Television Nigerian

On Tuesday, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, the interior minister, announced that 55,000 of the 200,000 passport backlog had been cleared.

He added that more backlogs would be removed before the end of the two weeks the immigration chief had been granted, and that once the backlogs were eliminated, Nigerians should be able to get their passports in two weeks.

During Dr. Betta Edu’s visit to his office in Abuja, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, he spoke.

This was said in a statement by Afonja Ajibola, the press director for the interior ministry.

By refusing them a passport, Nigerians “must not be demoted from being citizens of Nigeria,” he argued.

He reaffirmed his conviction that we must act immediately and said that he receives reports every morning. This morning, he was informed that around 55,000 of the 200,000 passports on hold that he had commanded to be cleared in two weeks had been cleared.

He continued by promising that once the backlogs are cleared, Nigerians will begin to benefit from the effective service of having their passports issued within two weeks of applying.

In his speech, Edu guaranteed access to low-interest loans for the widows of killed members of the Federal Fire Service, Immigration Service, Nigerian Correctional Service, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Additionally, she pledged that skill-building initiatives at the correctional facilities will empower offenders.

“The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Beta Edu, said her Ministry’s Mandate has been expanded to cover more Nigerians, who number roughly 16 million and are vulnerable to insecurity that could force their displacement and result in humanitarian crises,” she said.

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She added that her government is prepared to step in and offer subsidized loans to the NSCDC, prison officials, men and officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service, and fire service workers’ widows. She claims that a skills acquisition program will allow inmates of correctional facilities to begin receiving similar interventions.

But she added that as the Federal Fire Service is a ministry-supervised organization that also handles disaster response, she will also put her attention there. As part of the collaborative cooperation, the NSCDC’s role in security intelligence will also be active.

A motion to commit Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, to prison for allegedly disobeying a court order, will have a formal hearing on Thursday, September 14, at the FCT High Court in Bwari.

Justice Mohammed Madugu set the date after receiving a committal charge related to a lawsuit filed by plaintiffs’ attorney Michael Ajara with the case number FCT/HC/CV/4068/2023.

Otunba Camaru Lateef Ogidan and Mustapha Rabiu are the lawsuit’s plaintiffs; however, Chief Victor Oye and Prof. Yakubu are its first and second respondents.
Under the direction of Chief Edozie Njoku, the party’s national chairman, Messrs. Ogidan and Rabiu won the positions of National Vice Chairman, South West Geopolitical Zone of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and National Welfare Officer, respectively, at the Owerri Convention on May 31, 2019.

Oye and Mahmood were accused in the application of disobeying and disregarding the court’s interim injunction issued on May 10 that required the parties to the suit to maintain the status quo ante bellum until the September 28 deadline for the substantive matter’s resolution.

In order to promote governorship candidates for APGA in the Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa elections on November 11 that did not originate from Chief Njoku, Mr. Yakubu allegedly refused to acknowledge Chief Njoku as the legitimate national chairman of the party.

According to the report, despite a court injunction, INEC’s director continued to identify Oye as the national chairman of the APGA.

According to the motion, Oye also convened a meeting of the party’s National Executive Council, or NEC, in violation of a court order that forbade him from organising any gatherings or holding conventions or campaigns in the party’s name.

As part of the injunction, Chief Victor Oye was also told to stop posing as the APGA’s national chairman, according to the statement.

When the case was called on Monday, Ajara, the plaintiffs’ attorney, informed the court that the motion had been ripe for hearing and had been served on the INEC chairman on July 13. The court confirmed this information from its records.

Even though Ajara had certified true copies, or CTCs, of the documents for the two respondents, it was almost unable to locate a copy of the certification of service of the contempt proceedings on Oye in the court file.

The Chief Registrar, Joseph Igboyi, was called to the judge’s attention in an effort to clear up the confusion to confirm if he was the one who signed the CTC, and he acknowledged that he was.

The bailiff, Musa Abdulwahab, admitted removing the original copy of the proof of service from the judge’s file when he was asked to show it. The proof of service was supposed to be in the judge’s file.

Mr. Musa never explained why he took the proof of service out of the court file, and this development led to a contentious exchange in court.

In light of this, Justice Madugu postponed Oye’s case until a hearing on September 28.

Tuesday saw the creation of a seven-person committee by the Nasarawa State House of Assembly to look into allegations of palliative drug diversion by state stakeholders and elected officials.

The House mandated that the committee see to it that everyone guilty of stealing medications intended for the needy is brought to justice in accordance with the law.

The committee was established by the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Abdullahi, in response to issues of public interest raised by the Hon. Musa Ibrahim Abubakar (NNPP- Doma South) during the Lafia session of the House.

He claims that there are seven members of the committee: Hon. Abel Bala, the Deputy Speaker of the House, who serves as Chairman; Hon. Musa Ibrahim; Hon. Barr Esson Mairiga; Hon. Hajara Danyaro; Hon. Luka Zhekaba, the Minority Leader of the House; Hon. Daniel Ogazi; and Hon. Danladi Jatau. Barr. Safiya Balarabe serves as the committee secretary.
The committee was given three weeks by the Speaker to conduct a comprehensive investigation and provide a report of its findings to the House for appropriate action.

In his words, “I will allow you three weeks to complete your work and report back to the House, and all those involved must be invited at the committee level.

“It is regrettable and extremely disappointing that some individuals are undermining the noble goals of Mr. President and Governor Abdullahi Sule in easing the suffering of the underprivileged.

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To lessen the consequences of the subsidy removal, palliatives are used. I don’t understand why certain people diverted the majority of the palliatives for their own and their families’ use.

The Speaker demanded that the committee conduct a comprehensive investigation in order to hold those responsible for the item’s diversion accountable. She claimed that most of the palliatives, particularly rice, were sold to vendors in markets throughout the state.

The notion of forming the committee to investigate the alleged diverting of the palliatives intended for the state’s needy citizens was backed by Hon. Danladi Jatau, Hon. Solomon Akwashiki, Hon. Hajara Danyaro, and Hon. Musa Saidu in their individual comments.

When the problem was first brought up, the representative for Doma South Constituency, Hon. Musa Ibrahim Abubakar, bemoaned the fact that individuals in charge of distribution were stealing the medicines intended for the underprivileged residents of Doma LGA.

He requested cooperation from the Speaker and other House members by forming a committee to look into the alleged diversion of the painkillers.

Before President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the UN General Assembly on September 20, the US chapter of the All Progressives Congress has warned some Nigerians against holding a rally.

At the UN’s New York headquarters, Tinubu is scheduled to speak during the 78th session of the important UNGA General Debate.

According to the list of speakers provided by the Office of the General Assembly President, he will speak on the first day of the gathering as the fifth African head of state.

The President’s anticipated visit has, however, sparked conflicting reactions, with some Nigerians in the Diaspora declaring they will oppose it.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Chairman of the APC’s US chapter, Prof. Tai Balofin, responded by alleging that the rally’s organiser, suspended party member Adesegun Labinjo, is behind it.

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Balofin urged restraint and cautioned against harming the nation’s reputation abroad while saying that the issue had been reported to the appropriate authorities.
“It has recently come to our attention that certain individuals are planning to stage a rally during President Tinubu’s visit to the United Nations,” the statement said in part. This planned event is in direct response to a gathering scheduled by Mr. Labinjo, a suspended person claiming to be the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, for September 20, 2023.Concerns about probable disruption and mayhem from the Obidients, who intend to damage the president’s name, have arisen as a result of Mr. Labinjo’s protest. We want to let the public and everyone else who is concerned know that we have taken prompt measures to alert the relevant authorities on this unneeded and potentially disruptive scheme.

“Prof. Tai Balofin, the chairman of the APC in the United States, has warned those who could consider interfering with President Tinubu’s visit or any side events to think twice. He makes clear that anyone breaking the law will be detained and prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law.

“We completely acknowledge and support the freedom of expression and association ideals, which are essential to a democratic society. However, we implore all citizens to utilise these rights sensibly and in a way that does not damage our President’s reputation.

“It is crucial to keep in mind that the conclusion of the election and the legal proceedings has been resolved, and it is now time to accept the decision graciously. People are urged to join in politics through legal channels because the future elections in 2027 will present another opportunity.

The first native chartered accountant in Nigeria, Chief Akintola Williams, passed away on Monday in Lagos at the age of 104. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has expressed sorrow over his passing.

In a message of sympathy sent on Tuesday and signed by Eseme Eyiboh, his special adviser on media, public affairs, and communications, Akpabio bemoaned the loss of an institution and noted that the late Williams was an icon for the country.

According to Akpabio, “I took the news of the passing of our first indigenous chartered accountant, Chief Akintola Williams, with the utmost grief since there could not have been a better time than now when Nigeria needs to relish his fatherly advise and wisdom.

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The Senate President said, “It is undeniable that no Nigerian has had as much of an impact on the accounting profession as the late sage for his achievements are firmly set on the sands of history and would stay indelible in the annals of our country.
Senator Akpabio stated that “Nigeria has indeed lost an icon, an institution, and the father of accountancy who stood for truth and honesty and proclaimed the principle of accuracy and integrity with passion.”
The Senate President added that Chief Williams was a model citizen, an accountant to the core, and a stern enforcer whose footprints would be challenging for any accountant in Nigeria to match. He emphasised that “he symbolised hard work, resilience, and determination.”

According to Akpabio, “He played a key part in carving Nigeria’s enviable place on the international map in the accounting profession as the first indigenous chartered accountant. A great number of generations of accountants who entered the field as a result of him looked up to him.

“I join the millions of well-wishers around the world in offering my condolences to his immediate family, the accounting profession, and overall the Nigerian people.to lose this wise man.

The statement concluded, “May the Merciful God have mercy on the soul of Chief Akintola Williams and welcome him in His paradise, Amen, and may He have mercy on the family and give them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”