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Abuja High Court stops EFCC, ICPC from detaining ex-Zamfara governor Yari

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coic
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practises and other related offences Commission (ICPC) have been stopped by an Abuja Federal High Court from detaining Abdul’aziz Yari, the former governor of Zamfara State, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

Additionally, the court ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to cease its attempts to detain the senator-elect.

On Monday, Justice Donatus Okorowo issued the order in a ruling that he delivered on a motion that was considered ex parte.

Read Also: Ogun court orders customs CG to comply with seized trucks judgement

The judge ordered the respondents (the EFCC, ICPC, and DSS) to show cause on the next adjourned date as to why the prayers sought on the motion ex-parte should not be granted. These prayers were sought on the motion that was filed in secret.

“The respondents were, however, restrained from detaining the applicant until the return date for the order to show cause,” the judge ruled. “The applicant may not be detained until the return date for the order to show cause.”

The respondents will have until June 8 to show cause, so the hearing has been postponed until then.

In an expert motion, the former governor of Zamfara had asked the court for an order restraining the EFCC, ICPC, and DSS from arresting him. If the court grants the request, the former governor will not be able to take part in the proclamation of the 10th Senate, which will take place on June 13 and be presided over by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Read Also: EPL: Romano confirms two clubs ready to sign N’Golo Kante from Chelsea

Yari, who stated that he is interested in running for the position of President of the Senate, made the allegation that some members of his political party, the All Progressives Congress, are using the respondents and their agents to harass him and threaten to arrest him on trumped-up charges in the time leading up to the first sitting of the Senate, which is when nominations and elections of presiding officers shall be constituted. Yari said he has the desire to run for the position of President of the Senate.

EPL: Romano confirms two clubs ready to sign N’Golo Kante from Chelsea

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coic
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Fabrizio Romano, a transfer expert, has confirmed the two clubs interested in signing Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante this summer.

Kante’s current contract with Chelsea expires this summer, and talks about a possible extension for the Frenchman are ongoing.

The World Cup winner in 2018 is widely regarded as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the game.

Read Also: Lagos govt gives actress Iyabo Ojo seven days to pay N18m tax or face jail term

According to Romano, two Saudi Arabian clubs, Al Ittihad and Al Nassr, are interested in signing the former Leicester City player.

“N’Golo Kanté’s situation remains open as he would like to stay at Chelsea, but talks have not progressed to the final stages after being close to full agreement in March,” Romano tweeted on Monday night.

“Understand that Al Ittihad and Al Nassr are two Saudi clubs eager to tempt Kanté with new experiences.”

Nasarawa postpones 7th Assembly’s inauguration indefinitely.

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coic
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The inauguration of the seventh Assembly of the State House of Assembly, which was originally scheduled to take place on Tuesday, has been indefinitely postponed by the government of Nasarawa.

The statement was released in Lafia by Mr. Ibrahim Musa, who is acting as Clerk of the House. He explained that the postponement was made due to the fact that Governor Abdullahi Sule was given security advice.

Read Also: Ogun court orders customs CG to comply with seized trucks judgement

Musa appealed to the public and the members-elect to bear with the decision for the time being because a new date would be communicated to them in due course.

Lagos govt gives actress Iyabo Ojo seven days to pay N18m tax or face jail term

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coic
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Iyabo Ojo, a well-known actress in Nollywood, has been given seven days by the government of Lagos State to pay the amount of N18,640,092.00 that she owes in personal income tax or face the possibility of going to jail.

In a letter that was sent to the actress, the Lagos government accused her of owing N7,376,000.00 in taxes for the year 2022 and N11,264,092 in back taxes for the tax year 2021.

Iyabo Ojo, in her reply to the letter that was sent to her on Monday, voiced her disapproval of the procedure that was utilized in the calculation of the obscenely high tax bill that she had been given.

She then uploaded a picture of the bill to her Instagram account and captioned it with the following message: “@jidesanwoolu @lagosstategovt, please, how do you people come up with these outrageous personal income taxes you send on a daily basis?

“After paying for various types of taxes for one’s businesses, house, and everything else, you still come up with all this enormous amount, and you give me seven days to pay up, lol.

Read Also: Ogun court orders customs CG to comply with seized trucks judgement

“The last time, you people asked me to come to your office, and I did. You asked me to explain and declare what I earn, which I did with my tax consultant, but no, you did not respond to my letter, because you want me to pay you an outrageous amount that I do not have, which makes me go thief, ni? I inquire once more, “How are you people able to come up with such exorbitant bills?”

“As a member of this nation’s government, what have you ever done for me? NOTHING. Since you guys are so insistent, I will gladly let you come and shut down my business, arrest me, throw me in jail, or kill me for all that it matters because we are all going to die eventually.

Fuel Price Increase: Kwara Govt reduces civil servants’ workdays

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coic
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The Kwara State Government has mandated that all civil servants only put in three full days of work each week.

Mrs. Susan Oluwole, the state’s Head of Service, said in a statement that the decision was a temporary measure, taken to ease the burden of public workers in the State, following a hike in transport fares occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy. The statement was signed by Murtala Atoyebi, her press secretary.

The following is an excerpt from the statement that was released: “The Kwara State Government has taken temporary measures to ease the burden of public workers in the State following the astronomical hike in transport fare.”

“The State Head of Service, Mrs. Susan Modupe Oluwole, announced today that the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has directed that the work days be reduced from five days per week to three days per week for every worker. “The State Head of Service”

Read Also: Security personnel deploy drones in tracking missing Chinese in Abia

“She explained that the measure was taken in order to relieve the hardship that was being experienced by the workers of the state as a result of the Federal Government’s announcement that it would remove the fuel subsidy,”

Mrs. Oluwole issued a directive to all of the heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in the state, instructing them to immediately devise a format indicating the alternating work days for each worker under their supervision.

“However, the Head of Service warned the workers not to abuse the magnanimity of the Governor, stressing that the regular monitoring of MDAs by her office would be intensified to ensure strict compliance,” The phrase “The Head of Service, however, warned the workers not to abuse the magnanimity of the Governor”

Security personnel deploy drones in tracking missing Chinese in Abia

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coic
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The Abia State Police Command has confirmed that its officers are collaborating with other security agents to find Mr Li Peiyin, a Chinese national who went missing from a quarry site in Lokpanta, Umunneochi Local Government Area.

Chinaka Chioma Maureen, the new Police Public Relations Officer, made this known during a phone conversation about the matter.

According to the PPRO, men from the Command were doing everything they could to save the Chinese site manager at Lokpanta Quarry.

Read Also: Ogun court orders customs CG to comply with seized trucks judgement

She stated that the combined security team, which included the police and other security agencies, had expanded the search for the missing Manager to Ebonyi and Enugu States, and that scientific equipment such as drones had already been deployed to achieve the desired results.

The PPRO stated that previous reports indicated that the expatriate did not go with his security details on the day he was declared missing, but that investigations into his disappearance were still ongoing.

It has not been determined whether the Chinese citizen was kidnapped, but reports indicate that the Caterpillar that the Chinese expatriate drove before his disappearance was discovered somewhere else, with the keys still in the ignition.

Ogun court orders customs CG to comply with seized trucks judgement

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coic
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A Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has ordered the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to immediately comply with a court order compelling it to release 9 trucks impounded from petroleum product marketers by June 19.

The trucks were among the 24 illegally impounded tankers by the service since 2019. According to the NCS, 15 of the trucks were auctioned, while others were at the Nigeria Customs Service’s Idiroko Border Post.

The plaintiffs, Olamitide International Limited, TONIFANS Nigeria Limited, Olafems Oil and Gas Limited, Joffy A.A Petroleum Limited, Wahabisco Oil Petroleum Limited, Vicket Petroleum Limited, Mikenid Petroleum Nigeria Limited, and Registered Trustees of Ipokia/Idiroko Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, took the NCS to court over the illegal seizure and confiscation of 24 petroleum tankers in 2019.

The court, presided over by Justice A.A Demi-Ajayi, had on May 15, 2023, ordered the NCS to release the impounded tankers as pronounced by the court on August 9, 2022, in the case with suit number FHC/AB/CS/8/2020 on or before the next adjournment date of June 5, or risk the conclusion of proceeding of committal of the Contempt of Court against the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) as instituted by counsel to the plaintiffs.

When the case resumed on Monday, Justice Ajayi bemoaned the NCS’s failure to comply with the court’s decision, noting that she expected the trucks to be returned to their owners.

The justice declared that the court’s order must be followed without regard for bureaucratic approval.

She stated that she would not hesitate to grant the plaintiffs’ counsel’s application for a committal of contempt of court proceeding against the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service.

However, Justice Ajayi postponed the case until June 19, 2023, in order to comply with the court order.

Earlier in his submission, Smart Akande, the NCS’s Legal Adviser, pleaded with the court to allow the service to secure approval for compliance with the court judgment.

He informed the court that the NCS headquarters met with the plaintiffs’ counsel to discuss the procedure for releasing the trucks and agreeing on the terms of the settlement.

However, Akande assured the court that the 9 trucks would be returned to the owners by the next adjournment date.

In an interview following the hearing, the plaintiffs’ counsel, George Oyeniyi, expressed satisfaction with the NCS’s agreement to release the 9 trucks.

Oyeniyi, who explained that the application for the committal of Violation of Court Order was still pending in case the Nigeria Customs Service failed to deliver on its promise to release the trucks, stated that an agreement on terms of the settlement, including compensation for the 15 auctioned trucks and the value of the contents of all 24 trucks, will be reached between the judgment debtors and creditors. Governments must collaborate with industry to resolve this situation so that airlines can continue to provide critical connectivity for driving economic activity and job creation.”

In light of this, IATA has urged governments to ensure compliance with international treaties and agreements that allow airlines to repatriate funds earned from the sale of tickets, cargo space, and other activities. Failure to do so may jeopardize the aviation industry’s stability, profitability, and continuity.

Read Also: CBN: FG records N930bn in two-month fiscal deficits

“Airlines cannot continue to provide services in markets where they are unable to repatriate revenues generated by their commercial activities.” “Governments must collaborate with industry to resolve this situation so that airlines can continue to provide the connectivity that is critical to driving economic activity and job creation,” said Willie Walsh, director general of IATA.

“IATA urged governments to follow international agreements and treaty obligations in order for airlines to repatriate funds earned from ticket sales, cargo space, and other activities.”

Kano Senator Sumaila, lawmakers-elect will select 10th NASS presiding officers, not APC

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coic
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Suleiman Kawu Sumaila, a senator-elect for the Kano South Senatorial District, has pledged that only elected federal lawmakers will determine who will serve as the Senate and House Presiding Officers during the 10th National Assembly’s inaugural session on June 13.

Sumaila, who was elected on the New Nigeria People’s Party, or NNPP, platform, made the announcement on Monday in Abuja during a press conference.

He protested the previous zoning plan put in place by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee, which he deemed to be undemocratic.

The representative-elect emphasized that the majority of the federal lawmakers-elect in both chambers will use the appropriate provisions of the 1999 constitution to counteract any outside interference in the election of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

Read Also: Workers in shipping companies go on strike indefinitely

The constitution is clear about how the Senate’s President and Deputy President shall be chosen, he continued. For instance, the selection process for the Senate’s presiding officers is outlined in Chapter 2 of the 9th Standing Orders of the Senate 2022 (as amended).

Similar to this, Section 50(1) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) states that the Senate’s president and vice president will be chosen by the chamber’s members.

A Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives must be chosen by the members of that House from among themselves, according to section 50(1)b.

We can all remember the events of the 7th and 8th National Assembly, so it is obvious that the election of these Presiding Officers is purely an internal matter that only concerns members of the National Assembly. As a result, they should be allowed to choose who among them would fill the positions.

“In my opinion, outside interference in the selection of the National Assembly’s next presiding officers would not only be a violation of the Nigerian Constitution and the Senate and House of Representatives’ respective standing rules, but it would also lead to serious misunderstandings between the Legislative and Executive Arms of government,” the author said.

Read Also: Subsidy: FG, Labour to meet on June 19 to discuss implementation framework

Sumaila claimed that desperate politicians intended to impose their will on both chambers through the use of undemocratic methods, which is against democracy and undemocratic.

Information that is currently available indicates that a few desperate politicians intend to use illegitimate means to force lawmakers-elect of their choosing to serve as presiding officers against the wishes of the majority.

“This move is undemocratic, unacceptable, and dangerous to our democracy as well as the nation as a whole,” he said.

Subsidy: FG, Labour to meet on June 19 to discuss implementation framework

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coic
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On Monday, the federal government and the labour unions met, and the meeting concluded with a resolution to meet again on June 19 in order to reach an agreement on a framework for the implementation of the resolutions that were reached.

This information was revealed at the conclusion of a meeting between representatives of labour unions and the government that took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The meeting was led by Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was in charge of leading the government side.

According to him, the participants at the meeting came to an agreement on a seven-point resolution to ease the impact of the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, also known as PMS, on Nigerians.

Read Also:Kingmakers blame Makinde for delay of new Alaafin

“The Federal Government, the TUC, and the NLC are to establish a joint committee to review the proposal for any wage increase or award, as well as establish a framework and timeline for implementation. ”

The World Bank Financed Cash transfer scheme is going to be reviewed by the Federal Government, the TUC, and the NLC, and it will be proposed that low-income earners be included in the programme.

According to what Gbajabiamila said, “The Federal Government, the TUC, and the NLC are going to revive the CNG conversion programme that was previously agreed with Labour centres in 2021 and work out detailed implementation and timing.”

According to some reports, compressed natural gas, also known as CNG, is a fuel gas that is primarily made up of methane and that has been compressed to a volume that is less than one percent of the volume it occupies when subjected to standard atmospheric pressure.

It results in less vehicle maintenance and a longer life for the engine, in addition to being the cleanest burning fuel that is currently available.

Gbajabiamila also mentioned that it was decided during the meeting to look into the problems that prevent effective delivery in the education sector and to propose solutions that can be put into action.

“The Labour Centres and the Federal Government will review and establish the framework for the completion of the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries. ”

The Federal Government is responsible for providing a framework that allows for the expansion of rail networks across the country as well as the maintenance of roads.

According to what he had said, the TUC had sent the Federal Government a number of other demands, which would be evaluated by the joint committee.

He emphasised that the NLC had agreed to immediately suspend the notice of strike in order to enable further consultations, continue the ongoing engagements, and ensure that the resolutions would be finalised.

The Presidents and Secretaries of the NLC and TUC, as well as Ms. Kachollom Daju, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour Employment, all agreed to support the resolution.

Read Also: Estate developer accused of defrauding church of N65m

The federal government had previously succeeded in getting a court to issue a restraining order, which prevented the Labour union from beginning a strike across the country on Wednesday.

Sanwo-Olu pledges inclusive leadership

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coic
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The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has stated that during his second term in office, his administration will place an emphasis on “human-centric” governance in addition to an inclusive approach to governance.

The governor reaffirmed his dedication to ensuring that the THEMES+ initiative leaves no one behind in the governance structure, and he made a commitment to ensure that both soft and hard infrastructure would receive the necessary amount of attention.

At the thanksgiving service held for him and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, on the occasion of their second term inauguration, Sanwo-Olu gave a speech on Sunday. The event took place at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Marina, Lagos.

He stated that, “It will certainly be a second term before Lagosians should expect a great deal more from us.” What we have committed to delivering is a THEMES+ agenda that places an emphasis on people. It is an agenda that takes into account everything that is included in THEMES’ agenda and adds to it a bigger flavour, a plus component, which will ensure that no one is left behind on its own.

“We have learned from the previous four years, and we want to build a better inclusive governance in which not only will we be doing a lot of hard infrastructure, but we also want to do a lot of soft infrastructure since that will touch the lives of our people directly; more specifically, palliatives that will bring succour and better relief for our citizens even in a difficult time with global economic issues. ”

“Our citizens need to understand that although the government cannot do everything, we need to be able to bring them out of poverty and speak to what their needs are. Despite the fact that the government cannot do everything, our citizens need to understand this. As a result, it is a human-centered agenda with the intention of ensuring that no one, regardless of gender, race, or religious affiliation, will be left behind. And for that, we will not absolve ourselves of responsibility.”

 

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