The Federal Government of Nigeria has said that both May 29 and June 12 would be observed as Public Holidays.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made this at a world press conference in Abuja on Monday when asked by journalists if May 29 will still retain its status as Public Holiday.
The Minister also said that activities leading to the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari officially kicks off today, 20 May with the press conference.
Coalition of Civil Society Organizations comprising of Competence Governance for Accountability and Civic Trust and Beyond Boundaries Legacies Leadership Initiative, have expressed worries that the politics of 2023 is linked to the plot to remove Modibbo Kawu, the Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). In a press statement released to the media, they accused what they referred as the “Self Acclaimed National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who claims to be the Jagaban of Nigerian politics” for being behind this plot because of his Presidential ambition in 2023.
“It might interest Nigerians to know that the current crisis rocking the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over payment of 2.5 billion naira seed grant for Digital Switched Over (DSO) to Pinnacle Communication Ltd was not legal according to ICPC.
“We believe there’s more to all this, it is targeted to see the exit of Modibbo Kawu from NBC. The people responsible want to use their influence in the Presidency to nominate for a new DG that will be a loyalist to the core, someone who will do their bidding towards achieving a smooth media campaign/advert by 2022/2023. Since NBC is the supervising agency to all media house in Nigeria.
“They believe they can only achieve this through loyalists planted in ICPC. The first that took up the battle was the head of operation at ICPC, a certain Hakeem Lawal who is working on this project with Ade Ipaye, the Vice President’s Chief of Staff.
The new ICPC board is also headed by another Vice President’s loyalist and sidekick, Bolaji Owosonoye who is also linked to The Redeemed Church connection. They are all playing according to script giving to them by their master.
“The current leadership of ICPC has been hijacked and this is the major reason we are calling for total overhauling of the commission. The incompetence/error act of this current leadership of ICPC is geared towards 2023 ambition.
“ICPC is a commission that was established by the Federal Government to fight corruption. But today with this current leadership, reverse is the case simply because they are being used politically.
“ICPC really need to adopt code of conducts of high standard and ethics for their employees and have a solid compliance regime.
“The investigative unit of ICPC must operate lawfully and to follow due process as this is very critical to ensure their credibility and to build public trust.
“We are equally not unaware of the two committees that was set up by the Ministry of Justice to examine all the details of NBC, payment to Pinnacle Communication Ltd. The committee reached a verdict that there was no wrongdoing in the process and the payment and advised was issued to ICPC to step down the plan for indictment and carry out further investigation, including visits to the Pinnacle DSO project site, since no ICPC investigators have ever done so. Bolaji Owosonoye refused to acknowledge the letter.
“At this juncture, we the coalition of CSOs, are jointly issuing this press release signed by both the President of Competence Governance for Accountability and Civic Trust, Comrade Omoba Micheal and her Public Relation officer, Comrade Godwin Erheriene Oghenero, and the Executive Director of Beyond Boundaries Legacies Leadership Initiative, Comrade Omaga E. Daniel, to call the nation’s attention to the ICPC and how some of their people, planted by politicians, are being used for personal rather than national interest.”
US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran on Sunday, suggesting that if the Islamic republic attacks American interests, it will be destroyed.
“If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again,” Trump said in a tweet.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been on the rise as the United States has deployed a carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over what it termed Iranian “threats.”
Iran’s foreign minister downplayed the prospect of a new war in the region on Saturday, saying Tehran opposed it and no party was under the “illusion” the Islamic republic could be confronted.
“We are certain… there will not be a war since neither we want a war nor does anyone have the illusion they can confront Iran in the region,” Mohammad Javad Zarif told state-run news agency IRNA at the end of a visit to China.
Iran-US relations hit a new low last year as US Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed unilateral sanctions that had been lifted in exchange for Tehran scaling back its nuclear program.
Four persons including a Federal Road Safety officer has been killed when a drunk medical doctor driving a BMW X6 rammed his car into a passenger taxi in Abuja.
The incident which occurred in the early hours of Saturday in the Central Area district of Abuja was said to have been caused by a prostitute arguing with the doctor over payment for her services dragged the wheel with him, leading him to drive into a taxi conveying four passengers.
The drunk doctor is currently being detained at the MTD Police Station opposite the Federal Secretariat Abuja.
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Directorate of Road Traffic Services, VIO, says pasting “For Sale” sticker on moving vehicles as a way of marketing is illegal and a violation of the law.
Mr Kalu Emetu, the directorate’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, on Sunday.
Emetu said that such act was a violation of the FCT Administration’s transportation master plan.
He noted that a lot of vehicles had been impounded for violating the law, warning car owners to use proper channels of marketing their vehicles
He also said that it was illegal for any vehicle owner to market their vehicles in unauthorised car marts in the FCT.
“We have been impounding vehicles because it is illegal to be marketing your vehicle inside the city without authorisation. Once you put up any car for sale, it is meant to be at the right place.
“Once you put any car for sale, you pay for advertising, and other fees, so if you have a vehicle for sale, arrange with an authorised car dealer to help you sell it,” he said.
The PRO said that once vehicles in an illegal car mart were impounded, a certain fine would be paid on each, depending on the type, before they are released.
According to him, the fine ranges from N50, 000 to N25, 000, adding that the vehicles will also be towed to their office for safe keeping, pending the time the owner pays the fine.
“When we get the fine from you, you will have to write an undertaking that you will not repeat such act again. When all these are done, your vehicle will then be released,” he said.
He, however, said if the offence was repeated even after paying the fine, the car owner would be re-arrested and be made to pay another fine. Emetu said the fine was another way of generating revenue for the government.
