The Senate has pardoned and recalled Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi.
Leading reporters reports that Ningi was was suspended on March 12, 2024, after accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of budget padding.
The recall process was initiated after a motion moved by Deputy Minority Leader, Abba Moro, who expressed regret on behalf of the suspended senator.
Moro pledged to assume full responsibility for Senator Ningi’s actions, acknowledging the gravity of the suspension.
More to follow…….
The senate has passed for third reading a bill seeking to reintroduce the old national anthem.
The upper legislative chamber passed the bill after considering a report by Tahir Monguno, chair of the judiciary committee.
The old national anthem is themed: ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’.
While presenting his report, Monguno said his committee disagreed with the position of Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), that the process to change the anthem should be subjected to a wider process.
“The proposed bill is important,” the Borno senator said.
Thereafter, the senate considered clauses of the bill and passed it.
Last week, the house of representatives passed the bill speedily, but it only scaled second reading at the senate.
Majority of the lawmakers in both chambers of the national assembly spoke in favour of the bill when they debated on its general principles.
While debating the bill last week, Victor Umeh, senator representing Anambra central, said an anthem is supposed to be motivational, adding that the current one is anything but emotive.
“The old one we are seeking to bring back is one that evokes emotions,” Umeh said.
I think from what my colleagues have said, there is nothing in the current anthem that motivates our people. If we bring it back, our children will be more committed to the ideals of nationhood.”
There have been mixed reactions since the national assembly began taking steps to reintroduce the old national anthem.
Some Nigerians currently in Saudi Arabia for the 2024 Hajj have lamented the quality and quantity of the food they are being served despite paying over N8million for the exercise.
In a picture shared by a Facebook user, Babagana Digima, a small portion of pap and three beans cake were said to be the food they served the pilgrims on Tuesday morning.
Digima wrote, “After paying N8million for Hajj, see the breakfast that our pilgrims are being given! Nahcon Nigeria Fatima Mustapha. This what was given today 28th May 2024. In fact some pilgrims have already started begging to get money to buy food because even their remaining $300 that was promised to be paid to them in Saudi (out of $500) is not forthcoming from the authorities!”
Reacting to the post, a staff of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (Nahcon), Muhammad Ahmad said the Nigerian authorities had begun to probe the issue.
The staff wrote: “NAHCON is right now there at the scene gathering information for proper investigation because NAHCON is fully and totally provides feeding and accommodation in Madinah but in Makkah NAHCON only supervises yet the Commission’s official will leave no stone unturned in revealing the truth of the matter and taking necessary action.”
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South) on Tuesday said he has withdrawn his suit against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Senator Ibrahim approached the Federal High Court Abuja where he challenged the gubernatorial primary election of the APC held recently in Ondo state.
Ibrahim claimed that there was no voting in his Senatorial district and a larger part of the State.
Following the suit, the executives of the APC in Igbotako Ward II, Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State, suspended Ibrahim from the party over alleged anti-party activities and insubordination.
However, Ibrahim at a briefing at the Senate on Tuesday, said he withdrew the suit in deference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who waded in the issue.
Ibrahim in his statement in Abuja titled: “Presidential intervention and notice of withdrawal suit No.
FHC /ABJ/ CS/588/2024,”said: “The suit is now withdrawn due to the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
“The President called me, had a meeting with me, and assured me that he will as the leader of the party improve on internal democracy within our party, and i will need to withdraw the case to enable him to chart a way forward.
“The Governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa,
earlier visited my Asokoro residence for several hours after another unsuccessful visit to my hotel room in Akure.
“I cannot disobey the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because the issue am fighting for is not personal.
“It is simply to improve internal democracy to which the President has promised improvement. My respect for the President is absolute!
“Let me use this opportunity to thank Mr. President for the words of wisdom and encouragement during my meeting with him which lasted over one hour and his various interactions with me on the telephone during which he emphasized his commitment to internal democracy over and over again. Thank you, Mr. President.
“The withdrawal of this legendary suit coincides with the first anniversary of Mr. President’s incredible performance in office, and this is my gift of the ‘cake’ of the first anniversary!”
The Benue State House of Assembly has repealed the law for lifetime pension and other benefits of former elected governors and their deputies.
Recall that few days to the end of the last assembly, lawmakers passed the controversial pension bill to extend benefits to ex-elected governors and their deputies from 1999.
Titus Uba, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was the speaker of the assembly.
But, during plenary on Monday, May 27, 2024, the assembly repealed the bill passed into law by their predecessors on account that it was not done in good faith.
The lawmakers said the law was anti-people and they were unanimous in support of the repeal after several contributions from members of the House.
Speaker of the House, Aondona Dajoh, ruled in favour of the unanimous resolution of the House to repeal the “Bill for a law to repeal provision for the maintenance of former elected governors of the state and their deputies and for other matters connected thereto 2024.”
The bill had stipulated conditions of the law to include, payment of monthly stipend as basic pensions for former governors and their deputies, equivalent to the current salaries of the serving governor, from the consolidated revenue of the state.
Other benefits include: “A monthly stipend equivalent to the basic salary of a serving/incumbent Governor in the State for life and which shall be a charge on the Consolidated Revenue Funds of the State.
“The deputy governor shall enjoy a monthly stipend equivalent to the Basic salary of an incumbent Deputy Governor for life and shall be charge on the Consolidated Revenue Funds of the State.
“A maintenance allowance of N25,000,000.00 (Twentyfive Million Naira) for the former Governor and the Deputy Governor N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira) every four (4) years.”
It also offers the “procurement of two official SUVs of the status of the former governor and one official car for the deputy governor while the state government is mandated to avail a former governor with six personal staff, one personal assistant, two drivers, two cleaners and one cook.”
A former deputy governor, according to the law, will enjoy three personal staff, one personal assistant, one driver and one cleaner.
“There will also be provision of security, yearly medical expenses, replacement of vehicles every four years with new ones of same quality and status,” the old law stipulated.
It was glamour and all smiles at Customs Barracks Ebubu in Eleme, Rivers state Monday as the Customs Officers Wives Association, (COWA), a non – governmental, non religious and non political organization with the mission to empower and support customs officers’ wives to achieve self sustainability and economic independence through education, sensitization and capacity building, celebrated children’s day.
The event which was organized by the Customs Area 11, Command Onne Port Harcourt With the theme: Protecting the Nigerian Child from the Dangers of Online Technology “Promoting Inclusivity”, was graced by Haj. Amina A. Babandede, COWA Chairperson, Customs Area 11 Command Onne Port Harcourt.
In her opening speech, Haj, Babandede had welcomed all the children and thanked the parents for making their children available to partake in the wonderful and fun filled celebration. She further expressed her satisfaction on a foundation well laid by her predecessor Mrs. Yakaka Imam whom she noted had laid a solid foundation which according to her she intended to continue working on “when I came, I met a very well laid foundation already established by my predecessor, Mrs Yakaka Baba Imam, I will continue on that for the betterment of all COWA members” she emphasized. Inisting that even at the headquarters COWA Onne is doing well and l want to maintain the standard of the Command, it has been on, and I will continue to do that”
Speaking further, she thanked the COWA National President, Mrs Kikelomo Adeniyi for her wonderful support and encouragement and also for revitalizing the once moribund COWA through the effort of her amiable husband, the Comptroller General of Customs BA Adeniyi MFR.
Earlier in her welcome address, Miss Ọchị All-Round Success,has thanked everyone for coming and went further to explain the theme of the day as “Promote Inclusivity”.
According to Ọchị, “Inclusivity means protecting the Nigeria child from the danger of online technology which is timely and critical. “Our parents are here invited to explore and articulate strategies that help safe guard children against the myriad of risks associated with our increasing digital lifestyle.” She said.
She went further to encourage the parents to give the children more attention as they are the leaders of tomorrow.
Speaking to the children, she said, “For all children here and outside, I am wishing you a day filled with joy and laughter. May our dreams be big as our imagination, may our journey through childhood be filled with wisdom and may we have the courage to chase our dreams”.
In a lighter mood, games and competitions at the colourful event stood out to be the climax of the event. The children participated in fun games and dancing competitions.
Interviewing one of the children and a winner of one of the competitions, Treasure Umezurike with overwhelming joy, she thanked the organizers and COWA Chairperson for an opportunity to unwind and celebrate with her peers on a day like this. She said children should be serious in whatever they are doing and never to loose focus even as she promised to make her parents proud.
To Master Joseph Oko, “God will bless COWA for organizing such event for children”
Speaking to a COWA member, Mrs Philomina Isibor, who disclosed that the event was in line with the organizations’ objective which is to create a long lasting bond amongst them, expressed her profound gratitude to COWA Chairperson Haj. Amina for this wonderful experience while thanking God for a successful event.
She said many women are in the rooms wasting their potential but with such events, women are coming out. “We are in the rooms not because we don’t know what to do but, with this social gathering women are beginning to harness their potentials” She said she was happy to be a customs officer’s wife.
The COWA liaison officer, Area II Customs Command Onne, Superintendent of Customs (SC) Leticia Ikegwuonu reiterated that the COWA is a non-profit organization with the sole aim of empowering the wives of Customs Officers and the society at large.
She said, “The COWA Chairperson Haj. Amina.A. Babandede has taken it upon herself to see to the success of the event and extending the hand of fellowship,of our National president, Mrs. Adeniyi Kikelomo to show the children love by engaging them in children’s day activities, games, fun, quiz and many others. We even hired Bouncing castle to make sure they have fun.
To make them know we value and love them.”
She continued to say that she believed that this event would make other customs wives to cue into their vision.
“By the time they see this, the colour of the event, everyone even the FOU, CIU and other Area commands would be compelled to register with us”, she said.
At the end of the event, the children were gifted with educational tools such as exercise books and stationery.
In his inaugural speech on 29 May, 2023, President Bola Tinubu vowed to tackle the lingering insecurity in the country.
“Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence,” the new president declared in his inauguration speech at the Eagle Square, Abuja, promising to overhaul the sector.
“To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security doctrine and its architecture. We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide better training, equipment, pay, and firepower,” he added.
It was not the first time Mr Tinubu would make promises of improved security. He had in countless pre and post-election appearances made such assertions.
However, one year after he assumed office as president, almost all parts of the country still suffer one form of insecurity or the other. Although one year may not be enough to judge the success or otherwise of an administration, there has been no significant improvement in the security sector from where Mr Tinubu’s predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, left it.
Indeed, the menace continued unabated, resulting in more than 4,556 fatalities and 7,086 abductions between 29 May 2023 and 22 May 2024, according to data gathered from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a global data hub that collects real-time conflict-related data.
Two months after his inaugural pledge to improve national security, Mr Tinubu expressed satisfaction with the performance of the service chiefs he had just appointed barely a month earlier.
“We have seen that we are recording positive results in our security challenges because of your dedication, commitment and steadfastness,” he told the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, and three other service chiefs at their decoration ceremony in Abuja.
But killings and abductions keep making headlines.
An analysis of the ACLED data by PREMIUM TIMES shows that the six geo-political zones, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, experienced several violent incidents within the period under review.
Banditry-thorn North-west leads other regions with 1,475 deaths and 4,343 abductions.
The trio of Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states prominently featured as violence hotspots, accounting for 551 out of 718 incidents recorded in the region.
In the North-central, 552 incidents of banditry, farmers-herders conflict and cultism claimed at least 1,444 lives, including military and local security forces.
In addition, about 1,321 abductions were recorded in the region.
Insurgency, banditry and other forms of violence in the North-east also resulted in at least 819 deaths and 688 abductions. These were recorded from 408 violent incidents in the region.
A similar pattern of violence, including separatist agitations and extrajudicial killings, claimed about 310 lives in the South-east where 214 others were kidnapped.
Mr Tinubu had barely spent three months in office when his administration was quaked with the killings of 36 military personnel responding to terror threats in some communities in Niger State on 14 August.
That same day, the terror group led by notorious Dogo Gide also shot down a military aircraft on a rescue mission, although the Nigerian Air Force said it was an accident.
Three months later, Nigerians woke to shocking news from Bokkos and Mangu local government areas of Plateau State where over 100 locals were killed on Christmas eve. Violence continued in the area for a while with a series of attacks and reprisals.
In March this year, armed terrorists abducted 137 students from elementary schools in Kuriga, Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. The students were set free two weeks later, after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.
That same month, 15 military operatives consisting of two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, Nigerian Army, were killed by raging youth in Okuama village, Ughelli South LGA of Delta State.
Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde, who passed away in Egypt on Sunday, will be laid to rest today.
The 61-year-old had travelled to Egypt for medical treatment before he passed on.
The burial announcement was made by former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, on his X handle on Tuesday.
Pantami shared a statement from Lamorde’s family, confirming the funeral arrangements.
“The Jana’iza prayer of our late father, brother and Uncle DIG Ibrahim LAMORDE mni and Former Chairman of EFCC is coming up Tuesday 28/05/2024 at the National Mosque Abuja by 1:30 pm in sha Allah, immediately after Zuhr!” Pantami posted.
Lamorde, born on December 20, 1962, joined the Nigerian Police Force in 1986 and retired as a Deputy Inspector General of Police in 2021.
During his career, he served as the Chairman of the EFCC from 2011 to 2015, playing a significant role in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
Lamorde’s burial will take place at the National Mosque in Abuja, where a Jana’iza prayer will be held in his honour, attended by family, friends, and colleagues who will gather to pay their final respects.
The Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has said that a severe infestation of the tomato crop is the reason for the scarcity and elevated prices of the essential commodity in the country.
In a statement on Monday via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Kyari referred to the infestation causing tomato scarcity as “Tomato Ebola” or “Tomato Leaf Miner.”
Recall that it was reported on Sunday that a basket of tomatoes was selling for as high as N150,000 in some parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the minister noted that the Federal Government has sent experts to the affected regions to control and eradicate the infestation.
The Minister explained, “A significant number of our tomato farms have been affected by a severe infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner. This has drastically reduced the availability of tomatoes and contributed to rising costs.
“Our ministry is taking immediate action to combat this issue. We are deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation.
“Additionally, we are supporting our farmers with the necessary resources and guidance to recover their crops as quickly as possible, just as we instituted the Ginger Blight Control Taskforce.
“We understand the impact this has on your daily lives and are working tirelessly to resolve the situation and restore the supply of affordable tomatoes,
As Tapswap miners look forward to profiting from their mined Tap tokens on May 30, a crypto expert has explained what could possibly happen on the said date Following the success of Notcoin, the popularity of the crypto project, Tapswap, skyrocketed, especially among Nigerians Obani Ebenezer Nwokoma, a crypto expert, explained what launch pool implies in a chat with Legit.ng
A crypto enthusiast, Omobare Daniel, got people on their nerves with his assertion that May 30 is not the date for Tapswap’s listing of Tap tokens.
In a Facebook post, Daniel explained that miners would only receive Tap ‘shares’ and not Tap tokens as May 30 is only for the launch pool.
While maintaining that one may be able to exchange Tap ‘shares’ for tokens after the launch pool, Daniel noted that there has been no announcement regarding the listing of Tapswap’s tokens.
Daniel stated that one can only profit from Tapswap when listed and urged people to be prepared to prevent disappointment. Explaining the difference between listing and launch pool, he said.
When quizzed about what would actually happen on May 30, crypto expert Obani Ebenezer Nwokoma said it is the launch pool date.
