengers discarded the use of face masks which was made compulsory three months ago when COVID-19 infections were at their peak
An Oshodi-bound, passenger, Idayat Aderibigbe, who boarded a fully-loaded 18-seater bus at Sango, Ogun State, said she stopped wearing face masks last month.
“When drivers insisted that we must wear it, I considered it as inconvenience, but nobody cares now. God is our protector. Coronavirus has gone,” she said.
In Enugu State, a student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Raymond Chidinma, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said, “I don’t take my face masks around again as I used to do.”
A resident of Enugu, the state capital, Stella Omaba, who works at the Nigerian Correctional Service, told The PUNCH that she wore the facemask and observed other NCDC protocol only when she was at work.
A resident of Kano, Musa Lawan, said he had before been observing the protocol when the pandemic was at its peak in the state, but later stopped due to the reduction in the number of cases in the state.
“I don’t know when last I used face mask or used sanitiser because the number of cases has drastically reduced if compared with the time the pandemic broke out between February and March 2020,” he said.
As of Saturday, 2020, a total of 62,853 cases had been recorded in Nigeria, while 1,144 people had died of the virus. No fewer than 58,675 recoveries had also been recorded as of October 31.
On the contrary, there has been an upsurge in coronavirus infections in Europe and the United States.
For instance, as of Saturday, the United Kingdom had confirmed over one million COVID-19 cases, out of which almost 47,000 deaths had been recorded.
The country’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, on Saturday announced a four-week national lockdown as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
He had said, “Now is the time to take action because there is no alternative. From Thursday until the start of December, you must stay at home.”
In the US, a total of 9,402,590 cases had been recorded as of Saturday according to worldometers.info. No fewer than 36,072 deaths have been recorded..
Commenting on the increasing COVID-19 cases in Europe and the US, the NMA president, Ujah, said, “The cases have been rising in Europe and America, we also have had our fair share but not as terrible as their own. We must remain vigilant because our health system cannot contain what countries in Europe and America have been able to contain. We do not want anything that will worsen the bad situation.”
Also, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Ihekweazu, urged Nigerians to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols.
IPPIS: FG threatens to stop 720 civil servants’ salaries [PUNCH]
The Federal Government has threatened to stop the salaries of 720 civil servants who it said currently have “insufficient records” on the government’s centralised payroll system, the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.
The threat was contained in a circular signed on behalf of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, by the Director, IPPIS-Service Wide Department, Mrs A. I. Attah.
Our correspondent, on Sunday, obtained a copy of the circular dated October 28, 2020, and marked HCSF/PS/CMO/IPPIS/1289/Vol. I.
The circular, which was addressed to all permanent secretaries, Directors of Human Resources Management and all the affected officers, was titled: ‘Suspension of salary of employees with insufficient IPPIS Human Resource records’.
According to the circular, the 720 affected civil servants were given the grace of between October 30 and November 6, 2020, to perfect their records or have their salaries suspended with immediate effect.
The affected officers were directed to present documents such as their personal files at the point of entry into service and original copies of their credentials for final clearance of issues surrounding their dates of birth and dates of first appointment.
The circular read in part, “Respective MDAs are required to confirm the identity of the affected officers from their ministries through letters duly endorsed by the Director (HRM), otherwise they would not be attended to.
“You are cordially requested to inform the affected officers to note that after the affected the expiration of the period, the salaries of non-compliant officers would be suspended on the IPPIS’ platform with immediate effect.
“Please bring the content of this circular to the attention of the affected officers.”
Hoodlums burn police post, vehicles in Anambra land dispute [PUNCH]
Hoodlums have allegedly burnt a police post and some vehicles during a land dispute in Ukpo, in the Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The dispute was said to be between the people of Ukpo and Abba communities.
This was contained in a petition to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 13, Ukpo, Anambra State, by the Ukpo community’s lawyer, C.C Uzomba.
The petition was made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
While accusing certain leaders in Abba of sponsoring the vandals, the lawyer asked the police to arrest and bring perpetrators to justice.
Uzomba said, “On October 14, 2020, mercenaries armed with weapons invaded Ukpo Junction, vandalised and looted shops, demolished a police post, destroyed some properties of Ukpo community and in the process burnt a Golf car and three motorcycles and robbed unsuspecting victims of their valuables. They also assaulted many Ukpo indigenes found at the junction.”
Uzomba said the Supreme Court had ruled against the Abba community on the land, but the indigenes prevented Ukpo from reaping the fruit of the judgment.
“Also, on October 24, 2020, around 2am, some notorious Abba youths and their hired war mercenaries, while heavily armed with guns, dynamites, fuel, gas, tyre, and other weapons, attempted to kill security men on guard and have ever since been drumming for inter-communal war between their community, Abba, Ukwulu and Ukpo communities.
“It is based on these that the community is asking the police to act now to avert the looming communal crisis, breakdown of law and order, further attacks and armed robbery of innocent people,” the petition added.
Over 1m youths apply for investment fund, says Buhari [THE NATION]
President Muhammadu Buhari has again urged the youth to end their street protests and work with the government to find solutions to issues that agitate their minds.
The President, who spoke yesterday in Abuja at the maiden National Youth Day celebration – observed on November 1 and coinciding with the African Youth Day celebration – encouraged the youth to have meaningful discussions with government in order to have comprehensive reforms to police brutality.
The President, who was represented by the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammed Bello, told the gathering that his administration had carefully listened to the pleas of Nigerian youths and had begun work on their agitations.
President Buhari also announced that over 1 million applications had been received since the Youth Investment Fund portal opened on October 12, 2020.
A statement by his Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the President added that the Federal Government “now wants to hear concrete and practical ideas” from youths while acknowledging their constitutional right to peaceful protests.
“You must realise that protests cannot last indefinitely. My government will not lift a hand to stop or suppress you.
“However, the fact of the matter is that other forces and actors will seek to take over your protests that they may redirect them in ways you did not intend and perhaps do not agree with.
“Every successful protest movement the world over has understood that there comes a time when activity must move from the street to the negotiation table. That time for you has come. Do not be afraid of this reality. You should welcome it.
“It is important that we all strive to use this moment constructively. Too many people have already sacrificed too dearly. It is our duty to use this fateful situation to move ourselves to a more just and caring society.
“As youths, you have a nation and a future to build. My government will always be your faithful partner in this essential and patriotic endeavour,” he said.
President Buhari expressed his opposition to the wrongful use and imposition of violent force against innocent, law-abiding persons, particularly young people.
“No one, who is obeying the law, whether they are in line waiting for a taxi or in a peaceful protest line, should be harassed or brutalised by law enforcement agencies.
“It is because of my abiding belief in the people’s constitutional rights that we moved with dispatch to abolish the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and to consider other reforms that will enhance the quality of law enforcement and improve the relationship between the police and public which is a pre-requisite in a just society.
“To allow protests is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength and belief in democracy, and faith in the innate goodness of our people.
“This also shows confidence in the ability of our government to work with the people towards a reasonable and practical resolution to any challenge,” he said.
Trump, Biden stump in battleground states as U.S. votes Tuesday [THE NATION]
As the country reported a record number of coronavirus cases in the past week, Trump, at a rally in Michigan, continued to insist that the disease was not serious. He accused American doctors of profiteering from coronavirus deaths, claiming they were paid more if they report that patients have died of the virus. He also mocked Laura Ingraham, the Fox News host who attended the rally, for wearing a mask, saying she was being “very politically correct”.
But Biden, in Iowa, took the opposite approach, pointing out the record number of new cases in the state and noting that the Iowa State Fair had been cancelled this year for the first time since World War II. “And Donald Trump has given up,” Mr. Biden said.
At a stop in Minnesota, Biden brought up Trump’s accusation about doctors profiting from virus deaths as he assailed the president over his handling of the pandemic. “Doctors and nurses go to work every day to save lives,” he said. “They do their jobs. Donald Trump should stop attacking them and do his job.”
The candidates have their focus on four states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan. All four states were listed as being in the “red zone” for virus cases in a report issued by the White House coronavirus task force, which cited their high per capita rate of cases.
Former President Barack Obama and Biden also attacked Trump in their first joint appearance of 2020, with the former president joking that Trump was “traumatised” by the low turnout at his childhood birthday parties. Biden suggested he would have bopped Trump in their younger days.
Biden and Obama began Saturday with a drive-in rally in Flint in a bid to maximise turnout. Later, they held another drive-in rally in Detroit, where Stevie Wonder performed. The Biden campaign also announced that Obama would campaign in Atlanta and South Florida today.
Their visit to Michigan also included a clutch shot by Obama, who drained a three-pointer in a school gym in Flint and then walked off the court. “That’s what I do,” he said.
Electricity consumers begin payment of revised tariffs [THE NATION]
Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) on Sunday commenced implementation of revised electricity tariffs.
The revised tariffs are based on the decision of the technical committee set up to review the September 1 cost-reflective tariffs, whose implementation was temporarily halted after organised Labour threatened nationwide strike.
The Committee is headed by Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo. Labour is represented on the panel by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Deputy President Joe Ajaero.
The controversial September 1 tariffs have now been slashed with discounts granted.
Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Chairman Prof. James Momoh, confirmed that the Commission had approved a new Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) review for the 11 DisCos.
The new regime of tariffs grants discounts as follows: Band category C 31 per cent, Band B 10.5 per cent and Band A 10 per cent.
According to him, the Review Committee met till 3.00am on Saturday, where it was agreed that the agreed terms should take effect from yesterday.
The NERC boss said Bands E and D are frozen.
Momoh said: “We signed off on it yesterday (Saturday). It has been done the way the people on the government side and the labour unions side agreed.
“We have just written it in a very clear term so that the DisCos will understand their responsibilities, and customers will gain access to it and know that this is the agreed position. They should know that this is the position signed-off yesterday (Saturday) to take effect from November 1.
Giving a breakdown of how consumers will pay, the Ikeja Electricity said last night: “With the revised tariff regime, Non-MD customers in Band A, with a minimum of 20 hours daily will now pay N51.22/Kwh. Band B customers with minimum of 16 hours daily will be charged N46.93/Kwh; while Band C customers with a minimum of 12 hours daily will be charged N37.95/Kwh.
“Customers in Bands D and E, with minimum of eight hours and four hours per day, respectively, are not impacted by the tariff revision. Their SRT tariffs have been frozen and consequently, they will continue to be charged the old tariff prior to the introduction of the SRT.
“Prepaid Meter customers in Bands A – C, who vend from November 1, 2020 will be charged the new tariff while same will be implemented for Postpaid customers in these bands, during the November billing cycle.”
Other Discos yesterday announced the commencement of the agreed new tariffs.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) said with effect from 1st November 2020, AEDC had effected a revised Service Reflective Tariff as approved by the regulatory agency.
“Customers on the pre-paid platform will be the first to experience the revised tariff when they vend from Sunday, 1st November 2020, while the revised tariff will reflect in the bills for customers on the postpaid platform when they receive their electricity bill.
“The tariff is divided into 5 Bands and based on hours of supply to the customers. While customers on Bands D & E have their tariff frozen, those on Bands A, B & C will see some level of reduction in their tariff as they vend.
“AEDC assures her customers that it will, in line with the spirit and letter of the service reflective tariff, ensure that all customers receive quality service. We are also committed to the improvement of service to customers in all our franchise area.
‘We, however, appeal to customers to please see this tariff regime as an opportunity for them to join hands with AEDC to speed up the process of improving the quality of service in the Nigerian power sector.”
God’s mercy stopped Coronavirus from consuming Nigerians, says Adeboye [THE NATION]
The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said Coronavirus (COVID-19) would have consumed Nigerians, if not for God’s mercy on the nation.
Adeboye spoke yesterday on Dove Television monitored by our correspondent during the first Sunday service in November with the theme: Better Days Ahead.
The popular cleric noted that compared to what happened in developed countries, it was obvious that God has been merciful to Nigeria.
He advised Nigerians to continue to pray for God’s mercy and protection as the world is fighting hard to overcome the pandemic. Adeboye said Nigeria should not take God’s mercy for granted, adding that in all things, Nigerians should give God the glory.
“When Coronavirus (COVID-19) broke at the beginning of the year, all advanced countries said, ‘Oh God, when this thing comes to Africa, they will be dying like chickens.’ They said it. It is not that they thought it.”
“Why did they say so? It’s because they know we do not have any resource to handle what was coming. They saw what was happening to them. They were dying by the thousands with all their expertise, all their wealth.”
CSOs demand sack of service chiefs over worsening insecurity [SUN]
A coalition of 102 Civil Society Group (CSG) has claimed that the successful rescue of 27-year old American, Philip Walton, by the United States military force, Navy SEAL 6 has exposed Nigeria’s weakness in tackling insurgency ravaging the country
Known as Civil Society for Peace and Good Governance (COSOGOG), the group commended the US government for the operation even as it expressed shocked how the Navy Seal carried out the operation without the involvement and knowledge of Nigerian security.
To this end, National Coordinator of the group, Ibrahim Gadzama and Secretary, Gboyega Fayemi, in a statement, yesterday, called on President Mohammadu Buhari to sack the service chiefs for failing to curb banditry despite huge budgetary allocation.
“The management and members of this group wish to commend the American government and their navy seal team 6 for rescuing one of its citizens who was kidnapped in Niger Republic and later moved to Nigeria by bandits. This show of patriotism and commitment by the US government is phenomenal.
“However, this action by the US Seal is not only a very big breach of our sovereignty as a nation, but also indicates that there is a big gap in our country’s security architecture.
“We call for an immediate action against those entrusted with the security of our nation. All service chiefs must be sacked and replaced with committed younger generals before it is too late.
“We know that in a matter of days, we may begin to get some cosmetic responses from our security forces justifying the raid or giving excuses for their failure, but the obvious fact is that this raid by America Navy Seal has further confirmed our position that our security chiefs are not on top of their game and need to go home.
“The service chiefs and our intelligence community have lost ideals to tackle our current security challenges. The morale in the security forces, especially the Armed Forces is now very low.
“If the American seal can enter into Nigeria unchecked, undetected and rescue a kidnapped citizen, it then goes to show that our intelligence and entire security architecture is faulty which consequently requires a total overhaul.
“This US operation has further exposed us to the world that our country is vulnerable and prone to external and internal attack or attacks any day, hence there is an urgent need to relieve the service chiefs of their positions, and a total restructuring of the entire security architecture.
“There is no denying the fact that the service chiefs, having spent more than five years in service have carried out some reforms and effected some changes in their respective forces, but we strongly feel they are now bereft of new ideas on how to tackle the increasing security challenges. We feel that given this situation, it is the time for them to go.
“In other countries, they should have ordinarily resigned by now, but since we know they won’t do that, we jointly appeal to Mr President to as a matter of national security, urgently sack them.”
Senate tackles Buhari’s minister over road project [SUN]
The Senate, yesterday, faulted Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, over claims that the upper legislative chamber was behind the dilapidated roads in Benue State.
It said the claims by Fashola were “fallacies of the highest order” and that it took exception to the minister’s claims, insisting it cannot be held responsible for the state of roads across the country.
Senate spokesman, Ajibola Bashiru, said it became necessary for the Senate to speak up on the issue in order not to mislead Nigerians who may blame the wrong institution for thecountry’s poor state of roads.
Fashola was quoted to have made the allegation during a visit by retired Generals and other leaders of thought from Benue South Senatorial District, led by Air Vice Marshal Morgan Monday who complained about the deplorable state of roads in the state.
But the senate replied: “The records are needed to be set right so that the two arms of government should not be seen as working at cross purposes in the course of delivering dividends and good governance to electorates.
“Putting the records straight, the Senate gave the figures of the 2020 proposal for capital expenditure as N265, 868 037,093 by the Executive which the National Assembly passed. The executive later brought revised allocation of N256, 734,983,667 which we also appropriated. As we talk, even in the budget proposal for 2021, the executive proposed a capital expenditure of N363, 266, 425, 976.
“The Senate then wondered where the minister got his figure of N600 billion which he said was the figure proposed to the National Assembly by his ministry and which was allegedly not supported or approved by the National Assembly. The Senate therefore invites Nigerians and specifically the Ministers guests from Benue State South Senatorial District to note that figures do not lie.”
The Senate, however, listed three road projects which were ongoing in Benue South as Oju -Adum Okuku at N 91,180 000, Oturko Township road at N357 200, 000 and Oju/ Loko – Oweto bridge at a cost of N357, 200, 000.
On the minister’s allegation to prioritising constituency projects over other projects, the Senate said Fashola’s statement was made to set the National Assembly on collision course with the people they were representing.
“It should be emphasised that never has allocations specifically meant for other projects ever been diverted to constituency projects as constituency projects are having allocations in the budget.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged there were plots by the Federal Government to use the looting of warehouses containing COVID-19 palliatives by hoodlums to cover -up diversion of the items by some of its officials.
The party in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, accused the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, of giving the impression that CACOVID palliatives looted by hoodlums in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests were the same palliatives she was asked to account for.
Sanwo-Olu pledges tax break, financial supports for business owners [SUN]
Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said his administration was considering tax break and financial supports for business owners affected during the #EndSARS protests.
The governor disclosed this during his condolence visit and meeting with tenants and shop owners at Circle Mall in Lekki, yesterday.
On Wednesday October 21, some hoodlums looted and destroyed property worth billions of naira at various shopping malls and also set their building ablaze.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said government would not leave the people to bear their pains alone as he promised to assist them in returning back to their respective businesses.
The governor said government would give all business owners in the burnt mall tax break of PAYE and also appealed to Federal Government to ensure they get tax relief through the Federal Internal Revenue Services (FIRS).
The governor said the state government would give victims of the mall financial supports, which would be in form of grants or loand to cushion the effect of the looting and destruction of their shops and stores.
Governor Sanwo-Olu explained that the grant would be in form of government giving financial support to the victims, which they were not expected to pay back while lending support would be in form of loans, adding that he was already discussing with some financial institutions to assist with zero interest loan.
Buhari unveils N75bn youth investment fund, reassures on implementation of protesters’ demands [SUN]
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, unveiled the official logo of the N75 billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund for the period of 2020-2023.
This fund is dedicated to investing in the innovative ideas, skills and talents of Nigerian Youth and to provide them with a special window to access much needed financing, business management skills and other inputs critical for sustainable enterprise.
Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello at the first edition of National Youth Day, which coincided with the African Youth Day celebrations across the continent, said the event symbolises the importance his administration attaches and the priority it seek to give the nation’s young population.
President noted that the maiden National Youth Day which was recently approved in August 2020 is the reaffirmation of his administration’s belief that the Nigerian Youth deserves recognition, validation and attention.
President again assured the ENDSARS protesters that all their demands will be met.
He said: “Today, I cannot stand before you and discuss Nigerian youth without talking about the current situation in the country. This administration is more than mindful of the recent protests and grievances against police brutality.
“Like every good Nigerian, I oppose the wrongful use and imposition of violent force against any innocent, law-abiding persons, particularly our youth. No one who is obeying the law, whether they are in line waiting for a taxi or in a peaceful protest line, should be harassed or brutalized by law enforcement agencies.
“It is because of my abiding belief in the people’s constitutional rights that we moved with dispatch to abolish SARS and to consider other reforms that will enhance the quality of law enforcement and improve the relationship between the police and public which is a pre-requisite in a just society.
“To allow protests is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength and belief in democracy, and faith in the innate goodness of our people. This also shows confidence in the ability of our government to work with the people toward a reasonable and practical resolution to any challenge.
“Let me add a word of advice to the protesters and I hope that they accept it in the spirit with which it is offered. This government extends a hand to you to come join in meaningful dialogue so that we may chart a way forward that will include necessary reforms needed for our police and other security services.
“Your pleas have been heard. Now we want to hear your concrete and practical ideas.
“You must realise that protests cannot last indefinitely. Our government will not lift a hand to stop or suppress you. However, the fact of the matter is that other forces and actors will seek to take over your protests that they may redirect them in ways you did not intend and perhaps do not agree with.
“Every successful protest movement the world over has understood that there comes a time when activity must move from the street to the negotiation table. That time for you has come.