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Outrage over allegations of bullying at Lead British School Abuja

Mustapha USMAN
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Outrage over allegations of bullying at Lead British School Abuja

ALLEGATIONS of bullying culture at Lead British School in Abuja have generated outrage among Nigerians.

On the night of Monday, April 22, An X user, @mooyeeeeeee, posted two videos of a female student being bullied by yet-to-be-identified girls and their male counterparts at Lead British International School, Abuja.

In the video, which has now become viral and led to serious outbursts on social media, particularly X, the victim was seen being slapped repeatedly by another female student while asking, “Who broke my heart? Answer me”

The ICIR counted six aggressive slaps in one video. In another, the female student who was being bullied sat down beside a male colleague and was slapped by the same girl and another on 12 different occasions.

The videos showed that the incident happened in the school vicinity with no fewer than four spectators, who were believed to be part of the bully caucus watching. They were laughing as they videoed the attack.

Earlier, the X user, before posting the video, appealed to Nigerians to make it go viral so that justice could be sought for the bullied girl.

The user wrote: “There’s a video I’m about to post. I need you guys to help me get justice for (sic). She was bullied in her school by her classmates at Lead British School, Abuja. Please make it go viral so she can get justice.”

The posts sparked wild reactions from Nigerians, with many calling for immediate sanctioning of the school and arrest of the bullying students.

They also called on the Nigerian authorities to probe the school management, noting that the incident might not be the first of its kind in the school.

Is bullying a culture in Lead British school?

Lead British International School boasts on its website of its responsibility for nurturing knowledgeable, high achievers and 21st-century leaders. However, other allegations on social media of student bullying in the school leave a dent in its image.

The ICIR observed another video of a student of the school being beaten by a group of students.

Two students slapped the student, who appeared to have been instructed to kneel down before another student paved the way for his leave.

Also, another user, @sadiqGsadiq, posted a screenshot alleging that bullying is one of the biggest issues in the school.

The screenshot alleged that another student of the school cut her classmate with a knife but was only given a two-day suspension.

“Bullying is one of the biggest issues in Lead British International School. And the worst thing is that they don’t even take serious action for it. The punishment they use is always packing trash like…does that make sense? Will packing of trash stop me from bullying someone? It does not even make sense, to be honest.

“The school is always trying to hide things like this. When things like this happen, and we tell our parents, our parents think we are being dramatic. That’s why we all need you to put back the post and bring awareness because it needs to stop.

“When I told my muim, she said I was lying. It was when I showed her the video that she believed me.

“Let me tell you something: worst things have happened. There was a time when a girl brought a knife or a paper cutter and used it to slice a boy’s hand. The boy was in year 7. He had to get stitches, and the girl’s punishment was two days suspension because, allegedly, her parents paid the school or something,” the screenshot read.

We’ll work with the perpetrators’ families to offer counselling, disciplinary measures – Management

Reacting to the circulating video, the school management, in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday, April 23, said it had constituted an investigation team to probe the new video involving the girl whose videos emerged most recently.

The school promised to work with the perpetrators and their families to counsel and discipline them.

While also noting that it was committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students, the institution said it had initiated the process of reaching out to the victim and her family to provide support, including access to counselling services, and to help them cope with the emotional and psychological impact of the incident.

Tinubu leaves for Netherlands, Saudi Arabia Tuesday

Harrison EDEH
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Tinubu leaves for Netherlands, Saudi Arabia Tuesday

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Tuesday, April 23, for the Kingdom of the Netherlands on an official visit.

The President will also attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from April 28 to 29.

Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement on Monday, April 22, said, “On the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, President Tinubu will engage in high-level discussions with the Prime Minister, as well as hold separate meetings with His Royal Majesty, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Kingdom.

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“The Queen is the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA).”

According to the presidency, the President will participate in the Nigerian-Dutch Business and Investment Forum in the Netherlands. The forum will bring together heads of conglomerates and organisations in both countries to explore opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, especially in agriculture and water management, to develop innovative solutions for sustainable farming practices.

“There will also be extensive discussions with the Dutch officials on port management operations for which they have world-renowned expertise. After his engagements in the Netherlands, the President will attend a special World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting scheduled for April 28-29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“At the World Economic Forum meeting, which focuses on Global collaboration, growth, and energy for development, President Tinubu and his entourage will use the opportunity of the gathering of over 1,000 leaders from business, government, and academia to engage in discussions in furtherance of his Renewed Hope Agenda for the country,” it added.

Some ministers and other senior government officials will accompany the President.

Kano court reverses own judgment, vacates order suspending Ganduje

Ijeoma OPARA
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Kano court reverses own judgment, vacates order suspending Ganduje

A Kano State High Court has vacated its own earlier judgment suspending former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a ruling on Monday, April 22, Usman Na’Abba, the judge, granted an interim injunction staying the court’s directive that parties should maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2023.

“An order of interim injunction is hereby granted staying the execution of the order of interim injunction contained in the ruling of this court delivered on 17h April 2024 directing parties to maintain status quo ante as at the 15th day of April 2024 in relation to the suspension of the 4th respondent/applicant from the 1st respondent by the Ganduje Ward Executive Committee pending the hearing and determination of the 4th respondent/applicant motion on notice,” he said.

On April 17, Na’Abba granted an ex parte order restraining Ganduje from parading himself as the party’s chairman.

Ibrahim Sa’ad filed the application on behalf of Laminu Sani and Haladu Gwanjo, two executive members of Ganduje’s ward in Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area (LGA).

“An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit, Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (fourth), APC National Working Committee (second), APC State Working Committee (third), and APC (first), to maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024,” Na’Abba had said.

Nine members of the ward executives suspended Ganduje following the state government’s corruption allegations against him.

Meanwhile, Ganduje was captured in a viral video after the suspension, saying he was unshakeable and remained the party’s national chairman.

He boasted that he had met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who had guaranteed his position as party chairman.

“Tell Kano State government that the seat of national chairman of APC in Nigeria is on Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. We are here unshakable,” Ganduje said.

On April 3, the Kano State government dragged Gaduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and five others to court over eight corruption charges, amounting to billions of naira during his eight years in government.

By April 16, Kano’s Public Compliant and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) revealed that it filed fresh corruption charges against the former governor, as N51.3 billion, meant to be local government funds, was sent to other individuals from the state’s purse, under his watch.

“We have piled a series of cases. We have a case whereby N1 billion in April last year (2023) was removed from government coffers under the allocation of renovating 30 roads in the metropolis, and it was taken away and sent to Bureau de Change.

“We have a case of N4 billion whereby it was sent from the consolidated revenue account of Kano State to an agricultural company. All these cases are before the court,” the PCACC chairman Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado said of the ex-governor.

Nigerian police have housing for only 10% of workforce – IGP

Mustapha USMAN
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Nigerian police have housing for only 10% of workforce – IGP

THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has lamented the police’s housing deficit, stating that only 10 per cent of the workforce have adequate housing.

Egbetokun disclosed this at the Nigeria police housing summit on Monday, April 22, in Abuja.

He expressed dismay over the fact that years of neglect have left existing barrack accommodations largely insufficient, failing to meet the requirements of modern 21st-century policing.

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The police boss, while noting that personnel welfare is paramount to his administration, said, “Presently, housing capacity meets only about 10 per cent of the needs of our more than 400,000-strong workforce. Moreover, years of neglect have rendered existing barracks accommodations largely inadequate, failing to meet the demands of modern 21st-century policing.

“In the past, the Nigerian Police Force has launched initiatives aimed at addressing these shortfalls, including the establishment of the Nigerian Police Force Property Development and Construction Co Ltd and forging partnerships with various state governments, government bodies, sister organisations, and private sector developers,” he said.

Egbetokun further outlined the Nigerian Police Housing Summit 2024’s goals as defining efficient housing for police welfare, fostering collaboration among housing sector stakeholders, and proposing actionable strategies for affordable housing delivery.

He also hinted at establishing a N100 billion Police Housing Fund, adding that preliminary assessments were ongoing.

“A critical discussion point will be the establishment of a N100 billion Police Housing Fund. Preliminary assessments are underway, and engagements with key players and institutions have begun. The experts and facilitators gathered here today will play a crucial role in refining our strategies and ideas”, IGP added.

Egbetokun expressed his belief that officers deserve better, stating that the current situation offers little hope for effectively meeting their housing needs.

The ICIR reported how the Nigeria Police under the ex-IGP and his successor, Ibrahim Idris, approved the development of a designated Police Barrack at Mbora district as an estate in circumvention of approved guidelines for the sale of federal government-owned facilities in FCT.

The report detailed how former staff of the estate developer who was part of the deal testified in the court how they lured both former IGPs with N200 million and house allocation to secure the contract.

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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) allocated 2.13 hectares of land at Cadastral Zone C 06, Mbora District, Abuja, to the Nigeria Police in 2014 for the construction of barracks to address the inadequate housing for police officers.

However, findings showed that top police officials approved the development of the lands for Copran International Limited, an Abuja-based company, against their allocation purpose and approved guidelines that restricted such land from being sold.

FCCPC seals Chinese supermarket over alleged discrimination against Nigerians

Mustapha USMAN
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FCCPC seals Chinese supermarket over alleged discrimination against Nigerians

THE Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed off a Chinese supermarket located at the China General Chamber of Commerce, Abuja.

Channels TV reported that the action, prompted by allegations of discrimination against Nigerians, occurred on Monday, April 22.

The officials from the commission sealed up the place after interrogating Nigerian workers at the supermarket.

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The ICIR reports that several Nigerians had expressed outrage on Sunday, 21, over an alleged discriminatory policy implemented by the Chinese Supermarket, which restricted entry exclusively to its citizens and barred Nigerians.

According to a video posted by Nigeria stories, a handler on X, about three FCT residents expressed disappointment over the said policy.

They claimed that many Nigerians have been denied the opportunity to enter the building and shop due to the directive given to the workers and the security guards at the complex

Also, confirming this policy with newsmen, the facility manager, Shaibu Sanusi, said Nigerians from outside the complex do not shop, but Nigerians within can access it.

Findings by Punch Newspaper further revealed that the store’s management gave the directive at the beginning of the year without giving reasons.

One of the officers who spoke to the newspaper said prospective shoppers who are not Chinese are turned back at the gate as directed by the management.

“For now, they (management) have stopped everything. The truth is that they are selling, but they said our people should stop coming. They said only Chinese are allowed to shop here. The shop is only meant for Chinese people. People were allowed to come in throughout last year, but since January, they changed the policy and directed that no Nigerian is allowed to enter.

“We were not informed of any reason for the policy, but we have told them to remove all adverts from the internet so that people would stop coming,” Punch quoted the man as saying.

Court frees ex-NIMASA DG Akpobolokemi of N8.5bn fraud claim

Bankole ABE
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Court frees ex-NIMASA DG Akpobolokemi of N8.5bn fraud claim

A FEDERAL High Court in Lagos has dismissed a fraud case worth N8.5  against the former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi.

The court discharged and acquitted Akpobolokemi of the case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, April 22.

The trial judge, Ayokunle Faji, dismissed the case while ruling on a no-case submission he and four other defendants filed in a 22-count charge against them.

Akpobolokemi was arraigned before the court alongside Emmanuel Atewe, a retired Major-General and the former Commander of the Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield, with two other employees of the agency, Kime Engonzu and Josphine Otuaga. 

Faji resolved that the EFCC had not produced a prima facie (sufficient evidence) case against Akpobolokemi and Josephine Otuaga, leading to their discharge and acquittal.

However, the judge decided that the second defendant, Atewe, and the third defendant, Kime Engonzu, a staff member of NIMASA, had to open their defence because they had a case to answer in counts 12 to 22 of the charge.

In his ruling, the judge stated that not a single piece of evidence presented by the prosecution connected Akpobolokemi and the fourth defendant to the offences they were accused of. 

In a no-case submission, Akpobolokemi’s lawyers, Joseph Nwobike (SAN) and Collins Ogbonna, begged for Akpobolokemi’s acquittal before he could offer a defence.

The lawyers said that despite all the witnesses and evidence the prosecution had presented, it could not connect him to the alleged crimes.

The defendants are being prosecuted for an updated 22-count allegation which relates to conspiracy, conversion, and theft.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Patrick Ziadeke Akpobolokemi, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, Kime Engozu, and Josphine Otuaga sometime in 2014, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court, with intent to defraud, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: conversion of the sum of N8,537,586,798.58 property of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

Their trial had started when they entered a plea of “not guilty” to the allegations.

Following the prosecution’s case, each defendant chose to submit a no-case submission.

The ICIR, in an investigation published on Saturday, April 13, named Akpobolokemi as one of the actors in a feud that degenerated and led to the death of 17 soldiers in the Okuama community in Ughelli South LGA of Delta on March 14. 

According to the report, a feud between an illegal oil bunker, Endurance Okodeh alias Amangbein and a sophisticated cartel of illegal oil bunkers worsened and caused the soldiers’ killing.

Findings unmasked how the leader of the cartel, ex-militant leader Government Ekpemukpolo alias Tompolo who operates a private security company, in a bid for total control of the creeks of Niger Delta, earlier warned Amangbein, who is an ally of a sitting governor in one of the Niger-Delta states, to stay off illegal oil business, a development the latter saw as oppression.

Amangbein, a known ex-militant, hails from the Igbomotoru community in Bayelsa’s Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA).

He is also a leading voice against Tompolo and Akpobolokemi in the creek business and the Okuama/Okoloba land dispute.

The former NIMASA chief allegedly built a mansion in the disputed land between Okuama and Okoloba communities. The building is said to be the genesis of the debacle that led to the soldiers’ killing.

 

26 states, FCT, failed to access N36.17bn UBEC grant in 2023

Kehinde OGUNYALE
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26 states, FCT, failed to access N36.17bn UBEC grant in 2023

MORE than 27 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), failed to access the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching grants in 2023, with approximately N36.17 billion lying fallow at the Central Bank of Nigeria. 

According to the UBEC report, each Nigerian state was entitled to N1.395 billion in 2023, but only 12 states accessed the grants. They are Borno, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Ondo, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara.

Meanwhile, Rivers and Kano states only accessed N697.89 million and N814.21 million, respectively. 

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The UBEC’s matching grant is a counterpart funding between the federal and state governments earmarked to tackle illiteracy and accelerate national development.

The fund is deployed to improve the quality of basic education in all 36 states. Each state government is responsible for providing 50 per cent to match the annual disbursement provided by UBEC.

With the fund, UBEC seeks an uninterrupted and compulsory nine years of primary and junior secondary school education for all Nigerian children.

According to the report, N51.64 billion ought to be accessed across the 36 states and FCT for 2023, but only N15.47 billion was collected. 

The breakdown of the un-accessed funds by geopolitical zone shows that North-Central has N8.37 billion un-accessed funds, North-East has N5.58 billion, and the North-West region has N4.77 billion. For the Southern region, the South-East has N5.58 billion, the South-South has N3.49 billion, and the Sout-West has N8.37 billion.

This development is coming despite Nigeria having over 19 million out-of-school children. This figure, according to a report by The ICIR, makes the country have the third highest number of children deprived of education worldwide, according to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 2020 Model Estimates.

In Nigeria, 60 per cent of over 10 million out-of-school children are girls, whereas the global figure is 118.5 million girls out of school.

Also, The ICIR reported that 24.67 million children in the country were engaged in labour activities injurious to their physical and mental development in 2022. This figure represents 39.23 per cent of the total population of 62.90 million children in the country. 

However, several investigations (here, here and here) by The ICIR have exposed how UBEC funds to execute projects were mismanaged.

Experts query Nigerian government over fresh $2.2 billion loan

Harrison EDEH
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Experts query Nigerian government over fresh $2.2 billion loan

THE Nigerian government is set to receive around $2.2 billion single-digit interest loan from the World Bank and another budget support facility from the African Development Bank.

Minister of Finance Wale Edun disclosed this at a press briefing on Saturday, April 19, at the end of Nigeria’s activities at the World Bank/International Monetary Fund Spring meeting in Washington, D.C.

The Minister, however, failed to give specific project targets for the loan, as Nigeria’s debt stood at N97.34 trillion at the end of 2023.

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Economy watchers said it would be difficult to monitor its effective usage if the loan is not tied to specific projects.

“The Minister of Finance calls this almost free money. The loan is priced at one per cent for about 10-20 years moratorium. The question is, what will it be used for?” an economist Kalu Aja asked.

Expressing similar concern, a development economist, Celestine Okeke, told The ICIR that the National Assembly needed to give clearance on the propriety of the loan to avoid plunging Nigeria into further debts.

“The National Assembly needs thorough oversight before we access this loan facility. The country is deeper in debt, and we must not put ourselves into a deeper debt trap,” he said.

Okeke recalled that the National Assembly’s poor oversight had led to Nigeria’s rising debt. The recent N23 trillion loan by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the Federal Government is currently under scrutiny at the National Assembly.

Commenting on other international funding sources for the Nigerian economy, the minister listed diaspora remittances, foreign portfolio investments, facilities from the World Bank, and other international development partners.

He stated, “We have qualified for the processing just this week to the Board of Directors of the World Bank of a total package of $2.25 billion of what you can call ‘the closest you can get to a free lunch’- virtually a grant. It’s for about 10- 20 years moratorium and about 1% interest.

“In addition, there is a similar budgetary support – low-interest funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and there are ongoing discussions with foreign direct investors across many sectors.”

Edun also tapped issuing dollar-denominated securities specifically targeted at Nigerians in the diaspora and those with foreign-denominated savings in Nigeria as another measure to attract forex inflows into the country.

He further highlighted the efforts of the fiscal side of the economy in complimenting the recent monetary policy reforms by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

According to the minister, the issuing of government securities at an interest rate closer to the CBN’s monetary policy rate is an indication of the collaboration between both sides of the economy in tackling inflation in the country and attracting forex inflows.

FG launches CNG vehicles to mark Tinubu’s first year in office

Harrison EDEH
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FG launches CNG vehicles to mark Tinubu’s first year in office

THE federal government is set to launch and deploy compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles for mass transit starting this May as part of activities marking President Bola Tinubu’s one year in office.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, April 21.

Onanuga said the government, while considering buses and tricycles, also targeted about one million automobiles by 2027. He said the committee led by Michael Oluwagbemi was set to deliver cheaper, safer, and more climate-friendly energy vehicles.

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He explained that all was ready to deliver the first set of critical assets for deployment and launch of the vehicles ahead of the first anniversary of the Tinubu administration on May 29.

He stated, “Also, a safety policy document on 80 standards and regulations that must be strictly adhered to by operators has been developed and approved to ensure CNG conversions are done safely and reliably.

“The deployment of CNG buses and tricycles and the vision to get at least one million natural gas-propelled vehicles on our roads by 2027 will mark a major energy transition in our country’s transportation industry.

“The use of more expensive diesel and PMS will gradually be phased out, when many vehicles, including trucks, run on natural gas, which our nation has in abundance in at least 30 out of the 36 states of the federation,” he added.

He further stated that with necessary tax and duty waivers approved by Tinubu in December 2023, the private sector partners in the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGI) had responded with over $50 million in actual investments in refuelling stations, conversion centres, and mother stations.

He also disclosed that the federal government provided N100 billion, as part of the N500 billion palliative budget, to purchase 5,500 CNG vehicles as part of the intervention programmes to cushion the effect of an increase in petrol pump prices on the masses. This included buses and tricycles, 100 electric buses, and over 20,000 CNG conversion kits, spurring the development of CNG refilling stations and electric charging stations.

According to Onanuga, “Four plants owned by JET, Mikano, Mojo, and Brilliant EV located in various parts of the country are involved in the assembly of the semi knocked down (SKD) components of the CNG buses.

“JET, which has received the SKD parts, is coupling the buses in Lagos and is working towards delivering 200 units before the first anniversary of the Tinubu administration.

“Brilliant EV will assemble electric vehicles. It is awaiting the SKD parts, which will arrive in due course. The electric vehicles it will produce are meant for states, such as Kano and Borno, which do not have access to CNG for now.

He said over 600 buses were targeted for production in the first phase, which will be accomplished this year, while a new plant on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will assemble thousands of tricycles.

The SKD parts manufactured by the Chinese company LUOJIA in partnership with its local partner to support the consortium of local suppliers of CNG tricycles are set for shipment to Nigeria and are expected to arrive early in May. About 2,500 of the tricycles will be ready before May 29, noted the official.

 

First Bank: Adeduntan’s resignation flouts CBN’s guidelines, elicits concerns

Ehime ALEX
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First Bank: Adeduntan’s resignation flouts CBN’s guidelines, elicits concerns
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