Human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, says there are plans to frustrate the EndSARS panel investigating the murder of young Nigerians by soldiers during the October 20, 2020 protest on Police brutality at the Lekki toll gate.
Adegboruwa, who is also a member of the panel, wrote on Facebook, “There are attempts to frustrate the EndSARS Judicial Panel from reaching meaningful conclusions on investigations into the Lekki Toll Gate incident of 20th October 2020.”
The Chairman of the panel, Doris Okuwobi, on Saturday suspended the sitting until further notice. Citing reasons for the suspension, she said two reports that needs working on were pending.
“We cannot continue with the sitting and end the assignment without concluding. So, we will not be sitting from today,” Okuwobi said.
She explained that the panel needed to collate and evaluate already heard petitions to make findings, including the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate.
“Please bear with us, we cannot speculate on any further extension. We have to work towards completing the assignment as early as we can.
“This is without any prejudice to us coming back to conclude on part-heard cases. Dates will be communicated to petitioners who have petitions pending,” Okuwobi added.
Following a submission by the lead counsel to the Lagos state government, Abiodun Owonikoko, the chairman said it would be impossible to take two expert witnesses into account due to the timeframe.
When the panel returned after a short break, the chairman responded, saying, “on the application, the quality of the witnesses we envisage will slow the panel down… We only have 27 working days to the end of this assignment.
“It will be highly impossible and impracticable to take the two witnesses, and it is the panel’s greatest concern that we get our report ready for the terminal date of this assignment,” she said.
Condemning the adjournment of the panel, Adegboruwa said he would give details later.
The panel had first suspended its sitting after the withdrawal of youth representatives from the exercise and resumed in December 2020.
The State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in July added additional three months to the sitting, which is expected to conclude hearings on October 19.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ben Adaji, has vowed to mobilise youths across Nigeria to stage a peaceful protest if President Muhammadu Buhari considers the former Minister of Aviation, Femi-Fani Kayode, who recently defected to the party, for an appointment.
Adaji issued the warning on Saturday during an interactive session with media practitioners in Jalingo, Taraba State.
According to Daily Post, the APC chief urged the leadership of the party to be wary of the former minister whom he described as “a serial betrayal.”
Adaji questioned the rationale behind Fani-Kayode’s decision to join the APC, a party he left in 2014 for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after claiming it was trying to Islamise Nigeria and had plans to inflict pain on the populace.
He also recalled that FFK from 2014 “till today disparaged President Buhari using unfriendly adjectives such as wicked, dead, draconian, dictatorial among others.”
He urged Buhari to consider members who have been consistent in building, growth and success of the party before persons like Fani-Kayode.
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has blamed the shortage of the United States dollars for the freefall of the Naira.
Director-General of the organisation, Chinyere Almona, at a parley with the press on Friday in Lagos, said a case where forex supply does not meet the demand puts pressure on the Naira, “leading to its weak position against major currencies.”
Ms Almona said, “Many businesses now source their forex needs from parallel markets at above N525/$, and we need to boost the supply side of the forex market through more inflows from exports, diaspora remittances and crude revenues.”
The national currency on Thursday dipped at the parallel market in Lagos against the U.S. dollar, exchanging at N570 to a dollar while the pound sterling and the euro closed at N774 and N660, respectively, according to AbokiFX.
The director-general tasked the federal government to address matters affecting ease of doing business and other real sector parameters for improved economic outcomes.
She stressed that policies guiding the sector must be in line with the country’s economic strategy to accommodate the needs of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
On the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Ms Almona said, “government must create an enabling environment by curbing the menace of insecurity that has made it difficult for businesses to access raw materials for production.”
According to her, “If our MSMEs produce at higher costs, their products will not compete well at the international markets.”
She also tasked the government to set aside dedicated funding for targeted sectors “where MSMEs operate to empower them to scale up to meet international standards.
“Government must establish more MSME hubs, particularly high employment sectors such as textile, Agribusiness, and entertainment, to drive industrialisation,” she said.
She charged the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to do more to increase Nigeria’s ranking in the Ease of Doing Business index globally.
President Muhammadu Buhari will on Sunday travel to New York to participate in the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
According to Femi Adesina, Presidential Spokesman, Buhari will address the Assembly during the General Debates on Friday, September 24 when he will speak on the theme of the conference and other global issues.
“President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Sunday for New York, United States of America, to participate in the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA76),” Adesina said in a statement.
“The session opened on Tuesday, September 14. The theme for this year’s UNGA is, “Building Resilience Through Hope – To Recover from COVID-19, Rebuild Sustainably, Respond to the Needs of the Planet, Respect the Rights of People and Revitalize the United Nations.”
“President Buhari will address the Assembly during the General Debates on Friday, September 24 when he will speak on the theme of the conference and other global issues.
“In the course of the Assembly, the Nigerian leader and members of the delegation will partake in other significant meetings such as; The High Level Meeting to Commemorate The Twentieth Anniversary of the Adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action on the theme “Reparations, Racial Justice and Equality for People of African Descent.”
“The delegation will also participate in Food Systems Summit; High Level Dialogue on Energy; and The High Level Plenary Meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
“The President will also hold bilateral meetings with a number of other leaders of delegations and heads of International Development organisations.
“He will be accompanied to New York by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN); and Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor.
“Also on the President’s delegation are: National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd); Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire. President Buhari is expected back in the country on Sunday, September 26.”
“The team going with him (Buhari) to the USA for the United Nations General Assembly leaves on Tuesday. The President will leave Abuja next Sunday to join them,” a Presidential source had told reporters.
It bad been reported that Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, among other officials, travelled to the US to infiltrate the ranks of Nigeria’s self-determination groups, which earlier announced that they would storm the UN Assembly with demands for a referendum.
A top source had said that while Buhari would be attending the UN Assembly, the entourage led by Gambari, who is a diplomat and former top UN official, was sent ahead to weaken the strengths of the agitation groups before the President’s arrival.
“The UN programme is starting on September 18. The Chief of Staff is leaving for USA tomorrow (Thursday) with some people working with him, including his Personal Assistant, Luqman Bosun Emiola. No one knows when they will be back but they are not supposed to have any business with the President’s trip.
“Buhari will be attending the UN General Assembly but the Chief of Staff already left,” the source had said.
Despite being a former Army General, the level of insecurity under Buhari’s administration has worsened with virtually all parts of the country currently battling one form of violent crimes or another.
The Global Terrorism Index (2019) ranked Nigeria as the third-worst nation prone to terrorism with no improvement since 2017.
Aside from insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and secessionist violence are pushing Nigeria towards the brink of collapse with many calling for the resignation of the President for “failing” to secure the country.
Using security operatives, the Buhari-led government is also known for harassing, assaulting and intimidating journalists, human rights activists, protesters and critics of the government.
The government has also shown hostility to Nigerian Judges and indifference to court judgments and orders, thereby seriously undermining their standing and authority, and the notion of access to justice.
His administration is also notorious for ignoring court judgments and orders.
Buhari has literally normalised disobedience to court orders, and state-sanctioned brutality against peaceful protesters.
The administration also continues to violate human rights with impunity.
A Nigerian Army officer, Major Christopher Datong, has regained his freedom after 25 days in the captivity of bandits who invaded the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna State.
The Nigerian military in a release on Saturday morning claimed that security forces rescued Datong, although military sources said the rescue was not without payment of ransom to the dare-devil bandits.
The bandits had invaded the military training institution on August 24, 2021, killing two officers, and injuring one other while Datong was abducted.
A statement issued at about 12:15am on Saturday by the spokesman of the 1 Division, Nigerian Army Kaduna, Col. Ezindu Idimah, said the Division, in conjunction with the Air Task Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies conducted the operation which led to the rescue of the officer who was held captive for 25 days.
The statement added that Datong sustained a minor injury during the operation and was treated at a medical facility before he was handed over to the authorities of the NDA “for further action.”
The statement titled ‘Troops rescued Major CL Datong’ read: “Following the directive of the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs for 1 Division Nigerian Army in conjunction with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and all security agencies to conduct decisive operations to rescue Major C. L. Datong, who was abducted at Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Permanent Site on 24 August 2021 and find the perpetrators dead or alive, the Division in conjunction with the Air Task Force, Department of State Services and other security agencies, immediately swung into action by conducting operations in the Afaka general area to find and rescue the officer.
“The operations were being conducted based on several leads received from various sources regarding the abductors and likely locations the officer was being held.
“The operations which have been sustained since the abduction of the officer proved quite successful and led to the destruction of several identified bandits’ camps in the Afaka-Birnin Gwari general area and neutralisation of scores of bandits particularly, in the late hours of today, 17 September, 2021, the troops arrived at a camp suspected to be the location where Maj C. L. Datong was being held.
“At the camp, the troops exchanged fire with the bandits and overwhelmed them with superior fire. In the process, the gallant troops were able to rescue the abducted officer.
“However, the officer sustained a minor injury but has been treated in a medical facility and handed over to NDA for further action.
“The Division wishes to commend the efforts of the NAF, DSS, Nigerian Police and patriotic Nigerians for their invaluable support which contributed to the success of this operation.
“Our operations will continue until we capture or neutralise the assailants that killed two (2) officers in the NDA on 24 August 2021.”
It had been reported late August that the bandits initially demanded N200million for the abducted military officer.
It had also been learnt that some of Datong’s colleagues and friends in the Nigerian Army secretly raised a ransom for his release, although the military authorities had been silent on possibility of negotiations or ransoms.
Manchester United’s shock Champions League defeat to Swiss champions Young Boys has already ratcheted up the pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite an impressive start to the Premier League season.
A star-studded side including Cristiano Ronaldo plus £100 million-worth ($138 million) of new signings in Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho slipped to an embarrassing 2-1 loss in Bern.
United took the lead in Tuesday’s opening Group F encounter in Switzerland but plans went awry after the dismissal of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Jesse Lingard’s errant back-pass gifting the hosts a winner in time added on.
Despite individual errors from his men, it was Solskjaer who was left in the firing line, with his in-game management once more coming under the microscope.
Ronaldo has hit the ground running since his return to the club from Juventus, scoring three goals in two games.
But the fanfare surrounding the five-time Ballon d’Or winner also brings greater scrutiny on Solskjaer in what was always likely to be a defining season for the Norwegian.
The 48-year-old manager was handed a new three-year contract in July, reward for the progress United have made in the three years since he replaced Jose Mourinho.
United finished second in the Premier League last season and qualified for the Champions League for a second consecutive season for just the second time since Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013.
But Solskjaer — who won multiple trophies during his time as a player at Old Trafford — is yet to win silverware as United manager despite several near-misses.
Given the talent now at his disposal even a League Cup or FA Cup win might not be enough to save his job if United do not mount a serious challenge for the Premier League or Champions League.
Former United striker Louis Saha said the club could “afford” the defeat in Switzerland because they have a chance to recover but he believes Solskjaer will have less room for manoeuvre this season because of the strength of his squad.
“I do think that he will be questioned faster because the team doesn’t have any weaknesses,” he said. “For me, it is a very strong side.”
West Ham Challenge
The Red Devils begin the weekend on top of the Premier League with 10 points from their opening four games, with a potentially tricky trip to West Ham on Sunday.
But some of the same flaws evident in midweek have also been on display in league games against Southampton, Wolves and Newcastle, only for United to be bailed out by their array of attacking talent.
Despite their three wins, the team have lacked cohesion and have struggled to gain control of games, relying on moments of isolated magic from players such as Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba.
Solskjaer has the unenviable task of striking a balance between defence and attack while keeping all his star names happy.
Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani are yet to feature this season due to injury, but will soon be competing for places with Ronaldo, Sancho, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Donny van de Beek and Juan Mata.
Behind them, Fernandes and Pogba have started the season in fine form, but their compatibility in a midfield three against stronger opposition is still up for debate.
“We’ve got goals, I know that, it’s about striking a balance in the rest of the set-up,” said Solskjaer after Newcastle made Ronaldo’s homecoming last weekend far trickier than the 4-1 scoreline suggests.
His attempts to find that balance in Switzerland were made tougher by Wan-Bissaka’s dismissal but he drew criticism over his use of substitutes and tactics.
Solskjaer faced questions afterwards over why he took Ronaldo off at all and also over why he did not remove the 36-year-old earlier — showing how difficult it will be to keep everybody happy.
The only way to quieten the noise is by getting back to winning ways, starting at the London Stadium on Sunday.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 6, Usman Gomna, has ordered investigation into the abduction of a medical doctor, Nsidibe Umana and ex-Akwa Ibom senator, Nelson Effiong.
The AIG’s order is coming even as the command said that it had put in place a crack team to trail the abductors of the two victims.
Nelson Effiong, a former senator representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial district, was abducted on Sunday, September 5, 2021 while relaxing in his sit-out along Oron Road; while the medical doctor was abducted in his compound in Orukaman Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, September 14, 2021.
The AIG gave the charge on Friday while responding to a request by the chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Ime Sylvester Udoh, during a meeting with security stakeholders in the state.
Dr. Udoh had raised the alarm over the abduction of the medical doctor and had also called on the Police to rescue the victim alive.
Responding, the AIG said, “Before I came here, I have directed the CP of the command, Andrew Amiengheme, to intensify efforts to see how he can be rescued.”
He reiterated the commitment of the zone in tackling crime and criminality and called on stakeholders to continue to cooperate with the Police by revealing useful information that could help in tackling the crime rate in the states.
Speaking further on the kidnapped medical doctor, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme, said a manhunt had already been put in place to effect the release of the doctor.
“Our men are in the field to ensure the release of that young doctor. Unfortunately, the abductors are asking for N20m and where will the family get that kind of money?
“That is part of the societal problems, and we are asking the stakeholders to quickly expose and not to give them a cover,” Amiengheme said.
On the abduction of the ex-senator, the CP said, “We’re very much on top of the situation. Care must be taken to protect his life in the first instance.
“We must not do anything that will jeopardise his life, a lot has been done, we are observing some restraints so that he is not killed and his perpetrators brought to book.”
A probe launched by the World Bank in respect of anomalies in the data used in preparing its Doing Business 2018 and Doing Business 2020 reports has revealed how senior staff of the lender manipulated data to favour China and Saudi Arabia and lower the ranking of Azerbaijan.
Findings by an independent investigator issued on Thursday showed Kristalina Georgieva, the then chief executive of the Washington-based multilateral lender who now heads the International Monetary Fund (IMF), heaped “undue pressure” on employees to boost China’s position on the Doing Business 2018 ranking.
Jim Yong Kim, then-President of the World Bank, also took part in the scheme, investigators found.
The World Bank’s ethics panel late August engaged a law firm WilmerHale to conduct an investigation into an alleged manipulation of the underlying data used for drafting the two contentious reports.
That has led the bank to discontinue the report, which ranked 190 economies based on ease of conducting business in them across parameters like investment laws, property rights, trading regulations and credit availability.
A 16-page report by the external investigator seen by PREMIUM TIMES spotlighted China and Saudi’s influence at the World Bank and Ms Georgieva’s judgement and that of Jim Yong Kim, then-president of the World Bank as a major cause of concern.
“In the month leading up to the publication of the report, outreach from senior Chinese officials to Bank leaders over the country’s ranking in Doing Business intensified. For example, President Kim discussed the report and China’s performance with a senior Chinese government official on September 12; the then-Executive Director (“ED”) for China met with members of the Bank’s East Asia & Pacific (“EAP”) Regional Office on September 14 to inform them that if China’s ranking improved “everyone” w[ould] be relieved” (and he made a personal plea to this effect to President Kim privately),” the document said.
“…on October 14, the same Chinese government official had dinner with CEO Georgieva, during which he emphasized CEO Georgieva’s role as “the responsible person” at the Bank to “ensure” that China’s reforms were acknowledged in the report.”
Meanwhile, the IMF chief said in a Thursday statement that she disagreed with the outcome of the inquiry, adding she had informed her organisation’s executive board.
“I disagree fundamentally with the findings and interpretations of the Investigation of Data Irregularities as it relates to my role in the World Bank’s Doing Business report of 2018. I have already had an initial briefing with the IMF’s Executive Board on this matter.”
WilmerHale noted “direct and indirect pressure” from senior employees in Kim’s office to manipulate the procedure of the report to strengthen China’s score on the ranking, stating it possibly happened at Kim’s behest.
The investigator’s report said Georgieva and Simeon Djankov, a senior staff at the bank, had mounted pressure on staff to “make specific changes to China’s data points” and shore up its ranking coming at a time when the World Bank was seeking China’s backing for a significant capital increase.
The position of China on the “Doing Business 2018” ranking issued in October 2017 climbed by seven places to 78th after the data procedure alterations were made.
Also the law firm’s investigation found Saudi Arabia’s improvement in Doing Business report 2020 was orchestrated with World Bank’s staff involvement.
The Doing Business unit in 2019 prepared a draft of its best reformers list for Doing Business 2020 with Jordan taking the lead and Saudi coming second.
Djankov, one of the founders of the Doing Business report, directed the Doing Business team to look for a means to change the data in a way that Jordan dropped from the first position on the list.
Djankov said the report would lose credibility if Jordan, which was encountering economic and social pressures at the time, stayed at the top spot.
He sent a staff to Jordan to establish whether the data that qualified Jordan for the prime position were correct confirmed they were genuine and legitimate.
Djankov would later seek a way to leapfrog Saudi Arabia over Jordan.
“In his interview, Djankov stated that the impetus for the change to Saudi Arabia’s data came from two officials in the MENA Vice Presidency, one of whom previously served as Chief of Staff to President Kim and was involved in the changes to China’s data in Doing Business 2018,” the findings document said.
“On September 30, the Doing Business team altered Saudi Arabia’s data in an effort to boost the country’s ranking past Jordan.”
Djankov would order the Doing Business team in August 2019 to examine Azerbaijan’s data on account of worries that the Azeri government improperly influenced the private sector contributors that provided the data to the team.
The Doing Business team’s scrutiny found Azerbaijan’s data accurate. But the country’s reforms were “frozen” or not counted in the final version of Doing Business 2020 at the order of Djankov.
The alterations lowered Azerbaijan’s score by almost two points, forcing it from the Top Reformers list.
“in addition to alterations made to three Azeri data points, Djankov also ordered a last-minute change to the methodology underscoring the Protecting Minority Investors (“PMI”) indicator, further damaging Azerbaijan’s score, as well as scores of numerous other countries.”
A former Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress chieftain in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has lamented the defection of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, to the APC as well as the decision of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to personally receive Fani-Kayode at the Presidential Villa.
Igbokwe said in a Facebook post that it was unfortunate that Buhari could give Fani-Kayode a hero’s welcome while those who had stood with him for years were never invited or given recharge cards.
The APC chieftain wrote, “Despite all my push for the APC, Abuja has not given me a phone call talk-less of inviting me for a coffee with c in c but here is a political charlatan and prostitute being given a red carpet in the seat of power, Abuja.
“APC reward enemies. They pamper enemies. This life no balance at all (sic).
“Please I am ok where I am today but I know countless number of APC diehards who are 100 per cent better than FFK. Nobody has remembered them. Not even a recharge card, not even a bottle of coke, not even thank you.”
Igbokwe said the party must understand the importance of ‘consequence management’.
He posted pictures of Fani-Kayode’s old posts insulting Buhari and embracing secessionists like Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra; and Sunday Igboho.
Igbokwe added, “In the APC we must learn consequence management. It takes discipline to build a nation and it takes indiscipline and impunity to crush and destroy a nation. Actions carry consequences.”
Fani-Kayode, who officially defected to the APC on Thursday, was one of the President’s fiercest critics and once described the ruling party as an evil association.
He once said he would rather die than join the party. His defection therefore came as a surprise to many Nigerians.
His defection has also not been widely received by many members of the APC.
A Political Adviser to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, described Fani-Kayode’s defection as the “saddest day of my political career.”
The leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has faulted the ruling of the National Industrial Court (NIC) directing its members to return to work.
A communique jointly signed by NARD President, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, and the union’s Secretary-General, Dr Jerry Isogun, on Friday revealed that the doctors had begun the process to appeal the ruling.
“As we are all aware, especially those that were present in court today (Friday), the NIC has given a ruling on the application for interlocutory injunction filed by the Federal Government,” the statement said. “We are not satisfied with the ruling.
“After consultations with our lawyers, we have instructed our lawyers to appeal the ruling and file an application for stay of execution.”
The statement is in reaction to the ruling of Justice Bashar Alkali who ordered the resident doctors to suspend their ongoing industrial action and return to work immediately, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Justice Alkali who ruled on an application by the government had also directed parties in the matter to return to the negotiating table, saying no amount of money could compensate for the loss of lives as a result of the impasse.
In demonstration of its displeasure with the decision of the court, NARD instructed its lawyers to file necessary processes, rather than ask members to return to their duty posts.
It also asked the doctors to remain calm and resolute, saying “everything depends on our firm resolve.”
“We are committed to protecting your rights within the confines of the law. We believe justice shall be ours ultimately,” the union told its members.
It stated that the court had reserved ruling on which application it would take first on Wednesday, and its lawyers argued that the court ought to hear and determine the Notice of Preliminary Objection (NPO) filed by the doctors to challenge the jurisdiction of the court before taking the application for an interlocutory injunction or any other application.
The union added that the court adjourned ruling on the argument on the matter until Friday, after which it ruled that it would take the government’s application for interlocutory injunction first while its NPO would be taken and determined along with the substantive suit.
“Also, our lawyers drew the attention of the court to our application for stay of execution of the ex parte order and that the court should take that application first. The court insisted that the government application would be taken first.
“On 15/9/21, the court ordered all parties to resume negotiations. The government refused to resume negotiations in line with the order of 23/8/21. Our lawyers reported this development to the court. We have demonstrated good faith and would continue to do so,” the statement said.
NARD accused the court of denial of a fair hearing by refusing to hear and determine its NPO before taking the government’s application for interlocutory injunction.
