Flowerbud News

Author: Ibrahim Abusadiq

  • Security beefed up around Court of Appeal, Abuja

    Security was beefed up on Wednesday within the vicinity of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal delivers judgment in the petition filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar challenging president Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the Feb. 23 general election.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that security personnel comprising mainly men of the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps mounted security checks at both ends of the stretch of the road to the court.

    NAN reports that lawyers and journalists who arrived the court premises located in the Three Arms Zone, were subjected to checks by security personnel.

    NAN reports that tribunal on Aug.21 reserved judgment in the petition after parties adopted their addresses.

    Justice Mohammed Garba, Chairman of the five-man panel of justices had stated that the judgment date would be communicated to parties.

    NAN reports that the president was declared the winner of the election after scoring 15,191,847 votes as against Atiku’s 11, 262,978 votes.

    While adopting his address, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Counsel for Buhari, had described the petition as a sham as it lacked substance and merit.

    “I have handled a few electoral petition cases, this is one petition that yarns for help, for assistance and for evidence but could not get any.

    “Apart from the hype the matter has generated, there is nothing in law to support the allegations before the tribunal, Olanipekun said.

    On the qualification of the president, Olanipekun said Section 131 (b) had settled that matter.

    “I make bold to say that the Constitution and case laws had not compelled the candidates of the election to tendered certificates or attached same to INEC form before submission.

    “The laws only mandate any person contesting election in the country to have gone to school up to Secondary School level,’’ he said.

    On the issue of election results transmission by electronic means, the counsel said the use of such technology must be provided for in the Electoral Act.

    “The allegation on the management of server by INEC is vague. Where is the server? This is a million dollar question that the petitioners could not substantiate.

    “My Lords, this petition was not properly diagnosed, the action was ill-advised, I therefore urge the tribunal not to bow to sentiment or public opinion that does not represent the law.

    “This petition is liable to be dismissed with a considerable cost’’, Olanipekun said.

    On his part, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Counsel for All Progressive Congress (APC) said he could not help but take the liberty to align himself with the submissions made Olanipekun.

    “My Lords it is disheartening to see that this petition still remains watery at this stage.

    “The petition made allegations they could not proof. We have done a table showing how the petitioners have proven the case so far.

    “The election took place in 119,976 Polling Units, 8,901 Wards in 774 Local Government Areas across the country.

    “It is sad therefore to see that the petitioners only called 62 witnesses. Out of this figure, only five witnesses gave direct evidence of what happened in polling units on the day of election.

    “I feel sad that this matter has been starved of evidence and therefore deserves to be dismissed,’’ Fagbemi said.

    Also, Mr Yunus Usman, SAN, Counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urged the panel to uphold all of its objections raised against the admissibility of all pieces of documentary and oral evidence led by the petitioners.

    Usman submitted that the electoral body conducted the Feb.23 presidential election in total compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

    He also urged the panel to disregard the petitioners’ claims that the results of the election were transmitted electronically to a central server managed by INEC, adding that it was the “greatest lie of the century’’.

    He submitted that it was laughable when the petitioners made pleadings that suggested that only the PDP and APC and their candidates contested the election.

    Usman prayed the tribunal to take judicial notice of the fact that the Electoral Act 2010 prohibited the transmission of election results electronically.

    According to him, the law only provides for manual transmission of election results.

    Usman said that all the witnesses presented by the petitioners admitted to the fact that transmission of election results electronically had no placed in the country’s statute books at the moment.

    In countering allegations that INEC abandoned its pleadings by not presenting witnesses, the counsel said the commission simply extracted salient pieces of evidence from the petitioners’ pleadings to solidify its defence.

    “It would have amounted to wasting the time of the tribunal for us to call witnesses when the petitioners could not discharge the burden of proof on allegations they had made,’’ he said.

    Usman thereafter prayed the court to dismiss the petition for lack of merit.

    Meanwhile, Dr Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, Counsel for the petitioners urged the tribunal to discountenance the addresses of the respondents, adding that the petitioners had indeed discharged the burden of proof.

    He said the tribunal must exercise its powers in good conscience to uphold the petition and return Abubakar as president.

    Uzoukwu further said the second respondent (Buhari) was unable to present his Secondary School Certificate before the tribunal in order to rest the allegation.

    “My Lords, we pray the panel to judiciously and judicially evaluate our evidence in context of whether we have justified our allegation against Buhari’s certificate or not.

    On the issue of server, Uzoukwu said INEC had operated, activated and stored the Feb.23 election results in a centrally controlled server.

    NAN reports that the tribunal would have to rule on all pending interlocutory applications filed by parties before delivering judgment on the main appeal.

    NAN

  • Ronaldo scores four times as Portugal rout Lithuania 5-1

    Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo took his international tally to 93 goals when he scored four times on Tuesday.

    The goals helped to give the European champions a 5-1 win away to Lithuania in their Euro 2020 qualifier.

    Playing in his 161st international, the 34-year-old notched his eighth hat-trick for his country and the 54th of his remarkable career.

    But the goals did help Portugal through what had threatened to turn into a frustrating evening.

    Unheralded midfielder William Carvalho completed the rout in stoppage time as Portugal stayed second in Group B with eight points, five behind leaders Ukraine with one game in hand.

    Serbia are a further point behind in third after a 3-1 win in Luxemburg.

    “I scored one goal against Serbia and four today (Tuesday) and what I want most is to continue like this,” said Ronaldo, who converted an early penalty kick and then added three second-half goals.

    Portugal coach Fernando Santos said: “Ronaldo is the best player in the world. This is clear and unmistakable proof”.

    Lithuania, bottom with one point, missed an early chance when Vykintas Slivka fired over from close range.

    They quickly paid the price when Markus Palionis handled a Joao Felix cross and Ronaldo put away the spot kick in the fifth minute.

    Lithuania goalkeeper Ernestas Setkus made an excellent save to prevent Edvinas Girdvainis turning the ball into his own net.

    But Vytautas Andriuskevicius then grabbed a surprise equaliser, rising above his marker to head home from a corner in the 28th.

    Ronaldo set up good chances for Felix and Bernardo Silva, which were wasted, after the break before taking matters into his own hands.

    Just as Portugal were beginning to show signs of frustration, Ronaldo produced a low shot which bobbled twice in front of Setkus in the 62nd minute.

    The Lithuania goalkeeper got his hand to it, but it hit his head and bounced into the net.

    Three minutes later, Ronaldo was left free in the area to sweep home Bernardo Silva’s cross and Silva also provided the pass for Ronaldo to sidefoot his fourth 11 minutes later.

    Carvalho’s goal, his fourth in 60 games, was a fitting reward for a player who keeps the Portugal midfield ticking over without getting much attention.

    “I’m convinced that these players are capable of finishing top of this group,” said Santos.

    Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice to keep Serbia’s hopes alive with a win in Luxembourg.

    He headed Serbia in front after 36 minutes and Nemanja Radonjic curled in the second 10 minutes after the restart.

    Substitute David Turpel pulled one back and Serbia were on the ropes until Sergej Milinkovic-Savic produced a delightful reverse pass for Mitrovic to fire in the third.

     

  • Agric: Shehu Sani, others call for more beneficial relations between Nigeria, China

    Sen. Shehu Sani has advised the Federal Government to explore ways of leveraging on the country’s huge agriculture potentials to ensure a mutually beneticial relations with China.

    Sani gave the advise on Tuesday at a seminar organised by the Centre for China Studies in Abuja with the theme “The Development and Achievements of China in 70 years and Opportunities for Nigeria/China Cooperation in the New Era.”

    He said Nigeria should take a cue from how China was able to feed its over one billion population as well as lifting over 800 million of its citizens out of poverty.

    “We can see China playing three roles in our economy presently. China is eminently the largest importer of our crude oil with the discovery of oil in the US.

    “Secondly they give the highest loan with the lowest interest and that has been impacting on our infrastructure development.

    “Thirdly we can see the growing trade relation that exists between the two countries. In all, what matters most is how China can with its experience and progress, help and support Nigeria to rise from where it is.

    “The relationship should not be a creditor, debtor relationship but ensuring that they help us to develop our industry,” he said.

    Sani said there were lots of discussions around debt diplomacy, adding that the concern had been whether or not debt was a threat to the economy.

    “The question is, is debt a stimuli or an incentive for our economic improvement and future?

    “Discussions like this will offer a way forward but most importantly is this, that the mutual relationship that exists between Africa, Nigeria and China, is something that needs to be reinforced by conversation,” he said.

    Mr Du Sheng, Director of Political Science, Embassy of China, said some benefits in the relationship between Nigeria and China was assisting Nigeria to leverage on available technology to develop its agriculture.

    “China is ready to help Nigeria build its infrastructure. It is our hope to bring agricultural technology to Nigeria.

    “It is also your dream to share our experience with Nigeria not only to become the food basket of the world but also a world factory next to China.

    “The magic in China being food sufficient is that we have the right leadership, and the people work with a common goal. We use our technology to satisfy the huge needs of the people.”

    Prof. Nazifi Darma, Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies, said there were key issues to look at in Nigeria and China relations to ensure sustainable development.

    “The first is that the Chinese have self discipline to institutionalise development plan that has succeeded in lifting 800 million of its people out of absolute poverty in the last forty years.

    “In Nigeria we had the culture of development plan and since the national development plan that was abandoned in 1985, we have not had any consistence culture of development plan. I think this is one of the most important lesson we need to learn. The issue of agricultural production.”

    Darma, who is also a lecturer at the University of Abuja, said: “there is also the issue of infrastructure financing and how we need to go about it. Contracting debt from China continuously for infrastructure is not sustainable.

    Prof. Usman Mohammed, Dean, Faculty of International Relations and Diplomacy, Nile University, said Nigeria should learn from how China attain food sufficiency in spite of its population.

    He said: “What I want the Nigerian Government to do is to study how China feeds itself. How was China able to close its borders and able to produce to feed its population.

    “This is very important because food security is about two components. Affordability and availability. If the food is available but people cannot afford it, there will be insecurity.

    “We should look for how China would help us with technology to improve agriculture. We do not want them to give us the technology but how to develop it to help our economy.”

    NAN

  • Fish out killers of Ondo varsity lecturer, ASUU demands

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the police and other security agencies to fish out those behind the killing of Prof. Gideon Okedayo, found dead in a bush on Sept. 9.

    Okedayo was a senior lecturer at the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), Okitipupa in Ondo State.

    The Chairman of the OSUSTECH Chapter of ASUU, Dr Dipo Akomolafe, made the demand in a statement on Tuesday in Okitipupa.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okedayo was kidnapped on Sept. 5 at Akoko Junction on the Igala-Auchi road in Edo.

    The incident is another sad tale on the precarious security situation on major highways in Nigeria, where many people have been abducted and murdered in recent years.

    Akomolafe said the Edo State Police Command and other security agencies did not do enough to rescue the lecturer from his abductors.

    The ASUU chairman added that security agencies also failed to contact Okedayo’s family members on developments on the abduction.

    He described the death of the lecturer as shocking and mysterious as the abductors never contacted any family member or associate of the murdered lecturer for ransom until his decomposing body was later found.

    The unionist said the death of Okedayo had exposed ”the inefficiency and ineptitude” of the security agencies as no information on Okedayos whereabouts was given until his death.

    Akomolafe said that Okedayo’s demise was one death too many, recalling that another lecturer of the school, Prof. Adegboyega Obadofin, was roasted in an inferno sometime in 2018 without help from security agencies.

    “Prof. Okedayo’s death has exposed the nakedness of our security system, the inefficiency and ineptitude of the nation’s security apparatus.

    “It was clear that despite the efforts of the university administration and the union to see to his quick release, there was nothing to show that the security agencies we reported to did anything towards finding him.

    “The police did not communicate with the university administration on their efforts towards identifying where he was kept until his decomposing body was later found.

    “This is more than mere kidnap as we demand that the police and other security agencies should as a matter of urgency unravel the scenes behind this death,” Akomolafe said.

    The Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, Mr Chidi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the recovery of Okedayo’s body, said the police did their best on the matter.

    He said that the family of the lecturer did not report the kidnap to the police, disclosing that the command was contacting the person who reported the case to the police.

    The spokesman said that investigation was going on to unravel the death of the teacher, adding that findings would be communicated to the media.

    “Police are not magicians or spirits. We rely and act on information and intelligence gathering at our disposal to unravel criminal activities.

    “There are several occasions when some suspects were arrested and they will confess to crimes committed 20 years earlier. So investigation is ongoing to unravel the death of the professor,” said Nwabuzor.

    NAN reports that the police command had since recovered the late lecturer’s official car, a Toyota Corolla car with registration number 06X47 OD.

    Okedayo was also the Acting Dean of the School of Post Graduate Studies at OSUSTECH.

    NAN

  • Xenophobia: First batch of 320 Nigerians to return on Wednesday – Envoy

    By Isaac Aregbesola
    The Consul General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, has said that the first batch of the Nigerian returnees from South Africa would depart South Africa for Lagos on Wednesday.

    Adama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview  that the first batch of returnees, are expected to depart South Africa by 9:00 a.m Wednesday.

    The consul general also disclosed that Air peace had indicated interest to evacuate over 600 Nigerians that were willing to return to their country following the latest xenophobic attacks.

    “The first flight leaves by 09: 00 hours  this Wednesday with about 320 passengers and the second batch will leave on Thursday all things being equal.

    “We have over 600 who had indicated interest. All things being equal, without any hitches, the plane will take off by 09 : 00 hours this Wednesday.

    “The manifest for the first flight is ready, and we are working on the next flight,” he said.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday called for the immediate evacuation of  Nigerians willing to return home from South Africa following the latest attacks on Nigerians and other  nationals.

    Buhari gave the directive when he received the Report of the Special Envoy to South Africa, the Director-General of the  National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Abubakar.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chairman of Air Peace Mr Allen Onyema, had last week volunteered to send aircraft to evacuate Nigerians who wished to return home without payment.

    “Air Peace is willing to support the Nigerian Government’s efforts in this matter by deploying our B777 aircraft to evacuate Nigerians back home,” Onyema said.

    The Chairman of the Air Peace also advised the returnees against making payment to anyone for their flights to Lagos.

    Onyema urged the returning Nigerians to guard against unauthorised persons, reportedly collecting 1,000 dollars from them, adding that none of them should pay for the flights.

    According to him, airline is particularly concerned about the safety of Nigerians in South Africans following the attacks.

    “We have not designated or recruited any agent in South Africa to collect money on behalf of Air Peace.

    “So, nobody should pay money to anyone or group of persons posing as Air Peace agent or staff.

    “Any Nigerian who has paid money for repatriation to Nigeria with Air Peace should request for a refund and report to appropriate authorities,” he said.

    The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa,  had also pledged  the Federal Government’s support to  any Nigerian that wanted to return home.

    Dabiri-Erewa said this after a closed door meeting with the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations in Abuja.

    She said that the returnees would be encouraged to enroll and participate in the various social intervention programmes of the government.

    “We will encourage them to enroll in small scale entrepreneurial programmes with the Bank of Industry under the social investment programme . So, there are things that they can do’’, she said.

    NAN

  • Well renumerated, invigorated civil service best tool of fighting corruption — Tambuwal

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, says the best tool of fighting corruption is to have a well renumerated and invigorated civil service.

    Tambuwal made the remarks in Sokoto on Tuesday at the opening of the 2019 meeting of the National Public Service Negotiating Councils.

    The governor said his administration has given priority to workers welfare and ensured timely payment of salaries and pensions.

    He added that the government had also initiated reward system aimed at boosting workers morale and enhancing productivity.

    Tambuwal urged civil servants to ensure the success of government policies and programmes, and avoid colluding with bad elements to thwart government efforts at adding value to the lives of the people.

    In his speech, outgoing Chairman of the council, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, urged civil servants to utilize the opportunities provided by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to become Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-Centered (EPIC) workers.

    Walson-Jack, who is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, said EPIC is a Federal Civil Service policy envisaged in the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, 2017-2020.

    She called on civil servants to cooperate with the new Chairman of the Council in order to realize an improved public service.

    ” We shall use our experience in appraising the impact of existing practices and provisions to articulate enabling labour policies to maintain cordial employer-employee relations in the service” Walson-Jack said.

    In her address, the new Chairman, Dr Magdalene Ajani, said the theme; Managing the Challenges of Emerging Realities in Labour/Management Negotiation in the Federal Public Service, was chosen to reiterate the need to sustain industrial harmony for enhanced productivity in the country.

    Ajani underscored the importance of employer-employee interface in boosting relationship, adding that consultation, dialogue and mediation were necessary in resolving disputes.

    ”Formal interactive windows help to deepen and entrench cordial relations, promote systematic and systemic productivity and enhance service delibery.

    ” FG is concerned with workers welfare and welbeing, hence it designed Service Welfare Policy for Public Service to encourage proper renumeration, rewards and packages in the system,” she said.

    Ajani, who is also the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies in the Offfice of the Head of Service of the Federation, added that the government had floated good housing, insurance and pension policies to safeguard workers interests.

    Speaking also, the Secretary Councils of Trade Unions, Mr Alade Lawal, warned government against any disparity in the implementation of national minimum wage.

    Lawal emphasised that any action deviod of simless implementation of the package will be unacceptable to workers.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that delegates were drawn from the 36 states and FCT while lectures on different topics lined up for the three-day meeting.

    NAN

  • FG receives N2trn revenue from January to June 2019 – D-G Budget

    The Federal Government  received two trillion naira as revenue  from January to June 2019, Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr Ben Akabueze, has said.

    Akabueze disclosed this at the Public Consultative Forum on the 2020 to 2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He explained that within the period under review, about N3.3 trillion was expended by the Federal Government.

    The director-general said that there was an average of 1.6 million barrel of crude oil production per day on base production.

    He disclosed that an aggregate of four trillion naira revenue was collected in 2018 with expenditure of N7.4 trillion, including N1.7 trillion capital budget within the period.

    He expressed hope that the remaining half of the year would be better in terms of revenue performance.

    Akabueze disclosed that from the data received from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the country’s oil production output had risen to 2.1 million barrels per day.

    Also, at the forum, the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Babatunde Fowler, urged taxpayers in the country to monitor their taxes to ensure they were remitted to appropriate authority.

    “It is now a responsibility of everybody, especially taxpayers, to monitor to ensure transparency and accountability, if you have your tax deducted, then ask for the receipt.

    “Make sure you check within 41 days of when the money was remitted to the federation account.

    “This is important because during the tax amnesty close to 40 per cent has to do with withholding of tax, deducted but not remitted,’’ Fowler said.

    He added that the service had put in place measures to ensure that only those companies that paid tax would access government’s contracts and services.

    Fowler said necessary facilities would be deployed to the Office of the Accountant-General, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor and other government agencies to ensure compliance.

    NAN

  • Mugabe’s death: Zimbabwe’s university postpones convocation

    The University of Zimbabwe, on Tuesday, postponed the convocation, earlier slated for Sept. 13 by a week, following the death of the former president, Robert Mugabe.

    The postponement also followed the declaration of national days of mourning, which coincide with the initial date for the graduation.

    In a press statement issued by the Information and Public Relations Department, the country’s leading university said the ceremony would now hold on Sept. 20.

    “The postponement follows the sad passing on of former President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe and the subsequent declaration, by government, of national mourning until his burial.’’

    The government has already announced that Mugabe, who died in Singapore on Sept. 6, would be buried on Sunday, Sept. 15, although it did not indicate where the burial would take place.

    There had been reports earlier that Mugabe, who resigned as President in November 2017, had indicated that he did not want to be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.

    His family is also yet to confirm the burial date.

    The family spokesperson, Leo Mugabe, told the media that traditional leaders in Mugabe’s rural home, Zvimba, would make an announcement on the matter.

  • Anambra Govt. warns against illegal structures

    By Joy Mbachi
    Anambra State Physical Planning Board has warned developers against building of structures without approval of the board in the state.

    Mr Chike Maduekwe, the Executive Chairman of the Board, said the board would sustain its mandate of ensuring controlled infrastructural development across the state.

    Maduekwe, who made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Awka, warned developers who still engage in building without approval from the board to stop forthwith or face legal action.

    He said that the board recently demolished shanties in some areas in Awka, adding that more would be done at the expense of the defaulters.

    “In spite of the board’s warnings to rid the state of illegal shanties, some citizens have continued to erect such unapproved structures and we cannot accommodate the disobedience anymore.

    “We have commenced demolishing shanties erected in front of the office of the Transport Company of Anambra State and structures under the EEDC high tension power cable.

    “Enough warming has been given to the people but they chose to do otherwise. This exercise will be carried out across the state and constant monitoring will be done to ensure compliance.

    “We receive intelligence reports, which indicate that some people hide within the shanties to perpetrate crime, especially at night and we must put a stop to criminal acts in Anambra,” he said.

    Maduekwe assured residents that the board has enough manpower to enforce compliance, including prosecution, and therefore, called on the people to do the right thing to avoid being prosecuted.

    NAN