The director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi, has said the Supreme Court determined the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
Amadi blamed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for failing to prosecute the 2023 presidential election.
Amadi said the National Assembly should probe INEC’s expenditures during the 2023 general election.
He also charged INEC to explain why its server failed during the 2023 presidential election.
The public affairs analyst also noted that the electoral umpire should be able to explain to Nigerians why its results were not collated and declared electronically as provided in the INEC electoral Act as amended.
He spoke at an event organised by the Labour Party to mark this year’s Democracy Day and was contained in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.
According to Amadi: “Nigerians and indeed the National Assembly should be courageous enough to probe INEC expenditure during the 2023 general elections.
“The failure of the INEC server during the presidential election with all the money given to them. It is appalling that no one spoke about the huge amount of money given Mahmood Yakubu and all the INEC commissioners to prosecute a failed election, failed because the Supreme Court has to step in to determine the result of elections.”
He noted that the ongoing electoral reform must reject the inconsistency of allowing the presidency to appoint the INEC chairman.
Amadi stressed that this gives room for election rigging before the votes are cast.
Supreme Court determined presidential election result because INEC failed – Sam Amadi
Supreme Court determined presidential election result because INEC failed – Sam Amadi
Lagos students get N1m, land for winning quiz
Two students of Oriwu Junior Model College, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Abdulramon Lemboye of JSS II and Oyindamola Agbede of JSS III have emerged winners of the prestigious Lagos State Junior Secondary School Quiz Competition organised by the Irene Onwuka Peace Foundation.
This was made known in a statement shared by the state government on its website on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the winners received a star prize of N1m and two laptops for their performance.
AK Model Homes and Properties, a donor and supporter of the event, gifted the students with two plots of land in recognition of their academic excellence.
The statement read, “Two students of Oriwu Junior Model College, Ikorodu recently emerged winners of the prestigious Lagos State Junior Secondary School Quiz Competition, organised by the Irene Onwuka Peace Foundation.
“The two winners, Abdulramon Lemboye of JSS II and Oyindamola Agbede of JSS III secured the star prize of N1m and two laptops for their outstanding performance.
“To further celebrate the remarkable achievement of Lemboye and Agbede, a donor and supporter of the event, AK Model Homes and Properties, also graciously gifted the students with two plots of land around the Ibeju-Lekki, Epe axis, in recognition of their academic excellence.
“The two students’ achievement not only underscores the culture of hard work, resilience and dedication established by the Tutor General/Permanent Secretary of Education District II, Mrs Anike Adekanye, but also testifies to her dogged leadership and commitment to leaving a legacy that thrives continually for education development.”
Adekanye, while praising the students, said, “We are incredibly proud of Adbulramon Lemboye and Oyindamola Agbede for their exceptional performance in the Competition. Their achievement is a true inspiration to all the students in Education District II and we are grateful to the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu led government for giving our students the will to platform through the improvements in the education sector.
“This remarkable milestone testifies to the transformative impact of the T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda of Mr Governor’s administration in using education to transform the lives of young individuals. As our students bask in the glory of their achievement, the entire Education District II community celebrates the success and looks forward to the continued growth and development of education under the able leadership of Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, the Honourable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education.”
She also acknowledged the impact of the T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda on education development and expressed gratitude for the donation and support of AK Model Homes and Properties.
Police arrest man with eight skulls, human parts in Ondo
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a man identified as Yusuf Adenoyin for possessing eight human skulls in Isua, the headquarters of Akoko South-East Local Government Area.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, on Wednesday, explained that police personnel attached to the Police Safer Highway Patrol at the Isua/Epinmi checkpoint arrested the suspect.
Odunlami said, ” On June 10, 2024, at about 0800hrs, personnel attached to Police Safer Highway Patrol at Isua/Epinmi checkpoint while performing their lawful duty flagged down a Nissan Salon car en route to Akure. While the vehicle was being searched, one of the passengers took to his heels and the police pursued and arrested him.
“His load was searched and eight dry human skulls, fresh human flesh, and charms were found in a wrapped polythene bag concealed in a garri sack he was travelling with.
“The suspect, Yusuf Adenoyin, 31 years old, stated that he was going to supply the items to herbalists. He also confessed to having supplied seven human skulls before he was arrested.”
The police spokesperson also said the investigation was ongoing to apprehend other accomplices.
The PPRO also said it arrested another three persons for involving in robbery activities in Akure, the state capital.
According to her, the suspects are Uche Onu, Ekene Okorie and Celestine Eze and they were arrested through intelligence. She noted that the suspects had confessed to the commission of the crime.
The PPRO said, ” They ( suspects) confessed to have participated in the robbery, one Scania truck with reg no: JJJ 701 YE valued N12,000 and 61 50kg empty gas cylinders were stolen. A police constable was injured at the scene of the crime.
“Ekene Okorie who drove the stolen truck, led detectives to one Emmanuel Okike who bought the stolen gas cylinders at the rate of N36,000 each totalling N2,256,000 which he paid into the account of Tochukwu Obi and Desmond Orjiakor respectively. The stolen Scania truck has been recovered from Benin City, Edo State while all sixty-one 50kg empty gas cylinders were recovered from the receiver, Emmanuel Okike at Lagos State.
“Francis Okafor is presently in detention at SCID, Benin City in connection with another armed robbery case while an effort is ongoing to apprehend Ezeego who is at large.”
Odunlami said the three suspects would be charged in court at the end of the investigation.
Russian Embassy denies forcing Nigerian students to fight in Ukraine
The Russian Embassy in Nigeria on Wednesday vehemently denied claims of coercing African students, particularly Nigerians, to participate in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine in exchange for visa extensions.
According to Bloomberg’s Monday report, Russia purportedly sought to enlist thousands of migrants and foreign students to reinforce its troops in the war against Ukraine, adopting tactics similar to those employed by the Wagner mercenary group.
European officials reportedly assessed this situation, claiming that the Kremlin was threatening not to extend visas for African students and young workers unless they agreed to join the military.
Yevgeny Primakov, head of Rossotrudnichestvo, an organisation focused on spreading knowledge about Russia abroad, estimated that there are currently 35,000-37,000 African students in Russia.
Labelling the reports as fake news and entirely unfounded, the embassy emphasised the potential damage such misinformation could inflict on the educational cooperation between Russia and Nigeria.
According to the embassy’s statement, no association of Nigerian students in Russia has confirmed the allegations.
Nigerian students reportedly face no difficulties in extending their visas while pursuing their studies in Russia, the embassy added.
The embassy commended the efforts of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Association of Nigerian Students in Moscow for debunking the false claims and reaffirmed its commitment to fostering friendship and cooperation between Russia and Nigeria.
The statement read, “The Embassy of the Russian Federation is compelled to emphasize that such news is not only false but also damages Russian-Nigerian educational cooperation by misleading numerous scholarship and grant applicants as well as their partners, who could be extremely concerned by such fakes.
“The Embassy states that Nigerian students face no difficulties in extending their visas while continuing their studies in Russia. Numerous associations of Nigerian students in Russia have not reported any issues in obtaining the necessary documentation to continue their stay in the country.
“The Embassy welcomes the official press release of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this matter and expresses gratitude to the Ministry and the Association of Nigerian Students in Moscow for their efforts in debunking the fake news aimed at undermining the friendship and cooperation between Russia and Nigeria.”
Police kills two suspected IPOB members in Enugu
Police operatives in Enugu on Wednesday killed two suspected members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) during a raid on the group’s alleged camp in a forest in Igbo-Etiti local government area of the state.
The spokesman for the state police command, Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement on Wednesday that the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Neighborhood Watch Group at about 2:00 a.m., in the day.
Ndukwe said the raid followed an intelligence report on the group’s activities in the forest and its general area.
He added that the criminal elements opened fire on the operatives upon sighting them.
The spokesman said: “However, the police operatives returned fire at a superior level, forcing the criminals to escape with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.
“After that, two of the fleeing suspects’ lifeless bodies were discovered and recovered in the forest.
“Police also recovered one AK-47 rifle, four magazines loaded with a total of 75 live 7.62 mm calibre ammunition, and one Beretta pistol loaded with eight live 0.9 mm calibre ammunition.
“Further recovered were: one KC Sanya and Honda Today, lady’s motorcycles, one GTB ATM card, a cash sum of N2, 600 and several raw food items. The manhunt for others on the run is ongoing.”
Ndukwe said that preliminary investigations revealed that the group was responsible for numerous heinous crimes, including the recent attack and murder of police and other security personnel in the Nsukka area of the state.
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Power outage hits Maiduguri as vandals blow up TCN towers again
Residents of Maiduguri and its environs will experience power outages as vandals again have destroyed the recently rebuilt T193 and T194 towers along the Damaturu-Maiduguri 330kV Single Circuit Transmission Line.
The general manager of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
TCN said the incident on its towers was done around 10:15 pm on Tuesday, resulting in its 150MVA power transformer at Molai Substation and 330kV transmission line supplying bulk supply to Maiduguri tripping.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, hereby states that two of its towers, T193 and T194, along the Damaturu-Maiduguri 330kV Single Circuit Transmission Line have again been destroyed by vandals.
“The incident, TCN believes, happened at about 10:15 pm, yesterday night, when the 150MVA power transformer at Molai Substation tripped at the same time as the 330kV transmission line supplying bulk power to Maiduguri from Damaturu Transmission Substation.
“After the line tripping, efforts were made by TCN engineers to close the Molai-Damaturu line to enable bulk transmission of electricity, which failed repeatedly. Early today, however, TCN lines engineers along with security operatives patrolled the line and discovered that towers 193 and 194 along the 330kV transmission line were brought down using an explosive device, whose fragments are scattered at the site of the incident.
“The area affected by this incident is Maiduguri and its environs. Two out of the towers in question are the towers affected by yesterday’s vandalism attack, which were rebuilt after that incident.
“TCN is currently assessing the situation with a view to deciding on the best approach to ensuring the temporary restoration of the power supply while a contractor is mobilised to rebuild the two transmission towers,” the statement reads.
TVN recalls that on December 28, 2023, towers T193, T194 and T195 were destroyed with improvised explosives.
In February 2024 alone, TCN said it recorded five incidents of facility vandalisation.
Power outage hits Maiduguri as vandals blow up TCN towers again
Four dead, 10 injured in Enugu auto crash
At least four persons died in a ghastly auto accident along the Enugu-Onitsha Federal Highway on Tuesday.
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Enugu State, Mr. Adeyemi Sokunbi, confirmed the incident to journalists on Wednesday in Enugu.
Sokunbi said that the accident occurred at about 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday when a truck carrying kerosene lost control and rammed into six other vehicles.
He added that 29 persons were involved in the accident while two died instantly.
READ ALSO: Seven dead, 15 injured in Oyo auto crash
The commander said 10 injured persons were rushed by the FRSC operatives to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, for treatment.
He said: “We are thanking God that the truck that failed break was not conveying petrol, which is extremely inflammable.
“Motorists and all road users in general, have to be very careful on the road.
“We advise that all should put their vehicle in order and at an optimal condition before setting out on journeys.
“You cannot afford to put a mechanically deficient vehicle on the road to cause harm to many others using the same road.”
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Prices of food items soar in Lagos markets
As the 2024 Eid Kabir celebrations approach, the prices of perishable and non-perishable food items have soared in major markets in Lagos by over 300 per cent.
A survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria in major markets (Mile 12, Oyingbo, Surulere and Ajah) on Tuesday and Wednesday showed that prices of all food items jumped by almost 400 per cent in some cases within the space of one year.
A 50kg basket of tomatoes which was sold for N35,000 in 2023 has risen to N100,000 at Mile 12 and as high as N120,000 in high-brow areas of Lekki and Ajah.
The price of a 50kg bag of Scotch Bonnet popularly known as “rodo” or “atarodo” pepper jumped by over 600 per cent, selling for N120,000 against the previous N18,000.
Similarly, a 50kg basket of bell pepper also called “tatashe” rose to N95,000 from N21,000 while the same quantity of red chilli pepper also known as “bawa or shombo” rose to N110,000 from N22,000 in 2023.
The survey also showed that a 100kg basket of onions is now selling for N70,000, up from N25,000 in the period under review.
NAN also reports the price of a 50 kg bag of local rice which sold for N48,000 last year, currently goes for N65,000 while the same quantity of imported Rice pegged at N55,000 in 2023 is being sold between N80,000 and N90,000 depending on purchasing power.
Also, prices of animals used to celebrate the festival such as rams, cows and goats have soared astronomically.
A medium-sized ram ranged from N350,000 to as high as N700,000, a cow ranged from N800,000 to N1,000,000 and a goat from N75,000 to N120,000 depending on bargaining strength.
Eggs and chickens have also jumped as a crate of egg which was N1,800 in 2023 was now N4,500 as of Tuesday and chicken of N8,000 now goes for N12,000 of old layers and N15,000 for broilers.
The Spokesperson for Mile 12 International Market, Lagos, Femi Odusanya, attributed the increasing prices in food commodities to high levels of insecurity for farmers.
According to him, farmers are no more farming because of banditry, kidnapping and wanton killing on farmlands across the country.
Odusanya added that the high cost of transportation also contributed greatly to the inflation currently being experienced on food items.
He said that the government at all levels would need to subsidise the entire agricultural value chain and provide adequate security to encourage more people to go into farming.
“The state government’s contributions to agriculture are abysmal and there should henceforth be competition in the area of comparative advantages at the state level.
“We have arable lands in all the states but the governors must do much more in the area of agriculture and reduce reliance on the largesse from the Federation Account Allocation Committee.
“You can count on your fingers the number of large-scale mechanised farmers we have in the country as it is in the developed climes.
“Furthermore, to make agriculture attractive, we need to take the issue of value addition seriously by supporting local processing,” he said.
Meanwhile, a cross-section of Nigerians have continued to bemoan the country’s current inflationary pressures and are seeking interventions from governments at all levels to mitigate its impacts on ordinary citizens.
A nutritionist, Fatai Akomolafe, stated that pockets of malnutrition incidences were beginning to crop up in different parts of the country.
Akomolafe noted that when citizens were not able to afford a basic meal consisting of critical nutrients, different forms of sicknesses and diseases were bound to attack the body.
“Ordinary egg, which is supposed to be one of the cheapest sources of protein, is now almost N200. You cannot even imagine the price of soya beans, beans and other sources of proteins such as beef and chicken.
“When vegetables, proteins, and carbohydrates become luxury for the common man, then sickness becomes the norm and with the japa syndrome the country is currently facing, we do not have enough doctors to address sicknesses that plague people as a result of malnutrition.
“The time for local, state and Federal governments to find means of getting critical food components to the needy is now to reduce the mortality staring us in the face,” he said.
A businesswoman, Charity Ephraims, stressed that the number of begging Nigerians on and off the streets had increased in the last year.
“Whether on suit or in rags, people begging to eat, begging to be transported, begging to buy drugs, have increased. One is even afraid to pick calls these days, particularly from home, because the needs are overwhelming.
“It has also become very fearful to go to the market these days because the price you met last Saturday is definitely different from what one would see this coming Saturday.
“I wonder how those with high blood pressure are coping. May we not have incidences of people collapsing in markets once they hear the price of an item.
“We beg government to do whatever can be done to reduce the price of food as it is only a person who has eaten that is strong enough to be productive and contribute their quota to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), she said.
Alhaji Bala Tanko, a pepper trader, revealed that even as a seller, he could not afford to consume what he was selling at the price it was currently being sold at.
He urged the government to deploy more security surveillance to farm areas, particularly in the middle belt and the north, to match the forces of bandits and encourage farmers to return to feeding the nation.
Tanko also appealed for subsidised transportation systems and reduced levies to aid the transportation of food components across the country until prices become reasonably lowered.
NAN
I have stepped on toes in Benue, but no apologies – Gov Alia
The Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, said on Wednesday he had stepped on many toes in the efforts to fulfill his social contract with the people of the state.
The governor, who stated this in a speech to mark the country’s Democracy Day in Makurdi, insisted that he had no apology for protecting Benue resources from people who had over the years stunted the state’s growth.
He said: “Yes, I have stepped on many toes, but I have no regrets. I have no apology to anyone.
“I have no regret at all. Democracy is liberation and freedom for all, and not for a selected few.
“In the course of governance, I have lost many things because I decided to stand with the people and place their interests above the political elite. I have no regrets at all.”
Alia said those whose interests he stepped upon had not “showed him love.”
He added: “As a government standing on a popular mandate, a government of the masses, I’m mindful of the honour and trust bestowed on me.
“For this, I have pushed sleep and comfort to the back seat to ensure that I live up to the expectations and terms of our social contract.
“Throughout this period, I have earned nothing close to love from those whose selfish interests I have stepped upon to bring you happiness, hope, and succour. I have placed your interests above theirs. I have no regrets for what I have lost in the course of this journey.
“Democracy and what we celebrate this day is liberation and freedom for everyone. Benue was enslaved for years; today, Benue is free.
“Nigeria went through so many stages to arrive at this day. 25 solid years of uninterrupted democracy is no mean feat.
“I remain very grateful to President Bola Tinubu. I celebrate our freedom and celebrate the joys that democracy brings.”
Alia, however, stressed that the anti-open grazing law would not be repealed.
“It will, rather, be strengthened,” he declared.
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Utilise $43m for human capital development — Sen Natasha to NLNG
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has urged the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas Limited, NLNG, to prudently allocate $43 million from the $4.3 billion Train-7 project for human capital development projects.
Apoti-Uduaghan charged NLNG to ensure compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development, NOGICD, Act, adding that it represents one per cent of the total project value designated for human capacity development and institutional strengthening.
She made this call during a meeting at the National Assembly with representatives from NLNG, NCDMB, Saipem Contracting Limited, and Daewoo Engineering and Construction, on Tuesday.
According to a statement signed by Arogbonlo Israel, her Chief Press Secretary, Akpoti-Uduaghan, stressed the importance of transparency and effective utilisation of these funds to benefit Nigerians and enhance the country’s human capacity development and institutional strengthening.
She said: “Learning institutions, from public primary to tertiary institutions nationwide, should benefit from the $25.8 million, which is 60 per cent of the $43 million worth of HCD projects owed Nigerians.”
The lawmaker also emphasised the infrastructure deficit in Nigeria’s primary and secondary schools in the UBEC report, which states that about 40,000 classrooms are in deplorable condition.
“It would do well if NLNG’s HCD schemes can support UBEC in their quest to provide befitting educational facilities,” she advised.
She addressed discrepancies in reported figures for the NLNG Train-7 project, highlighting that if the project is valued at $6.5 billion, the human capacity framework would allocate $39 million for institutional strengthening, $13 million for advanced-level training, and $13 million for auxiliary training, totalling $65 million.
“If the project is worth $10 billion, the allocation would be $60 million for institutional strengthening and $20 million each for training, totalling $100 million worth of projects across the country,” she said.
The Kogi lawmaker explained that for projects in the oil and gas sector worth over $500 million, one per cent of the project value is allocated to human capacity development and institutional strengthening.
The committee is expected to collaborate with NLNG and NCDMB to establish a framework and select public institutions across the country that will benefit from the strategic programme, aimed at enhancing learning institutions’ capacity.
The effective utilisation of these funds will positively impact the country’s human capacity development and institutional strengthening and will help address the issue of out-of-school children and improve learning structures in public institutions.
Utilise $43m for human capital development — Sen Natasha to NLNG