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Aloy Ejimakor, one of the counsels to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has said he is disappointed that the case asking freedom for his client on health grounds in Abia State did not hold on Thursday.

The IPOB leader's lawyer said he discovered on Thursday that the case had not yet been assigned to a court.

Nnamdi Kanu

Ejimakor stated these in a press release which was obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday.

However, in a statement on Thursday, titled, “Re: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu - We are disappointed that Kanu’s Fundamental Rights case did not hold today in Umuahia, Abia State,” Ejimakor said the case was supposed to be treated urgently.

The statement reads, "You will recall that at the last hearing of this matter on 21st September, 2021, the vacation judge had made a ruling transferring the case to the Chief Judge of Abia State High Court for assignment.

"The reason was that the Abia court vacation was due to end on 30th September; and according to the Judge, there’s was not enough time for the vacation court to conclude the case within the vacation period.

"The case was therefore adjourned to 7th October, 2021 (today) for assignment to a Judge that will hear it under the regular court calendar.

"As of today, the case is yet to be assigned and I was informed by the registry that all parties will be notified of the next hearing date once the case is assigned to a Court.

"A fundamental rights proceeding is sui generis. In other words, it is to be treated as special and expected to be concluded quickly, especially in situations where the applicant is incarcerated.

"Today’s outcome is a disappointment. It is my hope that, going forward, there won’t be any further delay in hearing the case."

SaharaReporters had reported last month that Ejimakor, in an application, Nnamdi Kanu versus Federal Government of Nigeria and seven others, brought an ex parte order asking the court to, among other things, make an interim order of release of Kanu to attend to his health in any medical facility of his choice in Nigeria, pending the hearing of the motion.

The lawyer also asked for the substitution service on the motion on notice of third and fourth respondents.

However, the high court presided over by Justice K. C. J. Okereke refused the application and asked the lawyer to put the respondents on notice.

He granted the application for substituted service on third, fifth, and seventh respondents and adjourned till September 21 for a hearing of the motion on notice.

Responding to enquiries in Umuahia, Ejimakor had said, “Today, I secured an Order from the High Court of Abia State to serve by substituted means an Application for enforcement of the Fundamental Rights of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, which I recently brought before the High Court of Abia State. The next hearing date is set for 21st September, 2021 in Umuahia."

Legal News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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A Federal High Court in Lagos State presided by Justice A.L Allagoa will on Friday, October 8, deliver judgment in a fundamental rights suit filed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The suit is against the Nigerian government officials on the imposition on N5million fine on broadcast stations over alleged hate speech.

Effiong had in 2020 sued the NBC, Mohammed and Malami for arbitrarily amending the Broadcast Code and hiking the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5million.

The lawyer challenged the N5million fine on Nigeria Info 99.3FM Lagos and the threat by NBC to punish other broadcast stations in the country over alleged hate speech.

His suit followed the fine imposed on Nigeria Info by NBC for granting an interview to the late former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, who claimed that an unidentified northern governor was a Boko Haram commander.

The NBC had threatened that any TV or radio station that allows elected officials to be insulted on its platform would be fined N5m or shut down.

The NBC board had also alleged that Mohammed hijacked the responsibility of the NBC and unilaterally hiked the fine for hate speech without consultation.

Effiong had in his supporting affidavit told the court that the actions of the NBC, the Minister of Information and the Nigerian government had gravely affected his freedom of expression and that of broadcast stations, broadcasters and other Nigerian citizens who also appear as guests on radio and television stations to express critical views about the government and public officeholders.

The lawyer argued that “abusing” or “insulting” the government could not be criminalised in a democracy.

He contended that the expression “hate speech” is not defined under any written law and cannot be invoked or penalized based on the capricious expectations of the Respondents.

He said that to do otherwise “will amount to setting fire to the constitution” and that “those who are paid with taxpayers’ money cannot be insulated or shielded from insults and abuse by those who pay them (the citizens)”.

The activist reminded the court that “Nigeria has passed the era of colonialism and military dictatorship”. He said that Lai Mohammed, NBC and the Federal Government were “seeking to subvert Nigeria’s constitutional democracy with the attendant liberties and foist a civilian dictatorship on the country.”

The lawyer, therefore, prayed the court to make “a declaration that broadcast stations in Nigeria, broadcasters, guests and callers during radio and television programmes are entitled to a fair trial before a court of competent jurisdiction as guaranteed by Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap. A9 L.F.N. 2004 before a sentence of fine or other penalties can be imposed on them over comments, views or opinions expressed on radio and television.”

He further prayed the court to make an order of perpetual injunction restraining the NBC, the Minister of Information and the Federal Government from imposing fines or other penalties on broadcast stations in Nigeria for comments or opinions expressed by citizens during radio or television programmes.

The lawyer also asked the court to nullify and set aside the penalty of fine or other penalties imposed on broadcast stations by the NBC.

Effiong equally asked that the court should set aside the provisions of the extant National Broadcasting Code and any amendment made thereto, which purports to prohibit, criminalize or penalize comments or views expressed by citizens about the government and public office holders considered by the NBC, Lai Mohammed and the Federal Government to be “abusive”, “insulting” or “hate speech”.

Legal News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Good education is the best legacy any parent, guardian or governmentc an bequeath to the next generation and young ones. The reason why the late Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo is still revered thirty-four years after his demise is because of the free primary school education he introduced in 1955 when he was the Premier of the Western Region.

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who went through hell and high water in getting an American education established the University of Nigeria Nsukka with the motto ‘To restore the dignity of man.’ It was the good education that Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro received from Kings College Lagos without a university education that made Azikiwe appoint him as the Editor of the Southern Nigeria Defender in Ibadan at the age of 21 – the youngest ever editor in the country.

It is tragic that education has been thrown to the dogs under the ill fated administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki who doesn’t give a hoot about the extremely poor state of education in the state. Edo State has Edo College which produced many illustrious sons in the state but which is now a shadow of its former self due to criminal

government neglect. How many of its alumnus would gladly send their children or wards to the school that ironically made them who they were today?

The level of youth unemployment is extremely high. The National Bureau of Statistics puts it at about 33%. A way to tackle this societal malaise is to re-introduce vocational and technical education which was abandoned when the nation was awash with petro dollars. Igarra Technical College, Afuze Technical College, Uromi Technical College

and Government Science and Technical College (GSTC) have been left to rot without any critical governmental intervention.

The level of unemployment is extremely high in Edo State due to the fact that the state is largely a Civil Service State. Edo State with its large land mass has what it takes to be a heavily industrialized and agricultural driven economy. Sadly, over the last four years the Governor has shutdown all the Colleges in the state in the name of

renovation, including College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi which ought to be at the vanguard of agro-preneurial training and production.

Governance has been absent since his swearing in last one year and he is just naming his cabinet after over a year of his winning his second term.

Despite his acclaimed robust private sector experience which saw him establishing a Securities Dealing Firm – Afrinvest, he has failed in innumerable ways to industrialize the state. Imagine if many industries were functional in the state, it will lead to the concomitant high demand for highly skilled technical labour as their services will be needed to effectively run these industries and factories! It is bad enough that these schools have been left to rot, it is worse that even the few that manage to survive the rigours of an education there have no jobs to look forward to due to a visionless and rudderless leadership that is ideas bankrupt.

The state of many of the government owned primary and secondary schools leaves much to be desired. The schools lack good toilet facilities, fields for sports, high population in the classroom, few teachers. The students study under the most excruciating conditions not even befitting for animals.

We currently live in a globalized world where the world is now flat according to prominent American Economist, Thomas Friedman whose New York Times bestselling book ‘The World is Flat’ exposes the reality of globalization and how your nearest competitor could be someone millions of miles away. The covid 19 pandemic which changed the world of work to remote working is a lesson for our political leaders to adequately prepare the young minds for a fast changing world of work.

This is an era where secondary school students in former war torn Rwanda learn about the use of drones. Yet, the students in Edo don’t learn with computers. How will they be able to compete in the future against their peers from all over the world? What sort of future is the Edo State Government under Obaseki preparing the children for?

Despite the dictatorship of Cuba’s Fidel Castro which spanned over four decades amidst many assassination attempts and embargo by the United States after he defeated the US backed Cuban forces in the Bay of Pigs Invasion, his greatest legacy was his sturdy investment in education. He ensured that medical doctors in the country got the best training and created a system whereby they are exported to the rest of the world. Today, the exportation of medical doctors from there is their largest revenue earner dwarfing sugar which was their previous economic mainstay. Cuban doctors helped Italy effectively tackle Covid19 which badly hit them.

Crude Oil exports will be irrelevant anytime from now. Smart leaders are preparing their citizens to be relevant in a knowledge driven economy. The legendary Lee Kuan Yew prepared Singaporeans for this reality as he moved them from being a third world into a first world nation in less than three decades. Saudi Arabia has already saved up over two trillion dollars to be managed by Global Consulting Giant, Mckinsey in their preparation for a post oil economy. The UK has said that by 2030 they will completely phase out fossil fuel run cars in favour of electric cars. Imperial College has scrapped the Masters Degree Program in Petroleum Engineering because of the irrelevance of crude oil in the nearest future. What is Obaseki doing about this new trend? How is he preparing Edolites sons and daughters to compete in the knowledge economy that our curriculum is ill prepared to address?

What are his educational legacies as he will be out of office in less than 38 Months time?

It is sad that Edolites have the stereotype of prostitution as the bad policies of the leadership have pushed many of its young, pretty girls to prostitution abroad especially in Italy. A good education will equip these emotionally battered and financially emasculated ladies to a life of financial independence where they will be able to live their life solely on their own terms and not being dependent on male beasts for their sustenance.

The Edo State House of Assembly is supposed to question him on the sorry state of education there but alas it is yet to be fully inaugurated since last year which has now transformed him into a full blown dictator.

We call on the Civil Society and Public Spirited Individuals to mount pressure on this Pharoah of a leader to do the needful and rescue Edo State education from the mire and ensure that our students who will take up the mantle of leadership someday are well prepared for this challenge which will prevent them from perpetually playing the second fiddle both in their country and in the Diaspora.

 

Erasmus Ikhide contributes this piece via: ikhideerasmus@gmail.com

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The Nigerian Army has confirmed the arrest of veteran Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu, saying he was arrested for promoting the cause of the secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra by wearing the Biafran regalia.

In a statement signed by Onyema Nwachukwu, the army’s spokesperson, Agu was picked up for questioning while asking South-Easterners to join IPOB “a proscribed group.” 

According to the statement obtained by SaharaReporters, the army said Agu's action was a violation of the law considering the proscribed status of IPOB.

The army said, “Troops of Nigerian Army have arrested one Chiwetalu Agu while inciting members of the public and soliciting for support for the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

“Dressed in a very well-known attire of the proscribed group, Chiwetalu Agu was picked up for questioning while inciting members of the public to join the proscribed group. Though he attempted putting up some resistance when troops made effort to take him into custody, he was not assaulted or subjected to brutalisation.

“While the army recognises the inalienable rights of the citizenry to freedom of movement and expression as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is apparently a violation for any individual or group to incite the public to cause mayhem or break down of law and order.

“It is therefore pertinent to state that while exercising such freedoms, it must be done within the confines of the law, bearing in mind the imperative for peace, and national security.

“For the avoidance of doubt and emphasis, IPOB remains proscribed. Therefore, any individual or group seen to be projecting and advancing the cause or activities of the group is viewed as brazenly challenging the constitutionality of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“More worrisome was the fact that considering the prevailing security situation of the region, coupled with the ongoing Exercise Golden Dawn, his action could be a tacit endorsement and support for the proscribed group. We have all witnessed the activities of the group take a violent dimension in recent times.

“Chinwetalu Agu has clearly demonstrated uncharitable disposition to negate peace and security in the region, hence, he is taken into custody for preliminary investigation. It is important to once again place on record that the allegation that he was brutalized is false and should be disregarded accordingly.

“While the NA would not allow IPOB and its sponsors to hold the region captive and allow the security situation to degenerate, it is instructive to restate that national interest supersedes any parochial consideration.

“Individuals or groups who fan the embers of violence are warned to desist or face the consequences of their actions. The ongoing Exercises are on course and will rid the region of all forms of criminality.”

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Former Vice-President and the 2019 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has disclosed that the president in 2023 can come from any part of the country.

There have been talks and controversies, particularly among the governors as to the region that should produce the president in 2023 and succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Southern Governors' Forum had warned that the Southern region should be allowed to produce the president, threatening that it would never support any northern candidate for the 2023 polls.

The Northern Governors' Forum days later had met and replied their southern counterparts that zoning was not only unconstitutional but undemocratic.

the NGF had insisted that it would not be coerced to give up the 2023 presidency to the southern region. 

Meanwhile Atiku is one of the northern bigwigs who might likely contest for the presidency.

Speaking on Thursday at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, Atiku said the geopolitical zone of the president is not the solution to the problems of the country.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the right to determine its rules and how the party should be governed. The people of Nigeria also have the rights to determine who governors them.

““Where the president comes from has never been the problem of Nigeria. I can cite examples — neither will it be the solution.

“There is no such thing as a president from southern Nigeria or a president from northern Nigeria. There is only one — a president from Nigeria, for Nigeria and by Nigerians.

“Talking about inclusion, I will like to see a new national working committee of our party that has sizeable numbers of youths and women.

“The decision of NEC today will either see us PDP in the villa in 2023 or not. Since the inception, this party has faced serious challenges and has risen above sentiment to solve those challenges and move forward.”

The NEC is currently in a closed-door meeting to discuss the resolution of the zoning committee, among other issues, ahead of the party’s national convention on October 30.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has justified the frequent borrowings by his administration, saying the country’s debt profile is still within a sustainable level.

He said this while presenting the 2022 budget estimate before a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday.

He said though, Nigerians are right to be worried about the government’s borrowings and debts but argued that such borrowings were needed as they helped in bringing the country out of recession and boosting the economy.

The president said the target of his administration is to grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the current 8 per cent to 15 per cent by 2025.

He said, “We plan to finance the deficit mainly by new borrowings totalling N5.01trillion, N90.73billion from Privatisation Proceeds and N1.16trillion drawdowns on loans secured for specific development projects.

“Some have expressed concern over our resort to borrowing to finance our fiscal gaps. They are right to be concerned. However, we believe that the debt level of the Federal Government is still within sustainable limits. Borrowings are to specific strategic projects and can be verified publicly.

“As you are aware, we have witnessed two economic recessions within the period of this Administration. In both cases, we had to spend our way out of recession, which necessitated a resort to growing the public debt. It is unlikely that our recovery from each of the two recessions would have grown as fast without the sustained government expenditure funded by debt.”

Buhari said the 2022 budget is designed to build on the achievements recorded in previous budgets and to actualize the 2021-2025 development plan.

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State says the possibility of the declaration of a state of emergency in his state is not an idea of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor said this Wednesday while speaking with state house correspondents after meeting with president in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano.

He said the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had been reported to President Buhari over the issue.

He described the threat of emergency rule as unfortunate and wondered why the minister had not contemplated the imposition of emergency rule in states where there had been a lot of killings.

“That’s a very unfortunate comment by the Attorney-General Malami, very unfortunate. I also reported that to the President and this is not in the books of the President because he knows that Anambra has been the safest state in Nigeria for seven years plus,” he said.

Obiano, who promised to call the Attorney General to express his mind to him over the suggestion, said apart from the recent security crisis, Anambra had been the most peaceful in the South-East region.

The governor also countered the statement that members of the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the State House of Assembly had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He claimed what happened was that the members who were given N100 million each to join the APC had, however, remained in APGA.

 

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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