Television Nigerian

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, says the National assembly has no constitutional powers to summon the President, Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Malami stated that the president cannot be summoned to give an account of operational use of the armed forces.

In his words; “National Assembly has no constitutional power to envisage or contemplate a situation where the president would be summoned by the national assembly on the operational use of the armed forces”.

The AGF’s comments are coming amidst the President’s scheduled appearance before the House of Assembly to give an account of the nation’s efforts towards combating the rising spate of Insecurity and economic challenges.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disclosed that the Federal Government will engage the U.S. government to remove its name from its blacklist of countries over concern on religious freedom.

Spokesperson for the ministry, Ferdinand Nwonye, gave the stand of the FG in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, following the announcement of the U.S. adding Nigeria among countries of concerns against its Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

The Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on Tuesday, designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom, the rare inclusion of a fellow democracy in the US effort to shame nations into action.

“Today the U.S. designates Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as countries of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for engaging systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations.” He wrote on Twitter

In their reaction, the foreign affairs ministry said the Nigerian government is committed to ensuring respect and protection of all citizens’ right to religious freedom and promotion of religious tolerance and harmony.

“The attention of the ministry has been drawn to an announcement made by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, stating that the government of the United States of America has designated Nigeria as a ‘country of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998’.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria received the news with surprise, that a secular country under a democratic government will be so designated. “Although the Nigerian state is multi-religious and multi-ethnic, the Nigerian constitution expressly states that the government shall not adopt any religion as the state religion.

“Furthermore, section 38 of the constitution guarantees that every Nigerian citizen is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion including freedom to change his/her religion or belief. “And freedom to manifest and propagate his/her religion or belief. Religious liberty in Nigeria has never been in question, therefore any claim contrary to that is completely false and untrue.

“The ministry wishes to assure that the Nigerian government will engage the U.S government to express its displeasure and request that Nigeria is removed from the list,” it said.

A former Chairman, Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, on, Wednesday told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he had no case to answer over allegations levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Maina, who told Justice Okon Abang shortly after the EFCC, through its counsel, Farouk Abdullah, closed its case, said he would be filing a no-case submission.

The former pension reformed boss, through his lawyer, Anayo Adibe, made his intention known shortly after he cross-examined the ninth prosecution witness (PW9), Rouqquaya Ibrahim, an EFCC investigator.

Justice Abang adjourned the matter until Friday, December 10, for counsel to the defendant, Adibe, to address the court orally and for the prosecution counsel, Abdullah, to respond to the no-case submission.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Maina (1st defendant) was arraigned before Justice Abang on October 25, 2019, by the EFCC alongside his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd.

Although he is facing 12-counts bordering on money laundering up to the tune of N2 billion, he had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Thieves have invaded the Akwa Ibom State Government House in Uyo, the state capital where millions of Naira was carted away.

Confirming this on Wednesday, December 9, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Ekerete Udoh said the thieves broke into the Government House in the night of Tuesday, December 8, and stole the money which was meant for journalists in the state.

The total amount which was not disclosed, according to Udoh, was in “Ghana-Must-Go” bags which were left in the office of his Secretary, but upon resumption of work the next day, the money had vanished with only the bags left on the floor.

The locks to the office were reportedly tampered with by the thieves, Udoh added.

A journalist in the state who spoke on the theft on the condition of anonymity said:

“We heard that the money came in yesterday afternoon, but they refused to share it to the people it was meant for.

“So, the thieves or whoever came in the night and destroyed the keys and gained access to the office of the Secretary to the CPS.

“This is not the first time the government House Press Centre is being robbed.

“We have lost about three plasma televisions, one at the reception, one in the reporters’ office and the other in the office used by cameramen.

“In all of these, no arrest has been made and there has been no replacement. We wonder who these unknown thieves are and why they have not been arrested all these while.

“We are suspecting foul play here. ”

Udoh, however, promised that the journalists who were meant to benefit from the stolen money would still get their money at a later date.