Amnesty asks FG to release report on military’s ‘human rights abuses’

 

Amnesty International has called on the federal government to release the report of a presidential panel which investigated alleged human rights abuses committed by the military.

Osai Ojigho, the organisation’s country director, said the failure to release the report three years after it was submitted to the presidency is a setback for the rule of law.

The international rights watchdog and other organisations had indicted the Nigerian military of abuses under Nigerian and international laws in the course of its operations.

Following the indictment, in August 2017, the then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo set up a presidential panel to probe the matter and review the military’s compliance human rights obligations.

But no major action has been taken about the issue since then.

In a statement on Friday, Amnesty International asked the government to immediately release the report to ensure justice for victims of such violations.

Ojigho said: “The failure of Nigerian authorities to release the report of the Presidential Panel that purportedly investigated compliance of armed forces with human rights obligations and rules of engagement, three years after the report was submitted to the President is a gross display of contempt for victims.

“Many Nigerians showed incredible courage to testify to the panel, in the hope that, at the end it will lead to justice. But three years is so long and too long for victims to continue waiting for the release of the panel’s report; which is a key step to justice for victims.

“We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfill the promise he made in 2015 to end impunity by immediately releasing the report. Victims and the larger public in Nigeria deserve to see and scrutinize the findings.

“Previous such investigations have ended up without any tangible outcome on the side of justice. Nigerian authorities have the duty to ensure that the country’s security forces comply with international law obligations and ensure prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations of all allegations of violations.

“Failure to disclose the report of the panel, an important first step towards justice, is a shameful betrayal of these victims and another marker of the lack of political will by Nigerian authorities to bring alleged perpetrators to justice.

“It is an abysmal failure, a devastating setback for rule of law that only perpetuates the culture of impunity which so pervasive in Nigeria.”

- THECABLE

Argentina gives update on Messi’s ban

 

The president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio Tapia, has confirmed that Lionel Messi can play in their opening 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier next month.

Tapia explained that the statute of limitations (barring him from playing) has run out on the ban he was given during last year’s Copa America

Messi was banned for one match, after receiving a red card in the Copa America third-place playoff against Chile.

The 33-year-old afterwards alleged that South American football chiefs were corrupt.

Messi was expected to miss Argentina’s qualifier against Ecuador on October 8 in Buenos Aires.

However, Tapia has consulted with South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) President Alejandro Dominguez, for clarifications.

“He confirmed that the statute of limitations had expired and that he (Messi) is able to play,” Tapia was quoted as saying by AFA on Twitter.

- DAILY POST

Fake commissioner receives salaries for two years in Niger

 

Speaking with journalists on Thursday, in Minna, the state capital, Salamatu Abubakar, the state’s head of service, said the affected workers fraudulently paid themselves salaries above their level.

She said the fraud was discovered during the recent verification exercise for all civil servants.

Abubakar said some of the sharp practices discovered was an office messenger receiving the salary of a high court judge and a fake commissioner of agriculture getting salaries for the office for two years.

The head of service said the suspects were from different agencies and ministries, and that the health services management board had most culprits.

Other ministries and institutions affected were schools of nursing and health technology, primary health care development agency, ministries of health, education, judiciary and school of midwifery.

Haruna Dukku, the state commissioner of agriculture, said he would have been mistaken to be the one earning double salaries if not for the discovery.

“Somebody has been collecting the salary of the commissioner for agriculture in the last two years,” he said.

“The person makes it to look as if I am collecting double salary. What will I say if at the end of my tenure, the EFCC comes knocking and this thing has not been discovered before then?”

Earlier in the month, the verification exercise committee uncovered a senior civil servant who smuggled his brother’s name into the state’s payroll and received salaries for 11 years.

In June, the Niger state government discovered monthly payment of over N672 million as salaries to ghost workers in the civil service.

- THECABLE

Liverpool launches 2020/21 season third kit

 

English Premier League. EPL champions, Liverpool have launched their third kit for the 2020/21 season.

Liverpool’s 2020/21 third kit completes the full line up of Nike shirts the Reds will wear in the first year of their partnership. 

The defending champions third kit also carries the ‘Tell Us Never’ branding on the home and away kits for the season. 

According to the club, the new kit is inspired by the European nights at Anfield and the chequered flags and banners that adorn the Kop for each game.

The shirt will be worn with black shorts, featuring crimson trim, and black and anthracite checkerboard socks, also with crimson detail.

“It’s always special to pull on the Liverpool shirt, especially when we get to play in European competitions at home in front of our fans,” midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain told the club’s official website.

“There are no words to describe that feeling of walking out in front of our supporters on those special nights. This shirt is a great celebration of our club’s history and I can’t wait to wear it on the pitch,” he added.

The new Liverpool third kit is available for limited pre-order online now and will go on general sale for purchase in store and online from Tuesday, 15 September.

- PM NEWS

COVID-19 deaths rise to 205 in Lagos, 389 cases shun treatment

 Lagos State Government says the state’s COVID-19 related deaths have increased to 205.

Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, made the disclosure on Friday.

He said 33 new infections were confirmed out of the most recent 806 COVID-19 tests conducted.

This jerked up cases of the total number of confirmed cases in Lagos to 18,449.

The number of tests since the outbreak of the pandemic stands at 90,476.

“2,402 of the confirmed cases have since been discharged from #COVID-19 Care Centres following full recovery”, Abayomi tweeted.

“The 15,380 cases monitored in communities by Lagos Response Team have either fully recovered or positively responding to treatments.

“64 of the cases are currently under isolation in public and private care centres”, the official added.

Currently, 398 active cases in communities are yet to turn up for admission in COVID-19 care centres.

- DAILY POST

Man caught with 2,886 ATM cards hidden in packs of noodles at Lagos airport

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it is investigating one Ishaq Abubakar over his possession of 2,886 automated teller machine (ATM) cards.

Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesman, disclosed in a statement on Thursday that Abubakar was apprehended on August 22 by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos state.

The NCS handed over the suspect to the EFCC on Thursday for investigation.

The anti-graft agency quoted Abudulmumuni Bako, customs deputy comptroller of enforcement, as saying the suspect came from Kano state and wanted to travel via an Emirates evacuation flight to Dubai.

Bako said Abubakar concealed the ATM cards in a pack of noodles.

“The Customs Deputy Comptroller, Enforcement, Abudulmumuni Bako, who represented the Customs Area Comptroller, A. Ma’aji, said that the suspect, who claimed to have come from Kano to travel to Dubai aboard the Emirate Evacuation flight, was seen with someone who was assigned to facilitate his movement through the airport checks,” the statement read.

“Officers of the Customs service intercepted the suspect with 2,886 ATM cards and four SIM cards, which he carefully concealed in parks of Noodles.

“This raised the suspicion of the officers who insisted he should be physically and thoroughly checked after the scan machine had revealed he was carrying packs of noodles.”

AbdulRasheed Bawa, EFCC Lagos zonal head, who received the suspect on behalf of the commission, said the anti-graft agency would unveil everybody involved in the case.

He said banks and bankers may have a role to play in the case of alleged criminal conspiracy.

“There are a number of possibilities. There is an element of conspiracy, foreign exchange (FOREX) malpractices and money laundering,” he said.

“That the ATM cards are of different banks is another conspiracy and that raised a lot of questions that needed to be unravelled.”

“We are also to determine whether banks or bankers are involved in this crime. We will investigate and anyone found wanting will be prosecuted alongside the suspect.

Bawa also said Nigerians have been selling off their bank accounts to fraudsters in recent years.

“The fraudsters advise them to open bank accounts and they buy them off  for as low as N10,000,” he said.

“Nigerians should know that anyone buying of their bank accounts is using it for fraudulent transactions.

“Banks also needed to be investigated because that means they aren’t carrying out due diligence such as Know Your Customers (KYC) on respective bank customers.”

- THECABLE

Nigeria’s unemployment heads to 50 percent: MAN president Mansur Ahmed

 

Nigerian manufacturers said unemployment in Nigeria may hit a record 50 percent, amid a contracting economy, foreign exchange scarcity and unsold inventory now valued at over N400 billion naira.

Mansur Ahmed, president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, painted the gloomy picture of the economy on Thursday.

He said consumer spending fell in a difficult business environment, especially after the COVID-19 disrupted economic activities since March.

He said that the consequence of this development was that sectoral groups ran short of supplies of raw materials due to disruptions in the global value chain, with many still unable to access forex.

“The manufacturing sector performance that was expected to be strong, having recorded an impressive performance in the 4th quarter of 2019 on account of border closure, suffered a huge setback.

“For Nigeria, the outcomes include lockdown, near shut down of the operations of eight manufacturing sectoral groups, disruption in supply chain, inventory of unsold items and loss of jobs.

“Arising from the scenario, the expectation is that inflation, interest and exchange rates, will jointly trend upward from their current states in differing magnitude of between 15 per cent and 18 per cent.

“Also expected is that the rate of unemployment will double, reaching the 50 per cent mark for the first time in our history,” he said.   

It’s a confirmation of “the reality that the disposable income of the consumers has been grossly eroded,” Ahmed said.

Nigeria’s economy contracted 6.1% in the second quarter as the combined impact of the prolonged lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus and the plunge in the price of oil, the country’s main export, took its toll.

Ahmed said many manufacturing companies are having difficulty in getting foreign currency to import raw materials and spares that aren’t available in Nigeria.

Over 40% of dollar needs are unmet, constraining producers from operating at full capacity. Unreliable electricity supply is also forcing members to spend more than 38% of their production costs on alternative power, adding to their woes, he said.

The manufacturers’ association said President Muhammadu Buhari’s government decision to shut the country’s borders, ostensibly to curb the flow of illegal goods, was stifling exports by members to the West African regional market.

“It is important that we open it immediately so that important Nigerian manufacturers who are trading in the West Africa region legitimately can resume,” said Ahmed.

“Otherwise some of them will lose their significant market.”

Despite the difficulties, Ahmed said members of MAN made donations worth N8 billion in cash and N300million worth of palliative materials to both Federal and States Governments during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

“To this end, I sincerely appreciate members of MAN for their support to government when it was most needed to provide palliative as a way to cushion hardship experienced by Nigerians and to contain the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

On the current state of the Nigerian economy and the manufacturing sector, Ahmed said that the performance of the economy was fragile and slowly sliding into recession.

He urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure a properly managed transition regime to reduce the effect on the manufacturing sector.

“The burden of foreign currency denominated loans and offsetting of existing credit commitments to foreign suppliers of raw materials should be given priority consideration.

“It is our conviction that the foreign exchange unification initiative will engender a regime of a balanced participation for forex users and promote a transparent, as well as efficient allocation of forex required for sustained economic growth,” he said.

“Manufacturers that are investing in order to scale up production, should be granted loans at 5 per cent interest rate for a period of five to seven years.

“These will no doubt improve liquidity and ramp up productivity in the manufacturing sector in a manner that will cover up for obvious losses due to COVID-19,” he said.

Ahmed also urged government to direct all regulatory agencies to reduce their respective administrative charges (Pre-COVID-19 rates) payable by manufacturing concerns by 50 per cent.

- PM NEWS