Supreme Court dismisses Wike’s suit against tribunal

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, challenging the authority of the state governorship election tribunal to sit in Abuja.
The Rivers and Akwa Ibom tribunals had relocated to Abuja, citing security concerns.
Mr. Wike challenged the decision. He also challenged the failure of the president of the Court of Appeal to consult the Rivers State Chief Judge and president of the Customary Court of Appeal before constituting the tribunal.
On Saturday, the tribunal sacked Mr. Wike, and ordered a rerun, saying the election that brought him to office was marred by irregularities.
Mr. Wike condemned the tribunal’s ruling saying the ruling was hasty as the Supreme Court was about to decide on the jurisdiction suit on Tuesday.

General Gowon faults Buhari, military on Boko Haram December defeat deadline

A former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, on Tuesday faulted President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian military over the December deadline for ending the Boko Haram insurgency.
President Buhari had tasked the military to end insurgency in three months, ending December 2015. The military has said it would meet the schedule.
Mr. Gowon said the military would do its best to meet the December deadline, expressing “absolute confidence” in the ability of the Nigerian armed forces to defeat Boko Haram.
He however warned that no person can confidently talk about the particular time a military operation would end.
Mr. Gowon stated this in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, when he led an advocacy team on malaria and four other neglected tropical diseases, on a visited to Governor David Umahi.
“I can tell you this, nobody can really talk about when any particular operation is going to end. And as a (former) commander-in- chief, I know this.

Why I was quizzed by EFCC — Akpabio

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, has given insight into why he was interrogated for several hours on Friday by operatives of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Speaking with a PREMIUM TIMES reporter shortly after he left the EFCC headquarters late on Friday night, Mr. Akpabio admitted that he was summoned by the anti-graft body to respond to several allegations of corruption against him.
 “A young lawyer from my state has been petitioning the EFCC accusing me of corruption,” the former governor said. “So shortly before I got involved in an accident in August, the EFCC summoned me to come and respond to the allegations.
“But following the accident, I wasn’t well enough to honour the EFCC summon. And I let them know.
“So today, since I’m now well, and the Senate did not sit, I decided to honour the EFCC so as to answer questions concerning the allegations against me.
“I wasn’t arrested. I walked in there myself and now I’m back at home. The EFCC operatives were professional. They asked questions, and I answered.”

Pastor Williams Kumuyi, sees a major turnaround for Nigeira

The General Superin-tendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM), Pastor Williams Kumuyi, sees a major turnaround for the nation despite the current socio-economic challenges.

Speaking with journalists at the sidelines of the kick off of the Lagos city wide crusade organised by the church in conjunction with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), the respected holiness preacher said that Nigeria will bounce back.

Responding to claims that the current administration was slow, he said: “The encouragement I want to give to everyone is that we should have hope and we should look up to God that God is able and will definitely turn things around.

“It may not take place this very minute but God is going to do wonders in our country and things are going to really turn around for the better.”

He added: “My prayer is that the mighty change, supernatural change that God has done for individuals, he will do for our country.

“God works in various ways and you see all the things happening, fighting against corruption and all that- we need the wisdom, power and support of God and my prayer is that God will assist the government to really pull through until we get to the end of the tunnel. A change is coming, a change has started already.”

In his sermon titled “The wonders of supernatural change,” he called for repentance for the arrival of a new dawn.

Nigeria: Ex ministers still holding on to official vehicles

Over three months after leaving office, some ministers in the last administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan are yet to return their official vehicles.
Such vehicles include pilot cars with which they get easy passage on the highway and cars attached to their families.
The Federal Government has, however, written some of the ex-ministers to return the official vehicles to the ministries.
Some of the former ministers claimed they had not returned their official vehicles because of outstanding salaries, claims and severance package.
Fifteen former ministers are yet to surrender the vehicles assigned to their former offices.
The government is believed to have asked permanent secretaries in the ministries to write the former ministers.
The government threatened to compel the ex-ministers to handover the vehicles or face sanctions.
A Presidency source said: “Some of the ex-ministers are yet to return their official vehicles, especially the Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), which they were using. It is amazing that some of them are still using pilot vehicles for passage.

Aisha Buhari Backs Enforcement Of Rape Laws

Nigeria: Wife of President Buhari, Aisha Buhari has called for the enforcement of rape laws in Nigeria. Mrs Buhari made the call at a meeting she had with Ministry of Women Affairs, UNICEF and National Population Commission, led by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Ezekiel Oyemomi at the state house Abuja yesterday September 14th.

We are aware of the national law on rape passed this year on May 25 (Prohibition Act 2015) which states imprisonment ranging from 12 to 20 years. I advocate for the enforcement of this law at all levels. 

Unfortunately, children are the most vulnerable, being exploited at different stages of their lives. A number of cases on violence against women and children are being reported on daily basis with the most alarming one of those happening in higher institutions of leaning. These include sexual harassment and assaults of female students by lecturers as a result of lack of laws and appropriate actions against the perpetrators, she said.

Zimbabwe President Mugabe delivers wrong speech in parliament

Zimbabwe's 91-year-old President Robert Mugabe read the wrong speech at the opening of a new session of parliament on Tuesday, repeating an address he gave to the legislature last month.
The veteran leader read the 25-minute speech through to the end, apparently unaware that he was delivering the same text he presented during his state of the nation address last month.
"There has been a mix-up of speeches resulting in a situation where... the president delivered the wrong speech," said presidential spokesman George Charamba.
"The mix-up happened in his secretarial office," Charamba was quoted as saying in the state-owned Herald newspaper's online edition.
"The error is sincerely regretted and corrective measures are being considered."
Mugabe, Africa's oldest leader, earlier this year fell down the steps leading from a podium. He was unhurt, but video of the fall went viral on social media.
The opening of parliament was also tarnished by claims by opposition legislators that they had received anonymous death threats warning them against booing Mugabe during his address.

EFCC quizzes ex-Immigration boss, Parradang

The Economic and Financial Crimes on Monday interrogated the immediate past Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, David Parradang, over alleged corruption.
The spokesperson of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed this to journalist in a telephone interview.
Mr. Uwujaren, who did not disclose the actual reason for the interrogation, said Mr. Parradang was still being quizzed at the time he left the office in the evening.
The embattled former CG was reported to have arrived at the EFCC headquarters in the Wuse 2 District of Abuja at 10am and was immediately taken into the interrogation room by the Commission’s operatives.

FCT Police Command Commences Ember Moths Operations

Nigeria Abuja: FCT Commissioner of Police Wilson Inalegwu says the federal Capital Territory is safe, ahead of the Sallah Celebrations and part of its ember month campaign.

The Police Commissioner affirmed that the FCT police command is on full alert while officers are on red alert to curtail any crime during the festivities.

CP Inalegwu says in his bid to rid the city of criminals in the ember month, the police force would continue to raid criminal hide out within the territory, adding that some of its covert operations are already yielding result.

The FCT Commissioner of police also urged artisans like Mechanics, Panel Beaters and Painters to always issue job order forms to clients, so as to help the force check the increasing rate of car theft within the city.

Boko Haram days are numbered - DHQ

The Acting Director, Defence Information, Rabe Abubakar, has reiterated that the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria would soon end.
Colonel. Abubakar, made this declaration when a group of journalists visited him in his office at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja on Monday.
The defence spokesperson, according to a statement by Way Olabisi, a lieutenant commander, pointed out that with the renewed commitment of the military leadership and the determination of troops in the mission areas, an end to the insurgency is imminent.
He praised the brilliant coordination between the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Army, an arrangement he said has uprooted the Boko Haram from its strongholds, including its several camps in the Sambisa forest.