Cross River Governor, Ben Ayade, defects to APC by Ada Wodu

The Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade, on Thursday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. He announced the decision after a closed-door meeting with six APC governors that lasted over an hour at the executive chamber of the Governor’s Office in Calabar. The governors in attendance were those of Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi; Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru; Yobe, Mai Mala Buni; Kebbi, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Imo, Hope Uzodima; and Plateau, Simon Along, as well as the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva. Speaking during the defection, Ayade said, “We need to join hands with President Buhari in his determination to enhance the fortunes of the country. “I need all governors to similarly join me and understand my decision to join the APC. “We need to work ahead with the president for the future and unity of Nigeria. We all need to sit at the same dining table with Mr Presidential to save Nigeria. “It is my responsibility to bring back Cross River to the centre in order to enhance her fortunes. “I therefore formally declare myself a member and leader of APC in Cross River State.” Also, speaking after Ayade joined the party, Governor Buni said the governor automatically becomes the leader of the party in the state. Reacting, former Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on National Assembly, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, said the decision of the Governor is a “Right move in the right direction. Where the leader of the state goes, I go with him.” The Secretary to the State Government, Tina Banku-Agbor in her reaction said “the Governor has taken the right decision. We give him the chance. He is the right leader.” Other political appointees such as commissioners and special advisers declined to comment on the governor’s defection. It was gathered that some appointees were taken unawares, though some saw it coming. Prior to the defection, Governor Ayade had complained about the manner he was being treated in PDP, especially being denied the leadership of the party in the state. Crisis had rocked the party in the state over the control of the party at all levels.

Executive Order #10: We’re resolving implementation issues ― Governors

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) says parties involved in Executive Order #10 are working earnestly to resolve the issues surrounding the implementation of the order. The forum said this in a communiqué issued on Wednesday night after its 30th teleconference. President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020 signed into law Executive Order No. 10 of 2020 for the implementation of financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary order. The forum in the communiqué signed by it Chairman and the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said talks on the Order had reached an advanced stage with the Ministry of Labour, conference of Speakers, and the National Judicial Council. “There are, however, legal aspects of the order that need to be tied up, but which cannot take place if officials responsible for these final processes are on strike. “Governors are happy to implement the demands of the judiciary and the Legislature,” he said. The NGF, however, resolved to call for the immediate dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee on the Autonomy of State Legislature and Judiciary. The forum said the presidential committee was now acting as a permanent committee “basically misguiding and overheating the relationship between state governments and the other arms of government.” The NGF also agreed on the need to continue to maintain COVID public health guidelines and vaccination protocols to ensure that the transmission of the virus was kept at the lowest level possible. ALSO READ: 4th Mainland Bridge to gulp $2.5bn now — Lagos govt The communiqué noted that the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, who is the NGF Chairman, Sub-Committee interfacing with the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 provided an update to the Forum on the activities of the PSC. It stated that Okowa informed the forum’s members of the expected commencement of the administration of the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the country, starting with those who received the first batch of the vaccine. “The Governor noted that the PSC is currently working to get additional vaccine doses for the country. “He urged his colleagues to continue to maintain COVID public health guidelines to ensure that the transmission of the virus is kept at the lowest level possible,” the communiqué stated. It added that Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, gave a briefing on the appropriate pricing of PMS in Nigeria, calling for full deregulation. It quoted el-Rufai as noting that between N70 billion and N210 billion was estimated to be spent every month to keep petrol price at N162/litre, “a situation that is completely unsustainable.” It noted that el-Rufai also briefed his colleagues on the labour crisis in Kaduna State. “The NGF noted that it stands with the Governor of Kaduna State in his quest to improve the productivity of workers and their rights for a better quality of life. “NGF recognises that what is happening in Kaduna State, will reverberate in each of the states. “The forum encourages the governor of Kaduna and all other governors to remain steadfast in the pursuit of human rights protection while ensuring that actions taken do not undermine the safety and security of lives. “NGF appeals to both parties in Kaduna State to resolve the issues in the interest of the state as the protection of human rights for the collective good of all citizens and growth of our dear country, Nigeria, is what matters most.” The teleconference was the 7th of such in year 2021. (NAN)

On Nigeria’s 11,886 abandoned projects, by Mohammed Salihu

According to public chronologies, the present unfortunate abandoned project crisis in Nigeria was hatched during the period of 1973–1983, specifically the oil boom era, when the country had to embark on infrastructural development winging ungainly, which led to poor project management. And the aftershocks are still very much with us. The success rate for project delivery started to decline over the years, and since then we never made up the lost ground. At date, circa N7.5 trillion projects are presently in jeopardy from poor project management and related bottlenecks. This is the combined value of the 11,886 abandoned projects reported by the President Jonathan committee of 2014 and those of the Abuja Mega projects recently revealed by the media. Obviously, this is weakening the economy and also causing massive loss of employment opportunities across the country. The prevailing situation doesn’t portray us as serious people and country, because if we cannot organize to manage projects successfully, then how can we expect to manage a country in this 21st century and beyond? Our growing record of project failure is a very sad development and worrying as well. This is because in today’s fast-paced business world, project management is a necessity, not a luxury, as more than one-fifth of the world’s economic activities are now being organized as projects, with an annual value of about $15 trillion dollars. Thus, one can only imagine how high the stakes are across the globe. Project management has become increasingly essential for development and one of the new ventures for growth. It is true that while almost every project may face some technical, cultural, legal, and economic issues during their life cycles, however, they can be diagnosed as well; so the stakeholders know the problems, review the plans and return the project on track, rather than left to fail or become abandoned. Also, we must know for a fact that the purpose of the officials, consultants and other specialists assigned to these projects; who usually embark on expensive trips, attend project meetings and who incurred humongous project expenses; are for the success of the projects and overall interest of the public. We cannot continue to be eluded by project success everywhere in the country; this is irresponsible and unacceptable. Our present circumstances and this year’s revelation of the abandoned Abuja mega projects should make us try to do something to end project failures. A longtime project management professor of mine once told me in a passing comment that project failure, without a doubt, is one of the worst pieces of legacy a government and generation can leave behind them. Nigeria, as a developing nation, must embark on ambitious reengineering of the process and people used for project management and leave the legal issues of project failures from contract defaults or breach of trust to lawyers and experts who know the terms of the contracts to handle them. We must focus more on what should be our major concern as citizens and stakeholders of our own projects; the project management processes i.e. the conception, planning, coordination, and construction of infrastructure and their disturbing outcomes so far. And here’s the mystery, striking to those of us of a certain age – that is, old enough to have already been studying or doing project management in the past two decades, government had processes, project managers, engineers, consultants, project offices, other project infrastructures etc., that is expected to exist, yet for some abnormal reasons, there is no clear consensus about what, if any, lessons we should draw from years of terrible project management outcomes. So why don’t the project teams raise the red flag when project failures start manifesting? The answers to this question were mixed reactions, but across the country many can only think of it as conspiracies to divert public funds using the projects as the conduits, sad but true. It is time to end this irresponsible practice of avoidable project failures; Project Management isn’t any rocket science! Our universities and other research centers, should as a matter of both urgency and obligation develop a method for a project management practice that ensures dynamism of project success in the country. The existing project management culture seems to have no impact; it is also very wasteful and breeding corruption. Project management is not only about fancy titles, expensive trips, branded vehicles, allowances, meetings, employment; it is ultimately for the deliverables and the products. Public projects are usually undertaken to address urgent public needs, as such citizens should always take interest in how they are managed and delivered. The government must be very clear on the directions for managing projects. It takes the cooperation of all stakeholders to bring a project to a successful completion; this requires defining the vision, planning the tasks, organizing the project team, capital budgeting, scheduling and overseeing the work to the finish line religiously. And, maybe, I should ask this: why didn’t any branch of the government consider it worth taking up the responsibility to address the issue of the reported abandoned projects in the past weeks? During President Jonathan’s reign, when the issue came up, he set up a committee promptly, we expect nothing less from this government, but more. Anyway, as far as I can tell, the political leadership in Nigeria always plays politics with projects; as patronages for loyalists – it is political survival at the public expense! In conclusion, we must collectively as a nation all go to bat to be able to achieve outstanding project successes for our own good, if we cannot, then we must blame ourselves on it, as project management has been around for thousands of years and was used in the construction of the Ancient Wonders of the World, so we cannot blame it for on our woos, but our poor application of it.

On the Asaba revolt by southern governors - by Simon Kolawole

If you are a keen observer of Nigerian politics, or should I say politicking, you must have noticed many unusual things about the meeting of the 17 southern governors in Asaba, Delta state, on Tuesday. In the first place, that the southern governors met at all — and, mind you, every single governor was present; none was represented by a deputy — is one of the most unusual occurrences since the dawn of this democratic era. While the 19 northern governors meet regularly, the last time southern governors met as a bloc, from my records, was in October 2017. And that was after a 12-year hiatus. The first meeting was hosted by then Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in 2002. Another unusualness is the “solidarity”. I have always argued that unlike the north that pursues common interests with a single mind no matter the partisan divide, southern politicians traditionally lack a sense of solidarity. Not only are they divided along party lines, the dominant ethnic groups, Igbo and Yoruba, are eternally at each other’s neck, bickering over who owns Lagos and who doesn’t, and spitting bile over the £20 token compensation for the Biafran currency after the civil war. There is also a feeling in the south-south that the south-west conspired with the north to chase President Goodluck Jonathan out of office in 2015. Thus, the Asaba gathering is noteworthy. It is also unusual, I would say, for the current set of southern governors, apart from Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, to openly criticise Buhari. Although many governors privately grumble about the president’s lopsided appointments and inaction on many issues, they say something else in public, like sycophants. It’s as if they fear or idolise Buhari so much that they cannot criticise him. This was unlike the case of President Jonathan whom most governors used as toothpick when he was in office. I believe some of the governors who signed the Asaba communique did so reluctantly and I wouldn’t be shocked if they secretly called Buhari later at night to explain themselves remorsefully. The Asaba Revolt, if you permit that rather strong expression, is all the more manifest in the resolution of the governors to demand a ban on open grazing and physical movement of cattle “across Southern Nigeria” — the keyword being “south”. The incursion of “armed herders, criminals and bandits” into the south, the governors said, “has presented a severe security challenge such that citizens are not able to live their normal lives including pursuing various productive activities leading to a threat to food supply and general security”. Open grazing has become a touchy political and ethnic issue in Nigeria since the escalation of herders/farmers conflicts in the last four to five years. Restructuring — the southern cudgel — expectedly featured in the communique, but the southern governors were more specific, or narrow, unlike the regular agitators. They specifically demanded (1) evolution of state police (2) review of revenue allocation formula in favour of the sub-national governments (which will favour all the 36 states and 774 local governments, by the way), and (3) the creation of other institutions which legitimately advance commitment to and practice of “true federalism”. Of course, the governors know that Buhari cannot grant any of these three demands. They are clearly constitutional matters to be handled by federal and state lawmakers. What do I think, generally? To start with, I do not want to pre-empt the governors on the proposal to ban open grazing as the details are still sketchy. My preliminary comment would be that you cannot ban open grazing overnight. It has to be well planned. You are dealing with millions of cattle, millions of jobs, millions of families, vital protein nutrition and a multibillion-dollar chain. You cannot disrupt this in one day. There would be unintended consequences. The insecurity will grow beyond crimes — which you may even expect the security agencies to tackle — but will extend to untold economic and nutritional crises, disrupting the livelihood of even southerners in the lengthy value chain. Many are unaware that it is not just the herders that benefit from the cattle business. In fact, they are just a dot in the long line. All they do is breed and sell cattle. By the time the beef lands on your table, values have been created along the line through trading, banking, butchering, processing and vending. Cooking will invite a mesh of ingredients into the pot and Nestlé knows that. The food seller’s business is nothing without the beef, which is still the cheapest animal protein in Nigeria. The cow dung is manure for farmers. The bones are used to make chinaware. You know what? Millions of southerners benefit from the chain and probably make more money than the herders themselves! To be sure, northern governors had also admitted in February that “the current system of herding conducted mainly through open grazing is no longer sustainable in view of growing urbanisation and population of the country”. This was a major shift, coming in the wake of the ethnic tension generated by the quit notice issued to northerners in some southern states over the activities of criminals believed to be herders. Unlike the Asaba resolution, however, northern governors spoke about a transition process, announcing that they had resolved “to aggressively sensitise herdsmen on the need to adopt new methods of herding by ranching or other acceptable modern methods”. If southern governors are to ban open grazing and physical movement of cattle, there must be a programme of action which will include transportation and resettlement. One of the best ways of making an ineffective law is to make a law that cannot be obeyed. The end result is more chaos that can only stoke fire across the country. You cannot make herding disappear overnight. The good thing, I think, is that the hardliners in the north have moved from saying “open grazing is Fulani culture” and have now come to accept that things cannot continue like this. The socio-political consequences have damaged Nigeria and only an enemy of progress will insist on the status quo. Luckily, there are vast lands in the north where the herders can be resettled. I have heard a lot about how Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje is making tremendous progress in creating large grazing reserves in the state. That, to me, looks like problem-solving in place of rabble-rousing. Transitioning from open grazing to ranching has to be methodical. It is not a communiqué issue. Since it cannot be enforced overnight, the order will be difficult to obey and the southern governors will only end up giving more ammunition to the Sunday Igbohos and Nnamdi Kanus to continue their ethnic campaigns. The consequences may not spare any part of Nigeria. We need to pause and think. The southern governors asked President Muhammadu Buhari to respect “federal character” in his appointments. This was a bit shocking to me. I used to think southerners see “federal character” as a dirty phrase to be despised and avoided. I have always argued that those who wrote “federal character” into our constitution were not stupid — they wanted to avoid domination by any part of the country. The only way to ensure fairness and promote a sense of belonging in a multi-ethnic federation is to make sure significant federal appointments reflect our diversity. Some analysts believe that a part of the current tension in Nigeria is fuelled by Buhari’s pattern of appointments. I was on the phone with a southern governor recently. He said northerners were systematically replacing southerners in positions “zoned” to the south: finance ministry, FIRS, NIMASA, etc. “The president, a northerner, is the minister of petroleum. The NNPC GMD is a northerner. Most agencies under the petroleum ministry are headed by northerners,” he lamented. One southern minister said he did not want to renew the tenure of a “disloyal” agency head (they are from the same state) but had to rethink “because they may go and bring somebody from Katsina state to replace him”. The rascal in me quietly jested: didn’t these guys say federal character should never matter? While I am not trying to downplay the worries and demands of the southern governors, I am more interested in how they can work with Buhari to tackle this crippling insecurity and stop the bleeding in the land. Open grazing needs to stop, I agree; strategic federal appointments must reflect our diversity, I don’t dispute that; Buhari needs to talk to his citizens to calm their nerves, I accept; we need to restructure Nigeria, I concur (although my own ideas are about socio-economic restructuring rather than disguised balkanisation). But, most importantly, what Nigeria needs urgently is first aid. Nigeria is bleeding so profusely that the incurable optimists are worried. I sympathise with the southern governors: they are under pressure from the streets to say or do something, otherwise they will soon be unable to leave the government house. In 1999-2003, governors of core northern states were under similar tremendous pressure from the streets, with the influence of clerics, to declare Sharia. This is politics: if you don’t eat, you will be eaten. But let us keep this in mind: we need to tackle this insecurity decisively and immediately. All other issues, including open grazing, practising “true federalism” and Biafra, will only be relevant if the prevailing anarchy does not consume us all. Nigerians need to be alive first; other things can always follow. AND FOUR OTHER THINGS… LIKE MAGU, LIKE HADIZA For those who keep saying they can go into government and make a positive impact, I would advise them to take it easy and learn from Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, the suspended MD of the NPA, and Mallam Ibrahim Magu, the sacked boss of the EFCC. Nigeria will kill your spirit. Though far from being perfect (who is perfect?), they both put in decent shifts in tackling the Nigerian rot. Hadiza has been touching the untouchables who think they can get away with anything in Nigeria. Sadly, Hadiza and Magu erroneously thought they had the full backing of President Buhari. I think the signals to forthright people in Buhari’s government are very clear: you are on your own. Unfortunate. PASTOR’S PLAN B Pastor Paul Adefarasin, the senior pastor of House on The Rock, trended on social media when he asked his church members to have a Plan B out of Nigeria — even if it is to flee to Cameroon — because of the current situation. You can pardon Adefarasin, who happens to be one of my favourite pastors, because he is an elite pastor speaking to his elite gathering. The elite will always take care of themselves. In fact, many have multiple citizenships. But let us spare a thought for over 150 million Nigerians who cannot even afford to pay visa fees much less buy flight tickets. And, sadly, they are the most-hit victims of this dysfunctional Nigerian state — with no possible Plan B. Tragic. REMAKING NIGERIA I just got a copy of ‘Remaking Nigeria: Sixty Years, Sixty Voices’, edited by Chido Onumah. It is a book of essays by a diverse collection of writers and thinkers Nigeria can boast off, all discussing the present and the future of Nigeria. Among the contributors are: Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Adebola Williams, Doifie Buokoribo, Amina Salihu, Dike Chukwumerije, Ruona Meyer, Zainab Usman, Idayat Hassan, Chris Adetayo and Yemi Adamolekun — to name but a few of the array of writers who have consistently contributed to nation building in their spheres of influence. The diagnoses and prescriptions are there and well-articulated. The will to transform Nigeria is the next step. Vital. CRUDE IGBOHOISM Chief Sunday Igboho, the so-called Yoruba rights activist, made uncharitable comments on the death of the son of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of RCCG. His grouse is that Adeboye has not been using his pulpit to support the agitation for Oduduwa Republic. That Igboho, a veteran political thug, has become a revered leader among the Yoruba is one thing, but that a Yoruba would be hailed for mocking the death of anyone at all says a lot about where the values of Oduduwa descendants are headed. Igboho, whose own family is reportedly in Germany, can continue to beat the drums of war but the comment on late Dare Adeboye is totally distasteful and disgusting. Crude.

N10bn fraud: EFCC probes Afegbua’s allegations, summons PDP chiefs by John Alechenu

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced investigations into an alleged N10bn fraud levelled against the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party. A document obtained by The PUNCH in Abuja on Tuesday indicated that the anti-graft agency had written a letter inviting the party’s National Auditor, National Organising Secretary and Director of Finance to meet with its Head of Operations at the EFCC National Headquarters, Jabi, Abuja, beginning from Wednesday (today). The letter of invitation with reference number: CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/EG2/12 / Vol 2/146, dated May 17, 2021, was addressed to the National Chairman, PDP Secretariat. Titled, ‘Investigation activities, letter of invitation for information,” the letter reads, ‘The commission is investigating an alleged case of criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of funds and fraud in which the need to obtain certain clarifications from your party has become imperative. “In view of the above, you are requested to kindly release the under-listed officers of your party to attend an interview with the undersigned on the below scheduled dates at the Economic Governance Section 2, EFCC Headquarters 2nd floor, flat 301 and 302 Institution and Research District, Jabi, Abuja by 1000 hours.” The commission said the national auditor should come on Wednesday , the national organising secretary on Thursday and the director of finance, on Friday. “The officers should come along with relevant documents on the sale of forms into the party’s elective positions from January 2017 to date,” the statement signed by Michael Wetkas, Head of Operations, added. The investigation was triggered by a petition filed by a member of the party, Mr Kazeem Afegbua, who alleged that money generated from the sale of forms and other sources totalling N10bn was unaccounted for. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, and other party leaders, however, dismissed the claim as untrue. The PUNCH gathered that Afegbua’s petition was triggered by the contents of a leaked memo of an auditor’s query on financial transactions involving the PDP leadership. The National Auditor of the party, Adamu Mustapha, had alleged that his office was oblivious about the party’s financial transactions since 2017. In the memo, Mustapha had said, “The purpose of this alarm is to bring to the notice of this NWC the inability of the audit department to perform its functions as enshrined in the constitution and the extant laws, to illustrate as example, the audit department was incapacitated by lack of access to the necessary inputs that will enable it to discharge its duties. “For whatever reasons, there is no access to all financial transactions (cash inflows and outflows) documents of the party like cashbooks, receipts. vouchers, registers cheques and bank statements all of which are necessary input or pre-audit for due process, internal control and reconciliation.” He later addressed the media at the instance of the party leadership, where he denied accusing the national chairman of financial malfeasance. Ologbodiyan explained that the audit query had been dealt with and issues raised therein adequately addressed by the parties NWC and the NEC. PUNCH.

Kaduna labour crisis: NLC threatens general strike as El-Rufai declares Wabba wanted by Adelani Adepegba, Lesi Nwisagbo, Maritha Ebolosue, Godwin Isenyo and James Abraham

• SANs slam El-Rufai over order on Wabba, NLC president dares gov There was confusion in Kaduna, the Kaduna State capital, on Tuesday when thugs attacked workers at a rally organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress as the strike in the state entered the second day. The NLC, in a statement by its Acting General Secretary, Ismail Bello, condemned the attack and threatened to embark on a nationwide strike. Earlier, the state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had declared the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, wanted for economic sabotage. The state workers had on Monday begun a five-day strike over the governor’s retrenchment of 45,000 workers and the alleged anti-labour policies of the government. The strike paralysed the state on Monday as civil servants, aviation and rail workers joined the industrial action. On Tuesday, the workers, as early as 7am converged on the state NLC secretariat along the Race Course Road, Ungwan-Rimi, Kaduna, from where they marched to NEPA Roundabout at 11am. It was learnt that the NLC planned to march to the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, along Sokoto road in the metropolis. But trouble started at 12pm when hoodlums in hundreds with dangerous weapons such as clubs, knives and stones attacked workers and labour leaders. Suspected thugs who came in two vehicles hauled stones at the workers, chasing them to the other side of the Ahmadu Bello Way before the NLC members, who were more in numbers retreated and chased them (thugs) away. But for the police Special Force that accompanied the NLC members, who swiftly moved to avert the crisis, it would have snowballed into a bloody clash. Other police operatives stationed by the side of the roundabout fired teargas canisters to disperse the hoodlums while the NLC mobilised its members to chase the thugs away. The attack lasted for less than an hour. Speaking at the rally shortly after the confusion, the NLC president alleged that the state government hired the hoodlums to attack the peaceful rally, saying that “we have dismantled them.” Wabba said, “I called the Department of State Services headquarters, I called the DIG Operation. I also called the State(Kaduna) Director of the DSS, I gave them the information. “While we are here (NEPA roundabout), they(thugs) came but we thank God that we have dismantled them. We have chased them away because we have the numbers. “We have no thugs and we are not using thugs but we have Nigerian workers. And we thank God that we will catch them alive and we are going to dismantle them.” El-Rufai had earlier on Tuesday declared the NLC president and other officials of the union wanted for sabotaging the economy of the state. The governor tweeted, “Ayuba Wabba & others of @NLCHeadquarters declared wanted for economic sabotage and attacks on public infrastructure under Miscellaneous Offences Act. Anyone that knows where he is hiding should send a message to @MOJKaduna KDSG. There will be a handsome reward!” But curiously, the NLC President was at the rally at the NEPA roundabout, which the thugs interrupted. I am here, Wabba fires back at El-Rufai When asked about the order of the governor declaring him wanted, Wabba laughed it off, saying he was not hiding as claimed by the governor. He said, “I am here sound and direct. Is he (El-Rufai) court?” No compromise with labour – El-Rufai insists Earlier at the launch of the Kaduna State Agricultural Policy held at the late General Hassan Katsina House, Kawo, Kaduna, the governor said he would not compromise with the labour leaders over the sacking of workers. El-Rufai claimed that the union had attacked facilities in the state as such risk being prosecuted. He said, “They have attacked facilities. They have engaged in economic sabotage. That’s an offence under the miscellaneous act and we want him (NLC President) . “We bring him to justice. We are looking for him. He should report to the nearest police station or report to us. He will be prosecuted for economic sabotage.” When asked if the two parties had reached compromise, El-Rufai said, “There are no grounds for compromise. They have used their last ultimate weapon. It will not change anything. It will not change our position and that’s it.” Meanwhile, as of the time of filing this report, the train station located at Rigasa in the Igabi Local Government Area of the State, was shut to passengers and the railway workers. Some schools both public and private complied with the directive to withdraw their services. This was just as banks and other financial institutions fully complied with the directives of the national body of the NLC. Kaduna dismisses nurses below Grade Level 14, says NLC like bandits Also on Tuesday, the state government dismissed all nurses below Grade Level 14 for their “illegal participation” in the strike. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘Kaduna not tolerate criminal acts disguised as industrial action.’ The statement also likened the action of the NLC to those of bandits ravaging the state. It alleged that nurses disconnected oxygen from a two-day-old baby in an incubator on Monday at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, when they joined the strike. It added, “Apart from referring the nurses involved to the ministry of justice to initiate prosecution, the government also announced the dismissal of all nurses below Grade Level 14 for the illegal strike. “Ministry of Health has been directed to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed’’ Besides, the statement directed all government’s ministries to submit their attendance registers to the head of service while the Kaduna State University should submit same to the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner of Education. The government noted that salaries that could have been paid to the dismissed nurses would be given as extraordinary occupational allowances to the health workers who were at their duty posts to fill the gap of those absconding from duty. The special adviser likened “The actions of the NLC to the actions of the bandits kidnapping and menacing our citizens. Bandits illegally use arms, but the NLC is deploying mob action for exactly the same ends. ‘’Efforts to dress up a criminal activity as industrial action do not change the reality of lawbreaking that has unfolded, including their persistently ignoring the prohibition against impeding essential services.” El-Rufai instigated attack on workers – Labour The NLC acting secretary, Bello, in his statement, vowed that the congress would continue its protests. In the statement titled, ‘Mr Nasir el-Rufai lives up to his name, cowardly instigates street violence against innocent protesting Nigerian workers,’ he explained that the street protest which was in response to the sacking of workers by the state government started peacefully on Monday and continued on Tuesday with Wabba and other labour leaders leading the workers’ march. He said, “Just towards the end of the address of Comrade Ayuba Wabba, a convoy of the Kaduna State Governor approached the NEPA Junction, at the heart of Kaduna metropolis where today’s protest was staged. “Immediately the governor’s convoy beat a retreat from the sea of human heads that had shown up in solidarity with Nigerian workers, busloads of thugs and hooligans drove into NEPA Roundabout from the axis where security operatives supposedly had cordoned off. What happened next can only be described with words apt for a war front. “The weed-smoking hoodlums disembarked from the buses that brought them, brandished all manner of weapons and surged towards the protesters who were by this time seated under any available shade and listening to the speeches made by their leaders. “To our greatest consternation, while the hired killer squad attacked the workers, the initial response of the security operatives who were there presumably to protect the protesting workers was “siddon-look”, and subsequently, entreaties with the criminal mob. “It was only when the workers began to defend themselves did the security operatives get into the fray – and their first action was to fire tear gas canisters at protesting workers.” The congress said it was consulting with its organs on the next line of action, noting that a declaration of nationwide strike was not excluded from their considerations. It noted, “We are already consulting with the organs of our movement on the next line of strategy in our struggle given Mr El-Rufai’s disdain for social dialogue and peaceful resolution of issues. An immediate declaration of national strike is not excluded from our immediate considerations. “Another attack by Mr El-Rufai will most likely automatically activate a nationwide solidarity action with Kaduna State workers.” But the Chairman of the Nothern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, in a statement on Tuesday by his Press and Public Affairs, Macham Makut, called for calm saying that only dialogue would resolve the issues between the two contending parties. “While calling for dialogue and negotiations which is a long standing dispute mechanism in labour relations, the Northern Governors called for restraint and de-escalation of the situation to enable for amicable settlement of the issues in question,” he stated. El-Rufai cannot arrest NLC leaders, say lawyers Meanwhile, some senior lawyers have described the threat by El-Rufai to arrest Wabba as dictatorial and unconstitutional. A human rights activist and lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, in an interview with The PUNCH, said El-Rufai’s action was dictatorial and despotic. He said, “El -Rufai should not dare arrest the NLC chairman or dismiss the nurses. He has suddenly become dictatorial and despotic, reminding us of Hitler and Mussolini. “The right to freedom of expression, movement, association, right to liberty and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, etc., are basic human rights guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution, and universally recognised under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter On Human And People’s Rights, the European Charter on Human Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights, and other international instruments. “The right to protest without even seeking Police permission has been serially upheld by Nigerian appellate courts.” In a similar vein, legal practitioner, Remi Olatunbora, SAN, described the declaration as an empty threat. He said, “The right of the NLC to withdraw their services, which is what we call strike, is guaranteed under the Constitution of Nigeria and extant labour law. “The governor’s pronouncement is an empty threat. It is as empty as it was pronounced. “It has no legal basis and does not hold any water in law. No law enforcement agency can enforce that. “Such pronouncement has no place in a democratic regime. Only a dictatorial regime can make such pronouncement.” On his part, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) said the governor was misunderstanding the extent of his powers as “the Chief Executive of Kaduna State.” According to him, a protest is part of the rights that citizens enjoy in a democracy, so the people of Kaduna have the right to call for a strike if they believe that they are not being served well. He stated, “Declaring the leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress wanted is misappropriation of power as a governor. It is not one of the attributes of democratic governance. Declaring people wanted for embarking on a strike action is misconceived. “Therefore, I do not think that what the governor has done is right. The matter ought to be resolved in a court and luckily for us, El-Rufai will not be the judge.” The Federal government has asked the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Kaduna State Government to avoid escalating the crisis. Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige made the appeal in a statement by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Charles Akpan, on Tuesday. PUNCH.

Police beef up security in Lagos, Ogun over rumoured IPOB militants’ attack - by Deji Lambo

The Lagos and Ogun state police commands have beefed up security in different parts of the states to avert any possible attack by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and its Eastern Security Network. This followed a statement by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, during a security summit chaired by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, that the command was investigating threats by IPOB to attack soft targets in the state. READ ALSO: Hisbah arrests Kano ‘couple’ for allegedly buying baby for N900,000 While reacting to the CP’s revelation, the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, had refuted the claim in a tweet. The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had also described the claim as a rumour aimed at causing division, crisis and conflict among Ndigbo and their host communities. Our correspondent, however, gathered that undercover police personnel had been deployed in places hosting critical infrastructure and institutions, as well as areas with high population of people from the eastern part of the country and motor parks in Lagos. Odumosu told our correspondent that the command had put in place measures to curtail any potential attack by IPOB because it could not disregard such a threat. He said, “I want to assure members of the public that inasmuch as we don’t work on rumours, at the same time we don’t disregard them. When we got the intelligence report, all the stakeholders in the security industry were sensitised. “Residents, including landlord associations, were also sensitised. Self-security consciousness is the best; if you observe something that is abnormal in a place, you take precaution. “We have enlightened residents and landlord associations about self-security consciousness. In conjunction with the state Ministry of Education, we also organised a series of lectures, where I had interactive sessions with all the proprietors of public and private schools with boarding facilities.” Odumosu stated that the command had also held a summit with relevant stakeholders to strengthen security around the borders and the riverside communities, adding that the command was also working with the Ogun State Police Command to secure border towns of the two states. The CP said, “During the summit, many contributions came up and we have empowered our marine police. It is only Ogun State that we share water and land boundaries with. We have moved round to all the borders of Lagos and Ogun states, and we have a synergy with the Ogun State Police Command.” The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, said although the state had yet to get any intelligence report suggesting any planned attack, the proximity of Lagos to Ogun State had prompted the command to expedite measures to fortify the security system. He said, “Generally, we have on the ground what I call adequate measures directed towards containing all forms of crimes, and our measures include surveillance in areas we think are vulnerable, including highways, public institutions, buildings and individuals, who are exposed to high risk of security like politicians, private businessmen, schools, farms, banking institutions and other financial institutions. “We have a security template that is directed towards ensuring adequate security of these areas. On the issue of IPOB, I won’t say I have not heard that information as it is flying around in the social media, it should suffice to say that we have our measures to curtail this kind of crime and we are watching very closely.” PUNCH.