Category: News

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a thorough investigation of the recent boat mishap in Kwara State which reportedly claimed over 100 lives.

He has also expressed sadness over the accident led to the death of some of the wedding guests at Egbu village in Patigi Local Government Area of the state.

The President, in a statement issued on Wednesday by State House Director of Information, Mr Abiodun Oladunjoye, while urging the Kwara State Government and relevant Federal Government agencies to look into the circumstances surrounding the boat accident, promised that his administration would look into the challenges of inland water transportation in the country to ensure the matter of safety and operational standards are strictly adhered to.

“The Kwara State Government and relevant federal agencies should work together to unravel the immediate and remote causes of this unfortunate accident. Immediate relief and necessary assistance should also be provided to the survivors and families of victims,” the President said.

President Tinubu further stated: “I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of our people in Kwara State. That the victims were guests at a wedding ceremony made the unfortunate accident more painful.

“My heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of victims of the tragic mishap. I also sympathise with the government and people of Kwara State over the accident”

“May all loved ones find comfort,” the President prayed.

Arise News

Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, who alleged that the 2023 presidential election was rigged, on Wednesday, accused the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, of evading the service of a witness summon on him.

Ob had through his team of lawyers led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, obtained a subpoena to compel the INEC Chairman to appear before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja.

He wants the INEC boss to not only testify before the court as a witness but to equally produce and tender in evidence, some sensitive materials that were used for the conduct of the presidential election.

At the resumed proceedings in the petition, he lodged to challenge the declaration of President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the presidential contest that held on February 25, Obi and his party, told the court that all efforts to serve a copy of the subpoena on the INEC Chairman, failed.

While lamenting the inability of his client to effect service of the summon of Prof. Yakubu, Obi’s lead counsel, Dr. Uzoukwu, SAN, said: “My lords, I thought that by now, we would have been through with the stage of tendering of documents.

“I have drawn the attention of the lead counsel to the INEC, Mr. Abubakar Mahmood, SAN, that the office of the Chairman of the Commission has consistently refused to accept subpoenas to produce certain documents, in spite of efforts of Bailiffs of this court.

“The counsel graciously asked me to give him a copy of the subpoena but I didn’t have an extra copy to give to him, so, he asked me to give it to any member of his team.

“My lords, because I still do not have an extra copy, I intend to get it and send to him once the proceeding of today is over.

“I am confident that he will do the needful for us to continue our case tomorrow,” he added.

However, irked by the allegation, the INEC, through its lawyer, Mr Kemi Pinhero, SAN, accused Obi of always looking for who to blame for his failure.

Pinheiro, SAN, while addressing the court, said he was not privy to any discussion that Obi’s lead counsel had with any member of the Commission’s legal team.

He said: “My lords should take note that it has become a habit for the Petitioners, that whenever they want to seek for an adjournment, they must look for someone to blame.

“I was not privy to any discussion they had with our team leader because all the discussions have been open to members of our group.

“However, it cannot be true that the Chairman of INEC refused to receive the subpoena. In PDP’s case, subpoenas were served, not only on the Chairman but also on some National Commissioners.

“My lords should equally note that all the avalanche of documents they have tendered so far, some of them were certified as far back as in March.

“Yet, every time, they keep complaining that INEC refused to release documents to them.

“The submission that INEC refused to give documents to them, with due respect to the learned counsel, is not true.

“If they want to ask for an adjournment, they should do so and not attempt to use the INEC as a weeping board.

“I want to say for the records that it is not correct that INEC Chairman refused to receive a subpoena.

“The Chairman of INEC has no interest whatsoever. This allegation against him is most uncharitable,” Pinhero, SAN, added.

Though counsel for the Petitioners, Uzoukwu, SAN, maintained his position and urged the court to verify from its Bailiffs, if the INEC Chairman did not refuse service of the subpoena, however, the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel, urged restraint from both parties.

“There is no need to quarrel over this issue. If a subpoena was refused, counsel knows what to do.

“We should remember that after this case, we will still see each other in court.

“So, let us not allow issues like this to destroy bonds of friendship,” the Chairman of the panel, Justice Tsammani cautioned the senior lawyers.

Following a no-objection stance by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who appeared for President Tinubu, as well as by counsel for the APC, Mr Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, the court adjourned further hearing on the matter till Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Petitioners had earlier in the proceedings on Wednesday, tendered in evidence before the court, copies of printouts of the results of the presidential election from seven states of the federation, which they downloaded from INEC’s IReV portal.

The printouts, which the Petitioners said were duly certified by INEC, were from 21 LGAs in Benue state, 25 LGAs in Niger state, 17 LGAs in Edo state, 20 LGAs in Bauchi state, 8 LGAs in Bayelsa, 8 LGAs in Gombe state and 21 LGAs in Kaduna state.

The Petitioners equally tendered in evidence, bundles of printouts from unlinked or cancelled LGAs in the states.

Though all the Respondents in the matter, objected to the admissibility of the documents, the Justice Tsammani-led panel admitted them in evidence and marked them as Exhibits.

The court further admitted in evidence, a certificate of compliance for certified Exhibits from 28 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

It will be recalled that Obi, who came third in the presidential election, had indicated his intention to call 50 witnesses within the three weeks that was allocated to him by the court.

Vanguard

…Insecurity, big elephant in the room – Mbah

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has pledged military’s readiness and commitment to partnering with the Enugu State government towards the security of lives and property in the state.

This was even as the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, identified insecurity as the major obstacle to his administration’s agenda to raise the state’s economy from the present $4.4 billion to $30 billion.

General Irabor said the hierarchy of the Nigerian military services was impressed by the bold security measures so far taken by the governor, assuring that they would play their part in encouraging socio-economic development of the state by enhancing internal security.

The military chief stated this during a courtesy call on the governor and meeting with critical stakeholders at the Government House, Enugu, Tuesday.

He said he was in the state for a review of the impact of the security efforts of the military in the state.

“Your bold statement on security synchronises with our efforts towards ending insecurity. We came to appreciate you for that and to let you know that such steps fall within our purview and that every stakeholder will support it.

“We are here to assure you the armed forces and security agencies will give you all the needed support”, he said.

General Irabor appealed to the traditional rulers, civil society organisations (CSOs), town unions, and all stakeholders to work in synergy with the governor and security agencies to ensure the security of lives and property as no single body or individual could do it alone.

On his part, Governor Mbah, who identified insecurity as the big elephant in the room, however appreciated the Chief of Defence Staff and security agencies in the state for rising to the occasion in the state’s efforts to encourage productivity and enhance the security of lives and property.

“We promised our people that we are going to do things differently, growing our economy in an unprecedented way from $4.4 billion to $30 billion. But this requires making tough decisions.

“We identified the elephant in the room, being insecurity, and its impact, both psychologically, economically, and socially on our people.

“We can’t adopt the present financing model if we must grow the economy exponentially. It has to be private sector driven and one of the indicators of the Ease of Doing Business is security. We have to secure our state, ensure our people work five days in a week in order to convince them of our state’s viability.

“So, we are glad to have you and all the security agencies as our partner and you have assured us that your men will sustain the efforts to improve the security of lives and property in our state”, Mbah stated.

Also speaking, critical stakeholders, representatives, and leaders of various bodies, including the traditional institutions, labour, traders, religious institutions, CSOs, students, among others, while commending Mbah for his gallant efforts in shoring up security and productivity in the state, equally thanked the Chief of Defence Staff for all the assurances given.

They pledged to mobilise their members and subjects towards supporting the efforts to restore Monday as a working day, saying the inability to work on Mondays for some years had seriously affected the economic fortunes of their members and subjects.

“We have agreed amongst ourselves, as traders in Enugu State, to open our markets from 7:30am to 6pm daily, including Mondays.

“It is our duty too to make our people come out by sensitizing and educating them on the gains of working and trading on Mondays”, President, Enugu Amalgamated Traders Association, ASMATA, Comrade Stephen Aniagu, said.

Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, HRH Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, who restated the faith of the traditional rulers in the capacity of the Nigerian military to secure the country, reminded the Chief of Defence Staff that the Constitution did not vest powers and control over the armed forces on state governors, urging them to rise to the challenges of insecurity bedeviling the nation.

Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Emmanuel Ede reiterated the readiness of the Church to continue to partner with the Mbah administration and the security agencies to secure Enugu State.

After 20-year sojourn in the House of Representatives, the immediate-past Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, has resigned his membership of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly.

Gbajabiamila, who was sworn-in as a member of the House for the 6th term on Tuesday, tendered his resignation letter to the new Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, at plenary on Wednesday.

In the letter, the one-time Majority Leader of the House said it was to enable him assume duty as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.

President Tinubu had on Friday, June 2, 2023 appointed Gbajabimila as his Chief of Staff at a meeting with Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).

Elected into the House to represent Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State since 2003, the veteran lawmaker had variously served as Minority Whip, Minority Leader, Majority Leader and Speaker of the House.

Before tendering his resignation letter, Gbajbiamila had moved the first motion of urgent public importance in the 10th House on the “Need to Commence Active Measures to Mitigate the Probable Devastation of a Severe Flood Season and prepare Palliative Intervention to Prevent the worst Socio-Economic Consequences for Nigerians in the Affected Areas.”

Leadership

The federal government is set to introduce tuition fees in federal universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions following the signing of the Student Loan Bill by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Daily Trust reports.

The bill, which is now an act of parliament was signed on Monday, a development widely celebrated in many quarters without understanding the implication of the new law for the millions of prospective students who rely on tuition-free higher institutions of learning to acquire knowledge.

Educationists and other stakeholders said this would have wider implications.

In Nigeria, tuition, which runs into hundreds of thousands of naira or even millions of naira in private universities, is free in government schools at both national and state levels.

The situation has been the same since independence, even though some charges for other issues such as accommodation, departmental, and course registration, among others vary from one institution to another.

The waiver of tuition has given millions of students the opportunity to go to school, but observers say the introduction of a student loan scheme by the federal government means an end to tuition-free education.

There was no immediate response from the Federal Ministry of Education

What the law says

Clause 3 of the Students Loan Act says: “The loans referred to in this Act shall be granted to students only for the payment of tuition fees.”

This clause contravenes the existing provision that says tuition is free in public institutions.

Meanwhile, the question of tuition in Nigerian institutions is a constitutional matter vide Chapter 2 of the amended 1999 Constitution. By the provisions of that chapter, no publicly owned institution is permitted and it is illegal for any one of them to charge tuition fees on any citizen of the country.

According to the Act establishing the law, the Student Loan Bill would provide easy access to higher education for indigent Nigerians through interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

As enacted by the National, the Act shall apply to all matters pertaining to the application and grant of loans to Nigerians seeking higher education into institutions of higher learning in Nigeria through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

“All students seeking higher education in any public institution of higher learning in Nigeria shall have equal right to access the loans under this Act without any discrimination arising from gender, religion, tribe, position or disability of any kind,” the act reads.

It, however, noted that the grant of the loan to any student under the Act shall be subject to the applicant satisfying the requirements and conditions set out under this Act.

Many students will leave school – ASUU

When Daily Trust contacted the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, he said the bill is not new as it has been on for a long time.

He said: “A country where more than 133 million are living below the poverty line and you want to introduce tuition fees? It will be counterproductive.

“Every Nigerian should know what is going to happen next and there may likely be another bill waiting for signature that will introduce tuition fees. If the bill indicated that the loan is to pay tuition fees and there are no tuition fees in Nigerian universities, then what is your next approach,” he asked.

He, however, noted that the union is yet to have access to the accurate copy and that they needed to get it and study it.

“We have said long ago, in 2017, to President Buhari when they came up with the issue of tuition fees, that every student will pay N1 million and we said you cannot put that in our agreement and you cannot use that to negotiate with us and with the nature of the country we have today, there is no way that will work.

“What will happen is that the majority of students whose parents cannot afford it will pull out of school in anger and you know what that means, they will fight the society back. But let us get the correct information first before knowing the next steps,” he added.

A professor at the University of Abuja, Ben Ugwoke, said going by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, no public institution pays tuition fees. That is, all public institutions in Nigeria are tuition-free.

“However, due to underfunding, the governing councils or boards of these public institutions are permitted by the laws establishing the institutions to determine appropriate charges and levies that students should pay to cover specific costs.

“The bill signed into law does not abrogate the various acts of the National Assembly establishing the public institutions which enable them to levy students appropriately. The new students’ loan act did not in any way abolish the current or future regime of charges students of public institutions in Nigeria currently pay.

“Let me hazard a guess that the new act has laid a formal basis for the various governing organs of the public institutions in Nigeria to levy higher charges on students,” he said.

According to him, “To the naive, it means relief but to my mind, I think it means higher charges are on the horizon for students.”

For Professor Nasiru Medugu Idris of Nasarawa State University Keffi, “Tuition fees will remain the same or even higher. This is because the students’ loan will strictly be for the purpose of tuition fees. So no abolition of tuition fees in Nigerian universities.”

He said parents might think that it is a kind of relief for them but actually this is not because students’ living expenses per semester are very huge.

“School’s tuition fee maybe 10 to 20 per cent of students’ expenditure per semester. Therefore parents and students should not celebrate the signing of the act for now until they have accessed the loan first,” he said.

Meanwhile, when Daily Trust contacted the Federal Ministry of Education to clarify clause 3 of the act, via a text message to the Permanent Secretary, David Adejo, through the Director of Press, Bem Ben Goong, the director said the ministry will address a press conference on Wednesday to clarify all issues and as such had no comment.

Daily Trust

Mr Peter Obi and his Labour Party (LP) On Tuesday tendered more documents in evidence to the Presidential Election Petition Court.

Obi and his Labour Party (LP) are petitioners in the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023 challenging the election which brought President Bola Tinubu into power

Respondents are Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) president Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima and All Progressives Congress (APC).

The documents are mainly results sheets and reports used by INEC during the presidential election.

Obi through Peter Afoba, SAN tendered forms EC40GPU, EC40G1 and reports prepared by the electoral body after the election.

A total of 45 EC40GPU forms were tendered in 10 Local Government Areas of Niger, and 23 in seven Local Government Areas of Osun.

Others are 17 in three Local Government Areas of Edo State and 52 EC40GPU forms in five Local Government Areas of Sokoto were tendered.

The petitioners also tendered 15 forms EC40G in 8 Local Government Areas of Osun State, 12 forms EC40G1 in 12 Local Government Areas of Edo.

They further tendered 15 forms EC40G in four Local Government Areas of Sokoto and nine forms EC40G1 in two Local Government Areas of Sokoto.

The petitioners also tendered five Reports on the conduct of the election in Niger and eight in Edo to back up their allegations of malpractices during the conduct of the election.

Tendered also, were INEC Results Viewing (IRev) reports in 21 Local Government Areas of Adamawa , 20 in Ogun , 16 in Ekiti , 19 in Rivers and 25 Akwa Ibom.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that forms EC40G are the total voters in a place were voting did not occur or cancelled, and EC40GPU when it happened in a polling unit.

The court admitted all the documents in evidence and marked them as exhibits.

However, all the counsel in the matter objected to the admissibility of all the documents tendered.

Meanwhile, the five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned until tomorrow for further hearing of the petition.

Vanguard

Amid the ongoing proceedings at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, a professor of strategic management and human capital development, Okey Ikechukwu, says it is the duty of the judiciary to conduct itself with dignity.

During Channels Television’s special coverage for Democracy Day on Monday, Ikechukwu argued that when one goes into a contest, they accept the rules of the contest.

“So, if you go for an election, the expectation is that you will either win or lose. Now, part of what you find in the toolkit of the democratic enterprise is the judicial process,” he said.

The management expert noted that after elections, if a participant finds the results satisfactory, they move to the next level, the law, which he described as statutory, mandatory, and constitutional.

“You also don’t tell the judiciary to finish it in 30 minutes. You look at the existing law; you have the law you are supposed to go through. It’s at the tribunal for 180 days and you have another 60 days at the Supreme Court, I think,” Ikechukwu said.

“So, you can’t jump forward and say, ‘I’m impatient, stop it.’ There are opinions, there are concerns, there are even hysterical reactions to what is going on in the judiciary regarding the elections. It is the duty of the judiciary to conduct itself with dignity.”

According to the professor, the judiciary is a statutory arm of government that has a duty to perform. He argued that aggrieved parties had a right to express opinions about what they expect from the judiciary.

“If the opinion of aggrieved parties outside of the law and judicial system is deemed to be pressure, I don’t understand what kind of pressure that is,” he stated.

“If, for instance, you’re in the hospital for surgery; it’s an appendicectomy that’s about to be carried out and some of your relations are outside and are complaining that ‘this doctor should do this,’ it doesn’t affect the diagnosis.”

Channels TV

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) a few minutes ago signed into law, The Student Loan Bill, which provides for interest-free loans to indigent Nigerian students.

Recall that Tinubu, during his campaign, had promised to give student loans as part of efforts to develop the education sector and also build the youth capacity.

Tinubu made the promise at the British Royal Institute in London.

“Youths are the greatest asset of tomorrow,” Tinubu said in Chatham House while fielding questions from participants at the event, adding that they will be part of his “all-inclusive” government, pointing to the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“The education system is to change. We would overhaul it and tinker with some areas with the philosophy that no one would be left behind. There will be student loans for all. We are going to reform the Almajiri system, We are equally going to build more schools, recruit more teachers and train them,” the former Lagos state governor said.

To further help young people, he said if elected, his government would equally introduce technology hubs where youths can acquire digital skills to better develop their leadership skills.

“Youths can even develop technological languages on their own and make a better 21st-century approach to governance in Nigeria,” he said.

Monday’s event focussed on economic and foreign policies as well as national security among others.

Vanguard

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of dishonouring the memory of Chief MKO Abiola, in whose honour Nigerians are commemorating June 12, as Democracy Day.

The party said it is distasteful, offensive and unacceptable for the nation to observe the Democracy Day under a system that violated, desecrated and despoiled all the tenets of Democracy as witnessed in brazen rigging that characterized the 2023 general elections.

This was contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, to mark Democracy Day, on Monday.

Ologunagba said, “The barefaced manipulations of the 2023 general elections by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), amounts to an unpardonable assault and rape of democracy and disregard for the will of the people; the very ills which Chief MKO Abiola fought and died for.

“June 12 epitomizes the struggle by Nigerians against corrupt, manipulative and anti-democratic system; against injustice, impunity and electoral fraud which INEC, under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu now represents.

“It is indeed heartrending that all the steady progress and gains made by successive PDP administrations in reforming our electoral system have been completely wiped off by INEC in the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

“Our Party however urges Nigerians not to despair but remain optimistic and law-abiding in their hope for a better nation which they earnestly yearn for.

“The PDP charges all the leaders at all level across the country to be guided by the essence of June 12 by always adhering to the principles of democracy in the overall interest of the Nigerians people.”

Vanguard