National
Wike urges protesters to obey Court Order
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has urged FCT residents to obey the court order restricting protest to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
Wike made the call in Abuja on Thursday after the FCT Security Council meeting.
The meeting was to review developments following the commencement of a 10-day nationwide protest on Thursday.
He called on protesters to confine themselves to the Stadium in accordance with the Court Order obtained on Wednesday.
He explained that an intelligence report revealed that some unidentified persons would be coming out on Friday to destroy properties in the guise of protest.
Such action, according to him, may lead to loss of lives and warned that security agencies will not allow it.
“You are aware that there was a Court Order as of Wednesday.
“The court did not stop the protest, but the court said that the protest must be confined to a particular area, which is Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
“That security agencies should allow the protesters to converge at the stadium and talk to the world through the press.
“We believe, as a democratic society, while you want to carry out your protest, you should do it according to the rule of law.”
Wike expressed concern that the protesters tried to move to the Eagle Square against the court order.
“We think that this country belongs to all of us; we think that we must work according to the rule of law, and working according to the rule of law is obeying Court Order,” he said.
He reiterated the plea to residents of Abuja to shun the protest in order to discourage miscreants from causing mayhem and destroying properties within the city.
Citing the incidents in Kano, Kaduna and other states where the protests turned violent, the minister appealed to the protesters to give the government time to address their challenges.
The minister disclosed that an intelligence report has revealed a Senator was among the alleged sponsors of the ongoing nationwide protest.
He said that the Senator had invited some security agencies to lead some of them to provide food to the protesters.
“At the appropriate time security agencies will invite the Senator and find out how the lawmaker will be sponsoring this kind of protest against the government of the day,” he said.
He commended the residents of the territory who refused to join the protest to cause mayhem, assuring that the government was doing the best it can to resolve the challenges.
He also commended the media for the display of responsible journalism in their reportage of the protest and security agencies for not molesting any protester. (NAN)
The Progressive Students Movement (PSM), a leading Pan-African student body, has commended the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Ogun State under Commissioner of Police (CP) Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, for its commitment to security and community engagement.
In a statement released on Thursday, the President of PSM Nigeria, Comrade Ambassador Okereafor Bestman, highlighted the CP’s efforts in strengthening collaboration between the police, stakeholders, and other security agencies to maintain peace and stability in the state.
“It is worthy of note that CP Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, has further fostered a harmonious working synergy between the police, stakeholders, and other security agents aimed at ensuring peace and tranquility in Ogun State,” Okereafor said.
The student leader expressed confidence in CP Ogunlowo’s leadership, stating that Ogun State is on track to becoming one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria under his administration.
He also praised the professionalism and dedication of the Ogun State Police Command in tackling crime, regardless of its scale.
Additionally, PSM acknowledged the Ogun State government’s continued support for security agencies, particularly in providing mobility and logistics to enhance their operational efficiency.
The commendation comes at a time when security remains a top priority for residents and authorities in the state, with ongoing efforts to curb crime and ensure public safety.
The house of representatives has resolved to investigate the N1.1 trillion Sukuk road projects from 2017 to 2024.
The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution during the plenary on Wednesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Gaza Gbefwi, a lawmaker from Nasarawa.
The investigation aims to uncover and identify “instances of diversion, inflation, or contractor non-compliance” in the execution of the road projects.
While moving the motion, Gbefwi said a report by the Debt Management Office (DMO) shows it raised over N1.1 trillion through six sovereign Sukuk issuances to finance 124 federal road projects spanning 5,820 kilometres across the six geopolitical zones.
The lawmaker highlighted the breakdown of Sukuk financing as follows: N100 billion in 2017, N100 billion in 2018, N162.557 billion in 2020, N250 billion in 2021, N130 billion in 2022, and N350 billion in 2023.
He said reports suggest that an additional N150 billion was issued in October 2023, bringing the cumulative total to approximately N1.242 trillion by the end of 2024.
“Despite this significant investment, Nigeria’s road infrastructure remains in a deplorable state, with over 70 percent of the country’s 200,000-kilometer road network still unpaved, as noted by S&P Global Ratings in January 2024,” he said.
“Without robust accountability mechanisms, the Sukuk programme risks becoming a conduit for mismanagement or corruption.”
The motion was adopted when it was subjected to a voice vote by Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker, who presided over the plenary.
Consequently, the house mandated the committee on works to conduct a “forensic probe” into the allocation, expenditure, and outcomes of the N1.242 trillion Sukuk fund.
The parliament also directed the federal ministry of works to provide detailed records of all Sukuk-funded projects, including financial disbursements, project statuses, and updated contractors’ performance.
National
INEC Notifies Natasha Akpoti Of Recall Move, Confirms Receipt Of Petitioners’ Contact Details
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to notify Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi central, about the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the national assembly.
INEC said it has also received the contact details of the petitioners.
“Pursuant to section 69 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I write to notify you of the receipt of a petition from representatives of registered voters in your constituency seeking your recall from the senate,” the letter reads.
“The notification is in line with the provisions of clause 2 (a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“This letter is also copied to the presiding officer of the senate and simultaneously published on the commission’s website. Thank you.”
The letter was signed by Ruth Oriaran Anthony, secretary to the commission.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC said it has now received the updated contact details from representatives of petitioners seeking to recall the senator.
In the statement, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s national commissioner and chairman of information and voter education, said a letter notifying the senator of the petition has been delivered to her official address, copied to the senate presiding officer, and published on the commission’s website.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the constituency. This will be done in the coming days,” Olumekun said.
“The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission. We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
The allegation came in the wake of her seating arrangement altercation between Akpabio and the Kogi central senator at the red chamber
She was subsequently suspended from the senate for six months for “gross misconduct” over the incident.
The constituents behind the recall move also alleged her of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceitful behaviour”.
The senator has denied wrongdoing and called the recall effort a “coordinated suppression” of her voice.