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Governor backed-Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, has declared vacant the seats of 27 lawmakers who defected to APC

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Governor backed-Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, has declared vacant the seats of 27 lawmakers who defected to APC

Governor Siminalayi Fubara backed-Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, has declared vacant the seats of 27 lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Ehie had on Tuesday obtained a court order to carry out legislative business without interference by a rival group led by Martin Amaewhule.

Buoyed by the court protection, Mr Ehie’s faction, which has only four members, met and declared the seats of the defected lawmakers vacant before receiving Governor Fubara, who presented 800 billion appropriation bill for the 2024 fiscal year.

“Distinguished colleagues, the House will duly inform INEC of the vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly and indeed conduct a fresh election to fill the above vacancies,” Mr Ehie said on Wednesday’s sitting after reading the names of the affected lawmakers, Vanguard newspaper reported.

Mr Fubara presented the budget to the four-member assembly in a room inside the Rivers Government House, Port Harcourt.

While the budget presentation was going on, the Rivers State Government was demolishing the assembly complex whose integrity it said was compromised during the explosion and fire incident which occurred at the complex in October during an attempt by some lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara.

The crisis between Messrs Fubara and Wike triggered the splitting of the assembly into two factions – Martin Amaewhule led a 27-member faction loyal to Mr Wike while Mr Ehie’s faction had Governor Fubara’s support.

A power tussle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the FCT minister, triggered the crisis in the assembly.

The crisis which has persisted despite the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, took a new dimension on Monday, with the 27 lawmakers announcing their defection to the APC.

APC has faulted Governor Fubara’s 2024 budget presentation to four out of the 31 members of the state House of Assembly

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APC has faulted Governor Fubara’s 2024 budget presentation to four out of the 31 members of the state House of Assembly

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has faulted Gov. Siminalayi Fubara’s 2024 budget presentation to four out of the 31 members of the state House of Assembly.

Fubara had on Wednesday presented the N800 billion 2024 budget to the four lawmakers believed to be loyal to him at the Government House in Port Harcourt, a few minutes after the demolition of the House of Assembly Complex.

But Mr Tony Okocha, the state APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, said in a statement in Port Harcourt that the action was unconstitutional.

Okocha said that Section 120(2) of the Constitution clearly states that no money shall be spent unless it is appropriated by the state House of Assembly.

‘’The presentation of a bill to four suspended members of the House of Assembly does not fulfil the requirements of the constitution for all the reasons stated,’’ he said.

Okocha cautioned that expenditure made by the state government on the outcome of such a presentation was clearly an infringement on the constitution and, as such, sufficient grounds to commence impeachment.

He also said that Section 92(2)C prescribes that a speaker can be removed by a two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly.

Okocha alleged that there was no evidence to show that Mr Martins Amaewhule, the Speaker of the House, had been removed from office.

‘’Amaewhule remains the speaker of the House of Assembly; the lawmakers passed a vote of confidence in him,’’ he said.

Okocha also said that Section 96(1) of the constitution clearly states that the quorum of the House of Assembly shall be one-third of all members.

“One-third of 31 minus the deceased member is clearly 11, and as such, four members can never form a quorum.

“Section 99 states that any member who sits or votes in a House of Assembly of a state, knowing or having reasonable grounds for knowing that he is not entitled to do so, commits an offense and is liable on conviction to such punishment as shall be prescribed in a law of the House of Assembly.

“Section 101 gives the House of Assembly the power to regulate its procedures, including summoning and recess of the House.

“Section 105(3) also defines the role of the governor of the state.

“The governor shall have power to issue a proclamation for the holding of the first session of the Assembly,’’ he said.

Okocha added: “This is the function the governor has performed. As such, the Assembly takes over to regulate its procedures, including summons and recess of the House.”

Kwara Govt approves conversion of general hospital

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Kwara Govt approves conversion of general hospital

The Kwara Government has approved the transfer of the general hospital Ilorin to support the training of medical students and related professionals by the Kwara State University (KWASU).

The state commissioner for health, Dr Amina El-Imam, said a major step that involved huge facility upgrades at the hospital has been adopted, as well as legislation to guide its operations.

El-Imam told journalists on Wednesday in Ilorin that the state executive council observed that recent facility upgrades under the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration had earlier qualified the facility as a postgraduate training health institution and approved an additional N906.7 million seed fund to push through the historic transition.

“The proposed seed fund will meet the cost of infrastructural facelifts and construction of new ones, equipment upgrades, administrative changes, and address manpower needs to support the training of medical students, which is complementary to the ongoing postgraduate training.

“This will be of immense benefit to the people of Kwara State and the nation at large,” she said.

She said the council also approved for the government to present a bill on ‘establishment of the Kwara State Teaching Hospital and related matters’ to the House of Assembly.
In another development, the council endorsed the redesign and comprehensive reconstruction of the iconic Kwara Hotel, to be executed by Craneburg Construction Company Limited.

The project aims to transform the hotel into a five-star hospitality facility, with an allocated budget of N17.8 billion for a 24-month duration.

Additionally, the state Ministry of Works and Transport announced the immediate reconstruction of the Wahab Folawiyo Road in Ilorin, following the council’s approval.

The road, a major artery into downtown Ilorin, will undergo phased works starting Dec. 18 to minimise traffic disruption.

Mr AbdulQuawiy Olododo, the Coordinating Commissioner for Works and Transport, assured the public that private properties and business premises not encroaching on government setbacks would remain untouched during the road construction.

He also outlined diversionary routes to ease traffic during the construction period.

Furthermore, the council approved the construction of a modern flyover at Unity roundabout to manage traffic flow, entrusted to Craneburg Construction at the cost of N8.4 billion for a 12-month duration.

These initiatives fall under the urban renewal and developmental road projects, aimed at enhancing travel, economic growth, city aesthetics and overall living standards in the state.

Tinubu sacks FAAN, NAMA, NIMET DGs, others

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Tinubu sacks FAAN, NAMA, NIMET DGs, others

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday approved the suspension, removal, and replacement of the Chief Executive Officers under the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

Presidential Spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement last night explained that the action which takes immediate effect is in line with President Tinubu’s determination to bring world-class standards to Nigerian Civil Aviation in consumer protection and the promotion of the wellbeing of Nigerian passengers and other sectoral stakeholders.

He explained that Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed has been removed and replaced with Mrs. Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku as the substantive Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

Similarly, Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr. Tayib Adetunji Odunowo has been removed and replaced with Engr. Umar Ahmed Farouk as the substantive Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.

According to the statement, Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Engr. Akinola Olateru is replaced with Mr. Alex Badeh Jr. as the substantive Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

While Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu has been removed and in his place Prof. Charles Anosike will serve as the substantive Director-General.

Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Capt. Alkali Mahmud Modibbo is replaced with Mr. Joseph Shaka Imalighwe as the Acting Rector of the college, pending the appointment of a substantive Rector, in accordance with Section 13(2) of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Act, 2022.

Also, Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Shuaibu Nuhu has been suspended from office to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct an unfettered investigation into the activities of the suspended Director-General and other senior officials in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority. 

In his place, Capt. Chris Najomo will assume office as the Acting Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority immediately.

President Tinubu also approved the commencement of a diligent process to be conducted by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to recruit a substantive Vice-Chancellor and other principal officers of the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU).

The President charged the new leadership to uphold the safety, convenience, and comfort of the Nigerian people as primary and sacrosanct in all of their administrative activities. 

Meanwhile, due to the high cost of underperformance in the sector, the President has demanded the immediate establishment of world-class policy design, implementation, and regulatory frameworks to reposition the sector in alignment with his Renewed Hope Agenda.

Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has advised judges not to die on the job

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Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has advised judges not to die on the job

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has advised judges not to die on the job, but retire if they can no longer do well on the bench.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Alogba gave the advice at the public presentation of book written by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN) in Ikeja on Wednesday.

The book titled: The Supreme Court of Nigeria; History, Establishment, Jurists and Speeches, was co-authored by Mr Abdulrasheed Ibrahim.

Alogba said that judges should retire from the bench if they were no longer in good health.

According to him, regardless of the retirement age, judges should be able to eat the fruits of their labour.

He said: “When it comes to a time until death do you and service part, I do not agree.

“You must assess yourself when you are tired, do not wait, please go home and rest.

“There is nothing you want to do again which you could not have done on the bench before you got to the stage of being tired, if you are really interested in the work

“You do not need to die and have a valedictory for you, so retire if you are no longer in good health.”

The chief judge said that the issue of retirement age should be an individual thing.

According to him, good health is by God’s grace and judges should retire when they no longer have it.

He said that though the retirement benefit might be peanut, he did not think any judge who had been in practise for quite a some time before coming to the bench, would be a poor man.

“Ostentation apart, but to live a simple, quiet and reasonably comfortable life, any judge who has spent 10 to 15 years on the bench, should be able to do that.

“So why do you want to kill yourself on the job and then people will just collect your benefit after you have died?

“The law has spoken; speak for yourself and assess if you are mentally and physically capable of going on with the work, but if your answer is no, go back home,” the chief judge said.

Trade minister debunk allegedging allocation of the sum of N1 billion for a foreign trip to Geneva, Switzerland

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Trade minister debunk allegedging allocation of the sum of N1 billion for a foreign trip to Geneva, Switzerland

The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment has debunked a report that claimed that it allegedly allocated the sum of N1 billion for a foreign trip to Geneva, Switzerland in 2024.

The Ministry’s spokesperson, Toluwalase Moyan, in a statement, refuted the report, saying it was an extreme misrepresentation of the facts as presented by the Minister, Dr. Doris Anite.

“We wish to categorically state that there is no line item in the proposed budget of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment referring to any foreign trip to Geneva,” Moyan said.

“Rather, the only mention of Geneva in the proposed budget is with respect to the maintenance of the Nigerian Trade Office in Geneva, captured as ‘External Trade Sector, Geneva (WTO)’, which may have been misconstrued as ‘Foreign trip to Geneva’.

“In fact, the total amount (for NIGERIA’S TRADE OFFICE IN GENEVA) in the appropriation for 2024 is N1,610,183,599 with the breakdown as follows: Personnel Cost: N805, 379, 820; Overhead: N204, 058, 434 and Capital: N600, 745, 345.”

Moyan said for clarification, Nigeria, as an active player in global trade maintains an office in Geneva responsible for representing and defending the nation’s multilateral trade interests in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), both headquartered in Geneva Switzerland.

The Ministry’s spokesperson added that expectedly, the Nigerian Trade Office, Geneva has obligations, overhead and maintenance costs as with any organisation, that must be met.

Moyan further stated that the current debt owed by the Nigeria Trade Office in Geneva as captured in the budget is N499m.

“As such, it was deemed necessary to propose a budget that will service Nigeria’s outstanding debts in Geneva and maintain the country’s respect and global standing amongst the comity of nations,” Moyan said.

“Please, be assured that the Ministry is committed to prudence, transparency and accountability.”

The Senate Committee on Trade and Industry on Tuesday reportedly criticized the Ministry of Trade and Investment for allegedly allocating the sum of N1 billion for a foreign trip to Geneva, Switzerland. 

Members of the Senate Committee knocked back the allocation during a budget defense session and expressed deep worries about the excessive spending on foreign trips and urged the use of in-country experts.

Man bags two years imprisonment for N1.8m visa fraud

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Man bags two years imprisonment for N1.8m visa fraud

A Kaduna Chief Magistrate’s Court sentenced a 40-year-old man, Michael Timothy, to two years imprisonment for N1.8 million in visa fraud on Wednesday.

The trial magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, sentenced Timothy without the option of a fine after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Emmanuel stated that the sentence was to run concurrently, adding that it would serve as a deterrent to others.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, told the court that Timothy was charged with obtaining money by pretense.

According to him, Timothy fraudulently obtained the sum of N1.8 million from Cynthia Cole with the promise of securing a Canadian visa for her.

He said the offence contravened the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.

During the trial, the prosecutor called four witnesses who told the court how the convict committed the offence on Feb. 20.

Ondo Assembly confirms receipt of letter from Akeredolu to proceed on medical leave in Germany

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Ondo Assembly confirms receipt of letter from Akeredolu to proceed on medical leave in Germany

The Ondo State House of Assembly on Wednesday confirmed receipt of a letter from Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo requesting to proceed on medical leave in Germany.

Mr Olamide Oladiji, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Akure.

Oladiji explained that the governor’s action was in line with Section 190 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

According to the speaker, the Deputy Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, would assume the responsibilities of the governor in an acting capacity pending Akeredolu’s return to take up his duties.

He said that the letter stipulated that the leave would commence on Dec. 13.

Oladiji, who expressed appreciation to God for the speedy recovery of the governor, expressed optimism that the governor would soon resume his duties.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the governor had similarly, in July, written to the legislative body to request medical leave and returned to the country on Sept. 7.

Airlines to pay compensation for delayed, canceled flights – Minister says

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Airlines to pay compensation for delayed, canceled flights – Minister says

The Ministry of Aviation says it is working on plans to ensure that commercial airlines operating in Nigeria pay compensation to passengers for delayed or cancelled flights as of January.

The Minister of Aviation, Mr Festus Keyamo, said this when he appeared before the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Aviation for the 2024 budget defence.

He said that the ministry also plans to publish the list of airlines that delayed or cancelled flights in the media every week as part of its efforts.

“I have called the customers’ satisfactory commission regarding the treatment of Nigerians.
“And I have said this at the last address that I gave during our stakeholders meeting in Lagos and our retreat in Warri.

“I said on a weekly basis, please publish the list of airlines that do not fly, as at when due, cancelled flights, delayed flights, and how many hours it was delayed,” he said.

Keyamo added:For every delay, there is a report—an actual report by the regulator. What did they do? Did they pay compensation?

UI student apprehended for allegedly raping colleague

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UI student apprehended for allegedly raping colleague

A 200-level student of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, has been apprehended by the institution’s security personnel for allegedly raping a 100-level colleague within the campus.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the student had been reported to the authorities of the institution for committing the crime against the student who is said to be a fresher.

NAN also gathered that the lady had gone for night reading alongside some other girls in preparation for their examination.

The victim was said to have moved away from the lecture theatre where she was reading due to power failure and went to take a nap at the Students’ Union building where the suspect reportedly raped her.

While narrating her ordeal, the victim said she woke up at a touch and attempted to scream but the suspect held her neck down and rendered her voiceless.

She said that luck shone on her when a student walked in and the suspect fled.

The victim, however, sustained injuries on her neck, lips (due to a bite) and her private part.

In her reaction, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mrs Joke Akinpelu, confirmed the incident, saying that investigations had begun on the matter.

“Yes. He (the suspect) was with the security unit until late yesterday (Tuesday). I’m not sure he has even been released,” Akinpelu told NAN.

She stated that the act was reported to the Dean of Students Affairs, adding that he had since swung into action.

“The veracity of the allegation will be known upon completion of investigation,” she added

A 34-year-old woman, Jamila Hamza, arraigned in Court for allegedly beating up her neighbour

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A 34-year-old woman, Jamila Hamza, arraigned in Court for allegedly beating up her neighbour

A 34-year-old woman, Jamila Hamza, was on Wednesday arraigned in a Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly beating up her neighbour.

Hamza, who resides at Daura Road, Kaduna, is standing trial on a three-count charge of assault, willful damage and breach of peace.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on Dec. 4 at her residence.

Leo said the defendant assaulted her co-tenant, Farida Garba, by beating her to a pulp.

He said the assault followed an argument between the defendant and the complainant over a bucket of water.

He added that during the altercation, the defendant tore the complainant’s blouse, poured water on her and beat her to a pulp.

The offences contravened Sections 166, 171 and 337 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that sections 171 and 337 prescribe a three-year jail term for assault and damage.

The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum.

He ordered that the surety must be gainfully employed and show evidence of a two-year tax payment to the Kaduna State Government.

He adjourned the case until January 15 for a hearing.

22-year-old girl, Florence Vandi, has committed suicide in Adamawa with “Otapiyapiya”

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22-year-old girl, Florence Vandi, has committed suicide in Adamawa with “Otapiyapiya”

A 22-year-old girl, Florence Vandi, has reportedly committed suicide in the Viniklang community in the Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa.

Vandi is believed to have consumed a poisonous substance locally called “Otapiyapiya”.

SP Suleiman Nguroje, the police spokesman in Adamawa, confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday in Yola.

“The deceased, an indigene of Michika LGA in the state, ended her life by consuming the local substance while protesting the death of her boyfriend.

“She took the unfortunate decision a few hours after the death of her boyfriend, Nuhu Boniface who died after a brief illness while receiving treatment at the hospital”,

Nguroje said that the girl was a health worker attached to Girei Primary Health Centre.

“The Commissioner of Police, Afolabi Babalola has expressed sadness over the incident while advising members of the public to avoid taking the law into their hands and report any suspicious movement around their neighborhood.

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