Television Nigerian

By Bukola Olasanmi

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a motion to evacuate Nigerians allegedly stranded in China following the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

According to lawmakers who voted massively against the motion raised by the spokesperson of the house, Benjamin Okezie, China has better facilities to handle the situation than Nigeria.

Despite efforts by the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila to calm the lawmakers and allow Mr Okezie to move his motion, the lawmakers denied him the opportunity.

Drama ensued when two other sponsors of the bill who were meant to support the motion, declined to second the motion to be moved.

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By Bukola Olasanmi

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says the regime is handling the security of the country well.

Osinbajo spoke when he received clergymen from the north — the Arewa Pastors Forum for Peace — at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Monday.

In a statement by Laolu Akande, his spokesperson, the VP said the regime would recruit more troops and officers to increase the personnel of security agencies so as to curb security threats in the country.

He added that it was part of an “ongoing deliberate and comprehensive consolidation of the security situation in the country”.

“We are doing everything that needs to be done. We are handling security well, and as you know, including military deployment in diverse fields, like the Boko Haram in the Northeast, ” Osinbajo was quoted to have said.

“In fact, we have to now recruit more into the Army, and much faster than we ever did because we need men on the ground; resources also – to buy more arms, to buy more platforms.”

Osinbajo said though the security situation is challenging measures have been put in place to beef up the country’s security.

“At the last meeting of the National Security Council that was held on Thursday, we had discussions on how to beef up the military’s platforms. How do we beef up the numbers?’ How do we recruit more men and women into the Army? How do we collaborate more with local vigilante, the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and all that? So, there is a lot going on in terms of trying to beef up security. The security situation is one that is very challenging,” he said.

“We are also looking at aspects of surveillance – how we can do more aerial surveillance using drones and electronic devices to improve surveillance.”

He assured Nigerians that the federal government is committed to finding solutions to the crisis in the north and in other parts of the country.

By Sylvanus Okpe

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has raised an alarm over the high poverty and unemployment level, economic and social malaise coupled with the World Bank report indicating that the country could be home to 87 million destitute.

He enjoined leaders to take the World Bank report on Nigeria seriously by improving on the productive sector as advised and save the country from descending permanently into the position of the poorest country in the world, warning that the country is currently sitting on a time bomb.

The Governor stated this on Monday when he hosted a delegation from Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation, a USAID Agri-Business Investment Activity led by the Deputy Chief of Party, Dr. Farouk Lawan.

He said, “Other people may dismiss the World Bank report but for me as one who is interested in the development of my state and country, I want us to take that report very seriously.

“Instead of criticizing it, lets begin to reassess what we have done, where we have failed and what we can do to improve on the productive sector of the country because we are fast becoming the poorest country in the world which is dangerous.

”As leaders of this country let’s help our people improve themselves and not be home to over 87million destitute as predicated because we can see that happening already.

“With recent developments nobody is safe, I cannot go out without encountering those who feel that except they get something or handout from me they would not carry on, and this is not peculiar to Benue.”

While expressing delight over the intervention of Feed the Future in his state Governor Ortom assured that his government would provide the enabling environment for organizations to exploit the rich agricultural value chain of the state.

Earlier Dr. Lawan said after the last Business Finance and Investment Summit held in the state, and given the governor’s insistence on capacity building and training for Benue farmers, 100 farmer groups were engaged for training in micro-enterprise fundamentals and leadership.

“This is important because we know that farmers may be in groups but they lack that group cohesion and financial literacy skills which are basic requirements by financial institutions that they consider to extend credit to the farmers.

“So by next week, we will commence the training of an additional 100 farmers. Recall that during that last summit, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority of Nigeria, SMEDAN was there and we agreed to collaborate with them to support farmers in Benue state.

“As part of that partnership we have agreed to train farmers in Benue state on those specifics which will enable them to access credit facilities of between N500,000 and N10million from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

That partnership has commenced and we will continue to do that for the benefit of Benue state,” Dr. Lawan said.

By Bukola Olasanmi

One of the nation’s anti-graft agencies, the ICPC, has announced that 376,631 applications were received to fill 220 available positions it is offering.

In a statement made available on its official Twitter handle, the commission maintained that only applicants with specialised skills and required disciplines as listed in its offer will be considered.

These include: Accountancy, Law, Economics, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Forensic, Computer Science, Statistics/Mathematics, Mass Communications, Sociology, Quantity Surveying, Architecture, Engineering, Procurement and Forensics.

Also according to the statement, the shortlisted applicants will be subjected to an online assessment test, a computer-based aptitude test, and a written assessment test “which will qualify them for an oral interview and other stages of assessment”

ICPC said no applications for the positions of assistant directors will be considered as the 2020 budgetary allocation approved for the commission (after the recruitment advertisement had been placed) does not provide for this.

It said the online assessment test will cover the remaining advertised six job levels, and will be administered over a specific period to assess candidates’ IQ and Logical Reasoning.

By Sylvanus Okpe

A human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, disclosed on Monday that he knows a former governor in one of the South-West states who had a killer squad that helped him to eliminate his political opponents.

Falana, while speaking at the University of Ibadan, further revealed that the former governor’s killer squad was headed by a police officer, who was the Chief Security Officer to the then-governor.

He said one of those killed by the killer squad was “a World Bank expert,” but he did not name the former governor in question.

Falana noted that one of the arguments against the creation of state police was that governors would use them to hunt their political opponents.

He, however, maintained that state police remained the solution to Nigeria’s insecurity problem.

He suggested how state police should be structured to insulate them against abuse by state governors.

A statement on Monday said Falana delivered the maiden Memorial Public Lecture in honour of late Prof. Olumuyiwa Awe at the Trechard Hall, UI.

He said, “Many citizens are opposed to the creation of state police for the fear that it may be used to haunt political opponents of some state governors. I know a state governor in the South-West who once had a killer squad headed by his Chief Security Officer, a police officer.

“One of the unarmed citizens mowed down by the illegal squad was a World Bank expert. All efforts to prosecute the suspects, who were indicted in several killings of unarmed citizens by the squad, have been frustrated by the state government.

The story is the same in a few other states in the country. To that extent the fear of the possible manipulation of state police is genuine.

“To avoid a situation whereby abuse of police powers is decentralised any security service established by state governments should be democratically controlled.

The service will be founded by the state governments and superintended by an independent state police council of five members. The members of the council should be accredited representatives of the state government, labour, women, youths and the business community.

“The service will police the state and see to the enforcement of all the laws enacted by the House of Assembly. The success of the civilian Joint Task Force in the counter-insurgency operations in Borno State has proved that the best way to police a country is to recruit, train and equip young men and women to operate in their own communities.

“The colonial practice of posting police personnel to operate outside their states of regions was meant to suppress and intimidate colonial subjects by strangers. It is a practice which has become counter-productive in a post-colonial state. Every police officer should operate in their community, speak the local language and mix freely with the people.”

By Bukola Olasanmi

A condemned Maryam Sanda sentenced to death by hanging for killing her husband at the weekend said that plans were afoot to approach the Court of Appeal to nullify the judgment.

A member of Sanda’s legal team who preferred anonymity made the disclosure.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had given her the maximum sentence for killing her husband, Mr. Bilyaminu Bello.

However, some women and civil rights activists have condemned the death penalty, describing it as unacceptable.

But another activist and co-convener of #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) movement, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, welcomed the death penalty, saying that it was not only an adequate punishment but also that justice had been served in the case.

The federal government had arraigned her on a two-count charge bordering on murder.

In the judgment delivered, the trial judge held that there was circumstantial evidence coupled with the defendant’s statement to the police that she “fatally” stabbed her husband to death in Abuja on November 19, 2017.

The judge while stating that the offence for which the defendant was convicted was based on Section 221 of the Penal Code imposed the maximum sentence.

“It has been said that thou shall not kill. Whoever kills in cold blood shall die in cold blood,” the judge said, adding: “Maryam Sanda should reap what she has sown. It is blood for blood.”

However, reacting to the judgment, one of the lawyers, who spoke off the record, said they would go on appeal against the judgment.

“She has a constitutional right of appeal and definitely she has to exercise it,” he said, adding: “We will definitely appeal the judgment.”

Sanda killed her husband on November 19, 2017, through multiple stabbing.

She was arraigned alongside three other persons, including her mother and brother.

However, the others were discharged because the prosecution was unable to link them to the charges.

The late Bello is a son of a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Haliru Bello.

The Coalition of APC Civil Organizations groups which is the combination of over 550 different groups that tirelessly works for the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and as well for his re- election in 2019 respectively, has called on the Presidency and the National Executive of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to give every member of the party a free level play ground in the management of the affairs of the political party as enshrined in the constitution of the party.

The group made their plea based on the recent development at Awka, the capital of Anambra State where there was a hatched plans by some few executive of the Political Party in Anambra state to manipulate the election process regarding who becomes the successor of Chief Kingsley Moghalu who is the immediate past Auditor APC.

There are reports that Chief Moghalu was recently appointed the Managing Director of National Inland Water Ways (NIWA) with Headquarters in Lokoja the Capital of Kogi State hence, the need for his replacement.

It was however gathered that some leaders of the Party are using their Abuja connection to scuttle the ambitions of Chief Uche Ifearoh, Emeka Nwagbo and Mike Ugbah whom the National Secretariat of the party screened and certified as those ably qualified to run for the position as enshrined by the party constitution.

Speaking during the group quarterly meeting in Abakiliki the Capital of Ebonyi State, the group national Coordinator Hon. Adebayo Abdulraman Segun implored all the stakeholders of the Party especially at the National secretariat to urgently look into the matter to make sure that the selection process over who replaced Kingsley Moghalu is not hijacked.

He called on the party supporters in Anambra State to ensure that the right thing is done by allowing only those screened by the Party National Secretariat and given certificate, to be allowed to participate in the election process.

He made a special appeal on President Buhari to call on those causing unnecessary disagreement within the party in Anambra State to be call to order and ensure that the right thing is done in view of the fact that; every Nigerians know him for his honesty and integrity.

The group therefore urged the National Secretariat of the Party to make sure Chief Uche Ifearoh, Mike Ugbah and Emeka Nwagbo that have the screening certificate to participate in the election but, not to allow those without screening certificate to be part of the elections.

They plead with all the party leaders in Anambra State to join hands together to build the party as one family, not to allow inter party squabbles to tear them apart which if not properly handles may definitely lead them to defeat in the forthcoming Gubernatorial Elections in Anambra State.

The governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has appointed Morenike Babafemi as the new head of service in the state’s civil service.

Mrs Babafemi, who has had a stint as acting head of service, before proceeding on an overseas training program last year, was, until the new appointment, a visiting research fellow at the African Leadership Centre, School of Global Affairs, King’s College, London, United Kingdom.

In a statement Monday, her appointment as head of service takes effect from Monday, February 10.

According to the statement, signed by the chief press secretary to the governor, Yinka Oyebode, she is to take over from Ayodeji Ajayi, who will retire from the civil service on February 9, 2020, having attained the mandatory retirement age.

Meanwhile, Mr Fayemi has commended Mr Ajayi for his diligence and professionalism, which has helped in repositioning the state’s civil service for effective service delivery.

Mrs Babafemi, is the first female to be appointed substantive head of service since the creation of Ekiti State on October 1, 1996.

She started her career as an administrative officer with the old Ondo State civil service on June 30, 1987.

She rose through the ranks to become a permanent secretary in October 2009 and has served as Permanent Secretary in several ministries including Ministry of Women Affairs; Ministry of Local Government; and the Cabinet and Special Services Department.

The new head of service is to be sworn in on Monday, February 10.