Lagos Assembly of looters rejects Abiodun, confirms 3 for audit commission

The Lagos House of Assembly has confirmed three out the five nominees submitted by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the state’s Audit Service Commission.

The confirmation of the three was by voice votes at plenary on Thursday.
However, one nominee was rejected while one was not treated.
Speaker of the House, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa, said Mr. Abiodun Oladipupo Akhigbe‘s nomination was rejected while that of Mr. Jimoh Akerele Ibrahim was not treated because he was absent.

“The nominees confirmed by the house included the Chairperson, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Adegbuji-Onikoyi, Mr. Emmanuel Kappo (member), and Mrs. Jokotola Ojosipe-Ogundimu (member).

“The three nominees that are confirmed by the house were recommended for approval by the screening committee,” he said.

The speaker told the designated-nominees that the house would not fail in its oversight to ensure that the commission performed its responsibility to the people of Lagos.

He added that the house was not concerned about the academic qualifications and oratory prowess of any of the nominees but readiness and commitment to serve the state.

“Even after the confirmation, we will continue to monitor whatever offices you are assigned to ensure value for the public fund.

“We will continue to oversee your activities. We will not hesitate to pass a vote of no confidence anytime anyone is found wanting,” Obasa said.

- PM NEWS

Coronavirus kills more than 300,000 worldwide

Over 300,000 people have now died from coronavirus and close to 4.5million have been infected by Thursday.

Data from Johns Hopkins University estimated the death toll as 300,074.

However, another tracking site, worldometers.info gave the fatalities as 301,024 as at 1900 GMT.

While John Hopkins estimated global coronavirus cases at 4,405,688, worldometers also set the figure at 4,489,460.

The United States leads the grim statistics.

There have been over 1.4 million confirmed cases in the country and more than 85,000 deaths.

Spain with 272,000 cases and Russia with 252,245 are the hardest-hit by the virus after U.S.

However, the UK with 233,151 cases has the biggest death toll in Europe, with 33,614 deaths.

It is followed by Italy with 223,096 cases and 31,368 deaths.

- PM NEWS 

SHITHOLE !! Lockdown: Some states using mobile courts to extort citizens, says Amnesty

Amnesty International says mobile courts are being used to extort alleged defaulters of lockdown violations in parts of the country such as Kaduna and Kano states.

Speaking during a webinar organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Thursday, Osai Ojigho, AI director in Nigeria, said the watchdog has been receiving complaints of such extortion.

The webinar which was titled, “Human rights and law enforcement during the COVID-19 lockdown”, reviewed human rights issues concerning the pandemic.

Ojigho also said it is unacceptable for the mobile courts to prosecute citizens without them having access to lawyers.

“If people are charged to court, they also need legal services. And part of the problem is that lawyers have not necessarily been grouped as essential services,” she said.

“When you talk about access to justice, it includes the rights of access to lawyers for defence. The courts shouldn’t be prosecuting cases without lawyers.

“We have seen it abused before the COVID-19 lockdown and it is even worse now. We have  also received reports about people being asked to offer bribes.

“What international human rights law says is that whatever provisions you make must have three provisions; they must follow legitimacy, must be legal and must be reasonably justified.

“The right to have legal representation to a fair trial is sacrosanct. The state attorneys-general should be advising their principals on how to carry out these prosecutions.

“A lot of thoughts should also go into involving the ministries of justice providing such services for people charged in these courts.”

Anthony Ojukwu, executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said the commission had earlier reported 29 cases of extra-judicial killings committed by security agencies.

“During the first two weeks of lockdown, we had 18 extra-judicial killings, and more in the second round, making it a total of 29 extrajudicial killings,” he said.

He said to curb the killings, the Nigeria police force must begin to employ less force in their operations such as use of rubber bullets during violent protests as done in other countries.

- THECABLE

Mike Ezuruonye: I don’t know why some people are fake… you’re squatting but drive G-Wagon

Mike Ezuruonye, Nigerian actor, has taken a swipe at those living a fake life on social media just to impress others.

In a post on his social media page, the 37-year-old movie star, who appeared to be infuriated by such lifestyle, wondered why people would be trying so hard to assume what is above them.

“I don’t know why some people are fake,” he said in a short video clip posted on his Instagram.

Buttressing his point, Ezuruonye went on to cite the case of an undisclosed person in Lagos who could not afford his rent but drives luxurious vehicles around the city.

“You got a G-Wagon and squatting, been impressing the whole Lagos. Now you need relief. I can’t deal. #fakelifeisexpensive,” he added in a terse post accompanying the video.

Born on September 21, 1982, the actor has featured in several movies — since leaving the banking sector for the film industry — including ‘Endless Passion’, ‘Broken Marriage’ and ‘Beyond Reason’.

He has also snagged nominations for a host of awards including ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ and ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

Ezuruonye is married to Nkechi Nnorom, a medical-psychologist based in Canada, and the union is blessed with Reynold Nkembuchim, their son.

- THECABLE

FRAUDSTERS !! I’d be happy if you don’t ask me about Chinese medical team, Ehanire tells journalists

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, says his ministry cannot always explain the whereabouts of the Chinese medical team because they are not guests of the federal government but CCECC, a construction company.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) had kicked against the involvement of Chinese doctors in the fight against COVID-19.

But the federal government had said they would not be involved in treating patients in the country.

Responding to questions at the presidential task force briefing on COVID-19 on Thursday, Ehanire said he would be very happy he is not asked where the medical team is.

“I want to explain that first of all,I think not all of them are doctors and I heard that some of them are technicians but they are staff of CCECC. The ministry of health is not their host, so we can’t always explain what happened to them or where they are,” the minster said.

“There seem to be a lot of interest in these doctors but they are a staff of a company. I’d be very happy if you don’t ask me where they are.

“They are not really our guests in that sense but we have been able to learn somethings from them, we shared ideas of what they did in their country in managing COVID-19.”

Ehanire, who appealed to Nigerians to comply with guidelines of regulatory agencies, said face masks would help in protecting citizens in places where social distancing is impractical.

“The use of facial covers like masks in places where social distancing may be difficult or impractical, should be emphasized and supported through distribution of masks to the population, as an act of goodwill,” he said.

“Face masks should in fact become commonplace and I look forward to seeing that cooks, stewards and Food vendors, for example, wear masks, or lose their customers.

“I wish to enjoin workplaces to institute such requirements and ensure that all workers are masked and knowledgeable about COVID-19, and by extension, share it with their families and relations.”

- THECABLE

Coronavirus: Mourinho clears air on reports he is blocking EPL return

Tottenham Hotspur manager, Jose Mourinho, has denied reports he tried to delay the Premier League’s restart over concerns for players’ fitness.

It was claimed Mourinho, during a meeting with other managers on Wednesday, called for players to have at least one month of training before football could resume.

However, the Portuguese has hit back at the reports and insists he is “desperate” for football to return.

“I don’t think my position in the meeting has been reflected fairly at all today in media reports. I have not asked for any delay.

“I want to train, and I am desperate for the Premier League to return as soon as it is safe to do so, particularly now we are seeing other leagues preparing to return to action.

“I am extremely proud of the way my players have maintained their fitness – they have shown great professionalism, passion and dedication,” Mourinho said in a statement.

- DAILY POST

LAND OF SCAMMERS ! COVID-19: School feeding programme is scam by Buhari govt, APC to loot N13.5bn – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday described the Federal Government’s school feeding programme as “a big scam.

PDP said the school feeding programme even when schools are shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic was a scheme by the “corrupt All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and some officials in the Buhari Presidency to siphon a targeted N13.5 billion public funds to finance their wasteful lifestyle.”

The party described the use of innocent school children as a cover to steal and funnel not less than N679 million daily to private purses as “sacrilegious, wicked and completely unpardonable.”

PDP said this in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

According to PDP: “While it is clear that the APC-led administration’s school feeding programme had always been a scam, the claims to feed school children even when schools are closed is colossal racketeering taken too far.

“This goes to further expose that stealing and corruption are deeply ingrained in the DNA of the APC and its administration.

“While the PDP has nothing against any transparent effort to provide succor to Nigerians, particularly our children, at this critical time, our party rejects the on-going fraud in which school children, who are in their respective homes, bearing the brunt of the failures of the APC
administration, are being used as metaphors to divert public funds to a few corrupt individuals in the Buhari Presidency.

“Nigerians are witnesses to how the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Umar Farouq, has always stammered, makes conflicting pronouncements and points to Mr. President’s speech as a cover each time Nigerians demand details of her humongous spending.

“The minister had failed to provide details of how she intends to reach the 9.7 million school children, who are now in their homes in different locations since the closure of schools, even as officials continue to muddle up required documentation in a bid to cover their tracks.

“Nigerians are invited to note how the minister contradicted herself in claiming that the food would be shared door-to-door and in the same breath, averred that vouchers would be allocated at specific collection
times to “avoid overcrowding”.

“Such contradiction only betrays an unwholesome tendency, as Nigerians wonder how there would be overcrowding on the door-to-door distribution of food to children who are claimed to have been individually designated in various locations.”

- DAILY POST