[dropcap]D[/dropcap]espite Nigeria’s closure of it borders against imports and exports activities. The Nigeria Customs Service has given its allocation of revenue targets for the year 2020 to the closed Customs commands at the various border stations across the country.
The Nigeria government is yet to reopen its borders since it was closed in August 2019, even as the January 31st 2020 proposed date to reopen the borders has lapsed without a word from the government.
Surprisingly, as the border stations remained under lock and key for any form of business in the last seven months without any revenue yielding activities, the Comptroller General of the Service, Col Hameed Ali (rtd) has distributed revenue targets to the closed border stations.
The breakdown of the N2 Trillion revenue target for the 2020 fiscal year by the Customs to all its 36 Commands, Units and Formations across the country was contained in a circular dated 10th February 2020 and was addressed to all Area Controllers, FOUs and other formations in the Service.
According to the breakdown, Seme border command which has been closed for business since August 2019 is given a daily target of N157,014,169.49.
Its monthly and year target is N628,056,679.98 and N7,536,680,135.73 respectively.
While, Ogun 1 ( Idiroko) border is also given a daily target of N2,875,000, monthly target of N11,500,000 and N138,000,000 is the Command’s total target for 2020.
Already the Month of January is gone without the commands collection of any revenue.
Other commands like Borno/ Yobe, Adamwa and Katsina which have prominent borders like Jibya,Banki, Gamburu etc and which has long been shut due to Insurgents activities were also given revenue targets. Borno/ Yobe command is given N225,750,992.13.
According to circular number 04 T&T/2020 titled “Distribution of 2020 Fiscal Year Revenue Target to Area Commands” signed by DCG T.M. Isa of Tariff & Trade on behalf of the Comptroller General.
It reads “The CGC has graciously approved revenue generation targets for Area Commands which was arrived at based on Command peculiarities.
I am therefore directed to escalate to all Area Commands for immediate implementation”.
The Nigeria Customs Service has given itself the target of N2 Trillion for the year 2020 with a monthly target of N166,666,666,666.67, weekly target of N41,666,666,666,.67 and daily target of N5,952,380,952.38.
Recently the National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) during a chat with journalists in Lagos has condemned the setting of targets to customs commands, instead of trade facilitation, a situation he said will make officers to be more desperate.
Nwabunike also said over 2000 trucks of both inward and outward bound goods were trapped at Seme border alone and that the government should review the partial border closure policy to salvage genuine business people to carry on their businesses at the borders.
Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate romance and love and kissy-face fealty. But the origins of this festival of candy and cupids are actually dark, bloody — and a bit muddled.
A drawing depicts the death of St. Valentine — one of them, anyway. The Romans executed two men by that name on Feb. 14 of different years in the 3rd century A.D.
Though no one has pinpointed the exact origin of the holiday, one good place to start is ancient Rome, where men hit on women by, well, hitting them.
From Feb. 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. The men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain.
The Roman romantics “were drunk. They were naked,” says Noel Lenski, a historian at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Young women would actually line up for the men to hit them, Lenski says. They believed this would make them fertile.
The brutal fete included a matchmaking lottery, in which young men drew the names of women from a jar. The couple would then be, um, coupled up for the duration of the festival — or longer, if the match was right.
The ancient Romans may also be responsible for the name of our modern day of love. Emperor Claudius II executed two men — both named Valentine — on Feb. 14 of different years in the 3rd century A.D. Their martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day.
Around the same time, the Normans celebrated Galatin’s Day. Galatin meant “lover of women.” That was likely confused with St. Valentine’s Day at some point, in part because they sound alike.
William Shakespeare helped romanticize Valentine’s Day in his work, and it gained popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe.
Perry-Castañeda Library, University of Texas
Shakespeare In Love
As the years went on, the holiday grew sweeter. Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticized it in their work, and it gained popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe. Handmade paper cards became the tokens-du-jour in the Middle Ages.
Eventually, the tradition made its way to the New World. The industrial revolution ushered in factory-made cards in the 19th century. And in 1913, Hallmark Cards of Kansas City, Mo., began mass producing valentines. February has not been the same since.
Today, the holiday is big business: According to market research firm IBIS World, Valentine’s Day sales reached $17.6 billion last year; this year’s sales are expected to total $18.6 billion.
But that commercialization has spoiled the day for many. Helen Fisher, a sociologist at Rutgers University, says we have only ourselves to blame.
“This isn’t a command performance,” she says. “If people didn’t want to buy Hallmark cards, they would not be bought, and Hallmark would go out of business.”
And so the celebration of Valentine’s Day goes on, in varied ways. Many will break the bank buying jewelry and flowers for their beloveds. Others will celebrate in a SAD (that’s Single Awareness Day) way, dining alone and binging on self-gifted chocolates. A few may even be spending this day the same way the early Romans did. But let’s not go there.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Affairs has started perfecting strategies to hold a public hearing on the multi-billion naira emergency projects awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Investigations by Sunday PUNCH revealed that majority of the senators from the oil prospecting states in the country are interested in knowing the details of the contracts awarded and the various beneficiaries.It was discovered that the Senate would rely on the audit reports and queries issued to the agency on the issue by the Auditor – General of the Federation.
The audit reports and queries prepared by the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation are currently domiciled in the Senate Public Accounts Committee and many members of the constitutionally recognised panel are also members of the committee on Niger Delta Affairs.
Further findings by our correspondent revealed that the Senate panel believe that the National Assembly should probe the extra-budgetary spending of the agency because they lacked parliamentary approval.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, told the interim management committee of the NDDC on Wednesday when the team defended its 2019 budget that the agency’s handlers erred in law by spending funds not appropriated by the federal legislators.
He asked the NDDC interim management committee to present details of the emergency projects, but the team led by the acting Managing Director, Dr Joy Nunieh, said it did not come with the document since the Senate did not demand for it earlier.
Nwaoboshi therefore told Nunieh to forward details of the extra budgetary spending to the Senate panel before Tuesday so as to form part of his panel’s report due for submission at plenary before the end of the week.
A member of the panel had asked Nunieh to give details of the serving senator who was alleged to be executing 300 contracts for the agency but the acting MD said she was not aware of such information.
Another member of the panel who is also a major stakeholder in the oil rich region of the country told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that his colleagues would also rely on their counterparts in the Public Accounts Committee to organise the public hearing.
The senator said, “We wanted to probe the activities of the NDDC from 2015 till date, but the executive set up an interim management team for that purpose. However, the aspect that concerns us has to do with the money they spent without authorisation by the National Assembly.
“So, we are going to hold a public hearing where Nigerians will actually know what happened to the money put in the trust of the NDDC management for the people of Niger Delta and how the money was spent.”
The acting Managing Director of the agency had told the Senate panel on Wednesday that there were lots of misplaced projects in the NDDC budgets and promised that her team would correct the anomaly.
She said, “I know that there are a lot of misplaced projects in the NDDC budget and that’s what we’re trying to correct in this new dispensation.
“Now, we’re trying to ensure that there is a proper assessment for projects to be taken to various communities.”
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer President Goodluck Jonathan, who was said to have worked assiduously with his loyalists against Diri Douye ,a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people’s Democratic Party, PDP, Candidate, in the November 16, 2019, governorship election , in Bayelsa state may have shot himself on the leg.
This is because the Supreme Court has diven the nod to the Professor Mahmud Yakubu led Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the Certificate of Return , given to David Lyon, the All Progressive Congress, APC, governor elect , which could have qualified him to be sworn in today, Friday, February 14, 2020, at Yenogoa, the state Capital.
The apex Court was said to have also ordered the Commission to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Diri, the PDP, flag bearer who should be sworn in as the governor of the state. Indeed, it was bad news, not only to the former First Family but also to the state House Assembly members and other PDP elected Lawmakers at the National level who had decamped to the APC, in solidarity with the former President and temipre Sylva, a former governor of the state and minister of state, and now Petroleum Resources minister who were said to be instrumental to Lyon victory in the Bayelsa governorship election.
Note that the former President had reconciled with Sylva, his estranged former political ally, to work for the victory of Lyon, the APC , Candidate. This is evident , going by the performance of the PDP and its governorship Candidate in a former President’s home state, as shown by the result announced by the INEC, Returning officer . the PDP performance in Ogbia, the former President’s home local government Council took many by surprise because of the protest vote against the PDP Candidate which led to the party dismal performance in the Council. Diri, the PDP, Candidate, was said to have polled 13,763 to Lyon, the APC, Candidate’s 58,016 votes in Ogbia local government Area.
Diri Duoye: Supreme Court Anointed Governor Of Bayelsa State
. The voting pattern was the same at Brass, Ekeremor,Nembe,southern Ijaw, and Yenagoa local government Areas where the APC , trounced the PDP beyond measure. The PDP, Candidate had lost with very wide margins in Nembe local government alone. The APC , governorship Candidate, was said to have scored 83,041 to 874 votes scored by Diri, showing a high level rigging in the Area. The PDP, governorship Candidate, was said to have won only in two local government Areas of the state: Kolokuma/Opukuma and Sagbama, leaving six, to the APC.
This may have informed why Adams Oshiomhole, a Labour activist and former governor of Edo state and now National Chairman of the ruling APC, who had rejected the Supreme Court ruling on the Bayelsa state governorship election to say that going by the results of the election that was announced by INEC in the state ‘’nobody was qualified to be sworn as the governor of the state’’.
An aggrieved Oshiomhole had told those that cares to listen that ‘’if Lyon, the party governor elect in the oil rich state could not be sworn in as governor and as the Candidate who scored the highest number of votes spread in the eight local government Areas of the state , it simply implies that Friday, February 14, 2020, there will be no government in Bayelsa state’’.
He noted that not even the PDP has met the Constitutional requirement for its Candidate , Diri, to be sworn in as the governor of the state. According to him, the PDP Candidate does not have 25% of the total Lawful total votes cast in two-thirds of the eight local Areas of the state, an indication that he did not merit to be sworn in as the governor of Byelsa state.
Political watchers believe that that there is no way the APC, which was the Opposition party could have made an in-road into the state without the endorsement of the APC Candidate by the former President.
Seriake Dickson, the PDP governor of the state, who many were expecting to hand over to Lyon, the APC, Candidate, as the next governor, may have been calm since INEC, announced the state governorship election result, declaring Lyon, the APC, Candidate to be the winner of the November 16, 2019, election in the state. Armed with the forged Certificates of Degi Eremieyo, Lyon’s running mate which qualifies him to be anointed as the Lyon ‘s running mate, he knew the duo are going nowhere.
As a lawyer, he Knew that the Eremieyo baggage will be infectious to lyon becoming the governor of the state. Moreso, the PDP leadership in the state had kept it a closely guided secret and, had waited , for the opportunity to drag the duo to Court to claim the party mandate. The opportunity came when the Electoral Umpire announced the overall result, which had shown Lyon, the APC, Candidate as the winner of the election. The case which had started from the state Election governorship Election Petition Tribunal had dragged on to the Supreme Court.
The recent ruling of the five-man Supreme Court Justices, led by Mary Odili, a Justice of the Supreme Court and wife of Peter Odili, a Medical Doctor and former governor of Rivers state which was that was set up by Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, to look into the Bayelsa state governorship election petition, speaks volume.
In a unanimous decision, by the Justices, on Thursday, February 13, 20120, at Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that favoured Diri, it became a source of relief to Dickson, who was said to have prepred his hand over note, packed his bag and baggage, in readiness to leave the Government House for Lyon.
Going by the tradition of a Hand –over from one government to another both at the state and the national level, Lyon, the Bayelsa state , APC, governor elect, was said to be attending the inauguration dress rehearsal to prepare his mind for the big event when the bad news was broken to him. The news was said to have affected the party elaborate preparation for the event.we learnt that he had reached out to the party leadership at the state and national level as he could not fathom out what was actually happening but told to be calm.
Political Observers believe that if the PDP loyalysts who were in custody of the Lyon running mate forged Certificate had opened up at that initial state and made it a Campaign issue, it would have worked against Diri and the PDP as Lyon and the APC, elders, may have been forced to replace him with a nother Candidate. This may have informed why the PDP Camp both at the state and the national level are jubilating over the Court ruling on the Bayelsa election.
Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Opposition PDP, in the last general election may have set the ball rolling when he expressed joy at the apex Court declaration over the Bayelsa election, stressing that ‘’it is a confirmation of the peoples mandate freely given to Diri, the PDP, Candidate. He is optimistic that the incoming Administration will transform the state.
Insiders informed us that the former President may have given the people a cause to worry over the PDP loss of the state at the last November governorship election as he has started romancing with President Muammadu Buhari, of the ruling APC. Recall that he had visited the Katsina state born Nigerian President at the State House recently, where the duo were said to have held a closed door discussion.
David Lyon: APC, Governor elect Sacked By The Supreme Court
Dame Patience Jonathan , the wife and a one-time First Lady, had followed the former president’s foot step as she was said to have opened a channel of Communication with Hajia Aisha Buhari, the First Lady. The recent gathering of all the First Ladies across the country both present and the former, to mark the 10th year remembrance of late Maryan Babangida, a one –time First Lady and wife of retired General Ibrahim Babangida, a formermilitary President, which was said to have been organised by Aisha Babangida, the daughter, with the support of the current First Lady has exposed the Cordial relationship between two First Families as the duo had private talks.
In spite of the fact, that the APC , leadership and their legal Team, are working round the clock to look at the windows that exist in the Law in order to take steps to ensure that the’’ will of the people of Bayelsa state are not undermined on the altars of technicalities’’, Nyesom Wike, the PDP , governor of Rivers state, who has become a thorn on the rulng APC, has called on the Federal government to warn Oshiomhole, to ‘’stop making inflammatory Statements capable of destabilising the country’’.
The sacking of lyon ,the APC, governor elect, a few hours before his inauguration makes him the first governor elect to be sacked by the CSupreme Court without testing the governorship Seat. The first peron to be sacked by the Court was Emeka Ihedioha, the PDP , governor of Imo state , after about seven months on the saddle. He was replaced by Hope Uzodinma, a Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria and the APC, Candidate , at the last March , governorship election in the state.
The case of Lyon, the sacked APC, governor elect is more pitiable, as he saw the governorship Seat in the Government but House but could not Seat on it. This is another sad story of late Moshood Kashamawole, Abiola, a one-time Presidential Candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP, who had won the 1993, Presidential election that was nullified by the then self- styled military President , retired General Babangida and his military clique in the Supreme Military Council, SMC.
Abiola ‘s case was understable. Late Obafemi Awolowo, the Ogun state born politician, had placed a curse on him that he will see the Presiential Seat but will not seat on it. The late sage may have placed the curse on him because of the role he played, using the defunct Concord Newspaper, founded by him and his enormous wealth to ensure that he did not win the 179 election, which was keenly contested in the Court before it was finally settled by the Supreme Court, which gave victory to late Shehu Shagari, of the then National Party of Nigeria, NPN.
[dropcap]H[/dropcap]appy matriculation to the most deserving of a university admission. This achievement must have taken a huge amount of diligence and tenacity. But, you made it. Today you’re here wearing that matriculation gown because of years of hard work. My heartiest congratulations to Miss Naomi Ndinwa , the beautiful daughter of Chief Austin Ndinwa (Okemili Ibusa).
Ms Naomi Ndinwa with her familyMs. Naomi Ndinwa with her mummy and Daddy , Chief & Mrs Austin Ndinwa ( Okemili )Chief & Mrs Austin Ndinwa
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Supreme Court, on Thursday, sacked the governor-elect of Bayelsa State, David Lyon and his Deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo. The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-man panel of Justices led by Justice Mary Odili, held that Degi-Eremieoyo presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
It held that the Form CF 001 Degi-Eremieoyo submitted to INEC for the purpose of the November 16, 2019, governorship election in the state, contained false information of fundamental nature. Justice Ejembi Eko who delivered the lead judgement reinstated the November 12, 2019, Judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja that disqualified Degi-Eremieoyo from participating in the governorship poll. The apex court held that since Degi-Eremieoyo shared a joint ticket with the governor-elect, his disqualification invalidated their nomination by the All Progressive Congress, APC.
Consequently, it ordered INEC to immediately withdraw the Certificate of Return that was issued to them and issue a fresh one to the party that secured the second highest number of votes and got the required constitutional spread The judgment followed an appeal that was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, its governorship and deputy governorship candidates in Bayelsa State, Douye Diri and Lawrence Ewhruojakpo.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he patron of Imo Concerned Citizens Forum, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, yesterday, lead street protest in Owerri, Imo State over the Supreme Court judgment that ousted Emeka Ihedioha.
Activities in Owerri, Capital of Imo State and its environs were shut down as people closed their businesses and offices to join in the peaceful protest in demand for the Supreme to up turn its verdict.
Addressing the mammoth crowd, Charlie Boy recalled, “As a little boy, a ten-year-old boy, my father, who was once in charge of the Supreme Court once said that the Supreme Court can make mistakes. We admit that the Supreme Court has made a mistake. They should correct themselves.”
This is as an attempt by the some hoodlums suspected to be supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop the protest was foiled by angry youths and security agents.
Thousands of supporters of Ihedioha had converged on the ancestral ground of Owerri, Ugwu Ekwema on Egbu road, before 10am to continue with the protest against the removal of the former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.
Continuing, Oputa told the teeming members of Imo Concerned Citizens (ICC) that the protest was for the good of Imo and her people.
“We are here because of the progress of Imo, especially the youths who have people like me. The Supreme Court judges made a mistake and what we are doing here is to say there has been a miscarriage of justice. We are pleading with the justices that they should please reverse themselves on Imo.”
He lamented at what he described as so much injustice in the country.
“I know that part of government’s job is to protect citizens but what we see is systematic endemic injustice and we will stand together to fight it wherever we see it.”
One of the leaders of the ICC, Kingsley Onwubiko, said Imo people were angry at the removal of Ihedioha, who is “our liberator, a man who came and removed foolishness from our state. We beg the apex court to give us back the man Imo people voted for.”
The apex court had in a unanimous judgement nullified the election of Ihedioha and declared Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the governorship poll held in February last year.
Uzodinma has since been sworn in and Ihedioha had approached the Supreme Court seeking the apex court’s reversion of its judgment.
After Wednesday’s protest, Ihedioha displayed photos of the protest on his twitter handle, saying that “Today, concerned citizens of our State took to the streets yet again to carry on with their demand for justice.
“I encourage our people to continue to be peaceful and law abiding, as we remain firm in our resolve to strengthen our democracy.”
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]rassroots Newspaper Publishers Network will soon commence the three face of our a train-the-trainer campaign against drug abuse and Cultism with the aim of expanding the reach of the campaign against drug abuse sensitization to all government-owned primary and secondary schools in the state and other relevant stakeholders in the educational sector.
The National President , Chief Duke Okirika who disclose to Newsmen on Thursday at Asaba,Delta State said that the Grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network was poised to exploring every means available to dissuade the youths of our dear country from indulging in the practice.
He disclosed that the decision to take the campaign to schools across the States was informed by the determination of body to leave no stone unturned in curbing the spread of abuse of drugs among youths in the country.
“We realized that we cannot allow the vitality and vibrancy in our young persons get endangered by drugs, alcohol and tobacco smoking because they constitute the country’s greatest assets. This is the reason we are taking the campaign to the grassroots especially the school children who are the future of the nation,” Okirika said.
While appealing to residents and stakeholders to support this body in the campaign to schools, he said all hands must be on deck in the fight against drug abuse in Nigeria.
“This sensitization will provide the concerned stakeholders with necessary knowledge and tools needed in sensitizing school children against the unwholesome practice.”
He urged all members to give their totality and contribution to the task ahead.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he much-awaited forensic auditing of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is set to commence.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, said the Ministry has received the necessary approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for the exercise to commence in earnest.
Akpabio who spoke during a tripartite meeting with the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, the Forensic Consultant and the Ministry, allayed the fear of possible witchhunt.
According to him, “the directives by President Muhammadu Buhari for the forensic auditing of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), is not to witch hunt anyone or group, but to ascertain what went wrong and put in place a governmental structure that will be result oriented”.
He added that “the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has assessed the firm and found them fit to be the leading Consulting Firm that will lead the appointment of other forensic auditors for the NDDC audit spanning between 2001- 2019. “We have received the approval of BPP to now commence the exercise.
“The next task is to work in collaboration with the Ministry to bring in experienced and notable forensic auditors with international reputation, so that whatever report is produced will be accepted and enforceable within and outside the country”.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Olusade Adesola, explained that the tripartite meeting was to bring at par the various stakeholders in the forensic audit team, and address all grey areas of concern.
He stated further that the President’s directive was to address the issues of irregularities in NDDC, adding that the Auditor-General for the Federation, Mr. Mkpe Ayine, has interacted with the Consulting Firm to ascertain if they have the capacity to do the Job.
The Executive Director Projects of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and the Chairman of Contracts Verification Committee, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, affirmed that the Consulting Firm is well equipped to carry out the forensic exercise.
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]overnors of the South-west states have received copies of a bill to establish the South West Security Network in their respective states which would oversee the planned regional security corps also known as Amotekun.
The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has taken the lead in the move by forwarding the bill to the state’s House of Assembly for passage.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kunle Somorin, told correspondent on phone on Tuesday that the document was forwarded to the state legislature on Monday.
“Yes, we are discussing the bill right now, it was sent to the House of Assembly yesterday(Monday),” said Mr Somorin.
The document was formally presented to the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, on Monday in Ado Ekiti after the bill was harmonised by the attorneys-general of the states in Ibadan on Saturday.
Kayode Fayemi
An official of one of the states told Grassroots Publishers that final meeting of the attorneys-general in Ibadan ensured that the bill was harmonised and devoid of ambiguities and contradictions that may create conflict in the implementation of the document.
While receiving the draft bill from the Ekiti State Commissioner for Justice, Wale Fapohunda, Mr Fayemi said the security network was designed to protect both indigenes and residents in the six states of the South-west.
The governor pledged commitment to facilitate the speedy discussion of the bill at the executive council meeting and its subsequent passage at the State House of Assembly.
Mr Fayemi said the initiative was a logical extension of the community policing initiative recently assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari and which the Inspector-General of Police had communicated to all police formations across the country.
“The bill when passed into law would ensure that our highways are free of banditry, of armed robbery, of kidnapping, of all forms of brigandage and criminality in our states,” the governor said.
“The bill is not likely to propose an exclusive protection for Yoruba people living in the six states, it is going to talk about ensuring that our highways are free of banditry, of armed robbery, of kidnapping, of all forms of brigandage and criminality in our state and to that extent it is a logical extension of the community policing initiative that President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to, that the Inspector-General of Police has communicated to all the formations of police force across Nigeria.
“My colleagues and I were still in discussion about this yesterday and we have promised ourselves that this will be given accelerated discussion in our various State Executive councils this week and we will also send it expeditiously to our various houses of assembly this week, our discussions with our speakers who had been really waiting for this.
“Some of them had been recalling other honourable members from recess in order to give this an accelerated passage in their various legislature, so that by Friday the 14th of February, the bill that hopefully would have been passed into law would be accented to simultaneously in the six states of the Southwest.”
Chief Press Secretary to the Osun State Governor, Ismail Omipitan, also confirmed that the bill had been received by the state government. He said justice would be done to it in ensuring a speedy passage at the House of Assembly.
Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, Donald Ojogo, also confirmed the receipt of the bill but said he could not speak in detail on the document until tomorrow.
But Grassroots Publishers learnt that the bill would be officially discussed at the Ondo State Executive Council on Wednesday before it would be sent to the House of Assembly.
In Oyo State, the state government is likely to send the bill to the House on Wednesday, after consideration by the state executive council.
Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the document was still going through the procedures and would likely be enacted before the end of the week.
Mr Fapohunda had earlier given a few highlights of the bill, stating that it contains the operational guidelines for the proposed security network agency.
He said the bill contained key provisions that spelt out the establishment of Ekiti State Security network agency, including its functions and objectives, the establishment and composition of the governing board of the agency and the establishment of Ekiti State Amotekun Corps, including power and criteria for enlistment into the corps.
He said other provisions of the bill included the establishment of an independent Amotekun complaint board to address possible cases of abuse of power, including violation of rights and corruption.
He added that there was also provision for the funding of the corps to ensure sustainability.
The noise over the establishment of Amotekun by the South-west governors had died down after they reached an agreement with the federal government to enable the security network with a law.
FG, Southwest Governors agree on Amotekun @profosinbajo
Other regions have since mooted the idea of floating their own regional security network as the security situation in the country worsens.
The Amotekun bill is expected to be simultaneously passed by the respective state assemblies and signed into law by the governors.
Grassroots Publishers had reported that the takeoff of the outfit had been put on hold until the law comes into force in all the six states of the region.
We wish to inform the general public to beware of impostors who use the name of grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network to solicit for interviews, adverts or award presentation to always confirm the authenticity of such transaction through the following numbers:
09029375906 | 08149835420
As this body will not be held LIABLE for any unauthorized transaction with anyone. BE WARNED!
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Affairs has started perfecting strategies to hold a public hearing on the multi-billion naira emergency projects awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer President Goodluck Jonathan, who was said to have worked assiduously with his loyalists against Diri Douye ,a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the people’s Democratic Party, PDP, Candidate, in the November 16, 2019, governorship election , in Bayelsa state may have shot himself on the leg.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Supreme Court, on Thursday, sacked the governor-elect of Bayelsa State, David Lyon and his Deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo. The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-man panel of Justices led by Justice Mary Odili, held that Degi-Eremieoyo presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he patron of Imo Concerned Citizens Forum, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, yesterday, lead street protest in Owerri, Imo State over the Supreme Court judgment that ousted Emeka Ihedioha.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he much-awaited forensic auditing of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is set to commence.
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]overnors of the South-west states have received copies of a bill to establish the South West Security Network in their respective states which would oversee the planned regional security corps also known as Amotekun.
