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Emefiele: Group Calls For Respect For Rule Of Law

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2 years ago

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A group, the Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA), has called for respect for the rule of law following the arrest of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

NDRA, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday by its National Coordinator, Bright Ngolo, decried the alleged manner in which Emefiele was arrested from his residence in Lagos by the secret police.

The statement reads in part: “The Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA), foremost Rights advocacy and political pressure group in the Niger Delta region are constrained to draw public attention to the obvious infraction on the rights of Dr Godwin Emefiele, who until yesterday was the CBN Governor.

“The reports we have is that operatives of the DSS stormed the Lagos residence of Dr Godwin Emefiele at the dead of the night (2:00am), blindfolded him and forcefully took him away in a manner suggestive of abduction.

“As Rights Advocates, we should not live in a nation where all manner of gestapo style arrests will be made in the name of getting people to question them or account for perceived misdeeds.

“It is clear that Mr Emefiele could be invited for questioning at any time since no Nigerian is above the law.

“However, we are also concerned with the fact that there is a judgement by a competent court in suit no GAR/CV/41/2022 instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership wherein Justice M.A. Hassan barred the DSS, Attorney General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria, who are listed as 1st, 2bd and 5th defendants from arresting Godwin Emefiele.

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“Our call for the authorities to respect the rule of law by challenging and setting aside Justice Hassan’s judgement has nothing to do with the propriety or otherwise of his removal from office as CBN Governor.

“The NDRA wants the due process of the law to be followed in pursuing the Emefiele case rather than painting the picture of repression of the rule of law.

“We recall that some State governments, particularly Rivers State has had a judgement from the Court that barred the EFCC from arresting officials of the state government, and uptil date, the EFCC has failed to vacate that judgement and gas equally failed to investigate the monumental regime of entrenched fraud in the running of the state in the past 8 years.

“We call on all agencies of government therefore, to respect the rule of law as a confirmation that democracy has taken root in our country and no institution or agency of government can just wake up and overreach it’s bounds.”

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Sokoto APC Gives Governor Aliyu’s Scorecard, Calls Him A Worthy Ambassador 

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4 hours ago

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April 14, 2025

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By ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto

The Sokoto State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Monday gave a scorecard of governor Ahmed Aliyu’s performance thus far.

Addressing newsmen at the party’s Secretariat, the state chairman of APC, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida said they have no regrets marketing the governor as his achievements have vindicated Senator Wamakko and the APC in Sokoto

“”Many people voted for Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto with the benefit of the doubt. Many others voted him based on the credentials of his political mentor and the father of Sokoto politics, Distinguished Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, Sarkin Yamman Sokoto, Sarkin Yakin Sokoto””, the APC chairman noted.

The chairman however added that, he feels proud that Sokoto’s governor has turned out to be an excellent choice who has proven all critics wrong.

While reeling out the governor’s achievements in the areas of road constructions, health, economy, water supply, education, security, housing, human capital development and empowerment as well as electricity, the state APC chairman said, the governor Ahmed Aliyu’s led administration has performed better in less than two year compared to the entire 8 years of his predecessor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Giving a roll down of the numerous completed and ongoing road as well as township beautification projects executed by governor Ahmed Aliyu, the state APC chairman added that, while his predecessor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal sold off all government houses and can not account for the money, governor Ahmed Aliyu in less than two years is
building a total of 1136 houses.

“This is made up of 500 at Gidan Salanke, 500 at Wajake, Wamakko Local Government and the 136 housing units purchased from the Federal Housing Authority”‘”.

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Talking on security,  Isa Sadiq Achida admitted that despite  challenges affecting some local government areas, particularly in the Eastern Senatorial District, the governor Ahmad Aliyu’s administration is taken decisive steps to combat banditry and enhance public safety.

Continuing, Sadiq Achida mentioned some of the efforts in that regards to include, “‘Strengthening Security Operations with the procurement and distribution of over 140 patrol vehicles to security agencies to boost their mobility and response capabilities, establishment and equipping of the Community Guards Corps with essential operational tools and logistics to strengthen local security networks.

“”Also on the security challanges, the governor is taken proactive measures to help mitigate the effect of spillover external threats from neighboring states and the Republic of Niger” The APC chairman said.

 

 

 

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Rivers Govt tells NBA to refund N300m confab hosting rights

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5 hours ago

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April 14, 2025

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The Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has replied to the Nigerian Bar Association regarding the reason for relocating its Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu State.

Ibas faulted the reason cited by the NBA, describing it as misleading and uncharitable.

The statement partly reads, “While we respect the NBA’s right to choose its conference venues, we find it curious that the association—despite its “principled position”— didn’t address the refund of the N300 million already paid by the Rivers State Government for the hosting rights of the 2025 conference.

“If the NBA truly stands on principle, it should demonstrate the same integrity by promptly returning these funds rather than benefiting from a state it now publicly discredits.”

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Tinubu urged to ignore calls for state of emergency in Zamfara

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5 hours ago

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April 14, 2025

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An interest group, Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD), has urged President Bola Tinubu and lovers of democracy to ignore calls for declaration of a state of emergency in Zamfara.

The PAPSD Executive Director, Dr Sani Shinkafi, made the call in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shinkafi was also the Patron of Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima Presidential Campaign Council in 2023.

He described the call by some groups which he referred as faceless as an agenda to distract Gov. Dauda Lawal from his Rescue Mission and destabilise the state.

The executive director said that the ‘reactionary forces’, blinded by parochial interests, had demonstrated ignorance of Nigerian constitution on the provisions for declaration of state of emergency in a state.

According to him, Zamfara does not fall in any of the constitutional provisions for removing the governor or declaring a state of emergency.

He urged politicians in the state to play by the rules, uphold democratic values, ideals and ethics, and eschew politics of bitterness capable of impeding the gains of Nigeria’s hard earned democracy.

Shinkafi noted that the army and other security agencies, supported by the governor, had fought armed banditry and had significantly improved security, public safety and order in Zamfara.

He noted that the improved security had paved the way for vigorous economic activities, social services and infrastructural development, all combined to provide dividends of democracy to citizens.

“This also includes the payment of ₦70,000 national minimum wage to civil servants and a promise to address the grey areas in the implementation of the national minimum wage to senior civil servants,’’ he said.

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The executive director said if the intention of the groups and their sponsors was to distract the governor, they had failed woefully.

He urged all lovers of good governance in Zamfara to set aside petty politics and join hands with Lawal to transform the state and make it great again.

“The interest of the state supersedes individuals’ political ambitions.

“It is not yet time for partisan politics for the 2027 general elections.

“Everybody should calm down and contribute to building a better Zamfara State. It is time for patriotism, not antagonism,” he said. (NAN)

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