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S’Court’s verdict on LG autonomy, a relief for governors

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S’Court’s verdict on LG autonomy, a relief for governors

Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman, has said that the forum welcomed the ruling of the Supreme Court granting autonomy to local government areas.

AbdulRazaq said the verdict of the court is a relief from the burdens on the governors.

AbdulRazak accompanied by the Chairman, All Progressives Congress Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, and Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum, Dr Bala Mohammed, made the remark while addressing State House correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday.

He added that compliance to the verdict is guaranteed, saying “our Attorney General has applied for the enrollment order, which we’ll study carefully.”

“But by and large, governors are happy with the devolution of power in respect of local government autonomy. It relieves the burden on governors.

“Our people really don’t know how much states expend in bailing out local governments, and that’s the issue there,” he said.

AbdulRazaq said his government in Kwara State had never tampered with local government funds.

“What the local governments have to do is to manage themselves, especially with the incoming minimum wage, to manage their affairs and make sure salaries are paid, traditional rulers get their five per cent and those are the main issues,” he said.

AbdulRazaq said the forum would meet next Wednesday to look into issues of states where local government elections are yet to be conducted.

Recall the Supreme Court declared on Thursday that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold funds allocated for local government administrations.

The seven-man panel, in the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.

The apex court held that the power of the government is portioned into three arms of government, the federal, the state and the local government.

The court further declared that a state government has no power to appoint a caretaker committee and a local government council is only recognisable with a democratically elected government.

The court stated that it is the local government that should receive and manage funds meant for local government.

The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Federal Government, seeking to grant full autonomy and direct funding to all 774 local government councils in the country.

FG clears 1,330 NIS retirees 17-year severance allowance

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FG clears 1,330 NIS retirees 17-year severance allowance

The Federal Government has cleared the 17-year outstanding severance allowances of 1,330 officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service who retired between 2006 and 2007.

At a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Mr. Dasuki Arabi announced that 885 officers had been verified and paid their outstanding benefits after a verification exercise was conducted across the six geopolitical zones across the country.

The DG noted that the exercise, which began on November 27, 2023, and ended on January 20, 2024, was a culmination of efforts by the BPSR, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Federal Civil Service Commission, and Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

“We have finally resolved the outstanding severance benefits of 1,330 disengaged officers from the 2006/2007 reform programme. This achievement serves as a beacon of hope for other parastatals and MDAs facing similar challenges,” Arabi added.

Arabi equally thanked the FG for its “unwavering commitment to addressing this long-standing issue, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

He noted that 17 verified officers could not be paid due to some inconsistencies in their account details, but are being addressed by the stakeholders’ committee.

The According had reported that ten months after their recruitment, NIS officers were yet to receive their salary arrears despite being captured on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

The personnel, whose appointment letters date back to August 15, 2023, claimed they had not been paid between September 2023 and February 2024.

The National Chairman and Coordinator, National Association of Retired Immigration Officers, Mr. Ola Gbadamosi acknowledged the payment to the association’s members but noted that some beneficiaries could not be traced due to mix-ups in the biodata of the next of kin for the late officers.

“I want to thank the DG, BPSR and the office of the Accountant-General and Auditor-General of the Federation for their intervention in making the payment a success. It has been 17 years of struggle but it’s a reality today.

“Although we have not been able to fully verify some of our members, about 400 of them. We are working to ensure that everyone is fully captured,” Gbadamosi said.

He also appealed to the government to settle the disparities in the 17-year salary arrears owed to the retirees.

Sowore calls for revolution against Tinubu-led Nigerian government in August

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Sowore calls for revolution against Tinubu-led Nigerian government in August

The 2023 African Action Congress, AAC, presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has called on Nigerians to file out in declaring a revolution against President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian Government in August.
Recalling that Tinubu and former president Muhammadu Buhari once called for a revolution, Sowore said nothing would stop that of August.
Posting on X, Sowore wrote: “The REVOLUTION is now knocking on our doors! #RevolutionNow. Let everyone rise all once in August 2024!
“Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come.
“They asked for a revolution and It is here now! @officialABAT once asked for a revolution, even @MBuhari once asked for a revolution and Nigerians now want a real revolution.
“Nothing Can Stop An Idea Whose Time Has Come” #RevolutionNOW.”
This is coming when Nigerians are bedevilled by insecurity and hardship occasioned by the astronomical rise in the prices of food.
While Tinubu’s government has been tackling the issue of insecurity, the Nigerian government has rolled out measures to tackle food insecurity within 150 days.
The measures announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari said a 150-Day Duty-Free Import Window for food commodities would be implemented by the Federal Government.
He noted that within its period the government will relax the tax and import duties on Wheat, Maize, husked Brown Rice, and beans.
Sowore calls for revolution against Tinubu-led Nigerian government in August

FG evacuates Nigerians in Sudan as expulsion deadline looms

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FG evacuates Nigerians in Sudan as expulsion deadline looms

The Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission said the Federal Government has evacuated citizens in Sudan willing to return home following the two-week expulsion notice issued to foreigners by the Sudanese authorities.

NiDCOM Chief, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday.

Sudanese security authorities have ordered all foreigners to leave the capital Khartoum and the surrounding region.

They gave the foreigners two weeks to do so, according to a statement from the section of the police dealing with foreigners.

The police said foreigners should leave for their own safety amid the fighting still raging between government troops and the Rapid Support Forces militia.

According to media reports, hostility towards foreigners, especially those from other African countries, has been on the rise following reports of foreign mercenaries in the RSF ranks.

A few days ago, more than 150 foreigners who did not have valid residence papers were detained.

A bloody power struggle has been raging in Sudan for more than a year between de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohammed Hamdan Daglo.

According to the UN, the conflict has caused almost 10 million people to flee their homes, and risks a famine in the country.

According to Dabiri-Erewa, the Federal Government the war in Sudan has escalated and no one was left behind.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that when it enquired further on the matter, she said “I suggest you enquire from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly.”

International aid organisation staff and diplomats still in the country left Khartoum after the outbreak of fighting and are now working from Port Sudan, where the situation is comparatively stable.

NAN

UK plans early release for thousands of prisoners

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UK plans early release for thousands of prisoners

Thousands of prisoners are to be released early from September in order to prevent the “collapse” of the prisons system, the UK’s new justice minister, Shabana Mahmood, announced on Friday.

Mahmood said failure to do so risked the “total breakdown of law and order”, with just 700 places left for men, and jails operating at 99 per cent capacity since 2023.

England and Wales have the highest per capita prison population in Western Europe.

The release initiative would not apply to violent offenders serving more than four years, sex offenders and those in prison for domestic abuse offences as well as those on life sentences.

The chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, said this week that urgent action was required, as prisons were at “breaking point”.

Mahmood, appointed last week after Labour’s general election win, warned in dramatic language that if prisons ran out of cell space, there could be “van-loads of dangerous people circling the country with nowhere to go”.

“With officers unable to act, criminals could do whatever they want, without consequence. We could see looters running amok, smashing in windows, robbing shops and setting neighbourhoods alight,” she said in a speech at a prison.

“In short, if we fail to act now, we face the collapse of the criminal justice system. And a total breakdown of law and order.”

Under the plans, prisoners who are eligible for automatic release after serving half their sentence will be freed earlier than normal.

The plans involve a temporary reduction of how long prisoners must serve behind bars, from 50 per cent to 40 per cent of their sentence.

The releases will start in September to give the Prison and Probation Service time to plan.

The total number of prisoners hit over 87,505 on Friday — of whom over 83,800 were men — leaving just 1,451 spaces available, official figures showed.

Since the start of 2023, the average occupancy rate in men’s prisons had “routinely been higher than 99 per cent”, according to the Ministry of Justice.

Officials say the prison system needs a buffer of around 1,425 cell spaces in men’s prisons at all times to deal with sudden influxes of inmates.

Six new prisons to create an extra 20,000 places are being built.

The Prison Governors’ Association said it welcomed the speed of the new measures while demanding a “full review” and that “the public must never be placed in this position again”.

PGA chairman Mark Fairhurst said the measures would free up around 4,500-5,000 more spaces and give prisons around 12 to 18 months before further steps would be needed.

AFP

Japan committed to peace, stability in Africa -Ambassador

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Japan committed to peace, stability in Africa -Ambassador

The Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, on Friday said his country is committed to peace and stability in Africa by providing assistance including human resource development, border control support, and assistance for building judicial and administrative systems.

This, according to him, is for the purpose of consolidation of democracy and the strengthening of the rule of law.

Kazuyoshi, who was represented by the Deputy Head of Mission in Nigeria, Hiromi Otsuki, spoke at the graduation of Participants of Comprehensive Protection of Civilians Course 37/24, in Abuja.

He said Japan has been committed to peace and stability in Africa by providing assistance, including human resource development, border control support, and assistance for building judicial and administrative system for the purpose of consolidation of democracy.

He also called for the protection of civilians during armed conflict.

According to him, civilians, especially women and children, were often the most vulnerable victims of armed conflict, often forced to flee their homes, lose loved ones, and face constant threats of violence.

Kazuyoshi said, “The protection of civilians in armed conflicts is the most important, yet very, very challenging one, and your commitment to improving your skills and knowledge is truly commended.

“The protection of the civilian is a fundamental principle of international law. It is also a moral responsibility. Civilians, especially women and children, are often the most vulnerable victims of armed control. They are forced to feed their homes, lose loved ones, and face the constant threat of violence

“Japan’s commitment to civilian protection is reflected in our financial support for UN peacekeeping operations and other initiatives aimed at protecting civilians. We also provide training and capacity-building assistance for countries, particularly in post-conflict situations.”

The Commandant, Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, Maj.-Gen. Ademola Adedoja, reminded the participants that their expertise was crucial in a world where conflicts and violence had continued to affect the innocent, vulnerable and persons living with disability.

Adedoja said that their training was organised to give realistic training to potential peacekeepers.

He said, “You have learned the importance of humanitarian principles, international laws, Causes and Nature of Conflicts in Africa, United Nations Legal Policy Frameworks on the Protection of Civilians, Mission Life Cycle and Integrated Assessment Planning.

“You have also learned about the Tactical Decision-making process, Mission Analysis and coordination with various stakeholders to ensure the safety of those affected by Conflicts.

“As certified UN-CPOC experts, you are now better equipped to navigate the full spectrum of peacekeeping operations, coordinating, communicating and leading in the pursuit of peace, stability and ultimately ensuring the protection of civilians,”.

Abba Moro blasts Benue Deputy Speaker, Lami for not supporting creation of Apa State

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Abba Moro blasts Benue Deputy Speaker, Lami for not supporting creation of Apa State

Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has slammed Benue State Deputy Speaker, Danladi Lami Ogenyi over her stand on the ongoing agitation for the creation of Apa State.
Benue Deputy Speaker, Lami Ogenyi, has fired back at Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, for accusing her of refusing to support the agitation for the creation of Apa State.
TVN reports that there are ongoing clamours across the country for the creation of additional states.
The people of Benue South have been agitating for the creation of Apa State from present-day Benue State.
Moro made this known recently during a recent virtual meeting with Idomas in the diaspora.
Speaking during the meeting, Abba said the draft got the endorsement of the nine local government chairmen in the senatorial district and ⅔ of members of the Benue State House of Assembly.
He, however, lamented that the Benue State Deputy Speaker, who represents Ado State Constituency, Danladi Lami Ogenyi, refused to sign “for reasons best known to her.”
Lami, in her response, claimed Moro has been avoiding her calls and attempts to form a synergy with him for the greater good of Idoma land.
Moro, in a statement by his media adviser, Emmanuel John Eche-Ofun, warned Lami to stop playing politics with an important agitation.
His statement reads.
This is just as the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro (Benue South), has sent a draft for the creation of Apa State to the constitution review committee to that effect.
The attention of the senator representing Benue South Senatorial District and Senate Minority Leader, Comrade Abba Moro PhD has been drawn to a tirade by the Deputy Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Lami Ogenyi against him over Apa State creation.
Hon. Lami’s vitriolic and insults-laced statement is in reaction to Senator Moro’s explanation at a virtual meeting with Idomas in the Diaspora when he was asked to tell the audience his efforts so far with Apa State creation. In his response to the probing question, the senator said a memo had been drafted in line with section 8 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and submitted through him to the Senate Constitution Review Committee. He stated that all the relevant signatories were required to sign the document except the deputy speaker. Senator Moro stands by the fact that all members of the Benue State House of Assembly irrespective of party affiliation signed the request except Hon Lami.
The senator is not a member of the Benue State House of Assembly and it was the leadership of the State House of Assembly from Benue South Senatorial District that organized the request.
Hon. Lami, by her position, is the second highest public office holder from Zone C at the state level, after the deputy governor, and is expected to have her signature on an important document as that advocating for the creation of Apa State. Senator Moro only reported the content of the memo. Nothing more.
In the poorly written and incoherent statement by Madam Lami, she said Abba Moro was supposed to reach out to her personally and not through a third party. As laughable as that claim is, Lami should know that Senator Moro was only a signatory to the said memo and he didn’t reach out to all the other stakeholders who signed the document as that wasn’t his responsibility.
Lami also went ahead to say that she didn’t understand the memo and didn’t want to sign any document that would be used to impeach his governor who, according to her, Senator Moro has been fighting. The deputy speaker’s hallucination of the request for the creation of Apa State being an instrument to impeach her governor beats Senator Moro’s imagination. But that goes to show why only she refused to sign the request in her imaginary fear that her governor would be impeached if Apa is created. That also shows the quality of representatives we elect.
On her allegation that Senator Moro refused to attend her Thanksgiving and fund-raising, the senator is not surprised because from Ado it’s always believed that he doesn’t attend their functions even when he may not have been invited.
“We want to urge Hon. Lami to think twice and retrace her steps. Her outburst is needless, unwarranted and very disappointing. She should look closely at Senator Abba Moro’s cycle of friends and associates and she will find so many former deputy speakers in there. She should not allow her current position to get into her head to insult the senator with who she has no meeting point.
“If Abba Moro wants to play politics, as alleged, it’s not with Hon. Lami, it would be with a more powerful and influential person. The deputy speaker remains a daughter to the senator and he will continue to see her as a daughter, and not a political opponent.
“We enjoin her to direct her anger and complaints to those who contacted her for her signature on the all-important memo and who she turned down, and not the senator who’s only a messenger and reporting proceedings to the good people of Benue South who inquired to know more from him about Apa State creation.”
Abba Moro blasts Benue Deputy Speaker, Lami for not supporting creation of Apa State

Ndidi signs contract to remain at Leicester until 2027

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Ndidi signs contract to remain at Leicester until 2027

Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has signed a new three-year contract with Premier League club Leicester City.
His previous contract expired last month, sparking rumors of his departure.
However, Ndidi has decided to stay at King Power Stadium, turning down offers from clubs both within and outside England.
“I feel great, I feel excited, I feel at home,” Ndidi told the club website.
Read Also: Ndidi, Iheanacho return to Premier League with Leicester
“That is the most important thing. I feel really happy to continue with the club. My family is settled here, and when everyone back home says ‘Ndidi’, they say ‘Leicester’ also.”
Ndidi joined Leicester from Belgian Pro League team KRC Genk in January 2017.
The 27-year-old has scored 17 goals and made 17 assists in 273 appearances for the club.
He played a crucial role in Leicester’s FA Cup and Community Shield victories in 2021 and was instrumental in their Championship title win last season, helping the Foxes return to the Premier League immediately.
The post Ndidi signs contract to remain at Leicester until 2027 appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.

Islamic group kicks against Samoa deal, urges FG to withdraw from pact

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Islamic group kicks against Samoa deal, urges FG to withdraw from pact

As controversy continues to trail the Samoa Agreement, a group under the aegis of the Islamic Forum of Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government to withdraw from the agreement as it was signed without consulting relevant stakeholders.

Rising from a one-day meeting on Thursday, the Forum with headquarters in Kano, said the Samoa agreement signed by the Nigerian government without consulting the people, stands condemned and rejected.

A professor of law, Bayero University Kano and a member of the forum. Prof. Shuaibu Zunnurain said though LGBTQ+ is not explicitly written in the Samoa agreement, but said Gay and homosexual rights were enshrined using other terms.

The law professor said the 2018 agreement which had protection of the rights of Gay, Lesbian and transgender was rejected by 30 countries including Nigeria.

He said though the LGBTQ were removed in the new draft, terms like gender, and reproductive rights were actually meant to protect LGBTQ+ and abortion rights, explaining that framers of the 1999 constitution were sensitive enough to use the term sex instead of gender in section 42 dealing with non-discrimination against a person on account of his sex, ethnicity or religion.

He noted that the Samoa agreement has, for example, a provision that says ‘the parties’ reaffirms commitment to achieving gender equality, the full enjoyment of human rights by all’ and that the agreement shall take precedence over national or domestic laws.

Also speaking, a member of the forum, Prof. Babangida Muhammad, said for a long time in Nigeria’s history, Muslims, Christians, North, and South and people from across the political divide were united against the Samoa agreement.

He faulted the Samoa agreement for no concise definition of terms as is usually the case in any law, agreement or academic publication.

Another member of the Forum, Prof. Aminu Sagagi, advised parents to be vigilant and take more than a keen interest in what their children watch on social media saying the + sign in LGBTQ+ could mean something fundamentally contrary to morality, religion, culture and tradition.

The immediate past chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, Kano State chapter, Reverend Father Adeyemo Samuel, said there is nowhere in the Bible that God allows gays or Lesbians.

“Any man that sleeps with a man should be stoned to death immediately,” the cleric said.

While calling on the meeting to say no to the agreement, Samuel said Gender equality also stands for lesbianism and homosexuality.

A lecturer with Bayero University, Kano, Dr Bala Muhammad, recalled how Reverend Idowu Fearon, as secretary of the Anglican Church rejected the ordination of a gay Bishop in London, saying Exit clauses in agreement like Samoa may make it difficult for countries to leave.

The meeting called on the Nigerian government to withdraw from the agreement because it is in conflict with political, economic, religious and cultural rights of Nigerians

Ministers meet Spanish firm over Nigeria airspace security

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Ministers meet Spanish firm over Nigeria airspace security

Following the quest to keep Nigeria’s airspace safe, a Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo and his counterpart in the Defence Ministry, Mohammed Abubakar, met the CEO of Indra Systema of Spain, José Vicente de los Mozos, and his team to boost the security framework within Nigeria’s airspace.

This was disclosed through a statement signed by a Special Adviser to the minister, Tunde Moshood, and made available to journalists on Friday.

According to the statement, the meeting was to discuss and assess their capability for Dual Surveillance Systems integrated with a Command and Control system for the military. This state-of-the-art system aims to boost the security framework within Nigeria’s airspace significantly.

Moshood said, “This visit underscores the Nigerian government’s commitment to enhancing the country’s airspace security and surveillance capabilities through the adoption of advanced technologies.

“The collaboration with Indra is expected to significantly bolster Nigeria’s air traffic management and defence infrastructure, ensuring the safety and sovereignty of its airspace.”

Others present at the crucial meeting were the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar; and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Engr. Farouk Umar, among other lists of Nigeria delegates.

According Online gathered that plans are in top gear to develop a centralised Air Traffic Management system at NAMA’s corporate headquarters.

This system is expected to streamline and enhance civil aviation operations across the country, reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to adopting advanced technological solutions for airspace management.

The aviation minister who is still in Spain working on an itinerary together with other delegates may brief the press on his return to the country.

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