Headlines

President Bola Tinubu will on Tuesday honour an invitation to attend the 63rd independence anniversary of the Republic of Benin.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the President, who is also the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, would be the Special Guest of President Patrice Talon at the ceremony.

President Tinubu had first met with Talon on the sidelines of the summit on New Global Financing Pact in Paris, France and at the 63rd Ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS held in Guinea-Bissau.

The two leaders also more recently met at the State House, Abuja along with leaders of three other West African nations, where the Benin Republic President invited him for the anniversary.

Tinubu had drawn the attention of the Beninese leader to the need to review and strengthen cultural, trade and economic relations between their two countries.

The president also highlighted the need for joint border patrols by the Customs and harmonizing regulations on the frontlines among West African countries.

The President will be accompanied on the one-day visit by six governors, who were invited by Talon, and his personal aides.

The six governors are: Ogun, Dapo Abiodun; Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Oyo, Seyi Makinde; Kwara, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq; Kebbi, Nasir Idris, and Niger, Mohammed Umar Bago.

The new military rulers of Niger, who took over the government in a coup a few days ago, have detained at least one hundred and eighty (180) members of the ousted democratically elected administration, the previous ruling party said on Monday.

The president of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, Foumakoye Gado, Mines Minister, Ousseini Hadizatou and the Energy Minister, Mahamane Sani Mahamadou were among those detained, the party’s spokesman, Hamid N’Gadé said.

N’Gadé added that Transport Minister, Oumarou Malam Alma and his deputy, Kalla Moutari, including Interior Minister, Hama Adamou Souley were also detained by the coup plotters, NAN reports.

The “abusive arrests” were evidence of “the repressive, dictatorial and unlawful behaviour” of the military, N’Gadé said.

On Wednesday, officers from General Omar Tchiani’s elite unit declared Niger’s democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum, of the PNDS, out of power. Tchiani later appointed himself as the new ruler on Friday.

Shortly afterwards, the coup plotters suspended the West African country’s constitution and dissolved all constitutional institutions. The coup has been internationally condemned.

The West African community of states ECOWAS issued an ultimatum to the coup leaders on Sunday saying that if Bazoum was not released and reinstated within a week, ECOWAS would take measures that could include the use of force.

On Monday, the military governments of neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali warned ECOWAS against intervening.

Any military intervention against Niger would be equal to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali, a joint statement by the two transitional governments said.

The Lagos State Working Committee of the Labour Party, led by Pastor Dayo Ekong, has disclosed that there is no faction in the chapter, stating any other group or exco as illegal and unconstitutional.

A statement released on Monday by the Lagos State LP Publicity Secretary, Mrs Olubunmi Ekong noted that the splinter group led by one Mr Olumide Adesoyin as impostors who were hell-bent on troubling the peace in the chapter.

Disowning the Ekong-led exco that led the party into the 2023 general elections in the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) earlier reported that Adesoyin on Friday announced a new LP executive committee in the state,

He said the Ekong-led exco was no longer recognised by law following the sacking of the Mr Julius Abure-led National Working Committee of the party, which appointed the Ekong-led excos into office.

However on Monday, Ekong insisted that Adesoyin and his cohorts remained impostors, who interpreted court orders to suit their selfish interest

Stressing the need for the general public should disregard Adesoyin’s claim because neither the party’s constitution nor INEC recognises them, she maintained that she remains the incumbent chairperson of the state.

“The properly constituted Lagos LP exco is still in force, and all party activities are still being carried out from the party secretariat situated at No. 59, Oduduwa Way, GRA, Ikeja.

She emphasized that there is no faction in the Labour Party, either at the national or state level.

There is only one legally constitutional and recognised national chairman and secretary of the party in the persons of Mr Julius Abure and Alhaji Umar Farouk, respectively.”

Ekong said Labour Party was focused on reclaiming its allegedly stolen mandate and would n

The Federal Government has said that the planned industrial action by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is illegal.

In an earlier letter dated July 28 signed by Sam Ogala of Falana’s Chamber stated that the right to peaceful protest has not been removed from the constitution

In response, a letter released on Monday, July, 31 signed by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jedy-Agba addressed to Falana Chambers on, noted that there is a subsisting interim order restraining NLC from embarking on any industrial action.

It partly read, “We reiterate that the interim order clearly restrained NLC from embarking on industrial action of any nature. It is common knowledge that a strike is only a form of industrial action. NLC has expressed intention to embark on nationwide action to force the government (employer) to agree to its demands.

According to the letter, “the participation of workers in the protest will result in restriction, or limitation on, or a delay in the performance of work. The foregoing, inclusive of the purported peaceful protest (in view of its intended aims or purposes) undoubtedly amounts to industrial action. We assert that it is grossly inappropriate to lead the public protest in respect of issues relating to or connected with the fuel price increase, which is currently before the court!”

Urging Falana to enlighten the NLC that peaceful protests are no justification for shutting down essential services, she noted that it is apparent that the current move by NLC goes beyond peaceful protest by issuing a seven-day ultimatum for government to meet its demands and also embark on a nationwide action to compel the government to reverse alleged anti-worker policies.

She was emphasized that uncontroverted media reports have established that NLC is not planning a peaceful protest but intends to ground the government by endangering public peace by instilling fear in the masses and precipitating a further crisis.

“It is incumbent on your law firm to sensitise the labour unions that peaceful protests are no justification for disrupting or shutting down essential services, which is tantamount to strike action. Based on the foregoing, you may wish to advise your clients accordingly,” the statement added.

The initial whispers have now snowballed into full-blown admission that the once respected Federal Character Commission (FCC) has over the years become a castle of corruption where lucrative jobs are sold to unemployed and even employed Nigerians of all creeds and ethnic backgrounds.

This unfortunate classification of the Commission is coming from its current Chairperson, Dr Muheeba Dankaka, who described the FCC as “a marketplace for selling job slots” before her appointment to the office by immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari on April 28, 2020.

Emphatically, Dr Dankaka claimed that her bold attempts to check the alleged corruption and obvious drift of the Commission from its original mandate have unfortunately seen some commissioners ganging up against her within the system.

Speaking during an appearance before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating alleged job racketeering and abuse of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) by Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), the FCC boss said there is no denying the fact that government officials have become notorious for selling job slots to Nigerians without batting eyelids.

She informed the Committee thus; “Before I came to this place, they were selling slots. The place was like a market, and you can find out from people who live in Abuja if I am lying. When I came in, I met all the commissioners, and I told them that they gave us the Qur’an [to swear on]. I don’t want anything that would destroy me or my family”.

Quite interestingly, Dankaka was not alone in washing the FCC’s dirty linens in public as some Commissioners, going by the ‘Integrity Group’ tag also accused her of highhandedness, job racketeering, abuse of extant laws and the FCC establishment Act since arriving to head the Commission.

The unfolding drama was against the backdrop of the House Committee’s directives that the FCC’s Chairperson and all the 36 commissioners must appear before it to answer questions on their current duty tour and activities in the Agency.

Addressing the House Committee on their counter-allegations, the Commissioner representing Osun State in the commission, Abdulrazak Adewuyi, and Rivers State counterpart, Okwacha Augustine claimed that Dr Dankaka has been running the Commission’s affairs in violation of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 2 of the FCC Act and other extant laws.

However, Dankaka denied the allegations and accused the commissioners from the ‘Integrity Group’ of mischief and blackmail, insisting that those making the allegations had been antagonistic following her refusal to compromise and accede to their whims and caprices.

In a viral video of the panel session, Dankaka said her move to stop the sale of job slots at the commission on her assumption of office did not go down well with some of the commissioners.

She said, “Before I came here, I have made my name. I have made my money. Let me tell you a small story. Some of them (commissioners) have reasons why they are attacking me. When I first came in, most of them were my close people. All of them were always in my office, but what they wanted me to do I told them I cannot do it.

“I am a very quiet person and I keep certain secrets as executive chairman. I have to swallow certain things and leave everything in the hands of God. Before I came to this place, they were selling (job) slots. The place was like a market. And you can find out from the people living in Abuja if I am lying. When I came in, I met all the commissioners and told them I don’t want anything that will destroy me and my family. All of them can bear me witness.”

She further alleged that a commissioner bought a landed property and promised the seller to pay for it with job slots, but she deliberately thwarted the evil plan which drew the ire of the said Commissioner and his comrades in the fraudulent business.

Having listened to the feuding parties, the House Committee Chairman, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, directed the chairperson to submit her response to the allegations in writing as well as all other documents required for the investigation by Friday, July 28, 2023.

The Committee also directed that the FCC Chairperson should appear with all the 36 commissioners on Monday, July 31, 2023 for the resumed investigative hearing.