[dropcap]G[/dropcap]rassroots Newspaper Publishers Network will soon commence the third 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 four states and other relevant stakeholders in the educational sector.

The National PRO ,Comrade Ike Abiagom who disclose this to Newsmen yesterday 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 and cultism 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,” Abiagom 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.

By : Emeji Noble

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]olice have confirmed the death of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, FCT Command, DCP Usman A.K Umar, who was alleged to have been shot by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiites, in a violent demonstration today, July 22, in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

The Force, in a statement by its spokesman, Frank Mba, confirmed also that two Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP) and a Staff of Channels Television sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment.

The statement said that the Deputy Commissioner of Police was shot by Shiite members and was rushed to a hospital where he died.

“The violent protesters also razed down a National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Response Post close to the Federal Secretariat, Abuja and two vehicles.”

The police announced the arrest of 54 suspects in connection with the incidents, adding that they are undergoing interrogation and will be arraigned in court as soon as possible.The statement said that the violent protest by members of the El-Zazakky group was carried out by over 3,000 his followers at about 12:30pm within the Central Business District of Abuja.

“The heavily armed protesters defying all sense of decency violently attacked innocent citizens and Police personnel on duty.”

It said that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu has issued a starn warning to the Shiites to stop the incessant violent demonstrations, saying: “enough is enough, as the Force and the nation at large will not continue to suffer losses on account of reckless and lawless persons and groups in the society.”

The police boss sympathized with the family of the late DCP, even as he condemned the incident.

By : Emeji Noble

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has opened his defence in a case of alleged N7.6 billion fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Kalu, the Senate Chief Whip, gave his testimony on Monday when he appeared at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The former governor whose testimony lasted for about seven minutes was only able to state his name, address, occupation and the number of counts for which he was standing trial before the proceedings were truncated by his counsel, Awa Kalu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The counsel asked the court to grant him an adjournment to enable him get access to the case file so as to adequately prepare for his defence.

Kalu, who had initially made a request for an adjournment prior to his client opening his defence, said after receiving the notice of Monday’s hearing, he had by a letter dated July 15 2019, informed the court that he would not be available in court because of an election petition he was handling.

The senior lawyer also told the court that he, however, decided to come to the court in person on Monday to explain his predicament. He said, “My lord, I have to run to Lagos without the case file because my secretary is bereaved and not in Abuja, and for that reason, I would not be able to proceed.”

Mr Kalu also stated that the second and third defendants were not represented in court and since the trial was a joint one, it would be improper to proceed in their absence.

He, therefore, urged the court for an adjournment that would be convenient for all the parties to continue with the matter.

The EFCC is prosecuting Senator Kalu along with the then Commissioner for Finance, Udeh Udeogu, and his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, for the alleged fraud on an amended 39-count.

They have, however, all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In response to the defence counsel’s initial request for an adjournment, the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), asked the court to direct the first defendant, Orji Kalu to open his defence since he was in court.

On the prompting of the court, Senator Kalu opened his defence and testified for about seven minutes.

In his defence, the Senator while being led in evidence by his counsel, told the court that he earned a living as a manufacturer of homemade goods until a few weeks ago when he became a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

When further probed by his counsel on what he manufactures, the defendant said he manufactured tomato paste and other household items. After this testimony, the counsel made a second request for an adjournment to enable him adequately prepare.

Thereafter, Justice Mohammed Idris gave a short ruling on whether the trial should continue in the absence of the second and third defendants. He said, “Since counsel to second and third defendants were served with the notice of hearing for the day and they were absent and did not deem it fit to send to court, any of the counsel that has been appearing with them in the matter, the proceedings of the day will go on…”

Justice Idris then adjourned the case until August 26 for the continuation of trial.

[dropcap] T[/dropcap]he former governor of Imo  and now Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria through a Court ruling may have left office but Emeka Ihedioha, a former Deputy Speaker House of Representatives and his successor who is still go over the hand over documents and his aides are not finding  it funny with what they met on ground.

Ihedioha , had stopped short  of describing the state as bankrupt  as Okorocha, the former had plundered the resources of the state within his eight years of misrule. The governor may have rubbished the flamboyant former Imo state records  when he told stakeholders recently at Owerri, the state Capital that  his predecessor’s  eight years  in office  ‘’plunged the state  into unstainable debt’’.

Ihedioha, who could not hide feelings about the previous All Progressive government in the state   disclosed that the interim report of the probe panel set up to investigate how the revenue allocations to the state from the Federal government and the internally generated revenue, IGR, in the last eight years findings show a ‘’consistent pattern of massive looking and stripping of public assets, dismantling and carting away of public property. The property, carted away, according to him were electric poles, vehicles, trucks, office equipment and furnitures.

The former Lawmaker who could not under understand how someone who calls himself a leader could watch over the looting of a state he governed for eight years with all the pecks of office with the’’ last minute  sales  of government property at giveaway prices  and unlawful allocation  of and backdating  of Certificate of occupancy’’.

The report which was cited by The Grassroots Publishers shows the panel uncovered a N100 billion debt which was left behind by Okorocha for the Ihedioha Administration to settle. The governor’s anger may not be how to settle the debt but that there was not on ground to show how he spent the huge amount.

The governor  was said to have sent a message to his predecessor to return all the monies  , he and members of his family  had allegedly  siphoned  from the state treasury.  Chris Okewulu, Chief of Staff to the Imo state governor,  lamented that 95 percent  of the projects  which Okorocha, the former governor of the state claimed to have executed  in his eight years rule  only existed in his own imagination. He noted that the state was in a very financial situation because of lack of vision by the former leadership.

In spite of the government misgiving about the debt, the Creditors, according to impeccable sources, are not taking chances , to recover of the huge amounts owed them by the state government as  some of them have  taken their case to Court to force  the Ihedioha Administration to pay.

The governor confirmed that  his governor that they  have received over N30 billion worth of Garnishee Orders  from the Contractors, for the Contracts  that were fraudulently awarded by the previous Administration.  The battleline appears  have been drawn between the duo who are using everything within their powers to carpet each other.

Okorocha, the former Imo state  governor who would not allow his eight years record of transforming the state  to be rubbished by Ihedioha, was said to have challenged him  to publish the list and particulars  of the 67 vehicles  and the details  of the N50 billion property  which he had claimed his family made away with.  Note that the hastily constituted   Committee on the Recovery of government properties from the previous political appointees, Headed by  Jasper Ndubuaku, had uncovered how Okorocha and some of his appointees took away 67 vehicles and N50 billion property belonging to the state government. Okewulu, the Chief of Staff, on his part, said the former governor left with 31 government vehicles and N40 billion.

But the governor in his own claim claimed that an undisclosed number of vehicles and N70 billion were taken away by the former governor and his family members. The worry in the heart of many was that the trio of the governor, Okewulu, the Chief of Staff and  Nduaku, the Chairman, of the state Asset Recovery Committee, have not come into agreement  to know the number of vehicles and amount  which the former governor and his political appointees, left office with.

Political watchers would want Ihedioha, Okewulu and Ndubuaku, to go back to the drawing board to put their house in order to be able to nail Okorocha , and his political appointees  over assets and monies taken away from the state treasury.

By : Emeji Noble

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Senate President, Ahmed  Lawan,  appears to have sent a signal to him , he would no longer take any excuse from him over the continued delay of the submission  of the ministerial list to the upper Legislative Chamber for  screening and Consideration.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who was instrumental for the emergence of the National Assembly leadership was said to have held a dinner for them at the Presidential villa recently. The dinner may have provided opportunity for the President to talk things over with the Senate leadership, Particular, Lawan. Note that there was pressure on him to release the ministerial list as most of the invited guests who were rumoured to be on the ministerial list wanted to be cocksure that it was true that they made the list before leaving the Villa.

The President was said to hold a closed door meeting with the Senate President but never made any mention when the list would be submitted to the Senate. He may have kept the Senate leadership wondering   when he assured them that the ministerial list would not be delayed.  Subsequent assurances by the President  may have informed why the Senate President   disclosed to his Colleagues at plenary on Wednesday , JULY 10, 2019,  that  the President would  transmit  the ministerial list  for the consideration and approval of the Senate before the end of that week but it turned to be a rouse.

Lawan , who has been dubbed as  a rubber-stamp of the Executive , because of the circumstances that brought him to power,  may want to prove to Nigerians and the Opposition People’s Democratic Party , PDP,   he could hold his ground when it matters.

This is evident going by the recent marching order given to the Katsina state born Nigerian President to submit the list of his ministerial nominees   to the Senate without further delay to expedite action on their screening and approval. Political watchers believe that the APC dominated Senate could take  two   weeks to conclude exercise  because the returnee ministers may not be made to go through the same rigours  as the new nominees as they would  simply bow and go.

The lawmakers, according to National Assembly sources are not happy with the President that he wants to toe the path  of his first term in office by running the government  without ministers for months after being sworn into office by Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.

Lawan may have sent a subtle threat to him to facilitate release the ministerial nominees list to the Senate between now and Friday, July, 26, 2019 or he should be ready to run his  government , for a longer time without ministers. The Senate President, who could no longer pretend that all  not well , was said to have made it clear to the President  that the Senators  would proceed on a two- month annual recess, beginning from the very Friday.

Going by the 9^th National Assembly Calendar,  the Lawmakers  are meant to proceed  on its annual recess  on July 26 and resume on September 26, 2019, to continue their legislative work. It is not yet clear whether  Buhari  would bow to the Senatorial pressures as  he had repeatedly told  the National Assembly leadership  that  he was taking his time in order   to appoint people who he personally knows  and who believe in the party programme to work with him this time  around.

The President who is not happy  that he could not fulfill most of his electioneering Campaign promises in his first term in office blamed it on working with strange people he never knew  their Capability personal as they were nominated by the party National Executive Council, NEC.  It was an indictment on Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo state and National Chairman of the Party.

The Senate President may have to watch it  to avoid falling into the same trap with Bukola Saraki, a former Senate President who was sabotaged  by his Colleagues who misrepresented him before Buhari, forcing him to believe that he was  working against  his success in government. Adedayo Adeyeye,  Chairman, Senate adhoc Committee,  on Media and Public Relations,  may be sing  different song  as he had said that the President cannot  be given an ultimatum to submit his ministerial list to the red Chamber.

The Senate ad-hoc Committee Chairman had  said that the President was at liberty  to send the ministerial nominee list  whenever he pleased , an indication that he could decide to hold it back for the next six months, and  nothing wrong it. Adeyeye may have made mockery of the Senate that they exist at the instance of the President ,  when he said that  they have a duty  to consider the ministerial list  whenever  the President deem it necessary to submit in the’’  overriding interest of the nation’’.

Adeyeye, who could not hide his feelings said   they  could be recalled  whenever the list is ready  even if they are on recess to consider it. While the APC Senators are eager to receive the ministerial list from the President , which political watchers was a mere formality as it would be rubber-stamped,  the Opposition PDP, Senators , are already in the mood of the  recess  . Enyinnaya Abaribe, an Abia state elected Senator  on the platform of the PDP, and the party minority leader, who would not want to hear  that  recess might be postpone  because of the delay in the ministerial list   has made it clear to his cohorts  that the Senators  would go  on annual recess as scheduled.

By : Emeji Noble

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he All Progressives Congress (APC) is in support of the decision taken by the National Assembly to resolve the crisis in Edo and Bauchi State Houses of Assembly. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu, stated this while addressing a news conference on Sunday in Abuja.

According to him, the real issue at stake is the alleged deliberate violation of the rule of law by the governors of the affected states. Issa-Onilu said, ”There was supposed to be a proper proclamation of the House of Assembly in Bauchi and Edo and in both cases, what happened has fallen short of the expectation.”

“So, do the right thing. You can deal with whoever you think is your problem; that is a different issue.

“Our only concern here is wherever – Edo, Bauchi, anywhere else, rule of law must guide whatever we do. Enough of impunity in the country, and we will not take it,” he added.

The APC spokesman said the party has demanded that the governors of Edo and Bauchi states obey the rule of law by ensuring that their State Houses of Assembly were properly inaugurated.

He insisted that the National Assembly was constitutionally empowered to take over the functions of any State House of Assembly found not capable of performing its functions.

Issa-Onilu explained that the APC aligned itself with the position of the federal lawmakers, stressing that their intervention in the crisis was in line with the Constitution.

He said, “What should happen is the National Assembly is clearly empowered in a situation where it is clear that a particular House of Assembly is incapable of conducting its business.

“The law is clear on what should be done and we are glad to know that the respective chambers are already doing what they need to do.”

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Muhammadu Buhari has assigned Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to undertake immediate consultations and dialogue with stakeholders across Nigeria as part of measures to contain the deteriorating security situation in the country. In addition, the office of the vice president hinted that the federal government was working with the state governments on how to improve security in local communities while rearranging the security architecture nationwide.

Osinbajo, who began his assignment yesterday in the South-west, held consultations with the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, and the Awujale of Ijebu Kingdom, Oba Sikiru Adetona, both in Ogun State. The discussions focused on the security challenges in the country.

Accompanied by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun to the palace of the Akarigbo, Osinbajo hinted on what was expected to be a wide consultation with key traditional rulers in the state, and across the country, while fielding questions from journalists. He said the exercise was meant to ensure peace and security in the communities.

He stated, “As you know, there are many significant concerns all over the country and, of course, there are concerns also in the South-west. So, I’m here on the instruction of Mr. President to consult with the Kayibesi, Governor Dapo Abiodun, and other stakeholders on what to do to beef up security, and to generally improve the security architecture.

“Of course, you know that the Kabiyesi is not just the traditional ruler, but also a very important part of the government. That’s why we are here to speak with him and to agree on a few modalities for beefing up security, ensuring that we are fully conscious of all that is going on around us, and just to be sure that peace and security reigns here and across the country.

“There are some who might want to cause instability and difficulties, but we are very confident that God helping us, working together as a nation, we will be able to overcome all our problems and set our country on the path of peace and prosperity.”

The vice president said the federal government, in collaboration with the states, had taken significant steps to improve security, while undertaking further consultations with the traditional rulers. He said the governor of Ogun State was committed “to ensuring there is peace and security and that everyone, who lives in all our neighbourhoods, localities and communities lives in peace with each other and that we maintain a high level of security.”

He added, “We are consulting with many of the traditional rulers all across the country. But there are concerns in the South-west. I’ve started here in Ogun.
“We are also going to be in Osun State on Tuesday. We are also going to go round and see several other traditional rulers. Primarily, they themselves want to participate. We’ve spoken at various times and they want to participate in improving the security architecture.
“One of the things that Mr. President has spoken about is the role of traditional rulers in maintaining peace and security in their own locality. As you know, they are the closest to the grassroots, to their communities.

“And one of the critical things that we expect is that even with our community policing efforts, we expect that there would be some interventions between the traditional rulers, the community police and some of the other efforts that they are making to improve intelligence to understand what is going on. We need to know who is where and what exactly is happening all around, so that these can then be transmitted to the security agencies.

“I think for all of us, the most important thing to realise is that we are one Nigeria; we are one country; we need to work together to ensure that the country is peaceful, secure and happy for all of us.”

Osinbajo said Nigeria had the potential to give the citizens all they desired, but alleged that some people were working against the interest of the country by attempting to cause instability. Nonetheless, he was optimist that Nigeria would overcome its challenges.

From the Akarigbo’s palace, Osinbajo proceeded to Ijebu Ode, where he had a private meeting with Oba Adetona. After his meeting with the monarch, Osinbajo said the Awujale was one of the most important voices in the South-west and that their discussion was on steps that needed to be taken to improve the security general architecture. He said the monarch had given a lot of insight on what needed to be done and how to go about it, including what had been done already.

“But very important is his commitment to ensuring that there is peace and security and that everybody lives in peace with one another and that we maintain the highest level of security. We are consulting with many of the traditional rulers across the country, but there are concerns in the South-west now,” he stated at the Oba’s palace.

He added, “We are going round. I will be in Osun on Tuesday; we are going to go round to see the Alake, the Ooni and other traditional rulers and primarily, they themselves want to participate in improving the security architecture.”