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Rotimi Amaechi delivers 2023 TheNiche Lecture, Uma Eleazu chairs


Come Thursday, October 26, TheNiche Newspaper will once again fulfill its annual corporate social responsibility obligation, spearheaded by its developmental arm, TheNiche Foundation for Development Journalism, by holding its signature annual lecture.
 
The lecture will hold at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos at 10am.
 
This year’s edition of TheNiche Lecture will feature the former governor of Rivers State who is also a former Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as the Guest Speaker.
 
Amaechi will speak on the theme: “Why we Stride and Slip: Leadership, Nationalism and the Nigerian Condition.”
 
Dr. Uma Eleazu, elder statesman and chairman of the Board of Trustees of Anya-Ndi-Igbo, a non-partisan, socio-political and economic development-oriented organization, committed to equity, peace, unity, justice and progress of Nigeria, will chair the occasion.
 
Dr. Eleazu, teacher, consultant, writer and commentator on public affairs, who set up the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, served in the 1978 Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) and was a member of the Constituent Assembly.
 
A one-time presidential aspirant, Dr. Eleazu’s insight as to why we stride and slide will be invaluable.
 
There will also be panel discussions involving Senator Shehu Sani, human rights activist and leading figure in the struggle for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria; redoubtable Dr. Chidi Amuta, scholar, author, journalist and quintessential polemicist; Mr. Yakubu Mohammed, journalist par excellence, columnist and politician; Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, politician, business executive and immediate past President and Chief Executive Officer of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc.; and Funke Treasure, a broadcast journalist, certified media trainer, speech and leadership coach.
 
As it has become the tradition, they will dissect Amaechi’s offering for the benefit of Nigerians.
 
Chief executive officer of TheNiche, Ikechukwu Amaechi, in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos yesterday said the lecture series is part of the organisation’s contribution to national rebirth.
 
The statement reads in part: “TheNiche Lecture series is our contribution to the national discourse, aimed at fostering the much-needed renaissance in our society.
 
“This year’s lecture in particular promises to be a great national dialogue. The idea is to have a variegated panoply of opinions that will shed light on why Nigeria’s enormous potentials are not realised.
 
“Mr. Rotimi Amaechi will delve into the enigmatic question of ‘why we Stride and Slip: Leadership, Nationalism, and the Nigerian Condition.’ His insights promise to captivate our audience and provide valuable perspectives.”
 
Tracing the history of TheNiche Annual Lecture, Amaechi, the longest serving Editor of Daily Independent newspaper and a former member of the CNN-Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Panel said:
 
“When the newspaper came on board in April 2014, the editorial policy captured its mission: ‘TheNiche will always anchor its position on the need for social justice, fairness and respect for human and communal rights … will be uncompromising against any form of discrimination and subjugation either by tribe, gender or religion.
 

Dr. Uma Eleazu


“In pursuit of these ideals, the organization in 2018, set up a foundation – TheNiche Foundation for Development Journalism – a vehicle to drive the annual lectures, our very idea of an ideal Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
 
“The maiden lecture with the theme, ‘Development reporting and hysteria journalism in Nigeria,’ was delivered by Professor Kingsley Moghalu, journalist, diplomat, erudite scholar and author, while Professor Remi Sonaiya, another prolific author, columnist for TheNiche, and former presidential aspirant was the chairperson.
 
“The choice of the lecture theme which held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on April 20, 2018, was informed by the hysteria that preceded the 2019 elections and the need to lower the rhetoric.
 
“The focus shifted, and rightly so, after the election was won by the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, to the economy. TheNiche clinically analyzed that the economy was heading for the rocks and there was an urgent need to make it the dominant issue of Buhari’s second term.
 
“So, the October 15, 2019 lecture aptly themed, ‘Business and accountable governance: The obligations of leadership,’ was delivered by Nigeria’s foremost interdisciplinary scholar, Prof. Anya O. Anya, statesman, scientist and boardroom guru, under the chairmanship of Dr. Christopher Kolade, diplomat and academic, veteran broadcaster and former Director–General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, Chief Executive and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc. and former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
 
“What would have been the third and fourth lectures in 2020 and 2021 were stymied by the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic that made all forms of public gathering a taboo.
 
“The 2022 lecture with the theme, ‘2023 elections and the future of Nigeria’s democracy,’ was delivered by Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, a learned silk, former governor of Lagos State and Minister of Works and Housing, while Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, veteran First Republic politician, human rights activist, former Liaison Officer to late President Shehu Shagari and founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) chaired the event.”
 
After the lecture, both Mr. Amaechi and Dr. Eleazu will be inducted into TheNiche Hall of Fame, an honour reservedly exclusively for guest speakers and chairpersons.

Photos of newly enlisted NDLEA officers surfaces online, Nigerians reacts

Pictures of the new recruits of the agency who looked underage and physically challenged emerged on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).

The photographs were taken during the Passing out Parade of 2,500 NDLEA officers on Thursday, October19, 2023.

However, the photographs have drawn a backlash and reactions, as Nigerians accused the anti-narcotics agency of recruiting a teenager into its system.

@AtojuKehinde wrote: “See what Marwa has reduced NDLEA to, he recruited minors who could not speak in English, & even a hunchback, they passed out from the academy on Thursday 20th October 2023. What a nation, & all of them are abokis. What a country!”

@gentle60 wrote: “The adults, graduates, genuine jobseekers, breadwinners who undertook the rigorous process won’t get the job oh…

“See the dependants that are now civil servants.”

@AkinwumiOlami15 wrote: “I swear, bro, I applied for this job twice, and I was denied. The last one makes me too scared of this country. When I checked the shortlisted list, it was of northerners without qualifications, and they were picked in BSc and HND categories.”

@OjiUgo_nwa wrote: “Wait, these are the new NDLEA recruits? Aren’t they minors? I hear they passed out from the academy on Thursday, 20th October 2023. What exactly is going on in this country?”

@FirstObidient wrote: “NDLEA new recruits. Are these the people supposed to be in charge of enforcing DRUG LAWS???

“In every sector in Nigeria now, competence is not even a factor for appointment anymore, just family, friends and people that can kiss your ass.

“From announcing drug peddlers as ambassadors to recruiting minors as personals… what a falloff.”

@admiral_Xfactor wrote: “The concerns you’ve raised about the qualifications and recruitment process within the NDLEA are indeed valid. Competence should be a fundamental criterion for appointing individuals responsible for enforcing drug laws and ensuring public safety, but hey, welcome to Nigeria,…”

@EnergizeBen wrote: “Lolz. What a joke of the century. Very soon in Nigeria, lizards will start growing bears, fowl growing teeth and dog growing horns. Because it seems we are totally out of track.”

@chizzi_vincents wrote: “The under-aged guys there were probably there to fill a gap for some future embezzlements. If not, who recruits minors for such a tasking and high-level security role like this?”

@mc_ameh wrote: “In a decade or two, his length of service will be proudly cited as a basis for a juicy/strategic appointment. He will be duly confirmed, and the cabal will have another loyal stooge in place. These guys play the long game.”

@sule_momoh wrote: “In the North there is nothing like competence oooooo when it comes to appointment and recruitment, competence as a requirement only exists in the South. Welcome to one Nigeria.”

@ItzBamB1 wrote: “@ndlea_nigeria This is a very big disgrace…you denied qualified and competent graduates the job only to give it to minors from your aunties and uncles kids…shame on the Agency @ndlea_nigeria“

Source: Gists9ja.com.ng

Appraising the First Quarter of Akpabio’s 10th Senate

By Mon-Charles Egbo

For a valid assessment of the legislature concerning good governance, the first step is to determine the level of commitment of the executive in complementing the legislature.

Hence in this attempt at highlighting the good governance contributions of the 10th Senate so far, it is acknowledged that legislative outputs are only impactful if they are respected by the executive. By the constitution, the legislature is lacking in power and influence, particularly in the aspect of eliciting external compliance. This is common knowledge!

Nonetheless, the legislature must discharge its obligations.

Inaugurated on the 13th of June 2023, the Senate statutorily sat for 15 days before embarking on the annual vacation between August 2nd and September 25th.

Within the period and towards facilitating effective take-off of governance, the Senate screened and confirmed the military service chiefs, the board membership of the North-East Development Commission, the Central Bank Governor and four deputies in addition to the 48 ministerial nominees though it rejected 3. By the same token, it amended and passed the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Bill “for the provisions of Palliatives and other Items to Nigerians to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal and Other Matters”. Again, it approved the presidential request for “Additional Financing of the National Social Safety Net Programme through a facility secured from the World Bank”.

It also processed petitions from constituents who were various victims of injustice at the hands of private and public entities.

Then, of course, motions were considered and bills introduced, which justifiably form the major bulk of this work.

To begin with, the Senate, overwhelmed by the horrible state of the roads, raised a motion on the “Collapse of Road Infrastructure In Nigeria”. The outcome was the setting up of “an Ad-hoc Committee to come up with a compendium of all the affected Federal roads and erosion sites across the country either awarded but abandoned by contractors or have not been awarded at all, to be forwarded to the Executive Arm for urgent intervention”.

But before this one-off approach, it had considered several motions variously demanding interventions on some specific roads. For example, on the “166 Kilometer Abuja-Kaduna Expressway whose contract also provided for increased “Security Surveillance through Deployment of more Personnel and Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) such as Drones, Radars and Scanners”, the

Senate recommended a comprehensive analysis of “all funds released for this important project from the award date to the present with the aim of finding out the reason for the delay in completing the project”. It also resolved “to accord similar attention on all other road networks suffering from same conditions”.

On the Umuahia-Umudike-Ikot-Ekpene, Aba-Ikot-Ekpene and Aba-Ossisioma to Port-Harcourt Roads (connecting 3 states and 2 geo-political zones), the

Senate called for the urgent intervention of the federal government supported by an “investigation of the award of the contracts with a view to identifying the factors contributing to the unaccounted delays in the execution”.

Again, the Senate constituted an Ad-hoc Committee “to investigate the reasons for non-completion of the East-West road and the Eleme-Ogoni corridor in Rivers State” and variously called on the federal government to: urgently “commence repairs” and “provide adequate funding to complete the reconstruction” of the Benin-Auchi-Lokoja Road; “review the on-going contract for the rehabilitation of the Calabar-Oban-Ekong Road (in Cross River State) awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited and fund for the project to enable the contractor to commence and complete the rehabilitation works” and also “commence repairs and reconstruction of the affected parts of the Onitsha-Owerri Federal Road and particularly, the sections between Upper Iweka Roundabout in Onitsha and Oba in Idemili South L.G.A of Anambra State which span about 6 kilometres in addition to urgently fixing “the erosion menace in Ovom, Ogbor-Hill, Aba (Abia State)”.

Quite instructively, the Senate recommended “regular surveillance of Federal highways to identify and nip erosion threats to Federal roads in the bud and also for “the SGF (Secretary to the Government of the Federation) Office to constitute a team of Engineers to tour around and have an overview of erosion sites, design a template for possible control of erosion sites”.

Then on “the Obodoukwu, Uruala, Akokwa, Umumaisiaku, Umuchima and Umueshi Gully Erosion Sites in Ideato South LGAs, Imo State”, the Senate urged “the Ecological Fund Office and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to jointly and urgently engage relevant experts, including geologists, hydrologists, and environmental engineers, to conduct the assessment and implement measures such as slope stabilization, gabion installations, terracing, re-vegetation, and construction of retaining walls to prevent further losses and minimize the risks to nearby infrastructure, communities, LGAs and states”.

Still on erosion control, the Senate called for the collaboration of federal agencies, namely “the Federal Ministry of Environment, Ecological Fund Office and the Federal Ministry of Works towards tackling the menace of erosion devastation in Edo Senatorial District” and also specifically asked the federal government to “carry out emergency works on Ekpoma (Uhiele, Ujoelen, Ukpenu, Borehole Road & Emuhi), Irrua (Uwasan and Ikekato), Ewu (Egare and Uzogholo), Uromi (Efandion, Eguare & Uzegwa), Udo and Illushi; and then “set up NEMA stations in Edo Central to assist residents in the event of emergency that could lead to loss of lives and properties”.

Intervening on the Onitsha-33-Otuocha-Adani Roads (Anambra State) Boundary to Enugu State, the Senate called for the capturing of the road under the Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme for design and subsequent contract award “of this economically important road as part of measures to guarantee food security and enhance security of lives and properties”.

Similarly on the issues of flooding in different parts of the country particularly in the Sagamu and Ijebu Areas of Ogun State, Edu and Patigi Areas of Kwara State, as well as the Ikire, Apomu and Gbonga Areas of Osun State”, the Senate called for immediate “release (of) funds as provided in 2023 Appropriation Act for dredging of blocked canals and water bodies among others” and also “to revisit the proposed construction of Dasin Hausa Dam and any other Dam as the case may be to take in the flood waters from Lagdo Dam in Cameroun”. Additionally, it requested “the contractor handling the Ibadan-Ife road to, as a matter of urgency, proceed to the portion affected by the flood at Ikire to avert further damages and allow free flow of traffic” and also for the “the Ecology Fund Office and Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to equally assist in channelization of other affected areas”.

On “the Incessant Sea Incursion Ravaging Ayetoro Community in Ondo State, the Senate has launched “an investigation into the N6.5 Billion-shoreline protection contract awarded by the NDDC (Niger-Delta Development Commission) in 2006 to find an alternative solution where necessary, to stem the dangerous tide” while urging “the National and International Companies operating in the areas to live up to their corporate social responsibility”.

Then, following shocking discoveries about “the Controversial Make-up Gas (MUG) Reprocessing Deal involving the Federal Ministry of Finance, Niger-Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Calabar Generation Company Limited and ACUGAS Ltd” in which Nigeria suffered humongous economic losses, the Senate instituted an investigation on “the circumstances under which the Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) and Make-up Gas (MUG) reprocessing arrangement was executed, the parties involved, payments so far made to entities to date, the status of implementation of the GSA, and for this purpose invite all stakeholders to the transaction including the immediate past Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, Acugas Limited; and Calabar GENCO, the Transaction Adviser engaged under the MUG deal, etc.,”.

Also on “the Controversial Huge Expenditure on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) under the Subsidy/Under Recovery Regime by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the senate is “holistically” reviewing all the issues relating to the petroleum subsidy regime.

Similarly, even as elaborate legislative interventions are being developed, the Senate has since set up an Ad-hoc Committee “to investigate all contracts awarded for the rehabilitation of all the State-owned Refineries between 2010 and 2023”.

It has also called on “the Comptroller-General of Customs and the National Security Adviser to review and lift the subsisting restriction order placed on supply of petroleum products to the affected border communities because the removal of Subsidy by the Nigerian government has substantially put paid to the smuggling of the PMS products”, adding that “therefore the products should be allowed to circulate freely without restrictions”.

Dispassionately again, the senate set up an ad-hoc committee “to Holistically Investigate the Disbursement of Loans by Development Bank of Nigeria, NIRSAL and related Banks to Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria from 2015 to date”.

Relatedly, while the Senate is investigating “the Alarming Cases of Delays in Payment and Allegations of Corruption associated with the Capturing and Payment of newly recruited University Staff under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information Systems (IPPIS)”, it urged the “Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other agencies involved in the reported Relocation of the University of Agriculture, Mubi, Adamawa State to stop forthwith and maintain status quo pending the investigation by the Senate”.

Understandably moved by its attendant worsening effects on the national security and economy, the Senate mandated its “leadership to interface between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Federal Government in other to avert the impending strike of the NLC”.

And on the vexed issue of “Age Requirement Precondition for Employment in Nigeria” the Senate intervened by asking “the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity, and other relevant Agencies to prohibit and discourage public and Private employees in Nigeria, from putting up jobs adverts with inherent undertone calculated to deprive any qualified Nigeria being gainfully employed merely by reason of his/her age”. It also called on “the Civil Service Commission and Office of the Head of the Civil Service to immediately revise their guidelines on appointments and promotions in the Federal Civil Service, to remove the impediments as it relates to conditions of appointment in the Federal Civil Service on account of age”.

In the area of health and disturbed by “the Low Level of Awareness and Preparedness to Prevent the Outbreak of Anthrax in Nigeria”, the Senate called on “the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, and the Federal Ministry of Health to embark on nationwide vaccination of livestock with the anthrax spore vaccine, most especially in the border states of the country”. It also recommended “intensive awareness campaigns to sensitize Nigerians on the outbreak of the anthrax disease, symptoms for early detection, and prevention guidelines”. In the same vein, it urged the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to liaise with the hierarchy of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health towards intensifying the search for active cases of Diphtheria with contact tracing, risk communication activities and movement of affected cases to health facilities for management, and also intensifying surveillance activities across the 23 LGAs of Kaduna State. It also recommended “universal childhood immunization all over the country to protect our children from vaccine preventable diseases such as diphtheria” in addition to strengthening the capacities of “all the vaccine production and research institutions in Nigeria”.

Still on the power sector, the Senate called on the federal government “to intervene and halt the proposed increase in electricity tariffs by the Distribution Companies (Discos)” and also to immediately abolish “estimated billing and make available to all electricity consumers, prepaid meters”. Again and towards protecting the “Local Meter Manufacturers in the ongoing National Mass Metering Programme” the Senate urged the federal government “to immediately suspend the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Tender for World bank funded NMMP Phase 2 to undertake comprehensive Review of the Procurement Criteria to prioritise Local Manufacturing and Assembling in line with Local Content and Backward Integration Policy that catalyses local capacity building, employment generation and economic growth for Nigeria”. It further requested the TCN “and other stakeholders to negotiate and engage the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM) and the African Development Bank (AFDB) for alternative Loan if World Bank loan conditions do not favour local economic growth at this critical time of massive unemployment and devaluation of Naira; in addition to exploring “the possibility of utilizing the CBN intervention Fund for the manufacturing of the in-country metres”.

Then again, through a motion on “the General Insecurity and Incessant Attacks on Plateau State and other parts of the country”, the Senate urged “the service chiefs to carry out on-the-spot assessment of insecurity in the troubled parts to give our people a sense of belonging and also serve as impetus for the military operations in those affected local government areas”. Also, it requested the Chief of Defence Staff to, as a matter of urgency, establish joint security posts in strategic local government areas in the state”.

And particularly on the growing insecurity occasioned by the series of “Illegal Motor Parks and Pick-Up Points within Abuja Metropolis, the Senate urged “the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), and other relevant agencies to immediately commence a joint task force to step up activities to eradicate these illegal garages and pick-up or drop-off points within the Federal Capital City”.

Similarly, and in condemning “the Disruptive Nature of ‘Sit-At-Home’ Demonstration in the South-East-Nigeria” the Senate called on “the federal government to collaborate with the Finnish Government with a view to extraditing one Simon Ekpa (the leader of the group promoting the ‘sit-at-home’) for possible prosecution”. It also recommended the use of “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant stakeholders to carry out thorough investigation as well as bring other sponsors of the act to book”.

Still on insecurity, specifically on the reported “Abuse of Firearms by Officers of Nigeria Customs Service in Katsina State”, the Senate urged “the Nigeria Customs Service to fish out the erring officers and investigate the incident that led the Customs operatives to open fire on unarmed civilians”.

Meanwhile, the Senate has urged the Inspector-General of Police to direct his officers and men to stop forthwith, the extortion, intimidation and harassment of motorists and commuters on the highways” and other public roads.

Apart from the motions, a cursory look at the bills further underscores the corporate disposition of the 10th Senate towards salvaging the country. In no particular order, the bills presented for the first reading included the Nigeria Maritime Zone Act (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act (Amendment) Bill, Environmental Impact Assessment Bill, Development Planning and Project Continuity Bill, Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, Bitumen Development Commission Bill, Constituency/Special Projects (Budget Provisions) Bill, Nigerian Railway Corporation Act (Amendment) Bill, Dishonoured Cheques (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, Nigerian Content in Programme, Contracts, Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation (Establishment) Bill, Insurance Bill Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute Bill, Factoring, Assignment and Receivables Financing Bill, South-West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, Federal University Osogbo (Establishment) Bill, Explosives Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, Federal Polytechnic Onueke, Ebonyi State (Establishment) Bill, Corporate Bodies (Members Emolument) Act (Repeal) Bill, Elite Sheriffs Corps of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency Act (Amendment) Bill and the Nigerian Maritime University Okerenkoko (Establishment) Bill.

Others were the Central Bank of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill, Fiscal Responsibility Act (Amendment) Bill, Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act (Amendment) Bill, Nigeria Eye Centre Act (Amendment) Bill, Federal University of Information and Communication Technology Ikare-Akoko (Establishment) Bill, Chartered Governance Institute of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, North-West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, Gaming Bill, Metallurgy Industry Bill, National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (Establishment) Bill, Electronics Transaction Bill, Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, Women Rights and Inheritance Bill, Critical Infrastructure Protection Bill, Institute of Information and Communication Technology Ode-Itsekiri (Establishment) Bill, and the Creative Economy Commission (Establishment) Bill

Objectively, these interventions are critical and strategic to national unity and development. They cumulatively reflect the core legislative duties. However, their overall impacts depend on what the executive makes of them. The Senate, nay the national assembly lacks the wherewithal to effectively enforce compliance sequel to the faulty nature of the constitution. And then typical of a leader guided by foresight and strategic thinking, the president of the senate, Godswill Akpabio is intentional in his leadership responsibilities. He demonstrates a full understanding of his mandate vis-à-vis the constitutional limitations of the powers and influence of the legislature. He is consistent in his preference for collaboration as against confrontation, in the overall interest of the citizenry.

Therefore, given these early signs within just 15 days, the 10th Senate deserves encouragement for optimal performance.

Egbo is a parliamentary affairs analyst.

Principal, Vice, arrested for flogging student to death

  • Several students traumatized over incident

While the Kaduna State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the Principal and Vice of Al-Azhar School in Zaria, Kaduna State for allegedly flogging Marwanu Nuhu Sambo, a JSS 3 student of the school to death, traumatized students of the school are still reeling with shock over the incident.

Marwanu was said to have been brutally beaten by the Principal, the Vice Principal, and some prefects of Al-Azhar Academy for absenting himself in school.  

The school’s management has also confirmed that those involved in the horrid incident have been arrested.

Again, the Public Relations Officer for the command, Mansir Hassan, said: “the police is fully aware of the incident and we are in control of the situation.

“Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the development. The CP has directed a full-scale investigation on the matter and we will get to its root.”

The now-late JSS 3 Sambo was reportedly paraded in front of the school assembly for missing classes. He was also said to have been subjected to merciless punishments including more than 100 strokes of the cane.

The Police Spokesman added: “At the assembly, the principal ordered that Marwanu should be given 105 strokes of the cane. Thereafter, they took him to the office, removed his clothes and trousers and continued beating him with sticks on the head and back and his body.

“The Principal later handed him over to the school prefects who continued beating him with sticks until one of his teeth fell off. It was at that point that the deceased went into coma.

“But instead of rushing him to the hospital, the prefects brought him out and dumped his body in the school premises near the male toilets until closing time.

“Cries from other students in the school who watched in trepidation reportedly attracted other teachers who rushed to the scene where they found that the boy had given up the ghost.”

Another source said the student was rushed to a private hospital in Zaria, but was confirmed dead by the hospital.

In a statement it issued on the sad incident, the school’s management said the punishment meted out to the deceased pupil was not part of the school’s policy, adding that the officers who imposed “the irresponsible punishment did it without consultation.”

The school’s management also said it was “deeply saddened by the incident that led to the death of the student and prays almighty Allah to forgive the shortcoming of the deceased, grant him jannat elfirdous as his final abode and give his family the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.

“Furthermore, the officers that committed this act were suspended from the school forthwith and handed over to the Nigerian Police Force for investigation and further action.

“Finally the School is closed for Academic activities till further notice.”

In an interview with newsmen in Kaduna on Saturday, an uncle to the student, Isa Saidu, said his nephew, Marwanu Nuhu-Sambo, died at the school on Friday, October 20.

He added that before his death, Nuhu-Sambo was a JSS 3 student of the school.

Saidu disclosed that a friend of the student’s father took him back to the school and handed him over to the principal of the school.

He added that the principal flogged him in his presence before the vice principal of the school took him to the assembly ground where the deceased was also flogged in the presence of other students.

He said: “The late student was again taken to the principal’s office and flogged again where he attempted to run away but was prevented from running away by the school prefects.

“He was still beaten to the extent that he lost some of his teeth and then went into coma and subsequently lost his life.”

In her reaction, Rukayya Sambo, a sister to the deceased, told newsmen that her late brother was asked to repeat his class after promotional examination which he declined and stopped going to the school.

Sambo said: “He was then taken to the school by one of his uncles and handed over to the school principal who vowed to punish him for absconding.

“It was after the uncle left the school that the teachers engaged late Marwanu in a serious beating to the extent they broke his tooth and later killed him.”

She added that her brother’s corpse was abandoned near the school toilet till the school closed, after which the school management rushed him to a nearby hospital only to be told that he had died.

The student’s schoolmates further disclosed that Nuhu-Sambo was given 100 lashes of the cane at the school assembly where his tooth was broken.

“He was later taken to the principal where he was stripped naked and the beating continued till he no longer could breathe,” they added.

Man who allegedly molested 14-year-old step-daughter brutally attacks wife with machete

An Ondo man man, Kehinde Olanipekun, who allegedly attacked his wife Damilola with a machete after reportedly sexually harassing her 14-year-old daughter is currently on the run.

The Ondo State Police Command on Friday said it has commenced search for Olanipekun who allegedly attacked his wife at their residence at Idasen Community in Owo Local Government Area of the state a few days ago

It was gathered that Damilola accused her husband of sexually harassing her 14-year-old daughter, whom she had for another before marrying Olanipekun.

Damilola was said to have confronted her husband about the allegation after her daughter reported the matter to her. The following day, Olanipekun allegedly attacked him with a machete and ran away thereafter.

It was gathered that the action of the suspect was not unconnected with the allegation levelled against him by his wife.

The victim was said to have been rushed by her neighbours to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, but later referred to another hospital due to the injuries inflicted on her by the fleeing husband.

Speaking on the incident, the victim said, “My daughter (Olanipekun’s stepdaughter) told me how my husband had been sexually harassing her whenever I was not at home. So I was disturbed when I got back home. So the following day I had to ask him, he didn’t deny it, but he apologised to me.

“On that fateful day, he said he was going to work and left. But not up to one hour, he came and locked the door from behind and brought out a machete inside the room; when I asked him why, he said he wanted to go and work at the site. Without any prior argument, the next thing is that he started hitting me with the machete.

“He punched my head and my face, grabbed his machete again, and started hitting every other part of my body. I fell, I couldn’t defend myself. When the neighbours heard my loud cry, they knocked at the door to rescue me, but the door was locked from behind.

“After a while, that he had run away, I opened the door, and the neighbors eventually rescued me. I was rushed to the hospital.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident and said the suspect was still on the run and had not been arrested.

“We have begun the search for the suspect, and investigation had commenced into the matter,” the PPRO stated.

VC says UNILORIN has 3 research patents with FG

Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNIILORIN), Professor Wahab Egbewole, SAN, has revealed that the university possesses a total of 36 Research Patents with the Federal government.

During the awards of degrees to the graduating students of the institution at the 37th and 38th combined convocation ceremony of the university on on Saturday, Egbewole SAN disclosed that the UNIILORIN was performing excellently in the area of research, saying “ The university produced 4 patents in 2021/2022 academic session and currently has a total of 36 patents with the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Office of Technology Acquisition and Promotion, Abuja.

He noted, “Today’s Convocation is a reflection of the values and principles that underpin the University of Ilorin. We are committed to fostering a culture of excellence, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.

“Our graduates leave these hallowed halls not only with degrees but with a strong foundation for making meaningful contributions to our society and the world at large.

“As we celebrate the achievements of our graduates, let us also remember that education is a lifelong journey. The knowledge and skills you have acquired here are tools that will empower you to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

“The world is ever-evolving, and your ability to adapt, learn, and grow will be paramount. Your generation is driven by technology and it is the tool to rule that future that just dawned on you today.”

“With this, the University of Ilorin is one of the highest contributing institutions to patency in Nigeria. The number of our patents in the various disciplines are: Medical 5, Agriculture 5, Engineering 16, Food 1, Information Technology 4, Petrochemical 3, Defence 1, and Energy 1. The various patents are currently being positioned for commercialization.”

The Uncommon Lawlessness of Godswill Obot Akpabio

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

Godswill Obot Akpabio aspired to be president of Nigeria and ended up president all the same but of the Senate. In that capacity, he presides over the national assembly. That makes him the number three in citizen of the country, behind only the president and his vice. It is ordinarily a pretty perch from which a lot can be accomplished but that also depends on what “a lot” means.

Unlike many politicians in Nigeria, Akpabio went to schools that were in existence at the time he received his certificates and he has school mates who are still alive. He completed High School at the Federal Government College, Port Harcourt and received his first degree in law from the University of Calabar where he was also Speaker of the Students’ Union Parliament. At the Law School in Lagos, he sat two rows behind former Ohanaeze Nd’Igbo President-General, Nnia Nwodo, and three in front of the present writer. On 3 November, 1988, he was admitted to the Nigerian Bar.

Akpabio is one of very few politicians to have held office continuously in Nigeria through the quarter century since the country returned to civil rule. Coincidentally, the man whom he succeeded as Senate President is another.

Over this period, Akpabio has held a combination of appointive and elective office in the state cabinet as both commissioner and governor; and at the federal level as senator and minister. On his first tour of duty in the Senate, he took control of a small fraction as Minority Leader in 2015 with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). Three years later, in 2018, Akpabio flipped party, crossing over to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Now he carries on as if he owns the whole place.

In 2023, Akpabio’s ambition was the presidential ticket of the ruling party but, as it turned out, it was not his turn. By the time the presidential ticket was decided, however, the party had also concluded primaries for the other elective positions down-ballot. In his home constituency in Akwa Ibom State, the ticket for the Senate was originally decided in favour of Udom Ekpeudom, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police.

Like his predecessor in the office of Senate President and by dint of a brand of judicial invention to which Nigeria uniquely holds the patent, Akpabio successfully edged out the original winner and ended up with a ticket to the Senate from the party. Emmanuel Aziken delicately reports that “the role of money in the rediscovery of Akpabio and Lawan remains in the realm of speculation and extending that in this commentary may breach upon the integrity of the Supreme Court which validated the candidature of the two men.”

Akpabio’s tenure as Senate President has been busy. He has the dubious distinction of being responsible for the largest cabinet, coinciding also with the harshest times in the country’s history. He led the upper chamber to consent to the appointment of 20 special advisers to the president and successfully screened 49 nominees for ministerial appointment, including at least one serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He also turfed out three ministerial nominees, including the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.

Under him, the business of the Senate happens at the speed of Abracadabra.

When Akpabio ran to be Senate President, his campaign manager was Ali Ndume, the senator for Borno South who, coincidentally, grew up in Port Harcourt around the same time that Akpabio did high school there. When the spoils fell to be shared thereafter, Senator Ndume emerged the Majority Whip.

There was, therefore, justifiable spectacle to the scene that unfolded on the floor of the Senate around 11 October, when Mohammed Onawo, who represents Nasarawa South, rose to complain that the Senate President was “just passing bills without prior notification, even money bills, you just pass without anyone’s contribution and within 2 hours. This is not good for Nigeria and history will judge you.” Senators generally bridled at the fact that they had been “ambushed all the time when very sensitive bills are brought and expected to be passed with the speed of light, which is not good for this country.” This complaint ostensibly had the support of the Senate Whip.

This sounds serious. For example, the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has sent to Akpabio an oppressive Social Media Regulation Bill. At his rate of parliamentary business, it could all be passed in less than a day with few or no questions asked.

Anyway, Senate President Akpabio did not bother to controvert Senators Onawo or Ndume. Instead, he took the opportunity to articulate his philosophy of parliamentary business and leadership that is best described as the doctrine of prophetic altruism. In his own words: “If what we pass is good for the country, history will judge me right. If what we are passing with the speed of light is in the interest of Nigerians, history will judge me right. I don’t think we would come here to pass a bill that will not be in the interest of Nigerians.”

Four years ago, while he was still a minister in the federal cabinet, Thisday newspaper reminded us that “Akpabio is not a man of ideas, neither is he one to embrace the niceties of democratic norms because respect for due process and the rule of law – the core values of democracy – are not part of his forte. He’s just a believer in the power of cash and whatever cash cannot buy, more cash can buy it.”

Akpabio’s philosophy of prophetic altruism embodies three dangerous propositions. First, he sets up a contradiction between parliamentary due process on the one hand and public good on the other, manufactured in his head entirely for the purpose of retrenching the former without no intention of fulfilling the latter.

Second, he transforms “if” from a contingency to a prophecy, essentially granting himself the license to trample whatever he can in pursuit of whatever he fancies in the misbegotten belief that his fancies represent the public interest.

Third, Akpabio goes further in a fit of terminal conceit to clothe his presumption with irrefutability, preening himself as the embodiment of every citizen and transforming him into the parliamentary equivalent of Louis XIV.

This shows a remarkable consistency of hubristic narcissism but will be news to citizens beholding the filigree of new SUVs to all members of the National Assembly funded from the proceeds of unconcealed quantitative easing, while many of them die from an epidemic of penury supervised with glee by Akpabio.

When he governed Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Obot Akpabio liked to describe himself and his tenure as “uncommon.” By the time he arrived the Senate, he found himself in the company of 108 others. To separate himself from them, he metamorphosed into the “Uncommon Senator”. In an uncommon act of grace to his predecessors, Akpabio chose instead to promise as he ran to lead the 10th Senate that he will be an “uncommon transformer” if chosen. His rhetoric of running an uncommon senate has now disintegrated into a reality of uncommon lawlessness.

In the past week, Akpabio boasted about how he ignored the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to answer to serious allegations of financial crime against him because, he claimed, it was based on a “frivolous petition”. He implied in the same line that former governors were above the law. One citizen summed it all up in two fitting words: “audacious rogues.”

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at [email protected]

Presidential Election Appeals: Constitutional crisis looms as Justice Dattijo retires from Supreme Court Oct 27

By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka

There are strong indications that the panel of Supreme Court Justices listed to hear the appeals filed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party and the Allied Peoples Movement, challenging the judgement of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC), may encounter constitutional hitches on or immediately after the inauguration of the panel on Monday October 23.

Seven out of the 11 current Supreme Court Justices have been picked to hear the appeals against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which will begin on October 23.

According to the notice released by Zainab Garba from the office of the Supreme Court registrar, the Justices are Musa Dattijo Muhammad, Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Lawal Garba, Helen Ogunwumiju, Mohammed Saulawa, Tijani Abubakar, and Emmanuel Agim.

However, TheNiche gathered that Justice Dattijo is retiring on Friday, October 27, 2023 while Justices Saulawa and Ogunwunmijo may have have opted out of the panel for some undisclosed but obvious reasons.

Justice Helen Ogunwumiju, the only female on the Supreme Court Panel, may have recused herself from hearing the appeals because her two sons, Otunba Ogunwumiju is APC member in the Ondo State House Assembly and Taiwo Ogunwumiju, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is an APC counsel at the tribunals.

Justice Musa Dattijo Mohammed will retire October 27, 2023, four days after the inauguration of the panel, when he will clock the statutory age of 70.

Already, three other Justices of the Supreme Court – Chief Justice of Nigeria Olukayode Ariwo-Ola, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and Inyang-Okoro – have been recused because of conflicts of interests.

With this development in which five out of 11 Justices are recused, the remaining six cannot be constituted because the minimum number constitutionally required to hear petition appeals at the Supreme Court is seven.

If this development occurs, what will be the fate and outcome of the appeal within the time stipulated by law for hearing and judgement/conclusion of election petitions?

The Supreme Court will be facing an uphill task of securing a unanimous judgement of the seven Justices required by law to adjudicate presidential petition appeal.

A call across to Abuja by the TheNiche confirmed the unfolding development at the Supreme Court, but added “let’s wait and see what happens on Monday”.

The Niche

Kayanmata seller reportedly becomes legislative Aide

A sex therapist Aminat Ayeni Onisiwo, better known as Aminat Secrets, has announced her appointment by Barau Jibrin, the Deputy Senate President, as his Senior Legislative Aide”.

The in-coming Legislative Aide, who sells kayanmata’ on Instagram, shared a flier of her siblings congratulating her with respect to the appointment on Friday.

Although the appointment was not publicised by the office of the deputy senate president, Aminat’s siblings wished her “success in your new endeavors”.

“Congratulations Princess Aminat E. Ayeni Onisiwo on your appointment as the senior legislative aide to the deputy senate president of Nigeria. We wish you success in your new endeavors,” the e-flier reads.

Kayanmata’ are aphrodisiacs made from herbs or essentially potions used by women in different forms as sexual pleasure, enhancers, or aphrodisiacs in northern Nigeria.

They were originally used by married women to spice up sexual relations but have, over time, been peddled online as voodoo-like herbs for ladies looking to attract the attention of rich men.

In 2021, the sexual enhancement vendor said her business “focuses on improving sex life, increasing sexual desire for men and women, vagina tightness, vaginal lubrication and sex sweeteners.”

Aminat said her services are “not fetish” but offer ways of “keeping a man”.

“I will never tell you @aminatsecret will stop your man from cheating neither will I tell you he will lavish you,” she wrote on Instagram.

“But I will tell you if you use @aminatsecret, sex will definitely be more pleasurable and chances are he will have a strong desire to have sex with you more.

“Our Wet Drops helps with stimulation and vagina lubrication. In a nutshell sex will be much better.

“This is not about being fetish these are the basics in keeping a man and no Instagram vendor has the power to help you keep your man expect you.

“We receive hundreds of positive reviews and Aminat secret has products and services to help you achieve a better sex life which makes your relationship more healthy.

“There is nothing wrong with using vagina sweeteners, lubrication, and libido boosters.”

The Cable

Manhunt in full swing as man allegedly shoots judge who oversaw his divorce proceedings

A 52 year-old-judge, Andrew Wilkinson has been fatally shot by an angry man whose divorce proceedings he conducted.

The police in Maryland said they’re searching for 49-year-old Pedro Argote, who allegedly targeted and gunned down the judge who oversaw his divorce proceedings.

Argote allegedly shot Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, in the judge’s driveway in Hagerstown, Maryland, Thursday night while the victim’s wife and son were home, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Wilkinson was presiding over Argote’s divorce proceedings, Sheriff Brian Albert said at a news conference Friday. Argote’s ex was granted custody at a hearing earlier in the day Thursday, which is believed to be the motive for the shooting, Albert said.

Argote did not attend Thursday’s hearing, the sheriff said.

PHOTO: The Washington County Sheriff's Office in Maryland has confirmed that Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, was fatally shot on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland has confirmed that Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, was fatally shot on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.Washington County Bar Association

Argote should be considered armed and dangerous, the sheriff said.

Argote may be driving a silver 2009 Mercedes GL450 with Maryland plates 4EH0408, authorities said. The sheriff’s office asks anyone with information on his whereabouts to call police immediately.

The U.S. Marshals Service is also searching for Argote and offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his arrest. The Marshals Service said in a release Friday evening that Argote is now “the target of an interstate manhunt.”

In addition to transferring custody of the couple’s children to Argote’s wife, Wilkinson also issued a $1,120 a month child support requirement, prohibited Argote from visiting or contacting his children or wife if it was not initiated by her, and gave his wife sole possession of the family home, according to court documents obtained by ABC News.

A protective order was issued in relation to a domestic abuse case between the couple in June 2022, according to the court documents.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement that he’s “shocked, heartbroken, and sickened” by the shooting, calling it a “cold-blooded, vicious, and targeted attack.”

“Judge Wilkinson spent his career in defense of justice,” Moore said in a statement. “We must now ensure that the perpetrator of this vile act faces justice and Judge Wilkinson’s family gets the support they need and deserve.”

“My heart goes out to Judge Wilkinson’s family, and my prayers are with everyone who knew him, loved him, and served alongside him,” the governor said.

Wilkinson served in Washington County’s 4th Judicial Circuit since Jan. 10, 2020, according to his court biography.

State Delegate Neil Parrott said on X, formerly known as Twitter, “It appears that Judge Andrew Wilkinson was shot multiple times and has passed away. Police are actively searching for the murderer. Please pray for our police and for Judge Wilkinson’s family at this time.”

Credits: ABC News

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