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
BREAKING: Tinubu appoints Esther Walson-Jack new Head of Civil Service
FG to evacuate additional 250 Nigerians from UAE
The Federal Government will evacuate an additional 250 Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) soon.
The federal government on Tuesday evacuated 190 Nigerians from the Gulf State.
The government had also evacuated over 500 Nigerians from UAE in October 2022.
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stated this during a visit to the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Al-Shamsi, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Dabiri-Erewa, according to a statement issued by the NiDCOM spokesman, Gabriel Odu, said the commission would engage and encourage Nigerians in the UAE to be good ambassadors in their host country.
The statement read: “Dabiri-Erewa stated that NiDCOM intends to engage and sensitize Nigerians in the UAE to be good ambassadors of their country of stay and country of origin, to excel in whatever they are doing and never to forget home. She added that this initiative aims to foster better understanding and compliance with local regulations.
“She also disclosed that 190 Nigerians were repatriated to Nigeria, with an additional 250 expected to return soon. She noted that the actions of individuals in a host country can greatly impact the overall image of their home country. She also noted the role of Western media imperialism in perpetuating negative stereotypes about Nigerians.”
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PDP govs back Fubara, plan talks with stakeholders
The Peoples Democratic Governors Forum has thrown its weight behind Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State over the lingering political crisis, with a vow to begin wider consultation with other critical stakeholders in the state.
The PDP governors make their position known rising from the Forum’s meeting held at the Enugu State Government House, Enugu, on Wednesday.
Those in attendance were Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State; Governor Peter Mba of Enugu State; Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State; Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State; Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State.
Others are Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State; Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State; Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State; Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, and Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.
The Forum Chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed, in a communique issued at the end of the meeting, said that the governors would seek ways to ensure a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
“The Forum notes the crises in the Rivers State Chapter of the party and commits to ensuring peace. The Forum has resolved to stand by His Excellency, Sir Sim Fubara, Governor of Rivers State; while at the same time employing wider consultations with stakeholders for a peaceful resolution and thus find a lasting solution to the crises,” the communique read in part.
On the economic hardship, the governors lamented that the 16 years of progress the country experienced under the PDP rule have been eroded by the All Progressives Congress administration.
The communique added, “The Forum regrets that the 16 years of tremendous development under the PDP-led Federal Government, during which the country witnessed single-digit inflation, the establishment of the existing anti-corruption institutions and higher standard of living for every Nigerian has been eroded during the life span of the lackluster APC-led Federal Government.
“The Forum identifies with the Nigerian populace in these troubling times and promises to bring back those good old days, of the low inflation rate, affordable food, fuel and transportation, steady FDI inflows resulting in high naira value and the greater quality of human life as recorded.
“The forum therefore calls on all Nigerians to refrain from anarchy as we all march towards the return of the PDP to power in 2027.”
The According reports that disagreement between Fubara, and his predecessor and estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike, had thrown the state into a political crisis.
The disagreement between Wike, who is currently the Federal Capital Territory Minister, and Fubara, a former Accountant General of Rivers, which spiralled to the local governments, began from the state House of Assembly following an alleged attempt to replace the Amaewhule-led leadership of the Assembly and replace same with a speaker that will be loyal to the governor.
With both heavyweights at loggerheads, the lawmakers loyal to the minister served the governor an impeachment notice.
With the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, however, the lawmakers who defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party have withdrawn the impeachment notice.
Imo Assembly asks gov to sack CJ over age falsification
The Imo State House of Assembly has called for the removal of the state’s Chief Judge, Theresa Chikeka, over allegations of age falsification.
A four-man ad-hoc committee investigated the petition and found that Chikeka falsified her age from October 27, 1956, to October 27, 1958.
The Chairman of the Committee and House Committee Chairman on Information and Judiciary, Ikenna Ihezuo, while presenting the investigation report on the committee of the whole House, described the act as gross misconduct.
The committee report read, “On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, the Imo State House of Assembly received a petition from the Civil Society Engagement Platform (CSEP). The petition was signed by the organisation’s Director of Investigation, Ndubuisi Onyemaechi, and contained allegations against the Chief Judge of Imo state, Mrs. Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka.
“The House, in pursuant to section 292 of the constitution, set up a four-man committee to quickly look into it and report to the House. In the course of the investigation, the committee invited the petitioners, the Head of Service, the Secretary of Imo State Judiciary Commission and the accused, Mrs. Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, Imo Chief Judge, for an interface.
“The Committee also wrote the Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration, Nigerian Law School to find out the date of birth the Chief Judge filled in her form when she was admitted into the Nigerian Law School. All those invited appeared before the panel including the petitioners who adopted and owned up the petition as their write-up. The Chief Judge refused to honour the Committee’s invitation.”
The Assembly’s resolution recommended that Governor Hope Uzodinma remove Chikeka from office, as stipulated in the constitution.
“Consequently, the Committee recommended that the Governor of the state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, should remove the Chief Judge of the state, Honourable Justice Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, from office for misconduct in keeping with the section 292 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
“In addition, the Committee ruled that the House resolution on the issue be forwarded to National Judicial Commission (NJC) for further action,” the report concluded.
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s arraignment to Sept 25
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, adjourned proceedings on the alleged money laundering case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against a former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to September 25.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, while delivering a ruling in an application for a stay of proceedings by Bello’s lead counsel, Mohammed AbdulWahab, held that proceedings would continue despite the appeal filed by the defendant before the Court of Appeal.
Justice Nwite said, “The grant of Stay of Proceedings is at the court’s discretion. And since it is an issue of discretion no one can give an authority for the judge to rely on. The judge only needs to exercise this power judicially.”
He held that the appeal lodged by the defendant was only a part of his plan to delay proceedings.
Justice Nwite held that there have been previous Court of Appeal judgments on such matters.
He declared that the proceeding could not be stayed as it is a criminal case and not a civil case.
At the start of the day’s proceeding, one of Bello’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe had informed the court that he wished to not be part of the proceedings.
Recall that at the previous sitting, Adedipe informed the court of his wish to withdraw his appearance for the defendant.
Justice Nwite in his ruling Wednesday, granted the application for withdrawal of the defendant’s counsel, Adedipe, from the case and referred the matter of misconduct to the LPDC to investigate possible infractions.
Justice Nwite said, having stated the law, “the question is whether there was an undertaking by Wahab, and Adedipe, which was breached to amount to contempt of court.”
Meanwhile, AbdulWahab had earlier told the court that they had applied to stay proceedings on the case, pending the determination of the appeal before the Appeal Court on an arrest warrant earlier granted by the trial court and other rulings.
He argued that the court could not proceed on the matter until the pending appeal was determined, citing authorities.
“The Affidavit filed on 16th July 2024, is to bring to your lordship’s attention the notices of appeal filed against your lordship’s ruling on 23rd April and 10th May. This appeal was transmitted to the Court of Appeal 23rd of May and the appellant’s brief of argument was filed on the 31st of May. A motion for stay has also been filed at the Court of Appeal. The two appeals challenge the jurisdiction of this court to entertain the charges ab initio”.
The EFCC lead counsel, Kemi Pinehero, however, vehemently opposed the defendant’s application.
He argued that the defendant had not shown any court of appeal document showing that the court wanted the lower court to stay the proceeding.
He said “An appeal is elementary, filing an appeal even in civil cases does not counter a criminal case on the ground. Whether they have appealed or not whether affidavit or any other process the court must rule as the proceeding cannot be stayed”.
Justice Nwite asked whether, having received the application and affidavit, and being aware of the pending appeal, it would not amount to judicial rascality for his court to continue proceedings on the matter.
“Won’t it amount to judicial rascality to continue this case when there’s an issue of jurisdiction?” The judge asked.
But the prosecution counsel, Pinheiro, said “It is not really an issue of jurisdiction”.
Citing Section 40, he said the mere filing of an affidavit could not suffice as the case was not a civil case.
He urged the court to stick to the matter of the day, which was the ruling on the arguments presented on June 27.
AbdulWahab, however, told the court that the Judge was misled on the 27th of June and that the request was for the proceedings of that day to be expunged.
He urged the Judge to expunge from his record, the proceedings of June 27 as the appeal had been filed before the proceeding.
“We urge your lordship to expunge the record of the proceedings on 27th June because at that time an appeal had been entered and the proceedings should not have happened. The court was functus officio,” Wahab, argued.
“They are asking your Lordship to undo the work of the Court of Appeal. To avoid controversy and in order not to render the appeal nugatory, this should not continue. Even if Yahaya Bello were to be here, you cannot arraign him,” he argued.
He said insisting on hearing the matter would bring his lordship into conflict with the Court of Appeal.
He said, “Your lordship is functus officio. Heaven will not fall if he awaits the court of appeal. We are relying on the provision of the Constitution which overrides the EFCC act which the prosecution is relying on”.
Pinheiro stated that one of the appeals sought to have His Lordship stay further proceedings until the determination of the appeal.
He, however, noted that the judge was bound by his own rulings and, therefore, had the discretion to determine whether to proceed or not, noting that the first authority that the Defendant’s Counsel cited was a 1999 case that predated the EFCC Act 2004.
“This same position was canvassed on behalf of Mustapha (SAN) in a 2016 case, Mustapha v Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the court held that proceedings can only be stayed where there is a court of appeal order to that effect and they relied on 306. In Chukwuma v IGP, a 2018 case, the court held something similar,” he said.
Bello’s counsel in his response said, “We have two notices of appeal – one is on mixed law and fact and the other is on jurisdiction. The authorities he has cited are different from jurisdiction. Chukwuma v IGP is on the admissibility of the document and not jurisdiction.
“In chief Cletus ibeto v Frn, which is an ongoing criminal appeal, all the facts are on all fours with the recent case. The lower court stayed proceedings because of the issue of Jurisdiction and now the argument at the court of appeal is on 306. That is how it is supposed to be.”
Meanwhile, AbdulWahab accused Pinehero of setting them up against the court.
He also decried the treatment meted out to his colleague, Adedipe at the last hearing, saying the Prosecution misled the court.
He added that the EFCC must arrest and bring Bello for arraignment, not theirs.
“You got the warrant and the resources it is your job to bring him not me” AbdulWahab said to Pinehero.
He further said “They attempt to set lawyers against the court. We did not disobey your lordship’s order we appealed to them.
“We urge your lordship in the interest of justice and because the Constitution is supreme to respect the appellate court and stay proceedings”.
The matter was adjourned till September 25 for arraignment.
EDO: PDP chieftain, Orbih, says court judgment on Edo dep gov, Shaibu, will deepen democracy
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Dan Orbih has congratulated Philip Shaibu after the court gave a ruling voiding his impeachment as the Deputy Governor of Edo State.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on Wednesday given the ruling voiding the impeachment of Shaibu, and stated that the Edo State House of Assembly had failed to adhere to due process in impeaching Shuaibu.
Reacting to the judgement on Wednesday, Chief Orbih said the “lessons learnt in this unfortunate drama will certainly deependemocracy and enhance the observance of the rule of law”, in the state and country.
He called on Shaibu to see out the remaining months of his tenure with a forgiving spirit and fear of God.
He further said he was “greatly pained to watch the unfortunate drama of the impeachment exercise “which was generally reported to have been stoked by some elements in the government of the state”.
According to him, the judgment of the High Court was a landmark victory in the legal battle against his unlawful impeachment by some members of the Edo State House of Assembly.
“I am particularly delighted by this judgment being the one who led the campaign that brought you and Governor Godwin Obaseki to serve a second term as Governor and Deputy-Governor of the state in 2020.
“…It is an irony that the passion and priority that was given to the impeachment is especially lacking in the execution of the government policies and programmes for which I mounted the rostrum to promise the good people of Edo State that you and your principal will accomplish.
“As you return as governor of Edo State, I implore you to use your office to bring zeal to governance programmes and policies, to wit, so that we would not be totally left in shame as a party that failed in our promises to the good people of Edo State”, he said.
Orbih further urged Shaibu to act within the ambit of the constitution as the “ELECTED and JUDICIALLY reaffirmed Deputy Governor of Edo State”.
He also called on all political actors in the state to let the judgment be the basis for a new and more fruitful relationship especially within the PDP and all citizens of the state.
“Justice like you know, is the cornerstone of the social system. Plato described Justice as ‘giving each Man his due’. I am glad you have been duly restated. Lessons learnt in this unfortunate drama will certainly deepen our democracy and enhance the observance of the rule of law. I pray you see out the remaining months of your tenure with a forgiving spirit and fear of God in all you do. Be tolerant but firm”, he said.
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PDP govs back minimum wage increase, slam Tinubu govt for economic woes
The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum has expressed strong concerns over the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government’s mismanagement of the economy.
In a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting in Enugu on Wednesday, the 13 governors of the main opposition party condemned the government’s economic policies, which they believe have led to widespread hardship among Nigerians.
Chairman of the forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, presented the communiqué after the four-hour meeting.
The governors declared their support for the Nigeria Labour Congress in its advocacy for a new minimum wage, emphasising the need for a more equitable and just economic framework that benefits all Nigerians.
Mohammed stated that after thorough discussions and consultations, the PDP Governors’ Forum expressed “profound dismay and grave concern” over the mismanagement of the economy by the APC-led Federal Government.
The governors urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to take immediate action to restore the nation’s former glory.
They lamented the significant progress made during the 16 years of PDP leadership – including single-digit inflation, establishment of anti-corruption institutions, and improved standards of living – had been eroded under the APC-led government.
“The forum identified with the struggles of the Nigerian people and pledged to revive the past achievements, characterized by low inflation, affordable food, fuel, and transportation, steady foreign direct investment, a strong naira value, and enhanced quality of life.
”The meeting commended PDP-controlled state governors for their innovative governance approaches, particularly in infrastructure development, education, healthcare, women and youth initiatives, and timely delivery of developmental projects across the country,” the communique read.
The governors reiterated their commitment to good governance and promised to work tirelessly to address the current economic challenges and restore the nation’s prosperity.
They emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in economic management and a return to the policies and programs that had previously yielded positive results.
“The forum therefore calls on all Nigerians to refrain from anarchy as we all march towards the return of the PDP to power in 2027,” it said.
On the off-season elections, in Edo and Ondo states, the forum called on President Tinubu to show leadership as a true democrat by refraining from making any statement suggestive of political interference in the entire process.
The governors admonished all the parties to the elections to ensure that campaigns are issues-based devoid of violence and in strict compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
On the upcoming congresses of the party, the governor insisted that congresses leading to the election of party leaders, at the various tiers, must be all-inclusive, transparent, fair, and in strict compliance with the constitution of the party.
The forum reminded party members that the founding fathers of the party adopted internal democracy as the fundamental principle upon which PDP was built.
On the minimum wage, the governors stated that the minimum wage negotiations are becoming unduly protracted, considering the unprecedented hardship and impoverishment of the majority of Nigerian people.
On the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, the governors expressed their support, adding that the efficacy of the local government system will ensure that governance is brought closer to the people as provided for in the constitution.
However, the forum urged that implementation of the court decision “must be done in a manner that does not create a trust deficit between the federal governments and sub-national governments while also ensuring that the system does not suffer.”
On the crisis in the Rivers State Chapter of the party, the forum expressed commitment to ensure that peace prevail.
401 Osun LG caretaker chairmen, members resign after S’Court judgment
Four hundred and one chairmen and members of caretaker committees running Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in Osun State have all resigned their positions.
Those that resigned include; 69 caretaker chairmen and 332 caretaker members drawn from each of the 332 wards in the state.
Letters of resignation of the chairmen circulated on social media on Wednesday but a clear reason behind their resignation was not given.
In one of the letters seen by According, the caretaker chairman of Odo-Otin local government area, Okuku, Adewale Adeyinka, said he was quitting office to pursue other opportunities to serve his people.
The letter addressed to Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, dated July 17, 2024, partly read, “It is with a sense of duty and respect for our democratic principles that I write to tender my resignation from my position as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee for Odo-Otin Local Government, effective immediately.
“As I move on to pursue further opportunities to serve my people, I want to assure you that the good work we have started will not end.
“I remain committed to supporting the growth and development of Odo-Otin Local Government in any capacity I can.”
When contacted for comment on Wednesday, the immediate past chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria in Osun State, Sarafadeen Awotunde, said all the 69 caretaker chairmen and 332 members drawn from different wards across the state have resigned their positions since the Supreme Court has declared them as illegal office occupants.
Asked to confirm the resignation of the 332 caretaker members and the chairmen, Awotunde said, “Since we already called them caretaker, I don’t think there is any appropriate word to use than that they resigned. Nobody sacked them.
“Caretakers have temporary time to spend. It means their time is over. If you look at it critically, you will see that the Supreme Court has given a verdict. So whatever is called caretaker now is illegal. So, there is nothing like a caretaker in Nigeria again.”
In Osun State, there are 30 local government areas, 32 local council development authorities, 6 area councils and one administrative office.
The last set of caretaker committee chairmen and members were appointed by Adeleke in August 2023 and their tenure of office was extended by 6 months in February 2024.
AEDC vows tough action against electricity theft, illegal connections
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, has vowed to take a tough stance against energy theft and illegal connections amid a surge in the menace in Nigeria’s power sector industry.
The acting Managing Director of AEDC, Victor Ojelabi, disclosed this in a recent interactive section with journalists in Abuja.
In a statement outlining its recent initiatives, the disco reiterates its commitment to tackling challenges affecting effective electricity supply in Nigeria.
“AEDC is taking a strong stance against energy theft through increased vigilance and “night raids” to identify and address illegal connections. This will ensure fairer billing for all customers and reduce system losses,” the disco said.
This comes as the firm noted that it will continue to facilitate the Federal Government of Nigeria’s mass metering programme.
The company further said: “We are facilitating the distribution of meters to unmetered customers. I encourage our customers to apply for meters through AEDC’s streamlined application process to benefit from accurate and fair billing.”
According to AEDC, its Token Identifier (TID) rollover is ongoing to enhance the integrity and functionality of prepaid meters.
“This initiative is crucial for accurate billing and updating the meter software security. The global termination date for the TID rollover is 30th November 2024. However, our target is to ensure all customers are rolled over by July 31, 2024,” the company stated.
AEDC vows tough action against electricity theft, illegal connections
FG to repatriate additional 250 Nigerians from UAE — NiDCOM
The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Wednesday, said an additional 250 Nigerians would be repatriated from the United Arab Emirates soon.
The Federal Government had on Tuesday repatriated a total of 190 Nigerians from the UAE.
The returnees were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at 05:57 by a combined team of government officials led by the National Emergency Management Agency.
In October 2023, the FG repatriated a total of 542 Nigerians from the UAE.
Speaking during a visit to the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Al-Shamsi, in Abuja, Dabiri-Erewa stated that NiDCOM intends to engage and sensitize Nigerians in the UAE to be good ambassadors of UAE and Nigeria.
A statement by the commission’s spokesperson, Gabriel Odu, read, “Dabiri-Erewa stated that NiDCOM intends to engage and sensitize Nigerians in the UAE to be good ambassadors of their country of stay and country of origin, to excel in whatever they are doing and never to forget home. She added further this initiative aims to foster better understanding and compliance with local regulations.
“She also disclosed that 190 Nigerians were repatriated to Nigeria, with an additional 250 expected to return soon. She noted that the actions of individuals in a host country can greatly impact the overall image of their home country. She also noted the role of Western media imperialism in perpetuating negative stereotypes about Nigerians.”
Speaking, the UAE ambassador to Nigeria stated that his country’s visa-on-arrival policy was not only cancelled for Nigeria but for all countries.
The statement added, “Al-Shamsi explained that the visa ban on Nigeria has been officially lifted. He confirmed that the Visa on Arrival policy has been cancelled for all countries, but assured that the new procedures are designed to facilitate tourism and ensure travellers’ safe return.
“The Ambassador expressed his commitment to providing the best possible services for Nigerians, with the support of the determined Nigerian government. He also acknowledged the UAE’s role in safely repatriating 96 Nigerians at no cost.”
Marking his first anniversary as the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Al-Shamsi shared his positive impressions of Nigeria, describing it as a beautiful country with warm-hearted people who share similar cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds with the UAE.
He expressed his eagerness to continue collaborating with NiDCOM to strengthen ties between the two countries.