Cairo Ojougboh, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Ika federal constituency of Delta State, has been confirmed dead.
Ojougboh reportedly slumped as soon as a penalty was awarded against Nigeria at the Wednesday African Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final.
According to a source, Ojougboh, a former executive director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) collapsed and died immediately South Africa scored the equalizer.
Details shortly…
Paradigm Initiative (PIN) has charged the Senegalese authorities to respect citizens right and stop further move to shut-down internet in the region.
Paradigm Initiative in a press release on Tuesday stated that the continuous weaponisation of Internet shutdowns and blockage has been on the rise lately.
PIN noted that this will not be the first time Senegal is shutting down the Internet for its people, as is now characteristic of African governments during protests or when elections draw near.
PIN explained that on Monday, 31 July 2023, Senegal restricted access to Internet services when the opposition leader Ousmane Sonki was formally charged to court for “fomenting insurrection” by the authorities.
These shutdowns go against Article Eight of Senegal’s 2001 Constitution which guarantees citizens’ freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, and freedom of movement.
Article 9 (1) of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights also provides access to information as the right to receive information and is echoed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights under Article 19(2).
Furthermore, shutdowns create significant obstacles that damage the free flow of information, which may in turn, erode trust in electoral processes and increase the likelihood of hostilities and violence.
PIN added that shutdowns may also lead to the disruption of financial transactions, commerce, industry, labour markets, and the availability of platforms for the delivery of services, and above all, threat to the values of democracy,
As spelt out by Principle 37 of the Declaration of Principles On Freedom Of Expression And Access To Information In Africa, States must facilitate the rights to freedom of expression and access to information online and the means necessary to exercise these rights.
They must also recognise that universal, equitable, affordable, and meaningful access to the Internet is necessary for the realisation of freedom of expression, access to information, and the exercise of other human rights.
The government’s explanation of “hateful” and “subversive” messages on social media was inadequate to warrant such drastic measures, including their legal basis and underlying grounds.
Furthermore, PIN calls on the government of Senegal to adhere to the objective of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance under Article 2(10) to promote the establishment of necessary conditions to foster citizen participation, transparency, access to information, freedom of the press and accountability in the management of public affairs.
An open internet will ensure this compliance and the promotion of human rights under Article four of the same.
We urge the government authorities to respect their citizens’ rights and desist from further attempts at future shutdowns.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday quizzed Abubakar Ahmad Sirika over an alleged N8.06 billion contract fraud in the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
Abubakar is the brother of immediate-past Minister Hadi Sirika, believed to have awarded the contracts to his sibling.
Abubakar’s arrest on Sunday was part of the ongoing probe of alleged fraudulent practices in the Ministry of Aviation during the tenure of the ex-minister.
EFCC is probing allegations of conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, contract inflation, criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
Of the contract sum, about N3, 212,258,930.18 has been traced to Engirios Nigeria Limited, owned by Abubakar, who is a Level-16 officer, a deputy director, in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
It was learnt that four big contracts were awarded to Abubakar’s Engirios Nigeria Limited when his brother was in charge of the ministry.
According to EFCC investigators, Abubakar Sirika is listed as the company’s Managing Director (MD)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Besides, it was found out that he is the sole signatory to the two accounts linked to the firm with two banks.
The four contracts the ex-minister awarded to his brother are:
A top official of the anti-graft agency said: “In connection with the ongoing probe of the Ministry of Aviation during Hadi Sirika’s tenure, EFCC’s crack team was able to uncover four contracts, worth about N8,069,176,864.00, which were not executed.
“The sum was for four aviation contracts from the former minister to Engirios Nigeria Limited, owned by his sibling.
“While profiling the contracts, there was a payment of N3,212,258,930.18 out of the total contract sum to Engirios Nigeria Limited, which is owned by the younger brother of the ex-Minister of Aviation.
“Apart from being listed as the company’s MD/CEO, Abubakar is the sole signatory to the company’s two accounts.
“Investigators further discovered that upon the receipt of the payment, Abubakar allegedly transferred it to different companies and individuals.
“There is no trace of work done on any of the contract items to date.
“These developments led to the arrest and detention of Abubakar on Sunday by the EFCC.
“He was grilled for several hours yesterday. He is providing the commission with additional useful information on the financial activities of the Aviation Ministry under the supervision of his elder brother.”
It was learnt that the contract awards and the timelines were between August 2022 and May 2023.
A document obtained by The Nation reads in part: “It is suspected that the ex-Minister, Hadi Sirika awarded the contracts to his brother Abubakar, knowing that he is a senior civil servant, working since 2000.
“The first of the controversial contracts awarded to Engirios Nigeria Limited was on August 18, 2022, for the construction of the Terminal Building in Katsina Airport.
“The second was awarded on November 3, 2022, for the establishment of the Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre in Katsina Airport.
“The third contract was on February 3, 2023, for the procurement and installation of elevators, air conditioners and power generator’s house in Aviation House, Abuja.
Lagos witnessed severe traffic congestion on Monday as motorists flocked to filling stations, forming long queues outside the forecourts amidst growing concerns of an imminent scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
Leading reporters gathered that there was significant traffic gridlock along the Ikorodu Road axis, where motorists endured long queues at filling stations, waiting to purchase petrol.
The Total Filling station at Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way also experienced heavy queues, leading to congestion around the Ikeja axis.
Numerous filling stations along the Ikeja axis, particularly along Obafemi Awolowo Road, were observed to be closed.
The situation prompted some motorists to hike their fares, reflecting the challenges faced by commercial transport operators.
A driver plying the Unilag-Jibowu axis in Yaba confirmed the fare increase, telling Punch, “Do you know how long it took me to buy fuel today? Anybody who doesn’t want to enter should stay out.”
Additionally, all the filling stations along Ogunnusi Road inbound Berger reportedly did not dispense petrol to customers.
The cause of the sudden resurgence of fuel queues in Lagos remains unclear. However, reports suggest that the queues were prominent in major filling stations known for selling at lower rates.
Filling stations owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were also reported not to be dispensing fuel.
National Vice Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, acknowledged the queues in some filling stations in Lagos. However, he suggested that the queues might be a result of panic-buying among customers.
“I am not in Lagos as we speak. But I heard about it too that there are queues in Lagos. It may just be panic buying. I am not sure there is fuel scarcity. People are just panicking. However, I will find out what the problem is,” he said.
(NAFDAC) has banned alcoholic beverages produced in sachets less than 200ml.
The agency said the five-year window given to the manufacturers of the products to stop producing the drinks in sachets and pet bottles which began in 2028 elapsed on January 31, 2024.
She said enforcement of the ban commenced on February 1, 2024.
The director-general of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, while addressing the media over the development in Abuja on Monday, February 5, said the ban was not a sudden development but a result of a multilateral Committee that agreed that the ban would be in phases whereby production would be reduced by 50 percent by 2020 while outright ban would be on January 31, 2024.
Given that decision, the DG said NAFDAC did not issue renewal licenses exceeding January 2024 to any manufacturer of the products.
According to her, the agency took the route of wiping out the drinks in such sachets because of the negative effects on underage children.
She said because the drinks come in pocket-friendly sizes, accessible and affordable, children easily fell for the packages only to face the consequences in the future.
She said: “This decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC on one hand, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), in December 2018.
“As a commitment to the decision reached at the end of this Committee meeting, producers of alcohol in sachets and small volume agreed to reduce the production by 5 percent with effect from 31st January 2022 while ensuring the product is completely phased out in the country by 31st January 2024”.
According to her, the future of the country supersedes other considerations in the enforcement of the policy.
Noting that saving Nigerian children and protecting the health of the larger society is paramount, Adeyeye said: “The people who are mostly at risk of the negative effect of consumption of the banned pack sizes of alcoholic beverages are the under-aged and commercial vehicle drivers and riders.
She said in the course of enforcing the ban it was discovered that some manufacturers were still in production of the banned products and still had stacks of both finished products and packaging materials of the products in their possession.
She noted: “This situation is of course not acceptable, and the Agency views this as flagrant disobedience to the laws of Nigeria. NAFDAC views this matter seriously and will engage all statutory means, which may include prosecution, to deal with the matter”.
She warned that there is no going back on the decision, saying, “I want to use this medium to ask all holders of alcohol in sachets, PET and Glass bottles, empty sachets, PET bottles, empty Glass bottles, and other packaging materials of these banned products to immediately report to the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC for hand-over of same to NAFDAC for destruction, to prevent sterner measures including prosecution.
“NAFDAC is resolutely committed to the strict implementation of the regulations and regulatory measures towards safeguarding the health of Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable youth, against the dangers of reckless consumption of alcohol.”
It was a very disappointing time for the Nigeria music Industry as no Nigerian artiste was announced as winner in all categories.
This year’s Grammy Awards was held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, United States on Sunday.
David Adeleke, aka, Davido; Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy; Ahmed Ololade, aka Asake; Olamide Adedeji, aka Baddo; and Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, aka Ayra Starr; all lost out in their combined 10 nominations across different award categories.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has come under scrutiny for allocating N1.95 billion in the 2024 appropriation bill to purchase new Toyota Prado SUVs for the 24 state House of Assembly members.
The budget of N521.5 billion, signed into law, allocates N414.3 billion (79%) for capital expenditure and N107.2 billion (21%) for recurrent expenditure.
According to Sahara Reporters, the specific allocation of N1,950,000,000 for the “Procurement of Toyota Prado jeep for newly elected House members” has drawn criticism, especially considering the state’s economic challenges.
However, critics have described Mbah’s action to buy cars for lawmakers as a “misplacement of priority” for a state said to be cash-strapped.
They claimed residents of the state like other Nigerians are going through a spike in cost of living and hunger.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, is embroiled in allegations of nepotism and cronyism as reports emerge that he has nominated his daughter, Justice Victoria Oluwakemi, for a judicial position in the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
This comes after the CJN was previously accused of securing appointments for his son, Ariwoola Olukayode Jnr, and other relatives within the judiciary.
Documents obtained by Peoples Gazette, along with information from judiciary sources, reveal the nomination of Justice Victoria Oluwakemi.
The CJN had earlier faced criticism for securing a judgeship for his son, Ariwoola Olukayode Jnr, in the Federal High Court.
The reported pattern of appointments within the CJN’s family includes his younger brother, Adebayo Ariwoola, who serves as the auditor of the National Judicial Council, and his nephew, Lateef Ganiyu, who recently gained promotion to the Court of Appeal.
Observers note that several other relatives hold various positions across the judiciary bureaucracy, raising concerns about favouritism.
The CJN’s nomination of his daughter reportedly followed a letter from the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Husseini Baba-Yusuf, informing him of 12 available positions in the court.
In response to the letter dated January 18, 2024, Baba-Yusuf requested nominations from the CJN, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau.
The states mentioned for nominations were Bauchi, Bayelsa, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, and Zamfara.
However, discrepancies were noted as Oyo already had two judges in the FCT High Court, and the state was given an additional slot to accommodate the CJN’s daughter.
Critics argue that the nomination raises questions about judicial independence and fair representation as the CJN continues to face accusations of leveraging his position to advance the careers of his relatives.
The reported nomination of a junior magistrate, Justice Victoria Oluwakemi, who has limited experience, further intensifies concerns among judiciary workers and observers.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Olufemi Tinubu, is currently having a crucial meeting with the wives of state governors in Abuja.
During the meeting she laid out the agenda for intervention in agriculture, health, education and women empowerment in 2024.
More to follow…
Over 500 workers at the National Hospital, Abuja (NHA), left the facility searching for greener pastures in the last two years, its chief medical director, Mahmud Raji, has disclosed.
Mr Raji told journalists on Sunday in Abuja that most of them went abroad in search of better working conditions.
“The way they leave is a very hurtful thing for all hospital administrators,” said Mr Raji.
“The most pitiful and worrisome aspect of it is the amount of money the Nigerian government has invested into each of these individuals, either a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, a physiotherapist, or whoever it is that leaves,” he added.
He said the brain drain syndrome was an almost everyday activity as he treats two or three files of young people wishing to leave.
“Sometimes, not only young people; some people have actually gone through the ranks with lots of experience that they could teach other people. So, Nigeria is losing so much, painfully,” the CMD stated.
He noted that medical engineers, senior doctors, especially those in the middle cadre, and nurses from the middle cadre had left the country.
Mr Raji said remuneration and job satisfaction had always topped the list of reasons for their departure.
“We should also look at the unsolved problem of inter-professional rivalry that eats into people’s psyche. People should be comfortable with the next person they’re working with, be it a nurse, a physiotherapist or whoever,” said Mr Raji.
Mr Raji also said that when necessary equipment are non-existent or obsolete, the healthcare practitioners feel that more should have been done.
He, however, said past governments had tried to take a very decisive stance on health matters. He added that the current government has also invested a lot to rejig the health sector.
“From what we can all see, the current administration has rekindled that hope in us that in the next couple of months, a couple of years, we will see a change or a shift in this mindset among Nigerian health professionals eager to leave the country.
“Hopefully, we should even be able to attract them to come back while we retain the ones here,” he said.
However, he said NHA had employed various strategies to retain the healthcare personnel working there.
“I may not be able to change their remuneration since this is within the purview of government; we try to pacify them because remuneration is usually the first thing people complain about.
“Secondly, in terms of welfare, at least we have tried as much as possible to relieve some of them,” he stated.
The CMD also said the hospital management set up cooperatives and got mortgage organisations to assist staff and make the work environment conducive.
The CMD said the hospital was also trying to fix the equipment that were not working efficiently or not working at all.
On the issue of inter-professional rivalry in the healthcare sector, he said that even though it exists in other institutions, there is a harmonious relationship at NHA at NHA.
He added that there have hardly been local strikes at NHA in the last couple of years because of the harmonious relationship.
(NAN)
