Falz Condemns Police Killing Of Teenager, Rape And Murder Of UNIBEN Student

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June 1, 2020

Singer, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has condemned the killing of Tina Ezekwe, who was shot by a policeman in Lagos and Uwaila Omozuwa, a student of the University of Benin, UNIBEN who was raped and killed in a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

The 29-year-old demanded justice for the two women in a post he shared on Twitter on Sunday.

He wrote, “It’s so exhausting to see injustice continue to thrive time after time. Every time we say not again, and then there is a new story. Enough is enough. It’s too disheartening. Justice must be served for the innocent souls we keep on losing. #JusticeForTina #JusticeForUwa.”

The ‘Bop Daddy’ singer, Falz also stressed the need for people to make their voices heard through peaceful protests.

“It is important that we are fearless and we are ready to challenge the government through peaceful protests. It’s not enough to sit in our houses and post on socials. Justice must be served #JusticeForUwa #JusticeForTina,” he added.

Two policemen identified as Theophilus Otobo, an assistant superintendent of police and Oguntoba Olamigoke, a police inspector attached to Bariga Police Station, have been arrested in connection with Ezekwe’s death.

While the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has called for an immediate investigation into the rape and murder of Uwaila, who was raped and killed while studying in the church.

“I have ordered the Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG ) to thoroughly investigate the circumstances that led to the death of Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, a 100-level student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN),” he tweeted on Sunday.

“The @PoliceNG has been mandated to identify, arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable in her death. The Violence Against Persons (VAP) Law is in effect in our state.

“Using this law, we would ensure to investigate what exactly transpired and deal decisively with the those found complicit in the dastardly act, whoever they might be,” he added.

George Floyd’s Death: Thousands Join UK Protest

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 1, 2020

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Protesters in London held placards saying “Racism has no place” and “I can’t breathe” – a reference to George Floyd’s words during the arrest.

Thousands of people have gathered across central London to protest against the killing of George Floyd’s by the Police in the US.

They were seen signs saying “ Justice for George Floyd” who died in Minneapolis while an office knelt on his neck to pin him down.

Thousands of Black lives matter has the protesters marched across Central London on Sunday to protest against the killing of an unarmed black man by police in the US.

In a video of the arrest of Mr Flour, he could be heard begging, “ I can’t breathe” last Monday in Minneapolis before he died while being restrained.

The protests have been held at Trafalgar Square and outside the US Embassy in Battersea, south London, chanting “say his name: George Floyd” and “no justice, no peace, no racist police”.

They also held up placards saying “racism has no place”, and “I can’t breathe”.

Black Lives Matter said: “We are doing this to place pressure on the American government and show that this is a worldwide issue.”

The Met Police said officers were present and were engaging with those in attendance.
Hundreds of people marched through Peckham in south London on Saturday in protest against police brutality.

Tinubu Meets APC Govs, Assures Fair Primaries in Edo, Ondo

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 1, 2020

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The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, yesterday met with eight governors of the party over the impending governorship primaries for Edo and Ondo States, promising to prevail on the party’s national leadership to ensure a fair process.

The governors, who represented their colleagues on the APC platform were the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Senator Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Alhaji Sani Bello (Niger), Muhammad Abubakar (Jigawa), Mr.

Solomon Lalong (Plateau), Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Mr. Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and their host, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Sources close to the meeting held at the Old Lagos Government House, Marina, Lagos said the governors discussed the primaries for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States and proposed to grant the incumbents, Obaseki and Akeredolu, the right of first refusal.

But Tinubu was said to have responded that ordinarily, he would not have been opposed to that. However, he reportedly pointed out to them that once other APC members indicate interest, the democratic thing to do in the circumstances would be to allow the primaries to hold.

He reportedly told them it would be difficult to hold down the ambition of other party faithful, advising them to come to terms with the possibility of intra-party contests in the two states.

The sources close to the meeting said there were discussions around the mode of primaries with the governors favouring the indirect process. But the national leader was said to have told them to recognise the constitutional right of the National Working Committee (NWC) to organise the primaries, stating firmly that he personally had always preferred the direct mode of selecting the party’s candidates.

Citing the presidential primaries that produced President Muhammadu Buhari as well as Oyetola in Osun and Sanwo-Olu in Lagos, Tinubu reportedly said the direct primaries give the candidates and the party the opportunity to test their electoral machinery and popularity, saying once a candidate emerges through that process, the general election becomes much easier.

He, however, assured them that whichever one the national secretariat of the party approves, he would prevail on the leadership to ensure that the process is free and fair to all the aspirants.

The governors were said to have thanked the national leader for granting them an audience and for assuring them of the fairness of the process of the primaries to be held this month in Edo and next month in Ondo.

THISDAY gathered that the governors may meet with President Buhari today or later in the week at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to discuss the Edo and Ondo elections.

Both Obaseki and Akeredolu are having strong opposition in their respective states and preferred the indirect primaries mode because of the distinctive advantage, it has for the incumbent. But their opponents preferred the direct primaries, a preference that also has the approval of the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC, at least for the Edo contest.

IPPIS: ASUU Plunged FG Into N800bn Debt, Says Ngige

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 1, 2020

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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has said there will be no going back paying University lecturers with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS.

While stating that IPPIS had improved the effectiveness and efficiency of payroll administration, Ngige said before its implementation in the university system, the Academic Staff Union of Universities allegedly plunged the Federal Government into N800bn debt resulting from irregularities in payroll.

Ngige stated this in an interview with reporters in his Alor home, in the Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

He said the main reason ASUU went on strike was because of the introduction of IPPIS that had allegedly blocked loopholes for pilfering and exposed huge fraud in the system.

He said in the old payment order, “taxes deducted by bursars and the Vice-Chancellors were not reflective of the taxes of Pay As You Earn”.

He added, “They are not, and because they are not, the shortfall in the taxes they deducted, the various state governments where those universities are domiciled have petitioned the Joint Tax Board to demand this shortfall to be paid by the Federal Government which is the principal employer of these university teachers.

“And over some time, that has accumulated into about N800bn which the Joint Tax Board has billed the Federal Government as monies that have not been paid to those sub-national governments, the state governments.

“And the Joint Tax Board is the enforcer. So, the Federal Government through the Accountant-General had to pay that money, over N800bn.

“IPPIS takes care of all these shortcomings. ASUU refused and insisted that they have a system that is better than the IPPIS; that the IPPIS has some shortcomings; that it doesn’t capture those who are on sabbatical. It doesn’t capture visiting lecturers and some other things they mentioned.”

The Minister claimed when the government asked ASUU to come forward with a payment system it (ASUU) claimed was better than IPPIS, the university teachers petered out.

Decaying Body Of Kidnapped ex-Commissioner Recovered In Forest

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 1, 2020

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Nineteen days after he was abducted from his farm, the decomposing body of former Edo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Egbe Ediagbonya, has been recovered from a forest near his farm in Utese.

Ediagbonya, who was also former Chairman of Ovia North East Local Government Area, was kidnapped in the early hours of May 16 in his Utese farm.

His abductors initially asked for N15 million ransom and directed the family to drop N2 million in Patani, a border town between Delta State and Bayelsa State even though he was abducted in the border area between Edo State and Ondo State.

Shortly after the family dropped the ransom, the abductors were said to have sent an SMS to the family that their father’s body was in a cassava farm near Utese where he was kidnapped.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Edo State, DSP. Chidi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the development, said the body was found “by some farmers in a forest sharing boundary with Ondo State at Utese village.

“The farmers who were uneasy and apprehensive about the horrible sight rushed to the village to break the news. Thereafter moved to the Divisional Police Headquarters, Okada, and reported the development to the Divisional Police Officer of the station.

“At the scene, the remains of the former Commissioner, Edioagbonya was identified by his family and immediately his remains was professionally evacuated and taken to Igbinedion University Hospital Mortuary, Okada, for autopsy examination.

“The command deeply commensurate with the immediate family of late Ediagbonya and pray that the Almighty God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss. The command has vowed to fish out the killers of the illustrious son of Utese village,” Nwabuzor said.

Man Shares Details Of How He Raped Two Women

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 1, 2020

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A Nigerian man who joined the rape conversation triggered by the deaths Tina Ezekwe and Vera Omozuwa ignited an outcry after sharing graphic details of how he raped two women.

According to Ogimex Aka Obonblingz, he used to rape women who refuse to have sex with him when he was much younger. He said he stopped raping women after his second victim placed curses on him.

He wrote;

BREAKING: Man-U Agree To Extend Ighalo’s Loan Deal From Chinese Club

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ABN TV EDITOR

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June 1, 2020

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Manchester United have agreed on a deal to extend Odion Ighalo’s loan until the end of January 2021, pending formal approval, ABN TV reports.

Ighalo initially joined Manchester United in a Deadline Day move from Shanghai Shenua in January and scored four times in eight appearances in all competitions prior to the suspension of the Premier League.

According to Skysports, his current deal at Shenua runs out in December 2022 and he will be expected to sign a contract offer until the end of 2024 worth £400,000 a week.

Similarly, Ighalo’s agent has confirmed the forward is set to extend his stay at Manchester United for another seven months.

He will now miss the majority of the 2020 Chinese Super League season, which is scheduled to begin in June.

Shanghai’s original stance was that they would only agree to extend his loan if an obligation to buy was incorporated into the deal, with Ighalo likely to cost upwards of £20m.

However, with border restrictions potentially preventing Ighalo from returning to China in time for the new season, Ighalo’s parent club have softened their stance and have allowed him to extend his stay at Old Trafford.

Additionally, Ighalo made a personal request to his parent club to extend his time at United, with the boyhood fan keen to finish what he started after netting four goals in eight appearances since joining on deadline day.

FG Threatens to Sue ASUU over Persisting Strike

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 1, 2020

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Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has indicated the federal government’s intention to drag the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) before the National Arbitration Panel and even the National Industrial Court (NIC) if the union fails to respond to the invitation for negotiations.

He urged the striking lecturers to take the opportunity of a recent invitation by the federal government to return to the roundtable.

The minister said he had invited the leadership of the union for a zoom meeting, but they insisted on meeting him face-to-face.

“I invited ASUU for a zoom meeting in compliance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) COVID-19 guidelines, but they insisted on meeting me face-to-face. We have labour laws,” he said.

But ASUU said negotiations via zoom would not produce the desired solution to the lingering dispute.

The union added that for it to suspend the strike, the federal government must make substantial progress in addressing its key demands, which include payment of arrears of earned allowances, revitalisation fund and constituting visitation panels for federal universities.

However, Ngige warned that if the union refuses to come for talks, the federal government might invoke the labour laws to compel its response.

He said: “The law permits the federal government to take the union to the National Arbitration Panel and even the National Industrial Court.”

According to a statement by his media aide, Mr Emmanuel Nzomiwu, the minister spoke in his hometown, Alor, Anambra State, where he donated palliatives worth N15 million to vulnerable households to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on them.

He said the ASUU strike was all about the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), adding that “any other reason given by ASUU is an excuse.”

Ngige accused the leadership of the union of deceiving the members and not telling them the truth.

“We have a hierarchy of arbitration. There is the National Arbitration Panel. If I am tired, I can refer it to the National Arbitration Panel. If I am tired, I can refer it to the National Industrial Court. The better thing for them is to come and negotiate on a first-hand basis where we are not bringing an external arbitrator,” Ngige said.

The minister described the position of ASUU in the dispute with the federal government as laughable, saying “as an employee, you lack the right to dictate for your employers how to receive wages.”

“It is even in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention on wages. You cannot dictate for your employers how to pay you. But the important thing is for your salaries and wages to come to you. As a workman, you receive your payment as compensation for services rendered. So, that is on the statute everywhere. But for some strange reasons, this has been an issue with the Academic Staff Union of Universities. Why? They claimed that they are being migrated from the GFMIS (Government Integrated Financial Management Information (GFMIS) platform to the IPPIS),” he stated.

Ngige said the federal government had complained that it was losing a lot of money paying lecturers from the GFMIS platform, which only transmits money for their salaries to the university system through the bursar’s office, from where they are paid.

“The anomalies are that one, some of the people are ghost workers. They don’t exist at all but their names exist and they are drawing money from the federal government.

“Some people receive more than their due because, after the salaries, some who are teaching in various other universities are supposed to take 50 per cent as extra pay for teaching in that other universities and the maximum universities, they should teach is two. Some teach in three, some teach in four universities.

“Again, the taxes that are being deducted by your bursar and your vice-chancellors are not reflective of the taxes of PAYE (Pay As You Earn). They are not and because they are not, the shortfall of the taxes that are deducted, the various state governments where the universities are domiciled have petitioned the Joint Tax Board (JTB) to demand the shortfalls,” Ngige added.

The minister said over time, the shortfalls in tax deduction accumulated to over N800 billion and JTB (Joint Tax Board) penalised the federal government for these monies not paid to the states.

He added that the federal government from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation paid over N800 billion to states.

According to him, the uncompromising attitude of ASUU in the dispute is worrisome to the federal government.

He said not minding that the strike, which commenced on March 9 did not follow due process, he brought the lecturers to a roundtable with the Federal Ministry of Education and the Accountant General of the Federation.

“We had discussions and they now said that some of the agreements we had in Memorandum of Action 2019, were not implemented vigorously and we agreed that they will be paid N25 billion for their earned academic allowances and another N25 billion for the revitalisation of the university system.

“The federal government paid the first tranche of N50 billion, N25 billion, and N25 billion.

“Thereafter, there was the issue of the national minimum wage. Flowing from the national minimum wage, there was the issue of consequential adjustment on that minimum wage, which cost the federal government N160 billion. I negotiated it.

“The federal government had to pay retroactively with effect from when the president signed the National Minimum Wage Act. So, the federal government could not pay ASUU the next tranche of N25 billion because it was due to be paid in October last year. They said there was a breach.

“We said we are owing and that we can pay for it. So, we restructured it and agreed that the government can pay them N20 billion and another N20 billion for earned academic allowances between April 2020 and May. We all agreed,” Ngige said.

The minister said the federal government even agreed to test the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) system proposed by ASUU to encourage Presidential Order 5 on local production, but the union asked for 18 months to enable its researchers to conclude work on it.

He said the government recommended that ASUU should migrate to the IPPIS while waiting for their researchers to conclude work on UNTAS and bring it for integrity test for all parties to agree, but the union rejected the proposal.