The Court of Appeal has ruled against the payment of severance allowance, pension and or gratuity to all categories of political office holders and political appointees, describing the practice as morally wrong.

The Appellate Court specifically ruled that it is not morally right to pay an elected public officer or political appointee pension, gratuity and or severance allowances for holding an office for three to eight years as the case may be, saying that it cannot be justified in the context of present social realities as it clearly amounts to gross social injustice.

The Court further ruled that it is unjustifiable in the face of the nation’s socio-economic reality for few politicians, who hold office for not more than eight-years, to allocate to themselves huge public funds in the name of pension and severance packages while civil servants, that committed most of their active years in the service of the nation are denied their retirement benefits.

The three man panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja which gave these rulings in an appeal marked: CA/A/810/2017 filed by the Governor of Kogi State and three others which lead judgment was delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, also described as wicked and morally wrong for political office holders and their appointees, who helped themselves to public funds while in office, to still go ahead to claim entitlement to pension and severance allowances.

The judgment as read by Justice Agim states; “I must state here that the claimants’ claim for payment of severance allowance, because the tenure of their appointment has come to an end, is as unfounded as is morally wrong.

“As I have held that their letters of appointment did not stipulate their entitlement to such payment. They did not produce any law or any document or instrument that entitles them to such payment.

“The fact that elected pubic office holders and political appointees are paid huge amounts of money as monthly salaries and other forms of allowances, while in office, is common knowledge in Nigeria and is not reasonable to open question.

“It is also common knowledge that many of them after an office tenure of between three to eight years become stupendously wealthy, exhibiting mind-blowing opulence and splendor. Yet these office holders insist on being paid severance allowance for holding such offices.

“Meanwhile, career civil servants, who have served this country or their states or Local Governments, all their life, can hardly collect their pensions and gratuity when retired. They are now being subjected to contributory pension schemes in which they contribute part of their monthly meagre salaries that are always paid in arrears while in service, to be able to earn pension and gratuity upon retirement.

“The political appointees and elected public office holders, who do not work as long and as hard as the career civil servants quickly get paid huge severance allowances upon leaving office in addition to the huge wealth they acquired while holding such offices and without having been subjected to any contributory pension schemes,” the Court of Appeal declared.

On many occasions, I have been to the Republic of Benin. The largest market in Benin Republic (Dantokpa in Cotonou) is not up to Gbagi Market in Ibadan. All you see in the Market are foreign products. The country manufactures virtually nothing. It is a dumping ground for any foreign good.

I was surprised, one day, when I discovered that they import ordinary pure water from Nigeria. More than 90% of their finished petroleum products are imported illegally from Nigeria. This poses a huge loss and sabotage to the Nigerian economy.

Their universities, especially Houdegbe University, are mainly attended by Nigerians. Those cult and Yahoo-Yahoo guys, who were expelled from our universities, have found safe haven in those jankara universities. Another source of capital fight.

Their secondhand-clothes market is chiefly patronised by Nigerian wholesales buyers. They are mostly smuggled into Nigeria without any customs duty being paid into the coffers of the government. Secondhand shirts and jeans! Secondhand ties and shoes! Even, secondhand bra and panties! Aarrrggghhh! Nigeria don suffer!

Their bread is as tasteless as tastelessness itself. Beninoise don’t eat parboiled rice. They eat white rice. In spite of this, the parboiled rice import into the country, annually, is about 1 billion dollars (over 350 billion naira). Who is the main beneficiary of this importation? Of course, Benin Republic!

All the imported rice are brought into Nigeria by smuggling through Idi-Iroko, Seme and other porous borders. There is nothing the Nigeria government gains from this racketeering. The main beneficiaries are the smugglers, the corrupt Customs officers and the government of the Republic of Benin.

Why won’t the federal government close our borders to this parasitic disposition? The Republic of Benin can’t be making billions at the expense of our local economy. It won’t work. Everywhere now, rice factories are springing up in Nigeria. Confluence Rice, Choscharis Rice, Ga’ate Rice, Lake Rice and others are in market. I ate local rice yesterday. Don’t ask me how it tasted. I know I did not die.

What we need is development of the operation process in rice production to a world-class standard. We shall get it right, one day. By fire, by force, we must feed ourselves. A population of almost 200 million must feed itself. No going back on border closure. God bless Nigeria.

Culled From WhatsApp

*A youth with a large heart ready to serve and give his best to take Plateau State a greater height.
*A youth who will be the reference point in which youths on the Plateau will draw inspiration and be inspired to impact positively,contributing their quota in any little corner they find themselves.
* A Youth who is ready to serve,and work to give positive results round the clock.
MEET the Commissioner of Science and Technology Hon.Gyang Dung Musa a youth with a large heart,who by God’s grace is here to be an example to the youths all over giving his best without any reservation,he is here to work to make the youths proud and to give us hope so that the youths can be trusted with any exalted position in Plateau State & the Country at large now and in the future,though not the youngest among the youth Commissioners yet he has not hidden his passion for the development of the State,and his mandate to deliver on the great policies and programs of our dynamic Governor Rt.Hon.Simon Bako Lalong the Executive Governor of Plateau State,the Governor of the people.
Today,the Plateau State Commissioner for Science and Technology Hon.Gyang Dung Musa reiterated his commitment to impact positively bringing about innovative ideas with the desired change that will touch lives positively on the Plateau and beyond looking at where we are as a State and where we are heading to, especially when we relate it to the State and his Ministry.
Science and Technology as we all know touches every aspect of our lives because the world is govern by only innovative ideas with new innovations which has shaped our way of live and thinking,the world has now become a global village with the ICT and other great innovations that has shaped us,that is why any society that has keyed into the development of Science and Technology will never remain the same, that has been the noble intention of the Governor of Plateau State Rt.Hon.Simon Bako Lalong to go to the grassroot,schools and the street to promote new innovative ideas that will bring positive impact to us as a people,which will be on the long run an advantage to the State.
Infact ,the economy and the GDP will grow positively with the right attitude towards promoting ideas & innovations,thank God this is exactly the mind set of the Governor of Plateau State Rt.Hon.Simon Bako Lalong who has always showed his commitment towards promoting Science and Technology on the Plateau,Plateau State is lucky to have a Governor who understands the importance of Science and Technology which will continue to open Plateau State to the world.
Therefore this is the time to put Plateau first,we cannot afford to be left behind as a State,now is the time for work,let us all support this noble journey to make Plateau State great.
God bless Plateau State .

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-Senate President, Bukola Saraki – Mohammed Toyin Jimoh Sanusi – and one other be remanded in prison following their arraignment on charges of forgery and conspiracy.
Justice Okon Abang ordered that Sanusi and Miss Onyinye Janefrances Nwoye, an official of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) – with the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, on Grande Level 10 – remain in prison until they are able to meet the conditions attached to the bail granted them.
Sanusi and Nwoye were arraigned on a four-count charge in which they were accused of forging documents to procure Nigeria’s official passport, meant for senior government officials for Sanusi, who was presented as Deputy Director at the State House Medical Centre Abuja.
They were alleged to have committed the offences with another senior Immigration official named: Sidikat Bidemi Babatunde, who is said to be at large.
In his statement filed in court, Sanusi said he worked as Personal Assistant to the former Senate President’s late father, Abubakar Olusola Saraki (between 2002 and 2007), Chairman of Ilorin West Local Government (between 2007 and 2010),
Chief of Staff to while the ex-Senate President was the Governor of Kwara State (2011-2015) and Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters to Saraki as Senate President (2015-2018).
Sanusi and Nwoye pleaded not guilty when the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/170/2019 was read to them, following which the lead prosecuting lawyer, Collins Obilor urged the court to set a date for the commencement of trial.
Obilor also prayed the court to remand the defendants in prison pending the date set for trial.
Lawyers to the defendants, Lukman Fagbemi (for Sanusi) and Kelvin Mejulu (for Nwoye) applied orally for bail for their clients.
In a ruling, Justice Abang granted the defendants bail at N1million and one surety each in like sum.
The judge said the sureties, who must own landed property in Abuja, worth N1m, must depose to affidavit of means and their willingness to forfeit such an amount if any of the defendant jumps bail.
He adjourned until December 9, 2019 for the prosecution to open its case and ordered that the defendants be kept in prison until they are able to meet the bail conditions.
Part of the charge reads: “That you Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh (M), of House B 53, Taslee Palm City Estate, Wuse 2, Abuja, and you, Nwoye Janefrances Onyinye, (f), of Aco Estate, Road 2, Airport Road Abuja, and you Sidikat Bidemi Batunde, (f), of the Nigeria Immigration Service FCT Command, Abuja, on or about the 14th day of June, 2019, at the Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an offence, to wit; knowingly making false statements for the purpose of procuring Official Nigeria Passport for one Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh, by introducing him to be a Deputy Director, State House Medical Centre, Abuja, and submitting forged documents in that regard to the Nigeria Immigration Service, knowing that he is not an eligible Government Official, you thereby committed the above stated offence punishable under Section 10(1)(h), of the Nigeria Immigration Act, 2015.
“That you Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh (m), of House B 53, Taslee Palm City Estate, Wuse 2, Abuja, and you, Nwoye Janefrabces Onyinye (f), of Aco Estate, Road 2, Airport Road Abuja, and you Sidikat Bidemi Batunde, (F), of the Nigeria Immigration Service, FCT Command, Abuja, on or about the 14th day of June, 2019, at the Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters Abuja, did commit an offence to wit; forgery, by fraudulently making official letter head paper of the State House Abuja, submitting a forged letter of promotion to the post of Deputy Director GL15 purporting same to have been issued by the State House Abuja, and submitting a forged official identification card with the passport photograph of one Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jlmoh, also purporting same to have been issued by the State House Abuja, for the purpose of procuring official Nigeria Passport for Mr. Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh, supposing him to be a Deputy Director at the State House Medical Centre Abuja you thereby committed the above stated offence punishable under Section 364, of the Penal Code Act, (Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963).
“That you Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh (M), of House B 53, Taslee Palm City Estate, Wuse 2, Abuja, and you, Nwoye Janefrabces Onyinye (f), of Aco Estate, Road 2, Airport Road Abuja, and you Sidikat Bidemi Batunde, (F), of the Nigeria Immigration Service FCT Command, Abuja, on or about the 14th day of June, 2019, at the Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters Abuja, did commit an offence to wit; aiding the illegal procurement of Nigeria official passport by providing financial assistance and other illegal breeder documents for the purpose of using them to procure Nigeria official passport for one Sanusi Mohammed Toyin Jimoh (m), knowing that he is not an eligible government official, you thereby committed the above stated offence punishable under Section 10(1)(h), of the Nigeria Immigration Act, 2015.”

PRESS RELEASE

The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to a misleading narrative by one Mrs. Udensi Adaeze Nwagboliwe whose claim of being ill treated at the airport on the bases of her gender, tribe or where she comes from is going viral on the social media.

Mrs. Nwagboliwe who arrived the country onboard BA083 with passport No. A07994773 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport had claimed that she was singled out and slammed with Customs Duty payment for one pair of shoes and “a mini boy bag” that should have been allowed to pass freely as personal effects.

There is therefore the need to make public what actually transpired to put the record straight, especially as she maliciously introduced gender, tribal and other unnecessary sentiments into what was simply a case of being told to pay duty as what was in her possession was far above the allowable value of N50,000.00 and certainly beyond what normal discretion would allow.

Upon routine search of this passenger’s luggage, operatives discovered a Loius Vuitton bag and shoe. Obviously knowing the luxury brand (Loius Vuitton), she was asked to produce the receipt which will be the bases for duty calculation or not. She could not produce the receipt of what she claimed she bought at the duty free shop at the point of departure, saying the receipt was with her husband who did not travel with her.

The officers had to take the long route of ascertaining the current worth of her items through the internet. The luxury items were found to be worth N570,467.40k.

Consequently, appropriate duty assessment of N165, 692.25k was made and given to her to pay into Federal Government coffer. Since she could not immediately go and pay, a detention notice was given to her showing that the items will remain with the Nigeria Customs Service until she pays and brings evidence of payment before they will be released to her.

Instead of paying the assessed duty and pick up her items or request to see any superior officer should she have any reservation on the assessed value,

she took to irresponsible use of the social media drawing all sorts of conjectures, gender (even when the officer, Ms Essien who attended to her is a lady), tribe etc and even inciting the public against the Service.

Up till now, it is not clear why this lady would descend this low as to insulting a fellow woman and declaring her not fit to perform her duty and still find it convenient to complain of being ill treated on the bases of gender.

Since her attempt to evade duty payment by refusing to produce receipt could not work, it appears convenient to transfer reluctance to pay tax into
unnecessary public incitement.

For the avoidance of doubt, we are aware that many Nigerians complain about the allowable amount of N50,000.00, but until the law is changed, Nigeria Customs Service will continue to enforce the extant law that says personal effects shall not exceed the value of N50,000.00. Anything more than the approved value is considered Merchandise in Baggage and therefore liable for duty payment.

We therefore call on members of the public to disregard these conjectures and give assurances of our resolve to treat all Nigerians with deserved courtesy and respect in the discharge of our statutory functions.

Signed:
DC, Joseph Attah
Public Relations Officer
For: Comptroller-General of Customs

I

t is said, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” Being a leader is never an easy task as one will be confronted with many challenges of bettering the lives of his subjects and bombardments of criticisms and insults from his opponents whose effort is to unseat the leader and the ruling party if it is in a democratic set up.
Constructive criticism is valid and indispensable at enthroning good governance as it keeps leaders on their toes to initiate and execute people oriented policies. But destructive criticism is an act of sabotage and whoever indulges in it is an enemy of the state.
On October 15, 2019 a group christened Autochthonous People of Jos, granted a press conference in which they blasted Plateau State Governor Rt. Hon Simon Bako Lalong, and qualified him a traitor and a warmonger because of the inauguration of the management committee chairmen of Jos North (especially), Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas respectively.
When it comes to the issue of peace on the Plateau, kudos should be given to Governor Lalong because his efforts in this area are undeniable.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo said, “Violence never settles anything right: apart from injuring the best cause.”
Plateau state had its best cause injured by the incessant crises that bedevilled it as can be seen from lack of investors coming to invest in the state despite the good weather, beautiful landscape and tourism potentials.
Considering the losses recorded as a result of the crises, Governor Lalong made it a cardinal objective to restore peace in the state in order to rejuvenate the once successful causes attained.
Coming on board as governor in 2015, he inherited 15 years of ethno-religious mutual suspicion amongst the citizens, polarised northern senatorial district and crises ridden Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas respectively.
Parts of Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Jos Local Government Areas were in crises and under attack for seven years under the Jang administration.
It was in one of the attacks that a state legislator and a senator lost their lives. They were Hon Gyang Fulani member representing Barkin Ladi Constituency Plateau State House of Assembly, and Senator Gyang Dantong Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
It would also be recalled that in 2014, then Governor Jonah Jang lamented and blamed God for making him governor saying he woke up every morning to the bad news of his people being slain.
When Lalong came on board he set up a peace committee headed by Chief John Gobak to find lasting solution to the crises rocking some communities in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos South. The committee had a sitting with the Berom and Fulani community leaders to chart a new course of living in peace.
Lalong also set up the Peace Building Agency led by Hon Joseph Lengmang to find lasting peace on the Plateau.
Despite his efforts, some merchants of retrogression view it as stupidity to find lasting peace.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its 2017 Democracy Day felicitation, rubbished the applauds Lalong enjoyed for his peace initiatives that brought peace since his assumption of office as governor, saying the state is sitting on a keg of gun powder, because the lands confiscated (sic) from their owners have not been restored and many refugees were living in concentration camps.
In 2018, massive crises erupted in some parts of Jos South, Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bassa. In the same 2018 in October there was massive crises in Jos North and a former governor and chieftain of the PDP, Jonah Jang said the people of Plateau should take arms and defend themselves as President Buhari led administration cannot protect them.
After these crises, reports emanated from Bassa LGA that some cows were attacked and killed in February 2019, to provoke the Fulani to go on rampage, Lalong swiftly intervened. The same thing repeated itself in March. This is aside the murder of General Alkali and search for his missing vehicle and corpse.
Governor Lalong has intervened in so many diverse ways to ensure peace is restored in Plateau State. He had series of running battles to ensure the hard earned peace he laboured for did not go down the drain.
Accusing Lalong of trying to trigger war is baseless and political.
On the issue of not conducting elections in the Northern Senatorial District, Lalong gave his reason, which is to avoid the breakdown of law and order. Last year there were crises in Jos North, Jos South and Riyom, likewise this year too, there were crises in Jos North. The question here is, have the wounds been healed that warrant the conduct of LG elections? Has the keg of gun powder the state is sitting on in the northern zone as alleged by the PDP gone such that elections can be held? If it is gone, the cry by the group that conducted the press conference accusing Lalong of appointing citizen and not indigene as chairman of Jos North wouldn’t have arisen. While the fear of establishing emirate council in Jos North and the belief that the agenda is being vigorously pursued by the perpetrators is fresh in the minds of the indigenes, and the citizens believe they will win the chairmanship elections no matter what lingers, show that peace has not returned in the true sense of it. Therefore it is absurd to call for elections in such a volatile local government.
Jonah Jang was cautioned against conducting the Jos North LG election in 2008, but gave deaf ears, and went ahead and the state is suffering the consequences of his stiff necked posture till date. Since then Jang kept appointing chairmen in Jos North till he left office. Lalong being a man of peace does not want to inflict more pains and injuries by conducting LG elections knowing fully well what the outcome would be, so he stuck to appointing management committees.
On the issue of appointing Shehu Bala as chairman of Jos North, which the group claimed Lalong defraud the indigenes of Plateau by giving it to a citizen, Rev Jessi Jackson said, “Leadership has a harder job to do than just choose sides. It must bring sides together.” This is a major task in enhancing peace in an area.
Lalong appointed the LG election chairmanship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as management committee chairmen, how then can he grant those of Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom and then deny that of Jos North? That would be injustice which might lead to the breakdown of Law and Order.
During the APC primaries the indigenes presented 3 candidates in Jos North, while the citizens presented 1, and the 1 won. Who takes the blame? The indigenes of course.
Again during elections, the indigenes trooped to the citizens seeking votes, is it not Biblically correct to reward a person for his labour? “Do not muzzle the ox that thresh the corn,” says the Holy Bible.
If we must deny reward for the citizens, we shouldn’t go to them for votes.
It is malicious and wicked to claim that Lalong will give district and subsequently emirate to the Hausa Community of Jos North. The Supreme Court has passed the judgement that Anaguta are the owners of Jos North and entitled for the leadership, what power has the governor to reverse this?
Finally, if the presenters of the malicious press conference had good intentions, they would have dragged Lalong to court if they are sure of their allegations since we are in a democracy, instead of attempting to plunge the state in an inferno and needless bloodbath via a malicious press conference.
It is absolute mischief to persuade the governor to conduct elections in an area that you know will result to bloodbath!

Source:The Beacon Newspaper Nigeria

It was funny going through an interview Hon. Bitrus Kaze, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain and an erstwhile two term member representing Jos East/Jos South Federal Constituency in the National Assembly from 2007 – 2015, granted to Isaac Shobayo of the Nigerian Tribune, dated October 20, 2019.
I will like to pick on four major things Kaze attacked and challenged Governor Simon Bako Lalong on; which are patriotism to Plateau, observation of democratic tenets, creation of Emirate council and conducting LG elections in Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas.
I said it several times that opposition in politics is an indispensable ingredient for the growth and stability of democracy, but it must be constructive and objective. Any opposition that will heat the polity is a very bad one, and should be disregarded by lovers of peaceful coexistence.
Kaze is the wrong person to have even spoken for the PDP, because his sojourn at the National Assembly projected his constituency in bad light and the entire state. It would be recalled that on Tuesday 22nd July, 2010 Kaze alongside his cohorts engaged in a fisticuffs battle where his clothes were torn and was dragged out of the Green Chamber. The unfortunate thing was, some students came on an educational excursion to the National Assembly that day and watched the Nigerian legislative Ninjas displayed their Kunfu karate skills they learnt from where I can’t tell. When questioned by journalists what the students learnt, they said they learnt that the House of Reps is where blows are exchanged. It was a gory sight for a legislator from Plateau State to have displayed such untoward attitude before tomorrow’s leaders who will occupy the Green Chamber in future.
After all these I am yet to read where Kaze apologized to his constituents or Plateau State.
Kaze said in the interview, “I just pray that Governor Lalong, at the end of his tenure, will be able to give us back Plateau just the way it was handed to him in 2015…
“We are not asking him for anything better, but let him give us Plateau the way he met it.” This statement shows how grossly unpatriotic Bitrus Kaze is. How did Lalong find Plateau when he came on board as governor? He found uncompleted dual road from the secretariat Junction to Mararaban Jama’a, uncompleted Secretariat Junction Flyover, seven months of unpaid salary areas of civil servants, three months of no work, no pay areas, six months of unpaid security allowances, one year of unpaid pensions, ethnic crises between the Berom and Fulani in some parts of Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas, debt profile of N222.5 bn, agenda to make all Plateau indigenes working with local governments to all return to their local governments of origin to work etc. This is callous. So Kaze is not happy with the projects completed by Lalong such as; the Bokkos Fertilizer Blending Plant, Plateau State University Bokkos, street lights, Secretariat Junction Flyover, the highway from Secretariat Junction to Mararaban Jama’a etc. Can a true lover of Plateau State said Lalong should return Plateau as it was in 2015? Is the current peace being enjoyed now not better than the seven years of insecurity under the PDP administration? How patriotic is Kaze?
Kaze talked about observation of democratic tenets. He said, “Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution provides that democratic system should be in place at all level including local government and Supreme Court has given several judgments to that effect.”
My question to Bitrus Kaze is, was it democracy that gave him the leverage to go to the Federal House of Representatives in 2007? Was he not a beneficiary of political illegality and robbery? Can he deny it? Let me remind him. It was the November 2006 illegal impeachment of then legitimate and democratically recognized government of Chief Joshua Dariye that made the PDP faction he belonged to, to clinch to power with the backing of then President Obasanjo. Another broad daylight robbery was when the Supreme Court was about to return Dariye to power two days before elections in 2007, Obasanjo declared two days break so that Kaze and others will illegally win elections. Has Kaze restituted for being part of the illegal impeachment and being beneficiary of such unconstitutional act? If no, he is totally unqualified to talk about democracy. He should first repent for being part of the illegal impeachment and rape of democracy before talking of democracy.
This issue of Emirate council is part of the religious politics of divide and rule that the PDP institutionalized to rob the electorates to vote for their bad candidates. A former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Anan said, “The obstacles to democracy have little to do with culture or religion, and much more to do with the desire of those in power to maintain their position at any cost.” The PDP used religion in 2015 to remain in power, but God said no. They tried in 2019, but the same God said no.
How can an Emirate Council be given under a First Class chief Ujah Anaguta? Why making noise of something that you are presuming?
All that Kaze is trying to do is widen the gap and consolidate animosity between Christians and Muslims, and Hausa community with other communities so that at the slightest provocation the state will go on smoke so that the PDP will justify its ugly claim and denial that peace has returned to Plateau. The PDP institutionalized ethno-religious animosity that was why their seven years of governance was bloody. In one of the peace meetings in Hill Station Hotel Conference Hall with stakeholders, a retired DSP from Jos North advised then Governor Jang to have a sitting with religious leaders, he said he will not do it, because when Operation Rainbow is established it will bring peace.
Kaze should tell us one community that their then Governor Jang, the PDP garrison commander visited to appeal for peace and to condole the victims of crises. Did Jang visit Dogo Nahawa?
Kaze should tell us how the PDP government made efforts to eradicate ethno-religious animosity in the state. If Kaze is a man of peace, why did he support Jang’s robbery of Amaechi’s victory as chairman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum saying 16 is greater 19? Didn’t the approach keep the NGF divided and governors at loggerheads? Is that an act of peace? Did he reject Jang’s assertion on 27th May, 2013 at Faithway Chapel that God is a democrat who hates rigging but approves successful rigging? Can such assertion promote peace?
Kaze should wait when Lalong issues the creation of Emirate council then he can stop him in court.
On the issue of conducting the local government elections, Kaze wants crises to brew so that they can use them against Governor Lalong. The Great Zik of Africa said, “I hereby admonish politicians to realise that they have no preemptive rights over and above the citizen who elected them to office. They must appreciate the fact that their supreme task is to guarantee to the people of this Federal Republic freedom from fear and to secure for them freedom from want.” In short Zik was saying security is the main task of elective office holders. That’s why the governors are called chief security officers of their states. Jos South, Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos North had recently experienced crises in 2018, & 2019 in Jos North. Peace and safety of lives and properties supersede elections. If the PDP did not conduct LG elections in Jos North after the 2008 experience for security purpose, then it will be callous of them to pressurize Lalong to conduct elections in crises prone areas.

Source:The Beacon Newspaper Nigeria

President Buhari arrives Sochi Russia ahead of the Russia-Africa Economic Forum on 22nd Oct 2019
Russia 2: President Buhari welcomed by Mayor of Sochi Anatoly Pakhomov and other Russian Government Officials as he arrives Sochi Russia ahead of the Russia-Africa Economic Forum on 22nd Oct 2019 (Local Time)
Russia 5: President Buhari with Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigerian Ambassador to Russia Amb. Steve Davies Ugbah, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Governor Bello Matawalle of Zmfara shortly after arriving Sochi Russia ahead of the Russia-Africa Economic Forum on 22nd Oct 2019 (Local Time)

After hours of searching for a lion which escaped from its cage at a zoo in Kano, the animal has been captured.

The head of the zoological garden, Sai’du Gwarzo, told BBC Hausa Sunday morning that the lion was found inside the zoo premises.

It was, however, found in a cage belonging to goats.



The lion had killed and eaten all the goats in the cage, he said.

“The rangers had succeeded in locking up the cage before the lion was shot with an injection which made him less harmful before it was captured and returned to its cage,’ Mr Gwarzo said.

There was panic on Saturday night around Zoo road in Kano metropolis when the lion escaped from its cage at the zoological garden.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the escape happened around 9 p.m. when the rangers were trying to put it back to its cage after they returned it from a national agricultural show which took place in Nasarawa State.

Many residents and motorists abandoned the busy zoo road late Saturday and on Sunday morning for fear the lion may have escaped from the zoo premises and could be roaming free within the area.

The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has stated the need for a bill to address the rising cases of misdiagnosis of patients in Nigeria.

Wase spoke in Abuja on Friday when a delegation from the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology (Sciences) visited him. The school had sought a name change to Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science, Jos.

The deputy speaker told the delegation, led by the Provost, Dr Sunday Etukudoh, that many Nigerians had lost their lives through misdiagnosis rising from poorly conducted medical reports by laboratory scientists, technologists or attendants .



He said, “The trend is worrisome in our hospitals across the country and must be curbed. Therefore, as lawmakers, a bill to check such inefficient, careless and deadly practices in our hospitals from any lab official is in the offing. The bill, as required, will provide for punitive measures against those turning the hospitals, through fake medical reports, into slaughter slabs for patients.

“Your institution is expected, in this respect, to help in churning out well trained, efficient and meticulous laboratory professionals into the various hospitals to stop the ugly trend.”

Earlier, Etukudoh had urged the National Assembly to begin work on the proposed amendment to the law establishing the school as soon as it was presented to the House, to fast-track the development of medical laboratory practices in the country.

The provost said, “Although last year, a new Act was signed for the school but going by the progress and development of the institution, we are compelled to highly solicit your contribution to the amendment of Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology (Science), Jos (Establishment) Act, 2018, as was enacted by the National Assembly.



“Among other amendments, we will like the name of the school to be amended to be known and addressed as ‘Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science, Jos. This is to aid and fast-track implantation of our mandate through the Act, while adequately positioning us well with national and international universities. Our vision is to be a world class institution and a reference point of medical laboratory science in West Africa.”