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Ekiti Assembly: SANs Express Concern, Call For End To Constitutional, Democratic Rascality

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Ekiti Assembly: SANs Express Concern, Call For End To Constitutional, Democratic Rascality

SOME elders and legal luminaries from Ekiti State, worried by the recent impeachment saga bedevilling the state House of Assembly, have called for immediate end to such “constitutional and democratic rascality.”

  Aare Afe Babalola; Chief Wole Olanipekun; Dele Adesina; Olu Daramola; Femi Falana; Dayo Akinlaja and Gboyega Oyewole, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), in a statement dated November 23, wrote: “Ekiti State is globally known as ile iyi, ile eye (land of honour, land of dignity). By all standards, and especially on account of the excellent virtues and priceless values that Ekiti people are primordially known for, it is simply beyond disputation that the sobriquet of ile iyi, ile eye is superbly earned by the State.

  “Credence is, doubtless, lent to this inviolate position by the surfeit of elite, highly distinguished and most exemplary personalities that the State parades as indigenes. Against the backdrop of the salutary status of Ekiti people and State as people and land of honour and dignity respectively, it easily becomes a tragic irony and downright sacrilege whenever the State is in the news for less than honourable and dignifying reason(s). This has disturbingly and disquietingly been the situation in the past few days on the standpoint of the socio-political debacle and shenanigans going on in the State House of Assembly.

  “By way of a somewhat pedantic proem, it is common knowledge that the erstwhile Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the Rt. Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, transited to eternity on the 19th day of October, 2022.

  “As a sequel to that unfortunate development, a new Speaker for the State legislature had to be elected. The election to produce a new speaker, incontrovertibly, took place on Tuesday, the 15th day of November, 2002.

  “As widely reported in the media, two members of the House contested for the Speakership and at the end of the election, one of the duo, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, was declared the winner of the election, having polled 15 votes as against the 10 votes garnered by the other contestant, Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba. The winner of that electoral contest, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan was promptly and duly sworn in as the new Speaker by the Clerk of the State House of Assembly.

  “Thereafter, it was brought to the notice of the general public that a new Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly had emerged.

In a strange twist to the tale, however, news filtered out in the morning of the very next day, 16th November, 2022, that the Ekiti State House of Assembly Complex had been sealed off by the Police.   

  “By the evening of that day, the new Speaker, Gboyega Aribisogan was heard on Channels Television saying that he was not privy to the decision to seal off the Complex by the Police and that when he reached out to the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, he was informed that the step was taken to avert an intended attack by hoodlums on the State House of Assembly.

  “According to the Speaker, the Police Commissioner had assured him that the situation would be speedily brought under control and normalcy would be restored to enable the House resume its constitutional and legislative functions.

  “However, to the dismay and discomfort of all peace-loving indigenes of the State, the State House of Assembly Complex remained under lock and key for the rest of that week. What followed was a visibly flustered Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, the elected Speaker, appearing on Channels Television in the evening of Sunday, 20th November, 2022, to inform the whole world that there were plans to either impeach him as the Speaker or, failing that, assassinate him the following day.

  “Hardly, had the next day broken than the media space became awash with the news that Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan had been impeached and, added to that, himself and six other members of the House suspended. Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba, who had previously contested and lost the Speakership to Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, was announced as the newly elected Speaker. One may ask a few stunning questions, that is, who supervised the ‘election’ of Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba as the Speaker?

  “Was it the same Clerk of the House who presided over the election of Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan a few days earlier, publicly announced the results and declared him as the winner? Be it noted that under the Constitution and any parliamentary practice, the Clerk is the Chief Executive of any Parliament and presides over the conduct of election for the presiding officers.

  “If it was the same Clerk, who mandated him to conduct another election that foisted Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba on the House, in a spectacularly unconstitutional and ridiculous manner? Who are the actual masquerades that prompted the Clerk to act in such an absurd manner? Are they from within or without the House? Was the Clerk aware of the age-long principle of separation of powers, as between the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary, as now enshrined in the Constitution? Or were/are the sponsors of this debacle aware of or have scant respect for this sacred principle which sustains democratic governance and governments in the free world?

  “To say the very least, the situation in the Ekiti State House of Assembly should be of extremely grave concern to every decent and discerning mind.

  “Before going further, it is pertinent to underscore the prime importance of the State House of Assembly in the affairs of any State in the country. It is provided in Section 4(6) and (7) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) that the legislative powers of a State of the Federation shall be vested in the House of Assembly of the State and that the House of Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the State or any part thereof with respect to matters within the ambit of the legislative competence of the State legislature.

  “Apparently enough, therefore, the imbroglio that is presently ravaging the Ekiti State House of Assembly has effectively denied the State of the benefit of the constitutional responsibilities of the Legislative House and the consequences cannot but be dire on the security and welfare of the people, as well as the general wellbeing of the State and its indigenes.

  “Meanwhile, under and by virtue of Section 92 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), once elected by the members of the House, as done in the case of Aribisogan, the Speaker shall continue to be in office during the lifespan of the particular House except, inter alia, removed from office by a resolution of the House of Assembly by the votes of not less than two-third majority of the House.

  “From the short background above, it is plain as day that the elected Speaker was not allowed to function in office for the spate of one day before the sealing off of the Complex. Pray, therefore, at what point in time could he have committed any infraction of the constitution, any other law or the Rules of the House to warrant his supposed removal? Assuming without conceding that the Speaker had committed any infraction, was he not entitled to be confronted with the allegation in that respect and given reasonable opportunity to defend himself?

  “If so, when was he accorded that? Incontestably, election into such an exalted position as the Speaker of the House dictates that a holder of the office must be accorded fair hearing before being removed from the office.

  “The alleged suspension and stoppage of the salaries of the Speaker and six other members of the House are no less misplaced, illegal, illegitimate, null and void. If care is not taken, and if all of us seal our lips, fold our arms and get relaxed on our seats and allow this rascality and impunity to go unchecked, in no distant future, the Governor of the State would be impeached and forced out of office in like manner.

  “Instructively, or with the benefit of hindsight, one would have expected the dramatis personae in this very constitutionally dastardly act to peep into history, at least momentarily, to learn therefrom, more particularly so that under a certain regime in the State, the then Speaker of the House was purportedly impeached, in a manner not as abrasive and audacious as the one under discussion, and the aggrieved Speaker, with some suspended members of the House, instituted an action against the constitutional aberration, and without much ado, the entire action was declared null and void by the High Court of Ekiti State, presided over by Hon. Justice Abiodun Adesodun, who decreed the reinstatement of the impeached Speaker and suspended members, as well as payment of all their accrued salaries and emoluments.

  “Taking cognisance of this precedent, the natural deduction to be made from the flagrant actions of the current political gladiators in Ekiti State House of Assembly and their instigator(s) is that they have no respect for the rule of law. By their actions, they have demonstrated a penchant for political rascality, impunity, brazenness and recklessness of no mean measure. Let it be mentioned and registered, posthaste, without any modicum of equivocation, that the purported impeachment of Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan as well as the announced suspension of seven members of the House is an exercise in utmost futility and, unquestionably, null and void.

  “The situation is highly condemnable. This is particularly by reason of the fact that the members of the House of Assembly said to have been suspended represent their constituencies in the legislative affairs of the State. The House is made up of 26 members (now 25, with the demise of Hon. Funminiyi Afuye), the purported suspension of seven members simply implies that more than a quarter of the membership of the House and the constituencies represented by them are now rendered impotent and unfunctional. This is absolutely unwarranted, unjustified and condemnable.

  “By way of argument, the sponsors of the charade and their cohorts in the House have foisted on the entire State, a coup d’etat, in the sense that the suspension of more than one quarter of the members of the House equally translates to the fact that members of their constituencies have also been suspended from the State.

  “Going by the clear provision of Section 179 (2) (b) of the Constitution, the Governor, before being declared as the winner of an election to the office of the Chief Executive of the State was expected to have scored/polled not less than one quarter of the votes cast in not less than two-thirds of the Local Governments in the State.

  “Excising over one-quarter of the Local Governments represented by the suspended legislators from the State, as it were, means that the Governor may no longer be presiding over the Ekiti State on which election that brought him to office was conducted, and/or that the Ekiti State which the constitutionally delineated constituencies from where the suspended legislators were/are produced is not the State now being governed by the Governor.

  “Without being immodest, Ekiti State parades a good number of the leading lights and icons of the legal profession in Nigeria such as Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, Founder & Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD and former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos; Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, OFR, SAN, former Attorney-General of the old Ondo State, past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Ibadan; Dele Adesina, SAN, past General- Secretary of the NBA; Olu Daramola, SAN, Femi Falana, SAN, past President of the West African Bar Association (WABA); Dayo Akinlaja, SAN, past Attorney-General of Ekiti State and Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, past Attorney-General of Ekiti State, among several others, under whose auspices this statement is being issued.

  “In light of this position, it is nothing short of downright insensitivity, unmitigated disrespect, unalloyed affront and deep infra dig for the unconstitutionality and illegality that have emerged from the activities of the concerned political functionaries in the State and their masterminds to be contemplated, let alone so brazenly executed, knowing full well that the message unwittingly sent out therefrom is that there are no legally discerning indigenes of the State that could decipher the illegitimacy and illegality of the purported impeachment and suspension.

  “Significantly, it is exceedingly unfathomable and difficult to rationalise the basis for the roiling crisis in the Ekiti State House of Assembly on the strength of the fact that the entire members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly belong to one political party (APC). Noteworthy, in 2007 or thereabout, the same State House of Assembly was polarised between two political parties (in equal proportion); this notwithstanding, the House was at peace and not beset by the crisis of the sort being witnessed today.

  “Without any speck of doubt, every person with a sense of justice, fairness and political decency must be scandalised by what is currently going on in our dear State. As lawyers, we do not want to swallow hook, line and sinker the grapevine information and tales being peddled about for the reasons underscoring the crisis at hand, among the political gladiators in the State, and we do not want to elaborate on the narration given by Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan on Channels Television on 20th November, 2022.

  “Be that as it may, we plead with our humble and respected Governor to appreciate the fact that having been sworn in as the Governor of the State, he automatically translates to the Chief Executive Officer of the State, and by extension, the buck stops at his table. His silence in the face of the apparent threat to peace, order, good governance and harmony in the State is not the best, to put it mildly and respectfully.

  “Truth be told, he is the one, rather than the political marauders that will be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the State. Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan informed the entire world in one of his Channels Television appearances that apart from his planned kangaroo impeachment, himself and some marked members of the House were/are to be assassinated.

  “Now, within a week, the State has purportedly produced two Speakers of the House of Assembly, and both of them were also purportedly sworn in by the Clerk of the House. The Police had placed the premises of the House under lock and key, and we have not been informed under whose authority the Police so acted.

  “Let it be put clearly that the Police has no jurisdiction or power to take any instruction or order in matters relating to the security of the State from any other person or power apart from the Governor of the State.

  “All said, we unreservedly, unambiguously and unequivocally condemn what is presently at play in the Ekiti State House of Assembly. It is legally and morally unjustified and must be deprecated by anyone with a sense of fairness and decency. In light of this position, we hereby call on all members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly to return to the path of peace, honour and dignity by allowing the elected Speaker, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, to continue in office without let or hindrance. Anything short of this would amount to persevering in constitutional error and political rascality.   

  “May it be emphasised that the Assembly cannot transact any legitimate or legal business under the contrived speakership of Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba. As often said in legal parlance, one cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. From the biblical prism, if the foundation is destroyed, there is nothing the righteous can do. It must be borne in mind that Ekiti State is not all about politics; it is about honour, decency, integrity, diligence, kindness, soberness, pursuit of all that is good and lofty, hard work, fear of God, man’s humanity to man, etc.

  “Put differently, Ekiti State is greater than politics and politicians. The State is also sovereign in her own right, and not an appendage or chattel of any person or persons. On the premise of this position, no one or group of persons or politicians can be allowed to bring Ekiti State to dishonour and disrepute by whatever contrivance and for any ambition howsoever.

  “Pointedly and succinctly asserted, Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba cannot continue in office as Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, and we plead with her to honourably stop parading, presenting or holding herself out as the Speaker of the State, as her so-doing constitutes not just an illegality and unconstitutionality, but also a perseverance in such an unlawful enterprise. In like manner, we plead with the members of the House of Assembly to allow all Principal Officers of the House, including the Deputy Speaker, the Chief Whip, the Majority Leader etc., continue in office, without making any attempt to impeach or replace any of them.

  “May we remind the legislators and their patrons that come May/June, 2023, the life span of the present session of the House of Assembly will constitutionally terminate. Therefore, they should exercise some modicum of patience and wait for the next election, whereby they can sponsor their candidates to the House.

  “Even at that, the Legislators should appreciate the inviolate nature of the sovereignty of the Legislative House, and stop hobnobbing with outsiders or powers-that-be to usurp the powers and jurisdiction, rights and privileges, constitutionally and democratically conferred on them. And to the Ekiti people generally, and more particularly the political godfathers, we want to admonish that we should do away with the overbearing, ruthless and negatively audacious attitude and disposition of deliberately embarking on any illegal and unconstitutional means or method of achieving any goal, target or objective, as done in this particular instance; taunting and daring the hapless victims of their illegalities to go to court, where it would take them ages to redress the wrong already heaped on them, and during which interlude, their objective would have been achieved and perfectly actualized.

  “Ekiti State, being truly a land of honour and dignity, and equally the Fountain of Knowledge, deserves the highest standard of civility in the conduct of her affairs.”

Buhari Nominates Onochie As NDDC Chairman

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<strong>Buhari Nominates Onochie As NDDC Chairman</strong>

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, November 23, sought the senate’s confirmation of the appointment of his Special Assistant on New Media, Lauretta Onochie, as the substantive Chairman of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

  The President’s letter to that effect was read at plenary by the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, and it also include a list of 14 others nominees as Board members.

  Lawan said the President appointed Onochie, from Delta State in the South- South zone, as Chairman Board, with Chief Samuel Ogbokwu from Bayelsa State as the Managing Director for a term of two years to complete the term of his predecessor in office. 

  Other members include Dimgba Erugba, representing Abia State; Dr. Emem Willcox Wills (Akwa Ibom); Elder Denyanbofa Dimaro (Bayelsa State); Orok Duke (Cross River); Dr. Pius Odubu (Edo State); Engineer Anthony Ekenne (Imo State); Gbenga Edema (Ondo State); Elekwachi Dimkpa (Rivers State); Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Abubakar (Nasarawa State, representing North Central zone); Alhaji  Sadiq Sami Sule-Ikoh ( Kebbi State, Northwest) and Prof. Tahir Mamman (Adamawa State, Northeast)

  Buhari also nominated Maj-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) from Edo State as the Executive Director, Finance and Charles Ogunmola, from Ondo State as the Executive Director, Projects. 

  The nominations were in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(2) A of the NDDC Act, Cap N86, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, which empowers the President to do so, hoping the request would receive the usual expeditious consideration and confirmation of the senate.

  But Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, raised a concern that Delta State, which had just one representative, was not fully represented on the Board of the NDDC as read at plenary, given that Edo, Rivers, Ondo and Bayelsa have two representatives each.

  Similarly, Senator Thompson Sekibo from Rivers State noted that the senate had earlier in 2020 screened and confirmed some nominees, who the President has not inaugurated up till now.

  The senate president, in his response, assured Omo-Agege and Sekibo that the attention of the executive would be drawn to the issues before the parliament would start the screening exercise. 

Buhari Unveils New Naira Notes

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<strong>Buhari Unveils New Naira Notes</strong>

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, November 23, unveiled the new Naira banknotes, saying the redesigned currencies were locally produced by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting (NSPM) Plc.

  Speaking at the inauguration of the new notes shortly before the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, Buhari, while giving reasons for his approval to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to redesign the  N200, N‎500 and N‎1,000 notes, explained that the new notes have been fortified with security features that make them difficult to counterfeit, adding that the new notes would help CBN to design and implement better monetary policy objectives, as well as enrich the collective memory of Nigeria’s heritage.

  The President commended the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and his deputies for the initiative, as well as the managing director, executive directors and staffers of NSPM PLC “for working tirelessly with the apex bank to make the currency redesign a reality and for printing the new notes within a comparatively short time.”

  Buhari stated that international best practice requires central banks and national authorities to issue new or redesigned currency notes every five to eight years, noting that it was now almost 20 years since the last major redesign of the country’s local currency was done; hence the exercise was long overdue.

  He stated: “A cycle of banknote redesign is generally aimed at achieving specific objectives, including, but not limited to improving security of banknotes.

  “It is also aimed at mitigating counterfeiting, preserving the collective national heritage, controlling currency in circulation and reducing the overall cost of currency management.

  “As is known, our local laws, specifically the Central Bank of Nigeria Act of 2007, grants the CBN the power to issue and redesign the naira.

  “In line with this power, the bank’s governor approached me earlier in this year to seek my permission to embark on a currency redesign project. I considered all the facts and reasons presented before me by the Central Bank.”

  He, therefore, expressed the hope that the new notes would address the urgent need to take control of currency in circulation, address the menace of hoarding naira banknotes outside the banking system and curb the shortage of clean and fit banknotes in circulation, adding that the redesigned notes would also address the increase in counterfeiting of high-denomination naira banknotes.

  “It is on this basis that I gave my approval for the redesign of the N‎200, N500 and N1, 000 banknotes. While this may not be apparent to many Nigerians, only four out of the 54 African countries print their currencies in their countries, and Nigeria is one. A majority of African countries print their currencies abroad and import them the way we import other goods.

  “That is why it is with immense pride that I announce to you that these redesigned currencies are locally-produced right here in Nigeria by NSPM Plc,” he said.

  In his remark, Emefiele thanked the President for his unwavering support for the redesign and distribution of the new notes. He assured that the redesigned currency notes can never be counterfeited, saying the CBN would redesign the notes after every five to eight years to forestall such occurrence.

  Emefiele also stressed that there would be heavy restriction on the volume of cash that could be withdrawn over the counter, as the apex bank would work with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the purpose of all heavy transactions.

  The new notes will be formerly launched on December 15 and will circulate side-by-side the old notes until January 31, next year, when the old notes will cease to be legal tender.

  While the CBN was yet to disclose the distinct features of the redesigned banknotes, a major notable difference is the colours, but the portraits and dimensions appear to remain the same.

   The old N1, 000, N500 and N200 banknotes are in 151mm x 78mm dimensions. The portraits on the new notes remained the same as those on the old notes, with Alhaji Aliyu Mai Bornu and  Dr. Clement Isong on the N1, 000 note, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe on the N500 notes and Sir Ahmadu Bello on the N200 notes.

Senate Endorses NNPCL Pipeline Surveillance Contract To Tompolo

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Senate Endorses NNPCL Pipeline Surveillance Contract To Tompolo


THE Senate has endorsed the N48billion oil pipeline surveillance contract by the Federal Government to Mr. Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), a former Niger Delta militant leader.
  According to Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Senator Albert Akpan, who spoke to journalists shortly after presenting the report of Senate ad hoc Committee on oil lifting, theft and the impact on petroleum production and oil revenues, there was nothing wrong engaging non-state actors to secure oil pipelines as long as the contract was yielding desired results.
  He said oil theft has reduced the country’s oil production capacity and resulted in the loss of about $2billion revenue since the beginning of the year.
  Bassey said that major export facilities, such as the Bonny and Forcados Terminals, were shut down for a over seven months due to pipeline vandalism and oil theft, noting, however, that the recent pipeline surveillance contract to address oil theft was yielding positive results, as the country’s oil production capacity has increased.
  “There are both formal and informal approaches to solving the issue. If that contract was contracted duly and processed, we don’t have any issue with it and if it yields desired outcomes, I don’t think there is anything wrong in it.
  “We commend the NNPCL for the action, as we speak, the Forcados terminals have restored 500,000 barrels a day to our national production. Just about five days ago, the first 87,000 barrels a day was received at the Bonny Terminals. So, things are getting better.
  “This means that the abridged intervention done recently by government has yielded positive results, because the production would have been shortened and you could imagine the effect on investment, because investors will hold back if they cannot derive maximum profits from their investments,” he said.
  Earlier, the senate at plenary adopted recommendations of the ad-hoc committee, including that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) should resume full regulatory oversight of all existing crude oil terminals in Nigeria.

Investigation Concluded Into Kuje Prison Break, Says Aregbesola

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<strong>Investigation Concluded Into Kuje Prison Break, Says Aregbesola</strong>

THE Federal Government has concluded investigations into the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre during which 600 inmates escaped.

  Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who stated this on Tuesday, November 22 in Abuja at the fourth edition of the PMB Administration Scorecard 2015-2023 Series, organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture, however, said details of the investigation would not be made public, “as it is still a security document.”

  The minister said some of the escapees had been recaptured and returned to the centre, while efforts were on to arrest other escapees, saying the greatest legacy of the Buhari administration was the degrading of insurgents and retaking of areas hitherto under their control.

  “In 2015, the insurgents were holding territories in some local governments in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. But as we speak, they have been dislodged. Yes, there are challenges here and there, but there is no nation without challenges,” he added.

  Aregbesola assured that the challenges being encountered in the issuance of passport were being addressed, adding: “We don’t have enough processing and data capturing centres across the country. This is the major challenge.

  “For example, we have only three centres in the whole of Lagos, but I can assure you that before this administration leaves by May 29, next year, Lagos will have 20 processing centres.

  “We will open a processing centre in Daura, Oyo, Zaria, Alimosho, Defence Headquarters, Head of Service office and one in the Ministry of Interior.”

  On the protection of the country’s critical assets, he commended the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for the wonderful job they have been doing, saying the NSCDC has performed creditably well in monitoring and deployment of security before, during and after the conduct of every general election in the country.

  “The service has also been involved in the protection of lives and property of Nigerians, especially along the major expressways across the country. The NSCDC has also succeeded in establishing and training a special squad, popularly called ‘agro rangers,’ whose responsibilities is to monitor and give protection to farmers in their various farms across the country.”

  The minister said that the Federal Government has established Fire Service Centres in the 36 states and zonal offices, adding that the fire service had organised outreach programmes in the FCT on how to manage fire outbreaks and its impacts on lives and property.

  “The service has succeeded to manage about 10, 659 fire outbreaks across the country that would have ordinarily resulted into serious casualties,” Aregbesola added.

  This, feat he said, was achieved through the unflinching support of President Muhammadu Buhari, who approved the procurement of world class fire equipment and recruitment of firemen.

  Aregbesola assured that the ministry remained committed to tackling any threat to the country’s internal security.

Buhari To Unveil Redesigned Naira Wednesday, says Emefiele

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<strong>Buhari To Unveil Redesigned Naira Wednesday, says Emefiele</strong>

THE Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari would unveil the new N200, N500, and N1, 000 banknotes at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, November 23.

Emefiele told journalists after the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on Tuesday that the unveiling of the redesigned naira notes was moved from December 15 to Wednesday, November. 23.

  He thanked the President for his support over the past seven years, saying: “We will no longer wait till December15 to unveil to new naira notes; Mr. President has graciously accepted to unveil the notes on Wednesday.

  “We thank Mr. President, not just because he gave approval to the CBN to embark on this programme in line with provisions of the CBN Act.

  “We also thank Mr. President because at a time when we were beginning to face criticism, without being prompted, he has come out twice to defend the action of the CBN. We thank him for this and other supports the CBN has received from him over the past seven years.”

  Emefiele also thanked the National Assembly for its support, in spite of pressure to do otherwise, security agencies, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigerians in general.

  He stressed that the deadline for depositing the old notes in banks will not be extended, noting: “We will not shift any deadline. What we have done is not against the law. We announced this programme on October 26 and we said that upon release of the new currency, its legal tender status will run concurrently with the old currency until Jan. 31, 2023.

“That is almost 100 days. 100 days is enough for people across the country to deposit their old currencies in banks. We have made adequate provisions for them be able to deposit their old currencies.”

  He said the apex bank did not consider Diaspora Nigerians in its naira redesign decisions, because “they are not supposed to be spending the naira.”  

Why I Stayed Off Ekiti Assembly Crisis, Oyebanji

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<strong>Why I Stayed Off Ekiti Assembly Crisis, Oyebanji</strong>

ETIKI State Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti said on Tuesday, November 22 at Ado-Ekiti said he did not interfere in the crisis that engulfed the state’s House of Assembly in the last couple of days because of his belief in separation of powers.

  The House impeached its former Speaker, Gboyega Aribisogan, who spent one week in office and elected Mrs, Bunmi Adelugba, its first female Speaker as replacement on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oyebanji spoke when members of the Assembly presented Adelugba and executives of the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) to him.

The governor thanked leaders of the APC for their intervention and for their efforts at resolving the issue, politically.

Oyebanji said he decided to stay off the crisis so as to give the legislative arm the full constitutional rights it has to administer itself without interference.

  He also described the crisis as a family affair that could be resolved amicably without external interference, assuring the new Speaker of his support, but reminded her of the need to work on the speedy passage of the state’s next year’s budget.

  Presenting the Speaker earlier, her Deputy, Akeem Jamiu described the crisis that broke out in the House in the last few days as an embarrassment to members of the APC in the state and to the people of Ekiti generally.

  Oyebanji said the House presented the new Speaker to the governor as a mark of honour and respect for his exalted office, noting that the House had corrected what he called an “anomaly’’ in the Assembly, and gave assurance that the House, under the new leadership, would continue to maintain peace.

  In her remarks, Adelugba expressed appreciation to all members of the House and to the executives in the state for her emergence as the new Speaker, describing the process that led to her becoming the speaker, as “a peaceful one’’ and promised to always maintain allegiance to the Constitution and to the people of Ekiti.

Similarly, APC Chairman in Ekiti, Mr. Paul Omotosho, distanced the party from the crisis that paralysed activities in the House in the last few days.

“Let me remark here that the party does not have interest in who becomes the leader of the House; all what the party wanted was peace, and how the state would move forward,’’ he said.

Bayelsa Confirms Receipt Of Arrears Of 13% Oil Derivation Refunds From FG

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<strong>Bayelsa Confirms Receipt Of Arrears Of 13% Oil Derivation Refunds From FG</strong>

THE Bayelsa State Government, ON Tuesday, November 22, confirmed that it had been receiving refunds of arrears of 13 per cent oil derivation proceeds from the Federal Government.

  It did not state how much had been received, but Tuesday’s confirmation followed Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike’s declaration and commendation of President Muhammadu Buhari for authorising the payment of the money that had been owed since 1999.

  Wike declared that Niger Delta states had been receiving the funds since 2019 and challenged governors in the region to account for the windfall.

  But reacting to claim and challenge to the governors, Governor Douye Diri admitted that Bayelsa State had been getting the funds and deploying same to capital projects, saying the state discounted the funds.

  In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabra,” Diri added: “For people who are talking about the 13 per cent derivation funds due to the state, I want to state that for one reason or the other, we were under-paid.

  “When we discovered that, we followed due process from the state’s executive council to the state’s House of Assembly. Approvals were given and the funds were discounted.

  “I do not play politics with this kind of thing; anybody who wants to see how we use our money, our monthly transparency briefing on our financial income and expenditure are available.   “One kilometre of road we build in Yenagoa is costlier than three kilometres or four kilometres of road built elsewhere.”

Director Takes Over Leadership Of NYSC In Overseer Capacity

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<strong>Director Takes Over Leadership Of NYSC In Overseer Capacity</strong>

THE Director, Information and Communications Technology, who is the most senior Director at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs. Christy Uba, has taken over the leadership of the organisation in an overseer capacity.

  The Director, Press and Public Relations at the NYSC, Mr. Eddy Megwa, stated on Tuesday, November 11 in Abuja that she would oversee operations until the appointment of a substantive director general by the President.

  The position became vacant following the removal of Brig.-Gen. Muhammad Fadah as Director General.   Fadah assumed duty as the 19th director general of the scheme on May 18, having taken over from Maj.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, promised at the time to sustain the vision of the founding fathers of the scheme.

Court Refuses To Order INEC To Resume CVR Exercise

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<strong>Court Refuses To Order INEC To Resume CVR Exercise</strong>

Court Refuses To Order INEC To Resume CVR Exercise

CONTRARY to an earlier report, the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, November 22 refused to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resume the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

  Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, held that going by the date of the verdict, INEC would have had “just a few days away from 90 days before the general elections.

  The Judge, however, declared that INEC “is expected, pursuant to the provisions of Sections 76 (2), 77 (2), 116 (2), 117 (2), 132 (2) & (5) and 178 (2) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as Sections 9 (1), 9 (6), 10 (1) and 12 (1) of the Electoral Acts, 2022, to continue voters registration, update and revision of voters register until 90 days before the general elections billed to take place on February 25 and March 11.

   “It is the constitutional responsibility of the defendant (INEC) to make sure that every prospective Nigerian voter who has shown desire to register to vote is not deprived of their civil right to register and participate in the forthcoming general elections scheduled to take place on February 25, 2023 and March 11, 2023.

   “This court is unable to grant relief number 3 of the plaintiffs because going by the date of this judgment, from the date of this judgment, the defendant will have just a few days away from 90 days before the general elections of February 25, 2023 and March 11, 2023.”

  Four plaintiffs- Anajat Salmat, Earnest Stanley, Charles Okafor and Samuel Oluwakemi- had sued INEC for discontinuing the voter registration exercise on July 31. INEC was the sole defendant in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1343/2022.

  The plaintiffs had prayed the court for three reliefs, which include “a declaration that the defendant is expected, pursuant to the provisions of Sections 76 (2), 77 (2), 116 (2), 117 (2), 132 (2) & (5) and 178 (2) & (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as Sections 9 (1), 9 (6), 10 (1) and 12 (1) of the Electoral Acts, 2022, to continue voters registration, update and revision of voters register till 90 days before the general elections.

  “A declaration that it is the constitutional responsibility of the defendant to make sure that every prospective Nigerian voter who has shown the desire to register to vote is not deprived of their civil right to register and participate in the forthcoming general elections.

  “An order of court directing the defendant to resume immediately, the registration of new voters, updating and revision of the register of voters until at least 90 days to the general election slated to hold on February 25, 2023 and March 11, 2023.”

  In her judgment, Justice Ekwo held that: “The case of the plaintiffs, therefore, succeeds on the merit and I answer their sole question in the negative.

  “I also answer the questions of the defendant as follows: Question 1, partially in the positive, and Question 2, in the positive.”

  INEC, in its argument, had noted that it ended the CVR exercise at the time it did because it needed to end the exercise, so that the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) could be printed in good time and their distribution commence in earnest.

 

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