AFTER an investigative report revealed that Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary employees had devised means of damaging oil pipelines to profit from the money spent on clean-up operations, environmental rights group alleges that Shell had always been aware of its staff complicity.
Zembla, a Dutch investigative TV programme had reported that employees of Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC, recruited local youths to sabotage Shell oil pipelines and hired them back as workers to clean up the mess.
It was also hinted in the investigation that Shell officials and the Dutch ambassador to Nigeria were made aware of the matter by local leaders in 2018, but did not act on those warnings.
Donald Pols, Director of Friends of the Earth International, FoEI based in the Netherlands, also known as Milieudefensie is one of the world’s largest grassroots environmental network said the multinational company always blamed others for their failings.
“Shell always claims it’s not their responsibility for global warming, earthquakes in Groningen, or oil spills in Nigeria.
“The big question now is how many of the countless oil spills were caused by Shell employees and why does Shell management continue to point the finger at others,” he said.
The joint investigative report which was carried out by FoEI and Zembla focused on Ikarama in Yenogoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, having experienced over 30 oil spills in the last 13 years.
“The majority of the leaks in Ikarama were the result of instructions given by Shell Nigeria employees,” the investigation revealed.
The profit made from the cleaning operations was split between SPDC employees and the youths, Zembla said, referring to statements provided to police and Ikarama Youth Council by witnesses and people who said they or their family members had taken part.
Chima Williams, Acting Executive Director of Friends of the Earth Nigeria, FoEN reiterated that Shell had always been informed of their staff complicity in pipeline vandalism.
“These disturbing findings have again confirmed what we have long suspected. Shell must own up to the destruction of the local community and made to pay heavily for these deliberate infractions,” he said.
Milieudefensie had sued Shell in 2008 for the oil pollution in Nigeria, in the first case ever involving a Dutch corporation being held accountable for environmental pollution in a foreign country.
According to a Reuters report, SPDC announced in 2019 that there was a 41 per cent rise in the number of crude oil spills caused by theft or pipeline sabotage
However, the verdict of Shell’s appeal is due for January 29, 2021 which is described as one of the world’s largest oil disaster cases.
THE number of poor people in Nigeria would increase by 20 million in the next two years, according to the latest edition of the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update.
The Nigeria Development Update (NDU) is a World Bank report series produced twice a year, which assesses recent economic and social developments and prospects in Nigeria. The report also provides an in-depth examination of selected economic and policy issues and an analysis of Nigeria’s medium-term development challenges.
The latest update, titled ‘Rising to the challenge: Nigeria’s COVID response’, was released on Thursday, December 10. It focused mostly on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nigeria, and efforts by the Federal Government and state governments to address the situation.
Nigeria was designated as the ‘poverty capital of the world’ following a projection by the World Poverty Clock, compiled by Brookings Institute, that the country has the largest number of people living in extreme poverty, with an estimated 87 million Nigerians, or around half of the population, believed to be living on less than $1.90 a day.
However, the World Bank, in its latest Nigeria Development Update, predicted a further increase in the level of extreme poverty in Nigeria.
“The extreme poverty rate is expected to rise, with the number of poor likely to increase by 15 to 20 million by 2022. The human and economic costs would be amplified if the global economic recovery is less robust or takes longer than hoped and if Nigeria fails to take the needed policy and fiscal measures to free up the space of a rapid private sector-led recovery,” the World Bank report said.
The World Bank stressed that Nigeria is currently at a critical historical juncture due to uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report observed that the Federal Government’s plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030 was a big challenge in normal circumstances and has become more difficult because of the pandemic.
The report stated, “While there is a lot of uncertainty about when the pandemic will end, it is clear that Nigeria faces an unprecedented crisis that requires an equally unprecedented policy response.
“Realising the government’s ambition of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030 would be challenging even under normal circumstances. The onset of the COVID-19 crisis has made the task much more challenging and urgent because of the severity of the economic downturn and the decline in fiscal resources.”
Projecting a gloomy outlook for Nigeria’s economy in the short and medium-term, the World Bank noted that, in its baseline scenario, by 2023, Nigeria’s GDP per capita is expected to be roughly similar to that of 2010.
“This means that Nigeria would lose 14 years in per capita incomes. By contrast, if we compare Nigeria with an average of middle-income economies worldwide, we find that other countries are expected to lose around seven years.
“In other words, while COVID-19 will hit incomes across all countries, Nigeria is expected to suffer twice as much. But that is not all. In fact, because Nigeria’s growth has been uneven and volatile, once we adjust for inflation, we find that for Nigeria going back to 2010 is equivalent to going back to the 1980s,” the report added.
The Nigeria Development Update assessed employment conditions, social protection, public health and education in Nigeria under COVID-19.
According to the report, findings from a sample of household heads interviewed in successive rounds of the Nigeria COVID-19 National Longitudinal Phone Survey (NLPS) since March 2020 indicate that employment contracted sharply and job turnover increased significantly in April, but both appear to have stabilised by the end of August.
“Even though many Nigerians returned to work after the easing of strict lockdown measures in the early phase of the COVID-19 crisis, most households remain in an economically precarious situation,” the report said, noting that more than two in three households report lower incomes now than one year ago.
Nigerian households are facing increased economic precarity – unemployed workers have migrated back to the low productivity agricultural sector, and reports of food insecurity have increased substantially from the previous year, the World Bank observed, adding that women were more affected.
The effectiveness of intervention and empowerment schemes launched by the government under the National Social Investment Programs were undermined by critical financing gaps and institutional challenges, the report said.
“Most safety nets are limited in scope, and social-protection programs cover only a small fraction of their target populations,” the World Bank report said.
Available indicators, such as the total number of deaths, case fatality rate, and the total number of confirmed cases, show that Nigeria has fared reasonably well in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic but the report observed that “COVID-19 has had a substantial negative impact on service delivery for both disease control programs and essential health care services” in the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic had already plunged Nigeria’s economy into recession – the country’s second recession in less than five years during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The latest recession, which was forewarned by the World Bank after the COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp fall in the price of crude oil, Nigeria’s major source of revenue, was confirmed by figures published by the National Bureau of Statistics, in its Gross Domestic Product report, on November 21.
THE governing council of the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti state, has suspended the selection process for a new vice chancellor for the institution.
Adeyinka Ademuyiwa, the institution’s director of corporate services, who announced this on Thursday, said the decision was necessary to address the concerns and complaints of some stakeholders involved in the selection exercise.
According to him, the council has received not less than 120 petitions before it.
“In a session presided over by the University Governing Council Chairman, Dr Lawan Yahuza on Wednesday, members agreed to temporarily halt the ongoing processes to appoint a new vice-chancellor,” he said.
“FUOYE governing council remains committed to credible, transparent, fair, and just processes; and is open to suggestions and corrections that will help to deliver on this sensitive assignment.
“Both Yahuza and the vice-chancellor, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, wish to appreciate the diligence, steadfastness, commitment, and patriotism of council members and friends of FUOYE.”
He added that since FUOYE is handling the process of appointing the vice-chancellor for the first time, human errors are bound to occur in what is essentially a learning process and assured that the institution management is ready to correct such errors and deliver an acceptable appointment process.
“The governing council will reconvene on December 17 to discuss the way forward.
“This is to further underscore the council’s unflinching resolution to deliver a credible, transparent, fair and just process which will result in the emergence of a new vice-chancellor.”
The ICIR can confirm that not less than 72 candidates are jostling to occupy the position of Kayode Somerekun, the current vice chancellor of the university whose tenure will be ending by February 2021.
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has announced the approval of the increase of N-Power and GEEP beneficiaries to one million.
He has also declared that the number of pupils fed through the Federal Government’s funded school feeding programme should be increased to five million.
In a tweet on his verified Twitter page on Thursday, the president attributed the decisions to his administration’s pledge to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
“We remain committed to the plan to lift 100m Nigerians out of poverty. To this end, I have approved an increase in scope of our Social Investment Programme: Doubling of @npower_ng beneficiaries to 1 million; 1 million new @geep_ng beneficiaries & 5 million new pupils for @NHGSFP,” the president said.
The N-Power Programme is a job creation and skills empowerment programme of the Federal Government. It is designed to help young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills to become practical solution providers in their communities, enabling them to become innovative players in the domestic and global markets.
The programme such as N-Build, N-Creative and N-knowledge, which is designed for young people between the ages of 18 and 35, targets non-graduate applicants. For the graduate programme, the initiative includes N-Agro, N-Health, N-Teach and N-Tax. And under Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programmes, GEEP, there are interventions such as Trader Moni, Farmer Moni and Market Moni.
The National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) aims to deliver a cost-effective home-grown school feeding programme with a specific focus on increasing school enrolment, reducing the incidence of malnutrition especially among the poor; empowering cooks while supporting local agriculture through smallholder farmers, thereby stimulating economic growth through the socio-economic value chain.
Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development oversees many of these initiatives, some of which have now attracted wide allegations of corrupt practices.
THE World Health Organisation, WHO disclosed that Africa needs at least $9 billion to procure and distribute 1.4 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Richard Mihigo, WHO Immunisation and Vaccines Development Programme Coordinator, revealed this at the WHO Africa online press briefing on readiness for COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Africa on Thursday.
In a Twitter post, Mihigo emphasised that there is a need to ensure an equitable and timely distribution of the vaccines.
"As we have seen a rollout in the global north, the equitable distribution of vaccine in low income country is a real problem. Some countries have pre ordered doses of vaccines much greater than needed".
“We will definitely need to vaccinate between 60 to 70 per cent of the African population.
“So, if you consider that we have about 1.2 to 1.3 billion people on the African continent and you take 60 per cent of that with the assumption that you will need maybe two doses per population, we are talking about close to 1.3 to 1.4 billion vaccine doses that will be needed to immunise 60 per cent of the people in Africa to reach a herd immunity,” he said.
He explained that the cost of the vaccines was not problematic compared to the cost of delivering them and ensuring they get to the right locations.
“So if we compute that number with the preliminary information that we are getting with these vaccine manufacturers because it is not only the cost of the vaccines. There are also additional costs that are needed to deliver those vaccines,” he said.
According to an Oxfam report, Africa is not likely to recieve enough vaccines from COVAX to reach the goal of vaccinating 60 per cent of the population to achieve herd immunity because rich countries have purchased surplus of the vaccinces for their countries.
COVAX facility is a Gavi-coordinated pooled procurement mechanism for developing COVID-19 vaccines and ensuring fair and equitable access to make 20 per cent of the vaccines available.
The report states that Canada bought enough doses to vaccinate its population five times over, while South Korea, has bought sufficient vaccine for 88 percent of its population of more than 50 million people.
Mihigo added that there were no guarantees that there would be enough supplies for Africa before the end of 2021.
“We know very well that the preliminary rough estimation that is being done, we may need up to $9 billion.
“We are not sure that we are going to get enough supply to immunise everybody by the end of 2021. This may spill over to the year after but also to mobilise such an amount of money, I think it will be an additional challenge,” he said.
He also revealed that there are ongoing discussions with the African Union to work with other multilateral or development banks like the World Bank, Afrexim Bank to mobilise resources.
ABDULRASHEED Maina, former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Taskforce Team (PRTT), is the latest addition to the other Nigerian public officials that have created a dramatic scene during court trial or on National television.
Maina on Thursday, collapsed in the dock during the resumed hearing in his N2billion money laundering trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
And many Nigerians have branded his action as same old trick used by top government officials in the country.
Maina was recently extradited from the Niger Republic to Nigeria after he jumped bail and escaped from the country.
Before his dramatic collapse in the court, Anayo Adibe, Maina’s counsel was praying the court for an adjournment to enable him get records of court proceedings.
The case has now been adjourned till December 21 and 22.
Maina’s purported ill-health has been a major reason for his prolonged trial. In November 2019, his trial was stalled after a medical expert testified to his inability to appear before the court due to health reasons.
On another occasion, his lawyer claimed that Maina was bleeding during a court sitting.
Former Pension boss, Maina slumps in court
The ICIR in this report, compiles list of other top Nigerian officials who gave a “Oscar-worthy” performances when charged to court for a case of money laundering, fraud or any other crime.
These top guns often fall ill, get admitted to a hospital, and then show up in court in a wheelchair. There are those who also put appearance of sickness on national television.
Dino Melaye
Dino Melaye. a Nigerian politician that represented Kogi West Senatorial district in the 8th National Assembly, is one of them.
Melaye is aguably one of the most dramatic politicians in Nigeria, as no Nigerian politician feeds off controversy like him.
In April 2018, Melaye jumped out of a moving police van as he was being transported to face criminal charges in Kogi State.
On January 4, 2019, Melaye surrendered to the police after a seven-day siege was placed on his Abuja Maitama residence. Police officers had invaded his Abuja home on Friday, December 28, 2018 to arrest him for his alleged involvement in the shooting of a police officer, Danjuma Saliu, a Sergeant in July 2018.
Minutes after his surrender, Melaye slumped and was assisted to the police car. On arrival at the police headquarters, he appeared very weak and could not walk by himself and had to be helped into the office where he slumped again as he was breathing heavily. He was said to be asthmatic.
In 2019, Senator Dino Melaye slept outside the DSS hospital after he was moved there by police personnel insisting that he would not enter the DSS medical facility until he was told why he was moved from the Police Hospital in Abuja.
Dino Melaye sleeping outside the DSS hospital
Olisa Metuh
Olisa Metuh is a Nigerian Lawyer, politician and the former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He was arrested in 2016 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) for the N400 million he and his company Destra Investment Limited allegedly received from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in 2014.
His drama started following a confusion caused by his sudden collapse in the court. The development forced the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, to stand down the matter for almost half an hour to enable medical officials attend to him.
On February 5, 2018, Metuh appeared in court on a stretcher after Justice Abang ruled that he would have his bail revoked if he didn’t show up for the continuation of his trial. Again on March 14, 2018, Metuh appeared in court on a wheelchair. And on May 21, 2018, he collapsed while making his way to the dock for cross-examination.
After making several court appearances coupled with slumping dramas, Metuh was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to seven years in prison on February 25, 2020.
Olisa Metuh collapses in court during trial
Ayodele Fayose, the famous “I am in pains” former governor of Ekiti
Peter Ayodele Fayose is a former governor of Ekiti State.
He is best known for one his famous line “I am in pains”, “I am in severe pains” acting on national television.
Fayose cried while speaking on Channels Television in 2018, saying he was in pains after he was allegedly “shot at” and manhandled by security agents.
He then broke down into tears, lamenting “I cannot take this anymore” before crawling away from the camera.
“How can I be Governor of Ekiti State and be treated like this in my own country? My people, I call on all of you: Stand and remain standing,” he said to the crowd. “I will go back to the hospital for a while to rest… I am having a lot of pains, but I prefer to bear these pains because of you. I prefer to bear these pains because of you…” Fayose said amidst sobs.
Lere Olayinka, spokesman of the former governor, said his principal lost consciousness and was taken to the Government House Clinic after policemen fired teargas canisters into the Government House.
Ayodele Fayose crying “I am in severe pains” on national TV
Daniel Pondei
Although, not a politician, Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei is a Nigerian professor and the current acting managing director of Niger Delta Development Commission.
The acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), fainted as the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC grilled him on Monday July 20, 2020 during an investigation on alleged financial misappropriation at the commission.
Pondei had been grilled for over an hour when he slowly slumped over his desk, appearing to faint.
Several people present at the hearing rushed to his aid, propping him up and attempting to stabilise him, with the proceedings halted.
He then appeared to be in a seizure with a man holding open his mouth as others held him upright.
Pondei, however, replied critics who desribed his action as shameful.
“I had an unexplained, unexpected health challenge. It is ridiculous to think that people believed I was acting.
“I would not pray for anyone to experience what I went through.
“I do not run from issues. I have put all that behind me,” he said in an interview with Vanguard.
NDDC Probe: Pondei slumps on National TV
Maj. Gen. Hakeem Otiki
The former GOC faces court martial in wheelchair over the alleged diversion of N400m by five runaway soldiers attached to the division in September 2019.
He appeared to be ill and was brought into the court on a wheelchair, having beside him medical officers of the Nigerian Army who monitored him during the trial.
On June 16, 2020 a military court headed by the army’s chief of policy and plans, Lamidi Adeosun, found Mr Otiki guilty of disobedience to service orders, theft of public property, diverting operational money and engaging in private businesses.
The tribunal ordered that he should be demoted from major general to brigadier general and dismissed.
Major General Hakeem Otiki, General Officer Commanding 8 Division Nigerian Army, appeared in a wheelchair during his trial.
Haliru Bello
Haliru Bello Mohammed, a former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, appeared before the Federal High Court, Abuja, sitting in a wheelchair.
The EFCC had on December 26, 2015, filed a four-count charge of money laundering against the politician for his alleged role in the diversion of funds meant for the procurement of arms in the office of the National Security Adviser.
Haliru Bello Mohammed arrives court on wheelchair
Nigerians are tired of same script by government officials
The ICIR monitored reactions by some Nigerians online after news broke out that Maina also slumped during his court trial on Thursday.
A Twitter user identified as Sammie said “This is never a serious country. We have not recovered from Prof. Pondei’s fainting and Maina is slumping. Many pensioners died because of his reckless act, pls can the judge sentence him to death recklessly too, until strict laws are taken corruption will always become a tradition.”
Loho Samuel wrote “Very popular act! When the heat is on, they become like Pete Edochie and Ramsey Noah. I think these guys deserve oscars for their acting proficiency.”
Ogheneochuko said “I think certain English clubs need to start employing the service of Nigeria politicians. They are so skilled with different tactics to manoeuvre their way out of difficult situations.”
Abi Baiyewu tweeted, “The content on Nollywood has improved over time. Public office entertainers in Nigeria are yet to catch on. Same ol’, same ol’. Our dear #Maina followed the traditional courtroom script.”
Ebitu Promise said: “What’s really the mystery behind these politicians slumping when it’s time to question them about their corrupt activities.”
THE Akwa Ibom state police command has charged four citizens of the state with treasonable felony for leading #ENDSARS protest in the state on Tuesday.
The suspects, whose names were identified as Idopise Ette Oton, Obot MfonGod, God’sfriend Michael and Victor Nta George, are part of a group named ‘End Bad Governance Initiative’ in the state.
The ICIR learnt that they had gone to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to protest against bad governance, the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), freezing of accounts of ENDSARS protesters, border closure, increment in electricity tariffs, fuel pump price, misgovernance by the state government, among other sundry issues, when they were arrested by the police.
The police subsequently charged them before the magistrate’s court in Uyo presided over by Chief Magistrate Winifred Umohandy with fraudulent, malicious and frivolous charge of forming intention to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Udom Emmanuel on Wednesday.
But the case was soon dismissed following an objection that the magistrate’s court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the treasonable felony charge brought against the accused persons.
However, The ICIR was told that no sooner had the case been dismissed that armed policemen acting on the directive of the governor through the commissioner of police arrested the accused persons right in the court’s premises.
Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer, who gave the account of the incident in a Facebook post has condemned the action of the state government and the police.
“The protesters who were freed by the court are still in the custody of the police. This shameful action by governor Udom Emmanuel is only the latest in a string of dictatorial actions that Mr Udom Emmanuel has carried out since he came to office,” he said.
It is shameful that Udom Emmanuel, who pretends to be an opposition leader in the country, has desecrated the hallowed temple of justice in his bid to quell all forms of dissent in the State. Akwa Ibom State is under a fascist regime that uses terror, fear and violence as instruments of control.
Effiong added that it is distasteful that the recently posted Police Commissioner, will reduce the State Police Command to a political weapon for corrupt politicians, and allow himself to be used as a tool by the governor to witch-hunt citizens who are exercising their rights under the Nigerian Constitution.”
He called for the immediate release of the protesters.
Every attempt to reach the state police command proved abortive as calls repeatedly put across to Nnudam Fredrick, the police spokesperson were not answered.
Also, a text message sent to his phone was not replied to as at the time of filing this report.
AN investigative report funded by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, on Wednesday emerged winner at the 2020 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR).
The 15th edition of the award programme which held in Lagos had in attendance investigative reporters, news editors and dignitaries.
WSAIR promotes and encourages best practices in journalism and works that focus on themes ranging from regulatory failures, corruption in the public and corporate spheres, and human rights abuses in the country.
Damilola Banjo, an investigative reporter with BBC, won the overall Nigeria Investigative Journalist of the year 2020 for her investigation on Justice for Sale: Inside the Lagos Anti-Cultism ‘Illegal’ Detention Centre which was published by The ICIR.
The joint investigative piece by Habib Oladapo and Damilola Banjo, “Inside a Lagos state school where A1 can be bought” (Part 1& 2), published by The ICIR, was commended in the same category.
Banjo’s report exposed the encounters of several Nigerians, old and young, with the police institution in Nigeria that brazenly violates the fundamental human rights of citizens and the country’s law through arbitrary arrests, illegal detention, torture, and commoditizing justice and bail.
Her investigation showed that at every point in the Nigerian justice system, there is a corrupt government official ripping innocent Nigerians off and doing it so brazenly.
Her second report exposes examination malpractices in a popular Lagos school during the last WAEC and JAMB exams.
A victory for grit, hard work and mentorship – Banjo told The ICIR
In a phone conversation with Damilola Banjo, she said emerging overall Nigeria Investigative Journalist of the year 2020 at the WSAIR is a victory for grit, hard work and mentorship. “I will like to give a special mention to the man who gave me my first shot, Omoyele Sowore, and every person that have helped me in my very young career,” she said.
According to her, there has been a frightening surge in violation of press freedom and human rights across the country. Just as journalists are being hounded and their words maliciously taken out of context, we have also seen war weapons deployed to quell peaceful protests.
“It is a hard time to be a Nigerian and indeed a dangerous time to be a journalist. Yet, it is the time for more rigorous, fact-based journalism that continues to uphold the truth, strengthen our democracy and hold everyone to account—not just the government.
“This award is to everyone who have labored for people like me to come through. To all the journalists putting their safety at risk to tell the much needed stories.”
Banjo went further to thank “Selase Kove-Seyram, an astute journalist from Ghana, the TigerEye Foundation and the International Centre For Investigative Reporting (ICIR) that funded the impactful stories that was awarded. Idris Akinbajo of Premium Times and Amzat Ajibola of The ICIR, two renowned editors who continue to show me how indispensable editors are. Editors are gods.
“I dedicate this to my two mums, single mothers who taught me perseverance and hard work, my little brother, my colleagues and friends. This is a victory for you all,” she said.
She, however, thanks Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism for the yearly encouragement they give to journalists in Nigeria.
Other winners from the 2020 WSAIR include Victor Asowata of Punch Newspaper, who won the Editorial Cartoon Category and Bukola Samuel Wemimo of TVC News as the winner of the Television category.
To reinforce WSCIJ’s three-day in-depth media conference and awards’ campaign on the theme – Masked not silenced, Juliana Francis, the 2014 WSCIJ-Nigerian Investigative Reporter of the Year, made a statement on behalf of the organisation.
The statement highlighted the fact that the media has been masked by many challenges, but it remains undaunted and cannot be silenced. Juliana concluded the speech with a call to action for reporters to investigate the death of Pelumi Onifade, the Gboah reporter who died in the custody of officers attached to the Lagos Task Force.
Held first in October 2005, the programme has produced 102 finalists with 11 investigative journalists of the year and 24 honorary awards recipients. This year, the winners, runners-up and commended works were presented cash prizes of N200,000, N100,000 and N50,000 respectively, plus a certificate of commendation. In addition, winners got award plaques and a laptop; runners-up got a smartphone and commended works got a hard drive.
The promo of “Child sex trade”, a documentary by Sharon Ijasan which will be aired on TVC on Sunday 13 December during the 10pm news, was aired at the award event. Ijasan received an anonymous grant at last year’s edition where she was runner up for her work on child labour. The 2020 ceremony was moderated by Deji Badmus, Executive Director, TV360, and three-time winner of the award. It was enlivened by a musical dance performance by the Kininso Koncepts which faulted the impunity with which politicians and men in uniform attack and harass journalists for speaking the truth to power.
JANET Bejide, a 75-year-old woman on Wednesday told the Ekiti State Judicial Panel of Inquiry how she was hit by a stray bullet shot by the men of the Nigerian Police Force at her shop in Ire-Ekiti, Oye local government of the state.
Bejide said the ugly incident happened on August 10 when the men in the uniform stormed the town and started shooting sporadically.
The woman, who said she was selling cooked rice at shop before the incident happened stated that she was only revived at the State Teaching Hospital in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital after she was felled by the bullet.
Bejide, who said her hand and body were perforated with gun bullets said she was rushed down to a private hospital and later to the State Teaching Hospital before regaining her consciousness
She said, “I was selling cooked rice and the policemen came shooting, I bowed down and cover my head with clothes and hand in order to avoid the impact of the tear gas.
I suddenly felt something hit my shoulder, neck and leg and that was all I knew before I woke up at the hospital.”
Bejide who could barely walk due to the impact of the gunshots in her leg prayed for compensation of N20 million from the panel, saying it would enable her to have adequate treatment.
“Since that time I have been having headache, I have not been finding it easy to live a comfortable life, now I have problem with my two eyes and my neck.
“My legs are paining me, I need more and adequate treatment on my leg, hand and all the weaknesses in my body, Please help me, so that I will not die from this pain.
“I need good health, I want to return to my normal life, please help me,” the woman pleaded.
However, Samson Osobu, the police counsel, told the petitioner that, “on the day of the incident, the town was celebrating the annual Ogun festival, and that there used to be gunshots during the festival, with large influx of people into the town.”
Bejide refuted the claim and stated that the day was not for Ogun festival, adding that nobody used fire arms but cane for Ogun celebrations in the town.
Justice Cornelius Akintayo (retd), the Chairman of the panel, adjourned the hearing to December 10 for continuation of hearing on other petitions.
JEAN Adukwei Mensah, Chairperson of the Ghana Electoral Commission on Wednesday evening declared the incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as president-elect of the 2020 presidential election.
Mensah said the ruling party won John Mahama, candidate of the major opposition with 515,524 votes difference from a total valid votes of 13,434,574.
While Akufo-Addo of the NPP polled 13, 434,574 votes from the total valid votes cast, Mahama who contested under platform of the National Democratic Party (NDC) obtained 6,214,889 votes.
Mahama was a former Ghanaian president whom many Ghanaians believed to have performed during his tenure, especially in the area of physical infrastructure provided across the country.
The election was conducted in 38,622 polling stations from across 275 constituencies in the 16 regions in the country.
“At the end of the transparent, orderly, fair, peaceful presidential election the total valid votes cast are 13,434,574. This represents about 75 per cent of the total registered voters,” Mensah the electoral commissioner said while disclosing winner of the presidential election.
She said the result excludes Techiman South Constituency which has a total voters population of 128, 018.
Mensah who was the Electoral Returning Officer for the poll said the decision to announce Akufo-Addo as winner without considering election results from Techiman South constituency was due to contentions of the result in the constituent.
She said collation was yet to be completed as well.
According to her, the 128,018 total population was insignificant if collated and added to the existing results of both candidates.
Her words: “It is important to note, however, that the difference between the total number of votes between the first and second candidates is 515, 524 votes. As a result, if we are to add the 128,018 full results to the result of the second candidate, it will not change outcome of the election.
“Hence, our declaration of the 2020 presidential result without Techima-South. Indeed, if we are to collate the entire result of the Techima South constituency and add to the percentage of the second candidate, John Mahama, he will obtain 47.83 percent of the total vote cast and Akufo-Addo will obtain 50.8 per cent of the total vote cast.
“It is on that basis that we say the outcome of the election will not change, hence, our declaration of our 2020 presidential election result without Techima south.”
“On the basis of the foregoing, by the power vested in me, I declare Nana Akufo-Addo President-Elect of the Republic of Ghana,” she declared. The ICIR had earlier reported an early win for the incumbent president follwing his major lead across most of the regions in the country.
