ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS(LAGOS STATE) SAYS ANY MEMBER FOUND BEHIND COURT CASE AGAINST THE NATIONAL CARETAKER COMMITTEE WILL FACE SANCTIONS

A press release of  Lagos State chapter of All Progressive Congress signed by  

Hon Tunde Balogun, Lagos State APC Chairman.

 It reads in parts

We have seen a report in a national newspaper that a purported APC member in Lagos State had instituted a case at a Federal High Court, against the party’s National Caretaker Committee.

 

We believe the person who instituted the suit is not a member of our party because it is highly doubtful that a bonafide member of the APC in Lagos in good standing would initiate such an action; we will, however, investigate the matter.

 

Here, I want to reiterate the stance of the APC in Lagos. No party member should file a court action regarding the recent National Executive Committee meeting of the party in Abuja particularly if that person has not even sought to initiate internal conflict resolution processes to resolve any dispute they may have with the NEC decisions.

 

Filing any such legal action is clearly against the spirit and letter of the party constitution, which prohibits legal action before a member exhausts all internal resolution mechanisms. Our resolve against institution of any court case by any member is in consonance with the constitution of the party.

 

Lagos APC will not turn a blind eye to the flouting of the constitution in this manner. We are trying to restore order and decorum to the party and thus no member should seek to sow confusion. Any party member involved in the institution of any such case should withdraw the case from court forthwith. Failure to do so will subject that party member to sanctions enumerated in the constitution, which may include suspension or expulsion.

 

No party can flourish when members engage in instituting frivolous court cases for the sole purpose of causing disunity and turmoil. This is an act of gross indiscipline which cannot be sustained and which we will not allow.

The Nigeria Immigration Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos has declined departure of 58 Nigerian doctors from travelling to London

The Nigeria Immigration Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos has declined departure of 58 Nigerian doctors who tried travelling aboard a UK bound aircraft flight number ENT 550, registration number SP-ES that flew in from London, it said in a statement.

The press statement signed by Sunday James, the Public Relations Officer of the Service said the Doctors had no Visa for entry to the United Kingdom, while only two had a visa.

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It said the 58 Medical Doctors were declined departure in line with the condition of the law.

“The chartered flight approved for landing in Nigeria was to carry 42 medical doctors for a training program but they were 58 with only two having Visa for entry into the UK, a situation that calls for refusal of departure” it stated.

“ The Nigeria Immigration Service as the agency saddled with control of entry and departure from Nigeria of persons will not allow individuals or groups of well-educated Nigerians who should know the procedures for travelling out of their country and the requirements, which include having a valid visa for entry into a destination country to leave.

“This is to avoid refusal of Entry and repatriation back to Nigeria amidst Covid-19 pandemic and spreading of same as well as flouting the Federal Government’s directive on the restriction of international flights unless for an essential reason as approved by the government

“There is no official communication to the Service from the Ministry of Health in Nigeria or any known Medical body notifying the NIS of the travel of this number of Medical Doctors. The Aircraft has departed for London without the Medical Doctors” it said.

Can State Governments Agree to Open Their Schools for the Conduct of WASSCE without FG Participation?

There has been a lot of debate as to whether other State Governments should follow the move by the Oyo State Government to open its schools and let its students sit the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations this year.

I think this is a right move in the right direction and it's a move that should be applauded by all rather than being vilified.  Once again, it seems the Oyo State Government is living up to it's slogan of Pace Setter. 

Contrary to what some persons have said that the State Government has no power to do this, it's totally untrue. Education is on the CONCURRENT LEGISLATIVE LIST, meaning both the State and Federal Government can legislate on it and that's why the Minister merely ADVISED and not COMPELLED State Governments to reconsider their decision to open schools. The Federal Government can only enlist the support of State Governments in this and not coerce them.

Evidence suggests that the Federal Government has not shown enough commitment to education. This lack of commitment can be seen in the ever dwindling budgetary allocation to the sector over the years. While some State Governments are being proactive by ensuring their schools are COVID-19 procedure compliant, one can say, the Federal Ministry has been largely slumbering. I personally saw officials of the Rivers State Government fumigating state-owned schools about three weeks ago. I doubt if the same can be said about Federal government-owned schools at this point. I stand to be corrected though.

The only problem that may arise is Oyo State may be a lone voice in the wilderness in this bold step but if many State governments who, unlike the Federal Government think they are ready follow suit, there's absolutely nothing the Federal Government can do about it. The Federal Government can only try to bully the Council because of its stake in WAEC heaped on our numerical strength as a nation. Remember, WAEC is not owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

One wonders why other smaller and poorer West African States are ready for the conduct of the examinations but the GIANT is not ready. Very sad indeed. Who knows whether this bold move will wake up the sleeping giant in us.

Children's lives matter and we must protect them with all we have. But the question is, is government really trying to protect children as claimed or it is merely using this as an excuse to cover up it's ineptitude for not doing the necessary things in public schools? Afterall, the same children still go to the malls, markets, churches and mosques. Are schools not safer than some of these places? Since only examination classes are involved, can't they make jolly use of the whole school facilities, provided the safe procedures are in place? But the truth is, these procedures are not in place in public schools and with the bureaucratic bottleneck, making common hand sanitisers available in these schools may take months and one must understand this, but should everyone suffer as a result of this?

Since the Federal Government is appealing to State Governments not to go ahead with their plans, I'll also use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to allow State Governments decide what is best for them in line with what the President said in one of his broadcasts. Majority of private schools and some state schools are ready and prepared. Let's not punish the majority because of lack of preparedness by the minority. An academic term is a huge milestone in the life of a student. 

COVID-19 is real and we have to accept the fact that it is deadly but we also need to accept the fact that it has come to stay and we need to be prepared for it. Postponing the examinations without utilizing the time to judiciously ensure the right things are in place is a colossal waste of time. We need to be proactive. 

Magu's travail is all about 2023 and the key players are gaining grounds.

This is Nigeria where politicians will do anything and everything to achieve their goals even if they have to betray their own.

The Grand Conspiracy of 4 fronts ~ Kebbi, Ekiti, Rivers and Abuja for 2023!!!!!

They pushed out Oshiomole. That scheme continues!

Kyari Boys they called themselves. When Kyari died, they lost out. Their schemes are 2023 target. 

1. The Kebbi front must acquire protection on his way out and likes to be VP in 2023. The idea is that Kebbi will deputizes Ekiti in 2023 to get immunity from Magu's EFCC. 

2. The Abuja front cannot be on the 2023 VP seat. He is interested in the Kebbi seat and he has his instructions - Magu must go. 

3. The Rivers front has been acting the script in the 2023 scheme and he is targeting the position of the office of SGF in 2023.

4. The Ekiti front is the master strategist. He is interested in the Villa to come 2023 and he will do anything and everything even betraying his benefactors to achieve that.

They have even started on a smear campaign of their next victim.

The four of them have been working in unison. The only safety valve is the new Chief of Staff. If Magu survives then they’re dead politically. Even if he doesn’t, I also don’t see how the four of this 2023 schemers will prevail in the party and ultimately in government.

774,000 LG Jobs: 20-Man State Committee Null And Void-NDE DG Says

The Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Dr. Nasiru Mohammed Ladan has thrown weight on the National Assembly stand that the 20 man state committee previously constituted stands dissolved, adding that only the NDE was statutorily empowered to execute the 774,000 Local Government job’s programme of the Federal Government and not Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Festus Keyamo.

This is as a result of the continuous persistence of Keyamo’s that as the Minister in charge of the NDE; he was the rightful person to administer the programme because he was the boss.

However, while speaking with journalists after a meeting with both the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan and the National Assembly Joint Committee on Labour and Employment, the DG of NDE stated that the law empowers the NDE to “plan and execute the programme.”

“As far as I am concerned as the DG of NDE, the money appropriated by the National Assembly and by the powers given to us by the National Assembly I, Mohammed Ladan as the DG of NDE  owe the prior arrangement as far as this work is concerned,” the NDE boss stated.

Dr. Ladan revealed that the Minister over-reached himself when he allegedly appointed a 20-man selection committee without involving the NDE that is statutorily empowered to execute the programmes.

Ladan said: “the 20-man state selection Committee is null and void. In due course, we are going to look at it. We have done this before. We have done pilot studies in 8 states and we did it successfully. It was based on the success recorded that Mr. President decided to make it all over the federation, covering all the 774 local governments. We are used to this, we have ways of doing this thing and we are going to do justice to all Nigerians.”

On the expected role of Keyamo as the supervising Minister in charge of the NDE, Ladan said: “He is my supervising Minister, his role is to supervise, not to implement and execute. I am telling you in confidence, I said it before and I am now saying it again, the 20 man state selection committee I saw in social media like some of you saw it and as the Chief Executive of that agency, is there justice in it? 

“My duty is to inform him of his own information, but the issue of planning and execution is basically the work of the NDE. Like I said before, we have done it before and we are going to do it successfully.

While addressing the Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige who led his team to the National Assembly, on Tuesday, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said that the National Assembly appropriated the N52 Billion earmarked for the take-off of the programme for the NDE and it was “only NDE and not the ministry that will execute the programme” as that was the position of the law.

In his remark, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment, Sen. Godiya Akwashiki also re-echoed the position of the President of the Senate and thereafter mandated the NDE to go back and plan and bring its plan to the Senate on Monday, July 13, 2020, for approval of the National Assembly for the programme to take off.

The 774,000 jobs programme announced by the federal government as part of the government’s palliative programme to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Nigerians has been mired in controversy primarily due to the antagonistic posture adopted by Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Festus Keyamo who told members of the National Assembly that he was not going to be dictated to on how to implement the programme.

Fresh tension in Presidency as service chiefs, ministers scare as Magu falls after Oshiomhole.

There are arising indications of noticeable fear devouring some principal officers in the presidency and several political designees as the new Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, heightens reform to reset the Buhari administration. Gambari’s appointment as CoS to the President reported of emerging fear in the presidency over the possible reorganization of the government by the emergent Cheif of Staff, wherein some political designees may be fired.

The Chief of Staff was appointed by the President after the death of Abba Kyari had begun his latent reform with relative reorganization in the presidency, restoring the role of the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, which was hitherto usurped by the late Chief of Staff, Kyari. Prof. Gambari replenished the reporting line of the service chiefs through the NSA to President Buhari. This was formerly taken over by late Kyari, who through the media aides to the president made a report of activities in the presidency. The post-Kyari meetings of the service chiefs with President Buhari were organized and later published to the public by Monguno.

Also, the disposal of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, after obvious abuse of powers and arbitrary use of the party systems to fight personal political wars indicated that President Buhari is beginning to receive wise advice in the presidency. There was no room for standstill as in the past.

Then, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, whose confirmation was opposed by the Eight Senate based on corruption accusation by the Department of Security Service (DSS) report, fell to reports of corruption partly raised by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Magu is still undergoing questions on the several corruption allegations hanging on his neck. Meanwhile, he has been suspended from office.

Prof. Gambari brought in experienced civil service culture into the presidency since his appointment and has been working assiduously to reset the Buhari administration and reorganize the federal government for outstanding achievement.

Sources from the presidency disclosed that more political designees may fall in successive searchlight. There was a hint that some political players allegedly induced their nomination using money to lobby their ways for ministerial appointments into the federal cabinet. Some were declared to have made extra monetary enticement for specific portfolios. These among other alleged malpractices were revealed to be looked into in the latent reform to clean and change course the Buhari government.

The service chiefs whom most Nigerians overtime requested their retirement for failure to contain the rising insecurity in the country may be under strict study, according to a presidency source. The source further disclosed that the leaked memo of the NSA, Monguno, to President Buhari in 2019 before the death of Abba Kyari is being studied towards reviewing the activities of the different arms of the Nigerian military.

The consequence of the process remains unstable. It was said that while some may survive the reviews, some may not.

There was an indication that there are no limitations to which the ongoing reform through the presidency can go.