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Proposed Amendment Of Section 162: Group Blows Hot, Alleges Attempt To Sideline Ijaw, Others

Published

3 years ago

October 24, 2021

Editor

Our Reporter, Yenagoa

… Calls For Restructuring

Group knowns as Ijaw People Assembly, IPA, has described the proposed bill for the amendment of Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, by 59 members of the House of Representatives from the North as an invitation to chaos, adding that this will eventual leads to collapse of the Nigerian economy.

The group alleged that the attempt is to strangulate and subjugate the Ijaw nation in particular and the other Niger Delta nationalities.

A bill purportedly sponsored by 59 members of the House of Representatives from the North is seeking to delete the derivation principle contained in Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended had been circulating on the social media.

The sub-section 2, which deals with the management of the Federation Account, states that, “The President, upon the receipt of advice from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, shall table before the National Assembly proposals for revenue allocation from the Federation Account, and in determining the formula, the National Assembly shall take into account, the allocation principles especially those of population, equality of states, internal revenue generation, land mass, terrain as well as population density.

“Provided that the principle of derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than 13 per cent of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from any natural resources.”

But IPA, in a statement jointly signed its President, Ben Nanaghan, and Secretary, Dortimi Kester Tawari, of which a copy was made available to newsmen, noted that the proposed amendment is aimed at removing the 13% derivation principle for the Niger Delta.

The group, while further describing the proposed Bill as an attempt to internally colonize the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta in general, called for the immediate restructuring of the country.

“A restructured Nigeria or federation of sovereign nations will promote a productive economy and end the current monthly sharing (rentier) economy under some spurious formula which has encouraged laziness and unviability of states from which the said 59 members all hail from.

“The proposed amendment no matter the coloration is a subterfuge targeted at deleting the Principle of Derivation which as of today stipulates 13% of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from any natural resources.

“The Niger Delta States, therefore, are the real targets of this inglorious and obnoxious attempt to amend the particular Subsection of the 1999 CFRN.

“The Ijaw nation being a host nation to oil and gas resources and assets, the IPA views this proposal as another form of internal colonization, an attempt to strangulate and subjugate the Ijaw nation in particular and the other Niger Delta nationalities.

“It needs to be mentioned that it is an invitation to chaos and eventual collapse of the Nigerian economy. The ljaw People Assembly vehemently oppose a system that will drag the ljaw Nation and the other nationalities in the Niger Delta into undeserved subjugation and retrogression.

“The ljaw People Assembly would rather demand an increased derivative of 50% for the Niger Delta States because when the Wazobia tripod was enjoying 100% derivatives for their hides and skins, tin, coal, cocoa, rubber etc, the Niger Delta was left behind as an undeveloped slavish territory.

“We do not oppose the legitimate exercise of rights of groups in a democratic setting if done within the limits of justice, equity and fairness nevertheless we let the 59 Honourable Members and their godfathers know that we read clearly the handwriting and understand the purport of the said amendment and would not fold our arms and hands in the height of any oppressive machination by anyone at this point of our history.

“Take notice therefore that we shall mobilize accordingly all resources to support the actions of the INC and undertake pushbacks we consider appropriate should the National Assembly (NASS) go ahead with this daylight naked dance in the market square,” the statement reads in part.

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Kenya Deports Nigerian Captured On CCTV Assaulting Woman In Wheelchair [VIDEO]

Published

3 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

A Nigerian national who was caught on CCTV camera assaulting a Kenyan woman confined to a wheelchair in Nairobi has been deported.

In the footage that went viral on April 26, 2024, the Nigerian man identified as John Nwankwo Noko, is seen clobbering a helpless Ms. Pauline in the head before two other ladies looking on intervened to stop the act.

In a statement signed by State Department of Gender Principal Secretary Anne Wang’ombe, Nwankwo was deported on Saturday, May 4, 2024, for assaulting his partner, Ms Pauline.

He is accused of physically assaulting his partner, a Kenyan woman confined to a wheelchair, raising concerns about cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

“The act of violence has not only violated the rights of an individual but has also highlighted the broader issues of gender-based violence, that is rampant in our society,” Orwoba said in the statement.

The case was first brought to the attention of the police by Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba on Wednesday, May 1.

Orwoba, acting on the video that first went viral on social media on April 29, visited the woman at her home, who confirmed that her life was in danger.

She [the woman] claimed that her Nigerian partner “had been threatening to kill her and her two domestic workers if they outed him,” Orwoba said.

Senator Orwoba then reported the matter to Karen Police Station, after which it was picked up by the offices of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kindiki Kithure, and that of Immigration PS Julius Bitok.

“Mr Nwankwo Noko has been arrested and processed for deportation,” Gender PS confirmed.

The nominated senator, who has continually advocated for violence against women has since demanded an end to the rising cases, saying they not only leave women with physical and emotional damage but also tear the moral fabric of our society.

“We strongly condemn such behavior and we shall continue working towards creating a safer environment for women, free of fear,” Orwoba added.

Watch footage below:

John Nwankwo, a devil, assaults woman in wheelchair in Kenya…
Criminal:
John Nwankwo Noko
Crime:
Nigerian man by the name of John Nwankwo Noko was captured on CCTV assaulting a woman in a wheelchair. In the footage, the ruthless man is seen raining kicks and blows on the… pic.twitter.com/COGgqaFEzd
— CitizenOlu (@jagabanolu) April 26, 2024

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Woman Wins $1million Lottery For Second Time In 10 Weeks

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3 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

Christine Wilson of Attleboro recently claimed a $1 million jackpot, the Massachusetts State Lottery announced on Wednesday, May 1.

Amazingly, it marked the second $1 million prize she’d won in just 10 weeks.

Wilson’s latest winnings came from playing the 100X Cash $10 instant ticket game. The scratch game involves matching any of the player’s numbers or bonus numbers to any winning number.

In February, Wilson claimed her first $1 million lottery prize after playing the Lifetime Millions $50 instant ticket game.

When she won her first prize, Wilson said that she would use some of the money to buy an SUV. Now she plans to put her new winnings towards savings.

As with her first jackpot prize back in February, for her latest win, Wilson opted for the cash payout option of $650,000 before taxes.

And it’s not just Wilson who is reaping the rewards for her latest jackpot. The Family Food Mart that sold her the ticket will receive a $10,000 bonus.

Wilson joins other lucky folks who have won a lottery jackpot twice in the last year. In February, a Michigan man won a $110,000 prize by playing the state’s Fantasy 5 Double Play drawing. Six months earlier, the man had also netted $110,000 via the same game.

Meanwhile, in October 2023, Jennifer Minton of Gloucester, Virginia, won $50,000 playing that state’s Safari Quest online game. A week later, she won again, netting a $1 million prize.

And in March of that same year, a couple from Australia scored two $1 million prizes on separate tickets in the same drawing for Australia’s Monday & Wednesday Lotto game.

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70 Passengers Fall Ill, Vomit Bug During Flight From Mauritius To Frankfurt

Published

3 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

About 70 passengers fell ill with a vomiting bug mid-way through their flight from Mauritius to Frankfurt.

According to Mail Online, Condor airline Flight DE2315 was travelling on Thursday, May 2, from Mauritius to Frankfurt when it became clear that many passengers on board were suffering from the bug.

The aircraft landed in the German city at around 5.33pm where it was greeted with a large contingent of emergency services.

Crew had called ahead to alert officials on the ground of the unfolding emergency.

It was found that 70 of the 290 passengers onboard had suddenly reported symptoms including nausea and vomiting.

A spokesperson for the Germany airline confirmed the incident to the country’s Bild tabloid, adding that the crew was not affected by the illness.

‘She [the pilot/crew] is also educated and trained for special situations like this,’ the statement to the newspaper said.

‘After carefully examining the overall situation, the flight continued. The aircraft landed safely in Frankfurt, where medical professionals were available to care for the affected guests.’

The airline, however, did not confirm the cause of the sudden illness, but noted that the food onboard would have been prepared in Mauritius.

‘Condor has already initiated an investigation into the case to get to the bottom of the cause and to derive possible measures from it,’ the spokeswoman added.

‘Condor is working closely with all responsible partners and authorities. There is currently no result available.

‘We generally do not participate in speculation about the cause, for example about individual menus on board that were prepared in Mauritius,’ the statement added.