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Lekki shooting: Lawyer who sued #EndSARS supporters vows to drag CNN to court

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Lekki shooting: Lawyer who sued #EndSARS supporters vows to drag CNN to court

The human rights lawyer who filed a law suit against 50 Nigerians whom he accused of promoting the recent #EndSARS protests, Kenechukwu Okeke, has threatened to file a similar criminal complaint against all members of staff of Cable News Network (CNN) for releasing the report of its investigative findings on the shooting of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on October 20.

Okeke said CNN was interfering in the internal affairs of Nigeria, has asked the international TV station to retract its report and tender an apology to Nigeria for “interfering in an ongoing investigation being carried out by an Independent Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State government.”

He also asked a senior staff of CNN, Stephanie Busari, who was among the journalists that worked on the report, to appear before the panel and testify under oath.

In a tweet he posted on Wednesday, Okeke indicated his intention to sue the CNN:

“It’s preemptive and contemptuous to discuss, counter, or conclude on any testimony placed before any tribunal established by law, so as to influence the consideration of the tribunal. It is, but wise to await the outcomes of the proceedings holden at the judicial panel.”

Tweeting further, Okeke said:

“I am going to sue them if they fail to retract the report and tender an apology to Nigeria and the Nigerian government.”

Another of Okeke’s tweet reads:

“@CNN ought to have testified under oath as witness (es) before the tribunals to establish any such ‘investigations’. Otherwise is a deliberate act to impugn (egregiously) or preempt the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry. We will not have it though, as the court is sacred.

“Without an exception’ herein includes any person(s) or actor(s) that improperly collaborated on substantive factual and legal issues on @Twitter (or any other social media platforms), outside of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiries (tribunals).

“I will, therefore, initiate criminal contempt proceedings against all the staff (without any exception) that deliberately and egregiously impugned the majesty of the courts or any tribunal established by law in Nigeria. Justice is too important to be decided by the media.”
In yet another tweet, he wrote:

“@StephanieBusari, you are hereby mandated to (forthwith) pull down any such contemptuous and preemptive article accessible at https://t.co/CePNcrq64z and apologise to the Nigerian people.

Failure to abide by this decree, will earn you a criminal suit in accordance with the law.”

AbdulRazaq presents bill to repeal pension law for ex-govs to Kwara Assembly

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AbdulRazaq presents bill to repeal pension law for ex-govs to Kwara Assembly

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has sent an executive bill to repeal the law granting payment of monthly pension to former governors and deputy governors to the Kwara State House of Assembly .

Recall that the governor recently revealed that plans were underway to scrap payment of pension to former governors of the state and their deputies, including Senator Bukola Saraki.

On Wednesday, the State Assembly Speaker, Yakubu Danladi, read the governor’s message to the lawmakers as he presented the bill to them during their plenary.

He said the bill was targeted at achieving the cardinal objective of the state government on prudent management of the state’s scarce resources.

Read Also: Sanwo-Olu to abolish pension for Tinubu, Fashola, others

In their response, the lawmakers at the plenary, unanimously, accepted the bill and said that it had passed first reading.

The bill was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Rules and Business by the Speaker.

The committee was asked to slate the bill for deliberation during the next plenary of the house.

No strange deaths in Kogi — Govt

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No strange deaths in Kogi — Govt

 

The Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Saka Audu, has refuted reports that no fewer than 50 persons had died under strange circumstances in Etteh community, Olamaboro local government area of the state.

A statement by the commissioner on Wednesday in Lokoja, denied the rumour of any strange deaths, saying that the state has a well-established network by which disease outbreaks are reported from the community, local government levels to the state level, and therefore it was unlikely that an incident of that magnitude could go unnoticed.

“We have focal persons (informants) in strategic locations across the state who pass the information on diseases of public health interest to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) at the local government level,” he said.

”The DSNO local government then transfers this report through the DSNO (SMOH) to the state’s epidemiologist who in turn brings such cases to my attention.

”By implication, we are kept abreast at all times of happenings in every part of the state. It is therefore unlikely that an incident, the magnitude as reported will pass unnoticed,” he said.

Mr Audu explained that when the Enugu State Commissioner for Health issued a recent press statement confirming an outbreak of yellow fever in his state, ”we sent a rapid response team from the Kogi State Ministry of Health, accompanied by WHO, to Ette community that shares border with Enugu State, without waiting for the usual channel of communication as a proactive measure.”

He added that when the team arrived in the area on November 7, they met with the community leaders, health workers, public and private hospitals and held meetings with the people, during which they conducted massive health education on how to prevent yellow fever from spreading.

Mr Audu also said that the team gave out the ministry’s rapid response toll-free lines to the people of the community, as well as health workers and heads of institutions, to report the occurrence of any strange illness or deaths in excess of what was the norm.

”As at this moment, nobody has reached out to us. As a matter of fact, we have been having phone conversations with our contacts in that region, and there was no report of any mysterious death or outbreak of strange disease in Kogi State,” the health commissioner said.

The commissioner stressed that yellow fever outbreak was one they were well acquainted with and ever ready to tackle.

”We had an outbreak in the Okoloke axis of Yagba-West local government area in 2017, as a result of which we vaccinated all the people in the region and adjoining communities in Kogi and Kwara States. Eventually, in 2018, we had yellow fever vaccination for all eligible persons across the state.

Read also: AMCON confiscates Jimoh Ibrahim’s properties, freezes accounts over N69.4b debt

”In all these, we thank our health development partners and the federal government for their collaboration. We intend to go back to the community to vaccinate persons who may have missed out on the 2018 vaccination.

”Yellow fever vaccination offers protection for up to 10 years. Afterwards, booster doses may then be required for those travelling to areas where yellow fever is endemic,” he said.

He allayed the fears of the people, advising them to go about their normal businesses and report any case of any strange illness or death through the dedicated toll-free lines.

He urged the people to maintain personal and environmental hygiene, prevent mosquito bites by clearing their surroundings and drainages, to prevent water lodging around residential areas.

Read also:  CNN and it’s shameless, nefarious and diabolic interpretation of massacre

Federation Accounts Allocation

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The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) on Wednesday shared the sum of N604.004 billion among the three tiers of government as revenue allocation for October.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Aliyu Ahmed, who disclosed in a statement issued at the end of the FAAC meeting in Abuja, said the funds included the cost of collection to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

According to him, the Federal Government received N220.751 billion, the states got N161.825 billion, and the local government areas collected N120.588 billion.

Ahmed added that the oil-producing states received N21.581 billion as 13 percent derivation for mineral revenue and N40.086 billion as cost of collection/transfer and refunds.

He disclosed that the gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) for October was N126.463 billion.

Read also: CNN and it’s shameless, nefarious and diabolic interpretation of massacre

This was against the N141.858 billion distributed in September, a decrease of N15.395 billion.

Ahmed said: “The distribution is as follow: Federal Government got N17.642 billion, the states received N58.805 billion, Local Government Areas got N41.167 billion, while Cost of Collection/Transfer and Refund got N5.059 billion and Allocation to NEDC project received N3.794 billion.

“The distributed Statutory Revenue of N378.148 billion received for the month was higher than the N341.501 billion received for the previous month by N36.647 billion from which the Federal Government received N166.195 billion, states got N84.296 billion, LGAs got N64.989 billion, derivation (13 percent Mineral Revenue) got N21.581 billion and Cost of Collection/ Transfer and Refund got N40.086 billion.

The permanent secretary disclosed that the Oil and Gas Royalty and Companies Income Tax (CIT) increased substantially.

However, the Import Duty, Excise Duty, VAT, and Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) decreased during the period.

“The total revenue distributable for the current month was augmented with the sums of N72 billion and N7.392 billion from Forex Equalisation and Federal Government Intervention respectively.

Read also: Disclaimer: Defense News Nigeria Not Linked to Us – DHQ

“This included augmentation of N20 billion from the Stabilisation Account.

“This is because of low revenue which is to be shared accordingly to the three tiers of government, bringing the total distributable revenue to N604.004 billion.

“The balance in the Excess Crude Account as at November 18 stands at $72.409 million,” he added.

Read also: Ikpeazu Reverses ‘Pandemic Prevention Fee’ Imposed On ABSU Students

‘Dictator’ Wike remote-controlling PDP, Umahi says

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‘Dictator’ Wike remote-controlling PDP, Umahi says

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has said his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike has an overbearing influence on the affairs of the People’s Democratic Party.
Umahi noted that Wine’s dictatorial actions are “destroying’ the PDP.

Umahi spoke on an Arise TV interview programme on Wednesday.

Umahi was reacting to a statement credited to Wike who said he (Umahi) left the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) because of his desperation to be president of the country in 2023.

Wike, while reacting to Umahi’s defection to the APC, had said Umahi’s decision did not come to him as a surprise as the Ebonyi State governor had been involved in anti-party activities for some time before his eventual public declaration to join the All Progressives Congress.

Read also: Wanted Boko Haram Terrorists: CATE Pledges support for Nigerian Army

But in a swift reaction to Wike’s comment, Umahi warned him to desist from attacking him “as it would be very dangerous if both of them continue attacking each other.”

He said Wike’s “dictatorial tendencies and overbearing influence on the party’s affairs had made other governors to be unhappy with him”.

Umahi said: “I refused to join issues with Wike because he is my friend. But Wike must know that he is a dictator. Wike must know that one person cannot be called a crowd.

Wike must know that a lot of governors in PDP are not very happy with him. He remote controls the party.

“He (Wike) said that I made my brother the Vice Chairman. I fund the PDP South-east from A to Z. And he has forgotten that he singlehandedly made Secondus the (PDP) Chairman. He has forgotten that he wanted to impose one of his own as minority leader of the house.

“There is nothing that happens in PDP without his authorisation. He once said that PDP National Working Committee members are beggars and bribe takers. I have asked him that let’s not take on ourselves or else it will be very dangerous.

“So let’s us face the party, the party does not belong to him. And this is by no means personal and he is demonstrating the dictatorial tendencies in him by taking on me, a fellow governor. And that is very shameful.”

Mr Umahi warned that more governors would leave the PDP fold “unless there is a change in the mode of doing things in the PDP”.

The Ebonyi governor also accused his Rivers counterpart of ‘remote-controlling’ the PDP.
He added that APC has allows intraparty deliberation on any move to be made.

“APC does more consultation. Anybody can contravene this that PDP working committee is being remote-controlled and that is the truth and it is very dangerous and all the governors know that.

“You (Wike) cannot stay in your state and you will be remote-controlling what happens in other states. Unless that changes you will see a lot of governors leaving the party,” he warned.

Umahi also said he is not desperate to be president of the country, contrary to Mr Wike’s assertion.

He, however, said “he will be a happy man if a president of South-east is elected in 2023 even if that person is not him.”

Read also: CDS Tasks Ministry of Defence on Development of a Joint Unified Headquarters to House Military & Civilian Cells for better synergy/productivity

National Ear Care Centre to Improve on Capacity Building as Training Workshop Opens for Staff in Zaria 

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National Ear Care Centre to Improve on Capacity Building as Training Workshop Opens for Staff in Zaria 

Medical Director National Ear Care Center Kaduna, Dr. Mustapha Abubakar Yaro has declared open a workshop for junior officers of the centre in Zaria, vowing to organise not less than three similar in 2021 to accommodate more staff.

Speaking while addressing the 40 participants at the workshop on Wednesday, he said the COVID-19 outbreak made the centre to be hosting its first training of staff for the year 2020.

“I will do my best by 2021 to have two or three of this workshops so others will also benefit,” he said.

While welcoming participants to the workshop, he said that he believes the resource persons are equal to the task and hopes the workshop yields results.

The Medical Director while congratulating the participants for their selection.

He said that the criteria used for their selection include commitment to work and the need to give fair opportunities for everyone who has not enjoyed such training within the past two years.

Speaking further, he explained that even in the face of dwindling resources due to inadequate funding, management would continue to pay attention to human capacity building.

He urged the staff to take advantage of the training to learn new things and be reminded of what they might have forgotten, hoping that it would reflect in a renewed work ethics and efficiency

2023: Wike hints at joint presidential ticket with Tambuwal

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2023: Wike hints at joint presidential ticket with Tambuwal

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has not denied his purported political ambition to become the vice-president of the country in 2023.
Wike hinted at nursing the dream to become the second citizen of the country when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Wednesday.
When asked if he would be running alongside Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, for the Presidency in 2023, he responded, “Am I not a human being? Am I not supposed to have ambition? I am a human being.”

Read also:  https://thenigerian.news/politics/umahi-dumps-pdp-for-apc/

Wike also disclosed that another governor of the People’s Democratic Party will soon dump the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) like Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State.
The governor said, “I can tell you there is one PDP governor that will leave. He is not leaving because of anything but he will come up with an excuse.
“The point is that these are the people who have been playing anti-party, who have been romancing with the APC in the night and coming to the PDP in the daytime. My problem with our party is that when you speak the truth, they will want to crucify you. I have raised this issue several times.”
When asked to reveal the identity of the PDP governor planning to defect, Wike said, “I won’t tell you that. But you journalists know.”
The Rivers State governor said Umahi, who recently defected to the APC had always been disloyal to the PDP.

Read also:  https://thenigerian.news/politics/dictator-wike-remote-controlling-pdp-umahi-says/

He stated that during a particular virtual meeting of PDP governors, Umahi boasted that he helped President Buhari to garner votes in the 2019 presidential election.
The Rivers governor added, “All of us are aware that Governor Umahi has been romancing with APC for long. We had a virtual meeting of PDP governors. I have never seen that in my life.
“Governor Umahi in that meeting, to the surprise of many governors, said ‘there is nothing anybody can do to stop me’. I promised President Buhari I would give him 35 per cent votes’.
“I never knew that people never voted in Ebonyi; that votes were allocated and Governor Umahi determined who gets what percentage.”
Wike reiterated his position that Umahi left because he wanted to be President and not because the PDP marginalised the South-East as he claimed.
While faulting Umahi’s claim of injustice to politicians of southeastern extraction Wike cited key positions given to the region by the PDP.
He noted that the PDP gave the South-East Senate Presidency and the Chief of Army Staff which it had never had before.
The governor said the PDP also nominated Peter Obi from the South-East as its Vice-Presidential candidate in 2019 but the APC had not even come close to such.

Read also:  https://thenigerian.news/politics/buhari-is-my-friend-and-father-umahi/

No strange deaths in Kogi — Govt

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No strange deaths in Kogi — Govt

 

The Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Saka Audu, has refuted reports that no fewer than 50 persons had died under strange circumstances in Etteh community, Olamaboro local government area of the state.

A statement by the commissioner on Wednesday in Lokoja, denied the rumour of any strange deaths, saying that the state has a well-established network by which disease outbreaks are reported from the community, local government levels to the state level, and therefore it was unlikely that an incident of that magnitude could go unnoticed.

“We have focal persons (informants) in strategic locations across the state who pass the information on diseases of public health interest to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) at the local government level,” he said.

”The DSNO local government then transfers this report through the DSNO (SMOH) to the state’s epidemiologist who in turn brings such cases to my attention.

”By implication, we are kept abreast at all times of happenings in every part of the state. It is therefore unlikely that an incident, the magnitude as reported will pass unnoticed,” he said.

Mr Audu explained that when the Enugu State Commissioner for Health issued a recent press statement confirming an outbreak of yellow fever in his state, ”we sent a rapid response team from the Kogi State Ministry of Health, accompanied by WHO, to Ette community that shares border with Enugu State, without waiting for the usual channel of communication as a proactive measure.”

He added that when the team arrived in the area on November 7, they met with the community leaders, health workers, public and private hospitals and held meetings with the people, during which they conducted massive health education on how to prevent yellow fever from spreading.

Mr Audu also said that the team gave out the ministry’s rapid response toll-free lines to the people of the community, as well as health workers and heads of institutions, to report the occurrence of any strange illness or deaths in excess of what was the norm.

”As at this moment, nobody has reached out to us. As a matter of fact, we have been having phone conversations with our contacts in that region, and there was no report of any mysterious death or outbreak of strange disease in Kogi State,” the health commissioner said.

The commissioner stressed that yellow fever outbreak was one they were well acquainted with and ever ready to tackle.

”We had an outbreak in the Okoloke axis of Yagba-West local government area in 2017, as a result of which we vaccinated all the people in the region and adjoining communities in Kogi and Kwara States. Eventually, in 2018, we had yellow fever vaccination for all eligible persons across the state.

Read also: AMCON confiscates Jimoh Ibrahim’s properties, freezes accounts over N69.4b debt

”In all these, we thank our health development partners and the federal government for their collaboration. We intend to go back to the community to vaccinate persons who may have missed out on the 2018 vaccination.

”Yellow fever vaccination offers protection for up to 10 years. Afterwards, booster doses may then be required for those travelling to areas where yellow fever is endemic,” he said.

He allayed the fears of the people, advising them to go about their normal businesses and report any case of any strange illness or death through the dedicated toll-free lines.

He urged the people to maintain personal and environmental hygiene, prevent mosquito bites by clearing their surroundings and drainages, to prevent water lodging around residential areas.

Read also:  https://thenigerian.news/metro/57-reportedly-killed-as-strange-disease-breaks-out-in-enugu/

FG, states, LGAs share N604bn for October

Toby
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FG, states, LGAs share N604bn for October

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) on Wednesday shared the sum of N604.004 billion among the three tiers of government as revenue allocation for October.

Read also: No strange deaths in Kogi — Govt

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Aliyu Ahmed, who disclosed in a statement issued at the end of the FAAC meeting in Abuja, said the funds included the cost of collection to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

According to him, the Federal Government received N220.751 billion, the states got N161.825 billion, and the local government areas collected N120.588 billion.

Ahmed added that the oil-producing states received N21.581 billion as 13 percent derivation for mineral revenue and N40.086 billion as cost of collection/transfer and refunds.

Read also: AMCON confiscates Jimoh Ibrahim’s properties, freezes accounts over N69.4b debt

He disclosed that the gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) for October was N126.463 billion.

This was against the N141.858 billion distributed in September, a decrease of N15.395 billion.

Ahmed said: “The distribution is as follow: Federal Government got N17.642 billion, the states received N58.805 billion, Local Government Areas got N41.167 billion, while Cost of Collection/Transfer and Refund got N5.059 billion and Allocation to NEDC project received N3.794 billion.

“The distributed Statutory Revenue of N378.148 billion received for the month was higher than the N341.501 billion received for the previous month by N36.647 billion from which the Federal Government received N166.195 billion, states got N84.296 billion, LGAs got N64.989 billion, derivation (13 percent Mineral Revenue) got N21.581 billion and Cost of Collection/ Transfer and Refund got N40.086 billion.

Read also: ‘Best thing to happen to South-East’, INM welcomes Exercise Crocodile Smile VI

The permanent secretary disclosed that the Oil and Gas Royalty and Companies Income Tax (CIT) increased substantially.

However, the Import Duty, Excise Duty, VAT, and Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) decreased during the period.

“The total revenue distributable for the current month was augmented with the sums of N72 billion and N7.392 billion from Forex Equalisation and Federal Government Intervention respectively.

“This included augmentation of N20 billion from the Stabilisation Account.

“This is because of low revenue which is to be shared accordingly to the three tiers of government, bringing the total distributable revenue to N604.004 billion.

“The balance in the Excess Crude Account as at November 18 stands at $72.409 million,” he added.

Read also: COVID-19: China suspends food importation from 20 countries

‘Dictator’ Wike remote-controlling PDP, Umahi says

Toby
-
0
‘Dictator’ Wike remote-controlling PDP, Umahi says

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has said his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike has an overbearing influence on the affairs of the People’s Democratic Party.
Umahi noted that Wine’s dictatorial actions are “destroying’ the PDP.

Umahi spoke on an Arise TV interview programme on Wednesday.

Umahi was reacting to a statement credited to Wike who said he (Umahi) left the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) because of his desperation to be president of the country in 2023.

Wike, while reacting to Umahi’s defection to the APC, had said Umahi’s decision did not come to him as a surprise as the Ebonyi State governor had been involved in anti-party activities for some time before his eventual public declaration to join the All Progressives Congress.

Read also: https://thenigerian.news/politics/2023-wike-hints-at-joint-presidential-ticket-with-tambuwal/

But in a swift reaction to Wike’s comment, Umahi warned him to desist from attacking him “as it would be very dangerous if both of them continue attacking each other.”

He said Wike’s “dictatorial tendencies and overbearing influence on the party’s affairs had made other governors to be unhappy with him”.

Umahi said: “I refused to join issues with Wike because he is my friend. But Wike must know that he is a dictator. Wike must know that one person cannot be called a crowd.

Wike must know that a lot of governors in PDP are not very happy with him. He remote controls the party.

“He (Wike) said that I made my brother the Vice Chairman. I fund the PDP South-east from A to Z. And he has forgotten that he singlehandedly made Secondus the (PDP) Chairman. He has forgotten that he wanted to impose one of his own as minority leader of the house.

“There is nothing that happens in PDP without his authorisation. He once said that PDP National Working Committee members are beggars and bribe takers. I have asked him that let’s not take on ourselves or else it will be very dangerous.

“So let’s us face the party, the party does not belong to him. And this is by no means personal and he is demonstrating the dictatorial tendencies in him by taking on me, a fellow governor. And that is very shameful.”

Mr Umahi warned that more governors would leave the PDP fold “unless there is a change in the mode of doing things in the PDP”.

The Ebonyi governor also accused his Rivers counterpart of ‘remote-controlling’ the PDP.
He added that APC has allows intraparty deliberation on any move to be made.

“APC does more consultation. Anybody can contravene this that PDP working committee is being remote-controlled and that is the truth and it is very dangerous and all the governors know that.

“You (Wike) cannot stay in your state and you will be remote-controlling what happens in other states. Unless that changes you will see a lot of governors leaving the party,” he warned.

Umahi also said he is not desperate to be president of the country, contrary to Mr Wike’s assertion.

He, however, said “he will be a happy man if a president of South-east is elected in 2023 even if that person is not him.”

Read also: https://thenigerian.news/politics/umahi-dumps-pdp-for-apc/

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