Headlines

An unprecedented hike in fees for Abuja-based private schools is imminent following the decision of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to hike operation charges of private schools in the capital city.

Under the new tax regime, each school will be billed according to tuition paid by students and the number of enrolments.

A memo from the Head of Account at the Department of Quality Assurance of the Education Secretariat, Mudi Muhammed, revealed that the development would take effect from January 2024, as reported on Monday.

The memo was titled: “Review of private school operation charges in FCT,” and it read: “ Following the approval of the Honourable Minister of the FCT for a review of operational charges (annual charge, accreditation, application, re-accreditation, commencement and recognition) payable by private schools in the FCT.

“You are by this letter informed that the old rate of charges cease to be valid as of 31/12/2023 and the new rate of charges effective 1/1/2024.

“Under the new rate, each school is billed according to the tuition charged and the number of enrollments. As a consequence, each school has its peculiar bill. You should also note that all application(s) are now N40,000.”

Meanwhile, the National Association of Private School Owners in the FCT, in a letter written to the Education Secretariat, noted that such a tax review at a time when the Federal Government had promised to eliminate multiple taxes would only increase the cost of education beyond the reach of many parents, thus adding to the population of out-of-school children.

In the letter signed by its Chairperson, Ruqayah Agboola, NAPPS added that the tax review would further put pressure on private schools in the FCT as it would increase their running costs.

The association said, “Unfortunately, our members rejected the proposal in its entirety. They cited the hard economy, the huge bank loans outstanding in their books, the unpaid fees by many owing parents, the many levies payable to local government and other agencies, and more importantly payment of their teachers’ salaries, other staff as well as maintenance of our infrastructure.

“Our members, therefore, plead that you use your good office to effect a 50 per cent reduction in the existing annual dues to enable your office to recover the outstanding dues. We will partner with you to achieve this.”

Speaking with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, a member of the association said the association was planning to write the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and also notify the Parents-Teachers Association of the newly imposed tax.

The Peoples Democratic Party House of Representatives candidate for Dekina/Bassa Fender Constituency in the 2023 elections, Austin Okai, on Monday, alleged that the newly-inaugurated Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, has approved the establishment of the “Office of Immediate-Past Governor” in the state.

Okai made the claim in a post on his verified X handle on Monday.

He further claimed that the office, which would be allegedly occupied by the immediate-past governor, Yahaya Bello, would be domiciled in the state Government House.

“Kogi State Governor approves the establishment of the ‘Office of Immediate Past Governor’ to be domiciled in the Government House. Kogi State, congratulations,” Okai wrote.

Efforts to get Ododo’s reaction were unsuccessful as calls placed to the mobile line of his media aide, John Nihi, were unanswered. He also did not respond to messages sent to him via WhatsApp.

The PUNCH reports that Ododo was sworn in as governor of the state on Saturday, succeeding Bello who just completed his second term in office.

Armed men have reportedly invaded a community called Gbauzokoyako located after Ketti in the Kuje Area Council of Abuja where father and son were said to have been killed.

The deceased were identified as Adams Makada, 60 and Bitrus, 25.

The assailants reportedly invaded the community early Monday morning, also killing another, Elisha Auta, 34 and abducted five residents.

The Coordinator of the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA), Pastor Danladi Jeji, said the incident “happened this morning between 12 am and 2 am, describing Auta as a victim of circumstances.

“The late Elisha Auta is from Galadimawa who went down to Gbaupezokoyako for condolences and burial of his relation but was shot in the village by wicked terrorist,” Jeji disclosed.

He decried the situation and called on the FCT security authorities to come to their rescue, noting that “It was a very bad day.”

Police operatives, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Peggyi Station, Usman Abini are said to have visited the scene of the incident.

Also speaking, Mr Samuel Elisha, an OIDA strong pillar and acting Coordinator in Kuje Chiefdom expressed his grievances over the rise of insecurity in the council area and prayed for immediate intervention in the community.

When contacted, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Josephine Adeh said she was unavailable to speak at the moment and would comment on the situation soon.

The recent incident occurred despite recent security measures set up by the Nigeria Police Force and the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike to identify and block kidnapping routes, especially in the suburban areas of Abuja.

President Bola Tinubu has announced a shake-up in the oil sector to ensure transparency amid concerns about declining oil revenue and opaque practices within the NNPC.

The President has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to take over responsibility for crude oil sales from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Previously, the NNPC solely controlled crude oil sales, only submitting accounts to the federal government. Critics have long argued that this arrangement lacked transparency, allowing the NNPC to underreport earnings.

The new directive requires the NNPC to submit all receipts for crude oil sales to the CBN for vetting and documentation. This aims to close any potential gaps in reporting and ensure accurate records of oil revenue.

CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, had last week said the collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the NNPCL is to ensure that all foreign inflows are returned to the Central Bank.

“This coordinated effort will greatly enhance the Bank’s foreign exchange flows and contribute to the accretion of reserves,” he said.

Cardoso, who was delivering a keynote address at the launch of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) “2024 Macroeconomic Outlook Report”, said, “The expected stability in the foreign exchange market for 2024 can be attributed to the reduction in petroleum product imports and the recent implementation of a market-determined exchange rate policy by the CBN.

“This reform is designed to streamline and unify multiple exchange rates, fostering transparency and reducing opportunities for arbitrage.

“The resulting consistent and stable exchange rate will not only boost investor confidence but also attract foreign investment, elevating Nigeria’s appeal to global investors.”

“We are implementing a comprehensive strategy to improve liquidity in our FX markets in the short, medium, and long term. Our focus is on addressing fundamental issues that have hindered the effective operation of our markets over the years.

“Upholding the integrity of financial markets is crucial for building confidence. With the completion of an independent forensic review, we are addressing the backlog of valid FX transactions and we remain steadfast in our commitment to decisively address any infractions and abuses,” he added.

Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria under the auspices of the Civil Society Joint Action Group, Community of Practice Against Mass Atrocities, and, Nigeria Mourns, are deeply concerned by the deteriorating state of security across Nigeria and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The CSOs in a press release on Monday explained that over the past decade and a half, insecurity in Nigeria has spiraled due to a variety of violent phenomena, including but not limited to terrorist activities in the entire northern region of the country, terror pillages otherwise known as ‘banditry’ in the North.

Adding that West, farmer-herder violence in the Middle Belt including the Benue Valley, secessionist struggles in the South East, piracy in the southern coast of the Country, inter-communal attacks, political violence, cult-gang violence and kidnapping.

They noted that these forms of insecurity have jeopardized the security and wellbeing of Nigerians, and have progressively deteriorated over the years.

“Endemic insecurity has persisted over the last three administrations, including that of President Buhari, who as a former military general, had gained public trust to run as president by promising to curb the then fledgling insecurity.

“Mass atrocities fatality tracking across the country by Nigeria Mourns reveals that in President Buhari’s second term alone (2019 to 2023), at least 24,816 Nigerians lost their lives, and at least 15,597 persons were abducted.”

This alarming trend has continued in spite of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assurance at the beginning of his presidency in May 2023 to tackle insecurity.

It has now been 8 months since President Tinubu took his oath of office and yet, things have failed to improve. Our tracking shows at least 2,423 people have been killed in mass atrocities-related incidents and at least 1,872 persons were abducted since the beginning of President Tinubu’s administration till January 26, 2024.

We are particularly concerned about the upsurge in abductions, noting that at least 230 incidents, in most of which multiple victims were involved, occurred within the first 2 weeks of January 2024 alone.

They however call on the Nigerian government to take actionable steps to end the endemic insecurity, mitigate further attacks by kidnap syndicates and terrorist groups, and, account persons missing in these attacks.

They further charged President Tinubu to Fulfill its constitutional imperative of safeguarding the lives of all citizens, declare a state of emergency on kidnapping and other forms of terrorism.

The President should also enhance the country’s security infrastructure by conducting an audit of the responsibility matrix within security agencies and departments of government, bolster their capabilities and deployment of technology to effectively address the evolving challenges of insecurity.

Other demands include:

Promptly prosecute the 400 sponsors of terrorism arrested under the Buhari regime, Uncover and prosecute those responsible for the misappropriation of the $460 million earmarked for the provision of CCTV cameras in the Federal Capital Territory.

Implement more decisive measures to promptly secure the release of all abducted victims, Create a register of victims of abductions and other forms of mass atrocities

Recognize and address the floundering economy, corruption and human rights violations as exacerbating factors of Nigeria’s insecurity and engage citizens on best practices for ending insecurity, including disincentivizing the payment of ransoms.

Provide holistic psychosocial support for abduction survivors and their families and Promptly investigate and decisively prosecute all individuals implicated in fueling insecurity.

The Supreme Court, on Monday, reserved judgment on an appeal the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, filed to challenge the outcome of the governorship election that held in Adamawa State on March 18.

A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, adjourned the matter for judgment, after all the parties adopted their final briefs of argument.

Specifically, the appellants, through their legal team headed by Chief Akinolu Olujimi (SAN), prayed the court to sack Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State from office.

They urged the Supreme Court to set aside the concurrent verdicts of the Court of Appeal and the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which upheld Fintiri’s re-election.

Binani maintained that she polled the majority of valid votes cast at the election and was validly declared the winner by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC.

However, Fintiri, through his lawyer, Mr. Damian Dodo (SAN), urged the apex court to dismiss the appeal and validate his election victory.

The appellate court had, in a judgment it delivered on December 18, 2023, dismissed Senator Dahiru’s appeal, even as it awarded a cost of N1 million against her.

While affirming the election of Governor Fintiri, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the appellate court held that Senator Dahiru’s appeal was vague.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had at the end of a supplementary election held in Adamawa State, announced that Fintiri polled 430,861 votes to defeat Binani of the APC who got a total of 398,788 votes.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, Binani approached the tribunal. She alleged that the election was fraught with corrupt practices and manifest non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

She urged the Justice Theodora Obi Uloho-led tribunal to declare that she was the valid winner of the governorship election. The panel refused and dismissed her petition.

While affirming the decision of the tribunal, the appellate court, in its lead verdict that was read by Justice Ebiowei Tobi, held that the 27 grounds of appeal the APC candidate brought before it, lacked competence.

It held that the appellants failed to, by way of credible evidence, substantiate the allegations they raised against the outcome of the election. It stressed that their claim that electoral fraud took place in 14,104 polling units in the state was not proven.

More so, the court noted that the record of proceedings transmitted from the tribunal, as well as the briefs of argument that were filed by the appellants, were incomplete.

The appellate court further emphasised that only a Returning Officer at an election has the statutory power to declare the results of the election.

It will be recalled that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had earlier granted INEC the permission to prosecute its suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.

Yunusa-Ari is facing a six-count charge over alleged unlawful role he played in the Adamawa State governorship election held on March 18.

INEC had initially declared that the gubernatorial election was inconclusive and ordered a supplementary poll.

However, midway into the collation of results of the supplementary poll held on April 15, the suspended Adamawa REC, Yunusa-Ari, sidelined protocols and announced the APC candidate, Binani, as the winner.

The action elicited instant reactions. The electoral body not only voided Yunusa-Ari’s action but equally placed him on an indefinite suspension.

The Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Monday summoned a member of the State House of Assembly representing Makurdi North State Constituency, Hon Berger Alfred, to appear before a disciplinary committee set up by the leadership of the party over alleged anti-party activities.

Alfred is expected to appear before the committee on Monday.

LeadingReporters gathered that the invitation is not unconnected with his activities in the forthcoming bye-election into Guma State Constituency.

According to a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Daniel Ihomun, Alfred’s invitation was “in accordance with Article 21 of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress.”

The statement further said, “The State Working Committee of the APC in Benue State has constituted a disciplinary committee to investigate the petition by APC Party Chairmen of Guma and Makurdi Local Government Areas and 50 others on allegations of anti-party activities carried out by Hon. Berger Emberga Alfred, Member representing Makurdi North State Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly.”

The seven-member committee set up by the party is headed by Barr. Vincent Uji with Princess Awuese Nancy Torhee, Hon. Daniel Ihomun and Comrade. Cephas Tertinde Adom as members.

Other members are Hon. Adah Ochojila; Hon. Simon Aluor and Alh. Mohamed Hassan as Secretary.

The statement further directed Alfred to appear before the Disciplinary Committee at Hon. Umar Ganduje Congress Hall, APC Secretariat Makurdi (Sen. Ahmed Tinubu House) on Monday by 3 pm.

The chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, Philip Aivoji, has been released.

Aivoji, along with other party chieftains, was abducted on Thursday, January 25th, while returning from a PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan. They were seized by unknown gunmen along the notorious Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a frequent target for kidnappings.

His release was disclosed by the State Publicity Secretary, Hakeem Amode, in a short statement issued around 1.15 am on Monday.

Amode said, “Lagos State PDP Chairman released by the kidnappers.

“Hon Philip Olabode Aivoji the Lagos State PDP Chairman is free at last after 4days in the kidnappers’ den.

“We use this opportunity to appreciate your prayers most importantly because God’s mercies was visible all the way.

“Thank you all for your concerns and prayers.”

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has appointed Edison Ehie, the leader of his loyalists in the State House of Assembly, as his Chief of Staff.

Ehie, was the contender to Martin Amaewhule for the position of Speaker, before recently resigning from the Assembly as part of the process to restore peace in the state.

He was rumoured a few weeks ago to have been appointed to replace Mr. Chidi Amadi, a loyalist of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who resigned alongside some commissioners late last year.

But in a statement late Sunday night by Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, Fubara named Ehie as his chief of staff.

The SSG also announced the appointment of five others as Special Advisers.

The new Special Advisers are Darlington Oji, who resigned as the Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Samuel Nwanosike, in the wake of the political crisis in Rivers State; Solomon Abel-Eke, the immediate past Chairman of Ohio/Akpor Local Government Area where the Wikecomes from.

Others are, Prince Ohia, the immediate past Commissioner for Youths Development; Aminayanasam Fiberesima and Deeyah Bariene.

The statement said the new appointees will be sworn in by Governor Fubara at the State Executive Council Chambers by 11 am on Monday.

The proprietress of Excel Group of Schools, a nursery and primary institution in Ogun state, Mrs Helen Odunubi, has been abducted by some suspected kidnappers.

Punch reports that the incident occurred inside the school premises in the Ogunsua Crescent, Oserw Baba Odun Matogbun area of Agbado in Ogun State, at about 1 pm on Tuesday.

A source in the area sais trouble started when two women and two men drove an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Sienna into the school premises and went straight to the school proprietress’ office.

The son of the proprietress, Ayodeji Odunubi, was said to have also told the police on Wednesday that the four people had never been seen in the area before Tuesday’s incident.

He said the suspects appeared a few minutes later with his mother and dragged her inside the said Toyota Sienna they drove into the premises with.

The son said before anyone could challenge them, they had hurriedly driven away.

As of the time of this report, it was learnt that the 56-year-old had neither been found nor had her abductor reached out to the family for any ransom.

Speaking about the incident, the Ogun state police command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, said the policemen in the Agbado Division were immediately mobilised and stormed the school premises when they received the information.

She noted that the police and other local security outfits were working hand-in-glove to find out the whereabouts of the proprietress and rescue her from her abductors.

“Upon the receipt of the incident, our men in the division immediately swung into action along with other security outfits to rescue the lady.

“There is already a synergy between the police, the community leaders, and other security outfits in the community. I can assure you that efforts are in top gear to know the location of the victim and arrest the suspects,” she stated.