INSTANT NEWS

In compliance with an order of the Federal High Court, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has released an adjusted final list of candidates for the Imo North Senatorial District bye-election.

The adjustment became necessary on the premise of the court’s determination of the case between Lady Uchenna Onyeiwu versus APC and 4 others.

The information was contained in a document signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and made available to INEC Daily Bulletin.

As contained in the document, 14 political parties will field candidates for the Imo North bye-election. The parties and their candidates are: Accord party (A) – Ndubueze Chiwuba Patrick; Action Alliance (AA) – Emmanuel Ogueri; African Action Congress (AAC) – Nathaniel Chukwudi Uba; African Democratic Congress (ADC) – Chigozie Kennedy Onyinye; All Progressives Congress (APC) – Ifeanyi Godwin Araraume; All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) – Charles Chibuike Onyeirimba; and Allied Peoples Movement (APM)- Raphael Nnadozie Mbachu.

Others are: Action Peoples Party (APP) – Ernest Ndidi Ezirim; Labour Party (LP) – Okorondu Nwachukwu Sunday; New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – Okeafor Augustine Chukwujieze; National Rescue Movement (NRM) – Charles Okechukwu Amajouyi; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – Emmanuel E Okewulonu; Social Democratic Party (SDP) – Rita Ada Ibemere Okorafor; and Young Progressive Party (YPP) – Promise Anurika Nwadigos.

An All Progressives Congress (APC) group has denounced Pastor Sam Adeyemi for adding his voice to the End SARS agitation.

On Wednesday, APC Nigeria Support, which has 1 million followers on Twitter, told the cleric not “lose focus” or “join the fray”.

The comment followed Adeyemi’s reaction to a lawsuit against 50 Nigerians who endorsed the clamour for an end to police brutality.

They include David Adeleke – Davido, Damini Ogulu -Burna Boy, Folarin Falana – Falz, Aisha Yesufu, Deji Adeyanju, to mention but a few.

A citizen, Kenechukwu Okeke, filed the case at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja.

The applicant said between the October 28 and 30 the defendants used their Twitter accounts to conspire to “commit misdemeanor, to wit promoting or acting in such a manner with the intent to assist in the promotion of an unlawful assembly under the guise or composition of #EndSARS”.

In his response, Adeyemi, Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, tweeted “Who sent this guy to file this frivolous lawsuit?”

Reacting, the APC group in an “open letter” said asking a “needless question” was “completely beneath” him.

It read:

“When a citizen has exercised his right to sue you and other people he believes are instrumental to the damage of his properties, as a pastor how can you be seen attacking a victim? As someone we all respect, you shouldn’t get yourself involved in the EndSARS propaganda. I expect that you will, by now, be playing the role of ensuring peace reigns and the government meeting the demands of the youths.

A tweet of that nature is not responsible and does not fit the personality you project. Being a pastor doesn’t excuse you from answering to the court of law. We should learn to deal with issues accordingly and appropriately. By now, we all know it is easy to unravel who is behind who and what in this new media age. Pastor Adeyemi, if it bothers you that much, you can find this out in less than 24 hours. But in my opinion, there are more pressing questions to be asked. We cannot afford for people like you to also lose focus. PLEASE SIR, DONT JOIN THE FRAY! Nigeria needs to be SAVED.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says that the N4 billion unspent money in its 2020 Budget is meant for recruitment of staff.

Mr Mohammed Umar, The Acting Chairman Of The Commission, Disclosed This On Wednesday In Abuja During Its Budget Defence, Before The House Committee On EFCC.

Umar said that the staff recruitment, which should have taken place in the year, was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the globe in the course of the year.

According to him, the commission was in the process of conducting the recruitment when COVID-19 took over, and that is why it still has N4 billion left unspent.

He said that the EFCC had also made submission to the committee detailing assets recovery, convictions secured, cases in court among others by the commission.

Umar listed some of the challenges faced by the EFCC to include lack of special courts to prosecute corruption cases, lack of personnel, poor release of funds for capital projects among others.

He said that the five per cent meant to be retained in the agency as part of money recovered had not been given to the commission as done in other places.

“I don’t think the five per cent to be retained in EFCC for assets recovery has been approved, because we have not gotten any money outside the budget approved,” he said.

The acting chairman however, proposed a total of N29.861 billion for 2021 operations.

Umar said that EFCC had 15 offices in the country, adding that it could not capture some states because it was better to equip those already established.

“It is better we equip the 15 offices than acquiring more, because some are not adding values to our investigations, so we are thinking of closing them.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rep. Zakaria Nyampa (PDP-Adamawa) had queried why the EFCC had N4 billion unspent in the 2020 budget approved for the commission.

“Going through your document in 2020, I discovered there are N4 billion unspent money for personnel and N879 million unused under overhead, I don’t know what you are going to do with this,” Nyampa said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Ibrahim Dutse, the Chairman of the House committee, said it was ready to assist the EFCC to do its job, adding that any money voted for the commission must be released.

He said that the committee would intervene in any challenges faced by the commission to enable it discharge its duty effectively to the country.

A mother and her four-year-old daughter were kidnapped and gang-raped for two weeks after attackers lured the woman with false promises of well-paid work at a hospital in Pakistan.

Police said on Tuesday November 10, that a man has been arrested with two other accomplices still wanted for the violent crime which took place in Kashmore, a district in Pakistan’s Sindh province.

Pakistani news network Samaa identified the suspect as Rafiq Malik, adding that police are questioning him over the attack after he was remanded in custody for three days.

The report said the woman who was a hospital worker from Karachi was persuaded to attend to someone after the suspects offered her a large sum of money for the work. After she agreed to the offer, the woman and her daughter were abducted by the group.

It was also reported that protests broke out after the lead investigator Umar Sheikh suggested the woman was to blame for the attack, saying she should have travelled on a busier road during the day.

Amnesty International released a message in support of protesters saying:-

Former Lagos State governor Bola Tinubu has described the move by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to repeal the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007) as “bold and courageous”.

The law provides for payment of pension and other entitlements to former governors and their deputies.

Mr Sanwo-Olu told the State House of Assembly of his intention on Tuesday during his presentation of the proposed N1.155 trillion 2021 budget.

Tweeting on Wednesday, Tinubu expressed his support for the governor’s plan and congratulated him on the budget proposal.

The Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Tolu Odebiyi, has frowned at the perceived special treatment accorded some firms to import and export items despite the current border closure.

He asked the Federal Government to develop a comprehensive policy based on objective criteria to enable other deserving businesses to apply for similar waivers.

He specifically described as unfair, the recent exemption of some firms by the Federal Government from the ongoing border closure arrangement.

The Senato, who has been fighting for the reconsideration of the stringent border closure policy since August 2019 when the policy came into effect, stated this in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday.

He expressed his objection to what he termed ‘selective exemption’ of a certain company from border closure when thousands of small businesses in his constituency had gone into extinction because of the Federal Government imposed land border policy.

He said:

“It is in fact a breach of the law, as contained in Chapter 4 Section 42 (1) of the Constitution.

“The section states that any law that gives preferential treatment to a particular individual, company or group is a breach of the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Bayern Munich’s Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich will be out until January after undergoing knee surgery.

The 25-year-old went off in the 36th minute after a challenge with Erling Haaland during his side’s 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Bayern said Kimmich had successful surgery on his right lateral meniscus on Sunday.

He will miss Germany’s friendly against Czech Republic and Nations League ties against Ukraine and Spain this month.

Bayern returned to the top of the Bundesliga with the victory over rivals Dortmund.

England’s Nations League match against Iceland is in doubt because of the UK government’s new travel ban on non-UK visitors coming from Denmark.

The restrictions relate to concerns over a new coronavirus strain that has spread from mink to humans. Iceland are set to play Denmark in Copenhagen three days before facing England at Wembley on 18 November.

“Unlike other travel to the UK, there will be no exemptions to this quarantine policy,” the guidance says.

Since June, elite sportspeople have been exempt from coronavirus-related travel restrictions.

The Football Association is awaiting clarification from the government. The latest rules, which took effect at 04:00 GMT on Saturday, will be reviewed after a week, the Department For Transport said.

European football governing body Uefa’s coronavirus protocols state that international matches can be rescheduled at a date fixed by Uefa, or be played at a neutral venue if necessary.

xOn the 8th of November 2020, 300 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria.

Till date, 64090 cases have been confirmed, 59910 cases have been discharged and 1154 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The 300 new cases are reported from 6 states- Lagos (255), FCT (27), Oyo (10), Kaduna (5), Ondo (2), Kano (1).

A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities.

300 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria;

Lagos-255
FCT-27
Oyo-10
Kaduna-5
Ondo-2
Kano-1

64,090 confirmed
59,910 discharged
1,154 deaths pic.twitter.com/ILq1YuzG5d

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) November 8, 2020

Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle has said that dialogue with bandits is still relevant just as he secured the release of 26 Katsina girls from bandits, IgbereTV reports.

A statement issued on Sunday, November 8, by Zailani Bappa, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, said the girls, aged between 8 and 12, were released to the Zamfara State Government without payment of ransom.

“The girls who were kidnapped by bandits in Faskari local government area of Katsina state were brought into the bushes of Zamfara state but were miraculously discovered by the state Government and got released through negotiations held under the state Commissioner Of Police and the state Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs who are in constant dialogue on behalf of the Government with bandits in the state on the need to embrace peace and live a normal life,” the statement said.

Governor Matawalle, who received the rescued girls said his administration will not abandon the peace dialogue with bandits as fire power alone cannot solve the problem of banditry in the state.

“This is a testimony to our vision for engaging the bandits in peace dialogue. For those who believe we are wrong to dialogue with the bandits, the securing of these minors who are all girls, unhurt, is indeed, priceless.” he said.

The 26 rescued girls were medically checked and provided with new clothes. Governor Matawalle ordered for their safe return to Katsina state.

This latest rescue brings the total number of those released by bandits in the last one week to more than 40.

Fleeing residents of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno state have revealed that armed Boko Haram sect have on Sunday night launched an attack on the town with fear of severe casualties.

Gwoza is one of the Council areas declared as Boko Haram caliphate until it was liberated.

The incident according to sources started at about 10pm with heavy sounds of gunshots and explosions from the side of the terrorists and security operatives.

Monarchs in the South West of Nigeria have blamed politicians for the recent #endSARS protest and unrest in the region that led to the destruction of properties in Lagos and other parts.

They also called for the urgent restructuring of the country to give more powers to the states.

The kings spoke at a post mortem meeting at the weekend in Lagos on the protests.

The monarchs expressed disappointment at the manner politicians had turned politics into money making venture at the expense of the interest of the youth.

They said that the high rate of unemployment among youths caused the agitation in the EndSARS protest. The governors have taken the right steps with this meeting. However, they have been far away from we monarchs. You should not wait till election days before you reach out to us. This type of meeting should come regularly. We know the good and the bad in our communities but we are under-utilised,´´ Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, said.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, said the destruction had put the region in a complex situation. It is a complex and complicated matter. Our children are jobless and many are hungry. The problems are too much for the states. The states are not independent. The structure we run in Nigeria cannot allow state governors to do much for their states,´´ he said. The Oluigbo of Ugbo, Oba Akinruntan Obateru, urged the Inspector General of Police to conduct detailed investigation into the incident and fish out those behind the protest.

The Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu said that “truth is very bitter,´´ noting that majority of the problems were caused by politicians.

Nigerian gay rights activist, Bisi Alimi and his husband acquired a second home in London as they mark their 4th wedding anniversary.

Bisi shared photos of the interior of the house while reminiscing on how far he’s come.

Bisi said he has gone from that “homeless boy” to a “house owner in London twice”.

He thanked Nigeria’s Funmi Iyanda who invited him on her TV show, New Dawn, to talk about his sexuality years ago.

Sharing photos of his house, he wrote:

“No better way to celebrate our 4th yr anniversary than acquiring our second home in London. I can’t believe I have moved from that homeless boy, who had the graciousness of his friends who offered him their sofas, to a house owner in London and not once, but twice!!. I especially want to thank @funmiiyanda, this boy won’t be standing here without you. @stefhirs your friendship is what every human being needs, and @instaforakin all I can say is thank you. Your dream is valid y’all. Your sweat and tears will fertilise the soil and bring forth fruits, just keep at it.”

An officer of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Sunday was attacked by pedestrian touts at Jakande area in Lekki.

According to an eyewitness, the officer was controlling traffic while the man sitting wanted to cross the road.

It was gathered that the pedestrian approached the officer to stop the vehicles for him to cross the road, a request which was blatantly objected.

The officer whose name is yet to be identified as at press time asked the man to use pedestrian bridge not too far from the spot, Naijaloaded learnt.

The man refused to use the pedestrian bridge, threatening the officer, and a lot of altercation came to play.

The man was heard saying officers will soon be chased out of the road just the way police officers were chased out.

It was further gathered that two unknown men joined the pedestrian to attack the officer. The officer ensured he held on to one of them who was later arrested with the help of soldiers.

See photo below;

The destruction exercise was carried out at Kalebawa in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of the state by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

He said,

“Consumption of alcohol and all other intoxicants could distort the mental capability of a person and that it is forbidden in Islam”.

See photos below.

 

WTF is this! I mean this is absolutely bullshit, unconscionable and unacceptable. Look at what religion is doing to Africans.

I can’t just imagine how the Northern leaders reason at times. Poor sense of reasoning and judgement. Why didn’t they sell off the beers to the people in the Southern Nigeria that drinks beer and use the money realised from the sales for the poor masses in the Northern states or the very state that made the seizure of the confiscated beer bottles? Huh🙄

Beer is very bad to your religion in the North but public stealing of federal and state resources by your political leaders is not bad in your religion? Hypocrites!

They collect Tax and Vat from Alcoholic companies? Lol an extremely hypocrisy of the highest order. I think it’s time we disintegrate this country for good.

In my opinion, this is a misplaced please, unimaginable and unacceptable. If I own any of those beer companies, I will drag Kano state government to court and they will pay for damages.

How about you? What’s your take on this?

Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said in Lagos on Friday that the agency lost about 27 patrol vehicles to the October #EndSARS protest.

Oyeyemi made the disclosure when he visited the FRSC Lagos State Command to assess the extent of damage done to its properties by hoodlums pretending to be protesters.

“We witnessed the highest level of vandalism in Lagos State around Oko-Afo, Lekki, and at our Ojodu Berger Headquarters. It is colossal, I counted it myself 13 vehicles were burnt and three were vandalised in Lagos alone. I think we lost about 27 patrol vehicles nationwide,’’ he said.

According to him, the unfortunate incident has crippled the patrol activities in some areas especially in places like Lagos, Edo, Delta, Imo, Osun, Enugu, Adamawa, and Anambra states where some offices were burnt.

The FRSC boss said that issuance of drivers’ licences had been put on hold in some states as a result of the vandalism of the offices.

“We need to look for vehicles to begin skeletal services, especially in Lagos State. We can’t fold our arms because Lagos State accounts for about 33 per cent vehicular density in the country and we are moving towards the end of the year. Ember months is a critical period and that’s why Lagos State is the first point of my visit. We will rise and ensure our responsibilities are fulfilled,’’ he said.

Oyeyemi added that FRSC personnel were returning to their duty posts in droves after the protest, but that the officers were still facing challenges of hostilities by road users.

“To put a patrol vehicle on the road now will cost about N24 million. It is costly, but I have forwarded my reports to the Secretary to the Federal Government and he has promised to act on them. I enjoin Nigerians to be modest when they are doing things; the level of damage is too much; the money meant for other activities will now be diverted in repairing some of this burnt offices,’’ Oyeyemi lamented.

It has been revealed that the wait to see who will emerge the new DG of the World Trade Organization is not about to end just.

This is because the World Trade Organisation has postponed a meeting where members are expected to pick a new Director-General after the United States blocked the favoured candidate, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The WTO earlier announced that the meeting would hold next week.

But a communication seen by AFP showed that the meeting has been postponed indefinitely.

“It has come to my attention that for reasons including the health situation and current events, delegations will not be in a position to take a formal decision on 9 November,” the head of the selection committee told member states.

“I am therefore postponing this meeting until further notice during which period I will continue to undertake consultations with delegations,” he added.

The PUNCH had reports that the United States opposed Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the consensus candidate to lead the WTO.

The US said it is supporting South Korean trade minister, Yoo Myung-hee, to become the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation because she is a “trade expert”.

However, the European Union and WTO’s ambassadors backed Okonjo-Iweala for the position.

US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, while giving reasons for opposing Okonjo-Iweala, who gained American citizenship in 2019, said WTO needs “someone with real, hands-on experience in the field”.

Okonjo-Iweala had while addressing the WTO in July explained that she is a trade expert.

She said, “I am a development economist and you cannot do that without looking at trade. Trade is a central part of development. So, I have been doing it. My whole career at the World Bank, I was working on trade policy reform in middle and low-income countries at the bank.

“As finance minister, the customs service in my country reported to me. And that is all about trade facilitation. I helped my country’s negotiation with my trade minister on the ECOWAS common external tariffs. I don’t know how much more trade you can have than that.

“So those who say I don’t have trade, they are mistaken. I think the qualities I have are even better, because I combine development economics with trade knowledge, along with finance, and you need those combinations of skills to lead the WTO. I think I have the skills that are needed. I am a trade person.”

Okonjo-Iweala, who also serves on Twitter’s board of directors, as chair of the GAVI vaccine alliance and as a special envoy for the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 fight, saw her candidacy get another boost this week when the EU threw its weight behind her.

If she eventually gets a majority backing, she would be the first woman and the first African to lead the global trade body in its 25-year history.

Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has disassociated himself from campaign posters advertising his vice presidential ambition for 2023.

Recall that posters of El-Rufai as running mate to Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi had emerged last week.

The messages on the posters read:

“The People’s choice,” “Today may not be the best, but tomorrow will be better”.

Reacting, El-Rufai told State House Correspondents after a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday at the Presidential Villa that he had no knowledge of the posters and neither did he know those behind it.

He also said Amaechi had since denied knowledge of those printing and pasting the pictures.

“I don’t know who is printing those posters, wasting his or her money printing posters. I heard about them. I called Minister, Amaechi, and asked him whether he knew anything about them; he said he didn’t know. I think we need to trace who is doing it and ask that person. I am governor of Kaduna State; I have job to do. I haven’t delivered on the promises I made to the people of Kaduna State. Until I do that I don’t want to discuss anything.”

Speaking on if he had been approached by people and asked to contest the 2023 election, the Governor said

“I am in politics. People will approach you, but whether they are genuine or not is another matter and whether you are interested or not is another matter.” 

‘You’re fired!’: White House security fence is covered in signs telling Trump he has lost as Biden is on track to win the presidency

A temporary security fence outside the White House has been covered in signs, with many calling President Donald Trump a ‘loser’ and demanding he leave the Oval Office.

Federal law enforcement officials revealed a ‘non-scalable’ fence was being added outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in an effort to increase security ahead of Election Day.

Since then, dozens of posters and placards have been pasted across the entire perimeter.

One section of the fence has seven posters that make up a rectangle with the word ‘loser’ written in different colors and different fonts on each one.

Another section has a pink sign that reads: ‘Eviction Notice’ next to another stating: ‘Count Every Vote,’ referring to President Trump’s efforts to stop votes from being counted in states where he was ahead.

It comes as Democratic nominee Joe Biden edged ahead in Pennsylvania and Georgia, drawing closer to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency.

See photos below:

The @followlasg has urged all Lagosians to shun any act that may threaten the peace of our dear state, which is battling to recover from the shock of the carnage unleashed by hoodlums who hid under the #EndSARS protests.

Even as we are still counting our painful losses in lives and property, there are hints of a new protest. The police have warned that no protest will be tolerated.

Any protest under any guise will be disrespectful to the memory of those who died in the violence and unfair to ordinary Lagosians, who have remained peaceful, despite the hardship that the original protests sparked.

It is clear that the original protests, despite their good intentions, have caused more havoc than they were planned to resolve.

The Government hereby appeals to our patriotic youths to shelve any plan for a protest and join the practical efforts to find a solution to the problems that have been thrown up by the actions taken in recent weeks.

Parents and guardians are enjoined to keep their children/wards at home; they should not be used as tools of destruction by enemies of our society.

Anybody who has any grievance against the disbanded SARS should approach the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution to make his case.

Governor @jidesanwoolu advises all Lagosians to remain calm and confident that the Govt will guard jealously the emblem of peace that Lagos is famous for. Any person or group of persons who plans to fuel any crisis in Lagos should drop such thoughts or be ready to face the law.

Gbenga Omotoso

Commissioner for Information and Strategy

#LASG
#HealingLagos
#ForAGreaterLagos