Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Wednesday 5th August 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 05/08/20
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BREAKING: Fire Guts ECOWAS Secretariat In Abuja
Fire on Tuesday night gutted a section of the Economic Community of West African States Secretariat, located in Asokoro District of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
It was gathered that the fire affected the floor accommodating the Department of Finance and Account of the commission.
First responders including firefighters have since been drafted to the incident scene.
A senior official of the commission confirmed the fire outbreak to SaharaReporters.
The official said the fire had already been put out.
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Money Laundering: EFCC Rearraigns Adoke On Amended Charges
Mohammed Bello Adoke
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has rearraigned former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke.
Adoke was initially arraigned on a seven-count charge but the EFCC arraigned him on a 14-count amended charge of money laundering to the tune of over $6,000,000.
He was rearraigned before Justice I. E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Mohammed Bello Adoke
Adoke was rearraigned alongside Aliyu Abubakar.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them by the anti-corruption agency.
The judge adjourned the case until August 11, 12, and 13, 2020 for the commencement of trial.
Corruption
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Police Arrest Two Nurses, One Other For Allegedly Stealing Newborn Baby In Katsina
Two nurses and one other person have been arrested for stealing and selling a newborn baby by the police in Katsina State.
SaharaReporters gathered that one Shamsiya Sani, 25, a resident of Dandagoro Quarters, Katsina, was delivered of a baby girl at a clinic around Kofar Kaura Quarters and was said to have abandoned the baby shortly after the delivery with a note.
The two nurses, Misira Tijjani and Grace Ejigu, were alleged to have conspired and sold the child to one Mrs Eucharia Onyema of Sabuwar Kasuwa Quarters, Katsina.
But luck ran out on them when they were arrested on their way from the hospital with the child through the help of a tricycle rider, who suspected them of stealing the child and alerted the police.
Confirming the incident, spokeperson for the state police command, Gambo Isah, said the suspects were arrested on July 28, 2020 based on a tip-off forselling the newly born baby girl.
He said investigation was ongoing into the matter.
Isah said, “On 25/07/2020, at about 10:00hrs, one Shamsiya Sani, aged 25 years of Dandagoro Quarters, Katsina, was delivered of a baby girl at Okomos Clinic, Kofar Kaura Quarters, Katsina.
“She later abandoned the child at the hospital with a hand-written note, stating that it was born out of wedlock hence the abandonment.
“Two nurses, Misira S. Tijjani, aged 35 years of Filin Canada Quarters, Katsina, and Grace Ejigu, aged 43 years of Shagari Low Cost, Katsina, conspired and sold the child to one Eucharia Onyema, aged 45 years of Sabuwar Kasuwa Quarters, Katsina.”
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Police
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Bristow Helicopters Sacks 100 Pilots
The management of Bristow Helicopters Limited has terminated the appointment of 100 pilots.
This comes barely 24 hours after Nigerian airline, Air Peace, sacked over 70 pilots citing COVID-19 crisis.
The aviation company in a statement on Tuesday said those sacked comprised both Nigerian nationals and expatriates working with the company.
According to the airline, the decision to sack the pilots was due to the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It said it had engaged with the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers to negotiate a fair and equitable redundancy compensation for those affected.
The statement reads, “The spread of the COVID-19 virus has severely impacted all sectors in the aviation industry including our market, which primarily serves the Nigerian oil and gas sector.
“In addition, the ongoing downturn in the global oil and gas market continues to influence and determine the demand for our services.
“The combined effects of these ‘arisings’ has resulted in very significant reductions to our business particularly a reduction in the number of contracted aircraft in Nigeria.
“As a result, the company must now restructure all aspects of its business model (both Rotary & Fixed Wing), including an extensive review of its operations and we continue to drive efficiencies, but with zero compromise to safety and our core values.
“One of these measures includes the right sizing of the business to ensure that the company has the optimal level of personnel to continue the safe delivery of its services to its clients, whilst allowing the appropriate capacity for future growth.
“Accordingly, and with much regret, the company has taken the very difficult decision to release over 100 pilots and engineers (both National and Expatriates) over the next couple of weeks.
“In compliance with the relevant labor and local content laws and also best practices; the company has engaged the leadership of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) to negotiate a fair and equitable redundancy compensation for the affected individuals.”
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Niger Delta Group Threatens To Join TUC’s Planned Protest Over Corruption In NDDC
Niger Delta Development Commision (NDDC) Building, Port Harcourt.
The Niger Delta Rights Advocates has threatened to join the Trade Union Congress and other civil society organisations to protest the delay on the part of the Nigerian Government in taking action against officials of Niger Delta Development Commission involved in corruption.
The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to stain his government with the mud of corruption by endorsing the continued dramatisation of corruption in the commission.
In a statement, spokesperson for the group, Darlington Nwauju, said, “In as much as government is a continuum and ordinarily nothing would have been seen as awkward in having a sitting management team commissioning the projects completed by its predecessor, the case of the Prof Pondei-led NDDC IMC is quite different for the basic reason that there are a plethora of uncompleted and abandoned projects which the IMC could lay hands on to deliver to the people of the region.
Niger Delta Development Commision (NDDC) Building, Port Harcourt.
Google/Charles Megafu
“The NDRA considers the attempt by Prof Pondei and his team as a ploy to dig into their bag of tricks to continue to put the people of the region in confusional conference while he and his co-travellers continue in the sharing bazaars.
“Finally, we shall have no other option than to join forces with the TUC and sister civil society organisations to protest the seeming delay on the part of the Federal Government to decisively take action against the current NDDC IMC.”
Niger Delta
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Over 10 Persons Confirmed Dead, Hundreds Wounded In Beirut Explosion
A massive explosion hit Central Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday, resulting in the death of over 10 persons and leaving many others wounded.
The explosion, which erupted at the port in Beirut according to local media, started with a fire.
Nearby houses and cars were hit by the resulting shockwave from the explosion.
Lebanon’s Health Minister, Hamad Hasan, said the explosion in central Beirut caused a “very high number of injuries” and extensive damage, Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) reported.
Reuters quoted sources as saying 10 bodies had been pulled from the wreckage.
Beirut governor, Marwan Abboud, inspected the explosion site at the Beirut port, revealing that contact was lost with a number of firefighters, who rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire.
Abboud said that Beirut city was stricken, adding that what happened was unprecedented.
Videos shared on social media showed a burst of flames as it engulfed houses and nearby buildings.
Meanwhile, the United States of America has said it would be “monitoring closely” the explosion in Beirut.
Alyssa Farah, the White House Director of Strategic Communications, tweeted that President Donald Trump had been briefed about the explosion.
“Praying for the safety of the people of Lebanon. The President has been briefed. We continue to monitor the situation closely,” she posted on Twitter.
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NIPOST, FIRS Clash Over Stamp Duty Collection
The Nigeria Postal Service and the Federal Inland Revenue Service are currently in a tussle over who has the legal right to collect stamp duty for the country.
Recall that the government through the FIRS had increased the payment of stamp duties, which led to an uproar among Nigerians.
In a tweet, Chairman of NIPOST, Maimuna Abubakar, said the organisation was the only agency charged with the responsibility of producing adhesive stamps and revenue for the purchase of such stamp accrues to NIPOST.
She also said that there was nowhere in FIRS Act or Stamp Duty Act that states FIRS can produce stamp or sell such.
The NIPOST board chair also said FIRS did not only steal NIPOST stamps but also ideas.
She tweeted, “I am worried for NIPOST, having sleepless nights because of NIPOST, we need the general public to come to our aid, FIRS stole our mandate.
“FIRS are now selling stamps instead of buying from us. NIPOST are the sole custodians of national stamps, another agency printing and selling stamps is against the law of the land.
“FIRS did not only steal our stamps but also our ideas, what NIPOST had worked for since 2016, our documents, patent and sneaked everything into the finance bill and tactically removed the name of NIPOST.”
Abubakar revealed that NIPOST had generated over N60bn for the Federal Government.
Responding to Abubakar, the FIRS said it was the sole agency charged with the responsibility of assessing, collecting, and accounting for all tax types including stamp duties.
Director of Communication and Liaison of FIRS, Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, in a statement on behalf of the agency, said, “To be sure, NIPOST is a government parastatal established by Decree 41 of 1992 with the function to develop, promote, and provide adequate and efficiently co-ordinated postal services at reasonable rates.
“This function is clearly contrary to the claim by NIPOST over the administration of stamp duties in Nigeria.”
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Kebbi Group Petitions President Buhari To Suspend AGF Malami
Abubakar Malami
Embarrassed by revelations of corruption and abuse of public trust allegedly committed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, a group, Kebbi Concerned Citizens, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the AGF.
KCC urged the President to order an investigation into all allegations against Malami to convince Nigerians and the international community that the administration’s anti-corruption posture was genuine.
The petition implored President Buhari to swiftly act the same way he did when Malami brought up Issues against the suspended EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.
Abubakar Malami
The petition, signed by the Director-General of KCC, Ibrahim Mohammed, also informed the President that Nigerians were devastated by corruption allegations within the top hierarchy of his government.
The petition reads, “Millions of Nigerians passionate and desirous of corruption-free Nigeria were left devastated with many unfortunate events recently which took place in the anti-corruption fight arena.
“The incident which was described as unfortunate, big setback and national embarrassment had so far casted doubts in the minds of many people nationally and globally.
“The allegations ranged from accumulation of huge wealth, houses, businesses and other landed properties which according to SaharaReporters were alleged to have relations with corruption and abuse of office.
“Therefore, permit us to formally register our displeasure to a long silence from the Presidency on the incident. It has not gone without notice how quickly the Presidency acted when almost similar allegations were made against others.
“Mr President must set up a panel to investigate the allegations levelled against the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
“Suspend the minister pending the outcome of the panel to provide a favourable atmosphere for investigation.”
Corruption
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RevolutionNow: Buhari Has Sold Misgovernance, We Have To Pay With Revolution By Seyi Oyetunbi
The giant of Africa needs a political resuscitation for her to live again. If a government fails to be responsible, it then becomes a matter of necessity for the people to organise and revolt. The nature of democracy is people-centred, that’s why it is described by a one-time US President, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), to be “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” As it is that what we have in Nigeria’s democracy is government of the old, by the callous and for the rich, the country is due for a revolution; to put an end to the misrule of many decades.
The powerful few at the helms of affairs have long enjoyed the docility of the hoi polloi: children of nobody go through hassles to have a university education, graduate to be either underemployed or unemployed; the few powerful earn six figures salary yet tell the poor that a living wage of hundred thousand naira will cause inflation; no life supporting amenity is accessible to the poor; mass killing by bandits is now what we hear in news everyday, corruption now sits on the constituted throne and illegality is now the way to get a good life. If there’s no revolution, there can’t be any sustainable change. Revolution is the elixir.
Buhari met the country sick, he came and injected it with lethal substance when we all had hoped the promised change would be positive. The revolution is now and any effort to halt it will be met with adequate resistance. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. You can’t beat a child and ask him not to cry!
Buhari’s government has failed in its totality. And his efforts to abort the planned mass action is yet another proof that, expecting Buhari to be effective is like expecting to be served pork in the holy city of Mecca. Instead of running after the shadow of RevolutionNow, why has he not tightened his belt to address issues raised by the campaigners of RevolutionNow?
The orange beret frightens Buhari than guns and the other arsenal of Boko Haram as he is selfish, callous, reckless and myopic. Just a gun shot in the Villa, security officers got fired in 48 hours, but the killing in North-East and the increasing bandits attack in Southern Kaduna are not enough for him to send the incompetent Army chiefs packing.
The only thing that can stop the revolution is nothing. Buhari’s style of leadership and his sheer underperformance have birthed the much needed revolution that will hit the country by tomorrow. The Federal High Court in Abuja has said the protest is constitutional. Thus, police officers expected to be deployed should know they’re oppressed too, and should not be in a loggerhead with pained, subjugated, battered, frustrated citizens expressing their feelings. Any altercation between the oppressed and the oppressed defeats logic. The protest is planned to be peaceful and organized.
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Seyi Oyetunbi
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Revolution Is The Only Solution To Nigeria’s Problem, Says Youth Corps Member
A serving member of the National Youth Service, Mr Abiodun Sanusi, has said that revolution was the only solution to Nigeria’s problems.
Sanusi, who declared his support for the #RevolutionNow protest in message on Tuesday, said the problems bedevilling the country was a result of bad leadership.
He said Nigerians had suffered enough in the hands of both past and successive governments, urging youths to troop out to participate in the protest scheduled to take place across major cities in the country on Wednesday.
Sanusi said that citizens of the country, mostly especially the youth cannot continue to suffer in silence under a government that had failed to meet their welfare.
He said, “We have also demanded a reliable, adequate and affordable healthcare system, adequate security, 24 hours electric power supply, adequate infrastructures and nationalization of all public owned resources and properties in the country.
“I enjoin every Nigerian youth to support the #RevolutionNow Movement, throng out en masse in protests on Wednesday, 5th of August, 2020 to demand their inalienable rights as global citizens, and most especially, as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Sanusi, however, said the youth would never rescind their resolution to bring the necessary revolution to Nigeria until there was a better country that works for every citizen both at home and in the Diaspora.
ACTIVISM
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