Get Naija And Foreign Breaking News,Tutorials,Free Browsing And Call Codes,Music And Videos Download, Sport News,Entertainment And More

Showing posts with label The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper Yesreport Blog News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper Yesreport Blog News. Show all posts

Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Oyo transport union faces leadership crisis

A former Chairman, Oyo State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Lateef Akinsola, has declared that he is still the boss of the union, hinging his claim on a court ruling he obtained from a Federal High Court in Ibadan in May 2012.

On Monday, the union held a congress where Taofeek Oyerinde was re-elected as chairman. The event was witnessed by the National President of the union, Najeem Yasin, who was represented by a former Chairman of the NURTW in Kwara State, Musa Ikhalumeh.

But Akinsola insisted in a press release he signed that the exercise was illegal, while also calling on the state governor Abiola Ajimobi to intervene in the matter to ensure the rule of law.

He said, “The swearing-in with the whole exercise was illegal. The whole process was flawed with irregularities. There was no election or proper congress. The 2012 judgment as given by Justice J.E. Shakarho was that ‘the proscription of the NURTW in Oyo State made on June 6, 2011 or any other date and that the order of proscription is hereby set aside’.”

He said although the verdict had not been respected by the union in the state, the ruling nullified Monday’s exercise, calling on the law enforcement agencies and the state governor to show interest in the matter.

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: editor@punchng.com



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1OGY5vu

Share:

FRSC to prosecute ‘road marshal’ for impersonation

The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, has ordered the arrest of a man who claimed to be an FRSC official but was detained last Friday by Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State for allegedly violating traffic laws.

Oyeyemi said the traffic offender, Mr. Adeola Alabi, would be prosecuted for impersonation, indicating that his name was neither on the FRSC’s employees’ register nor its payroll.

Alabi was arrested by the governor for allegedly driving against traffic along the Sawmill area of Ikere in Ekiti State and claimed to be an FRSC marshal.

The alleged offender was booked N20,000 by the Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency in Ado-Ekiti.

But the FRSC boss said in a statement that Alabi was neither a worker of the corps nor a member of the Special Marshal Unit of the corps.

According to the Head, Media Relations and Strategy, Bisi Kazeem, the Peugeot 505 vehicle driven by the offender with vehicle marked AG 738 FGB, as well as the owner are under investigation.

He added that the corps marshal used the opportunity to appeal to all the officials of the FRSC and its sister agencies not to violate traffic laws.

He thanked the governor for identifying with the “good road use culture” propagated by the FRSC.

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: editor@punchng.com



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1NmpW0T

Share:

Group hails Buhari on Ondo’s ministerial nominee

Members of the Ondo Elites Group in Ondo state have expressed their appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for nominating Prof. Omoleye Daramola as the ministerial candidate from the state.

The National President of the group, Dr. Bamidele Ogunleye, described the President’s choice as commendable, saying the nomination was a reflection of the general choice of the people of the state.

He commended the nominee’s contribution to the development of Ode-Aye in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state, saying he remained a great asset to the nation.

In a statement by its publicity secretary, Mr. Tunde Ajibade, the group described the nominee as an erudite scholar who had contributed immensely to educational development in the country, noting that in spite of his tight schedule, he had not lost touch with his people at the grass roots.

The statement read, “We appeal to the members of the Senate to clear Daramola as his nomination has again proved beyond reasonable doubt the avowed determination of President Buhari to bring on board men and women of integrity to join him in effecting the required change in our country.”

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: editor@punchng.com



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1M5Pagp

Share:

Gaza, West Bank gripped by fresh violence

At least two Palestinians, one in the occupied West Bank and another in Gaza, have been killed by Israeli fire, while an Israeli settler died of his wound in a ramming attack.

The fresh unrest on Tuesday brings the death toll to 47 Palestinians and nine Israelis.

A Palestinian man identified as 24-year-old Adi Hashem Masalmeh was killed by Israeli forces near the city of Hebron in the West Bank after he allegedly tried to stab an Israeli soldier.

Israeli fire on Tuesday also killed 27-year-old Ahmed al-Serhi during clashes in the Gaza Strip border with Israel, Gaza medics said, in the latest unrest to erupt in the coastal enclave.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, an Israeli settler died hours after he was reportedly run over by a Palestinian man near Hebron. Witnesses said the settler was attacking cars in the area before he was hit by one of the vehicles.

Meanwhile, violent clashes broke out between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces at a rally in Beit El near Ramallah, where Israeli forces used tear gas to disperse the crowds.

Triggered by Israeli incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound last month, violence and protests against Israel’s occupation have increased in frequency across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1GgJXX8
Share:

Senate suspends plenary till Thurs, probes N63bn runway contract

Acting Clerk to the Senate, Mr. Nelson Oyewoh, on Tuesday,  announced the postponement of plenary to Thursday without giving reasons for the action.

Oyewoh, in the one paragraph statement titled, ‘Resumption of Plenary’, reads in part,  “This is to inform all Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that the resumption of the Senate in plenary has been rescheduled from Wednesday, October 21, 2015, to Thursday, October 22, 2015.

“All Distinguished Senators are by this notice requested to resume sitting in plenary on Thursday, October 22, 2015 by 10am prompt, please.”

Attempts to speak with the spokesperson for the Senate,  Senator Dino Melaye, were futile as he did not respond to calls put across to his mobile phone while the text message sent to him was not responded to.

Meanwhile, the upper legislative chamber, on Tuesday, commenced investigation into the  Abuja Airport runway contract, said to have been awarded at the cost of N63bn.

Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, who drew the attention of his colleagues to the development, claimed that the project should not have cost more than N10bn.

He said, “Similar  project was executed in Gombe State for N8bn; done in Akwa Ibom State by about the same amount (N8bn). So, to now bring it up for execution for this (N63bn), is worrisome.

“The need for the runway is very important and urgent but at the same time, as the custodian of the people’s heritage,  I want to bring it up so that a substantive motion can be moved and be considered in the interest of the nation.”

Senate President Bukola Saraki noted that Melaye had discussed the issue with him in private and therefore ruled that the matter be deliberated upon during the next sitting of the chamber after the receiving overwhelming approval of his colleagues through voice vote.

Similarly,  the Senate approved the request of Senator Oluremi Tinubu,  seeking to move a motion  to address the deplorable situation of the Apapa area of Lagos State, where residents were said to be undergoing nightmare due to traffic congestion in the area.

 



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1LJ53xt
Share:

Russian air strikes in Syria kill scores

At least 45 people have been killed when Russian fighter planes launched air strikes in western Syria, activists said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the jets targeted the rebel-held Jabal al-Akrad region of the mainly regime-held Latakia province on Tuesday.

The activist group said civilians were amongst the casualties caused by the strikes but did not know exactly how many of the dead were non-combatants.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the group, said dozens of people had also been wounded and that the number of dead could go up as those with serious injuries succumbed to their wounds.

He said those killed included rebel fighter and their families, and identified a rebel commander who died as chief of staff of the First Coastal Division group, a faction fighting under the banner of the “Free Syrian Army”.

Opposition forces have positions in the Jabal al-Akrad region, which is in the far north of coastal Latakia.

Latakia is home to the ancestral village of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and has been a key target of Russian air strikes since Moscow began an air campaign in Syria in September. 



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1W41gSj
Share:

Arik grounds two aircraft after ground collision

Two Boeing 737-800NG aircraft, belonging to Arik Air, were grounded by the carrier on Tuesday afternoon after they were involved in a ground collision at the tarmac of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

According to the airline, nobody was hurt as a result of the incident, which happened in the afternoon at the General Aviation Terminal of the MMA.

Arik Air’s spokesperson, Mr. Ola Adebanji, said the incident happened when one of the aircraft was on its way to embark on a scheduled flight.

He said the aircraft’s wing brushed that of another plane belonging to the carrier, adding that the situation was adequately handled by the firm’s team.

Adebanji, in a statement, said, “Two of our aircraft, Boeing 737-800NG, were this (Tuesday) afternoon involved in a wing-tip brush at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

“One of the aircraft, 5N-MJP, was marshalled out of the ramp for a scheduled flight when its wing brushed that of another aircraft, 5N-MJQ, parked on the ramp. There were no incidences as the safety of passengers was not jeopardised. We have grounded the two aircraft and are looking into the incident.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, told our correspondent that it was mandatory for the airline to file a Mandatory Occurrence Reporting to the authority, telling it of the incident.

Although, he stated that he had yet to be briefed on the incident as of the time of filing this report, Adurogboye stated that it was expected of the carrier to report the incident to the NCAA for appropriate action.



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1RUyk9q
Share:

Plateau lawmaker barred from elections for five years

The National and State House of Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos has blacklisted the lawmaker representing Langtang South in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr. Vincent Bulus, for five years from contesting future elections.

Bulus won the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The tribunal also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election into the seat within 90 days.

The judgment was sequel to a petition filed the All Progressives Congress candidate in the April 11 governorship and State House of Assembly elections, Mr. Jackson Danladi.

Danladi had petitioned the tribunal alleging that the lawmaker was not fit to vie for the election on the basis that he was an ex-convict.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice O. O. Akeredolu, in her judgment, said the respondent was not qualified to contest the election, having been convicted of an offence in line with Section 107(1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The tribunal said the lawmaker though claimed that he was not the one convicted of duping the daughter of a former state Governor Jonah Jang by a Magistrate’s Court, he was identified by the Magistrate that convicted him and the security officer that arrested him.

The tribunal also rejected a letter purporting to show that the respondent was pardoned by the former governor.

The electoral panel declared that a state governor had no power to pardon the ex-convict since the law, under which he was convicted, was a federal law, for which only the President could grant him such pardon.

The tribunal held that the respondent should have waited for another five years to complete the mandatory 10 years before he could stand for any elective office.

The chairman said, “The respondent, having been convicted of an offence involving fraud and dishonesty by a court of law, was not qualified to contest the election into the Plateau State House of Assembly to represent Langtang South Constituency.

“That the election and return of the first respondent as member of Plateau State House of Assembly to represent Langtang South is a nullity.”

The tribunal, while observing that the petitioners obtained the second highest number of votes, however, held that the only order it could give was for a fresh election to be conducted into the constituency seat.



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1W41gSe
Share:

Attempted suicide: Court rejects request to handcuff Okah

A Federal High Court in Abuja rejected a request by the prosecution to handcuff a suspected mastermind of the October 1, 2010 bombing in Abuja, Charles Okah, during his resumed trial on Tuesday.
The request by the lead prosecuting counsel, Alex Izinyon (SAN), followed a suicidal attempt by Okah to jump out through the window of the courtroom located on the third floor of the five-storey building during the previous proceeding on October 6.
Izinyon anchored his request on provisions of Section 269 and 271 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
Ruling on the oral application, Justice Gabriel Kolawole rejected the request on the grounds of the undertaking by defence lawyers that the accused person would no longer “misconduct” himself.
He, however, said the court, under section 6(6)(c) of the Constitution, reserved the power to make such an order even without  any application if the judge was of the view that the conduct of the accused person could impede “the smooth administration of the proceedings”.
The judge observed that the suicidal attempt was more of a show by Okah to “draw attention and perhaps public sympathy” while recalling that a lot of theatrics by the accused person had stalled progress in the case that was filed on December 6, 2010.
He warned Okah not to again “test the resolve of the court to exercise the judicial power conferred on the court under section 6(6)(c) of the Constitution.
Okah is standing trial along with Obi Nwabueze for terrorism charges arising from the October 1, 2010 bombing incident in which 12 persons were said to have died.
Okah, had on October 6, after ending an emotion-filled comment about his protracted trial during the court session, grabbed a nearby chair with which he made repeated but futile attempts to break a window in order to create an opening through which he could jump down from the court room located on the third floor of the five-storey building.
His frustration was ignited by his lawyer’s absence in court.
Defence lawyers – Messrs Samuel Zibiri (SAN) and Oghenenovo Otemu – in October last year, dispensed with the services of Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, whose law firm had defended the two of them since the case started in 2010.
On Tuesday, the two lawyers apologised for their absence from the previous proceedings and also for what they described as Okah’s indiscretion during last court session.
After the court’s ruling, the prosecution called its second witness, Bassey Omoren, who had earlier testified to be cross-examined by the second accused person’s lawyer, Otemu.
Omoren, a welder,  who had been cross-examined by Zibiri in the earlier proceedings, said on Tuesday that he used to work for Charles Okah’s brother, Henry, to weld “hidden compartments” in vehicles.
He also said he testified as a prosecution witness in Henry’s trial in South Africa, where  he (Henry), a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, was tried convicted and is currently serving jail terms for the October 1, 2010 bombing in Abuja.
Responding to Otemu’s questions, he said earlier before he was arrested with the bombing of 2010, he had been arrested and detained for 18 months by the Department of State Service in the course of working for Henry.
The judge expressed surprise at Omoren’s  response that he could not remember the year he was detained for such a long period when asked by the defence lawyer.
The matter was adjourned till October 27November 4 and 19 as well as December 2 and 3.


SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1RUymhq
Share:

Taliban takes Afghan police chief hostage

Police chief and 17 of his men are missing after the Taliban seized Ghormach district of Afghanistan’s Faryab province.

Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman of Afghanistan’s interior ministry, said on Tuesday that the men had not been heard from since Monday, a day after the Taliban takeover.

The armed group’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told Al Jazeera that the Taliban detained the wounded police chief and 14 other policemen. There was no immediate explanation for the difference in numbers.

“We held them [police chief and 14 other policemen] captive yesterday. We can’t say what we will ask in return for their freedom, but we will make an announcement soon,” Mujahid said. “The police chief is injured but still alive.”

Reinforcements have been sent to the province and First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former rebel leader with no formal position in the military, would coordinate operations there, Sediqqi said.

Elsewhere in the country, troops were battling Taliban in three districts in southern Helmand province — Musa Qala, Nad Ali and Nawzad, Sediqqi said.

“We are facing security problems in at least nine districts,” Sediqqi said.



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1RUyjm3
Share:

Army probes soldiers’ roles in Ekiti, Osun gov polls

The Nigerian Army has set up a high-powered panel to probe alleged malpractices by its personnel in the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states in 2014.
Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in an electronic statement on Tuesday that the panel was also mandated to probe allegations of misconduct against Army personnel in some states during the 2015 general elections.
He said the board was also given the mandate to review the roles played by the formations and units of the Army in the last elections and other operations in the country.
Usman added that the Army authorities decided to set up the panel as part of the efforts to prevent instances of unprofessional conduct by its personnel in the future.
He said, “The Nigerian Army has set up a high-powered board of inquiry to investigate among other things alleged malpractices and involvement of its personnel in Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections in 2014.
“The BOI is to investigate the alleged unprofessional and unethical conduct of some Nigerian Army personnel in Ekiti and Osun states’ governorship elections in 2014, as well as in any other state in Nigeria where other allegations of misconduct were made during the 2015 general elections.
“As part of its terms of reference, the BOI is to also review the involvement of the Nigerian Army formations/units and its personnel in elections and other duties in aid to civil authority.
 
“The essence of the Board is to prevent future unprofessional conduct by officers and men in the performance of their constitutional roles while strengthening Nigerian Army’s support for democratic values and structures in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the Army has called on the international community to prevail of members of the Boko Haram sect to renounce their membership of the sect and desist from further acts of terrorism.
Usman, who made the call in another statement, warned the terrorists to surrender in order to avoid serious military action.


SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1M59Bu2
Share:

Protests over tuition hike in S’Africa escalate

Protests against tuition increases escalated at several major universities on Tuesday, spreading beyond campuses with incidents of violence.

In the University of Cape Town, protesting students stormed lecture halls and intimidated students who were not joining the protest, witnesses said.

University authorities have cancelled classes and put the campus on lock down.

Then the students moved out of the campus into the CBD, blocking traffic along the way, with a police escort.

In Stellenbosch University not far from Cape Town, students formed a human chain to bar police from arresting students. Some students stormed the administration building, breaking glass to get in. Riot police were brought in to control the situation.

In Wits University in Johannesburg, students blocked a road near the campus and turned back police vehicles, only allowing ambulances to pass through.

In other universities across the country, similar protests also took place, some of them reportedly violent.

As protests were escalating, Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande was convening a meeting in Pretoria with representative delegations of university vice-chancellors, council chairs, students and workers, to seek a common framework and approach to the issue of university fee increases for 2016.

“An approach must be developed in order to come up with a dispensation that takes into account the difficult circumstances facing especially the students who come from poor families, as well as the financial pressures facing the system,” Nzimande said earlier.

The protests were triggered by all major universities planning to increase tuition fees ranging from 10 percent to 50 percent for the 2016 school year. Some universities demand that students must first make the “minimum initial payment,” the lump sum students are expected to pay at the start of each year, which they feel is “exorbitant.”

The universities say they have to do so after the government cut education funding and scholarships.

The South African National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) reportedly is short of 51 billion rand (about 3.9 billion U.S. dollars) to fund poor students.

Nzimande denied that funding for poor students has declined. He said the NSFAS funding has increased from 441 million rand in 1997 to 9.5 billion rand in 2015.

“Government remains committed to funding poor students in higher education in the context of a constrained fiscal climate,” he said. (One U.S dollar equals 13 rand)



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1M5ZuLC
Share:

Three militants killed in clashes with Algeria army

Algerian army troops on Tuesday killed three militants in the province of Boumerdes, 55 km eastern Algiers, according to a statement of the Defense Ministry.

“Part of counterterrorism efforts and after the exploitation of accurate tips, a detachment of the National Peoples’ Army in the 1st military region of Boumerdes launched a dragging operation that led to killing three terrorists,” reads the statement.

Three Kalashnikov machine guns, three magazines, binoculars, 135 bullets and nine mobile phones have been retrieved, the source said, adding that the dragging operation is still underway.

The upper woods and forests in the some central provinces near the capital Algiers, including Bouira and Boumerdes are still considered as safe haven for a number of terrorists linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Elsewhere in the country, the situation is under control of security forces.



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1jzbQja
Share:

HoS Kifasi on terminal leave – Presidency

The Presidency has confirmed the exit of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, describing it as “retirement.”

The Special Adviser to the President (Media and Communications), Mr. Femi Adesina made the clarification in an interview with THE PUNCH on Tuesday evening in Abuja, amidst speculations that the HoS was sacked.

Adesina said, “The Head of Service is due for retirement in December and so he is proceeding on his terminal leave.”

Kifasi was appointed HoS by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Ausust 13 2014.
Until his appointment, Mr. Kifasi, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministries of Finance and Petroleum Resources.

Born on January 1, 1956, Kifasi was a member of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, a non-Executive Director of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria and an Alternate Governor of Islamic Development Bank.

An indigene of Taraba State, Kifasi, a chartered accountant and lawyer, was one of three Permanent Secretaries from the country’s North-East geo-political zone shortlisted to succeed Bukar Aji who left office after 17 months after.

Aji succeeded the former HOCSF, Isa Sali.



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1LBDDX5
Share:

Police arrest clerics for beheading four-year-old boy in Osun 

The police in Osun State have arrested three members of an extreme Islamic sect operating at Iragbiji in Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State for allegedly beheading a four-year old boy identified as Teslim Bakare.
Police sources told journalists in Osogbo on Tuesday that the suspects: Moshood; Tajudeen and Wasiu  who were expelled  by a moderate Islamic sect had been  operating a mosque in Iragbaji for some time time before the incident.
A resident of Iragbiji, who pleaded not to be named, told journalists in Osogbo on Tuesday that the incident happened last week and the suspects had since been arrested.

He said the  killing was  recorded with a mobile telephone by someone and the person  handed over the recording to the police.

He said, ” The three of them were expelled by an Islamic sect but they came around and established their own mosque and they have been operating there since.
” They killed the boy and nobody knew about it. But somebody, who recorded them while slaughtering the boy recorded it with a mobile telephone and handed the document to the police. That was how they were arrested. They have since been taken to Osogbo.”

The source said it was not clear if the suspects wanted to use the victim for ritual purpose or to gain power. But he add that the blood of the victims was collected inside a bucket.

A top placed police officer, who confirmed the arrest to our correspondent on the telephone, stated that the police carefully studied the recording before arresting the suspects.
The police source said, “The suspects abducted the boy. They cut off his head and buried the head in one place. They also buried the headless body  in another place.


SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1M4XNYO
Share:

Supreme Court upholds Ambode’s gov poll victory

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the election of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, of the All Progressives Congress in the April 11 governorship poll.
In a unanimous judgment of the seven-man panel of the apex court, led by Justice Tanko Muhammad, the Supreme Court struck out the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the election, Mr. Olujimi Agbaje, for not being competent.
In its judgment read by Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, on Tuesday, the Supreme Court struck out Agbaje’s appeal by upholding Ambode’s preliminary objection contending that the appeal was incompetent and academic.
The apex court upheld the argument of Ambode’s lawyer, Olabode Olanipenikun, that the appeal had been rendered incompetent and academic by virtue of the fact that the PDP refused to join Agbaje to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier upheld the judgment of the Lagos State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which had affirmed Ambode’s victory.
Justice Ogunbiyi ruled,  “From all intents and purposes, the communal deduction of the foregoing is a situation where a sponsoring political party has accepted the dismissal of its challenge to an election as binding on it.
“Also inclusive in the said decision is the party’s candidate (appellant in this appeal). It is significant to restate further that the judgment given in CA/L/EP/GOV/762A/2015 has not been appealed.”
Dissatisfied with the declaration of Ambode as the winner of the election, Agbaje and the PDP had filed their petition challenging the outcome of the poll at the Lagos State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
In its judgment on June 26, 2015, the tribunal dismissed the petition on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction to hear it by reason of the incompetence of the suit.
The petitioners further appealed to the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, which also in its judgment on August 26, dismissed it on the same grounds on which the tribunal anchored its decision.
But only Agbaje further appealed the decision of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court.
Justice Ogunbiyi, in dismissing Agbaje’s appeal, held that a political party was important “over and above a candidate in an election in our constitutional democracy.”
He said Agbaje, through his counsel, Chief Richard Ahonaruogho, had thus failed to  “dislodge the preliminary objection raised by the second respondent (Ambode) and which same I uphold and sustain”.
She declared, “Consequently, the appeal herein is struck out for incompetence. The judgment of the lower court which upheld that of the trial tribunal and striking out the petitions is also affirmed by me.”
Apart from Ambode, other respondents to the petition were the Independent National Electoral Commission, the APC, and the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commission of INEC.


SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1M4XLzU
Share:

Army probes alleged malpractices in Ekiti, Osun gov polls

The Nigerian Army has set up a high-powered board of inquiry to probe alleged malpractices by its personnel in the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States in 2014.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in an electronic mail on Monday that the panel was also mandated to probe allegations of misconduct against Army personnel in some states during the 2015 General elections.
He said that the board was also given the mandate to review the roles played by the formations and units of the Army in the last elections and other operations in the country.
Usman added that the Army authorities decided to set up the panel as part of the efforts to prevent instances of unprofessional conduct by its personnel in the future.
He said, “The Nigerian Army has set up a high-powered board of inquiry to investigate among other things alleged malpractices and involvement of its personnel in Ekiti and Osun States governorship elections in 2014.
“The BOI is to investigate the alleged unprofessional and unethical conduct of some Nigerian Army personnel in Ekiti and Osun States’ Gubernatorial Elections 2014, as well as in any other State in Nigeria where other allegations of misconduct were made during the 2015 general elections.
“As part of its terms of reference, the BOI is to also review the involvement of the Nigerian Army formations/units and its personnel in elections and other duties in aid to civil authority.
 
“The essence of the Board is to prevent future unprofessional conduct by officers and men in the performance of their constitutional roles while strengthening Nigerian Army’s support to democratic values and structures in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the Army has called on the international community to prevail of the members of the Boko Haram Sect to renounce their membership of the sect and desist from acts of terrorism.
Usman, who made the call in another statement, warned the terrorists to surrender in order to avoid serious military action.
He warned that the Army was aware of all their hideouts and had closed in on them.
The Acting Army Spokesman also urged the insurgents to release the Chibok girls and other captives in their custody unconditionally.


SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1LIR3np
Share:

Counsel’s death stalls hearing in human rights violation case

The death of Mr Abudulfatai Bello, lead counsel to Registered Trustees of Jama’a Foundation, has stalled hearing in the case of alleged human rights violation between it and the Federal Government.

The Registered Trustees of Jama’a Foundation, an Islamic organisation and five others, had dragged the Federal Government and one other to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja.

The Islamic organisation is seeking N105bn in compensatory damages against the Federal Government over the death of 800 people and the displacement of 60,000 others in the violence that followed the 2011 presidential election.

In the suit number ECW/CCJ/APP/26/13, the organisation said the deaths, destruction and displacement which affected some of its members, constituted a sustained violation of their right to life.

It also stressed that the action constituted a violation of human dignity, equal protection under the law, and other economic and social rights of the applicants and other members of their community.

The plaintiffs are also asking the court to direct the defendants to implement the recommendations of the Sheikh Lemu Investigative Panel set up by the Federal Government in the wake of the post-election violence.

The counsel for the respondents, at the last adjournment, urged the court to hear its preliminary objection in which it is contesting the locus standi of the plaintiffs before entertaining their prayers.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Chijoke Nwoke, had adjourned the case till Oct. 20 for hearing.

However, when the case came up on Tuesday in Abuja, Miss Zainab Bello, who made appearance for the plaintiff, told the court that the lead counsel, Mr Bello was late.

The counsel, who said Bello died on June 14, two days after he appeared before the court, requested the court to adjourn the case.

She asked for two or three consecutive days adjournment to enable the plaintiff to put its house in order before the continuation of the case.

Nwoke sympathised with the family of the deceased and sent a condolence message on behalf of the court to the family of the late counsel.

Nwoke, while adjourning the case till Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 for definite hearing, said the respondent had sent a letter to the court indicating non-appearance.



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1M4XNIb
Share:

PHED decries continued attack on employees

The management of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company has raised the alarm of the spate of attacks on its field staff by its customers in four states of its coverage.

PHED said on Tuesday that some of its employees had been brutalised by some disgruntled members of the public for inexplicable reasons.

A statement signed by the Manager, Corporate Communications of PHED, Mr. Jonah Iboma, recalled how a customer attacked some of the company’s employees in Polaku, a rural community in Bayelsa State and Onne in Rivers State.

It added that the recent development had made it necessary for PHED to call on members of the public to desist from such violent acts.

“The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company had expressed deep concerns at the increasing spate of violent attacks unleashed on her field staff carrying out legitimate duties by customers in several locations in the four states of its coverage.

“Although many other incidents have taken place in the past, recent cases in Polaku, a rural community in Bayelsa State, as well as Onne in Rivers State have made it necessary for the company to appeal to the public to desist from such acts.

“In Polaku, a customer attacked PHED workers with machete and in the process inflicted severe injuries on one of the workers, while in Onne, some of the community youths, who invaded the PHED office, forced workers to sit on the ground in their quest to get the company to employ them,” the statement read.

Describing the incidents as very unfortunate, Iboma said such violent attitude from customers would not be tolerated by the company.

The manager recalled that the company was currently locked in legal battle with a former member of the House of Representatives from Akwa Ibom State, who attacked and severely injured an employee of PHED when it was discovered that he had by-passed electricity supply from the meter that measures his consumption.

Iboma said it was wrong for members of the public to attack individuals who go about their lawful duties, adding that such acts were against the laws of the country.

He reminded electricity consumers to know that PHED workers were like other law abiding citizens going out for their daily bread and that they are not responsible for electricity problems in the country.

PHED, he noted, would not condone such lawless acts from members of the public and would take necessary legal steps if such incidents occurred in the future.

According to him, “If attacks on the company workers continue, this can impact negatively on the ability of the company to serve customers going forward.

“Asides that, the company will not sit and watch any of its workers been attacked by customers, but will take appropriate legal measures against such persons.”



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1MBXIMy

Share:

DPR shuts six filling stations in Sokoto

The Department of Petroleum Resources said it had sealed six independent marketers’ filling stations in Sokoto and its environs for various offences.

The Zonal Operations Controller of the department in charge of Sokoto and Kebbi states, Alhaji Mohammed Makera, disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto on Tuesday shortly after a raid on some filling stations.

Makera said five of the filling stations were sealed for selling petrol above the official pump price of N87 per litre and fined N100,000 each.

The remaining filling station was sealed for hoarding and fined N200,000.

“All the sealed filling stations would not be reopened until they write an undertaking to sell petroleum products at the government-approved pump prices,” he said.

Makera warned the marketers against contravening the government regulations, vowing to duly sanction any erring filling station in the two states.

Recently the state has been experiencing shortage of petroleum products with many filling stations closed down leading to hike in the pump price by some station owners who still have the products.



SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1LmfPZb
Share:

Popular Posts

Recent Posts

Unordered List

Blog Archive

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Followers

Advert Space

Advert Space
Banner Ad

!

!

!

Visitors Counter

!

!

!

Follow Us!

Join the Club

Real-Time statistics by EagleStats