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Chinese company finally shut down illegal charcoal production in Enugu after ICIR’s investigation

Chikezie OMEJE
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Chinese company finally shut down illegal charcoal production in Enugu after ICIR’s investigation

A CHINESE company, Kwo Chief Investment Limited, has finally shut down its illegal charcoal production at Obimo in Nsukka local government area of Enugu State.

The company’s termination of the operation comes after three months that The ICIR’s investigation exposed the unauthorised massive felling of trees for charcoal production.

At the time The ICIR conducted investigation into the environmental threats by the Chinese company, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) said it was unaware of the charcoal production, and would not act against the company without a petition, despite the fact the company was producing charcoal without obtaining the necessary permits as specified in official policy.

The exposure led to public outcry that forced the NESREA to move against the company. In a press release on May 8, NESREA claimed that the facility had been shut down.  The ICIR, however, obtained evidence the following day that the company was still in operation.

Aliyu Jauro, the director general of NESREA, had told The ICIR that the agency actually sealed off the facility in April but he was unaware that the company had continued the charcoal production. He thereafter assured that the agency would send enforcement team again to the charcoal factory.

On getting information about the pending visit by NESREA’s officials, the Chinese deserted the charcoal factory on May 16 and have not returned since then. NESREA’s officials subsequently visited the facility on May 23.

NESREA claimed that the operators of the illegal charcoal production would soon be prosecuted but findings by The ICIR showed that no Chinese has been yet arrested.

Daura emirate council suspends Sallah celebrations over security concerns

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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Daura emirate council suspends Sallah celebrations over security concerns

THE Daura Emirate Council in Katsina State says it has suspended all activities lined up to mark the forthcoming Eid-Al-Fitr Sallah celebrations scheduled to commence next week.

The Danejin Daura, Malam Abdulmumini Salihu, disclosed this on behalf of the emirate council in a statement issued in Daura on Monday.

Salihu said the suspension of the Sallah activities was due to the recent unfortunate security breaches bedeviling some parts of the state.

He said that the recent happenings which led to the kidnap and brutal killings of some innocent citizens of the state were saddening and unfortunate.

The emirate said it would use the period to commiserate with the government of the state, citizens and the victims’ relations over the unfortunate development.

It added that during the day, only two raka’at Eid prayers would be observed, after which marathon prayers and supplication would be conducted to invoke divine intervention over the precarious security challenges.

The council, however, directed all the 16 district heads, 245 village heads and ward heads to organise and supervise prayers in their areas of jurisdictions, with a view to achieving lasting peace and stability nationwide.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the district head of Daura, Musa Umar-Uba, was recently kidnapped at his residence in Daura by some unknown gunmen and since the incident, the abductors have not contacted his family, and the ancient town had been gloomy.

NAN also reports that 34 people were, last week, brutally murdered in some parts of the state by some unknown gunmen — an incident which made the state government to assent to a law that prescribed capital punishment for kidnapping, cattle rustling and armed robbery.

(NAN)

Good education, best legacy we’ll leave for them… Nigerian leaders on Children’s Day

Kingsley OBIEJESI
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Good education, best legacy we’ll leave for them… Nigerian leaders on Children’s Day

POLITICAL leaders across various arms of government are unanimous in their belief that good and quality education remains the best legacy to leave for Nigerian children.

This theme is recurring in the respective messages by many of the top government officials on Monday in commemoration of the international children’s day which is celebrated every year on May 27.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, in his message, described Nigerian children as “our most important national treasure” hence the need for those in the position of authority to “recommit ourselves to ensuring that all Nigerian children are empowered to aspire to achieve greatness”.

“Over the last 4-years, the National Assembly has worked fervently towards ensuring the provision of basic primary healthcare and the domestication of the Childs Rights Act in all Nigerian states — so that young Nigerian Children can live healthy, violence-free lives,” Saraki wrote.

He also paid tribute to Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi schoolgirl that is still in Boko Haram’s captivity, as well as “all other Nigerian children who will be commemorating this important day without their loved ones. We commit them into our prayers, and continue to call for their unequivocal release”.

Former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, also shared a message of optimism, pointing out that “Nigerian children have been in the international headlines recently for exceptional achievements despite all odds”.

In a similar message, former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and the incoming Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, promised not to play politics with the fate of the children of the state, as according to him, “The biggest legacy we can leave for our Children is quality education”.

Lagos State Governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his own Children’s Day message described them as “our heritage… our pride, they are the future and they are the reason why we put our best in all that we do”. He promised that his government “will be dedicated to making sure that every child in Lagos has hope for a great future”.

Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), also pledged the commission’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Nigerian children on the road at all times.

“Children are the world’s most valuable resources and its best hope for the future. Child safety is our top priority,” he wrote.

Later on, the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, will host some children to a Children’s Day party at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, as part of activities leading up to the second term inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ngige tasks state govt, employers on immediate payment of new minimum wage

Nneoma BENSON
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Ngige tasks state govt, employers on immediate payment of new minimum wage

CHRIS Ngige,  labour and employment minister has asked state government and all employers of labour to commence the implementation of the minimum wage with immediate effect.

He told journalists on Sunday that, “any state government that has not started implementation of the new minimum wage is automatically owing its workers, and any state that does percentage increase will put itself in a disadvantaged position as it will not be able to pay”.

Ngige said the new wage took effect from April 18, 2019, with the signing of the of the bill into law by the President Muhammadu Buhari, and all arrears would commence from its enactment into law.

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“The minimum wage was one of the products of the technical committee that worked on the palliatives as a result of the increase in the pump price of PMS.

He noted his ministry anchored this development, alongside government delegation which comprises seven ministries, the national salaries and wages commission and the state government.

“We are now in a committee working out a new template with which we will adjust the consequential adjustment upstairs for those already earning above N30, 000.”

President Buhari had on April 18, assented to the new national minimum wage bill recently passed by the National Assembly, thus raising the national minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000.

The Act makes it compulsory for all employers of labour to pay their workers a minimum wage of N30,000, excluding persons employing less than 25 workers or persons in other kinds of regulated employment.

The struggle for an increment in the national minimum wage has been on for a long time as the organised labour tried all within its power to make the government see the need to increase workers’ pay.

I earned my money legitimately, Patience Jonathan’s sister tells court

Kingsley OBIEJESI
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I earned my money legitimately, Patience Jonathan’s sister tells court

Esther Oba, a younger sister to Patience Jonathan, former Nigeria’s First Lady, has explained why the sum of $429,381. 87 which was traced to her account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should not be forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria.

Oba gave the explanation before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the federal high court where the EFCC had asked the court for an injunction ordering the forfeiture of the money which it believes was part of proceeds of corrupt activities.

The case is a fallout of the EFCC’s investigation into alleged corrupt practices by the former First Lady from who a number of assets in cash and property have already been reportedly recovered.

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Before the court, Oba said she earned the money from estacodes while working as a Special Assistant on Household Administration to former President Goodluck Jonathan, while some of them were gifts she received during her mother’s funeral, as well as the naming ceremony of her child.

Oba claimed she was entitled to $600 per night for official trips that took her outside the country.

“When I had my first child after 14 years of marriage without a child,  I got a lot of gifts. Some were hard currencies, land, cars;  anything anyone can give as a gift,” Oba told the court.

She said she opened the Skye Bank account to keep the gifts following the advice of Ibrahim Larmode, a former EFCC Chairman.

“When Lamorde came to visit her (Patience), he advised her to open a card account. I took the advice too and opened the Skye Bank account,” Oba said.

While being cross-examined, Oba said she has two signatures, which accounted for the disparity of signatures that was noticed on the said bank account.

The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, asked Oba to sign the two signatures on a sheet of paper, which she did, albeit after the objection raised by her lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe, was overruled by the trial judge. The document was subsequently admitted in evidence by the court, after which the case was adjourned to June 27.

President Buhari signs 2019 budget into law

Kingsley OBIEJESI
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President Buhari signs 2019 budget into law

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has signed the N8.9 trillion appropriation bill into law for 2019.

The budget sum is N90.3 billion higher than the N8.83 trillion which Buhari presented before a joint session of the National Assembly on December 18, 2018.

According to the document, the sum of N2.09 trillion was allocated for capital expenditure while N4.05 was for recurrent expenditure and statutory transfers was put at N502.

The sum of N2.25 trillion was set aside for debt servicing, out of which N1.7 trillion was for domestic debts and N433 billion was foreign debts. Another N110 billion was also set aside as a sinking fund to retire maturing debt obligations.

The 2019 budget was calculated using an estimated crude oil price of $65 per barrel, an estimated production volume of 2.3 million barrels per day and an exchange rate of N305 to a dollar.

In the 2019 fiscal year, the federal government hopes to generate non-oil revenue consisting of N799.52 billion from company income tax, N229.34 billion from value-added tax, N302.5 billion from customs duties, and N624.58 billion from what was described as “independent revenue”, among other sources.

Meanwhile, the Budget Office of the Federation will make a public presentation of the budget on Tuesday at an event where the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo-Udoma would present the details of the budget to Nigerians.

The event will hold at the main auditorium of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja, at 10.30 am.

Illegal primaries: Imo APC loses federal legislative seat to PDP

Kingsley OBIEJESI
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Illegal primaries: Imo APC loses federal legislative seat to PDP

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State has lost one of the seats it recently secured at the federal House of Representatives to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following what an Imo State High Court described as illegal Primary election.

Justice P.A. Rigime, on Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return it issued to Ugonna Ozurigbo, as the lawmaker-elect representing  Nkwerre/Nwangele/Njaba/Isu federal constituency, and issue it to Kingsley Echendu of the PDP.

The judgement follows a suit filed by Harrison Nwadike, an APC member who said he won the APC primary election but that his name was removed and Ozurigbo’s name substituted in the list submitted to INEC.

Nwadike prayed the court to declare him the authentic candidate of the APC in the election, and as such the winner of the polls.

In his judgement, Justice Rigime agreed that Ozurigbo was not the authentic APC candidate as the law does not recognise any such thing as an “automatic ticket” or an “automatic candidate”. He however ruled that the person who came second in the actual election should be issued a certificate of return.

Neither the PDP nor its candidate in the election were parties to the suit filed by Nwadike.

In his reaction, Nwadike said he was going to appeal the aspect of the judgement that declared the PDP candidate the winner of the election, when the party and its candidate were not even parties to the suit.

However, counsel to the PDP, Stanley Imo, said the court was right in its decision, because Nwadike did not participate in all the process leading to the return of a candidate by INEC and therefore could not have benefited from the election.

“The law is very clear on this. Harrison Nwadike did not participate in all the stages of the election but my client did. Now, the court held that Ugonna Ozurigbo was not the rightful candidate of the APC (and) said that the second runner-up, who is my client that participated in all the stages of the elections should be issued with the Certificate of Return,” Imo explained.

Recall that an internal crisis tore the Imo State APC into two factions just before the 2019 general elections, following the attempts by the incumbent Governor, Rochas Okorocha, to impose his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as the new state governor.

It was the crisis that brought about the improper conduct of primary elections within the party which has now cost the APC a federal legislative seat.

Okorocha’s senatorial seat is also in jeopardy as INEC has refused to issue him a certificate of return after the electoral officer who conducted the polls said he declared Okorocha winner under duress.

EFCC probes MTN listing on NSE

Jennifer UGWA
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EFCC probes MTN listing on NSE

MTN Nigeria said its listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The telecom giant, which was listed on the Exchange two weeks ago, however, said it had not been accused of any wrongdoing by the EFCC.

Uto Ukpanah the Company Secretary via a statement shared on the NSE’s website, said that a letter addressed to the Company by the EFCC on Thursday requested information and documentation relating to the listing of its shares on the NSE.

Ukpanah stressed that the telecom giant has complied by all the law necessary that facilitated the company’s listing.

“We wish to reiterate that we received all regulatory approvals required to list our shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, as publicly confirmed by the Nigerians Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

“As a law-abiding and responsible corporate citizen, we are co-operating fully with the authorities. We are committed to good governance and to abiding by the extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

In December 2018, MTN agreed to pay $53 million to resolve a row with Nigeria’s telecoms regulator (NCC), after being accused of illegally repatriating $8.13 billion to South Africa.

Also in 2015, it was fined $5.2 billion in 2015 for failing to disconnect unregistered SIM cards on its network.

The fine, however, was later reduced to $1.7 billion after negotiations with the Nigerian government.

 

Garba Shehu expresses uncertainty over total clamp down on terrorism

Nneoma BENSON
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Garba Shehu expresses uncertainty over total clamp down on terrorism

THE presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, has noted his uncertainty towards the total clamp down on Boko Haram activities in the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Shehu, who said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise program on Monday, noted that insurgency is an ongoing global challenge, although more sophisticated in other countries.

He said Boko Haram is a phase that has faded away in the country, especially in the rise of emerging security challenges such as banditry and kidnappings.

Shehu expressed satisfaction over the paradigm shift from the insecurity level in the past administration compared to the current administration of President Buhari.

He said recent successes have been recorded, especially in the launch of ‘operation Puff Adder’ by the police, which has led to the arrest of over 150 suspected kidnappers and bandits as well as the recovery  of huge quantities of weapons, guns, surprisingly, locally made semi-automatic weapons, revolvers that have multiple cartridges in Anambra, Plateau and Zamfara.

“Government and security agencies have identified and have to deal with the availability of weapons if the war against insecurity must be won,” Shehu said.

He said the security agencies have identified and streamlined their focus on tackling the source of weapons, manufactured locally or imported, noting that ‘weapons are the oxygen to crime’.

“They will replenish because these things are readily available. Government has identified local manufacturers and seized weapons. Government is also internationalizing this campaign.”

The ICIR reports that The Islamic State militant group (ISIS), in June 2015 described the Nigerian Army as an exhausted force that has virtually collapsed.

It noted that contrary to claims made by the military of its recent successes against the sect, the Boko Haram insurgents have taken control of many parts of Nigeria and that their attacks are intensifying and pushing back the military.

In 2016, however, the Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai injected a new life, into the military counterinsurgency, by replacing soldiers who have spent more than two years in the operation.

The 2018 World Terrorism Index Report (WTIR), in October 2018, noted that the counter-terrorism operations of the Nigerian military have yielded positive results so far as it is evidenced by the drop in the number of terrorism-related deaths in the country.

However, an investigation by The ICIR shows that Nigerian security operatives are significantly sabotaging the government’s efforts to eliminate Boko Haram as they aid the distribution of huge volumes of petrol and other fuel products to the deadly group.

This has, nevertheless, fueled an allegation by the military authorities that the new phase of kidnapping and banditry terrorising northeastern Nigeria stem from unsatisfied political actors regarding the outcome of the 2019 election.

May 27: UNICEF unveils awareness campaign on children’s rights in Nigeria

YEKEEN Akinwale
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May 27: UNICEF unveils awareness campaign on children’s rights in Nigeria

 

THE United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) on Monday launched a campaign to draw awareness to children’s rights by all of Nigerian society as part of efforts to commemorate the 2019 children’s day.

“While there have been many advances over the last years, children in Nigeria are still not accessing health, nutrition, education and other rights to the extent that they must,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF’s new Country Representative in Nigeria, who took up his post on Monday.

“Sadly, it is the most disadvantaged children who are suffering the greatest challenge in having their rights fulfilled.”

The campaign is tagged “For every child, every right”.

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He explained that Nigerian Children’s Day 2019 falls during the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which is being commemorated this year around the world.

Hawkins said UNICEF, as part of the children’s day celebration was also launching  a “Passport to Your Rights” – a copy of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in child-friendly language, in pocket format.

Every child in Nigeria, according to him, is expected to have a copy by 2030 – the deadline for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The CRC ‘passport’ will also be available in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Pidgin languages, helping to ensure access by millions of Nigerians.

“Thirty years ago, something incredible happened. World leaders came together in a moment of unity for the world’s children,” said Hawkins.

“They made a promise to every child to protect and fulfil their rights, by adopting the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

He disclosed that the Convention established childhood as a period that is separate from adulthood – a time in which children should grow, learn, play, develop and flourish.

“We want to see every Nigerian child have that kind of a childhood,” he added.

The Convention went on to become the most widely-ratified human rights treaty in history, with Nigeria ratifying it in 1991.

It has helped to transform children’s lives; inspiring legislative changes to protect children and enabling them to participate actively in their societies.

“Today, more children than ever live healthy lives, are learning in school and have a voice in their communities. But much more needs to be done as children’s rights continue to be unfulfilled and threatened daily around the world and in Nigeria.

“There are still too many children being left behind, and too many childhoods cut short by violence, conflict, poverty and inequality,” he said.

As the nation celebrates Children’s Day, the UNICEF representative said all stakeholders must look ahead to the future of childhood in this country, and re-commit to urgent, specific actions to protect the rights of every child – now, and in future generations.

“Child rights will only be fully realized when every government and every citizen is aware of and upholds children’s rights, and every child can claim those rights. It is for this reason that we are launching a campaign ‘For every child, every right’ and will work closely with the government to ensure that all Nigerians are aware of the rights that all children have. This includes in particular children themselves.”

“Working together, we can seize this moment and make it a turning point for every child; I look forward to picking up this challenge, as the new UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria,” Hawkins said.

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