News

Community Seeks Police Intervention Over Alleged Plans by Neighbouring Communities To Cause Communal Crisis

Published

4 years ago

November 11, 2020

Editor

The inhabitants of Oke-Oroma village in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State are seeking Police intervention and protection over alleged impending plans by neighbouring Amagba and Obazagbon villages to promote communal unrest.

Oke-Oroma in a petition by their solicitor to the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command and made available to Journalists in Benin, stressed that inhabitants of the community had become weary of alleged imminent plans by the said neighbouring villages whom reportedly are in connection with top government functionaries to invade them in the guise of searching for the fleeing Inmates of the recent jail breaks in the state which they claimed to have taken up refuge at Oke-Oroma village.

The petition reads in part; “That on Saturday November 7, 2020 some youths of our clients neighbouring villages, Amagba and Obazagbon started jubilating, shooting guns into the air, shouting and boasting to the hearing of our clients that they have the backing of top government official who had given them clearances to sieze our clients village.

“While the jubilation and chanting rent the air, the jubilating thugs confirmed that, Hon Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and his other cohorts had met with top government official to help, said villages, apply and secure armed policemen to accompany them into our clients village in the guise of rearresting absconded Inmates of the Benin and Oko Prisons who are not even in their community; thereby, using it as a medium to commit and or accomplish the intended crimes as planned by Amagba with the help of Obazagbon Village whose aim is to wipe out the leadership of our client’s community in other to have full control of same.

“This plan came up again, after our clients revealed the two villages initial plans through it petition dated September 2, 2020 to exploit through the recently conducted Governorship Election of September 19, 2020, as medium to enter into our clients community and cause mayhem afterwards.”

According to the Solicitor, the decision to explore this means is connected to a continuation of several incidents of attack, particularly the one in February 19, 2020, allegedly orchestrated by same neighbouring villages against the people of Oke-Oroma which left many dead, property worth millions destroyed in the process.

The Solicitor affirmed that, peace was gradually returning to the community and inhabitants settling down after the turbulent crisis when a new one is being allegedly hatched by the neighbouring Amagba and Obazagbon communities, adding that this could portray the image of the state in bad light if nothing is done to arrest the looming crisis.

He said everal persons from the neighbouring villages were alleged to have masterminded the past attacks that drew the attention of the authority for interventions following similar petitions from the Oke-Oroma over lingering boundary dispute.

The Solicitor, however, urged the Police authority to intervene and stop the allegation of intending crimes in the locality

Recall that the leadership of Oke-Oroma had raised similar alarm that they received threats of attack from the afformentioned villages which was however, documented and presently being investigated at the AIG Zone five, Benin City after the said attacks were successfully carried out by same villages.

Meanwhile, responding to the allegation, one of the accused, Hon Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, admitted to have informed the state government of the activities around the village.

He noted that, “the level of kidnapping activities have become alarming, and would be unfair to let criminal activities continue without firm attention”.

I can’t denied what I said, I was the one who alarted the authority about criminal events there. I was accused by the authority of letting criminal to operate unhurt. I told them those criminal elements are not from Amagba but from nearby village. By reporting their activities, I don’t think it’s wrong

He disclosed that those who engaged in such act are detractors who wants to smear his name and integrity.

News

JUST IN: Tinubu Appoints Governing Board Members For 111 Tertiary Institutions

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointments of at least 555 persons to serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairmen and members of Governing Boards of 111 federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

This followed Tinubu’s assent to a list of nominees selected by the Ministry of Education.

An advertorial by the Education Ministry sighted by The PUNCH showed the appointment of a chairperson and four members for each of the institutions.

It was signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack.

“The inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils will take place on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission, 26 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Both events will commence at 9:00am daily,” said Walson-Jack.

When contacted for confirmation, the Presidency said the list emanated from the Ministry of Education.

“This is from the Federal Ministry of Education…they make the nominations and forward them to the President to sign. But they are at liberty to release it from their end,” the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told The PUNCH on Sunday.

The appointments come days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities had threatened to embark on another strike, potentially disrupting the academic calendar and causing further setbacks in the country’s higher education sector.

The union, on Tuesday, decried the failure of the Federal Government to appoint Governing Councils for federal universities.

The union also faulted what it described as the nonchalant attitude of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to matters about academics in federal universities.

The body of academics, during a briefing at the University of Abuja, also faulted the 35 per cent salary increment for professors and the 25 per cent salary increment for other academics in the university system.

News

HOMEF Applauds NASS On Decision To Investigate GMOs In Nigeria

Published

9 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

…says Nigeria needs to prioritise public health

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and the GMO-Free Nigeria
Alliance have commended the House of Representatives on the resolution to comprehensively investigate the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into Nigeria and for a halt on approval of new products
pending the completion of that investigation.

This is as the House of Representatives also urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ensure labelling of GM crops already in the country.

The House resolution to investigate the introduction of GMOs into Nigeria followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Muktar Shagaya at a plenary session held on Thursday 16th May 2024.

In a statement made available to INFO DAILY Kome Odhomor, Media/Communication Lead, HOMEF, the Executive Director of the organisation, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, said ass the lawmaker rightly explained, the introduction of GMOs in Nigeria raises serious concerns about safety, regulatory oversight, and their potential impacts on the country’s biosafety.

He noted that the investigation which has been long “overdue is vital to save the country from the dangerous path to food colonialism, contamination of our genetic resources, loss of
biodiversity/nutritional diversity, soil degradation, and overall
disruption of our agriculture and food systems.”

Bassey continued: “This investigation must be unbiased and thorough. To ensure this, the National Assembly should engage independent researchers to avoid contamination of the process by GMO promoters.

“This investigation should consider Nigeria’s agricultural landscape and investigate the underlying
causes of hunger/food insecurity and as well establish definite measures to address those issues. This is the time to rescue Nigerians from being used for risky experimentations.”

The Executive Director also stressed the need for critical examination of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act for its fitness for purpose.

He further added: “That law needs to be completely reworked to close existing loopholes including the composition of its governing/decision making board by excluding GMO promoters such as the National Biotechnology Development Agency; the lack of provision on strict liability, inadequate public consultation measures, absolute decision-making powers of the agency, minimal reference to the precautionary principal and many others.

“This was the submission of Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, Food Sovereignty Activist and Deputy Executive Director at Friends of the Earth Nigeria.”

Also reacting to the Green Chamber’s call on NAFDAC to label GMO crops in the country, HOMEF’s Director of Programmes and lead on Hunger Politics, Joyce Brown, noted that the agency will need to devise strategies to have foods sold in local markets in basins, by the road sides, and in processed forms like Ogi and Akara labelled to ensure informed decision-making by the majority of people who purchase food from these sources.

“This exercise will prove that GMOs do not fit our socio-economic context. Over the years, market shelf surveys conducted by HOMEF has revealed over 50 different processed/packaged foods labelled as produced using genetically modified ingredients,” she added.

Brown advised that permits for commercialisation of GMO products such as Bt Cowpea, Tela Maize, Bt Corn and all others be suspended pending the result of the investigation by the House Committee on Agriculture and others.

The statement reaffirmed the submission by Rep. Shagaya that there’s need to prioritise public health, biodiversity, increased support of small holder farmers in terms of extension service, provision of infrastructure (to curtail waste), access to credits, access to land and the growth of our local economy.

“Nigeria should adopt agroecological farming which aligns well with our socio economic and socio cultural
context. Agroecology delivers increased productivity and economic resilience, revises/nourishes ecosystems, strengthens local economies, mitigates climate change and promotes food sovereignty,” the statement concluded.

News

Mother Of Five Jailed For Forging Late Abba Kyari’s Signature

Published

17 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A mother of five, Ramat Mba, has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment by a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja, for her involvement in an employment scam.

Ramat who was also found guilty of forging the signature of the late Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, was arraigned before the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on a 5-count bordering on cheating, fraud and forgery, contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and Sections 320(b), 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.

She reportedly committed the offence sometime in 2020 when she collected N4.5 million from several job seekers, promising to secure jobs for them with the ICPC and National Air Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).

Also, the documentary evidence tendered showed that the convict fraudulently forged the letterhead of the Office of the Chief of Staff to former President Buhari and his signature. The letter, addressed to the ICPC Chairman, was a request for the recruitment of three individuals by the commission.

However, the late CoS, in a written correspondence that was also tendered in court as an exhibit, distanced himself or his office from authorising the letter.

Commenting on the sentencing, spokesperson for the ICPC, Demola Bakare said;

“The trial judge, Justice Muhammad, in his judgment on May 9, 2024, convicted the mother of five children on counts 1, 2, 3 and 5 that border on cheating and forgery, while she was discharged on count 4 which borders on felony.

“Justice Muhammad, during the sentencing on Thursday, pronounced a six-month jail term or N100,000 option of fine on counts 1, 2 and 3 on the convict.

“The presiding judge, who stressed the status of the convict as a first-time offender and a mother, also sentenced her to one-year imprisonment or N150,000 option on fine on count 5 which borders on forgery.”