A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has raised the alarm that EndSARS bandits are beginning to gather again ahead of a protest in the state.
In a statement, Igbokwe said: “I am the leader of Ndigbo in APC Lagos. I have lived in Lagos for more than 40 years, and I understand Lago’s dynamics and politics very well.
“I know what I went through and what I experienced during the #Endsars protest in Lagos in October 2020, which opened a can of worms that shook the long-existing cordial relationship and understanding between Igbo and the owners of Lagos.
“The Endsars bandits are gathering again, and this time, we see hands of Labour Party followers everywhere. They are yet to come to terms with the colossal loss of 2023 presidential elections. They are still bitter to the marrows. They are not done yet. They are gathering again. They are networking again. They are spitting fire and brimstone once again. But dynamics have changed. It is not business as usual. But please know this and have inner peace: 2020 is not 2024. I will not speak further. Read my lips.”
Igbokwe further said: “A lot of lessons were learnt by the leaders of Lagos and they said, and I witnessed it with my own two eyes, that NEVER AGAIN will they allow any group of people or protesters to play the unfortunate October 2020 game in Lagos that led to massive destruction of the economic nerve centre and the pride of Nigeria. The destructive messages that were issued to them by their leader are still with the Lagos State Government.
“I am speaking as an insider who has seen it all and let me say this: If you are one of those bandits trying to stage a comeback to test the will of Lagos leaders and finish the unfinished business of destroying Lagos, I fear for you. Please, in the name of whatever you believe in, leave Lagos in your own interest. Read my lips and learn. You do not tell a deaf and dumb man that war has started. If he sees others running, he will run also. History has shown that men have not learnt anything from history.”
‘EndSARS bandits, Labour Party followers gathering’ – Joe Igbokwe warns
‘EndSARS bandits, Labour Party followers gathering’ – Joe Igbokwe warns
Tinubu appoints Walson-Jack as Nigeria’s new Head of Service
President Bola Tinubu has Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack as the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said Walson-Jack was appointed as Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service in 2017 and had served in several ministries.
The appointment, according to him, will take effect from August 14.
The statement read: “The new appointee will take over from the incumbent, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, who is due to retire on August 13.
“President Tinubu thanked the outgoing Head of Service for her stewardship.
“He tasked the incoming Head of Service to discharge her duties with innovative flair, integrity, and stringent adherence to the extant rules and regulations of the Civil Service of the Federation. “
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Bill seeking six-year single term for president, govs scales first reading
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed through the first reading a bill, seeking to amend the 1999 constitution to provide for a single term of six years for the Offices of the President, State Governors and Local Government Areas Chairmen to curb wastages occasioned by four years periodic elections.
The private member bill was sponsored by the member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere and 50 other lawmakers.
The proposed bill seeks to alter Sections 7, 135, 137, 180 and 182 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Clause 2 seeks to amend Section 7 of the Principal Act by inserting a new subsection (5) immediately after the extant subsection 4 and before the extant subsection 5 as follows, “(5) A holder of the office of a Local Government Chairman shall vacate his office at expiration of a period of six years commencing from the date such holder was elected into office.”
Clause 3 of the bill seeks to amend Section 135 subsections (2), (2A) and (3) of the Principal Act by replacing the word “four” with “six” to read:
“(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six (6) years single tenure commencing from the date, when – (a) in the case of a person first elected as President under this Constitution, he took the Oath of Allegiance and the oath of office; and
(b) in any other case, the person last elected to that office under this Constitution took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office or would, but for his death, have taken such Oaths.
“(2A) in the determination of the six years term, where a re-run election has taken place and the person earlier sworn wins the re-run election, the time spent in the office before the date the election was annulled, shall be taken into account.
“(3) If the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved and the President considers that it is not practicable to hold elections, the National Assembly may by resolution extend the period of six (6) years mentioned in subsection (2) of this section from time to time; but no such extension shall exceed a period of six months at any one time.”
Clause 4 of the bill seeks to amend Section 137 of the Principal Act by deleting paragraph (b) and renumbering appropriately.
Clause 5 of the proposed legislation l seeks to amend Section 180 of the Principal Act by deleting the extant subsections 2 and 3 and replacing it with new subsections 2 and 3.
It reads, “(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the Governor shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six (6) years single tenure commencing from the date when — (a) in the case of a person first elected as Governor under this Constitution, he took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office; and (b) the person last elected to that office took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office or would, but for his death, have taken such oaths.
“(3) If the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved and the President considers that it is not practicable to hold elections, the National Assembly may by resolution extend the period of six years mentioned in subsection (2) of this section from time to time, but no such extension shall exceed a period of six months at any one time.
Clause 5 of the bill seeks to amend Section 182 (1) by deleting paragraph (b) and renumbering appropriately.”
The bill is cited as “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As
amended) (Alteration) Bill 2024.”
NGX: Briscoe, Tantalizer, others drag down equities market as investors lose N24bn
Investors in the Nigerian equities market lost N24 billion at the close of trading on Wednesday.
This followed the dip in the share prices of RT BRISCOE, FTN COCOA, and TANTALIZER, amongst others on the trading floor today.
After five hours of trading at the capital market, the equity capitalization crashed to N56.64 trillion from N56.67 trillion posted by the bourse on Tuesday.
The All-Share Index (ASI) decreased to 100,032.32 from 100,075.59 recorded the previous day.
The market breadth was positive as 28 stocks advanced and 14 declined, while 72 stocks remained unchanged in 8,720 deals.
UCAP, AFRIPRUD, and CUTIX led other gainers with 10%, 9.88%, and 9.86% growth in share price each to close at N36.30, N8.90, and N6.13 from the previous N33.00, N8.10, and N6.13 per share.
READ ALSO: NGX: Equities market begins week on positive note as investors gain N172bn
On the flip side, RT BRISCOE, FTN COCOA, and TANTALIZER led other price decliners as they shed 5.71%, 4.44%, and 4.26% each to close at N0.66, N1.72, and N0.45 from the initial N0.70, N1.80, and N0.47 per share.
On the volume index, JAIZ BANK led trading with 528 million shares valued at N1.14 billion in 240 deals followed by CUTIX which traded 194 million shares valued at N1.19 billion in 72 deals.
ZENITH BANK traded 77 million shares valued at N3.10 billion in 650 deals.
On the value index, ZENITH BANK recorded the highest value for the day trading stocks worth N3.10 billion in 650 deals followed by CUTIX which traded equities worth N1.19 billion in 72 deals.
JAIZ BANK traded stocks worth N1.14 billion in 240 deals.
By: Babajide Okeowo
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PDP governors promise to find solution to Rivers crisis
Governors elected on the platform of the People Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday promised support to their Rivers State counterpart, Siminalayi Fubara, on the crisis in the state.
The governors gave the assurance in a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting in Enugu and read by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed.
The governors resolved to find a solution to the feud between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Fubara and Wike fell out in September last year with members of the state House of Assembly and political appointees split between the pair.
READ ALSO: Rivers crisis: Clark writes PDP, APC chairmen, asks them to dissociate from Wike
The peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in December last year has failed to achieve the desired results with the warring parties spoiling for a showdown over alleged breach of the agreement reached at the meeting in Abuja.
The communiqué read: “We will employ wider consultations with stakeholders for a peaceful resolution and thus find a lasting solution to the crises.”
The governors also admitted that Nigerians were facing challenges and promised to bring back those good old days of low inflation rates and affordable food.
They, therefore, urged Nigerians to refrain from anarchy as the country marches towards the 2027 elections.
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Senate demands FG action on nationwide building collapse
The Senate on Wednesday asked the Federal Government and all relevant government agencies to urgently put the necessary structures in place to handle construction failures and bring to book all those violating laid-down procedures for construction activities.
Adopting a motion by Senator Dikwet Plang (PDP, Plateau North) on the recent building collapse that claimed the lives of 22 students in Jos, the Senate noted with sadness that it was a depressing sight to see healthy and agile children who left home to write their examinations unfortunately return to their parents as dead bodies.
Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), who seconded the motion, said the tragedies in Jos North have become too many.
He said it was painful to send a child to school only for such parents to hear that the child was no more.
“This ugly incidence of building collapse has been a recurring decimal in Nigeria as a result of poor workmanship, substandard building materials and constructional standards leading to the wanton destruction of precious lives and various properties valued at hundreds of millions of naira,” he said.
The Senate noted that despite such incidences, the investigation and research to identify the poor and unprofessional work never resulted in any meaningful punitive measures against defaulters.
Senators who contributed to the motion, including Adams Oshiomole (APC, Edo North), Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central) and Zam Titus (APC, Benue North-West), urged the Federal Government to investigate the incident and bring to book anyone connected with putting up a shabby structure that collapsed in the school.
The Senate also urged the National Emergency Agency, NEMA, and all other agencies to mobilise relief materials for victims and their families.
It further urged the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant government agencies to immediately move to Plateau North to give medical aid to the survival of the building collapse to aid speedy recovery and cushion the devastating effect on the affected families.
The Senate then observed a minute of silence in honour of the deceased victims.
Senate demands FG action on nationwide building collapse
TotalEnergies sells Nigerian onshore oil asset to Mauritian company
Despite the divestment, TotalEnergies will retain ownership of the production share, ensuring access to associated infrastructure and pipelines essential for supplying gas to the Nigeria LNG plant.
Since February, the CEO of the French group has hinted at plans to divest its 10% stake in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, citing various challenges the company faced, including oil spills, theft, and operational issues.
“This divestment…allows us to concentrate our onshore Nigeria operations solely on …” said Nicolas Terraz, President of Exploration & Production at TotalEnergies. READ MORE
Tinubu appoints Walson-Jack head of civil service
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Didi Esther Walson-Jack as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, with effect from August 14, 2024.
Prior to her new role, Walson-Jack was the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education.
She was also appointed as Federal Permanent Secretary in 2017 and has served in several ministries.
The announcement was contained in a statement on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale.
The statement was titled ‘President Tinubu Appoints New Head of Civil Service of the Federation.’
“The new appointee will take over from the incumbent Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, CFR, who is due to retire on August 13, 2024.
“President Tinubu, while thanking the outgoing Head of Service for her stewardship, tasks the incoming Head of Service to discharge her duties with innovative flair, integrity, and stringent adherence to the extant rules and regulations of the Civil Service of the Federation,” the statement read.
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Alleged age falsification: ‘Sack Chief Judge Chikeka’ — Imo Assembly urges Gov Uzodinma
The Imo State House of Assembly has urged Governor Hope Uzodinma to sack the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Theresa Ebere Chukwuemeka Chikeka, from office following her indictment by an ad hoc committee set up by the House to investigate the petition against her over an allegation of age falsification.
The members have overwhelmingly, voted in favour of the recommendations of the committee asking Governor Uzodinma to remove her from office for misconduct, pursuant to Section 292 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
The House also moved that its resolution on the committee’s recommendations be forwarded to the National Judicial Council, NJC, for further necessary action.
The House had earlier set up a four-man ad hoc committee for proper investigations and detailed reports, following a petition brought before it, titled “Petition Against The Chief Judge of Imo State, Hon Justice Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka For Age Falsification Which Is A Grave Criminal Offence And An Act For Which Many Other Judges And Justices Have Been Summarily Dismissed And Some Are Currently Being Prosecuted By The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC.”
The House Committee report on the matter indicated that the chief judge had adjusted her date of birth from October 27, 1956, to October 27, 1958. This action was described by the committee as misconduct and unbecoming of a public officeholder.
The House, in its resolution, stated: “Following the recommendation of the Committee and in keeping with the provisions of Section 292 (a)(11) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which lists misconduct as one of the grounds on which a Governor, supported by a two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly, can remove the Chief Judge of a state. The Imo State House of Assembly has authorized the Governor to remove Hon. Justice Theresa Ebere Chukwuemeka-Chikeka from office as Chief Judge of Imo State.”
The committee, in carrying out its assignment, invited relevant persons and institutions who made oral and documentary submissions, upon which the committee made recommendations that were considered by the House’s Committee of the Whole.
According to the report, Justice Theresa Chikeka refused to honour the committee’s invitation.
The investigating committee, to ensure transparency in its task, invited the petitioners, Civil Society Engagement Platform, CSEP, which put up an appearance through its director of investigations, Ndubuisi Onyemaechi, and owned up to the petition. Also invited were Imo State Head of Service; secretary of Imo State Judicial Council; and Director of Administration of the Nigerian Law School. They were all contacted by the ad hoc committee to find out the actual date of birth the chief judge filled out on her form when she was admitted into the Nigerian Law School.
The Secretary to Imo Judicial Council, the Director of Administration at the Nigerian Law School as well as the Imo State Head of Service sent written responses to the ad hoc committee.
The submissions by all persons and institutions invited proved that Justice Chikeka adjusted her date of birth from October 27, 1956, to October 27, 1958.
Based on the finding, the four-member ad hoc committee concluded that her action amounted to misconduct.
Falsification of age is an act of gross misconduct for which several judges and justices, among other public office holders, have been removed from office in Imo State and other parts of the world.
Alleged age falsification: ‘Sack Chief Judge Chikeka’ — Imo Assembly urges Gov Uzodinma
BREAKING: Tinubu appoints Esther Walson-Jack new Head of Civil Service
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Tinubu’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said Walson-Jack’s appointment takes effect on August 14, 2024.
Mrs Walson-Jack was appointed Federal Permanent Secretary in 2017 and has served in several ministries.
A statement by Ngelale said: “The new appointee will take over from the incumbent Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, CFR, who is due to retire on August 13, 2024.
“President Tinubu, while thanking the outgoing Head of Service for her stewardship, tasks the incoming Head of Service to discharge her duties with innovative flair, integrity, and stringent adherence to the extant rules and regulations of the Civil Service of the Federation.”
BREAKING: Tinubu appoints Esther Walson-Jack new Head of Civil Service