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01/28/19

The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), a non-governmental organisation focused on good governance and the promotion of accountability, has applied to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for the asset declaration of Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

In a letter to the CCB Chairman signed by Chido Onumah, AFRICMIL coordinator, the group stated that in making the request, it relied on Paragraph 11, Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution as amended, which states that “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every public officer shall within three months of the coming into force of this Code of Conduct and immediately after taking office and thereafter – (a) at the end of the every four years; and (b) at the end of his term of office, submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets, and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of eighteen years.

“Pursuant to the aforementioned provision of the 1999 constitution, as amended, and Section 1(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 which states that, 'Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, law or regulation, the right of any person to access and request information, whether or not contained in any written form, which is in the custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution howsoever described, is hereby established', we humbly request to be allowed to inspect and obtain copies of the following documents: The asset declaration of Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad JSC on his elevation as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria; the asset declaration of the Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad JSC on his appointment as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari."

On July 28, 2011, the group had sent a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to the CCB asking “to be allowed to inspect and obtain copies of the 2007 asset declaration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; the asset declaration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan after the end of his tenure on May 28, 2011; and his asset declaration when he assumed office on May 29, 2011".

On January 17, 2017, AFRICMIL, in partnership with the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), also made Freedom of Information requests to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for the declaration of assets of certain elected and appointed political office holders, including the current President and Vice President, their immediate predecessors, past and current principal officers of the National Assembly, past and current governors of the 36 states of the country, as well as past and current ministers since May 2011.

Although both organisations made these requests under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, Onumah said the CCB failed to respond to any of the requests within the time stipulated in the Act, and this led to cases instituted before the Federal High Court requesting judicial action aimed at getting the Code of Conduct to do the needful, in relation to the aforementioned FoI requests of both institutions.

The statement continued: "It is the sole responsibility of the Code of Conduct Bureau to ensure that all public officers declare their assets at the beginning and the end of their tenure in office. It is also their responsibility to ensure that the assets declared are verified to ensure compliance with the provisions of the law and also to establish possible cases of misconduct or corrupt enrichment, with a view to ensuring such culprits face the full wrath of the law.

"The CCB has the constitutional responsibility to retain custody of such asset declaration forms and make them available and accessible for inspection by any citizen of Nigeria on such terms and conditions as the National Assembly may prescribe. By enacting The Freedom of Information Act, 2011, the 7th National Assembly gave effect to the constitutionally guaranteed right of the public to access public documents held by public institutions and relevant private entities in Nigeria and this includes asset declaration forms of public officials, which are public documents within the meaning of the FoI Act, 2011.

"On April 3, 2017, Justice Abdu Kafarati, sitting in Court 2, Federal High Court, Abuja granted the two civil society organizations leave to bring substantive suits against the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). The grant of leave followed the hearing of the Motion Ex-parte filed by AFRICMIL and PPDC on the failure of the CCB to provide information on the asset declaration of elected and appointed office holders in the Jonathan and Buhari administrations under the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

"Justice Kafarati eventually gave judgement declining the reliefs sought by the applicants in the respective cases. AFRICMIL and PPDC appealed the judgement and the cases have been slated for hearing at the Court of Appeal on February 20 and 21, 2019."

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VIDEO: Anti-Onnoghen Protesters Infiltrate Pro-Onnoghen Protesters At NBA National Secretariat

What would have become a free-for-all was averted at the secretariat of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja on Monday, as two rival groups clashed during protests for and against the suspension of Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Onnoghen was suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, and Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad sworn in as acting CJN.

The suspended CJN is standing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over allegations of fraudulent declaration of assets.

Pro-Onnoghen protesters comprised lawyers and other Nigerians, and they had earlier gathered in front of the building with their placards, chanting anti-government songs.

Pro-Onnoghen Protests At NBA National Secretariat

However, trouble started when, as the lawyers were about to proceed to the United States Embassy, three truck-loads of anti-Onnoghen protesters stormed the venue and infiltrated the protesting lawyers.

The situation led to an altercation as the anti-Onnoghen protesters attempted to retrieve their placards from the pro-Onnoghen protesters.

However, the situation was quickly brought under control by security operatives.

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Protesters Supporting Buhari Over Onnoghen Paralyse Parts Of Lagos

Protesters on Monday paralysed commercial activities in parts of Lagos State in support of President Muhammadu Buhari's decision to suspend Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Bearing placards with various inscriptions, the protesters declared that Onnoghen lacks the moral standing to remain in office as CJN.

Comrade Festus Akintola, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said the law must take its full course to serve as a deterrent to others that it is no longer business as usual.

He said: "We have all gathered here to express our disgust with the actions of some segments of the country that have viewed the action of the President in placing the Chief Justice of Nigeria on suspension for false declaration of assets in contravention of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act for public office holders in the country.

"Nigeria is not a country where anyone should be viewed as above the law, as the law is no respecter of persons. And what an irony: That the chief law officer of the country would violate the law and would still want to evade justice. If that should ever happen, then Nigeria is no longer a country but a banana republic.

"We stand in absolute solidarity with our dear and amiable president who has risen in defence of the country by suspending the Chief Justice of the country and thereby sending a strong message to all that no matter how highly placed, once you violate the law, there would be consequences.

"We are also at a loss as to what case or position some people want to canvass in a situation as glaring as this. Are they trying to deny the fact that the Chief Justice of Nigeria did not commit any offence? Are they trying to say that the president didn’t do the right thing by asking the Chief Justice to proceed on suspension pending the determination of the suit before the Code of Conduct Tribunal?

"We wish to state that it amounts to moral bankruptcy for the Chief Justice to cite ‘forgetfulness’ as the reason for not declaring a part of his estate. And we now wonder how someone of such high standing would think he can take over 180 million Nigerians for a ride. And quite ironically, some ethnic and religious champions have taken turns to give the actions of the president all manners of ethnic and religious coloration at the detriment of the fact of the matter.”

Restating the support of the group to the President’s position, he continued: “They shall be all put to shame because majority of Nigerians are with the president and support wholeheartedly the action of the president in the quest to rid the judiciary of corrupt elements such as the suspended Chief Justice.

“In Nigeria today, under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari, we have indeed seen how and what it takes to fight the cancerous corruption. That is what President Muhammadu Buhari has displayed in the bold action of his. We are all gathered here despite our busy schedules to show solidarity to the man of the people; the man who has the interest of the country at heart; the man who has dared the path where no one dares venture; the man that has an unshaken belief in the unity of Nigeria; the man who says a ‘yes’ and it is a ‘yes’; a man who would not dip his hands in government coffers, and a man who has shown us what it takes to have integrity in a country like ours.

“The case of the Chief Justice of Nigeria presents us with one of such instances in which our president has risen in defence of the country. And it takes more than a commitment and belief in the national development agenda for such actions to protect the people from dubious and corrupt minded individuals such as the suspended Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen.

"We are angry at the audacity of Justice Walter Onnoghen to insult our intelligence as a people by wanting to whip up ethnic and religious sentiments through paid political jobbers. If Justice Walter Onnoghen has any atom of moral as the Chief Justice of the country, the rational thing for him to have done was to honourably resign from office to save the judicial arm of the country the shame and denigration that has it brought upon us.

"So bad is this case that Nigeria has become a laughing stock among countries. And the ethnic champions do not see anything wrong with it the shame Justice Walter Onnoghen has brought upon our country. We support President Muhammadu Buhari wholeheartedly in the fight against corruption in the judiciary. We are consequently of the firm opinion that if the judiciary is not sanitized, then we might be in for considerable trouble."

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APC Senators Disown Senate's Supreme Court Suit On Constitutionality Of Onnoghen's Suspension

The APC caucus of the Senate has disowned the claim by Senate President Bukola Saraki that the Senate approached the Supreme Court for clarification on the constitutionality of Walter Onnoghen's suspension as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, on Monday, and made available to journalists in Abuja.

“It has come to the notice of the Senate APC caucus that the Senate has approached the Supreme Court for the interpretation of the suspension of Justice Walter Onnoghen by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces," read the statement.

“For the records, the Senate never met to take such resolution and at no time mandated anyone to approach the Supreme Court on this matter on its behalf. Consequently, the Senate APC caucus dissociates itself from the said request for the legal interpretation of the suspension.”

Earlier, on Monday, Yusuph Olaniyonu, spokesman of the Senate President, said the Senate had approached the Supreme Court to get clarification on the constitutionality of the President's action. See Also Breaking News BREAKING: Senate Asks Supreme Court To Decide Constitutionality Of Onnoghen's Suspension 0 Comments 4 Hours Ago

“Following the filing of the case, the matter of the suspension of the CJN which is the main issue for which the Senate had planned to reconvene tomorrow, has become subjudiced," he said in a statement.

"Therefore, in line with the standing rules of the Senate not to debate issues that are already pending before the court, the reconvening of the Senate tomorrow has been put off. The previous adjournment of the Senate till February 19, 2019, stays.” See Also Breaking News BREAKING: Senate Cancels Emergency Plenary Initially Scheduled For Tuesday 0 Comments 4 Hours Ago

After filing the suit, the Senate then cancelled an emergency plenary it initially scheduled for Tuesday.

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PDP Rejects Tribunal Ruling On Ekiti Election

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the ruling of the tribunal on the 2018 Ekiti State governorship election that saw Kayode Fayemi emerge as governor of the state.

The tribunal sitting in Abuja, led by Justice Suleman Belgore, had struck out the case instituted by Olusola Eleka, governorship candidate of the PDP, and ruled that Fayemi is the duly elected Governor of the state.

However, a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Secretary, rejected the ruling, and expressed confidence that the judgment of the tribunal would be upturned at the Appeal Court.

He said: “The PDP urges all its members, particularly in Ekiti State, not to despair over Monday’s ruling of the Ekiti Governorship election tribunal, which sat in Abuja. The judgment of the tribunal will surely be overturned at the Court of Appeal and victory handed to the PDP and our candidate, Olusola Eleka, who is the clear winner of the July 14, 2018 Ekiti governorship election.

“The PDP holds that the Court of Appeal will consider the matter strictly on its merit, particularly with the abounding evidence of rigging including violence, vote-buying, ballot stuffing and alteration of results perpetuated by the APC are still intact.”

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More And More Nigerians Are Trusting Kingsley Moghalu By Jide Akintunde

In his article published on January 25th, 2019 in Sahara Reporters, Kunle Wizeman Ajayi mustered a big effort to discredit Professor Kingsley Moghalu, the presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP). Ajayi did not disguise his intention. He wanted to win over Moghalu’s supporters for Omoyele Sowore. Unfortunately, Sowore endorsed the ill-conceived and poorly-written article by republishing it on his fan page on Facebook.

To be clear, Moghalu does not see Sowore as his rival in the 2019 presidential race. On one hand, both of them have answered the same patriotic call for a new kind of leadership in Nigeria to replace the recycled, corrupt and visionless political class. In this regard, Moghalu respects Sowore and sees him as a partner in the effort to dislodge the leadership of Nigeria from those who think they are entitled to it.

On the other hand, Moghalu went into the January 19 presidential debate with his candidacy and YPP as clearly the “Third Force” in Nigeria’s politics. The other “forces” being the ruling APC, and PDP. Moghalu emerged as the clear winner of the debate, according to various online polls and in the estimation of about 60 million Nigerians that watched it on television or listened to it on radio.

With the failure of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to participate in the debate, which President Muhammadu Buhari also failed to attend, Moghalu is now seen by uncompromising millions of Nigerians as the credible challenger to the incumbent president.

The article: “Why Moghalu Cannot Be Trusted By Kunle Wizeman Ajayi” is misguided, confused and full of false statements. Most of them are not deserving of further discussion. Most likely, his readers know better. For instance, his statement that says “liberals are quite dangerous”, should be greeted with no more than a telling smile. It is also easy to verify that Moghalu was not at the CBN during the governorship of Professor Charles Soludo, contrary to what Ajayi said.

But one or two of his other spurious statements should be well-addressed. He said that the bail-out of the systemically-distressed banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2009 was “anti-people.” It is the opposite that is true. The intervention was pro-people. It ensured no Nigerian lost a kobo of their savings or deposits in the banks. Without the injection of liquidity into the banks by the CBN, hardworking Nigerians – who neither owned the banks nor ran them – would have lost billions of naira of their deposits.

In the 1990s, Nigeria experienced a banking crisis of much smaller magnitude than the crisis of 2009. Many Nigerians lost their life savings in that earlier crisis. Some of them committed suicide as a result. It was, therefore, possible to extrapolate that the banking crisis of 2009 would have been more calamitous, if the CBN had not intervened to protect depositors’ fund. If as many as eight major banks were allowed to fail, many people would have lost their jobs in the banks as a direct consequence. A systemic collapse in the banking sector would have had wider, dire consequences in the economy.

Ajayi seems not to understand this.

Suffice to say that Moghalu was appointed CBN Deputy Governor for Financial System Stability in 2009 to lead the implementation of the reforms that saved the banking industry and modernised the payment system, under the overall leadership of Lamido Sanusi, the CBN Governor then, and now theEmir of Kano. The successful reforms have, among other things, expanded access to financial services in the country, enabled Nigerians to have access to their bank accounts to transact or access banking services on their mobile phones 24/7, and the introduction of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) has improved secure lending. Thesuccess of the reforms validates Moghalu as an economic policy-thinker and a top-notch technocrat.

In endorsing Moghalu’s latest book, “Build Innovate and Grow: My Vision for Our Country,” which serves as his campaign manifesto, HRH Sanusi wrote: “If any country needs a bold vision of how to turn its under-achieved potential into reality, it is Nigeria. Few are more equipped and prepared to offer such a roadmap as Kingsley Moghalu.”

Ajayi tried to play up a point of momentary disagreement between Moghalu and Sanusi. But it was not a lingering disagreement. Moghalu had spoken in defence of the independence of the CBN. He understood that the independence of the reserve bank was best protected if it avoided appearance of involvement in politics. His comment in the interview Ajayi quoted provided the insight that central banks, the world over, operate under certain expectations and constraints, which they do well to respect.

I was at the University of Lagos when Sowore was the president of the student union of the school. He was a courageous activist and a fighter. Surely, political activism is a necessary part of a well-functioning democratic system and open societies. With his intolerance to political activism as a civilian president, Buhari has revamped his authoritarian inclinations, which would be one of the reasons Nigerians will vote him out of office next month.

But the sound and fury of activism is not an alternative to a visionary and competent leadership. On this basis, Moghalu has been rightly adjudged the best candidate running for president in 2019. If elected, he plans to work with Nigerian youths, including the young presidential candidates, in the areas of their talents and competences. As he said during the presidential debate, his presidency will make the youth the leaders of today and not the “leaders of tomorrow” that never comes.

Nigerian youths need a president that has knowledge and experience in economic management, in order to be able to create sustainable economic opportunities for them. The youth now have the responsibility of electing such a president in Kingsley Moghalu next month.

Jide Akintunde is the Spokesperson for presidential candidate Kingsley Moghalu and the YPP Campaign Council

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Seven Years After, #OccupyNigeria Resurrects On Social Media

Seven years after the major protests that rocked parts of Nigeria against the removal of the petroleum subsidy by the then administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, another #OccupyNigeria is brewing, albeit on social media, at the moment.

Nigerians had taken to the streets in the early days of January 2012, in a series of protests that led to a major lockdown of various parts of Abuja, Kano, Lagos as well as London.

It went on to get its personal hashtag as stakeholders and Nigerians across varying occupations came out to protest the fuel subsidy removal.

However, on Monday, the #OccupyNigeria hashtag started trending, and is mainly targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari's suspension of Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Onnoghen was suspended last Friday, with Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad sworn in as the acting CJN.

According to proponents of the action, the protest aims to question the President's unconstitutional approach to Onnoghen's suspension.

However, some persons have kicked against the calls for the protest, stating that there were other more important things that should have led to an #OccupyNigeria protest, such as herdsmen attacks, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, brutalism of Nigerians by security operatives, among others.

While @ejustan wrote: "How do you explain the principle of separation of powers and the rule of law to a man that believes that his wife belongs to ze other room and kitchen", with the #OccupyNigeria hashtag, @rabiuoladele5 wrote: "Why are we silent on this ASUU strike? Over three months now and all seems to be the same. Can't we just #OccupyNigeria for this?"

@yunus_creativeW wrote: "Ever since we didn't find any reasonable reason to #OccupyNigeria, despite all that is happiness in the country, until now that tyranny is fighting corruption... #OccupyNigeria", while @rizzza wrote: "#OccupyNigeria is in Full swing..Never a better Time than now. #TyrantBuhari has taken his stand. We need to take ours and save our dear nation from those who seek to destroy us. The TIME is NOW!!!!"

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Lagos Assembly Gives Ambode One Week To Defend Self Against Possible Impeachment

The Lagos State House of Assembly has given Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State, the opportunity to defend the allegations of illegal expenditure regarding the 2019 appropriation bill, before the house decides on the proposed impeachment moves against him.

Right Honourable Mudashiru Obasa stated this during the plenary session held on Monday.

“Within a week, we can come back here and do whatever we want to do regarding those who are clamouring or who have asked for impeachment. And if by the end of the day, there is need to consider whatever response from them, then we can as well move forward,” Obasa said.

The lawmakers are alleging that Ambode has started incurring expenditure on the 2019 budget, which has not yet been presented to the house.

In his remarks on the matter, Obasa said: “There have been violations of the constitutional procedure regarding the budget. You know the consequences of this offence. I must also agree with you that the Attorney General, the Finance Commissioner, who are in the better position to inform the Governor adequately or advise in such manner to have saved him from all these.”

He noted that the budget should have been presented last Monday, but wasn’t, noting that it was out of place for expenses to be incurred on a budget that had not been presented.

“Amidst all that has been said in the media, I would use this medium to clarify this: Lagos State House of Assembly cannot sit and scrutinize a budget which is already incurring expenditure,” Obasa added.

According to the House, a committee was set up and it was discovered that the 2019 budget is already being implemented by the Executive without being laid on the floor of the House. The Committee also noted in its findings that for the 2018 budget, the third quarter had not performed beyond 50 per cent.

The Speaker, however, urged the lawmakers to allow the executive arm of government led by the Governor to defend the “infractions”, before they take action on the matter.

The House has adjourned its sitting till February 4, 2019.

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To Sowore, Moghalu And Durotoye; Coalition Of Young Candidates May Be Important, But The Coalition Of Angry, Hungry And Poor Nigerians Is Importanter

As the 2019 general elections draw closer, so is the anxious calls for the coalition of young candidates appears to be growing louder. But in all of these agitations, some not so few electorates seem to be getting something wrong. And we seem to be getting it wrong almost totally. All of the sufferings and unprecedented economic hardships that has so far been imposed on Nigerians for the past 58 years of “Independence” and 19 years of PDP/APC misrule has very little to do with the age of the gangsters who have fraudulently imposed themselves in the position of power. Governor Yaya Bello of Kogi state is no doubt the youngest governor in Nigeria. But it is also not surprising that he is the worst performing governor. The emergence of Emanuel Macron in France was largely celebrated by proponents of the #NotTooYoungToRun. But has the youthfulness of Emanuel Macron translated to a French country that works for even the youths who brought him in? Events currently unfolding in France have given us the answer. The Yellow vest protest; unarguably one of the biggest movement in the history of France and largely dominated by young people currently threatens to unseat 40 year old Pro-Establishment Macron. We have also seen the way the biggest organization of the Nigerian Youth, NANS, is being led as though they are leading a criminal gang of drug cartels.

Without much argument, we can all agree to the fact that the years of military rule was largely dominated by youthful leadership. But have we recovered from the unquantifiable havoc wrecked by these draconian regimes? The answer is a capital NO! It was these political abominations, the likes of Sowore, Falana, Fawehinmi, Soyinka, spent their early years fighting. They were the military cult that held to ransom and distributed among their friends, scores of publicly owned properties. They ran our economy to the direction of their Switzerland Bank account and sold our tertiary institutions to the greedy whims of privatization and commercialization. Some of these disgraceful characters, the likes of Obasanjo and Buhari came back in civilian regalia. They were not satisfied with enslaving our parents as military dictators; they just had to enslave us as well. And as the 2019 elections draws closer, they had to hand the baton of oppression to their protégées who apparently constitute themselves as majority among the ranks of younger candidates who have presented themselves as Presidential candidates in this election. And you can tell who they are by their utterances and programs? As the Bible says, by their fruit, you shall know them.

Is Omoyele Sowore, the Presidential candidate of the Africa Action Congress different from his peers in this race? The answer is a YES. He is completely different on the basis of programs, pedigree, history and astounding bravery. While the likes of Moghalu, Durotoye, Dr. Oby and their likes are keen and unrepentant in the resolve to continue the imposition of anti-poor programs of privatization/commercialization of publicly owned properties, which apparently are the legacies of the old guards, Omoyele Sowore on the other hand is resolved to do the exact opposite. Even our constitution despite its limitations posited in chapter 2, section 16, subsection 2c that “the economic system is not operated in a manner as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or of a group. Neoliberal programs in the form of privatization, commercialization and deregulation are outright contradiction of the position of the above section of the constitution. Just like they have always disregarded the constitution, Nigeria’s past leaders have consciously erred on this part of the law. They have sold almost all publicly owned properties to their friends and have also made education an exclusive preserve of the rich.

The likes of Moghalu, Durotoye and Oby has said it on various debate platforms that they intend to run a private sector driven economy; An economy that places public properties in private hands. Not surprisingly, proponents of privatization are fond of justifying these wretched policies on the grounds that a public sector driven economy is bound to be corrupt. To say you are the President of a country and still say the government is incapable of managing its properties is as good as saying you are incompetent as a President. Such people/Presidents should be forced to resign rather than allowing them to conveniently sell our properties to themselves through proxies, their families, party chieftains and cronies.

The thing about privatization isn’t about the incapability of managing an effective public sector economy that can guarantee equal economic opportunities for all, but that this people intend to use the nation’s economy and public property to reward “Godfathers”, themselves, families, friends and party chieftains. This is the kind of economy Moghalu, Durotoye and Oby intends to run. An economy that is out to advance Nigeria from being the poverty capital of the world to being the poverty capital of the Universe. It is what Fela Anikulapo Kuti calls “Double wahala for deady body”. It is no wonder even Atiku of the PDP isn’t saying anything different. Just like Moghalu and his peers, Atiku has also come out openly and shamelessly to say he will sell NNPC and other publicly owned properties to his friends. Even Ben Bruce, who is a point man in the Atiku’s campaign, has also said the solution to ending ASUU strike isn’t battling the menace of education underfunding but privatization of tertiary institutions; a policy that would take school fees to the tune of 700 thousand at the minimum.

Omoyele Sowore, an activist, Publisher of Sahara Reporters and Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) has said that he would not only reverse all public properties that have been fraudulently awarded to politicians, friends, and their families, he would also put a total end to the era of privatization and commercialization of publicly owned properties. He has said he would pay a 100 thousand naira living wage to workers and end the era of labor casualization. Aside other programs of mass public housing scheme, the government he intends to lead has made a pact with Nigerians to fund a FREE, COMPULSORY AND QUALITATIVE EDUCATION. This is in addition to the payment of yearly 200 thousand cost of study allowance to students. These are programs that set Sowore apart from other younger candidates.

The likes of Moghalu, Durotoye and Oby intends to maintain the status quo, Omoyele Sowore intends to completely smash this bloodsucking system of greed and power. According to Omoyele Sowore, the Nigerian people MUST win, either through election or by a revolution.

The 2019 election isn’t a contest between old people and young people as they want us to see it; it is a struggle between the suffering Nigerians and their oppressors who profit from these sufferings.

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NAKSS Passes Vote Of No Confidence In Scholarship Board, Kwara State Govt Officials

The National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS) has passed a vote of no confidence in the scholarship board, and officials of the Kwara State government.

According to the association, the no-confidence vote is as a result of allegations of embezzlement of funds meant for student bursary.

A statement by Comrade AbdulQuadir Olarewaju, Publicity Secretary of NAKSS, noted that the association's position was based on an exclusive report by The Informant247 entitled: Inside NAKSS: How the Bursary is Used to Buy Personal Cars, Land and Partying'.

Noting that although the report was "too harsh", the association said it contained a lot of truth and revealed inside stories of the "dirty and shadowy deals of the scholarship board and some state government officials".

The statement read: "The scholarship board have, over the years, been entering into negotiations with key government officials to extort the students. Ordinarily, instead of the students benefitting from the N25million, they only disbursed about N7million and the remaining N18million is shared between the scholarship board, ministry of finance, SAs and other government officials.

"The office of the auditor-general should also be questioned over the alleged dirty deal as his name also tops those involved. The report was exclusive enough; the scholarship board will take a large portion, bribe the ministry of finance, SAs, auditor-general office, and take a share to the House of Assembly.

"Usually, after sharing the money meant for students, they come up with a fake list and submit to the government."

He expressed the association's commitment to take action on the report, but stated that "with the caliber of people involved, they need the support of non gvernmental associations, as well as the public".

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BREAKING: Senate Asks Supreme Court To Decide Constitutionality Of Onnoghen's Suspension

The Nigerian Senate has approached the Supreme Court for interpretation of the suspension of Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Onnoghen was suspended as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) last Friday by President Muhammadu Buhari. Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad was sworn in to take the CJN position in acting capacity.

Buhari had based Onnoghen's suspension on a directive from the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

However, the Senate has approached the Supreme Court to get clarification on the constitutionality of the president's action.

The Senate had earlier announced it would reconvene on Tuesday over the matter, but the plenary has also been suspended. See Also Breaking News BREAKING: Senate Cancels Emergency Plenary Initially Scheduled For Tuesday 0 Comments 4 Hours Ago

A statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, spokesman of Senate President Bukola Saraki, read: “Following the filing of the case, the matter of the suspension of the CJN which is the main issue for which the Senate had planned to reconvene tomorrow, has become subjudiced.

“Therefore, in line with the standing rules of the Senate not to debate issues that are already pending before the court, the reconvening of the Senate tomorrow has been put off. The previous adjournment of the Senate till February 19, 2019, stays.”

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BREAKING: Senate Cancels Emergency Plenary Initially Scheduled For Tuesday

Breaking News

The Nigerian Senate has cancelled the resumption of plenary scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, 2019.

This was contained in a letter signed by Nelson Ayewoh, Clerk of the Senate, and issued on Monday.

The letter, however, noted that the scheduled date of resumption fixed for February 19, 2019, still stands.

The letter read: "This is to inform all Distinguished Senators of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that the resumption in plenary scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, 29th January, 2019, has been cancelled.

"The scheduled date of resumption in plenary earlier fixed for Tuesday, 19th February, 2019, remains, please."

The upper chamber initially wanted to convene an emergency sitting to discuss the suspension of Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

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BREAKING: Senate Cancels Emergency Plenary Initially Scheduled For Tuesday

Breaking News

The Nigerian Senate has cancelled the resumption of plenary scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, 2019.

This was contained in a letter signed by Nelson Ayewoh, Clerk of the Senate, and issued on Monday.

The letter, however, noted that the scheduled date of resumption fixed for February 19, 2019, still stands.

"The scheduled date of resumption in plenary earlier fixed for Tuesday, 19th February, 2019, remains, please."

The upper chamber initially wanted to convene an emergency sitting to discuss the suspension of Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

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How Amaechi Unilaterally Influenced NDDC Board Appointment

Emerging reports have shown that Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria's Minister for Transport, is the brain behind the dissolution of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board and the appointment of Professor Nelson Brambaifa as the acting Managing Director of the commission.

Brambaifa was appointed MD of the board on Friday.

SaharaReporters gathered that Amaechi bypassed Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to dissolve the NDDC board. He is said to have sought for the removal of Mene Derek, reputed to be an ally of Magnus Abe.

According to a source, the Transport Minister wrote a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari sometime back, requesting the dissolution of the board. This was said to have been overridden by Mustapha, who based his position on the fact that the offices are tenured, and thus advised against the dissolution.

He was said to have immediately set in motion his planned upset in the composition of NDDC board from the moment he got wind of Nsima Ekere’s presence in the presidency, when the former Managing Director of the agency went to tender his resignation.

On Friday, January 25, 2019, Ekere was at the presidency to submit his resignation letter, and to thank Buhari for giving him the opportunity to serve. Ekere is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State.

Amaechi was said to have gone to the presidency with an old memo earlier assented to by the President, before the attention of the President was drawn to the impropriety of acceding to Amaechi's earlier request for the dissolution of the NDDC board.

According to credible sources, it was the old memo which Buhari was advised against consenting to, that Amaechi handed over to Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesman, prevailing on the latter to announce the dissolution of the NDDC board. Adesina was said to have thought he was carrying out the President’s order.

The announcement, which came through some online media portals and social media sites, has been generating negative responses from across the Niger Delta. Some Niger Deltans are of the opinion that since Ekere's tenure is expected to expire by 2021, his replacement in the light of his resignation, should have come from Akwa Ibom where the outgone MD hails from, as stipulated by the act on completion of tenure. By procedure, the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, should have acted as Managing Director till such a time a replacement is appointed and confirmed by the Senate.

In the light of this, Amaechi was said to have chosen to go for the dissolution of the entire board, rather than single Derek out for removal, thus acting in complete violation of the act establishing the NDDC.

Attempts to reach the Minister of Transport and his media aide were unsuccessful, as they were unreachable for comments.

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How Amaechi Unilaterally Influenced NDDC Board Appointment

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