Flowerbud News

Author: Ibrahim Abusadiq

  • Don’t blame judges for delays in justice dispensation, says Appeal Court Judge

    Don’t blame judges for delays in justice dispensation, says Appeal Court Judge

    By Mustapha Yauri

    Hajiya Binta Zubairu, Justice of the Court of Appeal (JCA) on Sunday in Zaria said judges are not the cause of delay in the dispensation of justice as erroneously believed by some Nigerians.

    Zubairu made this known on the sidelines of a reception organised in her honour in Zaria on recent elevation as a Justice of the Court.

    Judges are being wrongly accused of delay in dispensing justice by the public.

    “Judges work as a team with the prosecution, lawyers and others. Speedy dispensation of justice requires the prompt efforts of the police, prosecution, assembling of exhibits by lawyers and presenting them correctly before the judges in court in accordance with the laws.

    “Most times  the judges or magistrates are ready to adjudicate but the prosecution would not be ready or the lawyers will come with one excuse or the other.

    “These are facts that are glaring in Courts but because we the judges can’t voice out their frustration, all the blames are shifted and heaped on us, ” she said.

    She said most times it takes the police longer than usual to conclude investigation in a simple case.

    Zubairu commended the  Zazzau emirate for identifying and rejoicing with her over her promotion and appointment.

    According to her, her elevation to the court of appeal is for the joy of the entire Zazzau Emirate and humanity.

    She expressed gratitude to the Almighty God for making her the first female in the Zazzau Emirate to be elevated to the rank of Justice of the Court of Appeal.

    “As a child, it was not my wish to be a magistrate or a judge. I wanted was be a principal of a school.

    “I wanted to be a principal because as a kid I desired to see that all children go to school to be educated.

    “I have not in my wildest imagination, thought I will be a judge but destiny took me to the judiciary,’’ she said.

    Earlier, the Emir of Zazzau, Malam Ahmad Bamalli said “the emirate was proud of justice Zubairu’s as  the first female from the emirate to attain that height in the judiciary.

    The emir enjoined the celebrant to be good ambassador of the emirate by exhibiting high sense of honesty and professionalism in her endeavour.

    Also speaking, the Chairman of the Presidential task force committee on prison decongestion and former FCT Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello urged young judges to imbibe the culture of hard-work and dedication to enable them excel.

    Bello while congratulating justice Zubairu, advised her to follow the ethics of the profession for effective delivery.

    NAN

  • Flood: NEMA distributes relief materials to 8,757 households in Kaduna

    Flood: NEMA distributes relief materials to 8,757 households in Kaduna

    By Ezra Musa

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Saturday, commenced the distribution of relief materials to 8,757 households affected by the 2022 flood disaster in Kaduna State.

    The Director-General of the agency, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, said during the distribution in Kaduna that the gesture was under the Special National Economic and Livelihood Emergency Intervention (SNELEI).

    Ahmed, who was represented by Ms Ngozi Echeazu, State Team supervisor, SNELEI, said that the distribution was aimed at bringing succour to the affected households in the state.

    He identified the items as food and non-food items, such as rice, beans, sorghum, blankets, mats, mosquito nets and detergents.

    Other non-food items include sewing machines, grinding machines, water pumps for dry-season farmers, sprayers, fertilizers, herbicides and seedlings.

    He explained that the agricultural inputs were given to take farmers back to the farms, stimulate crop production and safeguard national food security in the middle of economic downturn.

    The DG added that the livelihood support was to help artisans to improve their businesses and grow the economy.

    He called on the  beneficiaries to avoid selling the items and destroy the good intention of the Federal Government.

    In her remarks, the Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, commended the Federal Government for the gesture.

    Balarabe, who was represented by Mr James Kanyip, Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Uba Sani, Office of the Deputy Governor, said that the items would assist the beneficiaries in rebuilding their lives.

    She also advised the beneficiaries against selling the items, which she said was to alleviate poverty and empower them economically.

    The deputy governor also called on the distributors of the relief materials to ensure that only the targeted persons and the vulnerable were given the items.

    Also, Mr Usman Mazabu, Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, thanked the Federal Government for approving the relief assistance to the victims.

    Muazu assured that the relief materials would be transparently and jointly distributed to the affected persons by officials of NEMA, SEMA and representatives of the community and other relevant stakeholders.

    NAN

  • NDLEA intercepts 4 tons of illicit drugs HomeNDLEA intercepts 4 tons of illicit drugs

    NDLEA intercepts 4 tons of illicit drugs HomeNDLEA intercepts 4 tons of illicit drugs

    By Ibironke Ariyo

     The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intercepted four tons of illicit and controlled drugs in seven states within one week, its Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, has said.
    The drugs include nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas, skunk, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and tramadol, he added in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
    Babafemi said that the seizures were carried out during interdiction operations in Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Edo states.
    He explained that 1,194 cylinders of laughing gas with a total weight of 2,547.2 kilograms was intercepted in Toyota Sienna buses on Sept. 22, along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway.
    Two suspects: Onyebuchi Ikpozu and Kenneth Igwe, conveying the consignment to Abuja for distribution, have been taken into custody.
    He said one of the Toyota Sienna buses marked KTU 582 HV was conveying 99 cartons containing 594 cylinders weighing 1,267.200kgs, while the other bus, registered FKJ 329 YA, was loaded with 100 cartons with 600 cylinders weighing 1,280kgs.
    According to him, a 48-year-old woman, Mrs Ugo Eluba was also arrested in Abuja in a follow up operation after 2,400 ampules of pentazocine injection and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 intercepted in Kogi were traced to her.
    “In the FCT, operatives intercepted 977 kilograms of skunk on Sept. 20 in a trailer marked LSR 343 XW, bearing cartons of maggi.
    “The skunk consignment was loaded into the truck at Ipele junction in Ondo state.
    “959kgs of the substance were meant for distribution in Sokoto state, the rest was to be dropped off at Gwagwalada.
    “Two suspects, Auwal Mohammed and Abdullahi Abubakar have been arrested in connection with the seizure,” he added.
    Babafemi also said two suspects: Mutari Abdulazeez, 31, and Ayuba Madaki, 28, were arrested on Sept. 23 at Zuba,  FCT with different quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis and 13, 930 pills of tramadol.
    He further said that during a stop and search operation along Kano-Hadejia road in Jigawa, two suspects, Shuaibu Yusif, 27, and Abubakar Hussaini, 20, were arrested on Sept. 23, with 89.1kgs of skunk.
    Babafemi said that 6,000 ampules of pentazocine injection were recovered from a suspect, Usman Sidi, 35, on Sept. 18 along Abuja-Forest road, Kaduna State, while on his way to Bauchi State.
    He said that a follow up operation in Bauchi led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Dominic Chukwuma, 35, on Sept. 19.
    The NDLEA spokesman added that at least 2.58kgs of Diazepam and 36.55kgs of pentazocine iinjectionwere recovered in Chukwuma’s house.
    “Two other suspects: Inuwa Nuhu and Isiyaku Dahiru Sani were also arrested same Tuesday in connection with the seizure of 49 blocks of cannabis sativa concealed in a black sack weighing 26kgs in a commercial vehicle coming from Ogere in Ogun to Kano.
    “A total of 183kgs of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, were also recovered from the body compartments of a J5 bus intercepted in Lagos on Sept. 20,” he said.
    Babafemi disclosed that operatives in Sokoto State, on Sept. 19 arrested one Charles Okeke, 44, with 473 bottles of codeine syrup at Unguwar Kosai area of Sokoto.
    The NDLEA spokesman said that in Edo, 365 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 258kgs were recovered from a Toyota Camry car marked KTU 886 EZ at Igarra, Akoko Edo LGA.
    Meanwhile, the agency in a massive operation from Sept, 11 to Sept. 13, in a thick forests in Ijesha Isu-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, destroyed 40 tons of cannabis plants covering 16 hectares of farmland.
    NAN
  • Jigawa records 91 suspected cases of diptheria, 10 deaths

    Jigawa records 91 suspected cases of diptheria, 10 deaths

    By Muhammad Nasir Bashir

    Jigawa has recorded 91 suspected cases of diphtheria in 14 local government areas.

    It also suspects the loss of 10 children to the childhood infection.

    “There has been diphtheria outbreak in the northern parts of Nigeria in the last four months.

    “This is especially in neighbouring Kano, Yobe, Katsina and Bauchi states,’’ Permanent Secretary, Jigawa Ministry of Health, Dr Salisu Muazu, told newsmen on Saturday in Dutse.

    “About two weeks ago, we received patients that had symptoms of diphtheria in 14 local government areas bordering states that already established the infection.

    “The National Reference Laboratory in Abuja confirmed two of the 91 suspected samples we sent to have tested positive to diphtheria,’’ Muazu said.

    He added that the two confirmed samples were those from Kazaure and Jahun local government areas of Jigawa.

     

    He explained that majority of the victims were those that either did not receive complete immunisation or those that received zero dose of childhood immunisation.

    “In fact, in the last 10 years, we have not had diphtheria in Jigawa, but in those neighbouring states that now have the epidemic.

    “The reason why we have it now may be due to the COVID-19 period when healthcare services completely broke down,’’ he said.

    Muazu urged parents and community leaders to support and cooperate with health workers as government had concluded plans to conduct mop-up immunisation in affected local government areas.

    He also called on residents to promptly report persons with symptoms of diphtheria to Disease Notification Officers in the local government areas or to the nearest health facility.

    NAN

  • CAC boss bags chartered secretaries and administrators award

    CAC boss bags chartered secretaries and administrators award

    By Lucy Ogalue

    The Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Alhaji Garba Abubakar, has been awarded as Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN).
    Abubakar, in a statement thanked ICSAN for the award and pledged to rededicate himself to greater service.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abubakar was among the six distinguished Nigerians conferred with Honorary Fellowship Awards by the institute at its 47th Annual Conference and Dinner.
    The event was themed “Sound Governance as a Cursor to a Thriving Economy: A Case for Inclusiveness”.
    Conferring the award on them, the ICSAN President/Chairman of Council, Mrs Funmi Ekundayo, described their performances in governance as superlative and worthy of emulation.
    Ekundayo, who stressed that ICSAN places great emphasis on ethics and uprightness, congratulated the awardees on their professional accomplishments.
    She said that the feat represented the zenith of professional membership and charged them not to view the achievement as the destination.
     Ekundayo said that the award signified the beginning of a new chapter in their career, providing them the opportunity to learn, relearn, and unlearn through capacity-building programmes, amongst others.
     In his remarks, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, congratulated the awardees on the achievements recorded in their respective fields of endeavour to enable them to haul the awards.
    Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Bimbola Salu -hundeyin, congratulated Ekundayo for becoming the first female president of ICSAN since its inception 47 years ago.
    The former Minister of Communications, Omobola Johnson, stressed the need for more inclusiveness for women in accordance with the conference theme.
     In his remarks, Sen. Ishaku Abbo (APC-Adamawa North) congratulated the awardees with special reference to the Registrar-General, whom he described as a good friend.
    Abo stated the resolve of the National Assembly to support the programmes and policies of the present administration to ensure a better and more prosperous Nigeria.
     Responding on behalf of the award recipients, Sen. Margery Okadigbo thanked ICSAN for finding them worthy of the honours and pledged to justify the confidence reposed in them.
    NAN recalls that the CAC boss had accomplished the full digitisation of all CAC services, thereby becoming the only government agency with a full-pledged self-service portal.
     The newest on the array of successes recorded by Abubakar was the launch of the Beneficial Ownership Register (BOR).
    The BOR made history for becoming the first in Africa and is in line with global data standards.
    NAN also reports that the other recipients of ICSAN honorary fellowships were: Amb. Shuaibu Ahmed, Executive Secretary Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria, and Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, Director-General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
    Others included Mr Etido Inyang and Mrs Ekerebong Umoh.
    NAN
  • Remove HND/BSc Dichotomy or Scrap HND Programmes – Bugaje tells FG

    Remove HND/BSc Dichotomy or Scrap HND Programmes – Bugaje tells FG

    By Funmilayo Adeyemi

    Prof. Idris Bugaje, the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has urged the Federal Government to scrap the Higher National Diploma (HND) in the Polytechnics if the government would not remove the dichotomy between HND and BSc.
    Bugaje disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on issues around its HND top-up programmes.
    He noted that the discrimination against HND holders was uncalled for as it usually prevents the holders from attaining the highest directorate level in the public service.
    According to him, the HND-BSc dichotomy is a colonial syndrome and it is unfortunate that Nigeria is yet to get out of this syndrome.
    He added that the Board had written to convince the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Federal Ministry of Education to allow HND holders to go straight for two year Masters programme.
    He said that the letter had however not seen the light of the day.
    “Basically, what brought the top-up programme was the discrimination that we have endured over the past decades against HND holders, who for no fault of theirs ,shown nationalism by even coming to the Polytechnics to learn skills.
    “HND is equivalent all over the world to a first degree, yet Nigerians are discriminating against HND holders, they are not allowed to reach the highest directorate level in the public service.
    “Their progression is being attenuated over the years. When they want to convert, they are asked to step down to a lower level for no cause of theirs simply because they have not presented a BSc.
    “So we felt, which is the way out and currently there has to be PGD, but PGD is not the best for HND holders because anytime they want to take employment in a University even after their Doctorate, they will still ask them to present their first degree,” he said.
    The executive secretary explained that the Board copied foreign models to assist HND holders in attaining managerial positions.
    He said that the first degree should not be used as the only yardstick for progression in academia adding that encouraging skills was a way to go if a country must grow and develop.
    “So NBTE therefore looked at the best global practices, we have discovered what is happening in Ghana, South Africa, the European Union and Asia.
    “What we discovered is the best option for Nigerian HND by taking the holders through a one-year top-up which will allow them to acquire BSc.
    “By doing this, in theory, they have BSc and in practice they have HND and whenever you give them any assignment, they will perform more than anybody else.
    “So that is the purpose to allow them to progress because all efforts to bring sanity to the system had failed. And I am of the opinion that if the federal government doesn’t want to remove this dichotomy, let the Federal Government scrap the HND as done in Ghana,” he added.
    Bugaje suggested adopting the South African model in such a way that after the HND programme, the holder seeking academic career, can proceed to a one-year Bachelors top-up rather than the PGD before the Master’s degree.
    NAN
  • NASS won’t review social media regulation Bill- Akpabio

    NASS won’t review social media regulation Bill- Akpabio

    By Jessica Dogo

    The Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio says the 10th National Assembly will not review the social media regulation bill since there are laws already guiding the use of the media.

    Akpabio was represented by the Senate Committee Chairman on ICT, Sen. Shuiab Salisu, at the Parliamentarian Symposium of Africa Internet Governance Forum (AIGF), hosted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The theme of the programme is: “Transforming Africa’s Digital Landscape: Empowering Inclusion, Security, and Innovation”.

    He said that the theme was a reflection of the deepest yearnings of all Africans for concerted efforts to keep in step with the rest of the world in the ICT race.

    Akpabio said: “I am not sure that there is going to be a specific bill on social media regulation. However, there are emailing laws in various areas, social media is just one space.

    “So, rather than having a specific legislation on social media. I will rather say social media is just one platform. The same way people have used regular media platform, to commit libel.”

    Speaking on the youthful age of the African population, he said: “Africa may have missed out in the first, second, and third Industrial Revolutions but on the fourth is based on digital competence and knowledge system.

    “Africa is placed in position to lead this digital revolution.

    “I think a lot of things are happening that we need to also create awareness among the citizens.

    “I will work together with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to drive an agenda that will ensure our country, Nigeria begins the trajectory to greatness using technology as an enabler to regulate social future.”

    Akpabio said that this reality had compelled convocation to seek ways to develop, apply and arrive at shared norms, rules, decision-making procedures and other activities that would impact on the evolvement and utilisation of the internet.

    The Secretary General (AIGF), Hon. Samuel George, member Ghanaian Parliament, who spoke on internet Governance in Africa said that Governments on the African continent were doing a fantastic job when it comes to the processes of digitalisation.

    George said that people would like politicians to focus more on bricks and physical infrastructure than putting in more resources into digital rights.

    He added: “We are seeing a lot more government services becoming digitalised; social services, government services, health care, justice, are becoming digital platforms.

    “West African sub region Nigeria, is a big leader in that so we believe that governments are doing well

    “As a politician, I know that we have challenges and that is one of the things we reach out to the media that citizens need to understand the value of digital infrastructure.

    “If politicians come in and say that they have passed a digital rights bill to the citizens, they have not done anything but when they build a hospital they have done something.

    “So those are the things that influence the decisions that politicians make.”

    According to George,  instead of putting in more resources into digital rights, which affect everything  done online now, focus is rather placed on bricks and physical infrastructure.

    He said: “So, you help us to raise the issues of digital rights and digital frameworks.

    “You are talking about legislation and creating safe spaces on the internet and making sure that governments have the right framework for internet problems and the safety of citizens digital rights.”

    NAN

  • Boy with missing intentine: We’ll punish anyone found culpable — Lagos assembly

    Boy with missing intentine: We’ll punish anyone found culpable — Lagos assembly

    By Adekunle Williams

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has said that anyone that is found culpable in the case of the missing intestine of Adebola Akin-Bright would be prosecuted in due course.
    The Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, Mr Noheem Adams, made this disclosure to newsmen at the visit of members of the committee to the boy at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Lagos assembly, on Sept. 4, inagurated a five-man ad hoc committee to investigate the case of a 12-year-old boy, Adebola Akin-Bright, whose small intestine allegedly went missing during his treatment.

    NAN recalls that on Sept. 1, the mother of the boy, Abiodun Deborah, had cried out over the disappearance of her child’s small intestine during his treatment at the hospital.

    Adams said  the report of the committee would soon be made public, adding that some shocking discoveries were made in the course of its investigations.
    “We came to LASUTH on the directives of the Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, to see the health status of Adebola Akin-Bright.
    “We want to thank Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu because we heard that he has been calling to know the status of the boy, apart from providing money for his care.
    “A committee was setup by the assembly to investigate the incident and the mother alleged that the intestine was missing.
    “We made some shocking discoveries in the course of our investigation but we will not make these known until we complete investigations.
    “We discovered also some unusual things in the process, we will make them public for the whole world to see when we complete our investigations.
    “The incident is very unusual but we want the boy to survive and the speaker is very interested in his survival too,” he said.
    Adams stressed that the assembly wanted  the boy to have a brighter future as his name was bright, and thanked the speaker  for showing interest in the matter.
    The lawmaker also thanked the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH.
    The chairman added that he also appreciated the certified surgeon that had been taking care of the boy, whom he said told the committee that there was a little improvement in his condition.
    He, however, expressed worry over the  condition of the boy, and said that “anybody that is found culpable will be prosecuted.”
    Also commenting,  Abayomi, thanked Obasa for setting up the committee, saying that they have had a series of interactions on the boy and were gathering the necessary information on the incident.
    “I want to also thank the Chief Medical Director of the hospital because if not  for their efforts,  the boy would not have survived till today, which is why we can still talk about him.
    “He is stable but he cannot absorb his own food and that is why he is being fed with artificial food, ” he said.
    The Surgeon in-charge of the boy’s treatment, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabanwo, told journalists that all hands have been on deck to save him.
    Fabanwo stressed that as a tertiary hospital, they have a lot of experts, including pediatricians, who  looked after children, those that look after the heart, kidney and others, adding that everybody is involved in Akin-Bright’s case.
    He said; “As we speak, the condition of the boy is stable, though we are spending a lot of money to keep him alive. The  governor has been very magnanimous to provide the funding.
    “The committee’s chairman has told you that there are things to be done in definitive terms  but that will be discussed at a higher level,” he said.
    Adebola’s mother, expressed  appreciation to Sanwo-Olu, the speaker of the house, as well as all the doctors that had been treating the boy.
    She said: “Everything about the health conditions of my child has changed since the visit of the governor and all hands have been on deck to ensure that Adebola survives.
    “I am hopeful that he will survive. I want to thank the governor, and the speaker. I am so grateful that they rose to attend to Adebola’s case.”
    Adeola’s mother said she was losing hope at the initial stage but now she wanted to thank them for their support.
    NAN
  • Oyebanji urges police to unravel mysteries surrounding Mohbad’s death

    Oyebanji urges police to unravel mysteries surrounding Mohbad’s death

    By Opeyemi Aremu-Gbemiro

    Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, has urged the  police to unravel the mysteries surrounding the death of a singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad.
    This is contained in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday and
    signed by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode.
    According to the governor, the minimum the country owes the deceased and his family is justice.
    “This can only come through a thorough investigation of the circumstances leading to his death as well as various revelations that came out thereafter.”
    “Our condolences go to the family and fans of the late singer, Mohbad.
    “We feel their pains at this crucial moment and join other well- meaning Nigerians to demand a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to his death”, he said.
    Oyebanji said this became necessary as some Ekiti youths planed to hold a procession in Ado-Ekiti, the State capital to mourn the late singer and demand justice for him.
    He described a 27-year-old musician as a talented singer, who had already carved a niche for himself in the entertainment world with several hit songs to his credit.
    The governor said the death of the singer at the peak of his career and the circumstances surrounding it were highly regrettable.
    While extending condolences to   members of the late singer’s families as well as his fans worldwide, the governor urged the police to investigate the death and ensure that justice was done.
    NAN