Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 24th October 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 24/10/20
Read also
Tell Nigerians Who Ordered Lekki Shootings, Prof Osundare Urges Buhari
Niyi Osundare
Poet-laureate, Prof Niyi Osundare, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to tell Nigerians the person, who ordered soldiers to kill some unarmed protesters in the Lekki Toll Gate area of Lagos State on Tuesday.
Some youth across many states in the country have been protesting against police brutality and the excesses of men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
Niyi Osundare
After the reported shooting of some of the protesters before the commencement of the 24-hour curfew imposed on the state by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, several prominent Nigerians have been urging Buhari to address the nation.
The President’s address, which eventually came on Thursday night, generated attacks from Nigerians as he kept mum over the Lekki episode.
According to the PUNCH, Osundare spoke in a statement on Thursday titled, ‘President Buhari, Say Something’.
He said many saw Buhari’s silence on the matter as a sign of contempt while others said it was due to lack of concern.
Osundare said, “You have an urgent, even existential reason to prove them wrong. Tell us: who ordered the Lekki Massacre? Who oversaw its execution? What sanctions are you putting in place for those perpetrators? The Nigerian people are waiting to know. The whole wide world is waiting.”
#EndSARS
Human Rights
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
Governor Obaseki Extends Ultimatum, Gives Escaped Inmates One Week To Return
The Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, has extended the ultimatum issued to inmates, who escaped from the Benin Medium Security Correctional Centre and Oko Medium Security Correctional Centre to return to the facilities by one week till Friday, October 30, 2020.
The governor had earlier given the fleeing inmates till Friday (today) to return.
In a statement on Friday by Obaseki’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, the extension by one week followed the positive response so far observed within the last few hours.
The statement reads, “The extension of the ultimatum is as a result of the positive response from the prisoners, as a good number of them have since returned to the two correctional facilities. The new window is to allow more prisoners to return to the centres willingly.
“The governor has reviewed the curfew time in the state to commence from 6pm to 6am daily, as against 4pm to 6am. The adjustment will take effect from Saturday, October 24, 2020. The security situation in the state is seen to be improving and we appreciate Edo people for adhering to government’s directives.”
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
Blood, Tears, And Sorrow At Lekki All Hail The Young Martyrs Of Our Revolution By Achike Chude
ACHIKE CHUDE
And so they have done their worst. And their worst was to send the whole gamut of the instrument of war against our people, young men and women, who for the first time in their lives and the history of this country stood for their nation. Their sacrifice and blood will water the tree of Nigeria’s liberty. They have not died in vain. For those in pain. Those who have been horrified that this murder of innocent young protesters could happen in a democracy, take heart. The blood of these Martyrs will reach the heavens in search of vengeance. That call will be answered bountifully.
If only the perpetrators understand what they have done and the consequences of this most heinous of actions. If only they understand that they have set off a chain reaction with an import so severe and debilitating to themselves. They will learn a lesson that man in the fullness of his arrogance has refused to learn – that no man or woman controls all the variables of life. The politicians and godfathers who took this action, the military commanders who gave the orders and the soldiers who pulled the triggers that snuffed the lives of these brave martyrs will learn that in this life and in the life to come they all will be held accountable and the consequences of their actions rendered fully.
Tribute to the new Nigerians – the young men and women we had thought lost who have suddenly found their way and mapped out a new direction for their beloved but much abused country.
ACHIKE CHUDE
Tribute to the young men and women who have today 20/10/20 at Lekki, Lagos, paid the ultimate price in service of their country. Their blood will be avenged multiple fold by the workings of the heavenly constellation in conjunction with the human elements.
Shame, shame, shame, to those who dare to call themselves political leaders in this country. All they have done is to continually bring derision and opprobrium to the entire people of Nigeria by their parochialism and kleptocracy. Graft and sleaze have been the hallmark of their ‘service to the Fatherland’ and their trademark has been the divisions they sow among Nigerians. They are a scourge to our nation.
Their cup will be full sooner than later.
Nigeria and Nigerians! We shall overcome.
Take heart and remain strong.
Opinion
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
Achike Chude
Disable advertisements
:
#LekkiShootings: A Day Of Sorrow, Tears And Blood By Seun Awogbenle
Seun Awogbenle
Tuesday, October 20, 2020 will forever be remembered as the day the Nigerian flag was soaked in sorrow, tears and blood. It will remain a dark day in our nation’s history and the day tyranny, oppression and evil triumphed over good, patriotism and statesmanship!
Peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, were attacked in the most brutish, brutal and barbaric manner by armed men in military uniform, the ones the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has now described as forces directly beyond his control.
Seun Awogbenle
It will never make sense to me the reason for the violent crackdown on unarmed protesters, who had nothing but flags in their hands and songs of the national anthem in their mouth. The protesters were attacked, shot, injured and ultimately killed for demanding an end to police brutality, public accountability and a broader demand for good governance.
I was at the Lekki Toll gate on Saturday, four days before the dark Tuesday, I joined other young Nigerians united in our resolve and commitment for a better Nigeria to protest against police brutality and demand our right to life from a government that has consistently shown scant regard for the protection of human lives. At the protest on Saturday, we were all full of energy, passion, zest and vigour, little did we know of the horror and carnage to come in the days ahead.
While lives have already been lost, many injured and others broken, I think the most disappointing reaction amidst our national mourning, is the deafening silence of the man who should preside over this country, Muhammadu Buhari, more than 48 hours after the carnage struck, Buhari has neither provided explanation on who authorized the shootings or even offer soothing words of in this time of grief and sadness. By this action, the President has clearly shown a lack of empathy and compassion that is untenable and unbecoming of a leader.
Guess what? At a time Nigerians are asking questions and demanding answers and justice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s vice President, could only offer words of prayers, love and light as some may choose to call it. Astounding! Nigerians demand answers, not prayers!
There are too many questions that the President must immediately answer, at whose behest was armed military men deployed to shoot live rounds at peaceful demonstrators, where are the men who shot the live rounds at unarmed protesters? Have they been arrested, when will they be prosecuted? Has the top military hierarchy been sanctioned?
I watched the shooting of the unarmed protesters like everyone else on the Instagram live of popular Nigerian DJ, songwriter and musician Obianuju Catherine Udeh (DJ Switch), at some point the number of people on the live was as much as 150,000 viewers. It was a very sad scene to see, live rounds were shot at innocent and defenceless citizens indiscriminately, a classic case of man’s inhumanity against man!
For starters, the deployment of armed military men to crackdown on peaceful protesters is unconstitutional, illegal and a gross abuse of executive power. We have consistently seen this wilful violation of the sanctity of our constitution again and again, it will never make sense, it is pure dictatorship, tyranny and oppression.
The right to peaceful protest and assembly is a fundamental right that is constitutionally guaranteed, citizens must never be intimidated, harassed or killed for expressing their rights, the government has a duty to protect protesters, not maim, injure or kill them. The excessive use of force on unarmed protesters is evil, wicked and inexcusable!
Our demands as young people are simple, a right to life, without being killed, the setting up of judicial panel of enquiry to investigate all atrocities committed by the now disbanded members of SARS in all the states, improved salary and welfare of police officers, justice and compensation for the families of those who have been killed by SARS officials. We believe these demands are not too much to ask from a government that we voted and elected into office.
I am particularly sad, and crestfallen by the lives that have been lost as a result of the protests, which is most fundamentally because the Nigerian Government has failed to provide protection for protesters as required by law. It is most atrocious that the government rather than protect protesters would rather deploy the military to attack unarmed protesters for demanding public accountability. Are we now in a military state?
My heart is with the families of those who have lost their lives, while praying that God rest the soul of our departed heroes. We will continue to remember them for their bravery and gallantry, in the face of oppression and tyranny. We will continue to honour their memories by recommitting ourselves to the fight for a better Nigeria, their stories will through us!
We will never forget 20.10.20, it will forever be remembered as the day the Nigerian flag was soaked in sorrow, tears and blood.
Opinion
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
Seun Awogbenle
Disable advertisements
:
Call Me A Poet By Evans Ufeli
Call me a poet,
When the cock crows.
One who will scribble this stories on the parchment of remembrance,
From the edge of our country homes,
At the pasture of our livid experiences,
How our feet were soaked in the blood of our sores.
And we crawled on the rough road,
With bullets sprinkled on our thighs
Call me a poet,
Who knows how we came down,
As the generation whose bloodlines lingers on the echoes of anguish, leaving footsteps of blood on the farlon threshold.
Killed by the day, robbed by night,
And jailed at forenoon.
Call me a poet,
SARS! Mean. Fierce. Blood!
When they took our lives, like it’s theirs, our blood like their wine
We wailed to the high heavens. Stained in the sins of the state,
The transgressions of the sovereign,
And the genocide of a country ungoverned.
On this space we called up the future,
Walking on the sinister trademark of state forces.
Call me a poet,
To reach out to Adofi Etua,
Today is our day of recompense,
From these graves of our confidante,
We march into your reckless souls,
Drowning you in the evil of your tempest,
Camping around the shadows of our grievances to pour out pain to the deaf throne of your iniquities. .
Where you drag us to the dangling portion of your greed.
Call me a poet,
To take back our cowries,
From the Lekki gate of blood,
Where our struggle was stolen by the sovereign,
Whose unknown soldiers cracked up our fortitude, leaving our resolve stronger.
Call me a poet,
To take these lessons,
Before I go to Rabbi to bring back the ark of prescience.
Nnasu is propelled to roast these inordinate charlatans,
Who delude the prognosis of our redressive allegiance and will our sacred entrails to the sand of hate.
Call me a poet!
Evans Ufeli Esq
© 2020
October.
POETRY
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
Evans Ufeli
Disable advertisements
:
EndSARS Protests: When Will Buhari And Sanwo-Olu Order Military To Gun Down Their Children By Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
It looked like a child’s play in the eyes of the vagabonds in power. The proclamation roared over and triggered the atmosphere by Nigerians, that the freedom we all waited to witness had arrived.
Unfortunately democracy does not exist in Nigeria after 60 years of independence. A failed country with unfortunate political office holders; the blood of all the innocent people shall hunt all of them as they ordered for the removal of CCTV cameras at the toll gate and switched off the lights.
Nigeria is a contraption, a country where our constitutional rights have been violated and deprived us of justice. A country where people who swore oaths to defend and protect its citizens are the same people that gave orders to kill Nigerians.
Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
A King who ushered in peace will never be forgotten and the one who brought in turmoil and desolation like General Muhammadu Buhari is doing presently by giving an order to gun down unarmed protesters, will also be remembered.
General Muhammadu Buhari’s silence on the matter in his toxic national broadcast proved he is complicit. Human lives matter nothing to him especially because he is confident that his children are in a safe place where no harm can touch them, that is why he was not bothered to address Nigerians in first place, or because it wasn’t Miyetti Allah cows that were killed.
Nigeria has suffered a lot in the hands of this wicked government under General Buhari’s watch. What happened at the Lekki Toll Gate is a genocide and a planned work orchestrated by Buhari and Sanwo-Olu. The bullet that killed the innocent people will hunt you, for the law of karma is inevitable.
The children of nobody are the target audience during any protest, the government officials sponsored thugs to disrupt a peaceful protest and blamed the protesters. The Buhari government has bred more evils and unchained their devils to go after people who are agitating for good governance.
The Senate and reps should as a matter of urgency pass a vote of no confidence on the General, and ask him to resign honorably or get impeached. Right now, Nigeria is bleeding seriously, and we are already sitting on a keg of gunpowder. If not managed well, Nigeria will explode within the blink of an eye.
The current situation in our country and the insulting speech of General Buhari show clearly that Nigeria has no president or leader at any level. There is temptation and confusion all over the country as government-hired hoodlums destroy properties.
When the pot was cooking yams, no one heard; not until the yams got into the mortar to be pounded that noise broke out. General Buhari was deaf to listen to people’s requests. Those who ordered the killings of unarmed protesters in Nigeria will not survive this at the end of the day.
Hong Kong protested for two years without killing any of its citizens. Here in Nigeria, the peaceful protests are not up to a month, yet we have lost many lives and properties. And some people who gave orders to kill the protesters claimed to be the father of all democracy.
We plead and urge all the foreign countries to place permanent visa bans on all Nigeria politicians who have committed crimes against humanity, including their children and wives. Their families residing abroad should be repatriated to Nigeria immediately.
These politicians have ripped us off both front and back, the hardship and hunger in the land is unbearable.
Opinion
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed
Disable advertisements
:
What Next For PWDs As Government Excludes Them From COVID-19 Intervention Programme
The outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria like in other countries, brought the nation to its knees as all sectors of the country were halted. From agriculture to economy down to sports, the outbreak of the pandemic continues to affect every single person but in different ways.
As the effect of the virus bites hard, the government stepped in to cushion the effect by providing palliatives to citizens.
The Nigerian Government claimed to have spent billions of naira in palliatives distribution across the country. Despite this spending by the government, People with Disabilities have continued to lament their non-inclusion in the programmes as well as not carrying them along in the post-COVID-19 plans and information.
Assessing the palliatives programme, a joint report by civil societies revealed that the aid was hijacked and diverted by politicians.
A survey was carried out across Lagos State and one of the respondents of the survey claimed that a lot of the palliatives came from the NGOs, private organisations and individuals and they are more than what the government shared.
Recounting how they were affected by the virus, PWDs said despite being the most vulnerable to the outbreak, they did not receive any help from the government.
Ada, a special needs lady, said she had to rely on help from family members during the lockdown to survive.
She said, “Several measures have been taken since the outbreak of the virus but less consideration was given to us as people with disabilities and we are the most vulnerable in the society.
“While I could not go to my work and had no money coming in, I had to rely on assistance from family and friends.
“The government said they shared food materials but we only heard about them in the media.”
Lanre, a resident of Ketu, a Lagos suburb, who works as a cobbler despite his disability, said patronage dropped significantly, forcing him to to close his shop till the government fully opened the economy.
He said, “When I did not get palliative from the government, I was relying on the money I had saved.
“When it finished, I went to open my shop but nobody patronised me for about a month and had to close it until now that everybody is coming out.
“During that period of lockdown, feeding and paying bills was hell for me because I do not have anybody to meet for assistance and my family had to eat.”
Condemning the palliatives distribution process, CSOs in the country noted that the major problem was the inequality in the distribution of the relief materials.
CSOs noted that some clusters got more than others while the government ignored the PWD clusters.
“There were problems of distribution as some clusters got more packs than others, and the whole process became chaotic.
“There was the issue of coordinating with the PWDs. A better result would have been obtained, if there had been a relationship with the Joint National Association of Persons with disabilities, and Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs.
“Identifying who to give the palliative would have been easier if the synergy was there, synergy was clearly absent,” the CSOs said.
Suggesting the way forward on inclusivity and engagement with PWDs, President, Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities of Nigeria, Mrs Joko Dawodu Omotola, said while the neglect by the government could not be described as deliberate, it should immediately move to ensure PWDs were well catered for even beyond COVID-19.
She stated that 50 PWDs from clusters were able to get support from private individuals and non-governmental organisations.
She said, “The Lagos state government was looking for ways to alleviate the sufferings of the people so what they did was to quickly give palliative but was not properly planned because I don’t expect the state to want people with disabilities to struggle with the other set of people in getting palliative.
“For stabilization, financial support is needed. Aside from finances, needs of the clusters are being considered, we have advocate groups with intellectual disabilities and there are so many in our clusters that have severe conditions that parents need to stay and sit with them before they can eat and do anything.
“It is sad to say that we are the most neglected but we have been trying to create awareness and as soon as COVID-19 is over, we can then swing into action.”
She also urged the government to push for a balance in matters concerning PWDs, adding that the government should include PWDs in its social intervention programme.
Omotola advised all state and local governments to replicate the establishment of PWD commission by creating functional offices that should be manned by the different PWD clusters at their levels to deal with the challenges facing the PWDs effectively.
Similarly, Dr Adebukola Adebayo, Chairman, JONAPWD Lagos State Chapter and Disability and Inclusive Development consultant, stressed the need for the government to give economic packages for minor and major businesses, individuals and organizations.
He added that the system has to be put in place for disability inclusion which should be by defaults from the government.
Adebayo said, “In the case of children with disabilities, does the government have the knowledge or understanding of how to cope with these children or are they building capacity for staff but as the case may be?
“I have not seen any interventions to strengthen the capacity of government officials on how to include the disabled in their interventions.
“Secondly, CBN came with an intervention to support small and medium scale enterprises in order to get their business back on tracks. There have to be lots of supportive systems from the government to buy into the products produced by the PWD’s and also to access the market easily.”
Adebayo also urged CSOs to find a way to get people’s support whether the government was inclusive or not.
He added that when the government fails to carry out its responsibilities, CSOs and private organisations should fill in the gap by calling the government to its responsibilities or approaching private individuals who will be willing to assist PWDs clusters in the country.
This report was done with the support of the Internews
PUBLIC HEALTH
News
Reports
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
Oyetunde Tobi
Disable advertisements
:
CSOs Condemn Growing Calls For Passage Of Social Media Bill In Nigeria
About 15 civil society organisations have decried the growing calls by different individuals and government affiliates for the passage of the social media bill in Nigeria by the National Assembly.
The Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill better known as Social Media Bill prescribes sanction for abuse of social media.
It was sponsored by Muhammad Musa representing Niger East senatorial district.
The CSOs, in a statement, argued that the overwhelming demand for police reform in Nigeria was a product of government’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians and any attempt to pass the social media bill will only further agitate the polity and widen the distrust of Nigerians towards the government.
They called on the Senate to reject the bill.
The statement reads, “We have watched with dismay the growing demand from different individuals and government affiliates following the crucial role the social media has played in the recent EndSARS protest, that the social media bill should be quickly passed by the National Assembly.
“The coordination and consistency of this obnoxious demand, especially at a time when Nigerians have been very vocal against police brutality and are demanding a better Nigerian police institution through the social media, has compelled us to immediately decry such demand as insensitive, retrogressive and anti-democracy.
“The overwhelming demand for police reform in Nigeria today is a product of government’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians for a very long time. In the same way, any attempt to pass the social media bill will only further agitate the polity and widen the distrust of Nigerians towards the government.
“Considering recent events in the country, particularly the escalation of violence against peaceful protesters in Lekki, Lagos, and other parts of the country, it has become extremely important for the Nigerian Government to demonstrate its commitment to accountability to the people; and the social media remains a very crucial platform where citizens can lead such conversation.
“In addition, recent developments in the country proves that the social media is playing an invaluable role in deepening Nigeria’s democracy and promoting citizens’ demand for accountability, hence; a very important thing that government must do at this time is to ensure that any conversation about restricting digital freedom or freedom of speech is sharply considered a threat to Nigerians and Nigeria’s civic space.
“It is our hope, therefore, that the National Assembly would take the lead in demonstrating government’s commitment to the Nigerian people in these trying times, and kill the social media bill once and for all, and make sure that a more democratic approach is employed to deal with fake news in the country.”
Free Speech
Politics
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
SaharaReporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
I JUST HOPE, A Note To Nigerian Youth By Olorunfemi Adeyeye
Femi Adeyeye
Are you confused at the moment? Weak? Hearts shattered?
I want to tell you that you are not alone. It’s understandable and permissible. You feel less patriotic? No. You are a patriot; a brave one at that. You are not a coward for feeling broken at the moment. The cowards are the ones who can not own up to their evil deeds in broad daylight.
I only hope you now agree that the goal is bigger. The state and system you are fighting, brutal. The rots, deeper. That our demands should be radical and strategy, wider. 
I hope you now know it’s way beyond electing a “good person”. It’s about electing a good political/socio-economic system that would prun even the worst of us. I hope you know that a government that can clamp down on young protestors to the point of killing them gruesomely, would do worse during elections just to remain in power.
I hope you now know your enemies. I hope you won’t forget how you showed to the World, through organizing the protests, that transparency and accountability should be the hallmarks of governance. I hope you take these everywhere you go to.
I hope you now know that you don’t have to talk tough to be killed by the state. The State can kill you for merely sitting on the floor dumb, if your sitting on the floor threatens their business empire. The flag and national anthem mean nothing to them. There is no sense of nationhood in the State. It’s all kleptohood.
Femi Adeyeye
I hope you now know that the state would do all to protect its business interests. Kill and spin narratives. None of them, across all tribes, has resigned out of shame or even out of a sense of humanness. I hope you won’t forget how they control the media reportage.
I hope you won’t forget how your oppressors prefer spending billions to quench your thirst for freedom, to acceding to your genuine demands. I hope you now know that they are afraid of you and your unity.
I sincerely hope you won’t cheer your oppressors and invite them to public/convocation lectures, except to stone them. It’s not violence. It’s called resistance.
I hope you will boycott their meetings if they would be bold to call any, even through their proxies.
I strongly hope you won’t walk past your fellow oppressed when he’s being brutalized by any state agent.
I hope you won’t forget these lessons as we forge ahead.
Above all, I hope you now know that when you fight, you may win. But when you don’t, you have already lost.
Comrades. It’s a marathon but we can get there fast. Take a deep breath. Lace your boots. We move!
#EndSARS #RevolutionNow
Opinion
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
Olorunfemi Adeyeye
Disable advertisements
:
European Parliament Endorses Okonjo-Iweala For WTO Job
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
The European Parliament, the legislative branch of the European Union, has endorsed Nigeria’s candidate for the position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Sven Simon, member of the European Parliament, in a tweet announced the decision of the parliament after a discussion with Okonjo-Iweala and Yoo Myung-hee, South Korea’s candidate for WTO job.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
So far, 79 out of the 164 states that comprise the WTO have endorsed Nigeria’s first female finance and foreign minister for the job.
They urged the European Union to express support for the candidacy of the former World Bank director.
He said, “On 19 October, the EP’s Steering Group of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organisation organised exchanges of views with the two remaining candidates for the role of Director-General of the WTO.
“On this occasion, both candidates gave us an extensive account of their plans for the future of the organisation and the approach they would choose in order to deal with the crises that are currently threatening the multilateral trading system.
“Both candidates are extremely experienced, well qualified and knowledgeable, and have their own clear visions for the WTO’s future and priorities, and the Director-General’s role in shaping it, as well concerning the important role for parliamentarians in that future.
“During the discussions, we appreciated, in particular, the vision that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala presented for tackling the substantial challenges the organisation is facing.
“Her assessment of the existing problems of the organisation revealed a deep understanding of the fault lines dividing the WTO’s membership.” I am pleased to announce, that the @Europarl_EN is endorsing @NOIweala as the Director-General of the @WTO. After our joint hearing on Monday we are convinced by her vision for the future of multilateralism and advise WTO members to support her bid. pic.twitter.com/7MplMi3Szs— Sven Simon MEP 🇪🇺🇩🇪 (@svensimon) October 21, 2020
News
AddThis
:
Original Author
:
Saharareporters, New York
Disable advertisements
:
Read also
You can also check
