Sahara Reporters Latest News Tuesday 24th September 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 24/09/19
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E2%80%99s-interrogation-dss-august-6-2019-complete-version target=_blank>EXCLUSIVE: Full Transcript Of Sowore’s Interrogation By The DSS On August 6, 2019 (Complete Version)
Earlier on Monday, SaharaReportershad published a part of the interrogation pro-democracy campaigner and Convener of RevolutionNowmovement, Omoyele Sowore, was subjected to by officials of the Department of State Services in Abuja on August 6, 2019 – three days after his arrest in Lagos for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets and peacefully condemn the poor state of leadership in the country.
In this updated version of the interrogation by the DSS, the complete interview had been attached as documents.
Sowore is due to appear in court on Tuesday after 52 days in detention.
DSS Interviews of Sowore.pdf 1 by Sahara Reporters on Scribd
DSS Interviews of Sowore.pdf 2 by Sahara Reporters on Scribd
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target=_blank>Sowore: Flood Abuja High Court In Large Numbers, AAC Urges Supporters
The African Action Congress has called on members and supporters to storm the Federal High Court in Abuja to show solidarity for its National Chairman, Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore is set to appear in court on Tuesday after the Nigerian Government slammed a seven-count charge on him.
In a message to all AAC members, the National Organising Secretary, Comrade Oshioks, stated that the move will send a strong message to the government for infringing on Sowore’s right.
He said, “We are all expected to be at the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on days our national leader, Sowore, will be brought for his court hearing.
“The solidarity from us will send the right message to those who have trampled on his fundamental human rights for the past 52 days and counting.
“It will let the Nigerian Government know that the people know Sowore as a man different from the allegations cooked up against him.
“Comrades, we are all encouraged to kindly attend these proceedings in solidarity. We should be in court as early as 8:00am daily.”
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E2%80%93un-rapporteur target=_blank>Deplorable Housing In Nigeria, Grave Breach Of Human Rights –UN Rapporteur
The United Nations Special Rapporteur, Ms Leilana Fartha, has described the deplorable housing condition Nigeria as grave breach of human rights.
She disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while presenting her report at the end of a 10-day fact finding visit to the country.
She expressed concern over the human rights crisis presented by the inhumane living conditions in Nigeria’s informal settlement, which houses 69 per cent of the urban population.
Fartha said, “Most residents in Nigeria’s ballooning informal settlement live without access to even the most basic services like running water and they lack any security of tenure forcing them to live in constant fear of being evicted.
“I was shocked to see that the communities most in need of protection and assistance by the state are instead persecuted, harassed, extorted and even arrested and jailed without having ever committed a crime.”
She noted that economic inequality in Nigeria has reached extreme levels and is playing itself out clearly in the housing sector.
She pointed out that Nigeria has estimated housing shortage of 22 million units while newly built luxury dwellings are springing up throughout cities – made possible often through the forced eviction of poor communities.
She added, “Nigeria’s housing sector is in a complete crisis. There is no current national housing action plan or strategy. Coordination and communication between federal and state governments seems lacking.”
Fartha urged the government to address the grossly inadequate housing conditions with the urgency and rigour befitting a human rights crisis of this scale.
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target=_blank>BREAKING: Lionel Messi Wins FIFA Player Of The Year
Argentina and Barcelona star, Lionel Messi, has won the best men’s player at the FIFA Awards in Milan, Italy.
Messi beat Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk to claim the top prize.
It is the sixth time Messi has been voted the best player in the world.
In other category, Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, won the men’s coach of the year, defeating Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino in the process.
Liverpool goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, was named the best goalkeeper ahead of Manchester City’s Ederson and Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Leeds United boss, Marcelo Bielsa, won the fair play award after he ordered his team to allow Aston Villa to score an uncontested equaliser during their 1-1 draw in their Championship match in April.
Eighteen-year-old Daniel Zsori won the Puskas award for the best goal with his spectacular 93rd-minute overhead kick for Debrecen against Ferencvaros, moments after coming on as substitute for his Hungarian league debut in February.
His strike beat Messi’s chip from the edge of the penalty area against Real Betis and Juan Quintero’s powerful 30-yard free-kick for River Plate against Racing Club.
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E2%80%99s-non-review-production-sharing-contracts target=_blank>Emefiele Blames IOC’S For Non-Review Of Production Sharing Contracts
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has blamed international oil companies for the failure of the government to execute constitutionally mandated reviews to the Production Sharing Contracts signed in 1993.
Emefiele, who is part of a team of top government officials in London to attend another ruling on the asset seizure claim by Process and Industrial Development, told Reutersthat the multinationals intentionally refused to trigger a review that was to see the government get more proceeds once a barrel of oil rose above $20.
He said, “It stands for me to reason that the IOCs deliberately did not trigger event for review because it benefits them – and that is something that we kick against.
“You think it should be forgotten and we shouldn’t revisit it given that it resulted in substantial loss of revenue to the government?”
Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, had at different times during his reign said that the country lost $21bn to the failure of government to review the PSC as required by the act.
He had also promised that the PSC will be duly reviewed.
Section 16 of the Deep Offshore And Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, which was first signed in 1993 and amended in 1999, provides for the contract to be reviewed every 15 years and for the oil companies, who operate the offshore fields to review the revenue sharing contracts to favour the Nigerian Government more once a barrel of oil sold for $20 and above.
The former condition was due in 2008, while the latter was due around 2003.
Neither the 1993 or 1999 amendment mandates the oil companies to trigger the review as Emefiele claimed.
The government signed more PSC’s under more stringent terms in 2000 and 2005.
Experts have however argued that the reviews provided for by the constitution, were bound to interfere with the life cycle of the financial projections of the oil fields.
They instead suggested that the government allow the 1993 contracts run down and then make reviews on renewals.
The Supreme Court had in October 2018 ordered the Nigerian Government to recover funds lost to the PSC and share same with the three tiers of government.
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E2%80%98insult%E2%80%99-president-i-didn%E2%80%99t-want-go-jail-%E2%80%98fisayo-soyombo target=_blank>I Wanted To ‘Insult’ The President But I Didn’t Want To Go To Jail By ‘Fisayo Soyombo
‘Fisayo Soyombo
‘Fisayo Soyombo
There are many things I wanted to write about from last week but I can’t otherwise I’ll end up in jail. Since the Department of State Services charged Omoyele Sowore, Publisher of SaharaReporters, to court for “insulting” President Muhammadu Buhari, among other allegations, the message from the presidency has been loud and clear enough: insult the President, go to jail.
A part of DSS’s suit accused Sowore of “knowingly sending messages by means of press interview granted on ‘Arise Television’ network, which you knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult, enmity, hatred and ill-will on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Since the issues on which I have an opinion this week will likely cause “ill-will” to the President, I better hold my peace.
I wanted to discuss the approval of the Federal Executive Council for a 50 per cent increase in Value Added Tax from five per cent to 7.5 per cent, subject, of course, to parliamentary stamp. Buhari’s loyalists would argue that the increase was first recommended by a presidential technical advisory committee but this is the President’s committee and he had the option to reject the advice. Buhari set up this committee to devise means of funding the new national minimum wage of N30,000; poor workers’ salaries are about to be raised via a VAT hike that will eventually hit them. My conclusion, therefore, is that President Muhammadu Buhari is verging toward robbing Peter to pay Paul.
On a superficial outlook, the plan would directly increase government revenue but all the gain is at once negated by the accrual of only 15 per cent to the Federal Government and a gigantic 85 per cent to local and state governments —read this as state governors — which cannot be trusted seeing how they looted Paris Club interventions while hugely indebted to workers. Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed attempts to mislead us into believing the poor and vulnerable are shielded from the new VAT regime, since it doesn’t affect basic necessities such as food, medicines and education. There’s no way the poor are entirely insulated from the ripple effects if company revenues decrease due to a weakening of general purchasing power; the less companies earn, the likelier they are to fire — to fire staff that include these very poor supposedly protected from the VAT raise.
How about widening Nigeria’s tax net? Even though our current VAT is one of the lowest on the continent (Ghana 10 per cent, Benin 18 per cent, Togo 5-30 per cent), our tax net, at 13 per cent, is also one of the poorest! At least 75 per cent of registered companies are not in the tax net while 65 per cent of those in the tax net do not file returns or pay taxes. In 2018, Babatunde Fowler, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, revealed that 85,000 millionaires and billionaires, and corporate organisations, still refuse to pay tax. Many of the country’s biggest tax evaders are people in power or people, who were in power or people close to those who are/were in power. The Federal Government could generate at least an additional N8.5trn should it apprehend the defaulters. Meanwhile, the total revenue estimate for the year 2020, after take-off of the new VAT regime, is N7.5trn. Why leave the recalcitrant tax defaulters then overburden the tax payers? How do you ignore N8.5trn but chase N7.5trn? That’s penny wise and pounds foolish! The President would be thoroughly upset by this, and he could send the DSS after me if I show up at any protest ground. Therefore, I choose not to write.
The average poor man must be asking God what offence he’s committed to be poor but he must more frequently be asking what crime he committed in his previous life to have been born Nigerian. The VAT hike had yet to sink in when banks started notifying their customers in Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Anambra, Rivers and the FCT of additional charges on cash deposits in those states, all as part of a compulsive Central Bank of Nigeria cashless policy drive. Individual cash deposits of over N500,000 and corporate of over N3m will attract charges of two per cent and three per cent respectively, while individual cash withdrawals of N500,000 and corporate of over N3m attract charges of three per cent and five per cent respectively. It is depressing the heights that state institutions are willing to go, to milk the ordinary Nigerian of his hard-earned money. A cashless economy benefits the country in numerous ways, but preference, not deterrence, should be CBN’s watchword in its implementation. The ideal strategy would be to continue showing people why they should ditch the cash for e-banking, not to enforce by ripping them off. The policy requires aggressive marketing and nationwide orientation, which aren’t happening at the moment. Even the tweet sent out by the CBN to address public umbrage over the latest charges is suffering from information kwashiorkor; it’s more confusing than enlightening. CBN must first understand that the popular love for cash over Internet banking is a direct consequence of illiteracy; as long as adult illiteracy remains as prevalent as it is —41.8million adult Nigerians were illiterate as of 2018 — the march to cashless Nigeria will be as staggered as it hates to imagine. The demand for these charges under these conditions, and by the same CBN that has failed to enforce the fine of N10,000 for non-reversal of failed transfers within 24 hours, is, quite frankly, daylight robbery. The President won’t like to hear this, knowing one of the best-kept secrets of this administration is the CBN’s evolution as rubber stamp for Buhari’s whims and caprices. This is Buhari’s CBN, and this is disguised robbery!
If I was sure it wouldn’t cost me my freedom, I would have written about the numerous challenges blighting the military’s ongoing war against Boko Haram. Why do we have a retired military officer as Commander-in-Chief if a simple but never-ending problem of obsolete weapons can’t be fixed? Last week, some army commanders repeated what we’ve always known but continue to shy away from: Troops are fighting Boko Haram with Shilka guns acquired during the era of Shagari, and Tank 72, also known as T-72, which was made in Russia and manufactured in 1971 but sold out in 1972. The Soviet-era tanks were acquired during the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan; we criticised Jonathan for it, expecting Buhari to usher in an era of sophisticated warfare. Meanwhile, I thought governors gave the President their approval for $1bn to be withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account last year to fight insurgency. Where is the money? Such a shame Buhari has let us down terribly in this regard. Incidentally, while the military is regressing, Boko Haram are now better armed than ever and have more sophisticated drones than their demoralised opponents. But let’s not talk else we end up in jail.
Finally, as you would imagine, I would talk about Sowore whether or not I’ll end up in jail? Why? An injury to one is an injury to all. Let’s not mince words: Filing charges against Sowore for “insulting” the President is laughable, a complete abuse of federal powers and a lowering of the business of presidency to the gutters. Sowore abuses the ruling class from time to time, yes, but many who would not adopt his choice of words often agree quite alright his summations are not unfounded. He often labels the ruling class as ‘thieves’, is that a lie? He likes to describe this government as ‘incompetent’, isn’t that true? And is it new? Is that not the term we popularly associated with Jonathan while in power? Thankfully, despot Buhari won’t be in power forever. Three more years and his reign will be over.
Soyombo, former Editor of the TheCable, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting and SaharaReporters, tweets @fisayosoyombo
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target=_blank>Mother Of Four Accuses Imo Lawmaker Of Rape, Police Intimidation
A businesswoman, Nkeiruka Kamalu, has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that she was raped by a federal lawmaker, Uju Chima, on August 9, 2015.
Kamalu told Justice Nicholas Oweibo that following an incestuous relationship with Chima, the lawmaker offered to pay her N20m if she divorced her husband, Gabriel Igbibi.
Chima is representing Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency of Imo State at the House of Representatives.
Kamalu is seeking protection from Chima, who she alleged caused her to be arrested on May 27, 2019, tortured, humiliated, detained for seven days by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and arraigned on a fictitious N40m theft charge.
She made the allegation in a fundamental rights suit marked FHC/L/CS/1458/19, which came up on September 11, 2019.
Her counsel, Chijioke Jiakponna, told the judge that Chima had been evading service.
He alleged that when the bailiff called Chima on phone to inform him that he wanted to serve him, the lawmaker dropped the call.
Justice Oweibo had adjourned until September 23 to rule on whether to allow substituted service but the court did not sit on Monday.
In an affidavit filed by Kamala on August 22, 2019, she said the suit was filed due to the “intimidation, mounting surveillance and or illegal oral invitation threat of life and annihilation of property”.
She said she had been living “in perpetual fear” of being further detained “indefinitely”.
Kamalu is seeking several reliefs including a declaration that her arrest and detention “by the respondent at the State CID Police Headquarters, Owerri, Imo State for seven days was unconstitutional”.
Others include a declaration that her invitation by the police for another investigation while the case has been adjourned sine die at the Chief Magistrate Court, Owerri, violates her rights.
She also asked for an order restraining the respondents from further arresting, pursuing and intimidating her.
“An order directing the 1st 2nd, 4th to 6th respondents to release forthwith her Infinix Note 7 and lnfinix Note 8 illegally seized by the respondents during the arrest and torture in Lagos.
“An order awarding damage in the sum 0f N50m to the applicant for the unlawful arrest, torture, unlawful detention, insult, disgrace, intimidation and the embarrassing treatment meted out on the applicant.”
In the affidavit in support of her application, Kamalu averred that she and Chima began dating in 1993 while she was in secondary school.
She said, “We dated for 10 years, after which he proposed marriage and we both agreed to settle down as husband and wife.
“Unfortunately, our parents kicked against our relationship on the ground that we are biologically related and that we were committing incest and could not get married, so I married another man called Gabriel Igbibi.”
The applicant said she reconnected with the lawmaker when she needed assistance to execute a contract she secured and that after she refused his advances, “he raped me”.
She added, “I lodged the case first at New Owerri Police Station wherein he influenced it and I wrote a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Abuja. The petition was assigned to Zone 9 Police Command, Umuahia, Abia State.
“The 1st respondent settled the police and they brokered peace between the 1st respondent and me, wherein he promised to take proper care of me because he cannot withdraw himself from me.
“Following our reconciliation, we resumed our incestuous relationship.
“My husband got wind of the relationship between the 1st respondent and myself and filed for divorce.
“The 1st respondent promised that if the divorce succeeds, he will be giving me N20m every six months and also buy me a property in any designated place in Lagos.
“The marriage was dissolved at the Ikeja High Court, Lagos. After the divorce, the 1st respondent told me that before he will take the relationship serious, I will have to bear a child for him.”
According to her, she took in for him but had a miscarriage. He then asked her to adopt a baby, which would be his and claim that the baby was born in Canada but that the baby also died.
She further claimed that he made her swear to an oath of loyalty but she eventually caught him with another woman.
She said, “I became infuriated and he became furious and warned me never to visit him again, that he is no longer interested in the relationship.
“I reminded him of the oath he forced me to take that no man must have any relationship with me again and the promise to be giving N20m every six months, buy me a property in a choice area, buy a brand new car every six months, which he had never fulfilled.
“I told him that I would tell the whole world how he has ruined my life and deceived me out of my marriage where I had four children.”
Kamalu told the court that this was why the lawmaker used the police to arrest her on May 27, 2019 and detained for seven days.
When Chima was contacted on the telephone on Saturday evening for his reaction to the rape and N20m allegations, he said, “I’m inside a court now, can we talk later? I’m inside a court.”
Later that night and yesterday, his number rang out, while he failed to return our correspondent’s call.
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target=_blank>Western Sahara To Sue African Governments, Corporate Bodies Over Moroccan Occupation
The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic has started plans to sue governments and corporate bodies in Africa dealing with Morocco in the trade of resources it believes are taken from its territory.
The SADR had in a meeting in Abuja over the weekend chosen Femi Falana to be its legal representative.
The tiny state, which is recognised by the African Union in principle, plans to file its suit at the African Court of Human Rights in Arusha, Tanzania.
After accepting the appointment, Falana had said suits will begin popping up in Nigeria, which consumes tons of phosphate allegedly taken from SADR by Morocco.
The lawyer said he was not expecting much of a hurdle in the success of SADR’s appeal for an end to Morocco’s occupation of its mineral-rich territory.
According to Falana, suitable precedences are already established for the course of the SADR following a ruling of the International Court of Justice, which confirmed the sovereign status of Western Sahara, three separate judgments of the European Court of Human Rights as well as a ruling of the South African High Court, which declared that Morocco lacks the legal competence to enter into any form of bilateral agreements or treaties with other nations and corporate bodies for the exploitation of the mineral resources in Western Sahara without the consent of the people of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.
The tiny Arab territory was a Spanish colony between 1885 and 1975 but after Spain’s departure however, Mauritania and Morocco laid claim to the land.
The latter, however, invaded the territory in 1975, preventing the Spaniards from conducting a referendum on independence for the Saharawi people.
The ICJ’s ruling came the next year, rejecting Morocco’s occupation.
Morocco’s forces stayed on however, forcing at least 200,000 SADR natives to become refugees in Algeria till this day.
SADR had in 1984 claimed independence, receiving the backing of the African Union.
Morocco responded by leaving the organisation but rejoined in January 2017.
Despite SADR being a member of the AU, countries like Nigeria have remained silent about its continued occupation by Morocco.
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target=_blank>Adamawa Lawmaker Sacked For Certificate Forgery
The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, has sacked Shuaibu Langaga of the All Progressives Congress for certificate forgery.
Langaga had his election as member representing Mubi North in the Adamawa State Assembly nullified on Monday because he forged a first school leaving certificate, according to the panel.
The tribunal subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue certificate of return to Suleiman Vokna of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Langaga however, said he will appeal the judgment.
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APC Releases List Of Candidates For November LG Polls In Adamawa
The All Progressives Congress has released the list of it candidates for November’s local council elections in Adamawa State.
This followed the conduct of primary elections across the state to determine chairmanship and councillorship candidates for the 21 local government areas of Adamawa on Saturday.
However, the party has announced results for 18 of the 21 local government areas.
Results are pending from Madagali, Yola South and Toungo local government areas.
Publicity Secretary for the party in the state, Mohammed Abdullahi, who announced the results, said, “Only one woman emerged chairmanship candidate out of the 18 so far determined.
“Sophia Elisha is the only woman out of the 18 candidates. Also only 13 women made it among the 226 councillorship candidates.”
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