President Buhari on September 16, 2020, signs the new Police Act 2020 into law and this replaced the old Police Act, CAP P.19, LFN, 2004.

Below are the high points of the new amendments that every Nigerian should be aware of:

1) Section 66(1) of the Police Act 2020, ONLY a Police Officer who is a LEGAL PRACTITIONER, can prosecute. Police Officer who is NOT a LEGAL PRACTITIONER cannot prosecute unlike the the Old Act that gave non-Police lawyers prosecutorial power.

2) Just like in the movies, Nigeria can now have private detectives who are not employed by the government. The Nigeria Police Force is responsible for vetting and approving the registration of Private Detective Schools and Private Investigative Outfits. See Sec. 4(i).

3) The Police is mandated to report the findings of its investigation to the Attorney General of the Federation or State as the case may be. See Sec. 32(1).

4) The Act prohibits the Police from arresting anyone based on a civil wrong or breach of contract. See Sec. 32(2).

5) The Act equally prohibits the arrest of any person in place of a suspect. See Sec. 36.

6) The Act makes it mandatory on the police officer or any other person authorized to effect an arrest to inform the suspect his rights to:

i. Remain silent or avoid answering any question until after consultation with a legal practitioner or any other person of his own choice. See Sec. 35(2)(a).

ii. Consult a legal practitioner of his own choice before making, endorsing or writing any statement or answering any question put to him after the arrest. See Sec. 35(2)(b)

iii. Free legal representation by the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria or other organizations where applicable. See Sec. 35(2)(c).

7) The Act also makes it mandatory on the Police to notify the next of kin or relative(s) of the suspect immediately after the arrest of the suspect. See Sec. 35(3).

8.) A suspect shall be accorded humane treatment. And a suspect shall not be subjected to torture, cruelty, inhumane or degrading treatment. See Sec. 37.

9) The statement of a suspect can be taken only when he wishes to make a statement. See sec. 60(1).

10) The statement, where the suspect wishes to make one, MAY be taken in the presence of a legal practitioner or any other person or organization of his own choice. See sec. 60(2).

11) Where a suspect is arrested and detained for more than 24 hours, if the offence he was arrested for is not a capital offence, his lawyer or relatives can notify any court that has jurisdiction to try the matter about his arrest. See sec. 64(1).

12) The notification can be made in writing or orally. See sec. 64(3).

The court SHALL order the production of the suspect and inquire into the matter. Where it is convinced that the suspect should be released on bail, the court shall admit him to bail.

13) The Police are mandated to take the photographs and fingerprint impressions of all suspects who are in lawful custody. See sec. 68(1).

14) Where a suspect refuses to allow the Police to take his measurements, photograph and fingerprint impressions, the Police can the right to apply to court compel the suspect to submit himself. See sec. 68(2).

15) On the last working day of every month, an officer in charge of a police station must report to the nearest magistrates the cases of all arrests made without warrant in his jurisdiction, whether the suspect have been admitted to bail or not. See sec. 69(1).

KNOW YOUR RIGHT

Houghton,Harvey Alter and Charles Rice,all British scientists, have jointly won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovery of Hepatitis B cure.

The Nobel Prize Committee said their discoveries ultimately “saved millions of lives”.

The virus is a common cause of liver cancer and a major reason why people need a liver transplant.

More than 300 million people have chronic liver infections globally and about 600,000 people die annually from acute or chronic complications of Hepatitis B infection.

The highest prevalence of Hepatitis B infection is in sub-Saharan Africa with about 19 million Nigerians living with the disease.
Majority of the people in these regions become infected during childhood and between 5–10% of the adult population is chronically infected.

In the 1960s, there was huge concern that people receiving donated blood were getting chronic hepatitis (liver inflammation) from an unknown, mysterious disease.

The Nation

Travellers relive harrowing experiences
• Airlines, stakeholders seek uniform procedure
• FG promises to tackle challenge

One month after international flights resumed in Nigeria, allegations of fraud and test certificate racketeering trail foreign air travels.

Flights in and out of the country had been suspended for months as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Shortly before the ban was lifted, the Federal Government declared COVID-19 PCR test certificate and negative results were mandatory requirements for exit or entry into the country.

But it is alleged that some government and laboratory officials make illegal earnings off the procedure by manipulating test results.

Arriving passengers have complained that the dedicated online travel portal for pre-arrival payment for PCR test in Nigeria has not been working. They are therefore at the mercy of extortionists, multiple payments for tests, and officials negotiating negative status for a fee.

Apparently aware of the complaints, the Federal Government has pledged to fix the online platform to ease inconveniences travellers face. The Coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, assured travellers of ongoing work to improve entry processes with the use of the international travel portal.

SIMILARLY, global airlines have called for development and deployment of rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, scalable and systematic COVID-19 testing for all passengers before departure. The measure, as an alternative to quarantine and multiple tests, is to re-establish global air connectivity and erase current traveller apathy.

A traveller that just returned from Germany, Sunday Ajisafe, claimed there was subtle fraud in the mandatory testing scheme.

He said, “I arrived in Abuja about two weeks ago. We have been made to understand that we would have to pay N48, 000 for another COVID-19 test on arrival, after which we can retrieve our passports. I paid at the airport and was referred to a laboratory in Abuja. Three days later, I went to the given address and realised that it was a wrong address. I searched to no avail. That is how I lost N48, 000.

“Because my return trip was approaching, I went into a government approved laboratory to do the test. There, I paid N50, 000. The result came out positive. I was shocked because I had no symptoms and I have been protecting myself as much as possible. As I was stepping out, one of the laboratory officials approached me and said he could ‘help’ with the status, if I could part with N25, 000. It was then I realised that it has become a business of some sort,” Ajisafe said.

A Dubai-bound traveller from Lagos was also confirmed positive for COVID-19, just days to departure.

“I have a valid entry visa to the UAE that was about to expire. That is where I work and have my family too. It was a desperate situation. I had reasons not to believe the latest result. More so, I have done a COVID-19 test earlier that came out negative. I later got a call from someone who offered to help edit the date of the old COVID-19 test. I paid some money and was able to fly,” the traveller said.

A travel consultant, Hakeem Olumegbon, said there were diverse stories of racketing in town and urged handling government officials to be committed.

Olumegbon said he had observed the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) unit issue two conflicting results to one person.

“She is one of our clients that was about to travel. She got a call that she tested positive. She was shattered. Before the end of the day, she got a mail, saying she was negative. So, which one should we believe of the two results from the same laboratory? From the government’s end, it is all messy.

“There are those that are all out to make money off the ineffectual system. Those ones are now selling fake test certificates to travellers that are desperate. I heard of a lab that did the COVID-19 test for just N15, 000. When it came out positive, the applicant didn’t believe the result and blamed it on the low fee that was charged. Things are that bad. The government has to do something about this urgently,” Olumegbon said.

In his reaction, the coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, said the PTF was working to make the process more streamlined and easier to navigate.

Aliyu described the travel portal as Nigeria’s innovation for controlling the spread of COVID-19 and making travel possible and seamless for passengers. He appealed to passengers to bear with the task force and report any issues, using the portal and to support them in flattening the curve.

“With an operation of this scope and skill, there are bound to be issues that will arise. This is an IT system, it is not perfect; we are human, talk less of computers and especially with the travel portal that is relatively new. It was immediately implemented because of the pressure for opening of the international airports. Without the travel portal, we probably would still have been struggling to open up the international airports safely.”

SINCE the reopening of the nation’s airspace to international flights and launch of the international travel portal, statistics have shown that over 27,000 passengers arrived in the country through the Lagos and Abuja airports.

According to the PTF, over 18,000 came in through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while it was a little over 9,000 in Abuja. Of this number of passengers, 99.8 per cent had negative COVID-19 PCR test results.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Finchglow Travels, Bankole Bernard, said the development was not unexpected of a system where public officers were the most corrupt, coupled with the challenges of being a developing country.

Bernard said the COVID-19 travel protocols were work-in-progress; hence, travellers should complain less but keep exposing fraudulent practices to change the situation.

On the chaotic situation at airports, Secretary General of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), a think-tank group of the aviation sector, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), queried the essence of inbound passengers negative test certification on arrival going for another test.

Ojikutu said: “The PTF must begin to give considerations to providing test laboratories at the international airports to entrust confidence to Nigerians and foreigners. The present international passenger traffic is just about 25 per cent from the figures recently released and I don’t think we need more than Lagos and Abuja to be operating for now, so that we can optimise the available skilled manpower and equipment.”

He added that it should also not cost the government so much to provide forms for all foreign airlines on international flights to Nigeria, to distribute to their passengers before boarding or while onboard.

He said that had been the practice for the declaration of foreign exchange carried by both Nigerians and foreigners, adding that the objective is to ease passengers’ experience and comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines.

World airlines, under the aegis of International Air Transport Association (IATA), have also pledged to work through ICAO and with health authorities to implement uniform testing procedures as quick solution to the problems faced by travellers.

Lack of uniform testing procedure is already causing global air travellers a lot of discomforts, despite the add-on cost of multiple checks. COVID-19 tests cost an average Nigerian traveller about N150, 000 for three sessions on a return trip.

IATA’s Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alexandre de Juniac, said the key to restoring the freedom of mobility across borders is systematic COVID-19 testing of all travellers before departure.

Wizkid urged the president to focus more on issues affecting the country and its youth rather than matters that concern America.

Nigerian pop star, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, on Sunday joined the #EndSARS campaign by calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to protect Nigerians.

Responding to a tweet by Mr Buhari wishing American President, Donald Trump, fast recovery from coronavirus, Wizkid urged the president to focus more on issues affecting the country and its youth rather than matters that concern America.

“Donald trump is not your business! Old man! Police/Sarz still killing Nigerian youth on a daily! Do something! Nothing concern u for America! Face your country,” the pop star wrote.

After Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, reacted to the campaign, promising to take action on the police unit’s brutality, Wizkid also challenged him.

“The safety of our residents is my number one duty as the CSO of Lagos. So, reading reports of seemingly unlawful exploitation by the people charged to protect is very worrying & needs to be addressed immediately. Be assured that appropriate actions will be taken, & speedily too,” Mr Sanwo-Olu wrote on his official Twitter handle.

In response, Wizkid said, “Mr Governor! I met with you December 2019! You expressed how proud you are of the entertainment industry and all we do. Pls do something let’s be proud of you too abeg ! #Endsars!!”

Wizkid thus joined thousands of Nigerians online who are calling for the abolition of the police unit called SARS.

The unit has been accused of several human rights violations especially of young Nigerians who are seen carrying laptop computers.

The latest social media trend is as a result of a video that surfaced online on Saturday showing an innocent Nigerian shot dead by a police officer in Delta State.

The call for the abolition of the unit grew louder on Sunday with the police in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, pledging to cleanse its ranks of officials found culpable of improper acts.

The latest #EndSARS campaign is not the first. A previous one last tear led to the formation of a presidential panel to review the activities of the police unit.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how President Buhari last year ordered the implementation of the report of the panel. However, nothing seems to have changed since then.

See some tweets on the #EndSARS campaign below.

Read more

“The dominant principle should be merit, Federal Character is essentially affirmative.”

Nigeria’s desire and pursuit of economic growth and sustainable development is best achieved through the adoption of merit as a national value, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The Vice President made the remarks in a keynote address delivered at the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI) webinar series themed: “A National Conversation on Rebuilding our National Values System”.

“Meritocracy is crucial in an economically viable value system because it rewards talent and enterprise. And it is talent and enterprise that would drive sustainable growth,” Mr Osinbajo affirmed.

Stressing the point about the importance of merit to sustainable growth, the vice president said, “Economic growth rests upon the substructure of values. The basis of the entire credit system as we know it, is trust. Indeed, the word credit is derived from the Latin word “credere” —to believe or to trust. For a credit facility to be extended to a person, trust is placed in the borrower and his or her willingness and ability to repay.

“When we say that there is a credit crunch, we are referring to a lack of trust. This has significant implications for the economy. Banks cannot lend to people when fraud is widespread, and enterprise and industry cannot flourish without credit.”https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Explaining further, Mr Osinbajo said “financial institutions may also be reluctant to lend because they cannot trust that the government will remain consistent with regulatory policies. For the same reason, investors may be discouraged from investing. When we speak of investor confidence, we are merely describing the level of trust investors are willing to place in an environment.

“Citizens who do not trust that their taxes will be embezzled due to official corruption are unlikely to see any value in paying their taxes. If people stop trusting the media, they are more likely to fall prey to merchants of fake news which can have a destabilizing effect on a nation. Where everyone is self-seeking there can be no trust and without trust, it is impossible to sustain an open society. The significance of trust for the workings of the economy and society are far-reaching.”

In a speech that clearly proposes that merit can also be worked into the implementation of the Federal Character Principles, the vice president submitted that stakeholders must focus their attention on merit as a crucial factor for society’s economic survival, social justice and in having an economically viable value system.

According to him, “Meritocracy is crucial as a value in and of itself. The moment that we depart from meritocracy, we cannot tie our value system to development in any meaningful way. Our public institutions must be equipped to provide opportunities, regardless of tribe, religion or gender, but the primary criterion must be merit.”

The vice president noted that the nation’s value system must provide “a causal connection with our economic development. In other words, we must be able to say that these sets of values conduce to economic development in a particular way. And it must also be one that is capable of showing us or the individual, that a happy society, a community of people that are prepared to live and work together, is possible on account of this value system.”

“While inequalities may be addressed by affirmative provisions such as Federal Character, the primary consideration should be merit,” Mr Osinbajo noted.

Providing more insights, he said “time and time again, we get arguments around the question as to whether the dominant principle in appointments to public institutions should be Federal Character. The dominant principle should be merit, Federal Character is essentially affirmative. What it seeks to do is to create a balance. But even if we are to create that balance, it should still be based on merit.

“For example, if we say that a particular zone should produce a particular candidate for whatever position, that zone should be able to produce the best. What you find, repeatedly, is the situation where the choices are not based on merit, and everything goes around the question of trying to create a balance.”

Situating the values system in the context of society’s development aspirations, the vice president said: “shaping our discussion on values as a fundament of development is also important because it helps to focus the individual and communal mind on survival especially economic survival which is dear to the heart of all.”

He said “the value system that we need is one that promotes national development, especially economic development and especially socio-economic development. And it must be capable of engendering unity and a shared vision. It must provide a causal connection with economic development. The end result is the creation of a happy society.”

Continuing, he maintained that “for purposes of national unity, for example, we must accept that unity and peace are important outcomes, but the condition predicate for both unity and peace is justice (both legal and social justice). So, in our context, justice includes the notions of fairness, equity, and equality.”

Citing relevant portions of the Nigerian Constitution to explain the relevance of merit in a viable value system, the vice president said: “in our context, justice includes the notions of fairness, equity, equality and it is significant that our Constitution is actually replete with references to these themes”.

“Our Constitution affirms that “the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a state based on the principles of democracy and social justice”, and it also asserts that “the State social order is founded on ideals of Freedom, Equality and Justice.” So, it is obvious that the mandates of our public institutions must be to transparently ensure that there is fairness in the availability of opportunity to all regardless of tribe, religion or gender, or any other considerations.”

Underscoring the importance of the rule of law to the subject matter, the vice president said “the administration of justice, is at the heart of the beneficial value system. The uncompromising prosecution of criminal activity, the fair and just adjudication of civil disputes, are fundamental to any notion of a strong value system.”

He noted that “institutions that must deliver these values, must themselves be deliberately invested in, both in terms of material infrastructure and the quality of personnel. Where the institutions for the resolution of conflicts and disputes are trusted and judicial outcomes are preponderantly fair and predictable, unity and stability are more likely. And this is very important especially with respect to judicial institutions.”

On his part, former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, emphasized the need to re-engineer the National Youth Service Corps scheme and reinvigorate the studies of History in schools, to reclaim lost values in the society.

He said the nation’s reward system should be linked to a renewed national value system, noting that Nigerians should be defined by established core values.

In the same vein, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, pledged the support of the National Assembly in ensuring curriculum alignment to the value rebuilding processes and called for a re-engineering of family ethics to support the entire reconstruction process.

Other speakers at the event include former Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Christopher Kolade; Chairman of First Bank, Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, among other notable Nigerians.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President

Many Nigerians have expressed reservation over some sections of the new Company and Allied Matters Act 2020.

President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to Nigerians who are aggrieved with some laws to be patient and seek reforms in line with democratic practices.

The president made the appeal at a two-day joint executive-legislative retreat designed to promote harmonious working relationship between the two arms of government, held in Abuja on Monday.

The new Company and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA) signed into law by President Buhari on August 7, has been generating negative comments from various quarters including religious leaders.

One contentious part of the law is section 839 (1) and (2) which empowers the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to suspend trustees of an association (including places of worship) and appoint interim managers to manage the affairs of the association for some given reasons.

Many Nigerians, including church leaders, have expressed reservation over some sections of the new Company and Allied Matters Act 2020, and called for its urgent review.

However, Mr Buhari had on September 24, in a statement by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, explained that the recently passed Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA), would entrench transparency and corporate accountability and enhance the fight against corruption.

The president, who reminded the citizens that the process of lawmaking and governance are dynamic, said his administration would continue to promote and ensure justice, peace and progress in the country.

“Let me also remind our fellow patriots, countrymen and women that the process of lawmaking and governance are dynamic and ever evolving.

“I will seek their indulgence to be patient with any legislation or law which they have certain misgivings about and engage the process for reviewing such law in line with democratic practices.

“Our interest is the sincere promotion of our collective will and aspirations to build a nation where justice, peace and progress are the norms,’’ he said.

On executive/legislative partnership, Mr Buhari stressed the need for more effective collaboration between the two arms of government to share ideas and build consensus on critical governance and policy issues.

He noted that the retreat offered an opportunity for the two arms to reflect and engage as one government, for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“I believe that the principle of separation of powers as enshrined in our constitution is designed to enable all arms of government to work together in cooperative and collaborative manner, through executive and legislative engagements.

“Let me thank the leadership and members of the ninth National Assembly for the cordial and warm relationship we have enjoyed in the last one year.”

“The quick passage of the 2020 budget and its review in response to the Coronavirus pandemic and the timely confirmation of my nominees and passage of critical legislations by the National Assembly are all testament to your willingness and commitment to play your part towards delivering effective services to Nigerians

“There is compelling need to sustain and strengthen on this partnership by creating platforms for regular dialogue, consultation and interaction between the Executive and the Legislature to share ideas and build consensus on critical governance and policy issues.

“This approach will enhance coordination within government and strengthen our capacity to effectively address the challenges of governance, service delivery and development,’’ he said.

The president noted with delight that the country had since started reaping the benefits of the cordial relationship of the two arms government.

He said: “By virtue of our effective partnership and your support, this government has initiated critical reforms targeted at reforming and strengthening our economy, increasing efficiency in governance, consolidating on the repairs carried out in the last four years and putting the country on a steady path of growth and development.

“The accelerated of the passage of the 2020 budget and its review in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the timely passage of my nominees and passage of critical legislations by the National Assembly are all testaments to your willingness and commitment to playing your part towards delivering effective services to Nigerians.’’

He thanked the leadership of the NASS for adopting a new legislative agenda, and called for the inauguration of a committee to help sieve the outcome of the retreat and make appropriate recommendations to him and the NASS for implementation.

In his remarks, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, lauded the cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of the government.

He also commended President Buhari’s commitment towards sustaining and strengthening the partnership between the two arms.

Mr Lawan, however, frowned at those describing the national assembly as rubber stamp of the executive.

“In fact, this relationship is misunderstood by many. Some out of mischief describe the National Assembly as rubber stamped, some out of misunderstanding.

“For us, what is utmost in our minds in the ninth Assembly is how do we work with the executive to make Nigeria better.

“If the price to pay is the names that we get, then let it be. Because, we believe that Nigerians deserve better service, better infrastructure and it is difficult if not impossible to achieve meaningful development in this country or any democracy without understanding and harmony in the way and manner the two arms of government work.

“So far, we have been doing this for over 12 months. So, it’s time to review this partnership and see the weaknesses in the relationship and the areas we have achieved so much and say this relationship has worked and have achieved some level of improved service delivery.’’

According to him, the retreat will present opportunities to review and strengthen areas of weaknesses.

He, therefore, expressed the hope that the next two days both arms would talk to each other in “a frank and truthful manner because what we do here will impact significantly on the polity, governance and Nigerians deserve to have what we promised them.’’

In the same vein, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who also spoke at the event, said both arms needed to work symbiotically to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

“This two-day engagement will do nothing but to strengthen the relationship between these two critical arms of government and enhance it so that the people will be the better for it.

“I believe it will be frank, truthful, we will speak truth to each other and I believe the outcome will be to the benefit of all Nigerians,’’ he added. (premiumtimesng)

In the first quarter of 2020, a total number of 619 were disposed.

The president of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Justice Benedict Kanyip, said on Monday in Abuja that the court disposed of 1, 486 cases in the outgone 2019 to 2020 legal year.

He said over 6,000 cases are pending before the court.

Mr Kanyip made this known at a ceremony to mark the beginning of the new 2020 to 2021 legal year.

He said the figure was understandable as 627 cases were disposed of in the fourth quarter of 2019, while in the first quarter of 2020, a total number of 619 were disposed.

Mr Kanyip said the figure however, dropped to 240 in the second quarter of 2020, the period in which the COVID-19 lockdown was most severe, according to him.https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

The president, in addition, said that in all, between October 2019 and June, 2020, 1,486 cases were disposed of.

He said this earned the court the annual vacation as the court worked even during the trying times of the COVID-19 lockdown.

“As at March 13, the court had 6,596 cases in its docket across the country with Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Ibadan leading in that order.

“Today, the total number of cased that are pending are 6095. This means that 501 cases were disposed of between March 13 and Sept. 30, 2020.

“COVID-19 did not allow for much filing of cases, but it did not stop the court from sitting and disposing of cases.

“The Judges of the court, in line with the Practice Directions and Guidelines 2020, sat physically and virtually all through the COVID-19 lockdown and took the opportunity to dispose of especially cases that were at address and judgment stages,” he said.

Mr Kanyip further said one of the things that stood out the court was in its regular and consistent uploads and updates of its judgments and rulings on its website.

“As accessed on October 3, between October 1, 2019 to October 2, 724 judgments and 215 rulings were uploaded on our website, this is a fact that has received favourable reviews from commentators.”

Speaking, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, urged the NICN to continue to uphold its sanctity and credibility in order to foster the public confidence in all judgments that emanated from it.

The AGF who was represented by Dayo Apata, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, congratulated the court for rising above the limitation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic by the use of the virtual platforms in conducting court proceedings.

He said these platforms had helped the court to put in place measures that had guaranteed continued access to justice.ADVERTISEMENT

According to him, “these measures have given expeditious disposal of cases, as well as minimize the rate of transmission of the dreaded COVID-19 during the period of the pandemic.”

Also, speaker, Abdullahi Ibrahim, a SAN, on behalf of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), congratulated the president and judges of NICN, for overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19.

Mr Ibrahim, who was represented by Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, said: “we thank God that after the ravaging wind, you have counted and your team is intact, to the glory of God.

“We wish your Lordships good health and wisdom to do justice to all manner of men, persons and authorities who approach the court for justice,” he said.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that another speaker at the ceremony was Olumide Akpata, the president, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who was represented by Afam Osigwe.

(NAN)

Many young Nigerians recounted their sad experiences in the hands of the police unit.

The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has expressed ‘anger’ at the activities of police officers who harass, assault and sometimes kill innocent Nigerians.

Mr Osinbajo stated this Sunday when questioned by journalists in Abuja, according to his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, in a statement.

“I am very concerned, in fact, very angry about what I see, happening to young men and women who are arrested, in some cases maimed or killed by men of the police force,” Mr Osinbajo was quoted as saying.

Mr Osinbajo’s reaction was announced hours after the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, banned some police units from operating on the roads following a public outcry of their activities.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Nigerians lamented the activities of the police unit, FSARS, using the #EndSARS code on social media.https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Many young Nigerians recounted their sad experiences in the hands of the police unit.

UNLAWFUL AND ILLEGAL

In his statement Sunday, Mr Osinbajo vowed that culpable police officers will be punished and prosecuted.

According to the vice president, such violations are “completely unacceptable” because the law enforcement officers are individuals who are meant to protect Nigerians.

”The arrest, maiming or killing of young people or anyone at all, is completely wrong. It is unlawful and illegal, and anyone involved in this act ought to be investigated and prosecuted.”

“Today, I had a meeting with the Inspector General of Police, we reviewed several of these issues. The President and I have had discussions on this, he is very concerned about it. He wants to see a reform.

“You are probably aware that the IGP has issued a statement looking at all these issues, in particular, the warning against the use of these tactical units such as SARS for purposes of doing anything other than anti-robbery.

“For example, and I think in his statement, he specifically said that you cannot have a situation where SARS says, they are investigating Cybercrime by arresting young men and women carrying their laptops and phones. Cybercrime is an electronic crime. I don’t see how you can investigate that by seizing people’s phones in a taxi or in their cars,” he said.

He blamed the harassment on ”a few bad eggs” in the police force who are causing all of the problems, adding that there is a need to take serious action.

“The IG’s statement today, is a good first step. He has said clearly that policemen must wear police uniforms. You cannot say that because you belong to a tactical unit, you can dress in your casual clothing and be armed, because people can’t even tell the difference between robbers and the police, if you are not properly dressed in police uniform. So, clearly, a reform is in the offing.

“So, I will like to encourage civil society activists, young men and women, who bring this regularly, by the way, to the attention of government and the police. And I think that activism is important because they have been able to bring a lot of these issues to the attention of the police and government, and that is an important part of the process of the reform.”

“I think that we all have to work together to ensure that the police and law enforcement agents, do what their duty is and their duty is to protect us, protect our society and livelihoods and homes,” he said.ADVERTISEMENT

TOO MANY CRIMES

The SARS unit has been accused of several human rights violations especially of young Nigerians who are seen carrying laptop computers.

The call for the abolition of the unit grew louder on Sunday with the police in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, pledging to cleanse its ranks of officials found culpable of improper acts.

The latest #EndSARS campaign is not the first. A previous one last year led to the formation of a presidential panel to review the activities of the police unit.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how President Buhari last year ordered the implementation of the report of the panel. However, nothing seems to have changed since then until the Sunday directive.

Many professors questions how a serving academic will be appointed an emeritus professor.

Despite being involved in age falsification in order to extend his retirement date, the management of Lagos State University (LASU) is set to appoint a former executive secretary of the Nigerian University Commission (NUC), Peter Okebukola, as an emeritus professor, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

In April 2019, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported how Mr Okebukola, a professor of science education, used three different birth dates interchangeably to manipulate the system several times during his career.

Documents obtained by this newspaper show that Mr Okebukola has three different birth dates in the records of the university – February 17, 1949; February 17, 1948; and February 17, 1951.

Falsification of age

When employed by the institution, Mr Okebukola , who is generally regarded as the academic mentor of the incumbent vice-chancellor of the university, Olanrewaju Fagbohun, used February 17, 1949 but later presented two other birth dates – February 17, 1948 and February 17, 1951, at different times in the course of his 35-year career at the university.

While the institution noticed these discrepancies as early as 2014, he was, however, condoned. He was not sanctioned let alone dismissed as provided by university rule for the condition of service of senior staff.https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

On October 2, 2014, Olayinka Amuni – the then deputy registrar (who is now the substantive registrar of the university) – raised the irregularities in Mr Okebukola’s birth dates to the registrar of the university.

Mr Amuni explained that the professor ,who was employed in 1984 , with the birth date of February 17, 1949, was due for mandatory retirement on February 17, 2014, the day he turned 65.

“Professor P.A.O Okebukola was granted approval for three hundred and thirty-six (336) days deferred leave which should be utilised as terminal leave preparatory to final retirement from the service of the university,” he wrote in the letter with reference number LASU/ASE/REG/002.

Asides the deputy registrar noting the irregularities, the university’s Academic Staff Establishment, the division of the university that oversees matters of staff recruitment, promotion, discipline and welfare, flagged the discrepancies in Mr Okebukola’s birth dates after he applied for sabbatical leave in July 2014, and declined approval for the leave.

Following the push back by the Academic Staff Establishment, the former NUC boss in a letter dated December 5, 2015 eventually notified LASU management that he was prepared to retire from the service of the university.

But he again came up with another letter on January 18, 2016 withdrawing his notice of retirement. This came five months before the then Lagos governor Akinwunmi Ambode, signed the amendment to the LASU law, which extended the retirement age from 65 to 70 in May 2016.

The swift approval by the VC, Mr Fagbohun, who then said Mr Okebukola should proceed on sabbatical from February 2016 to February 2017 after withdrawing his retirement letter, was again countered by the deputy registrar, Mr Amuni , who noted that the VC’s approval of Mr Okebukola’s request to withdraw his notice of retirement was out of tune with the university’s law. Mr Amuni said this in a letter dated February 9, 2016.

He also described the approval of Mr Okebukola’s application to go on sabbatical leave and his continued stay at the university as “anomalies.”

Mr Amuni, who was in charge of Academic Staff Establishment division, argued in the letter addressed to the registrar at the time that the subsisting policy of the university under which the sabbatical leave was approved was that “an academic staff who is sixty-five (65) years old shall compulsorily retire on age grounds.”

“In view of the law enacted by the Lagos State House of Assembly establishing the contributory Pension Scheme for Employees in the Public Service of Lagos State and for connected purpose, Professor Okebukola ought to have retired statutorily by the 17th February, 2014 on the strength of the first date of birth he presented i.e 17th February, 1949,” he wrote.

“In the view of the above background information/irregularities observed, vis-a-vis the positions of regulations, the Registrar may wish to recommend to the vice-chancellor that to redress the anomalies, Professor Okebukola’s sabbatical leave be terminated forthwith and; his letter seeking to withdraw his earlier retirement be discountenanced”, the deputy registrar pointed out then.ADVERTISEMENT

LASU lied to protect Okebukola

When contacted, Mr Fagbohun and Mr Okebukola both ignored PREMIUM TIMES’ request for comment.

Also, the institution’s spokesperson, Ademola Adekoya, rather than address issues raised by this newspaper said, the university management had decided not to comment on the issue.

The university later released a statement claiming it relied on the date of birth forwarded to it by Mr Okebukola’s former employer, Oyo State College of Education, when he was employed by the university.

“Professor Peter Okebukola joined the service of Lagos State University transferring his service from the then Oyo State College of Education, Ilesa and the date of birth on his Record of Service forwarded to the University by his former employer is 17th February, 1951. The University is bound to stand by that date because the Record of Service is the officially recognized record of his past service.

“The affirmation of the Date of Birth of Professor Okebukola in the Record of Service forwarded to the University by the Oyo State College of Education, Ilesa confirmed the assertion by Professor Okebukola that he was born on 17th February,1951,” the management of the university stated.

But official documents obtained from the university showed the school management was aware of Mr Okebukola’s multiple birth dates.

The documents also revealed that the university vice-chancellor, Mr Fagbohun, was not only aware of calls by the university’s Academic Staff Establishment division for Mr Okebukola to retire having exceeded his statutory retirement age but also actively prevented the division from ordering him to retire.

Despite the integrity shadow cast over his career by the falsification of his age, the management of the university appointed Mr Okebukola a distinguished professor, during its 21st convocation ceremony in 2017.

Professor emeritus

On August 24, 2020 – the university’s department of Science and Technology Education nominated Mr Okebukola for the emeritus status because of “his outstanding contribution to the university in general and his extensive research and publication.”

He was said to have mentored both academic and non-academics within and outside the university, documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES revealed.

Moreover, the Dean of Faculty of Education, Olatunde Owolabi, in a letter dated September 1, 2020, communicated the nomination of Mr Okebukola by the Faculty of Education ‘s Appointment and Promotion Committee to the vice chancellor.

The faculty said the former NUC boss met the requirements of the university condition of service for senior staff and as such was nominated by the department as provided by section K of the university rule which states that “the candidate must have successfully supervised the PhD Thesis of at least five (5) candidates; he must have produced at least a student who had attained Professorial cadre”

“He must enjoy the overwhelming support from his department; as an ambassador of the University, such candidate should consistently attract funds or grants from which the younger generations would benefit; a certain percentage of the funds which the Emeritus Professor attracted should be given as Honorarium to the Emeritus Professor; he must be a team player and be good at conflict resolution; he must be someone highly respected and with high dignity; scoring template should be developed to accommodate the above criteria; attendance at Senate meetings should not be made mandatory for the Emeritus Professor”.

The rule did not explicitly state that nomination should be for retired professors as is the case in most universities around the world.

The norm, however, is that the meritorious honour is awarded to retired and outstanding professors who thoroughly served the system.

But Mr Okebukola is still a serving professor at the university, a situation which prominent academics who spoke to this newspaper found strange.

On the ground of age accepted currently by the university, Mr Okebukola will retire in February 2021.

For instance, at Cornell University in the U.S., an emeritus professor is only given to a member of the professorial staff who retires after ten years full-time equivalency in the rank of a university professor, professor, or associate professor and who has rendered distinguished and meritorious service to the University.

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At the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, it is an honorary title, recognising distinguished academic service of fully retired Professors. Also at the Washington University in U.S., Professor Emeritus must be a professor who had already retired from the system and the promotion is a lifelong appointment.

A senior lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Kehinde Ayoola, said emeritus professorship is not meant to be dispensed for ‘joke.’

“Based on the record, the feat is meant for old professors who have retired from the system. It is to appreciate their contribution to scholarship. I have not seen any situation where someone in the system is honoured with such.

In OAU ,for instance, Wole Soyinka is the only Emeritus in the university’s Faculty of Art. That shows the importance of the promotion. There has never been a case where a serving lecturer is even recommended.

A retired professor, Toye Olorode, told PREMIUM TIMES that LASU’s decision to announce Mr Okebukola as an emeritus professor was ‘watery’.

“The recommendation is watery and should not even be considered. It is for a retired professor who has been found to have genuinely served the department recommending him for such. It is not an honorary degree but a meritorious appointment on retired professors who genuinely worth it.”

“One cannot be recommended when someone is still serving the system let alone be honoured. The system should frown at such development and should not be condoned except such fellow truly deserve it.”

In addition, the vice-chancellor of Technical University, Ibadan, Ayobami Salami, said Mr Okebukola’s nomination is “abnormal”.

“No. It cannot be. It will be abnormal for any department or institution to recommend a serving professor for an emeritus position. The honour is strictly meant for senior staff who retired serving institution. Except one has retired, the appointment is not given. So, it is very abnormal for any of such to occur if the nominee is still in the system. It is used to honour those who are retired already”.

LASU seems bent on conferring the award on Mr Okebukola as the registrar of the school, Mr Amuni, on September 22, 2020, wrote to the university senate on behalf of the vice-chancellor, pleading that Mr Okebukola’s appointment be considered.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the institution, Ademola Adekoya, first denied our report but when confronted with details of the planned appointment, said he could not confirm nor deny such promotion because he is not aware of the development.

premiumtimesng

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved release of N10 billion to the National Population Commission (NPC) for continuation of Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) in 546 Local Government Areas in the country.

Buhari also approved an additional N4.5 billon to be included in the 2021 Budget for completion of the exercise as part of the preparations for the next census.

Acting Chairman of NPC, Dr. Eyitayo Oyetunji, disclosed these on Monday in Abuja while briefing reporters on release of the funds and the update on the EAD at the NPC headquarters.

Oyetunji said: “The President has graciously followed this up by a further approval of an additional N45 billion to be included in the 2021 Budget for the completion of the exercise as part of preparations for the next census.

“No doubt, this milestone development, under-scores the President’s understanding of the role of data, especially demographic data as the bedrock for informed development planning and allocation of resources, facilities and services.

“The President has by this giant intervention demonstrated his desire to invest in the population, especially our teeming youthful population and to thereby lead the country to harness the demographic dividend.”

Asked when the next census will commence, Oyetunji said: “I can tell you that we are very close to the conduct of the election. You will recall that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed the complete membership of the NPC including a substantive chairman.

“That in itself is an indication that government is working towards the exercise. And you will also agree that at a time like this there was high demand for scarce resources for government to commit a sum of N10 billion to the EAD is an indication that we are truly closer than when we began.

“Like they say in the bible the exert time and date is what we have not yet indicated. With the speed we want to complete the EAD which is the major preparatory activity, for us at the NPC we are ready at any moment and prepared to conduct the census. We just need a nod to do so.”

The NPC boss said 228 LGAs were successfully demarcated across the 36 States and FCT in the previous nine phases.

He said the 10th Phase of the exercise will commence on 5th and end on October 29th 2020, including training and fieldwork.

Oyetunji also disclosed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has entered into a special arrangement with NPC under which the NPC is assisting INEC to create digitised maps of INEC Registration Areas (Wards) for the first time as part of the EAD.

He said it is expected that the output of the collaborative effort will further enhance the accuracy and transparency of future elections.