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Commercial activities disrupted as Shiites, policemen renew clash in Abuja

Amos ABBA
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Commercial activities disrupted as Shiites, policemen renew clash in Abuja

ON Tuesday clashes between members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, and policemen resumed when the protesting members of the Shi’ite sect who had embarked on another round of protest were dispersed by security operatives.

The protesters who proceeded from the popular Banex Plaza, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, were stopped when policemen fired several shots in an attempt to disperse the protesters.

Some of the Shi’ites were said to have fled into Banex complex where computers and tech gadgets are sold.

The policemen reportedly chased after them, while traders and bystanders ran into shops to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

The clash between the policemen and Shi’ites on Monday led to the death of a Channels Television reporter, Precious Owolabi, who was also a National Youth Service Corps member.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations at the FCT, Usman Umar, was also killed while more than three Shi’ite members lost their lives.

Members of IMN have been protesting the prolonged detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah who had been detained since November 2015.

President Muhammadu Buhari on his Twitter account commiserated with the bereaved families of the casualties.

“I most deeply commiserate with the families of Precious Owolabi, an NYSC member with Channels TV, and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Usman Umar, of the FCT Police Command, who died during the violent protest by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in Abuja yesterday.

“Condolences also to the management and staff of Channels TV, and the Police leadership, over the sad and regrettable loss. We salute their commitment to remaining steadfast and dedicated to their professional callings, even in this time of grief.

“I want to reassure residents of Abuja in particular and the country, in general, to go about their lawful activities without fear. The leadership of our security and law enforcement agencies are taking action to safeguard the nation against such mindless attacks,” he tweeted.

Human rights group, Committee to Protect Journalists in Africa, CPJ, has called on the federal government to commence an investigation into the Monday shooting, leading to the death of the Channels TV’s reporter.

In a statement signed by its media manager, Isa Sanusi, CPJ called on the police to always exercise restraint in carrying out their duties.

“The Nigerian govt must promptly investigate in an independent and impartial manner the police shootings and bring to justice all those suspected of criminal responsibility in fair trials. The police must exercise restraint at all times and use force only when strictly necessary,” the statement reads.

Buhari picks seven women as ministerial nominees, widens gender imbalance in cabinet

YEKEEN Akinwale
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Buhari picks seven women as ministerial nominees, widens gender imbalance in cabinet

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari though may appear to have surpassed the number of women he appointed into his cabinet in his first term with seven female ministerial nominees among the 43 unveiled on Tuesday, he is still a step behind his own record.

If all the seven women in the fresh ministerial list sent to the National Assembly are cleared and appointed, they will represent just 16.28 per cent of the total number of the ministers in the cabinet.

This is a drop when compared to 2015 in when the president appointed six women into his cabinet of 36 ministers representing 17 per cent of the total number of the ministers.

In the list sent to the National Assembly were Sadiya Farouk, Sharon Ikpeazu, Gbemi Saraki, Ramatu Tijani, Maryam Katagun, Zainab Ahmed and Paullen Tallen.

Prior to the release of the ministerial list, gender activists have called on the president to ensure gender balance in his cabinet, like the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who appointed 14 females into his 28-member cabinet.

Women groups in Nigeria in line with the declaration made at the fourth  World Conference on women in Beijing, which advocated 30 per cent affirmative action have asked the president to improve the women representation in his cabinet.

The extant National  Gender  Policy  (NGP)  recommended  35 percent affirmative action instead and sought for a more inclusive representation of women with at least 35 percent of both elective political and appointive public service positions respectively.

But despite women accounting for almost the half of the Nigeria’s voting population according to a data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBC) and forming about 47.14 percent of 39,598,645 of the 84,004,084 registered voters nationwide, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), women’s representation in the current administration of Buhari is declining.

Women in past administrations in Nigeria

Since 1999 till date, perhaps, only one administration has lived up to the yearnings of gender activists asking for gender-balanced cabinet in the country.

There have been five administrations between 1999 and 2015. Former President  Olusegun Obasanjo occupied the office of president between 1999   and   2007,   late  Umaru  Musa  Yar’Adua  (2007-2010),  President Goodluck  Jonathan  (2010-2011;  2011-2015)  and  President  Muhammadu Buhari who has been in power since 2015 running his second and final term in office.

In  1999  and  2003  when Obasanjo was the president, out of 47 cabinet ministers appointed, only seven were women which represents   14.89   percent.

Under late Yar’Adua, there were only six women out of 36 cabinet ministers, representing 16percent of the total cabinet members.

Women representation in the cabinet received a boost under former president Goodluck Jonathan when 12 out 42 ministers were women, representing 30 percent of the total cabinet members.

Senate suspends recess to screen Buhari’s ministerial list

Rebecca Akinremi
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Senate suspends recess to screen Buhari’s ministerial list

THE Nigerian Senate has suspended its annual recess so as to earn more time to screen the President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees for ministerial posts.

The National Assembly is meant to go on an annual recess on Friday,  July 26 and resume on September 26.

Buhari, after 55 days of his inauguration, has forwarded the list of his nominees to the Senate on Tuesday, two days before they go on break.

Senate President Ahmed Lawan, after reading out the 43 names contained in the list, announced that the screening of the ministers would commence on Wednesday during the plenary session.

Adeyeye Adedayo, Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, who spoke to journalists during a press conference after the Tuesday plenary session said the House would sit on Wednesday, Friday and Monday against the usual Tuesdays to Thursdays sitting days. He added that they would sit beyond 2 pm which is the official time a plenary session ends.

“I want to tell you that this is a major sacrifice by the senators,” he said.

Adedayo assured that the screening of the nominees would be thorough. He added that the confirmation will end next week.

After the confirmation next week, he said the lawmakers would go on the two-month break.

Boris Johnson becomes new UK Prime Minister as Theresay May leaves on Wednesday

Rebecca Akinremi
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BORIS Johnson has been elected as the United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister after winning in the leadership contest against Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday.

Johnson who was a former Mayor of London and UK Foreign Secretary will take over from his predecessor Theresa May when she formally tenders her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday, according to BBC.

He beat his rival in a poll conducted among members of the governing conservative party. Of the 160,000 votes cast, Boris secured 92,153 votes, a total of 58 per cent of the votes cast.

Theresa May, the second female British Prime Minister, announced to resign on May 24 when she lost the support of her cabinet for her inability to secure the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU), called Brexit. She missed two Brexit deadlines.

“I negotiated the terms of our exit and a new relationship with our closest neighbours that protects jobs, our security and our Union. I have done everything I can to convince MPs to back that deal. Sadly, I have not been able to do so,” she had expressed her emotion.

The 55-year-old Johnson will inherit May’s vision of exiting the EU when he assumes the role on Wednesday. Throughout his campaign, he was vocal about his willingness to exit the EU, pledging to leave on October 31″. The date is the latest deadline for the UK to depart the bloc.

“We are not daunted, we are leaving the EU by October 31,” said Johnson in his victory speech delivered at  Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London on Tuesday. He added that the country would take advantage of all the opportunities the exit bring with a new spirit of can do.

“We are once again going to believe in ourselves, and like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy ropes of self-doubt and negativity,” he said.

Johnson appreciated his predecessor, saying it was a privilege to serve in her cabinet. May also congratulated him, promising her “full support from the backbenches”.

With just three months before the Brexit deadline, Johnson is expected to hit the ground running, announcing his cabinet and other top posts in the next few days.

Three years after the referendum vote to leave the European Union, Britain has remained a member, after twice delaying its exit amid continued wrangling in a divided parliament — and the country — on how to proceed.

Johnson led the 2016 Brexit campaign and has said the latest deadline must be kept, with or without a divorce agreement with the EU.

Buhari cabinet: Fashola, Keyamo, Akpabio make long awaited ministerial list

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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Buhari cabinet: Fashola, Keyamo, Akpabio make long awaited ministerial list

FIFTY-FIVE days after President Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated for the second term in office, the president has finally sent a list of his cabinet members to the Senate for confirmation.

Top in the list are Babatunde Fashola, former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Festus Keyamo, former Director of Communications and Strategy to President Buhari during the 2019 election, Sen. Godswin Akpabio, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and 40 others.

In all, 43 nominees were sent to the Senate for confirmation.

Nigerians had severally called on the president to expedite action and nominate his ministers to set the new administration on the sail.

But his aides insisted the president has the prerogative to decide when it’s right to inaugurate his cabinet.

Though the National Assembly is set to go on a two-month break from Thursday, yet there is a high expectation that the nominees would be screened before the recess.

When The ICIR called earlier in the morning to confirm names of the nominees,  Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity,  said the Centre should  “check with the Senate.”

He declined further comment before he terminated the call.

Checks at the Presidency’s official twitter handle @NGRPresident had no such information at the time of this report.

Garba Shehu, the Official Spokesperson to the President and the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity also has not yet tweeted about the ministerial list.

However, the presidential aide retweeted Abubakar Sidiq Usman, an All Progressives Congress Chieftain who announced the nomination, “Breaking: President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Ahmad Lawan has announced receiving the list of ministerial nominees for confirmation from President Muhammadu Buhari”.

Also Bashir Ahmed, Personal Assistance to the President Buhari on New Media has also released the nominee list shared below.

“In all, 43 ministerial nominees were sent to the Senate for confirmation”.

Reports claimed that unlike his first tenure when he had 36 ministers, the President purportedly resolved to also appoint extra 7 ministers, to make 43 cabinet members when eventually confirmed by the National Assembly.

“The list was sent to the Senate on Monday evening via executive communication and is expected to be read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday,” the report says.

Other prominent Nigerians included in the lists are Hadi Sirika, Lai Mohammed, Geoffrey Onyeama, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Chris Ngige, Ogbonaya Onu, Rauf Aregbesola, Gbemisola Saraki among others.

Unlike his first term in office, where it took Buhari six months to appoint Ministers, this new appointment came four months earlier.

List from Bashir Ahmed, Personal Assistance to the President on New Media

Nigerians mourn ChannelsTV Precious Owolabi who died during Shiite protest

Rebecca Akinremi
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Nigerians mourn ChannelsTV Precious Owolabi who died during Shiite protest

“PRECIOUS Owolabi left his house yesterday for work but did not return and will never return again. Rest in Peace.’ 

That was one of the several tributes that followed Precious’ death, currently trending on social media.

The 23-year-old Precious was hit by a stray bullet on Monday during a clash between members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and men of the Nigeria Police in Abuja. Later on Monday evening, ChannelsTV confirmed his death.

Precious who graduated from the University of Ilorin was a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He was a budding journalist as he was serving with the ChannelsTV group. Precious had joined the media crew to cover the Shiite protest which later resulted in his unfortunate death.

“The management and staff of Channels Television are greatly saddened by the untimely and unfortunate death of such a promising journalist,” ChannelsTV said in tributes. “We pray that God will grant his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss, and avail his soul eternal rest,” it added.

The Nigerian Union of Journalists said Precious Owolabi was a “promising journalist”.  Emmanuel Ogbeche, Abuja Chairman, stressed that yesterday was another sad day for the journalism profession in Nigeria.

Also, the Committee to Protect Journalist has tasked the Nigerian authorities to “investigate and ensure those responsible for his death are held accountable.  “The CPJ is saddened to learn that Channels TV journalist Precious Owolabi has died after being shot earlier today,” it tweeted. 

Meanwhile, many sympathisers advised journalists to always wear protective toolkits when covering conflicts.

Chidi Odinkalu, former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) tweeted that journalism has its hazards, especially in the “frontlines of conflict. He said the proprietors in the media industry should take basic precautions.

“21st-century journalism is not a bed of roses but a battleground. In case you don’t know, many people want you silenced just like it happened to Precious Owolabi. Body armour is no longer an option but a must,” tweeted another user identified as Ayemojubar

Precious’ death has increased the number of journalists who had been killed in Nigeria to ten. An earlier report released by the UNESCO observatory of killed journalists in June revealed that at least nine journalists were killed in the country between 2006 and 2019.

Apart from Precious, Usman Umar who was the deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) lost his life during the protest yesterday. He had already been interred on Monday evening according to the Islamic burial rite.

President Muhammadu Buhari said he deeply commiserated with the families of Precious and Usman Umar, of the FCT Police Command, who died during the violent protest by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in Abuja.

The spokesperson of the Shiites, Abdullahi Musa, said 17 of their members also died, while many injured. He said most of their member were arrested also.

El-Zakzaky and his wife have remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since December 2015 following a clash between the IMN and the Nigerian Army that year.

He was arraigned after two years of being in detention on charges bordering on culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disruption of the public peace.

Since then the Shiite group regularly hold protest for the release of their leader. Recently, the group said the El-Zakzaky health was failing and needed medical treatment. A bail application was filed by his counsel but the Kaduna State High Court denied him the application.

Iran announces arrest of 17 alleged CIA agents, some sentenced to death

Jennifer UGWA
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Iran announces arrest of 17 alleged CIA agents, some sentenced to death

The Iranian government through its Intelligence Ministry on Sunday said they have arrested 17 citizens of the country, and have been sentenced some to death for acting as spies for the United States Central Intelligence Agency amid soaring tension between Tehran and Washington.

In a document made available to CNN, Iran claimed to have broken up a CIA spying ring and captured 17 suspects, all of whom confessed to acting as spies for the CIA.

The document Destiny of Spies read: “Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said in the document: “Individuals who consciously and deliberately betrayed the country and refused to compensate for the losses have been handed over to the judiciary system. Others, who honestly cooperated with the security system and their remorsefulness have been proved, have been managed with intelligence direction against Americans.”

“Defendants serving their sentences in prison mentioning tempting promises of CIA officers including emigration to USA, a proper job in America, and money,” the Intelligence Ministry document said.

Informants were supposed to collect classified information “from substantial centres as well as intelligence/technical operations.”

 

The announcement comes amid a standoff between Tehran and Western powers following President Donald Trump’s 2018 decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Iran, and an accelerating series of recent maritime episodes, including Iran’s seizure of a UK-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

Tensions in the region escalated further over the weekend after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) captured a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

The IRGC accused the vessel of “violating international regulations.”

Britain has warned Iran it would take “robust” action in response as the UK government’s emergency response committee, known as COBRA,  meets on Monday to discuss the situation.

Iran’s actions in the strait came just hours after authorities in Gibraltar agreed to extend the detention of an Iranian oil tanker in its custody for 30 days.

The ship– Grace 1– was seized by British authorities on July 4, accused of attempting to transport oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.

It is expected that there will be a rise in global oil price.

Former governor, Orji Kalu opens defense in alleged N7.6 billion fraud trial

Amos ABBA
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Former governor, Orji Kalu opens defense in alleged N7.6 billion fraud trial

FORMER governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, on Monday opened his defence in an alleged N7.6 billion fraud trial at the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

Kalu was arraigned alongside, a former Abia state Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogu, and a company, Slok Nigeria Limited, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 39 count charges bordering on fraud and money laundering.

Justice Mohammed Idris, the presiding judge at the resumed sitting allowed the former governor to open his defence.

Kalu, a senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, had allegedly committed the offence between August 2001 and October 2005 when he was the governor of Abia State.

The EFCC had on May 2018, through its counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, closed its cases after calling 19 witnesses against Kalu but he countered the prosecution by filing a no-case submission, which was dismissed by the trial court on July 2018.

Kalu appealed the ruling at the Court of Appeal, as he sought to upturn the judgement of the high court.

In April 2019, the Appellate Court in a lead judgement by Justice M.L. Garba upheld the decision of the lower court and dismissed the appeals filed by Kalu’s co-defendants challenging the jurisdiction of the court, following the promotion of Justice Idris to the Court of Appeal.

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, also, issued a fresh fiat to Justice Idris to conclude the case.

At the resumed hearing, defence counsel, Awa Kalu, SAN, informed the court that he received a letter from the prosecution informing him of the resumption of the case.

Kalu’s lawyer, requested a short adjournment for the defence, to open its case while he announced the absence of the second and third defendants, Udeogo and Slok Nigeria Limited from the proceeding.

The defence counsel also told the court that he had to rush down to Lagos from Abuja yesterday without the case file due to the fact that his Secretary, whom he said was bereaved, could not prepare the case file.

Kalu’s lawyer, therefore, asked the court for a short adjournment for the defence to open its case.

Justice Idris also held that the absence of counsels to the second and third defendants could not be justified, and therefore, ordered Kalu to open his defence.

Led in evidence by his counsel, Kalu told the court his name and stated that he was a manufacturer of home goods until he resigned some weeks ago to become a Senator.

He also told the court that he had pleaded “not guilty” to all the 39-count charges preferred against him by the EFCC and stating he was aware that the trial was a joint trial involving Ude Udeogo and Slok Nigeria Limited.

Kalu’s lawyer, at that point, re-applied for an adjournment of the case as the prosecution did not object to the prayer of the first defendant’s counsel for an adjournment.

Consequently, Justice Idris adjourned the case to August 2019, for “continuation of defence” and further held that “the proceedings will continue on a day-to-day basis till it is concluded.”

17-year old Nigerian shot dead in South Africa

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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17-year old Nigerian shot dead in South Africa

The Nigerian Union in South Africa has said that another Nigerian, a 17-year-old Chinoso Dennis Obiaju has been shot dead in the former apartheid country.

According to the union, Obiaju who was in high school was reportedly shot dead in Johannesburg

This is coming barely one month after Elizabeth Obianuju Ndubisi, a deputy Director General of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria(CIIN) was found dead in a hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa.

President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Adetola Olubajo who confirmed the killing, stated that the deceased until his death lived in Roodeprt, Johannesburg with his guardian, Mike Nsofor.

“He went to buy an item from a shop with his friend and someone chased and opened fire on them, killing him,” Olubajo said quoting guardian to the deceased.

He noted that late Obiaju was shot about 6.30pm on Saturday.

“He was born here I learnt and the mother is in the U.S.,”the president said, adding, ” I have spoken to Mike Nsofor to pass the Nigerian community’s condolences and call for justice to be served in this case as anybody who hunts down a young schoolboy couldn’t have any justifiable reasons.”

He added that the family has resolved to bury the deceased in South Africa, noting that the union’s leaders in Johannesburg would be contacting him (the guardian) on the developments.

Olubajo who appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria to protect Nigerians abroad said the union would visit the police on Monday to finalise on the registry and provision of his papers.

The Nigerian Senate early July warned the South African government when it expressed concerns over the incessant killings of Nigerians in the foreign country.

Unconfirmed data put the casualty figure of Nigerians killed in South Africa at between 117 and 200.

Odinkalu, former NHRC boss, sues commission over plans to ‘force staff to sign oath of secrecy’

'Kunle ADEBAJO
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Odinkalu, former NHRC boss, sues commission over plans to ‘force staff to sign oath of secrecy’

A former chairman the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu has sued the Commission for directing its workers to sign an oath of secrecy, which he argues to be unlawful.

With suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/852, the action was filed at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Monday.

The defendants are the NHRC; Anthony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary of the commission; the Nigeria Civil Service Union; and Efem Atu, chairman of the union.

Odinkalu, a lawyer and human rights activist, said in the originating motion on notice that the NHRC and its chairman, with the backing of the union, is administering an oath of secrecy and confidentiality.

The motion was signed by Godwin Chigbu, the applicant’s lawyer.

“We have today filed a suit against Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, and its staff union, before the Federal High Court in Abuja asking the Court to determine the legality of the Oath of Secrecy that the Commission’s Management is forcing staff to sign,” Odinkalu tweeted on Monday.

He asked the court to declare that this oath is “incompatible with the rights guaranteed under section 39(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 9(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; and the right to receive, access, or request for and obtain information held by public institutions in Nigeria pursuant to Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act.”

He asked also that the oath be declared null and void, as well as beyond the powers conferred on the human rights commission by the Act that established it.

The former NHRC chairman also urged the court to declare that the oath of secrecy violates his rights to freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution and other laws, and likewise violates NHRC’s statutory mandate to protect human rights.

In his supporting affidavit, Odinkalu stated that, acting on behalf of Ojukwu, Ibe Obidigwe through an internal memo dated July 3 directed all unit and departmental heads and state coordinators of NHRC to “distribute copies of an oath of secrecy declaration to staff of their various departments/units etc to subscribe and return same to the 1st Respondent‘s Human Resources Management Department”.

“A copy of the oath of secrecy declaration document to be subscribed by the staff of the 1st respondent (NHRC) was attached to the said internal memo or circular dated 3rd July, 2019,” the affidavit added.

“In the desperate bid of the 1st and 2nd respondents to achieve their purpose of compelling or getting the staff of the 1st respondent to subscribe to the said oath of secrecy, had a meeting with the 3rd respondent, the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NHRC branch), on 5th July, 2019 and enlisted the cooperation of the 3rd respondent to get its members to subscribe to the said oath of secrecy.”

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