The Senate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has appointed Anthony Elujoba as its Acting Vice Chancellor.
Elujoba, a professor of Pharmacognosy, is also a fellow of the Royal Society of UK Research Fellow.
The federal government had on July 17 directed the Senate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State to immediately recommend a qualified person for appointment, as acting VC.
The President also directed that all the candidates that had earlier contested for the position should not be considered for nomination.
The directive came after a crisis that led to the shutdown of the institution on June 22 following protests by the Non Academic Staff of Universities, NASU, and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU,over alleged imposition of a Vice-Chancellor.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has reshuffled the leaderships of the Senate’s committees.
Reports say this is in fulfillment of one of the conditions put forward by the Unity Forum Senators for peace to reign in the red chamber.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, caucus in the upper house of the National Assembly had been split in two – the Unity Forum and the Like minds – following the crisis that accompanied the election of the Senate’s principal officers in June last year. It is believed that Saraki belongs to the ‘Like minds’ faction.
Kabiru Marafa, perhaps Saraki’s most outspoken critic, will now oversee the Petroleum downstream Committee. A ‘juicy’ committee, analysts say, considering he was chairman of the committee on National population.
Oluremi Tinubu, another key anti-Saraki senator was named chairperson of the Committee on Environment. She was the Chairperson of the Committee on women affairs.
Also Suleiman Hukunyi, another Unity forum senator will now head the Committee on National Identity.
Eyinnaya Abaribe and Adamu Aliero were made heads of the committees on power and aviation respectively. Also, Senator Baba Karumai will now head the committee on rules and business.
The re-composition of the Senate committees is seen as a ploy to calm frayed nerves following allegations by majority of the APC senators that Saraki was tilting more towards the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Saraki made the announcement shortly before the senate adjourned on Thursday, as the National Assembly begins another one month recess.
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said he has his doubts on the ability of the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, to substantiate the allegation of sexual misconduct against three Nigerian lawmakers in the U.S.
Entwistle had written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, , Yakubu Dogara, alleging that three members of the house namely, Mohammed Galolo, Samuel Ikon and Mark Gbillah were involved in sexual misbehavior at a hotel during a US-sponsored leadership programme in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dogara immediately set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the matter and ascertain the true nature of things, following the vehement denial of the affected lawmakers of involvement in such unbecoming behavior.
Days before the first public hearing on the matter, Ambassador Entwistle was reported as saying that he would provide video evidence to substantiate his claims, but on the day of the hearing, Entwistle failed to turn up.
Chairman of the Committee, Nicholas Ossai, rescheduled the hearing to Thursday, 21 July in a bid to allow the Ambassador come up with his evidence, but again, the US Ambassador did not show up.
The foreign affairs minister, who appeared before the house, told the lawmakers that Entwistle had confirmed to him that the victims of the alleged assaults had declined to give testimony to House of Representatives Committee on Ethics.
Entwistle “confirmed that the allegations were made and he told me that the hotel housekeeper has refused to testify in respect of the matter,” Onyeama said.
He added that “The allegations are ambiguous. He (Entwistle) did not present any evidence nor did he indicate that they have any corroborative evidence”.
The three accused lawmakers had on Wednesday given their testimony before the committee, accusing the U.S. Ambassador of deliberately embarrassing the Nigerian parliament.
The house committee chairman told journalists that the committee has concluded its findings and is compiling a report to present to the House leadership.
An Abuja High Court has granted bail to Abiodun Agbele, an ally of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, who has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, since June 27, and awarded N5 million damages against the anti-graft agency.
Agbele was arrested in Lagos on June 27 and has since been detained by the EFCC for his part in the N1.2 billion allegedly give to Fayose during the Ekiti State governorship election in 2014.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi held that the continued incarceration of the suspect without being charged to court and without the backing of any competent remand order amounted to a “gross violation” of his right.
Adeniyi said that remand order obtained by the EFCC from a Magistrate’s Court in Ogba, Lagos, on June 30, to keep the suspect in custody for 14 days, became non-effective upon his transfer to Abuja on July 1 as it was outside the Jurisdiction of the Lagos court.
He said that there was no legal justification for the detention of the suspect between July 1 and July 13, when the suspect served his fundamental human rights suit on the anti-graft commission.
The judge then granted Agbele bail to the tune of N50 million with one surety who must be at least a director in either the federal civil service or the FCT Administration.
He also said that alternatively, the surety could be any responsible Nigerian with verifiable residential address in Abuja, and with title documents of property in Abuja.
However, Justice Adeniyi ordered the EFCC to pay Agbele N5 million as damages against the suspect’s “wrongful and illegal detention” from July 1 till date condemning in very strong terms what he described as EFCC’s “gross abuse of powers” and its “arrogant display of executive might”.
Though, the court ordered the suspect to deposit his passport with the EFCC as part of the bail conditions, the judge directed that the passport and any other of the suspect’s personal belonging should be released to him if the anti-graft agency fails to charge him within 21 days.
Senate President Bukola Saraki has denied dumping the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
There have been strong speculations that the number three citizen had returned to the PDP, following his attendance of a meeting convened by the Senate caucus of the party.
But the former governor of Kwara State has quickly moved to squash the speculations.
In a statement issued today by his Special Assistant, New Media, Bamikole Omishore, the Senate President said he remains committed to the party he helped to bring to power in the 2015 general elections, adding that he only attended the PDP senators’ meeting in his capacity as the leader of the National Assembly and just for 30 minutes.
“The Senate President would like to assure every Nigerian that he is committed to the APC-led government and appreciates the confidence reposed in him and the APC during the 2015 General Elections,” the statement read.
The Acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, has directed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police operations, Joshack Habilla, to ensure the arrest of the killers of Lazarus Agaie, the traditional ruler of Bokkos in Plateau, who was murdered in cold blood on Monday.
The directive is contained in a statement issued by the Force Public relations Officer, Don Awunah, in Abuja on Thursday.
The IGP said those behind the gruesome murder of the monarch would be fished out in record time for prosecution, adding that it was sad to see the life of any Nigerian, irrespective of his or her status, snuffed out by any criminal gang in whatever name.
Idris acknowledged that the death of the monarch, his family and orderly, were particularly painful, but he urged the people to remain calm and avoid reprisal attacks.
He called on the aggrieved to be patient and cooperate with the Police in their investigation as no stone would be left unturned in arresting the culprits.
The Police chief assured Nigerians that the force under his watch would ensure decency in the polity.
The Plateau Monarch was murdered alongside his wife, son and Police orderly.
Meanwhile, Soldiers attached to the Special Task Force on Jos crisis on Thursday reportedly opened fire on protesting youths of Bokkos community.
The youths were reported to have blocked the road leading to the community in protest of the killing of their king and another attack by hoodlums on the community on Wednesday night.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, witnesses say at least one person was killed and five others were injured.
The youths had reportedly refused the soldiers entrance into the area, and instead asked that they produce the killers of their king.
Residents say tension is high in Bokkos town with many fleeing the area to seek refuge elsewhere.
The weekly Thursday market in the town could not hold due to the crisis.
It was reported, however, that the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of operations, Habila Joshak, is currently in Bokkos, having been deployed from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, by the IGP to ensure the arrest of the killers of the monarch.
At Bokkos council police station where the youth gathered, Joshak called on the people to remain peaceful, assuring them that perpetrators of the crime would be arrested and prosecuted.
Troops helping some rescued victims with food and water
The Nigerian Troops engaged in fighting and clearance patrol, Codenamed “Operation TIGER CLAW” has rescued 38 women and 42 children in Gangere village, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Sani Usman, acting director of Army Public Relations said the troops, acting on intelligence report, swooped on terrorists that some Boko Haram terrorists were converging in the village with intent of carrying out attacks on some isolated communities.
Usman said 42 Boko Haram terrorists were killed during the ensuing operation while unconfirmed number of the insurgents escaped with gunshot wounds.
“Similarly, 38 women and 42 children held captives were rescued from the insurgents. The women and children were taken to the military medical facility in Baga for checks. They were further assisted with food and clothing.
“The patrol team also recovered 504 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, 162 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, 1 Land Cruiser Jeep, 34 Jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automated Gas Oil (AGO), while 55 Motorcycles were demobilized during the operation,” Usman added.
The Army spokesman said the troops have continued to intensify vigilance and maintained high level of alertness, and are making concerted efforts to clear the remnants of the terrorists in their area of responsibilities.
Usman also stated that suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Bakin Dutse community at the early hours of Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 4 other persons.
He said the insurgents took to their heels on arrival of troops, but a continuous patrol of the general area is ongoing with the hope of finding and apprehending the attackers.
Similarly, Usman said that troops on routine patrol in Kumshe-Banki were ambushed by four suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
The troops engaged them and three of them died as a result of gunshot wounds.
“The lone survivor is currently being interrogated and has been making very useful statements,” Usman added.
Former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, has said that he has no regrets championing the fight against corruption in the country, and would do it again if given the chance.
Ribadu made the remarks as a guest speaker during the National Stakeholders Workshop on the Recovery and Management of Recovered Assets, which was organized by the Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, and the Commonwealth secretariat.
He said though he is still paying dearly for his anti-corruption activities, especially now that he is into politics, he is proud of what the EFCC was able to achieve under his leadership.
“I’m still paying dearly. In my own madness, I decided to go into politics and I am still paying for it. But I’m not bothered; I will continue fighting to the last of my breath. If I’m given the opportunity, I will do it again,” Ribadu said.
The former governorship aspirant in Adamawa state also frowned at the allegation that the immediate past chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, embezzled more than N1 trillion of the monies recovered by the commission.
Ribadu said the past and present leaders of the commission have over the years handled recovered loot in a manner that deserves commendation by Nigerians and not condemnation.
He however said the development wasn’t really a surprise to him as that was a clear case of corruption fighting back.
“Considering the care we took in handling whatever was in our custody, I find it baffling and disheartening when I hear people make insinuations about how we handled recovered assets. It is the most unfair remark but certainly not totally surprising as the fight against corruption is essentially a thankless job, especially in our climes,” Ribadu said.
He added: “That was why I was telling Prof. (Itse Sagay), that ‘don’t bother sir, people will abuse you, don’t say anything’. This is the job. We are hurting people, we are taking things from those who took things desperately and we denied them chance to make good use of it and enjoy it with their families.”
Ribadu said it was rather senior lawyers who pocketed billions of dollars as a result of the unearthing of major corruption cases like the Halliburton case.
“A case in point is the Halliburton investigation, where, after we had done the bulk of the work, it was turned into a milking cow for some senior lawyers who made millions of dollars out of it,” he said.
Ribadu said it was regrettable that other foreign countries, such as the US and the UK also recovered lots of money from the Halliburton case and other cases of high level corruption, but the Nigerian government did not get anything because it failed to take any step.
He said, “I ended up taking this case to the US authorities. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do here in Nigeria,
“It was the case of powerful companies bribing and compromising the system and getting away with it, and we were hopelessly helpless.
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Victor Ndoma-Egba as new chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
A letter to this effect is expected to be read on the floor of the senate on Thursday.
Ndoma-Egba, a senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN and former senate leader in the seventh senate, hails from cross river state.
He joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, in November 2015 after falling out with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the aftermath of the Party’s State Governorship Primary Election.
Ndoma-Egba is to replace Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, also from Cross River state, who was sacked by the federal government on July 16, 2015
Ewa-Henshaw however challenged his removal in court, arguing that by virtue of sections 2, 3 and 5 of the NDDC Act, they were entitled to four years unbroken tenure from December 16, 2013 to December 15, 2017.
The President has also appointed Nsima Ekere, former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, as the managing director of the NDDC.
Ekere succeeds Ibim Semenitari, who has been the managing director in acting capacity since December 21, 2015.
Protests erupted on Wednesday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital among students over the continued closure of the State-run Niger Delta University, NDU, as a result of strike by the University’s lecturers.
The protesting students matched from Mbiama-junction to the government House gate, brandishing placards calling for the state government and the state chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to broker a truce and end the ongoing lecturers’ strike in the state.
The NDU branch of ASUU had on April 26 embarked on an indefinite strike citing the unpaid salaries by the state government dating back to December 2015.
The state governor, during negotiations with the association offered to pay them 50 percent of their salary arrears, but the offer was turned down by the lecturers who insisted that it was their full arrears or nothing.
The students lamented that the continued closure of the institution was a threat to educational development in the state and was not in anybody’s interest.
Kemeowei James, a student said the students were tired of staying at home.
“Yes, we are protesting over the ASUU strike that have lingered, because we are tired of sitting at home; you know that, an idle man, is the devil’s workshop. We want the government to resolve the situation; the strike has increased hardship, making us to sit idle and losing focus on our academic pursuit,’’ he said.
“We do not want our state to be known for criminality,” said Mary Goodluck, another student protester. “Right now, the strike has increased youth restiveness among other vices”.
Serena Dokuno-Spiff, Secretary to Bayelsa Government, who addressed the students, said ASUU is to blame for the strike as it has refused to honour their part payment agreement with the state government.
“I feel your pains, you need not to suffer what you are suffering, but it is because ASUU has refused to sit down with the state government,’’ Dokuno-Spiff said.
The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, in a statement, also called on the students to blame their lectures and not the government for the situation, urging them not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to cause unrest in the state.
