Cloned Nigerian Anchor

Author: Vivian Michael

Man defiles 12-year-old girl in bush

The Lagos State Government has called for more mandated reporting in the case of alleged defilement of a 12-year-old girl in the Ikorodu area of the state by one Mr. Ife Adekoya.

The Executive Secretary, Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, who made this known in a statement in Lagos on Friday, said the agency swung into action on receipt of the report.

“The case was immediately reported at the Imota Family Support Unit Police Station for investigation and was subsequently transferred to the Gender Desk Department of the Lagos State Police Command,” she said.

Vivour-Adeniyi said that the mother of the survivor narrated that on June 16, her neighbor called her to inform her that her 12-year-old daughter had been defiled by a neighbor who lives on the next street.

“The mother of the survivor claimed that she was informed the following day, having just returned from a trip with her husband.

“The mother also alleged that a neighbor alerted her of the incident after engaging the survivor and noticing the suspicious act of the perpetrator, who was spotted with blood stains on his trousers.

“Further questioning by the neighbor revealed that the alleged perpetrator lured the victim into the bush, closed her mouth, and proceeded to sexually assault her by penetration,” she said.

She further said that the matter was charged to court and the perpetrator was arraigned before Magistrate Amope Layinka on July 26.

“The suspect was arraigned and remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prison, pending the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) advice, and the matter adjourned to Sept. 19,” she said.

She noted that all forms of abuse, neglect, domestic, and sexual violence were crimes against the state, and that perpetrators would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Vivour-Adeniyi called on residents of the state to break the culture of silence by reporting all forms of abuse through its toll free line 08000-333-333, or visit its office at Novel House, Plot 3, Jobi Fele Way, Alausa, Ikeja.

08/04/2023
Revenue Generation: NRC commissions Police Station, shops, flats

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Thursday inaugurated 48 shops and seven apartments at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Station of the Standard Gauge Railway in Lagos, to increase revenue generation.

It also inaugurated a new police station in the area to enhance security.

The Managing Director of NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, at the event, said that it was the practice of the corporation to lease property for the land owners to develop it.

He said that the Board members had advised the management to be developing properties to enable the corporation to get more revenue.

“A time will come where there will be no empty land to lease that we should have something on the ground that will be bringing money so that they can get revenue.

“We took that decision, that is why we built a hotel at Apapa Road recently near the Headquarters.

“First and Second floor of the building at Marine Road, are 48 shops and the last floor is seven flats of rooms, self-contained, which consist of a parlour, kitchen, toilet, and bedroom,” Okhiria said.

He urged the NRC property management to be responsible in managing the investments so that the intention of building them would not be defeated.

The NRC boss said that the building was occupied by some railway staff members and they were relocated after a fire incident in 2021.

He said that they discovered that a lot of market activities took place in the area, so they changed it to shops with a big parking space.

Okhiria said that the commissioning of another NRC Police Station at Bola Ahmed Tinubu Terminal in Apapa would motivate the policemen to protect Railway properties easily within the area.

He said that after the inauguration, the station would be handed over to the Commissioner of Police for proper utilisation.

The Managing Director, NRC Property, Mr Timothy Zalanga, said that they discovered that the Marine Bridge area was more commercial than residential.

Zalanga said that the intention of developing some of the NRC properties was to increase revenue.

He commended the Board and the Management of NRC for extending the ideas to them, promising to make the best use of the properties.

Zalanga said that the former police station was far from the terminal.

He said that after they extended the car parks at Bola Ahmed Tinubu Station, they had to build another station before relocating the police from their former place.

The Contractor of the NRC property shops and flats on Marine Road, Alhaji Mutitala Sanni, Managing Director, Lane Ltd., said the building contained 48 shops, 24 toilets, and seven apartments.

“It took us six months to complete the building, while we were granted a year to complete the construction.

“We faced challenges of squatters, police, and also state government, but we were able to surmount the challenges with the quick intervention of the NRC management.

“The contract was awarded with an estimate of N400 million and there are lots of unforeseen circumstances coming up now,” Sanni said.

The Director, Railway Transport Services, Federal Ministry of Transport, Mr Finban Zina, commended the NRC for showcasing progress in their duties in spite of the situation in the country.

He urged Nigerians to focus on the positive improvement of the society.

08/03/2023
Contempt Suit: Withdraw case or face strike action, NLC warns FG

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a stern ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the withdrawal of a lawsuit filed against organized labour. According to them, failure to comply with this demand could lead to a nationwide strike on August 14, 2023.

The decision was reached during the NLC’s National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.

In a statement, signed by the National President, Joe Ajaero, and the National Secretary, Emanuel Ugboaja, the NLC strongly accused the Ministry of Justice and the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) of aligning themselves as “anti-democracy” agents.

While the NLC temporarily suspended its protest following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, they have made it clear that they will not hesitate to initiate a nationwide total strike if labour leaders are summoned to Court by the government through the NICN.

“The NLC remains resolute in its stance to protect workers’ rights and interests, emphasizing the importance of the government respecting their demands and refraining from legal actions perceived as undermining the democratic process,” the statement said.

The statement further highlighted some of the resolutions of the union which include “To commit to maintaining the required vigilance needed to hold government accountable on its assurances and governance in general; to commit to the terminal date of August 19th 2023 within which the issues around the Petroleum price hike will be agreed given the assurances of the President and the National Assembly.

“To go on total strike across the country any day labour leaders are summoned to Court by the government through the NICN; to demand the immediate withdrawal of this litigious terrorism by the Federal Ministry of Justice before the end of work Friday, the 11th of August, 2023.

“To embark on a nationwide comprehensive strike beginning Monday 14th of August, 2023 if this contemptuous Court summons is not withdrawn by whosoever initiated it.”

Though it commended the national leadership and all the state officers for the effective coordination of the protest, the union urged all affiliates and state councils including its civil society allies to stay further action but to remain focused and eternally vigilant.

08/03/2023
We must reset our political values to restructure Nigeria -Prof Odinkalu

The former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Anslem Odinkalu, has called for a resetting of the country’s value system which, according to him, will culminate in a restructuring of Nigeria.

Odinkalu argues that the process of resetting Nigeria must start with addressing the country’s values problem, which requires a new kind of leadership that is national in outlook.

Odinkalu, who is a visiting professor at Harvard University, maintained that for effective resetting to be accomplished, the process must begin with paying attention to political values that underpin coexistence in the country.

The human rights activist, made these submissions in Abuja while speaking as a guest lecturer at the 10^th-anniversary lecture of Just Friends Club of Nigeria.

Speaking on the topic “Resetting Nigeria” he posited that if we cannot restructure our values, we cannot restructure a Nigeria that is equitable and just.

The Prof emphasized that the theme, “Resetting Nigeria” is pregnant with more questions than illumination.

First, it implies that Nigeria was already set without disclosing who did so. Secondly, it suggests also that the initial setting is flawed, imperiled, or spent, without indicating why, when or how this happened. Thirdly, it suggests that this old setting now needs reworking but does not say who will do it, why they are qualified for that task or from whence they derive their mandate to do so.

He submitted that as a leader, we got to understand the diversity of this country and chose leaders who understand the diversity.

“Many explanations have been proffered for Nigeria’s current unhappy condition: corruption, violence, impunity, among others. I want to suggest that these are symptoms, not the underlying problem.

“Two decades ago, Chinua Achebe declared that ‘the trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership’, and argued that ‘Nigerians are corrupt because the system under which they live today makes corruption easy and profitable.

“As a supplement or complement to this, I propose shortly to suggest that we have a structural crisis in our political economy indexed as it is on allocation rather than production.

“This is an important point to make to a gathering of professionals. The defects of this fundamentally flawed political economy are compounded by a long-established ethics of deliberate political innumeracy”.

“As a political economy, we specialize in fraudulent counting and accounting, legitimized post-hoc by the instruments and skills of the law.

“To preserve our innumeracy of public accounts, we have used everything from coercive instruments to commissions of inquiry whose reports have never been seen. In over half a century as a country, we have never held a credible census.

“To legitimize the outcome without addressing the underlying malfeasances, we establish Census Tribunals. In the same period, we have struggled to undertake credible elections. For each flawed election, we establish an Election Petitions Tribunal, procuring judicial legitimacy for returns that have been – in most cases – fundamentally flawed,” he lamented.

Odinakalu recalled various past avoided trajectories of the country and the deliberate choice of her leaders not to do the right things and warned of dire consequences.

“The only way to avoid those consequences is to come to terms with the reality that the country needs to be re-set. That re-setting, however, must begin with attention to the political values that underpin coexistence in the country.

“But addressing this values problem requires a new kind of leadership that is national in outlook. That is where we must begin and in this, associations like the JFCN have a significant role to play,” he stated.

08/03/2023
Alleged Fraud: NUPRC staff demand sack of CEO

Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) employees on Wednesday called for the sack of their Chief Executive, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, over alleged fraud and abuse of office.

The workers had on Tuesday besieged the offices of the commission in Jabi and Utako, Abuja, where they gave a 24-hour ultimatum for the grievances to be addressed.

The workers identified some of the issues as non-remittance of pensions deducted from their salaries, poor working environment, insufficient working tools and unpaid staff claims.

Others were staff medicals, seven months outstanding salary payments and the non-payment of the emoluments of outsourced personnel.

At the expiration of the ultimatum on Wednesday, the workers stormed the main entrance to NUPRC complex in Jabi, Abuja, dressed in black and red attires.

The workers, in their numbers, urged President Bola Tinubu to sack Komolafe or order him to resign.

The workers also called for a forensic audit of all contract processes and payments by the commission under Komolafe’s watch.

Mr Owan David, the National Treasurer, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), explained during the protest that Komolafe must go for paying deaf ears to employees plight.

David warned that if nothing was done to address the situation, the workers would withdraw from their duty posts nationwide.

He urged the relevant authorities to take necessary action to save the commission from total collapse.

Earlier, Mr Okechukwu Anya, the Branch Chairman of the union, complained that instead of engaging the workers in resolving the lingering issues, the management had resorted to intimidating the union leaders.

Anya said that the union leaders were being intimidated for asking for improved working conditions.

He accused the embattled chief executive of neglecting staff welfare and gross mismanagement of the commission’s funds.

Reacting to the allegations, Komolafe expressed shock over the protest, adding that the management has fulfilled almost all the claims and demands of the workers.

He said in a statement that about N1.5 billion upfront deductions had been offset among other commitments.

He added that efforts were already in place to address pending issues.

On the non-remittance of pension deductions, Komolafe said that the commission has remitted all pension deductions to the various Pension Fund Administrators.

He added that the management had also secured additional working space in Abuja, while relevant steps had been taken to fit the necessary facilities in the Port Harcourt and Lagos offices.

On medicals, Komolafe explained that full and comprehensive medical care, inclusive of approved overseas treatment, where required, was being provided for all staff.

“The commission has also paid all on-call allowances to deserving staff as of July 2023.

“Regarding the issue of non-payment of outsourced personnel, all outsourced service providers invoices are currently being processed,” he said.

The chief executive said that the commission would not succumb to threats and intimidation from any quarters.

08/03/2023
Elevator Tragedy: NMA declares indefinite strike in Lagos hospitals

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos branch, has directed medical doctors in three government hospitals on Lagos Island to embark on an indefinite strike over the death of its member, Dr Diaso Vwaere.

The directive is contained in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of NMA in the state, Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu and Dr Ajibowo Ismail, on Wednesday in Lagos.

Vwaere, a medical house officer with the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos, died on August 1, owing to the injuries sustained when the elevator she was in crashed from the 10th floor of the hospital building.

NMA directed the doctors at the General Hospital, Odan; Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, and Massey Street Children’s Hospital to embark on the strike until investigations into the cause of the death were completed and justice served.

“The information we got was that she was trapped in the elevator for more than 40 minutes before she was rescued.

“We were also reliably informed that there was no blood available for resuscitation, and this has become a recurring issue as a result of the review made by the government on the previous policy on blood donation.

“To us, this was an avoidable death and it’s unfortunate that it was allowed to happen. We are pained and we are mourning.

“We are well aware that this same elevator has been a source of problem for many years during which several complaints had been made to all relevant agencies with no respite.

“It is very painful that at a time when the country is battling with unprecedented brain drain, a young colleague that would have been expected to attend to 6,000 Nigerians was allowed to die a needless death,” the association said.

It called for immediate, unbiased investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident.

“That all those found culpable in this matter, especially the General Manager of the Lagos State Infrastructure Management Agency, Ms Adenike Adekambi, are all brought to justice,” the association said.

NMA also directed all the doctors in other government hospitals in the state to scale down activities as a mark of respect for their dead colleague.

“Only emergency services should be rendered for the next five days,” it said.

The association appealed to government to urgently begin an overhaul of the house officers’ quarters on the Island and repair the infrastructure in all government hospitals that needed attention.

NMA also urged the government to revamp the blood transfusion system in the state for improved services.

“We appeal to our colleagues to remain calm, as NMA Lagos State leadership is on top of the situation and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that justice is not just served but seen to have been served,” the association said.

It commiserated with the family of the late doctor, her colleagues on the Island, the Medical Guild, and the body of doctors in the state while praying for the fortitude to bear the irreparable and unfortunate loss.

08/02/2023
Doctor’s Kidnap: NMA takes protest to House of Assembly

Members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Tuesday marched to the Cross River House of Assembly in a peaceful protest against the kidnap of a member, Dr Ekanem Ephraim.

The doctors, who came out in their numbers, wielded placards with inscriptions such as “Set Cross River Free from the Stranglehold of Kidnappers”, “Make Cross River Safe Again.”

Ephraim was abducted from her residence on Thursday, July 13 by armed men who disguised as patients.

Speaking at the Assembly Complex, Dr. Felix Archibong, Chairman of NMA, Cross River Chapter, said the situation of doctors in the state has got to the point where they were afraid of going about their daily activities.

Archibong said doctors in the state now watched their backs at all times for fear of being abducted.

“We are tired of coming out to protest every time that our member is kidnapped and after it is sorted out, another doctor is targeted and picked.

“We have given the state government enough time; we have been patient and today is the 19th day and our member is still in the kidnappers den.

“Is it a crime that doctors decided to serve in Cross River? Do they want us to leave the state?

“In the last few years, doctors have been targets of kidnappers and we need something drastic to be done,“ he said.

Responding, Mr Elvert Ayambem, House Speaker, appealed to the doctors to be calm.

Ayambem said it was sad that the kidnap of the doctor took place at the time criminal elements were granted amnesty to enable them to turn a new leaf.

He said if the criminals did not turn a new leaf after six months, they would feel the full impact of the law.

“I am speaking as the head of the legislature in the state, let us hear from the governor who is the head of the executive because there is a limit to what I can do from my position.

08/02/2023
NLC’s planned shutdown of the country illegal, FG insists

The Federal Government has told the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, that its plan to shut down the country on Wednesday, August 2, under the guise of industrial action is illegal.

The NLC had threatened to embark on nationwide protest from August 2 following the failure to reach an agreement with the government on the recent increase in the pump price of petrol.

The Federal Government had instituted a case at the National Industrial Court, Abuja, seeking to stop the NLC from embarking on the strike action.

The court had also made an order stopping the NLC from going ahead with the strike pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

But despite the court order, labour unions have insisted on the mass protest.

The Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, in a letter to the NLC, through their lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, said parties before the court are supposed to maintain the status quo, to respect the pendency of the matter.

In the letter with reference number MJ/CIV/ABJ/316/23 and dated July 31, 2023, the solicitor-general said, “Parties are expected to maintain the status quo even in the absence of a restraining order. However, there was no threat of contempt of court in the clarification provided by this Ministry. Undoubtedly, drawing the attention of NLC and the public to the pendency of the order cannot be equated with threats.

“The issue of peaceful protests and police permit are also not in contention, however, you may wish to be guided by the contents of the Communique issued by the National Executive Council of NLC at the end of its meeting of 27th July 2023. The decision or projected cause of action by NLC is directed principally in furtherance of issues connected with a hike in fuel price and consequential matters of palliatives and workers’ welfare. We assert that it is grossly inappropriate to lead the public protest in respect of issues relating to or connected with the fuel price increases, which are currently before the court!

“From the Communique, it is apparent that the current move by NLC goes beyond peaceful protest by issuing a seven-day ultimatum for government to meet the demands and also embark on a nationwide action to compel the government to reverse alleged anti-worker policies.

“Furthermore, uncontroverted media reports have established that NLC is not planning a peaceful protest but intends to ground the government by endangering public peace, instilling fear in the masses, and precipitating a further crisis. To buttress the above, the Assistant General Secretary of NLC, stated thus: ‘Nigerians should be prepared. That’s what we are saying. Being prepared means you have to stock food in your house and be economical with your movement at this particular point in time so as to avoid being stranded…’ “

“In the same vein, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers and National Union of Electricity Employees confirmed that they were working towards grounding the supply of fuel and the national electricity grid. The Ag. General Secretary of NUEE stated thus: ‘The NUEE is an affiliate of the NLC and I’ve told you that we will join the strike action. The issue is that if there’s a deadlock between labour and the government; that means that the mass protest is still going on, and definitely electricity workers, as an affiliate of the NLC, will partake in the mass protest. So, all workers in the power sector will join the mass protest on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. It is binding on every staff member to join the strike action. So, if it results in a blackout, the only option is for the government to listen to us if it wants power to return.”

“We reiterate that the interim order clearly restrained NLC from embarking on industrial action of any nature. It is common knowledge that a strike is only a form of industrial action. NLC has expressed the intention to embark on a nationwide action to force the government (employer) to agree to its demands. Furthermore, the participation of workers in the protest will result in restriction, or imitation on, or a delay in the performance of work. The foregoing, inclusive of the purported peaceful protest (in view of its intended aims or purposes), undoubtedly amounts to industrial action.

“It is incumbent on your law firm to sensitize the labour unions that peaceful protests are no justification for disrupting or shutting down essential services, which is tantamount to a strike action.”

08/01/2023
Atiku’s insistence on FCT 25% votes illogical, absurd – INEC, Tinubu

*25% votes mandatory, Atiku insists

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have described the 25 percent of votes in the country’s capital insistence as absurd and illogical.

At the resumed sitting of the presidential tribunal for the adoption of final addresses by different parties, the Respondents urged the court to dismiss Peter Obi and Atiku Atiku’s petitions as completely lacking in merit.

The Petitioner Atiku Abubakar had urged the court to hold that he scored the majority of lawful votes cast in the February 25 polls while declaring that Tinubu’s alleged academic, court, and diplomatic records were enough to disqualify him from running for office.

Responding, INEC maintained that the petitioners failed completely to discharge the burden placed on them by law against President Bola Tinubu’s victory.

INEC’s lead counsel, Abubakar Mahmoud SAN, argued that the arguments of the petitioner’s case are non-compliance with the Electoral Act, INEC Regulations and Guidelines, and the use of technology in the election.

On the 25% votes of the FCT, INEC insisted that the claim is illogical and absurd, adding that it will create a situation where FCT voters would be given special status above other Nigerians living in other states.

Further in his adumbration, Mahmoud submitted that in evidence shows that accreditation and authentication of voters was effective and that the technical glitches cited by Atiku happened for about 4 hours but were resolved.

Concluding, INEC added that the technical glitches did not affect the outcome of the presidential election.

“Pieces of evidence adduced by the Petitioners showed that the BVAS actually did the work of capturing the image of the results band transmission to the INEC IREV.

“They have failed woefully to establish that there was human interference in the technical glitches that happened on Election Day.”

“The petitioners constructed certain things in their minds to which they failed to prove,” Mahmoud.

President Tinubu on his part asked the court to dismiss Atiku’s petition for lacking in merit.

Adopting his final addresses, Tinubu, through his counsel Wole Olanipekun SAN, insisted that uploading of polling unit results to INEC Results Viewing Portal, IReV, places no obligation on INEC regarding collation of results but was just for public view.

Specifically, Tinubu submitted that there was no line in the Atiku’s’ final address stating how many votes Atiku Abubakar actually scored, adding that documents PDP tendered were dumped on the court and it is not the duty of the court to do an investigation of those documents.

Therefore, he urged the court to dismiss Atiku’s petition and uphold Tinubu’s victory.

“Your Lordships are not Father Christmas” to give parties whatever they want.

Olanipekun also argued that it will lead to “absurdity” to interpret the 1999 Constitution without looking at all the sections talking about FCT.

“FCT is the 37 state in Nigeria for the purpose of the presidential election,” Olanipekun said.

Meantime, Justice Haruna Tsammani, reserved judgement for a later date that will be communicated to the parties.

08/01/2023
Federal High Court Justice Mallong is dead

A Judge in the Federal High Court, Justice Peter Mallong, has died.

Justice Mallong, who was from Plateau, was born on January 21 1963 in Yauri, Kebbi State died on Sunday after a brief illness.

The Chief Registrar, Federal High Court of Nigeria, Hassan Sulaiman, confirmed this to NIGERIAN ANCHOR correspondent.

He said, “Hon. Justice Peter Hoommuk Mallong, a judge of the Federal High Court, passed away on July 30, 2023, unexpectedly after a brief illness in Abuja. We will miss him more than words can express.

“Funeral arrangements will be communicated to the public in due time.”

He said, “Hon. Justice Peter Hoommuk Mallong, a judge of the Federal High Court, passed away on July 30, 2023, unexpectedly after a brief illness in Abuja. We will miss him more than words can express.

“Funeral arrangements will be communicated to the public in due time.”

07/31/2023