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The Presidency has blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its failure to adhere to legal processes, which ultimately led to the sacking of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State by the Court of Appeal.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, pointed out that the PDP’s decision to use an illegal caretaker committee to conduct primaries in Plateau State, despite a court order, was the root cause of the governor’s downfall.

“The PDP should take full responsibility for this avoidable electoral setback,” Onanuga asserted. “Their blatant disregard for the law and their failure to learn from past mistakes have cost them dearly.”

Onanuga drew parallels between the Plateau governor’s ouster and the 2019 loss of Zamfara State by the All Progressives Congress (APC) due to similar irregularities.

“In 2019, the APC lost all elected positions in Zamfara State because of illegal primaries,” Onanuga recalled. “The PDP, instead of learning from this experience, chose to repeat the same mistakes, resulting in the nullification of Governor Mutfwang’s election.”

The Special Adviser added, “Non-compliance with the electoral law and the constitution is also at the root of the nullification of the election of Kano governor, Abba Yusuf. Those blaming the judiciary and being emotional about the ruling should face reality. Yusuf was sacked based on the law. I believe we all want our country to be guided by the rule of law.”

By Tonnie Iredia
 
In an address to a management retreat organized by Nigeria’s Ministry of Police Affairs last week, president Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly ordered the withdrawal of police personnel from Nigeria’s top elite group simply referred to as VIPs.  If this is obeyed, the police can then take back their normal duties as spelt out by law. Now that it is the president himself that has reiterated the point everyone in the country has been harping upon, may be something would be done about it this time around. Indeed, virtually every former Inspector General of Police IGP began his tenure with a pledge to redress the situation more so as VIPs use police personnel for menial jobs thereby damaging the corporate image of the police.
 
On his part, the current IGP, Kayode Egbetokun believes that withdrawing police mobile personnel from escort/guard duties would better position the police to effectively handle the internal security architecture of the country.  Although, he made the statement at a meeting with crack squadron leaders and tactical commanders of the force, there is doubt if Egbetokun can achieve the plan bearing in mind that his predecessors were unable to do so. It should be noted that Tinubu is not the first Nigerian president to issue the withdrawal directive. Former president Muhammadu Buhari issued the same directive to no avail.
 

The boldest step to recall police personnel attached to VIPs was probably the move by IGP, Ogbonna Onovo in 2009 to recall all orderlies attached to those not entitled. According to Onovo only 22 beneficiaries are officially listed and this does not include former civilian or military presidents. But can the police ever withdraw orderlies attached to Gowon, Obasanjo, Buhari, Babangida, Jonathan or even those of former stategovernors? The truth is that the issue of those entitled has since given way to those who can pay for the service. For example, some two months ago, during the convention and electoral process organized by the Adamawa state students, three police personnel were seen serving as escorts to the student union president.
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The implications of sending several police personnel to undertake guard duties are many. First, it further depletes the existing inadequate numerical strength of the Force. Second, it turns a large figure of police personnel into mere domestic servants functioning as handbag carriers and gate keepers. Why is the trend allowed to subsist? Some 5months ago, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting ICIR took a hard look at the subject and concluded that the regular notice of an end to police escorts for unentitled persons is mere rhetoric meaning that the police hierarchy does not appear to mean their directives on the matter.
 
According to the ICIR, after issuing a directive for such withdrawal in 2003, former IGP Tafa Balogun turned around to ask those attached to judges to remain. Nothing was done about the deadline given in 2009 by IGP Onovo for all unapproved orderlies to report for redeployment in 7 days. In 2011, a monitoring team set up by IGP Hafiz Ringim to monitor compliance with his withdrawal directive made feeble impact. The threat by IGP Adamu in 2020 that commanders will be held liable for continued illegal attachment of police escorts to unentitled persons did not alter the precarious situation.

Many large towns and villages hardly see any police personnel whereas individual elite groups could have dozens guarding their private residences. Governors and their government houses had hundreds of orderlies. At a point the Rivers State Police Command announced that former governor Rotimi Amaechi had 187 escorts. The same command was however silent on who deployed the escorts to him. Did governor Amaechi get the assistance of a foreign power to invade the police command to appropriate 187 operatives? Of course, Amaechi was ‘indicted’ only after he stopped enjoying good relationship with the presidency.
 
Interestingly, now and again successive past governments kept setting up panels on police reforms without doing anything about the reports of the panels. Reports of the Murtala Nyako panel (1989), the one set up by General Abacha (1995) another constituted by the Ministry of Police Affairs (2000) as well as the one headed by Professor Tekena Tamuno (2002) were all discarded. The reports of the Vision 2010 committee and the one led by former IGP Danmadami (2006) were similarly treated. In 2008 former IGP M.D. Yusuf chaired one that produced 125 recommendations which government is still experimenting upon.
 
At the same time, the police has a chief executive in charge of day to day administration of the Force. It also has a Police Service Commission, a Ministry of Police Affairs and a Police Council which point to too many cooks in the police kitchen. In another clime, the enormous minute by minute societal demands on the police which require immediate attention would not encourage a bureaucratic Ministry of Police Affairs. No wonder, we keep debating police reforms instead of allowing the management of the organization to follow global realities in policing. In fact, that the police leadership is incapable of implementing its own rules on basic issues such police escorts points at the elephant in the room.

 The above explains why the police hierarchy is also unable to implement the scrapping of illegal checkpoints which every IGP vows to stop on assumption of office. What makes this more disturbing is that activities at checkpoints always lead to extortion and sometimes end in fatal injuries. Although, Muyiwa Adejobi force spokesperson publicised only 3 things to be presented to the police at checkpoints which are vehicle licence, driver’s licence and insurance certificate, additional fault-finding items are always demanded by the police. The goal is to get as much money as possible from road users especially in a lucrative route such as Lagos to Onitsha which is said to have more than 50 checkpoints.  
 
In 2019, a report by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP did not only adjudge the police as the most corrupt institution in Nigeria, it also stated that “a bribe is paid in 54 percent of interactions with the police” adding that “there is a 63% probability that an average Nigerian would be asked to pay bribe each time he or she interacted with the police.” The argument that the police are virtually addicted to the operations of illegal checkpoints because their salaries are poor is certainly puerile. These days how many public officers are not poor?
 
Apart from legislators who have between 100 and 200 million naira each just to purchase official car, no one is really financially comfortable with the salary structure of the public service. Extorting from tax payers because of insufficiency of their salaries is a criminal breach of trust. If other police personnel were that guilty, we would never have had the likes of Francis Erhabor, a serving police officer publicly commended by government for rejecting a bribe of N2million. During the 20th Anniversary of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission ICPC, Erhabor who was at the time serving as a Divisional Police Office (DPO) Itam, Uyo in Akwa Ibom state was one of two Nigerians honoured by the ICPC as icons of integrity.

It is time to deal with the real problem of the police which is pervasive greed and financial indiscipline among many personnel. It is suggested that the new Police Act of 2020 be strictly followed in the appointment and promotion of officers as well as the operations of the police. For instance, the Police Act in its Section 66(3) provides for a lawyer to be attached to every police station in the country to help promote human rights compliance. Former IGP Solomon Arase who is currently Chairman of the Police Service Commission should work with the current IGP to further reduce the number of personnel attached to only entitled persons. Incidentally, he reduced the figure for state governors from over 150 to 62 when he was IGP.
 
Finally, the police should embrace technology which all over the world has been recognised as the redeeming feature of humanity. With improved technology, there would be no need to deploy police personnel to voting centres where they are often accused of acting as catalysts for electoral malpractices. Our police personnel need value re-orientation.
 
November 19, 2023   

President Bola Tinubu is set to leave Abuja this Saturday for Berlin, Germany, where he will participate in the G20 Compact with Africa (CwA) Conference on November 20, 2023. The conference is hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

This was disclosed by the President’s spokesperson on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The conference will see President Tinubu engaging with Heads of State and Governments from CwA member countries, bilateral partners, and Heads of International Organizations. Their discussions will center on the immediate enhancement of economic and business cooperation, aiming to identify concrete measures that will foster investments in crucial areas such as energy, trade, infrastructure, and new technologies.

According to the statement, the G20 CwA Conference is scheduled to occur concurrently with the Fourth G20 Investment Summit, which will be co-hosted by the German government and German business associations.

He said the President is committed to attracting foreign direct investment in Nigeria is resonating worldwide. Taking charge of Nigeria’s delegation at the investment summit, he is poised to propel the mission to new heights.

What the Presidency is Saying

Furthermore, Ajuri stated that the President will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; and the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.

He said,

• “This visit also affirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to diplomatic reciprocity as the invitation to Germany from the German Chancellor is being honoured following the visit of the German Chancellor to Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria, from October 29 to October 30, 2023.
• “Leveraging on the opportunity presented by the Fourth G20 Investment Summit, the Nigerian delegation will follow up on productive meetings previously conducted with high-ranking representatives from German business organizations who were part of the official delegation of the German Chancellor to Nigeria.
• “In his discussions with Chancellor Scholz in October, President Tinubu highlighted the imminent need for more German companies to invest in the Nigerian market across multiple sectors of the Nigerian economy, such as transportation, mining, and energy, all while noting that Nigeria remains Germany’s second-largest trading partner in Africa.
• “Nigeria and Germany, being the largest economies in Africa and Europe, respectively, recorded an increase in bilateral trade volume from two to three billion Euros between 2021 and 2022.”

President Tinubu will return to the country following the conclusion of the conference.

Despite technological innovations and the deploy of high tech components to deliver seamless service especially in banking to Nigerians, the delivery of such services often turn sour as seen in the current state of Access Bank Plc.

What is more worrisome however is the timing of such service collapse which often go on for days.

Leading Reporters in the last three days observed service disruption from access bank as many customers of the bank could no longer hid their displeasure for disruptive service even as the weekend inch closer.

Residents of Abuja, the federal capital territory were seen in queues to make one complain or the other, while some lament the disruption from accessing access bank ussd code services, others lament the non-availability of network to make transactions.

A resident of the city who spoke on the condition anonymity lamented that he was suppose to pay his employees for service delivered but could not and has received lots of embarrassment in that regard.

Another customer, Saheed Akanni said he could not make any transaction and this has really affected his scheduled traveling for the weekend but had to shelve it.

The social community too on X is not finding the situation funny as many of them are currently lamenting the service disruption.

Without mincing words, the slogan of the bank, “Access. More than Banking”. is actually a mere say as instead of delivering more banking service, service disruption has become the order of the day for Access Bank Plc.

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja on Friday, sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State.

The panel of Justices of the apex court upheld the verdict of the State Election Petitons Tribunal led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay, which earlier sacked Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) on September 20, 2023 and declared Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the rightful winner of the March 18 governorship election in the State.

The Tribunal had declared 165,663 votes of Yusuf, who contested under the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), invalid on the grounds that they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor’s votes were then reduced to 853,939 while those of Nasir Ganuwa, his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, remained at 890,705.

Yusuf had rejected the tribunal verdict, which he described as “unfair” and “a miscarriage of justice”, and headed to the appeal court.

At the court, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, lead for Yusuf, asked that the judgement of the tribunal be set aside.

Kicking against the ruling on ballot papers, the senior lawyer said that was the first time in the history that a tribunal would annul an election over non-signing of the back of ballot papers.

He had said the tribunal erred, arguing further that, that was the first time that a political party would file a matter without joining its candidate as a party in the petition and the candidate would declared winner of the polls.

But, Akin Olujimi SAN, counsel for APC, countered him saying the Appeal Court stated emphatically that the non-signing of ballots amounted to electoral malpractice.

An All-Progressives Congress, APC, support groups coalition Thursday cautioned recalled envoys and ambassadors to stop denting the country’s image abroad.

At a world press conference held in Abuja, the coalition accused some of the envoys, chiefly the Ambassador to Zambia, of sponsoring spurious media campaigns against the Federal Government and the person of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Addressing journalists at the Press Conference, Amb. Haj. Rabi Garba Dangizo, Director General, Progressive Arewa People Support, ASIWAJU/Shattima, PAPSA, and Amb. (Dr.) Adewale Adeogun, Founder/National Coordinator, Asiwaju Progressive Forum And National Coordinator, Tinubu National Think Tank, TNT, said that some of the envoys were not only undermining the powers of President Tinubu, but were engaging in activities that were in breach of Nigeria’s security.

According to the group; “what was supposed to be a routine Diplomatic Process has turned into a campaign of calumny against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, government officials and symbols of the country.

“We have called this press conference to register our dismay and outright displeasure on the uncharitable behaviour of a few that were chosen out of hundreds of millions to represent Nigeria.

“We, the Coalition of APC Political Support Groups for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wish to register the dismay of our members on this show of shame being exhibited by some recalled envoys.”

Speaking further, the coalition said that the recalled envoys have been waging a media war against their employer, stressing that they have also “gone ahead to release documents that flout the Official Secrets Act.

“These documents have found their ways into the media and digital media space. This action not only undermines the oath sworn to by the envoys, but it is also against the extant rules and regulations guiding public officials in Nigeria. Thereby making them knowingly committing an offense.”

They appealed to Nigerians to support the government “instead of derailing it with malicious publications, half-truths and outright misinformation.

“This caution also applies to those who will be appointed as ambassadors in the coming weeks, that they are first representatives of Nigeria’s interests and Mr President in their country of residence.”

Concerning the issue of the pending entitlements by the envoys, the coalition said “according to our investigations, we have discovered that severance payments known as passages have been sent to the recalled envoys, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, this is verifiable information.

“Also they are well aware that severance payments in Nigeria and all over the world follow due diligence and other forms of bureaucracy before payments are received.

“At this juncture, we must thank those envoys who have not only written to their host governments but have registered their return in Abuja. Most importantly we thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving these payments as a testimony to the appreciation of the work of the envoys to Nigeria.”

They warned that, “This orchestrated media war must end to protect the integrity of Mr President and sovereignty of Nigeria. The country is bigger than all of us.

“The recalled Nigerian High Commissioner To Zambia, Ambassador Ominyi Eze and his cohorts should therefore desist from the international embarrassment they are causing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the government of Nigeria.

“The general public is hereby advised to pay no heed to what is purely an administrative and procedural matter that has become the basis of misrepresentations in the media intended to undermine the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

“We the members of Coalition of APC Support Groups stand firmly with the APC-led Government and hereby call for an end to actions tantamount to insubordination and disrespect to our country and its symbols,” they further stated.