Queen Elizabeth II Congratulates Nigeria Ahead Of 60th Independence Anniversary

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September 30, 2020

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Nigeria’s music legend, Onyeka Onwenu, has warned against division in the country, saying that “Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable”.

Onwenu, however, said if the country breaks up, she would prefer to return to the South-East.

She said this during a virtual pre-book launch briefing ahead of the release of her memoir ‘My Father’s Daughter’, billed for October 1.

The music icon called on the people of the South East, especially those in the diaspora, to develop the region.

She said, “It doesn’t take away whatever you are doing in Lagos, Abuja, or Port Harcourt. You are free to live and do business wherever you are but remember back home, we are being marginalised for a long time. And our people have always done things for themselves.

“We built the Imo Airport. I was part of the process. It remains the only airport in the country that was built by the citizens and handed over to the Federal Government.

“My father went to school abroad, people in his home town collected money and supported him. That’s how we do things, we are communal people. So, I’m not afraid to go back home.”

When asked for her views on the agitation for self-sovereignty by some groups in the country, the human right activist said, “If that happens (referring to Nigeria breaking up), I will go back to the South-East because I want to go back home. And even if we don’t split, I want to do so much there.”

She charged Nigerians to play less on tribalism by focusing on the positives inherent in the different ethnic groups that make up the country.

Using her marriage to a Yoruba Muslim that produced two children as a reference, the 68-year-old music star enjoined every Nigerian to uphold the country’s unity and stop insulting and denigrating each other.

“We are blessed with the richness of our culture and everyone should see themselves as one and not let divisions break the country,” she added.

Onyeka Onwenu explained that her new book, titled ‘My Father’s Daughter’, which contains over 450 pages, is designed to give inspiration to the younger ones, especially the younger feminine gender.

She said the book examines aspects of her life that are hitherto unknown to the public.

“If I Work In My Father’s Company, I’ll Become A Billionaire In Dollars” – Davido

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September 30, 2020

DMW CEO, Davido in an interview with the BBNaija host Ebuka on Bounce RAdio says if he quits music today and works in his father’s company, he will become a billionaire in dollars.

The DMW boss claims his brothers and sisters are richer than him.

Speaking at an interview with Bounce Radio, Davido said he would still be a rich billionaire even if he stops doing music.

Recall the ‘FEM’ hitmaker came under heavy criticism following the release of the song which has been explained as a diss to his colleague artistes.

His words:

“I don’t have to hate on anybody. if I don’t do music today, all my brothers and sisters they are richer than me. If I go and work in my father’s company I’ll be a billionaire in Dollars.

BREAKING! PIB Scales First Reading In Senate

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September 30, 2020

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THE Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB 2020( SB.510) was read the first time in the Senate on Wednesday.

With the Bill scaling first reading on the floor of the Upper Chamber, it is a clear indication that the Senate has begun the process of legislative procedure for the passage of the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill.

As part of Business of the Day Wednesday, presentation of the Bill is number two in the day’s Order paper.

The Leader of the Senate, Yahaya Abdullahi, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kebbi North presented the proposed legislation and the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, read the bill for the first time.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan directed the Clerk of the Senate, Dauda Ibrahim El- Ladan to ensure that all the Senators must start getting the copies by tomorrow and ensure that they all have them on Tuesday next week.

No Going Back On Sit-at-home Order – IPOB

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September 30, 2020

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has said that there is no going back on the sit at home order it had declared to hold Thursday, October 1, 2020.

There has been panic buying in Aba as some residents said they will comply with the order to sit at home to identify with IPOB’s agitation for Biafra and also mourn victims of terrorism.

Media and Publicity Secretary, IPOB, Mr Emma Powerful, in a statement, warned the Nigeria soldiers and policemen including other security agencies to steer clear from the Biafra project.

In his words, “Our decision to ensure that 1st of October 2020 successful is something nobody can stop.

Nigeria police and those claiming to be fighting for Biafra freedom but stand against the coming of Biafra are inconsequential because they cannot afford to stop us.

“IPOB is working very hard for the speedy and successful coming of Biafra. There is nothing Nigeria security can do to stop us.” He urged other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria who wish to change their lives to demand freedom.

“Our people must be strong to encourage all other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria who wish to change their lives by demanding freedom. Freedom for all oppressed people is what IPOB is all about.

FEC Approves ₦13.08 Trillion 2021 Budget

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September 30, 2020

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved N13.09 trillion budget estimate for 2021 fiscal year.

Briefing State House Correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said the budget estimate is made up of N2.083 trillion capital expenditure, which she described as N29 per cent of the total budget.

According to her, the budget proposal is predicated on $379 exchange rate, oil benchmark of $40 barrel per day, the oil production volume of 1.86 million per day, including 400,000 condensates, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of three per cent and 11.95 per cent inflation rate.

The minister who said the project would run on N4.48 trillion deficit put the revenue target in the fiscal year at N7.9 trillion.

https://abntv.com.ng/2020/09/closure-of-tertiary-institutions-responsible-for-increase-in-crime-rate-in-aba-fenrad/

Closure Of Tertiary Institutions Responsible For Increase In Crime Rate In Aba — FENRAD

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September 30, 2020

Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a rights group has condemned increase in crime rate in Aba and environs.

ABN TV reports that the group in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor and Head Legal Team, Barr. Olusegun Bamgbose also condemned the attack on officers of the Nigerian Army and police at various locations in the state.

While calling on Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to take proactive measures to arrest the situation, FENRAD observed that the current spite in intra/inter-cult killings though dates back years ago could not be unconnected with the closure of tertiary institutions due to Covid-19 outbreak.

It noted that idle students have become devil’s workshop, expressing optimism that though sad, the situation can be salvaged.

Read full release below

Insecurity: FENRAD Condemns Attacks on Security Personnel and Rise in Cult Activities, Calls for Order in Abia State.

Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a rights group, has condemned in strong terms the recent attacks and killings of security personnel by some yet to be named diurnal and nocturnal criminal gangs as well as a surge in cult-related activities within Abia state and its environs.

FENRAD decries the senseless killing of two army officers in Okohia (not Asa as earlier reported in some media quarters) of Ukwa West LGA in Abia state whereupon the killer(s) made away with the slain soldiers’ weapons – rifles and left some others wounded. This act has no place in justice as there is neither iota nor grain of justification whatsoever for killing an army officer on duty in peace time. Having stated that, FENRAD bemoans also the killing of a police officer (of the rank of inspector) at Okagwe junction in Ohafia Local Government Area, incident of which occurred on Monday, September 7, 2020 when some police officers were taking cover during rainfall. FENRAD prays for the quick recovery of various security agents receiving treatment as a result of gunshot wounds and repose of the souls of those who died in this tragic condition.

Read Also: Abaribe Kicks Against Buhari’s Nominee For Chairman, DG Of PENCOM Board

FENRAD believes in peaceful relationship between all citizens – armed and unarmed – so while it condemned the extrajudicial killings that attended the lockdown protocol of the Covid-19 pandemic it equally finds it appropriate to condemn the killings of armed personnel in the line of duty which looks like a reverse of the lockdown trend. This current security state is a growing concern.

While these attacks against those empowered by law to protect the people are in themselves condemnable, worst is that they could escalate tension and worsen civil-military relations which does no single Abian any good nor does it portend a win-win situation for citizens, security agencies and the state government. FENRAD wants the state government under the leadership of His Excellency Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Ph.D, to do the needful by deescalating any likely tension so that the state does not descend into a Hobbesian state where life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”.

Condemnable also is the surge in cult activities within Abia, especially in Aba environs. Residents of Ngwa Road in Ndiegoro have known no relative peace for sometime. The trend had seen and suffered bags, phones and items snatching and sometimes harassment, but it has now segued into inter-cult rivals with many reported dead or missing. FENRAD, after serious assessment, came to the conviction that the current spite in intra/inter-cult killings though dates back years ago could not be unconnected with the closure of tertiary institutions due to Covid-19 outbreak as idle students have become devil’s workshop. This, though sad, FENRAD believes, can be salvaged.

The horribly gory scenes of Abians killed in public places including barbershop and pubs as a result cult fracas is not synonymous with the core ethoses and ideals of the state nor its foundation. Also on the rise is kidnapping. FENRAD having sighted barrage of releases from the state government and officials, feels there could be way out.

Though the state had placed bounty on the head of the killer(s) of the armed security agents or on any vital information leading to their arrest and prosecution FENRAD believes this alone will not solve the problem.

The better part of wisdom is in the state government setting up an interministerial task team to address the growing menace of insecurity statewide. As the state government had earlier posited through an earlier release that the “individuals” and “corporate organizations” should take their safety and custody seriously, it also bears repeating in the same measure that a task team to involve the people, traditional rulers, religious heads, heads of security agencies within the state (to include Commissioner of Police, Brigade Commander of 14 brigade Ohafia, State Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps as well as the Commissioner for Homeland Security) and some other representatives of the state government is set up to create a necessary platform capable of creating the needed strategic roadmap that can tackle insecurity within the confines of relative peculiarities of Abia state and parts thereof. Security is a collective responsibility and so the people must make their own design – input – in the security architecture of their state.

Again, there need to be improvement in areas of intelligence such that crimes are not only timely detected but preempted as well. FENRAD urges the state government and security agencies to deploy intelligence infrastructure on detecting the source of arms proliferation into the state and neutralise such corridors and axes. If not so, organised crime may be far from controlling and containing.

Various flashpoints of criminal and cult activities need to be brought within the radar of security agencies and even though access to some of these places may create problems, rapidity and immediacy in response is required through heightened mobilization and logistical supoort.

Finally, FENRAD calls for investigation of the killings of those who put their lives on the line just to protect others on daily basis. When this is done those found guilty should be made to face prosecutorial trial. No life, FENRAD thinks, is expendable and none discardable.

Signed.
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor Executive Director
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development ( FENRAD)
Barr. Olusegun Bamgbose
Head Legal Team
FENRAD.

Abaribe Kicks Against Buhari’s Nominee For Chairman, DG Of PENCOM Board

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September 30, 2020

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Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe has kicked against the nomination of Aisha Umar (North East) as Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).

President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter urged the Senate to confirm the nomination of Oyindasola Oni as Chairman and Aisha Umar the DG of PENCOM Board respectively.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, read the letter on the floor of the Senate during plenary.

Abaribe however raised a point of order following the reading of the letter by Lawan.

The Abia South Senator insisted that the nomination of a candidate from the Northeast to replace the former Director-General (DG) of PENCOM, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu from Southeast was in breach of the Act establishing PENCOM.

He noted the National Pension Commission Act 2014 provided that “in the event of a vacancy, the President shall appoint replacement from the geo-political zone of the immediate past member that vacated office to complete the remaining tenure.”

He maintained the replacement for Mrs Anohu-Amazu must come from the South East.

Abaribe said: “I recall that the tenure of the incumbent was truncated therefore, the new letter from the President that has now moved the Chairman of the Commission to another zone may not be correct because it is against the law setting up the National Pension Commission.

“Before you send it to the appropriate committee tomorrow, I wish to draw the attention of the committee to it.”

Lawan, in his response, said: “That is for me to interpret because I interpret the laws here.

“If there is any petition to that effect it should be sent to the committee.”

But an expert and senior official in the pension industry countered Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s submission, stating that the nomination is back up by the PRA 2014.

The expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that in furtherance to Section 20 (1) and Section 21 (1) and (2) of the Act, Section 106(4) of the PRA 2014 provides that notwithstanding section 19(2)(a) and 26(2)&(4) of the Act, where a Board of the Commission is yet to be reconstituted after six months of the dissolution of the last Board, the President of the Federal Republic may appoint fit and proper persons with pension cognate experience to constitute the Board at the first instance, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Also, Section 171 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) vests in Mr. President the power to appoint persons to hold or act in certain offices and to remove such persons.

These offices include heads of all Federal Government extra-ministerial departments, howsoever designated.

He stated that the Act did not define what constitutes ‘vacancy’, a situation that created ambiguity as to the exact occasion when Section 21(2) of the PRA 2014 becomes operational.

He said: “However, it will appear from the context that the subsection contemplates the ceazation of membership of the board through any of the scenarios listed in Section 21(1)(a) -(h) of the PRA 2014, which include resignation, death, bankruptcy, conviction of a felony, removal by the President, among others. The argument therefore is that Mrs. Amazu’s replacement as DG of PenCom must come from the Southeast zone to complete here remaining term. However, contrary to this submission, a careful review of the relevant provisions of the PRA 2014 would lead to the following conclusions:

“A reading of both subsections (1) & (2) of Section 21 of the PRA 2014 indicates that they consistently use singular phrases such as ‘a member’; ‘a vacancy’; ‘a replacement’; ‘immediate past member that vacated office’ etc. Accordingly, it is submitted that the correct interpretation of Section 21(2) of the PRA 2014 is to hold that it addresses only cases of occasional vacancies created by the exit of individual members of the board of PenCom as enumerated in subsection (1) of the same section, rather than where the whole board is dissolved or all executive management are removed by Mr. President. Section 21(2) of the PRA 2014 seeks to ensure compliance with the provision of Section 19(4) of the Act, which requires that at all times, the Chairman, Director General and four Commissioners of PenCom shall each represent each of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

“There had been a precedent which illustrates the application of a similar provision under the defunct PRA 2004. Thus, in 2006 when the then President Obasanjo removed only the Chairman of PenCom, Mr. Fola Adeola, who was from the Southwest, his replacement came from the Southwest when late Chief Wole Adeosun was appointed to complete the term started by Mr. Fola Adeola. The provision of Section 21(2) of the PRA 2014 applies not only to the office of the Director General but also the Chairman and other four Commissioners of PenCom where the respective individuals vacate office leaving others in office.

“Without prejudice to the foregoing submissions, we would like to draw attention to the overarching provision of S. 171(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which gives the president unfettered powers to appoint or remove head of any Federal Government extra-ministerial department, howsoever called. This includes appointments to the office of the Director General of PenCom. This constitutional power cannot be eroded by any Act of parliament in the light of the provision of S. 1(3) of the Constitution which provides that “if any other law is inconsistent with the provision of this Constitution, this Constitution shall prevail, and that other law shall to the extent of the inconsistency be void”, he added.

Sen. T.A Orji Slams 1.5bn Suit On Prince B.B Apugo Over Libel

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September 30, 2020

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The Senator representing Abia Central District, His Excellency, Senator Theodore A. Orji, has dragged Prince B. B. Apugo to court for libel.

ABN TV reports that the suit with No HU/209/2020 which was filed at the Umuahia High Court and dated September 9, 2020, has been served on Apugo and others.

The claims endorsed on the writ of summons are for the sum of N1.5bn damages for libel, a restraining order of injunction against the defendants and each of them and the cost of the suit assessed at N15,000,000 (Fifteen Million Naira Only).

According to Henry Balogu Esq, counsel to Senator T .A .Orji, the claims against the defendants are for the publication/broadcast of words defamatory of the Distinguished Senator.

Recall that B.B. Apugo had granted a live interview to some select journalists in Umuahia where he allegedly made disparaging comments and unsubstantiated allegations against the former Governor.

Shop Owners On The Run, Others Arrested Over Alleged Killing Of Herdsmen In Ebonyi

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September 30, 2020

At least 10 persons have been arrested at Ukwuachi, Ebonyi State over alleged killing of two herdsmen by unknown persons.

Shop owners closed their shops over fear of more arrests by policemen.

A middle aged man that identified himself as a Pastor said he heard about the killing but can’t speak further because he is fully concentrated on his ministry.

“I heard about the killing but I can’t speak further because I don’t go out from this my compound.”

“As a Pastor, I’m focused on my ministry and that’s why I’m here”, he said.

Another resident said two herdsmen were allegedly killed which made people to desert the area over fear of more arrests by the Policemen.

According to him, “please don’t go further because the Policemen will arrest you.”

“Since morning, they have arrested over ten persons over the alleged killing of two herdsmen.”

“The two bodies of the herdsmen were seen on Monday morning. It seems there is a misunderstanding between the Herdsmen and the villagers.”, he told our correspondent.

Visiting the scene of the incident, shops owners had closed their shops while some villagers were seen packing their loads.

Effort to speak with the Policemen proved abortive as Policemen were seen leaving the scene with a Hilux van and a Car when our correspondent visited the area.