RUBBER STAMP 'SINATORS' !! Senate approves N10bn for Kogi — 3 days to gov election

The senate has approved the sum of N10 billion for Kogi state.

The sum is a refund for projects executed on behalf of the federal government by the state government.

The approval is coming two days to the governorship election in the state.

On October 15, President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for the funds was read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

While presenting his report on Wednesday, Clifford Ordia, chairman of the senate committee on local and foreign debts, said the Kogi government carried out repairs on seven federal government roads in the state.

“Based on our findings, some of the highways were in the state of disrepair before the intervention was carried out,” Ordia said.

“The state government has paid all the contractors that constructed the road.

“Our humble recommendation is that the senate do approve the refund of N10 billion for projects executed on behalf of the federal government.”

But Enyinnaya Abaribe, senate minority leader, spoke against the recommendation by the committee.

“What I don’t want is the misuse of these funds because it is for the people of the Kogi state,” Abaribe said.

“This is not the right time, this is the time where the exigencies of the moment may be used.”

But Lawan said the senate’s approval of the refund only coincides with election.

“Kogi state applied for this in the last senate, all the other states were paid. Kogi was not approved at that time, we as a senate has seen it as a necessity and it is a coincidence,” he said.

- THECABLE

Trailer being chased by police crushes 20 persons to death in Yola

No fewer than 20 persons were reportedly crushed to death after a trailer loaded with farming produce overran several tricycles popularly known as Keke Napep, Tuesday, at Vinikling bridge (Hayin Gada) in Yola, Adamawa State.

Residents told DAILY POST that the accident was caused by police officers, who were pursuing the truck driver for refusing to give them money.

A resident of Viniklang, Malam Umar Shehu, who also sent pictures of the accident to DAILY POST reporter, said he participated in evacuation of corpses to the hospital in Yola.

According to him, the explanation the police gave was that, they were chasing the truck driver for carrying goods suspected to be foreign rice, a situation which led to the unfortunate incident, resulting in the death of many.

“But, there was no foreign rice in the truck, it was farm produce. The driver said they were chasing him for refusing to give them money at a checkpoint the police mounted,” Umar said.

One of the passengers, a student at the Modibo Adama University, who identified himself as Salisu Ibrahim said he narrowly escaped death by whiskers.

“I did not know what happened, but we suddenly saw the truck coming with speed and police van was pursuing it. All of us in our Keke Napep jumped out and fled, the driver lost control and the truck began to hit other Keke Napep and crushing people before our very own eyes. It was horrific,” Ibrahim said.

DAILY POST, however, made several attempts to get Othman Abubakar, the Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa to speak but his phone was switched off at the time of this report.

- DAILY POST

What Thierry Henry said about Lacazette

Thierry Henry has said he has always liked Alexandre Lacazette as a number nine.

Lacazette has scored 38 times in 97 Arsenal games but is currently being overlooked by France manager, Didier Deschamps.

He has not featured for Les Bleus, since netting a double against Germany in a friendly in November 2017.

“Didier knows what he’s doing.

“Didier’s the boss of the national team so I don’t know why he (Lacazette) hasn’t been called.

“All I can tell you is what I see, like I’ve been doing for a little while, for Lyon and Arsenal. He’s a goalscorer but competition is massive in France to play upfront.

“Giroud is doing extremely well, Griezmann can also play there. Plea is also doing well for Monchengladbach. Ben Yedder is doing well for Monaco and when he went to Sevilla.

“That’s the stuff that’s very difficult for me to talk about because you have to respect the decision of the coach.

“I always liked Lacazette as a No. 9 but the most important thing is that Didier likes him,” Henry told Goal.

- DAILY POST

JAMB to create new platform for candidates denied admission

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it will create a platform that will enable candidates who scored 250 and above know why they are denied placements in their respective schools of choice.

Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to him, the development is to further engender transparency and equity as well ensure that candidates do not fall prey to fraudsters who may claim to be in a position to influence their placements if they (candidates), can meet their terms.

“The board is urging all candidates to have faith in the system as they need not beg, pay or patronise anybody to secure admission.

“Reports reaching us indicate that some persons have been going around collecting candidates’ registration numbers and scores under the guise of helping them to secure placements in their respective institutions of choice.

“Most of these candidates are high scoring candidates who in the board’s 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) ordinarily could have secured their admission on merit considering the system put in place by the board,” he told NAN.

“The board, has through the Central Admission Process System (CAPS), defined all parameters for admission, and once a candidate meets the requirements, such a candidate is automatically picked by the system without interference.

“Unfortunately due to the ignorance of some of these candidates on how the system is being configured to engender transparency, equity and fairness, they allow themselves to be defrauded by some criminals, parting away with huge sums.

“Apparently, these candidates, in the event of being able to secure admission through the CAPS, attribute their success to these criminals who had collected money from them, without knowing that they made no contribution to their success.”

According to Dr Fabian, it is against this backdrop that the board has decided to create a platform that will guide high scoring candidates, from 250 and above on their admission status.

“These group of candidates are to visit the platform and know why they are not admitted in the case of such an eventuality and take necessary precautions for subsequent exercises.

“This is to ensure that these candidates have confidence in the system, as well as prevent them from falling prey to fraudsters.

“We, therefore, also call on all institutions of higher learning to key into this sensitisation of disclosing why some high scoring candidates may not be admitted,” Benjamin said.

- DAILY POST

IATA: Nigerian airlines ‘lost N1.4bn’ to charges, expensive fuel in Q1

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says airlines operating in Nigeria and other African countries lose an average of N554 ($1.54) on every passenger they carry.

Data made available by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) showed that local airlines transported 2.56 million passengers on 42,905 flights in the first quarter of 2019.

This would mean that local airlines lost N1.41 billion in the first quarter of the year.

Speaking at the 51st annual general assembly of the African Airline Association (AFRAA) in Mauritius, Alexandre de Juniac, the IATA president, said user charges account for 11.4% of airlines’ operating costs in Africa.

“The success of African aviation is also challenged by high costs. African carriers lose $1.54 for every passenger they carry,” he said.

“High costs contribute to these losses. Jet fuel costs are 35% higher than the global average

“User charges are excessive. They account for 11.4% of African airlines’ operating costs. That is double the industry average.

“And there is a plethora of taxes and charges, some unique like redevance fees, hydrant fees, railage fees, royalty fees and even solidarity taxes.

“Flying is not a luxury—it is an economic lifeline for this continent. That’s why it is critical for governments to understand that every extra cost they add to the industry reduces aviation’s effectiveness as a catalyst for development.”

Apart from cost, the IATA boss said other priorities for African aviation are safety, liberalizing intra-Africa access to markets and gender diversity.

- THECABLE

Noise Pollution: LASG reads riot act to religious centers, others

Lagos State Government on Tuesday while reading the riot act to operators of night clubs, bars, karaoke centres, churches and mosques in the state who are shut down due to noise pollution say the affected centres will not be reopened until a letter of guarantee is issued on their behalf by the residents association of such areas.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello, he stated that the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has been mandated to apply the full weight of the law in this wise.

He added that on a continuous basis, LASEPA officials will be going round such centres/homes and anyone found to have exceeded the allowed level of sound output will be closed down and the appropriate sanctions applied.

He added that the action became imperative because his office has been inundated with complaints and petitions from many residents and residents associations all over the state about the obnoxious noise levels of many of the leisure centres and religious homes.

Tunji Bello explained that it was also discovered that many of such leisure centres/religious homes after being reopened by the State Government usually go back to the same noise pollution for which they were earlier axed, adding that this prompted the issue of involving the residents’ associations.

He advised the affected leisure centres to procure soundproof equipment which would lessen the decibel of sound that goes out when such leisure or religious homes are engaging in business.

He emphasized that the State Government will not allow any business concern to put the healthy well being of the residents at peril simply because it wants to operate or be in business.

- PM NEWS

DSS must stop display of naked power, release Sowore now – Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has warned the Department of State Services, DSS, to stop the charade and display of crude and naked power by releasing the Convener, #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore still being kept in their custody despite meeting his stringent bail conditions.

Operatives of the DSS had on Tuesday fired gunshots and used pepper spray to disperse protesters who were gathered around the service headquarters to demand the release of Sowore.

Soyinka, in a statement he personally issued late Tuesday night also said it should become abundantly clear by now that Civil Society Organisations, committed to the entrenchment of the Rule of Law and the defence of fundamental human rights must come together.

“This is not a new cry. They must meet, debate, and embark on a binding pact of tactical responses whenever these two pillars of civilized society are besieged by the demolition engines of state security agencies. The sporadic, uncoordinated responses as in the case of  Omoyele Sowore, the absence of a solid strategy, ready to be activated against any threat — these continue to enable these agencies in their mission to enthrone a pattern of conduct that openly scoffs at the role of the judiciary in national life.

“Result? A steady entrenchment of the cult of impunity in the dealings of state with the citizenry – both individuals and organizations. The level of arrogance has crossed even the most permissive thresholds. It is heart-warming to witness the determined efforts of  “Concerned Nigerians” in defence of these rights,” he said.

According to him, predictably, the ham-fisted response of the DSS continued to defy the rulings of the court. adding that the weaponry of lies having been exploded in their faces, they resorted to violence, including, as now reported, the firing of live bullets.

“Why the desperation? The answer is straightforward: the government never imagined that the bail conditions for Sowore would ever be met. Even Sowore’s supporters despaired. The bail test was clearly set to fail!  It took a while for the projection to be reversed, and it left the DSS floundering.

“That agency then resorted to childish, cynical lies. It claimed that the ordered release was no longer in their hands, but in Sowore’s end of the transfer. The lie being exploded, what next? Bullets of course,” he said.

Soyinka said such a development was not only callous and inhuman, but criminal, as it escalated an already untenable defiance by the state.

“As I remarked from the onset, this is an act of government insecurity and paranoia that merely defeats its real purpose. And now – bullets?  This is no longer comical. Perhaps it is necessary to remind this government of precedents in other lands where, even years after the event, those who trampled on established human rights that generate homicidal impunity are called to account for abuse of power and crimes against humanity.

“The protests for Sowore’s release go beyond only acts of solidarity, they are manifestations of the judgment and authority of courts of law, under which this nation is supposedly governed. Either it is, or it isn’t. The answer stares us all in the face. The principles that now fall under threat implicate more than one individual under travail. They involve the very entitlement of a nation to lay claim to membership of any democratic, humanized union,” he said.

The Nobel Laureate said “Enough of this charade, nothing more than a display of crude, naked power. Release Omoyele Sowore and save us further embarrassment in the regard of the world. An apology to the nation by the DSS and the judiciary would also not be out of place. It would go some distance in redeeming the image of an increasingly fascistic agency and reduce the swelling tide of public disillusionment.

“Let the rule of law reign. Failing that, have the honesty to proclaim the death of ordered society. Then we’ll all know just where we stand.”

- PM NEWS

Osinbajo: Fani-Kayode makes claim on VP’s ‘replacement’

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has claimed that some names have been penciled down as alternatives to embattled Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

This was contained in an article he released Wednesday morning titled ‘ The humiliation of the villa fiend’.

The former presidential spokesman said Nigerians should not pity Osinbajo, noting that the Law Professor knew what he was getting into before he became President Muhammadu Buhari’s deputy.

He wrote: “Over the last two months, despite all pretentions to the contrary, things have gone downhill for him and he appears to be a drowning man.

“It is only a matter of time before the final offensive and assault is unleashed against him by his traducers in the Presidency, the axe falls and he is finally thrown out.

“I have been reliably informed that three names, all from the South West, have been penned down and are all being considered as his possible replacement.

“If this proves to be true I would not be the least bit surprised because those that ride on the back of the tiger always end up in its stomach.”

Fani-Kayode added that Osinabjo was now at the receiving end after launching attacks on top members of the opposition, among others.

He lamented that Osinabjo “told lies against ex Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition leaders brandishing them as corrupt and unfit for public office whilst he serves the most corrupt, sectional and oppressive government in our entire history.

“He insulted Afenifere leaders and those that called for restructuring and described them as jobless people that are just seeking for relevance; insulted his own in-law, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, by saying he was wrong when he described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression

“He betrayed his own mentor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; used his Redeemed Church and his spiritual father to split Christendom and help put in place an evil Antichrist Government. I have no sympathy for Osinbajo and I do not think any southermer, Middle Belter or Christian that is in his right mind ought to either.”

- DAILY POST

Nigerian man locks up sister for 2 years

A Nigerian woman who was locked up in a dark room at her family residence for two years, has regained her freedom.

Hassana Sale, mother of four was locked up by her brother to prevent her from rejoining her estranged husband.

Kaduna based NGO, Arida Relief Foundation and a team of policemen found her in a “terrible state” locked up in the room in Rigasa area of Kaduna.

According to the founder of the NGO, Hajiya Rabi Salisu, the victim, Hassana, was deprived of her freedom by her elder brother, one Malam Lawal Sale over her intention to go back to her matrimonial home.

Salisu explained that the woman became depressed when she was divorced by her husband, but due to the love for the children, visited them daily.

“She visits the children on daily basis, so the elder brother and the some of her relatives decided to lock her up in a dark room for two years so that she will not go back to her ex-husband,” she told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Kaduna.

“We have taken her to the hopital and when she becomes stable, she would be handed over to the state Ministry of Human Service and Social Development to pursue the matter.”

The elder brother has already been arrested by the police

- PM NEWS

Hate Speech Bill: Nigeria currently on road to tyranny, authoritarianism-Shehu Sani

Former Senator, Kaduna Central Senatorial district, Shehu Sani, has condemned the recent first reading of the hate speech bill on the floor of the senate.

Shehu Sani lamented that Nigeria was currently on the “road to full-blown tyranny” with the introduction of the bill sponsored by Senator Sabi Abdullahi.

The former lawmaker who registered his displeasure on Tuesday through a Facebook post insisted that the bill was an authoritarian step to “protect power by fear and silence.”

He wrote: “The parliament must not be complicit in the destruction of our democracy and the building of a totalitarian state. A bill to regulate social media and to prescribe death sentence for a so-called hate speech is a road to full-blown tyranny; An authoritarian step to protect power by fear and silence.”

DAILY POST had reported that Senator Sabi Abdullahi representing Niger North Senatorial district on Tuesday sponsored a private bill to tackle hate speeches and other social media related contents, considered antagonistic to the interest of Nigerian society.

The lawmaker, who was Senate Spokesman in the 8th Senate and now Deputy Chief Whip, wants the National Assembly to establish a Commission with administrative structures to deal with hate speeches in Nigeria.

The bill titled: “National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches (Est., etc) bill, 2019 (SB. 154)” passed its first reading on Tuesday.

The introduction of hate speech bill has since been met with backlash from Nigerians and lawmakers.

- DAILY POST