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INDEPENDENT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017
Buhari Calls Koroma, Condoles With Sierra
Leoneans Over Tragic Mudslide
President Muhammadu
Buhari has condoled
with President Ernest
Bai Koroma and the
people of Sierra Leone
over the loss of lives
and devastation caused
by mudslide in the West
African country.
Femi Adesina, Presidential
Special Adviser
on Media and Publicity,
said Buhari expressed
his condolence in a telephone
call from London
to Koroma on Tuesday.
Buhari stated that
the hearts of Nigerians
were with the people
of Sierra Leone in this
Angry Students Shut Down
Bayelsa Varsity Over Fee Hike
IGONIKO ODUMA
YENAGOA
Angry students of the
Niger Delta University,
Wilberforce Island, have
shut down the institution
in protest against
what they termed outrageous
hike in tuition fees
and electronic course
charges.
The students were also
aggrieved that the university
authority did not involve
the Students’ Union
Government (SUG) in decision
making processes.
The protest, which took
place on Monday at the
university main campus
in Amassoma, disrupted
academic activities and
paralysed commercial activities
in the community.
The students, who demanded
the halt of the
fees, barricaded the main
entrance to the institution
and prevented vehicular
Alhaji Shettima Yerima,
leader, of the Coalition of
Northern Group (CNG),
has claimed that the
October 1 quit notice
issued by Arewa youths
to Igbos residing in the
north had the backing
of prominent leaders of
the region.
He made this disclosure
in Lafia, during
the zonal meeting of the
coalition in Nasarawa.
He explained that in
June 2017, a group of
prominent northern
leaders met with members
of Arewa youths to
take the position.
“On June 6, 2017, a
group of leaders from
the North came together
to deliberate on the
situation in the country.
“After their deliberation,
we realised the
need to make a statement
on the activities
tragic period in the history
of the country.
He prayed that Almighty
God would comfort
those mourning
their loved ones as well
as those that suffered
other losses.
Koroma thanked Buhari
for his show of concern,
brotherly love and
wished him good health.
At least 270 people
were reportedly killed on
Monday after heavy rains
over-ran the city’s drainage
system and created
one of the most devastating
floods Freetown has
experienced.
movements for several
hours.
Mr. Kemes Mitin, the
institution’s SUG president,
who led the protest,
said the management of
the Bayelsa State-owned
university was gradually
turning it into a private
one in its quest to generate
more revenue.
He called on the university’s
authorities to review
the fees and levies downwards
as he stressed that
many students would not
afford the high cost of education
at the institution.
Although, no official of
the NDU was on hand to
address the protesting students,
they carried out the
demonstration peacefully
without skirmishes.
This is the second time
since May that students
of the institution would
take to the streets to draw
attention to hike in the
fees and other levies at
the university.
Northern Leaders Asked Us To
Give Igbos Quit Notice – Yerima
of the Biafra agitators
in the country”, he said.
As the deadline
draws closer, he said
the group would soon
meet to take a stand on
the next line of action.
He said the Kaduna
declaration was in
response to the Biafra
agitation.
“We cannot fold our
hands to watch an individual
hold this country
to ransom.
“We can’t allow an
individual insult our
leaders and play over
our sensibilities,” he
said.
He said the quit notice
was a signal to
Kanu and his group
that Nigeria cannot be
undermined by a single
individual, even as he
described Kanu as a frustrated
human being seeking
political relevance.
Olusola Teniola, President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (left); Daniel Asapokhai, Executive Secretary, Financial
Reporting Council of Nigeria (second left); Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission
(NCC) (third left); Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Chairman, NCC Board (middle); Irene Robinson Ayawale, Head/Legal Counsel,
Nigerian Stock Exchange (third right); Sunday Dare, Executive Commissioner, NCC (second right), and Clement Baiye, member,
NCC Board, during the code of corporate governance for telecom industry sensitisation workshop in Lagos on Tuesday.
Saraki Promises Quick Passage Of Anti-
Hate Speech, Jungle Justice Bills
ROTIMI AKINWUMI
ABUJA
Bukola Saraki,
President of the
Senate, has assured
that once
the Senate resumes plenary
in September, the
upper legislative chamber
will give quick attention
to Bills that seek to
prohibit hate speeches as
well as jungle justice.
The rising tension in
the country, he said, has
become worrisome, noting
that the Senate can no
longer act as if all is well.
In a statement signed by
Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, his
Special Adviser on Media
19 Lawmakers Back New Edo Speaker
FRANCIS ONOIRIBHOLO
BENIN
and Publicity, Saraki stated
that the Senate is ready
to give the Hate Speech Bill
accelerated consideration
when it is presented by
the executive.
“At this point in time,
when people are heating
up the political and social
space with their utterances,
the Hate Speech
Bill will help to mitigate
against verbal attacks
or expressions against
individuals or groups on
the basis of ethnicity, religion,
and even gender.
“This will help to
send a clear message
with accompanying punitive
measures to those
negative elements in our
society that are fond of
Adjoto Kabiru, the new
Speaker of Edo State
House of Assembly, on
Tuesday presided over the
plenary with18 members
attending.
Adjoto elected on the
platform of the All Progressives
Congress (APC)
representing Akoko-Edo
Constituency 1 was on
Monday elected by 16
members of the house
after the impeachment
of the former Speaker
Justine Okonoboh (APC)
representing Igueben
Constituency, the Deputy
Speaker Elizabeth Ativie
(APC) and the majority
leader, Foly Ogedengbe
(APC), Owan East Constituency.
Those absent from
the plenary were the impeached
three principal
officers and Magnus Ezehi-Igbas
(PDP) representing
Esan North-East 11,
who was also suspended
for trying to resist the
impeachment process on
Monday.
Also absent were Audu
Abdul Ganiyu (APC), Etsako
West 1 who was on
apology and Chris Okaeben
(APC) Oredo West
who was absent without
any reason.
At the sitting the
Speaker who commended
the members of the
house for the new leadership
assured that it would
provide purposeful and
proactive leadership to
ensure that members legislate
for the betterment
of the entire people of
the state. He also ordered
the Clerk of the house to
ensure the immediate retrieval
of all official vehicles
in the custody of the
impeached three principal
officers for the use of
the new elected officials.
FRANCIS ONOIRIB-
HOLO
BENIN
A group of Esan speaking
People in Edo Central
Senatorial District,
under the aegis of Concerned
Esan Sons and
Daughters on Tuesday
decried the marginalisation
of the district in
the politics of Edo State.
The group, which rose
from a meeting in Benin
City where the impeachment
of Dr. Justine
Okonoboh was discussed,
in a communique, noted
with great concern the
open marginalisation and
discrimination against
Esan people.
While urging the government
to urgently intervene
in the crisis rocking
the state House of Assembly,
the group called for
distasteful comments
that hurt, offend and
provoke retaliation,” the
president of the senate
said.
Saraki also stated that
the Anti-Jungle Justice
Bill (SB. 109), which is
sponsored by Senator
Dino Melaye, (APC-Kogi),
will also help to curtail,
protect and prohibit
Nigerians across the
country from meting out
extra-judicial justice to
perceived offenders without
recourse to statutory
legal channels.
“There have been many
cases of extrajudicial executions
across the nation.
We all remember the “Aluu
Four” incident, and several
other notorious cases
of phone and food thieves
being set ablaze.
“We cannot have a situation
where people feel
that they can take the law
into their hands.
“Therefore, we must
put in place careful stopgaps
and penal measures
to protect the sanctity of
our communities” Saraki
said.
The Senate President
also stated that the committee
on judiciary and
the rules and business
committees of the senate
would work to ensure that
Anti-Jungle Justice Bill is
quickly passed and sent to
the House of Representatives
for concurrence.
Group Alleges Marginalisation Of
Edo Central Senatorial District
the immediate reversal of
the speakership position
to the zone.
In the communiqué
signed by Mr. Roy Oribhabor,
the convener of the
meeting, said since the
Edo South had the governor
and the North, the deputy
governor, it was only
fair for Central to have the
speakership position.
He, however, said that
it was the position until it
was truncated by the ouster
of Dr. Justine Okonobor
as the Speaker of the
assembly on Monday.
The group called for
the urgent and immediate
reversal of the position if
the people of the central
senatorial district is to
have sense of belonging.
“We call on Edo State
government to as matter
of urgency intervene in
the crisis in Edo State
House of Assembly.”