The State Post

BREAKING NEWS IN NIGERIA THIS MORNING, SATURDAY, 7th OF NOVEMBER, 2020.

1. Lekki shootings: Army files papers, lists top generals, senior officers as witnesses

Investigations has revealed that the army had filed papers ahead of its appearance before the panel.

Among the documents filed by the army are the witness statements of the Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo; the Chief of Staff, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, VI, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Nsikak Edet; Commander, 81 Division Garrison, VI, Brig. Gen. Francis Omata; Commander, 9 Brigade, Ikeja, Brig. Gen. Musa Etsu-Ndagi; and Commanding Officer, 65 Battalion, Bonny Camp, VI, Lt. Col. Salisu Bello.

It said it was also bringing before the panel expended and unexpended blank ammunition, which was used to disperse the crowd by firing into the air on 20th day of October, 2020.

The army has also submitted 13 flash drives containing the recorded videos of the soldiers’ involvement in the incident.

Punch gathered that the testimony of the Army was listed as number one on the panel’s list for Saturday (today).

Confirming the earlier report by The PUNCH on the scheduled appearance of the army before the panel, the source added that the army’s testimony was listed as number one on the panel’s list for Saturday (today).

But it is unclear whether the army will still appear before the panel today as scheduled as the panel on Friday adjourned further hearing in the Lekki tollgate shooting till November 10.

The adjournment followed the inability of the panel to watch till the end on Friday the video footage of the incident submitted by the Lekki Concession Company, operator of the Lekki tollgate.

The panel was able to view only four hours of the 20-hour video footage.

2. FG forcing lecturers, students to school to avert fresh #EndSARS protest –ASUU

The ASUU, Akure Zone, however declared that no amount of blackmail would make it end the current industrial action, unless its members were paid their salaries, while urging Nigerians to intervene in the impasse in the interest of the students.

It also said the government was not interested in ending the strike and acceding to the demands of the striking lecturers.

On March 23, 2020, ASUU declared a “total and indefinite strike” over the failure of the Federal Government to keep to the 2019 Memorandum of Action and over the lingering crisis on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

The union had brought forward five contentious issues in the 2019 MoA which are; revitalisation fund for universities, outstanding earned academic allowances, renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, proliferation of universities, particularly by state governments and establishment of visitation panels to universities.

The IPPIS crisis had joined in around October 2019, after the union berated the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for threatening to withhold the salaries of its members.

ASUU had also insisted that it had an alternative model to IPPIS, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, which it urged the Federal Government to adopt for the universities.

Addressing newsmen at the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, the ASUU coordinator, Akure Zone, Prof Olu Olufayo, noted that the Federal Government had stopped negotiation with the lecturers until the recent eruption of violence during #EndSARSprotests.

Also at the briefing were Dr Olayinka Awopetu, who is ASUU chairperson, Federal University of Technology, Akure; Dr. Adeola Egbedokun, ASUU Chairperson, OAU; and Dr. Kayode Arogundade, ASUU Chairperson, Ekiti State University.

Olufayo said, “Our students have stayed at home for too long; they have been at home for almost a year now. Don’t forget we didn’t send them home. We embarked on strike before the advent of coronavirus. Don’t forget #EndSARSprotests. It was at that point that the government realised that students should not have been idle.

“So, that must have made the government to ask us to resume negotiation. All through the period coronavirus was strong, we were not called for negotiation. But now, government wants us to return to class and engage the students. If we return to class now, what are we going to do there? I can’t teach when I don’t have money to feed myself.

“Also, during #EndSARS protest, the youths also said they wanted to end bad governance. Students in universities in Kwara State have given the government two weeks ultimatum to resolve issues with ASUU and reopen schools, otherwise they would return to the streets. That must have scared government and they told us to return to the classroom. But how can we resume without being paid?”

So also, the ASUU, Nsukka Zone, said it was an aberration for the Federal Government to go to court at the time negotiation was ongoing to resolve issues raised.

The Zonal Coordinator, Dr Igbana Ajir, who stated this during the press conference held at the Hotel de Victoria, Makurdi, said that the court action would complicate issues.

Members of the union at the Port Harcourt Zone also vowed to sustain the eight-month-old strike, saying that no amount of blackmail by the Federal Government would make them return to the classroom.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Friday in Ilorin, Kwara State, organised a town hall meeting to examine the strike by ASUU.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, represented the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), noting that Nigeria was just “recovering from the ugly effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the #EndSARS protests in many parts of the country.”

He stated that moves were ongoing to end the strike action, adding that the ministers involved and the ASUU leadership were still working towards resolving the matter amicably.

3. INEC spent N2,249 per voter, N189bn in 2019 polls – Report

The Independent National Electoral Commission says it spent the sum of $6.24 or N2,249 for every vote cast in the 2019 general elections, according to a 384-page report released in Abuja on Friday.

The ‘Report of the 2019 general election,’ formally released by the Chairman of the commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, in Abuja on Friday, said the amount and the figures were well within acceptable global standard.

Saturday PUNCH reports that the National Assembly had in 2018 approved the request by INEC to spend N189bn for the 2019 poll.

“This translates to N2,249 ($6.24) per voter. This figure is well within the internationally acceptable Average Cost per Registered Voter Index that ranges from $1 to $3 in established and stable democracies, $4 to $8 in transitional democracies, and from $9 in post-conflict and transitional democracies,” the report said.

INEC stated that the increase in the number of political parties, increase in the voting population and registered voters, high cost of logistics, exchange rates, and increase in number of constituencies were reasons for the increase.

Yakubu, who spoke at the presentation of the report and ‘Review of the 2019 general election: Review of the commission’s retreats and stakeholder engagements,’ explained that the 2019 election was the largest electoral exercise so far undertaken in the history of elections in Nigeria.

According to him, the election was contested by 24,353 candidates nominated by 91 political parties for 1,558 constituencies and with a voting population of 84,004,084 spread across 119,973 polling units and 57,023 voting points across the country.

The INEC boss, whose first tenure lapses on Monday and has been re-nominated, said a total of 821,686 ad hoc staff members were engaged for the elections, while the commission also accredited 71,256 domestic and international observers, as well as 11,250 domestic and international journalists.

He added that the report, which is presented in 13 chapters, covers the major issues associated with the conduct of the election.

Yakubu said, “These include the vision, mission, opportunities and challenges of the commission upon its inauguration on November 9, 2015, the lessons learnt from the conduct of over 170 off-cycle governorship elections and by-elections, the review of the 2012-2016 Strategic Plan and Strategic Programme of Action, the 2015 Election Project Plan and the design, formulation and implementation of the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan, Strategic Programme of Action and the 2019 Election Project Plan.”

He stated that the second report, a review of the 2019 general election based on the outcome of the commission’s retreats and stakeholder engagements, covers the outcome of internal debriefing meetings and external engagements with electoral stakeholders held from May 28 to July 12, 2019.

The commission, according to him, is engaging with the National Assembly on aspects of the recommendations that require legislative action.

He said, “It contains 180 recommendations that either require administrative action by the commission or amendments to strengthen the existing electoral legal framework by the National Assembly.

“Some of the recommendations that require administrative action by INEC are already being implemented resulting in improved management of the electoral process as seen in the recent off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States.”

4. LASG closes Adejobi, Adegba, Works roads for Lagos-Ibadan rail project

Lagos State Government has announced plans to close down Adejobi Street, Agege, Adegbola Level Crossing and Works Road for three days from Monday for the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway project.

A statement by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation said that the road closures would begin on the 9th, 11th and 12th of Nov. 2020 from 8p.m. to 7a.m. on each date.

It therefore advised motorists to utilise alternative routes that had been provided during the construction works to enhance free flow of traffic on the aforementioned dates.

 The statement said that motorists plying Adejobi, Agege axis would be diverted to Fagba Crossing, Toyin Crossing and Ashade Underpass to access their desired destinations.

It further advised road users wishing to access Adegbola Street or reach other areas from Adegbola to make use of Works road, Oba Akinjobi Way to Ikeja Underbridge, Ashade Underpass, Airport Underbridge, Ikeja Along, and Local Government Secretariat Way to get to their desired destinations.

While imploring motorists to comply with the Traffic directions put in place to minimize inconveniences in movement, it stated that the closure had been slated to ensure there is smooth and uninterrupted flow of work on the rail tracks.

The Lagos State Government through this statement, appealed to residents, especially motorists that ply these corridors to bear the pains, as the project was aimed at achieving a seamless multi modal transport system that would meet the transportation needs of a larger population.

5. Lagos, FCT Abuja lead COVID-19 cases, death toll adjusted

Lagos and the Federal capital of Abuja topped the leaderboard for the new 223 cases of COVID-19 reported for Nigeria by NCDC on Friday night.

The agency also reported one new death, as it admitted an error in the death toll published Thursday.

The official death toll is now 1,154, one less than the 1155 published earlier.

On Thursday, the agency had credited the eastern state of Imo with two COVID-19 related deaths.

It said on Friday, it was a mistake.

“Two deaths previously recorded in Imo State were erroneously reported”.

“Till date, 63731 cases have been confirmed, 59844 cases have been discharged and 1154 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory”, NCDC said.

Out of the 223 cases announced, Lagos led with 85, followed by Abuja with 35.

Akwa Ibom has 24 cases reported, the third highest COVID-19 cases in Nigeria on Friday.

Both Lagos and Abuja have been the worst hit by the virus, as a second wave appears to be taking hold in the country.

The Lagos government on Friday said five cases of the virus have been found in a boarding school in the metropolis.

It was the second of such incident in recent weeks.

The new national figure of infections reported on Friday was more than the 180 reported on Thursday.

Here is a breakdown of the new cases:

Lagos-85

FCT-35

Akwa Ibom-24

Enugu-18

Plateau-13

Rivers-10

Abia-7

Ebonyi-6

Anambra-5

Adamawa-4

Bauchi-3

Imo-3

Ogun-3

Oyo-3

Kwara-2

Osun-1

Taraba-1

63,731 confirmed

59,844 discharged

1,154 deaths

6. Gov. AbdulRazaq seeks better Police welfare

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called for a stronger and more viable policing system that prioritises the welfare of officers and men of the police.

AbdulRazaq made the call on Friday during a meeting with a delegation of the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), as part of his ongoing engagements with various stakeholders in the state.

The governor commended the president for acting fast to review the salary of policemen as part of his responses to the recent EndSARS protest.

“One of the lessons from the EndSARS and the subsequent events is that police is our first line of defence as a society.

“Police are the ones in the front and we need to take care of you as part of the police family.

“We cannot leave everything in the hands of the federal government. That is why I called this meeting on how to move forward. What has happened in other states, following the EndSARS protest, is unimaginable

“Some police officers were killed, police formations and installations were damaged or burnt in some cases, correctional centres were invaded and prisoners were released.

“We thank God we do not have such havoc in Kwara state. We appreciate the effort of the police and other security agencies in Kwara because the state is one of the safest in Nigeria,” the governor said.

Responding to some of the requests of the POWA delegation, AbdulRazaq said he would move quickly to solve the water crisis in their barracks.

“We will look into your requests immediately so that we can start seeing the benefits of this interface

“We will engage you more to know the exact locations to sink boreholes,” said the governor.

7. Bear with us if we have not done enough, Buhari appeals to Nigerians

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Friday appealed to Nigerians who are yet to feel the impact of his administration and those who believe that the government is not doing enough to bear with the administration.

The President made the appeal in Ilorin at a town hall meeting with traditional rulers, youths, students, organised labour, market women and other stakeholders on the #EndSARS protest and its aftermath.

The Kwara State meeting hosted in Ilorin by Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed was attended by Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman.

The Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Danladi; the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari and other traditional rulers, representatives of market women, traders and other stakeholders attended the event.

In the President’s message delivered by the minister, he said the administration has the interest of the youths and the people in general at heart and has been doing a lot to touch their lives.

The President said the government was constrained by dwindling resources occasioned by the impact of COVID-19 which also affected the global economy.

He said: “If we have not done enough or we have not touched everybody, we appeal that you please bear with us.

“In the first instance, what we have is less than 60 per cent of the revenue that was available to other governments that came before us.

“We all know what we suffered during COVID-19, and as we are just trying to recover from this we also faced another crisis.

“We appeal that you should please assist the government and be patient.

“This government is dedicated to serving the people and we will continue to try our best to do so.

“I thank you all for your perseverance, understanding and patience.”

The President said the administration has many initiatives targeted at creating jobs for the youth and alleviating poverty among women and vulnerable groups.

He said the government initiated the N75 billion National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to provide opportunities for the youth.

He said the fund is part of the N2.3 trillion economic sustainability plan aimed at cushioning the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on most vulnerable Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country.

He also listed MSMEs Survival Fund as part of the administration’s initiative at jobs sustainability.

He said the fund is a cluster of grants aimed at helping MSMEs to meet their payroll obligations and safeguard their jobs from the shock of COVID-19 pandemic.

The President said other initiatives targeted at the youths included N-POWER which had engaged 500,000 beneficiaries with 400,000 more in December.

He said 10,000 youths had been trained and benefitted under N-TECH and N-AGRO respectively.

The President said the federal government FINTECH created enabling environment for growth of businesses that use technology to enhance or automate financial services and processes.

He said over two million farmers, traders, mostly youths, were empowered under FARMERMONI, TRADERMONI and MARKETMONI.

The President said over 500,000 youths have also benefited from the Graduate Internship Scheme which provides short-term employment graduates.

He said 1,000 farmers from each of the 774 LGAs in the country were empowered and guided under the Youth Entrepreneurship Support programme.

Earlier, Gov. Abdulrazaq thanked the President for the initiative of directing ministers to interact with the people at the state level.

The governor prayed for peace, unity and stability of the country.

In his contribution, the Emir of Ilorin said the town hall meeting was a good forum for the people to express their minds and grievances to government.

8. Tackling poverty will defeat insurgency —Zulum

THE Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has said the war against insurgency in the Northeast region of the country would be easier to win when its root cause, which he identified as poverty, is dealt with.

The governor, who spoke to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, however, tasked government at all levels to ensure that youths are positively engaged with jobs, so as to root out insurgency.

The governor noted that peace was gradually returning to the Northeast, particularly Borno State, acknowledging the efforts put into the process.

He said the state had resettled more than 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their homes, following the return of security.

He said: “I’m glad to inform Nigerians that there is gradual return of peace to the Northeast region, particularly in Borno State.

Government has started resettlement of people to their ancestral homes.

“We have received tremendous support from the Nigerian military, from the paramilitary, the Ministry of Finance, Humanitarian Affairs and its agencies especially NEMA, the North East Development Commission and others.

“The gradual return of people to their respective localities is a symbol of peace. So far so good, we are doing well.

“We need continuous support from the Nigerian military. We need sustainable support to ensure that this madness is brought to an end.”

On how best to fight insurgency and ensure that people live in peace, the governor said: “The kinetic measures will not solve the problem. There must be certain political solutions.

“Among the political solutions are the issues of supporting the Nigerian youths… with a means to earning their livelihood.

“As I have earlier said, there is need for us to address the root causes of the problem. One of the greatest root causes of insurgency is poverty. So government at all levels should give job opportunities to the youth and an enabling environment for the poor to have access to their farmlands.

“That is what I have been advocating since I assumed the mantle of leadership as governor of Borneo State.

“We want to ensure that people return to their communities, people have access to their farmlands, their livestock farms, aquaculture farms.

“I think this is the only solution; military solution alone will never solve the problem.”

Speaking on recent developments across the country, especially the #EndSARS protest, which precipitated other violent crises in different parts of the country, the governor warned young Nigerians to be careful not to plunge the country into another crisis, pointing out that the circumstances that gave birth to the Boko Haram insurgency started with a mere protest.

He said the #EndSARS protests failed to gain momentum in his state because the youth realised that the state is just coming out of a protracted crisis, coupled with the fact that the state government also worked with the youth, ensuring efforts to meet their needs.

He said: “The issues of transparency and good governance are very important. Whatever we are doing in Borno State, we are ensuring that the entire public is well involved.

“Fortunately, Borno State received the palliatives early enough and within two weeks of receiving them, we had distributed them to deserving ones.

“On the issue of #EndSARS, I am calling on all Nigerians, especially the youth, to be very careful.

“The whole Boko Haram saga started as a result of the protest by some youths in Maiduguri against the use of helmet by motorcycle riders. You have seen the situation now.

“Over one million people have been displaced and the most affected population are the vulnerable, the youths.

“Some of those that led the protests have left Borno State. They are either staying in Abuja or Lagos or abroad. We have to be very careful.

“So in Borno State, the entire situation did not take such dimension as that of Lagos because we told them to sit down and examine the situation and recall the past when the situation was so bad. Now, there is emerging peace in Borno State and we don’t want anybody to disrupt the peace.

“The youths are with us. We are taking very good care of them. As for palliatives, we are distributing to them as and when due.

“We are giving them certain financial support and I think the best way every Nigerian should seek for his/her right is through legitimate means, otherwise we are not going anywhere.

“Peace is very important.”

Speaking about the return of IDPs to their homes, the governor said: “Within the last one year, we have returned 100,000 IDPs to their ancestral homes.

“The President was happy and has given his commitment to support the entire north eastern region and in particular the government of Borno State in ensuring that permanent peace reigns in the region.

“Most importantly, we must comment his efforts.

“Let me also use this opportunity to condemn police brutality in other parts of the nation; the killings at Lekki Tollgate.

“But I must also condemn the excesses of some of our youths in taking the law into their own hands by destroying some of our infrastructures in the guise of supporting the legitimate demands of #EndSARS protesters.

9. Okonjo-Iweala to wait as WTO cancels meeting on appointment

NIGERIA’S Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will have to wait further to know her fate with regard to her ambition to become the next director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

A meeting of the organisation originally scheduled for Monday on the issue has been postponed.

The former finance minister had on October 28 been proposed by a WTO nominations committee for the job only for the United States to veto the recommendation.

It was gathered yesterday that the cancellation of the Monday meeting was on account of the fresh surge in the spread of COVID-19 and the restrictions being imposed in some countries, which may prevent some delegates from attending.

No new date has yet been fixed for the meeting.

10. FG needs $656m to complete Lagos-Ibadan rail line, says Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Friday, said the Federal Government would need $656m to complete work on the Lagos-Ibadan railway project.

Amaechi stated this while defending his ministry’s 2021 budget before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Land and Marine Transport.

The minister said the amount was needed to put in place necessary infrastructure for the project to serve its intended purpose.

He noted that the Ibadan-Kano railway project also required $645.3m as advance payment to enable the Federal Government to complete its loan signing agreement with the China Exim Bank.

Amaechi said, “Under the railway modern programme, I am happy to report that the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge line has reached 92 per cent project completion.

“However, for the project to achieve full loan drawdown from our co-financier, China EXIM Bank, and attain practical completion for it to be used for the intended purpose, some aspects of works involving construction of upgraded railway stations, signalling and telecommunication system, power supply scheme and construction of pedestrian and overpass bridges have to be completed.

“This additional and extra works amounting to $656m which is to be financed 100 per cent by the Federal Government of Nigeria has been approved by the Federal Executive Council for implementation.

“Similarly, for the implementation of the Ibadan-Kano railway, which is the outstanding segment of the Lagos-Kano railway project, one of the conditions precedent to signing of the loan agreement is the release of advance payment in the sum of $864m, out of which government has released the sum of $218.7m as part payment, leaving a balance of $644.3m.”

He said the ministry planned to complete the fencing of the Abuja-Kaduna railway line for security purposes.

Amaechi stated that the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri railway project, which was recently commissioned by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), still had an outstanding amount to be paid on the project.

He added that the ministry would commence the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri (Eastern Narrow Gauge railways) next year.

The minister also said the construction of the central railway from Itakpe to Abuja and a 378km single track standard gauge rail line traversing Kano, Katsina and Jibiya with a 20km extension to Maradi in Niger Republic had been slated for next year.