The Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Chiji Collins, has been impeached.
Nineteen out of 27 members of the state sssembly voted to impeach the speaker.
Mr Collins accused of financial impropriety, high handedness and gross misconduct among others was removed from office by the lawmakers on Friday.
The lawmakers immediately elected Paul Emeziem from Onuimo Local Government Area as the new speaker.
The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has crushed scores of Boko Haram Terrorists and destroyed structures housing some of the fighters in the North East of the Country.
The latest of these was achieved through air strikes executed on 10 November 2020 at Njimia and Dure in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State.
According to the Coordinator Defence Media Operations Major General John Enenche, the attacks, which resulted in massive damage to the Boko Haram Terrorists’ structures as well as the killing of several of their fighters, were conducted after series of aerial surveillance missions showed resurgence of activities in the 2 locations.
”Consequently, the ATF dispatched appropriate force packages of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) attack aircraft
to engage the locations. The NAF jets scored devastating hits in their successive bomb and rocket runs resulting in the destruction of the terrorists’ structures and neutralization of several BHTs.
”The Armed Forces of Nigeria will not relent until all enemies of the Nation are neutralised and normalcy is restored to all troubled zones.”
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina says his boss acted like a father during the #EndSARS protests.
Adesina, who bared his thoughts on the #EndSARS protests in a piece on Friday titled, ‘We Have Not Many Fathers’, said that President Buhari acted with tolerance and restraint typical of a father during the #EndSARS protest that rocked the country last month.
According to the President’s spokesman, in the piece published on his website, www.femiadesina.com, government accepted the five-point demands of the #EndSARS protesters but “the protest was prolonged, and eventually hijacked and misdirected” because the youths didn’t see what the elders saw.
He also lamented that people the President respected “instigated the protesters to carry on” but “promptly went underground when anarchy ensued”.
The article reads thus in full; “All through the EndSARS protest and the riots, mayhem and looting that followed, President Buhari acted like a father. And though we have millions of instructors in this country, we have not many fathers. President Buhari is one.
“The President is by no means a soft man. We remember the man of iron and steel that ruled with iron fist between January 1984 and August 1985, with his kindred spirit, Babatunde Idiagbon. They attempted to knock sense into our heads as Nigerians, but were eventually toppled by people who had less patience for discipline.
“Is President Buhari as hard as he was in 1984? Yes and no. In personal traits and attributes, he remains the unbending iron. But in terms of administration and response to people and situations, he is tempered by democracy, and by time. What he could do by military fiat then, he must pass through democratic due process now.
“If President Buhari hadn’t exercised the restraint and tolerance of a father, at a time that even hitherto respected people instigated the protesters to carry on (and they promptly went underground when anarchy ensued), we would have been talking of something else in the country. The rivers of Nigeria could have turned crimson and mourning and lamentations would have suffused the land. But we are thankful for the father in President Buhari, patient and enduring, almost to a fault,” Adesina concluded.
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has announced his plans to approach the State House of Assembly to repeal the law granting pensions to former governors and their deputies in the state.
In a statement on Friday by the governor’s chief press secretary Rafiu Ajakaye, Abdulrazaq said he would send a bill to the assembly next week, requesting the lawmakers to immediately repeal the law.
The decision, according to the statement, was in line with the governor’s campaign mantra and proof that he recognised himself as a product of democracy.
“The governor has listened to voices of the majority of the citizens opposing the pension law for former governors and deputy governors.
“As representatives of the people, the lawmakers would exercise their discretion to call a public hearing on the topic to further harvest wider opinions on the topic,” the statement read.
“However, the governor feels it is time for the law as it is to give way. He would rather the state commits the scarce public funds to tackling the question of poverty and youth unemployment,” Ajakaye added.
The move, if granted by the assembly, will bring a stop to benefits given to former governors Bukola Saraki, Abdulfatah Ahmed and others.
Recall that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had made similar moves earlier in the week while presenting the 2021 budget of N1.155 trillion.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has again lashed out at the ruling All Progressives Congress for not fulfiling its campaign promises to Nigerians.
Wike also said the APC conspired to remove former president, Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
The governor noted that ahead of the 2023 general election, the “APC has again started making false promises”, parts of which are to construct a University of Transport, develop a deep sea port and industrial park in the State.
Wike made this assertion during the reception organised by the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party to welcome thousands of APC members back into PDP.
Leaders of the deflectors include former Director of Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Henry Ogiri; APC South-South administrative officer, Gloria Boma; Mr. Lolo Ibieneye, and Alhaji Hassan Douglas.
The governor said prior to 2015, the APC had promised to transform the country, fix the East-West Road, and provide good governance to Nigerians, but that the party has continued to give excuses for its failure after it orchestrated the unfortunate conspiracy to remove President Goodluck Jonathan from office.
“Are things better today? So why do you allow people to tell you lies? How long can you continue to listen to the lies of the All Progressives Congress? They have nothing for Nigerians. It is unfortunate that there was a conspiracy to remove a Niger Delta person as President,” he stated.
The Presidency has rubbished reports that it plans to pay repented Boko Haram members N150,000 monthly.
The rumour has been shared multiple times on social media.
However, in reaction, Bashir Ahmad, the personal assistant on new media to President Muhammadu Buhari tweeted on Thursday night, saying the rumour was false.
“FAKE NEWS ALERT: The Federal Government is NOT planning to start paying repented Boko Haram members N150,000 monthly, the story is baseless and should be regarded as the usual fake news. When you see it here or on WhatsApp, ask the poster to provide a credible source of the story,” Mr Ahmad said.
It was also falsely rumoured that the Federal Government had earmarked N380 billion for the prosecution of Boko Haram fighters.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has banned the operation of commercial motorcycles fom the roads after 6 pm.
The governor said the decision followed the surge in the spate of kidnapping and armed robbery in the state.
The operators will henceforth operate between 6 am and 6 pm.
Commissioner for Information Donald Ojogo in a statement on Friday said anyone found flouting the directive would have his motorcycle impounded.
The governor also banned all vehicles with unauthorised tinted glasses from plying the roads.
He said tinted vehicles without duly certified permit issued by a relevant security agency would be impounded.
“The Ondo State Government has noted with concern, the worrisome spike in crime rate across the state,” the statement read.
“In particular, security reports at the disposal of Government are considered signs deserving of serious attention.
“Specifically, the last one week witnessed an unimaginable upsurge in robbery, kidnapping and in some cases, murder. This is no doubt, condemnable.
“Government, therefore, urges all security agencies to come out and confront this abhorrent development. Every necessary support, in terms of both human and logistics aids shall be provided to ensure the safety of residents within the state.”
China on Friday congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on his victory against incumbent Donald Trump, more than a week after Americans cast their ballots.
Trump has so far refused to concede defeat, but numerous world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have already called Biden to congraulate him on his win.
Beijing finally broke its silence during a press conference held by its foreign ministry.
“We respect the choice of the American people. We express our congratulations to Mr Biden and Ms Harris,” said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin at a press briefing, referring to incoming vice president Kamala Harris.
Wang said China understands “the result of the US election will be determined in accordance with US laws and procedures,”
The leaders of Russia, Brazil and Mexico are still holding back, saying they are waiting for the votes to be confirmed by the US Electoral College next month.
“We believe it’s correct to wait for the official results of the elections to be announced,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratuated Donald Trump immediately after he was declared the winner based on US media projections in 2016.
Biden reaches out to Europe
Biden made several telephone calls to European leaders on Tuesday to lay out his priorities for his forthcoming term.
But the Trump adminstration is refusing to recognise his victory.
That is despite the fact more US media outlets projected Biden to win the battleground state of Arizona on Thursday evening.
Fox News and the Associated Press already projected Biden to win the state last week.
Trump has refused to coordinate with Biden’s team to facilitate the handover of power.
The federal agency in charge of allocating funds for the transition of power is also yet to recognize Biden as the winner.
It means his staff cannot access information or intelligence briefings.
jf/ (AP, AFP)
The Petroleum Products Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, has increased the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, to N155.17 per litre from N147.67 per litre.
This qas disclosed in an internal memo with reference number PPMC/C/MK/003, dated November 11, 2020, and signed by Tijjani Ali.
According to the memo, the new ex-depot price would take effect from Friday.
The ex-depot price is the price at which the product is sold by the PPMC to marketers at the depots.
Detaila later.