Don Jazzy and Tiwa Savage both appear to have toned down their social media posts in recent days after the meeting with the DSS and police in Lagos.

etails have emerged on how Nigerian music producer, Michael Ajereh widely known as Don Jazzy, and Tiwatope Savage popularly known as Tiwa Savage, were invited by the Department of State Serviced for questioning over alleged political utterances against the administration of President Muhamamdu Buhari. 

In recent months, following a sharp rise in sexual assault cases across Nigeria especially against women, Tiwa Savage began a movement known as “WeAreTired” in protest of the situation.

Through the movement, the musician called on Buhari’s administration to take action to stem the tide of rape in the country. 

According to findings by SaharaRepoters, this in addition to several posts on social media calling on the government to live up to its responsibilities to Nigerians earned Tiwa Savage an invitation by the DSS. 

Together with Don Jazzy, Savage was invited to the DSS office in Lagos two weeks ago during which they were warned to be careful with their posts on the social media. 

Shortly after that episode, the two celebrities together with colleagues Yemi Alade and Waje were summoned by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who while sharing efforts they were making to tackle rape and other problems in the state and country, warned the musicians to steer clear of political comments in order not to incur the wrath of the President Buhari administration.

A member of Tiwa Savage’s management team, who confirmed the development to SaharaRepoters, said that the celebrated female artiste will not stop speaking for Nigerians regardless of any move by governnent.

But as if to confirm the subtle warning from governnent, Don Jazzy and Tiwa Savage both appear to have toned down their social media posts in recent days after the meeting with the DSS and police in Lagos.

For example, Don Jazzy, who is known to actively engage his numerous followers on social media, last posted anything on Twitter more than 22 hours while Tiwa never continued with her hashtag after the meeting with DSS Director at their Shangisha, Lagos office.

Apart from the two celebrities, the DSS has also invited a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia, over his comments on the operations of Boko Haram in the Northern part of Nigeria.

While speaking on a radio programme, Mailafia had stated that a serving governor in the North was the commander of Boko Haram.

He was invited twice for questioning by the DSS and also invited for interrogation by the police in Abuja, which he turned down by seeking a relief in court.

saharareporters

‘I WOULD HAVE RESIGNED IF I WERE AKPATA ….’

BY EMEKA NWADIOKE

More insights have emerged from the recently concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Elections, even as former NBA presidential candidate, Mr. Dele Adesina SAN has finally thrown in the towel in his quest to have the election cancelled.

In a detailed statement titled “NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: A MATTER OF JUSTICE, CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY,” Adesina revealed that four of NBA’s six trustees endorsed his petition, though the Board of Trustees fell shy of allowing his petition. His words: “Notwithstanding that the Board of Trustees of the NBA did not go the whole hog according to them “in the interest of the Association;” I nevertheless want to thank the four (4) members out of the six (6) for standing and upholding the truth on this matter.”

The former NBA General Secretary also stated that he would have “stepped-aside” and called for a re-run had he been declared winner under the same circumstances as NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, saying: “If I were to be the product of the election that has now been adjudged to be fatally flawed, I would have honourably stepped-aside and call for a re-election. This is because character, honour and integrity are the hallmarks of leadership.”

While thanking his supporters for their steadfastness, Adesina however pledged to cooperate with other like-minded stakeholders to wrought electoral reforms within the Bar.

The full text of Adesina’s speech is below.

NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: A MATTER OF JUSTICE CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY
BY DELE ADESINA, SAN, FCI Arb.

In my Petition dated August 2nd, 2020 to the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association, I drew attention to the flawed, illegal and unconstitutional process leading to the NBA Election of 29th – 30th of July, 2020 and the electronic fraud that characterised the Election proper. In that Petition, I stated inter alia that as a past Chairman of NBA Ikeja Branch, past General Secretary of the Association, a Life Member of the National Executive Committee and a Life Member of the Distinguished Body of Benchers in addition to other areas of responsibility that I have had the privilege to serve, I can lay claim to being one of the builders of the Association. Consequently, I will hate to see the Association destroyed or destabilised in any way or form. I also stated in that Petition that my participation in the affairs of the NBA is driven purely and absolutely by the desire to advance the interest and aspirations of the Association in particular and our beloved Profession in general.

In drawing attention to the serial violation of the provisions of the NBA Constitution, the cyber fraud perpetrated and the misuse and abuse of powers which I submitted characterised the election, I called for the cancellation of the Election. Recognising that if the election process is wrongful, illegal and unconstitutional, the product must suffer the same fate.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES – FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In a letter authored by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, dated 19th of August 2020, it was stated that: “although you have petitioned to us, we must be clear that we have no judicial authority to give direction to the NBA, our position in the circumstance is at best advisory. Nonetheless, we have read your Petition and noted that it raises many general and specific allegations in relation to the Elections…. The Trustees have given careful consideration and deeply reflected on your Petition and all the responses, in particular that of ECNBA. We note that the Elections were not perfect. We reviewed your Petition and note that it raises serious issues. Nonetheless our advice would be that the overall interest of the Bar should be paramount on the mind of every Nigerian Lawyer and to that extent, we urge that all Lawyers and no less the Candidates be mindful of the need to promote a cohesive, united and strong Bar. We regret that we are unable to advise that the election should be cancelled in the overall interest of the Bar.” The Trustees further noted that “our elections continue to present challenges going back to 2016 and strongly recommend that a major transformation of our electoral process and framework must be undertaking and we are happy to be assigned this very important responsibility…”

In an earlier letter dated 17th of August, 2020 (an unsigned letter which I received via my email from the Chairman) the Trustees stated that “Nonetheless, we have read your Petition and admit that it is not frivolous. The NBA 2020 Election was marred by irregularities. The ECNBA admitted that the election platform failed which is why they had to engage another I.T. Consultant. The ECNBA admitted that over 14,000 members could not vote which is an extremely high number. The ECNBA should have made provision to enable everyone to vote. This is an omission on their part. You have requested that the NBA 2020 Election be cancelled, but this will be unfair to those who have voted.”

The Letter continued: “the Trustees have given careful consideration and deeply reflected on the nature of advice to give. Our advice will be that the Bar should be paramount on the mind of every Nigerian Lawyer and to that extent, we urge that all Lawyers and no less the Candidates and in particular your good-self accept the Election with its inadequacies in good faith. We are very mindful in our advisory on the need to keep the Bar cohesive, united and strong.” The letter went further to state that “the Trustees are however disappointed that our Elections continue to present challenges going back to 2016 and strongly recommend that major transformation of our Electoral process and framework must be undertaken and we are happy to be assigned this very important responsibility.”

The following are evident from the decision of the Board of Trustees: First, the Petition was not frivolous; Second, the Petition raised serious general and specific allegations; Third, the ECNBA had no defence to the serious issues raised in the Petition; Four, since 2016, NBA Elections have been the subject of serious disputations for which they the Trustees were disappointed; Five, that a strong recommendation for a major transformation of our electoral process and framework should be undertaken; and Six, that the Board of Trustees are willing to undertake the job of electoral transformation of the NBA.

I know as a fact that all the members of the Board of Trustees agreed and were united on the specific findings that the Election was flawed and imperfect. All of them were also united in their desire to terminate the narrative of sham elections in the NBA since 2016, hence their willingness to undertake the responsibility of carrying out electoral transformation for the Association. They only differ on the consequences of their findings which is whether to direct an outright cancellation and order a fresh election, or direct a bye-election for the 14,000 voters that were disenfranchised, or allow the election to stand as it is.

I believe it is an attempt to marry these different outcomes that the Board of Trustees came to the advice that the overall interest of the Bar should be paramount on the mind of every Nigerian Lawyer. That the Board of Trustees urged all Lawyers including the Candidates of the need to promote a cohesive, united and strong Bar and that “the Board of Trustees regretted their inability to advice that the election be cancelled in the overall interest of the Bar.”

THE PETITION SUCCEDED

If my Petition will lead to the transformation of NBA electoral process that will free it from lawlessness, corrupt practices and other forms of cyber-crime for which NBA has become notably reputed since 2016 as promised by the Trustees, I will be satisfied. If my Petition will bring about a definite stop to a manipulated bi-annual electoral process with evidence of producing an appointed President or securing the election of a pre-determined President for the NBA and make votes count in future NBA Elections, I will be satisfied. If my Petition will enthrone respect for Rule of Law, respect for Due Process and stop misuse and abuse of power by a few individuals who believe that they must get what they want for the NBA and not what the NBA wants, I will be satisfied. If this Petition will inculcate and restore the glory, honour, honesty, dignity, integrity, moral and ethical principles on NBA leadership particularly its Presidents and make them do things right to re-establish the NBA as the conscience of the Nation once again, I will be more than satisfied.

As a Legal Practitioner of 38 years post-call and as a matter of practice and experience, I know that when allegation of facts succeeds in a civil claim and defence is held to have no probative value, granting of relief is automatic. When allegations of crime are proved in a criminal matter and defence is rejected, conviction also follows. In an Election Petition, where Grounds of Petition succeeds, such as it has been held by four (4) Trustees out of six (6) in this matter, setting aside of that election is a necessary consequence of the findings. However, in this case, the Board of Trustees have advised in spite of the seriousness of their findings that we accept the election in good faith because of the “need to keep the Bar cohesive, united and strong” in a typical Nigerian mentality.

Notwithstanding that the Board of Trustees of the NBA did not go the whole hog according to them “in the interest of the Association;” I nevertheless want to thank the four (4) members out of the six (6) for standing and upholding the truth on this matter. If I were to be the product of the election that has now been adjudged to be fatally flawed, I would have honourably stepped-aside and call for a re-election. This is because character, honour and integrity are the hallmarks of leadership. It must be particularly noted that we raised serious reservations in our letter of 7th of July, 2020 to the Electoral Committee against the serial breach of the provisions of the Constitution relating to the electoral process and the hap-hazard manner of handling the process, the secrecy surrounding the appointment of the I.T Consultant and the failure to demonstrate the process in order to ascertain the vulnerability and the integrity of the technology to be deployed for the election.

Similarly, Mr. Olumide Akpata also in a most vehement manner raised serious reservations in his letter of 20th of July, 2020, to the Electoral Committee. Both letters were sturdily disregarded and ignored by the ECNBA. Legitimacy is not only a product of popular acceptability, but it is also a product of legality and constitutionality. Indeed, popular acceptability will stand on nothing if there is no legal and constitutional legitimacy as you cannot build something on nothing and expect it to stand.

NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION AND CULTURE OF IMPUNITY

The motto of NBA as enshrined in the Constitution of the Association is Promoting the Rule of Law. In his address to the Annual General Meeting of the NBA on 28th of August, 2020, Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN, said surprisingly “Whatever one may say about those elections, one thing that cannot be taken away from it is that that was the first ever of our National Elections where everyone was turned into Election monitors as well as electoral and returning officers all rolled into one …. For most of our members and based on the comments I have received, this was an exhilarating experience in transparency. The transparency was unparallel and we are expecting that subsequent Bar Elections will build on that quality of transparency.” My friend Mr. Paul Usoro certainly did not see what many others saw. He failed to realize that election is a process culminating with voting. He ought not to have directed his mind only to the voting process to the exclusion of the other various stages leading to the voting process.

Rule of Law in all its ramification presupposes that the Law is supreme and that everything must be done according to law and the law in this instance include the Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association, 2015, as amended. It includes recognised practices and conventions that enthrone and guarantee Due Process as against arbitrariness, impunity, lawlessness, abuse of office and misuse of power as clearly demonstrated in the conduct of the just concluded 2020 National Officers Election. Transparency in relation to the just concluded Election exists only in the fertile imagination of the out-gone President.

The leaders of the Bar must come together and take decisive steps in other to restore the lost glory, honour and integrity of the Association. If we are complacent in doing this, life in its own way will force decisions on us. In 2016, they superintended over a rigged election which ended in Court. In 2018, they superintended over an election which ended in both civil suit and criminal charges in Court. The fact that the Court cases failed to achieve any success emboldened the perpetrators to go to higher levels of brazen impunity as witnessed in the 2020 Election.

The result of these reckless actions on the part of the few who have vowed to secure the appointment of NBA President through sham elections may be delayed but is never lost. However, it must be recognised by all our members that the character of any leader determines the character of the organisation that he leads and that everything rises and falls with leadership. It is not surprising that Nigerian Bar Association has contributed nothing to nation-building in the last few years. The Association has been stuck at the zero-ground level of low public esteem – in the words of a concerned member of the Bar. After all, anyone who will move the world must first move himself.

MOVING FORWARD

Like I said in my Statement of Tuesday, 25th August, 2020 and in my characteristic manner, “I was already planning to stop talking about what the devil has done regarding this election and begin to talk about what God will do in response to the uncountable appeals and persuasions from highly respected members of the Profession” including some of the members of the Board of Trustees that I hold in very high esteem. I am a builder and a peace-maker. I am never desperate about anything neither do I pursue anything at all cost. I have always allowed God to have His way and establish His will concerning me. My Christian faith teaches me the virtue not to cry behind a closed door to deprive myself the opportunity of seeing the seven doors that are wide open.

I want to plead with all sense of responsibility to all my friends, colleagues and supporters who worked so hard with me nationwide during the electioneering process, those whose votes were either diverted, suppressed, stolen or who were out rightly disenfranchised, and all fair-minded members of the Association who believe that enough is enough and that this Bi-Annual show of shame must stop by pursuing this case to its logical conclusion to please, let us put the July 2020 Presidential Election of the NBA behind us. I have strongly stood against going to Court in this matter despite serious pressure even though I am fully persuaded that simple Originating Summons will set aside this Election, judging by the faulty process that lead to the Election.

Like I have said several times, for me, the Presidency of the NBA is not an end in itself but a means to an end to secure the future of our Profession by strengthening the Association’s relevance to its members, by vigorously pursuing the defence and promotion of the Rule of Law in our Nation, by protecting, promoting and defending the independence of the Legal Profession in general and in particular the independence of Lawyers and Judges in the practice of their Profession and by taking pro-active efforts to change the negative perception about the Legal Profession by members of the public. This is the whole reason for my involvement in the process. It is to give service and I believe this does not warrant my going to court so that I can give. After all, despite the effort of the aggrieved members to the election fraud of 2018 which resulted in filing both civil suits and criminal charges in Court, the beneficiary of the election has just handed over few days ago. My decision to rest the case here is a product of a very careful consideration of all that I have stated above including in particular the fact that I am a peace maker and one of the builders of the Association with a view to preserving whatever is left of the Nigerian Bar Association. After all, “a living Dog is better than a dead Lion.”

EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE

To all my colleagues both at the inner Bar and outer Bar, friends, members of various DASAN Committees, dedicated supporters and followers on various social media platforms, l once again wish to express my heartfelt gratitude and profound appreciation to each and everyone of you for the wonderful role you played in our attempt to re-position the Association by making it a positive catalyst for the Legal Profession and the development of our Nation. We were going there to change the ways and show the path to follow, to demonstrate the meaning of true leadership in purity, honesty of purpose and integrity.

Please note that we have built a strong bond of friendship, brotherhood and sisterhood thereby creating relationships and connections throughout the Nation. I urge you all to continue in this spirit of friendship and keep our connections active as we are all together in this journey of life and career fulfilment in the true spirit of being “our brother’s keeper.” Remember, love never gives up. It never loses faith. It is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. Let us remain in love by keeping in touch with one another.

CONCLUSION

Let me conclude with the statement made by Barack Obama, former President of the United States of America, when he visited Japan. He got to Hiroshima and remembered the events of World War II and the destruction and devastation wrought on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and said: “We have a responsibility to look directly into history and ask: What must we do differently to achieve a better result?” I do hope that the Board of Trustees appreciates the need to do things differently henceforth in NBA; hence, their promise and willingness to accept responsibility for electoral transformation. I shall continue to join well-meaning members of the Association where I can on this restoration effort to rebuild our Association and repackage the image of our beloved Profession.

Dele Adesina, SAN, FCI Arb.
Dated Monday 31st August, 2020.

By Kalu Idika 

“The idea that elected politicians of South East extraction are falling on themselves in their sycophantic gambits to outperform each other towards pleasing the ‘powerful’ President Muhammadu Buhari over the yet to be completed renovations works at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, South East of Nigeria, shows that there is a deep deficit of leadership in the South East of Nigeria and should be a pointer for the people who will vote in subsequent elections to look beyond the momentary bribes of bags of salt, rice and wrappers to search for leaders who have strong will and greater peoples friendly character to be elected”.

With the above preamble, the prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has carpeted President Muhammadu Buhari for deceiving the people of the South East of Nigeria by going ahead to commission the Akanu Ibiam International Airport which renovation works have not even reached significant proportion or percentage. HURIWA also dismissed as sycophantic rhetorics, the praises heaped on President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration by some political nitwits of South East extraction over the commissioning exercise which is a ruse to deceive the gullible people to believe that the Central government is up and doing with delivering the needed infrastructures that will enable economic growth to take place. The Rights group said assuming without conceding that the renovations of the only International Airport serving Nigeria’s most travelled population is a good thing, why do we have to praise the President as if he personally bankrolled the project. Far from it, the services and projects delivered by political office holders are done from the resources of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We are disappointed that the Airport was shut down for over a year for renovation and was supposed to have been completed back in April, but the Federal Government failed to keep to their words and even when the re-opening was deferred, it has still emerged that the strategic components that should make the Airport Standardized, are yet to be installed, but yet over 60 million South Easterners were deceived into believing that the government at the centre has completed the renovations for which a paltry N10 billion was approved whereas the National Assembly said the same government has spent N60 billion to renovate the fence at the university of Maduguri in Borno North East of Nigeria”.
HURIWA wonders why it took the same government less than two months to renovate the Abuja international Airport, build brand new road to Kaduna Airport and renovated Kaduna Airport to take in flights coming to land in Abuja, but the Akanu Ibiam international Airport was shut for over a year but almost all of the strategic components to enhance safety and standardised services at the Airport are yet to be installed and yet Nigerians of Igbo extraction are made to venerate the President as if the South East of Nigeria is not part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

HURIWA stated thus: “We have just read the scientific report by Charles Ogbu who reported authoritatively that the Enugu Airport has yet to be fully renovated when he wrote that:”Just to put the record straight, some of the pictures being peddled online ARE NOT pictures of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
The pictures below represent the true, factual and verified condition of the airport.
The renovation of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu IS NOT yet completed.

As of today, August 30, 2020,
(1) Only the runway of the Akanu Ibiam Airport is fully ready which means only local flight can resume.
(2) The Night landing equipment is yet to be fixed. Which means, just like before, no flight can use the airport at night. For now.
(3) Neither the cargo terminal nor the international terminal building has been completed.
In a nutshell, the renovation of Akanu Ibiam International Airport is still continuing even as they have declared it open for use today. Most of the facilities required for international operation are yet to be fixed.
According to the authorities, the entire renovation will be completed before the year runs out.

NOTE: what I have done here is provide information as to the true situation of things at the airport in question. Nothing more.”

HURIWA has therefore condemned the haste in pouring rain of gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to fully renovate the Enugu International Airport even one full year after it was shut down and Nigerians were told it would be finished in few weeks. The Rights group said the people must evolve the culture of demanding account and transparency from their elected politicians if we truly want constitutional democracy not to collapse just as the Rights group said praising government officials for using public money to build public assets is one way of bringing into being a very dangerous and lawless dictatorship of the strong African ruler which is antithetical to everything we should hold so dear as lovers and builders of a democratic nation.

© Copyright 2020 Elombah.com.

A coalition of civil rights organizations (CSOs) under the aegis of YIAGA Africa has expressed concerns over the increase of pre-election violence ahead of the Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 19.

The group also identified 13 areas across the three Senatorial Districts of the state as possible flashpoints.

YIAGA Africa raised these concerns in its Pre-Election Observation Report titled, ‘2020 Edo Election: An election defined by strongarm tactics and violence’ by its Executive Director, Samson Itodo.

The report which became public yesterday was released on August 31, 2020.

The report read in part ,“Based on our observation reports, the potential hotspots and flashpoints of violence include Etsako West, Etsako East, Etsako Central, Owan West, and Akoko-Edo in Edo North Senatorial district.

“In Edo South Senatorial district, our reports suggest Oredo, Orhionmwon, Egor, Ovia North East, and Ikpoba-Okha LGAs, while in Edo Central Senatorial District, Esan Central, Esan North East, and Esan West are potential hotspots. Reports from our LTOs suggest that the spate of violence and insecurity in the pre-election period may discourage voters from turning up to vote on election day.”

The report attributed the violence to thugs, touts, gangsters, and cultists on the one hand, and the widespread belief that elections could not be won – or smooth governance guaranteed – without strong-arm tactics and the support of powerful thugs.

•‘Law Not Against Churches’

THE Federal Government has assured religious bodies that the Companies and Allied Matters Act(CAMA) 2020 is not targeted at churches, mosques and other religious bodies.

But the Christian Association (CAN) is seeking its suspension by President Muhammadu Buhari because it has “the potential that can further undermine the faith of stakeholders in the Nigerian state.”

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang and CAN President Rev. Samson Ayokunle, spoke at a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

At the meeting organised to enlighten the Christian body on the provisions of CAMA, Enang swore to an oath to assure the church in Nigeria that he would tell the whole truth about the new law.

The Presidential aide alleged that some politicians, especially those opposition parties, had “wrongly characterised” CAMA as an anti-religious law.

He explained that the bill that birthed CAMA was initiated by a Senator and a member of the House of Representatives and not from the Executive arm of government as widely speculated. Enang added that the President had twice declined assented to the bill when it was passed by the 8th National Assembly.

He said: “Misconceptions have enveloped this Act with deliberate misinformation and falsehood by persons who may not have fully and in-fact, personally read and digested the provisions of the Act.

“First, the bill that gave birth to the Act was not an Executive bill transmitted by President Buhari to the legislature. It was initiated by two members of the National Assembly at the behest of the Corporate Affairs Commission and support of the Ministry of Trade and Investment. It was passed and transmitted to Mr. President for assent.

“Mr. President, in accordance with extant best practice escalated the measure to appropriate ministries, departments and agencies who made different inputs some of which lead to Mr. President declining assent twice to the bill in the entire tenure or life of the 8th Assembly.

“We want to declare as a fact, that the Act does not target churches or religious bodies as wrongly assumed.

“President Buhari has not introduced any matter oppressive to the Christian community or any religion or any matter discriminatory against any class of persons in Nigeria

But CAN President, Rev. Ayokunle, urged the President to suspend the implementation of the Act because it does not have the input of “ various interest groups.”

Ayokunle argued that reactions of public officeholders have not helped matters.

His words: “We sincerely appreciate the courtesy of your invitation, we are however constrained from doing so on the following grounds: We are yet to be availed with the authentic version of the voluminous Act .

“From the reactions of stakeholders and a cross-section of the Nigerian-state, it is apparent that the Act either did not receive input from the respective various interest groups or failed to accommodate their views, sundry concerns and varying interests of the Nigerian people.

“Without prejudice to our observations, such a law ought to welcome and accommodate the sundry and varying interests of the Nigerian people.

“Furthermore, we are mindful that comments in public domain are beginning to indicate that CAMA, 2020 has the potential that can further undermine the faith of stakeholders in the Nigerian-state.

“The dominant schools of thought in the public domain, hold the view that should stakeholders of the Nigerian-state seek judicial intervention or amendment of the Act by the National Assembly, they shall achieve nothing much, as they consider such, as exercises in futility.

“Mr. President, from the foregoing, we are of the opinion that you should kindly issue the appropriate directives to suspend the implementation of CAMA 2020 and affirm a thorough reappraisal of the legislation that is in correlation with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, other extant legal and policy frameworks, the national economy, national security, national interest and the wellbeing of the Nigerian-state.”

NIGERIA Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba, said on Tuesday that the NLC would reject any plan to inflict further pain on Nigerians.

In a statement titled: “Increase in electricity tariff by Abuja DisCo – a taunting of the will of Nigerian people gone too far,” the congress noted that the new plan by AEDC was “dead on arrival as it will be resisted by the Nigerian working class and people.

The NLC said: “It appears that the adamant desire of DISCOs in Nigeria to ram through their ill-conceived agenda to further impoverish Nigerians through astronomical tariff increase amidst a plummeting return on service delivery has now been deregulated. The DISCOs appear to have given themselves the ignoble tasks of taking turns to taunt the will of the Nigerian people.

“Abuja DISCO has adorned the robe of the protagonist in this regard with its announcement of a new tariff plan for electricity consumers within its service area starting from September 1, 2020.

“We are not aware of any order by the government or the elected representatives of the Nigerian people de-freezing the order to suspend any plans to inflict more pocket and psychological trauma on Nigerians by way of reckless and insensitive hike in electricity tariff.

“We wish to state that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) seriously frowns at, completely condemns, and totally rejects any plan to inflict further pain on Nigerians at this very time of great economic distress. The new dribble by the Abuja DisCo is dead on arrival as it will be resisted by the Nigerian working class and people. The other DISCOs should not bother putting their ships of exploitation to sail.”

The NLC also stated that it was deeply concerned on the deaf and dumb posture of the regulator- the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

“It is important to put on record the fact that NERC would be putting its name on the wrong side of history if it continues to play the Ostrich while a group of portfolio investors make a blood meal of Nigerians.

“Nigerian electricity consumers need the NERC to speak up and act now in defense of the rights of the Nigerian people,” the NLC stated in the statement.

The congress also stated that since the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), electricity tariffs through the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) have been increased a number of times without accompanying improvement in services.

The statement added: “It is unfortunate that since the unbundling of the former PHCN to yield DisCos and GenCos , electricity tariffs through the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) have been increased a number of times without accompanying improvement in services.

“Each hike in electricity tariff in Nigeria is trailed by huge leap in hours of darkness, de-metering of more Nigerians, exponential rise in incidences of estimated billing, and increased burden on citizens for the procurement of equipment and facilities for public electricity supply amidst other devious methods by DisCos to cheat, exploit and despoil poor Nigerians.”